Heaven is a Dungeon

Asher walks into the building opposite the banks, it's a restaurant. He walks up to the counter, a young lady with auburn hair receives him.

Can I help you with anything sir.

Yes I'd like a room.

What?

I said I'd like room, the one of stairs with the windows facing north

North? You don't seem to understand sir, this is a restaurant not an inn

I know that Asher leans in. And I'm a knight, I'm trying to catch a thief, could you help me out here. She thinks it over

I'll pay.

I don't know about this sir, was the room you meant the one facing the bank. He nods.

But that's my room! .

So you're gonna give it for free.

No way! There's no way I'm letting you in there

I said I'll pay.

I don't know about that,she gets called off by another woman.

I'm coming. You wait here. She runs off

Not like I have anywhere else to go, he looks around the room, he sees the common folk eating, chatting and laughing, all in their everyday attire. He feels the contrast between them, him looks battle worn and battered and they groomed and blissful

The dolls sneaks into the restaurant. Asher looks at his armor, he sees the caught in his armor on his arm.

I thought he cut me, how come I don't feel a thing. He looks in through the cut on his armor in search of a wound, he sees his arm completely clear but with small traces of blood.

The young lady comes back.

Mom says I can let you come up stairs but your not to enter anywhere else

Okay how much I'm I to pay

She says it's free. She leans in. But just between you and me it's fifteen silvers.

He chuckles and she does so too.

Alright come along, he follows her as she leads him up the stairs.

The doll follows them, but making sure to use the shadows and stool and everything else it could find as cover to remain undetected.

...

The door to her room opens, she walks in and Asher follows just behind her. He looks around the room and sees painting and drawing. Some set off to dry and some pasted in the walls.

She panics. I didn't remember I left these out, look away, you're not supposed to see these. She rushes to the pictures and starts plucking them off the rope, she'd hung them, not minding the clips she used to hold them on the rope.

Where do I look? it's everywhere.

She one pulls down against the clip and some part of it rips off

Oh no…

Asher walks towards the window

Sorry about that, I didn't mean to pry like this.

No it's not your fault.The dolls sneaks in

to the room .

By the way your painting are really good, they look good enough to be on the walls of the royal palace

Really you think so

Yes, I've been there you know.

Really you've been in the palace?

Asher nods, her face light up

So what's she like? The princess I mean?

The princess? Well I've never really met her in person. A memory of the princess flash through his mind, a memory of the fair lady smiling at him.

Well you know, she a princess alright, she pretty, glamorous, colorful, royal

That's all? No details

Well, I don't know her personally.

I've only seen her riding through the street on her carriage and even them she seem out if this world, her grace was undeniable, it was more than I could describe

So I've been drawing her ever since

Huh?

She brings out a painting and it's off a young woman,she show it to him

What do you think

My that's Ahh. Wow you drew this. She nods. From memory?

Yes.

It looks just like her. A memory of the princess sleeping lingers on his mind, he remembers an encounter on the roof at night, where he had taken his mask off. Thinking he was alone. But he began hearing noise from the other side of the roof. Before he knew it the princess was behind him smiling

Aren't you scared? He says to her

scared of what?

Of me, you've seen what I I'm, you've known why I'm here?

She sighs and drops down on the roof beside him

And I've seen you save me from danger before, if you really had any hate against us, you wouldn't have done that. She touches his face. Light seemed to emanate from her skin, her eyes are deep blue, her entire being rediated a soft tenderness, a cradle to the soul.

You carry a heavy burden on your shoulders, I hope one day, they'll let you rest.

….

I have no idea what she was like in person

That's a shame. The dolls gasps,

I saw something move on the roof, didn't he see it, come on turn around

Can I get you something to eat?

Don't have the money for that.

Don't worry the fifteen silvers will cover it. She smiles at him with a bright shining smile and hurriedly exits the room.

Asher turns back to the windows.

He missed it.

Asher watches the bank, looking from corner to corner, top to bottom. He sees the end of a cloak flapping in the breeze followed by a small glimpse at the silhouette of a hooded man, creeping through the roof.

He's here. Ashers jumps out of the windows, he lands on the mud intentionally to dampen his falls and not create much of an alarming noise.

The doll run after him, climbing up the rims of the windows, it looks down, the ground seems endless from up there, it recoils back

I can't make this jump. The door slowly creeps open. Lydia carefully walks in with her back against the door and a large tray in hand

The dolls startled, it immediately jumps off the windows to avoid being seen.

Your food here, she turns around and sees the empty room.

Where's he gone? she sees the bank outside the windows, she puts the tray on the table and walks to the windows. She looks out from it looking around.

I hope he's safe, I hope he comes back

Asher runs to the side of the banks into the alley behind it, he tip toes carefully, not to raise alarms, the doll runs after him. Jumping across puddles of mud and potholes.

Asher looks up to the roof, trying to track down the mans movement

How can I get up there, he looks at the surrounding buildings

Maybe through that one. I better go ask them. Asher turns around to leave the alley, he hears a sound and stops.

Probably just rats. The dolls runs around in the shadow

Boy, I'm so tired of running. What's that? Probably rats.

Asher begins to walk off. The dolls yells at him from with in the shadows

Hey! Asher immediately grabs his sword.

He could cut me in half. I've got to be careful here. The doll runs after him.

Asher looks around,but doesn't feel any presence.

Was I imagining that? Hmmm. He turns around and leaves.

As he leaves the shadows and into the light of the moon, the doll smiles, bright eyed and triumphant. It's hanging off his belt giving its legs a rest. Apparently it's whole ploy had been to distract him and attach itself to him.

...

Asher masked his presence, carefully watching from atop the roof for the man he had seen before.

Is he already inside? Doesn't look like there was any break in, well its current state falls in line with the previous theft, how can I know if he's in or not. Damn this is confusing.

It's a good thing they let me on the roof. This is a good view of the building. I can see everything from here. It's costing me nine silvers though, why can't I live through a day without racking up more debt.

He looks around the building and in the streets, he sees all the passers by, affluently dressed people, a little delivery boy in a cloak and the man from the tavern.

What's he doing here, is he here for the job or is he trying to get a cut as an informant. Either why I'm not sharing my money.

He sees something move on the roof

What's that? He sees it again although a very tiny glimpse as the man sneaks about the roof carefully.

It's him. There's no way I'd go after him without making a sound,damn. What should I do? He's headed for the windows.

Asher quickly takes off his armored boots.

He looks down at his bare feet.

This is undignified. He takes off some armor around his body as well.

This will be enough. He runs across the rooftops, building momentum towards the end of it; he jumps off at the last moment, carefully adjusting his lands on the roof in a way that leaves only the slightest noise.

He lands on the roof of the bank, wriggles his toes on the old splintery woods, he runs on light footed, carefully watching for the man.

He spots him hiding by the side of the widow, the shadow cast by the moon light against the bay window conceal him perfectly.

If I hadn't seen him running in, I wouldn't be able to tell he was even there. The man has his cloak over his eyes and his head down.

Asher watches him from above, the man hangs on to the side of the walls beside the bay window.

He looks like a light weight, the doll says.

Asher can't see much of his face

He's quite large, I thought he'd be small and nimble, then he must be using some kind of spell to bypass the traps in the back. If it's even him

The dolls look around dangling on Asher's belt. She sees the man at the bar walk by the street guiding a little boy across.

Asher watches him closeless, he leans over the building standing on his bare feet, trying to see more of the man.

What is he doing hell get seen,

Asher leans over watching the man.

What he's doesn't see him. The dolls looks on the floors

What! I didn't notice! He doesn't have a shadow.