Julie

There are three months between semesters for summer vacation. It's a month into summer and we've taken one of our 'trips'. Flint, Nerinin, Tiera, and I. We have made our way to the southwestern port to get away from the school. During the day we go to the beach and visit a few shops, touristy stuff.

Tiera is the brain and designer behind bathing suits, skimpy clothing used for tanning and playing in the water at the beaches. Nerinin, and I modelled enough times for Tiera and her designing that we both had full wardrobes of just about anything you could name. We play a few games in the sand, splash some water, fend off perverts and wannabe play boys.

Nerinin can throw a dumb idiot into the ocean from a beachside diner, and Tiera always goes straight for the undercarriage. I just spout enough big words fast enough they freak out.

Whenever Flint shows up the desperate suitors always give us a pretty big berth. Flint has a large scar over is right shoulder blade and a reputation. So he is easily recognized where ever he goes.

As the sun sets at the beach several guys are acting like idiots as they try to impress us.

"There's Flint." Tiera said as our shirtless "boyfriend" walked down the beach toward us.

We packed up as Nerinin and I walked back to our Inn while holding on to his arms. We have a busy night and can't afford to deal with fools.

*

Flint

As the crescent moon shines in the night sky above us I admire our handywork from the opposite side of the port. An 'abandoned' warehouse is ablaze, and its copper flames reflect off the rolling waves of the ocean.

I guess you could say that I'm good at my job, I smile to myself. In and out. I got my share of the take, and my friends got would they wanted... revenge.

"Quit smiling to yourself under that mask, we still have places to be." Whispered another masked person next to me. Out of the four of us she is the shortest but she our valuable strategist. Thanks to everyone of her plans we've never been caught.

"Keep it down, the entire port is on alert." Hissed the second masked person. She's the driving force, our leader as it were. And since she's paying me well enough, she's my boss. Her honey eyes are the only distinguishing feature I can make out in the dark, even though I'm wearing the same all black leather armor and hood.

We scurry through the now familiar back allies.

Our third member is quiet. She's our vanguard if we get into a scuffle. She's got the biggest chip on her shoulder and takes these missions very seriously. You could say that she even goes into a trance.

I pause as something catches my eye, a poster. I only got a glimpse of it, but I tore it from the wall, rolled it up and packed it away.

After an hour of skulking we make it back to the girl's room in the Inn. The owner is an associate of mine and doesn't ask any questions so long as we don't bring trouble home. I'm the last in the room and close the window as everyone takes a breath.

"I'd say that went well." The shortest of us says. Tiera then pulls back her hood and removes her mask letting her ears flop out.

"I suppose, but it feels like no matter what we do the Nightclaw's presence just continues to grow." Our leader says. Then Julie flipped back her hood and pulled down her mask.

"It wasn't enough!" Our fourth member slams her fist into the table. Nerinin ripped off her mask. "How many warehouses have we burned? How many Nighclaw have we killed? And still we are no closer to Sebas or stopping the Nightclaw we need to do more."

"Before we do anything rash, we have bigger concern." I say as a I roll out a wanted poster on the table. It has four hooded figures with a great big "WANTED" written right at the top in bold letters.

Julie turns the poster toward herself and read the crimes listed.

"Criminal Organization the 'Hoods' are wanted for criminal misconduct, arsine, assaulting lawkeepers, resisting arrest, thievery, murder... what is this? We didn't do half of these things." Julie looked at me.

"There were more magic knights than normal tonight..." Tiera pulled a paper bag and began nibbling on candies she had stashed earlier.

"So what?" Nerinin huffed.

"So a lot of things." I said.

"Nerinin pull it together, you always loose your head whenever the Nightclaw are brought up, but we need to talk about this." Julie scolded Nerinin.

"Fine." Nerinin growled and pulled her tail free from her armor and sat at the table.

"I was worried about something like this earlier but it's worse than I thought. While I was digging earlier, I discovered that someone is stealing our look to steal from the rich parts of town and the surrounding nobility." I explained.

"Why did you wait until now to tell us." Julie asked disapprovingly.

"Since we were hitting up the abandoned docks, I didn't think it would impede us and it didn't." I sighed. "This is the first wanted poster I've seen in this port, and so now I'm worried. We've gone unbothered this long because we've only hit a hand full of Nightclaw establishments, but our imposters are about to make life a lot harder for us."

"Why can't the knights go after the Nightclaw like they are supposed to?" Nerinin asked.

"Because they are being paid off." Tiera calmly expressed.

"Can you elaborate?" Julie asked.

"The fake Hoods are stealing from the people in power. That means their bottom line for legal business is hurting. In order to supplement that, they resort to illegal methods and begin working with the Nightclaw. They pay off certain Magic Knights to ignore parts of their job and the Nightclaw flourish." Tiera explained between bites of food.

"So what you are saying is that the fake Hoods are undoing everything we've done." Julie summarized with a sigh.

"Now we are going to have to go against the Fake Hoods, and the Nightclaw?" Nerinin growled.

"Unfortunately, few things are so clear cut as good and evil. But this also means my rates are going to go up." Flint said.

"Shut up, Flint." All three girls said in tandem.

I'll let it slide since I know they are good for it. And I've grown to like them over the years.

"Flint is right though, things are about to get a lot more complicated. Especially, since we don't know the motives of the fake hoods." Julie pulled her tail out of the armor and sat down table.

"Motives, they are obviously helping the Nightclaw!" Nerinin argued.

"You can't assume that until we have more information, it could be that our individual wars are simply bleeding into each other." Tiera said. "We shouldn't make a new enemy before we find out how necessary it is. If we get caught and kicked out of school what will you do then?"

Nerinin deflated.

"I think we have enough on our plate at the moment, we shouldn't go jumping back into another mission. Let's lie low and do some digging. But I say that it's time to get out of these clothes and get some sleep." Julie scratched her cat ear.

"Well... that's my cue." I say as I pull my hood and mask back on and move toward the window.

"Goodnight Flint. Don't be seen." Tiera waves.

"Hey... this is me we are talking about." I say confidently.

"I'll dock your pay." Julie says with that serious look in her eye that I don't dare put my money on the line for.

"Whatever you say, boss." I say as I disappear out the window.