“...Inkton? The Inkton Estate…?” 

Cat nods at me in response to me looking for confirmation. We sit at the dining table lit only by the moon, that goddamn moon, staring down at our map of the city. Thankfully we both seemed to have slept well, so we’re about as energized as we can be with no nightmares to bog us down. We were already geared up and looked ready to go, but Cat sat me down to review things once again. 

“Where’d you get the name?” I question further, “I was figuring we’d call it the Manor of Myth or something like that, considering all the statues of mythological creatures and…such around there.”

“I just remembered it! I remembered hearing people talk about it from time to time.” They looked out the window, gazing into the moon’s light with an almost determined look. “Usually when I’d hear about estate owners, it was the usual ‘did you hear what they bought? Aren’t they so cool? What an entrepreneur! No, them effectively owning slave labour and hoarding wealth doesn’t make them a bad person, they’re an innovator!’ You know, garbage like that.”

I nod, bringing my hand up to my chin and holding my head with my elbow to the table, while Cat leans their crossed arms on the wooden surface. 

“Those are the kinda things we target these people for,” I begin. “What makes this one different?”

I could swear they smirked just before beginning to speak up again. “Magic.”

“Magic?”

“Magic!”

“You’ve lost me.”

They chuckle before letting out a sigh. “Everything I’ve heard about them has been about how odd they are. They never make big purchases. They rarely make any headlines. All that’s known about them is a bit of family history which, supposedly, involves witchcraft. There are even specific references dating to around the 17th century and more traces even further in the past!”

Oh boy. Cat’s always been a sucker for this kind of thing, and I don’t hold it against them, but right now… 

“So you’re suggesting there’s a possibility of real magic in 2029.”

“Well, I’m not suggesting, but… Look, I just have a feeling about this. I’ve read the name Inkton in so many mythology books, it has to mean something!” They turn back to me, eyes practically gleaming. Dammit. I can’t just crush their dreams like that. If anything can give Cat hope in this trying time, then I’ll let it.

“Alright, I’ll trust you on this. You are the expert here. What do you suggest then?”
“Oh. Well…there’s not much to suggest. Just be cautious of what we handle in there, really. If magic is real, we’re cursed. If it’s not, we just made someone who might believe in it really mad.” Their face turns sour the moment they say that, as if they knew what I was about to say. 

I sigh and turn my head downwards, thinking for a moment before looking back up at Cat. “This sounds really dangerous, you know. Maybe we should pick a different target? Or just spend the night relaxing. We had a successful heist yesterday. The only reason we’re considering going out now is to rack up savings faster, risky as it is to keep putting ourselves out there so frequently.”

But their determination seemed to return. “No. This might be selfish of me, but I think we should go. I just have this feeling… It’s probably just my excitement--which, I know, I need to keep under control--but it feels like we need to be there tonight. Please, can we do this one thing?”

The look on their face…it’s serious, but not in the sullen way I’m used to seeing. It’s determined and, well, maybe not confident, Cat definitely needs work on that, but even still I can see they’re getting there. The sparkling excitement in their eyes tells me that much..

I sigh. “Honestly, I wasn’t about to say no even before I questioned it. I wanted you to understand what we’re getting into, but I can see you already do.” Standing up and stepping around the table, I get behind Cat’s seat and pat their shoulders. “I trust you. I’m not about to stop what I imagine is going through your head right now. C’mon, we’ve got a witch to plunder.”

Of course Cat laughs at that. “Not how I would’ve phrased it, but you do you! Alright. I’m ready. We’re ready!”

I haven’t seen Cat so enthused to go on a heist in years. It warms my heart, honestly. Once they’re up we don’t stop. We head out the door and over to the train station, avoiding any houses with lights on just in case.

The train ride is smooth as always, although it’s made a little bumpier with Cat’s excited bouncing. It seems like the perfect time to see what that enthusiasm is all about.

“Mythology books, huh? Like the ones you used to read at the library?”

Immediately, Cat snaps their gaze towards me, starry eyes illuminated by the night. “Those are exactly the ones!”

It’s interesting, hearing them so passionate yet still keeping their voice somewhat restrained. They don’t like talking much in general, especially when other people besides me are around, so it’s nice to hear them speaking so freely. As I wonder just what’s holding them back, I begin to lose focus on them as my thoughts turn to what’s holding me back. Now’s not the time. Cat needs an ear and I’m more than willing to listen to them rattle on about mythical beasts, deities, cosmic forces. It’s a bit hard to follow sometimes, but I enjoy the journey either way. Cat almost seems disappointed when the train stops but it’s time to get to business.  

“We’ll talk more magic later, promise.” 

They nod at me with a soft smile, and I curse myself for continuing to make promises. I don’t have a problem keeping them, but it makes me nervous having so many, as if it’s another straw on the camel’s back. Fox’s back, in this case.

We’re off the train and into the streets, skirting around each corner, ducking and dashing around each light. During the night we make the city streets our own. That’s not entirely true though, afterall, we’re not the only ones running around these darkened streets. We’ve heard of other deeper and darker figures within the city from Blue, but that list never included us. We’re small time, not important enough to be a threat to them or even worthy of being recruited, if that’s even what they do.

Ugh. My thoughts seem to be all over the place tonight. Too much talk of magic. Regardless, we soon find ourselves at the rather barren outskirts of the Inkton Manor. They seem to prefer isolation, and if any of what Cat heard is true, there’s a good reason for that. The perimeter is surrounded by an iron fence, making observing it close up risky, and yet…how odd. There’s not a trace of security outside. Not a guard, not a drone, not even any visible cameras. Just an army of mythical statues. This person really is really weirding me out. The vibes from this place are way too spooky. Still, no security means easy access…probably. I usher Cat forward. We move closer and closer to the fence, trying to find shadows where we can hide, whether it’s from a tree or a cloud in the night sky. I’m not taking any risks. As usual, the sides of the house are the safest to observe from, so we approach, gazing through the bars and into the courtyard.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

It really is defenseless. We might even be able to just hop in right here--

But Cat grabs my sleeve before I can make any sudden movements. I turn to them, then follow their gaze from one statue head, to the next. What exactly are they getting at…?

Oh!

The eyes!

Cat’s right. The way the statues are set up makes it look like they’ve got eyes on every corner of the court. I still can’t see any cameras, but this isn’t the time to be reckless. We really don’t know what we’re up against here. We trail the edges of the fence until we meet with the gate, eyeing every statue we see. If there is a way past, it must be through the front gates. Every inch of the surrounding fence would be far too easy to get past, even someone so seemingly eccentric as this Inkton person should know that, and if our assumption proves true, then they’ve covered this weakness. The statues’ gazes interrupt any attempt at infiltration from the fenced perimeter from our observations. From the front, however, there appears to be something of a path carved out of the walls formed by these invisible walls, for their entry only, we’d assume. Not for long, however.

Cat helps me up and over the gate before scaling it on their own. That lithe body, I swear. Nevertheless, we’re beginning phase one. Paying close attention to the gazes of the statues, we suspect direct line of sight is needed for any kind of trickery at play, as being in their peripheral vision changes nothing. With this information, we set off, staying low and hiding behind statues that don’t face us. So many creatures with some that even I recognize: Minotaurs, Lamias, Harpies, a Headless Horseman, Leviathans. Yet, there are so many more I don’t. Winged serpents, demonic entities with animalistic traits like lion manes and such, foreign looking creatures from Asia, Europe, Africa, South America. Is…is that a catgirl? She looks kind of like she’s melting, yet not. Most harrowing of all, however, are those with eyes facing multiple directions, making the trip around them all the more difficult. And creepy. What is up with this place? Oh, crap--

My hands move on their own, grabbing Cat’s waist and pulling them back. Seems they’re even more entranced by the oddities here, as expected, and almost walked right into one statue’s line of sight. They nod apologetically and I reach down to squeeze their hand reassuringly before continuing. It thankfully doesn’t take us much longer to reach the safe zone just outside the house itself. We look at each other and nod, moving about to check each window. Lots of curtains, clearly a fan of privacy, but no movement behind them. All the windows I check appear to lead into rooms devoid of any people and the ones with open curtains have no clear security measures, not even the statues from out here. 

We regroup and ponder our next move, having found the same results. There really isn’t a clear indicator of a right or wrong way in. The front part of the manor is mostly comprised of a large main hall, while the rest seems to house what can only be described as fantastical set pieces. Alchemy? Grand bookcases? Antique collections? They all looked so unreal compared to anything we’ve seen before and that’s only from the outside! We’re already here, though, so we have to make do. 

Cat gets to business, deciding the main hall was the clearest and from what we can see, the safest. They go to unlock the window and…it’s already unlocked. It slides open, quietly and with ease. If I was unnerved at first, then this straight up disturbes me to the core. This has to be a trap of some kind, right…? Yet, based on all of our prior knowledge and experience, I can’t see how that could be. It’s just an unguarded house. Even dodging the statues might have been completely unnecessary. Right. It’s fine. Just keep your wits sharp and Cat’s hand close-- Not like that, just…for safety. Ugh, this mind of mine races more and more with odd thoughts every day… Once again, I push them back and hop through the window after Cat.

I didn’t really notice before, but besides the statues this place looks like a completely normal house, inside and out. Only bigger, of course. Aside from the ominous shades of purple and blue decorating the walls, it really is just a normal house, but on a larger scale, like an oversized suburban home. There’s a large staircase in the center leading to a balcony overseeing the main hall, but beyond that? Door after door after door lined along the walls of the main floor, with possibly even more on the story above. Function over form to a tee. Perhaps this really is just the house of an eccentric family. That thought puts my mind at ease at least. I begin to skim through what I recall of our exterior observations in an attempt to recall which of these doors would be our best target… Ah ha. That’s the one. Left wall of the barren room, second from the front wall lined with plain windows. The antiques room. I nudge Cat and guide them towards our goal. Listening against the door, I hear nothing from inside. Considering we are in the main hall, which is probably quite echo-y, I spare no precautions. I pull out some oil and coat the door hinges before Cat hands me a very thick cloth for dampening the sound of the handle. Not a squeak. We’re in.

And once in, we find the odd, yet normal room I sought, odd in its museum-like presentation and strange contents, yet its structure is just as normal looking as the room before. It honestly reminds me a lot of the shops in Railsent which, while not too pleasant, is at least familiar, unlike the antiques scattered about. They’re held up on pedestals, mounted on the walls, secured behind glass, all looking at least semi-professional. The only detail lacking would be the lack of any plaques or signage to explain what any of these items are. It all looks so… unnatural as well. Every attraction looks as if it's from a different time period, originating from a mishmash of cultures that all seem so alien. Scrolls in languages that don’t exist; armour that wouldn’t fit any known animal, let alone a human; technology that looks like the ancients had access to modern day tech, and so much more. 

Most striking to me, however, is a globe. A completely normal globe, perhaps with a few too many peripherals, but totally normal otherwise, at least, until you take a closer look and see such oddly coloured landscapes in formations that don’t resemble Earth at all. Yet the details are so meticulous that I almost believe it’s a depiction of another, very real world. It’s hard to find much here that’s safe to take, so observing all these oddities is probably the best we’ll get out of this. Some part of me suspected this would turn out to be more of a field trip than a job anyways, so I can’t say I’m completely surprised or disappointed. Cat seems to be enjoying themselves a great deal just from looking around, and that’s all I could ask for. I don’t want to have this going sour for them however, so I go to tug them along so we can get out of here.

And then I see the gate.