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The Eye of Aquana

Just a little bit more. It just needed a little wiggling for it all to fit together perfectly. The young otter turned his tool just a little, but it was enough to trigger the very satisfying sound of all of the tension being released at once. The small brown creature stepped away and opened the door. "We're in," he said softly while grinning proudly over his shoulder, turning his angelic blue eyes on the slightly larger otter behind him.

"Excellent work, Leyam. You'll be a real master thief yet," Rain whispered before slipping in past him, into the darkness of the royally-furnished room beyond. The owners of the house were currently at the Spring festival, which left their home beautifully vacant. The festival music followed the thieves inside as they explored the room and collected any valuables they could find. They took the silverware, the silver candlesticks, the wife's jewellery, and the husband's ornate golden dagger. Nothing was spared. They even took the silk sheets, knowing it would fetch a nice price with their fence. Rain found a pair of beautiful ruby earrings, which he added to the ones already in his ears, wincing softly as he pushed the metal through his ears.

"What about this rug? It has gold thread in it," Leyam whispered as he kneeled down at a masterfully-carved wooden desk.

"Too heavy. It'd raise too much suspicion," the slightly older otter said as he closed his bag of valuables. He went over to the windows and opened them just a tad, counting on the midnight air to cleanse the room of their scent. He scanned the street below for any city guards, finding it empty. "Let's go. We don't want to be here longer than we have to," he said as he went out into the night with Leyam on his heels.

***

Despite looking like it had seen its fair share of storms and years, Rain's house was quite luxuriously decorated on the inside. He had neglected to maintain the outside, so as not to attract any unwanted attention, but one could find anything a man would need inside. After stashing the loot behind a hidden panel in a wall, the two otters undressed and went for a dip in Rain's rather large indoor pool, which was located in his cellar.

The bejewelled otter moved up behind the younger one and gently placed his paws on the other's hips, drawing him against himself before nuzzling his neck, tickling it with his whiskers. "You did a really good job today, Leyam. You made quick work of that lock," he spoke in the boy's ear with a rather sultry voice.

Leyam blushed under his fur and he drew his arms up to his chest. "Well, I am the son of a locksmith after all," he said shyly.

"Mhmm... You're my boy now though," Rain said softly before kissing Leyam's neck, drawing a gasp from the boy that was so soft that it wasn't clear whether it had actually happened or not. He bit the boy's shoulder very tenderly before slowly sliding his paws down to the submerged sheath, giving it a nice squeeze.

"Y...yes, I...I am your boy," the apprentice thief moaned softly as his body reacted wonderfully to his teacher's ministrations. He wasn't sure what to do with his paws, so he just kept them to his chest, where he could feel his heart beating faster with every stroke, squeeze, and caress.

The taller otter stroked Leyam to full hardness before backing away and pulling himself up onto the edge of the pool, spreading his legs to reveal his plump sheath and balls. "Come on, boy. You know what I like," he said teasingly before winking.

The boy wasted no time, and made a happy sound in the back of his throat as he swam over to the man and nuzzled the insides of his thighs, before burying his black nose into the wet balls, sniffing deeply to inhale the master thief's wonderful musk. It didn't take long for him to use his smooth tongue to please the other otter, dragging it over the round orbs, before flicking it at the hard sheath.

Rain moved his paws onto Leyam's head, caressing his face and ears. "That feels really good," he whispered as he slowly unsheathed all the way until he was fully grown, at which point the apprentice took his master into his muzzle and bobbed his head along the warm length in his mouth, loving the continuous feeling of the warm meat sliding past his lips.

After about ten minutes, the older otter gently pushed the young thief back. "I want to plant my seed elsewhere, my love. Get in all fours for me," he said softly before kissing him tenderly.

Leyam smiled happily and blushed before getting out of the water and onto all fours, wiggling his rump in anticipation. "Hurry up!" he said before giggling.

"Patience is a virtue, young one. Especially to us thieves," Rain said as he moved out of the pool, water sliding off his oily fur as he positioned himself behind the eager otter. He lifted up the boy's tail and licked his lips. "Bon appetit," he said before slathering his tongue over his backside, making sure to wriggle the agile muscle into every nook and cranny.

The locksmith's son moaned loudly and pushed his rear back into Rain's face, loving every second of the way the man treated him. He gasped as his tail was yanked up, only to groan at the feeling of the other otter's member slowly being pushed into him.

"Oooh... I wish you could see what I can see," the bejewelled otter said while grinning as he firmly kneaded Leyam's wonderful butt cheeks. Rain had never seen a more perfect butt on any other otter boy he'd ever come across, and that was saying something, as he'd been quite adventurous from a young age. He placed his webbed paws onto the smaller thief's curvy hips, and ploughed him with an energy that few other species could muster.

Leyam braced himself by digging his claws into the floor and bending through his arms a little. He moaned loudly while his body was ravaged so wonderfully by his lover. The boy arched his back and pressed his rump back slightly while biting his lip softly and closing his eyes. It wasn't long before his breath was taken away from him by Rain hilting himself deep inside the smaller otter, filling him up nicely with his sinful essence.

The master thief gently bit his boy's neck before placing a tender kiss on it as he pulled himself out and slipped back into the water to wash up before floating on his back, enjoying the blissful feeling that had overtaken his body after their wonderful lovemaking.

The other one rested on his stomach, his head posed on his arms. He didn't feel the need to enter the water again, preferring instead to keep his lover's seed deep inside of him. Feeling perfectly content and safe with the other otter close to him, Leyam quickly drifted off.

***

They parted ways the next morning, after sharing another intimate kiss. Their love would be considered a sin by most, Leyam's father being one of them. He could never find out. The younger otter left Rain's place to head over to his father's shop. He still lived there, but he wasn't afraid of his father asking him questions about where he'd been. After all, ever since his mother's untimely death, his father had drunk himself into a stupor every night, passing out either on the floor, in his chair, or in his bed. Leyam didn't mind it that much though, for he sort of understood why he did it. After all, if the young thief were to lose his beloved Rain, he'd probably do the same thing. Shuddering at the mere thought of it, the boy walked faster before spending the rest of the daylight hours helping out his father as an apprentice locksmith, continuing his double life.

Meanwhile, Rain had donned a beautiful green velvet outfit fit for a noble. He hung a beautiful golden emerald pendant around his neck and looked at himself in the mirror for a final check-up. Satisfied with his appearance, the rather dandy-looking otter walked out with a leather satchel under his arm. It contained most of the precious stones and jewellery that the thieves had managed to procure the previous night. He was on his way to his most-trusted fence to turn the loot into a nice profit.

Unfortunately, the fox lived on the other side of the market district, closer to the rich part of town, as he did most of his business there. This meant that Rain had to make his way through the busy market district to get there. There was a way around it, but time was money and he knew from experience that the alleys and backstreets were filled with beggars and cutthroats, which was not folk he liked to interact with. Slowly making his way through the crowded market reminded the otter exactly of the reason why he hated having to go through there. It was always overly crowded and there was just no way of quickly making your way through it, especially if you were smaller than everyone around you, save for rodents and other mustelids. He glared up at the tall canines and felines around him, wishing he were taller.

He screamed out in surprise at a sudden sharp pain in his tail that signalled that someone had clearly overlooked him again. He snarled and bared his teeth. "Get off my tail, you overgrown son of a-" he yelled as he turned around and looked directly up into the eyes of a very tall and broad horse, who just happened to be wearing the uniform of the city guard, which made his words get caught in his throat just in time. He moved the bag of valuables behind his back very casually. "Very respectable woman," he added to finish his sentence. He forced a goofy apologetic grin onto his face in the hopes that the stallion wouldn't take offense.

"Oh! I'm sorry, sir. Please, accept my apologies," the large guard said as he moved off of the otter's tail, which was inconveniently dragged over the floor as the creature moved. He looked around him and saw the marketgoers around them looking at the two of them.

"Make sure it doesn't happen again. It hurts like the devil," Rain spoke before turning around and going on his way again, leaving the guard feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Rain walked a little faster, for as far as that was possible, while taking deep breaths to calm his raging heart. He hated run-ins with the guards, for they rarely ended well for him. This time though, he safely made it to his destination, pushing open the beautiful decorated wooden door and stepping into the shop of renowned jeweller Angus Brightwood, son of the baron of Brightwood, and professional fence. The latter wasn't known by most, of course.

The opening of the door caused the ringing of a little bell above it, signalling the entering of a customer. Before him numerous wonders of nature were displayed in beautiful display cases made of glass framed in wood. Rain's fingers itched at the sight of this many gems and other valuable jewellery in place, but he'd sworn an oath never to steal from the man, lest he'd lose all privileges the fox provided.

Angus stepped out from behind a purple velvet curtain in the back of the shop, and spread out his arms at the sight of the little otter, the red fox being quite a lot taller. "Ah, Master Rain, it is so lovely to see you again and in good health, my friend! The gods must surely favour you!" he said while reaching up to the invisible heavens above, looking up at the wooden ceiling. The fox had always had a sense for the dramatic and his flamboyant appearance and personality definitely complemented this. Dressed in the most beautiful burgundy velvet outfit the otter had ever seen, the fox made for a rather imposing figure. "What can I do for you today?" he spoke with a voice laced with honey.

Rain closed the door, and locked it behind him, before walking up to the counter, doing his utmost best to avoid laying eyes on all the beautiful temptations around him. "I have managed to acquire some things you might be interested in," he said with a cocky grin as he held up his bag, shaking it to make the content jingle.

The fox smirked and nodded. "Right this way then, darling. Let us do business," he said as he held aside the luxurious curtain.

The thief stepped into the back of the building and sat down at a dark wooden table covered with a black velvet cloth. He carefully shook his loot out of the bag to display it on the table. The candles that illuminated the room seemed to set the gems and golden items aflame, making the fox's amber eyes light up with definite interest. Angus slowly walked around the table while gently stroking his whiskers, as he took in the loot from all sides.

"My, my, Rain. Where did you find this wonderful treasure?" he asked before picking up a beautiful ruby and holding it into the light to better inspect it.

"You know you don't want to know that, my friend," Rain answered simply.

"You are correct. I don't wish to know," the vulpine said while smirking. "I will give you thirty gold for the lot," he said while looking it over again.

"We have a deal then," the otter said as he moved his paws onto his hips. He had a long history with the jeweller, and he knew that Angus would never cut him a bad deal. They'd had some arguments over pay in the past, but there was a strong feeling of mutual respect between the two creatures that had grown over time.

A weighty coin purse was given to the otter thief, which was put away safely in the male's clothes. "Thanks again, Angus. I'll see you again tomorrow, possibly," he said before turning around. He was about to walk away when the vulpine gently put a paw on his shoulder to stop him in his tracks.

"Leaving already, love? I'd strongly advise you to stay, for I have heard a rather promising rumour being spread among the other... treasure seekers," the red fox said while plucking his whiskers again, his long fluffy tail wagging lazily behind him.

"A rumour you think is worth my time? This has to be good then," Rain said as he sat down.

"Of course, a rumour like this doesn't come for free," the fox said with a mischievous twinkling in his eyes.

The master thief sighed and rolled his eyes. "What is it you want?"

"You know what I want, Rain," Angus said before licking his lips.

The otter raised an eyebrow and shook his head, resigning himself to it. "Alright, but only after hearing the rumour, and only if I decide that it's worth my time."

"Oh, I'm sure it's worth your precious time, darling. One of my most-trusted birds came to me today with the news that Baron Suthendale has come into possession of a gem more valuable than anything else this country has ever seen."

"That is saying something, as his gem collection is quite famous among the nobility. What could it be that is worth that much? I've been trying to get my paws on that collection for a while now, but I've never really had the chance to. He guards it jealously," the otter said while leaning his chin on his paw.

"Have you ever heard of the Eye of Aquana, Rain?" the vulpine asked with a wide grin on his face.

"Bah! That is only a fairytale, Angus!" Rain protested. "There's no way that he has actually found something that fits that description. Do you take me for a fool?" he asked as he was actually a bit upset by this outrageous suggestion.

"Oh, but he has, love. Witness reports say that they have seen him holding an aquamarine gem the size of a cub's head!" the fox said before laughing. "Surely this is worth checking out, isn't it, Rain?" he asked.

The otter contemplated the idea. He still didn't really believe the idea of Brom Suthendale owning the mythical Eye of Aquana, said to have once been the eye of the sea goddess Aquana, before it was stolen by a common bloke and turned into a jewel. However, even if it wasn't true, he had always wanted to raid the baron's gem collection, something which no other thief had ever been able to do without getting caught. "Alright, I will check it out. Do you have any other information that would be of help?"

"The baron plans on presenting the Eye to the king as a gift. It will be shipped to the city from his estate with an armed escort that will consist of the bear's strongest warriors in five days," he said before leaning back in his chair. "Now, as for your part of the deal," he said with another wide smirk on his vulpine face.

The male leaned back in his wooden chair and spread his legs before moving his velvet robe out of the way, revealing that he wasn't wearing anything underneath. His cream-coloured sheath was already thickening, the tip of his red length already sticking out alluringly.

The otter sank down onto his knees after moving up to the fox. "You never change, do you, Angus?" he asked before taking hold of the fox's legs and nuzzling the fuzzy balls, drawing a pleased reaction from the fox.

"Why change what doesn't need to be changed?" Angus asked as he placed a paw on Rain's head and gently pet him.

"Aptly put," the thief said before running his tongue over the sheath and the exposed red meat. He wrapped his lips around the rip and suckled on it, swirling his tongue around it prior to pushing the sheath down with his lips, taking more of the handsome fox into his muzzle.

The jeweller moaned his appreciation and pushed up into the brown mustelid's mouth and taking hold of his neck scruff, growling lustfully as he squirted his salty pre over the recipient's tongue. There was nothing like the feeling of having another male taking your throbbing member into his muzzle. It made Angus feel powerful, which was not a sensation he was unused to, but still one he craved every once in a while.

Rain growled softly as the other male was getting a bit too enthusiastic and dominant for his tastes. He was used to being the one in charge, so someone taking hold of his scruff like that was alien to him. He decided that he'd take control into his paws again. He moved his webbed paws onto the vulpine's, and moved them down onto the chair, so they were no longer touching him like before. He was still the one in charge, and he wished Angus to know that. He bobbed his head along the tasty meat in his muzzle and even took the growing knot into his muzzle, making sure to suck extra hard on it every time he took it in.

The fox let the otter move his paws away, and was about to say something about it when Rain shut him up by suckling on his swelling knot. He groaned and squirmed in the chair, holding on to the sides of it to prevent him from simply sliding off of it. His heartrate had gone up significantly, and he had started panting, his tongue lolling out of his mouth a little.

Once the knot was swollen enough that the otter could no longer take it into his muzzle, Rain hooked two fingers behind it, and started tugging on it while sucking harder. He kept moving his head along the pulsing length until the fox started trembling while moaning loudly. One last tug caused the jeweller to spill his essence all over the thief's tongue and down his throat, the otter swallowing everything down with seemingly little effort. He cleaned up the hot rod before slipping it out of his muzzle. He stood up and rubbed his jaw a little.

"I'll take my leave now, Angus. I'll see you soon," he said as he dusted himself off and left through the curtain.

"Y...yeah... Bye... Ooooh..." the fox said weakly while panting heavily with his eyes closed. He'd stay that way for at least another ten minutes, basking in his heavenly afterglow.

***

Leyam happily ran through the market street in the evening, wearing an excited smile on his face as he dodged the few people who hadn't gone home or hit a tavern yet. The sun was about to set completely, and it dyed the sky in shades of red, purple, and pink, a sight which the boy had always enjoyed. Nowadays, it also signalled the time that his father went in search of another bottle, so he could leave the house to go to Rain.

He knocked on the backdoor of the shabby-looking house. It took a good minute for the other otter to open the door, after which the young apprentice flew around his neck and kissed him passionately. "I've missed you," he said while smiling.

Rain smiled and gently hugged back, after which he rested his paws on the boy's slender hips. "I've missed you too, my love. I have exciting news. Come," he said as he let go of his student and walked up the stairs to his study with Leyam in tow. The study was alight with candles, and various maps lay spread out on the large table in the middle of the room.

"Tell me, Leyam. Do you know the story of the Eye of Aquana?" he asked as he sat down at the desk, pulling his lover into his lap and stroking his stomach.

"Are you kidding me? Every child in the city knows that story. What about it?" the boy asked as he leaned back and nuzzled under Rain's chin.

The larger otter kissed the smaller one's ears and smiled. "Well, it would seem that that story isn't just a fantasy after all. My informant told me that the Eye of Aquana actually exists and is in the possession of this country's greatest gem collector, Baron Brom Suthendale," he said.

"You are pulling my leg, aren't you?" he asked. "Are you saying that that legendary gemstone is actually right under our noses?"

"According to my informant, yes. I'm not sure whether I believe it or not, but I've been wanting to raid this guy's collection for a while now, and this gives me more than enough reason to check it out," he said. "This will be the heist of a lifetime, Leyam. If we pull this off, we can live comfortably somewhere far away from here, without ever having to work again," he said and grinned.

"Are you sure you want me along then? I mean... I'm still only an apprenctice," the boy said while looking a little worried.

"You are -my- apprentice, my love. You're also one of the best lockpicks in the city, and the one I trust most. You wouldn't never betray me. So yes, I want to do this together. I have faith in you, boy," he said.

Leyam smiled happily and straddled his beloved before kissing him deeply, slipping him some tongue after closing his eyes. It warmed his heart to hear the most important person in his world speak so highly of him. It filled him with confidence, so, after the kiss ended, he immediately turned to the map. "Let's start planning then."

***

Planning the heist had taken up most of the night, as well as most of the next morning, as Rain had to make everything ready for their departure to the town that was built around the baron's estate. Leyam had left a note for his father about not being in for the next few days, and met up with the other thief at the city gate, where Rain was waiting with two brown feral horses packed for the trip.

"Glad you could make it. Let's go," he said as he got up on his horse and walked it out of the city, before increasing speed.

The boy wasn't an experienced rider, and it took him a while before he had his horse fully under control. Luckily, the horse just followed Rain's, which meant that Leyam didn't have to do that much at first.

The trip to Suthendale took about a day and a half, the two lovers arriving in the evening, their bodies sore and broken from the long ride. They spent the night in a high-class tavern and rested well that night, for a lot of work needed to be done in the morning. After all, they had about 2 days left, if Angus' information was correct. There was no time to waste.

Rain hit the road the next morning, wanting to gain as much information as he good is as little time as possible. He was not known in Suthendale, which made moving around town a lot easier for him. He ignored every merchant calling out to him, trying to make him have a look at their wares, and instead went looking for the best sources of information a thief could possibly hope for: beggars. Beggars were on the street day and night, keeping their eyes and ears peeled for any information that could possibly be of use to them, especially since people like Rain would often pay for such information. This was common knowledge among thieves, and if the information would prove to be reliant, a beautiful symbiosis would form.

It didn't take him longer than twenty minutes to find his first beggar, an old bobcat sitting by the side of the road. Rain, wearing his dark travelling cloak, moved down to sit on his haunches in front of the man. He held out a piece of silver, which would easily feed the man for a week or so. "What can you tell me about Baron Suthendale and the Eye of Aquana?" he asked in hushed tones.

The bobcat looked from left to right before gently taking the coin, which vanished somewhere in the folds of his ragged cloak. "They say the Eye of Aquana is real and in the possession of the baron. I've heard this from at least five different people, sir, so it must be true. He keeps it in his estate, and it is said to be well-guarded. The guards have already arrested three people at least. That is all I know," he said while looking down. He hadn't looked Rain in the eyes once, preferring to know as little about the person asking for the information as possible. It was a sort of unspoken rule the most experienced of informants knew.

"I thank you. Have a nice day," the otter thief said before walking on again. He was soon stopped by a young black cat wearing only a pair of short breeches. "Sir! Sir! I have information for you!" he said.

Rain immediately moved in and moved his paw over the boy's muzzle. "Be quiet, boy. You do not yell things like that out in the street," he whispered in the cat's ear as he moved into an alley with him. He let go of the boy, who was staring at him with wide yellow eyes.

"I...I'm sorry, sir. I'm new at this," he said softly, adjusting his volume to the appropriate level.

"So I've noticed. Let me teach you, boy. First, you do not approach someone on your own. Someone will come to you instead. What if a guard had heard you? Secondly, never look at the person who is asking for information. The less people who know, the better. This way, you can't be interrogated for a person's identity," he said in a calm way, which was his custom whenever he explained anything.

The boy turned his head down with a small gasp. "I'm sorry sir!" he said while fidgeting with his paws as he held them in front of his stomach.

"And lastly, calmly relay to me whatever information you have," the otter said while petting the boy, drawing a soft purr from him as he felt more relaxed immediately.

"Well, I saw and heard you talking to Fr...eh...that man just now, and I know exactly what he knows, but also more, sir!" he said enthusiastically.

"Shhh...lower your voice, boy," Rain said in hushed tones.

The black cat nodded, licked his lips, and took a deep breath before talking softly. "The baron's estate is normally guarded by eight guards outside, and four inside. They aren't there all night though, as they work in shifts. The first changing of the shift starts at eight and it takes about five minutes for all the new guards to take their places. The second one is at midnight, which also takes five minutes," the boy said.

"This is really valuable information, kitten. How have you found out about this?" Rain asked.

The cat smiled proudly while keeping his eyes lowered. "I have kept a very close eye on the comings and goings of the estate ever since the rumour of the gemstone started spreading," he said. "I made sure to remember the most important details."

Rain grinned and patted the boy's head. "Excellent! Information like that will make you a very successful informant. What else can you tell me? Do you know where they keep the gem?"

"I don't know exactly where they are keeping it, sir, but it's not on the top floor. It's well-known that the baron's gem collection is kept in a room without windows, somewhere on the second floor," he said. "The baron's family does not live in the estate at the moment, as they fear people will try to break in and possibly harm them. Only the baron, two servants, and the guards are inside now," he added before sighing a little. "That is all the information I have, sir," he said softly before looking up, only to look back down before seeing Rain's face again.

The cat's information just made the planning of the heist ten times easier for Rain. He'd still send Leyam up on the rooftops to verify it, but it saved him many hours of dull spying. "I thank you, boy," he said before gently putting a gold piece into the small cat's paw, folding his fingers over the coin. "Keep it up, and buy yourself something nice, alright?" he asked softly before ruffling the boy's hair and walking off. The cat squealed with joy and ran off immediately after thanking the otter.

***

Back in the tavern room, after sleeping for most of the day, the two thieves were planning the heist meticulously. Leyam had verified the cat's story the same night Rain got the information. The cat had spoken true, and this meant that the heist would definitely not be an easy one. Baron Suthendale was prepared, so they had to be too.

"Unless we distract the guards, there's no way I can get a lock open in time. They aren't the newest model, but that doesn't mean that I can simply upon them in a split second. The guards are constantly walking around the house, never standing still," Leyam said while staring at the map of the area, the estate circled in chalk.

"Leave the distraction to me. I want you to focus on what you do best, my love," Rain said while taking Leyam's paw in his. "We'll go for the top floor first, as entering the house on ground level is too risky. It's easier to break into one of the upstairs rooms and going down. We'll locate the collection room, get in, take the gem, and get out. As much as I'd love to take the rest of the gems as well, we don't have time for that," Rain said while looking at the map and moving his webbed finger along the routes he'd planned on taking. "We'll go out the way we came in."

"We have five minutes before all the guards are replaced, which means that we'd either have to be really fast and lucky, or we'd have to find a way to increase the time window," Leyam said.

Rain nodded and tapped the map before grinning. "I have an idea for that, don't worry. It'll surely work."

The master thief got up and started putting on the black and grey outfit he always wore while working. It was tight, but had extra space in certain areas to provide enough freedom of movement. He pulled the hood over his head and walked over to his apprentice. "Get ready and meet me at the rendezvous in half an hour. We're going to do this, Leyam," he said and smiled before kissing the otter deeply, slipping him some tongue for a few seconds for good measure. He disappeared out the window and into the night.

Leyam's heart fluttered after the kiss, and he could only sheepishly nod as his lover left the tavern. He wished that Rain had confided in him about what he was up to, but he'd learned to trust the man, and that everything would be okay in the end. He donned his outfit, which was similar to Rain's, and checked his lockpick equipment for anything strange, after which he left the tavern and went into the direction of the estate, moving from roof to roof, and through alleys whenever the roofs were too far apart. He envied creatures with more jumping power, but at least he could beat anyone in the water. The young thief managed to stay unseen and hid in the shadows at the agreed meeting point, an alley close to the estate. Here, he waited for his lover, his heart pounding with the knowledge that this would be their biggest heist ever.

Rain showed up around the agreed time and he took Leyam's paw before squeezing it. "Let's go. No more talking from now on," he said before kissing the other male and moving over the roof in complete silence. There was no festival to help them this time, so they had to be extra careful. Rain pulled himself up onto the adjacent roof and helped Leyam up before they moved to the estate.

The large white stone building was quite impressive in size, even though it wasn't particularly high. The two thieves took in the sight, which was quite different from the flat map they'd been studying, and identified two guards as they walked along the stone walls, holding lanterns and looking bored. Rain drew two regular dinner knives from one of his many pockets and pouches, and threw them right behind the hedged fence close to the guard that was coming their way. The bull drew his sword and held the lantern up high as he checked out the noise.

Making use of this distraction, Rain swung a hook over his head and flung it the estate's chimney, somehow managing to get the hook stuck in one go. It seemed luck was with him that night. He pulled the rope taut and tied it to the chimney of the roof they were currently standing on. Leyam took hold of the rope and swung his legs around it before slowly climbing over to the other side. Rain threw another knife to keep the guard distracted, after which he made his way to the other side as well.

The otters smiled at each other and shared another quick kiss before lowering themselves to a window unlit by any candles. Leyam immediately started working on the lock while Rain kept his eyes on the street. The guard was still distracted with trying to find whatever had made the metallic sound so close to the estate. A second guard came to stand with him for a moment as they talked in hushed tones. He grinned to himself and slowly shook his head. This gave them all the time they needed. The new guard, a large kind of dog, continued his round just when Leyam unlocked the window and opened it very slowly.

The two otters were startled by the sound of a horn being sounded but inside and outside the house. Leyam froze up completely and Rain's paw shot to his heart, both creatures' eyes as big as the saucers the rich used to rest their cups on, and their hearts pounding in their throats. They looked down at the guards, only to notice that they weren't looking at them at all. Instead, the guards left. Their shift was over, and the horn had only been the signal for that.

Overcome with relief, Leyam giggled nervously, only to have Rain slap his paw over the boy's muzzle to muffle him. He warned him with his eyes before pushing the boy inside. Rain closed the window almost all the way before taking stock of where they were at that moment before pressing on. He opened the door silently, and went through, Leyam following him, keeping only a tail's length between the two of them. They went down the stairs, staying in the shadows while the new guards conversed with the old ones on the first floor. The otters split up and tried the various doors, until one didn't open.

Leyam signalled Rain over and made short work of the rather simple lock on the door. He'd expected it to be more of a challenge, but the windows were secured better than this door. He opened the door, let Rain enter, and closed the door behind him. The room was lit by a large white crystal hanging from the ceiling in an iron cage. It had obviously been enchanted by a mage in order to radiate a bright light in the room. In the middle of the room, resting on a beautifully-crafted pedestal of interwoven iron, was the largest and most beautiful blue stone Leyam had ever seen. It seemed to fill the entirety of his vision as soon as he'd lain eyes on it. The different facets of the jewel spread the crystal's light through the entire room in little spots of blue. It was egg-shaped and about the size of a cub's head, exactly as in the legend.

He took a step closer and held out his paw in order to touch it, when Rain picked it up and stuffed it into his pouch. "Damn, this is heavier than it looks," he whispered before kissing his lover, as Leyam blinked a little in surprise. He shook his head and looked at the door. "Let's go," he whispered.

Rain opened the door slowly and heard the guards talking downstairs still. Idiots. The otter stepped out of the room with the heavy gem at his hip, the weight of it alone making him feel powerful and rich. He turned to see a small male boar standing in the hallway, staring at him in surprise. The baron's son! The otter sped over to him to silence him, but couldn't reach him in time. The boy let out a loud shriek that echoed through the house, right before the otter shut him up with his paw and threw him into the collection room right after Leyam had exited. "Run!" he hissed.

"Who's there!?" the guards yelled before they ran up the stairs the otters had to pass. In the hallway behind them, the baron, a very large and imposing boar, stomped out of his bedroom holding a rather large mace in his paw. "THIEVES!" he shouted. "Take them!"

Having any other route blocked by the baron, the two otters ran for the stairs, trying to pass them before the guards would reach them. Fast as they were, Rain knew that they couldn't possibly outrun them even if they managed to get past the stairs, so he did the only thing he could do to save the situation, at least for himself.

Once they were at the stairs and shoved Leyam to the side, causing him to scream as he tripped and fell down the stairs. He knocked right into the two guards at the top, knocking them over and causing them to fall down as well, which in turn led to them blocking the way for the two guards that weren't that fast.

Leyam screamed all the way until he came to a hold on his side, the guards somewhere below the stairs of him. "Rain! RAIN! RAIN PLEASE!" he cried as he tried to move his body. It hurt too much to move, and one of the remaining guards grabbed him by his scruff. "Rain... Why? I love you..." he whimpered before the guards dragged him away.

The master thief reached the window he'd come in through and climbed out. The moment he was outside, an orange glow seemingly set his brown fur aflame, mimicking the very real flames that were quickly spreading and taking over the hedges surrounding the estate. He nimbly climbed onto the rope and made his way to the other side, before drawing a dagger and cutting the rope, making sure nobody would be able to follow him.

The new owner of the gem made his way over roofs and through alleys, making his way to the tavern again. There, he quickly dressed in his travelling gear and made way for the stables, where a familiar black cat was waiting for him.

"Sir! I was almost afraid you wouldn't come!" he said with a bright smile on his face. He was wearing a nice brown cloak and new clothes. He also seemed to have been bathed, which made his fur positively shine in the moonlight.

"How could I not? You seriously helped me out just now. The fire you started had the desired effect, my boy. Ready to go?" he asked as he took his saddled horse out of the stables and got into the saddle.

The boy nodded, reaching out his paw. The otter pulled the light boy into the saddle in front of him. "Will you promise to take care of me from now on, sir?" he asked.

"I always keep my promises, boy. Now, tell me your name," he said as he steered his horse out of the stables and calmly walked it to the city gates. He saluted the guards, who were heavily distracted by the fire in the middle of town.

"My name is Niki, sir," the young boy said while smiling.

"Alright, Niki, I promise to take care of you for as long as you live," the otter said before taking off with a wicked grin on his face. The two disappeared into the night as he left the estate, and his previous apprentice, far behind him, the weight of the Eye reminding him of the new life ahead of him with each step of his horse.

Farewell, Leyam.