The team had set their minds on finding the thief, but the task roving to be far more difficult than they had anticipated. The thefts had been going on for months, a, no one in the guild had been able to find a single clue. The fact that the thief had tio operate without leaving a trace was both impressive and frustrating.
Li had taken this mission very seriously, determio solve the mystery. Alongside her was Adrian, equally passionate about the challehe two of them naturally took and, boung ideas off each other and ing up with strategies. Sera, as usual, was the quiet thinker of the group. She listened carefully to Li and Adrian's discussions, making notes whenever necessary. Time and time again, Li and Adrian would revisit and refiheir pns, ensuring that every possible angle was sidered.
Doran, knowing that his strengths didn't lie in strategy or thief-catg, took on a different role. He went around the town, speaking to shopkeepers and vendors, trying to gather any useful information. He was friendly and knew how to get people talking, but despite his efforts, he wasn't able to uncover anything signifit.
Drakar, as expected, remained silent and distant. He didn't actively participate in the discussions, nor did he go around questioning people. Instead, he spent most of his time sitting quietly in the guild hall, seemingly doing nothing. Fizzle, naturally, did nothing as well—except order food a all day. "You're seriously going to keep eating like that?" Li asked at one point, watg as Fizzle munched on a rge pte of fruit. Fizzle didn't even bother to look up. "What else am I supposed to do? Chase after some ghost thief? No thanks." Li sighed but decided not to waste energy arguing.
---
After exhausting their options withiown, Li, Adrian, Sera, and Doran decided to explore the more hidden and dangerous areas. They ventured into the shadier parts of town, sneaking around and keeping a close watch for anything suspicious. But despite all their efforts, they found nothing. Uerred, they decided to expand their search beyond the town.
The team made their way to the outskirts, searg the nearby forest for any potential clues. The trees loomed overhead, their thick branches blog out much of the sunlight. The ground was uneven, covered in fallen leaves and tangled roots, making every step cautious. They remained on high alert, sing for any sign of the thief.
However, instead of finding their target, they stumbled upon a pair of wild bears. The massive creatures growled loudly, their heavy paws crushing the undergrowth as they moved closer. Their sharp cws gleamed, and their dark eyes were filled with hostility.
The fight began immediately. Li reacted first, drawing her sword and stepping forward with determination. She sshed at one of the bears, her strike nding on its thick hide, but the beast barely flinched before swiping back with its massive paw. Li ducked just in time, feeling the wind from the powerful swing rush past her.
Adrian moved swiftly, his sword fshing as he struck at the sed bear’s fnk. He dodged its attacks with quick footwork, weaviween its swipes and tering with precise sshes. The bear roared in frustration, trying to nd a hit, but Adrian was always a step ahead.
Sera stood back, raisiaff as she eled her magic. Vines shot up from the ground, ing around one of the bears' legs and holding it in pce. She summoned a gust of wind, pushing it off bance before ung a burst of sharp leaves that cut through its thick fur. The bear snarled, struggling against her magic, but Sera kept her focus, keeping it restrained long enough for the others to attack.
Meanwhile, Doran faced the other bear head-on, gripping his ented hammer, Molte. The on pulsed with fiery energy as he swung it in a powerful arc, smming it into the ground. The impact sent a shockwave through the earth, making the bear stumble. As it regais footing and charged, Dora with another crushing blow, f it back with sheer strength.
The battle tinued for several exhausting mihrough their bined efforts—Li’s quick strikes, Adrian’s agility, Sera’s magid Doran’s overwhelming power—they finally ma the bears down. The creatures colpsed, defeated, their heavy bodies still against the forest floor. The team stood catg their breath, their bodies ag from the fight. Though they had won, the enter had draihem, adding to their exhaustion. Aheir mission was still far from over. After catg their breath, they moved on to an abandoned building oskirts of town. It seemed like a possible hiding pce for a thief, but after thhly searg the area, they came up empty-handed once again. Disappoi settled over the group as they made their way back to the guild. The sun was beginning to set, and they had nothing to show for their efforts.
---
As they ehe guild hall, anroup of adventurers was at the reception desk, submitting their goods. However, it quickly became apparent that they, too, had missing items. "The situation keeps getting worse," Adrian muttered. Fizzle, still perched on Drakar's wing, smirked and looked at Li. "See? I was with Drakar all day long, so I couldn't have eaten any goods. Guess I'm i after all." Li ignored Fizzle's teasing, her mind too occupied with the problem at hand. She fell deep into thought, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. She had done everything she could think of—questioned people, searched various locations, even fought wild animals in hopes of finding some kind of clue. Yet, they were still nowhere closer to solving the mystery.
What was she missing? Just as she was about to lose herself in frustration, Drakar suddenly stood up. His deep, serious voice cut through the room. "I have found the thief." A wave of shock washed over the group. Li's eyes widened. "What?"
Adrian, Sera, and Doran turo face him, equally stunned. Even Fizzle, for once, seemed momentarily speechless. The entire guild hall fell silent as everyone processed his words. Drakar had barely moved from his spot all day, yet he was now g that he khe identity of the thief. Li could feel her heart pounding.
If Drakar was right, then this chase was finally ing to an end.
