Xious

Ayddin, the Bandit King. A thief with a black cat-ish mask with green swirly eyes and a jagged green smile. His body twisted and turned like the never ending road of life. The girls had all trapped him to a dance against all the candlelight that danced with each person's step. He was against the wall after that last one let him go, saying he was too boring. He didn't mind. He was waiting particularly for a dance with a girl to come out of her confined and protected room. His arms were crossed and his fingers rapped against his arms as his eyes scowered the crowd, looking. His eyes lingered at each femal mask. The one he was waiting for, finally showed up.

She took petite steps down the grand staircase. Her silk dress flowed behind her like the trailing dust from a horse-ridden carriage. The dress fit her figure perfectly in the goldish hue with silver lace. Each stitch was beautifully done, as if the women who made it had sewn their mesmerizing garment while sewing their fingers to the bone. Her silver mask with crested gold waves and swirls of her mask went around till her mask led to the oval eye holes and to the moon opals of her masked face. On the side of her mask was a butterfly trinket, silver as the rest of her mask. Purplish-black feather sprung from under the butterfly, as she stepped off the staircase and peered around.

Ayddin's eyes watched her carefully, his eyes lingering to each movement she made. When she had started to slip through the crowd, Ayddin pushed himself off the wall and started toward her. A larger man with a very puffy pair of pantaloons and a broad, embroidered shirt cut in front of him and asked the new arrival if she would care to dance. Her eyes seemed to flick side to side as if she was a skittish horse.

She politely declined and continued to weave around the hoop skirts of dresses and tall, bulky men who seemed to be in the path she was heading. Ayddin followed her till she headed out to the balcony, watching as she set her hands on the railing. His eyes lingered further on her form as it basked in the blood light of the moon. He looked up at the blood-stained moon. It was so unusual, but caught a lot of attention from this lady.

Her head was tilted up at the moon, as if she was about to howl at it. Ayddin knew exactly who she was. The Lady Valeriana. Her brunette curls tumbled and twisted around her shoulders as Ayddin walked over to her. He was silent, resting his hands on the railing beside her. Her head turned slightly toward him. He smirked under his mask.

"Milady, Valeriana." Her eyes widened and she turned around to run. Ayddin's hand shot out and caught her hand, turning her around. He leaned in close and whispered, "Why don't you have your first dance with me?"

He saw her blink in suprise. He didn't exactly wait for her answer as he placed her on his feet, smiling. He felt her hand tremble against his, as if an enraged volcano was about to explode. He shook his head lightly and started to take each step to the tune of the insturments of nature. The croaking of the frogs, the chirping of the crickets, and the wind whistling through the trees.

"Why?" Valeriana's small and scared voice rang in his ears. His smirk grew as big as the smile on his mask.

"I head that this was your first dance since you came of age. It just so happens this is my first proper dance." He continued, planning ahead for he had left a note for the guards, explaining how he was going to be stealing the Vintage Smile. The loon in her pale eyes mad him think she doubted this dance. She shook her head. "Believe me."

When he twisted with her on his feet, her eyes reflected the cold, red moon. When the music stopped, Aydddin slowly stopped himself. He looked down at her as he moved his hand from her hand to the bottome of her mask. Her eyes seemed to widen at the sudden movement. His fingers curled under her mask and lifted it off her face, her brown her untying and falling farther than her shoulders and curling.

She had the features of a noble. Fair, snow-white skin, perfect straight nose, and small rose-red lips. The only thing that made her different from the Nobles was her piercing and startling grey eyes. Something that wasn't seen around these parts. Or not that Ayddin had seen the month or so he had been there, planning to steal something of value.

Valeriana gasped as her mask was removed. Her eyes fell upon his mask, afraid. But her fingers moved to under his mask, about to flip it up to reveal who he really was, like an investigator about to say who murdered the noble.

"What happens if I remove your mask?" But the shouts of the guards stopped her as they rused toward the two. Ayddin, not wanting to be caught, grabbed her and let a retractable sword slip out o fhis sleeve and slid right above her throat. The guards immediately stopped.

"Put your weapons down." Ayddin's voice was confidenct and firm. Valeriana struggled against him, whimpering like a young pup in its mother's jaws. The guards pressed slightly with their weapons to emphasize that he would have to let her go.

Valeriana's eyes widened and she bit her lip. The guards backed up only slightly, as our would-be Bandit King took a step back. His eyes lingered around, planning an escape route. The only escape seemed to be right behind him. A 30-foot drop to the ground witha second balcony below them.

"Please..." Valeriana's voice was back to being small and scared. Ayddin wasn't about to harm her. Being the Bandit Kind, he had a reputation. He backed up against the railing, pulling her closer to him.

"Trust me." His voice was low as he was trying to keep her calm. She looked up at him in shock. He leaned back against the railing, leaning back fully and knocking them both off the balcony. Ayddin heard the gasp of the guards and twisted himself so they would land on the baclony below.

Valeriana screamed a bit, but it was muted by Ayddin's chest. When he landed on his feet, he set her down. Not before she pulled the mask off his face. Valerian's eyes widened.

"Servant...?" Ayddin's unruly and spiky hair and broad features were revealed.

He had a defined face, as if he was carved from obsidian. His skin was dark from all the work he had done for the Lady Valeriana's family. A nice tan color. His dark, violent red eyes regarded her calmly, but inside, he was trying to fight every word on conscious to disappear and steal the Vintage Smile later. He had been waiting for too long for this. His witty smile came back, which surprised her a bit. He shook his head as he closed his eyes.

"Servant, why are you running?" Ayddin opened his eyes and heard more shouting.

"My real name is Ayddin." He took a step back, flipping onto the rail. "I'm the Bandit King." Her eyes widened.

"But you're just...." She didn't finish as spears sailed over her head at Ayddin. He made a farewell gesture. He did a second back flip off the second railing and fell straight to the ground.

Valeriana rushed over to the railing. Ayddin twisted and landed on his feet, crouching like a tiger and staring up at her, a wicked smile appearing across his face. He took off running as Valeriana held onto his mask.

The guards kept popped out of the alleyways, right out of the wood-work. Ayddin started to run as fast as he could to gey away from them. the more farther he got away, the more guards seemed to appear out of nowhere, and take aim at him. Most of the arrows whizzed right in front of him or right above him.

Until one arrow hit him square int he shoulder. This, in itself, triggered a whole new event. The Bandit King got his shoulder hit and pinned him to the mud-brick walls. The tears of red streaked down his overcoat and had splattered against his neck. He was breathing heavily, the strike to the shoulder seemed to shoot down his adrenaline as well.

He gulped slightly adn looked at the arrow and the surrounding guards. The pain seemed dull as the glares of the guards seemed more potent. One of the guards snapped the arrow and dropped him down to the cobble stoned street which had a more friendly welcome with his face. Ayddin groaned as they picked him up.

"Not much of a bandit, much less the Bandit King. This brat was probably just a distraction." Ayddin didn't struggle, but did re-dislocate his arm to fix it. He hissed at the slight pain while the guards were arguing if this guy really was the Bandit King or not.

"Guys, guys, guys." Ayddin's voice seemed strained. "This has been a big misunderstanding." The guards glares immediately told him that they weren't buying it. Ayddin's shoulder was throbbing with pain. He was starting to sweat. "Please. I have done nothing wrong." Valeriana had appeared out of no where with his mask. His breath became shallow.

"That's him." The guards caught him before he could bolt. Shackles ringed and clicked around his wrists. He grinded his teeth and looked back at Valeriana. He couldn't help but smile. LIke this was a test to him.

"You know, the thing is, you really believe that you can keep me in a cell." Ayddin's smirk grew.