The sign hanging above the door to the jewelry shop proclaimed it to be the finest in Mekkan, and the wares inside certainly backed up the claim. A variety of precious gems and rare artifacts lined the shelves, with more locked securely behind the counter.

Or, at least typically locked securely. The shop was having a far from typical day, thanks to the arrival of a diminutive wolf and a few of his employees. The wolf was picking through the strongbox, gathering coins and the rarest of gems and placing them in a small pouch, much to the disapproval of the jeweler, who thanks to the others currently pilfering the shop was in no position to do anything about it.

Drawing the pouch string closed and tucking it in his pocket, Clovis turned to the human jeweler, who was bound and gagged on the floor against the counter. "Well, it's been a pleasure doing business with you face to face for a change. It's a shame you couldn't have been this cooperative with my associates; I wouldn't have had to make this trip myself. That would've been easier for everyone, don't you think?"

The jeweler let forth a string of colorful curses, but their exact nature was obscured by the gag in his mouth. Clovis furrowed his brow. "Oh, hush. You clearly have no problem fleecing your other customers either, so you won't struggle to recover the income. Just be glad a few rare jewels are all I'm taking. Anyway," he said with a smirk, "I have more pressing matters to attend to. Ta-ta!" The wolf looked up at his associates, who were busy filling their own pockets with as much as they could comfortably and inconspicuously carry. "Alright, gentlemen, it's time to go."

"Yes sir."

"Okay, Prince Clovis."

Two of the three wolves immediately ceased their looting and went over to the door. The third, however, made no indication that he'd heard Clovis at all, and remained motionless over a cabinet in the back corner of the shop. A faint twinkling sound could be heard, muffled by the walls and by the wolf's imposing frame, which was substantially larger than even his fellow henchmen. "Brutus, did you hear me? We're leaving," called Clovis. Still, the wolf did not move. "Brutus!" he yelled, crossing the shop to grab the wolf himself.

"Look, Boss! It looks like me!" The item that had infatuated Brutus was a music box, larger than most but still easily able to fit atop the cabinet. The ornate piece was operated by a crank on the side, which Brutus was slowly turning. As it played its tune, a gold figurine of a wolf keidran chased a rabbit in a circle around the top; both figurines were encased in a glass dome.

"It couldn't be you, Brutus. That wolf is chasing a rabbit, not a skunk," Clovis wrinkled his nose, "which I might add you STILL smell like. Now unless you're able to fit that thing in your pocket I suggest you come with us, or I'll shove it into a place where you won't be able to get it out."

"But I—"

"NOW, Brutus."

The bigger wolf's ears wilted. "Sorry, Boss," he said softly, as he left the music box and turned to join the others by the door, tail drooping as he shuffled over.

Rolling his eyes, Clovis followed Brutus to the door, pausing momentarily before pushing it open. "Now don't forget, we are in the middle of a human village, so it's important that we try to blend…"

He drifted off, unable to finish the sentence. Arranged in a wide berth around the entrance to the shop were a half dozen guards, waiting as if they had arranged a surprise party. One of the guards, presumably the captain, stepped forward and spoke. "Wolves," he began, "I hereby place you under arrest for robbery."

Though Clovis was the only one of the keidran who could speak fluent human, the nature of the message was not lost on the others. "What do we do now, Boss?"

Clovis did his best to maintain a neutral expression while facing the guards. "Looks like it's time for Plan B," he muttered. "Don't do anything until I give my signal. Understood?" The three wolves murmured their agreement. "Good, now shut up and let me handle this…"

The guards, concerned at the lack of response from the wolves and the evident discussion between them, had drawn their swords and were slowly inching forward, but they paused when Clovis stepped up. If push came to shove, the golden wolf was confident he could fight his way out, but it was a long way from the jeweler's shop to the edge of town. Talking was still the wiser option. "I'm sorry, there must be some mistake," he said, eyeing the captain and piling on enough charm to sell a fur coat to a snow leopard. "I'm not aware of any law stating that paying customers must be humans. You must be looking for someone else."

The captain didn't buy it. "Nonsense. Shrimpy little keidran with three dumb lunks? You're exactly the ones we're looking for. Now make this easy on yourself and hand over whatever it was you just stole." He stepped closer, holding out his hand.

Clovis' nostrils flared at the insult, but a slight grin escaped his lips as he chose a course of action. "Ah, well if you insist, I've got what you're asking for." Clovis reached into his cloak and stepped up to the captain. "It's too bad you'll never see it."

Most of the guards, including the captain, were wearing armor of a design popularly used by humans throughout Mekkan; cheap, durable, and lightweight, it protected their chest and abdomen from both long-range attacks with arrows and in close combat against the swords, claws and teeth of the keidran they most often faced. However, it was not particularly well-suited for everyday use. When fully strapped down into battle-ready position, the armor was extremely stiff and immobile, and it limited range of motion to the point that doing basic tasks (such as getting up out of a chair) became difficult. As a result, many guards would leave it a little loose, particularly between the plates covering the chest and abdomen, to allow for greater comfort in non-combat situations while still maintaining a significant amount of protection. Unfortunately, doing so left them exposed to one specific attack; anyone who could get close enough to aim could get a blade between the plates and into an extremely vulnerable area of their body—and Clovis knew it.

The captain was so focused on the loot destined for his outstretched hand that he never saw the dagger, but he felt it as it slipped between the gap in his armor and tore into his side. His expression changed from one of confidence to shock as he stood, motionless, while it did its damage. "It's a shame you had to sink so low as resorting to personal insults," said Clovis quietly, so that only the mortally wounded captain could hear. "But now you can sink a few feet lower."

He stepped back, releasing his grip. Before the captain could hit the ground or the other guards could react, Clovis brought his arms down in a sweeping motion towards his feet. An explosion hit the ground in front of him like a thunderbolt, and the entire area was quickly enveloped in a thick plume of smoke. "GO!" he shouted to the other wolves as he dove back toward the building. The four keidran scattered in different directions, past and through the bewildered guards and off into the side streets as they began their escape.

Clovis could hear the chaos he created overtaking the town as other citizens raced around, some fleeing the explosion, others rushing towards it to try and find the cause. He had wisely chosen the road that led toward the town gate but kept a moderate pace as to not draw attention to himself. He'd made it about halfway to the edge of town when he heard a distinctive "Hey, you!" behind him. Glancing back just long enough to see a pair of guards rushing to catch up to him, he ducked down the nearest alley and out of their sight.

The back alleys of the town formed a confusing maze of intersections and dead ends, enough to disorient even the most seasoned guard, and Clovis quickly found himself deep in their midst. He could hear footsteps rushing around nearby, but he could neither see their source nor be certain if they were pursuing him or one of his underlings. The sounds grew faint as he continued onward, and an uneasy silence took their place. Satisfied that he had lost his pursuers for the moment, Clovis paused to get his bearings. He had once found a secret exit through one of the alleys; using it would keep him away from the likely-guarded front gate and let him slip out undetected. But while he knew the landmarks around the passageway from the main road, finding it from the alleys themselves was another matter.

Doubling back, he followed a patch of light spilling out around a corner, moving more cautiously than he had before as he approached. He found himself on the edge of a square along the main road. Faint noise could be heard in the distance, no doubt from his handiwork a few minutes earlier, but the square in front of him appeared empty. He smiled; his exit, a narrow archway framed by a red awning, sat directly across from him. Chuckling to himself, he slunk along the edge of the buildings, darting quickly across the open road and under the awning.

The telltale sound of swords being unsheathed greeted Clovis as his eyes adjusted to the relative darkness of the passageway. A pair of guards blocked his path forward, both sporting shields in addition to their swords as they readied themselves for combat.

But rather than retreating, the golden wolf smiled. "Gentlemen, please! This is unnecessary. You're only going to hurt yourselves," he toyed, taking a more aggressive stance as he prepared to fight. "You're clearly aware that my capabilities exceed that of the ordinary wolf. Surely you don't think you can actually stop me."

"No," came a voice from behind the guards, "but I can." Clovis' eyes widened as the guards stepped aside and a flash of bright light shot out from between them. He quickly attempted to conjure up a magical shield to deflect it, but in his haste, it was neither complete nor strong, and the shot went straight through his improvised defenses like a sword through flesh.

The force of the blast hit him in the chest and knocked Clovis backward into the wall of the passageway and onto the ground. Dazed and bleeding from the impact but aware of the danger he faced, he attempted to scramble to his feet, but the hit had knocked the wind out of him. His shaky legs were unable to maintain sufficient stability to bear weight, and he fell back to the ground in a heap. He heard quiet laughter and looked up to see a cloaked figure approaching him, the Templar logo on their chest glimmering slightly in the dim light. "Surprised you, didn't I?" mocked the mage as he loomed over the fallen wolf. "I thought you would have been smarter than that, but that's what I get for having expectations from a keidran." He conjured up another spell, one that Clovis knew he would be unable to block. "Well, no matter. Looks like you've pulled off your last heist, fleabag."

A gray blur passed directly over Clovis' head and hit the Templar like a cannonball. The mage cried out in pain, then went silent, dropping to the ground next to Clovis in a crumpled heap. Clovis could only see his lupine savior from behind, but the imposing figure was unmistakable. Brutus turned to the guards and snarled.

"Stop, wolf, you're under arrest!" called one of the guards, unable to hide the surprise and fear in his voice at the sudden change in momentum of the fight. Brutus only growled at them, hackles raised and teeth bared, as he positioned himself between his boss and the attackers. Clovis staggered to his knees, clutching his chest and struggling to catch his breath as he watched the fight unfold in front of him.

"Get him!" The guards charged, but their assault was uncoordinated. Brutus smacked the first aside with a mighty swing of a paw before the guard could even get within striking distance, turning to face the second. The latter guard was smarter, using his shield to defend himself against Brutus' swipes while trying to work around them with his sword. Unfortunately, his reliance on defense soon proved to be a symptom of a lack of offense, and Brutus was soon forcing him to retreat down the alley. Realizing he was the only one left fighting, and unable to make any sort of headway against his bigger, stronger opponent, the guard attempted a last futile push to get Brutus moving backward. The wolf wrenched the shield from the guard's hands and threw it aside, but he didn't have time to go after the sword; the guard dropped it and fled down the alley, around the corner, and out of sight.

Realizing that the larger wolf was about to follow the retreating guard and that he would be left alone, Clovis called out, "Brutus! Let him go."

Brutus whirled around, and as their eyes met Clovis saw all the anger and venom that had just singlehandedly defeated two guards and a Templar staring into his soul. But in an instant it was gone, replaced with a look of genuine worry and concern. "Boss! Are you okay?! We gotta get out of here!" Brutus ran over and knelt beside the smaller wolf. "Can you walk, or do you need me to carry you?"

"I'm fine!" insisted Clovis, using the larger wolf as support as he climbed to his feet. He took two uneasy steps before crumpling back to his knees. "Damnit…"

Before he could attempt to stand up again, Clovis found himself whisked off the ground. "Just tell me which way I need to go, Boss. I got you."


The pair of wolves made their escape without further incident; upon arrival at their campground from the previous night, Plan B's designated rallying point, they found it abandoned. Clovis was unsure if the other two wolves had been captured or had simply fled without them, but he decided it best not to wait long in case the guards started searching outside the town. By then he had recovered enough strength to walk on his own, but the pair were still moving slower than usual, and teleporting home was out of the question.

With the town far behind them but daylight fading fast, the two chose to set up camp for the night. Clovis sat down with a sigh and a wince; he was certain the blast from the Templar had broken a rib, and he thought he may have chipped a tooth when he fell, but he otherwise came out of the encounter unscathed—at least physically. Emotionally, however, he felt as sour as he had in ages. Beyond the fact that the guards had somehow been tipped off to their presence—that would require some additional investigation—he had possibly lost two well-connected employees and failed to perceive a threat that had nearly gotten him killed—and, to make matters worse, he had to be rescued.

His rescuer, on the other hand, looked as if he'd been through a war. Brutus' clothes were torn, and his body was covered in scrapes and gashes. None of them appeared to be serious, though—and none of them seemed to have any impact on his mood. Ever since they'd moved past the rallying point, he'd been as happy-go-lucky as he'd ever been.

"Didja see that music box? That thing was so awesome!" Brutus tore strips off his pant legs to use as bandages for a wound in his side that was still slowly seeping blood. "Do you think the little guy on top looked like me?"

"Mmmm." Clovis mumbled his response, in no mood to converse. Brutus' boisterous overenthusiasm for everything usually wore thin toward the end of missions like this, but he was normally able to return home or pawn off the wolf onto his other associates to escape. But with just the two of them, he was stuck.

Brutus didn't seem to notice his boss's disinterest. "I got to see one just like that when I was little. Some humans brought it to our village and showed it off and everything. That was before, you know…" he drifted off, ears drooping, but perked back up again only a moment later as he continued. "But it was just the coolest thing! I still got the little song stuck in my head." He mimicked playing along with it as he hummed to himself.

Clovis stared at the larger wolf with a look of mild incredulity. It was as if the whole day hadn't even happened to Brutus. His ability to shake off the disaster as efficiently as he had shaken off the Templar and those guards back in the village was… almost enviable, to Clovis. And as bad as he still felt, he couldn't help but admit that listening to Brutus ramble on was helping his mood. But there was still something he needed to know.

"Why?"

Brutus looked up, the scrap of makeshift bandage falling out of his mouth as he tore it. "Huh?"

"Why did you come back for me, Brutus?"

"Cuz you're the boss, Boss. I had to."

Brutus went back to tending his wound, leaving Clovis alone with his thoughts. The golden wolf had become so accustomed to the thieves and con artists he typically employed that he'd come to expect deceit from every contact. But Brutus was different. He had no ulterior motives. He wasn't trying to usurp Clovis' position as the head of the Brotherhood. He seemed to have no interest in climbing the ladder to benefit himself. He was perfectly happy going along with whatever Clovis wanted him to do. Brutus had an element that almost nobody else in the Brotherhood had ever possessed: Loyalty. And that was worth more than almost anything Clovis could steal.


"…and so I need you to find him." Clovis sat behind the desk in his private study. It had been a few days since he and Brutus had returned to the Brotherhood's headquarters, and he had spent the time figuring out what had gone wrong during the robbery. With only one member of the raiding party still at large (the other had turned up looking quite haggard the day after them), there was one obvious place to look—but Clovis wasn't about to risk going there himself. Instead, the wolf who stood across the desk from him would be making the journey. "If he's in jail, so be it. He can stay there." He leaned forward in his chair. "But if he's not, I want him brought back here—preferably alive. Understand?"

The wolf nodded. "Yes, Prince Clovis."

A wry grin broke out across Clovis' face. "Ahh, you remembered this time. Maybe you're not as dumb as you look after all." The grin evaporated. "Now go. Do this right and you might get clear of the debt that you and your… sister owe me."

The wolf glared daggers at Clovis but said nothing as he turned and walked out, leaving the door open as he left and nodding toward an unseen figure on the outside, pointing over his shoulder into the room. Brutus bounded in moments later, a wide grin on his face. Aside from a small bandage on his side, he appeared no worse for the wear after the adventure the previous week.

"Hi Boss! How are you feeling?" The door closed behind the big wolf with a resounding slam that made them both jump. "Oops, sorry about that…"

"I've never felt better, Brutus." Clovis was mostly telling the truth; his ribs were still a little sore, but a little mana and a few days' rest had gone a long way. "And I see you're the same. I wanted to take a moment to congratulate you; your assistance after leaving the jeweler's shop the other day was instrumental in aiding my escape."

If Brutus noticed how Clovis had reframed the story of his near-death and rescue, he made no indication of it. "Oh, no problem! Just doing my job."

"Yes, of course." Clovis leaned back in his chair, twiddling his thumbs as he continued. "You've proven yourself to be quite the asset to this enterprise. And something like that deserves to be rewarded." He eyed Brutus. "I've been searching for a while now for someone to accompany me during my more… mundane errands, but I haven't found a suitable candidate for the job." His lips curled into a grin. "Until now."

Brutus cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean, Boss?"

Clovis stood up, walking around the desk. "From now on, Brutus, you'll be my personal bodyguard. Wherever I go, you'll go. And with you around, there will be nobody who will dare say no to the Prince of Greed."

"Oh wow, that's awesome! Thank you so much, Boss!"

"No, thank you." Clovis locked eyes with the big wolf and smiled the most genuine smile he'd expressed in years. Realizing what he was doing, he hastily turned around and walked over to the window behind his desk. "Now, go. Carver should be waiting outside, tell him I'm ready to speak to him."

Brutus looked confused. "But I thought you said I gotta stay with you."

Clovis sighed and rubbed his forehead. This might take more explaining than he anticipated. "Not when we're in here, Brutus. Just when I tell you to."

"Oh! Okay." Brutus' tail never stopped wagging as he turned to leave. "Thanks again, Boss!"

The golden wolf smiled to himself as he stared out the window, wincing slightly as the door slammed again. Brutus was a fool to be this trusting of his motives. But anybody who showed that much loyalty was worth keeping around. And Clovis was going to see to it that he did.

The door opened, and a red fox appeared, knocking as he entered the room. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes, Carver, come in, and close the door behind you. I've got a little mission for you." Clovis grinned as he turned around. "I'm looking for a music box…"