《Analogue》


 Odyssey

    Christi sleeps on the festival bench, she groggily wakes up to Alex grinning at her. She rubs her eyes.


    ¡°Rise and shine sleepyhead, jeez you sure do snore, you had the whole place looking at ya. Here I was thinking the old man was bad¡± he snidely says.


    ¡°Shut up, you¡¯re so annoying¡± she snaps back.


    Alex feigns a gasp, ¡°I¡¯m shocked, no snarky comeback? Did sleeping beauty not get enough rest?¡±


    Christi sticks her tongue out at him mockingly and blows a raspberry, Alex laughs.


    ¡°You know sometimes I forget you are just a kid, I remember when Ratchet first brought you in, all covered in dirt and you were a scrawny kid at that. You used to be so nice and quiet back then ya know?¡±.


    ¡°And you used to be less annoying back then ya know?¡± Alex places his hands on his heart and pretends like he¡¯s just been stabbed, he lets out a grunt.


    ¡°Oh you wound me so! I don¡¯t think my fragile little heart can take much more.¡±


    They both smile at each other and laugh candidly. Alex stands up and turns to Christi, his face is devoid of colour now.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s enough reminiscing for one day, eh Christi?¡±


    A bright light blinds Christi, she¡¯s no longer sitting on the bench but standing in the middle of a large circular vivid light. Alex is nowhere to be seen. Beyond the circle nothing but a theatre of darkness is found. Christi looks around, she hears people screaming and crying out for help.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you help me?¡± a woman¡¯s voice rings out.


    Stepping out from the darkness, a woman with two of her limbs severed and torn off stands in front of Christi.


    ¡°You just watched me die, why didn¡¯t you help?! Why didn¡¯t you?!¡± her cries are cut short when a tendril, like a Vaudeville hook drags her off the stage and back into the sinister black veil.


    Christi falls back, she starts hyperventilating, she hears a dripping sound, she turns to her left not wanting to look but unable to command her body to resist. Her left arm is missing, only a bloody stump remains. The light suddenly dims red and the ground beneath her is now sticky and wet. She lifts her right hand up only to see a hand caked in blood.


    She hears a ticking noise, quickening by the second, another flash, large symbols and glyphs flicker brilliantly for a moment. A giant mechanical spider looms over her. A cluster of cogs, gears and rusted shards hissing fits of steam, all cluttered together in the shape of this cruel metallic arachnid.


    She looks around, the crushed corpses beneath the clocktower rubble, the vociferous screams of those being trampled by the first mechanical monster, flames ignite around her and soar higher. The spider steps through the wall of fire, roars loudly, brandishes its jagged tendril and motions violently to impale Christi. She winces, closes her eyes and lets out a scream.


    She wakes up in a cold sweat, her breath is ragged and shaky. She glances at her left arm, a bronze mechanical arm consisting of a rudimentary structure of cogs and gears clicking and clacking in tandem, much like the model she admired at a gear venue in her youth. She stares at it for a couple of seconds before sighing, wiping the sweat from her forehead and brow, rises out of bed and forces open the rigid wooden shutters to her room.


    Light beams through and she gazes out onto the small lively town of Barakat, the streets are jam packed with vibrant parasols and open air cubic clumps of stalls, it was Friday, Barakat¡¯s weekly designated market day and the streets were bustling with merchants and customers alike. Fresh fruit and vegetables garnished the wares and trinkets on display, this was a simple market town. A nice change of pace from the urban jungles they often visited.


    Christi leans out her window and breathes the morning air in before retreating back into her room to get fully dressed. She rifles through her carrier bag, wrestles out a black shirt and trousers and lays them on her bed. She enters the bathroom, runs the tap and splashes some cold water onto her face. She observes her round youthful face, baby blue eyes peek out beneath stands of shoulder length murky green hair.


    She bites her lips and ties her hair into a high ponytail before re-entering her room. She buttons her shirt up, pulls her trousers up and grabs her leather fasteners from the hook on the edge of the bed. She tightens them, grabs her leather knee high boots and pulls them up. She then grabs a grey short cloak and wraps it over her shoulders and torso.


    She exits her room and descends downstairs, strolling over to her smartly dressed companion Sam enjoying his breakfast. A dark handlebar moustache perched above his lips, he sported a black top hat fashioned with a raven feather atop the flat crown.


    If Christi had to describe Sam¡¯s appearance in a simple manner she could do so in two words; Victorian Aristocrat. Christi plops herself down on the chair in front of the man, he looks up and smiles widely.


    ¡°Ah Christi! How is the little miss on this lovely morning? Did you get much sleep?¡± he chirps enthusiastically.


    Christi folds her arms, slouches back and sits in silence. Sam sighs,


    ¡°Still as quiet as ever I see, it¡¯s hard to believe you¡¯re the same girl I met four years ago at the festival exhibition in Chrodrift¡±.


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    Sam pushes a plate of food towards Christi.


    ¡°Go on eat, you have to keep your strength up, you¡¯re still a growing girl after all.¡±


    Christi stares at Sam, remaining silent, Sam sighs and rescinds the plate. He begins indulging in the platter of food, he picks and dissects his food neatly with his fork and knife like a surgeon.


    ¡°Well then let¡¯s get down to business I suppose, Master Piotr wishes to see you, he has an matter of importance he wishes to discuss with you. He¡¯s currently at the exhibition booth in the town centre attending to business of course.¡±


    No sooner had he finished his sentence did Christi rise out of her chair and taking off, Sam watched her leave.


    ¡°Be careful little miss!¡± he shouted after her, Christi turns and nods. Sam waves down the nearest waitress and smiles gleefully.


    ¡°Pardon me but could I bother you for a second helping of that exquisite lunch plate.¡±


    Christi steps outside, pushing her way through a sea of people talking, chatting, trading and enjoying their carefree quaint life. A flock of small giddy children brush past her nonchalantly, not a care in the world. She spots a little boy sitting alone on a door step messing around with an assortment of cogs, gears and keys, she stares at him for a moment remembering her time with Ratchet and Alex as a young child.


    The child notices her stares and waves at her whilst smiling, she waves back with her left mechanical arm, her mind flashes back to the spider¡¯s piercing scream. She clutches at her head and begins hyperventilating, the floor starts to spin hypnotically, the crowds begin to look like colourful blurs. Her ears ring at a constant pitch. An old man approaches her.


    ¡°Whoa there miss are you ok?¡± extending a helpful hand, ¡°you¡¯re alright now, here follow me I have a stall nearby where you can catch your breath.¡±


    He leads her to a stall overflowing with flowers of all colours, pink, blue, red, whatever you wanted. He pulls over a wooden stool and sits her down.


    ¡°You can rest here a moment miss, these crowds can be awfully suffocating,¡± his voice begins to fade away.


    Like an echo it reverberates again and again until the ringing is all Christi is left with. She looks up at him and sees Ratchet the man who raised her standing there engulfed completely in flames.


    The old man is concerned, he reaches out to her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t look too-¡±


    Christi slaps away his hand and sprints off slipping through the crowds of people.


    ¡°I was only trying to help¡± the old man sighs.


    Christi ducks into a nearby lone alleyway, her breath is ragged and quick. She slides against the damp wall and pulls her knees to her chest. After a few minutes in this position her breath begins to slowly regulate, she stares at her mechanical arm, twitches her fingers, makes a fist and opens it once more.


    A small ember burns in the palm of her hand, she recalls the festival and her brother Alex doing the same. She remembers that faithful day four years ago that robbed her of her family, she was all alone now. Tears well up in her eyes before she wipes them away, she extinguishes the flame and sits up. She sighs loudly and once again sets off to pursue her original objective, finding Piotr.


    Piotr is as always, notoriously easy to spot, he sticks out like a sore thumb, though a lot of this attention is due to the fact he wears a clock which encloses his whole head like a helmet.


    Christi makes her way over to him, she can already hear him from ten metres away, the usual loud and exuberant sales pitch as always paired with complaints of false accusations. He is talking to an amputee missing an arm similar to Christi.


    ¡°My good man I assure you my product functions exactly as I described!¡± he protests loudly.


    The amputee scratches his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, seems like a load of horse shit to me, kind of stuff that¡¯s make believe ya get me?¡±.


    Piotr reels back stunned at this man¡¯s comments.


    ¡°Make believe?! My good man what do you take me for? Some underhanded thief or a sleazy con man?! I am the furthest thing from such devious titles. I am an entrepreneur and a honest one at that, there is no greater pleasure in this world than faithfully serving my clientele. So I ask you again- Oh Christi! Christi my dear!¡±


    Piotr begins frantically waving at Christi as she approaches. ¡°Why what marvellous timing! Christi here is my prot¨¦g¨¦ and wouldn¡¯t you know it a practitioner of my very product."


    Piotr gestures to Christi to perform her usual party trick. ¡°Christi dear if you would be so generous to treat this man to a demonstration of what my product can offer."


    Christi rolls her eyes and creates a small flame before enlarging it and whipping the flame around her arm, tightening the flame like a constricted thin snake. The amputee stares in disbelief before returning to Piotr with a disapproving look.


    ¡°Hold on a minute, couldn¡¯t you have just told this chick to use her own magic to create that flame.¡± Piotr is prepared for this of course.


    ¡°Why how astute, well how about this we¡¯ll have you test the arm yourself, that way you can determine yourself whether I am deceiving you or not¡±.


    Piotr offers the man a mechanical arm identical to Christi¡¯s, he reluctantly fits it to his right stub. After some slight adjustments it fits perfectly.


    ¡°Feels a bit weird, alright what now?¡± he asks Piotr.


    ¡°Now sir close your eyes and picture a small ember in the palm of your hand. The man looks at Piotr confused.


    ¡°Huh?! Do ya think I¡¯m stupid or wha?!¡± Piotr remains calm.


    ¡°Please sir if you would comply for a moment.¡± The man relents.


    ¡°Alright fine whatever.¡± He closes his eyes and sure enough after a moment a small ember fizzes to life in the palm of his new hand.


    He opens his eyes and is justifiably taken aback.


    ¡°What? But.. how? I have close to no magic at all¡­ how is something like that?¡±


    Piotr chuckles lightly, always the same reaction. He shoots a look at Piotr.


    ¡°Hang on a minute ere how come I can¡¯t do what that chick just did, ain¡¯t I supposed to be able to do the same thing?¡±


    Piotr chuckles.


    ¡°As I mentioned earlier my good man Christi here is a practitioner of this product, she has been honing her magical craft for four years now. I have records and proof of Christi¡¯s progress if you require further validation.¡±


    Piotr unpacks a leatherback journal and showcases the man documentation and photographic evidence of Christi¡¯s magic evolution.


    ¡°Have your doubts been cleared now?¡± he remarks.


    ¡°Ha! This is something alright, I¡¯ll be sure to tell my buddies all about this.¡±


    ¡°Oh please do sir, the more the merrier after all.¡± Piotr says candidly.


    After some discussion on payment the amputee leaves with his newly acquired product, he waves goodbye to Piotr and Christi.


    ¡°Well, another successful transaction Christi my dear, my gratitude once again for aiding with the showing, I¡¯ll be sure to treat you to-¡°


    A voice cuts him off.


    ¡°Excuse me are you by any chance?¡±


    Piotr and Christi both spin around in unison. Christi cannot believe what she¡¯s seeing, a large burly man with a wild grey beard stands before her. A tear streams down the side of disbelief plastered across his face.


    ¡°I... Christi is that you?¡±

 Fear and determination

    Christi stood transfixed, her breathing quickened rapidly, her heart hammered against her chest. A ghost from her past stood right before her, memories of pain and anguish burst forth from the floodgates. The gut wrenching screams, Alex, The Bull and The Spider. A shrill ringing pierced the compound of townsfolk chatter and laughs surrounding her. Growing in harshness she soon found her head was naught but a chamber of this malevolent melody. Her heart rattled fiercely, BA-DUMP, BA-DUMP.


    ¡°Christi? It¡¯s me, Ratchet¡±


    BA-DUMP, BA-DUMP


    ¡°Christi my dear? Are you feeling ill?¡±


    BA-DUMP, BA-DUMP


    ¡°Hey Christi are you¡­¡±


    Ratchet dragged his burly frame forward, he cautiously outstretched a large hand towards Christi.


    BA-DUMP, BA-DUMP


    Christi¡¯s vision narrowed, her heart palpated in intensity, she inhaled sharply, spun around and retreated hastily into the bustling labyrinth of lively Barakat. She crashed a path through the sea of townsfolk going about their daily tasks. Ratchet and Piotr watched as she disappeared from their line of sights. A soft sigh escaped Piotr¡¯s mask, he perched himself atop a nearby bulky wooden crate.


    ¡°Oh dear, I was afraid this would happen sooner or later¡±


    Ratchet clumsily pivoted in the direction of Piotr, groaned lowly and glared daggers at Piotr,


    ¡°So who are you and what¡¯s your relationship to Christi?¡±


    Piotr leaned back and met Ratchet¡¯s suspicious gaze,


    ¡°Straight to the point, I like that, a man who doesn¡¯t mince his words, well to answer your question, I¡¯m Christi¡¯s guardian and mentor¡±


    Ratchet released the tension in his stare and posture, he relaxed his muscles slightly and very gingerly slumped alongside Piotr. A sorrowful face revealed itself beneath the tough exterior as he continued to prod Piotr with questions.


    ¡°How long have you been taking care of her?¡±


    Piotr crossed his legs and began rhythmically tapping his finger atop the rigid surface of the crate bearing the combined weight of the pair.


    ¡°Just a little over four years now¡±


    ¡°So since Chrodrift then? Sorry, I never properly introduced myself¡±


    Piotr waved a hand in dismissal.


    ¡°No need, I know who you are, you¡¯re Christi¡¯s guardian, she informed me. With what little she¡¯s shared of her past¡±


    Ratchet¡¯s face twisted into a grimace of pain.


    ¡°So you know what happened in Chrodrift?¡±


    ¡°I was present when that catastrophe unfolded. I just so happened upon Christi in that awful mess. She had a run in with a most wretchedly cruel creature¡±


    He paused for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll spare you the details, it¡¯s a particularly gruesome tale. One I do not like to recall for Christi¡¯s sake¡­¡±


    He turned towards Ratchet before finishing his sentence,


    ¡°and now for yours¡±.


    Ratchet pondered the thought of not delving any deeper into the topic at hand before remembering the promise he made to himself four years ago in the ruins of Chrodrift.


    ¡°No, I want to know everything no matter how unsettling it may be, I¡¯ve spent four years searching for that girl so spare me your kindness and tell me everything that happened¡±


    Piotr could see the burning fire of determination blazing brightly in Ratchet¡¯s tired eyes, he knew no benefit would come from attempting to dissuade or deter this man.


    ¡°Well I can¡¯t refuse a man such as yourself the truth, you deserve to know, so be it I¡¯ll tell you but keep in mind I did warn you. It¡¯s not an easy pill to swallow¡±


    Christi slams and rebounds through the crowded streets pinballing from person to person, out of the corner of her eye in the near distance she spots a young child huddled over a doorstep gleefully toiling away with a small bronze coloured toy crudely resembling that of a knight. Darkness oozes from the corners of her vision, a spotlight beams onto the idle child who in his stead now stands a murky green haired girl. Red crimson eyes stalk the girl from the abyss behind her. Christi tumbles to the floor, scrambles back to her feet, as she rises a large steel donkey obstructs her path. The transportation vehicle groans under the weight of its own metal and wooden corpulence. Memories of the mechanical monstrosity resembling a disfigured bull rampaging through the streets of Chrodrift swamped her mind.


    She bolts for the inn, breezes past Sam who has not left his chair, clambers up the stairs, barges inside her room and bolts the door shut. She scampers to the foot of her bed and curls up, her breath is ragged and wild, she struggles for air as her breakneck heartbeat refuses to let up. She thinks of Alex and recalls her usual method of calming herself, a small ember flickers to life in the palm of her metallic hand. She breathes in for five seconds, holds her breath for five seconds and exhales for five seconds. After some repetition her heartbeat returns to a steadier pace. She drags her feet closer and buries herself in her knees as she shuts herself off from the world.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Ratchet¡¯s face is in a state of ambivalence, anger, sadness, and regret as Piotr concludes his conversation with Ratchet. A stagnant air of silence permeates the atmosphere between the two, there is nothing to be said, the two men know that all too well. After an aeon of silence Piotr springs to his feet, and pats down his frivolous trench coat.


    ¡°I suspect the young miss has retreated to the inn, shall we depart?¡±


    Ratchet sits hunched over hands jammed together, he neither reacts nor even seems to acknowledge what Piotr just said, Piotr doesn¡¯t need any more of a hint.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you some time alone, we¡¯re residing at the inn just off the corner of the town¡¯s market, red brickwork arch by the entrance, place is called ¡®The Traveler¡¯s Refuge¡¯¡±


    Piotr leaves though with less bounce in his step than usual, the thought of burdening Ratchet with the story of how he met Christi uneased him. He never did want to recall that incident, much less divulge it, but he couldn¡¯t refuse Ratchet the truth. Especially with that fervent determination in his eyes. He hoped that the regret and guilt he was experiencing now wouldn¡¯t prove too great a crushing weight to his sense of responsibility for Christi.


    Ratchet sat motionless as Piotr left, his gut blazing with anger towards himself for not being there for Christi, he was her guardian. It was his duty to protect her and yet he failed to do so, if it wasn¡¯t for Piotr she would¡¯ve perished on that day. He plunged his fist into the crate beside him, busting a hole in the surface. Splintering and bruising his fist in the process.


    Blood trickled from the small fissure created in the impact. Rage, regret, and sorrow consumed his mind, he was nothing but a feral beast in mind now. The thought of Christi dragged him back to his senses, he thought of the pain she had endured over these last four years and how suffocating that must be for her. While he may never fully comprehend her trauma he knew at the very least he ought to be there for her. He stood with restored conviction and began slogging towards the ¡®Traveller¡¯s Refuge¡¯ to see Christi.


    Piotr enters the vibrant inn, he scans his surrounding environment noting everything and anyone that could prove a potential danger to him. Cutlery was the most obvious, particularly rather sharp knives strewn across multiple tables. Given the belligerent nature of the patrons here it wouldn¡¯t exactly come as a surprise if someone were to brandish a knife here. He noticed that Sam was nowhere to be seen, he was more than likely outside Christi¡¯s room. What really piqued his interest however was a hooded man slouched over his table who had been keenly observing Piotr since he had entered the inn.


    His face was obscured with the only distinguishable feature on show being a wild bush of black facial hair dangling low from his hood. He was small in stature but powerfully built, you could see the bulging muscles outlined beneath the thin fabric of his overcoat. A tarp would be a more fitting description. Piotr zeroed in on him trying to pinpoint who or what he was, faint callouses ran across the base of his fingers. The man was either a mercenary or an experienced adventurer, Piotr concluded. Piotr was about to approach the stranger when a dainty little woman dressed in a pale white dress fastened tightly by a maroon bodice intercepted him.


    ¡°Excuse me sir, I was hoping to talk to you about your young travel companion¡±


    Piotr perked up, slipped back into his very friendly businessman persona, he clamped her thin hands within his leather gloves and bowed slightly.


    ¡°Oh I apologise profusely madam, I¡¯m afraid the little miss often finds herself plagued with horrible memories that disturb her greatly, I will address the matter urgently and ensure this doesn¡¯t occur again¡±


    Dimples creased into existence on the woman¡¯s face as a faint smile flickered to life.


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s no problem at all, your colleague informed me of the same thing earlier when she raced through here but nonetheless I was just concerned with the young lady¡¯s wellbeing¡±


    Piotr bowed gracefully


    ¡°I appreciate it madam, might I say it is so nice to see a beautiful kind soul such as yours showing concern for their fellow lady¡±


    The lady giggled and smiled, this time with greater enthusiasm.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be just fine in your care, I believe your colleague is upstairs outside her room, have a good afternoon now sir¡±


    ¡°Likewise my lady¡±


    As she left Piotr glanced in the direction of the mysterious figure, gone. All that remained at his table was an empty jug of ale and a few silver coins. Piotr scanned the room one more time and then proceeded to ascend the frail wooden stairs to Christi¡¯s room.


    Ratchet waddled along the streets, his head in a constant swivelling motion frantically scouring for ¡®The Traveller¡¯s Refuge¡¯. Then he spotted it. Hidden away from the thronging market square of open air stalls, a small wooden sign peeked out from a red brick archway. As he neared the rustic entrance to the inn a hooded man clad in an oversized cloak emerged from inside and disappeared into the nearby sea of people. Undeterred from his goal of finding Christi he failed to notice the stranger¡¯s presence. He pushed hard on the rigid door and slipped inside. A cacophony of smells bombarded his nostrils, the appetising aroma of eggs and bacon, the stale stench of alcohol. A man adorned in a waistcoat complimented with a sleek and thin pair of trousers greeted him genially.


    ¡°Good afternoon sir you must be Ratchet¡±


    As he drew closer his raven feathered top hat bounced and bobbed with each step. Slowly but surely he made his way to Ratchet before stopping just two steps short of the burly man.


    ¡°I won¡¯t waste your time, master Piotr informed me of who you are, if you would be so kind to follow me to the young miss¡¯s room, she is in quite a state¡±


    He began toward the stairway curving around a tall stone pillar, Ratchet didn¡¯t utter a word and merely followed along.


    A muffled voice shook Christi from the safe wooden confines of her room,


    ¡°Christi please, can we talk?¡±


    Piotr. Who had been more prevalent in her times of need in these last four years than him of course. This time was different however, Ratchet, the man who took her in and raised her was here, back from the dead. She knew she should be ecstatic but seeing him again just brought back those horrible memories in spades. Tears dripped from the corner of her eyes, she hated these episodes of hers, they reminded her of how powerless she was even after all these years.


    ¡°Christi, the reason I called you out today was because¡­.. Christi I found signs that one of the clockwork hours. The second hour specifically resides nearby this town.¡±


    That¡¯s right, she remembered the promise she made to herself four years ago, she recalled the rage and anger she felt the day after she lost everything. How those machines took everything from her. She would find each and every one of them and deliver the retribution they so justly deserved. She clawed away her tears, jumped to her feet and threw open the door.


    ¡°Take me to it¡±

 Seeing Red

    The sound of heavy clomping steps assaulted Ratchet¡¯s ears. A look of puzzlement crossed Sam and his face as they heard Piotr¡¯s voice loudly trailing behind the ever nearing step descender.


    ¡°Christi dear, please wait for just a moment, we can¡¯t rush right into something like this blindly¡±.


    Stomping into Sam and Ratchet¡¯s vision was Christi, a fierce aura hung around the girl. A furrowed brow paired with tightly clenched fists, it was evident to see the girl was not in an agreeable mood. Her gaze maintained a cold and unwavering harshness.


    Ratchet¡¯s body jerked erratically, the hairs on his forearm stood tall, the little girl he knew was nowhere to be found. Christi stopped momentarily, glared at the two men obstructing her path and huffed as Piotr finally caught up. Addressing the two men with a quick nod he attempted to converse with Christi.


    ¡°Christi, listen to me for just-¡± ¡°You promised Piotr!¡± she interjected, ¡°don¡¯t try and change my mind on this!¡±.


    Nearby patrons and bargoers started to take notice. Glances and low whispers began to arise. The dainty barmaid from earlier cautiously approached, Sam quietly reassured her everything was under control.


    Ratchet was stunned at Christi¡¯s behaviour, he was lost for words. Sam and Piotr exchanged a worried look, Christi stepped closer to Piotr, sizing him up.


    ¡°Four years ago you promised me that together we would seek out the monsters that destroyed my home and stole my brother Alex from me, am I not correct Piotr?¡±.


    Piotr stood his ground not giving an inch


    ¡°You¡¯re right Christi, I don¡¯t plan on deterring you from your quest for retribution, but we need to be careful how we go about this, these machines are dangerous and you still haven¡¯t progressed past the second stage in your affinity, one mistake could prove fatal for us or others¡±.


    Christi tightened the grip in her fists then slowly relinquished her anger,


    ¡°Then what do you propose? As long as you can promise me that monster¡¯s head I¡¯ll listen to reason¡±.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do some scouting first, analyse the threat and then formulate an appropriate strategy that mitigates casualties but promises success, is that to your liking?¡±.


    Christi responded with a curt nod. ¡°Then we¡¯ll depart at once for the site from which the bull was spotted and ask around¡± the pair strode forward,


    Ratchet instinctively reached for Christi¡¯s shoulder ¡°Christi wait please, can we talk?¡±. Christi swept away his hand, flashed a mean set of burning eyes,


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about¡± his heart sank as he realised she was now dead set on this quest for retribution.


    Following Piotr, she thought about the course of action she was taking, she hated pushing Ratchet away but the mere sight of him dragged up those horrible memories of Chrodrift. The rage quelled that trauma. Ratchet was flabbergasted, Sam patted him on the shoulder


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, she¡¯s never been one to talk nor allow others in, it can be difficult, I¡¯m sure you know that better than anyone. If you¡¯d prefer we could stay here and-¡±.


    ¡°No I¡¯m coming along, I didn¡¯t come this far to quit at the first hurdle¡±.


    A smile broke the surface of Sam¡¯s face ¡°I admire gentlemen like you, perhaps you¡¯ll be the one to finally reach the girl who refuses to allow the world in¡±. The two men set off in tow after Piotr and Christi.


    The group stood in the middle of a large green canvas field, ahead of them jutting out and representing one of the only forms of civilization in this great big plain was a small farmhouse, the air reeked of manure and petroleum. The four approached the farmhouse, Piotr stopped afoot the weathered and battered door.


    ¡°This seems as good a place as any, now remember I¡¯ll ask the questions, everyone else remain on your best behaviour¡±. Knocking thrice at steady intervals, Piotr awaited a response


    ¡°Whose dat? Why ya knocking on me front door?!¡± a loud hoarse voice erupted from behind them.


    Peeking out from behind the house trudged a hunched over elderly man. Boils and warts comfortably made their home and presence known across his creased leathery face.


    ¡°Whatcha want?! I already told yas I ain¡¯t paying for no taxes"


    ¡°I beg your pardon sir, do not fret we¡¯re not associated with-¡±.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    The elderly man poked his face into Piotr¡¯s ¡°Why ya gotta clock on your face, can¡¯t tell the time or something?!¡±.


    Piotr chuckled ¡°Apologies for the unannounced arrival we came here to enquire about the large bull recently sighted in this area, I was curious if you knew anything about the recent attack on that farmhouse¡±


    Piotr pointed towards the ruins of where once stood a home similar to this elderly man¡¯s, erect wooden pillars peeked out from the trampled earth. The tough exterior the elderly man had put on suddenly conceded,


    ¡°Oh aye I can tell yas about dat thing, mean old monster so it is, never seen anything like it in all my years¡±. Borek used to live in dat house over yonder, den one day I saw it, a great big mound of metal in the shape of a bull charging towards it. Made a right mess of that place, poor auld Borek never stood a chance¡±.


    He stood eerily quiet before spinning around with fear illuminating his eyes.


    ¡°Take it from dis auld man, stay far away from dat thing, no good will come of it¡±.


    He walked off behind the house, and Piotr turned in the direction of Borek¡¯s demolished home.


    ¡°I suppose we should best see if we can gather some intel on this monster, shall we?¡±


    As they set off Ratchet took one last glance at the farmhouse, heeding the old man¡¯s words before following after the group.


    The trampled grass and smell of death was a stark contrast to the pungent and vibrant field beforehand. Ravens circled above cawing loudly. Where once stood a farmhouse and cattle shed now remained a congregation of brick, mortar and splintered pillars of wood. Large imprints of what resembled hooves lay scattered about the ruins.


    Piotr studied the flattened grass behind each print.


    ¡°Looks like our monster is dragging quite the load¡±.


    Christi observed the ruins, glimpses of the bull rampaging through Chrodrift flashed through her mind. The rage inside flared higher than before. From where they had just come from they heard a loud bellow, in the distance just like the elderly man had described was the bull.


    Descending rapidly from the jagged precipice that loomed tall above the open plan was the Twenty feet tall monster they had been searching for. It stood out immensely against the simple backdrop, Christi saw red, she burst into a sprint igniting her flame affinity from her metallic arm.


    The flame huffed and puffed to life as cogs and gears clicked in tandem. Then she suddenly felt her left leg grow heavy and rigid, she turned to see Piotr¡¯s right hand outstretched, a small light blue glow encapsulated his lower forearm and hand. A rudimentary construction of a ball and chain was clamped to her leg, the obstruction held fast.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± she screamed ¡°Are you just gonna let that old man die?!¡±.


    ¡°Christi, I¡¯m sorry but there¡¯s no saving him, we can¡¯t close that distance in time and I won¡¯t have you endangering yourself¡±.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± she yelled, another bellow reached their ears. Christi snapped her head around, she watched as the bull bulldozed through the house then stamped and violently jerked its immense frame about.


    The farmhouse they had only stood at half an hour ago crashed to the ground exploding into pieces at the sheer magnitude of the bull. Then with one more bellow it galloped off into the ridge it had appeared from, rapidly ascending before retreating over the horizon.


    Christi felt the heavy weight that had been imposed on her left leg dissipate, the ball and chain disassembled into smaller tractable pieces of metal.


    Surrounded in a small light blue glow, they collectively flew back to the inner pocket of Piotr¡¯s large trench coat. Ratchet was taken aback, he¡¯d never seen an affinity quite like Piotr¡¯s before, was it the ability to control metallic elements?


    Christi marched up to Piotr, grimaced at him ¡°I don¡¯t need you babysitting me, if I want to fight that thing, then I can fight that thing¡±.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you throw away your life so carelessly¡± Piotr retorted.


    ¡°You just threw away someone else¡¯s¡± scoffed Christi, she stormed off.


    Piotr stood silent for a couple of moments before turning to Ratchet and Sam


    ¡°Let¡¯s go investigate¡±


    Christi had already gone on ahead, they followed her.


    The farmhouse like Borek¡¯s before was unrecognisable. Razed to the ground it was hard to believe someone had resided here only a mere forty minutes ago. The old man was nowhere to be seen but he was likely buried beneath the pile of rubble.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Piotr said solemnly.


    He heard a low groan as he motioned to leave, he turned to see Ratchet was digging up the rubble. Picking apart and dissecting the mound, Sam joined him in his endeavour


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Piotr enquired.


    ¡°Giving the man a proper burial, everyone deserves one at the very least¡± Piotr stood silent, then sat down and watched as they continued to dig.


    Ten minutes later they had recovered the body and constructed a makeshift grave, large chunks of bricks blanketed the deceased farmhand they had conversed with earlier. The group stood silent and sombre duly paying their respects.


    Christi couldn¡¯t help but seeth with frustration, not only had Piotr prevented Christi from attacking the Bull but he had also allowed an innocent life to be extinguished in the process. How could he just stand there and give his faux payment of respects?


    She had enough of this, unfolding her arms she ventured back in the direction of Barakat. Noticing this the group collectively gathered themselves and too returned to town.


    Watching from afar, hiding inside a compact room was the bushy bearded hooded stranger from before. He closely observed Christi, Piotr, Ratchet and Sam enter ¡®The Traveler¡¯s Refuge¡¯.


    ¡°Well, Kydin? What of our esteemed guests?¡± a monotone voice enquired.


    Turning to face the origin of the voice the hooded man was dwarfed by a tall man who clad a tarp like his own over his lean frame. A low set of ticking, clicks and clacks hummed beneath his poncho.


    ¡°My men informed me that they left to investigate the nearby farmhouses which had been ravaged by the second hour, The Bull.¡±


    Drawing back the hood from his head he revealed the marvel that lay beneath. A metallic helmet that fiercely resembled a knight¡¯s, he clutched at his sword¡¯s hilt, gazing out at Christi and her group he spoke,


    ¡°Well I suppose the time for action bodes nigh does it not?¡±.

 Preparations

    The group gathered in Piotr¡¯s room. The room was sparsely furnished. In the center of the room stood a round wooden table crafted from Bourne wood, one of Barakat¡¯s largest imports.


    A wardrobe of the same material hugged the wall furthest to them. A full length mirror was pressed tightly against the wall beside the wardrobe.


    Candles sat upon sconces were placed sporadically around the dimly lit room. In the corner a large double bed lay alongside the window overlooking Valence Street, the main street.


    Accompanying the bed was a lamp, perched atop was a lightbulb. Piotr reached into his leather satchel bag, the leather was distressed, stretching across the surface of the bag were scratches and scars. This old bag had experienced its fair share of adventures.


    With some light foraging he withdrew a rolled up map that had seen better days. Piotr unfurled the diluted gray scroll and spread the wrinkled map of Barakat and the surrounding area onto the low stout table, subsequently he leaned over the map to better study it.


    Christi¡¯s eyes wandered, She noticed Ratchet studying the dimly lit lamp, of course he was intrigued by it. After all Piotr had pieced it all together, his affinity was nothing short of impressive. Especially considering the abundance of metallic elements present nowadays.


    Piotr began to lightly etch markings on the map with a small but sharp needle; he particularly focused on the mountain ridge where the bull had retreated to.


    ¡°From what we¡¯ve gathered the bull seems to erratically attack nearby signs of civilization, that it resides within the nearby Mor mountains and that it stands about twenty feet tall weighing possibly over 500 pounds.¡±


    He paused


    ¡°This won¡¯t be an easy beast to fell, our best course of action would be to tackle this monster away from Barakat, we can¡¯t risk allowing the beast a chance to rampage freely here.¡±


    ¡°With your affinity you could topple it easily, am I wrong?¡±


    Ratchet¡¯s gruff voice interposed. Piotr turned to face the man, he straightened his back and met his gaze.


    ¡°My affinity allows me to do many things, yes, some extraordinary things even but toppling a monster that size and weight would prove difficult even for me.¡±


    Ratchet folded his arms.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what is your affinity?¡±


    Behind Ratchet he could hear a series of low rattles, before he could discover the source numerous metallic pieces whizzed past him, came to a sudden halt and hovered above Piotr¡¯s hand.


    The pieces danced about in Piotr¡¯s palm.


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s best for you to be knowledgeable on it, magnetism my dear friend, I possess the affinity to produce and manipulate magnetic fields. However the larger the object the harder it is for me to produce a magnetic field capable of manipulating said object. Think of it like puppetry for example, my magnetic fields act as the strings that manipulate this small marionette if you will. However the heavier and larger the puppet, well then it becomes significantly more difficult no matter how many strings I possess or produce.¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Ratchet nodded.


    ¡°I see that makes sense.¡±


    With a snap of his fingers the pieces fizzed back to the bedside table. A whistle escaped Ratchet¡¯s lips, that affinity sure was something. With that concluded Piotr once again took up his position overlooking the map again.


    ¡°With the speed the bull moves at I would estimate it could cover the distance between Barakat & the ridge in ten minutes, on average it would take us twenty five minutes on foot. Like I mentioned earlier we want to avoid the bull rampaging through Barakat so we should keep this in mind if we fail to defeat it swiftly in the mountains.¡±


    His finger traced along the sketched mountains on the map.


    ¡°The Mor mountain pass consists of steep veering cliffs, our monster ascended the only cliff face that doesn¡¯t feature veering rock formations.¡±


    He pointed towards the Orton river located just beyond the first ridge the bull had disappeared over.


    ¡°The Orton River that lays at the bottom here is shallow, about ten feet deep to be precise, I¡¯m sure our monster would face no issue wading through considering its height. Just about here stands the Toril Cave, if I were to hazard a guess I would assume this is where the bull retreats to after its little escapades. The cave is large and deep enough for a creature of that size to comfortably reside within. If my assumption is incorrect however I firmly believe we still have the capabilities of luring the creature inside where ideally if nothing goes awry we can trigger a cave in and bury the monster inside.¡±


    Piotr turned to Christi seeking her approval.


    ¡°I understand you wanted to deal the final blow personally but I believe this plan promises the most success with the least casualties.¡±


    Christi gave him a nod of approval.


    ¡°It¡¯s a reasonable plan, as long as the monster¡¯s dead I find no fault.¡±


    Piotr clapped his hands together, the sound reverberated around the room.


    ¡°Fantastic, are we all in agreement then?¡±


    Everyone nodded.


    ¡°Then we shall retire for the night, scout the Mor Mountains tomorrow morning and begin preparations.¡±


    Soon after Ratchet and Christi had exited the room Sam quietly approached Piotr. In a low tone he asked,


    ¡°Why did you lie to Ratchet about your affinity¡¯s capabilities sir?¡± Piotr¡¯s fingers twitched as he looked outwards from his window


    ¡°You know why.¡±


    ¡°I understand sir, goodnight.¡± Sam departed discreetly, leaving Piotr to his thoughts.


    As Ratchet and Christi returned to their rooms Ratchet thought to once more reach out to Christi.


    ¡°Christi you don¡¯t have to tell me everything straight away but I just want you to know I¡¯m here for you when you¡¯re ready to share.¡±


    Christi came to a standstill, she didn¡¯t pivot or turn around, she clenched her fists softly. I feel like that scared little kid again in Chrodrift she thought to herself. She drew in a breath, held it for five seconds then exhaled.


    ¡°Thanks Ratchet¡­ I.. just.. I can¡¯t talk about what happened with you right now but I do want to¡­ just not right now.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Ratchet began to leave


    ¡°Also¡± Christi announced, Ratchet paused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the way I treated you earlier downstairs, I know you were just trying to help. I don¡¯t hate you, I never could.¡±


    Giving Ratchet no time to respond, Christi briskly entered her room, the lock clicked into place behind her. A smile reluctantly spread across the man¡¯s face. It felt strange, in these last four years he found little to smile about, for now he was content with her answer. Maybe they could be a family again, in the near future he hoped.


    Christi approached the sink in her room, she ran the tap, let the cool water run. She untied her hair, swept it back out of her face. Submerging her hands in the water she cupped the liquid, brought it to her face and splashed it.


    She craned her head up to the mirror only to be met with eight crimson eyes glaring fiercely behind her. Her body jolted around, there was nothing behind her, to her relief nothing was amiss with the reflection in the mirror when she turned around.


    Breathe in, 1 2 3 4 5, Hold, 1 2 3 4 5, exhale, 1 2 3 4 5.


    ¡°You¡¯re okay, you¡¯re okay" Christi reassured herself.


    She returned to her bed and tried her best to sleep, not that it mattered even if she could doze off, nightmares eagerly awaited her. What would it be tonight?


    After about an hour of tossing and turning, Christi finally managed to nod off to sleep, unbeknownst to the sleeping youth the lock on her door clicked, the door creaked open and a masked man quietly slipped inside her room.

 Detour

    Step by step the masked man steadily made his way towards the oblivious youth sleeping soundly. The candle light glimmered and danced across the surface of his mask.


    Divided into two sections and separated by a painted albeit poorly straight line were the colours silver and black. The masked man reached inside his pocket, he withdrew a small frayed bundle of rope. Suddenly a loud bang rattled the room.


    Christi jumped startled by the loud commotion, likewise the masked assailant jumped too.


    His eyes met Christi¡¯s, he was stranded in no man¡¯s land. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The man panicked, he brandished a dagger. Christi sprang from the bed to her feet and ignited her affinity. Her arm sputtered to life, a few seconds later flames surrounded her arm further illuminating the dark room.


    Who is this guy? What does he want? Doesn¡¯t matter, I need to deal with him. Her vision began to narrow, the fog of unbridled rage had descended.


    Without hesitation or thought she charged at the stranger. A wild and clumsy swing provided her opponent ample time to duck and evade.


    He retreated ten steps back and patiently awaited her next attack. She loudly exhaled a frustrated huff, once again she stepped forward to attack. However, before she knew it she felt something loosely hugging her right foot.


    Looking down she found she had stepped into an open knot of rope the intruder had so cleverly placed upon his retreat. He yanked the rope upwards and pulled it hard.


    Christi tumbled to the floor hard. Startled by the sudden and drastic shift in momentum of the fight she lost her focus and the flames engulfing her arm extinguished in an instant.


    An obnoxious muffled laugh rang out from behind the mask.


    ¡°Stupid girl, charging around like that ain¡¯t gon win ya no fights!¡±.


    The intruder took a couple of steps forward.


    Wham! The two turned. Standing in the doorway was Piotr, before either could react a metal claw vaulted Piotr and pinned the stranger to the wall. Christi was dragged back a couple of feet by the rope still attached to her foot.


    Couldn¡¯t be a bit more gentle could ya?


    The man struggled but he wasn¡¯t breaking free anytime soon. Piotr exited and stepped into the hallway. No time to dawdle, I need to help Piotr. Christi wriggled free from the rope, scrambled to her feet and sprinted after him.


    In the hallway a few metres away was Ratchet, his fist was raised. His breath was ragged and fierce, sweat drenched his forehead.


    Clearly it hadn¡¯t been an easy fight for the old timer. He was straddled above another masked man who was clearly unconscious.


    ¡°Christi, Piotr, are you two alright?¡±


    Ratchet exclaimed as he turned to the pair, Piotr briskly brushed past him.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine, more importantly let¡¯s check on Sam.¡±


    With a strong thrust kick the door to Sam¡¯s room flung open. Inside was Sam fiercely grappling with another intruder. The intruder swivelled in their direction.


    ¡°Wha-?¡±


    Sam seized the opportunity and placed the man in a rear chokehold, the man¡¯s hands flailed about desperately reaching back, but soon he ceased his writhing and went limp in Sam¡¯s arms.


    Sam stood up, dusted himself down. ¡°What an unpleasant ordeal, could someone please explain what¡¯s happening?¡±


    Piotr spoke briefly,


    ¡°Seems to me like a coordinated attack, for the moment I¡¯m not entirely sure on the specifics but I¡¯m sure the poor fellow who attacked Christi will enlighten me.¡±


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    ¡°You managed to capture one of them?!¡± Ratchet hollered. ¡°I¡¯m impressed, they weren¡¯t exactly the type to just keel over."


    Piotr fixed him with a glance.


    "As I mentioned earlier my affinity grants me the ability to perform a great deal of things, disposing of a man wielding naught but a knife and bundle of rope isn¡¯t a difficult task.¡±


    Ratchet wiped the sweat from his forehead, he grunted.


    ¡°Whatever ya say boss.¡±


    Outside they heard footsteps rapidly approaching. A lanky middle aged man holding a candle in one hand and a wooden stick at the ready in the other rushed in.


    A sour stench permeated the man¡¯s clothes, his face was puffy and bloated. Crowned atop his head was a muddle of greasy hair.


    Clearly someone¡¯s been drinking, Ratchet thought to himself.


    ¡°What¡¯s with all the racket?¡±


    ¡°Somebody reeks of a good time¡± Ratchet scoffed, he smirked at the innkeeper.


    The innkeeper¡¯s face flushed red with anger, his brow furrowed, nostrils flared wildly.


    Piotr interrupted promptly,


    ¡°I beg your pardon, good sir please ignore my very rude colleague. I apologise for the commotion. Unfortunately we encountered some rather cunning men attempting to intrude with dastardly schemes in mind.¡±


    The innkeeper lowered his makeshift weapon, his anger began to subside, he shot a mean grimace at Ratchet before addressing the rest of the group.


    ¡°Are you folks alright?¡±


    Piotr placed his hands on his hips.


    ¡°As well as one can be after such an experience.¡±


    ¡°Well then if that¡¯s all said and done I¡¯m off to inform the guards about this disturbance right away.¡±


    Piotr latched onto his wrist.


    ¡°I beseech you not to Sir, after all I am familiar with matters such as this, you are aware of who I am after all? If you would be so generous to allow me twenty minutes to discover why these men attempted such a daring feat then I shall be ever so grateful. Such a kind gesture won¡¯t go uncompensated I assure you.¡±


    Piotr placed a small pouch of money in the innkeeper¡¯s palm.


    A Cheshire cat''s smile stretched across the innkeeper¡¯s slender face.


    ¡°Of course I trust your good judgement, are you folks certain you¡¯re ok? Can I get you anything?¡±


    ¡°We certainly are my good man, now if you would be so kind as to allow us some privacy it would be ever so appreciated.¡±


    ¡°Then I better crack on, I¡¯ll do my best to delay any who come to investigate for the time being.¡±


    The man left the group to their own practices. Piotr ushered the group outside.


    ¡°We¡¯ll ask our friend in Christi¡¯s room a few questions.¡±


    He strode with purpose into Christi¡¯s room and confronted the caged animal. The man stopped wriggling, he shouted obscenities at Piotr and the rest.


    ¡°Let me go you fucking-¡±


    He was cut short as his breath tightened and released sharply. The metal covering his chest clamped harder, he gasped for air.


    Piotr wrenched the mask from his face, he looked like any ordinary joe soap off the street from Barakat. Shaggy brown hair and small green beady eyes that expressed his desperation and fear.


    ¡°Talk, why did you so stupidly decide to attack us in the middle of the night?¡±


    Relinquishing the metal, the man was allowed a moment to catch his breath.


    ¡°*Cough* *Cough* I¡­ I was hired *cough* by a hooded man with a black bushy beard, he was small but well built. He said we were to bring you to him. That¡¯s all I know, I swear.¡±


    Piotr stood face to face with him


    ¡°Just him, no one else comes to mind?¡±


    The man¡¯s head rapidly jerked up and down.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see no one else with him, can you let me go now?¡±


    Piotr produced the mask, held it aloft.


    ¡°And the mask? Anything noteworthy you want to share with me about it?¡±


    ¡°Belongs to a local underground group, we¡¯re called ¡®The Finders.¡¯ We wear ''em on jobs all the time, that¡¯s everything I know, now please just let me go!¡±


    The claw tightened.


    ¡°And that¡¯s the whole unequivocal truth?¡±


    ¡°IT IS IT IS¡±


    The claw disassembled and plopped to the ground.


    The man dropped to his knees on the ground and clutched at his chest breathing rapidly. As he motioned to get up a metal fist connected with his jaw, knocking him unconscious.


    ¡°He had it coming,¡± Christi said solemnly.


    After they had concluded their chat with the guards and each shared their accounts the group converged in a private room the innkeeper offered while the masked men were apprehended.


    ¡°What now?¡± Ratchet asked.


    ¡°The man he spoke of was the same man who I spotted in the inn when I came to see how Christi was, it appears that gentleman has it out for us, Sam can confirm he spotted him too.¡±


    Sam nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Just as Christi left the inn, yes. He entered, sat alone and drank. I thought nothing of it at the time but it¡¯s clear this mystery man purposely visited the inn.¡±


    Piotr paced back and forth the length of the room.


    ¡°Why be so blatant about it? He must¡¯ve known that there was a possibility we¡¯d be at the very least able to put two and two together should his hired men fail. He wasn''t exactly very discreet with his visit here. There¡¯s also the fact that our man was awfully quick to divulge the information which means his employer clearly took no measures to prevent them from doing so.¡±


    ¡°Why go to the trouble at all then?¡± Ratchet asked.


    Sam and Piotr stopped.


    ¡°I believe he¡¯s goading us on,¡± Sam said.


    ¡°He wants us to find him.¡± Piotr followed.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s find him,¡± Christi piped up.


    ¡°It could be a trap,¡± Sam responded.


    ¡°Regardless we can¡¯t tackle the issue of the bull with our mystery man on our backs, Christi¡¯s right we best rout out this individual so we may focus on the bull again. Let¡¯s start by first investigating the group that those men belonged to, we¡¯ll ask the locals if they can point us in the direction of ¡®The Finders¡¯. Hopefully we¡¯ll learn something useful.¡±


    Sitting atop a rooftop overseeing the inn now bustling with guards the bearded man drew back his hood. Braided murky green hair, baby blue eyes and a dark face revealed themselves under the moonlight. Kydin smiled to himself


    ¡°Come find me¡± he said quietly under his breath.

 Searching

    The group lounged around as Piotr took center stage, this was usually the case. Tucked in his right hand was the mask the group had acquired from one of the intruders from the night before. Rays of sunlight beamed through a small nearby window and bounced across the mask¡¯s painted surface.


    ¡°Right, let''s review the plan one last time shall we?¡±


    Subsequently he planted the mask down onto the suncooked browned table that stood before the group.


    ¡°We shall roam Barakat attempting to obtain information regarding this underground group from the local townsfolk. Ask questions that are concise and direct, no dilly dallying and if it so occurs that these lovely townsfolk are not willing nor in the mood to co-operate, we will?¡±


    Piotr threw a glance promptly in Christi''s direction, the girl rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Then we needn¡¯t bother them any longer, we thank them for their time and move on to the next person.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have said it better my dear, thank you for that. Now any burning questions before we depart?¡±


    Ratchet unfurled his folded arms and leaned forward, he clasped and interlocked his calloused hands. The man dropped his hands between his thighs before settling on a hunched over seating position.


    ¡°What if the townsfolk require some slight persuasion?¡±


    Piotr¡¯s head tilted, he was confused by the question. Had he not been clear enough?


    ¡°What kind of persuasion are we referring to my good man?¡±


    As soon as the words left his mouth he knew what answer awaited him. Ratchet was a very forward man after all.


    Ratchet began finnicking with his fingers, he met Piotr¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°The more physical and direct approach, I¡¯ve found it to often be more efficient.¡±


    A stifled chuckle arose from Christi, Piotr brought a hand to his forehead.


    ¡°My good man we are not thugs and please do not suggest such an idea among those who are most impressionable.¡±


    Once again Piotr¡¯s eyes darted towards Christi, she quickly pivoted to the side and averted his gaze. Ratchet spread his hands with his palms facing outwards.


    ¡°A little rough housing never hurt anybody.¡±


    Christ¡¯s lips pressed together as she signaled her agreement through her telling facial expression.


    ¡°As receptive as I am to new ideas I would rather avoid another kerfuffle, taking last night¡¯s incident into consideration we¡¯ve already caused quite a stir here. My reputation can only excuse so much, can we please just agree on a more subtle approach?¡±


    Piotr looked to Sam seeking much needed affirmation, Sam was lost in thought, looking at Ratchet he slowly nodded his head. The man was so easily swayed.


    ¡°What say you Sam?¡±


    Sam snapped to attention. The whiplash he generated in his sudden head movement alone would¡¯ve killed an older gentleman.


    ¡°Oh yes of course Master Henlein I agree wholeheartedly!¡±


    ¡°Well Ratchet?¡± Piotr asked.


    ¡°Well ya haven¡¯t let me down yet, so I¡¯ll trust you on this one too¡± Ratchet conceded.


    Piotr clapped his hands together.


    ¡°Excellent, then we¡¯ll each individually spend about two hours attempting to turn something up in town. We¡¯ll reconvene here where we may divulge any valuable information, are we all happy?¡±


    The group quietly nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Good then let¡¯s get to it, time is of the essence.¡±


    As the group prepared accordingly, Ratchet approached Piotr and Sam. The worry on his face could not be more evident.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a good idea for all of us to split up like this? I mean I can handle myself and so can everyone else but¡­¡±


    His eyes led towards Christi, Piotr placed a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Christi is my most prized student, don¡¯t fret. She¡¯s more than capable. You simply need only believe in her.¡±


    ¡°I do, It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    Ratchet¡¯s face contorted, his eyes hardened, the bushy eyebrows dropped. Conveying emotion was clearly not the man¡¯s strong suit. Piotr squeezed his shoulder slightly. Who was he to stand in the way of Ratchet¡¯s quest to reconnect with Christi?


    ¡°If that''s what you believe is for the best. Christi dear! Ratchet here is going to accompany you, is that acceptable?¡±


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    She blinked a few times before responding.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine I guess.¡±


    Piotr patted Ratchet on the back.


    ¡°Well that settles matters then, I suppose that leaves Sam and I to buddy up as well, good luck to you both.¡±


    Soon after that the duos each split up respectively going their own ways. They each ventured deeper into the bustling streets of Barakat. Townsfolk and Christi & Co alike were oblivious to Kydin and his mercenaries stalking above from a rooftop. The men pressed themselves to the ceramic tiling and carefully observed their prey.


    ¡°They¡¯re splitting up, shall we follow both Kydin?¡± one of the indistinguishable hooded men asked.


    Kydin¡¯s sightline never once left that of Piotr and Sam.


    ¡°No, follow Henlein and his assistant, we gain no tactical advantage expending forces on weak opponents like the girl and the old man. We prioritize the genius. After all, he''s the only potential foil to my plan.¡±


    ¡°What of the Knight? Should we take measures against it? I fear it grows suspicious of our activities.¡±


    Kydin chuckled.


    ¡°Bah! What about it? It¡¯s a pawn that can¡¯t think for itself, the success of its plan hinges on our involvement. It wouldn''t dare risk failure for the sake of pride. All that matters to it is fulfilling its master¡¯s wishes. What a pitiful creature it is.¡±


    Kydin¡¯s eyes switched in the direction of Christi and Ratchet.


    ¡°The Finders will handle the girl and the old man, however I expect they¡¯ll soon turn their backs on our agreement.¡±


    Kydin rose to his feet.


    ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s get to it. Not a moment¡¯s rest for Henlein, remember what I taught you. No direct engagement, hit and run only. You¡¯re all aware of his capabilities in combat.¡±


    The group of men dispersed quietly, Kydin smiled. He looked south of Barakat to the vast ocean that seemed to swallow the infinite horizon. The operation was going smoother than he had anticipated. Perhaps he could return home to Ariva with his long awaited prize sooner than he had assumed.


    Piotr and Sam navigated the streets of Barakat. Attempts were made at questioning individuals on information regarding ¡®The Finders¡¯. Person after person they were met with those who displayed fear upon mention of the group. To their surprise there were individuals who openly supported the group, the answers these individuals provided? Outright refusal to talk and some harsh language. The pair grew tired but they persisted.


    Piotr opted to interview some of the local traders. He spotted a rather quaint stall with a large assortment of fruit on display. As Piotr and Sam approached the stall they noticed a short and stout man who was facing away from the two. He frantically rummaged through a woven white bag, extracting the fruit inside.


    ¡°Excuse me kind sir, could I perhaps bother you for a couple of questions?¡±


    The greengrocer clicked his tongue.


    ¡°That depends, ya buying or not?¡±


    He paused as he turned to see Piotr. His face dropped and his entire demeanor changed.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry Mr Henlein, I¡¯d be more than happy to help ya in any way I can.¡±


    ¡°Thank you kindly sir, I greatly appreciate your cooperation, would you possibly be able to point me in the direction of a group wearing masks such as this one?¡±


    Reaching into his coat pocket he produced the mask.


    ¡°They call themselves the Finders, now you wouldn¡¯t happen to know anything about this group would you?¡±


    The greengrocer like those before was unable to hide his sudden discomfort.


    ¡°For your own safety, stay well away from them.¡±


    Piotr paced back and forth.


    ¡°While I appreciate your genuine concern for my wellbeing I cannot, however, abandon my search for this group. You see they recently became acquainted with a man who wishes to harm my companions and I. Could I perhaps sway you with some compensation?¡±.


    A pouch of gold procured from Piotr¡¯s coat tucked neatly in his palm revealed itself, the greengrocer stood his ground.


    ¡°All the money in the world can¡¯t help ya here.¡±


    Piotr closed his fist and retreated.


    ¡°I see, very well then, thank you for your time and a good day to you sir.¡±


    Sam darted out in front, yanked the man by the collar and shoved him backwards. The greengrocer slammed against a wall. Sam pressed his face closely.


    ¡°Tell us everything you know or you¡¯ll gain quite the powerful enemy in ¡®The Pioneers¡¯. You¡¯re obviously aware of Master Henlein¡¯s standing aren¡¯t you?¡±


    The greengrocer squirmed but Sam¡¯s vice-like grip did not falter. There was no escape for the man.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be arrested for this! you can¡¯t just assault people in the streets!¡±


    In the background chatter began to wind down, the shuffling of plentiful feet ceased as the townsfolk began to take notice of the scene. The crowd stood and watched. One of the bystanders yelled for the guards and dashed off. A smirk shot across Sam¡¯s face.


    ¡°We work for The Pioneers. With our positions are you really trying to argue that we can¡¯t get away with something as trivial as this?¡±


    The greengrocer folded.


    ¡°You can find them under the church of Axci in the catacombs, you can also gain entry through the sewers. Happy?¡±


    Sam relinquished his grip.


    ¡°Ecstatic.¡±


    Sam turned to face Piotr.


    ¡°My I must say sir that was invigorating. Master Ratchet was correct, sometimes roughhousing is called for.¡±


    Piotr crossed his arms.


    ¡°I fear his crude ways have already infected your mind.¡±


    ¡°With the utmost respect sir your subtle approach wasn¡¯t exactly yielding much results.¡±


    ¡°My approach at the very least avoids an owed explanation to the authorities.¡±


    ¡°I suppose there¡¯s no denying that.¡±


    Piotr sighed, placed his hands on his hips.


    ¡°No point dwelling on it, you did manage to acquire the necessary information after all.¡±


    Two lanky guards emerged from the group of onlookers. The younger babyfaced guard shooed people away ordering the citizens to be on their way while the older, more rugged of the two confronted Piotr and Sam.


    ¡°Mr Henlein we received a report that you and a colleague assaulted a citizen of Barakat in broad daylight, care to explain?¡±


    Piotr and Sam surrendered willingly.


    ¡°Guilty as charged officer, don¡¯t worry we¡¯ll gladly answer any questions required for an incident report back at the station.¡±


    Before they left Piotr chucked the pouch of gold at the feet of the greengrocer.


    ¡°Apologies for my brash friend, he''s not usually so rough. Please accept this on my behalf or don¡¯t, the choice is yours. I¡¯m aware money can¡¯t buy everything but it certainly does help in your line of work does it not?¡±


    The greengrocer scowled fiercely before gingerly retrieving the pouch and pocketing it. Piotr and Sam trailed behind the pair of guards.


    Christi and Ratchet sat idle on a robust park bench in a small park. Ratchet sat with his arms folded and a frown across his face. Christi blankly stared ahead observing a group of children jovially playing together. Detached from the large group of children sitting alone, she noticed the little boy from the day before fiddling with a figure that resembled a man with a sword.


    ¡°Hmph finding this group seems damn near impossible, either people are too scared to talk or just downright rude. I mean the way they treated you Christi, I should¡¯ve smacked a couple.¡±


    Ratchet turned to Christi, the girl continued staring into blank space.


    Ratchet leaned back, the bench creaked.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m not sure we¡¯re gonna get much more from this town on ¡®The Finders¡¯. Let¡¯s hope Piotr and Sam turned up something useful. Let''s head back for now.¡±


    Ratchet got up, he began to trudge back in the direction of the inn.


    Now¡¯s as good a time as any to ask I suppose, Christi thought to herself.


    ¡°Ratchet, why did you never tell me where I was really from, why didn¡¯t you tell me I was Fheitgr?¡±


    Ratchet paused, looked over his shoulder and slowly approached Christi with caution. He stopped short of a foot.


    The old man scratched his thick beard.


    ¡°Well I planned on telling you eventually kiddo I mean sooner or later you would¡¯ve put two and two together, you¡¯re a smart kid. But as far as I was concerned you and Alex you guys were my kids. You guys were Chrodrift through and through like me.¡±


    A sharp ticking noise reverbated in Christi¡¯s skull.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok Chris, you just get out of here¡­ I love you kiddo.¡±


    Alex¡¯s voice faded into obscurity, a shrill voice remained alone with the ticking.


    ¡°Prey¡­Kill¡­Kill¡­¡±


    Christi felt her chest tighten, she began to hyperventilate when suddenly she felt a warmth engulf her hand.


    ¡°Breathe kiddo, stay with me now.¡±


    She paused, inhaled for five seconds, held for five seconds and exhaled. Christi raised her head, crouched over with an anxious look ridden across his face was Ratchet. A slight smile broke upon the surface of her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m fine, just a little lightheaded is all, thank you. Let''s get going.¡±


    Christi hopped off the bench and began walking back when the young boy who played alone from earlier obstructed her path. He examined the pair with blank eyes devoid of expression. Gripped tightly in his left hand was his cherished toy.


    ¡°You two are looking for The Finders right?¡±


    A big smile formed, ¡°Follow me. I can take you to them.¡±

 A Mutual Agreement

    Ratchet approached the child. He was stunned at the child''s sudden and nonchalant exclamation.


    "Sorry kiddo, did you just say you can take us to ''The Finders''?"


    The child shook his head up and down.


    "Hmm, hum. Miss Adriana told me that it was my job to bring you her. She knows you''re looking for ''The Finders'' and wants to speak to you."


    Ratchet and Christi stood silent, the whole thing could be a trap. Was it worth the risk? Christi stepped forward.


    "Take us to her then."


    "Wait kiddo, shouldn''t we first regroup with Sam and Piotr?"


    Christi eyeballed Ratchet. For a man that was often the first to utilise the direct approach, he was hesitant all of a sudden. Was it Piotr''s influence?


    "If you don''t want to come then run back to Piotr for help. It''s alright, I understand."


    Ratchet exhaled through his nose fiercely, he almost forgot how much of a brat Christi could be. This girl was just downright reckless.


    "Would it kill you to think for a second?"


    "I am, it''s like Piotr said we don''t have time to waste. You used to be braver."


    "Used to be¡­ never lost that cheeky gob of yours I see."


    Ratchet cast his gaze towards the child idly observing their bickering.


    "Take us to this Miss Adriana then."


    The child scurried off, with a wave of his hand he beckoned them to follow and the pair did just that. Ratchet scoffed.


    "Get one thing straight Chris, I ain''t gone soft, certainly not because of Piotr. I''m here for you, not him. You remember that."


    A sly grin crawled across the young girl''s face, it was nice to see that anger had still not mellowed out. There was still life in the old man.


    Piotr and Sam sat adjacent in a small compact room. opposite the two men behind a cold steel table was the older, lanky guard who had whisked the pair here. From above light leaked through a glass skylight. The guard delicately tapped a collection of papers on the rigid table. He gathered up his weapon. Piotr observed the deadly instrument.


    He recognised it, a sap, standard issue for most guardsmen stationed in cities and towns. It was a blunt tool used for incapacitating targets with swift strikes to the gut. Wrapped tightly around the hilt or base of the sap were frayed leather bindings, maybe on a bad day the guardsmen wouldn''t have been so tolerant. The guard clasped the weapon and hooked it to his belt.


    "Well, I think that covers the criteria of questions I need answered. Thank you two gentlemen for your time and if I could please ask that in the future you would please refrain from assaulting further citizens. I understand you possess the ability to wield the law in whatever manner you may wish but respecting the citizens of Barakat and their safety would be much appreciated."


    Piotr and Sam both responded with a nod of acknowledgement, Sam leaned forward, and he removed his top hat. Holding the hat close to his chest he met the guard''s gaze and delivered a sincere message.


    "I''d like to apologise once again for my appalling behaviour. Such brazenness is intolerable I am aware."


    The guard frowned.


    "You said earlier that you did so on account of learning more about ''The Finders?'' correct? Quite the notorious group you''re hunting, they''ve had quite the meteoric rise in the last two years. The group itself consists of a network of radical Barakat citizens, specifically merchants and traders closely working together. Around two years the group started circulating invites to anyone and everyone around town. In these invitations, they boldly proclaimed a wish to see a Barakat free of ''The Pioneers'' influence. As you can imagine they don''t take too kindly to folks like you."


    Piotr wasn''t surprised by this at all, there were those in Barakat who feared him and those who hated him. Being the poster boy of the Pioneers certainly didn''t ease tensions. This fella seemed the observant type, Perhaps he could assist them.


    "You asked earlier why we assaulted that merchant, Truth be told we omitted the full picture. ''The Finders'' seem to have brokered some kind of mutual agreement with a mercenary who has been bothering us recently. We were hoping this group could lead us to him. Say? I imagine you monitor things quite closely here. You wouldn''t have happened to notice a short, muscular man, who wears a hood, bushy black beard, mercenary type.


    The guard stiffly sat back, he appeared to be searching his mind. He frowned.


    "Nothing springs to mind, however recently a group of Fheitgr warriors took refuge up by the entry point to the Orton River. Journeyed here in two fairly large boats. Perhaps he''s linked to them given the nature of his timing. However, like most situations involving Fheitgr, we''ve kept our distance. We''d rather not pick fights with Fheitgr."


    As he finished his sentence he met both Sam and Piotr''s eyes, the fear upon mention of the Fheitgr could not have been more prevalent. The guard rose to his feet.


    "Anyways that concludes proceedings, you''re free to go. Please keep in mind what I said."


    Piotr and Sam stood up.


    "Of course, you have our gratitude, sir, we will respect your wishes."


    The guard gave a curt nod.


    "Much appreciated Mr Henlein."


    The man turned around and reached for the door handle. Suddenly a small spherical object crashed through the skylight from overhead. Piotr reacted first, he kicked the table over, grabbed Sam, and ducked behind. Despite the table providing cover, the explosion knocked them backward. The pair slammed against the wall.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    As the hue of smoke began to fade Piotr crawled to his knees. He grabbed his back, relatively unharmed, his metal-lined coat had done its job nicely. He spotted the guard from a moment ago, he was slumped in the corner. Shrapnel buried itself in the man''s side and arm, he was dead.


    Descending from above were two men clad in hoods and faceguards. One stood tall over the other, he was large and burly. Piotr observed the two, judging by their builds and choice of clothing these must''ve been the Fheitgr warriors the guard had mentioned.


    Our mystery man is either Fheitgr himself or has friends in high places. First, we''ll start with names, Let''s call the big man Gorilla. The other man was tall and toned, and you Panther. Now Gorilla and Panther, how are you going to tackle this?


    "That''s him."


    "Quickly before he recovers, dispose of him." Panther barked.


    Gorilla held Panther back, Panther squirmed but Gorilla''s vice-like grip held.


    "What are you doing? Now''s our chance, you heard Kydin, hit and run only."


    "There''s no honour in that, it''s not the Fheitgr way. Kydin may fight like a coward but I refuse. Let him stand."


    Piotr climbed to his feet, he stood ready. Fheitgr and their honour, what a naive way of living.


    "Are you sure about this? You''ve just let your chance of victory slip by. All that awaits you now is death" Piotr said in a deadpan manner.


    Gorilla laughed heartily, "This will be fun, it''s been quite some time since I faced someone so confident. Let''s begin."


    Piotr drew open his trenchcoat and began manipulating a small assortment of metal lining sewn loosely into his coat. He crafted a sword and readied his guard. Panther dashed forward, he moved incredibly fast. Piotr chuckled, the given nicknames were on the money. Piotr reacted to this and blocked the man''s wild strike. Piotr noticed his weapon was not crafted from steel or metal. No magnetic pull radiated from it, he would have to rely on his assets.


    These two men were currently in an attuned state, their affinities and mana being in conjunction used to greatly enhance their physical attributes to that of a superhuman degree.


    A Fheitgr specialty, He had remembered his training and the instructions his tutors had drilled into him. He could hear it now. "Enhance your reflexes, remember pressure points. Aim for the temple and the lower back of the head, the occipital bone, one swift strike will knock them unconscious. End the fight as quickly as you can."


    Panther released his blade, he let it fall, caught it, and attempted another swipe at a lower height, Reacting to this Piotr brought his sword down and once again succeeded in denying the man. The Gorilla leaped over Panther, Piotr quickly yanked the sword back a couple of feet dragging his body along with it. Luckily for him, the room was compact, as long as he ensured the two remained in front of him at all times he could win.


    "Hahaha, very good. More! More!" laughed the Gorilla.


    The Gorilla crouched in front of Panther, he was poised ready to strike. Panther launched himself off the gorilla''s back, he raised his blade overhead. The gorilla did not waste a second, he charged at Piotr. Piotr separated the sword into two keeping the blade while molding the hilt into a miniature gauntlet for his right fist.


    He propelled the blade toward its airborne opponent. Panther, no surprise, quickly parried the blade, discarding the sword and brandishing a dagger. Now for the ace in the hole, behind the pair, Piotr quickly tugged the metal club free from the deceased guard''s corpse. These two had been careless, Gorilla''s lust for battle prevented the two from keenly observing the battlefield.


    Soaring quickly and quietly through the air the club struck the back of his airborne opponent''s head. Panther went limp. Gorilla drove forward, Piotr attempted to land a punch on Gorilla but his large hand caught his fist with ease.


    "Good fight." Gorilla smiled with glee.


    "Shut up." Piotr retorted.


    The club, still airborne, quickly spun downwards and struck Gorilla on the back of his cranium, the impact knocking Gorilla to his knees. Piotr struck the man again and again until eventually, the gorilla slammed to his back. Gorilla and Panther lay sprawled out on the floor unconscious.


    Piotr pointed his blade at Gorilla''s throat. Better dead than alive later to cause more problems. He gripped his sword ready to plunge the blade, Sam stirred groggily. Piotr paused, dismantled his weapon, and quickly checked on Sam, he checked his pulse, he was breathing.


    Thank god for that. Time to get going, that wouldn''t keep the two attackers down for long. He propped Sam up and dragged him out of the room. The two entered what seemed like the main lounge, all the guardsmen inside were dead.


    Throats were slit and shrapnel had found its home in bodies galore. Soon the town would be in disarray, everything had grown more complicated. Piotr and Sam exited the guardhouse and retreated to the inn.


    Christi and Ratchet followed the young boy through the dimly lit sewers. Christi illuminated the space with her flame affinity. A small ember dutifully burned in the palm of her hand providing much-needed light for the trio. Ratchet stared at her prosthetic arm, Alex had something similar. He had been meaning to ask about her arm after Piotr had told him how she acquired it.


    "Neat trick. Seems useful¡­. Your arm. I mean you couldn''t use magic and now look at ya, Piotr''s tech sure is something."


    Christi glanced at her palm.


    "Yeah, it was a gift from Piotr."


    "How does it feel?"


    "Like my arm, wasn''t always like that for a while, it felt strange. The mana in my arm circulating the way it was, it took some getting used to."


    Ratchet balled his fist, what was he even saying? This was going nowhere. He wanted to help Christi but he couldn''t do that if she wouldn''t open up and right now he wasn''t making any headway. He would try again, a more direct approach.


    "Do you want to talk about all that''s happened kiddo?"


    "About what?"


    "About what happened in Chrodrift".


    The flame flickered, and the light began to quell. Christi regained her composure.


    "No."


    "I think talking could help kiddo, you can''t keep running away."


    There it was again, that deathly silence.


    "It''s just up ahead." the boy spoke up.


    The three approached a cobblestone wall, protruding inward was a small hole. Without so much as an explanation, the boy poked the sword equipped to his toy figure through. After a few seconds, the wall slipped back.


    "Follow me, Miss Adriana is waiting for you".


    He entered, turning into a narrow corridor. Christi and Ratchet promptly followed. Drops of water plummeted from the damp ceiling overhead. Eventually, they reached an open plaza. The ceiling, unlike before, now loomed tall, pillars of cobblestone erected around the plaza reached upwards and merged with the ceiling.


    Huddled over a sprawled-out map on a table were a group of masked individuals like the midnight callers Christi and Ratchet had already encountered.


    "So they''ve stationed themselves here at the mouth of the Orton River, scouting reports say they''ve also made camp in the mountain ridge here, now."


    The talking ceased as the footsteps of the boy, Christi, and Ratchet neared. The huddle split, revealing a tall woman in the center. She was the one calling the shots. Best be alert, Christi thought.


    She smiled, it was fake, artificial. The woman waved her hand.


    "It appears our guests have arrived, leave us. I need the room."


    The masked individuals departed. Quickly the little boy ran to the woman''s side clutching at her trousers. She was blonde, Wrinkles thinly lined around her hard eyes, eyes that surveyed Ratchet and Christi.


    Crouching down she hugged the boy tightly.


    "Oh, you did so well Bruno. Now I''m going to talk to our friends here, Nick told me he needs help with the crates. It should be no problem for a big strong boy like you right?"


    Bruno nodded and dashed off, dipping into another narrow corridor. The woman rose, and she flashed another artificial warm smile.


    "Thank you for your patience, my name is Adriana. I am the leader of ''The Finders''. I heard your party of four was seeking us out. Am I correct?"


    "Why did you refer to us as friends, we just met," asked Christi.


    "I believe we can both benefit each other in this situation. We are friends in that instance. You had an incentive to seek us out."


    "We learned from one of your men that you were hired by a hooded man with a bushy beard, we hoped you''d be able to point us in his direction," said Ratchet.


    Adriana''s face soured, and so did her tone.


    "So you''re chasing that scumbag¡­"


    "You still gladly took that scumbag up on his offer," chimed in Christi.


    "You know he looks an awful lot like you girl, tanned, baby blue eyes, murky green hair. He''s Fheitgr."


    Ratchet and Christi''s eyes widened, and Adriana chuckled.


    "And like most Fheitgr he''s not a man you can say no to. Kydin''s his name, quite the figure in the world of mercenaries. By normal conventions, none of us could hope to defeat a warrior like him. Not to mention the company of veteran mercs he has backing him, who too are Fheitgr. However, the word around town is that the Pioneer golden boy Piotr Henlein has suddenly shown up. He''s traveling with a young Fheitgr amputee, an old man, and a silly-looking man who wears a raven-feathered hat. My, what a surprise you seem to tick off two of those descriptions precisely."


    Christi glared at Adriana, she didn''t like this woman, she was the crafty sort.


    Adriana leaned back against the table.


    "How about this for a proposition then since we''re on the topic of deals made? I''ll help you find your man if you help me kill Kydin and his mercs."

 The enemy of my enemy is my friend

    Piotr and Sam collapsed through the inn¡¯s door. Piotr flipped Sam onto his back before dragging himself to a nearby couch to rest his weary body against. His muscles felt tight, enhancing his reflexes for even such a short amount of time had taken its toll.


    That¡¯s why it¡¯s a Fheitgr specialty and not a Pioneer one, Piotr groaned in his mind.


    He craned his neck and stared longingly at the ceiling above. One Fheitgr was trouble enough now he¡¯d have to face an entire band of them.


    Piotr mulled over the attack in his head.


    They weren¡¯t your run of the mill Fheitgr that¡¯s for sure. Surprise attacks is something that¡¯s never even considered in Fheitgr culture. Sam and I were fortunate that there was some evident discrepancy within the group. Still despite this our mystery man still commands the mens allegiance.


    This group¡¯s leader is a clever man who clearly favours tactics, tactics that often an honourable warrior would not employ.


    On the positive side this means that they¡¯re worried that a direct confrontation will lead to failure. We can use that for now.


    Piotr crawled to Sam¡¯s side. Still breathing, steady heartbeat. Piotr scanned Sam¡¯s body for any wounds. None that he could see. Besides a bad headache upon waking up the man should be perfectly fine. Sam and he were lucky to have escaped relatively unscathed. Any damage taken now would work to their opponent¡¯s favour.


    Right now they were locked in a battle of attrition, one which currently these mercenaries were winning. Piotr looked to the unconscious Sam,


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to do something about that but for now, I believe we¡¯ve earned a little recuperation my friend.¡±


    Droplets of water pittered and pattered, interrupting the silence currently held between Christi and Ratchet. The two had been strolling without so much as a word exchanged in the last few minutes. Ratchet was surprisingly docile.


    Strange I¡¯d thought he¡¯d have more to say given what I just agreed to, Christi thought.


    Is he angry?


    Christi stopped.


    ¡°Are you angry with me? It was an easy choice. This helps us find our enemy quicker.¡±


    Ratchet met her gaze, the warm expression he had worn earlier was replaced with one that was more cold and serious.


    ¡°I¡¯m just surprised, that''s all, that you could agree to kill another so easily. You¡¯ve changed much more than I thought Christi.¡±


    All his talk of being there for me and now suddenly he wants to take the high road? Christi scoffed.


    ¡°Whether you like it or not this helps us, Piotr would¡¯ve made the same decision.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh I see. He changed you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe this is just who I¡¯ve always been, did you ever consider that?¡±


    Ratchet¡¯s gaze harshened.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that. Answer me honestly, could you do it? If Kydin was standing right here. Could you kill him?¡±


    Christi shuddered, she had never seen him so grim before. She thought of all the unfairness in the world, everything she had loved was ripped from her. For once she was beginning to gain control over something in her life. Why shouldn¡¯t she kill Kydin?


    ¡°He deserves death doesn¡¯t he? Men like him will never stop. Not until they¡¯re dead.¡±


    Ratchet stood unwavering, his expression remained fixed.


    ¡°I asked if you could kill him, not if he deserves death.¡±


    Christi fumed, she balled her fists.


    Why shouldn¡¯t he die, people like Kydin took what they wanted all the time, the world took all the time.


    ¡°I could.¡±


    Ratchet frowned.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean that.¡±


    Maybe you¡¯re right but right now I need to believe I could. I¡¯ve second guessed myself far too much, we can¡¯t afford such a luxury now. she mused in her mind.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t do this Ratchet then Alex and everyone in Chrodrift died for nothing! I need to be strong enough to beat the hours. Killing one person is trivial in comparison! Something has to change, I¡¯m tired of being helpless!¡±


    Christi stormed off leaving Ratchet behind. He was upset but he, like Christi, had made a promise four years ago. He refused to be deterred in helping Christi.


    Christi and Ratchet strode into the room where Piotr and Sam lay. Piotr noticed how furrowed Christi¡¯s brow was and how Ratchet embodied the word defeated.


    Looks like none of us had a good day it seems, Piotr noted.


    ¡°What happened to you two?¡± inquired Piotr.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Ratchet eyed Piotr up and down, noticing the dishevelled coat caked in dust.


    ¡°Should be asking you the same question, don¡¯t look too pretty yourself.¡±


    Piotr stifled a chuckle.


    ¡°We¡¯ve both had an eventful evening, it seems. Care to share friend?¡±


    Christi stood away from the group, arms crossed. She looked more unreachable than usual. Ratchet looked in her direction, his eyes looked sad. Something had happened between the two.


    ¡°We met the leader of the Finders, well it was more like she met us. She offered to aid us in locating our mystery man.¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s fantastic news, however given the nature of these kinds of things and your hesitation I¡¯m expecting a big but. Go on.¡±


    Ratchet looked tired, his shoulders and head were drooped low. It was obvious that what occurred in the meeting was plaguing him.


    ¡°This mystery man¡¯s name is Kydin, he¡¯s an infamous Fheitgr mercenary leader.¡±


    Piotr perked up upon hearing his name, Kydin. Piotr had heard of his exploits, he was quite the wanted man.


    Kydin, I thought I heard his name being mentioned by the two warriors. Who would¡¯ve thought I¡¯d get the opportunity to meet the man himself in Barakat of all places?


    ¡°In return for aiding us, the Finders expect us to assist the group in eliminating Kydin and his group of mercenaries.¡±


    Piotr held his tongue, it was a blessing that Sam was currently unconscious. The man detested killing. At least for now there would be no arguments. Sam was loyal and he had taught everything Piotr knew. He expected Piotr to uphold those principles, even if Piotr didn¡¯t agree with most. Thankfully Sam was reasonable, If Piotr could present a sound argument, well the man would listen.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the tall order, and? What was your answer?¡±


    ¡°We accepted,¡± declared Christi.


    Piotr watched the girl with intent.


    No surprise there, the girl was always eager to reclaim her retribution. It was a miracle alone that Sam and I were able to convince her to wait four years after what happened in Chrodrift. She¡¯s tired of waiting and currently Kydin stands in the way. I detest all this, playing the role of the peacekeeper. I understand your plight Christi. Truth be told, I want Kydin dead too.


    ¡°Well then while I¡¯d rather avoid a fight with such skilled warriors, there¡¯s no denying that we can¡¯t pursue the Bull without them gone. Perhaps the combined efforts of the Finders and the townsfolk will allow us to prevail¡± said Piotr.


    Ratchet cocked his brow.


    ¡°The townsfolk don¡¯t have any reason to help us, what do ya mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Sam and I have already encountered some of Kydin¡¯s men. Men who massacred a guardhouse, we were quite lucky to escape with our lives. I¡¯m sure the townsfolk won¡¯t react well to what occurred.¡±


    ¡°Massacred? A whole guardhouse? Why do something so reckless?¡±


    Piotr laughed, Ratchet was right.


    ¡°With the Fheitgr it¡¯s best not to attempt to understand their insane methods. I suspect this is Kydin¡¯s doing however, Fheitgr are warriors through and through but they do uphold honour above all. This may be Kydin¡¯s way of declaring war, we¡¯ve been pushed against the wall now. Christi was correct in her judgement, we don¡¯t have any other options.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t we just leave, and come back with help later?¡± Ratchet asked.


    ¡°Even if we did leave and return with help later, how do you think things would look if a high-ranking member of the Pioneers left and turned a blind eye to blatant murder? This town is governed by the Pioneers, it¡¯s our duty to protect it.¡±


    Ratchet had no answer.


    ¡°Any other method would be preferable but as things stand there is none. For now we¡¯ll hear what the Finders have in mind¡±.


    Piotr looked to Christi, her eyes burned feverishly. She reminded him of his younger days before he joined the Pioneers.


    ¡°Christi, did this leader of theirs share with you any details of how we may speak?


    ¡°Only that she would be in touch soon,¡± she responded.


    Piotr slumped back.


    ¡°Then I suppose we lick our wounds and wait.¡±


    What a mess this is, Piotr thought.


    Kydin pushed through a flimsy wooden door. The wafty aroma of cooked Bosar meat glided through the room.


    Those farmland cattle from the bull¡¯s ravaged farms have proved useful, Kydin thought.


    The stale stench of alcohol greeted his nostrils. He drew back his hood, and gazed ahead at the flurry of Fheitgr men gathered around a firepit. A chorus of exuberant cheers erupted as the men noticed Kydin¡¯s approach.


    ¡°Welcome back Kydin, care for a drink?¡±


    A mug of ale was pushed into Kydin¡¯s calloused hand, he smiled.


    ¡°Why I thought you¡¯d never ask, but why stop at one? I care for multiple drinks!¡± he belted out.


    The men broke into laughter, Kydin gulped down his ale and slammed the mug down.


    ¡°Never did I think I¡¯d see the day where men like us would get paid to drink and eat!¡± Krait, one of the more loyal of his mercenary band, loudly said.


    Kydin stood, regaling his audience.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see plenty more days like this under my leadership, so drink up! Feast to your heart¡¯s content! Soon we will return to Ariva with a glorious task in mind and a worthy prize in tow!¡±


    Kydin grabbed another mug of ale and hoisted it with vigour.


    ¡°To us! To a brighter future for Ariva!¡± he toasted.


    Kolr, a tall rogue-like man, stood and proposed his own toast.


    ¡°To Kydin!¡±


    ¡°To Kydin!¡± the group rejoiced.


    Kydin laughed. He felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned. One of his men greeted him.


    ¡°The Knight wishes to speak to you Kydin.¡±


    Kydin sported a grin.


    ¡°Ah of course it does, all right I¡¯ll go speak with it.¡±


    Kydin ascended the twisting spiral of stairs, each step creaking under his weight. Finally he reached the peak, he climbed a ladder and found the Knight standing outside the lighthouse¡¯s beacon on the balcony. Kydin joined it.


    Together the two overlooked Barakat. Kydin was always amazed at its appearance, frankly he¡¯d never seen anything like it in all his travels. Save for its ridiculous height you¡¯d be hard pressed to guess this figure wasn¡¯t a man clad in impressive armour but actually a machine.


    In the distance a bell tolled from Barakat, wind whipped against Kydin¡¯s ears and cheeks.


    ¡°You wanted to speak,¡± he inquired.


    The wind whistled, weaving in and around the Knight¡¯s cogs and gears. The subtle ticking noise that often accompanied the Knight could not be heard.


    ¡°I wish to know how things are progressing.¡±


    Kydin folded his beefy forearms against the guardrail, letting his eyes get lost in the vast Farage sea.


    ¡°It¡¯s going well, my men have been informed to continue with disrupting Barakat and to press onwards with the hit and run attacks on Henlein. Another day or two and he should be exhausted, easy pickings really.¡±


    ¡°What significance did you find in massacring a town guardpost?¡±


    Kydin chuckled.


    ¡°Ah so you heard. Simple really, to sow chaos into the equation.¡±


    ¡°Are you not concerned about drawing the ire of the Pioneers?¡±


    ¡°With Henlein here there¡¯s no worry of that, he¡¯s a high ranking member and the poster boy. He¡¯s always been one of the most capable of their bunch, leaving now makes him and the Pioneers look weak. However, the longer he remains unable to resolve the problem, the more agitated the townsfolk become. The Pioneers may govern the town but they aren¡¯t popular within Barakat. Soon the town will turn on him, a lose-lose situation you see.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re as resourceful as they say, however one thing eludes me.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    The Knight turned, it towered over Kydin.


    ¡°You arrived here in Barakat with a crew far larger than you are currently utilising, why is that?¡±


    ¡°Henlein¡¯s quite the monster, I need all the man I can muster. Need to retain my high success rate after all, it¡¯s a hired hand¡¯s bread and butter¡±.


    ¡°Yet you continuously insist on more information regarding the bull, which I find strange to say the least. Is there something you don¡¯t want to share?¡±


    Kydin sized him up, he wasn¡¯t about to let this mindless machine intimidate him.


    ¡°And if I did?¡±


    ¡°Then things would not end well for you to put it simply. You¡¯re aware of the Yharnam tree are you not? Of the incredible heights it reaches and the fame surrounding it?


    ¡°Of course it can grow hundreds of feet tall, I¡¯ve even heard of a city built into the tree¡¯s trunk here in this land. What of it?¡±


    The Knight drew its blade, held it aloft.


    For such a weighty looking blade he handles it with such dexterity, Kydin thought.


    ¡°What¡¯s incredible is that despite all its amazing strengths, the tree itself is quite fragile at the roots. One good strike and the tree comes crashing down.¡±


    Kydin felt the sword skim his hair, The Knight revealed a small tuft of his murky green hair in its palm before letting the wind whisk it away.


    ¡°Even the strongest can be felled with one well placed strike. Remember that when next you think to ask questions that shouldn''t be asked. I¡¯ll be in touch.¡±


    The Knight sheathed its sword and leapt from the lighthouse balcony, crashing to the ground below. A small crater formed at the crash site and the Knight departed.


    No matter its threats Kydin would not be fazed. He felt droplets of rain pelt his skin, and felt the rain trace his outline.


    Bad omen, he thought.

 Inciting Point

    Piotr, Christi and Ratchet sat idly as they allowed Sam to recuperate. The man ate a plate of food in silence. Besides a slight headache he had assured the group that he was perfectly fine. The news of all that happened and the plan to eliminate Kydin had brought on this stillness.


    ¡°So we are to kill Kydin then? Sam asked.


    Christi and Ratchet sat silent. Piotr sat forward. He clamped his hands together.


    ¡°Right now it¡¯s our only option, I don¡¯t see how we can incapacitate Kydin and an entire band of mercenaries.¡±


    Sam eyed Piotr with an icy stare, ¡°I don¡¯t believe that, while it may prove difficult there has to be another way. One that doesn¡¯t involve executing another man. Besides, how do you even hope to best a group infamous for its incredible feats?¡±


    ¡°With the help of the Finders it¡¯s not impossible. If they can rally the town we can succeed,¡± Piotr retorted.


    ¡°Those men aren¡¯t fighters, they¡¯re thieves. We¡¯re all aware of that,¡± said Ratchet.


    ¡°Even with the odds stacked against us, it¡¯s obvious they don¡¯t wish to engage in direct combat. The attack on Sam and I proves that. Had it not been for one of Kydin¡¯s men allowing me to regain my composure we would¡¯ve died. Kydin says one thing and yet one of his men abides by the Fheitgr code of honour. There''s a divide there.¡±


    Sam regarded Piotr with a sorrowful expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Piotr but this is all becoming too much. We agreed to defeat one singular man. Now we¡¯re facing a group of trained mercenaries, perhaps it¡¯s time we retreated. The Pioneers will understand I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not running!¡± snapped Christi.


    ¡°Christi dear, I¡¯m sorry but this has grown out of hand. A retreat is the best course of action right now,¡± Sam said softly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve waited four years for this, and now at the first hurdle you¡¯re quitting? I don¡¯t want apologies. I want what you and Piotr promised me those four years ago¡± Christi replied flatly


    Sam remained silent, he had no answer for the girl. Piotr placed a firm hand on Sam¡¯s shoulder. He met Sam¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Sam I understand your sentiments but Christi¡¯s right, we have a duty here and to what we promised her. You and the Pioneers gave me a chance when I first came to you. I intend to repay that generosity,¡± said Piotr.


    Sam sighed.


    ¡°Sometimes I curse your sense of duty.¡±


    ¡°And who instilled that into me?¡± Piotr chuckled. Sam managed a meek smile reflecting his resignation.


    ¡°I taught you too well it seems,¡± Sam stifled a laugh.


    ¡°Thank you my dear friend. I know this isn¡¯t easy for you to stomach but I truly appreciate your cooperation,¡± said Piotr


    ¡°So what then? I¡¯m not a fan of this decision either but sitting around certainly ain¡¯t gonna help us,¡± Ratchet said.


    Rain tapped lightly on the window, a bell tolled in the near distance. The group heard a knock on the door behind them. Before an invitation inside was extended the door opened. Lanky and middle aged, it was the proprietor of this inn. His entire demeanour had changed from the night before. He stood tall with his head held high, a grave expression upon his face. He nodded in Ratchet and Christi¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Excuse my intrusion but Miss Adriana has requested your group¡¯s presence at the nearby town hall. There is currently a call for an emergency meeting and Miss Adriana would like for all of you to attend. She will speak with you directly after the meeting¡¯s conclusion.¡±


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    He left as quickly as he entered, no room for a response or decision was allowed.


    ¡°No piss assing around, is there?¡± Ratchet quipped.


    ¡°Quite a vulgar way to word it but indeed. The woman doesn¡¯t like to wait around. Well I suppose we¡¯ll be attending,¡± Piotr said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it''s a bit hasty to show our faces so soon after that earlier attack?¡± Sam inquired. Piotr jumped to his feet and brushed his trenchcoat down with his palms.


    ¡°If this Miss Adriana truly needs our help then she¡¯ll ensure our safety will she not? Besides, not even Kydin would be so daring to attack us in public. Needless bloodshed will only draw unwanted attention from the Pioneers, he¡¯s reckless not downright idiotic.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re correct. Well let¡¯s get to it then,¡± Sam donned his top hat and smoothened his jacket.


    ¡°Never liked gatherings but what can ya do?¡± Ratchet trudged along behind the two men.


    Christi followed quietly. She pondered Adriana¡¯s motives.


    Why invite us to attend the town meeting? She wants to talk to us directly after so why not just do so when the meeting concludes? What are you playing at Adriana?


    Rain continued to trickle down from the overcast sky above. The sky rumbled, the dull formless beast above threatened further vicious downpour, though for now it stayed its fury. Townsfolk flooded the cramped streets, frantically shutting up their shops and stalls. Clamored tightly to the backs of the townsfolk were raincoats and any item of clothing that included a hood. Christi observed the expressions on the faces of the Barakat population. Fear, anger and confusion.


    The once cheery and bustling Barakat was currently nowhere to be found. She felt people glancing in her direction, more so than before. The icy stares and murmur of whispers. However this all ceased once people noticed Piotr, it was incredible really. Everyone stepped to the side to allow Piotr and the group forward.


    They entered an open plaza through a tall but thin archway. The plaza offered no respite from the rain, open windows with shutters braced by metal encircled the inside plaza square. These lucky few observed from inside their homes, drinks in hand as they exchanged worried looks while they awaited the meeting¡¯s commencement.


    Standing tall in the centre of the square was the Yharnam tree. White and golden crested leaves hung low from its thick and plentiful branches. Christi gasped. It was beautiful, like something out of a storybook. The tree looked so serene even against the grey backdrop of the sky. Situated just in front of the tree¡¯s roots was a stage, small but a stage nonetheless.


    Christi spotted the bell tower nearby. A high building with a pointed spire reaching to the sky. The bell ceased. The crowd was restless, everyone eagerly awaited some answer to this sudden call.


    ¡°Quite the crowd,¡± Ratchet said with an air of disbelief.


    ¡°These meetings are reserved for only the direst of situations, one that Kydin has created. Fheitgr aren¡¯t often this bold,¡± Piotr commented.


    The group halted just before the stage, front row seats for the show. The crowd silently awaited. Moments later Adriana and two men stepped onstage. Adriana and another portly looking man stood behind a tall man who looked to be in his fifties. A van dyke goatee shaped his rectangular face. Christi was surprised,


    Adriana¡¯s not centre stage? She mused in her head. Adriana noticed the group, she flashed a pleasant smile.


    ¡°Good afternoon everyone I apologise for the sudden call but as you are aware these meetings are never called for a trivial matter.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Christi whispered to Sam.


    ¡°Abraham Samuels, he is currently the elected chancellor of the Barakat town council. First came into office about two years ago.¡±


    Abraham continued with his speech,


    ¡°As most of you are already aware, recently ten guardsmen stationed at the Inchydon guardhouse were murdered in cold blood.¡±


    He paused and let it sink in for greater effect.


    An experienced public speaker I see, Piotr thought.


    ¡°What¡¯s incredibly worrying is that this attack was perpetrated by a large group of Fheitgr warriors led here recently by Kydin, an infamous mercenary.¡±


    Glares were thrown in Christi¡¯s direction.


    Yeah I get it, Christi said to herself.


    ¡°Now we¡¯ve dealt with Fheitgr before but never to this degree.¡±


    The crowd began to grow rowdy, there were shouts of frustration and discontent.


    ¡°I called this meeting as we would like to announce we will be forming a united front to repel this group. We will need everyone''s support in the matter. Now I know what you¡¯re thinking, we can''t hope to combat nor drive out Fheitgr. Well luckily we¡¯ll have some help. The man to the right of me is the leader of the Finders. He has agreed to aid Barakat in facing this common problem; they too wish to see Barakat free of Fheitgr. Adriana on my left, who you all know as my vice-chancellor, has informed me that Piotr Henlein has pledged his help in this dire time.¡±


    The attention shifted wholy to Piotr, the crowd awaited his response. Adriana smiled at him.


    Ah I see what you¡¯re doing, clever. So be it I¡¯ll play along for now, Piotr thought.


    He joined the three on stage and faced the crowd. He bowed reverently, inhaled deeply and projected his voice as best he could.


    ¡°I promise to drive this rabble away with all my might, it is my solemn duty!¡±


    A chorus of cheers erupted, the plaza was jumping. Piotr shook Abraham¡¯s hand, the portly man''s, before finally grasping Adriana¡¯s extended hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re as altruistic as ever. I¡¯ve always admired how righteous you Pioneers are, we¡¯ll speak more in house number three on Valence Street. I look forward to working with you,¡± she said.


    ¡°Likewise my good lady, it¡¯s always an honour to aid those in need,¡± Piotr returned.


    A guttural roar echoed around the plaza behind Piotr. Adriana¡¯s face grew pale, and Piotr turned to see the cause. Stood belligerently on the southern rooftop overlooking the plaza with his gaze focused on Piotr was Gorilla. One of the two Fheitgr warriors Piotr had faced earlier in the Inchydon guardhouse.


    ¡°Piotr Henlein! I have come for my rematch!¡± Gorilla shouted.


    Yeah, I should¡¯ve killed him, Piotr thought.

 Strength

    ¡°Hahaha, what a time to be alive. Oh I thank the great Aetur for blessing me on this day!¡± Gorilla shouted from the rooftops above the plaza.


    The square itself and its populace had become a myriad of panic and terror.


    ¡°Fheitgr! Fheitgr! Run!¡± echoed around the plaza.


    Adriana and Abraham on stage began issuing orders to the nearby guards. Guards futilely directed traffic, doing their utmost to evacuate everyone in a calm and orderly fashion. It was pointless. The plaza was packed to the brim and this level of chaos only made everything significantly more difficult to organise. Four tall but thin archways located on the North, West, East and South ends of the plaza served as the exits to the plaza. Citizens stormed each corridor desperately seeking escape.


    Piotr sighed.


    What I¡¯d give to be able to just ignore all this anarchy and kill this blubbering Fheitgr fool. Duty calls I suppose. Let¡¯s start with alleviating some build up.


    A blue aura enveloped groups of citizens in patches. People soared through the air as they were hoisted upwards by their waist.


    Thankfully some of you are wearing belts, how fortunate, Piotr thought.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?! Help me!¡± screamed the airborne citizens.


    ¡°My good citizens, if you would be so kind as to relax. I assure you this level of discomfort will cease shortly!¡± Piotr announced.


    Metal railings that served as shutters for windows in the plaza suddenly twisted and bent, forming makeshift ladders that lead inside the buildings surrounding the plaza. Luckily every open window was now vacant.


    ¡°If some of you would be so gracious to enter the nearby buildings and leave in a calm and orderly fashion!¡± Piotr instructed.


    The airborne citizens were safely placed inside every window, displaying the path forward. To Christi¡¯s surprise, people listened and the chaos began to subside slightly. It was incredible how level headed the man always remained. Christi looked around, unable to spot Sam or Ratchet. Using all her strength she fought to continue standing amidst all the jostling. Stray elbows and arms stabbed her sides.


    Christi watched as Piotr withdrew metal sheets from his trenchcoat and moulded them into a slew of spiked arrows. He floated in the air before releasing his arrows. The projectiles accelerated towards the large burly man standing ready on the plaza rooftop. He reacted quickly, adeptly dodging each missile, all the while he laughed giddily.


    He¡¯s so quick, Christi thought


    Piotr set himself down about ten metres from the man. Raindrops pittered his trench coat.


    ¡°You want your rematch, I¡¯ll allow it, but not here. These people needn¡¯t be caught in our squabble. We¡¯ll fight elsewhere,¡± said Piotr.


    Gorilla¡¯s smile broadened deeper, the man was ecstatic, ¡°So be it, I¡¯m content as long as I¡¯m allowed my rematch.¡±


    ¡°Follow me then,¡± Piotr said solemnly, waving his hand.


    He floated over the rooftops and Gorilla gleefully followed. Christi watched as the two disappeared from her vision.


    What was he thinking? There could be more warriors lying in wait. I need to help him.


    Christi wrestled inwards through the crowd and climbed the stage. Surveying her surroundings she looked for a route out. The Yharnam Tree and its plentiful branches caught her eye. She had an idea. She began to climb the tree. Luckily the tree trunk wasn¡¯t as slippery as she had expected. Save for a couple slips here and there she persevered and reached a thick branch that extended to the nearby plaza rooftop.


    Here goes nothing, she gulped.


    The girl ran and leapt from the branch, landing clumsily on the ceramic tiling. Her feet began to slide, so she plunged her metallic fist into the roof and anchored herself. Collecting herself she ran in the direction Piotr and the warrior had left in. Searching the horizon frantically she spotted two figures, one floating and the other following closely behind. They were headed in the direction of the pier.


    I¡¯m coming, Piotr, she said to herself as she bounded from adjacent street rooftops.


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    Ratchet and Sam, like Christi, had managed to escape the plaza. The two had spotted Christi clambering the Yharnam Tree to reach the rooftops of the plaza square. Dodging and weaving through the streets the pair chased the girl.


    ¡°Where¡¯s she going?¡± Ratchet said under his ragged breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure but I would assume Christi is currently pursuing Piotr and the warrior he faced before,¡± Sam said.


    ¡°That¡¯s one of the two men he faced? I thought Piotr took care of them?!¡± Ratchet shouted.


    ¡°Fheitgr don¡¯t stay down for very long unfortunately, they¡¯re known to recover incredibly quickly. I fear this may perhaps prove more troublesome than I first conceived. Quickly my friend, we must hurry!¡±.


    ¡°I¡¯m running as fast as I can!¡± replied Ratchet.


    Piotr led the man to the empty pier. He couldn¡¯t have chosen a more suitable spot. He set himself down in an open seating area that was in the shape of an octagon. Varying heights of benches rose above one another, all overlooking an elevated circular wooden dial. The rain pelted down harder now, transforming into a heavy downpour.


    Now to squash this bug, before anyone else gets hurt.


    Gorilla ripped free his hooded clothing revealing a black vest and powerful frame that was accentuated by his chiselled muscles. He belted out another laugh, a wicked smile blurred his scarred face.


    ¡°Is this good enough for you then? Come Piotr Henlein. Grant me the pleasure I seek. Let us have a wonderful fight, one that the great Aetur will proudly acknowledge!¡±


    Piotr stared at him, so loud and unruly. He hated the Fheitgr. Battle crazed maniacs who¡¯s hunger could never be sated. Piotr remembered his days before the Pioneers. He had fought, scratched and clawed for everything he needed to survive. Despite it all, he wanted for nothing, just the means to live.


    Oh how selfish you Fheitgr are, he raged. A familiar feeling consumed him. Bloodlust, how nostalgic.


    ¡°Come Piotr Henlein, face me Korill of Tribe Fier!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you this time,¡± Piotr said coldly.


    ¡°Haha! That¡¯s the spirit!¡± shouted Korill.


    Same as before, enhance your reflexes. Move quickly and precisely. Control the battlefield.


    Piotr blinked and next thing he knew Korill was upon him. Piotr pulled himself back sliding across the slippery surface of the pier. It didn¡¯t matter. Korill continued his onslaught.


    He¡¯s trying to overwhelm me. Time to up the pace then.


    Piotr surged his mana, greatly enhancing his speed. Evading each rapid strike he danced around the pier. Even with his enhanced capabilities he struggled to avoid Korill¡¯s close quarters combat. For every strike he dodged he would suffer the brunt of two in return.


    I can¡¯t keep this up, Piotr thought


    He prepared two metal sheets on either side of his lower abdomen inside his coat, ready. He retreated again, this time however he leapt backwards into the air. Just high enough for Korill to snap his right fist into Piotr¡¯s lower left abdomen. Piotr let himself go with the impact, he clutched at where he had been hit.


    Thankfully he was fine, he had braced for the impact accordingly. It was a risk but it had paid off. Korill yelled in agony as a metal spike impaled his right fist. A hole poked through Piotr¡¯s coat where the spike had punctured Korill¡¯s fist.


    Piotr raised his hand and manipulated the spike, he dragged it up towards Korill¡¯s wrist and twisted. Blood and muscle revealed itself to the wet conditions. Korill grunted before gripping the spike and ripping it free.


    Good that¡¯s one less thing to worry about in close quarters, Piotr sighed in relief.


    Korill hurled the spike back towards Piotr, the spike halted midair. Piotr propelled himself from the spike, darting upwards and slipping more sheets of metal from his trenchcoat. Projectiles rained down with Piotr as he descended towards Korill. Korill growled, he darted between the spikes. A spike nicked a pocket on Korill¡¯s left leg. Suddenly a black hazy gas exploded on the pier below Piotr.


    Is that his affinity?


    Piotr lowered himself to the pier. He scanned his surroundings, a hazy black smoke enveloped him. The smoke felt alive.


    Can¡¯t say his affinity exactly compliments him, Piotr thought.


    The smoke next to him split. Through reduced visibility he recognised the large silhouette, it was Korill. A firm hand clasped the collar of his coat, and he was thrown from the smoke. Korill growled loudly like a feral animal.


    He was enjoying the fight just a few moments ago, now he seems angry. Why?


    Piotr propped himself to his feet, Korill emerged from the shadows. His face was stern, he inhaled and relaxed.


    ¡°Forgive me I disgraced our duel, bringing such a cowardly weapon to a fight like this. Please collect yourself and let us resume. I will best you with my own strength¡±, Korill said.


    That wasn¡¯t his affinity then? Yet it felt like an affinity.


    ¡°How kind of you,¡± Piotr said before standing up.


    Korill smiled, he bowed low with his arms outstretched. Ready to pounce.


    ¡°Piotr!¡± he turned to see Christi, behind her were Sam and Ratchet.


    ¡°Stay back!¡± he barked towards the group.


    Korill sprang forward. He hesitated at the girl¡¯s cry. He dug his feet into the ground but his momentum continued. He collided with Piotr, sending the man reeling backwards. Piotr crashed into a nearby bench, his body ached, he should¡¯ve been dead by now. Enhancing his durability and reflexes was taking its toll on his body. Korill spun towards the trio.


    ¡°Leave! We are in the middle of a duel, do not disturb us!¡± Korill fumed.


    Christi charged forward, Korill smiled as he noticed the girl¡¯s features.


    Christi connected with a punch, Korill¡¯s face soured.


    ¡°You¡¯re not Fheitgr, you¡¯re weak. How disappointing¡±.


    Korill felt a tug on his neck as Ratchet attempted to choke the man. Korill shook him off and Ratchet flopped to the ground.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like picking on the weak but if you insist on interrupting our duel then I must remove you¡± Korill said solemnly.


    He drew his fist back.


    No, no, no, Christi screamed in her head.


    Christi saw the falling rubble, heard Alex¡¯s familiar voice. Rage and fire burned inside her, she felt her muscles grow stronger. Mana surged through her body. Her left arm exploded with power, steam vociferated. Springing forward her left fist slammed into the back of Korill¡¯s head.


    Punch after punch she continued wailing on him. He slumped to the ground. It was as if time had stopped, everyone remained frozen in place. To Christi¡¯s surprise Korill turned over, and she approached her foe.


    ¡°Come here child,¡± he said weakly.


    Christi found her body complying, she knelt at his side. He ripped free a pendant hidden beneath his vest and placed it into Christi¡¯s right hand. He brought her close, even now a smile plastered his face. His eyes leaked blood.


    ¡°Forgive me, I misjudged you. There it is, the look of a Fheitgr warrior, glorious. Remember my name child, Korill of Tribe Fier. The warrior you slew. Embrace it child. That killer instinct and strength that accompanies it.¡±


    Korill¡¯s eyes dilated grey and he drew his last breath. Christi observed the pendant. The symbol resembled a flame. Her left arm was coated in crimson blood. Rich red like her flames. She felt¡­ strong.

 Truth

    Ratchet watched as Christi stood above the large Fheitgr warrior. Her arm was stained red with the blood of the man who lay dead before her. The girl had blood on her hands and she was¡­ smiling.


    He hadn¡¯t even a moment to react, one moment he was staring death right in the eye, the next he watched as Christi pummeled the warrior from behind.


    She had been merciless in her assault, reigning down brutal hammers on her foe. It was frankly disturbing how ruthless Christi had been.


    Ratchet gathered himself.


    ¡°Christi, are you ok?¡±


    She turned, a grin sat comfortably on her face. Her metal fingers squeezed into a fist.


    Christi let the warmth embrace her, she felt the flame within her.


    What is this? I feel so free, so strong. This is what I wanted, the strength to change who I am.


    Then before she knew it her newfound power began to fade.


    No! Don¡¯t leave me!


    Christi sparked her affinity, igniting her flames hoping that the flame would envelop her again. Nothing. The cold chill of the rain drops reminded her harshly of the reality she had temporarily departed.


    Why? I had it, the strength I need. Please come back.


    Sam ran to Piotr¡¯s side, he helped the man to his feet.


    ¡°Great heavens my friend, are you alright?¡± Sam asked.


    ¡°Nothing a little rest can¡¯t fix,¡± chuckled Piotr.


    A sharp pain seared his side as he did so. He winced, his lower abdomen was bruised but relatively unscathed considering the punishment Korill had inflicted. He was lucky, had it not been for his attunement throughout the fight, he would¡¯ve died to even one strong strike from Korill.


    Piotr watched Christi, he noticed her smile fading, falling into a frown.


    ¡°Did the girl?¡± Sam quietly said to Piotr.


    ¡°Briefly achieve attunement? Yes she did,¡± Piotr finished Sam¡¯s sentence.


    ¡°I see,¡± said Sam.


    This was far from a surprise for those who knew about attunement like Piotr. The power itself was linked to strong emotions, negative emotions often yielded the greatest results. The drawback was that attunement usage led to a wearied body. Fheitgr specialised in the power due to their strengthened bodies.


    Sam and Piotr approached Christi and Ratchet. Sam looked conflicted, it was obvious how death irked him even those who deserve it Piotr thought. Yet he still cared deeply for the girl. Ratchet, however, looked like he was about to boil over.


    Perhaps I should say something, Piotr sighed to himself.


    ¡°Christi..¡±


    ¡°Why did you do that?!¡± Ratchet interjected fiercely.


    Christi¡¯s face soured,


    ¡°Huh?! I just saved you, he was going to kill you.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to kill the man, one blow would¡¯ve been enough!¡± Ratchet continued his shouting.


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    ¡°You want me to spare the man who just a moment ago was actively trying to kill us? Are you hearing yourself right now?¡± Christi snapped back.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to decide who lives and dies. There¡¯s blood on your hands and believe me it doesn¡¯t wash off so easily.¡±


    The last part sounded so weak yet so sincere, Ratchet must have quite the past, Piotr thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, I finally had it! The strength I needed and now it¡¯s gone! You just don¡¯t understand!¡±


    Christi sprinted off away from Ratchet, Piotr and Sam.


    ¡°Christi! Christi!¡± Ratchet yelled after her.


    ¡°Save your breath Ratchet, we¡¯ll find her later. Don¡¯t worry. Like I said before, she''s a capable girl. For now I suggest we discuss matters with Adriana.¡± Piotr patted the elderly man on the back.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of this rain, shall we?¡± Sam asked Ratchet as he placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s.¡± Ratchet dejectedly responded.


    The trio knocked on the door of house number three on Valence Street. A rather plain looking man opened the door. He scanned the group from head to toe.


    ¡°Come in, she¡¯s waiting inside.¡±


    He pulled the door back and stepped aside to allow their entry.


    ¡°Thank you my good man,¡± said Piotr as he hobbled inside clutching his side.


    They entered a room that was lavished with all sorts of furniture and items. The mantle piece above the fireplace was filled with family photos and portraits of a young blond girl. Adriana sat in an armchair by the lit fireplace. A pleasant aroma floated through the area, and Piotr recognised it.


    Bourne wood, one of the first major imports here in Barakat. Piotr thought to himself.


    Adriana held a glass of wine in her right hand, she stared blankly into the dancing fire, oblivious to the group.


    ¡°Miss Adriana?¡± asked Sam, breaking the silence.


    She turned and flashed a meek smile.


    ¡°Ah apologies I was lost in thought, please make yourselves at home. Welcome to my humble abode.¡±


    Ratchet plopped himself down onto one of the couches, Sam and Piotr perched themselves with more tact. Adriana swirled her glass around before finishing the last few sips. She stood and raised her glass, tilting it in the direction of her guests.


    ¡°Anyone care for a drink? I have an exquisite red wine imported from Tivero.¡±


    Piotr waved a dismissive hand, Ratchet grunted which signaled no, Sam however gladly accepted his host¡¯s offer.


    ¡°How gracious a host you are, I would love a glass. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s difficult for me to say no to a good wine.¡±


    Adriana smirked,


    ¡°A man after my own heart.¡±


    She grabbed Sam a glass and poured, her hand shook slightly as she did so. Adriana walked over to the mantlepiece and picked up one of the family photos on display. She rubbed the edges of the frame before setting it gently back down. Without turning she asked,


    ¡°Do you know why I created the Finders?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Piotr humored her.


    Adriana picked up a fire poker and began thrusting it into the fire sparking it further.


    ¡°I grew up here. Life was simple but I was happy. As a child we would often experience Fheitgr attacks. Granted they never killed those they viewed as unworthy opponents. About two years ago however the Fheitgr began to do something they hadn¡¯t before. They intercepted cargo ships on their route here and ransacked them. Trade is life in Barakat so you can imagine how crippling that would be for us. I sent word to your Pioneers, explaining the gravity of the situation. A letter arrived, it read ¡®We are very sorry but current matters in Prominence take precedence¡¯. We weren¡¯t even considered a part of the continent they so eagerly protect, just a town that could be of convenience when needed. That¡¯s when I decided that we needed to look after ourselves. The Fheitgr were growing more bold under the Kydawn family rule and The Pioneers refused help. So I created the Finders.¡±


    Adriana sipped her wine and pivoted towards the group.


    ¡°I believe you can understand now why this town and I need your help. Today especially was proof of that, one warrior and we couldn¡¯t do a thing. I¡¯m truly grateful for your presence.¡±


    ¡°No need to be grateful, had I not been there that man would not have shown up in the first place,¡± Piotr responded.


    Adriana raised an eyebrow,


    ¡°Whatever happened to that warrior?¡±


    ¡°Dead. Christi killed him,¡± Piotr said.


    ¡°The girl killed him? I¡¯m glad she¡¯s on our side, nobody is better at killing Fheitgr than themselves.¡±


    Ratchet stood up and left the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find Christi,¡± he said as the door slammed behind him.


    ¡°Did I say something to offend him?¡± Adriana asked Piotr.


    ¡°He¡¯s just worried about the girl, frankly we all are,¡± Piotr dismissed her concern.


    Piotr sat forward as much as his bruises would allow.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to the point, how do you propose we tackle this matter now with all that has occurred so recently?¡±


    ¡°Why we¡¯ll return our Fheitgr friends visit in kind with a visit of our own.¡±


    Piotr stared at Adriana. Sam paused and placed his glass down. He, like Piotr, looked flabbergasted at the recklessness Adriana was proposing.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, we don¡¯t have the firepower nor men for that. Such a reckless approach will only yield casualties for Barakat.¡±


    Adriana shrugged her shoulders,


    ¡°Oh I don¡¯t know about all that, after we have been blessed by an exalted member of the Pioneers coming to the aid of our town. I believe that Piotr Henlein, The Clock Faced Genius is all the firepower we need. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Why did I agree to this?, Piotr sighed.


    Christi took shelter underneath a large rock formation. The hard assortment of pebbles and stones prodded her from below. The sea twisted and churned wildly, each passing wave crashing with a roar. Gathering some driftwood she piled the flammable material up. A small ember flickered to life in the palm of her left hand, the flame caught and ignited the wood. Like always, she couldn¡¯t feel the sensation of the flame burning in her hand.


    The flame extinguished. How could she attain that state again? That comforting feeling of warmth and the power that accompanied it? Ratchet¡¯s words echoed in her head, anger rose in her. She saved him, why did the death of one man anger him so greatly?


    He just didn¡¯t understand her, none of them did. She saw the way they looked at her. She was Fheitgr, she was different. Perhaps I¡¯ll always be an outcast, neither Fheitgr nor a citizen of this country. The old Barakat lighthouse to her right reached to the grey sky.


    ¡°Hello Child,¡± an unfamiliar voice emerged from her left.


    She turned, a darkly tanned man, baby blue eyes, murky green hair and a bushy black beard. He was like her, she thought.

 Temptation

    Black bushy beard, baby blue eyes, green murky hair. Christi realised in an instant who stood before her. It was none other than Kydin, the man they were hunting. Igniting her arm, Christi readied herself to fight. Before she could make a move, Kydin shoved the girl to the ground. His blade poked her throat. After another three seconds, Christi¡¯s arm finally alighted.


    Shit! Shit! Shit! Christi screamed in her mind.


    Kydin whistled as he studied the arm.


    ¡°Never seen anything like that before. Impressive. For all it¡¯s merit however, a tool that can¡¯t be drawn right away isn¡¯t a weapon. It¡¯s a liability.¡±


    Kydin shifted his focus to Christi¡¯s bloodied open palmed right hand, noticing the flame shaped pendant within. He cocked an eyebrow,


    ¡°Is that¡­? Did you kill Korill?¡±


    ¡®Fuck! It can¡¯t end like this. No!¡¯ Mustering all her strength, Christi squirmed but Kydin¡¯s boot refused to waver. Then to her surprise, Christi felt the pressure relent. Kydin¡¯s sword retracted into a dagger, and he sheathed his blade.


    A smile sprang to his face,


    ¡°Well done child, Korill was a mighty warrior. I applaud your strength.¡±


    Kydin perched himself beside the fire. Christi kept her arm alight, ready to strike at any moment. Yet she found herself staying an attack.


    ¡°Relax child, I¡¯m not here to fight. In fact ,with what I¡¯ve just learned, I¡¯d much rather talk.¡±


    The wind howled around the cave, and the fire burned quietly. Christi glared at Kydin. It was strange, this man was her enemy yet she felt a kinship to him. She hadn¡¯t once considered her ignition startup time would be a liability.


    ¡°What do you wanna talk about then?¡± Christi warily asked.


    ¡°For starters I¡¯d like to learn how you bested Korill. Even among all my men he was exceptional.¡± The man paused, he rubbed his beard, pondering.


    ¡°And?¡± Christi poked


    Kydin smirked at her, he rested his palms on his knees.


    ¡°Well to put it bluntly, child you are not, so how did you defeat him? A clever trick? Perhaps a latent power that only activates in a crisis?¡±


    Outside the waves crashed, roaring amidst the storm.


    ¡°I caught him by surprise, for a moment I was strong then I wasn¡¯t¡± she said quietly her voice trailing as she mentioned her fleeting strength.


    Christi dropped her head and pulled her knees closer.


    ¡°Are you referring to attunement?¡± Kydin¡¯s voice broke the silence.


    Christi raised her head. The term piqued her interest.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised child, that¡¯s a new sensation for you? Surely Piotr Henlein would have taught you the basics?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t, he taught me to prioritise affinity usage.¡±


    ¡°You see that¡¯s where he¡¯s wrong, you¡¯re Fheitgr. Attunement is the foundation for our strength. Without it, we¡¯re no different than those here in Anriel.¡±


    Kydin poked the fire, he smiled as the fire soared up.


    ¡°You know I could teach you the basics if you¡¯d like and how to maintain it.¡±


    Christi¡¯s head perked up. She held the man¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± she probed.


    Kydin held his hands up, he chuckled.


    ¡°No catch, I merely wish to aid my fellow Fheitgr.¡±


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    Christi thought of his offer. He was right about her arm, could he actually grant her the strength she sought?


    Kydin stood, he gathered himself and regarded Christi.


    ¡°Well I think that about concludes our chat, think on what I said child. Perhaps we¡¯ll talk again soon.¡±


    Draping his hood he left, braving the storm. Christi lifted her prosthetic arm, imagining the explosion of power she felt before. She returned to observing the crashing waves outside.


    ¡°Christi! Christi!¡± pierced the mist of rainfall that hailed down fiercely upon the golden hued sands of Carra Beach.


    Ratchet held his arms in front of him shielding himself from the torrent of rain that soaked his figure. With each strained step he felt his strength waning. The bitter chill began to seep in, he needed to find Christi soon. Having spent the better part of the last half hour unsheltered in harsh conditions Ratchet knew the longer he spent out here, the likelihood of him getting sick would increase.


    A vast gust of wind staggered his progress forward, he pitched back, almost stumbling but he stood strong. Unlike his thickset body Ratchet¡¯s grey hair was not resistant to the wind, it whipped back from his forehead, lank and drenched.


    Suddenly Ratchet felt a firm hand upon his shoulder. Turning to discover the source he found his answer in a short and robust man, who held his ground. Dangling from the stranger¡¯s obscured face was a raven black beard. A thought of familiarity entered Ratchet¡¯s mind but he was unable to place his finger on what was now eluding him. Outstretching his arm, the stranger pointed ahead.


    ¡°Continue forward, seek the light along the shore amidst a cavern. There dwells the girl you are seeking!¡±


    Before Ratchet could question the stranger on his identity or how he knew where Christi was, the man vanished. The tempestuous blanket of mist and rain consumed the figure of the stranger. Steeling himself Ratchet decided to trust the stranger, and steadfast in his goal he trudged forward.


    Turquoise hooked limbs scurried amidst the creamy plethora of stones at the foot of the cave. Pausing for a moment the Laacrab eyed the swaying fire deeper inside. Landing wings sprawled, a large Tetch plucked the Laacrab up, flipped it onto its soft underbelly and began feasting. Christi watched nature take its course.


    The large Tetch squawked shrilly upon finishing its meal. With a flap of its feathered brown wings the Tetch departed the cave gliding upon the howling wind. A crunch of trodden stones alerted Christi, had Kydin returned?


    Ratchet rounded the side of the cave¡¯s entrance. He opened his mouth before shutting it again, what was he to say? Pulling her knees closer Christi nestled her head. Ratchet entered the cave, he sat himself adjacent to Christi hugging the wall. The fire crackled and spit, both Christi and Ratchet remained silent, both unsure of what to say.


    ¡°Ratchet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah kid?¡±


    ¡°I miss him.¡±


    The shimmer of the dancing fire reflected in Ratchet¡¯s tired eyes. The image of Christi, Ratchet and Alex sat in their garage in Chrodrift filled his mind. Christi''s laughter and Alex''s smile, now a forgotten thought.


    ¡°Yeah me too kid, me too.¡±


    Sat comfortably atop a maroon leather bench opposite to his faithful companion beneath a cedarwood banner adorned with the family crests of Barakat, drank Piotr and Sam. The two enjoyed the simplicity of a hearty tavern such as this. The Grange Tavern was the name of this establishment and upon this evening the place was bustling with music and excitement alike.


    Sam observed a young couple delighting in the local dance known as the Ceili.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see people can still enjoy themselves even amidst all the recent turmoil,¡± spoke Sam.


    ¡°Indeed I only wish we could partake, though I¡¯m not so sure our company would be wholly welcomed,¡± Piotr said.


    Hunched over a nearby table sipping on their libations was a group of dockhands who had been casting daggers in Piotr and Sam¡¯s direction since their arrival. Piotr sighed and leaned back.


    ¡°I must confide in you my friend, I¡¯m not too sold on this plan Adriana is concocting. It¡¯s too¡­¡±


    ¡°Reckless for your liking?¡± Sam tittered,


    ¡°I must say it¡¯s quite humorous to see how much you¡¯ve changed since you were a boy. Once upon a time you would¡¯ve liked nothing more than to storm an encampment full of bandits so as to boast your affinity.¡±


    ¡°Well I suppose I¡¯ve mellowed out with age,¡± Piotr chuckled.


    ¡°Oh please Piotr. You¡¯re twenty eight, not sixty,¡± Sam took a swig from his mug.


    Using his own personal handkerchief embroidered with his initials, he wiped away a swathe of foam around his mouth.


    ¡°I concur but it¡¯s as you said earlier, we simply have no choice at the moment. Right now we need only focus on what we can do.¡±


    Piotr breath a sigh of relief and relaxed,


    ¡°I envy your frame of mind. Here I sit, flooding my mind with hypotheticals while you¡¯re quietly enjoying a tavern ale.¡±


    Sam raised his mug feigning a toast,


    ¡°And might I add a painfully average ale at that.¡±


    The two laughed, and the door to the tavern opened. Striding in was Abraham Samuels. Spotting the two in his peripheral, he beelined for the pair.


    ¡°Well, what do we have here? The mighty Piotr Henlein and his lovely assistant,¡± he smirked.


    ¡°Why if I had known we were to be joined by such esteemed company I would¡¯ve ordered something more lavish for the table,¡± Piotr addressed Abraham.


    ¡°No need I¡¯m a man of the people, such gifts don¡¯t fit my image. To be sorely frank with you boys I¡¯m not a fan of aligning with you, but Adriana insisted and well I¡¯d be a fool to deny her.¡±


    Grabbing Sam¡¯s mug of ale, Abraham gulped down the cup¡¯s contents.


    ¡°Ahhh refreshing, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be seeing you boys around, I expect great things from you. Maybe you Pioneers will do right by this town for once.¡±


    With a forceful slam of the mug Abraham flashed a wicked smile and retreated to the table of dockhands.


    ¡°Well that was pleasant,¡± Sam softly spoke.


    Piotr turned, casting a glance at Abraham who laughed and joked with the dockhands.


    ¡°Their anger towards us isn¡¯t totally unjustified, Brand¡¯s death here twenty years ago created a lot of division here when it comes to the Pioneers," Piotr uttered.


    Sam sat back, he grasped the pitcher of ale and poured himself another drink. White foam stilled at the cup¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Brand¡¯s death was not an easy one for all parties involved. They may detest us for that decision but Brand couldn¡¯t go unpunished. The man took an incredible risk, one that could¡¯ve doomed all of Anriel," Sam finished as drained his mug.


    ¡°Shall we be going then Piotr?¡±


    Piotr lay his gloved hands on the table,


    ¡°Let¡¯s stay a while more, it¡¯s good for the locals to see us mingling.¡±


    Sam smiled and stood up grabbing ahold of his pitcher.


    ¡°Delightful, then if you don¡¯t mind I¡¯m going to grab myself a refill. Abraham¡¯s fiery personality has left this well quite dry.¡±


    ¡°Indulge yourself my friend, you¡¯ve earned it," Piotr laughed.


    Later that night Piotr carried Sam back to the inn. Soundly snoozing, the pair walked through the quiet streets of Barakat. For all the panic the day before, there were those who still took to the streets at night. Guardsmen and Finders patrolled routinely, attempting to sniff out any Fheitgr activity. While they¡¯d prove no match for the warriors, their presence helped deter outright attacks.


    Stepping out from an alleyway to his right, Christi and Ratchet appeared. Christi averted Piotr¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± asked Ratchet.


    ¡°Overindulgence I¡¯m afraid,¡± chuckled Piotr.


    ¡°Oh for fucks sake, here let me help you.¡±


    Ratchet wrapped Sam¡¯s arm around his broad shoulder. Piotr turned to Christi.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you safe Christi, welcome back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she responded quietly. The group pressed forward into Barakat, beneath the starry blue night sky.

 Mending

    The steel gates creaked open. Adriana flinched as the heavy steel door slammed close behind her. Sound bounced from wall to wall as the tall man led the way forward. Broad shoulders, a withered square face, and a stiff stride¡ªif one could create the perfect prison warden, then this man would be the result. At the end of the long hallway, a single cell. It contained the man who awaited his execution, Adriana¡¯s eldest brother.


    The Warden stopped and turned to Adriana; his gaze was shallow and devoid of emotion.


    ¡°You have ten minutes; I¡¯ll return for you later.¡±


    He marched back in the direction from which they came. She heard the door slam once more. Adriana stepped up to the bars that confined her brother. He sat dejected, hunched over against the stone wall.


    ¡°Brand,¡± she called out to him.


    Lifeless eyes rose to meet hers, and a half-hearted grin settled on his face. He pushed himself to his feet and met her at the bars.


    ¡°Hello Adri, it¡¯s good to see you.¡±


    His eyes were red and puffy. He¡¯d been crying, Adriana thought. Tears streamed down her cheek. She grabbed the cell bars, her palms cooling against the cold steel. Brand squeezed her hands gently; warmth embraced her.


    ¡°Have you come to say goodbye? How¡¯s everyone doing?¡±.


    Adriana raised her head; her body shook.


    "They''re... they¡¯re,¡± she fell into a sob. ¡°It¡¯s not fair! You saved us! You¡¯ve done nothing wrong!¡±.


    ¡°We knew the risks, Adri,¡± Brand spoke softly.


    Brand stood tall; he squeezed gently again.


    ¡°Adri, could you promise me one thing?¡±


    She raised her head and listened to what he had to say. With every minute passing, she cursed time itself. They had grown up together, fourteen years together, and now all they had was ten minutes.


    ¡°Take care of everyone, especially Abraham. It¡¯ll be hard, but I believe in you,¡± he croaked.


    His lip quivered; he was mustering a brave face, but it belied him. Their combined wailing reverberated around them. Heavy footsteps interrupted the two.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± said the Warden.


    Adriana''s hands slipped from the bar; she wiped her tears away. She needed to be strong now, for him and for her family. Brand smiled through his tears.


    ¡°Bye Adri.¡±


    ¡°Bye Brand,¡± she managed through a stifled sob.


    Adriana placed an arrangement of white and pink flowers upon a bed of colored fauna at the foot of a beautiful mausoleum. ¡°The Tomb of Brand, Saviour of Barakat,¡± read the plaque on the marble white door of the tomb.


    Just below the plaque etched into the marble were the family¡¯s respective crests. Two leaping silverfish, the Ryba family crest. Their mother¡¯s maiden surname. And a proud gilded Stag, the Samuels family crest. Their father¡¯s family surname.


    She inhaled the salty, pungent odor of the nearby Farraig Sea. It was Brand¡¯s favorite smell. The wind tousled her hair. She combed it back and rose from a crouch.


    A stunning chapel rose ahead atop the hill. A rose window hung above the arched entrance. Piotr recognized the symbol that dominated the window¡¯s center. One of the oldest religions in Anriel is the Church of Axci. Since the inception of ¡®The Pioneers¡¯ and the advancements in technology, religion was quickly becoming a thing of the past. The church itself was another reason why Barakat rejected a man like him. Piotr found the wrought steel gates that guarded the graveyard behind the church and entered.


    Freshly cut grass and neat patches of gravel lined the footpath. The place was well kept. At the head of each grave stood stone crosses with a ring joining each arm. He spotted Adriana and crossed over off the dry path. Dew-soaked grass depressed under Piotr¡¯s boots. Squish, squish, squish sounded beneath him as he pressed ahead towards Adriana. He stopped behind her.


    ¡°You wished to speak?¡± he asked her.


    Adriana turned towards him; she pulled close her coat as the wind picked up. As always, a smile adorned her face.


    "Yes, I wished to make a request of you. Before we can enact our own offense against Kydin and his crew, I decided we could do with an additional input. Particularly from a man who has valuable experience in fighting Fheitgr. Horace Ashton.¡±


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    Piotr chuckled. Horace had been the man who had taught him everything regarding combat. He remembered the strenuous drills that man had put him through. The perfectionism he demanded from each and every one of his students. Horace had been particularly tough on Piotr, but he had to admit, thinking of his clash with Korill, that his lessons had paid off.


    ¡°He¡¯s a stubborn man. I¡¯m not so sure he¡¯ll come rushing to our aid.¡±


    Adriana swept her hair back as the wind prevailed.


    "Well, I¡¯m sure you can see why I¡¯m asking this of you. You¡¯re quite persuasive; I¡¯m sure you can appeal to his better nature.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± Piotr responded. Adriana placed a hand on his shoulder as she left.


    ¡°Thank you. Do let me know how it went upon your return.¡±


    Ratchet entered the lounge of their new lodgings. A two-story house situated directly on Valence Street. Sprawled out on a camelback Elmstone couch was Sam. His feathered hat obscured his face. From above, a series of loud bangs and knocks could be heard. Sam groaned.


    ¡°What¡¯s with all the racket?¡± Ratchet asked Sam.


    "Oh, that would be Christi; I can¡¯t for the life of me believe that such obnoxious behavior is necessary,¡± Sam droned.


    Ratchet chuckled as he sat on the armchair adjacent to the cast iron fireplace.


    ¡°Still hungover?¡±


    Sam groaned again.


    "Oh, dreadfully so. Now if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m going to do my best to sleep through one of Christi¡¯s more annoying idiosyncrasies.¡±


    Sam turned over and pressed against the couch, smothering himself. Another bang rattled the floor. Ratchet instinctively looked above. He strode to the staircase and began his slow ascent. For once, a set of steps didn¡¯t creak under Ratchet¡¯s weight.


    At the peak of the stairs, he looped around the banister to his left and found the door to Christi¡¯s room. She hadn¡¯t left the room since last night. Raising his scarred hand, he knocked.


    ¡°Christi, it¡¯s me, Ratchet. Can I come in?¡±


    Another bang inside. He rapped again.


    ¡°The door¡¯s unlocked,¡± Christi¡¯s muffled voice reached him.


    Grabbing a hold of the copper doorknob, he twisted and pushed. The door swung back on its hinges, granting him entry. Sat on a stool at a Bournewood desk, legs crossed, was Christi. Her hair was let down and disheveled. The wrist of her prosthetic arm was hollowed out, and screws, cogs, and gears were scattered across the desk. Christi clicked her tongue and threw down a small spanner.


    ¡°Could you grab a wrench from the bedside locker?¡±


    Ratchet retreated some steps and found her bed. It was a mess.


    Nice to see some things haven¡¯t changed, Ratchet thought to himself.


    Glimmering in the sunlight that beamed through her bedside window, Ratchet spotted the pendant the large Fheitgr warrior had given her. The interlinked chain was red, like the flame-shaped symbol at its center.


    Why had she kept it? Ratchet mused.


    Pulling on the handle of one of the locker¡¯s drawers, Ratchet found the desired wrench. Returning with the wrench in hand, he dropped it beside Christi.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said quietly, not removing herself from her work.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this for?¡± Ratchet inquired.


    ¡°Increase in startup time; need to remove the delay. Has to be instantaneous,¡± she responded, not explaining further.


    Ratchet left her work; he knew better than to interfere. Mechanics was the one thing the girl often lost herself in. Unconsciously, Ratchet let out a chuckle as he watched her tinker. Her eyes darted towards him.


    "Sorry, it¡¯s just seeing you like this. It reminds me of our garage back in Chrodrift.¡±


    A shrill ringing pierced Christi¡¯s head; she clutched her forehead and practiced her breathing techniques. Inhale, hold, and exhale; the ringing gradually faded.


    ¡°You okay, kiddo?¡± Ratchet asked; the concern was evident in his voice.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Just tired. That¡¯s all,¡± Christi said dismissively.


    She returned to her work. Her arm lit up after two seconds; she cursed. In frustration, she threw down the wrench. Ratchet plucked it from the ground. He stood and began working alongside her. Christi paused and continued with Ratchet¡¯s help. His brow furrowed as he analyzed the arm.


    ¡°Your mana pump isn¡¯t built for instant start-up. Trying to substitute it and force the mana through quicker would create a lot of stress. Have you tried reducing the thickness of the inner tubing insulation?¡±


    Christi pointed to a replica of the pump on the desk.


    ¡°The flame element melts the thinner lining of insulation; it needs to be thicker for the resistance.¡±


    ¡°Shame you can¡¯t just remove the tubing entirely.¡±


    Christi perked up, ¡°I think that¡¯s it.¡±


    After some ten minutes of furiously tinkering with the arm, she finished. The arm ignited instantly as desired.


    ¡°How¡¯d you manage that?¡± Ratchet asked.


    "Well, I thought of it like neurons in the body. With regular receptors at appropriate intervals, you can lessen the overload of mana being transported. Each chamber here is like a receptor, rather than one continuous stream. The mana is broken into more digestible bites.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s clever, well-done, kiddo,¡± he said, rising to his feet.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we show Sam that all your hard work paid off?¡±


    Sam sat, sipping a cup of tea in hand. Ratchet and Christi entered, drawing his attention. He placed the cup onto a ceramic floral saucer.


    ¡°I hope all that incessant noise proved fruitful.¡±


    Christi extended her arm out and ignited it with no delay. Sam¡¯s eyebrows raised in a curved manner; he was surprised, to say the least.


    ¡°Ohoho, now that is some fine work.¡±


    The door to the lounge opened, and Piotr looked around the room.


    ¡°Oh good, you¡¯re all here. Saves me the trouble. Gather yourselves; we¡¯re leaving for Kinoa. There¡¯s someone there we need to speak with.¡±

 Kinoa

    ¡°So we¡¯re going to Kinoa to find a retired Pioneer to help us against the Fheitgr?¡± asked Ratchet.


    ¡°Precisely my friend, and may I add, he is an old acquaintance of mine,¡± Piotr said as he maintained his steady pace. Looming ahead was the fortified Valence Gate, bustling with guardsmen and finders alike. Valence served as the town¡¯s main gate, the walls standing thirty feet tall. Hanging from the mouth of the archway was the retractable iron gate. Providing excellent vantage points of the Barakat plains were two tall stone towers.


    A guardsman stationed at the gate raised his middle and index fingers together in a two-finger salute.


    ¡°Mister Henlein, sir, Chancellor Abrahams informed us of your departure to Kinoa. Your transport has been arranged at Roe Stable just beyond the gate.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful! Thank you, my friend; you''ve been a great help. We shall be on our way then.¡± Piotr shook the man¡¯s hand to show his gratitude.


    Christi trailed behind the group. To her left were the high walls of Barakat. Moss and greenery creeped along the foot of the walls. The stonework was chipped and darkly grey, with guardsmen pacing the ramparts. Three guardsmen stood idly; she felt their glares upon her. She glanced over in their direction, the trio whispered. At her current pace and route, she would soon pass just by them.


    ¡°Hey girl, come over here for a sec. Got something we want to ask ya¡± the tallest of the three said, beckoning her over.


    Christi ignored him and pressed forward until the same man stepped in front of her, obstructing her path. She attempted to sidestep the tall man, but he continued to stand in her way. A deep frown dominated his face.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s just downright rude; we only wanted to ask ya a question. Hey, you listening to me?¡±


    ¡°Move out of my way,¡± Christi hissed at the man.


    "Relax, will ya? You haven¡¯t even heard what I¡¯m about to ask ya,¡± the guardsman laughed wickedly.


    With an exasperated Christi punched the guardsman square in the gut, he keeled over to the ground clutching at his stomach. Without delay, she was wrestled to the ground by the two other guardsmen.


    ¡°Bitch has got a mean streak, goddamn,¡± one of her assailants barked.


    ¡°Fucking Fheitgr, savages the lot of em,¡± the other snarled.


    ¡°Get off!¡± Christi screamed. She squirmed side to side, but their grips never waivered. Unfortunately for one of the guards, he had failed to realise that Christi¡¯s prosthetic arm was more than meets the eye. With a thought her arm burst into flames.


    A guttural scream sounded from her left as the man fell backwards clutching his arm that had been singed. The other guard relinquished his grip; this was her chance. Pushing herself up, she made it about halfway up to her feet before she received a sharp kick to her stomach.


    ¡°Fucking bitch!¡± roared the first guardsmen.


    Christi was sent tumbling backwards; she clutched at her stomach and raised her head. The guardsman whipped out his sap, a blunt club, and quickly advanced. She tried to jump to her feet, but it was too late. Pain exploded across her face, again and again, blow after blow. The metallic taste of blood trickled from her mouth. Heat rose in her body, her rage tempered with every strike. Steam vociferated wildly from her arm, and suddenly her muscles tightened. Her body was bursting with energy¡ªenergy that needed to be released.


    As the guardsman came down for another strike, Christi delivered a swift kick to his jaw. With all her might, she kicked. The guardsman was sent flying backwards, sprawling onto his back.


    The two men rushed to his side, the colour drained from their faces.


    ¡°Axci above, she broke his jaw,¡± one of the two whimpered.


    Christi rose to her feet; the guardsmen drew their weapons, but their bodies displayed no conviction. They pointed their saps at her, their hands shaking.


    ¡°Stay back! You hear me?! Stay the fuck back!¡±


    Christi wiped away the blood around her mouth. The heat inside her once again dissipated. The power was invigorating but fleeting. She needed to learn how to maintain it for longer, like the warrior on the pier did. Unbridled strength¡ªthat¡¯s what she needed. She stalked away, leaving her three tormentors in awe.


    Piotr, Ratchet, and Sam all stood around a carriage. Four six-spoke wheels supported a wooden bed of planks. Two benches lined the frame inward on either side. A perch for the driver rose above the seating. Leading the carriage out front were two Atfur. She recognised the animal. Four powerful limbs, a white mane, and a long, elongated head. The atfur was the primary animal used for transportation in Barakat.


    Ratchet sat idly in the carriage, and Christi slumped down opposite of him. Piotr and Sam rounded the carriage, completing their checks.


    "Well, let¡¯s get going then. No time like the present,¡± Piotr climbed into the carriage, joining Ratchet and Christi.


    ¡°The reins are yours, Sam.¡±


    ¡°Thank you kindly, sir,¡± Sam tipped his hat.


    Sam hoisted the reins, and the group pulled away from the stable. The walls of Barakat consumed the horizon behind them as the carriage trotted along the beaten country road. Every few seconds, the carriage would lurch and bounce as the wheels dipped into potholes. Piotr, Christi, and Ratchet gazed back at Barakat.


    ¡°Still can¡¯t get over the size of those walls,¡± Ratchet said, breaking the silence.¡±


    "Impressive, aren¡¯t they? A hundred years they¡¯ve stood. You can thank Jax Reveil for that. He was the architect responsible for revamping Barakat¡¯s overall design during the trade boom period.¡±


    ¡°Could¡¯ve stood to have made the streets a little less cramped.¡±


    ¡°Believe it or not, that was an intentional decision. Jax was known for his optimal usage of space. Barakat bolstered a far greater population back then.¡±


    ¡°How much are we talking?¡±


    "Oh, about a hundred thousand.¡±


    Ratchet¡¯s brow raised, and subsequently his face hardened.


    ¡°And then the Creuse disease came along.¡±


    ¡°Fifty-four years since then. Town isn¡¯t quite what it used to be,¡± Piotr concluded.


    ¡°There she is, Kinoa!¡± Sam shouted.


    Dwarfed by the Mor Mountains above was Kinoa. Cobblestoned single-story houses, unlike those found in Barakat, were spread out sporadically. Rolling hills swept the town; maroon ceramic tiling blanketed the roofs. Orange leaves spiralled downward, littering the town in colour below. The air was cool and minty.


    A lone tanned elderly shepherd herded a group of what looked like walking black clouds upon a nearby hill. Christi leaned over, analysing the creatures and new surroundings.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Clout, funny-looking things, aren¡¯t they?¡± Ratchet chuckled.


    The carriage slowed to a halt as the group parked in what looked to be Kinoa¡¯s town center. Here stood a bed of colourful flora encircled by onyx slabs, with a dilapidated well standing alone in the middle. A large gathering of houses was situated here. Adults and children alike shifted their attention towards the new arrivals.


    A large, square-faced man called out to them. He was tanned and draped in a white stained shirt. The two sleeves were rolled up to his elbow, revealing a set of beefy, tanned forearms. On his head he wore a black woollen flat cap.


    ¡°Hello, howrya?! What brings you here?!¡± He shouted as he walked to meet the group.


    As Piotr stepped down from the carriage, he prompted confusion from those around him. Of course, this was largely due to the helmet he wore. Not many would pay no heed to a man sporting what looked to be a clock on his head. The tanned man¡¯s face twisted in confusion as Piotr made his acquaintance.


    ¡°It helps others tell the time,¡± Piotr told him.


    Rambunctious laughter erupted from the tanned man as he patted Piotr on the back.


    "Hahaha, you¡¯re a gas man. I¡¯m Hannes, and to whom do I owe the pleasure?¡± he said, extending a hand.


    ¡°Piotr Henlein of the Pioneers.¡±


    "Ahh, so you¡¯re one of those fellas; sure, we have a man just like yourself living here. Horace is his name; would ya know him?¡±


    ¡°I know him well; that¡¯s precisely what brings us here. Could we perhaps trouble you for directions to his home?¡±


    Hannes slung his arm around Piotr¡¯s shoulders and ushered him forward to one of the nearby houses.


    ¡°Of course, but first, why don¡¯t ya come inside for something to eat first?¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the offer, but I must decline.¡±


    "Ahh, I won¡¯t keep ye long.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we can spare an hour, Piotr; besides, it¡¯d be good to familiarise ourselves with the locals,¡± Sam chimed in.


    ¡°You just want food,¡± Piotr replied flatly.


    ¡°What baseless accusations!¡± Sam smirked.


    "Fine, but no longer than an hour; we mustn¡¯t forget ourselves,¡± Piotr sighed, wagging a finger at Hannes and Sam.


    ¡°Lovely! Mary! Put on the kettle!¡± Hannes shouted at a brunette woman ahead.


    ¡°No please, and thank you in this household. Is there?!¡± She yelled back.


    A group of kids began swarming Christi, all intrigued by the girl¡¯s unusual appearance. The average person in Kinoa was sallow-skinned, green-eyed, and dark-haired. Christi was like a fish out of water. They began listing off their barrage of questions.


    ¡°Whys yer skin so dark?¡±


    ¡°Whys yer hair so greeny?¡±


    Christi brushed past the kids; she didn¡¯t have time to waste. She scanned her surroundings; as usual, she had her fair share of ¡®admirers¡¯. People who couldn¡¯t take their eyes off her, people who judged her. Even here, it was no different. She began hiking up one of the nearby hills.


    Ensconced beneath the orange-leafed Oag tree commonly found in Barakat was a petite girl. She picked and discarded leaf after leaf.


    Maybe she knows where this Horace guy lives. It couldn¡¯t hurt to ask, Christi mused to herself.


    "Hey, I¡¯m looking for a man who lives here called Horace. Do you know where he might be?¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking?¡± the child asked blankly.


    ¡°He¡¯s a friend of my mentor.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a men-tour?¡± the child enquired.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a teacher.¡±


    Springing to her feet, the child looked quite happy with herself.


    ¡°Mister Horace is my men-tour then; he teaches me all kinds of things. Like about the world and plants. What does your men-tour teach you?¡±


    ¡°About Mana¡±


    ¡°Really?! Well, Mister Horace has also taught me a little too. What else has your men-tour taught you?¡±


    Christi needed to steer this conversation in a different direction. She didn¡¯t have the patience to keep talking in circles.


    With a thought, she ignited her arm. The little girl¡¯s jaw dropped in astonishment.


    ¡°Woahhhh, that¡¯s so cool.¡±


    ¡°I can show you more if you bring me to Horace.¡±


    "Ok, I¡¯ll take you. Follow me!¡± The girl skipped along.


    Christi followed at a steady pace, not letting the girl vanish from her sight. Near the peak of the hill was an isolated house. Facing the Farage Sea, the view was breathtaking. Above the full breadth of the blue serene waters, a hazy fog blurred and blended the sea and horizon. A pillar of sunlight unfurled into a lane of its own atop the still waves.


    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± The little girl snapped Christi back to her task at hand.


    An ornate wooden table seated an elderly man with slicked back hair. A small tree provided ample shade for the seating area. Curled up in a ball atop one of the seats was a small creature she recognised, an Alfox. A popular domesticated animal here in Anriel. Orange fur, white thin hairs poking out either side from its black button nose, and a bushy white patched tail.


    Next to the elderly man was a Madra. Another domesticated animal that was often kept as a pet. A fluffy cream-coloured coat, drooped ears that flopped to either side of its head, and a tail that wagged side to side


    The elderly man turned, revealing his hawk-like face. The fluffy Madra galloped over, jumping up to the little girl. She laughed giddily as it licked her with its long pink tongue.


    ¡°Come here, Mac!¡± its master called.


    With haste, the Madra retreated to its master¡¯s side, who scratched under its chin. The speed of the tail wagging side to side increased. Christi had interacted with a few Madras growing up in the city as a child, but this particular breed was something she had never seen before.


    "Oh, hello Fran, come for tea, have you? Who is your friend?¡± said the elderly man.


    ¡°She said you¡¯re a friend of her men-tour, and she wanted to see you.¡±


    "Well, that¡¯s quite interesting; come sit. You can tell me all about this mentor of yours,¡± he beckoned the two.


    Fran sprinted ahead and jumped up to one of the four chairs. She stroked the lazy Alfox¡¯s fur. Christi approached cautiously and reluctantly sat.


    "Well, then before we delve into the topic of who your mentor is and why you sought me out, I suppose some introductions are in order. I¡¯ll start. I am Horace Ashton.¡±


    Even their mannerisms are the same, Christi thought, noting how similar Horace and Piotr behaved.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already met Fran, and you are?¡± Horace asked her.


    ¡°Christi,¡± she responded.


    ¡°Well Christi It¡¯s a pleasure. Fran mentioned your mentor was a friend. Who might that be?¡±


    ¡°Piotr Henlein.¡±


    Horace smirked upon the mention of Piotr¡¯s name.


    ¡°So where is he? At the very least he could say hello in person.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in town below; we came here to ask for your help,¡± Christi responded.


    The smirk wiped from Horace¡¯s face.


    ¡°Whatever it is, the answer is no. I¡¯m retired; I¡¯d like it to stay that way.¡±


    ¡°Barakat needs your help.¡±


    Horace sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll bite then, with what?¡±


    ¡°Fheitgr mercenaries.¡±


    "Well, that is a problem, but what am I to do? I¡¯m an old man; my fighting years are well behind me. The most I can offer is instruction. At minimum, that¡¯s a year of training. Given the impromptu house call, I would assume that¡¯s time you don¡¯t have.¡±


    Christi didn¡¯t answer him; Horace smiled.


    ¡°Piotr is more than capable of handling Fheitgr, believe me, I made sure of that. One old man can¡¯t tip the scales. But I won¡¯t let you leave her empty-handed; I¡¯d be a terrible host if I did so.¡±


    Horace placed a key on the table.


    ¡°In the house upstairs there¡¯s a chest; inside is a weapon that converts mana. It allows one to fire projectiles that are quite effective against Fheitgr. I assume Sam is with Piotr?¡±


    Christi nodded,


    ¡°Give it to him; he¡¯ll know what to do with it.¡±


    Christi grabbed the key and stood up.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do; tell Piotr he owes me one.¡±


    Christi began to walk away.


    ¡°And Christi.¡±


    She stopped and looked back at him.


    ¡°Take care of yourself.¡±


    A sincere smile rested on his face.


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Christi entered the house; white curtains draped the windows inside. The layout was quite simple. A sink, table, and cupboards occupied the kitchen. Upstairs, she found what she came for¡ªa large trunk at the foot of a double bed.


    Christi explored the room, and a framed photo caught her attention. It was Horace, though he was younger. Holding his hand was a Fheitgr woman. She was tall, lean, and elegant-looking. Dark green hair framed her oval face. Golden irises further accentuated her beauty. The two stood under a small, white-leafed tree. Christi recognised it; there was no doubt about it. It was a Yharnam tree. She placed the photo back.


    Returning to the trunk, she inserted the key and twisted. The lock clicked, and with a lift, the trunk¡¯s contents revealed themselves. Inside was a dark trench coat similar to Piotr¡¯s. Pinned to the breast of the uniform was a gilded cog with twelve sides. Placing the clothing to the side, she found what she sought. A long silver barrel with a hooked handle. A sling hung from the barrel to the handle. She grabbed it and slung it over her shoulder.


    Horace sat alone as the sun set. Golden rays illuminated his face, and the wind blew gently. He pulled out a locket from his pocket. Pressing a small button at the back, the face of the locket clicked open. Inside was a picture of him and the golden-eyed Fheitgr woman looking smithen with one another. With his thumb, he rubbed the picture. Heavy footsteps and a ticking noise alerted him to another presence. Turning, he discovered the source. Sunlight bounced off the armoured surface of the knight.


    ¡°Do I know you?¡±


    ¡°You know my master.¡±


    ¡°Please enlighten me; I haven¡¯t the patience anymore to hazard a guess.¡±


    ¡°The boy you condemned to save Piotr Henlein.¡±


    ¡°Today has just been one massive trip down memory lane,¡± Horace chuckled.


    ¡°My liege has ordered your execution.¡±


    ¡°I see, my sins have finally caught up to me.¡±


    Horace leaned back in his chair; he regarded the locket. He held his head high. It was time; he inhaled deeply, breathing in the cool air one final time.


    ¡°Any final words?¡±


    ¡°None.¡±


    With a quick swipe, the knight separated Horace¡¯s head from his shoulders. The locket dropped to the grass, and the knight plucked it up. The knight analysed the photo of Horace and his wife inside. It set the locket back on the table and departed.

 A bull

    Christi descended the steep hill, rifle in hand, which had earned her more than a fair share of curious and worried glances. She wasn¡¯t surprised; a stranger with a weapon slung over her shoulder did nothing to ease their alarm. Below her in the town centre, she spotted Piotr, Sam, and Ratchet. They scanned their vibrant environment, searching for something or someone. That someone was Christi, of course.


    Finally, the steeped ground levelled out beneath her feet. As she strode forward, Piotr, Sam, and Ratchet noticed her. Piotr waved a gloved hand in her direction as she neared. Sam¡¯s lips pursed as his eyes were drawn to what Christi gripped in her right hand. The cold silver barrel of the weapon Horace had gifted her.


    ¡°Is that?¡± Sam asked, a look of recognition upon his face.


    ¡°Horace gave it to me,¡± Christi responded.


    Piotr perked up. He placed his hands on his hips.


    ¡°Oh? Did he agree to help us then?¡± he asked.


    Christi rested the rifle across both her palms and raised it to Sam, offering it up.


    ¡°He said you¡¯d know what to do with it.¡±


    Sam gripped the barrel with both hands and ran his right hand across it. He smiled fondly.


    ¡°This will be a great help, indeed.¡±


    Piotr joined Sam, looked at the rifle, and subsequently looked to Christi.


    "Well, I wasn¡¯t expecting much, but this has certainly exceeded my expectations. How¡¯d you convince Horace to give you this?¡±


    Christi met his gaze. She herself wasn¡¯t too sure.


    ¡°He just gave it to me. He said you owed him one,¡± she replied flatly.


    Piotr chuckled,


    ¡°Heh, always the same. You get nothing for free where that man is concerned. I¡¯m afraid that man will be dead and buried before I even get around to returning all these favours,¡± Piotr sighed. He strode to the rear of the carriage, Sam passed him the rifle, and Piotr wrapped the rifle in a blanket and tucked it neatly at the base of one of the benches.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get back to matters at hand. Barakat awaits our imminent return,¡± Piotr said as he took his seat once again. Ratchet and Christi joined him. Ratchet looked to Christi and cracked a smirk.


    ¡°Good job kiddo,¡± he commented.


    Christi nodded. Sam climbed to his perch once more and grabbed the reins.


    ¡°A shame we can¡¯t stay any longer. I would have liked to chat with Horace over a cup of tea.¡±


    Piotr looked to Christi,


    ¡°So? What did you think of Horace?¡± He asked her.


    She thought back to the picture of Horace and the Fheitgr woman. Horace was certainly not what she had expected, by Piotr¡¯s measure, or her own.


    ¡°He was nice,¡± she replied softly.


    Sam and Piotr exchanged a look; the pair tittered.


    ¡°Horace really must¡¯ve taken to you; perhaps we¡¯ll all get to sit down again someday and share a proper chat.¡±


    Christi looked back to the hill on which Horace¡¯s house stood. A slight smile crept to her lips. Horace was someone she¡¯d like to meet again. The carriage drew away from the shadow of the Mor Mountains as the group departed Kinoa.


    The ramparts were eerily quiet as the carriage lumbered closer to Valence Gate. Not a soul was to be found. The carriage lulled to a halt, and Sam disembarked from his perch. Piotr scanned his surroundings; it was unusual for such a gate like this to be so empty. A bang erupted in the west. Piotr decided to investigate. He took to the skies. Atop one of the tall watchtowers, he landed lightly and looked westward to where the loud noise had originated from.


    Brand Gate, the town¡¯s western gate, looked to be under attack. The ramparts were in disarray. A tall, singular Fheitgr warrior cut through a mob of guardsmen with ease. Those who did not fall to the blade were shoved over the side, falling some thirty feet. Another bang erupted; he felt the wall tremble. He dropped from the tower and plummeted below, catching himself just before he hit the concrete.


    ¡°Brand Gate is under attack; we don¡¯t have much time. I¡¯ll make my way over and provide what help I can,¡± Piotr said.


    Before the group could respond, Piotr once again took to the skies. His coat flapped in the wind as he skimmed across the ramparts quickly. Screams of anguish and terror seeped into his ears, increasing dramatically in volume as he neared. Another loud bang boomed, and the wall shook; what was causing that? Ahead of him, he spotted the Fheitgr warrior who had been ripping through the guardsmen. Activating his affinity, Piotr grabbed a hold of some discarded clubs that lay amidst the corpses strewn along the wall.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    The warrior failed to notice Piotr before it was too late; he cut down a man only to spin into a flurry of blunt projectiles. The warrior stumbled; a guardsman from behind clubbed the man on the back of the head and dropped the warrior. Piotr once again took to a vantage tower, and the gruesome scene unravelled before his very eyes.


    The second hour, the bull rampaged through a field of guardsmen who had foolishly charged to meet the machine. Wooden encampments splintered beneath the devastating limbs of the machine. The corpses of the unlucky were crushed and mangled. Sat upon a slope overlooking the chaos were Kydin and two other Fheitgr men. Piotr recognised one of the two; it was Panther. The second warrior who had fought alongside Korill in Inchydon Guardhouse.


    Kydin looked at Piotr; he smiled and waved to him flippantly. The bull pulsated red as it thrashed about. A bang erupted, and a burst of energy rippled from the machine. Anyone nearby was sent flying; the wall shook again. Piotr analysed the battlefield, searching for something¡ªanything¡ªthat he could use against the devastating machine. To his right in the near distance along the wall sheltered beneath it all was the Church of Axci. A metal spire rose from the church¡¯s rear dome.


    It would suffice for now, Piotr thought as he pulled on the pole of metal. The spire ripped free and zipped towards the high wall; simultaneously, he pulled free the saps from the men, gathering the blunt weapons into a cluster and shaped spiked projectiles.


    The churchspire hung in the air above him. Piotr melded the spiked projectiles to the long pole; it no longer resembled a church spire but a demonic javelin instead.


    With a wave of his hand, he fired the javelin at the rampaging machine. The bull recoiled as the spire pierced its side. The bull turned directly to the wall, enraged. Piotr landed in front of the gate¡¯s archway; he gathered another flurry of projectiles. He fired again, but the bull seemed to deflect the flurry easily as it charged. He glanced around; he needed something bigger. Looking backwards and upwards, he found his answer.


    Piotr retreated inside the gate. The bull continued its charge. Wait. The bull bellowed loudly. Wait. The bull reached the mouth of the archway. Now! Piotr pulled down on the retractable iron gate. The bull was pinned to the ground, and the archway collapsed. The bull struggled beneath the debris that had pinned it. It pulsed red again. Piotr threw himself to the ground and braced himself.


    The shockwave freed the bull; houses nearby were pelted with large stones. The bull rose from the rubble. Piotr had hoped the gate would pierce the machine deep enough to stop it. Piotr readied himself, but surprisingly, the bull didn¡¯t advance. Instead, it turned tail and retreated.


    Piotr glided to the ramparts; he gazed out upon the plains as the bull galloped back towards the Mor Mountains. Kydin was nowhere to be seen. What should have been a victory instead felt like a monumental loss. Such destructive power, how could anyone hope to stop it? Piotr quelled his thoughts. For now, he returned to more pressing matters. Tending to the injured men around him and helping to provide relief.


    Guardsmen corralled the anxious crowd back from Brand Gate. Christi, Sam, and Ratchet slipped through the crowd. Sam exited the shuffle first; the guardsman looked to him before recognising him and allowing passage through. Piotr faced towards Brand Gate, his back turned to the group. Dust smeared Piotr¡¯s coat, and the anguished cries of the wounded echoed around the ruined gate. Sam rested a comforting hand on Piotr¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°What happened here, my friend?¡± Sam spoke softly.


    ¡°The bull attacked; frankly, it was impossible to even stop it. I did what I could, but it wasn¡¯t enough.¡±


    Rage flared inside Christi¡¯s body; it was here, and she missed it. She strode forward to the gate and inspected the rubble. A glint caught her eye; she brushed aside a small rock. A scrap of metal lay atop the rubble. It was thick and copper-coloured. The metal pulsed faintly red in her hand, as if it were alive. She strode over to Piotr and Sam.


    ¡°I found something,¡± she said, showing the group.


    Footsteps approached, and the group looked up to catch a glimpse of who it was. Adriana strode forward; she didn¡¯t look to be in the best of moods. She stopped and observed the rubble of Brand Gate. She cursed under her breath and joined the group.


    ¡°I heard what happened; thank you, Piotr, for doing what you could to stop that thing. I frighten at the thought of what could¡¯ve happened if that beast was loosed inside here. Come let us speak more away from here, somewhere more secluded.¡±


    A droplet of water splattered onto Christi¡¯s head. They were once again in the damp underground chamber of the Finder¡¯s headquarters below the church of Axci. Christi didn¡¯t pay much attention as the group discussed their trip to Kinoa. Her mind lingered on the bull.


    ¡°...organise things on our end. We¡¯ll reconvene tomorrow,¡± Adriana finished. Christi glanced up, catching the tail end of the conversation. Before they left, Christi noticed a dark expression on Adriana¡¯s face. She was about to boil over. Adriana¡¯s furious scream echoed behind her as she departed the chamber.


    Kydin skulked forward through the canyon; up ahead was Toril Cave. The bull¡¯s resting place. Today had only further reinforced his desire. Such raw power, he needed it if he were to have any hope of toppling the Championed Kydawn Family back in Ariva. He slid along the rugged canyon wall, stopping just at the mouth of the cavern. Inside was the bull; it sat idle. Kydin veiled himself in shadows, blending into the night and slinking inside.


    He tiptoed carefully as he approached the mountain of metal. Twenty feet tall and not lacking in the breadth department either, he couldn¡¯t fathom how such a machine like this was created. He had heard rumours of creatures like these in Chrodrift four years ago; if what they had said was true, then there were ten more machines like the knight and the bull somewhere in Anriel.


    Steam hissed from the bull¡¯s nostrils, Kydin paused. The mound of metal rose and fell with every second, as if it were breathing. Compared to the knight, the bull was different. During his time spent observing the machine, he had noted something. This machine didn¡¯t behave like a machine; in fact, it seemed to replicate the characteristics of a bosar, a local cattle animal. Why was that?


    He returned to the task at hand. Looped around the nostrils of the bull was a ring. Crouching down, he inspected it closer. The knight seemed to hold control over the bull; he had always wondered how. The attack on Brand Gate today was both a means to damage morale in Barakat and an opportunity to understand how the knight controlled such a creature. That former reason had allowed him to coax the knight into utilising the bull.


    Lately, the bull had become more selective with its chaotic outbursts around Barakat. He had come to a conclusion as to why the ring. If he could replicate the design and swap out the original, then he would acquire that same control the knight held.


    The problem was right now he had no idea how to do that; sure, he could replicate the design on the outside, but without any real information or even schematics, he could only guess how such a device worked. A faint blue light seemed to hum along the surface of the ring; he had seen something like this before.


    A familiar ticking sound echoed behind him, and Kydin froze. Why was it here? It should¡¯ve taken it another twenty minutes to return from Kinoa.


    ¡°Who goes there? Show yourself,¡± the monotonous voice of the knight reverberated through Toril Cave.

 Shadows

    Kydin exhaled sharply. Smoke quickly flooded the cave. Any peek of light inside the cave was quickly devoured. Kydin summoned his shades, or Skadu, as they were called in his native tongue, Akans. These shades resembled him while he was veiled in shadows. Even to the trained eye, it was difficult to differentiate.


    Kydin dashed towards the cave entrance; the shades instinctively followed suit. Each shade was spaced apart evenly beside Kydin. He felt movement in the cloud of smoke behind him; the bull thrashed about wildly. Rubble began to crash down from above as the cave rumbled.


    Kydin breached the cloud of smoke; the knight stood its ground. Its hand hovering inches from the handle of its sword. Eight shades rushed to escape it. The knight¡¯s feet shifted and its knees bent low. Kydin dropped to the ground and slid. Pale blue moonlight glinted across the blade¡¯s surface, and several of his shades split in half, reforming after the cut. He had doubted the machine would be able to sweep so broadly; the knight just continued to amaze him.


    The knight set its sights on him. A whoosh zipped towards him; he leapt high this time. Narrowly avoiding the sweeping strike. He needed only to get to the river and let himself be swept away in the current. Of course it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. The knight cut his path off, dashing out in front of him.


    He couldn¡¯t fight the machine, partly because he couldn¡¯t risk the thing discovering his identity and, mainly, because he himself wasn¡¯t even sure he could beat the thing. The bull charged forward, pulsating red; it was about to release a shockwave. Wait, it was about to release that shockwave, Kydin smirked. He spun back towards the bull; he had confirmed the countdown today.


    Three, he heard the knight close behind him.


    Two, the bull bellowed loudly.


    One, he sprang into the face of the bull.


    Zero.


    A resounding boom echoed through the canyon; his ears popped. The blast propelled him backwards; he twisted in the air. The knight hadn¡¯t anticipated such a bold maneuver. Kydin crashed into the Orton River. The current instantly took effect, dragging him downstream. He righted himself as best he could, but the river pulled on his legs.


    Several rocks along the riverbed collided heavily against him as he was swept away. Bouts of air escaped his lungs, but he held firm. All of a sudden, the water felt calm and still. He darted upwards.


    Kydin gasped for air as he surfaced from the cold Farage Sea. He looked back; the knight was thankfully nowhere to be seen. A loud bellow erupted from the canyon. Fortune had favoured the bold, albeit incredibly reckless, on this day. He swept aside his damp, lank hair from his forehead.


    One of the two boats he and his men had travelled here in was anchored west on the shoreline. It would take him approximately ten minutes to reach the shoreline with his enhanced muscles.


    That was far too close for my liking, he thought, reflecting on what had just transpired. Were it not for the bull¡¯s presence, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape. He swam as swiftly as he could, wishing to be on dry land as soon as he could manage.


    Swimming had always been something he detested. It reminded him of his childhood and of his cruel home. Sixteen years ago, he had left that place. He had spent half of his life here in Anriel and half in Ariva. That time had shaped him into the man he was today.


    The large boat sat just ahead of him now. The skiff, as he and his crew called it, was a large ship with a broad hull, tall masts, and a singular cabin that housed up to fifteen men. A large flat platform that could be raised or lowered trailed behind the skiff. Oftentimes it was used for transporting cargo, large cargo at that. Smuggling was a lucrative venture after all.


    On this night, that platform happened to be lowered. Kydin grabbed the edge of the platform and raised himself aboard. A few of his men remained; they were to deter any curious individuals.


    Kydin entered the ship¡¯s cabin and strode to his room. The door swung open, revealing his modest quarters. A maroon hammock was strung up beside the small window. Tucked away in the corner was a full-length mirror. He rummaged through a large trunk, fat with pouches of coin. Finally, he captured what he sought¡ªa dry set of clothing.


    Grabbing a rag, he patted down his damp hair. He regarded himself in the mirror; he stroked his beard that obstructed the majority of his jaw. Beards in Ariva were reserved for those who had lived long. It was a display of experience, something Kydin himself had in abundance.


    Snatching a cloak from the trunk he exited his quarters. He hopped off the ship and approached the camp located beside the ship. A fire burnt quietly in the night, and some of his men sat around idly covered in sweat. Others sparred rigorously in a hexagonal ring, half the number of sides of the Kolosseo back home.


    They kept at it, ensuring their skills in combat remained razor sharp. Loba, the warrior who had accompanied Korill in the attack on the Inchydon guardhouse, sat alone away from the rest, as he often did.


    Loba watched the men fight, always learning, always eager to improve. Truly, he was one of the finest men Kydin held in his band. Kydin had hoped Loba could learn something from Korill, but the lad was intent on learning from Kydin himself.


    A shame given the talent Korill possessed. Unlike the majority of Fheitgr warriors, Loba, like Kydin, didn''t care for honour or true strength. Kydin sat next to him. Loba turned and nodded. Stone faced as always, Kydin chuckled. The young man¡¯s stoicism always elicited some form of mirth within him.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading into Barakat, Loba; make sure the men remain ready.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be meeting with the girl; I¡¯ll return later to discuss our next steps.¡±


    ¡°May Aetur bless you,¡± Loba said, nodding firmly. For a man whose name translated to ¡°to talk,¡± he certainly didn¡¯t embody his namesake. Truth be told, that was one of the reasons Kydin liked him. He hopped atop one of the few atfur that were held in camp and began his trek towards Barakat.


    Christi tossed and turned in her bed; she threw her arms to her side. Try as she might, she couldn¡¯t sleep. Truthfully, she didn¡¯t want to sleep; she shuddered at the thought of the nightmares. She shifted her mind onto other matters; she didn¡¯t want to dwell on those horrible memories that tormented her even in her sleep. Tomorrow, with Adriana, they would begin preparations for their assault on Kydin and his band of mercenaries.


    This is all just a waste of time, she sighed as she mulled over all that had happened. All of this, this whole ordeal, detracted her from what she really wanted. Destruction of the hours and retribution for Alex. She didn¡¯t care much for protecting Barakat from harm.


    After all, what attachment would she have for a town that they had visited originally to search for one of the hours? There was also growing unrest over her presence here. Piotr could only protect her so much; her brawl with the guards outside Valence Gate had proven that. She sighed.


    If Kydin was really serious about attacking, then he could just as easily do so. Men like Korill had proved just that; Korill alone would prove more than a handful for Barakat. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    She held his pendant in her hand. She wanted that kind of strength. The metal cooled against her palm as she studied it. A flame symbol, it felt strangely comforting having it. Korill had entrusted this to her. Is that why she kept it?


    The crimson flames of her left arm beat back the darkness of her arm as she ignited it. She focused, thinking back to the pier and that rage she felt. She stilled her thoughts. Nothing; the heat she felt then, she couldn¡¯t summon. Why?


    She rose from her bed and draped a cloak around her back; she needed to clear her head. A late-night stroll would do just that. Taking care not to wake the others, she sneaked outside into the night. She wandered the streets aimlessly; the cool night air pricked her skin even with her hood drawn up to shield her from the mild conditions. She exhaled, watching her breath hang before her for a moment before dissipating.


    As she strolled down Valence Street, she heard a scuffle in the alleyway to her left. Rambunctious laughter rang out from the narrow passage¡ªjust some drunks, she thought, best to carry on. A woman¡¯s scream paralysed her; anger began to rise in her chest. She doubled back into the alleyway and stalked forward.


    She pushed forward, her boots clomping on the stone beneath her. A dim light peeked out from around a corner ahead. Christi spun around the corner; it was a small clearing behind a row of empty houses. Two men stood over a helpless woman who looked to be terrified. Her frantic eyes met Christi''s; the men staggered around; clearly they were intoxicated.


    They swayed side to side; gleeful smiles sprang to their drooped faces. The woman scrambled backwards against the wall, and one of the two, a short, bulbous-faced man, staggered forward towards Christi. His cheeks flushed red, and his eyes wandered.


    ¡°Well, what do we have hereee?¡± His words slurred from his mouth.


    He stopped afoot of Christi, shoving his face uncomfortably close into Christi''s, and scanned her.


    ¡°You¡¯re a pretty little thinnnng,¡± he laughed, ¡°the more the merrierrrrr.¡±


    He grabbed her by her cloak and attempted to drag her forward. Christi batted down his arm, which only infuriated the drunken man. That gleeful smile deflated; his face darkened into a scowl. He reached forward again for her cloak. Christi delivered a swift kick to his gut. He collapsed, clutching at his stomach with a loud groan.


    The second man straightened up, his brow furrowed deeply. ¡°What are you doing!? Hah?!¡± he roared. Christi ignited her arm, the man reeled back, and she stood her ground. Then the man before her smirked, ¡°What do we have here then?¡± A deep voice boomed behind her.


    A blow to her back sent her flying; she tumbled to the floor. She collected herself and looked up. A large obtuse man with thinning hair stood at the foot of the clearing. His belly protruded from his stained shirt. In his right hand, he held a bottle of alcohol that he took a big swig from.


    Christi rose to her feet; her hood fell back, revealing her murky green hair. The large man¡¯s face flushed even redder; he puffed out his chest.


    ¡°Look at the little Fheitgr bitch trying to play the part of the hero. Hah! That just might be the funniest thing I¡¯ve heard in a long time,¡± he heartily laughed.


    Christi clenched her fists; she jumped forward to pounce on the man. She slammed to the ground as the second man tripped her. He pressed his sole down on her head. The men laughed at her as she tried to stand.


    ¡°Three men teaming up on one girl? And here I was thinking I was a scumbag,¡± a familiar voice said. She heard a sickly crack, the foot that pinned her released. She glanced up. Kydin stood over the obtuse man who lay at his feet; blood oozed from the back of the man¡¯s skull.


    Kydin held the bottle in his hand. He smashed it against the short man¡¯s face. Shards of glass exploded across the man¡¯s face. He screamed loudly, covering his face with both hands. The second man dropped to his knees. Kydin stepped over the obtuse man and pressed forward.


    ¡°Please! I¡¯m sorry, just don¡¯t kill me!¡± he pleaded.


    Kydin smirked at him and tapped the man on the cheek lightly.


    ¡°Run along now; be thankful I¡¯m in a good mood tonight.¡±


    The man sobered up instantly and ran to his injured friend, guiding him from the alley. Christi turned to the woman and reached out a hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re safe now.¡±


    ¡°Get away from me! Somebody help me! Help!¡± she screamed. Christi¡¯s hand dropped, and Kydin snorted.


    ¡°So much for gratitude,¡± Kydin said as he stood beside Christi.


    Christi stepped away from him, standing in front of the woman.


    ¡°Relax, little Vlam, I¡¯m only here to talk. Come, let us leave here. This place will be flooded with guards in just a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere with you,¡± Christi hissed at him.


    ¡°Tell me, how do you think it¡¯ll look when you, a Fheitgr woman, is caught standing in an alley with a deadman and a frightened woman?¡±


    Christi looked at the woman; she could see the terror in her eyes. Kydin was right; besides, some part of her wanted to speak with him again.


    ¡°Fine, lead the way.¡±


    ¡°Good, but hold on just a moment,¡± Kydin said as he approached the woman. She scrambled back against the wall, and Kydin crouched next to her.


    ¡°That man over there assaulted you on your stroll home; a vicious thug attacked him and fled. Are we clear on that? I want no mention of the girl or me in your account at all. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to dispose of you right here. I¡¯m sure we can both agree that is something either of us would rather avoid.¡±


    The woman nodded vigorously, and Kydin smiled. ¡°Smart decision.¡±


    The two stood on one of the stone piers of Youb¨¦ Port, the town¡¯s main trading hub. She looked around, observing their surroundings. The port curved inward; stone steps provided access down to the naturally formed piers. Boats of all shapes and sizes populated the harbour. Though the majority of the seafaring vessels were traditional in design, Christi recognised a few with engines.


    Kydin sat with his legs folded at the edge of the pier. He patted the ground in front of him, beckoning Christi to sit. She crossed her arms and didn¡¯t oblige her. A sigh escaped his lips. Christi glared down at him.


    ¡°Why did you intervene?¡± she probed.


    Kydin looked out towards the Farage Sea; the waves neither rose nor fell. It was a calm night.


    "Well, it looked to me like you needed help, so I helped,¡± he said with a shrug of his shoulders.


    ¡°Why do you insist on helping me? First it was the tip on the arm, and now this,¡± she replied.


    ¡°So you took my advice then? That gladdens me to hear,¡± he smiled as he shifted his gaze to her arm.


    ¡°Well, you weren¡¯t wrong,¡± Christi admitted.


    Kydin chuckled; he leaned back and sprawled his palms onto the stone behind him.


    ¡°Is it so wrong to help someone? You tried to help that woman, didn¡¯t you?¡± He asked her.


    Christi blushed and nodded, and Kydin smirked.


    ¡°You continue to intrigue me; it¡¯s not often you see a Fheitgr woman rushing to the aid of someone from Anriel.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡± Like you said, It¡¯s not wrong to help someone.¡± Christi turned it back on him.


    Kydin laughed; he leaned forward.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, yet where did that help get you? You saw how that woman perceived you and me. She was terrified of us. They fear that which they don¡¯t understand. After all, no matter which way you cut it. We¡¯re still Fheitgr and they Anrish.¡±


    Christi remained silent; she hated to say it, but she found herself agreeing with him. She was different, and this town reminded her of that on a daily basis.


    ¡°You¡¯re starting to understand that, aren¡¯t you? The weak will always seek to rout the strong.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have strength, not like you or Korill.¡±


    Kydin stood up; he strode up to her.


    ¡°Korill was the strongest man I knew. He gave you that pendant because he acknowledged you. He saw something in you, and personally, I do too. Take pride in that little Vlam; nurse the ember long enough, and it can embolden into an inferno.¡±


    Kydin patted her on the shoulder as he left; he drew up his hood.


    "Well, I believe we¡¯ve talked enough. I look forward to our next chat; maybe next time you can tell me all about that arm of yours. See you around little Vlam.¡±


    With those final words, Kydin disappeared into the night. Christi looked to the sea; the wind picked up. She pulled out the pendant and analysed it. Why hadn¡¯t she discarded it? She knew why, of course, but she didn¡¯t want to admit it. That sense of belonging felt right. She needed strength, and Kydin could grant it.


    Piotr and Sam had done everything they could but it still wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°We¡¯re still Fheitgr and they Anrish.¡± Those words echoed in her mind. She pocketed the pendant; it was best she return now before the others noticed her absence.


    Abraham had always loved Youb¨¦ Port. He had loved it since he was a child; when his mind threatened to suffocate him, he would walk the stretch of curved stone. Ever quiet, ever lonesome. Just him and the sea.


    So it was surprising when he discovered on this cold night that he wasn¡¯t alone. Not only that, but two individuals he was familiar with. The girl and the mercenary leader. He never trusted that girl; one could never trust a Fheitgr.

 Doubt

    ¡°Keep going!¡± Alex shouted behind her. Christi¡¯s heart hammered in her chest, her breath caught in her throat. A loud bellow reverberated all around her, the bull continued its wild rampage through the city of Chrodrift. Buildings crumbled, people screamed and pleaded for their life.


    ¡°Please! Help me!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna die, Axci above please.¡±


    Those cries of anguish surrounded her, she did her best to shut it out, to ignore it. Yet those horrible sounds persisted.


    ¡°Christi! Watch out!¡± Alex yelled. She turned as the bull charged towards her. It barged into a nearby factory, its gargantuan metal frame causing the industrial structure to collapse. Right in her direction. She raised her hands in an attempt to protect herself. It was a futile decision.


    Her body felt heavy, darkness devoured her vision. She was laying in something wet, something oddly warm. Eight red orbs pierced the darkness above her, they grew in size as they descended. Those crimson orbs provided some form of light, she glanced around, and gathered her surroundings.


    It was a pool of blood. Her breath quickened, as did her heart. This couldn¡¯t be happening, where was Alex? She tried to scream and yet no sound escaped her lips. A warm sensation radiated from her left arm, she begrudgingly looked.


    From her bicep down there was nothing there, her arm was gone. Only a stub of flesh remained that leaked blood. This wasn¡¯t just a pool of blood, it was a pool of her blood.


    A ticking sound came from above. From those eight red orbs. Finally, the wait was over. Eight eyes, eight jagged limbs. A spider forged in metal.


    ¡°Prey¡­ Prey¡­. Kill¡­Kill¡­¡± Her heart thumped loudly in her chest, she was helpless. Alone. Scared.


    A crude blade flashed before her, gleaming in the crimson light. Slicked in fresh blood. The ticking quickened, it sounded almost like it was giggling. Was it enjoying this barbaric nightmare?


    One singular word rose to the forefront of her mind.


    Monster.


    The blade came down hard, impaling her.


    Christi jumped from her bed, screaming. She clutched at her chest in a panic. Her chest felt as if it were about to cave in. Every passing heartbeat pained her as she tried to catch her breath.


    As she often did when waking after one of her night terrors she performed her usual breathing technique to help ground her. A sharp inhale, hold for five seconds and a deep exhale. After a minute of repetition the anxiety returned to more tolerable levels. It never truly went away.


    ¡°Christi dear, are you up?¡± Sam¡¯s muffled voice accompanied a knock on her bedroom door. She hopped down from her bed, the cold hardwood cooling the sole of her feet. ¡°Christi dear? Is everything alright?¡± Sam knocked again.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! just give me a few minutes and I¡¯ll be out!¡± she snapped back at him. The room went silent, did he hate her? She shouldn''t have yelled at him but he could be so irritating.


    ¡°No worries my dear! We¡¯ll be waiting for you downstairs.¡± The steps of the stairs groaned softly as Sam descended.


    Relief flooded over her. Thankfully, he didn''t hold a grudge. Or maybe he was just pretending? Sam was good at that, maybe they were all just pretending?


    Her mind flitted to today¡¯s agenda. Preparation of their assault on Kydin and his mercenaries would begin today. If all went well then Barakat wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the Fheitgr threat anymore.


    So why did that disappoint her? She should¡¯ve been elated, with Kydin and his men gone she could return to her true goal. Avenging Alex was what she wanted, was it not?


    She tied her dishevelled hair into a high ponytail as always. Korill¡¯s pendant hung from the bed, she pocketed it. At all times now she found herself carrying the pendant on her person. She grabbed her cloak and left her room to join Sam, Piotr and Ratchet waiting downstairs.


    ???


    The wind blustered heavily in the Mor Mountains. Kydin trudged towards a cave that offered respite from the powerful gale. The wind continued to howl as he stepped inside the natural shelter. Inside, the men he had stationed at the lighthouse sat inside awaiting his next orders.


    Men laughed and chatted around a set of fires, Kydin greeted each one as he passed. Up ahead was Kartik who sat on a blanket away from the rest. Tools lay strewn around him. Kydin recognised a few. A Hammer, chisel, and a fuller knife among many others.


    ¡°Vloek man, stupid thing!¡± Kartik cursed as he thumped a large ring to the ground.


    ¡°Any luck?¡± Kydin asked.


    Kartik turned, revealing a scarred face. He scowled deeply as he looked towards the ring of the bull that he attempted to replicate.


    ¡°None brother, it¡¯s been absolute kak since I started. I¡¯m a wapensmid, not a bloederig mechanic. I¡¯m sorry Kydin, but you¡¯ll need to find someone else.¡±


    Kartik dropped his head, it was obvious the man wished he could solve this conundrum. He was a good man, as were the rest of them. Kydin slapped the man on the back.


    ¡°Bah! don¡¯t fret brother. I¡¯ll figure something else out. Thank you for trying.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Anything for you brother.¡±


    Kartik left and rejoined a group of men huddled by a fire. Kydin sat alone with the device. He sighed, without this, all of this would be for naught. His prize, his return to Ariva would be derailed. This wouldn¡¯t discourage him however, after all he had endured more than his fair share of misfortune in his life so far. This was merely another hurdle to overcome.


    ???


    ¡°Well done gentlemen, these are really something,¡± beamed Adriana.


    Twelve converter rifles lay in a large wooden crate upon one of Youb¨¦ Port¡¯s piers. Unlike the original converter rifle which was silver in colour, the newly constructed rifles were more bronze in pigmentation. Still they were every bit the same in purpose, to convert the wielder¡¯s mana into high speed rounds to be fired at range. The lining around the handle would absorb the mana, in turn creating the ammunition. Converters weren¡¯t a permanent solution, but they offered an opportunity to level the playing field.


    Abraham grabbed one of the rifles and studied it, flipping the rifle around and staring down the sightlines.


    ¡°I have to commend you lads, this is mighty fine work. Be even finer if you were able to produce us more than a dozen,¡± Abraham scoffed.


    ¡°A dozen rifles is sadly all we can produce given our limited resources. A dozen in most cases would be considered overkill. Perhaps you¡¯re doubting the skill of your own men?¡± Sam smirked at the belligerent man.


    Abraham glared at Sam and chuckled,


    ¡°I would never have reason to doubt my own men. Unfortunately I can¡¯t say the same for the rest of you,¡± he eyed Christi as he finished his sentence.


    ¡®Gentlemen, while I¡¯d love to stand here and bicker all day, we still have more pressing matters,¡± Piotr interjected.


    ¡°Very well said Piotr,¡± Adriana nodded towards him.


    Abraham smiled, he returned the rifle to the crate.


    ¡°Of course, of course, you¡¯re right. We are brothers in arms after all.¡±


    Adriana smiled and removed a scroll of parchment from her coat. She glanced at Sam.


    ¡°If you would be so kind? Adriana gestured towards the open crate. Sam obliged her by placing the lid back on the wooden crate. Adriana unfurled the scroll, revealing a map of Barakat and its surrounding area.


    A X blotched the map just at the base of the Orton River, where it fed into the Farage Sea.


    ¡°Right about here is where the two large Fheitgr boats were first spotted. My scouts informed me this morning that one boat had diverted and ported itself just outside Youb¨¦ Port as you can already see.¡±


    Looming in the distance on the horizon was a large ship. Nothing had occurred as of yet but it was an announcement of how bold the Fheitgr were growing. Adriana returned to the map and continued her explanation.


    ¡°It¡¯s close enough to allow quick and easy access but just far enough out that it would prove difficult to approach. Our best bet would be to slip in under the cover of night.¡±


    Piotr ran his fingers across the map, tracing from the port out to where the boat had been marked on the map.


    ¡°Approaching by sea quietly is half the battle, any conventional boat that suppresses our approach wouldn¡¯t possess the speed and any boat that does would create far too much of a presence. We¡¯d need to be quick and quiet. We¡¯re not in exactly ideal conditions for an approach like this.¡±


    Adriana smirked and walked to the edge of the pier. Inserting two fingers in her mouth she let out a whistle. A pink streak darted from the water leaping in a graceful arc and plunging again. Finally the sea creature surfaced and bobbed in the water just in front of Adriana.


    Adriana crouched and held out her hand. Its skin was shiny but scaly. Despite its hide being pink, the scales were a light red. A short elongated snout poked Adriana¡¯s hand, black beady eyes gazed up at her. Adriana laughed,


    ¡°This here is Tis, one of the many Varog here who aid us with seafaring and transportation in Barakat. You wanted speed and silence, well here she is.¡±


    Christi, Sam, and Ratchet admired the creature. Piotr had read up on the creature, Varog were a domesticated sea animal that could be found along the Farage coast. Strong and quick, they were a sailor¡¯s best friend.


    ¡°I thought they had all left when the Creuse disease struck.¡±


    Adriana stroked the affable animal. Tis whistled and clicked as she excitedly bobbed up and down.


    ¡°After the Creuse outbreak ended, the town was ruined. We had to outright sell anything and everything of value just to rebuild. We went back to the rudimentary methods our founders had used. That¡¯s when they came back to us, it¡¯s like they knew we needed them.¡±


    ¡°What a fascinating creature, well they¡¯ll certainly be a valuable asset in this operation. Pair that with the rifles and we certainly hold the range advantage,¡± Sam commented.


    ¡°We lure them outside, and keep our distance. Piotr will swoop aboard to mop up any remaining Fheitgr,¡± Adriana said.


    ¡°Putting an awful lot of pressure on him don¡¯t ya think?¡± Ratchet said with his arms folded.


    Piotr waved a dismissive hand.


    ¡°If anything it¡¯s better this way, I can make sure they remain outside. The rest is up to our marksmen.¡±


    Sam patted Piotr on the shoulder,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry he won¡¯t be going in there alone.¡±


    Ratchet grunted and shuffled about,


    ¡°It¡¯s still a big risk.¡±


    ¡°All part of the job,¡± Piotr said as he looked towards Abraham.


    ¡°How conscientious,¡± Abraham chided.


    Adriana regarded everyone,


    ¡°We¡¯ll strike at nightfall tonight. I¡¯ll let my men know, the rifles will be passed on.¡±


    ¡°We all finished here then,¡± Ratchet said.


    ¡°I believe so. For now, rest up,¡± Adriana smiled.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I¡¯d like to discuss whilst we¡¯re all present,¡± Abraham said, stopping everyone in their tracks.


    ¡°The girl spoke to Kydin last night, right here on this pier. Were any of you aware of that?¡±


    Christi¡¯s heartbeat increased. He had seen her?


    The group turned towards Christi,


    ¡°Christi, care to explain?¡± Piotr inquired.


    Christi turned her eyes to the ground, she couldn¡¯t lie, but what could she do? She felt the icy stares, her fists clenched tightly.


    ¡°He showed up and talked to me briefly last night, yes,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call us or let us know of this Christi?¡± Piotr asked her.


    ¡°I¡­¡± she didn¡¯t know how to answer. Why had she not told the others?


    ¡°Is this the first time you¡¯ve spoken to Kydin?¡± Piotr continued.


    ¡°No, we spoke at the beach right after what happened at the pier too.¡±


    Abraham cursed,


    ¡°I knew we couldn¡¯t trust her, she could be conspiring against us for Axci¡¯s sake.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not jump to conclusions, I¡¯ve known the girl for four years. She wouldn¡¯t conspire against us.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me, why has the girl spoken with the man not once but twice? And if she was really not conspiring with him, why did she hide these two meetings from all of you?¡±


    Piotr remained silent, Abraham was correct. He couldn¡¯t refute that. Christi glanced around, she saw the doubt in their eyes. No matter what she said now wouldn¡¯t change that. There it was again, that cold harsh reality. We¡¯re still Fheitgr and they Anrish, Kydin¡¯s words from last night seemed more fitting now more than ever.


    ¡°Confine the girl to the house, she¡¯s not to leave until the assault is complete,¡± Adriana ordered.


    ¡°Hey! We don¡¯t need to go that far,¡± Ratchet protested.


    Adriana looked to Piotr with a stern expression.


    ¡°Remind me again what you swore in that square before the people of this town Piotr?¡±


    Piotr remained tight lipped, he trusted Christi, and yet she hid something from him.


    ¡°Say it!¡± Adriana shouted.


    ¡°To protect this town,¡± Piotr said quietly.


    ¡°Correct, Kydin is our enemy, the girl may not be but we can¡¯t rule that out until further investigation. We don¡¯t have the luxury for that right now. We must do everything to protect this town, confining the girl is a part of that.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Piotr agreed with her.


    Christi stood dumbfounded, Abraham gestured over a pair of guards. They stood at either side of the girl.


    ¡°My men will guard the premises,¡± Abraham said solemnly.


    Christi looked at Ratchet, what she saw broke her.


    Doubt.


    Alex would¡¯ve believed her, he always believed her. She let the guards lead her away, Piotr and Sam never lifted their heads.


    The moon blazed red in the dark blue sky, Christi sat on her bed. She withdrew the pendant again, she found herself doing that more and more.


    An explosion boomed in the distance, Christi jumped to the window. Several guards raced through the streets in the direction of the initial explosion.


    The lock on her door clicked, it creaked open. A cloud of smoke enveloped the doorframe. Kydin stepped forth from the smoke, with a blood slicked blade in hand. Splatters of crimson peppered his dark clothing. He smirked at her.


    ¡°Hello again, little Vlam.¡±

 Chance

    Youb¨¦ Port''s usual quietness was disturbed. Tonight it was a staging ground. Standing amidst the pier was a combination of eleven Finders and Guardsmen each equipped with converter rifles. Everything was set; the men on hand had been briefed. Adriana and Abraham had personally come to see them all off. All that was left was to start the attack.


    Piotr had spent the day rehearsing the strike in his head. He was confident, and yet he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something wasn¡¯t right. Kydin was daring, but this almost seemed too daring. Abraham noticed his reluctance; he nudged Adriana, and the two approached him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re getting cold feet now of all times, Henlein?¡± Abraham said in his usual condescending tone. Adriana¡¯s gaze lingered on him. She no longer wore her usual affable smile. Since the revelation of Christi meeting with Kydin, she seemed much more serious.


    ¡°What troubles you, Piotr? Why do you pause?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°I believe there¡¯s more to this than we initially assumed.¡±


    ¡°Elaborate.¡±


    Abraham huffed and rolled his eyes. Piotr looked to the town and back to the ship.


    ¡°I know of Kydin¡¯s ventures throughout Anriel. He¡¯s a man who often utilises misdirection. Very simply, he¡¯s more than meets the eye. This move on his part feels far too elementary. If we are to take his last attack into consideration. Well, he chose to attack in my absence.¡±


    Adriana folded her arms and nodded.


    ¡°You believe this is an attempt on his part to draw you out then?¡±


    ¡°If I were to hazard a guess, then yes.¡±


    Adriana strolled to the edge of the pier. A cloud of vapour coalesced before her as a sigh escaped her lips.


    ¡°He¡¯s playing us for a fool, isn¡¯t he? What would you suggest then?¡±


    ¡°To be prepared. We¡¯ll continue with the attack, but only with two other boats joining me and Sam. If I¡¯m correct and we don¡¯t proceed, then Kydin will suspect something. At least this way we¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°Very well then.¡± Adriana turned and waved towards Abraham, who shook his head and huffed. Four men remained seated in their compact aquawood frame boats while the rest alighted.


    ¡°Good luck.¡±


    Piotr nodded firmly and joined Sam in the boat. Abraham ushered his men away, instructing them to remain vigilant. With a slight tug on the reins, the Varog duo at the bow began to pull. The boat lurched forward and continued at a steady pace.


    Natural light illuminated their path as they glided forward. White stars twinkled in the blue expanse above, and a crimson red moon hung in the night sky. The Farage Sea was still and calm; save for the faint red moonlight, the sea itself was as black as the abyss.


    In the near distance the freighter ship could be seen, anchored about half a mile out from the port. It loomed large, an imperious symbol in itself against the people of Barakat. They could see lights on the ship; there was no attempt to even hide their brazen location.


    The Varog slowed as they crept up to the ship. Sam signalled to the others to move into their designated positions. A boat at either side, close enough to be in shooting distance but far enough to be effective. Piotr and Sam took the lead. Creeping up to the hull of the ship, veiled in darkness. With another gentle tug, the varog came to a halt. Piotr nodded to Sam, and he soared upwards, landing softly atop the main cabin¡¯s roof.


    He scanned the deck, there was no one to be found out front. Frankly, there was not a soul in sight. Must be inside then, Piotr thought. He lowered himself to the deck. A robust door led inside the ship. Piotr returned to where Sam was and peered downwards. All good; he gestured with a thumbs up. Sam raised his rifle aloft, and Piotr hoisted him up. Gently he sat down beside Piotr. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°One last check around, and then we¡¯ll head inside,¡± Piotr whispered.


    After turning up nothing again, the two reconvened at the main cabin door.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Piotr asked Sam. Sam nodded firmly.


    The corridor lights inside buzzed quietly, and Sam and Piotr pressed forward. Checking every room they passed, it was eerily quiet. It was as if everyone had vanished. To Piotr and Sam¡¯s left up ahead was a room with the door slightly ajar.


    A black mist oozed from the crack. Piotr looked at Sam; he nodded his understanding. Sam stepped beside him and took aim as Piotr yanked on the door. It drew back slowly. Inside a cloud of deep smoke, the room filled with smoke, and the smoke swirled. Flowing and surging, it felt alive to him. Too alive.


    ¡°Sam! Back now!¡± Piotr shouted as he shoved Sam out of the doorway. A blade pierced Piotr¡¯s left shoulder. He felt his arm grow warm with fresh blood. His coat had provided what protection it could, but the blade had sunk its teeth in.


    ¡°We meet again, Henlein.¡± He recognised that voice. It was Korill¡¯s partner from the Inchydon guardhouse attack. Panther.


    Piotr tried to yank the blade free, but he felt no magnetic pull. A sharp cloud of pain jolted through his shoulder; Piotr grimaced. With his free left hand, Panther brandished a dagger. That was enough of a gap to allow Piotr to yank himself away down the corridor; he crumbled the two walls together to prevent Panther from pursuing them.


    Sam helped Piotr to his feet, and Panther slammed on the obstructed corridor. Piotr and Sam raced to the outside deck. The cold night air greeted them as they burst outside. They weren¡¯t alone, however. Standing on the deck were two Fheitgr warriors; blood clung to their soaked clothes. Piotr realised at that moment why.


    He looked over the railing to his left. One of the boats bobbed quietly in the water. He didn¡¯t need to see to confirm what he knew. It was just him and Sam now. The rifles were not lost; however, he could feel the pull of four in the water. For now he would stay his hand; no good would come of folding too early.


    Panther stepped out onto the deck with two more warriors in tow. He drew back his hood, revealing his darkly skinned face and orange-streaked black hair.


    ¡°Even with all your gifts, Henlein, I don¡¯t believe you can hope to prevail here. Surrender.¡±


    Piotr clutched at his shoulder; cold air seeped into the wound. He looked around him, scanning the deck. Five against two. Not exactly favourable odds, yet he wasn¡¯t nervous.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but you seem to be overlooking one thing. I¡¯m not alone.¡±


    Sam shot a round towards Panther; he sidestepped the shot with ease.


    ¡°You had your chance,¡± Panther said as he waved towards all the Fheitgr to charge forward.


    Piotr and Sam stood back to back. Two warriors charged from the bow at Piotr. Another two behind Piotr evaded Sam¡¯s shots.


    ¡°Switch,¡± Piotr said, nudging Sam in the back.


    Piotr yanked Sam backwards into the air and tripped up the two warriors who were advancing on him by creating bumps in the deck.


    As Sam flipped through the air, he incapacitated the fallen warriors with two expertly placed shots to the leg. Piotr withdrew two metal sheets from the inner lining of his coat and melded a shield. He blocked the strike from one of the warriors who attacked head-on. The other looped around towards Sam at the bow.


    Piotr ducked to the side and positioned the shield at an angle that was aimed towards the warrior¡¯s legs. A red flash ricocheted off the shield and burnt into the warrior¡¯s left leg; he dropped.


    Panther smirked; he pulled out another weapon. A chain and blade, which he began to swing wildly.


    The chain whipped forward and wrapped around the rifle; Sam let go. As he did so, the warrior who had looped around pounced onto Sam.


    ¡°Naive,¡± Piotr said as he spun the rifle and fired a shot using the lever trigger. The warrior, however, reacted, dodging the shot. Piotr clicked his tongue, and Sam tripped the warrior and dragged him around by his hood.


    The warrior steadied himself, and Sam retreated quickly. Panther pulled the rifle into his hands. The frame collapsed to pieces; Panther glanced at Piotr.


    ¡°Should¡¯ve known you¡¯d do that.¡± Panther swung his chain round and round and fired off the blade. Piotr narrowly deflected each strike; the constant barrage of the chain¡¯s bladed tip prevented him from retaliating. There was also the issue of Sam currently being isolated.


    Time to fold, he thought.


    The rifles that floated in the Farage Sea rose quickly, and they took aim. Four lever triggers pulled back as four shots blitzed downwards. Of course it didn¡¯t eliminate their opponents, but that was not why Piotr had done it. Piotr melded a club in haste and slid it towards Sam.


    The scenario he had created for Sam was complete. Sam had slipped behind the warrior in the confusion. He retrieved the blunt weapon and clubbed the last warrior on the back of the head.


    Two on one now, only Panther remained.


    Panther frowned; his chain clicked. It was shortened in length. That wicked speed only further increased as Panther spun the chain.


    Piotr and Sam had no choice but to huddle behind a shield. Piotr attempted to grab onto Panther with the discarded rifle pieces, but the blade on the chain disrupted his focus. Sam and Piotr turned to each other.


    ¡°Quite the perilous situation, my friend,¡± Sam said.


    ¡°We¡¯ve found our way out of worse,¡± Piotr replied.


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish this then,¡± Sam said as he threw forward the club; Piotr propelled it forward. Panther swatted the club to the side. The chain whipped through the air at incredible speeds. Sam retreated back towards the bow and spun back towards Piotr. He ran at Piotr. With the added momentum, Piotr was able to hurl Sam onto the cabin roof. He rolled to break his fall and whipped around in a crouch. Panther glanced back at Sam. That allowed Piotr to reassemble the converter rifle and launch it right into Sam¡¯s waiting hands.


    Not hesitating, Panther jumped to the roof and pressed Sam. Sam retreated quickly, but the chain lashed out at him. Piotr jumped up as well and fired off a slew of projectiles. Panther evaded so as to put Sam in danger. Piotr grabbed a hold of the projectiles. That was all Panther needed.


    The blade sunk into Piotr¡¯s left shoulder again. Piotr grunted and dropped to his knees. Panther attempted to pull the blade free; Piotr chuckled. Panther had made one mistake, a perilous one.


    Piotr formed the metal in his coat around the chain¡¯s bladed tip. He gripped the blade and held on tightly. Sam hit Panther from behind; he fell to his knees.


    Sam helped Piotr to his feet; he let the blade go and ripped it free. He cringed as he did so. Sam kicked away Panther¡¯s weapon. Dazed and groggy, Panther raised his head.


    Panther stared blankly at them; he clearly wasn¡¯t one to express himself. Even in defeat he didn¡¯t look the least bit annoyed. Merely indifferent. His focus shifted towards the town. Piotr and Sam followed his gaze.


    Explosions lit up Barakat.