《Mistaken for a Returnee》 The Mistaken for a Returnee encyclopedia.
General Spoilers
Races
Kitsune
FOREWORD
Kitsune, or fox folk, are vulpine shapeshifters known for their love of both trickery and art. Kitsune possess three forms: that of an attractive Humanoid of slender build with salient eyes, an anthropomorphic middle form, and their true form- that of a large fox.
DIVINE TRICKSTER OR ADORABLE MEANACE?
Kitsune are a rare sight to behold - well, that¡¯s what they would have you believe, anyway. The truth is, Kitsune are all around us. They are your neighbors, your teachers, that pickpocket who stole your wallet. With their shape changing ability, Kitsune have done a remarkable job of infiltrating society without drawing attention to themselves. And for good reason, since a rumor that Kitsune were actually the descendents of a long dead God led many people of the past to covet them for their ¡®divine¡¯ magics and beautiful appearances. Despite an almost irrepressible desire to deceive and prank others, Kitsune value loyalty and family above all else. The epitome of an extrovert, Kitsune prefer making friends over enemies.
THE ¡®TRUTH¡¯ ABOUT THE DIVINE FOX, CLANS, AND FAMILY.
Kitsune weren¡¯t always social butterflies. Millennia ago, the Kitsune hid away from the world in clans usually composed of three to five families. The typical Kitsune family consists of four generations: the grandparents, the parents, the children, and the children¡¯s children. Depending on the age of its members, it wasn¡¯t uncommon to add another generation in either direction. Matriarchal by nature, the Kitsune clans pass down their legends and traditions by word-of-mouth, usually in classrooms led by the oldest mother in the clan. All Kitsune children grow up learning about the mythical Queen, and mother of all Kitsune ¡ª the Nine-Tailed fox. There are many legends floating around the world relating to the godlike nine-tailed kitsune. Powerful and wise, the nine-tailed kitsune was said to have white or golden fur and was an extremely powerful sorcerer. In the legend, it was said that she had nigh-infinite power by the time she fully matured, placing her on the same level as the gods. This led to the mistaken belief that the only way to kill a Kitsune is to cut off all of its tails, believing them to be the source of their power, but that is incorrect. A kitsune will die from an arrow or a knife to the heart, just like many other races. Because of the legend stating that a kitsune¡¯s tail contains power, poachers aiming to take their tails nearly caused the genocide of the kitsune race. This is the primary cause for the Kitsune¡¯s millennia of hiding. Some people still practice the act of ritually sacrificing Kitsune tails in the hopes of gaining power. Most Kitsune - especially the males - believe the nine-tailed queen to be nothing but legend, a mere myth to explain their creation to children. But a select few girls in every generation are raised with a different belief and trained in the magics of their ancestors. These girls are known as ¡°Nine-Tailed Heirs¡± and are trained in the hopes that one day, the beloved Queen of the Kitsune will return to lead them out of the shadows and into the light once again. However, the existence or nonexistence of the nine-tailed Fox matters little to the average Kitsune. Many of them have other dreams, ambitions, and desires that take precedent over a legend hardly anyone believes in. They would much rather run their shops, drink with their friends, and spend time with their incredibly large families.
BEAUTIFUL BY NATURE¡­ OR NOT?
Lithe and attractive to almost everyone. Kitsune are one of the most aesthetically pleasing races to look at, with appearances rivaling even that of the ethereal elves. They stand between four feet tall on the low-end and around five foot five on the high. Their lack of height and narrow frames means they are physically weaker than most other races. But they make up for a lack of strength with incredible dexterity, charm, and a penchant for mental magics. All Kitsune gain the ability to shape change at the age of five ¡ª until that moment, Kitsune children or ¡®Kits¡¯ appears no different from the average fox. A Kitsune can shape change into almost any race they want, in doing so they take on not only the physical aspects of the race but also their more magical traits. However, a Kitsune can only determine their other race once ¡ª once they change shape for the first time, whatever race they chose becomes permanent and they will only be able to shape change into that form for the rest of their lives. Most Kitsune, about seventy percent, will take on the appearance of the human. But elves, dwarves, and others are also possible. But no matter the race, Kitsune are always among the most attractive ¡®members¡¯ of that race.
SUBRACES
The kitsune have two subraces: the ¡®divine¡¯ Zenko and the mischievous Yako.
ZENKO
Age Zenko usually live around 500 years
Size In their natural form, Zenko are a large sized fox around 30 inches tall and 60 inches long. In their changed and anthropomorphic forms, they are usually between 4 feet tall and 5¡¯5. They usually weigh between 70 to 140lbs, and their weight does not change between forms.
Vision Much like true foxes, all Kitsune have excellent darkvision.
Kitsune Awareness All Kitsune know a lie when they hear one and can see through illusions and disguises almost without effort.
Change Forms All Kitsune can change their form between three distinct appearances ¡ª Their true form, which resembles wild foxes. The anthropomorphic middle form, and their changed form.
Produce Flame Zenko have the spell like ability to conjure a ball of white flame in front of them that can be controlled with their mind. This ability can be used at will and in any form.
Languages Kitsune are primarily taught to read, speak, and write in common and the language of whatever race they can change into.
Ability Spread (this is an average and not meant to be taken as a one-to-one record.)
strength 8
dexterity 12
constitution 10
intelligence 12
wisdom 12
charisma 14
YAKO
They¡¯re known as the arcane or trickster kitsune since they¡¯re usually more aligned with their trickster heritage than the more prideful Zenko. These kitsune tend to have darker colored fur. (black, reddish brown, dark grey, etc.)
Age Yako usually live around 500 years
Size In their natural form, Yako are a large sized fox around 30 inches tall and 60 inches long. In their changed and anthropomorphic forms, they are usually between 4 feet tall and 5¡¯5. They usually weigh between 70 to 140lbs, and their weight does not change between forms.
Vision Much like true foxes, all Kitsune have excellent darkvision.
Kitsune Awareness All Kitsune know a lie when they hear one and can see through illusions and disguises almost without effort.
Change Forms All Kitsune can change their form between three distinct appearances ¡ª Their true form, which resembles wild foxes. The anthropomorphic middle form, and their changed form.
Produce Flame Yako have the spell like ability to conjure a ball of Blue flame in front of them that can be controlled with their mind. This ability can be used at will and in any form.
Languages Kitsune are primarily taught to read, speak, and write in common and the language of whatever race they can change into.
ABILITY SPREAD (this is an average and not meant to be taken as a one-to-one record.)
strength 8
dexterity 14
constitution 10
intelligence 10
wisdom 12
charisma 14
Elves
FOREWORD
Elves are a magical people of otherworldly grace and nobility. Though most of them make their living in the mundane world, they are not part of it. They live in places of ethereal beauty and ancient magics ¨C if you ever find yourself amidst ancient forests or in silvery spires glittering with faerie light, places where gentle music comes from everywhere and soft fragrances dance on the wind. That is where you will find the elves.
Slender and Graceful
With their unearthly grace and delicate features, elves appear hauntingly beautiful to humans and members of many other races. Most elves are slightly shorter than humans on average, ranging from well under 5 feet tall to just over 6 feet, though certain elves are much, much taller. All elves are more slender than humans of similar size, with many weighing only 100 to 145 pounds. Male and female elves of the same sub-type are about the same height, with males only being marginally more muscular and heavier than the females. Elves¡¯ coloration encompasses the normal human range and beyond: skin shades ranging from copper and bronze to ebony and ivory, while their hair and eye colors mimic every shade of the natural world. The color of an elf¡¯s hair is said to represent which two elements they are most closely favored by. Eyes representing the first element, hair representing the second. Elves, like most other races with a close tie to the primordial elementals, can grow neither facial hair nor body hair.
A Timeless Perspective
Most elves can live well over 700 years, which gives them a much broader perspective on events that might trouble the shorter-lived races. It is rare for an elf to feel true hatred for another, regardless of what might have occurred. Likewise, elves are far more likely to be swayed by objects that sate their curiosity than objects meant to fill their greed. Many races think Elves aloof or even cold-hearted. This couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. They are simply harder to faze by things they consider inconsequential. But once something has captured their interest, whether positively or negatively, Elves can be as focused and relentless as a bloodhound in pursuit of prey. Elves are slow to make enemies, slower to make friends, and almost never forget ¨C or forgive either. Like the branches of a sapling, elves are flexible in the face of danger. They place their hope in the diplomatic abilities of their leaders and the grace of the elements who protect them, and should those fail, they place their trust in the might of their sword arms and bow strings. While an elf would usually rather run or hide from an intruder to their home, confident in their ability to simply wait them out. But should the need arise, elves are capable of fantastic combat ability, demonstrating high levels of skill in elemental magic, sword play, bows, and a keen mind for strategy.
Elves as a community
Most elves dwell in small villages hidden amongst the elements. They are taught to hunt game, forage for food, and farm for whatever they cannot find on their own from a young age and leave no trace of their presence in the natural world ¡ª which is aided by their skill with elemental magic, which allows them to support themselves without the need for clearing or destroying land. They are talented artisans, crafting finely tailored clothes and beautiful sculptures. Their contact with outsiders is usually limited, though a few elves make a good living by trading crafted items for metals (which they have no interest in mining). Elves encountered outside their own lands are commonly traveling minstrels, artists, or sages. Human nobles compete for the services of elf instructors to teach swordplay or magic to their children.
Exploration and Adventure
Elves usually take up the adventuring life out of boredom. Since they are so long-lived, they can enjoy centuries of exploration and discovery. They dislike the pace of human society, which is regimented from day-to-day but constantly changing over decades, so they find careers that let them travel freely and set their own pace. Elves also enjoy exercising their martial prowess or gaining greater magical power, and adventuring allows them to do so. Some might join with rebels fighting against oppression, and others might become champions of moral causes.
Elf Names
Elves are considered children until some time after their hundredth birthday, and before this period, they are seen as merely an extension of their parents, and so share their name (Sons share their father¡¯s name and daughters share their mother¡¯s.) until they are allowed to create one of their own upon reaching adulthood. Once they have been declared an adult, elves are given a year to come up with a name for themselves or risk being stuck with their parent¡¯s name forever. Each elf¡¯s adult name is a unique creation, though it might borrow from the names of respected individuals or other family members. An elf¡¯s name is always a reflection of their true nature. Elves also possess family names, though, since they¡¯re almost always impossible for non-elvish speakers to pronounce, they actually have two family names: Their true elvish name, which they only use while among other elves, and a common translation of their family name.
Family Names and their Common Translations: Amakiir (Gemflower), Amastacia (Starflower), Galanodel (Moonwhisper), Holimion (Diamonddew), Ilphelkiir (Gemblossom), Liadon (Silverfrond), Meliamne (Oakenheel), Na?lo (Nightbreeze), Siannodel (Moonbrook), Xiloscient (Goldpetal), Haranthraea (Silverowl)
SUBRACES
Ancient fractures among the elven bloodlines have caused the elves to split into three Subraces: Solaran, Lunaran, and Terran.
Solaran Elves
Age Solarans usually live between 700 to 800 years.
Size Solarans, both male and female, are usually between 5 and 6 feet tall. Females can weigh anywhere from 90 to 150lbs, while males usually weigh between 100 to 160lbs.
Vision All elves have excellent vision in both daylight and darkness. However, they are actually somewhat colorblind as Solarans struggle to see darker colors such as blues and purple.
Trance Elves need very little sleep to keep their bodies and minds in perfect condition. A mere 4 hours a night for an elf is equal to any other race sleeping for 12 hours straight.
Elemental Ancestry Solaran elves are said to be descendants of Kindra; a primordial light elemental. Because of this, their skin is much darker than that of the other elven races and is also highly resistant to heat.
Languages All elves are taught to speak, read, and write in Elvish and Common. Elvish is a very fluid language, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Elven literature is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races. Many bards learn their language so they can add Elvish ballads to their repertoires.
Ability Spread (this is an average and not meant to be taken as a one-to-one record.)
strength 10
dexterity 14
constitution 8
intelligence 10
wisdom 12
charisma 10
Lunaran Elves
Age Lunarans usually live between 700 to 800 years.
Size Lunarans, both male and female, are usually between 5 and 6 feet tall. Females can weigh anywhere from 90 to 150lbs, while males usually weigh between 100 to 160lbs.
Vision All elves have excellent vision in both daylight and darkness. However, they are actually somewhat colorblind as Lunarans struggle to see lighter colors such as red and yellow.
Trance Elves need very little sleep to keep their bodies and minds in perfect condition. A mere 4 hours a night for an elf is equal to any other race sleeping for 12 hours straight.
Elemental Ancestry Lunaran elves are said to be descendants of Adum; a primordial darkness elemental. Because of this, their skin is much lighter than that of the other elven races and is also highly resistant to cold temperatures.
Languages All elves are taught to speak, read, and write in Elvish and Common. Elvish is a very fluid language, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Elven literature is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races. Many bards learn their language so they can add Elvish ballads to their repertoires.
Ability Spread (this is an average and not meant to be taken as a one-to-one record.)
strength 10
dexterity 14
constitution 8
Intelligence 12
wisdom 10
charisma 10
Terran Elves
Age There have been no documented cases of a Terran dying of old age. At the very least, they can live as long as their Solaran and Lunaran cousins, but possibly much longer.
Size Terrans are the closest to their elemental ancestors in both size and appearance, as such, both male and female Terrans are usually between 6¡¯5 and 8 feet tall. Females can weigh anywhere from 170 to 210lbs, while males usually weigh between 240 to 330lbs.
Vision All elves have excellent vision in both daylight and darkness. However, unlike their cousins, Terrans have no trouble seeing the full color spectrum.
Trance Elves need very little sleep to keep their bodies and minds in perfect condition. A mere 4 hours a night for an elf is equal to any other race sleeping for 12 hours straight.
Elemental Ancestry Terrans are said to be the closest race to their elemental ancestors in both size and appearance. However, while they are much stronger, tougher, and wield more potent magics than their cousins, they do not possess any specific resistances and their magic is intrinsically tied to the element of their ancestor.
Languages All elves are taught to speak, read, and write in Elvish and Common ¡ª Only Terrans are also taught to speak Ta-ran; the language of the elementals. Elvish is a very fluid language, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Elven literature is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races. Many bards learn their language so they can add Elvish ballads to their repertoires.
Ability Spread (this is an average and not meant to be taken as a one-to-one record.)
strength 12
dexterity 10
constitution 10
intelligence 14
wisdom 10
charisma 10
Dwarves
FOREWORD
Hailing from kingdoms as old as the mountains themselves. Rich in both gold and culture, Hall¡¯s carved deep into the mountain¡¯s roots, the booming echoes of picks, hammers, and laughter filling their cities. An undying commitment to clan and family. These are the qualities that tie all dwarves together.
SHORT AND STOUT
Bold and hardy, dwarves are known as skilled warriors, minors, and shapers of stone and metal. Though most dwarves never reach five feet in height, dwarves are impossibly broad shouldered and compact. This means they usually weigh as much, if not more, than a human. Their bravery and tenacity are also easily a match for any larger species.
LONG MEMORIES AND EVEN LONGER GRUDGES
Most dwarves, at least the ones not killed in battle, can live upwards of four hundred years. The oldest living dwarves often remember a much different time than their descendants. The wars, the famine, while the younger races may have forgotten and even moved past these troubling events. The older dwarves still hold those times close to their hearts. They remember the loved ones they¡¯d lost, and the atrocities they¡¯d committed and had committed against them. But dwarves are solid and enduring like the mountains they love, weathering the passage of centuries with stoic tenacity and little in the way of change. On the whole, they respect the traditions of their clans. Tracing their ancestries back to the founding of their most ancient strongholds, back when the world was young and the elves not so arrogant. And the dwarf will not abandon those traditions lightly. Part of those traditions is a nigh unending devotion to their gods and goddesses. They who uphold the dwarven ideals of industrious labor, honor in battle, and a love for gold only rivaled by their love of clan and country. Individual dwarves vary in their goals and ambitions. But mostly, dwarves are determined and loyal to their word, decisive in battle, and stubborn as stone. Many dwarves have a strong sense of justice and are long to forget the many injustices committed against them. With their strong commitments to clans from which they hail, a wrong done to one dwarf is a wrong done to the entire clan. It¡¯s not uncommon for a single dwarves¡¯ quest for vengeance to become a full-blown clan feud.
CLANS AND KINGDOMS
Dwarven kingdoms stretch deep beneath the mountains and hills where dwarves mine precious gems and metals to forge wondrous items. They love the feeling of creating things with their own hands so much that the act of forge making, and gem cutting has become national sports for the dwarves. In some dwarves, this love of precious metals and resplendent gems festers into avarice. Whatever wealth the dwarves cannot find within their mountainous kingdoms, they gain through trade with the other races. However, their seemingly inherent distaste for water has led to enterprising young humans and merfolk forming trade agreements with the dwarven kingdoms to ship goods along water routes. In recent years, this has led to the dwarves welcoming trustworthy members of the other races into dwarven settlements, though some areas are off-limits even to them. The primary unit of Dwarven society is the clan, and dwarves highly value social standing. Even dwarves who live far from their own kingdoms cherish their clan¡¯s identity and affiliations, recognize related dwarves, and invoked their ancestors¡¯ names in oaths and curses. To be Clanless is among the worst fates that can befall a dwarf. Dwarves in other lands are typically artisans, especially weapon smiths, armorers, and jewelers. A few even become mercenaries or bodyguards, and such dwarves are highly sought after because of their courage and loyalty.
GODS, GOLD, AND CLAN
A desire for treasure- or more accurately, a desire for gold- might motivate some dwarves to take up the adventuring life. This could be because of a specific purpose, or even out of an altruistic desire to help others. Other dwarves are driven by either the command or inspiration of a deity, a direct calling, or simply a desire to bring glory to one of the Dwarven Gods. Clan and ancestry are also important motivators. A dwarf might seek to restore a clan¡¯s lost honor, avenge an ancient wrong against the clan, or earn a new place within the clan after having been exiled. It¡¯s also possible they are simply searching for an axe wielded by an ancestor and lost on the battlefield centuries ago. All are equally possible.
SLOW TO TRUST
Though dwarves get along passably well with most other races. ¡°The difference between an acquaintance and a friend is about a hundred years, give or take a few decades.¡± And while this statement might be an exaggeration, it certainly points to how difficult it can be for a member of a short-lived race to earn a dwarf¡¯s trust.
DWARVEN NAMES
A dwarf¡¯s name is given by a clan elder on their tenth birthday, which is also the day a dwarf is expected to begin working as an apprentice. Every proper dwarf name has been used and reused throughout the generations. The dwarf¡¯s name belongs to the clan, not the individual. In the dwarf who misuses will bring shame to a clan, will often have their name stripped from them and are forbidden by Dwarven law to use any Dwarven name in its place.
SUBRACES
The Dwarven race has three sub races within it, that being the Royal Mountain Dwarves, the Nomadic Hill Dwarves, and the Subterranean Duergar.
MOUNTAIN DWARF
Age mountain dwarves usually live between 400 to 600 years
Size mountain dwarves are the largest subcategory of dwarves. They usually stand between five and six feet tall and weigh around three hundred pounds.
Vision like most dwarves, a life underground has given them superior vision in dark and dim light conditions.
Dwarven Resilience all dwarves can boast of their hardy condition. Because of this, they are extremely resistant to poison, venom, and even sport a meager resistance to magic.
Dwarven Combat Training while not every dwarf is a warrior, all dwarves are trained from a young age to defend themselves with a variety of ¡°Dwarven¡± weapons. (Axes, hammers, maces, and staffs of all sizes)
Languages dwarves are taught to speak, read, and write in dwarvish and the common tongue both. Dwarvish is full of hard consonants and guttural sounds. These characteristics often spill over into whatever other language dwarf might be speaking.
Ability Spread (this is an average and not meant to be taken as a one-to-one record.)
strength 14
dexterity 8
constitution 14
intelligence 10
wisdom 10
charisma 12
HILL DWARF
Age Hill dwarves usually live between 200 to 400 years.
Size Hill dwarves usually stand between four and five feet tall, and weigh around a hundred and fifty pounds.
Vision like most dwarves, a life underground has given them superior vision in dark and dim light conditions.
Dwarven Resilience all dwarves can boast of their hardy condition. Because of this, they are extremely resistant to poison, venom, and even sport a meager resistance to magic.
Dwarven Combat Training while not every dwarf is a warrior, all dwarves are trained from a young age to defend themselves with a variety of ¡°Dwarven¡± weapons. (Axes, hammers, maces, and staffs of all sizes)
Languages dwarves are taught to speak, read, and write in dwarvish and the common tongue both. Dwarvish is full of hard consonants and guttural sounds. These characteristics often spill over into whatever other language dwarf might be speaking.
Ability Spread (this is an average and not meant to be taken as a one-to-one record.)
strength 12
dexterity 8
constitution 12
Intelligence 10
wisdom 14
charisma 14
DUERGAR
Age Duergar usually live between 200 to 300 years.
Size Duergar are the smallest subcategory of dwarves. They usually stand between three and four feet tall, and weigh around a hundred pounds.
Vision Duergar live almost their entire lives underground. Because of this, their dark vision is unrivaled amongst the other Dwarven sub races. However, this also comes with the drawback, as Duergar are extremely sensitive to light and suffers migraines, nausea, and physical pain whenever they are exposed to sunlight. Most Duergar have taken to wearing sunglasses whenever they are forced to subject themselves to sunlight.
Dwarven Resilience all dwarves can boast of their hardy condition. Because of this, they are extremely resistant to poison, venom, and even sport a meager resistance to magic. And unlike their brethren, Duergars can also boast a slight resistance to fire.
Dwarven Combat Training while not every dwarf is a warrior, all dwarves are trained from a young age to defend themselves with a variety of ¡°Dwarven¡± weapons. (Axes, hammers, maces, and staffs of all sizes)
Languages dwarves are taught to speak, read, and write in dwarvish and the common tongue both. Dwarvish is full of hard consonants and guttural sounds. These characteristics often spill over into whatever other language dwarf might be speaking.
Ability Spread (this is an average and not meant to be taken as a one-to-one record.)
strength 12
dexterity 12
constitution 12
intelligence 10
wisdom 10
charisma 8
Humans
FOREWORD
¡°If jack of all trades but a master of none were a race, it¡¯d be a human.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Though the youngest race by centuries, it didn¡¯t take long for humans to outnumber the other races 10 to 1. Perhaps it is because of their shorter lives that humans strive to achieve as much as they can in the comparatively few years they are given. Or maybe they feel they have something to prove to the older races, and that is why they build their mighty empires on the foundations of conquest and trade. Whatever ambition drives them, humans are the innovators, the achievers, and the pioneers of the world.
VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
With a penchant for migration, capitalism, and conquest. Humans are more physically diverse than the other races by far. There is no such thing as a ¡®typical¡¯ human. An individual can stand from just over three feet tall, to well over six and be from the same family. Adult Humans can weigh anywhere from eighty pounds to nearly 800 at the extreme and have skin tones ranging from the deepest black to snow white and everywhere in between. Though unheard of a few centuries ago, it¡¯s now more common than ever for humans to have a sprinkle of nonhuman blood in their family, revealing hints of elf, orc, dwarf, and any number of other races or lineages. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and rarely live more than a century.
AMBITION, AVARICE, AND A DREAM
Humans are the most adaptable and ambitious people. They have widely varied tastes, morals, and customs in the many lands in which they have settled. But when they do settle, they stay; they built cities that last centuries, and great kingdoms that can last for thousands of years. An individual human may have a relatively short life, but a human nation or culture perseveres through the ages. They have traditions with origins far beyond the reach of any single human¡¯s memory. Despite this, humans live fully in the present- making them well suited to the life of an adventurer. Many also plan for the future, striving to leave a lasting legacy, whether as an individual or group. Humans are adaptable opportunists, and they stay alert to changing political and social climates.
OPINIONS ON OTHER RACES
Dwarves: ¡°Stout bodies, stalwart mentalities, and incredibly strong ale. If a dwarf gives you his word, you can trust it as much as you can trust that the sun will rise on the morrow. But their lust for gold is their downfall.¡±
Elves: ¡°You¡¯d be wise not to wander into any place claimed by the elves. They don¡¯t like intruders, and you¡¯ll be just as likely bewitched as filled with arrows. Still, if an elf can get past their damnable racial pride and actually treat you like an equal, you can learn a lot from them.¡±
Gnomes: ¡°Enigmatic, eccentric, possibly crazy- but also loyal to a fault, and wise beyond their years. Gnomes are driven by a lust for knowledge that rivals a dwarves love of gold. The difference is; if you get between a dwarf and his gold, you¡¯ll get an Axe to the chest or a hammer to the head. But a gnome will ship an alchemical nuke to your house just for tearing a page out of their favorite book.¡±
Halflings: broadly considered the Kings and Queens of the kitchen. It¡¯s hard to beat a meal in a halfling home- provided you don¡¯t accidentally crack your head on the ceiling. Great food and a culture of acceptance are standard in every halfling society. If they had even a shred of ambition, they would probably rule the world already.
LASTING LEGACIES
Where a single elf or dwarf might take on the responsibility of guarding a special location or powerful secret, humans had to found sacred orders and institutions for such purposes. While dwarf clans and halfling elders pass on the ancient traditions to each new generation, human temples, governments, libraries, and codes of law fix their traditions in the bedrock of history. Humans dream of immortality but know they can only achieve it by ensuring they will be remembered long after their bones return to dust. Although humans can sometimes be xenophobic, their societies are generally seen as more inclusive than most other races. Human kingdoms welcome large numbers of nonhumans compared to the proportions of humans who live in nonhuman lands.
EXEMPLARS OF AMBITION
Humans who seek the life of an adventurer are among the most daring and ambitious members of an already daring and ambitious race. They seek to earn glory in the eyes of their peers by amassing power, wealth, and fame that will last for generations. More than other races, humans champion causes rather than specific territories or groups.
HUMAN NAMES
Having so much more variety than other cultures, humans have no typical naming pattern. Some human parents give their children names from other languages, such as Dwarvish or Elvish (pronounced more or less correctly), but most parents give names that are linked to their region¡¯s culture or to the naming traditions of their ancestors.
HUMANS
Age Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and rarely live more than a century.
Size Humans vary widely in height and build, from slightly over three feet tall to well over six feet, and weights ranging from eighty pounds to over six hundred.
Vision While humans tend to have decent night vision, it is generally regarded as ''poor'' by the other races. Humans make up for this by being able to see the entire color spectrum, whereas most other races suffer from one or more types of color blindness. A few humans also possess the extremely rare ability to see mana. A feat regarded as nearly impossible by magic scholars.
Prime Adaptability Humans are one of, if not the most, adaptably species around. They can adapt to almost any environment in days, can eat things considered fatally poisonous to other races, and excel at working together with other races. Their adaptability allowing them to fill almost any niche without much issue.
Languages humans are taught from an early age to speak, read, and write the common language. Humans typically also learned the languages of the other races they deal with, including obscure dialects. Humans are strangely fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other languages: Orc curses, Elvish whimsical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on.
ABILITY SPREAD (this is an average and not meant to be taken as a one-to-one record.)
strength 10
dexterity 10
constitution 10
intelligence 10
wisdom 10
charisma 10
Half-Orcs
FOREWORD
"Uglier than sin, as proud as a Devil, and as honorable as a Knight" Half-Orcs are outcasts from two worlds. A fact as sad as it is true, but one they''ve come to accept as a matter of course. Though neither humans nor orcs are keen to get along with one another on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes an alliance is all that stands between them and destruction, and 95% of the time, a new generation of half-orcs will follow the creation of said alliance. Whether through marriage between a human and an orc, or a simple midnight tryst between two drunken people. The end result is almost always the same; an infant that will inevitably be rejected by both races.
THE PATH OF THE STRONG
You may have heard one of the countless tall tales about orcs being mindless brutes. But this is simply not true. Orcs may not be as refined as the elves, or as industrious as the dwarves, but Orcs are far from the savages they''re often depicted as. Orcs are raised to be military minded from a young age. Their training is often brutal, to the point most races would consider it cruelty, but only because they know other races could not possibly survive to see the end of it. But Orcs thrive in this type of environment. Their vast strength comes, not only from the size of the muscles and the animalistic rage that constantly bubbles beneath the surface, but also from the intense discipline this training imparts on them. A fully trained orc is worth six soldiers from any other race, and this makes them high desirable as bodyguards and bounty hunters.
A WARRIOR''S HONOR
Orcs hold onto their convictions tighter than a dwarf holds onto gold. Orcs despise picking on the weak and destitute. Likewise, you''ll never see an Orc ask for charity, and rarely will they accept a handout of any kind. This sense of pride and honor also translates directly into how they fight. And Orcs will not fight a defenseless opponent, no matter who they are. To do so would go against everything they hold dear. But if a battle must be had, whether because they were ordered or due to facing a mortal enemy, an Orc will first arm their opponents with a spare weapon, so they at least have the chance to defend themselves. This has led many races to misunderstand the intention behind the act and attribute it to a desire to ''toy'' with their prey before killing them.
OPINIONS ON OTHER RACES
Dwarves: ¡°Short bodies fueled by a strong heart and a powerful sense of justice. If dwarves weren''t so short, more orcs would bed them.¡±
Elves: ¡°Bah! Irritating little chatter boxes. They spend too much time making friends with the trees and not enough time protecting their homes. That''s why they''ve had to change ''homelands'' four times in the last few centuries.¡±
Caitsith: ¡°Orcs don''t like Cats. They remind us of the great felines that hunted us as children... Plus, their eyes are spooky.¡±
A SOUL OF TWO WORLDS
But of course, a half-orc does not only possess the qualities of an Orc. They''re often just as much of a human and possess many of the characteristics of their other parent. Where full-blooded Orcs are massive, often standing over 8 feet tall and weighing between 400-500 pounds. Half-Orcs are usually in-between both parents in size. Often, this leads to them being picked on by their much larger peers. Some half-orcs are even kicked out of the tribe if their appearance is considered too ''unnatural'' by Orc standards. Because of this, there''s a huge disparity between the number of half-orcs living within an Orcish tribe and those living amongst humans, who are often more accepting of their circumstances.
HALF-ORC NAMES
Half-orcs usually have names appropriate to the culture in which they were raised. A half-orc who wants to fit in among humans might trade an orc name for more human sounding name, and some half-orcs with human names might decide to adopt an orcish name to play off the reputation orcs have earned for themselves.
HALF-ORCS
Age Half-orcs mature slightly faster than humans and slightly slower than full-blooded orcs. They reach maturity around the age of 16 and can live up to 90 years, provided they aren''t killed in battle.
Size Half-Orcs are between their human and orc parents in size. Meaning they could be anywhere from 5 feet tall to over 7 feet, and weigh between 180lbs and 400lbs.
Vision Half-Orcs almost always possess the excellent dark vision of their orcish parent.
Relentless Vitality Much like their Orcish parent, half-orcs have an outrageous amount of vitality. Meaning they can survive wounds that would prove fatal to most other races and heal from said wounds twice as fast.
Languages Half-Orcs are taught to read, speak, and write only in common as Orcish is considered a language of the tribe, which half-orcs aren''t usually seen as members of due to their human sides.
ABILITY SPREAD (this is an average and not meant to be taken as a one-to-one record.)
strength 14
dexterity 10
constitution 14
intelligence 8
wisdom 10
charisma 8
Spoilers for Chapter 1
Characters
Sulika Wysarie
I.D
Role Leading Character
Gender Female
Age 27
Race Kitsune (Yako)
Class Info
Level 31
Ability Scores
Strength 10
Dexterity 20
Constitution 10
Intelligence 16
Wisdom 14
Charisma 20
Appearance
Eye Color Incandescent Green
Skin Color golden/tanned
Hair Color Black
Height 5''2
Weight 118lbs
Faeyra Silverowl
I.D
Role Side Character
Gender Female
Age 280 (28 in human years)
Race Half-Elf (Lunaran)
Class Info
Level 36
Ability Scores
Strength 11
Dexterity 18
Constitution 16
Intelligence 22
Wisdom 14
Charisma 15
Appearance
Eye Color Emerald Green
Skin Color Pale brown/gold
Hair Color Red with white highlights
Height 6''
Weight 130lbs
Snowball
I.D
Role Side Character
Gender Male
Age 4
Race Snowy Macaw
Class Info
Level 2
Ability Scores
Strength 3
Dexterity 14
Constitution 2
Intelligence 6
Wisdom 3
Charisma 15
Appearance
Eye Color Yellow
Feather Color White with tiny black spots scattered around his body.
Height 43 inches
Weight 4lbs
Locations
The Fancy Dryad The potion shop owned by Faeyra Silverowl and Sulika Wysarie. It''s a three-story building featuring four bedrooms, each with their own private washroom. A dining room, a kitchen, a library, an alchemy lab, and the storefront itself.
The Hunter''s Guild The Hunter''s Guild Is a state funded, dungeon closing organization created with the mandate to protect and preserve world stability. Though the size of the Guild may vary depending on the location, a Hunter''s Guild can be found in every major city around the world.
Spoilers for Chapter 2
Aldritch Blackshield
I.D
Role Leading Character
Gender Male
Age 1,017
Race Halfbreed
Class Info
Level 100 | 100
Ability Scores
Strength EX
Dexterity 18
Constitution EX
Intelligence 14
Wisdom EX
Charisma 16
Appearance
Eye Color Incandescent Gold with Serpentine pupils
Skin Color Light Gray
Hair Color Crimson
Height 6''9
Weight 700lbs
Derrik Longhammer
I.D
Role Side Character
Gender Male
Age 172
Race Dwarf (Hill)
Class Info
Level 28
Ability Scores
Strength 18
Dexterity 15
Constitution 17
Intelligence 13
Wisdom 12
Charisma 17
Appearance
Eye Color Brown
Skin Color Dark Tan
Hair Color Auburn
Height 4''3.5
Weight 178lbs
Ralocan Whiteeagle
I.D
Role Side Character
Gender Male
Age 451
Race Elf (Solaran)
Class Info
Level 25
Ability Scores
Strength 12
Dexterity 19
Constitution 14
Intelligence 18
Wisdom 13
Charisma 17
Appearance
Eye Color Gold
Skin Color Brown
Hair Color Black
Height 5''4
Weight 139lbs
Oladi Aspenspark
I.D
Role Side Character
Gender Female
Age 322
Race Elf (Lunaran)
Class Info
Level 27
Ability Scores
Strength 14
Dexterity 18
Constitution 16
Intelligence 15
Wisdom 20
Charisma 14
Appearance
Eye Color Dark Blue
Skin Color Pale
Hair Color Blonde with a hint of brown in direct sunlight
Height 6''
Weight 127lbs
Zarud
I.D
Role Side Character
Gender Male
Age 25
Race Half-Orc
Class Info
Level 22
Ability Scores
Strength 20
Dexterity 14
Constitution 18
Intelligence 10
Wisdom 10
Charisma 12
Appearance
Eye Color Black
Skin Color Greenish Gray
Hair Color Black
Height 6''10
Weight 322lbs
Prologue - Sulikas late The obnoxious song of a thousand cicadas looking for love filtered through an open window, leading to the bedroom of a third-story apartment. The owner of said apartment was currently trying her best to sleep through the noise, but fate ¡ª and her roommate ¡ª had other plans. ¡°Hey, Sulika¡­ Sulika¡­ Dammit Fox girl, would you wake the hell up? You¡¯re going to be late!¡± A feminine voice shouted from somewhere above her head¡­ Which should¡¯ve been impossible, since she was lying in bed and her headboard was firmly set against a wall. Without opening her eyes, Sulika wiped at her face and sat up with a begrudging, ¡°okay, okay.¡± She yawned. She looked over her shoulder, towards the head of the bed, and saw a gorgeous macaw perched near the center of the headboard. Its feathers were a mix of white and gray, which reminded Sulika of a soot covered snowfield. Its big, yellow eyes stared transfixed on Sulika¡¯s sleep deprived face, seemingly waiting for something. ¡°Well? Are you getting up or not?¡± The bird asked impatiently. Despite the annoyed tone of the voice, the bird appeared to be quite calm by comparison. That was because the bird ¡ª Sulika called him snowball ¡ª wasn¡¯t actually the one speaking. Snowball wasn¡¯t a normal bird. Sulika and her roommate had purchased him a few years ago from a place that trained animals in a special kind of magic, one that allowed them to act as communication devices for households. Snowball could make and receive audio messages from other, similarly trained animals from anywhere on the island. Sulika gently rubbed the sleep from her eyes and glanced at her bedside table. The softly ticking clock there showed the time was [6:37 A.M.] ¡­ ¡°Shit.¡± Sulika cursed under her breath and quickly extricated herself from her comfy blanket. ¡°I¡¯ll be down in ten minutes!¡± She shouted while sprinting across the room to the adjoined bathroom. ¡°You better be. Your breakfast is already cold!¡± Snowball hollered after her, using her roommate¡¯s voice. Sulika stuck her head out of the bathroom with a toothbrush dangling from her mouth and her hair clinging to her scalp from where she¡¯d wet it, ¡°Did you burn the kitchen down?¡± She asked in a tone that could have been a joke or a serious concern. ¡°If I did. You would¡¯ve smelled the smoke.¡± Snowball replied while grooming the feathers on his left wing. ¡°That¡¯s not an answer.¡± Sulika said while staring directly at snowball¡¯s eyes, the toothbrush momentarily forgotten. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t burn down the damn kitchen. Who do you think I am, a child?¡± Snowball shouted in a petulant voice, without ever once stopping his grooming of his wing feathers. Sulika shrugged her shoulders and ducked back into the bathroom. Looking at herself in the mirror, she tried to get ready as quickly as possible. Her glossy, shoulder length black hair was pulled into a messy bun and held in place by an old leather strap she¡¯d had since she was a kid. What little makeup she normally wore, which consisted solely of lipstick designed to keep her lips from drying out and some eyeshadow, was quickly applied. With that done, she practically jumped into a pair of loose-fitting jeans and her brown work boots. The short-sleeved red T-shirt she¡¯d slept in was good enough for her once she slipped into her favorite black leather vest and zipped it up to her throat. She didn¡¯t bother drying her hair before leaving the bathroom and quickly walking through her bedroom door. She found Snowball had returned to his cage, which was almost never closed off, and was waiting for her with an expectant look in his too intelligent eyes. Sulika grabbed an open bag of cashews from one of the kitchen cabinets and made her way over. She dumped a few into her hand and presented them for Snowball¡¯s approval ¡ª which he immediately gave. ¡°Thanks, buddy.¡± Sulika handed a single cashew to Snowball before dumping the rest on the floor of his cage. Before leaving, she scratched the crown of his head with a single finger, which earned her a gentle nip of the finger from her favorite bird. On the way out the door, she reminded herself to grab a few things. The essentials, really; her house keys, her ID, her sword, and her wand. Her sword was pretty standard for a short sword and was just one of the countless others that came directly off the shop floor. But her wand ¡ª Now, that was something special. Carved from a branch a friend of hers had gotten from a Druid circle, and powered by a family heirloom, it was the only one of its kind¡­ And had cost her almost a year¡¯s salary in order to have it made. Both her sword¡¯s scabbard and her wands holster were attached to a leather belt she¡¯d gotten for her birthday a few years ago. She equipped the belt while hurrying downstairs to the first floor, where she predicted her roommate would be waiting on her with a plate of cold food in one hand and a room temperature cup of apple juice in the other. She was wrong. Her roommate Faeyra was waiting for her, but neither food nor drink could be seen anywhere in their shared dining space. Faeyra was a tall, graceful woman with incandescent emerald eyes that sparkled in the semi lit room, and wild auburn hair, streaked with bone white strands that made her look older than she actually was. Which was a feat, considering Faeyra was half elf. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Despite being over two-hundred years old, Faeyra was the elven equivalent to someone in their late twenties. And aside from the white streaks in her hair, she looked it. Sulika could admit that her longtime friend was gorgeous, even if Faeyra herself couldn¡¯t give a damn about how she looked. She was too busy either making potions or running the potion shop they both owned¡­ Well, technically, Faeyra owned the place. Sulika¡¯s name was only on the deed because she helped pay for it back when they were first starting out. Besides, Sulika was far too busy with her own job to even attempt to co-run the shop. Speaking of which¡­ ¡°I thought you said the food was getting cold?¡± Sulika grumbled while stepping fully into the room. ¡°It was. That¡¯s why I already ate it. It was delicious, by the way. Bacon, eggs, a big bowl of fruit salad, and a great, big ol¡¯ chocolate chip muffin from that halfling bakery on third Street. Washed it all down with a cold glass of freshly squeezed star fruit ¡ª¡± Faeyra ducked aside as Sulika swatted at her head with a touch more force than necessary. ¡°You¡¯re such a bastard. I¡¯m going to get you back for this, just wait.¡± Sulika laughed. She snatched the half drink glass of fruit juice from the table and quickly chugged it down. She would just have to grab something on the way ¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t make promises you don¡¯t intend to keep. It¡¯s not nice to make a girl all excited, then keep her waiting¡­¡± Faeyra muttered. Her words had a profound effect on Sulika as she almost choked on her juice. With a sly smile on her face, Faeyra stood from her seat and moved to Sulika¡¯s side. The six-foot tall half elf towered over Sulika¡¯s five-foot-two form. She slowly moved her arm around Sulika¡¯s shoulders and gently took the now empty glass from her hand. With a quick pat on the head and a wink goodbye, Faeyra glided across the floor to the door and left Sulika to finish getting ready on her own. She could feel Sulika¡¯s glare on her back as she passed through the door leading to her potion shop and alchemy lab. Sulika blinked after a coughing fit and directed her attention at the clock hanging above the door. It read [7:07 A.M.], which meant Sulika was now, officially, late for work.
Sulika stepped through the glass door leading to her office and gently shut it and her before pressing her back against it and exhaling. The overly long and dramatic sigh drew the attention of her coworkers like a moth to a rainbow-colored flame. The first to approach her was a brown-skinned elf in a white and gold cleric¡¯s robe. His thick, dark dreads bounced with every step, causing the countless colorful beads woven throughout his hair to clatter loudly against one another. ¡°You okay, boss?¡± He asked, his voice dripping with the concern his eyes did not show. That wasn¡¯t a slight against him or his abilities as a healer, but like most elves, he had trouble expressing his emotions through the holes of liquid gold that were his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just got a bit of chewing out by the big boss, nothing to worry about¡­ How¡¯s the recon going? Are we going to be ready to move by 5 o¡¯clock?¡± ¡°Aye, the recon is done and over with. We can be ready to leave in five minutes. Just give us the signal.¡± The heavy of her team replied as he joined the cleric in standing in front of her. The stout dwarf, with his luscious auburn beard and carefully groomed mustache, spoke slowly and carefully enunciated each word to ensure everyone can understand him through his thick, Dwarven accent. It was always easy to tell the ones who grew up speaking common, and those who had to learn it at a much later date. Dwarvish was a difficult language to master - full of hard consonants and guttural sounds that were difficult for non-native speakers to replicate. Sulika appreciated the heavy¡¯s efforts. While she knew a bit of dwarvish thanks to learning in high school, she was far from fluent and even his accent was sometimes difficult to understand. Sulika did raise an eyebrow at the heavy¡¯s choice of attire. He¡¯d arrived wearing black leather pants, a white T-shirt, and a thick, red leather jacket no doubt made from some beast he¡¯d killed during his last vacation. Metallic spikes lined the cuffs of his sleeves, and three large spikes could be seen on each shoulder. The heavy noticed Sulika¡¯s glance and looked down at himself - he laughed humorlessly and shrugged. ¡°Sorry, I was running a bit late and forgot to take it off at the door.¡± ¡°How you could¡¯ve forgotten to take that thing off is a mystery I¡¯ll never solve.¡± Her team¡¯s Druid spoke up as she, and their final team member - the barbarian - joined the three of them by the door. The druid and the barbarian were opposites in almost every way. The druid was a slender, graceful, elf woman in an open green robe that gave everyone a clear view of what she was wearing underneath; dark gray cotton pants, and a loose brown T-shirt held tightly against her body by a leather chest piece. Contrasting her dark clothing was her pale skin, short blonde hair, and pools of emerald-colored eyes that balanced everything out. Druidic and Elven tattoos covered her face and body, almost none of which Sulika knew the story behind. The barbarian was a nearly seven-foot-tall man with dark green skin, deep red eyes that were almost always set in a scowl, and short, but unkempt, brown hair. Unlike his companions, the barbarian didn¡¯t wear armor. No, he stood proudly in nothing but a pair of leather sandals, dark jeans, and a black tank top that showed off the rippling muscles granted to him by his half-orcish heritage. This was her team. Each and every one of them were masters of their class and had risen to levels most could only ever dream of reaching¡­ And if the Oracle was to be believed, then in a few hours they would face the most vicious and terrifying threat of their careers. The Oracle said their vision ended before they could see the outcome of the encounter. Sulika could only pray to whatever God that would listen, that there would be a happy ending waiting for them on the other side. Sulika showed a slight smile to her team and stepped around them. As she walked to her desk, she took a quick glance at the clock hanging on the wall ¨C [7:38 A.M.] - the mission would begin in nine hours. Sulika looked at her desk, or more specifically, at the absolute mountain of paperwork scattered haphazardly across her desk and exhaled another sigh. ¡°Just nine more hours. If the mission is a success, then I¡¯ll be too busy partying to worry about paperwork. And if it isn¡¯t¡­ Well, either way, it won¡¯t be my problem anymore.¡± Chapter 1 - End of an Era (pt 1) The biting wind howled like a wounded beast, whipping the ashen snow that covered the iron spine mountains into a frenzy. The sky was a perpetual mixture of violet and black, and completely devoid of the sun and stars. The world of Mag ¨¢rsa was dead and had been rotting for close to four hundred years. And Aldritch of clan Blackshield knew it better than anyone. The half giant dwarf had been there for it all - he was present when the first dungeon opened. He was one of the first to kill a demon. He was the first to kill the boss of the dungeon, closing the portal to hell off from their world. For 632 years, Aldritch fought against the never ending tide of demons, sacrificing what little chance he ever had at having a normal life. As a high priest, his healing ability was second only to the Saintess of legend. But he still lost comrades. No matter how deep his mana pool ran, eventually, even he would run out. And when he did, casualties followed. Aldritch had only survived because of the grace given to him by his patron deity - Oakairo; Dragon God of Pride¡­ However, it was because of that grace that he had to watch helplessly as people grew sick from the poisonous water supplies, developed diseases from the miasma polluted atmosphere, and starved after the food ran out. His people died because he was too weak to save them, even with God¡¯s divine protection. He was a failure¡­ Aldritch was sitting by a small campfire, his only source of warmth and light in this wasteland. He stared at the dwindling fire through incandescent golden eyes, made even more ominous by the slitted pupils that openly pronounced his service to the Dragon God. After centuries of wandering in search of other survivors, Aldritch was left with very little to remind him of how things used to be. His only possessions were the old cleric¡¯s robe that covered his massive frame, a golden wrist brace with the image of a kite shield emblazoned on top, an old stone amulet he¡¯d had since he was a child, and finally the custom poleaxe he¡¯d forged from the bones and claws of a lesser Dragon. The poleaxe was truly a thing of beauty - a wide Axe blade on the right, a deadly hammerhead on the left, and just because he could, Aldritch forged the very tip of the handle into a wicked spike that could be used as a thrusting weapon. Aldritch wasn¡¯t ashamed to admit that the weapon had saved his life more times than he could remember. It had bathed in more demon blood than Aldritch dared to remember, and Aldritch was truly thankful to the Dragon who sacrificed his spine so Aldritch could forge the handle of such a weapon. Were it not so tough, who knows how many times his beloved weapon would¡¯ve shattered. ¡°Even if your weapon did somehow break, we both know you would¡¯ve taken out your anger on the cause and then used it to forge a replacement. And knowing your penchant for creativity when you¡¯re angry, I¡¯m almost sad it never happened. Who knows what kind of demon slaying weapon would¡¯ve been born out of your malice.¡± A disembodied voice said from deep within the recesses of Aldritch¡¯s mind. The voice was regal, powerful, godlike¡­ And getting on Aldritch¡¯s last nerve. Aldritch rolled his eyes at the disembodied voice. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for your jokes, Oakairo. Besides, the demons are dead and so is their devil master. The time for demon slaying weapons has long since passed.¡± ¡°Oh, lighten up a bit, will you? It¡¯s your birthday. Do you know how many mortals live to be a thousand and seventeen years old?¡± ¡°Counting elves or -¡± ¡°No, not counting the tree huggers. They haven¡¯t counted since that nasty goddess gifted them with immortality. I¡¯m talking about normal mortals, like you.¡± ¡°Right, because a seven-foot-tall dwarf who can¡¯t grow a beard is ¡®normal¡¯ by your standards?¡± As if to emphasize his point, Aldritch pulled down the hood of his robe and ran his thick fingers through his mane of dark red hair. His face was rugged, and his large nose was clearly of Dwarven make - but the absence of a beard made him look much younger than he actually was. For despite being a thousand years old, Aldritch could technically pass for a large human in his late thirties¡­ So long as you didn¡¯t look too closely at the shape of his body. ¡°By ¡®normal¡¯, I meant mortals who weren¡¯t blessed by a god or goddess. And before you say anything, my blessing did not grant you immortality. You have your genetics to thank for your longevity. To my knowledge, no one like you had ever been born. It¡¯s why I knew I had to have you from the moment I first laid eyes on you.¡± ¡°You mean as a piece of your hoard,¡± Aldritch said blandly. ¡°Of course. I was a Dragon before I was a God. And as a dragon, my hoard drew envy and hatred from man and God alike. To be part of such a hoard is a blessing in and of itself. You should be proud.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m proud alri -¡± The ground beneath Aldritch¡¯s feet shook violently as the sound of an explosion reached his ears. The shockwave that followed threw hundreds of pounds of ice, snow, and ash against Aldritch¡¯s body. Despite the weight crashing into him, Aldritch appeared to not have noticed, as his eyes remained transfixed on the horizon. ¡°That was divine magic.¡± Aldritch muttered, more out of shock than any attempts to tell Oakairo. The latter was a God, a literal source of divine magic. Of course, he had sensed it too. ¡°Someone tried to cast sanctuary and failed. The explosion was caused by a backwash of arcane magic interrupting the spell.¡± Aldritch took one final glance down at his now extinguished fire. He should be disappointed - like the many people he''d lost, he¡¯d failed to protect this meager flame. But he wasn¡¯t. No, he was excited, and growing more so by the second. Spells meant survivors. Survivors meant people. And people meant - ¡°Someone new to talk to!¡± Oakairo said Aldritch¡¯s thought aloud. ¡°Exactly.¡± Aldritch¡¯s smile was vicious, but his eyes were alight with child-like excitement. He grabbed his beloved weapon and slung it over his shoulder before taking off towards the source of the explosion. In between one step and the next, Aldritch bent his knees slightly - he shoved off the mountain with enough force to cause his own sonic boom. Within a matter of seconds, he¡¯d pierced the clouds high above the mountain and disappeared from sight.
An hour ago. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Sulika and her team had prepared as best they could, but now that the warehouse was right in front of them, nerves were starting to get to them. Approximately three months ago Sulika had received information from an extremely credible source - an Oracle with a 90% accuracy rate had a vision that a manic cult would attempt to cause a ¡®dungeon break¡¯ smack dab in the middle of the city. Sulika¡¯s team was the third closing team under the Azuris branch of the Hunters Guild. It was their duty to shut down dungeons before they could harm any civilians. However, aside from a few unlucky souls every year who have a dungeon form on top of them, most dungeons are only deadly to those who willingly enter them... Except in one case. A dungeon break. The dungeon break phenomenon happens when a dungeon is left alone for too long. The mana inside continues to build, which causes the monsters to propagate and the miasma to grow denser with each passing day. And if the dungeon continues to be left alone, eventually the weight of the mana pressing against it will cause cracks to appear - leading to a dungeon break. Once a dungeon breaks, the monsters and miasma inside will overflow and pour into the outside world. The monsters attack without discrimination. Countless lives will be lost in the first few hours, and even if the monsters are waylaid by hunters, the miasma is almost impossible to stop. It poisons the air with a toxin that brings paralysis in minutes, and death in only an hour to normal humans. And while hunters can somewhat resist the effects of the miasma, eventually, they too will suffer the effects. A dungeon break is one of the most disastrous tragedies that can occur in the modern day. So, when the Oracle predicted a dungeon break would happen inside the warehouse just five minutes away from the hunters¡¯ Guild, she was met with derision from the higher ups. Not because of the prediction itself, but because of what she said caused the break. The idea of a group of people, manic cult or not, willingly bringing such a travesty upon their fellow citizens was unthinkable to them. And they refused to hear her out. But Sulika listened. She trusted this oracle¡¯s words more than anything and knew that if she said it was going to happen, then it would happen. The only thing she had ever gotten wrong was the timeframe in which it would happen. She was lucky to have a team that stood behind her. Without them, she would be preparing to charge the warehouse alone since her superiors refused to give their support... Although, she had to admit, from the outside the warehouse appeared no different than the twenty others that surrounded it. She expected the cult to have spooky paraphernalia all over the place; religious symbols blood on the ground, people walking around wearing hooded robes - something. Instead, all she saw outside the warehouse were normal looking dockworkers going about their days of moving freight from sky dock to the warehouse and back. Which is why it was so important they spent the last few weeks performing nightly recon on the place. While most of what they had was technically illegal, Sulika believed they had enough to form a decently strong case to present to her boss - they had photographs of magical artifacts being present inside the warehouse, while they could find no documents showing them being brought into the city. Several members of her group had seen strange men and women coming and going from the warehouse at all hours of the night, a few of which never left. And perhaps the most damning evidence was the photo Oladi had taken the night before. As her team¡¯s resident druid, Oladi could get herself into almost any place she wanted. Which was how she¡¯d found herself in the main storage room, near the back of the warehouse. In the photo you could see several corpses purposefully laid out inside a twenty-foot runic circle, while five blurry figures stood outside the circle, seemingly in a deep conversation with one another. Sulika was up half the night trying to make sense of what she was seeing in the photo. She poured through runic textbooks, contacted several experts on ancient runic symbols to ask for their opinion, and finally resorted to scouring the Internet for anything she could find. By the time she went to bed, she was well and truly exhausted, but she thought she had enough evidence to sway her boss¡¯s opinion and finally get some support from the Guild. Instead, he berated her for going against his orders and even threatened to fire her if she didn¡¯t immediately drop the investigation. As if she would do that. So, there they were. Five off-duty hunters hiding behind a wall within spitting distance of the warehouse, about to storm a privately owned distribution center to prevent a dungeon break from destroying the city, and break about half a dozen laws in the process. And all Sulika could think about was the fact that they were probably screwed, no matter what happened. If they failed to stop the dungeon break, the city would take a vital blow, and who knew how many people would die. And if they succeeded... The look on her boss¡¯s face earlier that morning told her they likely wouldn¡¯t have a job if he found out. She exhaled and quietly drew her sword and wand. She held her sword in her right hand, since that was her dominant hand, and her wand in her left. This way, she could focus on casting spells with the wand and easily switch to melee combat if anyone got too close. Copying her movements, her team also drew their weapons and prepared themselves for her signal. ¡°Oladi, dim the lights. Ralocan - prep for vision correction.¡± Sulika whispered. ¡°Right,¡± Oladi whispered back. ¡°Understood,¡± Ralocan, the cleric, replied while pulling his amulet out of his shirt and gripping it tightly in his left hand. Oladi looked to the sky, and her mana swelled. ¡°Eternal mother, my guardian, origin of the natural world. Shield me in your darkness so that I might hide from mine enemies. I beseech you, mother, grant me your blessing; Darkness¡± Oladi¡¯s open hand reached for the sky - her index and middle fingers crossed, while her ring finger, pinky and thumb curled inwards until they touched her palm. From her outstretched index and middle fingers came a cloud of darkness that floated into the sky above the warehouse. Within seconds the cloud had grown large enough to serve their purposes, so Oladi flicked her fingers towards the ground. The cloud suddenly expanded by half and dropped like a stone to cover the warehouse and its grounds in absolute darkness. ¡°O¡¯ honorable Cyndarr, my keeper and guardian, hear my despaired prayer. Grant me sight so I might be lost no longer. I ask this of you as your humble servant: Darkvision.¡± Ralocan brought his amulet to his forehead as he finished his prayer and held it there for a single second, then opened his hand and let the amulet fall against his chest. As the amulet fell past his eyes, the spell ¡®Darkvision¡¯ took effect for not just him, but his teammates, too. A magical, transparent film slid over their pupils that pierced through the magical veil of darkness conjured by Oladi, enabling them to see through it as clearly as they could through a sunlit window. Sulika raised her fist and waited... Panic stricken shouts filled the air as the warehouse workers realized they were under attack. They waited until the warehouse workers ran out of the building to search for their attackers before making their move. Some workers had makeshift weapons - axes primarily used to cut firewood, small knives. One guy even carried a wooden chair into battle. But they weren¡¯t there for the workers. Sulika gave the signal to move forward and led the charge into the magical darkness. She darted around the wall and sprinted into the warehouse yard while her team followed her shadow. The workers had gathered up near the center of the yard, so Sulika led her team to skirt around the edge to avoid running into any of them. The workers were most likely innocent in this, just normal people trying to feed their families... But, just to be on the safe side, when Sulika and her team neared the large double doors that served as the primary entrance to the warehouse, she brought her mana to the surface and prepared to cast the spell as soon as they were all inside. She passed through the opening first and jumped aside to allow the others enough space to enter. Right behind her were Oladi and Ralocan, while Derrik - the Dwarven heavy and Zarud - the half-orc barbarian, brought up the rear. The moment Zarud passed her, Sulika flicked the tip of her wand towards the floor and funneled her magic into it. ¡°Conjus: Mud Pit¡± She muttered. Her body shivered as an arc of mana leapt from the tip of her wand and pierced the gravel floor. Within moments, a dark, viscous liquid bubbled up from beneath the loose gravel and formed a large mud pit across the entrance to the warehouse. Anyone who stepped into it would find it incredibly difficult to get back out again, especially once they were up to their armpits in mud. ¡°That was a first level spell. Hopefully, that¡¯ll be enough to delay them long enough for us to put an end to this. I¡¯d hate to waste more mana on the workers.¡± While ¡®mud pit¡¯ wasn¡¯t an advanced spell by any means, it still required a deceptive amount of mana for a first level spell. Magic was divided into three categories: divine, arcane, and pact. Sulika used arcane magic, while Oladi and Ralocan used divine magic. This was the reason Sulika didn¡¯t have to recite a prayer before using her spell, since arcane users only needed to declare what type of magic they wanted to invoke before saying the spell name. In return, arcane magic had to be prepared in advance before it could be used. At Sulika¡¯s level, she could cast up to third-level spells. However, that was only if she had the mana to fuel such a spell. And after casting ¡®mud pit¡¯, that was no longer the case. All of her third level magic required too much mana to use as she was now, which was unfortunate, since most of her prepared attack spells were third level spells. But she would have to make do with what she had left. ¡°Eyes open people. The real thing begins now.¡± Sulika motioned for her teammates to follow and headed for the warehouse¡¯s main room. They¡¯d chosen to attack tonight, specifically because she¡¯d learned from her research that they were in the process of setting the coordinates for the portal. Once that was finished, a sufficient mana source was all that was required to set things in motion. However, this was supposedly one of the most critical junctions in their ritual. One misstep could cause the portal to collapse in on itself... Or open at the bottom of the ocean. Either way, they couldn¡¯t let them finish setting it up. The sooner they stopped them, the easier it would be to shut down the portal in its entirety. Sulika could only hope they¡¯d gotten there in time. Chapter 1 - End of an Era (pt 2) Sulika and her team approached a heavy, wooden double door with a thick iron slat laying horizontally across it, locking it in place. The slat wasn¡¯t held in place by any mechanism or lock. It¡¯d just been pushed through the gap between the two handles and the door, then fed into a hole in the wall. As silly as it might seem, the cultists were trusting in the sheer weight of the iron to keep the door shut. And it would¡¯ve done a marvelous job of keeping most people out. But Sulika couldn¡¯t help but frown at the waste of iron. Who would use such a primitive device? Didn¡¯t they know this much iron could have bought them a mansion in any capital city across the world? Magic was cheaper to use, easily replaced, and the maintenance would¡¯ve only run them a bronze plate or two. Whereas just buying this much iron must¡¯ve cost more than a dozen gold coins. ¡°Zarud, think you can open it?¡± Sulika asked without taking her eyes off the door. Zarud¡¯s answer was a quiet snort as he stepped past her and approached the door. He grabbed the iron with both hands and, with a quiet grunt of effort, slid the bar out of the hole in the wall. Sulika heard him take a sharp breath in before lifting the heavy metal bar off the door and slowly turning to face them. Sulika noticed the discoloration in his face and quickly motioned for the others to get out of his way. Zarud duck walked the slat a few feet from the door and carefully set it on the ground, taking extra precautions to keep it from alerting the cultists they suspected were just behind the door. ¡°Remember, take them alive if possible. But if they don¡¯t want to surrender, I¡¯m not willing to risk your lives just to capture these dickbags. Is that clear?¡± She asked, while waiting for Zarud to get ready. "Aye.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Why the fuck are we still wasting our time discussing this?¡± Zarud snapped. Though he¡¯d done his best to keep his voice low, Sulika still winced at the reverberation of his voice in the otherwise silent warehouse... Sulika startled at the realization and looked around. It was too quiet; she could hear nothing from beyond the door, and worse yet, she could hear nothing coming from the way they¡¯d came. Not even the panicked warehouse workers, which should¡¯ve set off her danger sense earlier. They should have been able to hear them trying to return by now, but there was nothing. ¡°Get that door open, now!¡± Sulika said in a normal voice. They¡¯d been discovered - she didn¡¯t know how, or when, but she could sense it; like a hundred cold needles tickling the skin on the back of her neck. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Derrick returned his beloved Warhammer Rosa to its holster on his back and took hold of the handle with his right hand while keeping his shield raised with his left. Zarud placed his left hand on the handle and raised his battle-axe to shoulder level. A silent message passed between them - they put all their weight into the door and pulled... The door didn¡¯t budge. Sulika looked between the two of them. ¡°It¡¯s a push to open door, guys.¡± ¡°Oh, for Cyndarr¡¯s sake... They could be done with the ritual before you idiots remember how to work a door.¡± Ralocan grumbled and stepped forward. He lifted his leg and shoved his boot into the exact center of the two doors - The doors swung open and slammed against the inner walls with a mighty *crash!* Sulika reacted quickly and thrust her wand into Ralocan¡¯s back. ¡°Abbas: Shield,¡± she said, casting the quickest defensive spell in her repertoire in time to block two beams of purple energy from smashing into Ralocan¡¯s chest. As Sulika was casting her spell, Oladi was moving into action; her nose and mouth elongated into a gray beak with a sharp point, her neck lengthened slightly, and a wave of feathers cascaded from her scalp to the soles of her feet. At her level, Oladi was capable of casting Monstrous Shape in between one step and the next. Shapeshifting was a great party trick, kids loved it... But that was when she was shifting into a bunny, or some other small, fuzzy creature. The beast standing in front of Sulika now, was anything but cute and cuddly. Dark feathers covered her entire body. Though most of it was hidden beneath her robes, a pair of large wings replaced her arms and her slender feet doubled in size and grew wickedly sharp talons. This was Oladi¡¯s trump card - a monstrous form she gained upon reaching level twenty-five and undertaking some mysterious ritual that ended with her bedbound for a month afterwards. Sulika thought the form was fascinating. It was just a shame she could only maintain it for three minutes a day... Oladi wasted no time in ducking around Ralocan¡¯s body and sprinting into the room, her powerful legs giving her an incredible boost of speed for the duration of her transformation. Zarud shoved Ralocan back before he and Derrick charged into the room with their weapons drawn and battle cries on their lips. The two of them blocked arrows and dodged spells as they sprinted after Oladi - who, if the screams of pain were any sign, had found the cultists. ¡°You, okay?¡± Sulika asked, while moving into the room. ¡°Thanks to your shield. Sorry about jumping ahead like that. I guess my nerves got to me.¡± He said, laughing somewhat weakly. ¡°Happens to all of us. Just don¡¯t do it again.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± He agreed without hesitation. Sulika noted the sheepish look on his face and shook her head slightly; They were all tense right now. She couldn¡¯t fault him for making a mistake in the moment... But if they still had a job on the morrow, she would drill him until he never made that mistake again. Shit like that is why the average life expectancy of a hunter is twenty-five, and she had no intention of allowing any of her people to become just another statistic. Chapter 1 - End of an Era (pt 3) ¡°No no no no no! They shouldn¡¯t be here - Why are they here?¡± A tall, thin man cursed from beneath the dark hood that covered his face. The others had made fun of him for wearing the hood - said it was too ¡®clich¨¦¡¯, and he was just ¡®feeding into the cultist stereotype.¡¯ Well, shows what they knew. He¡¯d tried to warn them about the group sniffing around at the hunters guild, but did they listen? No, of course they didn¡¯t. They were so sure their ¡®guardian¡¯ would protect them, they never bothered to put even the slightest of protections in place. But he did. He¡¯d given all the workers bracelets enchanted with the alert spell and given them strict instruction that, in the event the alarm ward he¡¯d placed at the door was triggered, they should immediately head to the hunters Guild and make an emergency request, asking specifically for the guardian to respond. This way they would have a record of the rats sneaking around their property, and they could also request for reinforcements to deal with the problem... Provided the workers had actually listened to him and they made it to the guild in time. He looked down at the melon sized purple stone on the floor at his feet. This was the key, literally, to opening the dungeon. He had to protect it at all costs, which was why he¡¯d stole it out from under his partners¡¯ noses and hid with it the moment they triggered the alarm. They¡¯d refused to listen to him, mocked him, and that little shit Grady had stolen his lunch a couple of days ago and never paid him back for it. So, fuck em. He could hear the battle raging on less than a hundred feet away. But he didn¡¯t care. Either his compatriots would be victorious, and they would complete the ritual, or the hunters would kill them, and he would sneak out the secret back entrance with the key while they were distracted. Either way, there was no point to him risking his neck for those assholes. After a few minutes, the sounds of battle waned. And the cultist had to strain his hearing to pick up even the slightest of sounds from his hiding spot behind a few large boxes, on top of one of the many thirty-foot-high storage racks that lined three of the four walls of the main room. The main room - hell, this entire warehouse had been specifically built for this purpose. His superiors had spent hundreds of platinum coins to get it constructed in the years leading up to this ritual. And the inside was purposefully smaller than the outside would lead the casual observer to believe. Once you pass to the front door, there were a series of false rooms leading off the main corridor. And almost none of them were finished. They didn¡¯t need to be. Only this, the main room, had been completed. 10,000 ft.2 of open space, save for the large shelves that lined three of the four walls. Twenty-five magic bulbs lit the room from the fifty-foot ceiling, but even with all of those bulbs on at once, the room was barely lit. There was only enough light for them to complete their work safely and accurately. Any more light than that and they¡¯d have trouble once they got the dungeon open. Demons didn¡¯t do so well in bright light. It wouldn¡¯t kill them or anything, but the light stung their eyes, and they didn¡¯t need to give the demons another reason to want to eat them. He¡¯d chosen one of the storage racks farthest from the only ¡®visible¡¯ entrance. So, if he dared risk it, he could¡¯ve had a good view of the entire battle. But instead of watching the battle, he knew the safest thing to do would be to keep his head down and wait... But now that the battle was over, and only silence remained, the curiosity was gnawing at him. Surely a quick peek wouldn¡¯t hurt? There was no way they were looking in his direction. The others might not have been combat experts, but they could hold their own against monsters well enough. Surely, they¡¯d have been able to tire the hunters out - but what if they¡¯d won and the hunters lay dead? Would they punish him for fleeing before the battle? Would they punish him for wasting his Lord¡¯s time by not coming out immediately, and thus delaying the ritual? With a nervous grin on his face, the cultist rose to his full height and peered over the top of the boxes he¡¯d been hiding behind - He came eye to beak with a pitch-black raven that was perched atop the box. The raven gave him a slow blink, then let out a cry loud enough to make his ears ring and his head ache. Like someone had jammed an ice pick through his temple. Dizziness and disorientation followed the pain, and he had to catch himself on the box to avoid falling to his knees. ¡°Shriek of the death bird? Really? I didn¡¯t think anyone used that spell anymore.¡± He shook his head to clear it, pulled a three-inch dagger out of his belt, and pressed the blade against his arm. ¡°Through the oath of blood, I call upon the power of Bozzen; Viscount of the Misty Castle. Your servant requires aid O dark one: spatial step.¡± A veil of blue mist sprung from the cultist¡¯s back while he scooped up the purple sphere and, like a hungry beast, swallowed him in a single bite. Once the cultist¡¯s body was gone, the mist dove into the wall behind the storage rack, easily phasing through the wooden planks and vanishing with the cultist. Seconds after the cultist disappeared, Sulika and Oladi arrived at the foot of the storage rack. ¡°Where did he go?¡± Sulika shouted. ¡°Gray saw him over here, but he spatial stepped through the back wall.¡± ¡°Then we need to go after him. My research said the purple orb is supposed to be the key to this whole ritual, and it wasn¡¯t with the other cultists.¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s just hidden nearby?¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Do you have enough mana to summon another familiar?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then summon one and the three of you should search the warehouse from top to bottom. If it''s here, I want you to find it and take it back to The Fancy Dryad. Catch up to us soon as you can.¡± Sulika jogged back to the center of the main room, leaving Oladi to accomplish her tasks. She found the guys in the middle of searching the cultists¡¯ bodies... Well, looting would be the technical term for what they were doing. But in their line of work, they were technically the same thing. Hunters made most of their money from selling off the ¡®treasures¡¯ they found after a battle. The three men were haggard looking, their weapons and armor splashed with red - some of it theirs, but most belong to their enemy. Still, it was clear they wanted a break. She almost felt bad telling them they had to now chase a frightened cultist through the city... Almost.
Sulika was glad they waited until nightfall before attacking the warehouse. They didn¡¯t need any civilians getting involved in this mess. Especially with the last cultist running through the streets. Who knew what he would do in this situation - he could take a hostage, hold up in some back alley where no one could find him, or even flee the city under the cover of darkness. Sulika only knew one thing for certain. If he got away tonight, he would try again. And next time, they might not have enough warning to do anything about it. ¡°There!¡± Zarud whispered, while running along behind Sulika and the others. His great height gave him a much better vantage point from which to see the cultist hiding beside the dumpster in a nearby alley. The cultist reacted to Zarud¡¯s warning and immediately made a run for it. ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t - Divnas: Trace.¡± Sulika pointed her wand at the cultist¡¯s back at the exact moment she finished her spell. A violet light spring forth from the tip of her wand and splashed against the cultist¡¯s hood. The cultist reached the end of the alley and sprinted round the corner, temporarily vanishing from sight. But Sulika only smiled. As the cultist ran, he left a visible trail of violet light hovering in the air behind him. The light was only visible to the caster of ¡®trace¡¯, so it was the perfect spell for hunting down elusive jackasses - both humanoid and donkeys alike. Unfortunately, the trail wasn¡¯t permanent. They had a ten-minute window in which to catch him or refresh the spell, otherwise the light would disappear, and they can lose him amidst the sprawling city of Azuris. The chase led them a few miles from the warehouse. Which surprised Sulika; most spell casters didn¡¯t take care of their bodies and ended up with far less stamina than the average adventurer - and in most cases, the average civilian. Sulika was a bit of an anomaly in that regard. But her ability to run had more to do with her race than with her training regimen. Her people love to run, to be free. As a child, she would run for hours through the fields and forests of her home with the other children of her family... But that was impossible now. After what felt like twenty minutes of sprinting like their life depended on it. Sulika noticed the cultist was no longer running as fast. Which was good timing, since Derrick, with his stubby dwarf legs, looked like he was about to keel over at any second. The cultist rounded another corner - Sulika heard a crash, which was immediately followed by the sound of glass being broken. ¡°No!¡± she heard a man shout. Sulika put her head down and sprinted as hard as she could. She reached the corner in only a couple of seconds and rounded it to find the cultist on his knees. And by looking over his shoulder, Sulika could see the purple orb shattered on the ground in front of him - a dense purple smog was pouring out of the orb and collecting in the air above the cultist¡¯s head. ¡°What have you done?¡± Sulika asked the cultist while staring at the portal that was forming before her very eyes. The cultist flinched at her tone and pulled his hood down tightly over his head. ¡°What have I done? What have you done!?¡± the cultist hollered in a demented tone. ¡°A year of planning, gone, wasted.¡± ¡°You need to stop this, now-¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stop it!¡± The cultist shouted while climbing to his feet and stepping towards the portal. ¡°The ritual you interrupted was so we could control the portal. With it, not only could we control when and where it opened, but this orb was meant to allow us to control which dungeon it connected to. Now that it¡¯s broken, and the ritual left incomplete, there¡¯s nothing I can do... There¡¯s nothing you can do either.¡± He said, his voice breaking as he finished speaking. He stepped into the portal without looking back. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Sulika shouted, but it was too late. The cultist had already gone beyond the threshold and entered the dungeon. ¡°God damnit.¡± Sulika kicked a nearby trashcan out of frustration and rounded on her team. ¡°We need to go after him. And if we can¡¯t talk him into closing the dungeon on his own, or if he¡¯s really unable to, then we¡¯ll need to shut the portal down ourselves. Are you guys with me?¡± ¡°Do you even need to ask?¡± Derrik asked with a white knuckled grip on his hammer. Sulika looked at Ralocan, then Zarud. And wasn¡¯t surprised when both of them nodded their agreement. She had a feeling they would¡¯ve gone with her even if she didn¡¯t ask, but she also would¡¯ve felt guilty if she hadn¡¯t given them an out. ¡°What about Oladi?¡± Zarud asked. ¡°Ralocan will leave a message for her on that wall.¡± Sulika pointed to the adjacent wall. ¡°Tell her not to follow us into the dungeon. Instead, she should return to the Guild and let them know a dungeon break is happening. Hopefully, they¡¯ll listen to her.¡± Sulika said, though she grumbled the last part under her breath. She drew her sword and her wand once again and stepped towards the portal. As she approached, the color of the portal changed from purple to black, and her stomach dropped into her feet. ¡°If anyone out there is actually listening... We¡¯re going to need a miracle to make it through this alive. Please, even if I don¡¯t make it back to this side, let my team return safely. They don¡¯t deserve to die just because they followed me.¡± Sulika said, praying to whatever god would listen. With one final breath of fresh air, she stepped past the threshold and entered the dungeon. Chapter 2 - Servant of the Dragon God (pt 1) The moment Sulika¡¯s foot landed on the other side of the portal, she didn¡¯t hesitate to reach into the pouch on her side and pull out a mask. It was a fact that every dungeon¡¯s air was polluted beyond measure. So, every hunter, regardless of their level or position in the Guild, makes sure to always carry around a re-breather everywhere they went. Sulika¡¯s re-breather was black with white trim around the outer edges; a small, rectangular tank was attached on the left side of the mask, and connected to a circular vent on the right side of the mask through tiny tubes that ran beneath the surface of the mask. Her mask was on the smaller side, only large enough to cover her nose and mouth. - though many hunters chose re-breathers that covered their entire faces, Sulika hated the ones that forced her to look through the lenses. They were always getting dirty or broken, and you had enough issues seeing through the miasma without adding even more crap to see through. The mask wrapped around her head and fastened at the nape with a quiet *snapping* of the buckle. Once her mask was in place, she turned and inspected her teams¡¯ faces; Derrick¡¯s mask was one of the larger ones and just barely fit beneath his helmet. It was black with a red accent line throughout, a large circular vent was positioned exactly where his mouth was, and used subdermal tubes to connect it to a pair of cylindrical tanks at the back of his neck - just above where the buckles fastened it into place. Zarud¡¯s was like Derrick¡¯s in appearance, but instead of red accents, Zarud¡¯s were yellow. Ralocan¡¯s mask was small, like Sulika¡¯s, but his mask was white with yellow accents. Four vertical vents were positioned over his mouth and nose and connected to a pair of circular tanks on either side of his neck. Like the other masks, his buckled near his nape and hid from sight by his armor. Sulika nodded her approval at their preparedness and returned her attention to the surrounding dungeon. ¡°It¡¯s a temple...¡± She trailed off with a sigh of annoyance. Temples usually meant one of two things: undead. Or spiders. She didn¡¯t know why those particular creatures were the most common sights in temple dungeons, but time and time again she¡¯d fought off one or the other in locations that looked incredibly similar to what she was looking at now. They were outside. The sky overhead was a disgusting mix of black and sickly purple, and the all-encompassing smell of rot accompanied it. Thick, violent clouds blocked any sunlight from reaching the ground - not that it would¡¯ve made it through the miasma, anyway. The ground beneath their feet was covered in a thick layer of ash and snow, but Sulika could feel the rocky ground beneath. In front of them loomed a massive, Golden Temple that had been precariously built on the edge of a cliff that extended a couple hundred feet away from the mountain. The temple¡¯s entrance was a wide rectangle with thick, silver pillars supporting the triangular roof. Behind the entrance, Sulika could see a gigantic dome that seemed to comprise the entire temple¡¯s main body. It wasn¡¯t the most elaborate design she ever seen, but the amount of gold and silver on display made her palms inch. Metal was a rare and incredibly precious resource back on their world. And not just gold, silver, or platinum, but all forms of metal were precious. Just one pillar from the front of the temple could probably allow her entire team to live like kings for five years. The entire temple... Well, it was probably worth more than the entire city of Azuris. Had they not been on a time limit with the risk of a dungeon break looming over their heads, Sulika would¡¯ve gladly started shoving her pockets full of gold and silver. ¡°Eyes open and minds on the mission. I know it¡¯s tempting ¨C gods is it tempting -but we can¡¯t afford any distractions until we¡¯re sure the dungeon won¡¯t break. Is that clear?¡± Sulika asked. She watched as her voice registered in her teams¡¯ minds one by one, each one snapping out of a greed induced stupor. They¡¯d all been just as fascinated with the sight of all that wealth... Just lying there... Ready for the taking. Sulika shook her head again and began walking towards the marble steps that led to the temple¡¯s entrance. ¡°Zarud, do you think you could -¡± Ralocan spoke from a few paces behind Sulika. ¡°Hell no. You¡¯d need a crane to move one of those pillars.¡± Zarud instantly replied. ¡°I¡¯m not saying we take the whole thing. Maybe just the broken one, over there.¡± Sulika didn¡¯t need to see him to know which pillar he was referring to; at the far end of the entrance was a broken pillar. Half of it was still attached to the roof, but the other half had been broken - shattered beyond any hope of repair. It left huge silver chunks scattered across the ground in front of the temple. ¡°Well... I could probably bring back some of those. Provided our captain gave the okay.¡± ¡°So long as we deal with the dungeon first, I don¡¯t care what you grab on the way out...Provided you can beat me there. Because I¡¯m definitely grabbing some of that silver to go,¡± Sulika said. Her voice said she was joking, but the look in her eyes told them she was probably serious. They reached the staircase and quickly ascended them. They took extra care to watch for any traps or monsters that could¡¯ve been hidden nearby. They saw none. But this wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing. In Sulika¡¯s experience, there were almost always traps or monsters hidden near the portal. It was the dungeon¡¯s first line of defense against the hunters who sought to close them. So, for them to see none, meant they were hidden by magic, buried beneath the floor and were waiting to be triggered by a pressure plate or some other sensor, or worst of all - they¡¯d appeared in a place that didn¡¯t need traps to protect the heart of the dungeon. The last option seemed to be the most likely. This was a ¡®black¡¯ dungeon, after all. The color of the portal that opened it was how the hunter¡¯s guild categorized a dungeon¡¯s difficulty. A white dungeon was the easiest. The demons inside were weak, and more often than not, had many weaknesses that could be exploited to make them even easier to kill. White dungeons also lacked any of the usual traps that made dungeons so dangerous. Which is why the hunters Guild often used white dungeons for training rookies. Blue was just above white in terms of difficulty. While the demons inside were still weak, traps were now added into the mix. Blue dungeons were statistically responsible for more Hunter deaths than any other, because of the sheer amount of rookie hunters who meet their end during their first excursion into a blue dungeon. Yellow dungeons were the next highest difficulty. Dungeons marked by the yellow color were only for hunters above level ten. The demons inside could hold their own in a fight, the traps were deadly to the unprepared, and the boss monster was insanely strong - Until this moment, the most dangerous dungeon Sulika and her team had ever entered was a yellow dungeon that took the form of a labyrinthine mine. As for black dungeons, they actually existed outside of the normal color scale. Black dungeons were widely known as ¡®abnormal¡¯ dungeons. While the actual difficulty of the demons and traps within could be any color, what made black dungeons so formidable was the unknown variable you had to deal with, while still fighting off demons and avoiding traps. From infinitely reviving demons, strange elemental hazards and the boss room being the only accessible part of the dungeon, to having your stats temporarily enhanced, your equipment upgraded a level, or being granted temporary access to powerful magics. Entering a black dungeon was like rolling dice with your life on the line - you could never tell what the abnormal effect would be until you were already inside. And by then it was too late to change your mind. Sulika led her team through a wide archway that served as the front door of the temple and down a long, straight corridor. While watching for traps, demons, and anything else that might try to take a piece out of them. The group was in awe at the intricate details engraved on the walls and ceiling. ¡°Looks like dwarvish, but the words are all wrong.¡± Derrik grumbled. ¡°You¡¯d be the expert on that, O short one.¡± Ralocan muttered back. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll still be able to make short jokes if I break both your kneecaps?¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Probably. Since even were I bound to a wheelchair, I''d be taller than you.¡± ¡°Hmph. Taller, and three times as ugly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what your mother said last night.¡± ¡°Means nothing. My mother thinks orcs are good looking, too. Ask Zarud.¡± ¡°Do not involve me in your petty squabbles¡­ Your mother has good taste, though. Explains why I see her at the brothel so often.¡± ¡°Nah. That¡¯s not why. She just has to pick up my sister from work.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a sister.¡± Ralocan pointed out while grinning down at Derrik. ¡°Aye. But I do have a brother. Doesn¡¯t look too bad in a dress, but all that powder he uses to cover his beard shadow makes my damn nose itch. Ya know, Zarud, he keeps asking when you¡¯re gonna come back and see him. Says he¡¯s got a bucket full of extra large rubbers with your name on it.¡± ¡°Careful, Derrik. Don¡¯t stroke his ego too much. He might burst.¡± Ralocan snorted. ¡°Hmm? Oh, the rubbers aren¡¯t for Zarud¡¯s use. Our friendly orc pal is a receiver, not a giver.¡± Derrik said, barely able to contain his laughter. ¡°Rude. I¡¯ll have you know, I gave an awful lot to your mother just the other day. Tis just a shame I didn¡¯t have that bucket then.¡± Zarud sighed dramatically. ¡°But don¡¯t worry Derrik, I won¡¯t run out on yer ma like dear old dad did¡­ I draw the line at you calling me ¡®daddy¡¯, though.¡± ¡°Oh, I understand. That¡¯s a title only my brother can use, isn¡¯t it?¡± Derrik said in a clearly exaggerated, but grief-filled voice. ¡°Figures. He¡¯s always the favorite. Well, I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t have the legs to pull off a sequin dress, Zarud.¡± ¡°Could you clowns knock off the comedy act already?¡± Sulika snapped. While she was glad the three of them got along well enough to joke around, there was a time and a place for everything¡­ And this was definitely not the time. ¡°Sorry ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Aye, my apologies.¡± ¡°They started it.¡± Zarud muttered sourly. ¡°And I finished it. Now, keep quiet and ¨C Watch out!¡± Sulika shouted. She jumped aside, allowing the first blast to race past her and splash against the wall. ¡°O¡¯ honorable Cyndarr, my keeper and guardian, hear my despaired prayer. Grant me an impenetrable shield with which to protect mine allies. I ask this of you as your humble servant: Sanctua ¡ª¡± Before he could finish the spell, Sulika had to push off the wall and leap towards Ralocan. She brought both Derrik and Ralocan with her as she moved out of the way of a second, more powerful, beam of purple energy that pierced through the gathered mana Ralocan had gathered and splashed against the opposite wall. Sulika watched in horror as the gathered mana pulsed once, twice, three times ¨C Each pulse causing it to grow more violent and out of control. Normally, divine magic was an incredibly stable source of mana¡­ But that was a double-edged sword. Because the more energy it takes to make a spell lose control, the more violent the outburst is when it finally gives in. The corridor shook violently as a fourth pulse broke the wall apart. Huge pieces of gold and marble landed on the floor just inches away from their feet, and it didn¡¯t take a dwarf to know the ceiling was about to collapse. Acting quickly ¨C Zarud dashed forward and grabbed Sulika by her belt. With a short spin, he tossed her the final fifteen feet to the opening at the rear end of the corridor. Then he lifted Derrik and Ralocan by their pants and hauled three kinds of ass to the end exit. They could hear the out-of-control magic hissing like a pissed off cat, which spurned Zarud to run faster than he ever thought he could. As Zarud reached the end of the corridor, he leapt over Sulika whilst still holding onto his two teammates. The three of them crashed into the floor hard enough to knock the wind from their lungs and force them to drop their weapons or risk accidentally stabbing someone they shouldn¡¯t. The *Boom!* that followed was deafening. Ralocan¡¯s failed spell released enough energy to shatter the golden walls, and collapse the marble floor and ceiling. They were safe, for the moment, but the spell had cut off their only escape route¡­ Sulika watched her teammates climb to their feet and, seeing them relatively unharmed, caused her to release the breath she hadn¡¯t realized she was holding. The four of them simultaneously looked for the source of the magic that had almost brought the roof down on their heads. The dome part of the temple was a large vacuum, with neither walls nor ornaments to obscure their vision. While this helped them immediately spot the cultist standing near the center of the dome, it also meant the creature standing just behind the cultist had no trouble spotting the four of them. The creature was something out of Sulika¡¯s worst nightmare; Eight-feet tall with a pair of golden plated horns curling back over its bald head. It was covered in small scales whose color reminded Sulika of freshly spilled blood. A suit of silver armor covered its thickly muscled body, leaving only its head, large bat wings, and spiked-tail uncovered. Six beady black eyes with pupils that seemed to contain the blue flames of the underworld within them stared directly at Sulika and her team. But what she saw in those eyes wasn¡¯t malice ¨C it couldn¡¯t even be called interest. The creature was looking at them, the same way she¡¯d looked at an ant that had wandered into her home. And she had the distinct feeling it could squash her with just as much effort. ¡°You summoned me to this backwater hellhole¡­ for this?¡± The demon asked the cultist. Its voice grated on Sulika¡¯s ears ¨C While the voice itself sounded fine, if higher than she would¡¯ve imagined, there was an undertone of hissing which bore directly into her brain and made her feel extremely unpleasant. ¡°Y-Yes, lord Bozzen -¡± ¡°Do Not Speak My Name!¡± The Demon roared. Its anger caused blue flames to erupt from its scalp, igniting the space behind its horns with a fire hot enough to be felt by Sulika and co ¨C over thirty feet away. Sulika didn¡¯t want to imagine how the cultist must have felt being the focus of such an anger. The cultist whimpered in acceptance; He fell to his knees and slammed his head into the floor in a desperate show of remorse. ¡°Forgive me. Please, my lord. I-I didn¡¯t mean to insult you.¡± It took a few seconds, but Bozzen did, eventually, calm down. And as he calmed, the flame atop his head receded like a hairline, eventually disappearing beneath the demon¡¯s scalp. But the damage had been done. The cultist¡¯s body was shaking violently from exposure to such high temperatures, and the marble floor beneath the demon¡¯s feet was partially melted. ¡°Whatever.¡± The demon sighed lazily while looking around at the walls of the temple. It clearly didn¡¯t want to be here ¨C then again, neither did Sulika, especially not after seeing whatever the hell that thing was. The demon¡¯s eyes landed on a spot above Sulika¡¯s head ¨C There was a clear change in its expression, going from a mild annoyance to curiosity, then confusion, then¡­ Fear? ¡°What did you say the name of this world was?¡± The demon asked quickly, rounding on the cultist and grabbing his robe in one large, scaly hand. Bozzen lifted the cultist as easily as Sulika would a slice of bread, and held him at eye level, leaving his feet to dangle some three feet off the floor. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Mag something. I didn¡¯t have much time to look at the info screen before I had to summon you.¡± ¡°Think, mortal. Think! Use that pea brain of yours and give me a name.¡± Bozzen snapped. ¡°Mag, ma¡­ Mag ¨¢rsa. Yeah, that sounds right!¡± The cultist hysterically said. Bozzen¡¯s eyes went wide. He stumbled backward as if he¡¯d been struck and released the cultist without a care. Sulika noticed the sudden change in the demon¡¯s demeanor, but couldn¡¯t understand it. What was so important about the name of this dungeon? And more to the point, why was the demon so afraid of it? ¡°You need to send me back.¡± Bozzen said, his voice tinted by anxiety. ¡°Right now. I don¡¯t care what price I have to pay for not adhering to the contract. You need to send me back, RIGHT NOW!¡± He screamed while grabbing the cultist by his hood and lifting him off the ground. The cultist screamed in terror and flailed against the demon¡¯s arm. Sulika and her team readied their weapons for battle. She doubted they could win in a fight against Bozzen, but they couldn¡¯t let the cultist be killed without first knowing how to close the dungeon. ¡°Send me back! Please!¡± Bozzen said, his voice leaning more towards a cry for help than a command ¨C an ocean of bloodlust washed over everyone in the dome, driving the demon to its knees and allowing the now maddened cultist to escape its grasp and flee. Sulika and her team, despite not being the target of the bloodlust, weren¡¯t unaffected by it either. All four of them felt the air get knocked from the lungs, and their vision darken at the edges. Sulika blinked through the blurry vision and focused her eyes on the demon¡­ Or rather, on the large man standing behind the demon; Crimson hair that flowed over his shoulders like liquid magma, a heavily muscled frame poorly hidden by a ragged robe, and those eyes¡­ Incandescent golden eyes that seemed to be simultaneously looking at everything and also nothing at all. As quickly as it came, the bloodlust evaporated into nothing. The pressure on her chest vanished, and the fog covering her eyes lifted in a second. A look of relief passed over Bozzen¡¯s face ¨C and that same relieved look remained after the giant beheaded the demon with an axe the size of a ten-year-old human child. Chapter 2 - Servant of the Dragon God (pt 2) Aldritch didn¡¯t know what to think when he first set eyes on the four people before him. He¡¯d been looking forward to talking to someone, but the moment he laid eyes on that devil¡­ Well, that desire vanished faster than a virgin at an orc¡¯s bachelor party. Devils were ¨C are a problem that must be dealt with immediately, before they have the chance to contaminate the world with their foul presence. Every word that comes out of a devil¡¯s mouth is a disease that taints the very air they breathe, and as a healer, Aldritch couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch as they released a disease right in front of him. But now that the devil was nothing more than an unpleasant smear on the ground, Aldritch faced another problem ¨C the people he¡¯d been so keen on speaking with were looking at him like he was the monster in the room. Aldritch realized he may need to take drastic measure to ensure they didn¡¯t fear him. Even if it went against his pride as a warrior, and his standing as the high priest of Oakairo, Aldritch knew there was only one way to sort this mess out. He would have to be¡­ nice. ¡°Greetings,¡± Aldritch said with a smile on his face. The smile was clearly strained, and everyone could see it, but pleasantries weren¡¯t exactly in Aldritch¡¯s skill set. He¡¯d have to just plow through it and try to project as much sincerity as he could. ¡°You have the honor of standing before Aldritch of clan Blackshield. Might I know your names?¡± He finished while maintaining his fake smile. A silent conversation passed between Sulika and her three teammates, which culminated in Sulika climbing to her feet and taking a few tentative steps forward. But she wasn¡¯t alone. No, Ralocan moved to her left side while Derrik moved to her right. Zarud maintained his position at the back of the group, but kept his weapon drawn in case he had to step in. Aldritch took all this in without a word and simply waited to see what would come of it. He also noticed them looking on at the corpse at his feet, and wondered if they would tell him how they came to face such a weak cockroach here, in a former temple of Oakairo. He¡¯d thought he¡¯d already cleared all the temples on the continent of devils and their ilk¡­ Then again, he¡¯d also thought he¡¯d been alone in this world and now there were four strangers standing before him. So maybe he hadn¡¯t done as good a job as he¡¯d first assumed? Sulika continued to approach until she was only ten feet from the giant who so easily dispatched the demon who¡¯d instilled so much dread within her. She was unnerved by the interest in his serpentine eyes. They gave her the impression he wouldn¡¯t be disinclined to eating them if they pissed him off. But the fact that he¡¯d taken the opportunity to introduce himself gave her a modicum of hope they¡¯d make it out of here alive after all. With the demon, death was a certainty. But with Aldritch¡­ Well, it was more like fifty/fifty. She reached out an arm in greeting and braced herself for the pain she knew would come the moment he grabbed her. She¡¯d known plenty of giants in her time, and all of them had little interest in controlling their strength ¨C her eyes widened in surprise. Aldritch indeed took her offered handshake with a smile on his face. But he was gentle, almost impossibly so. She could barely feel any tension in his grip. ¡°Sulika. Sulika Wysarie.¡± She said after a moment to collect herself. ¡°The three men behind me are Ralocan Whiteeagle, Derrik Longhammer and Zarud. We¡¯re from the Azuris hunters guild. Are you our backup?¡± She asked while looking Aldritch up and down. She could tell from the calluses on his palm and the defined muscles in his forearm that he was a veteran warrior. But the tattered robes reminded her of an old cleric¡¯s robe, so that threw her idea into question. Was he a paladin or some kind of holy knight? For Aldritch¡¯s part, he also took in Sulika¡¯s appearance¡­ Both of them. And he was intrigued by what he saw. He glanced at the three men who were watching them with equal parts nervous glances and hostility. He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, if he gave them the impression he¡¯d harm the woman, the three men would leap into action to protect her. But he didn¡¯t recognize the names she¡¯d mentioned - Azuris? Hunters Guild? What in Oakairo¡¯s great holy balls were those? ¡°How charming.¡± Oakairo snorted from within the depths of Aldritch¡¯s mind. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. I¡¯ve never even heard of Azuris. Is that where you¡¯re from?¡± Aldritch asked. He¡¯d chosen to focus on the place instead of the organization because it was easier to claim no knowledge of a place, rather than a potentially powerful organization. Of course, that was merely an assumption he¡¯d made based on the way she spoke. He guessed the ¡®hunters guild¡¯ was her place of work and was most likely similar to the mercenary¡¯s armada he¡¯d worked with in the past. If that was truly the case, then they were most likely hired to hunt down the demon he¡¯d killed. Which is the other reason he¡¯d mentioned not knowing of Azuris, while leaving his knowledge of the hunters guild vague. She¡¯d asked if he were their backup, which meant it wasn¡¯t out of the question for someone to show up and kill their target. He¡¯d gather a bit more information before coming clean about his appearance there. ¡°Wow. Um ¨C I didn¡¯t realize they¡¯d go so far as to summon someone from another island. Are you from Jolguay or Emsdows?¡± ¡°No. I hail from Than Kahldur.¡± Sulika¡¯s eyes bulged at that information and took another second to look him up and down. ¡°You¡¯re from one of the Dwarven colonies?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve heard of it?¡± ¡°Mm. Not exactly. But I''ve heard of similarly named places and assumed.¡± Sulika muttered while still staring up at him. Now that she knew what to look for, the giant did have a few dwarven features. The bulbous nose, wide jaw, and slightly disproportionate limbs were clear indications of dwarven blood¡­ But this guy was easily Zarud¡¯s height, if not taller. There wasn¡¯t a dwarf alive who could claim to be such a height. And that¡¯s what was so troubling to her. She¡¯d sensed no lies from him, and her people could sniff out a lie from a mile away. But, so far, everything Aldritch said was truthful. ¡°You¡¯re a dwarf?¡± She asked after debating with herself for a few more seconds. ¡°Half dwarf. My mother was a giant.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Well, that certainly explains the height. But your accent is strange. Is dwarvish your native tongue, or did you grow up speaking the common tongue?¡± ¡°That¡¯s an impolite question to ask.¡± Aldritch said, dropping the smile from his face. ¡°I was fine with you asking about my lineage ¨C it''s a common enough question. But do you people enjoy making fun of someone¡¯s accent?¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Sulika¡¯s mouth dropped open out of shock. She quickly collected herself and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re right, that was rude of me. I guess the circumstances affected me more than I thought they did.¡± ¡°Understandable. You¡¯ve clearly been through a lot, judging by the state of your clothes. I can overlook the issue this time.¡± Aldritch said and looked away from her to the three men still standing at the ready. ¡°As I said: I am Aldritch of clan Blackshield. A pleasure,¡± he said without showing any emotion on his face. He¡¯d forgotten how tiring it was talking to people who lacked basic manners ¨C such as introducing themselves to the person who saved their life. And it was now clear to him that¡¯s exactly what he¡¯d done. He wasn¡¯t too surprised to see the Dwarf in heavy armor was the first to approach him. Derrik approached with a shit-eating grin on his face and offered his arm in the standard Dwarven greeting ¨C they grasped each other¡¯s forearms and lifted their arms a single time before letting go. Dwarves didn¡¯t appreciate public displays of affection, not even casual ones. So, they limited the amount they had to touch to the barest minimum. Aldritch was amused to note the young hill dwarf looked a bit like him; they both had red hair, and both had the physique of a veteran fighter. Aldritch was just three times larger, and probably a few hundred pounds heavier. [Greetings Kinsman. What brings you to this dreary ass place?] Derrik asked in Dwarvish. Aldritch was unfamiliar with the accent, but it wasn¡¯t so strange as to remove his ability to communicate. [Greetings Hillkin. I was wandering nearby and heard the explosion caused by your cleric friend over there, so I came to investigate.] Derrik hesitated at the greeting and shot Sulika a quick glance before pressing on. [Wandering nearby? Didn¡¯t you come through the portal after us?] [Not quite.] Derrik gave Aldritch a confused look, but that quickly shifted into one of astonishment. [You¡­ Which stronghold do you hail from?] [Than Kahldur.] Derrik¡¯s face fell and for the first time in centuries, Aldritch felt pity being directed at him. ¡°Sulika, the poor bastard¡¯s a returnee.¡± Derrik announced with certainty. ¡°What ¨C are you sure?¡± Sulika said, shocked by the revelation. ¡°Than Kahldur was a dwarven stronghold about 1,600 miles north-east of where I did my apprenticeship as a lad. I went there once with my master. It was a gorgeous place¡­ And it was destroyed during the first wave.¡± ¡°You mean he -¡± Sulika couldn¡¯t finish her question. The idea was too horrible to even think about. [How long have you been here?] Derrik asked, voice full of concern and remorse for what he believed was Aldritch¡¯s situation. ¡°Well, that makes this whole thing a hell of a lot easier to deal with. If they think you¡¯re from some fallen kingdom, then I doubt they¡¯re going to bother asking you too many questions.¡± ¡°I am from a fallen kingdom, my lord.¡± ¡°Than Kahldur ¨C your Than Kahldur has not fallen. You were the heir to the last true king of the Dwarven nation, you are the heart of Than Kahldur, and it will continue to live on so long as you do. The place they¡¯re speaking of is not your home¡­ But you don¡¯t have to tell them that.¡± Aldritch suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and turned his attention back to the conversation taking place outside his head. "I¡¯ve been here almost as long as I can remember." He said, finally. ¡°Okay¡­ Then you need to come with us. We¡¯ll get you out of here, find you something to wear that doesn¡¯t smell like the rancid ass of a ¡ª I mean, we¡¯ll get you some fresh clothes and a hot meal. How¡¯s that sound?¡± Sulika asked. Aldritch almost laughed at her slip up but pushed the urge back down. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°The choice is yours. I¡¯ll go along with whatever you decide.¡± ¡°Not like you have a choice.¡± Aldritch quipped. ¡°Shut up and answer the lady already. You already know your answer.¡± ¡°Sounds like a grand idea. I¡¯ll follow you then.¡± Aldritch smiled down at the odd woman with the charming green eyes and made an ¡®after you¡¯ gesture with his empty hand ¨C The ground beneath their feet seemed to shift and the entire temple shook. Sulika realized then what she¡¯d been missing. She¡¯d been so caught up in figuring out who/what the giant was ¨C she¡¯d forgotten about the damned cultist! ¡°Has anyone seen the cultist?¡± She asked, while fighting to maintain her balance against the sliding floor beneath her feet. The temple was making so much noise, she had to practically shout just to be heard. ¡°No.¡± Derrik shouted. ¡°Not since the damn demon dropped him on his ass.¡± Zarud yelled. ¡°Uh¡­ I think I know why we didn¡¯t notice him leaving.¡± Ralocan called from a dozen feet away. He held in his left hand the empty robe the cultist had been wearing. ¡°He probably realized we¡¯d been using it to track him and ditched it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to interrupt the mystery solving going on here, but can we talk about this outside?¡± Aldritch said without a trace of fear or panic to be found in his voice. In fact, he hadn¡¯t even yelled, yet they¡¯d all heard him just fine. ¡°I dunno if you noticed or not, but the entrance is still blocked. How in the nine hells do you expect us to get out?¡± Zarud pointed out. ¡°You can just go out the same way I came in.¡± Aldritch replied while motioning to a big hole in the easternmost wall of the temple. The sight of nothing but sky and miasma brought a bevy of questions to Sulika¡¯s mind, but those would have to wait. She pushed Derrik ahead of her and grabbed Aldritch by the wrist and tugged him along ¨C or tried to. What actually happened was the moment she tried to pull him. It felt like she¡¯d tried to pull a tree out of the ground with her bare hands. Aldritch gently extricated himself from her grip and motioned for her to go on. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you.¡± He assured her. Sulika watched him for a second more before yelling for her guys to get a move on and following closely behind them. They arrived at the hole in the wall a few seconds later and looked down; the hole led to a shear drop into the miasma filled abyss below. But just six feet to the left of the hole, they could see the edge of the cliff the temple was sitting on. They also saw the source of the sound. It was coming from the mountain itself, as the precipice the temple was sitting on was crumbling beneath them. Pretty soon, the entire temple would take a dive straight off the damn mountain and there wasn¡¯t much they could do to stop it without Oladi¡¯s nature magic. ¡°Careful everyone. If you fall, you¡¯ll have a hell of a long time to wave goodbye.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t funny!¡± Derrik yelled. ¡°You know I¡¯m not good with heights!¡± Aldritch watched the four of them banter for a few seconds more before his patience wore thin. He grabbed the complaining dwarf by the back of his belt and hurled him out the opening to safely land on solid ground. He looked at the three remaining members of the team and they stared back at him. ¡°Are you going on your own or do you need help too?¡± He asked, while taking a step forward. ¡°Try it and I¡¯ll ¨C¡± Zarud¡¯s mouth was forcibly shut as Aldritch placed a single hand on his shirt and lifted him off the ground without an ounce of effort. A second later, Zarud joined Derrik on solid ground, though he landed much less gracefully than the Derrik had. After throwing Zarud, Aldritch was now out of patience and, by the sound of the temple, so was the mountain. He wrapped an arm around Sulika, tossed Ralocan over his shoulder, and leapt to safety. He released them both the moment he landed and took a step away to give them space to collect themselves. He heard rather than saw the mountain finally give way ¨C the precipice gave in to gravity¡¯s demands and finally went on that trip it¡¯d always felt pressured to go on. Unfortunately for Sulika and co, it took the temple and all its precious gold with it on its one-way trip to the bottom of the mountain. Chapter 2 - Servant of the Dragon God (pt 3) Aldritch watched the temple fall into the abyss with remorse in his heart. It always bothered him when the temples of Oakairo were destroyed or abandoned to nature. For so many years, those temples had housed the homeless, the downtrodden, and the sick, and asked for nothing in return but all the gold the worshippers could carry. Oakairo loved gold. You could even say he was obsessed with it. Most races would¡¯ve looked upon such a deity with disdain or distrust. But not the dwarves. No, for the dwarves who worshipped gold above all else, Oakairo was the perfect deity to worship. So, they built all of his temples and halls out of gold, and only used lesser metals like silver or platinum when there was a shortage. Aldritch was vaguely aware of the idea there were other, more precious materials than gold. But really, wasn¡¯t that a matter of opinion? Gold was a soft metal, so you couldn¡¯t forge weapons out of it. It also didn¡¯t transmit mana well, so you couldn¡¯t use it in rituals or as a base for enchanting. But it was gold. Gold didn¡¯t need another use to make it valuable to the dwarves. Its very existence sang to their souls in a way nothing else ever could. That alone made it stand above everything else to a race known for their industrious nature but were really just a bunch of romantics at heart. Aldritch was no exception. Seeing all that gold plummet out of sight caused a visceral reaction within him. It was like watching your grandmother being eaten alive or a precious pet getting kicked. Just the image was enough to set the heart racing, but the real thing caused a physical pain within the depths of his chest that no amount of booze or medicine could cure. ¡°Hey, we need to go. The portal¡¯s closing!¡± Sulika shouted from a few feet to Aldritch¡¯s left. With a show of truly herculean effort, Aldritch tore his eyes away from the cliff and looked after her. He saw the dark portal spinning silently in the distance and couldn¡¯t help but stare at it as he walked. ¡°Where do you think it leads?¡± Aldritch asked Oakairo. ¡°Most likely to wherever this ¡®Azuris¡¯ is.¡± ¡°Have you ever heard of it?¡± ¡°No. But the presence of other worlds is nothing new to the gods. There¡¯s an infinite number of worlds amidst the vast vacuum of space. Your world is just one of many, and so is whichever one they come from.¡± ¡°I see. I didn¡¯t realize there were other worlds out there.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± Oakairo asked, his voice coming through their link with more than a hint of surprise. ¡°I mean, I knew other realms existed. We had legends about such places that span thousands of years. I just assumed they were like the heavens, the hells, and the divine mountain ¨C places meant for the dead and divine beings like you.¡± ¡°I see what you mean. And you aren¡¯t entirely incorrect in that assumption. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve spirited you away from this place centuries ago, before I lost the power to do so,¡± Oakairo said, equal parts remorse and anger coloring his voice. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you, my lord.¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Aldritch?¡± Sulika called. Her voice brought his attention back to his surroundings. He found her standing a few feet away, watching him with an expectant look in her eyes. He glanced over her shoulder at the three men who were also waiting for him and saw the impatient looks in their eyes as they looked from him to Sulika to the swirling mass of black mana hovering in the air next to them, and back again. He nodded and followed Sulika without a word. ¡°Have you ever willingly traveled by portal before?¡± She asked as they approached the portal. ¡°Can¡¯t say I have.¡± He said while watching Derrik, then Ralocan, and finally Zarud step past the threshold and disappear into the darkness of the portal. ¡°Then let me briefly explain what¡¯s about to happen, alright? The first thing you¡¯re going to notice when you pass the threshold is a feeling of weightlessness. That¡¯s absolutely normal and will pass in a few seconds. The next thing you need to remember is to never stop moving. The inside of the portal might seem infinite. But trust me, it¡¯s not. Think of the inside like a small tunnel; there¡¯s just enough space inside for two humans to walk abreast without fear of bumping into each other. Also, there could be traffic either in front of you or behind you, so make sure you always keep your eyes open, so you don¡¯t accidentally run into anyone. Got all that?¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°I understand everything so far. Anything else?¡± ¡°Yeah. Keep your eyes focused in front of you. There are things that live in the void outside the portal, and they don¡¯t appreciate being stared at.¡± She said with a slight smile on her face. Aldritch watched her step into the portal with a look of confusion on his face. Had she been serious about things living in the void? Would he be able to see them if he looked hard enough? What would they taste like if he could catch one? These are the questions that plagued Aldritch¡¯s mind as he took one final glance back at his home. Mag ¨¢rsa wasn¡¯t a perfect home. Not even close. Even before the demons invaded, the citizens of Mag ¨¢rsa were constantly at war. Except back then, they were at war with each other. Because of a sudden population boom amongst the humans, they were forced to look elsewhere for their essential supplies, since their own infrastructure couldn¡¯t keep up with the demand. Which inevitably led to them attacking their neighbors to avoid starvation. That war lasted about a hundred years. After about twenty-years of relative peace, the hiatus ended, and another war broke out. This time with the lizardman coalition of the southern territories ¨C which lasted fifty-seven years. Over the course of his life, Aldritch had been involved in about thirty-seven wars, some big, though most were small. And after the devils invaded, Aldritch had lost all hope for ever being able to retire, take a step back, and live like the old codger he was. As he stepped into the portal, the darkness reminded him of the devil he¡¯d just beheaded, and a cruel smile spread across his face. The portals the devils used to invade had stopped appearing after he killed the devil king Mennidoth. This left the devils that were already on this side of the portal stuck in a hell of their own making. The feeling of their molten blue blood staining his hands and flowing through his fingers was one he¡¯d once relished, like a good shag. And after killing what he¡¯d thought was the last living devil, he¡¯d lost his purpose. Revenge and loneliness had been his driving forces for so long, he¡¯d even contemplated suicide to escape it. Oh, how glad he was that he¡¯d lived to see this day. Killing that devil had reminded him of what he¡¯d lost during his century''s long isolation. And now that he¡¯d gotten to taste that blue blood once again¡­Well, let¡¯s just say he was looking forward to getting back to work after such a long vacation.
Unknown to Aldritch and Oakairo. The moment they entered the portal between worlds, they inadvertently just triggered something that would come to affect not only Aldritch''s life, but also the lives of Sulika and those close to her.
Alert Code #497
A new God has been detected!
Location Azuris Island
Class Demi-God
Alert Code #17816
A new mortal has entered the world!
Location Azuris Island
Initiating Thaniea.exe for the new mortal . . .
Error!
Target exceeds the theoretical maximum level . . .
Recalculating . . .
New parameters set . . .
Reinitializing . . .
Attempting to reinstall at target location . . .
Thaniea.exe has been successfully installed on the target . . .
Assessing . . .
No new issues detected . . .
Closing Ticket . . .
Chapter 3- Welcome to Iolara (pt 1) Sulika ignored the weakness in her legs and stomach while passing the threshold of the portal. She¡¯d always hated the feeling that accompanies leaving a dungeon, like a cross between motion sickness and a wicked hangover. It was no wonder most rookies wound up losing their lunch the moment they¨C her eyes widened in realization, and she quickly told the others to step aside. ¡°Did you forget to warn the Giant?¡± Ralocan asked with a note of amusement in his voice. ¡°This oughta be good.¡± Zarud chuckled and took a few extra steps back, just to be safe. The four of them waited for Aldritch to emerge with varied expectations between them. Sulika was concerned for his well being. She¡¯d been a firsty before, and it wasn¡¯t an experience she wished on anyone. Zarud was excited to see the giant dickbag taken down a few pegs. Just picturing him weakened and hurling his lunch all over his robes had brought a twisted grin to his face. Ralocan was feeling something similar to Zarud. He wasn¡¯t sure why, but something about the giant¡¯s attitude had rubbed him the wrong way. He planned to cast a weakened healing spell to help Aldritch calm his guts, but not before watching him suffer a bit. Derrik was also smiling, but not for the same reasons as his comrades. He was smiling in anticipation of his friends¡¯ utter disappointment. Aldritch was a dwarf, a fact the other men seem to have forgotten. Dwarves were experts at drinking enough booze to kill a human, and then going to work the next day. So the odds of him reacting the way they wanted were next to none. Aldritch emerged from the portal fifteen seconds after Sulika and, like Derrik predicted, he showed no discomfort on his face. Derrik shot Zarud and Ralocan a cheeky grin and winked at their displeasure. They deserved to be upset after wishing pain on a newcomer¡­ Even one as ¡®impressive¡¯ as Aldritch. Completely unaware of the feelings going through the minds of the others, Aldritch was focused on something he¡¯d never seen before. A bluish green box with a black border appeared in front of his eyes almost as soon as his vision cleared. It wasn¡¯t a large box by any means, merely six inches tall and about a foot wide and was semi-transparent, so Aldritch could even see through it if he tried. But the words being presented to him were so strange, he couldn¡¯t help but ignore everything else in favor of reading them.
[This is an automated message . . .]
Welcome home to Iolara, Aldritch Blackshield. The gods are so glad you survived on your own- ¡°Thaniea¡± has been installed on your person as both a sign of good faith and a reward! Once again, congratulations on returning alive from dungeon [!?!?!?!???!]. Expect a representative from system administration to arrive in the coming days to discuss your future.
[End of Message . . .]
¡°Did you already get a message from the system Admin?¡± Sulika asked as she approached from Aldritch¡¯s left. ¡°Is that what this is?¡± Aldritch inspected the box from corner to corner. But he saw nothing besides the strange words- no hidden messages, no remarkable symbols, nothing. It was an utter disappointment. The so-called ¡°gods¡± of this world had developed an impressive tracking and messaging system, but apparently didn¡¯t care enough to mark it with the symbol of its creator? What kind of message did that send to the recipients? ¡°Don¡¯t judge them by the standards of our world.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m judging them by my standards. If you don¡¯t mark your creation, how can you expect to be contacted if someone has an issue with your creation? The creator¡¯s mark is how we receive feedback, or if our product fails, learn about it and either refund the purchase or make adjustments. Not marking it is no different than washing your hands of the issues that are sure to follow with something of this complexity.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the idea? Not everyone can be as serious about the exchange of gold as the dwarves were.¡± ¡°Is customer satisfaction really a dwarven preference?¡± ¡°Not in my experience. Dwarves are simply more serious about it.¡± ¡°Of course we¡¯re serious about it. A single gold coin is a matter of life and death for a dwarf. It¡¯s how the common folk ensured they could feed their families and the nobles protected their lands by paying soldiers, issuing bribes, and reinvested into the communities. If a dwarf tried releasing something without a creator mark, they would be branded a swindler and excommunicated from the community. And if someone outside the community tried this shit, the king would have them blacklisted and no dwarf could do business with them again, without risking excommunication.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sulika asked, drawing his attention away from his inner turmoil and back to reality. ¡°You seem upset? Did the portal make you feel sick? Do you need a potion?¡± ¡°I apologize for making you worry, but no, I¡¯m physically fine. I¡¯m merely concerned over the administrators¡¯ lack of forethought and care regarding the system message.¡± Sulika¡¯s mouth dropped slightly out of shock. She stared at Aldritch like he¡¯d just grown a second head or proclaimed himself a god-king. He was criticizing the admins? What kind of lunatic did she bring back with her? ¡°I see¡­¡± She scrambled for anything to say, but her mind had emptied when she needed it most. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± She muttered, for lack of anything else to say. ¡°No need to apologize. It wasn¡¯t your fuck up that concerned me, and the blame does not land at your feet. Rather, whoever designed this ¡®system¡¯ needs to beg for forgiveness from everyone who¡¯s been forced to use it.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s a bit of an overreaction, no? What¡¯s so wrong with the message that you think they need to beg for forgiveness?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with the message itself. It completed its function wonderfully. It¡¯s the lack of a maker¡¯s mark that concerns me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t follow. Is that a dwarf thing?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s an artisan thing. Anyone who can create such a marvel of magic engineering as this is clearly a master of their craft, who¡¯s, without any doubt, devoted their lives to the art. But the lack of a maker¡¯s mark shows they didn¡¯t care about the creation. Which, to me, shows there are undoubtedly several errors involved in its make-up that inhibit the efficiency of the system¡¯s functions. This contradiction shouldn¡¯t be allowed to stand. If the creator didn¡¯t care about the creation, then why allow others to be forced to use it?¡± Sulika frowned at him. His words were making a strange kind of sense that she didn¡¯t know what to think of. ¡°Maybe they just forgot?¡± ¡°It was definitely intentional.¡± Aldritch said without hesitation. ¡°Now, hang on. You don¡¯t know that. Everyone forgets things all the time. Why attribute malice to something that could¡¯ve been done out of ignorance or just plain forgetfulness?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry, I wasn¡¯t clear. I attribute no malice to the creator, as I know they didn¡¯t do this to harm anyone, since the system performed its function without issue. However, the lack of a maker¡¯s mark seems to mean they didn¡¯t want their name attributed to it ¨C which is strange for something that¡¯s forcibly installed on everyone. You¡¯d think the creator would be more desperate to improve the system if it was mandatory, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case here. Doesn¡¯t that strike you as odd?¡± Sulika¡¯s mouth twitched out of sheer incredulity, and she had to look away¡­ Her eyes landed on the rest of her team, who were standing nearby and watching the conversation with equal parts amusement and annoyance on their faces. It surprised Sulika to find Oladi standing next to Zarud. The druid¡¯s eyes were locked onto Aldritch¡¯s imposing stature and she seemed to be inspecting him from head to boot. An idea occurred to Sulika at that moment, and she knew how to switch topics without potentially upsetting the giant. She overtly waved to Oladi and beckoned her over with a fake smile on her face. ¡°Aldritch, allow me to introduce you to the final member of my team: Oladi Aspenspark.¡± Oladi approached Aldritch with an awkward smile on her face and tentatively offered her hand for him to shake. ¡°How do you do?¡± ¡°A pleasure to meet you, madam druid. You stand before Aldritch of clan Blackshield.¡± ¡°Well, ¡®Aldritch of clan Blackshield¡¯. That¡¯s certainly an interesting way to introduce yourself. Did you spend a lot of time in the courts?¡± ¡°Oladi!¡± Sulika said before Aldritch could respond. ¡°Aldritch is a returnee who¡¯s just made it back after two-hundred years inside a dungeon. He needs to rest before we interrogate him for his life¡¯s story.¡± She said this purely for Aldritch¡¯s benefit. But Oladi could read between the lines: She knew the real reason for the interruption was because Sulika wanted to spend as little time with the giant as possible¡­ Oladi wasn¡¯t sure why her normally kind boss seemed so wary of the giant, but she made a mental note to find out before the night was over. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. Sorry captain. And sorry to you too, Aldritch. That was insensitive of me.¡± Oladi replied in what she hoped was a sincere voice. She was never good at sounding sincere, even if she meant it. With the way she normally spoke, sincerity usually came across as sarcasm or her patronizing whoever she was speaking with. ¡°No harm done, madam druid.¡± Aldritch nodded to show he truly meant it and she shouldn¡¯t take it to heart. He didn¡¯t care if they asked him about his past, and he had no intention of lying to them, or anyone else, if they did. Oakairo was the Dragon God of Pride. And as his high priest, Aldritch had sworn to uphold his values above all else. We considered speaking untruths an unholy act in the temple of Oakairo¡­ However, as Oakairo liked to say, he was a dragon long before he was a god. And dragons enjoyed wordplay almost as much as they loved gold. So long as it didn¡¯t go directly against the truth, Aldritch could say whatever he liked with impunity. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Has he checked out his status board yet?¡± Oladi asked. She directed her question at Sulika, despite her eyes remaining fixed on Aldritch¡¯s eyes. They were so odd. Almost alien, like Aldritch was from some other realm or he was merely hiding his true appearance behind a thin veil of normality. ¡°Ah, I knew I was forgetting something.¡± Sulika said and slapped her fist against her palm for emphasis. ¡°Aldritch, you don¡¯t have to say it out loud, but please speak the command ¡®open status board¡¯.¡± Aldritch slightly moved one shoulder before following along with her request. He blinked, and an entirely new box replaced the previous message. This box was almost a perfect square and was about a foot in length and width.
Status
Class Dragon Priest
Level 200 Fighter Level: 100 Cleric Level: 100
Ability Scores
Strength EX
Dexterity 18
Constitution EX
Wisdom EX
Intelligence 14
Charisma 16
Status Skills Spells
¡°Well? Do you see your status board?¡± Sulika asked impatiently. The exhaustion was getting to her and all she wanted to do was head home and sleep for about a week. Instead, she was stuck giving Aldritch a tutorial. When Aldritch didn¡¯t immediately answer her, her irritation spiked through the roof, and she began tapping her foot. ¡°I see it,¡± Aldritch said after another few moments. As before, he didn¡¯t see any maker¡¯s marks on this iteration of the system either. ¡°Good. Now, look near the bottom of the status board. Do you see the words ¡®status, skills, and spells¡¯?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Ignore the ¡®status¡¯ word, since that¡¯s the ¡®page¡¯ you¡¯re already on. Instead, using either your finger or your mind, I want you to ¡®tap¡¯ one of the other two words and let me know if anything changes.¡± Aldritch did as she asked and mentally selected the skills tab. He felt a tingling sensation travel throughout his body before yet another box replaced the status board, this one was a ¡®skill¡¯ board with the condensed versions of Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma in flashing tabs near the top. Otherwise, the page appears blank.
Skills
Str Dex Con Wis Int Cha
¡°Alright. I¡¯m looking at what I assume is the skill section. But the bottom half of the box is blank, why is that?¡± ¡°Do you see the flashing words?¡± Aldritch didn¡¯t wait for her to finish speaking before he mentally clicked on the strength tab. In response to his choice, the box morphed before his eyes into something much more useful.
Skills
Strength
Name Level Rank
Athletics EX Legendary
Hauling EX Legendary
Grappling EX Legendary
Brawling EX Legendary
Martial Weapons EX Legendary
Simple Weapons 59 Journeyman
Throwable weapons EX Legendary
Aldritch observed the box for a few more seconds before he glanced over at Sulika and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what half of this means, but none of the information displayed seems incorrect.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Sulika exclaimed and shot him a genuine smile. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough for now. You can figure out the rest as you get used to the way things work back in the real world. You said you¡¯d never been to Azuris island before, right?¡± ¡°Never.¡± Aldritch said while splitting his attention between the skill board and Sulika¡¯s words. "How do you make it go away?" ¡°Then we¡¯ll need to stop by the guild before the rest of us can return home for the night. The Azuris hunter¡¯s guild has a dormitory on the grounds that you can rent on a weekly basis. I¡¯ll put you up for now and you can pay me back later, alright?¡± ¡°Seeing as I lack any funds to pay for myself¡­ Unfortunately, I¡¯ll have to impose on you for the time being. My apologies.¡± Sulika waved him off with a grin and beckoned for everyone to follow her out of the alley. As they moved through the narrow streets and back alleys of Auris: the capital city of Azuris Island. Sulika, Oladi, Derrik, and Ralocan chatted amongst themselves while Zarud and Aldritch followed after them without a word spoken between them. Zarud was still peeved about how easily Aldritch man-handled him earlier, and Aldritch¡­ Well, Aldritch just had nothing to say and no interest in participating in meaningless small talk with a stranger. Eventually the members of the closing team said their goodbyes and broke off one by one until only Sulika and Aldritch remained. Auris was a small city compared to some of the ones Aldritch has seen in his youth. But it was one of the more impressive ones, regardless of how he measured it. Sulika mentioned it had a population of around 71,000 people living inside the three-hundred foot tall stone walls that protected the city. Aldritch didn¡¯t understand why the city needed walls that tall¡­ until Sulika explained the whole situation. Azuris Island wasn¡¯t like anything Aldritch had ever witnessed before. He would need to observe the situation with his own eyes to be sure, but for now, he would just have to trust Sulika¡¯s words. The entire island was floating through the sky like some kind of bird. Sulika said she wasn¡¯t sure how it worked, but the island had been floating for the last several hundred years. Not only that, but it was also in constant motion as the planet beneath it rotated around the sun. This phenomena led to the creation of the ¡®aerial dock¡¯ which served as the life-blood of the city. It was what allowed them to trade with other floating islands as they approached one another. While Aldritch was attempting to wrap his head around the fact that the entire island beneath him was actually floating some 20,000 feet through the sky, he and Sulika walked side by side in companionable silence until they reached the front stoop of the Hunters Guild. Aldritch glanced at the three-story building with the gigantic dragon¡¯s head on the roof and wondered at the story behind it. ¡°Coming?¡± Sulika asked from a few steps above Aldritch, which meant they were now eye to eye with each other. ¡°Yeah,¡± He took one final glance at the dragon head then began moving again. ¡°I¡¯m right behind you.¡± Chapter 3- Welcome to Iolara (pt 2) Aldritch stood alone in the small quarters the guild provided for him: A tiny bathroom he could barely turn around in, a bedroom with a short wooden bed that creaked and moaned if he so much as thought about sitting on it, and a kitchen area fit for a single person. It was worse than most of the inns he¡¯d stayed in, but a hundred times better than camping outdoors. Not a bad way to spend a few hours. Luckily for him, he didn¡¯t need sleep to survive. Whether because Oakairo was living inside his body, or because of some genetic factors of being a half giant, Aldritch required less sleep as he got older. And by the time he turned a thousand years old, the need for sleep became a thing of the past¡­ Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t as convenient as it sounded. If he didn¡¯t sleep, he had to fill the extra time with something or he¡¯d go mad from boredom. Back home, that usually meant he spent his time wandering from place to place. Oakairo invented a game he called ¡®I spy with my Dragon eye¡¯ to save the both of them from boredom, but that stopped being fun after the first ten years or so ¨C there was only so many times the answer could be ruins, purple sky, or yellow water before the game became too predictable to be fun. Now that he was out of that hellhole, Aldritch was filled with wanderlust. He wanted to leave his room and explore every corner of Auris with a fine-toothed comb. But he also wanted to tuck his massive body away somewhere and not come out until he knew everything there was to know about this exciting new world. ¡°Why not do both?¡± Oakairo asked with a hint of amusement in his voice. He was pleased to see his champion filled with vitality again, even if he didn¡¯t exactly agree with the reason. Oakairo would¡¯ve taken more pleasure in the touch of a pile of glittering gold ¨C the softness of it against his scales, the smell of it as it melted from a solid bar to a cauldron of liquid delight, the sensual pleasure of rubbing it on his face- ¡°My lord?¡± Oakairo coughed despite not needing to breathe¡­ Or even use his throat to speak. ¡°I was just suggesting you could do both. Why not go exploring tonight and try to find a library or a temple?¡± ¡°I¡¯d already thought of that. I was asking if you wanted to pick which direction I¡¯d start with?¡± Aldritch replied. Had he been speaking with anyone else, they might¡¯ve taken his words as condescension. But Oakairo knew that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. Aldritch and Oakairo both disliked platitudes and meaningless niceties. If you had something to convey to either of them, a direct word would get you much farther than a roundabout conversation. ¡°I always enjoyed watched the sun rise over the western mountains.¡± Oakairo said. He was also getting excited over the prospect of seeing a new world, even if he could only do so through the muddled senses of Aldritch¡¯s body. ¡°West it is¡­ But hang on, would the cardinal directions be the same here as back home?¡± ¡°Mmm. Good point. Then let¡¯s try this another way: I used to have this wonderfully soft glove on one of my right hands. So, just start walking to the right as we leave the guild and see what we can find.¡± Aldritch said nothing, but he agreed with Oakairo¡¯s suggestion. He backtracked down the narrow hallways of the dormitory and headed for the door. The guild dormitory wasn¡¯t attached to the main building. Instead, you had to exit the main lobby through a side door and pass through a narrow alley to enter the dorm area. So when Aldritch reached the ground floor and stepped outside, he stood in the dead end alley connecting the two buildings. A twelve-foot tall wooden fence blocked off both ends of the alley, presumably to keep civilians out of the guild areas. Aldritch paid the fences no mind. He walked towards them at a leisurely pace and in between steps, he pressed off the ground with slightly more strength than it took to walk. The result was him leaping over the fence and landing in the middle of the empty street that ran parallel to the guild. He walked to the end of the street, which placed him near the front entrance of the guild, and followed Oakairo¡¯s suggestion to head to the right. The guild was near the exact center of the city. Just a few streets over was a mile wide shopping square, which served as the actual heart of the city ¨C according to Sulika. Aldritch figured that¡¯d be as good a place to start as anywhere else, so that¡¯s where he ended up after walking for a few minutes. Aldritch stood in the center of the square and rotated slowly on the spot to take in as much of the area as he could. As he looked at the many buildings and stalls, both inside the square and outside it, he noticed something strange about their design. All of them were constructed out of a very solid, almost stone-like, type of wood. The wood was pale, almost as if it¡¯d been bleached by exposure to the sun. But it carried none of the usual markers of sun damage. Aldritch could see no warping or cracking of the fibers. If anything, the wood seemed stronger than it should be. He found it fascinating: how was the wood treated to get it to such a state? Was oil involved? Was it magic? Or, perhaps, some combination of the two? Did the unique biome of the island cause it to grow that way naturally? While he was pondering the mysteries of the wood¡¯s internal structure, Aldritch noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A relatively small building on the outskirts of the square was dimly lit from the inside. A soothing yellow light stood like a beacon in the night for any wayward soul who needed somewhere to go at the asscrack of dawn. Aldritch headed towards the building without a second thought. He didn¡¯t know what kind of place it was, and frankly, he didn¡¯t care. It was a momentary distraction while he searched for a place to gather information about his new surroundings. He approached the building at a relaxed pace and took a moment to observe it before climbing the three stairs leading to the door: It was a narrow three-story building crammed between several others just like it. Above the front door was a large painted sign with the words ¡°The Fancy Dryad¡± written in a beautiful script. Aldritch wondered at the choice of name. Was the owner a dryad? Dryads were usually keen to avoid cities, preferring to live in tight-knit communities out in the untamed wild areas as both means of protecting the trees they spawned from, and to safeguard the wildlife living there. Aldritch knew many dryads¡­ Or, he had known many dryads who were vocal wildlife conservationists. They protected the homes of endangered species with their lives if necessary. And the idea of such a person winding up in the middle of a city this size was a tantalizing thought. What stories could they tell? Before Aldritch truly realized what he¡¯d done, he¡¯d already climbed the stairs and was standing in front of the door. He grabbed the handle gently, but his excitement still made him put a bit too much pressure on the wooden handle and he felt it crack in his palm. ¡°Mend.¡± He muttered while pulling on the handle. Eager to answer his command, the mana of the world leapt inside the handle and rekindled the bonds of the wood grains. By the time Aldritch released the handle and stepped inside, all damage to the wooden handle had disappeared as if it¡¯d never happened. And if you looked close enough, you could almost swear the handle looked alive¡­ Aldritch found himself in a potions shop. The walls on both sides were lined with floor to ceiling shelves holding hundreds of bottles a piece. Aldritch immediately recognized a few of the potions on display; the deep reds of a healing tincture, the refreshing blues of a mana potion, and he was really excited to see the puke-ish green color found only in the rare potion of troll¡¯s strength. But to his delighted surprise, many of the potions on the shelves were unknown to him. Six large, square tables sat in two rows of three, near the center of the shop. Each table held eight wooden crates, which were also absolutely filled with what Aldritch considered ¡®common¡¯ potions. The aforementioned healing and mana replenishment potions were, of course, the most popular, with three boxes each. The second most popular potion had two boxes, and it was an odd purple mixture that looked like the alchemist had somehow captured stars in a bottle. Aldritch did not know what it was, but it was a gorgeous mixture that almost seemed too beautiful to drink. The rest of the crates were filled with different potions, none of which Aldritch recognized, but that didn¡¯t stop him from looking at each one and marveling at the craftsmanship on display. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. He picked up several bottles, each a different size, shape, and holding a different potion. Yet they all had one thing in common looking at the underside of the cork through the glass bottle, Aldritch could see a small black diamond stamped into it, the shop¡¯s acronym ¡®TFD¡¯ clear for the world to see. ¡°Told you it wasn¡¯t a dwarf thing.¡± Aldritch said to Oakairo. ¡°Never said it was.¡± ¡°I know. I just felt like gloating.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be with you in a minute!¡± Someone, a woman by the sound of the voice, yelled from another room. Aldritch returned the bottle to its place inside the crate and turned to the only thing left in the room he¡¯d yet to look at: There was a wall-to-wall counter at the back of the shop with a metal device sitting on the leftmost end. Behind the table were two doors, one of the far left-just behind the metal device, the other door was on the far right. Both doors led through the back wall, into what Aldritch assumed was most likely the workshop and storage room. ¡°It¡¯s likely one of those doors leads to a living area. This building is large enough for multiple families to live in relative comfort. Even considering the shop on the ground floor.¡± Oakairo said quietly. ¡°That¡¯s true. I hadn¡¯t considered that possibility.¡± A stunning redhead emerged from the left door with a crate full of potions tucked under one arm and a professional smile on her face. A silky green dress accentuated her womanly form like someone made it exclusively for her. Her wild auburn hair, though streaked through with bone white strands, did nothing to take away her charm. Instead, it gave her an air of maturity Aldritch was certain would drive those interested in her looks absolutely wild¡­ Aldritch was not one of those people. He certainly appreciated her appearance for what it was. And if he had been about eight-hundred years younger, maybe even he would¡¯ve been interested. But if ¡®ifs¡¯ and ¡®buts¡¯ could change the world, then he knew many people who would¡¯ve been hailed as the savior of the planet many times over. The woman sat the crate on the counter with a huff of exhaustion and shot Aldritch a playful wink. ¡°I''ve barely gotten started and I''m already exhausted. Don¡¯t you want to lend a hand and help me move some stuff?¡± She asked in what Aldritch thought was meant to be a joking manner. Aldritch placed his hand on the side of the crate and lifted it off the counter. ¡°Where do you want it?¡± He asked while turning towards the tables in the center of the room. ¡°Oh-um¡­ On the second table in this row.¡± She said while pointing towards the row on Aldritch¡¯s left. He spotted a nearly empty crate with the same color potions and nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± He said and walked over to the table. He grabbed the old crate with his free hand and swapped it for the new one. With the new crate in place, he made space near the front of the crate and quickly transferred each of the old potions from the old crate to their new home- save for one bottle, which he held on to. He returned to the counter with the old crate and bottle in hand and set them both in front of the woman. ¡°Did you need my hand to carry anything else?¡± He asked while inspecting the bottle he¡¯d set on the counter. There was a small crack near the base. No potion had spilled out, but all it would take was a light bump to shatter the thin glass, ruining the mixture and costing the woman a replacement fee. ¡°I- Okay, to be perfectly honest, I only meant it as a joke. But if you¡¯re offering, I have about twelve more boxes in the back that need moving. I promised my roommate I¡¯d get it done a while back, but-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help.¡± Aldritch said, cutting her off before she could explain. He didn¡¯t need to know the reason, and frankly, it wasn¡¯t any of his business. He was helping out of boredom and because her stock interested him. That was it. ¡°Really?¡± She exclaimed. Her smile would have made a corpse¡¯s heart do backflips, but it had a different effect on Aldritch: Her smile reminded him of an alchemist he knew in his youth: A close friend who used to make him try out all of her potions before she released them to the public. Before Aldritch could say anything else, the woman¡¯s smile faltered, and she seemed to zone out for a second. ¡°I don¡¯t have the money to pay you right now. Do you mind taking a rain check?¡± She said in an airy tone of voice. ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay me. Rather, I¡¯d be happier if you¡¯d allow me to ask you a few questions about the potions in your shop. I¡¯ve never seen many of them, and I must admit, I¡¯m quite curious about their identity.¡± Her eyes regained focus, and she seemed to snap back to reality. ¡°It¡¯s my job to answer all questions pertaining to my work- provided you¡¯re not asking for the recipe.¡± She laughed while staring into Aldritch¡¯s eyes in a way that said she was quite serious about it. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Aldritch said quickly. ¡°Perfect. Then we¡¯re back at the matter of payment. I can¡¯t let you help without properly compensating you. And you don¡¯t want either my money or my body, so that puts me into a bit of a bind here.¡± She said while sounding genuinely distressed. ¡°What makes you say I don¡¯t want your body?¡± Aldritch asked. ¡°You¡¯re a beautiful woman. Even a blind man could see that.¡± ¡°Because I know how this dress makes my tits look, and you haven¡¯t so much as glanced at them since you first saw me.¡± She replied, grabbing her chest and shoving them together to emphasize the size and shape of her breasts. The sight brought a genuine smile to Aldritch¡¯s face, and he couldn¡¯t help but laugh at her reasoning. She was right, but the way she¡¯d so bluntly brought it up was a welcome surprise. ¡°You¡¯re quite insightful for one so young.¡± Aldritch placed his palms on top of the counter and leaned over, as if he was trying to get a better look- The woman rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Nuh-uh. You had your chance. It¡¯s too late now. You¡¯ll just have to live with the regret of never knowing what could¡¯ve been.¡± She said, grinning up at him. ¡°Aldritch of clan Blackshield. A pleasure to meet an alchemist of your skill.¡± He said while holding out his hand for her to shake. ¡°Faeyra Silverowl," She replied while accepting his greeting. "And I don¡¯t remember telling you I was the alchemist. How do you know I don¡¯t just work here as the clerk/eye candy?¡± ¡°While I¡¯m sure you would excel at both roles, especially the eye candy one. Your hands are stained with charcoal dust, and you smell of honeysuckle. Charcoal is a purifying agent and, if I remember correctly, distilled honeysuckle dew makes for a great stabilizer and can help cover up the taste of some potions. I seriously doubt the alchemist would allow the store¡¯s eye candy to handle such ingredients, and the clerk would interact with so many potions the smell would become muddled by a dozen other similarly strong-smelling ingredients. So, if you¡¯re not the eye candy or the clerk, what else could you be?¡± Faeyra stared at Aldritch for a second before an amused grin spread across her face. She held up a finger and gave him the ¡®come here¡¯ signal. Aldritch was simultaneously amused and confused by the gesture, but he leaned in all the same. ¡°I¡¯m all three.¡± She whispered into his ear. ¡°Then consider me even more impressed.¡± Aldritch said seriously. ¡°Yeah¡­ I am pretty impressive, aren¡¯t I?¡± Faeyra said with just as much seriousness. She reached under the counter and unhooked a latch Aldritch hadn¡¯t noticed and pushed a portion of the counter outwards. Aldritch stepped behind the counter and pulled it shut behind him. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re going to be helping me out, the least I could do is get you something to drink. Any preferences?¡± Faeyra said while leading him through the same door she¡¯d exited earlier. Aldritch followed her through the door and looked around at the workshop: The room was a fraction of the size of the previous room. On one side of the workshop was a large desk with a comfortable-looking leather chair sitting in front of it. On top of the desk sat several books. Each one was so thick Aldritch wouldn¡¯t be surprised to learn Faeyra had used one book as a bludgeon to knock someone unconscious. Seven bookshelves lined the rear wall, each one filled to the point of collapse with books of every shape, size, and color. And against the left wall was the most important part of any alchemist¡¯s workshop: a large black cauldron, a desk with four mortars, each of a different size. A large alembic took center stage at the front of the desk. Six calcinators stood in a line at the back of the desk. And a pair of retorts sat on either side of the Alembic. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know what to pick even if you ask, so I¡¯ll leave it up to your judgment.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t regret saying that later.¡± She muttered. ¡°Well, I recently perfected a certain recipe that involves chocolate. Would you like to try it?¡± Aldritch stopped looking around the room for a moment and met Faeyra¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s chocolate?¡± Chapter 4 - The Hunters Guild (pt 1) The obnoxious song of a thousand cicadas looking for love filtered through Sulika¡¯s open window. She awoke gradually, over twenty minutes. She hadn¡¯t slept so well in weeks and was seriously debating pulling the blanket over head and grabbing another hour of sleep while she still could- ¡°Hey Foxy, you awake yet?¡± She heard Snowball say from the other room. A few seconds later, Snowball swooped through her open bedroom door and perched on the foot of her bed. He stared impatiently at his owner; it was almost ten in the morning, and she hadn¡¯t fed him yet. The absolute nerve of this woman¡­ Or so Sulika imagined him saying. ¡°Sulika?¡± Faeyra asked again. She sounded slightly winded, almost like she¡¯d been running or something. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m awake. What¡¯s up?¡± Sulika said while stretching her back and shoulders. Her right shoulder was aching a bit. Had she slept on it wrong or was it an aftereffect of the battle yesterday? ¡°About time. Listen, I¡¯m swamped down here - something big happened inside one of the dungeons, and everyone decided they needed to restock their potion supplies immediately.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Okay, I can help for a little while. But I need to head into work in-¡± She glanced at the clock again. ¡°An hour. Think the rush will be over by then?¡± Sulika climbed out of bed, grabbed the first pair of clean pants she could find, and slipped them on. ¡°What? No, I don¡¯t need your help down here. I was going to ask you to run out and get some milk. We¡¯re out.¡± Sulika, who was in the middle of putting on her right shoe, lost her balance at the request and hit the floor with a grunt. ¡°What happened?¡± Faeyra asked, her voice a mixture of concern and amusement. ¡°Nothing happened.¡± Sulika grunted as she finished pulling on her shoes. ¡°Can you repeat what you said earlier? I must¡¯ve misheard you or something.¡± ¡°We¡¯re out of milk. Can you go get some?¡± Faeyra repeated herself. Sulika blinked out of surprise and stared at Snowball¡¯s confused face. They were out of milk? They¡¯d just gone to the market two days ago, and they always bought two to three gallons of the stuff because Sulika liked to pour a bit into her coffee each morning and Faeyra was absolutely in love with baking. She used almost a gallon by herself¡­ But that still took a week, so how could they possibly be out of milk? ¡°What did you do?¡± Sulika asked, not bothering to mask the irritated tone of her voice. ¡°Why do you assume I did something?¡± ¡°Answer the damn question.¡± ¡°Alright, fine. I found an absolutely remarkable helper this morning, and he¡¯s been working his ass off to help me-¡± ¡°What does that have to do with us being out of milk?¡± Sulika asked impatiently. She was standing in her bedroom doorway in a baggy t-shirt, mismatched socks, and she was pretty sure her sweatpants were on backwards. So, while she was happy her friend had found someone to help her in the store, she would prefer it if Faeyra got to the point. ¡°I was getting to that part! He wouldn¡¯t accept any money for helping me.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t offer to sleep with him, did you?¡± Sulika blurted. ¡°Who do you think I am? ¡­ Of course, I offered. He turned that down too. Can you stop interrupting me so I can finish the story? I stepped away to talk to you and left him out there alone.¡± Sulika thought about it and eventually nodded her acceptance. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you just nodded your head despite knowing I can¡¯t actually see you?¡± Faeyra¡¯s laugh sounded strange coming through Snowball¡¯s beak. But Sulika barely noticed. She was too busy being embarrassed after being called out like that. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a story to finish?¡± Sulika said, clearly unhappy with the situation. ¡°I paid him in hot chocolate.¡± ¡°¡­ You did what?¡± Sulika asked incredulously. Faeyra did not just say what she thought she did¡­ Did she? ¡°I paid him in hot chocolate. He said he¡¯d never had chocolate before, so I went a bit overboard. I made him a plain mug to start out with, and he absolutely loved it. So, I started feeding him some of my other recipes. Sulika, when I tell you, I¡¯ve never seen someone down a mug of steaming milk so fast.¡± Faeyra said. Even through the filter, that was Snowball, Sulika could hear the fondness in her friend¡¯s voice as she regaled her with tales of how this mystery man somehow drank two gallons of hot cocoa in a few hours. What a weird way to start the day. ¡°So¡­ Will you go pick up some more milk?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Sulika sighed. ¡°I guess I can do that.¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± Faeyra shouted before closing the connection. Sulika stared at Snowball for a few more seconds before shaking her head and walking into her living room. Snowball followed her, landing in his cage with an irritated squawk directed at his owner, to remind her he still hadn¡¯t been fed yet. Sulika sent one last glance full of longing at her bed before moving to feed her favorite bird and get on with her day. She really should have just gone back to sleep when she had the chance, but it was too late for that now. A few minutes later, Sulika reached the bottom of the stairs and pushed open the door to the shop. Faeyra hadn¡¯t told her a lie. The store was packed with customers: a line of people stretched out the front door just to grab a few bottles of health potions, and many more were scurrying around like a pack of squirrels who¡¯d waited till the last minute to prepare for the winter. ¡°Sulika!¡± Faeyra called the moment she spotted her. Faeyra was standing at the register with a large man standing directly in front of her and a line of other customers waiting behind him. Sulika was curious about how Faeyra made them so docile. They were never this patient. On a normal day, the store would be so chaotic Sulika couldn¡¯t hear herself think. But today, despite so many people standing inside the store, it remained fairly quiet. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Sulika approached Faeyra with a cautious smile on her face and waited until she was done ringing up the large man¡¯s total before she leaned in to ask ¨C ¡°What¡¯s the deal?¡± ¡°Hi, thank you for your patience today. Would you like a bag?¡± Faeyra asked the customer. ¡°That guy,¡± Faeyra whispered while motioning towards the large man who¡¯d just left the register. ¡°Was running his mouth a few minutes ago and the new guy convinced him to stop.¡± ¡°What¡¯d he do? Hit him?¡± Sulika asked while wondering if it was okay to let someone so violent continue working here. ¡°Nope. Didn¡¯t lay a finger on him. But when you look like that,¡± Faeyra said while tipping her chin towards the front of the store. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do much to make people listen to you.¡± Sulika assumed the new guy was standing somewhere in that direction. She¡¯d been wondering about the appearance of this chocolate maniac since earlier, so she took the opportunity to look for her friend¡¯s new helper- Her eyes bulged at the sight of Aldritch quietly restocking a crate near the front door. The giant wasn¡¯t paying the surrounding customers any attention, but they couldn¡¯t tear their eyes away from him. It was like watching a group of deer stare at a sleeping lion; they knew it could kill them, but their own sense of morbid curiosity kept them from running away. As if he¡¯d sensed her eyes on him, Aldritch glanced in her direction. His golden eyes passed over her face, seemingly without recognizing her, and landed on Faeyra. His eyes lingered on her for a moment before passing back over Sulika. There, that was when the flash of recognition hit his eyes. A small smile appeared on his face, and he nodded in greeting before going back to work like it was the most natural thing in the world. Had he followed her here? Was he stalking her? ¡°Can I talk to you for a sec?¡± Sulika whispered to Faeyra. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°In private.¡± Sulika said. The look on her face spoke volumes, and Faeyra knew it was important. She apologized to the customer standing at the register and stepped into the workshop with Sulika. ¡°Tell me everything that¡¯s happened between the two of you.¡± Sulika blurted the instant the door closed. ¡°You mean with Aldritch?¡± Faeyra asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Nothing much. We talked a lot before the customers started flooding in but haven¡¯t really spoken since. Well, aside from asking him to grab something from the workshop. Why? Do you know him?¡± ¡°Kinda.¡± Sulika replied. She briefly recounted the events of yesterday, ending with how she¡¯d left Aldritch at the guild last night. ¡°So, he¡¯s a returnee¡­ Interesting.¡± Faeyra mumbled. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about him stalking you, I think it¡¯s very unlikely.¡± ¡°Why? Did he say anything?¡± Sulika asked. She¡¯d thought she was fairly nice to him yesterday. If he¡¯d insulted her behind her back, she¡¯d- ¡°About you? Nope. This is the first time I¡¯m even hearing about him being a returnee, so I¡¯d definitely remember if he mentioned you or your little minions at the guild.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± Sulika asked incredulously. ¡°What did you two talk about for those first few hours, if not the events of yesterday? I was almost positive he¡¯d be bombarding you with questions about the island, the town, our currency, the usual shit returnees ask.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Faeyra held up a hand and started counting the events on her fingers. ¡°We talked about how hot I am- my favorite topic, alchemy, the store, chocolate- which I¡¯m pretty sure was his favorite topic, and where I learned to brew potions.¡± Sulika¡¯s mind had wandered while she listened. She wondered if there was some angle he was trying to work, but the last topic on Faeyra¡¯s list brought her up short. ¡°Did you tell him?¡± Sulika asked, knowing fully well how sensitive that subject was to Faeyra. ¡°I did.¡± Faeyra replied. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it hit Sulika¡¯s ears like she¡¯d shouted. ¡°Why?¡± Sulika asked. All thoughts of him having ulterior motives were taken out back and shot. This was far more important than anything Sulika had been thinking. ¡°I don¡¯t actually know. It was just a¡­ feeling, I guess.¡± Sulika leaned in close, to the point her lips were almost touching Faeyra¡¯s left ear and whispered. ¡°Did you have another vision?¡± Faeyra¡¯s eyes lost their light, and she stared at a spot over Sulika¡¯s shoulder. Sulika waited patiently for her friend to say whatever was on her mind. She knew from experience that the only way to get a response from Faeyra when she got like this was just to wait it out. Forcing her to respond would have the opposite effect and cause her to shut down more. After a few seconds, Faeyra shrugged and came back to her normal state of mind. ¡°It was more like a feeling of relief. Like someone had lifted a weight off my shoulders. I didn''t know what it meant, which is why I offered to let him help around the shop. Figured if he stayed close, I could try to make sense of that feeling,¡± Faeyra muttered, losing focus for a second. ¡°Hey,¡± Sulika asked. She gently grabbed Faeyra¡¯s face and pulled her attention back to the present. ¡°I will not ask if he¡¯s dangerous. I know he is. But do you know if he means us harm?¡± Sulika was thinking back to the first time she laid eyes on him. The bloodlust she¡¯d felt in that moment was unlike anything she¡¯d ever experienced. And the look on the demon¡¯s face as he begged to be allowed to leave¡­ ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Faeyra said a moment later. She wasn''t quite back to her senses just yet but was close enough to speak. ¡°But Sulika, it doesn¡¯t take an oracle to see the darkness inside him. So do me a favor, huh?¡± Faeyra said, grabbing Sulika¡¯s face and making her look directly into her eyes. The two women stood close enough for their breaths to intermingle. ¡°If you glimpse the darkness he hides within his soul, get the fuck out of the way.¡± The two women stood in absolute silence. Neither was sure what to say, or if they should allow him to stay so close to them. He was like a fire, and they; the pitiful moths that were attracted to the flame- The door opened at that moment and Aldritch froze in the doorway. He glanced back and forth between the two of them, taking in the way they were holding each other, the unfocused expression on Faeyra¡¯s face, and the nervous flush of Sulika¡¯s face and neck. He made a guess about what was happening and gently, but quickly, shut the door without a word. ¡°Sorry, didn''t see any more of that potion in the back. Can I help you find anything else?¡± They heard him tell a customer. Sulika was confused about his reaction. Had he heard them discussing him? But that didn¡¯t seem quite right. He didn¡¯t look angry when he shut the door; he looked amused. Sulika glanced down at herself and noticed how close Faeyra was standing. Their chests were almost touching, and the way she was holding Faeyra¡¯s face was almost like- Sulika¡¯s face shifted into a completely different color spectrum and turned tomato red. She immediately let go of Faeyra and stepped back. Her heart pounded to the beat of some unheard rock song, and she was genuinely worried Faeyra could hear it. For her part, Faeyra didn¡¯t look the slightest bit embarrassed by what just happened. Instead, she leaned in close to Sulika and planted a quick kiss on the side of her mouth. ¡°Thanks for worrying about me¡­ Now go get that milk. You¡¯ve gotta get to work.¡± Faeyra said before following Aldritch back into the store. " Sulika dropped into a crouch the moment the door shut behind Faeyra and hid her face in her hands. She¡¯d go get the milk in a minute. She just needed to wait for her heart to finish its drum solo first. Chapter 4- The Hunters Guild (Pt 2) Aldritch continued to help in the store until it was time for Sulika to return to work. He learned she was heading in from Faeyra and offered to walk with her, since he needed to head back to the dormitories to retrieve some stuff, anyway. Meanwhile, Sulika had been feeling antsy since Aldritch walked in on them earlier. Not because she was still embarrassed about being seen. She was over that already. But she¡¯d somewhat forgotten just how big this bastard was. And there she was, without her sword¡­ Per her usual ritual; Sulika left her sword with the guild¡¯s personal smith for repairs before heading home last night. It was something she did every time she returned from a dungeon. She only had the one sword, and she didn¡¯t have the cash to have it replaced if it broke. Better to be without it for a day than to have it break when you most need it. Right? Except now, she didn¡¯t have a way to defend herself if Aldritch decided to hurt her or Faeyra. Sure, she still had her wand. But she was sticking with the supposition that he wouldn¡¯t give her enough time to get a spell off before snapping her neck, so she couldn¡¯t count on it. Nevertheless, it was better to have him with her than left alone with Faeyra. So, that¡¯s how the two of them ended up walking side by side through the now bustling Market Square. The ease with which everyone maneuvered through the massive crowd was impressive to Aldritch. He hadn¡¯t seen this many people gathered in one spot since his youth, and he remembered the experience was far more chaotic than what he was seeing now. Just the number of races present was baffling to him. Most cities back on Mag ¨¢rsa were mono racial. Even during times of peace, most races preferred sticking to their own lands. This was especially true for the dwarves, elves, and orcs. But that didn¡¯t seem to be the case here. During the first five minutes of their trek to the guild, Aldritch saw two different species of elf, hill dwarves, half a dozen kinds of human, a group of three doglike humanoids arguing with a pair of cat people ¨C And these differed from the species Aldritch was used to. On Mag ¨¢rsa, the beast races were essentially just humans or elves with more animalistic features. But the groups he was looking at now were fully anthropomorphic Dogs and Cats. They possessed all the features of their animal cousins, but they walked on two legs and possessed five ¡®fingers¡¯ on each paw. Aldritch was interested to note their sizes varied more than he would¡¯ve thought. The tallest dogman had a blocky head, wide muzzle, pointed ears, and solid black fur. He ¨C or she, Aldritch wasn¡¯t sure which was correct. They? Yeah, that works. They stood around six-feet tall with wide shoulders and a heavily muscled body. Meanwhile, the tallest cat person had a long face, a thick fur coat that reminded Aldritch of a storm cloud, piercing yellow eyes, and short ears. Most surprisingly of all, it stood nose to nose with the largest dog. On the opposite end of the height dichotomy. The smallest dog had a bulbous head, floppy ears, a tan coat of fur, and a twitchy demeanor. It stood around four feet tall, maybe less if you considered it was wearing boots. And the smallest cat had a round head, short black fur, and pointed ears. It stood around the same height as the smallest dog, though it appeared to be an inch or two taller than the dog¡­ Which Aldritch imagined might¡¯ve been the cause of the argument. He had nothing to back up his assertion. It was just amusing to think about, based on what he knew of small dogs and cats. It didn¡¯t seem to matter what species you were talking about. They always seemed to be the loudest in the pack and the quickest to throw haymakers if they felt disrespected. ¡°Some things never change.¡± Sulika chuckled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aldritch asked without taking his eyes off the feuding cats and dogs. ¡°You¡¯ve noticed the Caitsith and the Kandis over there, yeah?¡± She asked. She discreetly pointed to the cats and dogs. ¡°They¡¯re all part of the hunters guild; The three Kandis are miners and the Caitsith are closers, like me. Well, the two shortest are dating and have been for a few years, and they¡¯re both extremely competitive.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Aldritch said, somewhat understanding what Sulika was getting at. ¡°So you meant them arguing like this is normal?¡± ¡°Definitely. Happens at least once a week.¡± ¡°How mundane.¡± Aldritch muttered with a slight grin on his face. Sulika¡¯s eye twitched at his offhand remark, and she felt the urge to defend the couple. ¡°That¡¯s a rude thing to say. Sure, it might not seem exciting to you, but-¡± Sulika said. Her voice showed she was upset with him, so Aldritch interrupted her before she could really get going. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it as an insult; It¡¯s nice to see something normal for a change. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen a couple argue like that in centuries.¡± He quickly explained. Sulika had been prepared to really lay into the giant, but after hearing his explanation, she felt like someone had sucked the wind out of her sails. Seeing him working in the shop earlier had left a deep impression on her. She¡¯d almost forgotten it was just yesterday that she¡¯d pulled him out of a dungeon¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry for jumping to conclusions. I thought you were insulting them, and ¨C Well, it wasn¡¯t right. Sorry.¡± ¡°You apologize too much.¡± Aldritch said. He patted her shoulder to show he accepted the apology, but said nothing more. The two resumed walking in silence, and Aldritch went back to cataloging the many races he saw. Elf, dwarf, caitsith, kandis, some kind of winged lizardman, gnomes, halflings, and ¡ª He felt a wave of magic wash over him. It was subtle. And he probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed it had he been back on Mag ¨¢rsa; with its mana dense atmosphere and miasma filled air, the environment would¡¯ve obscured the mana. But Iolara had a much thinner atmosphere, and the air had yet to be tainted by the devil¡¯s corruption, so the wave might as well have been hand delivered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Sulika asked. She¡¯d noticed the way he¡¯d stopped walking and pivoted his head to look in a specific direction. Based on her mental map of the city, he was looking somewhere near the industrial district they¡¯d been in yesterday. ¡°I felt a wave of mana.¡± Aldritch explained. He narrowed his eyes in concentration and cast a spell ¨C ¡°Dragon¡¯s Eye¡± his perception warped through space and time. Once the spell locked into place, Aldritch was no longer seeing the world through his own eyes. Instead, his perception was somewhere a few hundred feet above his head, and was looking down on the city. He sacrificed the ability to differentiate colors for the focused vision of a dragon; non-living materials grew hazy at the edges and shifted to gray-scale, while living creatures¨Cor rather, anything with mana inside it, glowed like a beacon in the night. Aldritch watched as hundreds of living beings were fleeing in their direction while a single light source followed them. The light was easily three times the size of the civilians fleeing towards them, which cut out many potential explanations for its existence. Aldritch also noticed anytime one of the smaller lights were overtaken by the large light, the smaller light would vanish. Something was killing people. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. It only took Aldritch five seconds to cast the spell, investigate the source, and return to his normal view of the world. But in that time, the large light had vanished four civilians. ¡°I¡¯m going to go look.¡± He told Sulika. He didn¡¯t wait for her response, he just started jogging toward the source while counting the seconds in his head. It¡¯d taken the large light four seconds to kill three people. If that pattern held true, then he had little time to play around. ¡°Three.¡± He was being extra careful not to hurt the people who were just trying to go about their day. Even so, a few people bumped into him as he ran, resulting in the bouncing off and falling to the wayside. Those people yelled at his back as he continued to run away, but he didn¡¯t have time to stop and heal them right now. ¡°Six.¡± It would¡¯ve been so much easier just to jump over there. But the shockwave from his leap would injure who knows how many people, and he had little to no control over his landing. If he accidentally landed on someone, that was it for them. ¡°Nine.¡± After ten seconds of running, Aldritch could hear the screams. And as he rounded the corner of a building, he came face to face with the fleeing crowd. ¡°Twelve.¡± ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Sulika gasped as she slid to a stop beside Aldritch. She¡¯d thought something was wrong the moment he started running. She¡¯d heard him say something about a mana wave, and assumed he¡¯d just sensed someone use magic¡­ But no, the sight before her was not caused by mere magic. The wave of people running towards them split down the middle at the sight of Aldritch and passed on either side of them. This gave Aldritch and Sulika an excellent view of the source of the commotion; A twelve-foot tall, gray skinned humanoid lumbered after the crowd with a bloody club in one hand and the dead body of a human woman in the other. Sulika watched in horror as the Ogre, for it could be nothing else, brought the woman¡¯s body to its mouth and bit into her shoulder, like she was a roasted chicken leg. ¡°Disgusting demon.¡± Aldritch growled. A palpable wave of bloodlust that followed the sound caused Sulika¡¯s knees to give out. She almost collapsed on the spot and was only saved by Aldritch grabbing her arm to steady her. ¡°My apologies.¡± He said without looking at her. Sulika nodded in acceptance but said nothing. Aldritch vaguely noticed her twisting something on her right wrist but didn¡¯t pay it any mind. His entire focus was on the ogre standing in front of him. His bloodlust had changed the situation in two ways; the first was its effect on the civilians. Most of them couldn¡¯t resist it and collapsed on the spot, their minds leaving their now unconscious bodies behind. The second effect was on the ogre itself. The alpha demon dropped its snack like so much litter and pointed its too big eyes at Aldritch, the source of the strange feeling in its stomach. If you had to describe an ogre in a few words, what would it be? Ugly? Stupid? Strong as hell and twice as smelly? All true statements. Most hunters knew ogres this way, and many hunters and demons alike believed ogre were too stupid to know what fear was; ¡°What¡¯s fear? Can you eat it?¡± Would probably be their answer if asked. But the ogre watching Aldritch now knew the correct answer to this question. The weakness in its stubby knees. The haze slowly eating away at what few thoughts it had. That repulsive feeling you get just before you puke. These were not sensations an ogre was supposed to feel¡­ But this one did. The sound of a panicked creature drew Aldritch, Sulika, and the ogre¡¯s attention to the side of the road, where a line of abandoned wagons and carriages awaited them. Sulika spotted the creature first; a plains dragon was hooked into a harness at the front of a small, but fully loaded, wagon and the owner had forgotten to unlatch the pin keeping the wagon¡¯s wheels from turning, preventing it from fleeing on its own. Plains dragons weren¡¯t like many other species of dragon. They were herbivores, for one. And the largest thing that separated them from their cousins was their size. Many plains dragons weren¡¯t any larger than an ox. They were excellent pack animals and their tough bodies, strong wings, and nearly inexhaustible stamina meant they were often used on farms and ranches. This plains dragon looked to be a juvenile. Soft brown scales that would harden as it got older covered its still growing body. Most people wouldn¡¯t force a baby plains dragon to haul freight, since they could be injured during the journey. This led to Sulika wondering why it was here in the first place? An adult plains dragon would¡¯ve run off with the whole wagon, loaded or not, brakes down or not. But the juvenile wasn¡¯t strong enough to do so. Despite thrashing against the wagon with all its might, it wasn¡¯t even strong enough to break free of the leather straps holding the harness in place. ¡°It¡¯s going to hurt itself.¡± Sulika whispered. She felt bad for the animal. She wished she could help it, but an ogre was a six-star threat. It was something which required a full party of Class A hunters to bring down. She needed to call for backup if they had any hope of bringing it down- She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye, Aldritch was making a move. Aldritch didn¡¯t take his eyes off the ogre while he carefully stepped over the fallen civilian bodies. He was walking parallel to the ogre, moving towards the young plains dragon with a composed gait and his hands up in a placating gesture. ¡°Shh, hey. It¡¯s okay.¡± He cooed. The dragon reacted to his voice by hissing and thrashing even more violently than before. Aldritch reached the dragon in a few seconds. He placed one giant hand on the wagon and the other on the wooden beam holding the harness in place. ¡°Give me a second and I¡¯ll get you out, alright?¡± He said in the same soothing voice parents used to coax children- ¡°RAAAGH!¡± The ogre roared. Its two brain cells had grown bored with the new sensations they were experiencing and stopped working together. The ogre slammed its meaty fist into its fat covered belly and chest in a show of dominance¡­ Aldritch couldn¡¯t figure out how to undo the latch holding the dragon in place, so he just snapped it off. He smiled at the young dragon and cautiously reached for its head. The ogre pounded on the ground to get Aldritch¡¯s attention. Despite the severity of the situation, Sulika found the ogre¡¯s antics far less intimidating now, though she wasn¡¯t sure why. She discreetly pulled a black object from her back pocket and brought it to her palm- She flinched as she quickly struck it against the callouses on her palm, causing a small flame to appear on the end. She pointed the flare towards the sky and shielded her eyes as a bright ball of purple light was shot into the sky and exploded. She drew her wand and thought over her available spells. Most of them weren¡¯t directly useful in combat. She specialized in crowd control; pinning down the enemy or otherwise hindering them while her teammates finished them. Could Aldritch do the same- She noticed something at that moment that throttled her hopes in an instant. Aldritch didn¡¯t have his poleax. ¡°Where did it go?¡± Now that she thought about it, she didn¡¯t know when he¡¯d lost it. It¡¯d just vanished at some point, and she¡¯d been so overwhelmed by everything else, she hadn¡¯t noticed it was missing. ¡°Did he leave it in the dungeon?¡± Sulika glanced over at the ogre and saw its complexion had turned mottled with red. It was really upset about Aldritch continuing to ignore it. Meanwhile, Aldritch was still standing over by the dragon. Its head was resting in the palm of his hand while its tail gently swished back and forth under the wagon. Aldritch grabbed the dragon¡¯s harness with a single hand and, with a quick yank, snapped it off. The dragon let out a grateful cry before running off on its own- Which the ogre really didn¡¯t like. It let out a frustrated scream like the oversized, petulant child it was. And rushed at Aldritch with murder in its eyes. Sulika thrust her wand towards the ogre- ¡°Conjus- Earthen Shackles¡± She winced as the second level spell drained most of her mana for fuel a second before launching from the tip of her wand. The spell flew the thirty feet between her and the ogre in the blink of an eye. It pierced the gravel road at its feet and quickly went to work; a pair of stone bear traps sprung from the ground and clamped down on its feet during the brief second between its long strides- Sulika¡¯s eyes widened as a large object, the wagon the dragon had just been released from, slammed into the ogre¡¯s face. The impact of a fully loaded wagon combined with the immovable shackles Sulika just willed into existence to cause devastating damage. The ogre¡¯s legs ripped off at the hip at the moment of impact and its 800lb body was carried nearly thirty feet due to sheer momentum. The wagon and the ogre crashed onto the gravel road with enough force to shatter the wagon, demolish the boxes it held as cargo, and turn the ogre into little more than a red smear on the ground¡­ Chapter 4- The Hunters Guild (Pt 3) Aldritch walked back and forth from one side of the road to the other. As he walked, he concentrated on maintaining a fairly simple diagnostic spell ¨C ¡°Wisdom of the Great Sage.¡± Despite the grand naming sense of the one who created it, it was a fairly simple spell to use. A series of three concentric rings hovered in front of Aldritch¡¯s left eye. Whenever he looked at someone with the spell active, the rings read the flow of mana within the target¡¯s body and used it to construct a miniature virtual model that only Aldritch could see. The model would then generate a complete diagnostic screening that showed age, injuries, and any illnesses or diseases they carried. Using this spell, Aldritch could locate those with the most severe injuries and focus on them first. He crouched next to a young girl with her right arm twisted in a way it shouldn¡¯t, and a nasty gash across her back from where she¡¯d slid across the gravel road. Aldritch assumed the ogre had knocked her aside while it went after the woman it was eating when he arrived on the scene, but he couldn¡¯t be sure. Not that it mattered. He just needed to fix the child. Not play detective and discover her life story. He placed one hand on the crown of her head and the other on her broken arm- there was a nauseating *snap* as he forced her arm back into its proper position. ¡°Regeneration.¡± He watched through ¡°Wisdom of the Great Sage¡± as the gash on her back healed and the bones in her arm mended together. By the time the spell ended, aside from the bloody and torn clothes, the girl appeared to have never been injured. ¡°Rejection of Pain¡± He cast the spell before letting go of the girl and moving on to the next injured civilian. ¡°Rejection of Pain¡± was a spell designed to allow warriors to continue fighting while ignoring any injuries they sustained in battle by masking the sensation of pain. Aldritch used it as a temporary pain killer on anyone he healed; most thanked him for it. And those that didn¡¯t were usually stupid enough to think they were back to 100% immediately after getting healed and end up making their situation worse than it already was. It didn¡¯t matter how many times he told those people to take it easy for a few days and let the magic work, they always seemed to point the finger back at him. Most people assumed healing magic worked instantly, with no effort on their part. That wasn¡¯t true- wasn¡¯t even close to being true. Healing magic, at least Aldritch¡¯s, worked by using Aldritch¡¯s magic to stimulate the vitality of the one being healed in order to mend bones, close wounds, etc. And that vitality/mana combo sticks around inside the body for a few days to make sure the heal takes. It usually takes anywhere from a few hours to a few days for that spent vitality to recover. If the vitality recovers without interruption, then the body forgets the wound ever existed¡­ But if they re-injure themselves. Then the body will attempt to use what remains of the spell to heal the new injuries, except it can¡¯t. So, what happens? The spell loses its fuel, and the wounds reopen, alongside any additional wounds sustained since. So, remember kids. If a giant tells you to take it easy for a few days, and you don¡¯t do it, don¡¯t come crying to the giant afterwards. Nobody wants to see an angry giant. Especially not the person responsible for said anger. Aldritch grabbed the ankle of an unconscious man and lifted it off the ground. The leg dangled listlessly. Blood flowed through Aldritch¡¯s fingers like melted ice cream, and he shook his head at the sight. He carried the leg back to its owner¡¯s body and pressed it firmly against the stump ¨C The dark-skinned human grunted at his touch, but thankfully remained unconscious. ¡°Rejection of Pain¡±, ¡°Greater Heal¡± He whispered while pressing the leg into place. Muscle fibers inside the man¡¯s stump of a leg came alive at the presence of Aldritch¡¯s magic. They shot out from the stump and grabbed hold of the leg. They pulled it into the correct position in a matter of seconds and held it in place while the rest of the body went to work on reversing time. Nerve ending reattached, new blood cells were created rapidly to replace what was lost, even new stem cells spawned to ensure nothing was amiss. The leg was successfully reattached after thirty seconds. And though the man would need to be extremely careful with it for a few days, he should have full functionality once that time passes... Unfortunately, there was one thing Aldritch couldn¡¯t fix with magic alone. The man would forever have a line of pale flesh where his leg was detached. Aldritch hoped the man could live with that. If not, then Aldritch would offer to either fix it with alchemy or simply remove the leg entirely. Sulika stood nearly fifty feet from Aldritch and watched him with a critical eye. She¡¯d known on some level he was a priest. The robes made that obvious enough. But she¡¯d dismissed it after seeing how physically powerful he was. Clerics ¨C or priests, depending on who you¡¯re talking to, were support casters. Yes. many of them trained in melee combat. Ralocan was testament enough to that. But they weren¡¯t supposed to be capable of killing a demon in a single strike¨Cor throwing a fucking fully loaded wagon about thirty feet. Those were feats she¡¯d expect from a barbarian like Zarud, though she doubted even he could pull off the wagon throw. That was something that should not have been possible¡­ But it¡¯d happened right in front of her. And showing off more physical strength than she¡¯d ever thought possible, he just walks over to one of the downed civilians and started healing them. No questions asked. He won¡¯t even get paid for doing so, since he isn¡¯t a member of the hunters guild yet¡­ Actually, that gave her an idea. ¡°We saw the flare and came as quickly as we could!¡± Sulika heard someone shout from behind her. Turning around, she saw the first closing team coming to a stop about a dozen feet away. The first closing team comprised ten members. Sulika didn¡¯t know most of their names. She¡¯d never had reason to learn them, but she was uh¡­ Intimately familiar with the captain¡¯s name. Elluine Valdove; a Lunaran elf like Oladi. ¡®Eli¡¯ was a tall man with wavy brown hair, red eyes, and a well-built body, thanks to his years working as a ranger. He¡¯d been the captain of the Auris¡¯ first closing team for the last forty-five years, as well as being the first captain Sulika served under, back when she was a rookie hunter. The two healers on Eli¡¯s team shot forward like an arrow to assist the wounded, while the other eight members of the team joined their captain at Sulika¡¯s side-Their eyes, much like her eyes, were glued to the form of Aldritch reattaching a caitsith woman¡¯s left arm. Once done, and seemingly without noticing the copious amount of blood now staining his old robes, Aldritch walked to the next victim and went to work without a word. ¡°Uh¡­ Friend of yours?¡± Eli asked while pointing a thumb in Aldritch¡¯s direction. ¡°Not exactly a friend, but yes, I know him.¡± Sulika sighed. She was not looking forward to this conversation. ¡°Which division is he in?¡± Eli asked, referring to which department of the guild Aldritch was a part of. ¡°None of them.¡± Sulika said. She pinched the bridge of her nose between two fingers and closed her eyes. A headache was coming, and she just knew it was going to suck ogre ass. There was a moment of silence as everyone took in the implications of what she¡¯d just said. ¡°He knows what he¡¯s doing is illegal, right?¡± Eli asked after a few seconds. The guild had numerous laws in place to protect the citizens from liars, conmen, and thieves. All healers were required to either have a license through the guild or get a temporary exception from the mayor to use their magic on people. So, even though Aldritch was healing people who were clearly injured- and doing a damn good job at that- it was technically illegal for him to do so. ¡°I just saw him kill an ogre in one hit. You wanna arrest him, go for it. But I ain¡¯t helping you,¡± Sulika said, the stress of the situation causing her voice to change slightly. While Sulika had spoken common most of her life, it wasn¡¯t her first language. Sylvani was often referred to as the ¡®language of the forest.¡¯ Sylvani was very simple, full of abbreviated words and slang, and very few words longer than two syllables. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Sulika believed she¡¯d broken the habit of reverting to Sylvani whenever her emotions ran high¡­ But apparently, it was still there and was just waiting for the worst possible time to rear its head. If any of the first closing team realized what she¡¯d done, none of them showed it. Then again, Sylvani wasn¡¯t exactly a common language these days, so maybe they didn¡¯t recognize the accent and attributed it to stress? She could only hope so¡­ ¡°Well, someone needs to tell him.¡± Eli muttered. ¡°Maewyn, you up for it?¡± He asked the young gnome rogue standing at his side. The three-foot tall woman¡¯s head spun to face him so violently her braided blue hair made a *thwack* sound as it bounced off her leather armor. ¡°Me? Why me?¡± She shouted, her voice reaching octaves Sulika hadn¡¯t thought her small body could produce. ¡°Because I have a very punchable face, or so I¡¯m told by all the men who¡¯re jealous of my dashingly good looks. And you¡¯re the only other member of our team who could probably convince him not to eat you- no offence, guys.¡± He said, directing the last bit at the rest of his team with a charming smile on his face. There was some grumbling over the insult, but it surprised Sulika to note none of them disagreed with his statement. Had Derrik, Ralocan, or Zarud said something like that, the other two would fling enough insults his way to make a priestess faint. Did they really have nothing to say? Sulika glanced down at the pitiful face the gnome was making- "God damnit..." and took pity on her. She walked over to Aldritch¡¯s side and tapped on his shoulder to get his attention, and her hand came away sticky with blood. ¡°Busy. Walk with me if you want to talk,¡± Aldritch replied without looking at her. ¡°Yeah, about that. Those guys over there want you to stop healing people.¡± Aldritch¡¯s body came to a quick, and violent, stop as he whipped his body around to stare at the people who¡¯d dare ask him to stop. He found himself looking at eight people who seemingly found the road to be the most interesting thing to look at. ¡°Why?¡± Aldritch asked Sulika. He wiped his blood-stained hands on his pants and looked down at her. ¡°The city has laws in place to protect the citizens from being taken advantage of. You need a license to use healing magic on people, which you don¡¯t have yet. Sorry.¡± ¡°¡­ You apologize too much.¡± Aldritch replied. ¡°Alright. After I fix the last critical case, I¡¯ll stop. After that, they can lock me up or give me a license. Whichever.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you let the other healers deal with that? I¡¯m sure they can-¡± ¡°No, they can¡¯t,¡± he said, cutting her off. ¡°It has to be me. Someone else might get it wrong.¡± He walked over to a little human boy with his back twisted at a weird angle. Aldritch crouched next to the boy and placed a hand on his back ¨C ¡°Rejection of Pain¡±, ¡°Greater Heal.¡± The boy¡¯s body glowed for a second and Sulika flinched at the sound of his bones snapping back into place. With that done, and the boy¡¯s back healed, Aldritch returned to Sulika and offered her his wrists. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± Sulika looked from his face to his wrists, and back again. She didn¡¯t immediately understand what he was doing because she wasn¡¯t allowed to arrest anyone¡­ But he didn¡¯t know that. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary. You were coming with me to the guild, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He replied without lowering his hands. ¡°Then just come with me and we¡¯ll get everything all sorted out. Since you¡¯re a returnee, they¡¯ll probably just let you off with a warning or something.¡± She said and motioned for him to follow. They returned to Eli and the first closing team and Sulika let him know what was going on. ¡°Thank god.¡± Eli laughed. ¡°For a second there, I was worried we would have to bring you in by force-You being a blood covered giant and all.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize the guild had that many people,¡± Aldritch replied while looking over the group. He was even less impressed with them than he was with Sulika¡¯s group. While her group may have been young and inexperienced, there was a sense of camaraderie between them that this team sorely lacked. It was clear by the fact they were just standing back and allowing the healers to do all the work. They were only here because they were ordered to be. Nothing more, nothing less. ¡°That¡¯s how most mortals are. Remember?¡± Oakairo muttered. ¡°Unfortunately.¡± ¡°Funny,¡± Eli said while staring up at Aldritch. ¡°Your friend is funny, Sulika. What¡¯d you say his name was?¡± ¡°I suppose I can take the lead and introduce myself. You have the honor of standing before Aldritch of clan Blackshield. You are?¡± Aldritch replied. ¡°Elluine Valdove; level forty-six Ranger, captain of Auris¡¯ first closing team, and the man who taught Sulika everything she knows.¡± Eli replied, his right eye twitching with annoyance. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realize the two of you were acquainted. Sulika hadn¡¯t mentioned you.¡± Aldritch replied in the same casual tone as before. The elf¡¯s face darkened with anger, and he stepped forward- Sulika¡¯s hand landed on his chest and stopped him in his tracks. ¡°Well, now that we¡¯re all acquainted, I¡¯m going to take my friend back to the guild. It was¡­ Well, I saw you. You look good, Eli. Bye.¡± Sulika said before grabbing Aldritch by the hand and pulling him along. She was grateful he¡¯d gone along with her and didn¡¯t resist. Neither Eli nor his team had appreciated Aldritch¡¯s tone. She knew if she didn¡¯t get Aldritch out of there before he said anything else, tempers would flare. And she knew from personal experience how Eli could get. ¡°I get the distinct impression he didn¡¯t like me,¡± Aldritch muttered while following Sulika. ¡°Well, you have a habit of rubbing people the wrong way.¡± Sulika replied. ¡°I believe he thought you were challenging his authority¡­ Either that, or his relationship with the mortal. His words seemed possessive for a colleague. I wonder if they were courting at some point?¡± ¡°Strange. I don¡¯t mean to.¡± Aldritch said, replying to both of them. ¡°By the way; how long did you date the elf?¡± Sulika flinched as if someone had struck her. ¡°First off, that was rude. And second of all... Was it that obvious?¡± ¡°What a shame. I¡¯d thought she¡¯d have better taste in partners, considering her relationship with the Silverowl mortal. Now, that¡¯s a woman. And that concoction she made for us. Just thinking about it makes me want to-¡± ¡°Only because he looked ready to stab me after you grabbed my hand. I wouldn¡¯t have noticed otherwise.¡± Aldritch said, ignoring Oakairo¡¯s ¡®private¡¯ thoughts as best he could. ¡°Yeah, well, we aren¡¯t together anymore. Let¡¯s leave it at that, shall we?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s none of my business to begin with. I was only wondering at the hostility he was sending my way. If he lost a woman of your caliber, it makes sense he¡¯d be sore about it. I certainly would be.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to flatter me. I know I¡¯m no catch. Hell, I¡¯m barely a woman in the eyes of most people-¡± ¡°Sulika.¡± Aldritch said and spun her to face him. He could see the surprise in her eyes, but he pressed on. ¡°Oakairo, the god I¡¯ve worshipped my entire life, absolutely abhors lying. It¡¯s considered a fatal sin in my religion. So, when I say you¡¯re one of the most beautiful women I¡¯ve ever seen, I want you to know I mean it. And anyone, be they man or woman, who isn¡¯t saddened by your departure from their lives, is an absolute moron.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Sulika muttered. Her eyes were wide open, and her jaw hung slightly loose. ¡°Where did that come from!?¡± Aldritch noticed the look on her face. ¡°Did I go too far?¡± ¡°A bit. It was quite entertaining, though.¡± ¡°I may have said too much. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable. That certainly wasn¡¯t my intention. It¡¯s just, witnessing someone disparage themselves is a pet peeve of mine. I find it irritating.¡± Sulika stared at Aldritch for another second or two. They were alone. Most of the market had cleared out after the ogre¡¯s presence was made known, so she didn¡¯t think he was saying this stuff to embarrass her, and she hadn¡¯t detected any lies. ¡°You aren¡¯t just saying that because you drank all of my milk, are you?¡± Sulika asked after another moment of silence. Aldritch stared at her for a long moment. He pulled his hand across his body in a quick movement and snapped his fingers in a ¡®I¡¯ve been found out.¡¯ gesture and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± Sulika laughed. ¡°Well, guess what? Just for that, I¡¯m not letting you have anymore. You¡¯ve officially been cut off.¡± She said and smacked Aldritch¡¯s arm, laughing all the while. She didn¡¯t notice the pair of eyes glowering at them, or the way they darkened as the conversation progressed. Chapter 4- The Hunters Guild (Pt 4) Aldritch and Sulika arrived at the front door to the guild a short while later. It was still fairly early in the day, so the number of people inside the building was minimal. Just the usual fifteen staff members who worked the face of the guild, a couple hunter teams either leaving for the day or returning from a night of dungeon raiding, and eight civilians waiting to speak to a receptionist about placing a request. Auris citizens came to the guild every day for help. The guild got the occasional subjugation requests from farmers who have a pest problem, or escort requests from merchants traveling from one island to the other. Those were few and far between compared to resource requests, which counted for about 80% of the guild¡¯s annual income. But all eyes fell on Sulika and Aldritch the moment they set foot inside the building, and members of the guild¡¯s security team immediately surrounded them. The security team comprised twenty-six full-time employees. Each one was wearing the finest metal armor money could buy and wielded weapons tailor made for them. Sulika should have been nervous by the hostile welcome. Each member of the security team was above the ''level thirty wall'' that almost all hunters struggled to climb, making them some of the most powerful members in the guild. The most powerful hunters being pulled from active duty to serve as run-of-the-mill security guards was a topic that always spawned debate. Sulika didn¡¯t like it. While yes, the guild does need its own security force in case hunters get out of line. They also needed those hunters out in the field, closing dungeons or protecting the mining teams. They were wasting their power out here¡­ But then again, she¡¯d heard the guild paid them extremely well to sit on their asses all day. If they offered her a similar deal, she honestly didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d do. On the one hand, the idea of sitting around the guild for twelve hours a day, with nothing to do but watch civies place resource requests, wasn¡¯t exactly her idea of a good time. The other option was a thousand times safer, paid better, got the best equipment money could buy, and the extremely high risk of developing lung cancer because of dungeon diving was practically non-existent. ¡°Sulika Wysarie¡­¡± a short, chubby halfling woman with dark skin, short black hair, and vibrant yellow eyes grumbled as she approached them through the wall of guards. ¡°What did I tell you about sticking your nose where it didn¡¯t belong? Huh?¡± she said in a snarky tone. She grabbed Sulika by the wrist and dragged her through the wall of security meat blocking their way. The guards stepped aside to let her through without complaint, and immediately closed the path once they were clear. Sulika glanced back to see Aldritch ignoring the twenty-five guards standing in front of him. She thought most people would assume it was all an act, and a few hours ago, she might¡¯ve agreed with them. But now¡­ Now she wasn¡¯t so sure. In her eyes, Aldritch didn¡¯t seem to care that they were there. He was looking around the guild lobby, not to avoid eye contact with them, but because this would be the first time, he¡¯d seen it in the daylight. Sulika gently pulled her hand out of the halfling woman¡¯s grip and stopped following once they were thirty feet away from Aldritch and the wall of sand stopping him. The woman turned to see what she was doing and found Sulika watching Aldritch with a concerned eye. ¡°He¡¯s the returnee you found, right?¡± The woman asked while moving to Sulika¡¯s side. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they won¡¯t hurt the big bastard. We have orders to guide him to one of the waiting rooms until the higher ups decide what to do with him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not him I¡¯m worried about, Cora; I seriously doubt they could hurt him if they really tried. I¡¯m worried about what he¡¯ll do to them if they insult him.¡± Sulika explained without moving her eyes away from Aldritch¡¯s towering form. ¡°Sir, if you would follow me?¡± A female human guard said. She held her sword, which was still in its sheath, in her right hand and used it to lightly tap Aldritch¡¯s hip. The tap was mostly to get his attention since he was still ignoring them in favor of looking around the lobby. ¡°Hm?¡± Aldritch replied and looked down at the woman for the first time. ¡°Oh, follow you, right? Lead the way.¡± He said. If the command or the tap had irritated him, Aldritch certainly didn¡¯t allow it to show on his face. He followed the much shorter woman with a bemused smile on his face. Though Sulika noticed he was still glancing about the room. ¡°What¡¯s he looking for?¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°You sure you aren¡¯t overestimating him? I mean, yeah, I¡¯ve seen buffalo smaller than him. But you know as well as I do how Thaniea is the great equalizer. And besides, look at him following the new girl.¡± Cora replied, ¡°So far, he¡¯s a model citizen¡­ Which begs the question; why did Eli recommend code orange? Do you know?¡± She muttered while staring at Aldritch with renewed interest. Sulika knew the look on the halfling¡¯s face. Cora might¡¯ve been the captain of the security team, but in a past life she was the head of the Auris dungeon investigation team. Over half of everything they knew about dungeons, and the demons therein, could be directly attributed to her and the team she led. Ever since she retired from active duty, the investigation team was just a shadow of its former self. They¡¯ve changed captains twelve or thirteen times in the last three years and have the highest turnover rate in the guild. The main reason Cora was so successful in the position was because of her insatiable curiosity and willingness to ¡®sometimes¡¯ bend the guilds/city¡¯s rules to find the information she wanted. A habit Sulika knew for a fact she hadn¡¯t entirely broken, despite her new position. ¡°Wait a minute; Eli suggested you code orange him?¡± Sulika asked, shocked by the revelation. Code Orange meant ¡®Potentially violent - Subject should be subdued and restrained on sight for the safety of guild personnel.¡¯ ¡°Yep. How about you? Think we should throw in some restraints just to be on the safe side?¡± ¡°Depends. Got any spare mooring anchors lying around?¡± ¡°Not since the dragon scare a few years ago. Bastard flew off with the last one.¡± Cora replied, playing along with what she thought was Sulika¡¯s attempt at a joke. ¡°Then no, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary.¡± Sulika said after taking a moment to think. ¡°Hey,¡± Aldritch shouted, drawing everyone¡¯s attention back to him. They¡¯d moved him all of ten feet before he stopped and threw a single hand up in greeting towards a Solaran elf receptionist. ¡°My name is Aldritch of clan Blackshield. Might I know your name?¡± Aldritch asked the surprised elf. Sulika recognized the man as Jassin Bronzetree, a relatively new employee of the guild who¡¯d only been employed for a few months. ¡°J-¡± The elf¡¯s voice came out too shaky to be heard. He quickly cleared his throat and tried again, ¡°Jassin Yllathana-¡± the elf shook his head at the slip-up and tried again. ¡°Sorry, I meant to say my name is Jassin Bronzetree. What can I do for you, sir?¡± Aldritch shrugged a beefy shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I appreciate the translation. My Elvar is rusty anyway. Would you mind finding whoever is in charge of distributing the healer¡¯s licenses and summon them here? I¡¯d like to get whatever ¡®this¡¯ is sorted out as quickly as possible.¡± He said casually. Jassin¡¯s expression went from cautiously concerned to outright fear. He looked like he¡¯d just been asked to assassinate the president of the guild. ¡°I¡¯d really appreciate it.¡± Aldritch said, putting slightly more weight behind his words. "I- Er- I''ll try my best, sir." The elf said before fleeing into the crowd of people and disappearing from Sulika''s sight. ¡°He knows threatening the kid won¡¯t get him what he wants, right?¡± Cora whispered to Sulika. ¡°¡­ I haven¡¯t known him very long, so I could be wrong. But I don¡¯t think Aldritch is threatening him. From everything I know about him. Aldritch doesn¡¯t seem to be the type to threaten someone for something like this- especially since he¡¯s only here because he wants to be.¡± ¡°That may have been the case at first, but not anymore. The moment he walked through those double doors, he lost the ability to leave until I give the all clear.¡± Cora said stubbornly. ¡°Cora, as a friend, let me let you in on a little secret. I just saw that man throw a fully loaded wagon with enough force to turn an ogre into ground beef. Now, I don¡¯t know your team all that well. And while I''m sure they are all very impressive, I don¡¯t think any of them stand a chance of stopping him from walking back out that door if he really wanted to.¡± Cora¡¯s face turned a few shades lighter at the new information. She stared at Aldritch¡¯s back as they led him into one of the back rooms by the youngest member of her team. ¡°Sulika¡­ What the hell did you bring back through that portal?¡± Sulika thought about it for a moment before shrugging. ¡°I don''t know. I thought I did, but I recently learned just how little I truly understand. My advice? Don¡¯t keep him waiting. He''s a big bastard, and I don''t think he''s had breakfast yet.¡± Sulika muttered to her friend. She patted Cora on the shoulder before following Aldritch into the back room, fully intending on waiting by his side until they sorted everything out. She figured it was the least she could do after all the suspicion she showed him this morning. Thinking back on it now, she realized how stupid she was being. Someone with his level of power didn¡¯t need to sneak around or lie to get what they wanted. He was fully capable of just taking whatever he wanted¡­ The real questions on her mind now were, had she seen the extent of his power, or was there even more he hadn¡¯t shown her? Why was he really going along with this charade? And lastly; What kind of hell did he go through to get so powerful? Chapter 5 - To a New Beginning (pt 1) The young security woman led Aldritch into an open room on the third floor. The back wall was just a line of floor to ceiling windows that offered a splendid view of the city. Aldritch ignored her order to sit down and walked to the window. The streets were mostly deserted after the incident with the Ogre, but life was beginning to return. Aldritch could see a few brave souls venturing into the city to salvage whatever¡¯s left of their day. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll make sure he doesn¡¯t do anything he isn¡¯t supposed to.¡± Sulika told the woman. ¡°Thank you.¡± The young guard sighed, dipping her head to emphasize her gratitude. She shot Aldritch one final glance before hurrying from the room. Sulika and Aldritch heard the quiet *click* of the door lock rolling into place, but neither showed signs of caring about being locked in. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s about to happen?¡± Sulika asked. ¡°No.¡± Aldritch said without taking his eyes off the streets below. ¡°It¡¯s my first time being in a situation like this. I¡¯m as clueless about what comes next as a newborn babe.¡± He said, laughing quietly at the novelty he was experiencing. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± Sulika asked. She was almost always nervous about meeting with the higher-ups. They held a lot of power and could easily make your life a living hell if they didn¡¯t like you. Sulika didn¡¯t have the kind of life where she could afford to offend such people without serious cause¡­ The raid on the warehouse notwithstanding, since if that didn¡¯t fall into the ¡®serious cause¡¯ category, she didn¡¯t know what did. ¡°No, nervousness isn¡¯t the emotion I¡¯m feeling right now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to be nervous, you know? You don¡¯t have to hide it. I promise I won¡¯t think you¡¯re any less of a man if you admit you¡¯re nervous.¡± Sulika said while grinning mischievously. Nine times out of ten, that line worked on the men she knew. She didn¡¯t understand why so many men held their masculinity in such high regard. But then again, she was raised entirely by women, so it wasn¡¯t like she knew much about men outside her small group to begin with. ¡°I appreciate the sentiment,¡± Aldritch replied and turned to face her. He was smiling down at Sulika: the expression brought to mind the image of an adult smiling to humor some ignorant statement made by a child¡­ Sulika wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about the comparison. Aldritch continued speaking while he turned to face the room. ¡°But I¡¯m truly not nervous about meeting your boss or whoever it is we¡¯re waiting on.¡± He said while looking around. The room was about twenty feet long and fifteen feet wide. The walls were wooden, just like every other building Aldritch had seen, and painted a rather nauseating beige color. A thick purple carpet that seemed to grab Aldritch¡¯s feet with every step covered the floor. The ceiling was a drop ceiling. Thirty-seven wooden panels had been fitted into an equal number of braces to give it the appearance of a single, solid construct while still allowing access to the space above the ceiling. Aldritch had seen a lot of drop ceilings during his travels through the human kingdoms of Mag ¨¢rsa. Though, in his experience, the difficulty and exorbitant costs of construction meant they were mainly used by people who either had something to hide or employed assassins to guard them. He couldn¡¯t count the number of times assailants had attacked him by dropping through one of those tiles. The main draw of the room was the large oval table at the center of the room and the fifteen leather chairs encircling it, with the largest and most opulent chair at the opposite end from where you were forced to enter the room. The table was constructed from some type of shiny material Aldritch couldn¡¯t identify. It reflected the light coming through the window, causing a headache inducing light to hit Aldritch and Sulika¡¯s eyes. Even squinting offered little relief as the light easily penetrated their eyelids. Sulika, who was already used to the tricks the guild liked to employ, sighed out of irritation and excused herself from the room. A quick knock on the door got the guards standing by outside to unlock the door and she left. She walked down two flights of stairs to her team¡¯s office and opened the door to find the place empty. She glanced at the clock on the wall and saw it was [12:21 P.M.] ¡°They should¡¯ve been here by now. Strange¡­¡± Sulika walked over to her locker and popped it open to grab two pairs of dark glasses, one for her and the other for Aldritch. ¡°Here¡¯s hoping they fit his giant head.¡± Once she¡¯d gotten what she came for, she left the office and hurried back to the ¡®waiting¡¯ room and was let in by the same two guards that were standing there before. Once they let her in, she found Aldritch still alone and sitting at the head of the table with his eyes closed. ¡°Stop scrying and open your eyes. The mortal has offered you a kind gesture. Don¡¯t reject it.¡± Oakairo said, bringing Aldritch out of his meditative state. Aldritch opened his eyes and saw the dark glasses sitting on the table in front of him. Meanwhile, Sulika had also sat down at the table. Though she¡¯d chosen to sit a few places away, the dark glasses perched atop her nose hid the fact she was carefully watching him to see what he would do. She¡¯d offered those same glasses to both Zarud and Derrik, neither accepted to use them. They¡¯d both rather suffer the light than accept the glasses, so she was curious if he would be the same- Before she could even finish the thought, Aldritch picked up the glasses and placed them on his face. ¡°Thank you for these. I will return them when we leave.¡± He said, smiling at her. The glasses weren¡¯t anything fancy. Just a simple wooden frame and two dark lenses that did nothing but mute sunlight. She¡¯d paid three zinc bits for both of them, and she told him as much. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with that term. Is that a denomination of the local currency?¡± Aldritch asked. Sulika¡¯s mind went blank at the question, and it took her a second to remember he was supposed to have been trapped in a dungeon for the last two hundred years. So, it made sense he wouldn¡¯t recognize the currency they used today. ¡°Sorry, I forgot about your situation¡­ again.¡± She sighed. ¡°I will not get into all of it right now, for obvious reasons. But the standardized currency for the modern world is copper and zinc bits, bronze and iron pieces, silver and gold coins, and platinum plates. Platinum plates are the highest recognized denomination, copper is the lowest. Got that?¡± ¡°Seems simple enough.¡± ¡°Good. For comparison, the work you did at the shop this morning was probably worth about forty zinc bits. So, keep the glasses if you want. As far as I¡¯m concerned, you¡¯ve earned them.¡± ¡°I see. Interesting¡­ Out of curiosity, how much would you say that ogre was worth?¡± ¡°Six gold and fifty silver coins is the standard rate for ogres." She replied without needing to think about it, since she''d already checked. "But since it was outside of a dungeon, that technically qualifies the situation as a dungeon break- which comes with a mandated hazard pay of ten silver coins just for showing up. Add in the danger of the demon in question and that bumps your hazard pay from ten silver coins to a single gold coin. That¡¯s-¡± ¡°Seven gold and fifty silver coins. I¡¯m assuming that¡¯s only if I sold the body to the guild, am I right? Presumably I''d get more selling the parts on the market myself, but that would require jumping through more red tape than I''m able to tolerate at the moment.¡± ¡°Well, technically-¡± Sulika wanted to say something else, but stopped herself when she heard the door lock slide out of place. She and Aldritch looked at the person standing in the door: It was a tall human man. He had lightly tanned skin, dark blonde hair, and shrewd blue eyes. He was wearing a tailor-made charcoal three-piece suit with expensive looking leather shoes that squeaked loudly with every step he made towards the seat Aldritch was sitting in. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. From the moment he set foot inside the room to when he stopped beside Aldritch¡¯s chair, the man didn¡¯t look at either of them. His eyes were locked onto the clipboard he clutched in his right hand, or more specifically, his eyes were fixated on the papers attached to said clipboard. Aldritch watched the man approach. Outwardly, he remained neutral; his facial expression didn¡¯t change, neither did his body tense nor relax. But on the inside, Aldritch was doing everything he could to stop his lips from betraying him. Aldritch knew he would be considered rude if he smiled right now, so he wouldn¡¯t, but it was damn difficult. The entire situation was a fucking joke, and they all knew it. From the neutral tones on the walls, the carpet you couldn¡¯t help but notice, the gigantic windows, the ceiling, that stupid table, and ending with how the man entered the room without bothering to look at the other occupants. It was all to display the power the guild held while simultaneously making the people forced to wait inside uncomfortable. Even the position of the table and chairs was nothing but a chance to intimidate. The ¡®head¡¯ of the meeting, or ¡®king¡¯, sat in the largest chair in the room. Which was conveniently positioned opposite the door so they could stare at people while they entered. And after sitting in the chair for himself, Aldritch also noticed something else; They placed the chair at the exact spot where light stopped coming through the window, thanks to a nearby building blocking most of the sunlight that would reach it. Sure, the table was still bright, but it was only half as bright as anywhere else. And because it wasn¡¯t in direct sunlight, the table was also much cooler here than in the other fourteen chairs. So, when the man stopped next to Aldritch without looking at him, it really took a lot of self-control to not grin at the man. Dragons didn¡¯t tolerate people trying to intimidate them. It usually ended in a hail of fire and death. As the high priest of Oakairo, Aldritch rarely tolerated it either¡­ But honestly, he thought this entire situation was too stupid to bother with. Aldritch stood from the chair without a word and moved to the window. The man took his seat the second Aldritch¡¯s ass unstuck from the cheap leather and placed his clipboard down after another moment. ¡°Have a seat, Mr. Blackshield.¡± The man said. If he were only judging by the sound of his voice, Aldritch thought the man sounded impressive- regal, even. But that opinion stopped there. ¡°I¡¯m sure an educated man, such as yourself, knows how rude it is to start this meeting without a proper introduction. Try again.¡± Aldritch replied without looking at the man. ¡°Aldritch, do your eyes deceive me or does the box that guy¡¯s carrying say ¡®Astarin¡¯s quality caramels and chocolates¡¯ on the side of it?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°We should go.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°¡­ Can you stop thinking about making money for ONE SECOND? That guy is literally carrying around an entire box of chocolate. A BOX¡­ Do you think they¡¯ll sell us a box too? Aldritch, we must procure ourselves a box.¡± ¡°Of course, my lord. That¡¯s a given. But I can¡¯t just keep borrowing money from Sulika. We must procure enough funds to purchase the chocolate before we can enjoy it. Relax, I¡¯ll have us a box within a few days.¡± ¡°Do not presume to tell me what I do or do not know, Mr. Blackshield.¡± The man replied. Anger seeped into his voice with every word spoken, and it was clear to Aldritch and Sulika that Aldritch had hit a nerve. ¡°I forgot he was here.¡± Oakairo muttered, which got him a chuckle from Aldritch. ¡°Sir!¡± The man yelled. He stood in a single fluid motion and slammed both palms on the desk, the impact causing his clipboard to clatter to the carpet below. ¡°You speak of being rude, yet you laugh at me? How much ruder can you get?¡± Aldritch glanced over his shoulder at the man and smiled. Sulika instinctively knew the smile wasn¡¯t friendly. She was thankful for thick leather seats, because it helped hide the cold sweat sliding down her back. ¡°My name is Aldritch of clan Blackshield. Might I know your name?¡± Aldritch said whilst watching the man through the dark glasses Sulika gave him. ¡°Yes yes, I know who you are, Mr. Blackshield. Obviously.¡± The man sighed and sat back down. ¡°My name is Edward Diniel. I have the honor of serving the guild as the Vice-Master of the Auris chapter. Now, I say again, please sit down, Mr. Blackshield.¡± Edward said while pointing to the seat at the opposite end of the table. ¡°No, I won¡¯t,¡± Aldritch replied while turning back to the window. ¡°I weigh 726lbs as of this morning. The only chair in this room capable of supporting that kind of weight is the one you¡¯re sitting in. The rest will break the moment I sit down. Do you plan to vacate your seat, sir?¡± ¡°Certainly not.¡± Edward scoffed. ¡°Then I, and my answer, shall both continue to stand. But by all means, please proceed with whatever you came here to do. I can hear you just as well standing here as I can anywhere else.¡± Edward glanced at Sulika, who was blank faced, before scooping up his clipboard and placing it on the table in front of him. ¡°Very well,¡± He said after a moment. ¡°Then we¡¯ll proceed as planned.¡± He unclipped the papers from his clipboard and spread them across the table in front of him. Without making it obvious what she was doing, Sulika looked at each piece of paper the Vice-master sat down. Most of it was just bureaucratic nonsense to her, but she could immediately recognize the expense receipt. ¡°Six-hundred gold coins in fines?¡± Sulika felt like she was going to faint. That kind of money was life-changing, no matter your origin or choice of employment. ¡°Sir, I-¡± Sulika tried to speak, but the Vice-Master shot her a look to silence her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Ms. Wysarie. We¡¯ll get around to you in a moment. It was actually convenient that you decided to join Mr. Blackshield today. Saves me from having to move appointments around." He said and smirked when he noticed Sulika flinch at his words. ¡°Hey.¡± Aldritch said and placed his palms on the back of Edward¡¯s chair. ¡°Why don¡¯t we keep the focus on me for the time being?¡± His sudden appearance caused Edward to flinch, as if he were about to be hit, but Aldritch never touched him. Sulika glanced up at Aldritch¡¯s face and saw him grinning at her. ¡°He¡¯s protecting me?¡± ¡°Very well. If that¡¯s what you want, fine. Let¡¯s focus on you, Mr. Blackshield-¡± Edward said angrily, getting ever more so when Aldritch interrupted him to say. ¡°My name is Aldritch.¡± ¡°What?¡± Edward blurted. ¡°My name is Aldritch, and my clan¡¯s name is Blackshield. When speaking to a dwarf, you do not use their clan''s name to refer to them, because they do not own it- it is a name that is shared with hundreds, possibly thousands, of other dwarves.¡± Aldritch explained before leaning over Edward to look him in the eye. ¡°The only time a clan name should be invoked in place of a family or given name is when two clans declare war on one another. Otherwise, it¡¯s a rude practice¡­ Have you never been told such a simple thing?¡± Aldritch asked in a quiet voice that sent a chill down Edward¡¯s spine. Sulika was also surprised at Aldritch¡¯s words, but for an entirely different reason; She could scarcely believe the Vice-Master didn¡¯t know such a common fact about dwarven culture. Hell, Derrik often ranted about this very thing whenever he has to correct a client about his name. For them, they can explain it away as simply not knowing due to not interacting with dwarves. But the Vice-Master had dozens of dwarves working for him. So, how could he not know? ¡°I see,¡± Edward said through gritted teeth, clearly irritated about the correction. ¡°I will endeavor to remember that the next time. But for the moment, might I know your family name so I can correct our records?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a family name.¡± Aldritch said, smiling. ¡°You may refer to me as Aldritch, nothing more, nothing less. And no, I don¡¯t accept nicknames.¡± ¡°What do you mean, you don¡¯t have a family name? All dwarves have family names!¡± Edward shouted. ¡°I was surrendered to the temple of our god a few hours after I was born and raised by the high priest and the servants there. My family didn¡¯t wish to claim me, so I cannot claim their name. It¡¯s that simple.¡± Aldritch explained in a calm voice, which only seemed to further irritate the Vice-Master. ¡°You know it wasn¡¯t that simple.¡± ¡°Yes, but they don¡¯t.¡± ¡°You were abandoned?¡± Sulika asked in a strange voice. She couldn¡¯t fathom a parent capable of such a thing. Her own family gave everything so she could live, and Faeyra¡¯s family were just as dedicated to their children. With birth rates so low among dwarves, elves, and many other long-lived species, the idea of abandoning a child was completely inconceivable to them. ¡°I can¡¯t say why my parents didn¡¯t raise me,¡± Aldritch said after a moment. ¡°But the fact remains that I cannot claim the family name. So, stop asking me about it before I get irritated. Okay?¡± He said, speaking directly into Edward''s ear to keep Sulika from overhearing. Edward coughed into his hand before nodding. He drew a large X through a piece of paper asking for ¡®family history¡¯ and set it aside. ¡°Thank you.¡± Aldritch muttered and moved away from the chair. He glanced down at the pile of papers spread across the table and sighed. ¡°One down, about thirty to go. Why can¡¯t these things comprise five pages, maybe six if they want to go the extra mile and get contact information?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in a devil¡¯s nature to want as much information about something as possible. The more information at their disposal, the easier it is to get what they want. And while this guy doesn¡¯t smell like a devil, he definitely has the stink of one soaked into his skin.¡± ¡°I know. I smell it too.¡± ¡°Are you going to kill him?¡± Aldritch turned his body towards Sulika while he continued to listen to Edward drone on and on about filling out this form or that form¡­ Sulika noticed the movement and glanced up at Aldritch, who smiled reassuringly at her. ¡°Not today.¡± Chapter 5 - To a New Beginning (pt 2) Two hours and forty-five minutes later, Aldritch was standing beside Edward¡¯s chair while the slimy man finished reading through the last piece of paperwork he¡¯d brought for Aldritch''s eyes. The moment he was done, he slid it over to Aldritch without a word or a glance in his direction. Aldritch exhaled loudly through his nose and glanced at Sulika, who was sitting with her head resting on the desk. He was feeling a tad guilty about her situation, but wasn¡¯t sure what he could do to help... Well, aside from snapping Edward¡¯s neck and being done with it. But he couldn¡¯t do that without losing his only lead to a potential Devil sighting. It was unfortunate, but Sulika would just have to hold out on her own for the time being. Aldritch picked up the piece of paper and carefully read through it. He¡¯d read through every inch of nonsense Edward tried to convince him to sign. Some he did; Like the request for an I.D card, a form to request citizenship, and an agreement to have his abilities tested by the guild for three gold coins. But for every term he agreed to, there were three he refused to sign for. None of the terms were predatory per se, but he didn¡¯t see any reason to give the guild an annual ¡®membership fee¡¯, or permission to call upon him whenever a situation arose that they deemed ¡®suitable¡¯. He had no intention of becoming the guild¡¯s dog, no matter what benefits they offered in return. And there were a couple that caught his eye; Access to a twenty-four-hour gym, an onsite tailor and smithy that was advertised as ¡®the best in town¡¯, a permanent dwelling inside the dormitory, and a yearly salary of ten silver coins to start. Those could¡¯ve been appealing, but not at the expense of his freedom. ¡°Mr. Aldritch, I¡¯m afraid you must also sign this one.¡± Edward said, sliding a piece of paper in front of Aldritch. It was the guild membership form, which Aldritch had purposely left blank. ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± Aldritch replied while dropping the last piece of paper onto the desk. It was an estimate for the Ogre¡¯s corpse. The guild was offering to buy the entire body for one gold and seventy-five silver coins. ¡°I¡¯m also not agreeing with this. The corpse is worth at least four times as much as what you¡¯re offering.¡± Edward sucked in a breath and sighed out of irritation. ¡°If you plan to join the guild, then you must sign this form.¡± He said and waved the form in front of my face. ¡°Even a child would know this, Mr. Aldritch. So, sign the form.¡± He ordered, placing the piece of paper on the table between them and aggressively sliding it towards Aldritch. Aldritch glanced between the guild application and the man sitting in front of him. Then, with a neutral smile on his face, he lifted the sheet of paper off the table and tore it into four pieces. Aldritch slid the pieces of the application back across the table to Edward and said, ¡°Why are you offering me a fraction of what the ogre is worth?¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Edward shouted. He grabbed the pieces in his hand and waved them in front of Aldritch¡¯s face. ¡°What the hell were you thinking? Why would you do this?¡± He shouted again. The incredulity at what Aldritch had done drove Edward¡¯s stress levels through the ceiling and he could no longer contain his anger. Aldritch ignored his outburst and brought his attention to the receipt for the ogre¡¯s corpse. ¡°An Ogre¡¯s corpse is worth-¡± Edward snatched the receipt out of Aldritch¡¯s hand. ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about the Ogre!¡± He ripped up the receipt in front of Aldritch and slammed it on the table between them. ¡°Do you have any idea what you¡¯ve done? The amount of disrespect you¡¯ve shown the guild today. You¡¯ll be lucky if we even let you in after this!¡± He said, his anger skyrocketing because of the bored expression on Aldritch¡¯s face. ¡°Are you done?¡± Aldritch asked once Edward paused to take a breath. His question only angered the man even more than before. And Aldritch guessed by the color his face was turning, it wouldn¡¯t take much longer for him to explo- ¡°Get out.¡± Edward said through clenched teeth. ¡°You are no longer being considered for guild membership. If you do not leave the premises in five minutes, I¡¯ll have security remove you.¡± ¡°That was easier than I thought it¡¯d be. Weren¡¯t the servants of devils supposed to be master manipulators?¡± Oakairo said in a bemused tone. ¡°He¡¯s been on edge since he walked in, and he was blatantly antagonistic from the beginning. I doubt he¡¯s a direct servant, since no true devil servant would dare endanger their master¡¯s goals over such petty tricks. Only someone who doesn''t know the true horror of a devil, or a complete idiot would make such a mistake. Either way, I''m not sure we''ll get much out of him. Might be better off getting rid of him after all and save someone a headache later.¡± ¡°True. The ones you used to hunt were much more conniving than this one. They even fooled you a few times¡­ Ah, I''m sorry. That was unkind of me.¡± Oakairo said, feeling genuinely apologetic for speaking out of turn. ¡°Do not apologize, My Lord. You¡¯ve spoken only the truth.¡± Aldritch glanced over at Sulika for the briefest moment before holding out his hand for Edward to shake. ¡°Thank you for your time today. Hopefully, I¡¯ll be seeing you soon.¡± Aldritch told the man, who ignored his attempt to get a handshake. After standing with his hand extended for a few seconds, Aldritch dropped it to his side and turned to Sulika. ¡°Would you like me to wait with you?¡± He asked her. ¡°Final warning. Leave the premises or I¡¯ll have you dragged out.¡± Edward spat; his voice was so full of vitriol it slightly surprised Aldritch when it didn¡¯t trigger his poison resistance skill. Aldritch ignored the threat and continued watching Sulika. ¡°I appreciate the offer, but I think it¡¯ll be best for everyone if you leave. I¡¯ll see you at the store later, okay?¡± Sulika said. She didn¡¯t want to see any of the guards get hurt. They were only doing their jobs and didn¡¯t deserve whatever fate awaited them if they tried to forcibly remove Aldritch. ¡°Understood.¡± Aldritch said and smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯ll swing by the dormitory to collect some things and see you after you¡¯re done here.¡± ¡°The dormitory is guild property; you may not just waltz inside however you please!¡± Edward said¡­ And was pointedly ignored. Aldritch walked to the door and gently knocked on it to get the guard¡¯s attention. There was a loud *Clack* sound as the door was unlocked and they let Aldritch leave without a word. ¡°Hey!¡± Edward shouted at the two guards. He stood up and pointed a shaking finger at Aldritch¡¯s back. ¡°Have someone follow him until he¡¯s left the premises. And if he¡¯s still inside the guild in five minutes, I¡¯ll have the both of you fired for disobeying a direct order!¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Sulika gave the two male guards an apologetic look, but they both seemed more amused than angry. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± One of them said to the vice-master and gave him a sloppy salute before shutting the door and locking it¡­ There was a moment of awkward silence after the guard locked the door, during which neither Sulika nor Edward said anything. ¡°Do you know your sin?¡± Edward sighed. He tugged at the top button of his suit until it came undone and sat back in his chair. ¡°I disobeyed your orders.¡± ¡°You disobeyed my orders, exactly right- so you can listen.¡± Edward said. His voice was humorless, and Sulika could hear the undercurrent of anger that was just waiting to lash out at her. ¡°Do you remember what you said to me the day I agreed to give you command of your own squad?¡± He asked. ¡°That I would do anything to prove myself capable.¡± Sulika replied, looking down at the table. ¡°Not quite. You said you¡¯d follow any command I gave you to prove yourself. But that¡¯s not what you did, is it? You came to me with this-this, this idiotic and completely illegal plan to break into someone¡¯s private warehouse on the word of some untested oracle-¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t untested.¡± Sulika said, interrupting him. ¡°Look, I know she¡¯s your friend. But the fact of the matter is, there¡¯s an order to things. And no matter how accurate you say she is, without a certification of accuracy from the guild, she might as well be a sideshow psychic. Which is exactly what I told you when you first brought this case to me.¡± ¡°Her being my friend has nothing to do with it. Faeyra has a 90% accuracy rating-¡± ¡°According to you.¡± Edward interrupted. ¡°But if she¡¯s so accurate, why doesn¡¯t she work for the guild? You know, most oracles only have a 65% accuracy rating. If she really did have a 90%, as you claim, she¡¯d be the most powerful Oracle the guild has ever hired. Her salary would likely be more than the operating cost of an entire division¡­ If she could prove it. Yet she¡¯s never attempted to prove those claims to us, has she?¡± ¡°No.¡± Sulika replied through clenched teeth. ¡°Exactly right. But, on your word, I looked into her. And do you know what I found?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She¡¯s never been certified as an Oracle in the eyes of the guild. Or anyone else, as far as I can tell. Furthermore, her only work history is as a two-bit alchemist. You even helped pay for the shop she owns, correct?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. I helped purchase the building, yes. But the shop is all hers, and she works her ass off to keep it running.¡± Sulika adamantly replied. She was getting angry now. The vice-master could talk down to her all he wanted. She¡¯d messed up and will accept the punishment¡­ but Faeyra didn¡¯t deserve any of this. Edward stared at Sulika. His lips curled into an amused grin that irritated Sulika. ¡°So, that¡¯s a yes.¡± He said smugly. ¡°I understand the scheme now.¡± He said cryptically, which brought a confused look to Sulika¡¯s face. ¡°Intentionally or not, you¡¯ve been using guild funds to support your friend¡¯s business. And then, after funneling dozens of gold coins into her business, you tried to portray this friend as an Oracle to divert even more coins into her business. You¡¯re laundering the guild¡¯s money.¡± He said and leaned across the table so she couldn¡¯t escape his gaze. ¡°Just admit it so we can move on.¡± Sulika stared at him, and the confusion on her face was clear as day¡­ ¡°If I had a copper bit for every mile that leap of logic just crossed, I could retire today and still have enough funds to buy my great, great, great-granddaughter a house.¡± She said after a moment. ¡°First; I¡¯ve never stolen anything from the guild. Second; If I put money into the store, it was out of my own pocket.¡± ¡°Which you got from the guild.¡± Edward said, still keeping his smug grin. ¡°Yes, as part of my salary¡­ Which I earned. Or are you trying to say that money was loaned to me?¡± Sulika asked, her voice dropping because of irritation. While continuing to grin, Edward held up his hands in a placating gesture. ¡°Now, now, no need to get upset just because you got caught. Everyone gets caught eventually, no matter how much they try to hide the truth.¡± He pushed a sheet of paper across the table to her and tapped it twice with his index finger. ¡°Just sign this piece of paper, agree to pay us back, and I won¡¯t need to make a big deal out of this.¡± Sulika looked at the piece of paper and grit her teeth. It was the fine for six-hundred gold coins. It wasn¡¯t for Aldritch, it was for her¡­ ¡°He was planning to do this from the beginning. This little weasel never intended to let me explain.¡± Edward pushed a pen into her hand and tried to grab hold of her wrist, but Sulika jerked her hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Sulika snapped. The smile on Edward¡¯s face fell away. He roughly grabbed her wrist and forced it onto the paper. ¡°Sign it.¡± He told her. ¡°No.¡± Sulika said and shoved him away. She stood from the chair and reached for her sword¡­ Only to remember she still didn¡¯t have it on her. ¡°How about this- Sign it, and I¡¯ll let you and the rest of your team go on like normal? I won¡¯t even mention the insubordination to the guild master. Don¡¯t sign it and I¡¯ll sign this little piece of paper right here,¡± He said while pushing a ¡®letter of dismissal¡¯ in front of her. ¡°I¡¯ve already signed Zarud, Derrik Longhammer, Oladi Aspenspark, and Ralocan Whiteeagle¡¯s letters. But because of all the stress your¡­ friend has caused me today, I forgot to submit them. But if you agree to pay back the debt you owe us, then I¡¯d be happy to throw all five letters in the trash. What say you now?¡± Edward asked. He smiled at Sulika¡¯s frowning face and place his hand on top of hers. ¡±Do the right thing.¡± He whispered and gave her hand a squeeze¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I plan on it.¡± She muttered just loud enough for him to hear. She looked at him through predatory yellow eyes that looked nothing like the beautiful green Edward had been looking into just seconds ago. The rage and hatred barely contained within them sent a bolt of fear down Edward¡¯s spine, and he was quick to release her hand and sit back in his chair. Sulika stood after he released her hand and backed towards the door. Her glowing yellow eyes remained fixed on him, and try as she might, she couldn¡¯t move them. Edward had angered her more in the last few minutes than she¡¯d experienced in the last decade, and it was taking every ounce of self-control she possessed to maintain her form. She needed to leave- needed to find someplace dark and quiet to hide until she could get her heart rate back under control. She finally mustered the strength to pull her eyes away from him and knocked on the door with surprising strength for one so slight. The guards mistook her knocking for someone falling against the door and hurried to open it- only to freeze the moment Sulika¡¯s gaze caught them. Sulika thanked them for opening the door and left without so much as a glance in Edward¡¯s direction. She¡¯d known he was a greedy asshole before today, but she never would¡¯ve thought it was this bad. To hell with the guild, and to hell with Edward. There were other ways to accomplish her goal. The guild was just the most convenient one for her purposes¡­ She almost hesitated while walking out the front door of the guild building. What would she tell the others? Would they be upset with her for not saving their jobs, or would they understand? Chapter 5 - To a New Beginning (pt 3) Edward watched Sulika leave while keeping the grin firmly in place, but the moment she was gone and the door shut behind her, his face dropped. The exhaustion he felt was clear in the lines of his face, and the way his eyes seemed robbed of emotion. He hadn¡¯t slept in¡­ He honestly couldn¡¯t remember. Two days- three? He absently reached towards his throat and loosened his shirt once again. A nasty discoloration could be seen through the gaps in the collar of his shirt; the painful bruise was a constant reminder of last night¡¯s events¡­ ¡°Sir?¡± a door guard asked, grabbing Edward¡¯s attention. Edward quickly covered his bruise by dropping his head and staring at a piece of paper. ¡°What is it?¡± Edward asked. He lacked the energy to maintain his arrogant personality, so he didn¡¯t bother trying to fake it. He just wanted to get through this day and go to sleep. Didn¡¯t he deserve that after everything he¡¯d been through the last few days? ¡°Sorry to bother you. Just wanted to report that the Giant has finally left the premises. Should we send someone to follow him?¡± The guard asked. Edward recalled the horrified face of his master- sorry, his former master; Lord Bozzen; Viscount of the Misty Castle. Lord Bozzen had actually begged to be sent back. Can you believe that? A Devil had begged a lesser life form for aid. Edward didn¡¯t understand why his master would stoop to such a level before, but now¡­ Well, he¡¯d seen the fate that befell the master. ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t send anyone from the guild. Get someone from the outside to do it. Sulika is probably staying nearby, and if she spots anyone from the guild following the Giant, she¡¯ll surely warn him. I¡¯d prefer not to lose any of our own people on this. Understand?¡± ¡°Sir.¡± The guard nodded and shut the door. Once he was gone, Edward stood from his chair and walked to the window- a coughing fit hit him as he approached the window. His chest burned like someone lit a match inside his lungs. Once his coughing fit subsided, he looked up and frowned at the spattering of red on the window in front of him. He would need to get a janitor in here before the next meeting¡­ He spent a few minutes watching the crowd below while fear clawed at his guts. He wished the other shoe would drop already. He¡¯d fucked up- He knew it, his master knew it, and those dung licking vultures eyeing his position also knew it. The fact that his body was failing him was proof enough of his lord¡¯s displeasure. The main reason Edward hadn¡¯t fallen asleep as soon as he¡¯d got home last night was because he¡¯d been anxiously waiting for Lord Bozzen to contact him. Yes, he¡¯d seen the giant decapitate his master. But that meant nothing. Devils were immortal in the truest sense of the word; decapitate them, burn them, poison them, even dissolving them in acid did nothing to a true Devil. If their body were destroyed, their souls would simply return to the Demon realm and reform in a few hours. He could still vividly recall Lord Bozzen showing such power when Edward and his old Dungeon Closing team first swore their allegiance to Lord Bozzen fourteen years ago. While they each had their own reasons, the promise of immortality was the driving reason behind Edward selling his soul to the Viscount. Sure, his current self looked nothing like he did in the past, but Edward was a staunch supporter of the guild in his youth¡­ And then he was diagnosed with stage three lung cancer. Ten years he¡¯d been closing dungeons for the guild. And all it took was one word from the healer¡¯s association for the guild to abandon him. They determined he was too much of a safety risk to keep on the closing team after his diagnosis, since they never knew when he would succumb to the disease eating him alive and bound him to a desk for the rest of his career. He used what he knew of the dungeons- as well as a few¡­ Less than honorable contacts he¡¯d made during his dungeon delving days to climb his way to the rank of Vice-Master of the hunter¡¯s guild and the rest, as they say, is history. ¡°A year of carefully laid plans, gone. Ruined because that bitch Sulika couldn¡¯t leave well enough alone.¡± Edward sighed. ¡°I should¡¯ve killed her when I had the chance and just told the Guild Master she died while exploring a dungeon.¡± He left the office and headed for the front entrance of the guild, determined to put this day behind him and get on with his life. He left word with the front desk to have someone clean the windows in the office before heading home for the day. Edward lived in an upscale townhome a few blocks from the guild. It was a modest two-story building with a large front yard and a basement that he¡¯d thankfully managed to keep off of all ¡®official¡¯ blueprints. He¡¯d paid through the nose in gold and silver coins to ensure it had all the amenities and security someone of his standing deserved. The front yard was expertly curated to be as aesthetically pleasing as possible; fruit trees, stone benches, a small fountain, and over a dozen species of flower came together to relax- and distract- anyone who set foot past Edward¡¯s privacy fence. Once the construction was done, he¡¯d erected his own warding system around his yard to ensure no one entered without his knowledge. He tied the wards to a stone he kept on his keyring so he could monitor his property. He kept his head down the entire walk home, only looking up when someone greeted him by name. He¡¯d made a number of friends over the years. All were human, of course. He hoped he could convince them to join him in worshiping the Devils. It was the only way they would survive what was to come, and if they refused, then he would mourn their demise¡­ Probably. He soon reached the fence surrounding his property. Looking around, he noted the houses across the street and on either side of his property were dark. An oddity for this time of day, but not unheard of. He pulled his keys out of his pocket in a fluid motion and brought the key to the lock on his iron gate. He checked the wards while pretending to unlock it- ¡°The wards are detecting someone inside the house¡­ How surprising, I thought he¡¯d be dead already.¡± Edward finally twisted the key, which momentarily disabled the alarm ward built into the foundation of the house and stepped through the gate. Once inside the property line, he re-engaged the lock on the gate, which had the secondary effect of resetting the wards so he would continue to be alerted of trespassers throughout the night. He weaved his way around his garden and climbed the three steps leading to his front door. He stepped inside and immediately took off his jacket and shoes, dropping both on a small wooden bench beside the door. He walked into the kitchen, made himself three beef tongue sandwiches, and grabbed a bottle of wine before heading down a spiral staircase to the basement. The first thing he saw upon reaching the bottom of the stairs was a wide-open room with a small forge on one side, a few electrical saws and a carpentry desk on the other, and a small bed at the back of the room for when he couldn¡¯t be bothered to make it back to his bedroom on the second floor. Edward ignored all of this and headed for an iron door set into the wall behind the staircase. The door was hard to see under normal circumstances. The shadows cast by the staircase did a wonderful job of making the black iron door fade from sight. As Edward approached the door, a soft whimpering reached his ears. A smile came unbidden to his face, and he pushed open the door with a hard shove that caused the door to slam into the wall with a deafening *bang!* Edward stalked into the room with his dinner in hand and greeted the man kneeling in the center of the room; Heavy wooden braces kept his hands from leaving the floor and a bronze collar fastened to his neck kept him from lifting his head more than a few inches off the ground. The man was bloodied and had been beaten within an inch of his life, but Edward ignored him and headed for the small, single person table to one side of the room. Edward placed his plate of sandwiches and bottle of wine on the table before looking at the man whose face was covered in a disgusting mixture of blood, snot, and tears. The man- Douglas Shetland; was an ambitious, if simple-minded, hunter. He was also Edward¡¯s eighth disciple¡­ But that¡¯s not why he¡¯s here. Edward turned his head to the back of the room and spent a few seconds watching the projection playing against the wall, which was the only thing Douglas had done since Edward left him there. There was a magical orb hanging from the ceiling of the room that acted as a projector. After¡­ ¡®asking¡¯ Douglas to explain himself after showing up on his front door last night, Edward extracted his memories of the events leading up to Sulika¡¯s warehouse assault, to the moment he stumbled through his door in a disheveled mess. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Needless to say, Edward wasn¡¯t happy with what he saw, and he focused his displeasure on poor Douglas. Edward couldn¡¯t lay all the blame at Douglas¡¯ feet. Most of it fell on Sulika¡¯s shoulders, for obvious reasons, and the shoulders of the other cultists for not heeding Douglas¡¯ warning. But the other cultists were either dead or gone, and Sulika was similarly out of reach at the moment. Meanwhile¡­ Edward kicked Douglas in the side with bone crushing force and laughed at the cry of pain that spilled from his lips. ¡°I met the giant today.¡± Edward said, while picking up a sandwich. ¡°Sulika brought him to the guild. Can you believe it?¡± He asked and got only a few pained whimpers in return. ¡°Your memories didn¡¯t do him justice. He is big,¡± Edward laughed. ¡°But I¡¯ve dealt with bigger men before. It¡¯s just a matter of finding out his strengths, his weaknesses. Once I have those, the big man will be nothing more than a puppet dancing in the palm of my hand¡­¡± He sighed and looked at Douglas. ¡°What do you thi-*Cough!*¡± The coughing fit came on stronger than any before it. Edward¡¯s sandwich hit the floor a second before the blood droplets falling from his mouth. Edward gasped for breath in between coughs. He felt like someone was sitting on his chest and sucking the very life from him- Edward dropped to his knees in a pool of Douglas¡¯ blood and tried his best to get his breathing back under control. Seconds turned to minutes as Edward kneeled in the blood with his eyes closed. The only thing denoting the passage of time were the near-silent whimpers escaping from Douglas¡¯ mouth¡­ *Ding-Dong~* Edward¡¯s eyes snapped open at the sound of his doorbell. He wondered which idiot would visit him today of all days. The alarm ward hadn¡¯t gone off, so it had to have been someone with a key to the gate. But he wasn¡¯t supposed to meet with any of those assholes for another week¡­ ¡°Then again, they might be here to discuss the utter disaster of last night.¡± Knowing the possibility of such a thing was quite high, Edward sighed and dragged his exhausted body up the stairs to the front door. He fixed his clothes as best he could, but he was still wheezing, and no doubt had blood on him. But honestly, who cares at this point? There were only a few people who could be on the other side of that door, and none of them gave a damn if he was covered in blood- his own or otherwise. With that in mind, Edward twisted the handle and pulled open the door- and his brain went totally blank at the absolute impossibility standing before him. Aldritch stared down at Edward, a knowing smile playing across his lips. The iron gate Edward placed so much faith in was lying in a crumpled heap against Edward¡¯s apple tree, which explained how Aldritch got in without setting off the alarm. The alarm ward was tied to the metal of the gate¡­ Which Aldritch had broken like a child¡¯s toy. With his wards shattered, and his stomach dropping like a stone in a lake, Edward looked into Aldritch¡¯s eyes and uttered only a single word. ¡°Why?¡± He didn¡¯t get the chance to make another sound as Aldritch¡¯s left hand covered his mouth and lifted him off the ground in a single, fluid motion. Aldritch carried a struggling Edward into the house and quietly shut the door behind him. Once inside, Aldritch placed Edward back on his feet and forced him to look into Aldritch¡¯s eyes. ¡°Where¡¯s the other person?¡± Aldritch asked. Edward¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. How could the giant know about Douglas? Did he follow that idiot here? Had he been stalking around, waiting for his opportunity to act since last night? None of these thoughts were even close to being true. Aldritch had simply used Dragon¡¯s Eye to follow Edward from the guild. By Iolara¡¯s standards, Dragon¡¯s Eye was a seventh level spell and easily pierced the third level wards Edward built around his house. The trouble with Dragon¡¯s Eye was it could not discern which level of a building someone was on, since it looked down on the world from high above. Edward thought about refusing to answer, but he could guess what the giant would do if he thought he was lying. Edward pointed a shaky finger at the door leading to the basement- Aldritch didn¡¯t hesitate. He lifted Edward by the face and carried him down to the basement, where he quickly spotted the door Edward had thought he¡¯d so carefully hidden. Aldritch opened the door with a light shove, spotted the man kneeling on the floor, and shoved Edward inside. Edward collapsed onto his backside in a pool of Douglas¡¯ blood while Aldritch took two steps and arrived at Douglas¡¯ side. Edward watched Aldritch do a cursory inspection of his disciple and ran through a view scenario in his head- ¡°You¡¯ll die the moment you get up.¡± Aldritch said without looking away from Douglas. ¡°Take my advice and wait patiently for your death. You¡¯ll feel less pain that way.¡± ¡°My life is pain.¡± Edward laughed. ¡°What more do you think you can possibly do to me, huh? Look at me; I¡¯ve got one foot in the grave already, and my master has apparently abandoned me after my dumbass disciple over there allowed you to hurt him. So, really, what the fuck are you gonna do?¡± He said before devolving into a laughing fit that showed just how mad the pain and lack of sleep had driven him. Aldritch stood from Douglas¡¯ body and walked over to Edward. ¡°You did too much damage when you were interrogating him. He¡¯s dead.¡± Aldritch said, his face and voice entirely devoid of emotion. ¡°Good. May the master have mercy on his soul.¡± Edward said, his laughing fit subsiding beneath Aldritch¡¯s stare. Aldritch crouched down and looked Edward in the eye. ¡°You keep mentioning a ¡®master¡¯. Who are you speaking of?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know?¡± Edward grinned, oblivious to his blood-stained teeth, and the maddened gleam in his eye. ¡°You¡¯re useless like this¡­¡± Aldritch shook his head. ¡°Shield of the Heretic.¡± Aldritch muttered and watched as a semi-transparent liquid poured forth from between the gaps in the stone floor and swallowed Edward¡¯s body. The sight and feel of the liquid caused Edward to panic¡­ At first. But he quickly calmed down as he recognized the spell Aldritch had cast, even if the name was slightly different, its appearance was unmistakable. Shield of the Faithful was a third level cleric¡¯s spell that isolated the target from the world, protecting them from harm while slowly healing their wounds. ¡°You¡¯re pathetic.¡± Edward laughed. ¡°A Cleric? I was scared of a fucking Cleric? Oh, how far I¡¯ve fallen. Get this shit off of me before I rip your head off.¡± Edward said, his embarrassment and anger causing his voice to pitch lower than normal. ¡°What is your master¡¯s name?¡± Aldritch asked, ignoring the threat. ¡°Fuck off-AHHH!¡± Edward screamed as the bones in his left leg shattered. He looked down at the mangled mess of his leg and screamed again. The magic shield covering him had collapsed around his leg, flattening it until the bones were reduced to dust and his flesh popped like a balloon. But that wasn¡¯t all it did. No, because the instant his leg popped, the shield amputated the leg and then healed the open wound to keep Edward from just bleeding out on the spot. ¡°What the fuck did you do to me!?¡± Edward wailed. ¡°What is your master¡¯s name?¡± Aldritch asked again. Neither his expression, nor his voice had changed since the first time he asked¡­ It was at that moment Edward realized the man- no, the monster in front of him felt nothing over what he¡¯d just done. And if Edward didn¡¯t answer the question to the giant¡¯s satisfaction, he would feel nothing over what he¡¯d do next. ¡°Bozzen! My master¡¯s name is Bozzen! Please don¡¯t hurt me again!¡± Edward cried and tried to crawl away, but the shield kept him rooted in place before Aldritch¡¯s watchful eye. ¡°Do we know of this, Bozzen?¡± Aldritch asked Oakairo. ¡°I believe it¡¯s the name of the Devil you killed when you first met Sulika... Oh, He doesn¡¯t realize his master is truly dead- Which is sad, really. He thinks he was abandoned. Aldritch, you should tell him the truth before you send him off. It¡¯s not good for a soul to carry that kind of baggage into the underworld.¡± Aldritch reached out a hand and gently placed it on Edward¡¯s head. ¡°Your master didn¡¯t abandon you.¡± He muttered in a voice meant to soothe small animals and children. Edward said nothing- not out of acceptance or curiosity, but because his body was in shock because of the loss of blood, otherwise he would¡¯ve cried, ¡°What do you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure if I hadn¡¯t destroyed that Devil¡¯s soul, he would¡¯ve contacted you after returning to the Demon world, so¡­ Trust me, and go into the next life with a clear conscience. You weren¡¯t abandoned, Edward Diniel. Your master is just dead.¡± Aldritch said and offered Edward a gentle smile. ¡°What the fuck are you talking abo-¡± Edward¡¯s voice was silenced as the Shield of the Heretic collapsed across his entire body. The Vice-Master of the Hunters guild vanished before Aldritch¡¯s serpentine eyes, leaving only a pool of blood and a few strands of hair behind. ¡°Thoughts?¡± Aldritch asked Oakairo after exiting the room and moving towards the stairs. ¡°Someone will eventually come by to check on the Vice-Master. Leave a scrying ward on the room so we can monitor who comes by. Who knows, maybe it''ll lead us to the other cultists, and he''ll prove more useful in death than he was in life.¡± Aldritch grunted his agreement cast a basic, fifth level scrying ward around the room. The moment someone came to investigate the room, he would know. ¡°Hey, do you think the elven mortal will give us more chocolate milk if you ask?¡± ¡°Probably. And even if she doesn¡¯t, I can just do some more work in her shop and go buy us a few gallons.¡± ¡°Good. You should do that.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± Aldritch replied and headed towards The Fancy Dryad. Chapter 5 - To a New Beginning (pt 4) Aldritch, Sulika, and Faeyra stood in the shop area of The Fancy Dryad. Aldritch and Faeyra leaned against the counter while Sulika sat on an empty display table across from them. There was a somewhat somber mood in the air, though it was muted by the sight of the almost seven-foot tall Aldritch sipping on a pint of chocolate milk. Faeyra was thoroughly amused by the sight. She¡¯d known hundreds of dwarves over her two centuries of life, and none of them would¡¯ve ever been caught dead with a ¡®child¡¯s¡¯ drink. But Aldritch didn¡¯t seem to care. In fact, he¡¯d actually turned down her first offer of a seventy-five-year-old, self-brewed, dark liquor in favor of said ¡®child¡¯s¡¯ drink. Sulika was still too upset to find amusement in the giant¡¯s choice of drink. But the oddity of seeing a grown man so infatuated with chocolate milk, of all things, was keeping most of her thoughts at bay. She wasn¡¯t sure why. Maybe it was something like culture shock? Regardless, she was thankful for his presence. ¡°We should get a cow,¡± Oakairo muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible right now, my Lord. Funds aside, raising cattle requires a lot of time and effort, and for now, we have an abundance of neither.¡± ¡°No, I understand that. But just think about it- all the milk we can drink!¡± ¡°Sadly, I don¡¯t think it quite works that way,¡± Aldritch replied, also disappointed by what he was saying. He¡¯d always wanted a pet, but between his duties as a priest, his duty as a representative of the Dwarven nation, and the death of the known world. He¡¯d never really gotten around to getting one¡­ Maybe he should get a dog? ¡°You¡¯re right, of course.¡± Oakairo sighed. ¡°But one day, after I¡¯ve gotten my powers back, I¡¯m going to make us a cow that produces infinite milk- No! Infinite Chocolate milk. Won¡¯t that be grand?¡± Aldritch smiled at Oakairo¡¯s enthusiasm. It was nice to hear joy in his lord¡¯s voice again. It¡¯d been a long time since either of them had cause to be joyful¡­ Aldritch looked to Sulika and mentally devoted his next glass of Chocolaty goodness to her honor. ¡°So, what¡¯re you going to do now?¡± Faeyra asked, bringing her own glass to her lips and taking a sip. The liquor was the same one she¡¯d originally offered to Aldritch; a seventy-five-year-old honey and vanilla infused blend that made her toes curl with every sip. She wouldn¡¯t normally take her time with liquor, since the burn wasn¡¯t her favorite. But the current mood made her want to savor the little things¡­ Even if it heated her insides more than she¡¯d ever admit. Sulika was holding her own drink on her lap and watching her reflection in the amber liquid. Faeyra had also offered her a glass of her brew, but Sulika wasn¡¯t a fan of dark liquors. She¡¯d much rather have ale, rum, or regular old beer. At least they didn¡¯t leave her feeling like someone beat her brain in with a hammer the next day. Sulika shrugged. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. I guess I could start applying to other guilds in the morning. The commute¡¯s going to suck, but what else can I do?¡± Aldritch paused mid-drink and looked at Sulika. ¡°Other guilds?¡± ¡°Right, sorry.¡± Sulika sighed. ¡°While the only guild in Auris is the hunters guild, there are other guilds out there. There are two more on Azuris Island- the ¡®Shadow¡¯s Rage¡¯ over in Ventihold, and the ¡®Illusions of Devotion¡¯ in Impercall. Both are small sized guilds, but at least they aren¡¯t run by the government. Hopefully, that means I¡¯ll be able to negotiate a more favorable contract with one of them.¡± ¡°The hunters guild is a government institution? I didn¡¯t realize.¡± Aldritch replied, looking genuinely interested in the topic. This was the first time Sulika had seen such a look on Aldritch¡¯s face, and she wasn¡¯t sure how to deal with him staring at her so intently. It wasn¡¯t that she felt an attraction to him¡­ Well, she didn¡¯t think she did, anyway. But she really didn¡¯t enjoy being stared at. ¡°Yep, it is. Some form of the hunters guild exists on every island across the world. And they always exist as a branch of the local governance.¡± Faeyra said, drawing Aldritch¡¯s attention away from Sulika- much to her friend¡¯s relief. ¡°Privately owned guilds also exist on almost every island, but aside from a handful of super large guilds, almost none have the resources or power to compete with the hunters guild.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­ And what is required to start a guild?¡± Aldritch asked and went for another drink while he waited on an answer. ¡°Why? Thinking of starting your own?¡± Faeyra asked. Her face was smiling, but her voice told Aldritch she was merely humoring the question. ¡°Depends on what¡¯s involved. I¡¯d certainly rather work for myself than someone else.¡± Aldritch replied. ¡°You can probably forget it.¡± Sulika sighed. ¡°Believe me, I¡¯m with you on wanting to work for myself. But if it were just a matter of filling out a few forms, everyone would have their own guild. The problem comes from the gods.¡± ¡°The gods? What do they have to do with this?¡± Aldritch asked. He was aware of the existence of Iolara¡¯s gods, but he knew next to nothing about them. But the concept of many gods wasn¡¯t foreign to him; Mag ¨¢rsa had over a thousand gods at one time. Though most faded from their followers dying out, a few evolved or merged with other gods, as their follower¡¯s beliefs changed. Though, in the end, even they faded into nonexistence after the world fell to ruin. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Complicated.¡± Sulika said, showing clear unwillingness to get into such a lengthy topic tonight. ¡°The short version is quite simple, though.¡± Faeyra suggested. ¡°You need a god to sponsor you in order to form a guild. And since you¡¯re a returner, there¡¯s a good chance no god will sponsor you creating a guild of your own. Now, if you were to apply to an existing guild- that¡¯s a different story entirely. Returnees are usually snatched up as soon as Thaniea detects them. I can only assume the reason someone hasn¡¯t already contacted you is because Azuris Island is about as far from ¡®civilization¡¯ as you can get.¡± Faeyra said, flashing Aldritch an amused grin. ¡°We¡¯re a bunch of hillbillies compared to the people on the main line.¡± Aldritch looked like he wanted to ask what Faeyra meant by ¡®main line,¡¯ so Sulika cut him off before he could ask. ¡°The main line is what we outlanders call the main bundle of Islands, which surrounds the home of the gods. Azuris Island is isolated. But the main line is connected by enchanted chains, which allow the islands to travel together, rather than separate entities.¡± ¡°How fascinating.¡± Aldritch mumbled. He tried to imagine the size of the chains necessary to hold entire islands together. What materials did they use? How were they anchored? Who forged the chains, and did they overlay the enchants with each fold of the metal, or did they come in afterwards and inscribe all the enchantments at once? ¡°I don¡¯t see an issue with you forming a guild.¡± Oakairo said, drawing Aldritch¡¯s mind back to the topic at hand. ¡°Could you sponsor the guild?¡± Aldritch asked. He¡¯d been thinking it needed to be a god native to Iolara, but if that wasn¡¯t the case¡­ Wasn¡¯t this the perfect situation? ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. Ask them.¡± ¡°Can any god be a guild sponsor, or does it have to be a specific god?¡± Aldritch asked. ¡°As far as I¡¯m aware, any god can sponsor a guild.¡± Sulika said while continuing to stare into her drink. She hadn¡¯t taken so much as a sip since she got it, and it¡¯d gone disappointingly flat. ¡°There are no requirements of age, power level, or follower count. The only requirement is an ability to wield godly magic¡­ Wait-¡± Sulika¡¯s eyes widened. She hadn¡¯t thought about it before, but Aldritch was a Cleric- wasn¡¯t he? And Clerics had to have the backing of a god. It was practically a law of the universe. Without a god, a Cleric couldn¡¯t use their magic. ¡°You¡¯re a cleric.¡± Sulika whispered while looking straight at Aldritch. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I am.¡± Aldritch agreed. ¡°You are?¡± Faeyra asked and got a nod from Aldritch in return. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a returnee cleric before. Did you meet a god in the other world?¡± Aldritch thought it over for a second before nodding. He¡¯d known Oakairo for as long as he could remember, but she didn¡¯t ask when he met his Lord. Only where. ¡°Did¡­ Did the god follow you here?¡± Sulika asked. She was holding her glass in a white knuckled grip, and her heart rate nearly doubled. She wasn¡¯t sure what she was feeling, Hope? Fear? Regret? Nothing was clear, especially not after everything she¡¯d been through recently. Once upon a time, Sulika had sought a god and attempted to form her own guild, but of the two gods who even deigned to give her an audience, neither of them listened to her once they found out what she wanted. Would Aldritch¡¯s God be the same? Would her desires continue to go unfulfilled, or would she know hope thanks to some unknown being? ¡°Yes.¡± Aldritch said after a few moments. ¡°Would you like to meet my Lord?¡± He asked and looked between Sulika and Faeyra for confirmation. Tentatively, they both nodded. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°Of course, now¡­ How did this work again?¡± Oakairo jokingly said. It¡¯d been a long, long time since he¡¯d last spoken to anyone other than Aldritch. He only hoped they didn¡¯t die; that would be wholly inconvenient. Sulika and Faeyra¡¯s breath caught in their throats as Aldritch¡¯s entire being changed in the blink of an eye- literally. One second the giant Aldritch was standing before them with his dark red hair, bluish-gray skin, and a gentle smile- but the irresistible urge to blink overcame the two women, and when they opened their eyes, Aldritch was gone. In his place was an eight-foot-tall woman in a semi-transparent gown. Her body, while still curvy enough to be feminine, was covered in lean muscles designed for explosive movement. Waist length silver and gold hair sparkled beneath the store lights, and her incandescent lilac eyes watched the two women for their reaction. Like Aldritch, Oakairo¡¯s pupils were serpentine¡­ Unlike Aldritch, Oakairo¡¯s pupils were silver, not black. Oakairo looked down at their body and made a surprised noise. ¡°How odd.¡± Sulika and Faeyra stared at the living god standing before them. Their brains had short-circuited the moment an almost seven-foot-tall man turned into a somehow even taller woman. But the sound of her voice; deep, feminine, and¡­ perfect had only pushed their minds further into a state of absolute panic- Oakairo coughed into their hand, and just like that, the two women came back to their senses. ¡°I apologize for that. It¡¯s been a while since I manifested in front of someone other than Aldritch. I had to adjust my veil more than I first thought- again, you have my apologies.¡± ¡°You look different,¡± Aldritch said from deep within Oakairo¡¯s mind. ¡°That¡¯s to be expected. My form is tied to the beliefs of those who worship me, and right now, it''s not just you anymore. Their belief is also affecting my appearance. Honestly, I would''ve been more surprised if I didn¡¯t look different from what you¡¯re used to.¡± Oakairo replied, only realizing after they¡¯d spoken that the two women couldn¡¯t hear Aldritch. ¡°I wasn¡¯t speaking to either of you.¡± Oakairo explained and tapped on the side of their head. ¡°Aldritch is in here, just as I always exist inside his mind.¡± Neither Sulika nor Faeyra knew how to respond to that, so they didn¡¯t question it. ¡°What¡¯d he say?¡± Faeyra asked, desperately wanting to ask about a thousand questions, but not wanting to offend the God standing in her store. ¡°He mentioned my appearance has changed. He¡¯s correct, of course. Though-¡± Oakairo twisted at the waist and looked down at their own backside. ¡°I must say, I don¡¯t actually mind the change.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure the change wasn¡¯t all that drastic. Did you change your hair or¡­ something?¡± Sulika asked while smiling nervously. She had the feeling if she didn¡¯t say something- anything soon, her poor heart would give out. ¡°Technically, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what he was referring to. I didn¡¯t used to look like a human.¡± ¡°Oh, that is pretty drastic. What were you, a dwarf?¡± Faeyra asked. She tried to picture the gorgeous woman standing before her in a horned helmet with a battle axe draped over one shoulder, a cocky grin on her face, and her body covered in the blood of her enemies¡­ ¡°Honestly- not bad.¡± Faeyra arched an eyebrow and looked Oakairo up and down. ¡°No. I was a seven-hundred-foot-long dragon.¡± Oakairo replied while cupping their breasts together and releasing them. They were somewhat enjoying the way their chest jiggled with every drop. Likewise, they were completely oblivious to the effect their words and actions were having on the two women standing in front of them¡­ ¡°Oh! That reminds me.¡± Oakairo exclaimed and stepped forward, crossing the distance between them and Sulika in a single step. Sulika flinched at the sudden movement but couldn¡¯t find it in her to actually move away. Oakairo lightly grabbed her hand and brought it to their lips. Their gold and silver hair fell to cover most of their face, save for a single eye that bored into Sulika¡¯s soul. Sulika felt a crisp, cooling sensation penetrate her skin at the place Oakairo¡¯s lips made contact. ¡°You have the pleasure of standing before the apex of all races. My name is Oakairo; the Dragon God of Pride, Herald of Destruction, King of the Golden Mountain, and oldest of the Dragons of Chaos and Order. You have treated my high priest with compassion and shown him kindness when you didn¡¯t have to. For that, you will have my eternal gratitude.¡± With their piece said, Oakairo dropped a stupefied Sulika¡¯s hand and moved to Faeyra¡¯s side. ¡°And as for you¡­¡± Oakairo said, their voice dropping to a level that made Faeyra weak in the knees- There was a sudden shift in the air around Faeyra. Before she realized it, Oakairo had been replaced by Aldritch, who looked on with an amused grin on his face. ¡°Damn it, ran out of power.¡± Oakairo sighed. ¡°Why does your magic resistance have to be so damn high? I could possess the last high priest for days on end, but with you, it''s like trying to stop the flow of a river with a single spoon.¡± ¡°My Lord wishes to apologize for leaving so abruptly. But they ran out of power and had to relinquish control back to me... Sorry for interrupting your moment,¡± Aldritch said, still clearly amused by the sight of a red-faced Faeyra. ¡°No-uh-no worries.¡± Faeyra replied in a breathy voice. ¡°I can see why you weren¡¯t interested in my body before.¡± She muttered. But Faeyra didn¡¯t sound disappointed, jealous or even envious. No, she was in absolute awe of Oakairo¡¯s appearance. ¡°Actually, that was the first time I¡¯d ever seen that form. I¡¯ve always known Oakairo to have a male form, though I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be surprised they could also have a feminine one. The divine dragons of Mag ¨¢rsa were supposed to be genderless beings, born from the very magics that created the world.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll have you know I was the most attractive of all my siblings. Regardless of what form I take, I¡¯m always perfect.¡± Oakairo huffed, their voice coming across the bond as pouty and unsatisfied to Aldritch¡­ Not that he would ever say that to his Lord. ¡°So, do you think we¡¯ll be able to form a guild as we are now?¡± Aldritch asked, ignoring Oakairo''s grumbled protests. ¡°Well,¡± Sulika began while trying to get her mind back on track after Oakairo thoroughly derailed it. ¡°I think we¡¯ll need a few more people, but I don¡¯t see why not? Once we have at least five people, we¡¯ll just need to make a trip to the governor¡¯s office and pay the seven gold creation fees.¡± ¡°Perfect! To the guild!¡± Aldritch laughed. He raised his glass of chocolate milk to the two women and downed the rest without waiting for them to respond. Faeyra and Sulika glanced at each other, shrugged, then repeated his cheer and downed their own drinks in a single gulp. It wasn¡¯t finalized yet, but maybe their future wasn¡¯t as bleak as Sulika had feared? Besides, she had a pretty good idea where they could find a few more people to join them. She would need to contact them about the possibility of signing on tomorrow after a trip to the hunters guild. The Guild Master was supposed to return from the main line tonight, so hopefully she could get a meeting with him tomorrow. If she was lucky, she could get to him before the Vice-Master¡¯s letters reached his desk and hopefully save her teammates¡¯ jobs. There was no hope for her. She understood that, but they shouldn¡¯t be blamed for following orders. That way, even if they turn her down and refuse to join the new guild, they¡¯ll still be taken care of¡­ Now, how to convince the Guild Master. That was the question. Chapter 6 - The Guild Master (pt 1) The obnoxious song of a thousand cicadas looking for love filtered through Sulika¡¯s open window. With bleary eyes, a messy head of hair, and a line of dried drool on her face, Sulika came out of her alcohol induced sleep with a yawn. Oddly enough, despite drinking well into the night, Sulika didn¡¯t feel hungover¡­ In fact, she couldn¡¯t remember when she¡¯d last felt this good in the morning. She twisted at the waist, rotated her shoulders, and turned her head from side to side as a test- her body moved just fine. Which was extremely suspicious. Sulika fought for a living; there wasn¡¯t a day that went by without something aching. She shucked her blanket off her legs and climbed out of bed- a flash of creamy flesh froze her in her tracks. She slowly looked down, hoping she was wrong and the breeze she was feeling was because the room was just drafty¡­ But no, she wasn¡¯t so lucky. Sulika stood beside her bed in a t-shirt and nothing else. She cast an apprehensive glance back at her bed and found it empty. A wave of relief swept through her so quickly, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh out loud. Finding herself half-naked was one thing, but if she¡¯d accidentally slept with someone after passing out last night- well, she didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d do- ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake. Good. Breakfast is ready.¡± Aldritch said from outside her room. Her door wasn¡¯t open, and hadn¡¯t been so much as cracked since she woke up, so how did he know she was awake? Suddenly realizing her priorities were slightly askew, Sulika¡¯s entire body flushed at the sound of his voice. She yanked her blanket off the bed and hurriedly wrapped it around her body to save whatever modesty she had left. ¡°Aldritch?¡± Sulika called. ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but- uh- what are you doing in my house?¡± ¡°No offense taken.¡± He called back through the door. ¡°Are you modest?¡± Sulika looked down at her blanket covered form, shrugged, then said, ¡°Good enough.¡± In as confident a voice as she could manage. The blanket was dark gray, and about as far from transparent as you could get. So, it would do for the moment. She needed answers¡­ And if they had done what she feared, then he¡¯d already seen everything, anyway. ¡°Mind if I open the door?¡± He asked. She noted she couldn¡¯t discern anything from his voice. He was speaking calmly, and his words flowed as they always did. If he felt anything at this moment, she couldn¡¯t tell. Which actually went a long way to soothing her worries, since if they had done anything, he damn well would¡¯ve felt something over it. ¡°Sure, why not.¡± Sulika replied and sat back down on her bed. She folded one leg over the other and sat as comfortably as she could, given the circumstances. Aldritch opened the door and stepped aside to let Snowball fly through the door at mach munchkin. He laughed at the bird¡¯s exuberance and stepped into the room while Snowball perched on the foot of the bed and angrily squawked at Sulika. ¡°Hey, buddy.¡± Sulika laughed. She reached out and lightly ran her fingers down his back. Snowball leaned into her touch but continued to yell at her for a few more seconds. ¡°What¡¯s up with him?¡± She asked Aldritch. ¡°You threw up on him.¡± Aldritch replied. He leaned against the doorframe and smiled at the horrified expression on Sulika¡¯s face. ¡°Oh, my poor baby!¡± Sulika shouted. She held out her arm to Snowball, who hopped onto her forearm without hesitation and eagerly received the love and affection she began showering upon him. ¡°He doesn¡¯t smell like vomit.¡± Sulika said after calming Snowball down. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Aldritch replied. He was still leaning against her wall; his arms were folded across his massive chest, and he seemed to be watching Sulika with an intensity she wasn¡¯t used to. ¡°Maybe we did sleep together¡­¡± ¡°Whatever you¡¯re thinking we did- we didn¡¯t.¡± Aldritch said, taking a guess at her thoughts based on the concerned expression on her face. ¡°Ah¡­ That- That¡¯s good.¡± Sulika replied and cleared her throat. ¡°Then, if we didn¡¯t do that. Why am I not wearing pants?¡± Aldritch deliberately glanced down at the blanket covering her legs. A sly grin spread across his face before he backed out of the room. He returned a few moments later with her pants and underwear, both of which had been neatly folded, and sat them on the bed next to her. Aldritch watched Sulika¡¯s face pale before he replied, ¡°You were pretty sick last night. Well, you and Faeyra. I got Faeyra to tell me where your bedroom was before she fell asleep, and I carried you both up here. I used ¡®Purify¡¯ on your clothes, and ¡®Lesser Regeneration¡¯ on your bodies to prevent a hangover and went back downstairs. Faeyra stumbled downstairs about an hour ago, naked as the day she was born with your clothes in hand and demanded to know what I did to the two of you. It was... Certainly, an experience.¡± Aldritch explained with an amused grin on his face. Sulika looked completely mortified at the end of his explanation. The nonchalant way he explained it all made it even worse. He was technically a stranger to them. Yet, not only had he seen them both at their most vulnerable. They had even forced him to take care of them! ¡°I am so-so sorry.¡± Sulika said, dropping her head and bowing to Aldritch. ¡°I don¡¯t know how, but I promise I¡¯ll-¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Aldritch said and interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. Promises were a big deal to dwarves. Your life was only as good as your word in a dwarf clan, and promises weren¡¯t to be taken lightly. ¡°I¡¯m a cleric, remember?¡± He explained. ¡°Taking care of the sick and injured is part of the job. No need to pay me back- Unless you plan to give me some more chocolate milk, in which case, I¡¯ll absolutely accept.¡± He said and smiled. He hoped he hadn¡¯t gone too far again. He still wasn¡¯t used to speaking with people¡­ Well, living people, anyway. Sulika stared at him for a long moment before her body relaxed, and she smiled. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Aldritch replied. ¡°Now, get dressed and come downstairs for breakfast. We have a long day ahead of us, and you¡¯re going to need the energy.¡± He said before ducking out of the room and disappearing around the corner. Sulika couldn¡¯t suppress a yawn and sighed as she fell backwards. She pulled the blanket around her body to save warmth and closed her eyes- Aldritch¡¯s departing words finally sunk in and the events of last night came flooding back; Meeting a god, agreeing to found a guild, the decision to contact her team and the Guild Master. ¡°Fuck.¡± She sighed and rolled out of bed. A few minutes later, Sulika entered the dining room while pulling her hair into a low ponytail. She found Faeyra sitting in her usual spot with half a mountain of food on the table in front of her, while she explained the finer details of bottle management to Aldritch. Aldritch was once again standing off to the side because of his weight. He glanced at Sulika to show he knew she was there, but most of his attention remained fixed on whatever Faeyra was saying. Sulika was amused to see him holding one of their plates in his mammoth-sized hands. It looked like he was holding something out of a child¡¯s play set, especially the fork. She could barely see it between his fingers. ¡°Morning.¡± Sulika said to Faeyra after sitting in the chair next to her. Her greeting pulled Faeyra¡¯s attention away from her discussion with Aldritch long enough to get a ¡°Hey, Fox girl.¡± in return- Sulika¡¯s eyes widened at the nickname, but Faeyra just went back to talking like she hadn¡¯t just blurted out Sulika¡¯s most well-kept secret¡­ The strange thing was, Aldritch didn¡¯t react to the nickname in the slightest. He didn¡¯t even look confused; he just accepted the nickname as a matter of course and moved on with the conversation. ¡°Okay,¡± Sulika said, getting their attention. ¡°I feel like I keep asking for explanations today, but I just can¡¯t help this one. Faeyra, what the hell, man?¡± Sulika shouted. ¡°What?¡± Faeyra asked, confused by Sulika¡¯s response to what Faeyra considered her standard ¡®good morning¡¯ greeting- That did it. The realization of what she¡¯d said finally sunk in and her face went white as a sheet. She¡¯d called Sulika ¡®Fox Girl¡¯- though it¡¯d been her nickname since Faeyra learned her secret years ago, she¡¯d never made the mistake of calling Sulika that way in front of someone else. Sulika and Faeyra slowly turned their heads to check Aldritch¡¯s reaction¡­ He was more interested in the chocolate chip sweetbread Faeyra made especially for him. Now that Faeyra had ¡®finished¡¯ speaking, Aldritch didn¡¯t think it would be rude to focus on his meal. The sweetbread was light, fluffy, and springy to the touch. Aldritch could see the melted ambrosia awaiting him beneath a thin layer of dough and a dusting of brown sugar. Sulika and Faeyra felt a wave of relief wash over them. He hadn¡¯t noticed the slip-up¡­ Or, if he had, he didn¡¯t think much of it. ¡°You called her fox girl because she¡¯s a Kitsune, right?¡± Aldritch asked after Sulika and Faeyra¡¯s shocked silence turned awkward. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask about that since I first saw you, but since you maintained your transformation even while unconscious, I assumed you must really not want anyone to find out?¡± He asked while tearing off a corner piece of the sweetbread and bringing it to his mouth. The flavor exploded on his tongue with enough intensity to make his eyes flutter closed. ¡°Wait- You knew?¡± Sulika exclaimed. Her heart pounded in her chest so loud she worried they could hear it. She felt like someone was sitting on her chest, keeping her lungs from fully expanding¡­ Or maybe from contracting? Either way, she was surprised about how difficult something as simple as breathing could be when your entire life was crumbling around you. ¡°Calm Mind.¡± Aldritch muttered before reaching over and placing the palm of his hand on Sulika¡¯s scalp. The effect was immediate; the instant Aldritch¡¯s magic penetrated Sulika¡¯s body, she felt an ice-covered hand take hold of her fear and smother it. Sulika found it easier, and for a moment, she actually forgot what she was so afraid of. And with her fear gone, her mind was totally clear. She used this moment of clarity to think it over and came to a conclusion; It didn¡¯t matter if Aldritch found out she was a Kitsune. She knew now that he was the closest thing to a stuffed bear as one could get. Sure, he was big, scary, and stronger than anyone she knew. But he was basically harmless once you got to know him. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°What¡¯d you do to her?¡± Faeyra asked, her words drew Sulika out of her internal reflection and back to the topic at hand. Namely, how the hell did Aldritch know she was a Kitsune from the first time they met? ¡°Calm Mind is just a little trick I learned a long time ago. Though it''s technically an Enchantment spell designed to make concentration easier, it can also function as a sedative if your magic is potent enough.¡± Aldritch explained. He used Wisdom of the Great Sage to scan her body for any further issues. He didn¡¯t need it to recognize a panic attack, he had enough firsthand experience with those to recognize the signs in his sleep. But he wanted to be sure there wasn¡¯t anything else going on.
Diagnostic Screening
Age 27
Race Yako Kitsune
Vitals Optimal for Race
B.P 136/86 124/76
Pulse 127 106
Temp 102.1 102.6
O.S 99% 100%
Abnormalities affecting the Body:
None Detected
Abnormalities affecting the Immune System:
Immune System working at 75% efficiency | Recovery complete in [ 7 ] Hours.
Wisdom of the Great Sage activated like it always did, and the information displayed was perfect as usual. Aldritch was slightly concerned about her elevated blood pressure and Pulse levels, but considering the panic attack she''d just experienced, he adopted a ''wait and see'' approach. If it was still elevated later today, they might have a problem. But there was something alongside the usual display, something Aldritch had never seen before; A semi-transparent window appeared to the left of the usual diagnostic screen.
Status
Class Nine-Tail''s Heir
Level 31
Ability Scores
Strength 10
Dexterity 20
Constitution 10
Wisdom 14
Intelligence 16
Charisma 20
Aldritch ended Wisdom of the Great Sage with a thought and placed a hand on Sulika¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked. He was in full medic mode, so his voice was calm, quiet, and designed to make the patient relax¡­ Or at the very least, not experience another panic attack. ¡°Yeah-¡± Sulika sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°I¡¯m good. Head hurts though. Is that normal?¡± ¡°Perfectly normal. Calm Mind works wonders, but it¡¯s not without its drawbacks. Headaches would be one of them.¡± Aldritch explained. ¡°What¡¯re the other side-effects?¡± Sulika asked before she could stop herself. ¡°Seizures, blindness, increased likelihood of addiction, brain death. But those are all exceedingly rare, one in a billion odds. Most people just get headaches.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I asked.¡± Sulika groaned. ¡°By the way; Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve forgotten what you said. How¡¯d you know I was a Kitsune?¡± Sulika asked, and her question was quickly echoed by Faeyra. ¡°If it¡¯s something simple, we might have to pack up and move again.¡± Faeyra added. Aldritch could tell from the expression on her face that she was serious. ¡°I doubt you¡¯d find someone else with the ability to see through you the way I did. Not that there aren¡¯t other ways, it¡¯s just that mine is a bit¡­ Unconventional.¡± Aldritch said and looked between them. When it didn¡¯t look as if his answer was good enough, he continued- ¡°Have either of you ever heard of True Sight?¡± Sulika and Faeyra both shook their heads in answer. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a passive ability I possess. It allows me to see the truth of all things, be they magical, mundane, or otherwise.¡± ¡°So¡­ You can see through my transformation?¡± Sulika asked, and wondered how similar his ability was to her own ability to see through lies. The ability was, as far as Sulika knew, exclusive to Kitsunes. Whenever someone told a lie in front of her, the sentence containing the lie would appear in the air above the liar¡¯s head in a sickly yellow color. Sulika¡¯s mother once explained the phenomenon as a relic from their divine ancestor who was a god of lies, tricks, and dreams. Sulika didn¡¯t know how true that was, but it made just as much sense as anything else she knew about Kitsune legends. ¡°Well, yes and no.¡± Aldritch replied. He frowned as he considered the best way to explain. ¡°When I look at you, I see both sides; Your elf side and your Kitsune side just overlap. Right now, your elf side is dominant, and the Kitsune side appears as an outline around your body. I imagine if you ever returned to your Kitsune form, the reverse would happen. But that¡¯s really just a guess, since you¡¯re the first Kitsune I¡¯ve met since I learned the ability.¡± He explained. "That''s not surprising." Sulika muttered sourly. "The Kitsune all know exposure means death, or worse. So, they disappeared from the public eye when I was about five. Haven''t seen a Kitsune since." She explained. As she spoke, her voice grew deeper and more somber as she tried-and failed- to remember what her parents were like. But the only ones to come to mind, were the Silverowls; Faeyra and Faeyra''s Grandmother. "I see..." Aldritch replied before bowing his head. "It''s never easy." He muttered, "And despite what some priests would tell you, it doesn''t really get easier with time. Like a deep cut that scabs over, our hearts will bleed for a while after we lose someone. Eventually it''ll grow a thick layer of protection and do its best to numb the pain long enough to close the wound. But no matter what method you use to cover the wound, a scar usually remains to remind you of what you''ve lost. And like a scar is wont to do; it''ll ache when it rains, sometimes it''ll burn if prodded. And no matter how used to it you think you are, the most innocuous of things will remind you it''s there and cause it to ache once more." Aldritch finished in a low voice... After a few seconds of silence, Aldritch picked up his sweet bread and stuffed the entire thing in his mouth. Once he was done with his plate, he picked up Faeyra''s abandoned plate and placed it atop his own. "I apologize if I overstepped. Oakairo knows I''m no good with sympathy, it''s why I prefer to treat my patients while they''re unconscious." He laughed and walked into the kitchen. He planned to clean the plates, since Faeyra was kind enough to cook him breakfast, then he''d head outside and wait for the women to join him. While Aldritch was cleaning, Faeyra profusely apologized to Sulika for her slip-up. Even if it didn''t matter, since Aldritch already knew, Faeyra had still screwed up. Had that been anyone else, Faeyra could''ve just condemned her best friend to a life in hiding... Or a very short life on the run. Faeyra met Sulika when she was five years old. Though, back then she wasn''t aware of Sulika''s other-half and only saw her as the foster kid her grandmother brought home. She instantly recognized Sulika as a kindred spirit- as someone who''d watched their parents die in front of them. She hadn''t pushed Sulika to tell her what happened, since she didn''t want to bring back any memories Sulika would rather forget. She just naturally learned the truth after she accidentally walked in on Sulika while she was transformed. From there, it didn''t take long for Faeyra to learn the truth. Before Sulika came to live with her and her grandmother, there were rumors of Kitsune hunters; Madmen who believed in the old tales of a Kitsune''s immortality. Specifically, the idea that if you cut off a Kitsune''s tail and eat it, the magic of their divine ancestor would grant you immortality. It was hogwash, of course. Kitsune had no more divine blood flowing through their veins than Aldritch did, but that didn''t dissuade the believers. Neither did the laws put in place to protect Kitsune- anyone caught with a Kitsune tail in their possession was stripped of their freedom, their titles, and sometimes, even their lives. But did that stop them? No, it just made them all the more rabid and crueler. Hard to convict someone if there were no survivors left to I.D them. Sulika lived through such an attack. She saw her parents, siblings, grandparents- the whole family wiped out in a single night. Sulika doesn''t remember how, or why she survived. All she knows is that she was found wandering the elven city of Zephybell in the early hours of the morning. A passing hunter thought she was just a lost child and took her to the chieftain''s house- Otherwise known as Gran''s place. And the rest was... Well, history. "Hey, you okay?" Sulika asked Faeyra. She noticed the sick look on her friend''s face and wondered if she should call Aldritch back in here to check on her. "I''m so sorry, Sulika. I don''t know what happened, I- I fucked up." Faeyra replied. Her head was down as she couldn''t bring herself to look Sulika in the eyes- "Ow!" Faeyra shouted and leaned back to avoid the second hit. Sulika stared at Faeyra through narrowed eyes for a few more seconds before placing the wooden spoon back on the table. "Since I know you aren''t going to listen to me, I figured I''d just skip the part where I tell you not to worry about it and jump to the part where I smack you, you get angry, I call you a snarky bitch, and we move on with our day. Sound like a plan?" Despite herself, Faeyra smiled at that. "You know, usually it''s my ass that gets smacked as foreplay, not my forehead... But I guess this is fine sometimes too." She replied while grinning flirtatiously at Sulika. She tried to say it like she usually would, but her heart wasn''t really into it at the moment. Sulika still gave her a thumbs-up for the effort, finished her breakfast, and headed off to the kitchen. Faeyra watched her go with a somber smile on her face. She still felt bad for what she''d done, but she wouldn''t let Sulika see her upset again... At least, not while there were any spoons within arm''s reach. Chapter 6 - The Guild Master (pt 2) Aldritch and Sulika walked side by side through the crowded streets of Auris. Aldritch was, once again, interested in the people around him. It was such a surreal experience to go from being completely and totally alone, to just one of who knew how many thousands? Aldritch enjoyed the vibrancy of the city and its people. Despite every building being constructed from the same wood source, the buildings didn¡¯t feel monotonous. Each one was decorated to the tastes of their owner; some buildings were extremely colorful, others were plain. Some used exclusively one color, while others mixed and matched as much as possible. Add it all together, and it gave the city a feeling of barely controlled chaos that Aldritch simply adored. Sulika watched Aldritch explore the city with his eyes. The way his eyes flitted from one side of the street to the other reminded her of a kid in a candy shop. It was clear he wanted to look at everything but didn¡¯t know what to look at first. Sulika thought this trait of his was quite cute. She wanted to ask him about his life, and what he experienced on the other side of the portal¡­ Unfortunately, they¡¯d wasted enough time already. The discussion they¡¯d had earlier, while helpful for explaining things, didn¡¯t exactly get them off to a good start to an already stress filled day. Sulika only hoped the rest of the day would give them a break and be as stress free as possible. They came to a stop near the front stairs of the Hunters guild. Sulika looked up at Aldritch, who wasn¡¯t looking at her. Instead, his eyes were pointed upwards, towards the highest floor of the guild. ¡°Hey, everything okay?¡± She asked after a moment of waiting for him to acknowledge them arriving at their destination. ¡°Of course.¡± Aldritch replied and looked at her. Whatever he¡¯d been looking at had brought a smirk to his face. Sulika wondered if he¡¯d tell her what he saw if she asked but decided against it. She didn¡¯t know when Edward would get to work, but she needed to speak to the guild master before he submitted those letters¡­ Unless she was already too late? Technically speaking, the workday for the average guild member started a couple of hours ago. ¡°Want me to come in with you?¡± Aldritch asked. He had his own task list to get through, but he didn¡¯t mind sticking by Sulika for a while longer. Sulika shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m good. Just nervous. Haven¡¯t really had a reason to speak to the guild master in a long time.¡± The guild master spent most of the year out of the guild hall. He was either negotiating dungeon rights with other guilds, diving into new dungeons to inspect their suitability for either mining or closing or going deep within the main line to speak directly to the gods. The man was so busy, she could only recall a handful of occasions where she¡¯d actually spoken to him. For all she knew, he could be a complete asshole and not give her the time of day. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. But hey, if he gives you a hard time about something, just yell. I¡¯ll sort him out.¡± Aldritch told her. ¡°What did you mean by that?¡± Sulika asked in a worried tone. ¡°I¡¯ll have a talk with him.¡± Aldritch said. ¡°A talk?¡± Sulika echoed his words while watching him through narrowed eyes. ¡°Would this ¡®talk¡¯ involve violence?¡± ¡°Not unless he swings first.¡± Aldritch laughed. ¡°Now, stop stalling and get in there. You¡¯re wasting daylight.¡± He said and lightly shoved her towards the stairs. ¡°Have faith in yourself and just go for it.¡± ¡°Easy for you to say. You¡¯re not the one who-¡± Sulika stopped herself and sighed. ¡°No, you¡¯re right. Standing around and winding myself up isn¡¯t going to help.¡± She took a breath to steady herself and looked up at Aldritch. ¡°Wish me luck?¡± ¡°May your shield withstand your enemy''s mightiest blow without a scratch, and may your hammer crush his skull in a single strike.¡± He said and smiled. The phrase was the standard ¡®good luck¡¯ charm of the warriors of Than Kaldur. To have your shield avoid damage after a strong blow was considered the epitome of luck, since the shield was essentially the lifeline of the common infantry soldier. And to have your enemy die to a single blow means all of your strength and skill reaches their peak at that moment, resulting in the best possible outcome for a soldier. ¡°She¡¯s neither a dwarf, nor a Blackshield. It¡¯s doubtful she¡¯ll understand the sentiment behind that statement.¡± Oakairo reminded him. ¡°Ah¡­ ¡°Aldritch trailed off. He saw the confused expression on Sulika¡¯s face and realized Oakairo was right. ¡°I apologize. The translation for that was ¡®Good Luck¡¯.¡± He said, and briefly explained the significance behind the phrase. Sulika understood once it was explained to her, but it just drove home that Aldritch really was a dwarf. It was easy to forget due to his size. ¡°Alright,¡± Sulika nodded and climbed the stairs towards the door. ¡°Have fun wandering the city- Or whatever it is you end up doing.¡± She said before pulling the door open and heading inside. Aldritch watched her head inside with a smile on his face¡­ That instantly fell when she entered the guild. ¡°You do realize you¡¯re treating her and the elf mortal like a couple of children, right?¡± Oakairo asked while Aldritch started walking. ¡°You never showed this much concern for the soldiers under your command. So, what¡¯s going through your mind?¡± ¡°That may have been the problem. What if I had paid more attention to the people under my command- would they have lived? If I was a better commander, would Kaz and Thozza have still betrayed us?¡± Aldritch asked while passing through the crowd of people without an ounce of hesitation. He observed the people as he walked; Men, women, and children alike were scanned using Wisdom of the Great Sage. He¡¯d noticed something while using the spell on Sulika; the people he¡¯d healed after the Ogre attack had responded normally. A diagnostic screen with their age, vitals, and abnormalities. But for some reason, Sulika was different. Why did he see her stats when he didn¡¯t see anyone else¡¯s? ¡°Are you using them as a replacement for the soldiers you failed?¡± Oakairo asked, not bothering to lighten his words. ¡°That¡¯s not my intention. I know I failed my subordinates, and nothing I do now can change that. I just don¡¯t want to make the same mistakes again.¡± Aldritch explained. He paused his inspection on a three-foot-tall girl with waist length purple hair. Her ash-colored skin made the dark robe she was wearing appear black, though Aldritch believed it was actually some flavor of blue. She was using a six-foot staff as a walking stick, though Aldritch doubted that was all it was. Walking to her right was a four-foot-tall, green-skinned man with a hawkish nose. His gray hair, wrinkled skin, and tired eyes were clear indicators of his advanced age- Yet he wore a reddish-orange chainmail shirt and had a large hammer strapped to his back. Aldritch focused Wisdom of the Great Sage on the girl first.
Diagnostic Screening
Age 39
Race Rock Gnome
Vitals Optimal for Race
B.P 118/67 122/65
Pulse 135 130
Temp 100.1 100.4
O.S 96% 100%
Abnormalities affecting the Body:
Mana Depletion | Recovery complete in [28] hours.
Abnormalities affecting the Immune System:
None Detected
Status
Class Ice Witch
Level 17
Ability Scores
Strength 10
Dexterity 14
Constitution 12
Wisdom 11
Intelligence 16
Charisma 13
¡°Interesting. She has the status screen too. What makes her different from the hundred and forty-seven others I¡¯ve scanned?¡± Aldritch watched the gnome woman for a moment more before switching his target to the green-skinned man.
Diagnostic Screening
Age 39
Race Stonehand Goblin
Vitals Optimal for Race
B.P 127/75 143/82
Pulse 106 142
Temp 95.4 95.5
O.S 98% 100%
Abnormalities affecting the Body:
Approaching end of lifespan | Estimated time remaining: 254 days, 17 hours, 46 minutes, 32 seconds
Abnormalities affecting the Immune System:
Immune system functioning at 61% efficiency | Recovery not possible.
Status
Class Duelist
Level 21
Ability Scores
Strength 16 [-2] This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Dexterity 15 [-4]
Constitution 10 [-1]
Wisdom 13
Intelligence 12
Charisma 15
¡°He also has a status screen. Strange¡­ Do you think it¡¯s possible that people without a status screen are somehow missing the system?¡± Aldritch asked Oakairo. ¡°I assumed everyone had it. But if that¡¯s not the case, then what are the criteria? What gives one person access to the system, yet holds it back from someone else?¡± ¡°There are a few possibilities I can think of. Could it be genetics? Maybe a common ancestor or event?¡± ¡°A common ancestor between Sulika, the gnome, the goblin, and me?¡± Aldritch asked incredulously. ¡°Hrm- Fair point. That also means the common event is unlikely, since you weren¡¯t even born on this planet¡­ Unless it was the act of traveling through the portal?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it either. Many of our men followed demons into their portals, and we never came back with a system. No, it has to be something from this planet causing it.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s also the possibility that only those chosen by the god who designed the system can receive it.¡± ¡°... No, no that doesn¡¯t make any sense either. The creator of the system was brilliant, yes, but they also held no love for their creation. Why would they continue to interface with something they couldn¡¯t wait to be rid of?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve said it before and I¡¯ll say it again, you cannot judge the people of this world by the standards of our world. Who¡¯s to say they didn¡¯t love their creation?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Aldritch immediately replied. ¡°I know how hard it must¡¯ve been to create the system. How many hours did they take to complete it? How many resources, and how much mana did they pour into it? Just the calculations alone would require a level of determination I can scarcely fathom. You don¡¯t just make something like that and then not put your mark on it. No, something happened to make them lose their love for the system.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s say you¡¯re right- Not saying you are, but let¡¯s have a thought experiment about what if you are¡­ If the creator isn¡¯t passing out the system, who is?¡± The question caused Aldritch to stop dead in his tracks while he thought it over. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the devils.¡± He replied after a moment and resumed walking. ¡°Divine magic is notoriously toxic to devils and demons, and the system is powered exclusively by Divine magic. A devil would be killed the moment it was installed onto them.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re thinking it¡¯s the Iolaran gods?¡± ¡°They¡¯re the only ones who make sense. Do gods rent domains from other gods?¡± ¡°Not in my experience.¡± Oakairo laughed. But his laugh wasn¡¯t out of amusement, it was a dark, hate filled laugh. ¡°Right, almost forgot. The gods of Mag ¨¢rsa were the reason the planet was at war with itself for the first thousand years of its existence.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t lump me in with those assholes. My siblings and I weren¡¯t involved with any of those stupid wars. I mean, really, who fights over a rock?¡± ¡°Forgive my insolence, my lord. But aren''t there more than a few legends about you melting entire cities because someone stole from your hoard?¡± ¡°It was one city.¡± Oakairo muttered. ¡°Ah, my apologies then.¡± Aldritch replied, not bothering to hide his amusement at Oakairo¡¯s dejected reply. Despite what Oakairo would have Sulika and Faeyra believe, Aldritch knew the true nature of the God of Pride. Oakairo was a force of nature that couldn¡¯t be stopped by anything, or anyone, in his prime. He was the literal embodiment of destruction. Even if he didn¡¯t personally take action, his very existence drove people to act upon the aspects he represented. His siblings were similar- though none of the dragons went out and purposely caused trouble, there was a reason they were dubbed the twelve dragons of chaos and order¡­ Aldritch cleared his throat. ¡°Back to the topic at hand. Let¡¯s say you were an Iolaran God. Why would you want to use control the system? How would it benefit you?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Well, I suppose it would be a decent way to strengthen my followers. Even if it cost me some power to do so, it would at least ensure they wouldn¡¯t get killed by a random wolf-¡± ¡°Wait, why would it cost you any power? Shouldn¡¯t it be powered by the mana of the planet?¡± Aldritch asked. Something about this was scratching at his brain. He knew it didn¡¯t sound correct, but he couldn¡¯t place his finger on why it sounded so- so¡­ Wrong. ¡°Because it¡¯s powered by divine magic, right? That¡¯s what you said. Divine magic implies a god is fueling it. So, naturally, I assumed I would be the one powering it since I was benefiting from it.¡± Like a bolt of lightning hitting him, Aldritch realized why his understanding of the system sounded so incorrect. It¡¯s because it was. He¡¯d assumed the system was created and put into use by a single god¡­ But what if it wasn¡¯t? Anyone smart enough to design the system, would also be smart enough to tie it into the ley lines of the planet- Doing so would ensure it remained powered, your followers would keep the benefits, and you wouldn¡¯t need to use your own power to keep it operational. Granted, you wouldn¡¯t personally benefit from it this way, and couldn''t tap into that power, but it would also cost you nothing. ¡°I think it was designed to be flawed.¡± Aldritch said after a moment. He looked to the skyline of the city to check his direction, and the sight of tall warehouses and industrial buildings confirmed he was still heading towards the area Sulika referred to as the ¡®Aerial docks.¡¯. ¡°Why would the creator of the system do something like that? Seems like an awful lot of work just to intentionally screw it up.¡± ¡°It is a waste¡­ And I can only think of one reason someone would throw away all the time, effort, and resources needed to make something as complex as the system.¡± ¡°Revenge.¡± Oakairo replied. The word sent a rush of excitement through the bond Aldritch and Oakairo shared. Aldritch nodded. Yes, they both knew the lengths they¡¯d go to punish the ones responsible for taking everything from them. And if Aldritch considered everything he knew about the system, it wasn¡¯t a perfect fit, but there were some things that led to that conclusion. So, that brought up another question; Who was the system creator trying to take revenge on, and why? ¡°We need to find a library or something. There¡¯s bound to be a book of legends, or something related to the gods¡­ But later, I think we¡¯re here.¡± Aldritch said after coming to a stop beside a large statue. He took a minute to absorb the sights, sounds, and smells of the area. The aerial docks were a marvel of engineering; built on the southern tip of Azuris island, the docks were the only part of the city not surrounded by walls. It was a vast, wooden construction in the shape of a crescent moon that wrapped around the tip of the island and extended a few thousand feet away from the city. Aldritch could see a massive hole in the center of the docks; It had a diameter of at least four-hundred feet. Eight, Thirty-foot tall stone pillars were built around the rim of the hole and from a distance, it looked as if each one had been reinforced to hell and back. For the life of him, Aldritch couldn¡¯t understand the purpose of any of it. Leaving the hole aside for the moment- The rest of the dock was even more fascinating than Aldritch originally imagined. For starters, Aldritch was instantly interested in the way the city imported and exported goods, and the answer was actually quite obvious to anyone who just looked towards the sky. A loud *Whoosh* drew Aldritch¡¯s attention to a spot just thirty feet from him. Seven workers in orange vests stood in a circle, while a trio of wagons waited a dozen or so feet away. The six plains dragons responsible for pulling the three wagons showed little interest in the goings on around them- most weren¡¯t even awake. Aldritch noticed the workers looking at something above them, and tilted his head to investigate- His first thought was that it was a big balloon floating fifty-feet above them. It was horizontally split between two colors, the top half being a blindingly bright yellow, and the bottom a storm cloud gray. It looked a bit like the hot air balloons a group of crazy ass gnomes invented during the latter half of the demon war. But something about it was off. The gnomes had used a combination of fire elementals and some kind of oil-based solution to feed a flame beneath the balloon to achieve flight. But there was none of that here. In fact, there wasn¡¯t anything beneath the ¡®balloon¡¯ at all- Aldritch raised an eyebrow at the sight of a rope falling from the top of the balloon, then another, and another. Before long, a total of eight ropes dangled from the top of the ¡®balloon¡¯. The workers jumped into action, grabbing the ropes and carefully backing away while pulling it to the ground¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a pufferfish.¡± Oakairo exclaimed, his excitement brought a slight smile to Aldritch¡¯s face. Oakairo was right. The creature being pulled to the ground in front of them was an extremely large pufferfish. Aldritch noted the thick harness wrapped around its body and around its fins was what allowed it to be used as a means of transportation. A dozen or so pouches dangled from the harness, most of which were stuffed to the point of overflowing with parcels big and small. And it wasn¡¯t just the one. Now that he knew what to look for, he saw dozens of other pufferfish being unloaded by workers all over the place. Once they got the pufferfish to the ground, Aldritch saw something else he¡¯d never seen before. A Caitsith with dark yellow fur was standing on the pufferfish¡¯s back. Aldritch could see it was wearing a pair of leather pants, knee-high leather boots, and a pair of leather gloves that covered its entire hand. Aldritch couldn¡¯t see how high the gloves went, since they disappeared beneath the sleeves of the thick yellow jacket it was wearing. Atop its head sat a fuzzy hat that covered the top of its head, while two extra pieces of fabric hung down to frame the Caitsith¡¯s face. The Caitsith noticed Aldritch watching it and waved excitedly. With a wide smile plastered across its feline face, the caitsith agilely leapt off the Pufferfish¡¯s back, passed over the workers heads, and landed smoothly in a crouch behind them. Aldritch watched the Caitsith stand to its full height of four-foot-six and activated Wisdom of the Great Sage while it began walking towards him.
Diagnostic Screening
Age 17
Race Velandis Caitsith
Vitals Optimal for Race
B.P 137/92 140/90
Pulse 180 200
Temp 97.5 100.8
O.S 100% 100%
Abnormalities affecting the Body:
Cold | Recovery complete in [1] hour
Abnormalities affecting the Immune System:
None Detected
Status
Class Pirate
Level 25
Ability Scores
Strength 12
Dexterity 18
Constitution 14
Wisdom 14
Intelligence 16
Charisma 14
The Caitsith approached Aldritch and offered its paw for Aldritch to shake. ¡°Howdy.¡± It said, its voice full of exuberance and an eagerness Aldritch couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Name¡¯s Haru. Pleased to meetcha, Aldritch!¡± Aldritch stared at the amusing little cat person for a second before extending his hand and engulfing Haru¡¯s paw in the palm of his hand. ¡°How¡¯d you know my name?¡± Aldritch asked. ¡°Zarud¡¯s a drinking buddy of mine, and he told me what you looked like... Well, there were a lot of other words thrown into your description, but I got the gist of it. Since there aren¡¯t too many red-haired giants in Auris, I figured my odds were pretty good.¡± Haru laughed. ¡°Once I get everything offloaded, I¡¯ll be off to meet up with him. Wanna come along?¡± ¡°I appreciate the offer, but I have some things to take care of before I can go for a drink. My apologies.¡± Aldritch replied. ¡°Ah, I¡¯d appreciate it if you pass along a message to Zarud, Sulika wanted to speak to him.¡± ¡°S¡¯pose I can do that.¡± Haru shrugged while smiling. ¡°Well, if you change your mind, we¡¯re meeting at the Odd Hawk. It was nice meeting you!¡± Haru said before running off. Aldritch watched the cat person for a few more seconds before asking Oakairo a question. ¡°If they use pufferfish to transport goods¡­ What else do you think we¡¯ll see if we wander around the docks long enough?¡± ¡°Good question. Let¡¯s find out.¡± Chapter 6 - The Guild Master (pt 3) Moments after Sulika and Aldritch separated. Sulika froze in place the moment she laid eyes on the inside of the guild. It was just so¡­ normal? Weren¡¯t things supposed to be different this morning? She¡¯s devoted years of her adult life to the guild. And yeah, she hadn¡¯t spent nearly as long as some other hunters; She¡¯d spent a year working as a porter in a mining team before being transferred to Eli¡¯s team. Then she¡¯d spent an entire year working as an ¡®apprentice¡¯ hunter, where the average time was three to four months, spent a few months as support mage in Eli¡¯s team before finally moving to her own team a little over a year ago. The year she spent as an apprentice was still a sore spot for her. She¡¯d tried to get promoted nine times, but Eli insisted she wasn¡¯t ready every time. To this day, Sulika remained angry at Eli over his constant denials. She was ready, gods damn it. And looking back on those days now, Sulika knew why Eli didn¡¯t allow her to advance. He was trying to get her into bed¡­ And she was still royally pissed that it worked. She knew why it worked; he showered her with gifts, attention, and praise that she wasn¡¯t used to. So, every time he rejected her promotion, she believed the honeyed coated aspersions that always followed. ¡°I want to promote you, you¡¯re the best support mage I¡¯ve ever seen¡­ But you¡¯re just not good enough at attack spells yet. The moment you set foot inside a dungeon is the moment you die. Everyone knows it, I¡¯m just the only one willing to tell you the truth. So, just listen to me for a little bit longer, okay? I promise, soon, everyone will know how good you are.¡± And she listened to him¡­ Honestly, the actual job of an apprentice wasn¡¯t so bad, so that certainly helped ease the burn from constantly being denied a promotion. You keep everyone¡¯s gear in shape, prep rations, torches, and keep the team office cleaned for their return. So long as you did that, you got a salary of 5 silver coins to keep you happy¡­ But apprentices weren¡¯t allowed to enter dungeons, which was the main reason Sulika wanted to be a hunter in the first place. Apprenticeship was ¡®supposed¡¯ to help the hunter decide if they were really serious about risking their lives, while giving them just enough to do to keep them busy for the few months they were in office. At the end of that period, they had a meeting with the guild master, or vice master if the GM wasn¡¯t available, and were forced to decide whether to advance to a full guild member or leave the guild. After all, they didn¡¯t have the resources to maintain apprentices forever. So, something had to give eventually. Well, after a year of no meeting with the GM, he actually came looking for her. At first, he¡¯d assumed she was deliberately avoiding the meeting to keep her position as an apprentice. A few others had tried that path before- all of them were kicked out and blacklisted from the guild for wasting their time¡­ The GM assumed it was going to be another one of those talks. Sulika was just grateful he let her explain. He didn¡¯t have to, but Sulika knew that was just how the GM was; Honest, noble, and didn¡¯t tolerate liars. She hoped to use those traits now to save her friend¡¯s jobs. They¡¯d done nothing wrong and didn¡¯t deserve to lose their careers just because they followed her orders. Sulika solidified her determination as much as she could and approached the front desk with a professional smile on her face. A part of her wondered if they¡¯d immediately turn her away, but that fear proved unfounded the moment the receptionist looked up and smiled upon recognizing her. ¡°Hey, Abby.¡± Sulika said, greeting the twenty-something year old receptionist by name. Abby was a pale-skinned beauty with premature gray hair and the bluest eyes Sulika had ever seen. All receptionists were asked to wear the same uniform, which consisted of a white jacket with the guild seal sewn into the right breast of the jacket, blue button-up shirt, and black pants. What shoes they wore was up to the individual''s discretion, though it had to look professional. ¡°Hello, Sulika. Looking¡­ beautiful as always.¡± Abby said after eyeing Sulika¡¯s clothes for an extended moment. ¡°Long night?¡± Abby asked. The curious gleam shining within her baby blue eyes said, ¡°I really wanna ask why you look like you skipped down the walk of shame, but I¡¯m too professional to do so.¡± Sulika looked down at herself and winced. The morning was so, so¡­ Well, confusing. She¡¯d just thrown on the same clothes she¡¯d worn yesterday. Sure, Aldritch had ¡®purified¡¯ them, which removed the smells, but it was clear to anyone with eyes she hadn¡¯t really showered, and her clothes had that ¡®slept in¡¯ look. ¡°Yeah, you can say that.¡± Sulika laughed nervously. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Abby replied and gave Sulika a knowing smile before moving on to business. ¡°So, how can I help you, captain?¡± ¡°Is the Guild Master in? I need to speak with him about something.¡± Sulika replied, thankful for the opportunity to switch topics. She wanted to deny anything had happened, but also knew it wouldn¡¯t do any good under the circumstances. If she denied it while looking like she did, Abby would just assume she was denying it for the sake of denying it, or worse, she¡¯d ask about what did happen. Better to just get on with her day and let Abby think whatever she wanted. Wasn¡¯t like she¡¯d be able to meet her again after today anyway¡­ ¡°He is, but I gotta warn ya. He isn¡¯t in a good mood. If you still want to meet him, I can probably get you in, in about thirty. That work?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine¡­ So, uh, he¡¯s really mad?¡± Sulika asked. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she was the reason for his anger. What had Edward said to him? If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Abby looked around to make sure no one was listening, then motioned for Sulika to lean closer. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear this from me, okay?¡± She asked, and Sulika nodded. ¡°The Guild Master is pissed. Apparently, he had an important meeting with the vice-master this morning and the VM never showed.¡± Sulika blinked out of shock. ¡°Really?¡± She asked incredulously. Edward was an ass- Okay, that was too kind. He was a major ass. But it was well known that he was as dedicated as they come. The main reason the GM could spend so much time away from the guild was because he knew the VM would be here to pick up the slack. ¡°Has anyone contacted Edward?¡± ¡°The GM tried, we¡¯ve tried, even the security goons have tried. He hasn¡¯t replied to anyone¡¯s message spells. Personally, I think the GM is about ready to send out a search party.¡± Abby laughed- she stopped almost immediately and looked around to see if anyone heard her. ¡°Are you working today?¡± Abby asked while pulling a small scroll out of the top drawer of her desk. Sulika recognized the scroll as a Messenger scroll. Messenger scrolls were often white, but sometimes appeared yellow due to the method used to make them. They had a black hardwood bar that served as the main support of the scroll, which the paper then wrapped around and was sealed by a generous helping of wax. The guild made the Messenger scrolls in-house to act as emergency communication devices, and Sulika could see the guild emblem carved into one end of the hardwood bar that peeked out a bit from the left side of the paper. These scrolls functioned in a similar manner to the magic Snowball used, but it was a one-time use item- and you didn¡¯t have to worry about it getting an attitude if you forgot to feed it. Sulika shot a pointed look at the transparent monitor sitting on the desk beside Abby before answering the question. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m not here as an employee today.¡± "Wish I could take a day off..." Abby grumbled. She let out a frustrated sigh, and funneled a bit of mana into the scroll while it sat on the desk- The wax seal snapped, and the scroll unwrapped itself as if it had come alive. Abby used a nearby pen to write a quick message to the GM in the center of the scroll. Once she was done, she funneled a bit more mana into the rod, and the paper responded by coiling itself around the hardwood rod. With that done, Abby grabbed the guild seal sitting next to her, opened a small wooden box which appeared to be full of black slime, and dunked the seal into it. She pulled the seal out a second later, and stamped the Messenger scroll, sealing it with the black slime. ¡°There.¡± Abby said and lifted the scroll. She funneled a bit of mana into the scroll itself, not the hardwood rod, and the effect was immediate; Lines of bright blue appeared at the bottom of the roll of paper and rapidly spread to cover the scroll from top to bottom. An electric charge arced from Abby¡¯s fingers to the scroll- the paper shifted hues from white to black as if it¡¯d been scorched by lighting, then it crumbled to dust in Abby¡¯s hand, leaving a black residue on her fingers and ashes on her desk. With a huff, Abby pulled a trash bin from beneath the desk and swept the debris away. ¡°Anything else I can do for you?¡± She asked while pulling a white jar from yet another drawer of her desk. Sulika grimaced when Abby opened the jar and revealed it to be full of a white, fatty oil. She then proceeded to scoop a finger¡¯s worth into her opposite hand and commenced scrubbing off the black residue. Sulika recognized the oil, even had a jar of her own in her office locker. The oil was called ¡®Catagar¡¯s (Re)solution¡¯ and was favored by artificers and enchanters for its ability to ¡®eat¡¯ corrosive materials and inorganic mixtures while leaving organic materials untouched. So, of course, Catagar began selling it as a hand cleansing cream. It worked¡­ But it also smelled a bit like ammonia, so Sulika preferred not to use it. ¡°No,¡± Sulika swallowed the urge to gag. ¡°Thanks, Abby.¡± ¡°Anytime.¡± Abby replied and stood from her chair. ¡°Now I get to go find an artificer and ask why our systems are still down. Sounds fun, right?¡± Abby asked, sarcasm dripping from her voice. ¡°I was wondering.¡± Sulika admitted. ¡°When did that happen?¡± Abby shrugged. ¡°No one knows. Been down since some time in the middle of the night. Do you know Iroxi; the bronze dragonkin? She was promoted to front end manager about two weeks ago?¡± Sulika shrugged. She didn¡¯t know everyone who worked at the front of the guild¡­ Come to think of it, she didn¡¯t really know many people who worked at the back end of the guild either. ¡°Well, anyways, she got here around five and they were already dead. Artificers have been working on it since seven, but it didn¡¯t look like they were any closer to fixing it an hour ago than they were when they first started. Lucky us, that means we get to do everything the old-fashioned way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s rough. Anything I can do?¡± Sulika asked, and she actually meant it too. If there was anything she could do to help out, even if it didn¡¯t benefit her, she¡¯d still do it. The front end of the guild was how the quests got from the citizen¡¯s mouths to the hunter¡¯s ears. Without them there to assist the civilians, situations would go unreported. And in some cases, that could result in the deaths of who knew how many people. ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll be right back. Realistically, there¡¯s nothing I can do either. I¡¯m only going to ask because my boyfriend is one of the Artificer¡¯s working on the system and we were supposed to have lunch together. Doesn¡¯t look like that¡¯s going to happen, though.¡± Abby sighed. Sulika watched her walk away before turning and walking over to the waiting area. The waiting area was a large, roped off space within the lobby that could somewhat comfortably seat thirty-seven people. There were four such areas present within the lobby, and she headed for the closest one. She joined the three people already waiting there and dropped into one of the uncomfortable leather chairs... She had only been sitting for forty-eight seconds before a panic-stricken Abby came sprinting into the lobby. The two-inch heels of her sandals rhythmically *clacked* against the floor as she ran to Sulika¡¯s side. She slid to a stop beside Sulika¡¯s chair- then realized what kind of state she must have been in. Her styled hair was disheveled, her breathing was labored and loud enough to be heard from several feet away, and her jacket was lopsided and hanging off one arm. Abby took a second to compose herself while holding up a finger in the universal sign for ¡®one moment¡¯... With her breathing calmed down, Abby straightened her jacket and said, ¡°The Guild Master requests your presence in the training hall¡­ Your immediate presence.¡± Abby whispered the last bit into Sulika¡¯s ear and gave her an apologetic look. Sulika grimaced. She recalled what Aldritch said right before he left - ¡°Call me if he gives you a hard time.¡± He¡¯d said¡­ Well, she was tempted to call him right now, but she held off. She was a big girl, and she could do this on her own¡­ Probably. Chapter 6 - The Guild Master (pt 4) With a worried heart, and what felt like a thirty-pound weight inside both of her shoes, Sulika headed towards a staircase near the very center of the building. Along the way, she passed a dozen or so civilian workers heading towards the lobby, three of which were even wearing copper pins that marked them as members of the crafter''s league. Sulika assumed they were the artificers Abby mentioned, and a part of her wondered which of them was the boyfriend. Sulika ended up walking for another minute before arriving at the door she was looking for. Twisting the wooden knob and pulling the door open, Sulika looked at the ''main'' staircase for the first time in weeks. The staircase wasn¡¯t impressive in the slightest, she''d even go as far as calling it boring- lacking even the red carpet and painting that made the other stairwells more comfortable to move through. The stairs led to a small landing about halfway between the ground floor and the first floor, before pulling a one-eighty and continuing upwards to the next floor. Sulika stepped into the stairwell and pulled the door to, but she didn¡¯t start climbing yet. After all, the training room wasn¡¯t upstairs, it was down in the basement. After hesitating for a moment, because she really didn''t want to go downstairs, she took a step towards the handrail on the right and lightly placed her hand on the end. It took a bit of feeling around before her finger brushed against a button on the backside of the rail. "Here it comes..." Sulika shuddered as a Ward of Silence passed over her. She hated being silenced. The feeling of having not only her voice, but also the sound of her breathing stolen from her, was something she doubted she¡¯d ever get used to. It started on the floor in front of her and moved up. As mana coursed throughout the staircase, it caused it to ripple like the surface of a calm lake after someone threw a rock into it. Sulika watched with a sense of growing irritation as the stairs gradually shifted towards transparency until it vanished from sight altogether, revealing a fifty-foot-long sloping tunnel that carved through the bedrock beneath the building. Glancing at the landing between the ground and first floors, Sulika saw two men waiting for access to the ground floor; an old, gray-haired dwarf and a youngish looking human were leaning on a small, wooden fence that wasn''t there when she last looked. Sulika genuinely hated how long it took to enter the basement, which was why she normally went out of her way to use any of the other four staircases spread throughout the building. She''d rather just avoid situations like this altogether. Sulika mouthed an apology to the two men before hurrying down the slope. As she passed through the spot where the staircase used to be, Sulika felt a slight resistance from the ice-cold remnant of what used to be. The first time she''d been brought to the basement was back when she was on Eli''s team. And originally, Sulika was impressed by the magic required to make the stairs disappear so thoroughly... But the stairs weren''t actually gone, just displaced. The vanishing act was a partial banishment from this realm, placing the stairs somewhere between this world and the world of the dead. Sulika didn¡¯t know how they pulled such a thing off, and with her tenuous grasp of spacial magic, she doubted she ever would. But she was fine with that. She didn''t need to know how it worked, to know it was annoying as hell to use. Halfway down the slope was a palm sized button set into the wall. Sulika pressed it as she passed, knowing that would reverse the process and let the two men go about their day. Sulika stopped for a second to watch the stairs return to normal. Even she would admit, the magic was interesting to watch from this side, since the runes powering the transformation were on inside the tunnel; the walls lit from within by a pale blue light, and the sparkled against the spot where the stairs used to be. The light allowed the underside of the stairs to be viewed by the naked eye, albeit with a one hundred percent more ''ghostly'' appearance. The light receded after a few seconds, peeling away the banishing spell as it left the tunnel in darkness, save for the pale blue runes carved into the walls that gave off just enough light to keep Sulika from tripping over herself. Arriving at the bottom of the slope, Sulika pulled open the nearby door and entered an expansive, wide-open area that spread beneath the guild, the market square, and a few of the houses on the outskirts of the market. Countless overhead lights illuminated the entire area and cast a yellow tint over all of it. Though Sulika disliked the yellow tint, she tolerated it because it also allowed her to see the fifty-six heavily reinforced pillars supporting buildings overhead, and the dozens of civilian workers going about their business down here. Looking around to get her bearings; Sulika saw countless boxes, barrels, and cargo containers sorted and getting moved by the civilian workers. Off to one side of the storage area were five doors in a line, each with a small wooden sign mounted above. Behind those doors were the five artisans assigned to the guild, though Sulika had never actually gone through any of those doors. She''d never needed to. The artisans sent their apprentices up to the guild offices at the end of each day to collect orders or drop off equipment... Now that she was thinking about it, would she even be allowed in if she asked? There was a chance the artisans lived behind those doors, and Sulika certainly wouldn''t appreciate someone showing up at her house whenever they felt like it. Even so, she really wanted to enter the second door from the right. Her sword was behind that door, and she didn''t know if she''d be around long enough to get it back from the apprentice. Even if it pissed off the artisan, she would need to remember to grab it on the way out of the basement or risk leaving it with the guild forever. She turned away from the five doors and headed for a tunnel a short distance away that led to the rest of the guild¡¯s ¡®extra¡¯ amenities- A reinforced training room, an armory, and probably the most important room in the whole complex- The bunker. They- meaning the founders of Auris and original settlers of Azuris island- had originally constructed all of this to be a shelter for the citizens of Auris. It was to be used in the event the city ever came under attack by demons or otherwise. The idea was to give the citizens a safe place to hide and wait while they dealt with the invaders- or until reinforcements arrived to save them. But over time, as the city¡¯s defenses were further developed and the need for such bunkers became less and less, the local government figureheads repurposed most of it into what it is today. Now this section of it stands as the resource and equipment hub of the hunter''s guild, while a few of the other powerhouse groups occupied the rest of it. Sulika had never had a reason to interact with most of them, save for the crafter''s league, and she hoped it stayed that way. After a few more minutes of walking through the tunnel, Sulika arrived at the door leading to the training room. Supposedly, the nearly black door had been carved from the core of a very dense stone- Eli had tried to convince her the stone had come from the sky, but since it was Eli who¡¯d said it¡­ Well, Sulika didn¡¯t believe a word of it. Knowing she couldn''t put it off any longer, Sulika grabbed the well-polished, bronze handle, took a breath to steady her nerves, then slid the door open and stepped inside. ¡°You wanted to see me-¡± Sulika¡¯s breath hitched, and she quickly dropped to the ground. A hulking half-orc woman flew over Sulika¡¯s head, her body twisting like a leaf in the wind. The woman¡¯s wooden club was knocked from her hand as she passed through the still open door to slam into the stone wall of the tunnel. Sulika watched the woman land in a heap; her body was heavily bruised on her face and neck, and the awkward angle of her right arm said it was probably broken in at least one place. ¡°Captain Wysarie, nice of you to join us.¡± A rough male voice reached Sulika¡¯s ears, causing her body to tense. Sulika turned her head to regard the owner of the voice; The Guild Master watched her through a single blue eye. Having lost his left eye over a decade ago, the Kandis man covered his left eye socket with a black bandana that was tied to cover the left side of his head. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Sulika could vividly recall the first time she¡¯d laid eyes on the dogman; Standing at a mere three feet tall with a lean body, pitch black fur, a big blue eye, and even bigger ears that stood straight up from the crown of his head. The Guild Master made for a peculiar sight. Today, the GM was wearing his usual battle attire, which comprised a baggy red robe, loose black pants, black slippers, and a pair of leather gauntlets that covered everything from the tip of his fingers to just below his elbows. Both gauntlets had thin iron plates sewn to protect the back of his fists, and thick leather reinforcements to protect his fingers. While climbing to her feet, Sulika glanced around the training room. The entrance was a large, open space with spongy mats covering the floor. If you headed left from the entrance and passed through a wide archway, you would find yourself standing in the melee room. Heavy wooden and stone weights lay scattered across the floor, momentarily forgotten by the ones using them. Six leather wrapped stone pillars stood in two rows of three near the back of the melee room, while a cordoned off sparring ring sat against the far-right wall. Meanwhile, if you were to head right from the entrance, you¡¯d pass through another archway and find yourself in the target range; They designed the three lanes to support up to four targets at varying distances. Sulika counted twenty-two people in the sponge room. She recognized everyone as a member of either a closing team or a member of the security team¡­ Actually, after taking a closer look at the people present, Sulika believed the only closing team that wasn¡¯t present for¡­ Whatever this was, was her team- she even spotted Eli standing off to the side, gazing at her through narrowed eyes. ¡°Erm- Hello, Guild Master.¡± Sulika said, clearly anxious about what was happening and why a half-orc had just been thrown at her. ¡°Captain, do you know why I called you here?¡± The GM asked, not bothering to respond to the greeting. It was clear to anyone with eyes that the small Kandis was upset over something, and Sulika couldn¡¯t quite shake the feeling that she was at least partially responsible for the GM¡¯s foul mood. Sulika swallowed the urge to say, ¡°How the fuck should I know?¡± and just shook her head. The GM watched her through narrowed eyes for a few seconds¡­ Then he sighed. He shrugged and beckoned Sulika to follow. He led her to the semi-circle of hunters at the back of the room and motioned for her to join them. She did as he asked, but there was no way in hell she was standing within ten feet of Eli. She moved to the opposite end of the group without another glance in his direction, not even caring about the glare he was now giving her. ¡°Is there a problem, Captain Valdove?¡± The GM asked, his voice pulling Eli¡¯s eyes away from Sulika out of fear he¡¯d face the same fate as the half-orc. ¡°No, sir. No problems here.¡± Eli replied. His face could barely suppress a frown, showing how upset he was about being called out. ¡°Perfect. Exactly what I like to hear; I just love hearing about how studiously my captains mind their own fucking business and do their jobs. It¡¯s great, isn¡¯t it?¡± The GM asked while staring directly at Eli. Eli¡¯s face shifted through a couple of emotions before landing on a begrudging acceptance. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Eli said, this time sounding as if he were about to pout. ¡°Perfect- Hey, get a move on, CerLon. We¡¯re waiting for you.¡± The GM said in an annoyed voice. He glanced over his left shoulder at the half-orc woman who was climbing to her feet. Sulika fought back the urge to smile at the GM¡¯s words and settled for speaking to the woman standing to her left. ¡°What happened there?¡± Sulika asked, motioning to the half-orc. Sulika recognized the Dwarf as being from the second closing team, but was drawing a blank on the name¡­ Maewyn, maybe? ¡°Nothing serious. The half-orc is a newcomer to the guild, and she was raised in a tribe.¡± The dwarf smiled as she muttered ¡®tribe¡¯, as if that was all the explanation Sulika needed¡­ Which, to be fair, was enough to understand the gist of it. Full-blooded Orcs were terribly large, impossibly strong, and healed from injuries much faster than other races. But unlike trolls or ogres, who shared similar biological advantages, Orcish culture revolved around the strength of their bodies, the honor of their tribes, and the worship of their ancestors. Centuries of living within this culture resulted in them becoming prideful. Most Orcs see themselves as the greatest warrior race to have ever lived- and after seeing the GM in person, Sulika could imagine someone raised in such an environment might take offense to being bossed around by someone literally half your size. Unfortunately, most Orcs didn¡¯t have access to the system. They had also never met someone like the GM. If they had, they might¡¯ve needed to change some of their opinions about what true strength really was. Sulika watched the half-orc limp back into line with the other hunters. She was clearly in pain, but she didn¡¯t seem angry. Rather, she looked almost pleased with herself. Sulika wondered if the GM needed to get a medic in here to check her for brain damage? *Crack!* Sulika flinched at the sound of a bone breaking. Slowly, so as to not be obvious about it, she turned her eyes towards the half-orc woman¡­ Who¡¯d snapped her arm back into its proper position and was flexing the bicep- presumably to make sure her arm still worked. After a few seconds of this, she smiled again and allowed her arm to fall to her side. ¡°Bloody orcs.¡± The dwarvish woman standing beside Sulika shuddered at what they¡¯d both witnessed. Sulika couldn¡¯t help but nod in agreement. Orcs, even half-orcs, were a scary bunch. ¡°Captain Wysarie?¡± The GM said, drawing Sulika¡¯s attention to him instead of the Half-Orc. ¡°I received some troubling news this morning, and I was hoping you could explain it to me- since no one else seems to be able to.¡± He said, his voice revealing the strong sense of irritation he was feeling. ¡°Here it comes.¡± Sulika thought. She didn¡¯t trust her voice to speak, so swallowed her nerves and simply nodded. She knew what was coming. And she could guess why he was doing it here, in front of the other closing teams. It wasn¡¯t common for a captain to be dismissed from duty; Most either quit¡­ Or died. So, this was likely a good opportunity for the GM to show the others what would happen when you disobeyed orders- ¡°Not a single member of your team, other than yourself, of course, has shown up to work in the last two days. Why is that?¡± The GM asked. His voice and face were equally serious¡­ And it was absolutely not what Sulika imagined he was about to ask. ¡°Captain Wysarie, I know the act of closing dungeons can be taxing on both the body and the mind, but disappearing for days on end without notice is unacceptable. I hope you know that?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I do.¡± Sulika replied, growing more confident of herself now that it was clear the GM hadn¡¯t spoken with the VM yet. ¡°I might save their jobs after all¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to hear the reason for their absence later, and for your sake, I hope you have a good explanation, Captain. Otherwise, this isn¡¯t a good look for a newly promoted captain like yourself. Get your team under control. If it happens again, we¡¯ll have to discuss disciplinary action. Understood?¡± It took everything Sulika had to hold back a laugh. The VM was dead set on firing her, so, unless Edward had a major change of heart in the last twenty-four hours, the GM could take his ¡®disciplinary action¡¯ threat and shove it where the sun doesn¡¯t shine... But Sulika wasn¡¯t stupid. She knew interrupting him now would do nothing to help her teammates keep their jobs- if they wanted to. So, she forced down the laugh and told him what he wanted to hear. ¡°Understood, sir. Won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°See that it doesn¡¯t¡­¡± He said and offered her a gentle smile. The GM glanced around at the hunters present. He offered the same smile to everyone and looked for all the world like a kind old man- ¡°Now, which of you sorry sacks of shit would like to explain to me how an Ogre got into our fair city?¡± He asked, never once losing the gentle smile that set Sulika¡¯s nerves on edge. Chapter 7 - Everybody was Bareknuckle Brawling (pt 1) The GM was pissed about the Ogre attack. Not once in the fifteen years since he¡¯d taken over the position of Guild Master had an attack of such magnitude occurred within Auris. But breaking his perfect record wasn¡¯t what angered him, no, it was the loss of civilian life that infuriated him. The guild was solely responsible for defending the city from the dungeons. That was its whole purpose, and if it failed to fulfill its purpose¡­ What good was it? Why did they receive tax breaks from the government, if they¡¯d failed to do their duty? Why pay their employees so much, if they weren¡¯t able to do their jobs properly? Why did he spend so much time begging the larger branches for more resources, if the guild wouldn¡¯t use what they already had as it was meant to be used? Once his rant was over, the GM let out an exhausted sigh and asked the gathered hunters a question- ¡°Which dungeon did it come from?¡± The gathered hunters looked back and forth at the people around them¡­ None had an answer to the GM¡¯s question. ¡°We don¡¯t know where it came from, sir.¡± Eli said, deciding to step up and answer the GM¡¯s question. As the captain of the first closing team, and the person who¡¯d been with the guild the longest, it was Eli¡¯s responsibility to do so- Eli flinched at the rage-filled eyes of the GM. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to disappear from here. ¡°Captain Valdove, you¡¯re not seriously suggesting we have a potential Dungeon break on our hands, and WE DON¡¯T KNOW WHERE IT IS!?¡± He shouted; his voice was loud enough to make everyone¡¯s ears ring. ¡°That¡¯s not what you¡¯re telling me right now. It¡¯s these old ears of mine; they misheard you, right?¡± The GM asked. He looked sad- no, remorseful while he stared holes through Eli. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. But we really don¡¯t know where it came from. None of the dungeons within the city have shown signs of breaking. We¡¯ve stuck to the usual bi-weekly clear to maintain the dungeon¡¯s population, and we haven¡¯t seen any abnormalities inside any of them.¡± ¡°Sir,¡± A mousy looking halfling woman said, and raised her hand like a school age kid trying to get the teacher¡¯s attention. ¡°My name is-¡± ¡°I know who you are, Ellie Underlake- You¡¯re the seventh member of the third scouting team.¡± The GM interrupted. He looked as if his energy levels were being drained by the second. ¡°If you have something to add, I¡¯m all ears.¡± Ellie made a startled sound at the GM remembering her. ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t expect you to-¡± ¡°Ellie.¡± The GM sighed. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± She quietly replied while glancing down at her feet. ¡°I was just going to suggest it may have come from outside the city. None of the scouting teams have been sent beyond the walls in forty-seven days.¡± The GM¡¯s body tensed as if she''d just shouted in his ears. ¡°Did your captain tell you not to venture outside the city or did someone else issue that order?¡± He asked; It was obvious to everyone he¡¯d wanted to shout, but had held it in. Ellie wasn¡¯t high enough in the guild to decide something like that on her own, so shouting at her would get him nothing but the Ire of the other hunters. A dark-skinned elf stepped forward and placed himself beside Ellie. ¡°I¡¯m sure the same thing happened to the other scout captains, so I don¡¯t mind speaking for them. I received an order from my division commander to prioritize exploration of the dungeons within our walls, and passed the order along to my team, sir.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± The GM nodded and trailed off. There was a moment where Sulika wondered if he would ignore the captain¡¯s words and still place the blame on the scouting teams¡­ ¡°I thank you all for your honesty.¡± He said after a long moment. ¡°I was supposed to leave again tomorrow, but after everything that¡¯s happened, it doesn¡¯t look like that¡¯s still the case. All of you have my word; I¡¯ll not be leaving until the Auris hunters guild is back on track. You¡¯re dismissed, get back to your duties- Oh, except you, Captain Wysarie.¡± The GM said while staring directly at Sulika- who waited for the other hunters to depart before approaching the Guild Master. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d follow me to my office.¡± The GM said while looking up at her. ¡°There¡¯s something we need to discuss-¡± ¡°Sorry to bother you, guild master. But I was wondering if I could have a word with my junior before you steal her away.¡± Eli asked from a few feet behind Sulika- his voice was startling to hear since she hadn¡¯t realized he was there. ¡°Captain Valdove¡­¡± The GM replied in a manner that was more Sylvani than common; His words stringing together to produce a sound that resembled an extended growl, rather than proper sentences. Sulika also noticed the fur on the sides of his neck standing on end, showing just how irritated the GM truly was. Like normal dogs, a Kandis''s emotions were usually too subtle for most people to comprehend. But Sulika, who was technically a cousin to the Kandis race, sort of knew what signs to look for; Talking with his teeth exposed- Check, fur on the back/sides of his neck raised- big check, his tail- actually, the GM didn¡¯t have a tail, so that one was out. But the way his eye was hyper fixated on Eli¡¯s face more than made up for it. The GM was pissed, and Sulika wondered if she was about to see Eli flung across the room like the half-orc¡­ But after a second of staring into Eli¡¯s soul, the GM released a sigh and looked at Sulika. ¡°I¡¯m heading to my office now. If you wish to speak with your former captain-¡± His eye darted over to Eli for a second before refocusing on Sulika, ¡°Then I won¡¯t stop you. But I don¡¯t have all day, so make it quick.¡± Sulika also glanced at Eli. He was smiling at her, and projecting for all the world to see how easy going he was. Sulika didn¡¯t need to be an Oracle to know what he wanted; Aldritch had offended him, and his pride wouldn¡¯t allow him to let it go. A part of Sulika wanted to tell the GM she had nothing to say to Eli and just follow him up to his office¡­ But another part- A Big part, wanted to see where this would go. If she was lucky, she might even get the chance to kick his ass before she left the guild for good. ¡°I¡¯ll make it as quick as I can, sir.¡± Sulika replied while smiling down at the GM, who watched her for another second before nodding and leaving them to their own devices. Sulika¡¯s smile dropped the moment she laid eyes on Eli, and she stared at him- While he stared back at her while maintaining his own smile. ¡°That¡¯s a scary look on your face, Sulika. You shouldn¡¯t hold such anger within your body, it¡¯s really not good for you.¡± He told her. ¡°The fuck do you want, Eli?¡± Sulika replied, having little desire to put up with his bullshit. ¡°Hey, I just wanted to check on you. See if you¡¯re okay, you know?¡± He said and took a step closer to her. ¡°Last time I saw you, you were walking away with a stranger, right?¡± He asked and chuckled just loud enough for her to hear. ¡°Can¡¯t I be worried about you?¡± He finished, reaching out to touch Sulika¡¯s face- ¡°Nope.¡± Sulika replied while slapping his hand away. ¡°You lost that ability after we broke up. Also, let¡¯s be serious for a second Elluine Valdove. You didn¡¯t come over here to ask if I was okay- you could care less about that. You want to ask about Aldritch, so ask.¡± Eli maintained his smile through Sulika¡¯s accusation, but it began to falter when he noticed some of the other hunters watching them. ¡°You need to keep your voice down, Sulika. People might get the wrong idea about us-¡± ¡°Us?¡± Sulika asked, incredulously. ¡°There is no Us, Eli. Hasn¡¯t been since you Cheated on me.¡± Sulika said, putting an especially loud emphasis on the word ¡®cheated¡¯. She couldn¡¯t help but grin at the way Eli¡¯s face paled, and how even more eyes had landed on them. ¡°Hey, this is pretty fun. I should¡¯ve done this earlier.¡± Sulika watched Eli¡¯s face for any sign that he would snap, but to her surprise, he didn¡¯t. He was able to suppress his anger¡­ Kinda. His fists were already clenched to the point his knuckles went white, and the veins in his neck were standing out. He was clearly mad, but he wasn¡¯t dumb enough to damage his own reputation by doing something stupid here, with so many other captains watching. No, the more likely outcome was him waiting until they were alone to do something- however, since she was leaving at the end of the day, that would never happen¡­ But that wasn¡¯t the outcome she wanted either. No, the ending where they go their separate ways, never to see or interact with one another again wasn¡¯t what she wanted. It wasn¡¯t nearly satisfying enough. If she¡¯s leaving at the end of the day, why not give all these hunters something to remember? You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Sulika smirked. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you gave me some pointers, Eli. Wanna spar for a bit?¡± Eli was instantly suspicious of the request. Sulika had never liked sparring with him, so why would she ask to do so now? His instinct was to say no- but that damn smirk on her face. ¡°Why not?¡± Eli laughed. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I know how much the Guild Master hates waiting. I¡¯ll make this quick.¡± He beckoned her to follow him to the sparring ring in the melee room. On the way to the ring, Eli grabbed a pair of wooden daggers off a nearby weapons rack, while Sulika grabbed a one-handed sword and pulled out her wand. The ring was an elevated platform in the shape of a circle, with a wooden palisade surrounding it. With a radius of only twenty feet, it was fairly intimate for a combat ring. Some two-handed weapons could barely be swung without hitting the palisade. Luckily, neither Eli nor Sulika would have that problem. As a ranger, Eli¡¯s true specialty lay in his bow. But that didn¡¯t mean he was helpless in close quarters. Eli had spent years practicing his dagger technique just in case he was ever in a situation where he couldn¡¯t use his bow. And by his own estimation, he was pretty damn good with them. Eli opened the palisade¡¯s wooden gate and stepped aside to let Sulika enter first. ¡°Ladies first.¡± He said, smiling down at her. Sulika stepped past him without a word and moved to the opposite end of the ring. She took a few practice swings with the wooden sword to get a feel for its balance, weight, and how it felt in her hand- She frowned at the way the sword wobbled slightly with each swing. She pointed the sword¡¯s tip out in front of her body and peered down its edge¡­ Sure enough, the sword was off center. There was a faint bowing of the wood, causing it to lean slightly to the left. Sulika¡¯s ears twitched at the sound of Eli locking the gate behind them. Glancing over at him, Sulika saw an arrogant smirk on his face that caused her anger to spike- Sulika shook her head and closed her eyes. She couldn¡¯t afford to get angry. Not yet at least. Eli was an asshole, yes, but he was an asshole with a much higher level than her. If she wasn¡¯t careful, he¡¯d put her down before she could blink, and she¡¯d lose her chance to get back at him. ¡°Ready?¡± He asked. Sulika frowned at his relaxed stance; Eli stood with his knees locked, his daggers hanging in a limp-wristed grip, and his eyes only half open. He was mocking her- making light of her, no doubt due to the ten-level difference between them¡­ Good. She could use that. Sulika pointed her sword at Eli¡¯s chest with one hand while placing her other hand, the one holding her wand, behind her back. ¡°Whenever you are.¡± Sulika replied with a grin of her own. ¡°Enmet: Lunar Mirage.¡± Sulika whispered her spell while pointing the wand at her own back. Eli made a ¡®come on¡¯ gesture with one of his daggers- Sulika accepted the challenge and rushed in. She flipped her wand into a reverse grip and used the extra space to wield her sword with both hands. She swung at Eli¡¯s head with all her strength, hoping to take him out with a single hit. But that was never going to happen- Eli batted the sword aside with the dagger in his left hand, while jabbing the dagger in his right hand at Sulika¡¯s abdomen. Rather than fighting against the parry, Sulika went with it. She twisted her body out of the way of Eli¡¯s dagger, then used the momentum of the twist to add a bit of centrifugal force to her next blow- Sulika¡¯s right leg snapped out into a spinning heel kick that forced Eli to lean back or risk getting his head knocked off his shoulders. But he realized too late that it was a fake. Sulika had only pretended to throw a kick, and at the last minute had pulled her leg back in and used the extra momentum generated by bringing her leg up to further increase the speed of her spin. With the extra force added to her blow, Sulika took her left hand off the sword and blindly swung it with her right. Eli caught the sword with his right dagger, and using only the strength of his wrist, flicked her sword into the air. It left Sulika¡¯s hand with enough speed to tear some skin from her palm and launched over the Palisade to land somewhere in the melee room. Unwilling to accept the loss, Sulika raised her fists in front of her face and ducked into his personal space- but Eli was ready for her to try something like that and ducked back to avoid the haymaker she¡¯d launched at his head- Eli¡¯s head rocked to the side as Sulika¡¯s fist slammed against his chin. Sulika smiled. This was what she¡¯d been waiting for; Lunar Mirage was a second level enchantment spell that tricked the opponent''s eyes, making them think the caster was closer than they actually are. The main issue with the spell was it had a slightly longer than average activation time at 8.6 seconds¡­ Which gave the opponent almost nine seconds to rush in and beat the shit out of the caster. Knowing this weakness, Sulika knew she had to keep Eli on the defensive or risk being overwhelmed- Which was always a major concern for Enchantment specialists like her. Enchantment spells cost less mana to use than other schools of magic, but in return, could only be consistently used on targets of a lower level than the caster¡­ But she didn¡¯t have to worry about that, considering her heritage; Kitsunes were master enchanters, and were essentially born to use enchantment magic. This was especially true for Kitsune with the ¡®Nine-Tail¡¯s Heir¡¯ class; Kitsune with this class could weave illusions into reality at a whim, bringing forth the target''s greatest wish- or their deepest fear- without worrying too much about the level difference. So long as the target was within twenty levels of the caster, a kitsune¡¯s enchantment magic would land, and Sulika was no exception to this. However, the price they paid in exchange for the ease with which they used enchantment magic was steep; The heirs had¡­ issues learning other types of magic. And while they could certainly still use the other schools, the spells always cost more mana than they would for any other type of spellcaster. And the disparity only grew as the level of the spell climbed higher and higher. So, the difference between an Heir¡¯s level one spell and another sorcerer¡¯s level one spell might not be that significant- But by the time you reach third level, the heir is using about thirty percent more mana than everyone else. And unfortunately for Sulika, enchantment magic was really only effective if the target didn¡¯t realize you were using it. Just like the ¡®practical illusions¡¯ of a street magician, once the target knew what was happening, it became almost impossible to fool them with the same illusion. Further evidence of this came when Eli dodged Sulika¡¯s second punch by a hair¡¯s width, and the third punch by a matter of inches. The fourth punch was parried by Eli¡¯s left dagger, while he used his right arm to lock Sulika¡¯s arm in place- Sulika¡¯s eyes went wide as Eli pulled her into a knee that locked the breath from her lungs. Sulika dropped to her knees and gasped for air, the pain and lack of air caused unshed tears to come to her eyes. ¡°That was a good punch.¡± Eli muttered while holding the side of his face. Sulika could see an inflamed patch of skin beneath his hand, where a bruise was already beginning to form. ¡°What¡¯s your strength attribute sitting at?¡± Sulika climbed to her feet, though her aching abdomen made even that a tedious task. She stared at Eli for a second, and debated whether or not to tell him¡­ With a sigh, Sulika opened her status window.
Status
Class Nine-Tail''s Heir
Level 31
Ability Scores
Strength 10
Dexterity 20
Constitution 10
Wisdom 14
Intelligence 16
Charisma 20
¡°Ten.¡± Sulika begrudgingly admitted. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Impressive.¡± Eli replied, sounding genuinely impressed. ¡°It certainly didn¡¯t feel like a punch from someone with a strength level of ten. I¡¯d have guessed twelve.¡± Eli shrugged and smiled- The pommel of his left dagger slammed into the side of her face, knocking her off her feet. She landed on the ground with an aching head, and an identical bruise to the one on Eli¡¯s face. ¡°By the way, don¡¯t forget to go see the Guild Master - You know, after you pick your pride up off the floor.¡± Eli whispered to her. With a pleased smile on his face, he walked to the gate and let himself out. Sulika climbed to her feet a few moments later with her pride ¡®mostly¡¯ intact. She¡¯d lost¡­ But she hadn¡¯t actually expected to win. A ten-level difference was like night and day. It was an insurmountable wall that no one could overcome, no matter their stats or what equipment they had equipped. And yet, she¡¯d managed to punch that bastard in his perfect little face. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was a win in her book. Chapter 7 - Everybody was Bareknuckle Brawling (pt 2) Inside the GM¡¯s office, on the highest floor of the hunters guild, Sulika sat in a plush leather chair with a high back. The side of her face was already showing a dark bruise where Eli hit her with the pommel of his dagger. Despite that, she was smiling like a child with a new toy. The room she was in wasn¡¯t overly large or decorated. The GM had kept the office as barebones as possible due to him being out of the office more often than not. Still, for those rare times he was in office, the GM allowed himself a few small amenities to make it feel more like home; A leather chair fitted perfectly to his small frame, a custom desk made especially for him, a few large bookshelves filled to the brim with monster manuals, spell books, survival guides, and a few¡­ Personal books to be enjoyed in his private time. Oh, and to bring it all together, a skull from a level 73 crimson drake was mounted on the wall behind his desk; Drakes were within the dragon family, but distantly- something like the third cousin most people forget they¡¯re related to. Drakes were wingless, draconic wolves that hunted in packs of up to twelve members. They stood around eight feet tall at the shoulder, could grow to over fifteen feet long, and the crimson specimen mounted over his desk had weighed nearly six thousand pounds. Size differences aside; Drakes also had a unique physiology amongst dragons. They had four eyes, where most dragons possessed only two. And they breathed not through their nostrils, but through the pair of gills on either side of their neck. Drakes also lacked the ability to use a breath attack, which almost every other dragon type could use with impunity. But in return, drakes possessed an extraordinary toxic bite that could melt steel in seconds. Drake bile is actually a favorite toxin among assassins, due to the fact that it''s both tasteless and scentless¡­ And can melt the veins right out of a troll¡¯s body in about thirty seconds flat. That skull was one of the GM¡¯s proudest possessions, and slaying the creature was the main reason he¡¯d been asked to take over the position of the Auris Guild Master. And now, Sulika¡¯s eyes were fixated on the skull like it was the most beautiful thing she¡¯d ever seen. Seeing her awed expression made the GM a little happy- After all, it wasn¡¯t everyday he got to talk with someone who wasn¡¯t interested in the skull for the money it could make them or the status it brought. Those people always had a certain air about them- the GM referred to them as honor hounds, due to the way they chased status and honor like it was a commodity to be traded. But despite his current feelings, he really didn¡¯t have the time to sit around and chat. There was too much work to be done, and he was only now starting to realize just how little help he had. He¡¯d already tried to contact Edward again- he¡¯d done so while waiting for Sulika to arrive- and again, he was being ignored. To make matters even worse, now he had to set aside even more time he didn¡¯t have, to speak with the three division commanders to ensure they were all on the same page. The GM pushed all of that aside to focus on the current situation. He stared at Sulika¡¯s bruised face through narrow eyes and could feel his hackles rising of their own accord. ¡°Were you assaulted?¡± He asked, concern dripping from his voice. He wasn¡¯t asking because Sulika was a woman- To be frank, she wasn¡¯t. She was a hunter; a being blessed by the gods with powers far beyond that of a mortal man. But he¡¯d left her with Eli, another hunter, and one with decades of experience compared to Sulika¡¯s handful of years. If Eli had used his status to bully those weaker than him, he¡¯d be the next person the GM would speak to¡­ Even if he had to break a few bones to get him through the door. Sulika snapped out of her awe induced stupor and shook her head. ¡°Sorry, sir. But no. I challenged him to a spar and lost. This,¡± She pointed to her face. ¡°Was given in trade.¡± ¡°Trade?¡± The GM asked, confused by her wording. ¡°Trade for what?¡± ¡°An identical one on his face.¡± Sulika replied and smiled like the cat that ate the canary. The GM stared at her for a second- He laughed quietly to himself and nodded. ¡°Alright, good enough for me. If you say you weren¡¯t assaulted, then I believe you. But- and you¡¯re free to not answer if it''s personal- I have to ask; you¡¯ve never struck me as the hot-blooded type. Why¡¯d you want to fight him?¡± Sulika glanced down at her lap for a second to gather her thoughts. ¡°I figured this was my last chance, and I didn¡¯t want to miss it.¡± She said before glancing back at the GM¡­ Who was staring at her with wide eyes. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t realize you were sick. Was it because of guild duties?¡± He asked before reaching into his desk and pulling out a large folder that had to weigh over ten pounds. ¡°I have the guild¡¯s health representative¡¯s address in here somewhere.¡± He muttered and flipped it open. ¡°You should give them a visit when you leave here, they¡¯ll help you organize a treatment plan- Oh, and don¡¯t worry about the expenses. The guild will cover all of it-¡± ¡°Sir!¡± Sulika said, interrupting him before the misunderstanding could get out of hand. The GM looked up from the folder with a confused look on his face. ¡°I realize now that I wasn¡¯t clear with my words; I¡¯m not sick, the Vice Master fired me and my team yesterday¡­ Which is actually what I thought this meeting was going to be about, and why I wanted to talk to you-¡± ¡°Fired you?¡± The GM exclaimed incredulously. He slammed the folder shut and shoved it to the side of his desk without caring how close it came to sliding off onto the floor. ¡°As far as I know, you haven¡¯t been issued any demerits on your record. Nor have I heard of you, or any of your team, being troublesome employees... Well, no more than anyone else. So, to say you were all fired seems like an extreme reaction, and I¡¯m going to need you to explain before this conversation can go any further.¡± Sulika had to swallow her nerves at the sight of the GM staring a hole through her with his lone eye. She knew what he was doing; he was studying her for any sign of deceit. Because he was right, firing them all was an extreme reaction. But it was also 100% the truth, and she knew that. Sulika took a steadying breath and began to explain the events leading up to her conversation with Edward, leaving nothing out. She¡¯d already received Faeyra¡¯s permission to say she was the oracle who gave the prophecy, so that¡¯s where she started. Explaining the prophecy led to talking about how she¡¯d reported the warning to the guild- and their subsequent ignoring of it- A low growl filled the room, stopping Sulika¡¯s explanation in its tracks. The GM¡¯s teeth were exposed, and he was practically vibrating with anger. She saw him visibly wrestle down his emotions until his body stopped shaking and the growling had ceased, which left the room in an uncomfortable silence. ¡°I apologize.¡± The GM said through gritted teeth. It took him a few more seconds to calm down enough to speak normally. ¡°I understand Edward¡¯s decision-¡± He held up his hand to stop Sulika from interrupting. ¡°Not saying I agree with it. Personally, I think all reports of a new dungeon should be investigated- no matter the source of the information¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°But I also know how stretched thin we are. Most islands the size of Azuris have eight closing teams, ten scouting teams, and between fifteen and twenty mining teams. The teams are also much larger in numbers than what we have here, and between the cities of Auris, Ventihold, Impercall, and Starfall, Azuris Island has a population of 130,000. And yet- and YET those old blowhards back at headquarters are expecting us to protect it with only a few dozen hunters. Why?¡± He asked, though it was more like he was ranting, rather than asking a question that required an answer. ¡°It¡¯s a fact that we¡¯re sorely lacking in manpower right now, and if he thinks we couldn¡¯t spare the teams to investigate the- admittedly dubious- claim, then he¡¯s probably right.¡± The GM admitted. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°I understand that sir.¡± Sulika quietly replied. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m not fighting my firing. I know I messed up, but my team was just following orders when they helped me raid that warehouse-¡± The GM lifted his hand again, causing her to go silent. ¡°You did what?¡± He asked through clenched teeth. So, Sulika explained how she and the other members of her team took turns watching the warehouse during their personal time. How they collected evidence, took photographs, and watched the warehouse every night for multiple weeks before finally bringing it back to the guild. ¡°So¡­ You investigated it yourselves, while completing your own duties- Because I checked your files when I arrived this morning, and there weren¡¯t any reported absences.¡± The GM asked, trying to clarify everything he¡¯d just been told- to which Sulika replied by nodding. ¡°And do you still have this evidence?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes, sir. All of it should still be inside the team office, I made sure it was all deposited into the team''s safe just in case we needed it later. Want me to go get it?¡± She asked and moved to stand- but the GM shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯ll look for it myself once we¡¯re done here. What happened next?¡± He prompted her to continue while leaning back in his chair. Sulika explained what they found inside the warehouse, how they chased the cultist through the streets, and how they followed him into the dungeon that spawned from the orb breaking against the ground- ¡°Are you fucking stupid?¡± The GM shouted; his voice hit Sulika¡¯s ears like a stick of dynamite. ¡°What possessed you to follow him into the portal without waiting for the guild?¡± Sulika was quiet for a second before saying- ¡°The dungeon was supposed to break immediately after opening and release death upon Iolara. That¡¯s what Faeyra saw in her vision, so¡­ I didn¡¯t think we had time to wait for reinforcements that may never come?¡± She said, though she sounded unsure even to her own ears. Sulika¡¯s eyes widened as she watched the GM¡¯s hands curl into white-knuckled fists, his fingers gouging deep lines into the top of his desk, though the GM either didn¡¯t notice or didn¡¯t care about the damage he was causing to his own furniture. After a long moment of silence, the GM relaxed his hands and shook the splinters and wood chips out of his hands. He slowly exhaled to calm himself down and nodded for Sulika to continue. Sulika hesitated for a moment, debating whether to tell the GM about Aldritch or not¡­ Eventually, she acquiesced and just told him everything that¡¯s happened since she first saw Aldritch- though she left out the private conversations, since they had nothing to do with the guild or her place within it. By the end of her tale, the GM was sitting with his elbows on his desk and his head held between his palms. ¡°Are you okay, sir?¡± Sulika asked, genuinely concerned for the GM¡¯s health. She had no idea how much stress he was under until this conversation. ¡°My head hurts.¡± He admitted with a sigh. ¡°I need to have a talk with Edward.¡± He muttered while slowly rubbing his temples. ¡°I¡¯m sorry he accused you of embezzling the guild¡¯s funds with so little evidence. I haven¡¯t seen any letters about your team come across my desk- Hell, I haven¡¯t seen him at all. But I¡¯ll find out what¡¯s going on with him. Regardless, I don¡¯t want to lose you or your team, so, if you still want to be a part of the guild, the job remains yours.¡± Butterflies. Sulika felt dozens of the little creatures battling to the death inside her stomach. She could keep her job? Just like that? What was she waiting for? Of course, the answer was ¡°Yes! A thousand times, yes!¡± ... Wasn¡¯t it? Wasn¡¯t that what she wanted? ¡°So, do you think we¡¯ll be able to form a guild as we are now?¡± Aldritch had asked them that question just last night. Sulika realized then that she¡¯d been looking forward to it, To the long nights, to the struggles, to the freedom. Yes, it would be a ton of work to run a guild, and there was no guarantee that it would work out once all was said and done. But at the end of the day- did she really want to continue working for a place like the guild? The truth was, no, she didn¡¯t. She''d rather risk it all by starting a guild of her own than allow the Vice Master to continue holding her employment hostage. Plus, if she stayed, then punching Eli across the face would have much less impact- which was just unacceptable¡­ She did feel bad for the GM, though. It was obvious he loved the guild, and he took his job very seriously. She wondered how much her leaving would burden him- ¡°Don¡¯t stay out of pity.¡± The GM said, interrupting Sulika¡¯s thoughts and confusing her. ¡°That look in your eyes; I recognize it.¡± He explained, his voice going a bit quieter as he spoke. ¡°You¡¯ve made your decision, but something¡¯s holding you back. Don¡¯t let it. If you want to leave, then leave. If you want to stay, then stay. The guild will survive either way, as it always has.¡± He said and looked directly at her face. ¡°What do you want to do, Captain Wysarie¡­ Or would you prefer Sulika?¡± Sulika met his gaze for a second, before dropping her eyes to her lap while she thought it over¡­ ¡°I think¡­¡± She took a calming breath and looked up, focusing her gaze directly onto the GM. ¡°No, I do prefer Sulika. Just Sulika.¡± She replied with a smile. ¡°Well, then.¡± The GM hopped out of his chair and walked around the desk until he was standing in front of her. He held out a single, heavily calloused hand for her to shake. ¡°Let me be the first to wish you luck on your next endeavor; Sulika Wysarie.¡± Sulika¡¯s smile grew even bigger, and she stood up to properly shake his hand. ¡°Thanks, Guild Master-¡± Her words were cut off by the GM¡¯s raised hand. ¡°Civilians don¡¯t have to call me Guild Master, so neither do you.¡± He explained while slightly smiling. ¡°Then what do I call you?¡± Sulika asked, and realized she¡¯d never actually known the GM¡¯s name. As the highest member of the guild branch, everyone called him by his title of ¡®Guild Master¡¯ as a sign of respect. But it was true the civilians didn¡¯t have to follow that rule, most still did to show they also respected him. The GM thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. ¡°Just call me Max.¡± ¡°Oh, well then, nice to meet you, Max-¡± Sulika replied and showed Max a bright smile- ¡°Don¡¯t ruin the moment by getting all excited.¡± Max said in complete deadpan. ¡°Knowing my name doesn¡¯t make us friends.¡± ¡°Right¡­ Sorry, sir.¡± Sulika replied and laughed awkwardly. She bowed her head, ¡°Thanks for everything, sir.¡± She said in a loud, clear voice before departing the office and practically running down the stairs to get out of the building- she slid to a stop on the first floor and cursed under her breath. She¡¯d almost forgotten her sword! Once Sulika was gone, Max smiled. Despite losing a powerful sorceress, and one of his few team leaders, Max was happy she was about to forge her own path¡­ He wished more hunters had the opportunity to do so. He looked up at the skull hanging over his desk and let out another sigh. He hated that he seemed to be doing that more often than he ever had. He used to never sigh- after all, what was the point? It accomplished nothing, sounded irritating, and was pointless once you realized you could¡¯ve just changed whatever made you sigh in the first place¡­ But now? He felt like every day, the weight on his shoulders got larger. Max was suffocating little by little, and there was very little he could do about it until the other branches stopped stealing potential recruits right out from under them. His mind then went to Edward¡­ Now that- that he could do something about. Chapter 7 - Everybody was Bareknuckle Brawling (pt 3) Aldritch was sitting on a large stone bench, just outside the aerial dock. The area he¡¯d found was some kind of rest stop- or perhaps a picnic area would be the more correct term? Either way, it was the first place Aldritch had seen since leaving Mag Arsa that had grass- but unlike the grass back home, this stuff wasn¡¯t oozing toxic waste into the air, nor was it blackened by death and smelling of brimstone. It looked so comfortable, Aldritch had already taken his boots off and was just enjoying the feeling of the lusciously green grass between his toes- It was slightly damp from the early morning dew that had yet to dry, and refreshingly soft compared to what he was used to. He could see why people would picnic here- It even had a good view of the edge of the island, which was just behind a steel fence about a hundred feet from where Aldritch was sitting. He glanced around at the people present; from the young couples just getting to know one another, to the large family gatherings with multiple generations of parents and their children enjoying the pleasant day out, and the loners like himself on the periphery of the park; each with their own reasons for coming here today. It truly was a paradise compared to what Mag Arsa had become. ¡°As beautiful as this place is, it¡¯s a bit boring- isn¡¯t it?¡± Oakairo asked. The feeling Aldritch got through their bond was that Oakairo was feeling sleepy¡­ Which while understandable, was a bit funny and reminded Aldritch of the old days. Aldritch couldn¡¯t remember how many times he¡¯d gone to visit the dragon god, only to find him sleeping atop the literal mountains of gold the dwarves of Than Kaldur had buried beneath their mountainous home. The memory brought the slightest smile to Aldritch¡¯s face¡­ But Oakairo was right. It was a bit boring for his tastes. Aldritch pivoted his body to the left and reached into the back pocket of his trousers. He pulled a piece of paper that was about the size of his palm out of the pocket and looked down at it; it was a magically printed copy of the much larger, and far more detailed map of Auris Aldritch took a glance at in the hunters guild dormitory. It was also the primary reason he¡¯d insisted on going back to the dormitory after his conversation with the former Vice-Master. And they were just sitting on a wooden table near the dormitory¡¯s entrance, free for anyone to take. The map was a bit barebones, only having a few landmarks and the easiest ways to travel between them. But even that was a lot of useful information to cram into such a small area. Aldritch wanted to at least see most of the areas represented on the map before the end of the day, even if he couldn¡¯t go inside and take a proper look around. The aerial dock was clearly represented on the southwestern side of the little map. It was by far the largest area on the map, which was why Aldritch had started his exploration from there. After looking around the docks for a little over an hour, Aldritch had seen even more than he¡¯d expected; flying pufferfish, horses with wings pulling carriages through the sky, and at least three species of dragon. But, since he was growing tired of looking around the docks, it was time to move on to the next area on his list. ¡°Hey, before we go¡­ Think we could take a peek over the edge?¡± Oakairo asked in a pleading voice. Aldritch glanced over at the edge of the island, then looked at the fence blocking it from the average citizen. Surrounding the entire aerial dock was a six-foot-tall stone fence that periodically shimmered with a purple light. ¡°Eye of the Magic Eater¡± Aldritch muttered and activated the spell he¡¯d invented back when he¡¯d first started hunting demons. The world through Aldritch¡¯s eyes went completely black, almost as if he¡¯d gone blind¡­ Except, just then, something flashed in front of his eyes. Aldritch watched as the fence shimmered before his eyes; the wave of mana traveled from beneath the ground, to the top of the fence, and beyond- flowing high into the sky, before curving back towards the city and merging with the gigantic walls that protected it. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Aldritch temporarily deactivated Eye of the Magic Eater to look down at his feet and locate a small pebble, the kind you¡¯d find basically anywhere. He lifted it off the ground by pinching it between his index and middle fingers of his right hand. He inspected the pebble for a few seconds, doing a couple of quick calculations in his head to determine how much strength he should put into the experiment he was about to perform. Once he was somewhat satisfied, Aldritch allowed the pebble to roll down his fingers and settle in the palm of his hand. Keeping his palm as flat as possible, he brought the pebble up to eye level and used the fingers of his right hand as a guide to aim it at a spot a few feet above the fence. Aldritch flicked the pebble with the middle finger of his left hand and reactivated Eye of the Magic Eater- There was a loud popping sound that drew nearly everyone in the park¡¯s attention, bringing all of their eyes over to Aldritch. Aldritch wasn¡¯t looking at them, however. His eyes remained locked on the watermelon sized hole he¡¯d just punched in the ward. ¡°That¡¯s odd. I didn¡¯t expect them to be that rigid. Normally, wards on the level of a city are meant to be supple- The more flexible they were, the better they were able to withstand hurricanes, floods, quakes, etc. Hard shields are usually more of a personal protection measure, meant to withstand blows from enemy combatants. Why would they use hard shields here?¡± ¡°Could be because they haven¡¯t reached that level of magic engineering yet. Didn¡¯t the cultist also have hard shields around his home?¡± Oakairo pointed out, reminding Aldritch of the ease with which he¡¯d smashed through Edwards wards. Aldritch frowned at the possibility of Iolara being so far behind. It didn¡¯t seem quite right, they had many devices that were far beyond the technology Aldritch had seen back home. Why would they only be behind in the field of Magic Engineering? ¡°Which is easier to maintain?¡± Oakairo asked, temporarily drawing Aldritch out of his confusion. ¡°The hard shield is far easier to maintain¡­ Which would explain why they were using it instead of the superior supple shield method. From what I¡¯ve seen, Auris seems to be sorely lacking in resources and capable people.¡± ¡°Could you build the ward for them?¡± Aldritch thought it over for a moment before nodding. ¡°I could. Not for free, obviously. But I could forge a dozen or so ward stones to encircle the dock and replace what¡¯s already there. Why? What¡¯re you planning, my Lord?¡± Aldritch asked, while waiting for Oakairo to respond, he observed the ward through Eye of the Magic Eater. While it took longer than Aldritch personally found acceptable, the ward eventually closed the hole he¡¯d created and returned to normal. Provided they had an appropriate amount of power, all wards should have a self-repair function built into the foundation of the magic code. This would drastically extend the life of the wards, reduce maintenance costs, and improve its overall efficiency by something like 27%. But since this ward took seventeen seconds to initiate the self-repair protocol, its efficiency rate couldn¡¯t be any higher than 15% percent. ¡°I¡¯m thinking this new guild you want to start is going to need some startup funds¡­ Which you are sorely lacking. You don¡¯t even have enough money to rent a place to sleep- not that you do sleep, but you get my point.¡± Aldritch tilted his head to one side and thought that over for a second. Oakairo was right, they¡¯d need money to get started. And while he did have a few things he¡¯d picked up that he could pawn, he¡¯d rather not sell anything from his homeland. It was sentimental drivel, but they were all he had left of the place he¡¯d once called home. ¡°Good point.¡± Aldritch hummed and stood up. He picked up his boots and started walking away at the same time as five armed men arrived at the fence in thick leather armor that had been dyed dark blue. They were all wearing dark helmets that covered their faces, while the leather armor covered their entire body like a second skin. Aldritch noted their weapons were all wooden clubs that had been enchanted, with what effect, Aldritch couldn¡¯t say. But it was an interesting find to be sure. Aldritch wondered who these strange individuals were, and what role they played within the confines of the city¡­ But then he turned his back to them and kept walking. Sure, a part of him was interested in going over and introducing himself. But his curiosity towards them was but a feather compared to the weight of his curiosity towards the rest of the city. Besides, he had a feeling he¡¯d run into them again sooner or later. Auris wasn¡¯t that big of a city, and he seriously doubted that anyone wearing such¡­ obvious attire would be difficult to spot. While carrying his boots in his right hand, Aldritch followed the little map to the next of the other three major landmarks within Auris city; The clocktower at the very heart of the Market Square was a colossal structure that even towered over the walls of the city. It had four faces, one for each cardinal direction, and the wooden structure had an absolutely fascinating pattern to the wood. The base of the tower was a light, almost colorless wood that Aldritch realized would release a very sweet scent if the breeze caught it just right. But as his eyes moved up the tower, the color of the wood shifted hues- becoming darker, and less pleasant on the eyes. And once your eyes reached the very top of the clock tower, you could see yet another pattern in the wood. This dark, almost foreboding color caused Aldritch¡¯s eyes to twitch every time he looked directly at it¡­ "There¡¯s an obfuscation ward up there.¡± Oakairo muttered. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°This world is so interesting.¡± Aldritch replied, smiling up at the clocktower¡¯s eastern face. He wondered if the clock mechanisms still worked, and decided to wait around to see what he would discover. However, despite waiting for several minutes, and periodically moving to view each of the four clock faces, the clocktower remained frozen at exactly [8:49:52]. Aldritch shook his head in disappointment and moved on to the next landmark; A four story building located about half a mile from the market square, with a sign mounted above the large, wooden double doors that read; The Sentinel''s Roost. Just as he¡¯d predicted, Aldritch saw more of the blue suited men. But this time, instead of investigating something, they were coming and going from the building. Aldritch noted how none of the blue suited men ever left the building alone- they only traveled in groups of three or more, and often those returning from¡­ Wherever they¡¯d gone, were dragging with them lone men and women. The people they brought in were always in wooden chains that linked both arms, both legs, and their neck to a wooden brace attached to their waist. Aldritch used Wisdom of the Great Sage on everyone entering and exiting the building- And to his great surprise, none of the people he scanned had a system installed onto them. Both the blue suited men and the chained individuals were, as far as Aldritch could tell, just normal civilians. ¡°A Sentinel back home was a watcher¡­ Of sorts.¡± Oakairo explained. ¡°They were the artificial guardians of the royal tombs in the human realms. Maybe these men serve the same purpose here?¡± ¡°I agree with them being defenders, but I don¡¯t think it''s tombs they guard. Judging by the prisoners, I would assume they were either a slave trading organization or a group of peacekeepers¡­ And since I don¡¯t see any horrified expressions on the other citizens, I¡¯m inclined to believe it''s the latter.¡± Aldritch said. As he spoke to Oakairo, he glanced around at the civilians going about their days. None of them paid the Sentinels, or their prisoners, a second or third glance after sating the inherit curiosity all mortals possessed. Which meant one of two things; Aldritch was correct, the sentinels were peacekeepers¡­ Or this world was very used to the idea of enslaving their fellow mortals. Aldritch hoped it was the former that was true- Mind you, it wasn¡¯t because he hated slavery or wished to see it abolished. Sometimes such evils were justified, especially the way they¡¯d handled slaves back home. To enslave your fellow mortals would see you hanged by the wrists on a public viewing platform, where you would slowly starve to death- Or be eaten by the birds, whichever came first. However, there was one organization that not only still enslaved mortals, but they were also given the authority to do so across seven different nations. Oberon¡¯s Scales was the name of the group; They were the fanatical worshipers of Oakairo¡¯s brother, Oberon; Dragon God of Justice. Oberon supposedly granted his worshippers the ability to see the sins a person had committed and make them relive the horrors they¡¯d inflicted on others. It was said that by the time the group was done with the criminal, the perpetrators would beg for the torment to end and willingly enslave themselves to the families of their victims. But it wasn¡¯t as if this was the fate of all criminals the Scales caught. They only enslaved murderers, rapists, or thieves who directly caused the deaths of another person. Everyone else was handed over to the local authorities, as they weren¡¯t worth any more of the Scales¡¯ attention. ¡°Remember when they tried to arrest you?¡± Oakairo asked, and Aldritch could sense a wave of smug satisfaction coming through the bond. ¡°I do. They took offense to some of the people I¡¯d killed and tried to bring me before Oberon. They might¡¯ve actually succeeded if you hadn¡¯t interfered.¡± Aldritch replied while continuing to watch the front door of the roost- He spotted a trio of Sentinels standing just inside the doorway of the roost. The three¡¯s helmeted heads were pointing directly at him, and based on the body language he could see, Aldritch could tell they were whispering to one another. ¡°Who did you kill to piss them off?¡± Oakairo asked. Though Aldritch thought the question could apply to the sentinels watching him, he knew his Lord was actually still thinking about his run in with the Scales. ¡°I don¡¯t recall.¡± Aldritch replied. He watched the trio of Sentinels leave the building and walk towards him in a triangle formation- their bodies practically screaming their desire for conflict. Aldritch imagined them waking up today and begging the gods- or anyone else who would listen- for the chance to prove their power and authority to someone. Aldritch smiled at the three men as they approached. He found it very interesting that the two flanking the third had their hands resting on the pommels of their clubs, while the third man kept his body as relaxed as he possibly could¡­ But Aldritch knew it was an act; his knees were too stiff, his posture too rigid. By putting on a show of being ¡®relaxed¡¯, the sentinel had inadvertently made himself seem even more stressed than if he¡¯d just approached normally. ¡°It¡¯s always amusing to me how those who¡¯ve never known combat, always seem so eager to start a fight.¡± ¡°Hello, gentlemen.¡± Aldritch said, holding out his hand for the leader to shake, ¡°You stand before Aldritch of clan Blackshield. Might I know your names?¡± He asked. Aldritch doubted they would respond in kind, but that wouldn¡¯t stop him from showing them some common courtesy. ¡°Why¡¯re you loitering around the roost?¡± The leader asked. His voice was slightly muffled due to the helmet, and both hands remained firmly by his side. Aldritch kept his hand extended for a few more seconds before lowering it, and also dropping his smile. ¡°Try again.¡± Aldritch replied while staring down at the much shorter men. One of the two at the back was obviously a dwarf, but the other two¡­ They were a bit more difficult to place. The leader was bulky beneath his armor but was also tall- standing only a few inches shorter than Aldritch, so it was unlikely he was a dwarf, halfling, gnome, goblin, or any of the other shorter races. ¡°What did you say?¡± The Sentinel replied incredulously. His body tensed as his hand reached for the club at his waist. Aldritch stared at the sentinel for a second before reaching out with his left hand. He placed his palm atop the sentinel¡¯s helmet and with a light pull, he pulled the helmet clear of the man¡¯s head, revealing a youngish looking human man with a shaved head. Aldritch noticed the two other sentinels freeze at the sight of him pulling off their friend¡¯s helmet. Aldritch was also amused to note the hostility they were projecting had seemingly vanished into thin air, resulting in the three of them standing in shocked silence. ¡°I said,¡± Aldritch began, ignoring the surprised expression on the human sentinel¡¯s face. ¡°Try again. You wish for people to respect you, yes?¡± It took a second for Aldritch¡¯s words to register, but eventually the human nodded. ¡°That¡¯s completely understandable. Young people like yourselves,¡± He was assuming all three were young for their races. ¡°Have an inherent desire to feel respected. But you won¡¯t get respect by acting like self-important little shits- respect is earned by your deeds, and maintained by the way you hold yourself. It¡¯s not given to you just because you put on the uniform of a peacekeeper. Understand?¡± Aldritch explained while watching the three of them for any sudden moves. ¡°If you understand, then introduce yourselves.¡± ¡°Er-¡± The human sentinel flinched as Aldritch thumped him on the forehead. ¡°Keep your back straight when you introduce yourself. Take pride in who you are and try again.¡± Aldritch said while staring into the human¡¯s eyes. Still extremely confused, the human straightened his back and said, ¡°My name is Kal Morthas; Initiate sentinel.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Aldritch replied and smiled at the human. ¡°Now, what are your names?¡± He asked the two others. They looked between themselves for a second before the one on the left straightened his back. ¡°I am-¡± ¡°Take off your damn helmet before you introduce yourself.¡± Aldritch said, interrupting the sentinel- who froze like Aldritch had just slapped him across the face. ¡°Sorry.¡± The sentinel muttered before taking off his helmet, revealing a young dark-haired dwarf with an unkempt beard. ¡°Lorik Craigbrewer of clan Drakebeard. I¡¯m also an initiate Sentinel.¡± Aldritch nodded to the dwarf, but on the inside, he was frowning. The dwarf should know better than to act this way. Aldritch didn¡¯t know how the other races raised their kids, but he knew dwarves. If this kid¡¯s elders knew how he was swaggering around the city with these two. Without saying anything, Aldritch turned to the final sentinel and was pleased to see a young¡­ human woman standing there with her helmet tucked under her left arm. She had short black hair that was shaved on one side of her head and hung to her chin on the other. ¡°Artemis Maia Theanole. I¡¯m also an initiate sentinel.¡± She said and offered Aldritch a quick salute. Aldritch glanced down at the armor they were wearing- he hadn¡¯t thought it was thick enough to hide their forms so well, but he supposed it did make sense. Without the system, they would need thicker armor to withstand blows their bodies could not. After a second to absorb that knowledge, Aldritch nodded. ¡°Well then- Kal Morthas, Hillkin Lorik Craigbrewer of clan Drakebeard, and Artemis Maia Theanole. Once again, you stand before Aldritch of clan Blackshield. A pleasure to meet all of you.¡± Aldritch said, a slight smile on his face. ¡°And as much as I¡¯d enjoy getting to know each of you, I do have places to be. You¡¯re dismissed, sentinels.¡± He told them. Aldritch nodded as the three of them shot him a salute before donning their helmets and leaving¡­ ¡°What the fuck did you just do?¡± Oakairo asked, astounded by what he¡¯d just seen. ¡°Did you use some kind of enchantment magic when I wasn''t looking?¡± Aldritch shook his head and departed for the next landmark. ¡°Of course not. I wouldn¡¯t waste the mana.¡± ¡°Then how?¡± ¡°They¡¯re young soldiers. Sure, they¡¯ve never been in combat, but they are. Presumably fresh out of training too. Going on that assumption, I assumed they would behave as all young soldiers would when presented with a higher-ranking officer.¡± ¡°Aldritch¡­ You''re not a higher-ranking officer.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m aware. But they clearly weren¡¯t.¡± Chapter 7 - Everybody was Bareknuckle Brawling (pt 4) Aldritch stood in an area located in the northernmost corner of the city, a place called the ¡®The Old Quarter¡¯ on the map. It was a slower, more relaxed place compared to the rest of the city. Few buildings were more than a single story tall, and each building had much more space separating them than any other two buildings from the newer parts of the city. But Aldritch didn¡¯t come to the Old Quarter for the laid-back atmosphere and the larger yards. No, he came to see the memorial stone. Aldritch was standing just fifteen feet from the base of the almost hundred-foot-tall cylindrical statue. It was sitting on a large, square-shaped obsidian floor that kept most of the mud from the roads away from the statue. A number of wooden benches had been strategically placed on the obsidian floor, forming a circle around the stone, and providing a place to sit for any who needed it. The memorial stone itself was made of a pale, almost snow-colored stone that made it an icon of purity amidst the sea of muck and filth that plagued the world. And a small, carefully placed silver plaque near the base of the stone explained its purpose in Common and ten other languages- including Elvish, Dwarvish, and even orcish. It read; ¡°This stone, given to us by the God Zoddon; God of Honor, War, and Justice, stands as a memorial to the lives lost to the existence of the dungeons. Let us never forget their sacrifice in the face of our enemy. May their souls rest forever in paradise, free from the war that consumes our world to this day.¡± Aldritch approached the stone with his hands by his sides and took a closer look at its snow-like body. There, carved into the surface, were the names of everyone who¡¯d died because of the dungeon¡¯s existence- His eyes widened noticeably as a barren space on the stone began to shift before his eyes. He watched as an invisible hand carved the name ¡®Theron Wildthorn¡¯ into the stone¡¯s surface. Out of curiosity, Aldritch paced around the circle of benches and read around a hundred of the countless names already carved into the stone. As he walked, he kept an eye on the people visiting the stone. A squad of twelve armed sentinels stood nearby, watching everyone who approached the stone with a critical eye- while a trio of hunters monitored the area from the second-floor balcony of the tavern across the street. They all paid close attention to Aldritch for the first few minutes of his visit, but all soon lost interest when it appeared he was just another visitor who was searching the stone for the name of a loved one. Aldritch also watched the people who approached the stone while he was there, but not for the same reason as the sentinels or the hunters. Aldritch assumed they were there to protect it from vandals and to drive away animals, while he was a mere spectator who¡¯d come out of curiosity¡­ Or was it something else that brought him here? He supposed a part of him was just curious if the people of this strange and wonderful world mourned the same way his people did. Would they also mourn his people if they knew the truth? Or would they look on with the same bland curiosity he did? A group of three women and one man were distraught; they took a seat almost immediately after arriving and bowed their heads to the stone. Aldritch could hear them quietly begging the gods to let their lost loved ones come back to them. A group of men approached not long after the first group had settled in. This group, led by a large human male who could¡¯ve easily passed for a grizzly bear, were angry- well, one of them was. The other two men just looked upset... The bear-like man stormed up to the stone, coming so close Aldritch wondered if he planned to punch it. But the man stopped about a foot away from the stone and stared at a certain spot with a look of indignant rage on his face. After a solid minute of staring, the man drunkenly swayed away from the stone and brought the half empty glass bottle he¡¯d came with to his lips. He sucked the contents of the bottle down in one go, and Aldritch chose not to listen as the man spent a few minutes quietly ranting about the stupidity of someone before his two companions were finally able to drag him away from the stone, and towards the city proper. ¡­But the person who truly captured Aldritch¡¯s attention was the lone male Kandis who approached the stone without a sound and sat on a bench. His emerald eyes stared at a spot near the bottom of the stone with the look of a dead fish. His clothes: an expensive looking three-piece suit was disheveled. The jacket had a rather obvious tear on the left side. The sleeves around his wrists were stained dark brown, as was his knees, shins, and his soft leather shoes. His blonde fur was unkempt and stuck out at odd angles, as if he¡¯d been soaked to the bone and tried to quickly dry himself before he arrived. Aldritch recognized the look. This was a man who knew they¡¯d lost everything but was still holding out hope that it would turn out to be nothing but a nightmare¡­ Aldritch felt genuine pity for the Kandis. ¡°They haven¡¯t given up hope yet.¡± Aldritch said to Oakairo. ¡°I wonder how many days they¡¯ll keep coming back?¡± ¡°Who knows. The spirit can be remarkably resilient sometimes¡­ But that isn¡¯t always a good thing. Sometimes, holding onto hope only prolongs the suffering when you should be healing.¡± Oakairo replied, his voice quiet and full of sympathy. ¡°I can¡¯t blame him for holding onto whatever hope he can. You never know; that hope might just be the only thing keeping us around.¡± Aldritch replied, his eyes lingered on the Kandis man for a few seconds more before he ripped them away and stepped away from the memorial. ¡°Aldritch¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, my Lord.¡± Aldritch muttered. ¡°Mind if we move on? I¡¯m no longer comfortable watching these people. Their grief is-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Aldritch.¡± Oakairo replied. He didn¡¯t need Aldritch to say anything to understand why the giant would have a problem watching them. ¡°We can go whenever you¡¯re ready to go¡­ Hey, do you think the Chocolate Oracle will give us some Coco if we ask?¡± Aldritch laughed at the sudden topic change and shrugged. ¡°No idea. Suppose it wouldn¡¯t hurt to ask.¡± He replied and started walking in the approximate direction of The Fancy Dryad. ¡°Chocolate Oracle?¡± Aldritch asked, clearly amused by Faeyra¡¯s new nickname. ¡°What?¡± Oakairo asked. He didn¡¯t understand why he felt amusement flowing through their bond. Had he said something funny? ¡°Nothing, My Lord. I just like the name. It''s cute.¡± Aldritch shook his head in amusement and filed away the nickname for later. He wondered how Faeyra would react to the nickname? "Of course, you like it. I came up with it." Oakairo said, and Aldritch didn''t need the bond to know he was puffing out his chest in satisfaction. After a scant twenty minutes of walking, Aldritch was only a few streets over from The Fancy Dryad. Since it was later in the day, the number of people wandering the market square was but a fraction of what he¡¯d seen earlier in the day. Most people had already returned home for the day or were out getting drinks and dinner with friends- ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that the place the Cat mentioned?¡± Oakairo asked, directing Aldritch¡¯s attention to the large sign mounted above the door to a large tavern. Loud, fast tempoed music mixed with the voices of a hundred voices and filtered through the windows and front door to reach Aldritch¡¯s ears. The octagonal wooden building was four stories tall, with wide balconies wrapping around the exterior of each floor to give the patrons sitting outside just as much room to relax as those on the inside. Even from the street, Aldritch could see several dozen people sitting or standing on each floor- and that was just on one side of the building. He wondered just how many people were inside tonight? Aldritch moved his eyes away from the people to the brightly lit sign mounted above the door. ¡°The Odd Hawk¡­" Aldritch muttered, reading the sign. ¡°Yes, I believe this is the place. Did you want to go inside?¡± ¡°Might as well check it out- Hey, maybe they have chocolate milk here!¡± Oakairo exclaimed, already getting excited over the idea. ¡°Possibly. But, my Lord, we don¡¯t have the money to pay for any drinks.¡± Aldritch replied- He chuckled at the potent wave of dissatisfaction flowing through their bond. ¡°We can still investigate the tavern, my Lord. And if they do have that beautiful beverage, then we can come back for it later. Deal?¡± ¡°Deal¡­¡± Oakairo replied. Aldritch could tell he was still sulking, but the emotions flowing through their bond had lessened a great deal. Aldritch nodded and wandered over to the door- ¡°Hey, big fella!¡± A feminine voice came from the second-floor balcony, causing Aldritch to stop walking and glance up. His eyes landed on a very pretty, and very obviously drunk young human woman in a tight black dress. She was leaning slightly over the railing which surrounded the balcony, beside her stood two other equally drunk and pretty human women in similarly tight outfits. ¡°Are you the dancer we hired?¡± The woman asked, leaning over the railing to get a better look at Aldritch. ¡°Hey, shut up!¡± She said, shushing her two friends, who were laughing about something Aldritch didn¡¯t catch. ¡°We hired a dancer for my friend¡¯s birthday party, and he hasn¡¯t shown up yet. The lady I talked to said they were sending over a big hunk of a red-head. Is that you?¡± She explained¡­ Which earned an amused smirk from Aldritch. ¡°Sorry, miss. I¡¯m not the giant you¡¯re looking for.¡± Aldritch shook his head out of amusement and resumed walking- Or not. ¡°Hey, wait a second!¡± The woman called again, prompting Aldritch to look up at her. ¡°Could you be the dancer?¡± She asked and leaned even further over the railing to give Aldritch an unobstructed view of her impressive cleavage. ¡°I promised my friend a dancer and I¡¯d just hate to disappoint her¡­ I¡¯ll make it worth your while~¡± The woman said in a teasing voice, and slightly wiggled her body to entice Aldritch. Still smiling at her drunken antics, Aldritch just shook his head. ¡°Unfortunately, miss, I¡¯m not much of a dancer anymore. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a strapping young lad in there somewhere who¡¯s just dying to be your friend¡¯s dancer. You, and your beautiful dress, just need to search for a bit longer and I¡¯m positive you¡¯ll find him.¡± He replied, tipping his head in goodbye to the three women. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. He made to move towards the door- He hesitated at the sound of wood creaking. ¡°Hey, wait a secOND!?¡± What started as the woman drunkenly giggling turned into the horrified screams of all three women. The woman in the black dress screamed as she hurtled towards the ground after losing her balance and tumbling over the rail. Her friends and a few of the closer patrons had tried to save her, but only succeeded in ripping the bottom of her dress and pulling off one of her high heeled sandals. The woman closed her eyes and covered her head to brace for impact- A sudden, intense wind disoriented her, and gave her the impression that she was flying¡­ A few seconds of not hitting the ground later, she realized something that felt strangely like velvet covered steel was holding her by the waist. The woman opened her eyes and found herself face to face with Aldritch, who''d reacted instantly by jumping straight up and catching her before her body could build any momentum. The giant was hanging from the second-floor balcony by his right hand, while his left arm was wrapped snuggly around her waist, supporting the weight of her entire body. Aldritch was intently focused on the amount of strength he was putting into both arms. But that wasn''t what the woman noticed- She only saw his stunning golden eyes staring at her, almost like he was looking directly into her soul. Aldritch activated Wisdom of the Great Sage and scanned the woman for any sign of injury.
Diagnostic Screening
Age 25
Race Human
Vitals Optimal for Race
B.P 127/75 120/80
Pulse 109 75
Temp 99.1 98.5
O.S 98% 100%
Abnormalities affecting the Body:
Intoxicated | Recovery complete in [2] hours.
Abnormalities affecting the Immune System:
Immune System working at 84% efficiency | Recovery complete in [14] Hours.
¡°Um¡­ thank you.¡± The woman said in a quiet voice. She was unable to meet his eyes, and she didn¡¯t know if it was the alcohol or the intensity in the Giant¡¯s gaze, but she felt like her entire body was blushing. Once he was sure she would be fine- provided she didn¡¯t lean over any more rails- Aldritch deactivated Wisdom of the Great Sage and smiled at the woman. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, miss-¡± ¡°Rea.¡± The woman said, interrupting him. ¡°Figured if you¡¯re already holding me this close, might as well use my name.¡± She nervously laughed. ¡°Rea¡­¡± Aldritch slowly repeated. It wasn¡¯t a name he¡¯d ever heard before, and he wondered at what it meant, where it came from, and which language was it based in? He sorted out his questions in only a few seconds before replying ¡°It¡¯s a lovely name. It suits you.¡± He said, and smiled- He let go with his right hand and allowed gravity to do what it does best. Rea yelled as they plummeted towards the ground. But she was surprised to find she barely felt the impact; Aldritch had wrapped his right arm around her body and held the back of her head, essentially cradling her against his body to protect her from the impact of the drop. Once his feet were firmly on the ground, he eased his grip and helped her slide down his body to stand on top of his left boot. ¡°Would you ladies mind tossing her shoe and that piece of dress down here?¡± Aldritch said, directing his question to the two stupefied ladies staring down at them. He also noticed the many gazes on them from the patrons of the first two balconies, and a few more from the higher floors. But he didn¡¯t care about them, he just wanted to get this over with so he could get inside. One of Rea¡¯s friends snapped out of her shock before Aldritch lost his patience and threw both the shoe and the strip of Rea¡¯s dress over the rail to land next to Aldritch. ¡°Thank you.¡± he said and smiled up at them. He thought he heard someone on the second-floor balcony say, ¡°Oh, dear gods.¡± but he ignored it in favor of helping Rea step into her sandal. With that done, he motioned for her to step off his boot. ¡°This was a new dress too.¡± Rea sighed while looking at the nasty tear that ran up the thigh area of the dress. ¡°Oh, give me one moment and I''ll have it fixed.¡± Aldritch muttered and knelt in front of Rea. ¡°Mend.¡± He muttered while holding the torn off fabric against her leg. There.¡± Aldritch nodded and stood up. ¡°I¡¯d still take it to a tailor, but it should hold you for tonight. Just don¡¯t lean over any more railings, alright?¡± Aldritch asked while looking her in the eye. ¡°Uh huh.¡± Rea nodded and stared up at Aldritch. ¡°Great.¡± Aldritch smiled- he was getting really tired of smiling, but a kind face went a long way to easing the anxiety of the people surrounding you. So, until he was given a reason to stop, he would continue to smile since he didn''t see the point in making people unnecessarily uncomfortable. ¡°You should get back to your friends. Oh, and good luck finding your dancer.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Rea asked- But Aldritch wasn¡¯t paying her any more attention. With his work done, he pushed open the tavern door and stepped inside, while ignoring the various tempered gazes that were on him; Some seemed hostile, some curious, and a few others Aldritch couldn¡¯t place. Aldritch ignored all of them and took in the room; The first floor had the bar as its main attraction. The rectangular structure took up a huge portion of the first floor, leaving only enough room for a few tables and the stage where the band was still playing that ear shatteringly loud music. Most of the patrons on the first floor were sitting on one of the fifty something stools that surrounded it or were loitering in the area behind the stools. Despite there being well over a hundred people on the first floor, Aldritch saw only a handful of people even bothering to use the tables. "This might get annoying..." Aldritch sighed an approached the bar. As he passed through the crowd of patrons, he looked to see which of the seven people inside the huge bar was the least busy- he spotted a male Half-Orc bartender standing off to one side and chatting up a blonde elf woman in a flashy blue dress. Aldritch approached the bartender with a smile on his face, which prompted the half-orc to frown at the giant intruding on his conversation. ¡°Can I help you?¡± The half-orc asked. Aldritch couldn¡¯t tell if the man was growling at him, or if his voice was always that raspy. Either way, Aldritch didn¡¯t care. ¡°Do you sell chocolate milk in this tavern?¡± Aldritch asked, still maintaining his smile. The half-orc¡¯s jaw dropped slightly at the request¡­ Then he started laughing, loudly. His laughter attracted the attention of a few of the other bartenders, one of which asked what the fuck was so funny? ¡°This big bastard wants chocolate milk.¡± He managed to say in between laughing at Aldritch and attempting to breathe. ¡°Why do you want chocolate milk?¡± A female goblin bartender asked. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that she was an inch from laughing herself, but she managed to keep her laughter to herself through sheer determination and professionalism. ¡°Because it¡¯s delicious.¡± Aldritch immediately replied, not caring if he was being laughed at- Okay, he did find slightly irritating and confusing. He didn¡¯t understand why he was being laughed at. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want anything else? Liquor? Beer, maybe? We might have a barrel of mead in the back.¡± The goblin said, seemingly trying to give Aldritch the chance to change his mind¡­ Which he ignored. ¡°Nothing you can give me will make me drunk.¡± Aldritch replied, still smiling. ¡°Even if that weren¡¯t the case, I¡¯d still rather have the Chocolate milk. It just tastes better to me¡­ Also, please ask your coworker to stop laughing at my choice of drink. I find his voice irritating, and it''s just quite rude in general.¡± Someone approached on Aldritch¡¯s right side and slammed something down on the bar in front of him. Aldritch glanced over to see Rea glaring at the half-orc, a handful of bronze coins laying on the bar in front of her. ¡°Ortag¡­¡± Rea said, her voice dropping into a dangerous tone. ¡°Who the fuck do you think you¡¯re laughing at, huh?¡± She asked in a voice that surprised even Aldritch. Ortag, the half-orc bartender, smacked his lips in irritation and replied, ¡°What the fuck¡¯s your problem, Rea?¡± ¡°Your attitude is my problem.¡± Rea said angrily. Aldritch was amused to see the other six bartenders scatter at the sound of her voice. ¡°Do I need to tell Zarud about what a piece of shit you¡¯re being?¡± That got Aldritch¡¯s attention. ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon Rea! Why are you bringing my brother into this?¡± Ortag asked in a whiny voice. ¡°Wait, you two know Zarud?¡± Aldritch asked, diverting their attention back to him. ¡°I was actually supposed to meet him here. Know where he is?¡± Aldritch asked. Ortag¡¯s light green skin paled at the mention of Zarud, while Rea¡¯s face lit up like she¡¯d just won the lottery. ¡°Yes, I do know him.¡± Rea said, wrapping her arm around Aldritch¡¯s bicep. ¡°He¡¯s dating my sister. They¡¯re both upstairs with my other friends- Hey, you should come with me, and I¡¯ll take you to him. It¡¯s the least I can do- Oh, and Ortag. Get whatever he wanted and put it on my tab.¡± ¡°He wanted chocolate milk.¡± Ortag replied while smirking at Aldritch. ¡°The big man wants the biggest bitch drink.¡± He laughed. ¡°You like chocolate milk?¡± Rea asked Aldritch. And rather than being accusatory, her voice sounded interested¡­ And more than a little amused. ¡°I love it.¡± Aldritch replied. And Oakairo didn¡¯t raise no fool, he wasn¡¯t about to turn down someone offering him a free glass of chocolatey goodness. ¡°Perfect.¡± Rea said, smiling up at him. ¡°Ortag, get the man some chocolate milk and bring it up. Then hurry up and join us, Veta was asking about you earlier.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ortag asked, smiling excitedly. ¡°Absolutely.¡± Rea said, and tugged on Aldritch¡¯s arm. He was already used to this from Sulika trying to drag him around, so he just went with it and let her guide him up to the second floor. ¡°Sorry about him. He¡¯s normally not like that, but he and Zarud got into it earlier and¡­ Well, I guess he¡¯s still sore about it and needed to let off steam.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind it.¡± Aldritch replied. ¡°If I wanted him to stop laughing that badly, I would¡¯ve stopped him. But I appreciate the assistance though. You probably saved me from having to clean blood out of my robes tonight.¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Rea laughed. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure you could take him.¡± Rea said and gave Aldritch a reassuring wink. Aldritch just smiled back at her and shook his head slightly. Chapter 7 - Everybody was Bareknuckle Brawling (pt 5) Rea led Aldritch by the arm to the third floor of the tavern via the single spiral staircase that wrapped around the inside of the building. He was already somewhat impressed by the number of people on the balconies. But that was nothing compared to the sheer number of people inside the tavern. The first two floors were packed tighter than an Elf prince¡¯s pants; You couldn¡¯t move more than a foot in any direction without bumping into someone. Aldritch was thoroughly impressed by the way Rea seemed to glide through the crowd, and sometimes dodge people she shouldn¡¯t have been able to see. If he hadn¡¯t seen the lack of a system for himself, he would¡¯ve assumed she was a hunter like Sulika. But then again, it wasn¡¯t true that you needed the system to kill demons. He was the perfect example of that, so¡­ Maybe she was a hunter after all? While he contemplated that, Aldritch was peripherally aware of the hundreds of eyes following him the entire way. Most were discreet about their staring, so he didn¡¯t pay them any mind. Besides, he was used to being stared at. Having one or two pairs of eyes on you just became a part of life when you towered over almost everyone. But one pair of eyes caught his attention, and the bloodlust coming from them reminded him of a gnat buzzing around behind his ear; Not annoying enough to do anything about, but distracting, nonetheless. ¡°The human has some admirers.¡± Oakairo said in an amused tone. ¡°Hey¡­ This scene feels somewhat familiar, no?¡± ¡°My Lord?¡± ¡°Let me paint a picture for you, see if you¡¯ll remember then; You''re in unfamiliar territory, and you¡¯re being led by the arm by a woman of incomparable beauty, earning the envy and ire of her admirers. The beat of a dozen war drums pound in sync with the beating of your heart¡­ Ring any bells?¡± Oakairo asked, knowing full well that Aldritch would remember the night in question. ¡°Ah¡­ ¨²nsaf¨¢ of ¨¦clipse Totale. You¡¯re talking about the princess of the leeches?¡± Aldritch asked. He only remembered one instance that fit the ¡®scene¡¯ Oakairo was describing, but the god was either misunderstanding the circumstances of that situation- or intentionally ignoring them. ¡°¨²nsaf¨¢~ That¡¯s the name. Hey, whatever happened to her? She was attractive for a mortal.¡± Oakairo asked while projecting the image of a tall, dark-haired woman with an hourglass figure. The way her skintight red dress hugged her body would drive a man to sin. And that effect was only amplified by the semi-transparent veil that hid half her face from sight, leaving only her gorgeous obsidian eyes visible- ¡°She was much less attractive without her head.¡± Aldritch replied casually, and projected an image of the same woman back to Oakairo, only without her veil¡­ And her head sitting on the ground between her legs. Without the veil, it became extremely obvious why she¡¯d want to keep the lower half of her face covered; An oval shaped mouth with six rows of dagger like teeth, and a six-foot-long tongue with a wicked barb on the end. ¡°Ah... Right, she did try to eat you, didn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°One time too many. I forgave her once, after all, she couldn¡¯t help what she was. But I could only allow her to fool me once.¡± ¡°Fool me once; Shame befalls me. Fool me twice; blood falls from you.¡± Oakairo chuckled. ¡°Here we are.¡± Rea said, drawing Aldritch out of his conversation with Oakairo. Aldritch hadn¡¯t been paying much attention to where they were going, so he hadn¡¯t immediately realized when they¡¯d arrived at a door on the third floor. Looking around, he noticed twenty other doors on the third floor. A part of him wanted to open all of them and see what awaited him on the other side. But for the sake of getting this meeting over with, Aldritch contained his curiosity. Rea slid open the door to reveal a private room, with its own private balcony. The room was on the smaller side, but that was to be expected since they had to ensure each room had enough space to be used. Even so, Aldritch wondered how much they¡¯d spent to get a private room in such a crowded tavern? Aside from its size, the room looked like any other hotel room. There was a two-person bed against one wall with a small nightstand next to it, a rectangular table had been placed a short distance from the bed with enough room for eight people to comfortably sit, a tall storage locker beside the bed, and a spacious ¡®entertainment¡¯ area that took up almost half the room. It came with two large couches, one facing Aldritch and the other facing the exterior balcony, and a couple of plush chairs on each side. Aldritch could just barely see the small table sitting directly in the center of the two couches. Of the seven people sitting in the entertainment area, Aldritch recognized three of them¡­ Well, technically five, since Rea¡¯s two friends were there too. But the final person was a dark-haired woman who was sitting on the couch facing away from him. Zarud, the half-orc warrior of Sulika¡¯s team, sat on the couch facing Aldritch, his right arm wrapped around the shoulders of a petite elf woman with dark skin, wavy blonde hair that hung to her waist, and eyes the color of sapphires. In his left hand, Zarud held a large tankard of some unidentifiable liquid that kept getting waved around as Zarud energetically spoke with the two other people Aldritch recognized. Oladi, the Elven druid of Sulika¡¯s team, wasn¡¯t sitting on either couch. She¡¯d chosen to sit in one of the chairs to the left of the two couches, with a dark-covered book in one hand and a skinny glass of some red-colored drink in the other. The last person Aldritch recognized was Derrik Longhammer, a dwarf, and another warrior of Sulika¡¯s team. The dwarf sat in one of the chairs to the right of the couches. He hadn¡¯t bothered with a tankard, instead, he had a large wooden barrel sitting to his left. A small spout with a release valve on top extended from the front of the barrel. It had what appeared to be a three-foot long leather tube attached to the opening- Aldritch watched as Derrik placed the end of the tube into his mouth, gave the valve a quick twist, and let whatever liquid was inside the barrel flow freely into his mouth. Aldritch tried to contain his chuckle- really, he did. The sound of Aldritch¡¯s voice drew the gazes of everyone in the room, including the other woman Aldritch didn¡¯t know- ¡°Sulika?¡± Aldritch asked, only now recognizing the dark-haired woman in a beautiful green dress that matched her eyes perfectly. He hadn¡¯t recognized her because her hair was pulled into a high bun, and it looked like she¡¯d put on make-up since the side of her face was darker than it should be. ¡°Aldritch?¡± Sulika exclaimed. Without really thinking, she stood up completely and turned to face him- That was when Aldritch realized she wasn¡¯t wearing make-up. What he¡¯d seen was a large bruise that covered a large portion of her face. Aldritch¡¯s body went eerily still at the sight of Sulika¡¯s face, almost like he was replaced with a living statue- Or so it appeared to Sulika. But whatever she¡¯d seen, it was gone in less than the blink of an eye and Aldritch was giving her a confused look. ¡°What happened to your face?¡± He asked as he approached her. ¡°Remember Eli?¡± She asked- she flinched as Aldritch unceremoniously placed a hand over the bruise; He activated ¡°Rejection of Pain¡± and ¡°Regeneration¡± while nodding for her to continue. ¡°Ran into him at the guild. Figured I¡¯d take the chance to give him something to remember me by.¡± She said, and laughed- though it turned into a pain induced moan as Regeneration took effect and rapidly healed the bruise. ¡°The bruise on his fist must be huge.¡± Aldritch replied while inspecting the rest of her body for injuries. ¡°Ouch.¡± Sulika said in complete deadpan. ¡°What hurts?¡± Aldritch asked, wondering if he¡¯d somehow missed something. He hadn¡¯t seen any other injuries, but maybe they were subdermal? ¡°Only my pride.¡± Sulika replied while pushing Aldritch¡¯s hand off her face. ¡°You keep touching my face like that, and I¡¯m going to start charging you by the minute.¡± She said, chuckling and taking a half-step back to put some space between them. ¡°My apologies,¡± Aldritch replied while smiling slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll endeavor to remember that in the future-¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Rea said, interrupting him and taking hold of his hand. ¡°You can touch me. I don¡¯t mind in the slightest.¡± She said, looking up at Aldritch¡¯s eyes with a sultry smile on her face. Aldritch looked down at their intertwined hands, then back at Rea¡¯s face. Through their bond, Aldritch could hear Oakairo giggling. ¡°Hey, we do need to rebuild the hoard at some point. And she would make a¡­ Delicious addition.¡± ¡°Sometimes, I really have trouble discerning if what you¡¯re saying is meant to be sexual or carnivorous.¡± Aldritch replied while wondering how he could convince Rea to release his hand without offending her. ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Oakairo asked, and sounded genuinely confused¡­ Which was when Aldritch remembered that for dragons, sex and food went hand and hand. Much like snakes or lizards; Dragons digested food slowly. Sometimes going months, or even years, without needing to hunt for food. It was for this reason that it wasn¡¯t uncommon for female dragons to eat their male counterparts after reproduction was finished. Most species of dragon gave birth to live young, but it took four to five years for the embryos to develop enough to survive being born. Consuming their partner would often ensure the mother wouldn¡¯t need to hunt for the entire incubation period, thus guaranteeing they had enough energy to give birth to strong younglings. And while Oakairo was a god, he¡¯s always said he was a dragon first and a god second. So, it was really Aldritch¡¯s fault that he hadn¡¯t expected that response from Oakairo. He should¡¯ve known better¡­ ¡°Well,¡± Aldritch sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not eating her, nor do I currently have access to any towers in a land far far away, so kidnapping is also out of the question.¡± ¡°Boo.¡± Oakairo pouted, but Aldritch ignored him and refocused his attention on Rea. Conversations through the bond happened extremely fast, meaning only a few hundred microseconds had passed between Rea speaking and Aldritch ignoring Oakairo¡­ Even so, that was time spent with their fingers intertwined and the eyes of everyone in the room on them. Aldritch gave her a gentle smile before extracting his hand from hers. ¡°Thank you, Rea. I¡¯m happy you would trust me with such a privilege. Hopefully I¡¯ll never have to heal you, but if it comes down to it, I¡¯m glad I have your permission.¡± Rea¡¯s smile twitched a bit, but she still looked happy. She nodded her head in acceptance before moving around Aldritch and joining her two friends on the same couch Zarud was sitting on. Aldritch glanced around the room and noticed the strange looks everyone was giving him- save for Oladi, she had yet to look up from her book. Aldritch wasn¡¯t sure if she was even aware he¡¯d arrived. He wondered what those looks meant while continuing his conversation with Sulika, who''s expression was a mix of amusement and bafflement. ¡°What brought you here?¡± Aldritch asked, he was curious to know how things went at the guild, but he didn¡¯t want to say anything if the others weren¡¯t aware yet. Sulika shrugged a single shoulder. ¡°Half to celebrate, and half to drink our sorrows away.¡± She replied. ¡°I got in contact with Oladi earlier and she passed the news along to Zarud, Derrik, and Ralocan. The Odd Hawk was where we went to relax after our team was first formed; it seemed fitting that it would also be the place to meet and celebrate the formation of our next one too.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve agreed to join us?¡± Aldritch asked, surprised by how easily they¡¯d switched sides. He was half expecting a series of long conversations with each member of the team, but he certainly wouldn''t complain about skipping those. ¡°Well, temporarily at first.¡± Sulika said while smiling nervously. ¡°Right now, they¡¯re just the extra names we needed to fill out the paperwork- since you need at least ten members to be recognized as a proper guild. Once we get the ball rolling, and the guild is functional, then they¡¯ll join us for real. But for now, they need the money the guild provides too much to jump ship just because I asked.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± Aldritch replied while glancing about the room and counted those present. Aldritch, Sulika Zarud, Derrik, Oladi, and Ralocan made six. Aldritch assumed Faeyra would likely join, pushing their number to seven, so that left them with three names left¡­ Unless the three were already here? ¡°Are they joining us too?¡± Aldritch asked, nodding towards Rea, her two friends, and Zarud¡¯s date. ¡°Oh, right.¡± Sulika said, and turned to face the women. ¡°The woman next to Zarud isn¡¯t joining, but the other three have agreed to help us out. I¡¯ve known them for a while, and they¡¯re all reliable. Want me to introduce you?¡± She asked while moving to sit on the couch opposite Zarud and the girls. ¡°No, I¡¯d prefer to introduce myself if it''s all the same to you.¡± Aldritch replied and moved to stand beside the small table, between the two couches. Now that he was close enough, he bowed his head to Rea, her two friends, and the elf woman- who Aldritch was amused to note Zarud was hanging onto like he was expecting Aldritch to tear her from his arms and make a run for it. ¡°Ladies, circumstances didn¡¯t allow it before, but that is no excuse. So please, allow me to make up for it by properly introducing myself here and now; I am Aldritch of Clan Blackshield, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you all.¡± The four women looked surprised, Sulika rolled her eyes and sighed with an amused smile on her face, Oladi almost choked on her drink- apparently, she¡¯d just realized he was here. While Derrik and Zarud looked nonplussed about the introduction. ¡°It''s wonderful to officially meet you, Aldritch.¡± Rea replied with a big smile on her face. ¡°You already know my name is Rea, but my family name is Palou. My family owns Palou¡¯s Creamery in the market district.¡± She said, a sly smile spreading across her face, and she wrinkled her nose cutely. ¡°We¡¯re also responsible for 70% of the dairy distribution across Azuris Island.¡± ¡°... Aldritch, does ¡®dairy¡¯ mean what I think it means?¡± ¡°So, the milk I¡¯ve been drinking-¡± Aldritch began, but stopped when he saw her nodding. ¡°It came from our farm. You¡¯re welcome, by the way.¡± ¡°Aldritch, I demand you wed this mortal.¡± ¡°No.¡± Aldritch immediately replied to Oakairo through the bond. Outwardly, he moved closer to Rea and placed a hand on her shoulder- Prompting her to lean into his hand. ¡°You and your family are doing this world a service that can never be repaid. For that, you have my utmost thanks. And I swear on Oakairo¡¯s name, no harm shall ever befall you or your family for as long as you continue to do what you do.¡± He said with a seriousness that surprised everyone, especially Rea. ¡°But if you marry her, think of all the milk we could drink!¡± Oakairo said, pleading for Aldritch to see some sense. ¡°I¡¯ll not force someone so young to wed a fossil like myself.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Not even for chocolate milk. We¡¯ll purchase it like everyone else. I promised I¡¯d get a few barrels of god¡¯s drink, and I meant it. But come on, would you really be happy getting it that way?¡± ¡°...YES! Yes I would!¡± Aldritch sighed to himself and slid his eyes away from Rea, landing on the first of her two friends: A petite brunette with a small face. She was wearing a blue dress in a similar style to the one Rea was wearing, and a pair of sandals with five-inch heels. Aldritch wondered if they were as uncomfortable as they looked. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± He asked while looking her in the eye¡­ She stared at him for a few seconds before seemingly realizing that he was talking to her. She lifted her hands in front of her body, and for a moment, Aldritch wondered if she was frightened of him. But that wasn¡¯t the case- Well, it was, but that wasn¡¯t the reason she raised her hands. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Aldritch watched her go through a dozen motions with her hands while giving him an apologetic look. Confused about what was going on, Aldritch shifted his gaze to those around the room and saw they were all watching for his reaction. ¡°Aldritch, I think the girl is mute¡­ Or deaf. Not sure which.¡± Aldritch¡¯s eyes returned to the girl. He knelt down in front of her and thought about what he could do- After a second, he met her eyes and mouthed the words ¡°Can you understand me?¡± She nodded in response. Aldritch lightly tugged on his ear, then tapped beside his mouth. He hoped she would understand he was asking if she couldn¡¯t hear or couldn¡¯t speak, and not think he was just making faces at her. The girl showed him a slight smile and lightly tugged on her own ear, followed by a nod. Aldritch smiled. ¡°I apologize for not making sure you could understand me earlier.¡± He said, mouthing the words as articulately as he could and hoping she would understand. ¡°I am Aldritch of Clan Blackshield, it¡¯s truly a pleasure.¡± He said, holding out his hand for her to shake- which she did. ¡°I¡¯m surprised.¡± Sulika said from behind Aldritch. ¡°To be honest, I thought for sure you¡¯d know how to speak CSL, considering you seem to know how to do everything else." She said, laughing quietly to herself. "Would you like me to introduce you now?¡± ¡°No, I don''t speak... CSL?" He replied, turning to look at her with a curious look in his eyes. "Celestine Sign Language." Sulika explained. "It''s the universal language used by non-verbal entities." "I see... Fascinating." Aldritch replied, a pleased smile spreading across his face. "But no, I''d still prefer to introduce myself, even if it is slightly more troublesome.¡± Aldritch replied, speaking in a quiet voice while making sure his face was still facing a direction where the girl could see his mouth. ¡°... Fair enough, I guess.¡± Sulika sighed. ¡°Even so, sorry for not giving you a heads up. I guess I was curious what you¡¯d do, since you normally seem so forceful with people.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. It''s been a pleasant experience so far. I¡¯ve never met an adult with a hearing disability before.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Rea asked in surprise and proving that she''d been listening in on their conversation instead of ignoring the byplay like everyone else. ¡°Mm.¡± Aldritch replied and turned his face to Rea. ¡°Where I came from; if you were blind, deaf, or dumb, you were usually killed before you could drain resources from the community.¡± He said casually. Everyone reacted to that, proving that they had also been listening in and were only pretending to be ignoring the conversation. Zarud, Rea, Rea¡¯s other friend, and Zarud¡¯s date all got angry and started talking about how barbaric it was. Zarud was especially upset, because not even Orcs- who prided themselves on their strength- would just kill someone for being disabled¡­ But Derrik, Oladi and Sulika reacted differently. Derrik was nodding; Without your senses and your wits, there were few places as dangerous as the old mines that once belonged to Dwarven Strongholds. Cave ins, poisonous gas, lava pockets, explosive ores, not to mention the predators that often stalked those tunnels. Even to this day, most of the old mines were left alone¡­ for good reason. And back in those days, if you couldn¡¯t work, most clans couldn¡¯t afford to feed you. It was a sad fact, but it was seen as necessary. Oladi was similarly nodding in understanding, though she looked sad about it. This was probably one of the few topics the druids; who loved the natural world more than anything, and the dwarves; who spent their entire lives striving to industrialize the world, could agree on. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean Oladi was happy about it. It was just that the number of healers in the world capable of reversing disabilities could be counted on one hand, and their services didn''t come cheap. Similarly, artificers were in the process of creating items that could replace limbs, but the technology to replace eyes and ears still seemed so far away... Meanwhile, Sulika just looked confused. She motioned for everyone to calm down, and waited for them to do so before she asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because there are worse things than just dying in your sleep. And where I lived, not every predator would kill you for food. Some did it for pleasure, some out of boredom, and many did it just because they could. Back then, killing them was the only way we could help them.¡± Aldritch explained in a quiet voice. He tried to be as succinct as he could, since he wanted to just move on with the night and leave this conversation behind. Aldritch wasn¡¯t obvious with his emotions, but Sulika was starting to see the signs. She saw sadness in his golden eyes, and they, more than anything, let her know he wasn¡¯t as unfeeling as others might believe... She hoped one day they would see that too. Aldritch briefly wondered if he could fix her hearing for her. He''d never really tried, at least, not since his priest class had stopped allowing him to learn knew spells. He''d once tried every spell up to Greater Heal to fix a soldier''s blinded eye, but none of them were effective. Of course, he did have a few spells beyond Greater Heal that might work, but the stress they''d put on the body might actually cause more problems than just being blind. Taking a closer look at the girl''s ears was a bit difficult while maintaining a respectable distance, but he did what he could. He didn¡¯t see any scarring or deformities, so he thought her deafness was unlikely to have occurred due to an injury. The more likely truth was that she was simply born with it- which was both intriguing, and a perfect example of how different Iolara was to his home world. And he preferred it this way. Aldritch faced the girl so she could see his mouth and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The girl, who was very confused about the reason everyone got so hostile for a few seconds, moved her hands in a way that confused Aldritch. Thankfully, she moved her lips in time with her hands. ¡°Veta Saviene. Nice to meet you, Aldritch.¡± She mouthed before smiling slightly. Aldritch nodded and turned to the other friend of Rea¡¯s; A tall, curvaceous blonde in a crimson dress that also matched with Rea¡¯s- Which made Aldritch wonder if they bought them at the same time or if it was just a coincidence? ¡°Emrid Belna. I work with Veta at the guild.¡± She said, though her tone said she¡¯d rather not say anymore. Aldritch assumed it had to do with something he''d said earlier and didn¡¯t push it. Finally, he turned and regarded the elf woman Zarud was hugging against him like a child with a favorite toy. ¡°Her name is- oof¡± Zarud¡¯s introduction was interrupted by the elf¡¯s elbow impacting his stomach. ¡°I can introduce myself, thanks.¡± She said and shot Zarud a glare before turning her attention to Aldritch. ¡°Hi, my name is Tessa Silverlight. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet the giant who saved my Zarud.¡± She finished with a pleasant smile aimed at Aldritch. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure your dick isn¡¯t as small as Zarud said it was.¡± The entire room went dead silent at the casual grenade Tessa just dropped. Sulika¡¯s body tensed, and she prepared to grab Aldritch in the off chance something happened- She knew she wouldn¡¯t, no, couldn¡¯t stop him. But she hoped he would be more concerned with not hurting her than he was with skinning Zarud. ¡°Thank you,¡± Aldritch said with an amused smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m also sure it isn¡¯t, but I appreciate your faith in the size of my manhood. Maybe if Zarud had as much faith in his own, he wouldn¡¯t feel the need to talk about mine.¡± Sulika exhaled a deep sigh of relief while Derrik, Oladi, and the three girls not sleeping with Zarud laughed at the jab. ¡°Hey! I¡¯ll have you know; my little orc has never failed to satisfy a woman.¡± Zarud protested, growing irritated from being the target of their mockery. This wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to go! They were supposed to laugh at the giant, not him! ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right.¡± Aldritch replied. Growing tired of being at the center of the group, Aldritch moved to the couch and took a seat next to Sulika- Right as he sat down, the door to the room opened and Ortag, the bartender, appeared with multiple large tankards in his hands. He placed one tankard on the table by the door before making his way over to the group. ¡°Hey, I am right. Tell him!¡± Zarud said, directing the last bit at Tessa. ¡°Absolutely, baby. Best I¡¯ve ever had.¡± She replied while smiling up at Zarud. She placed her hands on both sides of his face and pulled him into a loving kiss that made the much larger half-orc practically melt in her hands. Ortag snorted derisively while handing out drinks to everyone. He saved Aldritch¡¯s drink for last, so he could make a show of kneeling beside the giant and offering the tankard to him as one would a sacrifice to a god. ¡°My lord, I present to you- your,¡± He choked back a laugh. ¡°Your chocolate milk-¡± Ortag grunted as Rea kicked him in the ass with the heel of her sandal. ¡°Stop being an ass and just give him the damn drink.¡± Rea said angrily, furrowing her eyebrows and staring daggers into the side of Ortag¡¯s face. Two things happened at that moment. The first was Ortag quickly turning to face Rea, causing the tankard of chocolate milk to tip over and fall towards Aldritch- who thankfully snatched it up before a single drop could be spilled. The second thing was- *Crash!* the wooden door splintering beneath the force of a huge boot, causing everyone- save Aldritch- to tense in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s the stuff~¡± Oakairo moaned as Aldritch took a deep drink from the tankard. Aldritch''s eyes fluttered as the slightly bitter, but sinfully smooth chocolate and the creamy sweetness of milk poured down his throat. Maybe he should rethink that whole marriage thing after all? ¡°Tessa!¡± A deep, rage-filled voice spread throughout the room. Sulika, Derrik, Oladi, and Zarud leapt to their feet and moved the five non-combatants behind the couch to protect them from the intruders. A group of ten men from various races crowded the doorway. And standing front and center was the biggest elf Sulika had ever seen. Easily over seven feet tall, with long, jade-colored hair, impossibly wide shoulders, a barrel of a chest, and legs like the trunk of a cypress tree. This man was a Terran; a species of elf that could never be mistaken for any other. Terrans were among the largest races of Iolara, and towered over their cousin elves by nearly two feet and a couple hundred pounds. They were also much closer in appearance to their elemental ancestors than other elves. For example, this Terran had small, stone-like plates that covered his exposed face and arms like a pseudo set of armor, but it didn¡¯t stop there. The rest were just hidden beneath the tight red t-shirt and jeans he was wearing. But the true mark of his heritage was the eyes; his eyes looked almost identical to the precious stone known as a ruby, except they had a white light glowing in the center that functioned as a pupil. ¡°Zarud!¡± The Terran yelled. With his voice full of pain and rage, he jabbed a finger in Zarud¡¯s direction. ¡°I told you to stay away from Tessa!¡± ¡°Oh, shit¡­¡± Tessa said in a quiet voice. ¡°I thought you said you broke up?¡± Zarud asked her. He kept his body between her and the giant elf, partially hiding her from view. ¡°I did. Two-weeks ago.¡± She replied. Zarud could hear the fear in her voice, the anxiety the Terran was causing¡­ And it was making him angry. Zarud bared his teeth like a cornered animal, while his eyes remained locked onto the Terran¡¯s face. The elf wasn¡¯t much bigger than him by weight alone, but he had a longer reach. If it came down to it, Zarud would have to make sure to take the difference in arm lengths into account before charging him. ¡°You dumb fucker!¡± Zarud yelled. ¡°She¡¯s done with you, get over yourself and leave or I¡¯ll drag you out to the gutter where you belong.¡± ¡°Tessa¡­¡± The Terran said, stepping further into the room and allowing his buddies to file in behind him. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be with this piece of shit. He¡¯s just going to break your heart like he did the other¡¯s, you know that.¡± He took another step into the room, and more men filed in. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± He said and held out his hand, beckoning her to come with him. ¡°Zarud?¡± Sulika said while slipping off her sandals and taking a few steps back. ¡°I¡¯m really not dressed for a scrap tonight. What¡¯s going on?¡± As she spoke, Derrik carefully slid his make-shift keg behind his chair and pulled a long knife out of a sheath he¡¯d concealed against his thigh. While he was doing that, Oladi positioned her body between the intruders and Rea, Veta, and Emrid- Wickedly sharp nails grew from her fingertips, each one sparkled against the ceiling''s lights like obsidian blades. ¡°Tessa¡¯s ex.¡± Zarud said and nodded to the big Terran. ¡°Really, Tessa?¡± Oladi asked incredulously. ¡°How the hell did that work?¡± ¡°Is now really the time to be asking that question?¡± Tessa asked while still hiding behind Zarud. ¡°Point taken.¡± Oladi replied, bending her knees and flexing her arms in preparation for battle. ¡°Hey, buddy. We don¡¯t want any trouble.¡± Derrik said, keeping his knife against his arm, and thus out of sight from most of the intruders. ¡°What say we just get Ortag here,¡± He nodded at the half-orc. ¡°To head downstairs and get us some more drinks. Then you and I can go out on the balcony there and wash our sorrows down the way they were meant to be- with large quantities of alcohol and some steak. Sounds good, right?-¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± The Terran yelled. He grabbed a chair from the dining area and smashed it on the ground in front of him, causing wood fragments to fly in every direction. ¡°That¡¯s not how this is going to work! That fucking homewrecker is going to understand the pain he''s caused all of us. And he''s going to learn it tonight!¡± He yelled again, slurring his words slightly and waving his hand at the other intruders, who loudly agreed with the statement. ¡°Tessa, come here!¡± The Terran said while staring directly at her- *Slurp* Everyone¡¯s eyes shifted towards the sound. They found Aldritch still sitting where he¡¯d been when Ortag first handed him his chocolate milk. He had the tankard pressed to his lips, clearly savoring the drink with every fiber of his being¡­ And completely oblivious to what was going on around him. ¡°Um¡­ Aldritch?¡± Sulika said. Without realizing it, the moment she¡¯d remembered he was nearby, her body relaxed. ¡°You know we¡¯re having a situation here, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware.¡± Aldritch replied, tipping his tankard up and draining the last of the chocolatey goodness in a single gulp. He let out a satisfied sigh as he pulled the tankard away from his lips and placed it on the table in front of him. ¡°But as it didn¡¯t have anything to do with me, I didn¡¯t see any reason to interfere. This is between Zarud, Lady Tessa, and the elf, is it not? Oh, by the way, Ortag?¡± Aldritch said, getting the scared half-orc¡¯s attention. ¡°Could I get another glass? It was different from what Faeyra made for me, but not in a bad way. It¡¯s good!¡± He said, smiling at the half-orc. ¡°I- erm, that is- I brought two glasses. To- to apologize for earlier. Yeah, that''s what it was.¡± Ortag said, surprising Aldritch. ¡°Really? Where is it?¡± Aldritch asked, and started looking around for it- He stopped when he realized Ortag was staring at the table across the room. There, as plain as the moon in the sky, was another large tankard¡­ And it was surrounded by the intruders. ¡°Oh, yummy.¡± Aldritch said, still smiling. He stood to his full height and started walking towards the table, much to the utter confusion of everyone else in the room. Didn¡¯t he know how dangerous this situation was? Was he really about to risk his life for a glass of chocolate milk!? Aldritch moved past the Terran, who remained frozen in shock. The sheer bafflement on his face was enough to break Sulika¡¯s tension. She laughed. She couldn¡¯t help it, but she did. ¡°You think this situation is funny?¡± One of the men who came with the Terran asked, this one was a human of average height with a slightly above average waistline. ¡°That scumbag over there is the reason me and my sweet Tielin broke up!¡± He yelled while pointing at Zarud. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t blame me for that!¡± Zarud shouted back. ¡°I¡¯ve never, not once, told a woman to break up with someone to get with me. I have a damn policy for a reason; Don¡¯t stick the little orc in a cave with a tenant. You should be mad at her, not me!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a liar and a piece of-¡± The man screamed, his face turning red from rising blood pressure and anger. *slurp* Everyone turned to look at Aldritch, who¡¯d made his way to his other glass and was in the process of draining it dry. ¡°Would you fucking quit that!?¡± The human yelled. He reached out to grab Aldritch by the collar and stop him from making that irritating noise!... The man¡¯s hand stopped just inches from Aldritch¡¯s robe, the giant''s hand wrapped so completely around his wrist that it made him feel like a child. The sensation sent shivers down the man¡¯s spine and made his knees tremble. Aldritch drained the rest of the chocolate milk from the tankard, and once he was finished, released a sigh of pleasure and carefully placed the tankard on the table. He still held the man¡¯s wrist in a half-hearted grip, but he wasn¡¯t looking at him. ¡°Hey, Ortag. Think I could get some more before I leave?¡± Aldritch asked, completely ignoring the man struggling in his grip. ¡°Let go of Frank!¡± A kandis man yelled, launching himself at Aldritch¡¯s back- The kandis yelped in pain as Aldritch lightly pulled the first man¡¯s arm, which caused him to step directly into the path of the Kandis. Their head¡¯s collided and released a sound that was reminiscent of banging two coconuts together. Both the human and the Kandis went down in a tangle of limbs and swears, and accidentally caused the table to flip and land on top of them, tossing the now empty tankard into the nose of a black-haired dwarf. ¡°You know¡­¡± Aldritch sighed and scratched at his left temple. ¡°I don¡¯t have any reason to fight any of you. No offense to Sulika, or any of my other new acquaintances that I''ve met for the first time this evening, but I don¡¯t know Zarud well enough to defend him from what appears to be the consequences of his lifestyle. That being said, touch me, and you better pray you have¡­ Hey, Ortag. How much would a barrel of chocolate milk cost me?¡± ¡°What!?¡± Ortag screamed incredulously. ¡°What even is that question!?¡± ¡°Would a silver coin cover it?¡± Aldritch asked, ignoring the outburst. Ortag threw up his arms in surrender. ¡°I don¡¯t know, damn¡­ Yeah, probably. I don¡¯t fucking know.¡± ¡°Perfect.¡± Aldritch replied before turning his attention back to the men surrounding him. ¡°A silver coin each should cover it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re out of your damned mind.¡± A dark-skinned elf laughed and stepped forward with a knife seven-inch long skinning knife in his hand. ¡°If you think we¡¯re paying for your disgusting fucking milk, you¡¯ve got another thing coming-¡± The elf went silent as Aldritch¡¯s hand landed on his shoulder without even looking- Then everyone went silent when the elf started screaming bloody murder. From the point of contact at his shoulder, Aldritch was gradually applying pressure while smiling down at the irritatingly vapid elf who dared to insult his favorite drink. The elf¡¯s collar bone caved first, snapping beneath the pressure. That was followed by his rotator cuff, two of his ribs, and his left ankle- but before the elf could collapse into unconsciousness, Aldritch cast Greater heal; healing all the damage he¡¯d just done, plus a pinched nerve that¡¯d been bothering the elf for a few weeks. Without saying a word, Aldritch reached into the elf¡¯s pocket with his right hand and pulled out his coin pouch before lightly shoving the elf backwards. The moment Aldritch let go of the elf, he fell to the ground, his body not capable of standing due to the energy Aldritch drained in order to heal him. Aldritch opened the pouch and saw three silver coins, and a few dozen other coins for the taking- yet he took only a single silver coin before closing the pouch and dropping it on the elf¡¯s chest. ¡°Now, would anyone else like to contribute to my chocolate milk fund or would you like to leave, sober up, and deal with this like sensible adults tomorrow?¡± Aldritch asked, his hands behind his back, and his vitals exposed for anyone willing to capitalize on such an opportunity¡­ Once the intruders had all vacated the room- the Terran carrying the injured elf over one shoulder and carefully placing the pieces of door into the hallway, so they wouldn¡¯t be in anyone¡¯s way, everyone turned to look at Zarud. ¡°Oh, no. You¡¯re not going to just sit here and act like the shit I¡¯ve done is in any way worse than what he just did.¡± Zarud asked incredulously. "He just broke a guy for some stu-hmph!" Zarud grunted as Tessa slammed her hand over his mouth. Aldritch ignored him and offered the silver coin to Ortag. ¡°I would appreciate it if you could get this barrel expeditiously. I¡¯ll be leaving as soon as you return.¡± He said with a gentle smile directed at the scared half-orc. Ortag stared down at the silver coin in his hand and wondered, what would the giant have done to him if he¡¯d gone through with his plan to spit into the second glass of chocolate milk¡­ Chapter 8 - Birth of a Guild (pt 1) ¡°Chocolate milk, chocolate milk ~ You make us feel so good ~ so sweet and creamy, rich and dreamy ~ You¡¯re my favorite thing of all ~¡± Oakairo sang, his voice reverberating throughout Aldritch¡¯s skull, and adding a strange surrealness to the moonlit night. ¡°What¡¯re you singing, my lord?¡± Aldritch asked. He was walking through the empty market square with the barrel of chocolate milk held under his left arm. A short distance behind him, Sulika, Derrik, Oladi, Zarud, and Tessa walked and talked amongst each other. They were all fairly drunk, but not enough to be dangerous if they were left alone. He did find it slightly irritating they were following him. He¡¯d planned to return to the docks, maybe even swing by that park he''d found, and drink his chocolate milk in peace. But it wouldn¡¯t waste too much time if he dropped them off at the Fancy Dryad, then went off on his own. There was just one problem¡­ ¡°Just a little song I came up with to honor our first piece of treasure in the new world- Chocolate milk, chocolate milk ~ always on my mind ~ You¡¯re cold and frothy, smooth and lofty ~ You¡¯re the best thing I¡¯ve ever found ~¡± Oakairo sang, slightly louder and more excited on the second verse than he was on the first. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Oakairo asked, sending a wave of amusement and pride flowing through their bond. ¡°It¡¯s great, My lord. Your voice is beautiful as always. I¡¯m just not in a ¡®singing¡¯ mood right now, and I¡¯d be really grateful if you¡¯d please stop singing.¡± Aldritch replied, and he was sincere about it too. Oakairo had a wonderful singing voice. Better than any mortal Aldritch had ever heard of, and in centuries past, it made sense that Oakairo would often be visited by people who''ve traveled thousands of miles just to hear him sing¡­ But even a perfect voice gets old after a while. Especially when most of the songs he¡¯d sing were like this. If his magic resistance wasn¡¯t so high, he¡¯d just silence himself and hoped that would stop it¡­ But then again, he wasn¡¯t even sure that would work. Could their bond be silenced? Thinking on it, the answer was probably ¡®no¡¯ since you could still hear your own thoughts while being silenced. ¡°Not in a ¡®singing¡¯ mood? What does that mean? How could you not want to hear me sing?¡± Oakairo asked, feeling genuinely confused by the request. People loved his voice. ¡°It means- while I completely understand your enthusiasm- You¡¯re singing about chocolate milk, my lord. Can you see how that might get annoying?¡± Aldritch asked, suddenly feeling exhausted. He was ready for this day to end so they could go do something more interesting. ¡°Oh, am I annoying you?¡± Oakairo asked, a faint note of amusement had crept into his voice- Which sunk Aldritch¡¯s stomach; He shouldn¡¯t have said anything. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize.¡± Oakairo finished, the ammo Aldritch had just handed him was now fully loaded, and ready to go. ¡°Chocolate milk, chocolate milk ~ Now I¡¯m filled with delight ~ You¡¯re yummy and tasty, too precious to wastey~¡± ¡°For the love of your name, please don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Chocolate milk, chocolate milk ~ You¡¯re the reason I¡¯m alright tonight ~¡± Oakairo sang, his voice louder than ever. Aldritch let out a long sigh of exasperation and shook his head. He knew better, and he still did it. Should¡¯ve kept his mouth shut, maybe Oakairo would¡¯ve gotten bored after the first two verses¡­ But he wouldn¡¯t stop now that he knew it got on Aldritch¡¯s nerves. Aldritch ignored the song as much as he could for the rest of the trip to the shop. When they walked through the door, they found Faeyra sitting on the shop counter in a purple nightgown with a massive alchemical textbook laying across her lap and a forgotten glass of something sitting beside her. What was even more surprising was the sight of Ralocan; The priest of Sulika¡¯s group, sitting on the floor beside Faeyra¡¯s bare feet. He had a smallish, leather-bound journal sitting on his lap and a charcoal stick in his right hand. From the movements of his hands, and the concentration on his face, it was clear he was drawing something. But the moment he realized they¡¯d arrived, Ralocan shot to his feet, placed the book and charcoal stick into the small satchel on his side, and hurried to greet them. ¡°Sorry, I got held up with temple business, the high-priest didn¡¯t allow us to leave until thirty minutes ago and I-¡± he said, bowing apologetically. But Sulika interrupted him before he could finish by placing her hands on his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She said, smiling at him. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. There¡¯s some stuff we need to talk about, do you mind staying a while?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make us some coffee¡­ Smells like some of us need it more than others.¡± Faeyra said before covering a yawn with the back of her hand. ¡°Thanks!¡± Sulika yelled after her. She pointed Ralocan towards the dining room and beckoned the others to follow him while she looked up at Aldritch. ¡°Did you want to come back with us or are you turning in for the night?¡± She asked, glancing over to watch everyone half-stumble into the back room. ¡°I¡¯m sure Faeyra would make something for you too.¡± "That¡¯s tempting.¡± Aldritch laughed. ¡°But I have enough to drink for the moment.¡± He said and tapped the barrel he was carrying under his right arm. ¡°You go on, enjoy the night with your friends and teammates. I¡¯ll see you all in the morning.¡± ¡°You''re sure?¡± She asked, surprised he¡¯d turned down the offer. Was he feeling sick? ¡°I¡¯m sure. Go on.¡± He replied and smiled down at her. ¡°Well, alright then. Goodnight, Aldritch.¡± She said and turned to walk away- But stopped at the last second and gave him a look full of suspicion. ¡°You don¡¯t have anywhere else to stay. What''s the real reason you''re leaving?¡± She asked, turning to face him with her arms crossed beneath her chest. ¡°Relax, I¡¯ll be back later tonight. When I was wandering earlier, I found a park near the docks. I¡¯d like to go back there for a while, maybe watch the sun rise. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve done that.¡± He explained, and hoped she¡¯d leave it at that. Sulika stared at him for a few more moments¡­ Then she nodded, ¡°Alright. Just¡­ Make sure you don¡¯t get into any trouble, alright?¡± She said with her eyes full of concern. Aldritch didn¡¯t know why she was so worried about him. There weren¡¯t many things that could pose a threat to him, especially not outside of a dungeon. Was it the alcohol? Was it making her more paranoid than usual? ¡°I give you my word, I currently have no intention of looking for trouble tonight.¡± He said and wondered if that¡¯d be enough for her. As it turns out, it was. Sulika, who knew how serious dwarves saw promises, smiled at Aldritch and said goodbye. He watched her join the others in the back room, before he turned towards the door. ¡°Ready?¡± Oakairo asked, his excitement for what was about to come flooded their bond. ¡°Definitely.¡± Aldritch replied. He left the building, but not before casting Lock on the front door. The spell did exactly as its name suggested, and magically sealed any container or door with a lock. Lock was a level zero spell, used practically no mana, and was part of the ¡®Universal¡¯ school of magic- so basically anyone could cast it. But it''s counter spell was slightly more difficult to use as a first level spell. So, while almost anyone could cast Lock, only a spell caster like Sulika, Ralocan, Oladi, or Faeyra could undo it. Everyone else would just have to wait until the eight-hour duration was up. With the shop protected for the night, Aldritch turned towards the aerial dock and started walking while looking to the sky. The moon shone brightly tonight, much brighter than Aldritch could remember seeing back home. Without thinking about it, he grabbed the cork plugging the hole at the top of the barrel and pulled it free. He took a quick sniff of the sweet mixture before turning the entire barrel up and pouring chocolate milk directly into his mouth. ¡°We¡¯ve only got a few hours until people start walking the streets. We should hurry.¡± Oakairo said impatiently. Aldritch pulled the barrel away from his lips and replaced the cork. ¡°Mm¡­ Fair point.¡± he sighed. He was just enjoying the walk; the buildings, though dark, were each beautiful in their own way. And there was just something about taking a moonlit stroll with approximately eleven gallons of chocolate milk that set Aldritch¡¯s heart at ease. ¡°Well, let''s move on, then.¡± He replied and tightened his grip on the barrel. Aldritch slightly bent his knees and- There was a dull *thump* as Aldritch pushed off the ground, leaping through the air with all the grace of a wrecking ball with a broken chain. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Normally, walking from the Fancy Dryad to the dock took around twenty to thirty minutes, depending on the foot-traffic. Aldritch covered that same distance in eleven seconds, and rapidly found himself watching the ground rush up to meet him. ¡°Wyvern¡¯s Retaliation¡­¡± Aldritch whispered. His magic thrummed to life, threading its way through the air molecules that surrounded him until every last particle of air within a fifteen-foot radius came under his control. Then it turned on him; the magic pulled the air inwards and wrapped it tightly around Aldritch¡¯s body. Just before Aldritch could hit the ground and do who knew how much damage to the pavement and bedrock beneath- the air beneath his body suddenly pushed upwards, shoving against the ground with enough force to cancel out his downward momentum. Aldritch landed softly near the center of the aerial dock. He looked around at the now empty dock, and marveled at just how quiet everything was, now that all the workers had gone home for the evening. But that was part of what intrigued him so much. Because it shouldn¡¯t be silent here, not ever. This was, supposedly, the only place on the island that could import and export goods from other islands. And it was all thanks to the holes scattered across the docks¡­ And therein lay his question. If those holes allowed merchants to travel to and from the island, why couldn¡¯t he hear any wind? Did the ward he¡¯d discovered earlier wrap around the entire island? Was it not just to keep people from falling off? If that was the case, why? And why seal it at night? Aldritch approached one of the many holes scattered across the docks and peered over the edge¡­ ¡°Sulika wasn¡¯t kidding about how high up the island is floating.¡± Oakairo muttered. Aldritch could see the ocean beneath them, but it was far- far away. Back when Aldritch was a young lad, the former high priest of Oakairo had journeyed with him to the crown of the world; A mountain so tall, its peak was said to rip any cloud that tried to pass over it. It was a grueling journey that took almost a year to complete, but the pride Aldritch felt when he reached the top- to be one of only twenty-six people to have ever made the journey and lived¡­ was perhaps the most beautiful moment of young Aldritch¡¯s life. And now, he wasn¡¯t sure if that mountain could reach where Azuris island was floating. Without hesitation, Aldritch placed his left foot over the opening and leaned forward- Gravity took hold instantly and pulled him down. Wind whipped wildly through his hair, buffeted his skin, and caused his robes to loudly slap against his body. But Aldritch had cast Eye of the Magic Eater and was too busy watching the island¡¯s wards spring to life to care about any of that. Keeping his feet squarely beneath him. Aldritch once again cast Wyvern¡¯s Retaliation before he landed, allowing him to land without shattering the wards- Three things happened the moment he touched the ward; he felt a spike of energy flow into his body through the soles of his boots, the spot beneath his feet shined with a bright, silver light that became visible even without the aid of Eye of the Magic Eater, and a bell rang loudly in his ears. Aldritch waited a few seconds to see if anything would happen¡­ But nothing did. The ward didn¡¯t attack him beyond that first spike of energy, which didn¡¯t even do any damage to him- Okay, he would need a new pair of boots now; his turned to slag a few seconds after landing and dust a few seconds after that. But was that all it did? Where were the reflection protocols? The kinetic and magical absorption batteries? At this point, he would¡¯ve accepted a kinetic dispersal program inlaid over the hard ward, at least that would''ve ensured it could withstand a hit or two before breaking, but they didn¡¯t even have that. To Aldritch, this ward wasn¡¯t fit for defensive purposes; It was just an overengineered garbage disposal. He sighed and looked up at the underside of the island as it loomed a few hundred feet overhead; It was truly massive, easily a hundred miles of bedrock and- his eyes widened in surprise. There were holes everywhere. And while some of them might¡¯ve occurred naturally, most of the holes lined up with what Aldritch recognized as a search and pilfer mining pattern. The kind you only employed if you needed a specific mineral, and you needed it now. Most mines were dug in a specific way and were usually designed to allow for quick closure in the event something happened. For example, collapsing one tunnel to take some pressure off another, more important, tunnel¡­ But the way those holes were dug indicated they either didn¡¯t care about the dangers of a collapsing tunnel- which was about as ridiculous as cutting off your pinky toe because your head hurt. The other option was they didn¡¯t have the time to do it properly, which Aldritch preferred to think of as the truth, at least for now. ¡°Think there¡¯s anything else to see down here or should we head on to the park?¡± Aldritch asked Oakairo while scanning the island¡¯s bedrock for anything interesting. He caught brief glimpses of mana flowing into some tunnels and out others. While he wondered what was causing it, he pulled the cork out of the barrel and brought the barrel to his lips- But before he could take in a single drop. Oakairo spoke in a deadly whisper, ¡°I¡¯m more interested in what¡¯s outside the ward.¡± Aldritch felt a rush of white-hot bloodlust flow downstream from Oakairo. ¡°Do you smell it?¡± Aldritch pulled the barrel away from him, re-corked it, then closed his eyes and sucked in a breath; He smelled a lot of things. The delectable chocolate milk inside his barrel, the salty, fishy smell of the ocean far below, the smell of rust on unseen metal- probably inside the holes above, and¡­ A sickly-sweet smell; almost like rotting fruit, only stronger and with the metallic tang of blood mixed in. ¡°Miasma.¡± Aldritch replied, speaking out loud. ¡°Why would we be able to smell it here?¡± Aldritch thought it over for a moment- He had an idea. Changing which direction he was looking, Aldritch started looking down, towards the ocean. ¡°There¡¯s an island. It looks... shattered? Could it have fallen from the sky?¡± Oakairo asked, directing Aldritch¡¯s attention to a spot on the ocean that was no larger than the eye of a needle. ¡°Aldritch.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Aldritch replied and lifted his left foot- *Crash!* The ward shattered beneath his heel and gravity once again took hold of him. As he fell, curiosity got the better of him and he looked back to Azuris island. The island was also falling. It was falling slowly, more like a bird gliding on the breeze than Aldritch¡¯s meteoric fall. But it was losing altitude¡­ Which changed the moment the ward repaired itself and resealed the island inside its protective bubble. Aldritch watched the island slowly climb back to its previous altitude. ¡°I think I know how the other island broke." Aldritch said while staring at the bottom of Azuris island. "Once we get back, we absolutely cannot break the ward again until I fix that self-repair issue. If that ward is what¡¯s keeping them in the air, then there¡¯s no reason for it to be so slow¡­ Unless the ward stones are overburdened? That could certainly cause it to slow down significantly. Hmm¡­" Aldritch glanced down and remembered the ocean was rapidly closing the distance between them. ¡°O¡¯ mighty Oakairo; my king and guiding light, let my words reach you on dragon¡¯s wings. With my body as the vessel, bring your judgment down upon these pitiable creatures: Aspect of the Dragon - Wings.¡± Aldritch whispered, forced to speak the full incantation due to the powerful nature of the spell. The Aspect of the Dragon series of spells were all eighth level spells and were exclusive to Aldritch¡¯s class ¡®Dragon Priest¡¯. The amount of mana required to cast one would kill a normal spell caster, even Aldritch felt slightly drained from using it. But in return, it allowed Aldritch to manifest a single aspect of Oakairo¡¯s power. In this case, it was his wings. ¡°Permission granted. My wings are yours.¡± Four resplendent, draconic wings manifested behind Aldritch- Two at his shoulders that allowed him to fly, and two just above his waist that allowed for finer aerial control. The scales of each one sparkled like the finest polished silver, while the membranes were illuminated from within by a marvelous golden light. The wings arrested Aldritch¡¯s momentum with a single, powerful flap. While a second one propelled him towards the island. Without the ward interfering with his senses, Aldritch could smell the miasma already working. The ocean smelled of rot, and the smell only grew stronger as he drew closer to the island. Aldritch pulled back the sleeve of his robe, revealing the golden wrist brace that never left his left arm. ¡°Sense any devils?¡± He asked while lightly rubbing his thumb across the kite-shield symbol engraved into the surface of it. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Aldritch replied. He bit down on the tip of his tongue, causing a small amount of blood to pour from the tip- He reached out with his tongue and pressed the blood into the center of the engraving. The engraving glowed with a faint golden light for a few seconds, before it began to shift. The lines once dug into the golden brace flattened out- then kept expanding outwards. The golden brace shifted and swelled as the blood sank deeper into the gold. Within seconds, the engraving had become actualized; A massive shield that was nearly as tall as Aldritch, and half again as wide was attached to his arm via the wrist brace, however it could be detached if, and when, necessary. Though the engraving was of a kite shield, the thing on Aldritch¡¯s arm was far too heavy, and much too thick to be called such. It was a tower shield; An eight-inch thick, rectangular slab of gold. A dense titanium plate protruded a few inches from the center of the shield, while lines of silver, cold iron, and tungsten branched out from the center like arcs of electricity. The edges of the shield curved slightly backwards to help disperse strikes by making the surface of the shield nothing but angles. At the very bottom of the shield was a seven-inch long tungsten and cold iron spike. Though it weighed more than most dragon¡¯s he¡¯d met, and its length meant it would nearly touch the ground every time he moved, Aldritch carried the shield with a single arm. This was Oakairo¡¯s final gift to his most beloved high priest before taking possession of Aldritch¡¯s heart; the total collection of Oakairo¡¯s hoard; melted down, and forged into something Aldritch wished could never break¡­ And then enchanted with enough reinforcement magic to make that wish a certainty. When it came to devils, the poleaxe Aldritch used to eliminate the devil Bozzen was the preferred method. It was quick, clean, and thanks to the spine of the Soul Dragon he¡¯d killed to forge it, it could destroy the soul of anything it killed. But for anything other than a devil, the poleaxe was overkill. So¡­ It was time to introduce Iolara to the reason Aldritch''s clan were called the ''Blackshields''. Chapter 8 - Birth of a Guild (pt 2) A few minutes before Aldritch¡¯s arrival. Garr of the Shadowed Hounds pack was an old soul. But thanks to certain¡­ benefits of his demonwolf heritage, he¡¯d remained in his prime for the last seven centuries and Devil¡¯s willing, he¡¯d have a few more millennia to go. Garr was a ten-foot, seven-inch tall anthropomorphic wolf with pitch-black fur. His eyes were solid crimson, and despite lacking a pupil in either eye, he could see incredibly well in both complete darkness and daylight. A veteran warrior, commander, and monster tamer. Garr adorned his body armor and weaponry made from his greatest foes. His cuirass, pauldrons, and hood were made from the bones and skin of a Villmolas Sandarin- A species of bear from the great forests of the planet Villmola, it was a creature that stood forty-feet tall at the shoulder and weighed over twenty-thousand pounds. His pants were made from the sheared wool of the Austorlias Mountain Ram- a fire breathing ram from the volcanic trenches of the planet Austorlias. The wool sheared from the beast could withstand temperatures of up to ten-thousand degrees Fahrenheit. His boots were stolen from the corpse of a Tagaren Caustic Monk- An odd race of orcs whose tongue was nearly as poisonous as their blood. He¡¯d sunk his teeth deep into the side of the monk¡¯s neck and ripped out her spine- a marvelously brutal kill, and one that¡¯d earned him much fame and recognition amongst his fellow Demonwolves¡­ But in exchange, Garr was deathly ill for almost a year after the battle. And last, but certainly not least. His most recent treasure: Gauntlets and a claymore forged from ore he¡¯d pilfered from the tombs of the ancient mountain dwarves. Garr was a sucker for irony, and after he¡¯d discovered that mountain dwarves turned into different metals depending on what age they were when they died, he came to a magnificent realization; what was more ironic than killing over a thousand dwarves with the corpses of their ancestors? Garr, fully armored and ready for another day of keeping the beasts in check, turned away from the floor to ceiling mirror he¡¯d installed a few days ago and looked around the small room he¡¯d chosen to occupy for the duration of his stay in this backwater cesspool. The room was forty-feet wide, and sixty-feet long. Twenty-foot-high vaulted ceilings meant Garr could walk around without wondering if he would smack his head against anything. A small, seventy-inch by seventy-inch mattress lay in the center of the room. It used to have a heavy wooden frame supporting it, but Garr threw out that broken piece of trash on day one. What kind of savage would use a wooden bed frame? Garr had simple tastes, he thought. A golden bed frame was what he preferred, but he could easily ¡®rough it¡¯ by sleeping on Silver or jade. He¡¯d even spent a full year sleeping on a steel frame when he¡¯d lost a bet with another Demon Captain. But wood? What was this, the stone ages? He¡¯d rather sleep on the bare floor than use something so hideous. Aside from the mattress, the only other furniture in his room was a semi-transparent armor stand he¡¯d had carved out of white jade, a large steel desk with a simple velvet covered chair that he¡¯d paid extra to have fitted to his exact specifications, and the handful of slaveborn who kept his temporary home clean, prepared his meals, and warmed his mattress whenever he called for them. All of which he''d brought from his home on Acheron; a large garden planet under the control of Irnal; Baron of the crimson fleet and Garr¡¯s current master. The rest of the building wasn¡¯t worth mentioning to Garr. Yes, it was a two-story building with multiple bathrooms - which none of them used. A full kitchen - which only the slaveborn used. And seventy other rooms Garr hadn¡¯t so much as looked into. But why should he care about them? The only rooms he needed was his bedroom, which doubled as his office. And the kennel in the building next door. Let the slaveborn use the other rooms to their heart¡¯s content. Maybe that would keep them out of his way, and more importantly, out of his sight until he needed them. As for the building itself, a large portion of the back half was missing, it¡¯d presumably fell into the ocean when the island fell from the sky and broke into the thirteen pieces Garr¡¯s forces now occupied. The thought of that day irritated Garr just as much now as it did six years ago. They¡¯d spent weeks feigning a siege on the island while the succubi and incubi of the army worked day and night to corrupt the citizens. All they had to do was wait and the floating island would be theirs. With an island under their control, they would finally hold the key to getting inside the other islands. The former captain of the Shadowed Hounds knew this, and was originally on board with the plan¡­ But the appearance of a small, but loud-mouthed hunter threw a mountain-sized wrench into the cogs of their plan. The hunter knew just which buttons to press to infuriate the former captain until he¡¯d become nothing more than a rabid wolf just waiting to be put down. But Garr thought he would not take it too far, even in his angered state. After all, though they looked like animals, they were a civilized species. They were above such base instincts- And then that absolute buffoon started to actually siege the damn island, breaking the ward stone in the process. The only good thing to come out of it, was Garr¡¯s subsequent promotion after the late captain was fired for his incompetence. The memory of sinking his teeth into the captain¡¯s charred flesh was something Garr would treasure for the rest of his life. Garr left through a hole in the front of the building and headed towards the kennels next door. Garr had constructed the kennels inside the remains of an old stone temple. At one time, the temple was probably the tallest building on the island. But now, all that remains is the Altar room; a two-hundred foot long, ninety-foot-wide room filled with statues of the same faceless man, twenty benches placed in two lines of ten each, and the large, circular Altar at the far end of the room. Garr pushed open the door to the Altar room and stepped inside. The room was utterly dark, save for the few candles burning on the Altar. Garr hadn¡¯t put them there, and as far as he knew, they¡¯d never stopped burning in the six years they¡¯d occupied the island. He¡¯d once ordered a slaveborn to extinguish the candles and dispose of them, just to see what would happen- The slaveborn¡¯s corpse was immolated on the spot. Garr decided to leave it there as a warning to the other demons, ¡®touch the Altar and die¡¯. Since nothing seemed to happen as long as they didn¡¯t touch the Altar, Garr had decided to use the building as a kennel for his pet beasts. He¡¯d lost a couple of them over the years, but the smart ones remained. ¡°Come.¡± He said in a calm, but domineering voice. At the sound of his call, nine large dogs and twenty-four puppies emerged from the darkness of the room. The dogs were all remarkably similar in appearance, with only minor differences in fur color and coat pattern. The adults were all extremely tall dogs, standing around four-feet at the shoulder and over seven-feet long if measured from the tip of their nose to the base of their tail. They all had some variant of gray fur, and shaggy coats meant to protect them from cold temperatures prevalent almost year-round on the island. Garr found the first generation of the dogs on the island after the Shadow Hounds moved in, and he¡¯d been selectively breeding and training them ever since. His ultimate goal was to create a new species of demon: one that wasn¡¯t bound by the ¡®dungeon break¡¯ law that kept them all prisoner. These dogs were the first step towards that. Right now, they were trained to protect the dungeon day and night without rest. But soon, they would be able to leave the dungeons at will and protect the portals from the outside. Garr observed the dogs for a few seconds. ¡°...Are you ignoring me again?¡± He asked the dogs, his voice accompanied by the undertone of a growl. One of the adults looked around, then disappeared into the darkness. There was a low snarl, followed by the sound of a high-pitched *Yelp!*. A few seconds later, the adult returned with a small puppy in its mouth. ¡°You again.¡± Garr grumbled. He took the puppy from its mother¡¯s mouth and lifted it by the scruff of its neck. The puppy was skinny, too skinny, and its coarse gray fur did nothing to conceal its ribs from view. Being the runt of the litter meant it wasn¡¯t getting enough to eat, and soon¡­ Soon its siblings would devour it in their own search for food. Despite its obvious weakness, the puppy watched Garr with an unwavering gaze. There was an intelligence to its eyes that made Garr almost regretful of what was to come. Garr released the puppy, causing it to drop like a stone to the ungiving floor below- the puppy cried out in pain, then continued to whimper as Garr left them to their fate. It wouldn¡¯t take much longer for the puppies to get hungry enough to turn on each other. Once they did, he would come in to collect the survivors and repeat the trial with the next generation, as he¡¯d done every year previously. Almost as soon as Garr left the kennel, he was approached by a young imp; Imps were a race of ¡®original¡¯ demons that stood no taller than three feet. Imps had red, blue, or green skin that was covered in small scales that doubled as a source of protection. All imps had blue eyes with reptilian pupils, no body hair to speak of, and bat-like wings protruding from their back. Though smarter than Ogres, which wasn¡¯t saying much, Imps had very little intelligence. They could only follow simple commands, which was why they were mostly used as spies- or like this Imp, messengers. ¡°Master Garr. The captainses requests your presences.¡± The imp said, looking up at Garr with its big, hideous eyes. ¡°Of course, they do.¡± Garr sighed. He started walking without another word to the imp, his long legs forcing the much smaller demon to sprint just to keep up. Garr observed the many demons and buildings he passed on his way to where he knew the other captains would be waiting for him. There was a building directly in the center of the city, approximately four miles north of where he currently stood; the locals had once called it the ¡®Hunters Guild¡¯. Though that name died off around the same time the lesser demons finished eating everyone who hadn¡¯t devoted themselves to Irnal. While he walked, Garr observed the various Demonwolves he passed for any sign they¡¯d attack him- something he had to do every time he went out. He was only a captain of the Shadowed Hounds because he was stronger than the last idiot who tried to attack him. The same was true for the captains of the other demon races, and they never knew when someone else would come along and celebrate becoming the new captain over a glass of wine and the sauteed heart of the previous captain. Irnal¡¯s army comprised seven races; Ogres and the Undead had a single captain each, while Trolls, Demonwolves, Succubi, Incubi, and Imps each had ten captains a piece. It was only thanks to Irnal¡¯s law, which stated that Demons could only fight amongst others of their own race, that the weaker demons weren¡¯t all killed off by the much larger, much stronger demons like the Ogres, Trolls, and Demonwolves. This was done to prevent the balance of power from shifting away from those with strong minds, but frail bodies. And only favoring those of strong bodies and the mental capacity of a rotten toadstool. A balance was needed to maintain a strong army, and Garr believed Irnal had achieved that balance. Garr broke into a light jog after a minute of walking, crossing the city at speeds that made him appear as a black blur to the demons he passed. After a scant three-minutes of running, Garr arrived at what used to be the hunters guild and headed inside. Stepping into what was once a decently decorated lobby, Garr spotted a small army of demons loitering in the center of the room. The fifty-two captains of the demon races turned their various numbered eyes to him the moment the door shut behind him. ¡°Hello doggy.¡± Someone said with a voice that was deep, but also childlike in its innocence. Garr glanced over and saw Zyzzen; captain of the Ogres, sitting on the floor a few feet away. Zyzzen was perhaps the largest Ogre Garr had ever seen. Even sitting down, Zyzzen was eye level with Garr. Unlike most Ogres who had a thick layer of fat over their muscular bodies, Zyzzen was lean; meant for speed and explosive force, rather than overwhelming strength. He was an Ogre whose body had been built from the ground up for combat. But his size wasn¡¯t the only thing to differentiate him from the other Ogres. Zyzzen was smart- Well, smart for an Ogre. He had the intelligence and curiosity of a human child¡­ Garr glanced down at the imp corpse Zyzzen clutched in his right hand. He was treating it like a doll, and moving its limbs in a pattern that made the corpse look like it was dancing. ¡°Zyzzen.¡± Garr muttered in acknowledgement- He winced as Zyzzen smiled at him; the Ogre¡¯s rotten, crooked teeth stained red from the blood of the last creature he¡¯d eaten. ¡°What¡¯d I tell you about brushing your teeth after a meal, huh?¡± Garr asked, annoyed by the sight. ¡°Did not have time!¡± Zyzzen whined. The Ogre slammed his fist into the ground in a show of petulant rage. ¡°Zyzzen just finished eating when told to come here. Not my fault.¡± Garr sighed. ¡°Just¡­ Brush your teeth when you leave, alright?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Zyzzen muttered, he went back to playing with his corpse- But as if he couldn¡¯t suppress the rage about being told what to do, Zyzzen slammed the imp into the floor with enough force to splatter its blood onto the floor. Garr shook his head at the sight and moved to join the other captains. forty-five of the fifty-two gathered demons greeted him by name, while the remaining seven just stared in confused silence. Garr realized then that the seven were all newcomers to the group, having killed the previous captains sometime since the last time they¡¯d held one of these meetings. ¡°Hello everyone.¡± Garr replied to their greetings with a professional smile on his lupine face. ¡°Hey, how¡¯d Zyzzar get the imp? Did he finally snap and kill somebody?¡± ¡°That was my fault.¡± A quiet, but obviously feminine voice said from a few feet to Garr¡¯s right. Looking over- and down, waay down, he saw a green skinned imp standing with its arms folded across its chest. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize he was on the way to a meeting.¡± It explained. The realization hit Garr like a slap across the face. He glanced back at the imp Zyzzar was playing with; Blue skin, missing its left wing, and¡­ Yep, only one eye. That proved it, the plaything was the previous imp captain: Dytar. ¡°Damn. He owed me ten Stregos.¡± Garr muttered to himself, disappointed he would never see that money again. ¡°Now that we¡¯re all here, mind if we get a move on? We¡¯re kind of in a rush.¡± Zarinvia; Succubus captain, and former human, said impatiently. She was a tall blonde woman with baby blue eyes, fair skin, an impossibly narrow waist, and her bust and butt were proportionally perfect. Were it not for the large bat-like wings, obsidian tipped claws on her hands and feet, and the small white horns protruding from her forehead. Garr doubted anyone would ever guess she wasn¡¯t still a human. She, like all succubi and incubi, were literally designed by their Devil masters to drive both men and women wild with lust. And also like all succubi and Incubi, she wore almost no clothing. just a simple leather strap beneath her heavy breasts to keep them from bouncing with every movement- which Garr imagined would make it slightly more difficult to defend herself when she was inevitably attacked. Once all eyes were on her, she glanced towards her incubus partner with a look that was two parts pleading and one part ¡®I¡¯ll cut your balls off if you don¡¯t help me.¡¯ Jarer; Incubus captain, and also a former human, sighed at the look she was giving him and nodded. Jarer was tall for a human and was prettier than most women Garr had seen throughout his long years. His snow-like skin and waist-length silver hair shined with a healthy glow that was almost unheard of among demons. While his body was lean, he also carried enough muscle to snap a normal human in half. Unlike his Succubus counterpart, Jarer¡¯s horns weren¡¯t small things that barely protruded through the skin; instead, they were long enough to curl back over his head, and were darker than Acheron¡¯s nights. His wings were also different, and looked more like the wings of a large owl, rather than a bat. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re under a serious time crunch and we need to come to a decision quickly.¡± Jarer said, his voice was slightly hoarse and deeper than his frame would suggest was possible. ¡°About?¡± Garr asked, tilting his head to one side. There was a chorus of questions from the gathered demons, all echoing Garr¡¯s question. ¡°There¡¯s an island coming.¡± An odd, raspy voice spoke up. Looking over, Garr saw Tetch; a Lich, and captain of the undead horde that made up about 60% of Irnal¡¯s forces on Iolara. ¡°An Island?¡± Someone asked. Excitement began building in the room. And even Garr was grinning hungrily at the thought of an Island coming. So far, they¡¯d only seen three islands pass by their location in the six years they¡¯d been stationed on Iolara. One was the island they were standing on, one barely came within eyeshot before scurrying off to places unknown, and this makes three. ¡°Is it coming close enough for us to do anything?¡± Someone asked. ¡°If it maintains its current course and speed, then it should fly right over us by this time tomorrow.¡± Tetch replied. Garr wasn¡¯t sure why, but he could almost swear he could see a smile on the skeleton¡¯s face. Tetch¡¯s glowing blue eyes- if balls of blue fire could actually be called eyes- were shining in anticipation for what was to come. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Yes, they would finally have a chance to succeed where they failed once before. And this time¡­ Nothing would stand in their way- *Crash!* The roof of the building suddenly collapsed, causing debris and years of dust to rain from the ceiling, while a massive ball of radiant light slammed into the floor just feet from where the group had been standing. One of the demons cast a minor wind spell to clear the dust from the area around them. With their vision cleared for the moment, the demons collectively stared at the massive hole in the ceiling, then shifted their attention to the hole in the floor. Pitch-black smoke wafted from the hole. Whatever had just crashed into their building was hot enough to melt the stone floor around the hole, causing it to shine with a faint red light. The shimmering effect the moonlight had on the dust particles from the ceiling and the embers from the floor was strangely beautiful¡­ ¡°Fifty-two demons have been located¡­¡± An oddly familiar voice filled Garr¡¯s ears. The sound sent chills down his spine, and caused his heart rate to skyrocket- but he didn¡¯t understand why. What was this sense of dread he was feeling? When was the last time he¡¯d even felt fear? He couldn¡¯t really remember- No, wait, he did remember. It was during his time serving under his previous master; before he¡¯d joined Irnal¡¯s army, Garr was but a humble slaveborn dreg in the Devil Mennidoth¡¯s army. Mennidoth¡­ Now that was a Devil he hadn¡¯t thought about in centuries. Once known as the Logistical King, Mennidoth was supposed to be a prodigy. He¡¯d climbed the ranks of Devil nobility faster than a Troll could regenerate an eye, and became an Arch-Devil at the young age of 2,994. He attributed his many successes to the way he governed the worlds under his command. Mennidoth was somewhat unique among Arch-Devils. A top-tier warrior in his own right, Mennidoth was a logistical genius. He knew the easiest way to conquer a planet was to hinder their ability to sustain themselves. So, while most Devils simply destroyed a planet once they were no longer of use, Mennidoth preferred to keep them around and just add them to his army, in exchange for constant shipments of food, warriors, breeders, and technology. It was a widely known fact that Mennidoth would prefer to enslave a population, then leave them mostly alone while he went on to conquer another world. That was how the relatively young Mennidoth had risen to the rank of Arch-Devil after only a few thousand years, and how a young Garr found himself in the service of such a Devil. Being the child of a demon captain and a slave would¡¯ve afforded him no opportunities in anyone else¡¯s army, but Mennidoth was different. And the day he died¡­ The day he died, was the first time the demons realized a Devil could die. A pair of golden eyes appeared from the center of the smoke. As soon as a demon made eye contact with those strange golden eyes, the demon would freeze in place like a frightened rabbit. And then the eyes landed on Garr. His body froze on instinct, leaving only his muscular legs quivering. He bit down on his tongue to steady his nerves¡­ and when that didn¡¯t help, he dug his nails deep into his right thigh- making sure to avoid hitting anything that would hinder his ability to run. Yes, he would run. And he would run faster than he ever had in his life, for he recognized those eyes. They¡¯d haunted his dreams for centuries after he¡¯d escaped Mennidoth¡¯s army. Always there, lurking in the shadows of his vision, waiting to claim his life- just as they had his Master¡¯s. The golden eyes slowly moved down Garr¡¯s body before landing on the gauntlets covering his fists, and the sword at his hip- A wave of bloodlust washed over the demons, bringing them all to their knees. But Garr was hit especially hard: his vision shifted hues, turning everything to some shade of red, while darkness grabbed the corners of his eyes and devoured his sight until the only thing he could see was those golden eyes. ¡°A survivor?... No, a mistake.¡± Garr¡¯s eyes widened. A part of him wished he was wrong. He¡¯d wanted to believe it couldn¡¯t be true, that there was no way it had found him¡­ But that reaction, the realization in those golden eyes proved it. The Devil Slayer had somehow found his way to Iolara. Golden eyes closed for a moment, and there was movement inside the smoke- ¡°O¡¯ mighty Oakairo; my king and guiding light, let my words reach you on dragon¡¯s wings. With my body as the vessel, bring your wrath down upon mine enemies: Aspect of the Dragon - Breath.¡± The smoke cleared in an instant, revealing Aldritch¡¯s towering form to the surrounding demons with a seemingly normal barrel at his side. His head was down, while he finished his prayer to Oakairo- His eyes opened, causing golden light to spill through the strands of his hair. He slammed the spike at the base of his shield into the ground in front of the barrel, easily penetrating the shattered and boiling stone floor, then removed his hand from it entirely and took a short step forward. Aldritch pulled back his head and looked towards the sky as something rapidly materialized in the air behind him. ¡°Stop him!¡± Garr screamed. His voice was the driving incident the demons needed to shake off their fear and react to the obvious threat standing in front of them. ¡°Through the oath of blood, I call upon the power of Irnal; Baron of the Crimson Fleet. Your servant requires aid O dark one:¡± Thirty-two demons intoned simultaneously. They were the spell casters of the group, and each one could rival the strength of a level 60 hunter. Sixteen fireballs, eleven bolts of lighting, four streams of acid, and a stream of super condensed necrotic energy launched at Aldritch- But it was too late. The thing had finished materializing before they could complete their spells. Just behind Aldritch¡¯s was the head and neck of a colossal dragon. Each scale was thicker than plate mail and sparkled in the moonlight like polished diamonds. The muzzle was long, slender, and ended in two rows of razor-sharp teeth, while a dozen long, silver spines made a halo... or perhaps it was a crown atop its head? The dragon¡¯s head came forward and opened its mouth- Golden flames spewed from its open maw, swallowing the thirty-two demons¡¯ spells in an instant and bathing half the room in a vengeful golden light. Garr was blown backwards in the blast, launching his body away from the epicenter and out the door. He slammed into the asphalt road in front of the building and slid for twenty feet, leaving a trail of blood, dust, and fur in his wake... Ears ringing, head pounding, chest almost too tight to breath, it took every ounce of strength in Garr''s body to force himself into a seated position and look inside the building. Aldritch carried his shield loosely in his left hand as he approached the sixteen demons who survived his first spell, seventeen if you counted the Demonwolf he''d launched outside. Granted, they¡¯d survived only because Aldritch hadn¡¯t been aiming directly at them, but even so, Aldritch was a bit pleased they hadn''t broken so quickly. He''d recognized the gauntlets on Garr¡¯s hands, and guessed the sword was made of the same material. They were remnants of his home, and he had little desire to see them incinerated¡­ Plus, Oakairo said there were a lot of demons on this island, as well as a dungeon. And it would be extremely irritating if he had to hunt them all down himself. ¡°Leave the gauntlets and sword behind, little wolf. If you do, I¡¯ll let you go get the rest of your army.¡± Aldritch said, his voice reverberating inside Garr¡¯s skull. Garr looked down at the gauntlets that covered his shaking hands- he swiped them away from his body so quickly you¡¯d think they were on fire. Both gauntlets landed just a second before the sword clattered to the ground beside them. Aldritch stared at the wolf for a moment before nodding and waving him away. He took a slow breath and turned his head to regard the other captains, making careful note of the ones who''d survived his first attack: Two trolls, an Ogre who was sitting by itself, five Demonwolves, four Imps, two succubi, an incubus, and a lich- The moment Aldritch took his eyes off Garr, the Demonwolf scrambled to his feet and sprinted as fast as he could in the opposite direction. ¡°Got him?¡± Aldritch asked Oakairo. ¡°I¡¯ve got his scent. If he does enter the dungeon, I¡¯ll find him again. He won¡¯t escape.¡± Aldritch smiled as he watched the demons getting ready to attack him. ¡°Perfect.¡± Aldritch raised his left arm and leveled the spike of the shield at the chest of a charging troll. Trolls were all huge creatures, with most being even larger than Ogres. But whereas the Ogres were usually overweight berserkers, Trolls were cunning spell casters who just happened to be massive bruisers too. The Troll bearing down on him was fourteen feet tall, with ash-gray skin, long black hair that hung to its shoulders, crimson eyes, and two long tusks jutting from his bottom lip. He wore an outfit consisting of simple furs, and leather straps. While his weapon of choice was a large chunk of stone he¡¯d no doubt ripped straight out of the floor. The troll leapt the last ten feet, crossing it in the blink of an eye. Its makeshift weapon was brought high into the air, then brought down at the last possible second¡­ Aldritch quickly shifted his grip on the shield so it would follow the movements of his arm, then pulled his left arm back like he was getting ready to throw a punch- *Crash!* Aldritch swung his arm forward, bringing the full weight and might of the shield with it. The spike of his shield punched through the troll¡¯s weapon without resistance, pulverizing the stone and sending the spike barreling through the troll''s face. ¡°One.¡± But the damage didn¡¯t stop there. The troll¡¯s head burst as it collided with the base of the shield, throwing blood, bone, and brain matter into the faces of the demons following in its wake. The troll¡¯s bulky upper body broke beneath the weight of the shield, leaving only its feet to keep its momentum moving forward. They swung up and over, resulting in the now headless troll slamming onto its back. The five Demonwolves were hiding in the shadow of the Troll and leapt at Aldritch as soon as their meat shield was brought down. Their teeth and claws were primed and ready to do some damage to the slowly moving giant with the unwieldy shield- But Aldritch was still smiling. He pulled the shield back and shifted his grip again, so it was easier to move. He lowered his head and bent his knees until he was fully behind the shield- He thrust the solid plate at the center of the shield into the face of the fastest Demonwolf, bashing its skull deep into its chest cavity. Aldritch pivoted his body and deflected the claws of the second wolf with the top of the shield, before getting the shield underneath the Demonwolf and shoving upwards, launching the wolf over his head to land on its back ten feet away- Aldritch noticed one wolf sprinting towards him from the same direction, having broken off from the group after the death of the first wolf and was attempting to flank him. Aldritch looked back at the wolves coming at him from the front and kept the movement going as he instantly changed directions and brought the shield crashing down, smashing the spike into the back of another Demonwolf and driving the creature into the ground. Aldritch kept turning and, ignoring the fact that he was tearing through solid stone to do so, launched the third wolf into the chest of the fourth wolf, who¡¯d just leapt towards his back. The impact killed the third wolf and launched them both a dozen feet away- Aldritch saw movement out of the corner of his eye, pulled his leg back and dropped to a knee, he immediately followed that move by bringing his mighty fist down on the back of the fifth wolf, who¡¯d slid across the floor towards his legs. The wolf¡¯s spine turned to dust beneath Aldritch¡¯s fist, killing it instantly. ¡°That¡¯s five- Oh, troll casting fireball to the northwest.¡± Oakairo muttered, ¡°Which way is northwest? It¡¯s a bit difficult to tell which direction is which in here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that direction.¡± Oakairo said, directing Aldritch¡¯s attention to the correct side. ¡°Understood. Eliminating that direction.¡± Aldritch lifted the limp corpse by the fur of its neck, spun his body, and launched the Demonwolf like a cannonball. The wolf corpse flew almost twenty feet before smacking into the bodies of two of the four imps who were adding their magic to the troll¡¯s spell, sending all three bodies into the leg of the second troll. The troll¡¯s knee snapped backwards, causing the spell it¡¯d been preparing to misfire- The fireball exploded in its face, blinding the demon and making it fall onto its back in surprise- crushing the other two imps in the process. Aldritch moved towards the downed troll. He walked past the fourth wolf, who was trapped beneath the body of the third. It was trying to escape, but apparently one of its arms had either been broken or dislocated in the landing and it couldn¡¯t get enough leverage to free itself¡­ The wolf looked up at him in time to see the base of Aldritch¡¯s shield rushing towards its face. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ nine? Yeah, nine down. Hey, lightning bolts coming from that direction.¡± Oakairo said and directed Aldritch¡¯s attention to his left. After finishing off the trapped wolf, Aldritch raised his shield and felt a slight prickling sensation through his fingers as the lightning slammed into his shield. ¡°Sacred Fireball.¡± Aldritch said and opened the palm of his right hand towards the two succubi and the incubi who were already charging another lightning spell. He felt his mana rush into his hand a second before a white ball of flame appeared- The ball launched towards them faster than they could blink. Just before it could hit the succubus standing in the middle of the triangle, it exploded. The three demons were instantly covered in a divine flame that seared their flesh and boiled their bones. For good measure, Aldritch lobbed a second Sacred Fireball towards them. The resulting explosion silenced their cries to be saved. Just before Aldritch arrived at the troll¡¯s side, he glanced around for the Ogre. He hadn''t seen the ugly beast yet, what was it doing? ¡°That¡¯s twelve.¡± The troll, whose knee was already nearly fully healed, thrust out an arm and grabbed the top of Aldritch¡¯s shield- And Aldritch didn¡¯t resist. He let the shield go, and watched as it crashed into the ground, completely ignoring the presence of the troll''s body. The troll cried out in panic as the shield completely flattened its right shoulder. It blindly shoved against the shield with its left arm in a desperate attempt to get it off so its body could heal; its muscles bulged as it pushed against the shield, but to no avail. The shield wasn¡¯t moving. ¡°Wolf incoming. That way.¡± Aldritch reacted instantly; he moved his head out of the path of the wolf¡¯s claws, then twisted and caught the demon by its throat with his left hand. He lifted it off the ground despite it being a few feet taller than he was- *Crunch* The wolf¡¯s body went limp as Aldritch crushed its spine like undercooked pasta. ¡°Thirteen. Why¡¯d you let go of your shield?¡± Oakairo asked. ¡°Watch.¡± Aldritch replied and tossed the final wolf''s corpse aside. Something slammed into Aldritch¡¯s side with the force of a pissed off elephant. The ogre captain had finally shaken off its fear and confusion and went on the attack¡­ But despite using every muscle in its massive body to hit the giant, Aldritch hadn¡¯t moved. In fact, it was the ogre who was suddenly feeling pain; Its shoulder had shattered on impact. ¡°Ah, bait.¡± Aldritch grunted and grabbed the Ogre by the back of its neck with his right hand. The ogre fought against the hold, wrapping its arms around Aldritch¡¯s waist in a bid to hold on. But through sheer strength, Aldritch pulled the demon away from him. Not willing to accept defeat yet, the ogre swung a meaty fist at Aldritch¡¯s face- it hit with enough force to bend steel, and break concrete¡­ But it was the bones in the ogre¡¯s hand that shattered. Aldritch glanced down at the troll. It was still trying to fight against the sheer weight of the shield and had only survived this long because its regenerative abilities were keeping it alive- ¡°Lightning bolt incoming.¡± Aldritch twisted the Ogre around and used its fat body to block the spell. The Ogre wailed in equal parts confusion and pain- until Aldritch silenced it with a hammer fist to the side of its head, removing its entire skull from its shoulders and sending it flying into the chest of the lich- who exploded into a shower of dust and bone particles. ¡°Fifteen.¡± Aldritch picked up his shield, much to the relief of the troll- which instantly changed to fear as Aldritch drove the spike through its throat, decapitating it and ending the life of the last captain on the island. Well, second to last. ¡°Still got his scent?¡± Aldritch asked while making his way over to reclaim the barrel. He first inspected it for damage, and, finding none, he pulled out the cork and took a deep pull from the chocolate milk inside. ¡°He hasn¡¯t entered the portal yet.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Once his thirst was sated, Aldritch replaced the cork and headed for the door- He paused just in front of the door and took in the sight of a horde of demons rushing towards the building from all corners of the island. Aldritch carried the barrel over to the last place he¡¯d seen Garr and placed it on the ground beside the gauntlets and sword. ¡°Sanctuary.¡± Aldritch muttered. His mana twisted inside his body before exploding outwards to form a dense protective shell in a thirty-foot radius around his body. Any demon foolish enough to step inside his Sanctuary would feel the full might of his divine magic fall upon them. The only way to get inside was to kill him¡­ Aldritch smiled and spread his arms wide as he stepped beyond the Sanctuary, welcoming the demons to attack him. The roar of a thousand demons was akin to a symphony. This was what he¡¯d wanted. This was what he¡¯d been waiting for! ¡°Demons! Hear me!¡± Aldritch said, his voice amplified hundreds of times over by the divine magic coursing through his body. ¡°Today, you have the misfortune of facing Aldritch of clan Blackshield. And like the mountain from which I hail; I will never falter, never fail. Here and now, I issue this challenge to you all!... Prove me wrong.¡± Aldritch grinned widely. His eyes radiating madness and a lust that no mere tryst could fulfill. ¡°What was that about you not being able to tell if I was being flirtatious or carnivorous?¡± Oakairo asked, laughing. His own voice could not hide his anticipation any more than Aldritch could. ¡°Who do you think I learned it from?¡± Aldritch asked as the first wave of demons came within a hundred feet of him. ¡°Fair point.¡± The demons breached the fifty-foot line and Aldritch threw back his head. ¡°O¡¯ mighty Oakairo; my king and guiding light, let my words reach you on dragon¡¯s wings. With my body as the vessel, bring your wrath down upon mine enemies: Aspect of the Dragon - Breath.¡± Oakairo¡¯s head rapidly materialized behind Aldritch and opened his mouth. ¡°Permission Granted: My breath is yours.¡± The sound of myriad birds ripped through the area as Oakairo¡¯s magic built inside his mouth¡­ And the demon horde came face to face with the might of the sun. Chapter 8 - Birth of a Guild (pt 3) The obnoxious song of a thousand cicadas looking for love filtered through Sulika¡¯s open window, but that wasn¡¯t what woke her up. It was the incessant banging that slapped her across the face before dragging her from dreamland and tossing her face first into a hangover induced migraine. She opened tired, bloodshot eyes and sighed while pushing herself into a sitting position. The urgent banging continued, each hit was like an electric shock to the brain and caused a considerable amount of pain. ¡°That¡¯s it. No drinking for a while.¡± Sulika muttered to herself. She climbed out of bed and stumbled to the front door in an old gray shirt, and a pair of white pajama pants with small foxes embroidered into each thigh- They started out as a joke gift from Faeyra, but the joke was on her, because Sulika actually fell in love with them and wore them all the time. Sulika reached the door and pushed it open to find Faeyra standing there with an unimpressed look on her face. ¡°Get dressed. There¡¯s a problem.¡± Faeyra said while pushing past Sulika and entering her bedroom. ¡°Who died?¡± Sulika asked while hiding a yawn behind her left hand and slowly closing the door with her right hand. It was a serious question, but Sulika didn¡¯t have the emotional or intellectual bandwidth to reach that level of concern right now. Faeyra emerged from the bedroom holding a pair of blue cotton breeches and a black tank top. She thrust the clothes into Sulika¡¯s hands and urged her to quickly get dressed. Still majorly confused about what was happening, Sulika went along with Faeyra¡¯s request and stepped into the bedroom to change. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sulika shouted through the open door. Faeyra¡¯s behavior was making Sulika nervous: Her friend was never this serious, I mean, she hadn¡¯t made a single joke or flirtatious remark yet. Once Sulika was fully dressed- and looked slightly less like a motion sick corpse- Sulika returned to Faeyra¡¯s side and repeated her earlier question. If Faeyra ignored her a third time, she¡¯d tie her down and- ¡°A group of sentinels was waiting for me to open the door this morning.¡± Faeyra said, taking the wind out of Sulika¡¯s sails. ¡°Apparently, someone attempted to arrest Aldritch this morning.¡± Feeling like someone injected adrenaline directly into her brain, Sulika¡¯s mind became crystal clear in an instant. ¡°...They did what?¡± She asked, now concerned that her first question shouldn¡¯t have been ¡®who died?¡¯ but ¡®how many died?¡¯ ¡°Relax.¡± Faeyra said, holding up a hand. ¡°He wasn¡¯t hurt-¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t him I was worried about.¡± Faeyra sighed at the interruption and gave Sulika an ¡®are you done?¡¯ look. ¡°Sorry. Continue.¡± Sulika said and motioned for her to continue. ¡°As I was saying: He wasn¡¯t hurt, and neither were the sentinels who brought him in. But since there¡¯s no record of him living in the city, we need to go down and talk to them before they¡¯ll release him.¡± She explained, leaving her irritation at the situation on full display. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Actually, not as bad as I thought.¡± Sulika admitted. ¡°What¡¯d they arrest him for?¡± Faeyra smirked humorlessly, ¡°Dragging a demon through the streets.¡± Sulika¡¯s brain short circuited. It must have, right? There was no way she¡¯d actually heard what she thought she¡¯d heard. Aldritch wasn¡¯t dragging a demon through the streets, he¡¯d said he was going to watch the sunrise while gorging on chocolate milk. How does that turn into him dragging a demon through the streets!? Sulika finished getting ready in a flash and the two women stepped outside, where they found a dozen sentinels waiting for them: Their dark helmets and uniforms always gave Sulika the creeps. There was just something¡­ off about them. Eleven of the twelve sentinels stood in stoic silence, completely unmoved by the presence of the onlookers that stopped and stared. The last sentinel, who Sulika believed was the legion commander, stood at the front of the group with his helmet tucked under his right arm. He was an attractive elf: Long black hair, a statuesque build, and eyes the color of molten iron. Once Faeyra had locked the door behind them, the commander stepped forward and offered a hand to them. Faeyra gracefully accepted his hand and quickly moved down the four stairs to the street. Once she was on solid ground, the sentinels moved to surround her while the commander offered a hand to Sulika- Who wanted to wrinkle her nose at the thought of being helped, but also didn¡¯t see the point in being rude. ¡°Sorry, what is this about?¡± She asked while taking his hand and copying Faeyra¡¯s movements. ¡°The Governor and the Guild Master of the Hunter¡¯s Guild are waiting for you at the Roost.¡± The Commander replied before lowering his helmet back into place. The helmet hid his face from view and gave him the same artificial stillness the rest of the sentinels possessed. Sulika was extremely uncomfortable. She already disliked the idea of being escorted somewhere against her will. But that unease was only multiplied by the fact that the sentinels looked more like golems than people. ¡°Wait- why are they waiting for us? I thought we were just going to vouch for our friend Aldritch?¡± Faeyra asked, redirecting the commander¡¯s attention to herself. ¡°Ours is not to reason why: Ours is but to do and die.¡± The Commander replied. He gave the order for the sentinels to begin moving, forcing Sulika and Faeyra to either start walking or risk getting pushed along. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve heard you sentinels say that line before, and I¡¯ve been wondering what it meant. Mind enlightening me?¡± Faeyra asked while she and Sulika walked in tandem with the sentinels. But the sentinels remained silent; despite numerous attempts to engage in conversation with them, the sentinels never ceased their march nor engaged with either of them. As far as the legion was concerned, they weren¡¯t ignoring Faeyra to be rude. Their orders were just to escort a package from point A to point B, then get back to their usual duties. Nothing more, nothing less. But the silent soldier act did nothing to endear them to Sulika. In fact, she was actually growing more nervous by the minute. The way they walked in perfect harmony, the odd stillness in their postures, the lack of casual conversation, all of it only added to their artificial appearance. Leading Sulika to wonder if they actually could be Golems inside those faceless helmets. Thankfully, for Sulika¡¯s mental health and Faeyra¡¯s patience, they arrived at the Sentinel¡¯s Roost a short while later. Sulika half expected the building to be nothing but rubble, so she was pleasantly surprised to find nothing amiss. And judging by the lack of interest from the people walking by the Roost, nothing serious had happened in the time it took them to get here. Faeyra had heard correctly. Apparently, Aldritch had allowed himself to be taken in without a fuss. ¡°Enter through the double doors and talk to the woman waiting behind the desk. She¡¯ll guide you the rest of the way.¡± The Commander said, holding out his arm and guiding the two women away from his legion. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Uh¡­ Thanks for guiding us, I guess?¡± Sulika said, still wondering why such a thing had been necessary. ¡°Just doing our duty. Have a pleasant day.¡± The Commander replied, dipping his head to Faeyra, then Sulika. He turned on his heel and returned to the legion, before leading them away back towards the market. ¡°Those guys give me the creeps.¡± Sulika muttered. Now that the sentinels were no longer looking over her shoulder, she couldn¡¯t repress the shiver that left her with cold bumps along her arms and down her back. ¡°I admit even I¡¯m a bit unnerved by the whole ¡®Golem¡¯ thing they have going on. But I don¡¯t think my reaction comes close to yours. Are you alright?¡± Faeyra asked while looking Sulika up and down. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good.¡± Sulika sighed in relief. ¡°I just really don¡¯t like certain golems. They freak me out.¡± ¡°Since when?¡± Faeyra asked incredulously. ¡°We had a Golem assistant at my grandmother¡¯s house, didn¡¯t we? You never had a problem with it.¡± ¡°Hey, Dixy was not an it. She was a girl, and she was also shaped like an adorable purple trash can. I don¡¯t have a problem with those¡­¡± Sulika glanced over her shoulder at the Sentinels fading into the crowd of pedestrians. ¡°It¡¯s the humanoid shaped ones I can¡¯t stand.¡± She looked back to Faeyra and shrugged. ¡°I also can¡¯t stand undead for a similar reason.¡± ¡°Fair enough, I guess.¡± Faeyra replied and moved towards the door- but she stopped just before opening it. ¡°Oh, but if that¡¯s the case, then you probably shouldn¡¯t come into my lab anytime soon¡­ Just saying.¡± She opened the door and stepped inside, leaving Sulika to stare after her in shock. ¡°What''s that supposed to mean?¡± Sulika whispered before following Faeyra into the building. The main lobby of the Sentinel¡¯s Roost was much smaller than the lobby of the Hunters Guild and was sparsely decorated. The term ¡®bare bones¡¯ came to mind while looking around the room. The lobby was shaped like an upside down ¡®L¡¯; with high ceilings, a thick concrete floor, sturdy stone walls, and a large wooden door set into the wall at the very back of the room. Just above the door was a large sign that read ¡®See receptionist for entrance.¡¯ in glowing white letters. The only furniture Sulika could see was the four rows of wooden benches that had been magically anchored to the floor. Each row contained three two-seater benches, allowing only twenty-four people to sit inside the lobby at any time. Faeyra led Sulika to the back of the lobby and turned left, bringing them to a stop at the top of the upside down ¡®L¡¯. There, blocking off a portion of the room, they found a wall-to-wall stone desk that was so tall it came up to Sulika¡¯s chin. Starting at the leftmost wall, five-inch-thick stone bars protruded from the desktop and merged into the ceiling some ten feet overhead. The bar was followed by a four-inch gap, before another bar protruded from the desk. This pattern continued across the entire desk, save for a single two-foot gap at the very center of the desk. It was there that Sulika and Faeyra spotted a gnomish woman with vibrant purple hair and metallic purple eyes. The woman was watching them both with a bored, but professional smile across her handsome face. Faeyra approached the woman without hesitation, while Sulika trailed behind and continued to observe the various people waiting inside the lobby. ¡°Hi, maybe you can help me?¡± Faeyra started, her own professional smile locked in place and on full display. ¡°My name is Faeyra Silverowl, and this is my friend Sulika Wysarie. We were asked to come in and speak for our friend Aldritch.¡± The Gnomish woman¡¯s face subtly shifted: her smile grew larger, her eyes met with Faeyra¡¯s eyes instead of looking only in the general direction of Faeyra¡¯s face and shifted slightly in her seat. It was clear the woman was excited, though neither Sulika nor Faeyra could understand why. ¡°Ah¡­ You¡¯re the ladies the Governor is waiting for, yes?¡± The Gnomish woman asked. Without waiting for a response, she reached beneath the desk and pressed a small black button that could only be seen from her side of the desk- there was an audible *click* from the big door that drew both Sulika and Faeyra¡¯s attention to it. ¡°Please go through that door. I¡¯ll meet you on the other side and take you to your friend.¡± ¡°Oh! Thank you.¡± Faeyra replied, smiling at the small woman. ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Sulika said, echoing her friend¡¯s sentiment. She and Faeyra hurried over to the door. Sulika extended her arm to pull the door open- and was surprised at how light the door felt in her hand. The front door was as heavy as it looked, requiring a considerable amount of strength to even move the thing. But this door swung open almost without effort, and even more surprisingly, it did so while remaining completely silent. Sulika took the lead this time and stepped through the door ahead of Faeyra. Once both women were inside, Sulika released the door and watched it swing closed just as silently as it opened. Fifteen seconds later, the Gnomish woman emerged from somewhere nearby and beckoned the two women to follow her deeper into the Roost. She led them down a few barren halls, passing numerous sentinels who were either returning from a patrol or were getting ready to start one. Passing an open door that led to what Sulika assumed was a locker room, Sulika saw something which surprised her: two human males, a female elf, a female dwarf, and a male elf were hanging out in the locker room. The neatly folded sentinel armor laying nearby gave her the impression the five of them were sentinels¡­ But they were all laughing at something the male elf had said. That was the first time she¡¯d ever seen a sentinel laugh- Hell, that was the first time she¡¯d realized there were women among the sentinels. She¡¯d thought they were all men beneath those helmets. ¡°Here we are.¡± The Gnomish woman said as the three of them arrived at a door that was completely identical to twenty other doors Sulika had seen on the short walk here. She didn¡¯t understand how anyone could find their way around here. Everything looked just as bleak as everything else, with no identifying marks or doors to give you a sense of where you are. The Gnomish woman opened the door to a small, but surprisingly decorative room. The walls were painted a calming blue, while a light-colored carpet covered the floor. An elegant wooden chandelier dangled precariously from the ceiling by a simple copper chain- Its eight glass orbs cast a delicate white light onto the room, illuminating the large square table placed directly beneath it. Of the six chairs surrounding the table, three of them were already occupied. Max: The Guild Master of the Azuris Hunters Guild sat alone on the right side of the table. Sulika didn¡¯t immediately recognize the Gnomish man sitting in a chair at the ¡®top¡¯ of the square. But it only took a few seconds before the face clicked, and she realized she was staring at the Governor of Azuris Island. The Governor was a portly Gnome with dark purple skin, bone white hair, large black eyes, and a long, hooked nose. Joolbic Zalbess was a Gnome who was descended from a long line of Gnomish nobility. Thanks to his family¡¯s connections that spanned multiple centuries, and the best schooling his family could provide. Joolbic could¡¯ve had almost any posting he wanted. But instead of staying within the relative safety of the main line, where he was all but guaranteed a lofty position. He¡¯d instead opted to become Governor of a little frontier island, whose previous governor had recently retired without an heir. A little island known as Azuris. No one knew why he risked it all to come this far outside the safety net of the gods, but the people of Auris were surely indebted to him. In the twenty-five years since he¡¯d taken the mantle of Governor, the island had finally experienced its first golden age¡­ Now, if only they could convince the other islands of that fact, maybe Max wouldn¡¯t have as much trouble recruiting hunters. The last person in the room was Aldritch, who looked exactly as he had the last time Sulika saw him- he even had the damn barrel of Chocolate milk sitting beside his chair. But aside from that outrageous amount of milk, Aldritch was alone- Except he wasn¡¯t. Kneeling on the ground beside him was the largest Demonwolf Sulika had ever seen: With fur as black as a moonless night, a mouth full of razor-sharp fangs, claws that shined like obsidian tipped blades, and crimson eyes that¡­ Well, they really took away from the whole ¡®intimidation¡¯ factor he had going on, since his right eye was swollen shut and his left eye was so fixated on the floor, Sulika wondered if he thought it would eat him- movement out of the corner of her eye drew Sulika¡¯s attention to Aldritch¡¯s chest. She realized he was holding something; his right arm was, somewhat awkwardly, lying across his chest and a small, clearly malnourished, gray puppy lay on her back with her head facing the door. Though the puppy had been sleeping prior to Sulika and Faeyra¡¯s appearance. The moment the door swung open, the puppy opened the brightest amber eyes Sulika had ever seen and gave them both a sleepy look. Chapter 8 - Birth of a Guild (pt 4) Sulika and Faeyra took a long, hard look at the three men sitting in the room. Max, the GM of the Hunters Guild, sat with his arms folded across his chest. His head was tilted back and rested against the wooden frame of his chair. And though his eye was closed, his body was tense too tense for her to believe he was resting. The muscles in his jaw were moving slightly as he chewed on the inside of his right cheek. Meanwhile, Joolbic: the man who held the highest position on the entire island, looked perfectly comfortable with his hands interlaced in front of him. And while he sat with perfect posture, his shoulders remained relaxed, and his eyes remained focused on Aldritch¡¯s face. Speaking of the crimson-haired giant: The sentinels hadn¡¯t liked the idea of some unknown man being alone with the governor, Max¡¯s presence notwithstanding, and it looked like they¡¯d tried to shackle him to the ground with wooden chains to keep him contained¡­ Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t have any that were of a size that would fit around Aldritch¡¯s monstrous calves. So, they ended up linking five shackles together to extend the length of the chain, before wrapping two around each leg and connecting them to the floor anchor with the fifth. Altogether, it looked barely functional and ultimately a waste of time considering Aldritch didn¡¯t seem to care they were there. In fact, Aldritch was so comfortable in this situation, Sulika could hear him quietly talking to the little puppy. ¡°You¡¯re such a pretty girl ~ Yes you are ~¡± said the coco addict in a voice that did not match the image Sulika held of Aldritch in her head. ¡°What did you do?¡± Sulika asked again. Somehow, the sight of him absently playing with a puppy, while arguably the two most important people on the island sat watching, was doing far more to her nerves than it was to his. As if he¡¯d only just noticed their presence, Aldritch looked at Sulika and smiled. ¡°Good morning, ladies. Did you sleep well?¡± He asked, speaking as if there was nothing unusual about the situation, they¡¯d found themselves in. ¡°Aldritch¡­¡± Sulika growled, her fraying nerves couldn¡¯t handle his laissez-faire attitude right now. ¡°Please, answer the question: what did you do?¡± ¡°Of course. I apologize for disturbing your morning. I would¡¯ve preferred it if today went slightly differently, so I could discuss everything with you this afternoon. Unfortunately, I underestimated the reaction people would have.¡± Aldritch replied and looked genuinely remorseful for ruining their morning. ¡°You brought a demon into our city, sir Aldritch.¡± Joolbic said in a calm, but reproachful tone. ¡°With that being the case, I think our sentinels reacted with an appropriate amount of concern.¡± At the mention of the word ¡®demon¡¯, Sulika and Faeyra both glanced at the Demonwolf kneeling beside Aldritch. He hadn¡¯t moved so much as a muscle since they¡¯d entered the room. Leading the two of them to wonder; just what had Aldritch done to make a Demonwolf so scared it couldn¡¯t move? It was at that moment Sulika realized something about the Demonwolf- the demon wasn¡¯t contained in any way. There wasn¡¯t a shackle in sight, or a cuff in place. They hadn¡¯t even bothered to put a ward around the creature. Why? Why shackle Aldritch: an admittedly large, but otherwise normal man. But not the Demon sitting a scant few inches away? It didn¡¯t make any sense. ¡°Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I¡¯ve just gotta ask. Shouldn¡¯t we contain the Demonwolf somehow? What if it decides to go on a rampage? Demonwolves are around level 45, right? Could we really stop it before it hurts someone?¡± She asked while looking pointedly at Aldritch- But her attention shifted suddenly, when the Demonwolf¡¯s body started quivering. Almost like every cell in its body was desperately trying to escape before Sulika¡¯s question could sink into someone¡¯s mind. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him.¡± Aldritch replied, moving his hand towards the Demonwolf¡¯s face- Aldritch flicked his middle finger at a point directly between the demon¡¯s eyes *Crack!* causing light to flash around the demon, revealing the skintight shield of divine energy encasing its entire body. The Demonwolf couldn¡¯t move even if it wanted to. More to the point, it was widely known that divine mana was toxic to demons. Though a divine shield could act as a suit of armor for hunters, it only worked because any demon dumb enough to touch it was burned. Almost as if they¡¯d stuck their hand in acid¡­ ¡°I mentioned it earlier, but I think it deserves repeating: that¡¯s a bit cruel, sir Aldritch. Even towards a demon.¡± Joolbic said. Though, his words weren¡¯t entirely convincing since there was no pity contained within his eyes when he looked at the Demonwolf. ¡°Why not just kill it? You clearly have the power, surprising though it might be.¡± Sulika had to agree. She held no qualms about killing demons, but she didn¡¯t enjoy it. It wasn¡¯t ¡®fun¡¯ to kill demons. She only did so, because it was necessary- Then again, she hadn¡¯t known Aldritch to be particularly cruel. And the thought of him keeping it alive just for the sake of inflicting pain upon it, seemed¡­ Wrong, somehow. Faeyra had actually reached the same conclusion as Sulika, but she¡¯d gotten there almost immediately after seeing the Demon. Call it her merchant¡¯s instincts, women¡¯s intuition, or whatever you like. But she knew Aldritch wouldn¡¯t have brought the demon inside the walls for such a petty reason. No, he had a way to make money off the demon, and she was very interested in finding out how. ¡°An excellent question¡­ Which I will answer, but as I said earlier, only after my debt with the Hunters Guild is settled.¡± Aldritch replied while looking at Max. ¡°And like I¡¯ve told you; I¡¯ve already sent word to the guild. If your claim can be substantiated, I¡¯ll pay you out of my own pocket just so we can get this over with. But until then, you aren¡¯t getting a single copper bit from us.¡± Max replied while staring back at Aldritch. It was clear to everyone that the GM was irritated, and the more time that passed, the angrier he would get. But Aldritch shrugged a single shoulder in response and slowly blinked at the much smaller man. ¡°I¡¯m happy to continue waiting until such proof can be found. Considering the body was just delivered a few days ago, I doubt the paperwork has been lost yet.¡± Max narrowed his eye at Aldritch and slowly stood from his chair. ¡°Be very careful with what you say next, outsider. My guild may have its issues, but I¡¯ll not sit idly by and listen to you defame my employees.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what he¡¯s doing.¡± Sulika quickly replied, hoping to curtail Max¡¯s anger before things got out of hand. ¡°Right, Aldritch? You just misspoke- he does that sometimes.¡± ¡°Sulika is correct. I have no intention of slandering your employees. From what I could see during my brief interactions with them. Most are honorable, hardworking people. I would never insult their dignity in such a way.¡± ¡°There, see,¡± Sulika said, sighing in relief that Aldritch took the hint and stopped while he was ahead. ¡°Aldritch didn¡¯t mean anything by it-¡± ¡°However-¡± Aldritch began, causing Sulika to curse internally. ¡°I won¡¯t lie for them either. By now, you must be aware of the issues your Vice-Manager tried to weigh against Sulika and her team, correct?¡± Aldritch asked. He met Max¡¯s irritated gaze without flinching; both men staring their opponent down without a word or so much as a flicker of hesitation¡­ But eventually, someone had to give. ¡°Yes, and I¡¯ve apologized for that.¡± Max replied through gritted teeth. ¡°Is that what this was about?¡± ¡°Certainly not.¡± Aldritch replied. ¡°I¡¯m only using it as a point of reference, because I signed the paperwork in question mere minutes before Sulika had her talk with the Vice-Master. Since you know what happened during that incident, surely you can understand my point?¡± Max broke eye contact and stared at the table in front of him. Why did everything keep coming back to Edward? Max balled his hands into fists- then exhaled slowly, pushing the stress and tension out of his body. Max reached into the small satchel sitting on the floor next to him and pulled out a leather pouch that had been dyed black. Opening it, he quickly retrieved six golden coins that were no larger than a fingertip and placed them in a stack on the table between him and Aldritch. Without taking his hand off the stack, he removed three coins and placed them into a second stack beside the first. ¡°I can¡¯t just give you six gold coins without concrete evidence¡­¡± Max quietly said, once again meeting Aldritch¡¯s eye. ¡°But, if Sulika can corroborate your story, I¡¯ll give you three coins now in exchange for you starting your story so we can all move on with our day. The other three will come when I see the paperwork. Sound fair?¡± Aldritch glanced down at the coins, then returned his gaze to Max¡¯s lone eye after a second of thought. ¡°I can agree to that.¡± ¡°Hang on- What am I corroborating? None of this has been explained to me yet.¡± Sulika said, getting irritated herself. She didn¡¯t like how they¡¯d just agreed on something involving her, without even taking a second to ask her opinion. ¡°How the guild hasn¡¯t paid me for the Ogre corpse yet.¡± Aldritch explained, before shooting her an apologetic smile. ¡°You told me about your friend during our conversation the other day. And while I have no concerns about the fact that he killed the Ogre, that part is clear enough. He¡¯s claiming we never paid him. But, as you know, the bounty should have been paid out on the day we claimed the body. I wasn¡¯t there, but you were.¡± Max explained while looking at Sulika. ¡°I know you to be an honorable person. So, if you say he wasn¡¯t paid, then he wasn¡¯t paid.¡± Sulika¡¯s mind went blank the moment she realized everyone¡¯s attention was on her. ¡°Er¡­¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°As far as I know, he wasn¡¯t paid. Edward made it pretty clear that Aldritch wasn¡¯t allowed to stay in the building after their conversation ended. I¡¯m pretty sure he even asked a few hunters to make sure he left the building as soon as he got his stuff out of the Dorm.¡± She said, hoping she looked more confident than she felt. She was telling the truth, but if she¡¯d hesitated for a second too long, or said something that sounded like a lie, there was no telling what Max might do. But her worries proved fruitless. Max scrutinized Sulika for a few seconds before shaking his head. What he must do was obvious: He picked up a stack of coins and, with a quick flick of his wrist, sent the stack of coins sliding across the table to Aldritch¡¯s waiting hand. ¡°Next time- Don¡¯t leave before getting your money. I won¡¯t pay out this way again.¡± Aldritch closed his fist around the coins and smiled wryly. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll make sure to take every coin I''m owed before I leave.¡± Then, without looking, he took a single coin off the top of the stack and placed it in front of Sulika. ¡°What¡¯s this for-¡± Sulika¡¯s question was cut off by a light jab from Faeyra, who took the coin without question and made it disappear into her pocket. ¡°Thanks, Aldritch. I¡¯ll give you your change when we get back to the store.¡± Faeyra said, happily smiling at the giant. Sulika might not have understood, but she certainly did. Aldritch had promised to pay them back for all the milk he¡¯d drank, and for letting him stay at their home for the last few days. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. A gold coin was worth far more than anything they¡¯d given him. But with that coin, the two of them could afford to buy new ingredients for potions, new clothes, a new weapon for Sulika¡­ Or the downpayment on a new building for the guild they were creating. The store was great, but it wasn¡¯t big enough to be the base of a Guild. They¡¯d need something at least twice, maybe even three times as big if Oladi, Ralocan, Zarud, and Derrik decided to move in to save on rent. Not to mention cost of food, salaries, equipment maintenance, medical, and they¡¯d need to keep a decent amount stored away for the death pool: A guild-wide contribution fund that would be sent to each of their person or organizations of choice, should the worst happen, and they don¡¯t make it home from a hunt. Running a guild was expensive, more so than Faeyra believed Sulika realized. Aldritch seemed to agree, since he smirked at Faeyra and nodded his thanks. ¡°Well, now that that¡¯s all sorted out.¡± Joolbic said, drawing everyone¡¯s attention back to him. ¡°Would you like to begin your story? I¡¯m sure we¡¯re all excited to hear how this-'''' He waved between Aldritch and the Demonwolf. ¡°Came about.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Aldritch replied. ¡°Faeyra, Sulika, would the two of you mind sitting here?¡± He said, standing up and offering his seat, and the one next to it, to the two women. Sulika and Faeyra glanced at each other before moving to do as he asked- Though both women paused as Aldritch grabbed the Demonwolf by the scruff of its neck and dragged it away from the table. The demon¡¯s eyes widened, surprise and fear battling to be the dominant expression. Everyone was stupefied to see Aldritch so easily moving the ten-foot tall, and weighing who knew how many hundreds of pounds Demon like it was the same size as the puppy sleeping in Aldritch''s other hand. Aldritch dragged it to the wall and forced it to stand at attention, before his empty hand closed around the Demon¡¯s throat and lifted the creature off the ground. Aldritch altered the shield spell to uncover the demon¡¯s head before leaning in to whisper into the demon''s ear. [I despise this atrocious language of yours, but I don¡¯t want there to be any misunderstandings between us. You¡¯re going to tell them everything that you told me.] He said in Abynaar: The language of demons. [But one sentence out of line, or one detail shy, and I¡¯m going to take a pound of flesh for the inconvenience. Do you understand?] He asked while pinning the demon in place with his golden-eyed stare. The Demonwolf gave Aldritch a shaky nod, still unsettled by the fact that a non-demon could speak Abynaar without killing themselves in the process. Abynaar was a guttural language that was as violent as the people who spoke it. Demons could get away with speaking it because of their body¡¯s naturally high durability, and regeneration speed. If anyone else tried to speak the language, they¡¯d rip their vocal cords to pieces. Aldritch released the Demonwolf¡¯s throat, causing it to land hard on its feet, and stepped around to Sulika and Faeyra¡¯s back. ¡°Then you can begin whenever you''re ready.¡± Aldritch said and motioned for the demon to start talking. The Demonwolf nervously glanced around the room for a few seconds¡­ ¡°My name is Garr. I am the captain of the Shadowed Hounds Demonwolf pack. And I¡­¡± Garr winced as if he were in pain. ¡°Serve the Devil Irnal: Baron of the Crimson Fleet. My master sent myself and approximately 1,200 demons to this world in order to conquer it after our dungeon experienced what you mortals call a ¡®break¡¯-¡± Garr went silent as Max bolted to his feet and yelled, ¡°There¡¯s been a dungeon break on the island?¡± Max pivoted his eye to Aldritch; rage, confusion, and fear were clear as day in the GM¡¯s expression. ¡°There¡¯s been a dungeon break and you¡¯ve been wasting our time in here with these-these theatrics!?¡± ¡°Calm down, Guild Master.¡± Joolbic muttered impatiently. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me to calm down, Joolbic.¡± Max growled. ¡°You know what a dungeon break is like. How many hundreds of people died while we¡¯ve been sitting here, oblivious to what was going on? One? Two? What if it was a thousand, hmm? How about two thousand?¡± For the first time since the meeting began; Sulika, Faeyra, and Aldritch saw the governor¡¯s anger firsthand as his eyes crackled with barely suppressed mana. ¡°I will not ask again.¡± He said in the same calm, but reproachful voice he¡¯d used on Aldritch earlier. Max¡¯s jaw clenched so hard Sulika thought his teeth would break¡­ Then he looked up, took a deep breath to calm himself, before finally sitting back down and motioning for Garr to continue speaking. ¡°We did not appear here, on this island.¡± Garr said quietly- He winced in pain again, surprising those watching him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Faeyra whispered to Aldritch- She was surprised to see him smirking at the demon. Was he doing something? And what had he said to it earlier? Faeyra hadn¡¯t recognized the language, but it was obvious the demon had¡­ For the first time since their first meeting, Faeyra wondered just who exactly was Aldritch? She knew he was a returnee, but that was what he was, not who he was. What kind of life had he lived before Sulika found him? ¡°Devils don¡¯t like being betrayed.¡± Aldritch whispered back. ¡°I might have to do something before it decides to pull the connection, or we won¡¯t get the full story... Which would hinder my plans.¡± ¡°Pull the connection?¡± Sulika asked, letting the two of them know she¡¯d been listening. ¡°A demon¡¯s life force comes from the Devil they¡¯re contracted to. But it¡¯s a¡­ mostly one way connection. The devil can sever the connection on a whim, without suffering ill effects. The same cannot be said for the demon. They rely on that connection like you rely on your heart. The only difference being a demon can survive for a while without its heart, but it''s a painful death-¡± The three of them watched as Garr¡¯s body spasmed violently and he screamed in pain, accidentally proving Aldritch¡¯s point. Aldritch whispered a spell under his breath, fortifying the shield surrounding Garr and enhancing its regenerative properties. Now, even if the Devil withdrew its power, Garr shouldn''t die until Aldritch was done with him. ¡°You sure know a lot about demons.¡± Sulika quietly laughed, but not out of amusement. She laughed because she had to do something, anything or she felt like she¡¯d have another panic attack. Aldritch shrugged. ¡°When your every waking thought is about the best ways to kill something, it¡¯s hard not to pick up a few facts here and there.¡± Garr finished recounting the events leading up to Aldritch crashing through the ceiling of the old Hunters Guild and was forced to stop as something inside his body snapped. He railed against the shield spell holding him in place. He didn¡¯t care how much damage he was doing to his own body, since the only thing he could focus on was the hollow feeling inside his chest. Not even the shield''s regenerative properties could offset the feeling of wrongness in Garr''s chest. Aldritch frowned at the sight. Apparently, this devil was faster to cut his losses than Mennidoth was. Mennidoth wouldn¡¯t abandon a demon until several days had passed because he was confident he could get them back without losing a valuable resource. But Irnal didn¡¯t see demons that way. No, it seemed he held true to the old devil belief that all demons were created solely to serve at the pleasure of the Devil they were contracted to serve. Aldritch had seen many such devils during the early years of the war- back before they realized how dangerous Mag ¨¢rsa truly was and decided to cut their losses. Garr continued speaking despite the pain he was experiencing. ¡°Th- The giant arrived then. He¡­ He destroyed the other captains. I would¡¯ve been killed too, had his spell not missed. The explosion sent me flying, I crashed through the front door of the building and landed some distance outside.¡± Garr looked down, ashamed of himself. ¡°I ran. He gave me the opportunity to run, and I took it¡­ But it didn¡¯t matter. No matter how fast I ran, he was always there. Slaughtering my demons... Butchering them. My people swarmed him like starved locusts, and he laughed.¡± Garr muttered before looking into the eyes of Joolbic, Max, Faeyra, and finally Sulika. ¡°You might call me a monster, and you''d be right... But the most dangerous monster in the room isn''t me, it''s him-¡± Garr¡¯s eyes fully opened as a circular hole appeared where his stomach used to be. His eyes shifted towards Aldritch, and the giant stared back even as the shield spell worked to close the wound. Thanks to his demonic heritage, Garr could survive a lot. But not this- he knew he was dead no matter what he did. He was too tired to fight it. And that hollow feeling in his chest was only growing larger with every passing second. Why should he continue fighting? He¡¯d fought enough. Now¡­ Now it was time to sleep. The last thing he saw before his eyes shut for the final time, were the amber eyes of a small puppy watching him... Sulika, Faeyra, Max, and Joolbic stared at Garr¡¯s body for a long time. Max was the first to realize why the big demon slumped forward and stopped speaking. Glancing over to Aldritch, he was concerned to see the giant¡¯s golden eyes watching him. It wasn¡¯t often that Max felt like the prey in any given situation. He was level 61, though he tended to keep that to himself. He wanted to inspire hunters and give them something to aim for. If his hunters found out, he was almost ten levels stronger than they he¡¯d led them to believe, it might discourage them from improving. That being said, he was proud of the fact there were only nine hunters ¡®officially¡¯ stronger than him. While there was no doubt more, none of them were affiliated with the Hunters Guild, so it was almost impossible to verify how strong they actually were. Max knew every member of ¡®The Ten¡¯ personally. He knew their families, knew where they lived, and visited most of them anytime he was in the Main Line. But only four members of ¡®The Ten¡¯ could make Max feel like a child in a fight- those being Zleog: The Tower Knight, Ulfang: The Ebon Wolf, Ylene: The Crimson Berserker, and Krizath: The Divine Warrior¡­ Judging from the way Aldritch handled the Demonwolf, he might have to add another name to that list. ¡°Well, I was going to approach this differently. But I suppose talking about it this way isn¡¯t too bad.¡± Aldritch said before standing up and walking over to Garr¡¯s body. He replaced the shield over Garr¡¯s head to keep blood from leaking onto the floor and loosed his hold on the demon''s body- *Thump* Garr slid to his knees, where he would remain until the spell was cancelled. Aldritch turned to face Joolbic and Max. He dipped his head slightly in greetings and placed his left hand over his heart. ¡°You have the honor of meeting Aldritch of Clan Blackshield. In recognition of your customs and traditions, I formally request permission to create a guild within the borders of your wonderful island nation of Azuris.¡± He said and lifted his head to look down on them. Faeyra and Sulika stared at Aldritch like he¡¯d grown a second head. Max felt a touch of whiplash and wondered how the hell they¡¯d gone from discussing a destroyed demon city to founding a guild. While Joolbic¡­ Well, he looked thoroughly pleased with this turn of events. It was a classic power-play, which Joolbic hadn¡¯t seen done properly since he left the noble courts of Ogethon Cay. Aldritch established his authority over the physically strong Max during their negotiations. By making the GM agree to Aldritch¡¯s demands, he determined the perceived hierarchy between them by showing he had a stronger position than the GM. Joolbic doubted the young hunter Sulika knew nothing before arriving. It was highly likely Aldritch had left instructions for the two women to follow. But if she was truly oblivious to what was happening during their conversation, then he''d performed an even more impressive feat: He''d inspired loyalty in two people he¡¯d only known for a few days. Enough that they¡¯d not only come to his aid, but Sulika was also willing to risk her reputation for him. Then, by making the demon speak of his fantastical accomplishments instead of telling them himself. Aldritch avoided the pitfall of looking braggadocious. The story spun by a demon, the natural enemy of a hunter, allowed Aldritch to show a few of his cards while coming across as someone who only wanted the truth- A classically ¡®noble¡¯ pursuit. Could the demon have lied? Absolutely. And had the tale been any less fantastical, Joolbic would¡¯ve assumed as much¡­ But who in their right mind would believe a single man was capable of besting a thousand demons in a single night? No one. So, either Aldritch was dumb enough to think Joolbic and Max were braindead- or it was all true. Joolbic knew Max, knew how intelligent he was, and how much experience he had under his belt. If Aldritch failed to get Max under his thumb before allowing the demon to speak, Joolbic likely wouldn¡¯t have believed a word of it. Because an idiot would have never gotten Max to agree to such a one-sided deal, it only made the story spun by the demon even more believable. Finally, he showed his steel will and savagery. The demon had called him a monster just before dying. That placed the idea into their heads that he, an unknown, was the most effective demon slayer in the room. If it was an act, it was award worthy¡­ And if it happened to be the truth, then all the better. The enemy of my enemy is my friend; The monster of my monster is safer fed than starved. Nobility, Loyalty, Authority, and Efficiency; the hallmarks of a classically good leader. Of course, there were also many other variables to consider when actually looking at the abilities of a king. But they weren''t talking about a king, they were talking about him becoming a Guild Master. And in that respect, those traits were all that was needed. Perhaps most fascinatingly of all, Joolbic had never heard of Aldritch before this conversation started. And in this short time, they''d all learned exactly what Aldritch wanted them to. Was that enough to earn Joolbic¡¯s trust? Certainly not¡­ But was it enough to earn him a favor or two? ¡°Absolutely fabulous.¡± Joolbic said and stood from his chair. He approached Aldritch from the side and copied Aldritch¡¯s greeting. ¡°The honor is mine, Sir Aldritch. This humble servant of the people is called Joolbic Zalbess da Ogethon Cay.¡± He lifted his head and looked over to Max. ¡°Does Sir Max have any objection?¡± Max stared at Joolbic with surprise in his eye. But he recovered quickly and stood from his chair. He approached Aldritch and, though awkward in its execution, also copied Aldritch¡¯s greeting. ¡°Er¡­ Nice to meet you, Sir Aldritch. And, so long as it will prevent needless deaths, I have no objections to another guild forming. It¡¯s actually a big help.¡± Aldritch smiled at the two men and extended his hand to each one, shaking their hands and completing the agreement between them. ¡°What just happened?¡± Sulika whispered to Faeyra. ¡°Any chance of us having free time for the foreseeable future just died.¡± She sighed. ¡°Better prepare yourself, Sulika. We¡¯re about to get busy.¡± Chapter 9 - New Guild on the Block (pt 1) A mentally exhausted Sulika and Faeyra led Aldritch into the Fancy Dryad. Neither had any intention of opening the store today, so they left the lights off in the shop and headed into the dining room. The two women collapsed into chairs, while Aldritch placed his barrel in the corner of the room and leaned against the wall. He hadn¡¯t said much since the meeting with Governor Joolbis and Max ended, save for a few calming words to the young puppy lying in his arms. Now, the puppy was looking around the room with a level of alertness none of them had seen before. Its bushy tail slapped against Aldritch¡¯s robe, while its eyes worked double-time to take in every sight it could. The puppy whined, pushing against Aldritch¡¯s hold with all four of its feet. While it wasn¡¯t baring its teeth, it was pretty obvious the puppy was tired of being held and wanted to be put down. Aldritch gave in after a few seconds and placed the puppy on the floor- it immediately bolted for the closed door and started scratching its nails into the wood, indicating its desire to leave the room. ¡°I suppose it is that time.¡± Aldritch muttered and headed for the door. ¡°We¡¯ll return in a few minutes.¡± ¡°Aldritch.¡± Sulika called after him, drawing his attention to her. ¡°You know we need to talk about what just happened, don¡¯t you?¡± She said, getting a nod of agreement from Faeyra. ¡°Of course.¡± Aldritch said, smiling at the two women. ¡°Synne, come on girl.¡± He muttered, calling for the puppy to follow him. She reacted to her new name and sprinted out the door, leaving him to quietly shut the door behind them. The puppy didn¡¯t make a sound as she fell in line with his steps. She followed him out of the building, down the front steps, and a short distance down the street before her small bladder prevented her from going any further. Aldritch smiled helplessly and prepared a spell to remove any sign of her mishap. Back with Sulika and Faeyra. The two women looked up at the sound of someone knocking on the front door. Had they accidentally left a light on, and a customer was trying to get inside, or had Aldritch forgotten something? Sulika sighed and pushed herself to her feet. ¡°I¡¯ll see who it is.¡± Faeyra also climbed to her feet and pushed her chair back into place. ¡°I need to check on Howie. I just remembered I haven¡¯t fed him yet.¡± She said while following Sulika out of the dining room. While Sulika headed for the front door, Faeyra disappeared into her lab and quietly closed the door behind her. Sulika reached the front door and pulled it open¡­ At first, she was confused by what she was seeing: A fully loaded wagon was parked in front of the store. Half a dozen barrels and boxes were carefully strapped into the rear of the wagon via thick cords of rope, preventing any of them from sliding or bouncing during the journey. It wasn¡¯t until she saw the animal pulling the wagon that Sulika realized who it belonged to. The animal belonged to a race of creatures known as Buffopi: these four-legged bovines were the largest species of cattle on the island. This particular Buffopi was still relatively young. Its pale gray fur was still short and thin, instead of the long, dense hairs that would cover its entire body as an adult. It possessed a pair of heavy, two-foot-long horns curling back over its head, and the third shorter horn protruding from the tip of its snout marked the creature as male. Females also had horns, but they lacked the nose horn males possessed. Another reason she knew the Buffopi was a juvenile was its size. It stood a hair shy of seven feet at the shoulder, and probably weighed around six thousand pounds¡­ This was approximately half the size of an adult male. Sulika had even seen one Buffopi female who stood nearly sixteen feet tall and weighed almost twenty thousand pounds- though, that particular creature was an outlier¡­ It was also a monster who¡¯d been eating Miasma infused plants for the better part of a year and had to be put down. Regardless, there was only one farm on Azuris island with access to Buffopi- which they raised for their furs, meat, and to serve as livestock guardians for their cows. That being the Palou Farmstead, Rea¡¯s family¡¯s place. ¡°What? No, Sulika is clearly the most beautiful woman on the island. No question.¡± A young man said before stepping around the side of the wagon. His hair was a mess of dark, twisted curls that reached the tips of his ears. A pair of pale blue eyes peeked through the curls to regard Sulika with an appreciative stare. The man¡¯s naturally dusky skin was tanned from long days under the sun, making him look even darker than he already was. He was easily over six feet tall, with a thin- but well-muscled body from working on a farm his entire life. All in all, the man was attractive, but his face was that of a boy still in his teens. With a cheerful smile on his face, the young man approached Sulika without hesitation. He was followed by a muscular Dwarf with fairer skin, dark hair, and an intricately braided beard that hung to his waist. In contrast to the boy¡¯s youthful exuberance, the older man looked both tired and amused as he followed the boy. ¡°Hey, Sulika!¡± The young man exclaimed, rushing up the steps to greet her. ¡°Did you hear this guy?¡± He said before dipping his head towards the older man. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d actually say you weren¡¯t the most beautiful woman on the island. But don¡¯t worry, I''ll set him straight for you.¡± The boy said, smiling like an excited puppy. Sulika imagined if he was a Kandis, his tail would be wagging fast enough to blow dust off the ground. ¡°Hey, Claudius.¡± She said. She couldn¡¯t help but smile along with him, his excitement was contagious. ¡°Hello, Bogren.¡± She said, referring to the Dwarf. ¡°Afternoon, Sulika. Sorry to bother you on your day off, we just have a few barrels for you and miss Faeyra.¡± Bogren replied after arriving at Claudius¡¯ side. ¡°The old man is right.¡± Claudius said, nodding along. He pulled a piece of parchment out of his back pocket and unfolded it with a flick of the wrist. He quietly cleared his throat before he began reading the order back to Sulika to confirm the contents were correct. ¡°Two barrels of Cow milk, one barrel of Goat milk, one barrel of Buffopi milk, and¡­ Is that an error?¡± Claudius said before turning the paper to Bogren. ¡°Five barrels of chocolate milk, really?¡± Hearing the order, Sulika couldn¡¯t hold back a sigh. ¡°No, that¡¯s probably correct. Did Rea ask you to bring it over?¡± Bogren took the invoice from Claudius and scanned it from top to bottom. ¡°Yes, Lady Rea placed an emergency order for it this morning.¡± He said before handing the paper to Sulika. At the bottom of the page was Rea¡¯s signature, as well as a receipt stating she¡¯d already paid one silver coin and twelve iron pieces for the lot of it. ¡°Oh! Your beauty almost made me forget.¡± Claudius said, reaching back into his pocket and offering Sulika another piece of paper. This one was heavily creased, as if it¡¯d been folded and unfolded many times. Sulika unfolded the note and began reading. ¡°Sorry to spring this on you. I was in shock last night and didn¡¯t realize how much Aldritch overpaid for that barrel of chocolate milk until this morning. So, to make up for it, I¡¯ve sent along a replacement for the one he got last night, as well as four additional barrels to even out the cost. I¡¯ll also remind Ortag that a barrel of chocolate milk doesn¡¯t cost a freaking silver coin. Again, so sorry about this. P.S: I didn¡¯t send the rest of the milk. I¡¯m assuming Faeyra ordered it, but I¡¯ll take care of it as well. No need to pay me back, just put in a good word for me with you know who.??¡± Sulika folded the letter and shoved it deep inside her pocket. ¡°Alright, bring them in, I guess. You can put them on the floor here.¡± She told them. She pulled open the door and propped it open with an empty box she¡¯d grabbed off one of the tables and waited for them to finish. Claudius and Bogren quickly and efficiently slid one barrel off the wagon and carried it into the store. They had some trouble getting the eleven-gallon barrel through the door. Its short length combined with its dense weight made it very awkward to maneuver. But after a few seconds, they got it in and went back for the next one. By the time they¡¯d gotten three barrels through the door, Faeyra stepped out of the lab and approached Sulika to find out what was going on. Sulika passed Rea¡¯s note without a word and gave Faeyra a minute to read through it. ¡°Do you think she¡¯s serious about Aldritch?¡± Sulika asked, peeking at Faeyra from the corner of her eye. ¡°It¡¯s Rea.¡± Faeyra muttered, a slight smile on her face. ¡°True.¡± Sulika replied, also smiling. ¡°How long do you think it¡¯ll last?¡± ¡°No idea. Her last crush lasted four days. The one before that lasted almost a month. She had a crush on Zarud before that, and it lasted- what- an hour? There¡¯s really no point in guessing at this stage.¡± Faeyra replied, passing the note back to Sulika and moving to inspect the barrels. Sulika had almost forgotten about Rea¡¯s interest in Zarud. But now that she¡¯d mentioned it, the memory of that day came rushing back like crystal clear water: It was a brief, but powerful feeling Rea had after Zarud protected her from a few drunks. But once she¡¯d sobered up enough to think clearly, she¡¯d realized Zarud wasn¡¯t the kind of guy she would be interested in dating. Thankfully she hadn¡¯t gone home with him. Sulika couldn¡¯t imagine what would¡¯ve happened to their small group of friends if that¡¯d happened. ¡°Have you seen Aldritch?¡± Faeyra asked as she approached Sulika. She¡¯d finished inspecting the four barrels they¡¯d already brought in. Everything seemed to be in order, though Faeyra was a bit distressed about where they¡¯d put all of this milk. They had room in their ice box for the four barrels she¡¯d ordered. She¡¯d made sure of that before placing the order. But they definitely did not have space for eight barrels of milk right now. Maybe if they could find a bigger building before the milk went bad, they could save some of it¡­ Wait, had Aldritch been carrying around that barrel of milk all night? Did he know milk went bad if it wasn¡¯t kept in a cold place? ¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen him. I¡¯m assuming he¡¯s walking around outside with the puppy¡­ Speaking of which, are we really going to let him bring a dog in here without talking to us about it?¡± She whispered. Faeyra shrugged absentmindedly. ¡°We both have pets. As long as he takes care of her, I don¡¯t really see a problem. Besides, a demon trained dog is better off in his hands than at the shelter. Somehow, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re quite equipped to deal with that kind of pooch.¡± Sulika had to give her that one. Just remembering what the demon claimed to have put that poor puppy through was enough to set Sulika¡¯s blood aflame. No one should be forced to endure that kind of life. If Sulika could bring Garr back to life, she¡¯d probably gut him again for the hell he¡¯d put those dogs through. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll find her family tomorrow?¡± Sulika asked in a quiet voice. As part of Aldritch¡¯s deal with the governor and Max, the first action of their guild- which didn¡¯t even have a name yet- was to return to the island Aldritch already cleared and determine if it was salvageable or not. They¡¯d be accompanied by a scouting team from the Hunters Guild to help with the assessment. Also, if there was still a dungeon present, then they were supposed to leave the island survey to the scouting team and attack the dungeon. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. If they were lucky, then the dungeon would have much needed resources they could sell to the city. Then again, even if they weren''t lucky enough to find ore, they could still sell the bodies of all the demons Aldritch already killed. Demonic materials were, in a way, even more useful than metal ores. Demonic muscle fibers made excellent alternatives to leather: much more durable than normal leather, while also resisting heat and acid. A few rare demons even ¡®gave¡¯ leather that could self-repair to some extent, drastically extending the life of the armor. Sulika doubted they¡¯d find any Trolls on the island, but if they were extremely lucky, they might find one inside the dungeon. But Trolls were incredibly rare, level 76 demons; as strong as an Ogre, could wield either fire or ice magic on par with elemental spirits, and could regenerate from damn near anything so long as their heart continued to beat. That was the reason Trolls were classified as a ¡®class S¡¯ threat and was also the reason the guild offered twenty gold coins per head. Just one Troll could settle the fears of the other guild members and set them up with enough money to pay their salaries for the next few years. ¡°I doubt it.¡± Faeyra muttered. She leaned against the counter beside Sulika and watched Claudius and Bogren bring in the sixth barrel. ¡°If they¡¯d survived whatever happened down there, there¡¯s no doubt in my mind that Aldritch would¡¯ve brought them back too.¡± ¡°True¡­ I don¡¯t know. I just hate the idea of her being all alone, you know?¡± Sulika said while looking down at her feet. Faeyra smiled sadly and wrapped an arm around Sulika¡¯s shoulders, pulling her into a side hug. ¡°She won¡¯t be alone. She has Aldritch and she has us. Besides, have you seen the way Aldritch looks at that puppy?¡± Faeyra laughed quietly. ¡°There¡¯s no way he¡¯s going to accept that puppy feeling anything but love.¡± *Yap!* The puppy came running through the door at a dead sprint. Its tail flopped side to side, thumping against anything unfortunate enough to be in its way while it raced around the room. Aldritch followed the puppy through the door a moment later with a barrel under each arm. He sent Sulika and Faeyra an apologetic smile before placing the barrels on the floor next to the others. ¡°Sulika!¡± Claudius yelled as he ran into the room. ¡°Where did you find him? My guy, you''re massive.¡± He laughed while circling Aldritch. ¡°How much can you lift? Do you work out a lot? How old are you? Have you ever worked on a farm? You look like the kind of guy who¡¯d enjoy working with animals. Oh! Were you a miner? You kinda remind me of the old man.¡± He said and nodded in the direction of Bogren. Aldritch watched Claudius circle him like a curious puppy. He was more amused than annoyed by the boy¡¯s questions. At the reminder of Bogren¡¯s presence, Aldritch smiled and approached the Dwarf. [Greetings, Hillkin. I am Aldritch of Clan Blackshield. Might I know your name?] The Dwarf¡¯s eyes grew wide, and he looked Aldritch up and down with more interest than he¡¯d shown previously. [No, you¡¯re¡­ Mountainkin!?] The Dwarf shouted, confusing Sulika, Faeyra, and Claudius. His exhaustion was washed away by a wave of excitement. [By the ancient halls of yore; I didn¡¯t think there were any of you big buggers left.] Bogren laughed and vigorously shook Aldritch¡¯s hand. [I¡¯m surprised you recognized my greeting. The other dwarves I¡¯ve recently met didn¡¯t seem to.] Aldritch explained, happy to have met someone who still remembered the old greetings. [Bah. You must¡¯ve only met the youngn¡¯s. I¡¯m sorry they weren¡¯t taught properly; I can only blame my generation for not reminding them of the old ways¡­ But I must say, you have no idea how happy I am to know some of our mountain brethren still live. I¡¯d heard you were all killed off.] Bogren replied. There was something in his eyes while he looked up at Aldritch- his eyes were shining and there was an emotion that Aldritch couldn¡¯t quite place. Wonder? Astonishment? Perhaps, even Hope? [Well¡­] Aldritch replied, not really sure what to say. [I don¡¯t want to get your hopes up. As far as I know, I¡¯m the last of my kind.] Bogren¡¯s smile faded a bit, but that emotion dwelling within his eyes didn¡¯t. [Maybe so. But if you survived, there could be others. Yes?] ¡°While it¡¯s true that you are the last of your kind from Mag ¨¢rsa. To say it¡¯s impossible for some Mountain Dwarves to have survived on Iolara would be a lie.¡± Oakairo muttered. [True.] Aldritch replied. [And I hope there¡¯s some of my brethren still out there.] He said. His words had a profound effect on Bogren; the old dwarf nodded with an excited smile on face and bowed at the waist. He slowly took one of Aldritch¡¯s hands in both of his own, and placed Aldritch¡¯s knuckles against his forehead. [It¡¯s a pleasure to know you, son of the mountain.] Aldritch was surprised by Bogren''s actions. What he¡¯d just done was something Aldritch had seen happen to other people, but never to him. Aldritch smiled sadly and said, [It¡¯s a pleasure to know you, son of the rolling hills.] Bogren showed him a pleased smile as he released Aldritch¡¯s hand and stepped back. He sent a nod to Sulika and Faeyra, before leaving the building and returning to the wagon. Aldritch looked down at his knuckles¡­ He became aware of four pairs of eyes watching him and looked up. Sulika, Faeyra, Synne, and Claudius were all staring at him. ¡°It¡¯s a Dwarf thing.¡± Aldritch said, as if that explained anything. Claudius shrugged, knowing he could pry the answer out of Bogren later anyway. Faeyra looked very curious about the actions Bogren had taken but knew better than to pry. Aldritch would probably tell them later if they asked. And Sulika¡­ Well, Sulika was just curious about the expression on Aldritch¡¯s face. Why had he looked so sad? ¡°C¡¯mon, lad!¡± Bogren called from outside the store. ¡°We¡¯ve got more deliveries to make.¡± ¡°Be right there!¡± Claudius replied before rounding on Sulika. ¡°So, Sulika. When are you going to let me take you out for a night on the town?¡± He asked, showing her what he hoped was a flirtatious smile. ¡°Look, Claudius. You''re a sweet guy, but I¡¯m just not interested, sorry.¡± Sulika replied, looking uncomfortable with the attention she was getting. Claudius placed his hands together in front of him, almost as if he were praying, and said, ¡°C¡¯mon, please? I know I give off this ¡®bad boy¡¯ vibe that the ladies find irresistible, but we both know you¡¯d be the boss in this relationship.¡± ¡°Oh, would I?¡± Sulika laughed. ¡°Absolutely.¡± Claudius immediately said. ¡°I¡¯d wrestle a Buffopi just for the chance to hold your hand.¡± ¡°Uh huh?¡± Sulika said, glancing over at Faeyra and silently asking for help. ¡°I¡¯d box an Ogre just for the opportunity to buy you dinner.¡± Claudius said, grinning down at her. ¡°I¡¯m sure¡­¡± Sulika replied, narrowing her eyes at Aldritch- who was approaching them with an expression of curiosity on his face. ¡°I-¡± Claudius¡¯s words were cut off by the feeling of Aldritch''s hand landing on his shoulder. "Hello, I''m Aldritch of Clan Blackshield. What''s your name?" Aldritch asked while turning Claudius to face him. "Oh! Hello, big Sir. Claudius Palou, Rea''s brother." He replied with a large smile. He was looking up at Aldritch''s face, specifically at the giant''s golden eyes. Claudius wanted golden eyes. He thought they looked so cool! "Please, call me Aldritch. Alright?" Aldritch said and offered the boy a friendly smile. He gently turned Claudius away from Sulika and Faeyra, and began walking him towards the door. Claudius didn''t see Sulika sigh in relief the moment he was turned away, but Aldritch did and sent her a reassuring wink where the boy couldn''t see. "Alright. Aldritch, then." Claudius replied with a nod. "I like your name. It sounds strong!" "Thank you." Aldritch chuckled. "I like your name too. It fits you. But listen, I''m sorry to pull you away from your conversation like that. I just wanted to offer you a little bit of advice before you go." "What about?" Claudius asked, showing Aldritch a look of genuine confusion. "You like Sulika, yes?" Aldritch asked in a low voice, one only Claudius could hear. "And you want her to like you back?" "Absolutely!" Claudius loudly replied. His own excitement surprised him, causing Claudius to flinch at the volume of his own voice. "Sorry." He said with a contrite expression. "I would love it if Sulika liked me back. I''ve... Kinda had a thing for her since the first time I laid eyes on her." He finished with a nervous laugh. "Is that as lame as it sounded?" "Not at all." Aldritch said without hesitation. "It''s admirable: You found someone to care about, and from what you said earlier, it sounds like you''d go through hell to make her happy. Right?" "Definitely." Was Claudius''s immediate reply. "I''d do anything to make her happy." "That''s great. I''m glad to hear you say that it makes this next part easier. Did you see how Sulika looked a bit ago? That wasn''t happiness in her eyes- it was embarrassment." He explained. Claudius''s mouth opened like Aldritch had just slapped him across the face. "Relax, I''m not reprimanding you. I get the feeling you weren''t doing it on purpose, you were just trying to express your feelings. Yes?" Claudius found he couldn''t speak- a true rarity for him. He nodded for lack of anything to say. "Then you''ve done nothing wrong. Being able to speak your mind is a valuable asset, one you should be proud of... Now, you just need to learn how and when that ability should be put to use. You do that by using these," Aldritch lightly tugged on Claudius''s ear. "And listening to what people are saying. If someone says they''re not interested, take them at their word and don''t push them. You can always try again some other time, but only if you back off the first time. If you keep pushing after the first no, the only thing you''ll get is their disdain. And you don''t want that, do you?" "No... Should I apologize?" Claudius asked in a quiet voice. ¡°Your mother is expecting us back in an hour! Let¡¯s go!¡± Bogren yelled from the front of the store. His reminder of the passing time caused Claudius''s body to flinch. "Just this once, I''ll do it for you. But I won''t bail you out again. Is that understood?" Aldritch asked while looking Claudius in the eye. "Yes, thank you." Claudius exclaimed with a wide smile on his face. ¡°I really gotta go now. Bye, Sulika!¡± He said loudly, throwing up his hand to wave at her. Then he looked at Faeyra- and promptly flinched away from the look in her eyes. ¡°Have a good day everyone!¡± He said and ran from the building. Aldritch, Sulika, and Faeyra could all hear Claudius and Bogren bickering until the wagon finally pulled away from the shop. ¡°That was¡­¡± Aldritch began as soon as he returned to the two women''s side. ¡°Uncomfortable?¡± Sulika offered. ¡°Annoying?¡± Faeyra suggested. ¡°I was going to say amusing, but sure. Let¡¯s go with those.¡± He laughed. ¡°By the way. What¡¯s with all the barrels?¡± ¡°Well, since you drank all of our milk the other day. I decided to order some from Palou¡¯s creamery so I could let you try chocolate milk made from other types of milk. And you apparently overpaid for the milk you got last night, so Rea, the sweetheart that she is, decided to send over those other barrels to make up the difference.¡± Faeyra said, gazing at the barrels through tired eyes. ¡°Aldritch¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m still not marrying her. Stop asking.¡± Aldritch replied, instantly shutting Oakairo down. ¡°But the milk, man! Think of the milk!¡± Oakairo cried. Aldritch ignored his cries for justice and picked up a barrel under each arm. ¡°Where do you want them?¡± He asked Faeyra, who smiled at him. ¡°Put one barrel of cow milk in the kitchen, the rest can go in the icebox¡­ By the way, Aldritch?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± He asked, looking back at her. ¡°Have you ever tried chocolate cake before?¡± Aldritch could feel his lips beginning to tingle. The last time she¡¯d asked that question, she¡¯d introduced him to chocolate milk¡­ ¡°What is cake?¡± He asked. Chapter 9 - New Guild on the Block (pt 2) Aldritch had seen the way sunlight bounces off the crystal hills at the edge of dawn. He¡¯d visited the garden of firsts, the birthplace of the only living God ever to be born on Mag ¨¢rsa. And he¡¯s drank from a bottle of liquid ambrosia: the absolute pinnacle of winemaking, and one of only ten bottles personally created by Aohr: God of Wine, Decadence, and Pleasure¡­ None of those things made him as nervous as the soft, spongy object lying inside the covered plate in front of him. It was dark through and through, with small chunks of chocolaty goodness oozing from gaps in the sponge layer. A tantalizing smell tickled Aldritch¡¯s nose, that was sweet and light, while at the same time containing a slightly bitter afternote. It was four layers of mouthwatering perfection, held together by carefully crafted cream that was both sticky and cloudlike in its presentation, and topped with a thin layer of cocoa powder. ¡°Aldritch¡­¡± Oakairo whined. ¡°Please, just a bite and I¡¯ll be satisfied.¡± He muttered in a breathy voice. ¡°No.¡± Aldritch replied, shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s for after we return from the island. You know that.¡± ¡°Oh, come on¡­ Who¡¯s going to know? What harm could really come from trying one little piece? You know you want to. Why fight it?¡± Oakairo replied in a voice that was barely above a whisper. Aldritch stared at the cake with a longing he hadn¡¯t felt in centuries. Oakairo was right. What harm could really come from trying a piece? He wouldn¡¯t even need a fork, just his fingers would do- ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± Faeyra asked as she stepped into the kitchen. Her long hair was pulled into a tight bun and held in place by a long silver needle. Instead of a dress, which was her usual attire; she wore tight leather pants, a black long-sleeved shirt beneath a leather hauberk, leather boots, and fingerless leather gloves. She was also wearing a thick leather belt adorned with six pouches of varying sizes, and a rather large backpack. The bottom of the backpack had a strip of leather that anchored it to the belt, preventing it from bouncing or swaying whenever Faeyra moved. Aldritch used the moment of distraction to quickly shut the refrigerator door and step away. ¡°Currently? Letting my impatience get to me.¡± He chuckled. ¡°The cake you made is¡­ Something else. I¡¯m finding it more difficult than I thought to resist the urge to eat it now.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you?¡± She laughed while tightening her belt. ¡°I know I said it needed to set overnight, but it should be fine to eat now.¡± Aldritch smiled slightly and shook his head. ¡°I know. And believe me, I really want to. But it¡¯ll taste even better after we return from the Island.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± She asked, stepping closer to him and looking into his eyes. ¡°Do you think it won¡¯t taste good if you eat it now?¡± ¡°Certainly not.¡± He laughed. ¡°This cake is like victory: it¡¯s better shared amongst allies, than savored alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised.¡± Faeyra replied, smiling up at him and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her left ear. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were the kind of guy who liked to share.¡± ¡°What I¡¯ll share depends on who I¡¯m sharing it with.¡± He replied while grinning down at her. ¡°While I¡¯m certainly no dragon, I do have a tendency to hoard that which I value above all else. And when it pertains to my hoard¡­ Well, I¡¯m a very selfish man.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Sulika muttered as she walked into the kitchen. ¡°Can you two please keep the flirting to a minimum until I¡¯ve had my coffee? Thanks.¡± She finished by yawning into the back of her hand and stepping around the two of them to grab the kettle. Aldritch and Faeyra smiled at each other before stepping a short distance apart and moving on with their preparations. While Sulika was ready to go; armed with her wand, her sword, and wearing her usual suit of leather armor. Faeyra still had a few things to grab out of her lab before she was ready to go- Knowing this, she left the kitchen and went searching for the rest of her gear. ¡°Is that what you¡¯re wearing?¡± Sulika asked, motioning to Aldritch¡¯s old robe and armor. It was the same thing he¡¯d been wearing since the moment she first saw him¡­ Come to think of it, they never did get around to buying him some more clothes. Did they? ¡°Until I can forge something to replace it.¡± Aldritch replied while stepping back and leaning against the wall. He folded his massive arms across his chest and watched her at work, brewing coffee and setting aside a few ingredients for a light breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, toasted bread, and a few pan-fried vegetables: peppers, onions, and two kinds of mushrooms that Aldritch didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°You make your own armor?¡± Sulika asked. She didn¡¯t know why she was surprised; he was half dwarf. Realistically, it would¡¯ve been stranger if he didn¡¯t forge his own equipment. She guessed it had something to do with how he carried himself. Almost like he was above such menial tasks. But she knew that wasn¡¯t exactly true. Aldritch hadn¡¯t shown disdain towards work, if anything, he seemed happy to help in any way he could- provided he was compensated for it. ¡°Weapons too.¡± He nodded. ¡°Ever since I was eight years old.¡± ¡°That young?¡± Sulika exclaimed. ¡°Is that normal for Dwarves?¡± ¡°No.¡± Aldritch shook his head. ¡°I was a special case: because of my size, most Dwarven equipment was too small to equip, and custom equipment was more than the temple could afford to provide. But we did have our own forge inside the temple, which was free for us to use as long as we sourced our own materials... And didn''t break anything in the process.¡± Aldritch replied, smiling fondly at the memory of his first ¡®sword¡¯... Which broke almost as soon as he tried to cut something with it. ¡°That¡¯s handy. I wish I knew how to forge my own equipment. It certainly would¡¯ve saved me a few shiny copper bits.¡± She laughed while dumping eggs out of the hot pan onto a waiting plate. ¡°I could teach you- Or I could do it for you. Whichever you¡¯d prefer. I don¡¯t mind either way.¡± Aldritch replied. He noticed the conflicted expression that flashed across her face and asked her about it. ¡°I would love for you to teach me¡­ But I just don¡¯t have the patience to do such things.¡± She said in a quiet voice. ¡°It¡¯s why I can¡¯t help Faeyra in the lab. I¡¯m too impatient and can¡¯t help but mess something up.¡± ¡°You do not enjoy alchemy?¡± Aldritch asked, watching Sulika with an expression of curiosity on his face. ¡°Not really, no.¡± Sulika replied without looking at him. ¡°Then it''s understandable why you would not succeed. You were trying to force yourself into doing something you have no passion for.¡± Aldritch said while watching her. ¡°You know you do not need to force yourself to like the same things as your friends, right?¡± Sulika hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°What do you like to do for fun?¡± Aldritch asked while continuing to watch her. ¡°I know you like to fight, your actions the other day proved that. But what else?¡± ¡°...I like to read.¡± Sulika replied after a moment. She dumped more eggs onto the plate, then sat the plate aside before moving on to the next thing; the pan fried vegetables. ¡°A good hobby.¡± Aldritch nodded. ¡°What do you like to read? Action? Romance? Fiction? Non-Fiction? Perhaps something a little more¡­ Intimate?¡± He asked and was surprised to see her spatula clatter to the ground by her foot. Sulika cursed under her breath and quickly brought her hand to her mouth. She blew on it for a second before placing her mouth on the side of her hand, coating it in saliva. Aldritch immediately stepped forward and took Sulika¡¯s burned hand in his own. ¡°Rejection of pain.¡± He whispered and poured mana into the spell. Sulika sighed in relief as the pain faded away to little more than a dull ache. Gently, so as to avoid agitating her wound, Aldritch guided her to the sink and placed her hand beneath the facet¡­ Unfortunately, though he knew water could be summoned from the mouth of the facet, he didn¡¯t know how it worked. The sink was simple enough: A concave copper basin with a slender copper pipe protruding from the rear. The pipe curved downwards six inches above the basin and had a small hole from which water flowed. Aside from the pipe, the only objects Aldritch could see were three small, wooden buttons positioned in a triangle formation around the base of the pipe: The leftmost button was colored dark blue, the centermost button was black, and the rightmost button was colored dark red. Aldritch took a guess and pressed the blue button down- there was a soft click to indicate it was now locked into the ¡®on¡¯ position. Water sprang forth from the pipe with a decent amount of pressure. Curious what it felt like, Aldritch stuck his own hand under the flowing water first¡­ And felt nothing. While he could certainly feel the water flowing over his hand and through his fingers, it had no temperature. ¡°Blue is for cold water, yes?¡± He asked Sulika. ¡°Yep.¡± Sulika replied. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a spell to do this? Is the water actually necessary?¡± She asked, curious about his actions. Aldritch nodded and pulled her hand beneath the flowing water. ¡°Cooling off the skin before healing can help prevent burns from scaring. Cleaning cuts follows the same logic. Greater Heal.¡± He muttered while focusing on the wound. Divine magic flowed from Aldritch¡¯s body to the burn on Sulika¡¯s hand: like a snake shedding its skin, Sulika¡¯s burn first turned from an angry red to a pale gray, then it started to peel off beneath the rushing water. Aldritch cast Purify on the basin, vaporizing the dead skin via holy light and clearing the sink of any unwanted debris. With that done, Sulika stared at her perfectly healed hand in wonder¡­ ¡°My food!¡± She shouted and raced back to save her poor vegetables from a fiery demise. Once the rest of her breakfast had been saved. Sulika moved the multiple plates of eggs and mixed veggies to the table before going back to toast a few slices of bread. ¡°By the way, I wanted to ask: You¡¯ve used that pain spell on me before, but it felt different this time. Why is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s due to the amount of mana I pour into the spell. I used slightly more this time, so the effect was more noticeable.¡± Aldritch explained while watching her cook. He thought about asking if she''d like some help, but from the way she was able to flit around the kitchen with such ease, he was almost positive he''d just slow her down at this point. ¡°Why don¡¯t you use the same amount of mana every time?¡± She asked while carefully flipping the first slice of bread. ¡°That¡¯s too dangerous. Do you feel a tingling sensation in your hand?¡± He asked. Sulika lifted her hand to her face and tentatively rubbed her fingers together. She did feel an odd sensation in her fingers, but she¡¯d assumed that was due to the healing process. ¡°What you¡¯re feeling is the sensation of your nervous system slowly waking up. Rejection of Pain isn¡¯t technically a healing spell. It was created by royal torture masters about a thousand years ago. They learned if you temporarily disabled the nervous system, the victim would become susceptible to torture once it recovered-¡± Aldritch explained, only stopping because Synne trudged into the room with her ears drooping and her head down. The puppy was still half-asleep but didn¡¯t want to be alone anymore. She trudged her way to Aldritch¡¯s right foot and flopped onto her side, laying her head against his shoes and going back to sleep. ¡°She¡¯s adorable¡­ But can we please get back to the fact you¡¯ve been using a spell designed for torture on me?¡± Sulika said in a low voice, so she wouldn¡¯t wake the puppy. ¡°It wasn¡¯t designed for torture.¡± Aldritch softly laughed. ¡°That was just a happy accident. They were originally trying to make a spell that would allow the safe reconnection of severed limbs on the battlefield. Back in those days, it was easier to test new medical techniques and spells on enemy soldiers.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Sulika said, raising a hand to stop Aldritch from speaking. ¡°Why were the royal torturers- or whatever, the ones doing the experiments? Shouldn''t that be left to a healer or something?¡± She asked, feeling genuinely confused. ¡°A fair question.¡± Aldritch nodded. ¡°Ever heard the saying; ¡®The best chef is a voracious eater¡¯?¡± He asked. ¡°Can¡¯t say I have.¡± Sulika replied, looking even more confused. ¡°Well, the theory goes, the best healers were the ones who knew how to destroy the body as well as fix it. So, the ¡®royal torturers¡¯ were also widely regarded as the best healers in the country.¡± Aldritch explained in a casual tone, while scratching Synne behind her right ear. He loved how her back leg twitched every time he scratched her on that spot. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°And yet they were overtaken by a fifteen-year-old half-blood with a chip on his shoulder. Some ¡®experts¡¯ they turned out to be¡­ Then again, they had to wait for prisoners to be delivered to them, while you were actually on the battlefield.¡± ¡°That¡¯s barbaric!¡± Sulika exclaimed, looking at Aldritch with an expression that perfectly combined disgust with horror. ¡°What did they do to the healers who didn¡¯t want to torture people to further their twisted experiments?¡± Aldritch laughed. ¡°They didn¡¯t do anything to them. People were rarely forced into an occupation and were never forced into a job that required them to either take a life or save one. Too many opportunities for spiteful people to take advantage and weigh the scales of justice one way or another. If a healer didn¡¯t want to experiment on prisoners, then they weren¡¯t forced to¡­ But at the same time, it¡¯s almost impossible to create new spells or techniques without practicing on something.¡± ¡°Aldritch is right.¡± Faeyra replied as she stepped into the room. ¡°Even alchemists have to test the effects of their potions on volunteers. Honestly, I¡¯d prefer it if we could use criminals too. At least then we could drastically reduce the possibility of an innocent having an adverse reaction.¡± Sulika¡¯s face showed her unease with the way the conversation was going. She really didn¡¯t like the idea of forcing people to be test subjects¡­ At the same time, she wasn¡¯t naive enough to think they¡¯d be better off if those experiments had never taken place. Faeyra approached Sulika from behind and wrapped her arms around the shorter woman. Sulika looked over her shoulder at Faeyra, a slight smile on her face. She patted Faeyra¡¯s arm to show she was okay, then moved to pick up the plate. Faeyra helped her get everything set up; three plates, three mugs of coffee, three cups of fruit juice¡­ But Aldritch didn¡¯t sit down with them, and not just because he couldn¡¯t sit down without completely shattering their chairs. Aldritch showed them an apologetic smile and said, ¡°I appreciate the offer, but I¡¯m not interested in food right now-¡± ¡°I am!¡± Oakairo exclaimed, his voice echoing inside Aldritch¡¯s head. ¡°I want to eat. Do you mind?¡± Aldritch shrugged and focused for a moment. It wasn¡¯t easy to lower your own magical resistance, but you could do it. You just needed to purposefully will your magic into the depths of your soul so it couldn¡¯t interfere with the foreign mana¡­ Admittedly, it was much easier for Aldritch to let Oakairo take over since he was already inside his body. ¡°Good morning, ladies.¡± Oakairo said as he picked up the plate of food and started eating. Sulika and Faeyra both choked on their food at the sight of the God standing in front of them. He looked almost identical to how he had the first time they saw him: an impossibly tall, inconceivably beautiful woman in a semi-transparent gown. Her luscious silver and gold hair was tied in a long ponytail that hung to her waist. Her lilac eyes shifted from the various items across her plate, unsure of which to try first. All in all, Oakairo looked almost identical to how he had the last time Sulika and Faeyra saw him, save for the silvery patch of scales that covered his left cheek. Faeyra was mesmerized by the way Oakairo¡¯s scales sparkled like diamonds beneath the orange light filtering through their kitchen window¡­ Sulika and Faeyra were far too nervous to speak in the presence of Oakairo. Luckily, he was used to such treatment, and didn¡¯t think anything of it. After all, he was the God of Pride. Of course, they would be too nervous to speak in his presence. After breakfast was over, and Aldritch was back in control of his own body, the three of them left for the docks with Synne riding inside a pocket of Aldritch¡¯s robe. Her small head could just barely peer over the top of the pocket, allowing her a wonderful view of the city she¡¯d never seen before. Faeyra was nervous, more so than she had been in a long, long time. This would be the first time she''s been near a demon in- what- a century? Maybe longer? For probably the dozenth time since leaving the store, Faeyra patted herself down to make sure she wasn¡¯t forgetting anything. Sulika was also nervous. However, her nervousness came from the excitement she was feeling. This was it, their first outing as a guild. Sure, a few members wouldn¡¯t be joining them: Rea, Veta, and Emrid were all non-combatants, so it made sense they¡¯d stay home. But Derrik, Oladi, Zarud, and Ralocan were meeting them at the docks. Together, the seven of them were heading down to the island with the scouting team from the Hunters Guild. And with the money they earn from today¡¯s hunt, they¡¯ll take their first steps towards becoming a proper guild. Aldritch was¡­ Well, he was a bit excited for the chance to see how Sulika, Faeyra, and the rest fought. But aside from that, all he felt was the anticipation that always preceded a fight. It didn¡¯t matter to Aldritch what they found inside the dungeon. They could find a literal mountain of gold and he wouldn¡¯t bat an eye, he was killing the devil in charge and closing it. The demons inside were dangerous, and they already knew the taste of Iolaran hunters. Leaving it open beyond today wasn¡¯t worth the risk that came with it. Synne was contemplating how quickly she could climb out of her master¡¯s robe and locate that absolutely fascinating scent she¡¯d picked up a second ago. It was meat- juicy, delicious, glorious meat. Sure, she enjoyed the breakfast he¡¯d given her: Some kind of dried swine meat he¡¯d brought back from her last home- though he¡¯d told her not to tell anyone. Considering she couldn¡¯t talk; she was certain she could follow her Master¡¯s request without fail. Not that she¡¯d tell anyone even if she could speak their language. Her Master said that meat was for her, and her alone. She didn¡¯t have to share food anymore, so she wouldn¡¯t. Anyone who disagreed would find themselves on the wrong side of her chompers. A short while later, as the sun finally rose above the outer wall. Aldritch, Sulika, and Faeyra reached the aerial dock. Standing near the entrance was Max and twelve other hunters, which Sulika recognized as the members of the third scouting team. Joolbic and a trio of ¡®official¡¯ looking men in dark suits stood a short distance away, clearly in the midst of a heated discussion. Lastly, the first two members of their new guild: Derrik and Ralocan, were standing off to the side. They were obviously attempting to put as much distance between themselves and the other groups as possible, without coming across as rude. Aldritch slowed his walking speed and motioned for Sulika and Faeyra to do the same. ¡°Standard decorum would suggest we greet the governor first, then the people next to him, before moving to Max and the others.¡± He whispered just loud enough for them to hear. ¡°But it¡¯s not necessary for all of us to follow such procedures. Only the guild master should-¡± ¡°Have fun then.¡± Sulika replied, cutting him off with a slight smile on her face. ¡°Give em hell.¡± Faeyra chimed in, also smiling up at him. ¡°...Fair enough.¡± Aldritch laughed. He shook his head in amusement at how quickly they gave up the position of guild master and resumed his early walking pace. Once they were within fifty feet of the three groups, Aldritch broke off towards Joolbic¡¯s group, Sulika headed for Max¡¯s group, and Faeyra continued making her way to Derrik and Ralocan. Faeyra greeted the two men with a charming smile, prompting them to respond with equally happy grins in return. ¡°How¡¯s it going, guys?¡± She asked, stopping only a few feet from the two of them. ¡°It¡¯s a good day to slay some Demons!¡± Ralocan replied, looking positively ecstatic to be leaving the city. ¡°Venerable Cyndarr has once again blessed us with a fine sunrise. He¡¯s no doubt pleased we¡¯re moving to reclaim his land from the foul demons, returning it to the rightful hands of the faithful.¡± ¡°What he said.¡± Derrik said before yawning into his hand. ¡°Honestly, I appreciated having a few days off with the wife and young¡¯ns. But they¡¯ve been driving me up the wall since yesterday, I was starting to need a vacation from my vacation.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had children.¡± Faeyra said, surprised. She knew Derrik was married- or whatever the dwarven equivalent was- but the children thing was new. ¡°He has fourteen of them.¡± Ralocan muttered. ¡°How many times do I need to tell you?¡± Derrik spat. ¡°Only one of them is mine, the rest are children of the clan. I¡¯m just looking out for them for the time being.¡± Derrik muttered. He noticed the confusion on Faeyra¡¯s face and realized he¡¯d need to explain further. ¡°It¡¯s customary in Dwarven culture for young¡¯ns with recently born siblings to live with various members of the clan from the age of five until their nameday- Ah, sorry. I meant until their tenth birthday. I forget you elves don¡¯t have namedays.¡± He said and quietly laughed. Ralocan shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t fret over it, Derrik. We may not have namedays, but at least we get to own our own names.¡± He replied while a sly grin spread across his face. Faeyra rolled her eyes at the comment and the bickering that followed, the two hurling insults back and forth like a pair of teenage boys. Over with Aldritch, he approached Joolbic and friends with a professional smile in place. The moment he reached them, he immediately offered his hand to Joolbic- since he was the person Aldritch believed held the highest rank in the group. Once he¡¯d greeted Joolbic, he introduced himself to the other men one after the other. The first man was a sprightly Kandis. At five feet tall, and probably a hundred pounds soaking wet, he was one of the shorter Kandisi Aldritch had seen. But with his golden fur, intelligent emerald eyes, and¡­ Wait a second- Aldritch recognized this man. ¡°He¡¯s cleaned himself up since we last saw him at the memorial stone.¡± Oakairo muttered. Yes, that was it. The Kandis from the memorial stone, the one with the eyes of a dead fish. Now that he was paying attention, Aldritch could see the exhaustion buried deep within the Kandisi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Nice to meet you, Sir Aldritch. My name is Nikko Hughes, I serve as the public relations representative for the Hunters Guild.¡± Nikko said. The truest sign of his professionalism was the fact that his voice sounded perfectly normal despite the tumultuous feelings Aldritch knew he was carrying around with him. The second man was a middle-aged human with short and spiky white hair with black tips and black eyes. Half of his face was hidden beneath a thick, but neatly trimmed beard that matched his hair. And his dark, three-piece suit did little to hide the sheer musculature of the human, who could¡¯ve easily passed for an Ogre with a little make up and copious amounts of brain damage. ¡°Conan Murray. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Aldritch. I¡¯ve heard so much about you.¡± Conan said, grinning from ear to ear. He clasped hands with Aldritch and squeezed¡­ Aldritch glanced down at their clasped hands and wondered what Conan was doing. After a few more seconds of this, Conan chuckled to himself and let go of Aldritch¡¯s hand. ¡°I like you.¡± He said, tapping Aldritch on the shoulder with his right hand. He reached into the breast pocket of his suit and pulled out a small card, which he immediately passed to Aldritch. ¡°Come visit me sometime. I¡¯d love to see how well you¡¯d do in the ring.¡± ¡°Ring?¡± Aldritch muttered before looking at the card in his hand, it read: Conan Murray, President of A.G.P (Azuris Gladiatorial Productions). Located at 11-472, Auris, Azuris Island. Aldritch sent a confused look Joolbic¡¯s way, who sighed exasperatedly. ¡°Despite the name, AGP is the leading provider of arcanist tools on the island. Conan is the one supplying the mana stones you¡¯ll be using to revamp our wards- assuming your offer still stands?¡± Joolbic asked in a curious tone. Aldritch had indeed offered to ¡®fix¡¯ the ward surrounding the island after their talk of creating a guild was complete. He¡¯d even offered to do it for free¡­ But only on one condition. ¡°Have you found a building for us?¡± Aldritch asked in the same tone. ¡°We¡¯re still looking into it.¡± Joolbic replied with an easy smile on his face. ¡°Then by all means, revisit the topic after you¡¯ve found us a building, or you have something of equivalent value.¡± Aldritch said with a similar smile on his face. He looked away from Joolbic to the last man, but not before noticing the sour expression on the Gnome¡¯s face. The third man was a pretty Lunaren elf with waist-length, curly black hair that looked like it took an hour to brush every morning. Twin emotionless amber eyes stared at Aldritch, while a sardonic smile remained cemented onto his face. ¡°Shael Elvaren, Sentinel commander and the one responsible for keeping the peace while you go down to the island.¡± Shael monotonously explained. His voice sounded surprisingly feminine considering the way he presented himself¡­ Then again, elves were often considered more attractive than almost any other race, making it notoriously difficult to determine if they were male, female, or something else altogether. ¡°Pleasure to meet you all.¡± Aldritch replied. ¡°So, I¡¯m assuming you aren¡¯t here to wish us good luck?¡± He asked, directing his question to Joolbic. ¡°No. I wouldn¡¯t waste our time for such a reason.¡± Joolbic replied with a chuckle. ¡°We¡¯re here, because this is the first time in a bit over a century that a lost island has been reclaimed. I wouldn¡¯t miss such an event for the world.¡± ¡°Oh? How do you intend to reclaim it?¡± Aldritch asked. Joolbic¡¯s words had succeeded in capturing his attention. He''d assumed they were just going to loot it, then leave it. Were they planning to do anything else? ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked.¡± Joolbic replied while smiling. ¡°Sir Murray, if you would?¡± ¡°Right-O.¡± Conan said and stepped past Aldritch. He pointed to a building- no, not a building, it was some kind of reinforced platform near the edge of the aerial dock¡­ Aldritch realized there was something being constructed on top of it. ¡°My people are rushing to build forty of those platforms along the western edge of the island. By this time tomorrow, we¡¯ll have everything we need to reclaim the largest piece of the island from the clutches of the sea. Then, with the help of your new wards, we¡¯ll tie the two islands together in harmony. It¡¯ll be like coffee in the mornings, or a pickle and grilled cheese sandwich.¡± Conan sucked in a deep breath and sighed. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that sound just grand?¡± He asked, smiling widely at Aldritch. Aldritch stared at Conan for a few moments before a smile spread across his face. ¡°I¡¯ll stick with chocolate, but hey, whatever heats your forges is not for me to judge.¡± Faeyra watched Aldritch and the large human smile at each other and wondered what they were talking about. Sulika was off chatting with Max and the members of the scouting team, leaving the three of them to wait for Oladi and Zarud by themselves. ¡°Probably should¡¯ve asked this earlier¡­¡± Ralocan muttered, getting Faeyra and Derrik¡¯s attention. ¡°What¡¯s the name of our guild? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard anyone mention it yet.¡± Derrik realized the elf was right, for once, and looked to Faeyra for the answer. She shrugged and pointed with her thumb at Aldritch. ¡°We rejected about twenty of his suggestions yesterday before settling on one we didn¡¯t hate. Crazy for cocoa, The Ten Chocolatiers, The Chocolate Oracle- which I immediately said no to.¡± She said, her face had turned bright red from embarrassment. ¡°There were more, but I must¡¯ve blocked them out at some point.¡± She sighed. ¡°So, what¡¯d you settle on?¡± Ralocan asked, suddenly regretting his decision to join without hearing the name first¡­ ¡°Mag ¨¢rsa.¡± She said, looking completely exasperated. ¡°Aldritch says it¡¯s Dwarvish for ¡®The Oldest Mountain.¡¯" ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Ralocan said, laughing nervously at the name. ¡°It could definitely be worse¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s Dwarvish?¡± Derrik muttered, a quizzical expression on his face. ¡°You know, you¡¯re right," Ralocan muttered after a second. "It doesn¡¯t sound like any Dwarvish I¡¯ve ever heard.¡± He said, looking just as confused as Derrik. ¡°That¡¯s what he said.¡± Faeyra replied and shrugged helplessly. ¡°I''m no expert on the Dwarvish language, so I didn''t dispute it. Why? What do you think it means?¡± She asked Derrik. ¡°Well, in Dwarvish, Mag does mean ¡®The Oldest¡¯, but ¨¢rsa doesn¡¯t mean mountain¡­ At least, It hasn¡¯t since before I was born. I think its closest comparison in Common is ''Defender.''¡± Derrik slowly explained, almost as if he were unsure of his translation. ¡°The Oldest Defender, huh¡­¡± Faeyra muttered and glanced over at Aldritch, who was heading their way with a slight smile on his face. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. If that was the case, what kind of soul was revealed through twin orbs of molten gold that burned with a fierce inner light. And his outfit- a simple, yet clearly old and tattered white robe was evidence of the long years of struggle he¡¯d been forced to endure. While the stark black pants, practical and modest, seemed almost out of place for someone who served a God of Pride. In contrast to his simple clothes, his armor was almost exaggeratedly extravagant. An opulent fusion of gold and silver plate mail that clung tightly to his torso, legs, and shoulders couldn¡¯t have been just for defense. Plain old steel would¡¯ve been stronger, lighter too. No, she could easily see that armor as a beacon- A target willingly worn over his body that drew the eyes and swords of his enemies. And he¡¯d said he¡¯d forged them himself? Why? Why draw that kind of attention to yourself? The answer, she realized, was simple. It was a pledge to both Oakairo, and those he protected. That so long as he remained standing, the people behind him were protected. ¡°The name suits him.¡± She said and chuckled quietly to herself. Chapter 9 - New Guild on the Block (pt 3) Twenty minutes passed before Oladi and Zarud arrived with their gear at the ready. Shortly after they arrived, Max and the scouting team approached the members of Mag ¨¢rsa to discuss the plan for descending to the island. ¡°Okay,¡± Max said while moving to the center of the group. ¡°Members of Mag ¨¢rsa, this is the third scouting team. I¡¯m sure most of you are already familiar with each other, but for the two that aren¡¯t. The third scouting team is headed by Captain Reszu.¡± He said and motioned to a short caitsith with onyx colored fur and light gray eyes. Captain Reszu was wearing a dark green, hooded robe over a suit of leather armor. A wooden mallet hung from a loop on their belt and a wooden dirge was strapped to their back. ¡°If it¡¯s not immediately obvious by the attire, the captain is a druid.¡± Max explained while looking at Aldritch and Faeyra. ¡°Aldritch of clan Blackshield. Pleasure to meet you, Captain.¡± Aldritch said and offered a friendly smile while holding out his hand in greetings. ¡°Yes, lovely to meet you, Captain. I¡¯m Faeyra Silverowl, an Alchemist.¡± She said and copied Aldritch¡¯s greeting. The Caitsith Captain grabbed both of their hands at the same time; Aldritch¡¯s in the right hand and Faeyra¡¯s in the left and shook them. ¡°Excellent to meet you both!¡± She said and smiled. ¡°Now,¡± Max said, getting their attention once again. ¡°The other members of the scouting team accompanying you today are as follows,¡± he said before briefly mentioning the names and classes of the other eleven members. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the whole display was his ability to name each member without reading them off a list. However, not all of them were going with Mag ¨¢rsa to the island. Only seven members would be accompanying them on the journey today, the rest had been conscripted by Joolbic and his allies to help with the reclamation project. Aside from Captain Reszu herself, these were the members going to the island with them. Aneko and Fone were Caitsith twins; their fur was almost entirely white, save for a black circle around Aneko¡¯s right eye and the same circle around Fone¡¯s left eye. And both twins had bright amber eyes that shined with excitement. Aneko¡¯s class was Rogue with a specialization for lockpicking and trap finding. She wore a suit of leather armor over jeans and a black hoodie and leather boots. A small crossbow was strapped to her right leg, a container of crossbow bolts was strapped to her left leg, and a pair of short swords crossed over her lower back. Fone¡¯s class was Ranger with a specialization for tracking and pathfinding. He wore an identical outfit to his sister, except his weapon of choice was a surprisingly large longbow slung over one shoulder and a quiver full of arrows strapped to his back. He also had a single dagger sheathed against the inner side of his left forearm. A small crow was sleeping inside his hood, seemingly unconcerned about the people surrounding it. Jarome Malek was a lanky male Kandis: He had short brown fur that laid flat against his body and black eyes. Jarome was a cleric serving Yjun: The God of Chance, Funerals, Trickery, and Thieves. He wore a black robe over a thin suit of cloth armor, thick leather boots, and leather forearm guards. Four sheathed daggers were strapped across his chest and a rapier dangled loosely from his belt. Harik Virqen was a short Lunaren elf. His pale skin looked even paler beneath the curtain of pitch-black hair that hung past his shoulders. He was wearing a dark suit beneath a purple cloak, thick leather shoes, and carried a six-foot tall staff in his right hand. Harik¡¯s class was Warlock, which was a type of spellcaster who primarily worked with spirits- both elemental and otherwise. Some likened them to necromancers, but that wasn¡¯t a fair comparison. Warlocks couldn¡¯t create undead or control them against their will. They could only forge partnerships with a willing spirit and use a few of their abilities. In Harik¡¯s case: his spirit took the form of a four-inch tall, human-shaped ruby that sat atop his left shoulder. The details on the ruby were phenomenal, and somehow managed to make a gem look like a living boy complete with strands of hair that moved in an unfelt wind and eyes that could move. Meira Faranna was a tall Solaren elf Ranger with ebon colored skin. Her long, bone-white hair was carefully braided and laid over her left shoulder. She wore a suit of black leather armor over white pants, a cut off dark red hoodie that exposed her surprisingly defined abs, and leather thigh-high boots that had been dyed black to match her armor. Meira had a large crossbow strapped to her back that caused Aldritch to raise an eyebrow at its appearance. The track that launched the bolt was almost three times as long as a normal crossbow, and there was a trio of ten inch long mounted ¡®legs¡¯ attached just beneath the track. Another surprising thing was the three canisters of crossbow bolts strapped to her back, each bolt was almost double the length and thickness of a normal crossbow bolt. The last member going was Ellie Underlake: the mousy Halfling woman Sulika saw a few days ago, during the original debriefing with Max. Ellie had short brown hair that ended just beneath her ears and gray eyes. Her outfit consisted of a dark blue robe over cloth armor, and a simple pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Ellie¡¯s class was Wizard - another variant of the spellcasting class. However, unlike Sulika, whose magic came from her bloodline. Aldritch, whose magic came from Oakairo. Oladi, whose magic came from the natural world. And Harik, whose magic came from his contract with a spirit. Ellie¡¯s magic came from the countless objects she carried around inside her comically large backpack. Wizard¡¯s had mana, just like the other classes. But they couldn¡¯t use it to cast spells. Instead, their magic could be used to implant spells into seemingly mundane objects like pebbles¡­ It just required the Wizard to carve an intricate, and extremely temperamental spell formation onto each object. A single mistake could cause the spell to literally blow up in the Wizard¡¯s face. But in return, they could carry around as many ¡®spells¡¯ as they wanted. Ellie¡¯s preferred method was the slingshot tucked into a pocket of her robe. With just a piece of wood and a few muscle fibers, Ellie could launch spells almost as fast as she could load pebbles into her slingshot. ¡°And, of course, I¡¯m going.¡± Max said, patting himself on the chest. ¡°Per standard protocol, I¡¯ll be accompanying Mag ¨¢rsa into the dungeon to ensure nothing goes wrong.¡± He finished while looking up at Aldritch. ¡°Any problems with this arrangement?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you wish to do.¡± Aldritch replied while smiling slightly. ¡°Adding one or ten more people won¡¯t make much of a difference. However, if you¡¯re coming with us, that makes you a temporary member of Mag ¨¢rsa. You¡¯ll follow orders just like everyone else. If you cannot accept that, I¡¯ll insist you remain with the scouting team.¡± He said while matching Max¡¯s gaze. ¡°You think I¡¯ll cause trouble?¡± Max asked, amused at the thought. He wasn¡¯t used to people talking to him in such a casual manner. Especially not the guild master of a green guild. ¡°You think I¡¯ll allow anything to go wrong?¡± Aldritch asked. In spite of the questions and Max¡¯s challenging statements, Aldritch never lost the slight smile on his face. The two guild masters watched each other for a few more seconds before Aldritch reached out a hand for Max to shake- which he took a moment later. ¡°This is your show, you run it the way you see fit. But I won¡¯t hesitate to step in if I feel it¡¯s necessary to save lives. I know you¡¯re strong, but great personal strength doesn¡¯t make you a good leader.¡± ¡°So says the child.¡± Oakairo muttered in a tone filled with derision. ¡°I love his confidence, and his pride has a rather robust flavor. But I can¡¯t help but see the humor in this situation.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t know about my past. I can¡¯t blame him for being cautious.¡± Aldritch mentally replied to Oakairo. ¡°If such a situation occurs, I would gladly thank you for protecting my people... Just know that if I believe you, or anyone else, intentionally creates such a situation in order to besmirch my name or endanger my people. The culprit won''t live long enough to make the same mistake again.¡± He said, surprising everyone within earshot. Had he just threatened Max? No, Aldritch didn¡¯t think so. In his eyes, it was just a statement of fact: like saying the sky was blue, the sun rose from the east, or demons were dangerous. What he''d said was a simple, irrefutable, fact that couldn¡¯t have been clearer if Faeyra had seen it in a prophecy. Max couldn¡¯t help it. He laughed. A full, unfiltered belly laugh that surprised those listening even more than what Aldritch said. ¡°I¡¯d be disappointed if you did any less.¡± He said, nodding his agreement. ¡°Follow me. Our ride has been patiently waiting for us for a while now. I fear if we keep her waiting any longer, we¡¯ll face her wrath.¡± Max said, grinning. The three groups went their separate ways then. One group headed deeper into the aerial docks, while the other moved towards the city to get ahead of the panic that was sure to follow. Aldritch, Sulika, Faeyra, Derrik, Zarud, Oladi, and Ralocan followed closely behind Max and the third scouting team as they quickly moved through the docks. Within minutes, they arrived at the largest hole in the whole of the docks and stopped just beside the edge. Max knelt beside the hole and placed his palms against the floor¡­ He whispered something almost no one could understand, then stood up- A subtle flash of light preceded a deafening *whoosh* of air that signaled the hole had been ¡®opened¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m only saying this so no one makes a mistake and attacks my friend.¡± Max shouted to be heard over the rushing wind. ¡°I¡¯ve raised this creature since she was an egg. She knows me, and though she¡¯s the friendliest member of her species I¡¯ve ever met, she is dangerous. Do not approach her alone. Is that understood?¡± He asked and got a series of nods and a ¡°Yes.¡± from Aldritch in return. ¡°Perfect. Well, then. Without wasting any more time, allow me to introduce you to-¡± Max¡¯s voice was cut off by an ear-shattering cry that was loud enough to shake the bones of any who heard it. *Thump* The ground shook violently. *Thud* The air trembled as something massive moved through it- An impossibly long object shot through the hole and slammed into the ground a mere ten feet from the group. ¡°Calamari, anyone?¡± Oakairo laughed. He and Aldritch were staring at the hundred-foot-long violet tentacle that was coiling around one of the reinforced structures that could be found all across the aerial dock. That tentacle was almost immediately followed by nine more that were just as long as the first, each one grabbing onto a structure and going taut as it pulled on the structure. Within moments, a massive arrow shaped head rose through the hole. The creature¡¯s entire body was a shade of purple, though its tentacles were a few shades darker than the rest of it. Three pairs of black eyes passed through the hole and landed on the people waiting beside the hole. A wickedly sharp beak chittered a greeting that only Max seemed to understand. Almost everyone who saw the creature reacted in a similar way. Those who¡¯d never seen such a beast felt fear down to their very core, while those who knew what the creature was felt nervous at its presence in the city. Sure, Max was vouching for it, but that didn¡¯t mean it couldn¡¯t decide to grab a snack for the trip¡­ Meanwhile, Aldritch and Oakairo were far more interested in Max now that they knew he could control such a creature. Curious to confirm its identity, Aldritch pulled on his mana and cast Encyclopedia of the Great Sage.
Species: Kraken Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Danger Rating 7/10
Description
The second largest member of the cephalopod family. Krakens are a variant of Giant Squid: they have three brains, eleven hearts, five sets of gills, and two sets of external lungs. This allows them the unique ability to survive on both land and beneath the waves- though only one set of breathing organs can be activated at a time. Making it easy for a kraken to drown or suffocate depending on how much of their body is submerged.
Size
Capable of growing up to three hundred feet long from the tip of its head to the base of its body. And over three thousand feet long if you consider the length of the tentacles as part of their body.
Appearance
Though they come in a variety of shades and colors, males are almost always brighter and more vibrant in color than the females.
* New Information
Due to a recent mutation:(sometime in the last 600-800 years) The Iolaran Kraken and numerous other aquatic species have begun possessing a special organ at the center of their brain. This organ is known as the ¡®Caeli Imperium¡¯, named after the spell of the same name. This organ allows the creature to use a lesser form of telekinesis by controlling air particles around their body, a feat that was previously unheard of in non-demonic animals. By enveloping its body in a thin capsule of air and forcing the ¡®capsule¡¯ to move, aquatic creatures with more than 5 Intelligence points can simulate flight for brief periods of time. However, it must return to the sea after a few hours or risk damaging its mind and drying out its body. Both are death sentences for most creatures.
Aldritch read through the data while Max explained what was about to happen. He thought the presence of a genetic mutation was fascinating. It was something he¡¯d never encountered before. I mean, he knew animals could mutate if they were exposed to miasma for prolonged periods of time. But he had no idea the mutations could pass on through the generations. Most of the mutated animals he¡¯d seen were either too mad to bother procreating and had to be put down. Or were killed outright from the miasma before they could produce offspring. Aldritch couldn¡¯t help but wonder at the Kraken¡¯s origins. How did it come about? Was its mutation a result of selective breeding, like Garr attempted with Synne, or was it a complete accident? Was it truly passed on from its parents, who had a similar mutation, or had it mutated while it was still inside its egg? ¡°I doubt the yappy dog is going to allow you to dissect his companion. If you want to answer those questions, we may have to catch one ourselves.¡± Oakairo pointed out. He was also interested in the Kraken¡¯s presence¡­ But his interest wasn¡¯t so much scientific and more along the lines of ¡®Squids are yummy¡¯. ¡°Everyone, this is Sophia.¡± Max said while motioning towards the Kraken. ¡°On her back, just above her tentacle line, is a large compartment that seats ten people comfortably and twenty people if you don¡¯t mind standing. There¡¯s no food or drinks allowed inside the compartment, and I didn¡¯t have the coin to have a bathroom installed. So, if you need to relieve yourselves, I suggest you do it now.¡± He explained before leading everyone around the rear of the Kraken. True to his word, a large bronze compartment with multiple glass windows awaited them: It sat between two iron triangles that braced either side of the compartment, forming a crude gyroscope that allowed it to swing back and forth, but wouldn¡¯t allow it to flip or tumble. Those riding inside shouldn¡¯t be able to be thrown about as long as the Kraken was somewhat conscious of their presence. At twenty-five feet wide, ten feet long, and seven feet deep. The compartment was capable of fitting almost everyone comfortably. Aldritch, being just under seven feet tall, knew he would repeatedly hit his head if he stood inside that thing. ¡°I¡¯ll follow along behind you guys.¡± Aldritch announced while Max was guiding the scouting team into the compartment. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were the type to be scared, Aldritch.¡± Max said, grinning up at the much larger man. ¡°Scared?¡± Aldritch repeated. ¡°Ah, no, I¡¯m not afraid. I just know I¡¯ll be faster on my own, and you¡¯ll have more room inside without me.¡± ¡°And-uh- just how do you plan to get there, Guild Master?¡± Ralocan whispered to him. Aldritch stared at the cleric for a few seconds before it occurred to him: Only Sulika, Faeyra, and Max knew he could fly. And even they hadn¡¯t seen him do it, only heard about it from Garr¡¯s story. ¡°O¡¯ mighty Oakairo; my king and guiding light, let my words reach you on dragon¡¯s wings. With my body as the vessel, bring your wrath down upon mine enemies: Aspect of the Dragon - Wings.¡± Aldritch muttered while slowly backing away from the Kraken. ¡°Permission granted. My wings are yours.¡± Oakairo muttered, deep inside Aldritch¡¯s body, the Dragon God was grinning like a mad man. A potent mana rushed out of Aldritch¡¯s body that hit the people watching him like a punch to the guts. Oakairo¡¯s wings were rapidly constructed in the air behind him, starting as a faint silver light that exploded into four resplendent wings that sent tremors through the souls of onlookers. Not even the Kraken was spared from feeling like a prey animal. It reacted instantly, its eyes finding Aldritch as its body trembled from resisting the urge to flee. But Aldritch was expecting this and quickly reined in the divine mana pouring from his body, transforming it from a tidal wave of power to little more than a current of static electricity in moments. As Aldritch¡¯s mana receded, so too did the Kraken¡¯s fear. Eventually its natural intelligence and training kicked in, and it was able to return to a neutral state. Aldritch grinned proudly at the creature. He admired anyone who could face their fear and still complete their duty. That level of self-control was something Aldritch could respect. While Aldritch was watching the Kraken, everyone else was captivated by the divine energy Aldritch exuded. Sulika was no exception, but at least she and Faeyra were growing used to feeling this way. Most people would go their entire lives without experiencing the raw, unfiltered mana of a God. But they¡¯d had breakfast with one this morning. It was slow going, sure, but they were adapting to Oakairo¡¯s presence- underneath the gasps and awe-filled exclamations, Sulika heard rapid breathing coming from at least two directions at the same time and turned to investigate. She knew Aldritch¡¯s demonstration was impressive, but this was going a bit too far- wasn¡¯t it? She found Ralocan, Jarome, and Harik rooted in place. Their eyes were all wide open, allowing Sulika a clear view of their irises and the expressions on their faces. Ralocan¡¯s dark yellow eyes were as bright as a bonfire on a moonless night and glowing the color of molten gold. He stared at Aldritch with a look of intense interest. The tightness in his jaw and lips showed a deep concern- for what, Sulika wasn¡¯t sure. But it was obvious that something was on his mind. Similarly, Jarome¡¯s black eyes were illuminated by a silvery glow that made his eyes look like crescent moons. There was open hostility in his eyes that didn¡¯t match the character Sulika had known before today. Jarome was usually an easy-going guy, what was going through his head that made him look at Aldritch as if they were mortal enemies? Harik¡¯s eyes hadn¡¯t changed in the slightest. They were still almost the same shade of red as the ruby boy sitting on his shoulder. However, the emotions he displayed were so radically different from what he¡¯d shown earlier, Sulika was having a hard time recognizing this small, frightened man as the same aloof Warlock she¡¯d seen just moments ago- That was when she noticed something else that was different about Harik, or rather, it was the ruby boy who looked different. The ruby boy¡¯s body shook as if he had hypothermia. His surprisingly detailed eyes stared straight ahead at Aldritch, and it was clear he was afraid. But unlike Harik, the ruby boy did not try to shrink away from Aldritch. Rather, he stood with his back straight and his hands were shoved out to either side as if he was trying to make himself appear larger than he was. Sulika wondered if the ruby boy was trying to protect Harik? ¡°I apologize if I frightened anyone.¡± Aldritch said, pulling Sulika¡¯s attention back to him. ¡°That wasn¡¯t my intention. Rather than try and explain it, I believed it would be easier to show you how I intended to follow Sofia.¡± He said and motioned to the Kraken. ¡°Sorry to burst your bubble, Aldritch. But I¡¯m fairly certain it¡¯ll take more than a few flamboyant wings to frighten us!¡± Zarud hollered, his words eliciting a round of nervous laughter from most of the scouting team. ¡°Aye!¡± Derrik yelled, nodding his agreement with Zarud. ¡°Dwarves don¡¯t fear sparkly pixie wings, Aldritch. Come back when you ¡®ave upgraded to some real wings, then you might have a shot at at scarin me!¡± Derrik laughed. "They''re right. It''ll take more than that to scare us, Aldritch. After all, we''ve all seen what Zarud looks like in the morning." Oladi replied, smirking at the half-orc. Zarud reacted as she knew he would, and hurled a slew of curses her way- much to Derrik, Sulika, and Faeyra''s amusement. Their laughter allowed everyone to relax a little more. And as they came to realize that Aldritch wasn¡¯t getting angry at Zarud and Derrik for insulting him and was merely shaking his head with an amused grin plastered across his face, they began to relax even more. A sense of humor goes a long way towards easing people''s fears; Aldritch knew it, Max knew it, and whether or not Derrik and Zarud realized it, they''d just helped Aldritch overcome his first hurdle of the day. ¡°Alright. Everyone load up- We¡¯ve wasted enough time as it is.¡± Max yelled and started ushering people into the only Kraken blimp in existence; It took a few minutes to get everyone inside the compartment, and a couple more to show them how to fasten their seatbelts in case of emergency. But within ten minutes they were ready. Max sealed the compartment door behind them and activated the defensive wards: three paper-thin rectangular barriers formed one on top of the other before merging into a single, more powerful barrier and fading from view. ¡°Eye of the Magic Eater.¡± Aldritch muttered while walking backwards. Once the spell activated, Aldritch watched the Kraken¡¯s whole body. He saw the capsule mentioned in the Encyclopedia of the Great Sage start to form in the air above the Kraken¡¯s head: when fully formed, the capsule was spherocylindrical in shape. Though it started as something no larger than a bag of flour, it quickly swelled until it was the size of a small building- reaching its full size in only two minutes. Once it was big enough, Sophia lifted her body off the dock with her tentacles, while simultaneously pulling the capsule down over the tip of her head- The capsule reacted to her body instantly by dropping down and covering all of her body, save for her tentacles- which were simple too long to fit inside with the rest of her. With the capsule covering her body, and her passengers safely ensconced within the compartment, Sophia was finally ready to depart. She lifted body a few feet higher still- Then pulled on the anchors with all her might and launched herself back through the large hole she¡¯d arrived through; much to the horror, and entertainment, of those riding inside the compartment. Aldritch calmly walked over to the edge of the hole and looked down. He saw Sophia plummeting towards the ocean some 20,000 feet below; her tentacles flapped violently as she barreled through layer after layer of air resistance. Aldritch was interested to note the way each of her tentacles began to reflect the morning sunlight as she plummeted through the air. He stepped forward, moving his left foot over the edge and prepared to follow Sophia- But something caused him to hesitate; The tingling across his skin, the goosebumps that spread across his neck and down his arms. Oh yes, he would recognize that feeling anyway. It was the feeling of someone watching you, specifically, someone planning to inflict pain and suffering upon you. ¡°I feel it too; Some little rascal is attempting to call us out for that display earlier. And did you notice the clerics? How they responded to my mana?¡± "I did. It¡¯s like they were possessed by something.¡± "More like ¡®someone¡¯. And since they didn¡¯t die on the spot, I¡¯m assuming they were possessed by the gods they serve¡­ Aldritch, now that their attention is on us, we¡¯ll need to be more careful. We don¡¯t know what kind of beings we¡¯re dealing with; they might not be pleased with my presence in their world.¡± Oakairo said in a serious tone. ¡°How unfortunate for them.¡± Aldritch muttered to Oakairo. Following his instincts, Aldritch turned his head towards the city: After centuries of following his instincts, Aldritch was pretty good about finding the people targeting him. His eyes landed on the clock tower near the center of the city¡­ Aldritch smiled at the presence he sensed behind that broken clock-face. So, a God had seen fit to personally come to the city. And judging by the bloodlust directed at Aldritch, they weren¡¯t happy with what they¡¯d found here. Aldritch slightly dipped his head in greeting towards the unseen deity and stepped off the edge, falling through the hole and out of the opening Max created within the ward earlier. No matter what they wanted, he would deal with it in his own time. If they didn¡¯t like it, then they were more than welcome to pursue him to the island. Chapter 9 - New Guild on the Block (pt 4) Aldritch quickly caught up to Sophia and fell into line with the compartment. He found the way the Kraken flew to be extremely fascinating; Its body moved in a ¡®mostly¡¯ straight line. This was due to the linear movement of the capsule, rather than the motion of Sophia¡¯s body. However, that didn¡¯t stop her from flourishing her tentacles as if she were trying to swim through the air. Aldritch wondered if the ¡®swimming¡¯ motions were a conscious decision, or if they were unconsciously performed out of habit? Squids, even giant ones like Sophia, had instincts ingrained within them from birth; It goes without saying, but the knowledge and experience of ten thousand generations of ancestors was tough to ignore. By comparison, the act of flying through the air is something that only happened within the last millennium. And with the Kraken¡¯s legendary longevity to consider, it was possible Sophia was only the second or third generation able to leave the ocean for the skies. ¡°Remember the pufferfish we saw the other day?¡± Oakairo asked curiously. ¡°It was much larger than the pufferfish I remember, and they could also fly through the sky like a hot air balloon.¡± ¡°Yes, I remember¡­ Hm. I suppose the mutation could also explain why it could act the role of an air transportation vehicle.¡± Aldritch replied while flying circles around Sophia¡¯s body. Everywhere he flew, he inspected the Kraken¡¯s body for anything else that differed from the Kraken¡¯s he¡¯d fought before. ¡°That¡¯s interesting, but not really what I was thinking.¡± Oakairo muttered and chuckled softly. ¡°I was wondering if any other aquatic predators had also evolved to fly. You know, sharks, whales, fish¡­ imagine the chaos if a dolphin learned to fly. Oh! Or a massive jellyfish colony.¡± At the thought of ten thousand jellyfish floating through the sky, Oakairo couldn¡¯t hold back a sound of disgust. One of his siblings swore jellyfish were delicious. He¡¯d go on and on about the endless ways you could prepare a jellyfish for eating; stews, soups, pot pies, the tentacles were supposedly a great noodle topping if you fried them. But no matter how much his sibling tried to cajole him, Oakairo could only ever see the brainless creatures as floating snotbags. ¡°Do you think that hurts her?¡± Aldritch asked, his eyes were moving up and down one of her tentacles. He¡¯d found the reason the sun glistened off her tentacles, but not the rest of her body. Ice had begun forming along the parts of her body not protected by the capsule, which caused the odd reflection he¡¯d seen earlier. ¡°If it does, it doesn¡¯t hurt much. Krakens normally live in the darkest depths of the ocean, away from the sun and many other forms of heat¡­ Come to think of it, I faintly recall a Kraken variant that lived beneath the ice caps of the northern ocean.¡± Oakairo replied while trying to remember the name of that particular variant. He¡¯d tried some of their meat once upon a time- It was a surprisingly delicate taste for such a robust creature and left him feeling like he¡¯d swallowed something so cold it burned his tongue. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not entirely sure those things were actually Kraken. They were more like Kraken people, since they¡¯d already developed a rudimentary language of their own and could project their thoughts directly into your mind¡­ Come to think of it, I stopped hearing about them around the same time that pompous Beion and his crusaders started the ''Mind-Eater'' witch hunts. I really hope he didn¡¯t drive them to extinction. They were quite tasty.¡± Oakairo muttered wistfully. Aldritch quickly rotated his body to the left, spinning away from a densely packed cloud formation so he could maintain his visibility. Sophia didn¡¯t bother, she just barreled through the clouds at speed and came out the other side with even more ice forming across her tentacles. ¡°Unless they could also survive the miasma, then I¡¯m not sure how they could¡¯ve survived even if he didn¡¯t drive them to extinction first. That was the fate of everything else the miasma touched.¡± Aldritch replied and projected the last image of Mag ¨¢rsa to the Dragon God. At the end, nothing remained. The miasma killed off insect population first, their inability to naturally gather mana meant they had no protection against it. The birds were the second victim to fall to the miasma, only surviving a few days longer than the insects due to their larger bodies. And without the birds and insects, landlocked plants were the next to go. The miasma tainted soil and water was simply too much for them to fight without the aid of pollinators. It came as no shock that without healthy plants to eat the herbivores either starved to death or mutated into monsters and attacked anything that even remotely resembled food. The rest was easy to predict: a complete collapse of the natural cycle, followed immediately by the fall of ¡®decency¡¯ and ¡®morality¡¯ that¡¯d kept the various kingdoms from tearing each other to pieces. It was easy to wave away the effects the Miasma had in the beginning, because it didn¡¯t affect the people¡­ Until it did, and by then it was too late to fix. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Oakairo said. It wasn¡¯t that he¡¯d forgotten about their home, it was just that, ever since he¡¯d lost the majority of his power, it became difficult for him to follow the countless strands of time. He¡¯d lived so long, experienced so much, sometimes entire ages got switched around in his mind. Which was quite frustrating for an immortal being like Oakairo. It was one thing to forget where he¡¯d stashed that princess once upon a time, and quite another to forget about the extinction of an entire planet- temporarily or not. ¡°I need to get my powers back.¡± Oakairo sighed. ¡°I¡¯m starting to sound like a senile old bat.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that my Lord. You aren¡¯t senile.¡± ¡°Thanks, Aldritch. That means a lo¡­ Did you just agree I was an old bat?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Aldritch replied, ignoring Oakairo¡¯s question. He followed Sophia¡¯s body as she descended through the lowest cloud layer. When they emerged on the other side, Sulika and several other people inside the compartment gathered around the windows so they could see the island for the first time¡­ What they saw couldn¡¯t really be called an island anymore. It was a ruin, plain and simple. When it was whole, the island was probably three times the size of Azuris island. But now, broken as it was, the only piece they could likely use was also its largest. It alone would possess enough bedrock to survive the reclamation process, since the smaller pieces would collapse under their own weight the moment they left the water. But looking at the island from above. Sulika wasn''t actually sure if it was worth the effort. A huge ravine had been carved through the center of the island that was a few thousand feet wide and partially filled with water. Luckily the ravine appeared to be relatively shallow, or it really would have been a lost cause. At some point in the last few days. Scattered wildfires had overtaken much of the island, purging the miasma tainted flora and fauna from the world. Leaving only the burned-out husk of a half-destroyed city and the ruptured, ash covered landscape. ¡°Gods¡­¡± Ralocan muttered, breaking the horrified silence that filled the compartment. ¡°Sulika,¡± Max said in a low voice, so only she and Faeyra could hear. ¡°When we return to Azuris, I need you to convince Aldritch to come to the guild so we can evaluate him.¡± He finished, staring down at the island with a disbelieving look in his eyes. Most of the people present didn¡¯t know the whole story. How could they? They weren¡¯t there when Garr was explaining how Aldritch unleashed his personal brand of hell on the demon occupiers. But Max, Sulika, and Faeyra were, and they did know the whole story. They knew the island¡¯s current state was almost entirely due to Aldritch¡¯s involvement¡­ And that scared Max, more than he¡¯d ever admit- even to himself. This kind of destruction wasn¡¯t something a person could cause on their own, it just wasn¡¯t. ¡°I can ask him to head to the guild. But that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯ll go.¡± Sulika replied, laughing nervously to soothe herself. The sight of the island had shaken her as well. Not too long ago she struggled to create a mud pit big enough to cover a warehouse door, fight off a few cultists, and chase a guy through the city. And she was utterly exhausted the next day. Yet Aldritch had done this in the same length of time and came back the next day like nothing had happened- like he¡¯d just gone for an early morning jog and enjoyed watching the sunrise¡­ Sulika¡¯s heartbeat sped up. Could he show her how to acquire this level of power? Would he teach her his ways if she asked? ¡°Don¡¯t give me that, Sulika.¡± Max hissed under his breath. ¡°You may not control him, but he does listen to you. If you ask him to go, he¡¯ll go.¡± Sulika blinked at Max two times before responding. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of relationship you think we have, but you¡¯re wrong. Yes, he does listen to my suggestions. But not to the extent you¡¯re implying.¡± Now it was Max¡¯s turn to blink at Sulika in surprise¡­ ¡°I assumed you were dating. Was that wrong?¡± ¡°Yes! Very Wrong!¡± Sulika shouted. Her voice thundered inside the compartment, surprising everyone inside with its volume and intensity. Max¡¯s ears folded back in a show of regret, then he looked to Faeyra- ¡°Nope. I¡¯m not dating him either.¡± Faeyra responded, conveying her unspoken thoughts with a look and a slight shaking of her head. ¡°I see.¡± Max replied, moving only his lips and not projecting his voice at all. ¡°Then I apologize for jumping to conclusions. I assumed since you were forming a guild with someone you¡¯d only known for a few days; you were in some kind of ¡®whirlwind romance¡¯ situation.¡± He explained. Max looked properly embarrassed with the situation, a sight none of the hunters had ever seen before. ¡°The captain¡¯s not looking for a whirlwind anymore¡­ But I imagine she¡¯d be quite eager to help the giant make a little bedrock.¡± Oladi muttered. She was trying to hide her grin behind the book she¡¯d been reading, but Sulika saw it. And she sent the Druid a look of unfiltered annoyance. Oladi¡¯s grin grew into a full-blown smile, and she stepped behind Zarud and Derrik, using their bodies to shield her from Sulika¡¯s piercing stare. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Hold on everyone!¡± Sulika rolled her eyes and turned away from the three of them- Faeyra wrapped her arm around Sulika¡¯s shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace. Sulika froze at the sudden contact and panic started to set in. However, before anyone could react to the sight of Faeyra hugging Sulika, Sophia¡¯s body hit the water with enough force to create a small, fifty-foot tidal wave that spread out in every direction- part of it even crashed into the island, destroying and pulling down a few rundown buildings along the southern coast. The Kraken¡¯s body shook violently for eleven seconds before finally settling down and resuming a smooth forward motion. As Sophia swam up the southern coast, Max stood up from his seat and moved to the door. And the moment Sophia hit the bank, he released the wards and popped open the door. ¡°Shake it off and get a move on, everyone. Sophia can¡¯t stay here long-¡± There was a loud *thud* behind Max as Aldritch landed a dozen feet away; the impact sent dozens of pounds of sand flying in every direction, buffeting the Kraken¡¯s body with granules and even getting a bit through the compartment door. ¡°I apologize for the disturbance, everyone.¡± Aldritch said before dismissing Oakairo¡¯s wings. As the divine wings winked out of existence, there was one last rush of Divine Mana that flowed out of Aldritch¡¯s body and into the sand beneath his feet. After a few seconds the hunters snapped into action and began filing out of the compartment at the behest of Max. Derrik was the first to launch himself off the Kraken¡¯s back; his short legs and bulky body caused him to flail as he fell towards the sand- he touched down with all the grace of a miniature donkey. The weight of his body caused his boots to sink through the loose sand almost without resistance, which was unfortunate, since he¡¯d tried to mitigate the damage of falling by tucking his head down and rolling at the moment of impact¡­ The result was the dwarf losing his footing and falling onto his beard in the sand. Aldritch hurried to Derrik''s side but stopped just before reaching him. ¡°Thank the Gods above and the Lords below for land¡­sweet, sand-covered, land.¡± Derrik cried into his beard while grabbing fistfuls of sand and pulling it towards him. ¡°Ah.¡± Aldritch chuckled quietly to himself. He¡¯d almost forgotten Derrik¡¯s fear of heights. Grabbing the much smaller man by his belt, Aldritch pulled Derrik out of the sand and sat him on his feet with his back to the Kraken. ¡°Is he okay?¡± Sulika yelled from the compartment doorway. ¡°He¡¯s fine.¡± Aldritch replied before patting the Dwarf on the shoulder and guiding him a short distance away. ¡°Thanks, kinsmen.¡± Derrik muttered. It took him a few seconds to get his emotions under control and straighten himself up. But thanks to the distance he and Aldritch had walked from Sophia, that was all the time he had before the next person leapt from the Kraken¡¯s back. As soon as Captain Reszu hit the sand, she quickly rolled out of the way so the next hunter could land- though Zarud landed almost as gracelessly as Derrik had, at least his height allowed him to catch himself before he left a faceprint in the sand. Which was a good thing for Zarud; as a half orc with long teeth, it was almost impossible to fully close his mouth. Face planting would¡¯ve been much more uncomfortable for Zarud than it had been for Derrik, whose magnificent beard kept most of the sand away from his mouth. Faeyra and Oladi were the next duo to leap from Sophia¡¯s back. And unlike their Dwarven and Orcish friends, the elf ladies jumped like acrobats; Oladi crossed a distance of almost fifteen feet before she started to lose height, while Faeyra did the same for eleven feet. Both women landed without stumbling and easily transitioned from landing to walking without so much as a break in their stride. Aldritch watched this with an interested eye and wondered about the difference between the four. Sure, it was a widely known idea that Elves were often more graceful than other races. But that wasn¡¯t always true¡­ ¡°Wisdom of the Great Sage.¡± He cast the spell non-verbally and glanced at the members of his guild, choosing to focus only on the system information and ignore the medical screen for the time being. He focused on Derrik first.
Status
Class Great-Weapon Fighter
Level 28
Ability Scores
Strength 18
Dexterity 13
Constitution 17
Wisdom 12
Intelligence 13
Charisma 12
A second later, after memorizing Derrick''s ability scores, he switched his focus to Oladi.
Status
Class Moon-Bound Druid
Level 27
Ability Scores
Strength 14
Dexterity 18
Constitution 16
Wisdom 20
Intelligence 15
Charisma 14
¡°Oladi¡¯s dexterity is five points higher than Derrik¡¯s. If I¡¯m reading this correctly, then each point causes a much larger change in athletic ability than I first assumed¡­ How odd. I thought I knew what each ability score meant, but it seems I underestimated the true extent of each point the Thaniea system was gave someone. I think I¡¯ll need to run a few experiments once we return to Auris and see how each score reflects on the body.¡± ¡°What I¡¯m curious about is why there hasn¡¯t been any changes to your abilities since we came to Iolara.¡± Oakairo muttered. ¡°The idea of ¡®levels¡¯ and ¡®scores¡¯ would seem to indicate the possibility for people to grow stronger over time. But that hasn¡¯t happened for you- why?¡± ¡°Maybe it''s just a matter of time? Or perhaps I haven''t achieved anything worthy enough to increase my power? I also recall Thaniea saying something about a ¡®Maximum level¡¯ back when it was first installed. Maybe the reason I haven¡¯t gotten any stronger is because I¡¯d already exceeded the system¡¯s abilities?¡± ¡°... As amusing as that idea is, I hope it''s not true. I was looking forward to experiencing what the system had to offer. But if you¡¯ve already outgrown it, then it¡¯s useless to us.¡± ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. We¡¯ll see once we get back.¡± As more and more hunters leapt from Sophia¡¯s back, the members of Mag ¨¢rsa, plus Max, formed one group around Aldritch while captain Reszu beckoned the third scouting team over to form a second group around her. This pattern continued until the compartment was emptied and every hunter was ankle deep in light brown sand- wasting no time once the hunters were safely ashore, Sophia turned around and quickly moved back into the waves; her large body slipping soundlessly into the water with practiced ease. Within seconds, the massive Kraken disappeared beneath the waves and the two groups were officially stranded on the unknown island until the mission was complete. ¡°Where¡¯s she going? Is she going to come back for us, or¡­¡± Faeyra asked while staring after Sophia¡¯s retreating back. ¡°She¡¯s going to hide.¡± Oladi replied without looking away from her book. ¡°Hide from what?¡± Aldritch asked. ¡°Predators, most likely. The ocean is brimming with mutated wildlife who¡¯d love to make a meal out of a Kraken her size.¡± Oladi explained- realizing what she¡¯d said, Oladi looked up to see Aldritch staring down at her with an intrigued look in his eyes. ¡°Yes?¡± He said, prodding for her to continue. ¡°Sorry, um¡­ The main reason we mainly use flying creatures to travel from one island to the other is due to how dangerous the ocean has become over the last few centuries. There are these creatures, most simply classify them as ¡®Sea Beasts¡¯, that grew to humongous proportions after the miasma began mutating them. Now, they rule the ocean, and the smart people stay as far away from it as we can.¡± Oladi explained before shooting Sulika a concerned glance. ¡°Interesting.¡± Aldritch muttered and looked out over the ocean. A part of him wondered if he dove into the water and made some noise, would one of these ¡®Sea Beasts¡¯ come to investigate? ¡°And these creatures are larger than Sophia?¡± ¡°Some are smaller, most are far larger.¡± Max replied. ¡°Occasionally we also see Kaiju class beasts¡­¡± His body shivered slightly at a memory. ¡°We usually redirect the island¡¯s flight path to avoid passing over one of those.¡± ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve seen one.¡± Aldritch said while looking down at him. ¡°I¡¯m fascinated by the existence of such creatures, but I¡¯m curious to know what you mean by ¡®Kaiju class¡¯. That word doesn¡¯t exist in Dwarvish.¡± ¡°It means,¡± Max said with a smile on his face. He patted Aldritch on the side as he walked past him towards the scouting team. ¡°If you ever find yourself looking at a mountain and it starts to move- you¡¯re about to come face to face with a very angry, and likely hungry, beast who won¡¯t care how sparkly your wings are.¡± ¡°Sounds incredible.¡± Aldritch muttered with a smile across his face. ¡°Sounds like dinner.¡± Oakairo agreed. Chapter 10 - Heavy Metal Dungeon (pt 1) Aldritch led the members of Mag ¨¢rsa and the scouting team along the edge of the ravine towards the city. There were a number of roads they could¡¯ve taken to get them to the same location. Each one followed the natural ebb and flow of the landscape to avoid interfering with the natural beauty of the environment¡­ But since the ravine was a straight line and the environment was essentially dead or dying, none of them were willing to waste the time it¡¯d take to follow them. ¡°Hey - look at this.¡± Meira said, breaking off from the group. She walked thirty feet from the edge of the ravine, stopping at the site of a fallen tree. While it was still alive, the tree would¡¯ve been a sight to behold; easily a hundred feet tall, with a unique bark pattern that resembled the scales of a reptile. Its trunk was thicker than an Ogre¡¯s skull, with roots that ran deeper than any connection Zarud had ever had with a woman. It tore the ground asunder when it fell, pulling a vast pile of dirt and small rocks from the ground with it. But it wasn¡¯t the roots Meira was interested in. No, she was looking at a point some fifty feet from the base of the trunk. ¡°Need a hand?¡± Aldritch asked as he approached her from behind. Looking down, he noticed what had grabbed her attention and nodded in understanding. ¡°Sure, could you help me roll it- Or¡­ Not?¡± Meira stopped talking as she watched Aldritch shove a single hand beneath the trunk and lift the top-end off the ground. The interwoven bark was resistant to axes, blades, and most forms of physical impact. But due to the way the bark grew, it was actually weaker if bent from the inside. So, as soon as Aldritch lifted it off the ground, gravity caused the trunk to bend- snapping off chunks of bark and splinters of wood that rained upon the ground. Aldritch brought the trunk to rest on his shoulder while watching Meira, who was staring at him with an odd look in her eyes. The rest of the group approached them then. Looking between Aldritch, Meira, and the tree. Sulika understood the problem and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. She bent down to inspect what had captured Meira¡¯s attention in the first place- A wide wooden sign was half buried in the dirt and muck. There was a phrase carved into the surface of the sign, but years of mold, water damage, and termites had rendered all but half of one word illegible. ¡°You got it?¡± Sulika asked Aldritch while staring at the trunk. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not going anywhere.¡± He replied. He wrapped his arm around the trunk to keep it from rolling and left his free hand dangling at his side, so it didn¡¯t block his view of the sign. Sulika nodded and crouched beneath the log to get a better look at the sign. ¡°Hey, Max? Know of any towns with ¡®A.v.a¡¯ as the first three letters and ¡®e.s.i¡¯ as the last three? Looks to be about eight or nine letters total.¡± Sulika asked while looking at the sign and tracing the letters with her fingertips. ¡°None that springs to mind.¡± Max admitted. He stared down at the sign and wracked his brain for any hint or clue that would lead him down the right direction¡­ But he had nothing. ¡°Damn.¡± Sulika sighed. ¡°Anyone else?¡± She asked, looking around at everyone¡¯s faces. Most looked just as clueless as she felt, but not Oladi. The druid looked thoughtful, or maybe confused was the more accurate term? ¡°Oladi? Do you have something?¡± Sulika asked her friend. Her words prompted everyone to look to the druid for answers. ¡°Zarud and I had an escort job about six years back. We guided a group of frontiersmen to a rogue island they¡¯d found using scrying magic. I¡¯m not great with names, and Zarud could probably correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but I think they were planning to name their town ¡®A¡¯vantaesi¡¯.¡± Oladi explained. The confusion was gradually draining from her face, only to be replaced by an expression of sickness and sorrow¡­ ¡°Now that you mention it, yeah, I do remember something like that.¡± Zarud replied, nodding. ¡°There was this hot elf lady leading the group. Said she wanted to name it after her grandmother.¡± ¡°Is A¡¯vantaesi an elvish name?¡± Aldritch asked. He spoke some Elvish, but he wouldn¡¯t claim to be an expert on the language¡­ Besides, most of what he knew was learned on the battlefield. So, while he knew a fair amount of elvish battle lingo, curses, and commands. Casual language was a bit beyond his understanding. Meira shook her head. ¡°Not exactly. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a direct translation in common, but the closest I can think of is ¡®Taesi¡¯s Rest¡¯. Taesi being the subject and A¡¯van being the common spelling of the Elvish word ¡®home¡¯.¡± ¡°Are you a language enthusiast?¡± Aldritch asked. ¡°Gods no. I hated school.¡± Meira laughed. ¡°My brother is a language professor at L''Ob¨¦lisque D''Aknobaris. Every time I go home it¡¯s like I¡¯ve volunteered for a week¡¯s worth of lectures. Love him, but he has a serious issue with silence.¡± ¡°My grandmother is the same way.¡± Faeyra said, smiling fondly at a memory. ¡°She¡¯s been a tribal elder for as long as I can remember. And believe me, the woman loves the sound of her own voice.¡± "That she does." Sulika laughed. ¡°Is she an alchemist too?¡± Aldritch asked. He wondered what Faeyra and Sulika¡¯s home life was like. He knew they¡¯d lived together with Faeyra¡¯s grandmother prior to coming to Azuris. But he didn¡¯t know anything else about the woman who raised them. Faeyra smiled ruefully at the thought and shook her head. ¡°My grandmother hates alchemy.¡± Sulika saw the expression on her face and gently patted her on the back. Faeyra sent her a grateful smile in return and nodded that she was okay. Max bent down and pulled the sign out from under the tree trunk. ¡°As fun as this conversation has been, we need to get a move on. We¡¯ve burned enough daylight as it is.¡± He said and pointed towards the sun in the sky - It was about 80 degrees from being directly overhead, which put the time at somewhere around 9:00 a.m. ¡°Captain, I believe it''s time for our two groups to part ways. You know your orders?¡± He asked while looking at Captain Reszu. The captain nodded in understanding and motioned for her team to follow her - everyone jumped in surprise as Aldritch allowed the trunk to roll off his shoulder and slam against the ground. ¡°Alright then.¡± He said while wiping some debris off his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re heading to the dungeon, yes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the idea.¡± Sulika agreed. ¡°Any idea how much further it is?¡± ¡°About six miles.¡± Aldritch replied. He cast the spell ¡®Dragon¡¯s Eye¡¯ and waited while his perception warped through time and space until he was looking down on the world from high above. ¡°Correction: Five point six-eight miles.¡± He said and dismissed the spell. ¡°There are also three demons in close proximity to the dungeon. They appear to be lookouts.¡± ¡°What did you just do?¡± Max asked, having never seen Aldritch use magic before. ¡°I used a scrying spell to scout the area.¡± Aldritch explained while looking around the destroyed landscape. ¡°But you didn¡¯t chant anything?¡± Max replied in a confused tone. Aldritch motioned for everyone to follow him and started walking towards the dungeon portal. ¡°Unless the spell exceeds a certain mana expenditure, I don¡¯t need to chant the words to cast it. Just the name will do, my will and mana are enough to compensate for the rest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Incredible. I knew wizards and warlocks could get by without chanting the whole spell, and sorcerers have that bastardized half-chant they like to do, but I didn¡¯t realize priests could do it too.¡± Max replied, somewhat in awe of Aldritch¡¯s casual mastery of his magic. ¡°Neither did I¡­¡± Ralocan muttered while staring at Aldritch¡¯s back. ¡°Hey, Guild Master? What¡¯s your class level?¡± He asked, curious to know how far ahead Aldritch was as a priest. Aldritch thought about it for a moment. ¡°100.¡± He replied, knowing both of his classes were the same level. He wasn¡¯t being intentionally deceptive, Aldritch had merely misunderstood the question. Everyone knew you could have multiple classes. Faeyra was an obvious example: she was an alchemist and an oracle, two classes with two vastly different skill sets¡­ Everyone also knew the more classes you had, the longer it took to improve them because the ¡®experience¡¯ you gained had to be divided equally amongst your classes. So, they assumed Aldritch¡¯s only class was Priest. Likewise, Aldritch also assumed they were only interested in his class level, not his overall level. ¡°You¡¯re a level 100 priest!?¡± Ralocan exclaimed, his voice reaching a pitch and volume that would make a banshee green with envy. Ralocan wasn¡¯t the only person surprised by the revelation. Everyone else was too, though at least Sulika and Faeyra were less vocal about it. They¡¯d long suspected his level was outside the norm, this just proved it. As for Max¡­ Well, only he was suspicious of Aldritch¡¯s claim. Not about the level, he¡¯d already guessed Aldritch was the newest member of the ¡®100 club¡¯. No, he was suspicious for another reason. Priests didn¡¯t move like Aldritch did. And they certainly didn¡¯t act the way he did: the giant was a warrior to the depths of his soul. If Max had never seen Aldritch use divine magic, he would¡¯ve assumed the giant was some variant of the warrior class. ¡°Yes?¡± Aldritch replied. He was confused by what he perceived as an overreaction to learning his level. Did an arbitrary number really mean that much to them? Why was level 100 any more impressive than level fifty, or level 1 - other than it merely being the largest number? What did a higher level actually mean? Aldritch had gone his entire life without a system telling him who was stronger, faster, more dangerous. So, he couldn¡¯t understand why it mattered whose level was higher or lower¡­ Then again, Aldritch spent his entire life fighting with only the strength of his body and durability of his will to save him. While the people of Iolara grew up with the assistance of Thaniea to build their strength. Neither path was inherently wrong. It was merely a different path to the same location. ¡°How long did it take you to get to that level?¡± Ralocan asked. His own hunger for improvement was seeping into his voice, making it sound more urgent, almost desperate. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you.¡± Aldritch trailed off. How long was he alone on Mag ¨¢rsa? How long had he sat there, stagnating like a corpse beneath the surface of a lake, while waiting for something to happen? He couldn¡¯t remember. The last few hundred years had fused together into one, excruciatingly long slide show. Just image after image of the exact same purple sky: never changing. Never ending. ¡°Because you don¡¯t want to say or because you don¡¯t know yourself?¡± Oladi asked after noticing the impatience in Ralocan¡¯s eyes. ¡°I smell¡­ Greed. Certainly not as appetizing as pride, but I can see why my sister lived off the stuff.¡± Oakairo muttered. ¡°Reminds me of Elven sweetbread: overly sweet, chewy, and nuttier than a squirrel on mushrooms. It¡¯s not the worst thing I¡¯ve eaten by any means, but it¡¯s a bit too eclectic for my tastes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know. You could always try locking yourself up with an army of demons for a few hundred years and see for yourself?¡± Aldritch replied, glancing over his shoulder at Cyndarr¡¯s priest. Ralocan seemed to snap out of whatever spell he¡¯d been under and shook his head. ¡°Uh¡­ No thanks. I think I¡¯ll just stick to raiding dungeons with you guys.¡± ¡°Good choice.¡± Aldritch chuckled. They continued walking for another twenty minutes. Most of it was filled with the quiet mutterings of shallow conversation between Sulika, Faeyra, Derrik, Zarud, Oladi, and Ralocan. While the six of them talked and walked, Aldritch and Max remained silent- albeit for different reasons. Max was silent because he was constantly on the lookout for any sign of danger. He couldn¡¯t help it; it was in his nature to be overly watchful and occasionally paranoid. It¡¯d helped him stay alive this long, and he had no intention of changing it now. As for Aldritch, he just didn¡¯t really care enough about the topic of ¡®what should Derrik buy for his son¡¯s birthday?¡¯ to bother answering. Occasionally he¡¯d activate Dragon¡¯s Eye and look for signs of danger, and relay what he saw to the team. He was surprised how quickly everyone except Max had begun to trust his word. Was it naive of them? Absolutely. But he was grateful for their faith all the same. And because of their faith in him, Aldritch was determined to see them all return home. So long as he was around, none of them were allowed to die. He¡¯d make sure of that. As they crested a final hill and laid eyes on what remained of the city, a number of emotions went through the group: anger, sorrow, and resolve being the most prevalent. ¡°Where¡¯s the dungeon?¡± Sulika asked while scanning the town. From this height and distance, she could see all four corners of the ruined city without turning her head. While scanning, she made note of a few landmarks to help orient herself should she get lost: A tall tower, a rundown temple, a mansion on the outskirts of the city, and what she assumed to be the old hunter¡¯s guild building in the distance. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°See the temple?¡± Aldritch asked and motioned towards the ruined temple Sulika had taken note of. ¡°There¡¯s a large courtyard seventy feet east of its entrance. The portal¡¯s there. As for the demons guarding it; there¡¯s one standing five feet in front of it, one a hundred and thirty feet to the east, and one fifteen feet to the west.¡± ¡°Can you tell what species they are?¡± Faeyra asked while reaching for her backpack. ¡°No, but I imagine it¡¯ll be one of the species that were here a few days ago. Demonwolf, Imp, Incubus, Succubus, Troll, Ogre, and maybe a lich.¡± Aldritch replied. Faeyra¡¯s body froze at the word ¡®lich¡¯, but she resumed searching through the bag a moment later. ¡°Imps, Succubi, Incubi, Trolls, and¡­¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°The lich are all magic users.¡± She explained while taking several three-inch long vials of a mysterious blue liquid out of the bag and placing them on the ground in front of her. The vials were almost identical, except for a strange symbol Faeyra had drawn onto the side of three of the vials. ¡°These are potions of Troll¡¯s skin; they¡¯ll increase your resistance to a single type of magic for about four hours. They take ten minutes to kick in, so if you drink them now, you should feel the effects before the fight starts.¡± She explained while handing a vial to each of them. Aldritch was curious as to the meaning behind the symbol, and why she''d given them to Oladi, Ralocan, and Max. "What do the symbols mean?" He asked while she was searching around in her bag for something else. Faeyra paused in her search and looked at Aldritch in confusion. For a second, she was worried she''d given them the wrong potions. But looking at the potion she''d handed Oladi reminded her about the ''symbol'' Aldritch was talking about. "Oh, that. Hemlock is a key ingredient in Troll skin potions, but it doesn''t react well with certain races. Elves, Kandis, Gnomes - Goblins are especially vulnerable to it. The symbol is just something I doodled to remind me which potions use the alternative ingredient: ground sumac. It makes the potion a bit weaker than the hemlock version, but it''s safe for those races to use... Well, within reason. These are still poisonous plants, after all." She chuckled uncomfortably. "Fascinating." Aldritch replied. He crouched down beside her and watched as she continued searching through her bag. "Ah! Here it is." She pulled a larger vial out of her bag and set it aside while she sealed her bag. Once that was done, she grabbed the vial meant for Aldritch and held it out for him to take... But she hesitated at the last second. ¡°Will this have an effect on you?¡± She asked him. ¡°I have absolutely no idea.¡± Aldritch replied while grinning at her. He held out his hand for the vial, ¡°But there¡¯s only one way to find out.¡± ¡°True.¡± Faeyra sighed. ¡°I just don¡¯t like the idea of wasting a potion if it doesn¡¯t affect you.¡± She said while placing the vial against his palm. Aldritch stared at the potion for a moment while everyone else popped the cork off their vials and down them in one go. Aldritch tapped Faeyra on the shoulder and passed the vial, still full of blue liquid, back to her. ¡°You¡¯re right. No point in wasting a potion just to sate my curiosity.¡± He told her. Faeyra gave him a curious look and the change of heart. She wanted to ask why he wouldn''t just take the potion like everyone else had, but the more sensible part of her brain told her not to question it. He probably had his reasons, so she took the potion back with a shrug and returned it to its place inside her bag. "It''ll be here if you change your mind." She told him. "I know. Thanks for keeping it safe for me." He replied while smiling at her. ¡°Tastes like really strong blueberry syrup.¡± Zarud said, gagging at the strong aftertaste. ¡°Could be worse.¡± Max chuckled. ¡°It used to taste like Troll sweat.¡± He said before pouring the potion into his mouth. ¡°Why the hell would it taste like that?¡± Zarud exclaimed. He stared at the empty bottle in his hand with a look of disgust. ¡°Because it¡¯s the main ingredient?¡± Faeyra replied, and laughed at the shiver that ran through Zarud¡¯s body. The half-orc pulled a canteen from his bag and poured some into his mouth, swished it around violently from one side of his mouth to the other, then spat it in Faeyra¡¯s direction. Then he stuck out his tongue and used his fingers to scrub the taste of potion out of his mouth. ¡°Did you know what it would taste like? Is that why you gave it back?¡± Zarud whined at Aldritch, still trying to scrub the taste out of his mouth. ¡°No, the blueberry thing is a surprise to me. I¡¯m used to Troll Skin potions tasting like ammonia.¡± Aldritch explained with a slight smile on his face. Zarud blinked in confusion. Noticing that her friend hadn¡¯t understood what Aldritch was saying, Oladi leaned over and whispered something in his ear- which immediately caused his light green skin to turn a shade paler. Zarud couldn¡¯t hold in a gag as he thought about the taste- then he burped, which caused another round of that blueberry aftertaste. ¡°What-¡± He gagged, ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you people? - Urp.¡± Zarud asked while rubbing at his stomach. ¡°Most potions don¡¯t taste pleasant. That¡¯s one of the reasons we don¡¯t drink them without reason.¡± Faeyra explained while attempting to hide her grin. ¡°Just be glad the recipes have evolved over the years, or we¡¯d still be drinking what Aldritch described.¡± ¡°I¡¯d die first, thanks.¡± Ralocan muttered. ¡°What he-Urp- He said.¡± Zarud agreed while pointing at Ralocan. Aldritch shook his head at their reactions and started walking towards the dungeon. Sometimes you didn''t have a choice but to cover your nose and swallow whatever you had to in order to survive. But Aldritch would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t glad they hadn¡¯t had to experience such things yet. A few minutes of walking and listening to Zarud burp brought them to a spot just one street over from the dungeon. Judging by the way the buildings in this area looked, Sulika was worried they would collapse on top of them at any moment. Whatever damage the demons had done to them was only exacerbated by the damage caused by the fire Aldritch had left in his wake. The smell of charcoaled wood filled their noses so completely they almost couldn¡¯t smell anything else. And there was a strange sensation at the back of their throats, one that brought forth an almost uncontrollable urge to cough. ¡°Hang on.¡± Sulika whispered and held up her hand just in case they hadn¡¯t heard her. ¡°Masks on. Do it now.¡± She said, having already grabbed her own mask out of her bag. ¡°Mask?¡± Aldritch whispered to her. Sulika held up a single finger while everyone else put on their rebreathers. Aldritch understood this was important for them, so he stood back and watched. ¡°Oh, right!¡± Oakairo exclaimed. ¡°They were wearing those masks when we first met them. I''d almost forgotten about them. How about you?¡± Aldritch did remember, he¡¯d just assumed they were some kind of miasma repellant. ¡°Those are¡­ Oxygen purifiers of some kind. Yes?¡± He asked while leaning in to take a closer look at Faeyra¡¯s mask: It covered about 60% of her face. Starting from the top of her nose, the thin material flowed around her cheekbones, over her jawline, and disappeared beneath the neckline of her shirt. A small cylinder protruded from the front of the mask, exactly over her mouth, that housed a gray filter Aldritch could see. While a small rectangular protrusion that Aldritch couldn¡¯t identify sat on the back of her neck. ¡°Not exactly.¡± Derrik said, his own mask making it almost impossible to understand his words. ¡°It takes the air we breathe and recycles it. The filters are enchanted to expel as much toxin as possible, while allowing us to continue breathing. The tanks-¡± He pointed to a bulge on the side of his neck. ¡°Houses fresh oxygen for us to use. It¡¯s also enchanted to only release oxygen into the filters, prolonging how long we can use it before running out.¡± ¡°... Doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re constantly on the verge of suffocating?¡± Aldritch asked. He was curious how they worked, but he could also see the downside to wearing them. ¡°It¡¯s either that or death by miasma. You get used to the rebreather after a while. While it still sucks, it¡¯s not that bad in practice.¡± Sulika replied. She was helping Faeyra adjust her mask and walking her through the steps to adjust to the new flow of oxygen. ¡°I see.¡± Aldritch nodded in understanding. He wondered if they¡¯d let him disassemble one of their masks once they returned to Azuris? ¡°Well, take your time getting ready to enter the dungeon. The demons don''t seem to be interested in searching for us, so you should be safe here until I return.¡± He told them and turned to walk away. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Sulika asked, placing her hand on his bicep to stop him. ¡°We¡¯re a team, remember? And teammates don''t go off on their own, that''s a good way to get us all killed.¡± Aldritch smiled at her. ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trusting you to watch each other¡¯s backs while I eliminate the ranged attacker.¡± He gently pulled her hand off his arm and stepped away. "How do you know the demon will attack us at range? What if it''s just a look-out and it''ll regroup with the others as soon as it thinks something is wrong? Do you still think it''s a good idea to go off on your own?" She asked him, more insistently this time. "Yes. I do." Aldritch firmly replied. Before Sulika could say anything else, Aldritch bent his knees and jumped- the stone road beneath his feet cracked instantly, giving it the appearance of a four-foot-wide spider web. He reached the top of the thirty-foot tall building they were standing beside in the blink of an eye, then kicked off the exterior wall - the wall sank beneath his foot before exploding inwards like a kicked sandcastle, sending a few hundred pounds of debris flying towards the center of the building. The group watched Aldritch disappear over the top of the building in the blink of an eye. The hunt was officially on¡­. ¡°I can see why he left us.¡± Faeyra muttered. ¡°Why? Did you have a vision? Is he in danger?¡± Sulika asked, concerned about what kind of dangers they could be facing- ¡°Nah.¡± Faeyra replied, shaking her head. ¡°But if I could do that,¡± she said, pointing to the wall high above their heads. ¡°I would¡¯ve left us too. He moves faster on his own.¡± ¡°... You have a point there.¡± Sulika sighed.
The wind rushed past his ears as Aldritch soared through the air towards the demon waiting on the rooftop. He could see it; red skin, small wings, a fire spell waiting to be launched at the first sign of movement. In a single motion, Aldritch bit into his tongue and licked the kite shield emblem on his left wrist brace. The imp had been waiting almost thirty hours for someone to arrive. It¡¯d been told by the boss to wait with the Troll in front of the portal¡­ Pfft, yeah, that wasn¡¯t going to happen. The imp wasn¡¯t stupid. He knew what trolls liked to do to the smaller races whenever they were bored. And he had no intention of having any more holes put into his body. He liked the six he had, thank you very much. So, he¡¯d ditched the Troll and the Incubus he¡¯d been sent to assist and made a temporary camp on a nearby rooftop. It wasn¡¯t much; the roof was thirty feet wide, forty feet long, and was mostly flat save for the short rampart around it. Which was why he¡¯d been able to set up a small tent, cooking fire, a few chairs, and a keg of sustarin wine to pass the time without the other demons finding him. He¡¯d just sat down to a dinner of roasted rat when his eyes shifted from his fire to the skies - the sound of a giant dwarf hurtling through the air at the speed of a cocaine infused falcon wasn¡¯t exactly subtle. And had he not been drinking wine for the last few hours; he might¡¯ve noticed the giant sooner. The imp¡¯s eyes shifted back to the fire in front of him and his bottom lip quivered. In a moment of surprising clarity, the imp knew he was too inebriated to dodge, seated as he was. And the giant was likely far too heavy to block or redirect. With no other recourse, the imp did the only thing he could do: He bit off the roasted rat''s head, then flipped the metal cooking rod around and stabbed the pointy end at the giant. Aldritch called forth a small amount of mana and cast the spell Wyvern¡¯s Retaliation a second before- *Crash!* Aldritch slammed the shield into the imp¡¯s body like a wrecking ball. The demon, cooking rod, and roasted rat splattered against the shield like rotten tomatoes, sending blood, bile, metal pieces and bone in every direction. .17 seconds after Aldritch reduced a demon to something resembling juice with pulp in it, Aldritch¡¯s spell activated, and he used his shield to cushion the landing. His shield flattened the cooking fire first, scattering the embers and breaking charcoal into ashes. He rolled to his feet after passing the fire, just three feet from the back edge of the roof. A shockwave erupted from his body just before he would crash through the rampart and fall off. Because he hadn¡¯t used much mana in the creation of his spell, the shockwave it produced had minimal effect on the building and acted more like a cushion against his chest. With his momentum cut almost in half, Aldritch lightly jumped just before he reached the rampart and bounced over it without breaking the roof. Aldritch had a brief moment while he was in the air to decide where he was going next. His current landing target was a building pressed against the imp''s hideaway. It was just as wide and long, but only half the height; thirty feet instead of sixty. While falling, Aldritch cast Dragon¡¯s Eye and went looking for the other two demons while his body landed on the other roof - His weight was such that the roof sank beneath his feet the instant he landed, sending him crashing through the ceiling of the apartment beneath him. He bent his knees to absorb the impact and drove the spike of his shield into the floor to stop him completely - the building shook violently from the impact. Aldritch held his breath and waited, trying to will himself to be as light as possible so the building wouldn¡¯t collapse on top of him. ¡°It appears I overestimated the load capacity of the building.¡± Aldritch muttered, somewhat disappointed with himself. If he¡¯d cast a second Wyvern¡¯s Retaliation to cushion his fall, then the roof likely could¡¯ve held on long enough for him to depart. He looked around the old, dilapidated room he¡¯d fallen into and wondered where he was? The room was large, and would¡¯ve been spacious had someone not crammed over a dozen bunks inside the room¡­ Though there were three less now. Aldritch carefully stepped off the broken bed frame and glanced around the room. The only source of light came from the two small, oval-shaped windows high on the walls to his left and right. A small table had been shoved into the corner of the room, along with four chairs. To Aldritch¡¯s surprise there was a small mountain of decayed food still sitting on plates and in bowls. ¡°This looks like a barracks. Maybe it was this island''s equivalent of the Sentinel¡¯s Roost?¡± Aldritch said and took a step towards the table- his body froze as his foot landed on something solid¡­ He glanced down at the floor and found a broken picture frame lying beneath his boot. Aldritch bent down and picked up the frame. He shook the broken glass loose, then snapped the wooden frame between two fingers and pulled the faded photograph from within. The photo was of fifteen men and women of various races, in matching red outfits. Their faces showed exultation. Relief. Happiness. Emotions they would likely never experience again. Aldritch carefully folded the photo and placed it into a pouch he kept hidden inside his robe. ¡°The soldiers were likely getting ready for a meal before the demons showed up.¡± Oakairo replied, directing Aldritch¡¯s attention back to the table of food. Though his voice was somber, Aldritch could feel the rage bubbling just beneath the surface. Aldritch grunted his agreement before bending his knees and launching himself out the hole in the roof. Not willing to repeat his earlier blunder, Aldritch cast Wyvern¡¯s Retaliation just before landing. The spell acted as a cushion, allowing him to land ¡®softly¡¯ on the roof instead of crashing through it. Once his footing was secure. Aldritch took a few steps to build forward momentum then leapt off the roof towards the last place he¡¯d seen Sulika and company. Since the two remaining demons were both on the ground, and were relatively close to each other, there was almost no point in trying to sneak up on them; The moment one fell, the other would notice and go on the attack. It was time to see what the others could do. Now that they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being hit from afar, they should be able to handle the other two demons without issue. Right? Chapter 10 - Heavy Metal Dungeon (pt 2) Aldritch found the group almost exactly where he¡¯d left them. They¡¯d wandered to the end of the alley and were observing the demons guarding the entrance to the dungeon. At the sound of him landing behind them, Sulika and the others quickly spun and drew their weapons - But the moment the group realized it was just Aldritch, they released a collective sigh and turned back to face the demons. ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± Aldritch asked as he approached the group. As he was taller than everyone except Zarud, Aldritch could easily see the demons over their heads. The demon standing in front of the dungeon¡¯s entrance was widely considered the bane of hunters. The seventeen-foot-tall Troll was an exemplar of its species: Tall, broad shoulders, long stringy hair, deep red skin that could easily block a normal sword, and a pair of curved horns growing back over its skull. However, despite having all the physical characteristics of a close combat tank. Trolls were perhaps one of the most cunning demons to be found in the dungeons. This particular Troll was wearing a long black robe with an oversized hood. The hem of the robe stopped just above the Troll¡¯s ankles, covering almost its entire body. The only parts not covered were its face, and its two burly arms that remained folded across its chest. The other demon was one Sulika, Faeyra, and Max had already seen before. A slender Demonwolf was sitting on the remains of a collapsed wall a short distance away. The Demonwolf¡¯s bluish-black fur allowed it to blend in with the shadows of the surrounding buildings. Though, the effect was somewhat broken by the brightly colored, aquamarine robe the Demonwolf was wearing. ¡°Any idea what level they are?¡± Sulika asked while looking up at Aldritch. ¡°No. But I can probably find out, if you¡¯d like?¡± Aldritch replied. ¡°That¡¯d be helpful.¡± Faeyra said in a relieved tone. None of them were looking forward to going into battle without at least some information on the two demons. Aldritch cast the spell Wisdom of the Great Sage on the Troll, since it was the closer of the two demons.
Status
Class Shaman
Level 59
Ability Scores
Strength 28
Dexterity 12
Constitution 31
Wisdom 18
Intelligence 10
Charisma 6
¡°The Troll is level 59.¡± Aldritch told them before turning his gaze on the Demonwolf.
Status
Class Prowler
Level 54
Ability Scores
Strength 18
Dexterity 32
Constitution 15
Wisdom 10
Intelligence 15
Charisma 12
¡°Demonwolf is level 54. Would you like their classes as well?¡± He asked before dismissing the spell. Glancing down at Sulika, he found her- and nearly everyone else - staring up at him with varying emotions on display; annoyance being the most prevalent one. ¡°You can see their classes too? What level is your insight skill?¡± Max asked, his voice made it rather easy to see how uncomfortable he was knowing Aldritch could see so much information whenever he wanted. ¡°...70.¡± Aldritch replied after a brief moment to think about it. ¡°I¡¯ve only looked at it once, so I could be wrong. But I don¡¯t think I am. My ability to recall information is about as precise as can be.¡± ¡°70?¡± Max replied, clearly surprised at the number. ¡°I expected it to be a lot higher than that. At least 90, maybe even 100 considering everything else you can do.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been forced to do a lot of different things in my life - doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve mastered all of it yet.¡± Aldritch chuckled. ¡°Even so, 70 insight is nothing to sneeze at. You could make a lot of money as an identifier.¡± Oladi said. She wasn¡¯t surprised to learn of his high insight skill, as she¡¯d gotten to know many Dwarven identifiers over the years. They were a subset of hunters that only used their skills as part of another job or hobby. Usually in a craftsman run shop or guild. Their skills allowed hunters to get an accurate assessment of whatever random bit or bobble they found in a dungeon and sell it for a good price. Knowing Aldritch¡¯s penchant for chocolate milk, she figured he¡¯d jump at the idea¡­ But he didn¡¯t react. At least, not in a way she could see. ¡°A certification could be useful. Most people don¡¯t like buying from a relatively unknown source, so we might struggle to make money until the people of Azuris start to trust us. Getting certified by the city should make that process a lot smoother...¡± Aldritch said to Oakairo. ¡°Would you go through with it though?¡± Oakairo replied in an amused tone. ¡°That¡¯d mean allowing people to peek at your skills.¡± ¡°Not usually. But if it would allow us to make more money in the future, then I don¡¯t have any substantial reasons not to go through with it. Wasn¡¯t like I was trying to hide it anyway.¡± Aldritch said and turned his attention back to the group. ¡°So? What do you want to do? If you want to try and fight one of them, I¡¯ll support you. If not, then I¡¯ll just take care of them myself.¡± Sulika chewed on her bottom lip for a few seconds. She glanced around at her friends and guildmates for their thoughts¡­ But they were all watching her. ¡°We¡¯ll follow your lead.¡± Derrik told her while grinning. ¡°You¡¯re our captain. You say fight, I¡¯ll hit whichever bastard you put in front of me.¡± Zarud said with his chest puffed out. ¡°I¡¯ve got your back. Always have, always will.¡± Faeyra said, smacking Sulika on the back to motivate her. ¡°It¡¯s seven on one. What¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡± Ralocan jokingly asked. ¡°Well, death, obviously. But I agree with the sentiment.¡± Oladi said, nodding her approval. Sulika watched them agree one by one. Their support and faith in her set loose countless butterflies in her stomach. She couldn¡¯t help but smile - both in thanks for their support and out of nervousness. ¡°Then¡­ we¡¯ll fight.¡± Sulika said and looked up at Aldritch, who was grinning at her. ¡°Good job.¡± He muttered and placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Follow my instructions and I¡¯ll see to it that you win. Yes?¡± Sulika could feel her breakfast trying to come back up. It was a struggle, but she managed to keep it down and nodded. ¡°Max, think you can handle the Demonwolf?¡± Aldritch asked him. Max scoffed and didn¡¯t verbally answer the question. Instead, he tightened the straps on his gauntlets until they bit into the skin beneath his fur - He slammed his fists together in front of his chest. The metal gloves emitted a surprisingly clear sound that reminded Aldritch of a large bell. Max leaned his body forward slightly - He shot towards the Demonwolf like a bolt fired from a ballista. The guild master roared as he charged; his voice was raw, broken, and filled with more rage than Aldritch thought the little Kandis could contain inside his little body. Out of curiosity, Aldritch cast Wisdom of the Great Sage on Max.
Status
Class Savage Monk
Level 61
Ability Scores
Strength 27
Dexterity 24
Constitution 14
Wisdom 12
Intelligence 10
Charisma 14
Both demons heard Max¡¯s attack and turned to look at the small Kandis charging at them. Both demons showed expressions of surprise at the audacity - which turned into amusement when they realized he didn''t even have a weapon. "You''re coming with me!" Max roared and leapt towards the Demonwolf.
Savage Monk exclusive skill ''Rage of the Righteous'' has been used.
Damage resistance: +50% for 20 seconds.
Strength: +15 for 20 seconds.
Dexterity: +15 for 20 seconds.
Constitution: +15 for 20 seconds.
Warning! Your body will enter a ''broken'' state for 10 minutes after the skill ends.
Cooldown initiated: 70 minutes.
The Demonwolf¡¯s expression instantly shifted from humor to bewilderment as Max entered its reach and the Kandis somehow accelerated to the point of momentarily vanishing from sight - The Demonwolf felt, rather than saw, Max''s hand close around its throat, and suddenly its feet weren''t on the ground anymore. In an instant the two canine warriors disappeared through the door of a nearby building and the sound of battle quickly followed as walls were broken and glass was shattered. ¡°Eyes up front.¡± Aldritch told the group. ¡°The troll is on the move: I¡¯ll save you if it looks like you¡¯re going to die. But otherwise, you¡¯re on your own for this fight. I need to see what you¡¯re capable of without me fighting your battles for you.¡± "Aren''t you going to wish us luck?" Sulika said; half as a joke and half because she was fighting the urge to vomit and was trying to keep her mind off of it. "You don''t need luck." Aldritch replied in a voice only she could hear. "You just need to have as much faith in yourself as I have in you... Now, are you ready?" Sulika licked her too-dry lips and nodded. "Good. Then show me what you can do." He finished in a louder voice, one that everyone could hear. The six hunters drew their weapons and slowly exited the alleyway in a line. Once they were clear of the alley, they fanned out, surrounding the troll and making it much harder to get in each other¡¯s way. The Troll smirked in response to their caution; an act that showed off its razor-sharp teeth and its sadistic thoughts. It raised its hands in front of its body and started chanting in the Giants tongue: [By the force of my will, I trample the world underfoot- bending it to my whim.] Each word it spoke caused more mana to rise from its body, which was represented by an arc of electricity breaking away from its skin and striking the ground or tearing through the air. ¡°Zarud and Derrik are the front line. Keep it busy. Trolls will throw spells the moment it senses an opportunity. It''s your job to prevent that.¡± Aldritch said. He focused a small amount of mana into his voice, causing it to reverberate through the alley and penetrate their skulls directly. Zarud stomped his left foot and activated his class exclusive skill: Savage Rage - Crimson mana caused his muscles to swell and his senses to dull. His vision zoomed in on the enemy standing before him until they were the only two creatures in the world. The last conscious thought Zarud had before madness overcame his senses was the telltale chime of a system notification.
Barbarian exclusive skill ¡®Savage Rage'' has been used.
Strength: +10 for 1 minute.
Dexterity: +5 for 1 minute.
Constitution: +10 for 1 minute.
Intelligence: -10 for 1 minute.
Wisdom: -5 for 1 minute.
Charisma: -10 for 1 minute.
Uses remaining before cooldown initiates: 1
With a madness induced roar on his breath, Zarud charged the Troll with his axe pulled back and ready to bite into the Troll¡¯s flesh. Derrik lifted his beloved two-handed great hammer into the air above his head. ¡°Let¡¯s crack some skulls, Rosa!¡± He cried and activated his class exclusive skill: Provoke.
Warrior exclusive skill ¡®Provoke¡¯ has been used.
Damage resistance: +20% for 30 seconds.
Designated targets will be unable to target party members for the duration of the skill.
Cooldown initiated: 180 seconds.
Violet-colored mana poured forth from his body like a bonfire. The Troll found its eyes inexplicably drawn towards the Dwarf - Without meaning to, the Troll released the spell it¡¯d been building and allowed the gathered mana to dissipate. The Troll shook its head and tried to focus, but its brain was drowning in a haze that obscured higher thoughts and made it impossible to think of anything but twisting that irritating little Dwarf¡¯s head off! A roar spilled from the Troll¡¯s mouth, and it began to charge at Derrik - only for a rage-amped Zarud to leap in front of it and - *Bam!* The Troll felt its right knee buckle beneath the force of a ten-pound axe biting deep into its thigh. But driven by madness as he was, Zarud wasn¡¯t about to let the Troll go with only one strike. He dodged out of the way of its falling body while ripping the axe free and circled around to its back. Zarud raised his axe high and brought it down with everything he had, slamming the axe into the Troll¡¯s left shoulder. Metal clashed with bone and blood sprayed over Zarud''s face - unfortunately, the Troll''s bone was too dense to cut through with a single strike. The axe bounced off the Troll''s shoulder, instead removing a chunk of flesh from the side of its arm and causing more dark blood to pour from the demon''s body. The Troll wailed in agony and swung its fist at Zarud, forcing the Half-Orc back a few steps. Derrik capitalized on the opportunity and rushed in to assist Zarud; with a mighty leap that belied his size, Derrik crossed a dozen feet in a single leap and brought his hammer, ¡®Rosa¡¯, down on the Troll¡¯s head like a meteor - *Bang!* The hammer smashed into the top of the Troll¡¯s head, cracking one of its horns and forcing it to use its hands to keep from falling to the ground. The Troll turned its baleful eyes on Derrik - Who didn''t give it a chance to do anything else; Rosa smashed the Troll''s cheek right and forced the Troll''s head aside. Dark blood flew from the Troll''s mouth as Derrik shifted his hold on Rosa and drove the head into the squishy part of the Troll''s throat, then brought the hammer back down onto the back of the Troll''s head. The blow was the final straw, and the Troll could no longer keep its balance. Derrik drove the Troll''s face into the road hard enough to break stone. ¡°Can any of you stop it from regenerating?¡± Aldritch asked Sulika, Faeyra, Oladi, and Ralocan. ¡°Not me. But I could probably keep it distracted.¡± Sulika hesitantly replied. ¡°I¡¯ve never attempted to use my magic on a Troll before. I don¡¯t know-¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Aldritch said, cutting her off. He placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned down to whisper in her ear. ¡°A battle isn¡¯t the place for hesitation. Can you do something to help or are you a liability?¡± He asked while watching for her reaction. While the others were speaking, Derrik and Zarud continued their assault on the Troll. The two hunter¡¯s fighting styles were polar opposites; Zarud hacked away at the Troll¡¯s vitals with reckless abandon. Every hit was driven by Zarud¡¯s savage instincts telling him to go for the kill: Rip out the jugular so it bleeds. Crack open the skull so it can¡¯t think. Cut out its lungs so it can¡¯t breathe. Kill. Kill. Kill. While Zarud fought off instinct, Derrik¡¯s style was deliberate. Every strike had purpose; every step followed the plan as he surgically drove Rosa into the Troll¡¯s joints. Dislocate the shoulders to keep it from pushing itself up. Break the hip so it can¡¯t stand. And if he could get in fast enough to strike before the Troll could react with its long claws and longer arms, shatter the spine to temporarily paralyze it. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. However, despite laying into the Troll with everything they had. Neither hunter was causing any permanent damage to the demon. Its skin was too thick in many places for Zarud¡¯s axe to create more than a shallow gash - which would heal in a couple of seconds anyway. And its bones were growing stronger with every break, forcing Derrik to use more and more strength behind every blow. The battle had only been going for a few seconds, but the tide was already turning against them. Especially since the Troll wasn¡¯t just sitting there and taking the abuse. It lashed out with tooth, nail, claw, fist, and foot in response to each attack they levied against it. Zarud was barely able to dodge thanks to the preternatural instincts of the Orcs and his self-buff. But Derrik didn¡¯t have the same advantage. So, his ability to attack and retaliate was gradually falling behind as the Troll adapted to their attacks. Watching all of this happen with a concerned look in her eye. Sulika nodded after a brief pause. ¡°...I can help.¡± ¡°Then stop thinking and do it. Keep it from retaliating.¡± Aldritch replied. He lightly shoved her towards the troll before turning his attention to the other three hunters. Sulika took three quick steps forward to keep her balance and thrust her wand at the Troll. Her mana was bubbling just beneath her skin and the moment she decided to cast a spell, it leapt to her aid like an excited puppy. ¡°Enmet: Daze!¡± She chanted; The level 0 spell took the form of a ball of black smoke as it launched from the tip of her wand. Normally, Daze was a spell that only affected creatures of level 20 or below. However, because of Sulika¡¯s class ¡®Nine-Tail¡¯s Heir¡¯ that was no longer the case. So long as it belonged to the enchantment school of magic, a level 0 spell cast by Sulika could be used to full effect on creatures up to level 40, half effect up to level 50, and quarter effect up to level 60. Zarud jumped forward and brought his axe down on the Troll¡¯s right shoulder and sunk deep into its flesh -
Barbarian exclusive skill ¡®Savage Rage'' has ended.
All stats have returned to normal.
¡­ Now he had a problem. The axe had gone too deep, and he couldn¡¯t get it out without his stat bonuses. Zarud placed his foot on the Troll¡¯s thigh and kicked off in an attempt to pry it free. But he¡¯d wasted too much time - The Troll¡¯s body healed around the axe head before he could pull it free, anchoring it in place as surely as if he''d left it in concrete. The Troll used that opportunity to slash Zarud across the chest with its claws and had Zarud not been as close as he was, that would¡¯ve been his end. The Troll¡¯s arm slammed into Zarud before the claws could touch him, launching him away and out of range before the Troll¡¯s claws could do more than leave a shallow gash. But even a glancing blow from a Troll was life-threatening for most people. Two bones in Zarud¡¯s chest were decimated on impact, and he was sent flying right as the ball of black smoke flew from the tip of Sulika¡¯s wand: It barely missed Zarud¡¯s body mid-flight, passing only a few centimeters from his side and nearly grazing his arm as the appendage thrashed through the air. Oladi immediately jumped to Zarud¡¯s aid. Her nose and mouth elongated into a gray beak with a sharp point, her neck lengthened slightly, and a wave of black feathers cascaded from her scalp to the soles of her feet, before exploding off her body. A monstrous crow took the elf¡¯s place and flew to intercept Zarud. She wrapped her body around his at the moment of impact, and the two of them came crashing to the ground. Oladi protected Zarud¡¯s head while they rolled across the ground, ending with her straddling his waist and hugging his head against her feathery chest. ¡°Aldritch! Help!¡± She screamed while climbing off of him and gently setting his head on the ground. The ball struck the Troll in its left shoulder right as it climbed to its feet -The spell exploded into a mass of dark mist that infiltrated the Troll¡¯s body through its nostrils, ears, and mouth. The Troll¡¯s eyes rolled back into its head, and it swayed backwards - But didn¡¯t fall. A weak spell such as Daze, enhanced as it was, could only affect the Troll for a split second. It grabbed Zarud¡¯s axe and, accompanied by an ear-splitting roar, ripped the axe from its shoulder and used it to deflect a debilitating strike from Derrik that would''ve sent its face right back into the ground. Instead, it was Rosa that slammed into the stone road; dust and small rocks came flying up to smack Derrik in the face - which was immediately followed by the Troll attempting to grab him. Sulika¡¯s second spell hit the Troll at that exact moment. ¡°Enmet: Phantom Pain.¡± was a spell invisible to all but those with magic sight: As Sulika whipped her wand towards the Troll in the same way one would skip a stone, a phantasmal dagger sprang forth from the end of the wand and sank into the Troll¡¯s right eye. The Troll cried out in pain and grabbed its own face in surprise. Derrik jumped at the chance to get payback for Zarud - He quickly spun his body and, much like a golfer aiming for the green, followed through with the motion while using the Troll''s legs to guide Rosa straight to its squishy target. The Troll made a sound that could have either been a cough or a whimper and sank to its knees, sweat beading down its forehead as it concentrated on recovering. ¡°Ralocan, the Troll is going to start healing in a second. We can¡¯t allow that.¡± Aldritch said at the same time as Sulika¡¯s second spell hit the Troll. This time his voice was directed solely at Ralocan. Cyndarr¡¯s priest jumped at the sound of Aldritch¡¯s voice but adapted quickly and nodded. ¡°O¡¯ honorable Cyndarr, my keeper and guardian, hear my despaired prayer. Cast your divine light upon the world and bring righteous Bane upon the evil. I ask this of you as your humble servant: Cyndarr¡¯s Ruination.¡± He chanted in a quiet voice. His body shined dimly as divine mana flowed just beneath the skin. He built his mana over a period of two seconds and released it into the sky directly overhead. A dark, orange-colored mana flew from his body and penetrated the clouds in less than a second - Ralocan dropped to his knees the moment the mana left him and sucked in a breath. An instant after the mana disappeared from view, another stream of mana broke through the clouds on a collision course with the Troll. Orange mana that was as bright as the sun struck the Troll like a lightning bolt, its thick skin offering no resistance against the divine mana. The Troll¡¯s body reacted immediately: his stomach flipped, his blood flowed backwards, his brain spun inside his skull, all of it culminating in one of his hearts ceasing to function as the spell truly took hold. The demon couldn¡¯t fight like this. Hell, it could barely move. It took every ounce of concentration the demon could muster just to keep itself upright. Which meant they needed to capitalize on this moment and finish it off. ¡°Now¡¯s your chance, Derrik.¡± Aldritch said while bringing up his right hand and aiming it at Zarud - A jaw dropping amount of mana pooled into his hand. ¡°Rejection of Pain, Greater Heal, Regeneration.¡± He muttered, casting one spell after another. Zarud¡¯s body reacted to mana in an instant, his eyes coming alive as it poured into him; knitting flesh, mending bones, and forcing his body to produce enough adrenaline to keep him awake. ¡°Son of a BITCH!¡± Zarud screamed. He rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself onto his hands and knees to fight against the stinging pain in his back and chest. Zarud¡¯s pain-filled yell came right as Derrik activated his second skill and let out a battle-cry of his own. ¡°Charge!¡± Derrik roared.
Warrior exclusive skill ¡®Charge¡¯ has been used.
Cooldown initiated: 35 seconds remaining.
A violet-colored spark of mana appeared at the center of his chest at the same time as Derrik began sprinting at the demon - an instant later, the mana bloomed into an aura of purple flames that covered his entire body like a suit of armor. Derrik''s speed quadrupled in the blink of an eye, and he rocketed towards the Troll with his hammer held high - *Bang!* The roar that spilled from Derrik¡¯s mouth as he made contact with the Troll¡¯s face was filled with all the pain and anger his body could contain; Rosa flattened the Troll¡¯s face, broke its skull, and nearly sent its brain flying out of the back of its head. The momentum of the hit carried over to the Troll, causing it to collapse backwards. Its body folded back onto its legs while its dazed eyes looked skyward. Zarud and Oladi appeared in the corner of its eyes before it could recover. Zarud snatched his axe back from the Troll and lifted it high into the air while Oladi placed her monstrous crow foot onto the Troll¡¯s chest - the Troll moaned in pain as Oladi curled her toes and drove her talons into its pectoral muscles. The Troll opened its mouth wide in anger and reached for her leg - Zarud¡¯s axe slammed down onto its open mouth, cleaving through the relatively thin skin of its cheeks and smashing through the already shattered bones in its neck. The top of the Troll¡¯s head rolled free from the rest of its body and Zarud shouted ¡°YEESSAH!¡± as his adrenaline peaked... And then he immediately collapsed backwards, falling flat on his backside as the adrenaline began to fade. There was a long moment of silence as everyone processed what''s just happened. They¡¯d just killed the scourge of all hunters: A level 59 Troll lay dead at their feet, by their own power¡­ Aldritch smiled as they erupted in cheers of joy - But that smile was almost wiped off his face as Sulika, Derrik, Zarud, and Ralocan went pale-faced. Their bodies were shaking, from what, Aldritch didn¡¯t know. Wasting no time, he cast Wisdom of the Great Sage on Sulika.
Diagnostic Screening
Age 27
Race Yako Kitsune
Vitals Optimal for Race
B.P 142/95 124/76
Pulse 135 106
Temp 102.5 102.6
O.S 91% 100%
Abnormalities affecting the Body:
Suffering from an Acute Mana Surge | Cause: Unknown.
Abnormalities affecting the Immune System:
None Detected.
¡°Acute mana surge?¡± Aldritch didn¡¯t understand. Did she have too much mana inside her or too little? Was the effect caused by her body attempting to replenish the spent mana faster than she could handle? However, it became clear the moment his eyes landed on the other screen.
Status
Class Nine-Tail¡¯s Heir
Level 32 [Level up!]
Ability Scores
Strength 10
Dexterity 20
Constitution 10
Wisdom 14
Intelligence 16
Charisma 20
¡°So that¡¯s how they grow in strength¡­" Aldritch muttered while frowning. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Oakairo asked him. He was confused by Aldritch¡¯s reaction. This was a question answered: they knew what it looked like when a hunter increased in level. Isn¡¯t that what Aldritch wanted? ¡°This isn¡¯t right.¡± Aldritch replied through the bond while shaking his head in confusion. ¡°It¡¯s not safe, nowhere near it. A simple test would¡¯ve shown how impractical this delivery method is. What happens if they ¡®level up¡¯ during combat? They can barely stand. Her BP and pulse are worryingly high -¡± Aldritch paused and quickly checked on the others¡­ and discovered they were all suffering from the same side effects as Sulika. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if someone has had a heart attack because of this.¡± Aldritch was getting angry now. Lack of a maker¡¯s mark was certainly bad, but it was mostly just unprofessional from a quality standpoint¡­ This was different. This could actually cause deaths or permanent damage to the body. ¡°Is everyone alright?¡± Aldritch asked everyone and got a round of nods and smiles in return. ¡°Just grand.¡± Sulika exclaimed in between sucking in breaths of air. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t mind a short break though.¡± She said and smiled at Aldritch. At the mention of a ¡®break¡¯ the others all nodded in agreement and sighed in relief. ¡°Alright, everyone.¡± Aldritch said and forced a smile. ¡°All of you take a rest. I¡¯ll go find Max and we¡¯ll enter the dungeon once I return. Faeyra, Oladi you two keep an eye on them. Yell if you need me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Faeyra said before jogging over to Sulika¡¯s side. ¡°Understood.¡± Oladi replied and dipped her head. ¡°Thank you for healing Zarud.¡± She said loudly. Aldritch dipped his head in acceptance before walking away. As he turned his back to them, the smile melted off his face. ¡°Now I see why they left the mark off.¡± Aldritch muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t understand; How could they possibly benefit from killing off hunters?¡± Oakairo asked. Gods needed worshippers to survive. Killing them was a bad practice no matter how many worshippers you had, and Oakairo had seen plenty of gods waste away as their following dwindled to nothing. Why would you intentionally shave away at your lifeline? ¡°I can only think of two reasons: They don¡¯t want to see tomorrow¡­ or it¡¯s not their lifeline anymore.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying they¡¯ve figured out a way to eliminate the need for worshipers?¡± Oakairo asked in a curious tone. ¡°Maybe not completely.¡± Aldritch admitted. ¡°But what if they¡¯ve figured out a way to bypass it?¡± Aldritch glanced over at Ralocan. Of the people effected, he looked the least troubled by the process. Was it because he did the least amount of work? Doubtful: he¡¯d leveled up just as the others had. So, why then? ¡°...What if the Gods of this world figured out a way to get the benefits of a worshiper, without the need for faith?¡± Aldritch asked him. ¡°...Ah. Clever. Very clever.¡± Oakairo chuckled after brief pause. ¡°You¡¯re saying they¡¯re leeching off the power of the hunters as a whole, so the loss of one or two individuals isn¡¯t a huge loss. Right?¡± He asked and got a nod from Aldritch. ¡°Then it wouldn''t have been a bad solution, if they¡¯d implemented it correctly. Accidentally killing off the source of your power is still pretty idiotic and should be fixed.¡± Aldritch nodded as he rounded a corner and spotted Max. The Kandis was sitting beside the broken and bloody form of the Demonwolf with a pipe hanging from the corner of his mouth. Max was bleeding in a few places; none looked serious, just a few shallow cuts and a gash on the back of his head. Aldritch was amused to note that despite the wounds, this was the most relaxed he¡¯d ever seen Max. Max pulled the pipe from his mouth and blew out a ring of smoke while lightly tapping the pipe on the ground to dislodge the ashes - He spotted Aldritch and casually waved at the giant. ¡°How did they fare with the Troll?¡± He asked in a slow, methodical voice. ¡°Better than they probably had any right to. They are an effective team, if a bit greener than I''d like.¡± Aldritch replied while looking over Max¡¯s wounds. ¡°Would you like me to heal you?¡± Max¡¯s body froze at the question. He sat without moving for a few seconds before standing up and brushing himself off. ¡°I would rather you did not do that. I prefer being like this.¡± He said and moved past Aldritch. ¡°Pain keeps the demons at bay. Is that it?¡± Aldritch asked while falling into step beside Max - which was more difficult than he¡¯d thought due to the different lengths of their strides. ¡°Something like that.¡± Max laughed. Ten minutes later they regrouped with the now rested members of Mag ¨¢rsa. The portal hovered in the air before them: Crimson in color and a hair shy of fifteen feet tall and over six feet wide. The portal was one of the largest they had seen - a testament to the amount of time it¡¯d been leaking miasma into the world. Only Max had seen bigger, and even then, it was just the once. Ten years ago, he, and the group he¡¯d been traveling with, happened upon a green portal that was almost twenty feet tall and ten feet wide. ¡°This portal looks different than the one we traveled through before.¡± Aldritch mused. ¡°Really?¡± Max asked. ¡°It looks pretty standard for a red dungeon.¡± ¡°He¡¯s talking about the one we found him in¡­ It was purple.¡± Sulika muttered the last bit. Max¡¯s body froze in surprise and his head slowly turned to face her. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that.¡± ¡°Does that mean something?¡± Aldritch asked. He was confused by Max¡¯s reaction. Did the colors mean something? ¡°Yes, it does.¡± Max sighed. ¡°Dungeons are ranked on three criteria; the color of the portal, how dark the color is, and the value of the resources inside. This is what¡¯s considered when we assign ranks to a dungeon.¡± ¡°I see. And how does purple differ from red?¡± Aldritch asked in a curious tone. He had an inkling of what it meant, but he wanted to confirm it before saying anything. ¡°It¡¯s just another type of dungeon.¡± Max replied, scratching his head in irritation. ¡°I wonder if he¡¯s being intentionally obtuse?¡± Aldritch wondered while watching Max. ¡°Could you be more specific?¡± ¡°This-¡± Max said and waved at the dungeon in front of them. ¡°Is a high-level war dungeon. A purple dungeon is a different type.¡± Max told him; He was beginning to get agitated again and the speed of his words was increasing as a result. ¡°Interesting. What other types are there?¡± Aldritch asked. He chuckled at the look of annoyance that flashed across Max¡¯s face. ¡°There are three primary types that can mix to form secondary types. The difficulty of a dungeon is determined by the shade of its color. Darker colors are for higher levels, lighter colors are safer for beginners.¡± Sulika explained, speaking up in place of Max. ¡°Red dungeons force you to fight, yellow dungeons force you to solve puzzles or avoid traps, and blue dungeons require you to survive in harsh conditions for extended periods of time.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Thank you for your input Sulika. You have been most helpful.¡± Aldritch replied and smirked at Max, who only grew more irritated. He was tired of waiting, tired of wasting time. There was a dungeon right in front of them. So, why haven¡¯t they entered it yet? ¡°So, following that logic, orange dungeons require you to solve puzzles while fighting demons, green dungeons are vast labyrinths, and purple dungeons are survival trials. Yes?¡± Aldritch asked while staring up at the portal. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Sulika said, surprised he¡¯d guess it so easily. ¡°How¡¯d you guess?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just color theory, isn¡¯t it?¡± Aldritch asked. ¡°Red and yellow make orange, blue and yellow make green, red and blue make purple: It would only make sense if the dungeons inside changed according to the color combinations.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Sulika paused and considered that. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s correct. I¡¯m just not used to someone making the connection so quickly.¡± She laughed. Aldritch blinked in surprise at her comment before smiling and nodding in understanding. ¡°The simplest answer is often the most overlooked. Especially in moments such as this. I don¡¯t doubt most people would assume the system is more complicated simply due to the risky nature of dungeons.¡± He finished and rotated his left shoulder to stretch out his muscle before biting into his tongue to draw blood. He licked the index finger on his right hand to smear the blood onto his finger and activated the enchantment containing his shield. The group watched in awe as a slab of gold that was taller than half of the people present appeared on his left arm. ¡°I have some idea of your abilities. But I¡¯m eager to see what the rest of you are truly capable of.¡± He told them while rotating his other arm. ¡°Derrik and Zarud: the two of you have a decent attack pattern. That¡¯s good. You¡¯ll assist me in facing any demon who gets too close to the ranged dealers. Both of you stay at the rear of the group and stop anyone trying to get behind us.¡± Aldritch told them. Derrik and Zarud glanced at each other, shrugged, then moved to the rear of the group with their weapons resting on their shoulders. ¡°Sulika, you¡¯re also going to be at the back of the group. I need someone there to take command in case we get separated.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Sulika replied while nodding in agreement. ¡°Ralocan, you¡¯re with Sulika. You¡¯re in charge of supporting the rear guard as best you can. Keep Derrik and Zarud healed up, debuff Demons when you can, and for Oakairo¡¯s sake: If you¡¯re going to carry around a mace and a shield - Use them.¡± Aldritch told him with a serious look in his eye. Aldritch disliked the notion that priests and clerics were weak and only good for the magic they wielded. By the gods, they were armor wearing, weapon toting warriors who could heal themselves of any and all damage if they wanted. Unless they had a truly unfathomable amount of mana, it was a waste for clerics and priests to act solely as spell casters because they simply weren''t capable of that. Most of their spells weren¡¯t useful for dealing damage like a sorcerer or a wizard and they weren¡¯t as good at buffing the team as Oladi could be. So, where did that leave them? Well, exactly where Aldritch was; someone who could charge into the thick of battle with the warriors, debuff enemies with the aid of Divine mana, and heal themselves and their fellow warriors at every turn. Was that a more dangerous strategy than holding the healer back and allowing them to focus only on healing? Yes, absolutely it was. But in his experience, a warrior priest thrived more easily in the thick of battle than even the knights. Ralocan looked embarrassed at being called out - even so, he begrudgingly nodded and moved to stand beside Sulika. ¡°Oladi and Faeyra: You two are staying in the center of the group, behind Max and myself. Faeyra¡¯s potions can better support the entire group from that position and Oladi will serve as her aide.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Oladi said, raising her hand to get Aldritch¡¯s attention. ¡°I specialize in close combat, not support.¡± ¡°Yes. I figured as much when you transformed into a bird and caught Zarud.¡± Aldritch replied and shot Oladi a look of confusion. ¡°Do you have an issue with where I¡¯ve placed you?¡± ¡°No, but¡­ Shouldn¡¯t I be at the back with them?¡± She asked while motioning to Zarud and Derrik. ¡°Why would you be?¡± Aldritch asked her, clearly curious about her reasoning. ¡°Derrik, Zarud, Ralocan, and Sulika are enough to form the rear guard. While they are protecting our backs, Max and I will force our way through any demons we come across. Faeyra¡¯s potions will play a vital part in our formation, as from the middle she can assist any who needs it.¡± ¡°And what about me?¡± Oladi asked. She was thoroughly confused about Aldritch¡¯s orders. Sulika had always put her up front with Zarud and Derrik. That was where she felt she was most useful. So, why was he putting her in the middle? ¡°You believe I¡¯m underutilizing you.¡± Aldritch said, suddenly understanding the issue. ¡°Yes.¡± Oladi immediately replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re putting me in the middle with Faeyra. I think I could do so much more on the ends with the other fighters -¡± ¡°Did I ask?¡± Aldritch said, cutting her off. He stepped forward, placing himself only a foot from her, and leaned down to look her in the eye. ¡°I don¡¯t remember asking for your thoughts¡­¡± He said with narrowed eyes... Which relaxed a few seconds later. ¡°You believe I¡¯m underutilizing you because I didn¡¯t place you where you wanted to be placed. Fair enough. But keep those thoughts to yourself unless I ask. Is that understood?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± Oladi replied through gritted teeth. ¡°But can I at least ask why you put me here?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Aldritch replied and offered her a slight smile. ¡°You can always ask why I do things. What you will not do is complain about my orders. You can disagree with them, you can despise me for them, but you will complete them¡­¡± He trailed off before returning to his full height and taking a step back. ¡°To answer your question: I¡¯m placing you in the middle to protect Faeyra from anything that slips past the melee groups. She is vulnerable to attack, you are not. Any more questions?¡± He said, glancing around at the group. Everyone was watching him with concern in their eyes, but no one asked a question. Aldritch nodded in acceptance and turned to face the dungeon portal. He was willing to accommodate reasonable requests. But he would not tolerate refusing his commands. By all means, question his choices. But do so after they return home. Refusing to do as he asks on a mission is a good way for everyone to meet a bad end¡­ He¡¯d seen it happen more times that he wanted to remember. ¡°So long as you do as I say, I swear on my name that I will get you home.¡± He said just loud enough for them to hear. After saying his piece, Aldritch took a step forward and entered the portal with his head held high and his shield at the ready. Chapter 10 - Heavy Metal Dungeon (pt 3) Aldritch passed through the portal with his shield raised in case the demons decided to launch an ambush against them¡­ But to his surprise, that¡¯s not what happened. He emerged into total darkness, but that meant nothing before his golden eyes. They easily penetrated the darkness and revealed the details of his surroundings. The moment his body left the portal, his left boot landed on a dust covered steel rail that was slightly wider than his foot and twice as thick. Aldritch frowned at the inconvenient placement of the rail and quickly stepped off, causing his other foot to land on a pile of loose gravel and the remains of an old wooden board that bridged the gap between this rail and a second, identical rail twelve feet away. He was standing in the center of a vast man-made tunnel. Rows of interlaid bricks and mortar were used to build the seventy-foot-high walls that curved seamlessly into the ceiling. A line of heavy steel supports pierced the ceiling in front of Aldritch, dividing the tunnel into two equally wide segments. There were two other steel rails on the other side of the tunnel. Both were identical to the two Aldritch was standing between, and all four spanned the entire length of the tunnel ahead of him. Aldritch took a few steps forward and looked behind him - But all he could see was the crimson portal. On this side of the dungeon¡¯s entrance, the portal was truly massive. It spanned the entire width and height of the tunnel, blocking him from exploring further in this direction. Aldritch¡¯s face twitched in irritation, and he turned away from the portal. He took a large step forward as Max passed through the portal behind him. Like Aldritch, Max looked down at the odd sound his boot made. But he didn¡¯t focus on the rail for long. He was only interested in looking for traps and, finding none, Max lost interest in the ground and moved to stand beside Aldritch. ¡°This is new to me.¡± Max admitted as he stepped around Aldritch. ¡°Not the tunnel, obviously, I mean the rail and supports. This much steel in one place should make me happy. But -¡± ¡°You¡¯re wondering why the demons haven¡¯t already laid claim to it?¡± Aldritch asked, his voice was just loud enough for Max to understand him. He didn¡¯t want to cause an echo. ¡°It¡¯s not like them.¡± Max said in agreement. One by one the other members of Mag ¨¢rsa emerged from the depths of the portal and moved to stand behind Aldritch. Sulika, Faeyra, Oladi, Ralocan and Derrik were interested in the steel pillars in front of them. Each one had to weigh at least a few thousand pounds. How many gold coins could they get for each one? A hundred? Two? Maybe even three? However, Zarud and Max weren¡¯t quite as comfortable in the utter darkness of the tunnel. Kandis could see quite well in low light but were essentially blind in this level of darkness. This was especially true for Max, who was already blind in one eye. Luckily for him, he was able to compensate for his lacking vision with a preternatural sense of touch. As for Zarud. Orcs had excellent night vision, but were actually quite blind in direct sunlight since their eyes have a horrible time adjusting to bright light¡­ The opposite was true for Half-orcs. They had excellent vision during the day thanks - but in return, it took a long time for their eyes to adjust to dark environments. Because of this, Zarud had to be guided towards the group by holding onto the shoulder of Ralocan¡¯s robe. Aldritch paid little attention to the group¡¯s presence as he fixed his eyes on a point in the distance. There was a needle sized source of light directly ahead of them - and this was the only source of light Aldritch could see. ¡°Ears open everyone.¡± Aldritch said quietly and used mana to project his voice to the others. ¡°I can¡¯t use my scrying spell to scout effectively right now since I wouldn¡¯t be able to gauge depth or height in regard to our current location. Whether I see something or not, I would have no idea if they were around us, above us, below us, or hidden via magical means without switching to another spell. So, here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do. Oladi, you can summon a crow. Yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Raven, not a crow. But yes, I can summon one. It will take twenty-seven seconds to cast the spell.¡± She replied. ¡°Understood. Start casting now. Once you¡¯re done, I want you to send the crow towards that light and tell me what you see. I¡¯ll cast my scrying spell while you¡¯re doing that and perform a cursory scan.¡± ¡°Why do both?¡± Zarud asked. His tone wasn¡¯t meant to challenge Aldritch¡¯s decision. He was merely curious why he would bother using a spell that wouldn¡¯t work correctly. ¡°My spell is more accurate in terms of scale.¡± Aldritch explained while Oladi closed her eyes and began to quietly chant the spell of familiar summoning. ¡°But a familiar can see things from a different perspective than I can. So, it¡¯s more useful in this situation. Dragon¡¯s Eye.¡± He muttered, pushing his mana into action. It instantly left his body and shot through the roof like a ghost, passing through a few dozen feet of brick and a few hundred feet of solid stone before finally finding open sky. ¡°Eternal Mother, my Guardian, Origin of the natural world. Hear my call beneath the world where shadows fall. From the realm where Ravens take flight, I beg thee summon a creature of the night.¡± Oladi muttered and pulled on her mana. Like all spellcasters who drew their mana from an outside source - such as Priests, Druids, Oracles, certain types of Rangers, or Holy Knights - being in the dungeon hindered her ability to use mana effectively. It was much slower to respond than normal, and all spells consumed about 12% more mana than they would on Iolara. Oladi unintentionally frowned as she focused on casting the spell. Summon Familiar was normally as easy as breathing for her, which only made sense. It wasn''t as if she was creating the familiar out of thin air or conjuring an elemental. No, she''d already done that once; using the Eternal Mother''s power to give life to a wooden statue she''d spent nearly a month carving. But once Oladi completed the binding ritual that gave life to the raven and bound them together through their connection with the Eternal Mother. The Raven became a creature almost like any other living in the same world as she - it had thoughts, feelings, a life outside of doing her bidding - It could even consume food if it chose to. The spell was just a way to bring it to her location... But summoning it inside a Dungeon was an entirely different matter altogether. Normally, she would describe the feeling of casting the spell as turning a water release valve; the mana already wanted to act, she just needed to open the door and let it do what came naturally. But at this moment, the normally cooperative mana was being decidedly uncooperative. Even so, Oladi continued chanting the spell without pause. With each syllable spoken, Oladi¡¯s mana trudged forth from the farthest recesses of her soul. She would get through this spell even if it took twenty-seven minutes, twenty-seven seconds was nothing for her. ¡°Eyes of black, wings like the sky, draw them forth from where you lie. Cloak of night, heart so wild, be now my eyes, oh Mother¡¯s child. Guide my path, be my sight, on brightest day, or darkest night.¡± She finished while bringing up her right arm, palm facing towards the ceiling... A distant raven¡¯s cry reached everyone¡¯s ears at the exact moment Oladi finished her spell and released her mana into the air. The next second saw a large Raven fly swiftly and silently through the portal behind them: It flew circles around the group a few times before gently landing on Oladi¡¯s left shoulder. Aldritch ignored all of this in favor of scanning the area for demons¡­ He found more than he expected. Not just demons, but other things too. Hundreds of massive buildings that slashed the sky like claws made of stone and steel. Wide avenues separated one line of buildings from the next. But these areas weren¡¯t empty; A thousand - no, tens of thousands of metal monstrosities covered almost every inch of road he could see. All of them were as still as the grave, and cold as a corpse. Aldritch had no idea what he was looking at. But he didn¡¯t like it. Demons didn¡¯t leave resources out in the open like this. It went against their very nature. Aldritch believed their very society was built around moving from place to place and reaping every last ounce of usable resources until nothing remained. It¡¯s what they did to each and every country on his home world, it¡¯s what they were doing to the island before Aldritch arrived¡­ So, why weren¡¯t they doing the same here? ¡°See anything?¡± Max asked him. ¡°Nothing good.¡± Aldritch replied and started walking towards the light. ¡°Oladi, send your friend ahead. Let me know what it sees.¡± ¡°He.¡± Oladi muttered. She whispered something to the raven and pointed toward the light. The raven nodded and leapt from her shoulder. The first beat of its wings carried it over Aldritch¡¯s head, and the second beat pushed it onwards at surprising speed. It breached the exit to the tunnel in only a few seconds and quickly began to climb out of range of any melee attackers. The raven found itself inside an open building: Over a million square feet of cold, laminated flooring. Countless pieces of raggedy furniture, forgotten bags, decorated the enclosed space. An eerie purple light streamed through the countless holes in the rusting and cracked steel roof that constantly dropped shards of metal and dust into the room. And from the windowless holes that were halfway up each of the four walls. The raven counted eighty-six such holes. Each one was large enough for Aldritch to crawl through without issue, so the amount of miasma passing through them every second was nothing short of horrifying. Adding all of that together, it wasn¡¯t hard to believe the space was, at one time, a marvelous sight to behold¡­ But right now, it was nothing more than an old ruin that was just waiting for the chance to collapse on top of them. All of this information was sent to Oladi through the telepathic bond she shared with the Raven. She did her best to describe everything the raven saw, but even knowing what to expect didn¡¯t truly prepare them for the sight awaiting them. ¡°See any demons?¡± Aldritch asked her. He could see a few hundred swarming around their location. However, since they weren¡¯t currently under attack, he assumed they were on a different level than the tunnel. ¡°No.¡± Oladi muttered in a surprised tone. ¡°The building ahead appears safe - Well, as safe as a dungeon can be.¡± Aldritch nodded in understanding. ¡°Alright everyone. Eyes open for any signs of danger and look out for each other -'''' He suddenly stopped walking and turned to face the others. ¡°And remember this: If it comes down to protecting me or protecting yourself or anyone else. Prioritize each other first, anyone else comes secondary, and I come last. Is that understood?¡± There were a few side-eyes and uncertain glances shared amongst the group, but no one wanted to disagree with him right now. What did he mean by ''anyone else''? Who else would be in here besides their group and the demons? Reluctantly, they all agreed to his command and Aldritch led the group out of the tunnel with a smile on his face. The moment they left the darkness and stepped into the wide-open space, everyone except Aldritch, Max, and Oladi had to stop for a moment and take in exactly what they were seeing. The ceiling alone contained more steel than any of them had seen in their lives. Add in the metal walls, rails, pillars, and doors that could be seen in every possible direction¡­ This building was something out of a myth. The furniture that could be seen throughout the building was obviously of high quality, even in spite of the pervasive wear and tear showing on them, Max knew for a fact that collectors and nobles would pay through the nose for every piece here. ¡°I don¡¯t think the city can afford to buy this dungeon off of you, Sir Aldritch.¡± Max muttered. The laminated floor was separate from the tunnel¡¯s floor by a difference of five feet. Max and Aldritch cleared that distance easily and held out their hands to help lift the others onto the elevated floor. Sulika and Faeyra each grabbed one of Aldritch¡¯s hands and were gently lifted into the air. He placed them on the floor beside him before holding out his hand for Derrik. Meanwhile, Max took Oladi¡¯s hand in both of his own. He nodded to show he was ready - Oladi took a quick step forward and jumped. Max pulled back on her arm and launched her through the air. Oladi landed on the cold floor - but she wasn¡¯t expecting it to be as smooth as it was. Her boots slid a few feet across the laminated floor, forcing her to fight to maintain some semblance of balance. Luckily, she was able to maintain her footing until she stopped sliding. Zarud wasn¡¯t quite so lucky. Aldritch saw the half-orc flailing in an attempt to keep his footing and reacted instantly: his right arm snaked out and wrapped around Zarud¡¯s waist, hauling him off the ground and causing his feet to dangle helplessly in the air. ¡°You and I both know there was another way you could have done this.¡± Zarud grumbled while waiting for Aldritch to put him down. Aldritch nodded in agreement - He unceremoniously let go of Zarud¡¯s waist and allowed the half-orc to land butt first on the cold floor. ¡°You should¡¯ve just said thank you.¡± Sulika chuckled before helping Zarud to his feet. Aldritch took a few steps away from the group while looking down at the floor. It was like nothing he¡¯d ever seen before: Each tile was a perfectly carved square- ten feet long and ten feet wide. The tiles were yellowish-brown in color, with a wide black line running through the center of the tile he was standing on. He followed the black line with his eyes. He saw it bend and twist with every tile it passed through - Aldritch stopped focusing on the line itself and started looking at the floor as a whole. It was then that he discovered the line used the nine tiles in a large square to form a strange diamond pattern. There were probably a few hundred of these strange diamond patterns scattered across the building, each one requiring a minimum of nine tiles to form. ¡°What do you think it means?¡± Aldritch asked Oakairo. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It might be a family crest of some kind or perhaps the logo of a business? It could also just be a random symbol someone thought looked interesting. There¡¯s no way of knowing without more context.¡± Oakairo explained. His casual explanation belied his interest in the source of those symbols. Aldritch nodded and looked over his shoulder at the members of Mag ¨¢rsa, only to find them all staring at a mural that covered a forty-foot section of wall. Aldritch hadn''t noticed it before because he''d been too focused on the floor. However, now that he''d gotten a good look at it, it was obvious the painting was the true treasure here: The mural showed an endless field of purple roses that almost seemed to sparkle beneath the light of a massive silver moon. An ancient tree with midnight colored bark and golden leaves stood on the forefront of the painting, the golden leaves contrasted the silver moonlight wonderfully and gave the entire thing an ''otherworldly'' feel. With everything else demanding his attention, Aldritch almost didn''t notice the ethereally feminine human woman in a white dress walking through the field, approaching the horizon with her back to the observer. Her long black hair and dress had both been meticulously painted to give the appearance of wafting gently in an unseen wind... "I want it." Oakairo said in a completely serious voice. His draconic instincts were screaming at him to steal the mural and hide it away from the world. Only he should be able to look upon such a creation... Well, okay, Aldritch could see it too... And the chocolate Oracle. She could see it too. But that was it - No one... Okay, maybe Sulika could also look at it, occasionally. But that was it! Aldritch chuckled at the feelings coming through the bond and shook his head. "I''ll personally carve it from the wall, my Lord. But not now. We need to focus on ridding this place of demons before we can turn our sights on loot." He called to get everyone''s attention. ¡°Form up. I know you¡¯re excited about the reward waiting for you once this is over. But I need you all to focus until we can secure the area.¡± There were a few grumbled complaints about leaving the treasure trove unattended - most coming from within Aldritch''s own head. But the group did as Aldritch asked and formed up behind him: Max followed at Aldritch¡¯s right elbow, Oladi and Faeyra walking side by side behind them, then Sulika followed shortly after with Ralocan on her left, Derrik on her right, and Zarud at her back. This was the formation they maintained as they started walking. Across the room from where he was standing, Aldritch could see the frame of a large double door; Glass used to fill the frame, offering those inside a clear view of the city beyond the double doors. But the glass had been broken long ago. Now, only glass shards and sand remained on the floor in front of the door - which increased the chances of something Aldritch had been wondering about since they first entered the portal. If the demons had emerged from the same portal they''d come through, killing and pillaging anything in their path. If that were the case, wouldn''t the glass be outside the door? He thought it unlikely the demons would bother opening the door when they could just go through it, which would''ve caused the glass to explode outwards, not inwards. That should''ve only happened if they were already outside and had broken in. And if the demons were already outside when the portal in the tunnel appeared, then there could only be two explanations he could think of: either this was the Devil''s home world, which he doubted because of its ruined state, or there was another portal somewhere on the planet that connected to yet another dungeon. That was the secret Aldritch had only learned after centuries of studying the demons he''d killed: there was always another link in the chain, another world the Devils and Demons had destroyed or enslaved for no other reason than they could. A few demons had once claimed they didn''t have a choice. They had to attack other worlds or they''d die... But Aldritch knew this to be false. Demons had no pride to speak of and they would do or say anything and everything if it meant they could save their own hides. Even groveling before a ''lesser'' being was easy for them. So, why wouldn''t they also lie about their motives? The simple fact was, Demons did have a choice. They simply chose to put their own survival over the lives of the worlds they ruined. Nothing wrong with that, Aldritch had done the same with the many many demons he''d killed. And he would continue to do so until the day his body finally stopped functioning, or the last Devil lay broken beneath his boot. Aldritch slowed his stride to a fraction of what it was and glanced about the room. Despite how open the building appeared to be; with few things large enough to hide behind, and a clear line of sight to all four corners of the massive room, Aldritch refused to walk through the center of the building. He could ¡®see¡¯ countless demons moving through the space around them with Dragon¡¯s Eye. Since Oladi said the raven hadn¡¯t seen any demons on the floor, that meant they were in one of two places. Aldritch glanced down at the tiled floor - cold, hard, tough to get through in a pinch. Then his eyes trailed towards the ceiling: Numerous large holes and clear sight of the floor below¡­ Well, he knew where he would wait. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. As a group, they moved closer to the wall attached to the tunnel and continued following it towards the western end of the building. They opened every door they came across and explored the rooms therein; most led to dead-end rooms with more ancient furniture, but a few led to hallways that seemed to go in one direction forever. Every time they happened upon one of those hallways, Aldritch would shut the door and place his hand against the metal frame. The level 0 spell ¡®Lock¡¯ would take care of the rest. It might seem counterproductive to seal off possible escape routes. But there was a reason for it: until Aldritch could understand where the attacks were going to come from - and they were coming - he wanted to cut off as many pathways into the room as possible. So long as they remained in an open area, Aldritch¡¯s magic could protect the others. But in a narrow hallway, with everyone scrambling to protect themselves and each other¡­ Well, it would certainly be inconvenient, not to mention slow, to use such accurate magic. He¡¯d much rather leave through those double doors he¡¯d seen earlier. As he walked, checking rooms and sealing off hallways, Aldritch couldn¡¯t help but wonder what the building¡¯s purpose was. The open layout suggested it wasn¡¯t for industrial use; those types of building were usually compartmentalized for the sake of the logistics - For example, you wouldn¡¯t put a loud forge inside an area where people were trying to complete detail-oriented work. Likewise, you wouldn¡¯t store something hot next to something that must remain cold. An open layout would make those tasks much more complicated than they needed to be. However, an open building like this one was more suited towards customer service. Aldritch could imagine food stalls, merchants hawking their wares to any who passed by, maybe even a few bards playing for a few coins each. Places like this were great for creating a sense of community. A sense of belonging¡­ A place someone from any walk of life could come and lose themselves for a few hours. The tunnels were also strange. Their size and separation from the rest of the building suggested some kind of inherent danger. But the lack of a wall to isolate it implies the people still needed to access it regularly¡­ Could it have been some kind of transportation hub? That made more sense than anything else Aldritch could think of. They finally reached the westernmost wall after walking for several minutes and began following it towards the northern wall. Aldritch had been maintaining Dragon¡¯s Eye in order to watch the demons scurry around outside. The demons were full of erratic movements interspersed between brief periods of inactivity that brought everyone and everything to a halt. In those moments, it was like Aldritch was watching time stop. The way every mana source could just halt at the same time was a bit eerie. Even Aldritch would admit to that. He¡¯d never seen demons behave in such a way. Even stranger was the way the demons were gradually changing as they approached the northern wall, and the double doors. Those moments of inactivity were getting longer and longer until they eventually overtook the erratic movements they¡¯d been showing. Right now, he could see a large number of mana sources sitting idly, almost like they were waiting for something... Who was he kidding? Aldritch was well aware the demons knew they were nearby. They¡¯d probably sensed them the moment they¡¯d left the portal - That wasn''t what concerned Aldritch. The demons were going to find out about them sooner or later. Aldritch was only concerned with the three questions on his mind. First: How were the demons tracking them - was it magic? Was it a magical device he¡¯d missed? Or was it something entirely unknown to him? Second: How many demons were tracking them, and how many were waiting for the tracker¡¯s signal to attack? If every demon was capable of tracking them, then it didn¡¯t matter how they moved or what they planned. They would be forced to fight them all anyway. At that point, Aldritch would be better off fighting the demons as normal. But if only a few demons had access to the magic or devices tracking them, then he would need to change his plan entirely. Aldritch would be fine in a drawn-out battle. His mana recovered fast enough that, with the proper pacing, he could technically fight indefinitely. Sure, it would be uncomfortable to survive on Divine mana alone, but he could do it. That was how he¡¯d survived on his home world long after the last animal died, and the flora became more poison than plant... But the members of Mag ¨¢rsa were another story. They wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain that pace for long. They¡¯d need food, water, and somewhere to sleep eventually. Aldritch was hopeful that only a few demons could track them, and the rest were merely following their orders. If Aldritch could eliminate the trackers, then Sulika and the others would have plenty of time to rest and recuperate. If that was not the case, then Aldritch would need to slow down the pace and protect them or lock them in a warded room until he was finished clearing the area. ¡°You¡¯re really determined not to let anyone die, aren¡¯t you?¡± Oakairo muttered. It was obvious he was amused by Aldritch¡¯s determination. He didn¡¯t want anyone to die either, but Oakairo wasn''t nearly as concerned as Aldritch seemed to be. ¡°Of course. If possible, I¡¯d like to prevent them from learning what death is like. Even if only for a short while.¡± ¡°You sound like an overprotective parent.¡± Oakairo said and chuckled at the notion. ¡°What¡¯re you going to do if one of them does die? You know you can¡¯t be around to protect them all the time.¡± ¡°I know. But if I am around, then I¡¯m bringing them back alive.¡± ¡°You seem to have already made up your mind. You do this despite understanding the consequences?¡± ¡°Of course. I wouldn¡¯t have accepted the job of guild master if I wasn¡¯t prepared to deal with the consequences that follow.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± Oakairo replied in a pleased voice. ¡°When the time does come, you have my permission to do whatever you need to.¡± ¡°Thank you, my Lord.¡± Aldritch replied, dipping his head in gratitude for the blessing he was just given. ¡°Aldritch?¡± Faeyra whispered. ¡°Everything alright? You seem a bit... distracted.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern. But I am fine. Just thinking of some alternative plans should things go sideways in a few minutes.¡± He said and grinned over his shoulder at her. ¡°Nervous?¡± She let out a nervous laugh and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t be. So long as you¡¯re behind me, you¡¯re protected. All of you are.¡± ¡°Glad one of us is confident about our chances.¡± Oladi muttered. ¡°Of course.¡± He laughed as they finally reached the double door. ¡°I am Aldritch of clan Blackshield.¡± Just beyond the door was a stone bridge with six-inch-wide stone walls that were slightly taller than Sulika¡¯s waist and a rounded metal roof that covered the bridge from end to end. Nine steel struts, six on the left side and three on the right, extended from the top of the wall and supported the roof. There were odd looking gaps between the struts on the right side, leading Aldritch to assume there was once a total of twelve struts, but three had disappeared at some point. The bridge was narrow enough that anything more than two people would struggle to cross at the same time. But long enough to span the gap between the transport hub and the wall of the half-collapsed building across from them. Oddly enough, in the exact center of the bridge was an inch deep puddle of murky water that was about four feet across and left only a few inches of untouched space on either side of the bridge. At one time the other building was likely a tall, red brick structure that had over a dozen floors, but that was no longer the case as it had fallen into disrepair: the roof was completely gone, leaving the interior exposed to the elements and the top half of the front wall had collapsed. Miraculously, the part of the building holding up the bridge had remained intact despite the wall falling in a way that should have caused at least a part of the bridge to collapse too. This revelation didn¡¯t sit well with Aldritch. He slightly shook his head and continued to inspect the area. At the other end of the bridge were two possible ways forward. The first option would have them walk down a steel staircase that was mostly hidden from view thanks to the stone wall on the right side of the bridge. And the second option would have them open the door set into the wall of the other building - a likely pointless endeavor, considering half the building was gone and Aldritch could see past the door to the center of the building. It was empty inside - even of rubble and debris. Almost like someone had removed the interior walls and furniture prior to the building collapsing. Aldritch¡¯s eye twitched in irritation. If they were planning to ambush someone, at least do it right. The key to a successful ambush was to make everything seem as normal as possible. If the demons wanted to convince them the building had collapsed on its own. The best thing they could¡¯ve done was to leave everything inside. Let the walls and the roof collapse on the valuables inside, sacrificing them to ensure nothing looked out of place. As it was now, it was almost impossible for anyone to believe the bridge wasn¡¯t a trap¡­ He sighed and turned his head to face Oladi. ¡°Can you send the raven to check if those stairs touch the ground?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She replied while nodding. A second later the raven leapt from where it¡¯d been perched in the rafters of the transport hub and flew out of a hole in the roof - It circled around the side of the building to approach the bridge from the side with the staircase. ¡°It doesn¡¯t go to the ground.¡± Oladi muttered. ¡°The last fifteen feet or so have collapsed, broken beneath the weight of one of those large metal bodies.¡± ¡°Fifteen feet?¡± Aldritch repeated out of surprise. He hadn¡¯t realized they were that far off the ground. He nodded in understanding and leaned out of the doorway to get a better look -He looked to the left and right a few times to make sure they were still alone. He doubted he would actually spot a demon, there were too many buildings and bodies of metal on the road for them to hide behind. But it didn''t hurt to check. You never knew when stupidity would work in your favor, so it was usually worthwhile to at least check if it had reared its misshapen head or not. The first thing he did was confirm how high up they were. He¡¯d originally assumed the building was on the ground, or at the most a few feet above it due to the presence of the tunnel they¡¯d appeared in. But no, they were easily a hundred feet in the air. Which meant the entire transport hub, including the tunnel, were suspended far above the ground. A wide stone road started at the base of a building a few thousand feet to Aldritch¡¯s left, passed under the bridge, and traveled in a mostly straight line for a few thousand more feet before ending at the base of a second building. The road also served as a point of separation for the two rows of buildings he could see from the doorway. The row on his side of the bridge had ten fewer buildings than the other side, due to the sheer size of the building they were standing in. But aside from the travel hub, the other buildings all had similar appearances: They were all constructed with either brick or stone, and were all of similar height, width, and he assumed they were of similar depth - but it was impossible to confirm that from where he was standing. Each building was also in possession of dozens of glass windows that¡¯d somehow managed to survive the demon¡¯s presence and remained unbroken. ¡°They remind me of the apartment buildings back on the island.¡± Oakairo said offhandedly. ¡°Makes you wonder how many people used to live here. If those are all apartment buildings¡­ That¡¯s, what, about a hundred residents per building?¡± ¡°I would assume even more than that. It¡¯s possible some of the residents had families; partners, children, maybe even their parents?¡± ¡°Also depends on the race of the people living here. Halflings would need less space for a family of five than an orc needs for a family of three.¡± ¡°True.¡± Aldritch motioned for the members of Mag ¨¢rsa to wait inside the building while he stepped out onto the bridge for an even better look. From his new position, Aldritch could see both ends of the road merge into an equally wide road that ran from south to north, as opposed to east to west. This matched with the image of the city¡¯s layout Aldritch had inside his head. Just going off building placements and road alignments. Aldritch suspected the entire city was nothing but one big, gridlock inducing mess - Aldritch saw something out of the corner of his eye and looked towards the base of a building on the other end of the bridge. There was a shadow covered alleyway separating two of the buildings. Aldritch didn¡¯t like it being there - looking up and down the road, he spotted at least seven such alleyways. Each one was an excellent hiding place for any demons waiting to ambush them. Aldritch narrowed his eyes at the closest alleyway. If there were any demons inside, then he¡¯d already been seen¡­ But the others haven¡¯t. They¡¯d stayed inside, hidden from sight by the elevated angle and the shadows of the doorway. Aldritch kept his lip movement to a minimum and his face pointed towards the road. ¡°I believe my position is compromised. So, we¡¯re going to do something to even the odds a bit. I want you all to keep your heads down and move towards the other end of the bridge but avoid that puddle in the center. Don''t let it touch even a hair on your body if you can help it. Oladi. You¡¯re going to want to shift now.¡± He told them in a low voice. Max was short enough to not worry about being seen over the wall, so he was able to jog across the bridge to the puddle and dive over it without worrying about being seen. He landed in a roll that carried him a few extra feet and returned to the edge of the puddle to help the others cross. Faeyra nodded slowly and crouched low to the ground: As one of the tallest members of the team, Faeyra had to practically get on her hands and knees to stay behind the wall - a move that did interesting things to the back of her pants. So interesting, in fact, that Zarud couldn''t help but look. Following Faeyra''s movements exactly, Oladi shifted into her monstrous crow form while dropping into a low stance and quickly moved in behind her. When they reached the puddle, Max took a shaky Faeyra''s hand and helped her move through the gap on the right side of the bridge. Once she was across, the two of them helped Oladi across the same way. Sulika, Ralocan, Derrik, and Zarud were next. Thanks to his naturally wide stance and low height, Derrik didn¡¯t have to do much to hide behind the wall. He bent slightly at the waist and hurried after Faeyra and Oladi, leaping across the puddle in much the same way Max had. The Dwarf smirked at the two elves who''d had to put so much effort into getting over a mere puddle. Likewise, Sulika and Ralocan didn¡¯t have any trouble keeping low to the ground and moving just behind Derrik. With her natural dexterity on full display, Sulika was able to crouch walk only a hair slower than her usual walking speed - she also dove over the puddle without effort, leaping from a crouched stance as easily as Derrik had from a running start. As for Ralocan, he only had trouble so far as his robe wasn''t meant for sneaking. However, his natural quickness and control more than made up for any issues his robe caused - However, he had a moment of panic as he leaped over the puddle and the hem of his robe brushed against its surface, coming out the other side smelling of sulfur... Ralocan grimaced at the mishap and wanted nothing more than to cut off the offending fabric. It was definitely getting purified the instant he was able to cast the spell. Zarud¡­ Well, he was another story entirely. Matching Aldritch¡¯s impressive height of 6 ''10, Zarud struggled to get low enough to hide behind the wall. He dropped onto his hands and knees first - but the top of his head was still peeking over the wall. ¡°Get. Lower.¡± Aldritch whispered without looking at him since he was busy putting on a show of checking the rooftops for demons. ¡°Damnit¡­ Fine.¡± Zarud quietly sighed. He got even lower, dropping onto his stomach and pulling himself across the bridge with nothing but the strength of his arms. Approaching the puddle with nowhere to go and being much too large to pass through either of the gaps, Zarud had no choice but to try something drastic. He lifted himself up as if he were performing a push-up before rocking back and forth. The back-and-forth motions were for building momentum, until - He kicked off the ground and threw himself across the water, trusting his friends to catch him. Max, Derrik, and Oladi grabbed Zarud''s arms the second after he jumped and quickly pulled him over the puddle before gravity could pull him into direct contact with the vile-smelling liquid. Aldritch watched them all reach the other side using his peripheral vision. While he waited for them to reach the other end, he remained partially vigilant of the alleyways and rooftops. He knew he wouldn''t see anything unless the demons wanted him to... But if the demons were going to launch a surprise attack, now would be the time to do it. The bridge had already been sabotaged, that much was obvious. And Aldritch had no doubts that the moment he started moving towards the other side, they¡¯d spring their trap and attempt to either capture him or kill him. That was why he¡¯d sent the others ahead of him; to give the demons the false impression that the others were still inside the building. Sure, it might fail if the tracker''s ability to sense them was precise enough. But Aldritch was counting on the demons deciding to save magic the instant they saw him. After all, if the demons could see him with their eyes, why use magic? And clearly the giant was the strongest person in the group. It only made sense that he¡¯d go first - right? That¡¯s the formation they¡¯d kept since leaving the portal. So, why would they change it now? Sulika and the others reached the far-side of the bridge about a minute later. ¡°We¡¯re all here. Now what?¡± Sulika whispered. Aldritch nodded and looked back towards the empty doorway. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything. Move out, quickly. We don''t want the demons to see us before we get to the ground.¡± He muttered, making sure the volume of his voice was only slightly lower than how he¡¯d usually speak. He turned to face the group and spoke again; this time his voice was barely audible - even to them. ¡°When you hear the signal: I want you all to run towards the ground as fast as you can.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the signal?" Ralocan asked- [Now!] An imp shouted from one of the nearby rooftops. His voice, high-pitched and nasally, was barely loud enough to reach their ears. But even if they''d heard its voice, the alien ¡®Abynaar¡¯ language was understood by none of them¡­ Then again, they didn¡¯t need to understand what he¡¯d said, they¡¯d just needed to hear the ¡®signal¡¯. And they did hear it. ¡°Move!¡± Sulika shouted, shoving Max and Zarud towards the stairs. Once they were moving, with Zarud practically sprinting down the stairs to keep up with Max. Sulika led the others onto the staircase at a dead sprint towards the ground. Aldritch saw this and smiled dryly as the bridge broke under him: the collapse began as a simple crack in the center of the bridge, beneath the puddle of water, that quickly spread to both ends - the first crack was followed by a dozen more as the water poured into the crack, quickly eroding what few bonds the stone had left until it could no longer resist the inevitable pull of gravity. Great chunks of stone and steel broke off the bridge, including the part Aldritch had been standing on. Aldritch looked down mid-fall to see a trio of imps hovering around the base of one of the support pillars that used to hold up the bridge... They were laughing at him as he fell: relishing the ease in which he¡¯d fallen for the trap. Aldritch smiled again, and this one was genuine. With his shield in hand, Aldritch fell towards the ground at well over a hundred miles per hour - at these speeds, he would reach the ground in less than a second and be forced to either move or get crushed by the bridge falling around him¡­ Or so the imps probably thought. ¡°Shield.¡± Aldritch willed his spell into existence at almost the exact moment he crashed into the ground. Ten thousand pounds of stone and metal hit the ground right after Aldritch; a large section of road cracked like porcelain beneath the weight of the bridge and sent years of built-up dust and stone particles flying into the air. The imps cackled like mad at the sight of Aldritch getting crushed beneath the bridge. They continued to laugh even as the dust began to settle and they could see the rubble scattered across the road. Their laughter began to die down as they realized a part of the rubble was higher than it should have been. Their laughter was silenced as their eyes landed on a perfectly healthy Aldritch: The giant was standing inside a golden dome of protective energy with his shield held above his head with both hands - the spell had caused most of the rubble and debris to simply slide off onto the ground. But a large sandstone block had proved too heavy to be pushed aside, forcing Aldritch to catch it with his shield. ¡°Haha?¡± Aldritch said mockingly while staring into the eyes of the closest imp. He released a grunt of effort before launching a thousand pounds of sandstone at the imps - Two of the imps managed to dive out of the way in time, but the third one wasn¡¯t as quick and suffered the consequences. Its body was reduced to blood pudding as the block slammed into one of the support pillars, squashing the creature between two unyielding objects - damaged as they already were, none of the stone pillars could take that kind of damage. The moment the block crashed into it; the pillar was done for. It snapped it half just above where the block made contact and followed the pull of gravity towards the ground. One of the two imps looked up in time to see the pillar coming for them. It shouted in panic and leapt aside, leaving its disoriented buddy behind. The other imp only had time to look up and scream before - *Squish!* Its voice was cut off as the pillar flattened it against the road. Aldritch stepped out of the rubble without taking his eyes off the imp. He could see the fear in its eyes being slightly mitigated by the roars of its allies as they prepared to attack him. The Imp still felt hope. Some small part of it still thought it would live to see another day. Aldritch couldn¡¯t help himself. He smiled and watched the oblivious imp¡¯s head implode beneath the weight of a mighty hammer. Chapter 10 - Heavy Metal Dungeon (pt 4) Seventeen Ogres, forty-six Imps, fifty-two Demonwolves, and eleven trolls emerged from the shadow covered alleyways on either side of the road. They came forth like hornets in defense of their hive, with weapons at the ready and murder in their eyes. Aldritch¡¯s nostrils flared as his excitement rose to meet the challenge presented to him. He rotated his left shoulder, easily moving the shield up and down and side to side. Then he twisted his neck from left to right, stopping only a moment when a bone in his neck made a *crack* sound. He sighed in satisfaction at the release he hadn¡¯t realized he needed. ¡°Thanks for finishing off the imp.¡± Aldritch said to Derrik as he moved past him to stand in the path of the demons. Derrik nodded at Aldritch¡¯s back and dragged his hammer - Rosa across the ground to remove the tainted blood covering it. ¡°What now?¡± He asked while moving to stand at Aldritch¡¯s side. Sulika, Faeyra, and the others arrived at that moment - having finally climbed down from the broken staircase. A part of Aldritch wondered how Derrik became the first to arrive and he imagined the dwarf leaping from the stairs with his hammer held high. Oakairo snorted at the image in Aldritch¡¯s mind. ¡°I¡¯d pay to see that turned into a painting.¡± Aldritch grinned in response and nodded¡­ His grin faltered when he registered a strange sound coming from just behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, Aldritch spotted Sulika staring at the tide of demons with her eyes wide and her mouth agape. Sulika¡¯s throat had gone bone dry. Her ears were ringing from the cacophony of demonic voices forcing their way into her sensitive ears. They were everywhere; the demons on the rooftops shouted obscenities and provocations, while the demons on the road ahead of them muttered sinister sounding threats and promises¡­ At least, that¡¯s what she imagined they were doing. Sulika couldn¡¯t understand what any of them were saying, but she was almost 100% certain they weren¡¯t extending an invitation to game night. ¡°Sulika.¡± Aldritch said. His voice pulled Sulika¡¯s attention away from the demons and grounded her to the present - She swayed on the spot and had to force herself to remain standing after her knees threatened to give out on her. She hadn¡¯t realized how tense she¡¯d gotten. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m alright now.¡± She said and offered him a nervous grin. Aldritch nodded in understanding and turned his body to face the group. He shoved the spiked end of his shield into the road and stepped to the side of it. His wide shoulders, and the width of the shield made it almost impossible for everyone except Zarud and Max to see the demons approaching them. ¡°I know they¡¯re loud.¡± Aldritch said in a soft, but unwavering voice. ¡°I know your body is screaming at you to run and hide. But I need you to ignore that instinct. This-¡± he said while pointing a thumb over his right shoulder. ¡°Is a trick the demons have been using for centuries; they want to make you despair, to give up without a fight." ¡°Well, it¡¯s working.¡± Zarud muttered while tightening his grip on his axe. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the army of demons marching towards them. There were so many¡­ Far more than he¡¯d ever seen in one place. ¡°Zarud.¡± Aldritch snapped, getting the Half-Orc¡¯s attention. ¡°What is the first rule of battle?¡± ¡°Protect civilians and non-combatants above all else.¡± Zarud replied without hesitation. ¡°Incorrect.¡± Aldritch said and shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s the first rule of war. What is the first rule of a battle? Anyone else care to take a guess?¡± He asked and gave them all a few seconds to think it over. ¡°Is now really the time for this? We need to get to cover before they start attacking us.¡± Max yelled. A hundred different plans raced through his mind. They needed to get out of here and find someplace where the enemy¡¯s number won¡¯t count for anything. They needed to find higher ground, a defensible position- Aldritch grinned like a man possessed and shook his head. He grabbed his shield and yanked it out of the ground. ¡°The first rule of battle is as follows; Don¡¯t hit the enemy hard enough to win. You hit them hard enough to make them regret showing up in the first place.¡± He told them in a low voice - Without warning, Aldritch spun around and pushed off the ground in a single motion. The strength he¡¯d put into his first step shattered the road beneath his feet and sent dust flying into the air. Aldritch sprinted towards the oncoming demons with his shield held out in front of him and both arms reinforcing it. He had seven seconds before everything went mad. At the two second mark the demons would realize he was moving. In three seconds, they would respond by counterattacking. At five seconds they would realize Sulika and the others haven¡¯t started attacking yet. And at seven seconds, the demons would launch an all-out attack on his guildmates. Before that happened Aldritch had to give them a reason to target him and only him. ¡°I¡¯ll aim, you fire.¡± Oakairo said before projecting an image into Aldritch¡¯s head. Aldritch could feel the excitement Oakairo was feeling, the absolute glee at the slaughter that was to come. ¡°Deal. But don¡¯t hit the metal bodies. They could be valuable.¡± Aldritch replied while pulling on his mana and offering it for Oakairo¡¯s guidance. ¡°Rays of Light.¡± Aldritch muttered before his eyes landed on the largest demon on the front lines and slightly shifted his body towards it. Now, two things were happening simultaneously. At the back of his mind, Aldritch felt the Dragon God¡¯s focus split. A single demon¡¯s face appeared in his mind- then a second, third, fourth, eighth, sixteenth, thirty-second, sixty-fourth¡­ One by one, demons appeared in his mind, and he guided his mana along the paths Oakairo laid out for him. Outside of the spell Oakairo was aiming, Aldritch continued to lay on the speed. Every time his feet made contact with the road, the sound of shattering concrete hit the army of demons'' ears like the beat of a war drum; each instance growing louder and more pronounced than the one before it until it became all they could hear. But their hearing wasn¡¯t the only sense being assaulted by Aldritch. For each demon Oakairo targeted, a golden orb appeared in the air behind Aldritch. And with every step - every drum beat the demons heard, a dozen golden lights formed in the air and lazily drifted towards the sky. And then Aldritch reached his target. A twelve-foot-tall Ogre with pale green skin and a heavy physique stood head and shoulders above the demons closest to him. He led the tide of demons like a battering ram, shoving abandoned metal bodies aside with his muscular arms or outright knocking them over with sheer bulk. The Ogre seemed unstoppable to the demons behind him. Right as Aldritch reached the first line of demons, the Ogre¡¯s eyes landed on Aldritch. He saw the puny human¡¯s approach as a challenge and chose to meet it head on. He was Ogre, and Ogres did not back down from a challenge! The Ogre lowered his shoulder to meet Aldritch¡¯s charge and began sprinting towards the challenger with a sadistic grin on his repulsive face. Aldritch saw the Ogre¡¯s reaction over the edge of his shield and smirked¡­ But the amusement on his face did not reach his eyes. He was too focused on his mana and his movements to truly feel anything else. ¡°Now! Do it now!¡± Oakairo laughed. With his shoulder squarely behind the shield, Aldritch put the full force of his body into the shield and the weight of his mana behind the spell - At the exact moment Aldritch and the Ogre made contact, Day turned into night as the spell activated. Every golden orb floating in the sky, all 120 of them, greedily devoured any ambient light near them - effectively ¡®turning off¡¯ the sun for a split second. The demon army and the members of Mag ¨¢rsa both were blinded by an all-encompassing flash as light returned to their eyes¡­ Only now, the golden orbs glowed brighter than ever; each one now a miniature sun that loomed over them. A second later, hell was unleashed upon the demons as each orb fired a finger-thin beam of solar energy directly into the face of any demon targeted by Oakairo. As for the Ogre and Aldritch¡¯s confrontation, surprisingly, the Ogre¡¯s feet didn¡¯t leave the ground at the moment of impact. He¡¯d managed to keep them planted despite Aldritch throwing his full weight into the hit¡­ Unfortunately, the rest of him wasn¡¯t so sturdy. The impact severed the Ogre¡¯s legs at the knees and sent its torso flying into the side of a fifteen-foot-long metal body that reminded Aldritch of a covered wagon. The Ogre hit near the top of the metal body, but his momentum was such that the body actually wrapped around the Ogre before losing its fight against gravity and falling over. ¡°...Don¡¯t hit the metal bodies. They could be valuable.¡± Oakairo muttered, teasing Aldritch with his own words. ¡°Not now.¡± Aldritch didn¡¯t stop moving. There were still too many demons with working limbs for him to stop now. Only five demons on street level had survived his first attack. Three Trolls who were huddled in a group to Aldritch¡¯s right, one of which had taken a light ray to the face and somehow survived with half his brain melted. A blind Ogre who was swinging his arms at an unseen foe - a closer look revealed his eyes were darker than they should be. Almost like they¡¯d been burned. Aldritch assumed the Ogre had been standing a bit too close to one of Oakairo¡¯s targets¡­ But considering it was an Ogre, there was also the chance it¡¯d stared at the orbs of light and gone blind that way. The last survivor was a hulking Demonwolf who¡¯d partially hid himself behind an Ogre, effectively using his ally as a meat shield to avoid injury. And it¡¯d worked¡­ Mostly. The Demonwolf was temporarily blinded by that first flash of light. But it was recovering quickly and even now was watching Aldritch through calculating amber eyes. Quickly identifying the Trolls as the most dangerous of the survivors - and with their insane durability, that threat level would only increase the longer they were left alone. Knowing that, Aldritch still chose to dash towards the Demonwolf. The Demonwolf was almost fully recovered from the flash of light searing his retinas when Aldritch reached him. He reacted quickly, shoving the Ogre¡¯s corpse at Aldritch and sprinting towards the alley with all his might. Aldritch did a short jump to close distance and shifted his grip on the shield so he could ¡®punch¡¯ with the spike on the bottom. Aldritch thrust his fist - and thus the shield- forward like he was throwing a straight punch. The spike pierced through the fleeing demon¡¯s spine almost without resistance. The Demonwolf stared down at the spike protruding from his chest with a confused look in his eye. He hadn¡¯t felt any pain. Shouldn¡¯t he feel pain?... Shouldn¡¯t he feel something? The Demonwolf¡¯s eyes fluttered for a second before Aldritch ripped his shield away. Like a puppet whose strings had been cut, the demon collapsed into a heap at Aldritch¡¯s feet- ¡°The Ogre¡¯s coming. And I¡¯m pretty sure that Troll is trying to cast Major Heal.¡± Oakairo said, pulling Aldritch¡¯s attention towards the demon in question. Looking over his shoulder, Aldrich saw the beefy demon sprinting at him with a short and narrow metal body held above its head like a make-shift weapon. Aldritch reached down and took the Demonwolf by the ankle right as the Ogre brought the metal body down on Aldritch¡¯s head - *Wham!* Aldritch knocked the metal body aside with the edge of his shield and stepped around the Ogre in a single motion. He whipped his arm forward and launched the Demonwolf at the Troll attempting to use healing magic. The dead Demonwolf smashed into the side of the Troll¡¯s head with a meaty *thud*. The healer Troll¡¯s eyes went fuzzy, and its feet refused to cooperate - the troll lost his footing, falling to the ground and losing control of the spell. ¡°Behind you.¡± Aldritch sidestepped a wild grab from the Ogre, twisted his body, and bashed it across the face with his shield. The Ogre reared back and covered its head in shock, dark blood poured from its nose and murky tears welled up in its eyes from the pain of having its nose crushed. Aldritch changed his grip on the shield back into the ¡®punching¡¯ position and stepped in close to the Ogre. He bent his knees and drove the spike end of the shield into the Ogre¡¯s face - The spike pierced the back of the Ogre¡¯s hand and its face before sinking over an inch into the wall behind the Ogre¡¯s head. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. With one quick motion, Aldritch yanked his shield back from the Ogre and turned to face the three Trolls- ¡°Wait! The mortals are being attacked!¡± Oakairo¡¯s voice caused Aldritch to freeze before he could take a step forward. The sound of battle reached his ears, and he turned his head to see a small army of demons attacking Sulika and the others. Sword in one hand and wand in the other, Sulika weaved in and out of the melee with surprising speed; ducking Ogres and bypassing Demonwolves as she rushed through the crowd towards her target - her sword bit deep into the chest of an imp, while a spell played across her lips, ¡°Enmet: Sleep!¡± She shouted, kicking her mana into action and forcing it into her wand. An ethereal purple haze poured from the tip of her wand and sprayed across the faces of two Ogres; the bulky duo swayed just before they could lay their hands on her, allowing Sulika to step just out of reach long enough for them to pass out. Once they were down, Sulika drove her blade into the tender parts of their necks and moved on to the next demon without wasting time. "Incoming, Faeyra!" She shouted before launching another sleep spell. Faeyra glanced in the direction of Sulika''s voice and dropped beneath the spell, allowing it to hit a charging Demonwolf. The demon was able to take three more steps and swing its claws at her face before Sulika''s magic kicked in, and it fainted mid-step - A transformed Oladi made sure it wouldn''t get a second chance to hurt anyone. She twisted under the Demonwolf¡¯s arm, grabbed it around the throat with a single monstrous hand, and lifted it off the ground. *Boom!* The Demonwolf''s bones creaked, and blood flew from its mouth as Oladi slammed it on to its back. Oladi swipe across its throat with the claws on her left hand before moving on to the next Demonwolf attacking Faeyra. She intercepted a smaller Demonwolf mid-leap, grabbing it around the waist and throwing it back before it could land on the half-elf. It came back snarling, slashing with its claws and attempting to sink its fangs into anything it could. Oladi leaned away from a slash aimed at her throat and quickly ducked into range - The Demonwolf howled as her claws ripped through its ribs, leaving three two-inch deep gashes across its stomach. The Demonwolf''s rage skyrocketed; adrenaline blocked out the pain, allowing the demon to focus on killing the bird thing standing before it. The demon swung twice as fast, hit twice as hard, and no matter how many times Oladi slashed at it, it never once reacted to the pain... However, not even demons could overcome their body''s need for blood, nor its need to breathe. And with the volume of dark blood spilling from its body, there was simply no way for it to maintain its attacks for long. Eventually, its attacks began to slow, and the weight behind its blows began to wane. Faeyra capitalized on that moment of weakness by dipping her head beneath a dagger swung by an imp and flicking a tiny glass capsule into the Demonwolf¡¯s mouth as it panted for air. The Demonwolf coughed when the capsule hit the back of its throat and tried not to swallow - But it couldn''t. Losing blood had led to dehydration, and constantly attacking had caused its lungs to burn from a lack of air. Swallowing was simply an involuntary reaction it couldn''t resist. Faeyra twisted her body to face the imp she¡¯d just dodged and slashing a venom infused dagger through its left wing - the Imp shrieked as its body and wing went in different directions, both hitting the ground around the same time. Oladi raised her leg and brought it down on the Imp¡¯s head without hesitation. Once the Imp was dead, Oladi spun to face the Demonwolf¡­ Only to find it lying on the ground with foam spilling from its mouth - The Demonwolf whimpered as Faeyra dropped to her knees beside the fallen demon and drove the same dagger through the back of its neck. She twisted it to make sure the demon was truly dead, then ripped it out the side of its neck with a grunt of effort. "You okay?" Oladi asked her. Faeyra nodded and slowly climbed to her feet. "Just out of shape." She said, laughing - Her laugh ended abruptly as another Imp came flying at her, forcing her to dodge out of the way. Derrik and Zarud were both aggressively attacking any demon who came too close in the hopes of drawing their ire away from the weaker melee fighters - Sulika and Faeyra. Zarud¡¯s rage filled eyes flit from one target to the next and swung his axe with every ounce of strength inside his body. It cleaved through Imps, debilitated Demonwolves, and irritated Ogres - But that¡¯s where Derrik and Rosa came in. Derrik didn¡¯t bother attacking the fast-moving imps. He knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch them anyway, so he saved that energy for the Demonwolves and Ogres. Rosa was swung at anything and everything that even remotely resembled a demon. Some demons were killed with bad hits to the skull, but most of Derrik¡¯s swings were aimed at causing as much internal damage as possible. And while Derrik and Zarud were going wild, Ralocan had his attention split in five directions at once. If he wasn¡¯t wielding his mace alongside Derrik and Zarud, then he was casting healing spell after healing spell in an effort to keep everyone moving. As for Max¡­ Well, with his eyes glowing red from rage and his teeth bared at the world - Max was almost unrecognizable from the guild master Aldritch had come to know. He alone stood surrounded by more than a dozen corpses, and he wasn¡¯t done yet. Max darted between the legs of an Ogre and shattered its knees with carefully aimed elbows. The Ogre yelled in equal parts pain and confusion as it pitched forward, falling face first towards the asphalt road - But Max leapt onto its back before it could even land, and thrust a kick into the back of its neck. The Ogre¡¯s face slammed into the concrete and the bones connecting its neck to its skull were severed. Max jumped from the Ogre¡¯s back and was driving a fist through an imp¡¯s chest before the light could finish leaving the Ogre¡¯s eyes. In the few seconds it took Aldritch to see all of this, the Trolls had finished healing and were moving towards the closest alleyway. Aldritch glanced back at Sulika and the others one more time before bending his knees and launching himself at the three Trolls. As he flew through the air, he changed his grip on the shield, so he was holding it by the sides instead of by the handle - ¡°Look out!¡± Oakairo yelled¡­Only a second too late. Aldritch didn¡¯t know what Oakairo had sensed, only the direction. He twisted his body and raised his shield as quickly as he could - a loud *Boom!* tore through the air and reached everyone¡¯s ears seconds after something hit the corner of the shield. The weight was unlike anything Aldritch had experienced before, and it took every ounce of strength in his arms to barely deflect it away from center mass¡­ But that wasn¡¯t enough to stop it. The thirty-pound missile slammed into Aldritch¡¯s side four times faster than sound before separating from him and ripping through the solid stone wall of a building. For the first time in recent memory, Aldritch felt the sting of pain race up his side, even as the momentum from the hit sent him flying. He zipped over Sulika¡¯s head before the sound of that first *boom* reached her ears. Aldritch¡¯s body bounced off the unforgiving road, tangled with an Ogre unfortunate enough to get in his way, before crashing through the outer wall of another building and coming to a stop in a pile of rubble. The Ogre Aldritch had crashed into was also sent flying; its body being thrown some seventy feet in the air to crash through a window. Everyone stopped fighting in order to see what happened; the only thing they could see was Aldritch¡¯s shield buried in the wall of the building he¡¯d landed in. Sulika¡¯s head slowly turned to face the direction Aldritch had come from¡­ She had to squint her eyes to see far enough. But there was definitely something sitting in the middle of the road, some two miles away. The crimson-colored monster was the largest of the metal bodies she¡¯d seen: a monster of a machine with heavy armor plating covering seemingly every square inch of it. And on its face sat a long, narrow tube with a hole facing them. Sulika felt unimaginable dread settle inside her stomach at the sight of such a vicious machine. ¡°Sanctuary.¡± Aldritch¡¯s voice echoed from inside the building. His mana leapt into action in an instant, pouring forth from the opening in the wall and momentarily blinding everyone with its divine light. Focusing on a certain image within his mind. Aldritch desired a world unto himself: something no demon could infiltrate, and no projectile could penetrate. Eager to fulfill the wish of its master, vibrant golden mana rushed to a height of fifty feet, before splitting apart and flowing outwards until it covered everything within a two-hundred-foot radius. The dome hovered ten feet above the ground for a few seconds before the flow of mana ceased - The demons smart enough to know what was happening, didn¡¯t hesitate to abandon the fight and run towards the alleyways they''d come from. Without the connection keeping the spell aloft, the dome slowly floated to the ground and sealed the area away from the rest of the dungeon. The fastest demons managed to escape before the seal took effect¡­ But the unlucky ones were now trapped inside a dome brimming with divine mana - their bodies burned from the inside out and they died screaming. Sulika and the others felt their bodies begin to relax at the sight of the demons dying. Aldritch nodded at the spell and shook out the fingers of his right hand. He¡¯d poured about 20% of his mana into that spell. Using that much divine mana at once was more than a little uncomfortable, but ultimately necessary to create a safe place for his guildmates. ¡°Incoming projectile.¡± Oakairo muttered in an annoyed tone. Aldritch glanced up and peered through the hole in the wall at the thing parked down the road. He saw a flash of light, then another missile slammed into the wall of his Sanctuary - But instead of piercing through the dome as intended, the missile crumpled on impact and sent a shockwave through the dome that caused everyone¡¯s ears to ring. Unbeknownst to everyone inside the dome, the shockwave had also awoken the Ogre Aldritch accidentally threw through a window. The demon came to with fog in its mind and anger in its eyes. It climbed to its feet and stumbled towards the only opening it could see in its confused state¡­ The window it¡¯d come through. It reached the window in a few steps and neither of its brain cells were functioning well enough to tell it to ''stop'' or ''look down'' before it stepped through the opening and plummeted to its death. ¡°Are we safe in here-¡± Sulika flinched as she was interrupted by the sound of a bell ringing throughout the dome. The sound was gentle, almost soothing in its softness and clarity¡­ But Sulika didn¡¯t find any comfort in the sound because she immediately realized what had caused it. Everyone looked up and watched in equal parts fascination and horror as the Ogre¡¯s body, which had splattered like a bug against the unyielding dome, was quickly incinerated by the divine mana inside the dome. Over seven hundred pounds of Ogre was erased in less than five seconds, leaving nothing behind - not even a smear of viscera or particle of bone dust. ¡°Guess that answers that question.¡± She muttered while massaging the bridge of her nose. ¡°As safe as you can be.¡± Aldritch said before stepping over the rubble and revealing himself to the others¡­ Sulika¡¯s eyes went wide with shock as she laid eyes on their invincible giant. Aldritch looked bad: His right arm was a shattered and broken mess, dangling uselessly at his side. However, that wasn''t even close to the worst injury they could see. No, the location of his worst injury was obvious to anyone who looked at him - You just had to look for the huge hole in his robe and chest plate to see the gaping wound that was oozing blue blood. Aldritch pulled his shield from the wall with a quiet grunt and hopped from the pile of rubble to join the others. ¡°Sanctuary is a powerful defensive spell, to be sure. But it does have its drawbacks.¡± He admitted while walking towards them. ¡°Aldritch¡­ Um¡­ Maybe you should sit down and let me find a healing potion for you?¡± Faeyra said and stepped forward to intercept him. She wanted to help him walk, but no matter where she looked, she couldn¡¯t find a place to touch him without possibly injuring him further - She had to look twice at the steel bar jutting from his lower back to make sure she wasn¡¯t seeing things wrong. ¡°I¡¯ll heal in a few minutes, so don''t bother¡­ Actually, could someone pull this bar out of my back? It¡¯s in a pretty inconvenient place.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± Faeyra asked in a dazed voice. ¡°I think it¡¯s in my kidney. Not sure yet.¡± He told her in a calm voice that did more to terrify the lot of them than their recent battle with the demons ever could. ¡°How are you not dead?¡± Zarud shouted. ¡°My mother was a Giant.¡± Aldritch said, speaking as if that single phrase explained everything. ¡°The fuck does that mean?¡± Derrik asked. He was unable to tear his eyes off the wound on Aldritch¡¯s side. ¡°It means unless his heart or brain is destroyed, he¡¯ll-¡±'' Max growled before grabbing the metal bar and ripping it from Aldritch¡¯s back. However, even he had to stop and stare at the three-foot-long steel bar he now held in his hands. ¡°Survive.¡± ¡°Oh my gods¡­¡± Oladi whispered as she watched the wound in his back twitch violently, the hole shuddering as it began to shrink. His body was already beginning to heal. ¡°Does that hurt?¡± Ralocan asked a second before reaching out and poking Aldritch¡¯s broken arm - Aldritch sucked in a breath through gritted teeth and glared at Ralocan. ¡°Yes. It does. Don¡¯t touch it.¡± Aldritch tersely replied. ¡°Sorry.¡± Ralocan took a quick step back as he apologized. ¡°Want me to-¡± His voice faltered as Aldritch held his left hand. ¡°No, thank you. I appreciate it. But you and Faeyra need to focus on everyone else right now. I¡¯ll heal myself momentarily.¡± He told them. They all seemed to relax at that. Now that they knew he probably wasn¡¯t about to die on them, they could turn their attention towards other things¡­ Things like; what were they supposed to do now? ¡°Everyone should get some rest. As soon as I¡¯ve recovered, I¡¯m going back out to deal with that thing.¡± He said while staring at the crimson machine who, even now, was targeting them through the dome. ¡°You¡¯ll die.¡± Max told him. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that thing is. But it¡¯s not something we can handle right now.¡± ¡°Of course, we can.¡± Aldritch chuckled. ¡°It¡¯ll just require a bit of trial and error. That¡¯s all-¡± Aldritch grunted as he snapped his shoulder back into its proper position. He flexed the fingers of his right hand again and smiled at the absence of pain. ¡°Which we can¡¯t afford to do when the slightest mistake will. kill. Us.¡± Max said in an annoyed voice. Aldritch nodded in understanding. ¡°I¡¯m not forcing any of you to participate in my experiments. I¡¯ll be the only one at risk.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a game!¡± Max shouted. ¡°I don¡¯t care how durable you are, Aldritch. If that thing hits you; that¡¯s it. You¡¯re a corpse and I will leave you here.¡± Aldritch¡¯s mouth twitched upwards, and he shook his head while stretching out his arms. ¡°Do whatever you think is best.¡± He told the guild master. Aldritch raised his arms high over his head and stretched out his back - *Pop!* He sighed as a feeling of relief washed over him. ¡°I¡¯m going to go sit down and focus on healing. Discuss amongst yourselves what you want to do and let me know when I come back. If you all would like to leave, I¡¯ll do everything in my power to get you back to the portal. But I¡¯m not leaving until that thing, and any others like it, are scrap.¡± Aldritch walked a short distance away and dropped into a seated position with his back to the group. He ignored their whispered voices and closed his eyes, urging his mana into action. Chapter 11 - The Crimson Fleet (pt 1) While Aldritch was focused on healing himself, Sulika, Faeyra, Derrik, Ralocan, Oladi, Zarud, and Max were standing in a circle with half drank potion vials in their hands. Faeyra had done her due diligence and passed out lesser healing potions to all of them. They wouldn¡¯t work as well as the spell, but they were good in a pinch, cheap to make, and came with the added benefit of 500MG of pure caffeine to help keep them focused. There was a slight issue of crashing once everything was over. But that wasn¡¯t a bridge they could worry about right now - not with a few hundred demons still waiting for a chance to tear into them. With their potions in hand, the seven hunters were having a heated discussion about what the correct path forward was. ¡°I don¡¯t care what he wants.¡± Max said. ¡°We need to leave, at least until we can get enough reinforcements to make up for our lacking firepower. We need rangers, wizards, a few more sorcerers. Anything to shorten the distance between our attack power and theirs.¡± He finished while motioning towards the mechanical monster at the end of the road. ¡°Look; I understand you think that¡¯s the best move.¡± Sulika said while staring down at Max, a look of annoyance in her emerald eyes. ¡°And I respect your opinion, I really do. But if he thinks we can remove the demon¡¯s hold on this area, I¡¯m inclined to believe him.¡± ¡°As am I.¡± Faeyra said, nodding her agreement. ¡°I don¡¯t know, boss.¡± Ralocan replied while massaging the nape of his neck. ¡°I think we¡¯re in over our heads here. Retreating might be the smartest option we have available to us.¡± ¡°It may be the smartest option, but that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s the best option.¡± Derrik grumbled. ¡°Think about it for a second: If the demons have that kind of monster on their side, why haven¡¯t we seen them in any other dungeons?¡± He asked them. ¡°You¡¯re saying they might be unique to this dungeon.¡± Oladi muttered while appearing to be deep in thought, her eyes fixed on a spot a few inches in front of her feet. She and Zarud were standing a bit further back from the group than everyone else. ¡°Aye.¡± Derrik nodded. ¡°But why? What makes this place unique compared to every other dungeon we¡¯ve come across?¡± Ralocan asked, growing frustrated with the way the conversation was going. He just wanted to go home, kick his feet up, and down enough alcohol to make a dwarf blush. Was that so bad? ¡°Well, it¡¯s been broken for at least a few years now, right? Maybe that¡¯s why it¡¯s different.¡± Zarud offered. He stood with his arms folded across his chest and his foot tapping to beat only he could hear; the rhythmic tapping of his left foot was a vain attempt to soothe his fraying nerves. ¡°I¡¯ve dived into broken dungeons plenty of times.¡± Max interjected. ¡°And I¡¯ve never seen anything like this. Some broken dungeons are different, yes, but not like this.¡± ¡°But we know for a fact the dungeons change over time.¡± Sulika said insistently. ¡°And the demons are getting smarter every day; they learn our tactics, learn to exploit our weaknesses, and we¡¯ve even known demons to speak our language. That doesn¡¯t happen unless they¡¯re capable of learning. And who knows, maybe those machines were created by demons in response to their contact with the islanders. Maybe this will start happening in other dungeons if they¡¯re left to flourish on their own - We started evolving our tactics to deal with them, why are we surprised they did the same?¡± Everyone froze at her comment and stared at her. ¡°Sulika, do you have any idea what you¡¯re implying?¡± Max asked, his voice was slightly higher than usual; a testament to how disturbed he was at the possibility. ¡°Only the truth as I see it.¡± She replied, shifting her eyes to meet his gaze. ¡°You heard the way that demon - Garr - spoke of their lives on the island. How he was attempting to create demons from those poor dogs. Those weren¡¯t the words of something incapable of learning.¡± ¡°...We¡¯ve always thought the demons to be nothing more than mindless, evil monsters.¡± Faeyra interjected. ¡°But what if they¡¯re not. What if they have lives outside of war with us. What if they have art, a culture all their own and we just can¡¯t understand it?¡± ¡°But¡­ Wouldn¡¯t they need a language for that?¡± Zarud asked, scratching at his head. ¡°Isn¡¯t communication the first step towards creating a culture?¡± ¡°They do have a language.¡± Sulika replied. ¡°I¡¯ve heard Aldritch speaking it.¡± ¡°... He what now? Are you saying Aldritch can speak to the demons?¡± Oladi said, holding up a hand in the universal sign for ¡®stop¡¯. ¡°Max and Faeyra can verify it if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the issue here.¡± Oladi replied, slightly shaking her head. ¡°You¡¯re saying there¡¯s a person here, with us, that¡¯s capable of understanding the demons. And no one has thought to ask him why the demons attack us without warning?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it just because they¡¯re evil?¡± Zarud asked. ¡°Maybe.¡± Oladi shrugged. ¡°And the temples all certainly say so¡­ But no one has ever actually conversed with a demon, have they? What if we¡¯ve been wrong all this time?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t.¡± Max replied, shaking his head. ¡°Those things are evil; plain and simple¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°But you might be right about everything else. There may be more to them than we know.¡± While the group continued their hushed conversation, Aldritch finally opened his eyes and let out a breath as he felt the last of his flesh mend. He couldn¡¯t cast ¡®Greater Heal¡¯ while maintaining Sanctuary - one of the biggest issues with the all-encompassing barrier spell was its inability to differentiate between good spells and bad spells. A healing spell would crack it just as quickly as a fireball if cast whilst inside it. ¡°Been a while since I¡¯ve felt that much pain.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Did you miss it?¡± Oakairo asked, using their bond to poke and prod around Aldritch¡¯s body for any wounds he may have missed. ¡°Did I miss pain?¡± Aldritch repeated, as if he was also asking himself that question. After a few seconds of consideration, Aldritch nodded with a humorless grin on his face. ¡°I did miss it; more than I realized.¡± "Figures, you¡¯ve been pent up too long. Personally, I¡¯d rather go shack up with a sultry dragoness for a few years. That seems much more enjoyable to me - But we both know that¡¯s not likely to happen anytime soon.¡± Oakairo muttered somewhat sourly. His mood shifted a few seconds later and he let out a relieved sigh as he finished his scan. ¡°I think you¡¯re good to go - But don¡¯t get shot again.¡° ¡°Wasn¡¯t planning to.¡± Aldritch chuckled while climbing to his feet - Aldritch moving again attracted the attention of Sulika and the others, who moved to join him. ¡°Feeling better?¡± Sulika asked, trailing her eyes up and down Aldritch¡¯s body to look for any sign of injury. To her surprise, she found none¡­ Not even a scar. She grumbled about stupid giants with their stupid genetics that allowed them to get a hole punched through them and not scar. It wasn¡¯t fair. She had a scar on her left leg from when she was seventeen and made the mistake of shaving with a dull blade. Yet, Aldritch had a hunk of metal shot through his side - not a scratch to show for it. Aldritch noticed Sulika¡¯s eyes lingering on his side and cracked a smile. He knew exactly what she was thinking, it was written all over her face. ¡°It¡¯s not all pleasant or even useful.¡± He told her. ¡°What is?¡± She asked, blinking away her stupor and refocusing on his face. That was the first time she¡¯d seen the skin beneath his robe - well, the first time without a traumatic injury distracting her. He was surprisingly trim for someone who claimed to weigh 700 lbs. ¡°You were wondering why I didn¡¯t scar, yes?¡± Aldritch asked and pointed to his side. ¡°Never crossed my mind.¡± Faeyra muttered with a distracted smile on her face. She was overtly staring at Aldritch¡¯s skin. ¡°Lad,¡± Derrik said. He was also staring at Aldritch¡¯s skin, but his expression was one of concern. ¡°Where¡¯s your hair?¡± ¡°His what?¡± Sulika asked, not understanding the question. ¡°His blasted hair!¡± He replied, pointing at Aldritch¡¯s body. ¡°I thought it was bad enough ya shaved your beard. But your chest hair too? Do ya have no love for your ancestors?¡± Derrik asked, the sheer revulsion in his eyes was enough to convince everyone that he wasn¡¯t faking his reaction. He was genuinely upset by Aldritch¡¯s lack of body hair. Aldritch snapped his fingers and pointed at Derrik, while looking at Sulika. ¡°He gets it.¡± He said in an amused voice. ¡°Dwarves are naturally hairy creatures. Furthermore, we revere a good beard and body hair is considered sacred in our culture.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ definitely something the Dwarves would revere. Never mind.¡± Ralocan muttered, disturbed by the explanation. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear anything from you, tree lover.¡± Derrik snapped. Aldritch ignored them both and continued with his explanation. ¡°The Giant blood makes me more resistant to injury, increases my ability to survive grievous injuries, and also offers some protection from the elements. But since giants are closer to elementals than mortals, I can¡¯t grow any body hair - Oh,¡± He stopped himself and ran his fingers through his long red hair. ¡°This and my eyebrows being the sole exceptions, though I''ve never understood why.¡± ¡°So¡­ You¡¯re bald everywhere else?¡± Oladi asked in an amused voice. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Everywhere?¡± Faeyra repeated while slowly moving her eyes up and down Aldritch¡¯s body. ¡°That¡¯s what I said.¡± ¡°You poor bastard.¡± Derrik muttered, tearing up at the sight of the pitiful man standing before him. ¡°How will ya ever find a wife without body hair? What will she run her fingers through while you lay in bed together? How will you keep her warm on the cold winter nights? How-¡± Aldritch just laughed. ¡°So, are all Dwarven men as obsessed with body hair as Derrik seems to be?¡± Sulika asked. She was amused, and somewhat disturbed, to learn about this side of Derrik. ¡°It¡¯s not the men who¡¯re obsessed, Boss. It¡¯s the women.¡± Derrik wistfully replied. ¡°Dwarven women love a hairy man¡­ Why do ya think so many of them flock to Zarud?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen you without your shirt on, Derrik. Don¡¯t compare my hair to the bearskin rug you call a back.¡± Zarud said, smiling and giving Derrik the middle finger - Who returned it with a smile of his own. Sulika suddenly blinked and realized where they were. ¡°Sorry, let¡¯s back up a minute.¡± She told them. She looked around at the barrier protecting them and asked; ¡°How much time will this spell give us to come up with a plan?¡± ¡°Unless one of you does something you shouldn¡¯t, it won¡¯t fall until I dismiss it.¡± Aldritch explained. ¡°You mentioned something about drawbacks earlier. Mind explaining that?¡± Sulika asked him, hoping to understand the issues at hand before jumping to a decision. ¡°I did, yes.¡± Aldritch replied, nodding at her in approval. ¡°But first, do you know what Sanctuary actually is?¡± Sanctuary is primarily used as an area denial spell. It¡¯s good for sealing an area, and keeping demons, undead, and many other creatures out. However, the spell is a bit more nuanced than most give it credit for.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Ralocan asked excitedly. Sanctuary was also one of his spells, to learn there was another way to use it was immensely interesting for him. ¡°It¡¯d be easier to show you¡­¡± Aldritch replied, trailing off as he thought of what to do. ¡°Couldn¡¯t hurt to try.¡± He muttered before looking towards the rooftops. His mutterings earned him a few confused looks. But, like the good guildmates they were, Sulika and the others decided to wait and see what he was doing before immediately jumping to the ¡®He¡¯s crazy¡¯ line of thinking. It only took a few seconds of looking for him to find one of the trolls he¡¯d almost killed earlier. The hulking demon was glaring down at them, face upturned into a hideous snarl, and white robe covered in the blood of his ally. Aldritch smiled at the troll, an act that exposed his white teeth, and raised a hand in its direction. Aldritch pointed a single finger at the Troll before turning it towards himself and lightly running it across his throat. ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡± Aldritch told the demon in a way he thought it would understand. The Troll¡¯s face warped in anger. It slammed its fists into the edge of the building, dislodging bricks and breaking mortar. After a few seconds of unleashing its rage on the non-reactive roof, the Troll raised a hand to the sky and conjured a massive fireball above its head. ¡°There he goes.¡± Aldritch said, nodding his approval at the Troll - Which only served to piss it off even more. ¡°Should you really be pissing it off like that?¡± Sulika whispered to him. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Aldritch replied. ¡°See, Sanctuary is great for protecting an area. But you have to be very careful when you¡¯re first creating it. It works by isolating an area from predefined targets, and if any of those targets attempt to enter the barrier once it¡¯s been cast, they are destroyed. You saw that earlier with the Ogre¡¯s body. But what you didn¡¯t see is the things it doesn¡¯t stop. Things like-¡± The Troll finished powering its spell before Aldritch could finish his explanation. Without hesitation, the angry demon whipped its arm towards the ground. Countless melon sized balls of flame shot from the fireball hovering in the sky to splash uselessly against Sanctuaries unyielding shell. However, despite the magic itself getting stopped, the sweltering air that was responsible for feeding the flames passed through unhindered. The super-heated air hit the ground around Sulika and the rest and made breathing more difficult for a few seconds. The Troll maintained the assault for as long as it could before running out of mana. Once it did, the spell ended abruptly, and the fireball faded away like a mirage. ¡°What was that?¡± Sulika asked, confused by what she¡¯d just experienced. ¡°Like I said, easier to show you than explain it.¡± Aldritch replied. ¡°The spell negates magical spells hitting it from the outside, yes, but other things can pass through without issue - things like Oxygen. It¡¯s why I can still breathe normally despite the spell sealing us away from the rest of the dungeon. However, that¡¯s also why I said you had to be careful whenever you cast Sanctuary. It¡¯s easier than you think to completely seal yourself away from everything and end up suffocating inside your own spell.¡± Ralocan stared at the Troll high above them. After a few seconds of watching it scream at them, Ralocan couldn¡¯t help but ask Aldritch a question. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice it before, because we¡¯re getting our oxygen from the masks. But now that I know what to look for, I can see it clear as day; the miasma flowing through the barrier like it¡¯s not even there. How did you do that? How did you get the spell to deny some things and allow others?... Did you alter Sanctuary¡¯s function?¡± Aldritch grinned. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t change the spell. I just changed the way I was using it.¡± ¡°How?¡± Ralocan asked with a confused look in his eyes. ¡°How?¡± Aldritch asked in a perplexed tone. ¡°I experimented.¡± ¡°Yes, but how? Sanctuary is a spell that rids an area of evil by sealing away a part of the world. It¡¯s not sealing an area if something can still enter and exit as it pleases, now, is it?¡± Ralocan asked, more insistently this time. He¡¯d always been told that spells would fail if you didn¡¯t do them exactly the same every time. This was especially true for priests and clerics, since their magic came from an outside source. If you didn¡¯t use the proper spell, then why would the Gods lend you their aid? Aldritch looked away for a second in confusion - ¡°Ah,¡± He muttered. ¡°I understand the issue now -¡± Aldritch had to stop speaking as something heavy landed just outside the Sanctuary. Everyone turned their heads to regard the interrupter. They saw a thirteen-foot-tall Ogre climbing to its feet just outside the barrier. Apparently, the demons were tired of waiting. The Ogre reached the edge of the Sanctuary and came to a stop as a dozen more Ogres fell from the sky - four of which landed on top of the dome and were instantly obliterated. While the rest were too far over and landed on either the road or the sidewalk. Aldritch watched this happen for a few seconds before moving to place himself between the Ogres at the edge of Sanctuary and the group. ¡°Can they get through?¡± Max asked him. ¡°No. But if I¡¯m going to get to that monstrous machine, I need to go through them.¡± Aldritch explained. He watched the first Ogre reach out with its right hand - An arc of static electricity leaped from the dome to the Ogre¡¯s fingers, zapping it, and making it withdraw its hand in surprise. Aldritch smirked while going through the motions of summoning his shield again¡­ He suddenly stopped just before pressing his bloodied finger into the symbol on his bracer. He¡¯d felt something moving inside his pocket. Saying nothing, Aldritch reached into the pocket hidden inside his robe and pulled a sleepy puppy from its depths. ¡°Synne?¡± Aldritch muttered while staring at the canine. And he wasn¡¯t the only one staring. ¡°You¡¯ve had her inside your pocket this entire time!?¡± Sulika shouted. Her anger made her temporarily forget the Ogres watching them from the edge of the barrier. Faeyra and Oladi grabbed Sulika by the arms and pulled her back before she could punch Aldritch¡­ Or stab him. ¡°How¡¯d you get out?¡± Aldritch asked the pup, completely ignoring Sulika¡¯s outburst. The puppy¡¯s mouth opened wide to let out a soft yawn. Her eyes opened slowly at first, but the moment they landed on Aldritch they shot open, and her tail started wagging like mad. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Aldritch,¡± Faeyra said, getting his attention. ¡°Where has she been?¡± Aldritch shifted his hold on the puppy, allowing her to sit flat in the palm of his hand while he lifted his robes away from his body¡­ Which allowed him to see a part of the pocket was missing, destroyed by the chunk of metal that nearly killed him. ¡°No.¡± Aldritch muttered. He passed Synne to Sulika without a word and ripped the robe, and his broken armor, off his body with a single tug. A stone amulet was flung up by the force of Aldritch tearing off his robe. The only thing keeping it from flying away from his body was the thick leather strap Aldritch used to keep it around his neck. Ignoring the stares directed at his amulet and chest, Aldritch turned the robe inside out to get a better look at the pocket: at four inches wide and eight inches deep, it was fairly large considered Aldritch kept it hidden inside his robe. But the most interesting thing was the faintly glowing magical symbols sewn into the fabric with golden thread. Aldritch activated Eye of the Magic Eater and inspected the pocket with magic sight. A small, but constant stream of purple mana was leaking from the hole in the bottom of the pocket - An Ogre wailed in pain after touching the barrier. The Ogre continued to scream as divine mana atomized its body, starting at its fingertips and ending with the soles of its club-like feet. Aldritch paid no mind to any of it. Instead, he stared at the pocket like it was the most important thing in the world¡­ And now it was dying. Aldritch carefully stuck his hand into the pocket and grabbed the only other thing inside. A small box covered in dark leather, the silver latch on the front of the box was slightly warped from someone opening it and closing it over a number of years. With the box retrieved, Aldritch allowed his gaze to fall back onto the pocket. ¡°You can make another.¡± Oakairo told him. ¡°I know.¡± Aldritch said, speaking out loud. ¡°He¡¯d want you to throw away this old thing, anyway.¡± ¡°I know that too.¡± Aldritch muttered without taking his eyes off the pocket. ¡°Aldritch? Are you okay?¡± Sulika asked, her anger forgotten in the face of his despondent attitude. She¡¯d never seen him this way. ¡°The man who raised me, left me this robe in his will. The pocket was something he learned to make from my mother.¡± Aldritch explained in a strange voice, one filled with pain¡­ Regret. ¡°Would you hold these for me?¡± Aldritch asked, holding out the robe and box to Faeyra. ¡°I need to take care of something.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She replied - Her eyes widened in surprise at the weight of the robes. He could move in these? Aldritch nodded his thanks and summoned his shield. His face was the picture of calm as he looked her in the eyes. His hands were steady as stone as he reached out to poke Synne¡¯s nose. And his eyes contained a rage that couldn¡¯t be measured. Sulika¡¯s breath caught in her throat as he turned those baleful eyes on her. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a minute.¡± He told her. ¡°Wait -¡± Sulika tried to stop him, but it was too late. Aldritch had already pushed off the ground, cracking the asphalt road in a fifty-foot circle around him. Aldritch reached the edge of the barrier in a second and passed through it without causing so much as a ripple - Which was exactly what the monstrous machine had been waiting for. A sonic boom shattered glass from some nearby windows as the machine launched another thirty-pound missile at Aldritch. The crimson-haired Giant reacted even before the machine fired, raising his shield high enough to allow him to run without interference - The moment he saw the muzzle flash, the Giant stomped on the ground and shoved himself aside. Aldritch rolled immediately after landing and resumed running, his golden eyes never once leaving the machine. An unlucky Ogre took a missile to the spine. The demon was ripped in half at the waist without even slowing down the missile, which eventually flattened itself against Sanctuary. The machine''s turret rotated a few feet to the left and scanned for Aldritch. It found him seconds later, standing beside one of the largest metal bodies on the road. This specific body was painted black and gray and was over forty feet long. The machine repositioned its turret a few inches to the right, expecting Aldritch to run away from the metal body. It fired¡­ And the Giant never moved. He merely tilted his head to the side as he watched the thing move - seemingly oblivious to the fact it¡¯d just fired upon him. The missile flew past his head, missing him by less than a foot. It tore through the front end of the long metal body like it was made of tissue paper, scattering shards of metal debris across the road. The creatures inside the metal monstrosity were beginning to get nervous now. What was wrong with this mortal? Did he not fear death? He knew they were going to kill him, right? The instant after the last missile was fired, the creatures inside the metal monstrosity went to work reloading their turret. They grabbed another thirty-pound shell from the special compartment beneath the floor and worked together to hoist it into the tube. Eight seconds after the last shot was fired, the turret was reloaded. Four seconds after reloading was complete, the turret was locked onto the Giant. And two seconds after that, the metal monster fired another missile. Aldritch moved the moment he realized the monster was aiming at him. He kicked off the road, launching himself into the air and over the roof of the long metal body. He landed on the other side and started sprinting towards the closest alleyway - He felt a rush of wind fly past him as the missile tore through the center of the long metal body and embedded itself in a wall. Aldritch disappeared from the monstrous machine¡¯s sight by ducking into the alley¡­ Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t that easy to find safety. The alley he¡¯d chosen was narrow on both ends, but opened into a large square space that was just as wide as it was deep. The square was crawling with Demons whose eyes landed on him almost immediately. Three Ogres, twelve Imps, a Troll, and five Demonwolves were just waiting for him to enter so they could attack him. Aldritch¡¯s face had remained blank until he registered the presence of the demons surrounding him. A scowl creased his brows and his lips twitched in annoyance as he slowed to a stop near the center of the alley. It was a straight shot between two buildings, connecting the road he was just on with the one running parallel to it. An Ogre took a few lumbering steps towards Aldritch. It raised its meaty fist into the air and let out an angry roar as it sent it flying at the Giant¡¯s head - Aldritch raised his shield and twisted it slightly, throwing his body weight behind it to achieve maximum efficiency. The Ogre¡¯s fist split on contact with the shield¡¯s edge. Dark blood sprayed over the Golden shield, covering both it and Aldritch with an almost black liquid - Aldritch twisted the shield again, using his body weight, along with the fact that it was stuck inside the Ogre¡¯s arm, to manipulate the beast. He broke the Ogre¡¯s elbow in one swift movement and threw a haymaker aimed at the side of its face - The fist connected with enough force to shatter concrete and the Ogre¡¯s head was blown aside. Aldritch freed his shield as the Ogre dropped onto its back. Its neck was hanging at a weird angle and the side of its face had collapsed in on itself. This let the other demons instantly realize it was probably dead before it hit the ground. [You should step aside.] Aldritch said while stepping over the fallen Ogre. He could feel the ground shaking and the sound of metal grinding against metal. Something big was moving, and he had neither the time nor the inclination to deal with these pests right now. [You speak our language?] The Troll asked, surprised - Aldritch took three quick steps forward while shifting his grip on the shield. He drove the rear spike through its throat in the blink of an eye, the sheer weight of the shield causing the Troll to be driven back into a wall. Aldritch gave a quick twist of his body that dragged the spike through the concrete wall and pushed the troll off balance. While the Troll was still alive, thanks in no small part to its natural regenerative abilities. It struggled to keep its footing in the face of Aldritch¡¯s overwhelming physical strength - The Troll coughed in surprise as the Giant swept its feet right out from under it with a well-placed kick. The spike may have been forced from the wall, but it remained in the Troll¡¯s throat as the demon was driven onto its back and pinned beneath the weight of the shield. All of this had happened so fast it took the other demons a while to respond. They¡¯d never seen a Troll forced to move when it didn¡¯t want to. And by the time they did start moving, Aldritch was already kneeling over the pinned Troll. The nineteen demons in the alley leapt towards Aldritch with their fangs and claws ready to tear him to shreds - ¡°Sacred Fireball.¡± Aldritch muttered, raising his fist into the air as divine mana gathered around it. Aldritch drove his fist into the ground and released the built-up mana - A massive explosion followed as twelve pillars of golden flames erupted from the ground in a semicircle around Aldritch and the Troll. Nineteen bodies worth of ash fell over Aldritch¡¯s back, and the Troll¡¯s face and legs¡­ Aldritch¡¯s face never changed. He wasn¡¯t enjoying this, didn¡¯t find this entertaining in the slightest. Aldritch pulled the shield up, removing the spike from the Troll¡¯s throat, before slamming it back just above its head. The Troll smirked and opened its mouth to speak, but Aldritch silenced it before it could utter a word. He used his smoking right hand to grab its spine through the hole in its neck. The Troll¡¯s eyes widened as Aldritch gathered divine mana inside the hand wrapped around its spinal column. Aldritch could still feel the ground trembling. He didn¡¯t have much time before he¡¯d need to move again. [What is the metal thing?] Aldritch asked the Troll. [Tank.] The Troll hurriedly spat. It could feel its very soul burning due to coming in contact with divine mana. [Weaknesses?] Aldritch asked while staring into the Troll¡¯s black eyes. The Troll smiled in spite of the pain it was feeling. It was no idiot; it knew it was as good as dead already. The fact that the ground had stopped trembling was evidence enough of that. [Figure it out in your next life.] The Troll said before spitting in Aldritch¡¯s face - Its body ignited from the inside. Brilliant blue flames spewed from every hole in its body, even as its healing factor tried desperately to heal any damage it sustained. Aldritch yanked his hand free from its throat and retrieved his shield before leaping off the burning corpse. A missile roared through the wall next to the burning body, passing just inches below Aldritch¡¯s feet. Aldritch twisted his body in the air and jammed his shield into the wall to halt his descent - He grimaced as the pull of gravity finally returned to pull him back down. His weight hit his arms, which were desperately hanging onto the shield. The combined weight of Aldritch and his shield caused a few bricks to come loose, but his fall was stopped¡­ Even if only temporarily. The alleys weren¡¯t safe if it could shoot through the walls, he needed to get higher. He glanced around his shield at the height of the buildings on either side of the alley. Both were well over three hundred feet tall, and he was far too heavy to wall jump that far¡­ ¡°Oh well.¡± Aldritch grunted as he pulled himself onto his shield and crouched low to get as much thrust as he could - He used the fact that the shield could move within the hole he¡¯d created in the wall to springboard off the shield and launch himself up and away from the alley. He flew up¡­ and up¡­ and up¡­ Until he was about ten feet from the roof of the building and gravity regained its grip on him. Aldritch reacted to his gradually slowing speed by reaching out with a foot and pushing off the wall. The Giant broke the windowsill with his kick, but still managed to get just enough speed to get a single hand on the edge of the roof. Aldritch pulled himself up just enough to get his other hand on the ledge. With that done, he could finally haul the rest of his body onto the roof - His head passed the edge and came face to face with a trio of Demonwolves. ¡°Of course.¡± Aldritch threw himself into the air, just missing the claws of one of the Demonwolves, and landed in a crouch behind it. Aldritch turned at the same time as the Demonwolf. The two warriors locked eyes in an instant and attacked simultaneously; Aldritch stepped into the taller Demonwolf¡¯s chest to eliminate the difference in range and blocked a wild swing aimed at the right side of his head. Before the Demonwolf could retract its arm or attack again, Aldritch wrapped his right hand around its wrist and pulled it down to his level. ¡°Summon Weapon.¡± Aldritch muttered and positioned his left hand behind the demon¡¯s head. Jammed into the wall far below, Aldritch¡¯s shield glowed with a brilliant silver light - It suddenly lurched forward, breaking through the wall and landing inside the living room of a long-abandoned dwelling - It instantly righted itself, twisting to angle its head towards Aldritch¡¯s hand. The shield shot into the ceiling like an arrow and kept going. The shield built speed with every floor it broke through until it became nothing more than a silver blur rocketing through the building. It broke through the floor between Aldritch and the Demonwolf¡¯s feet less than a second after he cast the spell - Debris exploded from the newly formed hole as the top of the shield returned to Aldritch¡¯s left hand, after bisecting the Demonwolf in its way. Aldritch spun away from the Demonwolf to face its friends and the other demons on the roof, leaving its body to follow the pull of gravity unimpeded. The head and most of the left arm/shoulder of the Demonwolf tumbled through the hole in the floor, tracing the flight of the shield back to its origin, while the rest of its body sank to its knees¡­ Aldritch quickly acted to determine the fastest path through the demons. From the rooftops, Aldritch could see for miles in every direction save one; A sheer cliff loomed over the city on his right. The Transport hub they¡¯d arrived in had been constructed over four roads, while a few buildings lining each road were used to support this behemoth of a hub. Since the rear of the hub pressed up against the side of the cliff. Aldritch also assumed that was where the tunnel was, buried somewhere deep beneath the red stone of the mountain. He¡¯d have to ignore that direction for the time being and focus on what was in front of him. Every building had been built in a mostly straight line with the ones around it. Aldritch could only detect a few degrees of variation between them in the few moments he had to observe his surroundings. As for the demons, he had the right of it before. There were hundreds of them up here. Each rooftop held no less than a dozen demons, while the roof of the transport hub held countless others. Most appeared to be Imps, Succubi, and Incubi - the main ranged attackers of this demon army. But Aldritch also marked a few hooded trolls with their heads down and some kind of black spheres floating in the air above them. Based on the way they were spaced out over a number of buildings, Aldritch assumed these were the ¡®trackers¡¯ he¡¯d been wondering about. To bolster the ranks ever further, a number of Ogres and Demonwolves had been placed on each roof to defend the others from warriors like him¡­ Well, not exactly like him. Aldritch wasn¡¯t in the mood to play fair anymore. ¡°O¡¯ mighty Oakairo; my king and guiding light, let my words reach you on dragon¡¯s wings. With my body as the vessel, bring your wrath down upon mine enemies: Aspect of the Dragon - Breath.¡± Aldritch said and summoned forth an ocean of divine mana from the depths of his soul. ¡°Permission granted. My breath is yours.¡± Oakairo replied and moved to assist. As Oakairo wrestled with Aldritch¡¯s mana, he realized Aldritch had poured a lot into this one spell. Oakairo grinned with pride and pushed himself into Aldritch¡¯s mana. His gargantuan head appeared in the sky above Aldritch, his mouth already open and overflowing with divine mana. What could only be described as the shriek of a million birds hit Sulika¡¯s ears, forcing her to look towards the sky. Even through the haze of golden light created by Sanctuary, Sulika immediately spotted the massive Dragon head looming over them like the face of an angry God. Oakairo threw his head forward and unleashed his breath upon the world: A beam of pure divine energy evaporated the demons closest to Aldritch before hitting the top of the next building and obliterating it, essentially deleting the roof and all of its demons from existence. This continued to the second building, and the third, the fourth, the fifth, all the way to the end of the road. Then Oakairo¡¯s head turned. Still releasing a steady stream of his breath. Oakairo first aimed at the tops of the buildings across the street to his left, wiping them out one by one until he was satisfied. Then he turned his attention to the buildings on his right and did the same thing. By the time Oakairo finished wiping out the forces on the last roof, Aldritch could feel his mana reserves reaching the limit of what they could do. ¡°Want me to get the ones on the hub too?¡± Oakairo asked while slowly turning his head to face the massive building. Aldritch shook his head and ended the spell. ¡°We can¡¯t risk destroying the path to the portal. Not until we get the others back through.¡± Oakairo nodded and retreated into Aldritch¡¯s body - The instant Oakairo disappeared, Aldritch¡¯s right leg gave out and he fell to his knee. ¡°Sorry. I may have gotten carried away with that one.¡± Oakairo chuckled in embarrassment. Aldritch nodded in agreement before pushing back to his feet. He lifted his shield and slowly made his way over to the edge of the roof overlooking the road Sulika was on. He peered over it to inspect the road below¡­ It took him a second to find it, but he saw the ¡®Tank¡¯ parked in the center of the road, in front of the alley he¡¯d gone down earlier. The creatures inside the Tank, a quartet of Imps, couldn¡¯t take not being able to see what was going on outside. One Imp threw open the latch on top of the turret and was staring slack-jawed at the destruction. Seeing the opening in its armor, Aldritch couldn¡¯t help but smile. So, it did have a weakness¡­ How many more would he find if he took it apart? The Imp inside the latch spotted Aldritch looking down on them and began to panic. He ducked back inside the tank and slammed the latch shut with a heavy *clang!*. Before, Aldritch had been wondering if the tank was truly impenetrable via normal means. Would he need to use Dragon¡¯s breath to deal with it? He didn¡¯t want to, there was so much he could learn from dissecting it. How many lives would be saved in the future if he discovered its weaknesses? But now¡­ Aldritch knew he could get inside without destroying it entirely. It was dangerous, sure¡­ but there was a weakness in its armor, something he could exploit. There was blood in the water and Aldritch felt compelled to sink his teeth into it. Aldritch stepped off the roof at the same time as the Imps inside the tank got it moving again. Its treads spun surprisingly quickly for such a heavy machine, allowing it to dart out of the way before Aldritch could land on top of it. The turret spun to face Aldritch and fired at almost the exact moment the shooter made visual contact. Aldritch raised his shield between one step and the next, and placed his body squarely behind it - The instant he registered the turret flash, Aldritch dove to the ground, getting beneath the missile and sliding across the asphalt on his shield. The imps inside the tank reloaded the turret as fast as they could. And by the time the next round was ready to be fired, Aldritch was already practically on top of them. Not willing to go down without a fight; The Imp responsible for aiming the turret forced the barrel to aim as low as it could - *BOOM!* the missile slammed into the road a few feet behind Aldritch. The shockwave caused by the impact of the missile forced Aldritch to stumble into the front of the tank, almost losing his shield in the process. Aldritch recovered from the shock after a second and went on the attack. He shifted his grip on the shield and punched it into the front of the Tank - The spike stopped on impact, without going so much as a centimeter into the tanks¡¯ thick armor plating. Aldritch dashed to the right, circling around the tank while the Imps inside tried to keep sight of him; Aldritch repeated slammed his shield into the side of the tank. Each hit searching for a weakness, or something else to exploit. His shield bounced off most of the tank¡¯s armor, failing to do more than scratch the crimson paint job - Aldritch froze as he accidentally managed to drive the spike into an external vent on the left side of the tank. Aldritch quickly slapped his right hand over the vent, ¡°Sacred -¡± He was cut off by the turret spinning towards him. Aldritch pulled his hand away from the vent and lifted his shield - *Clang!* The turret stopped dead against the center of his shield. The tank whined as it kept trying to turn. Dark smoke began to billow from the paper-thin gap separating the turret from the body of the tank. [To hell with shooting him. Run him over!] The Imp in charge cried. [Okay!] The pilot imp yelled, shoving against the accelerator and making the tank lurch into motion. Aldritch¡¯s eyes widened as the body of the tank turned towards him and forced him to move back a few feet - the tank pushed forward bumping against the shield and forcing him back a few more feet. Aldritch planted his feet into the ground and shoved his body weight against the shield. The treads cried against the asphalt road as they spun but failed to go anywhere. Sadly, Aldritch wasn¡¯t able to resist the sheer mass of the Tank for more than a few seconds before he had to move or risk losing his footing and getting pulled under. Aldritch kicked off the ground and rolled on top of the tank. He came up in front of the turret and quickly ducked out of the way as it swung towards him¡­ From this angle, Aldritch got a very good look at the base of the turret. Specifically, at the hair-thin gap separating the turret from the body of the tank. Aldritch smiled at the dark smoke drifting up from beneath. He shifted the grip on the shield and drove the spike directly into the gap - The turret twisted, one side lifting into the air while the other smacked into the base of the tank. The tank made a horrendous sound as the Imps tried to turn the turret, only for it to be blocked by the shield. The tank ground to a halt as the Imps¡¯ panic turned to paralysis. With the tank no longer moving, Aldritch didn¡¯t have any trouble maintaining his balance while he raised his foot - *Bang!* his boot slammed into the shield, driving it deeper into the tank. *Bang!*, *Bang!*, *Bang!*, *BANG!* The shield completely embedded itself between the turret and the body of the tank. The turret was now twisted into such a severe angle, Aldritch knew it wouldn¡¯t take much more to break it loose. Aldritch walked over to the barrel of the turret and ducked his head under it, allowing it to rest on top of his right shoulder. Aldritch sucked in a breath and slowly straightened his legs. The tank wailed as the bits and pieces holding it together started snapping. Then, with a shout of exultation, Aldritch shoved against the base with all his might and pushed up on the turret - *Pang!* The two pieces of the tank broke apart in a pitiful cry for mercy. The Imps watched, their bodies petrified with fear, as Aldritch twisted his body and tossed the turret away from the body. With that done, Aldritch finally turned his baleful golden eyes on the demons responsible for destroying his robe. [You humans like mercy, yes?] The Imp in charge asked in a whiny, nervous voice. [They do.] Aldritch replied, staring the Imp in the eye - His golden, reptilian eyes shone with power, and he looked down on them from high above. [But I don¡¯t.] Chapter 11 - The Crimson Fleet (pt 2) The five Imps responsible for ruining Aldritch¡¯s robe were suspended ten feet in the air above the tank, each one trapped inside their own bubbles of divine mana. The Imps could feel their skin slowly disintegrating. But they were powerless to stop it or rid themselves of the pain. The bubbles clung to them like a second layer of skin, preventing them from moving anything but their eyes and jaw. One of the Imps believed that was their way out. If they had no chance of escaping this hell alive, then they¡¯d do so on their own terms. No way would they allow the giant to control that. The Imp sank its teeth deep into its tongue in a desperate bid to escape. Blood filled the Imps mouth to the point of spilling down its chin. The Imp smiled as it felt life quickly leaving its body - A few seconds later, the Imp stopped smiling. It could feel its life returning twice as fast as it¡¯d left. The Giant had predicted this, the Imp realized. [What have you done?] The Imp shouted at the Giant. [Why can¡¯t I die? Eh?] It screamed until its throat ached, and then screamed some more. But Aldritch ignored it. Of course, he¡¯d predicted at least one of them would attempt to take the easy way out. How many demons had he trapped this way? A hundred? Maybe two? He¡¯d learned how to keep a demon alive a long time ago. Was easier than he thought too. Demons were deathly allergic to divine mana. The smallest amount would cause them indescribable pain, while larger doses were capable of instantly killing them. Something on the level of Sanctuary was even able to destroy the bonds that held their bodies together, permanently ridding them from the world. Except, death was too inconvenient. He didn¡¯t want them dead yet; they were still too useful to kill. The five of them were capable of piloting the ¡®Tank¡¯, as the Troll called it; That alone was enough to give Aldritch pause. So, he¡¯d invented a way to allow demons to live through the pain. It¡¯d taken many years, and countless failures before he found the right combination of effects. But he¡¯d eventually gotten it right. Heretic¡¯s Blight was a shield spell combined with a mana absorption effect and a life-supporting incantation. The spell continuously drains the mana of anything trapped within the shield. The absorbed mana is then cycled around the shield several times, each time passing through the divine mana Aldritch imparted while casting the spell. Doing this multiple times will purify all but the darkest of mana sources, gradually turning the other source into a lesser version of divine mana called ¡®Holy¡¯ mana. Once the transformation into holy mana is complete, the spell moves on to the final step in the process. The outermost layer of the shield is actually porous. This allows the Miasma of the dungeon to penetrate that specific layer of the shield, and only that layer. With the Miasma now inside, and thus altering the purification process once again, the holy mana is tainted slightly before being reintroduced to the captive¡¯s body. This is what allows the spell to heal demons without making them spontaneously combust on the spot. Aldritch had been informed that every heal hurt more than the injury it was attempting to fix, but that was fine. He felt that pain was but a small price to pay for the ability to keep a demon alive long enough to interrogate them. Unfortunately, the spell didn¡¯t work correctly unless it was completely immersed in Miasma. Without carrying the taint, the holy mana would simply run wild inside a demon¡¯s body, killing it in a matter of seconds. Otherwise, he might¡¯ve chosen to keep Garr inside one of these for safe keeping¡­ Actually, no, he wouldn¡¯t have. Garr had directly gone against his command. Death was the only outcome left for such an untrustworthy demon. A collection of footfalls grabbed Aldritch¡¯s attention. He looked away from the tank, over his right shoulder at his guildmates standing behind him. However, he noticed one member of the team was missing. Max. Aldritch located the guild master a moment later: The Kandis was sitting in the center of the dome with his back to them. A faint blue light illuminated the space in front of him, causing Aldritch to wonder what he was up to? ¡°You should get back inside the Sanctuary. It¡¯s not safe out here yet.¡± He told them. ¡°We know. That¡¯s why we came.¡± Sulika said, confidently striding up to him with Synne held loosely under her left arm. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous out here, so we¡¯re here to help you do¡­ whatever it is that you¡¯re doing. So, we can all get back inside the dome.¡± ¡°Sulika is just tired of fielding questions from Max. She wants you back inside, so he¡¯ll leave her alone.¡± Faeyra said, grinning at her friend¡¯s back. Sulika shot her a dirty look before turning back to Aldritch. ¡°While that¡¯s certainly true, it doesn¡¯t alter my motives. I want to help you quickly finish up before the demons decide to mount a counterattack.¡± ¡°We were forced to be here.¡± Zarud said, yawning into the palm of his right hand. ¡°Sulika threatened to make me see visions of Derrik dancing in a string bikini if I didn¡¯t come.¡± ¡°Aye. My punishment was to see a vision of naked Zarud chasing me through the streets.¡± Derrik muttered and shivered at the thought - Oladi slapped her hands over Zarud¡¯s and Derrick''s mouths. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to these two. No one threatened us.¡± She said, her exasperation was clear from the sound of her voice. ¡°Oladi¡¯s right. We weren¡¯t threatened¡­ I was bribed. A night of all you can drink wine at the Boss¡¯s expense. How could I resist?¡± Ralocan said. Derrik pulled Oladi¡¯s hand away from his mouth. ¡°Aye. In truth, I was offered two kegs of ale and a rump roast.¡± Zarud also pulled her hand away from his mouth. ¡°Wait, you guys were bribed?¡± He asked with wide eyes. Aldritch stared at his guildmates for several long seconds¡­ Then he laughed. ¡°You are all very amusing.¡± He said and shook his head. ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re offering to help. It would be rude of me to refuse such a generous offer.¡± ¡°No, seriously. Am I the only one not getting anything for this?¡± Zarud asked while everyone fanned out to assist Aldritch. Aldritch wrapped an arm around Zarud¡¯s shoulders and pulled him in close. ¡°Of course not, friend. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re succinctly rewarded for your efforts today. That goes for all of you.¡± He said, releasing Zarud and stepping away. ¡°You?¡± Zarud asked, clearly skeptical of Aldritch¡¯s claim. He thought the Giant didn¡¯t like him? ¡°Yes.¡± Aldritch chuckled. ¡°I do not have the coin to repay you, yet. Instead, would you all be willing to accept something else in trade?¡± He asked them while moving to stand in front of the tank. ¡°Like what?¡± Sulika asked. Aldritch smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll forge your choice of weapon, armor, or enchanted accessory.¡± Sulika blinked at his response¡­ Hadn¡¯t he already said he¡¯d planned to become the guild¡¯s smith? Wasn¡¯t he already planning on forging equipment for them to use? Why was he speaking as if it was a reward for - Sulika saw the excited expressions on the faces of Derrik, Zarud, and Ralocan. Even Oladi, who didn¡¯t usually use a weapon, looked somewhat excited at the prospect. ¡°That¡¯s right, he never told them he was going to be our smith. So, for them, this is a reward.¡± She smirked and shook her head at Aldritch. She thought it was a bit mean spirited of him to trick them like that. But it¡¯s their fault for saying she¡¯d bribed and threatened them. She¡¯d done no such thing. They¡¯d fibbed in an attempt to garner sympathy, most likely so they could pressure him into hurrying back to the Sanctuary. And Aldritch was allowing them to believe they¡¯d receive a special service in return for allowing him to do what he was already planning to do. The Giant¡¯s face didn¡¯t change as he looked at her, but she could see the amusement in his eyes. ¡°Oladi.¡± Aldritch said, turning to the druid with an expectant look in his eye. ¡°Would you be able to conjure vines strong enough to tow this machine?¡± Oladi glanced at the ground beneath her feet, then slowly looked back at Aldritch. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Not here, at least. There¡¯s no life beneath this road, everything¡¯s dried up.¡± Aldritch¡¯s face fell slightly. ¡°I see, I hadn¡¯t considered that as a possibility¡­ Hmm.¡± He looked at the body of the tank, then at the turret lying a dozen feet away. After taking a few seconds to consider the weight he¡¯d felt pushing against both, Aldritch made the decision to carry back what he could and investigate the rest later. He walked over to the turret and placed his hands on the barrel. He gave it a few tentative shoves to test its weight, stability, and to locate its center of gravity. The turret was large, incredibly dense, and in a weird shape; flat on top, with a rounded backside and a square ¡®face¡¯. The barrel stuck out of the center of the ¡®face¡¯ like a strange nose. Aldritch knew he could move the thing, since he¡¯d already done it once. But there was a huge difference between shoving something over and dragging it a few hundred feet. After five test pushes, Aldritch decided to do one final test before moving it. He placed both hands against the place where the barrel joined the turret. He pushed the barrel up with a grunt of effort, the thick metal creaked and cried as he forced it to face the sky¡­ ¡°Interesting.¡± He muttered after holding the turret in that position for ten seconds. His curiosity satisfied, he removed his hand and allowed it to fall back to the ground. Sulika, Faeyra, Derrik, Oladi, Zarud, and Ralocan were all quick to cover their ears before - *Crash!!* the metal screamed as it collapsed to the ground, dumping bits of metal and metallic rings onto the road beneath it. ¡°It¡¯s lighter than I thought.¡± Aldritch told them. Zarud opened his mouth to yell ¡°That was light?¡± But thought better of it at the last moment. He sighed and looked down at the ground. ¡°How much?¡± He asked after a few seconds had passed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Aldritch admitted. ¡°I believe it weighs about twice as much as the cart I threw a few days ago. But that¡¯s not very specific, is it?¡± ¡°... You threw a - No, never mind. My ego¡¯s been punished enough today. Thanks.¡± Zarud replied. He took several large steps backwards, away from Aldritch and the metal monster, stopping only once he¡¯d returned to Oladi¡¯s side. Aldritch placed one hand around the base of the barrel while the other grabbed the bottom of the turret. He carefully adjusted his strength to avoid putting too much force into it, and potentially causing the barrel to snap off due to its own weight. Once he was fairly sure it wouldn''t break in two, he slowly straightened his legs and lifted the entire thing into the air above his head before lowering it onto his shoulders. The metal moaned like a dying man as it was subjected to its own mass, but the barrel and the body remained together. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Aldritch said and motioned towards the dome with his head. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Sulika asked. ¡°You¡¯re going back just like that?¡± ¡°Yes - Oh, and I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d grab as many of those little metal pieces as you can. I¡¯d like to run a few tests on them as well.¡± He said while walking away. Sulika exchanged glances with her guildmates before pulling out her wand. She pointed it at the loose metal across the ground and rotated her wrist, causing the wand to move in a spiral pattern. ¡°Uval: Collection¡± She muttered. Her mana slowly traveled down the length of her arm and into the tip of the wand. Magenta colored smoke fell from the tip of the wand to the ground below. Once it touched the ground, it began sliding across the ground like a large purple snake. Its movements were almost perfectly aligned with the movements of the wand and followed each movement after a short delay. Every piece of metal it crawled over was grabbed by the smoke and lifted off the ground, allowing it to be easily pushed around. Sulika guided the smoke around for about thirty seconds, gathering more and more metal as she went. Without needing to be asked, Faeyra removed her backpack and placed it flat on the ground. She undid the clasp holding the top together and slightly lifted the rear of the bag off the ground. Sulika nodded her thanks and guided the smoke towards the bag. She ended the spell only after the ¡®tail¡¯ of the ¡®snake¡¯ was completely inside Faeyra¡¯s bag. ¡°Got it?¡± Sulika asked. ¡°Yep.¡± Faeyra replied, refastening the top of her bag and slinging it onto her back - the increased weight caused her to sway to one side before she could catch her balance. Zarud grabbed the sides of the bag before it could drag Faeyra to the ground. ¡°Whoa.¡± He exclaimed. He lifted the bag slightly, testing the weight and removing some of the weight pressing down on Faeyra¡¯s back. ¡°You¡¯ve been carrying this thing the whole time?¡± He asked, surprised at the weight. ¡°Thanks.¡± She said and shot him a quick smile. ¡°And no, not the whole time. Most of the weight you¡¯re feeling is from Aldritch¡¯s robe. I had to rearrange my poison vials just to make sure it didn¡¯t flatten them.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ That makes absolutely no sense, but alright.¡± He quietly replied. ¡°Want me to carry it until he takes his robe back?¡± ¡°No -¡± She grunted and shifted the backpack until it sat comfortably on her back once again. ¡°No thanks. It¡¯s good exercise for me.¡± She said and started walking towards the dome. Zarud took two large steps to catch up and smiled at her. ¡°You sure? I¡¯m pretty strong, you know? I''m pretty sure I could carry it, easily.¡± He told her. To emphasize his point: he lifted his right arm and flexed the muscles in his forearm and biceps, making the veins stand out against his skin. Faeyra¡¯s brain froze for a second after seeing him flex. A sultry smile slowly appeared across her lips, and she looked up at his eyes. Zarud swallowed his nerves as her cold eyes landed on him. Wait, why would he be nervous? He¡¯d been with plenty of women in his short life. Human, Elf, Dwarf, Orc, even a few halflings and Kandis had warmed his bed. So, again, why should he be nervous just because one attractive half-elf smiled at him? Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Faeyra swayed into his side, causing her hips to brush against his, and gently placed her hand on his left forearm. ¡°Do that again.¡± She said, her voice low and breathy. Zarud¡¯s body stiffened at the contact and the seductive undertone of her voice. Without thinking about it, Zarud flexed the muscles in his left arm just like he¡¯d done for his right. Faeyra giggled at the feeling of his muscles moving beneath her fingers. ¡°I can see why you¡¯re so popular.¡± She told him while slowly trailing her fingers along a vein that ran from his wrist to the crook of his elbow. Zarud shivered beneath her touch; his breathing shallowed and his pupils dilated as his excitement grew. He could hear the sound of his heart pounding inside his chest - ¡°It¡¯s just a shame you aren¡¯t my type.¡± Faeyra said before patting his forearm and stepping away from him. Zarud felt like a bucket of ice-cold water had been dumped over his head. ¡°Huh?¡± He exclaimed. That wasn¡¯t how that was supposed to go. He smiled at her, flexed his muscles, flirted a bit. That was all he¡¯d usually needed to do to win a woman over. Somehow, he¡¯d followed the map exactly and still ended up at the wrong location. How the hell did that happen? Ralocan and Derrik arrived at Zarud¡¯s side, both men shaking their heads. ¡°What?¡± Zarud snapped. ¡°You tried.¡± Ralocan replied and gave Zarud a few consolatory pats on the shoulder. ¡°Tried what?¡± Zarud asked, confused by what was happening. Were they¡­ Pitying him!? ¡°Aye. You aimed your arrow and missed entirely. But don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t think you have anything to worry about. Faeyra doesn¡¯t seem like the type to rat you out.¡± Derrik told him. ¡°Rat me out for what?¡± Zarud shouted. ¡°Ha!¡± Sulika laughed from a few feet behind the trio. She and Oladi had seen and heard everything, from Zarud flexing to the rejection. Oladi seemed utterly amused by Zarud¡¯s confusion. She¡¯d never had, or wanted, kids. But she imagined this is what a mother felt like watching her teenage son hit on a girl for the first time. As for Sulika, she was simultaneously irritated and amused at his antics. She disliked the fact that he¡¯d just tried flirting with her closest friend, and his guildmate. He knew better. The hunter¡¯s guild had a rule about dating, or sleeping with, members of the same team for a reason. She¡¯d broken that rule herself once and look how that turned out. But that wasn¡¯t the reason she¡¯d laughed. No, that had a much simpler explanation. ¡°If you think Faeyra won¡¯t tell Tessa what you just did, you¡¯ve got a surprise coming your way.¡± Sulika told them as they passed through the wall of the dome. ¡°But all I did was a little harmless flirting. What¡¯s so bad about that?¡± Zarud asked her. His heart was making a racket inside his chest again, this time for a very different reason. ¡°She gets hit on all the time by married or otherwise ¡®committed¡¯ men. As soon as she finds out they¡¯re in a relationship, she says the same thing every time. ¡°It¡¯s a shame you¡¯re not my type.¡± Sound familiar?¡± She said, smirking up at him. Zarud¡¯s green skin paled. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯d tell-¡± ¡°Oh, but it does.¡± Sulika said, interrupting him. ¡°If she knew their wives, Faeyra always sent a little message to let them know. It¡¯s why she gets so much repeat business from the women in our neighborhood.¡± Zarud¡¯s skin went ashen, and he had to swallow to clear his throat. ¡°Do you think I can convince her not to say anything?¡± He asked before biting on his lips in nervous apprehension. Sulika¡¯s smile fell away, and she gave Zarud a sad look. ¡°Maybe just take this as a lesson and move on. Yeah?¡± Zarud sighed and looked at the ground. ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess I can do that. Who knows, maybe Tessa will understand?¡± He muttered, more to convince himself than anyone else - Suddenly his head shot up. ¡°Hey, what is Faeyra¡¯s type?¡± He asked Sulika. ¡°... Did you seriously just ask that question?¡± Sulika replied, astounded by his ability to bounce back. ¡°Yeah. She said I wasn¡¯t her type, not that I didn¡¯t have a chance. So, what¡¯s her type? Maybe I could -¡± ¡°Hey ~ Aldritch ~¡± Faeyra called as she approached Aldritch from behind. The Giant was sitting on the ground with the turret lying in front of him. They all watched as he reached out with his left hand, grabbed a part of the armor plating, and -*Whomp* ripped it off with a single tug. Faeyra reached him and threw her arms around his neck. She leaned over his shoulder and looked at the metal splayed out before him. She either didn¡¯t notice, or care, that her chest was pressed against his back and her hair was touching the side of his face. ¡°Someone¡¯s in a good mood.¡± Aldritch replied without looking away from the armor. He didn¡¯t care that she was practically laying on him, it was just slightly inconvenient to move without causing her to fall. ¡°I found something fun to do when I get home.¡± Faeyra said while watching him inspect the armor fragment. ¡°Oh?¡± He asked without looking away from the armor. ¡°Would you like to talk about it?¡± ¡°Not right now. Maybe I¡¯ll let you in on it later.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± He said, nodding to show he was listening. Hearing none of their conversation but seeing the way she literally hung off of Aldritch. Zarud¡¯s eye began to twitch as he came to his own conclusions. However, unlike Zarud and Derrik, Sulika, Oladi, and Ralocan had heard their entire conversation thanks to the enhanced senses of their races. Sulika¡¯s grin turned into a full-blown smile, and she shook her head in exasperation. Aldritch was still treating the two of them like little children. ¡°You know, I¡¯m really not sure what her type is. Maybe you should go ask her?¡± Zarud held up a hand and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I think I¡¯ve figured it out¡­¡± He sighed and looked away from the two of them¡­ His despondent expression caused Sulika to wonder if she should tell Zarud about the way Aldritch treated them. But, after thinking about it for a moment, she dismissed the idea altogether. It was better to let him think she was interested in someone like Aldritch. Zarud had his own moral code, skewed though it may be. He might''ve been okay with cheating on his own partner, but he wouldn¡¯t pursue anyone he thought was already interested in someone else. Zarud, Derrik, Ralocan, and Oladi split off from Sulika and meandered their way over to a spot near the remains of the fallen bridge. The four of them found places to sit atop the rubble and started talking in hushed voices. Sulika watched them for a few seconds before making her way over to join Aldritch and Faeyra. While she wasn¡¯t looking, Faeyra slid off Aldritch¡¯s back and was now sitting next to him, with his robe folded neatly across her lap. She''d been wanting to give it back to him for a while now but hadn''t found the right time to do so... Mainly because she also planned on asking him about the strange little box at the same time. She thought he would be more inclined to answer her questions if she asked while it was still relevant- ¡°Do you have any acid in your bag?¡± Aldritch asked while observing the piece of armor in his hand. Faeyra''s face twitched in irritation. So much for giving him back the robe. ¡°Depends.¡± She replied while slowly removing her backpack. She placed it on the ground between them and started rifling through it. By the time Sulika reached them, Faeyra had retrieved a large leather pouch from the middle of her bag and sat it on the ground between her and Aldritch. She reached into the pouch and one by one, pulled out six small capsules of equal size before presenting them to Aldritch. ¡°Did you want to melt a hole in something or remove it from existence?¡± Aldritch stared at the capsules in her hand. He couldn¡¯t see the liquid within but the capsules themselves were all formed by molding opaque glass into small cylinders. Each capsule differed widely in color to make them easily identifiable: One was white, one was purple, one was dark red, one was orange, one was yellow with black stripes, and the last one was a vibrant blue. ¡°Which of those could melt a hole through a nine-inch-thick steel plate?¡± He asked while looking between the different capsules. ¡°Ah!¡± Faeyra said and hummed to herself. She picked up the yellow capsule with black stripes and placed it into Aldritch¡¯s hand before carefully dropping the other five back into the pouch. ¡°What is this?¡± Aldritch asked while raising the capsule to his eye. ¡°91% pure Carydia acid. It¡¯s good for eating through locks, dissolving metal bars, and making a mess out of someone¡¯s insides.¡± Faeyra said, smiling up at Aldritch. ¡°It¡¯s also useful in alchemy, which is what I normally use it for. I swear.¡± She said, still smiling. Sulika shook her head and rolled her eyes at Faeyra¡¯s back. ¡°Saying it like that is why we had the sentinels called on us last year.¡± Faeyra stiffened at Sulika¡¯s voice but recovered quickly. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that the old bat misunderstood me. I told her not to enter my lab.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Aldritch asked. ¡°An inspector from the crafter¡¯s league came by to investigate a complaint against me.¡± Faeyra said with an irritated huff. ¡°The complaint was hogwash. Some guy asked me to live with him, I said no, and he got upset. He reported me for a ¡®faulty¡¯ potion he¡¯d bought a few days prior. He claimed I¡¯d sold him a potion of minor healing under the pretext it¡¯d grow his hair back.¡± ¡°Which you didn¡¯t.¡± Sulika chimed in. ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t. Behind the counter, my candor is pristine. The only time my silver tongue gets used is in the bedroom.¡± She huffed, clearly still annoyed by the entire incident. ¡°Anyway, the inspector didn¡¯t listen to me when I asked her to wait in the lobby while I turned off my burners - I¡¯d been in the process of refining a new batch of acid, and in that state it¡¯s a bit¡­ well¡­ explosive.¡± ¡°Did she die?¡± Aldritch asked with clear amusement in his voice. ¡°No, but from the way she was screaming you¡¯d think she was dying. Anyway, I was interrogated by another inspector after the incident and the charges were dropped. The first inspector was an alchemist herself; she knew better than to barge into someone¡¯s lab without asking.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving something out.¡± Sulika muttered, and smirked at the dirty look Faeyra shot her way. ¡°The second inspector asked why I was brewing five gallons of Carydia acid at once. And I told him I planned to use it all for alchemical pursuits, and I swore to that¡­ Apparently, he didn¡¯t like the way I¡¯d phrased my explanation and there happened to have been a series of break-ins on the other side of the city earlier that week.¡± ¡°Which was just plain bad luck.¡± Sulika laughed. ¡°The homes had all had the locks on their windows melted, which was how the thief was gaining entry. They later caught a young wizard in the act. He¡¯d been approaching families as some kind of ward specialist to gain entry. He even had this whole presentation he¡¯d give before offering to demonstrate on a window.¡± ¡°Where he¡¯d sabotage the lock.¡± Aldritch said, chuckling and shaking his head. Sulika nodded and pointed at Aldritch. ¡°Yep!¡± She exclaimed. ¡°The kid was, apparently, some kind of genius wizard. The newspaper called him a ¡®once in a generation talent¡¯ because he¡¯d discovered a way to infuse crystal powder with mana and trigger a spell later, after multiple hours had passed and he''d established a proper alibi.¡± ¡°What happened to him?¡± Aldritch asked. He was impressed with the kid¡¯s talent, that kind of innovation required not only a keen understanding of the way mana worked. But also, a mind capable of seeing past the ''wall of truths'' so many people surround themselves with... That being said, Aldritch was also concerned about the boy''s awareness. Did he know how dangerous mana could be if misused? Was he aware of the danger; not only to himself, but those around him? If he''d messed up during the creation of his crystal powder, even slightly, he could''ve accidentally created a bomb instead of a dissolving agent. Would he justify it as an ''accident'', a means to an end or the fault of his youthful naivete? Was he truly prepared to accept the consequences of his actions or would he run from them for the rest of his life? ¡°He works for the crafter¡¯s league now.¡± Faeyra interjected. ¡°The sentinels commuted his sentence. In exchange for five years working for the league, he wouldn¡¯t be imprisoned for his crime spree.¡± ¡°I see¡­ And does he live in the prison?¡± Aldritch asked them with a strange expression on his face. ¡°No, he wasn¡¯t imprisoned.¡± Sulika said. ¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡± Aldritch said, shaking his head in disappointment. He sighed and placed the armor piece on the ground in front of him. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Sulika asked him. ¡°He¡¯s using his talents for good now.¡± Aldritch nodded absently while he placed the capsule on top of the armor piece. He moved his left hand over the armor while focusing his mana on the capsule. Aldritch twisted his wrist and snapped his fingers - the pure force of his mana caused the glass to shatter into dust. A glob of acid fell onto the center of the armor piece and went to work: The acid bubbled as it first ate into the paint protecting the armor from rust. The crimson paint quickly lost its original color, turning from deep crimson to a muddy brown in seconds, and disappearing completely a few seconds after that. The metal was next. The dark colored steel held out much longer than the paint did, surviving a whole twelve seconds before the acid won out and started breaking it apart. Aldritch watched the acid bubbling away at the armor while he contemplated what to say¡­ ¡°I¡¯m glad the kid is doing something to help the greater good.¡± He said after a moment. ¡°But I don¡¯t think he¡¯s learned the right lesson. He should¡¯ve been punished for his crimes, no matter his reasons. But he wasn¡¯t. Instead, he was given a job and allowed to go home. Essentially showing him that, if you¡¯re a special existence, the rules don¡¯t necessarily apply to you. That¡¯s a dangerous thing to teach someone who''s still trying to understand their place in the world.¡± ¡°Sounds like you know someone who learned a similar lesson?¡± Faeyra said while watching Aldritch. A rueful smile spread across his face, and he nodded. ¡°I did¡­¡± The acid continued to eat through the armor until it reached somewhere around the halfway point. At that point, the acid had stopped eating towards the bottom and had begun spreading outwards. Aldritch pondered what to do for a couple of seconds before picking up the armor and tilting it slightly, forcing the acid to slide out of the way and pool against the edge of the hole. Without the dark liquid obscuring his view, Aldritch was able to see why the progress had halted; a wafer-thin layer of ceramic ran through the center of the armor. Aldritch wondered how it was that a supposedly fragile material was somehow able to resist the acid while solid steel could not. Shaking his head to clear it of unnecessary thoughts, ¡°Thirty-one seconds. Not terrible, but not exactly efficient either. Should try other avenues before committing to the acid solution.¡± He muttered in a distracted voice. ¡°Who was it?¡± Sulika asked after coming to the conclusion that Aldritch had gotten distracted and forgot to answer. ¡°Alright!¡± Max yelled. He clapped his hands three times to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°The ¡®Message¡¯ scroll finally worked, and I¡¯ve been in contact with the scouting team.¡± He told them all. Aldritch left the armor pieces where they were and stood up. ¡°And?¡± He asked while making his way over to Max. ¡°I was getting to that.¡± Max snapped. His attitude earned him an unimpressed look from Aldritch, and nervous glances from everyone else. ¡°They say the towers back on Azuris are finally complete, and the governor is getting ready to start the reclamation process.¡± ¡°Already?¡± Aldritch asked, surprised they¡¯d gotten it done so quickly. ¡°Sometimes there¡¯s a small-time disparity between a dungeon and the outside world.¡± Sulika explained. ¡°While we¡¯ve only been in here for an hour or so, more time could¡¯ve passed outside.¡± ¡°Sulika¡¯s right.¡± Max nodded. ¡°Ten hours. That¡¯s how long we¡¯ve been gone.¡± ¡°Gods, that long already?¡± Zarud exclaimed. ¡°Yes. Which is why we need to pack up now and leave before those up high get too excited. Trust me, you do not want to be on the island when the reclamation process starts.¡± ¡°Is the time compression a cause for concern?¡± Aldritch wondered how such a thing was possible; Was magic involved or was this caused by a physical phenomenon? If it was magical, would he be able to create something capable of forcing a similar disparity to occur? Could he control it? ¡°Not for us, but it is for the team waiting outside. There¡¯s no telling what they¡¯ve gone through in the last ten hours.¡± Sulika explained while looking up at him. ¡°Are you still determined to stay here until the last tank is destroyed?¡± ¡°What do you think, my Lord?¡± Aldritch asked through the bond¡­ And received no response. ¡°My Lord?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, sorry. I¡¯ve been distracted by this tingly feeling ever since the fight. I¡¯d almost forgotten what worship felt like.¡± He laughed. ¡°Worship?¡± Aldritch asked in a surprised voice. Who¡¯d started worshiping Oakairo? As he thought that, he looked around at the people gathered around him and wondered who amongst them had chosen to serve the Dragon God? Was it Sulika? Faeyra? Maybe Derrik or Zarud? He knew it wasn¡¯t Ralocan or Oladi. Ralocan already served one god, and everything Aldritch knew about the gods of Iolara told him they wouldn¡¯t allow their subjects to dual worship. As for Oladi, she worshiped the natural world, as all Druids did. While it was possible for her to also worship a god at the same time, Aldritch didn¡¯t know how that¡¯d interfere with her powers. ¡°I know. Isn¡¯t it exciting? Anyway, the choice is ultimately up to you. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary for us to remain here. You¡¯ve spent centuries cooped up inside a ¡®Dungeon¡¯ called Mag ¨¢rsa, I think you deserve a break after that.¡± ¡°What about the demons? They could be preparing a large-scale attack on some other part of the world.¡± ¡°Does it matter if they are?¡± Oakairo asked him. ¡°The demons are like a nest of ants; One chamber leading to an endless number of chambers just like it. This world is but one link in that chain. Do you plan to live here until every link is broken, and every chamber lay empty?¡± ¡°That¡¯s... a fair point.¡± Aldritch sighed but nodded in understanding. ¡°If the mortal in charge of Azuris is reclaiming the island, then we¡¯ll have all the time in the world to come back and clean out this nest. Right?¡± ¡°Theoretically.¡± ¡°Good¡­ Then go get my mural before anyone breaks it.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± Aldritch chuckled and returned his attention to Sulika, who was patiently waiting for him to finish. ¡°Oakairo suggests I return with all of you. So, I plan to place a ward around the transport hub to ensure the demons can¡¯t reclaim it, then I¡¯ll return to Azuris with you for the time being.¡± Sulika smiled up at him. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I wanted to hear.¡± Chapter 11 - The Crimson Fleet (pt 3) A lone figure crouched down and peered through a hole in the roof of the old subway terminal. A white cloak with an oversized hood covered almost 90% of their body, leaving only their bare feet visible beneath the cloak. A single strand of long purple hair had escaped the confines of the hood and dangled freely in front of the figure¡¯s masked face. The crude black mask had few defining features to speak of. Only that it¡¯d been carved from a block of reinforced plastic into the vague approximation of a human¡¯s face. A thin layer of sponge-like padding had been sewn onto the inside of the mask to mitigate any discomfort caused by the shoddy craftsmanship. Incandescent red eyes lifelessly scanned the floor of the terminal through the slightly too large eye holes. After a few seconds of waiting, the eyes landed on the crimson-haired Giant walking through the terminal with his companions. The eyes came to life as excitement and curiosity filled them. Who were these people? Why had they come to Afrium¡­ Or what was left of it? Looking around at the destruction caused by the Giant¡¯s war against the demons. The figure could understand why the demons chose to flee with their tails between their legs. The figure only wished they could¡¯ve seen the battle from the beginning. Normally, the figure would be stuck inside the safehouse for another few hours, sleeping the day away and waiting for the moment day turned into night. Then, and only then, could they be certain it was safe enough to leave in search of a meal. Until thirty minutes ago, that¡¯s exactly what they¡¯d been doing. They¡¯d been deep asleep, curled up inside a bathtub with a large woolen blanket over their head and their favorite towel hugged against their chest. Then a gigantic golden shield burst through the floor a few feet from the tub and completely ruined any hope they had of getting back to sleep¡­ However, in exchange for their sleep, the figure was treated to a sight out of their most fantastical dreams. After decades of living alone, and centuries of battling demons for control of the city. The figure had finally found another survivor of the demonic scourge. A mutant, like them, who didn¡¯t fear the Miasma the demons needed to survive. A colleague who could slay demons almost as efficiently as they could. A smile appeared behind the mask. ¡°I should go introduce myself.¡± The figure realized before standing up and taking a step closer to the hole - But just before they committed to the drop, they hesitated. What if the Giant was hostile towards their kind? Would it matter that they hadn¡¯t chosen to become this way, and instead had it forced upon them? Would the Giant just see them as another demon? The figure slowly retracted their foot and looked through the hole¡­ The Giant¡¯s head was pointed towards the ceiling. Gold met Red as they locked eyes. The Giant smiled and lifted his arm, causing the sleeve of his raggedy white robe to fall open and expose his muscular arm. The figure watched the Giant reaching for them, almost like he was reaching out to shake their hand. They couldn¡¯t help but be captivated by the Giant¡¯s stare. They¡¯d seen yellow eyes before; they¡¯d even seen orange eyes before. But not Gold, never Gold. Before they realized it, the figure was reaching out to take the Giant¡¯s hand in return- ¡°Sanctuary¡± The Giant said. His voice rang in the figure¡¯s ears like a gong struck directly beside their ear. The figure stumbled back as mana poured forth from the Giant¡¯s outstretched hand and flooded the terminal. The figure knew they shouldn¡¯t look directly at the Giant¡¯s mana, as doing so was no different than staring directly into the light of the sun. They knew it could blind them. Maybe it could even kill them. But still, the figure didn¡¯t look away. Not until the mana had touched every corner of the terminal lobby and turned opaque. The figure fell to their knees beside the hole and stared at the barrier. Had they missed their chance? Really? Just like that? The figure audibly ground their teeth together in anger. They closed their pale hands into fists and squeezed until their nails punctured the skin of their palm. Scalding black blood oozed from the gaps between their fingers and fell onto the lowest portion of their cloak. The blood didn¡¯t soak into the satiny fabric. Instead, the droplets combined to form two small puddles of bubbling darkness - tiny hands emerged from the darkness; clawing and grasping at the fabric in an attempt to pull themselves free from the blood. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The figure stuck a single finger into each pool of blood. The creatures wailed with regret as the blood was absorbed back into the skin of the figure¡¯s hand. The figure once again stood and looked down on the barrier. Regret and a clear liquid swelled within their eyes before they turned away from the hole and shook their head. ¡°Guess you¡¯ll just need to wait until they come out to introduce yourself.¡± The figure whispered to themselves. ¡°But that¡¯s okay. You¡¯re used to waiting-¡± Their stomach made a loud rumbling sound a second before their throat began to burn. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s for the best.¡± The figure sighed. ¡°Who knows what could¡¯ve happened if you greeted them with an empty stomach?¡± The figure muttered, despite knowing exactly what would¡¯ve happened. It¡¯d been so - so long since they¡¯d last had untainted meat.
Aldritch knelt down in the center of the transport hub with a knife borrowed from Max in his left hand. He drove the tip of the blade into the center of a tile and began carving a complicated octagonal rune into its surface. The blade made from a wyvern¡¯s claw was incredibly sharp and was only a shade or two lighter than onyx in color. However, aside from the materials used to make it, the knife was otherwise no different from any other carving knife. ¡°They¡¯re finally gone.¡± Oakairo said after another minute. The amusement in the Dragon God¡¯s voice was instantly recognizable. He was so very glad Aldritch had followed the mortals to Iolara. He hadn¡¯t had this much to look forward to since the last dragon war. ¡°I can tell.¡± Aldritch replied after a second. He stopped carving and placed the blade on the ground beside his knee before reaching out and placing his left palm against the center of the rune. He closed his eyes and focused on releasing a small stream of mana into the rune to get it started; The mana penetrated the rune at the very center of its design. Once inside, it spread rapidly, reaching every corner of the eight-sided rune in about three seconds. The instant the mana touched the final corner, the rune came to life and lashed out - Aldritch felt a weak stream of mana splash against his face as the rune desperately searched for sustenance. A tendril of mana was expelled from each of the eight corners in search for something to fill the crawling void inside the rune. Each tendril had practically infinite length so long as the rune had enough mana to keep extending them, so Aldritch was stuck pouring mana into it until they found something else to feed off of. Thankfully, after about fifteen seconds of searching, the first tendril found the roof of Sanctuary and punched through it to reach the outside world. The only reason this could happen without shattering the dome into a million tiny pieces, was because of a technicality in Sanctuary''s limitations. Sanctuary would absolutely break if anyone cast a spell while inside it, that was still as true today as it was a thousand years ago. But channeling mana was different. Aldritch liked to think of it like having a program with hard boundaries that would punish you for crossing them: casting another spell was definitely a no go. Showing aggression towards anyone else inside the dome was also a hard ¡®No¡¯. But channeling mana wasn¡¯t technically casting a spell, so it fell into a gray area that Sanctuary would ignore unless you deliberately went overboard. One by one the tendrils found their way outside the dome and began hungrily reaching towards the sky. After a few seconds of climbing, the very tip of each tendril relaxed and transformed. Eight invisible flowers bloomed in the sky high above the building; the mana in the air, as well as some miasma, was drawn into these ¡®flowers¡¯ and funneled back into the rune. This would allow Sanctuary to remain powered long after Aldritch had returned home. And, so long as its ¡®boundaries¡¯ were respected and the rune was maintained, Sanctuary would continue to protect the place for years to come. Aldritch felt something brush against his leg and he looked down at the grouchy-faced puppy staring up at the ceiling. His eyes softened as he looked at her. He¡¯d felt the hungry gaze land on him a while ago, but she¡¯d noticed it even before he did. The small pup had been sleeping in his arms when she sensed the eyes land on him. She awoke with her teeth bared at the ceiling and a growl shaking her body. Aldritch rubbed his thumb in a circular motion against her forehead. Synne¡¯s eyes drooped a bit at the contact, but she refused to look away from the ceiling. He chuckled quietly and lifted Synne off the ground with one hand while picking up the knife in the other, then he started walking towards Sulika and the others. At first, Aldritch had planned to try a ¡®wait and see¡¯ approach since he was very interested in the masked individual¡¯s identity. Plus, he didn¡¯t think they were hostile, per se. At least, no more hostile than a hungry wolf or dog could be. But with Sulika, Faeyra, and the others here with him. Aldritch wouldn¡¯t risk allowing the beast to come any closer than it already had. However, that just meant Aldritch would need to return sooner than he¡¯d first thought. And next time, he¡¯d come alone. ¡°What¡¯s got Synne all riled up? Did the demons come back?¡± Sulika asked as he reached them. Aldritch shook his head. ¡°No, the demons have fled for the time being. This was¡­ Something else.¡± He said, a slight smile appeared on his face just before he finished speaking. ¡°Well, that¡¯s annoyingly cryptic.¡± Faeyra muttered. She seemed disappointed about something, but Aldritch couldn''t quite figure out what was bothering her. He''d have to remember to ask once they returned home. With Max leading them back towards the portal, the group hopped to the tunnel floor and started walking home. Zarud, Oladi, Derrik, and Ralocan were following just behind Max. While Aldritch, Sulika, and Faeyra were walking side-by-side about twenty-feet behind them. ¡°And you really have no idea what this thing is?¡± Sulika asked. ¡°Well, I have some ideas.¡± Aldritch said, speaking just loud enough for the two of them to hear. ¡°I think it may have been a potential Returnee.¡± Prologue - The Sleepy Hunter and The Solitary Giant A refreshing summer wind blew through the still-waking streets of Auris, the capital city of Azuris island. In a little over an hour, the sparsely populated street will transform into a thriving frontier town with merchants and buyers alike vying for their share of the spotlight - each a hero of their own tiny tales. And each person who will soon crowd the streets is an essential being, critical to the city¡¯s survival. For they are the cells of Auris, and their money is its lifeblood. Without them, the capital city would quickly shrivel away and die. While a multitude of battles are taking place on the market streets - With everyone battling to get the best deals they can. Other more¡­ lethal battles are taking place away from the spotlight. These battles, while neither grand nor world-changing, are just as essential for Auris¡¯ continued survival. Who are these unsung heroes? They are the mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, friends and lovers. They are the neighbors you rarely see and the strangers you¡¯ll likely never meet. They are the ones who willingly jump into hell to protect the innocent, avenge the helpless, and safeguard their homes from the monsters of the world. But, most importantly, they are Hunters.
The obnoxious song of a dozen cicadas looking for love filled the air. Their voices filtered through the partially opened window leading to the bedroom of a third-story apartment. The owner of said apartment was currently trying her best to sleep through the noise, but fate - and her roommate - had other plans in store for her. ¡°Hey, Sulika¡­ Sulika, are you there? ¡­Dammit Foxy, would you wake the hell up? You¡¯re going to be late for work!¡± A feminine voice shouted from somewhere above the sleeping woman¡¯s head¡­ Which should¡¯ve been impossible, since she¡¯d fallen asleep in her own bed, to which the headboard was firmly set against a wall. Without opening her eyes, Sulika - the sleeping woman - wiped her face and sat up while grumbling under her breath, ¡°Okay, okay.¡± After a second to stretch her well-defined arms above her head, she let out a quiet yawn and opened her weary eyes to the same four walls she saw most mornings. That¡¯s good. This means she didn¡¯t accidentally fall asleep somewhere outside of her bedroom. She didn¡¯t have narcolepsy or anything like that. But when your job requires you to be ¡®on the clock¡¯ for days - sometimes weeks on end - well, you learned to sleep whenever, and wherever, you could, or you¡¯d be dead on your feet in a few days. She looked around for the speaker while hoping she¡¯d imagined the voice. She was exhausted and nothing would make her happier than another hour of sleep. But Lady Fate was neither kind nor forgiving. Sulika finally glanced over her shoulder - towards the head of the bed - and found a gorgeous bird perched near the center of the headboard. It was a medium-sized bird at approximately three pounds and thirty-five inches in length. Its feathers were mostly white with a hint of ash gray mixed in. The bird¡¯s large yellow eyes were transfixed on Sulika¡¯s sleep-deprived face, seemingly waiting for something. ¡°Well?¡± The bird asked impatiently. ¡°Are you getting up or not?¡± Despite the clear annoyance in the voice, the bird¡¯s body language appeared to be calm by comparison. This conflicting information was easily sorted even by Sulika¡¯s sleep-deprived mind with only a single realization. The bird - Sulika called him Snowball - wasn¡¯t the one speaking. No, he was merely the catalyst through which someone else was projecting their voice. For you see, Snowball wasn¡¯t a normal bird, and she didn¡¯t think that just because she¡¯s biased towards pretty birds. No, Sulika and her roommate had purchased him a few years ago from an organization that trained animals in a special kind of magic. Magic which allowed them to act as communication devices for households. No longer did the citizens of the world need to worry about a message arriving too late or being intercepted by anyone. The animals were trained to only relay messages to their owners and other ¡®pre-approved¡¯ persons. Should anyone else attempt to access the message, the animal was trained to flee the area if possible or fight if necessary. Thanks to this life-changing innovation in messaging magic; Snowball was able to create and receive audio signals from other, similarly trained animals across the island. And almost any animal could be trained to use this magic, so it was rapidly growing in popularity among pet owners. Only two criteria must be met before the animal can learn the spell.
  1. An ability to make sounds with their mouths.
  2. Enough intelligence to follow simple commands and solve minor problems.
As a Wasenal Macaw, Snowball was easily capable of meeting both criteria. So, he was a natural fit for the communication spell. Sulika nodded at Snowball before gently rubbing the sleep from her eyes and glancing over to her bedside table. Where a small stone fox lay curled around the base of a near-silent analog clock. With her eyes still blurry from sleep. It took Sulika a few seconds to make out where the arms were pointing. But, once she could see, and she saw the time was [6:37 A.M.] ¡°...Shit.¡± She cursed under her breath and quickly freed her legs from the chokehold of her plush blue blanket. ¡°I¡¯ll be down in ten minutes!¡± She shouted while sprinting across the room to the adjoined bathroom - A loud crash echoed through the room as, in a desperate attempt to lure her back into its fluffy embrace, Sulika¡¯s blanket tangled around her foot and sent her sprawling onto the floor. ¡°That better be the sound of you getting dressed. Breakfast would¡¯ve gone cold twice over at this rate.¡± Snowball grumbled in her roommate¡¯s voice. Sulika stuck her head out of the bathroom with a toothbrush dangling from her mouth and freshly soaked hair clinging to her scalp. ¡°Did you burn the kitchen down?¡± She asked in a tone that could have been a joke or a serious concern. ¡°Do you smell any smoke?¡± Snowball replied while grooming the feathers on his left wing - Nothing about this situation warranted his interest anymore. ¡°That¡¯s not an answer,¡± Sulika said while staring directly at the side of Snowball¡¯s head, the toothbrush in her mouth momentarily forgotten. ¡°Oh, for the love of - No, I haven¡¯t burned down the kitchen. Feel free to check in the ten minutes you have left.¡± Snowball flapped his wings as the snarky voice left his beak. Sulika jumped at the reminder and hurriedly ducked into the bathroom. Looking at herself in the mirror, she knew she had to get ready as quickly as possible. She didn¡¯t have time for anything fancy, just getting the basics done would have to do. Her glossy - *It wasn¡¯t oily, no matter what anyone else said - shoulder-length black hair was rife with split ends that stuck out at odd angles. She gathered as much of the wet mess as possible and crammed it all into a messy bun against the nape of her neck. With the hair contained - save for the odd strand or six that refused to cooperate - she grabbed an old strip of leather off the sink and secured her hair. With her hair ¡®fixed¡¯, she practically jumped into a pair of loose-fitting jeans and her brown work boots. The red T-shirt she¡¯d slept in was in decent condition and didn¡¯t smell, so it¡¯d do for today. Besides, she doubted anyone would be able to see it beneath her favorite black leather jacket. And definitely not after she zipped it up to her throat and fixed the zipper in place beneath a riveted leather choker. The jacket/choker combo was one of her favorite outfits for work, so she tried to wear them whenever she could. The jacket was made of thick leather and lined with padding in key places - namely around the forearms, shoulders, across the stomach, and down her back. While the choker didn¡¯t cover nearly as much as the jacket, it would give her some breathing room in the event something came for her throat. And in her line of work, any extra time is a gift directly from the gods themselves. She finally turned to the last item on her ¡®to-do¡¯ list and couldn¡¯t help but furrow her brows a little as she reached for the small wooden capsule near the back of the sink. Sulika didn¡¯t like wearing a lot of makeup - It would even be fair to say she hated it. Not the make-up itself, no. But the scents that so often came with them. She¡¯d had an extremely sensitive nose for as long as she could remember, and it wasn¡¯t hard for certain fragrances to overwhelm her. Most perfumes on the market would give her a raging headache if she wore them for more than a few hours. And sadly, for her at least, it wasn¡¯t just perfumes that were capable of overwhelming her nose these days. Because the demographics of the area demanded it, practically everything she could get at her local market was designed to be as ¡®fragrant¡¯ as possible. Which seriously Sucked. Sucky though it may be, she could do nothing but grin and bear it for the time being. She sucked in a breath before twisting the top of the capsule and hurrying through the application of what little makeup she did wear. Inside the capsule was a half-used stick of taupe lipstick to keep her lips from drying out. A bit of black eyeliner across her lower lashes to make her eyes look smaller than they really were. And a thin layer of eyeshadow to make her translucent Jade eyes appear a couple of shades darker than they are. With her ¡®mask¡¯ properly applied, she left the bathroom and dashed through her bedroom door with less than four minutes to spare. She found Snowball had returned to his cage, which was seldom closed off, where he awaited her with an expectant look in his too-intelligent eyes. Sulika grabbed an open bag of his favorite treats from one of the kitchen cabinets and made her way over. Dumping a few of the small nuts into her hand, she presented them to Snowball for his approval ¡ª which he immediately gave. ¡°Thanks, buddy.¡± Sulika handed a single Ithaka - a type of shelled nut that smells strongly of caramel - to Snowball before dumping the rest on the floor of his cage. She scratched the crown of his head with a single finger, which earned her a gentle nip and a low whistle from her favorite bird. Just as she was about to open the door and leave, Sulika remembered to grab a few things. The essentials, really; her house keys, her ID, her sword, and her wand. Her sword was pretty standard for a short sword and was just one of the countless other iron armaments to come directly off the shop floor. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. But her wand - Now, that was something special. She¡¯d received the base of the wand from a friend of hers, who¡¯d purportedly gotten the branch directly from a Druid circle known for their arborists. Ground mana stones were then used in carving forty-four magic sigils into the surface of the wood. While the ¡®wand¡¯ could still cast spells without those sigils, it could only do so once. And Sulika never wanted to know what it felt like to let a stick of dynamite explode that close to her¡­ again. With the body of the wand taken care of and the sigils guiding mana through the wood, instead of into it. The only thing that remained was arguably the most important part of the wand. Some would even call it the ¡®heart¡¯ and ¡®soul¡¯ of any magical armament. The Core. The core of Sulika¡¯s wand was a family heirloom from her mother¡¯s side of the family. Specifically, it¡¯d belonged to her great-grandmother - who¡¯d passed it down to her grandmother on her eighteenth birthday. And Sulika¡¯s grandmother passed on to her daughter, Sulika¡¯s mother, on her eighteenth birthday. Just as her mother had done for her. Even after providing her own core and powder for the engravings. The wand had still cost nearly a year¡¯s salary to forge. She¡¯d had to eat a lot of cereal that year to make up the cost, but oh - it was so worth it in the end. Both her sword¡¯s scabbard and her wand''s holster were attached to a dark leather belt she¡¯d gotten for her birthday a few years ago. She fastened the belt around her waist while hurrying downstairs to the first floor. Where she¡¯d predicted her roommate would be waiting on her with a plate of cold food in one hand and a room-temperature cup of fruit juice in the other. She was disappointed. Her roommate Faeyra was waiting for her, certainly. But neither food nor drink could be seen anywhere in their shared dining space. ¡°...I thought you said the food was getting cold?¡± Sulika grumbled while stepping fully into the room. ¡°Oh, it was. That¡¯s why I already ate it. It was delicious, by the way. Bacon, eggs, a big bowl of fruit salad, and a great, big ol¡¯ chocolate chip muffin from that halfling bakery on Third Street. Washed it all down with a cold glass of freshly squeezed starfruit -¡± Faeyra replied while from her seat at the table - and immediately ducked as Sulika swatted at her head with a touch more force than necessary. ¡°You¡¯re such a bastard.¡± Sulika laughed. She snatched the half-empty glass of fruit juice from the table and began chugging it down. She would just have to grab something else on the way. ¡°Don¡¯t make promises you don¡¯t intend to keep. It¡¯s not nice to make a girl all excited and then never follow through¡­¡± Faeyra muttered. Her words smacked Sulika across the face harder than any slap, causing her to almost choke on her juice. A sly smile spread across Faeyra¡¯s face, and the tall woman rose from her seat with seductive grace before striding over to Sulika¡¯s side. Faeyra was a tall, graceful woman with incandescent autumn green eyes that practically glowed in the semi-lit room. The colors of rubies and topaz surrounding her pupils resembled a smoldering bonfire in the dim light. Faeyra¡¯s wild auburn hair was pulled into a low ponytail that lay over her right shoulder to fall between her breasts. The placement of the ponytail allowed anyone the chance to see two things: The dagger-like ears poking out from beneath the curtain of her hair, and the many bone-white strands that permeated her otherwise flawless locks. Faeyra, as a half-elf, was the equivalent of someone in her late twenties. Which placed her somewhere between two hundred and fifty and three hundred years old - Faeyra never said which end of that spectrum she was closest to. Not like that ever mattered with her looks. Sulika had no trouble admitting her longtime friend was gorgeous - most elves were, but Faeyra was especially beautiful. Did it matter if her royal blue dress was fraying at the seams? Not with her in a corset that emphasized her ample chest and narrow waist. Was her lack of make-up or pale skin a deal breaker for anyone interested in her? Pfft, hardly. Just her eyes could suck the breath from your lungs, while her voice could set butterflies loose in your gut. The six-foot-tall half-elf towered over Sulika¡¯s five-foot-two form as she stopped beside her. Her multicolored eyes bore into Sulika¡¯s from behind her long eyelashes. Slowly, carefully, as if the shorter woman was an animal who¡¯d flee at the slightest sign of danger. Faeyra brought her arm around Sulika¡¯s shoulders and pulled the shorter woman against her side before gently taking the now-empty glass from her hand. With a quick pat on Sulika¡¯s head - much like one would do to a sleeping puppy - and a wink goodbye, Faeyra glided across the floor to the door and left Sulika to leave on her own time. Faeyra could feel Sulika¡¯s glare on her back as she passed through the door leading to her potion shop and alchemy lab, but it did nothing more than make her smile wider. After watching the tall woman disappear into another room, Sulika blinked and slid her eyes upwards to the clock hanging above the door - It read [7:07 A.M.] which meant Sulika was now, officially, late for work.
The Iron Spine Mountains let out a lonely howl as an icy wind raced through its many craigs and valleys. Cold enough to sear the bones of even the hardiest beast; the frosty gust raged throughout the mountain like a frenzied beast, throwing around the ash-laden snow that once covered the mountain. The never-changing sky was a mix of poisonous violet and deathly black. And despite there not being a single cloud in the atmosphere, the sky was an empty void - barren of everything, including light from the sun and stars. But such was to be expected from a dead and forgotten world - And make no mistake: the world of Mag ¨¢rsa was dead¡­ But it wasn¡¯t forgotten. Not yet. In a world absent of light, there existed but a single ember who yet survived. Small as it was, cold as it was, it bravely withstood the biting chill for its single purpose. To illuminate the shallow cavern where a somber melody could be faintly heard over the sound of the wind. The device responsible for the gradually appearing sounds was strange indeed. The low to middling notes came from seven pinkish strings stretched across an off-white-colored plank. The plank was approximately fifteen inches long and nine inches across at its widest point. Despite its size, the man slowly plucking the strings was able to easily hold the instrument in the palm of his right hand. Using the index, middle, and pinky fingers of his left hand plucked each string with a gentleness that belied the size and strength of his massive hands. ¡°In the silence of void, I hear their despair.¡± The man¡¯s voice ran deep as the mountain¡¯s roots as he recalled the words. ¡°Echoes of a world destroyed whispers through the air. Every step taken through the shadows of the past leaves me haunted by the choices and memories that last. Flames that once were bright, now flicker as they fade. Under the cover of night, I face the price I paid. Every breath a burden, every heartbeat slowed. Trapped within this endless darkness with nowhere left to go. My companion¡¯s a reminder of failures survived and questions why. The warmth inside is my ally, though it once tried to overtake the sky. My friend avoids me, leaves me cold and alone. This world¡¯s only ghost, I¡¯ll follow you through the ashes and dust. If I could turn back time, undo the mistakes I¡¯ve done. But the past is set in stone, and I am the only one. To bear the weight of sorrow and carry all the pain. Into this desolate tomorrow where only I remain. Regret is my companion, anger burns inside. Death, my only friend, there¡¯s nowhere left to hide. This world¡¯s only ghost, I¡¯ll follow you through the ashes and dust. In the silence of the void, I hear their despair. Echoes of a world destroyed whispers through the air. Every step taken through the shadows of the past leaves me haunted by the choices and memories that last.¡± The final note to the man¡¯s song hung in the air for a long time after the last string was plucked. As the ever-present silence of his dead world filled the cave, Aldritch of clan Blackshield let out a tired sigh. Not out of exhaustion, but sheer - unadulterated - boredom. The half-giant dwarf had been around for a long time, and he was certain that wasn¡¯t going to change anytime soon. Aldritch stared into the dwindling fire through incandescent golden eyes. His eyes were made even stranger by the long, narrow pupils that openly pronounced his service to the Dragon God of Pride: Oakairo. Aside from the nameless instrument he¡¯d played earlier - Aldritch didn¡¯t have much left to remind him of the way the world was. He still had the white robe and black trousers given to him when he first became an Archpriest. Unlike what that title might suggest, the clothes had an extremely simple appearance by design - forgoing embellishments for comfort and reliability. A durable mixture of cotton and animal fibers ensured neither the robe nor his pants would tear easily. And thanks to several enchantments woven into them during their creation. The robe had withstood the test of time with only a few loose strands to show for it. Over the robe was a cuirass that appeared to have been forged from solid gold, save for a thick leather lining between the metal and his robe. The breastplate, backplate, pauldrons, and waist guard all were designed for simple efficiency. A pair of thick wrist guards protected between the back of his hands to about middle ways up his forearms. The one on his left was forged of the same golden metal as the cuirass but had the image of a kite shield engraved on top of it. While the guard on his right wrist had been forged from a silver metal that appeared to let off a faint light of its own. On the half-giant¡¯s massive feet sat a pair of equally massive boots that were thick, water resistant, and concealing enough metal to stop an axe. The boots were more akin to a suit of armor than footwear. For someone wearing so much armor, you¡¯d think Aldritch would be stiff - uncomfortable even. But he lounged against the cave wall as if he weren¡¯t wearing armor at all. For Aldritch, that was almost how it felt. His body had long since adapted to the push and pull of the armor. And his strength had grown to greater heights since forging the protective suit so many years ago. Now, the weight was little more than an afterthought. So, no, the weight didn¡¯t bother him¡­ Until it was time to sit down on anything less durable than tempered steel. ¡°A fair morning to thee, Aldritch¡­¡± A disembodied voice asked from deep within the recesses of Aldritch¡¯s mind. Even its yawn was regal, powerful, godlike¡­ And it all meant it was the dawning of a new day in the wasteland. Aldritch rolled his neck to relieve some pressure before climbing to his feet - His head nearly brushed the eight-foot-high ceiling of the cave he¡¯d spent the night in. ¡°Good morning, my Lord. Did you sleep well?¡± Aldritch replied while heading for the mouth of the cave. ¡°I slept most wonderfully. ''Tis quiet within thy mind - and, I must admit, far more spacious than one might reckon, given thy folk are oft thought to carry heads brimming with stone.¡± Aldritch rolled his eyes at the voice. ¡°Very amusing, my lord.¡± ¡°Oh, do lighten thy spirit, I pray thee. Laugh, weep, bellow unto the heavens, or smite something - anything! Collapse a hall if it suits thee. ''Tis thy day of birth, Aldritch, and dost thou know how few mortals endure to see a thousand and seventeen cycles?¡± ¡°Counting elves or -¡± ¡°Nay, I speak not of those tree-loving folk. They¡¯ve not been counted among mortals since that troublesome goddess cursed them with immortality. I speak of true mortals¡ªthose such as thee.¡± ¡°Which part of a half-dwarf who can¡¯t grow a beard is ¡®normal¡¯ by your standards?¡± As if to emphasize his point, Aldritch pulled down the hood of his robe and ran his thick fingers through his mane of dark red hair. His face was rugged, and his wide nose was clearly of Dwarven make - but the absence of a beard made him look much younger than he actually was. Despite being over a thousand years old, Aldritch could technically pass for a large human in his late thirties¡­ As long as no one looked too closely at the shape of his body. ¡°By ¡®normal,¡¯ I mean those mortals untouched by divine favor, spared the curse of an ageless form. And before thou protest, thou knowest well that such a gift was ne¡¯er among the blessings I bestowed upon thee. Nay, thy remarkable years stem from thy bloodline. ''Twas thy heritage that caught my eye when first I beheld thee - a mere babe in the temple. Even then, I knew I must claim thee as mine own.¡± ¡°Yes, as a piece of your hoard.¡± Aldritch said blandly as he stepped out of the cave and began looking around. ¡°Of course. I was, am, and shall ever be a Dragon afore I am a God. And as a Dragon, my hoard hath stirred envy and hatred, not only from man and dragon, but from the gods themselves. To be counted among such a hoard is a blessing unto itself, one greater than most could ever know.¡± Aldritch smiled slightly at his master¡¯s exuberance - The ground beneath Aldritch¡¯s feet shook violently as the sound of an explosion reached his ears. The shockwave that followed threw hundreds of pounds of ice, snow, and ash against Aldritch¡¯s body - however, the half-giant ignored the weight crashing into him and kept his eyes fixed on the horizon. ¡°That was divine magic.¡± Aldritch muttered, more out of shock than anything else. Oakairo was a God, a living wellspring of divine magic. Of course, he¡¯d sensed it too. ¡°Anyone you might know?¡± ¡°Nay. This was one unknown to me. I know not who cast the spell, yet the source of the divine power is likewise unfamiliar ¨C and most young.¡± ¡°How young?¡± Aldritch started walking toward the source of the explosion. ¡°Ye are older.¡± That sent a chill down his spine that had nothing to do with the temperature. No, he was excited and growing more so by the second. ¡°Well¡­¡± Aldritch saw a flash of a smiling dragon¡¯s teeth inside his mind. ¡°Whether kin or foe, I have but one thing to say afore ye meet ''em.¡± ¡°My lord?¡± ¡°A most joyous birthday, Aldritch... Now, go and claim thy gift.¡± ¡°Gladly.¡± Aldritch¡¯s smile was vicious, but his eyes were alight with child-like excitement. He started sprinting towards the source of the explosion in waist-high snow. In between one step and the next, Aldritch bent his knees slightly - he shoved off the mountain with enough force to shatter the stone beneath him and cause his own kinetic explosion. And before the disturbed snow could even touch the ground, Aldritch was gone. Chapter 1 - End of an Era (Pt 1) Sulika slid open the glass door to her team¡¯s office and quickly stepped inside. Her hands were trembling as she turned the wooden knob to engage the lock, causing the privacy enchantment on the glass to activate. She felt a tingle in her fingertips as the enchantment consumed a bit of her mana to fuel its magic, causing a dark spot the size of a pinhead to instantly appear at the center of the crystal-clear door. While burning Sulika¡¯s mana as fuel, the enchantment caused the dark spot to swell with shocking speed. In seconds, the clear crystal was filled with an odorless black fog that completely blocked the line of sight into the office and reduced sound leaving the office by around sixty percent. The best part, or at least Sulika¡¯s favorite part, was the fog acting as a one-way mirror. The people inside the office could see the hallway just fine, but anyone hoping to peer inside would see only a reflection of themselves. Now that she was safely out of sight, Sulika was able to relax. She placed her back against the cool crystal and exhaled the breath she¡¯d held since walking through the front door. ¡°I¡¯m too tired for this shit.¡± The relief on her face and in her voice drew her coworkers like a moth to a rainbow-colored flame. The first to approach was a brown-skinned elf in a baggy, white, and gold cleric¡¯s robe. His thick dark dreads bouncing with every step, causing the countless colorful beads woven throughout his hair to clatter loudly against one another. ¡°You okay, boss?¡± He asked, his voice oozing with concern his eyes couldn¡¯t show. That wasn¡¯t a slight against his personality or his abilities/commitment as a healer. However, like most elves, he had trouble expressing emotion through the pits of liquid gold that were his eyes. Unlike her half-elf roommate, who could pass for a human if she wore colored contact lenses and hid her ears beneath her hair. The cleric was a true Elf, blue blood and all. Which meant his eyes were a single, vibrant color that lacked any kind of discernable pupil or sclera. With such eyes, it was understandable why the race had certain¡­ issues coming across as genuine in most conversations. Speaking of - their eyes were just one of the reasons most non-elves considered the entire race a ¡®look but don¡¯t touch¡¯ type of beauty. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Sulika replied, showing him a tired smile. ¡°I was a few minutes late and got a bit of a chewing-out from the boss. You know how he¡¯s been since the guild master left, has to make an issue about everything. But it¡¯s fine, there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± She explained in a single breath, hoping to assuage his concern before the others arrived. ¡°How¡¯s the recon going? Are we going to be ready to move by five?¡± ¡°Aye, the recon is done, and all reports are on your desk.¡± The Heavy of her team replied as he stopped beside the cleric. ¡°All gear should be checked, equipped, and ready to go by three. After that, we¡¯ll be ready to leave anytime on your command.¡± The stout dwarf spoke slowly and carefully, enunciating each word as best he could to ensure everyone could understand him through his thick Dwarven accent. It was always easy to tell who grew up speaking Idarin - the common tongue - and those who had to learn it later in life. It was especially clear in Dwarves since Kharrak - The most widely spoken form of ¡®Dwarvish¡¯ - was full of hard consonants and guttural sounds that were difficult for non-native speakers to replicate. Sulika appreciated the heavy¡¯s efforts. While she studied a couple of different languages in high school, the only thing she remembered of Kharrak was ¡°Kha''nur kaln doran?¡± - Roughly translated as ¡°Where¡¯s the bathroom?¡± Sulika was about to shift her attention away from the dwarf but stopped when she noticed his choice of attire. He¡¯d arrived wearing black leather pants, a white T-shirt, and a thick, red leather jacket no doubt made from some beast he¡¯d killed during his last vacation. Metallic spikes lined the cuffs of his sleeves, and three large spikes could be seen on each shoulder. This, combined with his deep auburn hair and perfectly groomed beard and mustache, gave him a¡­ Unique look. Almost like he¡¯d just stepped out of a fashion magazine for teenage dwarves. The Heavy noticed Sulika¡¯s glance and looked down at himself - his eyes widened, and a humorless laugh escaped his lips. ¡°Ah¡­Grak ni vorak.¡± He cursed under his breath. ¡°I was running behind and forgot to take it off. I¡¯ll change soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how anyone could¡¯ve forgotten to take that abomination off.¡± The team¡¯s Druid spoke up as she and their final team member - the barbarian - joined them all by the door. The druid and the barbarian were opposites in almost every way. She; a slender, graceful elf woman with short blonde hair, pools of liquid amethyst-colored eyes, and pale-gray skin that was covered in elven and druidic tattoos. While he was a nearly seven-foot-tall man with dark green skin. His bushy brows and light red eyes were almost always set in a scowl. While his medium-length brown hair was pulled into a half-hearted ponytail. Unlike his companions, the barbarian didn¡¯t wear armor of any kind. Not even leather. No, he stood proudly in nothing but a pair of wooden sandals, dark blue trousers, and a black tank top that showed off the rippling muscles granted to him by his half-orcish heritage. An Elf Cleric, A Dwarven Warrior, an Elf Druid, a Half-Orc Barbarian, and her - A sorceress of some skill. This was her team. Each of them was an experienced fighter, and paragon of their class. They had all risen to levels most hunters would never reach in their lives¡­ And, if the Oracle was to be believed, then they would soon need to draw on every last ounce of their experience or die trying. In a few hours, the five of them would face the most vicious and terrifying threat of their careers. And not even the Oracle could see what today would bring, as their vision ended before they could see the aftermath. They¡¯d prepared as best they could. All of them had spent nearly every waking hour ensuring they got the best odds they possibly could¡­ And now, Sulika could only pray to whatever God would listen, that there would be a happy ending waiting for them on the other side. After a few minutes of discussion with her team, Sulika showed them a slight smile before stepping around them and walking towards her desk. Their office wasn¡¯t big enough for any real privacy. However, the small wooden desks had been placed strategically around the room to prevent anyone from feeling crowded. Sulika¡¯s desk was at the front of the room, farthest from the door. She liked looking out the office''s only window while reviewing documents and planning hunts. The warrior¡¯s desk was to the right of the door, putting him the closest to the point of egress. He¡¯d chosen to be closest to the door in case he needed to leave in a hurry. The Cleric¡¯s desk was against the same wall as Sulika¡¯s. She wasn¡¯t sure why he¡¯d decided on that spot, and he¡¯d never offered to say. But she also didn¡¯t mind that he had. He¡¯d placed his desk in the corner of the room, far enough away from her desk to adhere to the rules, while still being able to enjoy the window as she did. Which left the last two walls for the druid and barbarian¡¯s desks, right? Nope, the two of them had decided to place their desks side by side against the left-most wall. Meaning the last wall was turned into a collective storage zone for the team. Five lockers filled with armor or weapons. Five temperature-controlled trunks stuffed with potions, ready-to-eat rations, and other perishables. And a large table supporting anything that didn¡¯t fit into the lockers or trunks. As she sat down at her desk and prepared to go over the documents the warrior mentioned. She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall ¨C [7:48 A.M.] - the mission would begin in a little over nine hours. Sulika looked at her desk, or more specifically, at the absolute mountain of paperwork scattered haphazardly across her desk and sighed quietly. She also needed to fill out their quarterly expense reports. Requisition a new shipment of communication scrolls and ¡°Sanctuary¡± tablets for use inside dungeons. And, at some point, she¡¯d need to make an appointment with the guild¡¯s smith to inspect their equipment again. Not because they couldn¡¯t maintain their gear. They absolutely could and did more often than not. However, the guild required a twice-annual inspection of each hunter¡¯s equipment to ensure everyone was adhering to the guild¡¯s set standards. Sulika¡¯s right eyebrow twitched just before she reached for the first sheet of paper. ¡°Just nine hours. You can stick it out for a measly nine hours, right? If the mission goes as planned, then you¡¯ll be too busy celebrating your new hero status to worry about paperwork. And if it doesn¡¯t¡­¡± Her thoughts trailed off as she became aware of a minute shaking in her right hand. She placed her left hand over her right wrist to quell the tremors and took a calming breath. ¡°Well, either way, it won¡¯t be my problem after today.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Sulika and her team were as prepared as they could be. But now that the warehouse was looming over them, their courage was starting to wane. They¡¯d been planning this moment for the last three months, ever since Sulika received a tip from a highly credible source - an Oracle; someone bestowed with the divine gift of foresight had received a vision that a manic cult was planning to open a dungeon smack dab in the middle of the city¡¯s industrial district. Now, normally, this situation wouldn¡¯t even reach Sulika¡¯s desk. It was only thanks to her relationship with this Oracle that she even knew about it. However, knowing the circumstances doesn¡¯t mean she had the authority to do anything about it. Not even a team captain had the authority to move guild resources without higher approval¡­ Which she never got. No, instead her boss berated her for wasting time - both her own and the guild¡¯s. He was so irate, he even threatened to fire her if she didn¡¯t immediately drop the investigation. As if she could do that. So, there they were, five off-duty hunters waiting inside the shadows of an alley, mere minutes before storming a privately owned distribution center. All Sulika could think about was the fact that they were probably screwed - No matter the outcome. If they failed to stop the dungeon break the city would take a lethal hit. Thousands would probably die, and countless more would be injured. If they succeeded... Well, the look on her boss¡¯s face that morning said more than any ten-page dismissal order could hope to. Losing her job was the best possible outcome. And she had neither the time nor the inclination to think about the worst. Sulika took a deep breath to steady her nerves before quietly unsheathing her sword with her right hand and drawing her wand with her left. Hers was an unusual style, to be sure. Most hunters preferred to stick to either melee combat or casting spells, even the ones who, like her, were capable of both. But she preferred this way of fighting. As Sulika began moving towards the mouth of the alley, her team mimicked her movements and prepared to move on her signal. Derrik Cazzuhk of the Longhammer clan moved to the front of the group to act as the vanguard. If the robust dwarf felt any fear or doubt about their current situation, he was doing a remarkable job of hiding it. With practiced ease, he undid the clip holding Rosa - the name of his favorite weapon - from his back and moved it to rest atop his right shoulder. Taller than he by a foot, and weighing a hair over forty pounds: the greathammer was a marvel of dwarven craftsmanship¡­ And looked more than a little unwieldy to Sulika. She watched as Derrik placed a chaste kiss on ¡°Rosa¡¯s¡± shaft and closed his eyes. ¡°Rak-krazh voranakh kor, zul dorrak taurun''khar vornak''han khalarum. (May my hammer strike true and my will remain steadfast as the ancestor¡¯s halls.)¡± The near-silent prayer was barely audible over the thumping of Sulika¡¯s heart. ¡°Oladi - dim the lights. Ralocan - prepare for vision correction.¡± Sulika whispered. ¡°Alright,¡± Oladi muttered. The druid raised her six-foot-long staff to the sky with one hand and began chanting in a language Sulika had no hope of understanding: ¡°Sylthen Laiara - Thaelorn vas Laithnor. (Eternal mother, Guardian of the Living World.)¡± Oladi brought her free hand to her chest - her index and middle fingers formed a cross, while her ring finger, pinky and thumb curled inwards until they touched her palm. ¡°Dravien thi norvae, talar thyven thi tharyn. (Shield us in shadow, so we might hide from our enemies.)¡± Her mana swelled with each spoken word until her eyes shined with barely contained power. ¡°Nael sylphen, Laiara, fael thi aelora; Norvaeth. (We beseech you, Mother, grant us your blessing; The Embracing Shadow: Darkness.)¡± The final word, the crux of the spell, hung in the air like a stormcloud - Without warning, Oladi thrust the butt of her staff into the stone beneath her feet to a thunderous *clang!* Oladi¡¯s jewel-like eyes turned obsidian for a split second before her spell activated. A six-hundred-foot square mass of impenetrable darkness rapidly formed in the sky above the warehouse. Sulika''s ears twitched as the sound of panic reached them. ¡°Hurry, before they can sound the alarm.¡± She whispered. Oladi didn¡¯t react to Sulika¡¯s voice. But she did act - she flicked her fingers towards the ground, which caused an immediate reaction inside the mass. The darkness expanded by another half and dropped from the sky, plunging the warehouse and its grounds in inescapable darkness. Sulika could hear the frightened screams of the workers and did her best to ignore them. ¡°Your turn.¡± She muttered while looking at Ralocan. ¡°Understood,¡± Ralocan, the cleric, replied while gripping the amulet hanging from his neck tightly in his left hand. ¡°O¡¯ Noble Cyndarr, keeper of the flame most radiant, hear my despaired plea.¡± He prayed while bringing the amulet to his forehead - the instant it touched his skin, Ralocan¡¯s mana burst forth to form a fiery aura around his entire body. ¡°Bless our eyes with your golden radiance and banish the shadows that cloud our path.¡± His aura sank into the ground and formed a rotating ring of fire that quickly grew to surround the rest of his team. ¡°As your devoted servant, I beseech you: Darkvision.¡± He finished his prayer and held the amulet in place for a single second, then he opened his hand and let the amulet fall. As the amulet traveled south, past his eyes, the ring of fire lifted off the ground and started moving north at the same rate. The spell ¡®Darkvision¡¯ took effect the moment the amulet reached the end of its cord and touched his chest. When the ring of fire passed their eyes, it left behind a transparent layer of divine mana over their pupils. With it, they could see through the mass of darkness as easily as they could through a window at high noon. Sulika blinked rapidly to let her eyes adjust to the sudden brightness. By now, the rest of her team could hear the warehouse workers in full panic mode. They listened as doors were opened and more workers ran out of the building in search of their attackers. They weren¡¯t there to needlessly scrap with the workers. So, the less of them inside the building, the better. ¡°Time?¡± Sulika asked. ¡°Darkness has three minutes.¡± Oladi replied, her voice slightly strained from the effort of maintaining such a large area spell. ¡°Darkvision has five.¡± Ralocan said in a much more relaxed tone than Oladi. ¡°Perfect. Then let¡¯s move out.¡± She waved her hand forward and started moving. She darted around the wall of the alley and sprinted for the twenty-foot-high perimeter wall surrounding the warehouse. ¡°Zarud, Oladi.¡± Sulika muttered, jerking her head toward the wall. Zarud nodded and quickly pushed his back against the wall and formed a step with his hands. Oladi didn¡¯t hesitate to place her safety in his hands - Like they¡¯d done so many times before, Zarud launched Oladi skywards with a grunt of effort. Her lithe body twisted through the air with the confidence and grace of a ballroom dancer. She cleared the top of the wall with room to spare and landed on the other side in a forward roll to disperse her momentum. The druid rose to her feet and immediately spun to point her staff at a spot above the wall. ¡°Sylthen Laiara - Thaelorn vas Laithnor.¡± Her mana swirled through the air and poured into her staff. ¡°Theryn nael dravien thi tharin. (Give us wings to protect us from harm.)¡± An invisible sphere of mana appeared at the spot she was aiming. ¡°Nael sylphen, Laiara, fael thi aelora; Theryn Ansha. (Wings of descent: Feather Fall.)¡± She said, casting her spell at the same time as Derrik came flying over the wall. The spell took hold immediately, slowing his descent to a fraction of what it was. This allowed him to land completely silently, and more importantly, ready to fight if need be. Sulika followed a second later, landing in a crouch while her eyes scanned the area for the double doors she knew to be nearby. The three or so dozen workers had gathered near the center of the yard, forming a ring of protection for themselves - as they¡¯d been trained to do in the event of a monster attack. Sulika grimaced slightly before turning to see Ralocan helping Zarud over the wall. The workers were most likely innocent in this, just normal people trying to feed their families... But just to be on the safe side, it was best if they avoided interacting with them as much as possible. Once everyone was inside the walls, Sulika led them towards the warehouse while giving the ring of workers as much space as they possibly could. As they neared the large double doors leading inside the warehouse, which were thankfully still open from when the workers first poured out. Sulika brought her mana to the surface and prepared to cast a spell as soon as they were all inside. She passed through the opening first and stepped aside to grab the edge of one of the two doors. Derrik came through next and took position in front of the door in case the workers tried to rush back in. Oladi and Ralocan came through next, while Zarud brought up the rear and moved to the other door. Once they were all inside the building, Sulika and Zarud shoved against their respective doors and slammed them shut. The commotion instantly grabbed the attention of the workers, but it was too late for them. Sulika took two large steps back while Derrik took her spot against the door. She flicked the tip of her wand towards the bottom of the door and funneled her magic into it. ¡°Abbas: Arcane Lock¡± She muttered. She whipped her arm towards the ceiling and an arc of mana leapt from the tip of her wand. It hit the door like a runaway wagon and made almost as much noise. They all heard the sound of rustling chains, followed by the *clack!* of a heavy lock sliding into place as the spell took hold. The workers slammed into the door with all the force they could muster - Once¡­ Twice¡­ Thrice, the doors shaking violently from each hit. But shake as they might, groan as they would, the doors refused to open. ¡°There.¡± She nodded in relief. ¡°Hopefully, that¡¯ll keep them busy long enough for the guild to arrive and put an end to this. I¡¯d hate to waste more mana on the workers.¡± While (Arcane Lock) was by no means a difficult spell to use, it required a deceptive amount of mana to make it truly usable. Magic was divided into three categories: divine, arcane, and pact. Sulika used arcane magic, while Oladi and Ralocan both used divine magic. Hence the differences in how the three of them cast spells. Sulika didn¡¯t need to recite a long incantation before using a spell, because arcane users drew on the mana dwelling within their bodies. She just needed to declare what type of magic she wanted to invoke before saying the spell name and supply the mana to power it. Ralocan and Oladi¡¯s powers came from an outside force - the god Cyndarr in Ralocan¡¯s case and the Eternal Mother in Oladi¡¯s. It cost nothing for them to cast their spells, however the drawback to that was the need to prepare the spells in advance. And once used, most spells couldn¡¯t be used again for twenty-four hours. ¡°Eyes up, Hunters. The real thing starts now.¡± Sulika motioned for her teammates to follow and headed for the warehouse¡¯s main room. The sooner they stopped the cultists, the easier it would be to dismantle whatever they¡¯d done to set up the dungeon¡­ So long as it hadn¡¯t been opened yet. Sulika could only hope they¡¯d gotten there in time. Chapter 1 - End of an Era (Pt 2) The team swept through each room of the warehouse with ruthless efficiency, never staying in one area for more than a minute or two¡­ And with each area they passed, the feeling of unease Sulika had been feeling grew stronger. There was something wrong with this place. The outside of the warehouse appeared no different than the twenty others that surrounded it. But the inside was different, almost unbelievably so. Sure, a part of her had expected the cult to have spooky paraphernalia all over the place; religious symbols, blood on the ground, people walking around wearing hooded robes - the usual ¡®culty¡¯ stuff. But there was nothing here. Absolutely, positively, Nothing. After entering the warehouse, the first place they stumbled across was an open room meant for dry storage. A single, unbroken path ran the length of the room. On either side thirty-foot-high shelves formed narrow rows from the double doors they¡¯d come through until they pushed against the farthest wall. ¡°We moving towards the bay door at the back?¡± Derrik asked in a low voice. The rest stopped looking around long enough to look at the back wall, where a large wooden door sat atop a wooden track. ¡°You said the ritual was taking place near the center of the warehouse, right Oladi?¡± Sulika asked while walking towards the sliding door. ¡°Based on what I saw a few days ago? I¡¯d assume so.¡± She replied while keeping pace with the shorter woman¡¯s gait. ¡°Good enough for me.¡± The corner of Sulika¡¯s lip twitched upwards. ¡°Derrik and Zarud, you two move up and get ready.¡± The pair grunted in understanding before increasing their pace, slowly pulling away from the rest of the group. While they made the two-minute walk from one end of the room to the other, Sulika took the time to observe the room - Not because she wanted to, but because she had to. She couldn¡¯t help herself. She¡¯d been in a few warehouses in her time - Though it felt like a lifetime ago, now. From what she could remember, she¡¯d expected a warehouse of this size to house tons upon tons of non-perishable goods: clothing, resources like wood or stone, toys of some kind, electronics - Any of those would fit perfectly in a place like this¡­ But the shelves were empty. Not only that, Sulika didn¡¯t see so much as a single box the entire walk across the room. Which was, to put in bluntly, impossible. They¡¯d spent weeks watching this place. And they¡¯d all seen the cargo being moved into the warehouse - So, where was it? Where did it all go? Sulika knew she couldn¡¯t be mistaken about this either. She¡¯d personally gone over every minute of footage they¡¯d gathered from the recording spheres. Recording spheres were an amazing bit of technology. They appeared to be a small crystal ball about the size of Sulika¡¯s fist, with a short telescopic lens running through the center of the sphere. By channeling mana into it and saying the activation phrase, you could quickly and easily start or stop the recording process. Anything that passes in front of either end of the telescopic lens has its image captured and stored within the sphere for later review. The original sphere model imprinted the images directly onto the sphere, but the newest models didn¡¯t. They opted for a simpler process, albeit at the cost of recording time. The images were all stored on the surface of the telescopic lens - which could hold about ten hours'' worth of visual information before it ceased functioning and must be replaced with a blank lens. It did take a special projector to view recordings made on the newer models. However, provided you could cover the cost to purchase one, they weren¡¯t difficult to obtain. Case in point: The sphere they¡¯d been using was actually Faeyra¡¯s personal device, not property of the guild. Of course, Sulika had purchased all the recording lenses herself. Faeyra offered to pay, but Sulika refused. She wouldn¡¯t make her friend foot the bill for something she¡¯d chosen to do. Regardless - She had proof that the warehouse should be packed to the brim with goods waiting to be distributed all across the city. And some of that footage had been taken as early as yesterday. Logically, there was no way these shelves could be empty¡­ Yet they were? None of this sat right with Sulika. Reaching the back of dry storage, the five silently approached the bay door. Zarud moved to the left of the door to grab the handle, while Derrik took up position next to him. Zarud waited for Sulika, Oladi, and Ralocan to move clear of the opening before he pulled the handle - *Click* Zarud¡¯s big body froze in an instant. ¡°Shit.¡± He grumbled. He held his breath and kept his body as still as possible. ¡°Hang on.¡± Sulika whispered. She motioned for the others to take a step back before approaching on Zarud¡¯s left. Zarud had opened the door about half of an inch before stopping. Not enough to get even the tip of her wand through, but more than enough for her to see what caused the noise. There was a length of copper wire visible through the gap, which was coiled around the inside handle of the door. Sulika tracked the wire beyond the top of the door, where it disappeared somewhere out of sight. ¡°Looks like a tripwire.¡± Sulika whispered. ¡°Hey, Ralocan?¡± Zarud muttered without moving anything except his lips. ¡°Mind making a wish to that god of yours? I don¡¯t wanna get blown up again.¡± Sulika rolled her eyes at the remark and ignored the barely audible snickers from her other teammates. ¡°You screw up *one time* during a training exercise and you never hear the end of it.¡± Sulika shook her head and unzipped her jacket enough to get at the inside pocket located on her right breast. She retrieved a dull white crystal from the pocket and held it towards the gap. The crystal wasn¡¯t big, by any means - barely four inches long, with a diameter of point-five millimeters. But it didn¡¯t need to be large to fulfil its purpose. The needle-like crystal was pushed through the gap until it touched the copper wire - and the crystal changed the second contact was made. A dim line of red light shined through the center of the needle until Sulika pulled it off the wire. ¡°You want the good news or the bad news first?¡± Sulika asked the half-orc. ¡°Give it to me rough, captain. I can take it.¡± He replied, looking under his arm at her. ¡°It''s booby trapped - Pact magic, if the crystal¡¯s right.¡± She said without batting an eye. ¡°Figures.¡± He snorted. ¡°Alright. What¡¯s the sugar?¡± ¡°There¡¯s about a ninety percent chance that it¡¯s just an alarm, not an explosive.¡± ¡°Oh, ninety percent? Well, if that¡¯s all then let¡¯s pop this bitch open.¡± Sulika glanced over at the others and saw three heads nodding their agreement. Truth be told, she was in agreement too. It was already too late to go back, the stealth mission was over the second he¡¯d pulled on that handle. It was a stupid mistake, Sulika knew that. They should¡¯ve been more careful, and She should¡¯ve thought to check the door for traps before letting him touch it¡­ But she didn¡¯t. She saw the wooden door, wooden tracks, wooden handle and assumed no magic was being used. It was common knowledge that wood was a horrible conduit for magic. That¡¯s why runes had to be carved into the surface of her wand and Oladi¡¯s staff. Without them, the wood couldn¡¯t withstand the flow of mana and would likely burst into flames after a few spells. That¡¯s why she¡¯d assumed, incorrectly, that it was fine. She¡¯d have never guessed they¡¯d use metal for something as mundane as a tripwire. Metal, and especially copper, made a fantastic conduit for mana currents. There was a slight risk of melting if too much mana passed through at once, but that was beyond rare. Most spell casters couldn¡¯t reach the levels required to melt aluminum, never mind copper or iron. And forget about steel, no one could melt that stuff with sheer mana output. But here¡¯s the issue and why Sulika was now frowning at the waste of metal - because it couldn¡¯t be used for anything else. The instant the alarm is tripped, the wire would be destroyed to fuel the alarm spell. The copper wire they used for this trap? It could have fed a family of four, for about six months. Maybe longer. Metal was scarce, and every ounce of it was precious. That¡¯s why it was primarily used by the common folk as currency. Two grams of scrap copper became one ¡°Copper Bit¡±, Twenty-five bits became a ¡°Copper Piece¡±, and eighteen pieces became a ¡°Copper coin¡± - Which was about the monthly salary for one of the warehouse workers they¡¯d locked outside. Sulika took a step back and motioned for the others to do the same. ¡°If they¡¯re going to know we¡¯re here anyway, then there¡¯s no point in taking this slow. We hit them hard, and we hit them fast. Take them alive, if possible, but don¡¯t make it a priority. I¡¯m not willing to risk your lives just to capture these dickbags. Is that clear?¡± She asked, while waiting for Zarud to get ready. ¡°Aye.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Why are we still wasting our time discussing this? Let¡¯s smash some cultists heads!¡± Zarud growled, a bloodthirsty grin on his face. Sulika nodded and took a breath to calm her nerves while Zarud yanked on the handle. The tracks whined as the door slid open - a wave of cold air hit them before Zarud had gone more than a foot. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve found the cold storage.¡± Sulika zipped her jacked up as high as it would go and pointed her wand at the opening. *Snap!* *Clang!* The trap triggered once Zarud passed the two feet mark - An ear-splitting wail hit Sulika¡¯s ears, causing her to wince and almost making her too slow. ¡°Abbas: Shield,¡± she said, casting the quickest defensive spell in her repertoire. A six-foot by six-foot, semi-transparent disk appeared in the air before her and filled the gap in the door. Not an instant too soon either, as a pair of purple mana beams smashed into the shield with enough force to crack it down the middle. As Sulika cast her spell, the others were making their move too. ¡°Sylthen Laiara - Thaelorn vas Laithnor. Theren thi valar nor thalvar. (Impart with us the strength of beasts.) Nael sylthen, Laiara, fael thi aelora: Thalvar Verithyn. (Wild soul reshaped: Monstrous Form)¡± Oladi¡¯s nose and mouth elongated into a grayish-black beak with a sharp point, her neck lengthened slightly, and a wave of feathers cascaded from her scalp to the souls of her feet. At her level, Oladi was capable of casting ¡°Monstrous Shape¡± in between one step and the next. Shapeshifting was a great party trick, kids loved it... But that was when she was shifting into a bunny, or some other small, fuzzy creature. The beast standing in front of Sulika now, was anything but cute and cuddly. Dark feathers covered her body, though most of it was hidden beneath her robes. A pair of large wings protruded from her back, passing through otherwise unseen slits in the fabric of her robes. Her visible arms rapidly shifted hues, going from pale to almost pitch black and doubled in size as muscle appeared out of nowhere. Though she couldn¡¯t see it, Sulika knew her legs would be doing the same. The last to change was Oladi¡¯s beautiful, gem-like eyes - They turned the color of obsidian as Oladi threw back her head and let out a quiet gasp. With limited time to waste, Oladi sprinted into the room, her powerful legs giving her an incredible boost of speed for the duration of her transformation. Derrik entered the room alongside her. Many assumed dwarves to be slow, but that wasn¡¯t always the case - especially when their class is ¡°Warrior¡±. ¡°Dralak¡¯nor khazrim, Rosa! (Let¡¯s crack some skulls, Rosa!)¡± The dwarf yelled. ¡°Thranak! (Charge!)¡± [Warrior exclusive skill ¡®Charge¡¯ has been used.] An emotionless voice intoned inside Derrik''s mind. A violet-colored spark of mana came to life near the center of Derrik''s chest, and he started running - a beat of the dwarf¡¯s heart later, the mana bloomed into a cloak of purple flames that covered his entire body like a suit of armor. Derrik''s speed quadrupled in the blink of an eye, momentarily putting him on par with a beastified druid. He raced after Oladi without hesitation, passing through the open doorway with his hammer held high. That was when the screams started. ¡°Sounds like Oladi found the cultists.¡± Zarud chuckled as he readied his battleaxe. ¡°Save some for me, you wild bitch!¡± The half-orc shouted before sprinting into the room. Ralocan and Sulika glanced at each other before calmly following the others. ¡°Keep an eye on Zarud, make sure he doesn¡¯t get in over his head. And keep a defensive incantation on Oladi as often as you can. ¡°Yes, captain.¡± Ralocan nodded while pulling his morningstar from his belt. ¡°What about Derrik?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got him.¡± Sulika said before breaking away to focus on her own fight.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The battle for the city was on.
¡°No no no no no! They shouldn¡¯t be here - Why are they here?¡± A tall, thin man swore from beneath the dark hood covering his face. He could hear the angry shouting, the fearful screaming, the pitiful begging of his allies. But he wasn¡¯t about to come to their aid. Absolutely not, fuck those guys. They¡¯d made fun of him for wearing the hood - said it was too ¡®clich¨¦¡¯, and he was just ¡®feeding into the cultist stereotype.¡¯ Well, shows what they knew. He¡¯d tried multiple times to warn them, ever since he first caught wind of the group snooping around the guild. But they laughed him off. When he saw the orcish brute staking out the warehouse from a nearby rooftop, he tried again. And again, he was laughed at. The last time he¡¯d tried to warn them was just three days ago. He¡¯d caught that druid strumpet watching them through a skylight and immediately reported it - Only for his superior to wave him away. Yes, he knew not all ravens were druids. And yes, he also knew the likelihood of one stalking them was low - But it was never zero! As evidenced by them being attacked at this very moment! ¡°Vernaril, alinora tyel! (Dullards, the entire lot of them!)¡± He told them not to rely on the guardian¡¯s protection. He swore that when push came to shove - Their beloved ¡®Thaelorn (Guardian)¡¯ would shove them all off a cliff if it meant he could protect himself. But did they listen, no - Because they never listened to him. And that¡¯s why he wouldn¡¯t help them. It was pure luck that he was already in hiding when the attack started. He¡¯d worked a double shift the day before and was not in the right headspace to deal with those arrogant blowhards tonight. So, he¡¯d snuck off to get some shut eye where no one, not even his own ¡®allies¡¯ could find him. He¡¯d be a fool to risk his own hide to save any of those tarhvelin narsil (bullheaded pigs) from their own hubris. And he may have been many things, but he was no fool. Which is the only reason he¡¯d given a few of the peasant workers a¡­ ¡®just-in-case¡¯ gift; bracelets enchanted with an alert spell. He¡¯d passed them the bracelets a few days ago, with instructions to immediately head to the Hunters Guild in the event the alarm was triggered. With four requests for emergency aid being filed, the guild was sure to respond. Then, it was just a matter of holding out long enough for the do-gooders to respond to the request, catch their fellow hunters in the act of attacking ¡®innocent¡¯ warehouse workers, and they¡¯d be golden¡­ Provided the workers actually obeyed him and went to the guild when they were supposed to. All that was left to do now was kick back, relax, and wait for this to all blow over. Their job was done here, anyway. They¡¯d opened the dungeon the night before, thanks in no small part to him deliberately speeding up the process. And they were just waiting for the mana to overflow. Soon his wishes would be granted, the Lord had promised him as much. He wouldn¡¯t be looked down on anymore. He wouldn¡¯t have to put up with those megalomaniacs at the guild or watch as they turned their eyes away from the travesties committed by their ¡®Golden Children¡¯ in the Ten. They would be held accountable for everything they¡¯ve done. With the power he¡¯d attain from holding up his end of the contract, he¡¯d make sure of it¡­ Even if it meant a few thousand had to die first. He¡¯d gladly give up his place in paradise if it meant he could personally drag those vektilor (psychopaths) down to hell where they belong.
If she hadn¡¯t been attacked as soon as the door was opened, Sulika wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d have known the people inside cold storage were the cultists they were looking for. The seventeen people awaiting them looked too normal to be genocidal maniacs. Maybe that was the point? But the large, floating portal in the middle of the room explained why they didn¡¯t try to pretend otherwise. No one, at least, no one with their sanity intact, would dare stand so close to a dungeon. However, considering they¡¯d planned to let this dungeon break, she doubted any of them were sane to begin with. Dungeons were a naturally occurring phenomena. Hundreds of them appear every year, and when they do form, it¡¯s usually a spontaneous event. The portal appears in the blink of an eye, without so much as a sound of warning. Thankfully, aside from the few unlucky souls who have a portal form on top of them, most dungeons were only deadly to those who willingly entered them... Except in one case. A dungeon break. The dungeon break phenomenon happens when a dungeon is left unchecked for too long and the mana inside is allowed to build. The overabundance of mana causes the monsters who live inside the dungeon to propagate at an alarming rate - the more monsters there are, the quicker the mana builds. Should the dungeon continue to grow without check. Eventually cracks will begin to form, as the dungeon fails to survive beneath the weight of its own mana. From the moment that first crack appears, the fate of the dungeon is sealed: It will, unfailingly, break. Once a dungeon break occurs, the monsters and mana inside will flow over the bounds of the dungeon and pour into the outside world. A monster inside the city is bad; they attack without discrimination, will relentlessly pursue anyone who catches their attention, and are almost impossible for non-hunters to stop. But even worse than the monsters waiting to take a bite out of them, is the Miasma accompanying them. No one knows where the miasma comes from. Only that, where there are monsters, there is miasma. And miasma is impossible to stop once it¡¯s broken free: It¡¯s a vicious, airborne poison without antidote that pollutes the sky and corrupts the soil. A hunter can resist the effects of the miasma, for a time. But a normal person has no such protection. Minutes after exposure they¡¯ll start having trouble breathing. Then comes the migraines and nausea, and the fever induced hallucinations. The final stage comes about twenty-four hours after exposure - which is when their fingers, lips, toes, and eyes take on a violet-colored hue. "Those draped in violet are Death¡¯s to take.¡± is a common phrase among those who¡¯ve seen the aftermath of miasma exposure. So, yes, a dungeon break is one of the most disastrous events that can occur in the modern day. And these maniacs were still here despite knowing the dungeon was going to break? Why? For what purpose could they have stayed behind? She¡¯d assumed they were here because they were still in the process of opening it. But clearly, that wasn¡¯t the case. The portal was enough proof of that. So¡­ Why? Don¡¯t they know it¡¯s suicide to stay here? Then again, they are cultists. Maybe dying was all a part of the plan? A stray fireball flew towards Sulika¡¯s head, forcing her to duck and pulling her out of her thoughts. ¡°Dumbass!¡± She cursed. ¡°Save the thinking for after the fight has been won!¡± Sulika leveled her wand and quickly glanced around the room to take stock of where everyone was and attempt to classify them as best she could. Six were wielding melee weapons, five were either wielding a staff or were actively casting a spell, while the last five remained a mystery as they stood around to watch. Sulika made a mental note to pay extra attention to these five. Once she had a mental map of the cultists'' locations, she burst into action. ¡°Evoon: Mana Missile!¡± Five spheres of crackling purple energy burst forth from the tip of the wand, each sphere zooming after a different cultist. The five unknown cultists were the first to be targeted. A male Lunaran Elf, a male and a female human, and two female Gnomes simultaneously took spheres to their chests. Both gnomes died instantly, the spheres ripping through their bodies like they were made of tissue paper. The male human and the male elf attempted to dodge out of the way - but that tactic failed immediately. (Mana Missile) was a tracking spell. Unless it hit something else first, it wouldn¡¯t stop until it hit its target. So, the human took the sphere to the back of the head, killing him instantly. While the elf sacrificed his left arm to block the sphere - The sphere subsequently removed his arm at the elbow, but hey, he¡¯d live¡­ probably. Meanwhile, the female human reacted in a way Sulika didn¡¯t expect. The older pulled a previously unseen dagger from her waistband and pressed the blade against her own arm - A line of crimson spilled from the woman¡¯s flesh, and she raised her bleeding right arm at the incoming sphere. ¡°Vornak ka''Rak!¡± She screamed in an unknown, visceral language that sounded more like the shriek of the damned than a spoken language. The blood pouring from the woman¡¯s open wound ceased obeying the laws of gravity, stopping just before it would fall to the floor. Then it started to move - the blood coiled around the woman¡¯s arm like a snake before launching to intercept the sphere. The mana sphere collided with the blood serpent in midair - *Boom!* the explosion canceled out both spells and sent debris flying in every direction. The human sent Sulika a cold grin before launching another spell. ¡°Vornak ka¡¯Zar!¡± She cried. Sulika saw blood beginning to fall from the woman¡¯s red lips, but she couldn¡¯t observe for long before she had to move. The spell once again manipulated the older woman¡¯s blood. However, instead of creating a simple projectile, it used already fallen drops of blood to create blood spikes beneath Sulika¡¯s feet that almost ended her in a single shot. As ten blood lances pierced through the stone floor, three of them pierced the air where Sulika¡¯s head had been not even a moment ago. It was only luck and a little instinct that prompted her to take a step back. If she¡¯d attempted to sidestep the spell, or jump over it, she would¡¯ve been caught like a fish on the tip of a spear. Sulika ignored the pounding of her heart and brought her wand to bear - ¡°Enmet: Daze!¡± She chanted; The level 0 spell took the form of a ball of black smoke that launched from the tip of her wand. The human grinned at the pitiful attempt. Didn¡¯t the welp realize? She¡¯d already stopped one of her spells, why couldn¡¯t she do it again? ¡°Vornak ka''Rak!¡± Said the woman. A second blood projectile launched from her outstretched arm to intercept Sulika¡¯s spell - Which was exactly what Sulika had been hoping for. The blood spell smashed through (Daze) without effort, triggering the spell¡¯s effect: (Daze) wasn¡¯t an attack spell, it couldn¡¯t do damage even if Sulika wanted it to. However, that didn¡¯t make it useless. The moment the ball of smoke was destroyed, black mist filled the space between Sulika and the cultist. Realizing her error the cultist attempted to get out of the way of the oncoming wave, but she was too slow. The mist washed over her and began infiltrating her body anyway it could; her nose, ears, mouth, not even the pores of her skin were safe. Only once it was inside her body, did the spell truly activate - The cultists felt a brief pain inside her skull before her consciousness was cut off like flipping a light switch. The cultist collapsed, her body falling to the ground like a stringless puppet. Sulika saw none of this, as she¡¯d already moved on to her next target. While Sulika was dealing with the human, Derrik had encountered a problem all his own. He jumped back, barely avoiding the thin blade slashing at his neck. Two cultists; a male human and a male Lunaran elf, lay dead at his feet. Both met with the unfortunate fate of getting between his Rosa and the floor. But the last cultist wasn¡¯t so easily dealt with. The male Solaran elf was clearly used to combat. His silver rapier pierced the air with the speed of the wind and could strike like the rain - Hitting Derrik anywhere, and from any angle he wanted. This fact brought a mad smile to the dwarf¡¯s face. He loved being a hunter, truly, he did¡­ But fighting monsters wasn¡¯t what he¡¯d been trained to do. He tightened his grip on Rosa and dashed into the elf¡¯s face. The elf countered by side-stepping and thrusting his sword at Derrik¡¯s exposed neck - the Dwarf somehow stopped and changed directions in an instant. The tip of the rapier sliced through the thin skin of his ear but failed to hit anything vital. Derrik was on the elf before he could withdraw his sword. The dwarf twisted his body with the might of a hurricane and attempted to smash Rosa into the elf¡¯s midsection. The elf swayed out of the way and quickly reoriented his sword - But Derrick''s onslaught had only just begun. [Warrior exclusive skill ¡®Whirlwind¡¯ has been used.] With each rotation of the dwarf¡¯s body, his hammer moved faster, and faster. Until his entire being became a blur of twisting steel and rending wind. The elf backpedaled, gaining some much-needed distance between him and the whirlwind of pain - But Derrik simply shifted his footing and gave chase with surprising speed. So began a wicked dance between the elf and the warrior. Every step the elf took, the whirlwind intercepted. Every path the elf attempted to follow, the whirlwind broke. Until, finally, the elf found his way out! The dwarf was slow to follow when he dashed left, but quick to follow right. So, the cultists feigned a dash to the right - and smirked as he noticed the whirlwind start to follow. At the last second, just before the dwarf¡¯s hammer could claim his life too, the elf corrected himself and dove to the left. Once he was behind the whirlwind, it was a simple matter of dealing with the dwarf. He would just need to stab - The world shifted as the cultist¡¯s feet left the ground. He saw the floor below him, then above him, then below, then above, then¡­ But wait, if his feet had left the ground - what was he looking at? [The Warrior exclusive skill ¡®Momentum Reversal¡¯ has been used.] Derrik winced and bent to rest his aching thighs. ¡°Nar brumak kahrr nok gruth¡­ (I¡¯m too old for this shit.)¡± He moaned before standing up and moving to find his next target. Sulika and Derrik finished their respective battles seconds before Zarud, Ralocan, and Oladi downed the last of the seventeen cultists attacking them. ¡°Is that all of them?¡± Sulika asked once the five had regrouped. ¡°All I¡¯ve seen.¡± Zarud replied while cleaning the blood from his axe. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Oladi sighed after ending her transformation. Her muscles ached, and her head pounded from the shift in senses. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure the survivors are all bound. Wouldn¡¯t want them to get away after going through all of that.¡± Ralocan muttered, his morningstar leaving a trail of blood as he walked away. ¡°I¡¯ll sweep the area. Might find a few wee rats scurrying around in the darkness.¡± Derrik said before heading off to do just that. Which left Sulika standing beside the ticking time bomb that was the dungeon portal. She sighed deeply and shook her head. First, she¡¯d send an emergency message to the guild with proof of the portal''s existence. With that, hopefully they could send over reinforcements before the thing popped and unleashed hell on Auris - *Crack!* Sulika, and everyone else who heard it, winced at the sound of glass breaking. ¡°You¡¯re too late.¡± The old woman laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you learned about us, but it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. You¡¯re too late to stop it.¡± She sighed and collapsed onto her back. ¡°It¡¯ll all be over soon.¡± ¡°Derrik.¡± Sulika muttered, drawing the Dwarf¡¯s attention to her. She motioned to the old woman and made a show of smacking her fist into her open palm. Derrik nodded and walked over to the older human. ¡°G¡¯night.¡± He said before raising his fist into the air and sending the woman into blissful unconsciousness. ¡°What¡¯re we gonna do, captain?¡± Zarud asked as he, Oladi, and Ralocan returned to Sulika¡¯s side. ¡°What else can we do?¡± Sulika replied while scratching the back of her head. ¡°One of us is going to need to head back to the guild to sound the alarm. The rest of us are going inside and we¡¯ll attempt to delay the break as long as possible.¡± ¡°... Who¡¯s getting sent to the guild?¡± Derrik asked, looking somber at the prospect. ¡°Oladi. She¡¯s in the worst shape after transforming -¡± Her response was met with twin sighs of relief and one begrudging look from the druid. ¡°Thank the ancestors.¡± Derrik laughed. ¡°For a second there, I thought you were gonna ask me to go.¡± ¡°I can see why.¡± Zarud said, grinning. ¡°I¡¯ve known rocks younger than you.¡± ¡°Still having trouble making real friends?¡± Derrik replied without bothering to look Zarud¡¯s way. ¡°You wanna go, old man?¡± ¡°Time and place, Grodh''varrak. (Shameful man.)¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare say that in a language I understand!¡± Zarud said, his voice angry and his body tensing in rage. ¡°Are you sure you want to be trapped in there with them?¡± Oladi whispered into Sulika¡¯s ear. ¡°Absolutely not¡­ Which is why you¡¯d better hurry up and go. The sooner you get there, the faster you save me from that fate.¡± Sulika said before sending a sly wink Oladi¡¯s way. Sulika ignored the bickering of her male teammates and retrieved a strange mask from a pocket inside her jacket. Sulika¡¯s rebreather was black with white trim around the outer edges; a small, rectangular tank was attached on the left side of the mask and connected to a circular vent on the right side of the mask through tiny tubes that ran beneath the surface of the mask. Her mask was on the smaller side, only large enough to cover her mouth and nose. Though many hunters chose rebreathers that covered their entire faces, Sulika hated the ones that forced her to look through the lenses. They were always getting dirty or broken, and you had enough issues seeing through the miasma without adding even more crap on top of it. The mask wrapped around her head and fastened at the nape with a quiet *snap* of the buckle. With her mask in place, Sulika turned to inspect her team. Derrick¡¯s mask was one of the larger ones and just barely fit over his huge beard and mustache. It was black with a red accent line around the top. A large circular vent was positioned exactly where his mouth was and used subdermal tubes to connect it to a pair of cylindrical tanks at the back of his neck - just above where the buckles fastened it into place. Zarud¡¯s was similar to Derrick¡¯s in appearance, but instead of a red accent line, Zarud¡¯s had two yellow lines - One at the top of the mask and one at the bottom. Ralocan¡¯s mask was small, like Sulika¡¯s, but his mask was white with orange accents. Four vertical vents were positioned over his mouth and nose and connected to a pair of circular tanks on either side of his neck. Sulika nodded at her team before turning to fully face the portal. She hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it until now. So, she hadn¡¯t realized how unusual its color was. She¡¯d only ever seen blue or green portals before. But this portal was so dark it was almost black, making it almost impossible to determine what ¡®kind¡¯ of dungeon it was. ¡°Guess we¡¯re going in blind¡­ Terrific.¡± She sighed. ¡°If anyone out there is actually listening... We¡¯re going to need a miracle to make it through this alive. Please, even if I don¡¯t make it back, let my team return. They don¡¯t deserve to die just because they followed me.¡± Sulika muttered a prayer to any god who would listen. She took one final breath of fresh air before stepping past the threshold and entering the dungeon portal. Chapter 2 - Servant of the Dragon God (Pt 1) Beneath a violet-colored sky, atop a precipice, and surrounded by a barren wasteland that stretched further than the eye could see - The ruins of an old temple were in the process of being picked apart by scavengers. The temple was massive, especially when compared to the other ruined buildings scattered across the mountain. Back when its floors still shined, its pillars still stood upright, its windows remained unbroken. This temple was a beacon of hope for the masses. Pilgrims made annual journeys of hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of miles just to spend a day wandering its halls¡­ But that was centuries ago. Now, the only thing of note about the place was the tonnage of gold lying about the place. The precious metal was everywhere. It was woven into tapestries, inlaid in patterns on the floor, handles, doorways, walls. There was so much gold, it¡¯d even been used as legs for the many marble benches found throughout the place. Entire twenty-foot-tall statues of solid gold could be found in ten of the temple¡¯s thirty-four prayer rooms. This place was any scavenger''s dream¡­ Or it would¡¯ve been, were it not for the dense haze of Miasma that filled the halls and rooms to the point of dyeing the very air purple. Inside one of the temple¡¯s many prayer rooms, a group of scavengers scurried about under the watchful eye of their chosen watchdog - er - ¡®Manager.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s get a move on, people! The Lord wanted this mine up and running yesterday, so stop slacking and get back to work!¡± A dwarf shouted from atop the giant head of a collapsed statue; his booming voice further augmented with mana so no one could escape his warnings. The dwarf was on the shorter side, even for a race known for their¡­ vertically challenged nature. However, what truly made the dwarf stand out was the color of his skin and beard. Early balding had claimed much of the hair atop his head, forcing him to shave the rest or risk looking like a newborn bird. But his waist-length beard and mustache remained as full, and lucious as ever - and was as colorless as new snow, almost to the point of transparency. The only color to be found in his hair came from the braid of gold he¡¯d woven into his beard to act as a centerpiece. Now, normally, white hair wouldn¡¯t be all that remarkable. Afterall, with age came wisdom - and a head of white hair. But this dwarf wasn¡¯t old enough to have so much white in their beard - at least, not by dwarven standards. So, where did it come from? Simple - He was a Drauger. Draugers or ¡°Dark Dwarves¡±, if you wanted to be racist about it, took a slightly different evolutionary path than their more numerous cousins. Namely, that Draugers evolved to survive in the darkest pits imaginable. So, while they share many of the same qualities as other dwarves. They are lacking one key ingredient that differentiates them from the rest. Melanin. No Drauger, no matter how aged or how much time they spend under the sun, carries an ounce of color in their blood. Their skin, hair, and eyes are all colorless¡­ So, why was it that this particular Drauger¡¯s skin carried a greenish hue? Likewise, why did the other people nearby also have odd appearances? There were twenty-eight people in the dilapidated room of the abandoned temple. Many of them were races we¡¯ve already seen before, Dwarves, Elves, Humans, Gnomes. And all of them appeared strange - off - not quite right. Almost like someone had tried to draw these species from memory and it¡¯d been a long, long time since they¡¯d seen the real thing. Gnomes were a race of Fae. Older than their elvish cousins by a few dozen millennia and rarely standing more than four feet in height. Gnomes and Elves normally shared many of the same physical traits - Grace, beauty, gemlike eyes, flawless skin, the usual stuff that made humans rage about the unfairness of it all. However, the eight Gnomes scattered around the room had skin covered in infected sores, stiff limbs that made it difficult to walk, and eyes that were slowly losing their luster. One Gnome, a scion of a fallen noble house, now relegated to shoveling dirt for a few copper bits a day, had already progressed to the final stage of this transformation. The ruby eyes he was once so proud of, that were adored by his mother and wife alike, had turned the color of tar. One human, the daughter of a well-respected merchant, once known far and wide for her business acumen. Now, her life revolved around pushing a wheelbarrow full of salvaged gold out the door to a drop off site and returning a minute later to repeat the process. Her vibrant golden locks were forever stained with an oily darkness near the roots. Her baby blue eyes were infected by a cancerous orange tint that made any who met her gaze horrified¡­ Yet mysteriously aroused. A half-orc sellsword stood watch over the only entrance. He was famous back home, known for a hundred miles as the ¡°Hammer of Olmthu.¡± As half-orcs share much of their blood with the brutish, ape-like Orcs. Few would ever consider them a ¡®handsome¡¯ race. However, occasionally, someone like the Hammer would pop up - someone who carried the blood of their other parent very well. And while the Hammer would¡¯ve never been voted ¡°sexiest man alive¡±, he had his own grizzled charm that brought many a woman to warm his bed. However, he would find even that small comfort difficult to attain now. Once a hair over seven-feet tall, the orc was now well over eight, growing taller, and stronger by the day - if the pains in his knees were any indication. Three-foot long tusks pierced through his lower lip, causing yellowish blood to drip from his chin. The bleeding would soon stop, it always did, but he would be uncomfortable until then. These ¡®oddities¡¯ in appearance were seen everywhere in the temple and seemed to follow a racial pattern. While not every human appeared strange, those that did shared the woman¡¯s orange eyes and oily-black hair. Not every half-orc was different, but those that were had grown larger, more imposing than ever - and sported tusks that hadn¡¯t existed before. So, while every race was different than they should be - they at least took comfort in the fact that their ¡®uniqueness¡¯ was shared by the kin they worked with. It made them family.
Aldritch of Clan Blackshield stood on a hill overlooking the temple. He watched as the repugnant scavengers picked at the bones of the fallen temple - had he been younger, more impulsive, he wouldn¡¯t have simply stood by. Their very presence was a stain on the floors of Oakairo¡¯s temple, and they would¡¯ve been treated as such¡­ But he¡¯d allowed the temple to fall into this state for a reason. He¡¯d deliberately chosen not to clean the floors, so why should he be surprised to find roaches scurrying about? No, their presence at the temple wasn¡¯t what was surprising to him. It was the simple, undeniable fact that there was someone else alive. Aside from Oakairo, who lived on inside Aldritch¡¯s mind, the half-giant had been alone for centuries. Without being facetious, Aldritch could confidently say he¡¯d never been happier to see a bunch of worms defiling his Lord¡¯s great temple. Yet, that¡¯s exactly what he was. Happy. ¡°What skill or craft would have allowed them to survive all this time?¡± Aldritch thought, sending his words along the mental bond he shared with his God. ¡°I have not the faintest notion..¡± Oakairo replied, peering down at the intruders through Aldritch¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do you sense any divine mana?¡± ¡°I do, yet none that might preserve them as thou hast. The god is far too feeble to shield them all from the miasma. Moreover, the god is but a fledgling, far too young. I greatly doubt they didst even exist ere the miasma wrought its dread and choked the life from the world.¡± ¡°You mentioned that earlier - they¡¯re truly that young?¡± Aldritch would be surprised if that were true. It was odd to think he could be older than an actual god - ¡°Tis not so rare a thing; gods oft arise from the needs of mortals. I hath known gods but decades old, aye, even younger in the days ere the collapse. Nay, what doth astonish is the age of this one in particular. To have been born so long after the collapse - mayhap they be a mortal ascended, rather than a trueborn God?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ One way to find out.¡± Aldritch muttered. ¡°Is the god here, now, or are they elsewhere?¡± ¡°Nay, ''tis naught but the god''s mana here. And by the scent, I scarce believe the wielder hath seen fit to offer a prayer unto them in many a cycle.¡± ¡°Then our course is set.¡± Aldritch nodded and began moving toward the temple - only to freeze after a certain scent passed through his nostrils. ¡°Is something amiss?¡± ¡°Devils.¡± Aldritch hissed, as if the very word burned his tongue. ¡°Art thou certain - perchance thou hast erred?" Oakairo asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty. ¡°The devils no longer wander this world. Thou knowest this."The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Aldritch slightly lifted his head and took a certifying sniff¡­ ¡°No mistaking that foul stench - Like rotten eggs fermenting in vinegar. It¡¯s enough to make my stomach churn.¡± "Mayhaps... A more direct approach is called for? If a devil is involved, we shan''t allow it to slip through our grasp." Aldritch nodded his understanding and continued moving toward the temple. A couple workers sitting on the marble steps near the entrance saw him approaching and jumped to their feet. A few inaudible sentences passed between the two gnomes before they scurried through the front door. Seconds after the gnomes disappeared into the temple, a trio of half-orcs and a couple of stocky dwarves emerged to block Aldritch¡¯s advance - seeing the two dwarves brought a small smile to the half-giant¡¯s face. It was nice to see another dwarf after so long¡­ Strange though, they were shorter than he remembered. [¡°Halt!¡±] The tallest dwarf said, raising his hand to stop Aldritch. [¡°I don¡¯t know how ya got in here, Pal. But we¡¯ve already claimed this spot. And if you¡¯ve come here to die - Do it somewhere else, we don¡¯t have the time to clean your blood off the steps before our lord arrives.¡±] Aldritch listened to the dwarf speak, processed his words as best he could, and understood one important detail. He couldn¡¯t understand a word the dwarf was saying. He¡¯d first assumed it was a matter of accent. But by the second sentence, he¡¯d realized the dwarf was speaking a language Aldritch had never encountered. How¡­ novel - A language he¡¯d never stumbled across in a thousand years. Maybe this was a birthday present after all? "Gor''karn Hillkin, en'' Aldritch''en Khalan Khal-Dran. Drazh''karn toth''ras - darak toth''ras. Vornak¡¯eth Torvornak zar-nak, dor''na? (Greetings Hillkin, my name is Aldritch of Clan Blackshield. A pleasure to meet you - all of you. Do you happen to speak Torvornak as well?)" He asked while meeting the eyes of the assumed leader dwarf. [¡°Hah?¡±] The dwarf replied, his voice a mix of confusion and mocking laughter. [¡°Did anyone catch what the giant¡¯s muttering about?¡±] [¡°He talks like an actor in one of those old plays.¡±] The other dwarf laughed. [¡°Is that what you are, big man?¡±] One of the half-orcs said, stepping forward to face Aldritch - Who smiled at the similarly sized man without an ounce of fear. [¡°Are you an actor? Will you put on a show for us if we promise to throw you some gold?¡±] The half-orc got a round of stifled laughter from his kin, and amused grins from the dwarves. They all knew what was about to happen. With the amount of work their master had put into finding this place, there was no chance this guy was walking away with his life. So, why not have some fun with him first? If he knew he was destined to die as soon as their conversation ended, he¡¯d probably thank them for delaying it - even for a few minutes. Aldritch glanced at the five men standing before him, then peeked over their heads at the shadowy figures watching the interaction from the safety of the temple. ¡°Kaznar... Nez''nar thok''zar nar''na do''kaeth... Dar, Vornak¡¯eth drak''zor - nar''zar kath¡¯nak, vorn''tar? (You know... I don''t understand a thing you men are saying... But the language of disrespect - that''s universal, isn''t it?)" He said, his voice dropping any show of amusement near the end. Aldritch scanned each of the five men in turn: Two greathammers, one battleaxe, one pair of eight-inch cleavers, one ten-inch saber - Aldritch frowned at the buckler strapped to the man¡¯s upper back. That¡¯d be inconvenient to reach in a hurry. ¡°And a host of unknowns lurking in yonder shadows. Makes one yearn for the days of old, does it not?" Aldritch¡¯s eyes landed on the leader dwarf and scanned the man from head to toe: Shoddy chainmail, loose-fitting breeches, axe chipped in four places. ¡°Indeed. We had respect for our enemies'' time and efforts¡­ And knew how to spend our own.¡± [¡°I don¡¯t like the way this guy is looking at us, Bari.¡±] The first dwarf said to the second, his hand moving to the double-bladed axe holstered to his back. [¡°Reminds me of those bloody nobles. Always looking down on us from their fuckin high horses.¡±] He announced his intentions by pulling the axe free from its holster and pointing it at Aldritch¡¯s nose - Aldritch grabbed the axe between the index and thumb on his right hand, moving it slightly aside as he did. The dwarf¡¯s eyes widened in shock at the strength the giant casually exerted. He tried to move the axe, attempting to free it from the giant¡¯s grasp. But Aldritch ignored him and turned his focus inward, (¡°Comprehend languages.¡±) he willed his magic into the spell, forcing it to activate. The spell activated at the same time as the dwarf leader opened his mouth to speak - ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, you idiots - Help me!¡± The dwarf shouted. He put a foot to Aldritch¡¯s knee and put his entire back into prying the axe free - Aldritch barely noticed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Gadrin?¡± One of the orcs laughed. ¡°What happened to that ¡®level twenty-one¡¯ strength you were so proud of?¡± ¡°I told you he was lyin ¡®bout that.¡± Another orc said. ¡°There¡¯s no way a dwarf could have higher strength than an orc.¡± He said, pushing his chest out and pointing his thumb back at himself. ¡°Gadrin? You just foolin around?¡± The second dwarf asked, uncertainty filling his heart. ¡°No. I. Ain¡¯t!¡± Gadrin said through gritted teeth. He jumped up, wrapped his legs around Aldritch¡¯s beefy arm, and put all his strength into an arm bar. Either the giant would release his axe, or he¡¯d snap the bastard¡¯s arm. Aldritch listened to them all talk, and talk, and talk¡­ He wondered why they hadn¡¯t attacked him yet. If the roles were reversed, he wouldn¡¯t have stood around running off the mouth. Granted, he was thankful they were doing that, as it helped his spell. But it just proved their inexperience. Gadrin¡¯s face turned blue from the effort of attempting to move Aldritch¡¯s arm. His own arms were beginning to shake from the exertion, and Aldritch could see fat beads of sweat pooling on the tip of his ear. Aldritch partially ignored all of this in favor of staring down the dwarf¡¯s four allies. The second dwarf was wearing mostly leather - which is lightweight, but brittle if improperly treated. The first orc was wearing heavy armor that didn¡¯t fit his body. It was obviously not tailored for him, and hung off his body in places that shouldn¡¯t move. Second orc was wearing leather everywhere except for his boots, which had an obvious metal plate on the toe. Could be useful for breaching doors or breaking bones, but it¡¯d also give him away if he wasn¡¯t careful. Last orc was also the least armored. He was shirtless, exposing his well-defined chest and arms to the world. But he also wore leather gauntlets to protect his hands from damage while attacking. Odd choice, but okay. ¡°Well, don¡¯t just stand there, you idiots. Help me.¡± Aldritch muttered in the language of the scavengers. ¡°So, he does speak.¡± The second dwarf muttered before drawing his cleavers. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re dumb or just naturally this infuriating. But you need to put Gadrin on the ground, now.¡± ¡°So, he does speak.¡± Aldritch repeated, tasting the language on his tongue. ¡°Do you think this is some kind of game?¡± One of the orcs shouted. ¡°Do you?¡± Aldritch replied while meeting the orc¡¯s dark eyes. ¡°I can assure you; I¡¯m taking this as seriously as you deserve.¡± Aldritch bent the elbow Gadrin was attempting to break and placed his free hand atop Gadrin¡¯s head. ¡°I apologize for the delay. I wasn¡¯t aware of your language until today, and it took a few minutes to familiarize myself with its rules.¡± He said, dipping his head at them in greeting. ¡°I¡¯ll repeat myself for your benefit - You have the honor of standing before Aldritch of clan Blackshield. A pleasure to meet all of you.¡± As soon as his introduction was finished, Aldritch tightened his hold on Gadrin¡¯s head and - Squelch The dwarf¡¯s spine was pulverized by the force Aldritch exerted on his head. The giant pushed Gadrin¡¯s head in, causing his skull to sink into his chest cavity until naught but the tail of his black beard was visible. ¡°By chance, were any of you responsible for that sanctuary spell earlier?¡± He asked four horrified men. ¡°I don¡¯t smell any divine mana on these guys.¡± Oakairo said slowly, trying out the new language for himself and finding he liked it. Gadrin¡¯s corpse fell from Aldritch¡¯s extended arm, his body smacking against the ground like a blood-filled sandbag. Aldritch lightly flipped Gadrin¡¯s axe to allow for an easy grip change. Now, with the axe held firmly in his right hand, Aldritch was free to do as he liked with it - So he dropped it into the corpse¡¯s open hand. Aldritch looked down at the corpse, as did the four men who¡¯d known Gadrin for nearly five years. They¡¯d eaten together, camped together, and in Bari¡¯s case, Gadrin was married to his sister! How was he going to explain this to her!? ¡°Would one of you mind guiding me to the person in charge? I¡¯d like to ask them a few questions-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Bari shouted. He dove for Aldritch¡¯s legs with his cleavers poised to smash through the giant¡¯s limb - His forward momentum was instantly redirected into upward momentum, and he was launched skyward by a large boot connecting with his throat and upper chest. The dwarf was with his brother-in-law before he could hit the ground. ¡°It¡¯s incredibly rude to interrupt me when I¡¯m speaking.¡± Aldritch said in an emotionless tone. ¡°Honestly, doesn¡¯t anyone teach these kids proper etiquette, anymore? Case in point-¡± Aldritch moved his head to the side, narrowly dodging the tip of an Orc¡¯s saber and grabbing the offending wrist with his left hand. ¡°Sabers are a slashing weapon. While you can certainly stab someone with it, it¡¯s much more effective doing this-¡± Aldritch used the brace on his right arm to parry an orc¡¯s greathammer, then lightly shoved against the trapped orc¡¯s wrist. The orc¡¯s entire body spun out of his control and the dull saber cleaved through the third orc¡¯s neck. By the time the orc had regained control of his body, his friend¡¯s head was already rolling across the ground. Aldritch swayed back, avoiding the other orc¡¯s hammer by a hair, and grabbing a fistful of the orc¡¯s ponytail. The half-giant said nothing as he yanked the ponytail out by its roots, then slapped the orc¡¯s chest. The giant¡¯s palm slammed into the orc¡¯s metal breastplate with a mighty Bang! that left a huge handprint in the orc¡¯s chest. Aldritch watched the orc fall to the ground with foam spilling from his mouth. He¡¯d paralyzed almost every organ in the orc¡¯s body with that slap. However, the orc might¡¯ve been able to survive the trauma if Aldritch had put a little less strength into it. He was rustier than he¡¯d realized. The sound of metal on stone reached Aldritch¡¯s ears. He sighed, raised his right hand, and caught the buckler aiming for his jaw. ¡°Has no one taught you how to fight with these?¡± He asked, shaking the shield - and the orc¡¯s arm - for emphasis. ¡°Bucklers are a lightweight form of protection designed for parrying strikes and deflecting thrust attacks. Not bashing someone in the face.¡± Aldritch sighed - He forced the orc¡¯s hand back, punching him in the face with his own knuckles. Without releasing the orc¡¯s hand, Aldritch quickly twisted his wrist - *Crack!* The orc screamed as the bones in his wrist and hand snapped like dry twigs. The scream was cut short as Aldritch placed his left hand around the orc¡¯s throat and lifted the seven-foot-tall man off the ground. The orc thrust the saber into Aldritch¡¯s belly - But Aldritch deflected the blade with his wrist guard and grabbed the orc¡¯s hand. The orc felt a moment of pressure, followed by a white-hot pain as the bones in his hand were flattened alongside the pommel of his saber. Wood and metal, flesh and blood fused in a disgusting mixture that seeped through Aldritch¡¯s fingers. And yet, despite all that pain, the orc couldn¡¯t make a sound. Aldritch¡¯s vice-like grip on his throat prevented anything but a tiny stream of oxygen from passing his lips - Crack! The orc¡¯s head collapsed to one side; his neck having collapsed beneath the giant¡¯s fist. Aldritch wiped his gore covered hand on the orc¡¯s armor before tossing him aside. With the five of them dealt with, he turned his attention towards the shadowy figures waiting inside the doorway. ¡°Hello, everyone.¡± Aldritch said loudly while walking up the stairs of the temple. ¡°You have the honor of standing before Aldritch of clan Blackshield. The pleasure is yours.¡± He finished with a calm smile that sent shivers down the spines of any who saw it. Chapter 2 - Servant of the Dragon God (Pt 2) The moment Sulika¡¯s foot landed on the other side of the portal, she immediately raised her wand and pointed it ahead of her. After a second of scanning the dark room for any sign of threat, and finding none, Sulika lowered her wand and took a step aside to allow the others to leave the portal. The room was dark, but thanks to a shattered glass dome that used to be the roof, she could see enough to get a feel for her surroundings. Starting with how big the room was - It was huge, far larger than the building she lived in. The room was circular with a diameter of about three-hundred-feet. The glass dome ceiling was approximately a hundred and fifty feet high at its lowest point, and close to two hundred at its highest. Sulika could barely make out the twenty darkened braziers mounted halfway up the walls. She heard the next person exit the portal and pointed her wand at the first brazier - ¡°Evoon: Flare.¡± She intoned, causing a small ember to appear above the tip of her wand. She said nothing as the next person exited the portal. Instead, she slowly rotated her body while pointing her wand at each brazier in turn. Each brazier caused a new ember to appear around the tip of her wand, and by the time she¡¯d pointed at all twenty, a halo of fire was slowly circling the tip. With all braziers accounted for, Sulika flicked her wand and released her hold on the mana she¡¯d been gathering - Twenty lights flashed through the darkness, leaving trails of fire in their wake, connecting the tip of Sulika¡¯s wand with twenty lit braziers. As pleasant orange light filled the room, Sulika and the others found themselves standing in the middle of a mostly empty room. A few dusty crates scattered here and there, but otherwise, nothing stood out. The room was made entirely of a uniform gray stone. The way the floor connected with the wall gave Sulika the impression the room hadn¡¯t been constructed piece by piece. Rather, it felt as if the entire room was carved from a single, massive stone - like a mountain¡¯s peak or the rim of a volcano? She really hoped it wasn¡¯t the second one. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get the smell of sulfur out of your hair? Before she could get too carried away by the idea, she noticed another detail of the room: deep grooves created intricate patterns along the floor and walls - This set off alarm bells inside Sulika¡¯s head. She¡¯d seen such markings before. Back when she was still a rookie hunter under another captain¡¯s command, they¡¯d been called to close a temple type dungeon that had grooves similar to these. In that dungeon, the grooves had been created by the mining teams harvesting all the silver veins built into the floors and walls. However, no mining teams had come to this dungeon yet. So, assuming the grooves were caused by a similar action¡­ Then they weren¡¯t alone, and she wasn¡¯t just talking about the monsters. ¡°Eyes up, everyone.¡± Sulika whispered as she started walking towards the only door she could see. ¡°This looks like a temple type.¡± Ralocan muttered, a chill running down his spine. He hated temple type dungeons. Temple types usually meant one of three things: undead such as ghosts, zombies, skeletons, possibly even a vampire or two. Giant spiders or some other horrifying insect type monsters. Or construct types - Golems, automatons, puppets, moving statues, etc. Ralocan was fine with the undead. Most couldn¡¯t survive the slightest exposure to Cyndarr¡¯s divine flames, so they were a non-issue. But insect types were¡­ Disturbing, to say the least. And construct types were a pain in the rear to deal with. They felt no pain, knew no fear, and couldn¡¯t understand mercy. They were unfeeling killing machines that cared not for destroyed limbs and broken bodies - Instead, you had to specifically find their ¡®heart¡¯ and destroy the formation surrounding it. Otherwise, they¡¯d never stop coming after you. ¡°That¡¯s my guess.¡± Sulika replied and motioned for Derrik to take the lead - as was his role as the vanguard. ¡°Aye. Moving up.¡± He jogged around her right side and took position at the front of the line with Rosa in hand. They approached the door slowly, taking extra care to check for tripwires or any enchantments that could alert the locals to their presence. Derrik placed his hand on the metallic pull ring and waited for Sulika¡¯s signal. Sulika pulled the detection crystal from the pocket of her jacket and stepped up to the door. She carefully stuck the needle in any gap she could find, waiting for any sign of magic¡­ But after a minute of this, the crystal hadn¡¯t so much as twinkled. Did they really not put a detection spell on the door? Sulika returned the crystal to its pocket and stepped back, giving Derrik some room to get the door open. ¡°Anything?¡± Zarud asked. Sulika shook her head and grabbed her wand. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re in the clear.¡± Ralocan, Derrik, and Zarud all nodded in understanding. ¡°Enmet: Dome of Silence¡± Sulika intoned before drawing a circle in the air with her wand - A semi-transparent dome of mana snapped into place around the door. It lingered for a half-second before fully fading from view, disappearing as if it¡¯d never existed in the first place. ¡°Alright.¡± Sulika said and nodded at Derrik, who nodded his agreement. Since he was inside a [Dome of Silence] that completely eliminated sound waves. Derrik couldn¡¯t reply verbally, so nodding was the best he could do. The stocky dwarf took hold of the handle with both hands and threw his weight into opening the door. One tug - The heavy door refused to budge. Two tugs - The door shook but did not open. Three tugs - The seal is broken; the door begins to slide across the stone floor. A few seconds later, the door was open, and they were outside¡­ The sky was the usual disgusting mix of black and sickly purple present in all dungeons, and the all-encompassing smell of rot that accompanied it. The ground beneath their feet was covered in a thick layer of ash and snow, but Sulika could feel the rocks beneath her feet. That, combined with the unobstructed view of the sky, confirmed her theory that they were on top of a mountain, rather than inside a volcano. In front of them loomed a massive, Golden Temple that had been built precariously on the edge of a cliff that extended a few hundred feet away from the mountain. The temple¡¯s entrance was a wide rectangle with thick, golden pillars supporting the triangular roof. A gigantic dome loomed above the entrance, seemingly covering the rest of the temple. It wasn¡¯t the most elaborate design she had ever seen, but the amount of gold on display made her palms inch. Just one pillar from the front of the temple could probably allow her entire team to retire and live like kings for the rest of their lives. As for the rest of the temple... Well, it was likely worth more than the entire Island of Azuris. Had they not been on a time limit with the risk of a dungeon break looming over their heads, Sulika would¡¯ve gladly started shoving her pockets full of gold. Sulika swallowed her desires and strode out of the door. ¡°Minds on the mission, boys. I know it¡¯s tempting¡­ gods is it tempting - but we can¡¯t afford any distractions until we¡¯re sure the dungeon won¡¯t break. If it does, then it won¡¯t matter how much gold we have. The dead can¡¯t enjoy unimaginable wealth.¡± Sulika told them. She watched as her voice registered in her teams¡¯ minds one by one, each one snapping out of a greed induced stupor. They¡¯d all been just as fascinated as she was. All that wealth just¡­ lying there... Ready for the taking. She shook her head again and resumed walking towards the marble steps. ¡°Zarud, do you think you could -¡± Ralocan spoke from a few paces behind Sulika. ¡°Not a chance in hell. You¡¯d need a crane to move one of those pillars.¡± Zarud grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m not saying we take the whole thing. Maybe just the broken one, over there.¡± Sulika didn¡¯t need to see him to know which pillar he was referring to; at the far end of the entrance was a broken pillar. Half of it was still attached to the roof, but the other half had been broken - shattered beyond any hope of repair. It left huge chunks of gold scattered across the ground in front of the temple. ¡°Well... I could probably bring back some of those chunks - Provided our captain gave the okay.¡± ¡°So long as we deal with the dungeon first, I don¡¯t care what you grab on the way out... Because I¡¯m definitely grabbing some of that gold to take home.¡± Sulika replied, her voice implied she was joking, but the look in her eyes told them she was very serious. They reached the staircase and quickly ascended them - once again, taking extra care to watch for any traps or monsters that could¡¯ve been hidden nearby. They hadn¡¯t seen any yet, but that wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing. In Sulika¡¯s experience, they were almost always traps or monsters hidden near the portal. It was the dungeon¡¯s first line of defense against the hunters who sought to close them. Since there was almost zero chance of that defensive line not existing. It meant the traps were either hidden by magic or buried beneath the floor, waiting to be triggered by a pressure plate or some other sensor. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Now that she was considering the possibilities, there was one other option. The worst outcome of all - they¡¯d appeared in a place that didn¡¯t need traps to protect the heart of the dungeon. Though she hated to think about it. The farther they walked, the more likely the last option seemed to become. However, what Sulika didn¡¯t realize was there had been traps, and there were ¡®guardians¡¯ waiting to protect the temple at any cost. But the traps had been disabled by scavengers before they started looting the temple. As for the scavengers themselves¡­ A gust of wind hit Sulika¡¯s face, forcing her to raise a hand to keep the snow out of her eyes. As the gusts passed them by, it took with it wide swaths of snow from the ground in front of the temple. Had Sulika, or any of her team, looked back at the path they¡¯d taken from the portal room to the temple entrance. They would have seen what secrets lay buried in that darkened snow. However, they were too focused on the possibility of traps ahead of them, to care what lay behind them. And by the time they reached the top of the stairs, the falling snow had taken back its secrets - forevermore hiding them within the shadows of the dungeon. Eventually, these secrets would be forgotten - washed away by the sands of time until not even their families could retain their memory. Men, women, people one and all. Didn¡¯t matter if you were rich or poor, young or old, famous or infamous. They would eventually be forgotten - such was the fate of all who fell within a dungeon. Sulika led her team through the front door of the temple and down a long, straight corridor. While watching for traps, demons, and anything else that might try to take a bite out of them. The group was in awe at two things; the intricate details engraved on the walls and ceiling, and the gigantic cracks and holes throughout the corridor. ¡°This place looks like a cannonball bounced around in here.¡± Sulika thought while peering into a hole in the wall that was about the size of her torso. A part of her wondered what was on the other side of that hole. But she¡¯d been in enough dungeons to know you did not stick any part of your body inside a hole you couldn¡¯t see the end of. ¡°The writing looks like Kharrak, but the words are all wrong.¡± Derrik muttered. ¡°You¡¯d be the expert on that, master short one.¡± Ralocan replied. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll still be able to make short jokes if I break both your kneecaps?¡± ¡°Probably. Since even if I were bound to a wheelchair, I¡¯d still be taller than you.¡± ¡°Hmph. Taller, and three times as ugly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what your mother said last night.¡± ¡°Means nothing. My mother thinks orcs are good looking, too. Ask Zarud.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t involve me in this mess¡­ I will admit though, your mother has good taste. Probably explains why I see her at the brothel so often.¡± ¡°Nah. That¡¯s not why. She just has to pick up my sister from work.¡± Zarud snorted and quickly covered his mouth to avoid making too much noise. Derrik grinned up at him, clearly enjoying himself despite the circumstances. ¡°Could you knock off the jokes until we¡¯re no longer at risk of, you know¡­ Dying?¡± Sulika said. While she was glad the three of them got along, they didn¡¯t have the luxury of relaxing just yet. ¡°Sorry ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Aye, my apologies.¡± ¡°My bad.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She sighed. ¡°I understand the need to blow off some steam, but now¡¯s really not the ¨C Watch out!¡± Sulika shouted and threw herself to the side, allowing the first blast to race past her and blow another hole in the wall. ¡°See what I mean!?¡± Sulika shouted. ¡°O¡¯ Noble Cyndarr, keeper of the flame most radiant, hear my despaired plea. Grant me an impenetrable shield with which to protect mine allies. As your devoted servant, I beseech you: Elemental Shie-¡± Before he could finish the spell, Zarud was forced to leap towards him. He dragged Derrik and Ralocan with him as he moved out of the way of a second, more powerful beam of purple energy that pierced the mana Ralocan had gathered and punched a hole through the wall behind them. Sulika watched in horror as the gathered mana pulsed once¡­ twice¡­ three times - Each pulse causing it to grow more unstable. Normally, divine magic was the most stable source of mana you could find. However, that was a double-edged sword. Because they¡¯re so stable, each spell is able to contain far more mana than any other. The more mana a spell contains, the more violent the outburst becomes when it finally gives in. The corridor shook violently as a fourth pulse broke the wall apart. Huge pieces of gold and marble landed on the floor just inches away from their feet, and it didn¡¯t take a dwarf to know the ceiling was about to collapse. Acting quickly ¨C Zarud dashed forward and grabbed Sulika by her belt. Spinning quickly to build momentum, he tossed her the final fifteen feet to the archway at the end of the corridor. Sulika didn¡¯t fight the throw. Instead, she went along with it and used the momentum she¡¯d gained to come out of the throw swinging. She rolled out of the throw, returning to her feet in an instant. ¡°Abaas: Shield!¡± She shouted and lifted her wand in time to block a third blast. The mana splashed against her shield before branching out to hit the wall around the archway. ¡°Hurry!¡± She shouted as a fourth blast hit her shield and forced her to take a step back. While Sulika was shielding them from bombardment; Zarud seized the opportunity to lift Derrik by his pants and haul ass to the exit with Ralocan hot on his heels. They could hear the out-of-control magic hissing and popping, which spurred them to run faster than they ever believed possible. As Zarud reached the end of the corridor, Sulika shoved her shield forward to clear the archway of hostile mana. Zarud leapt over Sulika whilst holding onto Derrik, the two of them crashed onto the floor hard enough to knock the wind from their lungs and force them to drop their weapons or risk accidentally stabbing someone they shouldn¡¯t. O¡¯ Noble Cyndarr, keeper of the flame most radiant, hear my despaired plea.¡± Ralocan said as he shoved Sulika through the archway. ¡°Grant me an impenetrable shield with which to protect mine allies.¡± He turned his back to their attacker and held his hands out towards the unstable mana. ¡°As your devoted servant, I beseech you: Elemental Shield!¡± He formed a triangle formation with his fingers and - BOOM! The mana detonated, resulting in a deafening explosion and created a sixty-foot-wide fireball that ripped apart half the corridor down to its foundations and blasted the rest out onto the mountain. The hunters quickly climbed to their feet and looked around for the source of the magic that¡¯d attacked them. The inside of the temple was a wreck. Half the walls had collapsed, over sixty percent of the roof was just¡­ gone, somehow. And all that remained behind the temple¡¯s walls was a single circular room with two people standing back-to-back in the center. The first was a tall figure in dark robes. A pitch-black veil covered their head, fully concealing their identity from any who got too close. The other figure was something altogether different. The creature was something out of Sulika¡¯s worst nightmare; Eight-feet tall with a pair of silver-plated horns curling back over its bald head. It was covered in small scales whose color reminded Sulika of freshly spilled blood. A suit of silver armor covered its thickly muscled body, leaving only its head, large bat wings, and spiked tail uncovered. Six beady black eyes with pupils that seemed to contain the flames of the underworld within them, stared directly at Sulika and her team. But what she saw in those eyes wasn¡¯t malice ¨C it couldn¡¯t even be called interest. The creature was looking at them the same way she¡¯d looked at an ant that had wandered into her home. And she had the distinct feeling it could squash her with just as much effort. However, there was something else in those black eyes. Something that stole away any fear Sulika might¡¯ve felt at the creature¡¯s presence. It was fear. The creature was being devoured by it. ¡°Did you see which way he went?¡± The creature asked the hooded figure, its voice irritating Sulika¡¯s ears. While the voice itself sounded fine, if higher than she would¡¯ve imagined. It carried a strange undertone that bore directly into her brain. ¡°N-No, lord Bozzen -¡± ¡°Do Not Speak My Name!¡± The Demon roared. Its anger caused blue flames to erupt from its scalp, igniting the space behind its horns with a fire hot enough to be felt by Sulika and co from over thirty feet away. Sulika didn¡¯t want to imagine how the cultist must have felt being next to such anger. The hooded figure shrank away from the creature ¡°Forgive me. Please, my lord. I-I didn¡¯t mean to insult you.¡± It took a few seconds, but Bozzen did calm down. As he calmed, the flame atop his head receded like a hairline, eventually disappearing beneath the demon¡¯s scalp. ¡°Never mind that. Just keep your eyes peeled, he could be anywhere.¡± The creature said, his voice agitated to the point of mania. It clearly didn¡¯t want to be here ¨C then again, neither did Sulika, especially not after seeing how scared that thing was. ¡°We need to leave, now.¡± Sulika whispered. She didn¡¯t know why they¡¯d stopped attacking them, but they needed to take whatever opportunity they could to regroup. Attracted by her voice, the creature¡¯s eyes locked onto her - Then slowly slid to a spot above Sulika¡¯s head ¨C There was a clear change in its expression, going from a mild annoyance to curiosity, then confusion, then¡­ Fear? ¡°What did you say the name of this world was?¡± The demon asked quickly, rounding on the hooded figure and grabbing their robe in one large, scaly hand. Bozzen lifted the cultist as easily as Sulika would a slice of bread, and held him at eye level, leaving his feet to dangle some three feet off the floor. ¡°I don¡¯t know, my Lord!¡± The hooded figure shrieked. ¡°Mag - Mog - Mak- I don¡¯t know! I can¡¯t remember!¡± He choked out. ¡°Think, mortal. Think! Use that pea brain of yours and give me a name.¡± Bozzen snapped. ¡°Mag, ma¡­ Mag ¨¢rsa! It¡¯s Mag ¨¢rsa!¡± Bozzen¡¯s eyes went wide¡­ The fear slowly drained from his face, replaced with a tired acceptance that Sulika did not like. He stumbled backward as if he¡¯d been struck and released the hooded figure without a care. The figure collapsed to his knees and started coughing, his body straining to suck down as much oxygen as possible. Sulika noticed the sudden change in the demon¡¯s demeanor but couldn¡¯t understand it. What was so important about the name of this dungeon? ¡°You idiots doomed us all.¡± Bozzen said, his voice tired. ¡°Everything we¡¯ve done, all the work we did to seal this place away¡­ And you IDIOTS -¡± He screamed before whipping around and grabbing the figure by the collar of his robe. ¡°Have ruined it!¡± ¡°I- I was just following the young master¡¯s orders¡­¡± The figure gasped. ¡°And look where that got us.¡± Bozzen growled, his eyes glowing with barely suppressed malice. The figure screamed in terror and flailed against Bozzen¡¯s arm. Sulika and her team readied their weapons for battle. She doubted they would win in a fight against Bozzen, but they couldn¡¯t let the figure be killed without finding out what the hell was happening!? A pair of bloodshot, crimson eyes flicked towards Sulika at that moment - ¡°Send me back! Please!¡± Bozzen pleaded, his voice leaning more towards a cry for help than a command - A tidal wave of bloodlust washed over everyone in the room, driving them to their knees and allowing the now frantic cultist to escape its grasp and flee. Sulika and her team, despite not being the target of the bloodlust, weren¡¯t unaffected by it either. All four of them felt the air knocked from their lungs, and their vision darkened at the edges. Sulika blinked through the blurry vision and focused her eyes on Bozzen¡­ Or rather, on the Giant standing behind him; Crimson hair that flowed over his shoulders like liquid magma, a heavily muscled frame poorly hidden by a ragged robe, and those eyes¡­ Incandescent golden eyes that seemed to be simultaneously looking at everything and also nothing. An impossible weight was crushing the life from Sulika¡¯s lungs, keeping her on the edge between consciousness and blissful unconsciousness. She couldn¡¯t see, couldn¡¯t hear, and could barely breathe. She thought this pressure would never end - and then it was just¡­ Gone. The bloodlust evaporated into nothing, taking with it the pressure on her chest and the fog covering her eyes. Sulika didn¡¯t know when, but she¡¯d collapsed onto her stomach with her face hidden beneath her hair. Her arms were shaking, her legs were weak, and her stomach was in knots. But even so, she pushed herself off the floor until she was able to sit on her legs. ¡°I apologize for losing myself. It was unbecoming for our first meeting.¡± A pleasantly deep voice reached Sulika¡¯s ears, prompting her to drag her eyes away from the floor to land on a pair of golden eyes with slitted pupils. The Giant was kneeling in front of her with his left hand extended towards her - Sulika flinched away from the hand in surprise and jumped back. Zarud, Ralocan, and Derrik rushed to her side and placed themselves between her and the terrifying giant. The giant didn¡¯t shy away from their drawn weapons. Hell, it barely looked like he realized they had drawn weapons. ¡°Greetings.¡± The giant smiled and said,¡°I am Aldritch of clan Blackshield. A pleasure to meet you all.¡± Chapter 2 - Servant of the Dragon God (pt 4) Bozzen - Kraan Druu¡¯roth (High-Devil), Thrallok Ran (Demon Lord), Ruler of the Vakrazh (Misty Castle) stumbled out of a portal into his chambers. He collapsed to his knees and attempted to steady his emotions through sheer force of will, while the memory of what just happened played in his mind. He¡¯d seen the giant too late to stop it. The bloodlust buried him like an avalanche; crushing his lungs, arresting his body, blanketing his mind with an emotion he wasn¡¯t used to - Fear. ¡°Khoraz, Druu¡¯roth. Var nakhor zhan? (Greetings, Devil. What brings you here?)¡± The giant asked in Bozzen¡¯s own tongue - his easygoing smile set Bozzen¡¯s nerves aflame. He¡¯d recognized that smile anywhere. Vakiin Thrazz (The one above god.) Pain flared in Bozzen¡¯s head, and he slowly moved his hand towards the source of the pain - black blood poured from the open wound on his forehead. The dark liquid slowly flowed between his fingers, down his face, over his nose, and past his lips to drip onto a lush, crimson carpet. Dagger-like fangs pierced his bottom lip in frustration as wicked looking nails sank into the carpet fibers. He buried his bloody face in the carpet and screamed. All of his pain, hatred, fear burst forth from the depths of his black soul. All he could remember was the sensation of his thrall activating the spell that would send him home, then darkness and pain as the spell took hold¡­ He hadn¡¯t seen the giant move. That realization caused another to surface; Bozzen could have died right then and there. And the worst part? He wouldn¡¯t have even realized it was happening had the giant not questioned him first, giving his thrall time to act. Had events gone slightly differently the Demon Lord Bozzen would no longer exist. His shrieking alerted the servants stationed outside his door that something was wrong with their master - but none dared open the door. Their master was calm, cruel, vicious to any who irritated him. The last demon to enter his chambers without invitation had his frozen head used as the centerpiece at a banquet and his body turned into an entree. The demons had never known their master to display his emotions so openly. He could be cruel, yes. Sadistic, certainly. But their master usually had the emotional depth of a teaspoon and thus was predictable. Who knew what would happen if they disturbed him now. Sure, they might die once the Master regained his senses and realized they¡¯d left him alone. But a calm Bozzen was an efficient killer, whatever death they¡¯d face would be quick - possibly even painless. They weren¡¯t worth the time it¡¯d take to torture them, after all. The shrieking continued for another twenty minutes before the room fell silent. Truthfully, the demons hoped the silence meant their Master was dead, or at the very least had gone back to normal. So, when an emotionless Bozzen opened the door and stepped out of his chambers., the servants were nearly as relieved as they were disappointed. Bozzen ignored the looks on the servant¡¯s faces and fully entered the hallway. Dressed in a well-tailored suit consisting of a black jacket over a black shirt, white pants and white leather shoes - Bozzen looked the part of the Baron he was¡­ Well, except for the cauterized lump of skin where his horn used to be. ¡°Clean up that mess before I return.¡± He told the two Velzara maids waiting by the door. His arm became a blur as he began to move and black blood splattered across a maid¡¯s face. The red-skinned woman didn¡¯t react to the blood splatter and merely nodded her understanding. Of the two Grothak guards stationed outside Bozzen¡¯s chambers, Kurzol the elder was one of them. Grothak were massive humanoids with ash-gray skin that resembled tiny stones - and Kurzol was no exception. The oldest Grothak in the castle stood a hair over ten feet tall and likely weighed a thousand pounds. A single thick horn protruded from the center of his forehead to scratch the high ceiling of the hallway. Emotionless white eyes watched as the other Grothak¡¯s head tumbled to the ground, stopping just shy of his right foot. Kurzol dipped his head towards Bozzen. ¡°Kurzol thanks the exalted one for his mercy.¡± he said, ignoring the *crash!* of his kin¡¯s dense body falling to the ground. Bozzen had already walked off by the time Kurzol spoke, so his voice reached only the maid¡¯s ears. Berenxia, the maid in question, was only a few decades younger than Kurzol. However, Velzara maintained a youthful appearance until the moment of their death. Possessing smooth scarlet skin, a clear complexion, a mane of shiny black hair, and violently seductive curves. Berenxia was every hot-blooded male''s deepest, darkest desire. She had to be. The mana coursing through her blood made it so. Berenxia placed a comforting hand on Kurzol¡¯s shoulder before following the other maid into the room. They weren¡¯t friends, but they¡¯d known each other a long time. She knew he felt responsible for the lives of the younger Grothak. Kurzol was the first Grothak to join Bozzen¡¯s legion. The rest merely followed his example - they looked up to him; the honorable ¡®war hero¡¯... Bozzen was aware of this too. By the time Kurzol lifted his kin¡¯s body into his arms to carry him away, Bozzen was long gone. The Demon Lord threw open the doors to his personal study and barged inside with purposeful strides. He normally found the room quite peaceful, a place to get away from the hungry eyes of his subjects and indulge in his own pastimes. But not now. Bozzen¡¯s face tightened at the sight of the younger Devil sitting on the leather couch in the center of the room - A glass of Dakesh (Blood wine) in one hand and a fist-sized chunk of gold in the other. Ripping his eyes away from the target of his ire, Bozzen glanced at the four demons around the room. ¡°Get out.¡± He said, not giving them an inch of leeway. The two Vornazir (Blood drinkers) shifted uncomfortably but did as he asked. The Zarak-Vaarg¡¯s (Shadow-Wolf¡¯s) lupine face transformed from annoyance to fear, before he followed suit and vanished from the room. The Nazk Druu¡¯roth (lesser devil) narrowed her eyes at the injury above Bozzen¡¯s head, bowed at the waist, then departed the room without a word - making sure to shut and lock the doors before leaving to find something to eat. The four demons were his aides, and they¡¯d been awaiting his return all night. Normally they¡¯d give him their reports of the ongoing management of his territories, but it could wait until their master calmed down again. ¡°I need to speak with your father.¡± Bozzen told the younger devil. ¡°I was right, wasn¡¯t I?¡± The Druu¡¯roth showed Bozzen a cocky grin and tossed the lump of gold onto the floor between them. ¡°With the resources mined from that planet we could arm a hundred armies for a fraction of the cost-¡± ¡°No, we can¡¯t.¡± Bozzen shook his head, drawing attention to his missing horn. The young Druu¡¯roth¡¯s smile fell, and he motioned to the missing horn with his glass. ¡°What happened to you?¡± The corner of Bozzen¡¯s lip twitched upward in a movement so fast, the other man wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d imagined it. Bozzen moved behind his large desk and sat down on his tall leather chair. ¡°You lied to me, Ursahr.¡± ¡°What¡¯re you talking about?¡± Ursahr scoffed. ¡°Who¡¯s lied? I never lied.¡± He said, motioning to himself with the glass. Bozzen¡¯s lip twitched again. ¡°When you brought me the coordinates for that world. You told me one of your father¡¯s thralls had discovered it in the archives. You told me it¡¯d been abandoned by the old Rhann Zharokar (King of the Devils) for unknown reasons, and your father was looking to open it again. Those were your words - correct?¡± Ursahr said nothing for a moment, instead bringing the glass to his lips and draining the rest of the wine in one go. ¡°It was abandoned, and it was found in the old king¡¯s archives. What of it-¡± Ursahr flinched as Bozzen¡¯s fist smashed his desk to splinters. ¡°For good reason!¡± Bozzen shouted. ¡°Were you too busy screwing those damnable maids to pay attention to your tutors?¡± Ursahr¡¯s body tensed, and he glared at Bozzen. ¡°Watch your tongue, Baron. I¡¯ll only tolerate your tone for so long-¡± *Smack!* Ursahr¡¯s face whipped to the side as Bozzen¡¯s open palm slammed into it. ¡°Are you insane!?¡± He shouted, standing up and shoving Bozzen away. He could taste a sweet tang in his mouth. No doubt one of his fangs had pierced the inside of his lip - That bastard! ¡°Mag ¨¢rsa was never meant to be unsealed.¡± Bozzen said, venom and anger dripping from his words. ¡°It¡¯s partially my fault; I should¡¯ve done more to look into the planet before letting you proceed using *my* thralls.¡± ¡°What¡¯re you talking about!? The place was abandoned for six *hundred* years. Whatever outbreak the old king was worried about is long gone, just like everything else. Why should a planet full of resources - That we urgently need, by the way - just sit there and go to waste? I don¡¯t understand; what¡¯s so special about that dead rock?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the rock that¡¯s special, you fool. It¡¯s what was *trapped* on that rock.¡± Bozzen¡¯s eyes suddenly grew wide, and he lashed out, grabbing Ursahr by the collar of his fitted shirt. ¡°Were there any portals established? You were using the one-time doorways to get the thralls in and out, and you never set up a proper portal - correct?¡± ¡°Wha-¡± ¡°Answer me.¡± Bozzen hissed. ¡°Not as far as I know!¡± Ursahr shouted before grabbing Bozzen¡¯s hand and twisting it away from his body. ¡°I¡¯d planned to open one, but there were some setbacks. The thralls were missing a few key pieces to complete the ritual, so the portal was delayed. Last I heard they were still a week away from opening it.¡± ¡°Good¡­ That¡¯s good. As a favor to your mother, my *sister*, I''ll give you exactly one chance to fix this. Contact the thralls and tell them to return.¡± ¡°Not until you tell me what¡¯s got you so spooked.¡± Ursahr said, folding his arms across his chest. ¡°If I pull back the thralls now, it¡¯s my name that¡¯ll get dragged through the mud. And I needed those resources to even the playing field, my older siblings are already centuries ahead of me in the race for the throne. I need every advantage I can get.¡± Bozzen laughed. ¡°Then you better be grateful for the opportunity I¡¯m giving you. Because if it¡¯d been anyone else in my position, including your father, you¡¯d be executed long before you could look upon that throne. Because the treasure you so sought was buried alongside the old king¡¯s rotten corpse and the monster who killed him.¡± That got Ursahr¡¯s attention and his red skin paled. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°So, you will contact the thralls, cancel any plans you¡¯ve made for that world and the things it contains, and forget it ever existed. Is that understood?¡± Ursahr nodded as he was unable to find his voice. He¡¯d never seen the elder druu¡¯roth so worked up before¡­ What had the thralls uncovered on that forgotten old rock?
Aldritch watched the temple fall into the abyss with remorse in his heart. It always bothered him when the temples of Oakairo were destroyed or abandoned to nature. For so many years, those temples had housed the homeless, the downtrodden, the sick, and asked for nothing in return but all the gold the worshippers could carry. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Oakairo loved gold. You could even say he was obsessed with it. Which was why most races looked upon Oakairo with disdain or distrust. But not the dwarves. No, for the dwarves who worshipped gold above all else, Oakairo was the perfect deity to worship. So, they built all of his temples and halls out of gold and only used lesser metals like silver or platinum when there was a shortage. Aldritch was vaguely aware of the idea there were other, more precious materials than gold. But really, wasn¡¯t that a matter of opinion? Gold was a soft metal, so you couldn¡¯t forge weapons out of it. It also didn¡¯t transmit mana well, so you couldn¡¯t use it in rituals or as a base for enchanting. But it was gold. Gold didn¡¯t need another use to make it valuable to the dwarves. Its very existence sang to their souls in a way nothing else ever could. That alone made it stand above everything else to a race known for their stubborn and industrious nature. But truthfully, they were all a bunch of romantics at heart and Aldritch was no exception. Seeing all that gold plummet out of sight caused a visceral reaction within him. It was like watching your grandmother being eaten alive or a precious pet being kicked. Just the thought of it was enough to get the heart racing, but the real thing caused a physical pain within the depths of his chest. ¡°We need to go before the portal closes.¡± Sulika said from a few feet to Aldritch¡¯s left. The giant nodded his understanding and turned away from the cliff. ¡°I just need to grab a few things first.¡± He said and began walking. ¡°Oh, of course.¡± She replied, motioning for her team to follow him. They set off at a fast walk, moving towards the remains of the temple¡¯s front steps. ¡°Is your stuff nearby?¡± She asked, jogging to keep pace with his much longer strides. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long the portal will be -¡± Sulika¡¯s thoughts ground to a screeching halt as she laid eyes on a small mountain of corpses lying amidst the ash and snow. Many were broken, bloody, vague remnant of the people they used to be. A few, however, remained untouched - As if they¡¯d simply fallen asleep. ¡°Oh, my gods¡­¡± Sulika whispered, horrified by what she was seeing - her sensitive ears latched onto something. She doubted she¡¯d have noticed it at any other time. But inside the all-encompassing silence surrounding them, it was almost impossible to miss the quiet cough. Ash and snow fell from the elf¡¯s body with each subsequent cough, revealing the true extent of his injuries to the party. She and her team sprinted around Aldritch and arrived at the elf in a few seconds. Sulika and Ralocan made short work of checking his vitals while Derrik and Zarud inspected the rest of the pile with practiced efficiency. ¡°Hey, boss?¡± Zarud muttered while dragging a woman¡¯s body off the pile. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t these people look a little strange to you?¡± He asked and pointed to the scarlet tint of the woman¡¯s skin. ¡°Think about that later. Right now, the only thing you should be thinking about is saving as many people as¡­ you¡­ can¡­¡± Sulika trailed off as she looked up and saw Aldritch. The giant was standing over Ralocan and watching him work on the dying elf. However, emotion in his reptilian eyes wasn¡¯t one of concern, but of confusion. ¡°We¡¯re obligated to save everyone we can inside a dungeon. And besides, it¡¯d leave a bad taste in my mouth if we just left him here.¡± She explained, thinking he was confused about their actions. ¡°I understand.¡± Aldritch replied, a slight smile on his face. But the confusion returned to his expression as he turned his gaze back to Ralocan. ¡°Have you never seen someone use mana before?¡± Ralocan asked, growing irritated with the giant¡¯s staring. ¡°None like yourself,¡± he said and took a step back to give the Cleric some space. Unbeknownst to them, Aldritch wasn¡¯t actually staring at Ralocan. Rather, he was observing the divine mana flowing through his body¡­ Or lack thereof. Though he no longer remembered when it happened. At some point in his long life, Aldritch¡¯s eyes went through a form of mild evolution - this new form of vision was dubbed [Truesight] by Oakairo. [Truesight] allowed Aldritch to see the flow of mana, no matter what state it was in. Because of this, he could guess which type of mana a person specialized in just by observing the way it flowed through them¡­ Yet Ralocan¡¯s mana didn¡¯t move as it should. Rather, it seemed to be stagnating inside his chest. Ralocan placed both hands on the elf¡¯s chest and closed his eyes. ¡°O¡¯ Noble Cyndarr, keeper of the flame most radiant, hear my despaired plea.¡± He prayed while pushing down on the man¡¯s chest. A golden aura flowed freely from the amulet hanging from his neck, swirling around his body and down the path of his arms to the elf¡¯s chest. Instead of the usual fiery manifestation of Ralocan¡¯s divine mana, this time it was subdued - Like being enveloped by the warmth of your home¡¯s hearth, instead of being tossed into the depths of a raging bonfire. ¡°Let your love flow through this fragile vessel, mending flesh and soothing spirit with your boundless all-seeing light.¡± He said and moved one hand from the elf¡¯s chest to the top of his forehead - causing the golden aura to spread across the distance of his hands and envelope the man¡¯s torso and head. ¡°As your devoted servant, I beseech you: Healing Word.¡± Aldritch watched the golden aura force its way beneath the elf¡¯s skin and start working on healing the elf¡¯s injuries¡­ And still, Ralocan¡¯s mana didn¡¯t budge an inch. ¡°How curious.¡± Aldritch glanced around at the others. Their mana was flowing, albeit slowly, throughout their bodies as it should. So, why was Ralocan different? Because he was a cleric? Or did something else set him apart from the others - something Aldritch didn¡¯t yet know? Aside from the oddity with his mana, Aldritch couldn¡¯t find fault with the spell he was using. It was functioning almost perfectly - Sure, there was some mana being wasted, but it wasn¡¯t bad by any means. For a young cleric, Ralocan showed a lot of promise. ¡°Out of thirty-seven bodies we only found six survivors. This was more than an attack; it was a massacre.¡± Zarud reported to Sulika in a sullen tone. ¡°Aye. And I don¡¯t know about you, boss. But I cannot think of a monster who would leave the bodies on display like this¡­ They¡¯d normally just eat them.¡± Derrik explained with disgust. ¡°This was no monster attack.¡± Aldritch said without looking away from the unconscious elf. ¡°And I don¡¯t enjoy eating flesh - Well, not anymore. I dislike the way it sticks to my teeth.¡± Everyone went still at Aldritch¡¯s offhanded confession. Shock, horror, anger, these emotions and more flitted across their faces before landing on a single emotion. Confusion. ¡°You did all of this?¡± Sulika asked with more than a little skepticism in her voice. ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She practically yelled in confusion. ¡°They attacked me, I put them down.¡± Aldritch explained, his voice uninterested. Sulika looked around at the bodies, it was tough, the urge to look away from the mangled states of the bodies was¡­ Something else. But she forced herself to look, to really look at them. And in doing so, she noticed a pattern emerge. The bodies wearing armor were far more mangled than the ones in normal clothes. And though no one had a weapon on their person, Sulika noticed many empty scabbards amidst the bodies - everyone with a scabbard suffered broken limbs or were covered in large, but sealed, gashes and cuts. ¡°And what of the sleeping ones?¡± Ralocan asked, motioning to the seemingly unharmed group of people off to the side. ¡°They surrendered.¡± Aldritch said in a tone that implied it should¡¯ve been obvious - the giant suddenly looked around at the bodies and made a decision. He moved over to the sleeping ones and reached for the neck of a female human - ¡°Hey, what¡¯re you¡­¡± Ralocan¡¯s voice died as he saw Aldritch pinch the woman¡¯s shirt between his fingers and easily pull her off the ground. He placed the woman on his right shoulder before bending down and grabbing the arm of a burly dwarf - who was also easily lifted and placed onto his other shoulder. ¡°I understand that you wish to save these people, yes?¡± Aldritch asked while grabbing the arm of a skinny human male. ¡°Of course we do.¡± Sulika replied, confused as to his intentions. ¡°Then perhaps it would be better to save the ones who can be saved first, and come back for the others if time permits?¡± He lifted the skinny human into the air and placed him atop the dwarf¡¯s back. Sulika, Derrik, Ralocan, and Zarud look from Aldritch to the people lying on the ground¡­ ¡°He has a point.¡± Sulika muttered. ¡°The sooner we get them out of here, the faster we can get them the treatments they need to survive.¡± ¡°I second that.¡± Ralocan said, nodding his agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll stabilize them one by one while the rest of you transport them to the warehouse.¡± ¡°No need for that.¡± Aldritch said before pointing his left palm at the pile of bodies - seemingly unbothered by the weight of six people laying across his shoulders - A violent golden mana swirled from Aldritch¡¯s open palm towards the bodies. ¡°Sphere of Recovery.¡± He intoned, forcing his mana into action. A sphere of liquid gold appeared in the air in front of Aldritch¡¯s palm for a split second before falling to the ground. The liquid splashed against the ash and snow, forming a large puddle at Aldritch¡¯s feet. Sulika was confused at first¡­ And her confusion only deepened as she witnessed the puddle shift on its own. As Aldritch started walking away, the puddle shifted again and began inching its way towards the pile of bodies. ¡°That¡¯ll keep them alive while we transport them.¡± He said without looking back. Ralocan, Zarud, and Derrik jumped back from the puddle of gold as it passed between them and began to change shape. The golden liquid wrapped around the bodies at the bottom of the pile, lifting them a few inches off the ground. Once they were in the air, the liquid hardened on the bottom and raised into the air near the edges. The four hunters watched as a semi-transparent dome formed around the pile - Then their hearts lept into their throats as the sphere started to roll after Aldritch like a lost duckling. ¡°... Did you three see what I just saw?¡± Sulika asked, pointing towards the sphere. ¡°Yes.¡± The three men replied in unison. ¡°Good. Just making sure I wasn¡¯t losing my mind or anything.¡± ¡°Actually, mass-hysteria has been documented to happen inside dungeons. We could all be hallucinating and not realize it.¡± Ralocan muttered while staring after the sphere. Derrik slapped Ralocan on the back and smiled up at the elf. ¡°You just had to make this worse, didn¡¯t you?¡± He said half-jokingly. ¡°C¡¯mon, Ral.¡± ¡°Ral?¡± Ralocan repeated. ¡°Who in the nine hells is Ral?¡± Sulika rolled her eyes at the men and started jogging after the giant.
¡°Have you ever willingly traveled by portal before?¡± Sulika asked as they approached the portal. ¡°Can¡¯t say I have.¡± He said while watching first Derrik, then Ralocan, and finally Zarud step past the threshold and disappear into the darkness of the portal. ¡°Then let me briefly explain what¡¯s about to happen, alright? The first thing you¡¯re going to notice when you pass the threshold is a feeling of weightlessness. That¡¯s absolutely normal and will pass in a few seconds. The next thing you need to remember is to never stop moving. The inside of the portal might seem infinite. But trust me, it¡¯s not. Think of the inside like a small tunnel; there¡¯s just enough space inside for two humans to walk abreast without fear of bumping into each other. Also, there could be traffic either in front of you or behind you, so make sure you alway keep your eyes open so you don¡¯t accidentally run into anyone. Got all that?¡± ¡°I understand. Anything else?¡± ¡°Yeah. Keep your eyes focused in front of you. There are things that live in the void outside the portal, and they don¡¯t appreciate being stared at.¡± She said with a slight smile on her face. Aldritch watched her step into the portal with a look of confusion on his face. Had she been serious about things living in the void? Would he be able to see them if he looked hard enough? What would they taste like if he could catch one? These are the questions that plagued Aldritch¡¯s mind. He motioned for the sphere to precede him into the portal while he took one final glance back at his home. Mag ¨¢rsa wasn¡¯t a perfect home. Not even close. Even before the demons invaded, the citizens of Mag ¨¢rsa were constantly at war. Except back then, they were at war with each other. Because of a sudden population boom amongst the humans, they were forced to look elsewhere for their essential supplies, since their own infrastructure couldn¡¯t keep up with the demand. Which inevitably led to them attacking their neighbors to avoid starvation. That war lasted about a hundred years. After about twenty-years of relative peace, the hiatus ended, and another war broke out. This time with the lizardman coalition of the southern territories ¨C which lasted fifty-seven years. Over the course of his life, Aldritch had been involved in about thirty-seven wars, some big, though most were small. And after the devils invaded, Aldritch had lost all hope of ever being able to retire, take a step back, and live like the old codger he was. As he stepped into the portal, the darkness reminded him of the devil he¡¯d seen, and a cruel smile spread across his face. The portals the devils used to invade had stopped appearing after he killed the self-proclaimed devil ¡®king¡¯. Aldritch couldn¡¯t remember the devil¡¯s name, only that the portals stopped appearing after his head was separated from his shoulders. After his death, any devil or demon that was already on this side of the portal was trapped here - Stuck in a hell of their own making with Aldritch hunting them down to the last. The feeling of their black blood staining his hands and flowing through his fingers¡­ Well, it was something he never grew tired of. After killing what he¡¯d thought was the last living devil, he¡¯d lost his purpose. It was nice to have something to look forward to again.
Unknown to Aldritch and Oakairo. The moment they entered the portal between worlds, they inadvertently triggered something that would come to affect not only Aldritch¡¯s life, but also the life of Sulika and those close to her. ***
Alert Code #497-819641
A new God has been detected!
Location Auris city, Azuris Island
Class Demi-God
Course of Action Priority 3 Observation
***
Alert Code #178-1698352
A new mortal has entered the world!
Location Auris City, Azuris Island
Initiating Thaniea.exe for the new mortal . . .
Error!
Target exceeds the theoretical maximum level...
Recalculating . . . New parameters set.
Re-initializing . . .
Attempting to reinstall at target location . . .
Thaniea.exe has failed to install on the target . . .
Assessing . . . ERROR. Unable To Access Target Data.
Reporting error . . .
Closing ticket . . .
Chapter 3 - Welcome to Iolara (Pt 3) Aldritch barely had time to look around the city before he and Sulika arrived at a large building bearing the visage of a dragon¡¯s head on the roof. The giant found himself staring at the wooden rendition with obvious surprise on his face. Sulika noticed he was stood in place and moved to his side to see what was going on - she smiled at the ¡®wonder¡¯ in his eyes. ¡°Ever seen a dragon before?¡± ¡°Not often.¡± ¡°And who¡¯s fault is that? I invited you over for dinner every week, it was your choice not to come.¡± Oakairo huffed. ¡°We were at war. I couldn¡¯t make the trip back and forth without wasting resources the soldiers needed to survive.¡± ¡°There¡¯s that excuse again.¡± The god signed in annoyance. ¡°You and I both know you could¡¯ve made the trip by yourself in a day, so what¡¯s the real reason you refused?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. I didn¡¯t want to waste resources, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Wyvern dung - that¡¯s not the reason and we both know it. Tell me the truth, I¡¯m a god, I can take it.¡± ¡°... I don¡¯t usually like eating charcoal.¡± ¡°... I thought you loved my cooking?¡± ¡°I do; you made it for me, of course I loved it. However, you do tend to overcook things because you refuse to use anything but your breath as a heat source.¡± ¡°Because nothing cooks as thoroughly as a dragon¡¯s breath.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you like it?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s charcoal. Almost everything you¡¯ve ever cooked turned into pieces of literal charcoal. I could¡¯ve used your spinach leaves as tinder for a campfire, that¡¯s how perfectly they were made.¡± ¡°So¡­ I¡¯m confused. Did you like my food or not?¡± ¡°They were perfect, just not for eating. I used to share my leftovers with the other soldiers. They were always amazed at how well your food burned.¡± Aldritch could see Oakairo puffing out his chest and grinning in his mind¡¯s eye. ¡°Of course, I made it after all. It¡¯s only natural that it¡¯d be the best they¡¯d ever seen.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Sulika¡¯s voice brought Aldritch out of his mental conversation. ¡°This statue is a reminder of the great deeds of our guildmaster. He killed this dragon; Cyvus the Slothful not long after Auris city was founded. If he¡¯d failed, we¡¯d have never gotten to where we are now.¡± ¡°That is no Dragon. A wyrm, maybe. But it¡¯s not a dragon.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s what passes for a dragon in this world?¡± ¡°Come on,¡± she said, ushering him forward into the building. ¡°I¡¯d like to rendezvous with my mattress before the sun rises above the city walls. I¡¯ll never get any sleep if I don¡¯t.¡± She made a regretful sound before heading into the building.
Thirty minutes later, Aldritch stood alone in the small quarters the guild provided for him: A tiny restroom he could barely turn around in, a bedroom with a wooden bed that was about a foot too short and creaked if he so much as thought about sitting on it, and dining area fit for a single person. All in all, it was worse than most of the inns he¡¯d stayed in, but a hundred times better than sleeping in that cave. It certainly wasn¡¯t a bad way to spend a few hours. And besides, it wasn¡¯t like he was planning to use the bed anyway. Aldritch didn¡¯t need sleep to survive, not anymore. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because Oakairo was living inside his body or because of his half giant heritage, but Aldritch required less sleep as he got older. By the time he turned a thousand years old, the need for sleep had become a thing of the past¡­ Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t as convenient as it might have sounded. If he didn¡¯t sleep, he needed to fill those extra hours with something, or he¡¯d go mad from boredom. Back home, he¡¯d use that time to wander from place to place in search of other survivors. Sometimes he¡¯d get lucky and find a place to squat in for a few weeks. He¡¯d ransack the place for supplies, non-spoiled food, clean drinking water, entertainment of any kind. He was happy to find anything that could stave off the madness. After a few years of this lifestyle, Oakairo invented a game he called ¡®I spy with my Dragon eye¡¯ to save the both of them from boredom¡­ But that stopped being fun after the first ten years or so ¨C there were only so many times the answer could be ruins, purple sky, or yellow water before the game became too predictable to be fun. Now that he was out of that hellhole. Aldritch was filled with wanderlust. He wanted to leave his room and explore every corner of Auris city with a fine-toothed comb. But he also wanted to tuck his massive body away somewhere and not come out until he knew everything there was to know about this exciting new world. ¡°Why not do both?¡± Oakairo asked. The deity was pleased to see Aldritch filled with vitality again. Of course, it would take more than a tiny room to revive Oakairo¡¯s spirit. No, the dragon wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until he could once again feel the touch of a pile of glittering gold ¨C the softness of it against his scales, the smell of it as it melted from solid bar to a cauldron of liquid delight, the sensual pleasure of rubbing it on his face- ¡°My lord?¡± Oakairo coughed despite not needing to breathe¡­ Or even use his throat to speak. ¡°I was suggesting you could do both. Why not go exploring tonight and try to find a library or a temple?¡± ¡°I could certainly do that¡­ Would you like to pick which direction I start with?¡± ¡°I always enjoyed watching the sun rise over the western mountains.¡± Aldritch could feel Oakairo¡¯s excitement through their bond. Aldritch agreed with Oakairo¡¯s suggestion and left the tiny room behind. He backtracked down the narrow hallways of the dormitory and headed for the door. The guild dormitory wasn¡¯t attached to the main building. Instead, you had to exit the main lobby through a side door and pass through a narrow courtyard to enter the dorm area. So, when Aldritch reached the ground floor and stepped outside, he stood in the courtyard connecting the two buildings and took in his surroundings -He noticed a twelve-foot-tall wooden fence surrounding the courtyard, blocking off any entrance/exit that didn¡¯t pass through the guild hall, presumably to keep out civilians. Aldritch walked towards one of the blocked off openings at a leisurely pace. In between steps, he pressed off the ground with slightly more strength than it took to walk, causing him to leap over the fence with ease and land in the middle of an empty street that ran parallel to the guild. He looked right, then left, then right again. ¡°A thought comes to mind. Would the cardinal directions be the same here as they were back home?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ That¡¯s a good point. I¡¯m not sure, there¡¯s a chance the poles are in the same places, but I wouldn¡¯t stake my name on it.¡± ¡°Then which way would you like to go?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve always favored my right wings. So, let¡¯s go that way for now and we can double back if we need to.¡± Aldritch nodded and walked to the end of the street, which placed him near the front entrance of the guild. According to Sulika, the guild was near the exact center of the city. Just a few streets over was a mile wide shopping square, which served as the actual heart of the city. Which he figured would be as good a place to start as anywhere. So that¡¯s where he ended up after walking for a few minutes. Aldritch stood in the center of the square and rotated slowly on the spot to take in as much of the area as he could. As he looked at the many buildings and stalls, both inside the square and outside it, he noticed something strange about their design. All of them were constructed out of a very solid, almost stone-like, type of wood. The wood was pale, almost as if it¡¯d been bleached by exposure to the sun. But it carried none of the usual markers of sun damage. Aldritch could see no warping or cracking of the fibers. If anything, the wood seemed stronger than it should be. He found it fascinating: how was the wood treated to get it to such a state? Was oil involved? Was it magic? Or, perhaps, some combination of the two? Did the unique biome of the island cause it to grow that way naturally? Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. While he was pondering the mysteries of the wood¡¯s internal structure, Aldritch noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A relatively small building on the outskirts of the square was dimly lit from the inside. A soothing yellow light stood like a beacon in the night for any wayward soul who needed somewhere to go at the crack of dawn. Aldritch headed towards the building without a second thought. He didn¡¯t know what kind of place it was, and frankly, he didn¡¯t care. It was a momentary distraction while he searched for a place to gather information about his new surroundings. He approached the building at a relaxed pace and took a moment to observe it before climbing the three stairs leading to the door: It was a narrow three-story building crammed between two others just like it. Above the front door was a large painted sign with the words ¡°The Fancy Dryad¡± written in a beautiful script. Aldritch wondered at the choice of name. Was the owner a dryad? Dryads were usually keen to avoid cities, preferring to live in tight-knit communities out in the untamed wild areas as both a means of protecting the trees they spawned from, and to safeguard the wildlife living there. Aldritch knew many dryads¡­ Or rather, he had known many dryads who were vocal wildlife conservationists. They protected the homes of endangered species with their lives if necessary. The idea of such a person winding up in the middle of a city this size was a tantalizing thought. What stories could they tell? What kind of life had they lived? Before Aldritch truly realized what he¡¯d done, he¡¯d already climbed the stairs and was standing in front of the door. He tried to grab the handle gently, but in his excitement, he put a tad too much pressure on the wooden handle and felt it crack within his palm. ¡°Mend.¡± He muttered while focusing on the handle. Eager to answer his command, the mana of the world leapt to his aid, diving inside the handle and quickly rekindling the bonds of the wood grains. A few seconds later all damage to the wooden handle had disappeared as if it¡¯d never happened. And, if you looked close enough, you could almost swear the handle looked alive¡­ Aldritch twisted the handle and stepped inside what turned out to be a potions shop. The walls on both sides were lined with floor to ceiling shelves holding hundreds of bottles a piece. Aldritch immediately recognized a few of the potions on display; the deep reds of a healing tincture, the refreshing blues of a mana potion, and he was really excited to see the puke-ish green color found only in the rare potion of troll¡¯s strength. However, he was most delighted to discover that many of the potions were unknown to him. Six large, square tables sat in two rows of three, near the center of the shop. Each table held eight wooden crates, which were filled with what Aldritch considered ¡®common¡¯ potions; the aforementioned healing and mana replenishment potions were, of course, the most numerable, with three boxes each. The second most numerable potion had two boxes, and it was an odd purple mixture that looked like the alchemist had somehow captured stars in a bottle. Aldritch did not know what it did, but it was a truly gorgeous mixture that seemed too beautiful to drink. The rest of the crates were filled with different potions, none of which Aldritch recognized, but that didn¡¯t stop him from looking at each one and marveling at the craftsmanship on display. He picked up several bottles, each a different size, shape, and containing a different potion. Yet they all had one thing in common - looking at the underside of the cork, through the glass bottle. Aldritch could see a small black diamond stamped into it, the shop¡¯s acronym ¡®TFD¡¯ clear for the world to see. ¡°Told you it wasn¡¯t a dwarf thing.¡± ¡°Never said it was. I meant you shouldn¡¯t judge everyone by your absurd standards.¡± ¡°That¡¯s rich coming from you, my Lord.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be with you in a moment!¡± Someone, a woman by the sound of the voice, yelled from another room. Aldritch returned the bottles to their places and turned to the only thing left in the room he¡¯d yet to look at: There was a wall-to-wall counter at the back of the shop with a metal device sitting on the leftmost end. Behind the counter was a large square area with boxes stacked as high as Aldritch¡¯s waist, and two doors that could only be seen if you were standing on the opposite side of the room. The door on the far left was a few feet behind the metal device and clearly visible no matter where you were standing. The other door was on the far right and back a ways, positioned behind several stacks of boxes that almost perfectly hid the door from the sight. Aldritch assumed one door led to the workshop, while the other was most likely a storage room of some kind. ¡°It¡¯s more likely one of those doors leads to the living area. This building is large enough for multiple families to live in relative comfort, even considering the shop on the ground floor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I hadn¡¯t considered the possibility that someone lived here.¡± ¡°Sorry about the wait.¡± Muttered a stunning redhead as she emerged from the left door with a crate full of potions tucked under one arm, a professional yet aloof smile on her face. A silky green dress accentuated her womanly form with such perfection, it could only have been created exclusively for her. Her wild auburn hair, though streaked through with bone white strands, did nothing to take away her charm. Instead, it gave her an air of maturity Aldritch was certain would drive those attracted to her form absolutely wild¡­ Aldritch was not one of those people. He certainly appreciated her appearance for what it was. And if he had been about eight-hundred years younger, maybe even he would¡¯ve been interested. But if ¡®ifs¡¯ and ¡®buts¡¯ could change the world, then he knew many people who would¡¯ve been hailed as the savior of the planet many times over. The woman sat the crate on the counter with a huff of exhaustion and shot Aldritch a playful wink. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to help me move some stuff?¡± She asked in what Aldritch believed to be a joking manner. Aldritch placed his hand on the side of the crate and lifted it off the counter. ¡°Where do you want it?¡± He asked while turning towards the tables in the center of the room. ¡°Oh-um¡­¡± She trailed off, taken aback by his willingness to help. ¡°On the second table in this row.¡± She said while pointing towards the row to Aldritch¡¯s left. He spotted a nearly empty crate with potions of the same color and nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± He walked over to the table in only two steps, and grabbed the old crate with his free hand, smoothly swapping it for the new one. With the new crate in place, he carefully pushed potions aside to make space near the front of the crate, then transferred each of the remaining potions from the old crate to their new home - save for one bottle, which he held on to. He returned to the counter with the old crate and bottle in hand and set them both in front of the woman. ¡°Did you need anything else carried?¡± He asked while inspecting the bottle he¡¯d set on the counter. There was a small crack near the base. No potion had spilled out, but all it would take was a light bump to shatter the thin glass, ruining the mixture and costing the woman a replacement fee. ¡°I- Okay, to be perfectly honest, I only meant it as a joke. But if you¡¯re offering, I have about twelve more boxes in the back that need moving. I promised my roommate I¡¯d get it done a while back, but-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help.¡± Aldritch said, cutting her off before she could explain. He didn¡¯t need to know the reason, and frankly, it wasn¡¯t any of his business. He was basically helping out of sheer boredom and because her stock interested him. ¡°Really?¡± She exclaimed. Her smile could make a corpse¡¯s heart do backflips, but it had a different effect on Aldritch - She reminded him of an alchemist he knew in his youth: A close friend who used to make him try out all of her potions before she released them to the public. Before Aldritch could say anything else, the woman¡¯s smile faltered, and she seemed to zone out for a second. ¡°I don¡¯t have the money to pay you right now. Do you mind taking a rain check?¡± She said in an airy tone. ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay me. Rather, I¡¯d be happier if you¡¯d allow me to ask you a few questions about the potions in your shop. I¡¯ve never seen many of them, and I must admit, I¡¯m quite curious about their identity.¡± Her eyes regained focus, and she seemed to snap back to reality. ¡°It¡¯s my job to answer all questions pertaining to my work - provided you¡¯re not asking for the recipe.¡± She laughed while staring into Aldritch¡¯s eyes in a way that implied she wasn¡¯t joking. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Perfect. Then we¡¯re back at the matter of payment. I can¡¯t let you help without properly compensating you. And you don¡¯t want either my money or my body, so that puts me into a bit of a bind here.¡± She muttered while sounding genuinely distressed. ¡°What makes you say I don¡¯t want your body?¡± Aldritch asked. ¡°You¡¯re a beautiful woman. Even a blind man could see that.¡± ¡°Because I know how this dress makes my tits look, and you haven¡¯t so much as glanced at them since you first saw me.¡± She replied, grabbing her chest and shoving them together to emphasize their size and shape. The sight brought a genuine smile to Aldritch¡¯s face, and he couldn¡¯t help but laugh at her reasoning. She was right, but the way she¡¯d so bluntly brought it up was a welcome surprise. ¡°You¡¯re quite insightful for one so young.¡± Aldritch placed his palms on top of the counter and leaned over, as if he was trying to get a better look - The woman rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Nuh-uh. You had your chance. It¡¯s too late now. You¡¯ll just have to live with the regret of never knowing what could¡¯ve been.¡± She said, grinning up at him. ¡°Aldritch of clan Blackshield. A pleasure to meet an alchemist of your skill.¡± ¡°Faeyra Silverowl, and I don¡¯t remember telling you I was the alchemist. How do you know I don¡¯t just work here as the clerk or eye candy?¡± ¡°While I¡¯m sure you would excel at both roles, especially this ¡®eye candy¡¯ you speak of. Your hands are stained with charcoal dust, and you smell of honeysuckle. Charcoal is a purifying agent and, if I remember correctly, distilled honeysuckle dew makes for a great stabilizer. I doubt any sane alchemist would allow the eye candy to handle such ingredients. And the clerk would interact with so many potions the smell would become muddled by a dozen other similarly strong-smelling ingredients. So, if you¡¯re neither a clerk nor this ¡®eye candy, what are you?¡± Faeyra stared at Aldritch for a second before an amused grin spread across her face. She held up a finger and gave him the ¡®come here¡¯ signal. Aldritch was simultaneously amused and confused by the gesture, but he leaned closer all the same. ¡°I¡¯m all three.¡± She whispered into his ear. ¡°Then consider me even more impressed.¡± Aldritch said seriously. ¡°Yeah¡­ I am pretty impressive, aren¡¯t I?¡± Faeyra said with just as much seriousness. She reached under the counter and unhooked a latch Aldritch hadn¡¯t noticed and pushed a portion of the counter outwards. Aldritch stepped behind the counter and pulled it shut behind him. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re going to be helping me out, the least I could do is get you something to drink. Any preferences?¡± Faeyra said while leading him through the same door she¡¯d exited earlier. Aldritch followed her through the door and looked around at the workshop: The room was a fraction of the size of the previous room. On one side of the was a large desk with a comfortable-looking leather chair sitting in front of it. On top of the desk sat several heavy books, each one so thick Aldritch wouldn¡¯t be surprised to learn she had used one of them as a bludgeon to knock someone unconscious. Seven bookshelves lined the rear wall, each one filled to the point of collapse with books of every shape, size, and color. And against the left wall was the most important part of any alchemist¡¯s workshop: a large black cauldron, a desk with four mortars, each of a different size. A large alembic took center stage at the front of the desk. Six calcinators stood in a line at the back of the desk. And a pair of retorts sat on either side of the Alembic. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know what to pick even if you ask, so I¡¯ll leave it up to your judgement.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t regret saying that later.¡± She muttered. ¡°Well, I recently perfected a certain recipe that involves chocolate. Would you like to try it?¡± Aldritch stopped looking around the room for a moment and met Faeyra¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s chocolate?¡± Chapter 4- The Hunters Guild (Pt 1) The obnoxious song of a thousand cicadas looking for love filtered through Sulika¡¯s open window. She awoke slowly, over a span of about twenty minutes. Her mind felt more rested now than it had in weeks. After returning home last night, she¡¯d fallen asleep practically as soon as her head hit the pillow. And now that she¡¯d managed to get some much-needed rest, she didn¡¯t want to get back up. Even though she knew she had a full schedule today, she was seriously debating pulling the blanket over her head and grabbing another hour of sleep while she still could - ¡°Hey Foxy, you awake yet?¡± Snowball said from the other room. A few seconds later, Snowball swooped through her open bedroom door and perched on the foot of her bed. He stared impatiently at his owner; it was almost ten in the morning, and she hadn¡¯t fed him yet. The absolute nerve of this woman¡­ Or so Sulika imagined him saying. ¡°Sulika?¡± Faeyra asked again. She sounded slightly winded, almost as if she¡¯d been running or something. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m awake¡­¡± Sulika replied while rubbing the sleep from her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Her right shoulder was aching a bit. Had she slept on it wrong or was it an aftereffect of the battle yesterday? ¡°About time. Listen, I¡¯m swamped down here - something big happened inside one of the dungeons, and everyone decided they needed to restock their potion supplies immediately.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± She yawned and stretched her right arm over her head. ¡°Okay, I can help for a little while. But I need to head into work in-¡± She glanced at the clock again. ¡°An hour. Think the rush will be over by then?¡± Sulika climbed out of bed, grabbed the first pair of clean pants she could find, and slipped them on. ¡°What? No, I don¡¯t need your help down here. I was going to ask you to run out and get some milk. We¡¯re out.¡± Sulika, who was in the middle of putting on her right shoe, lost her balance at the request and hit the floor with a grunt. ¡°What happened?¡± Faeyra asked, her voice a mixture of concern and amusement. ¡°Nothing happened.¡± Sulika grunted as she finished pulling on her shoes. ¡°Can you repeat what you said earlier? I must¡¯ve misheard you or something.¡± ¡°We¡¯re out of milk. Can you go get some?¡± Faeyra repeated herself. Sulika blinked in surprise and stared at Snowball¡¯s confused face. They were out of milk? They¡¯d just gone to the market two days ago, and they always bought two to three gallons of the stuff because Sulika liked to pour a bit into her coffee each morning and Faeyra was absolutely in love with baking. She used almost a gallon by herself¡­ But that still took a week, so how could they possibly be out of milk? ¡°What did you do?¡± Sulika asked, not bothering to mask the irritated tone of her voice. ¡°Why do you assume I did something?¡± ¡°Answer the damn question.¡± ¡°Alright, fine. I was lucky enough to meet a remarkable helper this morning, and he¡¯s been working his ass off all morning-¡± ¡°What does that have to do with us being out of milk?¡± Sulika asked impatiently. She was standing in her bedroom doorway in a baggy t-shirt, mismatched socks, and she was pretty sure her sweatpants were on backwards. So, while she was happy her friend had found someone to help her in the store, she would prefer it if Faeyra got to the point. ¡°I was getting to that part! He wouldn¡¯t accept any bits for helping me.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t offer to sleep with him, did you?¡± Sulika blurted. ¡°Who do you think I am? ¡­ Of course, I offered. He turned that down too. Can you stop interrupting me so I can finish the story? I stepped away to talk to you and left him out there alone.¡± Sulika thought about it and eventually nodded her acceptance. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you just nodded your head despite knowing I can¡¯t actually see you?¡± Faeyra¡¯s laugh sounded strange coming through Snowball¡¯s beak. But Sulika barely noticed, she was embarrassed after being called out like that. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a story to finish?¡± Sulika said, clearly unhappy with the situation. ¡°I paid him in hot chocolate.¡± ¡°¡­ You did what?¡± Sulika blurted out. Faeyra did not just say what she thought she did¡­ Did she? ¡°I paid him in hot chocolate. He said he¡¯d never had chocolate before, so I went a bit overboard. I made him a plain mug to start out with, and he absolutely loved it. So, I started feeding him some of my other recipes. Sulika, when I tell you I¡¯ve never seen someone down a mug of steaming milk so fast.¡± Faeyra said. Even through the filter that was Snowball, Sulika could hear the fondness in her friend¡¯s voice as she regaled her with tales of how this mystery man somehow drank two gallons of hot cocoa in a few hours. What a weird way to start the day. ¡°So¡­ Will you go pick up some more milk?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Sulika sighed. ¡°I guess I can do that.¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± Faeyra shouted before closing the connection. Sulika stared at Snowball for a few more seconds before shaking her head and walking into her living room. Snowball followed a moment later, landing in his cage with an irritated squawk to remind her he still hadn¡¯t been fed yet. Sulika sent one last glance full of longing at her bed before moving to feed her favorite bird and get on with her day. She really should have just gone back to sleep when she had the chance, but it was too late for that now. The moment her feet touched the ground her sense of responsibility kicked in and was urging her to get a move on. A few minutes later, Sulika reached the bottom of the stairs and pushed open the door to the shop. Faeyra had been telling the truth, the store was packed with customers: a line of people stretched out the front door just to grab a few bottles of health potions, and many more were scurrying around like a pack of squirrels who¡¯d waited till the last minute to prepare for winter. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Sulika!¡± Faeyra called the moment she spotted her. Faeyra was standing at the register with a large half-orc standing directly in front of her and a line of other customers waiting behind him. Sulika was curious about how Faeyra made them so docile. They were never this patient. On a normal day, the store would be so chaotic Sulika could barely hear herself think. But today, despite so many people standing inside the store, it remained fairly quiet. Sulika approached Faeyra with a cautious smile on her face and waited until she was done ringing up the large man¡¯s total before she leaned in to ask, ¡°What¡¯s the deal?¡± ¡°Hi, thank you for your patience today. Would you like a bag?¡± Faeyra asked the customer. The half-orc quickly shook his head, paid for his potions, and rushed out the door without so much as a backwards glance. ¡°That guy,¡± Faeyra whispered while motioning towards the customer¡¯s back. ¡°Was running his mouth a few minutes ago and the new guy convinced him to stop.¡± ¡°What¡¯d he do? Hit him?¡± Sulika asked, wondering if it was okay to let someone so violent continue working here. ¡°Nope. Didn¡¯t lay a finger on him. But when you look like that,¡± Faeyra muttered while tipping her chin towards the front of the store. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do much to make people listen to you.¡± Sulika assumed the new guy was standing somewhere in that direction. She¡¯d been wondering about the appearance of this chocolate maniac since earlier, so she took the opportunity to look for her friend¡¯s new helper- Her eyes bulged at the sight of Aldritch quietly restocking a crate near the front door. The giant wasn¡¯t paying the surrounding customers any attention, but they couldn¡¯t tear their eyes away from him. It was like watching a group of deer stare at a sleeping lion; they knew it could kill them, but their own sense of morbid curiosity kept them from running away. As if he¡¯d sensed her eyes on him, Aldritch glanced in her direction. His golden eyes passed over her face, seemingly without recognizing her, and landed on Faeyra. He lingered on her for a moment before passing back over Sulika. There, that was when the flash of recognition hit his eyes. A small smile appeared on his face, and he nodded in greeting before going back to work, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Had he followed her here? Was he stalking her? ¡°Can I talk to you for a sec?¡± Sulika whispered to Faeyra. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°In private.¡± Sulika said. The look on her face spoke volumes, and Faeyra knew it was important. She apologized to the customer standing at the register and stepped into the workshop with Sulika. ¡°Tell me everything that¡¯s happened between the two of you.¡± Sulika blurted the instant the door closed. ¡°You mean with Aldritch?¡± Faeyra asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Nothing much. We talked a lot before the customers started flooding in, but we haven¡¯t really spoken since. Well, aside from asking him to grab something from the workshop. Why? Do you know him?¡± ¡°Kinda.¡± Sulika replied. She briefly recounted the events of yesterday, ending with how she¡¯d left Aldritch at the guild last night. ¡°So, he¡¯s a returnee¡­ Interesting.¡± Faeyra mumbled. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about him stalking you, I think it¡¯s very unlikely.¡± ¡°Why? Did he say anything?¡± Sulika asked. She¡¯d thought she was fairly nice to him yesterday. If he¡¯d insulted her behind her back, she¡¯d- ¡°About you? Nope. This is the first time I¡¯m even hearing about him being a returnee, so I¡¯d definitely remember if he mentioned you or your little minions at the guild.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± Sulika asked incredulously. ¡°What else could the two of you have been talking about? I was almost positive he¡¯d be bombarding you with questions about the island, the town, our currency, the usual shit returnees ask.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Faeyra held up her hand and started counting the events on her fingers. ¡°We talked about how hot I am- my favorite topic, alchemy, the store, chocolate- which I¡¯m pretty sure was his favorite topic, and where I learned to brew potions.¡± Sulika¡¯s mind had wandered while she listened. She wondered if there was some angle he was trying to work, but the last topic on Faeyra¡¯s list brought her up short. ¡°Did you tell him?¡± Sulika asked, knowing fully well how sensitive that subject was to Faeyra. ¡°I did.¡± Faeyra replied. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it hit Sulika¡¯s ears like she¡¯d shouted. ¡°Why?¡± Sulika asked. All thoughts of him having ulterior motives were taken out back and shot. This was far more important than anything Sulika had been thinking. ¡°I don¡¯t actually know. It was just a¡­ feeling, I guess.¡± Sulika leaned in close, to the point her lips were almost touching Faeyra¡¯s left ear and whispered. ¡°Did you have another vision?¡± Faeyra¡¯s eyes lost their light, and she stared at a spot over Sulika¡¯s shoulder. Sulika waited patiently for her friend to say whatever was on her mind. She knew from experience that the only way to get a response from Faeyra when she got like this was to wait it out. Forcing her to respond would¡¯ve had the opposite effect and would only cause her to shut down. After a few seconds, Faeyra shrugged ¡°It was more like a feeling of relief. Like someone had lifted a weight off my shoulders. I didn''t know what it meant, which is why I offered to let him help around the shop. Figured if he stayed close, I could try to make sense of that feeling,¡± Faeyra muttered before once again losing focus. ¡°Hey,¡± Sulika asked, gently grabbing Faeyra¡¯s face and pulling her attention back to the present. ¡°I will not ask if he¡¯s dangerous. I know he is. But do you know if he means us harm?¡± Sulika was thinking back to the first time she laid eyes on him. The bloodlust she¡¯d felt in that moment was unlike anything she¡¯d ever experienced. And the look on the demon¡¯s face as he begged to be allowed to leave¡­ ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Faeyra replied. She wasn''t quite back to her senses yet but was close enough to speak. ¡°But Sulika, it doesn¡¯t take an oracle to see the darkness inside him. So do me a favor, huh?¡± Faeyra said, grabbing Sulika¡¯s face and making her look directly into her eyes. The two women stood close enough for their breaths to intermingle. ¡°If you ever glimpse the darkness hiding within his soul, get the fuck away from him.¡± The two women stood in absolute silence. Neither was sure what to say, or if they should allow him to stay so close to them. He was like a bonfire, and they; the pitiful moths attracted to the flame- The door opened at that moment and Aldritch froze in the doorway. He glanced back and forth between the two of them, taking in the way they were holding each other, the unfocused expression on Faeyra¡¯s face, and the nervous flush of Sulika¡¯s face and neck. He made a guess about what was happening and gently, but quickly, shut the door without a word. ¡°Sorry, didn''t see any more of that potion in the back. Can I help you find anything else?¡± They heard him tell a customer. Sulika was confused about his reaction. Had he overheard their conversation? But that didn¡¯t seem quite right. He didn¡¯t look angry when he shut the door; he looked amused. Sulika glanced down at herself and noticed how close Faeyra was standing. Their chests were almost touching, and the way she was holding Faeyra¡¯s face was almost like- Sulika¡¯s face shifted into a completely different color spectrum and turned a deep shade of red. She immediately let go of Faeyra and stepped back. Her heart was pounding in her ears, and she was genuinely worried Faeyra could hear it. For her part, Faeyra didn¡¯t look the slightest bit embarrassed by what just happened. Instead, she leaned in close to Sulika and planted a quick kiss on the side of her mouth. ¡°Thanks for worrying about me¡­ Now go get that milk. You¡¯ve gotta get to work.¡± Faeyra whispered before following Aldritch back into the store. Sulika dropped into a crouch the moment the door shut behind Faeyra and hid her face in her hands. She¡¯d go get the milk in a minute. She just needed to wait for her heart to finish its drum solo first.