Tick Whistlebaum was on the run again. Of course in Tick's mind, he was never on the run. To the boyish halfling, this was just a game. His favorite game in fact, because it seemed as if everybody he met knew how to play. What fun!
Tick had won this most recent round of the game he called "Eyes and Feet." Each round began the same way, with what Tick called "The Dip." The Dip was initiated when a person, usually an unwitting stranger, bent below Tick's own height. Being a 4'4 creature, this was exceedingly rare in day-to-day life. But occasionally, he would see somebody across the bar, in a church, really anywhere, that made this mistake.
Once the game had begun, Tick would become practically invisible, blending in with the crowd, and using his small size to his advantage. Once he got close enough, the tiny adventurer would make his move. His game used to be called "Eyes, Hands, and Feet" but he removed the "hands" portion years ago. Tick had been caught on foot a number of times, and caught visually a handful. But he had never been felt working his dexterous fingers into a pocket, or removing a watch from a wrist. Today was no different.
While approaching the tall stranger, who had initiated the game after spilling a bit of beer froth onto his beautiful leather shoes and subsequently bending down to clean them off with a bar rag, Tick spotted a small brown bag hanging from the Elf's sword belt. It wasn't so much the bag that caught his attention, but the placement. The pouch was placed ever-so-slightly behind where adventurers generally kept their coin bags. But, Tick smiled, it is exactly where people kept special things. Shiny things.
The swipe was easy enough. The Elf appeared well into his drinks and was scanning the bar nonstop. For a normal person, this would be a detriment, but for Tick, he was just looked right over. Silly Elves.
Following the rules of the game Tick, now standing directly behind the well-dressed Elf, opened his newly acquired bag and his eyes glimmered in awe. In his hand were three of the Cosmos spheres. The size of marbles, there were said to be only a dozen or so in existence. Their story was legend among his people, and all people on Ethrynn. Eons before, the Cosmos spheres had fallen to Ethrynn in a great crash. they shot like meteors in bright red streaks straight into the dirt where they stayed. Until now.
Tick clutched his new treasure to his chest and almost walked out of the tavern with them in his hand. Shaking the moment from his mind, he went back to tug on the Elf's fancy golden cloak. "Sir," Tick started "It's your turn."
The man, tall even for an Elf, looked around then down, as his shock turned to disgust. "Foul thing, begone. And let go of my robe, you'll dirty it with your grubby paws."
Tick smiled. "No I won't, see?" Tick held the pouch in front of him with a childlike smile stretching across his face. "I already took my turn, and I didn't smudge your dress at all!"
The chase was on. His pursuer was naturally faster by a large margin, but Tick ducked, slid, rolled, and juked his way out of the tavern and into the night.
As calls for the guards rang out behind him, Tick couldn't hold back any longer. He just had to hold the spheres. Not just see them. While mid-stride, the bag was removed from a secreted pocket with deft fingers and one of the glowing balls was dumped into the Halfling's hand.
A blinding green light enveloped Tick's world, and before his next foot could touch the ground, he was airborne. Feeling only excitement, Tick laughed and whooped as he lifted off the ground, shooting upwards on a green energy.
The Cosmos Spheres aren't just going back to their old home, Tick realized, they're going to an all-time high. And I'm along for the ride!
What a game.
