ã€ŠThe Abandoned Sorcererã€‹


 Prologue

    "We are the greatest," the Zakari always cried. "We will not be broken," the Zakari always cried. Then they all cried together. Then they cried no longer.

    - Eira, General of the Pirosian Empire, inWhy the Empire Fell,page 5, line 12.

    <hr>

    The House of Zakari towered over its surroundings, its walls snow-white. There were four spires saddled uponits halls, their bodies sickly thin and eerily tall, able to cup a handful of the clouds without strain.

    The House wore a loomingfacade that protruded over the front yard like tusks. Colourful plants filled the garden despite the gravelly soil. These bright colours dulled towards the edges of the house, all but washed away in the countless white flowers that encamped the surrounding fields.

    But these flowers had decided to rosy upas they darkened in the smoke billows. The House was now aflame, its walls a flaky charcoal-black as licks of the fire fizzled across them. The stench thatbesiegedthe building pressured those nearby to wheeze and choke to death, the smell mocking the immense fortunes exchanged for the oils.

    Moreover, theplants that had blessed the House with their presence were little more than trampled trash as great swathes of soldiers stood at attention. Of course, the great Zakari lineage wouldn¡¯t entertain such humiliation standing, and to their dubious luck, they didn¡¯t have to as their corpses were stacked into mounds and set alight.

    Today was the day when the illustrious House of Zakari would fall to nothing more than a footnote in history. And as if representing the Gods, the almost-holy daybreak welcomed it¡­

    <hr>

    A soldier wore a taut rictus as he lifted bodies and piled them. Clothes stripped, amulets torn, arms down, legs straight. There was a simple, albeit dark, rhythm to his job as he entered his flow.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    He knew each corpse he touched belonged to sorcerers feared and revered from east to west, people he would have been delighted merely glancing at. Now he pawed their bodies with sweaty, grimy hands.

    Their mortality scared him. But more than that, it was their eyes that frightened him the most.

    Black. Black. Black. Black. Black.

    Not one he had handled was white; they had caught the Zakari completely unawares. He understood the parasitic gear that wrapped itself around him was responsible for that, but it still broke him. This would be a momentous point in history: one of the great Houses dropping dead in disgrace. And worse still, he was part of that reality¡­

    Feeling sick at the high-stakes play he found himself trapped in, the soldier raised his head withvomit lurching up his throat. But as his eyes met with the horizon in between scattered trees, he saw a figure fleeing in the daylight.

    The bile that had threatened his dignity free-fell back down.

    ¡°Sir!¡± he called out through pure reflex,uncaring about how raspy his voice sounded.

    ¡°Yeah, Rods. What¡¯s it?¡± came the response.

    ¡°Sir, there¡¯s a person there.¡± Rods answered.

    The officerkept his composure and squinted in the direction.

    ¡°Naa, Rods. You got good eyes, I¡¯ll say, but there¡¯s nothing there.¡±

    The officer¡¯s tone pronounced the matter over, but the whole event was already toofrightening for Rods to now just ignore a glaring addition.

    ¡°No, Sir. Please, there!¡±

    The officer didn¡¯t even turn, let alone look.

    ¡°There is nothing there!¡± he roared in a restrained manner, stretching each syllable to make up for the volume. His previous calmness had been lost to the storm. ¡°Am I clear, Rods?¡±

    Nevertheless, Rods still peered into the distance with pleading, nay, begging eyes. Suddenly, a glint winked over and past the horizon, following the figure. It only went fast enough to trail the figure, not fast enough to actually chase down the figure, and Rods knew for certain it could run at several times the speed of a man. His jaw fell slack, his expression thunderstruck.

    Why hadn''t it killed the fleeing figure? What the fuck was going on?

    The officer didn¡¯t wait for an answer, after all, Rods¡¯s expression was more honest than any mustered-up bullshit. He liked the young soldier, so could only hope Rods had enough sense to keep his mouth shut. Forever.

    <hr>

 1. Alive and Kicking

    <hr>

    Orion woke in the dark. His neck throbbed with pain, and the rest of his body was numb. But despite the startling conditions he woke up in, he still didn¡¯t stir. Instead, he drowsily remained in the pose he had kept for hours, if not days. The only sign of him being alive came from the whistles of breath that bounced around the room, keeping him company in the gloom.

    A short while of whistling passed before he spluttered to life like an old engine, gagging while his head snapped forwards. He had choked for a few seconds, but what felt like an eternity, when he spat out a clump of vegetation. It splattered against the wooden boards and lay there as Orion gulped in air, strangely feeling worse as he gained more sense.

    His mind skipped its immediate concerns to torture him with his own memories: rushing into the trapdoor, his mum helping them down before following on, his dad freezing the trapdoor over and staying behind. His dad had wanted to fight without handicaps and without worry over their safety. Those were Orion¡¯s last whole memories.

    Then, a blur. An ambush, in a passageway unknown to the world. His mum had died; he was certain of that. She had screamed at them to run with such an intensity the passage had partially collapsed, and so he had. He now knew he had survived, somehow. As for his sisters, or his brothers around the House, hecould only hope.

    Spitting out sour saliva, Orion tried to push down his memories and his nausea. He looked around and saw slits letting in smoky-grey sunshine into the darkness, lighting up his surroundings: wooden boards, crates, fishing nets, a large mirror, and salted fish. And it all stank, whether it be the bristly mould over the dampwood,or the rotten fish.

    Rubbing his eyes, he walked over to the mirror and wiped the layer of dust off. His pale skinshowed thin bags under his black eyes - he hadsleptwell... There were dull-red scars from hisleft cheek to his jaw, seeming like cracks indriedground, andhis black finger-length hair had pasted to his head due to the moisture. His 16-year-old figure had slumped shoulders and a dazed stare.

    Turning from his reflection, he faced awooden table with a large bag collapsed over it. Orion rummaged through the bag. Bread, cheese, water pouch, salt, a golden coin, and a wrist-to-finger length knife. General items, sure, but coincidently vital for the current-him; had someone left it here for him?

    He thought back to his final memory, looking past how blurry and spliced it was. He was running, no, stumbling, tripping, falling, rolling. Wherever he was now, he hadn¡¯t gotten here by his own two feet. One of his family members must have saved his sorry arse and brought him to safety, so where were they?

    <hr>

    Hours passed, and Orion had licked the aftertaste of cheese off his fingers, wishing for more. To distract himself, he had forced the dooropen,and heard a few bricks fall intowateron the other side. Despite the fog crippling his sight, he had confirmed he was on a dock: the waves continously crashing against the shore had been a small giveaway.

    But instead of exploring half-blinded, he had decided to await his rescuer who was clearlymore capable than him. Yet, despite his logical choice, his subconscious decided against it, demanding he went out there and cut down every last man and woman who had attacked his family.But who would attack the Zakaris? They were one of the four great Houses, uncontested in the Empire. Who would attack them but... another House.

    Shaking his head, hestuffed the coin and water pouch into his hunting trousers¡¯ pocket. He used the knife to nick his fingertip, whispering arcane words while his eyes paled to a moonlit-white, before wiping the blood onto the table. A simple spell, one that lasted a week at most and would allow his Hero to find him. Placing the knife into the other pocket, Orion pushed the door and walked into the fog.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    He quickly changed his opinion of the storeroom he had been in: the boards in there hadn¡¯t been mouldy or rotten, at least relative to the creaking, breaking menaces he stepped on now.

    The docks were smaller than he had expected, hinting he was in a coastal village right now. The air was thick with the scents of seaweed and salt, and the waves crashing against the shore engulfed any sounds of the sleeping village. The sunlight was now cloud-grey, and Orion could finally see where he stepped, a high-step improvement from before.

    His subconscious obsessed over the distant silhouettes and how alike they were to the animals of men who had ambushed the passageway. The passageway was only known to his parents and his siblings, and it was far too well-hidden to be found by chance. It was just another question he didn''t know the answer to, and the answers that did appear in his mind scared him, frightened him.

    Refocusing, he looked for a man to talk to, someone who could at least tell him where he was.

    It was while walking across the dockside he finally saw a figure, one fiddling with a few crates next to a sizeable boat. He crept over with his eyes set on his surroundings, wary of any ambushers, after all, if they could find out family secrets like the tunnel, what would stop them from tracking him down? However, due to his fit of paranoia, when he reached the crates, the figure had already walked away towards a distant warehouse, its mouth gaping-open for him to follow.

    However,suddenly aware of the fact that the crates wereawfully interesting, Orion instead opted to stay and wait. To distract himself from his fears, he leaned over the crates and looked inside. Forehead creased, he used his hand to unplug his nose and took another whiff of the nuts lying on parchment. They were larger than any he had seen, had a roasted orange shade with black burns, but it was the smell that arrested him the most.

    He remembered his sister, old enough to work for the family, being sent toCityofYupker. They had lost contact with her a year after, but she had thankfully returned a few days before the search parties had set off. What the Gods hadn¡¯t cared about was the condition they had brought their lost lamb home.

    Her face had been sallow, her eyes spiritless, her body starved. She had time-drawn creases under her eyes, heavy bags for a 23-year-old to bear, and her clothes couldn¡¯t even defend her figure from lecherous glances, forget the unforgivable weather. An outrage had followed her return, but Orion brushed past his sadness and remembered what he had smelled. The scene was unforgettable with the memory burned in his mind, the scent indistinguishable - a scent of addiction.

    Despite being roasted a ways back, the nut in his hands still gave off a toasty scent, fresh off the coals. It was sleek and his fingers slid over like over melted butter, but it also crumbled when he squeezed. Opening the nut bolstered the rich nutty aroma, the odd accompanying sweetness, perhaps of honey, and the subtlest reek of manure: all from the nuts.

    While Orion''s mind feltexcited by the smell, his anger from his memory burnt brighter. He stepped back, put his hands on the crate and pushed. He ran the crates into the water, loud splashes following. From deep inside the warehouse¡¯s stomach came a loud shout, filled with anger: anger from failing to ruin another¡¯s life, surely. No one would miss such a man, surely.

    His eyes lightened, the surrounding fog thinned, and tendrils of water ran down his right hand, the chill from it breaking the disguise of water but the fluidity of movement reinforcing it. The strands of ice entwined together like twin dragons, producing a sharp point at their front.

    As the clumsy footsteps got closer, he realised his idiocy. His sister¡¯s ¡°friends¡± had been paid back in full withaddedextra. His family, however, hadn¡¯t been avenged for the injustice they had suffered. No one could know he was a Zakari, and anyone who came across a corpse stabbed by several icicles would immediately think of his family. So, a good place to start was bynotkilling every scum he came across.

    Taking one last look at the fool thundering his way,Orion sprinted away from the scene and was soon lost to the fog, only stopping when he entered an alley a distance away.While he stood catching his breath, bells rang in the distance.

    Three slow chimes, a high-pitched one, and three fast hits. The ringing wasn¡¯t particularly loud, but it was resonant enough to ride the whole city and past, or at least Orion had read years ago. Suddenly, it made sense: the City ofVisgamarhad thick fogs in the mornings; the city had a thriving underbelly; the city had many docks, big and small.

    There was only one problem: the City ofVisgamarwas months away from the House of Zakari¡­

    <hr>

 2. Questions and

    <hr>

    Orion¡¯s legs lost their mental support and buckled over, driving his knees into cracked rock and his face into the wall. But before he made impact, he raised his hands and shielded his face. His mind registered little pain as his limbs got further numbed. He remained on his knees, resting against the wall with his eyes downcast.

    How? What? How? How had he crossed thousands of miles? Humans couldn¡¯t create portals and the nearest one to the House of Zakari was a whole week away by horseback. Even if the whole journey to Visgamar had been made using multiple portals, it would still take a whole month at least. But, despite being the quickest route, portals were also dangerous to such a point it was unreasonable to use them. This meant that he hadn¡¯t been conscious for at least over a month¡­

    How had his Hero made such a journey? How had they put him in a coma for so long? Why had they put him in a coma? Why had they chosen Visgamar? Why not the capital of the Empire, or maybe a small village to hide in?

    Countless questions barrelled around in Orion¡¯s head, causing him a headache. He stopped thinking and took a deep breath. He hadn¡¯t been the strongest Zakari, not by a long shot, but he had been one of the smarter ones.

    A paltry amount of pride blossomed in Orion at this, although it was engulfed by misery as he thought of his siblings, cousins, second-cousins, and so on. They were all utterly marvellous, and he was sure they wouldn¡¯t be snivelling in a dirty alleyway if they were in his position.

    Wiping his tears away with his sleeve, Orion took another deep breath and stood up. He had to review what he knew and not get tangled up in the past. Unfortunately, the only thing he knew for certain was that he had woken up in a disused storage house by the docks. Thinking on the matter now, it seemed more likely he had been abandoned there on purpose.

    The crux of the matter was the abandoned bag on the table. From its quality and lack of dust, Orion knew someone had put it there recently, and that it wasn¡¯t his Hero¡¯s equipment, after all, there was no way in Heaven or Hell that anyone would travel from the House of Zakari to Visgamar with just a pocket knife and a handfulof food.

    But despite being certain, he was still aware of other very-unlikely explanations for the bag. He considered wiping away the blood tracker but realised if his Hero had just been out for a bit, it was still for the best he left it there.He did, however, sneak back into the disused storage building and steal the bag. It was dirty-maroon and had two straps to put his arms through. It sagged above his butt but other than that, it fit well. Then, he sneaked out and went back to the alleyway, walking onwards to find a main road.

    The part that bit him the most about his thought-track was that it seemed inconceivable why someone would put him in a coma in the first place, and why they would just leave him in Visgamar in the second place. In fact, it made a lot more sense if he had just misheard the ringing, or even if another town had copied the bell¡¯s design. So, Orion decided to find someone less shady to ask.

    While this should have been an easy task, it turned out to be the opposite as right next to the docks were slums, or of the sort, finished with many dead ends and lack of directions. This meant he had to jump over many a wall and tightly grip his knife as he walked, as well as pray his nose would survive the pitfalls of shit and garbage littered about.

    Close to an hour later, Orion found the main road, a faint glimmer of sweat plastered on his forehead. It was early morning, and the fog had lifted enough it had altered into mist.

    The main road was well-lit with glass lanterns every few metres. The road itself was looked-after, and potholes and cracks were hard to find. It was about eight or ten metres wide and likely travelled the whole city considering how wealthy of an image it gave the area. Furthermore, after watching the road for a few minutes, he realised it was well-policed with both stationary units and patrolling teams.Seeing another team march past, Orion walked onto the road and headed towards a standing guard. Now closer and in the bright lamplight, he felt his hopes drop as he glanced at the soldier.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    The middle-aged man wore a gambeson with an insignia showing a boat amidst stormy seas. He had padded trousers and hard boots on, as well as a chain-mail hood. Only his hands and face were bare, and both showed wrinkled, cut, and scarred skin.

    The article that caused half of Orion¡¯s hopes to dash was the taller-than-man halberd the guard held. It wore a worn spike and axe on its head, but it also had another spike midway down the shaft; halberds were sparsely used in the West of the Empire, where the House of Zakari and its lands were, but were valued and commonly used in the East, where Visgamar lay¡­

    ¡°Good sir,¡± Orion called as he stepped into the light, ¡°May I ask a few questions?¡± He started off over-polite to show the guard he was less than a threat, and more of a rich lost lord.

    The guard regarded Orion and his funny accent. Orion¡¯s clothes looked of quality-make but were also dirty and creased. His pale skin and sharp and snappy accent showed he was a Westerner, which explained the journey-worn clothes. Overall, Orion looked too rich for the guard to kick off Hexham¡¯s road, but not rich enough for the guard to kneel and lick the soles of his shoes.

    ¡°What¡¯s it, Westerner? Are ye lost from yor family?¡± the guard replied. He stretched each word past what was sensible, but that was simply the weird way they spoke in the East. The evidence was stacking up against Orion¡¯s hopes.

    ¡°Of the sort, sir. I¡¯ve had a bit too much to drink the other day, and I must¡¯ve passed out. My devilish sisters dumped me somewhere to that direction,¡± he said while pointing behind him, ¡°to get revenge on me. I need to be back on the carriage as soon as possible, before my Papi gets too angry. Give me some joy and tell me this is Visgamar, at least,¡± he finished, hoping the guard wouldn¡¯t give him that joy.

    ¡°Sounds like wretched bitches. Na worries, this is the glorious city of Visgamar.¡± He looked at Orion¡¯s expression and continued. ¡°Ah, I know that look. It¡¯s the fifteenth today.¡±

    ¡°Of?¡± Orion sucked in his breath.

    The guard looked at him strangely. ¡°First month of Amadia.¡±

    Orion felt a hammer to his stomach. Two months; it had been two whole months since the day¡­ ¡°What¡¯s the way to the biggest Inn here?¡± he asked through clenched teeth, desperate to be alone with his thoughts.

    ¡°The Golden Goose. Maybe two miles that way, past the markets.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Orion said, before rushing away.

    ¡°And boy,¡± the guard called after him, ¡°lay off the drink. Eating away yer brain,¡±

    The words were like one of wind¡¯s whispers as they brushed past, barely audible to Orion. Instead, his mind clattered about the fact he had heard the ringing accurately, and how his absurd ideas must be right then. He had been unconscious for two months, and someone had brought him here in that time, for whatever reason.

    Engrossed in his thoughts, he walked absentmindedly, instead trying to fit three parts of a massive puzzle together from different directions just to call it complete. He soon found a river and followed its stream, ignoring the rising number of people on the streets.

    It was minutes later that he stopped. There was a small stage next to the river where a crowd had gathered. From eavesdropping passing conversations, Orion identified the soldier walking up the stage to be one of the city¡¯s many town criers who delivered the news hot and piping before the papers got a chance.

    ¡°HEAR ME,¡± the soldier roared, hushing the crowd. ¡°TODAY, THE CAPITAL HAS SENT OUT SHOCKING REPORTS.¡±

    This silenced the quiet crowd.

    ¡°THE HOUSE OF ZAKARI PLANNED TREASON AGAINST THE CROWN AND EMPIRE. THEY LOOKED TO CAUSE DESTRUCTION AND CHAOS, MASSACRE AND RAPE.¡±

    Gasps, cries, panic.

    The soldier stopped and watched the crowd, letting fear spread. After allowing the moment to mature, he spoke up to pluck the fruit.

    ¡°THE EMPIRE HAS RAZED DOWN THE HOUSE OF ZAKARI. THE EMPIRE HAS ERASED THEIR LINEAGE. THE EMPIRE IS SAFE.¡±

    <hr>

 3. Web of Lies

    <hr>

    Orion had known his family was dead, and potentially, the entire House. Still, it was salt to his fresh wound hearing it from another mouth, especially one which claimed his House harboured treason in their hearts. Outrageous: slandering his family, smearing dirt on their faces. Nonetheless, a glance around told him the crowd had slurped up the Soldier¡¯s lies and his House¡¯s miserable end.

    His eyes reddened with agitation and his hands itched for action, preferably the Soldier¡¯s neck in between them. But he knew it was pointless; hurting the mouthpiece of the Empire wouldn¡¯t avenge his dead family, nor would it bring them back. Despite this, Orion¡¯s anger ballooned as he picked up on the blasphemous comments flung over his head.

    He growled, then forced his mouth shut to stop, and shoved himself out of the crowd. He passed by countless faces on Hexham¡¯s road with tears rolling down his cheeks.It was despair; he wanted to plunge into the chilly river and be done with it, and yet his House¡¯s, his family¡¯s demise loomed over him. If he didn¡¯t avenge them, who would?

    His anguish lasted minutes as he wandered aimlessly, solely walking for the sake of it. Regardless, as time passed, his hope grew and blossomed: he could do it, he was a Zakari, the greatest of the four great families. But this didn¡¯t mean he could shoot blinded and hit bullseye- hope only came so far. He needed a plan, and for that, he needed paper: he had to see his thoughts and problems in full.

    Rubbing the reeded edges of his gold coin, Orion decided against his previous thought ¨C ink and paper would be a waste of what little he had. Instead, he needed sand. Remembering a large patch of it, albeit littered, in the slums, he retraced his steps and got there just as the sun had fully woken.

    In little time, he found a forearm-sized stick and cleared out the foul-smelling garbage, revealing soiled sand. He scratched House into the sand and circled it: it was central to this injustice, it was the victim, it would be avenged.Drawing a line, he attached the House to Empire. No, the Empire was the entire civilised world; the Empire was not his enemy. Why hadn¡¯t he seen this before? He slapped his face hard, leaving a red blur against his pale skin. He could not make mistakes like thinking anyone able to breathe with decency was against him.

    Staring intensely at Empire, he drew a line leading to ? ¨C Murderers. They were his enemies, and they were knotted up in the Empire¡¯s highest echelons. His gut instinct told him it was the other Houses that had done it but thinking more on it, he couldn''t think of a reason why they would want to. With his family gone, the western front was lost, meaning the tribes would be invading the Empire in a short while. So, he still couldn¡¯t put a name to the Murderers or cite their motives.

    He had to start there.

    Orion¡¯s lips then stretched into an o as he stared at, but also past, his writing. The optimal place to dig for information was here, in Visgamar. The city was large enough to contain anything he¡¯d require, and in turn, it contained nobody who could identify him as a Zakari, unlike in the capital. Shivers ran down his spine at this realisation as it hinted at another more insidious one. Was it really a coincidence he had been seemingly abandoned here, or had someone known exactly how he would think? In which case, what did they want?

    His eyes drew back to the ?. Ultimately, it showed how little he understood of the game he had become a pawn in. He needed information. Yes, he needed information. Orion smiled in what felt like forever, a worm wriggling against the tautness of his face.

    The rest of his thought-train came to him as if the ambiguous resolution had been the only missing track. He would only get the information he wanted from the powerful, but the Nobility would blanch and lock him up the second they realised his identity. Then, an idea struck his head so violently that no other options remained. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Orion wasn¡¯t well-travelled, and those he knew would now want him captured, dead or alive. But not the Seeker Kasib.He was a friend of the House¡¯s, and better still, an old friend of his dad¡¯s. But the best was the power Seeker Kasib held ¨C unused power at that. When he learned of the injustice that had occurred, the upper echelons would go from proud to fearful in an instant, scared for their lives and of their families¡¯, just like Orion had been.

    He just knew it.

    Seeker Kasib had stayed at their House four months before because he had been hunting down a monster in the North, and their home was the last civilised place before the North. The Seeker¡¯s Summit was ongoing now, and although Seeker Kasib wouldn¡¯t be at it, he would be at the next one: he had explicitly said so.Orion had to meet him there; he had to grow powerful enough in a year¡¯s time to enter the Summit. There was no other way of meeting such an elusive figure like Kasib, and there was no better way of getting his revenge than through Kasib.

    ¡°Oi, what¡¯s a dimwit lordling doin¡¯ around ¡®eres?¡± called a voice from behind him.

    Orion brushed the written words away with his boots and genuinely smiled, shattering the webs on his face. He had a path to walk down, and a destination to get to.

    ¡°Did yers not ¡®ear me?¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°Hullo, you listenin¡¯, lordy?¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°How about this? Yer gimme yor clothies an¡¯ I¡¯ll let yer leave alive!¡±

    He turned around and faced the approaching owner of the voice. The loudmouth was a child around his size, but much dirtier and uglier, surrounded by a scramble of similar breed. Orion considered beating up a few and escaping the rest, when suddenly, he sucked in his breath and slapped himself in full show of the curious gang.

    He was no longer the lofty lord of a great house- he was the hunted exile of a disgraced house; these were the sorts of people he would be spending time with. All the more, he remembered a quote from a book he¡¯d glanced at years ago- ¡°Who knows the streets of their cities better than the street urchins who live on them?¡±

    ¡°Yuh¡¯right, lordy? Look, jus¡¯ give us yor clothies while they¡¯re still clean, an¡¯ we¡¯ll beat yer up if that¡¯s what yor want.¡± the loudmouth said while nudging up his eyebrows. His friends laughed while Orion cringed at the uncouth humour exclusive to streeties.

    The streeties ranged from age to size, but the oldest looked to be 17, similar to Orion, while the biggest were as tall as him but carrying more weight. They wore thatched and ripped clothes crusted with dirt, and their skin was similar being cut, bruised, and dirty. The loudmouth had messy maroon hair, two scars along his cheeks from the eyes to the lips, and golden-brown skin.

    Orion took a sideward glance and sighed with relief at seeing no one else around. His eyes paled and snow whirled down his right arm, rapidly liquefying into menacing streams revolving his hand.

    ¡°Uhh! Lord Magy, I truli didn¡¯t know yer a Magy,¡± the loudmouth said, now aware of who he¡¯d taunted. The younger urchins began to shift and edge away, while the older ones stood in fear, aware of how fast Orion could strike them down.

    Throughout this, the feared mage in question stared at the group through slitted and downcast eyes, trying his best to hide the colour. Fortunately, sunlight now flooded Visgamar and his eyes warranted no second looks from those who knew no better. And while he was never much of a gambler, he was betting against high risks simply because the opportunity had served itself to him.

    ¡°No worries,¡± Orion responded, to the loudmouth¡¯s relief, ¡°All of you can go except the loudmouth,¡±.

    And so they did. Within ten seconds, only settling dust clouds suggested a whole gang had been there instead of the sole, distressed street-urchin. Orion¡¯s eyes darkened back to black but he didn¡¯t collapse the spell, instead clenching his teeth to withstand the full-body pain.

    ¡°Whatevah yer need done, I¡¯ll do it,¡± the loudmouth pleaded, nay, begged.

    ¡°Good,¡± Orion said while releasing the spell, ice tendrils cracking against the sand. His hand was immediately in his trouser pocket, not showing the knife but posing so the loudmouth noticed he had one. ¡°I¡¯m new to the city, you see. I want a guide to show me around. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Lordy. No one¡¯s betah at the city than Thimble,¡± the loudmouth said, flashing a nervous grin.

    <hr>

 4. Visgamar

    <hr>

    Silence pervaded their conversation, and Thimble fidgeted and shuffled his feet. He was obviously nervous, and eager to be free of Orion. Without a link between them, he would escape at first given opportunity, which explained the shuffling feet.Orion eased his hand and moved it away from his hidden knife ¨C the maroon-haired urchin didn¡¯t react.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Thimble. I wouldn¡¯t force you to do this for free. How much?¡±

    Thimble gulped. He wanted to cheat Orion but the fact he was a Mage frightened him to the point he shivered whenever Orion spoke. Nevertheless, he was a child of the streets: the scars along his cheeks hadn¡¯t just appeared there. Losing his edge in tense situations would have starved him to death years ago, graveless and unmourned. The trick was to not push the price too far as to bud suspicions, but not low enough to be a fair price for his services.

    ¡°A single silvah, Lord Magy.¡± he said after deliberation.

    Orion¡¯s eyes widened and his eyebrows rose. What a bargain. Wait, had he undervalued his wealth? A gold coin was equal to 100 silvers, and a silver was equal to 100 coppers. Orion had never been involved with logistics at the House, but he was sure a meal was around 5 silvers.

    ¡°I beg yor sorries, Lord Magy. I¡¯ll show yer around for 20 coppahs.¡± Thimble hastily added, his shaky legs betraying his emotions.

    At this, Orion¡¯s heart pounded and his face flushed. He had almost been cheated by an uneducated street-urchin, and he had genuinely believed it a bargain. Instead of anger, however, he suffered an attack to his ego; how could he avenge his family when he couldn¡¯t even see through a frightened child¡¯s tricks? He was inadequate for this, he should¡¯ve died at the ambush instead of his brothers and sisters.In fact, he remembered he had a cousin he had never met in the Imperial Army. He didn¡¯t know her rank or station, but she had been lauded by the entire House ¨C even if she was chained up now, he knew such a character would escape and take vengeance. He wouldn¡¯t be any more helpful to the process than his dead relatives.

    Suddenly, Orion whispered, ¡°Calm down,¡± to himself, putting the maroon-haired urchin further on edge.

    What if his cousin couldn¡¯t escape, or what if she had been the first to die? He knew there were techniques for scouring memories from corpses; that would explain how they had known of his family¡¯s secrets and how they had mounted such a deadly ambush. No, he had to be the one to do his own chores, instead of continuing to be a weeping burden.

    Orion focused on Thimble, certain his own face was as red as a beet and his threats as laughable as jokes. ¡°No, I won¡¯t cheat you. A full silver, as long as you go above and beyond with your tour,¡±

    Thimble visibly relaxed, his jaw slack and eyes relieved. ¡°Yes sur, Lord Magy,¡± he shouted.

    ¡°That¡¯s Orion, no, ¡­ Jax, Lord Jax to you,¡± Orion said, picking a name from a children¡¯s tale.

    ¡°Should we go now, Lord Jax?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ no,¡± Orion said, sensing greed born out of comfort inside Thimble. There were many stories of Heroes being robbed clean by Scoundrels in cities. He was too na?ve; he needed to be more vigilant.

    ¡°Watch,¡± he said. His eyes didn¡¯t lighten, but on the ground appeared a glowing blue spot. Orion clenched his left hand and the finger-sized spot exploded, launching a ray of dust into the air. He then took out the gold coin, and making sure Thimble could see, tapped blue spots onto it, before putting it back into his pocket.

    ¡°Understand?¡±

    Thimble gulped and nodded, his ambitious plans crumbling away.

    ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s go,¡±

    <hr>

    Thimble first took him to the main road.

    ¡°This ¡®eres the Hexham¡¯s road. Leads from the market to the palace, to the, umm, slums, an¡¯ docks. It connects the whole city.¡±

    Despite his self-admitted naivety, even Orion could tell his companion had a rock in his throat. ¡°Out with it, or I¡¯ll find another guide,¡±

    ¡°No, no, please Lord Jax. What I gonna say ain¡¯t good, if yer gets me. It¡¯s what I learnt through practiss, stuff I¡¯m sure yer have no use for,¡± Thimble said.

    Orion tried his best to give an easy smile although it still came out strained. ¡°Why do you think I asked you for a tour?¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    The maroon-haired urchin thought and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s bettah if yer don¡¯t mess with the guards. But if yer are gonna, do it when it¡¯s light. Thataway, yer can run into the crowds. In the dark, more patrols, more alert, an¡¯ more violent. Sometimes they¡¯ll clash with Rats¡¯s men, an¡¯ it¡¯s always messy, but most of the time they avoid each other.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Rats?¡±

    ¡°Rats? He¡¯s the nastiest Underking. If yer love yor life, avoid ¡®im at all costs.¡±

    Orion thought there had been a lot of Soldiers guarding Hexham¡¯s road at night, and now it made sense why. There seemed to be a conflict, but also a balance, between the city¡¯s council and the underground.

    The two of them walked along the road for a bit but mostly used alleyways and dirty paths. At first, Orion had been suspicious why and where Thimble was leading him, but he soon realised that Thimble was avoiding the guards.

    ¡°Why are you running from every guard?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Haha. Sorri, Lord Jax, but that¡¯s just a dumb question. Do yer think they want my kind on this road? They wanna show the outsiders the good city, not the real city. An¡¯ for that, they¡¯ll beat up me nasty if they catch me.¡±

    A few minutes later, they entered a market square.

    ¡°These are the markets. It¡¯s got everything yer need, from food to weapons, although overpriced. But for yer, Lord Magy, these places ain¡¯t good enough. See that street there,¡± Thimble said while pointing towards a dark-stone laden road heading up a hill,¡± That¡¯s the real place for quality, but they¡¯re even worse for yor moneybags. Though, I ain¡¯t ever been there since yer gotta get through the guards to enter. Yer hungry, Lord Jax?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡±

    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll show yer the tasty stuff ¡®ere.¡±

    They first went towards the Bank, where Orion wiped away the lights and exchanged his gold coin for 99 silvers. The transaction cost had been 5 silvers, but when Thimble claimed Orion was a mage, and he released snow from his hand, the banker remembered the actual cost.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone I¡¯m a mage,¡± Orion said as he tapped spots onto the 9 10-silver coins and 9 silver coins and put them in his bag.

    Thimble opened his mouth, then shut it. ¡°Yes, Lord Jax.¡±

    Thimble then led him to many food stalls, and after seeing the prices, Orion bought two of each item for both of them from most of the stalls. Using magic without Giah, which lightened his eyes, required vast amounts of energy which taxed his body. The prices ranged from 3 to 5 copper coins. Although, in return, the food was bland and innutritious, rarely containing fats.

    While they were eating to the side, out of any guards¡¯ way, Orion said:

    ¡°You told me the food was overpriced. Those were all bargains.¡±

    Thimble gave him a wary look and swallowed his comment, instead saying, ¡°It can be rough on the streets,¡± while subconsciously stroking his cheek-scars.

    After eating, Thimble pointed out the palace, showed him many shortcuts through the city, and guided him around the docks. Then, Thimble introduced Orion to dubious characters running shady businesses, namely: Skitters, who had piles of lockpicks and masks lying around; Nanlong, who led a murderous mercenary group; Old Joe, who was a blacksmith, alchemist, and dealer. Thimble claimed it was safer and cheaper to know both sides of the city rather than just the well-lit part.

    This took up the better part of the day, by which time the two had warmed to each other. This was because Orion¡¯s sense of superiority crumbled over the hours as he realised how little he knew of life in cities and how double-faced people and places were. While he still looked down on Thimble¡¯s dirtiness, mannerisms, stench, humour, and morality, he came to realise Thimble was also a 17-year-old kid like him, just raised in a different place with a lot less power.

    The tour ended outside the least guarded, yet least populated part of Hexham¡¯s road. It was midway between the palace and the docks, and had a large, open steel-gate displaying Guilds.

    ¡°You sure you can¡¯t show me around here?¡± Orion asked, hoping to hear the secrets Thimble knew about this place.

    ¡°Naa, sorry, Lord Jax. Guilds ain¡¯t for me, and they real dangerous, ¡®specially if they spot yer hanging about.¡±

    Orion nodded, and after a brief hesitation, handed the maroon-haired urchin two silvers. ¡°Your tour is worth at least this much,¡±

    Thimble subtly beamed at this. ¡°Hey, Lord Jax. Can I ask a question?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡±

    He almost swallowed down his curiosity but ultimately failed. ¡°Where¡¯d you learn magic, Lord Jax? Is it hard? Why¡¯re yer so thin?¡±

    ¡°I learned my magic from a school in the capital. It¡¯s pretty hard, yeah, and I¡¯m thin because I rarely use it these days. More of a fighter,¡± Orion said, trying to suggest an alternative reality to Thimble.

    ¡°I knew yer were from a school.¡±

    When Orion raised his eyebrows, Thimble carried on. ¡°It¡¯s yor eyes: they paled when yer first used magic.¡±

    Orion felt a thick lump down his throat. This was why he hated gambling. ¡°Go on,¡± he squeezed out.

    Thimble didn¡¯t notice his expression. ¡°No offence, Lord Jax, but I heard the schools teach yers to pale yor eyes when casting spells, ¡®cause it¡¯s used for intimidation, using the great families street-cred and that,¡±

    Although Orion hadn¡¯t known this mockery, he still welcomed it. He was fine with lesser mages aping their magic if it allowed him to hide.

    Thimble nearly asked another question but managed to herd in the words before embarrassing himself. ¡°Anyway, Lord Jax, if yer need to find me for anything, anything at all, just ask Old Joe. It¡¯s safer than trying to find me in the slums,¡±

    Patting his back, Orion said his goodbyes before walking through the steel-gate. He passed the Golden Oxen guild-building, the illustrious Magi guild-building, the Black Hearts guild-building, and headed for the final one: the Seeker¡¯s building.

    <hr>

 5. The Seekers

    <hr>

    Two massive skulls adorned the upper corners of the building. The jaws of the monsters were gaping, and their maws housed incisors stretching the entire length. It gave the Seeker¡¯s building a sinister overtone compared to the noble auras of the other guild-buildings, perhaps only contested by the Black Heart¡¯s building.

    Orion pushed through the stone doors, the entrance snapping shut after him. Inside, countless skulls of different shapes, sizes, and colour decorated the sides of the hall. There were wide beams of sunlight gracing the room from above, and potted fauna added variety to the ornaments. At the end of the hall, there was a curved marble table, behind which sat a receptionist. Behind her were winding stairs that led up.

    The decorations ground away at Orion¡¯s confidence as he walked to the table, feeling increasingly frivolous under the stares of the menacing skulls and the spirits of the Seekers who slaughtered them.

    ¡°Hiya. What¡¯re you here for?¡± the receptionist asked when Orion awkwardly stood in her sunlight.

    The receptionist was a toned brunette with two braids hanging above her shoulders. She wore a dark tunic and beige trousers, through which her figure showed.

    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m here to register as a Seeker.¡±

    The brunette scoffed at this before inspecting him. ¡°You sure, kid? I mean, yeah, you could get famous but you look like you¡¯ll die during your first job,¡± she said despite looking in her early twenties.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± he said while looking her in the eye.

    ¡°Alright. What¡¯s your name, age, place of birth, and base city?¡±

    ¡°Jax Whyte, 16, City of Yupker, and here in Visgamar,¡±

    ¡°Jax Whyte, eh?¡± she teased. ¡°Well, if you travelled all the way here from Yupker, maybe you are strong.¡± She filled in a form and gave it to him. ¡°Take it upstairs and find Smith,¡±

    ¡°Who should I say sent me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°He¡¯ll know who sent you, naughty boy. I¡¯ll give you my name if you survive your first job,¡± she said with a wink, sending Orion upstairs with a faint blush.

    The first floor was wider than the ground floor and less decorated. There were two rooms to the side, a curious set of stairs on the opposite side heading up and down, and a wide board pinned with contracts. A few people crowded the board and the benches and tables around it.He ignored them and went towards the room with Smith written next to it. He firmly knocked before entering. Inside, there was a grey-haired man with an eyepatch sat behind a table piled with papers and inks. To the sides were shelves compact with sheets and books. Orion handed him the form and sat on the open chair.

    ¡°New Seeker? I¡¯ll see about that,¡± Smith said, his voice deep and gravelly. He laughed when he read the form, before facing Orion.

    ¡°Jax Whyte, were you this pale when you popped out? Did your momma drop her family name to tease you with that?¡±

    Orion¡¯s forehead creased, and his lips drew to a thin line. He already regretted the surname he¡¯d picked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, kid. Your skin will golden up once you stay here. And considering you¡¯re applying to die at such a young age, I¡¯m guessing you know magic?¡± Smith said.

    Orion nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve got moderate knowledge of Ice magic. Learned it from a small school near Yupker.¡±

    ¡°Nothing compared to the Capital¡¯s mages, then. Although, I guess you¡¯d go to the Mage¡¯s guild if you had such a background,¡± Smith said while frowning. ¡°You know how to fight? How to survive in the wild?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡±

    ¡°Good. Now tell me, how come you¡¯ve got such nice clothes?¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Orion¡¯s eyes drifted, and Smith didn¡¯t miss it. ¡°I didn¡¯t steal it. I helped a merchant on the journey here from Yupker. He dealt in noblemen¡¯s clothing and gave me a set.¡± At Smith¡¯s raised eyebrows, he carried on. ¡°He had guards and mercenaries, but they had been dealing with a few bandits. It was by luck I saved the merchant.¡±

    Smith nodded with a smile. ¡°Now, those must have been some really useless mercenaries. Considering he gives out clothes made of Blacktip-leather so easily, you¡¯d imagine him to have deep enough pockets to hire the Black Hearts.¡± He stared into Orion¡¯s eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll let that pass, though. Weird stuff can happen, I guess.¡±

    Orion internally sighed in relief. He was lucky he had been wearing his cheap clothes during the ambush, that was if any luck could be attributed to such an event.

    ¡°Well, everything looks in order. Let me finish with a sketch of you,¡± Smith said.

    Five minutes later, a portrait of Orion lay in front of him. He was slim with cheekbones showing. He had black, finger-length hair jumbled across his head, and black eyes with fine-drawn bags under. His skin was pale, so Smith had coloured the yellow parchment with white ink.He had slumped shoulders and wore simple clothing in the picture. He looked like a generic, handsome Westerner except for one feature: the long, dull-red scars from his left-cheek to his jawline. They looked like cracks in dried ground due to how well they connected.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll send this to all the Seeker guilds so you can accept contracts and redeem rewards anywhere. Whenever you feel ready to take a contract, just go to the board and pick one. They¡¯ll have the details written on. Any questions?¡±

    ¡°Yes. How do I get into the Seekers Summit?¡± Orion asked.

    ¡°Ha, Jax, you feisty one. There are 9 ranks. When you become a 5-star Seeker, you¡¯re allowed at the Summit. But don¡¯t worry about ranking up, kid. Ranks are worthless. You could take a 6-star contract from here right now, and I guarantee you¡¯d die. In this profession, most of the newbies die on their first job. So, don¡¯t think about the rank at all, instead think about how you can make the most money from the contracts you can actually do. We double function as a bank so ask Maya downstairs to open an account once you complete a contract. Also, the summit is boring as hell, just higher-starred jobs, depressing talks, and shit drinks.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± Orion said, before exiting under Smith¡¯s one-eyed gaze.

    Once out, he headed towards the contracts and looked through. The 6-star contract Smith had mentioned listed hunting a Basilisk to an island east of Visgamar. It had destroyed the fort set up there, and in turn, the Imperial Guard had commissioned its demise. The reward made Orion blink twice, before putting it back without a second thought. Even if the reward was so great, he remembered his dad telling the tale of how he had cut down a Basilisk, and how difficult it had been. Orion didn¡¯t even have a fraction of the power his dad had.

    He fell down the tiers and discovered he could barely defeat a 2-star monster, or at least he hoped: it wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d gamble on, though.

    It was while sitting by a table, looking through 2-star contracts that another man took the seat beside him.

    ¡°Heya mate, you¡¯re thinking about a tier-two contract, ain¡¯tcha?¡±

    Orion nodded and inspected the man. He looked to be in his late twenties and had a roughly-cut ginger beard. His skin was tanned, and he had bloodshot eyes with deep bags under. He wore a thin, plain gambeson with shoulder pads, and a pair of padded trousers. By his waist, he had a small buckled shield, and in his hand, he held a sheathed longsword.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯ve seen you frown quite a few times. How about you do this contract with me and we¡¯ll split the reward? I¡¯ve read up on it and can nearly take it down, but I¡¯ll need support.¡± the ginger man said.

    Orion read the contract on the table. It was to kill a Rockskin, first spotted by a villager in a swamp north of Visgamar. It was rated 2-stars and had a reward of 10 gold coins, commissioned by Lord Rotro. Even if the ginger man turned out useless, a second person to act as a shield was all Orion needed.

    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Orion said. Although the reward was low for a 2-star, he didn¡¯t care about the coins either away.

    ¡°I¡¯m Flynn. Pleased to meet ya,¡±

    ¡°Jax, likewise,¡±

    The two of them shook hands and headed downstairs where Flynn gave the contract to Maya.

    ¡°Oh, Whytie, you made a friend. Maybe you will live, after all.¡±

    ¡°Will we both become 2-starred Seekers after this?¡± Orion asked.

    ¡°Sure. You can usually work with a party and still get the same ranking, although the maximum number of people differs with each contract. For this one, you can have up to 3 people.¡±

    He glanced at Flynn.

    ¡°Nah. We agreed to split it, Jax,¡±

    Orion nodded towards Maya. ¡°Thanks for the help, Maya,¡±

    ¡°Aww, it¡¯s no fun if you cheat. Perhaps I¡¯ll think of something else though?¡± Maya called out as they left the Seeker¡¯s building.

    Following this, they bought food supplies, and Orion bought a shortsword from the market. They left Visgamar before nightfall and walked along a path towards Marshal¡¯s Keep.

    Marshal¡¯s Keep was now a shell of its former self. It had become an actual marsh over the past few years, infested by low-tier monsters. Higher-tiers were rare there, and something like a Rockskin, which lived on grassy pastures, was even more unusual in the swamps.

    <hr>

 6. Overwhelming Desires

    <hr>

    Indented lines marked the dust track, drawn from countless wagons rolled over. Orion and Flynn walked alongside holding lamps, watching their fronts and backs for any carriages they could hitchhike.Flynn had initially been chatty, babbling on about Visgamar and its quirks once Orion had told him he was new to the area. But as time passed, Flynn began to sulk and frown over things they had been laughing about minutes before. Moreover, he slowed as his steps became trudges and his breaths became wheezes.

    An hour after the mood change, Flynn abruptly stopped and began scavenging through his backpack. Orion stopped a few steps ahead and followed suit, taking his bottle out and resting his feet. Due to the dark, it was only when Orion walked over he realised his companion had no interest in water, or even food, instead putting them aside his lamp as he ravaged his bag.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked.

    Flynn was unwrapping old, bundled newspapers, his eyes bright and mouth dribbling. ¡°You don¡¯t know? It¡¯s a Visgamar speciality,¡± he said as he opened it.

    Orion¡¯s nose caught onto the scent before his eyes recognised it. A rich nutty smell, as sweet as honey. These nuts were burnt black, unlike the ones he had capsized by the dock, but they still shared the distinctive odour of manure.

    ¡°What are those?¡±

    ¡°Gajoi nuts, we call them. They got different names under different cities. Smells nice, eh?¡± Flynn responded while crushing one in his hand, bolstering the smell. ¡°So smooth, love it,¡±

    ¡°Why do you eat them?¡± Orion asked, his anger seeping in.

    Flynn glanced over as he popped the nut into his mouth. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re one of them, eh? I can¡¯t function without these, mate.¡± His eyes glazed over, and his body collapsed onto itself as he finished.

    Before Orion could even check his companion¡¯s state, Flynn arose and went about wrapping the remaining Gajoi nuts. His eyes were clear now, and only the perverted smile accompanied by the senseless nodding suggested he was high.Seconds passed without Flynn acknowledging Orion or his repulsed stare.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Orion warily asked, ready to cast Giah any second- it was dark, and no was around for miles.

    Flynn glanced at Orion and grinned. ¡°Oh. Yeah, yeah, mate. Can¡¯t function without these.¡± he mumbled. He repacked his bag and started walking, Orion tagging behind.

    The quiet that had been in between them grew into a silence, the silence only drawing longer every time Flynn stopped to collapse over another Gajoi nut.

    Neither of the two had spoken in hours when Flynn suddenly started.

    ¡°It was long ago, far in the past when I began, mate. Those times were good, I¡¯ll tell you. Mummas angry, just eat a nut and forget that bitch. People wanna beat you up for debts, just eat a nut and let ¡®em do it. Didn¡¯t get the job, just eat a nut.¡±

    Orion¡¯s eyes bore into Flynn¡¯s back but he carried on undeterred.

    ¡°Ahhh,¡± he shouted, sending his arms up. ¡°It felt so good, Jax. Best feelings ever. Even better than sex. But,¡± he said as his arms plummeted, swinging by his side, ¡°The feeling drains. Every time I ate the nuts, less of a treat, more of a necessity. It started with me wanting to do it. Then, I had to do it. Now, I need to do it,¡±

    Orion dropped his guns-drawn glare and looked to the ground. Was this how his sister had fallen into the trap? Just a treat at the parties with the other girls, then honey to her tongue, and finally air for her lungs.

    ¡°Y¡¯know, it got boring when the choice got taken out. I had been choosing to take it before, choosing to be happy with my head in the clouds.¡± His voice quivered. ¡°Now my heads gotta be there, or I¡¯ll die; no choice, no fun.¡±

    The uncomfortable quiet stretched on until Orion spotted a well-lit carriage behind them. He patted Flynn on the shoulder, and they waited by the side. The two elderly narkois pulling the wagon cast their heads down dispiritedly when they saw the men standing in lamplight.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Narkois were large lizards, almost as tall and wider than humans, with forked tongues and crushing molars. They were, however, tameable herbivores. They had round yellow eyes and scaly skin. Their inordinate leg muscles and feet meant they were great for pulling heavy loads. Despite this, only the lower classes put up with the accompanying downsides of them being slow and nocturnal.

    And like the tired animals had dreaded, Orion and Flynn were effortlessly let on after they claimed they mission, only for the elderly farmer to babble on about Fexa the Gracious. It was what she would have done, the farmer humbly said.Orion ignored the preachings of the Eastern God as he sat beside the farmer, staring into the oppressive darkness. Flynn joined the two for a while but spent most of his time besides the farmer¡¯s unsold wares and bought treats.

    Surprisingly, the farmer didn¡¯t seem to care at all; maybe he knew nutheads only cared for one thing. Perhaps Fexa the Gracious allowed nutheads, considering how much money and jobs they made for her territories.

    By the time they reached their destination on the path, it was daybreak, and the farmer had given up on his efforts, apparently not as big a fan of his voice as Orion had mused. Flynn rarely stirred, only ever getting up to open his bag.In foresight, Orion had only thought of his body¡¯s safety when grouping up with Flynn: even if a gang of Flynns betrayed him, he could still get the upper hand. Next time, he also had to think of his mind¡¯s wellbeing.

    They got off, thanked the farmer, peered at Flynn¡¯s map, and headed further north for an hour until they finally saw Marshall¡¯s Keep.

    The swamp water was murky-green, and moss dominated the land. There were many downed trees to jump over and rotted wood and animal shit to brush off. Contrary to Orion¡¯s expectations, there weren¡¯t any loud roars or monsters galore. Only the croaks of frogs and the zipping of flies reassured them the swamp was still alive.

    It appeared the Rockskin had played aplenty in its new stamping ground.

    Surprisingly, Flynn had gotten his act together since entering the swamp as he had stopped sniffing at his bag every few seconds. Instead, he gripped his longsword and shield as he trod carefully. Were it not for his face being the same and his eyes being as bloodshot as before, Orion would¡¯ve guessed him to be another person.

    It was while Orion was trying to ignore the marshy reek that Flynn bumped into him and pointed into the distance. There lay a gluttonous reptile at least two metres long and a metre wide. It was half the height of a human, but something, mainly the bulging stomach, told Orion they would die if it rolled over them. Its famously hard and gritty skin looked soft and sticky from the dried swamp water.

    It was tearing into a flesh fountain with claws the size of hands, voraciously sinking its teeth into the meat as if there was actually space in its belly.

    Flynn tapped on Orion¡¯s shoulder and pointed to the tail that made up half the beast. ¡°Don¡¯t get near that,¡± he whispered, his tone sharp, unrecognisable with the former him. ¡°The claws are nothing but get close to that tail and it¡¯ll feel like a bull to the balls. Don¡¯t die, alright? Get near it and distract it. I¡¯ll come from behind and cripple it, and then we¡¯ll just chip it dead. Simple.¡±

    Orion opened his mouth, but Flynn continued. ¡°If it¡¯s not so simple, see that cave there,¡± he said while pointing to a cavemouth as wide as Orion¡¯s shortsword, ¡°Run in there. If my cripple fails, we can¡¯t outrun it, no matter how fat it is.¡± he finished.

    He nodded to Orion and sneaked away, the Rockskin deaf to the wet slaps of his feet circling it.

    In little time, he was in the trees behind the beast.

    Orion stared at his hands and considered using Giah. He was sure he could kill the beast alone if he went all-out, but then he¡¯d have to kill Flynn, and he didn¡¯t want to kill indiscriminately. He glanced towards the dirtied, ginger man crouching and nodded. Since Flynn was so confident, he¡¯d at least amuse his plan.

    He clenched his shortsword as he creeped softly, not looking where he stepped but instead into the beast¡¯s oblivious eyes. The second they snapped over would be the second that mattered.

    First step: still blood on its mind.

    Second step: its teeth gorging flesh.

    Third step: it scratched its nose.

    Fourth step: it resumed eating.

    Fifth step: its tongue slipped out and licked the blood off its eyes.

    Sixth step: the eyes flickered over.

    Orion sprinted the last few metres, the Rockskin dropping the carcass and raising its arms.

    Too slow.

    He flicked at its hanging tongue with his tip and fell back, the monster clawing at air.

    It almost launched itself at Orion but instead stopped and turned.

    He couldn¡¯t see clearly due to the bulking monster in front of him and the blasted murky water, but he could clearly hear the scream.

    ¡°RUN!¡± Flynn screamed.

    Orion didn¡¯t process the words - that was not allowed in Zakari military training - he simply followed. He was in the cave before he even realised what he was doing. He whacked his head and swore, picking his arse up to get outside when another figure tumbled through.

    Flynn landed on his chest and spat pungent blood into the dark. They had fucked up¡­

    <hr>

 7. Completing the Square

    <hr>

    Since their lamps were in their bags, the only light against the inky darkness came through the entrance in the form of bleak, flickering sunlight. The Rockskin rammed the cave and roared into the opening, spitfiring saliva at the two Seekers. The sunlight returned as the Rockskin withdrew, but it was dark again in a second as the monster smashed against the hole. Orion felt a slimy caress against his hand.

    He snapped.

    He struck with his sword and then pierced towards the entrance. The Rockskin shrieked in agony as light filled the cave again, Orion simultaneously being sprayed with blood. He wiped his face and looked down, catching sight of the crimson tongue squirming like a worm. He stepped onto it, then kicked it away, his foot squelching with each move.

    Glancing to the side, Orion saw Flynn and went to kneel by his side. The ginger-man had curled into a fetal position with his hands clutched against his stomach.

    ¡°Are you ok? Let me see,¡± Orion said as he moved Flynn¡¯s hands, revealing a growing dark patch.

    ¡°No. Open my bag,¡± his companion said while feebly pushing back.

    Self-aware he was no medic, Orion clenched his teeth and listened, taking the bag off Flynn and opening it.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Yellow¡­ paper,¡±

    Orion found the wrapped up yellow paper and opened it, only to freeze.

    The cave had stunk off damp mould, then of blood and fetid saliva. Now, another smell burst open and filled the cave with a distinctive scent. Toasty, nutty, and honey-like. There was no accompanying odour of manure, but instead one of sea salt. While Orion gaped at the opened package, Flynn gained the strength to get up from the released smell and took the package from his frozen companion. He put the paper to his face, to his nostrils, and snorted.

    Orion woke up to the thud and looked at his collapsed companion. He moved over and stiffly took the paper, brushing his finger against it and looking at it in the cheerless light. It was powdered Gajoi nuts, ground up into salt-like crystals. He didn¡¯t know how you could make something as soft and crumbly as Gajoi nuts into powder, but the dealers had done it.He threw the paper into the darkness and checked on Flynn. Flynn wasn¡¯t breathing, and he wasn¡¯t moving. Wearing an empty expression, Orion moved away and picked up his shortsword, then headed towards the entrance. Suddenly, a hand clasped his shoulder, and in shock, Orion punched.

    Flynn didn¡¯t even flinch, instead he smiled. ¡°Kill,¡± he said cheerfully.

    ¡°No. Sit down. I¡¯ll kill it,¡± Orion said, trying to gently seat him.

    But instead of taking the advice, Flynn pulled Orion down and walked past, picking up his longsword and pulling himself to the outside. Orion hit the sullied ground and sighed.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    He was sick, sick of the stench, sick of Flynn¡¯s actions, sick of the contract. He growled as he rose; he might have been one of the weaker Zakari, but he was still a Zakari. Pride-fueled anger coursed through him, giving him a wild ferocity. He flung himself out of the cave and came into the murky-lit swamp.

    Flynn was a few steps ahead, wasting the air in his lungs as he cackled at the Rockskin. The monster stood on a crumbled stone-wall with its back to Orion, observing the madman. It had learnt from its mistake in the cave, so it warily scanned for any traps, its sliced tongue filling its mouth with blood. But no matter how hard it looked, the human still looked like easy prey. Besides, its patience had already thinned out.

    At the same time, Orion¡¯s eyes whitened and boundless energy rushed into him. An icicle formed beside him, his right hand stretching it longer. In a matter of seconds, it was as long as a spear and reflected the foul scene back against the world.

    The Rockskin leapt, its gaping maw showering Marshall¡¯s Keep with blood, its claws heading straight for the ginger human. Then, a spear pierced through its lungs and out, the momentum pulling its body away from Flynn. The monster plunged into the ground, splashing dirty water. It tried to move but its mind faltered, sending the body into spasms.

    The impact had felled Flynn and he now lay in the water drowning. Orion picked him up by his gambeson and dumped him on dry ground before walking to the Rockskin. He placed his left hand on the spear; the ice-spear exploded away from Orion, tearing into the Rockskin¡¯s organs and into distant trees. He chopped with his sword and snapped the neck, plopping the head into water.

    The Rockskin was a 3-star monster, but that was while on dry land. Prolonged exposure to water ruined its rock-hard skin, making it an easy target. Yet, Flynn had almost died against it.

    Orion picked the head by its ear and walked back. He stepped on Flynn¡¯s shield and picked it up to take a better look. Despite Flynn¡¯s own advice, it seemed he hadn¡¯t been wary enough as the Rockskin had whipped its tail against him, snapping the shield and tearing flesh off his stomach. This explained why he had screamed for them to retreat.Shaking his head, Orion dropped the broken shield and walked over to Flynn. He dropped the monster¡¯s head beside his unconscious companion and slipped back into the reeking cave to get their bags. Placing the Rockskin¡¯s head in Flynn¡¯s bag, he used the packaged bandages on Flynn. While he wasn¡¯t practised at dressing wounds, he did manage to treat them on a surface level.

    He had considered killing Flynn, ending his miserable existence, but memories of his sister had prevented him from executing the drastic action. His sister had fallen much lower than Flynn, and yet she had managed to fix her life. Ending Flynn¡¯s life would also end any hopes of a better life for the man, something Orion couldn¡¯t bring himself to do.

    He repacked the bags and placed them both on Flynn¡¯s back, before hoisting his companion onto his back. They had only come to the outskirts of Marshall¡¯s Keep but Orion was already eager to get out.

    Three hours later, he was back on the dust track, piggybacking Flynn to Visgamar, the closest settlement. His whole body ached, and his arms and legs burned with pain. Nonetheless, he continued walking, aware that Visgamar was only a few hours more.

    During the duration, he hadn¡¯t come across a single traveller. But now, far behind them, he saw a small dot tracing his steps. Orion stopped and let Flynn down before stretching his numbed limbs.

    The figure slowed as they got closer, their cloak hiding their face and body.

    ¡°Are you of faith?¡± Orion shouted, hoping it was another zealous farmer.

    The cloaked figure didn¡¯t respond.

    Orion gripped his shortsword and tried again. ¡°Do you trust in Fexa the Gracious? Please, I need your help,¡± he shouted.

    Once again, the cloaked figure didn¡¯t respond. Instead, they took out a shortsword and paced onwards.

    <hr>

 8. Celebrating a Good Time

    <hr>

    The winds puffed across the dry plains, swaying weeds and grass. It tugged at Orion¡¯s clothes and at the figure¡¯s cloak. The two parties were fifty metres apart, and the figure seemed disinterested in circling him and walking past.

    Hoping for reason to avail, Orion tried again. ¡°Please, let¡¯s not devolve to violence like monsters,¡± His body ached, and he doubted his ability to carry Flynn to Visgamar after a fight unless he got lucky.

    The figure was now thirty metres away and edging closer. They were near enough for Orion to peek through the cowl. ¡°You¡¯re a woman,¡± he exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous on the road if bandits catch you. Since we¡¯re heading the same way, why don¡¯t we group up for safety?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m about to mow down two bandits right now,¡± she answered, her tone grave.

    Considering their combat clothes and their bloody and ragged appearance, Orion knew it wasn¡¯t much of a stretch to assume them bandits. But still, he had been carrying Flynn, who was severely injured, meaning they obviously weren¡¯t going to rob anyone anytime soon. So what kind of conceited bitch was she to execute them for such a fanciful assumption.

    ¡°We¡¯re not bandits,¡± Orion said, before bitterly laughing. ¡°We¡¯re Seekers come from a hunt,¡±

    ¡°Seekers?¡± she said surprised. ¡°Like monster hunter Seekers?¡±

    ¡°The very same,¡± he answered. While keeping his eye on her, he opened Flynn¡¯s bag and pulled out the Rockskin¡¯s head.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said disappointed. Orion didn¡¯t know whether she was disappointed with their kill, or over the fact she couldn¡¯t slaughter them over a false assumption. She awkwardly stood in silence, lacking the words to explain her thoughts.

    ¡°Are of you of Fexa¡¯s faith?¡± he repeated, guessing she was a religious fanatic.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she mumbled. She walked forwards as she said, ¡°Since you¡¯re Seekers, do you know how I can become one?¡±

    ¡°Yep. We¡¯re heading to the Seeker¡¯s building right now if you want to join,¡±

    She nodded as she stepped in front of him. He sheathed his shortsword while maintaining sight, before realising he¡¯d be defenceless next to a crazy person if he picked up Flynn again. Contrarily, she was nonchalant at his presence as she stood with her back to Orion, inspecting Flynn.

    ¡°Did you do this?¡± she asked while picking at the bandages.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he answered while creeping to Flynn, tense over her calmness.

    She chuckled and ripped them off. ¡°You¡¯re terrible. He would¡¯ve died in a few hours, regardless of your intentions,¡±

    Opening her backpack, she took out a flask and a small knife. She cleaned away the pus that had bloomed under the bandages and spread concentrated alcohol over the wound that covered half of Flynn¡¯s abs. He gasped but didn¡¯t wake. Then, she held the knife over his stomach. Orion crouched around the other side and watched her method. He hadn¡¯t considered the pus build-up due to the tension at Marshall¡¯s Keep, and the alcohol they had bought had been weak.

    Head-level with her, he glanced at her. She had glowing tanned skin and black eyes. She had caramel-brown hair and creamy-pink lips. Her maroon cloak hid the rest of her figure but Orion could tell she was pretty. She caught his stare, but he didn¡¯t look away. Instead, he tried to figure her intentions, after all, he doubted she was as volatile as she seemed. Or at least he hoped.Stolen novel; please report.

    He only looked away when he realised the knife was magically reddening. Without hesitation, she pressed the knife against the wound, causing Flynn to scream.

    ¡°Hold him down,¡± she said, clearly comfortable commanding a stranger.

    Over the following minutes, Flynn¡¯s screams sounded across the plains as she cauterised his wound, only stopping once it was closed off and bandaged. By this time, he had fainted again.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± she said as she flung Flynn over her back and started walking. Her strength shocked Orion but he kept quiet, not wanting to provoke a reaction.

    <hr>

    The trio walked through Visgamar¡¯s gates and headed towards the Seeker¡¯s building.

    Over the hours, Orion learnt her name was Kora, and that she was from a village west of Marshall¡¯s Keep. She had dreamed of being a Seeker, and now that she was 20, she decided to risk her life and entertain her fantasy. To his own surprise, Orion actually believed it considering how reckless, na?ve, and temperamental she was.

    Flynn had woken an hour from Visgamar and had ended the trek on his own two feet after seven hours on Kora¡¯s back. He profusely thanked the two and had remained level-headed for the rest of the journey, somewhat because his fling with death had shrivelled his craving but more so because Orion had dumped his nuts in the swamp.

    <hr>

    ¡°Oh, Whytie. Another friend, aren¡¯t you a magnet,¡± Maya said as she scrutinised the Rockskin head.

    ¡°And a quick shot, apparently. This is the real deal; here¡¯s your reward,¡± she said as she gave out five gold coins to Flynn and five to Orion.

    ¡°Put three in my account,¡± Orion said.

    Maya nodded, then winked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I thought of a naughty reward for your next contract,¡±

    Flynn ignored them, and gave two of his gold coins to Kora, who giggled over Maya¡¯s teasing. ¡°Your help is worth more, but I hope you¡¯ll accept this,¡±

    She smiled in response, before asking Maya how to become a Seeker.

    A few minutes later, the three Seekers stood outside on Hexham¡¯s road.

    ¡°Remember, The Honeyed Spitroast tomorrow night. My treat,¡± Flynn said, before leaving.

    Kora waved at Orion and disappeared down the road, saying she wanted to look around the city. While he could have helped her, it was almost night and his limbs felt like lead hammers, crude and heavy, but more importantly, he felt uneasy about how easy she seemed around him.He headed to The Little Sip, the cheapest inn in Visgamar, and paid five coppers for a night and food. He washed his filthy clothes, bathed, ate, and slept like a baby.

    The next day, he woke late to the sounds of grunting in the opposite room and a foul smell from the streets. He looked through the window and saw the sun was high in sky, the fog over Visgamar a paper-thin mist.The duo in the next room, maybe trio, came to a climax so he got to dress in relative quiet.

    Picking up his items, he left his bare little room and entered the bustle of the city. He bought elbow-pads, knee-pads, and a large med-kit from the market for 8 silvers. Then, he ate a hearty lunch, and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the city.When the sky darkened, he arrived at The Honeyed Spitroast and waited by a table. The inn was much larger than The Little Sip, and there were burly bouncers guarding the entrances. Orion figured it was an inevitability with larger, grander establishments.

    In the middle of the hall spun a large boar, its skin golden-brown with a honeyed lustre. Orion could smell oregano, tomato, marcona almonds, chilli powder, cinnamon, walnuts, and roast pork wafting around him. It was while he was tuning into the orchestra in his nose that someone sat beside him.

    He looked over and saw Kora beaming at him. She wore her maroon cloak except over her head, and while she attracted a few glances, her simple type of beauty wasn¡¯t enough for anyone to make a fuss about. He put on a smile and made small talk with her, asking about her tour of Visgamar. Half an hour passed and the two of them went to the counter, asking for Flynn¡¯s room number.

    The owner swiftly directed them before rushing around the inn again. Outside Flynn¡¯s door, they knocked and shouted. Kora then pushed Orion aside and turned the knob, opening the door. She stepped away and let Orion see.

    Inside, Flynn sat on the floorboards with his head collapsed over the bed. His hands were by his sides and there was Gajoi powder brushed on his clothes, but none on his face. There was a small pool of blood and saliva beside him, trailing from his nose and mouth.While Orion stood with his throat in his stomach, Kora put her fingers around Flynn¡¯s wrist, then his neck. She shook her head a moment later.

    <hr>

 9. Temple

    <hr>

    Orion staggered into the room and knelt. Flynn¡¯s eyes were half-open and his chest was still - he had been dead for a few hours. His mouth open, Orion looked at Kora and saw her staring at him, her eyes tinged with worry. Why was she looking at him like that? He put his hand over his face and felt his fingers dampen: he was crying¡­

    He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡±

    She placed a hand on his shoulder before walking out. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the innkeeper,¡±

    Orion got up and followed her. ¡°No, I¡¯ll come with,¡±

    They went downstairs and found the innkeeper. His face was tinted red and glimmering with sweat.

    Kora got his attention and beckoned him. ¡°Um, our friend, the one in the 12<sup>th</sup> room, overdosed and died,¡±

    The innkeeper¡¯s face paled. ¡°Flynn? No, surely not.¡± He looked at the floorboards and rubbed his forehead. ¡°Look, I¡¯m busy so if you clean out his room, you can have whatever he¡¯s left,¡± he said, before bowing his head and dashing to another customer.

    They went back upstairs and moved Flynn¡¯s body to the side. Orion searched the drawers but found nothing except the longsword. Flynn¡¯s bag and gold coins had disappeared, maybe bartered for the Gajoi powder. They picked up his corpse and carried it with the sword, exiting through the front door. Some of the inn¡¯s merry-goers seemed shocked but most ignored them, and one bouncer even poked Flynn¡¯s head as a joke, before bursting into laughter with his friends.

    Kora piggybacked the body and Orion held the sword as they headed to the Temple. The moon and stars poorly lit up the inky sky, but luckily, Hexham¡¯s road was well-lit and allowed them safe passage through the city. During his tour, Thimble had mentioned the Temple was close to the Palace, but he hadn¡¯t revealed anything else, most likely not the praying type.

    While treading the stone-laid path, a thought entered Orion¡¯s head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit fishy?¡± he said, wiping away the dried tears.

    ¡°What?¡± she said.

    ¡°The innkeeper didn¡¯t ask us any questions, and the guards acted carefree about his death,¡±

    Kora smirked. ¡°You are a bit slow, aren¡¯t you?

    When he faced her with confusion, she continued.

    ¡°Flynn was a Seeker, but his room was basically naked. Nothing there, and even if he had traded his gold coins for powder, where was the rest of it? A gold coin can get you a bagful of Gajoi powder, more than enough for several uses.¡±

    Orion wondered how she knew such a fact but didn¡¯t comment. Maybe she used to be an addict.

    ¡°Who¡¯s got the best access to Flynn¡¯s room? All the innkeeper had to do was check up on him, see him dead, strip the room of valuables, leave the door unlocked for his friends, and then act shocked at his death. Damn boy, how did you not notice the nutty smell in the inn? Clearly a meeting place for addicts and dealers, probably the innkeeper himself. How did you not even smell the blood on him?¡± she finished.

    Orion couldn¡¯t bear his curiosity anymore. ¡°How do you know all this?¡±

    She chortled and bent over, holding her stomach while she shook, precariously tilting Flynn¡¯s corpse. A lifetime later, she stopped and wiped at her tears, before facing Orion. ¡°You¡¯re too good. Where have you been living, some castle? Just spend time without your head up your arse and you¡¯ll learn some common sense,¡±

    He glared at her, then frowned. She really was laid-back around him, and now he knew why. She believed she was stronger, and apparently more pragmatic, so she didn¡¯t have to worry in his presence.

    ¡°I¡¯m kidding, Jax. Put that pout away,¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    He harrumphed and looked away. They walked the rest of the distance in relative quiet, eventually arriving at the Temple¡¯s gates. A patrol of guards stood at attention by the ornate gates.

    ¡°What is your business here?¡± a guard asked.

    ¡°We want to cremate our friend,¡± Orion answered.

    ¡°And the sword?¡± the guard asked, furrowing his brow.

    ¡°He was a Seeker. We thought it was only right,¡± Kora said.

    The guard nodded. ¡°A Seeker, eh? A good man then,¡± He stepped out of the way, allowing the Seekers in.

    The Temple was as grandly decorated as the gate. Large torch fires were scattered every few metres, lighting up the area like in daytime. Pillars of marble stood as tall as dragons and as long as horses. The roof and floor were made of polished marble, reflecting and distorting their faces from many angles. Around the temple were two small waterfalls and oasis-like pools filled with emerald plants. Gold tinted statues were spread over the grounds, mostly small ones of great people, but also larger ones of Kings and Gods embellished with jewels.

    Kora and Orion soon discovered the Temple¡¯s domain was much larger than they had imagined. The building they been in awe over was the Temple¡¯s facade, and through its mouth they could arrive at the actual temples of the three gods praised in the East.

    Orion followed Kora through the right-most corridor and reached Asarte¡¯s temple. In the open hall, scantily dressed priestesses danced in a ceremonial way, hips shaking and steps flowing like water. Behind them stood barely clothed priests, waiting for their turn in the centre. All of them were alluring, their bodies seducing and their speech charming.

    Around the hall, there were clay jugs of wine and bowls of fruits, honey, and cheeses. The side walls led to various rooms, some of them lavishly decorated and soundproof. On the furthermost wall was a statue of Asarte. She was voluptuous, her figure naked, and her legs open. She was the Goddess of desires, and for a small fortune, her clergy would drain your impure cravings and itches, your thirst and hunger, your aches and yearnings, and leave you virtuous and sinless.

    Orion glanced thunderstruck around the hall for a long time, feeling his desires aroused and arrested. This was his first time at an Asartean temple, and now he understood why their creed was the wealthiest and most powerful: they dominated and controlled the mages¡¯ hearts. Even now, he could see various obese mages around, lecherously slobbering over the eye-candy while being pampered by Asarte¡¯s clergy.

    He broke from the spell with a pounding heart and saw Kora beside another corridor, shaking her forefinger at him with a grin plastered over her face. Gulping down his shame, Orion caught up and followed her to the next Temple. While Asarte¡¯s Temple fit Flynn and his death well, they agreed to give him a cremation in honour of his other accomplishments in life.

    They entered Fexa¡¯s Temple, took a quick look, then left. Although her hall was embellished with jewels and silks, it wasn¡¯t half as gaudy as Asarte¡¯s. Her Clergy were robed men and women reciting prayers and listening to the common folk, of which there were many in the hall despite the late hour.Fexa herself was on the furthest wall, her statue kneeling with her robes flowing around her, her eyes made of diamonds and her hands clasped in prayer. She had a gentle expression and a noble aura.

    She was not a good fit for Flynn.

    The last hall was for Kovas, God of glory, but mostly of violence and destruction. In the middle of the hall was a large pit, stained black and red with blood. It was an arena for the faithful to prove themselves. The clergy wore thin and tight-fitting clothes, their figures toned and slim. All of them had injuries of some severity, and they were almost matches for the Western God Vastya¡¯s clergy.

    Almost.

    Orion and Kora walked past the arena and went to the furthest wall. The statue showed a thinly dressed man holding a sword. He looked plain and unimpressive, unfitting for a God but that was simply the way Kovas had looked. Anyone who had underestimated him for that had died long ago.

    ¡°We want to cremate our friend here,¡± Orion said to a priest.

    ¡°What right does he have to enter Kovas¡¯s favour?¡± the priest replied.

    ¡°He was a Seeker,¡± Kora answered.

    ¡°What rank, strong woman?¡±

    ¡°2-stars,¡± she said.

    ¡°But still a Seeker. Do you have payment for his cremation?¡±

    Orion handed the longsword.

    The priest brought the sword close and sniffed it. ¡°Good. He will die again in our hall,¡±

    The two of them bowed and left the Temple. Orion was thankful he hadn¡¯t known Flynn well, otherwise, he knew he would have reverted to a weeping fool. They returned to the cold dark of the night and stood in silence for a few moments.

    ¡°Do you want to do a contract tomorrow?¡± Kora asked, her back to Orion.

    He considered it. While Kora was temperamental and rude, if she actually was strong, then it meant he could jump up the ranks much quicker. Moreover, he doubted she could be as useless as Flynn had been.

    ¡°Us two in a group? Sure. In the building, tomorrow?¡± he said.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll join you since you asked so nicely,¡± Kora said while patting his head. She left him there gritting his teeth, reconsidering his choice.

    <hr>

 10. Mission Impossible

    <hr>

    Orion spent the night at The Little Sip. This time he didn¡¯t wake up to grunting from the room over, though still groggy from the outside reek. Struggling up, he decided that he would no longer spend his nights at this Inn: although it was the cheapest, he figured he could live more lavishly now that he was a Seeker. Dim light beamed through the window, reflecting his mood. It wasn¡¯t midday yet, so he¡¯d done better than yesterday at least. Within five minutes, he had washed and was ready, his maroon bag slumping over his butt. In it were his finger knife, a med-kit, two gold coins, and a few silvers.

    He slinked through alleys and reached a foggy Hexham¡¯s road, through which he walked to the market. After restocking his dry rations, Orion sold his shortsword for a longer, lighter one, costing six silvers.

    He sat on a bench and wondered whether he should work with Kora. His intuition told him her attitude wasn¡¯t an act meant to bluff, rather she believed herself a dragon and him a sheep. He smoothed his messy black hair and remembered her patting him - the audacity of that girl! Regardless of his peevish mood, he got up and headed to the Seeker¡¯s building. He couldn¡¯t waste any chances he got considering his astronomical goal.

    <hr>

    Easing away his creases, Orion walked through the doors. After some thought, he wore a poker face to give Maya no joy in teasing him. If she knew his identity, she wouldn¡¯t even dare think of such provocations. Likewise, if she knew his identity, he was sure to be shackled and sent to the capital in no time.

    ¡°Oh goodie, it¡¯s my favourite Seeker,¡± she shouted, putting down her book. ¡°Don¡¯t forget humble ol¡¯ Maya when you become famous, young buck. Your lady-friend is upstairs by the way,¡± she said as he walked past, ignoring her.

    He quickly spotted Kora in her maroon cloak despite the heat inside. Maybe she had some sort of disfigurement? He took the seat beside her and scanned the contracts on the table.

    ¡°One hour,¡± she said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t show up after asking me here so persuasively,¡±

    He exhaled and shook his poker face. Maya and Kora were two peas of the same pod; all he had to do was bore them with a blank expression, then he¡¯d be winning.

    She stole his other viable reaction and stared at him unamused. ¡°This is how it¡¯s going to be, eh?¡±

    When he didn¡¯t break, she nodded her head and acted like nothing had happened. ¡°So, I skimmed through the contracts while you snored in bed and found these. Any which catch your fancy?¡±

    Orion stopped her. ¡°Too fast. First of all, which of these can you beat?¡±

    ¡°All the 2-stars.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s do a 3-star contract. What about this one?¡± he said, pointing to one for a Spotted arachese. The difficulty in killing them came from their webs, and a simple bit of Szu, albeit disguised as another magic for Kora¡¯s sake, would solve that.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    She looked at him incredulously, then covered her eyes and began to sob. Orion glanced around and saw a few Seekers frowning at him. He had misjudged before; Kora was on a different level to Maya - she could crease his brows a way the other never managed.

    Her sobs turned to sniggers, and she pointed at Orion as if to clarify the situation to any onlookers. ¡°Are you an idiot? Spotted arachese pop out babies like crazy when endangered. While they¡¯re weak, the two of us can¡¯t deal with them and their momma,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a crack propagation spell that can deal with that,¡±

    She patted his head but withdrew before he could slap it. ¡°Unless you¡¯re a Zakari with their Szu, I¡¯m not trusting your weak-ass cracking spells. Otherwise, I¡¯d only trust your magic if you got some serious meat on those bones.

    Orion shook his head. It was natural for him to cast Szu without draining fat through Giah that he had forgotten how the inferior breeds did it. He could disguise his magic, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to mask its power considering his figure.

    ¡°At least you have some sense. What about this contract?¡± She pointed to a contract about murders in Lesan.

    Lesan was a coastal town that had grown in the way Visgamar hadn¡¯t ¨C through canals. The whole town was passable by boat, but it also had many bridges for the walkers. It had a booming tourism sector, and being nearer the western Empire meant an inflated geographical importance, explaining how the seafarer¡¯s outpost had exploded up so fast. But due to this, it also had a growing underbelly as sailors brought both goods and gangs along.

    ¡°It says the rank rewarded is determined by the monster¡¯s race, as is the money,¡± he said in a displeased tone. He stressed money, and she bit the bait.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is definitely a Korshi. Look here on the suspicious deaths: one woman discovered without a stomach and a fractured ribcage ¨C its birth. Two days later, another body found but missing various cuts of meat. Another day later, another similar death. In fact, almost a week of similar deaths- it¡¯s feeding. Then a sudden stop of corpses, so it either got smarter or stopped. I say it stopped; it had enough to make its mask. If we can catch it off guard, it¡¯s an easy kill,¡± she said.

    He thought back to everything he had read about the Korshi. ¡°If not, we¡¯re in trouble. Especially in a town like that,¡±

    ¡°We will, don¡¯t worry,¡± She placed her hands over his and talked in the most pleasing tone. ¡°Korshis are easy; don¡¯t be a pussy.¡±

    Orion moved his hands. She knew something about it, and she knew something about him, which was why she was pressuring him. Was it that he was a Zakari? He looked at her head on.

    Her lips curled, and her black eyes smiled. ¡°Trust,¡±

    No, she didn¡¯t know. Maybe she just liked him, after all, he was an actual member of the four great Houses. They naturally had likeable dispositions.

    He nodded. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s do it,¡±

    She broke into a grin.

    <hr>

    ¡°Interesting contract,¡± Maya said, writing their names down on a register. ¡°Two others left to do it two days ago. You¡¯ll get there in time to help them if you leave today, and this contract has groups up to five so it¡¯s fine. If it¡¯s a Korshi, remember to watch for their face muscles ¨C they¡¯ll be all stiff and wrong. If it¡¯s a Laeshi, unlikely, but if it is, retreat and come back here,¡±

    Her knowledge surprised Orion, altering his image of Maya.

    ¡°And as long as you come back, you know you¡¯ll be getting my naughty reward,¡± she said with a slow wink.

    His image re-altered. Kora tinkled out laughter. Maya bobbed her eyebrows up and down.

    <hr>

    Since they were both ready, they left after buying supplies for the trip. Despite both places being coastal cities, the sea voyage took a month with many trade stops down the route unless you emptied your pockets. Thus, before dusk, they were on a carriage headed to Lesan.

    <hr>

 11. Journey of a Lifetime

    <hr>

    The road was bumpy and unregulated, but the journey to Lesan was beautiful nonetheless. The verdant hills rocked hair made of ebony bark and emerald crowns. The sun lent its light to the lands, but the forest refused, the canopies contouring domes of shade. Countless animals thronged the forests and made silence a vain hope, chitters and calls enriching the breeze. The air was cool and scented with acorns, berries, and mud.

    Orion and Kora sat by the edges of a caravan, watching trees flicker past. Seekers received favourable treatment for the daily perils they undertook since the public knew of the forlorn reality they¡¯d be living without these sacrifices. For this reason, and as unpaid protection, the merchant Zerabeil had invited them to travel the journey for no cost.

    There were three carriages: a smaller but cosier one at the front, followed by a larger one, and a wagon. They sat on the first carriage, used by Zerabeil to rest his throbbing feet and parch his tongue. He held his wares in the second one, locked for safety, although still not safe from bandits. That risk was countered by the band of ten mercenaries, four in the wagon and six on foot.

    ¡°Hey, you know I never said this but twinsies,¡± Kora said cheerfully, pointing at her maroon cloak and at Orion¡¯s maroon bag.

    Orion dug his face into his hands and hid from her. He didn¡¯t know where she got the surplus of energy to annoy him in every waking hour, but he very much wished it death and destruction.

    ¡°Where¡¯d did you buy it?¡± she asked, looking past the fact he had turtled in.

    ¡°Where d''you get yours?¡± Orion said, his voice muffled and unclear.

    ¡°Well, since you insist, I¡¯ll tell you,¡±

    She went on to tell him her journey from her village to Visgamar, fitted with three bears, a lone prince, and a fearsome dragon. Everyone had different takes to boredom, but Orion did not like Kora¡¯s take one bit as it meant he was constantly wondering what was true about her and what was bullshit.

    He wanted to tear hair out of his scalp when he realised she knew what he wanted and so was purposely making lies.

    The first day on the road passed like this, his torture only ending when night washed over.

    On the second day, she named him many of the plants and animals in the forest, much to his surprise. She seemed to care little of her claimed alias as she pointed out plants with names no outward villager would know. Of course, Orion knew most of what she talked about, but he didn¡¯t reveal that, instead trying to reinforce her image of him.

    On the third day, Orion hung out with the mercenaries. Kora followed. Minutes later, she dominated the conversations. They liked her, and their laughter grew irksome to Orion, who still tried to understand the two-faced monster he had grouped with. On the other hand, he was happy as Kora¡¯s new companionship meant he could sit in peace and quiet.

    On the fourth day, Kora¡¯s true self leaked out to the mercenaries. They left to scout whenever she started talking and the unlucky who drew the short straws stayed with the carriage-train. Even then, they blankly nodded and smiled to Kora, insidiously asking questions about Orion, reigniting her interest.

    On the fifth day, she was back and he internally wept. A little externally as well. It wasn¡¯t so much that she talked without stop, rather the fact she saw conversations as battles she had to win. Moreover, it was impossible to beat her once she started ignoring the rules. She baited him with tidbits about Korshis before smacking him in the face with thoughts on Gods, berry colours, and the obesity of the merchant Zerabeil. Orion found the last topic funny, which he hated himself for, as it gave her more ground to play in.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    On the sixth day, a few hours from Lesan, disaster struck.

    A mercenary hurtled through shrubbery, hit the first carriage and stumbled down.

    ¡°Hunt, what¡¯s it?¡± another mercenary asked, rushing to help him up.

    ¡°Ollie, he¡¯s dead. Struck in the head. They¡¯re coming, bandits,¡± he said while wiping wet hair from his forehead, his voice quivering.

    The heavy downpour couldn¡¯t wash away the fear and trepidation that spread from carriage to carriage. Zerabeil¡¯s jowls jiggled as his eyes darted from mercenary to Seeker. The mercenaries armed themselves and spread - the bandit group was apparently of similar size so there was no way they¡¯d let Ollie¡¯s death go unpaid.

    In the distance, Orion could hear neighing. He was unsheathing his shortsword when a hand caught his wrist. Kora looked at him, then at Zerabeil¡¯s horses - the intention was clear. Bitterness grew in his mouth and he spat, thick phlegm lost in the rain. He shook his head.

    ¡°Fine, but you owe me,¡± she said.

    He had no idea why he owed her, but he ignored it and ran, catching the cliffside with one hand and pulling himself up. The carriages were in a short valley so he was certain the bandits would take the high-ground, before needling them with clear shots. So, he would surprise them before they got that chance. He heard sounds to his left and turned, only to see Kora climbing with similar ease. While he hadn¡¯t been a great fighter compared to other Zakari, he had been good at parkour and agile on his feet. Moreover, the rock-holds were now wet and hard to scale. But despite all of this, Kora reached the clifftop alongside him.

    Wiping his dirty hands, he gripped his sword and scampered to a nearby bush. His heart thundered in his ears as he crouched ¨C he was going to kill someone. He had hurt people before, but never ended lives.

    Shouts sounded from the valley, raucous roars from men who had spent too long in the wild. Then, the clangs of swords echoed. He could almost see the sparks, blood, and fear from below.

    Someone ran past Orion, in fact, three people. They brought out crude bows and aimed into the gloom below.

    He breathed in and steeled himself: this was it. He shot through the distance, the wet slaps of his feet announcing him. He grasped his sword high, then cleaved down, biting flesh from an archer¡¯s back.

    The archer gasped and fell forward, diving through the valley.

    Orion then twisted and lifted his sword to block another bandit¡¯s blow, only to see something different. The sword in the bandit¡¯s hand fell slack, his eyes wide and mouth gaping, a glint rupturing through his stomach. Orion¡¯s eyes met Kora¡¯s from behind the bandit, another corpse leaking blood into water beside her.

    He thought he had been on his adrenaline rush but now he knew better. His vision cleared and everything grew brighter, the scene burning itself into his memory, Kora¡¯s abyssal eyes syphoning his soul. He gulped and looked away, before coming back to reality and climbing down.

    Half-way down the cliffside, he jumped, curled his knees and landed on the balls of his feet. He used the momentum to lunge forward, using his blade to slash a shocked bandit before breaking his combat roll and wobbling to the side. The bandit clutched his cut and glared daggers at Orion, taking time he didn¡¯t have as Orion pierced his eye.

    Orion glanced around and saw four bandits left, two mercenaries, and no merchants. The number dwindled to three bandits as Kora popped a head. Another bandit staggered in fear of the maroon-cloaked demoness and felt a sudden blaze in his ribs. The mercenary that cut him booted his balls and finished the job.

    The two remaining bandits tripped their mercenary to the side and rushed Orion, hoping to catch him off guard - they failed. Orion pulled his sword up and caught the first bandit¡¯s blow mid-air. He stepped back and let the bandit swing down, in which time he flourished his sword as if to attack, sidestepped, then stabbed the second bandit.

    The first bandit recovered and clashed with Orion, once, twice. He was too slow on his third defence and got nicked, then angled his swing wrong. His head rolled off.

    Thud.

    <hr>

 12. Lesan

    <hr>

    Orion and Kora saw Lesan in the distance, past the gold-hued haze. They trotted along a trailing river, their thighs weary from hours of riding. The ambush had left two mercenaries and two Seekers breathing. Zerabeil had been one of the first to fall, his defenceless bulky body an easy target. On the other hand, the mercenaries had been overcome by the bandits¡¯ numbers, at least before Orion and Kora had ended the battle.

    Following this, Kora had tended to the living¡¯s injuries, then the two Seekers had raided Zerabeil¡¯s merchandise, taking dry rations, a few bottles of fancy wine, and five gold coins each. He had been a merchant in fine wines and grains meaning they couldn¡¯t take most of his wares without burdening their bags. Then, they had mounted two of his three horses and left the mercenaries. While Orion had wanted to walk with them, they had assured him they would be a-ok, most likely to loot the rest of Zerabeil¡¯s stock, and Kora had pressured him to shut up and follow her.

    The remaining passage to Lesan had been cold and dull. Kora had piped down, leaving Orion with souvenirs of the fight: haunting memories and frightful thoughts. He had killed, she had killed, she had scared, he had bested and murdered foes, wretched men, humans.

    His shortsword had been light, as always, but the price of his swings had been heavy - crushed memories and dreams. Fates. It reminded him of his mother in the tunnel, but more of her slayers: he was now of a similar breed to them.

    Kora saw his grief-stricken state but didn¡¯t offer any words to comfort. Perhaps she knew the power of time because as hours passed, despite his thoughts being the same, their bites numbed and fractured.

    Now, he stared at Lesan empty of feeling. The river beside them joined the sea a bit ahead before circling the city like a moat. Sturdy stone-laden bridges connected the lands, making Lesan look like a docked ship, ready to sail any moment.

    They arrived at a bridge and dismounted, urging the horses towards the waiting guards.

    ¡°Hea, stand heyre,¡± a brunet guard said while inspecting the two. ¡°A gold for yous toll fee,¡±

    ¡°You can have these horses,¡± Kora said. While the horses weren¡¯t textbook pictures of health or strength, they were still worth the amount.

    ¡°Sures, I¡¯ll take ¡®em. But, also the gold. We need to eat,¡± the guard replied. He wore a dented cuirass, cloth trousers and underclothes, and gripped a halberd. His fellow guards wore mismatched clothing, their image between that of guards and gangsters.

    ¡°We¡¯re Seekers,¡± she said.

    Orion stared past the men, his passions drained.

    ¡°Oh, are yous? Well, where¡¯s the proof?¡± the guard said. His mates closed in on Kora.

    Her hand flickered out of sight and viscously backhanded the brunet guard, throwing him off balance and onto his arse. His halberd clattered beside him.

    He wiped blood off his cheek and stood, his fists clenched. ¡°The gall to strike Lesan¡¯s guards. Yous done for,¡± he roared while shooting spittle.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    His friends ambiguously stood back, giving him space for a bloody beatdown but also getting out of Kora¡¯s range.

    ¡°And the audacity you have to charge such a toll,¡± she replied, unsheathing her sword. ¡°My patience has worn out,¡±

    The guard took a double take, then stepped back after seeing Kora rise above his intimidation. She was clearly a Seeker, or at the very least someone he couldn¡¯t handle.

    ¡°F-fine. I¡¯ll allow the horses this once,¡± he said, his shame hidden under his sunburned skin.

    Unamused, Kora frowned and walked past, Orion following. They passed the city¡¯s gate with little trouble and soon hopped on a boat. For a few coppers, they were punted to the Seeker¡¯s building.

    The water was sky-blue with splotches of lime-green. Sunlight glared off it and lit up the muck plastered across the canals. The buildings above were brightly painted, and trees of all types peppered the gaps. Constantly swapping, the smells of the water altered from pleasant to foul as they passed by sewer gates ¨C while the sewage travelled through tunnels under the city, the frequent openings liberated the odour and tormented the locals. By the time they arrived, Orion had woken from his daze due to the spices thrown at his senses. They paid their fare and headed towards an unassuming building. After knocking, a portly man with a curled ginger moustache opened the door, before scrutinising them.

    ¡°Seekers or wannabes?¡± he asked, his open mouth releasing swamp-breath.

    Kora squeezed her nose and leaned back. ¡°We¡¯re here to investigate the mysterious spree of murders,¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes lit up. He stepped aside and beckoned them in.

    Stained sheets filled the squat room, the sides lined with books. They looked around the room while the man went to the kitchen, eventually coming back with two cups of sewage water, curiously accompanied by the aroma of roasted beans.

    ¡°Coffee for you two. An import from the south, gives you energy,¡± the man said. ¡°By the way, my names Aaron,¡±

    ¡°Kora, and Jax,¡± Kora said, before picking up the coffee and sipping at it. She smiled and nodded.

    Apeing her actions, Orion drank the coffee, before spitting it out onto the table. It was horribly bitter, and the heat scalded his tongue. He was now fully awake and stared at the other two with scrunched up eyebrows, eyeing them with disgust and shock.

    ¡°Keep drinking it, lad. It¡¯s an acquired taste,¡± Aaron said while handing Orion a towel. He glanced around and continued. ¡°I know what you two are thinking - why the hells a Seeker¡¯s building so small?¡±

    Kora nodded, taking down her cloak¡¯s cowl, while Orion progressed to round two with his coffee, before swiftly being knocked out again.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s what happens when a new place emerges with poor idiots as the people. Whenever they got a monster problem, they hire the gangs to sort it out, always leading to unnecessary deaths, though maybe for the good. It means I rarely get contracts. The ones I do get, like your one, are issued by the council once they realise they¡¯re hopeless at this business,¡± Aaron said.

    ¡°But that¡¯s off the topic. I¡¯m sure you wanna know more of your contract,¡± he continued. ¡°Well, they gave me a list of nasty deaths they couldn¡¯t solve. I connected the ones you know of, although there may be more, and it¡¯s gotta be a Korshi. I recommend you start at the first scene, like the two before you did,¡±

    Kora questioned Aaron about the details surrounding the case while Orion built his army and waged campaigns against the coffee, whittling it down until he bested it on the field. By this point, his body was filled with energy and his tongue was seared beyond use. They left Aaron and used another taxi to get to the first scene, where a woman had been found without her stomach and organs but with a shattered ribcage. It was a dingy alleyway with stairs into the murky canal. There was rubbish packed around and any blood she had shed was now mixed with the city¡¯s filth.

    Kora knelt and inspected the area while Orion stood behind, confused at what he could do.

    ¡°Hey,¡± came a shout from in front. Two figures walked around the corner, both armed to the teeth.

    <hr>

 13. Split up and Look for Clues

    <hr>

    Seeing his chance to be useful, Orion straightened his back and stepped forward.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he shouted, ¡°What do you want?¡±

    He now saw the two figures clearly; one was a messy-haired blond with a patchy beard and an easy smile, while the other man had clear-cut scars and wore a metal cap.

    ¡°What are you doing here? This is a crime scene we¡¯re investigating,¡± the blond said.

    ¡°Seekers?¡± Orion replied.

    The blond man frowned before realisation hit him.

    ¡°You guys as well? On our contract?¡±

    Contrary to Orion¡¯s expectations, his tone wasn¡¯t bitter but instead¡­ relieved?

    ¡°Yeah, hope you don¡¯t mind the split pay,¡± Orion said, trying to milk information.

    ¡°Na na, not a worry, man. And lady. You guys are 3-stars, right?¡±

    Kora nodded before Orion corrected him.

    ¡°Great. Truth be told, me and Rover went out of our le¡ª¡± the blond said, only to be jabbed by Rover.

    ¡°This is a dangerous mission, and we¡¯d appreciate your support,¡± Rover said.

    Orion caught on but ultimately appreciated the social rules and overlooked it. Kora didn¡¯t.

    One side of her lips curled into a bent smile. ¡°Our support? Then, I¡¯m guessing you guys can do this alone? Aaron showed us other contracts we could do,¡±

    Rover clenched his fists, but his friend gripped his shoulder and looked him in the eye. The blond whispered something, then righted his stern face.

    ¡°Na, sorry, boss-lady; we¡¯re 2-stars risking it on this. But the more we¡¯ve found, the more it seems the reward ain¡¯t worth the price we¡¯d pay.¡± He paused and appealed to Orion. ¡°So, we¡¯d like it if we could group up with you,¡±

    Orion had watched Kora long enough to know her response.

    ¡°Yeah, sure. Support is always appreciated,¡± he said.

    She scowled at him. ¡°You owe me twice now,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Great. I¡¯m Wes, and this is Rover,¡± the blond said.

    ¡°Jax, and Kora,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you guys just got here? We¡¯ve checked all the scenes but not sure what to do now,¡± Wes said.

    Kora snorted and kneeled, surveying the surrounding filth. ¡°I¡¯m seventy percent sure it¡¯s a Korshi, but the only way to be certain is by finding its lair. The last death Aaron attributed to this contract was almost a month ago, so the monster should be there and not punting the canals as a ferryman.¡±

    She stood. ¡°Take us to the latest scene. You¡¯ve been there, right?¡±

    Wes nodded and led the three Seekers onto a taxi. He started small talk with Orion but soon found his focus transferred to Kora as she firmly grasped the conversation. Rover stared into the sky and only gave short answers when asked. A few minutes later, the Seekers got off and crossed a bridge through which they entered a wealthier region. The houses were larger and made from bricks with tufts of grass at their fronts ¨C it was where the emerging middle-classed lived.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Taking a moment to ponder the route, Wes led them in circles before eventually retracing his steps and arriving at the scene. Coincidently, or not, they were right next to the canals with stairs leading to the lower passage. When the water was low, you could walk along the lower passage, but today was not one of those times.

    ¡°Are all the sites besides a canal?¡± Kora asked.

    ¡°Yeah, we think the monster moved through the water or across the lower passage. We know it¡¯s here somewhere since the sites are a few minutes to an hour walking distance of each other, but we didn''t find a lead,¡± Rover answered.

    ¡°Do you know anyone related to the man who died here?¡± she asked.

    ¡°That house,¡± Wes said, pointing a few metres away, ¡°was where he lived with his wife. I dunno about the kids though. We talked to her, but she was too troubled to give us any helpful details,¡±

    The house was well-maintained, and there were small daisies strewn across the lawn. However, the dirt was clotted with footsteps, most likely from the council following up on this death ¨C the only reason this case had received attention was due to the victim¡¯s status and not because of the severity or implications.

    Kora knocked on the house¡¯s bright-yellow door.

    Orion imagined how it must feel to have a loved one murdered metres away from you. He had endured worse, but he hadn¡¯t seen split skin or heard any banshee screams. But, on the other hand, this lady still had her house, her wealth, and her kids. He had been left with nothing, nothing but hatred.

    Noticing no signs of life from the house, Kora was about to leave when Wes stopped her.

    ¡°Sophie, it¡¯s the Seekers. We¡¯ve nearly got the monster, we just need to know one thing,¡± he shouted.

    They waited. Then, the door clacked and creaked open, a fat lady with tanned, tear-stained skin eyeing them spiritlessly.

    ¡°Seekers? Again? What do you want?¡± she asked as if desperately searching for a reason to whine. She stood by the door and blocked the hallway, intent on keeping them outside.

    ¡°Your husband, tell me what happened and what his body looked like afterwards,¡± Kora said.

    ¡°Have I not retold the horror enough times? Why do you torment me!?¡± Sophie screeched. Her eyes spoke of sleepless nights.

    ¡°One last time, Sophie. Kora¡¯s an expert tracker, she just needs to hear the facts first-hand to find the monster,¡± Wes said, plucking facts from thin air.

    Kora stopped, then nodded.

    ¡°Fine, continue your torture! I was inside, making dinner when he went out for a smoke,¡±

    Orion wondered what that meant? Did he make fires for fun? Nonetheless, he didn¡¯t interrupt the shaking woman.

    ¡°Then, a scream. I ran out and saw some thing, its long and bony limbs holding my husband¡¯s face. Its mouth, its mouth,¡± she sobbed, ¡°it was slurping up his face and his brain. It looked like a human that had been stretched, with black eyes. Pure black.¡±

    Kora placed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡±

    Sophie backed away and nodded too many times while staring through the Seekers. Suddenly, her body collapsed and smashed against the wooden floorboards, blood leaking from her scalp. Orion rushed forward while the others momentarily froze.

    Realising this was the perfect opportunity, Kora smiled and cracked her fingers against Wes¡¯s face, making him fall and clamber back. Rover growled and charged at her, before being sidestepped and tripped.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Korshi,¡± she said from above them. ¡°It¡¯ll suck your blood to regain energy, and you two are too slow to not get caught, let alone be any use,¡±

    They stood and righted themselves, embarrassed at failing but angry at her way of testing.

    ¡°Or do you need more proof you¡¯re too slow?¡± she asked.

    Wes didn¡¯t move but Rover did. Kora strode forward and propelled her foot up. He crossed his arms in time but still staggered back, his eyes wide at her strength.

    ¡°Stay here with Sophie. I¡¯ll kill it with Jax,¡±

    Orion stood once Wes came to Sophie, and he walked past Rover who clutched his forearms with a downcast gaze. The pale Seeker nodded at the other two and followed Kora who had ran ahead.

    She wandered down the road, peeking down each sewer opening they came across. It was at the eighth one she stopped. ¡°The Korshi must have felt safe in this city to assimilate so nearby,¡±

    It looked like any other sewer opening with metal bars and a lever lock beside. It smelled of shit and vomit and had green stains across it. Kora pushed the lever and pinned it in its hold. She grinned at Orion and pointed down.

    ¡°In,¡±

    Shit.

    <hr>

 14. Sewers Canal

    <hr>

    ¡°Can you not bait it out?¡± Orion asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re a bit of a dim one, aren¡¯t you? Unless you¡¯ve got tens of gold coins and a week of time, it¡¯s impossible to bait out a Korshi so near the end of its transformation.¡±

    He peered into the dingy hole and gulped. Had he really sunk so low in three months?

    ¡°Can we at least not get nose-plugs or something?¡± he tried.

    ¡°In!¡±

    Tightening his nose, he gripped onto the railing and climbed down. The stench was atrocious; it reeked of shit, of piss, of rotten fish, and rotten eggs. And these were only the severely offensive ones, not forgetting the countless odours that nuanced the smell.

    They hit the ground sometime later. Before anything else, he stumbled to the static liquid flowing through the middle and retched his vomit into the putrid mix. Oddly, he felt better because the stench no longer held his stomach in ransom, but also worse because his stomach had escaped by getting shot.Kora wasn¡¯t as deeply affected, instead leaning on the wall with gloved hands. Soon, she regained her bearings.

    ¡°Come on, kiddo, we¡¯ve got a vampire to hunt. The blood is strong here,¡±

    ¡°What? How can you smell anything past the Korshi¡¯s shit?¡± he said while rising.

    She walked past him into the unlit gloom as if she knew where she was going, as if she could somehow smell the Korshi in this stench. He didn¡¯t care how and spent no time thinking about it, instead, trudging after her.

    A mountainous hike seasoned with rats later, she stopped and began kicking at faeces. Or maybe not faeces. Where they stood, the sewer walls seemed to be plastered with grime, but he knew better. The smell of blood was distinctive.

    She spun and faced him.

    ¡°It¡¯s here,¡±

    Their front was dimly lit by coppery-green beams. The sewage lake drew into a waterfall, a large brick wall hiding what followed. He would be able to see the rest of the stream if he dived past the wall, but he wasn¡¯t curious. Unlike an actual waterfall, there were no sounds of rushing and crashing water, instead, wet slops that churned his empty stomach.

    Suddenly, a groan bounced off the walls.

    Orion wasn¡¯t scared: if worse came to worst, he could still use Szu and live, although Kora would then have to die - a thought that stung his heart. Nonetheless, the echo made him tense.

    Out of character, he put his hand across her back.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine, easy kill,¡±

    ¡°Get your shit-stains off my cloak,¡± she grumbled back.

    Tough love. Now, with the foul backdrop, he understood why she enjoyed poking him so much.

    He pushed her forward and stepped around the corner.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    When the sewers had first been built, there had been large hatches to enter it. But, over time, Lesan had learnt big entrances allowed monsters easy access in and out, so they bolted the hatches and dug smaller openings across the city.

    A disused stone hatch lay over the Korshi, its countless stains the monster¡¯s stars at night. The monster stood on a few metres long by a few metres wide concrete platform. There were tough weeds growing through the hatch, dropping sickly green hair onto the Korshi.

    The Korshi itself looked like a naked, dishevelled man. It had a large nose and thin eyes, long brown strands filing the weeds. It was emaciated and had sallow skin. Around it lay blood stains and flesh, a lot of flesh. Despite this, it grinned, showing crooked, but otherwise normal, teeth.

    ¡°Human, you why here?¡±

    Its voice was high-pitched like a woman¡¯s screech and punctuated by squeaks. It clearly hadn¡¯t completed its assimilation.

    ¡°Human, why¡­¡± it paused, searching its victims¡¯ minds for the right words, ¡°¡­ with her?¡±

    Orion gripped his sword and took a defensive stance. He knew Korshis were fast, but he didn¡¯t know how fast. So, he¡¯d let it teach him its flow before ripping it several new ones. However, unlike him, Kora strode forward, her sword still by her waist.

    ¡°Why¡­ higher¡­¡± the Korshi said.

    Kora shushed it loudly before beckoning it closer. It obeyed¡­

    Orion knew she was well-read on many things, more so than him on monsters, so the naivety she now showed gave him the shivers.

    ¡°Kora, it¡¯s dangerous. Don¡¯t be fooled,¡± he warned, his voice quivering. Did she know something he didn¡¯t? Or was his ¡­ next Seeker about to die as well?

    The monster now stood two metres away, warily eyeing her, before taking another step.

    ¡°Did m¡ª¡±

    Kora swiftly flicked her sword out and slashed up. The Korshi leapt back with inordinate force but not before her blade gashed its shoulder, causing its arm to be bent across its chest. Its wound spurt blood and its mouth fizzled spit as it landed metres away.

    ¡°YOU¡­ YOU!¡±

    She didn¡¯t allow it anymore words as she chased, her sword sweeping low.

    The Korshi growled and bones ripped out of its skin, the dim light exhibiting a massive human-hound mutant.Its teeth grew finger-long and claws extended from underneath the nails. Black ovals replaced its eyes. Due to Kora¡¯s strike, it crouched on three limbs instead of four but even that seemed of no effect to its speed as it exploded from its spot, sprinting to the sides.

    The Korshi pushed off the walls and leapt at Orion, its maw gaping and its tongue lusting blood.It seemed to have deemedhim the easier target, the fuel-box for it to refill its energy. In the face of danger, Orion sneered at this thought: a Zakari, an easy target?

    He sidestepped and stuck his sword point into the Vampire¡¯s path. Realising speed was no longer its ally, the Korshi used its remaining front limb to claw at the ground and alter its path. Despite its escape, it still lunged its foot at Orion as it went past, its claws ripping fabric.

    Shocked by the sharpness, he hopped back and stood with Kora. Not for long, though, as she hounded after the monster, her cowl flinging off to reveal caramel-brown hair and glimmering eyes. She was¡­ excited?

    The Korshi¡¯s black ovals regarded her and saw the same thing. It grew desperate - it growled, and its inky eyes lightened.

    Orion, with his back to the stone hatch, saw blood rise from the half-eaten flesh around him. They sharpened like needles and began to quiver.

    Kora glanced back as she ran and then stopped. She turned and cast her palm against monster: blood flooded out of its gash and circled its waist.

    The Korshi screamed in anguish, knowing its demise. But it still didn¡¯t give up, instead, grasping onto its sanity as more blood-needles rose around Orion.

    Click.

    The blood-needles shot out, dotting him with holes.

    Click.

    The blood-saw contracted and sliced the Korshi¡¯s waist, its legs standing for a moment longer as the torso toppled onto concrete.

    Kora looked back in dismay. Her eyes were pale.

    Orion stood with an ice-shell covering him. It was cracked and full of holes. His eyes were pale.

    <hr>

 15. Of Monsters and Women

    <hr>

    He breathed out, releasing dragons made from willowy cords of steam. The ice barrier fractured and crumbled onto the concrete, forming thorny, frigid dunes over pools of blood. Tiny shards from the impact bloomed out, setting Orion in the centre of a light-blue smoke cloud. It was cold, but he was a Zakari, conditioned to the cold.

    ¡°Jax¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t respond. It stabbed at his soul, but he had to kill her. No one could know. No one.

    ¡°Jax...¡± she repeated, her eyes wide and head shaking in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re a Zakari,¡±

    Her shortsword slipped out of her loose grip and clattered against stone.

    He breathed in, he breathed out. Steam billowed out, his heart cried out. He steeled himself and broke thought. He moved.

    His fears were perverted into speed, his true speed. He became a spectre, his steps faint whispers, his speed like lightning. He gripped the hilt of his sword with sweaty hands, his blade awaiting the resistance of supple flesh. His mind obsessed with anticipation, the strike, the glorious strike.

    It was here.

    He whipped his sword up, his muscles straining. It sliced through the air and met her, her breasts, her neck.

    Crack.

    The sword flew out of his hand and he soared through foul air, using his feet to bounce off the wall before he smashed. He righted himself and turned.

    She stood still, her now-stained maroon cloak covering her figure. Her tanned skin and pink lips were darker in the coppery light, but her caramel-brown hair and pale eyes were the same. She was beautiful.

    He tasted a bitter build-up in his mouth and spat. She was beguiling.

    ¡°Fullhorn,¡± he said while his lips curved into a sneer. ¡°Full fucking horn,¡±

    It made sense: her pale eyes, her light skin but undue strength, her speed. But more so what his brothers had hinted about the House of Fullhorn, one of the four great Houses. Blood magic, they said, disguises, they said. Vampire, he saw.

    Her bleak smile drew even thinner, barely a line. She said nothing, but the silence was proof to his ears.

    ¡°Do we have to? Do I have to kill you?¡± she asked, keeping her smile.

    ¡°We are the greatest,¡±

    ¡°And yet you¡¯re the only dead House,¡±

    ¡°As you will be,¡± he barked, his voice booming through the hollow sewers.

    Ice spurted from his right hand as he stared at Kora, forming a sphere. She lifted off her cloak and graced him with the body she hid so well. She was full-figured and wore leather trousers and a snug green jacket. She was dressed for a market-trip, not to hunt a monster. Blood drained out of the halved Korshi and began to circle her as she stripped off her jacket, revealing a thin white shirt. She was teasing him in both ways.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    He growled and touched the swelling ice ball with his left hand. Ice flakes hurtled at her, barraging the blood-shield she had formed, chipping away at it.A few seconds later, Orion slapped himself. His pride was subconsciously giving her time to transform while he fronted an effortless attack, all because he wanted a fair fight. But he couldn¡¯t let it be one: the stakes were too high.

    Crouching, he placed his left hand on the ground and sensed the earth¡¯s pulse. Right there. Wide cracks formed under Kora, building on each other as the earth sank, dragging her down and under.

    But she leapt, landing to his right. And far away from her blood-shield: perfect. He turned his ice ball and began splintering it at her, each bullet fast enough to tear flesh.

    She ran, escaping most of the shots and enduring the ones that hit. Her jaw had extended to her collarbone. It tightened her red-tinted skin and housed three inky talons the size of fingers. There were two curved horns ranging from her hairline to her ears, and her nails had been replaced by claws the size of hands. Her physique had become thicker and sinuous, her muscles flexing, her trousers skin-tight.

    Orion followed her steps with his bullets, wearing down her skin and creating bruises. She circled his line of fire and made a beeline for him. She was fast, but he was faster. He dashed across the concrete with her on his tail, ice sprouting out of the ground to slow her. Bending low, he picked up his shortsword and turned, striking the blade against her face.

    Clang. He stepped back and slashed again, only to be blocked by the claws. The clashes resonated through the sewers, ringing their ears, the stench burning their noses, the weapons nicking their skin, drawing blood.

    He sidestepped and lunged, crouched and rolled, leapt and smashed. She clawed and swept, kicked and followed, dodged and scratched. They fought until he fell and she stood.

    She kicked his balls and knelt over, blasting hot breath over his cringing face. Her ravenous teeth revealed themselves and she picked him up, putting her lips against his neck. He screamed and shook as she tasted and gasped, moaning with pleasure.

    The blood of another House, so opulent and rich. Her body burnt the blood and released vast amounts of energy, her cuts visibly healing. She stared at her love bite, hypnotised by the crimson blood that trickled out over his milky skin.

    Suddenly, he slapped his left hand against her waist and roared. Her pulse became his and her flesh, well, it became his to break. Her skin tore as she fell, gasping for breath as he froze her body, slowing her movement. He glanced at the emanated cracks over her stomach, showing upturned skin like icebergs in the Red River.His hands stung and burned from magic overload. Orion felt weak, his body threatening to topple any second as a vicious headache came over him. He barrelled over to his sword and stumbled back.

    ¡°You¡¯ll die if you kill me,¡± Kora spluttered out.

    He ignored her and held the blade over her neck. One swift strike.

    ¡°I¡¯m tracked. The Fullhorns will kill you,¡± she gasped.

    Orion stopped. He knew she was lying, but it made him remember the obvious: the Fullhorns would follow up on her actions, determined to find the cause of her death, to find him. Then, they would kill him.

    He breathed in.

    No, it was ok. All he had to do was hide her body in the sewers and run. He¡¯d have to make another plan but that was better than dying. That was better than failing his, their revenge.

    ¡°I know why your family actually got slaughtered,¡± Kora said after seeing her words take effect.

    He froze. The ambush, the escape, the shout, the coma, the conspiracy: all of it rushed to his head. He remembered his mum screaming, his sister¡¯s image, his dad¡¯s roar, his own weeping. It was too much.

    He had one second of fear, pure, utter fear of his death and incompetence before he collapsed, her body breaking his fall.

    ¡­

    <hr>

 16. Talking the Talk

    <hr>

    Hands caressed his face, waking him. He opened his eyes and saw his family holding onto him. They softly smiled and promised him safety from the world. Yet, behind them, he could see sable helmets with scarlet visors. The shadows wore pitched cuirasses over silver hauberks. They had on pauldrons, gauntlets, chausses, graves, and boots. Their whole bodies were covered and unduly armoured.

    They pulled his family away from him, ignoring their struggles. Then, a figure strode to his lying body. It wrapped its gauntlets around his neck and lifted him, squeezing the air out of his lungs. The touch was rugged and the grip was tight, unlike that of metal.

    He began to choke, his eyes set on the bloody visor. They had slaughtered his family, they had ambushed his mum, and now they were strangling the life out of him, the last Zakari.

    <hr>

    Despite being crusted with lead, his eyelids sprung open. He escaped his nightmare and lay there gasping for his sanity. His body was under pain but it didn¡¯t even occur to him ¨C his mind was busy recoiling from illusory demons.

    However, as with everything, time proved to be the best remedy as the material world overcame his imaginary one, flinging him from the pangs of his heart to the throbbing of his wounds. His chest ached with every heave and his limbs stung as if rubbed with salt, then dumped in vats of lemon-water.

    He raised his head and peered at his arms, only to smell saline. He would have been nude was it not for the layers of bandages covering him. Someone had treated him, and the only face that came into mind bore a myriad of emotions.

    ¡°About time you woke,¡± she said.

    By the stained concrete skyview, Orion could tell he was still in the Korshi¡¯s lair. The stench had either dulled, or his nose had completely given up. From her voice, Orion knew Kora was sitting by the walls. Nevertheless, he had no intention of facing her, instead, he wanted to dig a hole, jump in, then cover it over.

    He shouldn¡¯t have let the Korshi use magic. He shouldn¡¯t have attacked her. He shouldn¡¯t have given her time to transform. He should have killed her.

    ¡°You can¡¯t curl in anymore, at least not with your condition.¡± She laughed.

    He didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°Jax, are you actually turtling up now?¡± She sounded shocked.

    He gulped, then realised how dry his throat was. How long had it been?

    The tension between them grew.

    ¡°I¡¯m done with you,¡± she said sounding helpless. It sounded faux.

    The awkwardness became palpable.

    ¡°Are¡­ Were you lying when you said you knew¡­¡± he choked out, stopping just as the nightmare reappeared.

    ¡°Knew why your family got killed? No, I wasn¡¯t,¡±

    His eyes began to water, so he closed them and steeled himself. He couldn¡¯t show weakness in front of her.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°You were screaming and sobbing before, you know? Definitely not sharing a room with you again,¡±

    Shit.

    ¡°Why? Why?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Why I wouldn¡¯t share a room with you? Pfft. Why you were crying? I dunno, probably a sob story on repeat. Or why your family got slaughtered? That¡¯s a bit more complicated,¡± she said while her voice got louder.

    She stood over him and gazed down with pity. Perhaps contempt. She was back in her human form, and there were no signs of the battle on her except for a few faint scratches.

    Orion tensed his arm and lifted it so he could stroke his neck. He felt three sets of love bites; the skin was ruptured and the holes were deep, so maybe more hate than love. No wonder he felt so weak and she looked flawless.

    ¡°Why did the Empire do it?¡± he said.

    The emotion drained out of her face. ¡°They had to,¡±

    ¡°Why, Kora? WHY?!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a war brewing. The monster attacks have gone down, but the casualties per one have gone up.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re becoming organised,¡± he said.

    ¡°No, something is organising them. Something which the countless races respect and act as thralls for. They call him, it, the Yhaoli. It contacted us, wanted us to help destroy the Empire but we were fine. We liked it the way it was,¡±

    ¡°So were we. We were already the strongest; why would we want to hurt ourselves?!¡± he yelled.

    ¡°Only the Zakari thought the Zakari were the strongest,¡±

    He snorted.

    ¡°We might have edged around your House, but that was only because everyone noticed how power hungry your House was,¡± she said.

    ¡°Besides,¡± she continued, ¡°the House of Zakari wanted the throne. All they needed was an opportunity,¡±

    He sneered and used Giah, his eyes pale as energy coursed in.

    She didn¡¯t help him, nor did she scold him for overexerting himself for a mere performance.

    ¡°We were the strongest, and all of you knew it in your hearts. You feared us while we lived peacefully. You killed us for the power we held, not for any fictional danger we posed.¡± He was tearing up by the end, his face flushed, his fists clenched.

    She blankly entertained his pride and watched as he stumbled towards his clothes.

    ¡°Why did you let me live?¡± he asked as he slowly dressed, his anger cooling.

    ¡°Too many reasons to count, Jax. Why would I kill the last Zakari? I¡¯m a Fullhorn, not a Piros. Besides, you¡¯re too good for me to lose,¡± Despite facing away from her, she could the sides of his face blush. Sweet Asarte, was he snivelling again? ¡°as a blood-source,¡±

    He blushed even brighter.

    Kora smiled. ¡°What are you going to do now, anyway?¡±

    He considered her words, then looked at the layers of bandages ¨C she had been thorough. ¡°I need to get to the Seeker¡¯s Summit,¡±

    She laughed. ¡°What a coincidence, so do I. I guess we can go together.¡± She worded it as a statement, but it was actually a question. She hoped he¡¯d stay with her for many reasons, not least because he was a great travel companion, but she was doubtful.

    He stopped dressing. He was confused at her question, confused at his lack of response, confused at the answers tumbling around his head. I need to become a 5-star Seeker, and she¡¯s strong enough to help me, he eventually told himself. It had nothing to do with liking her, purely a working relationship. Besides, now that she had a taste of his blood, escape was essentially impossible, especially if she went and told her family.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. He was now dressed and equipped, ready to leave when he felt a tight hold on his shoulders, making him cringe and swivel around.

    ¡°Are you going out like that?¡± She pointed at his pale eyes. ¡°Stop using Giah and rest. I¡¯ll wake you up if you get tangled in another nightmare,¡±

    He blushed for the third time but also conceded to her point. Having pale eyes with his Western features would attract too much attention and breaking Giah in public would probably make him collapse again.

    He took off his maroon bag and sat by the wall. The white diffused from his iris and pupil as his head fell and banged against the concrete. It took mere seconds before he was back in dreamland.

    <hr>

 17. Family Trees

    <hr>

    Orion woke up in a fit of sweat, feeling fear but not knowing why. He scanned his surroundings and calmed as he realised he was still in the Korshi¡¯s base, Kora dosing off beside him, a streak of red coming off her pink lips. He had a sneaking suspicion and felt around his neck, finding a new set of shallow bitemarks. Rising to his feet, he told himself he wouldn¡¯t sleep in her ¡°protection¡± ever again.

    After rummaging dry rations from his bag, he spent the following minutes reflecting on what she had said without his volatile pride interrupting. Was it possible? Had his House actually been planning a coup? But these thoughts faded without foundation as he thought of his family: none of them had craved the Empire. While his dad hadn¡¯t been the head of the House, he had still been the brother of the head, with enough power to stop idiocy in its tracks. Besides, his uncle hadn¡¯t lusted the Empire either.

    On the other hand, he knew the monster Kora had mentioned was somehow involved in the House¡¯s doom. Yhaoli, she had called it. It was impossible for an influential upstart to keep its grubby claws off such an apocalyptic event. There was no doubt the Tribes to the west had heard of their demise, and there was similarly no doubt an invasion was around the corner.

    Orion swallowed the last dried prune and rubbed his palms together, before clapping.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go,¡± he said as he wiped his bag and wore it.

    ¡°What? I thought you¡¯d abuse the opportunity¡­¡± she mocked as she broke out of her fake sleep.

    ¡°I¡¯ll soon kill you if you keep sucking my blood,¡± he growled.

    She giggled, but he wasn¡¯t amused.

    They swept through the rats and climbed out of the sewers a few minutes later, taking a taxi to Aaron¡¯s home.

    The bright sun above told them it had been a full day since they had entered. While no one gave a second look to the cloaked and (mostly) clean Kora, many people peered at Orion at the various rips across his clothes, but more so at the ridiculous number of bandages he sported - his whole body was hidden from sight except his face.

    Aaron swiftly let them in and prepared coffee, arranging the second bout.

    ¡°Must have been a hard fight,¡± he said as he placed Orion¡¯s opponent onto the table.

    ¡°Yeah, this idiot got caught by the Korshi,¡± Kora said.

    ¡°Yeah, the vampire was a real bitch,¡± he said while dipping a finger into his bitter foe, testing the waters.

    ¡°But you won, unlike the two you sent back. They left for Visgamar a few hours ago. They told me they just magically realised their boundaries, but I¡¯ve got a hunch you kids aided them with that,¡± Aaron said, before downing his cup. ¡°Ahh. But let¡¯s forget that, why don¡¯t you pop the head up here,¡±

    Kora complied and lifted the roped head by its cord. The oval eyes stared at Orion while Aaron inspected it. The finger-long teeth protruded out, stained by dirt and blood. Its skin was cracked like dry clay and its features seemed sculpted out of the material now. However, the worst was the smell which still carried the sewer¡¯s spirit.

    ¡°Big nose, brown hair, tanned skin. It would have perfectly fit in Lesan in just a few days,¡± Aaron noted, ¡°Also, almost no cuts. You killed it cleanly, very cleanly,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you want your reward now, so I¡¯m sorry to say it¡¯s a no-go.¡± He continued, ¡°The council will take a few weeks to pay up, even after seeing the head. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll write you guys a note so you can withdraw the reward from Visgamar,¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    The minutes breezed by as Orion sucker-punched his coffee to oblivion and finally saw the appeal of the bitter drink. They left with Aaron¡¯s note and bought rations, a new set of clothes for Orion, coffee grains, and a pack of cigarettes after Kora explained to him what Sophie had meant by her husband going out for ¡°a smoke¡± when the Korshi had attacked him. This came to 40 silvers, mainly from the cigarettes, and totalled at 2 golds when they bought horses.

    While they could have found another merchant to bunker with, they realised, as a Fullhorn and Zakari, it was both safer and quicker to travel by themselves.

    <hr>

    Bullets of rain thundered against the forest floor, drowning out any cries from the outside world. The air was cold but still. Orion and Kora hid below a dome-shaped canopy while the invasive wetness flooded dry ground. Their horses grazed on dry grass by the edge of the canopy.

    In between them, a fire crackled, fruitlessly erupting sparks against the dampness outside. Orion sat perched on a thin boulder, joining the campfire by puffing smoke into the muted-blue night sky. He had smoked once since leaving Lesan four days ago: it had tasted like shit and its ash had scorched his skin. Now, his second experience with the chill blasting in his face and the blaze at his back was much better.

    ¡°The water¡¯s ready,¡± Kora called out while lying on the ground, staring up at the leaves stitched together.

    He had figured ever since their fight that her senses were good, as in scarily good. He flicked the cigarette out his fingers to under his feet, twisting his foot over it ¨C still tasted like shit. Sighing, he walked over to the metal canteen and lifted it from the flames. Having practised several times now, he made two coffees in less than a minute and handed one to Kora.

    ¡°Hey, you know how you Zakari mark your serfs and vassals with Szu, why are you marked?¡± she said after a few seconds of quiet.

    Orion¡¯s mood soured, and he almost spit out his mouthful at her mentioning the scars on his face. ¡°It was my brother¡¯s cruel joke. He got punished,¡±

    ¡°It felt so weird,¡± she continued. ¡°Your mark, it felt so¡­ ughh. Though, I guess that¡¯s the reason I thought you weren¡¯t a Zakari even when you gave away so many clues. Like, a Zakari owning a Zakari? That¡¯s just mad!¡±

    ¡°You know there was no need to fondle me while I slept; you could have just stroked the mark I gave you. Instead, you got rid of it without even telling me,¡± he teased. ¡°Besid-¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re such a joker! Let me at least catch my breath,¡±

    ¡°Besides, we don¡¯t own them; they¡¯re marked for their own protection. Although, I guess that doesn¡¯t matter anymore,¡± he replied cheerlessly.

    ¡°My gods, don¡¯t talk about it if you¡¯re just going to get mopey again,¡±

    ¡°What about you then? Why did you leave your House¡¯s lands?¡±

    ¡°I had my reasons. They basically own all the Western Empire so I had to come East, and the capital was a no-go with the Piros there, so I came to the second biggest city instead,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but what are those reasons?¡± he repeated.

    She remained silent.

    ¡°Is it do with Yhaoli?¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡±

    He eventually gave up after realising she was stubborn about the matter.

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t your real name Krarem or something?¡± he said once his flask was empty.

    ¡°Cruorem,¡± she said, stressing the first syllable. ¡°Fullhorn works better for humans; alcoholics are preferable to vampires.¡±

    ¡°Interesting, Cruora,¡± he said, stressing the first syllable.

    ¡°Are you serious? You¡¯d be a hilarious jester with your wit, you would be.¡± She paused. ¡°Also, do you think I actually used my name?¡±

    ¡°What is it then?¡±

    ¡°Pfft. As if I¡¯d tell you,¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, before rummaging through his bag and taking out the cloth cover to sleep on.

    She got a feeling he was hiding something. It was easy to beat him, but not this easy ¨C he¡¯d usually at least put up some resistance.

    ¡°Wait, are you using a fake name as well?¡± she asked incredulously.

    ¡°Of course,¡±

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d be too dumb to think that far ahead. What is it? I¡¯ll tell you mine if you tell me yours,¡±

    Her trade fell flat as he turned away from her. Her persistence didn¡¯t help either, as mere minutes later, he was lost in his dreamland.

    <hr>

 18. Rumours

    <hr>

    Orion urged his horse into the lane leading to the gate. Unlike Lesan¡¯s guards, Visgamar¡¯s guards didn¡¯t demand a toll but they did constantly scan the crowd, searching for rugged men and children to boot.

    The roads had been fair to them and Nyrtia, the Western God of fortune, had blessed them with a safe passage. They hadn¡¯t come across Wes or Rover, meaning those two had likely taken a detour. In total, the journey had taken them a week, four days quicker than before.

    As the two of them entered Hexham¡¯s road, they dismounted under the guards¡¯ watchful eyes and led their mounts to a clean-looking stable. While their horses were relatively weak and slow, they were still worth a gold and 60 silvers. So, they left them in under a stable boy¡¯s care for 20 silvers, enough for a month.

    Afterwards, Orion bought cheap dishes from the market and showed off his pragmatic knowledge. Kora guessed someone had toured him around the city, claiming he and his dragon-egg-refined tongue wouldn¡¯t risk common food just to find the tastier sort. All the truly delicious dishes were too expensive to buy though, due to the Mages having a monopoly on fatty ingredients.

    They then went to the Seeker¡¯s guild. On the way, Kora glanced at him weirdly. When he questioned her, she reminded him about Maya¡¯s naughty reward. In response, he brushed away his emotion and replaced it with his deadpan expression ¨C he was inwardly hopeful, but there was no way he would admit it to Kora.

    When they entered, Maya had her back to the door. She was leaning on her curved marble table and was engrossed in what seemed to be a book. The beams of sunlight from above highlighted her hazel hair, which was tied up in a ponytail today, and she wore her typical dark tunic and beige trousers.

    A tightness knotted his feet, crippling him to the spot. He could feel his heart beating, and each breath seemed harder than the last. However, instead of succumbing to the tension, he relaxed and forced himself to walk.He was a Zakari: his inborn charm would grant him many more naughty rewards in the future. Freezing in front of each one would sully their great name. Moreover, the thought of granting Kora anymore quips thawed his legs and froze his heart.

    Maya heard their resounding footsteps and spun around, a grin creeping onto her face.

    ¡°Whytie! and Kora. I guess you killed the monster?¡±

    Kora nodded and passed over Aaron¡¯s note, while Orion blankly watched on.

    Maya skimmed it. ¡°Wow, high praise. Well, either way, you¡¯re both 3-star Seekers now, only 2 more to get the shiny badge and come to the great meeting,¡±

    When she saw the sparkle in their eyes, she chortled and flapped her hand. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding, the meeting is so dead. Worst thing ever, I¡¯d recommend staying at 4-stars,¡±

    Orion¡¯s eyes momentarily widened, before he straightened his face. Maya was a 5-star Seeker? What!?

    ¡°I saw that,¡± she replied, scrunching up her face and shaking it in disappointment. ¡°I thought you were better than this, Whytie. Not like all the rest, and yet you thought so low of me?¡±

    He cleared his throat but otherwise didn¡¯t respond.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Maya rolled her eyes and rummaged under the marble table, eventually dropping a clinking pouch onto the table.

    ¡°20 gold coins for the contract,¡±

    But before either of them could check it, she pointed at Orion and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Don¡¯t think I forgot your reward, naughty boy,¡± She pointed at Kora. ¡°You too,¡±

    Orion¡¯s heart sank.

    ¡°Smith¡¯s got it upstairs. Go and talk to him,¡± Maya finished, bobbing her eyebrows at them.

    Orion¡¯s heart shattered and his poker face chipped. He had known it was a trap, and yet he had still hoped.

    Kora smiled and nodded at Maya while Orion rushed up the stairs, certain his face had bloomed as bright as roses. Despite his speed, their laughter still caught up to him. He sat by the contract board until Kora came, tousling his black hair before sitting beside him.

    Maya had played him like a fiddle, squirming under his iron gates before sneaking away with his pride. He didn¡¯t regret hoping, but he did regret cracking under disappointment and blushing like a maiden.

    A few pensive moments later, he stood. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to Smith,¡±

    Kora patted his back. ¡°It¡¯s alright, kiddo. She got lucky by dodging you,¡±

    He frowned and threw her ¡°comforting¡± hand off.

    They knocked on Smith¡¯s door and soon entered the grey-haired man¡¯s office. He was behind his desk, this time wearing a yellow eyepatch. He looked up and shook his head, failing to keep his face straight.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, kiddo, Maya does that every cute guy she comes across,¡± he said as he broke into a rumbling chuckle.

    Orion wished he could just find a hole to jump into but had to put up with sitting on a chair instead.

    ¡°The naughty reward, it¡¯s actually another contract. 4-star rated, well-paying, and relatively safe compared to the other 4-star contracts.¡± Smith explained, smiling as he realised the two Seekers were already hooked. ¡°It¡¯s from the Visgamar council, specifically the Visgamar¡¯s Guard, or better put, the Imperial Guard.¡±

    He stopped and scratched at his chin. ¡°Well, the first part was kind of a lie. I don¡¯t know how dangerous the contract is, none of us does, but that¡¯s why this contract exists. Did you kids know Visgamar is split between good and bad?¡±

    They nodded.

    ¡°Yeah, the bad side, Rats¡¯s side, has been up to something. There have been reports of monsters in their ranks, but also of growing tension and secrecy. The Empire fears he¡¯s plotting against it, but they can¡¯t move against him. Visgamar¡¯s Guard is evenly matched with him and if the Empire moved an army here, then someone else would abuse that opportunity. You¡¯ve surely heard the criers yelling about the rising tension across lands. It started ever since the Zakari got razed, and now it¡¯s become palpable.¡±

    He paused and gazed directly into their eyes.

    ¡°Anyway, the contract calls for unknown Seekers to infiltrate Rats¡¯s higher echelons and feed back information. Both of you are new here so trust me when I say this: this job a superb opportunity if you survive,¡±

    ¡°Can we have time to think?¡± Kora asked.

    ¡°No. You¡¯re either in now, or you forget this meeting ever happened,¡±

    She looked at Orion, into his eyes. They nodded simultaneously.

    ¡°Great. Visgamar¡¯s Guard has already planted a few men into Rats¡¯s gang, and I¡¯ve sent a few people so you¡¯re not alone. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure a way to get close to him. Finally, here¡¯s a tip. No, more of a rule,¡± Smith said, his voice low and harsh, ¡°Don¡¯t think of Rats as a human, think of him as a monster to hunt. Otherwise¡­¡±

    He paused. ¡°Otherwise, he¡¯ll do things you kids aren¡¯t ready to hear yet,¡±

    Smith explained a few more details, then let them go. Minutes later, they were walking on Hexham¡¯s road, having deposited their reward money in the Seeker¡¯s bank.

    ¡°Yhaoli,¡± Orion said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Your friend, Yhaoli. He¡¯s involved in this,¡±

    She moved to whack him but he leapt in time, wagging his finger in response. It felt good to get back at her.

    ¡°But yeah, Jax, he is. Got any idea of where to start?¡±

    Orion stroked his stubble for a few moments when a maroon-haired loudmouth came to mind. ¡°I know just the person,¡±

    <hr>

 19. Shady Dealings

    <hr>

    Slinking through the back streets, Orion led Kora with a wary eye. These ends weren¡¯t his ends, and these people weren¡¯t his people. He recalled Thimble claiming the safest way to contact him was through Old Joe, the man who dabbled in blacksmithing, alchemy, and dealing. Unfortunately, Orion only vaguely remembered Old Joe¡¯s location. Luckily, or unluckily, Kora was similarly out of her depths in the slums and kept her cowl over her head, speaking few words.

    After asking a relatively clean-looking man, they were directed to take a sharp left, three rights, walk forward for 200 metres, then another right. Once there, Orion gained a greater promise of safety as he recognised the dreary red door scratched of its paint. He tapped on the door. Seconds later, Kora pushed him aside and rapped on it. This time, a series of footsteps followed, then the metal flap creaked ajar, two weary eyes looking through.

    ¡°Who¡¯s you?¡± a gruff voice asked.

    ¡°Jax. Uhh, Thimble¡¯s friend,¡±

    ¡°And what you doin¡¯ ¡®ere?¡±

    ¡°He said to find you if I needed to contact him,¡±

    Orion heard a humph from the other side as the door swung open. He was met with the sight of a portly man with frizzled white hair, a large, dotted nose, and beady eyes.

    ¡°That boy, always makin¡¯ trouble for me, he is,¡± Old Joe mumbled as he let them in.

    His house was cosy, if cheaply decorated. Pungent smells of burnt food and melted metal filled the air, despite neither of those being in sight. There were large packages wrapped in cloth facing his metre-long window in the living room, warming under the sunlight and smelling of sea salt. And of nuts. And honey¡­

    Orion put a hand to his mouth while sitting on the padded bench, forcing his mind away from the packages.

    ¡°Lucky for you, he¡¯ll be comin¡¯ soon. He¡¯s just makin¡¯ a trip for me now,¡± Old Joe explained while relaxing into his armchair.

    ¡°Oh, where¡¯re me manners?¡± he suddenly said, pushing himself back up. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come and see me wares. Might find a thing you like,¡±

    He crossed his living room and tugged on a thick rope, heaving open a hatch that camouflaged in with the wooden floorboards. Beckoning the Seekers, he climbed down and entered his workplace.

    The underground hall was as big as his home and lit by glubber¡¯s wax, the same long-lasting sort found on Hexham¡¯s road at night.

    There were various beakers and bottles to the left, emanating a smell of acid and burnt food. Near the middle were crates piled upon each other, around eight in total. And to their right was a metal platform with an anvil, forge, trough, and other blacksmithing equipment. There was also a pile of weapons on the platform, some blades clearly cracked.

    ¡°This is me playground. Don¡¯t think about stealin¡¯ none though since I¡¯m protected by the Sticky Fingers.¡± Old Joe said.

    ¡°What are those?¡± Kora asked, pointing to the beakers.

    ¡°Mmm, the lady Asartit,¡± Old Joe replied, pouting his lips,¡± She came in me dreams. You know about them things the Seeker¡¯s take, to change their bodies and that. She told me I could make them and that I should, that I would make it rich once I did,¡±

    Both Orion and Kora raised their eyebrows at this. It was well known that once a Seeker became 5-star rated, they could drink elixirs that changed their bodies. These changes made it possible for them to overcome human limits and become monsters, although it was unknown whether that was a literal description or a figurative one.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Either way, this was why the Seeker¡¯s guild had survived out of the hundreds in the past. If Old Joe could create potions even half, no, a quarter as effective, he would simultaneously become one of the richest and most hunted men in the Empire.

    ¡°Do they work?¡± Kora asked, her excitement slipping through.

    ¡°Argh, kinda. I tried them on a few kids, and they could like lift my chair one ¡®anded.¡± He paused. ¡°Then, they got smaller and thinner, like they leakin¡¯ or something. Then, they died,¡±

    ¡°How much are they?¡± she asked.

    Old Joe turned to her incredulously, then grinned at her serious face, revealing stained teeth. ¡°Since you a mate''s mate, I¡¯ll give you two for a goldie,¡±

    Kora gave him a gold coin and got two corked beakers in return. The liquid inside was multicoloured and looked slimy, like a mixture of soap and water.

    ¡°If these don¡¯t work, I will hunt you,¡± she joked.

    ¡°Heh heh, don¡¯t worry. They work, just you won¡¯t be doing much in life afterwards. Heh heh. Interested in anymore?¡±

    It was then a figure popped its head through the hatch.

    ¡°Lord Ma¡­ I mean, Lord Jax. What yer doin¡¯ ¡®ere?¡± Thimble called out.

    ¡°About time, my boy. I¡¯m too old to entertain your friends,¡± Old Joe said as he slipped the gold coin into his pocket. ¡°Put your package in the sun, and take your friends out,¡±

    Thimble nodded, and the two Seekers climbed out, figuring Old Joe wanted privacy. They left his home and walked onto the dirty streets.

    ¡°So, what do yer need, Lord Jax? I can do anything,¡±

    ¡°We would like to meet Rats,¡± Orion replied.

    The bounce died from Thimble¡¯s steps and he stopped, looking at them gravely. ¡°Nothing good comes from meetin¡¯ Rats,¡±

    ¡°But we want to,¡± Kora said.

    The maroon-haired loudmouth looked into Kora¡¯s eyes, then at her face, then at her figure, and his eyes lit up a little.

    ¡°There are ways, Lord Jax¡¯s pretty friend. But really, yor bettah off without meetin¡¯ ¡®im.¡± He paused and looked up. ¡°Oh, this is one of yor Seeker jobs, ain¡¯t it?¡±

    Kora snapped forward and thrust him up by his neck, pushing him against a concrete wall. ¡°Explain!¡±

    He heaved for breath and lifted his hands up in a gesture of helplessness. ¡°Sorri, pretty lady, yer can¡¯t scare me more than Lord Jax,¡±

    She frowned at Orion, then put Thimble down. ¡°Explain!¡±

    ¡°Na worries. Since Lord Jax helped me, I¡¯ll help you. Do you know about the Underkings?¡±

    Both Seekers shook their heads.

    ¡°They¡¯re the four bosses ¡®ere. They¡¯re at each other¡¯s throats all the time, but a few days ago, Rats called a celebration for something an¡¯ invited everyone, includin¡¯ the other Underkings. It¡¯s a week from today an¡¯ everyones buzzin¡¯ about it,¡±

    ¡°So, what does that have to do with a Seeker¡¯s job?¡± Orion asked. If this information was already public, then attempting to infiltrate Rats¡¯s inner circle was suicide.

    ¡°Well, I know yor a Seeker, an¡¯ everyone knows Rats is nasty, the nastiest of the four. Yet he¡¯s doin¡¯ this, which is weird. I just guessed yer interested in why he¡¯s actin¡¯ weird,¡± Thimble explained.

    ¡°I can help yer get in there, but yer¡¯ll have to help me too,¡± he finished.

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°My bro, he runs the Sticky Fingers. He¡¯s got an invite to Rats¡¯s pavilion, an¡¯ he¡¯s allowed to take a few people with ¡®im. We recently got in a brawl with the Saltrocks, so if yer help us with that, he¡¯ll let yer join ¡®im,¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Orion said as he took his bag off. He rummaged in it and found his finger-to-wrist length knife. ¡°Give me your hand,¡±

    Thimble gazed at him confused, then gulped and placed his hand forward.

    Orion nicked Thimble¡¯s skin, then chanted at the leaking blood, his eyes black as he used magic without Giah. He wiped the Blood tracker onto his finger and licked it, monetarily using his Giah to pale his eyes for dramatic effect.

    It worked as Thimble began to tremble.

    ¡°You know how it goes,¡± Orion said in a deep voice, ¡°Tell anyone we¡¯re Seekers on a job, and I¡¯ll know you did it and where you are. Following that, you can count how many seconds it¡¯ll take me to kill you. I swear you won¡¯t reach a minute,¡±

    The maroon-haired loudmouth nodded several times. Kora looked on passively but was inwardly impressed by this side of Orion. Not that she¡¯d admit it, though.

    ¡°But tell no one,¡± Orion continued, ¡°and I¡¯ll wipe it away once our job¡¯s done. And, we¡¯ll pay you three golds, just for guiding us and keeping your mouth shut. And you know I pay generously,¡±

    Hook, line, and sinker. Thimble swallowed the bait and nervously grinned, his lips curling from joy and greed.

    ¡°Go on, lead us to your brother,¡±

    <hr>

 20. Sticky Fingers

    <hr>

    With Thimble at their lead, the trio zipped through the Slums. He steered away from the pathways which burnt their noses and eventually came to a castle-like ruin next to a river that ran through Visgamar. Looking closer, Orion realised it was actually a collection of decrepit houses built upon each other, giving the image of a fortress.

    ¡°There¡¯s someone running there,¡± Kora said, pointing towards a clump of trees and bushes.

    Orion strained his ears but couldn¡¯t hear anything. Though, he did catch sight of a shadow rushing into the concrete fortress once he peered in the direction.

    ¡°Na worries, that¡¯s just a runnar,¡± Thimble said while casually waving his hand, ¡°He keeps watch in case someone attacks,¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Orion nodded with a frown. The relaxed way Thimble spoke brought new light to Orion¡¯s horizon. He couldn¡¯t even imagine himself acting so calm about an attack, let alone imagine the lifestyle that led to it.

    They passed by the first house and entered the den. There were few people by the outskirts of the den, and they mostly resigned to watching the trio, forgetting any confrontational thoughts once they realised it was Thimble leading them. But, as they entered the heart, the Seekers saw a large band of people sitting around in a garden decorated by rubble.

    Orion recognised Nanlong in the crowd, his large frame hard to miss; Thimble had introduced him to the murderous mercenary leader during his tour. But, other than him, the rest of the ragged cutthroats were strangers. The boss of this group was a brown-haired, bearded man sitting with one knee up and eyes glaring at the newcomers. He looked like Thimble, minus the maroon hair and the two large scars on his face and plus some years of hardship.

    ¡°Thimble, yer useless shit. Instead of wasting around, how about yer whore out like yor sisters and earn us some monies?¡± the brown-haired man shouted. His comments were met with laughter, the tense type you do when you¡¯re under too much pressure to truly let loose.

    ¡°Na, Ginger. Listen,¡± Thimble said as he gestured to the Seekers to wait. He left with Ginger (the brown-haired man) and came back a few moments later.

    ¡°Haha, forget my rude comments. My bro¡¯s told me yor strong, ain¡¯t it?¡± Ginger said as he took his place. He scrutinised the Seekers for a few seconds, watching their posture and actions. ¡°An¡¯ he¡¯s told me yer wanna meet Rats, is that right?¡± Silence washed over the gang.

    Orion frowned. He doubted Thimble had told Ginger he was a Seeker or a Mage, purely due to how frightened he was, but there was still a chance.

    ¡°Yeah, we can pay you in gold for it,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Hahaha, talking about gold in front of us, the Sticky Fingers, are yer mad or summin?¡± Another tense laughter followed Ginger¡¯s taunt.

    Shit.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, we¡¯re strong,¡± Kora replied. Another set of laughter, this time mocking.

    ¡°Fine, fine. Since my bro didn¡¯t beat around the bush, I¡¯ll come clean. We need fighters, and we need them tonight. If yers can help us against the Saltrocks, then I¡¯ll let yer join me,¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Orion thought on it. It seemed the only other ways into Rats¡¯s pavilion was through another gang leader, which would add more uncertainty and risk, or by sneaking in, which would be impossible considering Rats¡¯s guards were thieves and robbers.

    ¡°Fi¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait there, Ginger. You¡¯re telling me you believe these kids are strong?¡± Nanlong called out with a curl to his lips.

    Orion looked back to Ginger and saw he was calm despite the interruption. So, he had either been waiting for Nanlong to say this, or they were good enough friends to not care about such trivial matters.

    ¡°Go on, Fister. Teach them a lesson,¡± Nanlong finished, pushing forward a man who was a mix of muscle and fat.

    Fister¡¯s eyes gleamed and he brushed his pudgy hand through his mohawk, springing it up. ¡°If you say so, boss,¡±

    Kora placed a hand on Orion¡¯s shoulder and nodded. She pulled her cowl lower and strode to Fister. The mohawked man sneered at her slight figure and sped up into a charge, his hands stretched out to tackle her. But instead of flustering, Kora kicked, or better said, sliced through the air. Fister expected this and spun in time, actually, a bit too late as his feet left the ground and his body was sent flying, hitting the ground a metre away.

    He did not get back up.

    ¡°Ahh, strong and pretty. They¡¯re a good sort,¡± Nanlong said.

    Kora frowned in his direction while the other mercenaries peered into her cowl, trying to get a glimpse. The large mercenary leader clearly had eagle eyes.

    ¡°Good good, let¡¯s get you up to speed then, specially yer, Thimble,¡± Ginger said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The ship¡¯s not coming in a few days. It¡¯s coming today an¡¯ they were tryna hide that, just got it snitched to me,¡± Ginger paused and rubbed his brown beard. ¡°Like, I ain¡¯t no idiot, clearly they got the word we¡¯re attacking and this is a trap to kill us, but this is also our chance.¡±

    Ginger turned to the Seekers. ¡°Despite Rats¡¯s street-cred, you still wanna meet him, an¡¯ there¡¯s a million reasons why you would wanna. I don¡¯t wanna hear the sob story tho, just help us sink the Saltrock¡¯s ship an¡¯ you can come with me,¡±

    It was then a new group of men entered the ruins. Orion recognised one of them: Skitters, another man Thimble had briefly introduced him to, the one with a lot of lockpicks and masks in his home.

    ¡°Ai, Ginger. The ships coming to the Drowner¡¯s. Checked a few homes around the dock, ain¡¯t found anyone, yet,¡± Skitters said, brushing his hand through his wavy hair.

    ¡°No one? Yer sure?¡±

    ¡°Ya, unless they got a Mage or summin, I ain¡¯t sure how they could ambush us,¡±

    No one spoke, no one moved, no one breathed. Orion realised it wasn¡¯t just Thimble who feared Mages, but instead all of them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even joke about that,¡± Ginger said. ¡°Fuck, let¡¯s just go an¡¯ get in place.¡±

    <hr>

    It had been six hours since they had entered Ginger¡¯s den, and three since they had gone into hiding by the Drowner¡¯s docks. Ginger and his thugs, including Thimble, had scattered across the buildings, awaiting nightfall when the ship was said to arrive. Nanlong and his mercenaries had hidden close to the docks; they were the best equipped and would take the vanguard in the fight.

    As for the Seekers, they were in an abandoned storage room with Skitters, alike to the one Orion had first woken up in but with a tunnel. They were told to follow Skitters as he sneaked onto the ship and dumped the flares overboard, then to protect him afterwards. As if to lure them to go down the decks and murder, Ginger had said any treasure they took was theirs to keep

    Night had arrived sometime before, and the trio now waited for the ship to arrive. Orion had a bad feeling about the ambush, after all, Ginger had trusted them too easily, he had given them too important of a job, and now Orion had to kill people getting on with their lives.

    He knew whatever ploys both sides had planned would come into play once the ship arrived, and as if by magic, a loud horn blared out from one of the houses far away. The ship was here¡­

    <hr>

 21. The Raid

    <hr>

    ¡°Alright, with me,¡± Skitters said. He hauled open the hatch and jumped into the tunnel, followed by Kora and Orion.

    The wavy-haired thief pulled out a candle and lit it, thrusting light against the darkness. ¡°We¡¯re gonna have to be quick,¡±

    The tunnel was as wide as a barrel but lower than head-height, so they had to crouch. Orion wondered who had built the passage in the first place, after all, it was clearly used for illicit activities but the fact there were countless easier ways than through a stuffy tunnel stumped him.

    ¡°Hey, Skitters. What¡¯s the ship carrying?¡± Kora asked. She had left her cloak at the Sticky Fingers¡¯s den after they¡¯d been told they¡¯d be swimming. So, she was now wearing her green jacket and leather pants, which had earned her quite a few nods and ogles from Ginger¡¯s thugs.

    ¡°Heh heh, summin good for sure, considering that ship¡¯s coming from the south,¡± He paused. ¡°But if I was to say, girly, it¡¯d be some items, mostly Gajoi nuts since that¡¯s the craze now, or it¡¯d be slaves. Maybe weapons cuz Visgamar is heating up,¡±

    Orion¡¯s thoughts turned to slaves. They were legal and pretty much everywhere. Depending on where you were, there were different rules regarding them, such as cities like Visgamar frowned upon having them in public, while others considered them a show of wealth and flaunted them with gold chains and the such.

    Personally, the House of Zakari had kept no slaves, only servants. So, slavery rubbed Orion the wrong way since he believed while men could be lower than others, none should be low enough to be devoid of self-control, save the dead. As for Kora, he knew she was fine with them considering the House of Cruorem kept thralls.

    ¡°And why¡¯re you attacking the ship again?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Me? I get paid for this, girly. And if I find something precious, I could get a few golds for it and buy a home out of the slums, maybe near the market. There¡¯s always tons of rich twits strutting their purses there and if I buy some nice clothes, them Guards won¡¯t even touch me,¡± He started laughing deep from his heart. ¡°Nanlong and his boys? I dunno, probably use it on whores and booze. As for Ginger and his Sticky Fingers,¡±

    He stopped talking as they reached the end of the tunnel. He pushed forwards and moonlight entered the darkness, revealing the crate that blocked the exit and a stone platform past it.

    ¡°Y¡¯know, they shouldn¡¯t be called the Sticky Fingers- not even half the skill I have. Anyway, I heard this job is from Fatso, y¡¯know the Underking, since the Saltrocks left him for Madam Richy, or whatever that whore¡¯s name is. If Ginger does this and gets out safe, I reckon he¡¯ll be higher in Fatso¡¯s books, if y¡¯know what I mean,¡±

    ¡°Wait, who¡¯s the last Underking then?¡± Orion asked.

    ¡°Grima. No one¡¯s got any clue what the guy looks like, but everyone knows he runs the biggest information system in Visgamar. Don¡¯t mess with him either: the saying is he¡¯ll know about you coming before you even decide to,¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Skitters stood on the platform and stretched, staring into the midnight-blue waves. The ship flickered in the distance. ¡°Not that you¡¯ll listen to me about danger, ain¡¯t it? You wanna meet Rats, don¡¯t you? Mad,¡± He scoffed and buttoned up his pockets. ¡°Alright, then. Let¡¯s go,¡±

    Skitters leapt into the water, the Seekers diving in after. The water was cold, a soothing cold for Orion and a freezing bite for the others, and the waves were choppy up above. The Seekers followed the thief as he circled the ship, making special care where they went up for breath.

    The ship was a large wooden beast 30 metres long and 10 metres tall. Its keel and hull had grown dark green with plant growth, and its figurehead showed a woman with her tits out. Classy.

    Once they were in position, the trio quietly trailed the ship as it sailed to the docks and anchored. Skitters occasionally sneaked closer and stabbed metal holds into the hull before diving away. They continued waiting, waiting until the first sailors stood on solid ground, waiting till the first shouts rang the night. Now. Skitters climbed the ascending holds and leapt onto the ship, his figure shivering. Kora followed with similar ease, her not-so-human body dealing with the chill better. Orion was the last up and had to claw himself up to the deck due to a few holds come loose.

    Once up there, he saw Skitters crouching with his chest heaving, cold water dripping onto the stained boards. They had scaled the ship behind the shadow of some stacks of crates roped to the deck and under the cover of night, allowing their entrance to go undetected. However, it obviously wouldn¡¯t be the case for much longer as several sets of feet thundered across the floorboards, lighting up every lamp.

    The thief pointed behind him and whispered, ¡°The flares, they¡¯re over there. I¡¯ll run and dump, you guys cover me,¡± He brandished a dagger, pushed it up his sleeve, and turned.

    As if by clockwork, a shout sounded just as Skitters got up and casually began walking. ¡°Shoot the flares, you fucking idiots. And wake up that fat bitch,¡±

    The Seekers creeped to the corner of their cover and waited. With the lamps tearing away the night¡¯s veil, the thief was sure to be identified as an uninvited guest. Yet, he smashed their expectations as he jogged up to the higher platform, seemingly unaffected by the pressure as he moved calmly.

    ¡°Rook, why¡¯re you wet? Get away before you fuck both of us,¡± said a sailor as he tried to the light a cord. The box of flares was by his feet.

    Skitters pointed to the cord with his left hand. ¡°You idiot,¡±

    The sailor looked at the cord in confusion, and Skitters¡¯s right hand came down by his neck, bearing the dagger. In shock, the sailor pushed Skitters back and tried to scream, but didn¡¯t get far before he got stabbed once more, and another. The thief picked up the box of flares and flung them over the side.

    Unfortunately, his execution hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed. Another sailor screamed in place of his mate, and the ten or so remaining men turned to face Skitters and the corpse beside him. Loud shouts came from the docks as Nanlong¡¯s mercenaries and the Sticky Fingers finally found the hidden Saltrocks.

    Orion tugged on Kora and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s just go. We¡¯ll make this worse,¡± Their job was already done; there was no need to kill anymore sailors.

    She shook her head and pointed at one of the deck¡¯s unlit areas. ¡°There are crossbows there. Besides, these aren¡¯t good people, you idiot. Don¡¯t bother caring for them,¡± she said as she leapt from their cover, cutting down a sailor before he even considered death.

    Orion growled and stood, his fingers gripped around his hilt. It was an unnecessary fight but now that Kora had entered, he simply couldn¡¯t back down.

    <hr>

 22. Blood between the Boards

    <hr>

    The captain was no fool; he knew straight-away the two newcomers were difficult opponents, especially the girl. That speed! ¡°Kill him, boys with me,¡± he said as he pointed at Skitters but turned to the Seekers.

    Orion sourly regarded the captain and the eight men who had heeded his shout. From their movement, it was obvious they would be easy kills. Regardless, it would still be needless blood splattered across the deck boards.

    He couldn¡¯t see Kora¡¯s face but the reactions from the lamplit sailors told him she had smiled, putting them on edge. She burst from her spot, her steps flicking droplets as she twisted around the first sailor, toppled him by kicking his shin, ducked under a swing, then stabbed down. The man gurgled to death, blood spluttering out of his mouth. Uncaring, she clashed her bloodstained sword with another, heightening the madness.

    The captain and his men had turned their backs to Orion, caught up by the monster in their midst: a mistake. Orion darted across the deck, saw a man spin around, saw him raise the hammer he had hastily picked up. Skewing his sword¡¯s path by the hairs of the hammerhead, Orion slashed into the sailor¡¯s neck, the teary image of a murderer reflected in the man¡¯s eyes.

    With no time to consider his actions, Orion leapt out of the way of another blade, rebounded off the mast and struck down with momentum. It cut into his next victim¡¯s shoulder blade, causing the man to drop the¡­ What was that? A steel pole? Nipping his thoughts, the pale Seeker swiftly finished the job.

    ¡°ARGHH!¡±

    Orion heard a shrill scream sound through the battle roars. He saw Skitters falling back with a limp arm, his dagger useless against the metal pole and cutlass his adversaries had. Spinning past another attempt at his life, Orion bucked the sailor in the arse like a horse and hared to the higher platform, leaping up to catch the handhold. Noticing Skitters was moments from death, Orion flung his shortsword at the thief¡¯s soon-to-be-killers, causing them to recoil back.

    He used this extra second to pull himself up to the platform and roll away from the soon-to-be-corpse who tried to whack his unarmed hands. The metal pole grazed his knuckles but that was manageable, so much so Orion used that very fist to uppercut the soon-to-be-corpse.

    Noticing his friend¡¯s failure, the cutlass sailor slashed at Skitters¡¯s calf, forbidding the thief from escape while he ran to his death. Orion glared at the coming enemy, side-stepped as the sailor thrust, stepped back as the sailor swung in an arc, then booted the man¡¯s wrist, causing the blade to thud against the wet wood. While the sailor cringed over his wrist, Orion uppercutted him too, then picked up the dropped cutlass.

    Moments later, he walked over to Skitters and threw the bloodstained cutlass away, picking up his sword. He crouched and looked at the thief¡¯s cuts in the lamplight: a long slit through his jacket on his arm and a gash on his calf. Shaking his head, Orion turned and jumped over the railing, landing on the lower deck.

    Kora was busy completing her collection, crimson-dyed corpses strewn around. A few seconds later, she faced Orion and his grim expression.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Skitters is injured. Can you¡­¡± he stopped amidst his sentence. It sounded dirty considering what they had just done to a dozen innocents.

    She shook her head and pointed to the shadowed doorway below the higher platform. ¡°A Mage is coming,¡±

    She didn¡¯t have to say anymore as Orion ran up to Skitters and knocked him out. He didn¡¯t want to kill the thief, but he would have no other choice if the thief witnessed the fight. Kora moved to the edge of the ship and leaned over the side, scanning the fray below.

    ¡°At least a few more minutes,¡± she shouted back.

    ¡°A few more minutes for what?¡± her reply came, the creaking of stairs accompanying the shrill pitch.

    Orion gulped as he heard the creaks. While Mages were a lower species, he doubted he could handle anything as lard-filled as the creaks gave image to. Hopefully, the stairs were just rotten.

    ¡°Answer me, you filthy plebeian. Not only do I have to use such a dirty ship but now I have to handle you specks of dirt? Ughh,¡± the Mage growled as she entered the lamplight, followed by another sailor who stopped star-struck at the scene on deck.

    The Mage was a woman with a plump belly as if she was 6-months pregnant. Not that the Seekers were dumb enough to believe that, or that the wisps of golden light racing her figure added to that illusion. She had a bob cut and held a carved staff, more for style than for stability. It seemed the stair boards had been rotten. Perfect.

    ¡°An impudent mute, it seems. Well, I¡¯ve got ways of making you talk. You, go and block her,¡± the Mage said as she clanged her staff against the floor, once again for style, and began muttering with focus, fists of fire growing at the skin of her golden barrier. Her eyes simultaneously got lighter.

    The surviving sailor gulped and pseudo-charged Kora, raising his sword but stepping back once he was in striking distance.

    At this moment, Orion peered from the higher platform at the animal oblivious to his presence. Killing innocents was wrong and wasteful, but at least they knew their place, unlike Mages. They hadn¡¯t learnt their standing yet, so he was more than happy to teach them. His eyes blanched, appearing yellow tinted due to the lamplight, and ice bloomed out of his right hand.

    The Mage only realised her mistake as she sensed the cold at the back of her head, rotating to face the pale Seeker. But it was too late as shards of ice barraged against her golden shield, the fireballs collapsing as her focus broke. She gritted her teeth and turned to her barrier, pouring energy into it as it struggled against the icicles. If anyone with an eagle-eye looked past the obscuring golden haze, they¡¯d be able to see the layers of fat on the Mage sink, albeit slowly, showing inexperience and inefficiency. This was what separated the Houses from mages.

    Orion hopped from his spot and landed on the Mage, whacking her against the floor. Not that it hurt her though, instead, the floorboards had dented inwards under the barrier. He placed his left hand on the paper-thin barrier and felt its pulse, fuelled by the Mage¡¯s own heartbeat. The cracks started wide but then connected, shattering the golden barrier. Before she could even catch her breath, Orion punched her face.

    ¡°¡­Zakari¡­,¡± she croaked, her fear reflected in her eyes.

    This time, Orion felt no pity. ¡°Inferior species,¡± He brandished his sword and chopped. Silence.

    Kora pushed aside the latest addition to her collection as she walked over to Orion. ¡°Jax, let¡¯s find a med-kit,¡±

    He stared at her, past her, then followed as they made their way down the stairs.

    They ransacked the kitchen, the panty, the sailors¡¯ rooms where they found a med-kit, the Mage¡¯s embellished room where they pocketed 15 gold coins. They were about to leave when a squeal sounded through the hatch at the end of the corridor.

    Orion headed to it while Kora shook her head. ¡°Alright, Jax. You save how many ever slaves you need to clear your mind and I¡¯ll patch up Skitters,¡±

    Ignoring her sassy comment, Orion pulled the hatch open and climbed in¡­

    <hr>

 23. Sea of Flames

    <hr>

    Orion looked down the remaining height and jumped, landing with a thump; his entry was masked by a chorus of groans. The stifling stench dug into his nose, the smell of faeces almost palpable. There was only one point of light, it being a thumb-sized glubber¡¯s wax candle in a lantern. Made visible by the dim light was a row of jails which filled the room.

    Covering his nose, he stepped to the closest one and peered through the metal grid. Cooped inside were seven, no, eight slaves, their limbs scraggy and skin discoloured. They looked emaciated as if they were standing on death¡¯s door. Beside them were a broken bench and a bucket filled with shit.

    Anger and pity equally flared up inside Orion¨C it was the sailors he had been reluctant to kill who had done this! Gritting his teeth, he searched for the keys, and when he didn¡¯t find them, he used his sword¡¯s hilt to whack open the locks. Once, twice, and it came loose, clattering to the ground.

    He opened the gate and looked in, only to see the near-dead people finally move. They scrambled back, or at least the few who could did, while the rest began to moan louder.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, they¡¯re dead. Get out of here,¡± Orion said. He was lost for words when none of them moved. ¡°Get out,¡± he roared, finally urging a reaction. The able few stood but waited. Realising how frightened they must be, the Seeker picked up the lantern and moved over to repeat the process.

    The number of bruises, cuts, shit-crusted skin, and haggard eyes he saw soon calloused his mind and transformed his anger. Gone was the flaming tempest ready to kill and here was the cold monster ready to do something much worse to the sailors.

    None of the slaves uttered thanks but he didn¡¯t even consider them doing so, after all, the fearful looks they gave him verbalised their thoughts ¨C another sick sailor playing a cruel joke. And how could he blame them when the only people who came down here were their slavers. But despite their well-groomed scepticism, the second he moved from their gate, the slaves stumbled out and pulled themselves up the ladder.

    Having broken six locks and freed 40-something slaves, Orion reached the last jail. Inside, he was surprised to see a single man. Breaking the lock, the Seeker stepped in and raised his lantern. The unconscious man was just as shrivelled, if not more, than the others.

    Orion had wondered why the Mage had been on this ship, especially considering how she seemed to hate it. And this man answered the question, more specifically, his skin did. It was etched with burns and crude cuts, as well as some pain-inducing runes.

    The reason for his torture became clear to Orion. The man¡¯s visible skin was dark brown, almost black, even darker than a Metole¡¯s skin. And opening his eyelids, Orion saw dull-red irises. He wasn¡¯t from the Empire, so where was he from? The only uncivilised people Orion knew of were the tribes to the west of his ruined house, but they had golden hair and sapphire-blue eyes, and the horsemen south of the House of Metole, but their faces were hawk-like and their skin and eyes were caramel-brown.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Finding no leads or hints from his mind, Orion decided to leave it until the man was better. He used Giah to whiten his eyes, then sucked the energy out of the runes, the work of a novice - no wonder the Mage had been an easy foe, she had been a runewright!

    Once done, the man¡¯s breath slowed but otherwise showed no signs of waking. Orion tapped him, shook him, shook him some more, then slapped him. This worked as the man stirred, gasping with widened eyes, the red and black moons rapidly scanning the room.

    Seconds later, the man¡¯s face steeled and the emotion drained out.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Orion asked.

    No reply.

    ¡°Can you understand me?¡±

    No reply.

    Giving up, the Seeker stepped out of the jail and gestured for the man to follow.

    The dark-skinned man faintly smirked, then studied Orion¡¯s figure, especially his hips. The Seeker figured the foreigner was checking if he was a Mage, which he was, but not that the man would know though. Satisfied, or at least happier than otherwise with what he saw, the man pushed off the wooden wall and fell face first into his own waste. Realising the man had no hope of getting up, Orion picked up the weightless body and carried him, checking the remaining slaves on the way out. Nine of them were dead so Orion could only save an additional young woman.

    Walking with the two bodies over his shoulder, he passed by the kitchen and pantry and saw both completely ransacked. Curiously, the Mage¡¯s room was in a similar state. He carried on and eventually stepped up the stairs, coming to the lit-up deck. He saw Kora supporting Skitters, who had his arm around her shoulder. He saw the freed slaves herded into a group by Nanlong¡¯s mercenaries. And he saw Ginger rapidly commanding the Sticky Fingers around.

    ¡°There yer are,¡± he shouted as he noticed Orion. ¡°A few of the Saltrocks escaped. Their bastard friends gonna be ¡®ere soon,¡±

    Then, Orion saw a few Sticky Fingers, including Thimble, rolling barrels onto the ship.

    ¡°Alright, everyone off the ship now,¡± Ginger roared. ¡°Boys, take them barrels down and break them. Quick!¡±

    While the crowd went onto dry ground, the Sticky Fingers rolled more and more barrels up the ramp and down the deck. About ten minutes later, they joined the others, standing with a few molotovs in their sweaty palms. A few hurls passed before one hit the trail of oil leading down.

    ¡°Everyone run, including yer slaves. Anyone who can¡¯t dies ¡®ere,¡± Ginger said.

    Orion was shocked when the slaves, as weak as they looked and as slow as they had been, suddenly found a spurt of speed, maybe from realising this chance at freedom was genuine, maybe their final spurt.

    It was amid his sprint he turned to glance at the roaring flames. It looked the same as when he had ran away from his House, the plumes of rancid smoke exploding from the inferno.

    <hr>

 24. Judgement Day

    <hr>

    They ran for ten minutes but what felt like twenty. Some slaves dropped down along the way, and since Orion was already full-handed, they stayed down. Eventually, the stench of rotten food and human excrement replaced that of salt and fish.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Orion asked. He was lost, as it was, in the day, let alone under the veil of darkness.

    ¡°The den,¡± Ginger replied, his voice soft and strained from panting.

    ¡°What? I thought the Saltrocks were returning with more people? Why are we going to the most obvious place?¡±

    Ginger smirked. ¡°It¡¯s my land, I ain¡¯t gonna lose there,¡±

    ¡°Are you mad? It¡¯s stupid to do this,¡± Nanlong added, his looming figure sneaking in between the two.

    ¡°No worries, twice the gold for yer,¡±

    ¡°Pfft,¡±

    ¡°Three times?¡±

    Nanlong grunted and backed off.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of killing any more of them though,¡± Orion said.

    ¡°Else, they¡¯ll make trouble for us later. Ain¡¯t having that; might as well end them now,¡±

    The pale Seeker opened his mouth, then closed it and turned away. Ginger was clearly adamant about another battle, and it was now too late for Orion to back out. Either way, even if the fight turned sour, he and Kora could escape, though it would make what they had just done a waste of time.

    Due to Nyrtia¡¯s blessing, there were no ambushers awaiting them when they arrived at the base. Dawn wasn¡¯t far off and Visgamar¡¯s famous fogs rolled out across the city, enveloping the buildings and people in another veil. Straight away, the Sticky Fingers and Nanlong¡¯s mercenaries lit bright lanterns around the fort and took their positions, a few of them even armed with crude crossbows.

    The slaves were forced into a central building and put under the Seeker¡¯s watch. As much as Ginger wanted the Seekers to man the walls, considering the aftermath he had seen on the deck, he knew it was best not to sneak any additional clauses into the deal.

    Orion leaned against the doorframe as he watched Kora reapply Skitters¡¯s bandages. She then moved onto two of Nanlong¡¯s mercenaries who were severely injured, and then the slaves. As for why there were no Sticky Fingers with them, Skitters had told them in the building by the docks that the gang couldn¡¯t afford to take care of anyone too far gone. Instead, they helped you complete the distance.

    After being rebandaged, the thief lay on the ground with his eyes shut. He hadn¡¯t mentioned Orion trying to knock him out to anyone, nor had he brought it up with the Seekers. You couldn¡¯t survive the streets without common sense and Skitters had far more than others, enough to keep quiet about the incident. All he knew was that the two were like storms once fighting and that the mage had croaked Zakari to Jax.

    Orion had blanked out for a few moments, or minutes, when he saw Kora dressing the unconscious foreigner¡¯s wounds. While it would have been impossible in the dark, now with a clear view of his skin, Kora seemed as intrigued by the man and the mage¡¯s torture as Orion was.

    ¡°How strong were they?¡± she asked. She ran her finger across the angular cuts drawn into his skin ¨C the runes.

    ¡°Novice work, but probably the strongest the pig had,¡±

    ¡°Mmm,¡± She nodded, checked the man¡¯s eyes, then moved on.

    The hours went by, and it was past dawn by the time a Sticky Fingers came in.

    ¡°The boss wants y¡¯all to come,¡± he said to Kora. She woke her dozing partner and everyone but the foreigner.

    They made it down the rubble-strewn paths and into the open aired hall, fit with wild vines growing the cracked walls and a circle of dry dirt amidst the trampled, sickly grass. There was a large fire on the dirt over which a stew was bubbling. Ginger and Nanlong sat around a smaller fire, the spaces between them filled with the higher-ups of each group, including Thimble. The slaves were made to wait by the larger fire as the Seekers and Skittles were motioned to the smaller one.

    ¡°Ahh, time yer got ¡®ere,¡± Ginger said.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be watching the walls? Or is it over?¡± Kora said.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Miss Kora. We got watchers out there,¡± Thimble answered.

    ¡°Besides, they¡¯d be fools to attack in this light,¡± Ginger finished.

    Nanlong put down the bread he was chewing on and strode to the Seekers. ¡°We heard about the Mage,¡±

    The mood fell, mostly from the Sticky Fingers around the fire. Ginger had his face downcast, the shadows from fire creasing his face.

    ¡°But you killed that bitch before anything else. This isn¡¯t much but take it as thanks. Since I don¡¯t know, and don¡¯t want to know, what would have happened otherwise,¡± he continued, drawing three gold coins from his pockets and handing them to the Seekers.

    ¡°Anyway, yer both earned yor place beside me at the party. Yer¡¯ll get to see Rats,¡± Ginger said while facing up. ¡°But, right now, I¡¯ll also give yer another reward for murdering that whore,¡±

    Kora yawned with no intention to answer, and seeing this, Orion looked around and then behind him.

    ¡°Could you take care of the slaves?¡±

    ¡°As slaves? Sure can,¡± Ginger said, urging a round of laughter from the surrounding men. ¡°As free men an¡¯ women, I dunno,¡±

    ¡°What can I do then?¡± Orion asked.

    ¡°Yer? Nothing. Them, it depends on them,¡±

    Ginger stood, picked up his sword and walked over to the larger fire, everyone else following. He stepped in front of a slave.

    ¡°Yer, will yer join the Sticky Fingers?¡±

    The emaciated man looked from the brown-haired gang leader, to the glint of the blade, to his own pathetic reflection in Ginger¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°The Sticky Fingers?¡± the man replied, stumbling back in fear, only to bump into one of Ginger¡¯s thugs.

    ¡°Forward, mate. Boss asked yer a question,¡±

    ¡°Us, we¡¯re the Sticky Fingers,¡± Ginger explained.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The man gulped and looked at the blade again, at how sharp it looked. ¡°¡­Yeah, Yeah I will, I¡¯d love to, please don¡¯t kill me,¡± he said as he broke into tears, collapsing onto his knees.

    Orion tried to move but Kora caught his shoulder and stopped him.

    ¡°Good,¡± Ginger said, moving onto the next person. ¡°What about yer?¡±

    ¡°Sir, please, I¡¯ve got a family; I¡¯ve got to get back to them,¡± the man pleaded. It was the last words he spoke as the blade struck, ripping flesh off his neck. He fell face-first, a mixture of blood and mud pasted over his eyes.

    Orion tried to force his way out of Kora¡¯s grasp but she held strong, fingers digging into his flesh. ¡°You wanted him to look after them, well, he can only look after the ones who¡¯ll survive these ends,¡±

    Orion wanted to ask, no, shout why Ginger couldn¡¯t let them go then? Why did he have to kill the ones with a past to get back to? But the answer came as quickly as his anger, because if he let one go, the rest would also want to go. Ginger was a cutthroat leader of the streets; he was cruel because that was how he survived each day, and the morals Orion had were simply luxuries for the brown-haired gang leader, decadent luxuries.

    Nonetheless, this didn¡¯t quell Orion¡¯s anger. What did was the question he asked himself: how else was he supposed to save the slaves? By taking them under his care, restricting his options, and risking his entire vengeance? Choosing a few strangers over the House of Zakari? No, he couldn¡¯t, and as much as it pained him to admit, it was better for them to be under a man who would toughen them up than for them to be free in such a vicious city.

    Ginger moved on. ¡°What about yer then?¡± he said as he swung about the bloodstained sword.

    ¡°Yes,¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°Yeah,¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°Please, I need to find my daughter, I¡¯m begging you,¡± a woman said. ¡°I¡¯ll let you do anything to me, just let me find my daughter afterwards,¡±

    While a few of Ginger¡¯s thugs cheered at this, their leader was having none of it. He slashed as he had done before, and another corpse hit the ground as before.

    ¡­

    ¡°Yeah,¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°Of course,¡±

    It carried on until Ginger had asked every slave. Only two of the 30 had said no, and only two now lay on the ground.

    ¡°Messy business done with, how about we eat now?¡± Ginger said. His men and Nanlong¡¯s mercenaries cheered for him, while the slaves sombrely thought on their fates.

    ¡°Wait, Ginger, come here,¡± Kora said, while the rest of the people queued for their stew.

    ¡°What¡¯s it, Kora?¡±

    She put her hand out to shake, and he did so, although confusedly. One of her nails sliced his skin and drew blood, which she rubbed between her fingers and licked. Orion glared at Ginger throughout.

    ¡°There¡¯s another one, the dark one, the foreigner. Take good care of him,¡± she said.

    Ginger wore an incredulous expression.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t, I don¡¯t know, maybe you¡¯ll start to feel ill or such,¡±

    Orion knew Ginger would say yes the second he felt the air thicken. The gang leader¡¯s eyes widened and he looked at Kora in shock, before placing his hand on his forehead. He wasn¡¯t new to this game; he knew how things worked.

    ¡°You did something, you wh¡ª¡±

    ¡°And I can do much worse if you tempt me,¡± she said, revealing her perfect teeth.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll make sure Thimble, that piece of shit, looks after that burnt corpse yer picked up,¡±

    ¡°Pleasure doing business with you,¡± she finished with a cheerful tone.

    He smirked, then paced away. He would have hidden his fear too, had it not been for his visibly quivering hands and rushed steps.

    <hr>

 25. Deception

    <hr>

    Orion stirred to the sound of distant shouting. He drowsily dug into his pillow and stayed there until the muffled words rang in his ears, grating at his mind. The dim light bloomed as he pulled the curtains, revealing the room. There was a bed by the centre, a wardrobe by the exit, and an oak table by another door. While the decorations were as bare as in The Little Sip, there was the addition of walking space between the furniture.

    He dragged himself to the door and entered the bathroom where he used the bucket of water to wash the dirt and sweat off, before drying off and coming to his wardrobe. Opening it, he met his newly bought clothes ¨C dyed Blacktip-leather jacket and trousers, and a cloth shirt. He had gone up the dark-stone laden path by the market to buy these clothes, and it had taken a few days for the dyes to stick, but it was worth it.

    The clothes were comfortable and sturdy, that was as long as he didn¡¯t fight vampires to the death every other weekend. Further, anyone nosy like Smith would have a hard time telling its material unless they molested him. Of course, the downside was that he was ten gold coins poorer, over half his wealth.

    After dressing, he wore his shortsword over his back, a fashion that had recently picked up, and placed his daggers in their holds by his hip. They were sharp and unassuming, giving him the edge of surprise if he ever needed it. The newly bought weapons had cost four gold coins in total, leaving him three golds and five silvers in hand.

    Fully equipped, Orion checked the mirror in the wardrobe. His skin had tanned to a light hay-like colour. The bags under his eyes had grown, as had his black hair, now midway between finger-length and hand-length; he¡¯d have to get it cut soon, maybe after this mission. The dull red crack-like scars from his left cheek to his jaw still stood out, though not as much.

    The biggest difference, however, came through his posture; no longer were his shoulders slumped and his head down, they had straightened, and he could even see the inkling of hope in his eyes ¨C he could, and would, avenge his family. Smiling, he picked up his possessions from the room and put them in his maroon bag, before stepping out. Today was the day.

    He hopped down the stairs and came to the main room, the air thick with roasted meat. Kora was easily found with her head down and her face stuffed in food, her plate filled with meat, bread, and a gravy dip unique to The Fat Munch. Picking up a plate, he filled it from the buffet and took a seat next to Kora with a large mug of eastern ale. While he had found, and to an extent still found, it bitter, the taste had grown on him after staying at the inn for a week.

    Picking up a handful of veg, he placed it on her plate. ¡°My mum always said veg was good for you,¡±

    ¡°Your momma wasn¡¯t a vampire,¡± she said, glaring at the green goodness. ¡°Besides, I didn¡¯t eat them any of the other days, why do you think I would start now?¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    He downed half his drink and glanced at her. She stilled looked the same, her skin tanned, her eyes large and black, her hair long and caramel-brown, her lips covered with bits of food. She wasn¡¯t a pretty sight when she transformed, but she was now with her maroon cloak and her new yellow jacket under. Ok, she would look better if she knew how to eat with some common decency but no one could have it all. ¡°Well, now¡¯s as good a time as any to start,¡±

    Since he had said this for the sake of it, he was surprised when she actually picked up a green and crunched off its head. He wasn¡¯t very surprised when she spat it out, looking at him with a face of disgust while he chortled.

    She wouldn¡¯t talk to him for the next few minutes and only started once they reached Ginger¡¯s den after leaving The Fat Munch.

    ¡°Today,¡± she muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t fuck it up. We can beat weaklings, but we¡¯ll die if anyone there suspects us,¡±

    He nodded. This wasn¡¯t a chase and kill mission where they used their full strengths. Rather, the opposite: they would have to hide who they were to the fullest, and if the monsters there figured out their identities, then¡­ Then, the last of the Zakari line would fall to street rats born and raised in shit-filled alleyways.

    The two Seekers were confused when they saw Skitters leaning on a walking stick by the entrance to the fort. He had left for his home a week ago, insisting he needed no help and that he would rest. In his occupation, you could only work with two speedy legs and not with a limping one.

    ¡°Hey, Skitters, I thought I told you it¡¯d take a few weeks for that to heal?¡± Kora said.

    ¡°Heh heh, don¡¯t worry girly - I¡¯ve been through worse. I¡¯m here to tell you about summin,¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    The thief began plodding away from the fort, gesturing them to follow. ¡°I¡¯ve been quiet about it, y¡¯know, you knocking me out and killing that Mage. I¡¯m thankful, I really am, and I¡¯ve been silent since you¡¯re both too strong for me to say anything,¡± He laughed in a self-deprecating manner. ¡°But, y¡¯know, it¡¯s ¡®cause I¡¯m thankful I wanna say this, since you two are clearly new blood.¡±

    ¡°Sure, what you got to say?¡± Kora said.

    Orion walked on the other side of Skitters. He hoped the thief would know his limits, know what he could and couldn¡¯t say. Because if he didn¡¯t, Orion knew Kora would kill him without a second thought.

    ¡°Stay low in the meeting. It¡¯s Rats¡¯s place, and everyone¡¯s got the feeling something big¡¯s gonna happen. I would say the second you notice something¡¯s up, leave. It¡¯s Rats, the Underking of Killers, anything he¡¯s hiding will lead to death somehow,¡±

    The Seekers nodded. ¡°You got an idea of what it is?¡±

    ¡°You two are good kids so I¡¯ll tell you. I work for a man who knows a lot about the city, and he¡¯s told us to be ready. You don¡¯t have to be a genius to link being ready and Rat¡¯s celebration together, y¡¯know? So be careful,¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Skitters. Hope you get that home in town,¡± Kora said as Skitters stopped and gestured them to go.

    ¡°As do I, girly. It¡¯ll be a few months with my leg but you two better come and visit me then,¡±

    ¡°We will, we will,¡± Orion said, smiling.

    Skitters twirled his curly hair as he watched the two Seekers walk off into the distance. He leaned his weight off his walking stick and onto his feet once they disappeared. One job down, so many more to do. It seemed there would be no rest for him in the coming days.

    <hr>

 26. The Underkings

    <hr>

    ¡°How bad is his injury?¡± Orion asked.

    ¡°Not as bad as it looked, Jax. I think he spun when he got hit so the blade didn¡¯t pierce through his muscle. Still, it¡¯ll be a few weeks until that¡¯s healed, months if he keeps moving around like that,¡±

    Orion nodded, before switching his attention to the fort ahead. There were more guards at the entrance than usual, but this was a mere curiosity to the Seekers as they were let in as easily as usual. The loud commotion in the distance led them in and met them at the food court. Ginger had swapped out his dirty jacket and trousers for cleaner and more colourful sorts. He barked the Sticky Fingers around, the tension clear in his voice.

    Next to him was Nanlong, his washed and combed hair revealing light brown strands instead of the dark mane he normally sported. He solemnly sat there, his mercenaries nowhere to be seen.

    It was only when the Seekers stepped in front that Ginger noticed them.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s all of us ¡®ere. Let¡¯s get going,¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? I thought you said Rats¡¯s celebration was at noon? The fog¡¯s still out; we¡¯d be straggling like blind mice if we left now,¡± Kora said.

    ¡°The rush is that he doesn¡¯t want to keep Fatso waiting,¡± Nanlong said while rising to his full height.

    ¡°The rush is that no one keeps Fatso waiting,¡± Ginger corrected. ¡°Oh, are yer guys gonna take in anything with yer?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave my bag here, hopefully, you can keep it safe. But I¡¯m taking in these daggers and sword,¡±

    ¡°Same,¡±

    Ginger checked their weapons and grunted. ¡°Yeah, those are fine. Don¡¯t worry, none of my boys will touch anything of yers,¡±

    The Seekers left their bags with Thimble and passed the gates with Ginger and Nanlong. Ginger clearly knew where they were going off by heart as he navigated the fog with ease. While walking deeper into the slums, they finally saw the size of the celebration: market stalls had set up over the filthy roads, offering food and wares to the criminals; bands of people moved along with them, their steps softs and words whispered, fully aware of who had set up the celebration; hard-eyed men and women watched from every nook and cranny, searching for those who didn¡¯t belong.

    They walked for an hour, most of it spent queuing behind others as the streets grew clumped and the celebrations grow thicker. The nervous quiet transformed into a boisterous joy as the fog lifted and the alcohol stalls set up. Orion could spot tens of people high on Gajoi nuts, and even a stall wafting the arresting smell into the crowd in a bid to earn more.

    The immensity of their situation dawned on him simultaneously, realising all these people were celebrating simply because Rats had told them to; the man they had to meet and betray was alike the Lord of Visgamar, on the other side of the city, sure, but still on the same side of the spectrum.

    The shouts and cheers and singing had given Orion an earful when they reached Rats¡¯s pavilion, or more precisely, his garden. Four guards around Nanlong¡¯s size checked Ginger¡¯s identity and invitation at the entrance. The multiple scars ranging their mountain-like muscles made it clear how they would act if they caught anyone sneaking in.

    Compared with the stench of the streets, Rats¡¯s garden smelled like paradise - various scents bubbled and popped in the air. Looking around, Orion recognised many exotic flowers and plants, all of them surrounded by skulls and broken bones for compost. The noises from the garden were much more restrained, and the nervousness was palpable. Despite the plethora of drinks and drugs orbiting the guests, none of them seemed to partake as they stood with backs straight and fists clenched. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    The garden itself was as large as a field, maybe larger as the horizon was hidden by overgrown willow trees. Shamrock-green grass filled the space between the various flowers planted here and there to fill the space. Behind the willowy branches in the distance, Orion spotted a large curved dome the colour of clouds with golden scribbles over it.

    Closer to him, he could see a mansion made from beige stone with doors and windows the size of horses. It was from this house the servants kept bringing the food and drinks, and it was through these doors he expected the host to stride through.

    There were two loose factions in the garden, one around an old yet dainty woman and the other around a man the width of a table, the height of a door, and the build of a wardrobe. Ginger walked to the obscene mix of fat and muscle and kneeled to him, to which the man nodded and shooed the gang leader to the edges of his faction. He was Fatso, the Underking of trade, and the woman on the other side was Madam Rischei.

    Both of the Underkings¡¯ factions were similarly built, with larger-than-life characters around the centre and affiliate gang leaders near the edges. The biggest difference came from who protected each Underking. Around Fatso were ten Black Hearts, their clothes sable and a sliced heart symbol stitched over their chests. Moreover, they clearly weren¡¯t novices either, their calloused eyes scanning the crowds with scrutiny. Although their weapons were hidden into their get up, Orion intuitively knew they were armed to the teeth.

    Around Madam Rischei were two men and two women the width of Fatso but half the height. If the ornate staffs they used as walking sticks weren¡¯t enough to identify them, their size was. And if their size wasn¡¯t enough to identify them, the contempt with which they looked around was. And if their glares weren¡¯t enough to identify them, the glowing orbs circling theirs and Madam Rischei¡¯s figures were.

    It didn¡¯t surprise Orion to see the Underking of brothels guarded by pigs addicted to Asarte¡¯s juice, but their roundness declared them to be high-ranking Mages, which did startle him. The higher they went, the more prideful they were, so Madam Rischei must have offered a lot in return for their services.

    Rats¡¯s entourage would only come out with the man himself, so it was Grima, the last Underking, he was puzzled not to see. But thinking on the matter, it made sense why Grima wasn¡¯t here and why there wasn¡¯t a faction dedicated to him, after all, his men were the ones standing tall in the other factions.

    Time passed by and the underworld waited. Ginger and Nanlong understood their places in the grand scheme as they stood meekly like everyone else of their status. Madam Rischei stood likewise, showing no signs of impatience at being stood up. She understood it was all a power-game and the first to snap would lose - she also knew who would be the first to lose.

    Fatso¡¯s ego got the better of him as the man began to pace around, his jeers against Rats sounding far and wide. Coincidently, it was when the man-mountain wanted to storm the mansion that a few men strolled out from behind the willow trees in the distance.

    ¡°Our master invites all of you to his pavilion,¡±

    Furious at falling for such a juvenile trick, Fatso thundered towards and past the willow trees, his faction and Madam Rischei following. After a ten-minute hike Orion saw the pavilion. It was of a similar size to the Temple and built with horse-thick pillars arranged in a circle, holding up the cloud-coloured dome at the top. It was encrusted with gold and the floor of the pavilion was milky marble.

    Sitting on a red throne fashioned with cushions in the pavilion was the star of the show. Rats was a slight man compared to Fatso, his height and build similar to Orion. He wore a black tunic and black trousers, showing off the corded muscles fastened around his forearms. His simple, albeit dauntingly scarred, look was finished with slicked-back hair and bright green eyes, his skin paler than the eastern norm.

    His men and women surrounded him. They wore no uniform, regardless, their clothes looked of high quality. They made up the biggest faction and each of them looked ready to fight, if not, kill.

    Rats waved his hand to the space in the pavilion, inviting the other Underkings in with a sneer. His eyes smiled as he saw them follow, taking their places in his play.

    Knowing it was time, he stood and stretched out his arms.

    ¡°The Empire, aren¡¯t you all sick of it?¡±

    ¡­

    <hr>

 27. Casting Words and Knives

    <hr>

    Silence washed over the pavilion, one born from shock and respect.

    ¡°But, I¡¯m getting ahead of myself, aren¡¯t I?¡± Rats¡¯s smirk turned lopsided. ¡°Welcome to my party. I am Rats, and you are my guests, my minions,¡± He paused. ¡°Or, you will be soon,¡±

    ¡°Minion? Me? HA,¡± Fatso said, breaking into a guffaw.

    Instead of responding, Rats looked down for a moment. His eyes shimmered and shadows cast over his skin. In a fluid motion, he moved from his chair to the centre of the pavilion where the marble darkened and twisted into macabre figures. His boots snapped against the floor and the sound rolled through the open-air building.

    ¡°The Empire is fat like you,¡± he said while facing Fatso. He squinted his eyes, ¡°Too much like you,¡±

    Fatso glared at Rats, holding his tongue for the moment.

    ¡°Do you remember what I do to fat people? I dice them up and feed them to the plants,¡± He started laughing, a sleazy thing like his voice. ¡°It¡¯s ironic, eh? But it¡¯s good: they make the flowers bloom brighter since they¡¯re such good fuel. The Empire is fat, and the Houses have their eyes so high up their arses they¡¯re blind to sense. But, break it down and let it act as feed, let it nurture us. The Empire must fall,¡±

    A pause.

    ¡°The Empire must fall!¡± he repeated, his voice resonating across the pavilion.

    Orion looked around in confusion. Was he using magic? If so, how come Orion couldn¡¯t sense it?¡±

    ¡°The Empire must fall? Hmm, you see, Ratty, something just ain¡¯t sitting right with me there,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already began, Fatso. Open your eyes: the tribes to the west, who will stop them?¡±

    ¡°Of course, the Piros,¡±

    ¡°Then, who¡¯s protecting the capital?¡±

    ¡°From what? It¡¯s the bloody capital,¡±

    ¡°Monsters,¡± Madam Rischei finally spoke. Her voice was artificially pleasing as if someone was cooing too close into your ear.

    Fatso¡¯s mouth opened, then closed.

    ¡°Go on, say your lines,¡± Rats said, taunting his fellow Underking.

    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re scheming with monsters. I figured you were dumb, but not this dumb,¡± Fatso said.

    ¡°Tsch tsch,¡± Rats shook his finger while clicking his tongue. ¡°You can¡¯t skip a whole act like that,¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Come clean already,¡± Madam Rischei said.

    ¡°Silence, whore. I¡¯ve been talking with a man, a smart man. Someone I¡¯m sure you two know,¡±

    ¡°Of course they¡¯re involved.¡± Madam Rischei said. ¡°No wonder you grew balls twice your size to do this,¡±

    Rats ignored her interruption. ¡°He put me in contact with a certain thing. It talked about the age of the Empire, how it lay on its deathbed despite not knowing. How the time had come for it to enter the grave, for someone greater to take its place,¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s you, I guess,¡±

    ¡°No, us. This is our chance to leave the shadows,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not falling for some drugged-up illusion. Nor am I planning suicide anytime soon. But don¡¯t worry, Ratty, I¡¯ll glady take your place,¡± Fatso said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking names - I¡¯ll see how far you can run afterwards. Besides, this isn¡¯t my fantasy. It¡¯s our reality,¡± Rats said while clapping his hands. From behind the willow trees strolled out a group of figures. Even from a distance, Orion could tell they weren¡¯t human.

    ¡°So, are you with me? With us?¡±

    Fatso turned to his hired Black Hearts. The leader shook his head with an easy expression, putting the larger man at ease. He waited till the monsters were close enough before speaking.

    ¡°You, is it your master who¡¯s been organising attacks on my carriages? On my ships?¡±

    A 10-foot shaggy giant answered. ¡°Dunno. I don¡¯t see why not, human.¡±

    It was commonplace to see higher-tier monsters speaking the Empire¡¯s tongue - it was a sign of civility. What made them bestial was their intolerance of each other, such as how Thunderfists couldn¡¯t stand Cloudapes. It was something territorial or such, and yet, standing shoulder to¡­ hips with the giant was a fleecy ape with smoky hair.

    Rats had clearly set the group to impress and impress they did as eyebrows raised and mouths rounded among the humans.

    ¡°And how many of you are there?¡± Fatso asked, as intrigued as the crowd put together. A working monster population roused him in ways others couldn¡¯t imagine. The growth he could make, the money he could make!

    This time it was a flesh-less, hollow boned Lich that answered. ¡°To attack this city? Thirty,¡±

    If not for their bated breath, people would have gasped. Not due to shock but fear. Thirty higher-tier monsters in the city, all due to Rats. The maniac and his scheme, what could stop him?

    ¡°Ha HA HA. Ratty, you sick cunt. I¡¯m in,¡± Fatso said with a maddened expression, his sanity lost to greed or maybe fear. As someone at the top of the chain, he understood the implications of the numbers better.

    Rats smiled, a wide thing far more twisted than before. ¡°What about you, Madam? Will you cast your dice for once?¡±

    ¡°No, Rats, I won¡¯t be.¡±

    The Underking of killers gnashed his teeth and stared at her. ¡°I know the games you play, even more so Grima. You¡¯ll wait till victory is assured to start sucking us off, won¡¯t you? No point in taking risks when all you got to do is open your legs afterwards. Suit yourself, Madam, but don¡¯t cast it your lot too late,¡± he said while wagging his finger, ¡°after all, a replacement can easily be found,¡±

    She didn¡¯t reply, instead, she stood unimpressed. The monsters, while eye-opening, didn¡¯t scare her, neither did the scarred, deranged man broiling at the mouth in front of her. She had also received the invitation from Yhaoli months before. At the time, she had thought it a sick joke that had found itself through her guards, into her room, and under her pillow. Now, she knew better.

    Yhaoli was obviously using Rats as a tool, but knowing him, he would soon flip everything it wanted from the scarred man ¨C she only knew too well. But, that was if they actually took over the city, which would be hard considering the Seekers and Imperial Guardsmen were already here; open legs spread a lot more than just disease and purse knots.

    <hr>

 28. Tactical Retreat

    <hr>

    From the second the monsters came around the willow trees, Kora had started acting strangely. Due to her stronger senses, he realised she must have seen something, or someone, in the distance which had led her to shuffle behind him. She also crouched slightly, letting his figure mask hers. Things only got stranger as she whispered into his ear,

    ¡°We need to get out,¡±.

    He tilted his head to the side as if to admire the pillars of the pavilion, acting non-suspect. ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°Look at the ordinary one,¡± she said, before crouching lower as the monsters got closer.

    Moments later, Orion found the one she had singled out. Just like she had mentioned, within the dozen monsters, behind the Cloudape, was a man who stood out like a sore thumb. He had tanned skin, a well-groomed beard, and styled hair. He wore formal clothes but stood casually within the mix of monsters as if he belonged.

    Given Kora¡¯s behaviour and the man¡¯s appearance, Orion figured he was a vampire. But then why was she scared? The Cruorems were at the peak of vampirekind: even if he was stronger, she had no reason to fear him. That was, unless her own family was hunting her¡­ Realising the seriousness of the situation, he felt cold sweat roll down his neck.

    It was while his thoughts were spiralling down that Fatso¡¯s guffaw sounded out, ¡°Ha HA HA. Ratty, you sick cunt. I¡¯m in,¡±

    Orion glanced at the mountainous man and grimaced. He had to get to Smith and report; the city would devolve to death and destruction shortly.

    ¡°What about you, Madam? Will you cast your die for once?¡±

    ¡°No, Rats, I won¡¯t be.¡±

    Orion zoned out and faintly smiled. At least there was a sign of resistance, albeit weak. Rats began shouting at Madam Rischei who passively stared back as if watching a child release their tantrum.

    ¡°I¡¯m terrified, Rats. Now that you¡¯ve made your point, I better get back to running my simple whore business. Best of luck to you boys,¡± she said as she turned and waved.

    ¡°Come on, Richy. You got a chance at making it bigger than a whore and you¡¯re hesitating? Really?¡± Fatso called out.

    She didn¡¯t reply.

    Her faction moved as a whole as they left the pavilion and strode towards the gate. Orion tapped Ginger¡¯s shoulder and nodded to him, before walking into Madam¡¯s faction, making sure his body overshadowed Kora¡¯s as they moved. While their exit from Fatso¡¯s group attracted curious glances, these were only momentary as the underworld understood their reasons. If they thought Madam¡¯s side-line tactic was better for survival, then it made sense why the Seekers would curry favour with her and not Fatso.

    After they had all left his garden, the Lich spoke to Rats. ¡°Since we¡¯re done here, we¡¯ll get in place for the attack,¡±

    The scarred leader nodded and ordered the rest of his troops out. The revellers outside would be their meatshields against the Palace gates and their primary source of terror. Once in, Rats¡¯s men would go for the Palace while Fatso agreed to take care of the Imperial Barracks. Their dice were cast; their fates would be decided the very same day.

    After walking for a few minutes, Madam Rischei stopped and faced her faction.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Alright. I think it¡¯s time we split up; I know a lot of you¡¯ve got work to do. Either way, good luck,¡± She bowed her head. Only her personal guards and the mages stayed put as the faction split, members leaving to prepare for the coming battle whichever side they were on.

    The two Seekers dispersed with the rest, quickly coming to Hexham¡¯s road and running along it. The streets were peaceful in a way they wouldn¡¯t be for the following months: the guards unsuspecting, the traders calling wares, the people smiling. They reached the Seeker¡¯s building and rushed in to find Maya¡¯s table empty. Going upstairs, they found Smith shouting orders by the contracts¡¯ board.

    ¡°Smith, Rats is going to attack the Palace,¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he said while rubbing the creases on his forehead, ¡°Your contract has changed. It¡¯s now to kill a 4-star monster or to kill one of the Underkings. Killing Rats or Fatso will put you up to 5-stars, but I¡¯ve already set people to hunt them.¡±

    When he saw them standing still, he shouted ¡°Doubletime,¡± and turned his attention to another group of Seekers.

    As they walked out, Orion shook his head. ¡°What do we do? What are we meant to do?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll struggle with a 4-star monster, especially in the city, but we should be able to do it. 5-stars is a whole another thing though. You know the vampire I pointed out?¡± Kora said.

    He nodded.

    ¡°That was a Laeshi, 5-stars and one of the strongest monsters in Visgamar if that group was a reflection of the whole company,¡±

    Orion couldn¡¯t hide his curiosity. ¡°So why did you hide? Is he after you?¡±

    ¡°No, but I left without telling anyone. They probably sent a search warrant for me to all the vampires, not that they¡¯ll do anything even if they find me. Still, they will follow me to make sure I¡¯m safe, and through that¡­¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll find me,¡± he finished.

    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s fine. We got out unnoticed. But we need to focus now.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, we can¡¯t kill Fatso, Rats, or Madam. What about the other one, Grima? Didn¡¯t Skitters say he worked for someone who knew a lot about the city and who told him to prepare? He¡¯s definitely got something to do with Grima,¡±

    ¡°Oh shit, yeah.¡± Her face scrunched up with thought, ¡°We need to find him now,¡±

    *****

    A distance away, from the top of a dilapidated building, the Laeshi watched. The Seekers were blurry figures even with his vision, but he was fairly certain one of them was Bian. While he had only caught vague glimpses of her at the human leader¡¯s pavilion, the luscious scent of blood she emanated made her different from the humans she hid between.

    In truth, he had no idea what Bian looked like as she had kept to her House like the rest of the Cruorems. So, the girl here could just be another higher-vampire, maybe a Varishi. Either way, considering the scent of her blood, following her around would benefit him much. So much.

    The blurs moved again, zipping across the finger-sized road - they were running, rushing to get somewhere. His lips curled into an unsavoury smile, the type he gave the noblewomen when he was alone with them after a frustrating session of charming. He leapt from the building and entered the air, his domain, and flapped his fleshy wings.

    Tens of metres from the ground, the difference in the two sides of Visgamar became even more prominent. The Palace stood tall, made of chalk-like rock, a pure white. The surrounding area was clean and colourful, in particular a lot of greenery. On the other side of the city, it was dull, bleary and muck covered the streets. Here, green became a colour of luxury as even the vegetation grew dull brown.

    The Laeshi was surprised to see the two running into the slums after having left the human leader¡¯s pavilion so brazenly. In fact, he was confused why no one else had paid attention to them switching sides. He dove lower as the bleariness began to misguide him. He continued to tail them for several minutes.

    From his vantage he could see the growing unrest in the city. It seemed the revellers had been told the plan, and they seemed enthusiastic to get back at the nobler sort. The Laeshi was sure that emotion would feel foreign to them in a few minutes when the attack actually began. The city guards and everyone on the streets still seemed unaware, but the Laeshi noticed the Palace guards weren¡¯t as ignorant.

    Switching back to his golden goose, he saw the two Seekers stop in front of a building. All of a sudden, Kora turned around, facing up. In fear, the Laeshi flapped further up and hid behind the roof of a building.

    <hr>

 29. Trial

    <hr>

    The Seekers pushed through waves of revellers, fighting to keep moving against the tide. It was obvious Rats had riled them up as they chanted ¡®Death to the rich,¡¯ and began running en masse onto Hexham¡¯s road.

    It was only after several minutes of struggling, almost an hour, that they made it out of the riot and in front of Skitters¡¯s home. The two-storey building was old with mould growing over the wooden beams. Even the recent lick of paint couldn¡¯t hide the damage below as it had peeled off in large sections, revealing walls on par with brittle bones.

    They were about to go in when Kora turned and scanned the skies. She searched and searched but found nothing but scribble-like clouds above the city, causing her face to scrunch up.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I feel something staring into my back. Could it be the Laeshi? They do have wings,¡±

    ¡°But you said it hadn¡¯t seen you,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± She paused and the creases on her forehead dug deeper. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡±

    Orion looked at her expression, then at the sky, but stopped when he saw less than she had. He walked over to Skitter¡¯s home and looked at the door, a surprisingly solid addition to the run-down house. He checked the windows, and seeing none open, stepped back and rammed the door. It clicked open with little force, sending him barrelling to the ground.

    Dusting his jacket off, he let Kora take the lead as she explored the house. There was a kitchen with bits of food out and dirty plates strewn around. There was a small, unused storage room holding dusty brooms, though most were bedridden with rot. Then, there was a large room lit by natural light. As they walked in, a figure on a chair became prominent with his back to them, facing the sunlight. Despite the figure continuing to face away, the wavy hair hanging off the top of the chair and the walking stick leaning against it made it obvious who it was.

    ¡°Skitters,¡±

    The figure stood and picked the chair and the walking stick. He turned and sat back down, smiling at the Seekers. There were large hollows below his eyes and a note in his hands.

    ¡°Jax and girly. I mean, Kora and Jax. Welcome to my home, though y¡¯know you didn¡¯t have to barge in like this? Should¡¯ve just called for me from outside,¡±

    ¡°You knew we were coming,¡± Kora said.

    Skitters nodded. ¡°A certain person told me to wait here for you two kids,¡±

    ¡°Grima?¡±

    ¡°The very same, heh heh,¡±

    ¡°We need to find him,¡±

    ¡°He knows what you wanna do,¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± Orion asked.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Skitters opened the note and read through it again, his finger soon finding the words. ¡°Kill him,¡±

    Orion kept his face blank, but Kora smirked. ¡°It seems your boss isn¡¯t as smart as people say he is,¡±

    The thief raised his eyebrows once more and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s what he told me you¡¯re here for. As for if he¡¯s what people make of him, you can judge that later y¡¯know,¡± he said while throwing the note to them, landing a distance in front of their feet.

    ¡°Sorry, could you pick that up?¡± he said.

    Kora picked it up and showed it to Orion. It read:

    The Seekers Jax and Kora will come to you soon. Await their visit. They are coming to you to find me. They are looking to kill me. Welcome them and tell them I¡¯ll be in Lilch waiting. I have business with them.

    Orion remembered Lilch was a village a few days off Visgamar. Considering Rats had said Grima had been involved in the planning of the attack, it occurred to him as strange that one of the organisers was days away from the plan he had so much riding on. Or maybe he didn¡¯t - maybe that was the benefit of keeping your face hidden from all men and women.

    ¡°Lilch? The shabby village full of peasants and farmers? What does he have to do there?¡± Kora asked, ignoring the fact Grima had correctly named them Seekers. It seemed there was credibility to the man¡¯s reputation after all.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, girly; I only know what¡¯s in the letter, y¡¯know. The boss only contacts people when he needs them and to reward them,¡±

    Seeing as there were no other clues, Orion re-read the note, trying to find any hidden messages. But then it occurred to him Skitters could have very well received several letters, only that he was instructed to show one to them. The best way of getting information would have been through threatening or torturing the thief, and while Kora could and maybe would do that, Orion couldn¡¯t handle the thought of doing that to someone he knew for such a flimsy reason.

    He tapped her shoulder and whispered, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. No use in wasting time here,¡± He stepped to the exit when he realised she wasn¡¯t following. The smile Skitters¡¯s wore soured and finally dropped as he saw Kora standing strong.

    ¡°Anything else you want, girly?¡± he asked. ¡°I can help you with a decent amount but nothing more with the boss, as much as I want to,¡±

    ¡°Skitters, how did your wound heal so quickly?¡± she asked.

    The thief gaped at her as if checking she was serious. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I thought your injury had been bad, but it seemed you were putting a lot of weight on it when turning around,¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°I can put a little pressure on it for a little while, but not for any good amount of time. Maybe me sitting in this dusty hole all this time has helped the healing,¡±

    ¡°Sure, but not this fast. You¡¯re hiding something,¡±

    Orion watched from the sidelines, confused at the two of them. What did his injury¡¯s healing time have to do with anything?

    The thief held her stare for seconds, saying nothing until he eventually broke and smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve passed the test, both of you, I knew you¡¯d do it,¡±

    ¡°That was a test? To notice your injury had healed?¡± Orion asked, his confusion clear in voice and expression.

    ¡°Well, na. The test was to figure the code in the note, but you¡¯ve done well enough; you¡¯ve got my recommendation, at least. Here, let me get up,¡± he said, clutching onto his walking stick.

    ¡°You still need it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, boss gave me some stuff that speeded up the recovery but nothing that made it disappear, y¡¯know.¡± He moved to the wall beside him and slapped it hard, then even harder. A click came from the wall and he walked past them, through the hallway and into the disused storage room, coughing while brushing past the countless brooms. The back wall which looked like it was made of stone had gone inside its adjacent neighbour, revealing a dingy tunnel.

    ¡°Boss likes people who sees and notices the important stuff, y¡¯know. They¡¯re the best workers, which is why I was chosen,¡± he said while waving them in. ¡°I think you two will have the same luck,¡±

    <hr>

 30. All is not as they seem

    <hr>

    As Skitters walked into the gloom, Kora stepped in front of Orion, whispering, ¡°Be careful, something¡¯s wrong,¡± as she passed him.

    Usually, he would have ignored her overly pessimistic judgement but this once, he couldn¡¯t help but agree with her. After saving Skitters from the sailors and bandaging him up, he had believed the thief would be open and truthful to them. Instead, his allegiance to Grima was clearly greater than his gratitude to them. In fact, remembering back to how calmly Skitters had walked past the sailors to throw the flares overboard, it made Orion doubt how genuine the thief was being now, after all, he was a skilled actor.

    If he was playing them for fools, then following him down an inky tunnel was not the best idea. Yet, he was also their only lead to the Underking and it could be Orion was overthinking the test ¨C maybe he really had good intentions for them. Either way, Kora seemed unruffled as she followed the thief into the dark, their dull footsteps sounding through the tunnel.

    Taking a deep breath, Orion moved past the brooms and followed them. The passage became devoid of light a little way in as the storage room faded away. His good eyesight meant nothing in the passage so he walked with his hands trailing the walls beside, listening to Kora¡¯s footsteps so he didn¡¯t bump into her - although the echoing made this a wasted effort. As for Kora, he knew she had sharper sight, especially in the dark, but he doubted she had nocturnal vision since she sounded as blind as him.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that far now,¡± Skitters called out, his voice travelling the train, his walking stick making dull comments on the ground.

    Twenty minutes later, it turned out he was flat-out lying as they were still straggling through the dark. Orion¡¯s thoughts had made him tense but the uneventful period pushed him into a calmer state, even more so after he figured how to stop bumping into Kora.

    Suddenly, a click sounded from gods know where and Skitters stopped.

    ¡°Remember kids, the boss knows why you wanna meet him. I say be polite to him; he lets on much less than he actually knows so you don¡¯t wanna get on his bad side. If you become like me, you¡¯ll benefit a lot,¡± he said.

    ¡°Mm, we¡¯ll tr¡ª¡±

    Skitters ignored Kora¡¯s words as he counted his steps. One, two, three. He did his best to step as smoothly for his fourth one, muting the fact the path fell to a lower level here. It wasn¡¯t a large fall in height and wouldn¡¯t cause much damage if someone did trip over their ankles, but that was the beauty of a combo-trap; it wouldn¡¯t hurt him if he was leading someone, but if he stood in place with his dagger, then it was a whole another story for them.

    Kora resumed walking while talking. ¡°try but it doesn¡¯t sou¡ª¡± She stumbled over the drop and felt her body falling face-first. Luckily Skitters caught her, his blade puncturing her lung. She gasped as he withdrew, dropping to the ground as her shirt soaked up the gush of blood.

    Before her partner could react, the thief flung a canister at the ground and his walking stick at her for good measure. The canister burst open, releasing a thick cloud of smoke over the Seekers.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Orion¡¯s eyes stung and he coughed desperately, barely hearing the thief¡¯s footsteps disappear into the distance. His reflexes finally came into play as he held his breath while closing his eyes, though he still tripped over the trap and fell onto her. It seemed her reflex awoke simultaneously as she wrapped her hands around his head with faltering strength and bit, drawing blood from his neck.

    He initially resisted but stopped and lay in her grasp as he realised what she was doing. Seconds later, she lifted her lips and coughed, leaving him faint. He used Giah and felt the earth¡¯s energy fill his body, exploding the anger Skitters had ignited. Picking Kora up, he sprinted out of the smoke, finally tasting the freshness of stale air.

    Putting his right hand down, the path in front of him became a rapidly advancing sheet of ice, letting him scan for pitfall traps. Sensing none, he said, ¡°Transform already, he¡¯s getting away,¡±

    She didn¡¯t respond but he felt her muscles growing thicker next to him, and soon, the tip of one of her talons against his chest. ¡°Fucker, the motherfucker¡­¡± she roared, her response at last resembling what Orion expected of her.

    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go,¡± he said as he charged down the tunnel, bending over in order to not whack his head into a low-lying roof and collapse. She followed, her muscular legs a constant thunder behind him.

    They quickly made ground, going at full-force for about two minutes until they exited the tunnel. They left the pitch-black and entered a cavern dimly lit by holes above. The path they had been following forked into a dozen in front, all of them seemingly going different directions.

    Orion stared at the choices, lost on what to do. Luckily, Kora had other ideas as she went to each one and sniffed around, spending a few minutes in total doing this.

    Meanwhile, Orion stood to the side and cooled down, thinking about what had just happened. The click in the tunnel had told Skitters the trap was near, and he had been prepared to betray them as he had come with a blade and smoke grenade in hand. But why? Was he even related to Grima or was he just an ordinary conman?

    The pale Seeker shook his head and revaluated, wishing for some paper, ink, and time to put his thoughts down. Skitters was somehow related to Grima, after all, he had known what Rats would say and had known they would want to find Grima. Moreover, he had awaited them and called them Seekers ¨C there was too much evidence stacked up against him. Then, if he wasn¡¯t clean of Grima¡¯s influence or just a simple informant, then he had to be a higher-ranking member, maybe Grima himself. But this didn¡¯t work either since why would he put himself in such danger like on the ship and now?

    ¡°It¡¯s this one,¡± she finally said next to the rightmost tunnel, bringing Orion out of his thoughts, ¡°The bastard must have dropped the dagger after stabbing me since I can only faintly smell my blood,¡±

    Orion nodded, and they resumed their chase. They continued for a few minutes until they began to hear noises from the other side, at which they sped up further. They heard Skitters shouting, followed by metallic clanging.

    The Seekers burst out of the tunnel, entering a Glubber¡¯s wax-lit warehouse. The warehouse was massive with items everywhere, mostly cabinets and desks with piles of paper on top. But there were also piles of golden luxuries, lockpicks, weapons, and murky-looking drinks scattered around the place.

    With them in the warehouse were several tens of people, maybe 40 in total, who had frozen at the Seekers¡¯ entry, in particular at Kora¡¯s visage. Her curved horns, her red-tinted skin, her black neck-talons, her muscular body ¨C they weren¡¯t used to seeing an unchained monster so deep in their midst.

    They were a mix of men and women, some well-off looking while others looked like slum-dwellers. Amidst taking the sight in, Orion spotted Skitters: he stood on a raised platform, frantically gulping down a murky drink.

    <hr>

 31. Information bought with blood

    <hr>

    The thief gulped down the potion and threw it to the side, the glass cracking against stone. He was visibly slobbering with his mouth agape as if he had swallowed fire, his chest heaving.

    ¡°Kil thhem! Kill them!¡± he roared.

    Orion saw men and women pick up their weapons, their blades angled at him. ¡°We¡¯re only here for Skitters. Just let us get him and we¡¯ll leave,¡± he shouted in response, his voice filling the warehouse and calming his armed enemies.

    ¡°He¡¯s a Zakari, a ZAKARI,¡± Skitters shouted, his tanned skin tinging purple.

    Those who had felt stoked by Orion¡¯s na?ve comment now suffered dread, and anyone near a potion sprinted over and struck the lids off.

    ¡°You idiot,¡± Kora said to Orion, ¡°For once listen to me. It¡¯s your family or these scum,¡±

    It felt surreal as he looked around; he now had the reason to cut these people down, a reason he couldn¡¯t oppose or ignore. Yet he found himself resisting, his body chilling at the thought of massacre. The adrenaline rush that had helped him kill the bandits couldn¡¯t be felt, instead replaced by shame and fear.

    ¡°THE POTIONS. DON¡¯T LET THEM DRINK IT,¡± Kora¡¯s voice sent shockwaves through his mind, warming his fingers.

    He acted without thought ¨C it was all he could do. Ice spurt out of his right hand and he put his left on the ice sphere that formed. He shot a continuous stream of bullets at the glass and metallic containers, echoing the glass beaker Skitters had thrown as they shattered and tinkled. Even so, some people swallowed the putrid mix before he had a chance, in turn going into the labour that Skitters had just escaped from.

    The thief had completely changed now: veins protruded from across his skin, which itself had turned into a sickly mix of purple and green, and the mouth he had collared down now slobbered non-stop, his lips like the edge of a waterfall. Instead of mindlessly charging at them, he lifted a solid-oak desk, spun to build speed, then lobbed it at them.

    Before the table could explode into countless splinters, Kora leapt and punched it away, her fist making a wide dent as the table toppled over. ¡°YOU CAN¡¯T DIE HERE,¡± she yelled once more, before dodging another piece of furniture. ¡°YOU HAVE TO KILL!¡±

    The words cracked Orion as he grinned despite the danger in front of him. His dad could have destroyed the entire warehouse with just one hand ¨C he had seen his dad do similar before. And yet here he struggled against people who knew his identity, hence poisoning his plan. This was why he had wished someone else, heck, anyone else had been the last Zakari, because then he wouldn¡¯t have to burden the murder of hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of innocents on his shoulders.

    But looking around for a final time, he figured maybe these people weren¡¯t innocents. The glints of their blades, their gritted teeth, their squinted eyes, their bent brows, their tensed muscles. Anger, fear, disdain - like the Zakari name was some vile beast, like his very existence was something that had to be wiped away. Maybe they weren¡¯t innocents, maybe they were some sort of cancer that had led to his House¡¯s downfall.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Despite his thoughts, the pale Seeker instinctively knew his anger was an irrational wind that would soon blow over as he noted the inconsistencies. But that required time and he wouldn¡¯t have any time to think as long as these people wanted him dead. All he could do now was step back and let Kora take the controls. He had done his best to stamp out what the Zakari military training had instilled into him but right now, it didn¡¯t seem all that bad. Skitters had lit the fuse and watched the explosion: it was now time for him to experience the flames.

    Orion looked up and saw a metal weight flying his way, followed by several other objects. How hurt he would be if they hit, if only. He rolled from his spot and vaulted onto a table. The woman below slashed at his ankle but he kicked her wrist, causing her to scream while tripping back. Stepping down, he picked her sword and ended her life, looking up to stare at the remaining enemies.

    How long would it take to kill all of them? Too long came the answer. The sword in his hand froze over and he swung it, cracking the blade at the right moment such that shards shot into the crowd, prompting several cries ¨C it was clear the metallic shards were better than his ice.

    While Orion moved at his own pace, Kora moved one step faster, sprinting around and slicing as many people as she could. Even when she got hit or cut, she still went on. The unleashed blood floating behind her body must have given away her plan as the unwounded enemies began to run from her, rushing to drink the remaining potions. Contrarily, the wounded ones soon realised their predicament as the small claw scratches began to leak an awful lot of blood, the amount that would have come had someone made fountains of their bodies.

    As the amount of blood at her deposal grew, so did the violence of her attacks. No longer were people passively bleeding to death but now the trails of blood behind her acted as bladed hounds, hunting those close enough. But at the same time, the enemies finally got their defence in action as two men shot an unwieldy crossbow, the bolt ripping through Kora¡¯s arm and sending it flying.

    The blood blades quickly retreated and engulfed her stump and formed a shield as she roared in pain, growling at the table-sized crossbow. Even then, her attention quickly turned to Orion as she realised while she could heal, one hit and he was a goner. Yet he seemed to know no better as he was crouching with one knee down, his hands flat on the ground.

    <hr>

    Orion sensed the earth¡¯s pulse, how it flowed through everything here but died in anything living. Adjusting to the same frequency, his Szu acted through the surrounding ground, making sinkholes from stone which swallowed the surrounding enemies and furniture. Straightening up, he noticed the menacing crossbow and the several others behind that were being loaded.

    Realising the threat, he sprayed the area with ice shards while moving closer. These weren¡¯t chipped down ice spheres but instead straight from his right hand. After just a few seconds, he sensed his right arm failing as it lost strength, not long after, completely breaking down as it collapsed. Still, the pain was dull with Giah activated and the earth continued to feed him energy as he zipped around, reaping lives at an alarming pace.

    With the crossbows out of the way, Kora¡¯s actions got louder and heavier as well, her blood hounds sharper as the streams grew thicker.

    Orion wasn¡¯t even sure when he became aware but at some point, at some time, he realised Kora was shaking him.

    ¡°Stop, Stop!¡± she yelled.

    So he listened and stopped.

    The adrenaline of the moment slowed as he noticed the surrounding quiet¡­

    <hr>

 32. Recovery

    Sorry about the lack of chapter on tuesday, dudes. I''ve been feeling not good, but I''m better now.

    <hr>

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± she asked. Due to her rushed transformation, her shirt and buttoned jacket had been ripped open, revealing her navel and hints of her breasts. Contrarily, despite being visibly strained, her trousers were still in one piece, though the same couldn¡¯t be said for her boots or maroon cloak which she¡¯d left in the tunnel.

    Orion felt his jaw quivering as he looked around, trying to take the whole scene in: the entirety of his destruction. Few furniture had survived the clash unscathed, the majority battered and coated in blood. But more than that, there was gore splattered and painted over all the surfaces. Worst of all, however, were the men and women littered like stringless puppets, their limbs bent in unnatural ways.

    They were a cancer that had caused his House¡¯s downfall?! What a joke! How could a group of weaklings so far east have anything to do with one of the Empire¡¯s pillars? With their strength, crushing an ant would be difficult, let alone the foundation of the civilised world¡­

    Despite these thoughts spreading fast, he quickly countered them. Even if he had over-villainised them in his mind, it didn¡¯t change the fact they had pointed blades at him. It didn¡¯t protect them from the fact they had wanted to murder him and Kora. He had done what was required of him to survive, for the last wisp of his family¡¯s gold-encrusted lantern to shine on. Yet, this didn¡¯t excuse him from what he had done ¨C even if it had been a must, he had still done it. And he had to shoulder that burden for as long as he lived. And he wanted to puke.

    Lurching forward, he heaved his stomach out. Seconds later, with the acidic stench burning through his senses, he placed his hands on his knees and stood bent over. Kora patted his back.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, he had planned to kill us from the start, you saw in the tunnel,¡± she said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault but it¡¯ll always be on me, in my mind,¡± he said in a wheezy voice.

    She stopped patting and rubbed his back at this, keeping quiet for a few seconds. ¡°Why don¡¯t you wash yourself. Maybe it¡¯s all the blood,¡±

    He shook his head but listened regardless. He walked over to his bag, which had been sliced open during the fight, and found a dented canteen of water. Rinsing his hands in the stream, he watched the blood wash off his hands and onto the ground. It almost gave him some peace of mind until he looked up, once again meeting the carnage in mutual silence. Glancing down, he saw his hands were red again, covered and sticky. Every time he washed his hands, the process repeated until he gave up and stared at Kora, his eyes wide and shaking.

    ¡°The blood, it¡¯s not going. It won¡¯t go, Kora, it won¡¯t,¡± he said, his voice breaking.

    She looked down and saw the same hands he had cleaned seconds before, clear of any blood. Glancing down her own body she saw blood across her skin. Nevertheless, she stepped forward and hugged him.

    In little time, he placed his head over her shoulder and began to sob, letting out all the grief he had built up in his heart. It was only after his cries waned that she spoke.

    ¡°Come on, you killed those bandits before and you were fine,¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s different, all of it¡¯s different. They wanted to kill me because I¡¯m a Zakari. Do you realise how many people would follow them, queue up for a chance at my House? And I have to kill all of them, all of them!¡±

    She snorted, before realising her mistake. What he needed now was support, not someone to laugh at him. ¡°It¡¯s all the same ¨C no difference,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the same, no different from those who killed my mum. Cold-blooded, heartless, destr¡ª¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    This startled Kora ¨C he had never gone into detail about how his House had fallen. As much as she wanted to hear more, she knew that would only make it harder for him to bounce back. And if he truly desired to take revenge for his family, then killing a bunch of weaklings would only be the first step among the many he¡¯d have to take. As for her, she knew, as ardently as he denied it, the Zakari had been involved with Yhaoli. He was her key to it all and some more, but he didn¡¯t need to know either. All he had to do was recover.

    ¡°You¡¯re not one of them, Jax. Remember what you told me, you¡¯re a Zakari, the greatest, remember?¡± she said. It worked as he calmed, and his breath slowed ¨C it seemed he was as proud of his family as she was hers, despite the distasteful, and sometimes downright sour, things they did.

    ¡°Alright, I can feel the heat from your cheeks, you blushing maiden. Why don¡¯t you take a seat while I check what these bastards were up to? That way we can leave this place quicker,¡± she continued. While she had been joking, it didn¡¯t surprise her when he moved back and sat down near the entrance with cheeks the colour of apples.

    ******

    Kora walked over with several notes in her hand, mentally exhausted but also thrilled about what she had found. She had used her blood magic to clean any blood-soaked papers, although some had been too blurred to recover. Together they confessed more than she had expected.

    Orion lay by the entrance, his eyes shut and head facing up. She thought he was dozing since it had been hours since they had entered the warehouse, but his eyelids snapped open as she grew close, giving her a gentle, albeit, nervous smile.

    ¡°Thanks for¡­¡± he paused.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I knew what I signed up for. But anyway, look at this,¡± she said while thrusting the papers into his hand, and sitting down next to him. She was now wearing looted clothes, covering her skin from the chill that nipped away. ¡°Do you remember when Rats was talking about Grima?¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°He said him, but Madam said they ¨C that wasn¡¯t an accident; I think all these people were Grima, a pseudonym they wove together.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. I figured,¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± she asked.

    ¡°My mind was on¡­ other matters,¡±

    She rolled her eyes, earning a half-smile from him.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± she carried on, ¡°It seems the rumour about them knowing all about Visgamar isn¡¯t bullshit. The stuff I read, they go from small matters to massive ones. Look at this one,¡± she said while pinching a note from the stack, ¡°It¡¯s about the Honeyed Spitroast, the inn Flynn stayed. I told you the innkeeper was a dealer,¡±

    He read through the note and finally felt a crack in his cold mask. It detailed the prices the innkeeper offered, estimated strengths of his products, and other stuff like where he hid the goods and how much it would cost to bribe him.

    ¡°And this is even better,¡± she said while handing another page.

    This one talked about how Rats was seen many times near Madam¡¯s home. It went onto list approximate times, detail as to who accompanied him, and the reactions he had when leaving. While vague, although that was to be expected considering the loyal protection he had around him, it seemed to hint at a relationship or at least a casual affair.

    ¡°Ok, this is clearly important stuff so why hadn¡¯t they prepared any defences. Skitters knew I was a Zakari from the start so why did that shock the rest of them?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing he was hiding it from them for personal gain, but it backfired. I don¡¯t think he figured out my identity so he probably guessed you¡¯d stay behind to look after me after I got stabbed,¡±

    ¡°No, I would have chased him down and killed the scum,¡±

    ¡°Mmm,¡± she nodded with exaggerated vigour, mocking him. ¡°You know what? I think you would have stayed behind to make sure I was in tip-toppity condition before you left, by which time they would have gotten those crossbows pointed at the entrance. You¡¯re not the most unpredictable person, you know? Quite the contrary,¡± she replied.

    He grunted. ¡°So, what now? Can we leave through those doors?¡± he said pointing to the far corner.

    ¡°No, I checked and we¡¯re on some run-down docks or something. Everything¡¯s like rotten around here. It¡¯ll be quicker if we go through the tunnel, but wait, I haven¡¯t finished. My bag got ripped when I changed so it¡¯s likely to have leaked by now but look at this,¡± she said showing a potion, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it look similar to the stuff Old Joe makes? Murky oily colour, gives super strength, still easy targets but¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill anyone more. I feel shit,¡± Orion said, looking away from the bottle.

    ¡°Fine,¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± he said, ¡°Did you kill Skitters? I don¡¯t remember doing it,¡±

    She nodded while hoisting a looted backpack over her shoulders. ¡°I told you, still easy targets. Come on then, let¡¯s get outta here,¡±

    <hr>

 33. The Hand that Moves

    <hr>

    The Laeshi scrambled through the tunnel, going as fast he could. His lips curled into an ear-to-ear grin and his eyes gleamed with a sparkle he hadn¡¯t felt in years. His heart thumped faster, threatening to burst out of its fleshy confines, leaving him in a state of focus.

    After Bian and the human had disappeared into the house, he had found a perch to watch from. But as time passed, he had gotten increasingly anxious until he gave in and risked a closer look, then an even closer one. Eventually, he found himself in front of the door with sweat rolling down his forehead. The door had been unlocked, and he had let himself in, quickly finding the opening in the storage room.

    His nocturnal vision had allowed him to pace through the tunnel while on the lookout for any signs of them in front. When he came to the branching passages dimly lit from above, his choice had come easy due to the fresh and heavy imprints in the ground. Not long later, he had arrived at the warehouse just as the melee was maturing, in perfect time to watch Bian fight. His vision had been blurred since he had stayed in the tunnel but he was confident from her transformation she was the missing Cruorem.

    But she was nothing, nothing at all next to the dazzling jewel she fought alongside. Next to a Zakari¡­

    The Laeshi had stayed for a while longer, waiting to see what other secrets he could discover, until they showed signs of wanting to leave, at which he had begun his sprint back.

    Seeing the end of the tunnel, he sped up and rushed out, coming back into the house. Making his way out, he sprung up and flapped his way into the sky, only stopping to rest on the top of a building a distance away. He dove into his pockets and found the curled horn. Shooting back into the air, he began to blow it, going on for ten minutes to make sure his minions heard, after all, he¡¯d rather not lose them here after gaining such a gem. Afterwards, he sped away from the city, drool dripping down his chin.

    He couldn¡¯t imagine what the Cruorems would reward him.

    <hr>

    The Seekers made it out of the tunnel, wheezing as they had rushed through the passage. They understood the warehouse held a pivotal role in the war for Visgamar so knew Smith had to know about it as soon as possible. Kora had picked up the items she had dropped in the tunnel, though she chose to buy a new cloak after seeing the state of her old maroon one.

    It was while they were walking out that Kora stopped, head cast down with her eyes shut, before staring into the sky.

    ¡°Can you hear that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That low whistle. Sounds like it¡¯s from a pipe,¡± she said.

    He focused and heard the wind blowing in his ears. ¡°No,¡±

    She scrunched her forehead and stayed on the spot for a few seconds, before sighing. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go,¡±

    They made their way through the streets which now lacked the thieves and murderers who made them dangerous. But this didn¡¯t speed up their journey because as they got closer to Hexham¡¯s road, they figured where the raucous slum-dwellers had migrated to, the streets ahead thick with screams and blood. Orion suggested the roofs and not long after, they were roof-jumping, pacing through the city.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    After an easy leap, he turned around to see Kora standing on the previous building, squinting into the skies again. He went back to join her.

    ¡°What are you doing? We need to tell Smith,¡±

    She pointed into the air. ¡°See that? That¡¯s the Laeshi, you can tell from his wings,¡±

    Orion focused and discerned a dot. ¡°And? What¡¯s he doing?¡±

    ¡°The whistle I told you about before, it¡¯s coming from him.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not the air?¡± Orion questioned. While he could now vaguely hear the noise, there was no difference between it and the wind¡¯s own whistles.

    She shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s calling something,¡±

    Just as Orion was going to ask another question, the dot in the distance began to move rapidly, speeding away from the centre of Visgamar. ¡°What the¡­¡±

    She opened her mouth, then shut it. ¡°He¡¯s leaving. Retreating maybe?¡±

    ¡°He can¡¯t be. I thought Rats had bought him?¡±

    She didn¡¯t respond, instead, watching the dot until it faded. ¡°I¡¯m getting a bad feeling, Jax,¡±

    They stood in silence for a few moments until she sighed again. ¡°Arghh, let¡¯s just go and tell Smith,¡±

    It was close to an hour later when they reached the Seeker¡¯s building. Smith sat upstairs within a mix of men and women, staring at the table with his hand clasped around his jaw as he listened to one of them talk.

    ¡°Smith, we killed Grima,¡± Orion shouted as they made their way.

    The others turned towards him while the eye-patched man stayed seated, still watching the table. ¡°You killed him, did you?¡±

    ¡°Well, we killed them. We think that was all of them,¡± Kora explained.

    To this, Smith stood and faced them. ¡°You¡¯re joking. Don¡¯t play with me, girl,¡±

    Orion shook his head and Kora shrugged.

    ¡°This is your last chance. If this is a joke, say now and I¡¯ll let you carry on with your lives. Otherwise, I¡¯ll kill you right then and there,¡±

    They stayed quiet until Smith broke into a grin. ¡°Well, fuck me. We¡¯ll find out if you two just gave up your tomorrows,¡±

    He turned to the group he¡¯d been sitting with. ¡°Get your stuff right now. We¡¯re gonna see if there¡¯s any truth to this,¡± before turning back to Orion and Kora, ¡°Both of you get a drink. You definitely didn¡¯t kill them all, so we¡¯ll have to dash there in case one of the remainers decide to have some fun in your absence,¡±

    A short rest later, the group of nine left the Seeker¡¯s base. In the following seconds, as if by coincidence, a net of smoke swallowed them. While Kora and Orion grew tense and vigilant at this, Smith¡¯s easy guffaw rolled through the smoke.

    ¡°A fucking Cloudape to deal with me? You were better to attack the Palace instead of me, monster,¡± he shouted.

    Following the voice, Orion pushed through the smoke and glimpsed Smith slashing at air. Looking closer, he saw some smoke move as a single unit, revealing a disguised figure, but only for a moment as it disappeared again. Considering Orion was only two metres away, Smith also noticed him.

    ¡°Get out of here, boy. No use to me,¡± he said.

    Listening, Orion was about to leave when he heard a scream right behind him. Jumping forward and turning around, he saw Smith¡¯s sword stabbed into a cloud-grey fleecy arm. Just as he was about to attack, the figure disappeared again and the smoke strengthened. Realising his uselessness, the pale Seeker sprinted out of the smoke, finding Kora standing with five of the other Seekers.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mate,¡± said the largest member, ¡°Smith¡¯s a 6-star. He¡¯ll be done in seconds,¡±

    It turned out the man wasn¡¯t overselling as the screams were frequent as they waited. The smoke kept getting thicker and spreading further but it didn¡¯t seem to help as the Cloudape continued crying out in pain. It wasn¡¯t much longer till the smoke cleared, revealing Smith walking towards them carrying the Cloudape with one hand.

    ¡°Stupid shit kept trying to run. Rats must have told him to distract me. Stupid shit,¡± the eye-patched man said, his grey hair accented by the smoke. ¡°Come on, one of you take this in while the rest of us go to Grima¡¯s base,¡± he said dropping the corpse.

    <hr>

 34. A Done Deed

    <hr>

    Coppery light daubed the streets as they came to Skitters¡¯s home. Scanning over the house, Smith clicked his tongue.

    ¡°It¡¯s always simple buildings like this, always. Just a pain in the arse to deal with,¡± he said.

    Orion had figured Smith knew more about Grima than he let on from the moment he had tested their claim, and this comment made him sure of that judgement. Considering the number of passages that led into the warehouse, it made sense Smith knew about a few of them, but this then begged the question why he seemed so ecstatic about them finding the base. Was there more to this?

    Kora nodded while leading them to the tunnel in the storage room. ¡°It¡¯ll be completely dark so be careful. Also, there¡¯s a small drop someways in so walk slowly,¡±

    The eye-patched leader slipped past her and inspected the opening. ¡°Looks like this is an old one,¡± he said, before grinning, ¡°Jeez, how did this escape us, eh?¡± he called to the Seekers behind Orion.

    They mainly grunted or shrugged their shoulders, dismissing his underlying message.

    ¡°Whatever, we better hurry now. I¡¯ll take the lead,¡± Smith¡¯s footsteps showed exactly how lightly he took Kora¡¯s warning as he thundered ahead, the others struggling to keep up in surrounding darkness.

    The drop in level came earlier than expected, perhaps due to the rush, as Orion fell to his knees despite heeling Smith who hopped down it as if in daylight. This, combined with how casually he had dealt with the Cloudape, made it obvious he had some sort of skill or power letting him sense his surroundings.

    In little time, they were at the branching paths lit from above. When everyone else caught up, they saw Smith had already made the correct choice without their guidance as he marched down the rightmost tunnel. Turning around to peer at the expressions behind him, it became obvious to Orion the rest of the Seekers were used to Smith¡¯s work manner as they glanced back passively.

    Switching back to his automatic mode, the pale Seeker restarted his walk and only woke from it minutes later when he heard Smith¡¯s laughter roll past, only this time he could sense more anger than amusement. Speeding into a run, he passed the exit and came to the warehouse, temporarily blinded by the sunlight blasting in.

    As his vision came back, adrenaline pumped through his body as he looked around. The massive doors to the warehouse was wide open, letting a warm current flow through the building, and there were several oil barrels broken about, releasing a unique smell that arrested him. Smith was fighting a man and woman at once, several more at his feet, while Kora chased after others near the doors and into the docks. The largest Seeker joined her while the rest stood nearby in similar situations to Orion.

    His adrenaline rush morphed into a mix of anger and fear, especially fear as the scene in front of him became the soon-to-be scene in his mind: the scorching flames, the thick smoke, the stomach-curdling stench of chemicals. He acted before he could think as he bolted down the distance, throwing his sword to trip one of the retreating enemies, before tackling another to the ground.

    He grappled with the woman, whacking her down as she tried to hit him off, eventually trying to boot his balls. Seconds later, after he managed to get her into a chokehold, she lost her chance to tap out as she collapsed unconscious.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Straightening up, he cringed at how violently she¡¯d smacked his thighs. Just as it seemed all the enemies had left, one peeked from behind the warehouse¡¯s doors, metres away from Orion, and lobbed a molotov in. The fiery bottle zipped past before anyone had the chance to act, shattering near a broken barrel.

    Kora pelted after the man who had thrown the bottle while Orion shot towards the fire, his heart thumping against his rib-cage as he saw the fire spluttering and withering in a pool of blood, a remnant from their earlier fight. He kicked more blood onto the fire with two other Seekers until it fizzled out, by which time Smith started shouting orders.

    ¡°Rick, Lynn, Slinker, outside right now! Watch for any more wretches and kill them if they get close enough. Orion, Kora, check around here for anyone hiding and then join them outside. Lilith and Rore, collect up the papers now!¡±

    Orion and Kora found no one in their search so went outside, standing on guard with the others. While there were many people spying the warehouse from a distance, contrary to Smith¡¯s expectations, these people rushed off after seeing the Seekers instead of planning an attack.

    It was close to an hour later when Orion and Kora were called back in, Smith and Lilith still piling up papers. ¡°Ah, help us with this task. All this is solid gold here,¡± he said, waving his hand at the papers.

    ¡°They¡¯re ruined,¡± Kora said, noting the fact most were covered in blood or oil, if not a combination.

    ¡°No matter,¡± Smith explained, breaking into a chuckle while rubbing at his eyepatch, ¡°We¡¯ve got ways of recovering the writing,¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Rore?¡± she asked as the two of them joined the task.

    ¡°Gone to the guild; I told him to get the rest of the guys. It¡¯s a good time to pull out of the war now,¡±

    Orion stopped and stared at Smith. ¡°You¡¯re pulling out?! What¡¯s going to happen then?¡±

    ¡°Bah, it¡¯s not our worry. We were only involved since the Imperial Guard paid us well and had that information on the monsters sneaking into the city. That¡¯s now long passed since those monsters are either dead or escaped, and if neither Rats or Fatso are dead by now, I¡¯d rather not waste any more of us on those whoresons. Too risky, especially considering we¡¯re supposed to be defending against real monsters, not dying against fake ones,¡± Smith said, rolling over a table to scour its contents.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re both new here so you wouldn¡¯t know but Lord Risadro has been preparing for an attack from Rats for a long time, maybe too long. I doubt either of them will come off well from this, and that¡¯ll give better-natured men a chance to flourish, now that the big bullies are toppling each other down,¡± he paused, ¡°Though I reckon the one to benefit the most will be Madam,¡±

    ¡°And us,¡± Lilith called with her hands searching through rubble.

    ¡°Yeah, what in Kovas¡¯s name did you two do here? Clearly, I underestimated you,¡± Smith joked. Seeing them stuck for words, he continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t actually care how you killed so many, but finding this treasure trove of a warehouse will be rewarded, mark my words. Though for your sake, it must be asked, did you do all this by yourself? Answer honestly: talking better of yourselves will hurt more than benefit,¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Orion said, confused at his last comment.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kora simultaneously said.

    ¡°Good, because you¡¯ll soon be dealing with shit harder than anything you¡¯ve exper--¡±

    ¡°What the hell? Are you letting them go before me? What?!¡± Lilith interrupted, visibly annoyed at his decision.

    Smith simply laughed in response. ¡°Just find something of this scale and I¡¯ll push you up as well, you little devil,¡±

    Even though everything they said was going over Orion¡¯s head, taking one look at Kora¡¯s beaming face made him realise they were finally in for some good luck.

    <hr>

 35. Sombre Thoughts

    <hr>

    The wind was cool and sharp, pushing the winter chill deep into bones. There was little else to be heard other than its howls, although this wasn¡¯t a surprise considering the ongoing war: men and women had flocked to it like moths to a lamp. Up above, the moon lit the world, the pale light reflecting off the gentle waves. Orion sat on a dock, his boots just above the gloomy water, his eyes set to the distant shoreline, and his mind somewhere far away.

    It had been a few hours since they had returned to the warehouse. The clean-up was now at full-force, tens of Seekers inside sorting through filthy notes, dirty in both body and content.

    Steps sounded from the docks, bringing his thoughts back. The footsteps stopped right behind him and the person stood in silence, either at peace or lost for words. He figured out who it was when they ruffled his hair, causing him to raise his hands and edge forward to escape their vicious attack. Big mistake.

    Luckily, the hand behind him caught his jacket, holding him up by the scruff of his neck as his feet dipped into the icy water.

    ¡°Let go, Kora,¡±

    She stepped forward and flung him into the sea, though he managed to grab her outstretched arm and spun his way back onto solid ground. Seeing him glaring at her, she chortled, her laughter cutting through the wind¡¯s cries.

    ¡°They¡¯re done in there,¡± she said once she caught her breath, ¡°Smith told us to meet him like two days later since he thinks the city will have calmed by then,¡±

    ¡°Why does he care what¡¯s happening to the city? He¡¯s pulling out anyway,¡± he replied, his frustration clear.

    She rolled her eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t blame him; it¡¯s not his fight. None of the other guilds is getting involved either, you know,¡± Just as he was about to interject, she continued, ¡°Neither Rats nor the Lord are good people, Jax. This is really the best move as it means both of them directly hurt each other without the guilds as buffers between them,¡±

    He dropped his argument and started walking, barely stifling his yawn. ¡°Come on, I want to go home and sleep. Far too much shit today,¡±

    ¡°Hmm, aren¡¯t you a gentleman? Didn¡¯t think you had been waiting this long just to chaperone me home, though it is about time you noticed my beauty,¡±

    He half-smirked, too tired to fully commit. ¡°More the other way, isn¡¯t it? Once them robbers see you, they¡¯ll leave me alone,¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡±

    They walked for a few minutes in relative quiet, avoiding Hexham¡¯s road which bore the largest scars from the riots. Orion enjoyed these moments, but he discovered all good things have an end when Kora opened her mouth again. It was minutes later when she was talking about something, maybe someone, maybe somewhere (he was too zoned out to care) that he interrupted her.

    ¡°Wait, what is Smith going to give us again?¡±

    She stopped. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he answered.

    ¡°How do you not know?¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Just tell me already if it¡¯s so obvious,¡±

    She sighed. ¡°Think about it, he said we¡¯re stronger than he thought we were. We¡¯re technically 4-star Seekers now, so what happens at 5-stars?¡±

    ¡°The Meeting? ¡­ The Elixirs?¡±

    ¡°Boom, nice one, genius,¡± she said.

    ¡°But we¡¯re not 5-stars¡­¡± he replied.

    ¡°Yeah, but he said it would be hard and Lilith said we were getting put ahead of her, so it¡¯s got to be the Elixir process,¡±

    ¡°Wait, it¡¯s painful?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Duh. They¡¯re like making monsters out of their selves, of course, it involves a bit of pain,¡±

    Looking ahead, Orion saw The Fat Munch. Unlike before, the inn wasn¡¯t lit up and instead melded in with its surroundings. Entering, they saw a scene a world away from the morning bustle. A plump woman they knew as the innkeeper¡¯s wife stood behind a table, her eyes widening as her husband on the other side of the room picked up an iron axe.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked, anger seeping into his voice.

    ¡°Rey, that¡¯s the kids. Put your axe down,¡± his wife said.

    The innkeeper lowered the weapon but held a firm grip over its handle as he moved over to her. ¡°Alright, you know where your rooms are. Don¡¯t try anything funny, else,¡±

    Nodding, Orion headed for the stairs. The inn was sparsely filled with few people dining and some more talking in hushed voices, none of them looking as if they had been involved in the riots.

    Upstairs, he only had enough energy to lock the door and strip his bloody clothes before falling asleep.

    <hr>

    Orion woke up to a hint of light from his curtains, realising it was early dawn. As he lay in the uncomfortable bed, his thoughts quickly turned to the fighting that had blazed on as he had slept. Pushing himself up, he took his crusted-over clothes into the bathroom and washed them till they looked clean, though they still reeked. He wrung them and hung them in his room as he bathed, before putting the wet clothes back on.

    Leaving the room with his things, he stepped into the hallway and looked at Kora¡¯s room, before turning and going downstairs. He cringed away from the eastern ale and opened his bag, taking out the small amount of coffee grains he had left. Coffee made and drunk, he left the inn, taking to Hexham¡¯s road as he walked towards the Palace.

    He realised knowing the damage would be bad and seeing it first-hand were completely different as sombrely passed the blood-shed streets. When he reached the market square, he saw no market - the stalls had been trampled to the ground, and the shops had become collateral once the fighting had intensified. Worst of all were the piles of bodies, all the corpses wearing masks with blank eyes and crooked lips.

    Orion stayed at the square for a time, not thinking but simply absorbing what was around him, what had happened. While he was alone in this task, he wasn¡¯t alone in the square as several other people found themselves drawn by the violence, some grieving, some thieving, and some simply passing by.

    Once he had his fill, he followed the road up, soon arriving at the Temple. The grounds past the temple-gates were clean and green, no sign of corpses anywhere. However, there were bloodtrails on the path leading to the temple itself, something he figured were for the corpses being prayed for. Kovas¡¯s priests were standing guard by the gates instead of Visgamar¡¯s guardsmen, so Orion nodded to the stoic men and moved on, increasingly spotting piles of corpses until he reached what had been the thick of the fray.

    Here, instead of piles, was a still sea of bodies, reeking of warfare, attracting scavengers and flies. Like before, he looked around for a while, taking in the scene instead of pointing fingers. Going further up the road, he finally saw Visgamar¡¯s guards.

    They stood around the Palace¡¯s gates, which were battered and broken down, their faces haggard but their eyes sharp and vigilant, watching the crowd that had built up in front of them. As Orion focused on the guards, the whispers from around him soon reached his ears. Rats had died; Fatso had betrayed Rats; Rats had lived and taken the throne; Grima had finally revealed himself; Risadro had died to his own men.

    Orion gulped as he looked around, finally letting go of the reins of his thoughts. The hell he stood in right now would be nothing compared to the aftermath of his revenge, he knew it. And it hurt him so much.

    <hr>

 36. Severed Ties

    <hr>

    Breathing slowly with his head down, Orion heard her steps sound across the floorboards ¨C he knew it was Kora without looking up. His self-guided tour had come to an end in the night before, him trudging back to the inn, miserable as could be. He hadn¡¯t seen her then, nor in the morning after, but he knew had to face her now. Controlling his breath, he faced up, only to see her walk past.

    His expression grew strained as she began to peer around with her palm against her brow, her mouth spreading to an o as she finally spotted him.

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t see you there,¡± she said, continuing the joke.

    His lips curled into a lopsided worm, too strained to be a smile.

    ¡°Well, where were you? Running off without me? No note even,¡±

    ¡°I was walking,¡± he said, ¡°Looking around the city¡­ the damage,¡±

    ¡°Ok,¡± she said. Contrary to his expectations, she didn¡¯t go on or question him further, instead, kicking back in her seat.

    He felt his excuses wash out of his mind as he realised she didn¡¯t care. Honestly, her giving him space was the best outcome and yet one he hadn¡¯t even considered. Although once he thought about it, whenever anything sensitive happened, her usual response was to close up and stay silent - she was just lucky it was the right response this time. Blowing another deep breath out, he leaned back and tried to brush the matter from his mind.

    They were both in the Seeker¡¯s building, on the first floor by the contract board. As he waited, Orion saw Lilith walking up the unused staircase on the other side of the hall. She wore casual clothes today, her creamy low-cut blouse contrasting with her chestnut-brown hair that lay past her shoulders. Lilith had a curvaceous figure and a sensuous aura around her, something he was certain she put to good use.

    ¡°Come on,¡± she called, beckoning them, ¡°Smith¡¯s waiting,¡±

    Following her down, they reached the basement, a wide room lit by Glubber¡¯s candles. The room was filled by several cabinets and chests, a few armour-pieces and weapons cluttered over the closest ones. The remaining area was occupied by a large board with several chairs in front.

    Smith wore a bright-red eyepatch today and stood by the board, nodding as he saw them. A woman with short hair sat on one of the chairs.

    Once they had all sat down, he began. ¡°I¡¯m sure you all know what this is about. You two,¡± he pointed at Lilith and the short hair lady, ¡°are both 5-stars, so ready to go through the Awakening. And you two,¡± he pointed at Orion and Kora,¡± are ready to go through it as well. Usually, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do this as your rankings aren¡¯t quite there yet, but times are changing,¡±

    He stopped and paused, his audience waiting with bated breath.

    ¡°Basically, the Awakening is you guys training hard, drinking a lot of nasty shit, and training more. It¡¯s terrible, believe me. I went through it two decades ago and the memories are still strong ¨C it¡¯s the sort of stuff you don¡¯t forget. So, stop grinning so hard before I slap them off your faces,¡± he said, breaking into a chuckle.

    ¡°They¡¯ll expand on the process itself over there: I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ve changed anything. Anyway, look at this,¡± he continued, pointing at one of the pictures on the board, this one a poorly drawn beaker with green liquid in, ¡°This is an Elixir. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard the rumours: yes, they make you stronger, yes, they give you powers, and yes, they¡¯re from monsters. You¡¯ll love them afterwards but when you¡¯re going through the process, you¡¯ll see them as your enemies ¨C trust.¡±

    He moved on and jabbed at another picture, this one resembling a crudely drawn map. ¡°This is where the magic happens, Kajan. Filled with monsters and guarded by top Seekers, you won¡¯t be able to get in without a rigorous identity check, though it won¡¯t seem like that,¡± he said, breaking into another bout of laughter. ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t get it now, but you will get it by the end. Anyway, this is why I want you guys to go together as a group. It makes the whole process easier and makes it less likely one of you will die on the way,¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    He moved onto the last picture, this time a silhouette of a figure holding a sword, the Seeker¡¯s logo. ¡°And this is where the talk ends. Look, I know all of you have different allegiances and that, but after this you will be a Seeker first and foremost. If that¡¯s not the case, you will be killed at Kajan so don¡¯t bother thinking you can trick the people there.¡±

    Smith paused a while, before ending. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it. Take any of the stuff on those tables if you like them and meet here tomorrow morning to set off together ¨C I¡¯ll give you my letter then. Jax, Lilith, Cyae, Kora, I wish you all the best and hope you¡¯ll be sharing the Seeker¡¯s cause soon,¡± he said, saluting at them in a change of tone.

    Cyae nodded, and promptly left, while Lilith stayed behind to chat with Smith. Orion and Kora scanned over the equipment, fully aware they wouldn¡¯t be able to buy anything from the market. Orion picked up a new black jacket, contrasting with his light skin, and a longsword and bow with a quiver of arrows. While his strongest weapons were inside him, there was no chance he would be able to use Szu when surrounded by Seekers at Kajan. Kora picked up a yellow jacket, going back to her roots, and a greatsword that ranged almost her height. Even though she couldn¡¯t transform at Kajan, she still retained most of her strength meaning she could use this greatsword like a shortsword

    They left shortly after and attracted a lot of attention on the streets due to her comically sized sword. It was while walking back to the inn that Orion realised he had forgotten about the dark-skinned foreigner. He had planned to keep him with Thimble for a while but considering the underworld had just undergone massive changes, the Sticky Fingers would soon be destroyed or start rising the ranks, meaning they wouldn¡¯t be able to keep a dead weight around no matter what.

    After saying this to Kora, she agreed with him, although reluctantly as she didn¡¯t share his massive interest in the man. Sure, he had dark skin and red eyes that made him unique in the Empire, and sure, Skitters had almost certainly joined the attack on the Saltrock¡¯s ship for the man, but that didn¡¯t change the fact he would continue to be dead weight if they took him in.

    Either way, they made their way to the slums, quickly noticing how quiet the area had become. The whole city had lost its spirit after the riots but the effect was most pronounced here.

    Kora spotted the watchers and waved at them as the Seekers entered the Sticky Fingers¡¯s base. None of the people they encountered challenged them, and Orion was relieved to see there was still life in the base.

    They arrived at Thimble¡¯s house, opening the door to realise it was dark inside. Going in, Orion searched around, finding no one until Kora nudged him and pointed into the darkness. Focusing, he made out the shape of a small man sitting with his head down, a blanket over his head. Orion clapped his hands together and the man turned to the sound, staring at them with red eyes which lightly glowed in the dark.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Orion asked.

    The man didn¡¯t reply, instead, peering at Orion¡¯s expression for a moment, then at Kora¡¯s.

    Orion turned to her. ¡°I don¡¯t think he still understands what we¡¯re saying. What do we do?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you want to bring him? He can¡¯t understand the common tongue, and look at his body, he can¡¯t even fight, he¡¯ll just be useless,¡± she replied.

    He stopped for a moment, pondering on what she had said, before deeply nodding.

    ¡°Alright then,¡± she said,¡± let¡¯s get him out of here first,¡± She walked to the foreigner and placed her hands on his elbow and wrist, guiding him up and out. It seemed he got the idea as he weakly shook her off, following Orion of his own accord.

    Leaving the building, the trio entered the sunlight, spotting Thimble running towards them in the distance, his maroon clump of hair bobbing up and down.

    ¡°Lord Jax, Lord Jax!¡± he called.

    They waited for him.

    ¡°I was told yer were ¡®ere. Are yer ¡®ere to talk ¡®im?¡± Thimble asked.

    ¡°Yeah. Why was he left in dark?¡± Orion said.

    ¡°I tried to take him out, but he didn¡¯t wanna. I left the curtains open for ¡®im but he¡¯d just close it when I left. I dunno about yer but he seems loony in the ¡®ead,¡±

    Kora nodded.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Orion said, ¡°But yeah, we¡¯re taking him away on a trip we¡¯re going on. What happened to your brother? We didn¡¯t see him anywhere,¡±

    ¡°Ginger¡¯s dead, we think. Maybe we¡¯ll disband soon, we¡¯ve lost too many people, put at the front of the raid for Fatso.¡± Thimble said, flashing a nervous smile, his eyes teary. ¡°Come back and visit when you¡¯re done, right?¡±

    Orion moved forward and patted him on the back. ¡°We will. Just make sure you¡¯re not dead by then,¡±

    ¡°Yes, Lord Jax!¡±

    <hr>

 37. One step at a time

    <hr>

    <hr>

    The horse¡¯s back thumped against his thighs, flaring up the dull ache. He and Kora had sold their old horses and bought these for the journey, although he now regretted that decision. After they had collected the foreigner, they had bought what supplies they could and rented their last night at The Fat Munch. In the morning, they had come to the Seeker¡¯s building, where Maya had briefed them on their journey.

    She gave them maps and Smith¡¯s letter of approval. She had teased Orion but only slightly, her aura much calmer than before, maybe due to the broken arm she had gained since the last time they had seen her. When asked whether he could bring along the foreigner, she had looked at him with a raised brow, before saying sure.

    Joining Lilith and Cyae, they had spent an hour riding away from Visgimar, towards the south of the Empire, towards Kajan.

    Orion nudged his horse towards the foreigner¡¯s, soon beside the dark man staring into the horizon. Despite Orion rolling up next to him, the foreigner didn¡¯t turn so Orion poked him. The man was still thin but his skin was no longer shrivelled. And while it was hard to spot his scars due to his skin colour, once you spotted one, the whole range of burns and scars became clear.

    ¡°Hello,¡± Orion said, waving his hand exaggeratedly.

    The man watched the hand, then looked at him with the same blank expression as always.

    ¡°Hello,¡± Orion repeated.

    Although the man didn¡¯t respond, the smallest of glints flashed through his eyes. The foreigner rolled his red eyes up as if in thought, then mimicked the wave.

    ¡°Hell-o,¡± he said.

    The pale Seeker felt his lips curl up as he heard the man speak the common tongue, breaking out into a grin. ¡°Jax,¡± he said, this time pointing at himself.

    It didn¡¯t long for the man to understand what was happening. ¡°Joiroa,¡± After saying his name, the foreigner seemed to fall out of the moment, his eyes glazing over and his body shivering.

    Thinking hard, Orion figured he was reliving memories, most likely the torture from the ship considering how tense he had become. Glancing around, Orion saw Lilith looking back with a strange expression on her face. Cyae watched him passively, perhaps with a small amount of disdain as she turned away from him with cold eyes.

    When Orion caught Kora¡¯s eyes, she stared back, before shaking her head. She led her horse towards his and pulled up next to him.

    ¡°Hello, Teacher Jax. Is your student alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think he¡¯s just having an episode. You know he¡¯s smart, he picked what I was saying pretty quickly,¡± he replied.

    She nodded excessively with wide eyes. ¡°Yes, he said hello and his name - I¡¯ve never been more impressed in my life,¡±

    He rolled his eyes, not falling for her provocation. ¡°Come on, you¡¯ve got to admit you thought he was a dimwit before, like brainless,¡±

    She nodded more honestly this time. ¡°I don¡¯t think the ability to say hello invalidates my judgement though,¡±

    ¡°Come on then, you try to teach him. You¡¯ll see he¡¯s bright,¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Ok, I will,¡± she said.

    ****

    Now that a few hours had passed since leaving Visgamar, Orion regretted challenging Kora. She had swiftly discovered what he had and proceeded to slowly take control from Orion, eventually kicking him out of the conversation. Even now, he could see them talking ¨C in simple sentences, sure, but still holding a conversation.

    Lilith had pulled up by him some hours before and they had chatted for a while. He had discovered she was charming and playful as she had teased him for a while, eventually leaving with a wink. He concluded she didn¡¯t flirt for fun like Maya did, instead, using it as a tool. As for Cyae, the short-haired woman hadn¡¯t displayed any interest in Orion at all, instead, opting to stay at the front of the group, scanning their surroundings like a hawk.

    They had passed several plains, all lush or at least living, but now to their sides were the corpses of fields, crop parts littered all over. Cyae slowed down and hopped off her horse, inspecting the ground and soon searching it.

    ¡°There¡¯s a monster den somewhere near here, been eating all the food here,¡± she said, her face tightening into a scowl. She was as tall as Orion and similarly lean, in contrast to Kora and Lilith. She had dark brown hair and a sculpted face, her features sharp and pointed, especially her eyes which seemed to dig into his soul as they passed over him.

    ¡°What type?¡± Kora called.

    ¡°Grub drenites from the look of the damage,¡± Lilith answered.

    ¡°Yeah, Grubbers,¡± Cyae said. ¡°I¡¯m going to destroy their lair, anyone come with?¡±

    The other Seekers nodded. Grub drenites were cancer to crops despite only being 3-star monsters. In fact, their danger was inflated due to their numbers - they were 1-starish by themselves.

    ¡°Right,¡± Cyae said. She leapt back onto her horse and trekked over the fields, wandering randomly.

    However, Orion didn¡¯t stop nor interrupt her, instead, watching until he realised she was looking for areas with the least amount of plant waste. Although confused, he followed her, and it only took him a few minutes to acknowledge her skill as they came upon barren land littered with monster shit.

    In the middle of this area was a large bump, akin to a molehill but man-sized. Climbing off his horse, he stepped over the hole and gazed into the darkness.

    ¡°They¡¯re nocturnal; they aren¡¯t going to see you,¡± Cyae called out from far behind. She had opened her bag and was filling a bottle with some liquid, then with another. She put a few ingredients in, the last being a clump of Grubber shit.

    ¡°Hold your noses, this will stink,¡± she said as she lit a fire next to the bottle.

    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t it best if you add Throllberry as well?¡± Kora said.

    Cyae smirked. ¡°If you find some, tell me,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there was some in the forest we went through,¡±

    Cyae simply shook her head as she dipped a burning stick into the bottle, the liquid quickly fizzling. Holding her nose, she walked towards the hole and dropped the bottle in. It didn¡¯t take long for the Grubbers to come screaming out, their screeching almost as unbearable as the smell spreading from the hole.

    There were many forms of Drenites due to how well they adapted to environments, some mammoth sized, some venomous, the highest even a 5-star monster, the boneless drenite. The Grub drenites the Seekers faced were yellow knee-sized frogs with mouths that took up half their bodies. Their molar teeth were their only weapons, meaning they were relatively simple to deal with as long as you watched their numbers.

    Lilith and Orion took a backward position, both using bows to kill the monsters from a distance. She was faster than him, although he guessed that was more because he hadn¡¯t used a bow in a long while, but what was more surprising was her battle-sense. She somehow stayed aware of the whole battlefield at once, sniping down runaway Grubbers before he even noticed them.

    Kora and Cyae took the front, Kora using her greatsword to slash through the monsters to great and bloody effect, while Cyae took a more traditional route with a longsword and shield. She wasn¡¯t as fast as Orion, and she wasn¡¯t even close to as powerful as Kora, and yet as the minutes passed by and the stink of Grubber¡¯s intestines filled the air, it became obvious she was the most vicious. Her cuts were clean, her defence was tight, and her attacks were always aimed at vitals.

    But as strong as the Seekers were, they soon discovered the problem with Grubber¡¯s first hand as the tide of monsters leaving the tunnel increased instead of decreasing. Orion was forced to switch to his sword and dance around the field as time passed, quickly covered with putrid gore.

    The night passed by painfully slowly.

    <hr>

 38. Kajan

    <hr>

    Orion walked half-dazed, the soil squelching under his boots. It had been a month since the Seekers had left Visgamar, and the time spent in the wild showed on his body. His skin was tight, and his body was thin, burning through the food he had eaten a day before to keep his legs moving. There were dark bags under his eyes and he had a bronze tan.

    A howl washed over the party, then another, and another. Orion stopped, listened, then continued trudging through the Kajan rainforest. Over the course of the journey, he had toughened and learned to use his limited energy effectively. The most important aspect to this skill was judging what was threatening and what was merely fear-inducing.

    The surrounding rainforest was teeming with life. Battle cries and mating calls were alike the breath of the forest, as common as the droplets of rain sliding off leaves - rushing to arm yourself for each one was foolish. There were many smells around them, berries releasing crisp, sweet scents while the mud gave off an overwhelming tasteless scent. To a Westerner like Orion, the damp and heat together were a constant pain, condemning his thoughts to barely coherent passages.

    His fellow Seekers around him reacted similarly to the howl, apart from Cyae. She somehow had the willpower to stay both vigilant and march over mud and branches alike. Orion had begun by respecting her for it, but after they had to butcher their horses for quick supplies, he began to hate her continued diligence.

    Either way, it was little comfort but comfort nonetheless to know Kora and Lilith hated this trip as much as him. On the other hand, Joiroa tread through the mud with ease, his expression as passive as always. Maybe that was the benefit of being tortured, Orion thought, smirking a little.

    As they toiled through the forest, the distant howls grew close. Scanning his surroundings, Orion slung his bag off his shoulders and onto a dry patch, nodding to Kora as she gave a thumbs up. Digging through his quiver, he picked several arrows rough with dried blood and put one to his bow, pulling the string and holding his stance. His breath slowed, and his heartbeat faded from his mind, his focus solely on the bushes in front.

    He heard a howl from his side but didn¡¯t stir. It didn¡¯t surprise him the pack had circled them, and as much as he hated and envied Cyae¡¯s mind of steel, he equally trusted her to act as a deadly buffer in case of such a flank. Suddenly, a dark figure burst out of the wet clump of leaves in front; he released the bowstring, the arrow zipping through the air. He drew a second arrow and turned, releasing at another Tawny wolf as it emerged.

    In his rush, he jabbed his finger against the shaft of an arrow but ignored the pain and kept firing, incapacitating the wolves. Moments later, he grasped at the quiver and grabbed thin air: he had held off making new arrows due to his daily exhaustion and now felt its price. Grinning manically at his fortune, he pulled his longsword and sidestepped an open-maw lunge. He struck as the wolf retreated, before rushing to end all the wolves he had crippled.

    It was a matter of minutes before the forest grew momentarily quiet, Orion huffing as he skinned the fur off a wolf with his knife. Lilith joined him in this task while Kora leaned against her greatsword and Cyae surveyed the area. Joiroa eased down the tree he had scrambled up, coming to watch over Orion and Lilith as they got on with their task.

    In less than an hour, they left the bloody area with enough meat for a day. Conversation had drawn to a still a long time ago so they followed the weather-beaten directions in the forest in silence.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    While they got into two more minor fights along the way, Orion¡¯s wish for weeks came to fruition several hours later as they were trying to decipher which way the wooden post had pointed before being clawed down by a cruel beast. A young man with strands of ginger in his beard, alike Flynn from long ago, strode from the bushes, a taut shortbow in his hand, the arrowhead gleaming in the light.

    ¡°Seekers?¡± he called in a friendly manner, his slitted eyes telling a different tale.

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re here for the Awakening,¡± Cyae replied, meanwhile her hand edged towards her shield.

    ¡°Good,¡± the ginger man said, lowering his bow. He ignored the party gripping onto their weapons as he continued, ¡°It¡¯s best you follow me ¨C these posts are far too old and broken to get you there,¡±

    ¡°And you are?¡± Kora asked, voicing the concern they all held.

    ¡°An instructor, I guess,¡± he replied. ¡°And it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t test me ¨C I don¡¯t show mercy to idiots,¡±

    ¡°And where¡¯s the proof?¡± Kora said.

    He shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ve already been lucky to get all the way here without running into anything dangerous, you might as well trust that luck a bit longer. Now, come on,¡± He paced away from them.

    The group looked at one another, each asking the same silent question while Joiroa stared into blank space. Lilith nodded and the others slowly came to, jogging to catch up to the ginger man who sped through the rainforest as if it was his garden. The man replied to their questions with short answers, keeping them on hold for tens of minutes until they came to a wide clearing in the forest.

    In the clearing were several wooden huts with few people around. There was a large flag in the centre with the Seeker¡¯s logo, a silhouette of a figure holding a sword. The ginger man led them towards another older man. This old man was clean shaven with heavy jowls under his neck and a large belly. He had been staring intently at the newcomers since they had entered his sight.

    ¡°Who are these, Leo?¡± asked the fat man. ¡°Fresh blood?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what they say, Jowler,¡± answered the ginger man.

    ¡°Where are you kids from? Who sent you, eh?¡± Jowler asked.

    ¡°Smith from Visgamar,¡± Cyae answered.

    Jowler burst into laughter, all too similar to Smith. ¡°Oh, that idiot. He gave you a letter or something, yeah?¡±

    Cyae dug through her pack and gave him the letter.

    He stared at it for several moments before smiling at them. ¡°I knew the dark one wasn¡¯t with you. Why¡¯s he here?¡±

    Joiroa, who had gotten bored waiting, was now looking around. The other Seekers turned to Orion at the question, including Kora.

    ¡°Uh, he¡¯s a friend,¡± Orion said.

    ¡°What is he? A desert raider who spent too long in the sun? Does he speak the common tongue?¡±

    Orion gulped and shook his head, the impulse of his earlier action now striking him as stupid.

    ¡°Well, the closest I¡¯ve seen to such dark skin is from the Metoles and he certainly ain¡¯t no Metole. And his eyes, I¡¯ve never seen red eyes from anyone, not even the savages,¡± Jowler continued.

    The emotions in their voices had attracted Joiroa back to the conversation, and he figured they were talking about him from the way they looked at him. He passively stared at Jowler, who scrutinised him back. Deep inside, Joiroa knew he should have let them kill him: better to have died than have entered this foreign land with no hope and no knowledge.

    ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t let anyone in, but you know what, I¡¯m interested in this guy. How about this, I¡¯ll let him stay if you order him to stay with me over the period,¡± Jowler said.

    Orion looked at him incredulously, wondering why he needed Orion¡¯s permission for that. If Jowler was the boss here like he seemed, it wasn¡¯t like Orion could deny him. Eventually, though, he regained his composure and nodded, to which the fat Seeker grinned.

    ¡°Good lad. Anyway, Leo, take them to their rooms. Let¡¯s show them some hospitality after their tough journey,¡± Jowler said, to which the ginger Seeker grinned as if sharing a joke.

    <hr>

 39. Training for life by death

    <hr>

    Dropping his bag to the ground, Orion stretched his body. Taking his shirt off, he looked at himself in the dim light. His arms were lean, his muscles more defined than before despite shrinking. There were bruises and scars all across his body, mostly light wounds but some heavy. Kora had treated him several times during the trip, but the wounds still showed.

    He spent what little time he had laying on the bed, one with a frame made of wood and a mattress made of giant leaves. Just as he dozed off, he heard a bell ringing from outside. Pushing himself up, he dressed himself. Each of the Seekers had a separate hut, his around 5 metres in diameter with a thatched roof. It was furnished with a bed, a wooden table with a drawer, and a glubber¡¯s wax lamp on top of the table.

    He stepped out at the same time as Lilith, who gave him a tired smile. Cyae and Kora already stood by Leo who held the bell. They had both changed into cleaner, lighter clothes, as had Lilith, singling out Orion from the get-go.

    ¡°Hurry up!¡± Leo shouted, his earlier calmness morphed into a stern anger. At least his temper fit his role as an instructor, Orion thought.

    ¡°Follow me,¡± the ginger Seeker said when they grouped together, bringing them to a towering tree.

    From a glance, the tree looked like its neighbours, just a little larger. But as Orion gave a closer look, he noticed scars along the tree¡¯s bark and around the branches.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky Jowler gave you twenty minutes of rest. Now, I want to see how fast you can climb this tree,¡± Leo said. He pointed at Cyae, ¡°You go first,¡±

    The short-haired Seeker didn¡¯t fluster, instead, she immediately circled the tree, searching for the best place to start from. Once she found a branch low enough, she began climbing, swinging and pulling her way up, reaching the top in twenty minutes.

    ¡°Well, are you going to come down?¡± Leo roared, seeing her resting at the top.

    Once she was back on ground, Leo looked at the group with disgust. ¡°Pathetically slow, I can¡¯t believe how much the Seekers have deteriorated. Since we don¡¯t have all day, you three go up at once. Remember, fast, not slow,¡±

    Since they had watched Cyae¡¯s attempt, the three of them found better routes, each going faster than she had. Lilith was the slowest, using the same technique as Cyae, while Kora was faster due to her pure strength, allowing her to swing off branches with greater force. Still, Orion was the fastest because he was light and nimble, allowing him to zip up and down in fifteen minutes. Leo nodded at him and waited for the other two, Kora touching ground in twenty minutes and Lilith in thirty.

    ¡°Better, but still lacking. Not one of you could last against a 5-star solo, let alone a 6-star in a group.¡± Leo said. Receiving incredulous and confused expressions in response, he continued, ¡°Yes, I know you¡¯ve all killed 5-star monsters but you must be able to do that by yourselves now, otherwise you¡¯ll drag down any team hunting a higher ranked monster. Based on how fast you went, Cyae, do 4 laps of the tree, Lilith 4, Kora 6, Jax 8. You¡¯ve got 2 hours to finish your laps; I will make sure anyone who fails in that time starves tonight!¡±

    The instant he finished, the four Seekers began climbing up the tree. Orion cursed his luck as he pulled himself to the top ¨C he had considered it a speed exercise and had wanted to impress. If he had known it to be an endurance activity, he would have gone as slow as Cyae.

    By the time the first hour passed, Orion was on track for dinner having completed 5 laps. The following hour, however, was a downhill battle. His muscles ached, and he feared they had torn at one point; his chest heaved and he was constantly out of breath. But worse than these was his mind. During the sixth lap, his mind went off track, the 100m drop down suddenly seeming awfully attractive. It was a challenge to keep his body in one piece, one he almost failed on his last lap as he tripped on the way down, diving through 50 metres.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Even when Leo caught him, he didn¡¯t faint from shock, much to his misfortune. He suffered the following minutes as his body felt broken, simply broken. They must have somehow walked back to the main camp without his awareness because the next time he came to, he was gorging on charred meat by a bonfire. The more he ate, the less his pain became. After enough mouthfuls, his body felt refreshed, but looking down, he saw his hands trembled in fear.

    Glancing around, he saw around twenty Seekers enjoying meals around the bonfire. He spotted Cyae convulsing on the floor, he spotted people pointing at him and her and laughing, he spotted Leo walking up to him with Kora and Lilith behind.

    ¡°You should feel full after eating that much 6-star meat. You¡¯ve got too much energy now, I bet you want to spend that somehow. Come on, after me,¡± Leo said. He said similar words to Cyae, soon bringing the four back to the giant tree. ¡°You look a lot better now. I want 5 laps from Cyae and Lilith, 7 from Kora, and 9 from you, Jax,¡±

    Seeing them standing dazed at the enemy they believed they had destroyed, his mood changed. ¡°NOW!¡± he roared, the anger behind his voice driving them up the tree.

    Orion managed to do 5 laps before the pain rapidly mounted up. He vividly remembered the sixth one, the searing pain and his pride at finishing it. The rest of his memories were fuzzy: some from his seventh lap, slipping from a branch; some from his eight lap, losing his grip and falling, and one from his ninth lap, him heaving under the lowest branch of the tree, headstrong on pulling himself up while his body denied him.

    When he awoke the next day, somehow in his hut, he didn¡¯t see the same nightmares as always, the ones of the fateful day his life had changed, the day his family¡¯s lives had been reaped. Instead, he awoke to a lack of sense from his limbs, feeling alarmed as he desperately tried to move the limbs that had turned to stone overnight.

    Eventually, Leo came in and piggybacked him to breakfast, where he met and fell in love with his limbs all over again, swearing to them he would never push his body so hard. It seemed Leo didn¡¯t care for Orion¡¯s promises as he forced the four to lift stones all day. Orion was the weakest, Lilith just above, followed by Cyae, and Kora who was far above. It turned out Leo didn¡¯t give a shit about their strength either as he pushed them all to breaking point anyway.

    Even when Orion tried to go against the man by plopping on the ground and swearing not to move, Leo would just take him to the food court where the temptation for food was too much for Orion to resist. The second he was full, he was lifting stones again, breaking his back along the way.

    The day after that was dedicated to willpower building. Leo took them to a waterfall where torrents of water cascaded down to a ferocious river. There was a rope fastened just above the river which they were meant to hang from, taking the force of the water with their bodies and not letting go. When they did inevitably let go each time, they were fished out. Death was a close companion throughout the training, and while Orion never held hands with the bony man, there were times he swore he saw him while sinking, his breath depleting by the second.

    Even when refreshed by the meat, Orion felt the impulse to run from Kajan to live as a hermit somewhere. But when seeing the others go through the same trials as him, seeing them endure, it pushed him past boundaries he had thought immovable. It was only much later he would learn Leo had an equal part in keeping him in the torturous training, after all, the man had gained peculiar skills from his awakening.

    On the fourth day, Leo told them it was sense training, grinning after that. Along with their usual 6-star monster meat, they were fed a mix of leaves, stalks, and mushrooms. They then entered a simple obstacle course, told to complete it in a limited time. While Orion could swear he saw Death the day before, he knew for certain he met the Reaper during senses training, multiple times at that.

    Their lives at Kajan carried on like this, their trainings repeating regularly for an immeasurable amount of time. Immeasurable because Orion gave up on counting after a bit, instead, solely using his energy to face his days. Leo spiced up the trainings as time passed as he added new sorts such as speed training, agility training, weapon training, and such.

    The day when they would awaken neared, and soon enough, without any of them realising, they were thrust into the Seeker Guild¡¯s greatest secret.

    <hr>

 40. Seekers Elixir

    <hr>

    The Laeshi swooped low, dodging a high hanging branch. The trees below him were massive. Yet, they appeared in poor health, their trunks painted in dull and rotten colours, their branches drooping as if all life had been sucked out. There were few animal cries despite the size of the forest and even those sounded desperate.

    Rising in the air, the Laeshi saw what seemed to be a mirage in the distance, a colossal castle shimmering in the mist - he knew better than to believe that though. He had been flying for several months, almost nonstop. Midway, he had even abandoned his crew, too blinded by the reward to wait any longer, and he knew for certain the castle in front of him was all too real.

    It was the Fullhorn¡¯s House. They rarely allowed visitors in but he would be, he was certain of that much. The Laeshi smirked as he thought of their name - Fullhorn. It proved how stupid humans were, to believe the Cruorems were humans all this time and not doubt a thing, and this showed why humans were unwitting prey in the food chain.

    Minutes later, landing on the cold stone, the Laeshi folded his wings in and straightened his clothes and hair. His steps echoed in a haunting manner as he paced down a dark tunnel, navigating his way to the bottom layer. But as he was passing through a corridor, glancing over his shoulders every few moments, he found a large, muscular man leaning on the wall by the end of the corridor, seemingly waiting for him.

    ¡°You have balls, Laeshi, I¡¯ll give you that. To enter our House without permission, you certainly have balls. Though, I guess you won¡¯t be needing them after today,¡± the muscular man said, his eyes still shut.

    ¡°No, lord. I come with news,¡± the Laeshi answered.

    The muscular man didn¡¯t bite the hook, instead remaining quiet, perfectly still like a statue.

    ¡°It is to do with your lost lamb, Bian.¡±

    The muscular man opened his eyes, his expression tightening into a scowl, the feeble light casting a deep shadow over his face. ¡°What?¡± The man faced off the Laeshi for a while, before beckoning him to follow. ¡°Either way, you¡¯ve lost all say in your life already. Be it true, you will be a king. Be it false, the dogs can have a treat tonight!¡±

    The Laeshi meekly followed, keeping his head down as he passed by other Cruorems on their way. He was led down and around, walking the maze of a castle with ease, eventually stopped in front of a towering set of wooden doors.

    ¡°Father will see you inside. Don¡¯t bother keeping up any pretences you may have,¡± the muscular man said, pushing the door open for the Laeshi but staying outside.

    The winged vampire figured it was a feast hall as he walked in. There was a large table with tens of chairs around it, selections of food and skull-sized mugs covering its top. The lanterns around were well-lit, giving the room a jovial mood. Or at least it would have had it not for the man sitting at the end of the table, the only person in the grand hall other than the Laeshi.

    This man was smaller than the muscular Cruorem and looked to be middle-aged. He had a well-groomed beard and neatly combed hair, both the colour of thick smoke. Despite his comforting appearance, however, he somehow made the Laeshi feel little, like an ant to a Goliath.

    ¡°Bian Cruorem, she was always a troublesome one, you know?¡± the middle-aged Cruorem said, his voice pleasing to the ear.

    Yet, the Laeshi gulped at this. As far as he knew, the Cruorems could not communicate through telepathy, and the muscular Cruorem hadn¡¯t rushed ahead to update this man on the latest news. The most plausible explanation to the Laeshi, as mad as it seemed, was that the middle-aged man had heard. Despite the distance, despite the stone walls, this man had still heard.

    ¡°I did not know,¡± the Laeshi answered, deeply bowing.

    ¡°Mm, a good trade has to be equal. I¡¯ve given you some information, now tell me what you have,¡±

    ¡°The Yhaoli had ordered me and my crew to go to Visgamar. We were meant to aid some human rabble take control from the Imperial forces, and while the rabble-leader was holding a meeting of some sort, I noticed a girl with a strong smell of blood, one ever so sweet. I immediately figured she was Bian,¡± the Laeshi explained, telling the details he had rehearsed during the trip here. ¡°But I had to be sure so I followed her, and found her exactly so, a true Cruorem. She had three black talons across her neck and two arched horns,¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Visgamar, eh? That¡¯s quite far ¨C she must have planned this escape better than any of us expected. But who was she fighting and how come she didn¡¯t notice you?¡± the middle-aged Cruorem asked.

    ¡°I was in a tunnel, lord, watching her fight from a distance. I left the second she had won as I knew she would spot me. She was fighting some humans, I think friends of the rabble-leader. She fought alongside a Zakari,¡±

    ¡°A Zakari?¡± the middle-aged Cruorem asked, raising his eyebrows. ¡°Are you certain?¡±

    ¡°He used Giah and had an uncanny mastery of ice. There is no doubt he was a Zakari,¡±

    ¡°Yes, no doubt indeed. Isn¡¯t that interesting, she somehow met one of the last ones. Is it a coincidence, or?¡±

    The Laeshi didn¡¯t know if it was an open-question or not. Either way, he could tell the middle-aged Cruorem¡¯s interest was falling ¨C he had to strike while the iron was hot.

    ¡°Lord, I pledge to you I will travel as fast as I can to look after Bian and separate her from the Zakari,¡± he said.

    ¡°Mmmm,¡± the middle-aged man thought aloud. ¡°Yes, Bian will need a guardian angel. You should leave now. As for the Zakari, leave him unharmed. She¡¯s not one to be trifled with and I¡¯d rather she didn¡¯t turn her fangs towards us if possible. But if it¡¯s looking too bad, kill him and bring Bian back at once ¨C I¡¯ll deal with her when the time comes,¡±

    The Laeshi nodded his head and stood, brimming with joy.

    ¡°Oh, not you,¡± the middle-aged Cruorem pointed at the Laeshi, causing the winged vampire¡¯s blood to freeze. He fell back into his chair, unable to move. ¡°No, you¡¯ve got a lot more purpose here than there. I think we¡¯ve got a much longer chat ahead of us, especially about the monster king, your monster king, Yhaoli,¡±

    *****

    Leo looked at the four Seekers, feeling a sort of pride he hadn¡¯t felt in forever. They had come in as garbage but now they were true Seekers. He had trained many recruits over the ages but these four were a different standard: they had a different mettle about them, similar to Kasib.

    ¡°You¡¯ve all come a long way in these months,¡± Leo said, breaking into a genuine grin. ¡°I¡¯m sure deep inside you¡¯re wondering why I worked you like dogs when some high-ranked Seekers like Jowler are fat fucks,¡±

    The four in front of him didn¡¯t respond but their eyes twinkled.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite simple, really. None of you were born with gifts like the ability to use magic, or even better, to use Giah.¡± Leo said, winking at this, ¡°And that¡¯s what the Awakening helps you with; it gives you a gift you shouldn¡¯t have, one your body can¡¯t accept. But burn your body out, make it focus on healing and then intensify that until it can barely heal. Your body will shut down, and when your body is dead in all but name, we give you the gift. A rebirth in a sense, I guess,¡± he finished, leading them into the largest hut.

    Jowler was already inside, shaking his head. ¡°A fat fuck, am I now? I remember how much you used to respect me, Leo,¡±

    The four Seekers followed him in like zombies, alive but not really. Their minds had been broken over the months ¨C it had begun as a toughening but as time passed, the stress had grown too much for any of them to bear. Their bodies would have long been destroyed had it not been for the powerful drugs and meat they had been fed.

    But now it was time for them to come back. Leo had been through the process ¨C it was an unforgettable process, one that numbed you to your bones, but once it was over, their minds would slowly build up again.

    ¡°Which Elixirs did you chose for them by the way?¡± Leo asked.

    ¡°Djinn, Barghest, Einherz, and Siren,¡± Jowler said, his old age suddenly washing over him as he looked down, his expression pensive.

    Leo turned to him in shock, before biting his teeth down as he realised what this meant. ¡°It¡¯s serious, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no point in keeping around those Elixirs when Yhaoli is breaking the Empire apart. The Tribes have begun their invasion, you know? Soon, the Metoles will have to move, whether it be to the capital or the frontlines, I¡¯m not sure. But it means the Horsemen will soon make their way here, destroying the forest,¡±

    Leo wanted to argue against using those Elixirs but deep inside, he knew Jowler said the truth. While those potions had been hard fought for, there were no better subjects for them than the four in front of him. While some of them had lower potential, he knew with these potions that argument would become nought.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Jowler said, comforting Leo. ¡°If all goes to plan, these four will kill some of those legendary shits and get us better Elixirs. If not¡ª¡±

    ¡°Then we still gave it our best shot,¡± Leo finished.

    ¡°Damn right. But to be safe, you tell the others outside you made the choice to use these Elixirs, not me. Those ingrates respect you more nowadays,¡± Jowler scowled.

    Leo smiled while shaking his head, before turning to the four Seekers. ¡°Drink,¡±

    <hr>

 41. Coming Home

    <hr>

    Orion spied a Royal toucan hopping along a branch towards its nest, which was a large hole in a tree¡¯s trunk. Just as it was about to enter, another Royal toucan with a smaller beak popped out of the nest and screeched. Knowing its place, the male toucan stepped back and began arguing, only for the female to start right back, their domestic argument a duet to Orion¡¯s ears.

    He still felt as if he was in a daze. It was similar to how he felt now looking down from the branch he was on, knowing he could jump at any moment and crack a series of bones, perhaps even die. He had felt a similar sensation ever since the Awakening, only this time there wasn¡¯t a branch to get off and go back to feeling normal. Honestly, it unnerved him as much as it exhilarated him.

    Sighing, he pushed himself off the branch anyway, diving through the air. Over his soon-to-be death-spot grew an ice slide, letting him land with a thud instead of a cry. Looking up, he saw his landing had frightened the toucans out of their argument, their beady eyes staring at him through the hole. He waved and left, treading towards the Seeker¡¯s camp.

    The trip was slow and calming, animals and monsters calling in the distance. He knew Kajan wouldn¡¯t last; Jowler had informed everyone at the base the Tribes had already begun their invasion, and that the Metoles were rumoured to leave for the frontlines soon. If that was the case, the Horsemen would soon move into the Empire and make this rainforest another of their deserts.

    Smirking at the thought, he carried on, eventually arriving at his destination. The Seeker¡¯s camp was being packed up, the huts already taken down with overfilled bags clumped around the area. Orion nodded to some Seekers as they greeted him, although on the large he walked in silence ¨C it seemed they had figured he was a weird one.

    When he faced his own hut, one of the few still up, a myriad of emotions barrelled into him. It was mostly pain and exhaustion but deeper down he knew there was a large amount of pride. He quickly got to work, collapsing the building before packing his meagre belongings. When all was done with, he went and sat by a clump of bags, waiting for the other Seekers to finish.

    ¡°Lazing off already?¡± Leo called, his figure casting a shadow over Orion.

    ¡°Of course not, just a short rest,¡±

    ¡°Good. I¡¯d kill myself of grief if my star pupil became the next Jowler,¡±

    Orion chuckled. ¡°Are you done with your packing then?¡±

    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s all here,¡± Leo said, pointing to the rucksack in his hand and the bow slung over his shoulder.

    ¡°What? Just that? I thought you¡¯ve been living here forever,¡±

    Leo cuffed him on the head before taking a seat beside. ¡°I¡¯m not that old. But yeah, I¡¯m not much the hoarder, more of a free spirit I guess. Reminds me, I never asked about your plans after this,¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Orion realised he hadn¡¯t thought much about it either. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe I¡¯ll carry on with Kora ¨C she¡¯s good, you know? I¡¯ve got to tell her that sometime,¡±

    ¡°In that case why don¡¯t you come with us? Most us are going to Petrosa,¡± Leo said.

    ¡°Naa, not the capital,¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, I guess that¡¯s too risky considering you¡¯re a Zakari,¡± Leo said, the mood between them instantly chilling over.

    ¡°Yeah. How did you figure?¡± Orion eventually asked, giving up on any impulse of killing Leo to silence him. Orion had hidden for long enough; it was time for the world to know the Zakari still existed.

    ¡°Well, not by appearance. All you westerners look similar, and with that mark on your cheek, I certainly wouldn¡¯t guess you¡¯re a Zakari,¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Orion sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not a mark to¡ª¡±

    ¡°To brand them, I know, it¡¯s for their protection. A friend I trained with a long time ago told me that, you might know him: Kasib,¡± Leo said, getting a clear answer as Orion¡¯s face lit up. ¡°We met up some time ago, and he showed me some movements from your training. After watching you train your arse off for long enough, I realised you had the same quirks of movement as he had when demonstrating. And there¡¯s no way in hell an ordinary westerner would be taught any Zakari arts,¡±

    Orion nodded. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡±

    Leo continued, ¡°Still, I wasn¡¯t sure of your relationship with them so I asked Jowler. What a surprise that was, I mean I had my suspicions about Kora as well but to think I had been training two lordlings like you all this time. Pfft, I was shocked,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it was¡­ difficult when I figured she was a Cruorem,¡±

    ¡°You know she¡¯s being hunted? Bian Cruorem, daughter of Caleb Cruorem, ran away from the House of Fullhorn. Every vampire, and I bet most monsters have heard about it,¡±

    There was a pause as Orion pondered. ¡°Bian, I didn¡¯t know that was her name. It¡¯s nice,¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not worried about them coming after her?¡± Leo asked, his eyebrows raised. ¡°You¡¯re a far cry from what you were before your Awakening but I doubt you can fight any of them,¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen me use Szu,¡± Orion said proudly.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen them use their Blood arts,¡± Leo countered, stroking his ginger beard.

    Shrugging, Orion gave up on the argument. Just in time too as he felt a vice grip on his shoulder, one so strong he had no question of who it was. ¡°Arghh, get off, Kora,¡±

    She laughed, dropping him down. ¡°What are you gentlemen talking about?¡±

    ¡°About this cute girl called Bian,¡± Orion said while rubbing his shoulder.

    Leo immediately shook his head and stood up. ¡°Right, I¡¯ll see you two later,¡± His rushed steps made it obvious he didn¡¯t want to be involved in any of their business.

    Kora glared at Orion, her lips forming a thin line. ¡°Mm, I don¡¯t remember telling you any of that. Who did you hear that off? Leo?¡±

    Orion shrugged as he rose, brushing off her daggers-drawn stare as he walked away.

    ****

    The Seekers moved fast that night, leaving the camp they had held for years. The journey was a lot smoother than the one the four from Visgamar had undertaken before. This was because the group¡¯s size scared off most monsters, and any that weren¡¯t had swift deaths as they tried to fight through several Seekers. Along the way, a few of the Seekers left the group, leaving for settlements that needed different routes. Eventually, it was Orion¡¯s and Kora¡¯s turn:

    Orion hugged Lilith. She had drunk the Siren¡¯s Elixir and it showed as her curvaceous figure had taken an unrealistic turn. She was now lean and busty, her body catching many eyes as she moved. ¡°We¡¯ll meet again,¡± she said when they parted, to which he nodded.

    He then clasped hands with Cyae, who grinned at him. She had drunk the Einherz¡¯s Elixir, and while Lilith¡¯s changes were enchanting, Cyae¡¯s were straight up magical. She had also become a lot more comfortable to be around and chilled after her Awakening, although Orion really wasn¡¯t in a position to make judgements about change. ¡°Three months,¡± she said.

    ¡°Three months,¡± he repeated.

    Next was Leo who gave him a nod and mouthed the words ¡°Three months¡±

    Last was Jowler, who stood by Joiroa. Over the period of their training, Orion had paid less and less attention to Joiroa until after his Awakening, when he realised the dark-skinned man had already learned the civilised tongue.

    Jowler beckoned Kora and Orion towards himself, away from the other Seekers. ¡°As I promised, you can have Joiroa back now,¡±

    Orion smiled at the foreigner, who smiled back. Life had slowly been injected into his eyes, and now they gleamed red like blood. Orion had never noticed before but looking closer, he realised Joiroa was near Jowler¡¯s age, wrinkles over his face even though his curly hair showed no signs of greying.

    ¡°He¡¯s on a mission,¡± Jowler said, ¡°And you¡¯re on a mission,¡± he pointed at Orion, ¡°And you¡¯re on a mission,¡± he pointed at Kora. ¡°And they¡¯re all big, bad problems, so I reckon you can help each other out. Either way, my time¡¯s coming to an end,¡± he said, tapping his belly, ¡°so you¡¯ll have to deal with each other¡¯s messes sooner or later.

    Turning around, he finished. ¡°Remember, the Seeker¡¯s Summit is at End¡¯s edge in three months. If I don¡¯t see you two there, Smith will be getting a stick up his arse,¡± he joked, laughing at his own sense of humour as he re-joined the other Seekers. ¡°You two better hurry and become 5-star in that time,¡± he shouted, waving at them as the three Seekers left the group, heading towards Visgamar.

    <hr>

 42. Revelation

    <hr>

    Visgamar¡¯s insignia, the boat amidst stormy seas, was the centrepiece of the gate, watching over tourists and criminals alike as they entered its walls. Since it had been half a year, the two Seekers felt strange coming back, now like tigers among mice, while Joiroa pensively followed, his face as passive as usual.

    As they passed through the city, it became obvious the Imperial forces had been victorious due to the soldiers everywhere. The streets were still scarred by the battle, but it seemed the city dwellers had gotten used to this as they all walked on, ignoring the surrounding damage. When the trio got to the marketplace, they were pleasantly surprised to see it was thriving, stalls set up like before the riots. Orion noticed the that none of the stallkeepers shouted out their wares but this made sense considering the city¡¯s current mood.

    The closer they got to the centre of Visgamar, the less damage they saw on the buildings. In contrast, the inhabitants of these areas who had been haughty were now aware and sceptical, always on the lookout. The trio eventually arrived at the Guild buildings, perhaps the part of the city least affected by the riots, and they entered the Seeker¡¯s guild.

    Seeing the multitude of skulls decorating the inside, Orion calmed, even smiling as he spotted Maya engrossed in a book as always.

    ¡°Maya!¡± he called, striding up to the curved, marble table.

    ¡°Whytie!¡± she said on impulse, before knotting her brows as she peered at him. ¡°Whytie? You¡¯re no westerner with skin like that,¡± she said.

    He flicked her forehead before she could react, sending a flush down her face. ¡°Oh my, when did my innocent Whytie get so dominant?¡± she asked, regaining her composure.

    He ignored her comment. ¡°Is Smith in?¡±

    When she nodded, the three of them went upstairs, leaving her open-mouthed about how different Orion was. Her Awakening had changed her in ways, but nothing compared to what had happened to him.

    Knocking on Smith¡¯s door, the three of them came to see him behind his desk cluttered with papers. He was wearing a dull-blue eyepatch with his greying hair combed to the side.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back, with a visitor as well. Is he the one you took with you?¡± Smith asked.

    ¡°Yeah, this is Joiroa,¡± Orion said, gesturing towards the foreigner.

    Joiroa nodded at Smith.

    ¡°Does he understand the common tongue?¡± Smith asked, curious over the man¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°I have learned the simple parts,¡± Joiroa answered.

    Smith stared wide-eyed, before shaking his head in disbelief. ¡°Wow, I think we need to sit down and talk someday. Anyway, back to the matter, how were your Awakenings?¡±

    ¡°They went alright, as well as any other,¡± Kora answered.

    ¡°Which Elixirs did you two drink?¡±

    ¡°Djinn and Barghest,¡± Orion answered.

    The gentle smile across Smith¡¯s face washed away at this, his expression tightening into a scowl. He seemed to be in thought for several moments, before turning back to the trio. ¡°It must be serious then¡­ What news did Jowler ask you to send?¡±

    ¡°The Tribes have made some ground into the Zakari¡¯s land, and the Metoles are leaving to the frontlines. Jowler¡¯s left from Kajan for that reason, since the Horsemen will soon take over, and the Seekers there have gone to Petrosa for the time being. Then they¡¯re going to Edge¡¯s End for the Seeker¡¯s Summit,¡± Kora explained.

    ¡°And he said he¡¯ll put a stick up your arse if we aren¡¯t there,¡± Orion added, chuckling a little.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    Smith shook his head with a good-humoured smile. ¡°That sounds like him. I guess that means you two have little time to become 5-stars. Though, that should be easy; I can only imagine what kind of monsters you are now. So, head outside and get going on a contract now, I don¡¯t want Jowler handling me,¡±

    Minutes later, the trio, or more accurately, duo, were scouring the contracts board as Joiroa spied the other Seekers around with interest. They eventually agreed on one about a Lich, mainly because it was reported to be a week¡¯s distance away.

    They spent the night at The Fat Munch, Orion paying for Joiroa¡¯s room, before setting off at dawn with new horses.

    ****

    Orion gazed over the passing fields from his horse with relative disinterest, vaguely wishing to go back in time to Kajan. As tough and mind-breaking as the exercises had been, it had also fulfilled him in a way, taking his thoughts away from vengeance and head-hunting.

    ¡°You two are of great clans?¡± Joiroa said out of the blue, bringing both of them out of their thoughts.

    ¡°Yeah. Did Jowler tell you that?¡± Kora said.

    During their trip from Kajan to Visgamar and now this one, Joiroa had stayed quiet on the whole. While Orion¡¯s curiosity had been piqued when Jowler had mentioned Joiroa was on a mission, he had kept off asking him, after all, he knew all too well how painful it was to talk about matters like that. He had only ever told Kora what had happened, and that was because he had been close to having a breakdown. If Joiroa¡¯s wounds and former prison cell were anything to judge by, Orion knew it was best the foreigner opened on his own terms.

    ¡°He told me you two were from famous, very large clans,¡± Joiroa explained.

    Orion laughed at this, Joiroa staring wide-eyed at him while Kora rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Close but you missed the mark. My House is dead ¨C I¡¯m the last one,¡±

    The foreigner didn¡¯t respond for a few moments as if taking in the meaning. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know,¡±

    Orion waved his hand at Joiroa, gesturing it was of no matter.

    ¡°Jowler told me you two could help me. I¡¯m new to this¡­ Empire place,¡± Joiroa continued.

    Orion laughed again, interrupting once more. ¡°I think everyone figured that out!¡±

    Joiroa chuckled at this, ¡°Yes, you all look sickly. But some of my people are sick in the head, seriously sick,¡±

    He paused, keeping the two Seekers on hook. ¡°I was on a ship, the¡­¡± he pointed to the ground, then to the sky, ¡°stars, travel, direction¡±

    ¡°Navigator?¡± Kora said.

    ¡°Yes, navigating. We were on a mission to find new ground, a new place to take control off. By Shale¡¯s grace, we came to this Empire¡¯s coast after a year at sea. But, but,¡± he stopped there, his eyes glazing over. ¡°But one man, Shrien, he had other contacts, people he was promised to. He and others tried to kill the rest of us ¨C I was one to escape, perhaps only one to escape. But something happened, because I was found by a Maegi who put me on a ship and spoke your tongue, demanding something off me. Then, you rescued me,¡± Joiroa said, a weight lifting off his chest.

    Orion pondered over the matter. It seemed Shrien, one of the ship¡¯s mates, had another allegiance, due to which he had attacked the rest of the crew. Joiroa had escaped but had been caught by a mage later, likely the fat woman he had killed on the Saltrock¡¯s ship. And if Joiroa¡¯s ship had been searching for new land to colonise, it made sense Shrien and his men had made a violent ruckus in the area after the backstabbing, most likely attracting the Mage Guild¡¯s attention.

    In turn, they had sent one of their own, who had caught Joiroa and possibly interrogated him ever since then. This was the version that made sense in Orion¡¯s head, although he was still unsure on many parts, the biggest being where the hell was Joiroa¡¯s homeland and how come the Empire had never heard of it?

    ¡°Ok,¡± Kora said, her expression pensive. Orion figured she was trying to make a link between Shrien and Yhaoli, after all, the monster king seemed to have a talent spreading the idea of betrayal.

    ¡°Jowler said you both could help me since you have wide power,¡± Joiroa said, explaining his point.

    ¡°Wait, what do you want us to help you with? Killing Shrien and the rest of the backstabbers?¡±

    Joiroa¡¯s red ovals seemed all the more brighter now, a hot anger rising inside him. ¡°No, not for that. They attack us because they didn¡¯t want to make any peaceful trade, instead they want to attack here,¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯ve got a year of time to prepare? I reckon we can do that,¡± Kora said, smiling at Orion.

    ¡°No, no, no. They have a Maegi. He makes wide doors in the sky, really powerful. They let men skip land and water,¡± Joiroa said.

    Orion felt his body freeze over at this. The only things that could let people skip land were portals, and they certainly couldn¡¯t be made by man. But what if they could be? He considered the possibility, his beginning in Visgamar suddenly popping back up. He had somehow travelled from the west of the Empire to the east in too short a time frame to be possible, even with portals.

    But if someone could artificially make them¡­

    Orion realised the reason¡¯s Joiroa¡¯s eyes had seemed brighter wasn¡¯t due to anger, but rather fear, the same fear he felt now.

    <hr>

 43. 5-stars

    <hr>

    They came upon the abandoned village at dawn, golden light cascading down the skies.

    After further questioning, the Seekers had gained a better picture of Joiroa¡¯s problem. It turned out the Maegi would need a lot of raw materials to make the portal. Joiroa predicted this would take about a year, although that depended on Shrien and his party¡¯s luck and haste. When asked about the materials needed, the foreigner had told the Seekers of many ingredients through gruesome description. Orion hoped this meant more of the Guilds would hear of Shrien¡¯s party and wipe them out, but upon hearing a description of Shrien¡¯s strength, he wasn¡¯t so hopeful anymore.

    ¡°We should look around,¡± Kora said, hopping off her horse.

    The other two agreed, following her.

    ¡°Remember, when we run into the Lich, run,¡± Orion said to Joiroa.

    The dark man nodded; he knew he wasn¡¯t cut out for violence.

    As they entered the village, the Seekers started searching for clues. By the rotten food they found in houses and the date listed on the contract, they guessed the Lich had been here for almost a month. That was plenty of time to set up a trap, and considering it was a Lich, it had definitely holed up somewhere with traps outside.

    They discovered plenty of blood tracks that led to nothing, but these were enough for Kora to catch the scent. She followed the trail the corpses had taken, leading them into the neighbouring forest.

    The forest was quite ordinary in terms of the aged trees and the overwhelming variety of foliage around, but what immediately set it apart from others was the lack of sound. The wind breezed past but it carried with it no animal calls, chilling the party over. Still, this didn¡¯t stop them from following the blood scent, and after trekking through the forest for an hour, the party came upon a cave in a hillside.

    Kora threw her pack off and transformed, the Cruorem signature three black talons across her neck and arched horns from hairline to ears becoming apparent. Her skin became red-tinted and her muscles grew thicker and more sinuous.  Joiroa stared wide-eyed at her, his body tensing up. When she pointed at him, he got the cue and led his horse away with shaky steps.

    A few steps into the cave, Orion could smell the blood and rotten flesh as clear as day. It was humid inside and the stench was bad enough to twist and turn stomachs. It was also as dark as night but they knew the Lich¡¯s lab would be lit up considering Lichs couldn¡¯t see in total darkness either.

    Minutes later, when he glimpsed the dim light in the distance, Orion felt an adrenaline rush, his body trembling with anticipation. This was a 5-star monster, something neither of them had considered fighting before their Awakening, but six months later and here they were. He had fought alongside Kora for long enough to recognise she was similarly excited.

    They sneaked into the Glubber¡¯s lamp-lit cavern but straightened as they noticed the Lich staring at them, or at least they assumed it was staring their way since it didn¡¯t move. It was hard to tell as it was eyeless, and in fact, fleshless. The Lich wore dirty robes over its skeletal form and had a sword in its hand.

    ¡°It looks as if Fexa has finally heard my prayers,¡± it joked, ¡°I asked for new subjects and here they come, as clueless as possible,¡±

    Orion smirked at this, an ice barrier sprouting around him and Kora. Just in time too as hundreds of projectiles barraged into it, chipping at it but failing to break through as the barrier grew thicker. Orion hadn¡¯t moved from the start ¨C he simply commanded the ice now.

    ¡°Oh my, forgive my theatrical side,¡± the Lich said, its ribcage heaving up and down as it faux laughed. ¡°If I¡¯m right, I spy with my eyes a young Zakari, and, a Vampire? What is this beast you command, young Zakari?¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The ice barriers shattered, and Kora sprinted, leaping to strike at the Lich. However, she rebounded of a golden barrier before she could snap the Lich¡¯s bones. There were crack-marks across the barrier but the Lich seemed unconcerned as it pointed at Kora. Toxic liquid sprayed at where she stood and it followed her as she ran, never quite hitting her as she moved faster.

    Meanwhile, Orion yawned and looked around the cavern. He noted several skeletons and other ghastly Frankenstein monsters in the corner, sneaking through a sapphire pool towards them. It seemed the Lich had wanted to swiftly deal with them through the projectile trap, and if that didn¡¯t work, through its creations sneaking up on them while they were distracted by its barrier.

    He lifted his left hand at them, it vibrating as he focused on the skeletons. The one he had in his sight began to tremble, then dropped into the water, splashing loudly and ruining any chance of sneaking up on Kora. The Lich and Kora turned just in time to see the skeleton explode, bone shards shooting across the cavern.

    ¡°GET OFF THEM, ZAKARI!¡± the Lich roared.

    Orion had no clue what the monster expected from such a request but he carried on anyway, slowly exploding its creations even as the Lich ordered them to sprint and kill him. When they got too close for comfort, he made the surface under them into ice, several spears sprouting from the ground. His ice had gotten much tougher than before his Awakening and it showed as the spears trapped the creations to the spot. While a few managed to wriggle out, he no longer cared as he turned to the Lich.

    The Lich had been bombarding him with spells and curses all the while dancing with Kora, only to fail each time as his ice barrier blocked any attempts at his life. Bending down, Orion placed his left hand on the ground and focused, feeling the earth¡¯s pulse wash over him. He pinpointed the Lich¡¯s position and released waves towards the area, the ground around the Lich rapidly rising until it swallowed him, momentarily trapping him.

    Taking a deep breath, Orion created several ice spears that shot towards the Lich. Each of them deepened the cracks Kora had made until one broke through, piercing through the Lich¡¯s bones. As the monster rushed to restore the barrier, more and more spears flew in, quickly toppling the Lich into a pile of bones.

    Orion shook his head in disbelief while wiping the sheen of sweat off his forehead. ¡°Just magic ¨C I¡¯m surprised I actually did it,¡±

    Kora walked up to the pile of bones and crushed the glowing core under her feet, sending the Lich to his second grave. ¡°You got lucky it was such a bonehead,¡±

    He chuckled, then felt bad about laughing over such an easy shot. ¡°You¡¯re just jealous I did him in,¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even use my skills,¡± Kora said, ¡°Besides, it¡¯d have been different if he had blood,¡±

    ¡°Pfft, sure sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night,¡± he said.

    For some inconceivable reason, she didn¡¯t find this funny as she threw the Lich¡¯s skull at his face.

    He barely dodged this strike at his life. ¡°Stop desecrating the dead and sweep up his core,¡±

    ****

    Smith inspected the shards dumped on his table. ¡°Well, I guess you two really are monsters now,¡± he eventually said, digging in his drawers until he came out with two golden badges.

    The golden badges had the number 5 engraved on them and a button on top. When the button was pressed, they let out lightworks showing the Seeker¡¯s logo, the silhouette holding a sword. 5-star Seekers weren¡¯t the sort to lose their badges and considering the other guilds couldn¡¯t craft them, it made them effective identification.

    ¡°Are you two going to try a 6-star contract now?¡± Smith asked.

    Orion looked at Kora. ¡°Naa, I don¡¯t see any reason to. I¡¯m thinking of splurging all the money I¡¯ve made on some quality stuff, then leaving for Edge¡¯s End,¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°Good kids. I better see you two go for 6-star and 7-star eventually though. Maybe one of yous will also be the first 8-star in a century,¡± Smith said.

    They talked for a few more minutes, before the eye-patched Seeker shooed the trio off.

    Downstairs, Orion took half the money he had in his account from Maya, got back at her for all the times she had teased him, then left the building with Kora and Joiroa. It was while walking across Hexham¡¯s road they spotted a thin and tall man seemingly waiting for them. He walked up to them and faced Orion.

    ¡°Are you Jax Whyte, sir?¡±

    ¡°What of it?¡± he replied.

    ¡°My Madame would like a word with you¡­¡±

    <hr>

 44. Setting up guilt

    <hr>

    ¡°Madame Rischei?¡± Orion asked, curious what such a problematic big-wig would want with him.

    ¡°The same,¡± the thin man replied.

    ¡°Did she also ask for a certain female Seeker by the name of Kora?¡± asked Kora.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t,¡± the thin man said.

    ¡°Right,¡± Orion glanced over Kora and Joiroa and nodded at them. ¡°Lead the way,¡±

    ****

    Lying with his feet up, Orion waited as the serving maid dropped plums the size of berries into his mouth. In truth, he wasn¡¯t sure whether to call her a maid, after all, she wore a translucent veil over her torso, her full-figured breasts in clear view. She wore a cloudy short-skirt and dark leggings. The rest of her body was bare to see, her skin smooth and tanned.

    The thin man had led Orion to this most reputable building, which was obviously a brothel, and obviously a deliberately chosen location. He had passed by many a girl and man on his way up to the top floor, multiple naked girls teasing him along the way and even some who had just finished pleasuring their customer.

    Even now while sitting on the recliner sofa, he could tell the maid was teasing him, at times accidentally hiking up her skirt and once even swallowing a plum in the most peculiar way he had ever seen. Still, he would be lying if he said it didn¡¯t arouse him, and he knew just as well as her that he had pitched a tent in his trousers. Yet she ignored it and never went past teasing him ¨C she had been ordered to frustrate him, not pleasure him.

    ¡°Jax, please come in,¡± a honey-like voice called from behind the door. He figured it was Madame Rischei and yet he couldn¡¯t make any sense of it as he remembered her voice to be artificially sweet, not this alluring.

    The serving maid smiled and helped him up, accidentally loosening her veil and skirt, her goods in clear sight. She sweetly smiled as if it was off no matter while he frowned at her actions, simultaneously feeling his bulge growing.

    Walking through the door, he was relieved to see the Madame wasn¡¯t in similar attire. She was dainty and wore a dark jacket and skirt pair. She wore makeup on her face but even that couldn¡¯t hide her age.

    ¡°Take a seat,¡± she said. She sat on a chair with another in front. The room had sunlight beaming through the window and a bookshelf to the side and portraits on the wall, but was otherwise bare.

    Seating himself, Orion didn¡¯t try to hide his boner. He knew her eyes had already taken a full inventory of his body and had planned everything from the start.

    ¡°Oh my, you look uncomfortable. You could relieve yourself with one of my girls, you know? Any of my girls,¡±

    He shook his head, forcing his face into a passive expression.

    She smiled in response as if already seeing through his tactic. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re wondering why I called you here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s about time you told me,¡± Orion said, biting harder than he meant to.

    ¡°Calm, Tiger. Prematurity is never a good sign in my industry,¡± she said.

    ¡°I insist,¡± he replied, realising his boner wasn¡¯t going down even as his anger flared up. Had she laced the plums with something? Should he have been more careful?Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t deny such a forceful man. It¡¯s simple, a business deal. See, I want to know what¡¯s happening at the Seeker¡¯s Summit,¡± she said.

    ¡°Can¡¯t help you,¡±

    ¡°Wait, you haven¡¯t heard what you get in return yet,¡± she continued, ¡°I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve been wanting to enter the Seeker¡¯s Summit from a source. I can help you get in, as long as you help me get the information out,¡±

    Realising she was being serious, Orion calmed. It seemed he had the upper hand after all. ¡°Oh, how would you do that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got my ways,¡± she said, sensually winking.

    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± he said, getting up, ¡°because I¡¯ve got my ways as well. Maybe I¡¯ll see you there,¡± He walked away and through the door, rushing out of the brothel.

    In wake of his actions, she sat there, her smile still plastered across her face. She had heard he was a young gun shooting up the Seeker¡¯s ranks and had wanted to bring him in early, but it seemed he was out of her hands. As much as she had wanted to stand up and coax him back when he had stood, she had guessed something was wrong when he said he had another way in.

    Apart from her method, the only other way in was to be a 5-star Seeker. And if that was true, alongside the outdated information she had received about him, it suggested a dangerous character beyond control. Sometimes they were more trouble than their worth¡­

    ****

    Passing through the streets towards The Fat Munch, Orion confirmed she had fed him an aphrodisiac. He still felt horny and he still had a hard-on, despite it being minutes since he had left. It made him feel emotional, and surprisingly, or perhaps not, the first person he thought of was Kora.

    Arriving at the inn, he paced up the stairs and knocked on her door. She opened the door wearing a thin robe, clearly come from a shower. If it hadn¡¯t been for the rigorous training he¡¯d overcome during his Awakening, he would have completely succumbed to his burning urge. It felt like a yearning now.

    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked, worried about his red eyes and his flushed skin. Looking down, she noticed his dick.

    He pushed her in and kissed her, taking her off guard. After a few seconds, he began tearing his clothes off, sweat dripping down.

    She stumbled to the side and chuckled. Putting two and two together, she guessed what had happened with Madame Rischei for him to end up like this. She had been waiting for him to make a move in forever, but she hadn¡¯t expected it like this. And she definitely wasn¡¯t going to let him get dominate her.

    Slipping out of her robe while he flustered over his clothes, she pushed him onto her bed, licking her lips. Technically, if he was going to get naughty with her, surely she was allowed to get naughty as well¡­

    ****

    He woke up hours later, the dusk sun burning across his skin. Kora lay on his arm, nestled across his chest. Pushing up, he realised he didn¡¯t have the strength as he toppled back down. She brushed her hazel hair onto him but otherwise didn¡¯t wake.

    Peering down his body, he noticed several bite marks across his skin. They didn¡¯t hurt much, but he was still alarmed by the number, turning to the beast of a woman lying beside him. He gulped, realising she must have gotten intoxicated at some point and gone mad, and he must have been defenceless considering how he couldn¡¯t even remember anything past stumbling into her room.

    ¡°Shit, shit, shit,¡± he said, trying to getting up.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad,¡± she replied, breaking out of her act.

    ¡°What the fuck do you mean it¡¯s not that bad?! You¡¯ve drunk me to death,¡±

    ¡°Mmm, but considering the fact that you ploughed me to death, I feel it¡¯s a fair deal,¡± she said.

    He gulped and felt his anger fall, instead looking at her tanned body in the sunlight. He quickly spotted signs that she might be right.

    ¡°Fuck, I¡¯m sorry. That bitch whore laced the food there,¡± he eventually said, feeling regret at what he had done and at the fact that he didn¡¯t remember any of it.

    ¡°That¡¯s alright, I had my fair share of fun as well. I¡¯m surprised though you didn¡¯t splurge all over the ladies there though. It is a brothel house, you know? Do you know what they do in brothels?¡± she said.

    He rolled his eyes, finally finding the strength to move his body. ¡°She wanted me to use me. No way I was going to let that happen,¡±

    Just as he was about to get out bed, she lunged forward and kissed him, this time taking his breath away. While he didn¡¯t feel at all ready for round 2, he realised a bit more time snuggling with her wouldn¡¯t be all bad.

    <hr>

 45. Seekers Summit

    <hr>

    Orion walked through the slums of Visgamar, experiencing a sharp pang inside his heart as he surveyed the damage surrounding him. The slums were now a dead town, life as rare and sparse as in the Arctic wastelands. Of course, there were still people around but these were just hopeless zombies, going about their daily lives because there were no alternatives.

    Kora followed him, her expression much brighter than before. She had drunk a lot of Orion¡¯s blood, and while it had only put her into euphoria for a little while, the dulled effect still lasted now, a day later, though much weaker.

    While Orion felt glum, she found the situation funny. The first time they had come to this part of the city, they had been wary and careful. Now, they walked like beasts among men, her more than him. Still, she wore a pensive expression on the outside in respect for his emotions. In truth, it surprised her Orion was so emotional considering the reputation the Zakari had, but then again, he had proved himself to be an ugly duckling already.

    They navigated their way through, soon reaching the fort the Sticky Fingers had held. Sensing no watchers, Orion gulped, fearing for the worst. Walking forwards, his fears became a reality as he faced an abandoned fort instead of one with life. He searched for clues, anything that could tell him what had happened, and yet the Gods above seemed to bar him from even this joy.

    Spiritless, he eventually gave up, Kora comforting him with a hug.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we check Old Joe or Nanlong?¡± she asked.

    Despite being devoid of hope, he followed her suggestions, first going to Old Joe¡¯s. When they got to the old home, they could see from the outside Old Joe wasn¡¯t in - the windows were trashed and the door was knocked down. Considering the connection he had with Grima, it was entirely possible he had also shared the identity. Most likely, he had escaped the city after they had massacred the elusive group.

    Heading to Nanlong¡¯s mercenaries¡¯ base, Orion finally felt a sprout of hope as he saw the base still had signs of life about it. The mercenaries recognised the duo at a glance and led them in, towards Nanlong, the large man smoking a sickeningly sweet joint. He was slow in his reactions, only turning around after several seconds, his eyes dazed over.

    ¡°J-Jax?¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Orion replied.

    Nanlong paused, suddenly smiling. ¡°Ahh, I b-bet you¡¯re here about that d-dumb kid, I mean dumb g-gang,¡±

    The silence was all the response the large man needed.

    ¡°It happened too quickly, nothing none of us could have done. The w-whore¡¯s gangs cleaned up, and course the Sticky Fingers was a target¡­ They got baited and d-done in, then and there. The surviving few left their base,¡±

    ¡°What about Thimble?¡± Orion asked.

    Nanlong took a second to process the question. He merely shook his head.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    After a pause, Nanlong offered his pipe. ¡°Want a smoke? T-takes your mind off¡­ shit,¡±

    ¡°No thanks,¡±

    Orion talked for a few more minutes before leaving.

    Over the next few days, he spent his time splurging his money on equipment and items for the trip. Soon after, the two left with Joiroa for Edge¡¯s End.

    ****

    Shielding his face with his hood, Orion surveyed the land. Edge¡¯s End was at the edge of the Empire, on its northern front. Due to how close it was to the Arctic wastelands that followed, it meant the land was consistently harsh and cold. Orion could handle the cold, but the ice flakes which swirled around and tried their hardest to jab his eyes in strong winds were another matter altogether.

    He led his horse, with Kora following with hers. Joiroa had step up camp several miles behind, aware he wouldn¡¯t be allowed into the Seeker¡¯s Summit. The ground crunched under their steps, its colour a bleary grey. Far in the sky, hidden by cloaks of mist was the sun, a small orb barely lighting up Edge¡¯s End. It had been three months since they had become 5-stars Seekers; while the trip had been planned to be two months long, complications with bandits along the way had put them off track.

    With the Pirosian Empire crumbling, soldiers who had previously served the Empire with pride now returned home to find nothing. In bitterness and due to no better options available, most of them had turned to banditry, robbing the few still lucky to thrive in the Empire.

    Either way, they were here now and that was what mattered to Orion. His heart was pounding, and his eyes were searching the countless wooden cabins below for Kasib. Hoping for Kasib. If he had learned anything from the Seeker¡¯s line of work, it was that when undertaking an 8-star contract, there was a massive chance of no return.

    Making their way down the mountain range, they came upon the clearing where the Seekers had set up. Beyond this was the Passing sea, the icy waters like blades against the skin. As they entered the clearing, a light-footed woman skipped their way, checking their identities with scrutiny. When convinced they were who they claimed to be, they were let in and allowed to choose one of the remaining lodges. They were also told the summit all the Seekers had gathered for was tonight.

    After a short rest, Orion made his way to the sea, sitting by the coast for a time with his legs dipped in the water. The Passing sea continued to the west, separating the Zakari¡¯s land from the Arctic wastelands. The further you swam across it, the thicker and colder and calmer the waters got until they morphed into sheets of ice you could walk across. It reminded him of fond memories, of the time when his family had been around him, of when he had a protective shield against the world.

    Looking into the horizon, he wondered if he had gotten stronger than his dad. Seconds later, he shook his head with a deprecating smile. While he had exploded in terms of strength in the past year, he was still a distance from his dad and his uncle. They had been true monsters, and they had been the foundations of the House. Somehow, they had also fallen¡­

    Eventually calming like the waves around his feet, he got up and left for his lodge. Inside, he had fun with Kora, coming out a few hours later as he glimpsed the sun¡¯s final spurts of light before the night. Leaving with her, they joined a large circle of Seekers crowded around seemingly nothing, just a blank arena several metres in diameter. A few minutes later, a platform had been hoisted into the centre and Orion could sense the Seekers around growing impatient, not so much with irritation as with anxiety. Personally, he didn¡¯t care and was just searching for Kasib.

    Half an hour later, around a hundred Seekers had joined the circle. During this time, he had spotted and waved at Smith and Maya, although Kasib was still out of sight. It was at this time he saw the crowd part for two men he knew well: Jowler and Leo.

    Taking to the podium, Jowler took in the scene, breathing in the same chilled air as his brothers and sisters around.

    ¡°We have a problem,¡± he said, his voice powerful, his message resounding through the clearing, ¡°It goes by the name of Yhaoli,¡±

    <hr>

 46. The Final Journey

    <hr>

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all seen the recent surge in contracts; monsters are now systemically attacking our settlements, razing villages and sometimes even towns. From all the information that¡¯s been gathered, I am now without doubt there is a figure organising this, and that it is the beast known as Yhaoli. We¡¯ve lost tens of our brothers and sisters to this monster¡¯s games, each more precious than the last, and I will not allow the last bastion of humanity to crumble like this,¡± Jowler bellowed.

    Magic had been used to create a sound bubble around the clearing, restricting the words to the Seekers. These words echoed, the cold fury within Jowler¡¯s speech resounding through the Seekers¡¯ minds.

    ¡°But this is old news to me, and to you too, I hope. When we had our suspicions last year, Kasib was sent to the Arctic wastelands to slay it before it did any damage. Though it must have heard of his mission somehow as while he chased it north, it came south into the Empire.¡±

    Orion frowned at this. While he had known Kasib had been staying at the Zakari House to chase a monster in the north, he hadn¡¯t known it to be the infamous one shaking the Empire.

    ¡°But we don¡¯t know where exactly,¡± Jowler continued, ¡°Nor do we know many details about it. The only detail I¡¯m certain about is that it¡¯s dangerously strong; we all know the races of monsters can¡¯t be charmed to work together ¨C it¡¯s impossible. But all of them respect strength, and since they now work united, their figurehead must be beyond any measure of strength.¡±

    As the fat Seeker continued listing other details Yhaoli was rumoured to have, Orion felt a loose clasp across his shoulder. Turning around, he saw a bald man his size with piercing brown eyes, the sort that could see right through his soul. He stared at the man slack-jawed.

    The man gestured him to follow, and so Orion did without so much as a question. But, just as he was about to leave the circle, Kora caught his hand, her expression perplexed. In response, he shook her hand off and walked away. She looked to Jowler, then to Orion, before hastily following the Zakari as he followed the bald man.

    They walked out of the clearing and a distance away, the bald man picking up a glubber¡¯s lamp along the way, shielding them from the darkness. When they stopped, the bald man placed the lamp on the ground and rubbed his deeply calloused hands together. He observed the two younger Seekers in front of him, the male obviously with his heart in his mouth and the female catching his eye and glaring back.

    ¡°When Jowler told me he had trained an exceptional Zakari, never did I think to be you, Orion,¡± the bald man joked, visibly releasing tension between them.

    ¡°Kasib, I¡­,¡±

    Kasib calmly watched Orion stumble over his words. He wore a plain shirt, trousers, and boots. An orange robe fluttered over his shirt. His visible skin was riddled with scars, but still it was his eyes that demanded the most attention. They were bright and intelligent, but simultaneously sharp and wild.

    ¡°I only heard about what happened to Reion and the rest of your family last month,¡± Kasib said, his aura taking a dejected turn. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be of help,¡±

    At this Orion broke into tears, falling to his knees as he released the grief locked up in his heart. Even as he tried to regain his composure, tears kept gushing out until he gave into his grief, softly sobbing.

    Kasib kneeled down and hugged the young Zakari, his hold soft and warm. Kora watched from the sidelines, unable to put any of her thoughts into words or action. This was the man Orion had been chasing; this was the man who hunted Yhaoli; this was one of the strongest Seekers ever to have existed.

    When the sobs eventually dried up, the bald Seeker helped Orion to his feet.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot, and I know Reion would be proud if he could see how far you¡¯ve come. Still, even if I had been in the Empire at the time, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop the massacre,¡±

    ¡°B-but you¡¯re¡­¡± Orion struggled to say, shocked at what Kasib had just admitted.

    ¡°I feared as much. How much do you know about the massacre?¡± Kasib asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It just happened, and I escaped. I don¡¯t know anything else. I was looking for you to figure out what had happened,¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Kasib sighed, taking a step to the side, gazing into the skies. ¡°Have you heard of your cousin Eira? The one that entered the Imperial Army?¡±

    Orion nodded.

    ¡°Since Reion doesn¡¯t care for the Imperial Army at all, I guess he didn¡¯t tell you her rank. She¡¯s a general, one of the 3 across the Empire. But I¡¯m sure Reion has told you of her strength, I¡¯m sure your whole family has, after all, you Zakari¡¯s respect strength too much.¡±

    Orion nodded again, suddenly realising he didn¡¯t want to hear whatever Kasib wanted to say next. Yet he needed to: his soul burned with anticipation.

    ¡°Eira led her army from the south of the Empire towards the west, towards your House. She then massacred your family,¡±

    This dazed Orion as he fell, stumbling backwards with his arms. ¡°What?! WHY?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kasib admitted. ¡°I guess the only one who truly knows is her. Considering the fact the Piros didn¡¯t, and still haven¡¯t, punished her for the turmoil she brought to the Empire means they must have been desperate,¡±

    Thinking back, Orion finally realised how his family had been ambushed in the tunnel while escaping. Of course they had been, Eira had probably ordered soldiers into the secret passages around the House. And it made sense how they had been so taken off guard if it was Eira, after all, while he had never met her, he had heard enough about her to have a coherent picture. Exceptionally talented, frighteningly strong, and cunning.

    But if she had planned everything so well, how had he escaped? Why hadn¡¯t the person who had rescued him ever come back? How had they escaped from Eira¡¯s army in the first place? He briefly considered her rescuing him and placing him in Visgamar, before dropping the thought. If she was bloodthirsty enough to murder her own blood, her own father and mother, then she would have zero problems with decapitating a cousin she had never met.

    But then why had she attacked in the first place? Orion had wanted to take revenge, and he still did, but this was alike a strike to his head, muddling his thoughts and emotions. He had to know why she had massacred her own family!

    ¡°Even if I had wanted to help,¡± Kasib continued, ¡°I¡¯m only enough to match her, not her and the legions at her beck and call. And that was in the past. If Reion and Regnar fell to her, then she has exceeded me. Either way, I¡¯m sorry for being useless, Orion,¡±

    ¡°I need to know, where the fuck is she?¡± Orion roared.

    This shocked Kora backwards but Kasib didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°She¡¯s in your family¡¯s lands; she¡¯s the general stationed at the western front, against the tribes,¡±

    ¡°I need to go, I need to go now!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Kasib said, his words pushing Orion to the ground. ¡°You need to take into account the monster she is; she used to be stationed in the south against the Horsemen, so she¡¯s on good terms with the Metole and as proof, they¡¯ve gone to support her at the frontlines. The Piros allow her to run wild and topple their own Empire without punishing her, and the Cruorems fear her, and the Zakari fell to her blade. If you¡¯re going to charge at her mindlessly, I might as well cut you down now. At least then you¡¯ll see the rest of your family faster,¡±

    Orion smashed his fists against the ground but Kasib paid no heed, calmly pacing around. ¡°Right now, Jowler is telling the others that Yhaoli is likely in the south, urging the Horsemen to invade. That means I won¡¯t be able to help you as I still have a monster to cut down. Still, there¡¯s a chance this is another diversion and it¡¯s actually in the west, helping the tribes. That means you¡¯ve got a chance of running into it, and I don¡¯t know who¡¯s stronger, Eira or Yhaoli, and I definitely wouldn¡¯t want to see the aftermath of a battle like that. Either way, there¡¯s a chance you¡¯ll be against both if you go west. And while Jowler is sending half the Seekers south and half west, none of them can help you against the foes you¡¯ve chosen, so you¡¯re on your own. Now, do you still want to go?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes fucking yes,¡± Orion roared.

    ¡°Just like Reion,¡± Kasib murmured. ¡°Then go and pack up, you¡¯ve got no more reason staying here,¡±

    Orion took this as gospel, leaving for the clearing. Just as Kora was about to follow, Kasib stopped her.

    ¡°Bian, I¡¯ve heard of you as well,¡±

    This froze her.

    ¡°Caleb wants you back, and he is also against Yhaoli. In a different situation, I can see him allying with Orion but not in this one. While Yhaoli is likely south, I selfishly ask you follow Orion to the west. Neither of you will survive in the west but at least you have a fighting chance together,¡±

    She nodded wordlessly.

    ¡°Also, you should be careful. Since we know about you now, so will your family. They will have sent someone to fetch you back now, so keep an eye on your back. If you two group up, you¡¯ll be able to fight back anyone but Caleb, but it¡¯s up to you if you want to fight your family in the first place. It can lead to some¡­ disastrous results,¡± Kasib said, pausing in thought. ¡°Either way, you should chase him down before he leaves without you. I hope you two the best,¡±

    Kora sprinted off immediately. The bald Seeker deeply unsettled her, especially the insight he held, almost as if he had read her thoughts.

    Kasib, on the other hand, watched her fleeing figure, sighing. He had once been in that youthful position, surrounded by strong friends and enemies who now occupied the uppermost tier of the world. But now they were all dropping like flies, and he feared his time wasn¡¯t for much longer now.

    <hr>

 47. Silence

    <hr>

    Orion awoke with a jolt, kicking the footboard rail of the bed he lay on. Upon calming and realising what he had just seen was a nightmare, he sighed and settled back into his blanket, its rough fabric scratching against his skin. Bleary light shone through a window, brightening the room. It was decorated plainly with at least a few years since its last lick of paint.

    Kora lay beside him, her caramel-brown hair splayed across the mattress. When he eventually stirred, he didn¡¯t wake her and instead slipped out to the kitchen to put together breakfast. Minutes later, when she came over, he finished up and ate in relative quiet.

    ¡°How was your night today then?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Same old, same old,¡± he grumbled between a bite.

    ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t hear anything!¡±

    ¡°You slept like a log; of course you heard nothing,¡±

    She giggled while his lips curled and his eyes gleamed.

    It had been four months since the Seeker¡¯s Summit, and they were now in Yupker, a city a month or so east of the Zakari House¡¯s ruins. Their journey to the west had been relatively calm: they had been ambushed by bandits more than once, but these fights had been alike ants against giants, the outcome always soul-crushingly obvious.

    While the frontlines of the war had begun at the far end of the Zakari¡¯s former domain, the Tribes had edged into the Empire bit by bit. There was even a popular rumour in the city that Eira had willingly given away the land, the given reason being she had wanted to create a wide buffer between the Tribes and the Empire. Regardless of the validity of the rumour, this was exactly what she had done as she had ordered her soldiers to poison the wells and salt the ground when retreating.

    This meant two things: one, the Tribes wouldn¡¯t be able to set up any sustainable camps in the territory they captured, which meant for every metre they captured, they would need to transport their resources a metre more. While this seemed a self-evident point, it was also awfully effective as the Tribes¡¯ invasion had lost vigour after several hundred kilometres into the Empire as it got harder and harder for the baggage trains to arrive on time, and sometimes even arrive at all. Second: Eira had no plans of repurposing the Zakari lands into the Empire, after all, even if they did retake the ground they had lost, no man nor beast would be able to survive on poisoned land.

    Either way, this had resulted in Yupker, a city nestled deep in the Empire, becoming right next to the frontlines. Moreover, the dung pile of a war had attracted thousands of flies to the city, the sort that leeched off the local populace while also sustaining the war effort. These went from prostitutes to scavengers to scholars to beggars to medical men, all gathered at the frontlines for one reason or another.

    When Orion, Joiroa, and Kora had arrived at Yupker, things had taken another turn for the worse. Despite Joiroa¡¯s claim that it would take Shrien and his gang a year to make the portal, Shrien had instead decided to one-up that estimate and do it in less than half the time. Following this, waves of foreigners had entered the Empire, eager to pillage and plunder.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    The House of Piros had reacted quick, immediately rebasing their family from the capital, Petrosa, to the east, taking to the frontlines there. Due to this, the Cruorems had also been forced into the mess, half of them ordered to go south and stop the Horsemen while the other half ordered to fight against the Tribes in the west.

    While these were all grand and daunting events, none of them had particularly personally affected Orion. Joiroa had left for the east ever since entering Yupker and hearing the news, and while Orion had argued for the man to stay, he had also instinctively known he had too much on his mind to truly care about Joiroa. Maybe in the future once he dealt with Eira and Yhaoli, but not now, not while his blood still roared for revenge.

    As Orion mused over the events that had happened, so did Kora, only focusing on a different matter altogether. Over the course of the journey, in fact ever since Kasib had named Eira to be the murderer, Orion¡¯s core values had changed. He had grown power-hungry and the rate he had gained power over the trip frightened Kora. Well, not so much his power leaps as much as his mentality; she had always known him to be chasing after the Zakari¡¯s executioner but now that he was so close, he seemed addicted to the sweetness of revenge.

    A series of knocks sounded on their door as they finished up. ¡°Hello? Orion? Bian?¡± a muffled voice called.

    Opening, Orion saw Kasib, quickly leading him in. The bald Seeker now looked haggard and his clothes were dirty and torn.

    Kasib heavily breathed out while resting on a chair. ¡°How long have you been here?¡±

    ¡°A month or so. We¡¯ve just been gaining a better picture of the area and its happenings,¡± Kora said.

    ¡°And you didn¡¯t run into it? Yhaoli?¡± Kasib said, calming a little.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It was a trick, another diversion. It¡¯s here in the west, hiding somewhere here. I hurried as fast as I could but it seems no one has an exact clue of its location,¡± Kasib said. ¡°But worst is what I just heard,¡± he continued, ¡°They say it¡¯s joined forces with the Tribes,¡±

    A tense silence washed over the trio.

    ¡°With the Tribes? I thought they hated monsters, looked down on them like animals?¡± Kora asked.

    ¡°No, they do. But the three biggest tribes, the Cuthla, Zyn, and Sole, the ones driving this invasion are showing suspicions signs. Jowler says the large meetings they¡¯re having and the sudden peace right now are temporary,¡± Kasib explained.

    ¡°Mm, that makes sense,¡± Orion said, ¡°Eira has around 5 thousand troops here, you know, Kasib? But in the city, all signs are pointing towards her other forces across the frontlines taking the risk to leave their defences and charge here,¡± he said while glancing at Kora.

    She nodded. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s been a lot more baggage trains moving to the war camps in the last week. We thought she was planning an ambitious attack, but if Yhaoli has teamed up with the Tribes, it sounds more like a¡ª¡±

    ¡°Risky defence. A desperate one,¡± Kasib ended.

    ¡°Mm, I¡¯ve heard all the Metoles have come here now, and maybe it¡¯s true now,¡± Orion said.

    The other two nodded.

    Following this, the tense silence between them returned. It was only seconds later Orion realised he was getting tense over nothing. Sure, if Yhaoli really had teamed up with the Tribes, then it meant all hell was about to break loose, including the possibility of the Imperial army being decimated. Still, this gave him the chance he had been waiting for the entire month: the opportunity to kill Eira.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the markets, buy as many supplies, then leave for the warcamps. Yeah?¡± he said.

    Kasib stared at the younger Seeker, considering the possibilities of what could happen, before nodding with a heavy heart. He guessed this was it.

    <hr>

 48. War

    <hr>

    It was tense, as if an electric bolt had zapped through the area. Limbs moved in laboured, stiff manners, breaths came out strained and as thorny clouds, and eyes jerked from side to side, every person on edge. The thick coal clouds of war had drifted above the war camps, and the fierce bullets they rained onto the ground below drenched spirits and souls as much as hair and boots.

    The trio of Seekers stood in the Merchant¡¯s circle, as it was called, although the messy formation of tents was far from that of a circle. Merchant¡¯s circle was a leech on the warcamps and the only other camp allowed so near it. While there was an identification check at its gates, this wasn¡¯t rigorous and the three Seekers had been allowed in without a second glance.

    The trio spent a good deal of time walking around, not searching for anything in particular but taking in the mood, the stiffness of the air. After this, they left with haste, hiking up to the Black forest a few kilometres away from Yupker. Despite being infested by men of different factions, the trio easily sneaked past their notices, progressing deep into the forest while looking for a post high and hidden enough to scour the lands below.

    The trees in the forest were large and alive, yet they didn¡¯t seem such as they were all shades of rotten-black and had few leaves on their sickly branches. The foliage that grew around them were similarly dull in colour, making the landscape dark and bleary, instantly giving chills to anyone that entered. In the past, it had used to be a hotspot for particularly vile monsters but they had been cleaned up in a large Seeker¡¯s expedition a couple years ago.

    They came upon a massive hollowed tree eventually, obviously a watchtower created by someone else. Regardless, it was in an optimal spot and Orion took the lead slipping into the tree. With his head through the bark, he spotted the sentry, surprisingly a Metole. Luckily, the woman hadn¡¯t seen him spying her, instead, her gaze stuck fast on the plateau below the Black forest. She was perched on a wooden post, looking out through a hole in the bark. She had brown skin and wore light armour over her heavily built frame. Her arms were sculpted and muscular, her body more that of a beast¡¯s than that of a human¡¯s.

    Before Kasib or Kora had a say, Orion acted. He turned his left palm against the wooden post, sending out shockwaves which quickly toppled it. Simultaneously, thick tendrils of ice sprouted out of the ground, heading for the woman. As the post fell, the Metole swiftly reacted, though in shock. She leapt away and spun in mid-air to face her enemies. Unluckily, or luckily, this was all she had time to do as the tendrils wrapped around her limbs, pulling her to the ground with such force she crashed down.

    Despite being dazed and confused, she reacted as any Metole would ¨C through strength. She used Giah with Strengthening, her eyes turning snow-white and her skin sheening over, and cracks spread across the ice tendrils as she tensed and pulled away. It was such terrible strength she upturned the ground as she tore the tendrils off herself, her eyes twisted with fury. As Orion shot more Ice spears at her, she burst from her spot, moving so fast she was in front of the trio in two seconds.

    Well, technically at least. Despite being in front of them, there was a spear of ice jutting out of her stomach. Blood seeped out of her wound as she snarled at the trio, figuring out their identities as more ice pierced her body. She fell in the following seconds.

    ¡°Why did you attack her?!¡± Kora asked, straining herself to not shout in the forest.

    ¡°There was no point in her being alive,¡± he responded.

    ¡°If she had been more than a greenhorn, she would have torn off your head,¡± Kasib said, walking past the corpse to erect another post near the hole in the bark. ¡°Still, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re this strong,¡±

    ¡°If she was more experienced, she would have died in a more gruesome manner. That¡¯s all,¡± Orion said. While he knew his attack was too impulsive, he had lost control over his anger once he had seen it was a Metole, the same people who supported his cousin.

    ¡°Hubris will be the death of you if you don¡¯t learn how to control your impulses. Remember, the Metoles are the physically strongest, fastest, and have the best defence out of all your Houses,¡± Kasib said, Kora immediately agreeing with him.

    ¡°Still, what¡¯s a Metole doing scouting? I thought they were too high up the chain to be doing lowly grunt work like this,¡± she added.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve got normal scouts in the forest as well. It seems they¡¯re taking no chances with an ambush, so I guess we were right. It¡¯s going to happen now,¡± Kasib answered.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Orion nodded, recovering from their scolding. ¡°The atmosphere, the excessive guards and scouts: Eira knows it¡¯s wartime,¡±

    ****

    Several hours had passed since their journey to the Black forest. Below the forest was a large, sweeping plateau with frosted over ground and trampled plants. Close to them in the plateau, they could see the Imperial army hastily setting up formation. Eira had somewhere between 5 thousand and 10 thousand men, all nameless dots from their vantage. In the distance, the trio could see the Tribes marching towards them. Kora estimated the Tribes had roughly 10 thousand men in their army.

    When about a kilometre away, when the trio expected the Tribes to set down their foundation and begin a short stare-off, the Tribes instead began their charge, the nameless dots now a tsunami as it swept towards the Imperial army.

    While there was shaking in the Imperial army¡¯s formation, there weren¡¯t any shocks as the strongest mages stepped forward, these men and women the size of two dots from the Seeker¡¯s vantage. These mages attacked, roaring fireballs crashing into the Tribes in a dreadful manner.

    Still, before they hit, they clashed into an overarching golden barrier over the Tribes and fizzled out into nothing.

    Orion widened his eyes at this. Sustaining something of that size would take at least tens, if not hundreds of mages and even then, it would drain them rapidly. It seemed the Imperial mages knew likewise and as they began shooting the elements with frantic abandon, fire and earth and wind and water barraging the golden barrier, to little effect though.

    Then came tree-sized icicles which battered the golden barrier to a point the ground shook. These were not only effective but apparently effortless as they continued decimating the shield at an exhausting pace, thunder sounding out every few seconds.

    It wasn¡¯t hard for Orion to figure out who was doing this as he found the shining gem on the battlefield. It hurt him to see Eira use Szu with such mastery, her ice sculptures forming so quickly and yet with such strength. Considering the fact she hadn¡¯t set off any earthquakes to annihilate the Tribes¡¯ army, he correctly guessed the Tribes had already set up a countermeasure. Still, they could do little but watch as she tore through their defence, her attacks puncturing through tens at once.

    Then the two sides made contact, the clash both bone-crunching and grief-filled. The sounds of war - of agony and fury and murder - sounded out and continuously echoed without stop as grimy blades turned bloody and as the limbed became limbless and the alive became lifeless. The thrill of war was in the gamble, and thousands of soldiers gambled with their lives as they struck and struck and struck and fell like broken toys.

    While the golden barrier had protected the Tribes for so long, they completely fell after the clash, liberating the men below to the catastrophic elements made by soft-handed mages. Regardless, the Tribes seemed not to care as their own mages turned their eyes towards the Imperial army, the Earth¡¯s means of reckoning used artificially to reap lives by the tens, and sometimes even by the hundreds.

    Orion trembled with anticipation and fear and bloodlust as he watched. Still, he kept his feet in place as he waited for the right moment. His eyes always gravitated back to Eira no matter what happened, always back to the woman of war which dominated the field with ease. He wondered if she had been similar during the Zakari¡¯s reckoning, and he wondered deep inside whether he could kill her.

    He had grown up hearing tales of her strength and cunning, and now finally witnessing them, he bought into why his uncles and dad had praised her so much. At the same time, this brought about heavy pangs in his heart as the old question repeated itself.

    Why had she massacred her own family? She used Szu with such pride and skill that there was no chance she was embarrassed of her heritage, so what was it?

    Kasib watched the scene below in mourning. He knew the danger of monsters first-hand, and so it dug into his flesh to see men do to men what they should be doing to monsters. Even then, he wondered about the missing pieces from both sides. There were few Metoles around Eira, but still only a fraction of their whole Household. So where were the rest? And where was Yhaoli and his band of monsters if not with the Tribes? Had the rumours been false?

    It was as he meditated on these thoughts a deep-throated voice rolled over him, tensing him even to the heart.

    ¡°There you are, little one. Who knew you would wait for me, little one?¡±

    It boomed like thunder and chilled flesh like the coldest and strongest gusts of wind, overwhelming all senses at once. They barely had enough time to react as the hollow tree was uprooted and smashed onto them in a matter of seconds. Orion created an ice barrier around them just in time, and as it shattered and the dust settled, the giant looming above them became clear.

    It was a monster twenty metres tall with bristly fur covering its body. Its arms and legs were the size of buildings and the width of tree trunks. It was heavily muscled and almost looked like a giant human. Obsidian spikes ranged its spine and arms and it had an oversized head for its body, one as large as its chest. This head was constantly twitching and jerking, its crusted lips stretched to reveal colossal teeth dripping out yellow saliva. Despite the seizure its head was under, its eyes were focused and frighteningly arresting.

    Orion felt a hole being bore into his chest under the monster¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°YHAOLI!¡± Kasib roared, a savagery befitting a monster in his voice.

    ¡°Little one,¡± it said, pools of yellow, sticky liquid plummeting out of its mouth.

    <hr>

 49. Monsters and... more monsters

    <hr>

    Yhaoli was about to say something when Kasib disappeared out of sight. The surrounding air advanced onto his limbs, blurring and then devouring them from reality. His eyes were the last to meld into his surroundings, their sharp image yearning blood.

    In the next moment, he appeared beside Yhaoli, striking down onto the giant¡¯s toe despite being unarmed. As his clenched fists neared, the flesh on the monster¡¯s toe rose and fell like choppy waves. The flesh closest to the fists began to disintegrate, revealing ivory bones below, the ashes from it scattering in the wind.

    Yhaoli yelped in shock, smacking Kasib down where he stood. It was too late, however, as Kasib disappeared again. Orion and Kora were pushed back by the gust of wind and smack of dust as the monster¡¯s palm hit parched ground. As they steadied themselves, Kasib came back into reality beside them, coldly glaring up at the monster.

    ¡°Little one, what a bite you have,¡± Yhaoli said, composed despite the chunk of flesh he had lost.

    ¡°There¡¯s much more of that,¡± Kasib replied, disappearing once more.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there is,¡± Yhaoli yelled, breaking into a massive grin. This was enough of a sign for the two younger Seekers to realise something was wrong.

    From the distance sprinted out canines with luminescent coppery-green eyes. Each of their steps dragged up so much dirt they seemed to be leading avalanches. These were Barghests, pack hounds which boasted 7-star ratings. It was also the Barghest¡¯s Elixir Kora had drunk.

    But focusing into the dust following their charge, Orion saw not falling dirt but instead other freak-like monsters. Even as powerful as he was, he felt a heart-wrenching shiver run through his body as he figured where they stood. It seemed Yhaoli truly had teamed up with the Tribes, and it seemed the trio had taken vantage in the monster army¡¯s charge.

    Turning to Kora, he saw her transform. Her jaw extended to her collarbone and three black talons spouted from this flesh. Two arched horns grew from her forehead and curled to her ears, and her nails extended out. Her skin was now dark red and as she opened her mouth to him, he saw a true vampire¡¯s teeth.

    ¡°We fight,¡± she said, half as a question, half as the answer to the question.

    He nodded, and put his hands on the ground, focusing on the spot Yhaoli stood on. The earth exploded out like a fountain and would have toppled the monster had it not just stepped forward, its looming feet crumbling the rising dirt.

    ¡°I know that power, little one. You¡¯re a Zakari,¡± Yhaoli said, just in time too, as Kasib reappeared next to his foot again. Perhaps it was luck or perhaps it was skill, but either way, the monster kicked in anticipation, booting the bald Seeker through the air.

    Kasib fell, rolled over, leapt back to his feet, and stumbled back. He didn¡¯t pay any attention to the oncoming wave of monsters, instead his eyes stuck on Yhaoli.

    ¡°Your family was good,¡± Yhaoli said, stepping forward towards Orion. ¡°Don¡¯t fight for these cretins, fight for me, little one. Serve me as your family wished to, little one,¡±

    Orion shot out several ice spears, cutting through the monster¡¯s flesh. Regardless, he could saw the wounds instantly healing up as he fell back, realising only Kasib¡¯s damage had persisted.

    ¡°So it be, little one, so it be,¡± Yhaoli said, shaking its convulsing head from side to side. Without warning, he ran over the Seekers and towards the plateau, seemingly bored with them.

    While Kasib immediately followed him through his unique method of transportation, Orion and Kora were left to face the oncoming wave of monsters, especially the Barghests which were metres away. They were large and muscular canines, each of them as tall as humans with matt-black fur coats. Suddenly, they quickened, their steps becoming blurry as they sprinted at frightening speeds, saliva slobbering forward.

    Orion had already used Giah, so his eyes were moonlit-white. While this gave him a wealth of energy, what it didn¡¯t give him was unlimited energy. Due to this, he had been using Szu on the simpler and easier side, not overcomplicating any of his spells as he needed to save his energy for Eira.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Luckily Kora didn¡¯t share this issue as Cruorems could burn blood to gain energy. While blood from the other Houses were the most efficient and bountiful, quality meant for little with the sheer quantity of enemies she would soon be draining. And as she had drunk the Barghest¡¯s Elixir, it meant she shared the attribute that made them overpowering: their speed.

    She shot from her spot and became a blur, her claws striking down so fast the Barghest simply didn¡¯t know what hit it even as its head rolled off. Blood rushed out of the corpse and spread towards the other monsters, slicing flesh and releasing more blood as ammunition.

    Orion created an ice shield around himself and sprouted tens of ice spikes in the surrounding ground. One Barghest was going too fast to stop as one second it was charging at him like a bull, and in the next its lower body was skewered through several spikes and its sliced off upper half was flung into the distance. While these monsters had extraordinary defences, it meant nothing against Orion due to how strong he was.

    In the distance, he could hear screams and roars, some from beasts and others from men. From the sheer amount of war cries he heard, he figured out where the majority of the Metoles had been. Eira must have known in advance that Yhaoli would come through the Black forest, or at least gambled so, as she had posted them here.

    Even though the various monsters thronging their surroundings posed little threat to them, they did restrict their movement. Sure, Kora could stop her bloodbath and sprint out of the Black forest due to how fast she was, but that would mean leaving Orion behind. What he had gained from the Djinn¡¯s Elixir was pure control. Before, he was forced to be in contact to discharge shockwaves and create ice sculptures one by one, but now he could do both from a distance, though the effectiveness increased if he was closer.

    Still, none of this helped his chances of escaping the Black forest to the plateau due to the remaining Barghests slowly breaking through his defences, and he really needed to get there considering this was the optimal moment. If Yhaoli was against Eira, as he hoped, then the clash of the titans would be his perfect opportunity.

    Shouting out to Kora, he created a large ice barrier around her. Immediately after, he focused his mind and felt power surging through his body. Horse-sized icicles formed around him, hurtling out in all directions when they cracked, the smaller shards blasting into monsters and trees alike. He maintained this spell for a few seconds, after which he sprinted towards the plateau, Kora calmly following. The area they had been in was now a no-man''s-land, ice and blood and corpses and felled trees piled over the ground.

    They made it to the end of the Black forest without major complications and slid down the precarious cliffs towards the plateau. The battlefield had changed a lot since their last view from the vantage minutes before as there was now a third player.

    Yhaoli dominated the war in terms of size and significance, and in terms of number of kills. The obsidians spikes across its arms gored through several soldiers at once as it continued to rush into their formation. Following Yhaoli was the monster army, various species running down humans like ragdolls. While the Tribes were largely exempt from these deathcharges, clumps of monsters attacked clumps of tribesmen, providing insight the two armies weren¡¯t as close as rumours suggested.

    Eira was still the gem, the sweetheart, and the king of the battlefield though, because as Yhaoli broke into her army and attempted to chase her, she had massacred her way to the Tribes¡¯ main unit alongside a team of Metoles. It was obvious while the Tribes had every chance of winning this all-important war, they had a similar chance of losing all their war leaders.

    Orion mused on this, feeling no joy or anger at Eira¡¯s actions, after all, the Tribes were an old enemy of the Zakari and Eira was an unforgivable one. Then, he spotted Kasib. Despite being so close to his target when in the Black forest, the bald Seeker was now hundreds of metres away from Yhaoli. It was obvious all monsters had been ordered to hold him down, and this turned out to be effective as the bald Seeker couldn¡¯t teleport tens of metres away without another monster baring their fangs at him.

    It was as the two Seekers entered the war and made quick progress towards Eira that Yhaoli¡¯s booming voice momentarily stopped the war.

    ¡°KILL THEM! DO NOT ALLOW THEM IN HERE!¡±

    Looking to where the giant pointed, men and monsters alike spotted pale, red-tinted, pure red, winged, wingless, large, small, and all types of figures. The one person who tied the whole group together was an average-sized person with hair the colour of thick smoke. He had crimson skin and three black talons across his extended jaw as long as the horns on his forehead. Despite not being intimidatingly muscular, his aura made his status obvious.

    ¡°Father,¡± Kora murmured under her breath. She knew Caleb had seen her and yet her father didn¡¯t turn towards her, instead his gaze set squarely on Yhaoli.

    Yhaoli seemed maddened by this reaction as its head shook vigorously. Anyone with sense, however, knew it wasn¡¯t the reaction that angered Yhaoli as much as the Cruorems¡¯ and their vampire lackeys¡¯ appearance. There wasn¡¯t anywhere better for a vampire to be, particularly one with mastery of Blood arts, than amid war.

    While Yhaoli¡¯s roar to his monster army had briefly distracted Orion, he swiftly refocused himself on Eira who was in the midst of fighting the strongest tribesmen. It was at that point, as he glared at her, that she turned to him despite being hundreds of metres away and in the thick of a deadly dance. The spinning and shooting icicles around him made it obvious who he was, and in response, she smiled sweetly.

    <hr>

 50. The Fight

    <hr>

    Yhaoli turned its eyes from Caleb to Eira, then back. It was stuck: Eira was its target, and considering the Imperial army was almost destroyed, killing her would end it all, but Caleb was a Cruorem, a high vampire. Given enough time, with the amount of blood at his disposal, the aged vampire could turn the entire war back into the Empire¡¯s interests.

    It was a risk, and Yhaoli eventually grinned at its choice. It had only burst up the ranks like a comet due to its risky choices, due to its luck, and there was no way it would lose that now. Roaring while shooting its arms to the side like a slingshot, Yhaoli charged towards Eira. Sure, its path was filled with living obstacles, but in its eyes,  they were nothing but meat sponges.

    ****

    A hundred metres away, disintegrating through his enemies, Kasib watched the Yhaoli begin its charge. As much as he was cautious of Eira and her army, she was a far better choice for human stability than the king of monsters. Seeing his chance come as most of the monsters turned towards the newly entered vampires, Kasib disappeared, reappearing tens of metres away. Still, he pushed himself and teleported again and again, until he was following Yhaoli as it hunted Eira.

    *****

    From his vantage, Caleb looked down derisively. He had long ago spotted his unruly daughter and the Zakari she had matched with, but he had likewise long ago shoved them out of his mind ¨C he could deal with both of them later, when he would punish both for their sins. Even though Eira was here, Caleb doubted the Imperial General would have the power or the forces to stop him at that point.

    Nonetheless, it wasn¡¯t like he and she were on different sides. In fact, best case scenario would be her triumphantly destroying all her enemies, maintaining the Empire as her job description called for. But that was unlikely, or at least it was without his help.

    Breathing in the musky, sickly odour of blood seeping up from the battlefields, Caleb shook his head wildly. While it was all low quality, most likely mixed with murky alcohol and mud, the quantity overpowered him and made his instincts flare up like a fever.

    ¡°Go,¡± he whispered. While his voice sounded seethingly cold to others, it was because he had bit down to take rein of his urges. Unlike other vampires, he rarely let loose with indulging himself, in fact he hadn¡¯t in years now. And suddenly to receive a lavish feast like this, it really tested his self-control.

    As his underlings flew and climbed down to the plateau, Caleb paced forward and leapt off the cliffs. He struck the ground so hard his bones shook, and yet in the next second there was blood swirling around him like fairy orbs. He broke through the weaklings as if they were puppets, draining them as he swept past. His eyes were stuck heavy on Eira, or more specifically, Yhaoli.

    ****

    Even as Orion locked eyes with Eira, he knew he had support from Kora as the enemies that charged him in the corner of his eyes fell before making contact. Her smile unsettled him, and even more, it upset him. How dare that bitch smile at him sweetly after what she had done to his family?! Her own family!

    As she broke from his stare, he came back to reality. Scouring around, he saw the giant that was Yhaoli pummelling down Tribe lines as if they were playthings. He could see the bald Seeker not far behind, his arresting eyes the very image of focus and conviction. Further on, he could see Caleb, the Cruorems head, moving haphazardly, zigzagging from foe to foe as blood rose and joined the putrid sphere of crimson floating above his head.

    Orion realised he was a hand¡¯s breadth away from his revenge, and he knew that meant he could act recklessly now. If anything, he would have to act recklessly to reach his end goal. Crouching to place both his palms onto the sloppy mud, he focused on his waves and his ice, feeling them merge after several seconds. Growling, he released the energy built up in his body.

    The surrounding ground iced over, the change happening fast as it passed over man and monster, freezing their bodies over into beautiful and horrific statues. The spread of ice stopped several metres away from him, and here, he slammed his arm to the ground. As he released waves, the entire frozen boundary hopped into the air, most structures shattering under the pressure. Then, with intense control, he willed all the ice forwards at deadly speeds.

    Without surprise, this cleared out much of the space between him and Kora, the alive struck down like ragdolls. Still, he didn¡¯t stop here, instead going further as in front of him grew ice, growing so tall it was viewable from any corner of the battlefield. His structure was half as tall as Yhaoli and looked like an oversized puppet due to its simple legs and arms. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Climbing up to his puppet¡¯s head, Orion waited till Kora joined him to set his machine in motion. It clumsily ran forward, dragging up swathes of dirt as it kicked and crushed its way forward. There were several mages who saw his construction and shot fireballs at it, biting of flesh and even the right arm. Regardless, the machine closed the distance between Orion and Eira, only stopping as it was a few metres from her.

    It hadn¡¯t stopped by chance or by Orion¡¯s order, instead it straight up refused any orders. Turning towards his cousin, he watched her as she closed her outstretched hand. Simultaneously, he felt an overpowering force crushing down on his creation.

    But before it could crumble down, Yhaoli burst into the circle, booting away the Metoles who had tried to stop it. It slammed its fists down to Eira as she struggled in a mental battle with Orion. In shock, she hopped back, and at that moment Orion regained his machine. He ordered it to move forward and punt her.

    Instinctively, she erected an ice barrier but this proved too weak as the foot burst through it and smashed against her body, sending her flying.

    In the next second, Yhaoli was roaring from pain. Flicking his head over, Orion saw Kasib tearing through the monster¡¯s heel. But before he could see what happened next, a comet struck against his ice machine, toppling it to the ground. As it crumbled, he and Kora escaped unscathed, only to see a group of ten Metoles between them and Eira.

    Orion recognised the one in the centre, a metallic and wizened man who had so many scars across his skin it looked like someone had scraped it too hard. This man was the leader of the Metoles, Lucifer, and likely the comet he had felt. Just as Orion was about to attack, another enemy landed, only this one with smoky hair and blood covering his entire monstrous body.

    ¡°Finally,¡± Lucifer said.

    ¡°Try to drag your own weight,¡± Caleb said, before turning to face Kora. ¡°Bian, stand down immediately,¡±

    Before she could even reply, Orion struck out in rage, ice spurting out from below his enemies like a fountain, tearing through their defences before they hopped away. ¡°Out of my way,¡± Orion grated in a strained voice.

    Seeing as her partner had made his choice, Kora joined him. The blood sphere above her expanded, wind filling its stomach as it turned and toiled, speeding up as it grew into a tornado. The blood that outlined it sliced at anything in its proximity, and the tornado rushed towards Caleb and Lucifer.

    Still, alike daughter was father as he repeated her Blood art, an even larger tornado forming and clashing into hers. The wind from the clash pushed anyone nearby off their feet and into the air, including Orion and Lucifer. This was enough for the Metole leader as he used the wind to rush forward, taking Orion by surprise as he gripped his arm with the force of a bear.

    His arm would have been torn off in the next second had Orion not hastily placed his left palm on the man¡¯s skin, tearing through the defences the Metoles were acclaimed for. The cracks propagated quickly, forcing Lucifer to vomit blood. Still, the old man managed a strike on Orion before he fell to the ground.

    Before anyone could even react, Orion was blasting towards Caleb. The aged vampire had enough of a gauge of Orion¡¯s ability from Lucifer¡¯s misfortune to know what to do. He immediately backed off and used his Blood arts, the same way he would have dealt with Reion or Regnar, Orion¡¯s father and uncle.

    Yet, the vampire still underestimated him as ropes of ice exploded out of the ground, ten times as thick as the tendrils Orion had formed for the Metole in the Black forest. These ropes moved fast like dragons and latched around Caleb¡¯s ankles and arms like snakes, biting into his skin hard. As he was constrained, Kora blasted into him, kicking her father and teacher in the stomach, sending the old man flying and gasping for breath.

    Orion could tell she had done this as much as to disable Caleb as to save him from Orion. While Kasib had been right in his judgement of Orion at the Seeker¡¯s Summit, he had changed a lot since then and could no longer be compared to the other Houses, after all, the Zakaris were the greatest. Either way, he didn¡¯t care for Kora¡¯s reason as he turned towards Eira, who had locked Yhaoli in a cage of ice and sustained it as Kasib slowly tore away the monster¡¯s flesh.

    Seeing his chance, Orion blasted several crystals at Eira, forcing her focus to him. At this moment, Yhaoli cracked his cage and smashed through, although heavily damaged. Orion wasn¡¯t over, however, as he firmly put his arms down and felt the earth¡¯s pulse. His used his energy to source waves through the ground, centred on Eira as the ground under her began to topple.

    She must have anticipated this as her arms came down simultaneously. On her face were fear and regret, after all, she could have created earthquakes right after killing the strongest Tribe members. Yet she hadn¡¯t as the armies had been too mixed by then, and her losses would have been just as large as her gains. But now her cousin had started, she couldn¡¯t let him succeed. Her waves were far stronger than his and boosted the destructive nature of his, sending tremors down the land.

    Cracks spread across the wet ground in milliseconds and the fragments toppled over like icebergs in water in the next moment, the entire battlefield falling to ruin as piece after piece fell and crushed. This revealed the caverns below the battlefield, and seconds after, it was the two Zakaris¡¯ turns as they too fell, plummeting down.

    Their fragment crashed and sent them sprawling across the cavern floor. Above, terrifying masses of land fell like missiles, destroying the floor.

    <hr>

 51. An Ending

    <hr>

    Stumbling up, Orion rubbed the dust out of his eyes. Deafening thuds surrounded him, and yet for some unexplainable reason, he was certain he would not be hit. Still, perhaps it was not so much a certainty as a hope as he desperately tried to see past the towering clouds of dust, although to no avail.

    Kneeling, he put his palms to the ground and sent waves into the earth. Through this, he found Eira standing tens of metres from him. Her figure was turned towards him and it seemed she was watching him. Through the dust at that.

    Practically tasting her contempt, he cackled. His insanity did little to deter her but rather the opposite as she strode towards him. So it be, he thought. Breaking into a sprint, ice crackled around him like bolts of lightning, each of them shooting towards her.

    From the other side, she sensed them and slapped them out of the air with ice-gloved hands. He leapt at her like a wild dog and in turn, she caught him by the collar and tightened her grip. As he yelped in pain, she saw the bright glint in his eyes. Realising what was wrong in that split second, she released him and immediately elbowed his left hand away. It was too late, however, as his palm touched her forearm.

    Her flesh parted like the ground had underneath them, skin spreading to reveal thick and thin lines of crimson. In response, she struck like a coiled snake, whipping her leg across his stomach, sending him flying and crashing into rubble. While stroking her broken skin, she realised this was a deathmatch.

    She had hoped it to be a tutor teaching the student a lesson, leaving him whipped and crying to toughen him. Instead she now figured he was an equal to her: he had seemed exhausted and out of energy after using Szu to collapse the plains above, but it seemed Giah still supported his body with a steady influx of energy. Regardless, she knew his body would betray his thoughts soon enough and break down. The real question was whether she would be dead by that time¡­

    Casting her right fist to the ground like a hammer to an anvil, her eyes gleamed a brighter white than before as she drained the ground around her. In a moment, a large spherical barrier made of pure ice sprouted around them, trapping them both in a circle with a radius a few metres wide.

    She did this just in time too as Kora clashed against it in the next second, recoiling back as the ice bit at her flesh. Kora stared at barrier-cum-prison with wary eyes as she paced around it, looking for weaknesses and finding none. Seeing no other option, she steeled herself and moved against the barrier once more.

    Inside, Eira sneered as she felt the force against her creation. It had been made with her lifeforce, and couldn¡¯t be broken in just a few moments. And by the time it was, only one would come out. Flicking her black ponytail to the side, Eira eyed Orion, who similarly faced her off.

    Not for long, though, as her cousin made another wild charge towards her, only this time ice spikes rising out of the ground behind her as she stepped back. Suddenly aware he had created them despite no contact with the ground, she rushed forward and grappled him, eventually releasing with flaky skin.

    He came out likewise but seemed to be overcome with a primitive anger as he continued despite the burning pangs, striking her once and once more with an ice sword while a pointed rock formed below her feet to trip her up. But despite his best efforts, they proved useless as her icy suit of plate armour brushed his attempts off.

    She watched him behind her armour with an odd giddiness as she saw him growing frustrated and exhausted, his leaden limbs falling like metal. The gleam from his white eyes had also dimmed, the power simmering at his fingertips disappearing by the second.

    It was in that second an overpowering force pummelled against her barrier, sending her rocking across her feet. Taking advantage, he immediately placed his left palm across her plated armour and finally held on for long enough to crumble it down. It sloshed to the ground like snow.

    She hastily tried to recreate her armour, and by a miraculous turn of events, he struck her into the air away from himself. As she rolled over the ground, dodging his next attack, she realised he hadn¡¯t even attacked. Righting herself, she noticed he was focused on her with a slack jaw, drawing rapid breaths as if he was convulsing. The edges of his eyes were trembling, and his hands were balled up with blood-letting tightness.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    She only realised what he was doing when her armour fully formed as lines of pain raced up her arms. She intuitively thickened her ice armour but noticed it did nothing as the pain deepened as if cutting trenches into her flesh. Then the pain became a familiar one; it was the same pain that burned bright when one¡¯s skin was cracked and flesh torn by Szu.

    Realising he was somehow doing this to her without contact, she turned her fangs to him, attacking with such ferocity it shook the ground. But it didn¡¯t. Instead, she shook in pain as chains of ice slushed out, replacing the tides of thorny ice she had anticipated. It was as her power faltered, leaving her defenceless, that she noticed the strain across his face.

    Nonetheless, it seemed the gods were through with her either way as she fell to the ground before he broke his focus, her arms deadweights by this point.

    Then, the words she had both feared and wished for spluttered out of his mouth feebly. ¡°Why? Why did you murder your own family?¡± he begged, faint sobs following.

    When she didn¡¯t answer, she felt the pain start again, only this time past her arms and into her chest. He was intent on destroying her¡­

    ¡°Fuck, fine. You¡¯re Orion, right?¡± she asked, somehow finding calm despite the knowledge this was her deathbed. Perhaps it entirely because it was her deathbed since she had foreseen this coming months before, only then she had expected it for years in the future. ¡°No one else has marks like that on their face,¡±

    All she heard in response were wet but wild groans.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got no idea, Orion, none at all. Our family is as power-hungry as they say we are, as bloodthirsty as the rumours tell. Fuck, the other Houses banded together against ours and fucking banished ours to the harshest lands for a reason,¡±

    His groans turned into growls at this, but she gave him no time to respond, releasing the words that had drowned her heart for so long.

    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t know. You¡¯ve lived in the House your whole life: how could you know how we truly are when you buy into our justifications all the same,¡±

    ¡°Hearing that from you makes me sick,¡± he roared, his voice awakening Eira¡¯s true self. She was no victim of the Zakaris.

    ¡°Why? I¡¯m a Zakari, it flows in my blood and is ingrained in my bones to do this. They told me to open the capital to them, let the Empire be purged of inferior blood. Some upstart called Yhaoli had convinced them they could now stand up against all 3 Houses and win, and maybe they could if I let them.

    So, I dealt with them the way my blood told me. I had everything to lose and nothing to gain from their betrayal, and the Empire had no reason to fall for a delusional power fetish,¡±

    ¡°You massacred your own family,¡± Orion shouted, accusing her of trivial truth.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Zakari,¡± she replied, ¡°I had my best interests at heart,¡±

    This silenced him, and for good reason, she thought, as maybe the innumerable examples over his lifetime were finally making sense to him.

    ¡°Why di¡ª¡°?

    ¡°I let you live? Because our blood is too good to lose over my interests. I had all of you taken far away from our grounds so you could grow,¡±

    ¡°You razed through reflections of yourself and let the rest of us live,¡± he replied, accusing her once more. Only, this time, she had no answer.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think any of you would power up so fast to take me down, especially not you,¡± she eventually said.

    He didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°Well then, end the job. Prove you¡¯re a true Zakari, not some weakblood,¡± she said, lowering her head and letting it rest on the ground. She faced the ice barrier above pensively.

    Orion wanted to release her, prove his blood didn¡¯t make him alike her, nor like his deceased family. And yet as he looked down at her prone figure, then deeper down at the grief and pain she caused him, at the blood she had spilt, he heard another opinion in his mind. It had always been there but too quiet to fare as resistance, and yet now it seemed so loud it faced no resistance.

    Placing his right hand on the ground, he waited as the last of his teardrops rolled down his face. Then, he let his passions free, ice exploding around her body, sealing her in a transparent grave. But she wouldn¡¯t die, he knew, with just that. Striding up to her, he placed his left hand on the cube of ice.

    Shockingly, he felt energy coursing through the cube towards him. No, not energy, power. Somehow, the power from her body was leaking into his. No, not leaking. From the gentle smile on her face, he knew she had done this on purpose. He waited for the stream to end, his heart weighing down on him as she finished.

    Nodding to her body, he used Szu. As the cracks spread, splitting her body, he wondered if his family had left the world similarly, knowing it was all to strengthen the Zakari line. As much as wanted to deny his blood, the power that entered him made him feel different, as if her interests and his family¡¯s interests had suddenly intruded onto his own.

    He formed ice over her shattered remains and repeated the process until the splinters of her flesh were hard to see amongst the shards of ice. As he looked down upon the woman who had ruined his life, his tears flowed out once more.

    <hr>

 52. Final push

    <hr>

    He mourned, for this was the last time he would so for Eira. Even though it hurt him to know his family¡¯s true nature, it wasn¡¯t really new information as much as it was confirming his past suspicions. He had lived in the outside world for a year now and everything he heard pointed at the Zakaris being wild, power-hungry beasts. He had just been desensitised by being too close.

    Tightening his fists, Orion breathed out and let his chest fall, then walked away from Eira. He stopped at the edge of the barrier and touched it, his power breaking through the biting force of the ice.

    His head was cast low as he stepped through to the battlefield, not in despair but in thought. All this time, he had imagined killing his family¡¯s enemy to be a distant goal but still one that would fill him to the brim with joy. Even when he had figured Eira, his own cousin, to be his enemy, he had still held the expectation, after all, she had to be a monster considering what she had done. And she was a monster, only so had been the men and women he had avenged, and thinking on it, so was he.

    He had started off by killing monsters but once he had transitioned to killing men, he had developed a taste for it. From Visgamar to the cold and stingy grounds he now stood on, he was sure he could be traced by the trail of bodies he left behind.

    Breaking into a macabre grin, he looked up and finally faced the chaos around him. Immediately, his eyes cast to Kora, who was running towards him. Her right arm was dangling lifelessly and her body looked pocked and diseased. Looking up from her, he noticed Caleb was in a far better condition, watching his daughter run to Orion with sharp eyes. Beside him stood Lucifer who held a hand over his stomach where Orion had gifted him cracked skin and broken bones. Lucifer¡¯s eyes were more passive, those of grudging respect.

    Kora came to Orion and he welcomed her with a wide embrace, immediately feeling her fangs on his neck before he could even say a word. Regardless, he didn¡¯t care about her impatience as his body overflowed with energy anyway. Deep down he was scared what he would do with the power Eira had graciously gifted him if it wasn¡¯t reined back.

    Eyes searching the battlefield, Orion found Yhaoli. While Kora had been pockmarked, Yhaoli looked to be half-devoured as if the monster king had fought a beast so horrible it had an ungiving taste for Yhaoli¡¯s flesh. And to the side of Yhaoli, that was exactly what Orion found: a bald beast with bright, dangerous eyes. Kasib coolly regarded him back, yet simultaneously seemed tense enough to pounce any second.

    Yhaoli¡¯s towering figure, or at least what was left of it, was left standing, acting as a beacon on the battlefield. His eyes had dulled over with death and the rest of his body looked as if someone had just wrestled it out of the jaws of a starving hound.

    As Kora finished up, Orion pushed his eyes off Yhaoli and onto the battlefield around. He couldn¡¯t see much due to the carnage and kicked up bloody mud surrounding him, but the sounds of war seemed muted to what they were before. In contrast, the smell of blood and death were stronger than ever, enveloping him, depriving him of air. Almost. For some reason, Orion felt a tingle through his heart instead of the suffocating pain he expected.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said to Kora, his desperation leaking through.

    She didn¡¯t turn to Orion, instead to her father as they locked eyes. Eventually, with excruciating slowness, Caleb nodded but seemed a hundred years older right after, the decision ageing him to his core. She then stroked Orion¡¯s shoulder with a familiar softness, setting him into motion as he strode across the battlefield, leaving behind his cousin¡¯s grave.

    Not a single person there tried to stop him or Kora¡¯s exit. Orion knew for certain Kasib would have liked to and questioned him after, and yet the bald hunter didn¡¯t. Perhaps they can sense the power oozing out of me now, Orion thought. Or maybe it¡¯s because they know why I¡¯m rushing away now.

    Still, his VIP treatment ended as he entered the fray of the fighting where monsters and men didn¡¯t care for his face or status. And they fell with passionless ease, crumpling up into bone-chilling forms as he passed. Either way, they both made it out of the battlefield eventually, seeking a vantage to look down upon the fighting. From here, Orion figured out the conclusion to the war.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    The Tribes were all but decimated at this point, and the monsters that had come to support them were far and few between. Still, it wasn¡¯t as if the Imperial Army was better off. Orion could only spot small clusters of them now, and he was certain had it not been for the vampires¡¯ entrance, the Imperial Army would have broken apart ages ago.

    As most wars tended to finish with, there were no winners here, only losers who would trudge back to their homes with haunting memories.

    Burning the scene into his mind, Orion smiled and turned, leaving for the horizon.

    *******

    6 months. It had been 6 months since the Great War, as it was now known. Due to it, the Tribes had lost their appetite for the Empire, at least momentarily, and the Empire had lost a third of its soldiers. In fact, more now as their southern defence against the Horsemen had been lacking and the vampire support there had done little to tip the scales. Nonetheless, it seemed the Horsemen were content for the moment as they enjoyed their doubling in territory, cutting deep into the Empire.

    But it was the east that mattered since no one had expected much from the Imperial Army and the weaker half of the Cruorems at the southern border anyway. It was the opposite in the east where it had been an Imperial Army and the entire Piros household, arguably the strongest House in the Empire, and definitely the flagbearers of the Empire. Everyone had expected a steamroller victory, one so definitive and crushing the foreigners would retreat with their tails far up their arses.

    Nope. Despite only, apparently, being the scouting force, the foreigners had come to a standstill with the Empire¡¯s strongest. Orion had anticipated this after Joiroa had told him of Shrien¡¯s strength, the leader of the foreigners, but it was another thing to actually realise it to be true. But it didn¡¯t matter, or at least it wouldn¡¯t soon enough.

    After the Great War, exaggerated tales of Orion¡¯s influence and power had spread far quicker than he had anticipated. It seemed the returning soldiers had nothing to talk about but the next dreadful Zakari on the block. Regardless, as much as it pained him to admit to the common fearful man, he had to do just that as he came to terms with his own power. During her death, Eira hadn¡¯t simply given him the energy to leave the battlefield, she had actually sapped the power out of her bones and transferred it to his.

    He was now stronger, alarmingly so, and he knew it was all according to her plan. Hell, for all he knew, this could just be an extended Zakari plan, one where he would magically revive them back to life at the end. Maybe the power he had been given by her were small sections his family had passed onto her. Either way, he wouldn¡¯t let them succeed. As much as he had once loved his family, considering the Empire was now crumbling to death and despair, he doubted the last thing it needed was the revival of a power-hungry family. In truth, he didn¡¯t care too much for the Empire. It was instead his unfortunate familiarity with death and despair that made his feelings to his family turn.

    No, as far as he was concerned, the world was done with the Zakari line and he would be doing his darn best to keep it that way. From what Eira had said, it seemed she had transported all the younger Zakaris far from their House and into distant cities. If any of them emerged into the world with dreadful power, he wouldn¡¯t stop them. But for the legends of the past who now lay in the ground, they would have to continue doing so and forget any dreams of revival.

    And for this to happen, Orion had a plan, one he was sure Eira hadn¡¯t thought through, or at least believed he wouldn¡¯t commit to. But he would after this last necessary evil, because while it went against his urges, deep down, it was far better than the alternative.

    ¡°Orion?¡± Joiroa suddenly asked, intruding on Orion¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Orion replied, breaking out of his daze. ¡°But you¡¯re sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes, this is where they gather. Look at the light and fire and life,¡± Joiroa replied.

    ¡°No.¡± Orion said, ¡°You¡¯re sure you want to do this? It¡¯s technically a betrayal, right?¡±

    Joiroa released a low guttural laugh, more beast than man, especially one so refined and aged as Joiroa was. ¡°They betrayed me first. Besides, I don¡¯t¡­¡± he stopped. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see what will happen otherwise. It is too dreadful, too base, too inhumane,¡±

    Orion nodded at the aged foreigner before turning to Kora who kept a watch for both of them.

    ¡°We alright?¡± he casually said.

    ¡°Yeah, but we¡¯ve got visitors. I think the Piros are also launching an attack now, and from the patterns the torches are following, I think the foreigners are expecting them. Don¡¯t get me wrong, they¡¯ll all be there but this is an ambush,¡± she said slowly.

    Orion shrugged. ¡°All the better to deal with them in one strike,¡±

    <hr>

 53. Last fight

    <hr>

    Orion eyed the lanterns drifting in the night with a predator¡¯s patience. He had now watched them for long enough to map out the sentry¡¯s patrol path around the foreigner¡¯s base. He was forced to agree with Kora the whole thing was a ruse though, a sweet cake set out to trap the Piros. The lanterns were flickering in some places, and in others there was no light, just an expanse of black. Considering the foreigners¡¯ alleged strength, there was no way they were lax with their defence, and so the entire scenario screamed out its true nature.

    Still, the Piros would fall for it.

    While Orion didn¡¯t know the other House intimately, he had known his own family well enough to draw a parallel. The Piros were the actual leaders of the Empire, and Orion was certain their ego, and frustration with the resilient invaders were enough for them to take the bait. But more than these, he believed they would fall for it was because of their magic. Their magic wasn¡¯t transformative like the Metole¡¯s, nor inhumane like the Cruorem¡¯s, nor creative like the Zakari¡¯s. No, theirs was purely destructive, the power to tame fire, and it was strongest at long ranges.

    Considering these points, it seemed obvious to him the Piros would set up in one of the surrounding dunes and rain down fire upon the foreigners¡¯ base. And if Shrien was as devious as his reputation made him, then he would use the trap as a tool to get into close range with the Piros, where they had less of an advantage. Of course, there were many counter plays both parties could take for this situation, and that was where the real fight started.

    ¡°Do we move?¡± Joiroa asked.

    Orion considered it. They were on a sandy hill, using the foliage as cover as they spied the soon-to-be war scene. Around them were several similar dunes, each providing less of a vantage but still preferable if the trio wanted to stay hidden. However, Orion had a bone to stick with both the Piros and the foreigners, and considering Eira¡¯s power coursing through his veins, the two parties were going to face hellfire from him.

    ¡°No,¡± Orion said viciously. ¡°We¡¯ll take this to them soon, as soon as the sky lights up,¡±

    Joiroa nodded, keeping quiet his opinion. The aged foreigner had said little about what he had done while they were apart. Still, he had been overjoyed when he had seen Orion and Kora, although Orion wasn¡¯t sure if this feeling sourced from friendship or from the aura of strength he and Kora exuded.

    ¡°I think¡ª¡± Kora said.

    Suddenly, a bright streak burst through the sky, heading right for the foreigners¡¯ base. A little way off its target, it shattered into several pieces that flew on. But before they could burn the base down to cinders, a large purple barrier appeared metres from the base. The shattered pieces embedded themselves in the barrier, seemingly innocent and pure as they gradually lit up.

    Orion realised just in time as he yelled, ¡°DOWN!¡±

    Kora listened, immediately ducking with her head down, but Joiroa faltered, turning to face Orion with confusion written over his face.

    In the next second, the shattered pieces budded, lighting up so bright they seemed close to explosion. Orion knew this as he heard Joiroa scream in pain as the light bore holes through his eyes. Then, they exploded. The shockwaves sent the dunes around into chaos, sand sweeping up into the air to form dust screens, the ground itself shaking.

    When they settled back down, Orion and Kora were beside Joiroa, holding him still as he tried to roll and scream. Eventually calming, Joiroa opened his eyes and stared right through Orion and Kora who glanced over him.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°I cannot see,¡± he said in a cracked voice, ¡°Only circles of darkness with colour around,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Take a few deep breaths, give it some time and it¡¯ll all be back to normal,¡± Kora promised. Though, despite her confident tone, she was doubtful whether the damage could be reversed.

    To their luck, her empty words struck true as in the following moments, Joiroa¡¯s vision returned, sending the aged man into a joyous fit.

    Gazing into the distance, Orion saw the raid had already begun, or more precisely, the ambush. The barrier around the foreigners¡¯ base had disappeared and what it had once protected was now ash and cinders piled over roasted bones. But just like they had guessed, it seemed no one cared about the causalities as all attention was on the lit-up dune in the far distance. The foreigners had ambushed the Piros right after the initial attack, taking advantage of the blinding light.

    Orion faced Kora and mirrored her nod. ¡°Alright, Jorioa. It¡¯s time,¡±

    ¡°Good luck,¡±

    Over the following seconds, the duo sped over the dunes, Kora in her vampire form and Orion gliding over ice. He had never been able to use his powers so carelessly before but now it was different.

    It seemed they had been closely watched all this time as the moment they emerged, Orion noticed several men and women tailing them. They kept a safe distance away from the duo, or at least they thought, although Orion knew better. Still, he wasn¡¯t about to do anything just yet ¨C they were welcome to enjoy his show if they wanted. Besides, he wasn¡¯t dumb enough to believe they would retreat after one show of power. No, they were precisely here to hound at his heels and delay his arrival.

    His thoughts proved themselves as the duo crested the dune neighbouring the battlefield. The spies got desperate as they closed the net on him, some using spells. His ice shield blocked the attacks with ease, and to the closest man¡¯s misfortune, a monstrous icicle erupted out of the sand, goring the man through the stomach. As the others momentarily recoiled at this, Orion grabbed Kora¡¯s hand and focused his Szu on the ground, sending waves down at a rapid and dangerous pace.

    The force propelled them up, shooting them into the sky. While he couldn¡¯t fly like this, he could come crashing down like a broken rocket ¨C a perfect entrance. Orion glanced across the dark-skinned foreigners below him as he fell through the sky. They watched him with wide eyes, some even pointing in surprise, probably more at Kora¡¯s monstrous form than his slight one. To the other side, he saw an even more humorous sight. Waves of fire surrounded the Piros and the very same fire burned in their eyes as they stared at his figure, some visibly gritting their teeth.

    Orion laughed at this. He was determined to payback everyone who had razed his family despite everything he had discovered, and the Piros were the last piece on the board: he had no qualms about wrecking their House. As for the foreigners, considering they were invading Orion¡¯s homeland to colonise it, he had no qualms about wiping them out either. This was his last task, and he was going to take every joy in doing it.

    As he landed, he waved his hand at the land and a massive lotus of ice sprouted in an instant, safely cradling the duo to the ground, the petals defending them from wild attacks. Despite feeling it chip away by the second, Orion dug deep into its core and placed his hand on the ground, focusing his whole mind and energy into the ground.

    From the outside, while the waves of enemies watched curiously as the latest entrant hid away in a frozen flower, large pillars of ice grew around them at the edges of the battlefield. Each of the pillars grew at a visible rate despite being several men thick, and they converged towards the centre, creating an ice cage in a matter of seconds. Some tried to escape during this time but as they inevitably touched the thickly woven ice on the way out, they recoiled back in shock and clutched at their skin, screaming as vicious mana devoured their souls.

    Finally, the lotus gave way and Orion and Kora revealed themselves, Orion taking in all the fearful yet hateful stares he was getting. He broke into a vicious grin as Kora disappeared in that second, sprinting into a melee with some nameless. Meanwhile, he knelt and put his left hand to the ground, his heart anticipating the fall.

    ¡°Collapse,¡± he whispered under his breath.

    <hr>

 54. Overpowering

    <hr>

    The pillars above were still for a moment, resisting Orion¡¯s order. Each weighed tons, behemoths in their own right. Regardless, the monstrous pillars cracked, the slits in them shining glints of light into the shadows below. They fell instantly, plummeting down with a petrifying force. The moment was too overwhelming for most men to react as they stared up, their legs frozen below. Then the pillars smashed into the ground, sending up mounds of dirt as the barrage began.

    It was alike a nightmare as the gory crash landings sounded out like thunder, continuous thunder beating the earth. The pillars¡¯ shadows which had covered the battlefield was now gone, and in their place was an incorporeal darkness, one which fed off the pain and misery around.

    When all hope seemed lost to both sides of the war, a radiant light burned through the inky black. The light was dazzling but brought warmth to all who saw it: a dangerous warmth. With no warning, the light grew rapidly, soon revealing itself as a burning ball of magma. Just as it was about to shoot forth, a green feather snaked out of the rubble and into the fireball.

    In response, the fireball jolted and shook, growing volatile by the second. Then the green feather retreated, escaping back to the rubble, and the fireball exploded, splattering thick goo into its surroundings. This molten lava was so hot it devoured the flesh of any it touched, the screams only faltering as the dust cleared.

    On one side were the foreigners, their leader, Shrien. He stood amongst his men, easily distinguished by the five green feathers revolving around his body. He had smooth ebony skin and stood in a tensed soldier¡¯s pose. Despite this, his head was cocked upward and the disdain from his eyes was tangible.

    On the other side was the Piros Household, alongside the remaining Imperial Army. The Imperial Soldiers had taken the brunt of the foreigners¡¯ ambush so their numbers were thin and injured. Still, they had nothing to fear with the tyrants at their back. In the middle of this cluster was a man with one foot in the grave and a winding red beard coiled around his body. The man was slim-built, but this did little to hide the tyrannical aura he released. He was Azar, the head of the Piros House, and also the one who had released the fireball, before being intercepted by Shrien.

    Azar glared at Shrien with enough venom to kill a titanbeast. However, he soon slid his anger towards the figure walking out of the dust.

    Grinning, Orion strolled out from the dustcloud, coming to a stop as he assessed the two other leaders. Neither of three moved while this happened, even though violence sang loud and clear around them.

    ¡°Gentlemen,¡± Orion said in faux modesty.

    ¡°Zakari,¡± Azar screeched out, his frame shaking.

    ¡°El pero weael,¡± Shrien proclaimed state-of-matterly.

    While Orion had no idea what the man meant, he had heard Joiroa enough to know it was the same tongue. Joiroa had also told Orion the best way to stop Shrien¡¯s plans was to kill the man and to take the key he held under his clothes. This key was a transporter, and when activated, would release the teleporter, which they could then destroy. The reason Shrien hadn¡¯t left the teleporter in some hidden spot to continuously spit out new soldiers was because it required a ridiculous amount of resources to work, and his latest attempts at procuring those had been foiled by the Piros.

    What Orion wanted to do to Azar was a lot simpler: kill him. After which, he aimed to kill the remaining family elders to make sure the family would only crumble from now onwards.

    Unsurprisingly, Shrien was the first to break the tense ceasefire between the leaders. The green feathers floating beside him were simply twirling one second, but in the next they were spearing towards Orion. Azar immediately joined this assault as he cast a fire cage around Orion, locking him in place. While Shrien and Azar hated each other, they were both smart enough to acknowledge Orion¡¯s dreadful power after his arrogant display.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    The green feathers pierced through Orion¡¯s flesh, and the fire cage closed in, tightening around his skin. But instead of blood and flesh, steaming water poured down as his figure turned to ice.

    His two enemies reacted quickly, scanning their surroundings with fear. Moments before he was caught by their searching eyes, he leapt out of the ground as if it was water, a dagger of ice in his hand as he lunged towards Shrien.

    The foreigner smirked at this attempt and sidestepped, taking hold of Orion¡¯s wrist before thrusting down. But instead of hearing the satisfying crack he had expected, he instead felt ice crunch in his hand. Just as he realised he had attacked another clone, a biting pain flared through his back. He screamed as he rushed away from the source of pain, mule-kicking back with all his strength.

    This attack made contact with Orion but failed to make the Zakari recoil. Instead, Orion snatched the foot with his left hand and used Szu on it as well, cracking the flesh and peeling the skin. Here, he let Shrien go and watched the foreigner trip up in distress, simultaneously setting up an ice barrier to block Azar¡¯s attack.

    Orion ignored Azar and walked up to Shrien, kicking the man down, before using another burst of Szu on him. The pain he was inflicting didn¡¯t please him at all, no, it was the power that pleased him. These were men who he had once been warned against, fearsome characters who always felt so out of reach. But now they weren¡¯t!

    Hoping the momentary respite meant Orion had gotten distracted, Shrien edged away, pulling himself forward with his arms. He failed, however, as a blade of crystal ice tore through his neck, decapitating him.

    Then, Orion turned his attention towards Azar, who had been setting up a grand magic spell all this time. Orion had willingly let the old Piros do this¡­

    Finally, Azar ended, striking the ground with his open palms. The ground under Orion cracked, similar to when Szu was used on it, only this time gold-coloured lava seeped out, scorching the very dead ground they spread across.

    Orion leapt back, realising the lava was forming into a fearsome beast. When it fully formed, it turned out to be a pure lava phoenix with beady eyes. Giving Azar no time to react, Orion strained his mind, forming countless ice chains across the ground, all of which shot up towards the phoenix to latch on.

    The ones that hit pulled down on the phoenix, giving the majestic beast a rude awakening as it began to violently struggle against the growing number of chains clutching its feathers. Azar transferred as much of his energy into the phoenix, helping it continue its hopeless fight, until an ice crystal blade flew towards him, taking his head cleanly off with his mouth agape. The phoenix fell shortly after, screeching in madness and indignance.

    After this was over, Orion stood in silence, merely overlooking the rest of the battle. Seeing both leaders had fallen, the remaining combatants had retreated, especially from him, but he knew they wouldn¡¯t get far. This was it: he had reached the peak of power, and yet he found himself as unsatisfied as before. The gore and screams around him somehow broke through his tough shells, reminding his core who he actually was.

    ¡°Last mission,¡± he whispered to himself in response, as if convincing himself, ¡°Last mission,¡±

    ****

    Watching the sunrise, Orion wrinkled his nose at the stench around which he had made. Looking at the circular, metallic key he had looted from Shrien, he crushed it. Thick plumes of mana escaped the key and formed in front of him, creating a dark entrance akin to that of a cave¡¯s.

    He waited awhile, Joiroa and Kora at his side. Seeing nothing had happened after several minutes, he sighed, nodded at Joiroa, and put his left hand on the entrance. It took less than a second for the entire doorway to collapse, releasing a strong gust of magic that would have normally wiped all three of them from existence. But it didn¡¯t as Orion formed an ice shield in front at a similar pace to which the gust broke it down, the pattern carrying on for a whole minute before the ferocious wind abated.

    Then, the trio stood in silence on the top of a dune. The battlefield was visible from their vantage, its ugly sight a smear on the land. The sight tore at Orion¡¯s numb heart, though ultimately failing to do any damage. What disgust or fear could he feel when it was caused by him in the first place? Still, it relieved him as he turned around,

    ¡°Final mission. I¡¯m done now,¡± he said, feeling the weight lift off his soul. His conscience, although tainted, felt like a fresh breath of air for the first time in months.

    ¡°Last one,¡± Kora repeated his sentiment, although her words were thick with regret and sadness. Not for the victims, of course, but for the craft itself. She was a Cruorem, a high vampire; Orion knew with certainty she would miss her wild and violent days in the future. But he knew she wouldn¡¯t return to it, in respect for him.

    <hr>

 55. The Calm after the Storm

    <hr>

    Orion strolled over the thin wayward path through the woods. His boots rustled the autumn leaves beneath him. His eyes were glazed over in deep thought.

    ¡°Stew or a roast. Or maybe just a sandwich,¡± he said aloud, revealing the thoughts that dominated his mind.

    The wind answered him, a howling gale momentarily stopping him in his path, brushing his long locks of black hair up.

    ¡°A stew it is,¡± he said, continuing along the path.

    Minutes later, he was in the safe confines of his home. He was working a ball of dough, having decided to have bread with his stew. Kneading it skilfully, he worked fast, zooming around the kitchen with the dexterity of a housewife twice his age. Sprinting and tripping around his feet was a small bear cub with snow-white fur.

    Even more minutes later, he was seated by his small oak table, scooping spoonful¡¯s into his mouth. Eating out of its own bowl was the bear cub, digging into it face first. Orion¡¯s eyes were glazed over as before, and he only came to when the bear nudged his hand, its fur now a murky yellow.

    ¡°Ti, can¡¯t you eat with some decency?¡± Orion asked, flicking it across the forehead. Its head flung back, and it stared at Orion with glazed over eyes, not in thought but in lack of thought.

    ¡°Well, come on then. No way you¡¯re allowed on the floor with paws like that,¡± he said, picking up Ti and putting it in its small bathtub.

    As he was washing Ti, Orion¡¯s mind flicked back to his past, something he had a bad habit of doing. His victory against the Piros and the foreigners had not only been decisive but also vicious. If there had been anyone in the Empire who hadn¡¯t heard of him by then, they certainly had after the victory.

    Ironically enough, he had promised himself a life of peace after that fight, but peace was the last thing anyone wanted to give him after that. The Zakari were destroyed, the Piros were crippled, and the Cruorems and Metoles were enfeebled; they had been the protectors of the Empire, and with them gone, the Empire crumbled faster than anyone would have thought. Many people found fault with Orion for this and so hounded after him, each and every one of them rushing to their deaths. Still, their numbers didn¡¯t seem to decrease so Orion had hidden away in this Fae forest with Kora.

    Their blooming romance had blossomed here, for a while at least. But then Kora had become disillusioned with him: she had fallen in love with the violent and vengeful Orion, not the calm and reserved Orion. Their romance was not meant to be, and once she realised this, she had left him, back to her family he guessed. She hadn¡¯t told him that, as if he would chase her down or the sort.

    Orion¡¯s lips curled at this. It was quite the ego she had, to believe she had smitten him. Ducking his face into his arms, Orion dodged Ti¡¯s deadly water attack, although he received wet hair in return. Lifting the protesting cub out of the water, he brought it to a length of cloth and began drying Ti, where he once again left for his thoughts.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    She had left him a year ago now, maybe two ¨C time worked weirdly in the Fae forest. Honestly, he had missed her presence for a while, but after he had found Ti in the forest, abandoned for whatever reason, his mind had naturally drifted off her.

    He wondered how she was nowadays. She was likely being a murderous vampire with the rest of the Cruorems now. In fact, it was likely she was a ruler of whatever land they had managed to retain of the Empire, alongside the other Cruorems and Metoles. He had injured them the least, so while the Piros likely still existed, it was unlikely they were the ruling House anymore. As for the Zakaris, Orion had heard of one other emerging Zakari during his final days in the Empire, but by now, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there were tens of Zakaris making waves in the new world.

    At this time, Ti rubbed himself across Orion¡¯s hand while softly purring. Breaking into a laugh, Orion began scratching the cub¡¯s back, knowing Ti would soon fall asleep. As expected, the cub didn¡¯t take long to start snoozing, its snores bouncing from the walls.

    Leaving for the door, Orion left for a walk. Simultaneously, his mind strolled down memory lane. He had last seen Kasib when he had left the Empire how many ever years ago. The bald Seeker had, thankfully, treated him as ever. He hadn¡¯t changed his attitude despite Orion¡¯s power up, instead talking as freely as ever. Truth be told, this had pissed Orion off back then but now, having spent at least a year away from civilisation, he saw that as a blessing.

    As for the foreigners, despite beating Shrien and destroying their teleporter, now that they had a taste for new, rich land, there had been no chance of them relenting. It had taken them a while but they eventually mapped out the route Shrien and Joiroa had taken to the Empire. From there, they had sent raiding ships and colonising ships.

    Orion had watched the battles for a time, and once even intervened after Kora persuaded him, wiping out the foreigners on the battlefield. But after that, he had swiftly left with Kora in tow, heading for the Fae forest which lay past the southern reaches of the Empire, in the horsemen¡¯s land.

    Despite being surrounded by deserts of sun-burnt sand, the lush Fae forest thrived in its environment. Still, the horsemen never entered the forest, even during droughts, for they knew the Fae forest wasn¡¯t natural and certainly not welcoming towards humans. Regardless, Orion and Kora had easily slipped past the horsemen and entered it.

    From there the two had experienced the forest¡¯s character first hand. The space inside warped constantly, trapping them in a maze they couldn¡¯t leave as they repetitively returned to the same spot heedless of the direction they went. The inhabitants of the forest were vicious monsters of the highest power, and while they were usually apathetic to visitors, after the duo had survived for a few weeks, the monsters had been alarmed. They had started off with little tricks, like destroying food sources or by poisoning water, but afterwards they had come out of hiding and confronted the duo directly.

    There were many peculiarities with the forest but only one thing was needed to surpass them all: power. And Orion had a lot of power. He had subdued the beasts with difficulty, but then had let them live to Kora¡¯s disappointment. Then he had made friends with his foes, with Maertha the one-eyed Dragon, with Crilya the Bladestorm, with Syeb the three-eyed Troll, and so on. After Kora had left, he had become even better friends with them.

    They would all be catastrophes if released into the Empire, including Orion, but they had all chosen the laid-back life instead. Nonetheless, Orion hadn¡¯t been able to sever himself from his past completely. He had left in Kora¡¯s hands a bell made of blood-infused ice. He had promised to leave the forest and come to the world¡¯s rescue if she ever rung it.

    Before, he had longed her to ring it every day, missing aspects of his previous life. But now he wished she never would as he had finally found his home.

    <hr>

    The end.

    <hr>

 End Note

    Wowee, that was interesting I guess. 4 months of work.

    Plans for the future

    I will be writing, but I doubt anything will be posted for at least 6 months. Currently, I''m just writing shorts to hone my skills. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    As for what I will release after 6 months, I''m still in the brainstorming period. My mind is currently set on LitRPG, or cyberpunk (due to Cyberpunk 2077 and XCOM 2) but a lot can happen in 6 months so I won''t promise anything.

    Thank you all for the support you''ve given. It helped me finish off the story even though my mind wasn''t on it at the time.

    See you all later, I guess.