The Night Raven

Aliska buckled her sword belt around her waist, the twin slender blades riding like old hands over her shapely hips, their worn leather scabbards scared from encounters too numerous to count. Her outfit, knee-high leather boots, leather gloves, tight pants and corset were all black, the top of the corset struggling valiantly to contain the mountainous breasts that rode high and firm on Aliska’s chest. Her thick raven hair was held back from her face by a black leather band, her deep blue eyes were quick and alert as she tied a narrow black cloth around her face, the mask effectively covering her button nose and her graceful cheeks. The thin slits allowed her perfect vision despite their narrowness and Aliska surveyed herself in the mirror hanging on the wall of her rented room, licking her lips seductively as she admired her seductive yet deadly figure. She glanced out of the open door that led to the balcony that overlooked the enclosed inner courtyard of the affluent inn where she was retaining her room, seeing a slender wisp of a moon hanging like a fish hook in the blue black of the night sky, the heavy clouds hanging blotting out most of the stars. It was perfect night for stealthy movements and secret adventures; it was a perfect night for…

The Night Raven!

Aliska stepped to the edge of the door over looking the courtyard and allowed her hawk-like vision to survey the area, making sure no one was moving around that might take a special interest in the sight of her tight bottom wiggling over the edge of the inn’s roof. Spotting nothing unusual Aliska stepped out onto the balcony and pulled a thin, strong cord from her pouch, mumbling a quiet incantation until a magical clawed hand suddenly appeared at the end of the cord. Aliska stepped away from the wall of the inn and spun the claw, swinging it until she got a good rhythm going and then she hurled it upward and over the edge of the roof. The claw landed without a sound, the magical hand touching down lightly on its’ fingertips before scurrying to find something to clamp itself to. Aliska waited for several seconds, her eyes continuing to scan the courtyard until she felt the rope go stiffen in her palm. That was her signal and so she began a quick ascent up the side of the inn, swinging one leg and then the other over the sun-baked tiles that created the inn’s attractive roof until she stood atop the inn, her statuesque form outlined briefly by the moonlight before she dropped to a crouch and began moving swiftly over the tiles, heading toward the building nearest the inn. She gave her grappling hook two successive tugs and the claw released its **** grip from the brick chimney it was holding and vanished, leaving this world for what ever plane of existence it resided upon until Aliska summoned it again. She had stolen the rope years ago, during one of her first thieving enterprises and it had proved to be the most valuable object she had ever stolen.

Aliska reached the edge of the inn’s roof and tensed the deceptively powerful muscles in her sun-bronzed legs, preparing herself to spring across the open void that led down three stories to a mud and feces littered alley. She took a deep breath and leaped, her lithe form arcing across the emptiness, her gloved hands catching the edge of the building opposite the inn by the very tips of her fingers yet with cat-like dexterity Aliska flung her bosomy form onto the roof of the new building, perching like a cat upon the edge and surveying the vast collection of roof tops that housed the denizens of Calescent City beneath them. To the north of her position the Emerald Tower of Ferok the Sorcerer glimmered like a topaz jewel even in the dim moonlight, the stories of untold wealth and untold horrors had been heard by Aliska throughout her travels, maybe she should try her hand there, go straight to the lions’ den and bring back his testicles in her empty leather sack, do what no man had ever done and steal the Treasure of Turon right from beneath the old wizard’s nose.

Her blue orbs kept moving as her mind moved through the possibility of targets with lightning speed, the clear jewels resting for a moment on the sumptuous estates of the Merchant’s Quarter, those would be easy pickings for a thief such as the Night Raven and yet a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush after all, maybe that would be a safer, more lucrative avenue to pursue instead of the obviously dangerous Emerald Tower. Aliska shuddered involuntarily, the night air cooling her bronze skin, causing her nipples to harden and press against the tight corset, briefly she wished she had worn her riding cape but it was too late for that now, this night was about making money to fill her empty purse, not fretting like a dainty princess over some cold weather. A low rumble of thunder rolled toward her from across the vast expanse of the Limitless Plains and Aliska prepared herself to move, once the heavy storm rolled in there would be nothing to do but return to her room and stay dry with a mug of ale and maybe a bawdy song or two.