《The Hangmen [A Fantasy Epic LitRPG]》


 Chapter 1: The Devil鈥檚 Advocate

    Ace was about to die, but he had planned on doing that soon anyway, so he didn¡¯t really care.


    In stories they make death look heroic, epic, and tragic, but Ace knew firsthand the truth about death: it¡¯s remarkably dull. Most go quickly and unceremoniously. Those who do cling to life long enough to have a chance at last words are too busy choking on smoke or their own blood to croak any out.


    Luckily, Ace didn¡¯t have to worry about his last words. Despite his honest insistence that he didn''t know any skills the knights still gagged him. Even if Ace could speak there wasn¡¯t anybody left to say goodbye to. His only real complaint regarding his execution was the conditions.


    The rain-soaked cloth over Ace¡¯s head clung to his face, forcing him to keep his head down to prolong his suffocation. Howling winds whipped through Kaimen bringing with them a bone-chilling cold¡ªone that was only amplified by the waterlogged nature of Ace¡¯s attire. His captors hadn¡¯t even granted him the courtesy of footwear; the rough cobblestone street blistered Ace¡¯s feet. A cacophony of the townsfolk''s jeers echoed in Ace¡¯s ears as the Armistice Order paraded their fresh scapegoats around the town.


    10,789 10,790 10,791 ¡­


    Ace listened closely for the sound of raindrops impacting the street, counting each. He enjoyed these sorts of mundane tasks; they helped distract him from how disappointing life was. A long time ago, Ace¡¯s friend had criticized him.


    ¡°Why are you always doing this stuff?¡± she had asked him.


    ¡°Because with the way the world is you only have three real options: be cruel, be blind, or be righteous. You¡¯d be mad at me if I chose the first, and the last is too taxing. This is just how I blind myself. Helps me tune everything out,¡± Ace said.


    Ace never forgot her smile that followed his response.


    ¡°You know who I think is the cruelest?¡± she asked. ¡°Whoever decided the world should be so beautiful, and life should be so short.¡±


    ¡°Again with the poetic nonsense,¡± Ace said, rolling his eyes. ¡°I seriously don¡¯t get half the shit you say Lumina.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand it one day.¡±


    ¡°Doubt it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Lumina said with a smile. ¡°Well if you¡¯re not doing anything, wanna play two truths, and a lie?¡±


    ¡°Is that the only game you know?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°I know other games!¡± Lumina said. ¡°I just like this one the most. Especially when I¡¯m playing with you.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t have time for games.¡±


    ¡°You never have time to play! Do you even like playing with me?!¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°You promise?¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡± Ace closed the book in his hands. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s play. My turn first.¡±


    Years later, it was still Ace¡¯s turn.


    Ace never did get to ask Lumina about all the things she said. He had figured an opportunity would come, in whatever place came after all this, but with everything he¡¯d done since he left home, he wasn¡¯t too sure he was going to the same place she was. Still, even if he didn¡¯t understand anything she said, Ace had always enjoyed Lumina¡¯s company.


    Ah, maybe I was in love. Guess it doesn¡¯t matter now anyway. Just another entry on a long list of regrets, Ace thought.


    The knight that had been leading Ace yanked on his restraints, pulling him aside. ¡°Make way!¡±


    Did he have to yell straight into my ear?


    The crowd surrounding the gallows tree parted. A figure carrying a large wooden crate began to march down the opening.


    The figure¡¯s plate armor shined, illuminating the city street in the sun¡¯s absence. Golden chains, reminiscent of the Chained Maiden¡ªone of the deities worshiped by the Armistice Order¡ªenveloped their armor.


    With each step, the chains rattled against the armor. The sound of metal on metal¡ªthough typically irritating¡ªwas strangely comforting, like the ringing of bells signaling a workday¡¯s end, and the weekend¡¯s start.


    Even amid the torrential rain, the figure remained completely dry; their [Divine Protection] caused the rain to roll off them before it could touch their armor. With great care, they placed the crate underneath the elevated platform where the criminals would be hanged.


    Galland gazed up at the tree. It was adorned with vibrant green leaves and deep brown bark. He even spotted a few birds'' nests. The tree¡¯s lively exterior served as a stark contrast to the decrepit bodies that hung from it; their withered, dusty skin that clung to brittle bones made them resemble ghouls more than people.


    Galland took a deep breath to steady himself. Year¡¯s end was soon to come. Soon these people would be put to rest. Soon Galland could look upon this tree and be at peace with himself. Yet, soon after that, the tree would come to resemble its current state as it always had.


    Galland raised his hand, signaling for the captives to be brought forward.


    Ace went last. Part of him hoped some revelation would come to him, a reason to flail hopelessly while he hanged.


    Perhaps it would come as his feet clamored across cobble as he was dragged toward the gallows? Nothing.


    Maybe when the floor below his feet shifted from stone to wood as the reality of the situation dawned on him? Once again, nothing.


    Surely as the noose was fitted around his neck, right? Still, nothing.


    Ace had learned to have no expectations of life, yet he still felt disappointed. His life wasn¡¯t flashing before his eyes. No revelations surged to the forefront of his mind. His heart wasn¡¯t even beating any faster.


    Galland turned to address a woman. She wore marble white robes with a golden cloak¡ªthe same color as Galland¡¯s chains¡ªthat stopped at her waist. Around her neck was a chain; her clasped hands covered something hanging around her neck.


    ¡°Priestess, if you would.¡± Galland stepped to the side to allow the woman to pass him. As she did he leaned in and whispered to her. ¡°First names only this time.¡±


    ¡°Told you they wouldn¡¯t approve,¡± the woman said.


    ¡°They deserve this much, Nina.¡±


    Nina sighed. ¡°Of course, Galland.¡±


    Nina opened her hands as if she was embracing the sky itself. The clustered ball of chains around her neck, now visible, began to slowly unravel as she spoke.


    ¡°Let the shackles that bound you in this life be cast aside.


    ¡°Let yourself be free.


    ¡°Let the maiden take them upon herself.


    ¡°Let the afterlife be gracious to thee.


    ¡°Let that which you loved be burnt.


    ¡°Let their embers light the way.


    ¡°Let those whom you loved be found again.


    ¡°Let yourself find happiness someday.


    ¡°I pray these blessings be upon you.


    ¡°Let what I have said today be true.¡±


    By the time Nina¡¯s prayer concluded the cluster of chains around her neck had completely unraveled and were flowing in the sky like ribbons. As she finished, the chains tightened once again, knotting themselves back into a ball.


    Nina turned to Galland, who nodded his head with thanks.


    Ace felt himself lifted, and placed upon a box. As the knight behind him let go of the rope he felt it caress his neck.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± A large¡ªtoo large to be purely human¡ªgray-skinned, pot-bellied man cried out from the crowd. ¡°You¡¯re doing it wrong! The rope is too loose, there¡¯s no tension in it. You drop them now, and they¡¯ll just snap their necks. Tighten the rope! Let them hang! Let them hang! Let them hang!¡±


    A single uproar grew into a cacophony, as the entire crowd joined the man¡¯s chant.


    ¡°Let them hang! Let them hang! Let them hang!¡±


    One of the knights on the gallows looked to Galland. ¡°Paladin?¡±


    Galland¡¯s head faced the ground. His armor creaked as his hands turned to fists. Before Galland could speak, he felt a hand placed on his shoulder.


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    Galland turned to see a tall, slender man with long pointy ears and tan skin standing behind him. The armor he wore was similar to Galland¡¯s though his was leather not metal, and his chains were only painted on. At his hip lay a quiver of arrows and slung across his shoulder was a longbow¡ªboth oversized for a human.


    ¡°Do as the man says,¡± he commanded.


    ¡°Yes, Sir Darren,¡± the knight said.


    ¡°Keep it together,¡± Darren whispered to Galland, while the knights tightened the ropes. ¡°Give me the torch.¡±


    Galland unclipped a torch from his belt and handed it to Darren.


    ¡°Everything ready?¡± Darren asked.


    The knights atop the gallows nodded.


    Darren turned to the crowd. ¡°Are the ropes okay?¡± Darren asked the gray-skinned man.


    ¡°Good enough.¡±


    Darren rolled his eyes at the man¡¯s response. He approached the gallows, bending down to the crate that sat beneath it. Using a match he pulled from a pouch on his waist, Darren ignited the torch.


    ¡°Get ready!¡± Darren shouted. He placed the torch on the crate till it caught fire.


    The moment the knights saw smoke rise to the gallows they swiftly kicked the boxes out from underneath the captives'' feet.


    The rope slammed into Ace¡¯s throat. Though his body instinctively convulsed, eventually Ace relaxed himself. As he hanged he waited for some grand insight to reveal itself to him. Nothing.


    Life had disappointed Ace till the bitter end.


    <hr>


    Ace soon realized that he had lost all his senses. Everything had become a colorless void. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly when it happened, only that it had.


    He could no longer feel the rope abrading his neck as it crushed his windpipe or the warmth of the fire that bellowed beneath him. He could no longer hear the people of Kaimen cry out for his death. He could no longer smell the smoke from his possessions burning nor taste it as it flooded his mouth accelerating his asphyxiation. He could no longer see the world steadily lose its clarity as smoke singed his eyes, and his brain was deprived of oxygen.


    Without his senses, Ace was unable to tell how long he stayed like this¡ªor which way was up and which way was down.


    Eventually, the void that surrounded Ace abruptly began to take form. An outline of a humanoid figure emerged from the nothingness that permeated the space.


    Seeing the figure was how Ace learned his sight had returned. His uncontrollable laughter that followed was how he learned his hearing had returned. The feeling of tears of joy running down his face was how he learned his touch had returned. The saltiness of those tears, as they streamed into his mouth, was how he learned his taste had returned. The smell of blood and fire that radiated off the figure was how he learned his smell had returned.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Lustres.¡± Ace froze upon hearing the figure speak. The figure slowly examined themself, as if they had just been born. ¡°I¡¯m typically seen as a monster. A person isn¡¯t exceedingly rare. But a real person, now that is interesting.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Ah, complicated question,¡± the figure said. ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of names. Satan, Beelzebub, Lucifer, but those have all been lost. One has persisted though. Are you familiar with the Devil?¡±


    Ace cocked his head. His jaw hung slack as his eyes narrowed slightly.


    ¡°Confusion? Doubt? A mix of both? All valid reactions. Sadly, we don¡¯t have much time,¡± the Devil said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°You are aware that you are dying, yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not dead?¡±


    The Devil scoffed. ¡°You wouldn''t be of any use to me if you were. That being said, I¡¯m only witnessing your death second-hand, yet even I can tell it is painful, so we ought to hurry this up. I want you to be my avatar.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass,¡± Ace said. ¡°Not a fan of your work.¡±


    ¡°Contrary to popular belief, I¡¯m not evil.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one letter off evil.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, one of many names.¡±


    ¡°If not evil, then what are you?¡± Though technically he was still dying, for Ace, his life had already ended, so this was just a moment to entertain himself.


    ¡°A fix to a broken system,¡± the Devil said.


    ¡°What system? The train system?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°The afterlife.¡±


    Ace raised an eyebrow. ¡°Care to explain?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long explanation, and you are dying expeditiously,¡± the Devil reminded Ace.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m comfortable with dying.¡±.


    ¡°Right, I already knew that,¡± the Devil muttered. ¡°The short explanation is that the afterlife was designed to judge people based on their actions in life.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s a bad thing?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°For the most part, no. However, there are corner cases. Take, for instance, a slave who fantasizes about murdering his master, taking their position, and torturing their fellow slaves twice as much as they already are. A real twisted individual. However, given their status as a slave, they lack the means to act on their desires.


    ¡°One day, either due to starvation or excessive torture, they die. Then, because they never acted on the malice at the core of their being, this person manages to cheat their way into a pleasant afterlife.¡±


    ¡°If you can tell what a person¡¯s desires and intentions are, then how is this a problem?¡±


    ¡°One of the follies of free will is that for it to exist no entity may have the power to both influence and create. One can either build the rivers or alter their flow, never both. Nobody is born with desires, so creators cannot comprehend them,¡± the Devil explained.


    ¡°To fix this, I was created, and granted the ability to understand the desires of those with free will. My purpose was to find those with evil at their core, and then give them the means to act on their desires. I would make them my avatars.¡±


    ¡°You enabled people to inflict their darkest fantasies on the world so that they could be judged fairly? Doesn¡¯t seem like the optimal fix to me,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Shatter a cup, and no matter how hard you try to put the pieces back together there will always be cracks. No fix is perfect. Not even me.¡±.


    ¡°So, why don¡¯t you judge people?¡± Ace asked. ¡°Or another creation that can understand desires?


    ¡°Creations can only be judged by their creators, supposedly.¡± The Devil¡¯s visage flickered briefly. It was the first hint of emotion Ace had seen them¡ªor maybe it¡ªdisplay.


    ¡°What desires am I meant to act out on? That¡¯s why you¡¯re here right, offering me to be your avatar?¡± Ace only had one desire, but he knew it wasn¡¯t evil.


    ¡°Actually, this is my desire, a personal vendetta to be precise,¡± the Devil said. ¡°See, when humanity went nuclear¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nuclear?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Freudian slip. Wait, you don''t know what that means either. Just forget what I said


    ¡°All that you need to know is that eventually the powers that be decided to get more hands-on with your world. Their essence began to bleed all over giving birth to new life, technology, materials, and powers that all intermingled with what was already present.


    ¡°That was fine. New elements created a degree of variance, but they didn¡¯t favor anybody in particular. Things were different, but not distorted. Life remained as fair as it was before.¡±


    ¡°Life isn¡¯t very fair,¡± Ace said..


    ¡°Never said it was fair to begin with,¡± the Devil replied. ¡°However, things changed when they decided to take some inspiration from me.¡±


    Ace immediately understood what the Devil meant. ¡°Avatars.¡±


    ¡°Precisely. The antidote, administered incorrectly, became a poison unto itself. ¡±


    ¡°I thought you said creators can¡¯t influence their creations.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. Avatars lack guidance. Creators cannot interact with their avatars beyond creating power for them. A select few, given god-like power, without any guidance, left to their devices lead to a world of disorder and disarray.¡±


    ¡°And with a personal ambassador waiting for them in the afterlife, I can''t imagine things are very difficult for them even after death.¡±


    ¡°Why would they be?¡±


    ¡°But if it¡¯s such a problem, why don¡¯t you fix it yourself?¡± Ace asked. ¡°You have the power to influence.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± the Devil said. ¡°However, while benefactors can¡¯t interact with their avatars, they can interact with me.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you one of their creations?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a special case. So while in theory, I could stop these avatars, I¡¯d draw the ire of far more powerful forces far too quickly.¡±


    ¡°Which is why you want me. They can¡¯t touch me.¡±


    The Devil grinned. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°So I just kill all the avatars?¡±


    ¡°Only those who don¡¯t deserve their power. That¡¯s a line I¡¯ll let you draw.¡±


    ¡°Still, aren¡¯t they guaranteed a pleasant afterlife? What does killing them solve?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°It puts them on my playing field. Once they¡¯re dead, specifically by your hand, I¡¯ll take it from there.¡±


    Ace went silent, diving deep into thought.


    ¡°Also, don¡¯t be mistaken, this isn¡¯t just for me. As my avatar, you will punish wicked avatars.¡± The Devil gestured to his visage. ¡°Present company is not excluded. Though one could raze a whole village, and slaughter every inhabitant by themselves, it would be easier with a little help, wouldn¡¯t you agree?


    ¡°Your initial outburst was based on the presumption that the person you see before you was rotting for eternity just as you had convinced yourself you would be. However, I can assure you, they are alive and well.¡±


    ¡°Why me?¡± Ace¡¯s voice shifted drastically from sarcastic and inquisitive to cold and serious.


    ¡°You''re one of their creations. I just explained¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, why me specifically?¡±.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re the strongest,¡± the Devil said matter-of-factly. ¡°Tell me, who do you think is the strongest?¡±


    Ace knew the answer wasn¡¯t an obvious one, and he had a terrible habit of always needing to be right.


    ¡°Someone with nothing to lose,¡± Ace answered.


    ¡°Close. However, somebody with nothing grows comfortable having nothing. A peasant is more likely to share than a noble, as they are accustomed to not having much.¡±


    ¡°So then someone with everything,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Again, close, but not quite. Someone with everything fails to appreciate its value. They use, spend, and consume, unperturbed by their losses.


    ¡°The correct answer is someone who has had everything taken away and been left with nothing but hope. Those are the people who fight tooth and nail for every scrap, every copper, every piece of moldy bread they come across. They cling to what little they have because of their hope that they can reclaim some semblance of their past. Or, in your case, find some closure.¡±


    Ace¡¯s body began flaking away.


    ¡°Seems our time is almost up. So, do we have a deal?¡± the Devil asked.


    The Devil extended his hand.


    Without hesitation, Ace grasped the Devil¡¯s forearm. ¡°Deal.¡±


    The Devil grinned, his smile stretching from ear to ear. ¡°Till death do we meet again.¡±


    Ace mirrored the Devil¡¯s grin. ¡°Sorry, but I have a reason to live now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be back.¡±


    Ace¡¯s body flaked away, vanishing into the void.


    Alone in the void, the Devil began to laugh. ¡°They all find their way back. Eventually.¡±


    As Ace felt himself pulled back to his body a flash of text filled his vision.


    [  You have become The Avatar of the Devil. ]


    [ You have unlocked the following skill: [Pact]. ]


    [ You have gained the following epithet: The Devil¡¯s Advocate. ]

 Chapter 2: Spirits, Saviors, Stories, and Sewage

    Nothingness and darkness aren''t the same. Ace learned the difference the instant he was thrust back into his body. In darkness, Ace had his senses; they were dulled¡ªlikely due to prolonged asphyxiation¡ªbut they were enough to remind Ace that he was dying.


    Wait, what am I supposed to do?


    As Ace struggled to think, something populated the darkness. Not a sight, but a sound. Voices. An overwhelming cacophony bombarded Ace¡¯s mind. There was only one word he could make out amongst the cries.


    WHY? WHY? WHY?


    [ The restless spirits seek retribution. ]


    [ Would you like to form a pact? ]


    Ace tried to speak, forgetting the rope around his neck. When that failed, he could only try to convey his intention through thought.


    Yes.


    [ The spirits request a vessel to enact their vengeance. ]


    [ Do you accept this request? ]


    A vessel? What could work as a ¡­ wait. I accept.


    [ What is your request? ]


    That you get me off this fucking tree!


    [ The spirits have accepted your request. ]


    [ Due to the large number of spirits multiple pacts will be used. ]


    [ Not enough available pacts. ]


    [ Reducing pact strength to compensate for the lack of available pacts. ]


    [ Pact Formed! ]


    [ Active Pacts: 2/2. ]


    <hr>


    ¡°Are any of them gone?¡± Galland asked Nina.


    Nina pointed to Ace. ¡°He¡¯s no longer here.¡±


    Galland signaled to a pair of knights. ¡°Take that one down.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re meant to leave them on,¡± one of the knights said.


    ¡°They''ll be down in days. Why create extra work?¡± Galland asked.


    ¡°Their belongings are still burning,¡± the other knight said.


    ¡°The smoke ain¡¯t gonna kill ya, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t need to hang them,¡± Darren said.


    Galland and Nina slowly turned their heads toward Darren.


    ¡°Too far? Too far,¡± Darren said.


    Galland exhaled deeply. ¡°Just get him off.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Nina shouted. ¡°He¡¯s back.¡±


    ¡°Look¡¯s the same to me,¡± Darren said.


    Suddenly, the floor rumbled like the stomach of a starving beast. Several onlookers, including some knights, lost their balance, fumbling to the floor. The cobblestone streets sundered giving way to the tree¡¯s roots that erupted from the earth. The gallows exploded into a storm of splinters.


    The roots twisted into four gnarled masses. A booming thud echoed throughout Kaimen as two of the hunks of root slammed into the ground; the other two slithered up the bark forming halfway up the tree at its sides. With tremendous force, the tree pushed off the ground and stood atop its newly formed appendages.


    As the tree uprooted itself, Ace felt himself pulled upward. For a brief moment, he could no longer feel the noose around his neck as he was yanked into the air. Ace took a horrid-sounding gasp of air, but before he could exhale, his rapid ascent came to a sudden stop. The rope slammed into his windpipe, and the branch it was tied to snapped, sending Ace into free fall.


    Ace crashed down into the wreckage of the wooden crate that had been burning underneath him as he hanged. Fortunately, when the tree had stood, the water caught on its leaves fell and extinguished the flames. Even still, the impact nearly knocked Ace unconscious and left him flat on his back.


    The cloth around his head had slipped somewhat, but because of how wet it was it clung to his face. His hands were still bound, and he was still gagged.


    Ace tried to break free of his restraints using sheer strength. Summoning all his might, Ace tried to tear apart the rope around his wrists. Suddenly, his bindings came apart with ease. Ace¡¯s surprise was quickly followed by distress as he felt something pull at the cloth around his head; it clung to his face, before it was wrestled off Ace¡¯s head.


    Ace ripped the gag out of his mouth and gazed up to see a girl roughly the same age as him¡ª21¡ªwith unnaturally pale-white skin, and short, wavy light blonde hair. She wore dark cloth armor and a verdant green cloak. In her hand was a dagger, dark as obsidian with runes carved along the blade that glowed a dull red.


    The girl extended her hand out to Ace which he quickly accepted. As the girl leaned down the cloak around her neck slipped down slightly allowing Ace to catch a glimpse of a golden chain tattoo around the girl¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Not sure about you, but I¡¯m running,¡± the girl said.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m following you.¡± Ace grabbed her hand, and pulled himself to his feet.


    The girl dashed toward a nearby alleyway. ¡°Smart. This way!¡±


    Ace didn¡¯t have time to take in the chaos around him, but out of the corner of his eye, amongst the wreckage, he spotted his satchel¡ªthe only thing he had taken with him from home other than the light brown trench coat he always wore. Quickly snatching his charred satchel off the ground, Ace followed the girl.


    ¡°Paladin! They¡¯re getting away,¡± one of the knights shouted.


    ¡°Ignore them, our priority is¡ª¡± Galland cut himself off as a massive shadow was cast over him. The tree raised one of its gnarled root arms above Galland, threatening to flatten him.


    ¡°[Bind]!¡± Nina yelled. The ball of chains around her neck unfurled and enlarged, then shot out from around her neck and wrapped themselves around the tree¡¯s arm, stopping it just before it smashed Galland.


    ¡°[Flash Step] X [Multiply]!¡± Darren clapped his hands together. A white light enveloped everybody underneath the arm¡¯s shadow till only their outline could be seen. Then, the group vanished from their current position, reappearing a few meters back from where they previously stood, outside the tree¡¯s reach.


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    The tree overpowered the chains, shattering them, and slamming its arm into the street. A hail of stones rained down upon the nearby townsfolk, as they screamed in terror, tripping over themselves in an attempt to flee.


    The husks atop the tree cried out to the people below.


    ¡°WHY? WHY? WHY?¡±


    With each word their necrotic vocal cords turned to dust. Still their collective voice haunted the streets.


    ¡°WHY? WHY? WHY?¡±


    ¡°Good save.¡± Galland turned away from Nina and Darren to face the rest of the knights. ¡°Our top priority is the civilians'' safety. All of you, focus on evacuating them. I¡¯ll handle the creature.¡±


    ¡°Yes paladin!¡±


    ¡°Darren and Nina, with me!¡± Galland pulled the blade bound to his back with chains..


    ¡°Got it,¡± the two replied.


    <hr>


    Ace looked over his shoulder. He was relieved to see nobody chasing him.


    ¡°This way,¡± the girl said, dipping into another alley.


    Ace turned into the alley. The girl Ace had been following pried open a sewer grate using her dagger.


    ¡°In,¡± she commanded.


    Without any other options, Ace obliged, descending into the sewers below. A loud splash echoed throughout the tunnels as Ace¡¯s bare feet sunk into a stream of sewage. A smell like overcooked rotten flesh assaulted Ace¡¯s nostrils.


    Ace heard a second splash and turned to see the girl drop down behind him. As she put the sewer grate back on, the only light source disappeared, casting the two into darkness.


    ¡°Hang on,¡± Ace said, rummaging through his bag. He pulled out a torch, but quickly realized he had nothing to light it.


    ¡°[Ignite].¡± The girl snapped her fingers. The torch caught fire and illuminated the space.


    ¡°Can you hold this?¡± Ace handed the girl the torch. He retrieved a set of shoes from his bag, and swiftly put them on. ¡°Not walking through this place barefoot.¡±


    ¡°Good call.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the save, uh ¡­ I just realized I don¡¯t know your name,¡± Ace said.


    The girl chuckled. ¡°Riven. And you¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°Ace. So, where to next?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have anywhere else to be?¡±


    ¡°Kinda just been wandering aimlessly. I only toured the city once, and that was with a cloth over my head, so I wouldn¡¯t have any idea where to go.¡±


    ¡°Alright, follow me. Let¡¯s walk and talk.¡± Riven began to trudge through the sewage with Ace following shortly behind her.


    ¡°So, how long have you been in Kaimen?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Little under two weeks,¡± Riven answered. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Including today? A day.¡±


    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s rough. How¡¯d they get you in a day?¡±


    ¡°Well, when I wanted to come to Kaimen, I didn¡¯t have any money to pay for a ship.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can see how that could be a problem.¡±


    ¡°It was, but I got lucky, or at least I thought I did,¡± Ace said. ¡°Some sailors offered me free passage. In hindsight, I probably knew there was some catch, I just didn¡¯t care much at the time.¡±


    ¡°At the time? What changed?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it if I told you. Anyway, when I got here, it turns out the sailors imported hybrid parts. Dragon scales, basilisk eyes, vampire fangs, a whole bunch of stuff. Think some of them were even endangered. When they got caught, they pinned it all on me. I took the fall.¡±


    ¡°Just because they¡¯re hybrids, people get away with the equivalent of organ trafficking,¡± Riven said, sickened. ¡°It¡¯s only the monstrous ones too. Never hear stories about people getting away with selling elf ears or dwarf livers.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t all hybrid parts illegal?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Did they take the parts away, when they took you?¡±


    Ace only recalled the guards dragging him from the docks. ¡°No. You¡¯re saying they let them keep the parts?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. But if I had to guess, when somebody came back to pick up the parts, they would¡¯ve conveniently already been taken. Hybrid parts bring lots of gold. Kaimen is a port city, but more than that it¡¯s a trade city. Trade cities are about profit.¡±


    ¡°Whole world is about profit and power,¡± Ace didn¡¯t know what upset him more: that he hadn¡¯t realized what Riven had just told him sooner, and at how unsurprised he was by it. ¡°What about you? How¡¯d they get you?¡±


    ¡°Well, when I got to Kaimen I heard about a caravan that¡¯d be passing by in a few weeks. My plan was to hop aboard, which meant I had time to kill. One day, Mayor Raymond¡¯s ring went missing. Normally this wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but apparently the ring was both infused and a family heirloom.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d this get traced back to you?¡±


    ¡°The mayor, Ronan, was convinced The Scrap King had taken his ring. Even had his guards check the sewers to search for it. Now, since I didn¡¯t have any money, I was staying in the sewers, so while they didn¡¯t find the ring, they did find me.


    ¡°Ronan became convinced I was an agent of The Scrap King and had stolen his ring. Despite searching me, and coming up empty-handed he insisted I was hiding it. Eventually, they put me to the gallows after I failed to give up the location of a ring I didn¡¯t steal.¡±


    ¡°Potentially dumb question, who''s The Scrap King?¡± Ace asked. ¡°I know there was a lot in that story, but you were saying the name like I was supposed to know who that was, and I really don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Your parents never told you about The Scrap King?¡±


    ¡°I lived outside the chapters.¡±


    ¡°Country kid. Well, The Scrap King is an urban legend. He has his minions scuttling around the sewers of every city. Each night, they emerge from underneath to steal anything not bolted to the ground and bring their findings back to him. The story is mainly for parents to explain to their kids why their things go missing.¡±


    ¡°So they hanged you because of some urban legend?¡±


    ¡°In their defense, The Scrap King is real, though they probably didn¡¯t know that. Most people don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°So how do you know he¡¯s real?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a family friend.¡±


    The combination of both what Riven said, and how she frankly said it made Ace take a moment to process it one more time. ¡°So, he would just, like, come over to hang out on the weekends?¡±


    Riven chuckled. ¡°No, most of the interactions were long-distance. Occasionally my dad would go to the capital to visit him, but that¡¯s about it. I¡¯m trying to find him right now actually. I was planning on heading to Journey myself, but then, well, you know the rest.¡±


    ¡°Parents must be pretty interesting to have a friend like The Scrap King,¡± Ace remarked.


    ¡°They were,¡± Riven said with a smile.


    ¡°Oh. If it makes you feel any better, my parents aren¡¯t here anymore either.¡±


    ¡°Look at us, two little bundles of trauma,¡± Riven joked. ¡°Unless we wanna meet our parents prematurely, we better get moving.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Because, so long as we got these things around our necks we¡¯re only slightly more free than we were on that tree,¡± Riven gestured to the marking of a golden chain wrapped around her neck.


    ¡°Our?¡±


    Riven held up her dagger toward Ace. Ace saw his reflection in the blade. Around his neck was a golden chain marking, identical to the one around Riven¡¯s.


    ¡°Our only options to get this removed are with the Armistice Order and with the mayor,¡± Riven explained.


    Ace barely heard Riven. All his attention was focused on the dagger. The dagger felt like it was calling out to Ace¡ªnot unlike the spirits from the tree. His hand unconsciously moved to touch the dagger.


    Suddenly, the entire sewer rumbled. Sewage sloshed around splashing both Riven and Ace.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Why we¡¯re going for the mayor, and not the order,¡± Riven said.


    [ Vessel has been destroyed. ]


    [ Pact has ended. ]


    [ Active Pacts: 0/2. ]


    [ Would you like to view the spirit¡¯s final moments? ]


    ¡°Can you see this?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Are you referring to your out-of-it expression?¡±


    ¡°Never mind.¡±


    Yes, Ace answered.


    Without warning, Ace went catatonic. Riven reacted quickly, catching him before he dredged his whole body in sewage. Riven looked at Ace dumbfounded.


    ¡°What the fuck just happend?!¡±

 Chapter 3: Big Guy

    Ace screamed as he glanced down to see the ground off in the distance. His initial terror was quickly dispelled once he noticed he was suspended in the air. However, he remained unsettled upon realizing his scream was silent.


    Once again, Ace found himself in a state of senselessness¡ªthough this time he retained his sense of sight and sound. Ace gazed at the street he had just escaped moments ago.


    A mass of gnarled wood and twisted roots rampaged toward 3 figures: an elven archer, and two humanoid figures, one clad in shining plate armor wrapped in golden chains, and the other dressed in a white robe with gold accents. Aside from those 3, Ace saw nobody else in sight.


    The hail of stone from when the tree had uprooted itself and sundered the surrounding cobble had collapsed the surrounding buildings. The street had transformed into a ravine packed with the rubble of the homes that previously lined it.


    Ace couldn¡¯t help but imagine the near future: families sifting through the wreckage to find what little remained of their former lives.


    The spirits in the tree sought revenge. In that sense, they were no different than Ace. Both were single-minded in their pursuits, willing to pay any price. But did that extend to other people? Was Ace willing to let other people pay the price for his revenge? He didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°[Bind] X [Mend]!¡± A flash of golden light drew Ace¡¯s attention back to the battle at hand. Golden chains tied one of the tree¡¯s arms to its trunk.


    The chains creaked as the tree struggled to lift its arm. Ace watched as the chains cracked, then shattered. The tree lifted its arm into the air, but fragments of the chains suddenly stitched themselves back together. The reconstituted chains enveloped the tree¡¯s trunk and arm once again.


    In retaliation, the tree struck out with its other arm toward the armored figure. The mass of vines that made up the arm unfurled in an attempt to envelop the figure.


    The archer drew his bow though he didn¡¯t notch an arrow. ¡°Cut them down with an overwhelming, [Barrage].¡±


    Green energy swirled around the archer¡¯s bow. Once the bow was fully drawn, the energy coalesced into the form of an arrow. As the archer released the arrow it whistled as it soared through the air, then slashed through one of the many vines that surged toward the archer¡¯s ally.


    With unnatural swiftness¡ªunimpeded by the need to nock¡ªthe archer lacerated each of the vines with a swarm of manifested arrows.


    For a brief moment, the tree was unable to launch an attack; one of its arms was bound to its trunk, and the other was torn to shreds.


    The armored figure grasped their sword with both hands. As they hoisted the blade high, its tip pointed to the sky, they began to chant, and the blade glowed a faint white light.


    ¡°Become the light, shine bright, cast away the night, with an, [Almighty Smite]!¡±


    With every word the light emanating from the blade grew more intense. By the end of the chant, the light was so blindingly bright Ace was forced to shut his eyes.


    <hr>


    When Ace opened his eyes, he found himself back in his body for the second time that day. His senses returned much quicker than they had the first time.


    He braced himself for the smell of sewage and the biting cold of damp clothes, but to his surprise¡ªand relief¡ªneither came. Ace waited for the darkness to fade, only to realize he was face down on the ground.


    As he pushed himself to his feet, Ace found himself in another alley. He turned his head to see Riven standing at the end observing the street the alley lead out to.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you lugged me here?¡± Ace said.


    ¡°And cleaned you up with magic.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sorry about the whole passing out spontaneously thing.¡±.


    ¡°Yeah, so, what the fuck was up with that?¡± Riven asked.


    Ace opened his mouth, but before he could speak Riven interjected.


    ¡°And don¡¯t ¡®it¡¯s a long story¡¯ me.¡±


    Ace didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°Oh my god, that''s what you were going to say,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was.¡±


    ¡°Uh, listen, it¡¯s complicated, and I get that¡¯s basically saying it¡¯s a long story, but I don¡¯t really get it myself. I¡¯m trying to figure it out. Just know I have it under control for now,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Fine, but I ain¡¯t carrying you again.¡±


    .


    ¡°Will you at least clean me again?¡± Ace asked. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna leave me, at least leave me my dignity too.¡±


    ¡°I think I can do that.¡±


    ¡°Great. Now, do you have a plan?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°I do,¡± Riven said. ¡°While you were getting your beauty sleep, which didn¡¯t do much¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°I was walking the perimeter of the mayor¡¯s manor. Turns out the northwestern watchtower doesn¡¯t have a guard stationed right now. It should have a way to get from it to the manor itself.


    On top of that most of the guards, and the mayor himself should be out now dealing with the aftermath of that whole tree scenario. With the manor relatively empty we should be able to sneak into the mayor¡¯s office and snatch the key.¡±


    ¡°The key?¡±


    ¡°Right, you got here yesterday. A Couple of days back the Armistice Order caught a noble. Before he could be hanged with us, the mayor used some sort of key he had to remove the chain around the noble¡¯s neck in a big public display.¡±


    ¡°Quick question, is he a part of the plan?¡± Ace pointed further down the street toward a man, standing at the manor¡¯s gate.


    The man¡¯s large physique and immense height suggested he was part giant, though the lack of any unnatural discoloration on his dark skin confirmed he wasn¡¯t. His clothes were rather simple¡ªthey reminded Ace of the bartender from the tavern he frequented as a child. The man wore an ash gray vest over a white shirt with black pants.


    The man conversed with the guards at the gate to Ronan¡¯s manor. Ace was too far away to hear the conversation, but judging by the guards¡¯ body language they just wanted the man to leave.


    At one point the man laughed and scratched the back of his neck. In doing so, he pulled down his shirt¡¯s collar slightly and revealed a golden chain etched into his neck.


    Instantly, Ace moved out of the alley toward the man. He moved as fast as he could without drawing attention.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Riven shouted. Ace didn¡¯t respond.


    Riven bolted up to Ace. ¡°Hello?¡± Riven waved her hand in Ace¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Ace asked. His eyes remained fixated on the man at the manor¡¯s gate.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To the gate,¡± Ace said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Why?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°Because he¡¯s about to get himself killed.¡±


    ¡°So we are on the same page.¡±


    ¡°Seems so.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re still going to help him?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s the plan,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Is that the entire plan?¡±


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°I¡¯m good at improvising.¡±


    Riven let out a long exasperated sigh. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    ¡°Not gonna let him die.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Riven¡¯s words felt like less of a question and more of a suggestion.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t let me die.¡±.


    ¡°Very different!¡± Riven exclaimed. ¡°You were right there. Took five seconds. Barely an inconvenience.¡±


    Riven pointed to the man they were fast approaching. ¡°He is out of the way. It¡¯s unsure if we can even help him, or if he¡¯s in any danger. Maybe he has it all under control? Who knows? Guess what? Doesn¡¯t matter, because helping him risks getting caught, and hanged, which if my memory serves me right, wasn¡¯t very pleasant the first time around.¡±


    Ace came to a stop. He turned to face Riven. ¡°So just because it isn¡¯t convenient to help him, we let him die?¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Riven questioned. ¡°Never said anything about ¡®we¡¯. I¡¯m going to let him jump into the grave he¡¯s dug for himself. I¡¯m advising you that it''s in your, and my, best interest to do the same. Now, I can¡¯t force you to do anything.¡±


    ¡°Cool, I¡¯m going.¡±


    Riven shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Well, I tried.¡±


    Riven unclipped her cloak and tossed it to Ace. ¡°Take it.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Your chain is sticking out,¡± Riven pointed out.


    ¡°I could just do this.¡± Ace pulled his shirt over his nose. ¡°Used to do this to pretend we were bandits as kids.¡±


    Riven¡¯s face shifted to one of silent rejection¡ªthe kind a tired mother shows their kids when they¡¯ve done something wrong. ¡°Put on the cloak.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Ace donned the cloak. ¡°Haven¡¯t you been wearing this for a while?¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t they use it to track you?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Eh, I¡¯m good at hiding,¡± Riven said. ¡°I''ll wait a bit outside the watchtower. You aren¡¯t there in 5 minutes, I¡¯m going without you.¡±


    ¡°Works for me.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°If I could simply talk to him¡ª¡±


    ¡°As I said, Mr. Raymond isn¡¯t here. We told you to wait.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s been a mistake.¡±


    ¡°If you would elaborate on your situation then we could consider entertaining your request.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t gonna kill you, man.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Obviously. Why is that surprising?¡±


    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll explain. See earlier today I was hun¡ª¡±


    ¡°HELP!¡± Ace shouted, running up to the guards.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± one of the guards asked.


    ¡°The rocks,¡± Ace said, doubled over, hands on his knees, gasping for air.


    ¡°Rocks?¡± the guard asked.


    ¡°They fell from the sky. We heard noises, and then ¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably that damned tree. Don¡¯t worry help¡¯s already been sent,¡± the guard reassured Ace.


    Ace grabbed hold of the guard¡¯s arms; his hands trembled. ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand! There was nobody nearby. I checked. I wasn¡¯t going to run near the danger, so I came here.¡±


    ¡°Where was this?¡± the guard asked.


    Ace thought back to when he was overlooking the spirits¡¯ final moments. When surveying the collateral damage, he remembered seeing several buildings far from the action in ruin. He tried to recall the one that was furthest away from the gallows.


    ¡°First¡¯s Free,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°The tavern?¡± the other guard asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hundreds of feet from the tree,¡± the other guard said.


    ¡°Apparently, Galland used a four-line chant to take it down. With that level of overkill I¡¯m shocked its remains didn¡¯t fly all over town.¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± Ace pleaded with the guard. ¡°There are people pinned. I got lucky and wiggled my way out, but I left the others trapped. You have to help!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s this tavern?¡± The man Ace had come to rescue, suddenly interjected into the conversation,


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°You said they were pinned. I can lift the rubble. Let me help.¡±.


    ¡°No!¡± the guard said. ¡°You are not to go anywhere near the wreckage.¡±


    ¡°I can help!¡± the man insisted.


    ¡°You will remain here, while I go to investigate the situation,¡± the guard ordered. He turned to the other guard. ¡°Can you go inside and contact the search party? Tell them to broaden the search.¡±


    ¡°But then who will, you know?¡± the other guard asked, gesturing to the man.


    ¡°Is there a reason you two are waiting?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Urgh! Remain here!¡± the guard commanded as he took off down the street.


    Ace turned to the other guard, who after a moment of consideration, took off into the manor.


    Ace waited for both guards to vanish from sight before he addressed the man.


    ¡°Do you mind following me somewhere?¡± Ace asked the man.


    ¡°But they said to stay here,¡± the man said.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be quick, and we¡¯ll be back before they are. We¡¯ll just tell them we waited here.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± the man said. ¡°But I don¡¯t wanna lie and said we waited. Lying is wrong.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll follow you then.¡±


    Relieved he managed to pry the man away from the guards, Ace began taking him to the watchtower.


    ¡°Sorry about the commotion,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± the man assured Ace. ¡°I wish they would¡¯ve let me help.¡±


    ¡°They hanged you, doubt they¡¯ll let you help.¡±


    ¡°How did you know I was hanged?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Because I was right there with you,¡± Ace answered.


    ¡°You said you were in a tavern.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was lying. Well kinda. The tavern is a wreck, but I wasn¡¯t in it. Anyway, I¡¯m glad it worked. I was worried they wouldn''t buy it since I can¡¯t fake tears.¡±


    The man was taken aback by how casually Ace changed his demeanor.


    ¡°Never got your name,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Halvor.¡±


    ¡°Ace. You know about the chain?¡±


    ¡°Chain?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Figured as much.¡±


    Ace took off the cloak Riven had given him revealing the mark of a golden chain wrapped around his neck.


    ¡°That¡¯s a cool tattoo!¡± Halvor exclaimed. ¡°Was it painful?¡±


    ¡°You tell me.¡± Ace pointed to a puddle of water on the ground.


    Halvor approached it and glanced down into the puddle. He was shocked to see the same mark that was on Ace¡¯s neck around his own.


    ¡°My guess is we got it when they captured us,¡± Ace said. ¡°It¡¯s why those guards were stalling you at the gate. They were probably waiting for the search party to get back so they could arrest you again.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean they can track us?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Probably not. If they could, then it wouldn¡¯t make any sense for it to be visible. It would only alert us that we aren¡¯t safe. More likely it¡¯s so we can be identified easily. You should probably keep your collar popped. It won¡¯t cover it from the front, but it¡¯ll help.¡±


    ¡°Good idea. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine though. I was arrested based on a misunderstanding. There was no reason behind it, so I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll fix it.¡±


    ¡°If I had to guess, I¡¯d say all the justification for our arrests were probably circumstantial at best. They just wanted people to hang to make it seem like they¡¯re doing their job and raise morale.¡±


    Ace was surprised Halvor hadn¡¯t figured that out himself. Ace guessed he was somebody who had it a whole lot better than Ace. someone who didn¡¯t have to deal with the rotten parts of the world¡ªat least until now.


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°One of the others and I are planning on nabbing some key the mayor has. Supposedly, it can get rid of these chains.¡±


    ¡°Stealing is bad,¡± Halvor said. ¡°But mom did say it¡¯s okay to do bad things for a good reason.¡±


    ¡°The trick is knowing when it is okay and when it isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°She said to just follow my heart to figure that out.¡±


    ¡°Smart woman.¡± Ace spotted Riven leaning against the northwestern watchtower¡¯s door, pulling her shirt up to cover her neck. ¡°And here comes another one.¡±


    Ace waved to Riven as he approached her alongside Halvor. ¡°Hey!¡± she called out. ¡°You didn¡¯t die! Good for you!¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ace said. ¡°Riven, this is Halvor. Halvor, this is Riven.¡±


    ¡°Hey big guy,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Big guy?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a term of endearment,¡± Riven explained.


    Halvor smiled. ¡°I like it. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°So this is the watchtower?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Riven confirmed.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head in,¡± Ace said. He walked up to the door, grabbed the handle, and upon trying to open it, realized that the door was locked. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I thought that would be open.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a slight problem,¡± Riven said. ¡°Don¡¯t think any of us can pick locks. The easiest would be to just bust the thing down. Sadly, not even Halvor here has the streng¡ª¡±


    A booming sound like a tree falling in a silent forest cut Riven off. She and Ace both turned to see the watchtower door on the floor. Halvor¡¯s fist was outstretched through the door frame. His fist wasn¡¯t flesh, but fractured stone.


    Both Ace and Riven stared at Halvor surprised.


    ¡°Sorry, you said this would be best, so I just ¡­¡± Halvor said. He was worried the two were angry that he acted without consulting them first, and in doing so, ruined their plan.


    ¡°Good work big man!¡± Riven said, smacking Halvor on the back.


    ¡°Agreed. Now can we please get in before guards come?¡± Ace asked, hurrying everyone inside.


    As the three piled into the watchtower, Riven leaned over to Ace and whispered in his ear. He anticipated her to tell him that he was right to help Halvor.


    ¡°Can I have my cloak back?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±

 Chapter 4: Watchtower Encounter

    Galland marched through the manor¡¯s hall; his heavy stride made him sound like an armory during an earthquake.


    ¡°Taking your anger out on the floor won¡¯t help,¡± Darren said. ¡°Their actions only prove what we already know.¡±


    ¡°But to go as far as denying our help for the sake of appearances?¡± Galland asked, making no effort to hide his frustration.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s justified, only expected. It looks bad for Ronan if we solve his problem and handle clean up. They need to do something. Besides, it affords us an opportunity to handle our own problem.¡±


    Darren suddenly came to a halt. ¡°Did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°No, but then again, my ears aren¡¯t elven.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Darren called out to one of the nearby guards. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Sasha.¡±


    ¡°Who''s stationed at the northwestern watchtower?¡± Darren asked.


    ¡°Jarell,¡± Sasha answered.


    Darren and Galland both exchanged a glance.


    ¡°Can you describe his appearance?¡± Galland asked.


    ¡°Tall, dark, not so handsome.¡±


    ¡°Would you mind heading over to the northwestern watchtower to confirm everything is alright?¡± Galland asked.


    ¡°Whatever you say, paladin,¡± Sasha said, moseying off toward the watchtower.


    ¡°Jarell was the person who turned us away from the search party?¡± Galland asked.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Darren said.


    ¡°Brilliant. Anyhow, let¡¯s go find that key.¡±


    <hr>


    With great care, Halvor placed the door back within its frame. Once it felt stable, he inched away from it, hands extended, ready to catch the door if it fell as it had the previous four times. After a few seconds passed, Halvor slowly exhaled.


    ¡°Fixed it!¡± he exclaimed.


    ¡°Really?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Take a look for yourse¡ª¡± The instant Halvor turned his back to the door to address Ace and Riven, a now familiar thud echoed from behind him. Halvor didn¡¯t turn around, just hung his head.


    Ace patted him on the shoulder. ¡°It was a good effort.¡±


    ¡°I got it,¡± Riven said, pulling out her dagger. She traced the door frame with her dagger; the blade left behind a trail of light the same crimson color as the runes on it. ¡°[Mirage].¡±


    The red light briefly grew in intensity. Within the door frame, the street outside melted away, and in its place was a door, identical to the one on the floor.


    Halvor reached out to touch the door, only for his hand to pass straight through it as if the door were made of air.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t real,¡± Riven said, sheathing her dagger. ¡°But it¡¯s good enough to keep people from asking questions.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have done this, to begin with?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Well, we aren¡¯t exactly pressed for time, what with Ronan¡¯s search party keeping him occupied. Also, I don¡¯t have unlimited essence. Plus Halvor looked like really wanted to fix it.¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get ''em next time,¡± Ace assured Halvor. ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Halvor,¡± Riven said as the group began ascending the watchtower.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you turn your fist to stone?¡± Riven asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear you say anything.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering about that too,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not a skill or anything. I¡¯m half golem.¡±


    ¡°Sick!¡± Riven exclaimed. ¡°Still, it couldn''t have been easy figuring out how to control it like that. You have a teacher?¡±


    ¡°I did, but he was just human.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t your parents teach you?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°My dad did.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± Riven paused to process the implications of Halvor¡¯s response. ¡°Your mom is an avatar?!¡±


    ¡°She is.¡±


    ¡°Wait what?¡± Ace asked, tuning back into the conversation. ¡°How do you know that?¡±


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    ¡°If the dad was human, and the son is half-golem, then the mom has to be an avatar,¡± Riven explained. ¡°How do you not know this?¡±


    ¡°Country kid, remember? My mom homeschooled me. The only other education I got was whatever books we had lying around. This wasn¡¯t in any of them.¡±


    ¡°Okay, do you know how hybrids originated?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°They¡¯ve just always existed?¡± Ace guessed. ¡°Same as humans.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what some people believe, but consider this. When somebody becomes an avatar, among many other things, it changes them. In the case that they¡¯re the avatar of a creature it ends up changing them physically to the point where certain characteristics can be passed down to their offspring.


    ¡°So, the popular theory is that originally there were just humans. Then some of those humans became avatars and passed their traits onto their offspring. As a result, hybrids slowly began to populate the world.¡±


    ¡°Then where did humans come from?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Nobody knows,¡± Riven said, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°Anyhow, half-hybrids are pretty rare, but even then they¡¯re often the result of two half-hybrids. Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever met one whose parent was an avatar before.¡±


    ¡°Hope I made a good first impression,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°You did.¡±


    ¡°Wait, if your mom was the avatar of the golem, then why didn¡¯t she train you?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°She ¡­ wasn¡¯t around,¡± Halvor said. ¡°Dad said she disappeared shortly after I was born.¡±


    ¡°Must¡¯ve been rough,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t. Maybe it¡¯s just because I didn¡¯t know what I was missing, but I think my childhood was pretty good. My dad worked hard, cooked well, and despite not being the smartest, he taught me a lot of good lessons. Couldn¡¯t have asked for more.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d he train you?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t exactly train me. He would tell me stories about my mom. All I did was try to emulate the things my mom did in the stories. Wasn¡¯t easy, but I figured some stuff out.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a guy I¡¯d like to meet,¡± Ace said. ¡°However, I can¡¯t fail to notice that you aren¡¯t with him, and I reckon you''re a ways away from home. Why is that?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s someone I need to meet with.¡±


    Ace noticed Halvor¡¯s response was uncharacteristically vague, though given they had just met, he felt it rude to pry any further.


    ¡°I¡¯m out here looking for someone too,¡± Riven said. ¡°Any idea where your mystery figure is?¡±


    ¡°Nope, but I figured Journey wouldn¡¯t be a bad place to start. With any luck I¡¯ll find them on the way there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where I¡¯m headed too. You looking for anyone, Ace?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t have the faintest idea where they are, and I¡¯d rather not meet them right now anyway. For now, I¡¯ll just let myself be at the whims of circumstance.¡±


    The group reached the landing at the top of the watchtower. As expected, there was nobody stationed. The only notable thing was a small locked chest.


    ¡°While you¡¯re doing whatever that means, I am going to be getting us to that manor. Halvor, would you mind?¡± Riven gestured to the chest.


    ¡°I can¡¯t pick locks.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not asking you to pick it,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Halvor gripped the lock, his hands turning to stone, and with a quick yank snapped it in two.


    Riven opened the chest and started rummaging through it. Ace and Halvor both peered over her shoulders to see what was inside.


    With all three fixated on the chest, none of them noticed the armored figure creeping up the stairs behind them. Sasha carefully approached the group, unsheathing the longsword from her hip.


    Sasha dived forward to plunge her longsword through Riven¡¯s neck. As the blade was roughly a foot from its target, from behind Sasha, a hand reached from over her shoulder. A dagger held within the hand managed to catch the sword before it could pierce Riven.


    Ace, Riven, and Halvor spun around upon hearing the clashing of metal.


    Sasha glanced over her shoulder at the person who had stopped her attack. Behind her was a young man, with tan skin and short jet-black hair. He was adorned in marble-white leather armor with a royal blue scarf wrapped around his neck and a full utility belt around his waist.


    Sasha pushed away the man¡¯s dagger and turned to face him. As she did, the man pulled a shortsword from a sheath on the back of his hip and lunged toward Sasha.


    The man was quick, but he didn¡¯t make any effort to conceal his target. Seeing that the man was aiming to slash her throat, Sasha raised her longsword to parry the attack. However, in the instant before the blades connected, the man stepped forward. His face was inches from Sasha¡¯s blade, and the arm carrying his sword was overextended.


    Worried about the dagger in his other hand, Sasha glanced down to see the blade being thrust toward her waist right at a gap in her armor. She twisted her hands, moving her longsword in a position to intercept the attack.


    However, her sudden shift in focus allowed the man to follow through with his original attack. Rather than slash with the sword¡¯s blade, he slammed its pommel into the side of Sasha¡¯s helmet.


    The concussive force rattled Sasha briefly, but she was able to turn with the attack, absorbing most of the damage.


    Sasha grasped the blade of the shortsword to prevent the man from disengaging. He tried to push forward with his dagger that was caught on her longsword, taking advantage of the fact that she now only had one hand on it.


    The two were rooted in place, fighting for control of the weapons. However, their fight didn¡¯t last much longer.


    A stone fist crashed into Sasha¡¯s helmet, crumpling it like paper. Halvor¡¯s blow echoed throughout the watchtower like a hammer on an anvil and sent Sasha tumbling across the floor.


    As Sasha slammed into the wall her body went slack. Halvor glanced down at his hand; it was uncomfortably warm as blood trickled from his knuckles down to his arm. His knees buckled.


    ¡°No. No. No. No.¡± Halvor began hyperventilating. ¡°Not again. Not again.¡±


    Ace rushed to the guard. Placing his hand on her neck, he felt a gentle pulse. ¡°She¡¯s okay big guy, she¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s okay?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s okay,¡± Ace affirmed.


    ¡°Well, she probably has mild brain damage,¡± Riven said.


    Ace glared at Riven.


    ¡°What?! I emphasized the mild.¡±


    The cloaked man reached a hand down to Halvor. ¡°They were gonna hang us all as scapegoats. Don¡¯t feel bad for the people who tried to take advantage of you. Even someone as big as you only has so much room in his heart, so save it for the people who treat you well. Now, on your feet.¡±


    Halvor took the man¡¯s hand. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°First of all, well put. Second of all, thanks for your help. Third of all, who are you?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°Name¡¯s Draxl. I already know your name is Riven. Your name is Halvor. And your name is Ace. As for how I know, well I¡¯ve been following you, which means I also know you have a plan to steal the mayor¡¯s key.¡±


    Draxl pulled down his scarf to reveal the mark of a golden chain emblazoned around his neck. ¡°And I want in.¡±

 Chapter 5: Leap of Blind Faith

    ¡°Okay, I understand you two might be hesitant, and I don¡¯t blame you, but I think we should trust Draxl,¡± Halvor suggested.


    ¡°Yeah, obviously,¡± Riven said plainly, going back to rummaging through the chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°We¡¯ve all done shadier shit than follow people,¡± Ace said. ¡°If we don¡¯t get this chain off our necks we¡¯re all dead. Nothing creates mutual trust like a mutual goal.¡±


    ¡°The more concerning thing is her.¡± Ace pointed to the unconscious guard. ¡°Worst case scenario she was sent here to check if there was any guard here; which means they¡¯re gonna start asking questions when invariably she doesn¡¯t report back in the next couple minutes.¡±


    ¡°Glad we¡¯re on the same page,¡± Draxl said. ¡°Our luxury day-long time limit just got reduced to less than an hour.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d she sneak up on us anyway?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°I think I can answer that.¡± Draxl slipped one of the guard¡¯s boots off. He held the boot high above his head, then let go. The boot fell to the ground, but the clanging sound of its impact was heavily muffled as if it were underwater.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°[Silence],¡± Draxl said. ¡°We should probably get moving quickly. How are you getting from here to there?¡±


    The 2nd-floor corridors connecting the manor¡¯s various rooms were exposed to the outside, and also on the other side of the street.


    ¡°We¡¯re using these,¡± Riven answered. From the chest, she hoisted what looked like two railroad spikes. At the top was an intricate sigil connected to several different carvings that ran down the sides; a faint blue glow emanated from the carvings.


    ¡°Nope, I don¡¯t get it. This just me being a country kid again?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m lost too,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°They¡¯re connectors,¡± Riven explained. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of different types, but in short they connect things. These specifically are [Bridge Connectors] and they should connect this watchtower to that manor.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t work,¡± Draxl said. ¡°They¡¯re the wrong kind. You need an anchor for those.¡±


    ¡°I learned connectors before my food was solid. They¡¯re Artifacts 101. I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± Riven insisted. ¡°These carvings and this sigil means it''s modular. With the right chant, all modular connectors can function without an anchor over short distances in exchange for rendering them permanently inert.¡±


    ¡°They were retrofitted to be modular, but they still need an anchor,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Did you study artifacts?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Draxl answered.


    ¡°Then how would you know?¡±


    ¡°There was a caravan with an infuser that came to town just a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°I think I get it,¡± Ace said. ¡°If you look at them despite being in that old chest there¡¯s barely any dust on them.


    ¡°I bet Ronan decided to talk to this infuser to spruce up his security a bit; explains why his guards have silenced boots. Now this infuser probably didn¡¯t have any connectors, since they¡¯re traveling, but they could update the old ones, so they do just that.


    ¡°Ronan then hands them to his guard to re-install. I reckon if whoever was stationed here abandoned their post without getting someone to replace them, I doubt they would¡¯ve gone out of their way to install the connectors immediately. They probably chucked them both in this chest and decided to worry about it later.


    ¡°Glad someone gets it,¡± Draxl said. ¡°And since they weren¡¯t originally modular, they don¡¯t have the strength to be used on their own without shattering. All it will do is act as a beacon to let everyone know that there¡¯s trouble and that it¡¯s right here.¡±


    Riven paused. She examined the connectors closer; the sigil and carvings were slightly misaligned. Moreover, she couldn¡¯t explain why there were two in the chest.


    ¡°So what do we do then?¡± Riven asked, refusing to explicitly admit she may have been wrong. ¡°If one of these is gonna be the anchor how do we get it over there?¡±


    ¡°Hand me one.¡± Riven tossed Draxl one of the connectors.


    Draxl looked over the edge of the watchtower toward the manor, then slowly began stepping backward to the other end. ¡°Quick question. Do any of you happen to know her?¡±


    Casually strolling through the manor¡¯s corridors was a tall, slender woman wearing a gold-lined deep purple overcoat with a black shirt and pants. Her dark hair was tied in a high ponytail and accented with purple highlights.


    She carried a wooden staff taller than herself, which curved at its apex forming a shape like the letter ¡®C¡¯. The clearest indication the staff was infused was the crystal orb, clear as glass, floating in the center of the curve. The second clearest indication was the wood the staff was made of: it was burnt so black that the only thing keeping it from crumbling into ash was the infusion flowing through it.


    The strangest thing about the woman had nothing to do with her person, but rather who she was accompanied by. It was difficult to make out from this distance, but it appeared to be a guard. As Ace leaned over the watchtower¡¯s railing and squinted his eyes, he recognized the guard as the same one that had been ushered inside to alert the search party. The guard walked as if he were inebriated.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to Ronan¡¯s office,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that where the key is?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Likely,¡± Draxl said..


    The guard stumbled toward Ronan¡¯s office door. As he fumbled through his keys, the woman turned toward the watchtower.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s looking at me.¡± When Halvor looked back at the woman she smiled and waved to him. ¡°Okay, she¡¯s definitely looking at me.¡±


    The woman put down her popped collar. Though difficult to see from such a great distance, the golden chain marking around her neck was unmistakable.


    ¡°Well that tells us why she wants into the office,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°And that we¡¯re about to let her get away with the key,¡± Riven added. ¡°Draxl, what¡¯s the status on getting us over there.¡±


    The group turned around to see Draxl stretching his legs. He pressed his back against the railing; a series of loud cracks rang out as he cracked his spine.


    ¡°That must¡¯ve felt nice,¡± Halvor said.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°It did,¡± Draxl replied.


    ¡°Why are you stretching? Is your plan to jump?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°You got it.¡±


    ¡°Now this I gotta see,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I can do it?¡± Draxl asked, a smirk brimming with confidence creeping across his face.


    ¡°With all due respect, no, no I don¡¯t,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Good news, either way, it¡¯ll be entertaining,¡± Riven remarked.


    ¡°There are only two possible outcomes, and one of them is most certainly not entertaining,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°Eh, speak for yourself,¡± Riven replied.


    ¡°It''s like a 30-meter jump,¡± Ace said. ¡°He isn¡¯t clearing the whol¡ª¡±


    ¡°[Accelerate] X [Second Wind].¡±


    ¡°Accele what now?¡±


    With the quickness of an arrow whistling through the wind, Draxl dashed across the watchtower landing. He hopped on top of the railing and leaped off it toward the manor. Just as he was about to plummet into the city street, Draxl jumped off the air itself, launching himself skyward, and stopping his descent.


    Even still, Draxl¡¯s jump was a little too short. Just before he hit the manor, he reached as high as he could, and managed to grasp the balustrade with both hands. His body swung like a pendulum into the manor. The impact caused him to lose his grip with one of his hands but he managed to hold on with the other. Draxl pulled himself up over the balustrade onto the manor¡¯s second floor.


    For a brief moment, Ace was stunned into silence. ¡°Fair play. Fair fuckin play.¡±


    Draxl embedded the [Bridge Connector] into the balustrade.


    ¡°Hey.¡± Riven called out to Halvor. She tossed him the other connector. ¡°Slam that into the railing for me.¡±


    ¡°At this point, I¡¯m not gonna question it.¡± Halvor did as Riven instructed, and slammed the connector into the steel railing, splitting it open.


    ¡°Wait, if this thing makes a bridge, isn¡¯t everyone gonna see us just walking above them?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°These are modular.¡± Ace could tell Riven was trying to reassure him¡ªthough him not understanding what a connector being modular meant definitely didn¡¯t help.


    ¡°A 2 line chant and we should be good.¡± Riven cracked her knuckles. ¡°Unseen and unbreakable like the bond between family and friends, [Connect].¡±


    The dim light emitting from the connector flared up, but aside from that nothing else seemed to happen.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the bridge?¡± Ace inquired.


    ¡°It¡¯s there. It¡¯s just invisible, and if I did it right, while we¡¯re on it,¡± Riven extended her arm out over the railing, and lowered her hand. Her fingers caused the air to ripple. ¡°We will be too.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, Riven¡¯s body became translucent. She lifted her hand off the bridge, causing her to shimmer back into sight.


    ¡°Wait, if the bridge is invisible, how will we know how wide it is?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Good question. Let me know if you find out.¡± Riven smiled sadistically.


    The light emanating from the connector began to blink slowly fading in and out.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°It means we should get moving,¡± Riven said.


    <hr>


    ¡°Okay, that should do it. Door¡¯s open. Now I have to go in to alert the search party, so you stay out here.¡±


    ¡°More work? You should take a break. You seem tired.¡±


    ¡°Wish I could, but I need to get this done now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come now! They can wait a little bit. Go downstairs and take a quick nap. I, [Insist].¡±


    ¡°You know what? They can wait. I¡¯ve earned this.¡±


    The guard wandered off downstairs, leaving the office door unlocked.


    ¡°Now, then let¡¯s see what they¡¯re up to.¡±


    Draxl leaned on the balustrade waiting for the others to arrive.


    ¡°Any of them going to fall?¡±


    Draxl turned his head to see the woman he had seen near Ronan¡¯s office right beside him. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± the woman said.


    ¡°So what¡¯s your name?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Galina.¡±


    ¡°Draxl. How¡¯d you get up here?¡±


    ¡°I asked nicely,¡± Galina said. ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°I jumped. You wanna work with us?¡±


    ¡°No reason not to.¡±


    ¡°Good. You guys catch that?¡± Draxl asked.


    Ace appeared behind Draxl, having just leaped off the invisible bridge. ¡°Caught all I needed to hear. I¡¯m Ace by the way.¡±


    ¡°Riven.¡± Riven shimmered into view just beside Ace.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a 3rd?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s taking it slow,¡± Ace said. ¡°He¡¯s probably about halfway. Just give him a bit.¡±


    After waiting for around a minute, Halvor finally appeared. When he did, he was hugging the balustrade like it was a family member he hadn¡¯t seen in years. ¡°I¡¯m never doing that again.¡±


    ¡°We have to go back,¡± Draxl reminded Halvor. Halvor¡¯s face displayed equal parts acceptance and pain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you fall, I¡¯ll catch you,¡± Galina reassured Halvor. ¡°I¡¯m Galina.¡±


    ¡°Halvor. Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Likewise.¡±


    Halvor reluctantly let go of the balustrade.


    ¡°Away we go,¡± Ace said, as the five made their way to Ronan¡¯s office.


    The office was a mess. It didn¡¯t appear like it had been searched, just poorly cared for. A once white, now gray, rug was folded in on itself in numerous places with creases throughout. Rich brown bookshelves lined the walls, but few had any books in them¡ªthose that did were covered in dust. Ronan¡¯s office was adorned with what he undoubtedly believed to be trophies: basilisk eyes, dragon scales, griffin talons, vials of wyvern venom, mummy bandages, and other monster parts.


    ¡°Guess he¡¯s a fan of the origins,¡± Riven remarked with barely hidden disgust.


    ¡°Origins?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Origin creatures,¡± Riven said. ¡°Remember how I said that people believed at the start it was just humans? Well, according to that same theory, there is a set of original creatures from which all others descended. All these parts come from one of them.¡±


    ¡°Good to know.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the parts. All I care about is that.¡± Draxl pointed to Ronan¡¯s desk. Though nothing other than a mound of procrastinated work populated it, one pile of papers looked suspiciously shaped, almost like a box.


    ¡°Let me get that for you.¡± Galina waved her hand. Suddenly, the papers were scattered across the office floor as if a strong gust of wind had blown through.


    The glare off the glass instantly drew the attention of everyone to the display case that sat atop Ronan¡¯s desk; inside the box, was a single key.


    ¡°How do we get into the box?¡± Ace asked.


    Halvor tried to step into the room, but Draxl stopped him.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna smash it,¡± Halvor said, confused as to why Draxl was preventing him from doing just that.


    ¡°The room is almost certainly trapped,¡± Draxl explained. ¡°Touch the floor and the whole manor will know.¡±


    ¡°Can you move it?¡± Ace asked Galina. ¡°Like how you did the papers.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s bolted to the desk,¡± Galina said. ¡°I could move the whole desk across the room, but that would likely trigger any traps. Plus the desk can¡¯t fit through the door. Up to you though.¡±


    ¡°It could be safe,¡± Riven said. ¡°The guard I was with was about to waltz in."


    ¡°He was a bit out of it,¡± Galina admitted. ¡°I mean, if we don¡¯t want to go in, there is another option.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Draxl asked.


    Galina put her hand out, palm up. Her fingers curled slightly and tensed like she was holding onto something. She slowly raised her hand, and the window behind Ronan¡¯s desk lifted open.


    ¡°You all might want to move,¡± Galina said.


    The group stepped out of the doorway, following Galina¡¯s advice.


    ¡°Is something supposed to have happened?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Give her a second,¡± Galina said. ¡°It¡¯ll be worth it.¡±


    ¡°Her?¡± Ace asked.


    The sound of shattering glass echoed in the office. An arrow whizzed by the group before it thunked into a column inches away from them.


    Galina smiled. ¡°Told you it¡¯d be worth it.¡±

 Chapter 6: The Key to The Key

    ¡°Care to explain what that was about?¡± Ace asked Galina.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll let her explain,¡± Galina gestured to the open window behind Ronan¡¯s desk.


    Striding above the city, stepping on air, was a short girl with long black hair, a quiver of arrows on her back, a bow slung across her shoulder, and most notably, the symbol of a gold chain around her neck. She wore a short brown poncho over a sleeveless white shirt. Her pants were black and had both legs rolled up about halfway to the knees.


    Around the girl¡¯s neck hung a talisman made of bones weaved together to form a star; several other bones hung from the same necklace. On her head, she wore a circlet made of light pink dragon scales. Fitted on both forearms were a set of leather bracers.


    As the girl crept into the office, the bottom of her sandals nearly clipping the window frame, it became clear she wasn¡¯t entirely human. From the tips of her fingers up to her elbows, from her knees down to the soles of her feet, the girl¡¯s skin was decorated with dragon scales¡ªthe same light pink color as her circlet. The scales could also be seen at the edges of her face, and extended out from the side of her face to under her eyes¡ªwhich rather than round irises had a rectangular slit¡ªstopping just before the nose. Instead of nails, the girl sported onyx black claws though their edge had been filed down.


    Galina lowered her hand, and the window shut behind the girl. Though it couldn¡¯t be seen, wind coalesced around the girl¡¯s feet, allowing her to walk on it. The glass shards that once were a display case and now littered Ronan¡¯s desk started to rattle.


    As the girl floated above the desk, she stepped forward, and the wind beneath her feet sent the glass flying off the desk.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Galina stretched her hand and tightened it into a fist. The glass shards suddenly froze in mid-air, suspended just inches from the floor.


    Floating just above the glass shards was the key that had been held in the display case. The girl snatched the key, and made her way across the office, careful not to touch the floor.


    As the girl passed through the doorway, she dispersed the wind around her feet, and let herself fall. Her feet touched the ground without a sound. She spun her head around, her eyes lighting up with child-like wonder, inspecting everyone closely. Brimming with excitement and curiosity, the girl turned to Galina and asked her a question.


    ¡°Who are these fuckers?¡±


    Ace recoiled slightly, purely out of shock, and he looked to see if everyone shared his reaction. Halvor¡¯s jaw went slack, and his eyes nearly burst from their sockets. Riven tilted her head as a smirk crawled across her face. Draxl raised his eyebrows appearing equal parts surprised and inquisitive. The only person not taken aback by the girl¡¯s language was Galina, who responded to the girl¡¯s question with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Well, you have Ace.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Riven.¡±


    ¡°Sup.¡±


    ¡°This is Halvor.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°And Draxl.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Cili, right?¡±


    ¡°You can say hi first, you know?¡± Galina suggested.


    ¡°Hi first,¡± Draxl said monotone.


    ¡°Very funny,¡± Galina remarked.


    The girl placed her hands on her hips, and puffed out her chest, assuming a stance of pride like that of a statue. ¡°I¡¯m Cili. I¡¯m 19. My birthday is in 52 days. I¡¯m one-third dragon. My favorite day of the week is Monday, because it¡¯s number one, and my second favorite day of the week is Sunday because it means Monday is tomorrow. My least favorite day is Tuesday because when it¡¯s Tuesday it¡¯s not Monday anymore. My best friend¡¯s name is Willow. My favorite food is ¡­¡±


    ¡°Is she always like this?¡± Ace asked Galina.


    ¡°Having known her for all of 1 hour, I can say with confidence, yes. Though you have to admit, it is endearing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d find it more endearing if we weren¡¯t all still marked for death,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m really glad to learn more about you, but do you think I could get a quick look at that key you picked up?¡± Halvor asked Cili.


    ¡°Oh, fuck, right!¡± Cili exclaimed, quickly handing over the key.


    ¡°No worries,¡± Halvor said. Once he had the key, Halvor came to a realization. ¡°I have no idea how this thing works.¡±


    Riven held her hand out. ¡°Give it here.¡± Halvor dropped the key into her hands. As Riven studied it, her eyes narrowed as her initial confusion transformed into suspicion.


    ¡°Hey, big guy,¡± Riven called out to Halvor, tossing him the key. ¡°Do me a favor. Snap it. But don¡¯t try too hard.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Could you elaborate?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°If it¡¯s real, it shouldn¡¯t break easily.¡±


    ¡°You don''t think it''s real?¡± Ace asked Riven. ¡°You believe he has a fake key in a display case on his desk?¡±


    ¡°Simplest answer may often be the answer, but it isn¡¯t always,¡± Riven said. ¡°All I know is that that key isn¡¯t anything but a key.¡±


    ¡°Are we doing this?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡± Cili said.


    ¡°We all die,¡± Draxl answered bluntly.


    ¡°So we¡¯ll be right back where we started,¡± Galina said. ¡°I¡¯ll take that.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Halvor pinched the ends of the key, and the tips of his fingers turned to stone. He took a deep breath. The key snapped instantly. ¡°Well, that was easy.¡±


    ¡°Which means I was right,¡± Riven quickly pointed out.


    ¡°And that we¡¯re out of options,¡± Galina added. ¡°According to the guard that brought me up here this was the only place worth looking. Ronan probably keeps the key with him at all times. The only way for us to get it would be by force.


    ¡°Even then, he¡¯s part of the search party, so it wouldn¡¯t be easy. I¡¯m not about to kill people, just for my freedom, and with all due respect, I won¡¯t let any of you either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with her on that,¡± Halvor said. ¡°Even if that whole group is as corrupt as Ronan, they¡¯re still helping innocent people right now. We can¡¯t interfere with what they¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°So, is that it? Do we just give up?¡± Cili asked.


    No. Ace refused to give up on life again. There had to be something he was missing. ¡°Why would Ronan have a fake key in an infused display case on his desk? It¡¯s too much effort for a red herring. The key can¡¯t just be fake. It¡¯s got to be important somehow. Wait!¡±


    Ace dashed toward the doorway of Ronan¡¯s office. The pupils in his eyes darted from left to right as he scanned the mess of papers that littered the floor. Amongst the pile, he spotted what he was looking for.


    ¡°Galina, can you grab that for me?¡± Ace pointed to the paper.


    As the papers floated across the room toward Ace, he felt his spine turn to ice. He felt himself drawn to an old rope that had been placed atop one of the bookshelves.


    ¡°Could you get that for me as well?¡±


    Once Ace had the papers, he laid them out on the floor for everyone to see. It was the manor¡¯s schematics.


    ¡°What if the key is the key to the key?¡± Ace suggested.


    ¡°Say that three times fast,¡± Riven joked.


    ¡°What if the key is the key to the key? What if the key is the key to the key? What if the key is the key to the key?¡± Cili said rapidly.


    ¡°Nice job,¡± Riven remarked.


    ¡°Think about it,¡± Ace said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense for Ronan to always have the key. He¡¯d risk misplacing it or getting pickpocketed wherever he went. The guard Galina was with said this was the only room worth checking, but what if that¡¯s because he didn¡¯t know the whole manor? What if there is somewhere in the manor this key unlocks and that¡¯s where the key we need is?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Where would this secret room be?¡± Cili asked.


    Before Ace could admit he had no idea, Draxl jumped in. ¡°A basement. Everything above ground is known. That¡¯s the only place it could be.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Trust me.¡±.


    ¡°Working on it,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Wait a second!¡± Cili exclaimed. She hurried over to the eastern balustrade with the rest of the group following shortly after.


    ¡°There!¡± Cili pointed down to the manor¡¯s garden. Looking over the balustrade, the group spotted something strange right where Cili was pointing. At the garden¡¯s center, in place of the typical fountain, there was a rusted hatch.


    ¡°I spotted it while I was hovering around the place,¡± Cili informed the group.


    ¡°Looks like Ronan called everyone to help search,¡± Ace said, noticing that no guards were patrolling the garden.


    ¡°The guard I was with mentioned it when I asked him if there was anything strange,¡± Galina said. ¡°He said it was rusted shut, and wherever it led to had collapsed.¡±


    ¡°Then why keep it?¡± Draxl asked. ¡°It¡¯s not like Ronan doesn¡¯t care for appearances.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s find out what he¡¯s hiding. Mind if I get some room.¡± Riven signaled everyone to step back. She pulled her dagger from its sheath and raised it to her head. Riven snapped her arm forward, flicking her wrist at the very last moment.


    As the dagger soared through the air toward the hatch its path remained linear, never once giving into gravity. It shifted mid-flight, making micro-adjustments to ensure it hit its target. The dagger embedded itself in the gap between the hatch and the frame.


    ¡°Reveal yourself, [Dispel].¡± Originating from the dagger, a red light spread to encompass the entirety of the hatch, then faded. As the light disappeared, it revealed the same hatch, now free of rust.


    Riven snapped her fingers, and the dagger vanished, reappearing in her hand. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get down there.¡±


    ¡°Before that, one small problem, the key is broken,¡± Ace reminded everyone.


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s just metal I should be able to handle it,¡± Halvor said. He carefully aligned the two halves of the key. ¡°[Mend].¡±


    With a clang of metal and a shower of sparks, like a smith¡¯s hammer striking a red-hot blade, the key was repaired.


    ¡°That¡¯s step one. Now step two, getting down,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°We have rope. Let¡¯s have Cili glide down and tie it,¡± Riven suggested.


    ¡°There¡¯s nowhere to tie it that¡¯ll support our weight,¡± Draxl said.


    Cili examined the garden for a suitable anchor. ¡°What about, oh no wait never mind, maybe over there, eh no.¡±


    ¡°Galina, you can control things. Can you keep the rope floating in the air while we climb down it?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Weight wouldn¡¯t be the issue, but I don¡¯t have the control to manage it shifting as everyone climbs down,¡± Galina said.


    Ace glanced down at the rope in his hand¡ªthe one Galina had retrieved for him from Ronan¡¯s office. He felt a chill spread from the rope throughout his entire nervous system, numbing his senses of the outside world, and focusing them on it.


    The rope felt rougher in Ace¡¯s hand. The faint smell of blood emanating from it was elevated. Several-year-old blood stains suddenly became more vibrant. Ace could tell something, or perhaps someone was trying to get his attention. He closed his eyes and listened.

 Chapter 7: Definitely Friends

    ¡°You said you¡¯d leave him if it happened again, so it should be okay if we move on,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°I meant leaving him in the sewers or an alley, not the home of the person who tried to kill us!¡± Riven explained.


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry him,¡± Halvor offered.


    Draxl rolled his eyes with annoyance. ¡°Forever? Just gonna lug around dead weight even if it slows us down?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I will.¡±


    ¡°And a person isn¡¯t dead weight,¡± Galina added, mirroring the indignation in Halvor¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Fine. Do what you want,¡± Draxl said, throwing his hands in the air. ¡°So long as we¡¯re stuck up here it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Ace could tell he was only catching the tail end of the conversation. ¡°Sorry, who are we talking about?¡± he asked, pushing himself up to his feet.


    The others breathed a big sigh of relief seeing Ace awaken.


    ¡°You, but thankfully, we seem to be past that now,¡± Galina said.


    Ace¡¯s eyes blinked open. His other senses had fully returned, so he was confused as to why the world still appeared so blurry.


    ¡°Holy shit, are you okay?¡± Cili asked.


    Her sudden concern made Ace examine himself; it was only after he did that he felt tears uncontrollably streaming down his face.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine,¡± Ace insisted, hurriedly rubbing the tears from his eyes. As the world cleared, the first thing that Ace noticed was a chunk of text.


    [ Pact Formed! ]


    [ Active Pacts: 1/2. ]


    ¡°More importantly, I think I can get us down.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Halvor asked..


    ¡°Show don¡¯t tell,¡± Ace replied with a slight smirk.


    ¡°The fuck does that mean?¡± Riven asked.


    Ace marched over to the balustrade that overlooked the garden¡ªcompletely ignoring Riven. For a brief moment, Ace stared at the bloody rope in his hands, before tossing it over the edge.


    As it cascaded through the air, the rope, on its own, started to unravel itself until it stretched from the top of the balustrade down to the first floor. The rope crackled as it went taught and suspended itself mid-air.


    ¡°How¡¯d you do that?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°Just asked a friend for help.¡±.


    ¡°Again, what the fuck does that mean?¡± Riven asked.


    Without hesitation, Ace grasped the rope and began descending¡ªignoring Riven again. After a brief exchange of confused looks, it was Halvor, who went next. He was shortly followed by Cili, then Galina, and lastly Riven. Draxl climbed down only after everyone had already made it to the bottom¡ªand he was sure it was safe.


    Once everyone had feet on the ground, Ace extended his arm out to the rope. Like a snake, it slithered up his arm, and looped itself around his shoulder, before going slack.


    The group snuck through to the heart of the garden, keeping their heads low¡ªbeneath the flora¡ªto avoid being seen.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Cili said, poking Ace¡¯s back.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your friend¡¯s name?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°Kegan,¡± Ace answered.


    Cili leaned into the rope. ¡°Thank you, Kegan,¡± she whispered.


    Upon arriving at the center of the garden, Galina extended her hand out to Riven. ¡°Mind if I do the honors. In case it''s trapped.¡±


    Riven threw Galina the key. Galina raised her hand, freezing the key in mid-air. The group all took a step back from the hatch, as Galina unlocked the hatch from a distance.


    The hatch creaked open to reveal a withered stone staircase that descended into darkness.


    ¡°Here you are,¡± Galina said, removing the key from the hatch, and handing it back to Riven.


    ¡°Got any more torches?¡± Riven asked Ace.


    ¡°One sec.¡± After a brief bit of searching, Ace pulled a torch from his satchel.


    ¡°[Ignite],¡± Riven said, lighting the torch.


    The group piled into the staircase. Galina shut the hatch behind them.


    ¡°Draxl,¡± Riven said, roughly a minute into the group¡¯s descent.


    ¡°Yes?¡±.


    ¡°Have you ever considered a career in architecture?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°No, but I¡¯ll consider it now.¡± Draxl paused for a few seconds. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve reached a conclusion.¡±


    ¡°The verdict?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    ¡°And like that, the ability to recognize hidden underground basements, a talent only seen once every few decades in the architectural world, has gone to waste,¡± Riven lamented sarcastically.


    ¡°Gone to waste saving your lives,¡± Draxl remarked.


    ¡°What do you mean your lives?!¡± Riven asked. ¡°Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re not as screwed as the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°Unlike the rest of you, I could¡¯ve done this on my own,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, probably,¡± Draxl admitted, ¡°but we¡¯ll never know for sure.¡±


    ¡°We can find out right now,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ace interjected, ¡°now might not be the best time to bicker, because, quick reminder, we are all still as good as dead.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re not dead yet!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°And isn¡¯t that what really matters?¡± Galina added


    ¡°At least some of us can look on the bright side,¡± Halvor said.


    Draxl stopped dead in his tracks. ¡°And thankfully one of us can look down too.¡± Draxl squatted down and inspected the floor. As the group looked closer they could see Draxl was examining a thin wire that had been strung horizontally across the stairway a few feet above the steps.


    ¡°I saw that too,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°No you didn¡¯t,¡± Galina responded.


    ¡°Definitely not,¡± Ace affirmed.


    ¡°Yeah, I have a hard time believing that,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°Okay, one person calling me out is fair, but three people is just unnecessary.¡±.


    Cili knelt next to Draxl. ¡°Is this a tripwire?¡±


    ¡°Seems like it.¡±.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Cili exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one before. Is it true that they can make a big explosion, or drop a giant boulder?¡±


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Depends on the tripwire, but in theory, yeah. Though I have a pretty good idea what this one does.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± Cili asked excitedly.


    Draxl unsheathed one of his daggers. ¡°Only one way to find out.¡±


    Cili held her breath as Draxl raised the dagger to the wire. The moment the wire was cut a twang echoed through the stairway. Racing out from the darkness below a crossbow bolt flew directly towards the group.


    Draxl raised his hand to catch the bolt, but as he tightened his fist he felt nothing in his grasp. He glanced up to see the bolt firmly in Cili¡¯s hand¡ªwhich was a few inches in front of his own.


    ¡°Nice catch,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°How¡¯d you know it was gonna do that?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d like to know why you were so confident sending a crossbow bolt straight at my head?¡± Ace demanded.


    Draxl pointed towards the steps behind the group. ¡°All the steps we came down on were chipped. The risers especially have clear knicks in them. The tripwire is all the way up here, but there¡¯s no trap in sight, meaning it has to be further down and come up to us.


    ¡°Given the fact that Ronan had an infuser update his old connectors, there probably weren¡¯t any artifacts involved, leaving the most likely option a primed crossbow.¡±


    ¡°Then why is she holding the bolt?¡± Ace asked, gesturing to Cili.


    ¡°She¡¯s got better reflexes,¡± Draxl answered matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Um, if there are going to be more of those, do you mind if I take the lead?¡± Halvor asked. ¡°I don¡¯t have good enough eyes to spot them, but if something goes wrong, I can probably endure it the best out of anyone here.¡±


    ¡°Good point,¡± Draxl said. ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    Several more mundane traps attempted to impede the group''s descent. Bolts flying from the darkness, spears springing out of the walls, spikes waiting at the bottom of a hidden pit, all shattered on Halvor¡¯s stone skin. At a certain point, Draxl stopped explaining the traps, instead just telling Halvor to brace himself whenever they encountered one.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Cili said. At this point, the group was nearing the end of the staircase. Halvor had shrugged off all the traps they encountered, so everyone wondered what could merit stopping. ¡°Do you hear that?¡±


    ¡°Hear what?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Listen!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°Not helpful,¡± Riven said.


    Draxl closed his eyes and focused on the sounds echoing in the chamber. ¡°I hear it now.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Footsteps.¡± Galina pointed further down the staircase into the darkness.


    Emerging from the shadows was a boy with spiky red hair wearing baggy pants, a tight-fit jacket, and fingerless gloves, all charcoal gray in color. On his back was a large travel pack with numerous other small satchels dangling from it. Goggles obscured the boy¡¯s eyes and a mask with two valves protruding from it covered the entire bottom half of his face. Hanging from his neck was a simple golden locket; the two ends where the chain connected had been melted and fused, making it impossible to remove without shattering it.


    What instantly drew the group¡¯s attention was what the boy had in his hands: a rifle, one that had been heavily modified. As he stepped into the torchlight, the boy kept the barrel of the rifle fixated on the group. Quickly looking him over for any other weapons, Ace managed to spot a revolver on his hip.


    The boy didn¡¯t seem hostile, only cautious; everyone thought it better not to make a rash decision. The boy looked over the group but suddenly stopped.


    ¡°Yo. Draxl?¡±


    ¡°Kai?¡±


    Kai instantly lowered his rifle.


    ¡°You two know each other?¡± Galina asked, turning her head to Draxl.


    ¡°We¡¯re friends,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°More like former acquaintances.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re definitely friends.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you have friends, Draxl. You didn''t seem the type,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t.¡± Kai pulled down his jacket collar to reveal the mark of a golden chain around his neck. ¡°I¡¯m assuming we¡¯re all in the same boat.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s sinking at an alarming rate,¡± Galina said. ¡°Do you have anything to keep us afloat?¡±


    ¡°Kinda. Let me show you.¡± Kai led the group further down to the end of the staircase. Before they reached the end Kai signaled for the group to stop. ¡°It¡¯s probably not safe further down than this.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Take a look.¡±


    The staircase opened up into a small chamber. The only furniture was a desk with a small bookshelf on top, and a basic wooden chair. On the desk was a smattering of papers, much more organized than the ones from Ronan¡¯s office.


    Permeating the entire chamber was a heavy noxious green gas. On the chamber''s rocky floor lay two unconscious guards.


    ¡°My entrance wasn¡¯t very subtle, so I ended up having some company,¡± Kai explained. ¡°The gas will keep them knocked out for a few hours until it clears out.¡±


    ¡°What kind of skill is that?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a skill. It¡¯s science.¡±


    ¡°Science or skill, doesn¡¯t matter if we can¡¯t get down there ourselves,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Right, so the plan was, that I knock them out, then use this to avoid knocking myself out.¡± Kai held up his mask. ¡°Unfortunately, it got damaged when the Armistice Order took all our shit, so now we¡¯re kinda stuck.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so all we need to do is get rid of that gas?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°Basically,¡± Kai responded.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy.¡± Cili skipped over to the final few steps at the edge of the gas cloud. ¡°No matter the place, I am followed by, [Wind¡¯s Grace].¡±


    As Cili finished her chant, a burst of wind erupted in the center of the chamber. Even several stairs up the group could feel the wind as it tore through the space. After a few seconds, the wind settled down, and the gas had been completely dispersed.


    ¡°You can manage a 2 line chant with spells?¡± Riven asked Cili..


    ¡°Only with fire-based and wind-based ones,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Guess being part dragon has its perks.¡±


    ¡°Nice work!¡± Kai exclaimed, extending his open hand out to Cili. The two exchanged a high-five as the rest of the group piled into the chamber.


    Halvor knelt to one of the guards and gently poked them to see if they were awake; he was concerned since the wind hadn¡¯t awoken them. Removing one of their gauntlets, Halvor placed his fingers on the guard¡¯s wrist to confirm they had a pulse.


    He got up to check on the other guard but noticed that Galina had already kneeled beside them. The two exchanged a glance.


    ¡°This one¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°This one too.¡±


    Meanwhile, Cili investigated the room for anything that looked strange. Draxl, Riven, and Ace all helped to sort through the mess of papers that littered the chamber floor.


    Kai was focused on a book that had caught his attention; he noticed it was the only one out on the desk when he entered the chamber, even though the shelf was already full. Looking inside it appeared like just a jumble of random letters so Kai instantly assumed it was some kind of cipher.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were shifting every letter 7 places in the alphabet?¡± Draxl asked Kai, peeking over his shoulder to examine his work.


    ¡°Yeah, since it¡¯s the seventh edition,¡± Kai explained.


    ¡°Then why is the J turning into a D instead of a C?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Fuuuuuuuuck! I¡¯ve been shifting over six, not seven.¡±


    ¡°Do you need any help?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°No, no. I¡¯ve got it. I¡¯ve got it. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Good, because I wasn¡¯t going to help anyway.¡±


    A few minutes went by with not a sound aside from the ruffling of papers. A frantic search for the next lead kept everyone busy, though the lack of progress made it difficult to justify staying in the chamber any longer.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Kai exclaimed.


    The rest of the group hurried over.


    As they all arrived Kai gestured to the book and a sheet of paper beside it where he had been writing the decoded version. ¡°So, turns out when you¡¯re not a fucking idiot, and actually use the right key, this line ¡®JVBSK NYLHA TLU AOBUKLY¡¯ becomes ¡®COULD GREAT MEN THUNDER¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Good work,¡± Halvor said. ¡°What does it mean?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Kai admitted.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a reference to something?¡± Galina theorized.


    ¡°Oh, I noticed that the books on the shelf didn¡¯t move even when the wind was blowing,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Maybe you pick the right book, and a hidden passage opens up,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°And if we pick the wrong book?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°How about we don¡¯t do that,¡± Draxl suggested.


    ¡°Wait, a second,¡± Ace said. ¡°¡®Could great men thunder¡¯ I know that line.¡± He hurried over to the bookshelf. He quickly combed through each book till he found one titled Measure for Measure. ¡°We had this one back home, but it was a lot more beat up than this one. I think it was an older edition or something. The person who owned it told me it was older than Fable itself.¡±


    ¡°What kind of book is it?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not even a book, it¡¯s a play,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Is it any good?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°No clue. When I said beat up I meant the whole cover was destroyed and most of the text was either gone or illegible. Only know the name because the owner told me it. Never even read it before.¡±


    ¡°Then how do you know that line is in it?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°One day I tried to steal the book. I wanted to know what was inside,¡± Ace said. ¡°I got caught, but the woman who owned it was kind enough to tell me what little she remembered. This line was the start of her favorite scene.¡±


    ¡°Well you might as well go for it,¡± Draxl said. ¡°We don¡¯t have a whole lot of options left.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to do it?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m confident,¡± Ace said.


    Ace pulled the book off the shelf. As he did, it leaned back and locked in place with a satisfying click. The whole shelf shifted from one end of the table to the other, revealing a secret compartment carved into the stone wall; residing inside, was a key, with intricate carvings running throughout, glistening like rivers of gold


    Immediately Ace reached for the key, but just as his fingers touched it, his whole body froze. Echoing from the staircase, rapidly approaching the chamber, was a sound familiar to everyone present.


    In the open space where they had heard it before, the clanging of heavy golden chains on impenetrable armor managed to sound rhythmic, almost comforting. However, as the rattling of the chains synchronized with its own echo, it enveloped the entire space, growing louder and louder. It felt inescapable.


    The whole group turned to face Paladin Galland as he entered the chamber. ¡°Sorry, but that doesn¡¯t belong to you.¡±

 Chapter 8: The Hangmen

    The chains around Galland leapt from his armor, and in the blink of an eye, enchained everybody in the chamber.


    The chains sapped the group¡¯s strength. Their fingers were free, but they couldn¡¯t wiggle them. Words bubbled up to the tip of their tongues, but none could speak a single one. Nothing forced them to the ground other than gravity, yet their bodies could no longer resist its influence.


    ¡°Apologies,¡± Galland said, careful not to step on anyone as he marched toward the key. ¡°Just wanted to ensure nobody did anything they¡¯d regret.¡±


    The group watched, unable to move, as Galland snatched the key that would bring them freedom.


    ¡°For the record, this wouldn¡¯t have done anything. Watch.¡± Galland knelt next to Ace and pressed the key against the chain marking on his neck. ¡°[Release].¡±


    Golden light radiated out from the key but was quickly sucked back in.


    ¡°The thing¡¯s powerless. It was rendered inert a while back. Once Ronan used the leftover charge, it was my job to bring it back. A bit beneath my station to be honest. I¡¯m sure they were just trying to occupy me.¡±


    ¡°Paladin!¡± a voice shouted from further up the staircase.


    ¡°Steady yourself Ronan,¡± Galland said. ¡°There¡¯s a gas that¡¯s spread throughout the chamber. Two of the guards have been knocked out by it. Stay above ground for now.¡±


    Galland looked down at the group. ¡°You were lucky Darren heard you when he did. Ronan had a silent alarm. The kind that¡¯s very hard to find.¡±


    Galland knelt on the floor, investigating the papers that littered it. They were all just menial things: letters to family, trade discussions, invitations to events. A personal office provided enough privacy to handle these simple correspondences.


    Galland picked up one of the papers to examine it further. The instant his gauntlets touched the parchment, his [Divine Protection] spread onto the page, dispelling an illusion.


    ¡°Seems I¡¯ll be staying here longer than anticipated. Now then. For the real reason I¡¯m here.¡± Galland closed the hand the chains extended from into a fist, recalling the chains.


    As they coiled around his armor, the group felt their strength returning. They managed to push themselves to their feet.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you free us?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t hurt me if you tried.¡± Everything about Galland¡¯s voice and body language made it clear he was not stating his opinion, but a fact. ¡°Ah, which wall was it again? I think it was this one.¡±


    In a single motion, Galland drew his sword from his back and struck one of the stone walls. The wall crumbled into pebbles giving way to a massive steel sewer pipe. Galland plunged his hands into the pipe, ripping through the metal; he dragged his hands down, tearing the steel as if it were wet paper.


    With a heavy thud, Galland cast aside the part of the pipe¡¯s wall he had torn open. ¡°I know at least one of you knows the sewers. Use them to get to the west gate. A woman in white will be waiting for you there with a wagon.¡±


    ¡°What was that?!¡± Ronan shouted from atop the staircase.


    ¡°Perhaps another tree uprooted itself. Do you want me to solve your problem for you again?¡± Galland asked.


    He turned back to address the group. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about earlier. We had to let you die to keep up appearances, but now that you¡¯ve escaped on your own, there¡¯s no reason we can¡¯t help you. Now, I suggest you get moving.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a suggestion. Galland was commanding them to go, and his overwhelming presence demanded that they listen. Their bodies moved automatically; the group piled into the sewers through the opening Galland had made for them. For a long time, they followed Riven¡ªonly because she seemed to know where she was going¡ªin silence.


    After roughly 5 minutes spent contemplating what had just happened, the looming silence was shattered.


    ¡°Hey Halvor,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Could you put your hands through this pipe without using a skill?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d probably get up to the knuckles,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°And what about tearing it open like wet parchment?¡±


    ¡°Not a chance.¡±


    ¡°At least he lied to keep Ronan away. That¡¯s good,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°But how did he know it was a gas that knocked out the guards?¡± Kai asked. ¡°It was already cleared out by the time he got there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Galland,¡± Draxl said. ¡°Hard to exaggerate when it comes to that man.¡±


    ¡°Is he really that strong?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Let me put it this way,¡± Draxl said. ¡°If Galland decided to lay waste to a city with 100,000 people in it, not a single military would stand against him.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°What point is there in adding to the casualties?¡± Draxl answered matter-of-factly.


    ¡°He¡¯s someone you can¡¯t beat with numbers. You¡¯d need a group of exceptional individuals to take him down,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Like us!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°Sure, like us,¡± Kai replied.


    ¡°You know I met someone like Galland once,¡± Ace said, a thousand-yard on his face, his eyes fixated on the sewage at his feet. ¡°Well met might not be the right word. Encountered is probably more accurate.


    ¡°They both gave me this indescribable feeling. I always thought it was some kind of aura they had, an intense malice or bloodlust that just oozed out of them. But Galland wasn¡¯t trying to hurt us at all. I knew that, but I still felt the same.


    ¡°I think that feeling might just be an intense helplessness. Like, you''re looking at something your mind just can¡¯t comprehend, so it just shuts down, and your body stops responding. Does that make sense?¡±


    As Ace¡¯s inner monologue leaked out his mouth, his thoughts slowly overwhelmed him. Whereas before Ace could see everyone ahead of him, there was now nothing but darkness. He looked behind him. Everybody had come to a stop upon hearing Ace¡¯s words; their heads were down, and their minds were absent.


    A heavy silence took over the tunnel, only occasionally broken by the sloshing of sewage. Ace¡¯s words resonated more with everyone than he had thought.


    At that moment, everyone¡¯s mind was locked in a cell; their only company was memories, dredged up by Ace¡¯s words, that they could never let themselves forget, but like red hot iron burned to hold onto.


    Gazing down into the sewage, Ace noticed something strange about his reflection. Previously, when he had looked into Riven¡¯s dagger, he was so focused on the chain around his neck that he didn¡¯t realize his eyes had turned blood-red¡ªa result of him becoming an avatar he reckoned.


    Ace remembered that he had just been given the key to his cell. Now was the time to be focused on the future, not fixated on the past. If the others had experienced anything like he had, then he wanted to help however he could.


    Ace may not have the key to whatever cells the others were trapped in, but he could give them company aside from their own thoughts¡ªand perhaps they could do the same for him as he tried to topple his own mental prison.


    However, Ace didn¡¯t know how to cheer people up. Fortunately, he knew someone who never failed to do just that, somebody who never failed to lift his spirits and put a smile on his face.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Hey Riven, how much longer do we have?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Roughly 10 to 20 minutes,¡± Riven said. ¡°Why?¡±


    Ace put on a bright smile. ¡°Who wants to play 2 truths and a lie? I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    <hr>


    The group emerged from the sewers engaged in a heated argument.


    ¡°Oh fuck right off. ¡®They''re all true. The lie is that there were 2 truths.¡¯ I bet you think you¡¯re so clever,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°I do,¡± Ace said with a grin.


    ¡°But that¡¯s cheating!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°Yeah, doesn¡¯t it defeat the point of the game?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Just means you have to think outside the box,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Bro, you got it wrong too,¡± Kai reminded Draxl. ¡°The only one who got it right was Galina. Wait have you gotten any of them wrong?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Damn.¡±


    ¡°Heads up, I think that¡¯s her.¡± Ace pointed to a woman wearing white robes with a ball of chains around her neck, leaning against a wagon.


    Though they had never met, Ace recognized the woman. She had fought alongside Galland against the possessed tree.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her,¡± Ace said. ¡°The rest of you can be on standby in case anything goes wrong.¡±


    ¡°Roger that!¡± Cili exclaimed with a salute.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Ace called out to the woman as he approached her. ¡°Galland said you¡¯d be expecting us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m Nina.¡±.


    ¡°Ace.¡±


    ¡°Well, Ace, let¡¯s keep this brief,¡± Nina said. ¡°As you¡¯re aware, Ronan¡¯s key isn¡¯t capable of helping any of you. However, that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re beyond hope.


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared this wagon, a week¡¯s worth of supplies, and two horses. Take them and follow the road further inland. You¡¯ll come across a town called Wickerbound. Although it¡¯s draped in eternal darkness you¡¯ll find it quite pleasant, I assure you.


    ¡°Once you¡¯re there, head for the Night Owl, and ask to speak with the owner. Tell them Galland sent you. If you¡¯re lucky, she¡¯ll lend you a hand.¡±


    Ace didn¡¯t like the idea of luck being a factor in his survival.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you with the order?¡± Ace asked.


    Nina sighed. ¡°Time to make a long story, very short. Galland, Darren, and a few others along with myself are part of the Armistice Order, but we don¡¯t support their practices. Specifically our sect. We¡¯re trying to change the order from the inside out.¡±


    ¡°So why help us?¡±


    ¡°How can you fight for your ideals if you don¡¯t live up to them?¡±


    ¡°Then can¡¯t you get rid of these yourself?¡± Ace asked. He knew the woman was powerful from what he had observed of her.


    ¡°I could, but it wouldn¡¯t be long before the order traced it back to me,¡± Nina said. ¡°It¡¯s a lot harder to affect things from the outside.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± Ace sighed. It seemed there wasn¡¯t any easy way out of his predicament.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already spoken long enough. You should get going now. Try to be out of sight of the city by sundown.¡±


    ¡°Will do,¡± Ace said.


    After Nina had wandered off, the rest of the group pulled out from around the corner.


    ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°About as well as you¡¯d expect. She said to head for Wickerbound and find the owner of the Night Owl. If we tell them that Galland sent us, then they¡¯ll help us out.¡±


    ¡°At least Wickerbound is on the way to Journey,¡± Riven said.


    Galina hopped into the back of the wagon. ¡°Not like we have any other options.¡±


    ¡°Wickerbound. Sounds scary,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fun!¡± Kai assured Halvor.


    ¡°I always wanted to go on a road trip!¡± Cili exclaimed excitedly.


    ¡°Well now you can,¡± Ace said, hopping onto the wagon¡¯s tongue. He grasped hold of the reins.


    ¡°You driving?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°Time outside the chapters turned me into an adequate equestrian.¡±


    ¡°Ok then, Mr. Adequate, get us out of here,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°On it.¡± The moment everyone was comfortable in the wagon bed, Ace cracked the reins and the group set off toward Wickerbound.


    ¡°Fuck you Kaimen! Fuck You!¡± Kai screamed, his middle fingers pointed high to the sky.


    Cili was quick to join in. ¡°Yeah fuck you!¡±


    Bonk!


    Draxl hit Kai on the head with the pommel of his dagger; at the same time, Galina hit Cili with her staff.


    ¡°Do that when you¡¯re out of earshot,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Kai sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll wait till we¡¯re far from the city.¡±


    ¡°I meant out of earshot of me.¡±


    ¡°Why are you like this?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°Yeah Draxl, why are you like this?¡± Cili said, echoing Kai.


    ¡°Oh god help me. There¡¯s two of them.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps a drink would help.¡± Galina handed Draxl a cup with steam rising from it.


    ¡°Is this alcohol?¡±


    ¡°Better. It¡¯s tea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    ¡°Here.¡± Riven tossed Draxl an unlabeled dark green bottle. All he could see was some dark liquid sloshing around inside. He removed the cork and took a sip.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Draxl exclaimed, choking the alcohol back. ¡°What is that? It¡¯s strong as hell and tastes like shit.¡±


    ¡°Heard they based it off your personality,¡± Riven said, taking a sip from an identical bottle without flinching.


    Draxl rolled his eyes at Riven¡¯s response and took another swig of the bottle.


    During this time, Halvor had creeped his way out of the wagon bed, up to Ace.


    ¡°Sounds rowdy in there,¡± Ace said, moving aside.


    Halvor took a seat next to Ace. ¡°That¡¯s an understatement.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Do you prefer quieter places?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°More so homely places,¡± Halvor said. ¡°I actually quite enjoy a noisy home. Makes things feel lively. But everyone needs to step out of the house once in a while.¡±


    ¡°Yeah I get that.¡±


    ¡°Would you mind if I try?¡± Halvor asked, pointing to the reins in Ace¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Sure.¡±.


    Once the reigns were in Halvor¡¯s hands, they went slack. Halvor didn¡¯t tense his hands at all.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t done this before, have you?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll hurt them,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°You¡¯re tough but so are they. You gotta keep a tight grip.¡±


    Halvor¡¯s hands squeezed as hard as he could. It looked like he was trying to form a fist and the reins were in the way.


    ¡°Not that hard,¡± Ace said. ¡°The horses move on their own, so you don¡¯t need to put all your strength into it. Use just enough to guide them.¡±


    Finally, Halvor found the sweet spot. A firm grip that didn¡¯t restrict the horses, while still maintaining control.


    ¡°Is this good?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Looks good to me.¡±


    Halvor breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Alright I¡¯ll let you handle that,¡± Ace said. ¡°Tell me if you need anything.¡±


    ¡°Will do!¡±.


    Now that he didn¡¯t need to focus on the road ahead, Ace¡¯s gaze drifted off into the fields of grass that surrounded him. Old memories flowed to the forefront of his mind. A group of kids huddled together began to take shape.


    ¡°And my third one is¡ª¡±


    ¡°The second one was a lie. You¡¯ve said it before.¡±


    ¡°Ace! You¡¯re not supposed to say it out loud. Everyone guesses at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Sorry Lumina. Sorry. I forgot.¡±


    A smile settled in on Ace¡¯s face as all the children, including his younger self, burst into laughter. He had reminiscenced on moments like these many times before, but this time was different. The laughter sounded clearer. He could feel it. Like it was real.


    Ace snapped out of his fantasy. The laughter sounded so real because it was real. Glancing over at Halvor, and peering into the wagon bed, he saw everyone had erupted into laughter. Despite not knowing what had happened, Ace couldn¡¯t help himself from joining in.


    For the first time since everything had been taken from him, Ace laughed with others; the laughter didn¡¯t come from what he had lost, but from what he had gained.


    Once the laughter died down, everyone else was briefly taken aback as text suddenly scrawled itself in front of their eyes.


    ¡°Figured if we¡¯re sticking together, we¡¯re gonna need a name,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Good idea, but isn¡¯t it a little ¡­ macabre,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the best part though?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°True,¡± Draxl conceded.


    ¡°I think the name is sick,¡± Kai said. ¡°Love the wordplay.¡±


    ¡°It makes us sound like heroes!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°Heroes isn¡¯t the word I would use. Though, it is a reminder of how we met. I like that,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Galina said. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m feeling nostalgic already.¡±


    Ace smiled. ¡°Then that settles it.¡±.


    [ Party Formed! ]


    [ Current Party Members: Ace. Riven. Halvor. Draxl. Galina. Cili. Kai. ]


    [ Party Name: The Hangmen. ]

 Chapter 9: Wickerbound

    ¡°Are we there yet?¡± Cili groaned, lying down on the wagon bed.


    ¡°No,¡± Ace said, exasperated.


    ¡°Are we there yet?¡± Cili asked just a few minutes later.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Are we there yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± Cili sat up with excitement.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Cili exclaimed, falling back onto the wagon bed.


    ¡°Perhaps if we had slept 4 hours like I said we should¡ª¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°No!¡± everyone else shouted.


    Draxl put his hands up. ¡°Just saying.¡±


    Kai tiredly hung over the end of the wagon bed, glancing out at the thick forest that surrounded the party. ¡°I spy with my little eye, something beginning with T.¡±


    ¡°Is it a tree?¡± Riven said without a hint of enthusiasm.


    ¡°Wow, how did you know?¡±


    ¡°Maybe because trees are the only thing we¡¯ve seen for the past THREE DAYS!¡± Riven shouted.


    ¡°Well, at least it''s some scenery. Better than those open fields,¡± Halvor said. ¡°Forests are quite nice.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t disagree, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Are we there yet?¡± Cili asked again.


    ¡°Actually,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Wait, seriously?¡±


    ¡°You tell me.¡± The wagon slowly rolled to a stop.


    The group all stepped out onto the road. Just ahead of them was a wall of darkness that stretched far into the forest, beyond their vision.


    As the group cautiously approached the wall, their reflections shimmered into view on the surface of the darkness like staring into a lake. Examining it closer, they noticed that the wall was selectively reflective. The group, the trees, and the horse appeared on it, but not the dirt road.


    ¡°Maybe it only reflects living things,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Look!¡± Cili exclaimed. Her hand was plunged through the wall of darkness, and disappeared behind it.


    Kai mimicked Cili. ¡°Woah.¡±


    Ace looked closely at his reflection. He was still adjusting to seeing red in his eyes. Creeping over his shoulder in the reflection, curling its fingers around his neck, was a familiar visage: the Devil.


    Ace turned around, only to see nothing behind him. He spun so quickly that he lost his footing, and tumbled backward, into the darkness.


    ¡°You alright?¡± Galina asked.


    Bolting out from the darkness, Ace rushed toward the wagon and grasped the reins. ¡°Everyone in! Now! We need to move!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see in a second,¡± Ace said.


    Once everyone was in the wagon, Ace cracked the reins, as hard as he could, and the horses dashed toward Wickerbound.


    As the wagon delved into the darkness, the group reunited with a scent they had become intimately familiar with during their time on the gallows: fire.


    The town of Wickerbound had been plunged into pandemonium, its streets alive with chaos. Flames ravaged the town, their fiery tongues leaping skyward, casting an eerie glow over the town surrounded by a dome of darkness.


    Townsfolk rushed out from the collapsing town, holding on tightly to what little they could salvage. Their hurried footsteps and horrified expressions spoke volumes of the fear that flooded them.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell what¡¯s going on,¡± Kai said, looking over Ace¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°What kind of spyglass is that?¡± Cili asked, inquiring about the instrument Kai had pressed up to his face.


    ¡°They¡¯re binoculars.¡±


    ¡°Any chance we can wait this out?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°You can, but I¡¯m not,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°Our lifeline is in there,¡± Galina reminded Draxl. ¡°I doubt you want to gamble on their survival.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you have a point.¡±


    Ace weaved the cart through the frenzied townsfolk as they fled from the inferno they called home. Eventually, the crowd grew too large, leaving the wagon nowhere to move forward.


    Ace brought the wagon to a halt just off the road in the woods. ¡°This is as far as we go. The rest will have to be on foot.¡±


    The group burst out of the wagon and sprinted through the woods toward Wickerbound. Just as they reached the outskirts of the town, the group noticed a pool of blood gathered at the base of one of the trees.


    Halvor was the first to rush toward the blood. A wounded town guard with dark skin and a salt and pepper beard sat propped up against the tree¡¯s trunk. His armor, battered and torn, bore the scars of combat; a shattered sword lay at his side. The man clutched blood-soaked bandages wrapped around his waist. His face was etched with faded determination that had been chipped away by exhaustion and pain.


    ¡°Are you alright, sir?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Who are you all?¡± the guard asked between weary gasps of air.


    ¡°The Hangmen,¡± Ace said. ¡°For our own reasons, we¡¯re invested in Wickerbound¡¯s safety.¡±


    ¡°Can you fight?¡± the guard asked.


    ¡°Well enough,¡± Galina answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna ask strangers to put their lives on the line,¡± the guard said. ¡°I¡¯m heading back. You¡¯re free to follow.¡±


    The guard grit his teeth and forced himself to his feet. As he stood, a flash of pain from his wound shot through his body.


    ¡°Woah there dude,¡± Kai said, catching the guard. ¡°No need to be a hero alright.¡±


    ¡°Leave that to us!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back,¡± the guard insisted. ¡°All the other guards ran. I¡¯m the only one left.¡±


    ¡°Listen, you''ll live, but only if you stay here,¡± Riven said. ¡°If you go, you¡¯re going to die.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re waiting for me!¡±


    ¡°The townsfolk have mostly fled,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Not them!¡±


    As Ace stared at the guard, trying to comprehend what he meant, his view became obfuscated by a flash of text.


    [ The spirit¡¯s overwhelming will has made their desire known. ]


    [ Desire: Rescue my family. ]


    [ Would you like to form a pact? ]


    Ace was surprised. Up until now [Pact] had only worked on dead people. He knelt, getting eye level with the guard. ¡°I¡¯ll get them back. Trust me.¡±


    He extended a hand out to the guard.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± the guard muttered under his breath.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Fine.¡± The guard sighed, and grasped Ace¡¯s hand. ¡°Guess I got no choice but to rely on you all.¡±


    [ Pact Formed! ]


    [ Active Pacts: 2/2 ]


    ¡°Can any of you use connectors?¡± the guard asked.


    ¡°I can,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Up on top of one of the buildings there¡¯s a water tower. It¡¯ll be pretty hard to miss. It¡¯s got a connector built into it to disperse water across the city. Use my name, Jahad, to get access.¡±


    ¡°Mind telling us what we¡¯re running into?¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Raevens.¡±.


    ¡°Anyone care to enlighten me?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Raevens look like a cross between humans and ravens, though they aren¡¯t hybrids. Their forms are humanoid, but they¡¯ve got talons for hands and feet, wings, a beak, and they¡¯re covered in feathers.¡± Riven informed the group. ¡°They mainly fight using their talons, and by throwing their feathers like knives. They¡¯re pretty quick in the air too.¡±


    ¡°So how do we beat them?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°Hit them until they die,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°I think we can work with that,¡± Kai said with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can.¡± Ace raised his hand in protest. ¡°I¡¯m not really a fighter.¡±


    ¡°Take this.¡± Kai handed Ace the revolver from his hip. ¡°Point the barrel at something, then press that, and it¡¯ll disappear. The bullets are explosive, but because of that, they¡¯re hard to make. It¡¯s only got six shots so make ¡®em count.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Before we go. One moment if you will,¡± Galina said. She closed her eyes and grasped her staff. ¡°[Link].¡±


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Can you all hear me?


    Galina¡¯s voice echoed through everyone¡¯s minds.


    This will help us stay in contact amidst the chaos, Galina said.


    Wait, so everyone hears what we¡¯re thinking? Kai asked nervously.


    Only what you want them to hear.


    Oh, that¡¯s good.


    ¡°Are you just going stand there and stare at each other?¡± the guard asked.


    ¡°Alright, Hangmen,¡± Ace said, ¡°let¡¯s go play hero.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Mom! Dad!¡±


    Amidst the blazing ruins of Wickerbound, a young girl, trapped in an alleyway by fallen rubble, cried out as tears streamed down her soot-stained cheeks.


    ¡°Mom! Dad!¡±


    A cacophony of beating wings echoed above her.


    ¡°Mom! Dad!¡±


    The flapping of wings began to grow louder, and closer.


    ¡°Mom! Dad!¡±


    The sound of the wings faded.


    ¡°Mom? Dad?¡±


    The girl spun around. Behind her was a raeven. Its form was as mesmerizing as it was twisted. Its large wings, dark as midnight, scraped along the sides of the alley as it inched toward the girl. Its razor-sharp talons tapped on the street, creating a haunting rhythm, like the melody of a song as it approaches its end.


    The girl¡¯s cries faltered into stunned silence. She became transfixed by the raeven¡¯s eyes that gleamed like polished onyx.


    ¡°Caw!¡± the raeven cried. It loomed over the girl and ruffled its feathers. Suddenly, the feathers shot out from the raeven¡¯s wings like a fan of knives.


    The girl shut her eyes and braced herself. She felt nothing. Her eyes blinked open. The feathers were suspended in mid-air as if frozen in time, just inches from her face. The raeven¡¯s gaze was fixated on something above the girl.


    Standing atop a floating tree trunk was Galina, her hand outstretched. Galina slammed her staff into the trunk, launching the suspended feathers back at the raeven who had fired them. The barrage of feathers riddled the raeven, decorating the alley with gouts of black blood.


    As the raeven¡¯s lifeless body collapsed to the ground, Galina beckoned the girl to hop aboard the trunk. ¡°Come on. You¡¯re okay now.¡±


    Without hesitation, the girl climbed onto the trunk and held onto it with all her might.


    ¡°You ready?¡± Galina asked.


    The girl nodded.


    Soaring up into the air, Galina and the girl flew right above the wreckage that had trapped the girl inside the alley, and back down to the city streets.


    Galina gestured to the southern gate a few meters from where she stood. ¡°Okay, you see that gate?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± the girl said.


    ¡°I want you to run towards it okay, as fast as you can. And don¡¯t worry about your mom and dad. My friends and I are taking care of things.¡±


    After a deep breath, the girl looked at Galina, nodded her head, and made a dash for the gate.


    Galina hopped on the trunk and levitated it back into the air high above Wickerbound. With a bird¡¯s eye view of the action, Galina was able to micro-manage the battlefield; she kept a lookout for any survivors or enemies.


    Status report, Galina said.


    Galina¡¯s attention remained fixated on the girl she had just rescued until the girl made it out of the town. However, her narrow focus left her open to being surprised.


    The flames cast the shadows of two raevens over Galina alerting her to their presence. As she spun around, the raevens unleashed a storm of feathers in her direction.


    ¡°[Wind¡¯s Grace]!¡±


    Surging up from beneath Galina, Cili shouted out her skill and interposed herself between Galina and the raeven. A tempestuous wind centered on Cili sent the feathers flying in all directions.


    ¡°[Ricochet] X [Wind¡¯s Grace].¡± Cili fired an arrow at the raevens. The arrow pierced through the first raeven sending it tumbling to the ground; the crossing of [Ricochet] and [Wind¡¯s Grace] caused the arrow to defy reality, and ricochet off the very air itself to strike the other raeven right between the eyes.


    Cili spun around and gave Galina a thumbs up, which Galina quickly reciprocated.


    All good with me, Cili said.


    <hr>


    In the darkness of Wickerbound, lit only by flames, a new source of light cut through the darkness. A sigil carved into a rooftop water tower glowed a vibrant sky blue. A flock of three raevens charged toward the beacon of light.


    Descending upon the rooftops, the three raevens fixated on Riven as she examined the sigil, chanting under her breath to activate it. As the three raevens landed, they surveyed their surroundings; finding nothing, they silently approached Riven.


    Clinging to the rooftop¡¯s ledge to remain hidden, Draxl waited until the raevens had turned their backs to him. The moment they turned toward Riven, Draxl vaulted onto the rooftop, drew his shortsword, and dashed toward the raevens.


    It wasn¡¯t until Draxl was almost within striking distance that the raevens noticed his approach, and tried to ready themselves.


    ¡°Shine bright, [Flash Step].¡± A blinding burst of white light momentarily blinded the raevens. Draxl vanished from sight, then reappeared behind the disoriented raevens, and with a single strike bisected one of the raevens.


    Coming out of their stupor, the remaining two raevens lashed out at Draxl with their talons. Draxl parried the attack on the right, his shortsword catching on the talons, then twisted his body to avoid the attack coming from his left. The raeven that had missed, stepped in closer and tried to plunge its talons into Draxl¡¯s back.


    ¡°[Quickdraw].¡± Before the raeven could sink its claws into Draxl, in one swift blur, he pulled one hand off his shortsword, then pulled a dagger from the sheath on his chest, and drove it into one of the raeven¡¯s eyes.


    The raeven screamed as it stumbled backward, clutching the dagger, as black blood oozed from its eye.


    Draxl immediately turned his attention to the raeven that was wrangling for control of his shortsword. The raeven was taken aback, as Draxl completely let go of his blade, and ducked down. He swept the raeven¡¯s legs, causing them to lose their balance. Before the raeven hit the floor, Draxl lunged forward and plunged his dagger into the top of its head.


    He turned around to face the other raeven, only to see it''s corpse laid on the ground, with Riven¡¯s dagger embedded in its skull.


    ¡°The plan was for me to keep guard,¡± Draxl said. ¡°You need to focus on the sigil.¡±


    Riven pulled her dagger from the raeven¡¯s corpse. ¡°Turns out it''s really hard to read runes, when my bodyguard is blinding me.¡±.


    ¡°Just get back to work, please,¡± Draxl said..


    ¡°Only because you said please.¡±


    Everything¡¯s fine over here, Draxl said.


    Yup, everything¡¯s great, Riven reiterated.


    <hr>


    A raeven stalked the corridors of one the houses that had yet to fall in Wickerbound. A brief flash of light and a loud sound from the upper floor of the house had lured it inside.


    The raeven swung open a door. Its eyes immediately noticed a razor-thin line of wire that had just snapped. Between the gaps of a small iron octahedron that lay hidden at the top of the doorframe, a fiery light glowed for just a moment, before a booming explosion erupted, incinerating the raeven.


    Kai set the modifications on his rifle to maximize distance and accuracy. As he gazed through the scope, he tracked the flight of a raeven as it circled the area. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, the force of the explosion below rattled his weapon causing him to lose his mark.


    ¡°Always the worst fucking times man,¡± Kai muttered under his breath.


    He took a breath in and out, then looked through the scope again. It took him a moment, but Kai managed to find the same raeven he had been tracking¡ªluckily its flight path hadn¡¯t changed at all. Once Kai pulled the trigger, he didn¡¯t need to see whether he hit his target.


    The bullet pierced through the raeven¡¯s skull before it even heard the crack of the rifle. Its lifeless body slammed onto the streets below.


    Kai turned to examine the room he was in. A dense gas cloud permeated the entire room. Kai¡¯s gas mask¡ªwhich he had taken the time to repair during the group¡¯s journey to Wickerbound¡ªprevented the gas from knocking him out and his goggles stopped it from irritating his eyes. On the floor were the unconscious bodies of five raevens that had tried to attack Kai. He planned on finishing them off once the fight was over.


    Got a few problems here, but none that haven¡¯t been dealt with.


    <hr>


    Ace raced through the chaos of Wickerbound. He didn''t know where he was going, but he could feel the spirit of Jahad guiding him. Ace dodged collapsing rubble, powered through the intense heat, and endured the acrid smoke.


    Ace finally arrived at a home that had managed to escape the raging fires that surrounded it.


    ¡°ARGH!¡± A cry of pain from inside sent Ace into a full sprint toward the house. As Ace got to the door¡ªthe same sixth sense that had guided him here taking over¡ªhe instinctively reached underneath the welcome mat and grabbed a key.


    Bursting into the house, Ace was greeted with a harrowing sight. A young man¡ªthe spitting image of Jahad¡ªhad collapsed to the floor. Gashes riddled his armor, blood leaking from each one. His whole body was shaking; through equal parts determination and adrenaline, the man forced himself to his feet and grasped his sword with both hands.


    The man stared down a raeven, but one that was unlike any of the others attacking Wickerbound. Despite never hearing of raevens until today, even Ace knew the raeven he was faced with was anything but natural.


    Raevens had two sets of talons¡ªone set that acted as hands, the other as legs¡ªone head, and one pair of wings, but this one had twice as many of each. Its hulking form was double the size of a normal raeven too. It looked as if the raeven¡¯s body had forced itself to grow, twisting its muscles and bones to accommodate the extra appendages.


    Ace knew his only opportunity to strike would be the brief moment before the raeven could react to his entrance. Without hesitation, Ace aimed the revolver Kai had given him at the monstrosity.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Each shot of the revolver nearly ruptured Ace¡¯s arm. The weapon¡¯s firepower and recoil were closer to a hand cannon than it was a firearm. The bullets exploded, annihilating whole chunks of the raeven¡¯s body.


    However, the chunks of flesh Ace¡¯s shots had destroyed, regenerated in seconds. The completely healed mutant raeven turned to face Ace.


    Hey guys, I think I¡¯m gonna need some help.


    <hr>


    ¡°Can you hear me?! Anyone?!¡± Halvor waded his way through thick smoke.


    ¡°Help!¡±


    Halvor could hear the voice coming from the first floor of the house; the voice sounded young and strained.


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Halvor shouted. ¡°Keep talking!¡±


    ¡°Over here!¡± Following the voice led Halvor further down the hallway. At the very end, he found a young teenage girl, pinned to the ground by a fallen wooden beam.


    Halvor rushed over to the girl and grasped the beam. ¡°On three ready. One, two, three!¡±


    Halvor¡¯s arms shifted to stone. With all his might he lifted the beam high enough for the girl to crawl free.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± the girl said. ¡°I know a way out.¡± She guided Halvor to the kitchen. She tried to force open one of the windows, but the moment she struggled, Halvor stepped in and shattered it. He placed a nearby cloth over the broken glass and ushered the girl outside.


    Once they were both out the girl thanked Halvor profusely.


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure,¡± Halvor said. ¡°Now make your way to the southern gate.¡±


    ¡°Wait! Our neighbors!¡± The girl looked over to the neighboring house. The lights were still on, and a figure could be seen in the window. Fortunately, the house had managed to avoid catching fire, but it wouldn¡¯t be long before it was up in flames.


    ¡°They¡¯re an elderly couple. They don¡¯t have the best hearing or eyesight. I don''t think they have any idea what¡¯s happening,¡± the girl informed Halvor. ¡°Can you please help them?¡±


    ¡°Right away.¡± Halvor nodded his head and took off toward the neighboring homestead.


    Rather than waste time with a door that could potentially be locked, Halvor burst open the window with his stone fist and leaped into the house. Finding himself in the kitchen, he quickly realized that the figure he had seen in the window was not an elderly person, but a young woman.


    The woman¡¯s skin was white as a pearl. She was dressed in simple clothes: a short-sleeved black shirt and white pants. Her rough-cut white hair was tied in a bun. She waltzed around the kitchen as if it were her own home, and everything was peaceful outside.


    A high-pitched whistling sound filled the space as a kettle boiled. The woman grabbed it and poured the water into a mug she had set on the table.


    ¡°Hey Halvor,¡± the woman said, playfully. ¡°Been a while. I¡¯ve seen what you¡¯ve been doing. I have to say, you saving people is not what I expected.¡±


    Fractures shot up Halvor¡¯s stone arms. ¡°Why are you here, Vivyan?¡± An intense anger bled into Halvor¡¯s voice as he struggled to keep his composure.


    ¡°Is that any way to talk to a friend? Didn¡¯t your mother ever teach you any manners? Oh, wait, that¡¯s right.¡± Vivyan tried¡ªthough not very hard¡ªto stifle her laughter.


    Halvor raised a leg, transmuting his skin to stone, and took a single step toward Vivyan, sundering the wooden floor with a thunderous crack. ¡°KNEEL, [Quake]!¡±


    The whole building violently shook; the cupboards flew open and shut, and their contents rattled. Vivyan stumbled, spilling her freshly brewed tea, before catching herself on the dining table.


    ¡°Guess the old you is still in there somewhere,¡± Vivyan said with a sly grin.


    Without a second thought, engulfed by rage, in a display of sheer brutality, Halvor plunged his earthen arm straight through Vivyan¡¯s chest until his elbow was covered in crimson.


    ¡°And now it¡¯s in me too.¡±


    ¡°WHY ARE YOU HERE? AND WHERE IS MY MOTHER?¡± Halvor drove his other fist directly into Vivyan¡¯s rib cage. Her sternum shattered with a sickening crunch as she was sent flying across the room.


    Vivyan slammed into a wall, and her body went limp. It looked as if she was passed out. However, the void where her stomach used to be miraculously regenerated. Bones mended, blood vessels reconnected, skin stitched itself back together, and muscle tissues reformed leaving no evidence of the gruesome injury.


    ¡°Why am I here, you ask? Doctor¡¯s orders,¡± Vivyan said. ¡°I¡¯m meant to observe one of his experiments. Another mutant like you and me. It involved my DNA, so it only makes sense. Hopefully, this one won¡¯t reject its gifts in an idiotic display of self-righteousness.¡±


    Vivyan pushed herself to her feet. ¡°Now as for your mother¡¯s location, you¡¯re gonna need to hit me a few more times before I give that up.¡±


    Halvor cracked his knuckles, chips of stone breaking off and clattering to the ground. ¡°Fine by me.¡±

 Chapter 10: Radiance

    The mutant raeven vanished before Ace¡¯s eyes as it rushed toward him, morphing into a blur of shadow. By the time Ace could see the raeven clearly, it was already right in front of him poised to strike.


    Ace pulled the trigger on the revolver, blasting another hole in the raeven¡¯s chest. The raeven didn¡¯t flinch; the hole repaired itself in mere seconds.


    In the instant before Ace was eviscerated by raeven¡¯s talons, the rope that was coiled around his arm¡ªthe one he had taken from Ronan¡¯s office¡ªshot out toward the raeven. It constricted the raeven¡¯s talons and wings, halting its assault.


    It just keeps regenerating.


    Destroy its heads, Riven said.


    Ace took aim and sent his final two shots straight into the raeven¡¯s skulls.


    Boom! Boom!


    The walls became coated in black blood as the bullets detonated inside the raeven¡¯s skulls. The raeven¡¯s body swayed from side to side. Suddenly, the raeven¡¯s body surged with life; it caught itself just before it collapsed to the ground. Its heads regrew. All four of its eyes were fixated on Ace.


    The rope dropped down to avoid being caught up in the blast, then bound the raeven¡¯s legs.


    Didn¡¯t work!.


    Try fire, Riven said. Cauterize the wounds so they can¡¯t regenerate.


    The raeven struggled against the rope as it slithered along the raeven¡¯s body, evading its strikes, and tightened itself even further. The raeven plunged its talon through its chest, tearing through one of its wings, and caught the rope on the other side of its body.


    The raeven ripped the rope through the wound it had bored in its chest, and out the other end, raising it in the air triumphantly. It grasped it with its other three talons and tore the rope asunder.


    [ A vessel has been destroyed. ]


    [ The spirit desires another vessel. ]


    [ The spirit has found another vessel. ]


    [ Would you like the spirit to inhabit this new vessel? ]


    Hey kid, if you can hear me, just stay alive. I¡¯m on my way.


    Is that you Kegan?


    Yeah, it is. Stay safe. I¡¯ll be there in a second.


    Ace didn¡¯t understand what was happening, but he didn¡¯t have time to question anything. His mind raced to think of ways to stall for time.


    The sound of chanting and rushing footsteps grew louder behind the raeven. One of the raeven¡¯s heads spun around 180 degrees, tearing its neck muscles in the process; its eyes fell upon the young man it had been fighting earlier. The young man rushed toward the raeven with his sword in hand, blood running from his arms down across the blade¡¯s edge.


    ¡°[Cross Slash]!¡± The young man knew that adding a chant or crossing a skill would put too much strain on his body to where he would surely collapse. This final swing would be his last gambit; an attempt to buy Ace whatever time he could.


    With two swift strikes, the young man cleaved an X into the raeven¡¯s body, splitting its torso into four parts. The young man clutched his chest, breathing heavily, as blood dripped from his lips. The chunks of the raeven slid off its body, but before they hit the floor, tendrils of muscle shot out from them, latching onto, and binding them back to its main body.


    The young man tried to stand, but he had long surpassed his limits. Ace could do nothing but watch, as the raeven shot the feathers from all four of its wings into the young man¡¯s armor. Though they didn¡¯t pierce the armor, the velocity of the feathers¡¯ was great enough to carry the young man across the room, slamming him into the wall. He went unconscious and his blade clattered to the ground.


    The mutated raeven turned to Ace, only to see that he was gone. Its eyes raced around the room, and just as it spotted Ace on the opposite end of the room, a chair slammed into its head.


    Ace used the opening Jahad¡¯s son had given him to create distance between him and the raeven. He continued to launch whatever he could get his hands on¡ªchairs, glasses, books¡ªat the raeven.


    [ A spirit desires a vessel. ]


    Ace could feel Jahad¡¯s spirit wanting to aid him. Somehow, Ace had a natural sense of how the [Pact] skill functioned¡ªhe figured it was part of being an avatar. The spirit must have some tie to the vessel. As he glanced around the room searching for a suitable vessel, his eyes fell upon Jahad¡¯s son¡¯s sword.


    The sound of feathers ripping through air, broke Ace¡¯s concentration, as he ducked behind a couch, barely managing to evade them.


    As he raised his head over the couch, he saw the raeven looming over him; in the brief moment that Ace lost sight of the raeven, it managed to close the gap between them. The raeven raised its talons, but before it could strike, a sword pierced through one of its heads, momentarily stunning it.


    Ace grasped the sword that was now inhabited by Jahad¡¯s spirit. He had no idea how Jahad¡¯s spirit was here if he was still alive, but once again, he didn¡¯t have time to question these things.


    Wielding a sword for the first time in his life, Ace engaged the mutant raeven in battle. His clumsy movements were aided by the guidance of Jahad¡¯s spirit, allowing him to barely keep pace with the raeven.


    Each time Ace clashed with the raeven he felt like his arms were about to come off. None of his attacks were capable of causing any significant damage; often his slashes caught halfway on the raeven¡¯s body, as he lacked the strength to make a clean cut.


    As Ace swung toward its heads¡ªone of the few places he could get a clean hit off on and seemed to stun the raeven slightly¡ªthe raeven, rather than dodge, lunged in to strike.


    The blade cut halfway through one of its heads, though in exchange, the raeven managed to wrap its four talons on the blade. Ace desperately tried to pull away, but his efforts were all in vain. The raeven locked its talons around the blade, tightened its grip, and shattered it.


    [ A vessel has been destroyed. ]


    Ace stumbled backward, nearly falling to the floor. The raeven picked at its feathers, removing metal shards from its flesh. Once, all the fragments had clattered to the ground, the raeven burst out its wings as it turned to face Ace.


    Right on time.


    Soaring through the air like an arrow, a katana engraved with intricate yellow, orange, and red markings of a radiant sun, burst through a window, and skewered itself through both the raeven¡¯s heads.


    The blade pulled itself from the raeven¡¯s body and flew toward Ace, who grabbed it without hesitation.


    [ You lack the necessary affinity to wield this artifact. ]


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Can we tag out?


    I don¡¯t know, Ace said.


    Suddenly, a splitting headache lanced through Ace¡¯s mind. He grimaced in agony, and dropped to his knees, clutching his head. The voice of the Devil crept into Ace¡¯s mind.


    Now what have we here? Letting you play would spoil all the fun. But, I suppose fun isn¡¯t something one considers when they¡¯re in my position. I am curious what The Moonlit Shadow of the Sun can do. Fine, I¡¯ll allow it.


    As Ace¡¯s mental anguish subsided, text filled his vision.


    [ You have unlocked the following skill: [Possess]. ]


    Ace looked down at the katana. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.


    ¡°[Possess].¡±


    [ A spirit has possessed your body. ]


    [ You have been temporarily granted access to their skills. ]


    [ Warning: Unable to access all skills. ]


    [ Your physical and mental attributes have been adjusted to match the spirits. ]


    [ Warning: Due to a large gap in ability unable to properly match the spirit¡¯s attributes. ]


    When Ace¡¯s eyes opened, they were no longer blood red. Instead, his right eye had become a bright orange sun, and his left a shining silver moon. His body was no longer his own. Kegan was now in control. He glanced down at his blade.


    [ Your affinity with this artifact has increased. ]


    [ You have reached the maximum affinity with this artifact. ]


    [ The artifact has granted you the following skill: [Radiance]. ]


    The mutant raeven shook its heads, as it regenerated, and fumbled out of its stupor.


    The mutations undergone by the raeven had dramatically warped its instincts to the point it would plunge its own talons into its chest or let a blade slash through its skull. Having lived with the ability to regenerate had numbed the raeven¡¯s sense of danger.


    Despite its mutations, even if the raeven were to live for a hundred more years, surviving countless injuries, nothing could ever dull its instincts to where it would feel anything other than what it currently did: fear.


    On the surface, nothing about Ace¡¯s body had changed drastically despite his eyes. However, the aura Kegan gave off was similar to that of Galland¡¯s: a disparity in power so large that while attempting to comprehend it, the mind shuts off, and the body freezes.


    The raeven wanted to, no it needed to run.


    The raeven rocketed off the ground and burst through the house''s ceiling, fleeing skyward.


    Kegan casually strolled over to where the raeven had taken flight from. As he gazed upward through the splintered roof, through a downpour of rain¡ªthe result of the connector on the water tower¡ªhe saw the raeven rushing upward. He rested his katana at his hip, and a sheathe with a symbol of the sun on it materialized around it.


    Grasping the sheathe with one hand, and the katana¡¯s handle with the other, ready to strike, Kegan looked toward the raeven.


    ¡°[Flash Step].¡±


    A pillar of white light shined down through the sphere of darkness that surrounded Wickerbound through the hole in the ceiling, engulfing Kegan. At that moment, the entirety of Wickerbound stood still, mesmerized by the light.


    The mutated raeven turned toward the beacon of light. As it dissipated, it gave way to Kegan, who was now hundreds of feet in the air, right beside the raeven.


    ¡°Turn to ash, [Iaijutsu] X [Radiance].¡±


    In a single strike, Kegan, his blade ablaze with a heat rivaling the sun itself, cut the mutant raeven in two. The intense heat radiating from the katana burnt the raeven to ash. The incandescent blade slashed not only through the raeven, but also the darkness that surrounded Wickerbound itself.


    In the dome of eternal darkness that enveloped Wickerbound, a small slit of sunlight emerged. Though it was for only a moment, the sunlight in tandem with the artificial rain caused a rainbow to stretch over Wickerbound before like displaced water, the darkness reclaimed its space.


    [ Pact Fulfilled! ]


    [ Active Pacts: 1/2.]


    Ace awoke in his body and felt himself falling. He noticed the katana with sun engravings falling beside him and quickly grabbed it.


    Sorry I didn''t have a whole lot in me, Kegan said.


    Can we do this when I¡¯m not falling?


    My time is about up. That took just about everything that small part of my spirit had.


    Small part? Ace asked.


    Yeah, this was only a fraction. If you ever wanna find me again, look for the other half of this katana. You¡¯ll know it when you see it. That¡¯s where the rest of my spirit is.


    Ok. Good to know. Now will you help me get down? Ace asked.


    I think you¡¯re doing a great job of getting down..


    I meant safely!


    I think she¡¯s got you covered.


    As Ace tumbled through the sky, plummeting toward Wickerbound below, rushing through the air Cili swooped in to snatch him from gravity¡¯s grasp.


    I got him! Cili informed the group.


    Alright, then, I¡¯ll catch you around kid, Kegan said.


    [ A spirit has vanished. ]


    [ Active Pacts: 0/2. ]


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ace said, as Cili let him down onto the ground.


    ¡°Eh, no problem.¡±


    The two were quickly joined by Riven, Draxl, and Kai.


    ¡°You good man?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m alive, I think.¡±


    ¡°Well I think that¡¯s that,¡± Riven said


    ¡°They better throw us a fucking party for this,¡± Draxl groaned.


    ¡°Never took you for a party guy,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Oh, I''ll hate it, but that doesn¡¯t mean we don''t deserve one.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just do the right thing, because it''s the right thing?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Fuck that,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Yeah, fuck that,¡± Cili said, echoing Kai.


    ¡°You¡¯re a terrible influence,¡± Draxl said to Kai.


    ¡°I¡¯m the best influence.¡±


    ¡°Well, what do we have here!¡±


    Calling out to the group, and walking toward the group was a slender woman with fair skin and long silver hair. One of her pupils was red, and the other black. On her head, she wore a titled fedora with a red ribbon and an ace of spades playing card sticking out from beneath the ribbon. She had on red-buttoned black dress pants and suit vest, underneath which she wore a white dress shirt with red cufflinks and a bright red bowtie.


    ¡°Who are you supposed to be?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Cally, Cally So.¡± She pointed to the katana Ace was holding. ¡°I¡¯m just here to reclaim my property. Don¡¯t suppose I could take it off your hands.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry, I just needed to borrow it for a bit.¡± Ace handed the artifact back to Cally.


    ¡°Seems you put it to good use.¡±


    ¡°Eh, wasn¡¯t really me, but that¡¯s a long story.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to know the owner of the Night Owl?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re lookin'' at her.¡± Cally gestured to herself. ¡°Galland told me about your group. Though he¡¯d said there¡¯d be seven of you.¡±


    ¡°Wait, where are Galina and Halvor?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°Over there!¡± Cili said.


    Through a thick cloud of smoke, the silhouettes of Galina and Halvor could be seen approaching the group. As they emerged from the smoke, and into the sight, the group immediately froze seeing Halvor drenched from head to toe in blood, not black raeven blood, but red blood.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna assume that ain¡¯t yours,¡± Cally said.


    Halvor just looked away at the ground, not saying a word.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you all are tired. So I¡¯ll be taking this back where it belongs, and in exchange have this.¡± Cally tossed a ring of seven keys each with a 3 digit number engraved on them. ¡°Come and stay the night. It¡¯ll be on the house. We¡¯ll talk in the morning.¡±


    Once Cally departed the scene, the rest of the group instantly rushed up to Halvor.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Yeah big guy, what happened?¡± Riven asked.


    Halvor took a deep breath, wiped the blood from his face, and looked at the group. ¡°We need to talk.¡±

 Chapter 11: Downtime Discussions

    ¡°Do we have to do this in my room?¡± Ace asked, lounging on his bed.


    The others were clustered on the floor of Ace¡¯s room. Kai tinkered with the revolver Ace had returned. Draxl sharpened his sword, coating the floor with metal dust. Riven was absorbed in a book, only half paying attention as she waited for everyone else to arrive.


    ¡°We drew straws, and you lost,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Ugh, fine.¡±


    ¡°Are the others going to show up?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m here! I¡¯m here!¡± Cili exclaimed as she entered the room. The others shuffled on the floor to make room for her. Once Cili sat down, she began fiddling with the fletchings on her arrows and cleaning blood from the ones she had used.


    ¡°Sorry about the delay,¡± Galina said, walking into the room. She stood in a corner, resting against her staff. ¡°Halvor said to start without him.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start with what we know,¡± Draxl said. ¡°Raevens attacked Wickerbound. We helped out, so the town probably feels at least a little indebted to us, especially the captain of the guards, since Ace saved his family. Good going with that.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Turns out this Cally So is the person Galland sent us to find to get rid of these chains.¡±


    ¡°But we gotta wait till morning before she¡¯ll tell us how,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°And likely what we¡¯ll have to do for her in exchange,¡± Riven added.


    ¡°She¡¯s gonna make us do something?¡± Cili asked. ¡°But we saved the town.¡±


    ¡°That may put us in her good graces,¡± Ace said, ¡°but she seems like the type that''s eager to squeeze everything she can get from someone.¡±


    ¡°She does run a casino,¡± Galina remarked.


    ¡°No use talking about it till we heard more from her. I¡¯m more curious about what happened to you.¡± Riven pointed at Ace, causing him to freeze slightly in anticipation. ¡°What was that thing you were fighting? And what was that skill you used that cut through the darkness? How were you using that artifact Cally took from you?¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ace groaned, rubbing his face. ¡°I don''t know when it happened, or how it happened, but I can talk to spirits.¡±


    ¡°Like souls?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°Yeah, sorta. I can talk to them, and they can do things for me. It¡¯s how I got us off the tree. The spirits of the people who were hung on it wanted revenge. The tree was a suitable vessel, so I jammed them into it. Also that rope we found in Ronan¡¯s office, the way I made it suspend itself so we could climb down to the courtyard was by having the spirit inside possess it.


    ¡°I took the rope with me and when it got destroyed that same spirit managed to possess that artifact that Cally had. The katana flew straight to me and when I held it the spirit wanted to possess me. I didn¡¯t have a whole lot of options so I agreed. I wouldn¡¯t say I blacked out, but it was like I was a passenger in my own body. All my senses were diluted, and I couldn¡¯t move a muscle. By the time I was back in control, I was falling through the sky, and then Cili saved my ass.¡±


    ¡°Spirit magic, huh?¡± Riven muttered.


    ¡°Do you know anything about it?¡± Ace asked. ¡°It¡¯s really all new to me, so I¡¯d appreciate any advice.¡±


    ¡°No, not really,¡± Riven said. ¡°My dad was just interested in it for a while. He was in the process of researching it when he, well, disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Sorry if I opened old wounds.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I heal fast.¡±


    ¡°Can you do it again?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Not with that spirit. The spirit, Kegan, said that was the last of what he had left, and that that was only a tiny part of his spirit. He was also referred to as ¡®The Moonlit Shadow of the Sun.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Damn, he had an epithet.¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Is that impressive?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Pretty much only avatars get them,¡± Draxl said. ¡°There are some people who aren¡¯t avatars that acquire them through grand achievements, but they¡¯re one in a million. The fact that Kegan had one meant he was, at the very least, an avatar.¡±


    Cili waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Eh, we don¡¯t need him.¡±.


    ¡°We probably do, but we¡¯ll manage,¡± Riven said. ¡°Ace, you mentioned the creature you were fighting could regenerate, is that right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It was definitely a raeven, but giant, grotesque, and mutilated. It had double the arms, heads, wings, and talons. Every time I hit it, it just healed itself instantly. Hitting it in the head seemed to stun it, but other than that, without Kegan, I don¡¯t think I could¡¯ve damaged the thing, let alone put it down for good.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense. It was paralyzed when you hit it in the head. The brain operates the body, so without one, it couldn¡¯t move,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Riven, you knew a lot about raevens. Does any of this ring a bell?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°No, but it might explain something that¡¯s been bothering me,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Which is?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Raevens normally work for The Scrap King,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he an urban legend?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s real,¡± Draxl replied.


    ¡°Wait, seriously.¡±


    ¡°Guys of course The Scrap King is real,¡± Cili said. ¡°My best friend told me he¡¯s real and she never lies. Okay, well she lies a lot, but not to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry it gets better,¡± Ace assured the group. ¡°He¡¯s a family friend too.¡±


    ¡°Okay, tell me if I have this right. The Scrap King, not only is he real, but he¡¯s also a family friend of yours,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Riven replied matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Noted.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, as I was saying, raevens normally work for The Scrap King. What doesn¡¯t add up is that The Scrap King ensures his people act quietly and non-violently,¡± Riven explained.


    ¡°Okay, so what? This group wasn¡¯t acting under The Scrap King,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°But why?¡± Riven asked. ¡°If they had no other leader, The Scrap King would¡¯ve snatched them up. His influence stretches all across Fable. Something, or someone was leading them.¡±


    ¡°It must be the raeven Ace fought,¡± Cili said. ¡°In my tribe, whenever creatures'' behavior would change, we were always taught to look for a change in leadership. If a creature that was stronger or smarter suddenly showed up then all the behavior of the whole pack would change.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m inclined to agree, but for a different reason, one I¡¯m not sure I should say,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming it has to do with Halvor,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Yeah, what the fuck happened to him?¡± Kai asked. ¡°He was covered in blood, but it wasn¡¯t black, it was red.¡±


    Galina sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll explain the little I saw. During all the chaos I started to notice tremors resonating out from one house. I flew down to peek inside, and there I saw Halvor. There was someone else inside too: a woman with skin even paler than Riven¡¯s.


    ¡°I think they were fighting. It was hard to tell since it seemed so one-sided. Halvor continuously whaled on the woman, tearing her skin and muscles, separating her torso from her waist, pounding her skull into a pulp, and turning her bones to dust. Throughout it all she just laughed. Her body kept putting itself back together.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve done something, but the brutality of it all, the way the woman laughed at the pain, how her body refused to stay broken, it all just enamored me. I was frozen.


    ¡°Then suddenly, the darkness split open and gave way to sunlight. It drew my attention for only a moment, but when I looked back the woman was gone. Halvor looked ready to reduce the house to splinters, so I stepped in to calm him down.¡±


    ¡°Well that just raised a whole lot of questions,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Who is this woman? How¡¯d she disappear? Where¡¯d she disappear to? Why was Halvor trying to kill her? Tell me when to stop,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°No use rattling them off, man,¡± Kai insisted. ¡°We¡¯re all asking the same ones.¡±


    ¡°Kai¡¯s right. There¡¯s no point,¡± Riven said. ¡°Unless one of us has any answers.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± Standing at the door frame, no longer soaked in blood, his body heavy with an invisible weight was Halvor.


    Ace stood up from his bed. ¡°You wanna sit?¡± he asked.


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    ¡°Thank you,¡± Halvor said as he stepped into the room and sat down on the bed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell us anything you don¡¯t want to,¡± Galina assured Halvor.


    Halvor nodded his head. ¡°I know. I caught what Galina said, so I¡¯ll just fill in the blanks, and do my best to answer any questions.


    ¡°The woman¡¯s name is Vivyan. She¡¯s a hybrid, part hydra, though I don¡¯t what know percent, anymore. That¡¯s why she kept regenerating. It¡¯s also how that raeven kept coming back. She said it was mutated using her DNA.¡±


    ¡°DNA?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°Deoxyribonucleic acid,¡± Kai said. ¡°It¡¯s basically what makes up every living creature. I heard about it from my mom, but how do you know about it?¡±


    Halvor shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know it stood for something. I just heard it used a lot, and I got the general idea of what it meant from context.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Nobody knew the name, so we just all called it the lab,¡± Halvor said. ¡°That¡¯s probably where Vivyan escaped to. The raeven was an experiment she was observing. Once it was dead she had no reason to stick around.¡±


    ¡°An experiment? So this lab, they made the raeven like that?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what they do,¡± Halvor said. ¡°At least the part of the lab I saw was focused on DNA. Modifying avatars, hybrids, monsters, and even normal people with DNA from other creatures. Anything that responded positively was classified as a mutant.¡±


    ¡°And what about the people that responded negatively?¡± Draxl asked. ¡°What were they classified as?¡±


    ¡°Dead.¡±


    ¡°Not to pry, but absolutely to pry, you said your mother was an avatar. You¡¯re a half-hybrid. I¡¯m assuming your experiences with the lab were, to say the least, not good,¡± Riven said.


    Halvor looked to the floor, breathed in, breathed out, and raised his head. ¡°I spent a long time at the lab. It broke me. Shattered me into pieces I¡¯ve been trying to find ever since I left.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know how many pieces I¡¯ve found or whether they¡¯re even mine. I¡¯m just mashing them together in hopes it works. It''s like trying to solve a puzzle, but you don¡¯t know what it''s supposed to look like. I don¡¯t know what I want it to look like.


    ¡°Then there are some pieces that weren¡¯t broken off but eroded over time. They¡¯ve changed, permanently, and I can¡¯t get them off. No matter how hard I try to bury them when the time comes, they show themselves.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m saying anymore. I get this is a lot. My outbursts make me a liability, I understand that. If you want me to leave, just say the word, and I¡¯m gone.¡±


    After a prolonged silence, Ace decided to speak. ¡°Listen, I wanna apologize. When I first met you, I thought you were someone who didn¡¯t know how ugly the world was, because you had it easy. I figured the only reason anybody wouldn¡¯t immediately assume every inch of the world was rotten was because they never had to deal with the worst it had to offer. But no.


    ¡°Turns out believing there¡¯s still good in the world doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re naive or ignorant, it means you¡¯re strong. Yeah, you¡¯re tough on the outside, but you¡¯re a hell of a lot tougher on the inside. I was wrong about you Halvor. I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t want you to leave. I don¡¯t think anyone does.¡±


    Ace¡¯s words were met by a collective silence from everyone else that resonated more powerfully than words, affirming they shared Ace¡¯s sentiment.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Halvor said. ¡°We¡¯ll stay together.¡±


    ¡°One more question. How¡¯d Vivyan escape?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I doubt you let her walk away,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Her teeth were infused, allowing them to act as a connector. She used them to teleport away.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck. Is that even possible?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Theoretically, all a connector needs to be is stable enough to support the connection. Sure, the runes would rip apart her teeth, but if they repaired as quickly as they were broken, then it could work,¡± Riven explained. ¡°Probably hurts like a bitch though.¡±


    ¡°Even still, she¡¯d need a chant to cover any real distance, whether or not there was an anchor set up,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°She did use a chant. It was rather unusual.¡±


    ¡°Chants for artifacts need to evoke something in the artifact, not the person, so it wouldn¡¯t matter how weird the chant was,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Halvor said. ¡°Her chant was ¡®78.2357, -15.4913.¡¯ All the people at the lab used similar chants when using connectors they were given.¡±


    While everyone else was focused on Halvor, Cili noticed Kai¡¯s face morph as his mouth hung open slightly and his eyes widened with recognition.


    ¡°You okay, Kai?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°Halvor can you repeat those numbers?¡± Kai requested.


    Halvor did as he was asked. Kai dove into his bag, dredging his notebook from it, sending several of the bag''s contents flying out onto the floor.


    Kai quickly turned to a specific page in the notebook. ¡°78.2357, -15.4913,¡± he muttered to himself as he copied the numbers in his book. ¡°Wait, you said other people used similar chants?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°Do you remember any?¡± Kai asked.


    Halvor rattled off as many pairs of numbers as he could remember. Whenever Halvor struggled for even a second, Kai rushed him, though the rest of the group was quick to shut him down, telling him to give Halvor time.


    Kai¡¯s whole body was trembling with excitement. He had to make sure to steady himself before every stroke.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s it,¡± Halvor said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that¡¯s all I could remember.¡±


    ¡°No, no you¡¯re fine. This is plenty.¡± Kai looked down at the eleven pairs of seemingly meaningless numbers he had transcribed into his notebook. ¡°This opens up so many possibilities. I mean the fact they can be negative changes so much! And they were used for connectors so maybe they have something to do with travel! Maybe they¡¯re a form of transportation, or a skill, or even a location!¡±


    ¡°Could you explain what¡¯s going on, because I am terribly confused?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Alright, we don¡¯t have time for the full story so I¡¯ll just cut that all out,¡± Kai said. ¡°One day my parents had to send me away, and I haven¡¯t seen them since. All they left me was this.¡±


    Kai held up the locket that was on his neck. ¡°Inside was this.¡± Kai popped open the locket and pulled out a small folded piece of paper.


    Written on the paper was ¡°32.3078, 64.7505. We love you, son.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what it meant. I still don¡¯t. The first time I read it I put the paper back in the locket, then trimmed the chain, and welded it shut, so it¡¯d never come off. I tried to figure it out, but my dataset was too small to make any assumptions.


    ¡°My plan was to head to Journey to try to get access to their libraries to look it up, but now, things are different. I have other pairs. There¡¯s so much I can do! It probably won¡¯t get me an answer. I¡¯ll still need to do proper research, but these extra pairs will at least give me direction. Thank you Halvor, seriously.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I could help, but be careful. Whatever this is might be tied to the lab,¡± Halvor said. ¡°If it is, and they find you peering into their business¡ª¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll kill me?¡± Kai asked; his voice oozed overconfidence.


    ¡°Worse, they¡¯ll think you¡¯re interesting. Find you fascinating. And then they¡¯ll never let you go.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    Halvor breathed a sigh of relief; he knew Kai was likely saying it just to put him at ease, but he needed to buy into the lie¡ªat least for tonight¡ªso he could sleep.


    ¡°So, we''re done?¡± Riven yawned.


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait for tomorrow to see what Cally says, and then go from there,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Is it time for bed?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°I believe so,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Cool, so can everyone get out of my room, now?¡± Ace asked.


    <hr>


    Knock. Knock.


    ¡°Can I come in?¡± Galina asked.


    Halvor tossed off his blanket and rolled over to face the door. ¡°Sure.¡±


    As Galina entered the room, Halvor moved himself to the edge of the bed and shifted from lying down to sitting.


    ¡°Move your leg, I¡¯m gonna sit too,¡± Galina said.


    Halvor scooched over to make room for Galina. She sat down beside him, resting her staff on the bed frame.


    ¡°I had a feeling you wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep tonight, and this was my only moment to catch you alone,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°The thing is, I lied to the group. I didn¡¯t tell them everything I saw between you and Vivyan. I heard what you said, about your mother. The lab, they have her don¡¯t they?¡±


    Halvor¡¯s silence confirmed Galina¡¯s suspicion.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell them?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°I think they¡¯re nicer people than they let on,¡± Halvor said. ¡°If they knew they¡¯d try to help. Obviously, I don¡¯t think they¡¯d try to fight the lab and risk their lives.¡±


    ¡°Well, Cili might.¡±


    ¡°Eh, I¡¯d rather she not. Like I was saying, none of them were going to take up some huge fight on my behalf. I know that. But, they might try to help in whatever way they can, so long as it doesn¡¯t inconvenience them.¡±


    ¡°Like looking into, doing some research, asking around, that kind of stuff?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much. Things that don¡¯t seem like much trouble. They¡¯d think they were staying far away from any trouble. They¡¯d be wrong.


    ¡°The lab¡¯s reach is a lot larger than even I can imagine. The fact that we took part in their experiment today already means they have an eye on us. If any of us took another step forward, we¡¯d be in the palm of the lab¡¯s hand. At that point all the lab would need to do is form a fist, and crush us like an ant.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, your secret is safe with me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Though I don¡¯t like this uneven power dynamic, so I¡¯ll tell you one of my secrets.¡±


    Halvor looked at Galina surprised. ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°But I want to,¡± Galina insisted. ¡°See this staff, it actually doesn¡¯t help my abilities at all. It¡¯s meant to hinder them. My mind is ¡­ special. I¡¯m not sure how or why, just that it is. I¡¯m naturally gifted with telepathic and telekinetic skills. Too gifted.


    ¡°For me, it¡¯s like everyone¡¯s head is a room that has music playing in it. This staff shuts the door on those rooms. I don¡¯t need to hold it, just be in its proximity. Without it, I would end up reading the minds of everyone around me. Their thoughts would pour into my ears, and I¡¯d be powerless to stop them.


    ¡°Oh, but don¡¯t worry. It only dampens my skills. You and everyone else will be fine.¡±


    ¡°That must be hard to deal with,¡± Halvor said. ¡°I only wish I could offer more than my sympathy and support.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fine. Well, now that we¡¯re even I suppose I¡¯m done here. Cili, you can come in now.¡±


    ¡°How did you know I was there?¡± Cili asked, creeping into the room.


    ¡°You were peeking too much. It¡¯s not good to try to listen in on private conversations,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to listen. I didn¡¯t hear anything. I promise! I was just waiting for you to be done.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I believe you,¡± Halvor said. ¡°So, what brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I made these.¡± Cili presented Halvor and Galina with two finely crafted bracelets made of feathers pulled from the raevens they had fought earlier today. ¡°In my tribe, everyone who participates in a hunt takes a trinket from the creature that was slain.¡±


    Halvor and Galina both put on the bracelets immediately.


    ¡°I used three for yours since I knew your wrist would be bigger,¡± Cili said to Halvor.


    Halvor glanced at the bracelet. ¡°It fits great. Thank you, Cili.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Cili,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome! Okay, I gotta go work on the rest. Bye!¡± Cili rushed out of the room.


    ¡°I should get going as well,¡± Galina said, standing from the bed, and grabbing her staff. ¡°Goodnight Halvor.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    Once Galina left the room, Halvor laid back down on his bed and shut his eyes. Just for tonight, the weight of his memories lifted, and the haunting echoes of his troubled past fell silent.

 Chapter 12: The Three Cs of Skills

    ¡°Alright, this should be far enough.¡± Ace pushed through a thicket of trees in the forest that surrounded Wickerbound, just outside the sphere of darkness that engulfed the town, into an open grassy field. ¡°Thanks for coming out here.¡±


    ¡°Can you just cut to the chase,¡± Draxl said, stepping into the clearing.


    ¡°Ok, um, can you teach me about skills?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°You mentioned something, back in the sewers at Kaimen, about a feeling of intense helplessness. Does this have anything to do with that?¡±


    ¡°You got me. Congratulations. I just ¡­ can''t imagine myself being useful right now. To anybody. Especially you guys. I don¡¯t like that, so I¡¯m trying to change it, but I don¡¯t have any idea where to start.¡±


    ¡°You done?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Yes, Draxl, I¡¯m done,¡± Ace said, sitting down.


    ¡°Good.¡± Draxl threw his cloak on the ground. ¡°Now listen up, because I¡¯m only gonna explain this once.


    ¡°In general, everything a living creature does drains them in some way. For instance, running drains you physically, while solving a puzzle drains you mentally. However, being drained in one way, also drains you in the other, albeit not to the same extreme. If I asked you to solve a puzzle after you ran till you were out of breath you¡¯d take a lot longer than if you were sitting in your room all day.


    ¡°Skills are no exception, but rather than draining you mentally or physically, they pull from elsewhere. Commonly the body is understood to be split into three parts, mind, body, and soul. Being drained mentally taxes your mind, being drained physically taxes your body, and using skills taxes your soul. The soul I¡¯m referring to is likely the same as the spirits you¡¯re able to talk to.


    ¡°There are various terms used to denote the strength of one¡¯s soul, and depending on where you are in the world you¡¯ll hear different ones: mana, qi, chakra. The universal term is essence.


    ¡°Similarly, you¡¯ll sometimes hear skills referred to by different names. Typically these are subsections of skills. Terms such as magic refer to a subcategory of skills. Inside of those there are even more subcategories like fire magic and wind magic. Inside of those there are even more subcategories and so on.


    ¡°Some people have a natural affinity for certain types of skills. As a result they¡¯re more likely to awaken those skills of that type, and develop them faster. This affinity can come from a lot of places: bloodline, curses, boons, and a ton more. Cili¡¯s a good example. Her being part pink dragon gives her an innate affinity for fire and wind magic.


    ¡°The quantity of one¡¯s essence is determined much the same as the strength of a muscle is. Some people are born gifted with a huge pool of essence and experience rapid growth. Others are born with very little and develop slowly.¡±


    ¡°If all you needed to do to increase your essence was use skills like training a muscle then why wouldn¡¯t people just go out and use a single skill until they¡¯re essence was depleted, wait for it to charge back up, then rinse and repeat?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a terrible idea, but that won¡¯t get you very far,¡± Draxl said. ¡°Although I compared essence to a muscle, that''s in terms of talent at birth. The way the two improve is nothing alike. A muscle grows bit by bit over time through diligent hard work. Essence growth, on the other hand, is explosive and exponential, since it almost always coincides with awakening new skills.


    ¡°Are you familiar with the term hysterical strength? When ordinary people are placed into extraordinary circumstances they are able to perform superhuman feats. A person awakens to skills much in the same way they experience hysterical strength. Whenever we use a skill we conjure up an image of what we¡¯d like to do at that moment. However, the skill can¡¯t always match exactly what we want to do, so we use chants and crosses to modify its functionality at the moment. This gives an approximation that¡¯s close enough to what we envisioned, but never exactly accurate.


    ¡°However, when pushed to your limit, if you¡¯re lucky, and ready, your soul will awaken to a new skill that isn¡¯t an approximation of your imagination, but identical to what you envisioned.


    ¡°The only thing is, skill awakenings only happen when somebody is pushed to their breaking point. So while training could push somebody in the right direction, ultimately there¡¯s no guaranteed way of learning a new skill. That is unless you count artifacts with an innate skill, but that¡¯s a gray area. I guess becoming an avatar would also work, though that¡¯s not really up to you.


    ¡°It''s for this reason that adventurers are oftentimes far superior to soldiers in combat. Whereas soldiers train and study, adventurers chuck themselves into dangerous scenarios all the time, so they¡¯re constantly primed to awaken to new skills.¡±


    ¡°So what, I should just throw myself at whatever danger I see?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°That goes far beyond recklessness straight into the realm of insanity.¡±


    ¡°Then how do I improve my essence and get new skills?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, it''s not something you can really control,¡± Draxl said. ¡°If you go into a situation searching for that one-in-a-million moment where mind, body, and soul are all forced to work together, you¡¯ll never find it. The truth is you can¡¯t really be proactive when it comes to improving your essence or awakening skills. It¡¯s more about how you react when that type of situation arises.¡±


    ¡°How will I know when I¡¯m in that type of situation?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know,¡± Draxl assured Ace. ¡±I mean you¡¯ve done it once before.¡±


    ¡°I have?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°When you got your first skill. In that moment, you became aware of your own essence, and a way in which to shape it.¡±


    Ace was confused. Perhaps it was because he was busy dying at the time, but he didn¡¯t remember any sort of special feeling when he first unlocked [Pact]. The best guess he had was that it was because he was granted the skill by the Devil rather than awakening it himself.


    ¡°Okay, so improving my essence is a no-go. I¡¯m assuming you aren¡¯t just telling me there¡¯s nothing I can do, so what else is there?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Well, while training to improve your essence may not be very useful, training does have its merits, particularly concerning skill usage,¡± Draxl explained. ¡°The basics of using skills can be broken up into something called the 3 Cs of skills: casting, chanting, and crossing.¡±


    ¡°Wait hold up, before that, how do skills even work?¡± Ace asked. ¡°Like I know I¡¯ve used them, but I kinda just knew how mine worked the moment I awakened them.¡±


    ¡°That''s what you think, but you¡¯re actually wrong. You¡¯re assuming that how the skill functioned was set in stone, and that knowledge was somehow imparted upon you the moment you received the skill. However, what you¡¯ll find is that for all skills it''s the other way around. How you imagine the skill working determines its functionality.¡±


    ¡°So why can¡¯t I imagine one skill to just be anything I want?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Again, you¡¯re forcing it. Subconsciously you¡¯d know you were forcing that interpretation, so it wouldn¡¯t work. However, a genuine shift in perspective could completely transform a skill.


    ¡°Essence is inherently formless, thus we can¡¯t do anything with it. Skills are what shape our essence into something usable. Now let me ask you a question. Why when a skill is used is it spoken out loud? Wouldn¡¯t it be far more beneficial to simply remain quiet?¡±


    Ace cocked his head and stared up at the sky as he delved deep into thought. As he pondered Draxl¡¯s question Ace found himself muttering his thought process under his breath. He quickly realized he was muttering, and stopped; then a flash of realization came across his face.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°It''s to reinforce the imagination,¡± Ace answered. ¡°The same way you mutter under your breath while thinking to reinforce your thoughts. By speaking the skill¡¯s name aloud you reinforce your imagination. You said yourself that a skill¡¯s functionality correlates to your imagination of how it works. By strengthening your imagination of the skill, you strengthen the skill itself.¡±


    ¡°Half-right,¡± Draxl said. ¡°I guess more accurately you got full marks, but missed out on the extra credit. The other benefit has to do with the 3 Cs I mentioned earlier: casting, chanting, and crossing. You¡¯ve seen me and some of the others add lines before saying our skills or even say two back-to-back. By speaking these aloud it helps to distinguish between the various uses or perspectives we have on a singular skill.¡±


    ¡°YES! I¡¯ve seen you guys doing this shit, and I have no idea what the fuck is going on!¡± Ace exclaimed. ¡°When you say a line, then pause, and say another line, pause, and then say the skill. Or you say two skills and then ¡®cross¡¯ in between them. What is that?!¡±


    ¡°The 3 Cs, casting, chanting, and crossing, denote the three ways in which you can speak aloud a skill to shift your perspective on it, thus changing how you imagine the skill to function and therefore, its actual effect,¡± Draxl explained.


    ¡°The first C, casting, refers to speaking aloud the name of the skill itself. A quick cast refers to when you use a skill in isolation, simply calling out the skill¡¯s name and nothing more. This doesn¡¯t consume much essence but prevents you from changing the skill. Moreover, since it uses less essence it lacks power but makes up for it with speed.


    ¡°The second C, chanting, refers to adding lines before announcing the skill. The more lines a chant has, the more essence it consumes, and the harder it is to pull off. Notably, although you may have the necessary essence to perform a chant, a lack of proficiency with a skill could prevent you from doing so. The same goes for crossing. For reference, an average person¡¯s strength caps out at around a 3 line chant.


    ¡°Chanting provides the most freedom when modifying a skill, but at the cost of taking a long time to complete one, especially if it''s more than 1 line. Do you know the skill [Flash Step]?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I, or I guess Kegan used it, though it was just a quick cast,¡± Ace said. ¡°It emits a bright flash of light and teleports you.¡±


    ¡°Right. That also goes to show how Kegan was extremely proficient with the skill and likely had a humongous amount of essence, given that a quick cast was so effective. I also have that skill though mine is much weaker than Kegan¡¯s.


    ¡°A simple way to augment the skill [Flash Step] would be to add the one-line chant ¡®shine bright.¡¯ This simple one-line chant would cause the flash of light to be bright enough to disorient my opponent, whereas without it, the light likely wouldn¡¯t have bothered them, and only be used to obscure myself.¡±


    ¡°Out of curiosity, you mentioned that the average person tops out a 3 line chant, so I was wondering how many you can do?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Depends on the skill,¡± Draxl said. ¡°The skills I¡¯m most proficient with I could probably manage 3 lines, though it wouldn¡¯t be something I could pull off several times in a row.¡±


    ¡°Damn, so you¡¯re already at the average person¡¯s peak.¡±


    ¡°My most impressive feat was a 3-line chant and a 2-skill cross, but that technically doesn''t count.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you can chant and cross at the same time?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Why not? We¡¯ll go into that another time since you probably won¡¯t have to worry about it for a while,¡± Draxl said. ¡°For now, let¡¯s get back to the basics.


    ¡°The third C, crossing, is the most complex of the three. It involves combining multiple skills to get a new result. It carries the highest risk, but also the highest reward of the three. Because it involves multiple skills it consumes the most essence, which also means it provides the greatest boost in potency. Notably, unlike a quick cast which provides consistency, and a chant which gives you fine control, crossing is more limited.


    ¡°However, there are some tricks that can be used to expand your options. Let''s focus on crossing two skills since crossing three skills is a level even beyond a three-line chant, so you won¡¯t have to worry about that for a long time. The order in which the skills are spoken can change how you interpret the result. In general, the first skill serves as the basis and the second one serves to enhance it.


    ¡°With this in mind, let me give you an example. You¡¯ve seen me use [Accelerate] X [Second Wind] before to jump the gap to the mayor¡¯s house back in Kaimen. The first boosts my speed, while the second is typically used for recovery, mainly healing. In this case, the speed was augmented with the recovery allowing for a mid-air recovery in the form of a second jump. Now, what would [Second Wind] X [Accelerate] result in?¡±


    ¡°Well, in that case, the recovery would be augmented with speed, so it would heal your wounds faster,¡± Ace answered.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Draxl said. ¡°Now, follow up question, what would [Flash Step] X [Accelerate] result in?¡±


    ¡°Uh ¡­ um ¡­, you would teleport, but faster?¡±


    ¡°Now you understand the limitation of crossing,¡± Draxl said. ¡°Sometimes you can¡¯t imagine what a cross between skills would look like. There are some cases in which the two skills are so compatible, and they work together so well that neither is augmenting the other, but each contributes 50-50 to the effect. In this case the order doesn¡¯t matter, though switching it could be a good way to fake out an opponent.¡±


    Before Draxl continued he noticed Ace staring at the ground, muttering to himself again. ¡°You can speak up, you know. It''s just us. I checked.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I realized something interesting about the 3 Cs,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so it seems like there are four general categories that we care about when using a skill: essence usage, speed, power, and versatility,¡± Ace explained. ¡°Now if you rank each of the 3 Cs, with casting assuming the role of quick casting, and award points, with 1st place being 3 points, 2nd 2 points, and 3rd 1 point, you get an interesting result.


    ¡°Quick casting uses the least essence and is the fastest of the 3, but lacks power and versatility. So 1st in essence usage, 1st in speed, 3rd in power, and 3rd in versatility for a total of 8 points.


    ¡°Chanting is in the middle with essence usage, and power, but is dead last in speed. However, being able to use whatever words you want to augment your skill easily makes it the most versatile. So 2nd in essence usage, 3rd in speed, 2nd in power, and 1st in versatility for a total of 8 points.


    ¡°Crossing expends the most essence but in exchange provides the greatest power of the three, with its versatility and speed sitting in the middle. So 3rd in essence usage, 2nd in speed, 1st in power, and 2nd in versatility for a total of 8 points.


    ¡°Each one has a sum of 8 points. There¡¯s no clear best option, so at every point in time you have to question which is the best to use while keeping your imagination vivid.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot, but you get used to it,¡± Draxl assured Ace. ¡°Besides that¡¯s where training comes in. Experimenting with different chants, and crosses. Finding where your limit is to figure out how far you can afford to push yourself. Sure, training won¡¯t improve your essence, but it will improve your skill usage.


    ¡°Also, my biggest tip is that imagining a skill is a lot like breathing. It¡¯s easy if you don''t think about it, but once you do, you can freeze up. Save the focus on imagination for training. In a fight, rely on instinct and go with the flow.¡±


    ¡°So training isn¡¯t about expanding your toolbox, but instead learning how to use the tools you have in the most efficient way possible,¡± Ace said. ¡±When the time comes, focus on what to do, not how to do it.¡±


    ¡°Looks like you finally got it, and just in time too.¡± Draxl glanced up to see the sun slowly rising overhead.


    ¡°We should probably head back,¡± Ace said. ¡°Everyone¡¯s gonna be awake soon, and it''s best if we all meet Cally together, as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Draxl said, retrieving his cloak. ¡°Out of curiosity, why¡¯d you ask me to teach you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d figured you would give it to me straight,¡± Ace said. ¡°If I was hopeless you¡¯d tell me that plain and simple. Galina, Halvor, and Cili I felt would try to sugar coat it. Also, I felt that you could dumb things down so that I could understand. Riven and Kai seem like straight shooters, but I think a lot of what they say might go over my head. All that, and the fact that you mentioned sleeping 4 hours on our way here so I figured you wouldn¡¯t mind if I woke you up while you were asleep.¡±


    ¡°To be fair we were all awake, because of Cili coming into our rooms to hand out those bracelets.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit! I left mine in my room. Ah, whatever, I¡¯ll pick it up when we get back. Do you think she stayed up all night making those? I mean she came into my room super late.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Draxl said. ¡°She''s got a good heart for sure.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t be that way for long with how much your friend keeps rubbing off on her..¡±


    ¡°Kai is not my friend. We¡¯re acquaintances at best.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Ace said. ¡°I think you¡¯re more friendly than you let on. I mean you took time out of your day just to teach me.¡±


    ¡°It was purely logical. We¡¯re about to be going on a mission that is likely highly dangerous, to obtain my freedom, so ensuring you are as capable as possible, I assure you, is purely out of self-interest.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say. But if you keep helping me out I might have to start calling you my friend too.¡±


    ¡°Shut. The. Fuck. Up.¡±


    Draxl turned to look at Ace. Ace turned to look at Draxl. After just seconds of eye contact, a grin crept up on both their faces, followed by stifled chuckles from Draxl and roaring laughter from Ace.

 Chapter 13: Wishmoore Warnings

    ¡°Trust me.¡± Cili slammed the pouch of gold Kai had lent her onto the black square. ¡°It¡¯s been red four times in a row, it¡¯s gotta be black next.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Kai held an open hand out to Cally, who was operating the roulette wheel. ¡°Cili, that¡¯s not how statistics work.¡±


    ¡°I asked you, what are the chances it''s the same color five times in a row, and you said really low,¡± Cili said.


    Kai sighed, lamenting his past words. ¡°Yes, if you ignore the green squares the odds it''s red five times in a row is one in thirty-two¡ª¡±


    ¡°And now it''s been red four times in a row, so now it''s really unlikely to be red again, which means it''s really likely to be black.¡±


    ¡°That only works if there haven¡¯t already been four reds in a row,¡± Kai said. ¡°It¡¯s equally unlikely that it will be four reds in a row, and then a black.¡±


    ¡°Now that just doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Oh my fucking god.¡± Kai plunged his face into his hands. ¡°Riven, you know what I¡¯m talking about; please help me.¡±


    ¡°Sorry man, not my money, not my problem,¡± Riven said from across the empty establishment, taking a sip of her cocktail.


    ¡°How many of those are you gonna have by the way?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°This is number seven, so I¡¯ll probably tap out here.¡±.


    ¡°How are you not wasted?¡± Kai asked, to which Riven simply shrugged.


    ¡°Alright dealer, spin the wheel!¡± Cili shouted.


    ¡°20 gold on black,¡± Cally said, as she spun the wheel.


    As the ball rattled around the roulette wheel, Kai clasped his hands together, brought them to his forehead, shut his eyes, and whispered under his breath. ¡°I know I¡¯ve never been a man of faith, but god or gods, please I need your help here.¡±


    The frequency of the rattling slowed as the wheel began to turn slower and slower, till after what felt like an eternity, it came to a stop.


    ¡°Number 13!¡± Cally exclaimed. ¡°Congratulations!¡± Cally pulled out her black leather coin purse and handed Cili 20 gold. ¡°Since this isn''t official, it''s best I pay you out from my own personal funds.¡±


    Kai¡¯s sigh of relief was interrupted as the moment the gold touched Cili¡¯s hand, she slammed it back down onto the black square. ¡°Do it again!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! Can¡¯t stop when you¡¯re on a hot streak,¡± Cally exclaimed, grabbing the wheel.


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± Kai stopped Cally before she could spin the wheel again. ¡°You promised to pay me back later, and later is now, so I¡¯ll be taking this.¡± Kai plucked his pouch of gold from the table. ¡°Now be my guest, and spin away.¡±


    Cili grinned at Kai as he walked. ¡°Your loss.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°It¡¯s just not fair!¡± Cili whaled, flailing her arms in the air with exaggerated anger. ¡°You can just lose ALL your money in one go.¡±


    ¡°That is generally how gambling works,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Shut up Draxl!¡± Cili snapped back. ¡°No one asked you.¡±


    ¡°Well we learned a very valuable lesson about statistics and why we shouldn¡¯t gamble,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°I guess,¡± Cili mumbled, burying her head into the bar.


    ¡°How much did you lose?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°240 gold.¡±


    ¡°You made 240 gold, from 20 gold, and made the conscious decision to keep going?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°To be fair, at a certain point I think it just became unconscious,¡± Kai said. ¡°The moment you got paid out, you¡¯d slam the gold on the table, and Cally spun the wheel before you could scrounge up all the pieces that went flying.¡±


    ¡°I was on a roll! But now it''s all gone.¡±


    ¡°I mean you could earn it all back and more,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any gold left.¡±


    ¡°I could lend you some.¡± Riven jingled a small gold pouch. ¡°All you have to do is promise to pay me back.¡±


    Smack!


    ¡°Ow!¡± Riven exclaimed. ¡°What the fuck Ace?! You can''t hit a girl.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to have you pushing Cili into developing a gambling addiction or let you put her in debt.¡±


    ¡°But Kai did it,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Kai did it because he¡¯s dumb as fuck and couldn¡¯t foresee the consequences of his own actions,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m wrong?¡± Draxl asked.


    A prolonged silence preluded Kai¡¯s answer. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You, on the other hand, know exactly what you¡¯re doing,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Why would I do this, other than out of the goodness of my heart?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°Because you think it¡¯d be funny,¡± Ace said instantly.


    ¡°Wow Riven, were you really going to extort me like some sort of loan shark?¡± Cili asked, looking at Riven with innocent eyes.


    ¡°I would never¡ª¡± Riven¡¯s tone switched from sarcastic to serious. ¡°Wait, how do you know what a loan shark is?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°My goodness, we leave for two seconds, and you¡¯re already at each other''s throats.¡± Galina approached the group with a bright smile. As she made her way behind the bar, she rested her staff on the counter and poured herself a glass of water.


    ¡°Closer to six hours than two seconds,¡± Ace said. ¡°I counted.¡±


    ¡°Would¡¯ve been less if you¡¯d helped,¡± Halvor said, as he sat down at the end of the bar. ¡°Would you mind getting me a glass of water while you¡¯re back there?¡±


    ¡°Compared to a literal hunk of stone, and a telekinetic, I¡¯m not sure any of us would¡¯ve helped much with clearing rubble and debris,¡± Riven said.


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    ¡°Every little bit helps,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Says the person who didn¡¯t help,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°We¡¯ve still got chains on our necks,¡± Ace reminded Draxl. ¡°You gotta help yourself before you help others.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t have said it better myself,¡± Cally said, as she placed both her hands on his shoulders. ¡°But do you know what¡¯s even better? Helping yourself and others at the same time.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you''re the other in this case?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Cally answered with a smile. Galina walked out from behind the bar, grabbed her staff, and sat down next to the rest of the group. Cally quickly took her place behind the bar.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be doing this someplace private, like an office?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Eh, something tells me it''s going to be a slow day,¡± Cally said. ¡°Folks typically don¡¯t gamble after their homes have been destroyed. We might get some visitors later in the day looking for a place to stay, but for now, nobody should bother us. Besides, you might wanna drink after you hear what I have to say.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t wait,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Good news, you won¡¯t have to! First, let¡¯s talk about how exactly you¡¯re going to get those chains off your neck. Tell me, have any of you heard of the philosopher¡¯s stone?¡±


    ¡°The ultimate goal of alchemy, right?¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s alchemy?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a type of magic, a subcategory of transmutation. Like all transmutation magic, it''s focused on taking one thing and turning it into another.¡± Riven explained.


    Cili leaned toward Riven, putting her face inches away from Riven¡¯s. ¡°So you can just turn anything into anything?!¡± Cili exclaimed excitedly with a twinkle in her eyes.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Riven said. ¡°There¡¯s a whole bunch of laws of alchemy that dictate what you can and can¡¯t do.¡±


    Cili slumped back into her chair. ¡°And you¡¯ve lost me.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just ignore the laws if you have a philosopher¡¯s stone?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Very good!¡± Cally said.


    ¡°Since when did you understand alchemy?¡± Riven asked


    ¡°I read,¡± Ace said. ¡°But isn¡¯t the philosopher¡¯s stone just a myth?¡±


    ¡°On the contrary.¡± Cally reached into her pocket and pulled out a brilliant blood-red gemstone. She carefully set it on the counter; the way the light reflected off the gem made it seem as if it was floating atop a pool of blood. Everyone leaned in closer and looked over each other¡¯s shoulders to get a better view of the gem.


    ¡°You know that¡¯s just a ruby,¡± Halvor said. He and Draxl were the only two who didn¡¯t display any interest in the gem.


    Cally swiped the gem off the counter. ¡°Guess you can''t fool a golem when it comes to minerals. Don¡¯t worry I wasn¡¯t trying to trick any of you. Just trying to have a little fun. However, philosopher¡¯s stones do exist.¡±


    ¡°Your proof?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Oh I don¡¯t have any. If that¡¯s a problem then please, feel free to leave.¡±


    Draxl remained silent.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s say philosopher¡¯s stones do exist. How are they gonna help us?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°I think I get where she''s going,¡± Riven said. ¡°Normally you can¡¯t perform alchemy on living things. But with a philosopher¡¯s stone, you can ignore that rule.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting using alchemy to turn the chains on our necks into normal skin?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°That ¡­ can¡¯t possibly work that way. Can it?¡± Kai said.


    ¡°If you¡¯re lucky, you might just find out,¡± Cally said. ¡°Now, I¡¯m assuming you¡¯ve all been outside Chapter 6 before.¡±


    Everyone nodded in affirmation.


    ¡°Good. You¡¯ll be heading for Chapter 7. Do any of you know where Wishmoore is?¡± Cally asked.


    Draxl raised his hand. ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Perfect! Your target¡ª¡±


    ¡°Our target?¡± Galina asked. ¡°You make it sound like we¡¯re hunting a person.¡±


    ¡°Because you are,¡± Cally responded bluntly. ¡°His name is Elric Feu. He¡¯s an elven hybrid, but more importantly, he¡¯s also an avatar. I¡¯ve no clue who his patron is, but it''s because of them that Elric is the only living person capable of creating a philosopher¡¯s stone.¡±


    ¡°How are we supposed to kidnap an avatar? Aren¡¯t they like super powerful?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°Just to be clear, your issue isn¡¯t that we might need to kidnap a, as far as we know, innocent person, but rather the difficulty in doing so?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    ¡°Worrying.¡±


    ¡°Nobody is kidnapping anybody,¡± Cally said. ¡°In fact, you¡¯re doing the opposite. That idiot Elric got himself captured. To your earlier point, being an avatar gives you unique skills, but that¡¯s all. They aren¡¯t cheating, they were just dealt a good hand; which means they can still lose.


    ¡°In Elric¡¯s case, he lost big. It¡¯s not surprising. His skills weren¡¯t suited for combat. By the time I found out, any trace of where he had been taken was long gone. Maybe there wasn¡¯t any trace, to begin with.¡±


    ¡°Any idea who captured him?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Ended up calling in a favor last night from a diviner friend over in Chapter 3 to find him. Because it was short notice Zion charged me extra, but yes, I do. They¡¯re a band of thieves based in Journey, though they have hideouts all over Fable. They call themselves The Free Few.¡±


    The briefest flicker of recognition flashed across Draxl''s face as his eyes widened. ¡°Not possible.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and why is that?¡± Cally asked


    ¡°The Free Few disbanded,¡± Draxl said. ¡°Besides, they don¡¯t kidnap people against their will.¡±


    ¡°Against their will?¡± Riven asked. ¡°Is it kidnapping if the one being kidnapped is willing?¡±


    ¡°Could be a different leader,¡± Ace said, completely ignoring Riven. ¡°It¡¯s like what Cili said about the raevens. What if they disbanded then someone else brought them back together?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Well whoever took Elric, what I¡¯m sure of is that last night, he was in Wishmoore, but there¡¯s no guarantee he¡¯s going to stay there,¡± Cally said.


    ¡°So when are we leaving?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°Today. I took the liberty of stockpiling your wagon with supplies for the trip.¡±


    ¡°Hang on a second, do we know where in Wishmoore this guy is, or just that he¡¯s somewhere there?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately, due to the sudden nature of my request I was only able to get his approximate location.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a map of the city?¡± Ace asked.


    Cally pulled the rolled-up map she placed underneath the bar last night and handed it to Ace. ¡°There you are.¡±


    Ace rolled the map out on the bar counter; everyone leaned in to get a better look. ¡°Okay, before we go, let¡¯s figure out where in Wishmoore we¡¯re going. We¡¯re going to need as much information as possible. Does anyone have any idea where to start?¡±


    ¡°Wishful Wanderers is a guild hall,¡± Riven said. ¡°Anything supernatural in the area probably finds its way there eventually.¡±


    ¡°I think that Siren¡¯s Song place might be a pirate bar,¡± Kai said. ¡°Pirates have seen a lot, and love telling stories.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got Siren¡¯s Song and Wishful Wanderers. There¡¯s an odd number of us, so how are we gonna split this?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Draxl said. ¡°I¡¯m going to do my own thing. Just pick a place to meet up at the end of the day.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the guild hall. They¡¯ll probably have rooms we can use, so we can stay there too,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer to go to Siren¡¯s Song,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Okay, if Draxl¡¯s just going to do whatever, then what if we split up into boys and girls?¡± Halvor suggested. ¡°So Riven, Galina, and Cili go to the guild hall, and Kai, Ace, and I go to Siren¡¯s Song.¡±


    ¡°One thing before you go,¡± Cally interjected. ¡°The Armistice Order doesn¡¯t have a presence in Wishmoore, but rumors are they¡¯re looking to establish one. Be on the lookout for a representative. Even if they aren¡¯t part of the Chained Maiden¡¯s sect they¡¯ll know what those chains mean. Not all sects support the marking idea, but better safe than sorry.¡±


    ¡°Stay covered up, got it,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Now then, is there anything else you need?¡± Cally asked.


    ¡°Any chance you got any other artifacts? Like that cool sword Ace used yesterday?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m quite the collector in fact.¡±


    ¡°Can we have them?!¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Halvor put a hand on Cili¡¯s back. ¡°It was worth a shot.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then Hangmen, I wish you the best of luck,¡± Cally said.


    ¡°We all met hanging from a tree,¡± Ace said. ¡°Doubt our luck could get any worse.¡±

 Chapter 13.5: Hero

    ¡°Welcome to Wishful Wanderers, your local guild hall.¡± The clerk¡¯s quiet, and muffled voice still carried through the room as there were no other sounds to drown it out. The clerk¡¯s eyelids were too heavy to open. His head was buried in his arms as he leaned against his desk.


    ¡°What can I help you wi¡ª¡± As the clerk pulled his head up, and forced his eyes open, he was shocked by the figure that stood in front of him. The man was tall¡ªthough the clerk knew anyone was tall to a dwarf like himself.


    The man was clad in an alien armor unlike anything the clerk had ever seen before. It looked like the armor had weathered all of time, and every bit of damage it endured¡ªrust, moss, cracks¡ªwas infused into it. The surface of the armor was a ruddy red, cracked, and rough, a texture reminiscent of slag or rust. Portions of it were green and bumpy, though still strong and rigid as if a metal moss had infected the armor. Cracks littered the armor; the most notable of which was a singular crack on the helmet that ran from the nape to the Adam''s apple.


    The only other thing visible on the man was a simple, leather satchel slung around his shoulder that rested at his waist.


    ¡°That¡¯s some armor you got there,¡± the clerk said.


    ¡°Are you Simon?¡± the man asked. The voice sounded nothing like the clerk expected; it was deep, yet calming.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°I heard about your daughter.¡±


    ¡°People don¡¯t know when to shut up,¡± Simon groaned. ¡°I don¡¯t care for scammers like you. And even if you could fix her, I don''t have the coin to pay. Just piss off, and leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for gold. Would you just let me take a look at her?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Suppose a look wouldn¡¯t hurt,¡± Simon said with a heavy sigh. ¡°If that¡¯s what it¡¯ll take to get you to leave. Follow me.¡±


    Simon grabbed a ring of keys from the counter and guided the man up the stairs to the second floor of the guild hall, where the rooms were. The floor itself was a series of hallways with doors along the side leading into the rental rooms. The two arrived at a set of double doors at the end of the hall.


    Despite the keys being identical¡ªaside from the numbers on them¡ªSimon didn¡¯t need to look when opening the door. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this alright. I keep telling people this room¡¯s already been rented out. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d understand if I was using it for my daughter, but I don¡¯t care for their pity.¡±


    The man gestured to a bed in the corner of the room situated next to a window. ¡°Is that her?¡±


    Laying on the bed, still as a corpse, was a young girl, illuminated by the moonlight, with pale skin, and long black hair. Both the men slowly approached the bed.


    ¡°Hey there Cass,¡± Simon whispered softly.


    ¡°Would you mind leaving me in here with her?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Do whatever you want,¡± Simon said half-heartedly, exiting the room, and shutting the door behind him. ¡°Not like she can get any worse.¡±


    Once they were alone, the man took a knee next to the bed. He gently placed one hand under the girl¡¯s hand, and the other on top. ¡°A life well lived and a life wasted, all possibilities, out of an infinity, that with time, converge into a singular reality, [Foresight].¡±


    Thud!


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Simon rushed into the room. ¡°Cass!¡± he shouted as he swung open the door. Glancing around the room Simon noticed that his daughter was fine, but the armored man had collapsed to the floor. Simon quickly rushed to the man¡¯s side.


    ¡°Are you alright? What happened.¡± Simon asked.


    ¡°I needed to be sure, she wouldn¡¯t¡ª¡± The man¡¯s labored breathing exploded into coughing. Stream of red seeped through the cracks in his helmet.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡± Simon asked.


    ¡°My bag,¡± the man said weakly. ¡°There¡¯s a potion in there. Pink liquid, ornate glass, winged neck.¡±


    Simon hurriedly popped open the satchel and rummaged around inside. ¡°I can¡¯t feel anything!¡± Simon said, panicked. He¡¯d somehow plunged his arm, all the way up to his shoulder, in a satchel that was no deeper than a few inches. However, he felt nothing.


    ¡°You have to imagine it,¡± the man said. Another cough exploded from his suit, staining the bed sheets red, as blood spurted from his helmet.


    Simon did as the man instructed imagining a potion exactly as he described. In the void, he felt his fingers brush across something. Simon ripped his arm out of the satchel; grasped tightly in his hand was a potion containing a pink liquid trapped inside an ornate glass with a winged neck.


    ¡°Take off your helmet,¡± Simon said.


    ¡°No. t¡¯s not for me. It¡¯s for her.¡±


    ¡°But what about¡ª¡±


    The man gripped the side of the bed, and painfully pulled himself to his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll live.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Simon asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± the man said. ¡°Now give it to her.¡±


    Simon climbed onto the bed. He gently propped his daughter¡¯s head up against the bed frame, and slowly poured the potion down her throat.


    ¡°Dad?¡± The voice was so quiet that if Simon hadn¡¯t been holding his breath, the sound of his own breathing might have drowned it out. Simon¡¯s hands shook like an earthquake as they slowly approached his daughter.


    Cassandra¡¯s eyes slowly opened for the first time in over a year. The first thing she saw was her dad weeping over her, embracing her as tightly as he could.


    ¡°That damned curse, it¡¯s gone. It¡¯s gone, It¡¯s gone,¡± Simon repeated to himself over and over.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Cassandra asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Simon said. ¡°Not anymore. Everything is okay now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a little sleepy,¡± Cassandra said.


    ¡°Well, it is late. How about you go back to bed for now,¡± Simon said.


    ¡°Okay Dad. Love you.¡±


    ¡°Love you too.¡±


    Simon turned to the armored man who was standing at the door to give Simon and Cassandra a moment of privacy.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Simon asked.


    ¡°Hero.¡± The man¡¯s voice was melancholy. There wasn¡¯t a hint of pride in his words.


    Simon chuckled slightly. ¡°Fitting name.¡±


    ¡°Some would say that,¡± Hero said. ¡°One thing, the first girl she brings back home, you won¡¯t be a fan of her, but give her a chance. She¡¯s the best for your daughter.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re saying anymore, but alright I¡¯ll take you at your word,¡± Simon said. ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can do, please let me know. I¡¯m indebted to you, eternally.¡±


    Hero reached into his satchel and pulled out a small scrap of paper that had been torn at every single edge. ¡°This is a [Returning Paper]. It¡¯s got a simple infusion on it. Tear it and it returns to me. It¡¯s useful for signaling from long distances. Take it.¡±


    Simon grabbed the paper.


    ¡°There¡¯s someone I¡¯ve been looking for,¡± Hero said. ¡°I have reason to believe he¡¯ll be stopping by here soon. If you ever meet him, I want you to tear a corner of that paper to let me know.¡±


    ¡°Why are you looking for him? If you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡±


    ¡°I visited his village a while back,¡± Hero said. ¡°It seems he¡¯s run away from home. I¡¯m just trying to reunite him with the rest of the villagers.¡±


    ¡°I guess bringing family back together is a hobby of yours. So, what¡¯s the kid¡¯s name?¡± Simon asked


    ¡°Ace. Ace Lustres.¡±

 Chapter 14: Siren鈥檚 Song Swindle

    With a swift kick, Kai exploded open the creaky wooden door to Siren¡¯s Song. ¡°Hello, Siren¡¯s Song!¡±


    The smell of salt, booze, and sweat washed over Ace, Kai, and Halvor. The entirety of Siren¡¯s Song¡¯s interior was scarred. Wood chippings from flung tables lay on the ground; knife carvings were etched into the wall to keep score in games; shattered stool legs had been taped back on. Melted wax from the candles scattered across the bar helped to cover up and keep together the damaged wood. The grumbles of gamblers, cheers of drinking partners, and stories of old men fell silent as everyone¡¯s focus shifted to the door frame.


    Without hesitation, Kai walked into the bar as if it were his own home. ¡°You guys coming?¡±


    Ace and Halvor both hesitantly entered behind Kai. Once the group was inside everyone¡¯s stares quickly faded as the patrons resumed their activities.


    ¡°Okay, so what exactly are we looking for?¡± Ace asked.


    Kai glanced around the bar, taking in his surroundings; he quickly gravitated toward the man running the bar. The man had lightly tanned skin and short black hair. His attire was a standard black and white bartender¡¯s outfit. As the man polished a glass, Kai spotted a tattoo of a crow on the man¡¯s right hand, and two silver crow earrings dangling from his ears.


    ¡°Oh, well that¡¯s convenient,¡± Kai said. ¡°I thought we were gonna have to fight people, but this makes things much easier.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry what?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Now the question is,¡± Kai mumbled to himself, ignoring Halvor. ¡°Ah, there!¡±


    Kai pointed at a table in the far corner of the establishment. Gathered around the table were a variety of figures all in seafaring attire cards and gold scattered across the table, but one figure stood out amongst the crowd. A large muscular man with moss green skin and a set of ivory tusks protruding from the bottom row of teeth¡ªboth features indicative of orcish blood¡ªwearing a large brown captain''s jacket with no undershirt, at least one ring on each finger, and three golden chains around his neck leaned back in his chair. The man¡¯s pile of gold was nearly three times the size of anyone else at the table.


    ¡°That guy, we gotta take him down,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m comfortable with assaulting someone just for winning at a game,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°What? No! I meant like, beat him at gambling, not physically. Though that isn¡¯t a bad backup plan.¡±


    ¡°Looks like only one person is ever playing him at a time,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°They¡¯re probably playing Rebellion,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Rebellion?¡± Halvor inquired.


    ¡°Oh, I played that game growing up,¡± Ace said. ¡°Basically one side plays as the rebels the other plays as the kingdom with each fighting over the crown. Each player gets five cards. Both sides get four soldier cards. The rebel player gets a rebel card. The kingdom player gets a knight card.


    ¡°Each player takes turns playing one card face down, then both players reveal their cards to face off. If the rebel faces off against a soldier he can persuade them, and the rebel player wins. If the rebel faces off against a knight, then the knight¡¯s loyalty is so strong it prevents him from being persuaded and the kingdom player wins. If the knight faces a soldier then the knight recognizes him as an innocent civilian, and refuses to kill them, so the rebel player wins. If they¡¯re both soldiers then the cards are removed and they play another round.¡±


    ¡°Wait, then isn¡¯t the rebel player at a huge advantage?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s why the rebel player has to bet way more than the kingdom player,¡± Kai informed Halvor. ¡°High risk, high reward. Low risk, low reward.¡±


    ¡°Well, in that guy''s case it''s no risk, high reward,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s cheating. Like pretty obviously. Look at him. Who the hell looks at the opponent¡¯s cards instead of at the opponent? The cards are probably marked, just no one can prove it, because they¡¯re super faint.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so if we can¡¯t beat him, then what¡¯s the backup plan?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Well, I might still be able to beat him,¡± Ace said hesitantly. ¡°Hey, Kai you know the etiquette of places like this, right?¡±


    ¡°For the most part.¡±


    ¡°If something goes horribly wrong, can we just run and punch our way out of it?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    ¡°Good, because this might go horribly wrong,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°If you win, hand me the gold at the bar. If you lose, we don¡¯t know each other,¡± Kai said


    ¡°What about me?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Just be on standby in case I need your help,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Maybe you can ask around politely?¡± Kai suggested.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Halvor gazed around the room at the numerous pirates and seafarers engrossed in their activities, who clearly wanted nothing more than to be left alone. ¡°Sure, what¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°And the crown goes to Bernard the Brilliant, once again.¡± The orcish man extended his arms out across the table, scraping his opponent¡¯s pile of gold over to his side.


    ¡°Bernard the Brute is more like it.¡±


    ¡°Did somebody say something?¡± Bernard asked.


    ¡°I did. I was wondering if I could play?¡± The people at the table all looked at Ace hovering over the table.


    Stifled chuckles echoed around the table, but Bernard didn¡¯t laugh.


    ¡°Hold on a minute, why are we laughing? Especially you.¡± Bernard pointed at the man whose gold he had just taken. ¡°You ain¡¯t got nothing left, so shut up. The boy wants to play cards, so let him play. Gold doesn¡¯t change based on who got it.¡±


    Ace took a seat at the table across from Bernard. ¡°Thanks. My name is Draxl.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Bernard.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re playing Rebellion, right?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You got a preference?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the rebels.¡±


    ¡°Hey kid, I wouldn¡¯t if I were you,¡± one of the men gathered around the table whispered to Ace. ¡°Bernard¡¯s been winning every game, even as the kingdom. Might as well just save yourself the gold.¡±


    ¡°Just because you lost doesn''t mean he will,¡± Bernard said. ¡°Alright then here are your cards.¡±


    ¡°Before we start, is there a limit on how much we can bet?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Only limit is what you can pay,¡± Bernard said.


    ¡°And does it all have to be here with me?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Bernard said. ¡°People can be hesitant about bringing large sums to a place like this. So long as you got the coin somewhere you can bet it. I¡¯ll have one of my crew follow you out to go collect any losses. You know, just to be safe.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just a little nervous about walking around with all that gold on me,¡± Ace said with a chuckle. ¡°Glad you understand. So what¡¯s the rate?¡±


    ¡°Rebels bet five times the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°And how much did you got there?¡±


    ¡°100 gold.¡± Bernard smiled, brandishing his tusks.


    ¡°Cool. I¡¯ll bet 500.¡± Ace¡¯s words sparked shock on the observer¡¯s faces. Bernard¡¯s smirk faded. The legs of Bernard¡¯s chair slammed against the ground with a thud as he leaned forward and straightened his back.


    ¡°That ain¡¯t a small sum,¡± Bernard said.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I bet it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, how about we get started?¡±


    ¡°No cheating allowed, yes?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Bernard exclaimed. ¡°That¡¯s a gentleman¡¯s agreement.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like something stronger than a gentleman¡¯s agreement,¡± Ace said. ¡°[Pact].¡±


    After Ace¡¯s conversation with Draxl on the influence of perspective on skills, he began to think more broadly about how [Pact] could work. This doubled as a way for him to test the waters of what was really possible with this skill.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Bernard said. He figured at best the skill would stop him from actively cheating, but the cards were already in play. If Ace claimed Bernard was cheating, even if he knew the cards were marked, the markings themselves were so faint nobody without training could see them.


    [ Pact Formed! ]


    [ Active Pacts: 1/2. ]


    Traditionally in Rebellion, a player would take a couple minutes to decide which card to play¡ªand even more time the more gold was at stake.


    ¡°I¡¯ll play this one.¡± Within 10 seconds of the pact being formed, Ace pushed one of his cards forward face down toward the center of the table.


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Bernard asked.


    ¡°Uh.¡± Ace checked the card again. ¡°Looks good to me. I mean it''s the first round, why take it so seriously.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll just take a little more time,¡± Bernard said. He focused intently on the card Ace had pushed to the center of the table.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be looking at your own cards,¡± Ace said, covering his card with his hand.


    ¡°Take your hand off, so I know you¡¯re not switching it!¡±


    ¡°My bad,¡± Ace said, lifting his hands in the air.


    No matter how hard Bernard looked he couldn¡¯t notice anything on any of the cards. All the markings had somehow vanished. Bernard did his best to hide the panic. Although he was playing the heavily disadvantaged kingdom he still was a very experienced player.


    Without any sense of certainty, Bernard resorted to basic knowledge of statistics and human nature. For starters, Ace had four soldier cards, and only one rebel, meaning he¡¯s more likely to play the soldier. Additionally, Bernard knew that people were naturally risk averse, so Ace wouldn¡¯t try to settle the game in the first round¡ªespecially with so much gold on the line. Instead, he¡¯d try to get into Bernard¡¯s head, then go in for the kill at a later round.


    Bernard placed his hand on a soldier card, ready to slide it forward.


    ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re taking this long then I should get to switch my card,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°That¡¯d be cheating,¡± Bernard said.


    Ace¡¯s request confused Bernard. He withdrew his hand from the soldier card. He pondered as to why Ace would want to switch his card. That¡¯s when he realized something.


    His logic earlier also applies in reverse. Bernard also has four soldiers. That fact coupled with people¡¯s innate risk-averse nature means it isn¡¯t just Ace who is most likely to play a soldier in the first round, it''s Bernard as well. However, Bernard reckoned Ace wasn¡¯t some normal person; what kind of normal person bets 500 gold as calmly as Ace did?


    Bernard figured Ace was willing to take the risk and play the rebel card in the first round. That¡¯s why he asked to change the card. He expected Bernard to play a soldier card instantly since it''s only the first round to try and feel out Ace¡¯s playstyle. However, Ace must have confused Bernard trying to read the markings on his card with Bernard thinking about potentially not playing a soldier, so he got hesitant and wanted to swap the rebel card with a soldier.


    Bernard covered his mouth to hide his smile and clenched his fist to choke back his laughter. Confident in his deduction, Bernard slid forward his card.


    Everyone who had gathered around chanted in unison. ¡°3, 2, 1, flip!¡±


    Bernard slammed his card down on the table. Ace calmly flipped his card over.


    Bernard¡¯s card was the knight. Ace¡¯s card was a soldier.


    [ Pact Fulfilled! ]


    [ Active Pacts: 0/2.]

 Chapter 15: The Coins Cling & The Crow Caws

    ¡°Oho, look at that!¡±


    ¡°The crown finds a new king.¡±


    ¡°What kind of play was that?¡±


    ¡°Settle down. Settle down,¡± Bernard said calmly. ¡°Well done Draxl. I was trying to be clever. Seems it didn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Would¡¯ve been cool if it worked,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Eh, but it didn¡¯t. Congratulations on your win. Do you know what you¡¯ve won?¡±


    ¡°100 gold if I remember correctly.¡±


    A deep, guttural cackle echoed out from Bernard. ¡°Oi, Jarred!¡±


    A short scrawny boy with salt water stained hair and ragged clothes stepped out from the crowd. ¡°Yes captain?¡±


    ¡°Tell the boy what he won.¡±


    ¡°The right to take your gold,¡± Jared answered meekly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Bernard placed one arm on the table, and leaned forward, gesturing to the pile of gold in front of him with the other. ¡°So come on then, try to take it.¡±


    From behind, Bernard felt a cold hand placed on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry sir if my friend did something to upset you.¡±


    Bernard froze. His head slowly swiveled to the right. A massive jagged stone arm slowly lifted off of Bernard¡¯s shoulder and remained hovering just above it.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible to just talk things out?¡± Halvor asked kindly with a warm smile.


    Bernard brushed Halvor¡¯s arm away. ¡°He didn¡¯t do anything wrong. We were just wrapping up.¡± The gold scraped along the table toward Ace as Bernard pushed it forward.


    ¡°Alright we¡¯re leaving!¡± Bernard shouted, shooting up out of his chair aggressively. ¡°Fuckin golem,¡± he whispered under his breath.


    Once everyone had cleared out from the table, Ace started sweeping the gold into a small bag. ¡°Oh gods, that was almost really bad. Nice save Halvor!¡± Ace patted Halvor on the back as he rose from his seat.


    ¡°I can take the gold to Kai.¡± Halvor reached for the bag, but Ace pulled it back and put his hand up.


    ¡°Hold on a second.¡± Ace plunged his hand into the bag. ¡°Gotta take my cut first.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Halvor exclaimed.


    ¡°What? Do you want a cut? I mean I guess it''s fair you did save me. How about 20?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°25?¡±


    Halvor snatched the bag from Ace¡¯s hand. ¡°Kai said he needed it, so you don¡¯t get to take any for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Fine, take it to him,¡± Ace said. ¡°I stand by the fact that he wouldn¡¯t have noticed if some of it was missing.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure if there¡¯s any leftover he¡¯ll let you keep it.¡±.


    Halvor walked over to the far end of the bar where Kai sat, and placed down the sack of gold in front of him. Kai pulled open the sack slightly to inspect its contents.


    ¡°So what now?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Now I ask some questions.¡± Kai pulled out a handful of gold coins from the sack and handed it to Halvor. ¡°You and Ace go buy yourself something nice, and just wait at a table.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much, Kai.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    Halvor walked his way over to Ace, waving the gold overhead. ¡°What did I tell you?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll learn not to wave gold over his head in a pirate bar eventually,¡± Kai said to himself. ¡°Hey, barkeep!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little young to be drinking, sir?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look a day over 20 either alright,¡± Kai said. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not asking for a drink. I just wanted to ask you about your tattoo. Where¡¯d you get it?¡±


    ¡°The Inkshot over at Leviathan¡¯s Caress,¡± the barkeep answered.


    ¡°Oh, did Desmond hook you up?¡± Kai asked.


    The barkeep¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. He gently placed the wet glass he had been polishing down.


    A smirk crawled across Kai¡¯s face. ¡°Good to see tradition never changes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming this is the payment.¡± The barkeep gestured to the sack.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Kai opened the top of the sack slightly to reveal the coins inside. ¡°All taken from other pirates, so need to worry about breaking your code. Side note, are you ever going to change that password? I mean like what if, hypothetically, someone named Desmond did actually open a tattoo shop in Leviathan¡¯s Caress called the Inkshot?¡±


    ¡°Are you paying for the answer?¡± the barkeep asked.


    ¡°Crows are always asking for crumbs, figures,¡± Kai said. ¡°Do I have to pay for your name?¡±


    The barkeep took a single gold coin from the sack and placed it into his pocket. ¡°Diego.¡±


    ¡°Oh is that last name extra?¡±


    The barkeep slowly reached toward the sack again.


    ¡°That was a joke!¡±


    ¡°A barkeep laughs at jokes. A crow answers questions. Which would you rather I be right now?¡±


    ¡°Well it¡¯s pretty lucky to find a crow in a place like this, so let¡¯s go with crow.¡±


    ¡°Excellent choice sir. Now ask away.¡±


    Kai heard stories about crows. The negative stereotypes certainly seemed to be rooted in some degree of truth; he only hoped the positive ones were as well.


    ¡°For starters, we¡¯re looking for somebody named Elric Feu,¡± Kai said. ¡°He¡¯s an elven hybrid, and an avatar. I don¡¯t really know how, but he can create these magic gemstones that can heal people.¡±


    Kai was hesitant to reveal information regarding the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, so kept his wording vague on purpose. If the crows did live up to their reputation, then there was nothing to worry about, though due to his lack of experience, he felt it better to play things safe.


    ¡°Our source got a diviner to figure out his location. They confirmed Elric was here, but that was about a week ago. According to that same diviner, the group that got him was a band of thieves called The Free Few. Any idea where he could be?¡±


    ¡°Travel up the River of Stars further inland,¡± Diego said. ¡°Keep going till you''re out of town. Eventually, you¡¯ll find a barn in the grassland. Big and red, like the ones you see in children¡¯s books. It¡¯s pretty hard to miss.


    ¡°The owner is an amicable older man. All he does is tend to his crops and provide food for the town. That was until a monster ravaged a good chunk of his land, and killed a majority of his livestock.


    ¡°He needed another source of income, so he started to rent out his barn for all sorts of events. Gatherings, weddings, funerals. The next event taking place is an auction. In the man¡¯s defense, he probably doesn¡¯t realize it, but that auction is exclusively for illegal goods. It¡¯s not big enough to attract criminal organizations from all across Fable, but some notable ones will be in attendance. That¡¯s where you¡¯ll find Elric.¡±


    ¡°When is this happening?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°Tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°Brilliant, because who needs prep time? Well, I think that¡¯s all on that topic. You¡¯re the one who picks the price, so tell me, do I have any gold leftover?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°You should have some.¡±


    ¡°Cool. I wanted to ask you about these.¡± Kai placed his notebook on the bar counter. It was opened to the page filled with the strange number pairs he¡¯d gotten from Halvor. ¡°Does this mean anything to you?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but they just look like numbers to me,¡± Diego said.


    ¡°Eh, worth a shot.¡± Kai shrugged his shoulders and put his notebook back in his bag.


    ¡°Do you mind if I ask you a question?¡± Diego asked.


    ¡°Go for it.¡±


    ¡°What crew are you a part of? Rare to see someone your age who knows about the existence of crows.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not totally sure. I¡¯m with a group right now, but that¡¯s not really a crew, more a party. I guess, in a way, I¡¯m the temporary captain of Atlas.¡±


    Diego audibly choked back his laughter. ¡°Funny. I¡¯ll say you do look a bit like the two captains, though everyone knows it was the woman who has red hair. Besides, you''re far too young.¡±


    ¡°And they said crows were supposed to be smart.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Okay let¡¯s do an exercise in critical thinking. I look like both the captains. I am much younger than both of them. Put two and two together ¡­¡±


    The realization struck Diego like a bolt of lightning. ¡°Holy shit. You¡¯re their kid.¡±


    ¡°There you go!¡± Kai exclaimed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think any of Atlas survived,¡± Diego said.


    ¡°Well we all did.¡± Kai¡¯s face was lit up with pride, and a juvenile smile. ¡°Now I just gotta find everyone else.¡±


    Diego¡¯s face sank like a lead box in the ocean. His sense of surprise remained, but it was now overlaid by a dominant sense of concern and compassion. ¡°Listen, dude, it¡¯s been over a year. Nobody¡¯s ever survived an encounter with¡ª¡±


    Kai slammed his fist into the bar table, rattling the coins inside the sack. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t ask you, if you thought they were alive! I know they¡¯re alive!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend you, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Keep the gold!¡± Kai exclaimed. ¡°We¡¯re done here. Thanks for the info.¡±


    Diego felt no need to push the topic any further. He took the entire sack off the counter and placed it underneath the bar.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Ace called out once he saw Kai approaching. ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡±


    ¡°Yeah it looked like it got heated towards the end there,¡± Halvor said. ¡°It¡¯s pretty rowdy in here, so we couldn¡¯t hear what you were saying.¡±


    ¡°Halvor kept wanting to go over there, but I told him to just wait.¡±


    ¡°Well I appreciate the thought, but I¡¯m fine,¡± Kai said. ¡°He just charged a lot more for the information than I was expecting, so I got a little angry that¡¯s all.


    ¡°There¡¯s going to be an auction at a barn a little out of town. It¡¯s for illegal items, and a couple of criminal organizations will be there. He said that¡¯s where Elric will be, but it''s a bit confusing to me.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense to me,¡± Ace remarked. ¡°If The Free Few is based in Journey, the only good reason they''d have for dragging someone as valuable as Elric out here is to sell him off.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Elric¡¯s going to get sold off. That makes so much more sense,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°What did you think was going to happen?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°I thought he was going to be in attendance as like a buyer.¡±


    ¡°Why the fuck would the Free Few capture Elric, and then let him go buy shit at an auction?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I was so confused!¡± Kai exclaimed.


    ¡°Oh my fucking god,¡± Ace groaned.


    ¡°In his defense, I also thought Elric was going to be a buyer,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°Well now we know,¡± Ace said. ¡°Anyway, we got a bit of sunlight left, so how about we go check out this barn? Couldn¡¯t hurt to scope the place out ahead of time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay with that,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°Sure why not,¡± Kai said. ¡°I think best on my feet, and I, or should I say we, have a lot to think about.¡±

 Chapter 16: Barnyard Bewilderment

    The sound of rustling leaves and buzzing insects rippled through the air as a man tilled the soil; a wide-brimmed straw hat was his only protection against the beating sun. The man knelt to the ground, and gently sunk his fingertips into the soil.


    ¡°Still no good, huh.¡± The man rose to his feet wiping away the sweat caught in his brow.


    His eyes slowly shifted toward the nearby city of Wishmoore. As he gazed off into the horizon, out of the corner of his eyes he spotted three men approaching his farm. ¡°Hello there!¡± he called out, placing down his tools.


    ¡°Hi there sir. My name¡¯s Ace. These are my friends, Kai and Halvor.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you. Name¡¯s Brixton. What brings you gentlemen out here today?¡±


    ¡°We heard this place is available for rent. Is that true?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. What¡¯s the occasion?¡±


    ¡°A wedding,¡± Kai replied. ¡°It¡¯s for our friend Draxl, but he isn¡¯t here right now.¡±


    ¡°Well, you came to the right place. Feel free to take a look around,¡± Brixton said, gesturing to the farm. ¡°Another group rented the place out for tomorrow night, but after that, the schedule should be pretty free. They¡¯ve come by to set up in the barn a couple of times. Asked me to not go in till they¡¯re done, so I¡¯d appreciate it if y''all did the same.¡±


    ¡°For sure,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with the land?¡± Ace had noticed Brixton diligently working the land, but nothing was being grown on it. It certainly wasn¡¯t the result of a lack of effort on Brixton¡¯s part; the weather seemed good enough too.


    ¡°Ah, it got poisoned.¡± Brixton looked at the land as if it were a bedridden loved one, with heavy eyelids and a small smile. ¡°It was a monster that came by and tore everything up. Luckily there was this adventurer, kind woman, who happened to be in town and took care of it. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t alleviate the poison. Said one of her party members could¡¯ve, but they were all split up at the moment.¡±


    ¡°How long ago was this, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± Ace inquired.


    ¡°About a month ago now.¡±


    Ace tilted his head. ¡°And still nothing?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I don¡¯t got much golem in me, but it''s enough to hear land telling me it still needs time to heal.¡±


    ¡°Would you mind if I took a look around?¡± Ace asked. ¡°I grew up in the country, so we did a fair bit of farming. I wasn¡¯t a farmhand or anything, but I know a thing or two.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate a second opinion.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you if I find anything.¡± Ace wandered off to inspect the barren field.


    ¡°Did you say you were part golem?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Brixton said. ¡°Less than a tenth, but it''s there.¡±


    Halvor raised a rocky hand.


    ¡°A stonehand!¡± Brixton exclaimed.


    ¡°Stonehand?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Oh, come on. You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°Sorry sir, I don¡¯t,¡± Halvor said, shifting his hand back to normal.


    ¡°Stonehand refers to any golem hybrid that¡¯s got enough golem in them to turn their whole hand to stone,¡± Brixton said. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty common term.¡±


    ¡°Is being a stonehand special?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°I never heard of any stonehand that was anything less than a fifth golem. It¡¯s a pretty impressive thing. You ought to be proud son.¡± Brixton lightly punched Halvor in the shoulder¡ªa small sign of respect.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t grow up around many other golems,¡± Halvor said, rubbing his shoulder.


    ¡°Neither did I. My father taught everything I know. Surely, you''ve heard some of the folk tales, right? I mean, I know you¡¯ve heard of The Chosen and the Chisel.¡±


    ¡°Uh, can¡¯t say that I have.¡±


    ¡°A stonehand who doesn¡¯t know The Chosen and The Chisel. I think you might be the only one.¡±.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t nothing to be ashamed of.¡± Brixton placed a hand on Halvor¡¯s back. ¡°Want me to tell you the story of The Chosen and the Chisel?¡±


    ¡°Right now?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°So long as your friend wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± Brixton looked toward Kai. ¡°I feel bad for the three of you coming here for your own business, then one of you ends up tending to my land for me and the other is stuck indulging an old man¡¯s stories.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Kai said. ¡°Go for a walk and tell your stories. My friend and I promise to behave. Isn¡¯t that right Ace?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, sure, totally, whatever you say,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°See,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Alright then. Where do you want to go?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s this lovely lake less than a mile into the forest.¡±.


    ¡°That sounds nice. We should be back in about an hour, right?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Oh, less than that,¡± Brixton said. ¡°Unless you want to hear about The Sword of the Stone.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it The Sword in the Stone?¡± Halvor asked.


    Brixton chuckled to himself. ¡°You have a lot to learn stonehand.¡±


    After Halvor and Brixton had disappeared into the forest, Kai looked toward Ace, who was completely engrossed in trying to figure out the mystery of the land; Kai knew the look well, and figured it best not to remind Ace why they came here in the first place.


    The barn stood out in the center of the field of grass like a drop of dried blood on a white shirt. Red paint chips littered the perimeter. With a strong push, Kai could hear the wood creak and cry. All the windows were shut from the inside. There was no way for Kai to peer inside without getting into the Barn itself.


    At first, Kai considered breaking a window; Draxl had taught him that traps were far more likely to be on doors than windows. However, as Kai thought about it more, given the nature of the event¡ªthat several criminal organizations would be getting together¡ªa trap could lead to serious tension if discovered by any of the guests.


    An old polished lock hung from the barn door. After one quick look to make sure Halvor and Brixton were long gone, Kai dropped his backpack to the ground. Pulling out a small weathered wooden toolbox, Kai popped the top open and grabbed a lockpick from the case.


    Click!


    ¡°What was that?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to check out the barn while Halvor keeps Brixton busy.¡± Kai placed the lockpick back in the box and shoved it into his backpack. ¡°You wanna tag along?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    Kai took a single step into the Barn. He was surprised; surprised that the wooden boards didn¡¯t bend and creak under his weight; surprised that the smell wasn¡¯t musty; surprised that the dark interior lit up so brightly that for a moment, everything went white.


    <hr>


    As Kai¡¯s eyes blinked open, eye floaters danced around the edges of his vision. He found himself inside a lavish theater lobby with white walls adorned with velvet red drapes and golden striations; four grand paintings lined the walls. The cool marble floor sent a chill down Kai¡¯s spine. The clinking of an ornate chandelier that swung overhead and the crackling of condensed torchlight trapped inside by an infusion were the only sounds that echoed through the space.


    Before Kai could find his way out of the whirlwind of confusion he had just been thrust into, a voice broke the ambient silence.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here?¡±


    Kai spun around. Behind him was a sharply dressed man wearing a bone white suit and a charcoal black skull mask.


    ¡°Actually, better question, who the fuck are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind me,¡± Kai said. ¡°I¡¯m just about to head out the door.¡±


    ¡°The door?¡±.


    Kai¡¯s head snapped to the left 90 degrees; where, in a normal theater, there would be a set of double doors to welcome patrons, Kai saw a blank marble wall. ¡°Now would you believe me if I said I meant the bathroom?¡±


    The man took a step toward Kai. ¡°What¡¯s in the bag?¡±


    ¡°Stuff.¡±


    ¡°What kind of stuff?¡±


    ¡°Uh ¡­¡± Kai set his backpack on the ground. Hunched over his backpack, he pushed aside all sorts of gadgets, notes, vials, tools, and other miscellaneous items. ¡°This is pretty cool.¡±


    Kai tossed the man a small metal cylinder. Closer inspection revealed several tiny holes along the sides and a strange metal protrusion at the top with a small, thin ring strung through it.


    ¡°What does this do?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a confetti container. You pull the ring and a ton of confetti spews out. It¡¯s a bitch to clean up though. Also a bitch to refill.¡±


    ¡°I like it. I think I¡¯ll take one,¡± the man said.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t for sale.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. You can spare one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d really like it back.¡±


    ¡°Fine, you can have it back.¡± The man held the metal cylinder up to his face and wrapped his finger around the ring. ¡°But first.¡±


    The man ripped the ring from the cylinder. A violent hiss rang throughout the lobby as noxious gas poured out from the tiny holes in the cylinder; the initial burst sent the gas flying into the man¡¯s face flooding his mouth and nose. The man began violently coughing, and mere moments later collapsed to the floor with a heavy thud.


    ¡°Tell people it¡¯s a gas grenade, they¡¯ll throw it back at you. Tell people it''s a confetti container, and they can¡¯t control themselves,¡± Kai said as he affixed his gas mask to his face.


    ¡°Although, a confetti container isn¡¯t a bad idea.¡± Kai pulled out his notebook from his backpack and quickly jotted down ¡°confetti container¡± at the end of a long list. ¡°But container just doesn¡¯t sound right. Eh, we¡¯ll workshop it later.¡±


    Kai grabbed the hollow grenade off the ground and placed it back into his backpack. He snapped his backpack shut, and slung it over his shoulder. Kai glanced down two hallways, one to his left, and one to his right, the only paths out of the lobby. ¡°I mean it¡¯s called right for a reason.¡±

 Chapter 16.5: The Reaper鈥檚 Beloved

    Aric¡¯s eyes flashed open. He began to cough uncontrollably, each breath sent an echo of the searing pain he felt in his abdomen throughout his body. He glanced at a knee as it retracted from his caved-in chest. Instinctively, he reached for his chest, only to be met with the rattling of manacles.


    ¡°Ah, it seems you¡¯re finally awake. Everyone can go now.¡±


    Aric lacked the strength to lift his head high enough to see who was speaking¡ªor who they were speaking to. The only thing he could make out were dimly lit wooden floorboards. As hurried footsteps grew fainter, the creaking of the floor rippled through the room. As Aric¡¯s hearing returned, and the footsteps vanished, the ambient noise in the room became clearer; just outside the room, waves were crashing.


    ¡°Are you alright? You were knocked out cold for a bit. You needed to be dragged off the lobby floor, and back here. I tried, well they tried, other means of waking you up but it didn¡¯t work, so I took a slightly inelegant approach.¡±


    Just barely mustering up the strength to lift his head, Aric¡¯s eyes met those of the only person in the room.


    ¡°Queen,¡± Aric groaned.


    Queen smiled at Aric. The Calavera skull painted on her face, matched with a solitary blood-red rose in her hair¡ªthe only splash of color on her entire figure¡ªgave a look fitting of her epithet.


    ¡°[The Reaper¡¯s Beloved],¡± Aric said, mirroring Queen¡¯s smile. ¡°What can I do for you captain?¡±


    ¡°Tell me what you were doing on the floor of the lobby, for starters.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall requesting an apology. I ordered an explanation.¡±.


    ¡°Right. There was this kid. He had all this random junk in his backpack. I thought there might be something interesting inside so I told him to hand it over. Then he threw some metal cylinder at me and this gas bursted out. One whiff and I was out.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, odd. Could you be a little more specific? What did the child look like?¡± Queen asked.


    ¡°Uh, red hair, goggles, little younger than 18, I only saw him for a little while.¡±


    ¡°Red hair?¡± Queen murmured under her breath. Her gaze drifted off toward the ceiling.


    ¡°Something the matter, captain?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Queen said. ¡°Now, for your punishment¡ª¡±


    ¡°Punishment?¡±


    Queen¡¯s expression twisted from apathetic to annoyed. ¡°Did you interrupt me?¡±


    Aric was silent.


    ¡°You¡¯ll remain in the brig until we can reunite with the main fleet.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll still be fed your normal rations. Though I suppose getting seconds won¡¯t be possible.¡±


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    ¡°You expect me to sit here for weeks shackled in a box?¡±


    ¡°No. An expectation would be you don¡¯t act a fool like you did today. This is a command,¡± Queen said.


    ¡°Some kid knocked me out, so what? It¡¯s not like it matters.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter?¡± Queen¡¯s pitch jumped sharply. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you why it matters. You work for me, and in a public place, you were laid out on your back like an idiot. You were specifically instructed not to enter the auction hall alone. I was unaware your galavanting was so valuable. What if someone else had dragged you away, and tortured you for information?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have told them shit.¡±


    ¡°Bold words.¡± A doubtful grin stretched along Queen''s face.


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Aric insisted. ¡°Not like you know anything about us. With your fancy epithet, you don¡¯t bother with people like me. You haven¡¯t even said my name, because you don¡¯t know it.¡±


    ¡°Your name isn¡¯t worth saying Aric.¡± If Queen were a snake, venom would be dripping from her mouth. ¡°This delusional thinking isn¡¯t setting a very good example for Lillia. A good older brother would¡¯ve followed orders.¡±


    Aric wanted to back up through the wooden walls of the ship, and be swept away by the waves.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not fair. Calling you delusional without giving you a chance to prove yourself. You insist you have at the very least a modicum of power.¡±


    Queen pulled loose the black tie around her neck. As it unfurled, a white light engulfed the tie, then twisted it into the form of a long black rapier. With a single swing, Queen shattered the chains holding back Aric. ¡°So what I want you to do is prove it. Prove your name is worth speaking.¡±


    Aric¡¯s breath quickened. A mountain stood before him.


    ¡°I want you to hit me. Just once. Normally you¡¯d have to fight Jack first, but it¡¯s not like this a traditional duel.¡± Queen grabbed her black tailcoat adorned with bone white striations, but realized removing it wouldn¡¯t be necessary.


    By some miracle, Aric managed to steady his breath. He rummaged around his pockets and pulled out a set of brass knuckles. The tremors in his hands caused one to slip out of his grasp.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait,¡± Queen said.


    Aric quickly knelt and picked the brass knuckle from the ground.


    ¡°All ready?¡± Queen asked.


    Aric nodded his head.


    ¡°Good.¡± Queen placed her rapier¡¯s handle parallel to her ear; the tip pointed straight toward Aric. ¡°[En Garde].¡±


    A sudden blast of essence filled the entire room. It felt like hundreds of invisible ants were dancing along Aric¡¯s skin as the air crackled. Aric¡¯s whole body felt supercharged with static electricity¡ªand a single step could discharge it all.


    ¡°Bulldoze through, [Accelerate].¡± Half a step. That was all Aric managed.


    The blood splatter on the wall was visible before Queen¡¯s blade.


    Aric reeled backward, clutching his scored throat, as crimson poured down his neck.


    Queen glanced down at herself, her black undershirt and pants for any blood stains. ¡°Thank the gods.¡± Queen breathed a sigh of relief.


    Queen looked back to Aric and saw him slumped down, in the same position he was in before he had been woken up. ¡°I do hope he¡¯s not dead. A thrusting strike would¡¯ve been safer, but a slash was the only way to stop his blood from getting on me. Well, he¡¯s probably fine, but his vocal cords will be a mess until we can get proper treatment at the fleet.


    ¡°Still, he made it rather far. Using a chant to sacrifice agility for raw speed, basically turning into a train, isn¡¯t a bad idea. If you can hear me Aric, I¡¯m glad your training paid off, because it was disastrous when you started. Running overboard all the time, and forcing Charles to drag you out of the ocean.


    ¡°Oh, perhaps that philosopher¡¯s stone they were talking about could fix his throat before we reunited with the fleet. Well, I doubt I have enough for both that and [Nocturne]. Yeah, definitely [Nocturne]. Sorry Aric.¡±


    With a flick of Queen¡¯s wrist, her rapier transformed back into a tie. ¡°CAN WE GET A HEALER DOWN HERE!¡±

 Chapter 17: A Chance Encounter

    At a certain point, Kai became convinced that the hallway would eventually loop back around to the lobby. The liminal space sandwiched Kai into an endless hallway. The plain white doors and red carpet enhanced the repetitive nature; any small deviations, stains, folds, holes, or scratches, would¡¯ve stood out, but there were none. There wasn¡¯t even a millimeter of deviation in the distance between the doors¡ªKai checked.


    Kai had been mentally mapping each turn he took, but he began to doubt whether or not he could take the same route back. His arrival at the theater certainly wasn¡¯t natural; there was no reason to believe the theater would be either.


    Lost in thought, Kai suddenly felt himself bump into something.


    ¡°Oh sorry,¡± Kai said reflexively.


    ¡°No worries.¡±


    A tall lean dragon hybrid with short black hair stood nearly a foot taller than Kai. Two dark crimson horns protruded out from the top of the man¡¯s head; one was its full length, mostly straight with a slight curve at the end, while the other had been shattered at the base leaving only a small stump. His claws were filed down much in the same way Cili¡¯s were.


    Overtop a sleeveless white shirt the man wore a long black hooded poncho with roaring flames embroidered onto it that converged at his heart. The man¡¯s moss green pants were riddled with loaded pockets, bulging at the seams, yet the placement of them avoided any major joints to prevent limiting mobility. His sandal straps were latticed around his foot, locking them in tight.


    Around his neck hung a singular, pristine ivory white fang over a foot long. The necklace it hung from was fashioned out of dragon scales the color of which matched that of the man¡¯s horns.


    Clipped to the man¡¯s belt were two identical repeating crossbows with a spyglass affixed to the top of each. Carvings adorned the exterior of both crossbows.


    What confused Kai more than anything, however, was the color of the man¡¯s scales. The man was a veritable kaleidoscope. Each scale was just a slightly different color than any scale adjacent to it, forming a gradient stretching across the entire spectrum of color.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Kai said, rubbing his forehead. ¡°Do you happen to know where the exit is? Actually, I think I also would like to know where the bathroom is. When I first asked I kinda didn¡¯t need it, but now I kinda do. If you can only give one though, I definitely would prefer the exit. Where are we? Am I rambling? Probably. I¡¯m just really happy to see another person. I¡¯ve been walking for so long.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Osiris. What¡¯s your name?¡± Osiris spoke slowly and calmly in stark contrast to Kai¡¯s scatterbrained, unfiltered brain dump.


    ¡°That''s probably a better way to start this interaction. Hi, I¡¯m ¡­¡± Kai paused for a moment. ¡°Draxl.¡±


    Osiris gave a disappointed look, and Kai immediately cracked. ¡°I¡¯m Kai.¡±


    ¡°Well, Kai, I do know where the exit is. Don''t know about the bathroom. We can go find it if you need to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just take the exit.¡±


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s not too far from here. Do you want me to walk with you, in case you get lost?¡± Osiris asked.


    ¡°That''d be awesome!¡±


    ¡°Alright, follow me.¡± Osiris immediately spun around in the direction Kai had come from and began walking.


    ¡°So you¡¯re a dragon hybrid?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±.


    ¡°You mind if I ask how much?¡± The highest percentage dragon hybrid Kai had ever met was Cili, but Osiris looked to be more dragon than she was.


    Osiris¡¯ scales were everywhere Cili¡¯s were¡ªthe arms, face, and legs¡ªbut they extended past where Cili¡¯s stopped. Looking at the edges of the poncho Kai could see the scales that began at the fingers and went up to the shoulder; the ones that began at the feet nearly went up to Osiris¡¯ waist. There were even scales in places Cili had none, the most notable being at the sides of the neck up to the chin.


    ¡°About two-thirds to three-fourths,¡± Osiris said.


    ¡°Oh, so both your parents were dragon hybrids. Is that why your scales are different colors?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, these are just tattoos. This is my real color.¡± Osiris held up the necklace of crimson scales.


    ¡°Did you get your tattoos at the Inkshot?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Osiris said, confused by Kai¡¯s amusement.


    ¡°Sorry, inside joke. Hey, so, I have this dragon hybrid friend, but she doesn¡¯t have any horns. What¡¯s up with that?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up with that, huh,¡± Osiris said. ¡°Pretty unashamed about asking questions. We just met, you know.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Fair point. I¡¯m pretty knowledgeable about this kinda stuff, so I appreciate the questions. As for your friend, dragon hybrids don¡¯t evolve in the same way other hybrids do. In fact, nearly every hybrid has their own unique ways of accumulating power.


    ¡° For dragon hybrids, we need to accomplish things, the same way a dragon builds its hoard. Your friend probably just hasn¡¯t done enough to get her horns. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll get there though.¡±


    Kai pointed to the fang around Osiris¡¯ neck. ¡°Is that what that tooth is?¡±


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    ¡°Uh, yeah, it is.¡±


    ¡°Leviathan? No! Kraken?¡±


    ¡°Dragon, actually,¡± Osiris said. ¡°Never been out to sea before. Don¡¯t tell anyone, but I¡¯m afraid of the ocean.¡±


    ¡°What?! Why?!¡± Kai exclaimed.


    ¡°I never learned how to swim,¡± Osiris admitted. ¡°Dragon hybrids can naturally fly, and I learned how to when I was pretty young. Once you know how to fly you don¡¯t really feel the need to learn how to swim.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that hard. It can be super relaxing too. You should try,¡± Kai said.


    Osiris chuckled. ¡°Maybe sometime. You''re a pretty eclectic person. Curious too.¡±


    ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°Not at all. Just reminds me of someone else.¡±


    ¡°Is that someone else cool?¡±


    ¡°The coolest.¡±


    Throughout the walk, Kai had been constantly updating his mental map of the area. Suddenly, he realized that they were about to return to the lobby.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you come from?¡± Osiris asked.


    ¡°A barn. Is that too vague?¡±


    ¡°No, that works.¡± Osiris approached one of the four paintings that adorned the walls. The painting depicted a group of druids gathered in a circle, in the middle of an empty clearing surrounded by the woods. A bolt of lightning struck grounded itself in the center of the circle. Radiating out the point of impact a field of flowers bloomed amidst the barren field.


    ¡°Do you mind if I ask a question?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with the locket?¡± Osiris asked. ¡°It¡¯s on pretty tight.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I actually did that on purpose, so it wouldn¡¯t fall off.¡± Kai popped open the locket and took out the folded-up piece of paper. He unfurled the paper and held it up so Osiris could see. ¡°It¡¯s just a message my parents left me. Not really sure what it means though.¡±


    ¡°Huh. That¡¯s odd. Hope you figure out what it means.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    Osiris took the painting of the druids off the wall. Behind it was an infusion carved into the wall in the shape of a spider¡¯s web that radiated a faint white light. ¡°Should be good to go. Just touch the sigil and you should be right back where you came from.¡±


    Kai approached the sigil and gently placed his hand on it. A white light slowly enveloped his body, till only his shining silhouette was visible. ¡°Thanks Osiris.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    The white light collapsed in on itself, and shrunk into nothingness. Kai was gone.


    ¡°There you are.¡± A woman with pale white skin stepped out from one of the hallways.


    ¡°Sup Vivyan,¡± Osiris said, placing the painting back on the wall.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Vivyan asked.


    ¡°Just somebody I ran into. Looked lost. Probably stumbled in here by accident.¡±


    ¡°Pretty bad luck to find this place by mistake. Though I guess he was lucky to run into you, so it all balances out.¡±


    ¡°Seemed like a good kid. Reminded a lot of my sister,¡± Osiris said, staring blankly at the ground, his mind clearly elsewhere.


    ¡°Oh, how is Cili?¡±


    ¡°No clue. Ever since what happened with Halvor, the doctor hasn¡¯t let me check in on her.¡± Osiris¡¯ voice was laced with anger towards his circumstances, but gentle enough to display his acceptance of them.


    ¡°Right, well, we were somewhat responsible,¡± Vivyan said.


    ¡°Oh, that reminds me. The kid did have one interesting thing on him. A set of paper with coordinates on it.¡± Osiris held up his left hand. ¡°Managed to snatch the loc¡ª¡± His eyes slowly glanced over at his hand.


    ¡°Are you supposed to be holding something?¡± Vivyan asked.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Osiris shouted. ¡°One second too late. Looks like it went with him.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember them?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Your senses are sharp, but gods, your memory is awful. You think it¡¯s worth going after him?¡± Vivyan asked.


    ¡°Nah, let the kid be,¡± Osiris said, with a sigh. ¡°He didn¡¯t seem to know what they meant. Even if he did, he¡¯s harmless. I did a quick scan of him while we were walking. The kid doesn''t have any essence. He¡¯s not a threat.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep a lookout in the future,¡± Vivyan said. ¡°Anyway, moving on, Gideon sent me to find you. Orders came in. They¡¯ve got our target.¡±


    ¡°What is it this time?¡±


    ¡°A philosopher¡¯s stone.¡±


    <hr>


    The instant Kai reappeared, just outside the barn door, he felt someone grab him from behind and cover his mouth. Kai instinctively tried to scream and thrash to get out.


    ¡°Wait! Wait! Wait! It¡¯s us. It¡¯s Ace and Halvor. You need to be very quiet, okay? Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Kai nodded his head..


    Halvor let go of Kai.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t think of a better way to do that?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t want you screaming something the moment you came out,¡± Ace said. ¡°Also, you kinda just appeared. We were expecting you to walk out the door.¡±


    ¡°So what is going on?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°Salutations, good sir!¡± A voice called out from the other side of the barn.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s the representative from the Armistice Order that Cally warned us about,¡± Ace said. ¡°He¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s bad. Let¡¯s leave. Right now,¡± Kai said


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Kai, where''s your locket?¡± Halvor asked.


    Kai instantly grasped at his collar but felt nothing. His hand scrambled around his neck without feeling anything. ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck,¡± he muttered under his breath. ¡°It must¡¯ve gone somewhere else when I teleported. Why, though? Why?!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, calm down,¡± Ace said. ¡°Do you remember the numbers?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re written down in my notebook.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so we can come back another time, right?¡± Ace asked calmly.


    ¡°I guess I have all the necessary information.¡±


    ¡°Alright, so we¡¯ll come back tomorrow with everyone and search the area. Does that sound good?¡±


    Kai slowly nodded his head. ¡°That¡¯d be good.¡±


    ¡°I know it means a lot to you. I appreciate you letting us leave it behind, for now,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurry anyone, but we should go while Brixton is keeping the representative busy,¡± Halvor siad.


    ¡°You good Kai?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go, and when you¡¯re ready, tell us everything you found out,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°I will. Thanks, Ace.¡±

 Chapter 17.5: Salutations

    ¡°Salutations, good sir!¡±


    A jubilant man with shiny, vibrant red hair that draped down from his head in a bowl cut and a warm soft smile across his face approached the barn, calling out to Brixton. The man was wearing a large bishop¡¯s robe made of white cloth adorned with golden lining; the robe was so large it obscured anything the man had on underneath. As he waved his hand in the air, the sunlight sparkled off the surface of golden rings that adorned each of his fingers.


    ¡°Hey there!¡± Brixton called out. ¡°How can I help you friend?¡±


    ¡°My name is Arthur Ward. I come as a member of the Armistice Order and a representative of the World Ox.¡± Arthur bowed at a 90-degree angle.


    ¡°No need for all the fancy stuff,¡± Brixton said. ¡°Name¡¯s Brixton. What brings you out here?¡±


    ¡°I had business in this chapter¡¯s capital. While there I heard that you were renting this place out. Am I correct in that assumption?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Arthur reached underneath his robe and started rummaging around.


    ¡°Are you some kinda bishop?¡± Brixton asked.


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± Arthur said, chuckling. ¡°The robes are merely the ambassador¡¯s uniform.¡±


    ¡°Never seen a member of the order wearing one.¡±


    ¡°It was removed as a requirement decades ago. I just wear them because it gives me a chance to flaunt these fancy robes.¡± Arthur pulled out a scroll, tightly bound with a thin rope; dangling from the rope was a bright red wax seal of a lotus flower.


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t recognize this emblem.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that makes sense, you don¡¯t see too much outside legal documents or capital cathedrals,¡± Arthur said. ¡°It¡¯s the universal symbol for the Armistice Order. Each of the petals represents one of the sects.¡±


    Brixton took the scroll. As he unfurled it, his eyes scraped the contents quickly, his pupils bouncing from side to side, but as he continued reading they slowed. Then they shifted back up to the start of the scroll, and went over it once again, even slower.


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ a lot of gold,¡± Brixton said with a heavy sigh. ¡°With all due respect, this place ain¡¯t worth that much.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense.¡± Arthur sounded personally offended, as if Brixton¡¯s comment was in regards to Arthur¡¯s land and not Brixton¡¯s. ¡°The chipped paint on the barn, the carefully tilled ground, it¡¯s obvious this place has been well loved. This place carries memories, and it is what we carry that determines worth, such is the teaching of the World Ox.¡±


    ¡°This place carries something other than memories. The land¡¯s cursed or poisoned or some other nonsense. Regardless, nothing can grow.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Arthur said, waving his hand dismissively. ¡°Once a real bishop arrives we should be able to fix that issue. And even if you don¡¯t sell the land, I¡¯d be more than happy to see if I could get one down here. Free of charge, of course.¡±


    Brixton smiled. ¡°Seems I got good luck with people today,¡± he murmured under his breath.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing. Just considering the offer. Both of them.¡± Brixton looked past Arthur, longingly at the barren land, and the rotting barn


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    ¡°Pardon my intrusiveness, but it seems something is troubling you.¡±


    ¡°My kid is studying over at Aethereon to become a mage. Maybe you saw him while you were there,¡± Brixton said.


    ¡°Perhaps I did.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a smart kid, but gets a little nervous. Sometimes he forgets to eat, so his mom got worried sick. She ended up going up to stay with him during his studies. I decided to hold down the fort. Told my boy he¡¯d always have a home waiting for him back here in Wishmoore.¡±


    Arthur smiled comfortingly in silent affirmation of Brixton¡¯s choice.


    ¡°It got a little lonely, but they wrote often. Sadly, mom got ill. She felt so ashamed of herself. She was there to take care of her son, only to have him stuck taking care of her. Now, he¡¯s a bright kid, but that sorta stuff impacts your studies a fair bit.¡±


    ¡°My blessings to her. I¡¯m sure remaining at home is difficult.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Brixton said. ¡°And, I wouldn¡¯t call this place home, not anymore. I always kept holding onto this place, but it never felt like home after they left. I guess it really is true. Home is where the heart is, and right now both my hearts aren¡¯t here.¡±


    Brixton took one long look at his barn, the initial coat of paint he applied when he was just a kid riding on his father¡¯s shoulders now cracking away. ¡°I¡¯ll take the gold. I wanna see my family. Let them know everything will be okay. Without them, this place doesn''t mean anything. You can have it.


    ¡°There is a group that¡¯s rented it out for tomorrow night, but after that the schedule is open. There was another group of three that stopped by earlier asking about their friend¡¯s wedding, though they honestly seemed more interested in me than this place.


    ¡°The one I walked with kept asking questions about tomorrow¡¯s event, so I doubt they¡¯re actually planning for a wedding. Just let me get everything out, and it¡¯s all yours after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°This place must mean a lot to you,¡± Arthur said. ¡°Giving it up for your family, it''s admirable.¡±


    ¡°Eh, just doing what I think is right, same as everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Because we are mortal, there will come a time where the weights we carry are too heavy for us to continue, and so we must leave one behind. In such times one must consider the value of their burdens, and understand it is not the heaviest that must be continued to be shouldered, but that which we can least afford to let go of, that which we desire to bring with us, that which we wish to see move forward, that is the burden we must continue to carry as we press forward.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Brixton asked.


    ¡°A quote, from our holy scripture. I enjoy it. Though I admit the language is a bit archaic. Also, I¡¯d be lying if I said I fully understood it myself,¡± Arthur admitted. ¡°Please take all the time you need before you make your final decision. I¡¯ll spend some time in the city, and return to you once I begin making preparations to depart.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be great.¡±


    As Arthur walked away, Brixton continued to stare in disbelief at the contract in his hands. After re-reading it for the dozenth time, he finally tucked it away in his pocket. Once he did, he noticed that Arthur had left a nearly a foot-deep impression on the ground where he stood while talking to Brixton.


    Brixton glanced up at Arthur, who simply smiled and waved back¡ªa gesture Brixton quickly reciprocated.


    Arthur suddenly came to a stop as he felt something ting against his feet. Arthur glanced down into the grass. Hidden by the grass, illuminated by sunlight, was a tiny golden locket attached to a snapped chain.


    ¡°Excuse me!¡± Arthur called out to Brixton. ¡°You said a group of three stopped by earlier. Did one of them happen to have a golden locket?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was this boy, spiky red hair, not as shiny as your hair more matte, with a ton of pockets and a big backpack.¡±


    Arthur bent down and grabbed the locket from the ground. ¡°Are they around?¡±


    ¡°Doubt it.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Arthur said, staring at the locket. Not even the slightest temptation to open it crossed his mind. ¡°You mentioned one of them expressed interest in tomorrow¡¯s event, is that right? Any chance they¡¯ll be there?¡±


    ¡°He seemed pretty curious about it, so probably,¡± Brixton said.


    ¡°Good to know. Thank you!¡± Such a simple locket wouldn¡¯t be worth more than a few gold pieces. However, Arthur could feel it was worth much more than that. It was an intense burden for its owner, one that shouldn¡¯t remain lost. Perhaps, he felt, that it was some sort of sign; to stumble upon such a tiny trinket in this vast field of grass was quite unlikely.


    Arthur smiled as he slipped the locket beneath his robes. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I decided to stop by.¡±

 Chapter 18: Let鈥檚 Go Hunting

    Artifact lanterns screwed into the dark weathered wooden walls of Wishful Wanderers illuminated the entire space. Adventuring parties gathered at each table, huddled over a treasure map or a round of drinks. Opposite the clerk desk manned by a single well-dressed dwarf was a bounty board job and faces pinned into it¡ªseveral scraps of paper cluttered the ground around it from torn postings.


    The dwarf cocked his head slightly. ¡°Sorry, could you repeat that?¡±


    ¡°No problem, Simon my friend,¡± Riven said, leaning over the desk with one arm resting on it. ¡°I am part of an elite, up-and-coming adventuring group known as The Hangmen. We were wondering if you had heard any strange news recently, particularly about anything to do with alchemy.


    ¡°Also, we were curious if you had any place we could stay for a few nights. Now at this point, you asked for our names, but I won¡¯t make you ask again. For the listing you can put down: Riven, Cili, Galina, Draxl, Kai, Halvor, and Ace.¡±


    ¡°I meant repeat just the last name you said, not the whole thing,¡± Simon said.


    Riven shrugged. ¡°Eh, it works out anyway.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it does. Anyhow, normally fitting you all into one room wouldn¡¯t be possible, but fortunately the suite room opened up very recently which should be able to accommodate seven people, though it might be a tight fit. There¡¯s also only two beds.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind sleeping on the floor!¡± Cili exclaimed from the other side of the room.


    ¡°Some of us do,¡± Riven said. ¡°You got sleeping bags?¡±


    ¡°You can buy from a shop just down the street.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll take it. How much do I owe you?¡±


    ¡°You wanna pay per night or for the week?¡± Simon asked


    ¡°Let¡¯s go per night.¡±


    ¡°Since it just cleared up I¡¯ll give you a good deal, two gold a night.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, not bad for a suite.¡± Riven reached into her coin purse and placed two gold pieces on the counter.


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Simon scooped the gold coins into his hands. ¡°You were asking if there were any alchemy-related incidents recently is that right?¡±


    ¡°Or anything to do with thieving as well.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, nothing like that I¡¯ve heard of,¡± Simon said. ¡°Only interesting thing that happened had to do with that thing over there.¡±


    Simon pointed to a large eagle¡¯s head the size of a lion¡¯s head mounted on the wall. Its feathers were a dark purple, and plumed out like a lion¡¯s mane; its beak was jet black.


    Cili appeared to be in a staring contest with head.


    ¡°Shadow griffin?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Simon said. ¡°Thing was terrorizing old Brixton¡¯s land just out in the forest. Tore up all his crops. Messed his farm up so bad nothing¡¯s growing anymore. Feel bad for the old man. We tried to ignore it, but it ended up attacking people and everyone got worried about it entering the city. Heard it put up one hell of a fight before it was taken out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not right!¡± Cili shouted.


    ¡°What did she say?¡± Simon asked.


    Galina, who was standing next to Cili, knelt and placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Cili, why don¡¯t we go up to them instead of shouting?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Cili asked.


    Galina turned to see everyone in Wishful Wanderers staring at her and Cili. ¡°We don¡¯t want to disturb other people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s their fucking problem, not mine.¡±


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    ¡°Do you want me to make it your problem?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Cili said, the confrontational tone in her voice vanishing instantly.


    ¡°What was that you said?¡± Simon asked again, as Cili and Galina got closer to the desk.


    ¡°Well you said the shadow griffin put up a fight,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Its feathers are purple, not white; it only makes them purple when it¡¯s hostile,¡± Simon explained.


    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not how that works. Shadow griffins turn their feathers purple when they attack, but also when they want to scare a creature away. The real way to tell the difference is through their eyes.


    ¡°If the eyes are red, then it was attacking, if they aren¡¯t then it''s just trying to scare off a threat. Look at the eyes, they aren¡¯t red, so it didn¡¯t put up a fight. It was probably just scared when it was killed.¡±


    ¡°It could¡¯ve just got scared at the end after realizing it was going to die, and it¡¯s fighting spirit was gone,¡± Simon said..


    ¡°Oh, maybe! I¡¯ve never heard of that before, but maybe!¡±


    ¡°Cili you mentioned these creatures aren¡¯t very easy to kill, and also aren¡¯t native to Chapter 7. Do you know how this shadow griffin got here, and what party managed to take it out?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I know how it got here, but I can say who took it out, and it wasn¡¯t a group.¡±


    ¡°An individual did this?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Artemis of Ambition herself.¡±


    ¡°The Ambition?!¡± Cili''s eyes sparkled with excitement.


    ¡°The Ambition,¡± Simon said. ¡°She stopped by just a few days back, and was willing to help out.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, the name rings a bell, but can you remind me just who Ambition is exactly?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°Only the most famous adventuring party in all of Fable!¡± Cili said. ¡°They¡¯re crazy powerful, but what really makes them special is the insane adventures they go on! Some adventurers can be super nasty. Ambition is full of heroes, though.¡±


    A stifled laugh burst out from Riven¡¯s mouth. ¡°Sorry, sorry. You just said that a member of Ambition defeated this shadow griffin?¡±


    ¡°I know it sounds hilarious, but it¡¯s true,¡± Simon said.


    ¡°Cili you mentioned that the shadow griffin must not have fought because of its eye color?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but I must¡¯ve been wrong. Artemis is like the ranger. She knows way more than I do, so it was probably that she snuck up on it before it even could sense her,¡± Cili said. ¡°But then it¡¯s feathers wouldn¡¯t have been purple. Maybe an illusion?¡±


    ¡°This tracks so perfectly,¡± Riven said, repeatedly trying and failing to wipe the smile from her face.


    ¡°I take it, you know this group?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been following them for a while, yeah,¡± Riven said, her smile finally vanishing.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯re as big of a fan as me,¡± Cili said. ¡°Willow is their biggest fan, and she told me everything about them, which makes me their second biggest fan. I know about all their adventures. They stole the demon king¡¯s crown; they killed a lich that was controlling the souls of everyone in a town; they vanquished a hundred-headed hydra. I know all their adventures.¡±


    ¡°Guess I got a lot of homework to do,¡± Riven said. ¡°Any idea where Artemis fought this shadow griffin?¡±


    ¡°I can point it out on a map if you¡¯ve got one.¡±


    Riven produced the map Cally had given them before they left. Simon picked up the quill resting in an inkpot next to him and a patch of land in the forest.


    ¡°Should be somewhere around there.¡±


    Riven rolled up the map. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°I believe that¡¯s all for us. We¡¯ll see you again tonight,¡± Galina said.


    Riven, Cili, and Galina all left Wishful Wanderers waving goodbye to Simon. Once the door shut behind them, Riven spoke up. ¡°Alright let¡¯s go check this out.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we look for Elric?¡± Galina asked. ¡°I don¡¯t see how this is tied to him.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so here¡¯s what I was thinking. Cili, could there be normal griffins in this forest?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°Uh, I guess, yeah. Might be unlikely, but migratory paths could put them here for a little bit. Definitely not shadow griffins though.¡±


    ¡°Okay, hear me out, Elric can perform alchemy on living things. What if the reason there¡¯s a shadow griffin all the way out here is that Elric used alchemy to transform a normal griffin into a shadow griffin?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit of a leap in logic?¡± Galina said. ¡°Are you sure this is the right move?¡±


    ¡°Well, what else are we gonna do?¡± Riven asked. ¡°I mean Simon said this shadow griffin appeared around the time we think Elric showed up. Maybe he just wanted to scratch the old alchemy itch?¡±


    ¡°I guess we can check it out. No harm done,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Oh my god, are we about to go to Artemis¡¯ former hunting grounds?¡± Cili said, shaking with anticipation. ¡°I wanna think I¡¯ll be able to see her trail, but there¡¯s no way! Maybe she left an arrow! Imagine it was the one she used to pierce one of the demon king¡¯s seven hearts!¡±


    ¡°Alright, then ladies.¡± Riven unfurled the map for the other two to see the area Simon had marked. ¡°Let¡¯s go hunting.¡±

 Chapter 19: Girl鈥檚 Night Out

    ¡°Hand me the map Riven,¡± Galina pleaded for the sixth time as she brushed off the leaves that clung to her overcoat, and pants.


    ¡°No Galina. I¡¯m telling you that fucker Simon marked it wrong.¡±


    ¡°Well it wouldn¡¯t hurt to get a second opinion.¡±


    ¡°I know how to read a map!¡±


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s perfect. We all make mistakes.¡± Galina held her hand out.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    Galina glanced at the map, and within seconds noticed something odd. ¡°I don¡¯t believe we checked out this cave he marked.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Right here.¡± Galina pointed to a cave just beyond the area Simon had marked.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for a griffin. They live in open space, not caves,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Well we aren¡¯t finding anything here, and it¡¯s the only landmark we haven¡¯t checked out, so why not?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a waste of time.¡±


    ¡°I found something!¡± The treetops rustled as Cili descended from above them.


    ¡°Where?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°There are marks over at this cave that way. Shadow griffins make their nests in dark areas like caves, so that might be where Artemis hunted it.¡±


    Galina turned toward Riven and raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°In my defense, it was outside the area Simon marked, so that¡¯s his fault.¡±.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Alright Cili, good job! You can come down now!¡± Galina shouted.


    Cili touched down, then placed her hands on her knees and doubled over. ¡°Been a while since I¡¯ve been in the air that long,¡± Cili remarked through heavy breathing.


    ¡°You good?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°Yeah, flying just drains a lot of essence.¡±.


    ¡°Tell us if you need a break,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°I¡¯m good.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s go,¡± Riven said.


    As Riven and Galina began to walk away, Cili pushed herself upright, took a single step, and immediately tripped over her own feet, slamming into the ground. With a gloopy splat, her whole body was covered in brown mud.


    ¡°On second thought, could we take like five minutes?¡±


    <hr>


    The group crept closer toward the cave. Tendrils of ivy draped over its gaping maw that faded to darkness obscuring everything inside. Large, four-taloned footprints carved up the damp earth leading up to the cave. Enormous white feathers upwards of three feet long could be seen stuck to bark and caught up in leaves.


    ¡°Down,¡± Cili said.


    The trees rustled as a galeforce shook the leaves loose. As the leaves cascaded to the ground, a single beam of sunlight pierced through the opening in the canopy. A massive griffin¡ªa creature whose body was larger than a hippo, its back half was that of a muscular lion, and the front half was that of an eagle¡ªcrept through treetops. Its massive wings retracted inward as it landed on the ground. Trapped within its beak was the body of a young roc¡ªa monstrous bird with colorful, exotic feathers.


    ¡°Is that a shadow griffin?¡± Galina asked. ¡°It looks like a normal one to me.¡±


    Cili snuck closer; each of her steps ended before her feet touched the ground as she quietly glided along the air toward the creature. Her eyes narrowed as she closely inspected the creature and its habits. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. It just killed that roc. Shadow griffins only hunt at night.¡±


    The griffin marched toward the cave, parting the ivy, and entering into the darkness.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go after it,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Wait. It¡¯s dark in there. We won¡¯t be able to see,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°I can see fine,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Well not all of us are part dragon. Riven do you happen to have a tor¡ª¡± Galina turned to where Riven was a moment ago, but saw nobody there. ¡°Where¡¯d she go?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I think I found something,¡± Riven called out from just a few feet away.


    Now that the griffin was inside the cave, Galina and Cili no longer needed to tread carefully. They hurried over to Riven, and arrived at a rather strange scene.


    In the middle of the forest, a single tree trunk had collapsed; a solemn stump lay on the ground, but it was several feet away from the trunk. The base of the trunk looked shattered, not cut, as if an explosive force had shattered it and sent it flying through the air. Embedded in the trunk was a singular arrow; skewered through its head was a dark purple feather caked in dried blood.


    ¡°Is that one of Artemis'' arrows?¡± Cili exclaimed. Rushing over to it, she went to snatch it out of the trunk, but Riven grabbed it first and held it above her head so Cili couldn¡¯t reach it.


    ¡°Finders keepers,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°No! I want it!¡±.


    ¡°Fine, but I¡¯m keeping this,¡± Riven plucked out one of the feathers from its fletching and handed the arrow to Cili.


    The arrow¡¯s shaft was constructed out of a beautiful mahogany wood; its head was made out of ashen steel; the feathers on the fletching were a bloody crimson.


    Cili immediately placed the arrow into a secret compartment in her quiver.


    ¡°Any point looking for the body?¡± Galina asked. ¡°I mean it¡¯s not like it¡¯s going to help us at this point.¡±


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    ¡°Fair point,¡± Riven said. ¡°What¡¯d you see? Sorry I dipped, I just spotted and wanted to take a look.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re good. A griffin came back with a young roc in its beak, and carried it into the cave,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Huh? Like a baby roc?¡±


    ¡°It looked older than a baby. Nowhere near maturity though,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Weird that there¡¯s another griffin. A roc, even a young one, feels like a lot of food too,¡± Riven said. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°We wanted to go into the cave. We were wondering if you had a torch?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°Yeah, one sec.¡± Riven reached into her satchel and pulled out a torch. ¡°[Ignite].¡± The torch burst into flames, lighting up the area. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As the trio descended into the cavern¡¯s depths, they were careful to move gently as with each step a faint echo rippled through the space. The flickering torch light cast the trio''s dancing shadows against the rough stone walls. Amidst the dim light, they spotted both white and purple feathers of varying sizes littering the ground.


    Just before they turned a corner, Cili held out her hand. She had been walking ahead, since her being part dragon let her see in the dark much better than Galina or Riven.


    Suddenly, Cili came to a stop.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Galina asked.


    w


    Cili glanced around the corner and saw a massive nest woven from a myriad of twigs, leaves, and vines. The griffin they had seen earlier gently rustled the nest. With a heavy thud, it dropped the roc it was carrying in its mouth into the nest jostling it.


    High-pitched, faint cries resonated out from within the nest. Two tiny griffins, they¡¯re feathers a mix of white and dark purple slowly awoke from their slumber; the two griffins quickly tore into the roc, pecking at it and picking it apart. It wasn¡¯t long before the adult griffin joined in on the feast.


    Cili quickly communicated the scene to the other two.


    ¡°So, are those its children? Are they, half shadow, half normal?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°I think so. Interspecies breeding is possible,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Damn it. So this wasn¡¯t Elric,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°Cili, how long do griffin eggs take to hatch?¡±


    ¡°Over a month.¡±


    ¡°Figured as much,¡± Riven said. ¡°Elric only got here at most two or three weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°I see. Since the kids are a mix the griffin must have been a shadow before Elric got here, since that''s the latest the eggs could¡¯ve been laid,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°I mean it¡¯s still super fucking weird that a shadow griffin is all the way out here,¡± Cili said


    ¡°Do you think you could talk to them, Cili?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°No. I always wanted to learn to speak with animals, but I never awoke to one..¡±


    ¡°I think I might be able to,¡± Galina said, her confidence wavering. ¡°Telepathy doesn¡¯t need a language. You can use it to communicate feelings or memories.¡±


    ¡°Not the worst idea we¡¯ve had today,¡± Riven said. ¡°If anything goes wrong I¡¯ll back you up.¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡± Cili exclaimed


    ¡°I think we can handle one griffin,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    ¡°Cili it¡¯s okay. Riven only said that because she has a super, secret mission only you can do. Right Riven?¡± Galina stared daggers into Riven.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Riven said, mildly terrified of Galina. ¡°Cili, I need you to go and look for any signs of other weird creatures in the area. I mean, if a shadow griffin is out here, then who knows what could be here?¡±


    ¡°Aye, aye, captain. Detective Cili is on duty!¡± Cili saluted Riven and hurried out of the cave.


    ¡°You really ought to be more considerate of other people¡¯s feelings,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Eh, I feel like it¡¯s overrated.¡±


    ¡°Well there¡¯s a defense mechanism,¡± Galina muttered under her breath.


    ¡°What¡¯d you say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Riven pulled out her dagger and handed the torch to Galina. ¡°If something goes wrong, scream to let me know you need help. If you can¡¯t scream because you¡¯re getting mauled by a griffin, then ¡­ I can probably tell you need help on account of the fact that you¡¯re getting mauled by a griffin.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is a good indication that I need help.¡±


    Galina stepped out from around the corner, while Riven hung back, peeking out from the darkness. The moment the torchlight touched the griffin it spun around, throwing itself between its young and Galina. It unfurled its wings¡ªits wingspan was wide enough that its feathers scraped along the cavern walls. An ear-piercing screech radiated out from its beak, shaking the cavern, and causing bits of rubble to fall from the ceiling.


    Galina raised her staff and slowly raised a hand toward the griffin. ¡°Beyond the mind, words fade, and only the heart is left to understand, [Link].¡±


    <hr>


    Galina heard crying. Her whole worldview was suddenly two feet shorter. She didn¡¯t see anyone crying. All she saw were massive trees that stretched far above her vision¡ªfor all she knew they went past the clouds and pierced the sky. The whole world was in black and white. Every sound was muffled. The only thing she felt was a tight loving embrace.


    As the embrace ended she saw two blurry figures stepping back from her. She didn¡¯t see either of them crying, yet the crying continued. It was a man and a woman. Both had dark skin and black hair. The man¡¯s hair was slicked back; the woman¡¯s hair was tied in a ponytail. Their faces were too blurry to make out any details.


    Suddenly they both rushed away toward something dangerous. Galina didn¡¯t know how she knew what they were going to was dangerous. All she knew was that it was and that she desperately didn¡¯t want them to go.


    Galina felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to her right. The loving smile of a kind woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. Galina knew the woman well. She was the first person Galina ever met when she woke up on the steps of an orphanage at 8 years old with no memory of her past. However, the woman was smiling, not crying, yet still the crying persisted.


    That¡¯s when Galina finally understood that the reason she heard crying was because she was the one crying.


    <hr>


    The griffin¡¯s hostility shifted, subtly toward a more defensive stance. Galina took a step back, and the griffin withdrew its wings.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Galina said. ¡°It just wants to protect its young. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Okay. You wanna just go?¡±


    Galina stood there, silent, processing what she had just seen¡ªor perhaps remembered. ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s best.¡±


    As the two brushed away the foliage that covered the cave''s entrance, they were met by a bright-eyed Cili who came darting out from the forest into the clearing just around the mouth of the cave.


    ¡°Riven, you were right!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°I was? I mean, of course, I was! What was I right about again? You know there¡¯s just so many things I''m right about I lose track of them all.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s other creatures that aren¡¯t supposed to be here. Like a lot. There¡¯s traces of them all over the place, I just wasn¡¯t looking for them.¡±.


    ¡°Hang on a sec, like there¡¯s many?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    ¡°Could it be that people are smuggling them here?¡± Riven suggested.


    ¡°But why?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°Same reason people sell hybrid parts. There exist monsters disguised as people who refer to themselves as collectors,¡± Riven said. ¡°Also, if the Free Few are capturing an avatar, then it''s not too crazy that they might be capturing other creatures as well. Might be worth following this trail.¡±


    ¡°At this point, why not?¡± Galina said exasperated.


    ¡°What¡¯s the freshest trail you found, Detective?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°There were some sea serpent scales. Those bitches dry up in hours, but these were totally fresh.¡±


    ¡°Good going, Detective. Give me five!¡± Riven held up her hand, and Cili instantly reciprocated with a crisp high-five.


    ¡°Come on Galina,¡± Cili said, holding up her hand. Seeing Cili¡¯s hand, Riven held up her hand as well.


    Galina rolled her eyes as a smile crept across her face. She put up both her hands and gently high-fived both Cili and Riven.


    ¡°Alright, everyone, just follow me. Detective Cili is on the case!¡±

 Chapter 20: Caravan Sightseeing

    A caravan, consisting of twelve identical carts, traveled along a forest path toward Wishmoore. The carts themselves were camouflaged; they were painted with a splattering of various shades of green. All curtains inside the carts were drawn, preventing anybody from seeing the contents within. Each cart had an ox assigned to pull it¡ªsome had two. Escorting the caravan was a collection of roughly two dozen men and women. Most appeared human, though some were visibly hybrids.


    Riven, Cili, and Galina had been tailing the caravan for almost two hours straight. It was Cili¡¯s lead regarding the sea serpent scales that had led the group to the path the caravan traveled. They then carefully followed the tracks and footprints that were left behind, staying deep within the forest to avoid being seen.


    ¡°Stop here!¡± The man at the front caravan raised his hand. Unlike the others, who all had on black suits, his suit was a deep wine red. His undershirt was pitch black with a white tie. His dark skin contrasted with his slicked-back spiky white hair. The most notable article of clothing was the set of golden ring piercings around his ears.


    The clopping of ox hooves, the spinning of wagon wheels, and any idle chatter disappeared in an instant.


    ¡°What is it, Xavier?¡± one of the men further back asked.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Calvin?¡± Xavier asked.


    Everyone quickly looked around in confusion.


    ¡°He was assigned to number 7, yes?¡± Xavier asked.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s right,¡± a dwarven woman at the far end of the caravan replied.


    Xavier marched down the caravan; everyone else stood in silence, their eyes fixated on Xavier.


    Once he arrived at the seventh cart in the caravan, he went to open the door. Unfortunately, Xavier went for the door opposite Riven, Cili, and Galina who were still hiding in the nearby woods, so they couldn¡¯t see what was inside the cart.


    Immediately, even as far as they were from the cart, a sudden chill blasted through the surrounding forest. The area where Xavier had opened the door froze instantaneously; the grass stopped swaying in the wind, and half the bark of several trees was coated in ice.


    ¡°That fucking idiot,¡± Xavier groaned.


    Shifting carefully through the foliage, the trio moved to get a better view of what Xavier was doing. Stepping back from the cart, Xavier had a singular hand stretched outward and tensed, but not fully closed as if it were holding an orb despite there being nothing visible in his hand. Floating just in front of him was what looked like a lifesize, hyper-realistic ice sculpture of an adult man.


    ¡°Did I not tell everyone at cart 7 numerous times to keep your eyes closed when feeding?!¡± Xavier shouted.


    Nobody said a word.


    Xavier let out an exasperated sigh. He lowered his hand, and as he did, Calvin¡¯s frozen body followed his movements.


    ¡°That¡¯s like what you do Galina,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know anyone else could do it without a skill.¡±


    ¡°He could¡¯ve used a skill, and just said it quietly,¡± Riven said. ¡°Too early to come to any conclusions.¡±


    As Calvin¡¯s body was set down in the shade, Xavier turned back to the caravan. ¡°Can anyone fix him?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I can,¡± one man said, rushing over.


    ¡°Wait, you idiot!¡± Xavier exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯re at cart 4. A single phoenix feather will melt half his body off, and at this point, I don¡¯t trust any of you to follow protocol. Is there anyone else who can help?¡±


    A woman from cart 9 raised her hand, and Xavier beckoned her closer. She placed a hand on the frozen body and clutched something around her neck that none of the trio could make out from such a far distance.


    ¡°Unfreeze, [Restore].¡±


    The ice slowly began to melt, giving way to bright red skin.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Calvin screamed as his sense of feeling abruptly returned.


    ¡°Consider yourself lucky. A frostbite basilisk¡¯s gaze kills you after a day of being frozen. Just a few hours could lead to permanent loss of one or more limbs,¡± Xavier said. ¡°Now, somebody not from cart 4, help this man up and get him on an ox. Medics start treating his frostbite.¡±


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    A giant orc woman and a human man rushed to pick Calvin up and prop him on an ox. The woman who had healed him earlier began applying a salve to the red marks on Calvin¡¯s skin.


    ¡°We can¡¯t afford to lose any more time. We¡¯re already behind schedule. Any more delays and we¡¯ll miss the auction entirely,¡± Xavier said.


    ¡°The auction?¡± Cili wondered aloud.


    ¡°Shh!¡± Galina whispered. ¡°He¡¯s still talking.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget. Our primary mission is to deliver the specimens not just alive, but in pristine health,¡± Xavier said. ¡°No buyer wants a half-dead animal, even if it¡¯s from the other side of the world.


    ¡°Now as I said, there may be something at this auction capable of curing Mrs. Willow¡¯s affliction. If there is anything presented at this auction you believe is capable of saving her life, you must inform me immediately. In the case that I am unable to be reached, you have my permission to bid any amount of money necessary to acquire the item. Use your discretion wisely. There will be consequences for purchasing an item not beneficial to Mrs. Willow.¡±


    ¡°Well, that complicates things. Elric¡¯s alchemy with a philosopher¡¯s stone is definitely something they¡¯ll want to cure a fatal illness,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Willow? Why does that name sound familiar?¡± Galina wondered aloud. ¡°Cili, isn¡¯t your friend called Willow?¡±


    ¡°You did say that,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Wait, Xavier! Holy shit, I didn¡¯t recognize him. He looks so different!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°You know him?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but I can¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°Why the fuck not?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t! I also can¡¯t say anything about Willow, okay. It¡¯s for her safety.¡±


    ¡°For her safety? We aren¡¯t gonna hurt her,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°How do I know that?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Riven asked, genuine frustration rich in her tone. She lurched forward, invading Cili¡¯s personal space.


    Galina placed a hand on Riven¡¯s shoulder and pulled her back slightly. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this later.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we will.¡±


    Cili looked as if she wanted to say something, but before she could, Xavier spoke up.


    ¡°You know, on second thought, before we go, maybe I should just take a headcount.¡± Xavier clapped his hands together. ¡°[Detect] X [Link].¡±


    Had it been a chant skill, the trio may have been able to react. Before any of them could even get off a quick cast, a massive pulse of an essence radiated outward from Xavier. Every person within a certain radius of Xavier felt an acute pain in their brain for just a moment¡ªeverybody except Riven, Cili, and Galina.


    The moment the pulse reached the trio, the orb suspended at the apex of Galina¡¯s staff began to furiously gyrate; it began to bounce back and forth like a pendulum threatening to leave suspension at any moment.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Xavier clutched his head as soon as the pulse radiated out. ¡°Feedback?¡±


    He reached his hand toward where Riven, Cili, and Galina were hidden. Xavier closed his hand into a fist. As he did, the ground beneath the trio began to violently shake. Xavier tried to raise his hand, but it felt as if weighed several hundred pounds.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± He extended his other arm. Both his hands balled into the fists, and once again tried to raise his arms, but his telekinetic grasp on the ground wasn¡¯t strong enough to rip it from the earth in one fell swoop. His arms shook violently, and every muscle was tensed, but despite his best efforts, they rose incredibly slowly.


    ¡°I think we should run,¡± Galina said.


    The ground beneath them was beginning to rupture and tear. Vines burst out from underneath the soil as trees began to violently shake.


    ¡°We can¡¯t run. We¡¯ll leave tracks,¡± Riven said.


    It was clear Xavier hadn¡¯t seen them. Otherwise, he would¡¯ve used his telekinesis on them to restrain them directly rather than trying to upend the ground they stood on.


    ¡°No, we won¡¯t.¡± Cili clutched the talisman of bone around her neck. ¡°Without a trace, [Vanish].¡± The feet of the trio became enveloped in Cili¡¯s essence. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Each footprint the three left behind disappeared before they had a chance to make another.


    Xavier let his arms collapse to his sides and opened his white-knuckled hands. ¡°Everyone search the area!¡±


    After a 15-minute search of the surrounding area, it was unanimously concluded by all members of the caravan that there was no one nearby. However, Xavier pushed back. He ordered another search. Then another. Only after three searches, and reminders of his previous statement about them not having any time to waste did he finally stop.


    As the caravan readied to move forward, Xavier nonchalantly extended an arm out toward a tree. As he closed his hand into a fist, the tree¡¯s trunk immediately split into chunks.


    Xavier glanced down at his hand as he continued to squeeze and unsqueeze it. ¡°The dampening effect is gone now. Where did it come from? It didn¡¯t just react to my skills, it stopped my natural abilities as well. And the feedback, it¡¯s just like ¡­ no, they¡¯re all dead, right?¡±


    A hellish grin crept across Xavier¡¯s face, stretching from ear to ear. He covered his mouth with his hand to hide it, but his joy was unmistakable.


    ¡°What¡¯s got you in a good mood?¡± one of the men asked.


    Xavier coughed and beat his chest, wiping the smile from his face. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d get the chance, but it seems my dream may come true.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I think I might get the chance to kill one of the bastards who wiped everyone I ever loved throughout my entire childhood off the face of Fable.¡±

 Chapter 21: Rocky Reunion

    Nestled on a forgotten street corner, where the cobblestone was cracked and loose, the Leaky Mug tavern sat in darkness. Its wooden exterior was ridden with gaps patched up with wood that had been ripped directly from the creaky floorboard; the openings in the roof had been crudely filled with a tarp torn from the awning hanging over the entrance. A flickering lantern cast a feeble light on the worn sign that squeaked as it swayed above the door.


    Draxl gazed up at the sign.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    ¡°It''s Draxl. I don¡¯t know the password or anything, but I knew Robin. Ask anybody who''s been here for a while. They¡¯ll know me.¡±


    The door creaked open slowly. On the other side was a young teenage boy with a shaved beard¡ªand a few fresh cuts along the face¡ªwearing ragged clothing that had been messily sewn together to patch up any holes.


    ¡°Everyone knows you,¡± the boy said.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Draxl stepped inside. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± He extended his hand out.


    The boy quickly accepted the handshake. ¡°Dennis.¡±


    ¡°Nice name.¡± Draxl glanced around the room, taking in his surroundings.


    The Leaky Mug had been abandoned for months, yet the air was alive with laughter and camaraderie. The members of The Free Few scattered across the decrepit tavern: hanging from railings upside down, standing atop tables, or laying down with one head on one chair, and their legs on another. Everybody was young, most under 25, others as young as 14.


    In one corner, a game of dice was beginning to unfold; in another one of the older members sat on a chair with many of the younger ones gathered around on the floor as he regaled them with tales of his various escapades¡ªmany of which were either greatly exaggerated or entirely fabricated; in another a massive vat of stew bubbled away as the cooks ripped up floorboards and chucked them into the fire; in another there were people placing pillows and laying down tarps to sleep on to avoid getting splinters from the old wood.


    ¡°Boss will want to see you. He¡¯s up on the second floor,¡± Dennis said.


    ¡°Good, I was looking for him. Which room?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Only one that¡¯s still got a door on its hinges.¡±


    Murmurs rippled through the space and heads turned as Draxl made his way up the stairs toward the second floor. Despite Draxl¡¯s rough past couple of days, he was still relatively clean and put together¡ªenough to stand out. Just above the bar at the top of the balcony, he saw a single door locked shut.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    The door swung open so fast it nearly snapped off its rusty hinges.


    ¡°Draxl!¡±


    Rushing out of the room, a girl, a few years younger than Draxl, wrapped her arms around him. The girl¡¯s skin was lightly tan. Her brunette hair was tied up in a high ponytail. Her attire was very similar to Draxl¡¯s, though less extravagant¡ªfewer pouches, her armor was less polished, and instead of a scarf she had on a hood¡ªand in a dark navy instead of a white and royal blue.


    ¡°Hey Rose,¡± Draxl winced. ¡°Little tight.¡±


    Rose squeezed even harder; any tighter and Draxl felt his ribcage would crack.


    ¡°This better?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°Much better,¡± Draxl groaned.


    Glancing inside the room, Draxl saw that everything inside had been removed, aside from a lantern hanging on one of the walls and a single table. On the table was a world map with several daggers embedded in it.


    At the far end of the table was a young man just a few years older than Draxl. Both of his hands were gripping the table, and his back was hunched over the map. He had on a hooded black cloak that ran down the right side of his back. A set of leather armor, tools, numerous pouches, and two daggers tucked away in sheathes, each a dark black accented with streaks of gold adorned the man¡¯s body.


    As Draxl¡¯s gaze met the man¡¯s he recognized his unique eyes. Instead of white, the man¡¯s eyes were predominantly a deep black; in place of an iris, the eyes had a golden halo. The man¡¯s skin shared the same empty night sky black color as his eyes. He pulled his hood down revealing messy, dusty silver hair.


    ¡°Hey, Draxl.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Zeke.¡±


    ¡°Rose, would you let go of him for me?¡± Zeke asked.


    Rose frowned. ¡°Five more seconds.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you have a choice,¡± Draxl said.


    A few moments later, Rose released Draxl from her vice grip. Draxl sucked in a big breath of air.


    ¡°Do you think you could give us a moment, Rose?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°We have a lot to catch up on.¡±


    Rose didn¡¯t verbally protest, but she did pout. She quietly left the room, shutting the door on her way out.


    Zeke noticed Draxl¡¯s eyes were fixated on him, nervously looking him up and down.


    ¡°They¡¯re there.¡± Zeke unclipped his bracers and rolled up his sleeves. It was difficult to discern due to the poor lighting and his unnaturally dark skin tone, but Draxl was able to recognize burn scars all along Zeke¡¯s arms. Zeke tightened his hands a few times. ¡°Hands still work. Just a lot more sensitive where the scars are. That¡¯s about all.¡±


    ¡°Anywhere else?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Pretty much everywhere. But hey, I still got my pretty face, so that¡¯s something.¡±


    The tiniest smile appeared on Draxl¡¯s face.


    ¡°Two years, huh?¡± Zeke said.


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you find us?¡± Zeke asked.


    ¡°Long story.¡±


    ¡°I bet.¡±.


    ¡°And, you? How¡¯d you get everybody back together?¡± Draxl asked


    ¡°Long story.¡±


    ¡°I bet.¡±


    The two looked at each other and exchanged a brief chuckle.


    ¡°So, are you ready to come back?¡± Zeke asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little preoccupied. I just need some information,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Shoot.¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°You guys captured an avatar, Elric Feu. I need to find him. What can you tell me about that?¡±


    Zeke sighed. He hesitated to answer Draxl, but only for a moment. ¡°There was this rich client in Journey. Only ever sent a messenger, so I had no idea who they were¡ªalways met in a public place too. They wanted Elric captured, so I took the job. Handed him over to the messenger a little less than a month ago. Haven¡¯t seen Elric since.¡±


    ¡°Huh? A diviner said Elric was in Wishmoore not too long ago,¡± Draxl informed Zeke. ¡°Figured you¡¯d still have him since you¡¯re back in town at the old hideout.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Zeke said, confused. ¡°We¡¯re here for an auction. Out of town there¡¯s this barn. There¡¯s a [Planar Connector] to an auction house set up inside.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why Elric is here. Doesn¡¯t explain who wanted him, why they wanted him, or how he ended up here, but I can¡¯t see any other reason for him to be in Wishmoore.¡± Draxl turned around and started heading toward the door. ¡°Thanks for the info.¡±


    ¡°Woah, woah! Hold the fuck up!¡± Zeke exclaimed. ¡°You disappear for two years, and won¡¯t even stay the night? Rose has been dying to see you for forever. All of us have. Stick around, share some stories, spend the night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got somewhere to be tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so spend an hour,¡± Zeke insisted. ¡°Just to talk.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Draxl said. He refused to turn around and look Zeke in the eyes.


    A loud thud shook the room as Zeke slammed his fist onto the table in frustration. ¡°Don¡¯t do this shit again! We¡¯ll wait for you to finish whatever you need to do.¡±


    ¡°You know it¡¯s not that simple.¡±


    ¡°What isn¡¯t that simple?¡± Zeke asked angrily. ¡°Here¡¯s an idea, if things aren¡¯t that simple alone, maybe, just maybe, they¡¯ll be easier with other people. Have you ever thought of that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy! It¡¯s not simple! It¡¯s worse!¡± Draxl shouted. ¡°You of all people know that. Surprised you¡¯re able to forget what happened last time.¡±


    ¡°You mean these?¡± Zeke rolled up his sleeves and flaunted his scars. Still, Draxl refused to turn around. ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit about these! You can¡¯t just protect everybody from yourself.¡±


    Draxl hung his head down, just inches away from the door. As he stared at the door, something caught his eye: the door was slightly ajar. He distinctly remembered closing it. Someone had opened it to listen in on them.


    Draxl smirked as he let out a faint chuckle, not out of happiness, but rather the absurdity of an idea that had crossed his mind.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you shut up?¡± Draxl turned around and stared daggers into Zeke. His misty eyes were now bone dry. All the care, compassion, kindness, and concern in his voice evaporated like an ocean in Hell. ¡°All this self-righteous bullshit. You spout all this nonsense like you¡¯re better than me, but I¡¯d argue you¡¯re ten times worse.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Zeke asked, too shocked by Draxl¡¯s sudden shift in demeanor to say anything else.


    ¡°You¡¯re confused? Don¡¯t worry I can explain,¡± Draxl reassured Zeke with a sly grin on his face and eyes wide with intensity. ¡°See I at least know there are parts of me that I need to protect people from. You on the other hand, oh boy, you still seem convinced you¡¯re perfect. That there is nothing you can do wrong.


    ¡°Must have been hard for you when Robin was around. Constantly getting all your ideas shot down. I bet you blamed it all on favoritism, or that Robin was biased against you, and only ever listened to me. When in reality, you were wrong.¡±


    ¡°Where the fuck did you get this idea from?¡± Zeke exclaimed dumbfounded. ¡°First of all, I talked to Robin numerous times without you there. Also, she shut you down a hell of a lot too. On top of all that, Robin agreed with me sometimes!


    ¡°Robin gave the reason behind her decision each time. Her decisions weren¡¯t always the most logical, but they had a reason behind them. I respected her¡ª¡±


    ¡°You respected her?¡± Draxl reiterated louder, with an exaggerated confusion. ¡°Coulda fooled me, because from what it sounds like you decided to trample on her entire legacy. One rule. We had one fucking rule. Steal from the rich, and give to the poor.


    ¡°And I know the number one thing you kept pushing for was to keep a little more money for ourselves. To treat ourselves right. It would piss you off every time Robin would be dismissive. Always complained about how she¡¯d say ¡®we have enough.¡¯ I know that drove you insane.


    ¡°Then all of sudden, there¡¯s no more Robin anymore, and you finally have your chance. What do you do with that chance? Do you live up to Robin¡¯s legacy? Do you acknowledge the parts of you that were wrong?


    ¡°Of course not! You decide let¡¯s be fucking mercenaries. Those elites whose oppression we were fighting against, fuck it, let¡¯s do their dirty work. For what?¡±


    ¡°Because!¡± Zeke shouted. ¡°Because we needed the money too¡ª¡±


    ¡°We needed the money, what a fucking suprise. Moment Robin was gone you just ran towards being a leader and left behind all the lessons she taught you.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe Robin wouldn¡¯t be gone if it wasn¡¯t for¡ª¡± Zeke cut himself off.


    ¡°I fucking knew it!¡± Draxl exclaimed, with a manic smile and hysteric look in his eyes. ¡°I knew you blamed me for Robin¡¯s death. Always have!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡±


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t try to hide it. In the heat of the moment, you fucked up. Your mask slipped off. No point trying to scramble to put it back on. Good to know how you really feel.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how I feel!¡± Zeke insisted. ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie to you and say you didn¡¯t have a part in Robin¡¯s death. You did. So did I. But at the end of the day, Robin made the decision herself.¡±


    ¡°And you probably think it was a stupid ass decision, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t want her to die! You wanna who else I didn¡¯t want to die? You!¡± Zeke shouted. ¡°But none of that matters anymore. We¡¯re here now.


    ¡±I can¡¯t pretend to know all the shit going on in your life. I know you have a million things you need to do, and if you don¡¯t want my help, fine, I can¡¯t force it on you. All I want is for when you inevitably go through hell and back, that you remember this place is still here for you if you need it. The same way it was there for both of us.¡±


    ¡°Same is a stretch, but sure I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Draxl said. ¡°Thanks for nothing. Maybe I¡¯ll buy some marshmallows on my way back. You know, for when this place goes up in flames, again. Just fair warning, when that happens you won¡¯t be able to blame me again.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you Draxl,¡± Zeke said.


    ¡°Sure you don¡¯t.¡± Draxl spun around and grabbed the door handle. The moment he did, he could hear shuffling just outside the door.


    ¡°Draxl,¡± Zeke said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Robin doesn¡¯t blame you either.¡±


    Draxl remained silent. He cracked open the door, and immediately looked around for who was listening to their conversation. Initially, nobody caught his eye, until he looked up, and saw Rose clinging desperately to the ceiling.


    He immediately broke eye contact with her. He physically couldn¡¯t bring himself to look her in the eyes, knowing she had heard everything he had just said. Silence echoed in the tavern. It wasn¡¯t just Rose; everyone had heard Draxl and Zeke.


    As Draxl turned his back to her and started to walk away, Rose called out to him. ¡°Are you just going to run? Again?¡± The sniffles that broke up Rose¡¯s words tore at Draxl¡¯s soul.


    Draxl stopped. Realistically, he should have run as fast as he could. Before Rose or Zeke could say another word, because if they did, there was no guarantee he could walk away, and Draxl had to walk away.


    Draxl marched away in silence, the echoing of creaky floorboards filled the run-down tavern. Everybody in the tavern had gone dead silent. Though they likely hadn¡¯t heard the entire conversation like Rose, as things got more heated, undoubtedly bits and pieces made their way throughout the entire tavern.


    Zeke slowly stepped out of the room. He knelt to Rose who had collapsed to her knees crying, and gently embraced her.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay,¡± Zeke assured Rose, gently patting her back. ¡°He just needs some space.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t mean what he said, I know he didn¡¯t!¡± Rose shouted.


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± Zeke helped Rose stand to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m the leader and he still finds a way to take on a heavier burden. Bastard just hates losing.¡±


    As Draxl grasped the door handle, the door began to rattle profusely. Draxl kept a calm exterior and emotionless face, but his whole body was shaking. Just before he opened it, he was stopped by a voice shouting out from behind him.


    ¡°Hey, Draxl!¡± Zeke shouted from atop the balcony. ¡°The job was only to hand Elric off to the messenger. We aren¡¯t connected to him anymore. So if he goes missing, it won¡¯t look bad for us.


    ¡°Oh, and one more thing. When angel hybrids become fallen angels, they gain a few new abilities. My personal favorite is that our eyes can detect when somebody is lying. Just something I figured you¡¯d wanna know.¡±


    ¡°Why would I give a shit about that?¡± Draxl asked, as he cracked the door open, and stepped out into the frigid cold, empty streets of Wishmoore in the dead of night.


    As Draxl walked down the street back to Wishful Wanders to rendezvous with the rest of The Hangmen, he looked around and didn¡¯t notice anybody nearby. The solidarity gave him enough comfort to think aloud.


    ¡°What did he say? ¡®You can¡¯t just protect everybody from yourself.¡¯ Well, I just did bitch, so fuck you, Zeke. So long as they hate me, nobody gets hurt.¡±


    ¡°Is he talking to himself?¡±


    Draxl glanced behind and noticed a group of friends walking behind him. He realized he must have missed them when looking earlier.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty weird.¡±


    ¡°Everybody talks to themselves.¡±


    ¡°But this late at night.¡±


    ¡°And by yourself too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s some serial killer behavior for sure.¡±


    Draxl scoffed. If anything the group¡¯s commentary helped to distract him from everything that had just happened. ¡°I wonder if everyone else¡¯s outing was this emotionally taxing?¡±

 Chapter 22: Info Dump

    Creak!


    Draxl opened the door to The Hangmen¡¯s suite on the second floor of Wishful Wanders. He was greeted with the sight of the other Hangmen strewn about the room.


    The entire room was a carnival of chaos. Rugs were upturned, cushions were scattered about, and the bed sheets resembled tumbleweeds more than blankets.


    Ace sat in one of the beds next to a window, nestled in a mess of sheets, staring blankly at a book whose pages he hadn¡¯t turned in several minutes. Riven hung over the bedframe of another bed. Halvor laid on the ground too far from her. Kai was slumped on the couch at a 45-degree angle with the ground. Galina leaned against her staff in the corner, slowly slipping lower and lower. Cili hung from the ceiling upside down, clinging to the wooden beams with her feet.


    They were all fighting to keep conscious; they were all, also, rapidly losing that fight.


    ¡°Sorry about the wait,¡± Draxl said.


    Kai barely managed to lift his head to glance up at Draxl through half-shut eyes. ¡°Two and a half,¡± Kai glanced up at the clock in their room, ¡°my bad, three and a half hours.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t have a set meeting time,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°No, no, we talked about this,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°While technically we didn¡¯t specify a precise time to meet up, we did say later today, and given that it is currently 3:36 in the morning, that means you are late,¡± Ace explained.


    ¡°So am I gonna be punished?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°And that punishment is?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Never got that far,¡± Kai replied matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Oh, Cili had a good idea,¡± Halvor recalled aloud. ¡°What was it again?¡±


    ¡°Death,¡± Cili said bluntly.


    ¡°Oh, oh, why did I think that was a good idea?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°I still think it is, to be fair,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Seconded,¡± Kai added.


    ¡°Okay, before I get executed, you might wanna hear about the information I gathered,¡± Draxl suggested. ¡°You know, the reason we¡¯re all here in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Are we finally getting to the productive part?¡± Ace asked, shutting his book with a loud thud. ¡°I guess I can start.


    ¡°I ended up going to Siren¡¯s Song along with Halvor and Kai. If either of them have anything to add feel free to interject, because I came up pretty empty. Ended up playing a game of Rebellion with a pirate to get some gold. After that, it looked like Kai used the gold to pay the bartender for some information. You wanna elaborate on what he said, Kai?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Kai pulled out his notebook.¡±By the way, for anyone wondering, we¡¯ll get to where this went.¡± Kai gestured to the area where his locket once hung. ¡°Anyway, the bartender, Diego, explained that there was going to be an auction at a barn just outside of town tomorrow night. Good chance Elric is there, either to be bid or be bid on.


    ¡°After that, we followed the river out of the city. Once the river stopped, we continued in the same direction until we reached a clearing in the woods where the barn was.¡±


    ¡°Do you mind if Ace and I go first since it seems you went through a lot more?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably a good idea,¡± Kai agreed.


    Halvor stood up. ¡°Thank you. The owner of this barn was an older man, who was also a golem hybrid, named Brixton. I went with him on a walk, since he offered to share some information on golem culture, and stories, which I didn''t get a lot of since my dad wasn¡¯t a hybrid, and my mom ¡­ wasn¡¯t around a whole lot.


    ¡°I managed to ask him some questions about the auction tomorrow night. For starters, it was pretty clear Brixton didn¡¯t know it was an auction. He told me people came to set up at night while he was in town and asked him not to check inside the barn, since he might mess something up. He couldn¡¯t tell me who rented out the space because of the contract, but he could tell me that people had been coming to prepare for the past two weeks. Also, tomorrow they asked him to stay in town all day.¡±


    ¡°Diego mentioned that the auction was happening at night,¡± Ace pointed out. ¡°If they wanted Brixton gone all day that likely means they¡¯re going to take the rest of the day to entertain guests and get the last bits of inventory inside.¡±


    ¡°Might be worth staking out to see who, and what is coming in and out,¡± Draxl suggested. ¡°In an ideal world, we grab Elric before he even reaches the drop-off.¡±


    ¡°Wait, the auction is at a barn?¡± Cili asked. ¡°How big is that fuckin barn?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re getting to that,¡± Ace reassured Cili. ¡°In my case, I didn¡¯t find out much. The land around the farm hadn¡¯t been able to grow anything for a while according to Brixton. I wasn¡¯t a farmhand by any means, but I grew up in the country so I still know enough about farms to give it a once over. Nothing seemed wrong with the land, which means there¡¯s something supernatural going on, likely a poison, curse, or some monster.¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, didn¡¯t Simon mention someone named Brixton?¡± Galina asked. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he the one who supposedly had his land attacked by that shadow griffin?¡±


    ¡°Again that¡¯s not possible!¡± Cili exclaimed. ¡°The griffin¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t red, meaning it wasn¡¯t hostile. If it attacked his land it was probably just hungry. Also, it can¡¯t make stuff not grow on the land.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have my own theory,¡± Riven muttered under her breath.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re getting off track. One thing at a time. There¡¯s a lot of information, so let¡¯s try to keep it streamlined, before we go into planning,¡± Ace pleaded. ¡°Speaking of which, Kai, care to explain what happened in that barn?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was, a lot.¡± Kai sat upright and cleared his throat. ¡°Okay, so, starting from the beginning I picked the lock to the barn to try and scope out the inside. The only thing was the moment I stepped into the barn I was transported into an opulent series of hallways. It was like a cross between a theater and a hotel.


    ¡°When I came in I encountered somebody in a suit with a skull mask, but managed to knock him out. I tried to find a way out of the place, but the halls seemed like an endless maze. I tried opening the doors, but everything was locked. They seemed to go around some central area, though I couldn¡¯t find a way inside. If I had to guess, that''s where the auction is going to be held, and they¡¯ll somehow open it up tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°Did you try picking any of the locks on the doors?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°I was honestly about to, but then I ended up bumping into somebody else. He helped me find the way out. Apparently, in that central lobby area I got dropped into there were a ton of paintings; behind one was a sigil that once I touched it took me back.


    ¡°The dude who helped me back was super nice. He was a dragon hybrid like you, Cili, but he was even more dragon than you: two-thirds to three-fourths. The craziest part was his scales. He tattooed his scales in all different colors.¡°


    Halvor sat down and leaned back in his cushioned chair. The creaking of the wood rumbled through his back, as his face sank. ¡°Did he tell you his name?¡± Halvor asked, his voice uncharacteristically heavy.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, it was Osiris.¡±


    Halvor felt as if a giant were using his body as a drum. ¡°Osiris is¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my brother!¡± Cili exclaimed excitedly, cutting off Halvor. A loud thud echoed through the room as the sudden surprise caused her to lose her footing, and fall from the ceiling.


    ¡°Really?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°Yeah! Oh my gods, I haven¡¯t seen him in fucking forever. Bastard went on some great adventure a few years ago and never saw him since. You¡¯re telling me he got tattoos?! Mom is going to murder him, when she finds out, it¡¯ll be so funny.¡±


    ¡°Halvor, were you gonna say something?¡± Galina asked, not allowing Cili¡¯s giddiness to completely overshadow Halvor¡¯s masked dread.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll save it for once everyone is done,¡± Halvor said. ¡°We should stay on track, like Ace said.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Ace said. ¡°Well after that, Kai ended up teleporting outside the barn, and we had to grab him to make sure he didn¡¯t say anything, because the representative from the Armistice Order showed up. Kai was missing his locket, but we had to go, so we decided to come back for it later. We came back later, but couldn¡¯t find it.¡±


    ¡°You good man?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°I got the numbers written down, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Kai¡¯s thinly veiled lie didn''t hide anything, but everyone knew it wasn¡¯t the time to push the topic any further.


    ¡°Did you see the representative? Any defining features? What sect is he from?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°We pretty much dipped the moment we saw him. The only notable thing was shiny red hair in a bowl cut,¡± Ace replied.


    ¡°Eh, there are strong people with red hair and weak people with red hair, so we¡¯ll just play it by ear I guess,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you look at me when you said ¡®weak people with red hair¡¯?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s it from all of us,¡± Halvor said. ¡°At least for now anyway.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good baseline,¡± Riven said. ¡°I¡¯ll go next. As said before, Simon mentioned that the only real incident that happened recently was a shadow griffin that was spotted in the woods. I agree with Cili that it likely wasn¡¯t hostile, mainly because it took Brixton¡¯s food, but never attacked Brixton. Probably just hungry like Cili said due to it being away from its natural habitat.


    ¡°Anyhow we thought it might be related to Elric, since a shadow griffin all the way out here might be him experimenting with turning a normal griffin into a shadow griffin. A long shot, but we didn¡¯t have any other threads to go on.¡±


    ¡°Oh, also, THE Artemis from THE Ambition was the one who took down the shadow griffin!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°Don''t know what either of those are,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Artemis is the ranger for the adventuring group Ambition. In terms of power, they¡¯re one of the strongest, but their most defining characteristic is their adventures themselves. They¡¯re always filled with hijinks and heroics, far more so than even the most powerful adventuring parties,¡± Riven explained.


    ¡°They¡¯re also the most powerful,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Objectively not true, but continue,¡± Riven shot back.


    Cili furled her eyebrows. ¡°Riven I will fuck you u¡ª¡±


    ¡°How about I continue?¡± Galina interjected. ¡°We tracked down where the shadow griffin was killed, and found another griffin, normal not shadow, descending into a cavern. Following it, there were a few of its young. Importantly, the young were a mix between shadow and original griffin. Based on how long Cili said it would take the eggs to hatch, and our knowledge of when Elric arrived we know the shadow griffin was here before him.¡±


    ¡°However, I ended up finding out that there were a ton of signs of creatures that shouldn¡¯t be here. You can applaud, now,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Please just continue. I want to sleep,¡± Kai pleaded.


    ¡°Okay applause can wait,¡± Cili said. ¡°We ended up following a trail of monster parts and found a caravan where a ton of people were leading these carts filled with creatures from all across Fable. They mentioned a phoenix and a frostbite basilisk. It sounded like they were planning on selling them at the auction.¡±


    ¡°Also, they were planning on trying to bid for something if it did show up. Anything that could cure Mrs. Willow¡¯s affliction.¡± Riven explained. ¡°Now can anyone think where we¡¯ve heard that name before.¡±


    ¡°Riven!¡± Galina whispered.


    ¡°That¡¯s your best friend, right Cili?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Okay, yes, but I can¡¯t talk about it,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Well, why is that?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°Oh, okay, well can you talk about Xander, the dude you recognized, who was leading that caravan?¡± Riven asked in the same annoyed tone.


    ¡°I told you I can¡¯t!¡± Cili shouted.


    Ace reached over to the book he had set aside and opened it to the page he left off on.


    Just tune it all out.

 Chapter 23: Just Tune It All Out

    Just tune it all out, Ace repeated.


    ¡°Riven, that¡¯s enough!¡± Galina insisted, grabbing Riven¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Get your fucking hands off of me.¡± Riven slapped Galina¡¯s hand away. ¡° You¡¯re getting mad at me?! Our lives are on the line, and she won¡¯t tell us anything!¡±


    ¡°Back off Riven, some people have shit they don¡¯t want to share,¡± Kai said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have shit you don¡¯t want to tell any of us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my closet is full of skeletons,¡± Riven conceded. ¡°The difference is that if my skeletons suddenly kicked down the closet door and started chasing after me, I¡¯d let the people I¡¯m with know just enough to keep themselves safe.¡±


    Just tune it all out.


    ¡°She¡¯s right, Kai. Cili could have actual useful information she¡¯s withholding from us,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°There is no fucking way, you of all people, are saying that!¡± Kai exclaimed. ¡°You know what, fuck it, this was information for you to share when you were comfortable, but after that, I think everyone deserves to know this.


    ¡°You know the band of thieves that kidnapped Elric in the first place: The Free Few. Draxl was the SECOND IN COMMAND FOR YEARS!¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Is that true?¡± Galina asked.


    Just tune it all out.


    ¡°I talked to them tonight. They confirmed they kidnapped Elric and handed him off all the way back in Journey. Their involvement ended there, so it wasn¡¯t relevant to share. The only things they confirmed were that there was an auction and that they were using a [Planar Connector] to host, both things we already know. If my involvement with the group became relevant, I would¡¯ve elaborated on it.¡±


    ¡°What about in Wickerbound, when we first heard about them from Cally? You had no reason to believe they weren¡¯t involved before then,¡± Kai argued.


    ¡°So I waited to confirm! Gods, I know you¡¯re a fucking idiot, but this is a whole new level,¡± Draxl fired back.


    Just tune it all out.


    Galina tried to speak, but felt too overwhelmed by all the shouting that she remained silent.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to talk about this anymore,¡± Cili said, irritated. ¡°Halvor you were going to say something about my brother, earlier. What was it?¡±


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m not sure this is the time to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, for fucks sake, are you also going to withhold critical information?¡± Riven asked, furious and fed up.


    ¡°Osiris works for the lab!¡± Halvor shouted. ¡°I was going to ask. Kai, did you show him your locket, because if you did I think he would have stolen it.¡±


    Kai suppressed his shock. ¡°I did but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I told you to stop looking into this!¡± Halvor exclaimed. ¡°Now they¡¯re never going to let you go!¡±


    ¡°How was I supposed to know?! He was just a nice guy who helped me, I wasn¡¯t even looking into it!¡± Kai said, bewildered by Halvor¡¯s anger.


    Just tune it all out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did you say my brother works for the lab?!¡± Cili asked. ¡°The same one that¡¯s doing all those nasty experiments? That¡¯s not true! He would never do that! Did you know I was his sister?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t!¡± Halvor insisted. ¡°He talked about having a younger sister, but never said her name. I didn¡¯t know his reason, or why he was doing the work, but it could''ve been noble.¡±


    ¡°It was! My brother would never do anything like that! I know him!¡± Cili¡¯s eyes glistened in the moonlight as tears began to well up inside them.


    ¡°Your brother was always kind to me,¡± Halvor assured Cili. ¡°Not everyone was there by choice, a lot of them were victims of circumstance.¡±


    Just tune it all out.


    ¡°Halvor isn¡¯t trying to insult your brother Cili,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°How about we go back to the fact that Draxl used to be a part of The Free Few,¡± Riven suggested, ¡°because that shit is fucking crazy.¡±


    ¡°You know what I agree!¡± Kai exclaimed, turning to Draxl with a cocky grin.


    ¡°How are you not understanding this!¡± Draxl shouted, clenching his fists. ¡°I would¡¯ve said something if it mattered. I went today to check if it did. It doesn''t. So I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Just tune it all out.


    ¡°Well, you could¡¯ve said something back in Wickerbound,¡± Riven argued.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t know if it was relevant then!¡± Draxl rebutted.


    ¡°Yes, we did!¡± Kai countered. ¡°Cally literally said they were the ones who kidnapped Elric!¡±


    Just tune it all out.


    Ace tried to focus on his book. The text blurred as the conversation continued to devolve into an unbearable cacophony, each voice overlapping and competing for dominance. The incessant noise grated away at Ace¡¯s nerves like nails on a chalkboard. Words had lost their meaning and all swelled together into a skull-splitting headache.


    Just tune it all out.


    <hr>


    ¡°You¡¯re wasting his potential!¡±


    ¡°I am not sending our son to Journey by himself!¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯ll go with him!¡±


    ¡°You just want to go back home!¡±


    Just tune it all out.


    ¡°Do you know how many times I thought about going back home? I stayed for this family, and put up with all the shit you put me through! I¡¯m not doing this for me! I¡¯m doing this for our son!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the life he has here?!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a brilliant, bright young boy. He can¡¯t grow up to be a farmer. He needs to be a scholar, artificer, doctor, lawyer, so many better things than a farmer.¡±


    Just tune it all out.


    ¡°So we abandon everything I¡¯ve built here. Move into the heart of Fable, and leave everyone behind.¡±


    ¡°That is the exact same sacrifice I made! I left my home to raise our son. Why can¡¯t you do the same?¡±


    ¡°Sacrifice this. Sacrifice that. Sacrifice. Sacrifice. No one forced you to make this decision! You chose to come out here!¡±


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Just tune it all out.


    ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have!¡±


    ¡°You want to leave? Go! Go! Take him with you. Please. The best day of my life will be when I no longer have to take care of you two!¡±


    Just tune it all out.


    ¡°You know my family won¡¯t let me take Ace with me, because he¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s what? A farmer¡¯s son? Run to your family. I¡¯ll take care of him.¡±


    ¡°I taught him everything he knows! Gave him the best education I could! How will you take care of him?¡±


    ¡°The reason you could take care of him was because I was out working to support this whole family!¡±


    Just tune it all out.


    ¡°I was working in Journey! You wanted to move here and I told you I wouldn¡¯t be able to work. You told me that¡¯d be okay!¡±


    ¡°Then go. Go home. Go to Journey. See if I care.¡±


    ¡°You want me to go so badly, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Just tune it all out.


    SLAM!


    Just tune it all out.


    <hr>


    ¡°WILL YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!¡±


    As Ace screamed out, a loud thud cut through the chaos, as he slammed his book into the ground. Its pages splayed out as it skidded along the floor.


    Ace¡¯s voice was thick with frustration, but also shaky and laced with desperation. The words were as much a plea as they were a roar. His face¡ªnow a bright red¡ªwas rigid, with veins bursting from his neck. His hands trembled at his sides, clenched into fists so tight his hands turned white. His chest heaved with heavy breaths, as he tried to gather himself.


    The outburst was met with a thick and oppressive silence. The remnants of Ace¡¯s fury hung in the air, palpable to everyone present.


    Ace wrestled the bed covers from off himself, and sprang out from the bed. His breath and body steadied as he unclenched his fists. From Ace¡¯s hands, blood dripped onto the floor. The distress the conversation had caused Ace numbed him to the feeling of dead skin and blood underneath his fingernails as they dug into his palms.


    ¡°Yeah, I get it, it¡¯s frustrating we don¡¯t trust each other, but we¡¯ve also only known each other for like a few weeks. Being hesitant to reveal personal information, even if it¡¯s going to help, isn¡¯t that surprising. Is it appreciated? Ab-so-fucking-lutely. Is yelling at somebody about how they¡¯re so wrong, and you¡¯re so right, going to make them spill their life story? NO! So shut the fuck up!


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m just as pissed off because I fucking need this to work. I need to get rid of this dumbass chain around my throat, and having people, in the same situation, refuse to give vital information that can help, is infuriating. But I understand why they¡¯re doing that! How do you not?!


    ¡°The worst part, the worst part of it all, is that you all are the people doing this. If it was six random nobodies trying to rip each other¡¯s throats out, I wouldn¡¯t give a shit. But you all are some of the most capable people I know. Now, I get that isn¡¯t saying a lot, okay, but seeing people with so much potential throw it all away, it doesn¡¯t make me angry, it fucking terrifies me.


    ¡°If any of you walk away, you¡¯ll probably figure a way out of this on your own. It will be harder, probably a lot harder, but you¡¯ll make it. Me? I¡¯m fucked. I can¡¯t do shit. Sure I¡¯ve got this soul stuff, but I don¡¯t know how any of it works. Turns out, I barely know how the world works.


    ¡°What I do know, is if you all stopped acting like children, and just realized, all of us are a profoundly fucked up mess of contradictions, even without all this extra information, this shit will be easy, because you are all fucking amazing. You can do things where the only reason I can even fathom them is because I spent my entire childhood reading fantasy books.


    ¡°If I can''t get rid of this chain, then life¡¯s a real bitch, because now that I want to start living, the opportunity to do so, that¡¯s been dangling in front of me for years, gets ripped away. That opportunity, right now, that¡¯s all of you. Without you ¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do. So please, just put up with each other for one more day! Please.¡±


    The room, previously filled with a cacophony of voices, echoed with deafening silence. Everyone avoided each other¡¯s gaze, their eyes slowly drifting to the floor or darting around the room. Some shifted uncomfortably, crossing their arms or rubbing the back of their necks; others remained still, waiting for someone to break the tension.


    Halvor looked Ace in the eyes as he nodded slightly ¡°That works for me.¡±


    Galina followed, her gaze lifting to meet Ace¡¯s. ¡°Same here.¡±


    Riven nodded her head. ¡°I can do a day.¡±


    Kai¡¯s head didn¡¯t move, but his eyes shifted to meet Ace¡¯s. ¡°Me too.¡±


    Cili, her voice uncharacteristically calm, spoke next as she locked eyes with Ace. ¡°Okay, one day.¡±


    Draxl clenched his hands and glanced up toward Ace. ¡°One day it is.¡±


    Moments ago, the words that crowded the room were loud and hollow; now, their words were gentle and rich with sincerity.


    Ace breathed a huge sigh of relief, the tension in his body easing as the room finally settled into a calm. "Thank you," he said, his voice steadying. ¡°Now, this might just make things a million times worse, but it seems like with all the dissenting opinions in the room, if we are ever going to agree on anything, specifically a plan, somebody is going to need to take some kind of leadership role. Not to have complete authority, but at least to mediate the conversation, and make sure this shit never happens again.¡±


    ¡°A leader, huh? Not a bad idea,¡± Cili said. ¡°I mean, all official adventuring parties have a designated leader, so it makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Cool, who''s it gonna be?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°What the fuck? You,¡± Riven replied instantly.


    Ace¡¯s eyes widened as his eyebrows shot up in shock. He opened his mouth to protest, but before he could speak, he was interrupted by Draxl.


    ¡°Yeah, that makes the most sense,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Woah, woah, woah,¡± Ace interjected, trying to stop everyone to no avail.


    ¡°Literally when I said having a leader wasn¡¯t a bad idea, I was already thinking of you being the leader,¡± Cili admitted. ¡°You think I would¡¯ve said that if I thought Riven was the leader?¡±


    ¡°I deserve that,¡± Riven murmured under her breath.


    ¡°I was a little confused when you asked who the leader would be,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Even I felt you were the obvious pick,¡± Halvor added.


    ¡°How is the guy who just ranted about how dysfunctional he is the obvious pick for leader?!¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Because that rant is what actually got us all to pull our heads out our asses. The thing you said a leader needs to do. You just did,¡± Kai explained. ¡°You¡¯re the only person with empirical evidence supporting you being a good leader to this group specifically.¡±


    ¡°Literally anybody else would be better,¡± Ace said. ¡°Why not Galina? She wasn¡¯t arguing.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± Galina reminded Ace. ¡°I just backed off, instead of getting involved. A leader needs to be able to get involved.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about hitting your hand by the way,¡± Riven said. ¡°But, no dude, she¡¯s right when you¡¯re dealing with this gaggle of idiots, you gotta be heavy-handed in your approach.¡±


    ¡°How about Halvor?¡± Ace suggested. ¡°He¡¯s probably got one of the better moral compasses out of all of us.¡±


    ¡°I would throw up with anxiety if I was given the responsibility of leading this group,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°We just learned Draxl helped lead a group of thieves for years,¡± Ace said ¡°Why doesn¡¯t he do it?¡±


    ¡°Vetoed,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Vetoed?¡± Ace questioned. ¡°What do you mean vetoed?¡±


    ¡°The leader has to be a unanimous decision. I¡¯m vetoing Draxl as the leader. That¡¯s why he can¡¯t be a leader,¡± Riven explained.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you do it?¡± Ace asked Riven.


    ¡°Vetoed,¡± Draxl said, without missing a beat.


    ¡°Kai?¡± Ace asked, desperately.


    ¡°Vetoed,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Double vetoed,¡± Riven added.


    ¡°Triple vetoed,¡± Kai continued. ¡°Wait, can I veto myself? Eh, it doesn''t matter.¡±


    ¡°What about ¡­¡± Ace turned toward Cili, but after a brief moment of silence, just let out a prolonged and defeated sigh.


    ¡°Oh come on!¡± Cili exclaimed. ¡°At least give me a chance to deny it!¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s settled,¡± Galina said. ¡°The leader of The Hangmen is Ace!¡±


    Galina started an applause, which everyone else quickly joined in on¡ªsome sincerely, the rest jokingly¡ªleaving Ace, who was already exhausted, looking as if his age had doubled.


    ¡°Okay, if we¡¯re doing this I cannot come up with a plan now, it was too fucking late,¡± Ace said. ¡°Can we just plan like tomorrow afternoon? The auction is at night, so we have time. That way we can sleep in. I was also wanting to talk to Kai and Galina beforehand if possible.¡±


    ¡°Sure man,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°I¡¯m free whenever,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Sleeping in sounds great,¡± Riven said. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, Cili, I wanted to talk to you tomorrow. It¡¯s not about Willow or Xavier or any of that stuff. It¡¯s about Ambition. If that¡¯s alright with you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°I was planning on going out shopping. If you guys make a list early enough and give me the gold, I can try to grab whatever you need,¡± Halvor said. ¡°Considering the amount of dangerous people attending this auction that might be in town, it might be safer to go out in pairs. Mind tagging along Draxl?¡±


    ¡°Not like I had other plans.¡±


    ¡°See, being a leader ain¡¯t so hard. You just gave your first order,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Ace replied. ¡°Now for my second order. Everybody go to sleep!¡±

 Chapter 24: Taking Control

    ¡°Okay, I can¡¯t wait any longer. I¡¯m gonna wake him up.¡± Kai pulled up the goggles that had slumped from his forehead to his nose.


    ¡°How do you intend on doing that?¡± Galina asked.


    Ace rolled over in bed. His spine felt like lead. Although he could get up, he desperately needed to sleep just a little longer¡ªeven if he was faking it.


    ¡°With this,¡± Kai said.


    Ace could hear Kai rummaging around his bag, but couldn¡¯t see what he pulled out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll just aim somewhere non-vital, like his thigh.¡±


    ¡°AND I¡¯M AWAKE!¡± Ace shot out of bed.


    Kai slowly pulled his thumb off his revolver¡¯s hammer.


    ¡°Could you not look so disappointed?¡± Ace asked, tossing covers off himself.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Kai groaned.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Morning.¡± Ace jumped out of bed, rubbing his eyes.


    ¡°Dude you okay?¡± Kai asked. ¡°Your eyes are bloodshot.¡±


    Ace cocked his head.


    ¡°Kai, that¡¯s their normal color,¡± Galina reminded Kai.


    ¡°Oh, my bad,¡± Kai said. ¡°You said you wanted to talk to us last night.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Where¡¯s everyone else?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Draxl and Halvor went out shopping for food and supplies. Riven and Cili said they were going to do some recon around the barn,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Ace grabbed his satchel that was hanging from the bed frame. ¡°Kai, I was wondering if you could build something for me. I tried to draw up some diagrams.¡±


    Ace pulled out a couple of folded pieces of paper, but accidentally flipped his satchel over, sending several crumpled balls of paper tumbling onto the floor. ¡°Shit.¡±


    ¡°What are these?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°Things I thought either wouldn¡¯t work or were too ambitious,¡± Ace explained.


    ¡°Too ambitious?¡± Kai asked. ¡°Who do you think I am?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to be reasonable. We have an afternoon, and I want something to be useful,¡± Ace said.


    Galina glanced at the crumpled paper scattered on the floor. ¡°There are a lot of things here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I went through a lot of ideas, trying to figure out what would work and what wouldn¡¯t. I should¡¯ve figured something out sooner, but I was flip-flopping between ideas. I wanted to get it right, which now leaves us with very little time.¡±


    Kai flipped through the diagrams Ace had drawn up. ¡°Yeah this should be fine, but are you sure this is all you want?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to make you do too much work,¡± Ace said. ¡°Sorry if the diagrams don¡¯t really make a whole lotta sense.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll fill in the gaps. The big, big gaps. Just a heads up, but this probably isn¡¯t gonna work the way you think.¡±


    Ace leaned over Kai¡¯s shoulder to see what he was pointing to. ¡°Like, it¡¯s not possible?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s doable, just the bullets are going to fly in every direction. You¡¯ll be needing to stick the barrel straight into their ribcage, and even then you¡¯ll miss half your shots,¡± Kai explained.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°I want to have an infusion on the revolver that fires all the shots in rapid succession,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Now I can design that infusion, but rapid firing shots out of a revolver is going to send bullets everywhere,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Ace said. ¡°I kind of expected that to be honest, which actually goes into why I wanted to talk to Galina.¡±


    ¡°Not much of a marksman,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°No, not about aiming. I wanted to talk about, well, uh it¡¯s better if I show you. Kai, do you have anything small?¡±


    ¡°Catch.¡± Kai tossed a handful of ball bearings at Ace.


    Ace held out his hand with the ball bearings rolling around in his palm. ¡°[Possess].¡±


    The ball bearings slowly rose from Ace¡¯s hand, floating in the air. ¡°And then.¡± The ball bearings accelerated and started to spin around Ace in an erratic pattern like a hoard of metallic insects.


    ¡±Neat trick,¡± Galina said. ¡°When¡¯d you figure this out.¡±


    ¡°Pretty recently. [Possess] that I thought was pretty obvious. Initially, it happened with Kegan, which is what I told you guys about.¡±


    ¡°How he possessed you and fought that mutant raeven?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°Right. So, I locked myself into thinking it was only for another person¡¯s soul to possess me. Then, I ended up talking to Draxl more about skills, and he explained that skills are powered by essence, which is just a measure of your soul''s strength. Also, he told me that skills are based on your interpretation.


    ¡°That got me thinking, why couldn¡¯t [Possess] work both ways? Also, for that matter, I¡¯ve seen spirits in objects, so why couldn¡¯t I use it to manipulate objects, by possessing them myself? I tried it out, and this was the result.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually pretty impressive. Normally people struggle to change their view of a skill. It¡¯s one thing to think of the skill differently, it¡¯s a whole other thing entirely to change your subconscious view,¡± Kai explained.


    ¡°Thanks. Draxl explained in a way that made it pretty easy to understand,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Just a heads up, it¡¯s fine to praise him behind his back, but please do it when he¡¯s here. For my sake,¡± Kai pleaded.


    ¡°I can do that.¡±


    ¡°So why did you want to talk to me about it?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°Well, I figured this was pretty similar to your telekinesis. To be honest, it¡¯s pretty difficult for me to move anything super heavy. I¡¯d have to focus all my essence if I wanted to move a chair,¡± Ace said. ¡°I was wondering if you had any advice since this is sort of similar. Any chants that maybe work well?¡±


    ¡°Before we get into chants, can I ask you a question?¡± Galina asked


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°The way you''re moving the ball bearings, have you practiced that at all?¡±


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Like this specific pattern?¡¯ Ace asked. ¡°No, not really.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Stand still.¡± Galina walked around Ace, closely inspecting the orbiting ball bearings. ¡°Could you do me a favor? Stop the ball bearings, and put half in one hand, and half in the other.¡±


    Ace did as Galina requested.


    ¡°Now could you make the ones in your right-hand spin counterclockwise, and the ones in your left spin clockwise.¡±


    Once again, Ace did as Galina said.


    ¡°Now switch.¡±


    Ace effortlessly alternated the rotation.


    ¡°You can stop now,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Can I ask what that was for?¡±


    ¡°It seems your method of controlling objects is fundamentally different from mine.¡±.


    ¡°How so?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Doing what you did, just now, took me months of constant practice. The amount of times I hit myself in the back of the head trying to control an object that was behind my back, I can¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°Probably because you hit yourself in the head so much,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Very likely,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°So I¡¯m some sort of genius?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Well,¡± Galina said. ¡°The other thing is that when I started, though I couldn¡¯t move objects out of my sight all that accurately, I could toss around things a lot heavier than a chair.


    ¡°You already touched on it slightly, but could you elaborate on what exactly you imagine your [Possess] skill to be?¡±


    ¡°I view it as me passing my essence into these objects, and them becoming an extension of myself. Sort of like an extra limb, if that makes sense,¡± Ace explained.


    ¡°Compared to Galina, your control is a lot better, but your power is a lot worse,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Okay. Not really sure how to use that though, but I¡¯ll think of something. Control can be fixed with practice. Power is harder to improve for sure.¡±


    ¡°To that point, from what it sounds like, you can use [Possess] to pour your essence into an object to take control of it as an extension of yourself, does that sound right?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°Spot on,¡± Ace answered.


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Galina said. ¡°Kai, could I trouble you for two empty glass bottles?¡±


    ¡°Target practice?¡± Kai asked to which Galina simply smiled.


    Kai set two glass bottles on a table in the room.


    ¡°Now, how do you stop the skill?¡± Galina asked Ace.


    ¡°Uh, sometimes it works if I just stop thinking about it, but other times I have to keep thinking about it before it turns off,¡± Ace replied.


    ¡°Skills are ultimately about shaping your essence, so it might be useful to create something that you can associate with disabling your skill,¡± Galina suggested. ¡°It¡¯s not ideal, and a thought should be enough, but it¡¯s a helpful method when starting out.¡±


    ¡°I can snap my fingers,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Go for it.¡±


    Ace snapped his fingers, and the ball bearings collapsed into his hands.


    ¡°Good job. Now, I want you to use your skill on one of the ball bearings and fire at one of the glass bottles.¡±


    ¡°[Possess].¡± Ace sent the possessed ball bearing flying across the room. It struck the glass bottle cracking it open. The bottle fell on its side and rolled off the table.


    Galina levitated the glass shards over the waste bin in the room. ¡°Now I want you to do something a little different. Try using a chant.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a good idea. I only got my first skill pretty recently,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°It won''t alter the skill greatly, so it shouldn¡¯t use too much essence,¡± Galina assured Ace. ¡°Instead of imbuing the object with enough essence to control it, now I want you to try pumping in as much as you can. Try adding the word focus before the skill.¡±


    Ace glanced down at the ball bearing in his hand. He envisioned the ball bearing as a hollow shell, completely devoid of essence. Traditionally when using [Possess] Ace imagined coating the exterior of the object with his essence to control it now. Now, he tried to fill the hollow shell with his essence.


    ¡°Focus, [Possess].¡±


    The ball bearing accelerated across the room in a blur of glistening metal. It tore through the glass bottle sending a satisfying crunch echoing throughout the room as glass shards were sent flying into the air.


    ¡°Holy shit! It worked!¡± Ace¡¯s jubilation was quickly cut off by a sudden onset of lethargy. He doubled over and slowly regulated his breathing. ¡°I¡¯m good. I¡¯m good. Just didn¡¯t expect it to take that much out of me. Still, though, that¡¯s way better. It was only a single word too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pretty common misconception that the longer a chant is, the more powerful it is. Short chants can be just as effective and are a lot quicker too. Though they still aren¡¯t quite as fast as crosses, just because of the need to pause,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to use [Possess] to control the bullet spread from the rapid-fire?¡± Kai asked. ¡°Since the gun is all the speed you need, it compensates for the lack of power.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the plan,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Take these.¡± From his bag, Kai pulled out something and tossed it to Ace.


    Ace looked down to see three massive bullets in his hand. They were longer than his palm with a bright red tip.


    ¡°They were my attempt at downsizing dragon piercer rounds to fit in my rifle,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Dragon piercer rounds?¡± Ace inquired.


    ¡°Rounds meant for hunting dragons. They¡¯re normally way bigger and more powerful than those. Those are red dragon ones, which are the easiest to make,¡± Kai explained.


    ¡°What do they do?¡± Ace asked


    ¡°Explode. That¡¯s why they didn¡¯t work in the rifle. They would¡¯ve just blown up halfway through the barrel,¡± Kai said. ¡°If you use them, especially with a chant, you might be able to cause some serious damage, since it should be fast enough to trigger the detonation.¡±


    ¡°Thanks man. This is more than enough,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Is it?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°With all due respect, I¡¯ve already asked a lot of you guys. You probably have stuff you want to do to prepare for the auction as well,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°If you wanna feel better about asking us for stuff, I was gonna ask you for something,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Oh, uh, okay,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°You talked about how you can sort of hear spirits sometimes?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°And that works even for alive people because it worked with that captain in Wickerbound?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t talk to me, but I felt his spirit tugging me in a direction, so there was some kind of communication,¡± Ace explained


    ¡°Right, and you haven¡¯t tried it since, so you might be able to talk to the spirits of people who are still alive,¡± Kai said. ¡°So I was wondering since it seems like you either need to talk to the person or interact with some item that they had some connection with, if when we get the locket my parents gave me, would you try to talk to their spirits? I¡¯ll be there with you, and you¡¯ll kind of just be a medium for me if that¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course,¡± Ace said, a little stunned.


    ¡°I¡¯d actually request something a little similar,¡± Galina said. ¡°There¡¯s somebody I know who passed away that I¡¯d like a chance to say a few things to. Not anytime soon, but if we stay in contact, could I ask that you come to visit where they are buried and help me speak to them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be honored. I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t promise anything since I don¡¯t fully understand how my skills work, but I¡¯ll try my best to figure it out.


    ¡°I think I want to offer this to everyone else too. Let them speak to the people they¡¯ve lost. It¡¯s the least I could do to repay everyone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be very kind of you,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°And very, leaderly. Is that a word?¡¯ Kai asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ace said. ¡°But I do feel less bad about asking for stuff now. What was your concern, Kai?¡±


    ¡°Now I don¡¯t have a whole lot of experience, but it seems like telekinesis, at least how you manage to imitate it, is most effective when you can put distance between you and your opponent. Does that sound right, Galina?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s accurate,¡± Galina confirmed.


    ¡°Yeah, and that goes especially for you since you¡¯ll be using a firearm to fight,¡± Kai said. ¡°Now for someone like Galina with a ton of experience and probably some other tricks, that¡¯s fine, but in your case, this is really all you have.¡±


    ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying. If someone gets up close I need some way to fight,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Or some way to keep your opponent at a distance to prevent them from getting in striking distance,¡± Kai suggested. ¡°However with there being a ton of movement skills and your lack of battle experience means you¡¯re going to find yourselves in close quarters.


    ¡°Why not something that does both? Keeps your enemy away and lets you fight up close. Ideally, if it takes advantage of you having expert control, it can help bridge the gap in combat skill,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Something that helps me fight up close, but also keep my opponent at a distance and takes advantage of having fine control over it.¡± Ace¡¯s eyes drifted from the floor to the ceiling and around the room, before widening. He quickly went on his knees, picking up and uncrumpling the papers that had fallen out of his satchel. ¡°It was one of my more out-there ideas. Ah, found it!¡±


    Ace showed the crinkled design to Kai and Galina. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think it suits you quite well,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Can you pull it off in time?¡± Ace asked Kai.


    A glint of delight sparkled in Kai¡¯s eyes. His smile, stretching from ear to ear, was the kind only somebody deeply obsessed with challenging themselves when it came to what they love most could have on their face. ¡°I can work with that.¡±

 Chapter 25: That鈥檚 A Wrap

    ¡°Can we stop for a second?¡± Halvor rubbed his knuckles. As they slowly reverted from stone to skin¡¯ areas where the stone was chipped or cracked were either bleeding or bruised.


    ¡°You good?¡± Draxl asked, sheathing his shortsword.


    Halvor sat down in the shade of a nearby tree. ¡°Yeah, knuckles are just sore.¡±


    ¡°Here let me see.¡±


    Halvor put out his hands.


    ¡°On your feet, [Second Wind].¡±


    The wounds of Halvor¡¯s hands began to close shut; the red tint left Halvor¡¯s skin. ¡°Thanks.¡± Halvor stood to his feet.


    ¡°No problem. You want to keep going?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve had enough sparring for today if I¡¯m honest. Fighting isn¡¯t really my thing,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°Your form is pretty solid. Who taught you?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°My dad taught me how to throw a punch, but for the most part I figured it out on my own.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, if you work on your grappling, it¡¯ll fit perfectly with your hybrid abilities,¡± Draxl said. ¡°Bait them in, then turn your skin to stone, block their attack, and take them down now that they¡¯re up close. You¡¯ve got the size, strength, and durability to hold onto anybody forever.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the advice, but I¡¯m not really planning on getting into any fights,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°Sure, but sometimes fighting isn¡¯t always your choice. Good to have a plan when that happens.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± Halvor squeezed his hands a few times. ¡°Still, sparring you hurts quite a bit. You hit pretty hard.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like your actual opponents are gonna hold back. If it hurts that bad why not use a weapon,¡± Draxl suggested. ¡°I¡¯m sure blocking with your hands, even if they are stone, is all that pleasant.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know what to do with a weapon,¡± Halvor said with a slight chuckle.


    ¡°I guess the big advantage of a golem hybrid is being able to use their body as the spear and shield all in one. Oh, do you have any way of turning something to stone?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Yeah, [Petrify]. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking, if you could get hand wraps and use [Petrify] it could sort of mimic turning your hands to stone. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be exactly the same, but it might be good for sparring to just reduce the pain,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to wrap hand wraps.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it for you.¡±


    ¡°Actually, could you teach me how to do it?¡± Halvor requested.


    ¡°Sure. Any comments for me?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Well, sparring is to improve both parties. I was wondering if you had any advice for me.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. I¡¯m a whole lot less studied when it comes to fighting compared to you. I¡¯m pretty sure anything I said would probably be wrong or stuff you already know,¡± Halvor insisted.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Draxl assured Halvor. ¡°Just tell me what was going through your head when you fought me.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I guess, I felt like you used [Quickdraw] too much.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just you were jumping around so much with [Accelerate], [Flash Step], and other movement skills that I couldn¡¯t keep up. I would get super nervous whenever I lost track of you. Then I¡¯d get hit, and it was pretty minor. My guess is you were using [Quickdraw] since it''s super fast, but I felt like I had no idea where you were gonna strike next, that you could get away with using a slower attack if it meant it was stronger,¡± Halvor explained.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying I¡¯m creating a big window of opportunity, but not fully taking advantage of it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I think you might be right. I was scared of getting hit in retaliation, so I kept trying to be as non-committal as possible with my attacks, but I guess in hindsight I can¡¯t be so risk averse in a real fight,¡± Draxl muttered to himself.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with not wanting to get hit,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°I get that, but what you said does make sense. I¡¯ll think about it for sure.¡±


    ¡°Should we go get those hand wraps?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    <hr>


    The door to The Traveler¡¯s Trove swung open with a soft jingle that announced the entrance of Draxl and Halvor.


    ¡°Welcome!¡± An elderly man at the front counter called out to the two.


    ¡°Hello there,¡± Halvor replied. ¡°We were looking for hand wraps.¡±


    ¡°Right wall,¡± the man said.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Glancing at the wall, a myriad of different items¡ªpicks, hooks, poles, torches¡ªadorned it. Halvor¡¯s gaze drifted to a selection of wrappings on display.


    ¡°Which one is good?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Go based on flexibility and feel,¡± Draxl answered.


    Halvor brushed his fingers along the surface of the wrappings and gave each a gentle tug. ¡°I like this one.¡±


    ¡°Cool. Go talk to the man at the counter,¡± Draxl said.


    Halvor reached to grab the hand wrapping off the wall, but Draxl put a hand in front of him.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Taking the item to the counter so I could go buy it.¡±


    ¡°I told you to distract the man at the counter.¡±


    ¡°You told me to talk to him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and while you¡¯re talking to him, I¡¯ll snatch it off the wall, and we¡¯ll be out without having spent a single copper,¡± Draxl explained.


    ¡°I am not stealing from a shopkeeper,¡± Halvor insisted.


    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you mad at him?¡± Draxl pointed to the only other customer in the storm: a lithe man with pale skin. The outline of various items could be seen stuffed into the man¡¯s jacket pockets.


    Halvor marched across the store toward the man.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Draxl sighed.


    ¡°Excuse me, sir?¡± Halvor placed a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The man looked over his shoulder. His gaze rose to meet Halvor¡¯s. ¡°Zaz.¡±


    Halvor shifted his hand to stone, adding to the weight on the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Zaz, could I see what you had in your jacket pockets?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± Zaz jerked to throw Halvor¡¯s hand off, but it didn¡¯t move an inch.


    ¡°It just seems like you might be stealing, and I just wanted to make sure that wasn¡¯t the case,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°The fuck did you just say?! I didn¡¯t steal shit!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± The man at the counter asked. ¡°If there¡¯s some sort of dispute please take this outside.¡±


    ¡°I think this man might be st¡ª¡±


    Before Halvor could finish his sentence, he felt Zaz shift, and make a run for it. Halvor immediately tightened his grip around his shoulder and grabbed the back of his collar with his other hand. In one swift motion, Halvor slammed Zaz to the ground.


    ¡°Remember what I told you about grappling,¡± Draxl called out. ¡°Once you get them to the floor, you wanna restrict their movement. Right now your hand is on their knee, what you wanna do instead is wrap your arm around their leg like a snake. That way you¡ª¡±


    Crunch!


    ¡°AH!¡± Zaz screamed, as his knee shattered with a crackling crunch, under the force of Halvor¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Forget what I was saying, if you can break their knee, that¡¯s probably best,¡± Draxl said.


    Halvor immediately stood up. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Zaz shouted, clutching his broken knee.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine.¡± The shopkeeper stepped out from behind the counter. ¡°People know healing skills in this town. I appreciate your help. Back in the day, nobody would dare steal under my watch. My eyesight hasn¡¯t been the best in my old age, so it¡¯s hard for me to notice these thieves.¡±


    ¡°Happy to help,¡± Halvor said. ¡°I think my friend over here noticed him stealing. He also managed to grab some wraps the man stole. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    A tiny smirk crept onto Draxl¡¯s face as he held up the wrapping Halvor had picked out earlier that he swiped the moment Zaz hit the floor. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you were looking for hand wraps, weren¡¯t you? Why don¡¯t you keep those,¡± the shopkeeper insisted.


    ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you, sir,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°Of course. Now you might want to get out of here. His shouting probably alerted the guards, and I doubt you want to meet them.¡± The shopkeeper pointed to Halvor¡¯s neck.


    In the chaos, as he flailed on the ground, Zaz had pulled down Halvor¡¯s collar just enough to expose the golden chain mark.


    ¡°Uh,¡± Halvor stammered, quickly popping his collar back into place.


    ¡°It seems the gods have blessed me today. This thief tripped as he tried to run out of the store, and collapsed onto his knee,¡± the shopkeeper said with a smile.


    ¡°Huh, what a blessed day it is,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Oh, I get it. Thank you so much,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°You as well,¡± the shopkeeper replied.


    Halvor and Draxl exited the store, moments before a pair of city guards entered inside.


    ¡°See, stealing from people is never good,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°No, there are definitely times where it¡¯s good. We all met trying to steal something,¡± Draxl reminded Halvor.


    ¡°Okay, there are some exceptions.¡±


    ¡°A lot of exceptions.¡±


    ¡°Well, we got the hand wraps for free. That¡¯s what you wanted right?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s results-based analysis. You shouldn¡¯t do that,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°You¡¯re assuming I do any kind of analysis,¡± Halvor joked.


    ¡°Good point. Very good point.¡±

 Chapter 26: Sitting In A Tree T-A-L-K-I-N-G

    ¡°So, how do you stop all the blood going to your head?¡± Riven¡¯s pale face turned to a bright red as blood rushed to her head.


    ¡°Never really thought about it,¡± Cili said. ¡°It just doesn¡¯t happen to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, brilliant,¡± Riven groaned.


    Snap!


    The branch Riven hung from suddenly snapped, sending her tumbling to the ground.


    ¡°You good?¡± Cili asked, looking down at the Riven.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Okay. So, why are we here?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°I wanted to ask you some stuff about Ambition, then thought, hey why don¡¯t we talk near the barn just to see if anybody shows up.¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you asked me any questions?¡±


    ¡°Because the moment I said we were going into the forest, you tried to climb up a tree, then I said that I¡¯ve never climbed a tree, and you said you gotta climb a tree, so I did that, but also apparently you said I had to hang from it upside down to get the real tree climbing experience, whatever that means, then I fell on my ass, and now we¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your fault for never having climbed a tree,¡± Cili said. ¡°What kind of childhood did you have?¡±


    ¡°Well, my parents died, but, aside from that, pretty good.¡± Riven stood up and dusted the dirt off her cape.


    ¡°Oh, my parents are alive, but they kinda suck,¡± Cili replied. ¡°The people in my tribe were really cool though, and my brother was awesome.¡±


    ¡°Was everyone in your tribe dragon hybrids?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Different colors?¡±


    ¡°All different kinds. My dad was a pink dragon hybrid, and my mom was a red dragon hybrid.¡±


    ¡°So was Willow also a dragon hybrid?¡±


    ¡°No. She''s a full human.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you meet, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡±


    ¡°We both were running away from home and bumped into each other. Spent a few days by ourselves, until her parents found us.¡±


    ¡°Was she bothered by the fact that you were a hybrid?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she noticed for the first few days to be honest.¡±


    Riven smiled; a slight hint of jealousy crept up into the back of her mind. ¡°I didn¡¯t really have friends like that.¡±


    ¡°Any siblings?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°You¡¯re sorry about that, but not my parents being dead?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°Well, death is just your essence returning to Fable to be repurposed. It¡¯s nothing to be scared or sad about,¡± Cili explained.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t die of natural causes,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Ah. I didn¡¯t realize that. My bad.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Riven assured Cili. ¡°If anything, it¡¯s refreshing to have somebody¡¯s first reaction to my parents being dead to just treat me exactly the same.


    ¡°I know you can¡¯t talk about it, but I heard Xavier mention that Willow was sick, so I just wanted to say that I hope she gets better.¡±


    ¡°I hope your dead parents get better too.¡±


    Riven cocked her head and choked back her laughter.


    ¡°I mean there¡¯s a chance,¡± Cili said. ¡°There¡¯s tons of times members of Ambition die and come back to life.¡±


    ¡°Resurrection isn¡¯t easy.¡°


    ¡°I thought loads of people could do it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a common misconception. People keep using revival and resurrection interchangeably.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    ¡°When someone dies their essence starts leaking out of their body. Revival is bringing someone back to life shortly after their death, while their essence is still mostly in their body. Resurrection is bringing someone back to life after their essence has completely left their body.¡±


    ¡°So resurrection is a lot harder.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I can count on my hands the number of people who can actually pull it off. That being said, Ambition does have one of them as a member.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Maybe you can ask them to bring your parents back.¡±


    Riven laughed at the thought. ¡°I doubt that would work. Besides, all resurrections are sanctioned by the Armistice Order.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like the Armistice Order could stop Ambition.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you talking about? If Ambition fought all the sect leaders they¡¯d be fucking obliterated. Galland alone could kill like 1 or 2, maybe even 3 members.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pushing it.¡±


    ¡°Okay maybe 3 is pushing it, but still, there¡¯s no way Ambition wins.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the fuck they do.¡±


    Riven rubbed her eyes and pinched her nose. ¡°Oh my fucking gods, this is why there¡¯s no point talking about this kind of stuff with a fan girl. When you¡¯re power scaling you have to remove your inherent bias.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not biased. I¡¯m just right, and you can¡¯t accept it.¡±


    ¡°You are not just right!¡± Riven said with air quotes. ¡°Okay, whatever, we can come back to this later. I need to ask you about Artemis.¡±


    Cili dropped down from the tree, a gust of wind slowing her descent. ¡°Fine, but we¡¯re not done with this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, absolutely we are not done with this,¡± Riven assured Cili. ¡°Now, Artemis, I was curious. So, all the stories about Ambition are always painting them as these legends, and practically perfect. It¡¯s a very story-esque telling of their adventures, and because of that they never mention any of their weaknesses. At least, not any they don¡¯t overcome. I know there have to be some, so I was wondering, what are Artemis¡¯ weaknesses?¡±


    Cili shook her head. ¡°Ah, you naive Ambition fan. Everyone starts with the basic stories, but then Willow introduced me to something that completely changed everything. See the real hardcore fans watch the interviews.¡±


    ¡°Interviews?¡±


    Cili¡¯s eyes brightened with excitement. ¡°Okay, basically, Willow explained to me that all the members of Ambition have done recorded interviews. In them, all the members of Ambition are way more human and are asked a ton of questions about what they struggle with emotionally and in combat to try and motivate people who are also struggling. Artemis gave some good advice for rangers, so hers is one of the ones I¡¯ve watched the most.¡±


    ¡°How did I never find these?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°They''re super rare. I don¡¯t know how Willow found them.¡±


    ¡°Is there anywhere I can get them?¡±


    ¡°I think they¡¯re kept in some libraries in Journey.¡±


    ¡°Huh, good to know. Alright, back to Artemis.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Cili exclaimed. ¡°In the interviews, Artemis talks a lot about her issues and how she overcame them.¡±


    ¡°Any she hasn¡¯t overcome?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°Uh, oh, yeah. There was one adventure, I think it was when they fought the demon king. He scared her wrists, and they never fully healed. She talked about how after that she suffered from tremors.


    ¡°What happened is that she couldn¡¯t properly hold anything for a long time to the point she had to sit out in fights. That¡¯s when Artemis got determined to figure out a way to fight. Pretty quickly she overcame it, but only with her bow. Anytime she tried to swing a sword it would fly out her hand if she used any skill.¡±


    Riven nodded as her eyes narrowed. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have any close-range capabilities?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and that forced Artemis to be a better ranger,¡± Cili continued. ¡°Before she wasn¡¯t scared of getting into close range, so she didn¡¯t care about keeping distance between her and her opponent. After her injury, she was forced to create and keep distance, because she only had her bow. That ended up teaching her the real role of a ranger in an adventuring party.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t rangers supposed to be the people who know about different enemy behaviors, weaknesses, and regions?¡± Riven inquired.


    ¡°That¡¯s part of it, and definitely their biggest role outside of combat, but Artemis struggled to find their role in a fight. By being forced to use only her bow, she realized that the true role of a ranger in a fight is to allow their party to act as freely as possible while restricting what their opponent can do as much as possible.


    ¡°The way Artemis explained it, was that as a ranger your job is to make sure your party members never have to ask for help, and whoever you¡¯re fighting is screaming out for it. That thought process completely changed my perspective on being a ranger, because you¡¯d think being a hunter means you take an offensive role, but in a party, a more defensive and supportive position is where you add the most value. Seriously, one of the most mind-blowing pieces of advice I¡¯d ever heard for being a ranger.¡±


    Once her rant ended, Cili zoned back into reality and noticed a smile on Riven¡¯s face. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just, you know a lot about adventuring parties, and the thought that this is probably your first time being in one is hilarious to me,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°I learned it all from Ambition¡¯s interviews. Which is why Ambition is the greatest adventuring party of all time, and they would totally beat all the sect leaders.¡±


    ¡°All of them is insanity. Let¡¯s just list them off. The Armistice Order has Galland, Arthur¡ª¡±


    A sudden rustling of bushes cut Riven off. The silence gave way to the rhythmic crunching of dried leaves under footsteps. As both Riven and Cili focused on the noise, a mumbled conversation quickly became clearer as the voices drew near.


    ¡°Why the fuck are we going this early?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a big auction. I want good seats.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re buying anything.¡±


    ¡°I might.¡±


    ¡°You get the paid same as me, I know you don¡¯t have any fucking gold.¡±


    ¡°Unlike you, I don¡¯t blow it all at the casinos.¡±


    ¡°You don''t get rich off your salary.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m going early, because I ain¡¯t fucking standing for what could be hours.¡±


    ¡°Boss said they¡¯re using a [Planar Connector] why the fuck don¡¯t they just add more seats.¡±


    ¡°You fucking idiot, that¡¯s not how they work. This is a preset model for a theater, it isn''t a custom extraplanar space. They can make some minor adjustments like colors and shit, but they can¡¯t just add more seats.¡±


    ¡°Why not?! It¡¯s a made-up space.¡±


    ¡°You know how fucking expensive it is to customize an extraplanar space. For the price of adding an extra row of seats to this extraplanar theater, I can buy a whole other theater.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit.¡±


    ¡°I swear to the gods, I ain¡¯t lying.¡±


    ¡°Would be nice to have one though.¡±


    ¡°What, a [Planar Connector]?¡±


    ¡°Just a home in your pocket you can pop into whenever. It¡¯d be fucking incredible.¡±


    ¡°Like we could ever afford one.¡±


    ¡°You may not be able to. But me? One day that casino¡¯s gonna pay me out¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up about the casinos already!¡±


    The conversation slowly faded as the voices drifted off into the distance.


    Riven and Cili exchanged a look of mutual understanding.


    ¡°Should we head back?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Riven said. ¡°Let¡¯s let everyone know. The show¡¯s about to start.¡±

 Chapter 27: Bidding War

    Scarlet seats adorned with gold embroidery filled the auditorium. The various hybrids and humans in the hall formed a veritable kaleidoscope of figures. The mixing of perfumes and colognes created a scent so pungent everyone in the room could practically taste it. The dull droning of overlapping conversations was only occasionally broken by the clinking of glasses and faux laughs.


    Any updates Ace? Galina asked. The second half is about to start.


    Nothing yet, Ace said. I¡¯ve been around the whole theater and still don¡¯t hear a thing.


    Should¡¯ve sent more people out to look, Riven said.


    Everyone agreed my [Pact] skill was the best shot we had at finding Elric. It¡¯s better to keep everyone in the theater to keep a handle on the situation. If everyone was running around, somebody on guard duty would see one of us.


    Does anyone know who''s running the auction? Halvor asked.


    Probably some criminal organization, Cili said. There are so many different types of people here, you can¡¯t really tell.


    Actually, there are three main groups if you pay attention, Kai said. First, you¡¯ve got the skull masks, which based on their mannerisms, I¡¯d guess are pirates. Then you¡¯ve got the organization that Xavier was part of that Cili, Riven, and Galina spied on. The ones with super-advanced artifacts are probably from Chapter 4.


    Hang on, is it only those three groups? Ace asked.


    I mean there are smaller groups, but those are the only big ones, Kai said.


    Halvor, would the lab have access to their own connector to this location? Ace asked.


    I doubt so.


    If you¡¯ve got an idea, spit it out, Draxl said.


    In the lobby, each painting had an infusion behind it that acted as a connector, Ace said.


    Yeah, what¡¯s your point? Riven asked


    How many paintings were there? Ace asked.


    Four, Cili said.


    Right, but there are only three groups. If we assume each painting has a connector to a specific place that means one is connected to this barn, one is connected to some pirate place, and one to somewhere in Chapter 4, because those are the demographics. So where the fuck does the last one go to? Ace questioned.


    It was definitely active when we got here, Riven recalled.


    I¡¯ve walked the perimeter of the theater, to the point I¡¯m right around the corner from the lobby. Even if Elric¡¯s dead, my [Pact] skill should¡¯ve found his spirit.


    So what if he¡¯s not here? Galina said.


    Exactly.


    Wait, so you think they¡¯re using one of the connections on the painting to keep Elric in holding? Halvor asked.


    Maybe, Ace said. Is it that crazy?


    It¡¯s really not, Riven admitted.


    Hang on, how do you know which is the one they¡¯re using for storage? Draxl asked. If you go through the wrong connector you could be completely stranded. Of course, that¡¯s assuming you don¡¯t end up stranded wherever Elric is being held, but right now that¡¯s a leap of faith we have to take.


    I don¡¯t know. Riven, is there any way to tell? Ace asked.


    Not without me being there and a whole lot of time we don¡¯t have.


    Wait, when Osiris helped me leave, I went through the connector behind the painting with druids on it. It kinda looked like the clearing where the barn was. It¡¯s not exactly the same, but maybe the paintings somewhat resemble the place they connect to, Kai suggested.


    Does anyone remember what the paintings were? Ace asked.


    No fucking clue, Cili said. I don¡¯t think anyone does.


    I¡¯ll just look at them when I get the chance. Ace leaned around a corner, peering into the lobby. Two men stood guarding the row of double doors along the wall that led into the theater. Of course there are guards.


    They rotate position when an item is sold, correct? Galina asked.


    Yeah, Ace said. Why do you ask?


    Good news, that chance might happen very soon, Galina said. The second half just started.


    The curtains parted. All murmurs fell silent as everyone¡¯s focus shifted to the stage.


    Waltzing out onto the stage, waving to the crowd, was a skeleton. Their bones were erratically gilded as if a carriage had driven by a molten puddle of gold and splashed it onto them. The skeleton wore a black and gold suit and top hat.


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    The skeleton¡¯s gloved hand waved to the crowd; the other carried a katana nestled in its sheath. Their v-neck was deep enough to expose an infusion carved into their sternum that lit up as they began to speak, amplifying their voice.


    ¡°Apologies for the delay, but your wonderful host Midas has been dying to get this auction back underway. Oh, wait, I¡¯m already dead. Hahaha!


    ¡°But I should still be careful because if there¡¯s anything that could kill someone twice, it¡¯d be our next item.¡±


    Midas lifted the katana in the air, above his head, and slowly pulled it out of its sheath. As the blade was drawn a curtain of shadow formed in front of Midas. Darkness draped beneath the blade. Its silver shine mirrored a solitary full moon in the dead of night.


    ¡°That¡¯s why they needed the money,¡± Draxl murmured to himself.


    ¡°A powerful artifact wielded by many swordsmen, including the legendary Moonlit Shadow of the Sun himself. A blade capable of cutting even light itself! The bidding for [Nocturne] begins at 10,000 gold!¡±


    Kai instantly turned to look at Draxl from across the theater, whose eyes stared in disbelief, unblinking at the blade. Draxl isn¡¯t [Nocturne]¡ª


    Yeah, it¡¯s Robin¡¯s weapon, Draxl said, his gaze remaining fixated on the blade.


    ¡°11,000!¡±


    ¡°We have 11.000,¡± Midas called out..¡±Can we get 11,500?¡±


    ¡°11,500!¡±


    ¡°12,000!¡±


    ¡°12,000 gold from the gentleman in the back! Can we get 12,500?¡±


    ¡°12,500!¡±


    ¡°50,000!¡±


    ¡°My gods! 50,000 gold! Could you please stand up for us?¡± Midas asked.


    From amongst the crowd, a woman in a black and silver tailcoat suit with a skull painted on her face stood up.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Midas asked.


    ¡°Queen.¡±


    ¡°Love the look,¡± Midas said.


    Queen smirked. ¡°Skulls are quite fashionable.¡±


    ¡°Well, you may have just earned yourself quite the weapon. 50,000 gold. Going once. Going twice.¡±


    ¡°51,000!¡±


    The voice snapped Draxl out of his fixation. He recognized it instantly. His gaze turned to a burn-scarred black hand that stuck up from out of the crowd.


    ¡°Stop right there Queen, because there¡¯s a king in this theater. 51,000 gold! Do I hear 52,000?¡±


    ¡°55,000!¡± Queen called out.


    ¡°55,000 gold. Do I hear 56?¡±


    ¡°60,000!¡± Zeke shouted.


    ¡°I do not hear 56, but I do hear 60. Can we get 61?¡± Midas asked.


    ¡°62,500!¡± Queen shouted


    ¡°My heart is beating out of my chest with excitement! Oh wait, I don¡¯t have a heart! Can I get¡ª¡±


    ¡°70,000!¡± Zeke shouted.


    ¡°75,000!¡± Queen fired back.


    ¡°It¡¯s just non-stop! 75,000 gold! Do I hear 76?¡±


    ¡°76,000!¡± Zeke shouted.


    ¡°Oh, we wanna go slow now? Too bad!¡± Queen said. ¡°90,0¡ª¡±


    ¡°100,000 gold!¡±


    Queen¡¯s head whipped around to Zeke. She started daggers into him; if Queenwas a snake, venom would have been dripping from her eyes.


    ¡°100,000 gold! Going once! Going twice!¡±


    Queen scoffed and sat back down in her seat.


    ¡°Sold!¡±


    Zeke walked down to the stage. The audience¡¯s attempts to hide their murmurs were so poor that Zeke couldn¡¯t hear his own footsteps.


    Hey, Draxl, I¡¯d keep an eye on Zeke, Kai said. I know pirates, and they hate losing what they want, but that Queen doesn¡¯t look very upset. She looks hungry.


    Kai¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°And vaguely familiar,¡± he whispered to himself.


    Zeke arrived on stage and reached his hand to accept the weapon. ¡°The money isn¡¯t here, obviously, but I¡¯m hoping that I can take it now.¡±


    The infusion on Midas¡¯ sternum dimmed as his voice shifted from booming to a whisper. ¡°Oh, payment won¡¯t be an issue.¡± Midas slipped off his glove, revealing a golden skeletal hand¡ªunlike the rest of Midas which had splotches of gold, this hand was completely coated in it.


    ¡°Just shake my hand, and the deal will be done. But before you do, may I make you an offer?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Zeke asked.


    ¡°You are a fallen angel, yes? A few feathers could knock quite a bit off the price, and a whole wing would do wonders.¡±


    ¡°What would an eye get me?¡±


    If Midas still had a face, it would be smiling. ¡°This blade, anything in your dreams, and everything in your nightmares.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stick to gold.¡± Zeke grasped Midas¡¯ hand.


    ¡°[Liquidate],¡± Midas said. For a fraction of a second, Zeke¡¯s blood went cold.


    ¡°All done!¡± Midas pulled his hand away and slipped his glove back on.


    Ace, an item just sold, Draxl said.


    The two guards at the door started to march down the hall opposite Ace. From behind him, he heard faint footsteps pushing him into action.


    Going now!


    Ace darted into the lobby the moment the guards turned a corner. Okay, the paintings are a bunch of druids in a grove, people camping on top of a whale at sea, a massive tower going into the clouds, and a dragon sleeping in a cave.


    Druids are the barn, we know that, Cili said.


    The whale is probably the pirates, Kai said.


    Okay, so is it the dragon or the tower? Ace asked


    The tower sounds like the capital of Chapter 4, Riven said.


    How would you know? Ace asked.


    Because I wanted to go as a kid. It''s the artifact capital of the world, Riven said.


    Ace could hear footsteps growing louder and louder. Alright, going with the dragon. He pulled the painting off the wall.


    Wait! Halvor stopped Ace before he left. What about [Link]? Will it work if you go to another plane?


    No, we¡¯ll lose all connection, Galina said. When you return it should reestablish the connection.


    The footsteps were now accompanied by a quiet conversation.


    I need to go now! If you don¡¯t hear back from me after two items sell, have Riven sneak out and check in on me.


    Why me? Riven asked.


    Because you understand connectors the most and have the best shot at coming back, Ace said. Alright, I have to go now! Talk to you all soon.


    Ace placed his hand upon the spiderweb infusion hidden behind the painting. The infusion lit up and engulfed his body in light, then in a flash, Ace vanished entirely from the theater.

 Chapter 28: Theater Turmoil

    ¡°Now for our next item,¡± Midas called out as the infusion engraved in his sternum reignited with a bright light. ¡°Please give me one moment.¡±


    Midas wandered backstage and disappeared behind the curtains.


    Hey, Galina, Cili said.


    Yes. Is there any reason you¡¯re talking to me privately? Galina asked.


    I just wanted to tell you, I saw Xavier in the crowd, and he keeps staring at you occasionally. I know he didn¡¯t see us, so I don''t know why. I figured he might stop during the second half, but he¡¯s doing it more now.


    Well, it¡¯s alright. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m doing much of anything. If everything goes according to Ace¡¯s plan, I won¡¯t need to lift a finger, Galina said.


    Yeah, just thought you might like to know.


    I appreciate it.


    Suddenly, Kai felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see a pale hand¡ªeach finger adorned with a golden ring¡ªholding a locket.


    ¡°Does this belong to you?¡± A voice from behind asked.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Kai snatched the locket from the hand. He didn¡¯t bother waiting to steady his shaky hands before he opened the locket. A massive sigh of relief left his body as he saw his parent¡¯s note still inside.


    ¡°Thank,¡± Kai turned around and stared directly at Arthur Ward, ¡°you.¡±


    ¡°No worries,¡± Arthur said with a warm and gentle smile. ¡°Is the seat next to you taken?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my girlfriend is sitting there,¡± Kai replied, saying the first thing that came to mind. ¡°She¡¯s in the bathroom right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was looking for those during the break. Impossible to find. Wait, I thought we weren¡¯t allowed to leave during the auction?¡±


    ¡°They made an exception.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awfully kind,¡± Arthur said. ¡°I¡¯m glad I could return that locket to you. I had intended to find you after the auction, but the voice in my head told me this was the last opportunity I was going to have.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Kai stammered. ¡°Thank you, again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Midas walked back on stage. Conversations erupted upon seeing that despite the delay, Midas had nothing on their person.


    ¡°Settle down everyone. The next item needed to be prepared for entrance. We¡¯ve had grand beasts from all across Fable, from frostbitten basilisks to phoenixes, but this is something different entirely.¡±


    Midas clapped their hands together, and a large section of the stadium slid open. Rising from the opening was a metal cage; inside the cage, chained down and unconscious, was a male dragon hybrid with white scales and horns.


    ¡°No!¡± Cili exclaimed, instantly putting one hand over her mouth. Fortunately, her cry was drowned out by a sea of gasping.


    Out of the corner of his eye, Kai noticed Cili grab her mouth. Cili what¡¯s wrong?


    I know him. Cili¡¯s voice sounded like she was drowning on all the tears she held back.


    ¡°For our next item, we have a dragon hybrid who after some testing, has been confirmed to be three-quarters white dragon! Bidding will start at 1,000 gold!¡±


    Before anybody could speak, from the front row, an arm littered with multicolored scales shot up. ¡°10,000!¡± Osiris called out.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡±


    Osiris turned to the voice. Sitting next to him was a muscular man with dark skin and long thick black dreadlocks wearing a white toga robe.


    ¡°Shut up, Gideon,¡± Osiris said, his thinly veiled anger seeping into every word. ¡°That kid is from my tribe. If I have to burn this place to ashes to get him back, then we are all going up in flames.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t use the money we were given¡ª¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not,¡± Vivyan said. ¡°It¡¯s his personal funds. Let him do what he wants.¡±


    ¡°Hate to interrupt your conversation,¡± Midas said, leaning over the edge of the stage as the infusion on his chest dimmed. ¡°I understand after seeing a bidding war it gets you fired up. I mean I don¡¯t have skin and I even got chills, but would you mind lowering your bid, at least to start? There needs to be some back and forth to get things going.¡±


    ¡°Yeah Osiris, give the skeleton his back and forth,¡± Vivyan said.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Osiris sighed. ¡°1,000!¡±


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    ¡°There we go!¡± Midas¡¯ infusion flared up. ¡°1,000 gold! Can I get 1,100?¡±


    A silence overwhelmed the crowd for a few moments, as Osiris''s previous bid still hung overhead.


    ¡°1,100!¡± A voice called out after a while.


    ¡°10,000!¡± Osiris shouted without a second thought.


    Midas turned to Osiris with as disappointed a look they could manage¡ªwhich wasn¡¯t much of anything given their head was a skull. ¡°10,000 gold,¡± they said defeatedly. ¡°Going once. Going twice. Sold!¡±


    Osiris shot out from his chair, and leaped onto the stage, a burst of wind rushing out from underneath his feet.


    ¡°I suppose I should¡¯ve been more specific when I said back and forth,¡± Midas joked, ungloving his gilded hand.


    ¡°How much to tell me where you got the hybrid from?¡± Osiris asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t give away information like that,¡± Midas said.


    ¡°Bullshit, everything has a price to you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Midas scratched his skull with his golden hand.


    Before Midas could answer, his attention shifted to the sudden sound of footsteps from the other side of the stage. A cacophony of whispers erupted as a figure ascended onto the stage.


    ¡°Salutations!¡± Arthur called out, loud enough to echo through the entire theater. Arthur started to pull off the rings from his right hand as he marched toward Midas and Osiris.


    Midas turned to face Arthur. ¡°Is there prob¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful day. The sun is shining; birds are chirping; flowers are blooming; children are playing; memories are being made. Today is a weightless day. On days like these, a kid like this should be outside, laughing. And as for people like you ¡­¡±


    Arthur opened his left hand. The rings he held cascaded to the ground. The instant the rings touched the stage floor, the wooden floorboards shattered under the immense weight; a geyser of splinters erupted in the middle of the stage.


    ¡°¡­ well, the gods made hell for a reason.¡±


    Midas looked at Arthur, whose smile was as unflinching as Midas¡¯.


    ¡°[Dash].¡± In the blink of an eye, Arthur appeared directly between Midas and Osiris. ¡°[Flurry].¡± In an instant, Arthur struck at both with his right hand¡ªnow freed from the weight of his rings.


    The impact of the blow was so great it shattered the infusion on Midas¡¯ sternum, rendering him mute, and sending him flying backstage. Osiris barely managed to get his arm in the way of the blow, before he was flung into the massive stage curtains.


    Osiris looked down at his arm which trembled like an earthquake; it was riddled with shattered scales that oozed blood.


    ¡°Osiris!¡± Cili cried out. She leaped out of her seat and took flight, bolting toward the stage as fast as she could.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Galina said. She immediately stood up on her seat and levitated it off the ground, then started flying toward Cili.


    A sudden blur of red and black flashed in Galina¡¯s peripheral vision.


    ¡°Begone, from my sight, by my hand¡±¡ªGalina turned to her left, and met Xavier¡¯s venomous gaze¡ª¡±[Push]!¡±


    A force, magnitudes stronger than gravity, ripped Galina off the chair she controlled and toward the right wall of the theater. Galina crashed through the wall of the theater, sending her tumbling into a hall.


    ¡°Stay the hell away from Cili, you genocidal bitch!¡± Xavier screamed. ¡°Full speed ahead, [Pull].¡±


    Xavier propelled himself directly in the direction he had sent Galina flying, disappearing into the hole she had left in the wall.


    Riven¡¯s eyes darted around the theater. People shoved others down to propel themselves up out of their seats. As Riven scanned the room her eyes fell upon a bow. She tried to suppress all the memories that violently bubbled to the surface.


    ¡°Artemis,¡± Riven muttered under her breath.


    The bow, and the person who carried it, vanished behind one of the doors.


    Sorry, I have to take care of something. Riven rushed out of the theater and after Artemis.


    Zeke turned to the members of the Free Few that surrounded him. ¡°We got what we wanted. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The moment he stood up from his seat, Queen immediately followed suit.


    Draxl, Queen just got up, Kai said.


    I know. I¡¯ll follow them, just to make sure they get back safe.


    I¡¯m coming too.


    I¡¯m fine.


    That Queen looks familiar.


    You think she might be related to Atlas?


    Yeah.


    Alright, let¡¯s go.


    Draxl and Kai both followed behind Zeke.


    ¡°Gods damn it, Osiris!¡± Gideon exclaimed. He turned to address Vivyan, but noticed she had completely vanished from her seat. ¡°Where the fuck did she go?¡±


    Gideon shot out of his chair, but before he took a step toward the stage, Halvor darted past him. Gideon¡¯s mind went blank, and in the same instant, filled with rage. He grabbed the back of Halvor¡¯s collar.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Halvor said as he felt his collar catch against his throat, stopping him in his tracks.


    ¡°[Catapult] X [Enlarge].¡± Gideon¡¯s body rapidly grew in size, and so too did his strength. He lifted Halvor above his head, then hurled him toward the left wall of the theater.


    Halvor shifted his skin to stone, bracing for impact. The wall crumbled as Halvor crashed through it like a meteor.


    ¡°Halvor!¡± Gideon screamed, running toward the crater in the wall.


    The rubble from both Galina and Halvor flying through the walls crashed into the ground with a thunderous boom, the backdrop to the screams of the audience¡ªwhich now resembled a mob more than anything¡ªwhich could be heard throughout the entire plane of existence.


    ¡°Everybody should be rushing out into the lobby, but nobody¡¯s here. Maybe Arthur¡¯s punches destabilized this plane of existence? If that¡¯s the case everybody who goes through those doors is going to end up in some random hall. Ah, they¡¯ll all find their way here eventually.


    ¡°If anything, that¡¯s perfect, because it gives us enough time to have a little chat. Now doesn¡¯t that sound lovely?¡±


    Vivyan stared at Ace, a slight grin forming at the corner of her lips.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ace said with a laugh. One of his hands rested on the handle that stuck out from the scabbard on his back; his other hand hovered just above the holster at his waist, clutching a bright red gemstone. ¡°Talking sounds nice.¡±

 Chapter 29: Brother & Sister Beatdown

    Cili rocketed through the air toward the stage. In one fluid motion, she drew her bow and nocked an arrow.


    ¡°[Barrage]!¡±


    A storm of arrows rained down upon Arthur. He placed his left hand behind his back and put his bare right hand out toward Cili.


    ¡°[Deflect] X [Flurry].¡± Arthur¡¯s arm became a blur of white and gold as he picked each arrow out of the sky without moving an inch. He slammed the arrows into the ground beside him.


    Cili continued toward Arthur but immediately reversed her momentum when one of her own arrows was sent flying past her cheek. Arthur flung the arrows he had embedded into the stage beside him at a speed faster than Cili¡¯s bow fired them.


    Cili danced around the air, inching backward, narrowly avoiding being skewered by her own arrows.


    Arthur reached down to grab another arrow but stopped, as felt something prick into the back of his hands. He looked down and saw several white dragon scales stuck in his hand.


    Osiris burst out from underneath the massive curtain Arthur had knocked him into. ¡°[Awaken]!¡±


    Suddenly, the white dragon scales exploded in a cloud of frost. Arthur¡¯s hand went numb as a massive chunk of ice froze his hand and connected it to the arrows next to him.


    Arthur smashed his other hand into the chunk of ice, crushing the back half of all the arrows, then pulled his hand free.


    Cili used the opportunity to close the gap and prepare a chant. ¡°Fly fast, and strike true, [Wind¡¯s Grace].¡± She let loose an arrow that hissed through the air toward Arthur.


    ¡°Skyward, [Dash].¡± Arthur vanished from the stage.


    A sudden rush of wind blew past Cili, spinning her 180 degrees. From directly above Cili, Arthur grabbed her, then tossed her straight into the ground.


    ¡°Cili!¡± Osiris shouted. Osiris tried to grab his other crossbow with his damaged arm, but his hand shook so much he couldn''t unclip it from his belt. ¡°Drag down, [Awaken]!¡±


    Arthur spun around, positioning himself to fall directly onto Cili, but was thrown of course when vines sprouted from green scales along Osiris¡¯ arms, then wrapped around his body. Osiris pulled with all his might and flung Arthur back on stage.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Cili asked with a cough that sent blood flying from her mouth into the cracks left behind by her impact.


    ¡°What a ridiculous question!¡±


    The voice was too close. Cili looked up and saw Arthur directly in front of her, ready to strike


    ¡°[Barrage] X [Awaken]!¡±


    White dragon scales that exploded into ice slammed into Arthur¡¯s back, giving Cili the chance to fly upward and out of Arthur¡¯s range.


    ¡°You fight so hard, and for what?!¡± Arthur screamed. ¡°To burden a child! You shall feel his burden a thousand times!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Cili muttered under her breath.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Osiris aimed Arthur with his crossbow and looked through the scope, but when he did there was nobody there. He felt someone grab the back of his head; only then did Arthur¡¯s chant reach his ears.


    ¡°Faster than sound, [Dash].¡±


    Arthur smashed Osiris¡¯ head through the stage. Then again. And again.


    ¡°Get away, [Wind¡¯s Grace] X [Ignite]!¡± Cili screamed, flying above the stage.


    ¡°Skyward, [Dash] X [Accelerate].¡±


    With a thunderous boom, Arthur leaped toward the ceiling, just before a tornado, engulfed in flames, erupted from underneath Osiris. Arthur flipped around as he rocketed toward the ceiling, then planted his feet on the ceiling, and locked eyes with Cili.


    ¡®[Volley] X [Awaken]!¡±


    From within the eye of the storm of Cili¡¯s flaming tornado, white dragon scales flew out, embedding themselves into the ceiling all around Arthur, then in an instant, exploded into ice and froze Arthur¡¯s feet to the ceiling.


    The ice shattered as Arthur pulled one of his feet, but as one leg dangled in the air, and the ice around the other cracked, Cili took aim with her bow, refusing to let this golden opportunity go to waste. ¡°[Gutshot]!¡±


    Cili¡¯s skill spun her arrow so fast it whirred through the air, straight toward Arthur. The amount of essence [Gutshot] drained from her caused the tornado to vanish from the stage.


    Arthur stared down the arrow as it was just inches from his face. ¡°Alter trajectory, [Deflect].¡± He snatched it from the air, and used it to break the ice encasing his foot, then threw the arrow directly at Osiris.


    Osiris, still struggling to get up, tried to roll out of the way. The moment his body shifted onto the arm Arthur had struck at the start of the fight with [Flurry] an intense pain shot through Osiris¡¯ arm, causing him to freeze up. The arrow dug into his shoulder.


    ¡°Drag down, [Awaken]!¡± The green dragon scales on Osiris¡¯ shoulders split open as vines burst out from them and latched onto Arthur.


    Arthur felt himself once again pulled down to the stage. ¡°[Flurry].¡± Smashing his fist into the vines, Arthur tore through them, freeing himself from their grasp. Just before impact with the stage, he twisted his body, then landed feet first, sliding backward.


    ¡°Cili, hot and cold! [Barrage] X [Awaken]!¡± The infusion on Osiris¡¯ crossbow flashed with white light as white dragon scales vanished from his body.


    Arthur knew [Deflect] was pointless against the scales. They¡¯d explode, unleashing their associated element before he could throw them back. He raised his arms to try and block as many of the scales as possible.


    Just before the scales came in contact with Arthur, they glowed as Osiris¡¯ essence poured into them, then burst in an icy explosion. Frost encrusted both of Arthur¡¯s arms, but that didn¡¯t deter him. Instantly, he raised one arm, then went to strike the other to try and shatter both chunks of ice.


    ¡°Unfreeze, [Ignite]!¡± Cili called out.


    The ice surrounding Arthur¡¯s arms spontaneously liquified, then soaked Arthur¡¯s robes. Osiris aimed his crossbow, not at Arthur, but above him. Instinctively, Arthur slammed his foot onto a loose floorboard sending it rocketing into the sky, then looked up, expecting to see Cili readying an attack. There was nobody.


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    Arthur looked back at Osiris. The infusion on Osiris¡¯ crossbow ignited with a bright blue light.


    ¡°[Volley] X [Multiply] X [Awaken].¡±


    A storm of blue dragon scales coated the sky above Arthur. His hair began to float upward. In a blinding flash of blue light, each one transformed into a bolt of lighting that lanced directly through Arhtur¡¯s body.


    Arthur gritted his teeth as his water-soaked robe carried the electricity throughout his body. Smoke billowed from Arthur. His charred body took a single faltering step, then collapsed to one knee, then to both, then fell flat on the ground.


    ¡°We did it!¡± Cili exclaimed, between heavy breaths.


    Osiris dropped to one knee. ¡°Don¡¯t celebrate¡ª¡±


    Arthur slammed his hands into the ground, pushing himself up. ¡°[Endure].¡±


    ¡°¡ªyet.¡±


    Arthur rose from the ground like a revenant clawing its way out of an iron coffin buried 12 feet deep. ¡°To think I thought to treat this so lightly. When a child¡¯s life is on the line!¡± Arthur balled his left hand into a fist. He violently opened it, sending all five rings flying off, and crashing into the stage. ¡°Please World Ox, forgive me for forgetting the weight of this burden.¡±


    Osiris and Cili focused on Arthur, as they desperately tried to catch their breath. Arthur took a single step toward Osiris, then disappeared.


    Osiris felt a vice grip around his ankle. He turned around and saw Arthur right behind him. Arthur tossed Osiris as if he was as light as a feather sending him flying across the theater.


    "Catch me, [Wind¡¯s Grace].¡± Osiris barely managed to stabilize himself as he tumbled through the air. The instant he came to a stop, he saw Arthur go from standing on stage to perched on a seat directly in front of him.


    Osiris maneuvered around the theater as fast as possible, zipping through the air, as Arthur leaped from seat to seat, striking with enough voracity to tear the wind itself.


    Cili looked on in horror, unable to track Arthur¡¯s movements. She knew it was only a matter of time until Osiris faltered. Cili needed to do something; otherwise, her brother would be pulverized right in front of her.


    It didn¡¯t even make any sense why Arthur was attacking them. Cili could just explain to Arthur that they knew the dragon hybrid; Arthur seemed to be trying to help the child after all. But why would he believe Cili? He had no reason to. Unless the child confirmed he knew Cili and Osiris, Arthur wouldn¡¯t believe they were trying to help him. But to do that he¡¯d have to be awake.


    Wait, why was he asleep? It made no sense to Cili how he could still be asleep amidst all this chaos. That¡¯s when she remembered: white dragon hybrids were special. White dragons were native to arctic climates, so naturally adapted to be cold-blooded and hibernate. As a result, white dragon hybrids¡¯ sleep resembled hibernation, making it nearly impossible to wake them up. However, nearly impossible was not the same as impossible, and fortunately Cili knew exactly the way to wake one up.


    Cili nocked an arrow in her bow. ¡°Sorry about this Kyros.¡±


    Arthur bounced around the auditorium. As Arthur tumbled through the air toward Osiris, who continued to narrowly slip out of Arthur¡¯s reach, he spotted Cili aiming her bow at the boy in the cage.


    ¡°[Dash]!¡± Arthur kicked off a chair and soared toward the stage.


    ¡°Thorns of ice, chill and constrict, [Awaken] X [Awaken].¡±


    Vines wrapped around Arthur¡¯s ankle. He spun around before the vines could tighten, and sliced all of them off with a wave of his hand. Arthur noticed a fraction of a second too late, that instead of the thorns, the vines were riddled with white dragon scales. The scales stuck in Arthur''s foot burst into a cloud of frost, encasing Arthur¡¯s feet in ice.


    Arthur realized he wasn¡¯t going to make it to the stage with his feet frozen. He spun his body, and landed on the ground just before the stage, shattering the ice around his feet. However, Osiris forcing him to ground himself was all the time Cili needed.


    Arthur looked up toward the stage as Cili¡¯s arrow flew through the air. Time froze. A voice in the back of Arthur¡¯s head¡ªthe same voice that guided him his entire life¡ªwhispered to him. Don¡¯t.


    Arthur, primed to snatch the arrow out of the sky, relaxed his body.


    The arrow only grazed the boy. As blood trickled down his shoulder, and his eyes blinked open, he heard a voice call out to him.


    ¡°Kyros!¡± Cili shouted. ¡°It¡¯s me! Cili!


    ¡°Cili? What¡¯s happening? Where am I?¡± As Kyros¡¯ eyes darted around the room, they fell upon Osiris. ¡°Osiris!¡±


    Arthur¡¯s face softened. ¡°Child, do you know these people?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re from my tribe,¡± Kyros said, his voice trembling.


    Arthur turned around to face Osiris, who kept his crossbow aimed at Arthur. ¡°Is this why you bought the boy? So you could take him home?¡±


    ¡°Of course! So get the fuck away from him!¡±


    Arthur clasped his hands together. 10 golden rings ripped through the stage as they flew through the air and returned to Arthur¡¯s fingers. He pushed back his robe, revealing his arms which were covered in thick golden bands and latticed with scars.


    ¡°My deepest apologies. I only intended to protect this child from harm and return him home. Had I known you shared the same goal, I would¡¯ve never struck you. The weight we carry is often invisible, even to me.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Osiris groaned as he hobbled across the theater toward the stage. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Arthur Ward. I¡¯m a member of the Armistice Order, and one of leaders of the sect which worships the World Ox. I had a feeling I should hold back, and that I shouldn¡¯t stop that arrow. Now I know the reason for both.¡±


    ¡°Hey, this is super cool and all, love that we¡¯re friends now, but could we please get Kyros out of the fucking cage,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°I would like that,¡± Kyros said.


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Arthur jumped onto the stage. He grasped the bars off the cage, and effortlessly pried them apart. ¡°[Flurry].¡± In the blink of an eye, all the restraints on Kyros shattered.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kyros said. ¡°Does anyone know where we are?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Osiris said. ¡°I¡¯m gonna get you out of here though. Just follow me.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Cili said. ¡°My friends and I came here because we needed to find somebody. I can¡¯t leave yet!¡±


    ¡°Can you communicate with them?¡± Arthur asked.


    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Cili focused her mind and tried to mentally send a message. She waited for a response, but nothing. Galina¡¯s [Link] seemed to have been broken. ¡°It¡¯s not working. Something bad might have happened!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here first. We can find them later,¡± Osiris said.


    ¡°No!¡± Cili shouted. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving them behind! One of them even knew you!¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Halvor.¡±


    The color drained from Osiris¡¯ face. His eyes sunk into his skull. ¡°Fuck.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°Listen, Cili, Halvor were good friends, but he left us on strange terms. One of the people I¡¯m here with, Gideon, told me while we were fighting that he found Halvor and was going to bring him in.¡±


    ¡°Tell him to stop!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°That won¡¯t work! Gideon is never gonna let Halvor go.¡±


    Cili¡¯s grip on her bow tightened. ¡°Then I¡¯ll stop him! Halvor helped me. All of my friends helped me, so I¡¯m going to help them. You taught me to help the people I care about, even if it means I might get hurt.¡±


    ¡°I never said that!¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to. I¡¯ve seen you do it, all the time, and now when I go to do it, you want to stop me? That¡¯s not fair!¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    ¡°Then come with me.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Osiris clawed at his neck. ¡°Even if I do, I can¡¯t take Kyros.¡±


    ¡°Let me look after the boy,¡± Arthur said. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I can look after myself. You help your sister,¡± Kyros said.


    Osiris sighed. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Come on brother, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Arthur said. ¡°Despite my efforts to hold back, my blows seemed to have fractured this plane of existence. When you exit this theater, you¡¯ll likely be transported somewhere random. I¡¯d advise you to choose wisely which of your friends you¡¯d like to focus on saving, as they will likely all be scattered. You may not have enough time to find all of them.¡±


    ¡°Then it has to be Halvor,¡± Osiris said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Cili asked. ¡°Halvor¡¯s strong.¡±


    ¡°I know that better than anyone. To be honest, he¡¯s probably stronger than Gideon. But, the way Halvor is currently, there¡¯s not a chance in hell he can beat Gideon.¡±

 Chapter 30: Down To Earth

    The crumbled wall Halvor had been hurled through buried him under its weight. His stone arm breached through the debris as he cast the rubble aside. Pushing himself to his feet, Halvor found himself in one of the theater¡¯s many identical hallways but was surprised to see no hole in any of the walls.


    Before Halvor could try to contact the other Hangmen, a sudden blow rocked the back of his head. He stumbled forward and spun around just in time to see a fist flying toward him. Halvor braced for impact, then an inch before the fist collided with Halvor¡¯s arms, it crystallized into diamond.


    The diamond fist fractured Halvor¡¯s stone skin. As blood poured down the rivets in Halvor¡¯s cracked skin, he looked up at Gideon. Gideon wiped his hand on his pristine white robe, streaking it with Halvor¡¯s blood.


    ¡°Gideon, is that you?¡± Halvor said


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Is there any chance we can talk this out?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I just want to hurt you, because I¡¯ve tried everything else to make the pain go away, except this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair. You deserve that.¡± Halvor started wrapping his hands with hand wraps he bought with Drax;. ¡°But there are people that need me. So I can¡¯t atone. Not now. [Petrify].¡± Halvor petrified the wraps, transforming them into stone gauntlets.


    Gideon pulled his robe down to his waist exposing his scar-ridden chest. His whole body crystallized into diamond; his skin shimmered as light refracted off his body.


    Gideon and Halvor raised their fists.


    ¡°Kneel, [Quake].¡± Halvor slammed his foot into the ground.


    The hallway trembled, sending Gideon to one knee. Halvor dashed forward, then uppercut Gideon¡¯s exposed chin. Gideon glanced up at Halvor and grinned as blood trickled down Halvor¡¯s hand¡ªhis stone skin having cracked against Gideon¡¯s diamond exterior.


    Gideon grasped Halvor¡¯s wrist. ¡°Return to earth, [Catapult].¡± Gideon swung Halvor over his shoulder. Halvor felt the air escape his lungs as his back slammed into the ground.


    ¡°Stomp out, [Quake] X [Enlarge].¡± Halvor looked up at Gideon who had grown to twice his size. Gideon plunged his foot in Halvor¡¯s sternum sending a shockwave through Halvor.


    Pinned to the floor, Halvor grasped Gideon¡¯s ankle. ¡°[Fracture].¡± Shards of diamond poured onto Halvor¡¯s face as cracks raced up Gideon¡¯s leg.


    Suddenly, Halvor felt the leg he had a vice grip on vanish. Gideon¡¯s leg transformed into sand that slipped through Halvor¡¯s fingers. Halvor rolled over and stood to his feet brushing the sand from his chest. The sand coursed toward Gideon, reforming into a leg that swiftly shifted back to diamond.


    Gideon reverted to his normal size. Blood oozed down his leg.


    At the center of Halvor¡¯s shirt, a spot of red continued to expand; bits of stone poured out from underneath his shirt onto the ground.


    The two rushed toward each other, planted their feet on the ground, and swung at the other¡¯s head.


    ¡°Pummel to dust, [Fracture]!¡± Halvor shouted. The moment before Halvor¡¯s fist impacted Gideon¡¯s face, Gideon¡¯s entire head transformed into sand. The sand blasted out all over the hallway.


    At the same time, Halvor brought up his other arm to intercept Gideon¡¯s strike. However, Gideon¡¯s fist shifted to sand that coursed straight through Halvor¡¯s defense, then reformed into diamond as it impacted Halvor¡¯s jaw, shattering the stone that covered it.


    Halvor stumbled backward, looking at the headless Gideon, horrified. Halvor¡¯s fear that he had killed Gideon quickly faded, as the sand that had splattered all over the hallway coursed up Gideon¡¯s back, and reformed into a head.


    Gideon cracked his neck. ¡°Almost had me there.¡±


    Halvor wiped the blood pooling in the cracks around his jaw. ¡°We don¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    ¡°I thought I made myself clear. I want to do this.¡±


    Halvor sighed. ¡°Fine. Split open, [Quake] X [Fracture].¡± Halvor slammed his fists into the floor and fissured the ground beneath Gideon¡¯s feet.


    Halvor hunched over, and rushed forward, as Gideon fell into the fissure. Halvor lunged toward Gideon¡¯s chest, but Gideon transformed the entirety of his body into sand. Halvor stumbled forward as his hands passed through the sand as Gideon sunk into the crack.


    Rising from the fissure, Gideon shifted his skin back from sand to diamond. Halvor turned his head around, just as Gideon grasped the back of his head.


    ¡°Return to earth, [Catapult].¡±


    ¡°[Quake].¡±


    Gideon dragged Halvor down to the ground. At the same time, the ground quaked beneath his feet. His knees buckled, giving Halvor the opportunity to grasp his forearm.


    Quickly deciding between holding on, or letting go, Gideon transformed his arm to sand, then slipped through Halvor¡¯s hand, and stepped back.


    Halvor didn¡¯t have time to stand on his feet before Gideon struck again. He spun around onto his back, then kicked both his feet straight into Gideon¡¯s chest. However, rather than try to dodge, Gideon barreled toward Halvor, shifting his lower half to sand to absorb Halvor¡¯s kick.


    ¡°[Crush].¡± Gideon dove down at Halvor. His diamond hand plummeted into Halvor¡¯s face, fracturing the stone, and reverting it to cut skin. Halvor¡¯s head slammed into the ground, cracking the floor and rattling the chandeliers overhead.


    The skin on Halvor¡¯s face tore as Gideon lifted his head by his face. Blood dripped from the back of Halvor¡¯s head, and seeped into the cracks on the ground his impact had left.


    Crack!


    Gideon slammed Halvor¡¯s head into the ground. The cracks on the ground multiplied in size and quantity as blood splattered across the floor.


    Crack!


    ¡°You know why I hate you, Halvor.¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°You probably think it¡¯s because you picked me.¡±


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Crack!


    ¡°Because you trusted me to be your backup. To replace you.¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°I was young and stupid. You knew that.¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°But it was still my choice. They probably got you when you were young too. Picking me isn¡¯t why I hate you.¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°The lab was rough, yeah. Put us through hell even though we were still alive.


    Crack!


    ¡°But that¡¯s the keyword. Us. That was the one thing we had. Each other. And then you took that away!¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°You ran away! Why?! Because you couldn¡¯t take it anymore? You ever think what that did to us?!¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°You slipped through their fingers, and so they tightened their grip on me. All the pain we split, we bonded over, all of it got focused on me.¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°They all always said that I needed to be stronger than you. Well, I''m not just stronger than you. I¡¯m BETTER than you!¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°I stayed! I endured! All the pain YOU put me through! ¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°The pain you couldn¡¯t take! I took it, and I didn¡¯t run away, because no matter how bad I wanted to, I never forgot the people who needed me!¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°That''s why it pisses me off that you¡¯re fighting me now. You said you¡¯re doing it because people needed you. What about us?!¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°We needed you! I needed you!¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you be strong?!¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°Why?!¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°Did!¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°You!¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°Leave!¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°Us!¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°All!¡±


    Crack!


    ¡°ALONE!¡±


    CRACK!


    Cracks spiraled up the walls of the hallway and all along the ground. The hallway dimmed as chandeliers crashed onto the ground. Blood dripped from Gideon¡¯s fingertips as they shifted back to skin.


    Gideon gasped for air as he pulled his hand off Halvor''s face.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong about the pain.¡±


    Gideon¡¯s heart filled with fear as he heard Halvor¡¯s voice call out to him. Halvor grabbed Gideon¡¯s wrist, which immediately turned to sand, as Gideon jumped back.


    ¡°How am I wrong?!¡± Gideon shouted. ¡°How would you even know?!¡±


    Halvor pulled himself to his feet. He touched the back of his, and shifted his skin to stone, stopping the flow of blood. ¡°Because I went through it too.¡±


    ¡°BULLSHIT! I went through everything you did! You don¡¯t ANYTHING about what I went through after you were gone!¡± Gideon¡¯s whole body crystallized into diamond.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re right,¡± Halvor said. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that pain. But I do know about all the nights you stay awake, because the bed just feels like it¡¯s digging needles into your back. How every time you breathe it feels like your heart is being crushed by your ribcage.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s stiff. You start to check if your skin is stone, even when you know it isn¡¯t. The trick is to put rocks in your shoes to distract you from feeling like shards of glass are swimming around in your body everytime you move. Sure they hurt, but at least it''s a pain you choose.


    ¡°Sometimes you stretch a little too far, and you feel like if you move another inch your bones will snap. But you¡¯re happy, because that tension in your body makes the pain go away, even if it¡¯s just that one spot. Then you pull away, and all of a sudden all that pain you thought escaped comes rushing back twice as bad. Even still, you¡¯d do it again no matter how bad the pain after, just for that fleeting moment where you feel nothing.¡±


    ¡°So how was I wrong?¡± Gideon asked.


    ¡°Because hitting me won¡¯t make it go away. Nothing does.¡±


    Gideon¡¯s face contorted with a wicked smile of disbelief. ¡°The person who ran off to look for a cure, not knowing where to go, just aimlessly wandering with only hope to guide them, now wants to talk about how nothing will make the pain better. Maybe once I bring you in, they¡¯ll focus all their golem experiments on you, just like they did to me.¡±


    Gideon rushed toward Halvor, but before he could take a single step, a voice echoed through the hall.


    ¡°Thorns of ice, chill and constrict, [Awaken] X [Awaken].¡±


    Vines wrapped around Gideon from behind, binding him in place. He tried to shift his body to sand to slip through their grasp, but white dragon scales all across the vines burst into an icy wind, completely trapping him in a block of ice.


    ¡°Halvor!¡± Cili shouted, sprinting toward him.


    ¡°Cili! Where are the others?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We came to find you first.¡±


    Osiris¡¯ eyes met Halvors as he walked out from behind the frozen Gideon. ¡°Been a while.¡±


    A crack sprouted on the ice that encased Gideon.


    ¡°No time,¡± Osiris said. ¡°The whole plane got destabilized, but I know where we are. The lobby is that way.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Have I ever led you astray?¡± Osiris asked.


    ¡°Obviously not,¡± Cili said.


    Another crack appeared on the ice.


    ¡°You guys go. I¡¯ll hold him off,¡± Osiris said.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Cili asked.


    Osiris smirked. ¡°Arthur took a lot out of me, but even after our fight, I¡¯m still way stronger than this idiot.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Osiris leaned toward Halvor to whisper in his ear. ¡°Are you still not using your mutant ability?¡± Osiris asked.


    Halvor¡¯s eyes were pulled to the floor.


    ¡°Gods damn it!¡± Osiris exclaimed. ¡°You need to get over yourself. Being a mutant doesn¡¯t make you the same as the people who turned you into one. It makes you the same as me, Vivyan, Gideon, and everyone else. Even if they hate you now, we both know they¡¯re good people who are hurting. Being the same as them isn¡¯t something to run away from. It¡¯s something to take pride in.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Halvor said dismissively.


    Osiris grabbed Halvor¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯m trusting you with my sister, Halvor. If you aren¡¯t strong enough to protect her, because you can¡¯t get over your fucking insecurities, and accept who you are, then I¡¯m gonna drag your ass back to the lab myself.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I understand.¡±


    ¡°And if you die, I¡¯m going to find you, and I¡¯m going to kill you.¡±


    Halvor smiled. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Cracks spiderwebbed all along the ice.


    Osiris let go of Halvor¡¯s arm. ¡°Good. Now go.¡±


    ¡°Fuck him up, bro!¡± Cili shouted as she and Halvor took off further down the hall.


    The ice shattered into pieces as Gideon pried himself free. ¡°What are you doing, Osiris?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re deviating from the mission. I can¡¯t allow that,¡± Osiris said.


    ¡°Oh really, I think the lab will be much angrier with your actions than mine.¡±


    Osiris shrugged. ¡°What actions? Right now it¡¯s your word against mine. The only other person here is Vivyan, who we both know likes me much more than you.¡±


    ¡°Just because you two fuck from time to time doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯ll lie for you. Besides, the lab can force the truth out of all of us. So I¡¯m only going to say this once.¡± Gideon¡¯s body crystallized. ¡°Stand down.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but frankly I don¡¯t give a damn what the lab does to me. My sister asked me to save Halvor. She looked like she would burst into tears if anything happened to one of her friends.¡± Osiris brandished his dual repeating crossbows. ¡°What kind of big brother would I be if I let my little sister cry?¡±

 Chapter 31: Stuck Between A Philosopher鈥檚 Stone And A Hard Place

    Ace apparated in darkness.


    Hello. Anyone? Figures.


    The [Link] connecting Ace to the rest of The Hangmen had been severed.


    ¡°To the Alchemist, [Pact].¡±


    [ A spirit has been found. ]


    [ What do you desire? ]


    To communicate.


    [ The spirit desires you to free him. ]


    I¡¯ll find you. Freeing you is something I can¡¯t guarantee.


    [ The spirit has accepted your offer. ]


    [ Pact formed!]


    [ Active Pacts: 1/2. ]


    The moment the pact was formed, a voice lanced through Ace¡¯s mind.


    Who are you?


    My name is Ace. I¡¯m part of a party called The Hangmen. Cally So said you would help us.


    Cally sent you? She¡¯s always a pain in my neck.


    Are you in a position to complain?


    I suppose not. Now, where are you?


    I just took a connector here. It¡¯s all dark.


    Let me see if I can help.


    A matrix of thin white lines outlined the darkness that surrounded Ace.


    What did you do?


    This is what I remember of the space. They didn¡¯t bother blindfolding me when they dragged me here.


    How good is your memory?


    I have an eidetic memory.


    Don¡¯t know what that means, but I¡¯m not complaining.


    Ace walked toward the outline of a door. As he grasped the doorknob Elric¡¯s spirit sent a chill down his spine.


    Don¡¯t take the door, Elric said. Find another way in.


    Ace looked up to a grate just above the door.


    Ace drew a sword from the scabbard on his back. Tiny slashes in the metal segmented the blade. The cross guard doubled as a trigger lever. The handle was rather bulky; the wrap around it hid the gears and mechanisms underneath.


    Ace pointed the tip to the ceiling. ¡°Focus, [Possess].¡± The moment Ace completed the chant, he pulled down on the lever.


    The blade clicked, and the lines along it expanded, splitting it into segments. Connected by a thick cable, the segments rocketed upward; the blade''s tip embedded itself into the ceiling.


    Ace gently pressed his thumb down on the lever. The whip sword¡¯s blade slowly retracted as Ace walked up the wall. He grabbed the grate above the door and pulled it loose. After he crawled inside, Ace pressed down on the lever. It clicked again, and the blade retracted back into a sword.


    After sheathing his blade and popping the grate back into place, Ace crawled through the vents. Since Elric had never been up in the vents, the entire space was shrouded in darkness.


    Any chance you know how to turn on the lights? Ace asked


    The infusion is right next to me.


    Brilliant.


    Once he finally reached another vent, Ace pried it open and crawled out into the rafters. Clutching onto the beam with one hand, Ace glanced down out the outlined prison-like space. He spotted several cages, with interiors that faded into darkness. He recalled that the vast majority of the animals had been auctioned off in the first half of the show; Elric might be the only thing left in here.


    The sound of marching metal echoed through the space. Ace focused on the sound and spotted the outline of two suits of armor patrolling up and down the cages.


    Which cage are you in? Ace asked.


    None in that area. There¡¯s a door at the end of the room. That¡¯s where they¡¯re keeping me.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    How do I get in?


    My chamber has two locks. They must be unlocked simultaneously. The two suits of armor have the keys.


    Don¡¯t you mean the guards have the keys?


    The suits are animated by an infusion inside the breastplate. Damage the infusion, and they¡¯ll disanimate. Be warned, the infusions are linked together so that if one goes down, the other sets off an alarm. Please tell me there¡¯s someone with you.


    I¡¯ll see what I can do.


    You mean we?


    I mean me.


    Ace pulled his revolver out from the holster on his hip. He pulled the hammer back. The infusion engraved all across the revolver began to glow. The barrel of the revolver started to rotate, rapidly gaining speed.


    ¡°[Possess].¡±


    Ace pulled the trigger. Every bullet in the revolver fired in an instant, spreading out wildly in different directions. Imbued with Ace¡¯s essence the bullets quickly changed their trajectory and raced toward the animated armors that patrolled the hall.


    Ace guided the bullets between the gaps in the hollow armor. Sparks illuminated the darkness as the bullets danced around inside the suits of armor, grinding against the interior of the breastplate, scratching the infusion inside, and rendering it inert.


    The two suits of animated armor crumbled to the ground; the clanging of metal echoed through the space.


    Ace pulled out his sword as he holstered his revolver. He pulled out his sword, and clicked the lever, transforming it into a whip. ¡°[Possess].¡± The whip sword moved on its own like a snake as it coiled around the beam Ace clung to.


    Ace gently climbed off the beam. The whip sword slowly extended as Ace rappelled down.


    Ace spent a while rummaging through the armor in the dark before he managed to pry two keys from the armor sets.


    He walked down the hall, looking left and right into the dark cages, expecting something to jump at the bars. At the end of the hall was a door with two locks, one at the top of the door, the other at the bottom.


    ¡°[Possess].¡± Ace imbued the two keys with his essence and moved them both into the locks. The locks clicked open and fell off the door.


    As he stepped into a room a voice called out from inside. ¡°The lights are on your left.¡±


    Ace rubbed his hand along the left wall until it hit a sigil engraved into the wood; he shut his eyes as light enveloped the entirety of the space.


    [ Pact Fulfilled! ]


    [ Active Pacts: 0/2.]


    As Ace¡¯s eyes blinked open he found himself face to face with a pale elven hybrid with long blonde hair dressed in elegant crimson clothes accented with gold. Shackles lined with runes chained the man to the wall opposite Ace. ¡°So you¡¯re Elric?¡±


    Elric shook his hair to get it out of his eyes. ¡°Yes. You managed to get here on your own. Very impressive.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Now could you get me out of here?¡±


    ¡°How do I get the shackles off you?¡±


    Elric pointed to the two keys in Ace¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Using the same keys is just lazy,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Or efficient, depending on how you look at it.¡± Elric attempted to stand up, but the chains rattled, and went taught, causing Elric to fumble to the ground. ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you use a skill to get out?¡± Ace asked.


    Elric held up his hands. ¡°The infusion on the shackles is sensitive to essence. I use a skill and my hands get sliced off. Honestly, my hands being gone isn¡¯t the problem. I could always put them back. I¡¯m more worried that the sudden pain would cause me to die of shock or pass out. If that happened I¡¯d quickly die of blood loss.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds, not good,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Not good indeed.¡±


    Ace moved toward Elric ready to unshackle, but took a step back.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Elric asked.


    ¡°I think we should discuss what exactly you¡¯ll do for me and my friends before I free you.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Elric groaned.


    ¡°Good. Before that, I need proof that you¡¯re really you.¡±


    Elric rolled his eyes. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a red stone. The surface of the stone looked like a meteor shower trapped in a bubble of time; different shades of red overlapped on the stone, streaking across its surface ¡°A philosopher¡¯s stone. No one else can make them. Is this satisfactory?¡±


    ¡°Do you have more?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°A few. I can always make more.¡±


    ¡°Including me, there are seven people you need to treat. Do you have enough for all of us?¡±


    ¡°That depends on what I¡¯m treating.¡±


    Ace pulled down his collar revealing the golden chain tattooed on his neck.


    Elric¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ah, I see. A complex problem, but the solution is rather trivial. Simply transmute the skin around the neck. A single stone will be more than enough for all of you.¡±


    Ace went to speak, but Elric interjected. ¡°Might I add, there is a [Planar Connector] located in the room you arrived in powering an infusion. If I could make a suggestion, I have my own custom plane of existence. Once you free me, with a simple chant, by using the connector in my own plane as an anchor, I could take us to my personal workshop. It would allow me to work on you and your friends much quicker.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Excellent. It seems we have a deal. I¡¯ll treat you and your friends, and you get me out of here.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second.¡± Ace pointed to the philosopher¡¯s stone in Elric¡¯s hand. ¡°I want that as insurance.¡±


    Elric scoffed. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. Do you know what this is worth?¡±


    ¡°More than your life apparently. In case shit goes sideways and we have to leave your ass here, I¡¯d like to at least have the hope somebody other than you could fix us.¡±


    ¡°Nobody can use these as well as me.¡±


    ¡°Why would I need it to be used well? After all, you¡¯re the one who said the solution was trivial. You either gamble on me, and my party, or on yourself, and whether you can withstand losing both your hands.¡±


    Ace extended his hand out. ¡°So which will it be? [Pact].¡±


    Elric scowled as he dropped the stone into Ace¡¯s palm.


    [ Pact formed!]


    [ Active Pacts: 1/2. ]


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m going to get the rest of my friends, and we will all be back in no time.¡±


    Ace rushed back to the room he had teleported into when he first arrived. On the wall was a glowing sigil. As he placed his hand on it the infusion activated, and he was thrust back into the theater.

 Chapter 32: Risk Assessment

    Ace landed just in front of the dragon painting in the lobby. Before he could raise his head he heard a voice.


    ¡°Everybody should be rushing out into the lobby, but nobody¡¯s here. Maybe Arthur¡¯s punches destabilized this plane of existence? If that¡¯s the case everybody who goes through those doors is going to end up in some random hall. Ah, they¡¯ll all find their way here eventually though.


    ¡°If anything, that¡¯s perfect, because it gives us enough time to have a lovely little chat. Now doesn¡¯t that sound lovely?¡±


    Ace raised his head to see Vivyan staring directly at him, a slight grin forming at the corner of her lips.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ace said with a laugh. One of his hands rested on the handle that stuck out from the scabbard on his back; the other hovered just above the holster at his waist, clutching a bright red gemstone. ¡°Talking sounds nice.¡±


    Vivyan clasped her hands together. ¡°Wonderful. You should know things are a bit chaotic. The plane is destabilized; entrances don¡¯t connect to the right exits. The doors in the theater lead to random ones in the hallways instead.¡±


    ¡°So everyone¡¯s scattered all around. I heard you the first time.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of first times, this isn''t the first time we¡¯ve met, is it?¡± Vivyan asked. ¡°You¡¯re the one who killed the raeven.¡±


    Ace stayed silent.


    ¡°Oh, silly me, I haven¡¯t introduced myself. I¡¯m Vivyan.¡±


    Ace¡¯s face remained still. Can anybody hear me? Hello? None of Ace''s mental messages generated a reply; he realized the [Link] connecting The Hangmen had been severed somehow.


    ¡°And your name is?¡± Vivyan asked.


    ¡°Halvor.¡±


    Vivyan smiled. ¡°Whatever you say, Ace. Now I¡¯m going to make this brief. Either you¡¯re going to give me the stone in or I¡¯m going to take the hand holding it. Actually, taking just a hand requires little finesse, and I¡¯m tired as shit, so actually I¡¯ll just take the whole arm.¡±


    Ace¡¯s grip on the stone tightened. ¡°You really want to take that risk?¡±


    Vivyan¡¯s head snapped back as she looked at Ace with surprise in her eyes. ¡°Are you ¡­ threatening me? Oh my gods, you are so much more fun than Halvor, and that woman who watched us through the window. Okay, I¡¯ll bite. What risk would I be taking in ripping your arm off?¡±


    ¡°Because the moment you try I¡¯m going to use it.¡±


    ¡°And that should frighten me? You¡¯ve never used one before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why there¡¯s a risk. When I was a kid I read in an animal facts book that baby spiders and snakes are deadlier than adults because even though they don¡¯t have as much venom as an adult, they¡¯ll always inject all of it into their prey, since they don¡¯t know how much to use.


    ¡°When I use this stone, can you be sure I won¡¯t use up everything it has? Maybe you can recharge it somehow, but what if it shatters or disintegrates? That¡¯s the risk you¡¯re taking.¡±


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    Vivyan leaned down, thrusting her face in front of Ace¡¯s. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a risk worth taking.¡± She flicked her fingers, and her fingernails morphed into razor-sharp claws.


    ¡°Even if there¡¯s an option without any risk?¡± Ace asked, trying to keep his breathing steady.


    ¡°What would that be?¡± Vivyan asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty strong, right?¡±


    Vivyan chuckled. ¡°Oh, that wasn''t rhetorical. Yes, I¡¯m quite strong.¡±


    ¡°That woman you mentioned you saw, looking at you and Halvor. She was tall, had dark skin, and a burnt staff, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Without Galina¡¯s [Link] skill, Ace knew there was no hope of reuniting with the rest of The Hangmen. She had assured Ace that it would disconnect when exiting the theater, but reconnect when he got back. Given that it was severed, even though he had returned, Ace reasoned Galina had gotten into trouble. ¡°I think she¡¯s in danger. I want you to save her, and not harm any of my party until we¡¯ve all left this theater. In exchange, I¡¯ll give you the stone.¡±


    ¡°Are you joking?¡± Vivyan asked. ¡°There¡¯s way more risk with that option. Mainly, what if she¡¯s dead? Then I¡¯ll never get the stone.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, you aren¡¯t understanding. I¡¯ll give you the stone, right now.¡± Ace held the stone up in front of his face. ¡°If Galina¡¯s dead, then she¡¯s dead. Anything short of that, you bring her back to this lobby, even if it means you have to drag her here. So what do you say? Do we have a deal? [Pact].¡±


    Vivyan grinned, whether to express surprise or admiration Ace couldn¡¯t tell. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this.¡±


    [ Pact formed!]


    [ Active Pacts: 2/2. ]


    Ace tossed Vivyan the philosopher¡¯s stone. As she snatched it out of the air, she inspected the stone closely.


    The moment Ace took his eyes off her, from out of the corner of his vision, he saw a blur as Vivyan lashed out toward him, her claws primed to tear his throat out.


    Suddenly, Vivyan¡¯s arm was gone. It didn¡¯t disappear gradually, in a puff of mist, or with a bright flash. Her arm was there one moment and gone the next. Her empty sleeve fluttered and flapped to her side.


    Vivyan shrugged. ¡°Worth a shot.¡± She tapped her shoulder. Then again, and again. ¡°It normally starts growing back by now.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m holding your arm as collateral, right now,¡± Ace said. ¡°The moment our agreement is done, I¡¯m 50 percent sure, there''s an 80 percent chance it¡¯ll grow back. So get to work.¡±


    Ace couldn¡¯t help himself as a massive grin crawled across his face.


    Vivyan bit her lip in frustration hard enough to draw blood, before taking off down one of the halls. ¡°For the record, that fact about baby snakes and spiders is largely a myth.¡±


    After she left, Ace let out a massive sigh of relief. His knees were about to give out. He lay down on the floor and took a deep breath in and out.


    ¡°I guess I should try to check in on everyone else. I¡¯m maxed out, but I should still be able to contact their spirit. To The Hangmen, [Pact].¡±


    Although [Pact] couldn¡¯t form an agreement, Ace knew to initiate a pact his skill reached out to spirits. Therefore, with the right chant, it could be repurposed to locate specific spirits, even if Ace had no intention of making a deal with them.


    Ace closed his eyes. The smell of everyone¡¯s essence flooded his senses. He could pick out six distinct scents, assuring him that everyone was at least in the theater. Everyone¡¯s scent was dull and muted; Ace best interpreted this as a sign of stress or strain, indicating that it wasn¡¯t just Galina struggling.


    However, as he focused on each scent, one suddenly turned acrid. The burning in Ace¡¯s nostrils flared up so badly that his eyes flashed open. Ace pushed himself to his feet. One of The Hangmen needed his help.


    As Ace heard a hoard of footsteps and a cacophony of voices, rushing toward the lobby, he ran down the hall in the opposite direction, following the acrid scent, and calling out the name of The Hangmen whose essence it belonged to.


    ¡°Riven!¡±

 Chapter 33: Telekinetic Tug of War

    Galina wasn¡¯t worried about the rubble she had caught just before it fell onto her head. Her eyes instead gravitated toward her staff. Her sigh of relief upon seeing it still in one piece was quickly cut off by a flash of pain in her sides. She had focused all her power on keeping the rubble from crushing her; in the process, she unconsciously deactivated her [Link] skill.


    She flung the shattered remains of the theater wall to the side. She looked up expecting to see the hole in the wall she created, but instead found herself in an area identical to the theater¡¯s lobby, except there were no paintings on the walls.


    ¡°Where did you take me?¡±


    Galina spun around; she saw that Xavier had teleported in behind her.


    ¡°Sorry I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met before,¡± Galina said.


    Xavier casually paced around Galina, brushing off dust from his jacket. ¡°Not formally, but you were definitely spying on my caravan.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Xavier walked around the pile of debris on the ground. ¡°Sure.¡± He hopped onto the front of the bar table and sat down. ¡°How old are you?¡±


    ¡°First you fling me through a wall. Then you ask a lady her age. Did anyone teach you any manners?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°Just answer the damn question.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how old I am. Roughly 25, give or take a year or two.¡±


    ¡°Do you know your parents?¡±


    With her [Link] skill shattered, Galina couldn''t contact the other Hangmen, so she figured it would be best to avoid conflict and just answer Xavier¡¯s questions. ¡°I know my parents. If you mean my biological parents, then no.¡±


    Xavier pointed to Galina¡¯s staff. ¡°How did you get that orb?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    Xavier clicked his tongue. ¡°So you would¡¯ve been around 8 at the time,¡± he murmured to himself. ¡°That¡¯s disappointing. Sorry about sending you flying into the wall. I seem to have mistaken you for somebody else.¡±


    ¡°No worries. I¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    Galina started to walk away, but Xavier held out his hand. ¡°Wait a sec. I¡¯m going to need that orb on your staff. If you can just give me that, then we¡¯ll be all good to go.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I wasn¡¯t asking. You¡¯re going to give it to me, or I¡¯ll take it.¡± Xavier grabbed his gloves, but let go without removing them. ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    Galina gripped her staff. ¡°Are you trying to go easy on me?¡±


    ¡°I just simply don¡¯t need to push myself that hard. You don¡¯t hunt deer with a cannon. In fact, I won¡¯t even need a single chant or cross to take down a cheap copy like you.¡±


    ¡°Cheap copy? What do you mean?¡± Galina asked.


    Xavier chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re more naive than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Says the one who thinks they¡¯re getting my orb,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Xavier lifted his hand. The debris levitated off the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s dance.¡±


    Xavier thrust his hand forward sending the pile of rubble flying toward Galina. In retaliation, Galina raised her hand and stopped the rubble in the middle of the air. The rubble ebbed back and forth as Xavier and Galina vied for dominance.


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Xavier flicked his fingers. ¡°[Push].¡±


    Xavier focused his essence on a singular piece of the rubble jettisoning it out of the pile. Galina knew if she tried to stop the chunk of rubble, Xavier would wrestle control over the rest of it, so she made the split-second decision to place as little effort into deflecting it, rather than catching it.


    Galina ducked down, and with a flick of her wrist, altered the rubble¡¯s trajectory sending it flying over her head, simultaneously fighting for control over the rest of the rubble against Xavier.


    ¡°Cheap trick,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Fine then. Let¡¯s have a contest of skill.¡± Xavier squeezed his open hand into a fist. ¡°[Crush].¡±


    The rubble cracked, then shattered into tiny rocks, slightly bigger than grains of sand. Galina¡¯s focus went from being split between a few massive chunks to hundreds of tiny bits. Her mind raced trying to comprehend the exponential increase in objects, but she couldn¡¯t keep up.


    Xavier ripped the grains of rubble away from Galina pulling them free from her telekinetic grasp.


    ¡°Your control is lacking,¡± Xavier said. ¡°[Push].¡±


    The bits of rubble tore through the air like a hailstorm of bullets.


    Galina waved her hand in front of her. ¡°[Barrier].¡±


    The air in front of Galina blurred like a heat haze. The grains of debris slowed rapidly the moment they got close to Galina.


    Xavier¡¯s eyes shifted from Galina to the piece of debris she had deflected. ¡°[Pull].¡±


    The rubble slammed into the back of Galina¡¯s head, shattering her focus on her [Barrier]. Fortunately, when Xavier used [Pull] on the rubble, he shifted his essence to it, so the bits of rubble Galina had stopped just collapsed to the ground when her [Barrier] fell.


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    Galina¡¯s head rocked forward and faced the ground. The back of her head felt warm. She saw as blood dripped down from the back of her head onto the floor.


    Xavier crossed her legs. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Drop something?¡±


    Galina put on a frustrated smile. She looked up at Xavier sitting on the bar, then past him at the shelf full of alcohol. ¡°[Pull].¡±


    Xavier heard the shelf rattle and bottles clink as Galina telekinetically sent them flying toward him.


    Xavier snapped his fingers. ¡°[Crush].¡±


    The bottles of alcohol shattered into shards of glass. Galina felt her control over them weaken as it was split across the several shards.


    Xavier twirled his finger. A tempest of glass shards enveloped Xavier. ¡°You can¡¯t control this many, right?¡± Xavier pointed his finger at Galina. ¡°[Push].¡±


    A spear of shattered glass lanced at Galina.


    Galina slammed her staff into the ground. ¡°Freeze in your tracks, [Barrier].¡±


    A grin crept onto Xavier¡¯s face. ¡°[Pull].¡± The shards pulled back before they got close to Galina¡¯s [Barrier].


    Galina¡¯s confusion shifted into surprise as the shards split apart. Xavier manipulated them around the room into a massive sphere of glass that surrounded Galina. The shards of glass shined as they spun. Their edge pointed straight toward Galina, then raced toward her from all directions.


    ¡°Surround me, freeze in your tracks, [Barrier].¡±


    Galina looked around at an omnidirectional assault of razor-sharp glass frozen to a halt just inches before they eviscerated her.


    Xavier hopped down from the bar and started walking toward Galina. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can keep that up. [Push].¡±


    The glass inched toward Galina.


    ¡°[Push].¡±


    The glass came close enough for Galina to see her fractured reflection.


    ¡°[Push].¡±


    Blood trickled down Galina¡¯s nose.


    ¡°There''s the gap. [Push].¡±


    A single shard of glass in Galina¡¯s blind spot pierced through her defense. Xavier focused all his essence on that single shard, slashing Galina¡¯s wrist before she could react. The flash of pain in Galina¡¯s wrist caused her grip on her staff to loosen. The staff clattered to the ground as Galina¡¯s [Barrier] fell, and a shower of glass shards collapsed around her.


    Galina and Xavier both reached out to the staff. ¡°[Pull]!¡±


    Xavier was a split second faster. The staff flew across the room, then became suspended in mid-air equidistant from both Xavier and Galina.


    Xavier¡¯s fingers curled. The ashen wood off the staff began to crack and crumble to dust.


    ¡°[Crush].¡± The staff fragmented into pieces; chunks of ash broke off as it collapsed to the ground.


    Galina collapsed to her knees. She hopelessly covered her ears as the thoughts of everyone in the theater rushed into her mind.


    Get out of my way!


    Move!


    Where¡¯s the exit?


    Where am I?


    Don¡¯t push me!


    Hurry, go faster!


    Galina started to hyperventilate. ¡°Go away. Go away. Go away,¡± she whispered to herself.


    Xavier kneeled next to the orb. ¡°Feels like a weight off my shoulder.¡± He reached for the orb. The moment his fingers touched the orb he felt all his strength drained; his telekinetic abilities faded.


    ¡°GO AWAY!¡± Galina screamed.


    A massive telekinetic blast shook the theater, sending Xavier flying backward. All the air was forced out of his lungs as his back slammed into the bar. The pain in his spine shot through his entire body and forced him to his knees.


    ¡°What?!¡± Xavier shouted. ¡°How?! Why?! If you¡¯re not an imitation, if you¡¯re really like me, then why would you have that cursed thing?! Why would you carry the very thing that killed our families?!¡±


    Xavier¡¯s voice didn¡¯t reach Galina. His words were swallowed by the chaotic torrent of thoughts swirling in Galina¡¯s mind. Galina crawled toward the orb. Her heart wanted to scream, but her brain was too burdened to command her body to do so.


    Xavier grasped the bar and pulled himself to his feet. ¡°Answer me!¡±


    Suddenly, a thunderous crack echoed through the lobby. Galina¡¯s eyes remained glued on the orb as the crack was lost in the sound of all the voices in her mind.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?!¡± Xavier exclaimed.


    The sound of a metal splitting open tore through the space.


    ¡°Ah! Let go of me.¡±


    Galina could vaguely make out the sound of Xavier struggling.


    ¡°In you go!¡±


    Galina reached her hand out to the orb, but she was too far away. She watched as a pale hand picked it up from the ground. The same hand shifted over to Galina¡¯s crumbled staff.


    ¡°Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, be undone, [Regenerate].¡±


    Galina watched as her shattered staff pulled itself together; the orb was fitted back at the apex.


    A sudden wave of relief blasted over Galina as all the voices were silenced in an instant. She pushed herself to her feet. Galina looked at her staff, now perfectly reformed, in Vivyan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I believe this is yours,¡± Vivyan said.


    Galina snatched it from her hands. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Red eyes told me to save you, so I could get my arm back,¡± Vivyan said, tugging on her empty sleeve. ¡°So I ripped one of the doors in the hallway off its hinges and chucked that fuck into one of them. With how unstable this plane is, he could¡¯ve been sent anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Galina said. ¡°I¡¯ll be going then.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. The paintings are that way.¡± Vivyan dove over the bar. ¡°I¡¯m going to check if any of the bottles are intact.¡±


    Galina rushed out of the lobby. ¡°No matter where we are, The Hangmen remain connected, [Link].¡±


    Hello? Ace? Galina said.


    Galina! Where are you?


    I¡¯m heading to the lobby. Where are you? Galina asked.


    I¡¯m heading over to Riven. I think she¡¯s in trouble. She might not be conscious.


    How is everyone else?


    We¡¯re good! Cili said.


    We? Ace asked.


    Cili and I are heading to the lobby right now, Halvor said. We can head over to help you with Riven.


    I don¡¯t think I can guide you to where Riven is. Just focus on getting to the lobby. I¡¯ll be fine, Ace said.


    That leaves only two unaccounted for. Draxl, Kai, where are you two? Galina asked.

 Chapter 34: Danse Macabre

    ¡°Why are we running?¡± Kai¡¯s backpack jingled as he spun it around in front of him, and pulled out his rifle.


    Draxl looked over his shoulder at Kai as he slowly started to fall behind him. ¡°I¡¯m trying to find Zeke. Even though the plane is messed up, we left through the same door as him, so we should be close, but moving quickly is the only way to cover enough ground.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± The scream echoed through the hallways.


    ¡°That¡¯s Zeke!¡± Draxl immediately turned around and started running toward the scream.


    ¡°You know his scream?¡± Kai asked. He continued to try closing his backpack, but the zipper kept getting stuck. ¡°Wait a second.¡± Kai put his backpack on the ground and closed it. ¡°Alright, good to go.¡± Kai looked around but saw Draxl was nowhere in sight. ¡°Gods damn it,¡± Kai said, taking off after Draxl.


    <hr>


    Queen stomped on Zeke¡¯s back and dug her heel into his back. She wrapped her fingers around Zeke¡¯s wing, then pulled. ¡°Come on. Give me a wing!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Zeke screamed.


    ¡°[Flash Strike]!¡±


    A streak of white light blasted through the hallway. In a flash of sparks, Queen parried the strike with her rapier.


    Queen turned her head toward the end of the streak of light. Draxl skidded to a halt at the end of the hallway and met her gaze.


    ¡°Now, now, why are you spoiling the fun?¡± Queen asked.


    While Queen was focused on Draxl, Zeke flared his wings and rolled out from underneath Queen¡¯s heel. As Queen thrust down at Zeke, he curled his wings around his own body; her rapier ground against his feathers.


    ¡°[Shadow Surge].¡± Zeke disappeared in a puff of black mist, then rose from Draxl¡¯s shadow, standing right beside him.


    ¡°Where¡¯s everyone else?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°They managed to get away. I¡¯ve just been stalling her,¡± Zeke said.


    ¡°How strong is she?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Stupid strong, but I need to buy a little more time for Rose to get everyone out. I¡¯m connected to Rose, so she¡¯ll tell me when they¡¯re out,¡± Zeke said. ¡°So let¡¯s forget about last night and focus on this.¡±


    Draxl readied his sword. ¡°Alright, I can do that.¡±


    Queen pointed her rapier at Draxl and Zeke. ¡°I have to deal with two of you now. The things I do for loot. Come on, then, we both know the lobby¡¯s this way.¡± She gestured behind her. ¡°I¡¯ll take you all on, all at once, [En Garde]!¡±


    Bang!


    Without looking, Queen placed the tip of her rapier straight in the path of the bullet heading toward her head. The bullet shattered as the rapier pierced through it. She turned around, and with her free hand, snatched the fragments out of the air. Her eyes met Kai¡¯s. ¡°My mistake. There¡¯s three of you, not two.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a pirate, aren¡¯t you?¡± Kai asked. Smoke billowed from his rifle¡¯s barrel.


    ¡°Why yes I am,¡± Queen said.


    ¡°I have a question for you. Do you know the crew, Atlas?¡±


    Queen cackled. ¡°Of course I do. After all, I gouged out one of the captain¡¯s eyes. You want to see it?¡±


    Kai fired another shot, but Queen caught the bullet. She shook her hand violently. ¡°Damn, that hurt.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get in there,¡± Zeke said.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t agree more.¡± Draxl grabbed a dagger from across his chest. Dagger in one hand, and shortsword in the other, he dashed toward Queen. ¡°[Flash Step].¡±


    Zeke unsheathed [Nocturne]. ¡°[Shadow Surge].¡±


    On Queen¡¯s right, Draxl apparated in a flash of light; on Queen¡¯s left, Zeke rose from her shadow. A wicked smile crept onto her face. ¡°Let¡¯s dance!¡± she exclaimed, flourishing her rapier.


    Zeke and Draxl launched a flurry of strikes against Queen. A shower of sparks enveloped Queen as she effortlessly parried each of their strikes, often without even looking at the attack. On the rare occasion Kai got a clean shot on her, Queen snatched the bullet before it could reach her.


    ¡°[Accelerate] X [Quickdraw].¡± Draxl¡¯s attacks started to speed up, drawing more and more of Queen¡¯s focus.


    Draxl slashed with his shortsword and dagger in unison, but Queen managed to interpose her rapier, catching both weapons. Thinking fast, Draxl hooked his dagger around Queen¡¯s rapier, locking it in place.


    A loud bang rang through the hall as Kai fired another shot toward Queen, who caught the bullet without breaking eye contact with Draxl.


    With Queen¡¯s back turned to him, and her hands full, Zeke grasped [Nocturne] with both hands. ¡°[Quickdraw].¡±


    Queen reacted to the strike, by charging forward into Draxl, pinning him against the wall, thus increasing the distance between her and Zeke. The strike barely grazed her back. Zeke stepped forward, but as he struck out again with his blade, Queen grabbed her rapier¡¯s handle with two hands. Using her rapier as leverage she catapulted herself into the air, twisting Draxl¡¯s wrists, forcing him to drop both his weapons, and causing Zeke¡¯s second slice to miss.


    Seeing Draxl on the ground, scrambling to pick up his weapons, Queen twisted herself in the air to face Zeke. Zeke raised his blade to defend himself, but Queen kicked out, catching the blade with her heel. She snapped her other leg straight toward Zeke¡¯s head. Zeke had to make a split-second decision between letting go of the blade or taking the hit.


    Queen¡¯s kick exploded across Zeke¡¯s jaw, sending him to the floor as he managed to slip his blade out from underneath Queen¡¯s boot.


    The instant Queen touched the ground, she kicked her rapier off the ground into the air, then in one fluid motion grabbed it and thrust it toward Draxl. Draxl, who had just recovered his weapons from the ground, had no time to react. The rapier slashed along his cheek, his blood dripping down onto its tip.


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    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Queen said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you. I want to keep having fun. I just need to borrow a little blood.¡±


    Queen ran the length of the blade along her tongue. Draxl¡¯s blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. She licked her lips and smiled. ¡°[Bloodlust].¡± The wound on her back rapidly healed; her skin sealed shut. ¡°Mmm. What exquisite blood you have. It¡¯s so rich.¡±


    Draxl clicked his tongue, as he wiped the blood from his cheek.


    Queen brandished her teeth with a wicked smile. ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t risk letting you go. Forget what I said earlier. Next time any of you come at me, I¡¯m going to end your fucking life.¡±


    She thrust her rapier toward Draxl.


    ¡°[Flash Step].¡± Draxl vanished and appeared right next to Kai. Queen¡¯s rapier pierced into the hallway¡¯s walls, embedding itself up to the hilt.


    Queen quickly turned to Zeke as she pulled her rapier free.


    ¡°[Shadow Surge],¡± Zeke said, disappearing into black mist, and shortly after, rising out from the shadow of a chandelier further down the hall, opposite Draxl and Kai.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just go now?¡± Draxl asked. ¡°They have to be close to getting out by now.¡±


    ¡°Oh that wouldn¡¯t be very wise,¡± Queen said. ¡°I have my crew waiting in the lobby to kill your friends if you run away. You¡¯ll likely be safe, but I wouldn¡¯t bet on them.¡±


    ¡°Draxl,¡± Zeke called out. ¡°We¡¯ll go on 3.¡±


    Queen chuckled. ¡°Announcing your strategy. That¡¯s certainly new.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Draxl leaned over to Kai. ¡°Get ready to throw a flashbang.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°Just trust me,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°That never works, but fine.¡±


    Zeke and Draxl both readied their blades and locked eyes. ¡°1, 2 ¡­¡±


    ¡°[Flash Strike]!¡±


    ¡°[Shadow Strike]!¡±


    Queen grinned. ¡°[Parry]!¡±


    Draxl transformed into a burst of white light that streaked across the room; Zeke¡¯s entire body became coated by his shadow as he surged toward Queen. The point of intersection for Draxl¡¯s trail of white light and Zeke¡¯s trail of shadow was Queen. A curtain of sparks danced around Queen as she parried both attacks. Her rapier vibrated with a low humming noise.


    ¡°Going a second early is cheating!¡± Queen exclaimed.


    Draxl tumbled on the floor, past Queen, dropping his blade. ¡°Kai now!¡± he screamed, pushing himself to his feet.


    Queen quickly glanced around the area and was confused to see the trail of shadow Zeke cast using his skill was still there. She realized that when she parried his strike, it wasn¡¯t even targeting her. Zeke¡¯s true target wasn''t the Queen, but light; he used [Nocturne] to cut through the light in the hallway, casting a curtain of opaque shadow that divided the hallway in two.


    ¡°Take this!¡± Kai stepped forward, and snapped his arm, hurling a flashbang toward Queen.


    Without a second thought, not recognizing the item, Queen pierced the flashbang. Draxl and Kai both covered their eyes, as a concussive blast of light enveloped the entire hallway.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Queen exclaimed as her vision went white and her ears started to ring.


    The ringing in Queen¡¯s ears Zeke had created.


    ¡°With a single slice, in the blink of an eye, cut to ribbons, [Quickdraw].¡± [Nocturne] cut through light itself coating the blade in shadow. Zeke stepped out from behind the veil of shadows, and with a single, imperceivable strike, aimed for Queen¡¯s head.


    Though her eyes were shut, and the ringing in her ears had prevented her from hearing the chant, Queen smiled. ¡°You reek of bloodlust.¡±


    Zeke¡¯s eyes went wide with fear.


    ¡°[Parry] X [Accelerate].¡± Queen blindly intercepted Zeke¡¯s attack. Queen¡¯s rapier vibrated with a loud ringing as Zeke¡¯s blade impacted in a flash of sparks.


    Zeke tried to jump back behind the veil of shadow, but Queen twisted her body and dove toward him. Her eyes flashed open, filled with manic glee. ¡°Tear through, [Pierce] X [Lacerate]!¡±


    Queen¡¯s rapier pierced Zeke¡¯s shoulder. Before Zeke could even react, flashes of blood all across his shoulder disappeared behind the veil of shadow he had created. Cold steel dug into his muscles sending a chill down his spine, as Queen continuously ripped through his shoulder with numerous thrusts. Just before Zeke sank behind the shadows, Queen grinned, and with one final cut, severed Zeke¡¯s arm.


    The veil of shadows instantly vanished. Zeke staggered back, and fell to the ground, clutching the wound as blood rushed out from between his fingertips. ¡°THEY¡¯RE OUT!¡±


    Kai ripped out the magazine from his rifle, and loaded in a new one covered with an infusion; the infusion was a prototype for the one he put onto Ace¡¯s revolver. He held down his gun with one hand and pulled the trigger with his other. The infusion flashed with light. Kai¡¯s rifle started to rattle violently before a hailstorm of bullets rained down on Queen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you all on, [En Garde].¡± Queen rapidly thrust at each bullet, shattering into pieces, and killing all momentum.


    As metal shards gathered at her feet, Draxl focused on Zeke waiting for the right opportunity. The moment Draxl heard Kai¡¯s gun click, he sprung into action. ¡°Extract, [Flash Strike].¡±


    A flash of white light streaked past Queen. She managed to cut along Draxl¡¯s neck, just as he snatched Zeke away from Queen. Zeke and Draxl slid next to Kai.


    With his rifle out of bullets and its barrel red hot, Kai grabbed three smoke grenades and threw them all at Queen. She slashed all three simultaneously. A thick smoke exploded from the grenades, enveloping the entire hallway.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Kai yelled.


    Draxl, Kai, and Zeke all quickly darted out of the hallway, using the smoke to cover the retreat.


    Queen coughed, waving her hand in front of her face. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s not worth it.¡± Queen pulled two vials from a pouch on her waist; poured Zeke and Draxl¡¯s blood from her rapier¡¯s blade into the vials. ¡°Besides, I can always find them another time.¡±


    Queen leaned down and picked up Zeke¡¯s severed arm. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking that.¡±


    Queen flicked her wrist transforming it back into a tie. ¡°I¡¯ll just tell King he should¡¯ve given me more money if he wanted that dumb sword.¡±


    Now several hallways away, Draxl, Kai, and Zeke all stopped for a second to catch their breath.


    ¡°Zeke, you need to stop,¡± Draxl said. ¡°Take it slow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Zeke insisted.


    Suddenly, a familiar voice entered Draxl and Kai¡¯s mind.


    Draxl, Kai, where are you? Galina asked.


    We¡¯re heading to the lobby, Kai said. Just give us time.


    Understood!


    ¡°We need to go, now!¡± Kai exclaimed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll catch my breath, you two go ahead,¡± Zeke said. ¡°I¡¯m an angel, so I¡¯m not going to die from a severed arm.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back and get your arm,¡± Draxl said. ¡°If I do, Rose can stitch it back on. You¡¯re an angel, so it should heal back.¡±


    Zeke placed his hand on Draxl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve done enough! This isn¡¯t your fault. I chose this fight. If you weren¡¯t there, it could¡¯ve been worse. With my arm like this, I¡¯ll only slow you down. Go!¡±


    Kai put his fist up. ¡°Zeke, that bitch helped take down my parents'' crew. When we all find each other again, let¡¯s gut her like a fish.¡±


    Zeke fist-bumped Kai. ¡°Sounds like a plan. Now get out of here.¡±


    Draxl forced his legs to move, despite what his heart and mind told him.


    ¡°Draxl!¡± Zeke called out, holding up [Nocturne]. ¡°Take this.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Draxl said. ¡°I haven¡¯t earned it yet. Besides, it looks better on you.¡±


    As Draxl and Kai both vanished, running toward the lobby, a faint smile crept onto Zeke¡¯s face. ¡°He said ¡®yet.¡¯ So the bastard started believing in himself again. When the fuck did that happen?¡±

 Chapter 35: Hunter Becomes The Hunted

    ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    Riven saw the woman she had been following through numerous hallways stop in her tracks. The woman was covered in fur pelts and leather armor, with her hood pulled down, revealing vibrant ginger hair that contrasted with the earthy tones of her attire. Artemis glanced over her shoulder; her bone-tooth necklace rattled as she spun around to face Riven.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Riven said, scratching the back of her neck nervously. She adopted the tone of a shy fan girl meeting their idol¡ªwhich to her was just mimicking Cili to the best of her abilities. ¡°I was just wondering. Are you Artemis, like from Ambition?¡±


    Artemis¡¯ face softened as she smiled. ¡°Oh, yes, I am. Didn¡¯t think anyone would recognize me without all my artifacts.¡±


    Riven choked back her witty remarks and maintained a level head. ¡°Well, that bow is pretty unmistakable.¡±


    Artemis pulled her shortbow off her shoulder. The bow was strikingly ordinary; it looked just like a plain wooden shortbow. ¡°This thing? I feel my longbow is much more recognizable.¡±


    ¡°Visually yeah, but I feel that one gives off a way more intense aura,¡± Riven said. ¡°Is it true what they say? That¡¯s carved from the wood of the tree that bore the first forbidden fruit.¡±


    Artemis chuckled. ¡°Yes, that is true. You¡¯re quite knowledgeable.¡±


    ¡°Can I hold it?¡± Riven asked. ¡°Ah, what am I saying, it¡¯s a stupid question. I shouldn¡¯t take up any more of your time.¡±


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s alright. You can hold it.¡± Artemis beckoned Riven closer. ¡°Just don¡¯t try to fire it. Better archers than you have tried and failed, including myself.¡±


    Riven drew her dagger, hiding it behind her back, and approached Artemis. She took the shortbow from Artemis¡¯ hands, carefully inspecting it.


    Artemis pointed to Riven¡¯s quaking hand that held the bow. ¡°Are you that excited?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡±  Riven steadied her hand. ¡°I¡¯m just in disbelief. I had a question, if that¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Artemis asked.


    Riven slowly pulled her dagger out from behind her back. Artemis raised her eyebrows as her eyes fixated on the artifact.


    Artemis leaned closer to the blade. ¡°Where did you get that?¡±


    ¡°From my dad,¡± Riven said. ¡°I wanted to get it signed by all the members of Ambition. You guys are a big motivation for me. If you can, could you sign it?¡±


    ¡°Signing an artifact like this could be tricky, but I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± Artemis started to rummage around in a pouch on her hip. ¡°Would you like me to sign it with an arrow, as an engraving, or just use ink that adheres to the blade.¡±


    Riven tightened her grip on the dagger. ¡°Actually, I was wondering if you could use something else to sign it.¡±


    ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± Artemis asked.


    ¡°Your blood.¡± Riven thrust the dagger straight toward Artemis¡¯ neck. Artemis placed her hand out in front of her throat, catching the dagger as it pierced through her palm. Riven tossed Artemis¡¯ bow down the hallway, then placed her other hand on the dagger¡¯s pommel, driving it further into Artemis¡¯ hand as the dagger¡¯s tip nipped at her throat.


    Riven¡¯s eyes focused on a ruby-encrusted ring around Artemis¡¯ finger. ¡°[Dispel].¡± The red runes along the dagger flared a vibrant red; the light emitting from the runes enveloped the ring, causing the rubies to lose their luster.


    Artemis kicked out at Riven, but Riven jumped back, letting go of her dagger, and avoiding the attack. Artemis reached down to rip the dagger out from her hand, but before she could, it flew out from her hand, straight into Riven¡¯s.


    Artemis glanced down at the wound in her hand. Her confusion cleared as she saw that the ring around her finger had been temporarily dispelled. ¡°You knew about my ring. You really are a fan.¡±


    ¡°Do you have time to be talking?¡± Riven said.


    Artemis smirked. ¡°You''re the least threatening thing I¡¯ve fought all year.¡±


    ¡°What, am I worse than that shadow griffin? You know, the one where you had to poison a farmer¡¯s land after it attacked, so the people would put a price on its head and make it worth your while.¡±


    Artemis raised her eyebrows, equal parts surprised and impressed. ¡°You caught that? Not bad. But what did I ever do to you? Or are you one of those white knight types?¡±


    ¡°Gods no. I don¡¯t care about that barn. I know so much about you, I guess it¡¯s only right that I introduce myself.¡± Riven flourished her dagger. The runes along the blade glowed. ¡°My name is Riven. You and your party killed my parents. Now, prepare to die. Mirror my image, [Mirage] X [Multiply].¡±


    Riven snapped her fingers as she split into five; four illusory duplicates materialized around her. She charged toward Artemis, each of her duplicates mirroring her exact moments.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Artemis¡¯ eyes scanned each of the five Rivens rushing toward her. ¡°If you¡¯re going to come at a ranger¡±¡ªArtemis flicked her arm, and a wooden arrow shot out of her sleeve into her hand¡ª¡±you shouldn¡¯t make your illusions so obvious!¡±


    Artemis darted toward the real Riven. ¡°Fly forward, [Double Slash].¡±


    Riven fumbled backward as Artemis slashed out with the tip of her arrow, just barely missing Riven. Artemis gritted her teeth as her hand trembled. Just before the arrow slipped out of her hand, Artemis twisted her wrist, and flicked her fingers, flinging the arrow fast enough to pierce into Riven¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Blow past, [Wind¡¯s Grace].¡± A massive gust blew Riven¡¯s cape up and over her face as the wind propelled Artemis past Riven.


    Riven whipped around, pulling her cape off her face. She saw as Artemis picked up her bow that Riven had thrown away at the start of their fight.


    Artemis waved the bow at Riven. ¡°Sorry, but there¡¯s no hope for you now. If you walk away, I¡¯ll let you try again later.¡±


    Riven pulled the arrow from her shoulder and cast it aside. ¡°No. We¡¯re doing this right here, right now!¡± She grasped her dagger, pointed the tip straight toward her chest, and went to thrust the blade into herself. ¡°[Sacrifi¡ª¡±


    Before the dagger could pierce Riven¡¯s heart, her whole body seized up. The dagger slipped out from her hands and clattered to the ground. Riven fell to her knees, then collapsed to the floor. She could feel numbness rapidly spreading from her shoulder where the arrow pierced her out to the rest of her body.


    Artemis walked across the hall and picked up the wooden arrow from the ground. ¡°You know it¡¯s funny,¡± she said, as she twirled the arrow. ¡°A princess pricks her finger on a spindle, falls asleep for years, and everyone just focuses on the princess. All I could think was, what if I made that spindle into an arrow? Turns out, the infusion still works.¡±


    Artemis met Riven¡¯s gaze; Riven¡¯s eyes burned with a venomous fury¡ªwith her whole body paralyzed, her eyes were the only outlet for her rage. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to kill you. I¡¯ll just let you fall asleep for a few days. Dehydration will do the rest. After all, the most brutal deaths are the ones where nature takes its course.¡±


    Unable to turn her head, Riven was forced to see as Artemis wandered out of her line of sight. Just as the sound of Artemis¡¯ footsteps faded, the sound of another person¡¯s footsteps gradually grew in the opposite direction.


    Riven¡¯s hearing was rapidly fading. The world blurred. Just before her eyes shut, Riven barely made out a figure rushing toward her. They kneeled next to her. She could tell they were saying something, but couldn¡¯t make it out. All she could make out was the blood-red color of their eyes.


    Ace waved his hand in front of Riven¡¯s eyes as they shut close. ¡°Come on! Riven! Wake up! Gods damn it. Spontaneous unconsciousness is my thing, stop stealing my thunder.¡±


    Ace grabbed Riven¡¯s dagger and placed it in the sheath on her waist. He rolled Riven onto her back and clenched his teeth as he picked Riven up off the floor.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Ace exclaimed as he started to slowly carry Riven back to the lobby.


    I got Riven. I¡¯m on my way back!


    <hr>


    Where are you? Galina asked.


    Almost there, Ace groaned.


    Ace turned the corner into the lobby, pushing past a herd of people rushing toward the sigils on the wall. His face was bright red, and his arms were trembling. ¡°Can someone take her from me?¡±


    Halvor bulldozed through the crowd. ¡°Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.¡± Halvor held out his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll carry her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry myself,¡± Riven said, her throat strained. She climbed out of Ace¡¯s arms, stumbling for a brief moment as her feet touched the ground.


    ¡°You good?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Can you hurry up!¡± Draxl shouted, shoving aside the crowd as they rammed into him.


    Ace, Halvor, and Riven all rushed over to the glowing sigil.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Ace said.


    Every member of The Hangmen placed their hand on the infusion, became engulfed in light, and then vanished from the lobby. The moment they left the theater, Ace¡¯s [Pact] with Vivyan was satisfied.


    [ Pact Fulfilled! ]


    [ Active Pacts: 1/2. ]


    The moment the group arrived in a small wooden room Ace signaled to all of them to stay behind. ¡°I¡¯ll go get Elric.¡±


    Ace darted down the hall toward the door at the very. He pulled out two keys from his back pocket. ¡°[Possess].¡± Without slowing down, Ace manipulated the keys into the locks on the door, just as he arrived at it.


    Ace swung open the door to Elric¡¯s cell. ¡°Get up. We¡¯re going.¡±


    Elric rattled his shackles. ¡°I can¡¯t get up.¡±


    The keys flew out of the locks on the door into those on Elric¡¯s shackles. ¡°I was about to risk my hands. What took you so long?¡±


    ¡°Not important,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my stone?¡± Elric asked.


    ¡°I had to give it to someone.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°You said you had more.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t infinite.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t care. Now come on.¡±


    Ace and Elric rushed back to the room, rejoining the rest of The Hangmen.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the [Planar Connector]?¡± Riven asked. ¡°I can¡¯t find it.¡±


    ¡°It must be designed to blend in with the wood. Let¡¯s fix that.¡± Elric removed his red velvet gloves and placed his hands on the floor. ¡°Metalicize, [Transmute].¡±


    From the tips of Elric¡¯s fingers, like a drop of water hitting paper, the wood in the chamber started shifting into metal. Within a few seconds, the entire chamber shined with a metallic sheen, revealing a massive infusion carved into the floor.


    ¡°Is everyone ready to go?¡± Elric asked.


    Everyone nodded.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Elric rolled up his sleeve. ¡°Take me back, to my realm, [Connect].¡±

 Chapter 36: Number 7

    Ace stiffened from the neck up as Elric leaned in closer to his neck¡ªseemingly unaware of the concept of personal space. Trying his hardest to avoid looking down, Ace focused on his surroundings instead.


    Elric¡¯s apothecary was a small circular cobblestone chamber, dimly lit by buzzing lights. The wooden shelves that lined one of the walls groaned under the weight of glass jars filled with colorful powders and liquids. The air was thick with the bitter taste of potions bubbling inside intricate glassware.


    Elric pulled his head back, away from Ace¡¯s neck. ¡°Seems number 7 will be the closest for you.¡±


    ¡°Number 7?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°To get rid of the chain, I need to replace the skin around your neck,¡± Elric explained. ¡°When changing the skin I can only select from certain skin tones. Skin tone number 7 is the closest to yours.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re transmuting the skin can¡¯t you just make it any color?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to fix you or not?¡±


    ¡°Just asking,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Turn around,¡± Elric commanded.


    Elric clenched the philosopher¡¯s stone in his hand and placed his other hand on the back of Ace¡¯s neck. ¡°7, neck, skin, [Transmute].¡±


    [ Pact Fulfilled! ]


    [ Active Pacts: 0/2. ]


    A chill shocked Ace¡¯s neck, robbing it of all sensation. After a moment, the warmth from the rest of Ace¡¯s body seeped back into his neck.


    Elric pointed to a full-body mirror in one corner of the room. ¡°You can check for yourself.¡±


    Ace saw what looked like a scar encircled around his neck; the skin was slightly paler than his own.


    ¡°I made the edges jagged to look more like a scar,¡± Elric said.


    ¡°Will it always be this color?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Only for a month or two.¡± Elric opened a drawer and placed the philosopher¡¯s stone inside. ¡°Please wait outside. I¡¯ll have a contact of mine come to pick you all up from my plane and return your party to Wishmoore.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thanks.¡±


    Ace stepped out the apothecary¡¯s door and into an endless sunny field of grass. Riven and Draxl sat in the grass and watched as Cili and Kai playfully chased each other through the grass, laughing. Nearby, Halvor and Galina lay next to each other, gazing up at the cloudless blue sky.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Riven called out. ¡°Lookin good!¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ace said.


    Everyone gathered into a circle and rested in the grass.


    ¡°So, what now?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll probably stay together until we get out of Wishmoore,¡± Draxl said. ¡°After that, it¡¯s up to everyone else what they want to do. I¡¯ll probably go my own way.¡±


    ¡°Hey if you find anything about, you know who, just let me know, okay,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Sure man,¡± Draxl replied.


    ¡°On that topic, I think it¡¯d be nice if we could all stay in touch after this,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Me too!¡± Cili exclaimed. ¡°I want to remember my first real adventuring party.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t artifacts that allow for long-distance communication really expensive?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°They are,¡± Riven said. ¡°But, if we head for one of the bigger towns in Chapter 7 they should have an adventurer¡¯s guild. Might not be a bad idea to do some odd jobs here and there to make some gold.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m cool with that. That sound good to everyone else?¡± Ace asked.


    Everybody nodded their heads.


    ¡°Cool,¡± Ace said. ¡°We¡¯ll head for a big town, do some adventuring jobs, buy artifacts to let us all stay in touch, then ¡­ go our separate ways.¡±


    As Ace finished speaking he scratched the back of his neck. The moment his fingers grazed the transmuted skin, a voice pierced into his mind.


    Help me.


    Ace¡¯s head snapped to his left, his right, and behind him; he didn¡¯t see anybody aside from his own party.


    ¡°Everything alright Ace?¡± Galina asked.


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Just give me a moment.¡± Ace stepped out of earshot from the group. ¡°Where are you, [Pact].¡±


    [ A spirit has been found. ]


    [ You desire the spirit to guide you to them. ]


    [ The spirit has accepted your offer. ]


    [ Pact Formed! ]


    [ Active Pacts: 1/2. ]


    Ace looked down to see a thin trail of shadow leaking out of his own, flowing toward Elric¡¯s apothecary. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m going to go check something. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Ace wandered off toward the apothecary. From the outside, it appeared like nothing more than a stubby cobblestone pillar. Ace¡¯s feet clattered across the perimeter of cobblestone that surrounded the apothecary. He reached for the door, but pulled his hand back, when he saw that the shadow trailed off and around the building.


    On the other side of the apothecary, opposite the door, Ace saw wisps of shadow leaking out like a black fog through one of the bricks in the wall. Ace pressed on the brick. It slid into the wall with a satisfying click. Ace stepped to the side as the ground beneath him opened up into a hallway that descended down to darkness.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Ace shouted.


    ¡°What?!¡± Riven shouted back.


    ¡°There¡¯s a secret staircase. I¡¯m going to check it out.¡±


    ¡°I wanna come!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°Behind you Cili,¡± Draxl said.


    Kai tapped Cili on the shoulder. ¡°Tag, you¡¯re it.¡±


    ¡°You motherfucker!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°Cili is a little preoccupied. You might just want to go on your own,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t come back out after a while, just come check on me,¡± Ace said.


    Halvor gave Ace a thumbs-up. ¡°Understood.¡±


    Ace descended the staircase, the cold air biting at his skin. Infusions on the steps lit up, triggering dim lights to ignite along the ceiling. As he dragged his fingers along the rough stone wall, he was surprised by the lack of dust. The only sound was the echoes of Ace¡¯s own footsteps.


    At the bottom of the staircase, Ace arrived at a dark cobblestone chamber; an intricate sigil in the center of the room glowed in the darkness. As Ace stepped onto the floor, essence burst out from the sigil; thousands of tiny sparks hovered in the air illuminating the space. Ace¡¯s eyes widened in horror as he glanced around the room. Bits of skin and blood were nestled in between the stone bricks. Iron bars ran along both sides of the room; the sparks of light didn¡¯t pass into the numerous cages, so Ace couldn¡¯t see what or who was inside.


    ¡°Are you the devil?¡±


    Ace turned toward the voice that was as brittle as glass. The sunken eyes of a young boy emptily stared back at Ace. The boy¡¯s hands clung to the bars; the sparks of essence illuminated his half an inch long fingernails. His hair was a mess, full of dirt and oil; his lips were cracked with blood.


    Around the boy¡¯s neck, his skin was discolored. In fact, the skin¡¯s color was nearly identical to Ace¡¯s, right down to the golden chain that was there just moments ago. Ace touched his neck, realizing the skin color of his transmuted skin matched that of the skin on the boy¡¯s hands. A necklace rested around the boy¡¯s neck; from the necklace hung a tiny piece of metal with the number 7 carved into it.


    A malevolent cackling echoed through the room. Inside the cage behind Ace, the darkness began to take shape. Red slights sprung open into eyes as the Devil¡¯s laughter grew silent.


    ¡°I know this child,¡± the Devil said.


    Ace turned around. ¡°What? How?¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s been praying to every god he knows. After they all failed, he started praying to me.¡±


    Ace looked at the boy; his eyes were hollow. It was like staring into a mirror of his past self.


    Ace wondered if he looked the same, on that day in Kaimen when he was about to be executed: entirely apathetic towards life.


    ¡°In case you''re curious, I can read his intentions,¡± the Devil said. ¡°The boy wants to cry. The only reason he isn¡¯t, is that his body doesn¡¯t have the water to spare.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Why what?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you help him?¡±


    The Devil scoffed. ¡°I did help him.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± the Devil replied matter-of-factly. ¡°You¡¯re my avatar. You help him. That was our deal, was it not?¡±


    ¡°How is this our deal?¡±


    ¡°You are meant to punish wicked avatars. You know what happened here. You know who did this. You know what must be done.¡±


    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± The boy¡¯s voice had somehow become even weaker.


    Ace kneeled, so he would be at eye level with the boy. ¡°Hi, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°He calls me seven,¡± the boy said.


    ¡°Who does?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He has pointy ears.¡±


    Ace gently grasped the boy¡¯s ice-cold hands. ¡°Are there any other people here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but they¡¯re all asleep,¡± the boy said. ¡°They all sleep all the time. It hurts less when you¡¯re asleep. I¡¯m the only one who stays awake, so I can pray, but that hasn¡¯t been working.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m here, so it did work,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°But I asked for help from the Devil. I feel like I did a bad thing asking for help from the Devil.¡± The boy¡¯s voice cracked with guilt.


    ¡°No, no, no. I¡¯m here now. That¡¯s a good thing. The Devil wouldn¡¯t hurt you. The Devil only punishes evil people.¡±


    ¡°They do?¡± the boy asked. ¡°The man with pointy ears always gets angry with me whenever I pray. Are you going to punish me for that?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. It¡¯s not you that¡¯s evil. It¡¯s who did this to you,¡± Ace assured the boy.


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to punish the man with pointy ears?¡± the boy asked.


    Ace paused for a moment. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re the Devil?¡±


    Ace shook his head. ¡°No. The Devil and the gods don''t appear to people. They don¡¯t answer our prayers. They send people they trust to do it for them.¡±


    A little bit of hope glimmered in the boy¡¯s eyes. ¡°So then who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ace Lustres, [The Devil¡¯s Advocate].¡±


    [ You have invoked your epithet! ]


    [ Your next skill will be dramatically enhanced. ]


    [ Insufficient essence to grant additional benefits. ]

 Chapter 37: Not a Threat, But a Promise

    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    Elric sighed. ¡°Come in.¡±


    Ace cracked open the door. He stepped into the apothecary, locking the door behind him.


    Elric kept his back to Ace as he spoke. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an avatar, right?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How did you become an avatar?¡±


    ¡°Is this really necessary?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Elric put down the potion in his hand and turned to face Ace. ¡°It¡¯s nothing particularly special. My first real memory is of my parents selling to afford more drugs. From there, I was tossed around from place to place until I winded up on the streets.


    ¡°I had it better than most to be fair. There was a corner on the street nobody used, because of the rats there, but they never bothered me. Having a place to sleep each night was quite a privilege. I could get water from public areas. It was food that was the problem. I wasn¡¯t strong, so I ended up getting the scraps of scraps. Everything I could find was moldy or rotted by the time I got to it.


    ¡°One day, I managed to get an apple. It was mostly rotted but there was enough for one clean bite. Now, normally I would save that for last, but I was so hungry that I just dove in immediately. Best bite of food in my life. I remember just wishing that every bite could be that good. Then I took another bite, and it was just as good. Then another, and another. All the rot on the apple was suddenly gone. That was my first ever use of alchemy.¡±


    Elric told his story completely apathetically, without a hint of emotion in his voice.


    ¡°So you know what it¡¯s like to starve?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Elric said. ¡°Starving is a terrible thing. I wouldn¡¯t wish it upon any person.¡±


    ¡°Really? Number 7 looked like he was starving to me.¡±


    Elric¡¯s lips curled into a grin; he stifled his laughter. ¡°Does the rest of your party know?¡±


    ¡°I told them to check it out. They¡¯re probably beneath us right now,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°How did you find him?¡±


    ¡°The same way I found you.¡±


    ¡°But to reach out to his spirit, you would have had to know he was here. How is that possible¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know he was here,¡± Ace said. ¡°He reached out to me.¡±


    Elric cocked his head. ¡°Hmm. I figured you had to initiate the conversation. If spirits can truly reach out to you at any time, then it¡¯s something other than just a skill. But you don¡¯t look like a hybrid. I don¡¯t sense any powerful artifacts on your person. Unless ¡­¡± Elric¡¯s eyes widened with realization. ¡°You¡¯re just like me. You¡¯re an avatar.¡±


    Ace¡¯s silence confirmed Elric¡¯s suspicion.


    ¡°Wonderful, isn¡¯t it? To be above others, who looked down on you your whole life.¡±


    Ace had no idea what Elric was talking about. To know there are people looking down on you, you first need to look up, and Ace had spent the past few years with his head down.


    ¡°Why did you swap my skin with his?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Because I couldn''t get rid of the chain otherwise,¡± Elric explained. ¡°It¡¯s a brand, emblazoned on your flesh. No matter how much I change your skin, I can''t get rid of it, so I used somebody else''s. Quite an elegant solution if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°I want you to put it back,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°What?!¡± Elric exclaimed in disbelief. ¡°Absolutely not. I saved those children from the streets, where they surely would have died. They¡¯ve spent their whole lives in a cage, it¡¯s just that the one you saw had bars. I feed them enough to keep them alive, and I put a roof over their head. Those are guarantees you don¡¯t have on the streets.


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    ¡°That¡¯s the exchange we have. I provide them with enough to live, and in exchange, I use them for my experiments. Don¡¯t feel bad using them for their intended purpose.¡±


    Ace couldn¡¯t hold back his frustration any longer. ¡°Their intended purpose isn¡¯t to be a resource!¡± Venom practically oozed out of Ace¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°But it is.¡± Elric¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t angry or argumentative, but confused; it seemed he genuinely didn¡¯t understand Ace¡¯s frustration. ¡°None of those children have friends or family. They don¡¯t have any meaningful connections or happy memories. They¡¯re barely even alive.


    ¡°Is this why you were upset at seeing one of them be hungry? You viewed them as people. No, no, that¡¯s entirely wrong. They¡¯re much more like livestock than people. What kind of farmer overfeeds their animals? It¡¯s a waste of gold.¡±


    ¡°You endured the same things they did, and yet you still can¡¯t view them as people?! You said you wouldn''t wish starvation on any person.¡±


    ¡°Yes, any person, but as I said, they aren¡¯t people,¡± Elric explained. ¡°It¡¯s because I endured the same things that they did, that I know what I¡¯m doing is right. What is so hard to understand?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ace¡¯s fury fumbled into confusion for a brief moment.


    Elric remained devoid of emotion. ¡°I endured what they did, yes. However, I escaped that suffering because I became an avatar. If these childrens¡¯ suffering is truly wrong, then the gods would have made one of them into an avatar, so they could have the power to free themselves. It¡¯s what did for me after all.


    ¡°The gods saw potential in me, they knew my suffering was wrong, so they blessed me with the power to escape my prison. I¡¯m living proof the gods intervene when things are wrong. I know they¡¯re watching me. They haven¡¯t done anything to stop me yet, so it doesn¡¯t matter what I think is right, or what you think is right, through their inaction, the gods have deemed my deeds as right. So I cannot undo what I have done, for everything I have done, has been right in the eyes of the gods.¡±


    The most unsettling thing for Ace was that Elric truly believed everything he said. Elric¡¯s logic, to him, was obvious; he struggled to comprehend how somebody couldn¡¯t agree with him. It wasn¡¯t the children who were inhuman, it was Elric. There was no reasoning with Elric.


    Ace reached into his bag and pulled out one of the dragon piercer bullets Kai had given him. Elric¡¯s eyes were immediately drawn to the glinting bullet.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to do that?¡± Elric asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I am,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°Let me remind you that I am an avatar capable of molding the world to my will. I am Elric Feu, [The Hand of the Gods].¡± As Elric invoked his epithet a massive blast of essence radiated throughout the apothecary. Ace could feel electricity racing up and down his body, his hairs stood on edge.


    Elric clasped his hands together. ¡°[Transmute].¡± Elric¡¯s skin shifted to a dark gray as if he walked through a cloud of dense ash.


    Ace rolled the dragon piercer bullet in his palm. ¡°Neat trick.¡±


    Elric rolled up his sleeve and glanced at his discolored arms. ¡°You think? I transmuted my skin to a form of carbon, the same element diamonds are made of. In this form, the carbon that makes up my skin is several times more flexible and durable than diamond.¡±


    ¡°Why are you explaining this to me?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you attacked me yet?¡± Elric asked. ¡°You let me invoke my epithet, and use a skill, yet you don¡¯t move a muscle. Your only chance was to attack me when my back was turned. Instead, you wasted that opportunity to threaten me.¡±


    ¡°Threaten you?¡± Ace smiled and shook his head. ¡°No, no, no. I¡¯m threatening you.¡± Ace held up the dragon piercer bullet. ¡°This is a promise. I don¡¯t care about your epithet. So what if you empower your next skill? If making your skin impenetrable was all you were going to do with that, I¡¯m not worried.¡±


    Elric chuckled. ¡°You think empowering a skill is all an epithet can do? You must be a rather new avatar. As a sign of good faith for saving me, I was going to give you the chance to walk away. Seeing as how you¡¯ve forsaken that possibility, I¡¯ll show my generosity in a different way.¡±


    Elric held up a single finger. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one free hit. Perhaps that will change your mind.¡±


    Ace stared at the bullet in his hand, then up at Elric. ¡°About what you said earlier. You¡¯re right, I am an avatar.¡± Ace looked over his shoulder, directly into the blank red eyes of the Devil. Their shadowy form hung over Ace¡ªvisible only to him. The Devil¡¯s arms draped over Ace¡¯s shoulders enveloping him in a chilling embrace. ¡°But I¡¯m not like you.¡±


    ¡°Focus,¡±¡ªAce tossed the bullet in the air¡ª¡±[Possess].¡±


    As Ace¡¯s essenced flooded into the dragon piercer bullet, it ripped through the air in a blur of bloody red toward Elric. Just before the bullet reached him, Elric managed to reach up a hand, positioning his palm directly in the bullet¡¯s trajectory. However, Elric¡¯s eyes widened in shock as the bullet¡¯s trajectory suddenly changed; the bullet shifted in mid air, twisted through the gap between Elric¡¯s fingers, corkscrewed up his arm, then bore itself directly into his eye.


    ¡°ARGH!¡± Elric screamed. He stumbled backward, clutching his eye as rivers of blood poured out from it. With rapid breaths, Elric desperately tried to muster enough air for a single skill. ¡°[Transmu¡ª¡±


    BOOM!


    The entire apothecary rumbled as the dragon piercer bullet embedded in Elric¡¯s eye erupted. Elric screamed in agony as flames and evaporated blood burst out of his eye.


    Elric¡¯s whole body went limp. His hands that covered his bleeding eye, dropped to his side revealing an ashen, hollow eye socket. Smoke billowed out his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.


    The moment Elric¡¯s corpse crumbled to the ground, Ace¡¯s entire world began to spin. A skull-splitting headache lanced through his mind. A sudden intense heat flared up in his body. Ace stumbled his way over to one of the walls, catching himself before he fell. With every breath, his vision blurred, and his body grew weaker.


    Ace only managed to whisper a few words before he fell unconscious. ¡°What¡¯s ¡­ happening ¡­ to me?¡±


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 Chapter 38: Auction Aftermath

    Ace¡¯s eyes blinked open. As the world slowly unblurred, Ace realized it was bouncing up and down in rhythm with the sound of turning wheels. The last thing he remembered was collapsing to the floor, so he was surprised that he was now sitting. He turned his head to see what it was leaning against. His eyes fell upon a verdant cape, then glanced up to meet Riven¡¯s gaze as she looked down at him.


    Ace immediately shot up straight. He looked around to see he was in the back of the group¡¯s wagon, traveling down a path in the middle of an open grassland. Behind him was the city of Wishmoore. With the exception of Halvor who was guiding the horses, the rest of The Hangmen were all in the wagon, staring at Ace.


    Riven placed a hand on Ace¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Easy.¡±


    Nausea overwhelmed Ace.


    ¡°Here.¡± Kai tossed Ace a snack bar from a pouch on his waist. ¡°You¡¯re probably a little out of it because you haven¡¯t eaten anything in a while.¡±


    Ace unwrapped the snack bar and started to eat. ¡°How long was I out?¡±


    ¡°Couple hours.¡± Draxl handed Ace his canteen. ¡°Take some water too.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Ace let out a massive sigh. ¡°What happened while I was out?¡±


    ¡°Quite a lot,¡± Galina said. ¡°For starters, we saw what Elric was hiding underneath his apothecary.¡±


    ¡°Where are they? Are they alright?¡± Ace asked, stumbling over his own words.


    ¡°They¡¯re fine,¡± Galina assured him. ¡°We took them with us.¡±


    ¡°Where? Actually, wait, how did you get out?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Well, when we found Elric¡¯s charred corpse we knew whoever he contacted definitely wasn¡¯t going to help us,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Oh, fuck. I¡¯m sorry. I could¡¯ve stranded us there,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I was there,¡± Riven said. ¡°I found the [Planar Connector] Elric used as an anchor and¡ª¡±


    ¡°You mean we found the [Planar Connector],¡± Draxl interjected. ¡°Or did you forget Kai and I did most of the work.¡±


    ¡°Objectively incorrect,¡± Riven said. ¡°Now, did you find the traps surrounding the [Planar Connector]? Yes. Did Kai disarm them? Yes. But, I was the one who found it.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that is technically correct,¡± Kai admitted.


    ¡°Which is the best kind of correct,¡± Riven said. ¡°Once we had the [Planar Connector] I could use it to take us back to Wishmoore.¡±


    ¡°Do you still have it?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Yes, but unfortunately because I didn¡¯t have an anchor it¡¯s now permanently inert.¡±


    ¡°Still might be worth something,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°If nothing else it¡¯s a memory,¡± Galina said. ¡°And memories are priceless.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you get the kids out?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Well ¡­¡± Riven awkwardly turned to the front of the wagon where Halvor sat.


    ¡°I may have gotten a little upset when I saw the children,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°You ripped several iron bars out of the ground with your bare hands,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°It was very impressive,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Super cool!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Halvor said. ¡°I¡¯m just not very proud of that side of me.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Halvor carried you,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Oh, thanks man,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome,¡± Halvor replied.


    ¡°Where are the kids now?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re with Arthur,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Who?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Arthur Ward. He¡¯s the representative from the Armistice Order we saw,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°You gave to the Armistice Order?!¡± Ace exclaimed. ¡°They have our chains around their necks. Aren¡¯t they gonna be executed?! ¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Cili shouted. ¡°Arthur¡¯s super nice! He wouldn¡¯t do that!¡±


    ¡°He was very kind,¡± Galina affirmed.


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    ¡°Kindness doesn¡¯t matter! Galland was nice, but even he said he couldn¡¯t stop us from being executed,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°The reason Galland couldn¡¯t stop it was because he belongs to the sect that worships the Chained Maiden. The chains are specific to that sect. If he went against it, it would be sacrilegious,¡± Riven explained. ¡°Arthur¡¯s sect worships the World Ox, which focuses a lot on helping children. All of the World Ox¡¯s churches double as orphanages.


    ¡°I doubt Arthur gives a shit about the chains. If anything he¡¯ll just be pissed off at the Chained Maiden sect for branding children. In fact, the reason he was here to begin with was to buy the barn and make it into a church for the World Ox. He said the children could stay there for as long as they want.¡±


    ¡°What if the other sect tries to take the children to punish them?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Doubt it,¡± Draxl said. ¡°Arthur¡¯s a sect leader, same as Galland, and he¡¯s just as powerful. It¡¯d cause too much trouble going against him, even if it was from other people in the order.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good,¡± Ace said.


    ¡°After that things were pretty simple,¡± Kai said. ¡°Halvor carried you back to Wishful Wanderers and dumped you in bed. We expected you¡¯d be awake the next morning, but you weren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I lost 5 gold because of that by the way,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°I¡¯m ¡­ sorry,¡± Ace replied.


    ¡°Good. You should be sorry,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°How did me not waking up lose you gold?¡±


    ¡°She bet Cili that you¡¯d be awake by the morning,¡± Draxl explained.


    ¡°I¡¯ve hunted enough monsters to know when someone¡¯s about to wake up,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°How is that related?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°You learn the difference between a monster hibernating and sleeping. Ace looked like he was sleeping.¡±


    Kai nodded his head. ¡°Huh.¡±


    ¡°Since you still weren¡¯t awake in the morning, I carried you over to the wagon,¡± Halvor said. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you taught me how to handle horses when you did.¡±


    ¡°How did I pass out anyway?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°That depends,¡± Draxl said. ¡°What happened to Elric?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, Elric.¡± Ace was silent for a minute before he answered. ¡°Elric made his skin into some impenetrable element. Something to do with carbon, I don¡¯t really remember. I used one of the dragon piercer bullets that Kai gave me, and [Possess] to launch it into his eye since that was the only place not protected by his skin. The moment it impacted, it exploded, and he just fell over. After that, I felt deathly ill and drained of all my energy. Took a few steps, then collapsed.¡±


    ¡°It was probably essence burnout,¡± Draxl said. ¡°It was essence burnout.¡±


    ¡°Essence burnout?¡± Ace asked.


    ¡°Essence is your soul¡¯s stamina. If you use too much of it without rest, you experience what¡¯s called essence burnout,¡± Draxl explained. ¡° While burned out, you lose access to your essence, meaning you can''t use any skills. In your case, you burned out after using only one skill. For your body, it felt like you ran a hundred miles in an instant.


    ¡°The only cure for burnout is to rest until your essence returns. If anything you¡¯re pretty lucky to have recovered after just a few hours. The more essence you have the longer it takes to return. For most it takes days. For those with a lot of essence, it can take weeks or even months.¡±


    ¡°Months!¡± Ace exclaimed. ¡°How do they not die from dehydration or starvation?¡±


    ¡°While burned out, your body focuses on recovering essence and enters a form of hibernation, so you won¡¯t die,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Hold up Draxl,¡± Riven said. ¡°Are we sure it¡¯s burnout? I mean, Ace, didn¡¯t you say you got your first skill in Kaimen?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Ace said. ¡°Why would that matter though.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let me try to think of an analogy,¡± Draxl said. ¡°You know how whenever you get hit, you close your eyes?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know that.¡±


    ¡°Closing your eyes is the natural response. Everybody does it. However, fighters train themselves not to close their eyes, so they can focus on their opponent. They work to overcome this natural impulse they were born with.


    ¡°Similarly, your body keeps a reserve of essence that it refuses to expend. It does this to prevent essence burnout. So long as you have that essence, you literally cannot burn out. However, just like closing your eyes, not using that essence is a natural impulse that can be overcome. The thing is, it takes a lot of training. You only got your skill a few weeks ago, hence why it¡¯s weird that you managed to tap into that reserve.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps his desire to kill Elric was so strong that his body used everything it had,¡± Galina suggested.


    ¡°Oh, like I don¡¯t care what happens to me, so long as I take you down,¡± Cili said. ¡°That¡¯s fucking awesome.¡±


    Ace¡¯s best guess was that when he invoked his epithet he bypassed that mental barrier. However, he didn¡¯t dismiss the fact that what Galina said could have some truth to it.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Ace said. ¡°I¡¯ll try to avoid doing that in the future.¡±


    ¡°If it does happen, we¡¯ll just get Halvor to carry you again,¡± Kai said. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Halvor?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Halvor exclaimed from the front of the wagon.


    ¡°See,¡± Kai said.


    A faint smile crept onto Ace¡¯s face.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re all up to speed now,¡± Riven said. ¡°You got any questions?¡±


    Ace leaned back, staring up at the canvas draped over the wagon. ¡°Um, yeah, kinda. It¡¯s pretty dark though.¡±


    ¡°Even better,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°When I put that bullet through Elric¡¯s eye, it was the first time I ever killed anybody. I¡¯ve seen people die, but when you do it yourself, the adrenaline feels different. I wanted to know¡±¡ªAce took a deep breath and closed his eyes¡ª¡±does killing people always feel that good?¡±


    Ace regretted the words the moment they left his mouth. He kept his eyes shut, scared to see the looks on his friends'' faces. The silence was heavy and long. Too heavy. Too long. Nobody spoke, that much Ace expected, but the sound of wheels turning, the horses¡¯ hooves clopping, were gone.


    Ace opened his eyes to a monochromatic world. The world was the color of hopelessness. It was a color Ace had seen only once before, when it was accompanied by smoke, warm blood, and cold bodies.


    Ace could feel his heart beating in his chest like a drum. In a panic he looked down at himself; he was the only person, the only thing not robbed of its color. He scrambled out of the wagon. Fortunately, everything on him remained unaffected by whatever was happening.


    As Ace burst out from the wagon, he saw everything around him frozen in time; the color of hopelessness encircled Ace, with one notable exception: a man clad in cracked armor covered in rust and moss that stood on the road just in front of the wagon


    Ace came to a screeching halt as he came face to face with the armored man.


    A sword with a rusty blade riddled with cracks hovered in the air just in front of the man. Color flooded the blade as Hero wrapped his fingers around its handle. ¡°Hello, Mr. Lustres.¡±

 Chapter 39: When You鈥檙e At Rock Bottom

    Ace couldn¡¯t move. His heart rate spiked. He lost control of his breathing.


    Hero marched slowly toward Ace, dragging the tip of his blade along the dirt road.


    Ace¡¯s shaky hands reached into his bag and grasped his two remaining dragon piercer bullets. His fingers wrapped around his whip sword¡¯s handle; his thumb rested on the lever.


    Ace fought against his erratic breathing and forced the air in his lungs into words. ¡°Get away from them.¡±


    Hero stopped dead in his tracks. That wasn¡¯t what Ace was supposed to say. Things had deviated too much. Ace couldn¡¯t be allowed to live any longer. Otherwise, Hero could no longer minimize the pain Fable endured.


    Ace tightened his grip on the two dragon piercer bullets. ¡°Split focus, [Possess].¡±


    Ace hurled the two bullets toward Hero. One instantly collapsed to the ground, as if Ace had thrown it normally. The other spiraled through the air straight toward Hero¡¯s neck.


    Hero raised his shattered sword. ¡°[Double Slash] X [Stasis].¡± With two quick strikes, Hero quartered the bullet before it could reach him. Its four pieces were drained of their color and became suspended in the air, frozen in time, just like the rest of the world.


    Hero started to march toward Ace again. His cadence was slow and heavy, like a mountain that began to walk.


    Ace drew the blade from his back, clicking the lever. The sword extended into a bladed whip, striking out at the lumbering ancient mountain that encroached upon Ace.


    ¡°[Warp].¡±


    In an instant, Ace was face to face with Hero. Ace reached down to his revolver, but before he could pull it out of the holster, his body froze up. His stomach went cold as ice, then hot as fire.


    Ace looked down to see Hero¡¯s sword embedded in his chest. Blood trickled down from the corner of his lips.


    Hero placed a hand on Ace¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is all my fault. I should have never let you live.¡± He slowly slid the blade out of Ace¡¯s chest.


    Ace¡¯s back slammed into the ground. He could feel the temperature outside and inside his body inverting; his flesh and organs went cold as the blood that leaked from his chest warmed his skin.


    Ace¡¯s blood dripped out from the cracks in Hero¡¯s sword onto the ground. For a brief moment, Ace considered closing his eyes; counting the sound of his blood splattering to the ground as if it were rain. He refused. He refused to be blind to the world any longer.


    Ace¡¯s eyes turned to a tiny grain of red in the road that amidst the colorless world stood out like a candle in the night. The dragon piercer bullet Ace had intentionally let clatter to the ground, despite imbuing it with his essence, suddenly flared to life.


    The dragon piercer bullet ripped through the air, straight toward Hero. Hero followed Ace¡¯s gaze to the bullet but it was too late. He barely managed to snatch the bullet out of the air, but didn¡¯t have enough time to speak a skill.


    A mountain of fire, condensed into the size of a marble, erupted inside Hero¡¯s hand. The colorless world shattered. The instant time resumed, the dragon piercer bullet Hero had slashed exploded behind him in a cloud of smoke.


    As the smoke cleared, Hero glanced down at his arm. His armor was charred. Crimson waterfalls coursed down his fingers. The pain would come any second now. His mission was done; now he just needed to level.


    ¡°Take me home, [Gate].¡± The air sundered into a circular portal of cyan essence beside Hero.


    ¡°[Flash Strike]!¡±


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    As Hero raised his foot to step through the [Gate], a shing streak of white light cut through the air toward him. He raised his sword to intercept the attack. Draxl met Hero¡¯s blade with his own in a flash of sparks, then skid to a halt just past Hero.


    ¡°Cut through, [Dispel]!¡±


    An obsidian black dagger, laced with red runes, rocketed toward Hero¡¯s portal. He attempted to grab it, but the pain in his burnt arm flared up; unable to move his arm, Hero watched as the dagger ripped through his [Gate], dispelling it into a burst of unformed essence that quickly faded into nothing. His gaze followed the dagger back to Riven¡¯s hand as she vaulted out of the wagon.


    Hero charged toward Riven.


    ¡°Feel the weight of the world, [Push]!¡±


    Hero¡¯s helmet turned toward Galina, standing just behind him, as she slammed her staff into the ground. The force of gravity on Hero multiplied tenfold. He struggled to move a single muscle; it took what little remaining strength he had to prevent himself from collapsing to the floor. He barely managed to turn his head toward the wagon, just in time to see Halvor leaping out of it.


    ¡°Kneel, [Quake]!¡± Halvor¡¯s petrified body crashed into the road like a meteor. The ground beneath Hero shook violently. Hero could no longer maintain his footing. He collapsed to one knee.


    ¡°[Fracture]!¡± Halvor slammed his fist into the ground; from his fist, a fissure shot out underneath Hero¡¯s leg. Before his foot fell into the ground, Hero planted his blade into the dirt and started to push himself up to his feet.


    As The Hangmen surrounded Hero, he managed to lift his head toward Galina and whispered under his breath. ¡°[Warp].¡±


    ¡°Galina behind you!¡± Cili shouted, flying overhead.


    Galina spun around, just as Hero dropped his sword, and grabbed her by the throat.


    ¡°Galina!¡± Halvor shouted.


    Halvor rushed toward Hero. Hero turned toward Halvor, and flung Galina at him, knocking them both to the ground.


    ¡°[Flash Strike].¡± Draxl transformed into a blur of light and rocketed toward Hero. However, Hero turned to face him and clotheslined Draxl the instant he got close. Draxl tumbled to the ground, clutching his throat and gasping for air.


    Hero picked up his sword and turned his head toward Riven. ¡°[Warp].¡±


    Hero teleported in front of Riven. He raised his sword above his head, ready to cut her in two. Riven stepped back, out of range of his blade, but as she did, at the apex of his swing, Hero dropped his sword again, stepped forward, grabbed Riven by her collar, pulled her in, and then slammed their heads together.


    Riven stumbled back, blood trickling down her nose. Her grip on her dagger fumbled for a moment. Hero reached down to the blade and snatched it before it hit the ground.


    ¡°Disarm, [Ricochet] X [Wind¡¯s Grace].¡±


    An arrow sniped the dagger out of Hero¡¯s hand. Hero reached out for the blade as it tumbled through the air, but before he could grasp it, the arrow ricocheted off the wind, impacting the dagger again, and sending it flying out of Hero¡¯s reach.


    Hero turned to Cili hovering above the battlefield. He pointed to her feet. ¡°Drag down, [Stasis].¡± His hand curled into a fist; the color drained from Cili¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!¡± Unable to walk on air with her feet frozen by [Stasis], Cili rapidly started to tumble to the ground.


    Hero pivoted to face Riven, but as he did, a blast of smoke from behind enveloped him, obscuring his vision.


    ¡°[Double Slash].¡± Hero carved a slit in the cloud of smoke with his sword. Through a tiny gap in the smoke, he saw Kai, lying down in the wagon bed with the barrel of his rifle resting on the edge.


    ¡°[Warp].¡±


    Kai felt the wagon bed creak under a sudden weight as Hero vanished from his sight. He spun around to his feet, reaching for something in his pocket, but before he could pull it out, Hero drove his foot into his chest, sending Kai flying out of the wagon.


    Hero grabbed the tarp and pulled it shut, hiding himself inside the wagon.


    ¡°Burn away, [Ignite].¡± Riven, the only Hangmen not on the ground, snapped her fingers; sparks along her fingertips transformed into beams of fire that ripped through the wagon¡¯s covering.


    However, as she glanced through the holes she burned, Riven didn¡¯t see anybody inside the wagon.


    As everybody pushed themselves to their feet, slowly regaining their breath, their eyes darted around the area, but not a single one of them saw Hero.


    With Hero gone, they all looked to Ace, resting in a pool of his own blood, and rushed to his side.

 Chapter 40: There鈥檚 Only One Way To Go

    Ace didn¡¯t want to die, but he could feel his life slipping away, so he tried to muster a few last words.


    Ace felt like he was in a dirty glass casket. He could see six faces hovering over him, but they were too blurry to make out any details. Their voices were so damp that Ace couldn¡¯t make out a single word. Despite that, Ace knew exactly who was with him in his final moments: the rest of his party, the rest of The Hangmen.


    Ace realized his last words meant something now. There were people here to hear. People who mattered to him. He always figured he¡¯d be bad at last words, but surprisingly, he knew exactly what he wanted to say.


    Bubbles formed at the surface of the crimson pool in Ace¡¯s mouth; Ace¡¯s last words drowned in his own blood, unheard.


    Ace had forgotten how apathetic the world was. He felt it would bend for him just this once, but the world wouldn¡¯t let him have just a few words. How fucked up is that?


    Before Ace could shut his eyes, he felt something hit his chest. For a brief moment, Ace¡¯s vision cleared. He could see everyone¡¯s faces.


    Oh, they¡¯re crying. They¡¯re crying for me. There are still people who¡¯ll cry for me when I¡¯m gone.


    If Ace could move his body, his lips would¡¯ve creased into a smile.


    Maybe, I didn¡¯t need those last words after all. Seeing their faces, that''s enough.


    Ace¡¯s eyelids were heavy. Even as he shut his eyes, and all his senses melted away, Ace could still feel his friend''s tears hitting his body, and as he had many, many times before, as he drifted off to sleep, Ace started to count.


    1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ¡­


    <hr>


    Riven pulled her hand from Ace¡¯s neck. She swallowed her sorrow to clear her throat before she spoke. ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡±


    Everyone wiped the tears from their faces. It took a while for everyone¡¯s breathing to normalize. A long silence came before anybody spoke.


    ¡°So, is that?¡± Kai asked. ¡°He¡¯s just gone. There¡¯s nothing we can do.¡±


    ¡°Seems that way,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Come on, one of us has to be able to revive people,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°None of us can do that, Halvor,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°We can hurry to a town. Surely they¡¯ll be somebody who can bring people back,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°Revival needs to take place within an hour of the death,¡± Riven explained. ¡°Otherwise the essence vanishes and the only option left is resurrection. There¡¯s no town other than Wishmoore within an hour, and they don¡¯t have anybody who can help.¡±


    ¡°What about Arthur?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s a monk. He can¡¯t bring people back,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Kai¡¯s right. There¡¯s nobody we can get to in time,¡± Draxl said. ¡°Halvor, can you help make a hole in the ground.¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡± Halvor shouted. ¡°We¡¯re not burying him here!¡±


    ¡°What else can we do?!¡± Draxl snapped back.


    ¡°We can take him to a city. Give him a proper burial,¡± Galina suggested.


    ¡°How are we getting through inspection with a corpse on board?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°We can at least let his family know,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°They¡¯re dead,¡± Riven said. ¡°He¡¯s an only child, and both his parents are gone. We talked in Kaimen, in the sewers, before we met any of you. He sorta implied he was a hollow shell for a few years before he met us. I think ¡­ there¡¯s nobody left for him. ¡±


    ¡°We were all he had?¡± Cili asked.


    Riven nodded her head. ¡°Yeah. I think so.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± Draxl said with a smile, ¡°now I really feel bad for him.¡±


    A tiny bit of laughter broke the thick tension.


    ¡°What now?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do everything we can,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Well, what can we do?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°We can bring him back.¡± Everyone¡¯s heads shifted to Cili.


    ¡°I know someone who can bring Ace back,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Cili, Ambition isn¡¯t going to help,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about Ambition!¡± Cili exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯m talking about Willow.¡±


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    ¡°Your friend?¡± Kai inquired.


    ¡°Willow is an avatar. She can bring people back to life,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s resurrection, not revival?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Cili exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯ve seen her do it to people who have been gone for a really, really long time! She can bring Ace back, I know she can!¡±


    ¡°Cili, you do realize how many people in this world can resurrect?¡± Draxl asked. ¡°Not revive, resurrect.¡±


    ¡°Like no one, I know,¡± Cili said. ¡°That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t say anything earlier about her. Her dad is the head of a huge criminal organization. That¡¯s who Xavier works for. When I found out she was an avatar they told me I couldn¡¯t tell anyone, because it would put her in danger.


    ¡°But I want Ace back, so I¡¯m trusting you guys to keep this a secret. If anyone else learns what Willow can do, I¡¯m scared they¡¯ll come after her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about pushing to tell us more earlier,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°The capital of this chapter. That¡¯s where her dad¡¯s organization¡¯s base is,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Then that settles it,¡± Halvor said. ¡°We¡¯re going to this chapter¡¯s capital, and we¡¯re getting Ace back.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Woah, woah, aren¡¯t we making this choice a little fast?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°You not coming?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re going?!¡± Kai exclaimed. ¡°Since when do you help people?¡±


    ¡°Either I got too tired of running away or too tired to run away,¡± Draxl said. ¡°Take your pick.¡±


    Kai sighed. ¡°Fine, I¡¯m in. Still, there¡¯s the problem of how we¡¯re transporting the body.¡±


    ¡°I think I can handle that,¡± Riven said, clutching her dagger in her left hand. ¡°But, Draxl, I''m going to need your help.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Draxl asked.


    Riven raised her right arm so that it was parallel to the ground. ¡°I need to cut off my arm.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± Draxl asked, grabbing his sword.


    ¡°Okay, now this is definitely a choice being made too fast!¡± Kai exclaimed.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Everybody calm down,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Cili asked. ¡°She said she¡¯s sure.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but don¡¯t you want to be super sure, before you cut your arm off!¡± Kai said.


    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Galina, please tell them to stop,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°No, no, I agree with Cili. I think Riven knows what she¡¯s doing,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Looks like that 4 votes to 2,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Sound a little less happy,¡± Riven requested. ¡°Make it quick.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not looking,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°I¡¯m definitely looking,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°In the blink of an eye, [Quickdraw] X [Accelerate].¡± A flash of steel carved through the air.


    Riven¡¯s arm fell to her side; the stump left behind poured blood. She gritted her teeth and choked back her screams. Riven grabbed her severed arm and placed it onto Ace¡¯s chest.


    Riven took the dagger in her left hand and jammed it into the arm. Through heavy breaths, she managed to form a chant. ¡°Give me the power, to preserve a life, in this blade, [Sacrifice]!¡±


    The runes all along the blade flared into a vortex of red essence. Shadows poured out of the blade and swallowed Riven¡¯s arm, consuming it whole, leaving nothing behind. Bits of the vortex slowly broke off, covering Ace one by one, till he was completely enveloped in essence. In an instant, the blade sucked back the red essence into the runes, along with Ace¡¯s body.


    Riven doubled over gasping for air.


    ¡°I got a blowtorch,¡± Kai said, rummaging through his bag. ¡°I can cauterize the wound.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Riven shouted. ¡°You¡¯ll mess up the healing. I¡¯m half-hydra. My arm¡±¡ªRiven winced¡ª¡±it¡¯ll grow back. Just give it time.¡±


    Halvor knelt next to Riven. He placed his hand over her massive wound. ¡°Coat, then break away, [Petrify].¡±


    A thin layer of stone formed around Riven¡¯s wound, stopping the bleeding.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t stop the healing,¡± Halvor said. ¡°I did for Vivyan whenever she would get injured. Once you start to heal the stone will crumble away, but in the meantime, it should help stop the bleeding and prevent infection.¡±


    ¡°Vivyan made you help her?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t make me,¡± Halvor said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t just experimented on at the lab. I worked for them. Alongside Vivyan¡±¡ªHalvor looked to Cili¡ª¡±and your brother. I can tell you all¡ª¡±


    ¡°Save it,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°If you wait for us to get Ace back, you only have to tell the story once,¡± Kai explained.


    Halvor chuckled. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± Cili asked.


    Halvor helped Riven to her feet. ¡°This dagger grants me a skill, [Sacrifice]. It can do basically anything based on the chant, except revive people. The only restriction is it requires me to sacrifice a part of myself. It can also be crossed with another skill to amplify its effect.¡±


    ¡°So, Ace is in the dagger?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°How do we get him out?¡± Galina asked.


    Riven waved her hand dismissively. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we will,¡± Galin said.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not too familiar with Chapter 7,¡± Halvor said. ¡°Anyone know which direction the capital is?¡±


    Riven smiled. ¡°I do.¡± She held a single finger to the sky.


    ¡°Up?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Do you not know what the capital is?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Halvor said


    ¡°Neither do I,¡± Galina said.


    Kai smirked. ¡°This should be good.¡±


    ¡°Oh my gods, you are going to love it!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    Riven kept her finger pointing to the sky. ¡°The capital of Chapter 7, the city built on the richest deposit of skystone in all of Fable, the home of the skyship, is Aethereon, The Flying City.¡±

 Chapter 41: Revenant

    ¡°What¡¯s the worst thing about flying?¡± The pilot let go of the helm as he leaned back in his seat. They looked through the one-way glass walls of their quarters out onto the deck of the Swallow. As they lifted the infused goggles from their eyes, the forest of clouds that enveloped the airship snapped back into view. ¡°It used to be dragons, but now, I¡¯d have to say the food.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I could never be a pilot,¡± Cili said. ¡°I love food way too much.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Kai¡¯s eyes focused on a small pin on the pilot¡¯s jacket, with the name Zarell engraved on it. ¡°Captain Zarell, what do you mean it used to be dragons? What changed?¡±


    ¡°Aethereon made a deal with some dragons to protect their ships,¡± Zarell explained. ¡°Before they were super territorial whenever they were in the area, so we had shut down all air traffic. Now we just cruise on by.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I forgot we did that,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Kai turned to Cili, his eyes wide.


    ¡°My tribe was the one that made the deal with Aethereon,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°HUH?!¡± Kai exclaimed.


    ¡°Did you not hear me?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°No, no, I heard you.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    Kai¡¯s head rocked back with shock. ¡°What do you mean ¡®what¡¯s the problem?¡¯ You never told us your tribe had dragons.¡±


    ¡°They ride dragons,¡± Cili clarified.


    ¡°THEY RIDE DRAGONS!¡± Kai shouted.


    ¡°Can you not scream?¡± Zarell requested. ¡°The captain¡¯s quarters aren''t that big.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Yeah, there are like multiple dragons,¡± Cili said. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you guys this?¡±


    ¡°I thought you meant everybody in your tribe was a dragon hybrid. Not that there were actually dragons. Holy fuck, I got to tell everybody else.¡±


    ¡°So your people are the ones Aethereon made a deal with?¡± Zarell asked.


    ¡°Yeah. I was super young when it happened though,¡± Cili said. ¡°I wonder if they¡¯re there now?¡±


    ¡°No, sorry you missed them,¡± Zarell said.


    ¡°How did we miss them?¡± Kai asked. ¡°Don¡¯t they guard your ships? Shouldn¡¯t they be here year-round?¡±


    ¡°They only come like twice a year,¡± Zarell said.


    ¡°Yeah we¡¯re a nomadic tribe,¡± Cili explained. ¡°We just stop by Aethereon whenever we pass by. It sucks that they¡¯re not here though.¡±


    ¡°So then does the ship¡¯s barrier protect it?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°No. Not for this one at least,¡± Zarell said. ¡±Most skyships can¡¯t afford to have a tangible barrier for each trip. Even if you could, keeping it fueled with essence would be difficult without a dedicated infuser on board.


    ¡°The barrier on this ship is mainly for travel. It remains invisible and just blocks the air to stop windchill. That¡¯s all the barriers on most skyships do.¡±


    ¡°So if the dragons aren¡¯t always there, and the barrier doesn¡¯t protect the ship, what protects it if a, say a roc comes to attack it?¡± Kai asked.


    Zarell looked over her shoulder at Kai. ¡°I was told that would be your party for this trip.¡±


    ¡°Oh, OH, that totally makes sense,¡± Kai said. ¡°That¡¯s how Draxl got us on this ship.¡±


    ¡°Wait, did an adventurer¡¯s guild offer us this job?¡± Cili asked nervously.


    ¡°No, I think this was a direct offer,¡± Zarell replied.


    Cili breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Oh thank the gods. No offense, but I want my first adventuring job to be something fucking awesome, and protecting a ship, like there¡¯s nothing wrong with it, it¡¯s just so basic, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do know,¡± Zarell said. ¡°No offense taken.¡±


    ¡°Okay Cili, you got your tour of the captain¡¯s quarter, have you changed your mind?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°I still want to be a captain. But I don¡¯t think I could get over the bad food.¡±


    ¡°Well, there is a way to get around that,¡± Zarell said, reaching into their pocket. They pulled out a small packet with a horned bright red humanoid on the cover and the words ¡°the devil¡¯s finger¡± above them. ¡°Certain skyships can get sponsored.¡±


    ¡°Sponsored?¡± Cili asked. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Basically people give you stuff to give out to all the people on board,¡± Zarell said. ¡°A lot of times it''s food.¡±


    ¡°The devil¡¯s finger, is food?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a spicy lollipop.¡± Zarell opened the packet to reveal a bright red semi-translucent candy finger at the end of a stick; they popped it into their mouth. They pulled out another packet from their pocket. ¡°You want one?¡±


    ¡°Who would ever want a spicy lollipop?¡± Kai asked.


    Before Kai finished speaking, Cili snatched the packet out of Zarell¡¯s hands. Kai rolled his eyes at Cili as she opened the package.


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    ¡°Uhhhh,¡± Cili stammered, looking inside the package.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°Is this like a different flavor or something?¡± Cili peeled off the packet, revealing a porcelain white finger, skewered onto a small white stick; dried cracked blood formed at the base of the finger.


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Kai exclaimed.


    Cili stuck out her tongue, but before she could get a lick in, Kai grabbed the finger and threw it across the room.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Cili exclaimed. ¡°That was mine!¡±


    ¡°You are not eating that!¡± Kai fired back.


    ¡°Keep it down!¡± Zarell shouted, maintaining focus on the path ahead.


    ¡°But he stole my--¡±


    Cili cut herself off when she heard a footstep just behind her. Everybody turned to the sound.


    On the other end of the captain¡¯s quarters, a humanoid with porcelain white skin dressed in a full-body black cloak that covered their entire body; the hood draped over the face cast a shadow over their hollow eyes.


    Kai immediately pulled the revolver from his hip and pointed it at the figure. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The figure was silent. They stepped closer.


    Kai pulled the revolver¡¯s hammer back. ¡°Listen bud, I have no qualms about killing people. Answer the fucking question. Who are you?¡±


    The figure took another step forward. They flicked their wrist; a crude white dagger, hidden in the cloak, dropped into their hand. They hunched down, leaned forward, then rushed toward Zarell.


    Before the figure could get close, Kai pulled the trigger. The bullet pierced straight through their head. The figure dropped to the floor with a heavy thud; their blood splattered across the ground.


    Kai holstered his revolver. ¡°I warned him.¡±


    ¡°Good shot,¡± Zarell said. They knelt next to the body to examine it closer. ¡°I don¡¯t recall anybody of this complexion boarding the ship.¡±


    Cili cocked her head as she stared at the dagger. ¡°I think ¡­ that¡¯s a bone dagger.¡±


    Zarell looked back at Cili. ¡°Do you want it? It¡¯s not like they¡¯ll be using it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡± The porcelain humanoid surged to life. Their fingers wrapped around the bone dagger. ¡°[Quickdraw].¡±


    Zarell jumped back, but he was too slow. The figure leaped to his feet, plunging their dagger into Zarell¡¯s eye. Just as Zarell tried to grab the dagger, the figure snapped it in two, leaving the blade in Zarell¡¯s eye.


    Zarell screamed out in agony as they stumbled backward clutching their bloody eye. The figure lunged toward Zarell, grasped their face, and slammed their head into the wooden table the helm was attached, littered with different runes and infusions.


    A thunderous boom of Zarell¡¯s head crashing against the ship¡¯s helm echoed through the captain¡¯s quarters accompanied by the sound of all the muscles in the figure¡¯s arms tearing and their bones crunching. Pools of red sprouted all along the pale skin on the figure¡¯s arm.


    Cili extended her arm out toward the figure. ¡°Fly back, [Wind¡¯s Grace]!¡± A galeforce tore through the room, sending the figure flying off Zarell, and into one of the glass walls.


    As the figure¡¯s back slammed into the wall. They managed to steady themselves.


    Kai pulled out his rifle and trained the barrel directly on the figure. Cili did the same with her bow.


    The figure looked down at their wrecked arm--the bones were shattered and muscles were torn. They pressed their palm against their chin and pushed. Their head twisted as far as any human¡¯s head could safely go, then went further.


    Crack!


    The figure snapped their own neck. The pools of blood underneath the skin on their arm were drained dry; the arm twisted and cracked back into place. Their limp body repaired itself. The bone dagger¡¯s blade reformed. They clenched their loose jaw shut.


    ¡°[Dash].¡±


    Before either Kai or Cili could fire, the figure transformed into a black blur.


    Kai raised his rifle just in time to intercept the figure¡¯s dagger.


    ¡°You asked who I am.¡± The figure pushed their dagger against Kai¡¯s rifle, driving him backward, and up against the wall. ¡°We are Revenant.¡±


    Cili leaped backward, nocking an arrow in her bow. As Kai and the figure wrestled back and forth, Cili tried to find a clean shot, but there wasn¡¯t a single opening.


    Kai stumbled to the door, still clutching his rifle, as the figure¡¯s dagger crept over the edge toward his throat.


    ¡°Kai! Open the door!¡± Cili shouted.


    Without hesitation Kai reached behind his back; his hand flailed around for a second before finding the door¡¯s handle. The instant the door clicked, Kai kicked it open.


    ¡°Fly back, [Wind¡¯s Grace]!¡± From the tips of Cili¡¯s fingers, a rush of wind surged forward. The figure¡¯s cloak fluttered violently just as they were ripped out of the room into the sky.


    The wind forced Kai out of the room, but he managed to twist his rifle and catch it on the doorway; the gun was longer than the doorway was wide. As Kai clung to his rifle, he felt something wrap around his leg. He looked over his shoulder at the figure; their porcelain white fingers dug into Kai¡¯s ankle.


    Cili raised her bow, breathed in, and breathed out. ¡°[Gutshot].¡± Her arrow spiraled through the air, grazing past Kai¡¯s face, and bore itself into the figure¡¯s skull.


    All tension in the figure¡¯s body faded. They were ripped out of the captain¡¯s quarters into the open sky and tumbled into the clouds.


    With Cili¡¯s help, Kai pulled himself back into the room, shutting the door behind him.


    ¡°You good?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll live,¡± Kai said between heavy breaths. ¡°Good idea with the door.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Oh, fuck, the captain!¡± Cili sprinted toward Zarell. She placed her fingers on their wrist, then breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re alive.¡± Cili shook their shoulders ¡°Wake up. Wake up! WAKE UP!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°I should pull out the dagger.¡± Cili reached toward the blade embedded in Zarell¡¯s eye.


    ¡°Leave it in!¡± Kai exclaimed. ¡°Taking it out will increase the bleeding. Odds are they¡¯ll live. It was the blow to the head that¡¯s the real problem. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re waking up any time soon.¡±


    ¡°Who even was that?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°They called themself--¡± Kai froze, his brain five seconds ahead of his mouth.


    Wait, we are Revenant, he thought. We?


    Kai recalled Zarell¡¯s earlier statement; each passenger aboard the ship was provided with the sponsored snack.


    Kai rushed to the helm. Peering out onto the deck, he saw the rest of The Hangmen, surrounded by cloaked figures with porcelain white skin brandishing weapons carved out of bone.


    Kai turned to Cili, who was looking over his shoulder. ¡°You need to go help the others. Tell them killing won¡¯t work. Our best bet is to throw them off the ship.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Cili nodded her head and cracked open the door. Before she leaped, she turned to Kai. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    Kai looked down at the unconscious Zarell. He knew how close they were to Aethereon, and how long it would take for the captain to wake up.


    Kai reached down and pulled off the infused goggles on Zarell¡¯s forehead. As he placed them over his own all the clouds in the sky vanished. Off in the distance, he could see a black spot, no bigger than a pebble, rapidly expanding in size. ¡°I¡¯m going to live out my childhood dream.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your childhood dream?¡± Cili asked.


    Kai grasped the helm, a grin forming at the corner of his lips. ¡°Flying a skyship.¡±

 Chapter 42: I Guess We鈥檙e Fighting

    Riven leaned over the edge of the skyship next to Draxl. ¡°So what are we supposed to be doing exactly?¡±


    ¡°Just make sure nobody dies,¡± Draxl said. ¡°It should be a pretty easy job. The air space gets cleared by dragons twice a year, so there aren¡¯t really any monsters. When¡¯s your arm going to grow back.¡±


    ¡°I ¡­ don¡¯t know, honestly,¡± Riven said. She looked down at her dagger. The glowing red runes along the blade stared back at her. Her reflection wasn¡¯t her own, but Ace¡¯s. Riven blinked her eyes and shook her head. Ace vanished from the surface of the dagger. She tightened her grip on the dagger.


    ¡°Look what they gave us!¡±


    Riven and Draxl turned around toward the voice. Halvor shook several packets of the devil¡¯s finger lollipops in his hands. Galina followed closely behind, a white stick protruding from between her lips.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°Snacks,¡± Halvor said. ¡°They gave them out to everybody.¡±


    ¡°A lollipop is hardly a snack,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite good,¡± Galina said. ¡°You should try one. It¡¯s the right amount of heat.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean the right amount of heat?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a spicy lollipop,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Who the fuck wants a spicy lollipop!¡± Riven exclaimed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try one,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°Catch.¡± Halvor tossed one of the packets to Draxl.


    Riven looked at Draxl disappointed as he popped the lollipop into his mouth.


    ¡°What?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Riven sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll take one.¡±


    Halvor tossed another packet toward Riven.


    Riven cracked open the packet but paused before reaching inside.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± Halvor asked.


    Riven pulled out a pale white finger on a stick from her devil¡¯s finger packet.


    ¡°Is that a real finger?¡± Halvor asked, disgusted.


    Riven shrugged and pulled the finger off the stick. ¡°I¡¯ve seen weirder.¡± She tossed the finger over her shoulder and off the ship.


    Suddenly, Riven felt a hand on her shoulder. Her back was up against the ship''s railing, but somehow the hand was behind her. She was being pulled off the ship. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the irisless eyes of a cloaked figure with porcelain white skin.


    ¡°[Quickdraw]!¡±


    In a single fluid motion, Draxl drew his blade and sliced off the figure¡¯s arm.


    The figure reached out and grasped Riven¡¯s cape. The instant Riven felt a tug on her back, she spun around, then sliced off the figure¡¯s other hand.


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    Without a sound, the figure fell off the side of the skyship; the howling wind surrounding the ship ripped them away and out of sight.


    Riven brushed her shoulder that the figure had latched onto. ¡°What the fuck was that about?¡±


    ¡°Excellent question,¡± Galina said.


    Halvor¡¯s hand started to tremble. He looked down at his still unopened devil¡¯s finger packet. The packet was bubbling.


    Before Halvor could throw it off the edge, the packet exploded into a mass of rapidly expanding muscle, bone, and white skin. Another cloaked figure burst into existence. Before their feet had fully formed, they pressed their hand against Halvor¡¯s neck.


    The figure flicked their wrist; a bone karambit dropped into their hand. They thrust the blade up toward Halvor¡¯s neck, but it shattered against his stone skin.


    Galina levitated her staff, then drove it into the chest of the assailant, pushing them to the edge of the ship. The figure grasped the railing to stop themselves from falling over the edge. They looked up to Halvor, just as he drove the heel of his foot into their sternum with a brutal front kick, sending them flying over the edge.


    Halvor breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Glad that¡¯s over with.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, about that,¡± Draxl said, pulling the dagger from across his chest out of his sheath. ¡°Remember how you said everybody on board got a snack.¡±


    A blood-curdling scream tore through the mundane small talk aboard the ship.


    All across the deck of the ship, cloaked figures with porcelain skin exploded out of small packets. From underneath their cloaks, each drew a weapon made entirely of bone; no two had the same weapon.


    At the center of the skyship¡¯s deck, a figure unlike the rest¡ªtheir cloak snow white as opposed to jet black¡ªbrandished an enormous bone scythe, the length of the handle longer than their body. The air around them was thick. Their essence was magnitudes heavier than that of their companions.


    The ghastly figure wound their scythe back. ¡°Be put to rest, [Cleave].¡± Like a cloud condensed into an edge, the scythe split the air as the figure swept it around themselves, aiming to bisect everybody that surrounded them. However, they felt their blade immediately come to a stop.


    Peering over their shoulder, the figure saw the scythe¡¯s edge caught against Halvor¡¯s stone arm.


    Halvor grasped the scythe¡¯s blade with both his petrified hands. ¡°Turn to the dust, [Fracture].¡± The bone scythe became riddled with cracks, then shattered into pieces.


    ¡°[Flash Strike].¡± A blur of white streaked across the deck. Draxl slashed through the figure¡¯s torso. He stumbled to the edge of the deck, barely catching the railing and preventing himself from tumbling off the ship.


    Draxl turned around to look at the figure, expecting to see their midsection sliding off their legs. Instead, he saw a massive smile on their face.


    The figure¡¯s cloak stitched itself back together. The wound stretched from one end of their torso to the other sealed shut. The shattered blade of their bone scythe fused back into one blade.


    Halvor went to grab the blade again, but the figure quickly pulled it out of his reach.


    ¡°They don¡¯t die if you kill them!¡± Everybody looked up toward the voice. Flying above the deck of the skyship was Cili. ¡°Kai said to throw them off the edge!¡±


    One of the other cloaked figures turned to the figure in white. ¡°Wight, what should we do now? Do we retreat?¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten what we are?¡± Wight asked. ¡°A revenant persists only for the sake of vengeance. If we retreat now, then we abandon our reason to live.¡±


    ¡°Then find a new reason to live.¡±


    Wight turned to Halvor upon hearing his words.


    ¡°Words of the living mean nothing to the dead.¡± Wight planted the butt of his scythe next to him. ¡°Though, I admit, you are not the target of our retribution. As it stands you will be an unnecessary casualty. Surrender this ship, and the only people aboard we will kill are those deserving of death.¡±


    ¡°Nobody is deserving of death,¡± Halvor said.


    ¡°I disagree,¡± Wight replied.


    Halvor brought his petrified hands up to his head. ¡°Then I guess we¡¯re fighting.¡±


    Wight grasped his scythe, the rough texture of the bone handle digging into his skin, and snapped it into pieces, tiny shards of bone sinking between the cracks of the ship''s deck into the hull beneath. Picking up two of these small shards, he tossed his scythe to the ground, then impaled each of his wrists with a tiny bone shard.


    Wight placed one hand on their chin and the other at the top of their head. ¡°I guess we are.¡±


    Wight pulled as hard as he could. The sickening crunch of his neck was Revenant¡¯s battle cry, permitting each cloaked figure to act. To strike. To kill. To seek revenge.

 Chapter 43: Another Happy Landing

    From the tiny bone shards in Wight¡¯s wrists¡ªas his neck snapped back into place¡ªgrew long scythe blades extending past his shoulders. His back hunched over and his blank eyes fixated on Halvor.


    ¡°Cut to ribbons, [Lacerate] X [Dash].¡± Wight blitzed toward Halvor. Halvor petrified as much of his body as he could, but the storm of slashes that rained down on him managed to find every bit of flesh that remained on his body.


    ¡°Halvor, you alright?¡± Galina asked. Before Halvor could respond, Galina felt a warm splatter across her back. She turned around to see a member of Revenant with Riven¡¯s dagger embedded in their head and their blood all over her back.


    As the figure dropped to the ground they gave way to Riven, whose arm was still outstretched after throwing her dagger. ¡°Keep your head in the game Galina.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Look down!¡± Riven shouted.


    The figure sprung back to life, attempting to thrust their bone rapier up into Galina¡¯s chest, but she managed to step back just in time to avoid the strike.


    ¡°Rip free, [Pull].¡± Galina slammed her staff into the ground and raised her hand into the air.


    The floorboards the fallen member of Revenant lay upon started to creak and splinter as they became engulfed by Galina¡¯s essence, then burst into the air.


    With a flick of her wrist, Galina tossed the floorboards and the pale figure lying on them off the side of the skyship.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Galina immediately shifted her gaze toward the scream. Another cloaked figure raised a massive bone ax over the head, ready to bring it down on the screaming woman in front of them.


    ¡°Rip free, [Pull] X [Barrier].¡±


    Galina¡¯s essence flooded into the floorboards in front of the cloaked figure. Just as they brought down their ax with all their might, the floorboards in front of them sprung up, intercepting their attack. The ax crushed the wood into a hail of splinters but caught halfway.


    The floorboards pulled free from the deck and shot upward, carrying the ax and the figure holding it into the sky. The member of Revenant let go, but Galina instantly lowered the floorboard and spun them, so the handle of the ax would catch against their stomach.


    ¡°Begone, [Push].¡±


    The floorboards were launched off the ship, carrying the pale figure with them.


    Balanced on the railing that surrounded the deck, Draxl ducked down to avoid being clipped by the floorboards as they flew overhead.


    A cloaked figure charged toward Draxl as he waited with bated breath.


    ¡°[Flash Step].¡±


    The instant the figure struck out at Draxl with their bone sword, he vanished in a burst of light. The figure stumbled forward slamming into the railing. Before they could turn around, Draxl pierced through their heart with his sword.


    Although killing the assailants seemed impossible, Draxl realized that mortal wounds, though they quickly healed, did stun them briefly. The figure¡¯s body limped over the edge; all it took was a little shove from Draxl and they tumbled off the skyship.


    Draxl scanned the surrounding area for anybody in need of help; his eyes fell upon a man who had fallen to the floor, a cloaked figure with bone knuckle dusters on their hands casting their shadow over them. However, before Draxl could say a single skill, a black dagger flew through the attacker¡¯s throat.


    The figure stumbled forward, their body briefly going limp. Riven recalled her dagger from their throat as they turned to face her.


    ¡°Obscure my form, mirror my image, [Mirage] X [Multiply].¡±


    Two identical copies of Riven split out from her, one on her left, the other on her right. Each of the three Riven¡¯s movements appeared identical to the member of Revenant. As all the Riven¡¯s brandished their dagger and charged toward them, the pale figure assumed a fighting stance.


    ¡°Take them all down, [Flurry].¡±


    The figure¡¯s hand became a blur of white. With swift strikes they stepped forward, striking the first Riven in the chest. Their hand phased through. Carrying their momentum, they spun into a backhand aimed at the second Riven¡¯s jaw. Again, their hand phased through. Confident they had found their target, they pivoted into an uppercut on the third and final Riven. Again, their hand phased through.


    Something pushed against the figure¡¯s chest. It felt warm. They looked down at a black dagger impaled through their stomach, dripping with their blood.


    Fading out of invisibility, dropping her [Mirage] skill, Riven twisted her dagger. ¡°Blast away, [Sacrifice].¡±


    An enormous amount of concussive force thundered out from Riven¡¯s dagger, jettisoning the figure off the skyship, their cloak fluttering in the wind.


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    Riven glanced down at her hand to see her ring finger missing. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not so bad. [Regenerate].¡±


    A cloaked figure pointed at Riven¡¯s hand as her finger rapidly grew back. ¡°Are you the same as us?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Riven flourished her dagger. ¡°Odds are I¡¯m better.¡±


    The cloaked figure drew a bone whip constructed out of a spine from their cloak. ¡°Allow me to prove you wrong.¡±


    ¡°Before you prove it to me,¡± Riven said, pointing upward, ¡°prove it to her.¡±


    Flying above the skyship, patiently waiting for her moment to strike, Cili realized now was the best opportunity for her to take center stage.


    ¡°Wind assumes control, take to the sky, [Whirlwind] X [Wind¡¯s Grace].¡±


    Cili divebombed to the deck. A massive gust of wind swirled around her as she rapidly picked up speed, then the instant she touched the ground, exploded out in a powerful upward draft, launching nearly everybody on the deck of the ship into the air.


    ¡°Gone with the wind, [Volley] X [Whirlwind].¡±


    Cili spun around, launching an arrow at each member of Revenant in the air. As the arrows¡¯ spun, Cili¡¯s essence gathered surrounding wind that upon impact burst into a galeforce, launching the target off the airship, leaving Wight the only attacker aboard.


    Halvor¡¯s skin was riddled with shallow cuts. Despite his best efforts, Halvor failed to keep up with Wight¡¯s overwhelming agility. He fell to one knee, his stone skin fading away to soft flesh. Halvor raised his head, extending his neck, as he looked toward Wight.


    Blood dripped from Wight¡¯s blades along his arms. His blank eyes fixated on Halvor¡¯s exposed neck. ¡°You fought admirably. Though died pointlessly. [Cleave] X [Dash].¡±


    A blur of white, like a cloud passing by the skyship, Wight blitzed toward Halvor.


    Bait them in.


    As the blade was just inches from his neck, Halvor recalled Draxl¡¯s advice.


    Then turn your skin to stone.


    Wight¡¯s eyes widened as Halvor¡¯s neck petrified. He had made a mistake. He had overestimated Halvor¡¯s exhaustion.


    Block their attack.


    The bone blade fruitlessly scraped against Halvor¡¯s neck.


    And take them down now that they¡¯re up close.


    Halvor lunged toward the defenseless Wight, shifting his arms and legs back to stone. Halvor tackled Wight who barely managed to stay on his feet, until Halvor dropped lower and pressed his full weight against Wight¡¯s knee dropping him to the floor. Instantly, Halvor wrapped his arms around Wight¡¯s right leg and hand, restricting his movements.


    Wight tumbled and turned, slashing with blades, but no matter what he did, Halvor''s grip only grew stronger.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Wight shouted.


    ¡°I will.¡± Halvor nodded upward. ¡°Just got to wait for her to finish first.¡±


    Wight looked up to see Riven standing over him. She immediately slashed across his eyes with her dagger. Wight twisted away and closed his eyes, preserving his sight. At least for the moment.


    ¡°Reopen the wound, [Ignite].¡±


    The wound across Wight¡¯s eyes burst in flames, scorching his eyelids black and robbing him of his sight. He reached with a free arm to slash his throat, but Halvor mantled on top of him and pinned both his wrists to the ground.


    Halvor stood up and walked toward the edge of the deck, dragging Wight by his wrists. Once he reached the edge, he hurled Wight over the edge, sending him plummeting to ground below.


    Once Wight disappeared from view, Halvor breathed a huge sigh of relief. Draxl placed a hand on his back. ¡°On your feet, [Second Wind].¡± As Draxl¡¯s essence poured into Halvor, a few of the cuts started to vanish and heal.


    ¡°It seems everything¡¯s safe for now!¡± Galina announced to the passengers. ¡°Please remain calm, and let us know if anybody else with white skin pops into existence.¡±


    Everybody on the skyship nodded, the craziness of the whole situation still not having washed over them.


    ¡°Glad that¡¯s all done,¡± Riven said, rejoining the rest of the group at the railing.


    ¡°And just in time too!¡± Cili exclaimed. She pointed toward the city of Aethereon as it came into view.


    Aethereon was a mountain of civilization and shared the silhouette of one as well. Massive metal towers lined the city, increasing in height the closer they were to its center. Hundreds of silhouettes flew up and around the city.


    However, nobody aboard had time to take in anything more than these vague silhouettes as the skyship started to descend rapidly toward the ground. The skyship approached a long black runway set out for their landing, yet it didn¡¯t slow down at all. If anything, it seemed to be accelerating.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the captain be slowing down now?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°Oh the captain isn¡¯t flying,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°What?!¡± Halvor exclaimed.


    ¡°Could please elaborate,¡± Galina requested.


    ¡°Zarell got knocked out by one of those Revenant guys,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Then who''s flying the ship?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Kai is,¡± Cili replied.


    ¡°Oh fuck.¡± Draxl glanced over the railing at the rapidly approaching ground. ¡°EVERYBODY BRACE FOR IMPACT!¡±


    The skyship suddenly turned on its side and slammed into the runway like a meteor at a 45-degree angle. It skipped along the ground, rattling everybody aboard as they clutched to the railings for dear life. The smell of smoke billowed up from the hull below as the skyship ground against the runway. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the skyship came to a halt.


    Everybody on the deck let go of the breath they were holding in.


    ¡°What the fuck happened to my ship?!¡±


    The sound of flapping wings accompanied the enraged voice. A tall female avian hybrid¡ªparrot specifically¡ªwith colorful feathers for skin, talons for feet, and a dark beak for a mouth, flew above the crashed skyship. She wore a navy blue vest accented with gold and matching pants that puffed slightly.


    The woman¡¯s most notable feature was the black eyepatch she had over one of her eyes. Her second most notable feature was the two tomahawk axes she had clipped to her belt.


    Kai crawled out of the captain¡¯s quarters. ¡°Another happy landing,¡± he muttered to himself.


    The woman¡¯s gaze shifted to Kai. The ire in her eyes turned to excitement.


    Kai cheerfully waved to the woman with a bright-eyed smile on his face. ¡°Hey Auntie!¡±

 Chapter 44: Operation Death-Defying

    ¡°Can I get you anything?¡± Wistoria Featherlight, former captain of Crow¡¯s Nest, had been reduced to a doting aunt. She leaned closer to her nephew, who sat in the only other chair in her office. ¡°Food? Water?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Are you sure? What about your friends?¡± Wistoria gestured to The Hangmen all standing around Kai.


    ¡°We¡¯re okay ma¡¯am,¡± Halvor replied.


    ¡°You all must be tired. I¡¯ll get you some water.¡± Wistoria waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Ophelia! Get in here!¡±


    Within a second of her speaking, the door to Wistoria¡¯s office creaked open. An avian hybrid with round glasses squeezed inside the room. ¡°Yes, Mrs. Featherlight.¡±


    ¡°Get our guests some water,¡± Wistoria said.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t have to,¡± Kai insisted.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Wistoria replied. ¡°Ophelia, get them some water.¡±


    ¡°Right away.¡± Ophelia shut the door behind her as she exited the room.


    Wistoria shifted her focus back to The Hangmen. ¡°Now, what did you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°I believe you were the one who wanted to talk,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± Wistoria opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a stack of paper. ¡°This is Zarell¡¯s report.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they still unconscious?¡± Draxl asked. ¡°How¡¯d they give a report?¡±


    ¡°[Memory Paper],¡± Wistoria replied. ¡°So long as a person is alive and willing, you can put a drop of their blood on the paper and it will spill into words detailing their memory. Zarell¡¯s memories unfortunately go black right when the fight broke out. I need you to fill in the details.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best, but we don¡¯t fully understand what happened either,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Any little bit is helpful,¡± Wistoria assured Kai.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Kai shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll start from when Zarell blacked out.¡±


    Over the course of the next hour, the Hangmen informed Wistoria of the events that transpired on her ship: the cloaked figures that burst out from severed fingers, the ensuing fight against them, and Kai¡¯s crash landing.


    Wistoria rubbed her eyes profusely. Her chair creaked as she leaned back and her eyes drifted to the ceiling. ¡°You said they call themselves Revenant.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s no need for you to worry,¡± Wistoria said. ¡°The group likely consists of revenants, people that come back from the dead to hunt down those wronged them in life. They shouldn¡¯t bother you anymore.¡±


    ¡°But we stopped their attack. Wouldn¡¯t that make us a target?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Likely not,¡± Wistoria replied. ¡°Revenants are focused on their target. You just so happened to be in their way. Revenants don¡¯t add names to their list, gods know it¡¯s already long enough.¡±


    Wistoria glanced over at Riven; Riven stared blankly at Wistoria¡¯s desk, lost in thought.


    ¡°Something the matter?¡± Wistoria asked.


    Riven looked up, confused, before realizing Wistoria was addressing her. ¡°It¡¯s just ¡­ I don¡¯t think they¡¯re revenants.¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Wistoria asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the skin color.¡± The stone casing around Riven¡¯s wound where her other arm used to be jostled slightly. ¡°Uh, fuck, can someone pull back my sleeve.¡±


    ¡°I got it.¡± With a wave of her finger, Galina telekinetically rolled up Riven¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°No worries.¡±


    ¡°As I was saying, their skin color bothered me.¡± Riven raised her arm, making sure her pale skin could be seen by everybody. ¡°Whenever a person¡¯s body regenerates they lose color in their skin. As you can see, me being a half-hydra hybrid has led to my skin growing rather pale.¡±


    ¡°We already know all the members of Revenant have insane regenerative powers. What¡¯s your point?¡± Draxl asked.


    Riven shook her head and shrugged her shoulders smugly. ¡°This is why street smarts can only take you so far.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± Draxl asked.


    ¡°Revenants can¡¯t regenerate,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t revenants come back to life after they¡¯re killed?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°That power isn¡¯t regeneration, it¡¯s reconstruction,¡± Riven said. ¡°Revenants are made entirely out of essences.¡±


    ¡°What, like ghosts?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°Kinda, yeah,¡± Riven replied. ¡°Because their body is just essence, it can be remade entirely whenever it¡¯s destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, unlike regenerating a body, reconstructing one doesn¡¯t cause the skin to go pale,¡± Wistoria said.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Riven said. ¡°So unless their skin is naturally that color, they aren¡¯t revenants, because their bodies aren¡¯t reconstructing, they¡¯re regenerating.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still really weird that they needed to die to trigger their regeneration,¡± Cili pointed out.


    ¡°And that it wasn¡¯t a skill,¡± Kai added.


    All eyes slowly shifted to Riven, expecting an explanation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t fucking know why that was happening,¡± Riven said. ¡°Why do I have to do all the work? You figure it out.¡±


    ¡°It is still strange what they said,¡± Galina remarked.


    ¡°What do you mean what they said?¡± Wistoria asked.


    ¡°Their leader, the one they referred to as Wight, said that if we surrendered then they¡¯d kill only ¡®those deserving of death.¡¯ If they aren¡¯t revenants, how would they know who''s deserving of death?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°One of three possibilities,¡± Draxl replied. ¡°One, they were lying and were just going to kill everybody anyway. Two, they were lying and were just going to kill everybody, except for us. Or three, they have some way of telling who their targets are that we don''t know about.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he was lying,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Okay, so option three,¡± Draxl said.


    ¡°How do you know he wasn¡¯t lying?¡± Wistoria asked.


    ¡°Just a hunch,¡± Galina replied.


    ¡°And you all believe her?¡± Wistoria questioned.


    ¡°Empirical evidence dictates that statistically, she¡¯s almost certainly correct,¡± Kai said.


    Wistoria scoffed at Kai¡¯s rhetoric. ¡°You certainly sound like your mother and father.¡±


    ¡°None of us understand what he¡¯s saying half the time,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what anybody¡¯s saying half the time to be fair,¡± Halvor added.


    ¡°Eh, half¡¯s not bad,¡± Riven remarked.


    Wistoria stood from her chair. ¡°Well, it seems you¡¯re all at least in good spirits despite the attack. I don¡¯t mean to keep you here any longer. If you need anything from me, feel free to ask. Kai, your parents left me something the last time they visited. Whenever you¡¯re available, I¡¯d like it if I could show you.¡±


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    ¡°They left something ¡­ for me?!¡± Kai asked. He nearly leaped out of his chair, but quickly steadied his excitement and settled back down. ¡°I¡¯ll take a look once we¡¯re done. Right now there¡¯s a more pressing matter we need to attend to.¡±


    Resurrecting Ace was Kai¡¯s top priority; if anything, this gift served as an incentive for Kai to get Ace back as fast as possible.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Wistoria said. ¡°Take your time.¡±


    The door to Wistoria¡¯s office creaked open once again. Ophelia stepped into the room, her expression far more serious than it was moments ago.


    ¡°Captain, I think there¡¯s something you should take a look at,¡± Ophelia said.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Wistoria asked.


    ¡°It pertains to the ship that was attacked,¡± Ophelia replied. ¡°It¡¯s easier to show you than it is to explain.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Wistoria pushed herself up from her chair and a tired groan. ¡°Come on.¡±


    ¡°You want us to come?¡± Kai asked.


    ¡°You defended the ship, I think you deserve to know what happened to it,¡± Wistoria replied. ¡°It won''t be a problem if they come along, right Ophelia?¡±


    Ophelia shook her head.


    ¡°See.¡±


    After a brief exchange of glances, and a collective shrug, The Hangmen followed Wistoria out of her office toward the landing strip that Kai had crashed into earlier.


    The shattered hull of the skyship wept blood. Of the four dead bodies, each riddled with deep cuts, only one managed to make it out of the hull before collapsing cold. Another¡¯s hand touched the runway, but her head had rolled off her shoulders before she could pull herself into the sunlight.


    Wistoria was the only one whose pace didn¡¯t falter despite the grizzly scene. Her eyes turned to a young boy in simple clothes sitting with his knees to his chest, unable to keep his breath in his lungs for more than a moment. As she placed a hand on the boy¡¯s shoulder, his erratic breathing stopped, then steadied.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Wistoria asked.


    ¡°It ¡­ it happened so fast.¡± The boy¡¯s words creaked like an old door.


    ¡°You¡¯re safe now,¡± Wistoria assured the boy.


    Kai turned to Ophelia. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°After the crash, we assigned our staff to retrieve the cargo from the ship. While moving the crates, the figures you fought aboard the ship suddenly sprung into existence and killed four of the five people present. They then fled using a skill to obscure themselves. We are currently unaware why they decided to spare one of them.¡±


    ¡°We threw them off the ship. How¡¯d they get back on?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Their bones,¡± Draxl said. ¡°The weapons they were using were made up of their own bones. Shards of bone probably fell below deck into the hull. If they can regenerate from a finger, they should be able to regenerate from bone.¡±


    Cili pointed to the boy who survived the attack. ¡°Can I ask him a question?¡±


    ¡°Be my guest,¡± Ophelia said.


    Cili approached the boy and hurriedly tapped him on the shoulders. ¡°Hey, can you look at me real quick?¡±


    The boy looked up at Cili, confused. He expected her to ask a question, but instead, she just stood there staring at him.


    ¡°Um, is everything okay?¡± the boy asked.


    ¡°I know who Revenant is targeting!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°How?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the eyes,¡± Cili replied.


    Wistoria peered over Cili¡¯s shoulders at the boy¡¯s eyes. ¡°When did you arrive in Aethereon?¡±


    ¡°About a month ago,¡± the boy answered.


    ¡°Did you work on skyships before then?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I get it,¡± Kai groaned. ¡°How did Cili think of it before me?¡±


    ¡°Hang on, how are eyes related to this?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Are you referring to skystone?¡± Ophelia asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Kai said.


    Ophelia turned to Halvor and pulled down one of her eyelids. ¡°Skystone dust clings to your eyes, causing flecks of blue to appear in them. Anybody who works on skyships or lives in Aethereon experiences it. Without constant exposure, it does fade with time. It¡¯s not as noticeable on me or Mrs. Featherlight, since our eyes don¡¯t have any white.¡±


    ¡°So, Revenant is targeting people with skystone in their eyes?¡± Halvor questioned.


    ¡°I mean, there¡¯s one way to check,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°What?¡± Halvor asked.


    ¡°Auntie!¡± Kai called out. ¡°Can I check the corpses?¡±


    ¡°Anything you want!¡± Wistoria replied.


    ¡°Is there such a thing as being too supportive?¡± Riven mumbled to herself.


    Kai slipped on his gloves and knelt next to one of the bodies. Just as he suspected, as he gently pulled open the eyelids, bits of blue, smaller than grains of sand, were scattered all across the person¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°This one¡¯s got blue,¡± Kai reported.


    Kai continued into the hull of the skyship.


    ¡°Two for two.¡±


    ¡°Three for three.¡±


    ¡°Four for four.¡± Kai pulled the gloves off his hands. ¡°All of them have skystone in their eyes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so fucking smart!¡± Cili shouted.


    Wistoria pat Cili on the head. ¡°Yes, you are dear.¡±


    ¡°Discriminating based on the color of eyes is a new one,¡± Riven remarked.


    ¡°I think they¡¯re just using it as an indication of who is from Aethereon,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Okay, at least we know who they¡¯re after,¡± Halvor said. ¡°That¡¯s progress.¡±


    ¡°Now the question is why,¡± Draxl said.


    Just before Kai stepped out of the hull, he glanced up at the bottom of the deck. ¡°Uh, Riven, can I get a light?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Riven unsheathed her dagger. ¡°[Ignite].¡± The tip of the blade burst into flames.


    As Riven stepped into the hull, she raised her dagger high, and both she and Kai glanced up at the underside of the deck.


    ¡°You all might wanna see this,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Ophelia, take the boy away from here and give him two weeks paid leave. If he needs longer, give it to him,¡± Wistoria instructed.


    Ophelia nodded her head and guided the boy away from the skyship.


    Lit by the flickering fire at the end of Riven¡¯s dagger, crudely written in blood on the underside of the ship¡¯s deck were the words ¡°The Angel of Death shall embrace her domain.¡±


    ¡°So they hate people with blue eyes, but they especially hate whoever this ¡®Angel of Death¡¯ is,¡± Riven said.


    ¡°Um, Mrs. Featherlight, can you cover your ears?¡± Cili asked.


    Wistoria cocked her head.


    ¡°Please.¡±


    Wistoria shrugged and placed her hands over her ears.


    ¡°What is it Cili?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°The Angel of Death is Willow¡¯s epithet,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Draxl groaned.


    ¡°Wait, how would they know what her epithet is?¡± Kai asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t her being an avatar a secret?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what¡¯s so fucking weird. I don''t know how they know,¡± Cili said. ¡°Only people like super high ranking in her dad¡¯s organization know she¡¯s an avatar.¡±


    ¡°Even then, just because they know she¡¯s an avatar, that doesn¡¯t mean they know her epithet,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Can we still ignore this please?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Yeah I know,¡± Riven said defeatedly.


    ¡°Can I uncover my ears now?¡± Wistoria asked to which Cili nodded her head. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m assuming you know something about this Angel of Death.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a friend,¡± Kai said. ¡°We actually came here to find them.¡±


    ¡°Looks like you aren¡¯t the only one,¡± Wistoria remarked.


    ¡°We noticed,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°So what do you want to do?¡± Wistoria asked.


    ¡°Could you get in contact with the supplier of the lollipops?¡± Kai requested. ¡°The only way they got their fingers into those packets is if somebody at the factory is a part of Revenant or at the very least collaborating with them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact them right away,¡± Wistoria said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you,¡± Halvor said. ¡°Best to travel in pairs to be safe.¡±


    ¡°If Revenant has a vendetta against everyone in Aethereon then it¡¯s likely tied to some big event,¡± Riven suggested. ¡°Is there a library around here?¡±


    ¡°Students at the academy go to Knowledge¡¯s Aerie,¡± Wistoria said. ¡°Might be worth a look.¡±


    ¡°I also want to do some research,¡± Draxl said. ¡°Nothing worse than being in the dark.¡±


    ¡°You can read?¡± Riven asked.


    ¡°I can,¡± Draxl replied. ¡°I have to say, it''s a lot easier with two hands.¡±


    ¡°I want to go find my friend,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°Do you mind if I come along?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°That¡¯d be great!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°If you need somewhere to stay, I have rooms for my staff,¡± Wistoria said. ¡°It¡¯s not fancy, but it¡¯s serviceable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be more than enough,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the operation going to be called?¡± Wistoria asked.


    ¡°Operation?¡± Cili questioned.


    ¡°Do none of you know?¡± Wistoria asked.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± Kai pleaded.


    ¡°Kai always gave an operation name to everything he did,¡± Wistoria said. ¡°It was so cute.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Kai mumbled.


    ¡°Fuck you! I think it¡¯s cool,¡± Cili said.


    ¡°You know I think an operation name would really motivate me to work hard,¡± Riven insisted.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Halvor said, without any of Riven¡¯s sarcasm.


    Kai sighed. ¡°Well we¡¯re trying to stop people who are functionally immortal and also there¡¯s the whole thing with Ace, so how about Operation Death-Defying.¡±

 Chapter 45: Untimely Reunion

    Cili¡¯s hand was wrapped tightly around Galina¡¯s arm as she yanked her through Aethereon¡¯s streets. Citizens whizzed by overheard riding atop skyboards¡ªwooden or metal boards adorned with infusions that let the boards glide along the air, though only usable at high altitudes.


    The smell of baked goods from nearby shops flooded Cili and Galina¡¯s noses as the two dashed through the streets and squeezed between long lines of people pouring out from surrounding bakeries.


    ¡°Are you sure we should skip all of these?¡± Galina asked. ¡°I don¡¯t mind waiting in line.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Cili assured Galina, refusing to slow down. ¡°These are all tourist traps. I¡¯ll show you where the real good stuff is.¡±


    A few minutes later, Cili pulled Galina around a corner to a tight street corner. They were far from the other bakeries close to the city¡¯s center. The stone street was wildly uneven; Galina had to keep her eyes glued to the floor to avoid stumbling to the ground. Despite the lack of benches and chairs, the cramped street was lined with people sitting down, devouring piping hot food.


    Looking closer, Galina noticed everybody sitting down had a flash of red somewhere on their person. The most common was a pocket square in their suit. Others had a streak of red in their hair.


    ¡°Are these all cardinals?¡± Galina whispered.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Cili replied. ¡°This is the spot only they know about. It¡¯s got all the best places, and it¡¯s far from any touristy spots, so nobody comes by. Willow took me here all the time.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Galina said. Though she had her hesitations about visiting a spot where only members of a criminal organization ate, at this point, she had been pulled away from so many amazing smells that she was just dying to eat. ¡°So, which one are we going to?¡±


    ¡°Follow me,¡± Cili said.


    During the brief moments Galina could afford to look at something other than the ground, she caught glimpses from the cardinals around her. Their eyes didn¡¯t instill a sense of danger, but rather suspicion and surprise. Fortunately, a simple smile and nod seemed enough to satisfy their curiosity for the time being.


    At the end of the street, Cili stopped Galina just in front of a bakery. The smell of a woodfire char and bright vanilla danced up Galina¡¯s nose. Her eyes drifted to the wooden sign above the establishment where the words ¡°Baker¡¯s Hoard¡± were burnt into the wood.


    ¡°Cili!¡± The young man at the counter exclaimed. He reached a hand down to Cili revealing sky-blue scales.


    ¡°Evan!¡± Cili quickly shook the man¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°You as well,¡± Evan replied. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Galina.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind waiting, a cardinal is helping me bring in some ingredients,¡± Evan said.


    ¡°Do we have to wait?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°Once he¡¯s done I¡¯ll make sure you guys get the first batch,¡± Evan said.


    ¡°No takebacks!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why are there so many bakeries here?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°Altitude,¡± Evan responded.


    ¡°Altitude?¡± Galina inquired.


    ¡°Because of how high up Aethereon is, it changes how you bake,¡± Evan explained. ¡°There are certain things you can only make at this altitude.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Are you here to see Willow?¡± Evan asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Cili confirmed. ¡°I wanted to get her something first.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to say this, but I think someone might have beat you to the punch,¡± Evan said.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s everything!¡± The voice came from a door behind Evan. ¡°Can you take a look to see if everything¡¯s okay?¡±


    ¡°Coming!¡± Evan exclaimed. ¡°Just give me a second, I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    The voice sounded vaguely familiar to Galina, but she struggled to remember exactly where she had heard it before.


    A moment later the door cracked open, and a sudden rush of revelation surged through Galina. She knew exactly whose voice that was.


    Emerging from the door was a man with messy white hair, dark skin, and a bright red coat. ¡°Alright, let me know if you need anything else,¡± Xavier said. He removed his gloves and rubbed his forehead. ¡°What the hell is this headache?¡±


    Galina froze for a moment thinking of what to do.


    ¡°Xavier!¡± Cili exclaimed. She spoke before Galina even had a chance to react.


    Xavier¡¯s head whipped toward Cili. ¡°Cili!¡± he exclaimed, before looking up at Galina. ¡°Oh.¡±


    Galina smiled and waved.


    ¡°Perhaps it''s best if we all sit down on the street for a moment,¡± Xavier suggested, exiting the bakery.


    ¡°Let¡¯s,¡± Galina replied.


    <hr>


    ¡°Ah!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°Blow on it first,¡± Xavier said. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t still be telling you this.¡±


    Galina chuckled. ¡°Cili¡¯s mentioned you briefly, but what exactly is your relationship?¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯ve known her longer than I haven¡¯t,¡± Xavier said. ¡°For most of that time, I was effectively her babysitter. Whenever she and Willow wanted to go out I always had to go with them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that was fun,¡± Galina remarked.


    ¡°Eventful might be more accurate,¡± Xavier said.


    Galina noticed Xavier¡¯s eyes were not looking at her, but rather past her, fixated on her staff.


    ¡°Does it bother you?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°It just makes me feel ill,¡± Xavier said. ¡°Like a general sense of nausea fused with a splitting headache.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you called Galina a ¡®genocidal bitch¡¯?¡± Cili asked.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Xavier groaned. ¡°Eh, technically.¡±


    ¡°I worried you¡¯d start attacking me when I saw you,¡± Galina admitted.


    ¡°Not in this city, and not when you¡¯re with Cili,¡± Xavier said. ¡°If she trusts you, then I kind of have to.¡±


    ¡°Why did you have such a reaction to me?¡± Galina inquired.


    ¡°It was less of a reaction to you and more a reaction to your staff,¡± Xavier explained. ¡°Once I looked at you, and realized how old you are, my perspective changed. Do you remember anything from when you were young?¡±


    ¡°The first few years of my life are blank,¡± Galina said. ¡°My origins aren¡¯t of any particular interest to me, but I can¡¯t say I¡¯m not curious.¡±


    ¡°Well don¡¯t get too excited. I don¡¯t remember things too well myself,¡± Xavier said. ¡°I and I believe you as well, are part of a group of people gifted with telepathic and telekinetic abilities. I¡¯m unsure as to whether you came from my home or a different group. For my group at least we lived tangential to the outside world. We lived in the wilderness but would often visit civilization, some even moving in permanently.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you the origin of our powers. To be honest, it was probably explained to me at some point, but I wasn¡¯t a very good listener. I preferred trouble over lectures, though one often led to the other.


    ¡°One day I was visiting a town and saw figures dressed in robes and ornaments, wielding staffs much like the one you have. I know not how or why, but something in me knew that I shouldn¡¯t return. At the time I attributed it to survival instinct. In hindsight, it was likely someone sending me an emotion. My older sister had married a man in the town. She kept me hidden.


    ¡°It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize what had transpired. The fires from my home should¡¯ve made it obvious. Perhaps I did know and just didn¡¯t want to accept it. The figures waltzed through town a few days later. Turns out blood is hard to wash out of white no matter how hard you try. Just when they left I saw them using the staffs to tap into our gifts and telekinetically load crates into their wagons.¡±


    Galina stared with hollow eyes at the staff. ¡°I guess that would explain why you had such a strong reaction to seeing this. To be honest this thing was very precious to me. It¡¯s the only thing I have from the part of my life I can¡¯t remember. Now I know how you feel. Just looking at it makes me feel ill.¡±


    ¡°Why does it bother Xavier, but not you?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Galina admitted.


    ¡°Could be overexposure,¡± Xavier hypothesized. ¡°You¡¯ve just gotten used to it.¡±


    ¡°I wish I didn''t have to rely on it,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Rely on it?¡± Xavier asked.


    ¡°Without it nearby everyone¡¯s mind becomes an open door,¡± Galina explained. ¡°Their thoughts rattle around in my head no matter how tightly I plug my ears. It¡¯s debilitating.¡±


    ¡°No one I knew struggled with that,¡± Xavier said.


    ¡°Well that comforted me very little,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it, Galina?¡± Cili said. ¡°That means you¡¯re special! You¡¯re super duper strong.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the craziest idea. Could be a sign of high potential,¡± Xavier remarked.


    ¡°Unless I find some way to rid myself of this staff without going insane I doubt I will live up to that potential,¡± Galina said.


    Xavier reached into his coat. After a little bit of rustling around he pulled out a book with worn pages, burnt edges, and a cover so damaged the title was illegible. ¡°I got this from my sister.¡±


    Galina took the book. Opening up she expected text but instead found a series of strange geometric symbols, more reminiscent of runes than letters.


    ¡°My sister said that it was a special kind of language only we could understand,¡± Xavier said. ¡°I would¡¯ve learned it eventually, if not for ¡­ well you know.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want to give this to me?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not getting much use out of it,¡± Xavier said. ¡°I just kept it hoping an answer would stumble into my lap. Even then, I was always more interested in revenge than answers, but even with Cardinal¡¯s information network, there''s been no signs of those staffs anywhere. Which means either someone beat me to punch or they ran out of targets. Worst comes to worst I made a copy.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you rather give me the copy?¡± Galina asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s back in my apartment, and I¡¯m way too lazy,¡± Xavier replied. ¡°Besides my handwriting is a fucking mess, I doubt you could read it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see if I, or one of my smarter companions can decipher this,¡± Galina said. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of your companions, I¡¯m realizing that this conversation has wildly derailed,¡± Xavier said. ¡°I wanted to ask, how large is your group, and why exactly are you here?¡±


    ¡°You have to promise not to get mad at me,¡± Cili pleaded.


    Xavier gave a scornful look toward Cili. ¡°Ok. I promise.¡±


    ¡°Ok there were seven of us, now there¡¯s six of us. One of us died and it was really sad, so we want to bring him back, but he¡¯s been dead for a long time, so we need to revive him, so we need Willow¡¯s help. Right now he¡¯s in a dagger, so I think he¡¯s fine. We don¡¯t know how to get him out exactly, but we can figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Slow down Cili. Slow down,¡± Xavier insisted.


    Cili cut herself off and took several short breaths.


    ¡°So, you told your party about Willow?¡± Xavier asked.


    ¡°She did,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Xavier muttered under his breath. ¡°She seriously trusts you huh?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve all saved each other''s lives at some point,¡± Galina said. ¡°But we did fail. We¡¯re here to rectify that mistake.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s done is done. I¡¯ll take your group to the boss and he can decide from there,¡± Xavier said.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Cili exclaimed.


    ¡°Even if he says yes, there¡¯s still a problem with getting Willow to help you,¡± Xavier said.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry we know about the immortal assassins coming after Willow,¡± Cili assured Xavier.


    Xavier paused before he spoke, shock etched into his face. ¡°Okay, so there¡¯s two problems. The first is whatever the fuck you just said. The second is that Willow has been unable to use her skills for quite some time.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Cili exclaimed. ¡°Is she okay?¡±


    ¡°Physically she is safe, though given what you¡¯ve just said that may not last for long,¡± Xavier said. ¡°There was an incident a while ago. To be honest I¡¯m too knowledgeable about it myself. It happened when Aethereon was attacked, and forced to make an emergency landing. Willow leveraged her powers during the ensuing battle, drastically shifting the tides in our favor. However, in the aftermath, she has refused to use her skills again.¡±


    ¡°Was it monsters that attacked you?¡± Galina inquired.


    ¡°The attack was organized, and orchestrated to happen specifically when the patrol of dragons was out of the sky,¡± Xavier explained. ¡°It had to have been people.¡±


    ¡°But Aethereon is the capital of a chapter. That¡¯s a declaration of war,¡± Galina remarked.


    ¡°Listen, I don''t know all that much,¡± Xavier admitted. ¡°I fought till we were back in the air. That was the extent of my involvement.¡±


    ¡°I want to see Willow. Right now!¡± Cili insisted.


    ¡°As do I,¡± Xavier said. ¡°Come on. On the way explain to me everything you know about these assassins.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Galina said. She raised a finger and tapped Cili on her forehead. ¡°[Link].¡±


    ¡°What was that for?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°So you can tell me how to get to where you¡¯re going,¡± Galina said.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t coming?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been there before. I¡¯ll only complicate things,¡± Galina explained. ¡°Besides, someone needs to get the others.¡±


    ¡°Not a bad idea,¡± Xavier remarked. ¡°The best we can do is get to Willow as fast as possible. I hope Nihil is with her.¡±


    ¡°Nihil?¡± Cili inquired.


    ¡°Willow¡¯s new personal guard,¡± Xavier said.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Cili said. ¡°Are they like friends?¡±


    ¡°I would say so, yes,¡± Xavier said.


    ¡°Are they close friends?¡± Cili asked.


    ¡°Cili, I¡¯m sure Willow is dying to see you,¡± Xavier assured Cili.


    ¡°Dying?¡± Galina questioned.


    ¡°Poor choice of words,¡± Xavier admitted.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re nothing if not consistent,¡± Galina joked.


    ¡°Not the time for this!¡± Xavier exclaimed. ¡°Can we please get going now, because, by your own admission, Willow¡¯s life is in danger!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure Nihil certainly won¡¯t be enough to take on those assassins,¡± Cili said. ¡°So I agree we should move as fast as possible.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Xavier exclaimed. He turned to Galina. ¡°Find us whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Once Cili and Xavier disappeared from the alley, Galina readied herself to head back to the rooms Wistoria had given them and wait for the other Hangmen to return.


    ¡°Well, he was surprisingly pleasant,¡± Galina said to herself. She glanced down at the book Xavier had given her and tucked it underneath her arm. ¡°I¡¯m glad we didn¡¯t kill each other.¡±