Predicting your moves

[Minoas Stratis]

Three days ago, Rangipo Desert, New Zealand

Another school year was over and Minoas was back home. He had missed his mother and surprisingly enough his younger brothers. His family welcomed him with a hearty dinner. Grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins joined as well, reminding him he wasn't alone, that he had people caring for him by his side. He really needed to feel this way after what had happened back at school. Driven by the rumours of RHI, he had broke into Professor Kingsley's office in order to search for clues that would point to her connection to his father's abduction. Later, he regretted on trusting the rumour. Not only Professor Kingsley had nothing to do with the abduction but she also disowned him from Gryffindor house and also restricting him from places such as the common room and Gryffindors table at the Great Hall. This sudden seclusion had an emotional toll on him. It was the first time he felt unwanted in some way in his life. And although the professor hadn't referred to restrictions regarding feasts and other events, Minoas as a houseless student decided to abstain from everything that needed to represent a house. Be back to a place where he felt he belonged to was what he really needed.

His mother said nothing about his misbehaviour back at school. She was probably not informed or she thought it wasn't the right time to bring this subject on a festive dinner where the family members had the chance to bond. He tried to enjoy the dinner as much as he could, forcing a smile every time they toasted or congratulated about his good performance in his OWLs. When it was time for the desert, he receded away from the dining room to the living room, claiming he was too full for some pecan pie with ice cream. He colapsed on the sofa in front of the cracking fire of the fireplace. It was weeks now he was considering to never return back at Hogwarts. He had took his recent punishment as some kind of sign, an omen. He didn't want to return back at school as an outcast and maybe it was time for him to make that big move he knew he was going to do sooner or later.

The old man back at the festival was clear. The group named Scitorari were behind his father's abduction. Apparently, they wanted in the first place the scroll case his father had. Now it was in Minoas possession for over a year and he felt he had done zero progress regarding its true nature. Although Hwaldarkarsh couldn't tell him what was with that scroll case, he made it clear he had to protect it at any cost. This artefact shouldn't fall in wrong hands. Minoas came to understand that the scroll case at its current state was useless whatever its utility was. A piece was missing on it. There was a hole at the centre of the cylindrical object where it used to be something on it. He thought that his father maybe had hid the missing piece, whatever that was but after Minoas visited the festival with Briar and Elbio, he was pointed to follow a completely different approach. The mysterious old man named Hwaldarkarsh was hesitant to share with them too many information but Minoas managed to catch the clues the old man was implying. What had mostly haunted his mind was this specific statement of the old man: Injam Ghaġla once held what you seek for. Minoas left that day from the festival of Innovational Magic more confused than before. Several visits at Hogwarts library were required to clear off this vague phrase. But for once after a long time, Minoas had something specific to search for. The center of his research became the term or name of Injam Ghagla.

After weeks of extensive search, he found this peculiar name in a history book referring to shipwrecks. Injam Ghagla was the name of a merhcantman which shipwrecked near the island nation of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea. Amongst the famous artefacts hauled from the shipwreck was also a beautiful stone of unknown origins. Minoas instantly made the connection. From all the treasures found at this 16th century shipwreck, this stone could easily fit the hole of the scroll case. He read through and through the whole chapter about the Injam Ghagla shipwreck to see if he was missing something else but in the end, the stone it was the only thing matching the puzzle he already had. His research didn't end there. He was lucky enough to find out the current location of the stone. The stone was exhibited for the past five years at place named Angiliero Exhibition Centre in the capital of Malta, Valetta.

After his new discovery, Minoas wasn't sure which should be his next move. If he had that stone in his hands he could place it in the scroll case's hole and find out finally why it was so important to keep this thing safe. More answers could be also revealed like why the Scitorari were looking for the scroll case, how it ended up in his father's possession, what he could possibly do next with it. He had considered to come in contact in some way with the Scitorari and turn it in in exchange for his father but Hwaldarkarsh made it clear. He should protect the artefact with his life, meaning he had to find another way around. In any case, he could use the knowledge of what was really the scroll case to his advantage. Maybe it could unlock some kind of weapon he could use against them. Maybe it could provide clues about their plans, valueable information for the Aurors. There were actually so many 'maybes' born when he was thinking of the different scenarios that he was feeling sometimes he was losing his sanity.

One thing was evident. If he wanted to answer at least one of these question swirling in his head, he had to get the stone. Then he could find out what would be his next steps and work it out to find a way to his father. He knew already it wasn't going to be easy. He had to travel miles away around the globe and visit a foreign country on his own. Yes, he was going to be on his own this time. He wasn't considering to bring into this new plan none of his friends. He was already responsible for the punishment of a friend. In this case they weren't going to mess around with school rules. It was real life out there. Who knew what he was going to face. He didn't know much about the Scitorari and that was denoting they were a group of smart people. They could have figured at his was the new owner of the scroll case and they could be also aware about the missing stone and its location. They could be actually waiting for him in Malta to appear and get the scroll case along with the stone. He had to rely on himself and not even share the idea of running away. He wasn't intending to tell anything to his family nor his friends. They were either going to prevent him from following his reckless plan or accompany him which he didn't want to either. And all though he was determined to leave without saying goodbye to anyone, he had yet to figure out how he was supposed to travel from New Zealand to Malta without being able to apparate or use generally magic.

As he was watching at the dancing flames before him, the idea of using the floo powder returned again. It was a thought he had considered several times only to dismiss it later. He knew that the floo network was monitored by the Ministry. Even if he succeeded to get to Malta and then blend in the country, the Ministry would know where exactly he had travelled and that was something he wanted to avoid. However, he couldn't come up with anything better. He was inevitably going to use the floo network whether he liked it or not. And to cover his tracks from the Ministry, he had a plan in mind already. He wasn't going to use the floo network straight to Malta. He was going to detour by first visiting the island of Crete in Greece, using the floo network to the fireplace of the house he had spent his childhood before he and his family arrived at New Zealand. Malta wasn't really far from Greece and especially from Crete. He could stow away from there using a muggle ship and so no one could really find out where he was heading to.

What he hadn't thought of yet was when to do this huge step. There was the right time for everything but he couldn't decide when would be for him. Should he wait three months until the end of his holidays and then instead of going back to Hogwarts, runaway without warning? Should he put into practice his plan sooner than that? Stay a little bit longer with his family who wouldn't have the chance to see for a long time? The fireplace was just in front of him. Just a handful of floo powder and a bit of courage and he could be gone. He was going to miss so many people that was for sure. Not only his family and friends but also a specific girl he had in his head most than anything else. He had regretted for not speaking his heart when he could and just wasted time looking for the right moment. Now he might never have the opportunity again to tell her how necessary was for him the time they were spending together just talking. He was keeping like a charm in his memories her rare but disarming smiles that were melting him like wax. He was going to need a memory like this for the times he was going to get disheartened and attempt to give up.

His mother's voice drew him out of his thoughts' well.
"Are you alright honey?" his mother asked him with the warmest smile someone could wear. Her emerald eyes were also reflecting this warmth as she sat next to him. Minoas just then realized that the commotion from the dinning room had ceased. He must have been lost in thoughts for a long time."Yes mom. I'm good." he smiled back to her. He didn't want to show her he was troubled with something. He preferred to keep his own worries for himself and not weight her down with something extra when she had already too much in her head.
"I'm just tired. OWLs were tougher than expected. I haven't recovered yet." he chuckled and stretched his arms. He hardly managed to hide the yawn which automatically pressed his lips to be released.
"I'm so proud of you. I knew you could pass your exams with flying colors." she flaunted about her son's academic achievements. The same way Minoas was swelling with pride when he was scoring a goal during Quidditch matches.
"Your father would be proud as well. Especially for not giving up your animagus training. He really wanted you to continue this." she said and her beaming face darkened while referring to her husband. She was reminded of the pain she was left with when the aurors announced to her about her husband's abduction. Minoas was with him that day. She didn't know how she could cope if something bad had happened to her son as well that day. Her three sons were currently safe but it was too hard for her to remain strong without her soul mate. She was feeling so weak sometimes but she didn't show for the shake of her children. Now she had took over the role of both parents, not abandoning hope. She knew the Ministry was doing everything to find out the culprits and her husband.

"He's proud." snapped Minoas, the flickering flames of the fireplace reflected in his eyes. "He wants me to become an animagus. He's not dead." he said stubbornly. His mother might have no proof about her husband's welfare but had that old charm he had found in the attic. Through it he could see if a member of the family was alive, in danger or dead. To his relief every time he was checking out the little charm, it supported his father was alive somewhere.
"Hey, don't give up hope mom. He's alright I promise. The aurors will do their job and find him." he hugged her before he was able to see the tears in her eyes rolling down her cheeks. He hated watching her like that. He had no trust whatsover to the Ministry and the aurors but he had to pretend he did for his mother's shake. He released his comforting embrace to let her wipe her tears. He could hardly hold them in his eyes, burning like acid. He looked away from his mother not wanting to burst like her. Someone should remain strong this time he had taken this role for himself. Managing to control any overwhelming emotion he turned to her with an encouraging smile.
"Things will look up. You'll see. You don't have to worry about him right now. You should be more worried about Perseas and Theseas attending Hogwarts in September."he reminded her with a broad grin. He was glad that his reference to his younger brothers made his mother laugh.
"I don't know what to do with these kids." she sighed smiling while wiping her cheeks for one last time.
"I'm probably going to receive owls every single day from the school with complains about their behavior." she said and this time Minoas joined to laugh with her as well.
"I can already hear them fighting over wands, robes, school books. Promise me you will come with us to Diagon Alley when we will go to get the school supplies." she asked for assistance from her older son.
"Of course mom. Don't even mention it." he promised without second thought and he turned his attention back to the fireplace. He was hurting inside him for having to lie to her. He was probably long gone until the day they were going to buy school supplies. He wasn't really going to need his own after all.

The next few minutes passed silenty by, looking at the last dying embers in the fireplace. It was his mother who spoke again.
"You should head to bed soon and rest." she suggested, noticing the exhaustion on her son's face. She didn't realize it was emotional exhaustion than physical.
"I think I'll stay here a little bit longer. I'm not tired yet. You on the other hand, you should go to sleep. You have been cooking all day." he pointed out. She was always a little bit extravagant when it came to family meals. Like she was going to invite the whole Ministry over for a dinner.
"You are right. I should be already in bed. Tommorow we'll have the suppliers over for the horses so I have wake up early."she agreed with her son as a soft yawn escaped her.
"Don't stay up late, okay?" she said and kissed him on his forehead.
"I won't. Don't worry. Goodnight." he said watching her standing up. "Goodnight honey! Sweet dreams!" she smiled and waved her hand to light off the candles on the coffee table. "Mom." Minoas called from his seat as his mother had almost left from the room.
"Yes honey?"she asked and her head popped into view from the hall. He wanted to say to her how much he loved her before he was going to make her worry to death. Qualms had already started suffocating him for having to leave without telling her anything. He couldn't just say that. His mother was really smart, she was going to figure out he was up to something.
"I loved your stew mom. It rocked!" he said and thumbed up. He knew that a good comment about her cooking was almost equal to saying to her how much he loved her.
"Oh, you're so sweet! Thank you!" she beamed at her son's appreciation.
"Tommorow I'll cook your favorite and pancakes for breakfast. See you tommorow. Goodnight!" she said excited and went upstairs.

Minoas let a sigh and closed his eyes as he made himself more comfortable against the sofas cushion. He abhored himself for saying so many lies to his mother. He couldn't stay longer around and keep lying to her when he was planning to leave. He had to do it tonight. It was now or never. With that thought, he jumped on his feet finally determination taking over him. He went upstairs carefully not to wake up anyone and made it to his room. Grabbing the messenger bag hanging from the door's knob, he shoved inside it a few clothes. He contained inside a special muggle-repelling pouch his wand, a few vials of wiggenweld potion and some other magical objects like the two way mirror he had bought from the festival. Last but not least, he took the scroll case resting on his desk. He looked at it for a moment thinking of how much it had messed up his previously careless life and tossed it inside the bag before going downstairs to the kitchen. He took some food that could be preserved for a few days like fruits, nuts and snacks along with a bottle of water. Then finally returned back to the living room. He put the messenger bag over his shoulder and reached for the container of the floo powder. He scooped some in his palm and squeezed it as he faced the fireplace. He flinched, he couldn't do it. He tried to step forwards and stoop into but this action stayed a thought. It was so difficult to just let his family worry about him. Instead of a step forwards, he took a step backwards. Ready to sit down on the couch defeated by his own cowardice, a voice startled him, making him drop the floo powder on the floor.
"Is Mr Stratis going somewhere?".

He tried to locate the source of that screechy voice which was reminding him of something but couldn't remember what exactly. He spotted the figure of the house elf between the couch and the armchair.
"Tooji?"he hope his exclamation hadn't woke up anyone. It was the house elf which had snatched the scroll case in order to lead him to Hwaldarkarsh at the festival.
"What are you doing here? How you got here?" he tried to contain his voice into a whisper.
"Saving Mr Stratis from stupidity of course." said the house elf, avoiding to answer the boy's second question. Tooji emerged from the shadows as he walked closer to Minoas and the fireplace. "Tooji thought Mr Stratis was smart enough to drop this idea of using the floo network. Tooji was apparently wrong." said the house elf and snapped its fingers to clean the floo powder from the floor.
"How do you know I was planning to leave?" Minoas asked puzzled, unable to understand how the house elf managed to get into his family's premises.
"Humans! Questions all the time." sighed Tooji and shrugged as if it was experiencing human curiosity all the time.
"Mr Stratis sould focus on what really matters. Not asking useless questions. Tooji is here to help Mr Stratis reach his destination." the house elf explained briefly.
"Did Hwaldarkarsh told you to do that?" was Minoas next question. Tooji's bat like ears flapped with his nod.
"But how he knew-" Minoas next question was interrupted by the house elf as it came closer to take his hand.
"Question time is over. We are leaving." and with that, the boy and the house elf disappeared from the living room with a blink of an eye.

A vortex of colors had swallowed him. He could hear things moving fast around him along with the mischievous giggles of the house elf. It wasn't long until a new scenery started materializing before his eyes. A harbour replaced the Stratis' living room. He was standing now on a dock. The masts of the anchored sailboats around him were wabbling nonchalantly to the gentle waft. Minoas took his first breath after apparating and filled his lungs with the salty air. He turned around to see the city behind him against the colors of the afternoon sky.
"Are we-" he tried to say but he was interrupted by Tooji once again.
"Yes! Welcome Mr Stratis to Valetta, capital of Malta." replied the house elf, predicting the boy's question. He let the boy look around to his new environment before talking again.
"Now Mr Stratis has a chance to find what he is seeking for." continued Tooji as he took a few steps away from Minoas.
"Tooji should suggest Mr Stratis to find a shelter before the night arrives. Mr Stratis is on his own now. Tooji wishes him good luck." smirked the house elf and snapped its fingers to disappear.
"Wait-I-" he tried to prevent the house elf from leaving so soon but it had already gone.
"Stupid elf." he cursed under his breath and glanced back at the city. Few minutes ago he was ready to give up his plan but now he was miles away from his family in a foreign country. Now he had received that push from the house elf he had no other choice but to dig deep.
"Okay. Here we go." he murmured to himself. He decided to follow Tooji's advice and search for a place to spend his first night. He could begin his search and get to know his surroundings first thing tommorow.

to be continued...

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Today, Valetta, Malta

Three days passed by since Minoas was brought by the house elf atMalta. The boy would have really enjoyed to get to know the capital city Valletta as a tourist and not as a fugitive. The city at the entral-eastern portion of the island known also as the European Capital of Culture was featuring streets and piazzas of architecture ranging from early 16th century baroque to modernism. A unique collection of churches, palaces and museums were attracting tourist this period of the year when it was summer for the northern hemisphere. The city was surrounded by walls, watch towers and fortresses built by the Knights of Malta, with its numerous harbors as a way out to the archipelago.

Minoas had spent the first morning there sightseeing among the different scenes of the city. He was searching in particular for the Angiliero Exhibition Centre where the stone he was looking for was exhibited. Although Valletta wasn't a really big city, it was forming an artificial labyrinth with its building and its stone-paved alleys. Having no luck the first day of search, he had decided to spend his night somewhere in the city rather than close to the docks where he had spent his first night. Eventually, he found an abandoned victorian building just a few minutes from a bus station. He generally didn't manage to get enough sleep. He was vigilant, waking up now and then to make sure he was safe. The thought of his family, friends and Artemis was also keeping him awake. He could imagine his mother addressing the Ministry about his disappearance and he felt an anvil falling somewhere inside him for doing this to her. He was trying to block this kind of thoughts from distracting him and preventing him from locating the exhibition centre.

After asking some locals, he managed to find it. Although he wanted to rush inside the building, get the stone and disappear, Minoas was smart enough to check out for any suspicious activity around the building. After close investigation he had noticed nothing suspicious in the end of the second day. Perhaps the Scitorari believed that the scroll case was intact or they just didn't know the exact location of the stone. Feeling he was getting somwhere, he returned back to the abandoned building for the night, planning to visit the place the next morning. His food supplies he had brought with him all the way from home had diminished a day after his arrival. With no muggle money on him he had to find another way to find something to eat. These sunny summer days were great for open markets where farmers from maltese countryside were coming to this open areas with tends and wooden benches to provide the citizens with fruits and vegetables. Minoas had blended well with the rest of the crowd and he managed to steal some fruits twice. His illegal actions seemed seemed to have been noticed around the market and now the muggle police was looking for a teenage thief around the city. He had to be extra careful or he could end up behind the bars of a muggle prison.

The third day he was up early, taking the bus for the closest stop to the exhibition centre. The plaza was almost empty at nine o' clock in the morning. A few tourists were enjoying their espressos at the cafes around the plaza and only a flock of pigeons was roaming close to the fountain. Minoas sat down on a creaking bench and took out of his messenger bag a bottle of water. He checked out to see if the scroll case was still in there before he took a mouthful. His heart was pounding wildly behind his chest as the time to enter the building was coming closer. He was on edge looking over his shoulder now and then, afraid that someone could be watching him from the distance. He was hesitant once more to make the big move and stand up from the bench. As he put the bottle back in the bag, he noticed the old family charm and took it in his hands. He squeezed it in his palm thinking of his father. The colorless liquid inside the tiny amphora hanging from the silver chain turned blue almost immidiately. It was a good sign as blue meant that the person he had thought of was alive. It was a good moral boost to see that his father was once more alright. Minoas dropped the charm in an inner pouch and put the bag over his shoulder. Finding finally the determination, he made his way across the plaza in front of the enormous double door of Angiliero Exhibition Centre.

Minoas paused there just outside the building. He casted a last wary look around him for anything suspicious or for any muggle policemen and then he stepped inside the building. Fortunately, there was no admission. Tourists and locals weren't charge to admire the naval theme of the exhibition. Minoas footsteps echoed across the high ceiling hall which was supported by tall, marble pillars. Busts of famous maltese navals were extending from the entrance to the end of the hall that he followed to the next room. He arrived at an enormous chamber with wooden floor and scarlet tapestry on the walls. The oblong windows were rising from the floor to the ceiling letting sunlight shed on the numerous show cases of glass around the room. Only a few tourists were there already and yet Minoas hadn't encountered any guards to his relief. He was aware that his appearance could rise suspicion. His once white t-shirt was now grey from dirt and his face smudged from sleeping on the floor of the abandoned building. He had better to keep his distance and not let anyone have a closer look at him.

He had a look around the artefacts in the show cases. One could figure out that Malta had a great naval power from medieval times just from a brief look at them. There were miniatures of maltese vessels such as argosies and barques, old navigating mechanisms used by sailors of another era and a lot of paintings. In particular, Minoas lingered at the portrait of Jean Parisot, the founder of Valletta as well at the paintings of the famous Knights of Malta and the siege of the capital by the Ottomans. He grew more interested when he found a rectangular show case exhibiting artefacts from shipwrecks and pirates who were once reigning around Malta. He was expecting to see there jewels as well but they were mainly coins or other golden small objects. Not letting his spirit get dragged down, he noticed stairs covered with scarlet carpet leading to another floor. Not sure if the exhibition was continuing upstairs, he decided to get there and check out.

He climbed up the windowless stairs which were much darker than the ground floor. This made Minoas wonder if the second floor was after all out of the exhibition's boundaries. Bright sunlight returned only when he reached upstairs at a similar room like the one he came from. Unlike downstairs, the enormous skeleton of a whale was hanging from the ceiling with the support of strong chains. Only a group of tourists was there currently checking a large show case and a guard inspecting at his corner. Minoas rushed past him to hide behind the closest show case when the guard was busy looking outside the window at the plaza. He was still visible there but he had minimized the chances of the guard noticing his dirty clothes. He tried to keep as much possible distance from the muggle guard, putting many show cases between them. Minoas noticed the impressive collection of cannons that the tourists were checking out. He browse the great variety in the show cases carefully, one by one. Rings, golden necklaces, jewels once owned by noble ladies, pirate hats, pieces of sails, a stone... a stone? A show case was standing in the middle of the room. Inside it, among rusty compasses and broken telescopes, a small, shiny object captivated his attention.

The transparent like glass stone had a vibrant orange core like it was containing a crystalized fire in it or a particle of the Sun. Its edges looked sharp and its outline was matching the hole of the scroll case. His fingers touched the cold glass of the show case and the widest smile of excitement spread across his face. There was an inscription next to the little, velvet cushion the stone was placed on. It was confirming that this was what he was searching for.

Hadgebel/Heliopetra (Sun Stone): This precious stone was found among the artefacts of the shipwreck of Injam Ghagla (Wood Rush). It is unknown the origin of this beautiful stone but it is assumed it was looted by pirates in 78 BC. The shipwreck was found in 1991 in the Blue Lagoon Bay between Comino and Cominotto islands where it was pirates' hotbed.

He wanted to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. It was there, just a glass display and a few inches away from him. He soon snapped out of his incitement and started thinking of a way to get it in his hands and leave unnoticed. He checked discreetly the show case to see if there was a muggle alarm system on it or some other kind of mechanism. Minoas was surprised to find out that there wasn't an alarm established and also there weren't any security cameras around the room. He then noticed the lock on the show case; a key, possibly in the possession of the guard, was needed to open it. Of course Minoas could just break the glass, take it and run away but he wanted to do it without attracting attention. His fingers traced the lock to test its durability. "Crap." he breathed when he realized how solid the lock was. He glanced at the guard at the distance and wondered if he could get the key from him. Not sure what to do, he ended up buying some time to his advantage by taking out of his bag his grimoire and a pencil. He flipped its pages until he found a blank one and instantly started sketching the stone in detail. As he was finishing writting down the stone's description he noticed out of the corner of his eye, a man walking suspiciously around the room. He was alone, away from the group of tourists and he was checking over his shoulders nervously.

Minoas closed his grimoire and put it back in his bag. The man looked like he was searching for something. It was obvious from the way he was checking the show cases on by one. Minoas moved away before he was noticed by the stranger and stopped at another show case no far from the stone's one. He pretended to be observing a textured map of Malta while he was glancing at the newcomer who was getting closer to the show case of the Sun Stone.

 

[Leonzio Aiello]

For a long time Leonzio was looking for the kind of action an auror's job could only provide. For the past few months everything was so quiet at the aurors headquarters that he had been working only on paperwork. He actually couldn't recall when it was the last time he got out of the office for a field work or a patrol. These were the attributes that appealed to him the most about this job and made him decide to dedicate his life to it. He hadn't let this general inactivity to bring down his appetite for something a bit more fascinating as the auror was up to something.

Long ago, Leonzio and his colleagues were informed about a rising group known as the Scitorari. This underground group had sprang from the remnants of Dark Lord's supporters, absorbing other dark wizards and witches in the process. The Scitorari had made their presence noticeable but they had chose to keep a low profile up until now. They were good at muffling their shady actions and covering their tracks, keeping their intentions and plans in the shadows. Although his boss hadn't assigned his with nothing about the Scitorari, Leonzio had decided to do his own research about this fast growing organization.

The auror managed to get some information after spending time at dark alleys and disreputable areas. The Scitorari were undoubtedly power hungry people. They were craving power, they were seeking for it and they used any means possible to claim it. Leonzio's investigation brought to light the fact that the organization was consisting of subgroups with slightly different views on how ultimate power could be acquired. More precisely, the information of the Scitorari consisting of different kernels of influence seemed to him like a crack, enough to show where exactly their future plans were heading. Luck wasn't by his side when he tried to find out how many subgroups existed and which were the criterias for this disunion but as an adorer of the concept of elemental magic, he succeeded in finding something really interesting among the community of elemental practitioners around the world.

Apparently one of the subgroups were calling themselves the Elemenalists, consisting of people practising the magic of elements and believing they could utilize it to gain power. It was easier for him to monitor this particular subgroup. Leonzio was intending to speak to his boss when he was going to get enough evidences to properly present them but it seemed that even the newest, more careless members, were able to conceal their activity. He had been tailing after some of them but it was hard to tell what they were up to. The only thing he had observed was their travelling habits centering around Europe and mostly in Malta. The Elementalists were particularly interested in an exhibition centre. They seemed to have shifts patrolling the surrounding area, pretending to be tourists while entering and exiting the building. They were looking for something right there and he was intending to discover what it was attracting them like moths into the flame.

Being on leave, he decided to investigate farther and find on his own what was of such importance to them. He had followed two elementalists pretending to be tourists like him and saw them coveting over a beautiful stone in a showcase. When they left Leonzio went to see what was this stone. Although he asked even his archeologist friend about this stone, it seemed there weren't much information about it in books or anywhere else. They just seem to be planning to steal it really soon as their visits started to become more regular. He weighed his options and decided to make a bold move despite the consequences to follow. He was determined to exchange the stone with a certified replica before the Elementalists had the chance to steal the original one. What he was considering to do was an offence but he had no other choice. He couldn't prove anything back to the office about the group's intention and he was running also out of time. He was going to explain everything to his boss when the stone was secured.

He had found a guy the day before who had made for him a really deceiving replica of the stone. Leonzio promised to pay him for his service when he was going to return with the original one. There was the possibility that the Scitorari could have already stole it and exchanged it with a copy so he was going to return back to this man and check if it was the original one. The next morning he dressed once more as a muggle tourist with a casual shirt and shorts and left his hotel room for the Angiliero Exhibition Centre.

He was familiar with the place as he had visited it twice before and so he headed straight away to the second floor where the stone was located. He entered the room casually, giving a smile at the guard who glanced at him. He had started looking showcase after showcase when he realized that the stone wasn't where he had seen it last time. He sighed in relief when he figured out that a renovation had taken place since last time he was there. The showcase of the stone was moved at the center of the floor where he finally found it. Leonzio casted a foxy look around him as he was standing in front of it. The group of tourists was at the other end of the room and the guard was also now busy talking to a couple that asked him for directions. He flourished his wand and with a flick of it, the replica in his pocket was switched with the original one in the showcase in a matter of a second. He hid his wand and patted his pocket where the original stone was now. It felt different from the replica, he could feel the energy coming from it. Leonzio smirked as he looked at the replica behind the glass of the showcase and imagined the reaction of the Scitorari when they were going to find out it was a fake one. He was still going to visit the man he had trusted to create the replica to confirm its authenticity. He was actually going to do that right now. As more tourists arrived, Leonzio headed downstairs while whistling a happy tune. It was an operation well executed.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Minoas' instict never seemed to fail him in the end. He had sensed there was something suspicious about this man, the way he had appeared on the floor and made it in front of the showcase of the stone. Even the way this man eyed the gem was suggesting that he wasn't there for sightseeing. Minoas kept a low profile while darting brief looks at the man and the map in front of him, pretending to be into the exhibit. However, his discreetness jumped out of the window when he noticed a wand in the man's hands. Shocked, he watched as the stranger flicked his wand while pointing at the stone behind the glass. If Minoas hadn't practised extensively the switching spell as school, he wouldn't have realized what the man had just did. His eyes locked on him like a lion spotting its prey. "Son of a -" he whispered as he watched the man at the distance patting his pocket were now should be the original stone in. The other one now gleaming behind the glass showcase was undoubtedly a replica.

Minoas didn't know which was the wiser way to react on this. This man could be one of the Scitorari that Hwaldarkarsh had told him at the festival. He was warned not to mess around with those people. They were highly dangerous and extremely determined to achieve their well concealed goals. It would be unwise to just charge the man in order to take the stone from him as he was considering. He was just an adolescent unable to use magic and defend himself. The stranger could easily take him out and no one ever learn about his fate. He was now regretting not telling anybody where he had ended up but there was no way to fix that now. Helpless to react, he watched the man walking back to the stairs leading to the ground floor. "Now or never." he murmured to himself and clenched his teeth determined to at least follow the man. He had travelled halfway across the globe to get this stone. He wasn't going to leave with empty hands.

With his full attention fixed on the stranger who was now descending the stairs, he made an attempt to follow him. His heart skipped a bit when someone grasped his collar and a tight grip wrapped around his arm.
"Hemm int! Fejn tahseb haga int ser?" the guards rough voice ringed in Minoas' ears. The boy tried to escape but the husky man had a tight grip on him. "Let me go!" shouted Minoas and made another attempt to get away and run after the man with the stone. In his violent attempt to get free, the scroll case dropped off his forgotten, open bag and rolled across the floor to disappear under a showcase. "NO!" he barked as he watched he worst fear materializing. The guard dragged him out of the room despite his desperate efforts to get back to the room and get back the scroll case. It was over. He had failed to protect what seemed to be the last link to his father. It seemed like the time and place to give up and accept his defeat.

But no. This wasn't they day he was going to stop fighting. As the guard was taking towards the back door of the building through a dark corridor, the spark of stubbornness ignited inside him and lashed its flames to consume him. The back door bursted open and the guard tossed Minoas on the alley's hard concrete.
"Jekk i ara inti madwar, inti fl-inkwiet." yelled the guard something before slamming the door behind him.
"Foxx Ommok!" yelled Minoas at the closed door. He had no idea what he had just shouted but it was a swear he had picked up from the streets. He slowly stood up from the ground, clueless of what he should do next. The obvious choice was to rush back into the building and retrieve the scroll case. However, an inner voice advised him to get back to the plaza, at the front of the building and find the man. The scroll case at the worst case scenario could have been collected by the guards and get storaged somewhere there. The stone could have been long gone along with this man. As he made it out of the alley and into the sun bathed plaza, his eyes scanned the surrounding area for any signs of the stranger.

 

[Leonzio Aiello]

Leonzio stopped whistling when he thought he heard commotion coming from the first floor. He lingered half way at the stairs leading at the ground floor, wondering if the guards had figured out of the swap. He was expecting to hear footsteps coming right after him but this never happened.
A visitor touching the show cases maybe, he thought and shrugged his shoulders before continuing for downstairs. He casted however another look over his shoulder to make sure no security men were after him before reaching the ground floor.

Suddenly the place was crammed with guards. They weren't there before and the suspicions of something going wrong upstairs creeped in again.
Just keep your cool, the voice inside him advised. He shoved his hands into his pockets and his right grip tightened around the stone he had stolen a couple of minutes ago. Leonzio walked past a few show cases, shooting glances at the exhibits like a real tourist looking forward to get done with sightseeing and go outside to enjoy a cup of iced latte. Eventually, he found himself stepping out of the guard swarming building.

Back under the sun's glare, Leonzio couldn't hide the grin on his face. Whether the guards had figured out something strange about the stone or not it didn't matter anymore as he was now blending with the crowd in the plaza. The spacious area was now filled with tourists and vendors with their carts, ready to welcome the visitors of the exhibition center with refreshments, snacks and souvenirs.
"A freddo cappuccino please. No sugar, just top it with as much cinnamon as you can." he smiled at the young woman behind a coffee cart.
"Do you know how I can get to Nix Mangiari Steps?" he asked the beautiful woman for directions as she was preparing his coffee behind the cart.
"You'll follow St Dominic Street. It's just there." the woman gestured briefly. "You'll keep going until reach the market. Then you'll keep left through the market and you'll see the sign after a while to Nix Mangiari Steps." she continued at the top of the voice to outwin the sound of her coffee mixer. "If you get lost, the people of the market place can help you. Do you need more cinnamon?" she asked him still holding the cinnamon shaker. "Nope, this is more than enough." replied Leonzio as the cinnamon powder on the foamed milk was satisfactory. "Keep the change. Have a good day and thank you." he tipped her with one of his charming smiles and took his coffee. He used the straw to stir the coffee in the plastic coffee mug before trying it out.
Both cute and able to make a good coffee, he thought to himself as he took another sip of the cold coffee and followed the road he was told.
Let's see if we can learn more about this stone.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Taking deep breaths, Minoas tried not to panic and think clearly. He could only hope that the scroll case wasn't noticed by the guards and he was going to have another opportunity to retrieve it from underneath the show case. He tried his best to cast away the haunting thought of what his father was going to say if he was to find out that he had lost what he was trusted to protect with his life. He was feeling like drowning but he had to float back to the surface for now. Walking into the plaza in front of Angiliero Exhibition Centre, Minoas found himself lost in the seething mass of people. He squeezed his way through the crowd, meandering his way to the fountain in the middle of the plaza. He climbed up on the edge of the fountain to have a more bird-like view of the place and started looking for the brunet man who had just stole the original stone. Desperately looking around him, he spotted the man talking to a woman at her coffee cart.

There he is, he thought to himself and his heart started racing. He jumped off the fountain's ledge and shoved his way through the crowd until he reached the coffee cart. The man had disappeared again, leaving Minoas looking around him like a lost kid.
"Do you need something?" asked the woman behind the cart with a warm smile. "Umm, yes! Did you see where exactly got the man who was talking to you?" she asked the woman directly. "He's my brother and I lost him in the crowd." he added to minimize the woman's suspicions.
"Sure, he's over there." the woman eagerly pointed at the man's direction. Minoas distinguished him among the sea of people, heading away from the square and into a road. "Thank you." he breathed and wasted no time. He followed the man discreetly from a distance.

I've got to follow him... he thought with his grey eyes fixed on him like he was a lion and the man his prey. Minoas anticipated to see where this man was heading with the stolen stone. Could he be a Scitorari or just a common thief? There was just one way to find out and this was to follow him carefully. It was a venture that could actually shed some light to what was going on or could get him into serious trouble.

 

[Leonzio Aiello]

Leonzio left behind him the droning sound of the plaza and moved on to the road he was indicated to follow. St Dominic Street was quiescent at its beginning. Showered with a great amount of sunlight, was skirted with victorian buildings and parked cars on the sidewalks. No cars were driving in and soon he found out why was this happening. Soon he entered the open marketplace and scents of vegetables, fruits and spicies streamed all over the place. The sidewalks were covered with stalls of local products and vendors were negotiating with tourists and natives. Leonzio was shaking his head with a smile to refuse kindly the booming offerings of the vendors who were prompting him to buy something until a thud somewhere behind him alerted him. He turned around only to see a bucket toppled in the middle of the street and fresh limes scattered all around. A greengrocer rushed to collect his merchandise cursing in his native tongue but Leonzio felt uneasiness invading inside him. He searched his pocket and to his relief the stone was still there. However, he could still feel someone spying on him and although at first sight no one seemed to be heeling him, he remained vigilant and ready to draw a wand if he had to. If they prying eyes of the Scitorari were on him, they wouldn't hesitate to attack out in the open.

Leonzio discerned a sign between two parked vans indicating an alley that was leading to Nix Mangiari Steps. He glanced around him, still under the impression that someone was following him closely and then entered the dark alley. Crates and empy boxes were only abandoned there from the merchants of the marketplace and fortunately, no man was there. At the end of the alley a wooden double door was waiting for him. Leonzio pushed it open, walked in the new location and closed the door to the alley. He had just stepped into a harmonious square, something that the dark alley hadn't prepared him. In the middle of the tiny square was adorned with a few palm trees and iron benches were placed perimetrically for passerby to rest. Around the square were a few houses of baroque architecture with their narrow balconies lushing with flowers. Leonzio recognized the place, he had visited it before but he had used a different alley to reach this secluded part of the city. It was so peaceful and cool, protected from the ferocious heat, that Leonzio would have eagerly rested under the palm trees' shade if he didn't have business to take care of.

He walked across the deserted square and stopped in front of an old building with an enormous, wooden door. He opened and stepped inside the foyer of a block of flats. "Colloportus." He pointed his wand at the heavy door to magically seal it. Whether he was followed or not, his stalkers' deed was going to end their. He then made his way upstairs reaching the second floor and knocked the door of the man he wanted to see. At his second knock, an old, short man appeared at the door with thick spectacles making his bloodshot eyes enormous.
"Hello Mr Defournier. It's me, Leonzio Aiello. I visited you yesterday for the sun stone replica. Remember me?" He greeted the old man who scanning him through his glasses.
"Ah! Yes, I remember you my boy. Please come in." He was invided inside after he was recognized.
"You got the original stone son?" Assumed as he was leading Leonzio to an office with large windows and walls covered with bookshelves.
"Yes, I do have it." Confirmed Leonzio as the man sat down on his wing chair behind a long, mahogany desk.
"Well then. May I have a look at it. I am assuming that's the reason why you wanted to see me again." The short man hypothesized and his eyes pinned on Leonzio.

Leonzio took out of his pocket the small stone with the colors of the sun and handed it over.
"Very well!" Squeaked the old man. "Please make yourself comfortable." He gestured out one of the chairs in front of the desk and Leonzio thank him before having a seat. Leonzio remained silent as he was watching Mr Defournier taking off his glasses and holding a loupe firmly a few inches in front of his eye to inspect the stone. This half-goblin was the best jewelry appraiser in Europe. Not only he could tell about the originality of a jewel but he was capable to create the best replicas. He had prepared the fake stone which Leonzio had replaced this one he was currently checking. If there was one man who could tell him for sure if this one was the original and not another fake replaced by Scitorari, this would be Mr Defournier. So Leonzio waited on his seat patiently for the man's conclusion.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Minoas followed the stranger into a quiet road. Whether he taking him straight into a Scitorari stash or to his own place, he had no idea but he was determined to find out. He had no plan of what he should do if h was going to run into a Scitorari stash. He had still the trace on him and he didn't want the Ministry to know his whereabouts. On the other hand, if his life was threatened he was going to defend himself and use his wand. He let some distance seperate him from the man as the road was empty and only parked cars could be proved a good cover in case his was detected. Minoas wished for a crowd so he could blend in and trail this man unnoticed. Luck heeded his request and the buzz of people was audible again. The man entered a market place crammed with people and Minoas followed him closely. The noises were very loud; people talking in all sorts of languages, the distracting noise of traffic and constant horns of cars and buses made Minoas feel much more comfortable that he was the last person he was going to be noticed in this chaos. Sellers were standing behind their stalls, shooing hooed the flies every now and then from their fruits and vegetables and bargaining gloudly with their customers. Minoas was so focused on the man that he didn't noticed a bucket in front of him and stumbled on it. The bucket fall over and despersed limes all over the street. Minoas reacted in time and took cover behind a stall. He crawled beneath it to see the man's foot halting, possibly to check behind him what was going on. As the seller started collecting his limes from the ground, the man continued walking, making Minoas sighed with relief.

Minoas decided to follow the man by crawling from stall to stall. Even if he had been suspected someone following him, now he couldn't see him. However Minoas had to abandon the refuge of the stalls when he witnessed the man turning into an alley. He made sure the man had moved away enough before he emerged from underneath the last stall he used as a cover. He checked the sign at the entrance of the alley but it didn't remind him of anything. Hesitantly and with adrenaline rushing in his veins he stepped into the alley's shadow. He moved from crater to crater as he was tailing after the man deeper in the alley. Minoas was expecting to find a dead end or a small, iron door leading to a joint but insted he saw a double door made of wood towering before him. He watched from behind a trash bin the doors closing behind the man and he tiptoed his way there. He carefully cracked open the door to peek out and he saw a nice, little square with palm trees, surrounded by baroque buildings. Minoas sneaked into the new locations and closed the door silently behind him. He sailed into the palm tree patch in the center of the square and observed the man. "Where's he going?" he whispered to himself as he watched him entering a building. Minoas darted out of the square's vegetation and walked over to the building's entrance.

He first attempted to open the building's door and enter inside. "Aww...damn. It's locked." he groaned as the door didn't budge. He checked briefly the names on the door's entry system but it wasn't of much help. Instead, a look at what seemed to be the building's staircase window provided him with a useful hint. "Looks like he's going upstairs." he mumbled as he noticed the man climbing the stairs. He rested his hands on his hips as he studied the exterior of the building, searching for an alternative entrance. "Hmm...gonna have to find another way up." Minoas mused and noticed the air conditioned units arranged next to balconies. A grey donwpipe at the side of the building, extending from the roof to the ground was a better climbing candidate and after Minoas made sure that no one was watching him, he started ascending. It wasn't the same as climbing the trunk of a tree. The pipe's metal was slippery and rust was grazing the skin of his palms. Reaching the first floor, Minoas casted a glimpsed through the white curtains of an open window right next to his downpipe. He only saw two children playing on the living room's floor with their toys and their grandmother supervising them while watching TV. Deciding that the man he was trailing was unlikely to be there, he continued climbing the downpipe to the second floor. Thanks to his good stiff, he climbed into the balcony of the second floor causing a couple of pidgeons which were roosting on the marble railings to flap to safety.

He remained still for a few seconds, making sure he hadn't exposed himself. Then he moved stealthily towards the closed french door presenting him an empty living room. He was ready to break into when he heard voices coming from a half-open window. Determined to investigate this, climbed on the marble railings and stepped on the narrow ledge connecting the balcony with the window. With his back against the wall he mentally advised himself not to look down as he was slowly progressing along the slippery ledge. It took him no more than a minute but it felt like a century. Now next to the open window he could hear clearer what these voices were talking about. He carefuly peeped over the edge of the window while holding firmly the extention of the window's lintel. He recognized immediately the man who had stolen the stone, sitting in front of the desk of another puny man. Minoas watched silently the man handing over the stone and the old man used a loupe to examine the stone. Minoas decided to wait and see if the stone was authentic and then take his chance and try to take it away.

 

[Leonzio Aiello]

Leonzio tried to study Mr Defournier's expression as the old man was examining the stone. Momentarily, Leonzion got distracted by a couple of pigeons which cooed outside the window as the flew away disturbed by something. However, the guttural voice of Mr Defournier, was enough to win back Leonzio's attention.
"Let's try one more thing." Suggested the puny man and stood up to disappear in the back room. Leonzio focused on the sun stone left on the desk. Even if this stone was a prototype, he still had no clue of why the Elementalist Scitorari were so interested about it. He was drawn from his thoughts as Mr Defournier reappeared from the back room holding a bubbling phial. "What's this?" Asked Leonzio. "A drop of this potion and the slightest doubt will vanish." Explained and let a single drop trickle on the flame orange stone. "Nothing happened." Leonzio observed. "That's exactly what we want to see my boy. No reaction means that the stone is the authentic!" Mr Defournier marveled the beautiful stone as it reflected the sunlight coming from the windows. "May I ask you what are you intending to do with it?" Mr Defournier asked curiously the auror.
"The less you now, the better for you old man." Leonzio said and took back the stone. It was so flat that fitted right into a pocket of his wallet. He kept it safe there and shoved it back in his pocket.
"I must go now." He stated and stood up. He was still afraid he was being followed and he didn't want to put this man's life in danger by staying longer around him.
"If you need anything else, come and find me." Mr Defournier escorted Leonzio to the door. Leonzio thanked the man for his services and insisted to pay him. Mr Defournier refused as he was already paid for the replica he had made the day before and he had no intention of taking money from Leonzio for just a drop of his authentication potion on a stone. Seeing that the Mr Defournier was insisting not to be paid, Leonzio thanked him once more and went down the staircase to exit the building.

Leonzio got back to the foyer of the building and went outside. He closed the door behind him and looked around him as the feeling of being followed was still consuming him. He lingered in the doorway for a while, thinking of what to do next. He had the stone with him but he had no idea what he should do next. He had stolen an archaeological finding from a museum without the approval of his boss. Even his job was now at risk let alone his own life. If this group of people was going to find that he had messed up with their plans, they were going to be unsparing.
"A beer will make me think straight." he mumbled to himself when he realized he had forgotten his coffee back at Mr Defournier's office. Not really wanting to go and get back a coffee which would have become warm by now, he finally started moving on. He left the peaceful square taking another alley to more bustling parts of the capital. After few minutes of walk he reached another lively square with restaurants and outdoor bars offering a cool oasis of cocktails in the heat. He head straight towards the nearest one and had a seat at the bar.
"A nice cold beer please." He ordered and took out his wallet. The stone gleamed at him from one of the wallet's pocket as he opened it to pay the barman. He let a sigh, wondering in what kind of conspiracy he was dragged in. Leonzio had the feeling that he had just hit the tip of an iceberg but he was unable to see the rest of it hiding underwater. He decided to let his brain relax a bit and enjoy his beer. He paid the barman and put back his wallet in his pocket. He took a few sips from his bubbly, cool beer and he engaged in a conversation with the barman about the city's attractions.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Minoas kept his body as closely as possible to the wall as he was standing on the ledge just next to the open window. He peeped while eavesdropping and watched the man he was tailing sitting on a chair alone, in front of a desk where was left the stone. Minoas considered the option of storming inside, snatch the stone and jump off the window again like a stuntman in a muggle movie but the puny, older man reappeared from another room with a phial in his hands. He watched curiously as a single dropped was applied on the stone, expecting something spectacular to happen like a puff of smoke or a mini explosion. Instead nothing happened and as the older man announced, this inertia denoted that the stone was authentic. The younger man who had stolen the stone was not exactly what Minoas was having in mind of a Scitorari. The fact that he was checking the stone's authenticity made Minoas figure out that there were more than him and this stranger, after the particular stone and possibly this man wasn't a Scitorari either. Whatever this man's agenda was, it was different from Minoas' and he had to take it by any means possible, now that he had lost the scroll case from his hands.

Before Minoas was able to start thinking of how to make this stone his own, the younger man stood up and put the stone in his wallet which ended up in his pocket. He then left the particular room with the older man and Minoas guessed that he was bound to leave.
"I gotta get that wallet." Minoas murmured to himself and started sidling hastily across the ledge to reach the balcony and go down the downpipe before the man with the stone had the opportunity to disappear. "Oh crap!" he yelped as he slipped off the ledge and dropped down. He managed to grap the ledge with both hands before it was too late and he ended up hanging off the ledge, two floors above the squares. Blindly, he desperatly searched with his feet for some kind of indentation on the wall to assist him and get back on the ledge. Unfortunately, the wall underneath the ledge was completely flat. He remained hanging off the ledge and glanced bellow him when he heard the building's main door opening. The man with the stone had just exited the building and was standing just right bellow Minoas, lingering for some reason. Minoas stubbornly shimmied across the ledge as silently as he could as the man was still bellow and progressingly made it towards the balcony. He swunger the lower part of his body still hanging from the ledge and once he had enough momentum he locked his legs around the balcony's marble railing and eventually climbed them over to collapse in relief on the balcony's floor.

Taking a few breaths in and with his heart still pounding from the adrenaline rush he watched bellow for the man's whereabouts.
"Oh no. He started moving again." he breathed and wasting not time he jumped on the downpipe to slide downwards. His jump's force inflected the downpipe which got released from its hinges and hang in midair with Minoas on it. Just with his hands on the pipe and with the rest of his body hanging meters above the ground, he watched the man heading for another alley. Just a look at the balcony of another building a few meters in front of him and Minoas came up with a reckless plan. Hoping that the hanging pipe was going to bear his weight, he started swinging until he build up enough momentum to release his grip and swing over on the balcony of another building. On the safety of the new balcony, Minoas watched the pipe he was wabbling on seconds ago, collapsing on the ground. "It will be a miracle if I won't become an acrophobic until the end of this day." he gibed now having a bird-eye view of the man with the stone.

Thankfully, the new balcony he had chosen was extending parallely with the man's course bellow. When Minoas reached the end of the balcony he jumped on the roof of the next building always following the man bellow him. It was a good thing there were just narrow alleys separating the buildings and he had not trouble to keep up by jumping from roof to roof. "He's cutting through the building." mused Minoas as the man cut through the building on which he was biding his time. He carefully walked over the tile roof and he saw another crowded plaza. He pried the man like a hawk scanning the field from the top of a tree for a prey and watched him blending with the crowd before settling down at an outdoor bar. This was an opportunity that Minoas couldn't overlook and he made his way down using as steps the three consecutive hanging business signs of the building. He dropped awkwardly on the pavement, knocking down a trash bin and gathering the unwanted attention of the passerby. Wanting to get rid of the unwanted attention he disappeared with the crowd walking to the plaza.

The man with the stone was still sitting at the bar waiting for a drink. Minoas thought it was the right opportunity to get that wallet from the man's pocket and so he approached cautiously as if he was trying to make up his mind about at which bar he was going to enjoy his drink. His grey eyes flashed as he watched the man taking out his wallet to pay the barman for the beer. To his relief, the man put back the wallet in his pocket rather than leaving it on the bar. It was now or never. Now that the man was busy talking with the barman. Minoas took a deep breath as his heart started racing again. Then he started walking determined towards the man sitting on the stool. "I- I'm sorry sir. My bad. Sorry." he stuttered an apology at the man as he bump into him. He casted a last apologetic look and walked away slowly at first as nothing had happened. As he was fending off his characteristic smirk appeared on his face and looked down in his hands where the wallet of the stranger was resting now. He looked over his shoulder back at the man in the distance, his eyes full of mischief and content. He finally had the stone in his hands although he had no idea what exactly was useful about and with the scroll case not in his possession. Before turning around the corner and out of sight he hesitated and looked again at the sucker who hadn't realized yet what have happened. He shook his head, his smirk still vivacious on his face and disappeared around the corner with the wallet in hand. He opened it and saw the vibrant stone inside. It was also packed with money which Minoas needed to get something to eat and to use the city's transportation. He was surviving on his own and he was proud for that. He started running to put as much distance as possible between him and the man he had just pickpocketed now that he wasn't watched. He was considering to find an isolated spot to scheme on how to get back the scroll case.

 

[Leonzio Aiello]

The bartender was informing Leonzio about the capital's sightseeings but Leonzio was deep in thought. He was nodding as if he was listening to him but the thoughts in his head were about what was next. He was more worried about his job than his life which could have possibly be now at high risk. An auror wasn't supposed to ignore his boss and do his own thing but Leonzio acted hastily. He needed to think carefully now what would benefit both himself and the particular case he had been investigating on his own. While the barman's chatter was getting more and more distant as Leonzio was slowly sinking deeper in his thoughts, someone bumped into him. Slightly irritated he turned around to see an adolescent boy apologizing for his clumsiness. Leonzio's eyes observed the teenager. Leonzio's first impression was about a homeless boy. Smudged face, ripped t-shirt, god knew for how long the grey-eyed boy was wandering in the streets and what was his story.
"It's alright kiddo. Just keep your eyes open." He replied. His irritation had cooled down considering the hardship the young lad must have been through. Leonzio turned around as the boy fend off to hear to endure the barman's incessant chatter.

The italian drank the rest of his bear at a draught. He was going to order another one but when he reached for his wallet to pay, it was missing.
"Little b*stard!" He hissed when he figured out he was pickpocketed. He sprang up dropping down the stool he was sitting on and spotted the thief turning around a corner. Determined to get back his wallet, remembering also the stone in it, Leonzio chased after the boy. Instead of trailing and turning around the same corner Leonzio decided to use a detour around the building and block the rascal's escape. Shoving people out of his way Leonzio turned on a dark alley and followed the narrow path until he made it to the other side. Coming out back into the street he just bumped into the boy and grabbed him by his wrist.
"Going somewhere?" He arched an eyebrow and tightened his grip to ensure that the boy wasn't going to escape with his wallet.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

His smirk was reaching his ears as he was running away. Minoas shoved the stolen wallet in his pocket and looked over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't followed. His content couldn't be described with words. If he was going to continue being lucky, he was soon going to retrieve the scroll case from underneath that show case back at the exhibition center. Then he could breath relieved again. He thought of how stupid this man was for being tricked so easily and turned around continuing running. A curse slipped Minoas' mouth when he saw the man in front of him and before being able to react he felt his tight grip squeezing his wrist. He struggled to escape by shaking abruptly his trapped arm but the man's grip applied more pressure on it. "Fallini kwiet! Mur 'l hemm! (Leave me alone!)" he started speaking in Maltese words he had picked up from the streets. Maybe if the man was going to believe he was a local and wasn't understanding English, he was going to let him go. Minoas was nevertheless going to act clueless of what was going on. It was the only card he had to play now and he was going to play anything he had in his disposal.

 

[Leonzio Aiello]

The thief's cocky expression was erased and replaced by surprise when he turned around to see Leonzio waiting for him. It was hilarious the least and Leonzio wore a smug grin on his face. He let the boy struggle a little as he attempted to break free. There was no chance to escape from Leonzio's strong hands and even if this was going to happen, the auror wasn't hesitant to use magic if he had to whether the boy was a wizard or not. Just from the boy's appearance he couldn't make out if he was a wizard or not but Leonzio was getting the impression of a muggle. Leonzio roared amused when the boy spoke Maltese. The auror was familiar with the locals accent although he wasn't speaking the language himself. The boy's accent couldn't be worse from a tourist visiting the country for the first time, picking lines from a dictionary.
"What happened to you all of a sudden? You were speaking English fluently a few minutes ago." He said caustically.

Leonzio was smiling despite confronting a young thief. His attempt to pass as a local was at least entertaining.
"Nice try but you can do better." Leonzio stated, letting know the boy he wasn't buying his performance.
"Let's try that again, shall we? In English this time." Leonzio gave the boy a second chance to redeem himself. He wasn't sure about his motives but he was guessing it was hunger that made him steal his wallet. Leonzio wasn't going to take him to the closest police station if the boy was going to behave and return back the wallet.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Minoas wondered what he was doing wrong when he was lying or feigning. This man wasn't deceived a bit and Minoas' professors' had never also believed his lies and pleas each time he was busted breaking school rules. He wasn't expecting to see this powerful built man smiling while he had his pocket emptied.Even though he wasn't looking that mad, he wasn't letting Minoas' arm either. He tried to drop his resistance for a moment and try again unexpectedly to break free by shaking his arm again but it was in vain. Minoas decided it was stupid to continue pretending a local. It was true, he had spoken to him in English when he apologized to him. He had lost a battle but not yet the war. He could still pretend to be confused of what was going on. There was so many people at the scene. It could be anyone. That until the man was deciding to search Minoas' pockets and find his wallet. Minoas hoped this wasn't going to happen and did something to buy him sometime.
"Let me go!" he demanded boldly. "What's going on? What's this all about?" he asked convincingly well.

 

[Leonzio Aiello]

Gladly, the little thief was starting cooperating. Yes this boy had some guts. Leonzio could give him some credit for that and also for his pickpocketing technique. Leonzio might was an auror now, enforcing the law but he was once just like this boy. His childhood didn't include family warmth and comfort. He had grown up in the streets including anything else needed to survive on his own for himself and his younger brother. The more he was looking at this boy, the more he was seeing himself right there. He no more welcomed thievery but the motives of a hungry child weren't the same with an adult criminal's.
"Ahh, that's what I thought. Now we can talk." He said when the boy finally decided to talk in English. Leonzio didn’t notice how tightly he was holding the boy's wrist. No need to be so harsh on a child.
"I'll just let your arm so we can talk like two civilized individuals. Now don't try to run." He warned him and eyed the boy's face to study his intentions.

Reluctantly, his fingers released the boy's wrist but he was ready to get his wand in case the thief decided to run away.
"You're a long way from home, son." Leonzio guessed. The boy's accent was not from there. Leonzio had noticed that and decided to start a conversation with it. He wanted to communicate with the boy, not threaten him or scare him. He wasn't doing a great job with his own brother but it was worth the try. Better than starting drawing unnecessary attention on them. The stone in his stolen wallet was too important to end up even in muggle cops' hands.
"Parents must be worried about you." He guessed that this boy had family. He wondered from where had come from. Something was telling him there was an interesting story to be told by this kid.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Minoas sensed the man's sympathy. He had grown an opportunist these past days and he was going to exploit this man's compassion in some way. Minoas stopped struggling to release himself when he heard the stranger telling him he was going to let him go if he wasn't going to run away. He eyed him surprised but he nodded and the man released his grip. Minoas clenched his wrist which was full of fingerprints. He hadn't expected the man's move and so he decided to stay and she what was next. Either way, escaped seemed an unlikely scenario.
"Don't call me that." Minoas spat when the man called him 'son'. He didn't like called this way. Only his father had the right to do so. Minoas knew that this man was a wizard but the man was unaware of Minoas' magic that was flowing in his veins. It was something he wasn't going to reveal. He could use it later to his advantage.
A chuckle left his lips when the man referred to his parents being worried. "Yeah, not likely." he responded wryly.
"I'm sorry sir but I'm in a hurry. What do you want me?" he asked straightforwardly. Of course he was going to deny stealing his wallet but it was a question that any unsuspected person was going to ask.

 

[Leonzio Aiello]

Fortunately, the boy wisely didn't run. For his own good it would be better to admit his impropriety and return the wallet. Leonzio was trying to gain his trust. It wasn't worth the few euros he had in his wallet, especially now that Leonzio knew that the boy was the thief.
"Okay-sore subject." Leonzio noticed how cloudy the boy's eyes turned when he mentioned his parents. The auror had got through puberty without parents around him and the more similarities he was finding, the bigger his commiseration. They boy however was still pretending to have no clue of why he had chased after him.
"That was a nice lift back there." Leonzio commented with a roguish look.
"You're pretty good." He added as a compliment. He wasn't sure what exactly he was intending to achieve. Even if the boy was flattered by his cordiality, he probably wouldn't give him back the wallet. "Look kid. Let's be honest. I don't want any trouble for you nor for me. I think you have something that belongs to me." Leonzio stretched out his hand expecting now the boy to return the wallet.
"You give it back to me and you never saw me, I never saw you." He thought the deal was fair for both of them. If it was someone else and not Leonzio, the boy was going to have a hard time with the police.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

How convenient would be for Minoas to be over seventeen and able to apparate? Too bad his only chance was to run away but with a wizard to deal with, escape was impossible. In addition he was as worthless as a muggle now that he was outside school. There was no way to defend himself but Minoas bought him some time by remaining silent, listening to what the man had to say. His grey eyes widened when he heard him praising his pickpocketing technique. What he's trying to do? he wondered to himself as he was listening bemused. Probably the man had no patience to keep on cajoling him as he demanded his stolen wallet. Unintentionally, Minoas quirked an eyebrow when he heard the man asking back what was his.
Oh, yeah? The stone was never yours, he though and disbelief dominated his features. Minoas couldn't trust him. He might wasn't a Scitorari, if he was, Minoas wouldn't be alive by now but he couldn't just give back the wallet and the stone.
"I don't know what you're talking about, old man." he broke his silence and shrugged, insisting to act puzzled. He checked over his shoulders if other people were around. Unfortunately no one else was there walking down the empty street. Minoas took a step back, not running yet. He thought he could slowly lure the man back towards the busy plaza. In case the man's patience was running short, there would be too many muggles around to use magic and summon for instance his wallet from Minoas' pocket.

 

[Leonzio Aiello]

It was so hard for Leonzio to communicate with the new generations of wizards and witches although he was aspiring one day to found his own school. He was always in constant argue with his baby brother Elbio who was really into photography. Leonzio was considering his brother's hobby a waste of time which couldn't sustain him for a living. This boy wasn't looking eager to cooperate as well. Leonzio had figured out he was buying time and could see what exactly was trying to do. "Hey. Don't call me that." He responded immediately when the boy called him old. Leonzio wasn't that old and the boy was starting getting rude, testing Leonzio's limits. He decided to continue his attempt to earn the boy's trust athough it looked highly unlikely. "Your technique is really sloppy, though." he continued about the boy's pickpocketing skills. Leonzio couldn't thing of a better topic to make a thief trust him. He didn't care about the money, he only wanted back the stone. Maybe he could just negotiate and tell him to keep the money. On the other hand, the boy might think that the stone was valuable and decide to keep for money in the black market.
"You're really telegraphing what you're doing. I can really predict your moves. You bumped on me to draw my attention while you were delving into my pockets. Then you chose a quite alley to run away but you didn't consider the detours I could use to catch up with you and now..." He paused with a smirk on his face as he watched the boy taking a step back.
"Now you're trying to get back to the crowd so I won't be able to force you give me back my wallet which right now is in your pocket." He gestured at the boy's swollen pocket. "See? I told you I can predict your moves. Could you please now return to me my wallet?" Leonzio asked again politely

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Did he just heard this man giving him advices about his pickpocketing? Minoas didn't know what to make of this man. Was he some sort of criminal? He had turned down the possibility of currently talking with a Scitorari but that didn't mean he was a nice person. However, Minoas' intuition was suggesting differently. For some reason this man seemed to be far from a criminal. Maybe he wanted to protect the stone himself from the greedy Scitorari but Minoas couldn't act depended on assumptions. After all, he needed the stone and the scroll case to find out what was his father protecting all this time and why he was abducted. Apparently, this stone and the scroll case together were going to give him answers and whether this man was good or not, Minoas was there for these answers and he was going to get them by any means possible. His composure was disarmed when the man asserted he could predict every move he was thinking of. The icing on the cake was when Minoas' plan seemed to be predicted already.
"You're crazy." he finally stated when the man was over talking. It was actually crazy how exactly he had figured out all that but Minoas wasn't yet giving up this battle. He took another step back only to test the man. Was he going to finally draw his wand and use some magic?

 

[Leonzio Aiello]

They boy had some nerve. He had stolen Leonzio's wallet and was calling him crazy? If Leonzio wasn't sure about the boy's guiltiness, he would have believed to his great acting. Leonzio was considering pulling his wand out of his pocket and finish this parody. He didn't want then to erase the boy's memory of these events. He wasn't accustomed doing this and he was still hopeful to a negotiation with the little rascal.
At least the hint of surprise on the boy's face was telling Leonzio he wasn't that crazy.
"Yeah?" Leonzio snorted. "You've been tailing me all over town." Leonzio let him know he had become aware of him all this time. From the moment he had let the Angiliero Exhibition Center, Leonzio had sensed the boy following him throughout the city but he pretended he didn't in order to see what he was up to.
"Probably figured me out for an easy mark." He assumed and tried to read the boy's face and see if he was right.
"You picked the wrong guy, pal." It was an assurance that he wasn't fooled and he was going to get back his wallet. "Ah-ah." He reacted when the boy took another step back and stretched out his hand again.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Minoas was cornered now. Not literally but the stranger had him figured out. What was left was to find out he was as well interested in the stone. It was unbelievable his claim of realizing he was tailing him all this time but the man sounded honest. If only he could cast one of his new spells. There was going to be a hell of a commosion but the man wouldn't see it coming. Minoas remembered having some peruvian instant darkness powder in his bag but it wasn't easily accessed now and he wasn't sure yet if he wanted to reveal he was a wizard as well.
"What?" was the only thing he was left to say. He wasn't going to hand it to him just like that. If he wanted it so much then he could get it by force. Minoas eyes darted on different directions at his surroundings. There should be something he could take advantage of and get out of this predicament.

 

[Leonzio Aiello]

"My wallet." Leonzio demanded this time. Unbelievalbe how persistant this boy was. If only young people were putting this nerve to more useful things for their future. Leonzio tried to understand the boy so far but whether he was a homeless kid or just a spoiled one running away from home, he was brought to his limits. Trying to talk with him didn't work. Now it was time for different measures.
"Fine, maybe we'll just call the police then." He threatened this time. "They are probably tailing you already. Valletta is not a big city and a trouble-maker like you will be easy to be found if I tell them a few things." He added. If this boy was pickpocketing throughout the city the citizens would have already informed the authorities. The boy could be already wanted and now Leonzio wouldn't hesitate to surrender him to muggle cops and get rid of him. Then again he would have a lot of explaining to do when the cops were going to find the stone in his own wallet. The last thing he wanted was trouble with muggles' authority.
"So what you prefer. Return me my wallet and just walk away or should I call the police?" It was time for the boy to make a choice.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Minoas felt his stomach drop when the man referred to the police. Now there was no hope if the man was seriously talking. But then Minoas realized he was maybe bluffing. How he was going to explain about the stolen artefact in his wallet. Minoas was going to tell the police if he had to but he probably wouldn't have to bother. He had another plan in his mind which didn't include authorities.
"Go ahead." Minoas prompted the man and crossed his arms against his chest. His grey eyes had a mischievous spark in them, almost mocking the man, daring him to do what he was threatening to do.
"Course they might wonder why a middle aged tourist is following young boys down alleyways." he quirked an eyebrow, highly provokingly as he took a few steps closer to the tall man. Minoas knew he wasn't going to do it and finally he had the upper hand. The man was aware of the explaining he would have to do to the police and he could guess that the man wanted cops to stuck their nose in his own business as much as Minoas wanted them. With a sly smile he waited to see how the stranger was going to react now that Minoas had made his point.

 

[Leonzio Aiello]

Leonzio sighed exhausted when the boy never gave in. Not only it was persistant and stubborn, it was also smart. Why he couldn't have been pickpocketed by the usual coward thieves that were roaming the alleyways of this city? He could have used magic even to an adult muggle in order to get back the wallet but on a kid? No, he couldn't do that to an innocent, defenseless kid, althought the particular one didn't look so innocent and defenseless. It looked like it knew what it was doing and so far it was doing it good. Leonzio had dealed with countless criminals, killers, thieves, abductors, smugglers. He had been trained to confront such kind of scums but he didn't know what to do with this boy. Leonzio laughed when the boy threatened him back. His attempt to scare the boy had gone in vain. The little thief had figured out that Leonzio wasn't so keen on meeting the cops either. "You're a crafty little beggar, aren't you?" Leonzio snickered, impressed and also amused with the child.