Faceless Mask

"I know all that goes on here. I was the one who helped make the mask in the first place. It was one of my potions that helped aid in its ability," said the old man as he looked down at the scrolls. "My advice would to be to get some rest and stake out the town tonight."

Stark was pleased with the answer old man gave him. He calmly nodded and said, "Alright th-en. Thank you for your time." Stark turned his back to the kid and old man and started walking off from the building. After walking out of the building he calmly started waiting for night.

After some time it was finally night. He had spent his time in a park, sitting under a tree and also visiting one restaurant which was completely new for him. Now that it was night he started walking around the streets, trying to spot the person who had stolen faceless mask.

A kid laughed from the roof beside Stark. A kid with no face wearing a black cloak was looking down at him. The kid smiled then turned and ran, disappearing seemingly. It was obvious, whoever it wasm wanted to play.

Stark turned his face to the kid and saw him, wearing somewhat similar clothing to him only that his face was... missing. "You could fall." mumbled Stark. 'So the old man was right' Stark looked at the kid an decided to follow him, maybe teach him some things also. The moment kid turned around he quickly climbed to the roof and looked where the kid was. After noticing him he said with little louder voice than usual and started chasing him. "Stop, I have a plan what we should do with the ma-sk."

The kid looked back and laughed before he jumped down onto another roof and then into an alley. By the time Stark would have reached the alley, the kid would be gone and a note was in the place instead.

Stark looked around himself and saw the kid nowhere. He decided to run out of the alley and go looking for kid when suddenly he saw a note. He picked it up from the ground. He started reading it.

"If you want the mask you are looking for, you will have to play my game first. A girl is somewhere in this town. She can hear the crickets chirp and watch the fish play. If you can find her before she drowns, you will be one step closer to obtaining that which you seek." said the note.

Stark scratched the back of his head while reading the note, 'Good grief I am no good with riddles.' thought Stark. He thought a little, trying to figure the spot and then finally rushed to the Park where he had earlier been, remembering that there had been a body of water also. He was running and in no time at all he was there. Stark looked ran to the body of water and then tried to spot the girl somewhere.

The girl lay deep within the river, she was tied up and her mouth was covered by a cloth. A note was attached to her shirt, but she didn't have much time left, bubbles could be seen escaping through the rag as she was losing breath. She couldn't struggle and her eyes were shut tight. She was starting to lose consciousness. And she couldn't be but maybe eight years old.

Stark noticed the bubbles. 'Fish?' thought Stark. He ran closer to the river when remembering the part in the note 'If you can find her before she drowns.' Stark looked at the river, "Crap! The girl is probably in there." He used his magic to store his dark cloak in another dimension, revealing his gray pants. He jumped into the river holding his breath and noticed a young girl there. He quickly swam deeper, grabbed the girl between his two arms and swam on surface again. He swam on the shore and placed the girl down on the ground. He looked at her and didn't do anything, he calmly re-quipped his black cloak on. Stark noticed the note. 'Another one?' He picked it up and once again started reading it.

As he read the note the girl still had a mouthful of water from the cloth absorbing it and trapping it in her mouth.

"Congratulations. You figured out riddle one. I hope the girl is alive and well. Now onto the next riddle.

'For the mask to be found,
You must not search on the ground.
Hi up you can see,
Where may lay your enemy.'

Figure this out, and maybe you will find the mask," said the note.

Stark slightly scratched the back of his head, "How trouble-some." said Stark while crinkling up the note. He looked the girl and noticed that she was in little trouble with the water. He crouched down to her and removed the cloth covering her mouth. Then she turned her around so the water in her mouth would come out. He rolled the girl on her back again. "Young Girl, If you don't die you should stay a-live." said Stark. Young man wasn't going to help the girl any future since he wanted to catch the one with the mask. He ran out of the park next to one building. He climbed up to it's roof and looked around himself. 'Now then... Is he in the sky?' Stark looked around himself, trying to spot the one who he had seen before.

A flag waved in the wind from a steeple high up in the air of the church. It would be impossible to jump up there, and it would be very dangerous to climb. the only easy way would be to break into a place of god and climb up the stairs, to the top and get on the roof.

Stark didn't spot anything interesting from that small building's roof. 'Need to find someplace higher.' thought Stark. He looked around a little when suddenly his eyes glanced a pretty high church. 'That might be a good place to search from.' Stark jumped from roof to roof when he finally reached the church. He looked up to it, the church was huge. 'Guess I will start climbing then.' He started climbing the wall, it was built out of rock, making it easier to climb but that still didn't make it very easy. When he was about the half way on the tower, almost falling down some times, he noticed a window about 50 cm above him. It didn't have any glass in front of it, also it was about the size for Stark to fill in. 'I was getting little tired, guess I take a little rest, maybe find a easier way to climb up while at it.' He climbed up a little and then pushed himself trough the window. He landed on stairs which led up to top of the roof. 'I am a genius.' ran trough Stark's mind as he complimented himself. He walked up to the roof and watched around the town. It was quite a magnificent view but he was only trying to look any kind of hint which would lead him to the one who stole the mask.

The flag in the center of the roof was white, but there was soemthing strange about it. Black words were written down it. They said, "Congratulations once again. Now for the final rhyme.

'The North Star shows the way.
You can't see it by day.
When morning has come,
It will be gone.
The advice given is where you should look,
Return to the one, who goes by the book.'

This riddle is fairly easy. I hope you come soon."

Stark noticed the words written on the flag. He calmly read them trough and started thinking. The only thing he could come up with was that the next target was the very same house where the Thief master lived and young boy brought him. Stark was little mad and turned around, walking down from the stairs he came up from. He jumped trough the window again and carefully started climbing down pressing his body against the wall. That was little harder than climbing up but this time he had a choice to jump down from about the half way. So he did and landed on one building's roof. From there he jumped on ground and started heading to the house where thief master had live.

Stark didn't hurry since the night was still long. Young man had already figured out that this was a game to the thief and what kind of good player would brake his own rules, or in this case notes. After some time he reached back to the house. He calmly walked to the door and knocked on it.