《Flight of Icarus》 0. Prologue Author''s note: So this is my fanfic about a boy reaching for something while not even knowing what and I hope you''ll like it. I have written a few chapters already and I''m enjoying it for now so I hope I won''t get bored and be able to continue this story. Commets and suggestions are welcome and would be very appreciated. If you spot any mistakes, please tell me and I''ll correct them. I''m not a native speaker so half the time I''m improvising with sentence structure and all that **** The calm night was in deep contrast against the raging sea. The waves came crashing down on the rocky slope springing the lonely kid sitting at the edge. He didn¡¯t mind the cold water, breathing the fresh night air. The wild winds played in his light hair, pushing them in his eyes. Kirin raised his hand to pull them back but it was pointless. Sighing he looked up at the dark sky. A full moon was shining, sending silver light to the boy¡¯s face. ¡®It¡¯s already time, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ thought Kirin standing up. There was an uncharacteristic dullness to his movements. Tap. Tap. Tap. A soft sound of his boots echoed in the empty street. It was barren of any activity or movement, only a few lights here and there still persisting in the dead of the night. ¡®If only it was always like that¡¯ After some time he walked back to his home located near the center of the town. It was a simple house that had seen better days. Walking up the stairs he opened the door and turned the light up. He didn¡¯t bother with locking up. In the kitchen there was a piece of paper strapped to the fridge. ~We¡¯ve gone to Japan on business, will be back as fast as we can. Love Julie and Robert <3~ Ignoring the message he took out some eggs and made himself an omelet. After that he went to his room with the food and sat down at his table. The room looked like it was supposed to - full of large toys, little cars, posters from movies and cheery colors. The boy hated it. It reminded him of everything he had to endure every day from the people that surrounded him in this town. If it wouldn¡¯t destroy his image of perfect self-control and sanity, he would have ripped apart and burned everything to the last item. Or maybe not. Maybe he would leave the new addition to his room ¨C a silver shining cabin which took a huge part of his room. It took him forever to prevent his parents from ordering a blue or green one for children. Today it was delivered and his parents didn¡¯t even show up to see. They were too busy. But he didn¡¯t mind. It was better this way. Now he could enjoy the solitude and enter the new world without anyone¡¯s nagging. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. And the new virtual reality game called Regal Dream was supposed to give exactly that. It promised a new unexplored world to run around, many same and new classes, but most importantly it was said that time worked differently there than in real life. Three hours for each one in real life. An expensive way to extend one¡¯s life just that bit longer but life there was a better one. The beta-testers had been tight lipped about what they had seen but there were rumours that this game was going to transform every conception of what a game is. It was said to be more like the real world when the real one was. The non-player characters had emotions, feelings and memories. They never repeated sentences, give pointless quests or stand in place. They could trick you, lie to you and even kill you. There was no way to tell them apart from real people. This and the chance to create your character in-game however you wanted with thousands of different classes was amazing. Something no one had expected when the game was announced. It was a dream come true, to tell the truth. And that was even half a year after the game¡¯s launch. But one thing annoyed Kirin more than anything else. It was a choice what to be. Regal Dream contained numerous classes and it was giving him a headache just to decide which would be the best since he could make only minor adjustments to his body in character creation. Warriors were nice but his small frame would probably get in the way and his hands were too small to use the strongest bows. Mage or a rogue would be an obvious choice but it was too main stream. He didn¡¯t want to be just another one of those. Luckily at least race was an easy choice. He didn¡¯t want to be human, he knows what it¡¯s like to be one, elves were too much on the beauty side and dwarfs were plain ugly. That left him with the least liked race, the one deemed pathetic because it didn¡¯t even have wings. But Kirin didn¡¯t care, he would create wings himself if he ever came to need them. He stood up and looked through the window before entering the silver cabin and strapping himself to the chords that would keep him elevated and move his body with actions faintly resembling those of his character. The moon was obscured by the clouds as if in hiding. A soft tapping noise reached Kirin¡¯s ears and surprised he saw rain drops on his windowsill. ¡°Wonder why the god¡¯s are crying today¡± he murmured to himself and closed the cabin¡¯s doors behind himself. Next Chapter 1. Night of Serenity Previous Chapter Author''s note: So here we are at the first real chapter. I''ll post another one in a three or four days :) **** When he entered a robotic voice asked him questions about what he wanted to be. "Male/Ace/Celestial/My appearance only eyes prismatic, colour depending on my mood/Pass tutorial/ city of Mora, Oradin kingdom ¡° After saying everything in one breath Kirin felt darkness enveloping him once again. Strange sounds assaulted his ears, those of people bargaining, merchants shouting at the top of their lungs, horses whining, armour clanking and other. Then he opened his eyes and looked around in wonder. ''What is this place? It feels so real!'' he thought disbelief showing on his face. "Just look at him. He''s so cute!" whisper shouted one female passerby. "Do you remember when we were so innocent?" asked some guy. "Don''t kid yourself, you were always a bastard" answered his friend good naturedly. Kirin, - no Ace now sneaked into the first alley he saw and put his back against the wall. "Wow, this is a lot to take in. I thought everyone was exaggerating when they said it was like another reality" he whispered while thinking what to do now that he was in this marvellous world. He hadn¡¯t read about what others did on purpose, to have his own adventure from the very beginning. First he decided to check what the game¡¯s starting equipment was. "Items" he shouted into thin air. A transparent bag appeared in front of his eyes containing 5 buns and a jar of water. ''It seems like I can survive for some time. Maybe I should visit a library to better decide who to be?'' With that thought a young boy, no more than twelve from his appearance left the alley and joined the masses in the main street. His small frame allowed him to move easily through the crowds and pass the blocks of people. Library was nowhere in sight so he examined one of the giant maps showing the city and followed the directions from there. He had almost made it when a pop up message threw him off. Surprised he stopped in the middle of the street. It wasn''t a good idea. Some guy wearing heavy armour didn¡¯t react in time and stumbled on him almost falling down. The kid also tried to keep his balance but to no avail. "Ouch, ouch..." he mumbled while clutching his head and looking up teary-eyed at his oppressor. "Do you have a death wish, kid?" the guy shouted but seeing only a beginner and a little boy on top of that added "Watch where you''re going next time" and walked away with a ''humpf''. The kid glared daggers at his back and slowly stood up still massaging his head and hoping that there won''t be a bruise. At that moment Ace''s eyes fell on the accursed window that brought up this disaster in the first place.
New skill acquired: Hiding in plain sight [Toggle] Your movements are quick and coordinated, hiding your presence from the minds of those around you. +5% Agility +5% Concentration Mana consumption 2/s
The higher the skill level it is the easier to move around unnoticed. "You can gain skills doing random stuff?" asked Ace no one in particular. Smiling he toggled on the ability and once again went for the library. What stood before him was a huge run down place. For some reason all the houses around were renovated but not this one. Shrugging Ace opened the door. He was welcomed by a smell of old paper, ink and candles. The air was slightly cooler inside. "Do you want anything specific?" asked an old man, probably the bookkeeper. "I''d like a book about the legends of the world. I''m interested in heroes of old times" "What an interesting request. Nowadays people only care about magic. Every day all I hear is ''Can I get a book about fireball?'', '' Do you have a scroll for Ice blast?''. God this is a library not... " Ace listened for a few minutes but noticing that the end wasn''t in sight interrupted the old man. "Uhm... My books?" "Oh yes yes yes. Just wait a moment here and I''ll be right back". It took him about five hours to find four books. ''Does he really know where all the books are?'' mused Ace finishing the third book that had been lying on the table. He had also acquired +3 Int and +1 Wis. "Here are the books you requested" Ace promised to return the books in a week and left the library. Outside the sun was setting but there was still some time till the world would be covered by darkness. Walking down a few random alleys Ace reached the slums. The buildings were old and looked on the verge of collapsing but he didn''t mind. The thing he needed was quietness and this place was perfect for that. He sat down on some steps and took out the first book. It was called "The Heroes through the Ages". ''Original name'' a thought flitted through Ace''s mind before he lost himself in world of people who changed the humanity''s history. He was only in second chapter when bits of conversion reached his ears. Raising his head he listened more closely. It seemed to be three people arguing, one of them at least a warrior from the clanking of armor. "It wasn''t my fault You did.." "... stronger than..." "Shut up. Bett..." A though to take flight entered Ace''s mind but it was too late. He already could almost see them appearing from the street¡¯s corner so he just lowered his head pretending to be reading. Maybe they would just pass by? Lady luck wasn''t smiling at him. "What do we have here?" exclaimed one of the mages with a sinister smile, draped in red. He came closer and raised the scholar¡¯s head by the hair and burst out laughing. "Guys! He''s just a kid!" The ''kid'' rubbed his head where the hair was pulled and looked up with the most innocent expression the trio had ever seen. "I almost feel bad for thinking about killing him" muttered the other mage wearing a blue robe. "Me too" quietly agreed the warrior. Those clear blue eyes adorned with golden curls made the kid look like a little angel. Only Satan himself would be able to kill something like that! Or so the duo thought. The first red robed mage was already chanting a spell to steal the kid¡¯s life! "Fires of old lend me your power, Fire sphere!" The young boy crawled back, his eyes wide and body trembling. The warrior couldn''t take it. He might have been part of a player killers group but he never agreed to kill innocents, especially kids. Dashing forth he blocked the spell with his body. "What are you doing?" shouted both mages at once but the warrior kept on advancing towards the red robes, his sword unsheathed. "Stop it! Aren''t we friends? Just let Merlin kill the guy and we can go finish the quest!". The warrior only glared at the passive mage and then continued on his way. His breath was labored but he still had half of his hp. ''And he just had to use the sphere instead of fireball'' angrily thought the ''good'' guy. Fireball was a much stronger spell but it at least never left a nasty burning that could only be dispelled by clerics or a fortune costing potion. ''I must hurry up'' with that thought he once again used [Dash] and then [Double slash] on the poor mage. But the guy didn¡¯t die in an instant. "Wind blades!" only the last part of the blue robed mages incantation was heard by the warrior before wind slashed at his arms and legs while also pushing him away from the target. "Fires of Abyss hear my cry and turn my enemy to ash, Fire pillar! Avenge me Arthur! Kill that bastard" cried out Merlin with his last breath before leaving items and a pool of blood in his place. The mage called Arthur looked at the blood with his eyes wide in disbelief but soon his face contorted into a mask of fury. "You fucktard dare to kill my brother?!" his voice turned into a growl. "From the North come¡­" The warrior didn''t wait for him to finish the spell. He had only a bit over 10% of his health so he collected his last strength and rushed off. Using [Dash] he appeared before the mage and their skills clashed. "Blade fury!" "Ice twister!" The cold wind rose lifting everything in its path including the two unfortunate souls locked in a battle of life and death, right and wrong. They were reaching the high tops of the buildings when the wind ran short. The two people fell down with a crash, one of them instantly turning into gray mist. The other staggered up with a malicious grin. "Next time you''ll know to never challenge a magician." He looked around as if searching for something "Where did that little bastard go? Oh yeah, he had plenty of time to run away with his tail between the legs." The mage sighted and limped to where his brother had fallen. Or at least he tried before he saw a sword sticking out from his chest. "Whaa..?" *** [You have leveled up] [You have leveled up]
New skill acquired: Deception [Passive] You can pretend to be anyone and lie with your face straight. There''s nothing sacred to you. +5% to fool Npcs +2% to fool other players +3% resistance to illusions
"Awesome" whispered Ace with a slight smile. It had worked out much better than he expected. Not only did he survive but he also got a skill and experience from the kills that he wasn''t even participating in! He felt a bit bad for the warrior''s/knight¡¯s in shining armour death, but it couldn''t have been helped. He had no weapon until the guy died and left his sword. That reminded Ace of the loot lying around. He picked everything up and started to examine.
Sword of the Deceased Attack 15-20 Durability 23/40 Sword scavenged from the hands of an unknown soldier. It had so many owners that it¡¯s durability was lowered permanently.
Beginner Magic The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. A book that explains the fundamentals of magic and it¡¯s uses. Allows to learn spells.
Old robe Defense 5 Durability 8/15 It is a poorly made robe from common materials. Good against the rain.
Iron dagger Attack 7 Durability 27/30 A sturdy dagger made by a promising blacksmith from low quality iron.
Boots of Might Defense 5 Durability 8/15 Boots with an engraved eagle +10 Luck +5% resistance to fear
''Well this is not too bad'' mused Ace while putting on the boots and hiding dagger in them. Then he equipped the sword even though he had no idea how to use it. Never know then it might come in use, maybe he''ll need a stick to lean onto one day. With that finished he picked the book about magic and started to read. It was standard stuff: elements, purpose and alignment. He finished it after a few hours squinting by the moonlight, trying to decipher the last shadowed words.
New skill acquired: Magic mastery [Passive] You can learn and cast spells depending on the level of your mastery. Trying to cast higher tier spells may result in disaster. +10% spell proficiency +10 Int +10 Wis
New skill acquired: Flare [Active] It is a simple spell that illuminates ones surroundings by a faint light. It is the only spell that can be used while meditating. Ancient magicians created it to teach young to channel their mana and concentrate. Only those who managed to keep the fragile light on for half a day were allowed to become apprentices of Magic. Mana use 20/min
"Flare" Ace said in a steady voice. A small light like that of the candle appeared in front of him flickering horribly and then disappeared. "Grrr" the kid growled and once again summoned the light. He played with it for a good half a night until he could keep it steady for fifteen minutes before running out of mana. With the first rays of sunlight he took out one of the buns and started to chew. It was tasteless but what could he expect being a level 3? So he ate until felt filled up and then rose to go to the market. The adventure was waiting there for him surely. The marketplace was bustling even at the first light. Merchants were trying to find a better place for their stalls, night hunters came to sell their loot. It was a bit too lively for our hero so he quickly sold the robe and sat down a bit away on an edge of a fountain. He decided to observe people and their habits. Newbies were shun by everyone, mid-level players walked as if they owned the world, those over one hundred were usually calmer and more deceitful, trying to save every copper, those even further up looked most happy even though their equipment was battle worn and some of them even had scars. Merchants on the other hand were all the same no matter their levels and whether they were player or npc.
+ Deception 5% xp
"Huh?" murmured Ace tilting his head at the side. "Why did I get experience?" Shrugging he took the books out of his bag and lost himself in them.
+1 int
+1 int
+1 wis
His stats rose from time to time expanding his mana pool which in turn allowed him to longer use [Hiding in Plain Sight]. It was a pretty good ability letting him read in piece without interruptions. A bit after midday he finished and went to return the books. This time he decided to pick the books himself. Even though old man picked well, he took way too long. Walking around the stacks of books Ace felt a bit lost. There was just too many of them! How was he supposed to choose? Then a stack of yellow leather covered books caught his eye. It was a series called Masters of the Art. The first one was about a dancer that convinced a king not to wage war, another about a warrior that killed a dragon and so on. He picked all thirteen of them and went to the counter. "I''d like these ones" he said to the librarian. "Aren''t it a bit too much for you? Maybe you''ll be fine with only a few of them?" the old mane said, expressing his concern. It didn¡¯t look like the man was going to easily go down on that so Ace decided to use his triumph card. Putting the books down he looked at the librarian with his best puppy dog eye look. His yellow eyes were light and full of childish curiosity. "But, uncle, I need to work hard to become as smart as you! I''m sure you never slacked off so neither can I! "Such a promising youth! If only everyone was like you.. " "So I can take them?" asked Ace with a bright smile on his face. "Of course. And take this also. It''s a receipt for Scholar''s brew. It helps to read faster, sadly I have none finished on me¡± "It doesn¡¯t matter. Thanks a lot" said the youth and left with the books and the scroll after waving goodbye to the old man. ''That was so easy!'' laughed the same youth after entering the busy street. He speed walked to the slums using his small frame to pass through easily. Only when he was safe and alone did he pay attention to the pop up messages that appeared while he was talking to the librarian. You''re well liked in the local library +5 fame
Successful deception.
Deception novice level 2 Your lies become more believable. +3 Int
The boy''s only reaction was a slight smile. He was clearly enjoying his new life. After that reading issued. When the night came he used [Flare] and kept on reading. From time to time he did a small break to regenerate mana and eat some stale bread. It was a calm night but what adventure game would it be if there were no interruptions and you were left alone to drown yourself in study? Hurried steps could be heard from deeper part of the slums and they were quickly nearing the single wavering light in the otherwise dark alley. A man with a cloak stopped before the light and touched it. The small sphere flickered and vanished plunging the man and the boy in total darkness. "What are you doing here all alone, boy?" the man''s voice was gentle but Ace could sense it was only an act. "Reading, master" ¡®as you can see idiot'' was added in his mind. "Don''t you think it¡¯s a bit dangerous?" "Life is dangerous. I prefer not to spend it surrounded by idiots" was a curt reply. "You''ve got an interesting mind, kid. Would you like to become my apprentice? I''d teach you how to use your potential to the fullest and not rely on others for survival." Tiiring! A see through window appeared before his eyes with a suggestion and two choices Accept/Decline.
Class change: Levinton, a dark mage, is asking you to become his pupil. Do you wish to accept?
A few seconds passed and then Ace shook his head. "No. I have no wish to become a mage. Magic only hinders people and teaches them to be lazy". The mage didn''t take the news as well as the boy hoped. His face turned purple and you could almost see smoke leaving his ears in tumults. ''I probably shouldn''t have insulted his profession'' thought Ace with a dry smile. Looking around he saw no one he could direct the mage''s anger at. Just as well. He might get a taste of death. But he wasn''t going to go down quietly. Hearing the mage chanting Ace did what any normal person would do in such a situation, he jumped on the guy with all his might. Or maybe that was just his normal. His spontaneous surprise attack worked out and the mage fell back, with him on top. Now he wasn''t sure what to do. ''Why did it even work out?¡¯ Then he tried to take out his sword but it got stuck and after a bit of tug-o-war Ace gave up and went for his dagger for some reason concealed in a boot. Ace couldn''t believe his own stupidity why the hell did he put it so far away from reach? Gripping the hilt he turned around with some trepidation. The mage had plenty of time to incinerate him, twice. So why didn''t he? What kind of spell could take so long to cast? The mage was very silent. He hadn''t moved an inch from where he fell! Ace cautiously came closer expecting some surprise attack but nothing came. ''What happened to him?'' The boy examined the mage''s head. It was lying in a pool of blood. ''Whaaat?'' Carefully lifting the head he saw a sharp bloodied stone. The hair was released the same moment. To say the sight was unpleasant would have been an understatement. ''I need to get out of here and fast'' but then his eyes fell on the pouch secured on the belt. ''That mage was probably evil so he should have been filthy rich! And I have only 5 coppers, soon I''ll have to start begging to survive if this continues.'' With new born resolution he looked around and quickly squatted closer to the dead mage. He picked the pouch without even looking what¡¯s inside, took off the boots, cloak, belt and two blue rings. Finished he ran off at lightning speed. 2. Leave Your Consience Behind Previous Chapter Author''s note: So here we go another chapter as promised. I hope you like it **** The walls of the city is it''s pride. They symbolise the strength and power of the lord so each tend to keep his in good shape. Otherwise he wasn''t a lord for long. The king of Oradin tried his best, but even he couldn''t oversee everything. From the outside all the walls seemed in perfect condition, but on the inside there was one place like a rotten tooth that was not maintained. It belonged to the slums. There resided all the humanity''s (and other visiting races¡¯) thrash. Those who were poor lived in those run down houses and orphans ran in the streets with empty stomachs. At night the predators awoke. All the city'' s greatest evil masterminds collected their information on how to take over the world there, murderers went out to hunt, gladiator rings were opened and evil occultists gave their sermons. As you can see it wasn''t one of the best places to find yourself in but not everyone had the brains to figure that out. Ace was walking down some alley, his breathing heavy. At the end of his path was a crumbling wall. A few large rocks had rolled out and were lying around. He chose the one with a flat top and sat down to rest. His stamina bar was flashing red and his stomach was loudly announcing its hunger, only his willpower kept him from collapsing. He took the bun and water out of his bag and consumed it in seconds. Meeting death and running for hours could make one really hungry. His biggest wish now was to lie down and sleep forever and maybe a bit more but he had learnt from his previous mistakes - this place was never calm. As expected there could be heard footsteps of someone coming his way. Ace took a deep breath and waited for someone to emerge. And waited... And waited... His patience couldn''t take it anymore and he himself went to meet the intruder who was in a bend of a different street (if you dare to call them that) than he had come from. It was a man not a year younger than a hundred years limping forward with a stick. Yet Ace''s instincts screamed for him to run as far as possible and just as fast. But the body didn''t comply. It was barely keeping him up and threatened to give way if Ace even thought about moving anywhere. "It''s rare to see such a young one in these parts. What brought you here?" greeted the old man in a steady voice that belonged to someone much younger. "Uhm.. I''m... lost?" answered or more like asked Ace, unsure of what answer was right. His tongue itched to say he came here by killing many people and proving his worth so now he can leave the city with an easy heart but... That old man might have looked ancient but his eyes were extremely sharp and voice full of power. There was no way he really was as senile as he looked. "You know it''s dangerous to sleep in a tiger''s den?" "It''s rarely do or die. Sometimes you can pick a third option and pretend you''re not there, and for some reason most people go along with that fantasy" "So you expected the monsters to ignore the presence of a fly and talk things out with each other?" "Yep. They have a lot to talk tonight anyway." "And why would you say that?" asked the old man with a raised eyebrow. (It was hardly noticeable with all the wrinkles, but it''s the thought that counts!) "Well, I heard rumours that tonight one dark magician found his untimely death" was the given answer with an innocent expression. "I see... I was wondering why his most prized pouch was hanging from your belt." "It''s his?!" a wide eyed expression with a mouth making an o "I would have never guessed it had such a tragic past! I should protect it better than the previous owner then!" "Good idea" nodded the man in agreement and both of them burst out laughing. Neither had believed the other for a second and kept the act just for the sake of it. "You''ve got a refreshing mind, kid. Want to come over?" "Do you have a spare bed? Or simply a futon? I think even a clean piece of wood would suffice!" came an immediate reply. The old man chuckled while nodding and turned back the way he had come from. *** After an hour of walking, stumbling and entering wrong houses they had finally reached... a run down house, just like every other. "You sure this one¡®s really yours? I wouldn''t like the repeat of the previous one" muttered Ace in exhaustion. "I always had doubts about that woman but I never could have guessed she was a witch!" came the man¡¯s reply as he entered. Ace followed slowly. "Every woman is a witch if they wake up to see an intruder rummaging through her clothes especially if he''s an old man followed by a ''kid''" he didn¡¯t forget to put air quotes on the word kid no matter how tired he felt. "How was I supposed to know it was her closet! There''s a spare room there in my place!" "Well, the first hint that it wasn''t your home could have been a lovely girl sleeping in the bed..." "Maybe I picked her up at the party? I''m old and don''t remember everything!" "..." Ace didn''t feel like even attempting a reply to that. Then the man found his spare room and Ace fell into a bed made of rags without any second thoughts. His body shut down the moment a ''bed'' appeared in his sight. The old man put his chin on the cane''s top and studied the now sleeping youth. ''He clearly has potential and ingenuity to overcome all odds but his biggest enemy is his own innocence''. The man shook his head. ''He pretends to be an evil mastermind yet a simple corpse that could no longer do anything to him chased him all the way to the Reaper''s door. How does one taint the innocence of youth, huh? I''ll have to dwell on that. It would be such a waste not to use him.'' *** A revolting smell brought Ace back to the living. Still dazed from long sleep he opened his eyes and was welcomed by an unfamiliar wall. It was the colour of dust and had many cracks. Turning on the other side he saw an identical wall and some green fumes coming from the doorway. ''What the hell is that?'' Rolling out of the ''bed'' he crawled to the doorway on all fours as not to inhale that monstrosity more than necessary. "What poison are you mixing there, old man?" he asked the person''s back who was sitting before the fire and stirring. The guy was wearing a robe the colour of dust and his plain cane lay beside him "What? Oh this?" he motioned towards the sickly green contents of the pot "It''s dinner!" "N..No.. No way! I still want to live!" shouted Ace. With that said he took out two buns and finished them moments. There was still one left so there was still time to find something to do and hopefully earn food. He¡¯d had heard it¡¯s possible to die of hunger here. "By the way what''s your name, old man?" "Sedgart and stop calling me old! Show some respect to your elders!" "Pff.. Anyway, my name''s Ace. Thanks for giving me a place to sleep in." "Are you already leaving?" asked Sedgart raising his head from the concoction. "Well, I still have to decide what to do with my new life. So see..." "What do you think about the Assassin''s path?" the old man asked cutting him off while tasting his brew. "Assassin¡®s?" Ace was surprised but answered non the less "I had it in mind but the more I think about it the more overrated it seems. Half the people around here are either mages or rogues/assassins. I would be better off being a spearman or traveller, they¡®re almost extinct.¡° To youth''s surprise the man burst out laughing, the brew flying in all directions. Ace quickly took cover and once again ignored a pop up message which he had a collection of since the encounter with the mage. ''What''s so funny you old bastard?'' he questioned himself while examining his answer. After some time the old man calmed down and explained. "You''ve got it all wrong, kid." "I''ve got a name, you know?" interrupted the aforementioned kid but the man ignored him and continued. "Assassination is an art my friend and a very old one at that. It has honoured traditions and was even legalised in some kingdoms. Yet people nowadays seem to have forgotten all about it. For them assassin is someone who deals extremely high damage with a dagger in bursts. What a joke! True assassins are masters of deception, invisible movement, perfect positioning and instant kills. Their targets are dead in a few swift strokes to vital areas not, and I tell you NOT in a million fast random slashes!" "You sound like every other old man, you know?" replied Ace crossing his arms. "Who cares if I sound like an old fool, but do you believe me?" there was a strange light in the man''s eyes that weren''t there before. "I believe what you said about assassins of this time but I doubt the words you used to describe the past. To kill an armoured man with a few strikes? Pretty impossible." "Is it now?" the old man asked smiling but for some reason it made Ace uncomfortable. There was a feeling of something hidden there but his [Deception] skill was too low to decipher what. "Come with me now" said the man motioning towards the bathroom. Ace raised his eyebrows but followed. It was a small room with only a heap of rags and a bath. The man kicked at the furthest leg and a grinding sound could be heard. ''Huh?'' Before better questions could be formed a staircase going down opened up in the left corner. ''This is impressive'' Ace thought but his outward appearance remained unperturbed, still unconvinced. "Come come" hurried him Sedgart and almost ran down the stairs which didn''t agree with his age at all. Ace walked down slowly recording every detail for future use. It looked like a cave more than a basement and perfectly dark one too. Not wanting to wander blindly he quietly murmured "Flare". A flickering light appeared in front of his eyes. With a flick of fingers he sent it slightly higher and to the side. The illuminated room was a long corridor with many doors on every side but each had it''s own design and size. Sadly there wasn''t time to explore because the man he was supposedly following was already disappearing behind the first bend. Ace growled in annoyance but ran after a very agile old man. After a few hours of walking in circles (or that''s how it felt at least) they entered a room which was made from hard stone and filled with cages full of all kinds of monsters ranging from a group of kobalts to what looked like a miniature dragon. "What is this place?" asked Ace in wonder and trepidation. A caged monster is not the same as a dead one. The former tends to escape at all the wrong moments. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "This place? It''s where the animals are kept before their fights. Now where was that guy I had in mind... Look here, here he is! Come my untrusting friend and tell me what you see." "It''s an.. armoured snake? Holding a trident and eyeing me as if I was lunch?!" came a hesitant answer from Ace. "Yes yes now take this dagger and try to wound him". Ace took the weapon and carefully passing his hand through the bars, slashed with all his strength. The snake guy looked at him as if he was stupid trying to wound him through all the armour and scales with a toothpick. "It''s pointless" he agreed with the snake warriors assessment. That guy''s level was at worst over one hundred and he had armour enough to make ten sets out of it. "He he he" the old man chuckled and after a bit of fumbling with the lock opened the cage. Monster and boy looked at each other to make sure the other was seeing the same. The man entered the cage and snatched the dagger/toothpick from the boy''s hand. It started to glow with a faint purplish light. Then with a quick thrust Sedgart shouted "Heartseeker" and thrust his weapon straight to the monsters heart, piercing scales and armour like hot knife butter. The boy looked wide eyed, unbelieving that nature''s laws could be so easily defied. The snake collapsed and the dagger left it''s body without any resistance. The man cleaned it with a white handkerchief and looked up at the kid with cold eyes. No longer were there any humour. "Now do you believe me, boy?" Ace was stunned. He didn''t know how to react. How could a dagger go through armour and scales as if they were butter?! What kind of skill was that?! He just nodded and the man lead him back to his house. Before leaving the kid alone he gave him something more to mull over. "I hope I changed your opinion about assassins so think over your answer. And by the way, next time don''t disrespect assassins in their faces. We''re a prideful bunch." Ace lied down on the rags and studied the ceiling. ''What''s going on with me lately? Twice tonight had I thrash talked about different classes and to people who wanted to teach me non the less. Do I have death wish? Probably. But what should I do about the latest request? The old man seems very intent on making an assassin out of me and not likely to take a no for an answer. But maybe it wouldn''t be so bad to become one if I could learn that skill. What the hell was it anyway? It easily passed through all armour and one hitted the mob.'' Still undecided Ace logged off. *** Kirin woke up and went to make something to eat. It was a few hours after midnight once again. While the eggs were boiling he opened his laptop to check what the real level of that snake warrior was. After a bit of searching he found a post mentioning a dungeon in the west were level 150-210 snake monsters resided. No one had finished the dungeon because those snakeman were extremely strong for their level yet gave no good loot and poor xp in comparison. ''Not too shabby'' Then he closed the laptop, ate his eggs and went to sleep. Tomorrow he''ll decide if he wants to take a path of a murderer. After five-six hours he woke up and without any real decision went to play once again. *** "You''ve been lying there for quite some time, boy. I already started to look where to hide the body" came a voice from someone looming over Ace''s small frame. "Old man is that you?" asked the boy yawning. "Who else lives in this poor excuse for a house?" "Oh yeah I forgot that no self-respecting person would do that." "You know what that says about you?" "Well, you see I just came here to help out an old man in his time of need, but you''ve been living here for only god knows how long" "True true" the man agreed laughing. "Come now, have some breakfast" he added leaving the room. Ace rolled out of his pretend bed and looked at the doorway. There were no green fumes coming from the main room. That was a good sign, right? Entering the room he saw the same sight as last time but the concoction this time seemed to be edible. "Stop frowning at my stew!" said the man with a glare sitting near the fire and motioning for the youth to join him. Not having any real choice in the matter Ace sat down and allowed Sedgart to pour him a full bowl of so called stew. Closing eyes he put the spoonful in his mouth. He let it roll around in his mouth before deciding it wasn''t as bad as he had expected. With that in mind he finished his portion in no time. Excessive thinking also required energy. "I''ve been thinking about your suggestion and have a few questions. Will you yourself be the teacher?" asked the kid after finishing his meal. "Yes. What else been troubling you? Or do you fear for my age?" "No, not at all. You''ve clearly showed me not to underestimate anyone no matter how innocent they look. What interests me is if you''re the teacher how many other students you had? I have no fantasy to have been the first one to stumble in on your path." "You''re right at that you''re not the first to awaken my interest but I can tell you''re the most amusing one." The boy rolled his eyes. "Anyway, neither of them passed my preliminary test." "What kind of test is it and why do you think I can pass it if many before didn''t?" Ace asked tilting his head to the side a little. ''What could that old man have seen in me that got his approval?'' "Do you have no confidence in yourself?" asked the man in surprise. The kid didn''t give off a feeling of someone who looked down on himself. ''Could I have been wrong about him all along?'' "You misunderstood me, old man. It''s that you haven''t seen any skills of mine and from my movements you can easily see that I had no training in any kind of fighting. So why would you - a high tear assassin, I presume - decide to choose me - a random kid on the street - to become your student? I really could have only looted the dead wizard" Ace asked, eyeing the man. ''Phew..'' sighted the old man in his mind ''That little bastard almost gave me a heart attack. I''m really too old for this. It would be really nice if he actually passed the test.'' "That''s a good question but a simple one. I took you in because you looked so pathetic and out of place." The kids eyes turned into slits. No one liked being called weak. Yet the man ignored the boy''s glare and continued with his story "But after bantering with you for a bit I noticed you had brains. You weren''t born to be a fighter, who runs in first to die because someone else said it was a good idea, or a cleric, who are all about helping others (you had looted a dead man!). That left you good for magic or assassinating. So I decided to take a chance. ¡°Maybe you''re the chosen one to inherit my knowledge?" shaking his head in dismay the man added "You can''t imagine how scary it is to know that you''ll die without a successor yet all who come are poor excuses. Imagine one of my candidates became a well known priest! Can you believe it?! A priest!'' he shouted in rage. The kid chuckled. "That''s really sad. I''ve got tough competition." "So you agree to try out?" asked the man with a forced smile. His mind still on the bastard student. "I see no other way to leave with all my body parts in tact, so yes" with that Ace stood up waiting for a challenge but the old guy didn''t even move a muscle. "The test is easy. All you have to do is kill someone and bring his corpse to my house without looting it. From that I''ll decide if you qualify or not." "I have to kill someone?!" asked Ace, disbelief and shock raising his voice. "What did you expect?¡° asked the man raising an eyebrow. ¡°You''re trying for an apprenticeship under an assassin, and they kill people if you didn¡¯t know that. So, of course, I want to see if you''re capable of taking another''s life and using it for your own welfare. By the way you can take a dagger from the heap of rags near the door. It might help a bit." The kid snatched the dagger and left without another word. The old assassin made himself some tea and looked at the clinging door. ''What am I doing stealing the idealism and conscience of a youth?¡¯ He forcibly turned his head away and took a sip of tea burning his own tongue. It was too late to change anything. The dice was rolled. *** Ace activated [Hiding in Plain Sight] and walked down a random alley. ''The bastard wants me to kill a NPC. A living breathing individual exclusive to this world with no chance of revival. He knew I had no qualms about killing other players because for them death is just a minor setback, not the end of everything, so he chose this. Can I really do it?¡® Ace shook his head changing the direction of his thoughts ¡®In real life I hate so many people. It''s impossible to count how many times I wished I could kill my classmates or relatives while smiling brightly and nodding at whatever the hell they were talking about. It was so easy to utter those words when I had no way of making them true! I even prayed once for god to grant me the power to shut them all up forever. ¡®But now that I have it, how am I supposed to rise the weapon and rob someone of their life? Everyone has dreams and goals. They work very hard to achieve them and out of nowhere I appear stealing everything for my own gain.¡® He passed an arguing couple but they didn¡¯t seem to see or hear him. ¡®So in the end it all comes down to one question: can I really throw myself away? Indulge in pointless slaughter?'' Suddenly Ace stopped in the middle of the street almost falling down over his own feet. His face turned into a malicious grin when a thought entered his mind. ''Why should he care about others'' dreams? Did they care about his? Did they ever stop for a moment to look into his eyes and see the hidden message? More like a scream? ¡®No. None did. Not only that but they even furthered his misery. Why should he care about such beings? Wasn''t it said that there''s not a person without malice in his heart? So why should he limit himself for them? What did they ever do for him? Why shouldn''t he let his rage and bitterness take over and throw the moral codes drilled into him since childhood to the wind? What could possibly stop him from doing whatever the hell he wanted to?'' Soon after that a lone messengers last scream could be heard echoing away into the sunrise. Next Chapter 3. Dreams and Nightmares Author''s Note: Yes, I did name my archer Hawk. Deal with it. Anyway, hope you like it. Please tell me your thoughts, it helps to motivate me to write more! **** *Knock* *Knock* *Knock* A loud thumping sound woke an old man from his slumber. With a lot of effort and groaning he finally lifted himself from a makeshift bed of rags and took his cane. The grandfather clock showed that it was an hour before noon. ''Who could it be there? The boy left only a few hours ago and he''ll need much more to find the courage if he will at all.'' Slowly the man walked to the door and opened it. The sight made his jaw drop to the ground. There was a man in a messenger¡¯s garb slumped on a little kid. The man''s head was bent down hiding his features and in Sedgart''s opinion the paleness of death. The kid''s on the other hand was raised in defiance, cheeks red from exertion and air leaving in small puffs. But his most eye catching feature was his black as coal and just as emotionless eyes. It made the man take a step back. "Wasn''t your eyes orange last time?" "They were" replied the boy curtly and shouldered his way in. Inside he threw the man down in a corner and after cleaning his hands started to eat his bun. Once the messenger was off the kids shoulders, Sedgart noticed that he had changed his appearance. He was cloaked in a dark blue wizard''s mantle with a bastard sword strapped to his back and two daggers concealed under his robes. And most importantly he pulled it off. He gave off a feeling of someone dangerous even if your eyes told you it was just a young boy. Finished the kid stood up and looked at the old man. "Did I pass?" The man was surprised for a moment but then shook it off and revealed the last part of the test. "You''ll have to loot him in front of me. If you can do it without grimacing or any fear, you''ll pass." The boy gave a mocking bow and went to the task. He first cut off the pouches and took off the wedding ring. Then he rummaged through the bag, looking for something valuable, and lastly took off the boots. "Going to leave the clothes?" asked the man, it didn''t seem that the kid was any longer terrified but who knew? "Why bother? I can''t sell it anywhere official and I''d get only a few coppers in the black market. So?" "You''ve got what it takes to become a world class assassin but I have a better idea for you" the man answered with a sigh of someone who had just thrown off a huge boulder off his shoulders. "Oh really? So I did this all just for your amusement?" Ace asked with a barely controlled voice. He hated one thing more than anything and that was being tricked. "Wait wait wait! Now you misunderstood me!" quickly replied the old man trying to mitigate the damage done. "I didn''t mean I wouldn''t train you, what I meant was for you to expand the boundaries of my profession." "Huh" was the intelligent reply. "Let''s sit down and I''ll tell you an old story.¡± Ace did as he was told and prepared himself for a boring recollection. ¡°Long time ago there was a kid born in a wealthy family. He grew up happily playing with others under his loving parents'' watchful gaze but one day when he was twelve his father didn''t return home. After some time mother told him their family''s secret. ¡°They weren¡¯t all merchants or something close by. They, and all of their ancestors, had been assassins - his father, mother, uncle, grandfather and all other relatives. From then on he was trained to be one too. And he was good at it. ¡°Soon he became one of the best in his generation but no one had ever asked him if he wanted to. So he carried on his families pride forgetting his own childish dreams. When he grew old he saw the pointlessness of it and tried to change his ways but it was too late." the old man finished in a sad voice. "What''s with old people telling their stories in a third person?" asked the boy with a bored expression but seeing the old man''s glare changed his question with a sigh "What was the kid''s dream?" "To become the greatest mage who ever lived" "A mage? No way! There''s not a chance I''ll let you talk me into it. I came in terms with assassination but leave magic out of it! It''s just too damn main stream!" exclaimed Ace angrily waving his arms around as if defending himself even from an idea of it. "Are you sure of it, Ace? Do you really have no adventurous spirit in you to go into an uncharted territory? I didn''t think you were so spineless" said the man quietly. His calmness making the words even more biting. "What do you mean by uncharted territory? When was the last time you went out? Every other person there is a freaking mage!" "I don''t want you to become just another mage" refuted the old man. "I''m not that little kid anymore if you haven''t noticed". ''I surely didn''t'' thought Ace wryly. "What I want to you to become is an assassin who uses magic to help him in his work. No one tried this before with any luck but I can see you have brains so maybe you''ll be able to pull it off just like your clothes." "What''s wrong with my clothes?" "That''s not the point! So do you agree to try it out? In return for you never able to change to another class I''ll even teach you a skill of another profession." Ting! Two messages popped in front of his eyes.
Dreams of Glory A young boy lived in a manor reading books about magic and the mages'' magnificence. He dreamed to one day become one of them - killing dragons and saving princesses in distress. But the fate had other plans for him. Due to his family''s unfortunate circumstances he was forced to become an assassin, the evil he wanted to protect the world from. Now an old man he wishes for you to join his two worlds: that of mage''s glory and assassin''s cold-heartedness. Difficulty level: A Quest requirements: Good relationship with an Assassin Sedgart Must have passed Test of Morality Must have Magic mastery Reward: Unknown
Ting!
Class change! You can convert to an unknown class. If you agree, you''ll be allowed to learn magic and dagger skills without any penalty. Do you wish to convert?
Ace read the information on the screens and scratched his head. He really wasted no time making it big. Level five getting an A level quest... It was a hard gamble, but who doesn''t risk, doesn''t drink champagne. ''Besides this way I''ll make it to the top or fall to the very bottom, at least I won''t be average''. Now determined to see it through Ace said in a clear voice "I will walk the path of your dreams, old man, and come back to tell you the truth behind it." That moment he was enveloped in a warm light and his status window appeared before his eyes.
Status Window
Name Ace Alignment Lawful Evil
Level 5 Profession Assassin Mage
Title None
Fame 35
Notoriety 20
Health 390 Mana 1009
Strength 7+30 Agility 9+30
Wisdom 19+50 Intelligence 9+100
Stamina 11+30
Luck 0 Leadership 0
Attack 9
Defense 0
+ All survival stats are added 30 points, Int + 50 points + Dagger mastery increases more easily by 25% + Wisdom and Intelligence are added 50 points + Magic mastery increases 25% more easily + You can learn all spells + Enables you to equip certain items specialized for your class. + Due to your double classes'' differences your fame is divided into fame and notoriety
''It''s not too bad'' tried to consult himself Ace ''Even though I only get half of what I''m supposed to get, also no bonuses for sneaking, I can still become a great assassin, right? I can just ignore the mage part because casting fireballs doesn''t help to sneak around at all! Like seriously! What kind of idiot could want to duo these classes? No one has ever seen a master spellsword and this is even worse! Why did I think this was a good idea again? ¡®Ech, got to play with the cards you''re given even if the only ace is in your name. Now that I think about it what if I bluffed my way to the top? It shouldn¡¯t be that hard. Hmm¡­'' "So where did you distribute all your points? Magic or strength?" asked the old man intrigued. "Nowhere yet" answered the youth truthfully. "I''m still thinking of a best way to go with this". "Oh, okay..." said the man disappointed a bit but his smile quickly returned. "Anyway good luck" "Wait... What good luck? Do you mean you''re not going to train me?" "Nope. All the skills are self-explanatory. Backstab enough times and you generate a skill, walk around in shadows and you''ll learn sneaking so on and so forth." "What about the skill you showed me? I doubt he''s that easy to learn." "Nothing spectacular to tell the truth but before I explain to you how to attain it you must promise me something. Never under any circumstances show anyone it''s true power." "Hm?" "How do you think no one ever got the wind of it through all the ages? Was it learnt only recently? Not at all, it''s as old as our profession but all assassins guarded it''s secret with their life." "Okay I get it, keep it secret. So what is it?" asked Ace impatiently. "You still don''t understand. You must hide the true power of the skill by pretending it''s just another finishing skill like every other. Before using it you must wound the enemy considerably otherwise don''t even think about activating it!" "This much secrecy... It''s too much to simply hide one skill''s power, isn''t it?" The man nodded "It is. So why do you think we do it?" "Maybe to have a stronger surprise attack? No... That''s not it. It must be something more lethal to make assassins choose death instead of revealing it... What motivates them? Love? Attachment? Greed? Wait its fear, isn''t it? They''re afraid what will be done to them for doing what is required to gain the skill?" "You''re close but not there yet. Some lords are just as heartless as assassins, don''t you think? We don''t hire ourselves." "If you''ll die either way, just without pain by talking, what could stop you from doing that? It doesn''t make sense! Who would suffer just for the hell of it?" "You''ve started the wrong way this time. Yes even assassins don''t like the idea of dying but we''re accustomed to it. We''re not controlled by the fear of it. But in the end we''re humans with feelings too, not monsters. What if I told you we''re protecting something?" "Protecting? You can''t have any attachments or you''ll be easily manipulated. Hmm..." the kid''s grey eyes were wondering around the room when he started to chuckle and lightly hit his head with a hand. "How could I have missed it? No person can stay sane without any human contact. You never have families or friends unless... ¡°Unless they''re from within your circle! You have each other. You can talk freely and you don''t expect the other to be a hero and sacrifice himself because you''re a total idiot if you get yourself caught. If the lords got a hint of the skills true power, they would try to exterminate every last assassin and you can''t have it. You''re a family of misfits who care for one another but just as easily would slit each other''s throats under a mention of a broken rule." "Not you are, but we are. You''re one of us now, kid, and you should remember it well." "I will. So what''s the secret? I promise to protect it like the sister I never had." "That''s an original one" laughed the man "As I mentioned before it''s easy. All you have to do is kill someone each night with last hit being a thrust to the heart with the same dagger." "That sounds gruesome" grimaced Ace. The fact that he could kill didn''t mean he actually enjoyed it. "Honing your skills is gruelling work and it isn''t pretty in our line of work. Anyway what skill would you like me to teach you for accepting my request?" "Alchemy" answered Ace without wasting a second. "You''ve quickly jumped into the business, already thinking of ways to make your work easier. I''m proud of you." "Actually it''s the most profiting business in case this class fails horribly." "...." "Can you also teach me the way of a dagger? It would be much better if I had actually some real experience instead of creating everything from scratch." "If you believe I have something you teach you, I will, but don''t expect any good treatment simply because you skipped the apprentice part." "Wouldn''t even dream of it. And thanks." Ace said smiling and leaving a stunned old man. He jogged to the front steps where he sat down to finish his books about Masters of the art. ''That smile¡­ Those blue eyes¡­ I have no idea how he can take a life and still look so innocent. It just shouldn''t be that way!¡¯ screamed Sedgart in his mind following the kid with his eyes. Before reading Ace decided to look through all the messages that he had gotten since his fight with the mage. Quite a number had accumulated over the half a day he ignored them.
Luck increased by 5 points (+5 LCK)
Agility increased by 1 point (+1 AGI)
New Skill Acquired: Evasion [Passive] Your quick reflexes allow you to easier dodge attacks and missiles.
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New Skill Acquired: Childish Innocence [Passive] Your youthful appearance and affable personality tends to sway everyone in your favour. Monsters see you as a hatchling and may go as far as protecting you from others.
New Skill Acquired: Shadow Veil [Active] For walking a long time in the shadows you''re aware of their concealing power. You become harder to see when sneaking but lose 1.5 more stamina compared to normal. Mana cost 2/s
Ace didn''t notice anything but the second skill he had learnt. ''Are you freaking kidding me?! I''m not a child you bastards''! If I''ll ever meet the creators of this game, they''ll wish they had died young'' he thought his eyes turning a murderous shade of red. After a lot of grumbling and some threatening to unseen people the kid picked up a book and portrayed the perfect picture of youthful ignorance. No passerby even entertained the idea that this boy could be anything else but an unfortunate relative of someone living in that shabby house. They went as far as feeling sorry for the poor soul who will be thrown into the cruel world so early. But no one approached him even if he didn''t deserve it, because neither did the other residents. ~Half a year (game time) later~ The city lived in fear. No one was sure when it had started. There was always some crime, some murderers lurking in the dead of the night so nobody paid any attention to beginners telling a tale of being killed by a ghost. Higher levels even laughed at them. It was their downfall. Maybe if they would have listened... But they didn¡¯t and the monster grew bolder each night. Soon midlevels (up to 70) weren''t safe either. At first only alleys in darkest hours were unsafe but with passing time the ghost started to visit and the main streets. You couldn''t walk at night anywhere no matter you were a player or NPC. No one was overlooked. At that time higher levels became aware of the problem but still didn''t take it seriously. They thought they''d just patrol the streets and the killer will run away with his tail between the legs. What they didn''t expect was for all of them to be annihilated. The murderer would appear out of nowhere like a phantom and after a series of swift critical attacks would finish off anyone with a thrust to heart that bypassed any armour. But that was not all. A month ago he learnt a new skill. He called it Curse of a Hungry. It allowed him to take everything off a person, even empty his bag which was unheard of. Who would play the game if on death you could loose everything you acquired in all your time? That, of course, didn¡¯t stop the ghost of the night. He was soon called Silver Wing because of his tendency to leave a silver wing in his victims¡¯ empty bag. It made it easy to know who had the misfortune of meeting him. His appearance was much speculated but no one could say anything true. The known fact was that he obviously wore all black and always had a cowl over his head. His voice when he called skill names was of a young person, no more than twenty, maybe even younger. Also he always had a [Flare] skill active. He used it to lure players to easier kill them at first but lately only hid it under his cowl. Today at least ten guilds created a temporary alliance to flush the city clean of all evil presences. Nothing was to be left intact. A lot of their members had a meeting with the city''s ghost and they were out for revenge. What they didn''t know was that their target had no wish to continue the relationship and for the first time had left the borders of the city. *** ¡®There are so many people today! And all of them look so happy! Maybe today is some kind of celebration?¡¯ guessed Ace while walking down the main street. Bits of conversation drifting his way. "I wish I was the one who will catch him! Can you imagine how much fame I would get?" "Yeah but do you really expect to do anything to The Silver Wing? I take it you never actually met him?" "So what? He can''t be that bad! I''m already level 100!" "But I heard rumours that he alone killed a whole party of 200s! That''s why they''ve hired so many scouts, rangers and rogues to catch him!" "Yeah I heard that one too! My source also said that you can''t see him even when he''s attacking so it''s like fighting an invisible man, totally impossible!" Ace put his hand on his mouth to smother the laughter bubbling in his throat. ''They''re all here to hunt me?! I''m flattered! But I better make myself scarce. It''s not good to bite off more than you can chew.'' With that thought he walked through the gates into grassland filled with small animals which were happily grazing around. The commotion in the city took all attention and the city''s ghost had made newbies reluctant to start here so they were rare in the first place. It was haven for the little animals. Ace walked on ignoring the animals nuzzling up to him. He was busy creating an elaborate plan on how to kill Regal Dreams¡¯ creators in the most painful way. *** "What''s that sound?" asked Aurora wearily. They had been walking around these woods for ages now with no luck. The dungeon they were supposed to enter was nowhere in sight and the fog had just risen to slow their progress even more. "What sound? I can''t hear anything!" asked the ranger beside her. "Aren¡¯t you a ranger? It''s like a melody or something. You guys can hear it, right?" she asked looking at the other two party members: a red robed kid and a warrior with a scythe like weapon. "Yeah" agreed the scytheman. "Should we go investigate it? Might be an event quest or something" suggested Hawk. ¡°And I¡¯m an archer, not a ranger¡± he muttered to Aurora. The warrior nodded after a moment and all of them made their way swiftly towards where the sound was coming from. Moving through a dense forest in a fog was not a fun experience and it took a toll on the priestess¡¯s stamina. She was huffing and puffing in no time. She pushed away the bushes, their thorns destroying another of her pristinely white robes. In her absent mindedness she stumbled forward into a clearing. As she raised her head to look around a strange sight met her eyes. Where the fog was thickest on a large stone sat a cross-legged boy playing a flute while a small flame circled his head. He looked to be around eleven or twelve and had a head full of unruly blonde curls, eyes closed in concentration. His attire was most unusual. He was wearing simple comfortable clothes which gave no armor and a blue wizards cloak but instead of staff or wand he had a sword strapped on his back. ''Just who is he?'' wondered all the party members listening to the sad melody. After some time the boy played the last note and opened his eyes. They were a startling light green. "Nice too meet you, I''m Ace" said the boy in a welcoming voice. "Uhm... Hi?" replied the priestess. "Nice to meet you too" said the ranger, the only one remembering manners. "My name is Hawk, this lady is Aurora, the kid''s name Paradox and the silent guy is named Monthu." Ace took a closer look at them. The priestess was a girl of around nineteen with shoulder length white hair, pale complexion and white robes. She gave off and eerie feeling with that absolute whiteness like a ghost or recently deceased. Ace made sure to remember never to tell her that. Girl''s rarely liked to hear the truth. The kid Paradox seemed about eight, had short brown hair and wore red robes. A fire mage maybe? But where''s his staff then... He stood silently as if barely even there. The ever polite ranger had a look opposite of his personality at the first glance. His midnight black hair were put in a tight braid that reached his waist, his face was very sharp, nose resembled a beak and eyes were a pale orange, maybe he purposely made himself look like his namesake? There was a huge longbow with a quiver of arrows on his back. The last member of an already colourful party took Ace''s attention the most. He was older than others over twenty for sure and extremely closed up. He hadn''t said a word but his presence could be felt from a distance. There was no doubt who was the leader. He was wearing medium armor and held a scythe like weapon. The blade was changed to extend upright from the pole instead of sideways but still looked just as menacing. ''I think I''ll better stay on the good side of him. You can never know when he''ll decide to change his profession to Grim Reaper.'' His assessments done he smiled and continued the conversation. "May I ask why you''ve come to this no man''s land?" The party looked troubled. Information sharing wasn''t in their best interests as that would make possible for someone stealing their quest. "It would be better if you told us who the hell you yourself are and what are you doing here alone. If you value your life that is" came the reaper''s voice. He had it perfect decided Ace and went for some theatrics to make it more interesting. He brushed off the invisible dust from his wet cloak and started to spin his tail. "As you see, I''m no fighter (an assassin). I came here on an accident (was following a map) and been lost for a couple days now (few hours). You can''t imagine how happy I am to see you (I wish you never showed up)! I hope you can finally lead me out of this puzzling forest (It''s so boring I''m tired). And who I am? Nothing but a lowly bard (everything but that). So can you help me, oh noble gentleman and fair lady! Please save this unfortunate soul and let him follow you through your glorious adventure till the next human inhabited place!" "Is he crazy or mad?" whispered the priestess to her team mates. ''I overdid it a little, didn''t I?'' guessed Ace deciding he needed to improve his acting considerably. ''To meet a real lord would probably help too''. While he was daydreaming the priestess came closer and gently touched his head. "Are you okay? Maybe you''ve caught a fewer sitting in this cold damp air?" "No I didn''t!" hissed Ace venomously jumping back, his cheeks tinged with red. Aurora could hardly hold her laughter. ''The kid''s so cute!'' Deception successful. Gain 7% experience. Deception failure. Minus 2% experience. Ace took a note of pop up bars and acted accordingly. Through trial and error he had learnt to read them even in the most heated combat because sometimes they contained actually useful information about newly learnt skills and like in this case how successful his lies were. It was interesting how the system made everything he did sound like a lie unless it was pride and heroicness attributed to mages. Nothing an assassin said or felt was attributed to truth. "Cut the crap, weirdo. Tell the truth or you''ll soon be respawning in a city you miss so much" growled the reaper once again. ''Why couldn''t he be a nice fellow like others and believe the nonsense I sprouted?'' "Why would you say that? I have nothing to hide!" "Maybe the fact that for some sick reason you made yourself look like a kid? That you''re no bard? That not even the biggest idiot comes alone to a haunted forest forever shrouded in mists? Did I miss anything?" his silvery grey eyes were flashed disgust. "Let''s make some things clear first" said Ace calmly, his demeanour changing. Eyes lost their sparkle, back straightened and movements became more fluid. "This" he pointed at his chest "is my real body. I love it or hate it but I won''t have you calling me a psycho or worse." Without any notice two daggers appeared in his hands and the little fire started to glow brighter. "You didn''t deny the bard part" came a small voice from the little mage, his slightly shaking hand raised. "Huh?" everyone turned at him. "I... I mean... You didn''t say you really were a bard! You lied! And good people never lie!" Ace rolled his eyes. There was a reason why he hated to be called a kid. ''How could anyone think my intellect was at that level?'' "That''s true but weren''t you told that smart people never tell truth to strangers?!" he opened his eyes wide to pretend shock "What if the beautiful lady talking to you is actually a witch? What if those grown ups are devils looking for innocent kids to steal?!" The kid Paradox nodded. "My brother told me that too! So you¡¯re a good person, right?" a huge smile appeared on his face at that thought. ''A friend!'' "Leave my brother out of this, you bastard! Tell me what the hell you''re doing here or I swear I''ll send you straight back where you came from" ''So the Reaper has a weakness. Interesting.'' "Now that''s hard to believe since you have no idea who I am. But because I''m in a good mood I''ll tell you something. ''Hook'' I came here to find peace and quiet to improve my skills and not stumble into dungeons or be annoyed by random thugs". That took everyone''s attention. "You mean... you found a dungeon around here? Could you possibly remember where?" asked the ranger reverently. ''Line'' "Why think so lowly of me? Of course I remember the path." "Please can you lead us to it? We''ve been wondering around for a week already without any luck! Please!" begged the priestess while giving an evil eye to the ranger. ''And sinker'' "I woul..." "We don''t need that liars help. He''ll only lure us into a monster pit or an ambush. No one simply shares their secrets." Ace glared at Reaper. ''Why in the god''s name you had to butt in and destroy such a perfect scheme? I was so close!'' But quickly his face relaxed and he smiled warmly at the angry fighter. He even bowed slightly. "As you wish, milord." Before enraged Monthu could react the fake kid jumped back on his rock, sat down and raised the flute. A simple but ever changing melody escaped it''s clutches. At first it was slow and hesitant but soon it became more violent, desperate like a sparrow caught and thrust into a cage, looking for a way out but to no avail, his energy draining, the melody thinning falling into despair. Monthu shook his head trying to clear the vision away. It wasn''t his business to care for other players'' feelings. "Let''s go" he whisper/shouted and motioned with his head for them all to get away from there. "But I don''t want to! I want to know if the little birdie escapes! Does he?" asked the kid with an unwavering trust in his older brother. "I don..!" |Don''t you dare tell him that! You must let him believe that everything has a happy ending! He told me he still believes that Santa Klaus exists! You can''t possibly crush his dreams, can you?!| screamed at him Aurora in PM. He wasn''t sure what to be puzzled more about - how she came to her conclusion or how she could write so fast. But that had to be done at a later date. Now he had to answer his brother who was looking with the puppy dog eye look. |Fine| "Yes, he does. Otherwise what little sparrow would he be?" The flutist¡¯s mouth corners slightly lifted up but the melody never wavered. Yet, once the party was considerable distance away, after a last-ditch effort the melody died away with a last note ringing in the still air. 4. Secrets of Our Own Previous Chapter Author''s Note: People kept asking for more chapters and I just finished writing the first volume so to celebrate that I''m releasing three chapters this week instead of two. Hope you like it **** The melody continued day and night disappearing for a few short hours only to reappear again. With every day it grew more delicate and enchanting while the party was trying to resist it with all their might. "Why can''t we just ask him where the damn cave is?" huffed the priestess in annoyance. "We''ll never find it ourselves!" "Yes we will" growled Monthu angrily but now even his voice lacked conviction. They had spent another week walking around the forest with no luck. If not the flutist''s words that the dungeon really existed, they would have given up long time ago. "I don''t think so" quietly said the ranger. "If I walked by it and didn''t notice this many times, nothing will change if I''ll walk a dozen times more." The fruitless search put a toll on the whole party''s morale. "But we can''t trust him!" refuted Monthu with his usual stubbornness. "He''s our only chance" fought the priestess. "If we don''t use him, we might as well quit the quest. We''ve already wasted two valuable weeks for nothing. I''m sick and tired of this fog, trees and even more trees. I haven''t had a good meal since forever and all my robes are grey if not black. One could mistake me for a believer of Beelzebub. Yet you still continue with this nonsense. So choose now we''re going home or to ask the flutist directions. I''m not wondering around in this god forsaken land a minute more." Hawk and Paradox stood at Aurora''s sides looking at their friend with sunken eyes and drooping shoulders waiting for an answer. Monthu looked at them and felt a pang of guilt. If he could walk around for a month without losing resolve or getting tired, it didn''t mean others could. They were not monsters. "Fine" he nodded in resignation and walked towards the flutist''s place. Just like always the kid was sitting calmly his fingers nimbly running over the delicate buttons and producing sweet sounds. They waited for him to finish and then approached. "Welcome back, my friends. Have you come to say goodbye?" such polite talk and sophisticated insult didn''t go well with his childish look but Ace was a bit tired himself. He''s been using magic to strengthen the melody and the concentration required to keep the [Flare], play, use magic and keep aware of one''s surroundings was immense. "Would you like to join us?" asked Reaper without beating around the bush and extending his hand. Ace tilted his head but after a few moments took the outstretched hand. "Sure"
*You''ve joined a party.*
Without any more words exchanged he walked to the right. There were a lot of small bushes and deep cavities but nothing resembling a cave. Sliding down inside one Ace looked for a sign and found the cross shaped stone he had left. Standing up he muttered. "Visions of old that were placed to hide the truth from strangers and ignorant ones show me your true colours, Revelation!" At first nothing seemed to happen but then the air in front of Ace started to shimmer and one side of the hollow turned into a small entrance. It was around 50-70 centimeters tall which allowed only for crawling. "Are you sure this is the one?" asked Aurora apprehensively. She didn''t feel like destroying her last dress for good. "Well, this is the only one I know of" answered Ace shrugging. "No surprise I couldn''t find it" sighted Hawk in relief "It was hidden by magic". "So you''re a mage?" speculated Reaper. Ace just smiled and lowered himself on all fours and entered the small space. It was very rocky and sharp scrapping the soft skin of his palm. Ignoring the slight pain he went ahead and after a while emerged into a wide cavern. It was extremely dark so he raised the little flame up and took a better look.
DUNGEON: You are the very first players to discover Levin''s Hideout Reward: Fame +200. For a week from this moment you¡¯ll receive double experience and your chance to get rare items will be tripled. After the week, you will receive only double chance for rare items as the founders.
''As expected the cave was unexplored and still preserved its many treasures.¡¯ The route ahead was split into five different paths. Each of them had a gemstone over the entrance ruby, sapphire, jade, crystal and diamond respectively. The party emerged with awed expressions. "What is this place?" asked Aurora looking around. "This is amazing" agreed Hawk. ''You''ve been kicked out of the group'' Ace raised his eyebrow but decided to stay calm. They''ll need him again soon enough and then he''ll make them pay a price. For now he''ll just follow and watch pretending to be content. He should be higher level than them so it shouldn''t make a big difference later on. His killings in the city had given more than plenty of experience to level up. The Reaper chose jade cave and cautiously walked in. Feeling like having a little petty revenge, Ace controlled his [Flare] to hide in his cowl. Blackness fell over the group. "Why did you do that?" shouted Aurora with annoyance and what could be mistaken for a fear in her voice. "I''m tired. I need to preserve my energy" was the given answer. "Do you ever stop lying? You hid it, not released" hissed Monthu. "What are you saying? Why would I do that?" shouted Ace with outrage while hardly keeping himself from laughing. He was lying and he knew that they knew it too but couldn''t do a thing about it. ''You get what you deserve.'' Monthu could swear he saw the bastard smiling even in this pitch black darkness. ''He probably thinks we''ll come begging, well, he has another thing coming.'' "Paradox summon the fire elemental" "Sure, brother" answered the red robed mage and started to chant with his eyes closed. "Fires that burn within everyone, flames that punish the unworthy, light that shows the way strengthen the bond and create a soul to fight for your servant to show the world the truth, Summon Fire Elemental!" A blinding light flashed once and in its place a body made solely of fire appeared. It lightened the surroundings and Monthu threw a Cheshire cat smile towards the flutist but the guy didn''t even acknowledge it. He was rummaging through his backpack and then took something out with a satisfied smile. Before a moment''s pass the kid was holding a stick with something akin to marshmallow on it towards the flaming beast. The elemental looked shocked out of its wits. "What the hell do you think you''re doing?" "Roasting a marshmallow, what else?" was the simple answer, Ace didn''t even lift his head for that. He was smiling slightly to annoy the Reaper even more. It was fun to throw him off his high horse. ''Not everyone will always do what you expect. Some people just want to have some fun.'' Rotating the stick he made sure that all sides were similarly light brown before happily munching on it. "So are we going to explore it? Or are we taking a break?" Monthu glared but knowing better than to try getting rid of him he went to the jade cave. Paradox sent his elemental ahead with his brother and went last. Ace decided to join him. The better access you have to your enemy''s weakness the better. If he could make the kid his friend, it would even be possible to join the group for real. "So have you been to many adventures?" "Like three or four. Why?" asked Paradox suspiciously, his brother made him promise not to trust the flutist but never gave a real reason why. His natural curiosity was fighting against his duty to fulfil the promise. "Well, I''ve just left the city. It''s my first time out!" whispered the kid whose name he had forgotten. "Really?" that was shocking. Nobody stayed in the city for long. The slowest ones took a month to get accustomed before curiosity made them leave the safety of the city walls. "Yeah... The second day I met an old man and he asked me for help. Of course, I agreed" Par nodded. ''A real knight couldn''t act any differently.'' He started to respect the stranger. "But his orders never ended! Once I did something he thought of something new! I was stuck in the eternal cycle! Only after half a year did I finally manage to think of a way out and save myself." "And how did you do that?" asked Par interested in the story. "Believe it or not but all I had to do was refuse his reward saying I wasn''t worth it and am not good enough to work for him. The evil old man wholeheartedly agreed to me before realizing what he had said. Then I was free of the curse and left the city. I walked around for a while and stumbled upon this forest. It was so quiet that I decided to rest and learn to play a flute. My father played it and I can''t let him down!" explained Ace. "But that counts as an adventure! You escaped the clutches of an evil mage without anyone''s help!" argued Par raising his voice a bit. "Do you... really think it''s worth being called an adventure?" the kid''s eyes were cast down but his voice quivered a little with hope constricting his throat. Par nodded vigorously. "Of course!" "Thanks!" a small smile brightened the kid''s face. "Will you tell me about your travels? Have you seen a dragon?" "No, but we...." Paradox started his first tale and Ace listened to him attentively while also keeping an eye on the front of the group. Monthu was walking along the elemental and was getting more agitated with each step. They had already walked a mile or two without meeting anything or anyone. That was simply unnatural to a dungeon. Then a loud female chuckle came from around the bend. That helped to relax Monthu a little. He was used to fighting not looking for traps and playing mind games. Without a second thought he jumped and hit the first thing he saw. It was a flower the size of the human. She and two of her comrades used their leafs as hands and had faces in their blooms. "Who are you?!" they shouted in synchrony while summoning vines to trap his body but the fire elemental made short work of them. Free once again Monthu used his war scythe to cut the flowers'' leafs but they just grew them again after a bit of screaming and cursing. A vine appeared before him but he managed to dodge at the last second and used the momentum to cut one of the flowers¡¯ stem. It shrieked but didn''t die. Changing his grip Monthu tried to stab the flower but sharp pain enveloped his arm. Swiftly turning around he saw the third flower with her leaf that had become as sharp as a dagger in his shoulder. With a hiss he jumped away and quickly assessed the fight. The elemental and Hawk were trying to hit one of the flowers but she was very thin and evaded many of the attacks. She had no chance to counter-attack but it still was taking them a lot of time to kill her. The almost dead flower was crawling away while vines blocked the path after her. The last flower, the one that had sneaked up on him, was licking the blood off her leaf/hand/blade. Then a red aura surrounded her. ''That can''t be good'' "Hawk shoot the running one! I''ll take care of the agile one!" With that he dashed off towards the flower. He ducked to evade the arrows and jumped bringing his scythe down with force on the flower. The blade now stuck in its head kept it in place while two fireballs exploded in her face making the flower disappear in a grey flash. "Healing hand!" A white light descended on his shoulder but Monthu ignored it. There was now a wholly red flower with a malicious grin on her face looking straight at him. Seeing him tense and grip his weapon more tightly she smiled even wider and created a war scythe from vines. It was red too. With a maniacal laugh she jumped forth and started to swing her weapon. Monthu blocked it with his own and kept on doing that. The flower''s speed was unparalleled her thrusts and swings hardly caught by naked eye. It was all he could do to defend and not suffer fatal damage. Hawk was shooting his arrows with lightning speed but the red flower didn''t seem to mind. She even disregarded the fireballs thrown by the elemental. It was as if she only saw him. In ten more minutes the arrows and fire finally put it down. Monthu felt so tired that he more like fell to the ground than sitting. His lungs were screaming for air and his muscles didn''t want to be used ever again. Ace, on the other hand, was still listening to Paradox. The kid didn''t acknowledge the fight as if it didn''t concern him at all which made Ace think if maybe it was really the case. He watched from the sidelines as Monthu engaged and fought with careless abandon. And he was pretty much the only one fighting. Hawk was shooting arrows and the elemental was throwing fireballs here and there but in reality everything was done by Monthu. They were just assets to make his life easier. Once the fight was over Paradox called up his elemental healed him, restored its mana, sent him back to the front and continued with his second adventure. ''It''s really sad'' thought Ace and looked to where the big brother was resting at the moment. His breathing was returning to normal at a fast pace and he was already standing up. "Well, that was a good fight" he said and collected the loot. ''Why do they put up with him?'' wondered Ace. ''He made his brother believe that being an elemental mage and summoning creatures was cool but Aurora and Hawk weren''t kids. They couldn''t be fooled that easily. So why were they following him? Pretending to be a team when in reality they were nothing else but his lapdogs?'' It was a mystery and Ace felt like being a detective for a while. It''s not like he had anything better to do. The fights continued the same till the end of the day. Monthu played while others assisted him and Ace talked to Paradox. The kid was pretty smart; it was sorrowful that he was stuck in the back doing nothing. From his talks Ace gathered that it was always like that and he was bored most of the time. ''That''s why he was so eager for my company''. When Monthu decided it was time to rest, the elemental lighted the logs they had carried from the forest and vanished. Aurora showed up to be the traditionalist and cooked. The steaks were nothing spectacular but it won against barley bread, he¡¯d bought as it was cheap and took forever to go bad, any time of the day. The priestess even served him with a smile which made Ace wonder what was going in her head. A week passed like that and the party got used to Ace tagging along even though he wasn''t getting any xp or loot. They''d given up on figuring out his purpose and were simply thankful for keeping Paradox occupied and happy. It might have gone on forever but Ace and jade cave had other plans. Once again everyone returned from real life and prepared to battle. Well, everyone beside Ace. He had arrived much earlier than others and was playing the flute. It was his usual and with magic''s help he managed to become quite proficient with it. He had to use less and less of it to sound well. They set out and marched ahead in the same formation Monthu in front with elemental while everyone else followed them loosely. "How was your sleep?" asked Paradox. "Pretty uneventful" laughed Ace while his eyes sharpened on something in the front and he shouted out. "I wouldn''t step on that if I were you..." "What?" asked Monthu surprised. The kid had never interfered with his hunting before. "Look closely a few steps ahead, your knee level." Not sure what to expect he squatted down. At first he didn''t notice anything but then as the elemental moved a bit the light caught on something. A silver thread? "It''s a trap!" "Well, du''h" said Ace rolling his eyes. "How did you notice it from so far away?" wondered Monthu not fully able to hide the amazement in his voice. He might be a brute but he knew well what happened to those who unsuspectingly walked into a trap. "Trap mastery" answered Ace shrugging. "What else could it be?" "But aren''t you a mage? And then you''ve lied to my brother. It''s not your first time out" At that Par''s eyes widened and he looked at his new friend waiting for assurance that it was not. Ace didn''t make him wait. "I spent half a year in a city. Don''t you think I would have learnt a trick or two in that time? Did you really believe playing a flute is all I''m capable of?" Seeing everyone''s eyes widen, the kid burst out laughing. "You actually did, didn''t you?" he shook his head still chuckling. "Just as well, I''ll show you something. I was getting bored here anyway". With that he jogged to the front jumping over the silver line and disappeared over a bend. The party looked at each other but no one had any ideas what the kid was up to so they followed. Behind the bend was a sandy coloured tiled floor. There was no questioning if it was a trap but the kid seemed to not have gotten the meme. He ran straight in jumping from one to another without a care or so it looked. In reality, Ace was quickly scanning the room and making decisions based on that. It was dangerous because a simple mistake would cost his life but it was a time to show off and he couldn''t do it half-assedly. "Wait there!" he shouted to the group and ran ahead looking for some enemies, just jumping through traps wasn''t going to cut it. To be let in he not only had to earn their trust, prove useful but most importantly impress them. So he ran and ran until a group of cavemen entered his sight. Then he started to sneak and reached their camp unnoticed, but instead of attacking he struck the gong signalling for reinforcements to come. That of course removed his [Shadow Veil]. Monsters didn''t show his courtesy and attacked the moment they noticed him but Ace was expecting that and dodged their attacks. He played for a while evading until the enforcement group came. Then he slipped through their ranks and ran off at top speed. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He was panting by the time he reached the trapped tiles but it was not the end yet. There were ten enraged cavemen on his tail. "Don''t interfere" he shouted to the ranger, who had already picked up his weapon, and stopped in the middle of tiles. By the time enemies caught up he had caught his breath and was ready for battle. In a fair fight he would have had no chance against eleven full health cavemen but he wasn''t one to play by the rules. He waited for the monsters to reach first steps and jumped up gluing himself to the ceiling. Swiiish! A barrage of arrows shot from all sides embedding themselves into the cavemen''s soft flesh. They screamed in agony but didn''t hurry to die. Once the onslaught of arrows was finished Ace fell down on one of the cavemen''s shoulders using [Cut-throat] and [Heart-seeker]. Before the guy could fade into grey mist he jumped onto another but this one was prepared and tried to grab him. Ace produced a pair of knifes at the heels of his boots and jabbed at the reaching fingers with one foot while using [Cut-throat] with the other. He jumped up evading a spear thrown his way and threw an invisible spell towards the group. Then with a spin kick he cut two cavemen and threw a poisoned knife towards a third one. Landing on the side of a wall he pushed himself away with a force and jumped back into the fray. Monsters tried to catch him with bare hands or skewer with weapons but his agility and evasion was just too great, hardly anything touched him. He was bathing in blood of his enemies and sometimes his own. Trap was reactivated from time to time when a previously left alone tile was stepped on and even more blood was shed. A stray arrow hit Ace''s shoulder but received no acknowledgement. He was too busy jumping back and forth in every direction, slashing and stabbing whenever an opening appeared. "Heart-seeker" Ace muttered killing a cavemen warrior and looking around where to jump next. But there was no one around. Only the crimson coloured walls met his searching gaze. He closed his eyes for a moment and then turned around still breathing heavily and in a fighting stance. The sight could have been comical if he had had any energy to look for it. Aurora was staring wide eyed through the spaces between her fingers covering her face while Monthu and Hawk looked unable to say anything. There was neither horror or admiration in their faces but some kind of a mix of two. Like if you saw your little innocent brother suddenly take up a dagger and go out slashing and stabbing every monster in sight and bathing in their blood. It was simply impossible to get your head around. A slight smile manifested upon Ace''s face and in his crimson soaked appearance it looked even more devious. "So what do you think? I''m still only good at playing a flute?" "Paradox" suddenly shouted Monthu in horror. How could he have allowed his brother to see this?! He was only a kid! "What brother?" asked Par glancing around in alarm. To Monthu''s surprise he had been looking at a bare wall like it was something spectacular. "Why were you looking at that wall?" asked Aurora in a shaky voice. "Can''t you see WolfMan going there? I haven''t seen this episode before!" answered Par with a happy smile and turned back. Cautiously Monthu walked closer. When he was a few feet away, he felt the air shimmer and a crudely made screen appeared before his eyes. Some kind of animation was going there but it lacked the refinement of a true one. Leaving the illusion he turned towards the tired kid still standing ready for battle. "It''s your doing, isn''t it?" asked Monthu sullenly. The kid just nodded which made the guy even more annoyed. How could he have forgotten his own brother while a stranger did not? "It''s very crude. If that''s the best you can do, I''m not sure why you even learnt it." Ace looked at Monthu''s eyes trying to decipher the meaning of his words and then he did a loud laugh escaped his mouth. Still chuckling he answered the accusation. "Sorry for not being able to fully concentrate on it while being attacked by a horde of monsters." Then he sat down against the wall cross-legged and closed his eyes. A soft wind brushed past the group and surprised they looked around. A gasp of surprise escaped Aurora''s lips. They were standing on a road in a thick forest. The wind was slightly moving leafs while insects played their songs. A loud howl could be heard from somewhere afar. "Where are we?" she whispered. "Weren''t we in a cave? Did we trigger some kind of teleportation spell?" "It''s only an illusion" said Monthu but even he had a hard time believing that. Every little sound was accurate. Deciding to prove himself and others that it was fake he tried to get past the thick trees where the wall was supposed to be. To his utter surprise instead of the hard rock he touched the trees bark and with a force even managed to get it off a tree. "What is going on here?" he exclaimed. At that moment Par started to point at something in the blue sky. Two white quickly growing dots were coming their way. Once they came close enough it was easy to see that they were human shaped but had huge feathered wings. It was a woman in her early forties with light brown shoulder length hair and delicate features and a kid that resembled someone very closely. He was the same age as Par but had short curly golden hair and large blue eyes. They both wore white robes. When they were overhead the kid shouted. "Look Mom! I told you he was here!" Then he descended before the group, his mother following. An aura of gentleness and simple goodness surrounded them. "How have you been Par?" asked the kid. "Amazing! But why aren''t you calling by my real name, Alex?" asked the red robed mage with a wounded look. It was hard to say whose expression portrayed bigger surprise the groups grown-ups¡¯ or the angel child. He looked like he was caught unguarded, unsure how to react to such a statement. ''I have no idea how you did this but you''re done for'' guessed Monthu with a slight smile. Even he had forgotten that his little brother still kept his imaginary friend and never told anyone how he looked. But instead of trying to mitigate the damage done the little angel became angry. "You can''t call me that here! I''m Rafael the great Archangel! Like you''re Paradox! Why would you give me away like that?" "I.. I.. didn..." "Raf don''t be so harsh with him. Besides you came here for a reason, remember?" said mother gently, calming her son. It worked instantly and the kid¡¯s face lightened up with a smile once again. "Oh right! I brought something for you! It''s something very important to me and I hope you''ll treasure it well" with that said he took a bracelet made of white feathers from his mother''s hands and gave it to his friend proudly. "Thannk.. you.." stammered out Par. "But what for?" "It''s a parting gift" explained Alex, a shadow passing his face. "I have to go back to my place. They''re waiting for me and I can''t disappoint them." "But I''ll see you again, right?" cried Par desperately clutching his friends hand. The angel shook his head. "No. But I''ll be waiting you on the other side. So promise me you''ll become a great person and have so many amazing stories to tell that even a lifetime wouldn''t be enough! Promise me!" shouted Alex emotions colouring his voice. "I promise!" agreed Par solemnly with tears in his eyes. The angel smiled happily and hugged his friend. "Come on Raf. We can''t stay here long" "Yes, mother" answered the angel kid and releasing Par jumped back into the air, wings flapping. "Goodbye!" he screamed flying up while waving wildly at the same time. Tears were streaming his cheeks but he didn''t wipe them. They fell down on earth and in places they landed forget-me-nots blossomed. Soon he was out of everyone''s sight. A hiccup broke the silence. Par was crying while clutching the feather bracelet. "Hey Trist are you okay?" asked Monthu awkwardly. "He''s gone" cried Par and rammed into his brother. Not sure what to do Monthu picked his brother up and let him cry into his shoulder. He tousled his hair a bit imagining it had some kind of calming effect. "What will I do without him? I''ll be all alone!" Par''s crying only intensified. "What are you talking about kiddo? Aren''t you friends with Ace?" asked Monthu grabbing for straws. "Uhmm... Yeah... But didn''t you say you were getting rid of him the moment we leave the cave?" sniffled the kid. "I won''t do anything of the like if he''s your friend, I promise" seeing a light of hope shining in his brother¡¯s eyes he went even further. "If he agrees, he can also become one of us." It took everything not to grimace at that though but it was his only choice. Besides that Ace kid wasn''t totally useless either. To think the truth, he wouldn''t want to meet him alone at night. A feeling of air being sucked out of their lungs distracted everyone from their thoughts but it disappeared just as quickly as it appeared. Once they stopped shaking and assessed their surroundings, they were already back in the cave with Ace sitting alone, a sour look on his face. /Pass this to Monthu. Next time warn me if your brother has some strange tendencies. I don''t know, like having an imaginary friend that looks exactly like me for starters?!/ Aurora blinked at the received message. /Was it really only an illusion?/ /What else could it have been? An imaginary friend coming to life in a game? How old are you? Four?/ Pink colour tinged Aurora''s cheeks and she didn''t say anything else just forwarded the first message. Monthu''s eyes grew a bit at the notice but his brother didn''t see that. "Why don''t you go and let Aurora see what kind of item your friend gave you? I''ll ask Ace if he wants to join?" "Okay" Par answered and after disentangling himself walked over to the priestess with a very serious expression. He didn''t let the bracelet out of his hands allowing her only to touch it. In the meantime Monthu came over to the sitting kid and lowered himself down. "What the hell were you planning to do?" "Fool around a bit?" asked Ace shrugging and sticking his tongue out. He looked so adorable that Monthu couldn''t stay angry at him for pulling that stunt even if he wanted. So he sighted and asked something else while making himself more comfortable and leaning against the wall. "So how did you manage to pull it off and what did you give him?" "Once he identified my random creation as his imaginary friend I didn''t really have many options and saying goodbye seemed like the most obvious action. And about the item..." his expression became perplexed "I really don''t know... Someone accidentally dropped it and I''ve been carrying it since, even though without identification skill I never found out what it actually does." "You''ve killed him, didn''t you?" asked Monthu his face clearly showing distaste. "People have to live off of something but they make different choices about what that is." It wasn''t a confirmation but there was no disagreement either. Monthu wanted to ask him what he actually came to do when an outcry from Aurora took his attention. "What is it?" he shouted in her direction. "This item... You must come see it!" Noting urgency in her voice he jumped up and hurried to them.
Feathered bracelet All religions differ on who is god but they all agree on one thing that whoever he or she was, before humans, elves, dwarfs or any other race it created angels. They resembled humans but had elves¡¯ intelligence and dwarfs'' power yet their most prominent feature was large white wings sprouting from their backs. They were perfect in every way but that only brought a perfect betrayal. One archangel disagreed with what was going on and rebelled taking many with him almost destroying everything The God had created. Angry God cursed them and created three great races out of them now known as humans, elves and dwarfs and many lesser ones. No one knows what kind of curse was put on angels but nobody has ever seen them since. This bracelet was made from the feathers of a great archangel whose name has been lost. It contains his power and love for truth and knowledge. It''s characteristics changes depending on the needs of the master. Restrictions: An angel must give it to you of his own free will. Once equipped it can never be removed, forcefully or not. Warning! Those who aren''t given it will be burnt by Fires of Dark Light.
"Have you seen anything like this before?" asked Monthu but Aurora just shook her head in wonder. "I heard rumours about items made by angels which no one could use and they burnt anyone who tried to touch them¡± Hawk murmured. "But they sell for a lot anyway. Some believe they contain hidden quests that will be revealed once the curse gets lifted". "How can Par hold it then?" asked Monthu puzzled, saying what was on everyone''s mind. "Because my friend was an angel and he gave it to me!" explained Par with a wide smile on his face. "He''s right. It was given with an intention of a gift not to gain its power and emotions felt were real. Nothing was pretended or fake so the bracelet accepted him as its master" said Ace explaining it more logically. "Of course" agreed Par wholeheartedly a smile on his face as he put the bracelet on his hand. The feathers lit for a moment with an otherworldly light but calmed down in an instant and looked just like before. "Item information Feathered Bracelet"
Made from the feathers of a high ranked Archangel whose name is now forgotten it contains remnants of his power. It can bind only to one person it was gifted to and his name is Paradox. Stats are managed depending on his needs. + 200 Intelligence + 160 Wisdom + 20% resistance to all elements + 10% more easier to summon elementals All churches see you as a friend.
It was an unparalleled item. One of its kind. "Don''t you feel jealous you gave such an item away?" whispered Monthu so Par wouldn¡¯t overhear him. "Nope. I had no use for it and if he made it work, I''m all for it" answered Ace. "I don''t get you all" murmured Monthu shaking his head in exasperation. "I think we should have a break now. It''s been an eventful day and we''re all tired" he said deciding it was right time for everyone to log off and have a good thinking about who the hell that Ace kid was. Par nodded excitedly and logged off that very moment, eager to tell his parents of everything that had transpired. Others followed him suit. Only Ace was left standing alone. He picked the items dropped by cavemen and sat down to play. There was no reason for him to leave. They''ll come back soon enough. *** Aiden walked out of his capsule and went towards the dining room. It was still early evening so their parents should be having dinner right about now. A loud chattering voice came from there. Entering a well decorated room, he saw Trist sitting in mother''s lap while telling her how the angel kid who showed up to be his imaginary friend appeared. Aiden picked a plate and sat down to eat. His interrogation will begin soon enough. He might as well start it with a full stomach. Just as expected once Trist got tired and went to his room parents'' attention shifted to him. "What he told us, was it truth?" "In a way. There was that angel thing but it was an illusion created to annoy me." "Explain" came a stern reply. "Remember the fake kid I told you about that was tagging along? Well he decided today was a day of revelations. He made us stand back and lured a bunch of mobs on a trap. It was a massacre. I haven''t seen such a brutal fight for a long time; he just slashed and stabbed everywhere. ¡°At the end of fight I remembered Trist and looked at him but he was facing a wall. It showed up that Ace had cast an illusion to distract him. I said something about it being crude and the guy took it as a challenge. He created a typical pair of angels but then Trist identified one as his friend. In the end the guy decided to proceed and went along with it going as far as giving Trist a legendary item." "So you want to say that a random guy cured Trist of imaginary friends without even knowing it while we couldn''t manage it for the last few years?" "Yes" "Did you make him leave?" "I couldn''t. Trist wouldn''t stop crying if I didn''t promise he could have Ace as a friend and travel around with him." "We can''t have anyone having so much influence on him" stated father in a firm voice. He was a middle aged man with bald head and sharp eyes. "Explain it to your child then." "Better we''ll explain it to that Ace kid. Meet us when finished with the quest. Where you are now?" "Forest of Mist, a hidden dungeon there." "We''ll have a very enlightening talk then." Next Chapter Secret Hideout It''s a secret place where you say what you think about Ace and his journey without him hearing about it and coming to give you a visit. In reality I''m locking chapters so they stay in place so here you can say your opinions about the earlier chapters or mistakes you''ve noticed there. Also here I''ll be asking about your opinions for things concerning my story and explaining why I''m doing what I''m doing. The first thing I''m going to talk about is about stabbing Monthu in the back. Many have expressed their wish to see him horribly betrayed but I''m not that eager to do it. Firstly his team is a perfect cover up story. Second after they''re quite well acquinted it would be much more evil to just kill him. Although it''s only a game I''m sure he would cross Moral Event Horizon and I haven''t decided if I really want that yet. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. That brings me to the question wherenever Ace is gonna end up a Royal Assassin, Evil Overlord Behind the Scenes or some independant guy that could bring down empires and kingdoms if he felt like it through his wide knowledge of everyone''s secrets and ability to assassinate anyone who would try to silence him. It would be fun if you would share what you''re thinking and choose one of these three and explain why you think it sits well with him `:^:^)~ P.S. For those of you that don''t read random stuff when they''re bored Moral Event Horizon is explained here http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/M ... entHorizon 5. Emotions Run Wild Previous Chapter Author''s Note: As promised the second chapter is here. Nothing much to say just warn that the third chapter might be a bit late and come out on Sunday as I''m going cannoeying on Saturday and am not sure if I''ll be back on time to post. Anyway hope you like this chapter **** A bright sun rose over the Oradin Kingdom bringing hope back to the players. But not everyone was basked by her warm glow. One group was walking deep down in a dungeon instilling fear into the monsters'' hearts, none had managed to stop them as of yet. Ace had now joined the party but was still told to stay in the back with Par. He would call out if traps were ahead and disabled or simply told how to pass them. They had all come back after a day and a bit game time and were walking since. There were traps every step which made monsters go extinct so even after a day''s worth of walking they hadn''t met any opponents. "Do you think we''re reaching the end?" asked Aurora tiredly. Being a cleric her stamina was at all-time low. "I''d say we passed midpoint if traps started but it''s hard to say how much is still there" answered Hawk bored. There was nothing to do but talk yet Monthu''s grave look discouraged anyone from doing that. That was besides the kids. They seemed oblivious towards daggers thrown their way from his eyes. The two wondered about their friend''s bad mood but knew better than to ask. Once Aurora was no longer able to walk they took a break and ate lunch. Ace always ate with eagerness that made her smile. It felt good to be appreciated. But she knew it won''t last long. Par''s parents would never allow a stranger to be this close to their son. Only after a few more hours did they see their first enemies. It were three fully grown cavemen - a shaman, warrior and rogue. Monthu jumped to them slashing with his spear at rogue whose health dropped by a third only from that but before more damage could be inflicted he jumped back and hid away. Monthu decided to first take care of the shaman but the warrior appeared in his path blocking his advance. Scythe clashed against sword making both of the their hands ring. Freeing his weapon Monthu used it''s longer range to keep the caveman at bay and deal damage if he tried to attack. The monster got tired first which made him slower and allowed Monthu to deal a fatal hit to his heart. Then he advanced to kill the shaman but saw only a staff lying there. While he was staring uncomprehending the last caveman fell to the ground finished off by Hawk and elemental. Seeing that he became angry. "What the hell has happened here?!" "I took care of shaman while you played with warrior and Hawk found the hiding rogue." answered Ace cleaning the blood from his blade with a handkerchief. "You''re supposed to stay back with Par!" roared Monthu. "I can take care of this myself!" "And what fun would that be? Do you think I bought this insanely expensive game to stay in the back and watch how others are enjoying themselves?" The Reaper wanted to say something, maybe argue his case but Ace gave him no chance with a raising voice he continued on. "I have no idea how you subdued your teammates but the same is not going to work on me. Only a week at sidelines ate all my patience away. There''s no way you can make me into your lapdog that barks only when ordered! So you better get used to it. Besides why should I stay back with a sliver of experience going my way when you get everything? I''m not that selfless... Or pathetic." Those last words cut deeply into Aurora and Hawk. Their heads and shoulders dropped down, neither was able to raise their eyes towards Ace''s challenging gaze. Monthu saw it and was mortified. Did they really think like that? Was he just keeping them down instead of protecting? Then he remembered something. They weren''t here to be taken care of. They were protectors themselves! ''What have I done?'' was the only intelligent thought in his head as he watched with newly opened eyes two proud people, his childhood friends now reduced to those who can easily be humiliated by a child. An eerie silence descended into the cave. Even the elemental¡¯s fire seemed to diminish a little, casting everyone''s faces in shadow. Par wasn''t sure what had happened, what Ace''s words meant but he stayed quiet. It somehow felt appropriate. How does one change what was done? They started this game to take care of his brother so how did it happen that instead of protecting together it became only him? ''Was it something I said? Or was it something I did? We even chose classes to complement each other! So what happened?'' But there was no answer. He remembered them laughing together the first month, playing around but somewhere along the way it all ended. It became like work. Hawk distracted enemies, Monthu killed them while Aurora kept Par from being bored out of his mind. Now that he thought about it Trist even wanted to play less and less until Ace appeared. ''Was it all my doing?'' he asked himself raising his head to search for an answer in their faces. The two stood the same - their heads lowered, weapons clutched so tightly it probably hurt. Par was standing aside unsure of what was going on but that it was important and he should let the grown ups to take care of it. The newcomer who dragged the skeletons out was assessing the situation, gauging the mood and what that meant for him. Monthu wanted to feel angry, to shout at him for disrespect but seeing his once best friends so downcast made him unable to feel anything but regret. It''s not even like the kid had done it on purpose, his giddiness simply wouldn''t let him stay still for too long. ''He might have been a grown up but he kept more than his body from his childhood. Even in his most serious moments you could detect a certain amount of frivolousness'' mused Monthu before catching himself in changing the theme. ''What am I supposed to do now anyway?'' He looked at the aforementioned kid but his eyes were uncompromising steely grey, no help there. He even felt as if they were accusing him of taking so long to reply. Why were they even turning into slits? He could act like nothing happened but his friends deserved more than that. He couldn''t just brush it off and forget what he saw. What was done was done. Maybe with the kid¡¯s help he''ll be able to turn a blank leaf and start anew¡­ If he opened the wounds making them bleed again, he should have the courtesy to help heal them so this time they wouldn''t scar! "I''m sorry''" he murmured facing his old time friends with a lost expression. Aurora''s and Hawk''s heads bounced up at their own volition, shocked expressions on their faces. Monthu wasn''t heard apologizing often. They stared at him for a long time unblinkingly which made the tough guy squirm, even a light blush could be detected at his tanned skin. That made Aurora smile a bit, daring she even came closer to poke his cheek. "That doesn''t go well with your tough guy act" It made Hawk burst out laughing and Monthu swat her hand away. "Leave me alone" he growled turning around and speed walking ahead. The group exchanged a glance chuckling and caught up to him. Par was glad to see everyone happy so he didn''t ask what had transpired there. What if it made them all sad again? To make sure that didn¡¯t happen he ran to his brother, took his hand and walked beside him for the first time since long ago. Now that Par was occupied with his brother, Ace was free to scout ahead. He used [Shadow Veil] to make himself less visible and [Silent Steps] to create no sound. It lowered moving speed but was well worth it. Using these abilities he was almost impossible to detect. For some time there was nothing new but the same brown roughly made walls and obvious traps he disabled just in case. He was about to turn back and report when a sound caught his attention. Activating [All Ears] he sneaked closer. Further ahead the path branched off. The main one went ahead into a large cavern similar to the one where they started while the smaller one led into a cavemen den. The whole place seemed newly made with mounts of rock and dirt still lying around. Silently running from one to another Ace came very close to the encampment. There were around twenty houses built of mud and many cavemen walking around. Most of them carried shovels or pickaxes but they were even more dangerous in the cavemen''s hands than a sword. Only a few shamans walked around while not even a one woman was in sight. ''Just what are they doing here?'' wondered Ace. ''Now that I think about it no one deemed it worthy to share the quest with me or at least explain what was going on''. Grumbling he took a last look and went back. "There are around thirty cavemen further ahead. Most of them are workers with only a few shamans present" he reported to Monthu who just barely kept himself in check not to run out alone. "Okay. So..." he wasn''t sure what to say. What did he have to tell them to do? Weren''t they doing what they were supposed to do anyway? Ace hit his own head with a loud smack which turned everyone''s attention back to him. "Now¡­" he started slowly "We''re all going to do whatever we want and exterminate the cavemen who decided to make their encampment at the wrong place and at the wrong time. Everything''s clear?" he asked looking at Monthu as if challenging him to disagree. "So I can use my spells?" asked Paradox with his eyes shining, a spell of fireball on his lips. Monthu nodded with a loud sigh noting others'' malicious grins; that made him have second thoughts about unleashing them but it was too late. No more words were exchanged as they all ran off to meet the monsters; Ace and Hawk first with their high agility, Aurora and Par on their heels while Monthu lagged behind unused to see such enthusiasm before the fight. They quickly reached the battlefield and descended on the cavemen like a hungry pack of wolves. There was no order in their attack and that terrified the cavemen most. Once they lived outside in an open cave and fought adventurers time and time again and learnt their habits. Melee classes walked first to take the brunt of damage while mages and archers easily used their abilities. This wasn''t even close to that. The red robed mage was smiling maniacally like only a kid who was allowed to play with fire could, standing at the entrance and calling out fire storms while throwing fireballs at everything that moved. His aim was so bad that it was impossible to predict where they''ll land! The ranger who had run in first used a short bow shooting flaming arrows everywhere. He jumped and rolled around everywhere making it impossible to catch him or stop him from targeting their weak spots. The blue cloaked kid wasn''t slacking off either. He disappeared and reappeared behind their backs cutting the unlucky ones throats or just stabbing and jumping away letting the poison finish them off which made them keep glancing back and eating fireballs or arrows because of being distracted. To top it all off even the cleric wasn''t healing or buffing! With an evil glint in her eyes she summoned holy fires and hammers to bash everyone down! Monthu who entered at that time was scared to go ahead. It was a sight worth being in Hell itself; fire raging everywhere while even more was raining down, fireballs and blazing arrows were flying while cavemen ran around screaming, their bodies on fire. A shadow was appearing here and there to finish off ones who tried to escape. It was mayhem and a pyromaniac''s dream. ''Were they always like this?'' wondered Monthu deciding to let them enjoy the moment. And they were all really doing that. Bright grins were shining in their faces while they rained fire on the unfortunate monsters. Only after half an hour had they exhausted themselves and came back to where the path branched off falling down to rest. The fire that was still raging on in the side cave was impressive but actually did little damage. Neither of them have had the chance to use it much if at all so their levels were basic. But that didn''t stop them from indulging in it and raising their skill levels considerably. Ace got back on his feet first and gave Monthu a winner''s smile. The guy couldn''t do anything but laugh at that. "Did you lot had to destroy everything? I think there won''t be a copper left there." "It was them!" shouted the kid pointing at the general direction behind himself. "It''s their entire fault!" Monthu just shook his head looking at his party members pretending to be asleep or innocent. ''The kid, I should probably start to call him by his name... So Ace, he brought such a change with him. He didn''t go for leader''s position but made everything he didn''t like well known. Just what does he want from us?'' For the first time that thought didn''t make him worried. The happiness radiating was enough to make it worth it. They decided to make a camp there for the night before entering the cavern. Aurora once again made food while Ace, Hawk and Monthu went scavenging. The cave was full of ashes and charred remains of items. Not much survived the blazing inferno. Some embers were still burning, keeping the cave alight. There was a slight scowl on Monthu''s face. ''How are we going to prepare for another quest if no loot will be gotten leaving us copperless?'' The three went in different directions digging in an inch deep ashes. "Food''s ready!" came Aurora''s shout and the group returned putting items that somehow were intact or only lightly blackened. It was a pitiful heap considering that around thirty cavemen were killed and their houses weren''t bare either. An embarrassed look passed four of members'' faces but none seemed apologetic. It felt too good to regret it. The group rested until both their stamina and mana were back to full and readied themselves. The large cavern looked empty but it was hardly believable it''ll stay that way once they entered. They carefully walked ahead expecting something to spring out but nothing happened. Hawk was first to reach the other side of the cavern where a table stood with a letter on it. It read ~I congratulate you on coming this far into my lair but I''m a bit busy right now so I''ll let my servants escort you back~ "What di..." Aurora''s words were cut off by a sound of many feet moving. From each entrance of which were five beside the one they had come from emerged groups of cavemen ranging from thirty to fifty of them. Together they made a fearsome army of diggers. They weren''t extremely high level but it was all made up in numbers. "What can we do?" asked Aurora looking for an exit but they were surrounded. "Fight" answered Monthu grimly, entering a stance. Hawk murmured something over his bow and started to shoot flaming arrows at the approaching monsters. Par followed his actions and summoned his elemental. After ordering him to fight he started to throw fireballs. This time his aim was true. There were so many cavemen that wherever he shot someone got hit! Aurora didn''t prepare her spells. This time healing was more needed than offensive power. She looked for Ace but he was nowhere in sight. ''Did he run away in chaos?'' /I''ll try to take out the shamans in the back though I''m not sure how much it''ll help/ came a PM and she quietly passed it to others. Monthu nodded and jumped forth to intercept the first diggers. He used [Reaper¡¯s gaze] to make them hesitate and slashed at their undefended chests. It took a good chunk of their health but now they were ready. One of them blocked his scythe while another tried to bash him with a shovel. An arrow hit his hand at that moment and the weapon felt harmlessly down. Not wasting a moment Monthu freed his own weapon and pierced the digger together with another arrow. Hawk was annoyed. How could he show his skills as an archer if enemies were a step away. His arrows were embedded into their chests more than shot. But he didn''t have time to complain aloud. The numbers were overwhelming their sole melee fighter and the elemental, which was more of a mage than a fight, couldn''t help much. All Monthu was doing was trying to keep them all away while arrows and magic wore them down. His weapon¡¯s range allowed him to keep them mostly at bay even without three layers of armour but it wouldn''t last long. They needed some kind of a miracle to survive this onslaught. And fast. On the other side of the room Ace was having his own set of problems. At first it went smoothly with him killing three shamans silently but then a random fighter turned around and met his eyes. They both looked at each other for a moment but before Ace could silence him, the guy shouted an alarm. Now the whole back line was looking at him and there were no traps to lure them into. Ace silenced the guy just the same for bringing everyone on him and punched the closest shaman in the eyes, blinding him momentarily. He jumped behind him and evading a sword used [Backstab] and [Cut-throat]. Seeing another thrust he rolled away letting the sword finish off the shaman. Being down he slashed at legs slowing cavemen just that little bit. And poisoning them. There was not a dagger that wasn''t coated in the most prominent poison he could get his hands on in his possession. Standing up he evaded a shovel and blocked another one with his dagger while with a free hand he slashed at anything that was in reach. The poison would finish them off but it took an hour and they even had shamans to slow that down. And he didn''t have time. Jumping up to save himself from the hit at his legs and using one of the nearby cavemen as support he managed to get on his shoulders and produce daggers from his boots. This way he used [Backstab] and [Cut-throat] to his stand and jumped on another one. He wished to use [Heart-seeker] but it cost too much. This time there was no use in risking everything just for that one kill. If only there was a boss monster he could assassinate! Some kind of spell flew his way so he turned sideways to dodge it but another came and it was too late to do anything about it. Ace hissed as the acid attack hit his back and burned the clothes and his flesh. Deciding it was too dangerous to stay up he slashed with his boot blade at his support and jumped up down doing a summersault and throwing a bunch of daggers landed in a group of three cavemen shamans. He slashed at their necks without waiting for an invitation and evading to the left expecting swordsmen to not stay idle. Where he had been two swords made their way but were only met by thin air. Ace was already using [Shadow Dash] which was actually a jump to appear behind one of a few surviving shamans and finally using [Heart-seeker]. It killed the target in an instant but it immobilised him for two seconds which allowed enemies to regroup and surround him. Ace desperately looked around but they had made a complete circle and he didn''t have enough defence to survive breaking through. His running eyes fell on stone icicles hanging from the top of the cavern. He would be safe there but how was he to get up there? It was as high as a three story house! The circle around him was getting smaller and smaller. The monsters had learnt to keep him always in sight to prevent his invisibility and to cut off his paths with no shamans around. Maybe they were all dead or dying? Ace threw poisoned daggers to slow the advancing fighters and give himself some more time. There had to be a way! His brains analysed the situation in every aspect but his few low level spells weren''t much help while assassin¡¯s abilities were pretty much useless in the open. Then his eyes fell on the rough walls. What if? Without thinking about it better Ace tied a rope around one of his sharpest daggers and threw it at the wall with all his strength. It stuck halfway to the hilt and looked promising. Ace tugged it a bit to make sure it wasn''t loose and used wind to propel himself over the stunned warriors. Then he tightly held the rope until a wall welcomed him with her hands wide open. A grunt escaped his lips but there was no time if he wanted to escape with his life. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. He found handholds and footholds and started to climb. He wasn''t good at it but an encouragement of acid balls made him reach the top in record time. There he took a deep breath and jumped on to the closest stone icicle. It was better than holding onto a small piece of rock but not by much. From up there he could see the whole battle and it looked damn impossible to win. His team mates were still holding their own but there was sweat rolling down Monthu''s face while Aurora was desperately trying to meditate her mana back at least a bit to heal him. Just as he watched Monthu¡¯s shoulder was slashed by a sword. He managed to push the caveman back but his movements were slowed down considerably. Hawk was shooting with the same vigour but his quiver was almost empty. Fire elemental was nowhere to be seen and Par was crying while throwing fireballs randomly. On the other side there still were around a hundred cavemen. Many of them were hurt with only one shaman remaining but there were still... A crack echoed in Ace''s ears and with a fear he raised his eyes. His stone pillar was breaking! Not waiting for more news Ace pushed himself away and jumped onto another one while his one from the added force fell down on cavemens'' heads killing one instantly and injuring three beside him. That gave Ace an idea. He pulled himself to the top and started to chip it down. Once it started creaking he pushed himself away and jumped onto another one. His previous one fell doing even more damage as it was bigger so Ace started on his mission with a renewed energy. Maybe just maybe they could really survive this. There''s a saying telling not to cut the branch you''re sitting on but Ace threw it out the window breaking every pillar on the other side of the cavern where his friends resided. Monsters soon noticed that and started to push forward even more but Monthu kept his place. Aurora had just finished meditating and healed his wounds and also buffed. It was like rainwater to a thirsty man. "What is going on?" he shouted without turning back after hearing some screams and crashes from the other side. It was quiet for some time so they had deemed Ace dead or gone but maybe he just took a breath and was creating mayhem once again? But why were the monsters so desperate on getting closer to them even pushing each other around, making it a bit easier for Monthu to keep them away. "Parts of ceiling started to fall down!" answered Aurora standing on a table. Ace had made good on his promise to take care of shamans so she and Par could safely stand on it. The back lines of cavemen were in chaos with ceiling falling on them and killing ones while chips of stone flew in all directions hitting many others. They were running in all directions trying to escape the falling debris but such a thing as a safe place didn''t exist. The things fell randomly coming closer to their side but not enough to threaten the party¡¯s lives. "Par look! There''s stone raining down on our enemies! Maybe you can add fire too?" asked Aurora with a renewed hope. "Isn''t it pointless? Didn''t you say we''re all going to die anyway?" replied the little mage, tear stains on his cheeks. "But we can''t give up! I might have thought it was hopeless but have you seen me give up? Never! A true adventurer fights till his last breath against any odds!" Aurora shouted with conviction, silently cursing her own pessimistic mind and using a holy fire spell to weaken the monsters even more. Only a bit more and they would die! Par munched over her words and finding them true steeled his expression and wiped all the tears away. "Souls of the damned come and turn this into your playground, Burning Inferno!" Black fire rose from the ground with his scream and engulfed all that stood in it''s path. None were spared while the stones kept falling and arrows flew in a rhythm. Monthu only heard it with one ear. He was pushed back with cavemen desperately trying to get past him. They no longer cared about not getting hurt or evading; they just mindlessly ran ahead like people who saw Satan himself. He slashed and slashed and somewhy monsters died. ¡®Why is their hp so low?¡¯ But he didn''t have time to ponder. The attack was still going and he had to protect his brother while giving time for his friends to fight back. He wouldn¡¯t back off, not now not ever. So his scythe moved on in a practised sweep reaping the lives of those who came in it''s range without any break. Ace was used to hearing the cracking stone so it didn''t surprise him. He just looked around for a closest stone... But there no longer were any! He had cut the last stone icicle in the vicinity! The wall was impossible to jump back onto even if it had been close while falling down wasn''t an option. With creaking in his ears he saw the rope he used to escape the cavemen. It was halfway up the wall and about 10 meters away from him. Seeing a crack open up before him Ace pushed himself towards the wall while using wind magic to get the rope closer to himself. Somehow he managed to reach it and kissed the wall again. He slid down the rope and looked at his hp bar. Only a third was left. ''That wall took more of my health then the cavemen!'' he grumbled while drinking two potions and running back into the fray. There were about twenty weakened monsters left but they were so scared and pushing forward that they didn''t notice the danger from behind. Ace used all of his abilities and made short work of their remaining health. He wanted to congratulate others on surviving when a fireball, arrow and a scythe came his way. Falling down he screamed out "What the hell do you think you''re doing?" The group blinked a few times concentrating on their surroundings once again. "Ace? You''re alive?!" shouted Par first and came running. "What could a few cavemen actually do to me?" asked Ace indignantly but with a proud smile on his face. "So what happened there? Why did the stones start to fall?" asked Aurora who had free time to see over the battleground. "Well, I took care of a few shamans before they noticed me and I had to make myself scarce. My only chance was ceiling because path to you was kind of blocked. So I did just that and saw those fragile looking stone icicles..." "So maybe you''re not useless after all" muttered Monthu sitting down. His stamina bar was flashing red, the same as satiety. "Ha ha ha" laughed Ace mockingly but without any real anger. It was a compliment from Reaper. Or that¡¯s how he decided to take it . "Do you think it''s dangerous or can we rest here for a bit?" asked Aurora turning her attention to Monthu. "It should be safe. I doubt these cavemen are respawning ones." "That'' s good to hear" said Aurora with a sigh and leaned against the wall. She closed her eyes to rest but Ace picked the conversation up again. "So can anyone enlighten me on what your quest is? It''s annoying to be in the dark, you know?" "We''re here to catch a mage named Levin and bring him back for trial." "Awesome! What did he do?" asked Ace curiously while a blank look appeared on the group''s faces. "You didn''t ask them?!" he shouted in disbelief while bursting out laughing. "You took a quest to catch a criminal which required a full group of people and didn''t even inquire on what he was capable of? That''s just smart!" The laughter made Monthu uncomfortable. Once he put it that way it seemed incredibly stupid. "It doesn''t matter. We can take care of him." "Of course" agreed Ace and still chuckling lied down on his side. Closing eyes he fell asleep or logged off in reality. *** Kirin unstrapped the many wires from his body and yawning left the cabin. The smile was still on his face. It vanished quickly when a bluish light on his laptop indicated a new e-mail. He opened it and saw a photo of his parents smiling at each other in some tropical place. The letter below read. ~How are you doing? Have you been well? We hope you enjoy your game! We on the other hand have been delayed. A conference will be held close by a month from now so we decided to wait here to save some money instead of flying back and forth. We know you can understand it; we''ll be back as soon as we can! Promise! Love, Julie and Robert <3~ ''You''re really quick'' mused Kirin with a scowl on his face but his reply didn''t show it. ~I''m fine! I''ve had pizza yesterday and it was delicious! Have a good holiday then! And can you bring me a present? Kirin~ He sent it and opened a new tab for Google. Using this god of knowledge he searched for a mage called Levin. At first there was nothing useful but after searching for half an hour he found a mention of an illusionist Levin. He clicked on the shortcut and went to read the full post. ~I''d like to warn everyone about a user going by the name Levin in Oradin Kingdom. He pretends to be a mage and know the way of all dungeons while in reality he leads you to an ambush and when monsters leave, picks up your dropped loot. That''s what happened to me and my friends. I warn, beware of him!~ Scrolling down Kirin read the comments. The first two expressed their disbelief while a third one mentioned the same thing as the author just added that his party was annihilated while going in a dungeon which then disappeared never to be seen again. It gave Kirin an idea but nothing concrete. Finished he went to kitchen and scrambled some eggs. It wasn''t the most nutritious food but he didn''t care enough to make something better. Tiredly he went to sleep. Playing more than forty-eight hours without rest made you feel like that. *** "Where is he?" asked Aurora annoyed. "It''s been a few days already! Maybe we should march of without him?" "And where would you go? Back to town?" replied Hawk tiredly. They had this specific conversation five times already and will probably many more if the kid didn''t return soon. "Where could he possibly be?! Isn''t he the one who¡¯s always here no matter what time it is?" "He needs time to rest too, don''t you think?" "Why did he pick a day before a boss fight?! Couldn''t he have taken a nap when all of us did?" "Maybe he didn''t feel like falling asleep in the middle of a boss fight?" guessed the ranger. "Maybe he mentioned something to you Par?" asked Aurora turning to the little mage. "No. We didn''t get to talk once since the big fire!" answered Paradox in a whiny voice. "Oh well, it seems like he''s not coming back today either. I''m logging off" said Aurora and left giving up first. Others followed soon enough. There was no reason to stay in if nothing could be achieved. *** A few more game days later Ace came back. It was night where he lived and the cave was empty beside the dead like bodies of his comrades. Sitting down he called up [Flare] and took his flute out. A warm melody left it and echoed around the empty cavern. *** "You''re here! You''re here!" screamed Aurora who had logged in first. "What took you so long?!" she asked while e-mailing others the good news. Ace answered only a few minutes later after finishing his song. "I overslept" "You mean you slept all that time?" asked Aurora aghast. "I was tired" answered Ace while Par and Monthu woke up. "You''re back!" screamed the kid running to his friend with arms wide open. Ace welcomed his hug and smiled widely. "I feel loved" he said happily. "You''re the only one who can open secret doors" replied Monthu stonily. Ace showed him a tongue over Par''s shoulder. Releasing his friend he squatted down to look under a table. "We''ve searched but couldn''t find anything" said Par helpfully looking over Ace''s shoulder. Ace nodded and pushed the table away but still found nothing. No hidden lever like in the old man''s house or a rock that didn''t fit with others. Not despairing he searched the wall walking a whole circle around the cavern but without any luck. ''Where could it be hidden?'' wondered Ace now standing in the middle of the cave imagining that it''ll help him solve this mystery. Looking around he took in the high walls, ceiling with few remaining stone icicles and hard well-made floor. Why was the floor so smooth while everything else so rough? It didn''t add up. Deciding this needed more investigation Ace crawled over the ground touching every little space. "Uhm... What are you doing now?" asked Aurora while eating the food she had made out of being bored. Ace didn''t feel like acknowledging that question. ''He was slaving around while they took a break and that''s how he was going to be treated?'' he grumbled under his breath but remains of a smile stayed on his face. Near one of the caves he found what he was looking for. A patch of ground that looked just like all the other to an untrained eye but Ace saw differently. He noticed a slight curve upwards there and a hollow sound was heard after hitting it. Now only to figure out how to open it remained. "It''s here" he shouted to his team mates staring intently at the ground. "You sure?" asked Aurora coming closer. "Yes. Just how does it open?" he wondered aloud tilting his head. Monthu came closer and like a true Reaper wasn''t keen on waiting. He stabbed his weapons down side at the ground in full force. A hole opened up, dirt falling down. "Or you can do it this way" agreed Ace with a sage like expression, nodding. Then he widened the hole with his hands and sent the little flame down there. It outlined a staircase made of polished wood leading downward. Ace jumped in first. "Are you sure it''s safe there?" inquired Aurora fearfully. "Safe?" asked Ace incredulously. "Which part of a dungeon is ever safe?" That made her complaints die out and everyone followed Ace down. At the bottom they were met by intricately made giant stone gates behind which a maze lay. A pop out message appeared before everyone''s eyes.
You are the first ones to discover Gates of Tuneran. Reward: +100 Fame All items inside now belong to you
"It''s a different place?" exclaimed Aurora carefully touching the gates. "Seems so" agreed Hawk scanning his surroundings. "You''re going to lead again?" he asked turning his eyes towards Ace. "I can" he answered walking in first once again. The maze had high walls which were made of stone and had no cracks. Feeling a presence further ahead Ace activated [Shadow Veil] and [Silent Steps]. Behind the next corner he found a group of cavemen. That surprised him. ''What are they doing here?'' Not having any ideas he PMed Aurora and waited for others before starting the fight. They made short work of the five cavemen with barely scratches that Aurora healed only because she was still bored. They marked their way with chalk. Exploring took half a day with rarely walking back on their own tracks but the end wasn''t anywhere in sight. Ace had a feeling that something was amiss but couldn''t put a finger on it. ''Why are cavemen down here? Wasn''t Levin''s Hideout their work place?'' "Let''s have a break. I''m exhausted" said Aurora finally with a tired sigh. She''s been breathing heavily for some time now. "I''ll make fire this time!" Ace said, surprising everyone. He took out a bit of wood from his backpack and after a lot of trial ignited a small spark. "Owowoow!!!" he suddenly shouted out, taking his finger away and putting it in his mouth. "What happened?" asked Aurora quickly. "I burnt it" murmured Ace still sucking on his finger with a dejected look. "Come over here. I''ll heal you¡­" said Aurora smiling at his adorable expression. "No!" disagreed Ace shaking his head vigorously. "I can do it myself!" "You do?" asked Par surprised coming closer. Ace nodded and took a piece of cloth from his bag. Then he carefully bandaged his index finger. And tore it all off immediately. "Wha..?" asked Aurora sharing the whole groups mystified expressions. "It''s healed!" shouted Ace with a grin. "Wasn''t it supposed to?" "Nope! I don''t have a bandaging skill!" "So wha..?" once again before Aurora could finish her question Ace interrupted her this time by starting to chant. "Illusions placed to misdirect and fool the unwary turn into mist and show me the truth I have seen behind your veil, Revelation!" After the last note left the kid''s mouth white mist started to rise from the walls covering them in no time. Soon they couldn''t see a thing but no one was worrying. They had trust in Ace, even Monthu. He understood that if the kid had wanted to pull something off he had more than enough chances before. Little by little the mist started to scatter as if being sucked in one side. "It''ll lead you to your friend" murmured Ace, his voice strained. "The mist will be thickest around him as it''s his creation." Monthu nodded and taking Par''s hand walked inside the whiteness. Following it he reached a crudely made wooden door. He opened it easily and entered but couldn''t see a thing so he squeezed his brothers hand. Par understood what his brother wanted and quietly cast a spell. "Air flow without stop, Gust!" Wind rose up taking all the mist with it outside the door, leaving a surprised mage sitting cross-legged on a bed. "How did you get here?!" he asked astonished. "My illusion was perfect!" "Seems like it wasn''t good enough" answered him Monthu coming closer and binding him with handcuffs made of onyx. The whole party entered by that time and Aurora asked crossing her hands. "So this is the man that made fools out of us?" After Monthu¡¯s nod she came closer and hit him with all her strength. "What was that for, you violent woman?!" shouted the mage Levin indignantly after hissing in pain. She hit extremely hard for a woman. There will probably be a red mark. She hit him on the other cheek. "I''m not violent! And that was for making me walk so long for nothing!" answered Aurora her face beat red, hands itching to hit him again. "It''s your own fault for being stupid!" argued the mage with a smirk. "Aaah!" he screamed as a dagger appeared in his shoulder. "I would be more respectful if I were you" said Ace coming closer with an icy expression. "They need you alive but nowhere in the contract was it said that you can''t be on the verge of death." He pulled out the dagger making the mage wince and licked the blood. It was salty and had a taste of rust but it was also a taste of victory, of revenge served well. "Gross!" shouted the mage. "Get that psycho away from me!" A malicious grin appeared on Ace''s face. "Remember what I said before? I think you didn''t hear it well. Respect goes well while being a captive" he accompanied those words with another thrust. Now the mage was bleeding from both shoulders but he didn''t dare to say anything else. His face was a mask of horror and fear. Never had he encountered someone so mindlessly cruel. "I think you''ve done enough" Monthu said, finally leaving his shocked state and pushing Ace away. Never would he have thought the kid could be so heartless. Why would he torture a chained man, anyway? Wasn''t he the one who was so nice and patient with Par while being helpful to everyone else? Something just wasn''t right. "I''ll be taking care of the mage while Aurora walks with Par and Hawk. Ace you''re on scouting duty. We''re leaving now." He caught Ace''s eyes but instead of anger there was understanding in them. The trust he had worked so hard to gain was gone. Next Chapter 6. Life of a Kid Previous Chapter Author''s Note: We''ll there''s only 15 minutes till Sunday but that doesn''t mean a thing. I''m still uploading this on Saturday as promised ;) Hope you enjoyed reading it just as much as I liked writing this. **** Ace specially picked a different cave than the jade one and was now killing everything that got in his sight. He was bathing in blood but it didn''t help. Not even a little. But he did it anyway. What devil pulled him to react so towards the mage''s words? He wanted to say it was rashness, blind rage or something along those lines but there was no lying to himself. He had been in full control and he WANTED to hurt him, to make him feel pain and pay for his actions. Does that made him cruel? A monster? He wasn''t going to ask that of Reaper. He was sure he wouldn''t like the answer. So Ace sneaked up on another flower and bursted her down. It was better than nothing. He had wanted to be a part of the team, to belong somewhere but he threw away a chance at that. What a wonderful life. Frustrated he hit another flower but didn''t kill it. He played around until voices could be heard and moved on. The group was always talking among themselves whenever he allowed them to catch up. Even the mage''s voice could be heard from time to time. That made Ace hit with an extra force. Only he was sent here alone. Even the infamous mage was a safer company. Like a monster he was shunned away. Monthu hadn''t said anything but it was clear in his eyes. Ace was a danger and Par didn''t need anything of that. The kid was too sheltered but Ace envied him in more ways than one. He wanted badly to hear what they were talking about him but before their words would carry over to him he had to move on. The monsters just died away. The conversation Ace so wanted to hear wasn''t anything hidden. Only at first did they wonder what happened to their well-behaved and always cheerful pretend kid but as no one came up with an answer, they left that theme alone. They kept on casual talk while from time to time remarking of how there was strangely no monsters even though they had to fight their way in. "Seriously where are they all? Were they only illusions too?" asked Aurora directing her questions towards the mage. "I told you they weren''t already!" screamed Levin impatiently. "How many times can I repeat it?" then his eyes widened as if in some kind of revelation. "How did you destroy my illusion if you can''t tell a difference between real and fake at all?" "Ace saw through it and used some kind of spell to turn it into mist." "That psycho? Isn''t he a rogue?" asked Levin surprised. "First he''s not psycho and second he''s a spellsword" answered Aurora heatedly. Since his act she was the only one still on his side. "What?! Some lowly duo classer defeated my perfect illusion?! What level IS he?!" Levin asked with a raised voice. "Now that you mention it..." said Aurora pondering. "I''ll ask him right away" she decided and went through her friends list. She found Ace''s name and PM¡¯ed him but this time instead of writing just talked to him. "Hey Ace! We were wondering here what level are you?" His answer came a bit later and out of breath. "86th why?" "The mage can''t believe that a spellsword destroyed his illusion" A short laugh was the given answer and a gurgling sound came from Ace''s background. "What are you doing?" asked Aurora. "Why are you fighting?" "Because there are monsters here?" he asked and she could just see his raised eyebrow. "You mean you''re cleaning the entire dungeon by yourself?" asked Aurora incredulously. "Don''t make more out of it than it is. They''re only around level 60 so... Also tell that oh so smart Levin guy that illusions have a big loophole. If you can prove them wrong to yourself even a beginner first level [Revelation] can remove them wholly. That''s why my incantation was different than the previous one. Tell that to Monthu, he''s been thinking about it since if I''m not mistaken. And now I''ll be a bit busy for a moment, there is an unusually big bunch of crazy flowers ahead" a slashing sound accompanied his words. Deciding it wasn''t for her tastes Aurora turned the chat off and conveyed his message to others. Two surprised faces met her eyes after the explanation was finished. "So that''s how¡­ How could a kid figure out something like that?" asked Levin quietly. He had never thought about it that way. His path of an illusionist seemed worse and worse by the moment. Not only he had to be close to his targets to make illusions as real as possible but now they could even be dispelled by novices. "He''s no kid" said Monthu in a tired voice. He didn''t know what to do and that clearly reflected on his mood. "What do you mean? Isn''t he like thirteen years old?" "No idea about his real age" said ranger explaining. "But he''s older than what he looks. He said so himself even though he made it clear that this was his real look. And he was ready to defend his words with actions." That shut the mage up. How was one supposed to react when he finds out that a kid that beat him claims to be not a kid? That didn''t even make sense. They continued their walk quietly, all lost in their own thoughts. Ace on the other hand was feeling much better. Aurora was still talking to him so it meant she was on his side for some reason and he could persuade Par to help him too. Having these two allies, he had a good chance of regaining his place. Happy now he continued on his rampage using a skill he had learnt a few minutes before Aurora''s call. It was a pretty stupid skill but fun in it''s own way, [Fear of the Hungry] *** In a couple of days this time they managed to leave the cave and breathe fresh air once again. Ace was waiting for them outside playing his flute. "What is he doing now?" asked Levin incredulously. "Playing his flute" answered Ace slowly as if that was the hardest thing to understand. "It helps to calm ones nerves, you know?" A shadow of fear passed the mage''s face but as Ace was smiling he decided it was just a friendly jab. Or as close to it as the kid knew, maybe that could even be taken as some sort of apology? Deciding it was the best approach, the mage nodded at the kid and pretended as if he had forgotten the accident. Ace stood up and stealthily got closer to Par while Reaper''s attention was taken by Aurora and the mage. It was way too easy in Ace''s opinion and he took twice the precautions but Monthu seemed extremely worried about something to the level of paying low attention to things happening around him. ''What could it be?'' wondered Ace but kept to his plan none the less. He simply had to win over the kid before getting kicked out. Par took things in his own hands the moment Ace appeared close. "Why did you do it?" he asked. ''So he was waiting for my reply all this time? I can''t disappoint him, but what am I supposed to say? Truth wouldn''t work well in my favour...'' ¡°People are strange creatures. If met under good circumstances you might love them and become best friends, but if the meeting place and first impression isn¡¯t such, bad things happen. Going mad is one of them. I never said I had a good grasp of my emotions, I really don¡¯t. If I hate someone, I do it with a passion and Levin just decided to insult me when I was already tired and short of patience. Can you believe me Paradox? This world is hardly only white and black¡± Par looked thoughtful. He had a very serious expression with his eyebrows knitted and mouth in a tight line. After some time he nodded. "I do. The mage had no right to say those words about us or Aurora. He deserved to be taught a lesson" Ace felt relief wash over him, the kid with his belief of justice and heroes. "Thank you, I knew you would be the one to understand" replied Ace with a relieved smile on his face, ignoring the open mouthed stare of the mage. Now with the battle won Ace could relax a bit and enjoy his conversation with Par. The kid was very chatty from not being around his friend for so long and didn''t even wait for Ace to reply to anything he said. It was fine for the blue cloaked kid. In that time he could test the waters after his explanation. Aurora looked normal while Hawk had a scowl on his face. That didn''t bode well but he turned his attention to the last member whose opinion mattered the most. But he didn''t seem to have noticed anything at all! He was lost in his world walking like a robot! Ace shrugged at that ''Whatever''. A pair of middle aged humans intercepted them the moment they left the forest. It was a female wearing a bright yellow dress that bordered on indecent and a man wearing grey plate armour and a claymore. They had serious expressions on their faces and emanated huge amounts of killing intent. "Mother! Father!" screamed Par in Ace''s ear who grimaced a bit but kept his cool. This was something he hadn''t expected, for them to bring out their heavy artillery. It also explained why Reaper was absent minded today. Par ran to his parents and embraced them in a big hug. A forced smiled appeared on the female''s face, Ace noted. She wasn''t happy about something. ''If it''s my presence, I should make it better known.'' "Will you introduce us, Par?" he asked interrupting the family moment and getting a glare from the female. "Oh right! This is my mother Melinda and father Cole. They''re the best! And this is my friend Ace I''ve been telling you about! He''s so cool!" "It''s Diana and Mephis to you" the female said icily with distaste in her voice. "Pleased to make your acquaintance" replied Ace bowing slightly to hide his grin. "And this is our fellow traveller Levin. He''s following us to the next city to redeem himself but I suppose Par told you all about that..." he finished his voice trailing off. "You shouldn''t address our son so casually" spoke up Mephis in a deep voice. "And how should I call him? Your highness? His majesty Prince? Sorry but for me he''s just another player and my friend" Ace said looking at him as if he was stupid. The kid had perfected the look so well that the man even felt a bit silly which in turn made him change his opinion about the pretend kid. At first he thought that this Ace kid was just a random punk but what he saw was a seasoned fighter, someone he would welcome in his firm with open hands. "It''s been raining!" screamed Ace out of the blue and dashed off towards a nearby puddle splashing water in all directions and laughing like a maniac. Par joined him in a moment and together they ran off ahead jumping on every puddle and competing who could splash more water. The group was left with eyes wide open and mouths agape. Aurora came out of it first and just smiled at Ace''s antics. There just seemed no end to surprises. A small town appeared in their sights nearing the dusk. It had no walls or gates so they easily entered and veered towards a sole inn. A burly old man welcomed them and showed to a large table. He said they only served one dish so he''ll get it. Ace sat down between Par and Aurora where he could be safe for a time being and have a nice dinner. The stew was comparatively good and conversation light between those who talked. The parents were silent pretending to be busy eating while actually listening intently. Ace chose an especially boring and incomprehensible topic for grown ups. It was about Kentamons and their innumerable amount of random names and abilities. He hated that animation the most because it''s confusion level was over nine thousand but kids liked it for some reason while it gave their parents nightmares. It was a patented tactic for Ace. He used it every time he wanted to get rid of someone or annoy them to no end and it worked miracles. Once they had finished eating and Par went to rest the real conversation began, Aurora and Hawk had made themselves scarce by that time too. Ace decided to act as the serious situation required and lost his childish expression. His eyes became less wide and turned steely grey from yellow, a smile thinned out into a single line while his back straightened out making him look a bit taller, even slightly older. The parents went on the offensive instantly but Ace wasn''t backing down either. "What do you want from our son?" "Why does it always have to be about him? Maybe I just fancy Aurora?" "Don''t kid around!" growled Diana. She had no patience for idiots and those who played them. "And why can''t it be truth? Because I look like a kid?" asked Ace in a level voice, his eyes flashing. "Uhm... Well... Yes!" Diana said, muffled a bit. Monthu on the other hand didn''t see it that way. It''s not that the kid couldn''t be attracted to a woman, more like he had a different agenda and was just throwing random answers to fool. "It doesn''t matter" stated Mephis. "What''s important is that you leave to never intrude in our lives again" "And what''s the fun in that?" asked Ace raising an eyebrow, a smile surfacing on his face. "You''ll be left alive" explained Diana in a gleeful voice. Ace shook his head smiling wider and raised his hand for a barmaid to come. A female of about twenty with short brown hair and lovely face approached. "What would you like?" Ace scrunched his face. "These people don''t believe that I''m good!" he said pointing at the other residents at his table. "They say I''m bad influence and can''t meet their son ever again! But they can''t do it, can they?" there was a pleading look on his face. "We''re best friends!" The barmaid looked surprised for a moment but soon directed her angry glare at the parents. "What could this kid have done so bad to deserve it?" she asked. "....." the couple hadn''t anything to say. It''s not like the kid had done something, it was more of a precaution for the good of everyone. "He''s a danger" Diana said finally. "And how is a kid supposed to be dangerous? Does he smoke, drink, kill people? Don''t you think he''s a bit young for that?" argued the barmaid heatedly. ¡®How could anyone think such an innocent kid could do anything wrong?¡¯ "He''ll grow up to that" said Memphis while a shadow of pain passed Ace''s face which only Monthu, whose whole attention was focused on a him, noticed. He wondered what that meant but it wasn''t a good idea to butt in their conversation. "Of course if you treat him like a criminal from such age!" the barmaid shouted angrily but when she noticed a sad look on the kid''s face her expression lost it''s severity. "Don''t believe them" she said. "They don''t know what they''re talking about. Wait a moment here I''ll bring something nice to cheer you up." "A surprise?" asked Ace, his face lightening. The girl nodded and hurriedly left. "What was that nonsense?" Diana asked raising her voice. "An answer to your threat" Ace said, his voice icy. "The girl is well liked and the whole inn will stand behind her if you try to do anything to me. Besides have you noticed how easy it was to win her over? The whole continent would come to my aid if I just asked. Who wouldn''t save a little kid from evil monsters that want to kill him? You''d be shunned by the world and hunted by all players if you even think about laying a finger on me. So tread carefully, I don''t take well to insults and threats." "Are you serious?" "Try me" Ace said with a malicious grin which quickly turned into a happy smile when a barmaid came over. "Here take this" she said handing him a bag of sweets. Ace pulled one out and put in his mouth. It was heavenly. Then a thought seemed to enter his mind and he turned towards the barmaid. "Thank you very much. You''re a wonderful lady!" The girl¡¯s cheeks turned pink and she left laughing a little. "If you need anything just come to me." Ace nodded and waved at her retreating back. When he turned back to his table mates his face was an emotionless mask. "Do you have anything else to say or can I leave?" "If for forever, leave this moment for all we care." "No such luck. I''ll be here and you can''t do a thing about it unless you forcibly prevent Par from meeting me and he won''t like it at all." Stolen story; please report. "You were working towards that from the very start, weren¡¯t you?" Mephis asked tiredly. He saw that money wouldn''t work here and the kid was prepared to use every trick available to stay. "Actually I became friends with Par to gain an upper hand on Monthu here. I needed a way in and he wasn''t nice enough to just let me join" explained Ace truthfully. It was no secret to him. "Why do you so desperately want to stay?" "Because I feel like being in a group for now" "And why is it exactly my party?" asked Monthu with a growl taking Ace by his collar and bringing their faces in a very close proximity. "Because...¡± Ace said slowly, his voice barely heard. After a moment of thinking he made it into a statement. "Just because." Monthu held him for a little while longer keeping his gaze but no more words were exchanged. A fight of wills you could say.
*Monthu has requested to register you as a friend. Will you accept?*
Ace felt surprised but hid it well behind indignation for being handled this roughly. He accepted the request by pretending to be brushing off invisible dust from his robes and straightening his collar. *Monthu has been registered as a friend* "How much would you want for leaving?" asked Mephis deciding at least to try this approach, maybe he was wrong and the kid would accept a good enough proposal. "You don''t have what I need" replied Ace dismissing the mere notion of it with a wave of his hand. "And what is that?" asked Diana intrigued. ¡®What didn''t they have?¡® "A cure for congenital growth-hormone condition which isn''t a cure" answered Ace, his face looking tired for a moment. ¡®How many times he''d wished for it? How many times he dreamed to no avail? He thought he''d gotten accustomed to it but here he was again, begging someone to save him...¡¯ "Isn''t it easily curable?" asked Mephis unsure. Medicine had greatly improved over the years. These days even cancer was no longer a death sentence but curable with enough money. "My condition isn''t. My organism starts to destroy itself if any medicine is given to me. I almost died once when they tried to cure me" a bitter smile manifested on his face. "I can''t even drink cough medicine to ease a cold. So no, you have nothing for me" "How old are you really then?" "What''s the difference? For all intents and purposes I''m a thirteen year old" That said Ace stood up and asked the innkeeper for a room. After paying he walked up the stairs and disappeared from the table¡¯s sight. "What do you think of him?" asked Cole turning to his wife. "He won''t leave. All we can do is monitor him and find out his real identity. There shouldn''t be too many people with his condition." The man nodded agreeing and stood up to leave with his wife. "Make sure to follow his every move and gain as much information as you can" he said over his shoulder to Monthu who sat quietly until the couple left. Then he asked for a room and took his leave too. *** Ace laid on his back staring at the wooden ceiling. ''Did they fall for it?¡¯ There was no reason to think otherwise but it was still a huge gamble. What if they actually found something? ¡°Forget it, it''s too late now. The game has started and only time will tell if I have a Full House or simply a High Card" he muttered to himself, turning on his side to look through the window. Ting! /What it''s like being a child?/ came a message from Monthu distracting Ace. ''So he isn''t a mindless servant? Maybe I can actually win him over too. That would only leave Hawk.'' /It means no girlfriends, no cars or bikes, no drinking, no travelling or mostly even going alone and no respect. On the other hand I''m always welcome to any company and taken everywhere; get many gifts and sweets while never having to work for anything. You could even call it a dream world/ Ace wrote back knowing Monthu will get it and trying to shove it all away. He''s been talking about himself way too much, some action was in need. Standing up he walked to the window and opened it up. It was night time already and no one was around. Ace jumped on a windowsill and from there climbed on the roof. The town opened up before him as the inn was made on a higher ground to be seen from afar. There were ten small houses with flat roofs well suited for walking on, which Ace decided to use. He activated [Shadow Veil] and [Silent Steps] and went ahead jumping from one house to another using [Shadow Dash] as his small frame got in the way like usual. It took a considerable amount of his mana but with his extreme regeneration it was a small loss. Standing on a last house he heard voices, with [All Ears] he determined where it was coming from and sneaked to the outskirts of a forest. A group of four players were arguing about which quest to do first. "We should just go and kill the tree spirits! They''re not even that strong!" a warrior guy said wearing full armour and a broadsword. "But they have huge hp bars! It''s simpler to wipe out the rogue cave, with my glitter dust spell it would be child''s play and good experience" didn''t agree another male but this one wore a green robe. As these two kept on arguing a cleric and a rogue had their own conversation. "I think it''ll still last awhile. Maybe you should scout around just in case?" "Sure" agreed the rogue and left. That was a very good idea in Ace''s opinion too. It made his work so much easier. He followed the rogue a bit to determine his walking pattern and then went to make his ambush. A strong branch extending on a path was perfect for that. While sitting Ace decided to activate [Instincts of a Predator]. It was a skill that allowed one to sense other creatures and their level of dangerousness. It showed that the rogue was around level 65. ''Ech... That''s not even a challenge'' sighed Ace before jumping on an unsuspecting rogue. He used all of his three damage abilities and one status [Curse of the Hungry]. At his level, Average 4, it made the corpse stay for a whooping three minutes. Looting the now dead rogue he obtained a full set of rogue equipment, a few potions and a hundred golds. Being a player killer made one really rich. Then Ace took out his silver wing shaped necklace from under his cloak and murmured "Goddess of Light and Righteousness forgive a Fallen Soul that walks in the Shadows and grant him your favour." A white light shone from within the pendant and it duplicated itself. The new one was a bit less well made, looking darker but was still a beautiful thing. Ace put the silver wing in the rogues bag and walked away towards the remaining members, leaving the body to disappear in due time. The three members were still doing their things, not aware of their friend¡¯s misfortune. It was better for Ace this way but he decided against going solo versus three. He could easily burst one down but the remaining two could deal him significant damage, especially if he was forced to use [Heart-seeker]. He climbed on a nearby tree and prepared for a long wait. It''ll be some time before they''ll notice the missing one and maybe make the mistake of separating at least for a good five meters. It took them two hours by which Ace felt like killing the arguing duo simply to shut them up. They were still arguing over the same thing, using almost the same words when a cleric interrupted them. "I can''t contact Wind! He''s went scouting a few hours ago and I hadn''t gotten a word from him since!" there was worry etched in his voice, and a bit of fear. "Are you sure he''s missing? Didn''t he just went for a smoke or something?" asked the warrior calmly. "That¡¯s never happened before and he wouldn''t have left his unprotected body in a middle of a forest!!¡± answered the cleric, his voice raising instinctively. The warrior had to agree to that logic. "Fine. I''ll go look around, you stay with Warner and create a fire. If he was caught by wild beasts it should deter them." The mage and cleric nodded because neither of them wanted to walk around a forest in a dead of a night and set out to their task of creating a fire for themselves. Ace stood up and quietly followed after the retreating back of the warrior. The guy was walking in random circles so ambush was out of the question. Or maybe not. Ace hid in the bushes near the general direction of the warrior''s path and made the [Flare] leave his cowl. Controlling it with a flick of his fingers he made it intercept the guy and lead him straight to Ace''s dagger. Warrior being of curious nature followed the flickering light and didn''t notice a shadow jumping on his back before it was too late. He felt a dagger finding gaps in places where armour pieces were attached to each other and piercing his leather armour and flesh. It hurt like hell but the enemy wasn''t finished, he stabbed and stabbed while Kaldor uselessly tried to get him off his back. As a last resort he fell to the ground and tried to roll around but a moment before that his heart came into contact with something sharp. ''Wait! Was that a dagger? How could it...'' His life force drained to a zero, he felt darkness envelope him and the silver hue of his cabin meeting his eyes. He was done for with no access to the game for the next couple of hours. It was too much of a penalty for dying in his opinion but the creators didn¡¯t care for that. They had decided that it was a good idea to make players weary of dying and this was their solution. In the game Ace was looting his dead body and smiling at the second set of armour he found in the backpack and a 95 gold coins. Finished he repeated the prayer and gifted the dead man with a silver wing necklace. Now it was time for the last two standing to have a go at him. Ace walked slowly so his mana had time to replenish. When he reached the camp a smell of cooked meat met him, making his stomach growl quietly. One of those guys was a really good cook, it''s sad that he had to die anyway. Hiding in the bushes he debated on who to go for first. He could burst down the cleric but the mage would then be able to cast a spell in that time. On the other hand if he went for the mage, the cleric could heal him up and that would suck. In the end he decided to go for the wizard, it contained just that little bit less risk. That decided, he left the bush and keeping in shadows circled himself to be behind the mage. It was good that the guy wasn''t smart enough to use glitter dust on the surroundings. In position, he took a big breath and used [Shadow Dash] to get close to the target. He was able to use [Cut-throat] and [Backstab] but a strong spell pushed him back before the last hit could be made. The mage was bleeding heavily and poison should have infected his system by now so Ace went for the cleric to prevent him from healing as much as kill him. Dashing towards him he used a few random slashes to wound him for poison''s sake and then used [Heart-seeker] to finish him off (with a curse of course). Sadly the mage hadn''t died by that time and even prepared a spell that made vines sprout from the ground and prevent him from moving. "Life given by earth, shall be returned to..." Ace was desperately cutting at the vines trying to get himself free. He had no wish to see what that spell was. "Leech Lif..." a violent cough interrupted the mage''s spell casting making him spit blood. There was astonishment on his face when his hand became red. Ace seeing the mage preoccupied took out a knife and cursing it threw at the mage''s heart. "Heart-seeker" he yelled out directing the mage''s attention back to him but it was too late now. The knife embedded itself into his chest and dropped his health bar to a zero. The vines constraining Ace disappeared but he stood still, waiting a moment before regaining his movements because of [Heart-seeker]. Then he looted the two corpses obtaining a few spell books, potions and their gear. Together they had 300 gold to give for which Ace gave them a silver wing each. Tired he sat down among the corpses and ate their food. It was delicious! He thanked the now dead guys and decided to check his status. "Status window"
Status Window
NameAceAlignmentLawful Evil
Level88ProfessionAssassin Mage
TitleNone
Fame375
Notoriety963
Health1225Mana1490
Strength134+30Agility310+30
Vitality97+30
Wisdom146+50Intelligence49+100
Stamina51+30
Luck17+30Leadership0
Attack109
Defense0
Magic Resistance5%
+ All survival stats are added 30 points, Int + 50 points + Dagger mastery increases more easily by 25% + Wisdom and Intelligence are added 50 points + Magic mastery increses 25% more easily + You can learn all spells up to master level + After hiding, all stats increase by 30% in addition for a short duration. + Enables you to equip certain items specialized for the class. + Due to your double classes'' differences your fame is divided into fame and notoriety until your identity is discovered.
"So I leveled up twice... Now how''s my blood thirsty friend is doing..." He took out his dagger and checked it''s status.
Kris Durability: 97 stacks Damage: 30-50 Dagger that was made wavy in order to increase it''s deadliness. It is one of the few remaining masterpieces made by skilled blacksmith that lived in a Reion empire. Stolen from his master''s grave he was passed down by master assassins to their students. One of them fed it blood until the blade started to crave it. Effects: Heart-seeker [Active] Average 7 An ability that allows to bypass all armour and reach the target¡¯s heart, killing him in an instant. The activation stuns the user for three seconds making him unable to move or cast; with improvement the time will lessen. Warning! The blade requires blood to keep the ability. Every twenty-four hours consumes a heart. If more than one is taken in a day they can be stacked for future. Monsters'' hearts are inefficient unless they are very human like. If a low quality heart is taken, a good one will be used to purify the blade. Warning! If a day passes without the blade being fed, the ability will disappear. It can be relearnt with right conditions but it''s level will be beginner 1.
"I''ll need to restack in a next large city... I can''t enter any dungeons being this low. Anyway, I''m done here and some sleep would do me good" He stood up, used a weak water spell to douse off the fire and walked back to town, [Flare] showing him the way. A few growls from nearby predators could be heard but Ace walked on unworried. They wouldn''t attack him no matter what. It was a useful skill but he would have deleted it a billion times if he only could have. He was not a freaking child. Next Chapter 7. Easier Path Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Another chapter! And it kind of blew my regular chapter length passing over 8 thousand words -.-'' Well at least it was pretty fun to write so I hope you enjoy it **** "Get ready! We''re leaving soon!" shouted Hawk running into an inn where a party of five were eating breakfast. "Who''s on fire?" asked Aurora while others continued to eat their share without even acknowledging the archer. "A large caravan came to town today and was hiring mercenaries! I wrote us all in and they''re leaving in an hour!" explained Hawk as quickly as he could. "You did what?" Monthu asked incredulously. There was a scowl on his face. "It''s a good idea!" the ranger said pleadingly. "They''re travelling the same way as us and will even pay us to just walk by them which we would have to do anyway!" "Didn''t we agree to not enter any large crowds?" Monthu said not giving in an inch. Hawk had nothing to say to that but Ace picked up, his curiosity piqued. He had never been in a caravan. "Shouldn''t there be a lot of robbers on the road if something like this is scheduled to pass through here?" Archer saw what the kid was hinting at and nodded in enthusiasm. "Many! That''s why the main merchant is hiring every adventurer he can find! This road will be unsafe for a few weeks more if we let this chance pass!" Monthu didn''t like it at all. Many people meant many dangers for his brother but otherwise they would be stuck here for almost a month. He now understood why Ace said he befriended Par to get to him. It really worked and he couldn''t do a thing about it. "How much does he pay?" "10 golds for the travel. Every kill adds 5 gold" explained Hawk with a smile. The battle was won. He should probably thank the kid but monsters didn''t deserve respect, right? "That''s not too bad. We might as well join in. Everyone get ready. Aurora buy supplies while I find a place to lock up Levin." "Hey! I don''t need locking up! I can be a mercenary too!" the illusionist said disagreeing. "No" four people said simultaneously and left him standing with Par. "Could you maybe take these off?" he asked the kid. You never know. "Nope my brother has the key. Besides you hurt Aurora''s feelings so you deserve this" the child answered looking very serious. "Kids..." Levin muttered rolling his eyes and returned to the room he had shared with Monthu and Par. It''s not like he was allowed to go anywhere else. Par followed him up and sat down to play with a ring puzzle. The single street was full of people talking with NPCs to maybe gain a quest or renew their supplies. Ace watched them for a moment thinking about his own situation. He didn''t have to worry about food now that he was part of a group but it was better to be prepared for the unexpected. So he went to a general store and joined the line. There were seven people before him but luckily they only bought basic supplies and left the all-purpose barley bread for him. It stayed good for a whole eternity so he bought thirty of them and all herbs the store had. It wasn''t much but a few poisons could be made, maybe even a potion. For some reason it was ten times easier to make a strong poison than any kind of potion. Done with shopping he went towards a house he saw Aurora entering. She walked out soon enough with a bright smile and together they went to where Monthu was talking with a man in his late thirties wearing clothes made of silk. Maybe the main merchant? The guy was waving his arms wildly with his face beat red while Monthu stood opposite with his hands crossed. "What''s wrong?" Ace asked stopping beside his team mate. "Get out of here, brat. I have no candies for you" the merchant growled moving his hands in a shooing motion. Ace''s eyes flashed angrily but he just turned his gaze towards Monthu who looked surprised. "Forget him. Just tell me why you are arguing." "This money bag doesn''t want to take us in without horses but we don''t have enough funds to buy horses on a whim" Monthu explained with a sigh. Saying you didn''t have enough money was embarrassing but the kid had to understand the situation. "If that''s all there is to it, I can buy those animals and we can go" noticing Monthu prepared to argue he added. "You can pay me back once we''re finished." That was acceptable and Monthu nodded even though he wasn''t used to borrowing money. It was a new experience for him but they really needed those animals for travel or else they''d be stuck in this corner of the world for a whole month. "What could you possibly have? Ten coppers? Maybe a silver? Horses cost more than that punk" the merchant laughed. Ace just rolled his eyes. He''d seen people like that who hate youths for no apparent reason and he learnt to deal with them. Best action was to get out of their vicinity as fast as possible. If that was impossible, you had to give them what they wanted. He took out a handful of golds from his pouch and put them in the merchant¡¯s hand. And another one. And another one. "Is that enough? Or do you take more than 5 golds for a single horse?¡± "How did you..." "I think you missed the point here. The how doesn''t matter. What''s important is that I gave you the money and ask for five best horses you have. Or are you going to return me the money?" The gold quickly disappeared in the folds of cloth. "Follow me" Ace smiled happily. At least money could always give you respect. Kids that are born in rich families are really better off. The merchant led them to the back of the caravan where horses were free to graze around while travellers took a break in town and resupplied. There were all kinds of them brown, white, with dots, a few solely black or white. They were taken to a corner where twenty something horses were separated from the rest. "These are for sale. You can pick the ones you like." Both guys went to look at them even if they had no real knowledge about how to differ the animals. All of them looked healthy and good for riding. Aurora stayed on the side in case the horses decided to attack. You can never be too careful. A grey horse standing apart from others took Ace''s attention. He came closer and held his hand for the horse to sniff. The animal snorted a few times but didn''t fight back as Ace tried to pet him. "I''ll take this one!" he shouted to the merchant. "What''s his name?" "Why would he have a name?" the guy asked surprised. It was an AI (artificial intelligence). Who would care enough to give it a name? "You''ll be Ash then" the boy said scratching under the ear. The horse seemed to like that and tried to kiss the kid who managed to dodge at the last second. ''I had almost forgotten all about it. Thanks for reminding me'' Ace scowled, his mood ruined. Monthu chose a brown stallion for himself and a mare of lighter shade for his brother. She seemed to be more than five years old and unable to throw her rider off even if she wanted to. It would require too much energy. A white mare with some darker dots was chosen by Aurora still standing away while Hawk who had just come went for a black one with a white leg. "How much were they?" Hawk asked preparing his horse for a ride. "Five golds each" Aurora answered beside him. The other three were further ahead looking for a higher ground from where Ace could mount. He refused everyone who volunteered to help him and repeatedly said he can do it himself. "But we didn''t have such money! It''s 25 golds! A fortune wasted!" Hawk exclaimed forgetting what he was doing. "Ace" Aurora said stroking the soft skin of her mare as if that explained everything. And it did. "You mean he not only has an assortment of random skills you wouldn''t expect to see but also a bank overflowing with money?" His horse''s whinnying returned him back to present and he petted him a few times before jumping on his back. Aurora shrugged before getting on her own horse. "Who knows? He seemed not to mind paying it..." "But he''s accustomed to lying. That''s what you wanted to say wasn''t it?" Hawk asked angrily. "Why do you defend him even if you know he''s rotten to the core?" "I don''t know that!" Aurora said loudly but then softened her voice. "What if he''s just been hurt? It couldn¡¯t have been easy to know you''ll never grow up and be able to do things that make life worthwhile. Like have wife, children, and your own home. Can you imagine being denied all that?" They were both informed about everything that was talked about over the table. Melinda had recorded Ace''s every action and word for future reference. "Does that make him a hero? A saint? He was faced by tough choices and has fallen. He''s a liar and a murderer! That''s why he''s rich and can throw money right and left at his level. You should understand that he''s a wild beast. If you come close, he''ll bite you even if all you wanted was to treat his wounds. He''s no fallen angel to return to the right because of you. This is not a freaking fairytale!" Hawk more like growled than said. He couldn''t believe Aurora''s stupidity. She heard what the bastard did and that he had no qualms about lying someone straight to the face yet she still stayed by his side, turning all attacks away from him. "That''s the reason! We''re all humans! Maybe he just needs friendship for his god qualities to blossom and take him away from the darkness. It is my as a healer''s duty to heal his soul!" The loud arguing voices carried over the field where the three stood. Monthu had helped his brother on a saddle and was watching for Ace''s reaction. His face muscles twitched a few times but no real expression appeared there. The kid was clearly pretending not to hear the words. Soon both parties joined together and found their place in a caravan. The topic was never brought up again but Ace stayed very quiet. He answered only with a yes or no until Par and Aurora left him alone for the ride. He had many things to think about. Life was never as easy as you wanted it to. *** "Rooooooaaar!" a loud growl came from the woods as a horde of trolls attacked. They looked extremely ugly with huge noses, small beady eyes and walked hunched with trees as weapons in their hands. All the warriors on the right side of the caravan grouped up and intercepted the charging mobs. Or tried to. None of them had ridden a horse before which resulted in a lot of bumping and many falls. Those who managed to stay up tried to attack with their swords but fighting from a horseback wasn''t the same as on the ground and required extreme balance and getting used to. Half of the remaining fighters fell or injured themselves... Only three knights present didn¡¯t suffer any damage. They were in their element and showed off their skills by keeping fifteen trolls back by themselves while fighters got back their bearings and confronted the monsters now on foot. Archers weren''t doing that well, either. Their horses were moving so their aim was usually off. And Hawk was one of them even if he tried his best to aim correctly. But he was used to shooting moving targets instead of being the one moving himself. It made him miss many of his shots. However, one of them was a bull¡¯s eye and finished off an already weakened troll. "I got one!" he shouted to his friends while seeing a red number 1 appearing in the corner of his right eye. All those who joined the caravan quest had a countdown of their kills which then would be turned into gold coins when they reached the destination. "We can hear you, no need to shout" Aurora answered him with her hands on ears. "Congratulations on making five golds" No one else from the party were involved in fighting. They passed without even moving a muscle. Monthu didn''t want to leave his brother and wasn''t letting him in that chaos. As for Aurora, clerics weren''t good in close combat. Period. Ace was just enjoying the ride. ''What was the point of revealing one''s skills when there were enough man power to subdue the threat. Besides he had enough money not to care about the reward. Five golds for a head, really? That¡¯s almost like free labour.'' The caravan was attacked a few more times before the evening by wild monsters but wagons sustained no damage. A few players had died because of lack of clerics (No one paid for healing so they rarely went on such expeditions) but no one missed them. Less people to share hunt money with. In the evening the party lighted a fire and Aurora made dinner while others lazed around, tired from all the riding. Par was especially exhausted, not even having energy to try and chat up Ace who was still keeping his cold appearance. ''Maybe I should take a break?'' he thought and logged out. *** It had been around two days since his last leave and his growling stomach didn''t forget to remind him of it. Opening the curtains Kirin saw that it was still an early evening so he ordered a pizza. While waiting he checked the forums for news but seeing nothing relevant left soon. Tiiiiiiiiriiirr! A sound came and Kirin paid for the pizza. He ate it ravenously and was about to fall asleep sitting than a sound of a doorbell was heard once again. ''Who could possibly have come? Please god, don''t let it be Kevin and his gang!'' As he opened the door a heavy scent of roses assaulted his nostrils. "Welcome Aunt Marina. What brought you here on this lovely evening?" "I came to check on my favourite kid, of course! I heard your parents are gone once again! What stupidity! How can they leave you alone?" she said angrily, giving him a basket full of fresh vegetables and fruits from her garden. "You should come live with me. I would take better care of you. What do you think?" "Thank you aunt but I can''t just leave. This is my home! My room! My toys! Everyone knows I live here!" he said shaking in horror. "Aww... You''re such a lovely kid" the woman replied pinching his cheek and proceeding to the kitchen. "You''ve been eating fast food again, weren''t you? But what could be expected when there''s no parent control! They spoiled you rotten. Oh and I brought you something. It¡¯s at the bottom of basket.¡± Kirin took out all items in order putting them in their respectable places; apples and plums on the table, tomatoes and cucumbers in a refrigerator while onions went at the back of a cupboard. A plastic bag lay at the bottom. Kirin carefully picked it up and took out the item from inside. It was a little car you could control with motions of your hand equipped with a specific glove. A wide smile appeared on the kid''s face and he hugged his aunt. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" he said to her stomach which made the woman laugh. "I knew you would like it. Take good care of it. And I''ve got to leave now, Janetta has returned from Paris so I just came to share the good news." "When will she come to play with me?" the kid asked with shining eyes. "You have to wait a few days! She''s very tired after her flight." "Okay..." the kid said, his head hanging down and followed the aunt to the door. ¡°Bye!" "See you soon, Ang. I promise you Janetta will come as fast as she can!" with that she left and the kid closed the door. A scowl manifested on his face. ''She just had to return now''. He went to his room and threw the car in the toy box where many others lay. *** After four days in game Ace returned waking up in a wagon. It was dark but he could see the outlines of other bodies thrown in beside him. ''Gross''. He freed his hands and legs and jumped out of the wagon rolling on a ground a few times. His hands were a bit bruised but it was so worth it to get out of that meat grinder. And he really needed a bath now. The caravan was going faster than him so he was getting farther and farther from the middle where the wagon was pulled by two horses. "Hey, you''re back!" someone shouted loudly and Ace raised his head to look around. The group was a few meters behind him, Monthu holding the rains of his horse. "Hi!" Ace answered motioning for them to leave the procession for a moment and let him get on his horse. A few steps away was a small patch of higher ground and Ace used it. "Why did you leave the first evening?" Hawk asked. "Nothing interesting ever happens on the first days of travel so I might as well miss them. And I hope we can get some action in a next few days because I''ll have to leave for some time after that" Ace said with a thoughtful expression. "We had enough action already" Hawk said not agreeing. "Did Monthu even put a hand on his weapon?" Ace asked raising an eyebrow to which Hawk had no answer. "There were only some skirmishes. I want to see war! An all-out battle!" "Do you think we''ll see something like that?" Par asked, his eyes glowing. "Well some big gang should make an attempt at taking so much loot, gold and experience. I couldn''t believe that all of them got scared of the hired defenders" Ace said explaining and looking around. All of the fighters looked much better than the last time he was on. None were staggering or holding reins as if their life depended on it. That was quite a quick improvement. Maybe there was a skill associated with riding? The day passed monotonously without a single encounter. Ace felt like crying while sitting next to a fire. There were no foes in his path and his fingers itched to go hunting and feeding. But that would probably be a grave mistake comes tomorrow. The lack of monsters could mean only one thing. Some stronger predator was in the vicinity. And more often than not it meant human involvement. So he kept his hands crossed under the cloak to prevent them for reaching the dagger and talked with Par to distract himself. ''Going out alone to hunt mobs in enemy territory would be suicide too. So you stay here'' he kept the pep talk. A talent to focus on many things at once had its downside too. Soon Par went to sleep and he was left alone with his thoughts. That was not good. To fight he took out the flute and sat down. The instrument was made by a beginner and looked crappy but Ace acquired it just because he was taking everything. He never had thought that it''d become one of the best ways to calm himself. He had told the truth to the mage back then. The music had a soothing effect. In the morning a see-through table appeared before his eyes. Tiiriing!
Level up: Flute Mastery [Passive] Novice 5 Increases the quality of music produced by 50% Increases the calmness of those who hear it by 9%
Ace felt happy, that meant he could rest that much easier. When people started to wake up and log back on, he stopped playing and put away the flute. He took out a canteen of water and splashed water on his face. That was refreshing and helped him leave the sleepy state he was in while playing. The horses were saddled and the journey started again. But no more than an hour later the line stopped. "I''ll go check" Hawk said, volunteering and galloped towards the front of the caravan. It took him around ten minutes to return and his face looked pale. "There''s a blockade of trees up ahead and they hadn''t fallen because of a storm. An order to enter a protective formation was sent a few minutes ago" he said explaining hurriedly. A circle was being made of wagons by putting lightest and worst made inside while heaviest and sturdiest made up the fronts on all sides. Horses were driven towards the centre ring and left while all who could use a weapon were to stand guard. All fighters were given a bow and some arrows to wound enemies until they came in close range. Archers and mages were positioned inside wagons near the windows through which they could use skills and hide easily. Some braver ones went onto the roofs and lay there in waiting. Monthu was positioned at the east side, sun in his eyes. It was so quiet. No one dared to make a sound after preparations were finished, no matter how much time passed. It was the worst part of any battle in Monthu''s opinion. The waiting intensified all fears and drilled on nerves. It made you think of those you''ll lose and if you''ll survive yourself. Even if this was only a game no one wanted to feel the pain of death or see their friends disappearing in a grey flash. It made one weak in the knees. Only seasoned fighters could survive long times of it without going mad. Luckily, in this aspect and only in this, arrows started to rain in waves on the wagons a few minutes past eleven. Most of those who hid on the tops were dead in the first wave but some managed to crawl down and get their wounds healed by the few present clerics. There were two for each of the four main sides but two hundred fighters in each. To expect some healing was stupid, everyone knew to rely on their health bars instead of miracle savings. Soon the coming arrows thinned out and were gone in a next minute. As that happened, an army came charging out of the woods. It was made out of all kinds of races but all of the players were clearly rogues. They ran with daggers in their hands and faces filled with greed, afraid of nothing. But they should have. A wave of arrows met them while they had no cover. Lucky ones died instantly while many others were maimed by unskilled fighters who couldn''t shoot straight to save their life. The surviving ones ran ahead expecting to begin fighting but fire started to rain on their heads, scorching their faces and backs while finishing off injured ones. A loud cry of joy came from the defenders side as the last rogue fell disappearing in a grey flash. *** "Should we really have sent them without any defence to fight?" Wenton asked his leader. "Some sacrifices must be made to win. Now those idiots used up most of their arrows and showed that they have around two hundred mages. It''ll be easy from now but just in case first send Martin with his squadron" Dark, the leader of the bandit army, answered. He was around twenty with dark skin, eyes and clothes. His face was always in shadow of a cowl. Dark was pretty young to lead so many people but his strict and unforgiving nature, coldness and perfectionism allowed him to quickly rise in the ranks of criminals. Out of all the candidates he was the one chosen to lead this army of monsters in human shape for his outstanding talent and he planned to prove his worth. If some competitors died in battle, that wouldn¡¯t be is fault at all. There was never a battle where someone hadn¡¯t died. *** The joy was short lived among the defenders. Before mages could sit down and recover their missing mana, another army went out, this time people wore the same rags but some had hardly fitting leather armour and instead of daggers they held rusty swords. Ace was hiding together with other rogues among the wagons until they could somehow sneak out and maybe assassinate some unlucky fellows. Rogues were usually worthless in large battles so no one expected great things from them. Not that there were many of them, only about twenty or some. From his hiding place Ace could see the approaching idiots being met with arrows and wondered how murderers were so poor. Most of beginner armour is better than what they were wearing... Some fell from arrows but this time they managed to reach the first ring of wagons and defenders had to pick up their swords and axes to get rid of them. It wasn''t too hard but there were many of them. If one fell another appeared and used every dirty trick available. Only the east side was having some problems as the main force came their way. A few summoned monsters helped them but it wasn''t looking too well. Monthu and other defenders had their backs to the wagons while being attacked from 3 to even 7 people at once. Ace decided to have a taste for himself and sneaked out to hunt. He got a bit farther away, thrust his dagger, killing a random enemy swordsman from behind but somehow his friends noticed and turned to Ace. "That wasn''t my plan¡± Ace muttered, dodging one sword and deflecting another with his dagger. The worst part was that he had no space to jump away! They were standing in his dagger¡¯s reach instead of using their longer one of swords. If running away wasn''t an option, then killing was. He took out another one and slashed at the closest opponent while blocking with the other hand. But he didn''t have ten hands to deflect all attacks and suffered some hits. And it hurt! "Damn bastards" he hissed and started to claw (with daggers) his way through, using [Instincts of a Predator] to sense enemies'' movements and [Evasion] to dodge or nullify as many attacks as possible while still going to the side where some defenders fought and would give him a helping hand. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Slash. Stab. Kick. Everything was used to get people out of the way. If they fought dirty, he was even worse. Punches in the eyes to blind, vines and ice to trip (usually on his dagger) and hits in all the weak places no honourable fighter would ever attack. Ace managed to move a meter ahead like that but it felt like forever. Slash. Stab. Slice. And repeat while dodging everything coming his way. Stamina was already half way. He needed to reach a safe zone and soon. ''Why did I thought going out was a good idea again? I''ve never done anything more stupid! I think so?'' Ace thought before falling down and crawling between enemies¡¯ legs. It seemed good until one guy noticed him and tried to skewer him. And it was damn hard to evade while being on all fours. "Wild Vines!" he shouted out keeping the fighter in place and used him to jump and return on his legs. He had managed to move another meter after that but now even more people were around him of which none looked friendly. ''This is not going to be my first death!'' Ace screamed in his mind using [Shadow Dash]. But there was nowhere to land! His hand and leg were slashed lowering his movement capabilities a lot. But there was no time to rest; he pushed forward while swordsman were confused by his sudden appearance for a moment. Up ahead he could see Monthu''s head. Just a few more steps to salvation! Monthu was swinging his scythe decapitating all the unwary. He was higher level than them and they had no armour. It would have been child''s play if there just weren''t this damn many of them! No matter how many fell, the others were pushing and pushing. There was a certain madness about them. No fear for death or pain, not a care for weaker skills or equipment. They didn''t even seem conscious! A flash of gold caught his eyes as he butchered another guy. It came from farther ahead but was gone instantly. ''What could it have been?'' As he was cutting another enemy it flashed again. Was that sun reflecting on someone''s hair? Monthu had a bad feeling about it. He knew only one person with such bright golden hair. ''Is he really stupid enough to go alone in the middle of enemy army?'' He motioned for those around him to take a step forward and push those bandits back. Little by little they managed to meet up with the light haired idiot. The moment he saw Monthu the guy slumped down unconscious. ''That stupid, idiotic, moronic...'' Monthu cursed as he blocked a few swords aimed at the kid and picked him up. "Cover me!" he shouted to his comrades and carried the boy that was covered in blood and open wounds. A white clothed female jumped out of the wagon as he came closer. "What happened? Wasn''t he supposed to stay back? Is he still alive? Those gashes are so horrible!" Aurora screamed running to him and collecting holy energy. "Found him dying nearby, take care" Monthu answered and laid down the body inside. The girl nodded and started to chant "Oh Kione god of those who need your help, show your love to this wounded lamb and heal his wounds, Healing Heart!" White light descended enveloping the kid''s body and making the wounds close up before the clerics'' eyes. "You should have saved your mana for those who really need it" her new partner Gerard remarked. "He''s my friend. I couldn''t let him die before my own eyes while I had a way to help him" Aurora answered sitting down yoga style to meditate. "Better your friend lives for a few hours than we win?" Simon muttered using [Healing Hand] on a soldier whose shoulder was pierced. *** A groan left Ace''s mouth as he started to wake up. It hurt everywhere and most muscles were screaming profanities at him. "Dammit, what had I been doing" Ace muttered under his breath, massaging his head. "Going to suicide and chickening out" supplied a white robed man with one eye following everything that went outside. That brought memories back. "Oh god..." ''I''m not sure what to be surprised more - at the stupidity of my own actions or actually surviving it.¡¯ A few flashing messages at the corner of his right eye under the kill count of 12 caught his attention.
Level Up: Evasion [Passive] Average 3 Allows you to better dodge attacks and projectiles coming towards you. After evading successfully you''re granted a 3% speed boost for a short duration
Luck increased by 25 points (+25 LCK)
''That could have been expected'' Ace thought, smiling against his own will. ''And that poison is damn effective. I should coat my daggers with it more often.'' "What happened while I was out?" he inquired while doing stretches to get used to moving again. "We''ve been fighting for 6 hours now and everyone is exhausted. Fire has been started by flaming arrows which killed a lot of mages and rangers, even two clerics were lost. And there¡¯s just no end to the bandits!" the cleric said explaining with a frustrated look. There were signs of exhaustion on him too - drooping shoulders, hunched back, pale face. Ace walked to the window and glanced outside. Chaos and a sense of loss met him. There were thousands of bandits over the field and others were still coming from the forest. Defenders had leveled up a lot and were killing them by tens but there were just too many of them! And they took out warriors one by one as there was a big lack of healers. It looked like a certain defeat but people were still fighting. None wanted to just go and die. What if a miracle happened? This was a game after all. "Death to them all" Ace murmured with a malicious smile and left the safe for now wagon. He sneaked up to an enemy and bursted him down but this time he didn''t go to the middle of an army to do that. He stayed close to Monthu and gave him a hand if some attack was missed while the guy noticing the newcomer just nodded in acknowledgement and did the same. ''This is not working'' Ace though blocking an attack and twisting his dagger to stab his opponent. ''There''s just too many of them to kill one by one.'' Duck. Kick. Slash. ''We need some mass attack but most mages are gone and the ones that survived aren''t able to inflict enough damage.'' Burst of fire to the face and stab while the guy is blinded. ''Archers are out of arrows too'' Evade, redirect the swords and impale them by each other¡¯s weapons. ''We need something strong, and it would have to spread wide.'' Kick in the gut and step back a few steps to drink a few health potions and back into place where Monthu had stepped in. ''A bomb would be very helpful'' Ace mused slicing a throat. A gurgling sound came but no one seemed affected. This battle lasted so long that people got used to the massacre around them, going as far as not even noticing the gore around them.
Item broken! Dagger of Audacity has broken do to it''s durability reaching zero!
Ace threw the pieces down and took out another one. "Damn" he hissed when he noticed that it wasn''t coated in poison. It was a very bad time to run out of half his damage. ''That''s it!'' he screamed in his mind. ''It might be even a key to victory!'' "I have an idea" he shouted to Monthu and ran back inside the protective ring. "Mages and rogues!" he yelled at the top of his lungs and started to take out items from his bag in a rush. "What is it?" the first mage to come asked. He was wearing a dark green robe, which was scorched on the corners. "I have a plan but it requires cooperation of wizards and all rogues. It''s cruel and inhumane but I think we''re in a desperate enough situation right now not to care." "What do you have in mind?" the main merchant of the caravan asked. They had all run in too as none were fighting and all wanted to live. Ace explained his plan and asked for their help. They grimaced a few times but nodded running to their wagons for supplies. *** ''What are they planning now?" Dark wondered sitting in the highest tree and following the events on the battlefield. It looked like an hour or two more and they would win but for some reason there hadn''t been a magical attack for more than ten minutes. ''Can they be chanting for so long? What kind of spell could require so many people and time?'' There was no change for another ten minutes and defenders felt the lack of magical assistance as twice as many enemies pushed them and all had full health. Then a pair climbed onto a wagon, and another, and another. Soon there wasn''t a place where no one was standing. ''They are safe as we have also run out of arrows but what could they possibly be planning by pairing wizards with rogues? They answered him soon enough as vials were thrown far into his army and wizards used basic spells to explode them. A rain of green and blue, red and yellow, white and black descended on his army of rogues. "Aaaghh!" "Gaaaaah! My eeeyyyeees!!!" "Save me!" "Kyyyaaaahh!" Horrible screams reached his ears. They were so loud and heart wrenching that even a cold blooded murderer like him had to block his ears with his hands. ''What the hell is that?'' he wondered trying to ignore the sounds while he was writing with one hand. No voice chat till the screams died down would be available. It took five minutes for his commanders to answer. /It''s deadly poison! East rear! / /East middle reporting! My unit was showered with acid! Can you believe it? More than half are incapacitated or missing parts! /We front! Sticky concoction! Hinders movements!/ ''That one''s probably already dead'' Dark decided and read on the crazy answers. /All went mad and started attacking each other! Berserk potion? West side commander/ /South side! All drunk!!! Concentrated alcohol?! Men are still trying to drink and falling down red faced! All control lost!/ /Beard from North reporting! Stink bombs! Can''t breathe!/ All sides were screaming at him their horrors but what could he possibly do for them? They had no clerics and there was no backing out for them. Angel guild would hunt all one by one till level one if they tried to desert. /Push on! We can still win this! They are too much weakened to put a fight!/ he encouraged his commanders while not moving a muscle to go and help. ''What kind of monster could have thought of it?'' he wondered deciding to meet him someday and continued to watch from his high place. *** Screams were also heard by the defenders but none rose to cover their ears. It was a sound of death but as long as it was their side using it, it was also the sound of victory. Warriors shouted and fell on the confused bandits with renewed energy their morale soaring. They fought like men possessed forgetting their injuries and throwing caution aside. If there was a chance to survive, they were going to use it and nothing was going to stop them. Wizards having used only a few mana points for those low level spells weren''t taking a vacation either. They called upon ice storms, vines and giant golems. All fire mages went to south side were bandits still had remnants of alcohol on themselves and called upon fire. One even went for [Meteor Shower]. Elements raged among the army putting them in even bigger chaos. No longer anyone listened to commands or went the right way. Some even ran away! Mages cheered loudly every time some left the battlefield and followed with a bolt of lightning somewhere among the army to make sure they ran far. It was a hundred percent turnaround from their subdued actions since the beginning of attack in the morning. Ace together with other rogues was down among the warriors dancing with his high agility and sneaky attacks. They were winning and he had a huge grin on his face as he stabbed another bandit with [Heart-seeker]. It was a good feeding ground for sure. *** "Dammit. How can they be winning?" Dark shouted to no one in particular as most of his commanders were dead. "There were ten times more of us than those hired hands but the bandits are getting annihilated! How could it turn out like this?" "Because you''re incompetent" a calm voice came from somewhere downward. "I told the leaders it was a mistake to let such a lowlife like you to lead, but would anyone listen? And look where we are now.¡± "Perin..." ''What is one of the Angels'' committee members doing here?'' "I''m here to get what rightfully belongs to the guild" the person explained as if sensing his thoughts. Dark had no idea how merchants'' property belonged to the guild but he wasn''t here to ask questions. He skilfully climbed down and smiled at what he saw near the leader. *** Finally all the bandits were killed. Most of the warriors lost their lives being too reckless but those who survived were the very best; veterans of battle. Tired they all fell to the ground and were asleep in moments. On the top of wagons wizards were doing the same. Only rogues didn''t go to rest, they were too busy looting all the fallen items. Bandits had no high level equipment but their shirts and pants could be sold for a silver or two if you were good at lying or found some idiots. Ace was among them collecting all kinds of miscellaneous items. You never know when you''ll have to impress another kid. And it was the greed of rogues that saved the travellers from total extermination. They were the only ones left awake to notice another gang of players leaving the woods and running towards the caravan. One of the rogues blew a horn he had found and woke everyone up by sacrificing his life, not able to run away in time. The enemy had a total of 5 archers and used them to shoot at the still sleepy wizards who were slaughtered in no time. The warriors managed to wake up from their fifteen minute sleep even more tired but they still gathered together on the east side where main action was about to happen. Monthu wanted desperately run back and look for his brother but a whisper from Aurora stopped him. She said that his brother would die anyway if they lost this last encounter. ''But it''s already lost'' Monthu wanted to shout at her but he saw the reasoning behind her statement and stayed where he was. ''There''s a hundred of them; fresh, well armoured soldiers ready for battle and seventy of us, tired and action weary. They can easily pick us up even without fighting as they have long ranged attackers and ours are dead or out of ammunition.'' /We, rogues that still have our wits about us, are going to take out the archers and anything else we can on the way. Tell others that we won''t die easy and want to go out with a bang! Better fight well!/ A slight smile manifested on Monthu''s face as he read Ace¡¯s message. ''Go out with a bang, huh? Fine, we can do it too!'' "Everyone listen! Rogues are infiltrating the enemies this moment and going to kill all long ranged nukers!" he yelled out so all could hear it. "What? Why? What''s the point?" the exhausted warriors asked. Their morale was at the very bottom after coming of the enemy reinforcements. "We''re going to lose anyway!" "They said they weren''t going down like sheep taken to a slaughterhouse. If one has to die, he better do it with a bang! I don''t know what you plan to do but I''m not going to be showed off by a rogue! I''ll take them all on my own if that''s what it takes!" Monthu declared loudly, his eyes flashing with grim determination. "Our honour as warriors is at stake here!" he shouted rising his weapon high up and pushing his way to the front. No one stopped him or blocked his path. He stood alone against the approaching army. Maybe it was a coward in him speaking or a berserker but he didn''t want to wait for inevitable doom. ''It''s better to die with your head held high'' Monthu decided as he looked up at the sky and howled more than screamed. It was a war cry, a challenge to the heavens and mankind. With that shout he held his scythe to extend forward like a spear and dashed off unhesitatingly. Many eyes followed his mad run until shame brought them down. But they didn''t stay long like that. Weren''t they veterans of this battle, the best of the best, the remaining ones? How could they live with themselves if they chickened out in the end when even rogues didn''t? Hadn''t they joined the game to become heroes? Now the animalistic growl, scream, howl, whatever you like to call it, came from the seventy so fighters charging at the better armoured and rested enemy. Yet they all wore wide smiles while yelling their lungs out. Neither of them noticed a small pop up bar indicating a new skill learnt. At that moment the rogues struck. They bursted down the archers and two clerics present in a second and jumped on those that were closest. Their skills were on cooldowns but that didn''t prevent them from stabbing wherever they could. They were soon noticed but then one of them threw a bottle to the ground and black smoke rose. Ace decided he should learn how to make it too as it was something too good to pass up as a rogue. It confused and blinded all those that were close by. Rogues, however, didn''t take a notice of it as they were used to night activities. The abilities came off cooldowns and the confused warriors went to have a chat with their maker, literally. Ace used that time to get closer to the two leaders standing away. One wore everything dark; boots, pants, shirt and mask. Eyes and hair were midnight black. It was very hard to guess his favourite colour. The other didn''t belong to the scene. He was a paladin with a church of Helena''s symbol engraved on his plate armour! Nothing else could be said about him as his whole body was covered by heavy armour. Ace chose paladin as he seemed so out of place, more like a leader from behind the scenes forced into the open. He was sneaking a few meters away when his target called out to him. "You''re wasting your time rogue." ''Damn Glitter Dust'' Ace cursed straightening out and thinking about his next approach but first he needed to buy time. "How did you found out?" he asked in a voice of a disappointed child. "Glitter Dust, kiddo, the biggest enemy of all rogues" the dark guy explained helpfully. "Isn''t it like extremely expensive?" Ace asked, wonder evident in his voice. The guy nodded. "And you work for such a master? I wish I was ever paid half as much as you. We only get five golds for all this trouble!" the kid said with a sigh to an amused bandit leader. "I still don''t get it, why would anyone send a child to hunt me? I wouldn''t even hire one for protection! It''s no wonder they lost!" the paladin murmured with his eyebrows making a v form. "That''s because no one sent me!" the kid said laughing joyously but then his face became serious or as much as a kid could look serious. "We, the surviving rogues, decided to go out flashily so they went for your rangers while I decided that your death would be even better!" "And how did you plan to do it?" the paladin asked with mockery in his voice and raised his visor to look better at his supposed opponent. "To stab you from behind like a true rogue does!" the kid answered defensively, clutching his two daggers more tightly. "Hhahahah!" the armoured guy burst out laughing while the kid stared at him with indignation in his eyes. "I''d like to see you try." Another bout of laughter. The dark guy stayed silent out of good heartedness. He might have been a murderer but kids were innocent creatures. They haven''t been corrupted by all the evils around them. Or have they? That last thought came from the smile that appeared on the kid''s face as he positioned himself behind Perin. He felt like warning his leader that it might have been a bad idea but he was a bit too late. "Whenever you''re ready kid" Perin said tauntingly. "Now! Magma blade! Cut-throat! Backstab!" The paladin dashed away the moment he saw his health disappearing in big chunks. "What ar.." Perin wanted to ask but Ace was on him already having followed with [Shadow Dash]. "Heart-seeker" Ace said in a soft soothing voice, his dagger passing through all armour and reaching his enemy¡¯s heart. He waited those few seconds prepared to die but nothing happened. As he opened his eyes he saw the heels of the dark guy as he ran at full speed through the forest, tearing everything that got in his way. "Thank you" Ace murmured with a smile and turned back to the battle. The fighters looked to be on equal grounds but it was just a dream. Defenders fought bravely but they were standing on pure will and determination. Their stamina bar had been flashing for ages and they couldn''t take it much longer. A single surviving rogue somehow had reached the warriors and was fighting together with them. Ace''s eyes fell on a heap of items that the paladin had so generously left. Sadly with his true face on he couldn''t use the curse. There were three items there - a helmet, an ore and a whistle. ''Could it be what I''m thinking about?'' "Shrriii!" a piercing sound came as Ace blew the whistle. ''What command could that have been?'' he wondered as he climbed the same tree Dark had previously occupied. From there he could see paladin army throwing their advances and rearranging themselves on the left. Defenders got many good hits in while the armoured guys tried to disentangle themselves. Three even died. A cruel smile broke out, twisting Ace''s face. ''This is going to be so fun!'' The moment they started to attack after finishing the formation he blew again on a different note. They started to advance. ''I didn''t want that! He blew on it again as long as possible. They made a Romanian turtle formation exchanging their swords for spears and shields. "Fuck it" Ace cursed almost throwing the thing down. It wasn''t helping at all! They were even suffering more damage this way as no one could get close to the enemies hidden behind the shields. ''If this doesn''t work, I''m throwing this thing down a volcano!¡¯ He climbed down and started to play his favourite song that Par had named Little Sparrow. Ace never agreed to play it for him but now the kid was away or dead and this atrocious thing wasn''t producing any right notes either, but it finally had the desired effect. Paladin''s guys left the turtle formation but stood still glancing at each other not understanding the command. Monthu on the other hand didn''t wait for any commands, followed by all fighters he ran in slashing right and left to deal most damage till they collected their wits and started defending themselves. But they didn''t. Some half-heartedly blocked with their swords but were soon overwhelmed, not knowing what to do without orders and being attacked by ferocious demons. There were hardly anything human about defenders any longer with their eyes wide as not to fall asleep and impale themselves, pale faces and covering of blood which was everywhere - on their weapons, clothes, faces and even in hair. Devils and murderers usually looked better than that. Finished creating confusion Ace joined in hitting everything that got too close to his daggers. But it was no longer the same as before. He could still burst people down with abilities but his normal movements had slowed down considerably hurting evasion skill and his attack power. The red flashing stamina bar probably had something to do with it. His remaining energy was draining quickly. ''Stupid game rules making me feel well one moment and exhausted the other'' Ace hissed not caring that not the game rules but adrenaline was at fault here. Soon he was fighting blindly too tired to raise his head trusting in [Instincts of a Predator]. ''Best ability I ever learnt.'' A different clashing sound woke him from his dreaming state. It wasn''t a sword his daggers met. With a loud groan he raised his eyes and saw a... scythe? ''Who ever used a scythe to fight? Oh...'' "Monthu..." His voice seemed to bring the guy back from his daze too. "Ace?" "I think..." murmured Ace glancing around in an amazed voice. "We made it." There was only a handful of people standing around and all wore blood like a second skin that signalled them to be one of the defenders. Nightmarish smiles broke on their faces as they looked at each other with respect. They all went to hell and back and somehow survived it. It showed a strength of character as no weakling could have lasted so long by luck. In each of their eyes a primal need to declare their victory could be seen and neither tried to fight it. A loud roar swept over the forest and reached even Dark who had been hiding far away. A chill passed through his bones and he decided to better run very far away from there. Next Chapter 8. Play Times Over Previous Chapter Author''s note: The chapter is finally here. Sorry for posting it almost at midnight but had been away for the last few days. And this is second to the last chapter of the first volume. My volumes were supposed to have ten chapters but then I noticed that the last two had only around 3 thousand words which then meant I had to combine them. That led to my chapters staying long but there''s less of them for the moment. I hope you like them anyway. **** Ace logged off just before falling down from exhaustion. "I really hope I didn''t die after surviving the whole fight" Kirin murmured yawning widely. He was still tired for some reason. He left his room and picked an apple. It was very fresh and helped to wake him up a bit. "It would be lovely if Verna weren''t coming today. I could actually get a day of sleep for once" he murmured turning the TV on. Like usually most of the stations showed news about Exiles: Regal Dream as it was the most popular and ground breaking game but the kid skipped them all and found a channel about animals. It was much better. Sitting on a sofa he picked his laptop and went to check his classes chat. Not surprisingly everyone was talking about the game and their achievements. Most of a class was even in the same guild called Royal Ravens. ''How more pathetic can it get?'' Well, it could. They noticed him online. -Hey, Ang. How are you doing? -I heard you got a cabin! Is it truth? -He did? That''s amazing! Will you join our guild? -What level are you now? Have you chosen a class yet? Kirin rolled his eyes at the barricade of messages concerning him appearing every minute. -Yes, I''ve started playing the Regal Dream but as I knew nothing I picked a random city and am now in Oradin Kingdom so can''t join you at the moment in Lavana or Gerdius. And I''m a spellsword. A silence followed his words. No one had a good opinion about this class and for a reason. People who wanted everything but were stupid enough not to know it came with a cost usually chose it. -Anyway we would still welcome you if you came! -I''m thinking of going to Oradin now as I could help you level up and buy some gear. -Me too! -We could go on a mission to Oradin with our guild and join him there all together!- suggested the guild leader Veronica which Kirin despised the most out of his class. She never got the memo that he grew up maybe and was no longer a child. He hated her with a passion. -Would you really do it for me? I wouldn''t want to steal your time online too. You''ve all done enough for me as it is - Kirin answered with his usual try for independence. But who could leave a kid wander alone with a calm heart? -That''s no problem! Just you wait a moment and we''ll be right there doing all kinds of amazing things together! Right guys? -Yeah I can''t wait to meet Ang in game! -Me too! I''m sure we''ll be able to have a lot of fun! -Yeah and I heard there''s a quest about exterminating a whole species of lake spirits of level 100 and higher there. Their numbers are very large and the east guilds don¡¯t have enough manpower to do it. We could take it! - mentioned Sam, his childhood best friend. A loud sigh escaped Kirin''s lips as he read her message, he really didn''t have any allies. Well, he can do it and without them. -That would be very generous of you all... Are you really sure you want to come to this god forgotten land just to help me? -Of course! Besides it''s not like we''re losing anything as there are tons of evil monsters everywhere! -Thank you everyone That finished he closed his laptop and watched about wolfs for a while until a doorbell indicated someone''s presence. ''The moment of truth then. I really hope she finally caught some disease and is on a deathbed.'' A basket full of apples and flowers lay on his doorstep. ''What the...?'' He looked around but the street was eerily silent and empty. Shrugging he took it in and took things out. A letter was hidden underneath the flowers. ~Dear Ang, I''m really sorry for not being able to meet you in person. I''ve caught a very nasty cold and will have to probably leave for work without meeting you as I can''t have you getting sick. See you next time I''m back. Also I have a present for you but I want to give it myself so wait for it ok? Love, Verna~ Kirin''s eyes fell out of their sockets as he read the letter. ''How did she manage to get sick? Isn''t she like the healthiest person I know? Does god suddenly decide to listen to my prayers? More like the devil... Not that I''m complaining!'' After eating another apple he went to sleep. Who cares if it was midday? *** Sometime later Ace woke up from his slumber and he wasn''t at the cemetery. That was a big plus. A single beam of light shone a little to his right illuminating a crowded space. "At least I''m alone" he murmured pushing himself up and looked at the front where a man was driving but it was an unfamiliar face. "Hi. Where could I find Aurora?" Ace asked, only his face visible through the cloth separating him and the driver. ''She should have survived, right?'' "The pretty lady in white?" "The one" "Hey!" shouted the driver rising from his seat. "There''s a kid looking for you!" Few seconds later Aurora showed up riding on her horse. "Ace! Are you ok?" "I wouldn''t be out if I wasn''t... Where''s my mount?" "Monthu was taking care of him while you were out. I could ask him to bring it if you want" "Do it" Ace replied backing in his wagon and taking out a barley bread. It was hard and had no real taste but it was food and helped to fill his satiety bar until whining of a horse could be heard outside. He jumped out then and took the reins of his horse. Pulling him a bit away where a rock sat he got atop of it. "Have you gotten the skill?" Monthu asked as they rode side by side with other members close by. ''Wait where is Par?'' "What skill?" Ace asked looking around to make sure the little mage was absent. "All those who went for a suicidal attack, rogues and warriors, have gained a skill. Did you get it?" "A mass acquiring of a skill?" Ace asked in wonder while checking his log. Notice of a new skill learnt was there.
New skill acquired: Last Stand [Passive] You''ve been at the heat of battle for a long time but victory was always just out of your grasp. You''ve seen friends and comrades die at your sides because of bad leadership or sheer number of enemies. Corpses lie around you and there''s no longer a chance for victory but your faith stays strong and you keep on fighting. Some might call you a madman, some a demon but you see yourself as a believer. You trust in your cause and would never betray your dead comrades +200 faith +15% atk speed +10% atk damage +5% dodge chance +5% movement speed Your body absorbs the blood to change it into stamina. You''ll never stop until there''s no one to fight or death claims you. This skill will be activated automatically under the right conditions.
''That''s... It gives so much even though it''s only level 1 novice! I fear to imagine what it''ll be able to add if someone reaches master level... '' Ace wondered with his mouth wide open. "Now that''s what you call a nice skill although I don''t want to repeat the process of attaining it..." Fighting and winning is lovely but being on the verge of dying for half a day isn¡¯t pretty. "By the way why are we riding at night?" "We''re a few hours away from the city. It¡¯s better to reach it earlier as almost all our fighting power is gone" Monthu said explaining because Aurora and Hawk was having a heated debate whenever bows were superior to arbalets or not. "So how many actually made it through?" "Most of the merchants survived, as did rangers. Out of eight clerics six were fine. Around a thousand warriors and almost all rogues died. Only five fighters and two rogues including you pulled through while every mage was killed." The losses were catastrophic, so many levels and so much experience gone. It would be a huge win if he was aiming to become the best player but now it just meant it was a more dangerous travel. ¡°How did Levin fare?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still happily locked in his wagon. I¡¯m going to bring him to the jail at the stables beside which the jail is¡± Monthu answered. ¡°Poor guy to visit a jail in a game¡± Ace said with a slight smile. This was never going to happen to him. They reached the city gates at around the midnight and guards after a lot of checking allowed them in. The city of Lasran wasn''t asleep yet. If it ever slept. All around Oradin kingdom it was known as the city of music, a haven for bards and dancers. A man burst out of one of the inns and fell at the side. "Please please help me! I have only a single gold but please help me! I''ll be forever in your debt!" he pleaded on his knees, tears streaming down his face. But none left the procession to see what he was rambling about. They were far ahead of the level that did quests for a gold. Veterans, not beginners. "What happened?" Ace asked riding closer to the man. "My mother''s body has to be watched for a day for her to go to heaven but I can''t leave my wife! She''s giving birth any hour now! I must go back to her soon! Please help me kind stranger!" cried the man touching the ground with his head before the hooves of Ace''s horse. ''We all just want to be happy, no matter the price, don¡¯t we?'' "You don''t have to lower yourself like this before me. It would be an honour to watch over your mother. I''m sure she was a wonderful woman and deserves to ascend to heaven" Ace said sliding down from his horse and taking the man by his hand. Ting!
New Quest: Lack of Time Mattew is a very religious man so he wants for his mother to be protected until the god picks her soul but his wife is very pregnant and requires all his attention. You''re asked to take care of his mother. Reward: Gold coin Restrictions: None
"I accept. Can you tell me where you live so I can come the moment I return my horse back?" "From the stables you go right and then straight ahead until a well. There you turn left and walk a bit. I''ll leave my daughter to welcome you and bring to us." "I''ll be there as fast as I can" Ace said nodding and joined the caravan but this time on foot. When the man was out of hearing range, Aurora was the first to pounce on Ace. "Why would you accept such a lowly quest?" "It''s not like I have something planned for today" Ace said shrugging. "But it gives a single gold coin!" "And?" "You could spend your time so much better!" "The quest you''re on will give you around 100-300 gold so there''s no reason to waste your time for a single coin" Hawk said adding to Aurora¡¯s argument. "Is that so? Do you really see only that? The payment? Is that what drives you forth?" Ace asked, sneering. "It''s just a game! It''s not like it''s reality!" "I''m sorry to have bothered you then. This is not JUST a game. These people are born here and die accordingly, there''s nothing virtual for them. If I don''t help this man, he''ll lose his newborn or become haunted by his own mother. You might think whatever you want about me, but I''m not going to abandon a person just because he doesn''t have enough money to pay for help" Ace said, his voice ice cold. "Weren''t you all about doing only things that are fun? I don''t see how this qualifies" Reaper asked accusingly with an air of nonchalance around him. "You weren''t listening well then. What I meant was that I''ll do only what I want and that is to be enjoying myself. And I like helping people in need" ''just as much as I like to see them suffer from my own hand'' "Also it can always lead to something interesting along the way." "How many menial quests have you done?" Aurora asked her curiosity piqued. "I''ve stayed half a year in a city. I''ll leave it to you to count. From all those quests I learned one thing: the more stupid, unbelievable or strange it sounds the larger reward follows and this one falls under all those categories" Ace said calmly. He also had another agenda of course. If he started killing the moment he entered a city, soon enough someone would put two and two together and he¡¯d be discovered. And the possibility for double identity was one of best aspects of his class in his opinion. They arrived at the stables and sold their horses for 3 gold. Their pay was given and not surprisingly Monthu earned the largest sum. Ace and Hawk had around the same while Aurora received whole 10 gold for her troubles. Nobody ever said good hearts will be paid. Together they reached the house and a small girl lead them to a shed like place in which a cask with a white clothed old woman lay. A young man with his hard breathing wife sat close by. Their eyes turned to the newcomers with hope and relief. "I''m so happy you came! I don''t know how long she could stand it!" the man, Mattew, said and tried to stand his wife up but she was too exhausted. Sweat ran down her face. Monthu pushed his way toward her and used his immense strength to pull her up. "Show the way" he said in a clear voice towards the man who nodded and opened the door running out first. Monthu half carried the woman as she was unable to hold her own weight at all. It was hard to say why he was doing something like that, maybe it was Ace'' s words that pulled a string of his conscience or the need to protect weaker than him, but he brought her to a room where three midwives were waiting with relieved faces. "We already thought she''ll give birth next to a corpse... Thank you kind stranger for bringing her here!" thanked the old ladies and started to fuss over the girl while Monthu swiftly left.
*The reputation with old ladies of Lasran city increased. They''re more likely to give you quests and will spread rumours about your kindness*
''Is that what he meant by saying doing random easy quests helps?'' As he returned to the shed place he heard Ace''s answer. "No from what I understood we will have to stay here not for 24 hours but as long as her soul leaves to heaven which will take from a day to only goddess only knows how long" "Why are you always saying goddess and not god? Isn''t Kione the only god worshipped in this kingdom?" Aurora asked. "Mainly yes, but not only. Like in real life there are always people who don''t agree with the popular religion. I prefer Aelia to be the one to judge my actions." "Let me guess you read all the legends about each god of this continent?" Aurora asked, already knowing the answer. "Well, I did stay near a library for half a year..." "Tell me then!" Ace glanced at the guys lounging on another bench for their approval. "It''s not like we have much to do here..." Hawk muttered yawning. Reaper also nodded so Ace started to spin a tale to pass some time. "From the beginning of time there were thirteen gods and goddesses. They created earth out of having nothing better to do. The strongest goddess or god firstly created angels which were perfect but their perfection flawed. Every church says it was their deity but who knows. Then all creatures were made and gods decided to rule over their favourite things. But gods created races in their own reflection and they''re quite ambitious. So from then started the race who will unite the continent under their influence. They made a pact so that they only could go down on earth once a year to create rumours and get believers. Through such occasions and oracles many things about the lives of gods in NeverLand was learnt. So Kione was one of the main thirteen gods. He had a wife Nina and two sons Kingven and Peredin. They all lived in a castle and went to earth on vacations until one day Kione protected an innocent elf from believers of Eroc church and without even knowing it declared war against the only god leaning towards domination and evil. It cost him greatly as Nina and Peredin were assassinated and Kingven found his death too. Left alone the god roared in rage and went on a rampage destroying everything in his path. ¡°It took the other gods over two months to restore his mind and sanity. He returned to his empty house but from a gentle family oriented god he turned to a god of rage, rampaging, strength and destruction for the sake of righteousness. In a name of better tomorrow everything is allowed for his followers. The clerics of his learn a lot more of offensive spells compared to others even if they pretend not to see them and concentrate on healing ones. ¡°The goddess I worship is Aelia. She is a daughter of two first gods Helena and Magnus. When she was born, her bright yellow air and beautiful smile over-shone the sun and the girl was named Aelia. She grew up to be very delicate and graceful while never doing a thing wrong. She was a pretty little angel in all regards and became a god of light and righteousness. ¡°But she was a good girl and as a universal rule dictates they can only fall for the bad boy. ¡°On one happy summer day Kingven appeared on her doorstep all bloody and wounded while her parents were away. She treated his injuries and little by little love blossomed between them. Once he got better they went on walks around the fields and he showed her his impressive fighting skills. When he had to leave he kissed her and left promising to return with a marriage proposal. The next day her parents returned. ¡°She waited and waited, not leaving her house for a moment as not to miss his arrival but it never happened. After five years did she understand that he played her for a fool and succeeded. She healed his wounds while hiding him in one of the safest houses possible and even gave him Boots of Hermes that allowed travelling five miles with one step. ¡°But that wasn''t all. Outside she heard rumours about herself being as free as human females. It was the biggest insult a goddess could receive and an obvious person was behind this. He thought that fear of ruining her image even more will prevent Aelia from retaliating. ¡°But that just showed how little he knew her. She was a flighty character but even a cornered rat will bite and she felt exactly like that. ¡°A few days later the horrible news of Eroc killing the last surviving person of Kione''s family in a most gruesome of ways with a strange weapon was announced. ¡°Aelia then became the goddess of hatred, retaliation and deceit. She is depicted as a stunning young lady smiling lovingly with short white wings and her hands behind her back. If it''s a sculpture and you can look at the back, you can see her holding the hilts of those sharp looking wings" Ace finished in a quiet voice. Silence stayed for a bit as the other three members tried to understand the meaning of this story and why he told it to them. "You''ve read a very unedited version of the events" Monthu said with a slight smile. He had expected a boring tale like those in religious classes about how amazing the god is and this was a bit better. "Well, I prefer this to the one told by priests. They tend to end up with everyone being saints and dying together while saying I love you" Ace answered taking a sip from his canteen. "I''ll never understand how from this story they decided that Kingven and Aelia were innocent and truly loved each other while calling Helena and Magnus as careless, not even calling them evil!" Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "And having a certain evil monster makes it a good story?" Hawk asked tauntingly. "Nah but the story gets a bit better if you find someone who actually does mistakes. It gets boring after a hundredth perfect character introduced in succession" Ace said laughing. It was nice to sit in a light of a little [Flare] and chat about evil beings. "What happened to the sun girl? Was she never found out?" Aurora asked inquiringly. She kind of liked the girl who took matters into her own hands and didn''t allow to be trampled to the very end. Although she was a bit cruel but we all have our flaws. "Gods are pretty good at investigation so she was found out, devastating Helena and Magnus. They couldn''t believe their little girl could do anything like that. But the evidence didn''t lie. She was sentenced for an eternity in underworld but made a wild escape and hid away with a breath of life. Now she walks among the gods as a criminal, a traitor to her kind hunted by all and admired by even more as no one had seen her since while corpses with the markings of her unique weapon appear from time to time." "That''s a very lonely life" Aurora said sadly. "It''s hard to say what is worse an eternity locked up but with people to talk to once in a while or to be forsaken, never to hear a word said your way" Ace remarked. "Do you know any happier stories?" Aurora asked with a hopeful expression. "Of course. For example how Helena and Magnus met. Do you want to hear it?" "Sure, we still have lots of time" Hawk said agreeing. "So it was..." he continued to spin the tale and explain the mysteries of gods and their intricate webs of relationships. Once Ace got tired Hawk started to tell ghost stories from camps. The dead woman between them made it even better. For hours and hours they sat there until finally the soul started to lift from the body but it wasn''t a sixty or so old lady. It was a young female with brown hair and oval shaped face. She was about to ascend to heaven or at least somewhere upwards when she stopped and looked at the four with watery eyes. "Please help me!" "Huh?" wondered all as they haven''t heard about talking souls. Ghosts were a low level undead monsters that were annoying for their ability to pass through walls. "I can''t go to afterlife without knowing the truth!" "What is it?" Aurora asked in a gentle voice. "When I was young, I made a huge mistake. I must know who the father of my child is!" the female shouted in a shrill voice. A banshee in the making? Ting!
New quest: Ghosts of the Past A young woman met a handsome stranger and believed in love at first sight. He left her the next day while she became pregnant. She travelled to a nearby city he had went back to, but as it contained more than a few hundred thousand people, she never found him and grew up her son alone. Now she can''t go on because of an attachment to this world. Free her by finding out the truth. Quest difficulty: D Quests rewards: Increase in resistance to dark magic and familiarity with all churches Quest requirements: Protect the body from evils for more than twenty-four hours
The teammates looked at each other with amazement. Magic resistance and familiarity with churches was the hardest things to rise! Ace looked very smug with an ''I told you so'' expression. "We''ll help" Monthu said. "But we also have a fifth member that will help us." "You can pass my request to him too then" *The quest has been accepted* "Do you have anything to help us in our search?" Ace asked. The rewards were good but if they had to look blindly it might take years to find. "Almost thirty years ago he was very eye catching with short dark brown hair, chocolate eyes and muscular body. And he was some lord''s son probably as the driver very reverently called him sir. He said his name was Leo, but who knows if he told me the truth. If he''s still around, he should be around fifty or a bit older" the female ghost explained. There was bitterness in her voice but not enough to suggest she hated the man. "We''ll work from there" Ace said nodding and they all took their leave. "Well I''ve going to go rest now" Aurora said as they were out. "It''s already been more than twelve hours in real life." "I think I''ll do the same" Hawk added with a yawn. Reaper logged off with them and Ace was left standing alone. It was a bit early to start phase one of his plan but it would be stupid to waste such a beautifully dark night. So he checked his weapons and put on the cowl that hid the top of his face In darkness the cloak looked black and it was impossible to determine his real height. He used his skills to become undetectable by normal means and set out to find some prey. Soon enough [Instincts of a Predator] warned him about an approaching horse and his rider. They would be there in a few minutes but it was enough time to put a few wooden logs and pour alcohol over them. As the rider was only a few steps away from the pile Ace used the Burst ability of [Flare] he had hidden under the logs. The spell wasn''t a real fire so it couldn''t ignite but the Burst released a shower of sparks good for blinding opponents or in this case to set things on fire from long range. The frightened horse stood on his hind legs dropping it''s rider and took flight in the direction it had come from. Ace didn''t waste time and as the person was cursing and trying to get up he sneaked behind him and used all of his three abilities in succession, not forgetting to add the curse. They were executed perfectly and the guy was down in a second, his eyes empty of life. Ace gathered all the possessions of the person who wasn''t exactly rich and had no useful items, but still gave him a silver wing copied from his by the goddess herself. Done he made sure everything was in place and left. The body will disappear on it''s own once the curse ended. Ace continued his work finding a few more people bravely walking alone and made short work of them. It was slow work and probably wasn''t going to cut it. He needed some better prey to instil fear in people''s heart, even if some risks were to be taken for that. On his way to a better part of the city he saw a player and Npc arguing. That meant easy work and Ace wasn''t one to refuse. He coated one of his daggers in paralysing poison and threw it at the Npc to keep him quiet and passed through players armour using [Magma blade] in sync with [Backstab] and [Cut-throat]. [Heart-seeker] did it itself so there was no reason to waste more mana adding an effect it already had. "Curse of the Hungry" Ace murmured before using the last finishing skill. He jumped over the now slumped body and took the life of the NPC that was already regaining the power of his limbs.
+ Fame 25 + Fame 100
''So they were notorious? That''s just unlucky. I need to kill someone well liked or very influential to make them worry. This is just a waste of time...'' Ace noted with a scowl and rummaged through the house now ownerless. There were a lot of contracts for targets. ''Pathetic. What self-respecting assassin would have a business house? It''s just asking for someone to find him'' He collected some bags of coins and the items of proof such as rings and seals. They could be given back for an increase of fame and familiarity. An exclamation of shock interrupted Ace and made him put on all his defensive (hiding) skills. A pair of dark clothed people stood checking the dead assassin master with worry in their faces at the entrance. "Do you think he''s still around?" one of them asked under his breath. "He might still be in the house. The doors are wide open." ''Damn'' He didn''t dare to move while they were looking around for him as rogues knew well how hiding skills worked and would notice the smallest inconsistency in the air. Ace waited until both of them passed by his hiding place and jumped on the second one killing him in a few well-placed strokes. Then he left the body gently fall on the ground as he faced the last opponent that was glaring at him while standing in a fighting stance his daggers outstretched. "The assassins will never forgive you! We''ll have our revenge!" he hissed. In that time Ace attacked, finished with studying opponent¡¯s stance. He was good but lacked any real training. It was self-learnt most likely. Ace never had any training in real life but he stayed half a year mostly because he wanted to learn dagger fighting for real. It wasn''t enough time to master it but he learnt basics and could go from there himself without the help of a teacher. Their daggers clashed in quick hits, both of them looking for an opening. The battle was advantageous for the rogue as he actually had abilities for this, but Ace had his training and was able to dodge them. All it would take for either of them to win was a single hit as humans had little to no resistance to poison. ''This lasted long enough'' "Fear of the hungry!" Ace shouted the skill¡¯s name and closed his eyes for a moment. The rogue took this opportunity to try and end the fight but his advances were stopped by daggers that had become much faster and stronger. As Ace rose his head, crimson red eyes locked on his enemy making it mightily hard for him to rise his weapons and block another attack. The fight didn''t go much longer. ''That was exhilarating'' Ace mused collecting his loot and rewarding gifts. ''But using it too often will dull all my senses for sure. Interesting, how much experience did I gain...'' "Skill window: Fear of the Hungry"
Fear of the Hungry [Active] Novice 2 You''re filled with fear of being left alone simply because of what you were born. It clouds your mind but releases adrenalin which in turn makes your body more lithe, reducing reaction time and increasing movement speed. You fight till there''s no one left standing forgetting the conditions of your own body. Only when there''s really no one left can your sanity come back. +25% movement speed +50% reaction time +5% increase in strength
It was a fun ability but pretty useless in most cases to him. No use in assassinating and neither good in large scale battles. It was amazing for one on one but when did rogues become knights who fight fairly one on one? And it had an annoying side effect. Ace''s body was shaking and he felt tired and sleepy. He took out a few potions that increased health, strength, agility, awareness and drank them. The guy said assassins won''t forget and if at that time the guy wasn''t attacking, it could only mean he was contacting guild mates. Quietly Ace sneaked up to the second floor and looked through the window while keeping himself against the wall. ''There!'' A shadow moved near the opposite house and another one close by. ''So I''m surrounded?'' Ace mused following almost invisible movements outside. A creaking sound indicated someone entering the first floor. ''Idiots. Can''t you at least be quite? Or is it your first time entering?'' Ace wondered remembering the exchange between master and his student at the front door. He sneaked closer to the staircase and froze up. As long as he wasn''t moving, they shouldn''t be able to notice him. Three rogues tried to climb the stairs silently but they creaked horribly and no one unused to them could get up unnoticed, two other members went to explore the bottom floor. Ace patiently waited and like last time jumped on the last guy, killing him off but this time instead of fighting fairly he ran off to a first room he saw and used the nearby table to jump on the open door. The rogues dashed in after him and stood still for a second, uncomprehending where he had disappeared. Ace chose that moment to fall down on one of them and slashed at his neck. It was a critical hit and added all bonuses from his skills it took close to half of his opponent¡¯s health. Ace left him to die from poison, evading a dagger thrust from another rogue and threw his own poisoned daggers at him which enemy evaded just as well. However, he wasn''t prepared for the thrust Ace followed with and had his heart pierced. The commotion didn''t pass the two at the bottom floor and they came running. Ace left the room in a hurry, used [Shadow Dash] to get away faster and entered another random door. His eyes latched onto what he needed - a weapon stack. He picked a pouch of nails and threw them before the entrance. It was sad he had no time to poison them. The four rogues burst in throwing daggers in all directions but Ace ducked behind the table and while they hollered in pain as nails pierced their boots, he took a bottle of alcohol and drank it. He kept the liquid in his mouth and jumped to them slashing expertly. Once they all faced him he spit the liquid at the same moment activating Burst effect. A large flame shot from his mouth engulfing the whole party. Tiiriiing!
New skill acquired: Flame Breath
"Delete" Ace murmured without even reading it''s description and thrust his dagger at the closest rogue. Three down, one to go. The two weakened by poison from before died instantly. "Dziiiing!" came a sharp sound from his back and Ace ducked without looking back, evading glass shards falling all around. ''Dammit. More of them?'' he hissed in his mind and jabbing his dagger at the last surviving of four rogues made sure he was well poisoned before running out. He stopped for a moment next to a staircase where the first guy lost his life and looted him; he was about to disappear and Ace couldn¡¯t have it. ''I can''t go down because of those stupid stairs. Where to hide, where to hide...'' Finding nothing of use, Ace took out a piece of silk thread and tied it just a foot high over the first step. Then he walked over it and tried to go down as quietly as possible. That of course failed and two rogues ran out from the room and followed him. One of them took a step at the right time and walked over the thread but the other one wasn''t so lucky and snapping the hurriedly tied silk fell taking his friend down too. Ace turned around and using [Shadow Dash] jumped on their backs with his Kris prepared. With it''s curved blade he did a triple critical hit and finished with [Heart-seeker] still sitting on top of them. The last rogue tried to wriggle his way out but Ace used all his weight to suppress him until his skills were off cooldowns. It took a lot of effort as there was a dead body between them and neither could easily grasp the other''s limbs to do anything. It was a long struggle as Ace finally got his skills back but wasn''t able to do anything without releasing the rogue but finally he managed to position himself so that once he took his hand away to stab the enemy wasn''t able to get out fast enough before the hit came. [Heart-seeker] followed suit. Loud sigh escaped Ace''s lips as he tiredly stood up and started looting. Then he ran up and in record time of ten seconds snatched everything giving them a grey wing in return. "I better get out of here now" he murmured and sneaked out in case more reinforcements were coming. Outside he could see the first rays of sunlight signalling the early morning. So a few streets away he took off his mask, hid his daggers and called out [Flare]. The little flame circled his head like a halo. The heavy weight of tons of loot was uncomfortable to carry so he went to wizards¡¯ bank and put everything there while picking a bunch of bags and items he acquired in the first months of living in Mora. All of those items put in, he went to the main street where lots of music could be heard. He found an empty stall and set 11 bags with a single item inside of each. After some time as more people started to walk around he announced himself. "Exchanging items for herbs! You might get a level 100 item for a few flowers if luck is on your side!" Only a few people were attracted as herbalogy wasn''t a popular skill and hardly anyone knew how to collect plants. "What do you mean?" a red haired female asked. "For a certain quantity of herbs I''ll let you roll the two dices and you get the item under the number you rolled. The items range from beginner swords that require level 5 to a necklace of level 105. Try your luck" Ace said with a bright smile standing on a stool to be the same height as his customers. "How do you determine the quantity of plants?" some male asked not believing such a good deal. "The rarer it is the less is needed. For example I''d need 25 Poppies but only three Belladonnas. It all depends on how easily you can get it." "But there''s a field of Poppies a mile away!" some passerby said in shock. "Good for you then and make sure you''re here before my items run out!" "I don''t trust you but let''s test it. How many forget-me-nots would you need?" "They''re not too much good for anything and are quite popular so let''s say a thirty of them for one roll." "Only?" the man asked in surprise. He had collected a few hundred of them for a celebration but because of some lord''s change of mind it was cancelled and he wasn''t paid for his time. "Yes" taking the flowers he passed the man two dices which he rolled without much preparation. "7. So you get this item and it is a an armour of level 55! Here you go!" with that he gave the man his prize and from his inventory put another item in the bag. Because it was a game he could pass it from window to window and none knew what he put there. "Anyone else?" Lower level players flogged to him buying herbs from all the herbalists in town. Once they were empty the players ventured outside and with a promise of Ace that he''ll stay till late evening and has still a lot of items went on collecting every plant they knew off. It was hard work but no other job could reward you an amazing item just after a day. The fields outside looked like an army of moles passed through them digging every other patch of grass. The higher players watched it with amusement until they noticed that the quality of items instead of decreasing started to grow, some even reached as far as level 170. Then, they joined the digger party too. Around ten in the evening Ace started to close up to all of the players'' distress. "But I wanted to get a better sword! I could gather the flowers in an hour! Would you please wait for me?" one of them asked what was in everyone¡¯s mind. "Sorry but it''s already late" Ace said calmly putting away his things. "Where are you leaving to at such an hour?" A childish smile brightened the kid''s face. "To sleep. My mother always told me to go to bed before eleven o''clock or I''ll never grow up!" "You mean you''ll be here tomorrow?" people asked hopefully. "Of course!" Ace said and jogged away to a nearby tavern, one that had maximum security that none could sneak in and rob their customers. But they weren''t looking for people who tried to sneak out. Ace left quietly and found himself an old abandoned house. He went to the basement and made a few potions and poisons that required only a few hours to make while leaving other herbs to dry or put them together in water for better effect later on. Close to midnight he hid under the assassin¡¯s mask, put the sword away and went out to hunt. It was time to meet the magicians¡¯ guild. Next Chapter 9. Hate Me, Love Me Previous Chapter Author''s Note: So here we are at the last chapter of volume 1. I hope you liked the journey so far :) As I mentioned before it was supposed to have 10 chapters but for the sake of keeping to my 6-8 thousand words number I made it this way and will continue on. **** Simon was cursing the archmage in his head. It was supposed to be just another night spent reading books to learn the intricacies of magic but here he was leaving the library with a book. But not just any book! It was about swordsmanship! What a disgrace for him, a true wizard, to run on all fours because the archmage liked innovation and preferred those who used magic alongside other techniques, like a sword. The man was very interested in a girl who came to him saying she was a spellsword and wanted to learn everything about both of the techniques. Because of that all real wizards were told to do whatever she asked off or else their status will lower considerably and expulsion wouldn''t be too far away. It was just his misfortune of running into her while going to his reading room. If only he was a bit faster or slower... He knocked on her door and she opened. A beautiful sight appeared before him of a girl with blue hair, oval shaped eyes and curvy figure although a demon hid under the skin. "What took you so long?" she barked. "Go and make me a sandwich and bring some green tea along. I''ve gotten hungry waiting for you to come back." It was his fault again. Rolling his eyes Simon went to the kitchen. While he was slicing a piece of sausage a soft thump sounded on the door. ''What could have come so late!?'' he wondered and opened up. A small person lost in his cloak stood on the steps, his hand raised to knock once again. "What could I do for you?" The person lifted his head in a way that still left it in shadow and motioned with his index finger to his mouth. "Hungry?" asked Simon entering the close by room reserved to keep food. A single nod was his answer. The man let the person in and walked towards the table on which the bread lay. He was about to slice piece a bread and make another sandwich for newcomer when a dagger pierced his chest. "Curse of the Hungry!" came a voice as the weapon was pulled back and thrust back in again, this time through his heart. "Whaaa..." A gurgling sound came as the mage died unable to finish his question. "Thank you" murmured Ace taking the piece of bread and eating it diligently. Then he collected the items and went deeper into the building. He went from room to room killing off all the sleeping or logged off players. It was more of a slaughter of innocent than anything else but it had to be done for the greater good of him. He was on the fourth floor when a loud female voice broke the silence. "Simon, you lazy cat! What''s taking you so long?" ''Fifth floor maybe or sixth?'' Ace wondered cursing her for waking everyone up. Her voice was so loud that the mage guy would have heard her down there easily, if he was alive that is. ''Was it amplified by magic?'' Well, he''ll take care of her once the time comes, now he should concentrate on not making a sound so that alarm wouldn''t go off and trap him. He had enough of that fun yesterday. The fifth floor was finished when he heard her angry steps going down. Ace let her pass and went up himself. The sixth floor contained three rooms but only one looked lived in although empty. Ace glanced at the bookcase snatching a few books that looked old and important and the loud girl''s journal before sneaking up to the highest place of the tower. A single room occupied all the space. One side was filled with books and notes while a small hammock swayed gently with a person''s breathing. "Sorry, old man" Ace murmured killing the guy and putting a silver wing in his pocket, since the first time Ace had never stolen from the dead NPC. He took half of the ordinary books, most of the notes and all skillbooks. They could always come in handy. Now only one thing was left before he could leave, a certain female, to be more exact. "Where could all have disappeared?" she was wondering loudly walking up the stairs. "I don''t remember there being any celebration today for all to leave just like that. Maybe some kind of ritual they forgot to inform me about?" Something like an intruder happening never even entered her mind as the house was protected by magic preventing any non-guilder to enter without permission. Ace positioned himself in her room behind the door. The moment she tried to enter he sprang up and thrust. It should have been a critical hit but she somehow managed to get her weapon out and redirected the attack so it only scratched her, luckily with poison. "Who are you?" she hissed through clenched teeth not missing the poison that was eating her health in good chunks. "How did you get in?" Ace thought for a moment and deciding that it was in his favour to prolong the duel answered in a deeper voice than his normal which he always used for his night adventures. "You should learn not to leave your doors open next time"
*Deception +1%*
"There are spells for that" Perry hissed. She knew she still had enough time to defeat the smart ass guy standing before her and drink an antidote so it was more beneficial to get some information first as all those who think they are winners like to gloat. "Then you shouldn''t leave it all to her" Ace said carelessly cleaning his dagger. A few others could be seen strapped to his belt, one uniquely curved. "There''s a way to go around all spells and traps, didn''t you know?"
*Deception + 2%*
"So how did you actually do it?" Perry asked trying to keep her temper in check while her health kept on dropping in good chunks. That was one hell of a poison. "Easily?" Ace asked. smiling and rising his hands in the air feigning ignorance.
*Deception -1%*
Perry now understood that he was just playing around, wasting her time without ever planning to tell her anything useful. It leveled him up from a random punk to a stupid thug. She rushed at him with her sword in a slashing position but surprisingly it was blocked and she even had to quickly twist it to defend herself from his attack. They continued exchanging blows but she just couldn''t overpower him with her longer reach. He was always in her face moving so swiftly all she could do was defend. And her clock was ticking as poison spread through her system. But he gave her no time to drink the antidote! "What are you trying to achieve? Please I''ll give you anything?" she said deciding to plead as her health reached the danger line of ten percent from which it stopped regenerating naturally. At that time only clerics or health potions could save one from dying. "The annihilation of the mages'' guild and I''m doing just that" he answered laughing at her shocked face and slashing her unprotected wrist with a curse. "Now that we''ve understood each other you may die peacefully" "What do you... Aghah!" she screamed as fire ignited in her arm. "What.. " deep breaths "did.." silent curse "you" more deep breaths "do?!" Perry hissed out through clenched teeth, her whole body feeling as if it was on fire although she could see there was none. "There was a different poison on my blade. It makes the blood system go mad and try to fight against itself.¡± "Sa..aa..di.. ist.." she spit out with blood. Ace came closer and lowered himself to her high as she was lying on the ground. His eyes were bottomless pits of blackness. "You know nothing. All you care about is your own view and you treat others that way. It''s just karma coming to bite you back" Ace said explaining, his lips forming a malicious smile. Perry couldn''t say what was fake the eyes or smile but it didn''t matter. He was leveled up to a genre savvy sadistic thug and he would pay. She would remember this incident and use the last copper she had to bring him down if that was what it took. Death took her still cursing her killer. Smilingly Ace looted all her items. She had a few glowing spellbooks which made his smile widen even more. He hated her kind the most, those who saw themselves as the highest meter and people around them had to act for what they were said to be unless fate worse than death would befall them. She deserved much more but his abilities weren''t sufficient enough. He''ll have to become stronger somehow. But his work tonight wasn''t finished yet. Users¡¯ hate was good but it would be much better if NPCs rallied against him also. Quietly he made his way out and after making sure no one followed him, went for the noble houses. Assassins nowadays were more used to hunting monsters so the defence on the houses were lacking. It was so easy that Ace felt like he was wasting his time and skills assassinating a member of every other noble house, but he steeled his will and continued until there was only a few hours left till sunrise. When he noticed it, he walked to a small lake that was nearby to wash the blood away. A few had woken up and made it worse for him and themselves. The clear water reflected the last of the moonlight and a crimson shadow. "Is this me?" Ace asked in a whisper rising his hands, the moonlight making them glisten. "So in the end I''m just another monster this world has born. Be it then" he murmured jumping in the cold water and breaking the reflection. *** In the evening of the next day the other party members came back. "What are you doing here?" Aurora asked horrified. "You could get so much more money just for selling these items in the shop!" The shoulders of nearby players slumped down. They were using the kid''s lack of understanding of value but now it''ll end. "But there''s a limited supply of herbs in shops while they can bring as much as I want" Ace said, not agreeing in the slightest with a smile on his face. "You could buy it in another city or just wait!" "Sure I could but I can''t identify these items so their price is very low and now I get all the plants I need to level up my alchemy skill faster" "Where did you get the money to buy it? It''s like the only craft skill that all the players wish to learn but rarely anyone gets to as alchemy guild has monopolized the trade and all those who know it" one of the customers wondered. "Well, I did a quest for an old man about his childhood dream and he awarded me a skill of my choice so here I am" Ace said stating proudly and taking another bunch of flowers. "And I see nothing wrong with the trade if it leaves both sides satisfied." "Do you have something you could sell for us?" Monthu asked out of the blue and Ace almost fell off his stool. "I could check but as I told before I can only see what the item looks like" he answered opening his backpack window but not forgetting customers either. "There are three short bows, ten leather armours, twenty chain mails, six priest robes, one elemental orb, three staffs, not sure mage or cleric, fifty pairs of male boots, twenty-seven female, nine necklaces, four rings and one bracelet. That''s pretty much all usable items I have on me" Ace said putting them all in a separate bag and handing to Aurora. "Find what you like and we can talk about the price then." "Can you sell me items too?" someone from the crowd asked. "Me too!" "I want also" others echoed. "No no no! I''m not selling but handing them all for herbs. Those people" he motioned towards the departing group of four. Par was back although very subdued. "are my teammates so they get away with it but no one else!" seeing the next question burning in their eyes he continued. "And no I don''t want to join your group. I''m pretty happy where I¡¯m for now. If I''ll feel like changing the scenery, I''ll contact you lot for sure." His business continued till evening. Then he supposedly went to rest and sneaked out to a secret place he used for alchemy. /If you''ve decided what you want, come to Vincent''s street/ he messaged Aurora. /We''ll be there in a moment./ It actually took them half an hour... "Why would you tell us to come to such a gloomy place?" Aurora asked glancing over her shoulder every other moment. "Follow me" Ace said disappearing in a basement of a nearby house. "What is this?" Par asked aloud, looking with wide eyes at the disrepair of the house they were entering. It felt like it was going to fall on one¡¯s head at any moment. The small room they entered was filled with vials, large amounts of herbs and colourful mist. Two hours yesterday were enough to create the right atmosphere. "My work place. I found it to have somewhere to train my alchemy. It''s kind of secret so I would be happy if you kept it so" Ace said throwing herbs he got today all around. He gained twice as much as yesterday. "We chose the items. How much do you want for them?" Monthu asked returning to the main topic. He had gained a lot of gold for the last quest but Ace''s items were of high quality and in shops cost much more than people of required levels could afford. "I really don''t care about the items or money but I''ll accept as much as you''ll give me. Price it yourselves" Ace said mixing a foul smelling concoction and not even glancing at items they chose. "Don''t you understand the value of money?" Hawk asked. "There''s a slight difference between not knowing the value of money and not valuing money. I believe myself to be of the second category" Monthu picked all of his money only leaving himself enough to prepare for another adventure and put everything in the bag with leftover items. Hawk and Aurora followed with paying for items just slightly cheaper than what vendors sold for. Ace took the bag and continued with his making. "Maybe you''d want a few elixirs?" "There''s no money" Reaper said but Ace knew how to deal with him. "But they would be payment for saving my life! Let''s see ten health and mana potions, five for strength and agility and one for seeing through illusions, that should be enough. Although for Aurora I should exchange strength and agility potions for mana regeneration and wisdom. It should increase your wish to save me next time too!" Ace said giving each member a set and returning back to work. A slight smile appeared on Monthu''s face as the kid turned away. He saw what Ace did and knew he could not refuse. But instead of thank you gift it more felt like a crude sorry I frightened you gift. ''He probably saw us taking a step back and even if we no longer treated him like a convicted criminal we never took that step forward towards him. Just like he never explained his reasons for reacting so violently. How did he expect us to trust him then?'' It was a question with no answer that was only a waste of time to ponder. "What are you planning to do for the time being?" he asked Ace. "I was thinking about staying around for a bit to level up my alchemy. I hadn''t had enough opportunities to do that before so it''s lacking a bit and then go to gather information for the ghost''s quest" Ace said with a thoughtful expression. "That''s a good idea" Aurora said agreeing in a moment. "We could take a few days¡¯ vacation and have a camp near the lake. I heard it looks magnificent in the moonlight." After some thinking Monthu nodded and the four of them left but not before Ace stood up and gave Par a friendly goodbye hug. It seemed to make the child smile a bit which was always good news. Ace waited an hour to make sure they weren''t coming back for anything and changed his appearance to match that of an assassin. The night was very dark, moon hidden behind the clouds. ''Will it rain?'' Ace wondered jogging towards rangers'' and warriors'' guilds. It might seem they were easier to get in as no magic protected them, but instead they had guards positioned in every doorway to discourage any rogue or thief. This asked for a different kind of approach. Ace watched movements of travellers and deemed it pointless to try to get in. If he made a single mistake, there wouldn''t be a way out for him, although that didn¡¯t discourage Ace. There were other ways to get to them. A bit farther away was a short dark alley that all those who wanted to get to the gates used as a shortcut. It was dangerous but otherwise they''d have to walk an hour longer. First to come was a tired looking messenger. ''Poor guy!'' Ace waited for the man to pass him and attacked from the back. His hits with all skills were so strong that [Heart-seeker] was used just for feeding it.
+ 50 Infamy
"What?" Ace said with a hiss. "It was a NPC? Where am I supposed to hide the body?" Difficult question as the alley was a small place and contained nothing to hide it behind. Armour clanking could be heard coming closer. ''Of course...'' There wasn''t anything to do so Ace left the body alone and took a few steps away hiding beneath [Shadow Veil]. Large sword showed up first followed by a warrior with three layered armour of leather, chain and plate. "Who''s there? I heard noises!" he shouted out. ''I should really stop talking to myself aloud...'' Warriors were one of the worst classes to find rogues as they had no way to seeing through their skills. There were no reason for Ace to worry and reveal himself for the moment. The man carefully entered and then rushed off to the corpse. "Hey! Are you alive?" he asked shaking the dead man. Ace used that distraction to get closer. "Magma Blade! Backstab! Cut-throat! Curse of the Hungry! Heart-seeker!" came all his skills as he activated them one by one destroying the man in seconds. "Not all murderers run away the moment they¡¯re finished with the act" he said quietly to the dead warrior looting him. At least his body will disappear or soon enough he''d have a mountain of them. While waiting for another victim, he took the messengers bag and read through the letters. ''A ball three days from now? That might be fun'' Ace mused hiding [Flare] in his cowl as steps were heard again. It was a pair of a ranger and a warrior brave enough to go for night time hunting. They went to check on the messenger just like the other guy and Ace got rid of one of them easily. The other heard only the sound of falling body and managed to turn around before getting stabbed to death. Ace didn''t use any skills for the second one beside magma blade that helped bypass armour and stabbed him repeatedly until the guy breathed his last breath. Taking everything of people was by now second nature to him so it took only seconds. Well most things beside plate armour. Even though he''d gotten proficient with getting it off, all the small pieces and straps were taking forever none the less. On the other hand if he ever went to sell his goods, armour would fetch the best price. Sadly now it was just a nuisance to keep his image as the biggest bastard around. It accumulated hate quite easily too which was his main goal for the moment. This way he spent the whole night; killing anyone who showed up and stealing their last copper. In the morning he went to exchange items for herbs. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Ace got used to his new schedule quite easily. Days of smiling at people and laughing with them while killing them at night. He didn''t go for any more risks like attacking guild houses but positioned himself in alleys changing them every few hours because users got smarter and looked for different paths. He had also entered the ball with an invitation taken off the messenger and killed every noble that walked a corridor alone. It was easy as they had no armour and their weapons were mostly for show. The killings continued for a week as that gave time for rumours to spread and dead people to be reborn to tell their tales. It was then time to push the plan to the second stage. Ace finished the day''s work and contacted his team mates. /Are you still at the lake?/ /Yes. Why?/ Aurora asked him. /I''m done with my exchanges. I''ll come to you after I put the herbs away, if you''ll stay there for a bit longer./ /We will. Par befriended one of the NPCs here which then gave a quest to take care of her daughter for a week. There''s still two days left of that/ /Okay, got it/ It was important that he had a genuine reason for wandering the streets at night. Putting a check on that, he left for his temporary hideout where he created some potions and took out those who had been stewing for days and had better stats. Then he came to a random alley, made sure it was empty and turned off his chat service. It was a way to make yourself impossible to contact in case you wanted to be alone... or to fake your death. Done with that he made note of the alley and time and changed into his assassin¡¯s garb. For the next few days Ace was dead while Silver Wing broke havoc around the city, terrifying all its residents. *** A couple of days later Ace logged back in. He wore only his underclothes and looked very pathetic. "I really hate this part of the plan" he said muttering under his breath and walking closer to the main street. His steps faltered as he had to go into the open. ''Just why didn''t I think of an easier way? Deep breaths, deep breaths. You can do it, Ace!'' Fortunately a person went just past him and Ace latched onto his coat with trembling hands. "Please! Please help me! I beg of you!" "What happened?" the man asked concerned, noting the kid''s clothes or a lack of them. "I-I w-aaa-s ki-ill-led" answered the kid stammering, his eyes full of tears. "Who would do such a thing?" the man asked in horror. Instead of answering the kid opened his palm in which lay a single wing of silver, understanding dawned on the man''s face and then contorted in anger. "That monster! He''s now even targeting innocent kids?" His hands clenched into fists but nothing could be done, force didn''t help against that shadow "Come, I''ll buy you some clothes but that''s all I can do for you. I''ve had a meeting with Silver Wing too." The kid nodded and holding the man''s hand followed him to a tailor''s shop. There he obtained some old traveller''s clothes that cost five silvers. It was better not to think about their quality or where they had came from. "Come with me to the wizard''s bank, I''ll pay you back" the kid said then surprising the man. "Were you that rich to use it?" he asked in wonder. The bank established by wizards was amazing because it allowed you to put items in one city and take them in another while normal banks just let you put money. Of course that made their services cost twice as much so only the richest used it. "Previously I lived in a city where Silver Wing was born and this was the only way the people found there to survive. You might never become very rich this way but at least you won''t become a beggar" the kid answered explaining. He took out a hundred gold and a few daggers, one of them exotically curved. "By the way my name''s Ace" he said giving the man his silvers back. "Romeo here. I think people like us should stick together, would you like to be friends?"
*Romeo has requested to register you as a friend. Do you accept?*
"That''s a good idea, sure"
*Romeo has been registered as a friend*
"I''ll be fine from now when I meet my friends, but what about you?" Ace asked with a bit of concern in his voice. The last part had to be taken care of delicately. "I''ll be okay too. There''s a charity group going for Wing''s victims." "Really?" Ace asked with interest. Inside he was worrying that he might have taken too long to start the third phase. "Yeah a bunch of players gained some support from a noble whose son was killed and been working for him and gaining a bit of money to buy bread. All new ones are given some old clothes and food for which they later pay with their work. It''s hard but we manage" the man answered with a sigh. He had been one of the first victims and had time to gain a bit of money since then but it was still only one gold. Beginners after first month of playing had more. "Wouldn''t it be beneficial to create our own guild?" the kid asked, looking much older and wiser than his thirteen years. "How could we do it? We''re all beggars now" the man said sadly. It would be amazing if they could join forces but to establish a guild three hundred golds were needed. "I could pay the money but I can''t collect people. Do you think they would join? It would be great if there were people you can trust who would know and understand the pain and sorrow you had to feel dying to Him" Ace said, his face looking tired and lonely. "Are you sure you have enough money?" Romeo asked with surprise evident in his voice. In other circumstances he would be ashamed to use the kid¡¯s last money but once you met Wing nothing was below you any longer. "I believe so" the kid answered telling the wizard to give him three hundred golds. The man checked his notes a few times and Romeo feared he''ll say there weren''t enough but no a bag of something, coins supposedly, was given to Ace who smiled like a kid who''d just gotten a present. "There''s enough!" he said loudly while a mage looked at him strangely. "That''s amazing!" Romeo said making sure to match the kid''s enthusiasm. "Let''s go to the castle now!" "Yeah!" Together they hurried to the centre of the city. They went to the side where a back door was located over which a sign read ~Guild Hall~ "I''d like to create a guild" Ace said entering the room where a bald man sat behind the table. "This is not children¡¯s playground. Please take him away!" he said with a dry voice not even stopping his feather for a moment. "I''m not kidding" Ace said calmly and forced himself to smile childishly. "My friend here said he¡¯ll let me create a name for it!" Lying was the only option for him. Npcs especially saw him as a kid and nothing else. His only chance to succeed was to act like one. "Is that how it is? You should have said so earlier. Come here. The price is three hundred golds" the man said putting his paper at the side and picking a blank one. "So what will the name be?" "Draugar of Silver" "What does that even mean?" Romeo asked. He was happy it wasn''t anything like Princes or Unicorns but still... "Draugar are creatures of myth that had died and were brought to life to protect their treasures or hunt down their killers. Of silver because well each of us have a silver wing given to us" the kid said explaining. "My mother always told me legends as bedtime tales" ''Wow a kid that knows old time myths...'' "The owner of the guild?" "Ace" "Leader?" "Romeo" "Huh?" the aforementioned guy asked in shock. "Do you really expect me to order people around?" Ace asked with a wide eyed expression that kid¡¯s have when something unbelievable happens.
Deception +3% exp.
"Oh... right!" ''I can''t believe I almost told the kid to become the leader. It would have been a catastrophe!'' Money was given and a window containing new information appeared before Ace¡¯s eyes.
Guild Window
NameDraugar of SilverAlignmentN/A
Reputation0Leadership TypeN/A
Members2
Income0Outcome0
Owned Castles0Owned Warriors0
OwnerAceLeaderRomeo
Officials1-Ace
''Well there is place to expand'' Ace laughed to himself. He was happy now that his plan finally came to fruition. "Can you give me the ability to invite players?" "Sure. Officials: add Romeo.¡±
*Romeo has been allowed to invite players to the guild*
¡°Done. Are you going to that place now?" Ace asked. "Yeah. Will you come along?" Romeo asked hoping the kid will refuse. It would be better if he could go alone and explain everything before introducing them to Ace. Not everyone will be happy to follow a kid for sure. "I can''t. There''s a quest I should have started some time ago" Ace pouted looking so adorable that the man even felt guilty for not taking him along. "I''ll introduce you when all have joined, okay?" he said promising and after patting the kid''s hair left.
Deception +1% exp.
''So they really believe I''m just a child. Well, that''s their own mistake'' Friend list showed that Reaper and others were still offline so it left him with actually doing the quest. He thought for a moment where to start his search. Asking was out of question as it would attract too much unwanted attention, library would hardly contain anything useful about gossips. Or wait first he needed to make a list of all the nobles that looked like the ghost described. For that library would be the perfect place. The building reminded him of the one he''d seen in Mora - very run down and uncared for. ''This fact doesn''t seem too different from real life'' he mused. As the technology evolved there were less and less people who read hardcover books. That led to libraries being abandoned or even destroyed to create space for more important buildings. Although some of them were left as museums. Rich people collected books like pieces of art and history nowadays. The inside was very small, cramped and empty. "Is anyone here?" Ace asked loudly but there was no answer. Shrugging he went to look for family records. They were in a smaller room that was locked but the key was in the lock... That struck him as strange but who would understand some people. The idea that the librarian might be laying in his own pool of blood a few streets away where he was killed by a shadowy figure never crossed Ace''s mind. The room was smaller than the main one, which was the same size as king''s ballroom if not bigger, but it still contained a ton of books. And they were worse than boring, talking about every blue blood. Ace took a deep breath, drank Scholar''s brew he¡¯d made some time ago in his alchemical adventurers and set to work. He was dying after the first half an hour although he had found only one person fitting. Four more hours of gruelling work and growing headache were enough for him to finish his list. It contained over a hundred names... ''Damn'' Ace cursed and stretched his muscles. ''Now how should I find out which one of them left for a vacation almost thirty years ago to a small town I know name not of?'' Not sure he took his things and left the library. His destination was the noble houses. Walking past one of them he saw a young lady sitting among the trees and writing in her journal. ''Bingo!'' Ace checked his clothes and noting they were as bad as before he came from the side where the kitchen was. He knocked and pretended to be starving. Well, he hadn''t eaten for a long time! The cook was a nice lady that invited him to sit near the table. She fussed over him, giving him the soup she had prepared for house master although other people only got a piece of hard bread. "I really do hate that ability" Ace said under his breath. "What did you say sweetie?" "The soup is amazing! You¡¯re the best cook!" Ace answered smiling. "You''re so well-mannered unlike all those teenagers that come these days asking for free food! Can you imagine free food!" the cook asked in outrage. "It is unbelievable" Ace said hiding his smile over the spoonful of soup. "Okay wait for a bit here, sweetie. I need to make sure the maids bring the right food to the master''s table. I''ll be back in a moment.¡± Ace nodded and secretly followed her out. He used [Hiding in Plain Sight] to make himself unnoticeable and went straight to the main bedroom. It wasn''t hard to find as it was on second floor and took almost all of it. Luckily for Ace there were no guards posted near the door and he could easily enter. The inside was decorated with ill-fitting colours but Ace didn''t really care. He was here to find the old lady''s diary. ''Where could she have possibly hidden it?'' he wondered looking under the bed, behind a painting, near the mirror. All was empty. Behind the curtains? Under the rug? Among the jewellery? No, no and no. Does that mean? "Of course it does" Ace said under his breath and went to look in the worst place. Her closet. As expected all five volumes lay there among the heaps of under-clothes. "Yuck" he grimaced but took out the things and put in his bag. When he returned to the kitchen, the cook hadn''t returned yet. Relieved he ran to wash his hands and sat down in his place as if he hadn''t moved a muscle. The cook returned not long after and Ace said he was leaving. The female gave him a few sweets and said he could come whenever he wanted to. Ace thanked her and left to his secret place. There he conducted some experiments but soon enough went to read the journals. They were written by a very self-important woman who only complained how nobody understood her greatness. ''I just had to pick her...'' He continued to read through the second volume until something caught his eye. ~ June 26 Sir Elimas left the city to go to a small village. What could he possibly want from there? I heard he fancied Lady Belinda but I''m sure he''s just trying to make me jealous. I remember...~ And later ~August 30 ... He went back to the town. Last time he stayed there for a few days and returned very unhappy. My mother said he''d been arguing with his father about it since. What could it possibly be? Maybe he''s thinking of buying us a vacation house there?~ Further on ~September 5 .... He returned today with bloodshot eyes. Has he been drinking? Elizabeth said he''s drowning his sorrow but I haven''t refused him yet! Although sir Veldin is a much better match for me...~ That signalled a very sad story. They ran to each other so fast that they missed the other and lived their lives alone. His list also mentioned that Sir Elimas the only remaining family member had no offspring and lived secluded in his house, not attending any social gatherings. Prime suspect was clearly written under his name. Ace put his things away and set out to see the man. For the first half of the path he went openly. Only when he was close enough did he pull into an alley and wanted to put his assassin¡¯s clothes. But they weren''t there. ''Damn. What was I thinking getting rid of everything literally? It''s not like anyone could have checked my bag for proof...'' Now he had to run back to the main street and buy a scarf. He wrapped it around his head and neck so only his eyes were visible. It made him look like a faraway traveller and covered his youthful appearance. ''Perfect'' It was finally time to go and meet a new friend. ''That was too easy!'' Ace complained as he sneaked into the manor. ''I could have just walked through the front gate and no one would have given a damn!'' The house didn''t seem to have been cleaned in the last century either. Dust and cobwebs covered every possible surface, fighting for dominance. A single ray of light shone through the doorway farther up the hall. "Who are you?" the man asked not even rising his head from the paperwork as Ace opened the door quietly. "Are you Sir Elimas?" Ace asked, not answering at all. "I am. Who is looking for me?" A scribbling sound filled the silence while Ace waited for the man to rise his head. "If you have nothing for me, please leave." Ace took a stool from nearby and with an ear jarring noise dragged it closer to the table. "What do you want from me?" Ace didn¡¯t react. The feather was put down but the head still didn¡¯t'' rise. Silence continued until the man couldn''t take it any more. "Will you speak up?" he asked looking up at the intruder. The person had hidden himself behind a scarf but dark green eyes gazed at him with understanding. "What do you know?" "I''ve been commissioned to find a man that disappeared never to be found again. I was told that he was a great person but the city was big. Do you have an idea?" "Continue" "He had dark hair, brown eyes and was used to training. Drivers called him sir." The man turned pale but still asked. "Anything else?" "The coffin will be buried tomorrow evening" "No!" the man screamed clutching at his heart and fell down. Ace lifted the man and sat him down on the chair. He was very light for a man his age. A piece of paper caught Ace''s eye. It contained information about a punitive force quest to reclaim the castle from goblins. Only one thing was left to write, the man who would create the army and lead it to victory. *** Sometime later Sir Elimas woke up. His heart still ached and he very well remembered what brought it. ''My love have you lived your whole life beside me and I never went out to see you?'' he wondered. ''I can''t even come to pay my respects...'' If only his heart wouldn¡¯t have failed him and he could have questioned the stranger. ''Who was he anyway?'' He was about to go out to search when he noticed a folded piece of paper lying on his work. ~Scytheman Monthu~ was written on top of it. Elimas knew what that meant. Information had a price and if he wanted to see her off, this man, he never heard about, will have to lead the army. He didn''t really have a choice. He didn''t really have a choice. Next Chapter 2.0 Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Yes, another prologue... I know most people don''t like them but I''ll put them on anyway. In my story they show a bit of a real life character and explain some of its words and actions. This time it is about Veronica, the one Kirin/Ace/Ang mentioned hating the most of his classmates in the chapter where he chatted with them. And this upload doesn''t take a space of a real one as it contains not even five hundred words. The real first chapter should come out on Sunday. **** Bright sun shone over the small town and danced on the waves. Crowds of people had gathered near the sea to enjoy a free day. Young and old played together forgetting all dignity for the moment. One group was especially active. It was made mostly of teenagers and a few young adults. They played volleyball, catch, danced with the waves and even built sand castles. All of which was due to a single child among them. He had curly blonde hair, light blue eyes and was the soul of the group. "Let''s go get ice cream!" he said still laughing after their game of catch. It was a stupid idea to run around in the sand but extremely fun none the less. "Sure. I''ll go and buy!" one of the guys agreed instantly and ran off. "What do you want to do now Ang?" Veronica asked smiling. "Let''s see... Eat ice cream!" the kid answered beaming and running after the guy. "You''re..." she laughed shaking her head but ran after him. As Ang got to the shop people''s tired faces lightened up. "How are you doing?" "How do you like your day out?" The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Are kids taking good care of you?" The questions were shot from all directions at the youth who beamed at them. "Yeah Kevin is buying ice cream! And I''m fine thank you!" "Really? Go ahead then. We''re in no hurry" "Thanks" the kid said happily and rushed to choose what flavour he wanted. After some time he pointed at the banana one. "That!" "Sure thing" the owner nodded putting a double for him. "This one''s from me" "Thank you very much" Kevin was let in ahead too and soon they were walking back to the beach. The others rushed to them stealing the bag of ice cream, trying to get their favourite. "Do you want to go for a swim now?!" Veronica asked, already knowing the answer. The kid nodded eagerly and ran to the sea people following after him. "He never tires, does he?" Kevin asked with a smile. "Not a chance" Veronica laughed. Ang was an eternal child full of energy and life. You could even say he was the town¡¯s symbol. The place was full of old people whose children had went away looking for a better future and left their own kids to finish school at their hometown. In this place Ang was the youngest and by far too. Because of it everyone saw him as their grand grandchild or a little brother. He was spoiled rotten and could do whatever he wished and whenever he wanted to. To townspeople he was their ray of hope and happiness in an otherwise depressing life. That¡¯s why Veronica and everyone else were prepared to do anything for Ang, he was their everything. Next Chapter 2.1 Unexpected Orders Previous Chapter Author''s Note: A new beginning! And we''re out of the city once again! By the way don''t ask me who those conspirators are. I was thinking of a beginning for a new chapter (before they got combined) and thought this up but Hawk and Monthu were whispering there. After a bit of thinking I decided it was a bit strange for them to meet in a place like this and created two random characters who showed up to be quite malicious. That left me with a conspiracy underway without even knowing who created it and aimed at who. So good luck trying to figure that one out :D I have an invisible but very tasty cookie for the one who actually matches what is going to happen. Right now it''s very up to debate (between my mind and Ace. He usually finds a way to foil my great plans like in chapter seven where he was supposed to win by his magic instead of the random fake of weak rogue kid...) Btw thanks xion930 for pr :) **** The city was in an uproar. Victims of Silver Wing were mobilizing and creating their own faction! That was unheard of. How could those beggars have enough money and what did they believe to achieve without having a copper? It was stupid beyond belief but more and more players joined their ranks. Almost a fifth of the city¡¯s population had met the infamous monster and now wanted revenge at all costs, poverty to them meant nothing. But even a bigger surprise was the support gained from the Npcs. All the nobles who heard about the new guild came to express their joy and promised to help in any way they could. That led to all the best quests becoming available only to the guild members without any means of oppression. No other faction or alliance could come and destroy the quickly growing Draugar of Silver as that would make them the public enemy, and no Npc would ever give them a quest higher than level E which were the worst fetch quests. Romeo was very busy being in the middle of everything. He had to take care of all the eager to join players, provide help for the recently killed, get money somehow and visit the nobles to gain their support. To ease the workload he had made some of those he had gotten close to his officers. That helped but he probably should get a few more to be able to get a minute of sleep. He had divided the guild into five divisions. The fifth was called Living as it consisted of players that were afraid of Silver Wing without even actually meeting him. The rest of the guild looked down on them but they brought in money and couldn''t be refused. The fourth, Spirits, were all those that had met the murderer. All of them and those above wore a necklace with a Silver Wing as their sign. The third group was named Runners because of the thing they did. No, they weren''t messengers. They were officers and had so much work that a simple walk was never enough. And then was he - the leader, and supposedly, the owner. He had talked with Ace later and convinced him to pretend to be a normal member to save the guild''s face. Of course that was said in prettier words so the kid couldn¡¯t understand and just agreed. It was a gift from heavens that the child was so trusting and easy to manipulate. ''Let''s hope those friends of his don''t corrupt him'' Romeo prayed accepting another low risk, high reward quest from the goldmine as he called this guild. Romeo had nothing to fear as Ace was the one doing the corrupting. "Hey! It''s going to be fun! Par tell him that!" "No means no" Monthu said, his eye twitching. "But how can we miss such an event? It''s happening only once half a year! And I''m not even asking to participate!" Ace said pouting, his best puppy dog eye look on. "Please brother! We''ve never been to any tournament!" Par said, his eyes pleading. "You guys..." Monthu said his eyes searching for help but his childhood friends were pretending not to see anything leaving him to deal with the two children. "We won''t go anywhere without you!" Ace promised. "I''ll spend time learning math at home!" Par said trying to persuade his brother. "What''s so good about it anyway?" The kids sensing a chance started to explain together at the same time. "Best fighters..." "And mages..." "...go against monsters¡­" "...use amazing skills..." "Epic battles! They have..." "I heard they''ll have a phoenix! And a...! "Fireworks!" "Yeah and musicians!" "Enough! Enough!" Monthu said holding onto his head. "I get it. Fine we''ll go but neither of you can take a step away from me!" The kids nodded and high-fived each other. They did it! Hawk and Aurora were looking wide eyed. ''When did Monthu allowed Par anywhere? There was something wrong with it.'' "Do you think he''s okay?" Aurora asked quietly. "I don''t remember him going down on his word no matter how much Par pleaded..." Hawk said whispering. "Neither do I. You sure it''s him and not some evil twin?" Hawk laughed. "Can''t say for sure, but I hope so. Maybe he can''t deal with a pair of kids almost going on their knees before him?" "I really hope so" Aurora said pretending to be looking to the other side. "This way we could actually see something more beside monsters and get to sleep in a bed." "Have you noticed how long we''ve stayed here already? Before we never passed a one night visit." "Now that you mention it... I think I should thank all the gods for Ace. He''s our saviour!" "Pff... It''s not like he''s doing it for us" Hawk said annoyed and changed the topic. They had had enough arguments whether Ace was a spawn of the devil or not. ~Five hours later~ "The final match is about to take place! So return to your seats and prepare yourselves for an amazing battle where two masters will test their skills against the other! It is the beast master Zeleo with his mountain lion Amanda against the axeman Kalin! Both of them had seen countless battles and now will compete for the prize of ten thousand gold and the city lord¡¯s favour! That''s not a prize to look down on folks! And here they are coming in! Prepare yourselves!" the spokesman hollered. "I''m so tired of his voice!" Aurora said pretending to cover her ears but none paid any attention to her. Ace and Par were looking at the ring with fixated eyes. Nothing else existed for them. Monthu was smiling, noting his brother''s happiness while Hawk was debating with a person to his right who was going to win. Although it was hardly a debate as they both said the beast master was going to destroy his opponent. Gong sounded signalling the start of the match and both competitors jumped at each other. The dwarf axeman Kalin blocked both attacks of lioness and her master with ease. He''d entered the tournament for a single reason to win the favour and lead the punitive force quest. It was scheduled to be announced today and the connection could be made even by an idiot. Money was always a good thing but to him a level 230 ten thousand gold weren''t the world. In the amount of time required to participate here he could have gained a lot much favour and gold. A whole month in this bard city... A piercing scream of agony left the lioness lips as the axe embedded into her front leg. Blood splashed on Kalin''s beard but he was used to it. He blocked the claymore from the beast master and counter-attacked with a dagger hidden in his belt. Cheap trick but it surprised his opponent long enough for Kalin to hit him with his giant axe and finish him off. "And here it is! The finishing blow! Kalin the axeman! Our victor!" the spokesperson shouted while the crowd applauded. The tradition required for the winner to come over to the lord''s seat to receive his prize and a trophy. On the other side of the stadium Par and Ace were bashing down the fight. "He was cheating!" "I can''t believe he''s been so high level all this time!" "Such a liar!" The battle was quick and boring leading to the children''s disappointment. They expected to see an epic fight but got a thirty seconds long clash with an obvious difference in skills. "That was so unfair of him to join" "Yeah..." Par said agreeing. "Let¡¯s go out of here. I don''t want to see him again." The whole party accepted his suggestion as the competition was already over and was about to stand up when a loud yell interrupted them. "Whaaaaat? What do you mean it''s been chosen? Who''s the bastard that stole my quest? Tell me!" Kalin screamed at the top of his lungs, his face beat red. "Calm down, sir" the city¡¯s lord said in a soft but commanding voice. "The general was chosen by a very respectable noble and it wouldn''t be in your best interests to make a scene here in front of everyone. Calvin!" "Yes, my lord?" a middle aged man answered, appearing beside the seat. "Call out for our chosen one. It''s as good time as any to call him and announce his mission." "Of course, my lord." The servants back straightened and he took out a rolled piece of paper from which he started to read out. "From the beginning of our kingdom Castle Vascas belonged to us humans but not too long ago a horde of goblins invaded it, killing all inhabitants and taking it for themselves. That is unacceptable! The city¡¯s lord has declared that the castle will be reclaimed and a best suited person must be chosen for that job. The nobility has already selected an adventurer. It is Sctyheman Monthu! Although he''s not widely known his abilities to lead are unpaired. May the person show himself if he''s present!" Monthu stood up uncertainly looking around but everyone else was sitting. ''What is going on here? I never asked for it'' Monthu wondered taking a few uncertain steps towards the stage. "Come over here young man!" the lord said with a bright smile, forgetting all about Kalin who was boiling with rage. ''How could this shy guy steal something like this from under my noise? Wait, what if I beat him before the crowd? Maybe it''s a test for my resolve?'' "You incompetent idiot! You can''t lead the glorious army in Oradin''s name while not even having the courage to fight in a tournament!" he said raising his axe for a clean kill but to his surprise the man blocked it and entered a defensive stance. His outlook changed too. ''He''s feeling more at ease now aware of the difference in our levels than facing a lord? Just who is he?'' Kalin was drawing all the wrong conclusions there. Monthu was reluctant to come closer as that meant accepting a quest he didn''t want but now that the winner attacked him he could fake weakness and lose the quest. But that didn''t mean he was going down from the first hit. He had some pride on him too. "Guards! Guards!" the lord shouted pointing to the axeman. "Lock him in a prison for a week or two. He has threatened your lord!" "I didn''t do anything of the like!" Kalin tried to defend himself but the guards weren''t taking notice of his words. An order was an order. "Swinging your sword before my head is pretty dangerous. You should be happy I''m so nice and only lock you up for a few weeks!" the lord said smiling and turned his attention back to Monthu. "Now that the interruptions are over I''d like to get to business. Will you create an army and retake the Vascas castle for the Oradin kingdom?" his voice was soft but full of authority and power. No surprise he was a city lord even at the age of twenty five. Ting!
New Quest: Retaking Vascas Castle Many monsters roam around the kingdom but before now none tried to steal it from humans. A few months back goblins with a surprising level of intelligence took over a castle, shocking all the kingdom. It was a big offence and cannot be tolerated. Together with other adventurers go out and retake the castle for Oradin. Quest level: C Time limit: must be finished before the next king meeting half a year from now. Quest cannot be refused
''But I don''t want it!'' Monthu wanted to refute but kept his cool. It wouldn''t do any good to show his distaste for the quest. "I''ll do everything I can to regain it" he said calmly going down on his knee. ''It seems I''ll have to do it anyway and bring Par along but how did I even end up here?'' "Lovely! Then take your group along and come to my castle, I''ll explain more things in detail" the lord said clapping in joy and taking his leave in a graceful manner.
*You have accepted the quest Retaking Vascas Castle!*
Monthu followed the lord¡¯s lead and left the dais to go back to his group who looked at him with stunned expressions. "What did you do when we weren''t looking?" Aurora asked. "Saved a princess? Stopped an assassination? What could you possibly have done to gain such a reputation in a single day?" "Brother is amazing!" Par said with a proud smile. "How did you manage it?" Hawk asked amazed just like the others. The quests you get heavily rely on your fame and reputation in the right circles. The biggest problem was that you gained little fame for doing menial quests but you couldn''t get anything good until you did a million of those. Only players looking for an emperor''s crown pushed themselves that far and a few other who did it for reasons only known to them. "This is such a great opportunity for us to gain fame too as we''ll be among the leaders with you" Hawk added happily. "Truthfully I have no idea what is going on" Monthu said with distaste. "Unlike you think, I haven''t been doing anything and my fame is at the meagre 200 as it was before." "What do you mean? This event was meant to find a champion for the punitive force! You''d have had to have at least a few thousand or more for it to be given to you without any competition!" Hawk said not believing. "See it for yourself" Monthu said opening his status window for all to see.
Status Window
NameMonthuAlignmentChaotic Good
Level74ProfessionScytheman
TitleNone
Fame200
Health2982Mana193
Strength173+50Agility170+50
Wisdom10Intelligence17
Stamina70
Luck15Leadership25
Attack142
Defense50
Magic Resistance0%
"Then how could you have been given the quest?" Hawk asked in disbelief. Monthu wasn''t lying about his fame so what was going on here? "That''s what I''ve been telling you. There''s something fishy about all this" "Well, it¡¯s not like you can refuse it" Ace said, shrugging. "You have already accepted it and we''ll gain nothing by contemplating the mystery, only annoy the lord who''s waiting for you if I heard right.¡± "Shoot! That''s right! We must go and hear what the lord has to say." "We''re meeting a city lord? That¡¯s great!" Aurora said with her eyes alight. In rich houses there were a lot of religious symbols like statues, paintings and clerics¡¯ faith rose from it allowing for stronger healing and offensive spells. "Let''s go!" Par said and was about to march off when Ace shook his head. "I''m not going. There''s no reason for all of us to be there and in that time I can collect a lot of useful information. I''m sure we''ll have to gather the players and leave soon enough so every bit of information would work in our favour" "Why are you so concerned about my quest?" Monthu asked with suspicion. "It''s our quest. I''m part of this group and you''re not leaving Par behind so we''re all going there. And I don''t want to die which makes me go visit a library and find something useful while you go and chat with a lordling" Ace said. That of course was not the main reason, but the group had no need to know it. "Are you sure?" "Yes." "Fine then. Let''s go" Monthu said and with Par beside him marched off towards the castle, Aurora and Hawk following. Ace was left alone for the moment. Two pair of eyes followed the group of four who entered the lord''s private room. One of them belonged to sir Elimas. He feared what he was going to see, but the first impression wasn''t that bad. The guy wielding a scythe was surprisingly normal looking with well-made and taken care of chain armour. His face was calm and collected without any trace of smugness. Was he an innocent party here? His group consisted of an impossibly white female cleric, hawk like archer and a little kid in a mage''s robe. How could a man be a monster with a child following him? "Welcome to my study. This here is my trusted advisor who helped in choosing you for this mission. Will you introduce us to the lady?" the lord spoke up in a charming voice, his eyes locked on Aurora whose cheeks warmed up. "This is my friend Aurora, beside her is Hawk and my little brother Paradox. Also we have another member Ace who''s busy at the moment." "Is he now?" the lord asked with a slight smile, redirecting his attention to Monthu who didn''t even blink meeting it. "You sent by the god¡¯s are so untrustworthy... Always disappearing at the wrong time" he said shaking his head lightly as if in sorrow. "Ace is trustworthy!" Par said with anger in his voice. "So how do you explain his absence now?" the lord asked in an amused voice which made Par become even angrier. "He''s smart! He knew that there''s no need for all of us to be here and he could spend his time researching! That would be more of use!" Par said defending his friend. "So there''s no point in seeing me although I made a very specific request? That''s a first" the lord said amused. "Just as well. We''ll have a meeting if you manage to successfully retake the castle." He took out a parchment and handed it to Monthu. "It contains all information about the goblins we managed to gather up till now. There''s not much but should get you through the beginning. You must leave at the end of the week as the travel requires a few weeks and the castle must be brought back to our rule as fast as possible. If you can''t do it till the next king meeting Oradin will lose a lot of reputation and at best you will be thrown out of the kingdom. Everything''s clear?" the lord asked in a sweet voice. Monthu rolled his eyes at the threat. "Yes" "Great! You''re free now! Come back with good news. Oh and you can hire five hundred adventurers to your help!" with that the lord motioned his hand and his advisor opened the study''s door leading them out. On the way out Monthu asked him a question. "Why was I chosen although I have nowhere near sufficient amount of fame?" Sir Elimas nodded in understanding. It was just as he had expected, this guy was randomly chosen and was an innocent party. That could only mean the scarf wearing guy wanted to prevent Kalin from gaining the quest. What could possibly be so scary about that axeman? Or was it personal revenge? "You as a candidate were presented by one of the counsel members and then chosen worthy by your characteristics. We have faith in your abilities so don''t disappoint us" he said without any real hope of him succeeding. He might be a true warrior and not some fake but his level was way too low to make an army of good quality to listen to him while army of beginners would never take back the castle. Stolen novel; please report. "Who could have suggested me? I''ve just recently come to this city and haven''t done a single quest yet" Monthu said. He just couldn''t understand what was going and it was eating him from the inside. "Maybe you impressed someone else then, some important adventurer or a high noble in another city?" Sir Elimas asked, fishing for answers. "I haven''t done anything of the like" Monthu said with a thoughtful expression. Then he had an idea. Only one person always did whatever he wanted and seemed to make him do it too. There was no other explanation. ''But isn''t this a bit too high even for him? How could he possibly manage to persuade a whole committee of nobles to choose me?'' "You seem quiet. Have you figured it out?" "No, but I think I''d be better off not knowing. I have a bad feeling I wouldn''t like it at all" Monthu said cryptically and left the castle with his friends in tow. /Where are you?/ Aurora messaged Ace. /Library and I found a lot of useful information here/ Ace wrote back reading another book. /How much time were we given?/ /One week from today we must leave. Do you have any suggestions?/ /Well, you can start looking for players now or tomorrow after I''ve finished my research and would know what we''ll face/ /Isn''t it goblins?/ Aurora asked not finding it needing more information. /We''re not going to just fight them. They''ll be barricaded in a castle which has from one to five defensive walls, which might be on a hill, surrounded by water or against a mountain. And each of these scenarios requires a different army set up for the highest chance of success. In the end it all depends on Monthu, how he wants to go at it - trusting luck or information/ Ace answered baffling Aurora. She expected it to be just another battle with people and goblins bashing at each others heads but Ace was telling her it was going to be far from that. "Ace says he''s collecting information about the castle and advises to start recruiting tomorrow when he has found enough to help in choosing the finer points of our army" she said to the guys. "That''s a good idea" Monthu said at the same time as Hawk. They nodded at each other in acknowledgement while Par looked at them uncomprehending. "But it would be well for us to advertise it. What do you think?" Hawk asked. "If we do it today, they could have time to think it over and decide whenever they''re going to follow you or not." "It''s better than doing nothing" Monthu said agreeing and they went to a scribe. In a few hours their poster was put on a notice board at the city''s centre. Some interested players went to check it out. A group of goblins with their faces twisted in obnoxious smiles were drawn. They looked even worse than in reality and were just asking for a beating. ~Do you want them to rule your kingdom?~ was a single line written at the top of the paper. It wasn''t asking players to fight for their land, their leader or greater good. The reason given was to be able to tell where you''re from without being looked down on. The shame of defeat wouldn''t rest only on the leader''s shoulders but the whole kingdom would suffer the consequences and it was up to all the present players to decide what was more important to them. Pride? Or their future? *** The new day was welcomed by a sight of two players conversing secretly in an alley. "Are you sure he''ll be there?" one of them asked. "Yes, he''s among the leading party. You''ll have no problem getting to him" the other answered with a vengeful smile. "Is it really worth all the trouble?" the first one asked doubtfully. "Yes, you''ll understand once you see him. This world hasn''t seen anything like that and he must be suppressed as fast as possible" the second answered with eyes full of hatred. The man nodded and left with a dark cloak over his face, the other stayed a bit longer and then left too. *** Monthu, Hawk and Ace met as the sun rose in a small inn that had no travellers to listen in on their conversation. "So what did you manage to learn?" Ace blinked a few times to gather his thoughts. To stay up all day and night long reading all of the most boring books ever was quite tiresome. "The castle was built against the mountain and is only accessible from the front. It is protected by two walls and has an internal water system so they''ll never run out of it or food which was stored there by humans. It is said that the storage was always kept full and can hold enough food to feed its inhabitants for more than a year. That leaves only brute force. There were a few secret tunnels made so hiring some rogues might be good idea. Also one of the few survivors in his report mentioned that the goblins were acting mightily suspiciously months till the attack yet the nobles didn''t do a thing. But the most surprising thing was that goblins were using basic fighting strategies. That baffled all the commanders and the castle fell¡± "Is that all?" Monthu asked to make sure. "Yes, that''s pretty much all I managed to gather" Ace answered yawning and shook his head to stay awake. "I''m done for now, my only suggestion is getting a few rogues or assassins. I should be back before we have to head out." "Why do you play so against yourself? Staying up for days and then sleeping like a dead?" "Because that leaves no time to be with myself" Ace said in a tired voice and with another yawn logged out leaving the two to do the rest of the work. "That''s so nice of him to leave everything to us" Hawk muttered under his breath. "Would you have preferred his night in the library?" Monthu asked, already knowing the answer. Hawk shook his head laughing a little. Everything was better than having to do paperwork in a game. Together the two of them walked to the main square where they planned to look for recruits. Monthu walked to the platform where the day''s bard was performing and waited for him to finish his song, then he jumped up and loudly announced "All those that want to join the army sent for Vascas castle come to me to sign up." That took up players'' attention and they started to fire questions. "What are the level limits?" "Why should I follow you?" "Aren''t you a low level yourself?" "How did you manage to get this quest?" "Do you accept only three types or are bards also welcome?" Monthu rose his voice to shout over the noise. "We''ll be hiring all kinds of classes and levels doesn''t matter too much unless there will be too much people. Reward is fame and familiarity with kingdom as always. No experience is given but you''ll get it by killing large amounts of goblins. It''s up to you to choose if it is better keep up to your pride or work under my command and gain huge amounts of otherwise hard to raise statuses." That said he walked down leaving the stage to a stunned bard and sat down on a fountain with Hawk beside him. "You always manage to make everyone who doesn''t join you look bad" Monthu smiled slightly. He learnt to get people on his side from an early age and it was a useful trick. It never had disappointed him. Soon enough a group of players came up to them. "Are you the one leading the army?" a female in a heavy armour asked. "Yes, would you like to join?" "Yes, we''d like to aid in your quest. Our party consists of level 70 fighter" she said pointing to herself and then continued with other members. "Level 57 rogue, 69 swordsman, 50 healer, 67 and 68 mages. And we''re not leaving our rogue behind. We''re going all or none" she said finishing in a defensive note. "That is fine. We''ve been planning on getting some rogues anyways. Do you wish to help reclaim the castle?" Monthu asked sharing the quest and each of them accepted. "We''ll be heading out on the morning of the sixth day whenever we get enough people or not. Be prepared to leave at once. If you need any additional information contact Hawk beside me." "What? Why me?" the aforementioned guy asked surprised. "Aurora is babysitting Par, Ace collected all the info, I''m hiring the army and will have to create a battle plan. Don''t you think you should do something too?" "Pff... Fine" Hawk said agreeing. Explaining things was a gruesome work but at least better than any other suggested. He exchanged contacts with all six players and they all left promising to be back on time. After them a few more groups came and joined their cause. In the evening they had around fifty players. It was quite poor compared to how many they needed and the first day usually brought the most applicants. Their future looked grim to say the least. "We need to do something!" Aurora said loudly over her meal. "There''s no way we can win with even lower forces than was allowed." The two guys nodded but didn''t have any ideas how to win over more players. "Have you put it online?" Par asked suddenly. "On the forums?" Hawk said. "Yeah! I remember Ace saying he always looked through it to make sure he was still allowed to go everywhere he wanted" Par said explaining his thought process. "That''s a great idea!" Aurora said agreeing. "Some might even come from nearby cities! I''ll do it right now!" Monthu nodded and they all logged out for a time being. - Five days later - "So do we have everything we need?" Ace asked just logging back. "Look who decided to show up" Hawk said with disdain in his voice. "What''s eating you?" Ace asked with a raised eyebrow. He had taken a long rest without any interruptions and it showed in his good mood. "You should have to try explaining everything to five hundred people! And each of them wants to get all the details by themselves! Can you imagine it?" Ace shrugged smiling a little and walked away leaving the tired archer alone. There were lots of people crowded near the gates chatting and laughing. It would have been impossible to find anyone unless you were looking for leaders. Monthu, Aurora and Par were standing surrounded by dozens of players asking them all kinds of questions concerning the travel. "Hey!" Ace shouted and ran to Par who smiled at that. "Ace! Have you heard the news?" the little mage asked excitedly. "Which ones?" Ace asked puzzled. There hadn''t been any major events happening, had there? "You''ve been made the rogue captain! You have twelve thieves and assassins under your command!" "Really?" Ace asked redirecting his gaze towards Monthu who just nodded. "Do they know they''ll have to follow me?" "Your problem" Monthu said with a slight smile, turning away. ''He''ll get it one day...''Ace thought laughing. He knew it was revenge for throwing this quest on his head, but that didn''t mean Ace would let it slide past without retaliation. "Is everyone already here?" he asked turning his eyes back to Par and Aurora. "I believe we were waiting only for you. We should head out soon." Aurora said looking around. "Yeah" Par said agreeing and chatted on relaying all the news. "Monthu is taking care of all the melee classes, Hawk archers while Aurora has clerics and mages under her wing. We have two hundred fighters; around a hundred healers and the rest are either mages or archers. Oh and your rogues and some bards, dancers. Also the lord sent a scribe to record the battle and fifty warriors to defend him that Monthu can order around! There is..." Ace listened to him with one ear while catching bits and pieces of others'' conversations. They all seemed happy and excited for an upcoming adventure. To Ace''s relief none showed any signs of anger or disgust so his try at seeing a castle siege will probably work out. ''Great!'' That only left explaining to a bunch of rogues they will have to follow the orders of a kid. Of course he could use force and show off his skills but that went against all things an assassin should do in his mind. ''What fun...?¡¯ Ech he had some time to figure it out till they got to the battleground. Not wasting any more time the army marched off in high spirits. They took plenty of time to rest and hunt for food so it took them two full weeks to reach the castle and establish a base preventing goblins from taking a step out of their home. The surrounding forests were very green and full of small game. A nearby river made it a perfect place to launch an extended assault from. The next morning after settling in, it was time for Ace to meet his group. Rogues had been restless all the time asking who their assigned leader is so there was no longer any way of dodging the responsibility for Ace. The battle was about to begin. In more ways than one too. Ace told Hawk to tell all the rogues to come to a secluded clearing in a forest saying they''ll meet their leader there. All twelve of them were surprised but went along with it and showed up at the designed place much to Ace''s dismay. ''It would have been so much easier if they were simply okay without having anyone to account to.'' Ace revealed himself while standing on a low branch. It was always better to have a way to look down on your subordinates as it gave you a sense of control and power even if it was fake. "Hello there! I heard you were looking for someone to order you around?" he asked in a taunting voice. Now he could take a better look at his unfortunate subordinates. Unlike him they were wearing leather armour, the colour of dust to blend in among the dungeon walls, only a few had dark brown or greenish colours that went well outside. And there was only a single female. "Scram off kid. I''ve seen you tagging along the general but we have no time to play with you" one of them said, cutting Ace¡¯s train of thought. ''This is going to take a while...'' "There''s a problem with that, I''ve been assigned to show you around." "You? A kid? Don''t talk nonsense!" "Are you even a rogue?" they asked, annoyance clear in their voices. "For your information yes I am and a quite successful one at that if I''m here" Ace said with a sneer. It transformed his light childish face into one of a spoiled brat¡¯s, looking well placed with his richly made everyday clothes that had absolutely no defensive capabilities. "And you expect us to believe it? Your loaded daddy put you here, didn''t he?"
*Deception successful +12%*
"And what''s that to you? My father could buy you all out and not even notice" Ace said, his sneer still present, infuriating all the rogues even more.
*Deception +12%*
Sometimes blatant lies worked wonders too. Ace''s body moved to catch the dagger before he could even react to it being thrown. It meant two things - the angry rogue was much higher level than Ace but his [Evasion] was superior. "Is that your answer?" Ace asked twirling the dagger in his hand. He threw it up and caught again with another hand. "Do you really think you''d just kill me and walk away unscathed?" "I don''t care! I''m not following a brat playing rogue just because he has money. This is a game and only skills matter!" the daggers owner said in a deadpan voice that should bring no arguments. That of course didn''t apply to Ace. "Is that so?" he asked tauntingly once again. "You think money has no value here? Don''t make me laugh! There''s not a thing you can''t buy! Skills too" Ace said throwing the dagger back at its owner and jumped down right before him. "Come at me! Test me with your oh so great self learnt skills." "I''m not going to kill a kid even if he''s as infuriating as you!" the man said, not taking out his weapon and going against what he did just a minute ago. ''I really wish I could throw that skill deep down into the abyss! Now it''s even destroying my work!'' Ace though with hatred. The ability [Childish Innocence] not only kept monsters away from him but made him look younger and more vulnerable in the players'' eyes. "Are you scared you''ll make fun of yourself unable to defeat a kid? That would be something you couldn''t live down, wouldn''t it? That''s just sad. Is there anyone a bit braver here then? Or is this a bunch of chickens scared to even raise their weapons? Maybe I should tell Monthu to fire you all as useless... That seems like a good idea" Ace said twirling the end of his scarf and turned around as if leaving.
*Deception successful + 5%*
*Deception failure -7%*
But that snapped one of the players'' nerves and he attacked from the back. Ace evaded it with ease and without taking out his own weapon danced around his opponent. His small frame allowed for many quick movements and it was literary child''s game to remain unscathed. After some time the rogue got frustrated and started to fight seriously using all kinds of skills. It was a dangerous game but Ace liked to play with fire. It brought excitement to a boring life so he continued to dodge the attacks without taking out his own dagger. A few close calls made his heart go racing but beside pink cheeks and his hair getting even more dishevelled nothing happened. The others were quite amazed even if they pretended not to be. Neither of them would dare to do anything as stupid as this. A hit wouldn''t be deadly but it''d hurt enough not to try it again. "What are you trying to prove kid?" the previous man asked. "Me?" Ace asked laughing while rolling away to dodge two daggers thrown where he had been standing just a second ago. "I''m just playing around because that''s all I know" he said twisting his body to avoid getting his waist sliced. "This changes nothing. The fact that you''re quick on your feet doesn''t make me want to follow you at all" "That is of no importance" Ace said with a bitter smile. "My father will buy me a whole army next time if I just feel like it" There was a strange note in his voice that could only be attributed to a much older person. It was a deep hatred for humanity and life itself, prevalent only in people who have seen the worst of the world. Corners of Ace''s eyes started to shine but he brushed it off with a back of his sleeve offhandedly. It hadn''t slipped through anyone''s eyes. Now none knew what to do. The attacker stopped his fruitless work and stood quiet among others, silently brewing with shame. "Why do you want to lead us anyway?" the high level player asked finally. "And why not? Would you die from shame if I told you to go and scout a few times?" Ace asked with anger colouring his voice. He was trying to regain his tough act but it didn''t fool anyone.
*Deception +12%*
Ace smiled inwardly, it was already won. They asked him a few more alike questions and he kept his high act which resulted in them agreeing to follow him. He had to get his every order approved by Monthu and so on but now he was a fully accepted leader. The fact that it was out of pity for a lonely broken child was of no importance. ''People are just so naive when they''re dealing with a child. It''s amazing what nonsense they can believe'' Ace laughed to himself that evening sitting down to play his flute. ''Tomorrow should bring great things if this continues'' he thought and started a new melody that reminded him of the raging sea ready to swallow a man alive. Next Chapter 2.2 Inside Previous Chapter Author''s Note: So here''s the promised chapter :) Hope you enjoy it Btw thanks xion930 for pr! **** "There are no hidden entrances" Fenek the highest level rogue said reporting to Ace who nodded and turned towards Monthu. "As I mentioned to you before" there was a certain amount of annoyance in his voice but none acknowledged it. "That leaves us with only frontal attacks..." Monthu said thoughtfully. They probably could take the first wall but it would cost many lives. "What about hiring people from the nearby towns?" Hawk asked. "Do you have anything to pay them with? Doubtfully anyone will join us for free even if it''s to regain their own castle" Monthu said dismissing that idea. "We''ll have to try with what we have already." "Just don''t underestimate them" Fenek said. "Do you know anything?" "Not really but I saw goblins bringing barrels of something up to the walls. It''s way too smart for them to prepare for upcoming battles" Fenek said in a tired voice. He had been patrolling for a few days and involved in a few skirmishes when goblins tried to attack the camp under the veil of the night. It requires no mention how successful that was. "I''ll take it into consideration" Monthu said and dismissed the rogue, then he turned towards Ace. "Do you have anything to add?" "Just agree to your way of thinking. We''ve already spent a week looking for any other way but there just isn''t any. I''d say you should let my group try and go around the mountain but I can''t say if we''ll achieve anything" "What do you have in mind?" Hawk asked interested. "Well in a siege my group would be useless so we might as well try something else. If they would concentrate enough on you, I believe we could slip in through the top and cause some disturbances there" Ace said explaining his plan. "Isn''t that a bit dangerous to go thirteen against the whole enemy base?" Aurora asked, not liking the plan at all. "I think it''s a good idea" Monthu said thinking on a more strategic level. "But they''ll probably just all die!" Aurora said. "So what? Isn''t this a place to try out new things? What fun would it be to stay and watch how you win or lose? I want to see my own capabilities." Monthu looked at Ace for a little while judging his determination. There was no hesitation in the kid''s eyes, only eagerness for a new adventure, a new battle to fight. "You leave this evening. Explain to everyone the plan and be prepared by then" Monthu said finally, making Ace smile in delight. "Cool! I''m on way!" he said mock saluting Monthu and ran off to search for his group. After some time Hawk asked. "Is it really a good idea to let him do what he wants? He''s taking all our rogues for hardly a worthwhile thing." "It''s better to keep him in a good mood" Monthu said with a sigh. He didn''t really care about Ace''s political power that was shown by getting this quest but Par liked this game. For that sole reason Monthu had to protect their reputation and that meant not angering any higher ups. Ace included. "Besides here they''ll be literary useless while this way they can at least distract them for some time at worst case scenario." "I wish them luck then" Aurora said with sadness in her voice. It was surely a suicide mission and not required at all. Ace ran off first to find Par. It was important to make him the first to hear the news. The kid was found training his aim at the makeshift training ground for mages. "Hey!" Ace said loudly to gain his attention. "I want to tell you something!" "What is it?" Par asked stopping midcast and blowing a fireball in his face. "Ouch ouch ouch!" "You okay?" Ace asked concerned. "Yeah" Par said shaking his head slightly. "Come with me then!" Ace said and took Par''s hand dragging him into a corner. "I''ve been allowed to go alone into the enemies'' base!" he said once none could hear them. "What? Really?" "Yes! Me and other rogues are coming around the mountain and will jump down on their castle!" "That''s amazing! I wish I could come with you! But my brother will never let me..." Par said wistfully. "Let''s make a competition then!" Ace said happily. "What do you mean?" "Let''s see who can gain more points! Last time you were confined to a wagon but this is different! What do you think?" "The loser will have to talk brother into visiting a circus!" "You drive a hard bargain" Ace said laughing and shook Par''s hand. "Deal. And I''m off to win!" "You wish! Mages are the best!" Par said with his bright smile back. "Dream on!" Ace said and ran off to find his subordinates. They were even easier to find as rogues not on scouting duty stayed in the clearing Ace first talked to them. A few tents were made there to hide from rain or wind but nothing more. "What''s new?" Fenek asked as all rogues circled them. The guy became the real leader while Ace was an official one. It was hard to say which one they would listen if their opinions ever differed. For now Ace brought orders from Monthu which they then divided between themselves. "Our new mission is to go around the mountain and try to infiltrate the castle. We''re leaving tonight" Ace said in a voice full of pride and authority. He had to keep on the act. The rogues didn''t seem particularly delighted at the idea. "Why such a stupid plan?" Fenek asked freely. He had no reason to talk respectively to a kid only because he had rich parents. "You..." Ace shook his head in disgust. "We''re useless. This way we can at least be a distraction" That brought no arguments; they all were surprised to even be allowed to join. "We don''t really have a choice, do we?" Fenek asked with a sigh. He expected something of a kind when he joined, no sane man would ever hire rogues for a siege. And now if they didn''t follow, they would be removed from the quest and have wasted more than a few weeks for absolutely nothing. "I''ll be leading the way. That''s not debatable" Ace said readying a fighting stance but none argued him. It was a suicide mission; they had to infiltrate a base without any real plan. They might as well be led by a kid if that made him happy. "We''ll go out when the sun sets. Be ready by then" Ace said and turned around to make his own preparations. Merchants were a class that followed no conventional rules. They would go into the deepest parts of hell if it only brought any profit. So there was no surprise they had come after the army and sold everything twice the price but they had all kinds of items you didn''t thought about buying before and needed now. Ace came to one of such shops and looked for a new pair of shoes. His was nice and comfortable but very bad for mountain climbing. At the same time Ace picked up a few ropes, all the herbs and some pieces of cloth. You never know when such things might come in handy. Then he looked through his inventory and finding nothing of interest went to a nearby river. He looked for a deserted place and jumped into the water. ''C-c-coo-old-d-d'' But that didn''t mean he was planning on leaving. The freezing temperature was very refreshing and Ace enjoyed it immensely. ''It''s no surprise I haven''t seen anyone else coming for a swim.'' He swam for a few more minutes before getting out and receiving a very unsettling message. *You have caught a cold. The body has become more rigid and the physical ability is reduced by 5%.* "Seriously? What nonsense! Can I no longer take a swim normally?" Ace asked incredulously with anger in his voice. Of course there was no answer. "I really do hate those game creators" He shook his head throwing water in all sides like a wet dog and took out a makeshift towel to dry himself. Ace was still shivering when he ran towards the tent he stayed in together with his team mates. There he found remnants of yesterday''s fire and lighted a new one to warm up. His dripping wet clothes were uncomfortable but in Ace''s opinion would dry soon enough so he made sure the fire won''t spread and curled into a ball to sleep. Monthu was just so tired of all the planning. He liked fighting but that didn''t involve being a general and being responsible for a whole army at all. He decided to check on Par to get away for at least a few moments. The first stop was their tent. Shocking sight met his eyes there. A small child was sleeping curled up into a tight ball next to a fire and sleeping soundly. Hair the colour of light gold signalled it to be Ace but Monthu could hardly believe it. The person lying there was just too innocent to be the scheming bastard he was acquainted to. ''Who is he really? The monster we see or this simple young kid?'' Getting no answer from the sleeping child Monthu took out a blanket from his inventory and put it on the kid who slept on without noticing anything. Monthu walked out of the tent and walked to the training grounds where he and found Par. His brother talked about how Ace came to him to talk about his mission and how they created a competition who will get more points. Just as always it surprised Monthu how the guy could be so conscious of his brother''s feelings and experience. "When will the first battle take place?" "This evening, once the sun sets." "That means I''ll be the first to start" Par said smiling. "Yeah, good luck with that" Monthu said patting his brother on the shoulder and returning back to planning. It was going to be a long day. Sometime later Ace was woken up by a commotion near the entrance. He yawned and looked around taking in his surroundings. One thing hasn''t been present before. ''Where did this blanket come from?'' he wondered folding it and putting at the side. There were only embers left of his fire so he doused them off and stood up to see what was going on outside. A dozen people stood there looking at him with annoyance. "What?" Ace asked uncomprehending. "It''s half an hour after sundown already" one of them said impatiently. "Whoops" Ace said with a guilty smile looking adorable. "Let''s go then!" "Aren''t you going to change into better clothing?" Fenek asked. The kid wore simple dark blue trousers and a shirt, an intricate deep purple scarf was wrapped around his neck making him look slightly older when his face indicated. "Nah. There''s no chance in me finding any armour suited for my size anywhere around here." "Don''t you have any specially made with your money?" "I''m an assassin, I don''t usually get into situations where it would be better of use than the quick movement without it" Ace said explaining his lack of any defence. Then he opened the chat menu and texted Monthu. /We''re leaving/ There was no answer but he hadn¡¯t expected one. With that he ran towards the forest and used [Shadow Veil] and [Silent Steps] to disappear from sight. Rogues followed suit glimpsing him from time to time. After an hour or so they stopped to take a short break and replenish their stamina. It didn''t mean they ran out of it so fast but that they didn''t want to meet any ''friends'' while being low and without most of their power. By the midnight they reached the summit of the mountain and started to walk up. For the first few hours it was easy but later on it got steeper and steeper each moment. It slowed down their pace considerably so they only made half of what Ace had planned for today. That meant it''ll probably require a few more days than expected to get higher than the castle sits. When the morning came Ace found some thick brushes and made his camp there. It was horribly uncomfortable but would hide him from sight while he slept. Rogues found their own preferred sleeping places and went to rest. Only Fenek didn''t follow, deciding to take watch. Ace noticed it and happily went to sleep. If there was someone smart enough to stay up to warn others about approaching danger, he would never dissuade him and do that himself. The next four days they continued upwards the same way with different people keeping watch. Ace made sure to never be one of them. In different circumstances it would have been a great way to earn his subordinates¡¯ respect and trust but as long as he was a kid, they would only see a need to show off. It wasn''t worth it at all. At the fifth evening they finally reached the checkpoint and in a way could see the castle and it''s defenders below. It was a magnificent sight with sun going down behind the towers and thousands of goblins running in every direction yelling something unintelligible. A fight seemed to be going somewhere as they all were running in one direction. /That''s our chance/ Ace wrote in their group chat and jumped down on one of the houses'' roofs. The landing was rough even if you kept in mind that he jumped from let''s say a seventh floor. It took almost all of his health and stunned him for a long ten seconds. Keeping his screams of pain at bay Ace used his broken arm to take out his strongest health potion and drank it. I t would regenerate his health back to maximum in five minutes but he wasn''t allowed to move at all in that time. Not like he wanted to. He probably had his legs and a few other bones broken or badly bruised too. Luckily this was game and even such injuries could be healed in moments by the help of a cleric or strong enough potion. Ace put his [Shadow Veil] on and closed his eyes to wait out those agonizing minutes. ''Why do I always end up doing something extremely stupid?'' he wondered knowing full well no rogue would have followed him and believed him now dead. The ability to disappear completely from sight as long as you weren''t moving was that amazing. ''What should I do now anyway, once I got here? It''s not like anything has changed simply because of that.'' He heard goblins walking around him looking for the culprit for the broken roof but Ace didn''t open his eyes. That would only taunt him into moving and giving himself away. The numbers that symbolized the duration of his healing were moving in slow motion. 3,51. ''This is taking forever'' 3,47. The shuffling of feet around only increased too. 3,35. ''Wonder what they''re doing... Does at least one of them believe me to have survived it?'' 3,24. ''When did seconds become so long?'' 3,20. ''Gaah...'' "What''s going on here?" a man¡¯s voice came, waking Ace up from his boredom. "Roof fall! None here! Mystery!" goblins said, answering in their very eloquent language. "Idiots" the man said cursing and started to look around himself. That wasn''t good news for Ace. Humans were usually a bit smarter than goblins and this individual will probably like to investigate the landing place too, discovering an invisible body. Ace shut his eyes even more tightly and started to picture the place he was in his mind. The few pain filled moments he looked around were of little use but will have to work for now. He made as perfect a copy as he could and pushed it onto the man who by the sounds was turned away. The illusion had only one difference, the landing place was a meter away from where Ace lay still incapacitated, unless he wanted to move with a few broken bones. At least the potion worked as a painkiller too. 1,59. ''I''m almost there, just a few more minutes and I can take my leave from those stupid smelly goblins.'' The monsters really did smell not having had a bath in their lives and made Ace dream about his swim in the river. He wished to repeat it this very moment for the sake of getting the smell off himself. That, of course, was not meant to be as some goblin managed to fall over him anyway. "What this? Me fell! None here!" he shouted in outrage but receiving a glare from the human quieted down. Cloud was at his wits ends as to what happened here. The roof looked as if something heavy had fallen through it but there was nothing here! ''Did someone try to enter our base through here? But it would have been a suicide! Is that why there is nobody here?'' he asked himself taking another long look and finding nothing but lots of dust left, ordering all the present goblins to return to their posts. Still wondering he went to report the incident to the leader. Maybe he''ll be able to understand something better. Ace smiled as he was left alone. In the end the guy fell for the illusion and went away. ''He probably decided I had died thinking by the rules of real life. Tough luck'' The smile turned malicious as Ace thought of how he was going to repay him for that. Life is such a wonderful but short lived thing. 0.00 the numbers showed and disappeared. Ace activated [All Ears] to make sure no one was around and slowly sat up. Testing every limb he came to a conclusion he was as good as new and stood up jumping up and down a few times causing dust to rise all around. "Apchoo!" he sneezed from the onslaught of dust and used [Gust] to clear them out a bit. "Now let''s see how they''ll react. Sadly I can''t see their faces right now." /Hey, guys! Aren''t you coming down?/ /What?!/ /You''re still alive?/ /How?!/ Ace smiled at that. ''Be amazed'' /I just jumped down/ Ace said faking ignorance. /You should have died there/ Fenek said without any precautions. /The height probably isn''t as great as it looks from up there/ Ace said with one corner of his lips rising slightly. ''They should get a taste of life too. I''m not going to waste my time and look for an easier way in for them.'' /Just come over!/ Fenek didn''t really believe it but he couldn''t really be left behind by a kid. He took a big breath and closing his eyes jumped down. Wind rushed around him and earth came to meet him way too fast. A loud cracking noise could be heard as he landed heavily on his back. His health dropped below ten percent in an instant. ''Damn. I knew this was suicide. Why did I ever believe the kid went through it without any kind of trick?'' Ace saw the guy crash down beside him and directed gust in a way that kept the sound inside the room. When he was sure goblins weren''t coming, he moved closer to the almost dead rogue and poured the strongest health potion he had down the guy''s throat. "Don''t move a muscle unless you want to stay the way you are" he said in Fenek''s ear and positioned himself at the side to wait. Five minutes later Fenek opened his eyes glaring at the smiling Ace. "What was that?" "You''d never have come if I told you how it was" Ace said shrugging. Fenek could understand his logic but didn''t approve at all. The kid was way smarter and more manipulative than Fenek had given him credit for. "Why did yo..." his question was interrupted by a sound of someone crashing through the roof. "Gaaah!" a rogue who had just fallen screamed. "Shut up!" Ace hissed covering his mouth. It was already hard to hide the sounds of crashing not even starting with screaming. He poured a potion down his throat and kept a hand over the mouth to prevent any sound. "Release him at once!" Fenek said, angry for the boy''s audacity. "Do you want us to be caught now that we survived the fall?" Ace asked quietly, looking straight into Fenek''s eyes. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "I..." There was nothing to say to that. The silence had to be kept. /Fenek, are you and Fred alive?/ Belinda, the single female rogue asked him. /Yes/ he answered with a single word. It was better for them not to know what was coming or else they''ll be stuck there not able to go further or go back and lose everything. "Wait, how many potions do you still have?" he suddenly asked Ace with fear in his voice. "Enough" Ace said simply, strengthening the wind to make a cocoon around the house that prevented any sound from leaving. "Make them hurry up, I can''t keep us unnoticed for much longer. My mana has limits too" "What do you mean?" Fenek asked surprised. "How do you think no goblins rushed in to investigate the commotion? Did you think it was your immense luck? Sorry to disappoint you but that was my magic. And it''s running out" In reality Ace could keep it for more than half an hour with his great regeneration but running out of it was never an option for him. Better get found out and run away than put your luck into not being found at all. Fenek decided to worry about it later and commanded everyone to fall down. It took him some time to make Belinda come down but finally even she jumped off and all of them were in. "That hurt!" Belinda said quietly with tears in her eyes after she had healed up. "Why did you make me do it, Fenek?" "We couldn''t leave you behind" the guy answered with a heavy heart. It was pure torture to see a beautiful girl''s face twisted in agony while a kid kept her screams silent for whole five minutes. The girl nodded but didn''t seem any happier. Ace wasn''t concerning himself about it as he was only an official leader. It was better in a way. "We should leave now and spread out to gather information for the rest of the night" he said glancing through a broken window outside. The coast was clear of any goblins or humans so Ace removed the wind shield and put on his hiding abilities before sneaking out. They seemed to have landed in a deserted alley, void of any life. It was surprising anyone had actually heard him. Moving swiftly he soon reached a more populated area. Goblins were walking in every direction talking in their simplified language, something about humans attacking. Not hearing anything of interest Ace continued on. Sometime later he reached the wall and looked through its defences. Climbing on a tower he looked over the battlefield. Or something of a kind. Monthu''s fighters were attacking the gates with a giant pointy thing Ace had no name for but he had seen them in a few middle ages style films he''d watched. Other fighters were trying to use ladders but to no luck as goblins were smart enough to push them back. Still others were simply trying to climb the wall with one skill or another. Goblins were throwing stones or axe like things at them. Nothing made by goblin blacksmiths looked like a normal weapon. Swords were crooked, axes reminded of scythes while daggers were outmatched by even toothpicks. But nevertheless they did some damage and slowed the attackers quite well as they had to be healed every so often by clerics staged on a nearby hill. ''They''ll take it but there will be heavy losses or will take too much time'' Ace decided. ''But what could we do to help them out? Could we may be open the gates for even a bit?'' That was an interesting idea and Ace went to look for the mechanism. After some sneaking around he finally saw a big wheel lying sideways on a pedestal. Ten goblins were positioned in all sides of the room to make sure none tried to move it. After some waiting Ace noticed that they were changing after half an hour every time. ''But there are still ten of them, quite a number to deal with without a sound.'' Still pondering Ace left and sneaking through the darker parts returned to the house they had fallen in. It was empty of any life. /Have you established a base?/ he asked Fenek through group chat. /Not yet but we have a few good places in mind/ Fenek said lying. They had found a good place to hide away but he wanted to be without the kid for a bit longer. It might have not been the kid''s plan to cause suffering but he still reminded everyone of it. ''I''ll tell him just before the sun rises'' Fenek said to calm his own conscience and went for another check about the house. Ace wondered whenever truth was told to him as Fenek was the one to first care about survival but had no way of finding it out. The sun would be rising in an hour or two so he sneaked back to the better district and looked for a biggest house. Once one was spotted he carefully sneaked in and by looking through a lot of rooms found a secret passage who led to a single room. But it was occupied! Three adults and five kids were sleeping on the ground close to each other for warmth. In a corner a bag filled with a few days¡¯ worth of food lay. ''Just my luck'' Ace thought unhappily. There wasn''t much time before sunrise when goblins will become much more active and might even see him if he was sneaking around. ''Who are they anyway? Maybe I can get useful information from them at least?'' With that thought in mind he took out a ball of thread and threw at one of the adults. And it was a good idea he didn''t come too close or else he might be the one sliced into pieces as what happened to the thread. ''So he''s a dagger master. Interesting.'' "That''s not a very nice welcome" Ace said quietly as not to wake up the others. "Who are you?" the man asked in a threatening voice, rising from his makeshift bed, all sleep gone. "How did you get here?" "I''m part of the Oradin army that is trying to retake the castle from those filthy goblins" Ace said deciding to go with a saviour''s act as these people seemed to be one of the last survivors. "Why should I believe you? You''re probably just another one of those bastards that lied and took over our home!" the man said with hatred in his voice. ''This isn''t going too well and I''m no soldier to have an insignia symbolizing my station. I''m a kid too'' "You''re right to distrust strangers but don''t you think I''d have killed all of you or at least tried to? What use would your lives have for me? But if you look from the other side and take into account that I''m from Oradin''s army sent to reclaim this place it all makes sense. Don''t you think?" Ace asked using a line he''d heard so many times in films. "So what? Where was your army when we needed you? When goblins were besieging us? You were nowhere in sight! But now that there''s glory involved you''re all flying here like bees to the honey. Bastards! I''m not going to help in anyway even if it costs my life! I wish you all die here like all those citizens did!" the man said in a quiet but malice filled voice. ''Is there anyone he doesn''t hate at the moment? Enemies were bad, but saviours are even worse?'' Ace wondered as his eyes caught on a necklace hanging around the man''s neck. It was a beautiful silver fox tail. And it horribly reminded him of one thing. To test his idea Ace slipped his hand under his shirt and brought his own out. It glistened in [Flare]''s small light. "Where did you get this?" the man asked coming closer to make sure his eyes weren''t lying. "I had a very strange master. He talked lots and said almost nothing. One day he told me a story of a goddess and told me to pray to her. After the seventh time this necklace lay in my hands. When I asked master what it meant, he said to give a part of it to every victim of mine and get out of his house. He was done with me" Ace told his story noting the change in the man. He still seemed suspicious but much less angry. "Did he tell you his name by any chance?" "He said it was Sedgart" Ace said in surprise. ''Why should the old man have hidden his name? Or given this as a fake?'' "Same as always, lacking any sense of preservation" the man said, shaking his head a bit with a smile. "My given name is Helbert, but around here I''m known as Owen or was as almost all are dead now. The nickname is Silver Fox" "Ace for all the open matters, Silver Wing or just Wing for darker ones" Ace said introducing himself in the same manner as his host. "Come with me then. There''s one more room in this passage where we can talk without waking anyone up.¡± Ace nodded and followed the man stepping over the bodies. They went down a corridor for a few minutes before reaching another room. It was much easier with [Flare] in the open and not having to feel your way through. The place was made from dark stone and looked very old; the room had only a table, two chairs and a bookcase lining the wall. "Is this your house?" Ace asked sitting down. "Yeah, I''ve settled down here after meeting Elena. We were living happily with our two kids until those cursed humans came stealing from us, even the life of our little one." "What exactly happened here? It doesn''t seem like goblins are the main problem." "They weren''t at first. Somewhere around three-four months ago a group of well-known travellers came to our place. They told stories about great adventure and honour that occupied the minds of youths. Those kids went out to seek glory themselves to all of the parents'' horror. ¡°My daughters were too young for that so I didn''t really care about that. It was a grave mistake I didn''t know I was making. Not a week later the group asked for the best soldiers to defeat a goblin base that had been recently found nearby. The lord and council, me included, agreed to it and sent our best warriors and priests with them. We didn''t have any bad feelings towards the group; it wasn''t their fault that youths took their stories to their hearts and went out alone. ¡°After half a month we heard news of our soldiers having been annihilated. We were in shock but a single survivor of a group, or so we thought, came to tell us that the soldiers fought with all they had and even though they destroyed the goblins'' home didn''t make it through. We were devastated at the loss but steeled our hearts and wrote their names among the heroes that had died protecting our home. We gave badges of honour to their families and any support they required. ¡°Later we decided to create our army anew but only then did we notice being left without any recruits and no veterans. We had some soldiers but we were lacking in man power horribly if anyone tried to attack us. We thought about hiring adventurers but somehow none were present! That''s when we understood the true magnitude of our losses and what it might mean. ¡°Without having to wait long, it came. Hordes and hordes of goblins appeared from every direction and we had no way of fighting back. It was simply a massacre as we couldn''t even hold the walls" the man told his story in an emotionless voice as if trying not to remember at the same time. "What happened then?" Ace asked, prodding softly when the silence continued longer than five minutes. Helbert woke up from his memories with a start but seeing only Ace before him calmed his beating heart down. "The nobles all barricaded themselves in their houses as the last resort. I did the same but it was of no use. They broke through it with ease and killed everyone in sight. As they were already in our house I ushered my family in the secret passage but my little one Dev jumped out and ran off to get her teddy. I tried to get her back but it was too late. Two goblins were in her room and stabbed her the moment she rushed in." Tears appeared in the man''s eyes as he continued on. "She fell like a doll at the feet of those monsters who were laughing! Can you believe it? Laughing! I felt like falling next to her and dying or killing all the goblins in sight until death took me to her but Elena''s desperate voice broke me out of it. I ran to her and closed the passage locking us away. We''ve been here, living on previously stashed food since then but it''s running out. We won''t last much longer." Ace listened to the tale with anger in his heart. ''What right did those players have to kill and abuse people they didn''t even feel any hatred towards? You don''t do such stuff for the fun of it or because it grants power.'' Ace decided to play a game with them himself and show what it feels like to be played for a fool. And he was in a perfect position to do that, considering he had all the information in his hands about this place. "Here is some bread. It''s not much but it''ll help to make it through the upcoming days. I promise you soon enough this place will be free of any monsters and you''ll have a place to see your remaining daughter grow up happily" Ace said to Helbert in a convincing voice. "How can you be so sure? The army¡¯s leader is probably another glory starved idiot that knows nothing about fighting a large scale battle" Helbert said, dismissing even the thought of it. "You''re wrong there. He''s a friend of mine and he got the leadership by an accident, you know? But if he does something, he doesn''t leave half way. I believe that the two of us can show those murderers where they belong." "You''re one of the leaders?" Helbert asked in shock. It was surprising the kid was an assassin but how could he also be among the leaders sent to reclaim the castle? "Yeah. I travel around with Monthu and his group so when he got the order to create an army he gave me the control over a bunch of rogues. They''re somewhere around here with me" Ace said thinking about how they didn''t really care about him as the sun should have set down some time ago and no one even asked if he was all right. "That is amazing! We might actually have a chance this way!" Helbert said with hope in his voice for the first time. "Of course" Ace said smiling. "You should first look for any survivors. They will probably need help and will assist you in any way they can. Do you agree?" Ting!
New Quest: Resistance Vascas castle has been occupied by monsters and most of its inhabitants killed. But humans are like cockroaches who survive no matter what befalls them. Even if you tried to kill them all a pair would still survive. Seek them out and earn their trust to help you out in helping them. Quest Difficulty: D Quest Requirements: Find any of the hiding families, earn their absolute trust and give them hope. Quest Progress: 1/15
''There''s so many of them! They''re truly like cockroaches!'' Ace thought with surprise. "Yes, I''ll look for them. Do you know anything about where they could be hiding?"
*You have accepted the quest Resistance!*
"I suppose some had secret rooms just like I but that''s all. May the goddess of light lead your steps so they not falter!" Helbert said, praying for Ace''s success. "May she hide you before her wings!" Ace said answering with his own. It was a specific of their goddess that there were no set prayers. You improvised yourself the way you understood the workings of the goddess and the closer you got the more chance it coming true became. The man took thirty pieces of barley bread lying on the table and left with a nod. Ace sat for a while longer before deciding to stay there for the day. He locked the door and took out some rags to use for a bed. Lying down he logged off to get some real rest too. Three days game time later Ace woke up prepared for anything but what was waiting for him. It was a single letter from Monthu asking about his progress while his group hadn''t messaged him at all. ''You''re all so getting de-promoted to useless mooks next time I meet Monthu'' ¡°How''s it going?¡± Ace asked his supposed subordinates through voice chat to find out what they were up to the last few days. "What? You''re still alive?¡± Fenek asked in surprise which reeked of a complaint. ¡°Yep, was forced to log out for some time but now I''m back. What have you done while I was away?¡± ¡°Well... We established our base and secured its surroundings...¡± Fenek said desperately thinking of things the kid could report to the general. ''So you were sleeping all the time waiting for Monthu to win back the castle and rescue you? Pathetic'' ¡°Great! Now we can launch our attack on the gates so much sooner!¡± Ace said cheerfully. ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± Fenek asked in horror. ¡°Have you went mad?¡± someone else asked also. ¡°No but thanks for asking. Anyway we''re doing it three days from now so get ready. I hope you didn''t think now that we infiltrated the enemies base we''ll be taking it easy, did you?¡± Ace asked laughing lightly at their misery. ''That''s what you get for ignoring me. Learn your lesson well.'' ¡°I''ll be contacting you then.¡± ¡°What you''re not even going to work with us?¡± Fenek asked, getting more and more angry. ¡°I have my own things to do for now but I''ll join you on the day whenever you have a reasonable plan or not. So be ready unless you want to be out. Bye!¡± Ace said lightly and cut off the chat. ''Now I can contact Monthu'' ¡°Hey! Are you free at the moment?¡± There was a sigh from the other and a tired voice. ¡°You could say so¡± ¡°Is it that bad there?¡± ¡°People are getting annoyed without accomplishing anything and starting to doubt my leadership. But, eh, gates can¡¯t be bursted down easily. It might require a whole month of battering them yet nobody seems to care about such things¡± Monthu said explaining everything. He wasn''t one to push his problems onto others but even he wanted someone to discuss them with. Yet his friends were too busy with their own groups to have time to think of battle strategies with him. ¡°That doesn''t sound too good. Do you have anything in mind to change it?¡± ¡°I''m thinking of increasing the length of time we spend hitting the gates¡± ¡°What about making it a twenty-four hour a day thing?¡± ¡°It might weaken the morality but will surely bring faster results. Anyway, what have you been doing recently? Have you gotten into the castle?¡± ¡°There are three things. One of them is good, one bad and one depends on a future¡± ¡°What did you do to them?¡± Monthu asked already guessing the bad news. ¡°It''s not my fault they couldn''t take a small fall! No one even died!¡± Ace said, genuinely annoyed at his group. ¡°I have my doubts about it being a small fall but let''s leave it at that. I trust you haven''t done anything extremely amoral and still have them under your command?¡± ¡°You could say that. Somewhy they truly hate me but are still afraid of getting thrown off the quest.¡± ¡°You''re already threatening them... You don''t waste time, do you?¡± ¡°Never¡± Ace said laughing a little. ¡°Back to the main topic we''ll be trying to open the gates in three days¡¯ time. Be prepared in case we manage to succeed. It''s doubtful as I left the planning to them but who knows. They might be geniuses in disguise¡± ¡°Good luck with that and pull through. We would really appreciate it on the outside.¡± ¡°I bet it¡± Ace said laughing and turned the chat off. Next Chapter 2.3 Hidden Away Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Here''s another chapter, hope you enjoy it. As you''ll probably notice its a combo of two once again. Lately I seem to not have enough time and make them much shorter, having to combine them later. Ech... **** The first place Ace visited was the nobles'' houses. He went through them looking at every little thing that might have something hidden behind. The usual of course were mirrors, large paintings and wall carpets but none held anything beside a few books Ace picked up. On a fifth house he found something more interesting. Under one of the rugs was a staircase that lead to a treasure room filled with sculptures, rich cloths and a few piles of gold. Ace wasn''t such a nice person to leave it behind and soon enough everything rested safely in his backpack. Going farther he saw another room but this one had a bunch of people lying inside. ''Bingo!'' Quietly Ace sneaked up to an elder person deciding there shouldn''t be any more master assassins in this small castle and shook his shoulder. "Save yourselves! Runaway! Hurry!" the man started shouting without even opening his eyes, waking up the rest of inhabitants. Ace rolled his eyes at that and took a few steps back. A fifteen year old girl approached the old man and tried to sooth him. "Calm down, grandpa. Everything''s alright. We already escaped them. Do you hear me? Say something grandpa!" The man opened his eyes and looked at the girl. "What is going on?" "You''ve had another nightmare. Go to sleep now. We''re fine now" the girl said forcing a smile on her face. She sure as hell wasn''t okay but she had survived when so many died. It was no surprise. "Actually, it was me" Ace said taking a few steps back into the light of a candle one of woman had lighted up. "Who are you? We won''t go down without a fight!" the man said with his voice raised again, taking out a dagger but his hold was wrong signalling lack of any skills. "I''m not here to fight you" Ace said raising his hands to show he was unarmed. The man stood up and holding the dagger poised ahead of him threatened Ace none the less. "Don''t you dare to make a movie or you''re dead!" It took all Ace had not to snatch the dagger from the man''s hand and show him how to hold it properly. It wasn''t even that hard! Rolling eyes wasn''t good either so Ace took a deep breath and in his calmest voice said. "I''m not looking for trouble here. I''m part of Oradin army that has come to retake the castle and my mission is to seek out survivors and help them make it through in any way I can" "Why should I believe you? Armies don''t hire kids" the man said apprehensively. "It was assembled for a single reason from adventurers to retake this place. And skills were more important than age. Also I''ve already met Sir Owen who gave me this order to look for you" "Is he okay?" the man asked, his dagger wavering. "Depends on what you mean. He''s healthy but his youngest daughter is no longer. His heart is broken" "Does that mean Elena...?" "Yes, she''s still alive. She was asleep with their other daughter and a few maids when I met Sir Owen so I don''t know anything more" "Thanks god, at least they made it through" the man said sighing and sat down, three women behind him with fear filled eyes. "How is it outside?" "Full of goblins but the first gates are creaking. We hope to get in by the end of the week. Today is Monday by the way" Ace said, lying in case there were spies. It never hurt to be careful. "We can''t even tell time in this darkness, living like rats underground. We''re running out of candles and there''s not much food left either." That was to be expected and Ace rummaged through his backpack taking the requested items out. He presented the man with twenty candles and the same amount of barley bread. The man''s disgusted face showed how much he liked the prospect of eating it but didn''t complain. Life was hard for the minorities. "Do you have any idea where I could find others?" Ace asked hoping maybe this old man knew something and would make his search so much easier. "No. That day there was so much chaos I doubt anyone knows anything about what happened to others" the man said, shaking his head in sorrow and giving items to one of the women. "Okay. I''ll be going then" Ace said and stood up to leave but a girl''s voice stopped him. "Can you look in my room if Fluffy survived? He''s a white ferret. I''m really afraid for him!" Ting!
New Quest: Furry Friend Fluffy and Simona were best of friends never leaving each other''s side but on the day of takeover they were separated. Help the girl by finding him and bringing it back to her. Quest Difficulty: E Quest Requirements: Appear trustworthy and good with animals
"That would be my pleasure" Ace said, deciding it wouldn''t hurt to waste a few minutes on this quest. "Thanks! He might even be able to help you find other citizens!" the girl said relieved but still trying desperately to prove the stranger it was really worth it to find the little animal. "Got it" Ace said smiling happily. Now he even had a lead of a kind. Backing down his steps Ace walked out from the secret passage and put the rug back on. From there he went up the stairs and looked through each room but all of them were empty. ''Where could it be hiding?'' Ace thought for a moment and knew exactly where he would hide if he was a little critter - the storage room. Going down he found a kitchen and from there a room that long ago was filled with food. Now everything was taken or eaten with crumbs and rotting pieces left lying around. The smell wasn''t perfume either. ''Can it really stay here? Doubtfully so'' Ace thought shaking his head and searched for another place. Garden seemed like the next best choice. The trees were silent without wind and birds but Ace felt the presence of a single creature. He climbed into a tree and looked for a hollow. One was right at the end of his branch and Ace tried searching it with his hand. "Owowwow!" he hissed, sucking on his injured finger. The little monster bit him! "How am I supposed to get him if he doesn¡¯t want it?" Unsure of a next move, Ace took out a few peanuts and held them shaking before the hollow. "Here, here you little monster. Come out, come out" he said in his own natural soft voice tempting the critter out. It actually worked as a white fur ball with black beads for eyes appeared in the hollow. To Ace''s surprise, after a few seconds of hesitation, it jumped on his hand and with its sharp teeth and claws snatched the peanut. Ace hissed in pain as his hands got scratched deep enough for blood to show up. ''Deep breaths, Ace, deep breaths, you''re not here to kill him. He must survive for you to fulfil the girl¡¯s request. Deep breaths. You can do it. I believe in you'' Ace said to himself with eyes closed. "Hey there, Fluffy. Do you want more?" Ace said with a smile holding another peanut in his hand trusting the power of the accursed skill [Childish Innocence] to do its work. It was around the middle of average level so should probably be enough to charm a little critter. It was also a single skill that never failed Ace no matter he wanted it to or not. This time was no different. The little creature looked at Ace with wonder filled eyes and jumped on his shoulder nuzzling against his neck. "Here you go" Ace said giving him the peanut but this time the little creature made sure not to hurt him. ''At least that improved'' Ace made sure Fluffy was comfortable on his shoulder and sneaked towards the castle. He needed more food if he was going to feed all the survivors. And if he was doing that he might as well pick some blankets and other everyday life necessities to earn more favour. The castle stood tall over the other buildings as if inviting to come and admire it. Ace enjoyed the pluses of his dual class while climbing the wall towards an open window on the second floor. His [Shadow Veil] being not only simple sneaking but mixed with magic to make the shadows deeper around him allowed to hide other creatures as well if they were close enough to his body so the ferret could happily sleep curled around his neck replacing the scarf. The room he entered was empty of any life and was perfect to start from. Ace looked around after opening the doors slightly. The coast was clear and he went in search of all kinds of items. First he visited some wardrobes where he found a lot of blankets and warm clothes. Then he went for storage room where he found dried and smoked food he could carry around and lots of fresh water. It was clear that goblins haven''t been invited to the castle. ''Is that why it''s so empty here? I don''t think I''ve seen a living soul since I entered'' Shrugging Ace made his way back to the outside. There he found a shadowy place and woke the ferret. "Hey, Fluffy, can you help me find some people who live here? Simona said you''re the best for it" The ferret jumped down from his shoulder with a determined look in his eyes and started to run in all directions. Ace tried to follow it as much as he could but soon he became exhausted and sat down in someone''s garden. The apples around were quite tasty so Ace decided to stay there for a bit longer and let the ferret go crazy alone. While he was gazing at the sky, he remembered the books he had stolen from the magicians'' guild. This was as good time as any to look through them. First he took out the skill books. There was a single problem with them. He didn''t have an identifying skill... He could have waited and asked Aurora to do that but it''d take way too much time so Ace just put his hand on the book and said "Learn"
*Unable to learn Holy Cross. Need to be of a cleric''s class*
''Here we go. Now should I give it to Aurora or just trade away for herbs? Hm... Oh well I have time to decide later. Next one.'' "Learn"
*Unable to learn Double Dash. Need to be of swordsman''s class*
''Pff¡­ Did that spellsword even have any useful skills?'' "Learn"
*Unable to learn Vertical Slash. Need to be of a swordsman''s class*
''Useless. Not even a single one! Maybe the old wizard had something better?'' "Learn!" Tiiring!
New skill acquired: Flame Step [Active] You walk leaving a trail of fire behind you for two seconds. The duration and power will increase as the skill advances. Mana Cost 2/s
''Well, this should be fun but sadly I can''t try it now without attracting too much attention. Let''s see what else is there.'' "Learn!" Tiiring!
New skill acquired: Excessive Heat [Toggle] Your body releases a large amount of heat. Higher level will release greater energy. Mana cost 5/s
Ace frowned reading the description. It looked like a pretty useless skill and ate mana like a hungry beast. ''Maybe it has great power?'' "Excessive Heat!" Ace never used incantations even though they strengthened the spell''s power. Being at the front of any fight he''d be dead in seconds if he ever tried to chant something for more than half a second. Barely noticeable red aura surrounded him but nothing else seemed to happen. Oh wait! The grass around him lowered its head like on a very sunny day. ''Really? This is all?'' It was even worse than Ace expected but he kept the skill none the less. He kind of liked defeating opponents with useless at first glance spells. [Flare] was a prime example of that being the first spell anyone ever learnt and not even good for lightening one¡¯s surroundings. That didn''t stop Ace from levelling it up and now he not could only have a constant little light but a quick way to blind his opponents again and again. He was so used to that spell keeping it on for 24/7 that he used it more as extension of his body than anything else. ''There must be a way for this spell to shine too. I just need to use it enough times and maybe level up considerably. Okay one more book left'' "Learn!"
*Unable to learn Creature of Deepest Fires. Need to be an elementalist and have 500 intelligence*
''Well this will be a great spell to present to Par on his birthday. When is it anyway? It would be bad of me to miss it'' Ace put the skill book away and took out the girl''s journal. It was filled with all kinds of formulas and calculations concerning her double class. Ace was about to delve into it when a loud chattering noise came his way. A small white ferret stopped before him and stood on its hind legs looking very proud. "So you''ve found something?" Ace asked with a smile plastered on his face and putting the journal away for later. The ferret nodded and ran off, not forgetting to stop at every corner to make sure he followed. Ace hid behind his skill and followed the little critter that was running straight into a group of goblins. But those didn''t seem to mind the creature and let it pass easily. Ace got through them just as easy as goblins were one of the more stupid classes of monsters. Fluffy made his way towards another garden but this one was overgrown with large trees and thorny bushes. They didn''t look to have been placed there for their beauty or delicious fruits. ''What is going on here?'' The small ferret dived in evading all the small needles but Ace didn''t have such luck. ''I really hope there''s something there'' Ace thought casting [Gust] to create a cocoon of wind so no goblins would come rushing after hearing his so very silent walk through all the bushes and fallen dry branches. Ace felt two people ahead way too late to dodge the vines that sprung from the ground and encircled his whole body. Not that he could have done much in such thick undergrowth. ''Damn. I knew something was wrong here, what with all that random greenery. That guys an earth mage and will doubtfully want to hear my explanations now.'' "Excessive Heat" Ace said deciding it might buy him a few moments time but it strengthened the vines! "Turn off! Turn off!" Ace said in a desperate voice cursing himself for trusting an ability he hadn''t tested yet. ''Flare to the left and blind them!'' he ordered his little flame struggling to get out of his chains. ''That mage is a freaking master. These vines feel like lead!'' A flash of light signalled him of a successful attack but it was only procrastination if he couldn''t get out. And he didn''t. [Flare] stayed in the mage''s eyes obstructing his view but the mages were annoying in the way that they only needed a general direction to cast their mass destruction spells. "Father wait! Fluffy is in the way!" a kid shouted jumping in front of Ace who was still struggling to get out. ''Why do I always end up like this? Don''t I have any self-preservation?'' he wondered. ''Wait maybe I should use another spell I learnt today?'' "Flame Step!" It took few seconds but the fire started to gather under his feet burning down the vines. But they hurt him too! "What the hell are these spells?" He shut down the spell and created a wind shield around himself looking at his charred trousers. "Great. And I didn''t even take another pair with me" Ace said in annoyance while Fluffy jumped on his shoulder and turned his beady eyes towards the kid who just burst into the few feet clearing Ace just made. "Who are you?" the middle aged mage asked coming into a clearing too. "Ace from the Oradin army" the boy said, deciding it was his best chance. "What army? I don''t remember there even existing one," ''Our kingdom doesn''t even have an army?'' Ace thought, his mouth falling open but he quickly shook his head and resumed his act. "Well, more exactly Lasran city''s lord chose a champion and ordered him to form an army of five hundred and retake this castle. I''m part of a group that infiltrated themselves to look for any survivors. Sir Owen asked that of me too" "Did he now? I remember him being very distrusting and you want to say he just went and told you everything?" the mage asked, not believing a word of Ace''s and keeping a few spells ready for the moment the kid moved. Ace wanted to roll his eyes. ''How can I explain to you that we''re both assassins of an old style? Do you even know that about him?'' "It may be so but now that he''s lost his daughter and was running out of food to feed his last surviving family members he became much more talkative." "You managed to pressure him into giving in?" the mage asked with shock evident in his voice. ''Maybe they''re good friends? Or rivals?'' "Death changes people, claws of a Grim Reaper over your head too, but that is of no importance right now. What I care is whenever you have enough supplies to last for a few more weeks at least or not. So?" "Why should I trust you?" "How did you tame Fluffy?" the mage''s boy asked, tired of listening to all the things he didn''t care about. "He never liked anyone but me and Simona. Did you meet her? Is she okay?" "Food works wonders and yes I did. She is with an old man and two other females of middle age. I gave them some food so they should make it through" "You met Logan?" "Don''t know their names. We just exchanged information and the girl asked me to find her pet and take care of him until everything''s over" Ace said shrugging and checked his quest status. It showed 3/15. ''What? So all I need to do is find them? Helping is optional? But wait, every time I got clues about other locations for assisting. It''s probably better to try and gain their trust anyway.'' "So you''re really not lying?" the mage asked. "Would I say no even if I wasn''t?" Ace asked rising an eyebrow at which the mage smiled tiredly. "You''re right. And sorry for the rough welcome. We''ve been betrayed by humans, not overrun by monsters" the mage said, releasing Ace from the wines and leading him deeper into the fake garden where a small clearing with basic things was. "No problem. I heard the story. It''s unbelievable how far some people are able to fall" This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The man nodded and sat down on the ground. "My name is Doran, a Master Earth Mage. I''d like to treat you with some food or better accommodations but as you see that''s all I have and we''re running short too." "Spellword Ace. I''ve been to the castle and they were happy to share their supplies with me so I can give you dried meat and some barley bread. Do you need anything else like blankets, spell materials or the like?" "It would be much appreciated. We''ve run without picking anything and survived by using magic for warmth" the man said, looking older. A month ago he would not only have never taken a stolen item but would have caught the criminal and put him in jail. Now he was relieved to have met him. How quickly can one''s idea of what is right and wrong change..? "You''re living in hard times and there''s not much choice. It¡¯s either living like a criminal or dying and leaving your family members to face the same fate. I''d say there''s nothing wrong with wanting to live but I doubt you''d believe me" Ace said noticing the internal struggle on the man''s face he knew so well from Monthu. ''Why would anyone care so much about empty words? Living is right while giving up on it is wrong. It''s as simple as that.'' In Ace''s logic everything made to ensure one''s survival was permitted. He put all kinds of items down on the ground to ensure two''s well being and stood up to leave. "Wait! Take this ring" the mage said, taking off a very beautiful green seal ring. "Next time you find anyone show them this and say I sent you. It should solve a lot of your problems." "Thank you" Ace said smiling from ear to ear. He was right in the end, helping the survivors did make it easier to take care of the others. Ting!
New Title! Flare of Hope *Granted for bringing hope back to the given up people of Vascas *Honourable title for one who has impressed a councilman with his wise words *Will be lost if the hope was unfound
"I know the usual goes as the spark but flare suits you better. Especially since it circles your head all the time" the mage said, smiling slightly. "You''re too kind" Ace said with a genuine smile. He never expected to gain such a useful thing here. Titles were usually given by high ranked officials who normal players rarely met as you needed a lot of favour to even be allowed in their houses. Those who got in, not only had to extract a quest from unwilling nobles, but had to impress them too. It took a long time and a lot of effort but the end result was well worth it as you were recognized in all cities and trusted. You could say it was equal to around 2-3 thousand fame points especially if it had something to do with being a great warrior. Of course there were other ways to get titles but they weren''t as useful. Ace''s title wasn''t of the best kind but would gain him a great deal of favour none the less, if only the castle was retaken. Thinking such happy thoughts Ace left the clearing, vines closing in behind him. Outside Fluffy jumped off his shoulder and ran off. Ace stopped for a moment thinking of what would be the best course of action and decided to find a secluded corner where he could peacefully read. After some time Fluffy showed up leading him to another encampment. This time with so many cards in his hand Ace gained the trust in moments and collected his information. The next two days passed in a blur to him as ignoring the exhaustion he looked for survivors day and night. He slept for an hour at best while Fluffy was searching. That allowed him to finish a few hours before the rogue mission was to take place. Ace decided to rest. He''ll need every little drop of energy he can get once they try that particular nonsense. *** Ting! Ting! Tiiring! Ting! "Mmm..." Ace murmured not wanting to open his eyes. He felt like he had just fallen asleep. And what was that sound anyway? After some more grumbling and that annoying noise continuing Ace opened his eyes yawning widely. At the corner of his left eye another pop up message appeared. *You have received a new message!* x27 "Wow... What is going on?" With his mind still fuzzy Ace opened the last message. It was from Monthu but absolutely empty. "Huh?" He checked others and they were the same until his mind remembered what spam is. Then he scrolled up to the front and looked at the first message received. /The gates are going to fall in a few days anyway so abort your mission and go behind the second wall. You can do it there. In the meantime create some disturbances or something to make goblins'' morality drop/ ''What? Is he mad?'' "Are you serious? I hope you plan to tell that to Fenek yourself?" Ace asked using voice chat. "You''ll have that pleasure yourself" Monthu said in a calm voice. Ace just knew he was smiling, ''That bastard''. "Thanks a lot. How did you even manage to accomplish the feat? Last time you said it''ll take almost a month." "One of the resident blacksmiths just reached intermediate and managed to create a trebuchet so it''s devastating the gates and walls even as we speak." Boooom! "What the hell was that? And what is a trebuchet?" Ace asked his ears ringing. ''Was I really sleeping through that?'' "Imagine a large spoon that through various mechanisms can throw large rocks the size of you at an enemy fortress. Anyway how does it feel inside?" "I slept through it but right now I prefer getting somewhere away from this wall. It suddenly doesn''t look as sturdy as it did the day before." "Great news. I''ll contact you later to see if you''re alive. Good luck" Monthu said with a laugh. Ace cut off the chat and took a long breath. ''Should I go and meet in face or better stay away from them as far as possible?'' he contemplated while sneaking around the perimeter. The presence of twelve people in a nearby building decided it for him. He came to the door and shed his shadows before entering. Nearest goblins were more than fifty meters away so he could safely act a stupid boy. "There was change of plans" Ace said walking in. "What are you thinking, barging in like that?" Fenek asked angrily but in a whisper and jumped to close the door. He glared at the kid who looked not to give a care in the world about what he might bring. ''How did he even survive those days being so careless?'' His group had been quietly sitting in their safe house, letting only one person out to scout the wall for their mission and never letting him back in for fear of him being followed. Life was a dangerous thing. The kid dismissed his words and continued on. "General just contacted me saying they found a way to quickly burst down the gates and our mission is no longer needed. We''re to relocate behind the second wall. There you shall separate into three groups by four" "What should we do that for?" Belinda asked unhappily. She liked the rogues quick attacks and invisible movements but this wasn''t it. Now there wasn''t a group of fighters, mages and a cleric to help her in case she failed something. She was afraid for her life. "Our new mission is to instil fear into goblins'' hearts and drop their morality. The more you kill the better. Just remember to station one of the four as a scout because there will be no one to save you if you''ll be ambushed" Ace said in a monotone voice. "So you mean all our planning was for nothing and now we have to risk our lives killing goblins alone in their own base?" Fenek asked in a sneer. "Exactly. If anyone wishes to leave, be my guest. Otherwise you''ll go and do as told. I''ll be around to make sure you don''t hole up and kill only those that threaten your safeness. Trust me I''m not kidding" Ace said with his head held up, managing to look down at rogues even though he was smaller than them. That destroyed the last pity they felt for abandoning him and born anger. "You know you''re threatening a bunch of rogues?" Fenek asked, taking out his dagger and looking menacing. "Really? I didn''t know!¡¯ Ace said pretending shock but soon it turned into a sneer. ¡®Oh wait, I did. And. I. Don''t. Care. Got it? Or do I have to repeat it for you?". There was no love lost between them. Ace smiled a sickeningly sweet smile and left closing the door with a bam. "Spoiled brat" could be heard sent after him but that only made him smile more. If you''re making enemies, make them right. There''s no need for a bunch of half-hearted idiots running after you. What could you possibly learn from them? Outside he used [Shadow Veil] and thought for a moment what to do next. He could either scout the second wall''s defences or start creating fear among the goblins. Or he could receive the rewards from the quests he''d finished and take a good nap. That sounded much more like it. Ace went to the house where he had found the first secret passage and entered once again. This time the whole group was awake and met him with hopeful eyes. "Have you managed to find everyone? I see you also have found Fluffy" Sir Owen or Silver Fox asked welcoming the guest in. "Yes, I did. They''re tired and scared but alive for now" Ace said, sitting down and stroking the soft fur of Fluffy who curled up in his lap. "That''s amazing news!" Elena said happily. ''Is she an assassin too? By the old man''s story it would seem so but she doesn''t look like one at all.'' The woman''s face was very delicate with high cheekbones, large eyes and rosy cheeks. She wore a light blue dress the colour of her eyes and looked much younger than her husband. "But I''m afraid we have nothing to reward you with" the man said in regret. "It is of no importance" Ace said shaking his head. "As long as we''re in this battle, money and riches are of no use to me anyway." The pair looked at each other for a second and both nodded at the same time. "Come with us, if you prefer something more useful than a pile of gold." Ace smiled inwardly and stood up to follow the couple. Together they left the passage and went through a couple of rooms. In a guest room they went to an armchair and after a bit of fumbling raised the sitting part. Inside lay two middle sized cotton pouches. "No one would expect anything hidden under themselves" Helbert answered to Ace''s raised eyebrow. Elena took one of the pouches and retrieved a pair of strange looking weapons. They resembled a three-tine pitchforks with side prongs being much smaller than the middle one. "Uhm... Are these supposed to be weapons?" Ace asked doubtfully. He liked his daggers well enough not to take up a farmer''s weapon. "Yes" Elena said gripping them tightly and smiled at him. "Come at me" Ace shrugged and in an instant was before the woman with his daggers in a stabbing motion. She blocked it easily and caught his weapon making it a better choice to grab the next one from his belt. Ace did just that and this time tried a few slashes but his daggers were stopped just as easily. The side prongs made it extremely easy to catch the opponent''s weapon, making it immobile. Ace was having a hard time trying to prevent that from happening and still stay on the offensive. "Enough" Helbert said. "I believe you saw that they aren''t your everyday pitchforks" Ace nodded eyeing those weapons with a new interest. "They are mostly used for a variety of blocks, parries and captures against opponents from different directions and heights. We believe it would be the best weapon for someone like you who has a small stature and in a one on one will be mostly defending until a good opportunity to escape shows itself" Elena said, extending the evolved pitchforks towards Ace. He looked at them calculating if it would be in his best interests to start using a new weapon at around a hundredth level. ''They seem useful but I haven''t seen anyone using them. It could add to the surprise factor but I wasted half a year to train my base dagger fighting knowledge... Should I really just abandon it because something more interesting showed up? Wait if I have two identities wouldn''t it be more beneficial to make them as different as I can? It would also add to the child''s act since I won''t know a thing about using these things...'' "I''ll take them" Ace said finally and took the weapons. They had been given to him as a reward so he could see an item''s description for once.
Training Sai Durability 47/50 Damage 10-15 Made for a single purpose of teaching the basic forms of Sai. Unlike other training weapons these aren''t wooden showing the blacksmith''s trust in the student who would use it. Because of it these Sai can be used in a real fight too. +15 AGI Requirements: 30 STR, 50 AGI
It was a great weapon for a beginner up to level 20, 30 at best. Nothing he''d glance at now. "If you free this place, I''ll be able to teach you the basics. Right now there isn''t a safe place where we could do that" Elena said. "Thank you" Ace said and turned around to leave. He still had a lot of work to do. He went to visit the little girl with her grandpa second and returned her the ferret. Both of them were overjoyed while Ace gained some experience and fame. It wasn''t that bad of a deal. After that he decided to rest for a while. He hadn''t slept for the last few days and tiredness reared its head. Day game time later Ace was back in full energy. First he went to check on his subordinates. They were still doing nothing. ''I''m having none of that'' Ace though with an evil smile and sneaked off to find some goblins. He put his favourite Kris away as he''d only dirty it with goblin blood and took out a pair of simple daggers. One of them was coated in poison while the other in paralysis. The first group he encountered contained only three members. It was too small so Ace dispatched of them in moments and went to look for a larger one. Walking around he found something he''d already used before - a signalling gong! Not wasting a second Ace took a large mallet lying nearby and hit with all his might. A loud reverberating noise was made. ''Is that supposed to be asking for reinforcements?'' he wondered killing off the first group who showed up. He needed others to see him killing and chase after him. Once five groups were in sight containing over twenty goblins Ace decided to get out of there. But he didn''t use any skills to blend in the shadows. He had a very specific place he wanted to go. He was running out of stamina when the house came in sight. Not stopping he jumped to the door and opened it widely. It was empty, well, not for long as Ace took out glitter dust and threw it around. A dozen rogues showed signs of shock while Ace dashed threw and jumped through the window on the other side. There he used [Shadow Veil] and took out pieces of glass from his hand. The fall and glass ate a fifth of his health ''Assassin survivability is truly pathetic'' Finding a larger stone close by he dragged it closer and stood up on it to see what was going inside. The glass-free window provided an excellent view at the rogues¡¯ lack of fighting spirit. They were making a tight circle with their backs inside but it was a tactic for swordsman not rogues who had no defence. They wouldn¡¯t last even five attacks of goblins that were from 60-80 level. "Bunch of idiots" Ace murmured under his breath but didn''t go to help. He warned them and if they didn''t listen, well, that was their own fault. Fenek who was much higher level than the rest was silently cursing the boy. ''How did he dare to lure all the mobs here? And if we don''t escape soon more will come too!'' /Fight them/ came a message to the chat from the little bastard. /Or I''ll lead them to you again and again. You won''t escape me!/ All the rogues could just hear the maniacal laughter from the boy. "That rich spoiled..." Fenek''s curse was cut short as he had to block a goblin''s axe. It wasn''t like they could escape without fighting anyway. Glitter Dust made sure of that. ''One day I''ll make him pay...'' Fenek promised and jumped at the goblins. He might not have had much defence but his quick and critical attacks made short work of goblins. It was a new experience for Fenek as he preferred keeping his neck safe while now a single wrong move could mean his demise. Other rogues joined him protecting his back and after some time they finished off all the goblins present. /Good work. And start doing what you''ve been told to or next time there will be twice as many/ /What''s wrong with you?!/ Belinda. asked in outrage. /With me? Nothing. I just don''t like lazy people. My father always said ''The early bird gets the worm''/ Ace wrote back with a smile and turned off the chat. For now he''ll leave them alone and have his own fun. He ran to the upper side of the wall and took out two longer daggers that could almost be called swords and coated them in his new poison. He never liked trying such things on himself so it was a test run. ''Tough luck'' he thought looking at goblins going watch and sprinted off. Ace''s out of nowhere appearance surprised the goblins and allowed him to run a long way slashing in all directions and making sure that everyone suffered at least a single hit before having to be more careful. He watched their reaction from the corner of his eyes and was disappointed to see nothing of interest. None seemed to even have felt it. ''Did it suddenly loose its effectiveness?'' he wondered continuing to run. It wouldn''t be the first time when two poisons combined made a remedy but still. Ace expected better results from viper''s poison mixed with wolf¡¯s bane. Were they really better separately? When he was finishing out his circle with a large bunch of goblins on his tail, he noticed dead bodies lying before him. They had no twisted faces or white eyes to signal any kind of poisoning. You could say they died peacefully. ''So its deadly anyway? This could be useful while killing nobles to arise no suspicion if I ever feel like taking requests.'' Test finished Ace jumped from the wall rolling a few times and ran off. On the first shadowy place he left their sight and used his abilities to disappear completely. Then he entered a random house and making sure it was empty sat down to catch a breath. His health was below half too from getting hit by a few random flying axes and jumping off the wall. He sighted and drank a health potion with barley bread. Ace had no time to waste waiting for the health to regenerate back, he was already sneaking out to make the city know him. Their fear will know no bounds when he''ll be finished with them, that was for sure. Next Chapter 2.4 Phantasm Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Hope you''ll enjoy it. My next chapter is almost finished but I believe soon enough I''ll be reduced to a single chapter a week. Teachers these days have no hearts and give tons of homework leaving me only an hour to write on weekdays while on weekends parent want me to help them with random things. So yeah, the next release should be on time on Sunday but the others might not. Sorry about that. **** The next day Ace finally saw some movement from his underlings. Very carefully, in groups of four, they looked for goblin parties no bigger than three. ''Seriously?'' Ace though and jumped into another group of ten alone. There was no point to waste time piercing everyone''s hearts as poison would do that anyway and he didn''t need to risk for that. All he needed to do was make sure that each goblin received at least a small cut from his long daggers. He had run out of new poisons to try out and returned to his good old Rat Poison. It wasn''t exactly that, but he liked to call it that as it was deadly to almost all humanoid creatures that weren''t real humans like cavemen, goblins, trolls and etc. The moment he was finished he jumped out with [Shadow Dash] and disappeared into a random corner. There he rested for a moment and checked his bars. Health was almost full, mana too, satiety close by while stamina was only halfway full. A lot of pop up bars indicated all ten goblins getting poisoned. ''That''s perfect but I should probably eliminate all the small groups first. They shouldn''t have the easy way out.'' With that though in mind Ace rose up and went to look for a suitable target. That was before he heard the sounds of a skirmish. Interested he sneaked there and looked over the side of a building. Four rogues were fighting a group of seven goblins with everything they had. "Idiots where is your scout?" he quietly asked the rogues but they couldn''t hear him over the fight. Sighing Ace circled them and intercepted the approaching goblins. "That''s as far as you go my friends" he said as if he was some kind of an action hero and charged in. Goblins prepared for a mad dash raising their poorly made shields to protect their chests and necks but Ace didn''t go for there. All his talk was simply to distract them as he waltzed in slashing at their raised hands. He was half-way done when they noticed that something was wrong. Until they figured it out, he was done and out. [Instincts of a Predator] warned him of another group coming this way. ''Can''t they finish it off faster? You can''t stay long in the same place!'' he screamed inside but had no intention of saying it to them. They would only ridicule him and purposely do otherwise; kids can never be smarter than adults. He met the other group of goblins in the same fashion and poisoned them all before escaping. Finally then the sounds of battle from other rogues quieted down. ¡°Phew¡± Ace murmured and left to find his own prey. The four rogues were breathing heavily from their fight. Somehow it happened that all the lowest levels got put into a single unit and by accident they angered a very large crowd of mobs. At first there were only two goblins but when they attacked suddenly more than five more came from the corner! But now it was over, they were safe. That was before two groups from different sides made way towards them. Now did they understand why the kid told to make one a scout. ''We''re so dead...'' they all thought with disappointment, and they had just won such a glorious fight! But the goblins were walking strangely, some even swaying openly. ''Wha...?'' Sooner or later they fell down one by one. Unsure of what was going on, the rogues took a few steps closer and inspected the no longer breathing goblins. Their faces were purplish, eyes popping out and foam coming out of their mouths. There was no guessing how they got this way. The rogues were unsure of who''s poison that could be. Who could have saved them? Other two groups were quite far away as they made sure not to get in each others'' faces. That only left the kid but was he able to deal with so many goblins this fast? That sounded as improbable as the sight before them, although it gave them an idea of how to proceed next. They adapted Ace''s strategy of only poisoning their enemies and made sure to always have someone scouting. No more ambushes were welcomed. Ace preferred his battles next to the second wall. It made him think of new ways to come in and slaughter all the watchmen as they were now ordered by a human. Ace saw the guy a few times but it wasn''t the one who almost found him in the house he first fell. There he also heard loud booms signalling the rocks hitting gates or the first wall. Everyone knew it was going to fall in an upcoming hours and most goblins were to fall back to the second wall, although not many wanted that after hearing of a mysterious killers running rampant there. A few scouting groups led by humans were sent to find them but Ace took out goblins one by one from the back until a single human was left. Then when he turned back surprised with the sudden silence lacking goblin movement, Ace struck. Both leaders'' had blocked his attack from doing fatal damage but it was of no use. Ace made sure to occupy them while the poison did its work and went to look for another target. He had long lost the number of how many enemies he''d killed on this adventure. ''What if we struck the moment the first wall fell?'' Ace wondered circling back to tower where the mechanism was. ''Their defence here for now is quite lax and shouldn''t be much of an obstacle?'' To test his theory once again he sneaked inside and saw five goblins almost falling asleep. He was about to leave when loud footsteps came from the first floor, he was on a second. Ace decided to stay still in case the guy was a rogue and looked to see what was to happen. "Goblins!" he said in a bellowing voice, waking the half-asleep guards. "From now on we''ll be taking watch with you! And there will be no slacking off!" Ace''s brow furrowed. ''Why did they suddenly decide to strengthen the watch? Is there a traitor among us? But only I and Monthu were on the details¡­ Wait does that mean my group of rogues... I can¡¯t believe it! There probably had been a trap on the first wall for us too and now that we backed off they believe we''ll attack here. I suppose antagonizing my subordinates wasn''t such a good idea in the end. But how was I supposed to know they''d go as far as joining the other side!'' That of course didn''t mean Ace was going to abandon the plan. If he decided to open the enemy gates, he was going to do it and this was the last wall. All this meant was that he needed a way to tell his subordinates that they wouldn¡¯t understand what was going on until it was too late. And it wasn''t that hard to do if you thought about it better. *** Vascas castle, Strategy room "How long will the first wall last?" "No more than four hours but everyone has already been evacuated from the danger zone" the other member in a dark cloak answered. "Good. Has the second walls defences been set up?" "Yeah. The goblins are prepared too. We shall make them pay" another man said, tightening his arm around the hilt of his sword. He couldn''t wait for it all to begin. The first man nodded and looked over the map occupying most of the room. He pointed at the gate landmark. "Has Galvin secured it?" A third man nodded with disgust. He had wanted that post himself but was reduced to scouting duty and ordered to catch the invisible killers. It would have been an easy task if he had only been given someone who had brains. Those goblins would sooner impale themselves on the rogue¡¯s dagger than see one even if he was standing right before their eyes. "You can start then, Roy" the leader said and the swordsman rushed out of the room. "What about me?" the scout boy asked inquiringly. "Find the idiots. We''re losing lots of morale because of them but we''d gain double if you managed to catch them. So do it and with haste." The man turned around and left. What fun to be given an impossible mission just before your promotion. Now he''ll always stay a rookie. Maybe he should go and look for another profession. *** The guards were changing each hour while the human guy stayed up, Ace noted. For the last three hours he''d been staying near the gates to get a good grasp of a schedule. But it was just that simple; goblins were probably unable to get anything more complicated. That taken care of, Ace sneaked out. On a first corner he stopped and looked around. Everything was clear so he removed the shadow and set up a bunch of traps. He wasted whole ten minutes to hide them away with [Phantasm], otherwise they could have been clearly seen by naked eye as the walls were bare and made of hard rock. It''d take hours to dig through them. Finally finished he got out to look for his wandering rogues. While he was going through a deserted street he contacted Monthu. "When are you going to be through?" "An hour. Two at most. What are you planning now?" Monthu asked among the sounds of a trebuchet going loose. Loud cracking sound rolled over the castle. "I''m going to open the second gates at the same time too so rush through. I have a traitor inside, so it¡¯s now or never" Ace said, reaching the end of his street. "You know it¡¯s not real life and they can rat you out any moment they feel like?" Monthu asked sceptically. "No one said they''ll know what they''re doing" Ace replied cryptically. "I''ll tell you when we''re in." He turned the chat off with that and found his first group. They were quite loud by fighting openly instead of using poison and just running away. Ace killed a few to help them out and said. "We have to go somewhere, follow me." Rogues, tired and bloody, didn''t argue. As long as their killing duty was removed they were up to anything, besides jumping from heights that is. Ace led them to second group who was ruled by Fenek. "Come with me. We have to take cover in a certain room" Ace said and turned around. As always Fenek couldn''t just follow without asking questions. "What do you mean take cover? Isn''t our mission to distract the goblins?" "It was. Now they''re terrified so Monthu told us to lay quiet for a bit so he could launch an attack while they¡¯re retreating from the first wall. If we accidentally get caught, goblins'' morality would rise and his gamble might not pay off" Ace said telling whatever came to his mind first. ''Go and report that you traitor'' he thought smiling inwardly and sneaked away, eight rogues after him. The last four were the hardest to find as they used hit and run tactic. Once goblins started screaming, they were miles away figuratively speaking. ''Where''s a tracking ferret, when you need one...'' After ten more minutes of searching he saw their trail and managed to block their path. Noticing him they nodded and went to the back of the line. Ace shrugged at such a strange behaviour but had bigger things to worry about. Around thirty minutes were left till watch change so walking in circles he got closer to the wall. To not arise suspicion among his subordinates, he went back among the houses and cast his largest illusion yet. "Beloved dreams, feared nightmares, different worlds, same horrors combine into one and come crashing onto the mortal souls, Phantasm!" Ace said a chant under his breath and closed his eyes for a moment to check the image for the last time. He could see everything around him clearly as if he had his eyes open. ''Perfect'' Sneaking ahead he threw a glance over his shoulder but none seemed to be alarmed. It was working for now. Not wanting to push his luck Ace made a few twists and sudden turns to confuse his followers and came to the tower entrance through which you could reach the gate opening mechanism. It was an interesting experience for Ace to see differently through his eyes. The right one saw as usually but through the left he saw a small shack with wooden doors barely holding on its hinges. Slipping in he saw a dark tunnel and used [Flare] to light up the way. The right eye said it was already light and the small flame could hardly be seen flickering ahead. Ace continued on and with his left eye saw pathetic looking traps in the open he could easily walk around or over. After another bend there was a strong looking door. Ace turned to his followers and nodded at them. Fenek was the first to grasp the meaning and after a bit of fumbling opened the door without actually making a sound. Inside there were eleven goblins sitting around in different positions and rogues took care of them. Ace seeing through his right eye a single human among them chose it and killed it with [Heart-seeker]. None were surprised he fell in seconds and disappeared as a bloody goblin corpse lay there for a minute or so before disappearing. The middle of the room contained a puzzle with lots and lots of wheels put over each other and gears between them. "What is that?" some rogue asked quietly. "No idea" Ace said and started to move it around. The thing grumbled and protested a lot but after enough pushing moved slightly. Smiling Ace started to move them all in a seemingly random pattern but with his right eye he saw a much more simple mechanism to open the gates which he was doing right now. In real life it was a much harder thing, needing immense strength and many people but here it was powered by magic. It was done so mages could be reduced to such a duty if they shamed themselves. So now Ace had no problem moving it with his mana. Of course he made sure he was moving the puzzle correctly with his left eye too. Once the gates were opened, he concentrated only on to it until he finished and a shower of sparks indicated his success. Ace smiled brightly but soon his face fell. He was done and had nothing to do now. Rogues were trying to make themselves more comfortable but a screeching sound interrupted them. "What is that?" one asked while everyone else started sneaking to the door. They remembered the stupid visible traps and knew who could wander into them. It was a group of thirty goblins, more than they had ever seen in one place. In the confusion Ace sent Monthu a single word /Open/. There was no time to add more actually as an axe flew his way. It was aimed at Fenek nearby as Ace was still hidden but goblins'' aim was in par with Par¡¯s. Ace was about to cast ice field when he remembered [Phantasm] was in action. If he tried using more magic, his mana would run out in few minutes and the illusion will fall. That left him with basic dagger attacks so he picked the daggers coated in paralysis and critical hit his enemies as much as possible. After the goblins a human showed up. He ordered them to fight in small groups of four to not get slaughtered from behind and jumped into the fight himself. He was a skilled dagger user and defended well against two of Ace''s rogues at once. It would have been nice to wait and force the traitor out but Ace didn''t have the time. The guy was already attracting too much attention from his subordinates, soon enough they might even start wondering why this particular goblin chief was so strong. Ace threw a dagger to distract him and while he was defending from the attacks of the two rogues jumped on his back using [Backstab] and [Heart-seeker]. The body fell without a sound but goblins noticed and fell in disarray half of them fighting, the other half trying to get out. This helped the rogues and they were done soon enough. "How did they find us?" someone asked but none answered him as they heard more coming. /Can you last ten-fifteen more minutes?/ /Yes/ Ace wrote back with a grave expression and drank three potions in succession. One expanded the mana pool, the other gave 1000 mana flat while the last doubled mana regeneration for the next twenty minutes. *** On the other side of the wall Monthu was having his own problems. The goblins had set up a trap for them and even though it hadn''t worked out as expected it still put him in a dangerous situation. They were supposed to enter carefully looking for an ambush but not find one. Only when they were around middle way would goblins emerge from secret tunnels from all sides and surround them. This way they could be slaughtered by sheer numbers without casters being able to help them out. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. But Monthu had ordered his troops to rush to the second wall and most of them had managed to pass the middle grounds before goblins'' leaders understood that their prey was escaping and launched the attack. It still caught them unprepared and Monthu lost around forty people. A huge loss but the others were able to escape the surrounding and were steadily backing behind the gates. "Eayah!" a war shout came from behind and Monthu saw a bunch of goblins approaching them from the castle. He looked over those who were free and sent two divisions to deal with them. "Five and ten take care" he said motioning towards the back of their formation. Forty people separated and after fist pumping in the air dashed towards the goblins who had numbered as much as them. They attacked with smiles going for revenge. Those creatures had been throwing things on their heads for days and it hurt. Also they killed their comrades. That was unforgivable. Monthu deciding he needed to see how the vanguard was doing found the stairs and run up to the top of the wall. There he saw it wasn''t that bad. His men were taking careful steps to move back while keeping goblins at bay with their spears. "Put everyone on the walls!" Monthu said to Hawk over the chat in a shout. There were lots of noises on his side so he made sure he understood what was needed. "Got it" the guy said ordering his archers to move quickly and sending the same message to Aurora. In a way it was great to have your friends as officers. They listened to all commands without asking questions and wasting valuable time. More than half of his surviving soldiers were past the gates but it''ll still take some time for them to get out. ''I really hope the kid can hold on for a just a little bit longer'' he prayed and watched on. They needed just a little more time for it all to work. The enemy general was shouting at his fighters but goblins seemed half-hearted. They were often looking over their backs and whispering something to each other. This absent-mindedness of theirs and lack of courage to brave the spears allowed the last soldiers to get past. "Close the gates now!" he shouted to Ace hoping the kid could do it. ''Hurry up!'' he prayed over the silence that lasted for a very long minute. The answer was the gates starting to move quietly and caring about no resistance. Monthu had ordered his troops to get back over the range of the door and keep the goblins there. The giant doors moved unwavering crushing everything that got in their way until they closed up. More than thirty goblins died only from that. "Fire!" he yelled over the confused battlefield. Goblins turned left and right, not understanding how they got cut off from their own city but soon they had different things to worry about as fire and arrows rained on them. Mages casted storms of all elementals, clerics for the first time used their offensive spells with great enjoyment while archers released arrows faster than eye could see. The raging lasted for around ten minutes until everyone ran out of mana. "Open the gates" Monthu ordered Ace and after a long four minutes they did. "Go!" he said a single word with his scythe raised high in the air and jumping in the middle of enemies. He used a goblin''s body to soften the fall and landed safely. There he finally put his scythe to use. Soon others joined him and they all descended on the exhausted and scared goblins like evil spirits. They had suffered days of humiliation being taunted and laughed at but now was the time to get back at them. There was no mercy. "Take the leader out!" Monthu shouted once again thinking of ways to put enemies in even more confusion.
*Stand united activated*
Morale rises by 200% All fear and confusion effects are removed Attack power and defense is increased by 10% Attack speed is increased by 15% The range is fifteen meters.
''What? Wasn''t this skill only triggered by being in a death situation? And why does it have range?'' Deciding to look into it more lately Monthu continued with his attacks, pushing forward to the enemy leader. He ordered his closest division to make an arrowhead with him at centre and go in. They met little to no resistance and soon came to the place where the leader stood ready for battle. He had seen them approaching and even though knew he was doomed was waiting for a good fight. Monthu raised his weapon in a challenge and the guy jumped from his makeshift stand. Monthu''s division cleared the space around and allowed them to have a safe circle where no goblins would intrude. They started with the usual stare down that was supposedly meant to determine the opponent¡¯s strength. But after a minute they got tired of it and clashed for real. Monthu used his [Reaper''s Eyes] to weaken the swordsman¡¯s attack speed and kept him at bay. Using his modified scythe''s longer range he prevented the guy from reaching him and dealing any damage. From there he went for an offensive. "Black Flight! Doom Claw!" he said the skill names executing them with precision. The first one was a graceful leap into the air which added strength to the attack and the other was three quick jabs in midair, done so fast that you only saw an afterimage of three claws passing. These skills also helped to confuse the opponent as nobody expected you to start suddenly jumping around. The attacks took a good chunk of the enemy¡¯s health and the guy spit some blood. "That wasn''t what I expected from you" he said and smiled cruelly, preparing his own skills. "Dash! Staggering Blow! Flurry!" He was in Monthu''s face the next moment with his sword held high. Monthu was in a disadvantage now so he used [Dash Attack] to sprint forward and escape the attack that would have stunned him. But that left him open for an attack from behind that the other guy didn''t miss. Monthu suffered five hundred damage before able to turn around and block the attacks. He was about to fight back when his enemy fell before him. ''Whaa?'' Then he noticed five arrows sticking from the guys back. ''Who would..?'' Yet the culprit was impossible to track as all archers were rapidly firing arrows. It could have been either one of them. Monthu picked up the cloak and still wondering why anyone would do that returned to the battle with goblins. Those poor creatures were trying to run away but had no place where to. The first wall had a single breach and lots of rumble they had to climb over with their short legs while being shot at by mages and archers, if they tried to go for the second one - the army kept them from reuniting with their brothers who were retreating to the castle. Yet unlike humans they didn''t put a last fight. They better looked in vain for a way out. In the meantime Ace was fighting for his life protecting the gate mechanism. The rogues had long ago figured it out that this was no hiding place and for some reason they were constantly being attacked by goblins. They would have liked getting the information from Ace even by force but there was not enough time and he provided good damage to their utter annoyance. Somehow Ace had managed to keep the illusion till now and they were still thinking there was no way out of this place but the one goblins were coming in. To survive that they had created a strategy of fighting by 6 while the others rested. Ace was the wild card appearing and staying for more than others before coming back to regain his stamina. ''My mana potions are running out... I can''t last much longer'' Ace thought fighting without using any skills. He had been doing so for quite some time already and his stamina was on the low side once again. Keeping dozens of goblins from advancing while trying to kill as many of them as possible ate stamina like a hungry beast. You could stay no more than fifteen minutes after such an onslaught as it was a narrow hallway where you couldn''t utilize much movement, although, it prevented goblins from overwhelming the rogues with their numbers. Tired Ace returned to the room and lay down on the floor breathing heavily. After a moment he sat down, took out some bread and ate it with water. Full satiety helped stamina rise faster. /We''re being invaded!/ /What?/ Ace wrote back jumping up and looking in all directions as if he could see through the walls. /They''re breaking the doors and I don''t know what to do!/ ''Wait... What?'' Only then did Ace thought about looking at the senders name. It was Romeo. ''What can he possibly mean? Didn''t he stay in Lasran to take care of the guild?'' /What''s going on?/ "They''re coming in! Help me!" "Can you calm down and explain it from the beginning?" "We have many members and I even bought us a guild house. Everything was great until a female named Perry joined! She created a faction inside set on making this a guild whose sole reason of existence is killing Wing! Now they started a revolt! And are trying to break inside and force me to give the leadership to her! But I don''t have the power! What am I supposed to do?" the man asked with desperation. ''It must be really bad if he''s looking for advice from a kid.'' "Let them all in" "Have you gone mad? I don''t want them to kill me!" "They won''t. Neither of them has enough resources to survive being hunted by players present in the city and earn the hatred of every single noble of Lasran" "But what am I supposed to tell them? They won''t calm down just like that" Romeo said with a whine. /This guild was established to help the victims of Silver Wing survive. It wasn''t done to gain money or anything; you could even call it a charity organization. So no, it won''t be becoming anyone''s tool of revenge. If you want that, leave. This is a place to regain your strength and prepare for future battles. Repeat this to them. If they threaten to leave, wish them good luck. If they call you coward, ask what would they be if you hadn''t taken them under your wing. If they ask to create a regiment for Wing''s capture, agree. Just don''t go too low/ Ace wrote back preparing for battle. He made sure his daggers were well coated in poison and stood up to return to the fight. "T..Tha...That''s a genius idea!" Romeo said with a happy shout after finishing reading the message. Ace smiled and went to face the goblins. He was about to stab the goblin when a familiar female voice entered his ears. "So you finally decided to step down?" she said. *Smack* "Why you little..." Ace hissed stabbing the goblin who just punched him in the face. ''Never get distracted again'' he promised himself, already knowing it wasn''t going to last long. There was the sound of chairs moving and a confident voice of Romeo saying for them to get lost in Ace¡¯s polite words. At first there was nothing beside battle sounds and cries of dying but soon enough the commotion picked up on the other side too. "What do you think you''re saying? Do you think we care about your petty excuses? If you don''t leave, we''ll do that. Don''t have any doubts about that" the female voice said with indignation and even disgust. Her followers made some practised agreement sounds so everyone could know on whose side they were. Slash here, slash there and a dodge. It was so much easier for him to fight goblins when any other humanoids. They were his size! Romeo laughed and wished them good luck just as he had been told to. That shut them up for a quite a long time. "You would let us all go? Just like that?" she asked and Ace finally remembered where he had heard her. She was the spellsword he met in the mages'' guild! It was no surprise then that she wanted revenge so badly! "Yep, go with the wind" Romeo said. "But don''t expect me to pick you up once again" he finished with a thinly veiled threat and left them sitting with stunned faces. He climbed the stairs to the second room and happily sat down in his study. Somehow he avoided the crisis and even managed to turn it in his favour. ''I''m a born leader'' he thought with a smile taking out a large cigar. *Wooosh* Air left his mouth with an audible sound as he enjoyed his victory. Only then did he notice the clashing sounds coming from somewhere. After a few check ups he found its source to be an open chat room. "Sorry about that Ace! You didn''t need to hear all that. I''m sorry" he said apologizing for letting the kid hear grown-ups arguing. "...." was Ace''s reply as he turned the chat off with a stab. He was fighting two goblins at the moment who were desperately trying to hit him. Yet Ace''s high [Evasion] prevented it from happening. His high level, which was almost double theirs, helped too. ''I should probably get out of here fast'' he thought finishing one of them off. Ace''s mana that he had kept alive by dozens of potions was getting low and he no longer had any of those to back it up. He stabbed the second goblin through the heart and decided to take a rest. After that he could make his escape. It would be tragic if he failed simply because he fell on the ground from exhaustion. Inside the room he laid down to take a breath. They had all resorted to that after discovering that although it left you vulnerable in case the goblins pushed through, it doubled stamina recovery rate. Ace studied the ceiling with his different seeing eyes and smiled absent mindedly. He never hoped they would fall so fully. Even now they thought they were fighting for survival while in reality they were fighting to protect the gates. ''It would be great to see the traitor''s face when he finds out what he has done but I don''t think he''d appreciate it very much. In case he''s got supporters, I better get out of here before it all falls down.'' He waited a few more minutes until his stamina became a bit over the half mark and stood up. Then he activated [Shadow Veil] and used it to sneak through the battlefield. Under normal circumstances everyone would have noticed him but here, in the heat of all the fighting, it was impossible. All Ace had to do was make sure he didn''t hit anyone accidentally and become visible. He was about to pass through then a goblin jabbed his arm into his side. It pushed him aside bumping into another one and a chain reaction started. Ace thought for a second and activated [Flame Step] plus [Shadow Dash] before regaining his balance and sprinting away. He left a trail of fire that stayed for a few seconds burning goblins and dissuading them from following. Their primary mission was to retake the gate room, anyway, so they left it at that and continued on their push forward. Ace happily accepted their decision and turning off the ability sneaked ahead. He passed two more large groups of goblins before coming out into the fresh air. Outside he walked onto the wall and looked over the battlefield. There he could see humans slaughtering the smaller humanoids in every direction with swords, arrows and magic. In the middle was an open circle where a scythe wielder fought against a swordsman. Their skills seemed to be on an equal level until they used the abilities. Although Monthu dealt good damage and evaded the first attack he suffered great loss. Without thinking much Ace took out his throwing daggers and enhancing them with [Magma Blade] threw. Strengthened by gust they flew straight and hit true. After a moment Ace put an illusion to hide them as arrows. It ate the last bits of his mana and returned his sight back to normal. A loud scream of horror came from somewhere nearby and Ace smiled. ''They thought to use me as a scape goat, fool me into falling into their trap. Heh. What naivety. They should have better surrendered instead'' Laughing he jumped down from the wall and ran towards the castle. Next Chapter 2.5 Decision Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Hope you enjoy it :) **** The last remaining goblins had been caught and executed with the last rays of sunlight. Moon rose basking the fighters in a silver glow and refreshing them with cool night air. Most of them created fires and sat down, too lazy to return to the camp. Mages, archers and healers came down and joined them too. Aurora, Hawk and Par were looking for Monthu but he was nowhere in sight. They walked over all the camps where soldiers were celebrating victory. Some had raided the cellars and found some spirits to brighten the already cheerful mood. Soon drunken songs rose into the sky in loud clear voices. It would have been a great chance for enemies to attack if they only had the ability. Yet now their army was annihilated with only a few hundred soldiers remaining, the defensive lines lost and half of human leaders were dead. One could say their future looked very grim even without trying to attack a much more skilled opponent. The three passed the second wall and looked around. Houses stood lonesome with broken doors and shattered windows. Heaps of goblin armour and weapons lay around without anyone wishing to pick them up. Soldiers were celebrating here too, but they were more professional, wary of the possible danger. None drank too much and saluted the three as they walked past. They walked a bit more before asking a random soldier if he had seen Monthu. The guy pointed them at the castle saying he went there to there to check the defences some time ago. Hawk thanked him and they went towards the majestic building. It was made from red bricks in a Gothic style. The design with heaven reaching peaks, pointed window arks and dozens of gargoyles sitting guard created a feeling of grandeur and awe, an amazing work of art. Five meters from its gates stood Monthu in deep thought. He looked troubled. Par noticing his brother ran to him in a moment. "Hey! We won! And I helped too! I''ve got almost a hundred! There''s no way Ace could have gotten more!" Monthu shook his head getting rid of his thoughts and looked at his brother. A smile showed up on his face as he saw the kid''s happiness. "I think so too. But haven''t you already seen him?" "Nope, we passed through almost all the camps but he was nowhere around" Par said, a little downcast. "That''s strange. He left the rogues while the battle was still going. I though he got tired and went to you but seems like it wasn¡¯t the case. No one has seen him since." "Are you serious?" Hawk asked in surprise. Ace wasn''t one to leave without a word. He always made sure they knew he was coming back, wanted they it or not. "I can''t contact him! Could that mean..?" Aurora said in a quiet voice. "Doubt so" Monthu said shaking his head. "He survived the week here alone so it¡¯s hardly possible he suddenly lost his touch and died." "What about the other rogues? Weren''t they protecting his back at first?" Hawk asked. "Not really. He was threatening them to follow him from the second day or so..." Monthu said with an amused smile. "Only he could..." Hawk said with annoyance. How could one even manage that? "What are you doing here, brother?" Par asked after silence surrounded them. "If you find a good angle, you can see a magical barrier protecting the castle. It''s like a wall of diamond. Nothing can pass it." "Have you asked mages for help?" Aurora asked, looking for an almost invisible shimmering protection wall. "I will tomorrow. It''s already late and they should have some time to rest and celebrate." The two nodded while Par was knocking on the wall. He touched it and looked in wonder as his hand was stopped by something invisible. He did it again and again pretending to be a mime. His protectors took a few steps back and watched him with laughter shining in their eyes. *** Week (game time) later Deep in the castle two eyes opened up. They looked around and with a happy gleam smiled. They were in a dark room with no one around and haven''t died. It was a relief. Ace yawned widely and stretched his muscles. Feeling well he let the [Flare] out to light the room and sat down to eat. The place was covered in a thick layer of dust and cobwebs that stuck to everything. Ace himself looked like a ghost with all the greyness on him. His previously slightly charred trousers looked great compared to this. When he was done, Ace stood up again and prepared to leave. The outside was clear and he silently sneaked up. He had slept in a dungeon that might have been a storage room or a jail cell once and was at the bottom level. The dust that clung to him so desperately and left a trail behind annoyed him to no end but he couldn''t go and take a shower at the moment. He was stuck in a castle full of smelly goblins and... That gave him an idea. He found an empty room and locked himself in. There he took out a mirror and looking at it he tried to change his features so they resembled a goblin¡¯s. It took some time as he wanted to make it permanent in a way. There were two kinds of illusions he knew and used. One was like the previously used fluid; always changing and adapting to the situation depending on his wish. The bad part about it was that it constantly ate mana and the larger the spell the faster it did. The second one was a constant, or you could say permanent. It was mostly used as a trap or to hide something. It took a certain amount of mana and would stay the way it was made for forever if that was how long it took for someone to find it and dispel. Ace chose the second one because he no longer had any mana potions and it wouldn''t be fun if he ran out of mana in a middle of remaining enemies. The hard part was to make his face move while the illusion stayed intact. Although the goblins weren''t the brightest bunch they still showed emotions and felt things. For that he needed to leave his lips and eyes unchanged yet make them fit well in a goblin''s face. After a few hours he was finally satisfied with his work. His eyes were larger than normal allowing for his true eyes to move, nose was crooked and his teeth were very yellow set in a wide mouth. He made his face look flatter and his hair dark, almost black and hardly present. If anyone tried to touch it, they would know the truth but it¡¯s not like he was going to allow it. He put on a patched yet still full of holes cap he found in a storage room last time he was here. Clothes were fine as they were so covered in dirt and dust no human would ever wear them and his height was perfect. The last thing he did was change his skin colour to a dark greenish one and plumped out his body. ''Perfect'' Now dressed up like a true goblin Ace left the room and started to wonder aimlessly. He engraved every little detail that could help him in the future in his mind while appearing to be looking at the walls in wonder. When he got tired of it, he created a very extravagant story for himself being here which he would have to simplify to two words if he was to explain himself. After some more walking he stumbled onto a group of goblins carrying large plates over their heads. Their gazes passed over him as if unseeing and they were away. ''Looks like I''ll have to find a human for something to happen.'' He continued on his path until it branched off into three. Ace scratched his head as if unable to decide which to choose. He felt four presences in the first, one in the second and ten in the last but the one that interested him was behind. "What are you doing here alone? Where''s your group?" an annoyed voice asked him. Ace turned around and with wide eyes pointed at himself in a question. The man rolled his eyes. "No, I''m talking to the wall" Ace gave an audible sigh and turned around to march off in the middle passage. "Stop, you there! That was sarcasm you big-headed moron!" "Me?" Ace asked looking back with his head sideways. "Yes. What are you doing here?" the man asked trying to control his temper. This goblin was clearly of the working class that was denser than... dense. He was easily frustrated by leader ones that were much higher on the intelligence scale but still very far down, so he didn''t knew how he was going to deal with this one. "Me live! They die! Me go safe! Me smart! See light! Safe!" Ace told his story unsure of what exactly he was telling himself. The simplified version of his pretend life sounded unintelligible even to his own ears. He allowed himself to smile at the man''s stupefied expression as it could be understood as being proud of yourself too. The man felt a headache coming. ''What was it supposed to mean? Who died? What light? Is this castle a safe place for him or does he have a hideout?'' There was no end to the questions that arose so the man abandoned that train of thought. "What is your work? Be specific." "Specific?" Ace asked tilting his head. No answer came so he continued. "Me smart. Me good thinker" The man''s shoulders drooped. There was just no way around the goblins stupidity and he had no patience for such things. He would bring this genius to the boss and let him deal with it. It was his idea to occupy the castle and win over goblins anyway. "Follow me" he said and to make sure the idiot understood motioned with his fingers. Ace smiled inwardly and did as he was told with his mouth agape staring at the beautiful interior showing his yellow teeth. They walked around for a bit in circles before coming to a small open doorway. ''Was he trying to confuse me?'' The doors were very simple without any ornaments and looked like a janitor''s place. ''Am I being locked away..?'' Ace wondered slowing down. He had no wish to get himself in jail just because his act was too good. "Hurry up, you slowpoke! I don''t have a whole day!" the man said in an angry growl and pushed him inside before going in himself. The room was very small with a single table and a chair. On it sat a man bowed over a bunch of maps lighted by a small candle. He had bags under his eyes and held his head up with a hand. It seemed as if he would fall asleep from exhaustion any moment. "Caro, I brought someone to see you" the first man said suddenly and pushed Ace forward making him fall. Ace rested on his hands and raised his head to look up. Clear blue eyes met his, they looked very unusual in a dark face the man called Caro had. His skin was dark brown, that of someone who lived in the sun, and he had black hair. "What do you mean?¡± then he noticed Ace ¡°Why would you bring something like him here? I have no time for your pettiness now, Leo, you should know that" he said in a quiet voice that made you feel shivers run your back. The man wore chain armour that was previously well taken care of. Now it seemed like he had no time for anything. The boots were worn down; armour had dirt and smelled of sweat while his hair was dishevelled to the highest level. ''Sad soul, he probably didn''t have a night''s sleep since we came.'' "It¡¯s your own fault we''re here so take care of it! This genius here talks in riddles so I brought him to you. You''ll have a good time" Leo said with a sneer. Ace looked from one to another and crawled a bit to the side leaving them a wide space to have an argument. ''If only I had been smart enough to bring some popcorn...'' Caro stood up from his table and straightened out. He was unbelievably tall, towering over his companion by a whole head. He was almost double the high of Ace."Is that it? You envy my leadership?" "You were never supposed to lead us! You won because you made them feel indebted to you, not because you were better. You never were. From the very beginning I knew this was going to happen" the man said with a sneer. It seemed like it was a permanent feature. "And you followed because you thought they didn''t do it?" Caro asked with a laugh that dripped with sarcasm. "Yes, I did. I hoped they saw something in you that I didn''t. It seems it was wishful thinking on my part" Leo said with sadness. His eyes were cast down and he shook his head as if trying to forget his own stupidity. It was a really good show Ace decided and took out some dried meat. Better than nothing. "You misguided bastard! You were waiting for this moment from the very beginning! Were you killing off goblins too? Is that why we never caught the culprits? Or did you buy them for the sole purpose of destroying me?" Caro asked with disgust. He never liked Leo but never thought he would do something like this. "Don''t put me on the same level as yourself! I had no reason to foil your plans as they were meant to fail no matter what! So good luck with your petty schemes but remember when we all get caught, I''ll be the one they buy out" Leo said in an overly sweet voice and left by closing the doors with a bang. ''So he''s not as sure of himself as he pretends to?'' Ace wondered continuing to eat his meat. He turned towards the remaining man who was looking at him. "You look at me with those dark green eyes and it almost feels like you can understand what is going on. But you don''t, do you?" Ace kept quiet. There was no good answer he could give. "What am I thinking? Of course, you can''t. You''re just a simple minded AI. All you know is fighting. You determine the leader by who has the biggest stick. In a way it saves you from all the trouble, I''m facing now. ¡°He said he didn''t hire the killers but who would prevent him from lying? His revelation helped me to see how fragile my position is but does that make me paranoid? Why is it that I feel like I''m no longer able to trust any of my subordinates? Even those I called friends and wanted to meet in real life?" the man asked in a tired voice, not expecting a reply so Ace didn''t give one. He felt his pain, but he wasn''t any kind of healer. It was Aurora''s speciality, not his. "Why am I even telling you that? Do you even understand a thing I say?" Caro asked, resting his head in his hands. He felt just so drained out. "Me smart..." Ace said in a pout that looked disturbing on a goblins face. "Me know big man sad! Me help!" Caro looked at the goblin with a slight smile. The little guy seemed to possess a small amount of compassion and intelligence higher than the bottom level he expected Leo to bring. But what could he possibly mean by helping? As he watched, the small man took out a crude flute and put it next to his mouth. "You don''t need to trouble yourself! I''m fine besides I have work to do!" Caro said, desperately trying to stop the goblin from destroying his eardrums. The little green men weren''t well known for their arts especially anything that required care and delicate handling. But the guy didn''t listen and Caro prepared to hear an air piercing sound. Yet what came was an entirely different thing. A soft melody rose filling the small room. It bounced off the walls and flew around weaving an invisible web of silken thread. Caro felt his muscles relaxing and an infinite calmness overwhelming his worries. Listening he could almost see a graceful vision dancing before his eyes, ethereal yet so earthly. There were no words he could describe the melody in that would explain the beauty and grace of it so he let it go and allowed himself to relax and forget himself. Ace continued to play for a long while. He kept on going and going until his fingers felt like falling off and he hardly felt his face anymore. Only then did he let the light melody thin out and disappear. The quietness fell like a welcoming blanket wrapping the two in its warm hug. Both of them slumped down in their seats and fell asleep. Caro from exhaustion while Ace decided to take a nap because it seemed like a good idea. He knew he won''t have a free minute the moment the guy wakes up so he had to make the best of it and that meant sleeping like a dead until woken up. *** Outside the castle lots of angry voices could be heard. Mobs of people were shouting and waving their hands. "That''s not fair!" "Why can''t you break it?" "Stop it" "Do something!" "How long we''re going to sleep here?" In the middle of the crowd Monthu stood surrounded by his friends. The joy of taking the walls had died down soon afterwards and people were getting bored by doing nothing. And there weren''t many activities besides training you could participate in while the castle stood tall and unreachable. Its defensive magic was of an ancient kind that no average mage could remove. They would have to hire a high levelled wizard to do that and even then he''ll need a few weeks to dispel it. None were happy about it and wanted Monthu to make a miracle and fasten it up. "I''m no mage so I can''t do anything. You knew this might take half a year when we started so you can wait a bit longer till we find a suitable mage to remove the protection spell" Monthu said in a calm voice trying to make them more agreeable. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "We have nothing to do here!" "I could do two quests in the time its taking this one!" "I''m bored!" "We''ll be creating hunting parties to gain more supplies so you can spend your energy there and gain some experience. The others can go scavenging while coming back for the night. How does that sound?" Monthu asked trying to find a way to make them stay. People debated the suggestion and after some grumbling agreed. It wasn''t like they would really abandon such a quest half-way but it was nice to feel like your opinion was listened to and the leaders were trying to make your life easier. Monthu heaved a sigh of relief and went to his makeshift office in a close by building. There he thought of a schedule in which he could let the players leave the city for some time without endangering the remaining ones for a goblin attack. He chose a random regiment for the first outing and half an hour later came out to announce it. Some were happy, some not but they were all quiet and ready to follow his orders again. /A huge army is coming this way. Were we waiting for reinforcements?/ Fenek asked Monthu through chat. He was appointed the new rogue leader as Ace had pulled the disappearing act. "No. Who does it look like it belongs to?" Monthu asked relaxing in his chair. /There are around a few thousand if not more players coming towards the castle. They have nothing to determine their alliance from./ "How long till they reach us?" /If they don''t stop for rest, in around half a day./ "Okay. Keep me updated if you notice anything else" Monthu said wondering who in the world it could be. *** Caro woke up rested and full of energy. He felt like he could easily move mountains right now. ''What did the goblin do to make me fall asleep? Was it part of Leo''s plan? ''He looked around expecting to be alone but to his surprise a small body lay near the doorway. When he kicked it trying to see if it was alive the body grumbled and pushed his leg away. ''So he''s alive and still here?'' Unsure of how to understand such a thing he squatted down and gently shook the sleeping goblin. "Hey! Wake up! I have some questions for you." After a lot of shaking and shouting in his ear Ace opened his eyes. Right in his face was a very annoyed man. "Me sleep" he said and tried to roll over on the other shoulder but the man''s hand stopped him. "I was quite nice to you up till now because of my good nature but if you try my patience I''ll show you why exactly I got this position." Ace debated whether it was worth the trouble of getting up or not. On one side he could try to sleep, the man would attack him and Ace would have to fight him back, on the other hand he could dutifully get up and be questioned while maybe learning something of interest. In the end he''d have to forgo sleeping either way so he might as well do it without blowing the cover. After a lot more of grumbling and turtle speed moving Ace stood before the man, tightly holding his flute. "Are you finally done now?" Caro asked the goblin in an exasperated tone. He had wasted more than twenty minutes only trying to get the thing up and moving. The goblin nodded clutching his instrument so much it looked like it was going to break in pieces at any moment. ''Am I scaring him so much?'' "Why did you make me fall asleep? Did anyone tell you?" he asked in a calmer voice. He needed the goblin to trust him to gain information from him. His question seemed to lighten up the goblin a lot. "You blue eyes. Need sleep. Me help" the goblin said with his head held high, looking very proud of himself. "So nobody told you to? Hadn''t Leo, the man that brought you here, mention anything of a kind?" Caro asked, not fully believing it and having no idea what his blue eyes had to do with anything. "He say me stupid. Me hate him" the goblin answered truthfully. "Did he now?" Caro asked rhetorically. This explanation earned his trust much better than any other. Goblins weren''t good at deceiving so if he said he hated Leo, he meant it. "How did you learn to play like that anyway? I never heard of a goblin musician and you possess some nice skill." The goblin smiled brightly showing all his yellow teeth. "Me learn from me. Me smart, never say. Me play for me." Caro blinked a few times trying to decipher the meaning. The beginning probably went along the lines of being self-taught while the other part was about keeping it secret. ''This goblin is way more advanced than others if he thought of keeping his gift quiet. How did he even come to such a conclusion?'' "How did you end up here?" "Big man attack. Me hide. All dead, not me. Me safe, big house. Big man stop me, take here" the goblin said counting each event on his fingers. "Okay..." that was a very unusual story for a goblin but this one didn''t seem to follow the rules at all. ''It''s time to end this chatter and focus back on my plans. Maybe I should walk around to see what''s happened while I was out? How long was I asleep anyway?'' He walked out of the room and the goblin followed him. Caro was surprised but didn''t tell him to stay. Together they walked to the highest place - the bell tower. From there they could see all the surrounding areas at the front filled with players. They were camping there and chatting among the fires. You could hear the echo of their voices coming up the mountain. "There''s so many of them. I never expected them to come here at all. We chose this kingdom as it is was one of the weakest ones and didn''t even have a show off army. I still can''t understand why they are all here." Ace listened to Caro''s words with interest. He had heard mention of Oradin not having an army but this guy knew it for sure. That meant Lasran¡¯s lord hired everyone out of his own bag. But for what reason? It would be good blackmail material if he found that out. "It was going so well before they showed up. We had secured the castle and even earned the trust of nearby villagers. Soon enough we would have gained enough power to seize a larger city and rule the kingdom ourselves. Now it¡¯s all gone. A few months¡¯ work destroyed and all the favour I worked so hard for is gone. It''ll be like starting anew but with minus statuses. Maybe I should recreate myself after all? Well, for now I''ll delay them as long as I can. The faster they do things the higher the reward so I''ll do my damnest to make sure they don''t profit from my fall. I can hold this place for a very long time until they bring a dozen high levelled wizards." Ace understood the man''s anger. It was bad to lose in a gamble but it was even worse to win but be denied your prize. He decided to let the man have his fun. He would stay around being a flautist goblin without revealing his true identity or helping Monthu in any way. The guy deserved to have some hardships too for throwing the rogues on his head. The fact that Monthu had a whole army on his head never crossed Ace''s mind. He didn''t even consider what he had to do as Ace wasn''t there to see it. He believed only what he saw and felt, nothing else was real. After that the two went to check up on the remaining human officers. There were only four of them including Leo who sneered at Ace. The kid didn''t stay quiet and spit at his shoes. Caro had to use a lot of his power to protect the goblin from being removed from the living. "Don''t do that again" Caro said chastising the goblin who lowered his head. "Big man said fight, me fight" the goblin answered going beside Caro. "What do you mean? He didn''t say anything!" Ace snarled at the man showing his teeth. He had seen goblins do that a few times when they were fighting but he knew nothing for real. But pretending like you knew what you were doing was an easy way to go around that. "Are you sure that''s it?" Ace growled and jumped on the man who danced out of his way "Okay okay, that''s enough! I believe you" Caro said with a slight smile and chose the path to his study. On their way there Ace received a message from Monthu. He made sure the man wasn''t looking and opened it up. /I see you''re still alive. Are you in the castle?/ It was such an obvious question but he probably should answer to it if only to annoy him even more. "Eat!" he said to his companion pointing at his mouth. "Do you know where your dining room is?" Ace sniffed a few times as if he could smell it and pointed behind himself. He had seen the place when he was wandering alone at first. It was a middle sized room with a large bar like thing behind which a large female goblin stood giving everyone a blob of so called food. Ace went there and took his share debating whether it was better than barley bread or not. The taste was on the same level as the bread. It wasn''t as hard and more easily edible but all green and jelly like which was disgusting. While eating he sent Monthu a single yes. /Do you have anything to report?/ /Nope/ /Are you suddenly siding with them?/ Ace thought for a moment what to say. It wasn''t like he wanted to change his allegiances out of the blue but he didn''t want to help Monthu either. The victor was already decided with plenty of time till the quest¡¯s end so he felt no need to interfere more. The leader of this place should have his last moments of glory too. /I have my reasons. I''ll be the neutral party for the remaining time./ /Does that mean you have nothing to do with the approaching army?/ /What army?/ Ace asked surprised. He didn''t remember having done anything about it. /There are over a thousand players coming this way. They seem tired and travel worn as if they had been going for days. Doesn''t ring any bells?/ /Not really. I don''t remember asking for any help. I really don''t.../ Ace wrote perplexed. He didn''t like when things happened so much against his plans. ''What could those people possibly want?'' If he gave the other faction a chance to fight back didn''t mean, a third should come and get it all over with. /Can you keep me updated on what''s happening?/ /And why should I let you inform them?/ /He thinks I''m a goblin.../ Ace answered with a sigh. He would have liked to talk to Caro like normal human beings but there were just too many discrepancies between them, for example like opposite sides... /Good disguise, easily made/ /Hahaha, very funny. So keep me updated/ That done Ace turned the chat off and still wondering who it could be went to find Core. He found the guy in his study reading a map. It showed the whole castle interior with all secret passages. Ace made sure to imprint it in his mind and sat down. Caro glanced at him but continued with his work, marking something. *** Monthu sat in his office thinking about this new development. It was a surprise to hear that Ace had nothing to do with it but it left even more questions open as to their origin. *Knock* *Knock* "Come in" "How''s it going?" Hawk asked closing the doors behind himself. Monthu motioned him to a chair before his desk and answered. "I don''t have any information to work with here and I prefer to try and reason with them" "You think they won''t attack on sight?" "Fenek reported that they look very tired, I doubt they''d want to fight in that condition" Monthu said. "I suppose so. The camp is in an uproar now. Most of them are afraid they''ll steal our quest or prevent us from finishing" Hawk said explaining his reason for coming. "Is that so? The worst that could happen is all of us would die and have to come back. I doubt they''d stay to purposely delay or destroy us" Monthu said and stood up to leave. The doors burst open in his face. "General! Come here quickly!" a knight in bright shining plate armour said in a huff. "What happened?" Monthu asked hurrying after the guy. Hawk followed after. A few steps away around thirty knights sat on their horses in their best show off armour. One of them went forward holding the reins of a free horse. "The army is sending their representatives to talk so we must go" the guy said giving Monthu the reins, who looked a bit shocked. His war horse to a knight was his most prized possession alongside his lance. None would hand it over freely under normal circumstances. Something was going on here. "This is Spark. Take good care of him" the first knight said petting the animal gently. "Thank you..." Monthu said unsure of what else to do and mounted the light brown haired horse. "Godspeed" the guy said and turning around walked away quickly. Monthu looked to his companions. "What is exactly going on? And why wasn''t I informed about it earlier?" "We heard rogues talking about it and knew you couldn''t meet them on foot. Jay suggested giving up his Spark and letting you ride there among us" one of them said turning his horse towards the gates. Others followed and with Monthu in the lead they left with their heads raised and armour shining in the sun. They rode silently all lost in their own thoughts. Around a mile away from the first wall they stopped and waited for the approaching twenty to reach them. They walked slowly and only after half an hour finished the last mile separating them. A beautiful female in leather armour stood at the front with her head raised high. She had middle length light brown hair which softened her sharp features and made her look more feminine, her obvious curves added to that too. She had a rapier strapped to her waist and two daggers. She seemed a year or two shy from twenty. Dark haired paladin stood at her right with his broadsword at ready. There was animosity in his face as if he expected them to be troublemakers. The rest stayed a step back but had their weapons ready too. Most of them were fighters with a few mages and archers in the mix. They were made probably of friends as otherwise their composition would require at least a few healers too. "I''m Vera and I''m looking for the kids that came here with you. Where are they?" the female asked with the smallest of introductions. "I prefer knowing who you are before answering your questions" Monthu said calmly, hiding his surprise. "We''re the Royal Ravens¡¯ guild and we''re looking for a kid. The Lasran city lord said you had two of them coming here. Show them to us" "That is a very demanding voice you use while asking to see kids. Don''t you think I''d be careful with them around strangers?" Monthu asked with a raised eyebrow. The female''s cheeks pinked slightly. "I''m sorry, I''m just very tired and worried. We''ve come from Lavana in search of him but he''s nowhere in sight! Can you please at least tell their age so we could know if there''s a chance of him being here?" she pleaded. Monthu thought for a moment and seeing nothing dangerous in it answered. "One of them is eight years old while the other looks around thirteen." He felt no need to explain Ace''s difficult situation to them. "He could be either" the guy next to the girl whispered to her but everyone heard it. "Can you let us see them?" the girl asked hopefully. "No" Monthu said without even thinking. His brother surely had nothing to do with them and they were nothing but trouble. "Why not?" the girl asked annoyed. "War is going in here. I''m not going to let the kids meet random strangers just because they asked to." "We have more manpower!" the right hand of the girl said in a shout his face angry. "You might have it but we have a wall" Monthu said to him, calmly noting to put the trebuchet on fire on his way back. "Kev calm down. We''re not here to cause trouble" Vera said before turning back towards Monthu. "I''m sorry about him. We''ve come here in peace. Can you please allow the two of us to come back with you? You can use us as hostages if our army tries to attack" she said promising her life away. It wasn''t everything in a game but death meant huge losses of experience in skills and levels. "Why do you want to see them so badly?" Monthu asked. "He''s our soul. The kid we''re looking for is everyone''s little brother and we can''t take it knowing he''s wandering all alone in this monster filled worldu¡± the girl said passionately. ''That''s hardly a description of Ace but if they could help us get to the castle it''s worth a shot.'' "Fine but only the two of you" Monthu said in a cutting voice that allowed no debates. "Great" the girl said happily revealing her bright pearly teeth. Monthu shook his head slightly turning his horse around and followed by his silent escort plus two new members on foot faced the castle. Next Chapter 2.6 Loathed Beauty Previous Chapter Author''s Note: So here it is. This is a chapter which I liked very much because it showed Ace''s personality in a bit different light when his usual playful self. I hope you enjoy it too. Leave your comments :) **** Most of the players stood on opposite sides of the road like two giant snakes. They were eagerly waiting for the general''s return and knew he''d say the news only from his stand. It was annoying but good at the same time. At least they could hear everything together without anyone able to flaunt their knowledge about what was going on. The addition of two people hadn¡¯t passed anyone''s eyes. They followed a few meters away from the beauty and her knight in shining armour to where the stand stood. There Monthu jumped down from his horse and gave its reins to the worried knight who petted his horse with great relief. Monthu stood up on the platform and seeing everyone here, even his friends and brother, explained the situation. "The army whose representatives came here promise to stay away from us and leave the moment their business is finished. These two are the leaders and our guarantee of their distance so make sure they don''t escape accidentally with no one to blame" The paladin looked like he was going to say something at that but the girl put the hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear that calmed him down instantly. "I tell you all this so take care" Monthu said and stepped down. There was no reason to say all the unimportant details to the crowd who stood for a moment before thinning out relieved. Only his friends stayed and came to him. They made sure to take a big circle around the two strangers before coming to him. "What did you see there?" Par asked coming to his side. "Lots and lots of tired people, like we were after breaching the wall." Par made a sound of discontent for not hearing anything interesting and looked at the two newcomers who were eyeing him with hope. He heard Monthu talking with the others but he didn''t really care about it. He wanted to know why they were looking at him like that. "Who are they?" he asked cutting Monthu in the middle of his sentence. The guy looked at the sky but replied. "I suppose we should better get it over with. Come Par." Together they went to the pair who were waiting eagerly. The moment they were only a few meters away, the female couldn''t take it anymore and ran towards them. Right before Par she stopped and lowering herself at his height asked in a sweetest voice possible. "Ang is it you?" Par took a step back hiding behind Monthu''s back. The female''s forwardness wasn''t to his liking. She was scary. It was something only a kid could say. "Hey, don''t be afraid. I''m Vera, don''t you recognize me?" the girl asked trying again. "My name is Par" the kid said, not leaving his hiding place behind his brother. "And I don''t know you. Tell her that, brother!" "What? You''re brothers?" Vera asked straightening up with a crestfallen look on her face. "Yes" Monthu said calmly. "Why didn''t you say so before? We¡¯re only wasting time here. Let''s go, Vera" the paladin said angrily. He was clearly a very short-tempered person. "You wouldn''t have believed me" Monthu said all-knowingly and the two had to agree. They would have thought he was hiding Ang from them. They were turning to leave when Vera remembered something. "Wait, what about the other kid? Is he your family too?" "No, we picked him up in a forest and he stuck with us since." "Can we see him?" the girl asked, a slight hope returning to her heart. "He''s unavailable at the moment" Monthu said, calming down his brother who didn''t want to face the female again. "When will he be on?" the guy asked. "He''s even now" Hawk said in a sad voice noticing a good opportunity. "He just managed to get stuck in a castle full of goblins and heartless players by himself while we can''t get in." "You mean you let a lone kid go there without anyone to protect him?" Vera asked in disbelief and horror at what she was hearing. "It was more like he sneaked away in the middle of the fight and we noticed he was gone only when it was too late" Hawk said truthfully. Ace had the habit of doing that all the time. The two looked at each other and then at Hawk. "How does he look like?" It was a stupid question as Ang could have changed everything in his appearance so much that no one would recognize him. But he might have left at least a single thing to know him from. "He''s small. Doesn''t wear armour..." Hawk said trying to remember the kid well. Vera rolled her eyes and looked at Aurora. "I hope you can give me a real description." The priestess laughed. "I''m sure I could. He''s around ten years old while being quite small around one meter and a half. He has very beautiful golden hair and big eyes. He''s thin and likes to play around all the time. You''d never be bored with him. Also he''s sweet and nice. A little angel, you could say." Vera''s eyes shone brighter with every word as Hawk''s grew darker. The girl was almost a hundred percent sure it was Ang. The world could hardly have another such a perfect boy. "That''s him!" Vera said happily and hugged the paladin who returned her happiness. Both of them looked as if they''ve won the jackpot. "Don''t believe her. Her opinion is biased" Fenek said from nowhere where he had overheard the conversation. "What do you mean?" Vera asked with suspicion. "The kid is a monster without a drop of humanity. He almost killed all the rogues for simple entertainment. He''s nothing but a spoiled brat who thinks his dad can buy him everything. We shouldn''t have believed that bullshit in the first place" he said spitting on the ground in anger. He couldn''t believe the kid had used them and then abandoned like trash. "Did he really say that?" Vera asked with tears in her eyes. "Uhm.... Yes?" Fenek said uncertainly. Why was the girl on the verge of crying? "Poor Ang! I never thought he felt like that! His parents are always away and he says he''s okay but I should have known he''d put a strong cover. He''s such a sweetheart not wanting to worry anyone!" she said a single tear running down her cheek. "....." everyone was at a loss for words. Even Aurora who saw Ace in a better light than others couldn''t believe the things that were said. Ace caring about others'' feelings? That didn''t sound like him at all. He always did what he wanted without a care for who would suffer like what happened to the rogues. When he left them half of them died while a few others managed to escape with a drop of life. "Is there a way we can get to him somehow?" the paladin asked with a steely expression, concentrated on a single purpose of getting to Ang. "None. The barrier protecting the castle must be brought down before anyone being able to enter or leave." "So you mean he''s all alone among the enemies being scared and hiding in a corner while you''re doing nothing?" None of the five, Par included, believed Ace could be reduced to cowering in a corner but Monthu pretended to have forgotten the fact. If they would help him remove the spell, he was ready to forget many things. "We''re looking for a high levelled mage that could do it but haven''t found anyone suitable. If you have, we''d be glad to let him in." Vera and Kev knew they were being used but they told ten best mages of their guild to hurry here and help in any way they could. It was all worth it, if it helped Ang. "His name is Ace" Par said suddenly and ran off. Monthu blinked a few times before hurrying after him. The kid was moving swiftly through the crowd making his older brother wonder where he had learnt it. Soon he got swallowed by the people in the merchants¡¯ district and Monthu was lost. ''Where did he run off? And why?'' he questioned himself while darting from one dark street to the another even darker one. He had no idea where he was when he heard a child crying. Silently he walked closer and saw his brother sitting on some steps and bawling his eyes out. Without thinking more he sat beside him and sat him in his lap. He rocked his brother slightly until he tired himself out and fell asleep. Monthu could have stood up and taken him to the camp but decided against it. The day was still warm and it was better to let the kid rest. While he had time he contacted Ace. /You know you''re a liar?/ After half an hour a reply came. /What did I do now?/ Monthu wasn''t sure how to take it. It could be an agreement with a laugh or an ironic response from someone who supposedly is always at fault. In Ace''s position it could be both and still be true. /The army you said you knew nothing of came here specially to find you/ he wrote in a neutral tone, deciding it was the best choice. /Don''t tell me.../ That line portrayed horror and Monthu guessed that Ace wasn''t really waiting for them. /A girl named Vera and her knight paladin Kev is sending their best mages to get you out of there/ /God no! How the hell they got from Lavana to here in less than a month?! I thought I had some time to prepare!/ /Prepare for what?/ /Haven''t you seen them? They''re monsters! They want to turn me into a doll!/ /Fenek said something about you being a spoiled brat and she found out you''re missing your parents so much/ Monthu wrote deciding he deserved to know everything. /Kill me now... How am I supposed to meet her tomorrow like this.../ /What do you mean meet her? The barrier won''t fall for at least a week/ /Real freaking life. Tomorrow she''s taking me to the beach with Kevin and his gang in tow. How am I supposed to survive it?/ Ace said in a wine making Monthu smile. He reminded him of Par at times. /Like you did it every other time. Besides you still have a few days here to prepare mentally for that/ /Thanks a lot. And by the way tell Par I''m not leaving no matter what. He''s my friend and I''m not going to leave just because they came./ /Can I ask you a question?/ /Yes..?/ /Do you really think of Par as a friend? Or do you use him as someone to pass time with? Tell the truth. / There was silence from the other end for a long time. So long that Monthu had almost given up on receiving anything. /As I said before, I became friends to have an upper hand on you but things change. He''s a very bright kid so I don''t think it''s a nuisance to talk to him. How far am I going to go with him, I haven''t decided yet. It all depends on how this plays out, to tell the truth. There''s just so much I can do to keep them at bay. Want it or not, they have the power over me/ Monthu was about to ask him to explain when the chat was cut off. He noticed that Ace loved to be the one who leaves first. He sat silently for a long time before his brother woke up trying to figure out Ace''s and the two''s relationship but there were too many unknown factors. It looked like the girl would do anything to find and protect him while Ace made it look like she was a prison warden. Was either of them in the right? Or was there a place where all people were crazy in their own way? Par moved slightly stealing Monthu''s attention and opened his eyes. They were clear but full of sadness. "Ace is going to leave, isn''t he?" was his first question. "That is still unknown" Monthu said. He didn''t want to give his brother an unfound hope but he looked so forlorn now... "It all depends whether he can make those people let him stay with us or not" "Are they his family?" Par asked wide-eyed. "They''re someone from real life but I''m not sure they''re family" Monthu said thoughtfully and then whispered to his brother. "Do you want to hear a secret?" Par nodded eagerly, his whole body moving. "Ace doesn''t really want to go with them leaving you here. He said so himself." "He did?" Par asked happily. Now he could be sure Ace was a true friend. "Yes, he did. So come now. You be a strong warrior too. Don''t let them see you crying again, okay?" "Yes" Par said putting his right hand on the heart in a promise. Then hand in hand they returned to the camp. Aurora was the first to notice their approach and ran towards them. She hugged Par making sure he was okay now and nodded at Monthu for taking care of him. "What happened?" she asked. Par looked distraught so Monthu answered instead. "Par wanted to walk around a bit. He was bored standing all the day with you, right brother?" "Right" Par said with a solemn nod, thanking his brother with his eyes for keeping the secret. "Okay..." Aurora knew there was more to it but if Monthu had resolved it there was no need to bring it back. "Vera has invited us to their makeshift camp to talk about Ace and I agreed. They want to know everything about him so we''re the ones who can shed most light on his life here". "I''m not sure they want the light we can shed" Hawk murmured off-handedly coming to stand with them. Monthu agreed with him inwardly but Aurora had already accepted the invitation so they had to go. "Do you want to come?" he asked Par. The kid thought for a moment. "Will I be able to sit with you?" Monthu nodded. There was no questioning that. "I''ll be right back then" Par said running off to where their house was. Inside he picked up the staff he had found. It was chipped in many places but still contained a lot of magical power. The fact that it was higher than him only appealed to the kid more. But that wasn''t all that he did. He opened his chat menu and found Ace among his friends. /Can you talk now?/ Few minutes later there was a reply. /Yeah, sure. Anything interesting happened?/ /We''re going to the two monsters'' place to talk about you/ It took some time for a reply to come. /You mean Vera and Kev?/ /Yeah. They wanted to hear about your life here and Aura agreed. My brother and Hawk weren''t so happy about it/ /Thanks for telling me/ came an answer before the chat was cut off but that didn''t stop Par from creating a new one. /I wanted to know if you''d like to listen./ /Wait, what?/ /You''re so smart and Monthu said you don''t want to go with them. So I thought if you heard what they were talking when you''re not around, you''d be able to find a way to stay with us./ There was silence for a long two minutes before Ace finally wrote back a very short message. /Do it/ This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. *** Ace didn''t like the plan at all. He knew what they were thinking about him and there was no good reason to pour salt on his wounds. But Par gave him a legitimate reason to do something without even knowing it. Ace had agreed to understand what the group will be thinking after hearing things from Vera and Kev. If there still will be a reason to stay with them, or will he have to get away alone. There was not a chance he was going to stay with the overprotective duo more than a necessary second, that was for sure. "Where have you been?" Caro asked when he returned to his study. "You ran off as if there was a fire" "Tree" Ace said sitting in his spot against the wall. Caro blinked a few times trying to figure out the meaning. Goblin talk was so simplistic that it was a genius created one. They used a very small amount of different words but managed to understand each other just as well. Soon enough the meaning came to him. "Oh..." he said and returned to his papers. Ace looked through his pockets for some dried meat. Popcorn wasn''t obtainable anywhere where he could get it so that was the second best thing. He managed to find a few small pieces but that was all. He was clearly running out of edible things for watching or hearing good shows. This time barley bread will have to suffice. Ace promised himself to look for new supplies when he had the time. Now he just made himself more comfortable and waited. The sounds of a battle camp were in his ears but it wasn''t what he was waiting for. First had to come the quietness of a small room, then the soft sounds of people going to a room and then the dreaded voices of his caretakers. ''An army of one thousand and more, huh? Where did they even get enough people that were crazy enough to join them? I should probably be careful around them and there''s still the getting away thing. How should I run away that they wouldn''t ban Regal Dream for me in real life?'' It was a tough question so he pondered it for a little while until the sounds of large crowds of people went to the background and then disappeared altogether. "Welcome! And the kid came too! I''m so glad!" Vera''s voice came through the chat and Ace closed his eyes for a second. He really didn''t want to spend his game time listening to her too. But he needed to see where he''ll stand after this evening. It was a miracle he even got a chance at that. "Hi" Aurora said in a cheerful voice. Ace could almost see her wide smile stretching from one ear to another. "How do you like it here?" she asked. Vera''s answer was muffled down by the sounds of chairs being pulled. "I think you''ve done it quite well" Kev said. "Thanks" Monthu said in a friendly voice that lacked any kind of affection. "What are your names? I don''t think we''ve been properly introduced. I''m Vera and this is Kev. We''ve been friends since childhood. What about you?" Vera asked. "Well, I''m Aurora and this adorable kid is Paradox." There was a grumbling sound right in Ace''s ear. "You already know his older brother Monthu. The last guy is Hawk. He''s very closed mouth so don''t expect anything from him" Aurora said with a laugh. "And you could say we know each other since we were born too." "Oh, so you''re not a randomly formed group?" "Not at all. We started together from the beginning" she said. "How did Ang come into this equation then? I doubt you''d want someone unknown joining you" Vera asked interested. "Uhm..." the silence continued for a little while because Aurora didn''t want to lie but how could she say he forced them into it? "We found him looking like a wet rat and feeling generous we picked him up. We couldn''t get rid of him since then" Hawk said in an annoyed voice. Why was he doing that anyway? "Did he now? Sorry about that. He''s very affectionate" Vera said with a light tone making Ace clench his teeth. What right did she have to say sorry for his actions? He wasn''t feeling anything of the like! "It''s no problem. He''s a sweetheart!" Aurora said. "That he is" Vera said agreeing. "Anyway were you okay with him in quests? I hope he wasn''t creating trouble for you?" "No! Not at all! He was very nice and even helped us with his unique spells!" "Really? What did he do?" "He has a small flame always circling his head. At times when he''s in danger it bursts out into millions of tiny sparks that blind everyone around beside him. It''s really a great spectacle!" Aurora said enthusiastically. She had seen the spell while hiding in a wagon and loved every moment Ace was using it. "Is it like a pet?" Vera asked intrigued. She had never heard of anything alike. "I''m not sure... I thought it was a simple Flare spell but when he used it that way... I''m no longer positive" Aurora said in a thoughtful voice. Ace wanted to laugh at that. A ball of fire as a pet? This game was better than giving inanimate objects personalities and turning them into living beings. If that wasn¡¯t the case, soon enough people would be running around with stools bouncing after them. "Is he that innovative in real life too?" Aurora asked interested to hear more about the kid. Now it was Vera''s time to fall silent. She had to think of what to say about her little brother that would explain things but still keep him safe. It was the moment of truth Ace had been waiting for and dreading at the same time. "Has he said anything about himself before?" she asked quietly. "A few things... Is there something we shouldn''t know?" Monthu asked with a raised eyebrow. "I suppose that means he''d told you about it." Vera''s face became very worried. But after a moment she shook it off and schooled her features into business like one. "Can you please tell me what exactly did he say to you? It''ll be important for his medications. He had no reason to talk about anything concerning it" she said in a level voice that was very convincing. Ace grit his teeth and smashed at the wall. He hated when she said that like he couldn''t think for himself. Like his every step had to be monitored. Like he was a nutcase who couldn''t take care of himself, not even talking about keeping relationships. "Weren''t your eyes green previously?" came a voice from somewhere nearby and Ace looked around. His eyes refocused on where he sat. "Why are they flashing red now?" Caro asked. Ace just shook his head and taking deep breaths relaxed against the wall with his eyes closed. The other side was quiet giving him a moment to recompose himself. He decided to keep his eyes shut and not too long after that he heard heavy steps getting away from him. Caro had returned to his work and Ace could return to the conversation he no longer wanted to hear at all. "So what did he say and why? What brought it out?" Vera asked again. "He was acting way beyond his age so Monthu... He accused Ace of being... Uhh... Well, someone who only... kind of picked a child''s appearance..." "He did what?" Kev asked in outrage, interrupting Aurora''s shaking speech. "So I did. He wasn''t a normal kid and I know what one is like. Listen. I accused him but instead of laughing at my words he sneered saying he didn''t change anything. That years might say different but that was who he was and he was ready to defend it with weapons" Monthu said in a firm voice trying to calm everyone down. There was surely something going on that Ace hadn''t told them. Now they were in a middle of it all which looked like it was going to end in a family feud or something close by. "You don''t understand! Ang''s position is very precarious! If there are symptoms of him changing, he must be sent to a hospital immediately. So tell me for sure was he a normal child of eleven or not?" Vera asked angrily, her face becoming sharper and losing its delicateness. "You could say so. But shouldn''t he have become smarter over the years even if his body stayed the same?" Aurora said getting annoyed by Vera pretending to know it all. "He''s sick! It''s not only his body that stayed same but his brain too! His mind hasn''t passed the level of a young child! It''s been proven by medical tests so don''t try to pass it as if you hadn¡¯t heard it! I warn you! Don''t try and make a bigger problem of what it already is!" Vera said in a threatening tone having stood up somewhere in her talk. Half of her body was bowed over the table, her eyes under the big lashes glaring at Monthu. ¡®She has beautiful light blue eyes¡¯ Monthu noted absent mindedly. "Do you hear me?" she asked once again repeating herself. "Yeah. He''s your little toy and we shouldn''t interfere. Fine by me. Bye" Monthu said standing up. While the female stood with her mouth wide open, he left with his brother in tow. The scene stayed for a long while before anyone was able to talk again. Even Aurora and Hawk were stunned by Monthu''s sudden leave with such hurtful words. "I''m sorry! He didn''t mean it! He''s just stressing about this quest, what with him being a leader and all! Please forgive him!" Aurora said pleadingly. She was taught that you had to keep good relationships with everyone no matter what because this way you''ll have many people in your time of need. And she believed it wholeheartedly. "How did he dare to say something like that? Doesn''t he have a soul?" Vera asked fuming. "I''m sorry, he didn''t mean it. He''s just..." Ace no longer listened to what was being said. Blind rage was clouding his mind. How did she dare to come and destroy everything he worked so hard to gain? Why? Why did she have to spout the nonsense of him being a kid? It was a laughable matter! He couldn''t even remember the time when he felt like a kid the last time! That witch! I wish I could kill her again and again for every little thing! Twice! His eyes from raging red became bottomless pits of blackness, empty voids that couldn''t be filled with anything. But he wanted to. He needed to see her pay for what she did. Every time he created something she came and stole it away! There was no forgiveness in his heart. Nor for her, nor for anyone else. He stood up catching Caro''s attention but instead of saying anything took out his daggers and attacked with all he had. The guy managed to block it but knew it wasn''t going to last. Ace''s attacks lacked strength but were extremely quick and absolutely unpredictable. Fuelled by anger he was out for blood and nothing else mattered. He wanted her to pay. [Fear of the Hungry] was activated and Ace lost himself in the movement. He was slashing, stabbing, jumping around and evading all the attacks coming his way. The man couldn''t even touch him. Random kick to the shin while pretending to go for a slash. A man fallen. Dagger in his back. Red blood oozing out, a hand grabbed. Wait, what? Ace looked at Caro who had grabbed his left hand but he was already becoming a grey cloud. Good riddance. But Ace still felt full of rage. He needed to pay her back. There was nothing else that was important or worth noting. He left the room and with an unhurried step went to look for someone. Goblins that met him fell silently, making it their resting place. Nothing stood between him and the next room. A human with twenty goblins stayed there. He turned to face and laughed at him saying something. Yet Ace''s ears didn''t register the sound. There was no reason to hear a dead man talking. He walked in and in slow motion stabbed the nearest goblin killing him in one hit. That made the man''s eyes widen and an order to kill him get shouted out. Ace didn''t mind. He had Fear active and it was all he needed. Round slash here, dodge there, punch and head-butt. It made his vision swim but [Instincts of a Predator] made eyes an unnecessary addition. Turn left, right and backwards, move like you''re made of light and nothing can stop you. Ace laughed as he stabbed a goblin in the eye. They had nothing on him. He was the king, the emperor and the god. His rage was a natural disaster like a flood or a hurricane. Unstoppable and deadly yet so fascinating. He was the one who decided who lived and who died. He had let them live and now was taking it back! They should be bowing before him! Dark blood sprouted on his face. He stopped for a second as if feeling it with his skin before resuming his mad attacks. There was no order in it. Pure instincts were dictating his movements; logic and reason having been kicked out to farthest corners of the world. Another laugh escaped his lips. Everyone was dead. Ace was angry. How did they dare to die so fast? Couldn''t he find a challenge anywhere? With a twisted smile he left in search of something else. Walking around he pondered why his skill was called Fear. Wasn''t it more like rage? It was a stupid idea to call it fear. Slash. Didn''t they know better? People don''t fight when they''re afraid. They do that when they''re filled to the brim with anger that''s threatening to burst out. Stab. There were a lot of movements around a certain area so Ace''s legs took him there. Inside the remaining humans with their goblin units were huddling together. It was exactly what he needed. A shout of joy and he was among them dancing with his blades held tightly. "Ice Field" he said smiling and the entire floor was covered in a thin layer of frozen water. Everyone fell on the slippery floor while Ace jumped on their heads. He produced the daggers from his boots and went for a more active approach to battle. He jumped in all directions from one body to another kicking and slashing at everything that moved. Sometime later he remembered to use another ability [Flame Step] that he had learnt not too long ago. It was a massacre to say the least. Like a grasshopper he was swiftly jumping around, not giving a chance for a counter attack. Bored he took out some poisons and threw the opened bottles up. The things sprayed out covering everyone around, Ace included. Yet the crazy smile stayed on his lips. He was taking them with him. None were going to escape his revenge, his hatred for their freedom. Death. All around. No one alive but him. He was still moving. Somehow. That was unbelievable. His shaking legs still held his weight and were taking him away. Leaving death behind. ''Where am I going?'' he wondered waking up from his daze. ''Rampage, huh?'' he thought laughing and pushing the gates before him open. Bright sunlight shined, blinding him for a moment. What arose before his eyes was a magnificent thing. Dozens and dozens of people stood ahead in beautiful lines prepared for battle. They all raised their weapons towards him and the attack on the castle began. Next Chapter 2.7 Conspiracy Previous Chapter Author''s Note: So here''s another chapter for you. I had something I wanted to say but right now it''s twelve o''clock and my mind is no longer working so that''s all... Hope you like it. **** It was a great morning. Sun shone brightly basking everything in light after the night''s darkness while a soft wind brushed past refreshingly. A single bird had woken up first and was telling his tale to the world. But humans rarely followed the pace of nature. This time was no exception. Like a great flood they were running towards a magnificent building, ready to smash it into pieces if that was what was needed to win. So a small goblin standing in their way had no chance of even delaying them for a second. Ace looked at them with wonder filled eyes. Why did he always in this game managed to end up in an unfavourable situation? And there wasn''t a place he could run to. Maybe they would leave him alive because he''s a kid? "Kill the goblin and advance ahead without stopping!" someone shouted and Ace felt like face palming. He was no kid but a despicable and absolutely stupid goblin. It''s no surprise he stood here looking at them like an idiot. Something had to be done to preserve his life but what exactly? They would be on him in seconds and lots of flying things would follow him if he tried to jump away. He noticed mages sitting on top of buildings and hiding there. It was a stupid idea as goblins'' throw ability was absolutely pathetic but he wasn''t the one to talk. He was even worse than they... And then they were on him. Lots of flashing steel and roaring voices. That was seen a second before he got grabbed by the collar and dragged to the side through the masses of rushing players. They seemed to be making a small circle of free space around his abductor/saviour. It was hard to say which one the guy was exactly. "Tell me I didn''t drag a random goblin away?" came a very familiar voice from his captor when they escaped the centre of the flood. "I think I''m going to promote you to a bodyguard" Ace said happily. He was quite relieved to have stayed alive. "You''re always right on time." "Don''t make a habit out of it. One day I might just decide to leave you there" Monthu said with a huff and dragged Ace to one of the buildings where his party members had ran down to hear what was going on. Ace didn''t argue. It wasn''t like his clothes could get any worse than they were now. Starting with charred downs, advancing with tons of dust and finishing with blood spattered all over him. A bit of earth had nothing on it. "Why did you suddenly jump in to save a goblin?" Aurora asked rushing to him. "Someone might have accidentally killed you instead." "He should better try" Monthu said laughing. None would even dare to think of hurting him or all army would go on the guy for revenge. He might have been low level and unknown but he led them to victory and that was all that mattered. "Why did you do it anyway?" Hawk asked too. Monthu rolled his eyes and threw the goblin, who squeaked unmanly, towards others. "Doesn''t he look familiar to you?" Ace whined lightly, rubbing his head and raised it meeting the curious eyes of three humans. He made an innocent expression while looking up an incantation for [Revelation]. "Am I supposed to know him from somewhere?" Aurora asked while Par got in Ace''s face. They were only a few centimetres apart. "Hey, careful there! He might be dangerous!" she said, taking Par by his shoulder and pushing him away. "The only one he is dangerous to is himself. I haven''t seen anyone so lacking a sense of danger as him.¡± "Huh?" Aurora asked when Ace started to chant. "Visions of old that were placed to hide the truth from strangers and ignorant ones show me your true colours, Revelation!" His body started to shimmer, white mist surrounding it. Soon he couldn''t even be seen through it. "Gust" he said and was revealed in all his unkempt glory. "Ace?" Par asked with his eyes wide. "One and the only" he said glaring at his clothes. On a goblin it looked normal, but on a human... Well, it wouldn''t be surprising if someone mistook him for a dust collector. "Seriously... What did you do now?" Hawk asked with a note of jealousy in his voice. "I might have pretended to be a goblin to get inside and meet the leader and then earn his trust..." "Why would they ever believe you?" "Me smart! Me know to say right! Big man like me, play lot!" Ace said putting his illusion back on. But this time it was a small living one that he cancelled off after showing off. Hawk''s shocked expression was a good reward. "And now I need to take a bath, so please excuse me" he said before standing up and running away. "Aren''t you going to see Vera first? She''s very worried about you!" Aurora asked shouting after him. She could have sworn he sped up even more after hearing her words. Ace used [Shadow Veil] after the first corner and slowed down slightly. She just had to remind him of what was to come. He shook his head. There was still time to enjoy the freedom, he''ll be able to cry himself a river after that. Talking about a river he was quickly approaching one. The last steps he ran at full speed and jumped in using [Shadow Dash]. Cold water met him and welcomed in its deadly embrace. He fell deep, to the very bottom before rising up again. Breaking the surface he breathed a mouthful of air and sighed in relief. He was feeling better by each second he was getting the grime off his body. And then there was a message of him getting a cold. ''That''s not fair! I''m not even finished yet!'' He was about to angrily storm out when he remembered his own spell. "Excessive Heat!" He felt warmth enveloping him and removing the feeling of refreshing cold. ''It seems there''s not a way I can win here'' he thought annoyed and went to where the river was shallower. There he took off most of his clothes and scrubbed himself clean. He was finely feeling good when he remembered he hadn''t gotten any spare clothes. So now it was wearing wet and dirty ones or wearing none. ''Why didn''t I think about it before, again..?'' It was a good question that he pondered for more than ten minutes. Neither prospect seemed like a good one for him. /Hey, can you come to the river?/ he wrote to Par in the end. It took the kid long twenty minutes before he managed to find him. Ace''s mood had become sour by that time. Because of [Excessive Heat] he wasn''t cold but was none the less stuck for a whole half an hour alone on the riverbank with nothing to do. He couldn''t even play the flute because his fingers got wrinkled by spending too much time in the water. "What happened?" Par asked coming closer. Somehow he was alone. "I fell into the river... Do you by any chance have some spare clothes?" Ace asked praying the answer was positive. "Uhm... I should have..." he said opening his inventory. There he found a few robes. The bigger one he took out. "Is this okay?" It was dark green with a black ornament of a flower going down. ''Not that bad'' Ace decided taking it gratefully. The thing could have been the colour of sickly green or not present at all. "Thanks" he said with a bright smile and put it on. It was slightly too small for him but nothing too noticeable. "You''re a life saver, just like your brother." The compliment seemed to please the kid as his smile grew bigger before vanishing suddenly. "You''re going to leave, aren''t you? You have to do what they tell you, don''t you?" he asked quietly. Ace looked at him seriously losing his playful expression too. "Who knows? You''re right, I have to listen to them but it''s different from you. They''re not really my relatives so they don''t feel sympathetic to me like your brother who would forgive you anything. But that doesn''t mean there isn''t a chance of getting rid of them. All I need is a single plan." "Do you really believe it''s possible?" Par asked. There was hopelessness in his voice. He really liked Ace, but now they''ll be separated by no fault of their own. Why were the grown-ups so ruthless? He wished he could become one and be able to travel around with Ace freely, without anyone capable of stopping them. "There''s always a chance. What''s the point of going forward if you don''t believe in your own victory? Who cares if it''s fighting windmill blades?" Ace asked rhetorically, remembering an old book he''d read. Par looked at him strangely. "What do you mean?" "Don''t mind me. What I mean is, I''ll surely stay around here for some time with you and return to finish the quest. So we have a few weeks to come up with a plan. I hope you''re ready to become a conspirator?" Ace asked with a dangerous glint in his eyes. There was no reason not to make it into an adventure himself. Not all quests had to be written down and received from others. Sometimes you had to do something for yourself too. Par thought for a moment. His brother wouldn''t approve of it but he really wanted to do it. He had never done anything of the like before. His brother and parents were always there to stop him from doing anything even remotely dangerous. "Okay!" "Deal!" Ace said with a smile and like true conspirators they shook hands solemnly, sealing their pact. "Let''s meet..." "In the castle? I wasn''t allowed in before because of goblin danger" Par said hopefully. "Perfect. I know everything there. Wait for me somewhere close at ten o''clock, okay?" "I''ll be under the third beast sculpture" Par said, remembering how all those who met secretly did this. Ace nodded and together they stood up and went in different directions. None could see them talking. Inside Ace was laughing at the stupidity of both of their actions. But who wouldn''t want to act out a spy film? Those were the best things ever! So behind the first tree he used [Shadow Veil] and this way went into the city. And good thing he hid. Right past him Vera ran through at full speed. She was rushing towards the river. ''Did she leave her appearance the same so I could recognize her easily?'' Ace wondered. ''Does that mean most of them did that too?'' She was a clear leader of those overprotective of him and all followed her lead most of the time. Further ahead he saw a female earth mage. She hadn''t changed either. Raven black hair, tanned skin, delicate features and a small stature. She was wearing a brown mage''s robe with green designs and had her hair tightened with a light green headband. It didn''t look good at all. She was never good at combining colours. When he came closer, she just looked straight through him like she had for the last five years. At least now he had a legitimate reason to explain to himself why it was so. Shaking his head slightly he made sure no rogues were around and moved away. Nothing could be gained by standing around. "Hasn''t anyone seen him since?" "Some saw the other kid going there but he''s denying it." "How could he just disappear into thin air? That''s not natural!" Ace hurried away. He knew exactly who they were looking for and had no wish to be found. He chose to enter some secret tunnel as it would give him some peace. He couldn¡¯t hide forever but there was nothing bad in prolonging the time of freedom. Once he was found, nothing would be the same. He laughed quietly at the way he described meeting with his childhood friends. It sounded nothing less of a world war. The hall ended in a room filled with people. ''Oh yeah... This one belongs to the assassin family...'' He had turned to go back when a hand on the shoulder stopped him. "What have you come here for this time?" Helbert asked. "Mistake. Been looking for a place to hide. I''ll be out then" he said and was about to leave. "So you''ve lost. I knew it was too good to be true..." he said with sadness. His shoulders slumped in defeat. It didn''t look right on him somehow. "What?" Elena asked appearing from nowhere too. ''They should be extremely high level if I couldn''t even see shadows moving where they were.'' "Not exactly. We won, the castle has been retaken" Ace said explaining helpfully. "Right. And you''re hiding because it''s so safe outside?" Helbert said, unbelieving. "My caretakers came and want to start ordering my life again so I''m trying to stave off that time as far as possible" Ace said shrugging. "So we''re really safe now?" Elena asked hopefully. "Yeah. All goblins with their leaders are dead and the grounds are filled with people of the army and those who came to take me back" "Can we come out freely or is there a reason to wait? Is that why you didn''t come to tell us the moment it happened?" Helbert asked trusting Ace''s decisions. "I f..." Ace caught himself at the last moment. He was about to tell the people he was saving that he had totally forgotten about them! That was totally wrong! "It happened just a few hours ago so I waited some time to make sure everything was safe. I didn''t want to bring you out and then see goblins had latched a surprise attack" he said in a very serious tone pretending that was really his reasoning.
*Deception +4%*
"Thanks. You think it''s okay now?" "It should be. Although it would be safer if you first collected yourselves in a single place and advanced from there. You never know what might happen." "That is true. Could you help us in this?" "Sure" Ace said with a sigh. It''s not like he expected to be able to hide for long. He might as well show up as a hero. "What about the earth wizard''s garden? Many people could stay there hidden while everyone comes?" "Okay. We''ll come there ourselves, you bring others." Ace nodded and left slightly annoyed. He had expected to gain a quest but maybe he wanted too much. They had already given him a lot and he''ll be on the top of contributors'' to this place list, gaining lots of bonuses. It wasn''t bad at all. Thinking this way he went to pick up the survivors. They were ecstatic to hear the news of victory and happily agreed to first meet up with the others who made it through. Taking few groups at a time he managed to get them all by midday. Around a hundred people were now gathered in the small space and were chatting rapidly. They had cried enough tears for those who had fallen and now were rejoicing with those that made it through. Helbert came to see Ace who stood at the side. "We''re all ready. Lead us to the head of the army" he said with earth mage Doran beside him. "I''m proud of you" he said. *The title "Flare of Hope" has become permanent* ''Great'' "Follow me then" Ace said and smiling skipped to the front. He chose the shortest path and threw lots of players into surprise when he marched towards Monthu''s office with a large entourage. Only then did he remember that the guy didn''t have to be there. He wasn''t one to fill the papers all the day. /Are you in your office?/ he wrote being only a hundred meters away. /No. Why?/ ''....'' /Where are you then? Hurry!/ /Castle/ /The main hall/ /What''s the rush?/ /I''m taking all survivors to you. Be prepared/ "This is his office but..." "That''s my house!" someone from the crowd behind him shouted out but Ace ignored him. "... right now he''s in the castle. It has been retaken not too long ago so he''s taking care of things there" Ace said finishing and turned to the left. The castle was looming over him and it wasn''t hard to go its way at all. He was skipping happily knowing that soon enough someone would see him and report it to Vera. He was really not waiting for that moment. When they entered, Ace determined where everyone was with [Instincts of a Predator] and went that way. He knew it quite well. The sounds of loud hushed voices came from the wide room, the old ballroom. Ace took his people there and without glancing at the scene marched off towards Monthu. He was the only one like that. All - a hundred or so people - became frozen at the spot as they glanced at what had been their dance floor. Bodies of dozens of goblins were lying around with their insides out and parts of bodies in different places. Most of them were covered in blood and some greenish liquid around which the skin had turned blue. All around the floor was full of corroded holes the size of a kid''s fist. "What happened here?" Doran asked quietly. Goblins might have been horrible monsters but even they hardly deserved such a massacre. "We''re trying to figure it out at the moment" Monthu said coming closer. "It seems like everyone was gathered here when an unknown force came and slaughtered them all. After that it disappeared into thin air, leaving no trace for us to follow. And by the way who might you be?" "I''m Sir Doran, one of the councilmen. There had been twelve of us who had ruled this place" they guy said in a strong voice but it held remorse. "It''s a pleasure to meet you. I''m Monthu, the general." "Then I should thank you for all the hard work you put into it. When the kid said you came to help us, I was very doubtful but it seems it was for no reason." "Thank you. Are these all the survivors?" "Yes and I''d like to let them finally go home if you''re okay with it" Doran asked. "That is fine. Would they like my people to help?" "No need. We know where our houses are." Monthu nodded and turned towards Hawk at his right and started to chat about provisions. Ace was absolutely ignored. That was fine by him for now. Later on he''ll have to make everything how it was but at the moment he wanted to be alone. "Ang!" came a shout from his back and Ace knew he was doomed. It was too late to make his escape now. A female rushed to him hugging so tightly he could barely breath. He tried to push her away but it was to no avail. "I can''t believe I finally found you!" she said to his back. "Happy to see you" Ace said with a forced smile that no one could ever see through. He was a master at faking his emotions so his deceit was going to raise exponentially now that he had to deal with her. "I was so worried and they said you got locked in with all the goblins and a monster that ki... uhm... sent them away" she finished lamely, pulling him away and looking at him by holding his shoulders. There hadn''t been any need to protect him from horrible truth of the world in reality but this game was filled with violence! Ace wanted to laugh at her concern but kept himself in check. Now more than ever he needed to act exceptionally well. But that didn''t mean everything could be tolerated. "You know you can use the word killed and death around me..." he said with his head down. "What do you mean? Who said that to you?" she asked turning her head towards Monthu who was ordering his people to do something. Ace rolled his eyes inwardly and said "My parents explained what happens when old Anna died. You know she took care of me when I was growing up and then she suddenly disappeared. After a lot of time, they finally explained to me the truth of what happened." His words were clear but there were sadness in them as if he really loved the old hag who forcefully fed him poisonous concoctions (soup) and made him go to sleep with light (ten o''clock). "Aww... You poor thing. And you never told me! It should have been hard for you, my sweetie! Come here" Vera said hugging him once again. It would have been a pleasant experience considering she was a beautiful girl but her seeing him only as a child destroyed any kind of affection he might have held for her. Ace pushed her away. As long as the role allowed it, he wasn''t going to let her be close longer than a second necessary. "Don''t snuggle him like that. He''s a big boy now, aren''t you?" Kev said coming to them and ruffling Ace''s hair who nodded eagerly, looking at him with shining eyes. "Kevin is here too!" he said in a happy shout, his mood bright once again. "Did you think I''ll let her pamper you into a lady?" he said laughing and Ace smiled too. He knew well that Kev will spoil him just as much if not more. It was an unbreakable rule that he wasn''t allowed to do anything and was given everything before even able to think about it. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "Does that mean others are here too?" he asked eagerly. "Yes, we should go see them now. They''re just outside the castle." Like a bullet shot Ace ran outside. Every second away from the two was a breath of fresh air. No one else was as suffocating as them. His parents were the best in that regard. ''I wish they would come here and chase all of them away...'' he thought with a sigh but knew better than to hope for it. It was a lost cause and he had to do everything himself if he wanted out. "Hey guys!" he said bursting outside into a group of thirty or so people. "Ang!" "We''ve been searching for you! How..?" "... looking around..." "... did you survive?" "Been fine?" "Has everyone been nice to you?" Vera added coming after him. It was a stupid question. There were different kinds of people so how could everyone be nice? He didn''t get it. "Yes, I''ve been great! I met many new people and became friends with most of them (more like sworn enemies). Also Par and I are best friends now! We do everything together!" Ace said cheerfully, smiling from ear to ear. "Really? That''s great!" Sam said. He didn''t know her game name yet... "Let''s go to our camp now and rest. You can tell us all about your adventures there" Vera said taking his hand but Ace evaded her clumsily. It was important to look like a useless burden or else they might suspect something. "I can''t! I promised to stay with Par!" he said crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes changing into orange. "What do you mean you can''t? Will something happen to you if you don''t? Did that pretentious bastard threaten you?" Kev asked, taking him by his shoulders. "Kev your words!" Vera said in outrage. "Not now, Veronica. So did he?" Kev asked in a barely controlled voice. "I''m going to skin him alive if he even thought about it!" Ace looked at him wide eyed. That wasn''t what he was going for at all! He had no wish to get Monthu killed as that would make it very complicated to launch a plan with Par. "No, no, NO!" Ace said shaking his head so much that his whole body moved in Kev''s hands. "I''ve just promised to stay with Par and you always taught me how important it is to keep your word!" he said with tears in his eyes. Kev''s hands didn''t really hurt that much but it was never a bad idea to exaggerate slightly. "Kev release him this moment! He''s not one of your guys! He''s just a kid!" Vera shouted taking Ace whose eyes flashed red in her own hands from stunned Kev. "Don''t worry, sweetie. He won''t hurt you again. I''ll make sure of it" she said promising softly. Ace was trying desperately to keep his temper in check. He could take any kind of abuse but one thing was still stepping on a wound. He didn''t really care what else Vera was saying while he calmed himself down. He wished so much to throw her and get away but he didn''t want to get locked up. For that he had to continue his act. He shut his eyes even tighter before opening them and pushing away from the concerned girl. "Are you okay?" He nodded slightly with his head down. "You''ll be able to spend time with your friend, don''t worry okay? We''ll work something out for sure. Come now. You''ll tell us everything about your amazing adventures and how you met your newest friend. Just don''t be sad" she said with a smile and gave him a sweet. Ace sighed inwardly. Why were people giving candy to sad kids? How was it supposed to help? It was just a piece of sugary food. He took it gratefully and put in his mouth. The barmaid had had better ones... He went with them to their camp outside the walls. Some people had prepared a wide space in a middle with a fire going. Vera took Ace there and sat him, she and the others sat down a few steps away where they could hear him perfectly but be out of the heats range. It was getting very hot as Ace sat quietly waiting for everyone to find a suitable patch of earth. The day was still warm and the fire beside him was enhancing it to extremes. He was going to get cooked if nothing changed. He could say that to Vera but Ace had no wish to be thankful to her for anything. He thought for a moment and activated [Excessive Heat]. The skill heightened his body¡¯s temperature so it should ease the strain of heat on him too... At least that was what he hoped for. What happened was that he caught on fire! Flames started to come from his body licking the clothes but leaving them intact. The grass wasn''t so lucky. It caught on fire quickly and advanced in great speed before anyone was able to react. Soon Ace sat in a cage of flames but it didn''t burn him at all. Interested he raised his hand and put it right in ignoring Vera''s shriek. Nothing happened. *Splash!* "Apchoo!" Ace sneezed the water he had been doused in. "What was that for?" he asked in a shout angrily. He wanted to test it more and now he was wet once again without any clothes to change into. "You were on fire! Are you burned? I told you not to put your hand into the flames. Someone find a cleric! Fast!" Vera said fussing over him. "I''m fine" he said laughing. "It''s just a game! I''m not hurt at all!" "What do you mean? I clearly saw you putting your hand into the fire!" she said not comprehending. "Magic" Ace said mysteriously, pretending he had known that would happen. He would never hear the end of it if he didn''t. "Is that your skill? Oh yeah! You''re a spellsword. Can you show it again? It was so cool!" someone said in a shout and Ace happily nodded standing up to get to the fire. Vera grabbed his hand and sent a death glare to the person who had opened his mouth a few moments before. "You''re not doing anything of a kind! I ban it! It''s too dangerous! The skill might not work for some reason at any given time! I got scared half to death even seeing that!" Vera said angrily. ''And what would happen if I managed to hack the skill into not working? I would get a small burn? That''s a disaster, death for sure. And it''s not like there''s a willing to help cleric in every direction.'' Ace thought annoyed and it showed on his face but he didn''t argue. She would never go down for something like that. He consulted himself by thinking of what he did when no one was looking and felt slightly better. She knew and could do nothing to stop that. "Sit a bit farther away from the fire now and let''s hear it, your tale" Vera said smiling and Ace sat down. He was cold now but the skill made it a bit better so he hoped not to catch a cold. He was surprised Vera didn''t get anything for him to warm up when he remembered she was from Lavana. That kingdom was great in a way that it had a single warm season. Oradin on the other hand had four of them and those who had never been here knew nothing about sicknesses and cold wind''s powers. It was an early autumn so the sun was still strong, only slightly losing its heat. Snow was still ways off. Yet Ace was already eagerly waiting for it as, when he joined the game it had all melted down and in his hometown in reality it was always summer. There were many people around and he didn''t know most of them. He remembered Monthu saying this army contained around a thousand players and they probably wanted to know why they had hurried off to find a kid. There were only thirty people eligible to join RD from his town so all others must be random. All here for him. It would have been exhilarating if it didn''t mean that now he had a thousand people looking after his every step. He had no doubts Vera had told them a gazillion times to take good care of him and that she would reward everyone who did. Many will probably fall for it and he''ll have to get rid of them in a nice way. So much work... "The sun was so bright when I came to this world! It blinded me for a moment and then I felt myself alive! I saw..." Ace said starting his tale and continued with all his adventures that had nothing shadowy in it. He talked about meeting an old man and staying with him for a long time for free. Supposedly he left because the man''s family came. Later Monthu and the group showed up and took him in. Then together they cleared the cave and captured an evil illusionist. After that came a very edited version of the caravan fight and the ghost''s quest. There were no breaking ins and lying in achieving that at all. In the end he explained how he came with the army, got to lead the rogues and managed to get himself locked inside by an accident. Ace was proud of his story. He managed to edit everything on the spot and make it look like he was a little angel while telling real events. What he did at night was forgotten altogether. Questions came from all sides and he answered them with a bright smile. It was fun in a way, to tell the truth. He was able to talk as much as he wanted and everyone listened to his every word like he was giving a sermon. Then they told their stories too. Most of them were funny as no battle ones were appropriate for a kid in Vera''s opinion. They laughed and spent their time happily together. Ace wished it was always like that. Even Vera had calmed down and different kind of stories started to be told to everyone''s delight. Ace sat in a middle of it and did something that happened rarely. He smiled sincerely, enjoying the moment. It changed nothing but he had learnt to treasure every moment and this one was a great one. The sun moved through the horizon and was now falling behind the clouds, allowing moon to take her place. Night descended but the fire burned brighter and more cheerful by each moment keeping the high spirits up. Ace was tired but he still had some unfinished business. One of them was to meet Par. He thought for a moment but seeing no alternative approached Vera. "I think I''m going to sleep." "Okay. Come I''ll prepare a bed for you" she said with a smile. Today was a success. "You promised I could go to Par!" Ace said angrily. Vera grimaced. She had hoped he would forget it by the evening. "It''s late now. You''ll just fall asleep and that''s all. Wouldn''t it better if you went to him in the morning?" she asked, trying to persuade him. "You promised!" Ace said stubbornly, his small hands clenched into fists but his eyes stayed clear blue. "I didn''t know, we''d stay up so late. There''s no point in going there now" she said softly. "But you promised I could!" Ace said repeating his words. He had learnt it was one of the best tactics to get onto someone''s nerves so much that they gave you what you wanted. All you needed was to not hear all the objections until the person ran out of them and in that way push your point through. "Why do you want to go there so much? I hope the guy didn''t really threaten you?" she asked narrowing her eyes. "You know you can tell me and I''ll protect you from him." Ace held himself from rolling his eyes. Were they ever going to stop with that? "Par is my friend. Aren''t I supposed to want to spend time with him too?" he asked with a curiosity filled look. Vera had nothing to say to that. Every word she used would be then used against her later on as she was just a friend too. "There''s nothing wrong with that. Feel free to go and meet him but be here in the morning" she said with a pretend smile which was as fake as it can be. Ace felt like he should teach her some things, not that she would want to hear it. Lips weren''t supposed to waver and the corners of your mouth should go up too, not even going into a brightened expression and shining eyes. She was just terrible. "Thanks!" he said showing a perfect version and ran off ignoring her sudden concerns about his safety. The next moment he was behind a bend and used [Shadow Veil] so when she ran after him, he stood motionless and absolutely invisible. He waited for her to choose a random direction and went the other. It was almost midnight so he went towards the castle. The surrounding place was still empty so he found a comfortable place and took out his pair of Sai. They were such a strange weapon still, resembling a fork to him. ''I should learn to use them somehow tomorrow. But how should I escape from her again? Or would it be better to go straight to Elena when the sun raises?'' While he was wondering that Par showed up. "Hey!" Ace said removing his shadow and scaring the kid half to death. "Don''t do that again!" he said in a whisper/shout holding onto his heart. "Sorry" Ace said sheepishly but quickly a smile brightened his face. "Ready to go exploring?" "I thought you said you knew the castle?" Par asked uncertainly. The looming castle looked evil at night with its sharp towers and scary beasts all around. "You don''t mean you''re scared?" Ace asked incredulous. "Of course not!" Par said without thinking even for a second and marched off straight to the entrance. "Wait!" Ace said stopping him. "We''re not coming in from the front. There are still people there" "Can''t you sneak through?" Par asked tilting his head slightly. "And how will you get in then?" Ace asked him with a raised eyebrow. "Let''s go" he said before the kid could get embarrassed and led to an entrance in a nearby house. Like a true secret tunnel it was made in the basement where lots of cobwebs occupied the place. Ace had seen his share of them and no longer even tried to get rid of them while Par did that. In vain. Those things stuck to clothes, hair and hands and nothing could change that. "Do we have to go through here?" Par asked unhappily. "We''re almost there" Ace said looking for a heightened wooden floor. He had seen this place in Caro''s map and hoped the tunnel was still in good shape or they would have to find a new one and that would take time. ''There'' he saw a latch on the ground and opened it up getting swallowed in a cloud of dust. Both of them sneezed a few times before being able to breathe again. Ace sent [Flare] ahead and went down the stairs thinking that if he ever had a secret tunnel in his house it would be better taken care of. If a need to escape arose, he would be caught in moments after leaving the tunnel because he would attract way too much attention being covered in a few tons of dust and cobwebs. At the bottom they took each other''s hands and went ahead with their bodies bent like a person does when he¡¯s sneaking. The small flame provided only a slight light leaving many dark corners that looked like good demon spawning places. Somehow passing through such corners their steps became quicker on their own. Yet there were smiles on their faces. It was a true adventure! Neither of them knew what exactly was waiting on the other side or even here if you were looking into that. Ace had seen the map for a whole of three minutes and couldn''t remember for the sake of him where this path led. Hopefully it wasn''t anything too bad. Not that he knew what that could be. Around half an hour later, which in truth were only ten minutes, they reached a door. It was absolutely simple without any kind of an ornament. "Is this it?" Par asked quietly. "I hope so" Ace said releasing his hand. He took out his Kris and meeting Par''s eyes for a second opened the door with his left. Or tried to. "It''s locked" he said in amazement. "So we went here for nothing?" Par asked. "Do you have something sharp and small?" Ace asked him ignoring the question. "Uhm... No? What are you planning to do?" "Don''t you watch films? In them they just take some small sharp thing and easily open all the locks. I want to try that too!" Ace said looking through his bag but it lacked anything of the like. That left him with his daggers. He chose one of the throwing ones as they were smaller and less useful. Most of the time he never even retrieved them. He ordered the flame to light the lock and started to move the dagger inside as if he knew what he was doing. Time passed by as he fruitlessly tried to open it but nothing changed. Par had decided to summon his elemental and was reading a book by its light. "By the way when is your birthday?" Ace asked trying to push the dagger all the way through out of frustration. "August 7. Why?" Par asked raising his head from the book. "It''s so soon! And what friend would I be if I missed it? It''s unforgivable!" "You''re right. When is your birthday then?" Par asked opening his notebook. It was full of spell incantations and some things he had noted on what his spells could do. "It is the night from April 30 to May 1, The Walpurgis Night, when witches and sorcerers meet to celebrate." Ace said stopping for a moment to remember the meaning. He liked his birthdays and hated them at the same time because his parents were always present at that time. There was no point in thinking about them but he noticed them being on the corner of his mind for the day. ''Am I missing them? That would be very stupid of me.'' "That''s cool! I wish my birthday had something as great as yours!" Par said writing the date down. "Well, now you have a whole day for yourself and nobody can dictate the theme of your party because it''s all yours" Ace said with a smile twisting the dagger once again. *Click* Tiiriing!
New skill acquired: Lock picking! You''re able to open the locks that people protect their treasures with. +3% to opening locks +10 Intelligence Warning! You''ll lose fame if you''re seen breaking in.
"I did it!" Ace shouted happily, forgetting all about the possible danger. "Really?" Par asked standing up and coming closer tried to open the door. It creaked horribly but opened up. Ace made a note to keep his future doors well-oiled too so when he tried to escape it wouldn''t announce it to the whole world. "Let''s hurry away from here" Ace said. "I''ll scout ahead and you follow. I have a place in mind, okay?" "Sure" Par agreed and watched in wonder as Ace disappeared right from under his eyes. He walked ahead when a message came. /Turn left next, the coast there is clear./ This way they reached a small room that no one had even tried to search through. Who would look into a janitor''s place anyway? Ace entered quietly and the doors made no sound. He smiled at that, the guy had been smarter than Ace had given him credit for. He knew how to take care of his things. Before Par came Ace lighted the candles with [Burst] and looked at the blood spattered maps on the table. ''I destroyed them quite well'' he thought, because half of them were in a shape where nothing could be read from them. ''What did I do here anyway? Did I stab him again and again just for the sake of it? Shouldn''t his body have disappeared if that happened?'' His memory of the rampage was very foggy. He remembered only episodes: a hand clutching his, a goblin with his eye stabbed, fear of death in Leo''s wide eyes, goblin insides falling on his hands and someone spitting at him. That hardly helped him to get a good grasp of what he did. The leftovers did but he didn''t want to believe it was all his doing.. "I''m still a human" he whispered as Par opened the doors. "What did you say?" he asked looking around and liking what he saw. It was a perfect place for conspirators to meet in. "Nothing. Do you like it?" he asked spreading his hands as if it was all his. "It''s amazing" Par said truthfully and sat on the single chair. "Great!" Ace said and sat on the table''s corner. "So do you have any ideas of how I should escape?" "Not really..." "Well, neither do I..." Both of them looked at the candle as if the answer was hiding in its wavering flame. But it held their gazes without giving anything in return. "We came here for nothing" Ace concluded after some time in which he grew bored. Par nodded thoughtfully. "But it''s still a very cool place. Let''s stay here for a little longer. I told Monthu I''m staying with you anyway." "Same here" Ace said with a laugh. "I''m sleeping at your tent right now" Grins flashed on their faces as they shared a true conspiratorial look. They might not have created an elaborate plan on how to stay together but they forged a stronger bond that everyone was going to have a very hard time breaking. The smiles promised that. Next Chapter 2.8 Nothing to Do "Where is he?" Vera asked in a shout barging in Monthu''s house on whose side was the office. The guy was already awake and eating breakfast but he didn''t even turn her way. Aurora, a white haired cleric, answered instead of him. "Who are you looking for? If Hawk, he''s away for the moment." Vera didn''t acknowledge her at all. She stomped straight towards Monthu and with a back of her hand hit his cup of tea spilling it. "Don''t ignore me. Where is he?" she asked angrily. Monthu looked sadly at his tea. Aurora had made it and it was quite good to wake him up in the morning. He might exchange coffee to tea if he got used to it more which seemed likely. "Ech..." he sighed and finally raised his head towards the enraged female. She was a really annoying specimen. Usually he was polite and gentle towards the other gender but this one was able to show all the bad qualities. He saw nothing in her he could respect or admire like in others. There was just no way he could care about her feelings and being more fragile. "Who do you have in mind?" he asked off-handedly standing up and not giving her a second glance. "Who do you think, bastard? Where did you hide Ang? You know I have the bigger army, right? And I''m not afraid to use it" she said trying to make him look at her by catching his arm but Monthu didn''t budge. "Wasn''t he supposed to stay at your place? Par went to him there." "Like hell he did! Ang went to him near the midnight!" Monthu was having a bad feeling about that. His brother would never do anything stupid but if Ace was with him... everything was possible. And that guy even taught his brother to lie. Although it''s no surprise Ace was so adept at it having lived with this witch all his life. He wasn''t really too afraid. The kid might have many bad qualities and was a horrible influence, he had never hurt his brother. That gave him a few more hours until a search would be warranted and Ace burned like sorcerer for stealing youth. "Tell me! Where did you hide him?" Vera asked running in front of him and glaring but he just walked around her as if she was a random pillar. "Par is with him. They''ll be back soon enough." "What do you mean soon enough? Where are they?" she asked huffing angrily, no longer sure how to gain his attention. It had never happened before. Usually the guys were eager to follow her every word. "Who knows? They''re kids like you clearly said before." Monthu said entering his office and letting two warriors in. They looked very uncertain being in a presence of the shouting female. "Come in and state your business" Monthu said not giving them a choice. "With the addition of a hundred hungry mouths we''re running out of food again, sir. What should we do?" The female smiled like a winner. He would have to send more players away becoming defenseless or ask for her help. Either way he''ll be in her power. Monthu thought for a moment and wrote a few numbers in his notes scattered over a table. "Tell the 5th and 7th divisions to come back and send the rangers. We''re almost finished here so they can exercise in the open space. The survivors should have some work for them too" he said calmly making the female clench her teeth. He wasn''t going down easily but it was going to cost him. How much more could rangers hunt down than swordsman? "Yes, general" the guy said bowing a goodbye to Vera and saluting Monthu. The soldiers had quickly adapted to using such words and gestures because it was more fun. They could pretend that they were really in an army and had fought in a true battle. "What general is he?" Vera said with a laugh. "He''s just a stupid pretentious boy who thinks he''s all that." Monthu didn''t even glance her way while the still standing guy glared at her. The leader might not have been the highest level player but he did what he said without any kind of pretending and never promised anything he couldn''t do. The soldiers grumbled half the time but in reality they liked him for his good planning and caring for their opinion which happened not that often with other leaders. So her words weren''t going to be accepted with agreement even if she was a pretty girl having a whole army behind her back. "Ignore her Jacob. She''s not worth it. What did you have to report?" Monthu asked. The guy ceremoniously turned from her and faced Monthu. "The survivors are asking for your permission to seek help from your army. They need houses rebuilt and rubble cleared." "Granted. There''s no point in us staying idle. Tell the guys they''ll gain lots of favor from this and shouldn''t shy away from manual labor. The survivors will give twice as much favor and experience as they''re so low on possession and in need of help" The guy nodded and left after a salute without even a glance towards Vera. That made her even angrier and without spectators she could release her whole fury. "Where the hell is he?" she asked in a shout that could be heard a mile away. "Did it look to you like I got some new information about them? If so, please tell me because I didn''t notice it" Monthu said taking out a map. He looked at it for a bit and then drew a few lines. "Tell me where is he, you b..." She wasn''t able to finish as the door opened and Hawk''s voice flew in. "Monthu, I''ve been thinking what if..." his voice fell flat as he noticed the female. "I think I''ll come later" he said turning around quickly. "Don''t mind her. She thinks I stole Ace so she now acts like a parasite" Monthu said raising his head to his friend. "What did you call me?" Vera asked in a shout outraged but no one gave her any attention. "Oh... But didn''t..?" Monthu gave Hawk a look that said do you even need to ask and the ranger understood. It was Ace they were talking about at the moment. "Do you think?" "Stop ignoring me!" "Yeah, I think he wants to live so I''m waiting right now." "Damn, you guys!" "Would you like company?" "Stop it!" "Do you have time?" "Come on, you bastards!" "Sure, why not. I''m not desperate enough for favor to go and do manual labor" Hawk said with a laugh and Monthu answered him with a smile. Then Hawk sat down and they started to discuss when would be the right time to leave. Vera was furious but she couldn''t do a thing. If the guy had really stolen Ang and she killed him there would be no leads left. But if he really didn''t know anything and Ang was just running around with Par it might anger and sadden the kid. She had to always keep in mind that he was still young and didn''t understood what was good and what bad for him. That left her with a single solution, when she found Ang, to leave. This way she could get him away from these monsters and be able to make sure his next friends were truly good people. So she calmed down and waited. If he''d lied, there will be no mercy to anyone. Hour and a half later the doors opened up revealing two disgruntled faces. They were yawning widely and looking through glassy eyes. Vera shot like a rocket towards the golden haired boy. "Are you okay? Did anyone hurt you?" she asked desperately. Ace looked at her with uncomprehending eyes. "Who was supposed to hurt me?" he asked in the end. "You''ve been gone for so long! I was worried sick and this guy wouldn''t say me anything!" she said hugging him and trying to worsen his opinion of Monthu at the same time. It didn''t help as the kid started laughing instead. "He didn''t know anything!" "What do you mean? Why would he have stayed here if he wasn''t sure you''d come here?" Vera asked confused. "Par and me, we wanted to have an adventure of our own! But because you kept me so long we started so late, went to sleep later and woke up only now. We came here because Par''s big brother is very dutiful and would surely be here" Ace explained with a bright smile, his sleepiness receding. "So you came here to see him first... Didn''t you think I''d be more worried? He was just sitting here like nothing was going on!" Vera said in a hurt voice. The guy had clearly corrupted the innocent kid. "I knew you''d be here" Ace said in a confident voice. "Why would you know it?" Vera asked surprised. "Because you two like each other!" Silence descended on the room and four pairs of eyes filled with incredulousness fell on Ace''s smiling face. Monthu was the first to roll his eyes to the heavens and look at Ace as if he was stupid. "And where did you get that idea from?" he asked barely containing the sarcasm. "Since she came you''re always together and argue all the time. My grandpa always said that that was the sign of true love and I should never settle for a girl with which I never disagree. When I asked how could I live with her if we always argued he sat me on his legs and with a very serious voice said ''My dear boy, such a girl will help you to reach the skies by always questioning you and never letting you leave half way. And the arguments will become friendly jabs when tension disappears'' I just don''t remember what tension he mentioned" Ace said with a thoughtful look. You could see he was trying very hardly to remember the word from his scrunched eyebrows and wandering eyes. Monthu and Vera took a few steps away from each other and Ace. Vera was as red as a tomato and let her hair fall over her face. What the kid said was so wrong on so many levels. She decided to tackle the easiest one hoping to forget how her interactions with the guy had been interpreted by a kid. "Which grandpa told you about it?" she asked. Her voice was supposed to be strong and demanding but somehow it was still shaking lightly. She decided never to see the guy again. Monthu was staring at Ace as if he was the devil. What was he playing at with this? Monthu had never believed Vera''s words about him being just a kid and saw a scheming mastermind behind the innocent smile which seemed very real. Maybe he was just trying to embarrass them for the sake of it? Well, he wasn''t going to be meeting Vera again probably so in a way it could be interpreted as a good thing. Or was it? He was clearly lost. "Grandpa Umbert, of course!" Ace said happily. "You''re never going to see him again!" Vera said in a crystal clear voice. "Yes, I will" Ace said crossing his arms. "No, you won''t. The man is clearly a bad influence and your parents won''t allow you to see him ever again once I tell them what he''s been talking to you about!" Vera said angrily. She''d happily ship the guy to the other side of the world if she only could. "Ha! They know! And I''ve still seen him countless times after that!" ''That means twice but it''s not like it was my choice. I can''t drive myself there and parents are always away...'' "You mean they really know? What kind of parents are they?" Vera asked angrily. Ace asked himself that question often enough too but not exactly for this kind of reason. There was no answer to it anyway. "They gave him a few lectures on what should be said around a kid and what shouldn''t. He''s my mother''s father! We must go see him as often as we can!" Ace said with a serious expression on his face. "Lectures don''t change a person!" "So why are you telling them to me all the time?" Ace screamed in his own turn. Vera was speechless for a moment and Ace used that time to run out. He chose the shortest street behind whose first bend he activated [Shadow Veil]. Now he was free for some time more. Although he was going to have a very long conversation with Vera about proper behavior and shouting in public later on... It was very hypocritical of her but he better didn''t ask her out on it. He walked around for a bit before coming to the assassins'' house. Elena had promised him a few lessons on using Sai so he better take them now. The future was very misty and hardly held any more free time for him. The doors were broken down so he entered without knocking and looked for Elena. He wished he could turn off [Instincts of a Predator] because now it was just too easy. He will never be able to play Hide and Seek if this continued... That was a big problem that needed to be solved in some way. "Welcome back, Ace" Elena said coming from around a corner. "Hi! Do you have some time now?" Ace asked with a smile. He was so used to it that it would be strange to be less smiling and jumping around all the time. "Not really. But I think you''re here to take what I''ve promised?" she asked tiredly. For the last days they had been living by hope only. When they were told they were finally free. It made everyone ecstatic but reality was a harsh one. They may have regained their home but the houses were destroyed. Doors smashed, windows shattered, furniture broken, food gone. All they had were pieces of cloth and walls to protect from wind but not from cold and the winter was on their noses. It made her feel exhausted only thinking about everything that had to be done before the snow fell. But a promise was a promise. They were family and had to take care of each other. He helped them to get free and she had to help him get stronger. It was as simple and as complicated as that. Ace nodded and took out the weapons. The steel gleamed in a soft sunlight streaming from a broken window. "Follow me then. I''ll take you to our training grounds. I suppose you know simple fighting well?" "As well as someone who had been learning for almost a year can. There''s still much for me to find out" Ace said following her, his smile was still there but more subdued the eyes were a color of deep ocean. "I''d be honored to teach you all that I know but we hardly have time for that. It''ll have to be enough and now I''ll teach you the basics of Sai fighting" she said and started to explain the theory. "Sai are better at defending than frontal attacks although once you''ve mastered they become equal actions. For now I''ll show the basic stances that you''ll have to practice until you can make them fluidly. Don''t despair if at first you''ll feel like a log. It is natural that different weapons require the use of different muscles that you haven''t trained yet. Once you master the first stances I suggest you go and find another master. It is better not to try creating a bicycle yourself when it already exists. You can start thinking of your own moves when you master the basics and know the weapons strengths, weaknesses and your own body¡¯s capabilities." When she finished they were in a wide courtyard. It''s center was a wide open space while the sides were filled with all kinds of devices. From simple training dummies to some narrows wooden planks positioned in different angles so you had to jump from one to another, suddenly change directions while keeping balance, go by your hands, pull up and go over a rope without holding onto anything. ''It would be really fun going over that'' Ace decided. "Look at me" Elena said stopping in the middle of the place and taking out her own Sai. They were much more beautiful than Ace''s. She stood in a pose where her hands where stretched forth and bent over an elbow with Sai facing up. Her left leg was ahead of the other just like her left hand was further too. The legs were slightly bent as if ready to jump. "This is the first pose from which you''ll start almost everything. Follow my movements now" she said slowly moving her hands and legs in what could be only called a defensive position. Her movements were very fluid that even Ace could know she was at master level. That was mostly everything he''d learnt from what she showed. The moves were easy but complicated if that was possible. Once she finished he tried to repeat it but it didn''t flow at all. He felt more like he was going against the current than with it. "Don''t try to force it. No one was borne knowing. Just repeat it again and again. After a few hundred tries you''ll catch it." "That''s a very long time" Ace said annoyed trying to repeat it but it looked as if his hand was broken. He shook his head and tried again. And again. And again. "This is impossible!" he said throwing Sai down. Before Elena could say anything he had picked them up and was in position to start again. "There has to be a trick to it" Ace said grumbling to himself. He hated repeating the same action again and again without seeing any kind of results. It felt so pointless even if in reality it wasn''t. "Deep breaths, they can solve everything" he said to himself starting over. He had grasped the main point of the stance but it was just so hard to execute! He wasn''t sure if he got it right even once. Tired and annoyed he decided to take a break and hit some training dummies. They happily received his punishment turning this way and another. He specifically chose the moving ones so it would be more fun. Jumping, kicking, slashing, blocking, everything was used to protect against their swinging blades. Fighting like this he felt better. He knew no rules to follow and could move in any way he felt like. It probably wasn''t even close to what it was supposed to be but who cared? Elena had taken a leave some time ago saying something he didn''t catch. "Ang you''re here!" came a cheerful voice from somewhere behind and Ace turned around plastering a smile. On the entrance stood Elena with an apologetic expression and Vera. She seemed quite angry. ''Oh well...'' he thought and turned around to kick the dummy. Its blade rotated towards Ace''s head but he caught it with the right hand and attacked its heart with the left before blocking another blade. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Ang stop it! It''s dangerous!" Vera said in a shout running closer but Ace ignored her. He twisted his body to evade a blade and kicked at the dummy''s stomach. A soft humph sounded followed by a clashing of blades. "I told you to stop it!" Vera repeated herself not really wanting to get closer to the rotating blades. She never really liked such dangerous mechanisms and preferred the normal one on one fighting. There was no reaction from the boy. He just kept on hitting and kicking like nothing happened. His face was very serious while the body moved in grace. Even Elena was staring at him with awe. "Where did you learn that?" Vera asked reverently. She expected him to be a useless player but to her surprise he was showing skills way beyond what even she could achieve. Ace kept on hitting the thing. If he stopped, he would have to turn back and face her, listen to her moralizing him, pretend to be happy to leave. Kick. He didn''t want to leave yet. He still had to learn the way of the Sai. Slash. There were lots to learn yet but he would never do it if he pushed it for later on. That later never happened. Block. How was he to return under her control when he had felt the taste of freedom? He had had forgotten it but now it was fresh in his mind and he had to freely give it up? Stab. Could he do it without going mad? Jump, twist, slash, dodge and a [Burst] setting the dummy on fire. Ace''s eyes flashed a dangerous red as he watched the flames enveloping the poor training device but soon they returned to the natural light blue. With that he turned around and faced Vera. He wasn''t exactly smiling but neither was there a frown just a tired person ready for whatever was to come. "What are you doing here?" Vera asked finally. "I''ve heard there is a good training ground here so I came to see it" Ace said shrugging. "Can I stay here a bit longer?" That broke the spell and Vera felt back in her element. "I''m sure it''ll be okay for an hour or two if you don''t go near that thing again. Later on we''ll be leaving from this place." "But I can''t leave just yet!" Ace said in a shout. "I haven''t finished the quest yet!" "Don''t worry about it. We''ll do other quests together" she said with a smile patting his shoulder. Ace was having none of that. "That''s not the same! I worked very hard to help here! I want to see it finished!" he said angrily, clenching his hands into fists. "You did it well already, sweetie. There''s no need to return to hear someone unknown calling you great. We all know you''re that, don''t we?" Vera said squatting down before him and looking in his eyes that had become a shade darker. "It''s not that! I started this adventure with Par and I don''t want to give it up half-way! I''d be known as a quitter for my whole life then!" Ace said taking a step back. ''There is a thing called personal space.'' "Hey, sweetie. No one will say that about you! You''re the best little guy there is!" Vera said nodding encouragingly. "Of course, they will! And it''ll be true!" Ace said shaking his head angrily, the curls bouncing around. "Why can''t we stay with Par and Monthu for a while until the quest is finished?" It was a hard question. How could she explain to him that Monthu was bad influence? That he was very cold-hearted and uncaring. A kind of person a kid should never associate with. It was sad that Ang''s friend Par had to live with him, he seemed such a nice kid too but nothing could be done to save him. If they only weren''t family, she would take custody of him in an instant. "Please, can we stay? Pretty please?" Ace asked with his best puppy dog eye look. She looked at him for a long moment before finally giving up. "Okay we''ll stay until the quest is finished. But not a moment later! You hear me?" she said to Ace who was already on the other side of the place. "I''ve gotta tell it to Par!" he shouted out and ran off disappearing from her sight in a second. "But I just..." the rest of her words were said to the wind as Ace was running away at full speed. There wasn''t anything that could make him turn back and here her out. Who cared if she had just come after half a day of searching for him? No one was preventing her from doing that again. He breathed fresh air and ran towards Monthu''s office. Maybe they had stayed there? It was a poor choice but there wasn''t any other specific place they could be at. As luck would have it for some reason they had stayed in the room. Monthu was filling documents while Par read a book about spell casting most likely. They didn''t even raise their heads when he entered! Ace didn''t like that at all. No one was allowed to ignore him but he shook his head. Acting like a spoiled brat wouldn''t help him win Monthu¡¯s favor and it might be needed to escape Vera. "Hey! Par do you have a moment?" "Sure. What is happening?" the kid asked in a monotone voice. That made bells in Ace''s ears ring. Clearly something was wrong here but he couldn''t think of anything that might have put him in a bad light. ''Par adores me, so why is he suddenly so cold?'' Ace''s accusing eyes fell on Monthu. That had to be his work. So the brother didn''t appreciate their secret night outing as much as he pretended to. From his behavior around Vera it looked like he didn''t mind it that much... Seems like he had been to some acting classes too. "Nothing" Ace said lightly and turned around. That moment he saw an emotion cross Par''s previously emotionless face but he didn''t stop and left. Nothing could be achieved here now. He''ll have to catch Par some time without Monthu around and win him back. ''But what could the guy said to make Par change his mind so quickly? There had to be some big words involved for sure. It would be great to find them out but no one else probably heard them beside the duo. Well, I''ll have to work around it somehow.'' Now he had nothing to do. He had gained free time to play with Par but the guy was busy at the moment. ''Where else could I go?'' He thought for a moment and decided to give back the earth mage his ring. There was no longer any use from it. He walked around not hurrying, knowing Vera was looking for him in Monthu''s place. It should take her some time as he just loves to annoy her. He smiled slightly. It had been fun to see their faces when he announced them as a great pair. Hopefully it''ll prevent them from talking too much and allying themselves against him. The mage''s house was a large one. It still had a terrible garden made of vines and thorny bushes so he stayed away from that side. The front doors were opened like so many others and there were voices coming from the inside. "...too much." "But you''re not giving me anything!" "That is all I''ve got" Darius said angrily hitting the table of his study as Ace entered. Ignoring the thick atmosphere around he jogged to the table and sat on the corner where a little small space free of papers was. "I''ve come to give you something back!" Ace said with a bright smile. He could feel some guy glaring at his back but it was his own fault for not concluding the conversation earlier. "What do you mean?" Ace smiled and raised his hand on which a dark green seal ring stayed. He took it off and dropped on the table. It rolled closer to the mage. "I thought you''d need it back" Ace said jumping down from the table and turning to leave. "Thank you for keeping it well'' Darius said nodding and put the ring back on. It glowed a light green for a moment but when Ace turned to make sure he didn''t dream it, it was gone. "What was that?" Ace asked coming back closer and poking the ring. It seemed as normal as when he wore it but why did it glow when the mage put it on? "What are you talking about?" the mage asked faking ignorance. "Come on..." Ace groaned knowing the answer wasn''t coming. When grown-ups pretended not to see something, it always meant it wasn''t something a kid was supposed to know. It made him mad. Why couldn''t anyone ever understand that he was no longer a kid? Shaking his head he left the room. One day he''ll find out why an item could glow when equipped by a specific person. It probably had something to do with being a high level player and an item being legendary. Sometimes he wished he had the identify skill to know about items'' capabilities and not only find them out by accidents. Outside he went around for a bit. Today seemed like a very boring day with nothing happening and him being chased out of the single place that might have helped to pass the time. Bored he went towards the castle and found Caro''s room. It was dark having no windows and Ace heightened his flame. He didn''t like being in a closed up space all alone in the dark. Here it was impossible to feel that outside it was mid-day with sun high up. He sat down against the wall where his place was. It was a comfortable spot that allowed him to see the whole small room and the doors. "And what am I supposed to do now..?" There was nothing new in the room so it meant no one went out of his way to check it. Very bored Ace decided to check his announcement window. He had done it very long time ago too.
*Caro has requested to register you as a friend. Will you accept?*
''Wait, what? When did he?'' That was a good question. All the time he pretended to be a goblin so when could the guy have figured it out? His last action! ''He grabbed my hand after I stabbed him! But why would he have wanted to befriend me? I was killing him at the moment...'' That made no sense. Being friends didn''t allow you to track the other down so it couldn''t be it. Not finding a good enough reason Ace accepted the request. It was one of the easiest ways to find out.
*Caro has been registered as a friend*
But the guy was offline. ''Pfff....'' Level up!
Level up: Fear of the Hungry [4] Movement speed increased to 27% Reaction tine increased to 55% Strength boost increased to +7%
Level up: Fear of the Hungry [5] Movement speed increased to 29% Reaction tine increased to 60% Strength boost increased to +9%
''Well, that could be expected thinking of how much I used it some nights ago...'' He deleted the messages and looked on.
New Stat Acquired: Grace You move effortlessly with unmatchable elegance. The more you advance the more charming you become. It helps to impress other people and gain their favor more easily, The stat grows depending on your taken actions.
There was a slight increase in dagger mastery, luck, agility and alchemy. Some why the last skill gained experience even by using poison. Maybe it was taken as experimenting? That gave him an idea. He went to the storage room and found a pot which he put in the bag. From there he went to the food storage and took some dried meat and all the herbs he found. Neither goblins nor humans often used them so there was a ton of them filling up Ace''s backpack to the brim. Bowed slightly under the weight, he carried it all to the small room. There he took out the pot and filled with water he had stored in his bag from some time ago. He made [Flare] go under the pot held in the air by [Gust] and put a few candles there too to faster boil the water. That left him in almost darkness. Unhappily he lied down so his face was level to the flames. He watched them dance around and hypnotize him. Before falling asleep he managed to put a lot of herbs inside. "Aaah!!!" he screamed when something extremely hot touched his hand waking him up in moments. He jumped up looking around with hazy eyes, still half-asleep. There was a hot liquid running on the ground. There was something wrong with that. "My poison!" he said in a shout jumping to the boiling pot. Water was running down its sides to the ground but because the candles were below the middle of the pot it never reached them. Ace fell to the ground on his hands and ignoring the pain of burnt hands squatted down blowing some air to extinguish the flames. [Flare] left the place at the same time and Ace stood up. He looked at his hands that were very red. ''Not too good. I should ask Aurora to heal me before I run into any more trouble''. There was not a chance he could fight well like that. Annoyed he came closer to the pot and lowered him down to the ground. There was around half the water he''d put in there, herbs were at the bottom so it might still have worked out. He wasn''t sure if he was really trying to make a poison but that''s what he wanted it to end up in. The liquid looked like crystal clear water and gave no smell to indicate what it was. Ace took out some bottles and with [Gust]''s help filled them. He''ll have to test his creation later. Unlike most other alchemists he wasn''t eager to test everything on himself. Dying wasn''t one of the best experiences, he''d heard. He opened the doors and taking a last look of the room left. There still were much water on the ground and it''ll stay until someone cleaned it up which would make it bad for Ace in turn. Hiding places had to be secret and known by none or only a few. As he walked he remembered Silver Wing was absent for a very long time. He''ll have to do something about it. Probably some secret place from which he could travel swiftly to any place he wanted to. That was nice but where should he make it? In a town? A forest? Or in some dead land where nobody lives? Ech, who cares? He''ll do it once the right time shows up. There''s no need to tire your mind out for something that will be in the future. Maybe there won''t be any future. He walked around the castle for a bit before deciding to come back to the training room in assassins'' house. He found Elena and asked her to help him with his stances a bit more. With a tired sigh she agreed. This was mainly the only thing he did to pass the time the next few weeks. Vera tried to get him out but when he repeatedly refused she let him be. It seemed like he was having an argument with his friend and didn''t want to meet him which worked in her favor. Besides as long as he wasn''t endangering himself and spending time with evil corrupting people almost everything was acceptable. Ace learned a lot in that time about Sai but the more he trained the more he understood how lacking his skills were. Sai were different than daggers while being similar at the same time. They were quick and seemingly delicate but had ways to block even swords without the danger of breaking. It was a magnificent weapon for sure. When the time came to come back to Lasran city, Ace was sad to go. If only he had a choice, he would stay here for a year at least. But no. Now he had to say goodbye to Elena and her husband and leave surrounded by stupid villagers who pretended to be heroes. He walked among them through the fallen first wall of Vascas castle and didn''t turn back. What was the point? Vera asked if he''s eager to finish the quest and be off so he smiled and said yes. She continued asking him about random things so he listened with one ear smiling and nodding. Soon enough others picked up the conversation and everyone was talking excitedly about upcoming adventures leaving him alone. That was exactly what he wanted. Or maybe not. He wanted to be at the front of expedition with Par and Monthu laughing and thinking of what to do next. They were great people who treated him like a human being but now he was separated from them. That wasn''t fine and he was getting it back. One way or another he''ll create a plan and make Par help him. And he won''t be having a choice of disagreement. Some things just had to be done. Next Chapter-->http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=1161 Previous Chapter-->http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=1097&p=5944#p5944 Author''s Note: So this is a chapter about nothing. I hope you liked it non the less. I''m having a lot of problems with school at the moment so my next chapter will probably be a week later on the next Sunday. Sorry about that. 2.9 Wishes Previous Chapter Author''s Note: I haven''t died yet guys! Sorry about the extremely late update. My parents decided not to pay for the Internet so I''m cut off and the library is quite out of the way. Only recently did I get back my Internet on the phone but I can''t post my story through it sadly. So I can''t tell when the next chapter will come, Sunday is out of the question so expect it some time next week. A prologue might appear on Friday if I manage to come here again but can''t make any promises. (The times I can come to library are Thursdays and Fridays but not always either). Back on the chapter, I hope you enjoy it. Many things happened that will lead to even more things to come. After writing I noticed it was kind of rushed and wasn''t sure why. Maybe I''ll edit it someday but for now I''ll concentrate on writing further on :) **** The castle was shining brilliantly. Its towers reaching for the sky in a grand manner, stained glass windows gleaming in all colours, large stone beasts sitting on narrow edges ready to pounce. Down below, where giant doors ornamented with gold stood, opened up a large assemble of nobles were standing in wait. They wore their best clothes adorned with rich colours from all over the continent. Players were crowding around them, interested in what was going on. The nobles were ignoring all the adventurers because of their low fame and chatting only about court among themselves. In the middle of them stood a man in his early twenties. He wore gold and silver to show his rank. To make it even more obvious he put a silver crown. He was the lord of this city and people had to know it. He was waiting for the adventurers he sent to reclaim the Vascas castle to return and announce their victory. Earlier that day a scout had come to him. The guy said that an army was approaching and everyone in it looked happy and well off so it could only mean they had won. That would be very good news for him. The sun was high up but the air was still cold. A freezing gust flowed from time to time, chilling him to the bone. Where were those fighters? He couldn''t wait till he could come back to his cosy warm room. Bum! Bum! A constant sound of many feet hitting ground could finally be heard coming from far away. Players looked around in wonder, guessing among themselves what it might be. It had been quite some time since the recruitment and most had even forgotten about them leaving. This allowed the friends of those who had left to be in a spotlight for the moment. They knew all about it and could spread lots of far-fetched tales which became less believe by each moment passing. And then the heroes entered the city. First walked the leader in his best armour holding a scary looking war scythe in his hand with his officers flaking him from behind. After them went the army - warriors, rangers, casters and many others with their heads raised high up in the air and backs straight. Their weapons shined from having been polished for hours. There was a certain aura surrounding them from which all the citizens could sense their joy and pride. Those people had worked hard and now were sowing the fruits of it. "Welcome back, my faithful warriors! I trust you to have completed the mission" the lord said with his hands raised in the air as if he was blessing them. His long sleeves were swinging gently making him feel like a pope. Monthu stepped forward and came down on his knee. "We''ve annihilated the evil forces of goblins that had taken over the castle and saved those who had survived. The remaining two councilmen are sending you their deepest gratitude" he said and took out a letter from his inner pocket, handing it to the lord. He wanted to act out his part well. The soldiers liked playing real army and he didn''t want to disappoint them by being only a normal player. "Many of us had stayed with them and this letter explains everything. It was written by Councilman Doran." "I hope you passed my dearest wish for them to be well. It is all I want" the lord said taking the letter. He put it in his pocket and murmured some kind of a blessing over the man''s head. Then he extended it to supposedly get it over everyone. He wasn''t sure if that actually did anything but he got into a habit of blessing those that did well even though he was no cleric. The skill was created for it but it was so strangely written that he couldn''t say what in the world it meant. But no one had called him out on pretending so maybe something happened when he chanted that nonsense. Finished with the appearances, he turned around and, followed by the nobles, returned to the castle. He went to the chosen room and sat down to wait until Sir Elimas brought the leading party for him to congratulate personally. Those who had followed him went to the ballroom. There were a few bards singing and many refreshments there in preparation of a large celebration in the evening. He relaxed in his chair and yawned. The day was so boring. Hopefully the upcoming conversation would prove more interesting. "Go this way, please" a male voice said which he recognized as his right hand''s. That signalled for him to prepare his cards and make sure he won the exchange. "Come in" he said once the knock sounded and plastered a fake smile on. He had noticed people trusted him more this way than when he remained with a normal expression, his lips in a line. "I''m happy to see you all here" he said good-naturedly. "What exactly were we invited here for?" Monthu asked, standing in front of his group which was clearly missing a member like last time. The lord calmly turned to Sir Elimas. "Was I not clear enough when I said I wanted to see all of them?" "He wasn''t with them..." the guy said quietly. He was used to the lord''s anger and ignored it most if the time. "Where is your last member?" the lord asked, turning his suddenly cold and lifeless eyes towards the group. "If you mean Ace, he''s left the team." "Did he go to the quest with you?" "Yes." "Did he help you finish it?" "Yes." "Does he want to get the reward for it?" "I suppose so" "Then tell him to get here right now!" the lord said in a dagger sharp voice, making the group involuntarily take a step back. "Fine but I can''t promise he''ll come" Monthu said rolling his eyes; he couldn''t understand why would Ace be needed. /The lord wants to see you because you skipped it the last time we met him. Will you come?/ /If he threatens to not give me my reward, then yes./ /.../ "He said that you have to threaten the reward or else he can''t make it" Monthu said relaying what he was told. It was up to the lord to understand what that could mean. Sparks of interest appeared in the man''s eyes but he remained collected. "Then I do that. In case he doesn''t show up, he''ll be removed from the heroes list and his reward nullified. That is my word" /You''ve just been threatened by removal from the heroes list/ Monthu wrote. /He did what? I didn''t ask for him to remove me, just not give me the reward! Keep him busy I''ll be right there!/ Ace wrote back in a hurry and explained what''s happening to Vera in two words before running off once again. She wondered why he suddenly started to run away all the time when the fact that he left all alone in an unknown city got to her. The search was called in moments. Nothing of that was known in the castle. People were working normally and allowed the young boy to storm past them. No one even stopped him to ask how he knew the layout so well that he never hesitated before choosing one of the paths when they branched out. Dang! The lord''s doors burst open making him raise his head. What he saw was a panting young boy with a mane of golden curls and a small flame circling his head. "Don''t¡­ you... dare... to re¡­move... me!" he said between breaths. After a few moments he came closer and sat on the man''s table right before the guy. "Do you hear me?" he asked in a shrill voice. "I''ve wanted to meet you for quite some time, traveller Ace" the lord said, relaxing in his chair and creating some distance between them. "I''ve heard many rumours concerning your existence." "Really? People are talking about me?" Ace asked happily. There was an eager expression on his face as he pushed himself closer to the man getting in his face again. The guy tried to back away inconspicuously but the back of the chair prevented him so he gave up on the idea. "Depends on where you listen and what for." "Huh?" Ace asked tilting his head to the right, reminding very much of an owl. "I have all kinds of people under my command and a few brought some strange rumours about a killer taking up my city as his hunting place. Do you know anything about it?" the man asked looking straight into the kid''s eyes. "Of course!" Ace said indignantly. "Who doesn''t know about him? He''s a menace that you did nothing to stop from rampaging and killing innocent people!" "And that''s how my fault?" "You''re the lord! You must take care of your people and protect them from getting slaughtered!" Ace said, pointing at the man''s nose who swatted the hand away. "And what was I supposed to do? No one even saw him, so how could I catch him? A? Any genius ideas?" the lord asked angrily. They looked at each other with anger in their eyes. Ace didn''t answer but lord saw an accusation in his eyes that said much more than any words could. And the kid wasn''t backing down. The man stood up in a bout of blind rage and throwing all the papers from the table down turned to leave. At the door he stopped. And burst out laughing. "You''re good. I give you that" he said, still chuckling. Shaking his head he slowly returned to his seat. "You almost made me forget why I brought you here in the first place" The kid looked at him with calm eyes in which he noticed a hidden intelligence that he hadn''t seen before. He was good at reading people and using it to his advantage, that''s why under a year he managed to gain the position of a city lord. But now he got fooled by the kid''s looks, underestimating the guy because of how young he looked. That was a rookie mistake and it almost cost him his entire plan. The mistake shouldn''t be repeated and the kid held in the highest regard of his skills from now on. "I think it''s time to stop with the pretending and talk about the important matters." "What pretending?" the kid asked with a genuine surprise in his voice. "That''s who I am." "I really doubt that. You don''t really strike me as a kid" the man said almost rolling his eyes. "But I am!" the kid cried out with annoyance in his voice. "Why can''t people understand that?" "Because you''re way too smart to be one? No kid would ever go out of his way to prepare for the mission instead of going into a castle. On top of that you masterfully changed the subject when I picked the Silver Wing. Kid''s don''t do that." "But they treat me like one and repeat that I''m a kid every single day!" Ace said crossing his arms and glaring at the guy. "Why else would they do that if I wasn''t one?" "You sound like a NPC who needs his problems solved before they agree to help you out" the man said, making Ace smile. "Could you do that?" Ace asked hopefully. "I didn''t even get what you were saying, so hardly. But do you plan to talk to me finally?" "That depends whether I''ll understand you" Ace said getting both his legs up and sitting down cross legged on the table. He put his right arm on the knee to support his chin and looked at the man with clear blue eyes. "Oh I think you will. The topic is Silver Wing" the lord said looking at Ace but the kid didn''t move a muscle. He just looked. "Fine, let me explain it to you. A few months ago a monster started to rampage in my city. He was quite well-known for having lived in the capital for long. There were no leads on him besides the fact that he had light hair, blood-red eyes and no one ever saw him before the dagger was already in their hearts. Nothing that he could be tracked by. ¡°But then one day a kid came to my right hand man and forced him into complying" the lord said expecting a reaction. Denial or something but Ace stayed still as if he was a statue. "There were no connections beside the kid knowing facts he shouldn''t and having light curls escaping a dark purple scarf. But he gained suspicion when he didn''t show up to take up his prize. On top of that Silver Wing took a break when he left for a mission too. Do you see where I''m going?" Ace''s eyes became a bit darker blue but he still didn''t say anything. "I''ve been thinking about it a lot and collected even more information on the killer. My personal spies questioned every victim themselves until one of them said he saw a slightly pointed ear before his death. He also mentioned the point being much smaller than an elf¡¯s and maybe even half-elf¡¯s. I thought about it a lot and was about to discard it as fake when I remembered a certain race, not like any other. They had slightly pointed ears, thick extremely strong hair but looked human otherwise. It was a race that nobody ever chose. And here I can see one specimen right before my eyes. I hope you don''t think it''s a coincidence?" "Maybe..." Ace said finally, a strange gleam appearing in his eyes. "Don''t try to threaten me. Even if you kill me, I''ll be reborn and free to tell your secret to the world" the lord said but there was no smile on his face. He was playing with fire at the moment. He surely could be reborn but Ace might be waiting there for him or hire someone to repeatedly kill him. On top of that it would be extremely hard to convince anyone that the sweet kid before him was a heartless killer. Ace knew that too. He had a tremendous advantage with that but he preferred to tread carefully. This time they might not believe the guy but if more people started talking about it, it would cast a shadow of doubt on him, constricting his movements. "What do you want?" he asked straightforwardly. The man was good enough to see through all the hastily made trickery anyway. "I want to hire you." "Wait... What?" Ace asked surprised. He expected to get threatened and forced to do something, not to be offered a job. "I want to unite the Oradin kingdom and for that I''ll need many things. A master assassin is a vital one and you''re one of the best I''ve seen. On top of that, no one will ever think of suspecting you for anything" the lord said heatedly, his eyes blazing. Ace''s eyes widened. "That''s not a dream of someone who thinks small. Are you sure it''s within your grasp?" "Crystal clear. I''ve risen to the position of the lord in half a year while others only learnt how to use their skills well. All I need to start moving on from here is a few people in key positions I could trust. That is all" the lord said putting his hands on the table and grilling Ace with his feverish gaze. "So confident. You''re so going down soon" Ace said shaking his head with a laugh. He didn''t believe the guys dream. It was a hard path to becoming a city lord but creating a kingdom from many separate castles that have no wish to do so? A madmen''s mutterings. "I don''t ask you to believe me. All I want is to borrow your strength. You will start seeing my way later on when I have conquered and won over all the lands around Lasran!" "You''re so sure of it. Why not then? Let''s see how far you can go before falling. Just remember I''ll be there to tell you "I told you so"! What is your plan for now?" "And you think I''ll be stupid enough to reveal it? I''ll hire you officially secretly and give you your mission." "And if I do everything well, you might one day tell me your genius plans?" Ace asked with a laugh. He wasn''t sure about the guys success rate but was eagerly waiting for his mission. He never expected a chance to become an assassin for hire, not even talking to be a royal one. There would be many new things to see and so much fun to have! "Do you plan to make me into a spy to?" "Do you have that much free time?" the lord asked raising his eyebrow. Ace thought for a moment. Vera would never agree to it but he wasn''t planning on staying by her side anyway. "I might. Do you have anything interesting?" "Aren''t you a bit too eager? I thought you didn''t trust in my abilities?" the lord asked suspiciously. "I don''t. I''m just going to help you as long as I find it fun being a royal assassin. If I get bored, that''ll be the last you will see of me. So tell, what do you have in mind now?" Ace asked, dragging himself a bit forward so he was looking down on the man if only slightly. The lord relaxed back in his chair escaping the kid''s gaze. "I didn''t expect you to jump at the opportunity so I haven''t prepared anything. Come back in the evening I''ll have it all figured out by then" "Too much work. I won''t have time to chat with you later on. So it''s now or never." "What about the chat system?" "What about it?" "Will you be on?" "Yes, but I don''t remember having you in my friends list." The lord''s eyes flashed angrily but he extended his hand and took Ace''s.
*L has requested to become your friend. Do you accept?*
"L? Seriously?" Ace laughed. "Where did you even come up with that? That¡¯s a name that reaches the heights of ingenuity!" "Just accept it and leave. I have a lot of work to do" the lord said, angrily picking up a random document that had somehow remained on the corner of a table and starting to read it. "Of course, of course!" Ace said, still laughing and jumped down from the table. He stretched his muscles from a real life habit and left after making a mocking bow. ¡°Single letter¡­¡± he muttered chuckling
*L has been registered as a friend*
Out of the room he went to wonder around the castle lost in his thoughts. Everything would be nice and good but first he had to somehow get rid of Vera which wasn''t an easy task. She was like a leech draining his life energy and it always hurt to get it off you. He needed some kind of a plan, a reason why he should travel alone. Something, something... There had to be a way... Accidentally he went into a small chapel. It was eerily quiet inside. ''If I came here, I might as well pay my respects.'' He found the small picture of a golden haired beauty looking innocently with her hands behind her back from which pearly white wings sprouted and fell on his knees before it. He took out a dried flower from his backpack and put it on the small plate for offerings. After that Ace took out his Kris and cut at his finger to let a drop of blood land on the flower. It shined yellow for a moment before losing colour once again. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Ariel, the fooled one, hear my prayer and help your servant in his time of need. I bow my head before your suffering and share mine. If death befalls me, take me to your side and let us watch the world be swallowed in flames together" he said in a makeshift prayer. It was a random match of different ideas but it was a genuine effort. He really felt for the goddess and understood her pain in a way. There was no answer so after around an hour he stood up, dusted his clothes off and left. Leaving he heard two stable boys talking in a corner. "... mad! There''s no way we can do that!" "Why not? It''s not like we have anything here and out there we could become heroes! Can you imagine it? Us heroes!" "But what would we do after running away? Where would we get food and shelter? We''d die from cold! Do you remember that the winter is coming?" the other said annoyed. He was surely the logically thinking one of the two. ''Running away for real... Not only have a few steps made to only get found again in an hour or two. How awesome would that be? But it''s impossible... Or is it?'' He thought about it. The getting away part could be easily achieved but what would be the reasoning? How could he explain it to her in real life? How? "It''s great" "Amazing! It''s the best thing ever!" Par said in a shout waking Ace up from his musing. He stopped in the corridor deciding whether he wanted to see them or not. He didn''t. [Shadow Veil]. He stood against the wall and prepared to wait for them to pass. Par was talking about a new skill book he obtained as a reward and Ace''s mind was working. He had a general idea of what had to be done and that required Monthu, Hawk and Aurora gone from the picture for some time. His mind finally clear, he moved and went to follow the group. If they didn''t feel like leaving Par alone any time soon, he was ready to make them. There was nothing that could stop him now that he had a way of escaping Vera''s clutches. While he was planning his escape a certain duo was talking down a very dark and dangerous alley. "Why didn''t you kill him?" "When you said he''s a monster, I thought you meant something else than his powers. You should have told me it''s a suicide mission so I could have refused from the start and not wasted all this time. You know I don''t like dying?" a certainly female voice answered, waving her hand in the air. "What do you know about him? It should have been a piece of cake for someone like you!" the man said angrily. "He''s a bastard of a highest level! He always went alone in the middle of enemies'' base and still survived somehow. Also he made us do the same. He lured large groups of mobs simply so he could watch how we fight for our lives! And later on he tricked us into opening the gates and left us alone against a never-ending onslaught of mobs!" "I suppose you didn''t die?" the man asked raising an eyebrow mockingly but in the darkness it was missed by his partner. "It was a close call" the voice said angrily. "Do you plan on getting revenge? He deserves it for making you go through all of it!" "He? I don''t think so. It''s all your fault that I had to go there and suffer" she said calmly and with a swift motion stabbed the man. It did little damage but she repeated it a hundred times more, so fast that the unprepared man couldn''t do anything, only watch his health bar drop rapidly. When it was below five percent the rogue stopped the attacks and watched as the man fell to the ground like a heavy log. He still had some consciousness so she squatted down and whispered in his ear. "Next time hire a madman for suicide missions and get me only for delicate matters. Otherwise, you might get a bad name in the organization and you don''t want that, do you?" There was fury in the man''s eyes but the female smiled at him and patted the cheek as if he was a bad child and left. Soon enough the man took his last breath and was forcefully logged off. Now he had a lot of time to think of revenge that he wasn''t going to get. If he even tried to touch her, the whole organization would be on his head and he would have no choice but to create a new character for himself. But there was a person he could reach. A certain monster whose fault it all was. That guy was unknowingly following his own prey and was growing more frustrated by the moment. ''Why can''t he take a step without Monthu? How am I to make the plan work if he''s so spineless?'' Ace growled in his mind. It had been an hour without any progress. He had noticed Vera''s shadow a few times but she didn''t get too close to the group, although there was someone tailing them besides him. Luckily that guy was less skilled than Ace and couldn''t see him. They followed the group for three hours more before Ace''s chance showed up. Monthu walked into a blacksmith''s shop with Hawk while Aurora was looking at all the jewellery in display on counters nearby. Par was supposed to have stayed by her but he had wondered off to the candy stall. "Two chocolate frogs, please!" Ace said to the merchant giving him a silver. Par was about to run away but Ace stopped him with his free hand. "Take this first" he said forcing a chocolate treat in his hand. "It''s for you." "Thanks" Par said in a murmur, taking it discreetly and looking around to make sure no one was watching. Then he started to munch on the treat as if it was going to be taken from him at any moment. "I shouldn''t be talking to you, you know" he said between bites, following everyone around with his eyes. "Really?" Ace asked faking surprise. "I thought we were friends? Did I do something I shouldn''t have?" "Monthu was very angry because I lied to him. He said you''re a bad influence and I shouldn''t stay around you. I trust his judgement but..." Par said quietly with his head down, the last chocolate leg forgotten. "Don''t you find it unfair?" Ace asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Hm?" "Vera is saying the same thing to me! Almost. She said that Monthu is a bad person and I should never talk to him again! That''s why she didn''t even want to let me finish the quest! Can you believe that?" he asked with righteous anger in his voice. "What? Monthu is the best ever! How could she say that?" Par asked, not understanding how anyone could think differently. "I think grownups sometimes make mistakes too" Ace said with grimness in his voice. "You mean...?" Par asked wide mouthed. "Yes. We''re friends and should stay that way. Didn''t we agree on it that night in the castle?" "Uhm... I don''t think we said anything of the like..." Par said quietly. "But we were looking for a plan to stay together! So it counts! What''s even better is I have it, all I want to know is whether you still wish to be my friend or not!" Ace said in a clear voice gazing right in Par''s eyes. There was a question in his own but a different one when the asked. It was more of an accusation that wanted you to tell if you really had lied. Par couldn''t say no to that without feeling like a traitor so he did what he felt like he had to. "I do" he said. Ace''s eyes lightened up. "That''s great! Who cares if the whole world is against us if we have each other? Let''s go!" he said turning around and taking a few steps in the other direction than where Aurora stood. "I can''t go! Brother won''t let me!" Par said taking a step back while shaking his head; the frog leg still remained in his hand abandoned. "Do you wish to be friends or not?" Ace asked angrily. "I''m tired of you acting like your brother is the god! He isn''t! You should think yourself at least for once! I went behind Vera''s back, thought up a plan and am probably angering my parents all for the sake of staying friends with you! ¡°But you, you can''t do a single thing by yourself! I thought you were a person but now I see I was mistaken! You''re nothing but a puppet controlled by Monthu! Sorry to have wasted your time, oh highness!" he shouted out mockingly, adding an exaggerated bow to it and angrily left ignoring the tears in Par''s eyes. He had done all he could and if the kid was a spineless worm, nothing would change it. He''ll create another plan to escape. In the end no one was on his side. To hell with it, he can do it all alone too. All he needed was a new excuse and he was good at creating them. A day or two more and he''ll be free no matter what. Tired and angry he went to the tavern Vera had checked in and went to the room left for him. He laid on the bed and counted wood lines on the ceiling. Five, six, eleven, who cared, fifteen, sixteen, great, twenty, thirty, forty, hate it, hundred. He was sleeping when the doors opened up for a moment before closing again and getting locked from outside. *** "Par what is wrong?" Aurora asked later in the day. Since Monthu came back from the blacksmith''s shop, the kid walked with his head down and he started to cry when she bought a treat to cheer him up. That was not normal! "Nothing" Par said in a murmur, lowering his head even more. "Monthu!" she said angrily. "Look at your brother! He''s suffering because of something and you''re doing nothing to remedy that!" "What? Isn''t it you who always listens to each of his problems night and day?" the guy asked surprised. It was rare that Par would need anything being such a model child while it was even rarer to see Aurora angry, and she was at the moment. ''What is happening here?'' "He''s not talking to me! Hawk let''s go somewhere so the two can share their secrets without having to kick us out!" she said and marched off dragging Hawk with her. The guy threw Monthu an apologetic look and followed the cleric. Monthu shrugged having no idea why she was suddenly so mad and looked at his brother who was glaring holes in the road. "What''s with you? You know you''ve just angered Aurora and will have to apologize to her later, right?" "No! I don''t want to!" Par said, raising his glare at his brother who only now noticed that something was extremely wrong here. Par never ever disagreed or glared at anyone. He just wasn''t that kind of a person. "Par? What is wrong?" he asked gently taking his brother from the main street and entering an empty alley. "You know you can tell me everything, right?" Tears appeared in Par''s eyes but he shook his head. "You never listen to me! Why should I?" he said pretending to be strong but his voice shook along with his whole body. "That''s not true. Why would you ever think that?" Monthu asked taken aback. "Because it is!" Par said angrily, lightly hitting Monthu''s shoulder and running away. He quickly left the alley and entered the main street. Then he disappeared from his brother''s sight before the guy could even grasp what had happened. "Par, wait!" he shouted out but it was already too late. The kid was away and he hadn''t the slightest idea why and where to. There was only one place Monthu knew where his brother could go and he went there without a moment''s delay. "Hey, wake up!" someone said shaking Ace''s shoulder. "Tiiiiirrrrrred" Ace said with a yawn and turned to the other side. He had no wish to get up now. There was still no plan. "Time to get up, sweetie! There''s a carnival today and I know how you love fire shows" Vera said taking a step back before Ace jumped out of his bed. "Fire show? What are we waiting for? Let''s go!" the kid said ready to run but Vera stopped him. "Wait a moment, I need to brush your hair first" "It''s a game, they always look the same!" Ace said annoyed. The game removed such necessities although there was a way to enable them in the options. He didn''t. "Just let me do it, okay?" "Fine" Ace said keeping his voice in check and sitting down with his back to Vera. "Good boy" she said with a laugh and took out a brush. She used it to straighten the curls and untangle them but after a moment they all returned back to their places. Ace sat still as if he was made of stone. He had closed his eyes and was breathing deeply. She made him feel like an obedient dog she took care of. There had to be a way out. A few ages later she was done and he could stand up. Smiling he led her out of the inn and followed by thirty or so people they marched to the main street. The sun had set so various lanterns hung from the houses and Vera took his hand. ''Was that supposed to make me feel safer?'' he laughed in his mind and made [Flare] stay still before his head and light the way. But they didn''t make it to the carnival. A group of three stopped them right before the entrance. The main man holding a scythe looked huge and there was fury in his eyes. "What did you do to him?" he asked in a growl, pointing the weapon to Ace''s neck whose eyes widened. "Get the hell away from him" Vera said angrily pushing the scythe away with her rapier and taking a defensive stance in front of Ace. "Who do you think you are, pointing a weapon at him like that?" The followers took their position at her sides pushing Ace all the way back. He stood there for a moment before deciding he wouldn''t hear anything useful. Then using [Hiding in Plain Sight] he walked around them and entered the carnival. Right at the entrance were ten stalls selling all kinds of masks. He looked over them and chose a fox shaped one that covered his eyes and nose. Further on he saw more stalls of which most sold different kinds of treats. He chose a few animal shaped lollipops and went ahead. There he finally saw what he was looking for. Mimes, sword eaters, illusionists and musicians were on every corner, among stalls selling their talent. He stopped for a moment at each one and dropped a few silvers receiving smiles and grateful nods. What a sad life of an artist. At one turn a painter was sitting and hopelessly watching people pass by without stopping. Ace went to him and sat on the opposite chair. "Are you good?" he asked. "Uhmm..." the young man looked at him with surprise. He had come here to maybe earn a few silvers for painting materials but it seemed pointless now. No one wanted a portrait and he had paid a five silver entrance fee! It had been his worst idea ever. "So are you going to draw or not?" Ace asked with a bright smile that didn''t go well with his impatient question at all. To motivate the man he took out a gold coin and put it on his canvas. "If I look any similar, it''ll be yours" "Really?" the man asked, his eyes lightening up. "Yes" Ace said nodding and relaxing in the uncomfortable chair. He watched the man study him and then pick up a paintbrush with grim determination. His hand moved with quick and sure strokes, never hesitating or stopping. After some time a crowd started to gather around and talk in hushed voices. Ace like the painter paid them no attention and kept his eyes on the moving brush. It was slowing down little by little. The man''s eyes went to Ace more and more often leaving for a second only to return back. His shoulders drooped and he spoke up. "It''s not a masterpiece but I hope you see yourself there" Ace stood up and walked around to see the painting. He was surprised in a good way. In the picture you could mistake for a photo sat a young beast men ruler. He wore rich clothes, had one leg over the other and gazed ahead. The look was that of a soulless monster. Someone, who would smile seeing a kid being beheaded just as he smiles when two lovers reunite after many trials. There was nothing good in that dark eyed youngster hidden behind a fox¡¯s mask. "You''ve done it quite well" Ace said in a level voice, lovingly watching the painting. It was the best thing ever. He took the golden coin back. "But you don''t like it? I knew I shouldn''t have put you on a throne and drawn that jungle behind. Sorry for the wasted time" the painter said with a sigh. Ace laughed. "You got it wrong. I love it and a single coin isn''t nearly enough!" he said with a smile and got a pouch out. He pushed it in the surprised man''s hands and picked the painting up. The best purchase ever! He was away before the man opened the pouch and saw a hundred gold coins shining inside. He had the biggest smile in his life. Ace walked on watching all the wonders around, listening to music, hearing bard tales and eating as many treats as he wanted. The carnival was a blast. The only thing missing to perfection was a fire show. But it had to be somewhere around. Vera would have never lied to him. "... and see people who have conquered fire! They''re here! The Fire-Breathers!" "Yes!" Ace screamed in joy and ran in the direction the voice was coming from. He was about to push through the crowd to the centre when someone grabbed him by the shoulder. "Ace? Is it you?" the voice asked. Ace squinted at the guy. It was hard to see in the shadows that were made by all the lanterns but the one before him wasn''t wearing a mask. And it was a kid. "Par?" he asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?" His face soon became angry and he brushed the kid''s hand off. "Go away. I don''t need you to destroy my evening off." "Wait!" Par shouted out before Ace could leave. "I changed my mind! I don''t want to do only what I''m told! They don''t have the right to choose who I can be friends and who not!" he said in one breath. Ace looked at him with wide eyes. He hadn''t expected that for sure. He was pressing his luck when he suggested such a thing so it was no surprise, even if it made him extremely annoyed, that the kid had refused. So why was the kid here? He was a good boy, not one who never followed a rule in his life like Ace had. "Are you sure?" "I want to... see the world through my own eyes" Par said looking straight. His gaze was strong but his voice wavered. Now was the time for Ace to say that he was wrong and let Par come back to his family. He was still young and innocent, uncorrupted by the evils of the world that so many young people succumbed to. There was still a chance to keep him the same. But Ace wasn''t a hero. He wasn''t going to suffer so someone else could have a better life. Maybe it made him evil, maybe a bad, egoistic person or maybe¡­ just maybe it showed that he simply was a normal weak human that wished for a happy life. Many people sprout words about sacrifice and putting others before oneself but how often does that truly happen? In an equation between dreams and reality, other people don¡¯t fit in. Next Chapter 3.0 Previous Chapter Author''s note: So here''s the promised prologue :) Hope you enjoy it and learn a few new things about Kirin. Also to celebrate the beginning of a third arc and the return of my internet I decided to share a picture my best friend had drawn for me. It''s Ace at the beginning of the game so be sure to check it out and say wherever you imagined him this way or not Link Here **** Dark clouds. They were obstructing the sun''s view. Only a few rays managed to get past the blockade and burst out basking the world in their light. One of them landed on a boy. He was hugging his legs, eyes directed at the play ground below. It was empty at the moment, everyone spending time with their computers. It was rare to see any life here. Only bored wind would move the swings from time to time, reminding them of the times gone. But the kid wasn''t seeing that. His eyes locked on the swings were misty, lost in a different world. They saw a bright sun shining happily on the world. Kids of different ages were laughing and playing together as their parents watched from the benches. Smiles were everywhere and a blonde haired kid with bright blue eyes had the biggest one. He was sitting on the swings and bending his legs to get higher and higher. The start alone was hard but he was on a roll now. Higher and higher, right to the sky! He rose and fell still reaching up. Other kids looked at him in wonder as he passed their height long ago and was still going up. Fear? Who cared about that! There was heaven almost in his reach! When he was at the peak from where you couldn''t go any higher, he jumped off spreading his arms. Air hit him with a strong force making his eyes water. He flapped his hands pretending to be a bird soaring into the sun but the sky wasn''t coming closer. The earth was. Hands started to move in wild motions along the legs as time slowed down for a moment. He saw mother starting to sprint and terrified gazes watching his flight. An even brighter smile blossomed on his face at the same moment that he hit the ground. Blackness. It was his only companion for a few very long moments. He could hear and feel but there was no sight. Darkness all around. His heart started to race as fear began to consume him. Had he gone blind? Slowly colours started to return. Pieces of mother''s face and blue sea behind her. Soon it was over but it was then that the pain hit him. "Owowow! It hurts!" he screamed with tears in his eyes, clutching his left hand to himself. Mother kissed on the head as she raised him from the ground. "Let me look at it, please?" she asked looking him in the eyes. "It hurts!" he had said shaking his head and clutching the arm closer. The pain was unbearable; he couldn''t even move it slightly without a searing heat passing through it. "Can you stand up, Kirin?" she asked. He had nodded and stood up on shaky legs. Shorts were torn, bruised and bloody knees showing. But he felt nothing of that. Arm didn''t allow any attention to go to other parts of the body that had been hurt by the flight. "Let''s go to the doctor then, okay?" his mother asked, unwrapping her scarf and fastening his arm to chest.. That freed his right hand so she took it and together they left the playground. He hadn''t seen it back then but he could imagine how shocked other parents were. His mother not only didn''t call him by sweet names, but didn''t carry him either. He was still very small and thin so it should have been no problem. There undoubtedly were disgust in their eyes. Would there have been in his too if she hadn''t been his mother and he the victim of his own foolishness? But she was tired. And the break short. She didn''t have time to care for his stupidity. It was hard and without it. Money didn''t grow on trees. Sadly. Life might have been so much better otherwise. They silently walked to the doctor. "What happened?" the man asked, writing something. He didn¡¯t pay any attention to them as they came in. "I fell from the swings" he had said, looking at the man as if daring him to disagree. The doctor didn¡¯t raise his head. He took the hand and against the screams gently examined it. "It''s swollen and turning blue. You''ll have to take an X-ray." After that they got the photo and it was decided that he had slightly fractured the bone. Luckily, it was still in place and a cast was enough. Everything was done in half an hour. Still some time left. As they went home mother glanced at his hand and asked. "Why did you jump off?" Stolen novel; please report. "I wanted to fly!" he had said, searching for understanding in her eyes. What he found was simple tiredness. There was hardly any place left for anything else. "Why don''t you like it down here, Kirin?" "I want to fly to the sun like Icarus had!" he had said with admiration in his voice. "You know, he never reached it" mother said with a sigh, her shoulders down. "But I would! I would fly right to the sun and see how it shines so brightly! Then I would bring her warmth down here and everyone would be happy forever! Isn''t that right? No one is ever sad when the sun is shining!" he had said raising their entwined hands to the sun. A stupid childish smile brightening his face. There was a tired one on his mother''s too. "My little hero" she murmured opening the doors and taking him to the kitchen where father was already sitting. "What happened?" he asked, noticing his cast. "I flew towards the sun but it was out of reach..." he said, sadness evident. His father shook his head, curls dancing around it. There were dark circles around his eyes. "You''ve been lonely again, haven''t you?" "Samantha didn''t come today" he said shrugging and climbed onto his father''s legs. "How''s work? Did the big bad monster shout at you again?" "Yes, he did" father said, throwing mother a helpless smile. She laughed and threw him an apple. He always ate them while she warmed the pizza up. "But let''s forget it for now. Why don''t you become friends with other kids?" he asked seriously. "I don''t like them" he had answered with a solemn face. "All they care about are newest computer games and the progression of virtual reality. They don¡¯t even know a single tale and care nothing for princesses. Neither of them would even put on armour to save them! They''d say it''s too heavy! I don''t like them." "Were we wrong to teach you it all?" father asked tiredly, looking at mother who just shook her head. "We were trying to pass the exams. It was tell him those stories or never even see him. We made our choice." "But to tell him history for bed time stories? And math formulas? Or theory behind creating good advertisements? Wasn''t that too much?" father asked hugging him closer. He never intruded on their private conversations. They rarely had any time together so he''d learnt to pretend like he wasn''t there. He never asked questions and acted as if he knew nothing of what had been talked about. Because of it he was allowed to hear all the horrors that a young family had to face. "He''s the best student now because of it. I''m sure if he tried harder, he could have many friends. Even among people his age he''s quite popular when he wants to be. Do you remember their admiration filled eyes when he acted out a knight¡¯s role in the school''s play? For the whole evening he was a hero until he got tired of it and started to ignore everyone" mother said and he wanted to hide behind father''s hands. It wasn''t his fault that they decided to follow him all around and he couldn''t take it anymore. How could one live being surrounded by so many people watching his every step? It was too suffocating. "Kirin?" father asked and he raised his head. There was fire in his father''s eyes. "Can you trust me and become friends with them?" "Why?" he had whined. "I don''t like them..." "Friends are what will keep you up when you hit rock bottom. You can''t make it through the life without them. Trust me. If not the help of all the friends, we wouldn''t be sitting here all together. Do you understand that?" he asked, taking his shoulders with his hands. The left one hurt but he kept quiet and nodded unhappily. "Promise me it! Promise that you''ll have friends no matter where you are! Even if you don''t like them at first, it doesn''t matter! No one starts to trust others without a cause, especially you, so wait. One day they''ll prove you, it was worth it all along! So promise me!" he said, eyes drilling right into his soul. "I promise" he had said and never forgotten it. Years passed, things changed but he kept it. No matter what, he always had a bunch of people to rely on if a disaster stuck. It might have been selfish of him but he made a promise to his father. Soon after that a true disaster struck and he became what he is now. A creature frozen in time. Life changed then, taking all he had with it and leaving horror in its place. He had thought that evening was suffocating... What stupidity! And naivety! But how was he supposed to know it was going to become so much worse? Next Chapter 3.1 Black Magic Previous Chapter Author''s Note: So here''s my first chapter of this volume. I planned to post it earlier but it took me almost half a week to think of what is going to happen in this arc and I still had to write it so yeah... Hopefully you like what came out of it :) **** The veil of night was their only friend. No one else. Truthfully. Those people running around with torches in their hands weren''t nice no matter what they were shouting. Lies, all lies about trying to save them. Who needed saving anyway? Not them for sure! "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Par asked a billionth time, watching Ace sneakily looking around a corner. "Do you doubt my abilities? I told you I can get us out of the city!" he said, annoyed. It should have been a piece of cake but a few minutes after their agreement to run away a nationwide search was conducted. In seconds posters promising a thousand for Par''s and ten thousand gold for his head were put all around, getting everyone¡¯s attention. Well, all of him in truth. If anyone killed him, he wouldn''t see sunrise ever again. So now they were hiding in a dark narrow street while people walked around, shouting their names. What a fun way to spend one¡¯s evening. "What should we do then? We''re going to be found soon!" "I''m thinking, thinking!" Ace said in a quiet growl, wrecking his brains for a way out. The gates were blocked and it would be extremely dangerous even to think about going through there. The closer to an exit the more packed it was. Somehow all had decided that they were making an escape. ''Am I so predictable..? Oh well, maybe I hadn''t been doing much of anything besides that... Damn.'' /I have a mission for you. Can you talk now?/ Ace checked to see the message was from L. /It''s not the best time. I''m kind of being chased by the whole city at the moment/ "Duck!" he said jumping on Par and making both of them fall to the ground. "What for?" Par asked, annoyed. The ground was pretty cold. "Shadow Veil" Ace said quietly, hiding them as a scouting arrow passed by. It was put on fire to light the dark paths before walking in them. They didn''t dare to move until the fire exhausted itself and they were back in the welcoming darkness. It was the first time in his life that Par preferred blackness over light. And felt safer in it. "How did you know it was coming?" he asked standing up. "I saw someone moving. Better safe than sorry" "You''re amazing!" Par said with admiration in his voice. "Thanks" Ace murmured back, looking at the new message he''d received. /You seem to be quite popular. Need any help? For a price of course./ /Of course... So what can you do? Wait, just do it. I need to be out before sunrise/ /Done/ "Help is coming" Ace said in a whisper. "But you said you were leaving Vera behind!" Par said accusingly. "Because I am" Ace answered rolling his eyes. "It''s a neutral party. I''m kind of working for him. Since today..." /We''re in a street three turns right from jewel shop in main street if you''re interested./ /Well, that quickens the search for sure/ /I think you meant it makes it possible. I believe my hiding skills are pretty good when you look at the scale of the search and the fact that no one has even noticed me yet/ he wrote back sitting down. No matter what L had planned, it''ll take some time. "What is going to happen?" Par asked, sitting down beside him. "Don''t know. We''ll see what he has planned for us. We''re going on his quest anyway." "What do you mean on his quest? I thought we were running away!" "We are!" Ace said firmly. "It''s just that we''ll need to do something so I agreed to help him out. Although I''m not even sure what he needs yet..." That was a blatant lie. He clearly knew what the mission would be, death for some unlucky fellow. After some time a shadow entered their street and motioned for them to follow. They stood up, glanced at each other for a moment and went after. Ace followed surprised how the man managed to evade all the search parties. Maybe he had [Instincts of a Predator] too? Blocking one street stood a carriage. There were no lights around but in the shadows he could see an emblem of a bird on the door which opened the moment they approached. "Hurry up in!" Sir Elimas said from the inside and the kids jumped in. The doors closed behind them and the horses started to move. "Now get under that seat! I''ll take you out of town and to your first mission''s destination." Ace raised the side of a heavy cloth and saw a wide empty space. Strangely it was very clean. "Do you do this often?" he asked. Sir Elimas ignored his question and pushed them to go down there quicker. The space wasn''t as wide as it showed up at first. Although they were only two children, it was extremely uncomfortable and they were half sitting - half lying on each other. The worst position ever. "I don''t like it" Par said, stating it like a fact. "Neither do I but let''s imagine we''re two princes and our evil uncle is trying to catch us!" "Why should we do it?" "Do you think dying here of boredom is better? In my opinion, playing games is the best solution to everything!" Ace said smiling brightly but it lost its effect in the total darkness. "So what if we pretend? It''s not like we can move..." "But we can talk quietly! That''s all we need! Let''s create our own story and continue it as we travel around! Okay?" "Okay..." Par said, not really understanding the point of it. He had never played imaginative games with his brother. "Great! So I go first! I''m a son of a noble hero! He married a princess and I was born. We happily lived in our own mansion when the king suddenly died! I was brought here to be crowned but my evil aunt with only a drop of royal blood usurped the throne and has ordered my death! So here I am hiding in this dusty compartment hoping against hope that I''ll make it through! That is my story. Who are you my runaway friend?" he said, pretending the well-mannered tone of nobility. "Can I be your brother?" Par asked, helplessly. He wasn''t even sure what he was supposed to with this story. Why were they even creating it anyway? "That''s not fun!" Ace said, annoyed. "Then we''d have to fight between ourselves for the throne! Do you really want that?" "What? Why? No!" "Great! So create your character now!" Ace said, trying to nod and hitting his head on the board. "Owowow! Why is this god damn place so small?" he hissed directing the question at the lord''s dog but the guy kept quiet. "I don''t know how... I''ve never done it before..." "Just do it! What''s so hard about it? Just mash all your favourite characters into one if you have no other ideas!" "But..." "Do it!" Ace whisper-shouted angrily, hitting Par¡¯s head lightly, the small space prevented a better hit from coming. "Why... Fine! I''m a wandering magician! My father is... missing! Mother too!" "What are you doing here? In this small and, currently, overcrowded place?" "Ah... I got found out?" "Doing what?" "Quiet!" Sir Elimas said in a whisper, hitting the cloth that hid them with his boot. "We''re at the gates." The kids pushed themselves closer to the wooden boards in a vain attempt to hide better. It was the moment they would escape or be caught and returned to their masters. Now everything rested on the shoulders of Lady Luck. "Stop!" guard''s shout was heard and the carriage ceased moving. "Nobody is allowed to leave at the moment. We''ll search your carriage now and you''ll be free to leave in the morning. This is the lord''s word!" the guard continued saying. Ace couldn''t see anything at all and had to trust Sir Elimas to get them out. "Show me the order" Sir Elimas said in a calm voice. "It... it... It is..." The guard seemed at a loss for words. He''d never expected to be asked for a proof. "I''m here on lord''s orders so get out my way" Elimas said in a threatening tone. "I''ll be sure to report this to the higher ups. You can say goodbye to your career for even thinking about stopping me." There was the sound of doors being closed with a bang and the driver shouting at his horses to move. Sometime later the cloth preventing any light from reaching the kids was lifted and they could take a good mouthful of fresher air. "You''re free now. We''ve left the borders of Lasran city ten minutes ago and no one is chasing us" Sir Elimas said, motioning for them to leave the hiding place. Ace stood up on shaky legs. For sitting so long in an uncomfortable position they had gone numb, or he imagined it. The game removed such unnecessary and annoying things. He sat down on the seat with both his legs up while Par was sitting like a normal person. ''Why did I pick him up again?'' "So where are we going now?" he asked the guy sitting in front of him. "A small village. You''ll repay your debt there." "Really? What is it?" "You''ll have to make the town''s mayor start to pay his taxes" "What? I''m not a tax collector! Why would he listen to a kid, anyway?" Ace asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "I do not know but the lord has faith in you. Once you''re finished with this, you''ll receive your first true mission" "Seriously..." Ace said, rolling his eyes. Who knew the lord wouldn''t trust his abilities so much even though being the one who suggested the union in the first place. "Why isn''t the guy paying? Is there anything I should need to know before meeting him?" "No" Sir Elimas said coldly and his expression assured that no more questions would be answered. "Will we be staying in that village then?" Par asked, turning to look at Ace who was thoughtful. "Maybe, depends whether anyone lets us in. We''re two kids after all" Ace said and stayed quiet after that. There were many unknown factors to consider. They had to find a place to live, something good to eat because Monthu would get his head twice as many times as he planned now if Par had to live on bread and water as Ace himself had many times and find a way to make some mayor pay taxes. No matter who the guy was, there was not a single person player or Npc who would willingly empty his pockets for the sake of some lord. It was going to be a challenge without even knowing any details, like what taxes he didn''t pay for example. They travelled till midnight. Only then a dark shadowy town was seen. It was hard to say whether it had been really that far away from Lasran or the driver had gotten lost a few times. That could have been the case because there was not a single light in the houses around and no roads were leading to it. The driver led the kids out and closed the door of the carriage. Sir Elimas didn''t say a word or move a muscle in that exchange and they were off, leaving two little kids all alone in a dark village. "That''s so very nice of him" Ace said, directing his eyes to the heavens. The sky was dark, new moon. "What should we do now?" Par asked, his voice uncertain. "Make a camp, what else?" Ace said. He allowed [Flare] to leave from under his scarf and light the place slightly. They were at the edge of some forest with houses only a few meters away. Ace chose to go deeper into the forest to look for some wood and an empty space. Par didn''t look happy but he was used to following others. An idea to disagree didn''t even come to him for which Ace was thankful. He was too lazy to think of a lie at the moment. ''It''s truth, that we could have woken up the villagers and asked for a place to stay'' Ace mused while collecting small branches. ''But it is also truth that I don''t want that. It''s boring to always use the same approach and I''ve used the defenceless kid act way too much recently. Not that I''d think twice if the situation required'' A short laugh escaped his mouth startling Par who looked very uncomfortable. "What is it?" Ace asked, carrying the branches further in where a small clearing resided. It was only a hundred meters or so away from the village. He threw the firewood down and ordered [Flare] to light it up. It took a few tries until the fire caught. "Why are we staying here?" Par asked, putting his own branches close by. "We''re fugitives! We can''t just go in like that especially in the middle of the night!" "Fugitives?" "I''m a prince on the run! Do you really expect me to be so careless? The kingdoms happiness rests on my shoulders!" Ace said in a raised voice. ¡°Oh! The story! So I¡¯m a magician, right?¡± "Yes! Why were you hiding with me anyway? What did you do to become wanted?" Ace asked, taking out a few blankets from his backpack and putting them near the fire. He sat down with his legs crossed, resting his head on the right hand and looking straight at Par. Par could see the lord in him. The guy''s back was straight, face unreadable and yellow eyes reflecting the light of the fire. There was an air of formality surrounding him too. "How do you do that?" he asked, amazed. "Do what?" Ace asked, surprised, destroying the whole illusion. "What you did before! If I hadn''t known it was you, I would have sworn you''re a true lord! There was just something about you that prevented me from even doubting that! How can you make it so? I want to learn it to!" Ace tilted his head sideways, deliberating his answer. He could try to explain it truthfully or just pass it by. What would be better now... Truth or another bout of lies? He was good at making them believable. Maybe the kid deserved not to be lied to. He had left all he knew and it would be really troublesome if he found out Ace didn''t really mind it, being only concerned about himself. ''If you make a big lie, tell them only truth afterwards so they accidentally don¡¯t start to doubt you.'' "It''s simple acting. I remember an anime about a lord kid and imitate his actions to perfection. But most importantly I believe in myself. Faulty acting can seem like your character¡¯s traits if you manage to convince yourself and everyone that you''re truly what you pretend to be. There can''t be any doubt in your disposition" Ace explained, his face and movements changing from a child''s to an old man''s, from a lively person''s to a tired one''s and finally from a joking one to a serious one. Each of them was done masterfully, leaving Par in awe. "It''s amazing! But how can you imagine it so well? You¡¯re a child like me, so how can you make yourself resemble an old person so well? I don''t even have an idea how I''ll look when I get old!" "Neither do I" Ace said, laughing. "I just pick someone from my memory. Wait, you said you wanted to learn it, right?" "Yes!" Par said, eagerly nodding his head. "I have something that might help you" Ace said with a smile and started to chant. "Beloved dreams, feared nightmares, different worlds, same horrors combine into one and come crashing onto the mortal souls, Phantasm!" White mist surrounded Par and at Ace''s commands started to reshape and change colours. In a minute an elderly man with his back hunched and face wrinkled by years stood before him. "That''s..!" Par said with his mouth wide open, watching at his own wrinkled hands. "That is clearly not how an old man behaves. I can say that for sure so try again." There was a look of surprise on Par¡¯s face until he understood what Ace meant. "Oh right!" He tried to walk how he remembered old man moving but his friend wasn''t satisfied. "Your legs are supposed to hurt! And keep your head lowered! Use the staff!" Par tried to do it differently but nothing changed. "Your legs aren''t on fire! You''re just old! And bow down more; you have your whole life weighting you down!" He bent half-way and slowly dragged his legs forward. "Not so low! It''s only your life, not the whole world! And stop running! It''s not a race!" "I''m trying! Stop shouting!" Par said, angrily clutching his staff. "I can''t know what to do at my first try!" "Yes, you can!" Ace said, contradicting. He waved his hand in dismissal of even a thought that you had to practice things. "You can''t mean that! You have to do things repeatedly to gain mastery of them!" "False" Ace said with a twisted smile. "Do you want me to prove it to you?" "You can?" Par asked, surprised, all of his anger forgotten in an instant. "Of course, all people are born knowing how to pretend and act out a specific role. The only reason that actor profession is still possible is that humans tend to lie to themselves and don¡¯t use their talents. Tell me, what do you think you could never be?¡± "Uhm... I wouldn''t like to be a hero! It requires you to always be there on time to save the day and never have a moment¡¯s rest. I would never choose to a character like yours!" Par said, shaking his head. Some time ago watching Batman with his brother, they talked about it. He was very eager to become a hero at that time but his brother had explained what such people had to lose in exchange for saving others and since then he had no wish to become one. "Then let me show you how heroes are born" Ace said, a strange smile on his face. "Follow me now." They left the fire going and went back the way they had come, [Flare] showing them the way. Next to the village Ace stopped and turned to Par. "Now we''ll give those people a show they''ve never seen before so do your best" he said directing [Flare] deeper into the village. It shun brightly in the absolute darkness. "Burst!" he said in a soft whisper when the little fire was next to a straw roof. "What are you doing?" Par shouted in horror, hands covering his mouth. "Creating a stage. Now all we need is for spectators to wake up, the main actors will be free to enter then" Ace said, bringing his little flame back and watching the roof catch on fire quickly. "What are you talking about? They''re going to burn alive!" "So go and save them" Ace said with a smile. "What are you waiting for? Just remember nothing is as easy as it looks!" Par looked at him in surprise but dismissed it and ran to the centre of the small village, where the fire was already licking neighbouring roofs. "Rivers flowing deep within the earth, Water Pulse!" A shot of water came from the ground sprouting drops all over the roof. It seemed like an easy feat to quench them out when a black shadow fell on the roof, a creature made of blackness with fox ears, featureless face and a slim body. He screamed in a voice that penetrated the soul and woke every living being ten miles around. Then he slid down the roof slightly and hissed "Wilsss winess" It would have been impossible to understand what he had said if not the green vines growing rapidly and blocking the water¡¯s entrance all over the ground. People started to leave the houses with crossbows in their hands and wearing nightshirts. The women started screaming as they saw the fires. "Someone do something!" "Firesss! Burrrn!" the creature hissed bringing everyone''s attention to itself and jumping onto another roof. "Flamess sstep!" he said, running off with a wild laugh. Straws easily caught on fire and soon enough the whole village was burning. Screams of absolute horror broke the night''s silence and fire''s lighted the place. "Nissse and warrrrm" the creature hissed laughing. He kept on jumping from one house to another, sometimes standing on two legs, and sometimes all four. "Ssstop me if yooou cann" Par looked around for a hero to save everyone, he desperately searched the crowd for him, prayed that he would hurry up but he just wasn''t coming. And the people! All of them looked fear stricken and unable to understand what was going on, how it could happen to them. What were they doing? Weren''t they grownups? Shouldn''t they know what to do at such situations? He asked himself but they all looked so lost, watching as their places were burning. They clutched their family members closer and just gazed upon the disaster. The mayor had promised them that nothing would happen and yet it was happening. Deep black shadow fell right before Par and people scattered around emptying the place for the creature that now stood only a few breaths away from the kid. "What iss it? Are you ssscared, kid? Let''sss play hide a sseek thennn" the creature cackled throwing its head back. Par''s eyes flashed angrily. "What do you want from me?" "Sscared? Gusst" Strong wind rose, pushing Par almost three steps back. "Isssn''t there anyonnne?" the creature asked, looking around with sudden sadness in its eyes. It was hard to judge the whole expression as its face was only a black mess. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. The shadow turned around, leaving a trail of fire and climbed back onto the building. He started to play with the burning straws, picking them up and then throwing all around. The burning sparks fell everywhere. "Why is nobody doing anything?" Par shouted out as the first house caved in. There was no answer to it even though many men lowered their heads. The village was built nowhere near the river or a lake and their only supply was rain and snow. There was simply no way for protecting against such large flames. "Hahahahaha!" the creature cackled and punched a hole through one of the roofs, almost falling in itself. It laughed again and jumped to another roof, flames still coming from under its legs. "Fires that burn within everyone, flames that punish the unworthy, light that shows the way strengthen the bond and create a soul to fight for your servant to show the world the truth, Summon Fire Elemental!" Par screamed and ordered it to attack the creature. "Flames from ages gone combined, Fireball! Fireball! Fireball!" The first ball hit its target but then the creature noticed the elemental coming his way and jumped over its head, landing right before Par. "Let''ss play thenn!" it hissed and head-butted. The attack took a fifth of Par¡¯s health. He''d never been so close to battle and the surprise on his face showed how unprepared he was. Luckily, the fire elemental intercepted, stopping the creature in its tracks and throwing a shower of fiery sparks. The shadow winced but didn''t retreat and jumped on the elemental. He slashed at it with his large claws but took a jump back the next second, its leathery hide on fire. By that time Par had taken control of his fear and was casting another spell. "Earth binds the evil, Ground Shackles!" Hands made of sand rose from the ground and grabbed the shadow''s legs. Horror flashed through the creature''s eyes but it was soon replaced by laughter. Par couldn''t understand what could be so fun but he didn''t really care. The elemental closed in on the shadowy monster and started to beat him with his bare fire enhanced hands. Par helped him with fireballs. A trickle of blood ran down the thing''s mouth and it cackled. The sound was so ear piercing that Par stopped for a moment and saw the monster bowing down to break the binds with its own bare hands. Blood showed up on them as the sand shackles were as sharp as glass but quite strong none the less, in spite of that, the creature only smiled and continued his work. In a moment, they were off and the thing was free, dripping blood but free. "Windsss that don''t find ressst, Gussst!" the creature hissed, spitting blood and cleaning it with the back of his hand that was already covered in red liquid. Air started to shiver with energy as winds started to gather around and with a huge gust blew straight at the elemental. It destroyed him in an instant and threw Par into a wall. "Nekss time!" the shadowy monster hissed for the last time and in a blur of smoke disappeared. Quietness descended, broken only by cracking of fires. "Wait, the houses!" Par shouted out, standing up holding onto his head. It was his first time ever getting injured in game and he didn¡¯t exactly like the experience. He lost half of his hp only from those two hits and the elemental had taken the brunt of the second one too. He used the water spell again and this time nobody interrupted him. It took till the morning to extinguish the last of the fires. He had to rest a few times to regain his mana but no more houses were lost besides the first one. The sun rose lightening the village and Par felt like he could drop dead then and there. He could restore mana quickly but that didn''t work for stamina and his was at the very bottom. The villagers chose that time to approach him. "We thank you, young one, for saving us. If there''s anything, we could do to repay you" one of them said, standing at the front of the crowd. Par''s eyes were desperately trying to close themselves while he tried to stop them and act normally. "I''ve been sent here by lord of Lasran to persuade you to start paying taxes" Par said, trying to finish Ace''s quest even if he wasn''t here himself. "Ah... We..." the leader said, unsure of how to escape this predicament so his wife came to the rescue. "You must be terribly tired, our little saviour. Come to my house, I''ll warm some milk for you and prepare a nice bed. We can all talk tomorrow" she said, taking Par''s hand and trying to drag him to her house. "No" Par said, breaking her hold. From his parents he knew well what it meant putting things off for later; it was simply giving them time to think of an excuse why they can''t do it. "Why can¡¯t you do it?" "It''s not something a kid like you would understand. We have our reasons." "The same ones that prevented you from saving your own village?" Par asked tiredly. Together with the villagers¡¯ Par¡¯s eyes grew wide. What was he thinking saying such things? Tiredness must be really taking its toll on him. But the people didn''t see his horror and turned their accusing gazes to the town leader who stood with an angry expression on his face. "Who are you to order us what to do? You''re a just a brat!" the mayor shouted out in a mocking tone. "What are you going to do if I don''t care about your mission? Go and tell your stupid lord that we''re not going to pay even if he sends a gazillion of monsters after us!" The crowd didn''t seem to agree with his opinion, judging from their furious expressions. Some middle aged man came out and punched the mayor in the face. "We''re not going to die because of your pride!" he said, preparing for another hit but the mayor was prepared this time and caught the hand, punching the guy back. Soon it became an all-out fight with other villagers joining either of the sides. Par watched them with wide eyes. ''Did I start that?'' Guilt ate at him and he was about to try to stop them when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. "Leave it" a female voice said. "Better come with me and have some rest. You can talk with them tomorrow" "But..." Par said, trying to argue but the female wasn''t giving him a chance. "Drop it. It''s their way of talking between themselves and you''ll only get hurt if you try to interfere. Listen to me, I know them best." "Okay..." They walked to one of the better looking houses followed by almost all the woman. Inside he was sat at the head of the table and given a bit of milk. "That''s all I have" the female said, watching him drink it. It felt refreshing after being surrounded by fires all night long. "I know, you must be tired but we want to thank you for saving our village right now so you can go to sleep with an easy mind. We really appreciate your help today" "Thank you" all the woman said in unison, bowing before him. "These houses contain all we have. If not you, we would all be dying out this winter. If you ever need anything, we''ll do everything in our power to help you and that¡¯s the truth unlike what the mayor said." Par watched them with two feelings fighting for supremacy in him. His first reaction was to say it was no accident and that he didn''t deserve a reward for saving the day. But then another thought entered his mind, that would mean saying his friend purposefully started the fire and left. Besides if he didn¡¯t do that, they would agree to pay the taxes and everyone would be happy. But he had to tell the truth! Brother said that liars always paid twice in the end. And it would be so horrible when someone found out and he had kept it a secret! "I..." "Shh. You don''t have to say anything. We''ll keep your appearance here a secret if that is what you need. Now go and rest. We''ll stay here and wake you up if men decide to start talking." Then the female shooed him into another room where a small bed stood and closed the doors behind him. "Sweet dreams." The lock clicked, trapping him inside. Tired he fell onto a bed and was about to fall asleep when he remembered that he hadn''t seen Ace since he lighted the house. /Where have you went to?/ Not a moment later came an answer. /Not too far away. How do you like your new accommodations?/ /They locked me up. Do you thin.../ the message wasn''t sent as he fell asleep. Ace watched him through the window and smiled, his plan had worked perfectly. He hadn''t expected the last fight but it worked well to distract everyone and allow him to sneak inside. Now he could get closer to the room where all the women were sitting together and whispering among themselves. "... can''t let it happen." "He truly saved us. But how are we supposed to protect him?" "We''ll stand guard. That''s all we can do. And pray she won''t come." The others nodded and took things out to spend the time watching over the locked door. It was sewing materials in most cases but a few books too. ''What are they afraid of?'' he wondered, positioning himself to wait too. If there was a monster here, he was going to rat it out. He was the one they should be afraid of. Time passed extremely slowly with having nothing to do so he decided to look around himself. It was daytime so everything would be in in plain sight and if the villagers feared it that much, there was no reason for it to be hidden well. Following that logic, he sneaked out and left the village. The forest was very spacious and light, where to hide something would be a challenge. Laughter reached his ears when he was almost a mile away. It sounded extremely fake. Putting on [Shadow Veil] he sneaked closer and saw a strange sight. A middle aged woman was pushing the swings on which a little girl sat. It would have been an idyllic picture with early sun shining behind the woman''s back and beautifully green grass if not a bloody steel whip lying nearby. The dress on one of the girl''s shoulders was torn and red. ''Is that the culprit?'' Ace wondered, circling them. He left the duo for the moment and went to look for their living place. The fact that the girl was beaten didn''t explain the villagers¡¯ fear. Parents had the freedom to do whatever they wanted with their children, there had to be something beside it. He walked further on until a small house rose before his eyes. ''Bingo'' "What do you think you''re doing here?" an angry voice stopped him in his tracks. Ace turned around with a brightest smile anyone could ever make. "Can you help me?" he asked, running straight at the woman. She was so surprised, the whip fell out of her hands as Ace rammed into her. "What?" she asked. Ace started to cry, using her shirt as a handkerchief to dry his eyes. "What happened sweetie?" Her voice was very gentle and soothing like a mother''s would. "They''ve hurt me" Ace said with a hiccup, taking a few steps back so she could take a good look at him. His clothes were burnt and torn in numerous places while also being bloodied; his hands didn''t look any better while feet were red, boots having been burned right off his feet. "Will you save me?" he asked, looking up at the woman with bright yellow eyes. "Of course! Of course!" the woman said, hugging him closer. "Dina come here!" she called for the little girl that was standing a few meters away. "Let''s go home." There was fear on the girl''s face but she bravely stepped forward and led them to the house. The inside contained only a single room. There was a bed, small table and two chairs. Ace noted the fact that there was no place for a girl to live. It was a place for a single person to spend his summers but not somewhere where a family could live. The female created a small fire with magic and put a pot on it to boil some water. "I hope you like tea?" she asked. "I like it sweet" Ace said. He was looking for a hatch or something that would open some secret door but there was nothing. The problem was that he couldn''t drink the tea. His assassin trainer Sedgart had repeatedly told him never to eat or drink anything made by strangers. It was one of the easiest ways to find your untimely death. ''Maybe the girl knows the place? But she''d probably be too scared to say anything... Think, think, think...'' "What were you doing in this forest when you got attacked?" the female asked. Ace looked at her back and could see her muscles ready for action. ''So you''re testing me? Don''t you know that kids are too young to be spies?'' "I''ve run away from home" he said, crossing his arms over the chest. "What?" the woman asked, turning around to look at him in surprise. "They tried to make me become a soldier but I don''t want that! My friend¡¯s dad died young being one!" he said, explaining in a serious tone. The female smiled. ''So you''re happy? Does that mean you want to keep me?'' "Poor thing. They''re horrible parents just for having suggested such a thing!" she said, coming to hug him for comfort. Ace used that moment to cast [Gust] and made the pot drop from the invisible holders. Whole ground got covered by almost boiling water. It was so hot that Ace and the girl jumped on the table to save their legs from getting burnt. "How did that happen?" the female asked herself, murmuring under her nose when screams rose from below. "Shut the hell up!" she roared and the sounds lowered, turning into quiet sobs. Ace maintained an indifferent expression and watched the female with interest. She was casting some kind of spell so quietly that he couldn''t hear a word, to Ace''s surprise instead of drying the water quadruped. ''What is she doing?'' he wondered watching how the water swirled around her legs never actually touching and burning them. "Dina get down from the table" she said, pointing at the almost boiling water. ''Is it my imagination or is there more and more bubbles?'' The little girl gulped loudly and with a look of an innocent lamb walking to a slaughter house put her feet in. The female''s expression lighted with a smile as she watched the girl''s face twisted in pain, silent sobs rocking her whole body. "Good girl" the female laughed and turned her gazed towards Ace. "You don''t look horrified" she said accusingly. Ace''s face became expressionless once again, like that of a sculpture and he jumped down into boiling water with his bare feet. "The parents are always right. All they do is for the better of their children. If you get beaten, it is punishment so you can learn. If you get overworked, it is so you learn to take care of yourself. If you''re denied food, entertainment or simple comfort, it is so you know what real life is like. Parents always know what is best for you" he said. His body still as a stone statue. The woman burst out laughing. "I like your style kid. Where did you learn that?" "Every time I tried to argue with my father, he''d hit me and make me repeat these words until I learnt my place" he said in a calm voice. "Can I get out of this water?" "No. Let me watch you a bit longer. It''s not every day that I find a child as lovely as you. All of them just cry, beg, disobey and try to run away. You''re like a breath of fresh air, you know?" Ace clenched his teeth and plastered a steely expression on his face. The feet were burning; it felt like they would fall out from under him at any moment. But if he earned her trust now, he could meet the children and finish everything just that much quicker and less painfully. One day of horrors was always better than a week of torture. When he was about to truly fall down the water disappeared as if never even have been there and the woman caught him. "That''s lovely. You''ll be rewarded greatly for your obedience serving under me. Now you need to rest, my sweet thing, and not ask any questions" she said, standing him up on the burning feet and casting a spell. "Earth bent release your hold, Open Sesame" Ground begun to shake as wooden boards started to move and shift beneath their feet creating a staircase at the right corner. It lead down into darkness and the female pushed Dina to go there first, Ace after and she herself the last. There was no light so they had to go by the feeling. If they tried to slow down, the woman would push them from behind making them fall over and having to stand up with the help of her boot. No, it was better to hurry blindly. After fifteen or so minutes they reached the bottom where the female lighted a torch. A small room crowded by young children appeared before his eyes. There were twenty or so of them cowering in corners and looking at the woman with large terrified eyes. Their hair was wet and faces had red marks on them. "These are your new friends, my child" the female said motioning with her hand. "Be sure to teach them all you know, okay? You''ll love your payment for that" she said, smiling brightly, to Ace it looked like a maniacal one so he simply nodded. Dina was watching the exchange with fearful eyes. She couldn¡¯t understand why the new kid was so accepting to be punished for no reason at all. She backed into a corner to her friends and joined their circle. Together they watched what was unfolding right before their eyes. While the female who had stolen them all from homes turned to address kids from the other corner, the newcomer smiled relieved and his body started to shiver. Tendrils of darkness came out from nowhere and without making a sound surrounded him. Dina covered her mouth in horror, tears showing up in her eyes. But the blackness suddenly started to take shape of a twisted individual. It was humanoid but with its back hunched and joints all wrong resembled an animal more, although his skin was sleek black. Its fingers with huge talons stretched and moved slightly as if testing themselves out before something. The kids didn''t have to wait long to find out what as the next second the creature jumped on the woman pushing his claws straight through her heart. "Gaaah!" she screamed turning around. The creature jumped back making her fall and, when she did, jumped back on her fallen body. He pushed his left hand in her mouth and kept on stabbing her with the other. The woman was gurgling something and biting yet the monster left the hand to keep her silenced and continued his work ignoring her attempts to throw him off. At first the female was only surprised but as her life started to dwindle away, real fear grasped her heart for the first time in her life. Powered by desperation she bit with all the power in her jaws, tasting blood but the hand didn''t move. And the claw kept on making a bigger hole in her chest. It was a wonder that the hand was so small and there was only a single claw stabbing her but it mattered nothing. Life was leaving her body and she couldn''t do anything about it. Her hands felt like lead and she could no longer lift them up. What did she do to deserve it? All she ever wanted was a child of her own. Someone she could share her life with and pass all her knowledge to. It wasn''t her fault that they didn''t listen to her and had to be taught a lesson. If only she had had the time to shape that new boy... He would have become her successor... If onl... Her eyes turned lifeless and the body ceased moving. A few more hits followed before they ceased too. The creature stood up, crimson liquid running down its whole body. Blood red eyes fell on the terrified children as they pushed themselves into walls trying to look as small as they could, although they all knew what fate was awaiting them. A clawed hand rose slowly. It made a sign for them to come to him. Trembling they stood up and followed him up the stairs. The creature was moving slowly as if in great pain but the steps were full of purpose, never wavering in their tracks. The kids followed him through the trees and bushes going god knows where. But they were too scared to disobey. The female had showed them what happened to those who didn''t do as told and this creature had defeated her. Besides what would they do all alone in the middle of a forest? At least this way they might survive and wait out for the better days as their parents always taught them. The creature stopped right before where he could be noticed from the village. Kids knew that and patiently waited for what was to come. Their hearts were itching to just start running and maybe reach home. But cold fear instilled by the female prevented them from even moving a muscle. The thing of blackness looked at them with its red eyes but somehow there was no malice in them. "Goou" it hissed, motioning for them to leave and return to their home. "Why?" one of the recent victims so a bit braver asked. "Blood spilt, blood returned" Next Chapter 3.2 Encounter *Knock* *Knock* *Knock* *Knock* Par slowly opened his heavy eyes. Unhurriedly he got up and sleep-walking went to open the doors of his bedroom. He tried the handle but to his surprise it was locked. That woke him up in a moment. Why was he locked in? Memories of yesterday came rushing to him. The running away, the fires, the monster and how he was treated afterwards. It seemed all so magical, nothing like his usual days. There were more events than in his normal week or two. "Who is here? I can''t open the door!" he said. "Are you done sleeping there? Or should I come later?" "Ace? Ace!" Par said, happily. "How did you find me?" "I''ve been around all the time" Ace said, opening the door. "Did you really think I''d leave you alone so you can have a blast without me? Not a chance." Par smiled too but then his eyes fell on his friend¡¯s appearance. His eyes grew wide. "What happened to you?" Most of Ace''s robe was torn to pieces and bloody, his hands were crimson while bare feet red and marred. There wasn''t an undamaged place on him. "Well, my evil side took over and did some horrible things. I''m really thankful you''ve stopped him from causing more havoc." "Evil side? When did you... Is that the story thing again?" Par asked, unsure of whether he should really ask it. It would be horrible if he implied Ace did all that himself while there was a simple and easily understandable explanation. But could there really be one? "It''s not a story. It''s my life" Ace said, glaring at Par. "You mean you destroyed those houses simply to act out a role? Why would you ever do it?" Par asked, unable to believe what he was hearing. "It''s not a role" Ace said, shaking his head. "Try to understand it differently. It''s a life. It doesn''t matter whether I like it or not." "But you created it! Why does your life have to give misery to others? Why can''t you be just a normal person?" "Because I have that in real world! Why the hell would I want to copy it? What I want is a tale! An adventure like one from the old books! Never would another copy of my life suffice! What would be the point of playing then?" Ace asked, his eyes turning green and looking wild. "But why not a hero then..." Par asked, grasping for straws. "Every story needs a hero and a villain. The first is always unwilling while the second tends to be either unknowing of his own evilness or absolutely crazy. You needed a role too so I picked the one that was harder. It''s not that simple to make a villain that people hate and love at the same time. You have to balance on a thin thread between good and evil all the time or else you fall into one of these sides and lose your credibility." "But you''re only evil!" "Tell that to the people outside. And make sure they start paying taxes while you''re at it" Ace said, smile back on his face. "What?" Par asked, not able to follow the conversation. "Just go outside. You can tell you found the doors open. See ya later" Those words said, Ace quickly walked out and used [Shadow Veil] the moment he was out. Par who had ran out after saw nothing but evening sun shining on the streets. Ace smiled at the kid and followed him to the outside of the town. Laughter and crying could be heard coming from there. He watched Par''s eyes widen as he heard people praising the black beast. They were praying for his well-being and laughing while brushing tears from their faces. None seemed to remember that the same beast had almost destroyed their homes just the other day. At that moment someone noticed Par. "Hey! Our hero is here! It''s all because of him we got our kids back!" People rushed to him, grownups and kids altogether. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" They shouted one over the other trying to hug him to express their joy. "What happened?" Par asked, when he could breathe again. "Remember the creature you stopped tonight?" "It saved our children!" "He did it because you taught him what is right! The kids said his parting words were "Blood spilt, blood returned". "It means he actually learnt from your actions! He might even become our town''s guardian spirit now!" "Thank you so much!" There were huge smiles on their faces equaling that of Ace¡¯s. He was already happily sitting on a nearby house''s roof and watching Par''s misery for everyone jumping on him. He seemed to truly hate being in the spotlight but was enduring it none the less. Such a good kid. Would he ever break or did he believe in his brother''s teachings that much? It was an interesting question and he planned on finding the out. But it''ll have to wait for another time as the mayor was coming to destroy the show. His red face promised that he was going to do just that. "What is going on here?" he asked in a shout. His face didn''t look good with a black eye and still red bruises covering it. The villager''s seemed to not have went lightly on him. "Miracle happened! Our kids are back! It''s all thanks to our little savior here!" women said, answering him while hugging their children closer. "And what did he do? Call another monster to save us from?" None looked happy to hear that accusation, Ace included. He felt indignation rise within him. How did that guy dare to even think that he''d follow anyone''s command? Quietly jumping off from the roof he sneaked closer to the man. One more word and he would be following after the woman that had stolen the kids. "Why do you look so surprised? That boy''s a summoner! We saw him call on fire to fight against the beast! Who says that he couldn''t have summoned the beast too?" ''Dead.'' There was no more hesitation in Ace''s face as he stabbed the guy with his Kris. It drank the blood, feeding itself while being pulled out. Ace knew he was going to be revealed now, his veil having dropped, and quickly scanned his brain for an explanation but it wasn''t needed. A black shadow embedded into the man silencing his last scream. "Because he''s an elementalist!" a female voice said, drawing all attention to herself while Ace not wasting a moment recast his hiding spell. Once it was done he looked at the female who saved his identity for the moment. She was standing on a branch of one of the trees in a great pose with her hands on hips and body a bit forward. She clearly had to have practiced it often if she wasn''t falling from the tree. But that wasn''t the most shocking part. Gazillions of tattoos over her whole body were. She was wearing tight leather shorts and a bikini top of the same material so all the markings were easily seen. There wasn''t a single free space on her body. "Who are you?" someone from the crowd shouted out, looking for a weapon but not finding any at hand. "Me? I''m a demoness mercenary of sorts. I was hired to catch a certain female but she was killed right before my eyes and this kid had nothing to do with it" she said in a strong voice. It echoed around and made you feel insignificant; her high position helped the matter too. "Waahaahah! Waawaah!" Someone started to reap. Everyone turned back to see the mayor''s wife fallen next to his body. Her face was grief stricken, tears running down in torrents. She was hugging and hitting her husband as if that was going to bring him back. People turned back around, glaring at the newcomer demoness with hatred in their eyes. "Why did you kill him? He did nothing to you!" "I didn''t..." the female said, surprised. Uncertain she jumped off and rushed to see everything with her own eyes. Ace stood still at that moment, not daring to even breathe. If the people put all the blame on her, it would be an immense victory. So he carefully watched as she rushed to the dead man and saw it herself. There was no questioning about the truth of the fact. He knew well that his dagger didn''t leave chances for anyone of being brought back to life from the hell''s gates. "How... It was only... Just a silence spell!" she said, not believing it, all her tough act forgotten. "I didn''t mean it..." There was a slight feeling of guilt in Ace''s mind but nowhere strong enough to make him move a muscle. If he did anything, the blame would go to him and he preferred a clean profile. Silver Wing was allowed to be infamous. Ace? Never. While the drama was unfolding Par stood debating whether he could already leave or not. No one had told him to stay but Ace had asked to make them pay the taxes... Although it didn''t look like it was on anyone''s mind at the moment. They were too concerned with the girl that appeared suddenly and killed the mayor for no reason. He couldn''t believe that people could do that. It''s truth that the mayor had accused him of setting the monster up but that wasn''t a death deserving thing, right? What was anyway? His brother had never mentioned anything. But this was a game. Maybe different rules existed here than in real life? "Burn the witch!" someone shouted, waking Par from his daydreaming. "Do it!" "Catch the witch!" Before the girl could figure out what was happening, the villagers hit her with the single skill they had. "Body of straw, dead man''s robes, broom for a weapon and a traveler¡¯s hat, Scarecrow!" It was a simple spell used by farmers to summon a scarecrow spirit to frighten wild creatures. It made them freeze for a moment allowing people to kill some of them and cook for dinner. Such a spell wasn''t meant to catch humans but the female was caught off guard and there were around twenty or so people casting the spell with their hearts in it. So it worked stunning the girl for a long enough time for villagers to bind her arms and legs and stuff a cloth in her mouth so she couldn¡¯t cast any spells. It was amazing how coordinated people could be when they wanted to be. Ace was extremely thankful to her for saving him from that predicament. "Ughhgug!" she tried saying something but no intelligible sound came out as she was carried away. Some of a more bloodthirsty went to pick up some wood. They wanted to see the spectacle tonight. ''Such impatience. I should better get Par out of here now. I don''t think he''s ready for that yet. Destroying stuff is one thing but killing a person just because is a whole different matter.¡¯ Even himself he didn''t really want to see it. If everyone lived by the rule that eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth and life for a life soon enough there would be only ghosts walking the earth. So if you kill you need a reason and revenge isn''t a good one. It never brought anyone back to life. When people scattered out, Ace wrote to Par to meet him in a forest. They needed to have a quick talk. "We should wrap up all the loose ends and take our leave. You should better go talk about those taxes now. I''ll wait for you here." "What? Why so suddenly?" Par asked. "Let''s say it wouldn''t be pretty if we stayed. Trust me and let''s leave when you finish the business" Ace said, taking out some bread and eating it. He just noticed that his satiety had fallen low and was flashing red. "Why are you eating that old bread? I''m sure the villagers would share their food with you if you just asked..." Par said. "Maybe but I prefer to stay unknown. But it¡¯s good idea. Go and eat some so we can travel without stopping. Hurry now. The sun will be setting soon" he said shooing the kid and then following him sneakily. In truth, there was still a long time before the night setting like some good four hours but there was no reason to waste time. The kid like a good boy first went to the largest house previously belonging to the mayor. Now there were a crowd of people gathered there and clearly arguing over something. But their voices were too quiet to hear about what. "Uhm..?" Par asked, not really liking to have to intrude. "Could you help me, please?" "Hmm? Oh, it''s you! What would you need?" one of the guy''s asked. He was a bit on the aged side but not yet an old man. Maybe the hard work or many worries had aged him? "I would like for you to promise to start paying taxes" Par said in a quiet voice, everyone having to listen intently to hear his words. He really didn''t like being in the spotlight and trying to persuade people on such an important thing. "Why so sudden? We''ll have to choose a new mayor and then we''ll vote whether it is in our best interests to do so or not so please wait. There shouldn''t be any hurry in such matters." Ace watched Par''s face fall and wished to write him an encouraging message with what to say but what would be the point of it... He''d never learn if people always gave him a helping hand. To see the world you had to do it on your own without others creating hidden structures to support your every step. It only ever led to disasters. While Ace was daydreaming about the wrongness of helping others, Par found his courage and spoke up. "I have to leave soon so choose now." "Soon is when?" "Once I''m done here. My friend is already waiting for me" Par said, his voice firm. Ace noted how he could fight for what he was ordered to do but not things he wanted to do himself. He couldn''t understand how a person could be so selfless and whether it was a character trait or a built in rule. "We can''t decide anything so suddenly! It''s an important question to our village¡¯s development!" the guy said in outrage, people around him having mixed emotions. Some looked agreeing while others were shaking their heads. Ace wanted to threaten them so badly. All it would take to convince them would be a word that the lord wouldn¡¯t protect them the next time or even send some monster himself and they would all agree in an instant without daring to say a word. "But you''ve almost been destroyed! You should be seeking help and protection! If you start paying, you can ask the lord to send soldiers to your aid and even some resources! It''s to your own benefit!" Par said in a raised voice. The villagers seemed surprised. It didn''t look like either one had even considered such an idea. Ace smiled at that. The kid unknowingly had created a genius plan of revenge. Now Ace wouldn''t have to waste time thinking of ways to pay the lord back for giving such a test. It was a great idea to pick up Par on the run. With his innocence, he was becoming an interesting tool, good for delicate situations. No one would suspect him of lying especially when he knew nothing of Ace''s true agendas. A truly good choice to get him. "You sure that is truth?" the same man asked, uncertainly. It was hard to believe that something like this was reality. If they had known, never would they have stopped paying. "It must! Isn''t that what you pay him for? You listen to him and follow his orders while in exchange he protects you!" Par said, nodding his head with vigor. He was sure that had to be the truth. "Fine then" the villager said, giving up. "We''ll pay those taxes. You can leave with an easy heart" "Thank you" Par said with a smile and waving at them left. Ace followed him. "Hey wait!" a female shouted and they turned back. It was the woman that had first brought Par inside her house and locked him in. "I heard what you''ve talked about. I don''t have words to thank you enough so please at least come and eat with us before leaving. I''m sorry for locking you up the last time but it was for your own safety" ''It doesn''t matter if you''re a hero. As long as you''re a kid, you''re going to be treated like one'' Ace though with disappointment. He shouldn''t have even expected more. Par nodded at the woman''s request and together they went to her house. Now it was filled with kids and their mothers happily chatting while some of the fathers sat beside, looking at them relieved. Par was sat at the head of the table and food was brought to him. It wasn''t of the restaurant''s cuisine but the best what the villagers had. He ate it greedily while Ace watched him with envious eyes. Sometimes it was so hard to be the villain. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Only when he was full where Par allowed to take his leave. Followed by a hidden Ace he went out of the village. On his way, he saw the tattooed female. She looked very sad and lonely, lying on her side with all her limbs tightly bound and her mouth covered. Her eyes were full of terror, pleading for help. It was hard for Par to ignore it but somehow he managed to leave. Outside he saw Ace sitting on a tree branch with one leg bent. "Have you been waiting here all the time?" "More or less. Have you finished all your work?" Ace asked. "Yeah..." Par said, voice low. "And why the long face?" Ace asked, annoyed. "Did something go wrongly?" "I don''t want that girl to die..." "Oh my god... Why is that? She killed the town''s mayor! Isn''t there a universal rule that people should be punished for their crimes?" "But she looked so sad! I''m sure it must have been a misunderstanding!" "You mean she accidentally cast a killing spell? That sounds a bit unrealistic, don''t you think?" Ace asked, raising an eyebrow. But Par wasn¡¯t understanding or didn''t care that Ace was ridiculing him. "There has to be an explanation to it. She looked so shocked and horrified when she saw what happened! She has to be innocent!" he said in a firm voice. "Even if that was true, what do you expect me to do? To just waltz in and save the damsel in distress? If either of us even show our faces there, all the work will be for nothing. Is that what you want?" Ace asked, annoyed. "No, but... You always have a plan for everything!" Par said, looking at Ace with shining eyes. "You can''t be serious..." Ace said, sighing. When did he become the great mastermind? "I believe you" Par said with a bright smile, still looking with those puppy dog eyes. Ace raised his eyes to the sky, shaking his head. ''Did I really say it was a good idea to bring him along? I must have been mad.'' "Fine. Give me a moment." He jumped on the other side of the tree and used [Shadow Veil]. Hidden he sneaked to the village. In reality it was a child''s play to cut the ropes binding the girl. He just didn''t want to risk having villagers reconsider their agreement on paying. When he was next to her, he made sure that no one was looking and whispered in her ear. "Now I''m going to free you. Can you leave the village by yourself?" The girl looked around with wide eyes but saw nothing. "Nod if you know how to" Ace said, impatiently. There was a slight move of the female''s head which could have been mistaken for a deep breath. "Get ready. Three, two, go!" he whispered, cutting all the ropes with one swift slash. The girl took out the cloth clogging her mouth and started to chant. People noticed it and came rushing but in a moment a large bird stood in the girl''s place which took flight without waiting a moment longer. While villagers were following its disappearing silhouette, Ace growling under his breath collected the ropes to leave no evidence and made his own exist. Now they could finally leave this small and boring place. A surprise was waiting for him as he returned to Par. The kid was sitting alongside the girl and chatting happily. "...my friend. He''ll be here in a moment. You should thank him and not me!" he was saying. "No need" Ace said, throwing the ropes down and setting them on fire with [Flare] that left his barely present cowl. "We''re leaving now. Let''s go, Par" Par stood up and jumped to follow. "Where are we hurrying to?" "Who cares? It is in our best interest to quickly get out of here. If the search squad finds us, we''ll lose everything we''ve achieved" Ace said, choosing a random direction and starting to walk. Coincidentally it was the same as the children abductor''s house. ''Maybe we could stay the night there? It should be empty. Although, I''d have to drag the corpse out. Gaah... It would stink horribly by now.'' "What search squad?" the female asked, jumping from her sitting position. "Do you really think they''ll just let you escape? They''ll comb the forest, killing all the large birds, in case you had to take a rest" Ace said, not even turning back to acknowledge her. "What? Are you sure of it?" she asked, desperately. "No, I''m just sprouting random nonsense. You should go back to the village and have a good chat with its people. They might tell you what they¡¯re not really going to search for someone who just killed their mayor." Ace said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. The female didn''t seem to appreciate it. Her face reddened, eyes throwing bolts of lightning. "You little br..." "You can follow us if you wish. If not, get lost." After a few seconds the female jogged to catch up with them. "Is he always like that?" she asked Par. "He''s just worried about our safety. Ace is very grown up like that" Par said, smiling. The aforementioned guy rolled his eyes but didn''t turn around. "Really? What is he normally like?" "Ace is very nice! He... Well, he... He''s my best friend! We talk a lot and he knows many great stories which he loves telling. At the same time he always listens to me without interrupting. He''s the best person ever!" "What is your name?" Ace asked, abruptly. "Who? Me?" the female asked. "No, I''m asking the guy I''ve been travelling for the last half a year with. Are you really this stupid or just pretending?" "Stop it! Why do you have to insult me in every word?" she asked, angrily. Par looked sad; he didn''t understand his friend''s behavior either. Ace stopped and turned around, his eyes flashing deep red. "I''ve had to run away, been burned, punched, boiled and kicked, all in two days while not getting an hour''s sleep. On top of that I had to save a random druidess who pretends to be a demoness and because of her be chased. I''m sorry if I''m not in the best of moods!" he shouted out, the bloody and torn clothes making him look like a vengeful spirit. "Is there anything else you want to know?" he asked with a glare. The eyes of his companions widened and involuntarily they took a step back. There was power in those words. Seeing that Ace smiled and burst out laughing. "You actually believed that?" he shook his head with mirth. "I was just playing around. But let''s get going or we''ll get caught" The stunned duo resumed following him trying to decipher his words. When was he playing around? When he said the monologue or acted as a bastard. They weren''t meant to find that out. "My name is Rowena." "Nice to meet you, I''m Ace" he said with a smile, turning around for a moment. "Was all those things that you said the truth?" Par asked, quietly. "Yep, the female didn''t want to release the kids so I had to convince her by other methods" he said, shrugging. "Wait! You can''t mean you''re that black beast!" Rowena said in a raised voice. "Depends on how you look at it. It''s me but not me at the same time" Ace said, explaining. "What do you mean?" "It''s a curse I''ve picked up in my travels. From time to time I turn into what you saw and am unable to control the actions of my own body." "Is that even possible?" she asked in wonder. "As you can see, I''m a living proof." "Why does your friend have such a disagreeing face then?" Rowena asked, noting how Par''s eyes lowered. "He doesn''t like my choice. This curse sometimes does quite evil things, turning me into a monster, but knowing all that I still picked it up of my own free will. It adds a lot of statuses to my character." With that the conversation ended. No one had anything else to add and returned to their own thoughts. Par thought about how he would have to face his brother once he had to log off, it was a scary idea. Rowena wad trying to understand what the two kids could be doing here all alone. They were as different as it was possible with the leading kid impossible to judge. Every single word and action was unlike the previous one. She had actually seen him show up at the mage Oria''s home looking innocent and sweet, ignore the torture and then turn into a beast. At first she had thought he was a cold blooded killer having taken an appearance of a child, but then later on he seemed like an angry at the whole world teenager while now he was a normal young child smiling, laughing and traipsing around. It didn''t seem like he knew where he was going at all either. The guy confusing the female so much wasn''t really caring about that. Ace allowed himself a moment to relax. Now that the talking was over he could drop the mask and walk ahead with his expression blank. He truly was tired from all those escapades he mentioned but not enough to lose his composure. There were still some things he could take care of before leaving and having to face Veronica. He was sure someone was already standing over his capsule, waiting to call Veronica the moment he woke up. That wasn''t a happy thought so he abandoned it and focused on what he planned to do with the female. She said she was sent to hunt the children abductor so it meant she wasn''t as useless as she pretended. Or was she? Could it be that she lied or was sent here on an accident? Was it possible that she was too shy to form a party or quickly got bored of them? The possibilities were endless so he gave up on it too and focused on the matters at hand. They were getting closer to the house and he needed Par away to clear up the place. "Par can you gather some fire wood? The house is just right ahead." Par looked at Ace and then nodded. As he moved away Rowena spoke up. "Should I go with him?" "No. Turn into a mole and dig a large hole to hide the body." "No way! I don''t have to follow your orders!" "If you prefer staying the night outside, do as you wish" Ace said, impassively. "You can''t do that!" Rowena said, indignantly. "Try me." "Why did the kid receive the easiest job?" Ace looked at her as if doubting her sanity. His eyes questioned whether she really suggested that he should allow a young child to see a dead body that has been stabbed repeatedly and was starting to stink of rot. She smiled apologetically before noting that the one she was talking to couldn''t be more than a year or two older than the aforementioned kid. When she wanted to point that out, he''d already had disappeared into the house. She was left alone to choose or that''s how she told herself it was, pretending that fear of the black beast had nothing to do with her choice. Ace went to the lowest level which stank horribly. Somehow from the fire that had been left going in the hearth and some other source the place had been kept extremely warm accelerating the rotting process. From somewhere even a family of flies had come and was walking all over the corpse. The only thing it lacked was actually rotting pieces of flesh. Taking a large gulp of putrid air, he prepared himself for the upcoming task and took the woman''s hand. It was cold and moist but he clenched his teeth and strengthened the hold, starting to drag the body up. It was hard work because he didn''t invest too much in strength. The stairs seemed endless but he pushed on, knowing Par would be coming back any time. The female should have finished with the hiding place too. His tongue didn''t turn over to call it a grave. A sudden thought came to his mind or a memory more like. It was his first killed Npc, another mage. That time he had killed, robbed and ran away. A laugh escaped his mouth. He had learnt by now and this time killed and ran but returned to hide the body and rob. The ultimate truth dead men no longer need their possessions. Once he got rid of her, he could have a good time going through her belongings. Thinking about that, he dropped the body for a moment and started to look for valuable things. A ring, necklace with a green gem and a pouch. Short smile lightened his face before he had to pick up the woman''s hand again. That destroyed all the happiness. Some ages later or so it felt like to him, the stairs ended and he was in the room. Luckily, the blood on the woman''s wounds had dried and wasn''t staining the floor or he would have had to clear it. With a sigh, he continued his journey, leaving the house and coming to the burying place. Rowena stood next to it with her clothes full of dirt. There was a scowl on her face. "You''ll pay for this" Ace ignored her and dragged his woman closer. Par was returning so he had to be quick. The corpse didn''t feel like fitting in so he jumped in the hole himself and bent her body so no limbs would be sticking out. His face was lacking any kind of emotion, making Rowena take a step back. She''d played the game for some time and had killed her own share of enemies but there was just something wrong with touching dead bodies. The realism of the game made that real life fact transfer to here. Done with the corpse, Ace called upon [Gust] to push the earth and hide her body plus take the smell out of the house. There was no chance he was staying there with it smelling like the dead. "How are you so emotionless? Don''t you understand what you''re doing?" "Should I be crying a river for you? Sorry but I''m not in the mood for show" Ace said, leaving the place to meet Par. He had brought a good bunch of dry branches and Ace went back to the house to start a fire. Par followed him in immediately while Rowena took her time. She was stunned by the kid''s actions and just couldn''t understand how one could be like that. Inside Ace found a pot and started to make some tea. Although his cooking skills were below average, he could make great tea, with dried meat it was his every meal, when he was alone. "What are we going to do now?" Par asked, his voice low. "Leave and see how it goes. What else could we do?" "I don''t think they''ll let me back in" he said, worry coloring his voice. "We have to do it. Anyway, let''s have a signal." He ripped two pieces from his own supposedly green tunic and two from Par''s who was too surprised to get away. Then he used them to make four small flags attached to branches. Two with different colors were given to Par. "Now you put the one with my green color to the wall as a saying that you''ll return. If you decide that your parents'' and Monthu''s words are more important, then you change with your one and leave. In that case I don''t want to see you ever again. There will be no forgiving. I''m not going to do anything of a kind myself but for the equality''s sake, I''ve got both flags too. Everything''s clear?" "But what if..?" "No ifs. You come back to travel with me or return to them and stay a lapdog. Simple as that" Ace said, firmly. "How long will you wait for me to return back?" "Even if it takes forever, I''ll stay around" Ace said with a grin. "There''s not a thing that can keep me away from returning to my best friend!" Next Chapter-->http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=1308 Previous Chapter-->http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=1204&p=6851#p6851 Author''s Note: Well, well... This chapter was a pretty hard one. It just didnt want to be written so I''ve had my troubles but hopefully you find it to your liking :) 3.3 Run Previous Chapter Author''s Note: So finally it is here. I''m not sure whether it is better because it took so much longer or not, you have to decide that for yourselves. **** Kirin felt his conscience returning to real world announced by the soft hum of the machines. Somewhere farther away he could also hear another sound. "It''s me Roy! ... Yes, he just awoke. ... Got it. I''ll tell you if he tries to go anywhere. ... Yes, yes, I won''t lose him." It was one of his long time ago classmates. Now he was simply a Vera''s lapdog. Kirin, still only half thought unstrapping all the cables to his body, raised his hand. It was delicate, pale and very small. It was three words he hated the most in his life. Even Vera came second to them. They described the worst aspects of his life in great detail. The sickness, the over-protection and never growing up. "Kirin are you okay? Why aren''t you leaving this thing?" Roy asked and Kirin sighted. When will the pretending stop? "I''m fine! Just tired" he said, getting out. To strengthen his point he yawned widely. "Can you wait a moment before going to sleep? Vera wanted to make sure you''re okay herself, she''s on her way" Roy said in a hesitant tone. "Really? That''s great! Will you make me something to eat while we wait?" Kirin asked with a smile. It was better to face it now then push to later date. He had no wish to have her face be the first thing he would see after waking up. "Uhm... Okay?" Roy said, thinking of any dish he knew how to make. Together they went to the kitchen and Kirin sat behind the table, looking at Roy expectantly. The guy seemed uncomfortable with his cheeks reddening slightly until he gave up and decided to make something. It was scrambled eggs. Kirin was happy about it as usually his food consisted of fruits, yoghurt and frozen dishes like pizza. He tried not to think about how his organism felt about such a diet. "Thank you" he said happily just as the doors opened with a bang. "Ang are you here?" Vera''s loud voice came from the doorway. Kirin took a deep breath and answered her. "Yes! I''m in the kitchen! Roy made me lunch!" he said just as loudly with a happy tone. "Ang! How are you?" she asked, coming to hug him. "Fine! Why are you here?" he asked, acting naive. It was his best choice for the moment. "I''m afraid for you, of course!" Kirin turned his head sideways as if not comprehending. "You were talked into running away! I was afraid something happened to you! I''m so glad to see you''re okay!" Vera said, hugging him even closer. Kirin wasn''t sure whether he should roll his eyes or scream at the top of his lungs. Both actions seemed appropriate concerning the situation: an over-protective girl before him making an uproar about a game. It was sick, he had no other words for it. That is why he smiled and shook his head trying to get out of her grasp. He needed to breathe after all. "Nobody told me to do it! I did it of my own free will!" "What do you mean free will? You can''t say that you left yourself! Why would you ever do it?" she asked in disbelief, pushing him a bit away from herself so she could see his face. "Well, I did! You didn''t agree to let me stay friends with Par, just as his brother did! That''s why we decided to run away!" Kirin said, explaining. He tried to make it as obscure as possible while not endangering Par and his brother. If he made them at fault, she would never let it go but he couldn''t really admit on being the mastermind behind everything. It would be a disaster if she found that out. "But all you had to do was tell me that! Why would you start acting on your own?" she asked in a sad voice. He couldn''t tell if she really felt that way or was just playing the sympathy card. In the end, it didn''t really matter. He didn''t care either way. "I did! But you didn''t care! You said we were leaving once the quest was finished! Even if Par is my friend!" Kirin said, finally managing to shake her off and stand a bit farther away. "Well... It''s... I''m sorry, sweetie, but sometimes you have to leave some people behind. It happens as your paths split apart. That is how life is, Ang. I''m sorry but nothing can be done about it. You just have to accept it and keep moving. I believe you can do that! You''re a strong kid!" she said in a passionate voice. ¡®Does she really believe all the nonsense she is spitting or is she just trying to confuse me with obscure ideas? Well, I¡¯m not falling for that.¡¯ "No! We''re friends so we have to stick together! Besides we ran away together! There''s no longer any need for us to separate!" Kirin said, going for simplicity. It sounded stupid even to his own ears but as long as he looked like a child any stupidity would be attributed to that. No one ever took him seriously so no harm was done. "That''s... not right! You can''t just leave like that! What would you parents say about that?" she asked her voice firm. ''That I should do what I think is right? I doubt you would understand that. And neither would they, in truth.'' "They always taught me that friends were most important thing in one''s life and that you can''t abandon them. True friends would do anything for each other! That is why I''m not going to leave him no matter what you say!" Kirin said, taking a few more steps back and crossing arms over his chest. His face was that of an angry kitten, nothing scary at all, only cute. "Ang..." Vera wasn''t sure what to say more. The kid''s logic had many holes in it but because it was a child''s one, there was hardly a way to explain to him why it was wrong. "You should trust me to know what is best for you. Please, return back to me! I''ll make everything all right once again" she said, extending her hands forward with a beautiful smile. Kirin wanted to puke. He had seen that innocent expression way too many times. "You didn''t do it! So don''t lie! All you want is to get me away from my friend! It''s not going to work!" he said with his voice raised in anger. "I will..." "You can''t stop me from playing! You''re not my mother!" he screamed. "Get out of here now!" "But Ang..." "Now!" he roared in a shrill voice. Shocked into following, Roy left with Vera in moments. There was a horrified expression on her face but Kirin didn''t take back his words. He closed the doors behind them and slid down with his back to it. ¡°Dammit, I hate her! She has no life but one that consists of trying to order me around! I¡¯m not her god damned pet!¡± he hissed, hitting the ground. ¡°But I failed so badly now... I don¡¯t want to even think about how she''s going to retaliate. Why the hell did I even lose my temper? Argh... She''s so annoying! I hate how easily she can destroy everything I ever want! What is she going to steal away from me now? It''s getting harder, what with already having my freedom, controlling relationships and all interactions. Even my parents listen to her every word as if she was some kind of an all knowing saint! What did I ever do in my previous life to deserve having her now?¡± he asked, laughing throatily. It was a desperate kind that brought no joy. Ten hours or so later he woke up in that same spot with tear streaks on his cheeks. "Dammit" he hissed, brushing them off and standing up. He went to kitchen for a cup of tea and biscuits, finishing the cold eggs. Such breakfast in the middle of the night was a usual and it calmed him down. It was a routine thing which meant it either was time to go to sleep or return to Regal Dream and the former had just been done. ''I should enjoy the game while I still can. There''s no telling what she''ll do now that I pushed her so far. Anyway, I¡¯ll deal with it when the time comes. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d let her to control me more than she already has! My time is mine to enjoy!'' With that in mind he entered the silver cabin and went back to play. Only a bit more than a day had passed and nothing seemed to have changed. Even the girl whose name he had somehow forgotten was still present. She was changing from one animal to another in quick succession, releasing a single attack from each one. Ace watched her for a bit, trying to understand how it worked and how could one defend against it. From what he could understand it was her ultimate attack that required lots of concentration and even more precision. If she failed a single move, everything would fall apart. This could be nothing but a last resort in a desperate situation. "Have the villagers passed by here?" he asked, surprising her. She tried to turn around, change forms, defend, attack, get away and it all failed because she lost her concentration and such movements weren''t in her practice. It left her legs hairy with hooves, hands with dark blue feathers and only face that of a human. He smiled inwardly. Now he knew a simple way to stop her; it wasn''t that hard to shock your opponent and this would leave him powerless. "What are you doing here?" she asked with pink cheeks, wings enveloping her to hide the mismatched body. "Seeking information" Ace said, truthfully. "So have the villagers come here?" "No... They went a long way around here. None dared to get closer than from where they could see the house. But shouldn''t you still be resting?" "Thanks for your concern, but I''ve got a few things to take care of before my friend returns" he said, turning around and thinking of a best way to get to the closest city. "Are you so sure he will return?" she asked quietly, not really wanting to sadden him. "If he doesn''t, so much for being a friend of mine. I''ll find someone else to continue my journey with" Ace said shrugging, not even turning back. "Isn''t that really cold-hearted? How can you just abandon a friend because of a single disagreement? That''s not humane! You should treasure friends!" she said, angrily. "Stop right there" Ace said, turning back with a glare in his blood-red eyes. "You don''t know a single damn thing about me! So shut up and be on your way. I don''t want to see your face ever again" he said in a steely voice without it rising at all. But it was as cold and sharp as an icy dagger getting dragged through your veins. Throwing a last glare her way Ace chose a random direction and started to run. He didn''t really care if he was going towards a city or getting himself lost. Everyone today were just trying out the extent of his patience. Why couldn''t they leave him alone? He was smart and old enough to know better himself. They all pretended like they knew what was going inside of him and what was best. What self-righteous bastards! How could they ever truly understand him? They weren''t him, weren''t stuck as children and to top it off knew nothing about what it was like knowing you had no future, that you were absolutely different than everyone else and wasn''t going to share their dreams and hopes. It was everyone''s worst nightmare and yet instead of trying to understand it, they pretended not to see it. An easiest choice. And the worst for him. He slashed at a passing tree. And another one. Soon he was hitting it and punching, stabbing and slashing, uncaring what it meant for a dagger''s durability. He heard birds flying away in fright and his eyes started to shine even deeper crimson. In moments he was climbing trees and looking for stragglers. Every animal too slow or elderly became prey to his daggers that were soon dripping red liquid. Only a few creatures managed to escape his wrath. Even large animals like wolves and bears were reduced to yapping balls of dust trying to get away as fast as their legs carried them. Ace ran after them, bare feet making only the softest of sounds on a moss blanket as he stormed towards another prey. They showed no resistance but ran around so it took time and the prize was more worthwhile. He didn''t pick a thing and didn''t receive a single experience point but there was a smile on his face adorned with blood. Death was a great thing. It made him feel powerful, as if he could actually control something. He loved it and hated knowing it was fake. But he sowed it everywhere he went anyway. As long as it helped him to take a deeper breath, it was acceptable. Nothing else mattered, that''s what he decided by picking to become an assassin. He sowed death and used the fruits of everyone¡¯s hatred to calm his own raging soul. A twisted trade, yet so simple and rewarding. In time, the forest would be renamed to a Dead Forest as no animals ever lived there. The scare he gave them was passed through generations and no creature ever dared to venture inside where so many lost their lives and returned to the ground. Ace stopped for a moment, breathing heavily, and looked around. His eyes were deep red, close to brown but not there yet. The madness that made him see everyone as a target had receded but he still wasn''t finished. What made him stop was a lack of potential preys. There was nothing breathing for a few kilometres around. Annoyed he brushed his hair and cursed quietly. Now even his golden hair was dirtied. Having nothing better to do he started walking forward. This time he wasn''t running so to conserve energy as he was already out of breath. The quietness surrounded him and an innocent smile surfaced on his face. It felt great to be all alone. His steps became slower and slower with each new one. In the end, he stopped and sat down on a large tree''s root. Breathing deeply, he leaned against it. He rested for a moment before a sound of people talking interrupted him. "What are we looking for?" "How am I supposed to know? You should have asked the leader that!" "I did! He said that escaping animals mean danger is ahead. But he didn''t explain what kind of!" "Can you quiet down? We''re scouting now!" "I''m a warrior not a scout! It''s not my problem they weren''t smart enough to hire any!" "Well, now it is. Deal with it." Their voices disappeared but the rustling continued so Ace used [Shadow Veil] and carefully climbed into a tree. It was an old one with large branches so it was a child''s work. From up there, he could see two armoured man with claymores on their backs. They were about thirty and seemed to know nothing about scouting. They weren''t even trying not to step on fallen branches and roots as not to make sounds. But although they looked careless there was a certain feel to them. Their eyes were sharp, bodies relaxed but weapons at the ready. They had to be seasoned fighters. Maybe mercenaries if they talked about being hired? But that would mean there was a caravan or something of the like around here. ''Interesting'' He climbed down and using [Silent Steps] sneaked closer. With [Heart-seeker] he could easily get rid of one of them but what was he supposed to do with the second? In three seconds a good fighter could make minced meat out of him and he didn''t particularly want that done to him. There had to be a different way to deal with this situation. Following after them he went over his spells. Most of them were useless in a close fight, meant only for getting close to a target. Should he use an illusion? But no it had a long casting time. It left him with only two spells. They had to work. Carefully he sneaked right behind them and murmured "Ice Field". When they lost their balance for a moment, he struck. "Curse of the Hungry! Magma Blade! Backstab! Cut-throat! Heart-seeker!" ''One down, one to go'' The other guy quickly regained his footing and hit Ace with his giant sword, taking more than half health points. It made Ace fall and he rolled away to evade another hit that left a big dent on the ground. "Burst!" he shouted out for [Flare] and managed to stand up in the time the man was blinded. It was an unfavourable situation no matter how he looked at it. The guy had longer reach, heavier weapon and was taller than him. He couldn''t block a single attack without his weapon breaking yet one hit would send him to have to have fun at home ''Think, think, think...'' The man got tired of waiting for an attack which wasn''t coming and rushed at Ace. The kid barely managed to dodge it. To his surprise the slow looking weapon was actually quite fast when handled with great strength. All he could do was try to evade without even having time to think of anything else. Once he used his dagger to redirect the claymore and could almost see its durability drop by half. It surely won¡¯t survive another contact. He dodged left and right, escaping death by mere millimetres but his opponent wasn''t getting frustrated at all. He was patiently waiting until Ace''s stamina would run out. ''Damned good players. What am I supposed to do'' Evade to the left, duck and roll forward. ''Not only does he have no openings, I have no time to even take a fighting position!'' Quickly stand up, take a step forward and dodge to the right. ''Instincts of a predator keep on saving my life but how long can it last? My stamina is already half way down.'' Left, right, turn around, lean back. ''I need a plan!'' Jump, lean right. ''And fast!'' Evade to the left and take a few steps back. ''What if..?'' "Beloved dreams¡± Lean left. ¡±Feared nightmares¡± Right. ¡±Different worlds¡± Right again. ¡±Same horrors¡± Jump back. ¡±Combine into one¡± Left. ¡±And come crashing¡± Jump! ¡±Onto the mortal souls¡± Duck. ¡±Phantasm!" he chanted while dodging the increasingly quickening attacks. There wasn''t exactly fear in his opponent¡¯s eyes but he didn''t look too happy. But to the man''s surprise it didn''t seem like the spell had done anything. The kid was a strange person, able to fight and cast spells at the same time, and although he didn''t fail, there was no change. That made the man even wearier but he continued to press on. It was time to finish it off and return to announce his companion¡¯s death. Unlike the man Ace saw some differences. His carefully chanted spell blurred the lines of his movements and when he moved to right it looked as if he almost didn''t move at all. It made the opponent misjudge his position and soon enough Ace saw his chance. The man raised his weapon to double his weapon''s damage expecting Ace to be unbalanced while leaning back. There was only a slight difference which meant everything. Ace was fully on his feet and jumped forward ramming his dagger straight through all the man''s armour. "Heart-seeker" he whispered. Dark red blood seeped out from the wound and in seconds was eaten by Kris who used it to repair itself. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Ace at that time was looking at the man''s eyes that were light blue and gazed at him with amazement and horror. But in a moment the light disappeared from them and the body fell heavily on the ground. Ace showed the man his tongue and started to loot him. He had nothing besides clothes on his back and a bag full of coins but Ace wasn''t nice enough to leave him even that. He took care of the other warrior the same way and gave both of them a silver wing. It was a stupid idea since one of them had seen his face but at the moment Ace didn''t feel like caring about it. He was wholly covered in blood anyway. Even his mother wouldn''t recognize him like this. There was not a chance some random guy would. With that thought in mind, he once again activated [Shadow Veil] and went to look around. These people had to have come from somewhere and he planned on finding out where. It might provide some good amusement if he did and Kris was kind of hungry. He hadn''t fed it for some time and the fresh blood was used to repair it instead of strengthen. Not too far away he stumbled upon a dirt road and following it approached a middle-sized caravan. It contained around fifteen wagons, two horses for each one and only two kinds of people; merchants and warriors. It was nothing like the one Ace had travelled with. This was more straight-forward and probably meant for quickly getting from one place to another without leaving one''s country. Ace went closer and approached a man that was most likely the leader. He stood at the front and kept on looking around. His face was empty but eyes gave away a feeling of uneasiness. "What''s taking them so long?" he asked himself quietly but no answer was coming and Ace was the only one who knew an answer to it. He thought for a moment on the best course of action. There were many people here and they were used to being surprised and dealing with that. If he tried anything, he would be caught in no time. Unless he played around a bit... Phantasm hasn''t yet been cancelled and was eating his mana anyway... That decided it and he left the man to his worries, looking for some prey. It would be better to find some loners first. Only after he killed those, would the real challenge begin. Although, if he wasn''t careful, it might end before even starting. These people weren''t his usual unprepared idiots, thinking that they''re perfectly capable of everything themselves. Unhurriedly he sneaked away, deeper, where the wagons had banded closer together blocking view from the outside. It was a perfect place for people to start disappearing. A few merchants were talking among themselves so he passed them in search of some solo guys. It didn''t take long as he heard sounds of rummaging in a close by wagon. Ace climbed inside and seeing the man looking the other way at his wares, he didn''t waste any time. "Curse of the Hungry! Backstab! Cut-throat! Heart-seeker!" The merchant fell without even a slightest idea of what had happened to him. Ace smiled at that and stole everything while not forgetting to look through what was in the wagon too. Once he was finished, he stood over a corpse and touched his necklace. "Goddess of Light that know the pain of those that live, please, hear the cries of a Fallen Soul and allow him to let everyone see who he is" he said, making the silver wing duplicate itself for the next five days every time someone was killed in the near vicinity. It simplified the matters but if anyone died not by his hand, the goddess''s curse would fall onto him. Sedgart had told it wouldn''t be pretty but never specified how. There was a dead body before him so he awarded it with a silver wing and putting the spell back on sneaked out. It would be a good idea to catch as many people as possible before the alarm was sounded as after that they''ll band together and will be so much harder to kill. Another loner caught Ace''s attention. He was petting the horses and telling them sweet nothings. Ace decided to wait a moment and take care of him somewhere else. Firstly animals tended to somehow feel the presence of people even though they were invisible and second the corpse would be in broad daylight. Some ten minutes or so later the man cursed and unharnessed the horses. Then he walked with them a bit farther away, closer to the forest. "Here, eat some my friends. There is no reason for you to stay there if we''re resting" he said, brushing with his hand over the horse''s back. Ace looked around and seeing no spectators attacked. The horses reacted to his presence but the merchant didn''t see it in time and blood gushed out from his wounds. He saw nothing before leaving for a few hours in real life time. A silver wing appeared in his bag at the same time. Ace took everything besides it for himself. There was a hundred thousand gold in the pouch. He was going to become one of the richest man alive if all the merchants had this much money. Everything done, he dragged the corpse in the bushes to be hidden until it disappeared. The curse was a great thing allowing to steal people''s belongings but at the same time it left evidence that no other assassin player had to deal with. "Harry, are you here?" some man asked and Ace shrouded himself in darkness. "Where could he have gone, eh?" the man asked the horses, knowing how important they were to his friend. Ace took that time to silently circle around and position himself behind. This guy was a mercenary, judging from armour and a giant sword on the back. It will be a true challenge of his speed and the ability to spam all the skills before the man could get his weapon out. Ace wished to take a deep breath but it would make a sound and fail his whole plan so he could only imagine doing it before starting. The jump on the back to strengthen skills worked out but he didn''t expect the man to go for bare handed fight instead of reaching for his weapon. The guy grabbed Ace''s shoulder from behind and before [Heart-seeker] could be executed threw him away. Without even thinking Ace used [Shadow Dash] and thrust his Kris forward. "Heart-seeker!" His eyes met the man''s who looked in wonder at Ace, knowing without even looking that all his armour had been pierced. "But you''re just a..." he whispered with his dying breath. "So what?" Ace asked, indignantly but the man was no longer capable of answering. Only once he noticed that did Ace''s heartbeat pick up. ''I was so close to dying!'' When his memory brought back what had just transpired, he was surprised at his own reaction. If he had waited a second or two more, the man would have flattened him with that sword of his. ''How did I do that?'' he wondered while bending down to collect his loot. Inside the bag were a few miscellaneous items along with a photo. From it a happy family of four smiled at him, two four year olds showing their pearly white teeth while their parents looked at them with fascination. ''Kids are usually not allowed here so how could he have made a picture? Or is this a small painting by an artist he knows from real life?'' He held it in his hand for a little longer before deciding it was his now. The man had died so all his earthly belongings were fair game and no exceptions should be made. He pocketed the photo and dragged the body in the same brushes. The other guy was already on the verge of disappearing, his body becoming see-through. Just a bit more time and all evidence about him being here will be erased. A horn sounded and Ace raised his head to hear it better. It came from somewhere up ahead where he had last seen the leader standing around. Ace had no idea what the sound actually meant but interested he went towards its source. At the front of the wagons the leader stood with a worried expression, holding a large horn adorned with rubies and sapphires. People were gathering around, although, none seemed to share the leader''s uneasiness. They were talking in groups, laughing and joking around. When the place was full, the leader asked for quietness. He had to shout out a few times before gaining attention from the crowd. "You all saw the frightened run of animals. I sent two of our best fighters to seek their fear''s source but it''s been more than a few hours and they haven''t returned!" A wave of whispers passed through the gathered people. "What do you think happened to them?" someone asked. "I don''t know! I''ve been trying to contact them but they''re not answering!" the leader said, his voice high pitched. Ace had thought he was a mercenary from his armour but the guy''s fear filled actions signalled that he was probably only a merchant dressed up as someone with fighting capabilities. In reality, he was probably sweating horribly under all that heavy armour with his low strength. "What do you mean can''t contact them? Did they have to suddenly leave for some reason?" "I mean they suddenly lost connection! Both of them!" the leader said, his face growing pale. "This can''t be a coincidence!" The people became unsettled. Even the battle worn mercenaries didn''t look too happy about the present situation. They were proud of their fighting capabilities, polished by many hardships but the enemy had taken care of two of them in no time. That was a scary thought when nobody knew that dishonourable actions and trickery were used to achieve that. "We must do something!" "But what? We don''t know what we''re facing" "Brendon! Come forward!" the leader''s said, his voice loudly passing over the crowd. "Hurry up!" Ace couldn''t see the front by being away so nobody accidentally bumped into him but from the commotion could guess that the guy wasn''t showing up. Could he have been one of the victims? But there were only three of them... "Dammit! Harry is missing too! Brendon probably went to make sure the guy didn''t wonder off somewhere with his horses. People spread out and find them!" Ace listened to the command with his mouth wide open; they couldn''t have done anything better for him and worse for themselves. Now that most of them were going by one or two, they were easy prey. Deciding not to waste the lucky chance, he left the leader to worry alone. If his plan worked, the guy will be facing much bigger problems than he is now. On the outskirts of a forest, he felt at home. Although it wasn''t very dense, it gave him cover and even those who could notice the slight shifts when rogues moved in hiding, would be unable to see anything here. Now he could freely hunt everyone down. That was exactly what he did for the next half a day. He would come from behind and assassinate people before they were able to react, making his work easy as no warning was ever sounded. This way of doing things allowed his race¡¯s traits to shine in the best light. He was unable to use [Meditate] to regain his mana quickly but in exchange his mana regeneration was greatly increased, allowing him to keep going without ever running out of it. It was the first time he was truly happy for choosing to become a Celestial. Past midday those who were lucky enough not to meet him started to gather back around the leader. Their numbers had dwindled so much that there were hardly any of them left at all. "Where is everyone?" leader asked, desperately trying to control the fear in his voice. People looked at each other without any idea of where their companions had disappeared. "Maybe they''re still searching?" "Don''t kid around! The monster that the animals were running from probably got them! We should have run away the moment we could, now we''re all doomed!" "What are we going to do?" "I''m getting out of here as fast as I can!" "Stop it people!" some mercenary said. He was middle aged with dark brown hair, small beady eyes and pristinely clean chain mail. "As you saw it, if we spread out, we''ll be goners too! We must stay together!" ''I wish I had killed him too... Now they would be going out alone instead of banding together.'' "Why should I believe you? You might be in league with it!" the same merchant who wanted to run away alone said, his face kind of purple. "I''ve been with you since the beginning! And do you truly think I''d still be here if I was planning to kill you all? Wouldn''t it be easier to call whatever it is out if I had the power and be done with it?" the mercenary asked in a calm voice but his eyes were throwing daggers at the man. "You want us to trust you! You''ll save your reputation and will be able to do this again! Well, I have another thing coming for you! I''ll tell everyone what we faced because of you and that you should be hunted as a rabid dog! Monster!" the man screamed and left in a hurry. One person followed him out. "Those who still have some brain cells in their heads come closer. We need a plan if we want to make it out alive" the mercenary said, rolling his eyes and looking around to make sure there were no more leavers. Ace thought for a moment and sneaked away. He could stay and find out how they planned to defend against him but that would mean letting two idiots escape. They didn''t deserve that so he went after. He''ll deal with the remaining ones later on. They weren''t leaving anywhere. The two were rummaging around their separate wagons, ignoring everything around them. They were too absorbed in their preparations to leave to feel the air shift and a human shape appear behind their backs. It was their end. But not the happy kind. After making sure that they returned to the game as refreshingly new as when they were born, he sneaked back. The survivors, of which were twenty, were already standing up. "Hurry up. We must be ready before nightfall. All the creatures come out at that time" the mercenary said, probably assigned as a new leader. Ace looked at the dispersing people thinking whether he wanted to do something now or not. They looked so pathetic and scared with their shoulders down, distraught faces and lifeless eyes that he didn''t even feel like bringing them more misery. It would be like kicking a dog, twice. Maybe if nothing happened for some time their morale would return? And they would have some traps ready for him. It could actually be some challenge because now it was becoming boring. All he had been doing all day was sneaking behind and using his skills. It was good for feeding his dagger but after the first fifteen kills it lost its charm. There was not even a single occasion where he would feel threatened and would have to use [Phantasm]. ''I''ll wait for the night. If they make something interesting I''ll make sure to protect these caravans until the merchants return, otherwise some accident might happen to it.'' He yawned widely and looked around for a good place to take a nap. He hadn''t slept the whole night, raging at the world and it was already past midday. A good sleep would benefit him well. He looked around for a suitable place and noticed one wagon was different than others, now that he paid better attention to it. It was larger, had more decorations and was pulled by oxen. ''How did I miss it before?'' It stood around the middle, surrounded by all others as if being protected. ''Interesting. What could it contain?'' He got inside. What met his eyes were chests bursting with all kinds of items. One contained silk, another weapons, others armour, clothes, food ingredients and some miscellaneous items. Ace passed by all of them and noticed a plank being a bit out of place. He carefully moved it around until it left its place and he saw dark space. He crawled in, lightening the inside with [Flare]. It was empty. After a bit more looking he noticed another plank that seemed to have been moved recently. There he found a folded up paper. *Your Highness Marion, Your faithful servant North Wind has went to meet with the recently freed Vascas castle''s lord. There he made a very disappointing discovery that some other lord has taken them under his wing. Your servant wasn''t able to find out anything about who it was. There was one clue about the castle''s main saviour being a young kid, now called Flare of Hope but it is hard to believe it being truth. People are telling tales of how all alone he infiltrated the castle, found all the survivors, opened the gates and even killed the bandit leader. No other information is available at the moment. The meeting in the Diamond castle brings joy to your servant¡¯s heart. The lord there was very welcoming and quickly agreed to all the suggestions. He even asked himself whether you were kind enough to offer him your protection. Your servant said it would be an important step for everyone and he can''t promise anything but your highness is an honourable man who wishes everyone the best. The lord will be coming with a delegation two weeks from now. As he had been ordered your servant had went to the bard city Lasran and asked for an audience with its lord on your behalf. The only answer given was that the lord is too busy to meet people at the moment. Three weeks passed by but nothing change so your hireling collected information. It showed up that the lord was actively collecting information on a certain killer named Silver Wing by his sign. There is reason to believe that the lord wishes to find out who it is and gain people''s love for that or hire him himself. No contact between the two has been made as of yet. Your faithful servant will stay to control the situation and will report on the usual time. Long live the king!* From the first few words Ace knew it was no random note but a very important and secret one. The rest of the text only proved it. ''Nice catch. I should try to sell it to L. I believe he would love to read it'' a twisted smile appeared on his lips as he folded the note and put it in his pocket for future use. His plan for now was to take a nap and give the survivors some time to regain normal shape, and he was going to do exactly that. He hid [Flare] under himself and in blackness closed his eyes. A few hours later the games will begin and Silver Wing will have a lot of fun, hopefully. If they truly wanted, they could run away now, if not, he would see it as an agreement. There were around five or so hours for them to decide or find his hiding place. Either one will be fine for him. Next Chapter 3.4 Close Your Eyes Previous Chapter Author''s Note: This is a very short one but I just couldn''t add anything else. It was supposed to contain many other things but it looked like a good place to end the chapter and Ace no longer wanted to do anything. He needed a bit of a rest before being able to stand up again. ;) **** "You sure this is a good idea? We''ll waste half of our resources for it." "We must. No one can escape after opposing us or we''ll become a laughing stock. We can''t let our name be damaged!" "But it''s just one person! And a kid at that!" "That''s why we''ll look like idiots if truth was ever found!" "We''ll look like monsters if we actually succeed. Do you imagine how will the world see it? As you just said, they don''t know a thing about him doing anything!" "Shut up, Caro. You seem to not understand the point of it so just go and follow your orders. I hope you can do that at least, can''t you?" *** Ace woke up in a welcoming blackness. There was no one around to disturb him but it was time to get up. He had promised those people outside to play a game with them and he didn''t want to disappoint anyone. Outside of the wagon it was much lighter. Wagons were moved to make a big circle and large fires had been lighted in two rings; one outside, surrounding wagons and one inside, where all the people had gathered. None of them were sleeping, all looking around with wide eyes, grasping their weapons tightly. ''So you chose to be sitting ducks? How boring.'' But they were in a large group which prevented him from just assassinating them one by one. He needed some other way to take their lives. ''Should I just throw stuff at them? But that would reveal me... Mask!'' He rummaged through his backpack and found the fox mask he had bought in the carnival. It covered his eyes and nose, leaving his malicious smile to be seen by everyone. Done, he looked for something to throw in his inventory. There were five throwing axes, two metal fans, thirty swords and fifty throwing knifes. Well, there were also fifteen claymores but he wasn''t sure whether he would throw them or be stuck at trying to lift them. Carefully he took out all the weapons in succession at different roofs of all wagons. He covered all blades with random poisons to be tested out; some would probably be deadly while others probably only gave diarrhoea. He was going to enjoy watching them deal with it all. *Swiish!* One of the axes embedded themselves into a mercenary''s forehead. "Awghh!" he screamed, pulling it off. Purple liquid dripped from it. Moment later when people grasped the situation, they looked at the direction the weapon had come from. A dark figure stood on a wagon, outlined by the fires. His clothes were tattered, burnt and bloody along with his whole body. Crimson covered everything but a single piece of wood which resembled a trickster fox. It gave off a strange contrast with the rest of the body. The guy held an axe which quickly embedded itself into another mercenary. This time white foam formed onto the wound and the man started to claw at it. "Burns! It burns! Get it off of me!" he screamed but no one was able to help him. There simply were nothing on the man¡¯s wound. So all everyone could do was watch in horror as the man kept on tearing his own skin and screaming. That is until one of them couldn''t it take it any more and killed his own comrade. "I''m sorry Lilian..." ''So it was a girl? Oh well, too bad. But that poison was interesting. Not only did it corrode blood but made a person start to hallucinate in an instant. If I ever planned to scare anyone to death, this would be the perfect choice.'' Strange shadows danced in his eyes as he jumped behind the wagons to reuse [Shadow Veil] and choose a different direction to attack from. Even if they had no mages, they could throw something at him and that would be dangerous. There was no reason to take any risks. "What is that thing? Is he even human?" "What are these cursed weapons?" "We''re doomed! There''s no chance for us to survive!" Ace listened to them walking on the rooftops, choosing a position. It was just luck that those poisons worked and were deadly. He didn''t count on others to follow the same path. It was rare for many of his creations to actually be useful. Maybe every fifth or so brought actual results and even of those half were only minor de-buffs. But people had no knowledge of that and it showed on their paper white faces. "Calm down! If you lose to panic, we''ll all be wiped out! We must determine from where he''s attacking and catch him there! He''s just a single person! And there are fires outlining him from both sides!" the pristinely clean mercenary said, still pretending to be the leader. He was annoying Ace so the kid aimed his next attack at him. The third try brought results. Of the worst kind, of course. The mercenary received only a small slash on the cheek and didn''t seem to show any kinds of sickness. He even looked better, the wound closing up in seconds and his skin starting to glow soft yellow. ''Dammit. Why do poisonous plants mixed up sometimes turn into potions? It''s stupid. And like always on all the wrong people'' he cursed jumping down and finding another place to throw a dagger. It had no real effect again. The guy started to cough. ''Dammit''. "Look at it! This guy is just using whatever he has! It''s all a farce to make us afraid!" some merchant shouted throwing a dagger back at Ace who easily avoided it and returned the favour by throwing a long sword at the guy. He, unlike the merchant, hit his target. It skewered the man''s heart. Ace laughed maniacally. Merchants were a class without any defence characteristics allowing them to be easily killed. But even Ace didn''t expect to see such a big contrast between his power and their defence. Were they level twenty or something? "How did he..." "Is that even possible? To one hit anyone?" "That''s insane!" People shouted in raised voices with their wide eyes looking for confirmation from each other. It was an extremely rare thing to see anyone die from a single hit because people with such big differences never fought against each other. There was just no point to it. "He''s a high level user. Be careful to evade all the projectiles!" "But we can''t see him before he attacks!" "So you think you could evade then?" Ace asked in a whisper. "We''ll see about that." This time instead of hiding he picked up a dagger coated in a random poison and started to run around. He jumped from one wagon to another, back and forth before throwing it from one of the farthest corners. It only scratched one of the merchant''s hands but it was all it took for poison to take effect. The guy started to convulse and vomit blood. "Iagaha - waghga..." He tried saying something but no words could be understood between all the coughing. He died soon after that. To annoy them more Ace¡¯s laugh echoed in the night''s silence, disturbed only by the cracking of fire. He continued with his running around and throwing. There were still enough of them to hit someone with ease. One guy couldn''t take it and tried to run through the fires in a vain hope to escape. "I hate those who try to run away before finishing what they had started" Ace hissed and jumped down from a wagon, appearing right in front of the man. He didn''t live long after that. The game continued on. They had thought to protect themselves by making three rings of defences but now it worked against them. There was no way to escape his daggers that flew without ever missing their designed targets. "Should we make a break for it? Then at least some of us might survive" someone said, suggesting a new kind of plan which Ace didn''t like at all. "Is everyone ready?" the leader mercenary asked after a moment¡¯s delay. Ace hissed like an angry kitten and took out a bunch of daggers. Two of them were coated in one of his favourite poisons in existence. "Go mad!" he screamed, aiming it at the leader and the mercenary who suggested the stupid plan. They tried evading to the best of their abilities but mercenaries weren''t known for their high agility. They tended to sneer at rogues who relied on quickness while priding themselves in their strength, now which was their folly. Theirs eyes turned red while face''s twisted in strangest of ways, hands grabbed onto weapons and swung them. Crimson liquid splashed around and screams rose in the night as soft fires cracked continuously. Their warm light fell on the two who were slaughtering everything that moved, themselves included. Few people that managed to escape their eyes were picked off by uncounted for daggers. Ace watched it happening and smiled gleefully; the man who wanted to save everyone the most was about to be finished with killing them all. Only he and another berserker were left standing. Ace took out a piece of dried meat and sat down on an edge of a wagon. Dangling his legs, he watched the fight before him. Both men used claymores, wore similar armour and seemed equal in levels as neither had the advantage. Or wait. The pretend leader was bleeding from his eye, it couldn''t be helping for him to see better. Yet both fighters were on equal footing. ''Does that mean the pretend leader is a much more experienced player?'' Sparks flew as swords clashed, their wielders quickly attacking again and again. Somehow the claymores were moved easily in the hands of the two mercenaries as if they were as light as feathers. Left, left, right, left, left, a kick. ''So in berserk mode you don''t fight fair even though normally you would? I haven''t noticed that before.'' That kick fell the plan maker and he received a huge slash over his chest which destroyed armour and took his last health points. Ace used that moment to sneak behind the pretend leader and use his attacks. "Curse of the Hungry! Heart-seeker!" It killed the man in an instant allowing Ace to look through his inventory. There were many maps, books, letters, orbs and jewellery. No heavy items like weapons or armor were present. "Aw... I expected him to have some more high level equipment as he kept his so clean. Probably he took care of it himself and then walked cleanly pretending to be rich. What a loser" he said, moving all the items besides a silver wing to his own inventory. After that he collected all the other items dropped by dead players and put out most of the fires. One was enough. He sat down next to it and decided to look through the messages he had received.
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
Dagger master has reached Intermediate!
Flare has reached Master level!
Heart-seeker has reached Average 9!
Curse of the Hungry has reached Average 6!]/window] Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. [window]Phantasm has reached Average 3!
Phantasm has reached Beginner 4!
Backstab has reached Average 7!
Cut-throat has reached Average 7!
Shadow Veil has reached Average 10!
Silent Steps has reached Average 6!
Evasion has reached Average 5!
Instincts of a Predator has reached Average 4
Alchemy mastery has reached Average 1!
"When was the last time I looked through this?'' he asked himself, deleting all the messages ''They''re so annoying. Why can''t I just turn them off...¡¯ "They said I''m a high level user yet I doubt that. I''m still in the early numbers of a hundred. And the bastard L forgot to acknowledge my quest as finished so I didn''t get the experience for the siege. I''m clearly behind many others who didn''t waste half a year learning dagger fighting and continues to run around doing random stuff. It''ll soon be a year since I''m in a game and I''ve only been in a single low levelled dungeon! What am I doing?" he asked himself, gazing at the flames. "Eh... Who cares? I''m fine and with that. What''s important is expanding my knowledge." He shook his head and ate some barley bread. It was as soft as a rock and as tasty as paper but together with water it filled his stomach and his satiety went up to the maximum. Then he took a journal out of his bag. It was the girl''s from the magician guild he''d once wiped out. He had never managed to finish reading it while she almost overthrew his rule in the guild. Maybe there was more to her rage when just being killed and losing all items? People tend to share their stories with books for some reason. He could never understand why they did it, there was memory for that which kept all the important things and removed the unnecessary ones. After ten minutes of reading an interesting paragraph caught his eye. *I think there''s a way to combine magic with weaponry but not in a way enchanters do that. Instead of giving a small buff or adding a permanent quality, it would add an ability to that particular weapon for a duration you keep the spell on it. I''ve tested it with a fireball and an ice type sword. It still did ice type damage but every fifth strike it flamed up dealing extreme heat damage. The contact with it burned enemies along with allies. There was no difference even if it was me, the caster. I''ll have to find a way to control it. When you try to combine elements of the same type, the weapon''s power is doubled but it breaks in a short time. Ice type with ice ball deals extreme cold damage and apply a random chance to freeze your opponent. The sword broke after three minutes. Same happened with other elements.* After that she wrote down all other experiments that she had conducted with fusing magic with metals but there was hardly anything more than the beginning said. ''If that is truth, why didn''t I read this thing before?'' He took out a normal dagger with no specifics. "Gust!" he said trying to push it inside the weapon. After a bit of fighting against a wind he somehow managed to get it in. "Item Preview!"
Dagger of Raging Wind! Attack Damage 30 Durability 20/20 Simple dagger made by a good blacksmith. + Each hit releases a small gust dealing small damage. Some attacks might push your opponent back
"Amazing! How did I survive so long without it? If this low level skill can do this much, what would happen if I knew a truly strong spell? Maybe I should acquire one just for that? I''ll see about that when I get to the city. I should read all other books I had taken up till now. They might actually contain useful information!" he said with a smile and exchanged the girl''s journal for the guild leader''s one. It was possible that the old man was actually the one that had taught the girl. It showed up to have been a vain hope. There was nothing besides a few notes about the girl''s talents and how she''s the best student he''d ever had. Everything else was only guild''s things so quite soon he threw the journal into the fire. There was no point in carrying a worthless book. After that he took out a pot, filled it with water and cast [Gust] to keep it afloat over the fire. When water boiled, he put a new combination of herbs in and took out another book to read. This was how he spent four days; creating potions and reading everything ranging from magic to history and fighting descriptions. On the fifth day''s morning he heard hoof beats from somewhere far away. ''They''re early'' he thought yawning and put all of his things in the backpack. Then used [Shadow Veil] and decided to watch from the forest. One round against them was more than enough for him. He was pretty sure they had created gazillions of ways to counter every step he had done or might do. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have come here. "Are you sure this is a good idea? What if he''s waiting in ambush?" "It''s day now and we''re prepared. Back then he caught us unaware and we didn''t know what we were dealing with. Everyone had thought that he left or changed professions but to think we''d encounter him here... And we even invited him in by going to look for him! It was just very very bad luck" an elderly man said to his friend who smiled forcefully. "I don''t even remember killing him...¡± Ace murmured watching them pass. There was strange emptiness in his chest and many unanswerable questions rose in his head. "Gaaah!" he screamed into the bright sky, where the sun was only raising. Horses halted and bows aimed at Ace who glared at everyone through the spaces in his mask. There was such deep hatred in his eyes that people could only stare at him with wide eyed expressions, their own anger forgotten. None dared to attack and soon like a living shadow the creature disappeared into the forest. Only after some time did people start to ask questions. "What was that..?" "Is that..?" "Yeah..." "What happened to him..?" "Is he really human..?" "It is said so... But..." "What had to be done to turn him into that... Isn''t he just a kid?" "I heard the owners of the game allowed only children who needed psychological help to enter the game. Their actions are recorded by special cameras that read brainwaves. But I never thought it was so bad... What must have happened for a kid to become like this..?" "An avatar of destruction? He had to be destroyed from the inside" the old man at the front said. There was sadness in his eyes as he gazed at the space where the boy had disappeared. "Why do you think he showed up to us? And what''s with the ear-splitting scream?" "Who knows? Maybe he can actually still feel guilt?¡± Ace ran back into the forest, he heard bits and pieces of conversation and it made him double his speed. He had no wish to hear them talk about his life and not even come close to it. It was his own burden to bear and others had no reason to butt in. When he was sure no sounds would reach him, he stopped to take a breath. "I''m so tired..." he murmured and sat down. "Maybe I should annoy L some?" "Hellooo! How are you doiiing?" he asked using voice chat. Ten or so minutes later a short reply was sent to him. /Meeting./ ''Really that took you so long to write?'' "Really? And here I thought you wanted to hear some secrets of Morion... How silly of me. I''ll remember not to disturb you again, oh Master!" Ace said in an exaggerated manner cutting off the chat. Five seconds later he received a call. "What do you know?" "But I thought you were in a meeting! You can''t just up and leave it!" "Forget that! What did you find out?" "So nooow you''re interested? Why the sudden change?" Ace asked with a smile. He could hear impatience in his opponent¡¯s voice and wanted to drag it out even more. "Stop playing around! Tell me!" L said, his voice shaking slightly. "Say sorry and please! You know you''ve been a bad boy, giving me the worst of missions. And even sending people to follow me..." Ace said, improvising. It was always good to pretend to know more than you did, it kept the superiors doubting themselves and whether they can fool you. "What? How do you know about Rowena?" L asked quickly. ''So that''s what her name was! Wait! She is a spy? Since when?'' "You should pick better people for that. Did you really think I wouldn''t see through her?" ''Well, I didn''t but you were kind enough to enlighten me on my mistake. I''ll make sure to remember that you''re truly an untrustworthy type.'' "Dammit, I knew she wasn''t cut for it but I wanted to send her away. She should have been safer away from this city. Dammit, how did you find it out anyway?" L asked tiredly. For a moment there were sounds of quiet conversation so Ace kept silent. Only when they stopped did he answer. "Accidents don''t happen. And I''m really not the trusting kind. Suddenly a girl wants to join two kids? That doesn''t sound likely. Next time find someone that could at least infiltrate..." ''What nonsense am I spewing now, seriously...'' "At least tell me how is she? Can you see her now?" "What? Eh... Not really. Things happened and Par is in real life for a sixth day here, Rowena is in the witch''s hut and I''m somewhere in a wide forest. Or that''s how it was five mornings ago when I left..." Ace said, scratching the back of his head. "You left her all alone? Are you a mad?" L screamed. "Hey! I''m a kid here! I need protection, not she!" Ace said with his voice raised. "You''re a killer, not a kid! And she''s a sheltered young lady! You should have noticed that!" "Oh really?" Ace asked dryly. "So why in the god''s name did you send this princess to follow a killer? A monster that you expected to betray you at the first possible moment? And on top of that you expect this despicable creature to suddenly develop a kind heart? I think you''ve read too many fairy tales when you were a kid." "You..." L said, not finding words to express his frustration. "No longer have anything to add? I''m grateful to have heard everything you had to say" Ace said in a perfectly calm and friendly voice. "I''ll make sure to keep it in mind. Hopefully, we won''t meet again." "Wait!" Ace cut off the chat, quickly typed North Wind¡¯s letter and sent it to L while ignoring his calls. Then he deleted the guy from his friends list. On a second though he also abandoned the siege quest that he hadn''t given in yet. After that he carefully took out a flute and brushed his fingers over its surface. It was crude and uneven but it was his only friend so he held it closer to his heart and after a moment started to play. It was the song of a little swallow. Next Chapter 3.5 Your Own Path Previous Chapter Author''s Note: So here it is as promised a few days earlier :) And there are many things you''ve been waiting for. Important Notice: I joined the crew to make a Christmas Event and want to write a short story while having to read two ~250 pages books for school and many homework so my next update might not be on time. I''ll try my best to be there but I want to try myself at everything :P That of course leaves me with no free time and something is bound to not go according to plan so I hope you won''t be too angry with me if it''s the update of this story **** Monthu... Vera... L... The World... Maybe even Par should be added to that list... There was no guarantee he''ll be coming back with the luck Ace was having at the moment. What did he ever do to deserve that, anyway? It felt like everyone had decided to test his patience at the same time and with every new try it was wearing more thin. ''Will I lose it wholly? Become mad from simplest words?'' Ace asked himself and a bitter laugh broke flute''s melody in the middle. "Dammit. Why does calmness bring all these thoughts about one''s place in the world and how he doesn''t belong anywhere? How does it always end up in me never having a person to trust but many to rely on in case of trouble? Shut up! And go to hell!" Ace screamed into the sky and smiled. He pocketed his flute and climbed into a tree. When he found a strong branch, he looked around for a good one to jump on. He picked a random childish song and by its melody started to jump from one branch to another. Sometimes his legs or hands slipped but by the help of wines and wind, he''d always get back on without injuring himself. Happy laughter echoed around a forest as a lone kid played by himself. There was no one to tell him that it was dangerous and he reeled in the simple joy of being able to fly, the adrenaline of almost making the jump. It was a world of his own where no one was allowed in. A chance to show that he needed no one but himself. He could be his own best friend, after all it is important to talk to smart people sometimes too. *** "Can I go back today?" "No, Trist. You heard parents, you can''t return to the game until you agree to never talk with Ace ever again" Aiden said, looking at his brother¡¯s head pressed against his chest. He was sitting on the couch in the dining room with his brother snuggled up to him. And having the same conversation every day since parents had banned Trist from playing Regal Dream. Because of it the kid had nothing to do besides bugging his brother about the unfairness of it all. "But why so, brother? Ace never did anything wrong..." Tristain said in a whiny voice. "You should explain that to your father and mother. Maybe they''ll change their minds if you annoy them enough?" "But they don''t listen to me! And now they return only after I''m asleep!" "Well, you know I have no power here. You''ll have to change their opinions yourself." "But if you said, you''d accompany me..." "I did but you heard them. Ace is too quirky for them to stomach. They''re too afraid for you." "But you like him too, don''t you?" Trist asked, circling his hands around his brother¡¯s neck and hugging him closer. Aiden looked at him with a perplexed expression, carefully thinking about his answer. He didn''t really have a set opinion about the kid. He changed his behaviour way too often for anyone to be able to understand him. "I''m not sure whether he''s really who he pretends to be but I don''t feel any hatred towards him. Maybe he has his reasons for acting the way he does. Although this prevents me from trusting him completely. He''s just too shifty for my liking" he finally said the truth. Trist laughed. "You just don''t want to admit you like a kid that doesn''t follow your every word. You''re afraid I might decide to follow his footsteps!" Aiden laughed too. "Don''t you even think about it!" he said, starting to tickle his brother. Trist tried to escape his hands but could do nothing but roll around in laughter. "St-tto-pp iiit-t-t! I-I-I p-p-ppr-ro-m-m-mmis-se! Lle-e-a-vv-ve mm-m-me! A-a-a-lone!" he said in short gasps, unable to talk right. "But I think you need some more encouragement to stay on the right path, wouldn''t you say so?" Aiden asked, not letting his brother get away from him and continuing to tickle him. "N-N-NO!" Trist screamed through bursts of laughter, trying to stop his brothers hands from finding his most vulnerable spots. "Are you sure?" Aiden asked, keeping his brother down but letting him take a breath. "Yes, yes! I''ll be the best kid ever! I promise!" Trist said quickly, nodding. But then his shoulders slumped down and without any energy he relaxed on the couch under his brother. "Do you think I''ll ever see him again?" His brother sighted tiredly and released him. "Who knows? Your parents won''t be able to stay away from you for too long so it depends whether he''ll wait for you until then or not." "He made a promise!" "Let''s hope then that he knows how to keep it" Aiden said, taking his brother''s hand and getting him up, then he lead him to the kitchen. "What would you like for dinner?" "Pancakes!" "Do you ever want anything else?" Aiden asked with a laugh, receiving a wide grin from his little brother. *** Ace heard voices. They were talking about the disappearance of animals and whether the danger had passed. It was annoying how everyone had heard of or seen his escapades. But he was too tired to actually do anything to them for that. From all the jumping his stamina was at the low end and he wanted to reach some city or town before going to rest. So he passed around an old man and two kids, standing at the entrance of a small house and went forward. ''Maybe if they live here, there''s a bigger settling somewhere around? I really need a shower and to get rid of these blood-soaked clothes. Even a blind man could tell I''m a killer from the stink of it.'' As he went ahead the trees started thinning out and he saw a great wall blocking his path. It was made from large stones put one onto the other. Ace looked at it with amazement as stones were around his height and somehow made into a ten meter or so wall and smoothed so well that there wasn''t a single foothold to climb onto it. ''Who could have done it?'' he wondered for some time, touching the wall carefully. "Aah! What happened to you?" some female screamed right in Ace''s ear, trying to grab his arm. Instinctively he dodged before noticing a teenage girl looking at him with tearful eyes. "Huh?" "You must be hurt! There''s so much blood on you! Kione hear my prayer, Healing Hand!" she said in a rush, casting a healing spell on him. "Can you survive ten minutes? There''s a real healer there! Please, tell me yes!" "I-I... I''m fin..." ''Wait? What if she can help me get inside? I''ll never be allowed in by myself looking like this.'' "I think so but can we hurry?" "Yes, yes! This way! You can rest on my shoulder!" she said, deciding to half carry him. Ace just followed her lead, hoping her place was inside the wall. The girl was around fifteen, had curly red hair and wore a simple grey dress. She was probably a healer''s apprentice and was out to collect some herbs. That was a disconcerting thought as most healer''s tended to live outside the cities where they could grow many herbs and better focus on their work. His fear showed up to be realistic. For fifteen minutes they walked by the wall and another five to reach a small house resembling the one he''d seen somewhere in the forest. ''Dammit'' "We''re here. Grandma! I have a patient! Come here quickly!" she said loudly, carrying him inside and laying on a low table covered with a white sheet. "Wait here a moment, I''ll find grandma and she''ll heal you in seconds!" the girl said before leaving. Ace raised his head and looked around. There were two old wooden doors leaving for other rooms. This one was absolutely empty besides a few similar patient tables and five stools. ''Should I stay here for a few days?'' "Grandma, hurry! He''s bleeding all over the place!" He heard the girl from away but her and someone else''s, probably grandma''s, steps were coming closer. Without much consideration, he got out his dagger and stabbed himself next to the heart. ''Yeeeeoouch!'' he screamed inside his head while making many other small wounds that resembled those made by sharp branches. He took a pained look at his work and opened the wounds on his legs with [Burst]. Burnt places touched by fire didn''t feel too good even with lowered pain perception but at least it allowed his act to become genuine. He really hurt like hell. And his health points were dropping quite quickly. ''I really hope she''s a true healer and not a charlatan. I don''t want my first death to be suicide...'' Through hazy eyes he saw an elderly woman enter the room with a doubtful expression but after seeing fresh blood seeping off his wound, jump to action. She said some prayer to lessen his pain and heal but his conscience for some reason was growing darker by each second, the world more muddled, even words lost their meanings. ''Dammit, I think I went a little overboard'' he thought before blacking out. "Where did you find him, Lena?" the elderly woman asked while bandaging a kid. His wounds were very grave and the whole body tattered, there wasn''t a clean spot anywhere. ''What happened to you, boy? It couldn''t have been an animal attack.'' "I saw him looking at the wall with amazement. He was touching it carefully as if it was going to break from it! But then I took notice of his clothes and they were all bloody! And he was barefooted with open red burn wounds on them! How can he even walk like that?" the girl asked, bringing another bandage from the storeroom. They were using up a fourth roll on him. "Will power. It blocked all of the pain so he could move forward." "Isn''t that a trait of heroes, grandma? Does that mean he''s the one to save us all?" The old woman laughed. "No, sweetie. It is a trait of people who want to live and would do anything for it. They can walk on coals and needles if that''s what it takes to escape certain death. Because they don''t freeze when facing it, they often become heroes, those who save the day. In reality, all there is to it is self-preservation." "Why are you always so pessimistic, grandma?" "That''s not pessimism, dear. It is realism strengthened by a good dose of life experience. I didn''t say that heroes don''t exist. I just meant that half of them do what they do for themselves and shouldn''t be revered" the old woman said, looking for a wound in the kid''s head. There was none but she couldn''t tell what colour was the kid¡¯s hair. ''Did he accidentally brush over it with his bloody hand? But why are they so full of it?'' "Can you get me some more clean water? Most of his wounds are cleaned and bandaged so I might as well wash his hair too." "Okay. But why shouldn''t they be revered? Other people wouldn''t have been able to do what they did or didn''t think about it so they''re saviours no matter how you look at it. Why should we look for reasons behind it?" "Because next time they might sell us if it is required for them to survive. And being a hero is about saving others, not oneself." After a few hours Ace woke up, he smelled something delicious. "Mhmm..." he murmured still half-asleep and tried to get up. Horrible pain passed through his legs and he winced. ''What kind of healer is she if it still hurts this much? Maybe it was a mistake to...'' "You''re awake! How do you feel?" the girl asked, running up to him. "You can''t move yet! Just lie there and rest!" She pushed him back and he winced again. ''Worst. Healer. Ever.'' "What is your name?" he asked, deciding he should keep to the act for a bit longer. "Lena. What about you? Do you have one?" Ace forcefully kept his eyes from rolling up. "I''m called Ace. Could I ask where am I?" "It''s..." "You''re safe. That''s all that should matter to you" the elderly woman said coming in. Ace laughed this time. "Safe? There''s not such a thing as being safe." "No one''s going to hurt you and you''ll be reborn if someone comes to kill you so I see no problem" the woman said, coming to look at his bandages. Ace''s eyes became mere slits as he watched her movements. "I know you''ve been sent by the gods. No one else could have lost that much blood, been hurt repeatedly and still be able not only to stay alive but even continue moving" she said, removing a blood soaked bandage from his chest and wrapping another one. "But it is surprising. I''ve never seen any of you so intent on not dying. When you lose your healers, you just die with an annoyed look on your face. It is simply an inconvenience to you." "Do you know many of us?" "I''ve met enough. So what keeps you moving? Why do you push so hard ignoring all the pain?" The Lena girl stood at the side holding a knife. It was meant for cutting bandages but Ace made sure that the old woman never concealed her behind her back. Looking at the girl in a detached voice he answered. "I''ve never died before and don''t feel like trying it out. You don''t know when the goddess might decide that you''re no longer of use and leave you for dead. I don''t like taking chances with such things." The woman looked at him with different eyes. "You value life, don'' t you boy?" Ace burst out laughing. Pain arrows pierced all of his body but he couldn''t stop. It was just too funny; him valuing life. She couldn''t have missed it more. Tearing sound stopped him as he felt his chest wound opening and blood gushing out of it. ''Oh god... Don''t tell me her healing magic couldn''t even fully close up such a wound... I''ll have to stay here forever if that''s how good she is. I clearly overdid myself with the wounds...'' "Stay still! Or you''re going to open everything up! Lena bring more bandages and the red leafs! Hurry!" "Why can''t you just heal me?" Ace asked, pushing pain away and trying to concentrate on something else. "It is not safe. God''s favou is important but humans should ask for it only at the most desperate times. Gods have their own problems too so we shouldn''t annoy them with never-ending pleadings to help us" she said putting some herbs he''d never seen before on his wound and then tightly bandaging it. "Lena get some tincture. He needs to sleep." "What? No!" Ace said quickly but the girl was back with a small bottle and the woman forced him to drink three spoons of a very foul liquid. ''Now I can understand why everyone complained about having to drink medicine. It''s horrible. I''d better offend gods by asking for their help than drink this again and h...'' His eyes became heavy and closed up and no matter how much he struggled to move his body it relaxed and he lost control of it. He was alone in the absolute darkness without any sense of occupying a body. "How long will he sleep, grandma?" "For a day at least. From then on it''ll depend on his own wish. Some wake up the same moment while others tend to take a few more days." Ace heard soft sounds of something moving over paper. Is it a pen? Wait, they use quills here. Did that mean the girl was using him as a test subject and noting the symptoms and how to treat them? "How do you know how much to give?" "Three small spoons for kids and four for adults. It dulls their conscience which allows for quicker recovery because more often than not some psychological problem is preventing human body from fully concentrating on healing." "Didn''t you say that this boy was a survivalist, grandma?" Lena asked in a surprised voice. Ace listened to it quite annoyed. They thought he was asleep but instead only his body did. He himself could do nothing but listen, unable to shut it out or order them to stop. "That was before I knew him." Ace hissed in his mind. He hated those who pretended to understand him while not being able to see in him at all. "Did you hear how he laughed when I said that he valued life? It was mockery directed at me, at himself and at the whole world. There was no humour there." "Are you sure, grandma? I heard nothing of the like..." "You''ll learn to notice it. People who have seen too much absurdity in their lives, most often war veterans, have that look in their eyes that says they don''t believe in any greater meaning. Some are good at hiding their expressions so you can''t always be sure about them but none can remove the bitterness from their laughter. It becomes a part of them." "But he''s just a kid!" the girl said unconvinced, her voice rising slightly. "Gods only bring adults because they can help us out. But this Ace guy is still a young boy. He can''t be a normal kid if he was brought here." "I didn''t even think about it this!" Lena said loudly in a shocked tone. "I''m sure we''ll hear a lot about him even if he leaves us." There were sounds of shuffling feet and soon enough Ace was left alone in his darkness. It was an interesting feeling hearing everything but being unable to see and feeling like being nothing and everything at the same time. There were no boundaries for his conscience but there were nothing to signify he was alive either. ''Does god feel this way? Only he''s probably able to see...'' At first it was annoying being with himself in absolute blackness but as time passed by and nothing changed he got used to it. And even started to enjoy his time. He would play out all kinds of memories and be surprised for even having half of them. Looking through all of them he searched for something, he knew not what but as he had nothing better to do he could pretend that he''ll know once he''ll see it. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Time passed and more quickly than he could think a day had gone past. There were no differences besides a soft light starting to shine in the middle of nowhere in his darkness. He thought about going to investigate it but then abandoned that idea. He was fine the way he was and he wanted to find that something. It was bugging him horribly as if he was supposed to know what it was but couldn''t remember, yet knew that he had forgotten. It was a complicated matter. On a fifth day he was shaken from his thoughts as a semi familiar voice reached his ears. It was a female questioning the old woman. "I need information about a kid with a fox mask and dark hair. Have you seen him around here?" "Fox mask? No. Travellers rarely come around here. You should better look in the city." "Who I''m looking for won''t be found in a city. If he had reached it, you should start praying for all the souls living there. Half of them won''t be there to see tomorrow" the girl said with distaste. "Let me look inside. I need to make sure you''re not hiding him." "No. This is my house and you have no right. I''m an acknowledged healer by the lord. If you try anything, you''ll have to answer to him!" grandma stated in a cold voice as her granddaughter came to stand behind her. "Like I care! Get out of my way now or you''ll be sorry!" "Leave this place immediately!" "Dream on!" the female said and there were sounds of struggling but they didn''t last long. Someone hitting hard against a wall, breath leaving lungs, loud scream and boots coming closer to him. That was all. He didn''t want to wake up. He still had to find that something. But there was no choice. It was either waking up and trying to wriggle his way out or just dying. Perry won''t hesitate to kill him even if he wore no mask. From her actions revenge was still the only thing on her mind and she''d rather kill a hundred innocent people than let Silver Wing possibly escape. People like her were troublesome. "So you were hiding him after all! I knew you were too defensive!" she shouted gleefully. There was no answer, only crying continuing from somewhere in the room. "Your road ends here, murderer!" Ace yawned widely and opened his eyes. Right over his head stood Perry with a rope in her hands, probably thinking about tying him up. "Who are you?" he asked sitting up and looking at her innocently. He wished he could act all cool and kill her but she had seen his face and that wasn''t good news. If she ever fully believed that he was Silver Wing and allowed this information to be leaked, his infamy and favour would merge and he didn''t want that at all. He had to dispel all of her doubts. "I''m your worst nightmare, murderer!" she said. "Your time is up! Nein come here!" "Why do you call me that?" he asked pouting. "I''ve never done anything wrong!" "Is that why you''re bandaged? You''re a killer hunted by everyone!" Ace looked at her with his eyes turning into mere slits and crossed his arms. "I think you''ve mistaken me for someone I''m not! So stop it! Can''t you see I''m just a kid?" "I can see very well and I know that I''m right. Silver Wing has been seen around here. People say that he has dark hair, crimson coloured eyes, wears pristinely clean fox mask and ragged bloody clothes..." Perry said unsheathing her sword in a second but to her surprise Ace didn''t move an inch. "Just like I said, you''ve got the wrong person. My hair is light, eyes clearly not red" he said wondering what colour they were at the moment. He could guess but it would be like digging your own hole. "I think witnesses had romanticized it a bit. There''s no way anyone could be as bloody as they said or look so much like a perfect villain. In real life such things just aren''t as smooth." "You said he was a kid. Villains are grown-ups!" "Fine, a perfect horror story madman! No one expects a little kid to be behind people''s deaths. Happy now?" Perry asked, glaring at him. "Yes, guild mate!" Ace said with a bright smile, eyes shining. "You love films just as I do! Could we talk about them sometimes?" "No way! I wouldn... Guild mate? What do you mean?" she asked, voice rising. Ace showed her a tongue and brought the wing necklace forward, it had fallen on his back while he was asleep so Perry could only see a thread it was hanged on, previously. It was a dangerous idea to show it as his was more shiny and well-crafted but at the same time it was one of the easiest ways to fool her in believing he was innocent. That took priority at the moment. "Are you serious..? When did you join? I don''t remember ever seeing you in the guild house!" Perry said, desperately grabbing for straws. Ace smiled seeing his victory already. "I joined on the first days. I''ve been there longer than you and know Romeo personally!" "No way! Friend List! Romeo! Is it truth that there''s a kid in our guild?" she asked thin air. She seemed to hear an answer and turned her attention to the kid. "He''s around twelve years old, blonde, yellow eyed, thin and pale looking. I''m not surprised he''s covered in bandages, a stronger wind could break him in half!" "Hey! Stop that!" Ace shouted out, his face reddening. "I''m not sickly!" "His name? I don''t know. Kid what''s your name?" Ace glared at her. "Tell me yours first!" "Don''t be difficult! Just say your name or I''ll tie you up for interfering with crime investigation!" "I¡¯ll call social services! It would be child abuse!" Ace spit out, throwing daggers from his eyes. There was no questioning whether he would really do it. Perry took an involuntarily step back. "You wouldn''t..." she said, uncertainly. "Try me." Surprise showed up on the girl''s face. ''What could Romeo be saying to her? I hope he knows that secrets should be kept hidden. I''m in no mood to be confronted as a boss behind the scenes. On that note I should have a word with Romeo myself. I create the guild to know about all attempts to be caught and not for the fun of it. Such situation shouldn''t have even happened.'' "Ace? That''s his name? Isn''t that a bit too much for a little kid? ... You think so? ... Violent? No? ... Ah, I see. Kids... ... You sure it''s a good idea? Maybe I should take him along? ... Group? ... No, all alone. Probably was abandoned or they died out. He''s hurt badly. ... Okay, I will. We have to stick together. Thanks for confirming it. ... Bye." ''For some reason I feel like Romeo is going to get a very very long lesson from me on how to keep out of my way.'' "Okay, kid. I know you''re one of us so grab your things and let''s go. There''s still a long way to go to the crime scene" Perry said, turning to her assistant who was standing still since she called on him ages ago. ''Is he really human?'' "Nein prepare everyone to go. We''re leaving in two minutes." "I don''t..." "Yes, milady" Nein said with a half bow and left. Ace looked at him as if he was mad. Perry a lady? Those two words were polar opposites! The girl was a narcissistic spellsword and had no good qualities at all! "Hurry up kid. You have one minute and a half. If you''re not ready by then, I''ll drag you out the way you are now." "Another film quote..." Ace said grumbling and looked at his backpack which only contained his dirty aristocratic clothes. ''Gaah... Why didn''t I make anyone wash them for me? Now I have nothing to wear...'' Cursing himself he continued to search for something. Nothing good showed up so he was forced to choose between dirty clothes or to make something out of pieces of cloth. Without too much thought, he picked the largest sand coloured cloth. He threw his blanket away and stood up on his legs. They were a bit shaky after sleeping almost a week but held so he started to wrap himself in a cloth. Perry watched with amusement as he unsuccessfully tried to make something out of it. It either didn''t hold or made him look like a pumpkin. She even burst out laughing when he fell after getting his legs wrapped up too tightly! "This is impossible!" he said annoyed and made a dress like thing out of it. Better than walking around half nude. But not by much. "Hahaha! Let me have a go" Perry said still chuckling. She unwrapped the knot holding his cape and draped it on him from where she made some adjustments quickly creating a toga for him. "I think this is a bit better, don''t you think?" "How?" Ace asked looking at her like a hero. Perry laughed. "In school''s play we performed Neron''s burning of Roma so we had to learn how to dress up. We spent so much time on it that I''m never going to forget it!" "Really? That''s amazing! We''ve only did The Tinder Box! And The Ugly Duckling! I wish we had done any of the Greek legends or some Roman!" Ace said, almost jumping in joy. "You sure are lively for someone who had just woken up." "I''m an early bird" Ace said with a bright smile and jogged outside. A dark lump lying against a wall with a girl whimpering beside it didn''t receive a single glance. There was just nothing he could do. Outside he saw a large group of players gathered around the Nein guy. Here he could take a better look at him. The man was around twenty, had jet black hair, small eyes, crooked nose and an evil beard, well, the one that all evil guys from old films just had to have. He was wearing a dark brown wizard''s robe on which a silver necklace shone in the sun''s light. Now that he paid attention to it, every player had his in the open. They were wearing them proudly as if that made them better than the rest of humanity. ''Shouldn''t they hide it as it said they were killed mercilessly and robbed blind? Why would anyone ever think otherwise?'' "Let''s go!" Perry said coming out and marching off first. She didn''t even look back to see if anyone was following. She knew they would. Ace ran after her and when they found and road asked her. "Where are we going?" "I suppose you know about a monster called Silver Wing?" Ace nodded. "Well, then, we''ve formed a group to catch him. He needs to be stopped no matter what for what he''s done and is still going to do. He can''t be allowed to run freely any more. That''s why we''re going to investigate the last place he''s been sighted in. There was a massacre there but it''s been a few weeks since then so don''t be afraid. Nothing is going to happen to you" Perry said taking his hand. Ace let her do that. "But how are you going to catch him if it''s been two weeks since he left that place?" he asked raising his questioning eyes towards her. Small shiver passed through her and Ace smiled. It said so much. "We need time to travel around and can''t just appear on the crime scenes! It is unfortunate but there is still a good chance we might find some useful information there. If we only knew his movement pattern, we could easily stop him!" ''So defensive. It felt as if I had attacked her instead of implying genuine curiosity. I never expected her to be afraid. She¡¯s the first to actively start hunting Silver Wing while not being afraid to use any method available. And yet deep down she didn''t want to face him. That''s what shaking at the mentioned name meant, right? Egh.. Why is human psychology so confusing?'' "Ah! Now I understand! You''ve come here from Lasran city! I can''t believe you were so fast! You never trusted Silver Wing to have disappeared, have you?" he asked. Perry smiled and nodded. "I know him better than that. There''s no way he''ll ever stop on his own, trust me." "You know him? Have you been friends? Did he betray you? Or did you leave him for another? Is he your brother? Or your chi..." Ace asked saying all the random scenarios he could come up with on a short notice. "Wait! Wait! Wait! Stop your imagination! There was nothing like that!" She took a deep breath. "I''m just one of the few that had seen him coming and confronted him." "Does that mean you talked with him? Or had an epic fight you''ve barely lost?" "I wish. Like a coward he attacked me from behind, scratching my skin with a poisoned dagger. I tried to fight but our skills were on equal footing while time was on his side. So I died... and he was victorious through the use of cheap tricks. ''Deserve to die? You''re very kind.'' "He''s evil" Ace said, drawing a conclusion and looking around. Forests went along both sides of the road with large old trees growing right beside where they were walking. Branches were hanging down on the path, leaving only a narrow stretch where sun could shine. Hollow sounds could be heard as wind passed through them. They walked for the rest of the day which was around five hours until a small house came into their view. It was the same that Ace had passed going towards the city where an old man with his kids lived. After Perry''s overly sweet introduction, the man knew better than to disagree letting her stay. That way Ace and Perry received a bed while everyone else a space on the ground to sleep on. The group was happy with the arrangements as they had slept in the wild for most of their journey. None even said a word about the newcomer getting a whole bed although that probably had to do with a fact that he looked like a kid. Sometimes it was actually useful even if he didn''t want to admit it. "Time to get up, sleeping beauty" Perry said, waking him up early the next morning. "Leave me alone" Ace grumbled, turning to the other side. "You asked for it!" Perry said with a smile in her voice. All of Ace''s instincts screamed at him to get away but his sleepy brain wasn''t fast enough to react. Freezing cold water washed over his face and chest. "Aahhh! Why did you do that?" he screamed, jumping out of the wet bed. "That''s what happens to those who can''t get up when told. Now grab something to eat from the table and be ready to leave in five minutes. I allowed you to sleep as long as it was possible." "Right¡­" Ace grumbled. "Now because of you I''ll catch a cold." "You''ll survive." He shook his head throwing droplets of water on those too close around, Perry squeaked as cold water hit her unguarded hand. Ace showed her his tongue and jogged to grab a sandwich. He ate three before Perry threw him out saying they had to start moving. Wind blew outside and Ace started to shiver. ''I''m really going to catch a cold if I don''t do something. I need to get warm somehow.'' That reminded him of the time in the river and a skill he had. "Excessive Heat" he murmured and felt soft warmth enveloping him. Living in a world with magic was amazing. "You''re shining, kid. Tone it down" Perry said. "It''s either I stay a light bulb or freeze and I don''t like the second choice" Ace said, shrugging. Maybe later on he could control the intensity of light and heat released but not now. And nowhere in a near future. "What is that skill anyway?" "It warms me up, nothing more." "You sure it''s really magic?" "Well... I''ve learnt it from a spell book..." "Maybe, maybe then..." They continued their journey talking about magic and what Ace could do. He revealed having all kinds of useless spells like [Flare] and [Flame Step]. Perry also said a few spells of her that she used most often. It was simple fire ball and water shot but now he knew which elements she used. That knowledge could become useful if he ever planned to go one versus one with her. By the evening they reached their destination. Ace knew it before Perry even said anything. He clearly remembered his adventures and a few close calls around here. A middle aged man stood, looking at them. His face was kind of familiar even if Ace knew he had never befriended him. He tended to remember those people as he had to find their weakest spots and misuse them. "Hello, Brendon! I''m really grateful you agreed to help us out!" Perry said with a smile, coming to stand before him. Ace was at her right side receiving many glares from the otherwise always calm and collected Nein. "It is a pleasure to meet you and I need to get my own hands on the guy for the things he stole so I''m only glad to help" the guy said. He was wearing a ragged traveller¡¯s outfit worth a few coppers at best; large muscles showed through it. But the man had no weapons so Ace couldn''t really tell who he was. Besides the fact that he was a victim of Silver Wing, of course. That was obvious. "Although it seems like you''ve already found him." Ace sighted. "Let me guess, you mean me?" he asked with a pout. "I was surprised to see that the most feared killer was only a child." "Why do you think it is him? All the reports said that his eyes were crimson and there was madness in them. On top of that his hair was dark" Perry asked and Ace had to hold his eyes from moving to accuse her. She hadn''t believed him in the slightest from the very beginning and had only played along to get him here without a fight. It was genius of her. And his hatred towards her resurfaced. He could live with anything but being played for a fool. No one was allowed to try to control him and judge his actions unworthy. Such people were the worst of the worst. "His hair was only dirtied from blood. I could have never guessed they would be so light and even curly." "Why are you so sure it''s still him?" "I''ve looked straight at his eyes when he killed me and there was no madness there. People only associate it with red colour. What was hiding inside was great suffering and pain, an all consuming emptiness. And I can see it hiding behind years of practised lies in your eyes too my young friend.¡± Ace raised his head to meet the man''s eyes straight on and laughed. Next Chapter 3.6 Rabbit Hole Previous Chapter Author''s Note: It''s here! I finally finished editing it and it''s probably even the longest chapter in this volume if I''m not mistaken. And that''s when I had no time :D But that''s probably because I received so much support from you guys and tried my best here. I truly love this chapter and it may be my favourite one so far. I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it. Sadly the pet thing didn''t fit in as I had had no idea I was planning to include it in the near chapters until you brought that theme up and gave me so many useful ideas. Now I can promise that it''ll be in this volume just not sure in which chapter. I stil have that idea I mentioned to play around with :) **** "May I ask what is so funny? You''ve just been found out and I''m going to make you pay for all the crimes. Don''t expect a quick death" Perry said, looking at Ace with cold eyes. "I think you''ve messed up quite spectacularly" Ace said, his eyes losing their previous fake warmth. "You can''t be serious! You''re still trying to wriggle out of this? I thought I made it clear enough before that your child''s act has no power on me!" she said rolling her eyes but Ace ignored her and turned to Brendon. "You say you remember him well, right?" "Yes" the guy said, looking at Ace with distrustful eyes. "Then tell me, please, what was truly in his eyes. You say sorrow and emptiness like in mine but madness doesn''t recede quickly. So could it be that you were seeing your own feelings reflected in the monster''s eyes?" "My own? You can''t sa..." "You see sorrow in everyone''s eyes. That can only mean you''re pretending or having a horrible time of your own." "Kid stop the blaming game. We know it''s you!" Perry said, not liking where this was going. "Do you now? You have an unstable witness that says he can tell a person''s story just by looking at him and a bunch of reports that prove me innocent. I kind of like my chances at the trial" Ace said in a condescending tone, looking down at Perry with his arms crossed over his chest. "You little...!" "Think before you talk. Every word can and will be used against you if you drag me there" Ace said, finally free to make fun of her. "All your people will be witnesses." "You would lose!" "Are you sure of it? Take me there then" he said laughing and extending his hands for her to bind. "I''m all yours." "Why you..." Perry hissed trying to grab him but Nein stopped her. "Sorry my lady but we really have no proof of him being the culprit. It''s all only guesswork" he said quietly in her ear. "I know!" she said tiredly. "But he''s our only suspect. If he''s not the one, we''re back at square one." "Is that what this is all about? You want to punish someone? So just pick a random person and be done with it. After all, that''s the main thing, isn''t it?" Ace asked with a mocking smile. He was really enjoying the freedom to say whatever he wanted to her, it was so annoying to smile and pretend to like her. "That''s not..." "Isn''t that why you''re grabbing for straws and trying to frame me no matter what?" Ace asked with a raised eyebrow. "You like to twist words, don''t you?" Perry asked, glaring at him. "Nah, I just remove all the sugar coating from them. It''s fun to see people having their words thrown back at them." Nein glared at him too but he had nothing to refute with. It''s been more than half a year of them trying to avenge themselves but they haven''t moved even a step forward. They listened to so many witnesses but none had anything useful to say. Everyone was always assassinated from behind, hardly ever getting a glimpse of their killer. This time Silver Wing had made a mistake and shown himself. He had thought it was an amazing victory for them but now he wasn''t so sure. They had many new descriptions of the killer that half the time didn''t match, many started to claim that he''s just a hurt child and only needs love to become a good person while others called him a demon and prayed for his extermination. On top of that this kid appeared. He matched some of the descriptions but the worst thing was that he was impossible to decipher. He acted all nice at first but now started to show a whole different side. How they were to understand which of the side was fake and if he had more of them? He might be the killer but at the same he could be just a kid who doesn¡¯t like to follow orders. "What will you do now?" he asked the kid, surprising him. "What do you mean?" "We have nothing on you so you''re free to leave." "Nein! He can''t!" Perry shouted out outraged. "He can. Calm down. If we ever need him again, we know where to find him. He gave us the information himself." "The guild!" "Yes. Romeo will be able to see where he is and will have to give us that information if we ever find this kid guilty of all the crimes done by Silver Wing." Ace looked at Nein. The guy was smarter than he had expected. He was thinking the right way with the information he had but he had too little of it to actually be a threat. Only the guild founder had the freedom to check where his underlings were, the leader could only do it if allowed by the founder but Ace didn''t plan to do anything of the like. Romeo had no need to suspect him of being anyone besides a little kid. "So? What will you do now?" "Who knows? I''ll go where my eyes take me" Ace said truthfully. It was better to tell the truth even if they didn''t believe it. That way he was winning twice: making them waste time checking him and feeling guilty for doubting his words after they did. "And where do they point you now?" Ace smiled and with a small jump punched Brendon in the face. "Here. He needed to be taught a lesson. It''s bad manners to point at people." "Really?" everyone around asked in unison, not having expected for a kid to actually hit someone. And an adult none the less. "Yes" Ace said, nodding. Brendon clutched his bleeding nose and glared at the kid. "I''m usually a nice man but you''ve stepped too far! You killed my friend and stole everything from him and me, not even leaving my one most prized possession which is worthless to anyone else! But that wasn''t enough for you, was it? You still have to make fun of me and those who are trying their best to catch the monster? I won''t take it any more!" he said and took out a large sword from thin air. ''He had that hidden in his backpack?'' Ace wondered jumping aside. The man had clearly lost control and was attacking without any plan. His movements were extremely quick and the giant sword was flying in all directions with the swiftness of a small bee. But Ace didn''t really mind it. He trusted his evasion and instincts to take care of it while he decided on what to do now. He hadn''t expected this to happen. The guy had seemed like a sensible man and the caravan''s leader had called for him to take care of the problems. ''What should I do... What should I do...'' he sang in his head and dodged a swing followed by a kick. ''Pff... He even lost a sense of fair fighting. Not only is he trying to chop off a kid''s head but he''s even using dirty tricks to achieve that.'' Ace laughed. "You can''t sink lower, can you?" "You''re despicable!" the man hissed in anger, his eyes blazing with furies from hell itself. "Now, now!" Ace laughed, twisting to the side and noticing how the whole group watched the fight. None seemed to plan to interrupt and help either of sides. ''What weaklings, they can''t even choose a side. It should be so obvious from the first glimpse who is going to win.'' A twisted smile appeared on the man''s face. "You know you''re going to tire out first, right monster?" "So I no longer am a human being? What horror! Not" Ace said faking joy and then showing indifference. Lately he had heard that far too often to even pay attention. The man should be a bit more creative if he wanted Ace to acknowledge him. "You..!" Brendon started to shout raising his hand for a vertical slash as Ace grabbed something from his bag and held it in his hands. It was a piece of paper with something drawn on it. Ace held it in a way that the piece would be cut with a next strike while not reaching him by millimetres. It was a dangerous gambit but he felt like playing around for the moment, being the bad guy. The man wasn''t able to stop his attack and tore it apart, cutting Ace''s tunic and even drawing blood on his chest. ''Dammit'' Ace hissed, using the paper to brush the blood off. The wound was very shallow and only took ten health points so he dropped the pieces of torn and bloody paper. The man watched their fall with a horrified expression. That brought Ace''s good mood back. A small wound was worth the sight before his eyes: a man weathered by life reduced to a heap of broken pieces like those of the paper. "Brendon! What happened?" Perry asked, rushing to him. The man just shook his head and continued to stare. Only Ace and the man knew what had been there, the guy having guessed from the short glimpse he''d had before cutting it. It had been a photo of a happy group. A child cut in too. And he did that. With his own two hands, his own child... A tear ran down his cheek. Ace watched him with cold indifference. The picture was of the man''s family and from the reaction he could guess it was no longer in a perfect shape. Did any of them die? Or was it simply a divorce? No matter. He took out his dagger and in a swift motion embedded it into the man''s back who hissed in pain from it. Ace dragged it out and whispered in the man''s ear. "That''s what you get for trying to fight me. It is a sad truth that you can''t fight everything with fire. Sometimes more subtlety is needed." "Healing hand!" a female shouted out from the group and the wound closed up, saving Brendon from imminent death but he didn''t move a muscle. You could doubt,he really noticed what had happened if not for that hiss of pain at first. Ace looked at everyone and in a clear voice said. "That was for actually hitting me. I''m a vengeful person." "You''re a monster" the female cleric said while casting a stronger spell to heal the wound completely. "That I am too" Ace said with a smile. He raised his eyes up. ''What a beautiful sky... It''s so blue... So clear... Maybe it is trying to block the earth from the sun''s view? All the dirt that humans love to collect inside themselves?'' "Are you done? I would like to see you leave!" Perry said with an edge in her voice. Was she trying to say he was unwanted here? Maybe he should stay around just because of that? He smiled. It was so easy to win him over. He sat down in the middle of the road and took out his flute. Small agile fingers ran over the little holes producing different sounds so a melody could be born in the empty air. It was a story of a wanderer, someone who knew nothing about family ties and native lands. He had no idea who he was and travelled everywhere to uncover that mystery. Outwardly he was very loyal and nice, always going out of his way to help those in need. But then the melody slowed down and grew darker, edgier somehow. Deep down the man hated everyone and everything, he despised weak people but only because they might be useful one day he helped them out. This way through his travels he gained many loyal supporters from the poor to the richest. His lies were that good. Yet there was one thing he never lied about. He wanted to know who he was. He hoped to be a bastard son of some king or at least a noble but loneliness and fruitless search for years were making him to forget about it. Most likely he was born of a random whore who didn''t want to take care of him. Ace played and the man''s story ran from his fingers, out the flute and to the ears of his listeners. They stood quietly as if afraid to move and dispel the magic that was working before their eyes. It was hard to say whether those images of a man in his late forties were only their imagination or a game mechanic. The man went on another journey, got tired of his wanderings and tried to create an empire from nothing. In went well at first, he had a natural talent to lead, but other countries didn''t feel like allowing him to become a major power. They destroyed his work while it was still young. The man raged and cursed the gods and world but nothing changed. The guards were defeated and killed like all the other inhabitants of his castle. And the enemies were coming closer. They were next to his room now. The melody rose higher, becoming shrill and ear piercing. Death was knocking on his door. And then they opened the door, the tone calming down in an instant. He was going to go down with pride, fighting to his last breath. His dream was short lived as they surrounded him and stabbed from all directions. His death was that of a wild animal and he knew it. There was bitter laughter on his lips which was hidden by his inability to move any part of his body, blood was gushing out of countless stab wounds. He was laying on the ground in the pool it. And that was the time when the enemy general came in and squatted down beside his barely breathing body. The newcomer¡¯s song was still strong but tired as if age was slowing it down but soon it changed back to the man''s barely heard notes. All listeners soundlessly moved closer to hear how it would end. Without their own consent they were taken in and mesmerized by the story which they could see in the notes that flew in the quiet air of the empty forest. The melody rose for a moment in surprise as the man noticed recognition in the commander¡¯s eyes. The guy touched his hair beads that he had since he could remember himself reverently and whispered but words had already lost their meaning. A fleeting thought whether this was his father passed through his mind as the flickering light of his life went out and the melody quieted down with a last sigh. Ace held his flute for a moment longer before putting it inside his bag and falling on his back. The sky was still so blue without a single cloud to block the view. He raised his hand as if to reach at it but quickly let it fall down. Humans weren''t meant to reach the sky. They were born as worms and had to die being them. There were no exceptions. "What... was... that..." someone asked and Ace looked in the direction of a voice. It was Nein who looked as if he had seen a ghost. "A story. What else?" Ace asked closing his eyes and enjoying the feel of lying on the cold hard ground. It made him feel like he was still alive. "Are you a bard? But I''ve never heard anything like that!" "It''s magic" Ace said with a smile. He said the truth but in real life this saying was used so often to describe great things that it was doubtful anyone will take it literary. Truth made best lies when nobody expected it. "Keep it if you don''t want to say it. It''s not as if we''re dying to know" Perry said, secretly taking a few quick steps back. Ace chuckled but said nothing. "So you won''t say it?" she asked again. "I just did" he said with a smile, still lying on the ground with his eyes closed. Feet walked his way but he didn''t move a muscle. "Why did you play it?" Nein asked squatting down. "What reason could you possibly have had to reveal your secret to us?" Ace opened his eyes and looked straight at Nein''s violet ones. "Secret? It''s nothing but a way to pass time. I play because I can. That''s all there''s to it. Not every action has to have a hidden meaning." That was yet another lie. People never did anything without a reason and they rarely fully explained what it was. It was in human nature to hide the truth and pretend so societies could exist. No one wanted to be alone. Nein shook his head slightly as if not really believing the answer but didn''t press on. "Will you be staying with us?" "Will you let me?" Ace asked with sadness and disbelief in his voice, reverting back to his childish innocent self. He knew that character so much better; after all he''d used it for many years. Instead of answering Nein gave him a hand and helped to stand up. "Can I ask when did you gain the authority to allow people to join our group? I don''t remember anyone making you a leader or passing the right to you!" Perry said angrily. She was tired of all the nonsense. First the kid was a suspect, then not, then returned to being one and again threw all the charges back at her as lies. But that wasn''t all, he kept on joining her group and leaving every other minute depending on his mood. "As far as I know, we''re all equal here. You have the freedom to choose our ways of fighting and what strategies we use but we never discussed you preventing us to bring people along. That isn''t up to you" Nein said still holding the kid''s hand who smiled like a little angel. It was hard to believe that not long ago he was stabbing people or playing like the most talented musician ever. He seemed like a normal little kid you see playing on the streets. "So you want to say I''m a bad leader? I don''t know what''s best for us? You think you''d be better? Stop dreaming! You''re nothing but a follower! You don''t know what it means to carry the responsibility of everyone''s lives on your shoulders!" Perry hissed, coming closer. "Thanks for the reminder" Nein said and turned to Ace. "Are you sure you want to stay with us? It might be dangerous." "I''m sure big brother will protect me!" Ace said with a bright smile. He just didn¡¯t want to be alone for the moment. He''ll probably leave them in a next city but for now he could gain trust and find out more about them. Of course, he would have to make Romeo pay none the less. The guy had to warn him about such groups and their plans beforehand. Nein was surprised but he managed to hide it quite well. "Great! Let''s go then" he said matching the child''s mood. He wanted to learn more about him. The kid''s actions were abnormal to say the least and his character changed every other minute. Nice, all-knowing, on the verge of cruel and innocent once again. ''Does he have some kind of disorder or something? I doubt it''s normal for kids to act the way he does and there''s still the mystery of Silver Wing. He might not be the guy himself but there''s not a chance he appeared here on an accident. He must have some kind of connection to the notorious killer.'' "Everyone, let''s get moving. We don''t want to spend the night here, do we? Jake help Brendon and let''s get moving" Nein said gently squeezing Ace''s hand and choosing different direction than they had come from. ''Is there another city nearby?'' Ace wondered following the guy and enjoying Perry''s misery. She deserved so much more. Others didn''t look comfortable but did as told. One of the guys took Brendon''s hand and put it around his neck to get him up. This way he half carried half dragged him forward. Ace remembered how he was dragged the same way by a girl and shivered. He couldn''t have looked that pathetic, could he? "Is something wrong?" Ace shook his head. "Just a cold wind passed by." "You should have said something!" Nein said in fake outrage. He rummaged through his backpack and brought out a yellow cloak. "I''ve never had the chance to use it so it''s perfectly clean. You can have it." Ace nodded and allowed to be wrapped up. "Thank you" he said taking the man''s hand again. It made people trust him more if he was in physical contact. If he acted as a child, it was harder for people to see him as anything else even if they knew a different side of his. "You''re quite affectionate." "I''m just lonely" Ace said showing his tongue and getting his hand free. He skipped forward and turning around laughed. "Catch me if you can." With that he ran forward at full speed, ignoring Nein''s calls to get back. He was no longer even sure if he wanted to, he had gained a cloak! He laughed and continued to run. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Nein was having trouble deciding what to do next. He could hurry after the kid or continue to lead the group. Both choices were bad for him. If only he had left Perry to deal with the kid alone! But no, he had to get his penny in... Now no matter what he did he was going to lose. If he went after the kid, he''d lose the prestige and Perry will make sure to throw him out but if he stayed the kid would get away and he would have angered his superior for no good reason. How did that kid manage to turn all his work into nothing in a few moments? And he was getting further away every second. "Go catch him, we won''t disappear" the female cleric said with a sigh. "Deedara?" "There must be something wrong for him to act this way. Children aren''t born evil, they are made into that. So go and get him back. It''s dangerous for kids to run around without supervision." "Thanks!" Nein said with a smile and a lighter heart and ran off after the kid. If Deedara said it¡¯ll be okay, it means she¡¯ll make sure that nothing changes until he returns. She was a really nice person but you didn¡¯t want to make her angry. None dared to disagree if she ever said anything. "I''ll be back as quickly as I can!" "You''re welcome" "Winds carry me forth, Quick Feet" he cast a simple spell that doubled his running speed and rushed forward. He passed a few bends but somehow the kid was nowhere in sight. ''Where could he have gone? I hope he didn''t decide to explore the forest.¡¯ Trees stood high on both sides with low undergrowth that allowed seeing well through them. It didn''t seem like anyone had passed by there for some time but just in case Nein kept his eyes open. ''How fast could a kid be?'' he asked himself, already starting to puff. Wizards really had no stamina. Luckily up ahead he noticed a small person with his back to a tree looking up at the sky. Using the last bits of his stamina Nein reached him. The kid lowered his head and looked at him with surprise. "You actually chased after me?" "Wasn''t I supposed to?" Nein asked sitting down and taking deep breaths. "I don''t know..." the kid said in a quiet voice, looking in the distance. "Let''s go back to everyone. It''s not nice to make women worry about us." "Perry doesn''t care about what happens to me. She would only be happier if something befell me." "Don''t mind her. It just takes time for her to warm up to people. If you stick around, you''ll become best friends in moments!" he said, doubting his own words. The kid didn''t seem to believe them either but didn''t argue. He stepped away from the tree and came to sit next to him. At the same time cracking sounds reached their ears and before either one could stand up or react for that matter, they started to fall. Five, ten, fifteen seconds of free falling was a pretty scary thing and Nein managed to see at least half of his life pass through. The rest was reserved to come up with words for last breath important information sharing. He couldn''t go out without leaving anything behind. Bumpt! Once and twice before hitting hard stone floor. Nein massaged his hurt bottom before turning around to see how he was still alive with his meagre health pool. A giant mushroom after which he could stand at full height grew right under the hole they dropped from. On its cap they had bounced and broken the fall. "Kid? Are your here? Did you get hurt?" he asked looking around but the shower of light revealing the mushroom didn¡¯t extend into the cave they were in. It was pitch black. "I have a name and it''s Ace" the kid said standing up from one of the shadows. A small wavering flame escaped from under the cloak and made his face look ghostly white with its bluish light. "Flare? Do you seriously just used that spell? It''s useless!" Nein said coming closer and shaking his head lightly. "I did" Ace said in defiance. "And what are you going to do about it?" The mage laughed. "Nothing. I just wanted you to know that it''s a waste of mana." "I''m aware of the spells characteristics" Ace said dismissively and turned to go explore the cave. "Hey! It''s not the time to play adventurers. We must go back to the group!" "If you know how to fly, sure" Ace said crossing arms over his chest and looking with mockery in his eyes. It was clearly seen from the small light positioned in a way to strengthen the effect. Nein wondered whether it was made purposefully or just happened randomly. It was hard to say. "Dammit" Nein cursed looking at the hole high up in the air. "I don''t specialize in that kind of thing." Ace''s hands fell from surprise. "You mean you''re high enough level?" "Plus minus a few. I don''t remember the exact number required but I have increased statuses so probably if I was a wind mage or had many general skills..." "Woah..." Ace said extending the last notes. He never expected his hunters to actually be high levelled and this guy didn''t even put any significance into it. Who exactly was he? "It seems you''re right. We must find another way out" Nein said in a friendly tone and turned to go. "Can you light the way? I don''t have any skill for that." Ace nodded and directed [Flare] ahead. He had many new things to consider and preferred some quietness. There will be time to figure out what the guy''s profession was later on. Now he had to change his whole belief about the hunters. Previously he had thought that they were only stupid kids full of thoughts of revenge but what he saw didn''t match it at all. Perry might have been a little too straightforward and quick to reveal all her cards but she was hard working and never giving up. The female cleric didn''t seem to be mad either even if she called him a monster. She just helped one who needed it and looked at him with disapproving eyes, asking to think about his actions. This guy was very loyal, always having his master''s best interests in his mind even if the master herself didn''t know it. Not to forget that he was a high levelled mage. It was a truly terrifying bunch. He wasn''t sure he wanted to learn about the others too. Drip! Cold water hit Ace''s eye and he grimaced covering it with his hand. It hurt way too much for a drop of water. "Gust" he murmured to prevent it from happening again. "Hmm?" Nein asked turning around to glance at him. Ace quickly lowered his hand. "Nothing just remembered an old song we learnt in school." "Can you sing it for me? It''s very boring here just walking like that" Nein asked with a smile. Ace hesitated for a moment before choosing his favourite childhood song. His parents always sang it for him before sleep. "I can try" "London Bridge is falling down, Falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down, My fair lady. Build it up with wood and clay, Wood and clay, wood and clay, Build it up with wood and clay, My fair lady. Wood and clay will wash away, Wash away, wash away, Wood and clay will wash away, My fair lady..." He sang remembering his mother bowing over him to make sure he was warm enough, father coming to kiss him goodnight. Build it up with silver and gold, Silver and gold, silver and gold, Build it up with silver and gold, My fair lady. Silver and gold will be stolen away, Stolen away, stolen away, Silver and gold will be stolen away, My fair lady. He wondered where they were at the moment and whether they were happy. It was so long since the last time he''d seen them although he wasn''t sure he wanted to have a meeting. Since long ago their relationship had strained and now no longer anyone knows how to act. It would be better for everyone if they never met again. Set a man to watch all night, Watch all night, watch all night, Set a man to watch all night, My fair lady. Suppose the man should fall asleep, Fall asleep, fall asleep. Suppose the man should fall asleep? My fair lady. Give him a pipe to smoke all night, Smoke all night, smoke all night, Give him a pipe to smoke all night My fair lady. He finished closing his eyes. Somewhere deep down he wished to hear someone else''s voice beside his but the song had ended and no one had joined him. His childish voice echoed alone in the cavern, the last notes flowing around not ready yet to fade into oblivion. "You have a nice voice. Have you ever thought about becoming a singer?" Nein asked glancing back at him. Ace shook his head. There was no future ahead of him so there was no point in dreaming. He gave up on it before even starting to have realistic dreams. ''What a sob story. Are you done?'' he asked himself angrily and caught up to Nein. The walls of the cave were uneven and slimy. Dark freezing water ran down its walls and dropped from ceiling on Nein''s head, Ace had already made sure not to get hit again. Noticing Ace''s dark mood, Nein changed the direction of his questions. He wanted to learn more about the kid, but he didn''t want to push too hard and scare him away. He needed to make him trust him and maybe even start to rely on him. Lonely children tended to look for older people to look up to even if they tried to deny it. "Hm... So have you sung that song often in your class?" "Not even once. I learnt it myself" ''by listening to parents singing it.'' ''So is he from England or not?'' Nein wondered. "Do you know how the game is played by it?" "A game? I never... Well, the melody is catchy. It shouldn''t be surprising that someone thought up a game for it" Ace said, taking quick steps. He was slowly getting into a leading position. "Why did you start to hurry all of a sudden? I thought you didn''t want to return?" ''Is there anything he doesn''t notice?'' "It''s not that. I''m just tired of these boring walls. And there''s not even a single enemy here!" Ace said in a whiny voice, pretending to actually care about where he was walking. "You''re such a child" Nein laughed and caught up to him so they walked at the same speed. "Myself I''m pretty happy we''re not facing any enemies. It would be troublesome without a healer if we had to get through some monster encampment." ''And you would see my spells. Although, you''re a child, there''s a big chance you''re a cold-blooded killer too.'' Ace moved his head slightly to sides as if unsure but didn''t continue to talk. Somewhere up ahead a small light appeared. It was bright and steady. As they came closer a door could be seen over which a lamp was lit. The surprising thing was that it was that the door was set into stone without any kind of man-made attachments. ''Could that mean that someone actually lives here?'' Ace wondered coming closer. He carefully looked around for traps but bare walls didn''t seem to contain anything. "Careful kid, there are probably some traps here!" Nein said, grabbing him by the shoulder. "And what are we supposed to do if there are? It''s not like you can disable them, can you?" Ace asked, raising an eyebrow. ''Dammit, I forgot my act. What''s going on?'' The guy was taken aback by the reply but he could see the truth behind it. It''s not like they could just go back and leave. The only thing they could do was move forward and hope for survival. "Silly me" Nein said with a laugh, scratching the back of his head with an embarrassed smile. But quickly he became serious. "You should let me go first. If I die, at least you''ll know how to evade the trap." "You''re a mage, right?" Ace asked as if not hearing a thing. "Well, yes... Why..." "Then it''s decided, I''ll go first. I have at least a few points in dexterity." "Really? What is your class?" Nein asked, grabbing the opportunity to find out more about the kid but Ace didn''t feel like sharing information. "I used a dagger to attack the man." ''Yeah, but that could be only a cover to hide your true profession and you wouldn''t be the first one to do it. Even I''m using it to an extent. Although, would you really just go in first if you were anything else but a rogue? You don''t seem like a good Samaritan who would risk himself for the sake of others, me this time.'' Nein asked questions in his head but he kept them to himself. It was easy to see that the kid isn''t one for revealing things about himself. ''But just wait child. I''ll find every single dirty secret of yours!'' he vowed. "Wait, that''s not the point! I''m an adult! I must be the one to lead the way even if it costs me my life!" Ace turned around and smiled brightly, tilting his head lightly. "Don''t worry! I''ll be fine. It''s only ten steps to the door." ''And I''ve already made sure that there are no traps there'' While Nein stared stunned Ace skipped forward with careless steps. Too careless. Right from under his feet a blade shot forward trying to skewer him. Ace managed to twist to the side at the last second but that released arrows hidden in the wall. They were aimed at people''s chest but because of his height they were aiming at his head and he couldn''t jump his own height. With a curse and a prayer he fell flat on the ground. Five places moved under him. ''Dammit.'' Without a second thought he rolled to the side, clicking another set of traps and used [Shadow Dash] to get away but because of the rushed action he appeared in the place where he had been a second ago and green fumes were rolling around there. He was unable to get the single breath he had taken in out and a message appeared on the corner of his eyes. *You''ve been poisoned! You''ll continue to loose health until you drink an antidote or die* But that wasn''t the end of his troubles. From somewhere a spark appeared and lighted the fumes, Ace tried his best to get away but the explosion caught him none the less and blasted him into the other wall. *Cough* There was blood on his hand with which he had covered his mouth and a swinging axe was coming his way. He fell to the side, the axe only brushing his legs. And the poison kept taking his hit points. Darts flew his way but he was too low for them to hit him. Ace was about to take a breath to calm his beating heart when he took notice of a wall before him moving. Where a moment ago arrows were being released along with green fumes a large hole was opening. That didn''t bode well but Ace didn''t really feel like moving. Each step only set a bunch of traps on him. From the corner of his eye he noticed Nein looking desperate and probably shouting something but at the moment he was in a survival mode. He''ll ask what the guy wanted when he had made it through this. A huge round rock showed its nose out rolling at full speed and Ace didn''t wait for another moment before getting away from his spot. Other traps he might be able to deal with but there''s no way he could stop that thing from moving and not squishing him like a bug. He stepped to the left side and two fires from the remaining wall shot out scorching his feet as he jumped to evade them. He grabbed to take hold of the ceiling but it was too wet and slimy to hold it and he fell down. Although, he did manage to trigger some more traps. It seemed like they were everywhere. He fell right through the fire and onto another set of traps. His health got below half in seconds. The triggered trap opened up a wide hole filled with spikes. At the last second Ace managed to use [Shadow Dash] but the ground beneath him was moving, opening up and the awkward footing messed up his balance and even made him twist his ankle. The jump took him almost to the other side of the spike hole but it lacked a few centimetres and he only grabbed the edge with his hands, his legs dangling by the points of very sharp spikes. ''If there was only something I could hold onto well and drag myself up...'' "They who hate the touch of mankind rise and bind them for forever, Wild Vines!" Ace chanted directing it upwards. It was a spell to stop your opponent¡¯s movements, but if he made them grow from the ceiling, maybe they could be used as a rope too? There was water at the top and probably dirt too as this was an underground cave. If only they could hurry up! His strength was receding quickly and the hold was so bad. Finding no living beings to bind the vines fell down lifelessly and that was exactly what Ace hoped for, now if only they could hold him. Noting his hands losing hold, he took a breath and putting his feet against the wall to help out too jumped on the vine. He grasped it like the dearest thing ever and held for a moment shaking all over. It was holding somehow. But he couldn''t press his luck. He needed to get out. Using his tired limbs he dragged himself up and almost to the ceiling. From there he jumped to the edge he didn''t fully reach last time. This time he made it but his left leg didn''t hold and he fell down, almost sliding back down into the spike hole. He lay there breathing heavily and unable to move. His health was below ten percent and he didn''t even have a required antidote. This place was extremely high levelled if he couldn''t even sense the traps and his instincts were late to react. It was only a stroke of luck that he had made it through somehow. And it meant that even if he had had time he couldn''t make an antidote. Unlike real alchemists he didn''t spend his every waking hour on creating potions so his skill in alchemy was not even up to his level, not even talking about making anything even higher than that. Feeling like just lying there and dying he started to drag himself forward. Few steps ahead the door stood. He reached it and like a hero who had finished his quest but had met his bitter ending sat against it. His head lolled down and his vision started to blur but he smiled. No matter what, he had succeeded; having to die was only an unwanted side effect with which he could deal if he really tried. Three percent of health remained. He still had a few minutes. Or maybe not. It wasn''t only poisoning killing him. The damage he received from fire opened imagined wounds from which he was supposedly bleeding. The game was made in a way that without healer''s help or healing potions one wouldn''t be able to survive after having less than ten percent of health. Now that he thought about it, wasn''t it called internal bleeding? That''s why you could die even if there were no open wounds you could see with naked eye. Freezing cold liquid entered his mouth and ran down the throat, chill passing through the whole body His sight cleared up and energy filled him once again. But there was something wrong with it. Even though he felt like he was ready to face anything again, there was no way to move. It was as if he was no longer the boss of his own body. "Sorry about this but I had no other idea how to help you" Nein said with a sheepish smile. Somehow Ace was looking straight at him even though he hadn''t moved his head; it had done so on its own accord. "I see the question in your eyes so let me explain it in short. I like experimenting with alchemy and this is my best creation so far. It is an elixir that takes full control of a person''s body, making it like that of a doll. That is why you''re unable to move without my order but your death has been postponed. I hope you don''t mind it too much." The glare in Ace''s eyes could melt Antarctica. Twice. Next Chapter 3.7 No Strings Attached Previous Chapter Author''s Note: So here it is. Somehow I still managed to release it this week even if by a hair''s breath :D Nothing much to say just that I hope you like the dungeon. I recently noticed that there have been MANY chapters of this story written by me and through all of them Ace had entered only a single dungeon. Someone might even get the feeling they are rarities in this game :p So to remedy the situation in the last chapter and here I tried my best to explore one. Of course, it''s not how it''s suppose to be because it''s written by me but I hope you like it none the less. And about the dungeon having no table about them being the first to enter, well, I think it was already answered in this chapter, but just to explain why I had said I would change it and didn''t. It''s pretty simple really. Xion''s reply made me think of what if they weren''t the first one''s to find it and I decided to combine the ending of this volume with the dungeon exploration **** Heat. Inferno burning with the fires of hell. Scorching flames of anger blazing inside the veins. Crimson coloured eyes glaring at an unfortunate soul who dared to challenge the devil. Stupidity beyond belief. Hard to say whose. "Now now, I know you wish for my death, but does it have to be so violent?" Nein asked with a laugh, his eyes shining with mirth. Ace tried to take a deep breath but he couldn''t even do that. His body was no longer his; he was only a guest in it. Even moving eyeballs was beyond him. If his head was raised his eyes opened, but if he was laid down they closed up. And he couldn''t do a damn thing to change that. "Hey, if not me, you would be dead by now! Be more appreciative of my sacrifice! I had to jump over that pit full of spikes in a rush to save you and I''m no rogue like you!" he said, not losing his smile. ''What is he so happy about?'' Ace wondered in a back of his mind. ''And I''m no rogue! I''m a mage kid and assassin monster! Can you hear me! There is no word rogue there!'' "But really what class are you? I saw you using a dagger, showing awe inspiring trap dodging skills and casting a spell. That last thing just doesn''t fit with the rest at all. Would you mind helping me out on this?" Nein asked, looking Ace straight in the eyes. "Weren''t you blue eyed? I could have sworn you were!" he said in surprise. ''His observation and analytic skills are as good as I thought. He never misses a thing even if it''s an insignificant action in the middle of a life and death situation. Luckily, there are no way for him to see my emotions in this state and how his words resonate with me.'' "Truly were your eyes deep red on the verge of becoming purple?" ''Of course, not! Are you blind? Wait, that would give me away! So yes they were blue, you''re just seeing wrong now.'' Ace tried to calm his frustration and anger to regain the balance as that was the main meaning of blue. He only needed a bit more of logical thinking before his eyes would turn dark blue. "You know you don''t have to stay so silent... I would feel better if you said at least something" Nein said, scratching his forehead. Ace''s eyes darkened. That blue was miles away. "Oh could it be that you haven''t noticed? You can leave the body as a spirit! I will be able to see your emotions that way at least. It''s kind of eerie to be talking and see only a blank stare directed at myself all the time." ''Leave my body?'' Ace asked taking a step back and to his surprise he was out of his own body. ''Does that mean that I was always moving and he could see parts of me getting out? How much did he find out from that?'' "So you really didn''t know? I''m sorry. I didn''t take into account that maybe you''re not the solo guy like me who''d rather die than ask for anyone''s help in finding something out." ''If that was true why would you be with Perry''s group? You''re lying now, but why?'' "Now that we understood each other, I think we should start moving. We still need to get out of here and I think you''re eager to get your character back. Don''t worry once we meet a sufficient cleric, I''ll turn you back into a human." Ace nodded as if agreeing to it and looked at himself. He was see through but there was colour to him - orange and red mixed with green. ''What could it possibly mean?'' He tried to move and this time he could do whatever he wanted. To find out more about his new state he tried to walk through the door. Like a ghost he passed it and appeared on the other side. The place was exactly the same. Even the water seemed to drop from the ceiling on the same intervals. ''So this is what I so desperately tried to reach?'' A bitter laugh escaped his mouth but no sound could be heard. He tried talking then. Lips moved, but nothing came out and there were no reflection of him in a small hole of water collected on the ground. He walked further ahead, exploring his surroundings but nothing interesting ever turned up until another door came into view. There were nothing to suggest another set of traps but Ace didn''t trust it this time. Last place seemed safe too and look where it got him. It will be interesting to see how Nein planned to cross this by himself. That made him turn around and walk back. He didn''t want to miss any of the fun when Nein tried to cross traps and such. It would also provide much information about who the guy truly was and what he could do. The doors set in stone were still closed. ''Did he not even take a step while I was away?'' He passed through and saw the guy sitting against the wall with his head down. As if he had made some sound, Nein raised his head. "You''re back! Where did you go for so long?" Ace tilted his head sideways. "You took the light away with you! How was I supposed to do anything?" ''I took the light away?'' Ace looked around and saw [Flare] hanging slightly over his head. ''So that''s why I could see everything when I went there. But why is it following me and not my body?'' He pointed at Nein and then the small flame and then back at the guy. "Hm? Are you asking me why I didn''t call it out myself?" Ace nodded. "It''s easier to just show it. Flare!" A wavering flame appeared from out of nowhere before Nein. It was the size of a human eye and lighted no more than few centimetres around itself. ''Was mine like that too once? When did it change so much?'' "I have no idea what you did with yours but it''s way beyond what I have seen before. I don''t dare to think of what would have happened to a real spell if you had been as dedicated to raising it as you were with this one." Ace shook his head and turned around pointing to the door. It wasn''t fun to argue when he couldn''t utter a word or even express his opinion. "Okay okay! I get it. I''ll get moving, you want to return back to normal after all." Ace nodded as if that was most important to him now and waited for Nein to open the door. He was waiting eagerly for the trap time. "It''s locked!" Nein said in surprise. He hadn''t expected that. Now how was he supposed to learn more if there was no way to go neither back nor forth? He had many tricks up his sleeve but being able to pass through walls wasn''t one of them. The kid started to move and Nein returned his attention back to him. Usually those he made into puppets were terrified, quickly logged off and if younger started to cry but this child was only angry like a few criminals he used once. Yet even that passed quickly. Maybe it was especially because of his youth? Instead of having fear he was full of adventurous spirit and wanted to learn more about being a spirit... But wasn''t he smarter than that? And that spell was a mystery too. Why did it follow his spirit instead of the body? It was illogical. No one could see spirits besides a few certain people and not even spells could touch them. Hand waved before his eyes and he shook his head to clear his mind. "Sorry. I''ve just been thinking how stuck we are here. It''s pretty hopeless." Ace rolled his eyes and started to write letters in the air. One as column, another as a stick with a belly on the left side and one more a straight line down. "I... d... i..." Ace widened his eyes in disbelief before finishing with a doughnut and a cross. "O... t... Hmm... I.d.i.o.t. Idiot! Wait what? Why would you say something like that!" Nein shouted in sadness. ''Because you don''t listen to me at all!'' Ace made sure that Nein was watching him this time and came close to the door. Then he pretended to do something around the lock and with a big smile opened imaginary doors. After that he pointed to his body and the door as if saying now you do that. "You mean you have lock picking skill and tools?" Nein asked surprised. Ace raised one finger. "Level one?" He nodded. "But that''s almost nothing..." He said that but none the less ordered the puppet to approach the door and start picking the lock. "Open the door". The body moved swiftly and took out the required tools. ''So he can use things in my inventory on its own accord? But it looks like Nein can''t just look inside himself.'' Hours passed and the puppet was still at work yet he showed no signs of tiredness. Nein on the other hand did. A few drops of sweat ran down his forehead but he pretended like nothing happened so Ace did that too. It was useful information in itself without any explanations. Nein glanced at him so Ace decided to check something. He waved his hands showing the whole dungeon and then raised his fingers, one, seven and two. The guy stared at him for a moment before shaking his head in quick motions. "Can you repeat it?" Ace did, this time showing different fingers. "This place?" A nod. "One, six, five?" Another one and a questioning look towards the door. "This place, numbers and a door. What could you be thinking?" ''He''s clearly tired. Otherwise he would have picked up on it by now. So this puppet controlling actually takes a lot of energy even if the doll is doing almost nothing. Or is it because of the skill being used?'' He pointed at his body and raised one finger, then made an oval with two and showed five. After that he pointed at the wall with another questioning look. "Oh you''re asking what level this place is?" Ace sighed ''Finally.'' "Well, I don''t know.¡± Ace face palmed and dragged the hand down slowly with murderous intent in his eyes. They were asking whether he was really that stupid or just pretended. Nein yawned and dragged his attention back to the kid who was making fun of him now. What a spoiled brat. Didn''t he know that tired people aren''t up for quick wit games? ''You''re the one that''s hiding that from him!'' his conscience tried to say but he shut it up. That wasn¡¯t his problem. And what was that the kid wanted of him now. He was pointing at the walls again and showing random numbers. Another yawn, this one wide enough to swallow a hippo. ''So sleepy but I need to act as if I''m fine. I can''t show just how much it actually drains me to keep the doll active.'' Ace tried to get the answer again but Nein seemed lost in his own thoughts and no longer paid any attention to him. ''Is he tired enough to not be thinking properly any more or is he just faking it? How am I to know whether he really suspects me of being Silver Wing or is just doing it out of duty to check every suspect?'' Plagued by these questions he decided to give himself more time to think. He got in Nein''s face and kept on making gross things until he finally saw him. His eyes widened as he saw Ace eating his own hand. "What are you doing?" he asked in a shout, all his other thoughts scattering away. The kid smiled brightly and fell to the ground pretending to be asleep. Then he quickly jumped up and pointed to him and the ground. It was obvious what he wanted to say. "I can''t. There''s still a long time till your character will be able to open the door. But I appreciate the thought" he said, surprised that the kid had noticed his exhaustion. There was annoyance on the child''s face and a mischievous fire lit up in his eyes. ''What could he do now?'' Nein asked himself running through his mind all the possibilities. There wasn''t much a spirit could do besides staying in his face. Darkness. That was the genius idea. And it worked. The puppet couldn''t work by himself without light yet even if Nein took manual control of it he didn''t know even the basics of lock picking. ''How did he manage to become the boss of the situation while being in a most powerless state in the whole game? I just don''t get it...'' With a tired sigh he sat down where he stood. It''s not like there was a difference where he laid down. "You can come back now, you win" he said yawning again. There was distrust on the kid''s face as he walked back through the wall but seeing him on the ground and the puppet fallen next to the door, he smiled and came to sit next to him. "Why are you forcing me to rest now? I thought you wanted to hurry ahead." The child nodded and stood up to act something out. He walked slowly as if dragging himself forward. But then his legs stumbled upon each other and he rolled forward landing on his back, pure terror appearing on his face as he looked up and light died down in his eyes. There was no movement for a moment before the kid jumped up and pointed at him. "That''s what will happen to me?" He nodded and pretended to go to sleep again. "But I''m really not that tired..." The kid glared at him and walked to leave again. "Wait, wait! I''m going to do as you say. There''s no need to leave!" The kid tilted his head, thinking if to trust his word. "Don''t worry, you can leave any time you want if you see me trying to work." He was used to being alone but sleeping in a dangerous cave... That was one of the more stupid actions a player could do in a game. More than half of those who did, found themselves locked away in real life for a couple of hours. Yet he was given no choice so it was better if the kid stood guard. He might be a spirit only but he clearly had the ability to think of a way to make himself known. ''Are you scared of the dark?'' Ace asked him with a laugh and settled down. It was really annoying that he couldn''t read or do something of a kind. Now he was only wasting time here. If only the guy could fall asleep faster. Nein took out a blanket and used it to soften the ground under him. He had only one as some inns had bad accommodations and he used it to warm himself up. Sleeping outside wasn''t his favourite past time. The question what he was doing here was at the front of his mind, preventing him from actually falling asleep. Ace crawled before him and noticing the furrowed eyebrows knew that something was wrong. He clenched his teeth and faked another smile. What could he do to get the guy¡¯s mind back from where it was stuck? A sudden thought struck him, now if the guy just grasped it. He tried to talk and Nein raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing? You know I can''t hear you..." Ace nodded quickly and started to sway as if hearing some melody. Nein looked at him for a few long moments before his mind came to a conclusion. "Are your trying to sing me that song as a lullaby?" His reward was a wide smile coming to bloom on the kid''s face. He looked really cute like that. "London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down..." he murmured the words under his breath and watched the kid. There was something in the simple repeating movements of his that calmed his mind down and he could almost hear the kid''s soft voice singing the lyrics. It wasn''t a lullaby but if one slowed down the music and... Ace watched Nein following his movements with his eyes and becoming sleepier. His eyes grew heavier and soon enough they closed for the last time that day/night whatever it was at the moment. Ace had no idea how long they had spent there and didn''t really care. He had forever in his hands. He left the room and waited some time before returning and making sure that Nein was really asleep and not only pretending. There was no movement so he went out again. This time he planned to scout way more ahead and see what was at the end of the tunnel. Also if there were other life forms or only traps. It was unusual that in a dungeon they haven''t met anyone for so long. There was something at work here and he planned to find it. There was still a long time before Nein would be waking up. He walked on and through many doors. It was going to be hell for Nein to reach the end for sure. After four or so the path branched off into three different ones. He chose left and continued forward. It was eerily quiet there. Even the sounds of dropping water were absent. Now that he took notice of it the cave seemed dryer and well maintained, if he could say it. Could it be that humans lived here? Up ahead another set of doors stood but they were different from the previous ones. These were clearly human made from iron and with supports against the walls. There was nothing unnatural to them like to previous ones. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. He walked past and saw one more door and one more. Every five steps or so there was a different set of doors blocking the path and he had a feeling it wasn''t only them. He returned to the first ones and started to count. One... Two... Three.. Four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. ''Not bad. I don''t envy the guy who was forced to do all this. It''s a masterpiece of the highest quality.¡¯ Behind the last ones he saw a group of humans sitting next to a fire and playing cards. One of them raised their head for some reason and looked straight at him. Ace was about to run back but the eyes of the guy passed through him and stopped at [Flare]. "What is that fire doing here?" "What fire?" another asked. "That blue one" the first said, pointing at the floating flame. Now others noticed it too and rose to see what it was. One tried to touch it but his hand passed right through it and it seemed like he didn''t even feel the heat. "What the hell?" he asked in surprise. Ace watched it with interest too. Last time he checked [Flare] wasn''t incorporeal and released a small but existent amount of heat. "Do you think we should call the boss?" "For something so trivial? Nah..." "But what if it''s some sign? I don''t want to be the one to say that we knew that something was wrong and didn''t tell him that." "You''ve got a point" another said circling the flame and passing right through Ace. ''It feels like I don''t even exist...'' he murmured to himself and decided to leave. He shouldn''t arise too much suspicion or they might decide to investigate the dungeon and will find Nein. And he needed that guy alive to return to being real. It was fun walking through walls but that''s it. Being alive brought much more joy than that. He went all the way back and this time chose the middle path. It went down and branched off quite often but most of the paths lead only to dead ends. It was boring without enemies or traps to create some action so he started to experiment on what he could do. From what he had seen already nobody could hear or see him. Nein was an exception as he could see. Maybe it had something to do with him being the puppeteer? There was a ghost quality to his body that allowed him to pass through walls but nothing else of the sort. Or was there? He tried to jump up but there was no power behind his muscles! It was like trying to use a mountain of feathers as a support to lift you up! They just scattered around and nothing happened! ''What if I''m doing it wrong? I never saw a ghost jumping into air; they all just started to float... Hmm...'' He closed his eyes and imagined himself rising from the ground in slow motion. Little by little he reached the ceiling and stopped there. And opened his eyes. To his utter surprise he was actually flying. He tried to move, turn around, roll over the head and even do some air swimming. Everything was done just as he imagined without him having to even lift a finger. ''So this form is made more to play around than go for realism? What else can I do?'' He imagined himself moving twice as fast and it happened, his flying speed increased so that soon enough he was passing through stone. Stopping and turning around he returned to finish his exploration in the centre path. There were only dead ends, no matter which side he chose. He had an idea that this whole path was only a big death trap but just to make sure he went everywhere and even tried to pass through walls in case there were hidden rooms. None existed. Then he chose the right path and tried to control [Flare] as he walked into another dead end. It listened to his mind''s commands as if hearing them. It even used Burst. That made him feel a bit better about his situation. Now he had a real way to influence what was going to happen. Well, if it was going to happen. It would be really anticlimactic if after all his work finding out about the right path, Nein would just go and die at the first trap. He had to return and make sure that didn''t happen. There was no way to tell how long he was exploring while being underground. What if many hours had passed and Nein has been waiting for him? That would be disastrous! He rushed forth with all his might. Only when he stood next to the sleeping Nein did a question arise in his mind, why would it be disastrous? It wasn''t like Nein could take a step without him even if he woke up. ''So why did I run here as if the whole hell was chasing me?'' Angrily he tried to hit the wall but his fist passed right through it. ''What is going on? My acting is slipping; I do things without thinking and even almost revealed my alter ego! Dammit! What am I doing?'' He cursed and tried to pull out his hair but he couldn''t grasp them. He was incorporeal even to himself. ''Bastards'' he hissed and fell to the ground. ''And I don''t even have my flute here!'' He punched the ground in a desperate attempt to feel the pain of it but it was in vain. There was nothing in the world that could touch him now. He chuckled. And full blown laughed with his head falling back. It was just too hilarious. Sometime later he fell asleep. Nein didn''t move and looked asleep too but a spell of his was active [Third Eye]. It allowed him to see things up to a mile away as if he was standing there but he had never expected to use it to spy on a kid who was standing just a meter away from him. What he saw shocked him to the core of his being. The kid believed his lie and left after deciding that he had fallen asleep and for a long time. So long that he had actually fallen asleep and even woken up again. He had lain still and sometime later the kid showed up in a hurry. There was fear on his face which soon turned into surprise. He looked around as if not believing what he was seeing. And then he started to cackle madly. Nein had no idea what it was truly about but he could see waves of self-disgust leaving the kid''s body. It convulsed from the laughter and hatred. It took all Nein had not to rush over and comfort the child. He had prided himself in being a cold hearted person but now he knew it was only because he had never seen anyone truly lost and heart-broken. ''What happened to him?'' But he couldn''t ask that. He was here only to find Silver Wing. Nothing more, nothing less. Saving broken children allowed inside the game wasn''t part of it. Not even close to it. He was already lying and bringing more misery to the child''s life and he would continue doing that until he learnt what he needed. Even force was allowed if that brought results. It was only a game. Nein rose, not able to stay still any longer, and came closer to the sleeping form. He crouched down and brushed the kid''s hair or imagined doing so as he was a ghost. "So innocent looking..." he murmured laughing at himself. Wasn''t that word created to describe sleeping children? And he had to destroy it. "Take care of the lock" he said quietly to the puppet and took out an array of bottles before himself. All of them contained different liquids but they had one thing in common - they were all deadly poisons. He picked some and started to mix. It had been a long while since he used books to tell him what to do. They didn''t contain anything of interest to him so he abandoned the idea to be taught by past''s greatest minds and decided to carve his own path. He experimented often with everything ranging from poisons to holy water. As long as it could be put into an elixir he did it. And tried everything on himself. This time he didn''t have the time to try anything new so he would have to come up with some buffs to strengthen the puppet''s body and make him indestructible for the moment. With this idea in mind he started to work even more quickly. His vast knowledge of herbs and potions'' characteristics allowed him to do it in a fast and efficient way. In half an hour he was done and knew that the puppet was almost finished too. So he poured the potions inside its mouth and told to be done with it. The kid should be happy because his lock picking will be many levels higher when he returns to his body. Now he only needed to wait for the kid to wake up. It would be nice to get ahead while he was asleep but he really didn''t have any way to light the cave. He was so stupid to think he''d never come to need it. One of the first things to do when he leaves this dungeon will be getting some spell to light the surroundings. [Fire Globe] or something of the like. He returned back to the kid''s side and took out a book about unsolved mysteries. It helped him to rise intelligence and sometimes even pointed to the direction of extra rare spells or items. Dungeons too but he preferred to sell that information instead of acting on it himself. *... is fire. It burns without fuel yet never runs out. It takes power from no wizard or artefact of power. It is an eternal source coming from itself. The only example is said to be in Gerdiusb Kingdom''s hidden vault but there are people who call it only a myth because in the last few ages no one was allowed in to see it. What I was interested was that it actually...* A see-through hand blocked the page and Nein raised his head. A kid had woken up and was pointing at the puppet who was sitting calmly next to an open door with a wide smile. Nein matched it and rose. "That''s amazing! He actually did it!" he said in a surprised tone. Ace took that as an insult but just smiled and nodded as if proud of his work. "Oh and you learnt to fly?" Ace looked at himself and saw that he was a feet above ground and it was too late to pretend that nothing happened so he just smiled brighter and nodded eagerly. Then he went to show off his new flying skills acting as a Peter Pan. "Not bad" Nein laughed. "What else can you do?" ''Is he trying to get information from me or is just curious?'' Ace wondered shrugging and floating beside Nein''s head on his back. "Are you trying to make me jealous?" Nein asked with a chuckle putting his book back in the bag. Ace showed him his tongue and flew towards the puppet, motioning for him to follow. "Okay, okay! I''m coming! Let''s explore this dungeon together." They passed through the doors and Nein felt quite disappointed. He had expected to see at least some change in the scenery but he was met only by the same damp and dark walls. "What a let-down..." he murmured and saw Ace look down as if it was his fault. Had he been so sad previously because of this? But it''s not like he could do anything about it! "Is it like this further on too?" Ace nodded. He was doing a lot of that lately. But it wasn''t like he had many other ways to express himself when words were unavailable. The path twisted and moved like a snake but didn''t change at all. "And you can''t even sing now to brighten the mood." Ting! A new message has arrived! Ace tried to click on the window that had appeared before his eyes but his fingers didn''t touch the surface. They passed through it just like anything else. He jumped in front of Nein to get his attention. "What is it?" he asked. Ace pointed at himself, put a hand at his ear and pretended to talk. "Phone talk?" Ace drew an envelope. "A message?" Ace nodded. "So?" He tried to touch the surface again and emphasized the fact that nothing stopped his finger. "You can''t touch it?" Ace shook his head with sadness. "And what do you expect me to do about it?" Ace rolled his eyes and pointed at the puppet. "Use him to allow you to see it?" Ace jumped towards the puppet and inside his own body. "Open the newly received message." *Hey, Ace! I''m finally back! Where are you now? I''m leaving the hut and meeting up with Monthu! That was a thing that had to be done for me to return. I hope you don''t mind... I''m really sorry. I know we promised to travel together but my brother is everything to me. It is not right to leave him behind... Please can we still be friends?* Ace was so shocked he took a step back and out of his body. Why was Par coming back? He was supposed to follow everyone else and leave him alone! He wasn''t allowed to twist the rules and return with his brother in tow! "Is something wrong, kid? You look as if you''ve seen a ghost." ''Worse'' Ace murmured. He clenched his fists and tried to control his anger. ''It is going to be all right. You''ll pull through no matter what. But he shouldn''t have returned!'' Angrily he walked forward. Nein had no idea what was happening so he decided to just follow. Dark blue flames lightened under their feet in an intricate design and Nein knew something bad was going to happen. Magical circles didn¡¯t appear randomly. He had walked straight into a trap. To get a plus for bravery he tried to get out but was stopped by columns of fire until the spell charged itself and he was transported together with the puppet and the spirit kid to another part of the dungeon. He knew they were still inside it as he was surrounded by the same damp walls. To the capturers¡¯ credit, he could say they had tried to soften it down with the hearth but without wood it was pretty damn useless. Or was it made to make fun of the victims? That could also be the case. Three people appeared before him having malicious smiles directed at the kid. They had shining armour with some insignia drawn on them that he was sure he had seen somewhere before, but where could it have been? ¡°So we meet again, young liar! What a coincidence!¡± Nein looked at the spirit instead of the motionless puppet but there was no emotion on the kid¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t tell whether the kid knew those people or not. ¡°And who might you be?¡± he asked them. There was no point in waiting for the puppet to answer. It wasn¡¯t going to happen. ¡°You shut up. I¡¯m talking with this bastard at the moment.¡± the leader of them growled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say that but if you wanted to have an intellectual conversation with him, you¡¯re a bit too late.¡± ¡°And why so? Do you want the same treatment as he will get? I had planned to give you a swift painless death but if you¡¯re asking for it¡­¡± ¡®What has the kid done to them? Why would they even think about torturing him?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m a puppeteer and I needed a good doll. This specimen showed up in my sight and I took the chance. It was a smart move by me¡± Nein said with an all-knowing smile. ¡°What do you mean? Does it have to do something with him being so quiet?¡± ¡°You could say so. I¡¯ve taken his free will away and control his actions. All he can do is watch and be able to do nothing to stop me. It¡¯s a beautiful world we live in, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­ Such a thing shouldn¡¯t even exist!¡± one of the henchmen shouted out. ¡°Really?¡± Nein asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡±Let¡¯s see what he wouldn¡¯t normally do¡­ Oh! Kid bow before me.¡± The puppet did as told and Nein watched the real kid from the corner of his eyes. He had guessed right and the boy was disgusted. ¡®So it¡¯s good that I made him bow only to me.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s amazing¡­¡± the henchmen said in awe while their leader watched with furrowed eyebrows. Nein didn¡¯t like it at all. ¡°It is of no importance to me what had happened to the kid¡± the boss finally said. ¡°So?¡± Nein asked in a laid back manner while his mind was working over time to think of a way out of this situation. ¡°Both of you will the face the same fate. I promise you, it won¡¯t be pretty¡± he said with a laugh and activated some spell that made his body start to grow fainter. Without thinking it through Nein pushed his hand to the puppet with a scream. ¡°Speed of light!¡± It was a buff that doubled the puppet¡¯s movement and attack speed. The puppet moved faster than the eye could see and used all of its skills to prevent the trio from leaving. Two received many stab wounds while the boss only a single deadly attack that passed through all armour. Everyone watched in surprise as that single attack fell the heavily armoured leader, stopping the spell altogether. The boss laughed heavily. ¡°So once again¡­ I¡¯m to die from your hand... It¡¯s no surprise¡­ you¡¯re the world¡¯s biggest liar¡­ with your innocent looks.... It is only me¡­ who has seen the darkness behind that fake¡­ niceness of yours.... But no worries¡­ I¡¯ll be back in a few days to... to get my revenge on you¡­ It was your falling¡­ to send that light of yours to scout¡­ I knew¡­ I just knew¡­ it¡­ it couldn¡¯t be¡­ be anyone... anyone but you¡­¡± Nein listened to that talk without really caring for it but then one part caught his attention. Send that flame to scout¡­ ¡®So it wasn¡¯t an accident that I got caught? I¡¯ve been had by a child.¡¯ He turned around to pay Ace his respects for tricking him so masterfully but the kid was gone. There wasn¡¯t even a trace of him left in the room. Next Chapter 3.8 Slippery Slope Previous Chapter /Careful men. Don''t make a sound until they''re in place/ Caro wrote his group looking at the two approaching figures. They were walking leisurely as if not having a care in the world. Maybe they didn''t. "Are you sure he''s there? What would he be doing in a place like this.." the older one wondered and the other one answered in an unsure voice. "The arrow is pointing that way" he said indicating the centre of the forest. "And he hasn''t written me back yet. Maybe he''s doing something very important and doesn''t have time but would use a helping hand?" The first one chuckled. "Maybe I shouldn''t be too surprised about his newest playground. A normal person would have never gotten anywhere close to you." The kid laughed but his face quickly became worried. "Do you think he''ll forgive me? He had said that there will be no forgiveness..." "Stop it! We''ve been through this too many times already. He''s either going to do it or not and you''ll know how much he values your friendship. Calm down, okay? I''ll be there with you this time." "Can you talk him into forgiving me in case he doesn''t want to?" the kid asked with shining eyes and Caro felt for the grown up. How was one to answer that without loosing god''s status in a child''s eyes? "Hey, you..." /Boss, shouldn''t we be attacking already?/ Caro focused on the road again and noticed that his victims had almost passed him. ''I almost missed it...'' /Now!/ he wrote and jumped off the tree on the older guy. He felt a bit guilty but orders were orders and he was in a lot of trouble already after the unsuccessful take over of Vascas castle. There was no choice now. He slashed at the guy''s back and poisoned him with sleeping dust. It should take a minute or two for the guy to fall asleep so Caro glanced at the group that had to take care of the kid. At first glance, it was an easy task but after having met a kid that destroyed his whole regiment alone and assassinated an acknowledged guild member, no one wanted to risk with children. All were regarded as a one man army and required a whole group of players to be caught. That had been written down in their guild''s rule book, actually. But to his surprise this kid was nothing of the like. His group looked like monsters of the worst kind abducting a wide eyed boy who was too scared to even move a muscle or utter a spell. And they were binding him in every way possible as if he was the one like that. There was everything wrong with that picture. While he was daydreaming his own victim snapped out of the confusion and kicked him in the stomach. Caro was down for a moment but the guy was already on his subordinates and scattering them around like leaves. "Take care of your own!" someone hissed and Caro rolled his eyes. Someone was too impatient to make the kid look like a mummy while he was already down from sleeping dust. As he expected, it was the loyal dog of the team who licked every foot that was above his head. Caro really hated that kind of people who cared for nothing but raising up the ladder of power. "I''m on it, just get out of my way! Or you want me to unleash it while you''re inside the range?" Everyone scattered around as quickly as they could and dragged the kid after them. Child''s protector looked furious but couldn''t do anything. Caro had taken out his double swords and engaged him in battle. The guy wasn''t slowing down at all so he decided that for some reason sleep dust didn''t work on him. That made clear, he had to catch him the hard way. Well, hard for the guy. Himself he didn''t really mind it. Why should he if it allowed him to use some skills? No one ever fought him inside the guild. "Dash!" he shouted out trying to close in on his opponent but the guy used his scythe like weapon to block his attack and take a step back to keep the distance needed for his weapon to be useful. Caro didn''t plan to have any of that. He used [Dissonance], an ability that made his feet take six steps that humanly wasn''t possible. It allowed him to get close, evade the scythe and get in the guys face before he even had time to react. "Twin bites!" he said pushing the swords in the guy''s sides. The man coughed blood but still tried to hit him so Caro ducked, rolling away. Having left his weapons he took out a long dagger, almost the size of a sword. The man breathed heavily and blood ran down his sides so Caro hurried up to attack before he fell down. He jumped high up in the air with [Sky Reach] and started to fall right on his target who pointed scythe''s blade to skewer him. That didn''t look very nice so Caro used another of his abilities [Air-Dash] which allowed him to stop in mid-air and change his falls direction. With it he easily evaded the pointed scythe and pushed his dagger inside the guy''s back. That fell him on his knees. "Finally" Caro mumbled and bent his hands behind the back to handcuff him. Then he chained the legs too and breathed a sigh of relief. "That was more interesting than I had expected." "Can we come over?" someone from far away asked and Caro raised his head to hear better. "Oh right. I didn''t even use it. Too bad." he said to himself and then called to others. "Yeah, it''s safe. Didn''t even need to activate it." "So we ran away for no reason? You just love to overwork us for no other reason than to entertain yourself. What did we do to deserve you as a leader..." "Calvin shut your trap or I might do that for you!" Caro yelled back at him and sighed. He was taken as the lowest of the low, no one ever respected him but because of his exceptional fighting abilities higher ups had to keep him in a leading position. Otherwise, those who tried to make fun of him and had the authority for it often ended up in the graveyards. "How''s the kid?" "Out cold. Shouldn''t wake up for quite some time." "Good. Now we only have to find a way to get his guard dog quietly along." "Why should we? Just kill him and be done. We were ordered to only bring the kid back!" Calvin said with a twisted smile. "I think I told you to shut it? Or didn''t you hear me the first time?" Caro asked, directing his glare to the offender. "Why should I? You''re nothing but..." ''Newcomers... They always think they''re all so better. I think this one needs to be taught a lesson'' "I''m nothing but what? A rabid dog? A killing machine? Yes, yes, I am all that. So tell me, please, why do you think it''s a good idea to taunt me..? " he asked drawing out his twin blades from the bleeding guy''s sides. "You wouldn''t dare to hit me! I know Gregor!" Calvin shouted out. He pretended to be brave but his voice wavered lightly. "You sure? There''s a rumour circling around that I''m crazy..." Caro said with a smirk. The guy visibly shook. "Yes! You won''t dare!" "Good to know" Caro said with a laugh and dashed towards the guy who doubted him. His twin blades moved in synchrony to slash and stab for largest amount of damage. Before the guy had time to react to what happened, he was being kicked off the game. The surprise on his face made Caro feel like it was worth it. It didn''t last for a long time. He knew he was going to pay dearly for such a thing. "Does anyone else think he should test me?" There was not a sound so he turned to his victim. "Why did sleeping dust not work on you? It would have been so much easier, you know?" The guy didn''t even look his way, his eyes looking through him at something in the forest with a killing intent. Caro glanced that way and saw the kid being dragged like a sack of potatoes. "Drevin. Is that kid too heavy for you to carry or what? Should I do it for you?" The person addressed had a stupefied expression before grabbing the kid by the collar and throwing him over the shoulder. It wasn''t very gentle but at least it was better than being dragged. If Caro didn''t mistake it, gratefulness flashed through the dying guy''s eyes for a moment before anger returned there. It was surprising, actually, that the guy hadn''t uttered a word yet. How did he know it wasn''t going to help at all? "Owen! Heal him so he won''t bleed to death and put a magical bind too. I don''t want him escaping any time soon." "But you want him to do it later on" Owen mumbled coming closer and casting two simple spells. He wasn''t too afraid for his life as he was the only cleric in the group and untouchable for that. "I see no reason why I was told to aid you in such an easy task. It''s an insult to my station." "Keep the complaints to yourself or tell Perin. He''s pulling all the strings at the moment." "Like he''ll listen! All he''s been caring for the last few months is getting revenge. And he''s using us as pawns in this stupid game" Owen said, getting out a bottle of beer. He drank it all in one go. ''Another drunk'' Caro thought rolling his eyes and turned to his victim. "What is your name?" he asked squatting down. "Is that the cue for me to become all friendly and tell all the secrets that I know and not? Sorry, not feeling up to that" the guy answered with a shrug. Caro laughed. "It would be if I needed something from you. Now I''m just tired of thinking of you as that guy or my victim." "Why did you attack us? We didn''t anger anyone recently." "You didn''t, but someone else did. And you''ve had the misfortune of being his acquaintance" Caro said, looking carefully to see whether the guy will show any signs of knowing what was happening. He didn''t even try to hide it; his shoulders slumped down and he raised his eyes to the sky. "I should have known... What did he do now?" he asked. "I''m Monthu by the way." "That''s all? All I had to do to make you talk was mention him? You know, your situation hasn''t changed at all." "It has. Or more like I''m aware of it finally. That kid is playing another game and others are getting dragged in, want they to or not. Nothing new." "You''re talking in riddles... Get up and you can tell your story on the way. There''s still a few hours till the base" Caro said and motioned for his group to start moving. No need to remain here any longer after the job was done. "And what''s in it for me?" Monthu asked standing up. It was a difficult task without using hands but nothing he couldn''t do. "Name''s Caro and the time will pass quicker?" Monthu smiled. "You think I''d sell him out so cheaply?" "Why not? There''s nothing worse than an oppressing silence while you go into an unknown." Monthu thought about it for a moment. There were nine enemies; one of them a cleric and one of overly high level. His brother had been put to sleep and was being carried on some brute''s shoulder. He would challenge that any time of the day for his brother''s sake but he was bound by both iron and magical chains and had only ten percent of his health. It was useless to even think about escaping for the time being so he might as well befriend his keeper. If it required telling all Ace''s secrets, so be it. That kid was the only reason they were in this mess anyway. And it wasn¡¯t like he actually knew anything important. The kid liked to keep his secrets hidden behind twenty locks. "You''re probably right. I should really tell you all I know and have him caught and taken care." "You say you hate him? And for the record who is he? I want to be sure we''re thinking of the same guy" Caro said. He wasn''t sure how to take this Monthu. He seemed like a sensible guy but didn''t he want to sell out his friend way too quickly? "Little boy with golden hair, blue eyes and the most innocent expressions possible. The biggest lie in the universe." "That one" Caro had to agree with a solemn nod. He hadn''t seen the kid on their first meeting but he had plenty of time when he was found near the city walls and was forced on tailing duty. The boy looked so lonely and lost, his eyes pleading for someone to save him but once a threat was sent his way, he changed. The monster that could kill without a second thought and will was back. Shiver ran down his back. He didn''t want to meet him when he was like that at all. "You seem to know him quite well yourself" Monthu said with a raised eyebrow. "Have you been to Vascas castle while it was occupied by goblins?" "I''ve been the one leading the rescue army" Monthu said and it was Caro''s time to raise an eyebrow. "Don''t ask... Let''s just say it wasn''t of my own choosing." "Okay let''s leave it for some other time" Caro laughed. "So I was the guy that lead the goblins. Nice to meet you and congratulations on your victory against me." "Hahaha. So were you the one tricked by his goblin act?" "Did you know about it? I thought he was just running rampant." "He was. He just for some reason felt the need to tell me that he was putting a goblin mask and wasn''t planning to interfere any longer even though he had just infiltrated the enemy base..." Monthu said with a sigh. He remembered what happened then and shook his head. It''s no surprise that Ace went mad if he had to live with that girl. Who was she to him anyway? He had never explained it normally. "Really? It didn''t feel like he was doing nothing..." Caro muttered. Was killing him nothing? "Well, some things happened and he might have lost himself. As a kid he doesn''t really know what controlling one''s emotions is about." "Tell me about it... One moment I have a friendly and extremely smart by goblin standards individual next to me and the next he''s trying to kill me. I wasn''t even able to get my weapon''s out and had to fight with a dagger. It didn''t go that well." "No surprise. Your fighting skills are useless if you don''t rely on that" Owen said butting in on the conversation. "Do you need a show of it?" Caro asked, annoyed. He was getting tired of everyone trying his patience today. He couldn''t even have a normal conversation with his captive without interruption. "I''ll just tell the boss you''ve been conspiring with your captive. Then you''ll have a show of my power." "Go to hell" Caro cursed but stepped away after an apologetic look. He had to at least keep to the ethics of capturing enemies, there will be trouble enough for him for killing the newcomer even if he deserved it and he didn''t need charges of conspiring added to that. Half way to the base a messenger stopped them coming from there. "You''ve got another mission!" "Already?" Caro asked incredulously. He didn''t even finish this one fully. "The leader has died and the two vice captains too so their mission befalls you. I''ll bring the prisoners back." "What happened to Perin?" The messenger didn''t look happy but explained anyway. "The enemy had fallen for the trap and were transported to the sealed cave. Leader went to check on them as he wasn''t alone and before he could leave after promising death, there was a dagger between his ribs. Same fate met his advisers." Monthu hearing that burst out laughing. "Shut up, you vermin!" someone from behind hissed and hit him over the head. "Owen heal him and messenger make sure that he''s not getting wounded. We had kept him on ten percent health and if you kill him, I''ll pass the same judgement on you and I don''t care who is standing behind you. Got it? And carry the kid, he''s not an object to be dragged around." "Why should I? He''s just a useless tool meant to be thrown into lava!" "Yes but he''s not dead yet and you will take care of him. Do that and I''ll think about mentioning you to The Witch." The guy''s eyes started to shine and all disagreement was gone from them in a blink of an eye. "As you wish. They''ll live as most honoured guests until the time for their execution comes. I promise it on my name so don''t forget it!" "Yes, yes. Now do it and you lot let''s go. We have some more people to catch and this will be a real challenge. There''s as many of them as us and we know nothing about them!" "You''ll use that and we''ll come to collect what is left. Got it." Owen said, turning around to face another direction and starting to walk alone. "Or we could do it that way" Caro agreed and went after him, the rest followed. Monthu looked at their retreating backs and for the life of him couldn''t decide who they were and for what purpose they did what they did. "Follow me now" the messenger said and he turned to go after his brother. *** "I can''t believe I was deceived by a kid... Just can''t believe it!" Nein muttered to himself repeatedly walking around his prison. There was nothing he could do to escape. No almost invisible hatch, no weaker wall where the door was or a magic cancelling stone. Absolutely nothing. "Could it be that teleportation is the only magic that works here? And only of the right kind? But who would create such an elaborate prison and to hold who?" he wondered walking a hundredth circle. His puppet stayed in the centre. He was sitting with his legs crossed, a wavy dagger held in a right hand which was supporting his head. It was tilted slightly and there was an all-knowing smile on it. Nein had nothing to do with it and was amazed it took such a position. Puppets had their body memory and tended to rely on it for doing most orders. If told to kill, a magician''s body would start casting spells, if warriors, it would rush ahead with a sword and so on. The same went for normal actions like sitting, sleeping or walking. If he wanted to change that, he had to specifically tell it and sometimes even then it didn''t work well. Humans were complicated like that and he had to do a lot of research before being able to successfully use one. "What could the kid have possibly done? I''m pretty sure this place wasn''t meant for me... Or was it? I hope not..." he murmured hitting the wall. It was as tough as everywhere else. Not even a slightly hollow sound. "So will I be stuck here all alone for days until that guy revives and deems it safe to visit again?" he wondered finally sitting down. "Maybe I shouldn''t have killed him... Baah! He deserved it! I can use this time to gain better control of my new toy" he said to himself and ordered. "High jump! Sneak! Roll! Round kick! Backstab!" *** Darkness was everywhere as he walked through stones. There was no path and Ace didn''t mind it at all. It was fine as long as he was moving to somewhere. Or from somewhere for that matter. The final destination had no real meaning when one didn''t believe in happy endings. ''Where should I go now? Should I forgive Par? He didn''t really follow my instructions so maybe I should go through with my threat? It''s not like I''m bound to be nice to him just because he''s a kid...'' As he went a bit more up, he appeared in a dungeon like cave. Looking around he saw no one and decided to explore it a bit. Going down the path he soon heard sounds of two people breathing. It was soft and barely audible but in absolute silence even it echoed far away. Normally, Ace would have been careful in his approach but being a spirit simplified the matters. He was invisible to human eye. Ten steps ahead he saw iron bars on the right and a small body lying inside. Coming closer he noticed the person was gagged and restrained with not only heavy chains but also some material that prevented him from moving at all. ''Is there someone worse than me?'' Ace wondered getting even closer before recognising the kid''s face. ''Par?'' he asked incredulously. There was no answer as Ace didn''t exist for most people at the moment and even if the kid wanted he wouldn''t have been able to produce anything besides a whine. ''What''s happening here? For the record, I''m hundred percent sure he wouldn''t have done anything even remotely evil. How could he if he doesn''t even know how to lie?'' Shrugging he left through the bars and went ahead. His path was blocked by heavy wooden doors but that didn''t pose much of a challenge. A bit further ahead, he noticed another cell and in it sat a chained person. Monthu looked to be sleeping with his head down but once Ace got closer, he raised it as if sensing his presence. "Why do I get the feeling it''s you..." Monthu said staring right at him. Ace was surprised to have been seen but showed a sign that was supposed to mean that he cannot speak. There was no reaction from the guy. Ace came closer and noticed that the closer he was the more Monthu''s eyes strayed to the right. Where was he looking? As Ace turned to there [Flare] caught his eyes. ''Not again...'' You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "So are you going to show yourself or what?" ''I can''t do that and I''m not lying'' he said and moved away. There was no point in staying here any longer. "So you''re just going to leave again?" Ace turned to glare back. "Par waited all this time, everyday worrying himself almost to tears, fearing you won''t be his friend any longer and you''re going to do just that. Such a noble warrior, true prince worthy of being thrown off his throne. People of your land are lucky for fate is smiling at them at the moment, hopefully it''ll last long enough." That was a low blow. Ace hissed like an angry kitten. ''You have no right to trifle with my fantasies! To try and interpret them! You have no right to even knowing them! That traitorous bastard! Like I''ll ever help him again! Not a chance! Dream on!'' "And now you can happily storm off and vent out your anger on some unfortunate soul. That''s what you do best after all; you showed it against Levin attacking him for no reason, making your group of rogues suffer and then leaving them to die and in the end killing everyone in the castle, even someone you had befriended. Well, your anger is more important than anything else in the world, after all. Such a sad bastard you are, Ace" Monthu said, lying down on his side, facing the other direction. Ace''s eyes turned deep crimson and he dashed forward. But he was powerless. Not even material. Or real. Useless and pathetic that''s what he was now. He couldn''t even get back at someone making fun of him. That was the lowest of the low. His true position in life. A kid that has no power to change anything or defend himself. Just breathing but not living. A waste of good space. Monthu turned around and there was understanding in his eyes. He knew it couldn''t be a fun life but there was no forgiveness there. No excuse for the actions done. "I''m surprised, I''m still alive. And I feel it''s not because you turned into a nice guy while I wasn''t looking... So you''ve even managed to lose your powers? That''s nice. Humanity might have a chance to take a breath." ''BURST!'' Ace screamed in his mind. Bright light blinded Monthu as the small fire exploded into little sparks that fell in his eyes. They did nothing more than making him uncomfortable for a moment. "Is that all? I''m so scared of you! That''s such power! Someone come and save me! I''m trembling all over!" Monthu said, faking shivers before a sneer bloomed on his face. "Better go play in the kindergarten. You don''t belong in a place for grown ups, kid. Now get lost! I''ve played a good Samaritan and took care of an orphan like you for long enough already." Ace''s eyes widened and a horrible emotion flashed through them. Something hidden so deep within that he couldn''t agree to it being a part of him. There was just no way. ''I''m going to get power... Some way... I''ll become strong again! Who needs a body to live? I''ll make them pay even without it!'' he promised bitterly and in a swift motion left. He was going to do it no matter what. Even if it took him forever to find a way, he was going to do it. The bastard was going down! When the flame left behind a corner, a small smile appeared on the lying man''s face. *** Ace walked down the path and racked his brain for something he could do, some way to make him suffer. It was unfortunate that Par will probably get hit by whatever he''ll think of but it was his own fault for having such a person as his brother. And even admiring him! ''Humanity is so stupid. It always loves those who are stronger and believe them to be on par with gods. Par is just another one of those weaklings. I should have known that from the way he clung to me... It seems I''m as stupid as everyone else.'' He laughed bitterly. Yet there was no sound and it annoyed him. Now he was truly alone. He couldn''t even talk to himself to hear someone''s voice. He shook his head and started to run. Someone had once said to him that moving helps to think clearer. It was time as good as any to put it to the test. ''What can I do? How should I become solid again without my body?'' there was no answer so he just kept on running right through walls, doors and anything that tried to obstruct his path. He wasn''t going to change his direction even slightly off to side. Hours, days, even weeks or months could have passed until he came out on the surface. It was a bright day and the sun blinded him. Ace covered his eyes and for a long time stood like that, basking in the warm rays passing through his body. It was a welcoming sensation after the coldness of the dungeon. ''Wait, how do I feel heat? Does that mean I''m not absolutely incorporeal?'' That was a dangerous thought. This ability wouldn''t help him get revenge but it could be his downfall. Maybe he wasn''t as non-existent to the world as he expected. While he could do nothing to it, it could kill him. Like always, the most fair of trades. Voices of talking people reached his ears and he refocused on the living world. His thoughts can wait some time. He ordered [Flare] to hide in the bushes and walked forward. There was no fear that one of those people might be like Nein because in the bright light he could hardly see himself and he knew he was here. They had no chance to notice his presence. It were two merchants going by a wagon and arguing over a price of swords. Nothing of use to Ace so he let them pass straight through him and walked forward. They had to have come from somewhere and Nein had mentioned a city being nearby. Perry''s group should already be there. Maybe he could taunt her into following him into the base? ''Naah, she would only free Nein and maybe even Monthu and that''s not what I want. I need someone who would go in to wreak havoc there in my place. Someone quite crazy.'' Some half an hour later he saw a huge wall mirroring the one he''d seen previously when he met the healer but this one was clearly different. It was either a first burnt try or someone else copying that one and failing. It was crudely made and sharp stones pointed at those who would try to approach it. Some might think it was more defensive but in reality it was only giving more handholds. Just to prove the point Ace did exactly that, getting to the top and it was a piece of cake. ''It''s a lovely city for assassins to visit. If only L would have given me an order to come here instead of throwing in that little village for a test. Everything might have been different then...'' He jumped off the wall and dove down, only stopping himself next to the ground from where he soared back into the sky. People were moving like dots on the ground to him and he followed their paths with his finger as if he was a god. That brought a smile to his face but it was too simple, he wanted some more solid proof of the fact. So he returned back to earth and started to play a game of his own. With [Flare]''s help he would attract attention where it was not needed; a robbery happening, secret lovers meeting, conspirators having a chat about their future plans, or leading people on their life time adventures; some beggar to protect a lady from losing everything she has, a lonely because of his nice heart player to hear a dying man''s last wish with which he leaves him everything he has or some vagabond to find a pouch of money with important documents having a name on them. All of those people had a choice of how to act after the little flame disappeared without a trace just as it had appeared and Ace delightedly watched them do it. If he didn''t like the choice, he would get another person following his fire and make a party while he watched off the sidelines how everyone struggled for their own futures. All wanted to make something of it and didn''t give up in the face of danger; running away from authority or pretending to be the innocent party. To Ace''s surprise one robber had such a golden tongue that he managed to prove to guards that actually he was the victim. But Ace''s favourite was a guy who found the papers and instead of giving them back and receiving great favour decided to blackmail the people. That was a fun choice and Ace decided to follow him around and see whether he would succeed, after all he still hadn''t thought up a way to get his revenge. ''Who would be stupid enough to follow a little flame to a forest? And even to its centre?'' Just as the followed guy was being caught by guards, Ace found his answer. There were people who would do it. Those who didn''t know better. Or knew but didn''t care like him. ''Burst'' he murmured saving the guy''s behind and left to find a good enough entrance to the dungeon. He dived to where he knew the base was and from the inside looked for a way out. Half a day later he found one easily accessible if one knew where to look. It was hidden under thick bushes and an illusion spell. They were amazing but had a fatal flaw; you could just go through them if you tried even without dispelling anything. That done, Ace returned to the city and first went to see how his guy was doing. He was at a manor showing a single piece of paper to some noble. There was a scary smile on his face and the lord seemed to like that. "Would you mind me asking what did he do to you to deserve this? You know he''s going to be destroyed?" "Oh yes, I do" the guy said, his eyes flashing. "And I don''t mind. You see like a good citizen I brought this information to him first but he didn''t appreciate it and tried to kill me. Luckily Gods were on my side and saved my life. I believe it was so that I could take revenge on one who was evil and most likely didn''t follow the rules of his deity." The noble laughed. "I didn''t think you were a believer. So how did it save you?" Disbelief was clear in his voice. Ace smiled seeing his chance and sent [Flare] to blind the man. While it was doing that he decided to look for something useful around the room. Nobles loved to hide things either in safes or guest rooms by the rule that the safest place is right under the eyes because no one will expect it there. He hoped this guy was of the latter type. "Guards! Seize him! Are you trying to kill me?" he screamed and Ace''s guy turned white. "No! This little flame saved me back then! I don''t control it!" "And you expect me to believe it?" the lord asked with a sinister smile. The flame danced around his head before flowing to where a fallen picture frame lay on a shelf. "What are you trying to show me?" "I tell you it''s not me!" the guy shouted, his body trembling. He felt like a god''s plaything, like his life no longer belonged to him but the flame was one to decide whether he''s going to live or not. "You, look at it!" noble said to one of his guards and he went to pick up the picture. But the flame flew to sides as if saying no, wrong choice. "What is it? What you want him to do?" The little flame flew towards the guy, made a circle around his head and returned back to float near the shelves. After the noble''s nod guards released the guy and carefully he went to look at it. [Flare] moved deeper in the shelf and rested near a group of papers stuffed between books. He took them out and saw a beautiful women dancing with the noble, then they were in an orchard, riding horses and kissing. "Marianne The Butterfly Lord Marion The Great''s wife, you sure go high, my lord." "How did you... Guards get out of here! And forget what happened!" "Yes, my lord!" they said with a salute and made their exist. ''How obedient... They actually like him as their boss'' wondered Ace, sitting on an extravagant chandelier. He was really missing being able to eat, he wouldn''t even be annoyed if it was barley bread all he had. "Tell me! Who told you about it? I need names! Please! I''ll pay you anything! Just tell me!" lord pleaded, almost going down on his knees. But his pride won over and as if all his limbs had suddenly lost power he fell to an armchair he had been sitting before. ''So what will you do now?'' Ace asked, lying on the chandelier and looking with his head put on his hands at his favourite pet. ''Do you care only about money? Your pride and maybe status in society? Or have you actually got a heart?'' "I told you I don''t own the flame. It''s something beyond human control and even though I think you''re an idiot I will keep quiet about it. You can trust me on that. Now back to our business can you help me?" the guy said and Ace burst out laughing. ''He has not a drop of compassion but is religious! Hahahah!'' The noble sent him a tired glance that asked if he was an idiot and the guy smiled. He was going to get back at the one who tried to take his life. Ace decided it was over and left. It was time for him to get on with his own revenge. Outside he went to look for a kid.What kid? A random one that had rich parents, someone to come with an army when their little offspring gets caught and locked away. Near the castle he noticed a group of kids playing around and a smile found its way on his face. This was even better than he had even hoped for, a group of noble kids and some even might have royal blood running inside them. Not wasting any time he sent [Flare] forward but a bit to the side so it would be out of their reach. A minute or so later one of the kids noticed it and pointed for others. Ace walked into their midst while they argued and waited for them to decide to follow. To make them want it more he made [Flare] move a bit away as if walking ahead and leaving everyone behind. That hastened the process and all the kids ran off to catch it. Ace ran among them and enjoyed the feeling while memories rushed to the front of his mind. How long has it been since it was like this for real? Is he really that old to be talking of things that have passed and now left a bitter taste in one''s mouth? They ran for a long while. Every time kids felt like getting tired, the light ahead appeared closer and it gave them strength to move on. Their destination was almost there! Just as the fastest guy was about to grasp it, it disappeared in a thick brush. There looked to be nothing there but once he tried to touch with his hand, it passed right through. "It''s a hidden dungeon!" he shouted in joy and other kids caught up to him. Most looked very exited so the two doubting ones kept their fears inside. "Let''s go!" Inside it was a dark cave only lighted by the little flame and kids followed it, huddling in a tight group. Ace was about to follow inside when he felt himself leaving the game. ''What the hell?'' he wondered. An overly joyous face met him when he opened the cabin¡¯s door and he wanted to run. Vera was standing over him and if she was happy that meant something horrible was going to happen to him. ''And it had to be now when I''m so close to finishing my plan! At least all the game pieces are in place and even if I don''t return it should go well. But I wanted to see it with my own eyes!'' "Hi! What is it you want of me?" he asked her, getting out and stretching his muscles. "I''ve got the best news for you! Your parents are almost at the doorstep!" she said with a bright smile, hugging him closely. "That''s amazing, isn''t it?" "What?" Kirin screamed in shock and anger. His outburst surprised Vera and she pulled him away to see his face, but Kirin somehow managed to throw an extremely fake smile. "Really? That''s great..." ''What do they want of me now? It''s not Christmas yet for them to be coming back.'' They heard front doors open and Vera dragged him to the first floor where his parents were taking off their coats. "Hi, Kirin. How are you doing? We''ve heard you''ve been making some trouble for everyone" father said and Kirin drilled holes in Vera''s back with his eyes. She didn''t know what she did. She thought that they were going to control him, tell him how to act properly, but around them he could be himself and not give a damn about reactions. ''You have failed so miserably but I won''t forgive you. They shouldn''t be here!'' "Come here, Kirin" Mother said so he walked to receive a kiss to a cheek and a warm hug. Father joined them and they stayed like that for a moment or two until Kirin''s patience ran out. Past had to be left to the past and not brought back up every time they met. "I''m busy now, we''ll talk later" he said and walked up to his room, not forgetting to release the door so it closed with a loud bang. Vera stared open mouthed after him. "What was that? I''m getting him right back here! I don''t know what''s gotten into him! Usually he''s not that rebellious!" she said and was about to rush after him but father caught her hand. "Leave. We''ll settle everything ourselves." "But, but I have to be with him!" she said defyingly. "And why so? Who are you to him?" Mother asked going into the kitchen and taking an apple from the basket on the table. It was deliciously red. "Ang was my classmate! We''re all worried about him!" "You just said it yourself, he was. Now nothing connects you together so please leave." "We''re everything to him! You can''t do that to him!" she shouted out, trying to go to Kirin again but father kept his hold strong. "We''re his parents and have the right to decide what is best for him. We had asked you to take care of him but not once had we told to become obsessed with him. You''re nothing to him and never going to be anything more. You should get over your childish crush on him and get used to the fact that he''s not going to grow up into your prince charming, or anyone''s for that matter. He is a kid and will stay that way forever" father said in a strong voice, making Vera cry. She looked at him with hatred filled eyes and ran out without another word. Doors made a loud bang when she threw them closed. "Dear, maybe you shouldn''t have been so harsh on her. She''s just a little girl" mother said, throwing her husband an apple who caught it. "I had to. It''s been years since the diagnose was made but not even a single person here thought what it meant to our child. They keep on treating him like a normal kid. One who is going to grow up soon and he has to fake that every single day to belong here. Can one even call it life?" he asked sitting down tiredly. His eyes caught on a picture strapped on a refrigerator. Their family was drawn there having a picnic in a beach with bright sun and calm sea in the background. It was dated eight years ago. One of the last pictures made by Kirin when he was still going to school. The last picture was right beside it. It was made on the last day of school he had been when he already knew about his sickness. Teacher had asked then for kids to draw their future. Most drew police men, astronauts, royalties or happy families but not Kirin. His picture was dark blue, on a verge of being all black. Storm raged there and a white dot wasn''t a coming end but a small boat falling over. Teacher had been so angry, she even called them and told there was something wrong with their child. It was horrible to hear it from a person who knew nothing about how right she was. But that helped them to decide to remove their kid from school even though he could have gone maybe a year or two more. He was very bright for his age. He wasn''t sure why they had decided to put the picture where it could be seen every day but they did it. Maybe it was a reminder of what was lost? The innocence that was gone in a week and why bitterness made a permanent residence in their child''s mind from then on. *** Ace returned to the game and caught up with the kids. They hadn''t walked even half a mile yet. Soon they were found and locked away in a prison until the leader got back and decided what to do with these strange guests. They weren''t going to wait long. Perin was coming back in just an hour or two. Everyone was sure he wasn''t going to be late. Ace sat against the wall in the kid''s cell and listened to their chattering. Most weren''t worried knowing their parents will get them out soon and Ace knew that for a fact. He had made sure that many people will see them going into the forest and then had led them through the thickest brushes so pieces of their clothes would be left behind and make their path easily traceable. If that wasn''t going to be enough, he wasn''t sure what would be. "Don''t worry, Mary! They will come! I''m sure of it! Just you wait a little longer, they''re already on our tracks!" Next Chapter Characters... So one huge plot is coming to an end. It''s been an interesting journey and I would like to know who you would like to see continuing it :) If it''s not too much to ask I would like you to chose three favorite/most memorable characters and maybe say what you like about them. Also it would be great if you said who is the most annoying one for you and why? You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Thanks for everything! {[999abo}] 3.9 Stars Fall Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Sorry for being gone for so long but it''s been holidays, celebrations and so on. To compensate for my lateness I made this chapter extremely long. Another ending. Hopefully you''ll enjoy it. (Surprise surprise it''s so long it doesn''t fit into one message...) **** "What do you mean kids have ventured in here? The illusion was made by Levin and he''s one of the best! No kid could just destroy it!" "It wasn''t destroyed, sir. They said they followed a small flame that went right through the ground so they tried it too." "And you tell me it only now?" the man in heavy armour asked his servant, hitting him over the head. "What did I have to say first?" he asked, looking lost. "Idiots! Idiots all around! Why does so little people possess any common sense?" That made the guy even more confused as he wasn''t sure what he had done wrong, seeing that Perin took a deep breath. "Has the cage been finished?" "Yes, sir." "So where are my generals?" "Right here!" two people said, rounding the corner. They were as heavily armoured as the leader but not as shiny and had rowdier faces. They were people you wouldn''t want to meet in a dark alley. "Is everything prepared? I don''t want any more mistakes." "Of course! We just checked and everything is as you''ve ordered. All prisoners are also ready to be moved. Is there anything else you would need?" one of them asked. "No." Perin thought for a moment and a cruel smile found its way on his face. "Or wait. Pick these kids and add them to the list of sacrifices. He called them to use their parents and catch us, such a simple but easily manageable plan. Yet he miscalculated one thing." "We are often being hunted..." one of the generals said with a twisted smile. ¡°But we''ve never been caught" the other added. "Exactly" Perin said with a nod. "Now let''s be quick. We have a show to prepare for the coming nobles." *** Ace listened to it and cursed himself repeatedly. ''Why didn''t I think of it? They can easily kill everyone and frame me! And I even brought those people to kill! Dammit! I need to do something!'' He ran out of the cell which Perin was entering and flashing [Flare] in his eyes just for the sake of it, scanned his brain for a way to save his face. If he was caught killing people, there was no chance that his fame and infamy wouldn''t combine! He didn''t want to face that scenario at all. "You can run, kid! But you know you can''t stop them from coming like you can''t stop a tide from rising. You''ve lost this match of wits!" ''Get lost!'' Ace hissed to Perin in reply, although the guy didn''t hear it. ''I''m going to turn everything around just because you said that. No one who ever said he was unstoppable lasted long.'' ''Nein! I need to go to him! He''s the only one who can see me and might be able to understand what happened!'' He ran around for some time before being able to find the guy. He had been moved from the previous cave and along with his body put inside a glass cage in a huge cavern. They were overlooking a lava fall and Ace could feel heat washing all over him. It wasn''t comfortable in the least. "So you''ve returned... I guessed you wouldn''t leave without having a good laugh first." ''What?'' Ace asked surprised. ''What is he talking about?'' "Tell me, what are you planning now? Will I get to be free or forced to endure under those idiots a bit longer?" Nein asked casting a snow storm spell. It was confided inside the prison and because of the heat turned into rain. "Although it''s not too bad here. The place is warm and I have lots of free time." Ace stared at him for some more before grasping the situation. ''He thinks it''s all my plan! As if!'' He pointed at the cavern and then at himself and shook his head making an x with his hands over the chest. ''That''s not my doing!'' "You meant this place doesn''t belong to you? I got it already. It''s that guy''s who died after showing up. Oh yeah, he should be alive by now. Is that why you''re here?" Ace nodded and pretended to be him to show how he''s going to throw everyone into the lava. "You''re acting the guy, right?" Nod. "And he''s throwing something down?" Another nod. "So what? If he went mad, that''s his problem, you know?" Ace face palmed and threw himself off the edge into the lava. It was unbearably hot but he stayed there for a few seconds before flying up ahead. "Is he going to throw you off the ledge?" ''No!'' Ace screamed at Nein''s denseness but the guy was oblivious so he had to try something else. He showed his height and started to push invisible people down. Every time he showed the height, hoping that would explain what he wanted to say. "Small people? What''s up with them jumping off? Did they get tired of living too?" That was when Ace got it. Previously Nein had understood everything almost instantly and now he suddenly became stupid? It was impossible and it left only one explanation; Nein was faking it. He understood everything but didn''t feel like complying. Ace swiftly left the place. He walked down some corridor, kicking stones that didn''t move an inch. ''What''s up with him? He should have helped me! I can''t call on anyone else at the moment!'' He couldn''t find any logical explanation. They had become acquaintances and that meant he was obliged to help. So why didn''t he? Cold water passed through his form and a shiver ran down his body. There was no feeling of sustenance but change of temperature was felt some way. He wondered that too as his feet where taking him somewhere. How was he going to get his body back? It was fun being a spirit only as long as one had no troubles. Once those came around a corner you were... "So you''re back here again? Your plan didn''t work as well as expected?" Ace felt like leaving, just running away but it wasn''t like he had a place to go. He would have to stay around to find out how deep in trouble he''ll be and see whether his body would return to him after dying or not. So he sat down against the wall facing Monthu''s cell and made [Flare] move in a line a few times. "That''s surprising. So what are you up to now?" [Flare] moved around; up and down, to the sides and in a circle before restarting everything. "Don''t tell me you''ve given up?" The little flame exploded in Monthu''s face before recreating itself and flowing a bit away as not to shine in his eyes. "Poor kid, incapable of doing anything!" Flame became brighter but didn''t move from its position. "Well, that''s what you get for acting the way you do. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Did you expect people to always follow you because you''re you?" For a moment [Flare] stayed motionless before jumping to action. It rapidly wrote symbols in the air that were almost impossible to catch by human eye. I''m nice and everyone likes me. They want to protect me and I let them so when I need it they will follow me. What is wrong with that? Why did he make fun of me instead of helping? All I wanted was a word of advice! Is it too much? But I was friendly! And I helped him! He should have wanted to help me himself! What is wrong with him? "You sound like one of the whiny kids you hate so much. Why are you here if you''ve been friends to everyone and can call on anyone for help? So do it! Just before you do it tell me, is there really a person who knows you and would come to save you? Or will you rely on all those people whom you lied to?" The little flame moved towards Monthu''s face like lighting and he closed his eyes preparing for its explosion but nothing happened. When he opened them, he saw [Flare] breaking apart into many sparks that like leaves in the wind fell to the ground. After that he didn''t see anything until some guys came to take him away. They were already carrying Par who was still fast asleep. ''I truly hope you can do something, Ace. If my brother dies, you are not seeing us ever again. And I''m not kidding. You can lie and trick people as much as you want for all I care but keep it to yourself. We''re not going to be your scape goats.'' *** Nein sat in his cage being drowned in water. There was no place for it to leave and it rose reaching to his midriff. When it did, he would dispel it and cast snow storm again. It wasn''t the best of ways to cool yourself down but better than nothing. ''Sometimes, like now, I really wish I would have chosen a more simplistic class that had all the general skills. How simpler life would be if I could only cast fire resistance on myself and be done with it.'' While he was daydreaming, the kid returned again but instead of approaching him sat down on the cliff right beside the lava fall, some bits flying at him. ''What is he playing at now?'' wondered Nein pretending not to see anything. ''If he thinks I''ll jump to his help just because, he has another thing coming. One stab in the back is more than enough for me.'' "What are you going to do? Why did you bring us here? Speak up! Or are you too scared I''ll destroy all your plans? Are you that afraid? Weaklings!" A female screamed to everyone who was listening as she was howled up to another cliff which was thirty meters away from Nein. "I just decided that there can be a worse leaders than you. You can be proud" one of the men following the female and her group said. He kept the binds on them while another guy flew them in the air. "Thanks, Owen. I appreciate it" muttered Caro as he watched everything go smoothly. They had caught the group and now had to kill them. A great waste of time in everyone''s opinion but Perin was dead set on it and wasn¡¯t listening to the voice of reason, if he had it, that is. From another entrance Perin came out leading more prisoners. Nein watched as the group of kids was brought in at the back looking terrified. It was unfortunate that they had to die but life was never fair. If it was, he wouldn''t be locked in here in some glass cage because a kid decided to make it so. ''Why is he so heartless?'' Ace asked himself as he looked over the place while hot sparks dripped through him. His sitting place wasn''t going to last another day. "Now you bastard watch as those you care about die quickly but as painfully as possible!" Perin said with self-satisfaction looking at Nein and his puppet. "Also there''s a group of my people who will be there to meet them after the required time." To his surprise there was no reaction on the kid''s face, not even an extra blink of an eye. "Have a nice day!" ''If you brought all the people I so care about to kill, where in the god''s name is Vera? She''s the only one actually deserving that!'' Ace thought, rolling his eyes. Some people just couldn''t do anything right. ''But how am I supposed to stop him? I''m as powerful as a level one player and no one is coming to help me out.'' He raised his head as a scream reverberated through the cavern. In stories people always died looking composed and sometimes even making fun of their captors. That was how it was supposed to be. But wasn''t. Perry fell shouting her lungs out and with a most terrified expression Ace had ever seen on anyone. Was it so bad to die? Wasn''t she just going to be reborn after a short period of time? Her hands and legs flailed all around while she desperately tried to grab onto air and somehow stop her fall. It wasn''t happening. Like a rock she plunged in, her scream reaching unparalleled heights. Yet she didn''t die in an instant. Her level was over a hundred and that meant a lot of health points. "Heelp! Som-" Her head fell beneath the bright thick liquid and didn''t come out. Ace stood up on his ledge and dived down to see whether she was really already dead. It was hot. Very hot. And bright. So bright he couldn''t see a single thing. Disappointed he had to rise up just as someone else dropped in right through him. It was a female cleric. The look in her eyes as she was sinking in scared even Ace. ''That''s how a wronged person should look. Quiet but full of pride and go out with a silent promise of revenge. Who cares if you''re nowhere near a fighting class!'' "Why isn''t he showing even a slightest bit of reaction?" Perin asked himself silently. The kid was as uncaring of what was happening as before. Deaths didn''t seem to matter at all. He wasn''t even moving his head to look at the people''s last moments as they were swallowed by the river of fire. "What is wrong with him? Well, at least one person is enjoying the show" he muttered, looking at Nein who was standing glued to the glass wide eyed. ''I never thought he was actually going to do it! Is he planning to deal the same with the kids too? That''s inhumane! I need to do something.'' It was a nice idea and all but he was still confided in without any way to interfere with what was happening outside. All rested in the hands of a kid who was taking his time diving in lava and watching people fall with usually distasteful expression. ''They''re all doomed... Not that I fault him for doing nothing. He really can''t do anything.'' As if hearing that thought Ace raised his head and looked straight at Nein. The guy looked taken aback but just turned his gaze away to the next person being pushed down. ''Isn''t that the mercenary? He looks so down. Did that picture really meant so much to him?'' He fell like a brick without moving a muscle and instantly disappeared from sight. It was getting repetitive so Ace left [Flare] near lava where it wasn''t going to be noticed and rose to the top where dead people were standing. Five of his guild mates were left after which it was going to be Par''s turn and Monthu''s. Right behind them stood Rowena with L. ''Hm? What is he doing here? Wasn''t he too busy to leave his castle and that''s why he hired me?'' They were whispering something and Ace just couldn''t not sneak closer and listen in. He heard L from mid-sentence but it was clear what he was talking about. "... him. If he was that stupid, I would have not needed his help and that village would still be rebelling against my rule. Something is happening here." "Besides that we''re going to burn to death? And then killed repeatedly till level one?" "Calm down. It''s not that bad. They''re just making a show. And I''ll think of something against being spawn camped. Don''t worry." "Yeah, like you''ll be able to change anything. All your contacts lie in npcs. You have no guild or any group. No one is going to come to your aid. Mine either." "It''s not..." L tried to refute but couldn''t think of a way. He quickly rose through the ranks becoming a lord but because of that he earned a lot of hate from other players. Noticing that, he had abandoned the idea of joining or creating a guild and focused on befriending as many npcs as possible. He gained many things for that but now it was coming to bite him in his behind. ''So if you''re in such a pinch why did you come here? A good place won''t stay free for a long time and friendship status decays quickly if it isn''t marked by deep emotions of any kind.'' "I''ll think of something. It''s not going to be the end of me" said L in a strong voice and Rowena smiled. "I know you will. We wouldn''t have joined you if we didn''t believe you could reach the top." L chuckled and turned his attention to the quickly approaching cliff. There were only three people left before him. One of them was a small kid that was only now waking up. His eyes opened up slowly and he looked around still a bit dazed. "Where are we?" he asked yawning. "A dungeon. We''re thinking about jumping into lava." "Won''t that be hot?" The kid asked and L rolled his eyes. There was a reason he hated dealing with children but the guy who was carrying the kid didn''t seem to have the same problem. "It might be. But do you remember why you were allowed to play this game?" A wide smile brightened the kid''s face. "To see the world! It''s colours!" "Exactly. This is a part of it. And we want to see all colours, not only the light ones. I hope you''re not afraid?" Kid''s face became a bit paler and he gripped the man''s neck tighter but nodded none the less. "I want to be here." Ace listened to that conversation with a sickening feeling in his stomach. ''Do I want him around? How much was faked and how much real? Even if I do, what of it? It''s not like I can just waltz in and save them. Hell, I haven''t found a way to save myself yet!'' Just as he thought that an idea flashed in his mind. Not thinking it through at all, he called on [Flare] and while the last of his guild mates was in the spotlight with his amazing falling abilities (trying to somehow get away, he tripped over his own legs and face first dived down), he concentrated and used his strongest burst yet. It blinded Perin''s whole group and even set a few of them on fire. "What the hell?" one hissed trying to put off the fire. His hands got burned but it didn''t go off. "GlassSteam some water!" "I''m trying, but it''s not working! What''s up with this flame!" Flames danced on people''s clothes, eating them away and taking small bits of heath. They weren''t very dangerous but fear soon gripped those who were burning. How were they to put them out? Normal means weren''t working at all. While they were preoccupied with that, two fireballs, an elemental and scythe came towards Owen taking all his remaining health points away. The man wasn''t even able to understand what happened before he was forcibly logged out. Perin''s group had two mages and Owen as their cleric, together these three were keeping everyone chained by magic but because of fire they got distracted. Further problems added to it and they lost the concentration required to keep the binds up which in turn allowed Monthu with Par and L with Rowena escape. And they weren''t going down without a fight. Rowena had turned into a panther and jumped on a closest person to her, clawing at him with all her might. Right beside her L had taken out a staff and was one on one fighting against a swordsman. And doing pretty good in Ace''s opinion. He watched everyone fight and from time to time blinded opponents. At first it looked pretty good but their momentum was soon gone and even if they had taken the single healer out of the picture, there were over ten enemies and some of them at least twice the level. Ace just knew it from the way generals and Perin were fighting. Their skill combinations and moves were clearly over two hundred and Monthu with Par hadn''t yet reached a level of hundred. The trio was just playing around before finishing their prey. ''I need to get that guy out! And quickly. Just how? Think, Kirin, think!'' He walked in circles blinding some assassin which saved Par''s life and wrecking his brain for some way. He wasn''t sure what was happening but his power was weakening. [Flare] was becoming fainter each time it reassembled itself and its [Burst] radius was getting smaller. ''Something has to be done quickly.'' Just as he thought that Rowena shouted something out and both guys jumped back to Par. She took the whole front line herself and started to shape shift so fast that eyes could barely follow. Each form made a single swift attack and was gone. Perin''s group tried to catch her but all of her creatures were of different sizes and there was no way to tell who she''ll turn into next so most attacks didn''t come even close. When one warrior was worn down Rowena turned into a bear and threw him over her shoulder to Monthu and L who made short work of him. Then the dance began again. ''But it''s not enough... She won''t last forever'' Ace thought flying up to where Nein was. ¡®How do I get him out?'' "So you''re back here again? What are you trying to achieve now? Have you finally come to laugh at me?" Ace rolled his eyes and ignored the guy''s words. ''Even if he doesn''t want to help me, he''ll help himself and that''s all I need. Some time until the nobles come.'' He tried to pass through the glass wall and easily did it. ''So it''s nothing to stop me?'' He tried leaving and felt a huge force preventing him from doing that. It was like trying to get upstream through a river in spring. Pretty darn impossible. Nein said something but Ace kept his ignoring act on and changed his strategy. [Flare] was still close by right outside so he told it to bring Monthu here. If his idea was right, maybe there was a way out. Only five or so minutes later Monthu showed up all bloody and ragged. ''It doesn''t look like it¡¯s going well any longer.'' "What do you want of me?" the guy asked and the little flame pointed towards the glass wall. Monthu came closer to step in just as Nein screamed "Don''t!" Monthu raised his head surprised when [Flare] burst blinding him for a second and making him take a step back. "Bash it! Destroy it! Just don''t go in!" Nein shouted out, waving his hands wildly. "You''ll be stuck with us inside then!" Monthu nodded and hit the glass with his scythe. A small, hardly visible crack appeared and both Nein and Ace looked at it with love in their eyes. That was the best thing they had ever seen. Monthu hit it again and again, the crack growing bigger each time. When it seemed to cover the whole side, he kicked it with all force and a loud shattering sound stopped everything that was happening. All fighters turned to look at the glass that for some reason instead of dangerous shards turned into dust and released Nein unscathed. There was a dangerous smile on his face as he threw thanks towards Monthu. "I think I have some debts to repay here." "Man careful! Take those two out first!" Perin shouted out, jumping first. "You were too late the moment I got free" laughed Nein. "Speed of light! Shadow control! Bull''s strength! Sea of troubles!" All those spells were directed at the puppet that started to darken until he was nothing but a moving shadow. Sadly without glowing red eyes, noted Ace. "Kill them all!" Without any more encouragement the puppet sprung to action. He dashed to intercept Perin and locked weapons with him. Then evading two sonic waves, he positioned himself so the upcoming fireball would hit Perin in the back. "You good for nothings! Do you even know how to aim?" he screamed without even glancing back. "Robert! Orlon! Assist me!" The two big guys finally reached their boss and together the three of them focused the puppet. There was no hesitation in their movements as they attacked simultaneously. They were no longer playing around like previously. Ace looked at his own body with sadness. No matter how many buffs Nein would give to it, it was still only a little over a hundredth level while his opponents were twice that and were veterans of overpowering their opponents by their numbers and brute strength. The fight wasn''t going to last long if nothing changed. Ace told [Flare] to assist but nothing happened. He looked around surprised and couldn''t see his little flame anywhere. ''What?'' he asked surprised. ''Where could it have gone to?'' "We''re going to lose" muttered L coming closer. "This is not enough." He was limping and had an open wound on his head. Blood was running from everywhere. "I can see it" Nein nodded with annoyed expression. "If we would have fought together than maybe, but now they''ve exhausted us one by one and I don''t have much power besides my puppets." "Any explanation as to what you have done to Ace?" Monthu asked, watching Par and Rowena from the corner of his eye. He would have loved to go and fight again but his health was just over ten percent. He would be dead the moment he joined back in. "He''s flying around the cavern. Seems to be searching for something." "I''d like to hear more but I think we'' don¡¯t have time for that. The kid¡¯s are almost done for." Nein glanced that way and saw his puppet barely able to stand while his opponents were just scratched. "Dark sphere!" he said throwing the spell at the kid which healed some of its wounds. "Caro! Finish it off! We can''t play with them for too long!" Perin shouted out and Caro left Rowena''s side. He had been defending against her mostly and from time to time pretending to attack. Unsuccessfully, of course. As long as no one ordered him to kill, he wasn''t going to do that. "Fine!" He jumped high into the air overlooking the battleground and with a tired sigh called out on his secret ability. Well, it was supposed to be secret but everyone made him use it so often that soon the whole world would know about it. "Dancing flowers in the wind, your petals scattered, broken. Up and up you go, screaming vengeance from afar as the world beneath you crumbles, Sword Lotus!" Wind started to gather around him carrying a sweat aroma of flowers. It reminded him of how he received this ability and anger ran anew within him. Humans so often were nothing but monsters they wanted to protect this world from and who said these people he was about to kill were any better? And death never meant a thing. They were just going to be reborn and do whatever they were doing again. Petals started to dance around him and he patiently waited for them to be ready. When they were, a thousand swords surrounded him. Nein noticed the different atmosphere and turned his gaze upwards where death was waiting to be unleashed. "Kid!" he screamed and Ace surprised flew to him as the swords fell everywhere around, not caring enemy or friend stood in the way. "Stone Coffin! Stone Coffin! Stop the one up there! Stone Coffin! Stone Coffin!" Nein shouted out repeatedly casting that single spell as swords were trying to get through. Ace and the two guys were hidden behind it. In the meantime, puppet was climbing the wall so he could jump on Caro. The swords passed through him as if he wasn''t there. Ace watched that with interest. The only thing his body lacked was a spirit. Did that mean those swords were immaterial? ''What would happen if I got hit when I''m just a spirit without a body?'' He left the shelter for a second before Nein muttered something and dragged him back. "Do you have a death wish? Stone Coffin! Stay here! Stone Coffin!" Monthu and L looked at him strangely but didn''t say anything. Their eyes were focused on Par and Rowena who were hiding under a rock structure. For now they seemed to be okay. "Aargh!" Caro shouted out in surprise as a person jumped on his back and started to stab him repeatedly. Wind had kept him afloat for the duration of the spell but with added weight he started to fall and his health wasn''t in great condition either. ''I need to get out'' "Air dash!" he shouted out doing a summersault in the air to throw his assailant off. Then he allowed himself to fall next to lava and decided to stay there faking death. It wasn''t even uncomfortable when he had fire resistance that was going to last another two hours. Puppet landed on his feet next to some soldier and stabbed him in the back, taking his last health points away. Having finished his latest assignment he returned to the previous one and like Ace he preferred killing people instead of fighting them. "You idiot! You would have died instantly if one of those swords had just touched you! Did you have a death wish?" Ace had an innocent smile on his face looking sideways. That was why he noticed four swordsmen ganging up on his body. He pointed to it and Nein got him out of the way. "The battle isn''t over. You two should return to finish the job" said Nein renewing a few buffs on his puppet. "That would be certain death! I''m out of health" disagreed L. Ace jumped in front of Nein and pretended to be taking something from his back and drinking it. "Right. Use health potions!" "Do you know how much those things cost? I never bought them." "Have none left" echoed L Monthu. All he had bought from Ace were used reclaiming Vascas castle. He had been forced to always be in the front to gain at least some respect and healers rarely reached there. "Dammit" murmured Nein angrily. Somehow this time around he needed everything he didn''t have and almost nothing he had was useful. Ace waved his hands to grab Nein''s attention and once again pointed at his back. Seeing no understanding in the guy''s eyes he flew towards the puppet and imagined taking out something from his back and drinking it. "You mean you have some?" A nod. "Guys take up the front. I need to recall the kid for a second. It''s our last chance." This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.The two fighters looked at each other and shrugging ran back to the fight. It''s not like they had a better ideas and dying in battle was always better than just dying randomly. Pride was an important aspect of every decision, especially in a game. "Puppet come back!" Nein ordered and the thing did as told, escaping combat and appearing in front of his master. "Take out health potions. Hurry!" "Weak, medium or strong?" the puppet asked, using its voice for the first time. It was cold and lifeless, lacking emotions that were always present in Ace. ''I sound dead...'' Nein looked surprised for a moment before putting all thoughts aside. First he had to survive this and then he could wonder about how a puppet could talk when it had never happened before. "The best. Do you have at least ten of them?" Following those words ten bottles with dark crimson liquid swirling inside them materialised before the puppet who carefully put them all on the ground and before Nein could ask five blue potions sat alongside the red ones. Then he returned to battle leaving Nein wondering whether he really controlled that body or was his puppet just pretending to be one. He shook his head and used spells to make himself partially incorporeal and swifter on foot. Then he grabbed the potions and carried them to the fighters. Monthu and L drank the lifesaving liquids in large gulps and allowed themselves to be amazed for a moment. Potions weren''t cheap and a lot of players never felt the feeling of warmth spreading through one¡¯s body and healing all wounds. It wasn''t the same as being healed by a cleric where white light just appeared and you were fine once again. "Did they heal enough?" Nein asked already scurrying away. He had chosen to be a mage for a specific reason not to be in close combat and was going to stay there. "More than enough." The two guys said jumping back in action with full energy. L took out another staff from his bag and started to hammer people''s sides who dared to get close to him. He was usually sitting in his castle having to write countless papers and deal with nobles so he was hungry for some real fighting. Now that they actually had some chances of winning he was ready to show all he was worth. Nein in that time rushed to give Par and Rowena some assistance. He ordered puppet to relieve them so they could take a breath and drink some potions. Par had no mana while Rowena was barely alive; both her bars were close to disappearing. "These things amazing" she murmured drinking to the last drop. "I hope so" muttered Nein. "We need a miracle to survive this." There were still around eight enemies left and they were the elites. Some of them close to his level and he was not too far from the top while his allies were nowhere close enough. ''Miracles don''t just happen, I need to make one if I want to survive.'' He looked at his bag and took out a scroll. It was one of his biggest treasures but when else would be the time to use it? Who knew if he would ever need it again and he really needed it now. Of course, there was one more way out but he didn¡¯t want to use that yet.There were too many people around and he didn¡¯t trust a single one of them. It was better to use a priceless scroll. Carefully he rolled it out and watched how black symbols assembled themselves into words of power that could be understood only by him. "Everyone protect me at all costs!" he screamed out sitting down with his back to the cavern¡¯s wall and closed his eyes. There was no need to see them as he knew them by heart having read the scroll dozens of times. "Words forgotten in a heat of battle..." Monthu blocked another sword while hitting some guy with the back end of his scythe in stomach. That left him breathless and he was able to slash him with the outer edge of his weapon. That was when he and everyone else heard the puppeteer start to chant in a loud and clear voice. "Spells that were supposed to save lives..." Enemies didn''t need a command to throw whatever they were doing and rush to the guy. To their surprise they were met by a whole ground covered in ice on which a dark shadow was sliding with two daggers flashing silver. Monthu hurried up to help him as no matter how great the kid was he still wasn''t omnipotent. "Par cover us and you two let''s go! We have to protect him!" *Stand United activated!* Morale is raised by 200% All fear and confusion effects have been removed Attack power and defence is increased by 15% Attack speed is increased by 17% Range 30m "Great" Monthu murmured to himself in a slightly tired voice, feeling energy surge within him. Long time ago when he had defended the caravan and together with other people received a skill instead of the last stand, his was called [Stand United] and gave huge bonuses not only to his fighting power but everyone else¡¯s too. It had activated a few times before and now was level 2 which was a very quick growth. Others didn''t take long to notice a difference. "What happened? Where did these buffs come from?" L asked kicking a guy in the stomach because he had come too close. "It''s a conditional skill which means it activates when it feels like it" Monthu answered decapitating one guy who had come to him being too low. "One down!" "Seven more to go?" L asked with a laugh as a fireball hit some guy trying to jump on him. "Thanks kid!" "You''re welcome" Par said quietly thinking of a useful spell besides his elemental and balls of fire. Nothing came to mind which wouldn''t hurt his brother too. Magic in this world had one big problem that if it hit allies it did all the damage to them. There was no just passing through. "Spirits of the dead come and turn this into your playground, Hell''s Inferno!" Black fire shot out from his hand and rushed to the other end of the place where the doors were. It was far enough not to hurt anyone but close enough to deal some heat damage and destroy any path out for those who might want to do that if their health were about to run out. "Lives that were meant to be lived..." Ace watched as his body locked weapons with the trio once again. It was amazing how he repeatedly did that and was still alive. ''Just how great those buffs of Nein are?'' The puppet wasn''t really fighting in truth. He was evading their attacks by help of Evasion skill and the shadows that surrounded him and made his moves unseen as he looked like a blob of dark matter the size of a kid. When they would get tired hitting air and try to go for Nein, he would slash and stab halting their moves. It was a never-ending circle. "Feelings that should have been shared..." Nein chanted as the world around him raged. People were fighting; their armour clanking and weapons clashing against each other, screams of anger, hurt and horror escaping people''s lips, venomous curses being growled out as crimson liquid gushed out and dark flames hissed in the background. "Laughter that should have brightened the day..." "Brother!" Par screamed as someone hit Monthu in the back. He had come from nowhere and disappeared right back as if not even having been there. Only Monthu lying bleeding out on the ground showed that it had been no imagination. "Smiles that were lost and never seen again..." "Brother!" Par screamed again jumping to run to him. "Stay there kid and cover me! I can''t hold them alone!" L screamed right back at him, somehow evading two swords, blocking another one and kicking the fourth guy in the shin. "If you don''t do that, I''ll fall and everything will be lost! Rowena assist me!" "Yes!" she said bringing her guy to the group and backing L up. Now they were two against five, not the best match up no matter how you looked at it. "Screams that were silenced..." Droplets of salty water ran down Par''s face as he murmured "Fireball!" "Be angry! Don''t you want to win this? The moment they''re all dead we can take care of your brother!" L hissed as he got hit in the shoulder. It decreased his movement and he felt like crying too. There was not a chance they would be able to hold much longer after he got slowed. "Tears that weren''t supposed to be shed..." "Hurry up you bastard!" L screamed, desperately trying to defend himself and not let anyone pass him. It was a giant''s work and his energy was waning. "Dreams missed in a sea of troubles..." He missed one hit and lost the use of his right hand. His staff fell lifeless to the ground as Rowena turned into a bear in a vain attempt to protect him. ''How did I mess up so badly?'' "Voices shouting in the dark let them hear your screams of sadness and frustration, of that which was lost to never be regained again. You who have lost everything under the rightful rule of kings and lords show yourselves and let them see it all. It is your time to set it right, Lordlings of Despair!" White lit creatures started to rise from the ground in a form of skeletons, ghosts and other kinds of undead. There were horrible suffering etched on their faces as they started to climb onto each other and scream in shrill, nightmare inducing voices. Everyone had to cover their ears if they didn''t want to go mad. The creatures rose and rose combining into other ones and those into even different ones until five god like people shining brilliant white stood looking high and mighty. Their faces were empty of any expression. Everyone in the cavern looked at them with eyes open wide but none managed to notice as they moved from their place and killed the five guys who were about to remove L from the living world. In another instant they stood right before Perin and his generals. The trio didn''t look happy at all. Nein came up to them as if he was in a film; heavy steps, relaxed pose and glaring eyes. "I told you it was too late for you when you allowed me to escape, I wasn''t kidding." He stopped right before them at the side of the puppet who fell on one knee and bowed his head. Ace started to plan how to kill the guy right that instance. Nobody ever made fun of him that much, ''I''m no slave!'' "Who are you?" Perin asked in a grave voice. "Why are you interfering with my revenge?" "Oh, I don''t know... Maybe because you tried to frame me for murder? Or just kill if that showed up to be a better choice?" Nein asked in a deadpan voice, questioning the guy¡¯s sanity. "It has nothing to do with you. Get out and leave me the kid." "Seriously... I think neither I nor everyone else gathered here has anything to do with it but we''ve all been forcefully brought none the less. Do you really think I''d trust your word to just let me out? Fat chance, my friend." "So kill me and feel the wrath of The Witch. She doesn''t take easily on someone killing off her subordinates!" "I know it and that''s why I want you to send her a message. If I''ll see you ever again in my path or following my puppet, she can say goodbye to you and your friends. That is all." "Who ar-" "There''s two more hiding in the shadows" said puppet without raising his head. ''So it can understand the information brought by [Instincts of a Predator] and act upon it? That''s scary.'' "Show yourselves!" Nein said loudly and Caro jumped out from near the river of lava or so it looked. Assassin didn''t feel like following that and Nein ordered one of the creatures to get him. In two seconds he was gone. Only a cloud of greyish mist revealed where he had been. "Do as I say or that will be your fate too. Now why were you hiding?" "Didn''t feel like fighting." Caro answered shrugging. "And The Witch will take care of this guy here. I''ll tell her your words." "Has she started listening to every lowly soldier? Her standards must have went down." "Don''t you dare say anything about her highness!" generals screamed in anger and jumped on him which resulted in their deaths. The creatures stood like stone guardians. No one had even noticed them move while the duo fell lifeless. "She''s a friend of mine in real life. Simple as that." "She has friends?" Nein asked with a raised eyebrow. "As surprising as that sounds the answer is yes. Maybe you want to tell her something else? She has been dying to meet you again." "Dying? You chose an interesting word there.¡± Nein laughed. ¡°Not that I disagree. Are you free to tell her that the next time we meet will be exactly as the previous one?" "As free as a bird. What happens afterwards will be my problem." "Who is he? How do you know him? Tell me?" Perin said, directing his questions towards Caro this time. "An acquaintance of The Witch. She had met him when she was travelling and didn''t have you guys yet to take care of. I wouldn''t say it was a fun meeting. For both sides" Caro explained with a secretive smile. "Why would you say that?" Nein chuckled not expecting a reply. "So now are you going to leave nicely and never get in my way or should I teach you a lesson first?" "Let me kill the kid and you can do whatever you want afterwards" hissed Perin, glaring at the bowing kid. Nein sighed. "Some people just have to learn from their own mistakes if they ever learn." As he said that one of the white glowing creatures raised its hand and red mist started to gather there coming from Perin''s body. Surprise showed on his face just before he disappeared in a grey cloud. "I''ll be leaving on my own!" Caro said with his hands raised in a giving up sign and taking careful steps back right into Hell''s fire. "Ouch¡± he murmured running out. When his steps could no longer be heard, the creatures started to fade away and in moments were gone. "That was taxing" Nein muttered, sitting down right where he stood. Sweat ran down his back in torrents. "Never in my life am I casting that spell again." "Why so?" L asked sitting up with Rowena''s help. "It worked wonders." "It did but it also made me the worst enemy that must be destroyed on sight for all churches, gave me two thousand infamy points and I received a title of Demon Summoner. How am I supposed to walk into a city ever again?" Nein asked, shaking his head. He knew a spell that was higher level than any player had yet achieved was going to cost a lot but this was ridiculous! "Wow, that''s..." "Exactly." Nein muttered turning around to see Par next to his brother, an empty vial beside him. "Hey kid! Can you bring some potions here too?" Par raised his head and after brother''s nod did as told. "Thanks." "You''re welcome." Ace was happy with the outcome. Now he would be safe from exposure. That brought an unwelcoming thought to him, to check it he flew through the walls and right beside the hidden entrance saw a huge group of soldiers looking around. They were about to find it too. Hurriedly, he returned to the cavern and got Nein''s attention. It was really annoying to be able to be seen by a single person and especially since he couldn''t hear you either. He pointed at the side of the cavern. "What now?" Nein asked tiredly. Ace jumped up and down pointing at the corner. "What is it?" he asked again, noting the frustrated expression. "What are you talking to repeatedly? Is it Ace?" Monthu asked, breathing a sigh of relief. He had thought that this time he was really going to die. "The kid? Yeah. I have an ability to see spirits. And he''s pointing there for some reason, looking quite desperate." "Kids!" L shouted out, jumping there to see a bunch of children lying close to each other. Most of them had eyes wide open and faces twisted in fear. There were no wounds on them but it was obvious none were going to wake up. "God, we forgot all about them..." "Wasn''t the guy you''ve killed talking something about finishing quickly and making their leave?" Monthu asked standing up and drinking one more potion to be at full health just in case. "That''s right! He mentioned an army or something." L echoed him, finally understanding the kid''s desperation. "We must get out of here! If we''re caught, they''ll think we did this! Rowena turn into a bug and be gone! I''ll leave with them. I doubt we have much time!" "Got it!" she said, leaving that moment. "I''ll wait in the forest." "Does anyone know a quick way out?" "Kid?" Nein asked and Ace nodded. "Everyone pack up your things and let''s go." They ran out more like than went out but, however it was done, they made it out safely and led by Ace went to the city where they found an inn and booked themselves rooms. Nein had hidden under a large cowl so no npc would recognise him and call guards. It was strange and extremely annoying how news about someone¡¯s fame or infamy points spread faster than light. "I think I''m going to log out now and take a rest" Rowena said after they ate and were free to do anything. "Good idea" echoed her L standing up. "Yeah, but I think I should first return the body to the kid. I have a feeling he''s tired of flying around like a ghost." "You think? Maybe he should have a bit more of that." L suggested with a smile. "Does that mean you have a score with him too?" "Not exactly but I wasn''t there on an accident, that''s for sure. On that note I believe I''ll have a few words to tell him and should stay. What will it take for you to return him?" "A cleric and an alchemy lab. I could return him even know but that would be his death." "Do you know where you can find one?" "N.." Ace nodded. "Yes. Will you find a cleric in the mean time?" "Yeah... Let''s meet here in a few hours. Will you wait too?" L asked Monthu who nodded. "Okay so be here in time." Nein left the inn following Ace and found where the alchemy guild was. It was almost empty so he easily found a room with suitable equipment. He took out some still quite fresh herbs and put them in boiling water while squashing five seeds and pouring the juices in. Last thing was a dried piece of meat which Ace didn''t try to identify. It could have been human''s for all he knew. "Sorry kid but you''ll have to drink it" Nein said turning the fire off and letting it cool down. "It''s the best antidote that I can make which works for almost all poisons. I''d love to make what you need specifically but without knowing what you''ve been poisoned with it''s just impossible.¡± Ace nodded in understanding. He used alchemy himself and knew its basics. Then Nein filled five bottles up to half and to each one poured some other potion. After shaking them he put all in the bag besides one. "Well, I''m finished. Lead me back." Ace rolled his eyes but did as told. How could someone not learn his way from having gone there was beyond him. He always made sure to remember many details in case he had to go back by himself. It was a habit learnt from young age when his parents were busy and often called to work at random hours. In the inn everyone was already waiting inside Nein¡¯s room besides Par. An old man with balding head and white clerical robes was standing with them, talking something with L. Both of them looked very interested in the conversation and had annoyed expressions when Nein interrupted them with his intrusion. "Have you done the antidote?" "Yes. Is your healer ready?" "I am" said the old man raising his staff which started to glow softly. "Puppet come here" Nein said and Ace''s body came from the corner he was standing in. "Now kid enter it. He had around ten health when I saved him and was poisoned so the heal must be instant. I''ll give him the antidote after that which will hopefully cure him." Ace flew towards his body and without any hesitation entered it wondering whether he always could have just done that. He felt his muscles flex, air enter lungs and energy leave his body. It wasn''t too awesome of a feeling going from being able to do everything to not being able to keep yourself up. His legs gave under him and Nein had to catch him so he wouldn''t lose more health by hitting his head against the floor. "Healing Heart!" White light surrounded Ace and his health shot up to the maximum. The guy was clearly not a beginner cleric. "Drink this" Nein said and Ace took the bottle with a disgusted expression; he knew how it was made. Taste was better than he expected before a fire rose in his throat. Literary. He breathed fire right in Nein''s face which he didn''t look to have appreciated. "What the hell of an antidote was that?" Ace asked in a shout, that being his first words after a long time. "Not my best test one" Nein muttered putting off the fire on his hair. "I think I shouldn''t have added that Mandragore''s root in the end..." "Really?" Ace asked him with a raised eyebrow. "You used me as a test subject? Again?" "That''s for betraying me. I still don''t get why you did it and then saved me although I''m thankful for that." "Accident... I was exploring and didn''t think that someone was behind a wall" Ace answered shrugging and jumping to sit on the bed. Everyone was looking his way with different emotions in their faces which gave him a bad feeling that he was going to have a talk with each one. "It showed up that I was mistaken." Nein looked at him wondering whether to believe it or not. He wanted to but the memory of Ace cold-heartedly stabbing a defenceless man was etched into his mind and no innocent smiles were going to remove it. Now that he thought about it, it didn''t seem like the kid was really trying to do that. He was just doing whatever he wanted to, ignoring laws and moral codes. He wasn''t cut to be a knight for sure. While he was keeping quite Ace''s eyes went to L and darkened. "What are you still doing here? I don''t remember ever inviting you in. It was your luck that you were behind Par and Monthu. Get out now." "Hey, you''ve been making too many wrong assumptions lately. Yo-" "So you''re not standing here to have a chat with me?" "That''s not th-" "So I''m not wrong and you''re not welcome to stay a second longer. Get out." Ace hissed. He really didn''t want to play with that guy any more. "Wait! Let me explain myself before leaving! First I still know something which you want kept quiet." Ace stood up, Kris appearing in his right hand. "Hey, calm down! I just wanted to remind you that our deal is still up! No rules have been broken yet. So you should keep the end of your bargain without fail. What you lent me was useful and I suggest you use it too. That is all. Bye" L said and taking cleric by the hand left the room. "What was that all about?" Monthu asked as Ace fell down with a loud exhale. "You seem to have forgotten to mention how you personally know this guy when you were too busy to even receive a reward." Ace closed his eyes for a second, debating what to tell and when he opened them saw two pairs of eyes looking at him with curiosity. There was no judgement or distrust in them. Those people just wanted to know what he got himself involved in this time and whether he''ll drag them in to help him out or not. He closed his eyes again. And smiled tiredly. "He found out that I have forced his quest on you while it was supposed to be fair competition and asked me how I managed to do it. Then I played him for a fool which he caught up on too late and was pretty amazed and angry spending half his resources to find some dirt on me." "And he found some" Monthu said, not even phrasing it as a question. "Every person has their own secrets" Ace answered shrugging once again. "So what of it? What is the deal?" "I have to do some gathering around. He decided that if I could find a man''s lover after over thirty years had passed and they had spent only a moment together with no one to record it, that I would be a useful asset to him on dirt finding." "Will you?" "I''ve had an argument with him and even have deleted him from my contacts but it seems he has eyes only for the end goal so I''m not sure. I might stick around to see how far he can get. What about you? Will you allow Par to stay around me? Or have I become too dangerous?" Ace asked raising his hand and looking at it. Nothing had changed and he knew it wasn''t going to, ever. "I-" "Wait a moment! Let me ask something here!" Nein said and Ace bore his eyes into him that were cold and lifeless. Exactly like those of the puppet and not the kid''s they were just a few minutes ago when L and cleric was around. "Why do you treat him like an adult? And why he suddenly acts like one? Maybe he is-" *Swooosh* Dagger passed right by his head, barely missing his eye. "Another word and next time it won''t miss" Ace hissed having sat up and holding another throwing dagger. "If I were you, I wouldn''t accuse him of anything. I can tell it won''t end happily even if you were ten times stronger than him" Monthu said sitting down by a window and glancing outside. It was midday and many people were walking around, merchants desperately trying to sell off their goods. No one would hear even if a fight broke out, unless it destroyed the whole building that is. He wasn''t sure what to expect from this mage guy. "An explanation would be great then..." muttered Nein, secretly moving closer to the door. It didn''t pass by anyone''s eyes. Monthu looked at Ace but the kid was busy glaring and thinking of ways to kill Nein so he decided to try and stop it. They had all just escaped certain death and there was no reason to kill each other afterwards. "He''s not as young as he looks although he''s really just a kid. Such people are often called geniuses." "A child prodigy?" Nein asked surprised. He no longer sneaked towards the door but looked more closely at Ace. "What is he doing here?" "Who knows? We met him while travelling. He felt like forcing us to be with him and in time we got used to it" answered Monthu. "And questioning him never worked out.¡± "And you got used to that too?" "It makes life a bit more colourful and even though you curse him at a time, you remember those adventures with a smile. That''s all there''s to it. And to answer your question Ace, Par waited all this time to meet up so I think now you''ll have to spend some time with him. "I think I''ll manage" Ace answered with a smile, lowering his weapon. "You can go now Nein and think of a way to explain how you survived to Perry. I believe that''ll take some time." "Don''t remind me..." Nein said rolling his eyes. "Wish me luck!" "Best of ideas then" said Ace as Nein closed doors behind himself. "So I''m a genius now?" "I doubted you would want me sharing your story to the whole world. Did you?" "No, thanks. Is Par in your room?" "Yeah, but he''s already gone. He needed some rest." "I understand. You''ll be going too then?" "Yes." "Can you tell him then that I''ll be waiting?" "Yeah. Try and not get into any trouble until we return, okay?" "Can''t promise anything" Ace said with a laugh. "Still have some business to take of before leaving." "Good luck then on not getting killed." "Thanks" Ace said and the moment Monthu was gone left through a window. He climbed around for a bit until he found L''s one and entered through it. "You''re faster than I expected. Did you just tell them to leave and didn''t even go to see the kid?" L said with a teasing smile. "That''s none of your business. What exactly do you want me to do?" "You remember the guy Marion?" Ace nodded. "I need you to sniff around him. The guy has been growing too big and he''s thinking of taking me over. I can''t have that. Anything you can dig up will be great." "Where does he live?" "Five cities away but everything around here belongs to him. He has six cities and is about to take over another two after which mine one''s time will come. We have to do something before that happens." "I''ll think about it." "I preferred if you did something instead of thinking. You know that when I fall, I''ll take you down with me." "I have a feeling." Ace said leaving. He was about to return to his room when a merchant''s call took his attention. "Trained sparrow! Selling a trained sparrow! Only ten gold! Trained sparrow! Just ten gold!" Ace smiled and climbed down, running to the merchant. "I want it! I want it!" 4.0 Previous Chapter "Once upon a time, in a faraway place lived a king and a queen. Their kingdom prospered and everyone was happy but the rulers themselves. They had a son who was very prideful and cared nothing about hurting others." A boy standing behind the curtains took a deep breath, when he heard those words, and softly pushed by his teacher went onto the stage. Hundreds of eyes focused on him. They were full of expectation and impatience. All of the parents were waiting for their kids to show up. Kirin looked for familiar faces but didn''t find them. His parents had said they wouldn''t be able to come yet he still had hoped. It was Christmas time and miracles were supposed to be happening. With wooden legs he walked closer to the middle and cursing stars tried to remember his lines. "No one will tell me what to do! I am a prince and your future king! I have no need to know what servants like you all are talking about!" *** The play was an enormous success. Everyone was surprised at how well the story flowed and the teacher was praised all the time. It had been actually interesting to see and remember your own childhood, watching the kids in action. "It''s not only my victory but the children¡¯s too. All of them gave it all, especially Kirin. Never even once in practice did he do everything so perfectly. He''s our little star this evening." "He sure is. Amazing work, boy." Kirin thanked the person and waited for the teacher to let him go. She noticed that his parents weren''t there and had decided to take care of him herself. "Kirin wanna come play with us?" Veronica, often called Vera or Nica, asked him and wanting to escape all the praises he agreed. "Teacher, I''ll be with Nica, okay?" "Yes, yes. Go and have fun, just come back to me once you''re done." "Okay" he said nodding and followed the girl to where everyone had gathered. On the way Colin stopped him. The guy was eighteen years old and was a brother of Kevin. He was leaving the town this year to become a film producer. "Hey, kid! You were great! Wanna tell me your secret, how you managed to pull it off? I would have expected that of Vera or my brother as they''re spoiled rotten but you acting so haughty and self-absorbed was a shock. You''re a talent! I tell you!" He shouted out, grabbing Kirin and raising him in the air. "Will you star in my film once you grow up? I''ll need someone to make me popular!" Kirin laughed. "Sure and then you''ll owe me a mountain of candies for helping you!" "Only? I''ll be able to buy you ten!" He said putting the boy down and falling on one knee, looking at him seriously. "Just don''t forget it, okay? It''s a promise!" Kirin nodded and Colin shook his hand before smiling widely and leaving after a wave. That was the last Kirin ever saw of him. "Hurry up! Everyone''s waiting!" Nica said impatiently, tugging at his extravagant shirt. None had changed their clothes from the play. Kirin nodded and went after her where he was instantly tagged it and had to chase other kids. He did that with great skill. He might not have been as strong or agile as others but he was good at navigating between people and making swift decisions. In moments he tagged Kevin and escaping his hand ran away. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original."Kids, don''t run among people! There''s place enough for everyone!" The order wasn''t heard and children continued to run rampant, trying to catch each other. Kirin was one of them, trying desperately not to get caught. Games were all fun and good but no game was just a game. Pride and status was lying there, especially of one who had never played before. He wasn''t going down easily. He had to win. But there was no winning a tag. So he played until they all got tired and returned to their parents'' side. Then he was left all alone. He watched them interacting for a moment before turning around and when nobody was looking sneaking away. The school wasn''t locked so he went inside and wandered around for a bit. The place was quiet, cold and empty. An abandoned classroom caught his attention and he went inside. Lights danced through the windows and he went closer. The party was in full swing. Classmates were playing another game while their parents chatted together. ''Where are they?'' he wondered sitting down on a windowsill. They had said it and yet he couldn''t believe it. It was his first year in a school. First time going on a stage. First time spending more than a few moments with his classmates not in a lesson. They hadn''t come. The whole evening he sat looking at the celebration below and waiting for them to round the corner. They had to come at one point or another. The night deepened and people started to thin out. Goodbyes reached Kirin''s ears and waves were thrown his way. Or so he imagined sitting high up and watching as everyone departed. When the school was about to be closed a person he''d been waiting for all evening showed up. There was a tired smile on his face as he met the teacher. "Hello, Mrs. Lowgroun" "Hey! If it isn''t my favourite student! Ho are you doing?" the woman asked with a wide smile. "I have to work a lot but we''re as tight as ever. How has Kirin been? Did he do well?" "Amazing! He made the show work out! The kid has talent! I wouldn''t be surprised if he became a well-known actor one day!" "Really? Where is he now? I need to congratulate him then." "Uhm... He was just playing with the kids..." The two looked around and saw an empty courtyard. There was not a single soul there. "Hey, Kirin! Come here!" A small boy left his hiding place behind the front doors and came closer. There was betrayal in his eyes but a bright smile on his lips. "You''re finally here father!" He said glancing around, black shadow passing over his face. "Where is mother?" "Sorry, she had three times the work today because everyone left and couldn''t make it. Tonight we''ll have to be with just the two of us. So how did it go?" "Great! Everyone loved the play!" "He was absolutely stunning! You should have seen how believable he was when he pretended to order everyone around! I could have sworn he had been doing it every moment of his life!" "Our little prince" father said with fondness in his voice and Kirin smiled proudly taking his father''s hand. They left with happy chatter, Kirin recounting every little detail he could remember and creating those he didn''t. His leaving the celebration had never happened. Next Chapter 4.1 Request Previous Chapter There was commotion in the city. The church had declared its independence from the lord and was creating a new kind of order. High priest collected a group of believers which from then on said they were equal in power to the lord. That, of course, wasn''t welcomed happily by the guy in question. In a few days the whole city was divided into two groups. Street fights, random beatings and even dead bodies became everyday life. It was dangerous to leave home. Those who left for work were not expected to return. Trust became scarce and friendships started to dwindle. Players were invited to join both factions and got many quests concerning the influence fight. They were simple to receive and favour quickly stacked up. The only question on everyone''s mind was who was going to win for the loser¡¯s side will be unwelcome in the city afterwards. Many predictions were made but no one could tell. The lord''s rule had been weak but the high priest wasn''t too well known either. Both were unknown and people just joined either one, trusting their gut instincts. That was the place Ace returned to after a good night''s sleep or as close to that as he could after a very enlightening talk with his parents. It had been nightmarish and he wasn''t sure whether he managed to get some sleep at all or not. Luckily the game didn''t portray how you looked that moment in real life. He found himself back in his inn room and this time left normally through the doors. Monthu and Par were still offline so he decided to wait for them outside. The first place he went to was herb shop where he bought everything that was there. It was a fortune used but in his bank he had more than enough to keep him fed and clothed for years to come. Remembering that he went to a clothes shop carrying his ten or so bags filled with all kinds of herbs. Inside he was met by player apprentice who sized him up and promised to make the best of clothes for him by the evening. He requested only a single thing, that he would have a purple scarf. It wasn''t a usual order but nothing too extravagant so the female easily agreed. When he went out, he noticed many people having gathered around and pretending to be doing something. They failed miserably. ''Who in their right minds would send such an amount of people to spy? How could they ever look inconspicuous?'' He wondered going on his way. He needed an abandoned house or something to start up his alchemy lab. In the less used part of the city he felt the presence of five people following him. He had noticed them previously but didn''t think they were after him. "I didn''t do anything yet!" he muttered to himself, thinking of how to act next. Before he had decided they jumped out and circled him. It was five humans with an emblem of a crown on their chests. Ace had not the slightest idea of who they might be. "Where''s your sign?" one asked taking a step forward. "Sign?" Ace asked surprised. Was he supposed to get one somewhere? "Which side you belong to? Or are you a two faced maggot?" "Who? Me? Not at all!" Ace said. "Just where do we belong again?" "Do you think we''re stupid or what? You''re a two-sider!" another shouted out, pointing at Ace. He was around thirty and had a face twisted in anger. "Give us everything you have or we''ll kill you right here and take it!" Ace looked at his bags wondering what they would do with so many herbs. Throw them all out? Sell back to the shop? ''I think I better not find out. My alchemy skill still needs to be raised.'' "Give it to us" the boss one said in a controlled voice as the others raised swords in a threatening manner. ''How bad it must be if they''re preying on a child? What happened to this city in a few days I was gone?'' No more warnings were given and the group attacked. Ace dropped his bags and fell down to evade their attack. He rolled to side and slashed at someone''s legs who screamed very loudly. After that he jumped up and using [Shadow Dash] appeared behind the guy''s back and used [Heart-seeker]. The person fell lifeless and to Ace''s surprise didn''t disappear. ''They''re not players?'' He didn''t feel like killing npcs but they didn''t give him a choice. Attacks came from all sides but now that he paid attention to it, they were slow and sloppy. ''Those people probably never held a sword in their hands. Did they really plan to take care of me with only numbers?'' "Ice Field!" Ace cast and grabbed his bags. "See you!" he threw at them and using [Shadow Dash] jumped away, behind a house''s corner where he used [Shadow Veil]. There he stood for a moment allowing the group to pass and returned to where they had been fighting. The single victim lay motionless with its eyes wide open and chest stained in blood. ''Poor guy. Had he only given any sign he was npc, he wouldn''t be lying here now.'' Ace crouched down beside him and looked over the things the guy carried. It might give him some insight into what was happening here. He picked up the crown emblem but left two pouches full of coins. It wasn''t much for him but a surprisingly high sum for a non-player to be carrying around. ''Where did he get it? Or is he a noble?'' He looked at the clothes but they weren''t much. Dark grey trousers and brown jacket over a shirt. It was mid-class, which meant they were special occasion ones for poor or work clothes for rich. There was no item to tell which one they belonged to. Shrugging he stood up and this time under the veil looked for a place. Not too far away he saw a wooden house. Its roof had fallen in and one side was down so it was empty of life. Crawling inside he found remnants of a fire in the still standing part of the room and a bed with dirty sheets. It seemed to not have been touched for days. He threw some wood on the ground and told [Flare] to light it up when he noticed it wasn''t around. ''Oh right, it disappeared back then for some reason.'' "Flare!"
*Warning! Flare is a fire spirit. You have drained all her energy and she needs more time to regenerate. If you still want to summon, another creature will be called and your skill level will be lost. Do you wish to continue?*
"Of course no! What just happened here? Since when is Flare a spirit?" Ace asked surprised and looked at the wood, thinking of how in the world was he going to light it up now. He had no other fire spells and flint wasn''t an object he carried all around with him. Not that he knew how to use it. "Should I go and buy it or just read something?" He wondered for a moment before picking a book from his backpack and starting to read about an old emperor who actually had been an impostor. It was a diary of the last days and showed the man''s sorrow at being misunderstood all his life and not having a successor, having been afraid to marry. Just as Ace was reading about moments before death, darkness fell on him. "What?" he looked around, not understanding the situation. When he raised his head, he saw clouds hiding the sun. "When was the last time I paid any attention to weather while reading?" He had [Flare] to always have light and [Gust] to keep rain or other elements away. "Does that mean Gust is a wind spirit? Why didn''t it stay with me as Flare had?" To check that he opened his skill menu and found his little flame.
Flare[Active]Advanced[1] It is a simple spell that illuminates ones surroundings by a faint light. It is the only spell that can be used while meditating. Ancient magicians created it to teach young to channel their mana and concentrate. Only those who managed to keep the fragile light on for half a day were allowed to become apprentices of Magic. Special: The spell has reached advanced level and the spirit has become attuned to your soul. You can control it with your mind and word commands are no longer necessary.
"So that''s why it stayed with me and I could control it! Just whose mana was she using all that time?" It was a question without answer and Ace tiredly stood up. Dark clouds promised rain and he needed fire first and foremost to be able to do anything. He left the bags trusting that no one would want them even if someone entered the place and found his way back into the main parts of the city. There he found an inn and sneaked in next to the hearth from which he grabbed a still burning log. He brought it to himself so [Shadow Veil] hid it too and carefully walked out. It burnt his hand and was very uncomfortable but he hurried on to his hiding place in the same manner. Once inside he put some herbs down along the dry logs so they would catch fire quicker and put the burning one down. Right at that moment rain started up and Ace almost lost all his work. Luckily the flame survived those first few drops and by then Ace had used [Gust] to patch the hole in the roof up. Little by little the fire started up and warmth spread in the small room. Ace smiled at his great work and took out a pot to boil some water and create potions. He needed some more better ones as all of his were used in that last fight. He had many lower ones but those might not be capable of saving lives in a thick of battle. There was not much of poison left too. He used way too much of it when playing around being Silver Wing or just rampaging around. He spent the day and night brewing elixirs, some of them for the first time. A few bags were spent but many others were still full of herbs. It would take him a sleepless week to finish them all out. In the morning Par contacted him and asked to meet up so Ace put all the elixirs inside his bag and looked at the leftover herbs. After a moment he decided to leave them all there but block off the entrance. He did it easily by using [Gust] to aid him in pushing a pretty large log on the path. Taking a step back he looked at his handiwork and grinning left the place. Outside the tavern he saw Par standing beside Monthu. Once the kid noticed him, he rushed forward with one of his bright smiles. "Ace!" "Hi, Par! Have you had a good time home?" "Yeah! We went to the pool with Monthu in the morning and it was amazing! Do you like swimming?" "Well, I used to go everyday once upon a time but not any more. Too lazy when I''m alone." "You live alone?" "Most of the time. It''s pretty boring really, that''s why I''m always online." "Oh..." "Do you have anything planned for today?" Ace asked, secretly opening his bag menu. Par shook his head. "No. Why?" "I don''t know... Maybe because it''s your birthday?" Par''s eyes widened and even Monthu glanced Ace''s way in surprise. "You thought I''d forget, didn''t you?" Ace laughed and from his backpack took out a golden book. It was the one from that long time ago with a spell called [Creature of Deepest Fires]. "It''s a little present; I thought you might like it." Par carefully took it in his hands and touched reverently. Skill books were pricey and very rare,especially those who contained high level spells. The golden colour meant it was third level. First was bronze, then silver, gold, platinum, diamond and then glowing ones. Only one of the last ones had been found and no one was yet able to learn its spell. "Are you sure I can have it?" "Yes, yes!" Ace said almost jumping up and down. "I got it all for you! Try it out already!" Par glanced at Monthu who just shrugged and nodded after the continued look. "If he says it was meant for you, it would be disrespectful to refuse. You have no choice here." "Exactly" added Ace. Par looked back at the book and put his hand on it. "Learn" he said in wonder and golden light washed over him. A see-through window appeared before his eyes.
New Spell Acquired! Creature of Deepest Fires[Active] You summon a cherufia. It is an offspring of a snake of unknown origin that thrives in the heat and is often found living in volcanoes. Scientists had never agreed whether they were animals that had well adapted or spirits possessing bodies of snakes and strengthening them so they could live in solitude. The higher skill level the stronger cherufia can be called upon. There''s a rumour that whoever mastered this spell will be able to summon the mother Cherufe herself who causes volcanoes to erupt and creates earthquakes. Mana Cost 1500
"So how do you like it?" Ace asked looking at him with hopeful eyes. "Oh wait, you have to try it out first to know! Let''s go outside and see it, okay?" He said grabbing Par''s hand before the kid could answer and dragging him to the walls that stood high and could be seen from anywhere in the city. Monthu followed a few steps behind. Guards let them leave without a word and soon they stood next to a dark forest in whose darkest parts unwelcome memories lay. "But there are no monsters here. We hadn''t met any when coming to this place." Par complained, a bit unhappy that there was nothing to test his new spell at. "There must be something..." Ace muttered to himself. "Wait here a moment, I''ll go look." He dashed off leaving the two standing by the start of the trees. "What spell was it?" Monthu asked when Ace was out of sight. "A summoning! Now I can call upon a fire snake!" "Is that so..?" "Yes, yes! I really hope there are some monsters to try it out on!" "I hope so too. Let''s go after him, he''ll find something anyway." Par smiled and rushed into the forest, Monthu on his heels. They wandered around for some time before noticing a cave entrance on which a flag with two wands crossed flew high. Ace went out from bushes nearby and his eyes widened for a second before a smile returned to his face. "It''s a dungeon! Let''s go inside!" "Yes!" Par agreed instantly and alongside Ace ran in. The way was lighted by torches and some ten steps in, a message appeared before their eyes. *Cave of Despair It is a place where ten great warriors met their doom fighting an evil necromancer. Villagers say that at night it is possible to see their ghosts walking around and challenging anyone who is in the cave''s vicinity. Denrik from Heylo city is looking for adventurers capable of defeating them but proof is needed to earn his respect.* "Have you been here before?" Monthu asked, looking around. The cave felt eerie with the flickering flames of torches creating shadows and leaving corners in darkness. "Nope but now we can explore it!" *Shreee* An ear piercing sound reached the group and a banshee rounded the corner. Noticing them she screamed even louder and rushed over to attack. Monthu blocked her approach with his scythe while Ace hid in his veil to sneak around. Par started to chant. "Deep within the heat sleeps a creature born of fire, her breaths a toxic fume, her body sleek and deadly, Raise Cherufia!" Black smoke started to collect in front of Par. It twisted and curled as if something living was inside trying to break free. Next moment a little snake, the size of a kid''s hand, lay motionless with its ruby red eyes glowing with intellect. "Well, that''s not exactly what I expected." Monthu said quietly to himself, glancing over his shoulder and Ace echoed him. "I was waiting for something more too..." "Attack!" Par said pointing with his finger and the snake shot like a bullet towards the banshee wrapping around its neck. Then it bit into her neck and fiery liquid seeped out of its fangs. The banshee shrieked in pain, its face twisting and she turned incorporeal for a few moments. It was an ability of all ghosts which made them annoying opponents and people rarely went hunting where many of them lived. The snake dropped to the ground hissing indignantly and Ace finished the banshee once she became solid again. "Isn''t it great?" Par asked looking lovingly at his new summoning. Monthu looked at it with interest too now. "It might really come in handy. I think if you summoned fire elemental as well we might be able to go deeper in and without a healer." "Yay!" Par said happily and did as told. In the meantime Ace went ahead to scout. It was always a good idea to prepare for what was coming next instead of running in blindly. Although, that was much more interesting. Two ghosts were floating by the wall. They didn''t seem to be too high level, close to the banshee which had been around fifty by Ace''s opinion. Hopefully higher level monsters were spawning deeper inside the dungeon. He wanted to see how well that little snake would be able to fight against a real opponent because even Par was at least thirty levels higher than the banshee. He returned to the two and reported about the ghosts. "How strong are they?" "Nothing much. If you took their attention, we could win without any damage." "Are you needed?" Ace smiled guessing what Monthu was thinking. "No, I''ll go look for something better. Let him enjoy the moment." After Monthu''s nod he used [Shadow Veil] and went ahead. He could get rid of these ghosts pretty fast if he was given a chance but it wasn''t the main point of their outing today. It was Par''s birthday and he would have a lot of fun killing monsters even if they were lower level than him as long as they fought back. He looked for places where there were most monsters and mapped them in his memory. The whole first floor was simply these monsters so they shouldn''t run out of things to fight any time soon. Then he returned and sneak attacked a banshee taking a lot of its health down. "Par can I get some help?" he asked pretending to be having a hard time and dodged a fireball that would have exploded on his shoulder. "Nice hit! Thanks!" The kid smiled and sent another fireball to help out his brother. It hit right on target and he cast another one. Elemental and the snake were taking care of another banshee. They weren''t having too much trouble. Once any enemies died Ace would lead another group in so Par would have lots of creatures to aim at and would hit most of the time. The plan was working and the kid was smiling widely, using his spell to the fullest. One thing Ace found annoying was that he used only one while most likely having many more. That had to be changed. He waited a long time playing along and to not grow bored doing the stupidest of things. He jumped around, did summersaults, started to dance in Egyptian style and did silly faces to make Par laugh. "That''s no way to fight" Monthu said with a smile on his own face and Ace showed him a tongue. "That''s my way!" He shouted out with a laugh and after climbing a wall to the ceiling dived down with his hands together forward and a dagger between them. He slashed at some random ghost that got in his path and rolled down on the ground to soften the fall. He lost some health for it but didn''t really care. A sudden excitement to try out all the most idiotic stunts possible bubbled inside him and he was planning on making it come true. The fact that Par was laughing from behind and even Monthu chuckled from time to time was only encouraging him on. "Ice field!" He cast and started to slide around. He had done this a few times and knew how to fight on the frozen surface while his enemies fell but never had he tried to play tricks on it. It was as good a time as any to try it out. He spun around himself throwing daggers and somehow kept his balance but once he tried to jump up in the mid of a second spin it his right foot slipped and he fell backwards. "Owowow!" He muttered and ignoring Monthu''s look motioned Par to come. "Hey join me up! I feel like a clown making fun of myself like that..." "I don''t know..." Par said uncertainly and looked to Monthu for advice. "Should I?" This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. There was a strange look in Monthu''s eyes. Sadness and a steely determination. ''What is happening here?'' Ace wondered looking between the two brothers. ''Since when anyone needs to ask before going out to play on ice? Kids are the only ones who are free to do it whenever they feel like it!'' "You should try it. This is a game after all." Ace looked as a smile blossomed on Par''s face when he rushed towards the edge of the frozen floor. Carefully Par took a step on and almost instantly slipped. Ace got to him right on time to catch from falling. "Have you never been on ice before?" asked Ace, keeping his friend up. "Uhm... No... I j-" "Par no need to explain everything. Nobody brings their real life problems here and has secrets. Isn''t that right, Ace?" Monthu asked and Ace after a second nodded. "True. It''s only fair we get to keep them." He would have liked to know the reasoning why Par was so doted on but they hadn''t tried to pry on him too much so he had to do the same. At least for the time being. "Then let''s change the rules! I''ll show you the best thing about ice!" he said. "Look at me and repeat my actions." He released Par''s hand and walked fifteen steps away. Then he turned swiftly and ran at full speed towards the ice on which he jumped, skating to the other side of the hall. Wind brushed his face and Ace smiled widely catching himself on the next wall. "Now it''s your turn!" "Is it really okay..? Won''t I fall?" "Come on! Just try it! You can do it! Just don''t hesitate before going and use the momentum to push you forward!" Ace rallied. "I believe in you!" Par nodded slowly, still doubting himself, but he really wanted to try it out. Carefully he reached the place from where Ace had started to run and turned around. White ground not too far away looked foreboding and even deadly. "Par don''t chicken out now! Only one step left! Don''t tell me you''re scared of following me!" The kid looked at his best friend and seeing encouragement there started to run. He wanted to be like him who feared nothing and was able to look at everything with a laugh. No situation was ever a dead end to him. He jumped on the icy part of the floor and felt himself speed up even more. Air pushed against him and he felt his knees go weak. What was he doing here? He didn''t know how to slide at all! The kid started to waver and Ace watched his flight with weary eyes. Par was halfway through but he had already closed his eyes bracing for an impact. "Wild vines!" he cast, catching Par mid fall. "Release. Now it wasn''t that bad, was it?" Ace asked jogging to his friend. Par raised his face and there was joy there in full view; eyes shining and his mouth corners reaching ears. "That was amazing! Can I try it again?" Ace breathed a sigh and matched Par''s smile. "Only if you can catch up to me!" he threw and taking a few steps slid back to the other side of the passageway. *** "What is happening here!" a voice shouted out and startled the two kids sliding back and forth. They tried to stop midway and ended up crashing against each other. "Hey! What was that for?" Ace asked indignantly, massaging his forehead. His eyes locked on the newcomers from the depths of the dungeon. "What in the name of all that''s holy is going on here?" Ace looked around. The cave entrance area had a fire going next to which Monthu was sitting and polishing his weapon. In the middle icy floor was on which he and Par was sitting for the moment. Walls and ceiling were overgrown with vines in case either of them decided to get too close to them at full speed. "What''s wrong?" he asked finding no fault. The seemingly leader guy stepped forward and circled his finger around. "Everything? What have you done with this place! And you''re not even supposed to be here!" There was annoyance on his immaculately shaved face that looked at odds with his ragged appearance. He and the rest of his group were dirty, had tears in their clothes and armour and there was tiredness in their disposition. They didn¡¯t look like a very scary bunch. "We''re not?" "This is a private dungeon belonging to our guild. Outsiders aren''t allowed in" he glared at them. "How did you get through Avalon anyway?" "Ava-who?" "He''s the guy who stands guard today and should have stopped you from entering. Hadn''t you seen him?" Ace shook his head. "We saw no one coming here. I had even hoped it might be an undiscovered place." "As if!" Someone from behind laughed and the leader glared at him before turning back to Ace. "Can I ask why had you come here in the first place?" "We needed to try out some skills and then decided to play around some. Is that a good enough answer or should I elaborate more?" "Watch your tongue kid!" the guy from the back spat again and Ace shifted his position to get a better look at him. The guy was in his early twenties with bright yellow eyes and jet black hair. He had an axe strapped to his back but wore the weakest of armours, leather. That was an obvious hint he wasn¡¯t of the main warrior classes. "Rover, shut up. Kid what level are you?" "But boss you can''t think of asking them for help! They''re children!" "Rover!" the leader guy said, glaring at his subordinate. "I doubt you would dare to come here hunting yourself while they''re having a picnic." "So what! It''s probably all that guy¡¯s doing! If we need someone, at least ask only him!" "Just shut your trap if you have nothing good to say. Do you really think he''d come without them?" The leader shook his head in annoyance. "So kid what level are you?" "Higher than these little creatures you call monsters in this dungeon." "Any proof?" Ace smiled deviously and stood up pointing his dagger at the guy that had been foul mouthing him. "What do you say if I asked for a duel? Or are you too much of a chicken?" "I-I-" "He can''t do that! He''s of an adventurer class!" a female from the back said angrily. She was wearing a bright red dress that made her stand out from the crowd. The smile on Ace''s face only widened. "I''m a rogue and I''m not looking for girls to hide behind their backs. Or is that how men are brought up in where you come from?" The guy''s cheeks turned soft pink. "Dawn there''s no need to say anything. I''m going to kill this stupid kid and we can leave this cave and return some other time.¡± He came to stand before Ace and officially asked him to a duel through the options. It was the only way to kill a person and not receive infamy points or a red mark above the head. "The match to the death!" "Sure" agreed Ace. "No" disagreed the leader. "No unnecessary deaths, Rover, or you''ll be suspended." "Fine." He hissed and sent a new invitation. *You have been challenged! Rover is asking you to a duel to one health point. Do you accept? Yes/No* Ace clicked yes and jumped back to evade the great axe coming his way. The attack had weight behind it but was so slow it seemed like it hardly even moved. ''Did he put even a one point in dexterity?'' The answer seemed to be no as Ace almost fell asleep waiting for the next attack. He decided to play around some for the sake of it. It would be too evil to just destroy him in a second. Although anyone who knew anything of the game could see that he was just making fun of the guy. "Stand still and fight, you little monkey! This is not dodge ball!" "I told you I am a rogue. Did you really expect me to fight face to face?" Ace asked with a raised eyebrow, evading another swing. It was child''s play really. But one that quickly got boring. Once that happened Ace activated [Flame Step] and ran around the guy surrounding him in a circle of fire. Then he used [Excessive Heat] to start glowing red and jumped right on the guy who didn''t react on time. [Shadow Dash] got Ace right over him and he used [Backstab] followed by [Cut-throat]. He didn''t use his instant kill ability but the two used along with poison had to have done quite some damage. Ace quickly turned around to block the upcoming axe when he noticed that nothing was coming. His opponent was lying flat on his stomach, bluish shield surrounding him so Ace wouldn''t be able to finish him off.
You have won a duel! +5 Fame
''That''s a lot... Did the guy ever do anything worthy in his life?'' The fame granted from the duel was decided by the difference between fighters and whether it was their first fight among themselves. Ace didn''t have that much fame but his opponent didn''t seem to be able to brag either. "You lied to me!" Ace said angrily, pointing his finger at the leader. The guy fell way too fast; he had to be level twenty or not have half his health to die so quickly. His damage was great but nothing to fall a guy in two hits, especially when his poison dealt damage over time. "It was nowhere near a fair duel." "Sh-" "Shut your trap" Ace hissed glaring at the fallen guy. "Another word and I won''t care about the killer¡¯s mark." His eyes turned dark purple and the person gulped involuntarily. Satisfied Ace turned back to the leader. "You sent him to die and I don''t like to be played for a fool. Tell me one reason why I shouldn''t just kill all of you." "You wouldn''t dare to! There''s more of us!" the female said angrily, leaving the group and carefully walking towards her friend. She said that but kept her eyes glued to his every movement. "But I can try and I promise at best a few would survive. I don''t like leaving witnesses" Ace said. calling softly upon [Flare]. Particles of light gathered near his head creating an almost invisible spark. Ace saw it from the corner of his eye and felt a pang of guilt; the little flame was nowhere near rested enough. Single burst was probably going to destroy it. But she had answered his summons and he felt better. There was at least a single thing that came when he needed it. "Please let me explain, there''s no need for any fighting" leader said coming forward and raising his hands in a calming gesture. "We didn''t want to test you like that but you''re in our lands and you have to pay to get here. I can now tell that you''re a great person and this trespassing was just an accident. To treat it that way and give you permission I only ask that you would accompany us in a single fight. What do you think?" Ace tilted his head slightly thinking about the suggestion. Of course he could easily fight them and maybe even kill some but that would achieve nothing and Par''s birthday would be ruined. Even now it was coming to that. He had to resolve the situation quickly if he wanted to save it. "Is it the ghosts the dungeon entrance message mentioned?" "Yes. For some reason they have joined sides and can''t be separated. Our only healer died and we barely managed to escape alive after trying to escape them.¡± "So you want to say that you''re all half-dead and expect to win without any healer just because the three of us would join?" Ace asked in disbelief. He hoped the leader knew something he didn''t or this was going to be a suicide mission and he had had enough of those. "Isn''t that guy in the back a healer?" Ace turned back to see whether there was someone else there but it was only Monthu sitting by the fire and not paying any attention. Outwardly. Kid was sure he was listening to every word said. "It''s a scythe not a staff! Since when healers carried those?" There was disappointment on leader''s face. He seemed to have honestly thought that Monthu was a cleric. "It cannot be done then. We''re too low." Ace thought for a moment and knew the answer how it could be done. But first he wanted to find out whether Par wanted that to happen. It was his day after all. Ace came to where his friend was still sitting and looking him straight in the eyes asked. "Do you want to help them out? Or should we leave and find a place to have some fun elsewhere?" There was a thoughtful look on the kid''s face before he answered. "People should be helped if it is possible. Can you do something about it?" Ace sighted before nodding. "It''s not as hard as it looks. Together we have the same power as all of them or even more. The fight should be a piece of cake." Par looked at him with a question in his eyes but Ace had already turned around and was walking towards the leader. "Does your guild have anything of value? Or is this all it has?" "One word, one word kid and you''re going to die even if I have to go along with you!" looser said in a threatening tone but Ace didn''t even glance his way. "So tell me, how much can you give away for finishing this quest?" "We have more players when you see now. What do you have in mind? Can you call upon a healer?" "What''s with your fascination with healers? Don''t you know any more words? There are other ways to win and without that class. Or that is if you have a few coins to spare." "Explain." "I''m an alchemist. I can sell you healing potions for half the price of the market. But I''m not going to give them away for free." "You an alchemist? That''s nonsense! You''re just a brat!" Nobody any longer paid any attention to the guy''s mumblings and continued as if he had been silent. "Why would you do it? What is wrong with those potions?" Ace laughed. "Nothing. I''m just too lazy to sell them off at the right prices and they pile up. So what do you think? Can your purses survive that or are you too broke?" "Exact price." "One gold per hundred health restored." "It''s not really cheap. A few golds are at best what you would receive through a level fifty or so dungeon. And you want us to sacrifice that much?" Ace smiled. "You wouldn''t be negotiating with me if you thought the price was outrageous. It''s either you want those ghosts killed that badly or you know that the usual price is almost one gold per fifty health restored or even more. So what do you think? It''s a generous offer which you might never get again." "How much you have and of what type?" "I''m not the highest level around so they won''t restore your whole health in a flash but my best ones can give you around half or so. Supply? More than you can buy, that''s for sure." "Boss don''t play by his rules. We know nothing about him." Leader looked back at the still lying guy whose health was regenerating to ten percent. Duels were the only exception where health was free to regenerate even when it was less than ten percent. "You know why we need this. It''s our only chance to survive as a guild and if for that I have to waste all our money, be it so. At least I won''t have to regret that I hadn''t tried everything." He looked back at Ace. "Sell me your wares kid." Ace nodded and started to put potions before himself. Some were great, some not that much but all restored health and that was the important thing. He hadn''t lied about their specifics or usual prices but he didn''t tell the whole truth either. Making one cost him almost nothing and unlike most he had learnt the skill for free. He could have sold them for the fifth of the price and still have made a profit. There were over forty bottles before him when he stopped pulling them out and looked up at the leader. "Is this enough?" The guy nodded and handed a bag full of gold coins. Ace made sure there were enough and took a few steps back. The only thing he was sorry to lose were the glass bottles themselves. Now he would have to go and buy more. Such a nuisance. While leader distributed potions Ace went to sit next to Monthu and Par. The kid had come here and was touching his snake''s skin with interest. The scales were smooth and shiny; he could feel muscles moving right beneath them. The snake''s body was radiating some heat which made the area surrounding her shimmer although Par couldn''t feel it at all. "What do you think about them?" Ace asked Monthu quietly. "They''re desperate to succeed." "As desperate as you to get Hawk and Aurora back?" "I don''t really care." "Par is that true?" Ace asked directing his eyes to the quietly sitting kid. Par looked up and answered truthfully. "Parents said it is important they come together. It''s very unfriendly to just abandon them. I tried to tell them you didn''t like large crowds but they said it''s unhealthy to be alone for long periods of time." "And you didn''t feel like passing that to me..?" "I was afraid you''d be angry with me..." Par said lowering his head and cherufia jumped up to snake around his neck. It was a nice resting place as now she wouldn''t have to move but the master would carry her. "I would never hate you or abandon just because you said something. Words are lies. They mean nothing. What matters are actions. They show decisions." He returned his attention to Monthu. "So how much can you pay for an approval?" "Do you ever do anything without looking for a profit? How do you expect people to like you when your friendship can be bought?" "It cannot. Only chosen ones receive it" Ace said with a shake of his head. "And then I like to see whether they actually value it." "So what is it this time you''re going to make me do ignoring the fact that I might disagree?" "I like smart people" Ace said with a smile. "You can call those two. How close exactly are they?" "A few hours away." Ace chuckled and rose. "Let''s go help these guys now. It shouldn''t be too hard and if anything goes wrong the two will come for a save." He went back followed by the brothers and found a group of people smiling widely. They were talking excitedly and whispering something to each other. It was a strange sight remembering the sorry bunch they had been previously. "Are you ready?" Ace asked coming beside the leader. "Yes. And I''m Achilles. What''s your name?" "Ace and thanks for letting me know where your weakness lies." Achilles laughed and he looked at least ten years younger. "So you know the legend? It''s rare among people of our time." "I know many things." Ace said with an innocent expression before pointing to his companions. "This is Monthu a scytheman and his brother Paradox, an elementalist summoner. We''re all way past this dungeon so it shouldn''t be too hard." "Those eight people are my comrades and most trusted people from the guild: Fiora, Loran, Flake, Rover, Pioneer, Kelvin, Orian and Dawn." "It''s nice to meet you all. I hope we can make this into a lovely adventure for everyone and forget all the misunderstandings." "Let''s have a try at it." Orian agreed and together they all went deeper into the dungeon. Most monsters had re-spawned already so Ace and Monthu made short work of them. For some reason no matter how deep inside they were the level of enemies didn''t change. They were only of different ghost types. "We''re almost there. Only a few turns. Are we going to just go in and fight or is there any plan this time around?" Everyone turned to the leader who was looking at Ace. The kid smiled widely. "Give me a moment to scout. I''ll see what we can achieve here." He went past the corner and hid away using [Shadow Veil]. Then he carefully sneaked to where the ghosts were supposed to have stayed. From the first sight at their gleaming armour and the sound of their heavy boots colliding with the ground he knew that they were disproportionally strong compared to other creatures in this dungeon. Two of them were mock fighting and their blows made the room tremble. Ace had to grab onto a wall to keep from falling. ''Those guys never mentioned them being this overpowering! How did they even manage to run away from something like this?¡¯ Next Chapter 4.2 Difference Previous Chapter Important Author''s Note: I''m sorry to announce this but I no longer have time to write. My exams are on my nose and I hadn''t been preparing for them at all. Simply doing schoolwork isn''t going to cut it. That''s why I''m abandoning all the unnecessary activies and going to focus on my studies. My ielts exam is next week! So for now this story will go on hiatus and hopefully one day I''ll have enough time to finish it. Sadly it''s nowhere close by. **** The cave shook making people fall, unable to stay up any longer. Sounds of fighting reached their ears from up ahead. Steel clashed against steel and another tremor ran through the ground. "What is happening there?" Monthu muttered holding onto a wall with one hand and keeping Par up with another. Scythe was lying by his feet. "We should go and see!" Rover said standing up and ready to go ahead. "Wait for the kid. He already went to scout" Monthu said sitting down. There was no point in trying to stay up risking falling when he didn''t need it at all. "What if he died? We will never know it!" "He''s still online..." Some ten minutes or so later Ace rounded a corner looking haggard and distraught. His clothes had become dust collectors and he looked like a mound of dirt with dark blue eyes shining from somewhere deep within. "What did you find there?" leader Achilles asked and Ace glared at him. He shook his head to get the dust off his face at least. "That you''re a god damn liar. You''ve never faced the warrior ghosts and almost died from the weak ones flying around. I doubt you''ve even had a healer to begin with." Ace walked a bit further ahead before casting [Gust] to get as much dust off himself as possible. All of it flew towards the group. Leader tried to look dignified under the accusation but a bout of coughs and sneezes prevented him from achieving that. "Are you too scared to go on?" he asked none the less. "Scared?" Ace asked with a chuckle. "Have you at least seen them? You wouldn''t be talking that way if you had." "You said you were so much higher than this dungeon! Do you take back your words now? Unable to face a few bosses?" "We are but those bosses don''t belong here. If I were to guess, they would be around level two hundred. One hundred and fifty at best. And there are six of them. I like a challenge but that''s a bit too much even for my standards." "Just because they might be large in size doesn''t mean they''ll be so high levelled!" "Who said they were gigantic..? They''re humans with strength rivalling that of titans." "How do you know that?" "The ground shaking?" Ace said as another tremor passed. He held himself up somehow and continued his answer. "That''s them fighting. They''re trying out their skills against each other, causing tons of dust to raise and ground to shake. I''m not returning back there for sure." "Chicken!" Rover shouted and tried to jump on Ace when the strongest of the earthquakes came. Even walls vibrated and small rocks started to fall from the ceiling. No one could keep their balance but sitting wasn''t an option. Larger rocks were getting loose and rolling around once they fell. The hits weren''t deadly even on head but it hurt and ate health points. If it was going to continue, many were going to die. Ace used [Gust] to protect himself from smaller stones and made his way back in the dungeon. The closer to the exit the better. Further away the shaking wasn''t as bad so he could run and did just that. He could hear someone coming behind him but he didn''t really care. He had to get away from this madness sooner rather than later. Something hit the back of his head and he winced in pain. Ground started to shake even more and another rock hit him. It pushed him forward and he wasn''t able to right himself on time. He gave mother earth a heartfelt hug and lay there stunned until a sharp pain in the back brought his senses back. There was no time to waste and with a slightly dizzy head he stood up. That is until another rock fell him over. It was the size of a human''s head and rolled at him from somewhere up ahead crashing into his legs. Ace cursed, picking himself up. And cursed again when he noticed an army of stones rolling his way. He was going to be buried in them if he did nothing. "Par use Stone Prison!" Monthu shouted out and Ace could hear the kid starting to murmur something. The stones were almost on him so Ace used vines to delay them at least that second more. Gust was added too. He hoped that whatever Par was doing, it was going to help in some way. "Ace come to us!" Monthu said and Ace jumped back to the brothers. At that time Par finished his spell and someone else smashed into their group. They all fell to the ground but the spell was cast and high walls rose around them. Ace could hear stones hitting it right beside his head and he rose quickly. They had been closed in some kind of a cage so no light was there. Ace called upon [Flare] and it showed that there were more people than he expected to see. The bad mouthed guy with his girlfriend was here too. "What are you doing here?" he asked them keeping [Flare] right over their heads. It''s light was like that of a matchstick but it still allowed to see their faces. The duo didn''t seem to be too happy to be on the spotlight but Rover didn''t lose his nature to disagree with everything that was being said. Even if it was a question. "That''s not your problem! We''re here to prevent you from escaping! You won''t leave unscathed after entering our territory!" Ace rolled his eyes. "And how do you plan to do that? You couldn¡¯t defeat me before and now there''s three of us." "I''ll just..." "We''ll keep you busy until others come! You won''t be able to fight everyone off!" Dawn said putting her staff right before Ace as if challenging him. The kid just shook his head in mild annoyance and activated [All Ears]. This ability was made to listen in on people''s conversations but it could be used to hear things from far away too. He listened to the stones falling, rolling, crashing and noticed a pattern among the chaos. It was one strong hit and three weak ones. It lasted for around three minutes more before stopping. Rocks moved a minute or two more until coming to a halt too. "I think it''s safe now. You can remove the spell Par" he said and watched how the stone walls around him crumbled and turned to dust. The torches were gone, lost in the chaos so Ace made [Flare] go around the room and light up each wall some. "Am I hallucinating or have the walls changed sides?" The place where he remembered the exit being was a solid wall just like the place where he had run from while where walls had been two paths going opposite directions had opened up. On top of that not a single stone was lying out of place. "What are you talking about?" Rover asked, looking around in the darkness. In that time Par had called out a fire elemental and it lit up the whole place. There was nothing unusual about the well-cut out walls and ceiling but that was what it made the place eerie. No sign of a recent earthquake could be seen anywhere. There were no loose rocks lying around or walls missing parts that had fallen off. "What is this place?" Dawn asked looking around in wonder. "We surely hadn''t been here..." "Agreed" Ace said and softly hit the surface of one wall. The sound was dull and not shallow at all. "I think the rock fall has somehow opened up a secret passageway while closing our way." "You mean we''re stuck here now?" "Depends on what you mean. I''m pretty sure there''s a way out in one of these paths, but they''re more than likely to contain monsters of higher level." "You sure there''s no other way?" Monthu asked, finally saying a few words. Ace walked around the place knocking on every wall but the sound never changed. "Nope. Even if there is a way, I don''t know about it. I''m not exactly a trap master." Monthu gave him a look that didn''t believe a word being said. "So you want us to go ahead?" The kid shrugged. "We can do that or stay here and hope that someone''s coming to save us. I don''t really mind either way." "And who is going to do that?" Rover asked mockingly. "I can''t get any answer from my guild mates. I wouldn''t be surprised if they had all died." "Or we''re in a place that blocks all chat, not only personal messages." Ace suggested scratching his head. "I just remembered I had an appointment this evening... Just my luck." "Are you going to scout again?" Monthu asked while looking for something in his bag. "Sure. I''ll be right back." He walked a bit away where shadows were deeper and put on his veil. [Flare] was told to go ahead of him and light the way or attract attention depending on what was necessary. One could never be too careful. No more than twenty steps behind the first turn he ran into an undead enemy that had a sword in one hand and his own head in another; it was named Dullahan. Deciding to try it out Ace sneaked right behind him and used [Backstab] with [Cut-throat] right after. To his surprise it did little damage. ''What level is it?'' he wondered jumping away as his enemy took a swing at him. It was swift and deadly but luckily not on target. Ace took out another dagger and blocked the second swing. His daggers groaned but held. That wasn''t going to last long so he kicked the monster in the leg throwing him off-balance and threw a few poisoned daggers while he was down. No message that the enemy was poisoned showed up. ''Since when it doesn''t work?'' he wondered waiting for his opponent to stand up. He would have jumped on anyone else to finish them off, but this guy was brushing off too many of his attacks for Ace to risk it. He watched how the monster carefully held his head and wondered what it would do if he lost it. That thought was cut short as another Dullahan rounded the corner and swung its sword at him. Ace rolled to avoid it slashing at his opponent¡¯s legs and stood up right after it. Deciding to test out his previous theory he attacked the first monster making him raise his sword in a blocking motion. At that moment Ace used [Gust] towards the monster''s head and it fell out. The other Dullahan used that time to get close and slash at Ace''s back. The kid hissed in pain and used [Shadow Dash] to create some distance between himself and the enemies. He took notice of one crawling on the ground having dropped his weapon and looking for his head. He rushed to it stabbing its back as many times as he could before the other came closer. Ace didn''t feel like making the same mistake twice and got away before he could be hit. On his way he kicked at the fallen head so it would roll further away too. "Hey you! That''s inhumane!" the head said in a raspy voice startling Ace and he stopped mid-stride. "Since when can you talk?" "Are you questioning my intelligence?" it asked in outrage rolling slightly to face him. Before Ace could think of an appropriate reply the other Dullahan picked the head up and gave its body to carry. Then they both turned to face Ace and rushed at him with their swords raised. ''That doesn''t look too good¡¯ Ace thought waiting for the last moment before rolling away. On his way he remembered one of his spells. "Flame Step!" A burst of fire escaped from his feet and he started to run. He remembered well how burnt skin felt and didn''t want to repeat it. Dullahans cried out in surprise as flames licked at them and stepped away immediately. "That thing hurts!" one of them said as if it was some new knowledge. Ace rolled his eyes and feeling daring slid right under one of their feet leaving a trail of flames behind himself. He stopped right before the second monster and rethought his plan. Or the part that he hadn''t considered about how it was going to end. He cursed and tried rolling away. Sword missed him by a hair''s breadth and he crawled away as fast as he could, daggers making clicking sounds against the stones. "If we kill him the red hurting thing will disappear, right?" one of them asked and Ace saw the other head being lifted up and down a little "Great! I''ll make short work of this elf kid and we can go look for some real challenge! It''s been ages since anyone fought with us!" The second Dullahan lifted its head some again. Then the two of them attacked together even though just a second ago they mentioned that he didn''t even count as an opponent. ''Stupid creatures. How much more health do they have if they''re not even slightly worried?'' He evaded their attacks and slashed at their backs but no poison attacks succeeded again. ''Does that mean undead aren''t able to be poisoned at all?'' He ran a bit farther away from them and while they caught up took out a pair of knives and jumping sideways poured some acid on them. It was going to eat them quite quickly but would deal some significant damage in the meantime. He used his knives to redirect a sword; a few drops of acid fell on it, dulling the blade. He kicked at the other Dullahan''s head and it hissed in pain, jumping off the hands. "My eyes! My eyes! They hurt!" Ace rushed to the fallen head kicking it with all his strength and ignoring the screaming did it again so it smashed against the wall. Then he jumped on it a few times before using [Shadow Dash] to get as far away as possible. The head didn''t seem to have appreciated the treatment and its face had twisted into a mask of hatred. The other Dullahan fearing the same fate seemed ready to kill. Well, more than previously. Then he was a bug to be squashed, but now he had become an abuser, a weakling who goes for his enemy''s weakest points and exploits them. He was the lowest of the low. A smile appeared on the kid''s face. He didn''t care what opponents thought of him. Anything that helped to win was excusable. No rules existed in a battle. He ran up on one wall and used it as a support to jump on one of his enemies. The twin knives embedded themselves into soft flesh and Ace left them there, instantly jumping away. It was dangerous to stick close. He could hear one head shouting orders to her own body but it didn''t seem to be capable of hearing, just crawling around miles from it while the other was hissing in pain not daring to release a sword and take out the knives. Acid had to be eating it from the inside and quite painfully too but no emotions were present. But the aesthetic look had been absolutely ruined even for Ace. ''I should really get rid of it now... Just how am I supposed to do some damage to them? Or is their health pool just that large?'' Shrugging he used vines to hinder the Dullahan''s movements and still having [Flame Step] on started to kick it with all his might while slashing with a new pair of daggers. He had more of them stored in his bag than he could ever count. It lasted for a few moments until the creature broke the vine hold and Ace had to get away again. Too lazy to think up of another battle plan he repeated this one numerous times. He had almost given up on it when the Dullahan started to scream like a banshee after a flame infused kick. Before Ace''s eyes its skin started to rot, nauseating smell overrunning his nostrils. And then in a second it was all gone, only a pile of dust lying in front of him. The kid stared at it for some time. Then came closer and crouching down carefully touched it.
*You''ve been infected by the Rot! Seek a dedicated cleric to heal you or your body will start to decay. Rot will set in and you''ll turn into a walking corpse. *
*You''ve been pierced through the heart!*
The last message took Ace''s attention and looking down he noticed a blade sticking out from his chest. He didn''t have to look at his health bar to know that it had dropped down to less than half in an instant. Attacks on a being''s weak points tended to do that. That''s why even some magician''s wore armour and without having any strength. It was better to move slower but be alive. Luckily, this was a game and he didn''t start coughing blood although his vision grew cloudier. He felt himself being lifted with the blade and then thrown sideways like a discarded rag. Ace smashed against the wall losing more than half of his leftover health points. He was unsure whether he still had enough to stay alive. Ten percent was a damn high mark under which the body could no longer regenerate. Through blurry eyes he saw a dark silhouette coming his way. It held a blade of red and was coming closer. Ace was pretty sure of who it was and desperately tried to move away but his body wasn''t listening. With an effort that could make a mountain move... his finger twitched. "That''s not promising..." he wheezed out. It was a broken unintelligible sound and made even Ace himself wince. ''Yet I still don''t want to die'' he thought, reverting to that instead of speaking. His muscles contracted as he desperately tried to move but not gained an inch. There was just no power left in his artificial body and in a game will power accounted to almost nothing. Tenacity was great but the human will to survive dulled a bit. Computers didn''t allow for those miraculous staying alive when pushing forth through the human limit. He was sure he would have been able to achieve that if only someone gave him a chance. But the game was closer to life than Ace thought. It wasn''t giving chances to anyone. No deity was coming for a save. But humans might. After all he had made a few right choices in his life. Warrior clad in dark with a pole for a weapon blocked Ace''s view. Something like a ray of hope flashed by, exploding. Ace could barely keep his eyes open to see that hazy view which gave the smallest amounts of useful information. He could guess who was protecting him but besides that he knew nothing and that bugged him. He wanted to know what was happening! People shouted and he tried to understand but the sound was muffled. ''Is there blood in my ears? How in the goddess'' name could it have gotten there?'' He felt his life energy draining away every time he tried to focus on his senses. Each drop of blood that left his body took something away with it. Something that he so desperately needed to live on. Burning hot liquid ran down his throat. It created a trail of fire in his insides, not leaving a single space out of harm''s way. He rolled into a tight ball, hissing in pain. "Who tried to poison me to death?" he shouted out in anger, still feeling as if he was on fire. "If you''re healthy enough to blame, you should be good enough to answer what the hell where you doing too?" Ace shook his head and held himself tighter. The pain was blazing up; it felt like lead was flowing through his veins. Unable to stop the scream escaping his throat, he silenced it by biting into his own hand. ''I never knew my teeth were so sharp¡­ '' he wondered but it was cut short by another spasm. A tear ran down his cheek and he held his head even closer to his legs. It had to stop at some point. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. No potion gave results which would last forever. Or logic went that way while his body was screaming and cared nothing for it. Elements were having a party inside him and didn''t seem to plan of taking a break any time soon. And then it was over. In an instant all pain was gone as if it hadn''t been there in the first place. Ace lay motionless muffled by the change. It was too sudden for his brain to get around it. Sound slowly returned to the senses he was receiving and he heard people talking about him. Monthu was explaining something to Rover and Dawn. Right beside him Par was breathing. "Do you feel better?" he asked carefully. There was worry in his voice, and steps came closer. "Has he woken up?" Monthu asked and Ace whined softly. He brushed his face to his leg to make sure there were no signs of anything left and slowly released his body. Muscles retracted and a wave of relief washed over him. It was truly over. "I''ll live..." he murmured and tried to stand up. His legs were shaky but held. "But what the hell did you do to me?" "That was your own potion. One of the leftover from the last fight. So the question is why did you ever give it to us? Had you wanted to lose?" Ace thought for a moment before he remembered something. "That wasn''t me! I know better than to confuse a health potion for friends with one for enemies!" "There is a difference?" Par asked and Ace rolled his eyes. "Of course!" "I don''t think we need to know any more. Hopefully, you''ll learn something from this exper-" "Yeah. Never trust anything done by people acting as you. They tend to get things wrong" Ace said with a knowing nod. "You''re a lost cause" Monthu said shaking his head. "Better explain what had happened here." "I miscalculated a thing or too. And then it went downhill after a single mistake. Nothing much to say, really." "What was the screaming we heard?" That reminded Ace of the other Dullahan. He looked around for it and noticed a pile of dust. "I see you dealt with the other guy. Didn''t he scream when dying? Or was mine just a coward afraid of death?" "He laughed" Dawn supplied helpfully. "Poor fellow, he actually embraced it. So what are you doing here? I thought scouting meant that I go see things and then return to report it before you march out." "That would be so if you actually did that instead of fighting random opponents, especially when they outnumber you." "That was a child''s play! I had it all under control!" "Yeah we noticed once we came. You look really good splattered on the wall." Ace allowed his eyes to wander some before returning to the conversation. "I would have survived." "I''m sure of it" Monthu agreed with his eyes raised up. "Have you learnt anything before abandoning your post?" "I''m going to do it now." "And you expect me to believe you won''t do the same?" Ace shrugged. "You can''t hope to go ahead and be able to just deal with everything¡± he said pointedly looking at everyone. "And from what I can see I''m the only one with sneaking capabilities here." "That may be so but you''re as trustworthy as him" Monthu said pointing at Rover. "And I don''t trust him farther than his silence goes. So we''re going to do it my way this time. You go and lure a few enemies while we deal with them. Then you go to find some more. Is that simple enough for you?" "But that''s not fun! I can kill everyone myself!" "We all saw that already. Now listen and for once do as told, okay?" "Yeah just listen to him little kid! I knew you were nothing but a daddy''s boy!" Rover said with a laugh and Monthu sighed. Now he had even more kids on his hands than usually. Ace glared at him but Monthu was faster to answer. "If you have time to spit nonsense, start working on a map. We don''t need to get lost here on top of everything. And you don''t have a choice. Do it or we leave you behind. Your call." "Who are you to order me around?" Rover asked angrily. "One who gives you orders. And unlike that kid I have no qualms about leaving people behind. I''m not going to have you if you don''t work for it." Ace threw Rover a winner''s smile and skipped out starting to sneak behind the corner. The guy threw daggers with his eyes but that was all he could do. He had to concede and pick up a piece of paper and start recording the path. Especially since Dawn was looking at him with pleading eyes. "I don''t trust them" he whispered to her while drawing once she came closer. "Neither do I but we can''t survive alone" she said extremely aware of their situation. "We don''t really know that without trying first." "We''re both fifty fifth level. We could barely deal with two banshees and these monsters are higher than those. Have you noticed how the guy fought against one? He wasn''t having a hard time but no longer playing like with those banshees back then. We need to pretend to accept them and wait for our moment." Rover smiled. "They think they''re oh so smart! But we''ll show them! They shouldn''t underestimate us even if we''re not as high levelled as them!" Dawn nodded and watched how he drew. He really had a hand for it. All the lines were straight and could be easily identified. Then he picked another paper and started to draw the cave as he saw it. A special skill of adventurers was 3-D map making. They put what they saw on paper and then whoever used it could open up the thing like a hologram. This required double the work so not too many adventurers did it but Rover liked to have at least a slight advantage against others and his guild needed all the help it could get. This was their last dungeon and if they didn''t finish the quest even it would be stolen. "Incoming!" Ace shouted out rounding a corner at full speed. "Four Dullahans!" "Four? Are you mad?" Rover shouted out right back at him. "How are you going to fight them all?" "You two are going to help us" Monthu said calmly. "Take out your axe and help me hold the front. Mage girl go and assist Par in ranged attack. Ace..." "I''ll do what I always do, create distractions" the kid said with a smile. "Just so you know my damage against them doesn''t really work." "That''s obvious" Dawn said in a condescending manner. "Undead don''t have working blood system or organs so you can''t critical hit them." Ace looked at her for a moment. "Dammit. She''s right. I need some other way to fight!" "You..! Kid where did you go! I wanted to squash you!" "I wanted that too!" "No, he''s mine!" "I saw him first!" "But I swung at him first!" Monthu entered a stance to block the upcoming monsters. "Think of new moves later on. Not now." "Maybe" Ace said with an innocent smile which Monthu associated with trouble making. But there was no more time to argue as four undead came in with their large swords held high, ready to slice someone up. He used the range of his scythe to attack first. It''s double edged blade cut rotten flesh and the creatures brought their attention to him. "I want to kill him!" "Me too! Let''s get him before the kid!" "Agreed!" "Well, I want a girl" the last one said surprising everyone. Once all attention was on him, he shrugged. "It''s been too long since I could have one. If I kill her, I might at least have her skeleton." Dawn turned white as a paper sheet. Unable to utter a word as the undead rushed to her. Ace jumped right on its back slashing with his acid dripping weapons. "I can''t hold him forever Rover! Are you fine with your girl dating him now?" That snapped Rover out of his surprise of the events and with a giant axe materializing in his hands attacked the undead. Ace by then had jumped away and since no one was looking at him hidden under [Shadow Veil]. When Rover had attacked, others did too and Monthu went to single handedly face three Dullahans. Being used to be the tank he blocked attacks and waited for Par to cast some spell while sneaking a few attacks in if a chance showed up. Ace used vines on one of them to get it immobilized and slashed as fast as he could. It was a really boring way to fight but for the moment he didn''t have a better plan. Sneak attacks and poison where his main damage sources and if they didn''t work, well, he was useless. And he didn''t like being that. He had acid but sooner or later daggers would run out. Every fight ate at least two of them. There was magic too but he didn''t really have any spells that could deal any significant magic. All he had bothered to learn were spells which disrupted enemies'' movements. Not that he had a lot of points in intelligence which gave spell power. It meant even if he learnt any attacking spells, they weren''t going to deal a lot unless he made it to master level but even then it wouldn''t be anywhere close to that of a real mage. There had to be another way which he wasn''t seeing. A snake slid past him and rounded itself against one of the Dullahans'' legs. It bit and once again red liquid left its fangs, burning through the flesh. ''Is that lava?'' Ace wondered getting a better look at it. A fireball flashed past, burning the back of his head. He fell down to evade any other that might be coming and crawled away. "Fire Sphere!" Dawn said and a glowing orb of fire flew towards the three Dullahans. It didn''t explode but dealt damage over time. For the fun of it Ace threw some alcohol on the creatures and they caught on fire too. Monthu wasn''t sleeping either. Noticing his enemies'' distraction he went on the offensive swinging his scythe in wide arcs. One Dullahan was limping and had acid wounds so he severed him in half, his weapons favourite move after decapitation. Then together with everyone fell on the two left who didn''t last long under the pressure of three melee attackers and three mages, fire elemental could be counted as one, and a pet of a sort. "Woah! This much experience!" Rover said in surprise having gotten the last hit on one of the Dullahans. "That''s almost half a level!" Ace looked at his bar and noticed a little increase from the two Monthu had killed and one of Par''s. Party members shared experience points or else clerics would never rise in level, casters would be having a hard time too, not even talking about special classes like rogues, enchanters and the like. "Shouldn''t it be a good idea to join the same group?" he asked Monthu quietly. "It would be more useful as we could see if anyone''s low on health or mana but I doubt they will agree. We''re monsters in their eyes" he said looking pointedly at Ace. The kid showed his tongue. "Then we should let them and Par to last hit. They need levels to be of any real help and Par, well, it''s self-explanatory." "I have a feeling that they''re not the only ones under-levelled. What is yours?" Ace opened his status menu. He had checked it ages ago and had not the slightest idea what had happened since. The only thing he was sure was that he had to have levelled up past one hundred. He had been missing only a few levels last time. "One hundred twenty one" he said with surprise in his own voice. "When did that happen..." "So how did you get almost killed by the two Dullahans again?" Ace rolled his eyes. "It was an accident. I think I still have a mark from it." He looked where buffs and debuffs were showed and saw a little pictogram. "Yeah, I''m still rotting. I hope Aurora is getting here soon?" "We''re lost here and I can''t contact them until we leave the dungeon. Had you forgotten it?" "Damn." Ace said. "I''m off to find more opponents!" he said loudly so everyone heard and left wondering whether he was going to turn into a walking zombie any time soon. This time he brought only two Dullahans and once Monthu caught their attention he made his leave. He was high enough level not to care about experience points and each time he had to run further to get some enemies. At first it was not too much but with each time the gap between him and new opponents became more tiresome. When he had to run for twenty minutes, he finally stopped doing it. "Now you either move closer or go and get your opponents yourself. I''m tired of running back and forth without a second to take a break." When he had said that everyone''s eyes went to Monthu, even the distrustful duos. ''What did I miss?'' "We should have a meal first. Stamina and Hunger should be at at a low now.¡± Ace looked at his and saw them both flashing red. He took some herbs out and started to munch on them. They were neither tasty nor fulfilling but he had forgotten to buy dried meat and didn''t feel like eating barley bread. Slowly his bars started to fill up. Stamina reached around ten percent and stopped while hunger one continued to go up. "Do you mind sharing?" Dawn asked him and Ace looked up in surprise. "You sure you want it?" he asked noticing others looking at him too. "Doesn''t any of you carry anything edible?" Four head-shakes was his answer. "Pathetic." He murmured and from his bag took out ten pieces of barley bread. Dawn and Par grimaced but took it none the less. "Is there anything you don''t have?" Rover asked and Ace smiled. "It''s a habit from the past, I was a soloer not that long ago." "So hoew ded yao end op hare?" he asked with a full mouth and Ace had to concentrate really hard to understand him. "They needed someone to show them the way of life" Ace said with a laugh, munching on some more herbs. "But what''s with the friendliness? What happened while I was running around?" The guy shrugged. "Nothing. I just decided that it is important that we stick together if we want to survive and find the others." Ace looked at him sceptically but didn''t say anything. It was hard to believe that someone could change so quickly. They finished their food and then stood up to leave. Rover took out his notebook in which he was drawing the map and prepared a pencil. Ace went off first allowing [Flare] to show way even though the fire elemental shone ten times brighter. Or that was before he disappeared from existence followed by the snake. Ace looked at Par''s mana bar and it was absolutely empty. "Why didn''t you recall them earlier?" he asked coming to his friend but letting the little flame lead the way with its hardly visible light. "I like them" he answered genuinely. "But you don''t have infinite mana..." Par looked sad to hear that, not that it seemed to be news to him. Ace thought for a moment and started to rummage through his backpack. "How can you see anything with this thing?" Rover hissed massaging his hurt forehead. "I try to look where I walk instead of checking it with my head first" he said to him before turning back to Par while holding something between his hands. "I have something more for you. I planned to give it to you by the end of the day but maybe this is a better time." "Something more?" Par asked surprised. "Yes!" Ace said with a nod revealing what was inside his hands. It was a little brown bird with a lighter coloured chest. He released a soft sound before flying to Par''s outstretched hands. It chirped, flew around the kid''s head and once again returned to his hands. "Wow! He''s amazing! Thanks Ace!" "You haven''t seen everything yet! Tell him to pretend dead or circle!" "Okay... Does it have a name?" "Uhm... I don''t think so... It means you can give him one!" "I don''t know..." "So how did you come up with your own then?" "Monthu gave me..." Ace looked at him with his eyes slit and then at his brother. "You really want to tell me that it''s truth?" Monthu just shrugged while Par let his head fall slightly. "Well, then you have to give your new pet a name yourself! Promise me!" "But I don''t know how to create names..." "There''s no knowing it! You just give a name and what you give signifies others what you are, meaning of the word rarely has anything to do with it. So you can name it Oliver or Sparrow and nobody can say a word about it! It''s your pet! And don''t you dare to make your brother name it! You can''t push all the important work on him!" "But I don''t know how to name..." "You don''t have to give it a name instantly! You can play around with it and maybe the name will show itself in the way it acts or something" Ace suggested with a smile and Par nodded gently brushing the bird''s feathers. Then he noticed that everyone was standing around them, following their exchange. "What''s the gift for?" Dawn asked looking at Ace and he answered simply. "It''s his birthday today." "How old is he now?" Rover asked and it was Ace''s time to shrug. "Who cares anyway? Important stuff should be left to the real world while we care only for the fun things here." The two seemed to agree with the answer and both took out a thing from their bags. "If it''s such an occasion, I would like to give something too" Dawn said presenting Par a small pendant. "It''s not the best but gives some extra mana which is always a nice thing." "Thank you." Par said trying to pick it up. Once he moved one of his hands the bird spread its wings and flew to his shoulder. Then Par could easily pick his gift and put it around his neck. Rover gave him two paintings: one was depicting a castle, which you could explore by touching on doors as if you were walking, while the other showed a beautiful field full of flowers and animals. Once touched everything started to move - flowers letting petals fly, animals yawning or jumping around. Par watched it in wonder under the [Flare]''s light. Monthu stood away with a strange expression. It was clearly not joy but neither could be called anger or annoyance. "What do you find so wrong with this picture?" Ace asked him quietly so the others couldn''t overhear. "Hm? Oh, it''s nothing." "You remember that I''m not as blindly trustful as your brother, right?" Monthu smiled slightly. "I''m well aware of the fact. Otherwise I would have a few moments to myself without you trying to decipher my every emotion." "So?" "What''s with that so?" "So what is wrong?" Ace asked elaborating some. "As I told before nothing. I just wanted to have a moment for myself." Ace looked at him from the corner of his eyes, not believing a single word. "Fine, you can stay quiet. But in exchange say when your birthday is." "Oh no! You don''t need to know that." "Oh yes I do! And you know Par is going to tell me that anyway so be nice and save us both the trouble. What do you think?" "Not a chance. And he won''t tell if I tell him to." Ace smiled crookedly before shouting out. "Hey Par! When is your brother''s birthday?" "Par do-!" "February fifth. Why?" The kid answered without a second thought. "Oh it''s nothing! Thanks!" "Little traitor" Monthu muttered under his breath and Ace chuckled. "I told you I''m going to find it out anyway." "And what are you planning to do with that knowledge?" "That depends on many random factors" Ace said with a crooked smile and motioned for everyone to get going. Next Chapter 4.3 Tales of Betrayal Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Hey, everyone! I am back! Did you miss me? `:^:^)~ So I''ve finished most of my important work and finally had some free time. I hope you enjoy this chapter even though I have a feeling Ace has changed a bit through my absence. Hopefully, it''s not for the bad! Anyway, I''m happy to here and am eagerly waiting for your comments on my newest adventure with my little crazy boy. **** Darkness infinite and all-consuming lay all around. No human eye could see what it was hiding. Unnatural noises of bones hitting bones could be heard. Cackling laughter accompanying it. Metal being dragged on the ground. It was all that Ace could decipher and none of it looked promising. Once again he had went out to scout but this time he had to leave [Flare] to others as they were too much of scaredy cats to stay in the dark. Not that scouting with a light on was a great idea either. Yet the problem now was that even though he could hear things around him, he had no way of identifying them. Well, he could tell that it was most likely skeletons ahead armed with either swords or axes. They were possibly mad too, judging from the cackling. But that didn''t help to understand their power level at all. What was he supposed to say once he returned? There are crazy armed bones ahead? That sounded really useful. ''Not that I can gain anything more by standing around here'' he concluded and made his way back. It was only a few minutes¡¯ walk from where they had made a small camp; Par and Dawn meditating to regain mana. Monthu looked at him as he approached, dropping [Shadow Veil] down. "Nothing useful. There are skeletons ahead and that''s pretty much all I could understand without being able to see. You should have really let me bring Flare along." "The two wouldn''t be able to meditate otherwise. Anyway, we''ll use what we can. They shouldn''t be too hard for us to deal with. How many of them are there?" "From ten to twenty. Maybe more. There were too many of them for me to judge accurately" Ace said yawning. For some reason he felt a bit tired. Shaking his head he tried to ignore it and think of the next fight. He had to create a better way to fight undead; the one he had now was pretty worthless and took way too long. "I''m done" Dawn announced standing up. She bent her muscles a bit to wake them up after sitting for a long time. Next to her Par was opening his eyes too. The little sparrow was sitting on his shoulder; content with doing nothing. Monthu nodded at her and everyone prepared to march into the unknown. Rover held a notebook in one hand and a quill in another standing close to Ace so Flare''s light fell right on the page with the map he was drawing. That didn''t last long as Ace sent Flare to go first and light the way. Rover muttered something under his breath and Par called upon his fire elemental that made the whole cave light up. "Too bright" hissed Ace quietly but no one heard him. Finding it quite fortunate he rushed forth wanting to see how many enemies there were actually. A big room came into his view. It was empty of anything besides piles of bones and weapons. Wind coming from somewhere made them rattle. It was a shiver inducing sound. "I thought you said there were skeletons ahead?" Monthu asked rounding the corner with others in tow. "I could have sworn that''s what it was" muttered Ace coming closer. He touched one pile and the same message appeared before his eyes saying that he was rotting. "I don''t advice touching anything unless you want to keep me company and become walking dead." "So what is this place?" wondered Dawn not daring to come inside the room. Something must have killed all those people whose bones now lay in heaps and who could say that it wasn''t some kind of a trap. "A burial ground" answered Ace going deeper in. He noticed a wooden table nailed crudely to the other side of the room on which words in an unknown language were written. He cleaned the dust off it, hoping it might help some but nothing changed so he just grabbed onto its sides and after a lot of pulling got it off. There should be someone in the city who could translate it for him. Then he went past the whole wall, looking for a secret door. This room was large which meant it should contain some kind of a boss monster but since there was none it had to be hiding something. Walls were of rough black stone, full of edges. Ace tried to hit it slightly, looking for a change in sounds, but the only change was that his knuckles started to bleed. The stone was as sharp as a newly made dagger. Like a cat he licked his wounds and stopped walking, thinking of a better way to do this. His eyes locked onto a dead body, its bones rattling eerily. ''Doesn''t that mean there''s wind here? And it must be coming from somewhere!'' He looked around once more but didn''t notice any open shafts from where wind could be coming. Moving around he tried to feel the air currents. "Hey! What are you doing? We need to start moving!" Rover said coming closer with weary eyes, ready to jump away at any moment. "And where exactly would you like to go? If you can move through walls, good for you, but I need a humanly possible path for myself" Ace said with a sneer for being interrupted, his concentration broken. "I-No-I didn''t mean it that way! We have to go back now since this is clearly the wrong way!" "And how do you know that?" Ace asked raising an eyebrow. "Have you explored here previously and are just not telling us something?" He knew air was coming from somewhere but it could as well be a small passage the size of a hand through which no human could ever get past. "That''s not it" Dawn said entering the conversation with a shaky voice. She truly hated undead and because of it she had never been in this dungeon. Probably and wouldn''t have done in her time of playing if not her guild being in such a pinch. "Our comrades are most likely needing help so we can''t just sit here and wait while you''re playing around. Who knows if there''s really something here? And you yourself said that you aren''t much of a trapper which means secret doors are out of your reach too." ''Are they now?'' wondered Ace unsure of their true motif. Were they really concerned or just hiding something? ¡®I better stay here and find out.'' That decided he jogged towards Monthu enjoying the glares drilling through his back. "I think I''ll stay here for the time being. You can go explore the other side in the meantime" he said that quickly glanced back to gauge the duo''s reaction. They were surprised but quite pleased before managing to wipe the smiles of their faces. ''So they''re really planning something. And me separating is a great thing. Could they be higher level than they''ve let on? It...'' "What''s with the perplexed expression?" Monthu asked quietly. He wasn''t whispering but neither was he loud enough for the two to overhear him. Ace lowered his voice too before answering. "The idiot duo is thinking of betrayal. I''ll trust you to survive that." "And why do you feel the need to stay here right the moment they do?" Monthu asked pretty annoyed. He expected as much from the pair but why was the kid leaving. It would be much easier to face everything if he didn''t have to protect Par and fight two people all by himself. "They won''t dare to act while I''m around" Ace said with a devilish smile. "I''m too much of a mystery. Besides this cave is interesting. It must be hiding some secrets. Or treasures!" Monthu chuckled. "Yes, yes and I''m a mammoth. If you¡¯re tired of being in such a large company, you could just say so" he said and turning around went to Par. Ace stood stunned for a second before shaking his head and flopping down right where he was standing, beside a heap of bones and a skull lying by his foot as if ready to eat it. "What did he say to you?" Dawn asked coming over to him with Rover in tow. Ace wondered whether she was the one leading or just faking it. "You looked pretty surprised." "Ah. I just didn''t expect him to take me for such a lowlife." "Does he not trust you? Aren''t you friends" "We three are travelling together too but I wouldn''t say there''s a grain of trust between us. Same with him" Ace explained looking a bit down but trying to hide it. "So he didn''t like you deciding to stay? Will you be coming back with us then?" Ace heard a bit of annoyance in her voice. She really wanted him gone. Well, he couldn''t disappoint a lady, could he? "Nope. I do what I want and at the moment I''m staying here!" he said with a bright smile and took a flute out of his bag. It was old and tarnished but still worked so he didn''t plan to get a new one. That is, of course, until he found and killed another bard and hopefully with a better preserved instrument. He put it to his lips and a slow melody left the wooden shell. It shivered in the air as if full of fear and uncertainty but crept onwards, reaching for the sky. With time it grew stronger, more self-assured. A knight in shining steel armour riding his horse. The notes rolled in the air, rising and falling repeatedly. Their perfection working against them. It created a dull sound; amazing yet boring for it lacked any emotion like a man defending the weak simply because it was said that it is right. Then in a moment the melody transformed. A passionate man''s beating heart came to life. It helped a widow save her son, farmer protect his sheep while dancing in the air, flowing all around. The two then met and crashed. Notes fighting for supremacy, Ace''s fingers pushing buttons as a third melody entered the fray. It was delicate and frail, a woman''s touch, a smile. But it was strong in its own weakness; others stopping what they did, straining to hear it better until it was the only one talking, telling its tale. And the story was at an end, the world falling beneath a gentle heart; beauty winning it all if not for the ugliness of men. A sudden jolt, an ear-piercing shout escaping from the flute. Broken sounds rushing out, notes unfinished in the hurry, or annoyance. Or anger and hatred. Love too deep. They hit all the wrong places on one¡¯s soul, making their faces scrunch in disgust. Feet to stretch out and leave. Get out. It lasted for a while before a sorrowful moan escaped through the curses and like a tide the monster''s feelings went into the open. A sorrowful melody washed over the ground. The tear filled notes like waves hitting against the shore rocks, not able to break through; forced to return back. The place filled up with them, tired of being so useless, so powerless and weak. Unnoticed by everyone a single wave born of fury and rage rose above others. And crashed as uselessly as others had. But no, something within had broken down. The sound straightened out, leaving the hot red boiling rage behind. It became calm and collected with ice cold fury lurking beneath. The calculated violence making shivers run down the skeletons'' backs. It lasted for a bit longer; a treacherous smile, a wink. And then it was gone, leaving an eerie silence behind. Ace sat quietly, enjoying the remnants of the story. It left a bitter taste in his mouth since he knew what was waiting for him once he opened his eyes. The story of the warriors, a girl and an unlikely suitor was far from finished. Bones being dragged over an uneven ground made him swiftly stand up and look over his surroundings. He had expected to see the dead suitor but not over fifty skeletons beside him. What was he supposed to do with them all? Taking an almost invisible step back he inspected his opponents. They were old and cracked, clothes - no, rags - dirty and torn, barely holding onto bones. There couldn''t even be talk about armour or weapons. What some of them had could be best described as rusted sticks good only to give people infections. "Who are you to sing of us? The legion of the dead" one of them asked. He was a little bit taller than others, a little bit less broken and just that much scarier. Ace could finally see for himself how much of the work blood red eyes actually did. "I''m but a traveller playing a tune to keep boredom away" Ace said with a smile. In the meantime he activated [Excessive Heat] to warm himself up. There was a strange chill coming from these skeletons, something that hadn''t happened with any other type of undead he''d met in the cave. "Why would you think it was of you?" "We of the dead know." "We? Wasn''t that a tale of a single man wishing for a girl''s hand? Something he should never have done." "You human! Are you saying we lie?" Ace tilted his head sideways. Was the skeleton just pretending or has it been so long that he had forgotten about his true self? Became one with the others? Was that even possible? "A tale is a tale" he said good naturedly. "So everyone can understand it his own way." His eyes darkened. "But that was my story and if I say that it wasn''t about your friends here then it means it wasn''t" Ace hissed taking out his weapons and getting into a fighting position. It was a stupid idea to challenge a bunch of undead all on his own but it was getting boring. "You know nothing!" the skeleton roared, his voice booming in the wide space. Ace sneered. "And you know all? Oh, my mistake! I forgot that dying and rotting in a dungeon made people wise! All the great sages did this kind of thing, didn''t they?" His opposition looked taken aback by such a remark. "What does my time frame have to do with our argument?" ''Ha! So he knows he''s a separate being!'' "Nothing" Ace said relaxing. "I was just testing whether you really were as stupid as you pretended with all that we of the dead or not." "But I am of the dead." "I can see that" Ace said in a deadpan voice, pointedly looking at the guy''s protruding bones. "You don''t need to remind me every time you open your mouth. Even your voice is hollow and sounds dead!" "It does?" "Yes!" Ace shouted out, flaying his arms in annoyance, almost slashing those who were before him. "Anyway why were you pretending to be dead? Well, more than you are now." That seemed to remind the skeleton of something and a dark staff materialized in his hands. A dark gem glowed at the top of it. "You''re good at making us forget who we are but you made a fatal mistake thief! You won''t leave this place alive!" Ace started to move the second he heard the word we. That''s why he was able to evade a shadow ball by a hair''s breadth and slash off a hand of a skeleton trying to grab him. As if having heard some silent command all the followers started moving and pointing their pathetic excuses for weapons at him. Or at least those who had. Others just tried to grab him. Unlucky fellows. He cut at them with sharp daggers making their bones fall lifelessly to the ground. "Ice Field!" he shouted out creating a frozen floor. Skeletons tripped over themselves returning to their heap of bones state. ''Why are they so weak?'' Ace wondered dodging a rusted sword and breaking it in half. It was pointless to take it seriously so he tried a dangerous stunt. Evading an attack from another skeleton he kicked it away and rushed towards the mage. He slipped past the hands and swords reaching out to him; rolling and jumping while his enemies shouted angrily. Getting close he took out the Sai he''d used so long ago and embedded its main needle like point inside the eye socket of the skeletal mage. Its red eyes glowed brightly but his body froze in an instant. "Tell your friends to cease moving or my hand might slip and break you skull apart" Ace said in a low voice, almost whispering. A soft hiss, puff of air and the cave was enveloped in silence. Ace''s breathing was the only thing disturbing it. "Now that''s much better. We might finally have a civil conversation!" "If you want to kill me, just do it. I won''t plead for my life." "Of course you won''t! You''re already dead!" Ace said rolling his eyes. "What I want is an explanation. The dungeon passages shift, undead are of unequal level throughout one path and you here are extremely weak even though you should be the boss type. Mind telling me how that happened?" "No!" the skeleton said bravely. He looked ready to spit on Ace if only he had had saliva. The kid smiled brightly and shifted his weapon so the side blades brushed the face bones near the eye socket making a mark around it. "You sure you want to continue like that? I''m a good natured person but even my patience has limits." He pushed the Sai deeper in so it was touching the inner side of the back of magician''s skull. One more push or twist would put the guy to eternal rest. Or as long as someone decided to re-summon him. "Do it! I don''t care!" "Do you now?" Ace asked lowering the guy''s head so their eyes were on the same level. "If you had wanted that, you would be resting now. You''re the necromancer here, not some human. And that means you came back to life for a reason. So please tell me again how much you wish to die. I might just take you up on that offer." "Shut up! Since when did children started to be so audacious? You know nothing about me! Shadow Spear!" Dark matter surged towards the magician''s hand, swiftly shaping into a spear. Ace saw it but was too close to have time to evade. It skewered his insides, lodging inside his stomach. He took notice of his health bar dropping by half in an instant but there wasn''t much he could do about it. He couldn¡¯t move an inch since the spear was holding him in place and if he let go of his Sai, he¡¯d be dead meat. "So now we''re in the same position!" the skeleton cackled happily. "You''re just a kid after all. Not able to kill even your enemies. Too innocent for the bitter business." Ace looked at his opponent with disgust in his eyes. "I warned you. Repeatedly. All for the sake of giving you a helping hand but it seems my effort was in vain. Bye!" He pushed the dagger in, cracking the skull and making the glowing red orbs lose their light. At the same time the dark spear disappeared and blood started to leave his body in a rush. With an annoyed look on his face he took out a lot of bottles and started drinking. He used the worst health potions since there was no danger nearby and there were too many of those in his backpack. After some ten or so minutes he was done and lay sick on the cold floor. "I''m never drinking thirty bottles in one go ever again! I feel like I''m going to explode!" he whined to no one in particular and fell asleep. It was the quickest way to wait out until he was back to normal. When his senses returned, he felt a presence nearby. ''I don''t remember having company. Did someone from the group return?'' he asked himself while yawning widely and opening his eyes up. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. A few meters away a skeleton sat with his head bowed as if some heavy burden was weighting him down. "May I inquire who you are?" Ace asked, sitting up. The guy was a few feet taller than him even though he was hunched. ''How tall is he actually?'' "Froyan Harbert, fisher''s son." "Good to know but you''ve told me nothing. I would appreciate if you were a little more open than your master." The warrior breathed a sigh but replied. "He was a necromancer from one of the cults. They had a tradition to kill themselves once they mastered the dead raising technique so they would be in a way immortal." "That explains him raising dead while being one himself but why are you here? Shouldn''t you have returned to the afterlife along with your companions?" "They''re not my friends. We just served the same master. And I haven''t gone back because I have a reason to live. There are people to whom I still have to pay my respects." Ace thought for a moment before a light bulb started to shine in his head. "Hahhaha! So the story wasn''t about the mage guy but you! How did you manage to trick him into returning you back to the world of the living?" "I died here. Just like so many others" the skeleton replied in a sad voice. "You can tell those tales to your grandma," Ace said, yawning again. "Although I doubt even she would believe them." "What do you mean?" "Look at yourself. You''re a freaking skeleton! Those don''t walk around without a necromancer who summoned them around." Ace''s eyes focused back on his opponent. "And yours just died." A dark look passed the skeleton''s face. "You like playing with fire kid, don''t you?" "Maybe" Ace said with a smile and stood up, jogging away to the other side of the cavern. He had to shout to be heard from over there. "But you know, how else would you find anyone to hear your story? And ask for help?" "I don''t need help" the skeleton refuted instantly. "Really? That''s great! See you some other time then!" Ace shouted out, not even looking back. He had taken out a few pieces of cloth and having bound them around his hands was trying to climb the wall. There were many handholds but they were extremely sharp and even the cloths were cut to pieces soon enough. ''That''s not good. I need a better plan to find from where the air is coming from.'' His body moved on his own as [Evasion] activated, a sphere of dark matter exploding right where he had been standing. Ace turned around to see the skeleton guy having dropped his sword and holding the previous necromancer''s staff. "So you''ve belonged to that cult too? That explains a lot, Froyan Harbert, fisher''s son." "Why did you come here kid? You''re not welcome in the land of the dead." "Don''t you start with that nonsense too!" complained Ace. "I can go where I want and if you''re going to try and stop me, you''ll end up alongside your friend. You should raise him and ask how nice it is to have his skull broken into pieces." "Are you here alone?" "If you see anyone else around, please tell me since I can''t." "How did you hear the story? It''s not the one written in the history books." "I just played whatever came to mind" Ace said shrugging and turning back to the wall. "It''s not like I knew it was going to bring undead back to life that¡¯ll then target me." "Who are you?" Ace glanced back. "Can''t you see? I''m a kid." "You''re lying" the skeleton stated raising his staff up. "Maybe. But who said I have to go through with your interrogation? You keep your secrets to yourself and I keep mine. Equality should always be kept." He took a few steps back and tried running up the wall. It was almost uneven enough for him to succeed but his foot slipped and he fell down with an audible sound. "That was actually pretty stupid" he mused looking up at the wall without bothering to stand up. Bones started to grind and push against each other and a skeleton was looking down at him. "What are you doing? Do you really give that little regard to my power?" Ace laughed. "If you had wanted to kill me, you would have done that while I was sleeping." "You sure are brave. And stupid" "Those two tend to walk toe to toe. Now step away, I''m thinking." "Why are you so intent on climbing that wall?" "There''s something behind it and I want to see what." "Even if it''s only a pile of bones?" "Even then" Ace said firmly and sat up. There had to be a way to do it. He only had to find it. The skeleton moved slightly and the wall started grumbling. It groaned for a while but stones moved and Ace saw a path open up before him. "How did you do that?" he asked his companion. The skeleton had what could be counted as a smile but on his face looked like a scary grimace. "I live here. Don''t you think I should I know my way around?" "That''s useful! Are you coming with me?" Ace asked jumping up and running to the opened up tunnel. Surprisingly it wasn''t very dark. There were torches on both sides lighting it up. ''Who set them up and how?'' Ace wondered as they seemed to be just put in. None were about to burn down. "Why should I?" Ace sighed in annoyance. "That pride of yours... Fine. If you can''t ask for help, let''s make a deal. You show me all the secret passages, lead to the treasure rooms and I''ll support you in your quest. Does that sound better?" "What are you playing at now?" skeleton guy asked with distrust. "Nothing" Ace said rolling his eyes while being turned away from the guy. He didn''t need to see it. "I''m an adventurer, I want to see the wonders of the world and become extremely rich. That''s all there is to me being here." "All for gold?" "Those who have money control this world. I''m not naive enough not to know it. That''s why I''m going to find many treasures and become the richest man alive!" The skeleton cackled bitterly. "Dreamy youths. Do you truly believe you''ll succeed with that laid back attitude of yours?" "Well, I managed to get you on my side, didn''t I?" Ace said with a confident smile. "It would be just too cruel to leave you wander around these halls alone." "Great!" the kid said smiling brightly and was about to go when a huge window popped up in front of his eyes. "Kids..." muttered skeleton to himself while shaking his head before getting all serious. "My quest isn''t an easy one. I''m looking for those who made me into this and stole my life away." "Are they the four knight ghosts that reside in this dungeon?" Ace asked, too lazy to read the quest log for the moment. "Not even close. Those traitors and murderers are still out there living like heroes in the city. I was never the good guy, but they were even worse! So how could they survive? And how blind people have to be to trust their words?" The rant lacked any kind of useful information so Ace turned his attention to the quest log that had appeared before his eyes. Ting!
*Undying Hatred Once upon a time there lived a young man with his parents. He had to have married a long time ago but his heart belonged to a girl he could never have. She was the lord''s daughter and he a fisher''s son. It was set in motion when the lord with his daughter walked around their grounds and stopped at the fisher''s hut. The parents'' talked while the kids sat by the river. They fell for each other in an instant but it was a doomed relationship. The two knew that yet couldn''t abandon it either. One day they couldn''t take the hiding any more and decided to run away together. It was a perilous journey but after a long time they found a place to settle in. But it didn''t even last for half a year. Two knights came barging in to their home while the fisher''s son was away and stole the lady away. They showed her a fake letter how her husband had actually asked her father money for returning her. They said her husband was just a kidnapper caring for nothing but money. She cried and cried and went with the saviours, truth bringers. The man returned to find his lover gone, a large bag of money and a letter drowned in tears resting on the table. The fishes he''d caught fell to the ground and he started reading his wife''s handwriting. Each word was like a nail in his coffin. She killed him that time. The man he had been was no longer. The rage filled creature turned to evil arts, seeing the world through a red haze. He showed up to have a talent for magic and quickly became a well-known magician. But he wasn''t satisfied. One day he went to get his revenge. What he found was so nightmarish he wished he hadn¡¯t gone there. He thought he cared nothing for her any longer but to see her married to one of the knights. It was too much. He went on a rampage, destroying everything in his sight. Knights being the priority targets. That is why he didn''t notice his wife sneaking up behind him and stabbing a dagger in his chest. She did it a few times too to make sure he really wouldn''t make it. The man fell laughing as he saw recognition in the woman''s face. It quickly turned to terror and the dagger slid out of her hand. Over twenty years have passed since then but the man still cannot rest. He wants for his killers to find an earlier grave. Difficulty level: C Quest Requirements: Destroy the undead party without killling Froyan, earn his respect Quest Rewards: Guidance in the Cave of Despair. Book of The Dead Special (?) Warning! If you betray his trust, he''ll turn into a ghost after death and will haunt you forever.
''That''s one mountain of words'' thought Ace feeling a bit sleepy after reading it all. ''Although, his story has a nice feeling to it. Revenge is always a good thing.'' "Can you tell me one thing?" Ace asked venturing inside the tunnel with a skeleton behind him. "Why are you here?" "Before going to face the knights I knew that I might die so I made preparations. This place looked promising so I made the ritual and went out. If I were to die, my body would be transported here and resurrected. Everything went as I planned but one thing. This place was a cult''s raising place. I could defeat even the leaders of it one by one but not all together so I bid my time. Some year ago four people like you came and killed everything. I hid in the shadows and survived but now they''re standing watch over the exit so I can¡¯t leave once again. It''s re-" "Wait, wait, wait! You mean those guys aren''t ghosts?" "Not even close. They only spread the rumour to lure adventurers like you in and kill them for items and fun." A malicious smile emerged on Ace''s face, his eyes started to gleam with a strange glow, turning dark purple. "What''s up with you kid? The fact that they''re humans doesn''t make them weaker." "Oh, but it does!" Ace said gleefully. "Undead are immune to assassinations but... They wrote themselves a death sentence when they decided to stand in my way." "You''re weak. Don''t expect them to just wait for you and die because your needle of a dagger touched them." "I don''t" Ace said still with a smile. "I just now know that all I need is a bit of luck, good use of resources in my possession and it will be done. They''re not even close to being invincible." The skeleton didn''t seem to agree to that but kept his jaws shut. It was so long since he had last hoped for anything. The kid was a breath of fresh air and he planned to enjoy it as long as it lasted. "Where do you want to go from here? This tunnel is actually a maze leading to all floors, but filled with dead ends and traps." "Really? That''s interesting" Ace said looking deeper in as if that would reveal all its secrets. "I suppose I want to go deeper in. Are there any creatures that would be around my level of strength which I could defeat?" It was an annoying thing that Npcs had no idea about numbered levels. For them, this was real life and in there people aren''t divided by numbers meaning their power. "With my help you could defeat two floors down or even more. Shall I lead you there?" Ace nodded and was about to march off when he remembered something. "Aren''t you going to call that lot to work for you?" he asked motioning towards piles of bones. "I''ve only damaged the necromancer." There was surprise on the skeleton''s face as if he hadn''t thought of that. "Aren''t you a necromancer too?" "I am..." the guy said and with doubt in his voice started to chant something. The words slipped from his mouth like snakes wounding around the fallen bones. They started to move and shake rising in the air to form human like shapes. Not five minutes later twelve warriors with rusted swords stood before them ready to do anything they''re told to. "That''s nice" Ace said with a slight note of jealousy. "You have a personal army." "Yeah..." the necromancer said looking in wonder at his own underlings. "Why didn''t I ever think about this? If I can raise myself, I should be capable of raising others too." "That''s obvious" Ace agreed. "Although they''re really weak. I''m not sure they''ll be much of use but let''s go. I want to see what else I can find in this dungeon." The skeleton nodded and went before him to lead the way. Neither said another word, lost in their own worlds. Ace wondered how his companions were. Monthu was a smart guy but quite easy to fool. ''Will he be able to see the betrayal before it happens? Hopefully or else I''ll never hear the end of how untrustworthy I am.'' But he didn''t regret his choice. This was going to be ten times more interesting than exploring with them. And he found a lot of useful information regarding the last bosses and even acquired a quest with some special reward depending on the outcome. It was really worth the trouble. ''Now if only I knew what I was facing, I could prepare.'' But the skeleton walked quietly, most likely busy fending off his memories. Ace didn''t feel like disturbing him and better went to explore his inventory. It was full of random items that could hardly ever be of use but since it could carry so many of them and weighted almost nothing Ace wasn''t planning to throw even a single one out. The right corner was his food supply. A ton of everlasting barley bread, some herbs, bowls of water and a drinking cup. Left side was occupied by gazillions of potions with all the effects possibly. Right underneath them poisons and untested liquids were stored. There were a good number of those since he hadn''t tested the last bunch he''d made. The bottom right side contained all kinds of random items starting with guitar chords and thread and finishing with coal and steel helmet. His gaze lingered there for a bit longer, looking over all the items he''d acquired and remembering who''d lost them. There he noticed a book named diary. Perry came to his mind and he quickly closed the bag menu. He hoped she was very far away from here and not coming back any time soon. Besides that, Romeo still needed to be taught a lesson. ''That guy hid the actions of Silver Wing''s hunting group, which was quite dangerous. But that will have to wait till I return to Lasran.'' As his thoughts circled around that city the diary came back to his mind once again. The words written in it flashed through his mind. ''That fighting technique! How could I have forgotten about it! Idiot!'' Perry was a spellsword and had researched the strengths of it. She had created or found a way infuse any spell into a weapon which gave it wonderful passive abilities. The power behind these abilities wasn''t decided by the user''s statuses because it became a weapon''s property so even a person with low intelligence could succeed in stunning his opponent or releasing a strong spell. It was all decided by the strength of the blow. ''How could I possibly have forgotten to test it out?'' He shook his head dropping that thought away and found a suitable dagger. It was actually the training Sai. They had been resting for too long. He had hoped to find a teacher and only after some training use them but it didn''t look like it was going to happen in the near future and unused weapons become restless. They aren''t made to be put on walls and admired. There''s only one purpose for their existence and that is to fight. For good or evil, to save or to kill, it didn¡¯t matter. The necromancer suddenly stopped, making Ace stumble upon his own feet. He was about to ask what happened when the skeleton pressed his finger in a hidden crevice and the wall moved. Behind it was unlit darkness so Ace sent [Flare] to scout. There was nothing there. "Is this the place?" "Yes. Zombies should be somewhere not far from here." "Great!" rejoiced Ace and debated which spell to use on the Sai. [Flare] would be best since it was a fire spell but then he''d be in total darkness which would be disadvantageous for him. "Have you become afraid? I can always lead you up to the surface" the skeleton suggested. "Not a chance." Ace said firmly. "I''m just annoyed that I can''t see in the dark." "You can''t?" "Well, of course! How should I be able to?" "Shadows move and change create shapes and disappear, make this blind one see, Mystic Sight!" *You have been affected by Mystic Sight!*
*Mystic Sight It is a one-time ability to open someone''s inner eye up. There is a lot of speculation on this spells true nature and how it came to existence since a wizard is capable of using it only once in his lifetime, but nothing solid has ever been found.*
"Well, that''s a very useful description" Ace muttered under his breath as his vision started to get cloudy. "Hey! What did you do to me?" he asked in anger as his heart started to beat faster. He had become blind. Fruitlessly he called upon [Flare]. It stayed pitch black no matter what. "Calm down. It-" "Is that all you can say? Calm down?" Ace asked in a hiss, holding his weapons before himself. He strained to hear something but the dead didn''t breath. If they wanted, they could stay forever without moving an inch and making a sound. His hatred for these vile creatures grew with every passing moment. Next Chapter 4.4 Gold Mine Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Here we are at the end of another chapter. It was a really fun experience writing it so I feel like sharing my accomplishments. I was so immersed in writing this weekend that instead of a single chapter I wrote two and of normal length, not any shorter than usual ones! When I noticed it, I couldn''t believe I had so many ideas! Usually half the writing time is wasted looking at my phone screen, thinking how to better show the situation but this time there was none and it was really great. So now it''s either going to be absolutely amazing chapters or absolutely terrible ones. I truly hope for the first former one On a side note, the next chapter is written as I mentionned before but I''m really lazy when it comes to proofreading so I can''t promise when it''ll come out... **** "You have to ca-" the skeleton tried saying again but his words were interrupted by a dagger thrust forward which passed right through the empty space between his ribs. "I can''t freaking see! How am I supposed to calm down?" Ace asked in outrage, moving his hands in a circle around himself. He heard feet scurrying away. "Dark magic hidden from view come out and stop your enemies, Shadow Bind!" the necromancer chanted out and Ace felt his hands being pressed against his body. Rope like material bound him into a human sandwich. "You could have just told me you needed help staying still." Ace hissed in anger and annoyance but didn''t deem it worthy to reply. Darkness was all around him and now he couldn''t even move. It wasn''t an envy inducing predicament. "I hope at least now you''ll stay quiet for a moment and let me explain what spell I previously cast?" Ace didn''t reply. "Are you even listening to me?" No answer. The skeleton wasn''t sure how to react. He''d only wanted to help but it had gone out of his control quite spectacularly. Time would solve everything on its own but he wasn''t sure the kid would appreciate waiting it out in the unknown. ''Just why did he flip out so? Could he possibly be afraid of the dark?'' He glanced at the boy''s disposition but it explained nothing. He stood with eyes wide open, chin forward and legs firmly on the ground. It wasn''t a position of a person ready to jump away at the merest sound. "You''re such a child..." the skeleton said finally with a sigh. That took Ace''s attention and he glared back at the darkness. "What did you just say?" "That I gave you an ability for having which people were killed and yet you''re lashing out, thinking of ways to get back at me." "Why would I ever need an ability for which I''ll become a favourite prey for hunters?" "Aren¡¯t you interested to find out why does it create such hatred towards its owner?" The kid had a perplexed expression on his face, clearly debating whether it was worth it to drop the furiousness act or not. In the end he seemed to give up; his shoulders slumped down and he plopped to the ground. "Release me" he said in an indifferent tone. "Ha ha. No. I cannot trust you not to jump for my head the moment I do." "But we agreed to become companions!" "Yeah and you almost slashed one of my skeletons'' head off." "Really? That''s a shame! Oh wait... I''m very sorry! I didn''t mean it, you just surprised me! Now I''m calm so you have nothing to worry about!" the kid said in a cheerful voice but the skeleton didn''t believe him at all. That first part of the sentence kind of gave it away. "So you want to hear what I cast on you or not?" Ace pouted slightly but guessing that nothing could be gained, what with undead having no hearts, literary; he simply nodded and leaned on the wall to make himself more comfortable. "Listen well then. I''m not going to repeat myself. This is a unique skill that a wizard can only cas-" "once in his life time and nobody knows why so. I already know it. Go to the important part" Ace said interrupting the skeleton while not forgetting to roll his eyes too. "Little spoiled brat" muttered the necromancer under his breath before continuing his explanation. "That is true. Although, some guess that it is due to it using up so much of a magician''s capabilities. It is a fact that a mage after using it becomes three or four times weaker than he was before." "Why would you use it on me then? It makes no sense if you''re telling the truth" Ace said wanting to cross his arms over the chest but incapable of even twitching them. "You say? I''m a dead man walking and I always wondered what it would be like sacrificing yourself for others, losing yourself piece by piece until you''re no longer a living being." "Sentimental fool what about your revenge? How are you going to repay everyone who ever wronged you if you become as stupid as an ostrich? By hiding your head in the sand?" Ace asked with a raised eyebrow. He finally got used to the darkness enough to be able to put one of his masks on and act accordingly. Brains were turned on too so he could guess the price that necromancer mentioned was losing almost all of your stats in intelligence or wisdom. A grave loss. "It''s not instantaneous. The more your eye opens the more I lose out. At the moment I feel as well as previously. Nothing has changed." "Still you''re an idiot for giving up so much for a random stranger. And for the moment I''m still complaining about what you did. I can say it was annoying not being able to see in the dark but I never wanted to become blind!" "Random stranger? I''ve been here for twenty years and not a single soul even came near to having a conversation with me. For everyone I was just another monster to be killed. I felt like I had to reward you for seeing past that." Ace waved his hand in the air. "I was too lazy to kill you. That''s all there''s to it. And you might have pulled some trick up like that guy with the shadow spear which would have taken even more of my time that could be used up exploring." "Are you trying to make me regret what I did? You''re almost succeeding." "I doubt you can take it back." "Yes, but I can always kill you and that would break the transfer of my powers to you" the skeleton suggested cheerfully and Ace unconsciously started tugging at his binds that weren''t even close to expiring. ''Just how strong is he to keep them up for so long?'' "So don''t tempt me kid." Ace growled something unintelligible before replying. "Fine. So what did you do anyway? In your incantation there were words make him see but controversially I became blind. Was that part of your plan you forgot to mention?" "I said I never used it before so I have no idea how it actually works." "Am I your testing subject?" Ace asked in an air freezing tone. "No! How negative can you get? Wait. Don''t answer that" he said shaking his head lacking any kind of hair. "I don''t know much about this ability but it is said to open the person''s true potential. How much of that is true I don''t know but one thing which is for sure is that you''ll be able to see not only in the darkness but in light too. And before you ask I mean the blinding whiteness kind of light, explosions and so on." "Really?" Ace asked in wonder. How much better the life of an assassin would be if he could see in the dark? It''s like a dream come true. That is if it worked. For now he was in an even worse situation then normally. "Are there any records of it not working and people going blind?" "I don''t think so..." the skeleton said in an uncertain voice. "Although the ritual is held in great secret along with all information concerning this spell." "Ritual?" Ace asked raising his hands towards the heavens, in his imagination. "There''s a whole ritual and you expect everything to work out perfectly even if you just say the shortest of incantations?¡± "Rituals are mostly just for the sake of show..." necromancer explained but there was no conviction in his voice. It sounded more like he was trying first to make himself believe that. "Release me so I can hit your head. Hard. It''s not like there are any brain cells there anyway." "That''s an insult!" the skeleton hissed moving around, his bones pushing against each other. Ace couldn''t understand what he was doing and that made him even more aware of his dangerous position: blind, bound and surrounded. "Because it was meant to be one. Did you expect me to praise you for probably taking my sight away? You sure are an optimist." That removed the skeleton''s will to fight and he stopped moving letting the place return to its eerie silence. "I''m sorry. I really hoped it would work out" he said in a low voice. Sadness could be easily detected in it. Ace breathed a sigh. "That helps me none you know?" There was some rustling among the skeletons before Ace felt his restraints falling off. He carefully stood up stretching his arms out in wide arcs. "It was about time" he muttered opening up a status menu. It was there in all its translucent glory. ''So I''m not completely blind? Or is it just so I could take out the right potion from the bag and receive system information?'' Still thinking he took out a blindness removal potion and drank it. Just as he expected nothing happened but it was worth a try. The problem was that the status effect wasn''t blindness but mystic eyes. He doubted a potion for it existed. "So what now when you so quickly destroyed all my plans?" he asked without even moving his head. Ace really wanted to but how was he supposed to know where his companion was. He didn''t trust his ears that much. The skeleton took his time before answering. "I remember hearing that you travellers become stronger even if you don''t fight monsters as long as one in your group does that. Is it truth?" "Yes" Ace said with a nod. "It is a kind of magic where if we group and make a special pact we share the experience gained from fighting a monster. But that sadly cannot be done with those native to this land." "But sometimes you go hunting with us none the less. Why is it so?" "All we need is to finish of the enemy. Simply put, it could be called stealing a bit of your opponent¡¯s knowledge every time you defeat one." "That is a fearful ability. Are all of you, not only mages capable of it?" "Yes, we''re all monsters" Ace said thinking of what he should really do next. Chatting was nice and all but he needed a way to get out and ask some clerics to help him. Hopefully, they''ll be capable of doing that. "Would you like to train with me?" the skeletal mage asked, bringing Ace out of his thoughts. "Didn''t I say I... Wait, you mean you would let me to just last hit and will be fine with that?" he asked surprised. "It''s my fault that you''re like this now. I''d like to repay you for that at least a bit." Ace debated necromancer''s offer with a wary mind. His voice was sincere but expressions, almost invisible movements by face muscles were the main indicators of a person''s true intentions. For all Ace knew he could be led into a den of monsters and left there. Although what was the point for the skeleton to try so hard? He could have killed him when he was asleep and now he was just a sitting duck too. ''Could he really be genuine about giving me all that experience for free?'' "So is that okay? Or is there anything I missed out in why it can''t be done?" "No..." Ace murmured. "It can be done." "Are you hesitating about trusting me? Is that it?" "Maybe..?" "I''ve promised to let you aid me in my quest and I''m not going back on my word. If you prefer sitting here doing nothing, we can do that too." "Nah, it''s fine. I''ll go" Ace finally said and touching the wall started to move forward. His steps were slow and careful, testing the ground before touching it. ''This way it''ll take me an hour to walk a few meters...'' "Howls echoing deep in a night, guardian that protects the undead raise from the ashes and burn anew, Hell Hound! Water turned ice create a layer of protection on a weak and fragile body, Fire Resistance!" Ace felt heat surround him when some creature entered this plane but after the second spell it was gone. He could see a status effect it put on him.
* Fire Resistance! A high level mage put a protective shield on you which prevent you from taking any damage from fire. You could freely walk in lava without feeling even a little uncomfortable.*
''That''s useful. Maybe I should guilt trip him into joining my group?'' While Ace was thinking that, the mage spoke up. "Hell Hound will carry you to make it quicker." Ace raised his head in surprise but it gave no clearance since everything was still perfectly black. "How am I supposed to get on him if I can''t see?" he asked sheathing his daggers. There was no point to keep on holding onto them when he was as powerless as a newborn kitten either way. Ace felt something brush past his legs so he stretched his hand to touch it and was barely able to get it back when some jaws closed right where it had been seconds ago with an audible smack. "Helios! Stop it! You have to carry him! Not bite his hand off!" "Grrrr" a disapproving sound came from Ace''s right and he rethought his idea about putting daggers away. "Sorry about this kid. He isn''t used to this and I haven''t summoned him for the last twenty years." Then the skeleton turned his attention back to the misbehaving puppy. "Helios, drop that face. You''ll do as I say and nicely or I''ll put you on a carrot diet. There seems to be a lot more fat on you since the last time I saw you." A choking sound came from the dog and Ace burst out laughing. ''What''s with this threat and the animal''s reaction?'' Hound watched the kid laughing, his curly hair jumping up and down lightly and a strange feeling entering his heart. He wanted to protect this fragile being who could smile so innocently and happily even though he was blind like a little cub.
*Childish Innocence activated*
''What?'' Ace wanted to shout as the ability¡¯s name appeared before his eyes. ''I had already forgotten about it! Why is it still here?'' he asked in outrage. A wet tongue licked his hand and he looked around from the habit. "What¡¯s happening?" he asked the skeleton. "The hound seems to have finally found a liking to you and is worried about why you suddenly looked so heartbroken" he said with a laugh. "Is that so?" Ace said in wonder, unable to curse the ability but not coming even a step closer to accepting it either. "Does that mean he won''t try to eat me now?" "Of course. You can pet him now and get on him." Carefully Ace stretched his hand out again, ready to snatch it back if he heard a wrong sound. But there was none. His fingers touched soft fur like material which clearly wasn''t that. It flowed through the fingers leaving a dream like sensation. You felt it so real yet with all your existence you knew it being false. The tongue licked his face now. "Hey!" Ace exclaimed jumping back a few steps and hitting the wall. It didn''t have as many protrusions as the previous one but even the small ones were sharp enough to break the material of his clothes and scratch his back. Ace ignored that and brushed the saliva of his face. Soft whining sounds came from nearby and a hesitant nose brushed against his chest. "The hound is sorry. He didn''t want to scare you." "Who is scared?" Ace asked in surprise. "I''m just dis... Uhm.. Nothing" he muttered, not finishing his sentence. He couldn''t say to his ride that he was disgusted. It just wasn''t done. Even the stupid ability would most likely not be able to save him then. "If that is so, get on him. It''s quite tiresome to stand here and do nothing. I''ve been busy with that for the last twenty years." Ace smiled slightly at the last remark and petted the dog who barked happily. He let his hand slide from the animal''s head to the back. To his surprise the hound was almost as high as him. ''That''s just wrong. Now even the dogs are taller than me?'' It wasn''t truth but not too far away from it. Not wasting any more time he held onto a fur that wasn''t fur and got on the gigantic dog. The silky material wasn''t the best thing to hold on to but Ace hoped to somehow stay upright. "I think I''m done" he announced. "I can see it. Good work on finally doing it." "Thanks" Ace said in a voice dripping with sarcasm. "Will you manage to start moving then?" The skeleton didn''t answer but sounds of bones moving, swords being dragged could be heard and Ace understood what was happening. His ride as if aware of the situation knew to go last and moved at the speed of a snail. ''I expected it to be at least a little challenging but if this continues I''m going to die of boredom.'' Sounds of limbs being dragged over the uneven surface reached Ace''s ears and he knew that the hunting ground was here. But it was as dark as ever. Not only couldn''t he see his ride, where they were going but even enemies were only the sounds they made. ''What shall I do? I can''t just sit here and enjoy something I can''t see especially when they''re not even talking!'' He pushed his legs into the dog''s sides and whispered "I''m sure you''re angry that you can''t go and fight but have to take care of the useless me." A soft growl for an answer. "You disagree? You wouldn''t want to be the one getting rid of enemies and earning your master''s favour? You''re one very great subordinate." Ace waited for a reply but the hound stayed quiet. "What would you say if I suggested we have some fun? You leave this place and run to the thick of the battle. I''ll hold tight and won''t cause you any troubles. Promise!" Silence. "You won''t do it even if I ask very nicely? I just don¡¯t want to be a burden¡­" Ace said in a tear filled voice, his eyes filling up. The dog whined unsure of how to act: follow the master''s orders or his own instincts and the kid''s pleading voice. Slowly he started to move, every step turning his head to make sure the kid was sitting safely on his back. Ace buried his face in the hound''s neck and smiled gleefully. Once again he got what he wanted. He felt muscles tighten up under him and the hound jumped into the fray with a whoosh of an arrow. Its claws tore into flesh and a sickening sound reached Ace along with droplets of thick liquid when the hound managed to tear some piece away with his teeth. He growled in satisfaction and jumped on another enemy falling him while something flew past, making Ace''s hair stand up on end. "Hound! What are you doing? I almost hit both of you! It''s too dangerous!" "I''m fine" Ace said raising his head for a moment before returning to concentrating on his steel like grip on the ride. It was fun to be in action but since he couldn''t guess where the animal was going to move next, it was a challenge to keep himself seated. "You can''t be, you''re barely holding on!" the skeleton refuted while mumbling a spell under his breath to blast a zombie away. "I''d die of boredom if I have to stay behind and we don''t want that" Ace explained quickly. He felt muscles move under him and knew to prepare for another jump. "Suicidal" muttered the mage but didn''t press on. If he somehow managed to trick the hound into following him, it would be too troublesome to change anything. Ace enjoyed the sensation of being atop a strong beast in action but it didn''t last for long. Monsters were dead all too soon. "You can finish them off now. They''re hanging in this plane only by a thread, no more." "They''re still alive?" Ace asked in wonder. His instincts were telling him that there were no longer any enemies around. He looked inside his bag and took out a branch that had a very pointy end on one side and was a meter and some long. With it he stabbed the ground around himself. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! At first he hit nothing but the third hit encountered some resistance. That was a plead for a stronger push so Ace did just that.
*You have levelled up!*
"Can you carry me to others too?" he asked his ride in a sugar sweet voice. He''d never been overly caring about levels but this was a gold mine! There was no way he could pass up on it. The hound growled softy in approval and took Ace to all the almost dead zombies who had to be at least of level one hundred twenty if not higher to give him this much experience points. This fight single handedly gave him three levels. ''Could it be that they''re stronger ''cause it¡¯s darkness and because of that give even more experience points than normally?'' "Thanks" he said making sure that the skeleton knew that he appreciated what was being done for him. It was always important to reward people when you wanted them to continue doing what they were doing. "You''re welcome. Should we continue on?" "Yeah" he said smiling brightly and his beast started to move again. It was getting increasingly annoying for Ace to not be able to see anything as they continued on their journey. The cave seemed to have changed from the way sounds started to echo but he couldn''t understand it at all! Everything was but the darkness. He levelled up ten times and now it took over seven zombies to give him one. Although, some kind of different enemies had started to appear from time to time which gave even more experience. When Ace had asked how they look, the only answer he received was ugly zombies and nothing more. It took all his will power not to jump from his ride and start fighting them even if he was blind. He was sure [Instincts of a Predator] and [Evasion] would keep him alive no matter what. The reason he tried to stay a good boy so hard was because he didn''t want to anger his so called companions. The undead didn''t need rest which meant they could go on fighting forever. While Ace slept they would continue on and the beast would later on carry him through all the almost dead enemies which he would finish off and level up a few times instantaneously. Ace wasn''t sure how long it was going to be so but he planned to use it to the fullest. ''If I really think about it, becoming blind was actually a great tactical move. Now not only I have his absolute trust but he is doing everything for my sake as an apology. Even if I''ll have to die to remove this blindness, I''ll still have profited immensely and this hasn''t even ended yet!'' The beast jumped into a group of enemies and Ace held onto him tighter. Strong muscles moved under him and he already learnt to guess what was coming next from their movements; jump to the right and jaw cracking hit from the back paw. Ace felt air shimmer around him and swayed to the right, hiding most of his body behind the hound¡¯s side. Something flew right over him and exploded after hitting the wall. Ace''s ears rang from the terrible sound it made but he couldn''t release them from holding the hound. ''Why in the world is his fur so slippery? Not anything like a dog¡¯s.'' "Nice reflexes kid!" the skeleton shouted along with a spell for shadow spear. "Hound get him away from there! This is no laughing matter!" The beast did as told and swiftly jumped away. Ace heard bones cracking and guessed a few of the necromancer''s skeletons had died. What was happening there? "What is going on?" he asked loudly, looking back at the fight but seeing nothing, only hearing more bones breaking and swords, rust collectors, bouncing off metal armour. "Shadow Bind! Souls lost in your greed carry the pain, Sphere of Darkness! Nothing to concern yourself with. Just wait quietly! Shadow Spear!" the skeleton roared casting one spell after another. It clearly wasn''t nothing. Ace really wanted to go and have a taste of that enemy himself but he knew that his overprotective ride would never disobey this command. He sulked for a moment before jumping off the beast who growled at him angrily. "I''m not running anywhere!" Ace explained in a soft voice, looking away. "I''m going to stay here safely but I want you to go and help everyone. Even if I can''t see, I can understand it''s not going in our favour." It was an exaggeration, he was sure it wasn''t that dire of a situation but he was blind, he could say whatever he wanted and everyone would believe he actually thought that. The dog whined quietly, not wanting to leave him alone. "I''ll be right here" Ace promised. "Nothing will happen to me as long as no enemies break through your ring and that''s impossible. Just go and be right back, okay?" He gently petted the dog¡¯s head and took a step away from him. The animal hesitated for a moment before he barked once as if saying something, promising maybe, and then was gone. Ace smiled. ''So gullible.''
*Childish Innocence has levelled up!*
"Get the hell away from my sight" he hissed at the ability, turning its notice board off and closing his eyes out of habit to hear better. There was another enemy in this place besides the metal tin can skeletons were fighting. His instincts said it with certainty but no matter how hard he tried Ace couldn''t determine where. His only hope was that if he was left all alone it would come out of hiding. Who wouldn''t want to create chaos among their enemies by killing their precious person who they were so desperately trying to protect? It was one of the oldest tricks in existence on how to defeat your enemies without even trying. As he expected the thing made his move the moment hound was away. Ace smiled widely dodging some missiles thrown his way and was about to return one of his own when he remembered he couldn''t see. He had planned to let his abilities keep him alive and unwounded but he forgot that counter-attacking was out of the question if he had no idea where his enemy was or how he was moving. It fell next to him and Ace barely managed to block the enemies attack with his daggers. He resorted to normal ones since Sai were still a mystery to him and this was clearly going to be another dance with death. He activated [Fear of the Hungry], hoping it would aid him some and felt his body surge with energy. Even darkness receded a bit, allowing a red hue to penetrate it some. It gave no vision to Ace but seeing something instead of only black for a few days was a welcome change. He fell to the ground dodging some attack and pushed his daggers forward where he expected his enemy¡¯s legs to be. Only one hit the target and even that made only a shallow wound. Ace rolled away to not get hit by the sword falling right where he had been and threw a few daggers where his opponent had been. None hit the mark. ''Where has he gone?'' Ace wondered remembering the technique he wanted to test out before becoming blind. "Flare" he called out and pushed it inside one dagger while he filled another with [Gust]. ''Now all I need is to hit him.'' That was easier said than done. His opponent no longer felt like coming over for a chat and only shot missiles which Ace decided had to be arrows. ''How am I supposed to reach him?'' he wondered evading for the time being. It was a dangerous pass time and he was coming to a realization that he couldn''t keep it for long. Being able to see nothing but the information bars he was painfully aware at how quickly his stamina was running out. The enemy was clearly higher level than him so dodging required higher concentration and all the skills were taking a toll too for some reason. ''Could it be since I''ve been doing nothing for the last few days my stamina has lowered some? Wouldn''t that mean that it resonated not only with vitality points but also actions done every day?'' The archer took notice of his distraction and two arrows embedded into his body. One in a leg and another in his left hand. That slowed his movements and Ace wasn''t happy about it at all. He could no longer evade but had to try his best to block them. That''s how he said it was but in truth he was doing nothing more than previously, game mechanics were the ones controlling his actions most of the time, relying on him only to make the right judgement on what to do in that second before another arrow came in. Bang! A sound of an explosion reached necromancer¡¯s ears and he turned back to glance at where the kid was when he noticed the boy flying right at the death knight with a mortified expression on his face. Ace cursed his genius idea to try out the new tricks in a middle of a battle. When he blocked one of arrows it exploded blowing him miles away, right into a metal can which hurt a lot. It wasn''t a mothers loving hold. Not even close. Having no idea what his new opponent was, he just used his daggers to hit it swiftly a few times, kicked after activating [Flame Step] and jumped away using [Shadow Dash]. He had no idea where he landed but another arrow came and it exploded just like the previous one, throwing him into a wall. It was sharp and he felt blood running down his back but his health dropped only by fifteen percent so he ignored it and tried to sense where the archer was. He couldn''t detect him at all. ''Did he die? Or has he hidden even better than previously?'' Loud crunching sounds reached his ears and he walked in that direction. "What were you thinking facing him all on your own?" the skeleton asked angrily. Ace didn''t answer anything but moved forward where the sounds were coming from and stopped right before the beast who growled at him angrily. Its voice had a tinge of sadness in it. ''Does he think I betrayed him?'' "Hound?" he asked tentatively, testing the waters. He stretched his hand forward but the beast move away so it wouldn''t reach him and growled again. ''He really does... What a troublesome creature.'' "Hound, I''m sorry. It attacked me right after you left and I didn''t know what to do! He shot arrows rapidly; I thought I was going to die! But I knew I had promised you to stay safe so I tried my best to survive because I knew you would come and save me! And you did!" Ace said happily, rushing towards the large animal and hugging him tightly. "I knew you would come for me! And you did! You really really did it! I was so scared but you''re here now! It''s all going to be okay now, right? The demon archer isn''t coming back for me, right?" he asked in a tearful voice, holding the hound even tighter. The beast was surprised by such an onslaught of emotions leaving the little boy who hugged him closely as if afraid to let go. His anger evaporated into thin air, seeing the boy so open and defenceless, almost crying on his shoulder. Maybe he really didn''t notice the enemy and just wanted to help by sending him away? In truth, how could the kid have seen him while being blind when he himself left sure the child would be safe there? It was stupid to blame the boy for wanting to help in the first place. The hound lowered his head and nuzzled the kid, showing that he was sorry for acting like this and was no longer angry at all. The kid flinched as he did that and a whiff of blood reached hound''s nostrils. He barked loudly, softly poking the kid''s back. "What is it, hound?" the skeleton asked coming closer. "He probably smelled the blood on me..." Ace said quietly, releasing his death hold on the hound. "Are you hurt?" the necromancer asked angrily, coming to stand right over him and bending to touch his back. The clothes had blood on them but it had already dried and wounds had somewhat closed up. "How bad is it?" "I got blown into the wall from the explosion" Ace said standing up, his leg protesting it a bit. "Oh and I was hit twice by arrows. Could you get them out, please?" He could do it himself but even in games it hurt so he preferred for someone else to quickly take care of it. The skeleton nodded before remembering the kid was blind. "Don''t think about it. It''ll be over soon." Ace nodded and clenched his teeth. Sharp pain flashed through his conscience but was soon gone. ¡®It really was quick¡¯ Ace thought after another made him grimace. Then he drank two potions which removed all the lingering pains and returned his health to full. "Thanks" he said to the skeleton smiling and brushed the beast''s side who licked him friendlily. Ace laughed at that and cleaned himself. "I think it''s about time you finished him off?" "Finish who off?" Ace asked raising his head. "The archer on whom the hound is sitting" the skeleton supplied helpfully. "He''s still alive?" Ace asked surprised. He stopped sensing him ages ago. Those who posed no possible threat didn''t receive any attention from his instincts, even a rabbit was more dangerous than this beaten up guy. Not wasting time, Ace took out a dagger and stabbed under the hound. It missed so he repeated it a few times before receiving a notice of a kill.
*You''ve killed Archran, the undead archer!*
"Is the other guy alive too?" Ace asked. "Yeah, I bound him to prevent him of even thinking about healing up." "That''s great!" Ace said happily. Undead had a good trait of never bleeding to death since their blood systems didn''t work anyway. That meant they could be held for forever until he came to finish them off. "Hound?" he asked his pet sweetly. The beast nudged him in the right direction and led him to the almost dead tin can. "What is a child doing here?" he asked in a gruff voice, glaring at Ace who was absolutely unaware of it. "So you can talk" Ace said in a matter of fact tone before stabbing the guy in the face hoping it would be unprotected by armour. "What..?" the dead warrior asked when Ace missed but the kid diligently tried a few more times until he succeeded.
*You have killed Archron, the undead knight!*
*You have killed the undead triplet*
*You receive a title "Grave Keeper" +20% damage to undead +5% damage in the dark +2% resistance to dark magic +5% to illusion magic and dark type magic*
Ace looked through all the pop up messages and laughed. An assassin becoming an undead hunter, that is something interesting. And to add it all up, now with that plus twenty percent damage he could start fighting undead of his level one versus one without being immensely overpowered. Although he would have to test it after he could see again. "Anything interesting?" the necromancer asked coming closer with his remaining four skeletons. "It seems these two were quite well-known undead" Ace said absent-mindedly while still thinking about how lucky he was. "And how do you know that?" The question brought Ace to reality. His companion couldn''t see the title since he''s living in the cave and no one will tell him about it so for him it was just two strong undead who the kid couldn''t even see. "I read some stories before coming here. There are many creatures that people fear to this day and the undead brothers were one of them. One was an archer hiding in the shadows while the other a knight wearing a helmet who left his face open. They were said to be capable of human speech too." "Will you become famous for getting rid of them?" "Most likely" Ace said with a laugh. "A child killing two fear inducing monstrous undead, everyone will really believe it." "Why don''t you get proof then?" "Hm?" Ace asked interested. The skeleton threw some items at him instead of replying. The kid put them in his inventory since he couldn''t identify them but he knew it was a bow, two knifes, lance, cape and metal boots since they were heavy. "Thanks. That might help the situation." "You''re welcome. Shall we continue?" "What''s up ahead?" "Skeletons. They''re a bit weaker than zombies but should still be useful to you." Ace''s first thought was to disagree and tell to better return where the zombies should have re-spawned but then he better listened in to the sounds around him. Or the lack of them. And that meant that there were a lower amount of skeletons close by. ''Could it be he wants to fill up the free spaces that were made by the undead twins? Wait, wasn''t it written triplets?'' Ace wondered what it could mean and looked over the older messages. Right before a message that he had regenerated to full health and stamina after sleeping there was a message.
*You''ve killed Archren, the undead mage!*
''That explains things although he was a bit too weak compared to the others. The little brother of the two? Or an outcast from the trio?'' "So you okay with that?" the skeleton asked tired of waiting for a reply that wasn''t coming. "Oh yeah, right" Ace said with a sheepish smile getting on the hound. Ace could have sworn he heard a sigh of relief. "Will you let me last hit them too?" he inquired. "Of course" the skeleton agreed. "That''s great! Although maybe there''s a way I could help you fight? I don''t want to feel like a weight that''s dragging you down." "You''re not" the mage said sincerely, coming to pet his head gently and the hound barked approvingly. Ace lowered his head some. "You might say so but you''re doing all the work while I''m just stealing everything away. That is not fair! I should help some too!" he said in a strong voice, directing his gaze to the skeleton. "But you''re blind boy! If you tried to attack something, there''s a high chance that you''ll hit us without even meaning to!" the skeleton refuted. Ace nodded as if agreeing but then his face lit up. "I could weaken them some before you even come! If you let me go in, use a few spells and then retreat, I could actually be of use!" "You know magic kid? Aren''t you a dagger master?" Ace didn''t think before using one of his few spells. "Ice field!" The ground changed into the slippery surface forcing even the hound to right himself or fall with a splat. Skeletons weren''t so agile and crashed, their bones falling apart and breaking in twos or threes. "I think I shouldn''t have done that..." Ace murmured, from the sounds knowing that something went terribly wrong. "Really?" the skeleton asked in a barely controlled voice from somewhere below. "I have a feeling..." the kid said in an even lower voice. The hound barked a laugh. "Shut up you old mutt" the mage growled with a tired sigh. "I believe I''ll have to take you up on that offer since you were the one who destroyed my remaining forces." "Sorry about that, but I''m happy I''ll be able to help!" Ace said in a cheerful voice and smiling brightly ordered his ride. "Forth! Run forth my hound! Where adventure waits for us! Where danger seeks us! Where wishes are fulfilled and destroyed! Into the unknown, go my ride!" The hound and skeleton laughed and together they all moved forward together. Next Chapter 4.5 Take a Risk Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Sorry about the lateness! Like it had happened before I had lost the Internet for almost a week and it was somewhat tragic. It truly makes one feel separated from the world... But on the happier note, the chapter is here and hopefully you''ll like it at least as much as previous ones. I can''t promise the next one will be soon since before Easter I have two examinations for my own language and English but we''ll see how it goes **** "Wild Vines!" Twist, kick and punch. Jump away and run around to make a circle of fire. Evade the thrusts and skip away behind the mage. Hear the sounds of cracking fire and bones. "Boy, one is coming your way!" "Magma Blade!" Ace shouted out while hitting an unsuspecting death knight in the chest. It exploded and Ace gracefully landed next to the Hound that was done taking care of the bunch Ace had annoyed previously. "Good work" he praised the animal petting it and the beast licked him on the face. "Stupid mutt" Ace muttered while releasing the knights to their eternal rest. "Can you still go on?" the mage asked, coming closer. Ace consulted his stamina bar; it had around fifteen percent. "A few more groups should be fine but then I''ll need to take a rest. Why can''t you turn me into one like you, Skele?" "I told you not to call me that!" the necromancer said with a glare but the blind kid took no notice of it. "Because you have to die first for me to be able to raise your body. How many more times will I get to explain that to you?" "As many as we''ll have to go for a break. It''s annoying to be the only one who gets tired. I usually have the most stamina!" Ace complained half-heartedly. "Among humans. You shouldn''t compare yourself to undead. We''re a whole different species." "I kn-" *Bark* *Bark* "Ten incoming? That''s more than usual." "Improved Strength! Mist Barrier! Heroic Durability!" Skele casted buffs on Ace to increase his chances of survival. Death Knights were high level monsters who had skeleton horses, wore heavy armour and swung a broadsword. They usually tended to stay alone since they were so strong and proud of it but the Hound usually managed to round at least five or six of them before bringing them to the slaughter house, how Ace liked to say. "Ice Field!" he cast and jumped on it to meet the knights in a slide. He waited for everyone to get closer, the Hound to move through the iced ground quickly before starting his work. His main part in the hunt was to disable the knights¡¯ rides and do as much splash damage as he could since his aiming skills were still on the bad side. The moment Hound was past him, Ace threw two bottles of alcohol to make the ground even worse. Horses'' steps faltered after seeing something fall right under them but their riders urged them on and they fell together. Ace waited for the sound of slipping hooves and then called for [Flare]. "Burst!" It blinded them for a second and set the floor on fire. Ace imagined the cave lighting up in beautiful colours as skeletons hissed and cursed burning in the flames. While they were still disorientated Ace activated [Flame Step] and jumped into their midst starting to claw with his daggers. One was imbued with [Bolt Arrow] while the other with [Gust]. If the first got activated the enemy was bound in place for a second while if the other, he got pushed away. In case of both of them activating at the same time for five seconds violent winds and electric surges screamed around hitting anything at random. It was a strong ability but happened extremely rarely. [Flare]''s and [Gust]''s explosion was much more common, if he used the two of them, although it was significantly weaker. Ace felt a presence behind himself and without even turning back used [Acid Splash]. It was like breaking a bottle of acid by throwing it against the wall only you didn''t need any walls or glass bottles. The enemy receded after that so Ace slashed a few more times before retreating himself. It was fun using all his skills and running around but there were way too many enemies for him to take care of alone. And he couldn''t fight in a group without being able to see. "Your turn, Skele!" he shouted out leaving the battleground and sitting to look over his spells. "Don''t call me that!" Skele replied a millionth time and ordered his twenty or so skeletons to move forward. The fire on the ground was dying down and the ice was long gone. He cast spells to strengthen his minions and the Hound while weakening his enemies'' constitution and other statuses through dark magic. It was a child''s play really. The knights were a feared opponent by many simply because on a horse they were unstoppable. That''s what they learned all their lives after all. But once one managed to get them down, they were only on a level of a good swordsman, not even close to a master. So Skele¡¯s skeletons had absolutely no problem overpowering them by sheer numbers and persistence. The constant heals they received from their master helped out in that regard too. The Hound was just running around and doing whatever he pleased. That usually was focusing any knight who had previously touched Ace or at least had thought about that. Those tended to suffer the most pain before being immobilized by the mage and left alone until Ace could come and finish them off.
*Bolt Arrow [Active] Novice 4 Bolt of pure energy shoots in a straight line reminding of an arrow. Every three levels the amount of bolts will increase by one. Mana Cost: 15*
*Acid Splash [Active] Average 2 A burst of acid that splashes in all directions. It does damage over time for five seconds. The duration and strength will increase with each level. Mana Cost: 25*
These two spells were taught to him by Skele to better take care of himself as he put it. In Ace''s opinion the guy thought of him as his own child and just wanted to share his vast knowledge or at least bits of it. The guy didn''t really like magic as it caused his downfall but just couldn''t fight against the fact that it was the saving grace for many things. Their survival in this dungeon too. Then Ace glanced at his other spells and they have grown quite well too.
*Magma Blade [Active] Average 5 An ability that turns the blade into magma for two seconds and allows it to pass through armour. Level advancement will extend the duration Mana consumption 20*
*Flare [Active] Advanced 4 It is a simple spell that illuminates one''s surroundings by a faint light. It is the only spell that can be used while meditating. Ancient magicians created it to teach young to channel their mana and concentrate. Only those who managed to keep the fragile light on for half a day were allowed to become apprentices of Magic. Mana use 10/min Special: Burst Releases a small but bright explosion which is good for blinding enemies and creating fire. Special: The spell has reached advanced level and the spirit has become attuned to your soul. You can control it with your mind and word commands are no longer necessary.*
*Evasion [Passive] Average 7 Your quick reflexes allow you to easier dodge attacks and missiles.*
*Ice Field [Active] Average 3 Basic spell that freezes the chosen patch of earth. Higher levels allow the ice to stay longer and widens the range.*
*Instincts of a Predator [Passive] Average 6 You were born the hunter. Your perfect senses always tell you about the approaching prey or other predators. For reaching average level you can determine the threat level of your opponent without even meeting eyes with him Higher advancement will bring better information.*
*Magic mastery [Passive] Average 4 You can learn and cast spells depending on the level of your mastery. Trying to cast higher tier spells may result in disaster. +21% spell proficiency +15 Int +15 Wis*
*All Ears [Active] Average 2 You''re able to listen in on others'' conversations with ease. You''ll be despised if found out.*
*Flame Step [Active] Novice 5 You walk leaving a trail of fire behind you for five seconds. The duration and power will increase as the skill advances. Mana Cost 2/s*
*Excessive Heat [Active] Average 1 Your body releases a large amount of heat. Higher level will release greater energy. Mana cost 5/s*
The levels of his spells had been around the first ones so once he started using them they grew as if they were on steroids. It was fun in its own way; he understood what people liked about being mages, why there were so many of them. He might not have been able to see the visuals of his new spells but blasting an opponent from long range or stunning him in place with a single word was amazing. To cause a violent storm that hurt anyone but you wasn''t too bad either. The passive abilities which he started to rely on grew pretty quickly too. It became child¡¯s play to evade or notice enemies without even paying any attention to them. The listening skill helped to hear better if he ever wished for it and [Excessive Heat] showed up to be a great tool to fight against cold and heat that Hound emanated. Fire resistance was no longer needed. On top of that there was another new ability he developed or it could be said copied from Skele when he wasn''t looking. It was called [Externus].
*Externus [Active] Novice 2 Anger and grief may drive people mad but it can strengthen them too. Yet there are also people who don''t follow the normal rules. They fall under the heavy weight of longing but instead of giving up on life, they go stealing it from others. Mana Cost: None Energy Cost: 5*
He had been so surprised when it flashed before his eyes with words new ability learnt. At that moment he had been listening to Skele''s story before falling asleep and not even anything about magic. The description was so fuzzy he gained nothing from it so he had asked Skele about that and scared the guy almost to his second death. It showed up that the ability had somehow transferred from Skele to him and his companion could no longer use it. He wasn''t exactly sad about losing it just annoyed that it was the kid who received it. "We''re done" Skele said, coming to sit down beside Ace. "We''ll be taking a rest here, right?" "Yeah. It would have been troublesome to engage another group while being low on mana so I rather finished this one faster." Ace nodded. "Externus.¡± Tendrils of dark magic left Ace''s fingers and forming small bubbles flew towards every living creature. They left Hound, Skele and his warriors alone but the death knights weren''t so lucky. The little dark bubbles plunged into the places where hearts were supposed to be and after stealing life until they became the size of Ace''s fist returned to the kid. It killed the skeletal knights while giving Ace extra two hundred health points for the next three hours. This had the potential of making it a great ability if not the fact that for it Ace lost around ten percent of his remaining stamina and was immobilized while creating the dark matter which would later on turn into bubbles. For that this ability could never be of use in battle. However, it was amazing here since Ace no longer had to walk to each skeleton like before and stab him while not forgetting to miss at least a few times. It had been a pain. The Hound lied down next to Ace and the kid leaned against him to rest. His stamina was flashing red now with barely three percent remaining. "You''re such a lazy cat" Skele murmured crossing his legs to enter meditation mode. Ace smiled at that but didn''t say anything. He fell asleep instantly, wanting to return to the action as fast as possible. When he awoke he ate some barley bread and was surprised to see that his savings were running out. That was a really disconcerting thing, especially since there was nothing edible inside the cave. Or was that only because he couldn''t see? He''ll have to ask Skele. "Hey, Hound, let''s go okay?" The beast barked an agreement and allowed Ace to sit on him. Only when the kid was sitting comfortably, did it start galloping forward. It was usual that Skele with his personal army would move ahead while Ace was asleep and train by themselves. Only because of it the army grew in number and quality. The new skeletons could move without making any sounds and had weapons that when clashing with others sounded as steel. They were much better. "You sleep less and less" Skele remarked after finishing his battle. "Really?" Ace asked surprised and noticed that his stamina bar was only a third full. "There had to have passed more than a few hours..." "Almost three but last time you didn''t sleep much longer than this either." "No surprise that I''m still tired then" Ace said, yawning widely. "Did you find anything interesting?" "I heard human voices." "Here?" Ace asked shocked. He was sure none of his companions could survive around here so it only left the pretend knights from the first floor and he had no wish to meet those for the moment. Not only was he blind but tired on top of that! "No. A few floors up but they were shouting so loud I could hear them all the way here. Although not loud enough for me to make out the words" Skele said counting his warriors. All were present so he started to walk, Hound fell in step behind him carrying Ace who was lost in thought. "Do you know those humans by any chance?" "Most likely" the kid answered absent-mindedly. "We separated in that big room where you were pretending to be dead." "What? You left them all alone in this cave for more than two weeks? How did you expect them to survive?" Ace noticed the anger in Skele''s voice and left his dream world. He looked at the necromancer. Even if he couldn''t see, it was more comfortable for one who he talked with if he was looking his way. "They''re not kids. They can take care of themselves" Ace said in a level voice. "They''re not?" Skele asked with a doubt in his voice. "No" Ace said with a laugh. "Monthu is a grown up and always takes care of me and his little brother. No matter the situation, he always finds a way to make it better, at least some. Besides with them there are two other people. I don''t know them well but they''re pretty weak so I wouldn''t think they could cause too many problems. Not to forget that all of them should be in the second level where monsters are nothing and there are no bosses or anything." "That is true" Skele agreed remembering from where the sound had come. "But don''t you miss them?" Ace thought about how to answer the question as it was somewhat important. "A bit. But I trust them to stay alive so we can meet again in the near future." "Then should we be wrapping this up now?" Ace nodded, looking longingly at the walls he couldn¡¯t see. He ran around the dungeon so much, he should know it better than his own room. But he was sure he won¡¯t remember anything next time for all he saw now was blackness. "Who is the true boss around here if not the pretend ghost knights?" "A lich. The form you take after death shows your true talent so it can be said he''s a pretty good mage." "Oh really?" Ace asked with sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Do you have any actually useful information?" "I know a secret way to his treasury?" Skele said as if asking whether that was good enough. Ace almost fell off the Hound after hearing that. "You can''t be serious! A lich has a back door for his treasury?" "As a mage he might have been extremely talented but as a human he was a failure" Skele said explaining in his own way. "Did you know him while you were alive?" "God help me no!" Skele said making a cross over his chest. "I had the misfortune of seeing him upstage a few times. I thought I was going to die for sure." "Was he so bad of a spokesperson?" Ace asked laughing from Skele''s voice shaking. It was a long time since he heard him so scared. "You can''t even imagine! He had no idea what grammar was, managed to confuse words that rhyme for example he was going to bring everyone fleece instead of peace." Ace burst out laughing. "But that is not all! When he talked, he kept on waving his hands which made him look like he was a bird ready to take flight. We called him an ostrich since he was quite fat, had a long neck and a small head with beady eyes. Whenever he came to talk in the balcony the audience could never decide whether to die from laughter or run for their lives as he was always leaning dangerously over his balcony." "That''s hilarious!" Ace said holding onto his ride as not to fall off. "How did it go? Was he elected for whatever he was trying?" Skele chuckled remembering the old days. "The citizens really thought about it but everyone agreed that it wouldn''t be good for the population''s health. The guy¡¯s father was an influential man so no one could ever laugh at him openly and we were sure that someone might actually die from trying to keep their faces straight while looking at him. Otherwise I''m sure we would have made him our mayor. None would have been able to resist it." "I''m sure of it!" Ace agreed. "He was an outstanding man!" "Of course. He was from a pure-blooded family" Skele supported Ace''s idea in a mockingly regal tone. "True, that brings out the best in people!" Both of them laughed again and even the Hound barked together. Enemies ,maybe scared of their loud voices, were all gone. No matter how far they went there was no one around. That didn''t discourage them since they had already decided to end their wanderings. Skele just chose another path which led to the treasury and that was it. "Did he have the brains to hire a rogue for making traps before it?" Ace asked as they were coming closer to their destination. "The main path only." "At least a lock?" Skele shook his head. Ace breathed a sigh of disappointment. How stupid a person could get that he would think no one would find a secret path when he didn''t even use anything to hide it properly. "Is there anything still left there?" Ace asked dubiously. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Everything''s still there" Skele said calmly. "I came there from time to time to read his books but no one else had entered there. This dungeon is too much of a maze that continues and through floors for anyone to find the right way. If I''m not mistaken, there''s only a few who had even entered the second floor." "That''s great. How many are there actually?" "Seven. The whole last one is occupied by the Lich, necromancers and their summonings. Together they make quite an army." Ace nodded in thought. He could tell Skele to return and bring his friends here but what would that give him? He would have more pieces to play with but what of that? The idiot duo would only be a nuisance while his friends too under levelled to be of any actual use. And if he used Monthu as a meat shield the guy would be furious and forget all about the promise Ace had gotten out of him for letting Hawk and Aurora join up. To sum up, all four of them would be just a distraction. "We''re here" Skele said over a whooshing sound. "What was that?" Ace asked, hating his inability to see anything. "A wall of dark magic. Only an undead can enter this place." ''So there''s no lock but a magical shield to allow only specific people in? Since when do such things even exist?'' "It''s a good thing I got you then" Ace said with a smile. "What is before us?" he wondered feeling the space around open up. "Huge cavern" Skele replied. "The Lich thought he''d have mountains of treasures so he chose one of the biggest rooms for it, although, no one ever reaches this place so there''s only a single pile of what he''d brought with himself before taking his own life." "Oh right, I had forgotten that almost everyone here is a suicide victim. Do any feel wronged about it?" "Some do but they''re too scared to rise a protest. You''ll win nothing by trying to persuade them." Ace nodded and slid down the beast''s side. He stood up right before the pile of treasures. Sitting down, he started to shift through it with every item ending up in his pockets. "Isn''t it cursed?" Skele asked in a shout as if just remembering it. "Let go of it all! Quickly!" "Don''t worry. I''ve been cursed even before meeting you and nothing has happened yet. I believe it''ll last a bit longer until I can come out and get some cleric to heal me." "And you haven''t told me anything about it?" Hearing the hurt in magician''s voice Ace raised his head from the tiara he was examining. "Skele?" he asked carefully. There was something wrong here. "Why didn''t you tell me about such a thing? You''ve been cursed all the time and through all that time we spent together not even once did you feel the need to tell me about it?" "What? Why? It''s j-" Ace said quickly, not really understanding the situation when a large gust of wind threw him over the remnants of the treasure pile. Something sharp brushed his ribcage and unthinkingly he grabbed everything from under himself, stacking it into his bags. "Who dares to enter my treasury?" an ear-splitting voice echoed through the cavern. "Show yourselves cowards!" To Ace''s surprise he heard Skele moving forward with a spell on his lips that immediately flew towards the voice''s master. And from the sound of stone falling it didn''t hit the right target or was redirected. Skeletons from all around him went forward, surrounding Skele. Even the Hound was there snarling. "So it''s you runaway worm. You saw a few tricks, killed your master and now you think you can take care of me? What a fool! Be gone or I''ll truly... Wait! Where''s my mountain of gold! You idiot! You really stole it? Don''t expect a quick ending!" Skele didn''t say anything, just buffed his warriors up and ordered them to move forward. Hound was left beside him to protect from flank attacks or assassins sent his way. Ace heard the ground moving under him and jumped away to hide. His hands grasped onto a stone pillar and he pressed his back against it, facing the safe way, where there was no fighting. He knew he had to help somehow but it was just so damn dark. How could he ever judge the situation right and attack the enemies if he couldn''t see at all. Not even shadows dancing, dark forms moving around. There was simply nothing. "Do you have anything to say stupid skeleton? Where''s my treasure!" "Far away in a place your hands will never be able to reach" Skele said condescendingly, opening his mouth for once. ''Is he trying to tell me to run away? Gladly. Just how could I possibly do it without Hound to carry me or you to show the way?¡¯ Ace wondered in annoyance. ¡®I''m not a fan of stupidity called heroism but I can''t see any other way of survival. But really, even if I try that what am I supposed to do?'' While he was pondering that the sounds around him changed. There were ten times more clattering of bones and the sword clashing was reserved to a small island in the middle of the room. It was sounding grave for Skele. There wasn''t really a lot of time to think so Ace just took out his daggers and sneaked around the pillar. He felt silly doing that since he couldn''t tell even if everyone was looking his way but when nobody interfered with him and he managed to reach the first skeletons, he started hitting his daggers one against the other. They were still imbued with the two spells and he was praying for their ultimate skill to activate. It had happened only once before but it hadn''t been very long since he started using their combo so he hoped it was due to that. Nothing happened for a whole minute, even when someone noticed his existence it, didn¡¯t activate. The enemy swung its weapon at him but Ace was faster and embedded his both daggers into the soft flesh. ''A zombie?'' The thing exploded in his face dropping disgusting meat all over him. Luckily, with the zombie''s death its remnants disappeared too. Before Ace could dwell on it longer, angry wind rose up, hissing and cursing with lighting cracking alongside. The elements blasted everything that got in their way and created chaos among the undead who were learning how to fly and what it felt being electrocuted and smashed into a wall. Ace used that moment to rush to Skele. He could still hear swords clashing so he went that way and purged those on his side with acid. They didn''t seem to appreciate it but he wasn''t one to mind that. "Skele!" he shouted out, rushing through the newly made gap. "Kid! What are you doing here? You should have left when you had the chance!" Ace rolled his eyes. "And die all alone from hunger in some corner? Thanks for the suggestion but no. If it''s a must for me to go down, at least I''ll do it flashily." He could almost hear a reluctant smile appearing on Skele''s face. "Stupid boy..." The kid laughed and used [Ice Field] on which he threw alcohol. "Same tactics?" Skele asked and Ace nodded. "Leave the small fry to me. I''ll stop their advances and then will join you in fighting the Lich." "Be safe" Skele said patting Ace''s shoulder and left with that. Ace felt a bit strange but shook it off and used [Burst] with [Flame Step]. He''d walked a few times on the slippery surface so he trusted himself not to fall this time too. Running was a tad more difficult but ice was already melting so it wasn''t such a huge challenge to stay upright. While getting through, he didn''t forget to kick and slash with both weapons together in case they might produce another light storm. It didn''t happen but he managed to leave the encirclement or that''s how it felt when a chilling presence passed right through him. "A child? Is that your genius plan to defeat me, oh great skeleton warrior?" the Lich asked in a voice that made ants run down Ace''s back. To pay the undead for that he swung his dagger backwards exchanging its enchantment to [Flare], her passive had a rate of success of almost a hundred percent. This time was no different and even though Ace had [Excessive Heat] on, which prevented him from feeling heat, he could tell it had worked out. "Duck!" Skele shouted out and Ace didn''t think before falling on the ground and rolling away. He heard something whisk past where he was standing just a moment ago. "You think he''s going to save you? He''s just a hindrance and you know that!" the Lich laughed, his voice echoing around the cavern. Unhappily Ace had to agree with that. With eyesight he might be able to do something but now? He was just walking in the dark, unable to know who are his friends and who enemies. That was a terrible situation so Ace decided to change it. There was not a chance he was going to be a nuisance. It was a description fitting others but never him. Never. "Water, frozen up in time, rise and swallow this place in your icy grip, let the wrong doers be washed and cleaned of impurities which dirty your beautiful face, Ice Field!" Ace screamed the whole incantation out. It strengthened the spell twice if not more. The whole cavern became a frozen domain, ice covering not only floors but walls and ceiling. The sounds of crashing overflew Ace''s ears and without waiting he rushed forward, using all his force. Magicians tended to stick in the back and that''s exactly where he was going. "Kid, no!" Skele shouted out desperately but Ace ignored him. This was his life. It was great standing in the back and just receiving all the rewards but there the heart never raced like this. It was trying to make a hole in his chest with its violent movements, knowing just too well how dangerous and stupid the stunt was going to be. Ace took out all of his daggers from the backpacks and while sliding forward started to infuse them with magic. He didn''t really care which spell he used as long as it was one. It was a bet of high proportions and time was of necessity. Even without seeing he knew the end of the cavern was almost there. It was a strange feeling he''d learnt in the time he''d been blind. Somehow he could just know if there was a huge structure obstructing his path. Ace jumped right before hitting the wall and using it as a foothold jumped even higher while turning around. Hanging that second in the air he dreamed of looking over the battlefield and judging the situation. There was nothing of that for him so he smiled like a madman and threw fifty or so daggers right at the ground below. They struck each other and sparks flew when a storm rose up. It was nothing like the previous one. All Ace had needed was for a single combo to work out and then it would draw the energy from all the other weapons. Since each spell used his level plus dexterity and strength instead of intelligence or wisdom for determining its power the effect was monstrous. It was raining fire and acid. Electricity ran rampant hitting one target and then passing to anyone who was close by. The freezing winds turned the unwary into sculptures of glistening ice. There was morbid beauty in it all. Ace could hear a voice shouting as his body was smashed against the wall again and again. There was no way he could stand against the wind and it was stagnant in proving that it was the strongest here. Electricity rushed through his body and he fell to the ground covering his head. He crawled under a small rock formation from the raging elements but he knew it wasn''t safe. Acid could erode it at any moment and his body would break under the heavy stones. Rocks got loose from the walls and the storm started to play dodge ball with everyone who tried to stand up to it. Madness was a good word to describe what was happening there. The stone groaned above him and Ace was forced to get the hell out of there. He tried to find another shelter but the wind caught his small body and crashed it against a stone edge. A pointy end pushed against his stomach and he felt air leaving his lungs in a rush. He lay motionless, pressed against the wall, trying to catch his breath in vain when something grabbed him by the collar and started to drag away. It was mightily uncomfortable since wind and his captor had different ideas about where he should be going. A few ages and two meters later Ace felt a skeletal hand wound itself around his torso. He was pretty sure who it belonged to but the howling of the wind and breaking of all kinds of things was too loud for anyone to be able to speak. Having a free moment Ace looked at his bars and felt like dying on the spot. His health was around seven percent, mana almost zero and stamina flashing red. ''I really wish I had slept last time normally...'' he thought, wishing for unattainable while listening to the sounds of destruction. It was gratifying. The Lich could say whatever he wanted now but calling him useless was out of the question. And that was the main point of this escapade. "Are you okay?" Skele asked over the still raging wind that was finally calming down some. Ace glanced at his bars again but seeing nothing new besides an increase in mana nodded. "As fine as I can be after what happened" he answered loudly trying to stand up. A strong gust rammed him into the wall for a millionth time in the last few minutes. "What the hell did you do?" Skele asked, rising too but he managed to stay upright, wind rushing through his bones. "Utmost stupidity" answered Ace truthfully. "Now I don''t even have a single dagger or any kind of weapon resembling it. For the maximization even Sai had to be used..." "Ahh so that''s where it is from..." Skele said handing Ace a hilt of a dagger. "Most likely" the kid said in agreement. "What happened here?" he asked hating that he couldn''t see for himself how much damage his spell had actually done. It should have been terrible but sometimes a dog''s bark was louder than its bite. "It''s a massacre" Skele said after looking around. "Bones and flesh charred or eaten away. That''s all there is to this place now. I''m quite glad you can''t see it." Ace pouted but there was no changing that. "What about the Lich? Did he run away?" "It seem-" "Silence! You stupid mortals! You might have killed a few of my undead but you''re many thousand years too young to be challenging me, the great necromancer! Me, who has risen from the grave to becom-" "Blah, blah, blah. Can you get to the point now?" Ace asked in snotty manner. "You''re wasting my time now." "Forces of hatred and anger combine your vile powers, Shadow Blast!" the Lich roared aiming at the kid. Skele tried to block it but he was a skeleton and they weren''t well known for their quickness. Ace felt dark energy run through his veins. He was sure it was supposed to corrupt his blood system and make him go mad or just drop dead but nothing of a kind happened. No. Something changed. He suddenly felt invigorated, full of energy as if he had just had a good night''s sleep. ''What is happening here?'' he wondered as his eyes passed over the bars. Stamina and health were at their fullest, bursting out of place. Ace looked up expecting the Lich to be there. "You know... I think you''ve just cast a wrong spell... Or were you planning to heal me up just so you can torture me more?" There was a choking sound and Ace was sure the Lich was just as surprised as him concerning what had happened. That lifted his spirits and he cast [Acid Blast] at the most likely direction for the enemy guy to be. It hissed in annoyance. "Stupid brat! I''m going to kill you! Kill you! I tell you!" it screamed in outrage and Ace yawned widely. "What a boring thing. All he knows is screaming and screaming, was he a baby when he died or something?" "You like taunting death, don''t you?" Skele asked casting a variety of spells in different directions. "You might have gotten rid of all the small fry and turned their bones to dust so they can''t be raised but the Lich is still a nightmarish opponent to face." "Who said we need to face him?" Ace asked nonchalantly. "We got the treasure and cleaned our path back. I see no reason to stick around and risk our lives taking care of him for the greater good. Someone else can come and do it." Hound barked aloud, nudging Ace in the side and the kid scratched under his ear. "Who said I''ll let you off this easily?" the Lich growled over the whole cavern. "You''re not getting away from me!" "It wasn''t the plan..." Ace murmured under his breath. "I''m just too lazy to go looking for you." While he was talking to himself Hound left his side, jumping on the Lich while Skele cast a few spells to take some of its health down. The Lich shook off the beast¡¯s hold and threw ice spears at them. Ace evaded them and fell to the ground looking for some kind of weapon. His hand closed over a fist sized stone and he ran up the wall using it to jump on the Lich. He smashed his new weapon at him a few times before the ghost turned incorporeal and he fell flat on the ground. "Not fun" Ace murmured cleaning invisible dust from his clothes and used [Acid Blast] just because he could. His mana bar was full anyway. He repeated this routine a few times since the Lich couldn''t get too far away or else they would escape through the back door they had come in. By the fifth drop Ace¡¯s health was close to running out. "Skele! Can you cast that spell he used previously?" There was an affirmative mumble from the necromancer and Hound took up the front by himself, eating up the attacks and jumping on walls to reach and bite or kick the apparition floating around with screams and curses on its lips. Skele was able to cast the right spell and feeling full of energy Ace rushed to battle once again. This time he fought more smartly, using spells while being in the air where they could actually do some damage instead of just looking pretty which he couldn''t see anyway. Even though he did all that, it still took them over two hours to finish off the guy. Some might have given up half way after seeing their impending doom or even started to plead for mercy but this idiot, as he was one without question, continued on his pointless attacks, not taking into account that both Ace and Hound were being healed by Skele. The only dangerous times were when the mage had to meditate to regain his mana. It was close calls but nothing Ace and Hound couldn''t take care of by combining their powers. After over two weeks around each other they were good at reading the other''s plans from the sounds only. "Waaah! It''s finally over!" Ace breathed out falling on his back. His stamina was close to full but his brain weren''t being refuelled by magic and felt tired. "I thought he was never going to shut up!" "Yeah" Skele agreed picking up the dropped loot and throwing it on Ace''s chest. "I can''t believe he''s actually dead." The kid put the items away, not even glancing at them; he still didn¡¯t have any way of identifying them. "What, it''s been twenty years or so since he kept you locked up here?" Skele nodded. "Everything''s good that ends well. You''re free as a bird now. Revenge is in your grasp now." "Yeah..." "You don''t sound too enthusiastic" Ace noted sitting up. "Did I miss something or is it the melancholy of losing your life long rival?" Skele chuckled. "No. I''m truly happy that the guy is not haunting this place any more. Even stones need to rest sometimes." "Is that so?" Ace asked falling back again. "When what is the problem? Shouldn''t you be overjoyed by the idea of getting out of this oppressing dungeon where sun never shines? It''s been decades since you last saw something else." "It is" Skele agreed in a tired voice. "But I''m afraid. What am I going to find out there? What if everything has changed too much?" Ace hummed a simple melody. "If I had been born a thousand years earlier, I couldn''t say I was born too soon. The trees are the same, the grass is the same, desire for freedom alike. If I had been born a thousand years later, I couldn''t say I was born too late. The trees are the same, the grass is the same, desire for freedom alike." "What''s that all about?" Skele asked with a laugh. "I don''t know" Ace said humming to himself with his eyes closed. Next Chapter 4.6 Music to My Ears Previous Chapter Fighting could be heard in a dreary dungeon. Metal clashing against metal with fire crackling comfortably in the background. "Is he dead yet?" someone asked in a shout. "Not quite yet!" another answered releasing a bout of sparks that flew to reignite the flames. They were on an undead, one of many who wandered around the dark caves with two swords, always looking for a fight. "How''s the other two?" "Still standing" a third voice chimed from behind as the human warrior at the front was too busy fending off his opponents to care about answering. "Can you lure that one to them? I''ll be able to use Purify in half a minute." "Doing it!" the first voice said as four arrows embedded into his opponent, slowing him down even more. "Heavens hear my cry and let the fallen rest, return them to their graves, Purification!" White light washed the cave, blinding undead and stopping their movements. One of them started to shrivel and fizz turning into a puff of smoke and disappearing. The voices cheered lightly and with a new energy fell on the remaining undead who didn''t really have much of a chance to win. Their movements started to slow from the numerous arrows marking their bodies and even more hits landed eating away their health little by little. Not long after that the two dissipated into thin air after their comrade, leaving only an iron sword in their stead and letting the cave return to its calm and silent state. "How are they?" Ace asked quietly, keeping his head low. They had come to meet with his friends using the shortest path that had showed up to be the narrowest and with lowest ceiling one too. In the end they were forced to crawling. At the moment Ace was lying beside Skele in an underground ventilation shaft right ahead of where his companions had been fighting. And in a way spying on them. "Not too bad. They just took care of three swordbeasts without any casualties." "There''s six of them. If they hadn''t done that I''d have to rethink whether they''re really my friends. Anyway, what''s a swordbeast?" Ace asked in the same whispering voice. "They''re undead mercenaries who carry long swords and are always looking for a chance to fight. That''s why there''s no other kind of monsters in this part of the cave. Not too strong or smart but really troublesome with their impossible tenacity." "What are they doing now?" "Letting the priestess handle the items and then dividing them among themselves. It seems a quite practised method." "Most likely" Ace agreed. "Wait here. I don''t want them to kill you thinking you''re chasing me" he said and wormed his way out from the small space. There wasn''t anything to soften his fall so he landed with a loud thud, making dust raise around himself. "I think I heard something. Stay here!" a voice from around a corner came and Ace smiled. ''Still the responsible one of the party. At least he has the two to aid him there now.'' "Everyone come! There''s another one! Can''t see his level so it might be tough!" Monthu said loudly, swinging his scythe. Ace barely managed to evade it by hugging the ground close and crawling at full speed to the other direction. When he was a considerable distance away, he turned around jumping to his feet and glared at Monthu. "What the hell do you think you''re doing?" he shouted out in outrage. "Killing an insolent pest" Rover said with a malicious smile. Ace didn''t even need to see to know it was there. The guy then proceeded to rush ahead holding his weapon high, ready to chop things up. "Leave this one to me!" "Hey, careful! We still don''t know what he''s capable of!" Aurora shouted out from the back, just rounding the corner with Par and Dawn in tow. "He might be a boss of this level!" "This weakling?" laughed Rover as Ace evaded his attack, not feeling even slightly threatened to draw out his weapons. He dodged for a while, wondering why they didn''t recognize him. ''Had the mystic sight not only made me blind but changed my appearance? Some side effect that Skele forgot to mention?'' Arrows flew his way and Ace jumped to the side, letting Rover catch all of them. "Idiot! Where are you aiming?" he shouted out in anger, falling back a bit. "You went in their path on your own! I can''t help if you''re that stupid" Hawk retorted releasing another volley which made a nice decoration on the wall. Ace made a note to never be hit by them, they penetrated a wall so what could they do to his fragile body? "Guys, calm down! This guy''s different! He''s purposefully trying to create chaos among us so we''ll fall apart! Let''s go to our battle formation and be done with all the talking!" Just as Monthu said that Ace heard Aurora casting buffs with Dawn while Par called upon his pets. Then in moments he was surrounded. "I thought you might be angry but don''t you think this is going a bit overboard?" he asked kicking Rover in the stomach and breaking of the circle. "That bastard! He''s going to pay!" Rover roared returning to his position around a new half-circle since Ace had landed near the wall. ''Quite well trained'' he noted. ''Like a dog.'' "Everyone careful! My mana is on the low side" Aurora said making sure everyone was on the same page. "Dammit" someone cursed and Ace used it as a sign to move. He didn''t take out any weapons, not that he had any beside his Kris, and holding his trustworthy rock went on the offensive. Rover was his first target since he was the weakest and proudest, which means always needing a good beating. He rushed at the guy who held up his axe to block the attack which Ace anticipated and because of it avoided. He went for falling down and slashing at the unprotected legs. There was blood on his hands so Ace gave himself a mental high five and crawling away used [Shadow Dash] to evade a scythe and a fire ball coming his way. There was a slithering sound and guessing it was Par''s snake Ace used [Acid Splash] to discourage it from coming his way again. [Evasion] allowed him to avoid another bunch of arrows followed by an ice spear which shattered into million pieces against the wall taking a tiny amount of his health away. "I need to be more aware of my surroundings..." he muttered to himself. "What? Are you already giving up? Sorry, we''re not taking prisoners!" Rover laughed and Ace felt his patience evaporating. There was no way he could survive around this guy for more than a few hours without killing him. It had been the right choice to leave. "Rover, don''t underestimate him!" Dawn shouted out. "He just used magic! He''s clearly a boss disguised as a weak undead. There''s a big chance he''s going to transform to his true form when we get him half way down. "Hey! What''s wrong with my body?" Ace asked surprised. How could he possibly be mistaken with an undead? It shouldn''t be happening! While he was pondering that Monthu came from behind, trying to behead him. The scythe hugged his neck and Ace had to fall backwards so as not to get it separated from the rest of his body. That was the last straw. Clutching his red neck which thick liquid running down it, Ace glared around himself. "This time you''ve done it. I''m through with trying to get to you. Go to hell!" he screamed surprising them and picked another stone infusing both with magic. It was simple [Gust] and [Flare] since all he needed was to disrupt their formation and they would fall. "Ice Field" he hissed pretending to go once again for Rover but actually passing him and smashing at Hawk. Then he hit him a few more times before sliding away and focusing Aurora. Rover and Monthu tried to rush and help but ice wasn''t their usual footing and they slipped crashing. "Wild Vines" Ace said throwing the spell at Aurora and returning to his real targets the two warriors lying on the ground. He hit Monthu on the head a few times before an explosion came to and Ace had to reposition himself. Through the weeks he''d learnt to not get stunned in shock when the explosion happened but to use the blast to get into a better fighting place. This time he got himself back to the back lines where Aurora''s restraints were being burned down by Dawn. The kid hit the girl with the [Gust] stone which pushed her off his immobilized target. He then used [Bolt] to paralyse her for a moment so he could get in a few more hits before having to slide away as Hawk was back on his feet and shooting arrows like mad. "Dawn!" Rover screamed standing up and noticing what happened while he was down. "What''s wrong with this bastard? He''s too quick for us to catch!" "You''re what''s wrong with him" Monthu hissed in annoyance. "You just had to go and provoke him. Repeatedly on top of that." Ace smiled hearing that. "Shut up! Like you know anything!" Rover roared once again, trying to run to his friend¡¯s side but being unable. There was some liquid on ice that was making it even more slippery. "What is this..?" he started to ask when Ace activated [Burst]. He heard the familiar sound of cracking fire and jumped to action like he was used to. Diving in, a kick here, a slice there, throw some acid and go the side to evade the counter attacks and then do it all again before getting tired and letting Skele take over. Now Skele was away but Ace was sure he could easily take care of the trouble himself. *Pshh* The flames hissed when something dozed them off. Ace rushed to there and heard water rushing out and killing off his fires. But it was Par who did it so there was no helping it. He would have to use another tactic to win. He left the kid to his work, just as revenge purged the fire elemental in acid and electricity making him leave the human world. Then Ace returned to his work of kicking and smashing Rover. He was more than deserving it. "Heal! Heal! I need healing!" Rover shouted out and Ace hit him another time accidentally having him pushed away. Annoyed by it he quickly exchanged the infusions with [Bolt] and [Acid Splash] as they were more useful when one actually stayed to fight. "We should retreat!" Monthu finally said, blocking off Ace from finishing Rover. "There''s no way we can win against him when we''re like this." "He needs to pay back for what he did to Dawn" Rover hissed in hatred. "There''ll be ti-" Monthu replied over his shoulder at the almost dead guy. Ace used that distraction to push the scythe away and jump over Monthu by activating [Shadow Dash]. He landed right on top of Rover, sitting down on his shoulders and putting the sharp edge of the stone next to his neck. "One more word and you''re a dead man." "At least not as dead as you" Rover said in a mock. The sharp edge of the stone brushed lightly against his skin drawing a droplet or red. "I''m warning you! If you open that mouth of yours again, I won''t care even if Monthu will seriously think about separating my head from the rest of the body." "What do you mean?" asked the aforementioned guy in surprise. "How do you know my name?" Ace raised his eyes to the heavens. "How should I not know the name of a person who''s the only one that has actually made me hesitate in my actions once or twice? You know you should have a received a reward for that. Besides you still owe me a favour! Don''t think you''re getting out of it by feigning ignorance!" "Ace?" Monthu asked in disbelief. "One and only" the kid said with a bright smile jumping to his feet. "What took you so long?" "Have you seen a mirror recently?" Ace was surprised by that question. He hadn''t taken a bath recently but could he really smell and look that terrible to be impossible to recognize? This was a game to top it off! Everyday necessities weren''t such here! He raised his hands up to look at them but there was nothing there, only the already familiar blackness. ''When will I get used to it?'' he wondered. "Do you see anything wrong with it or do I need to point it out?" Ace shook his head in remorse. "Sorry forgot to mention I''m blind now. Can''t see a damn thing. So how do I look?" "What do you mean you''re blind?" "You''re a walking skeleton with rotten flesh hanging off you handsomely and glowing white eyes. You seem to have dared to finally show your true self" Rover butt in. "Wow. When did that happen..." Ace said in thought. "No wonder dark magic was healing me..." "Really? What happened to you?" Monthu asked with a sigh motioning for everyone to come closer. "Ace is that really you?" Par asked and the kid nodded. "You''re really blind!" Rover laughed in disbelief. "You''re looking beside him instead of at the face! Hahaha! You deserve it!" Ace turned to him with an innocent smile. "And yet I defeated all of you none the less. Do you know what that says about you?" "You- You''re a monster!" "When why exactly are you taunting me?" Ace asked, not losing his angel like smile. There was no answer so he turned away. "Yes that''s me and I''ve made a friend which stayed up for long enough. Be nice to him, he''s been living in this cave for over twenty years against his will." Rover wanted to say something but after Ace''s glance kept his mouth shut. "Skele, Hound come! The introductions are done!" From the ceiling a large dog jumped down and a skeleton levitated, softly touching the floor. "What kind of introduction was that? You nearly killed them all" he said hitting Ace over the head with his staff. "Ouch" the kid groaned. "Stop with the violence and meet my friends who were in too much of a hurry last time and didn''t have the pleasure of meeting you. The scythe guy here is Monthu. He''s kind of a leader of them. The red robed mage kid is his brother Par, my good friend. The white female is Aurora. She''s a real priestess so beware of her. And this idiot duo is Dawn and Rover. I left because they were being too annoying. I don''t know how I''m going to survive it now but we''ll see." "Hey what about me?" whined Hawk. "You''re unimportant. Just stay in the background and do nothing like always." That shocked the archer into silence. Ace sensed waves of disapproval coming from behind him. "He''s Hawk, an archer. Happy now?" Skele said nothing, taking a few steps forward and creating a small fire. Hound nuzzled Ace and went to lie down by his master. "What are you all looking at?" Ace asked feeling everyone''s gazes on him. "He''s a skeleton. They don''t like talking." Skele chuckled at hearing that but kept his silence afterwards. Monthu shook his head and asked. "So what really happened when you left us?" "If we want to be truthful you all left me while I was playing my flute. It had a wonderful effect of raising a bunch of undead which I killed because their boss was too full of himself. Then I felt lazy, went to sleep and found this guy sitting next to me after I woke up" he pointed at Skele. "I proved to him that he needs me and he agreed to lead me around the cave. It was great until he tried to help and make me able to see in the dark but turned me blind instead. He''s been repaying that depth since then." "You mean you have been unable to see anything for a couple of weeks?" Aurora asked in horror. "Yeah" Ace said with a nod. "How else do you think I got accustomed to fighting like this so well? It didn''t happen in a single day." "Shouldn''t you have died a gazillion times before managing to learn it first?" Dawn asked in a condescending manner but Ace just laughed. "I had two nannies that would go on rampages if they saw even a bruise on my finger.¡± "How did you became an undead?" Par asked touching the bone. Ace could hardly feel it at all. It explained why his hands never bled no matter how much he grasped the sharp stones. Bones aren''t made of blood. "I truly don''t know" he said shrugging. "This is the first I heard of it." "Rot" Skele supplied from his place by the fire. "You''ve had it even before meeting me." "Oh right! I had to find a cleric..." Ace muttered. "Can she still heal me?" "Should. You''re still bleeding" Skele said crossing his legs to start meditating. "Wake me up when we need to move." "Sure." Ace nodded and turned to Aurora. "Can you help me? Pretty please?" "What do you need me to do?" she asked, ready to aid in a any way she could. "How should I know?" Ace said, not without a look of surprise. "As far as I know you''re the healer here." The girl felt uncomfortable hearing that. It''s true that she was a priestess but that didn''t mean she had read every single thing about being one. She had no idea what she could cure and what not. Not having any ideas she started to sing in a slow manner. "Goddess hear my prayer and sing the hymn for the fallen, those who sought to save the world but fell short, unable to fulfil their dreams and now are forced to wander the world with blackened hearts, lost to the temptation, Cleanse!" The last word was said in almost a whisper and light washed over Ace while his face scrunched in disgust. He felt something like electricity passing through his head, torso and dividing into the four limbs. Then the pain started. It wasn''t anything to fall him on his knees but extremely uncomfortable as if someone was testing how much his skin could stretch out in all directions. To Ace''s delight it was over in a few minutes. "How is it now?" "It worked!" Aurora said happily. "You''re back to normal!" Ace smiled. "Thanks then. I appreciate your help." "You should have come earlier" Hawk said leaving the circle around Ace and sitting down by Skele''s fire. Ace ignored his remark and turned to Par. "So what happened while I was away? Have you given your pet a name?" The kid took the little bird off his shoulder and put it into Ace''s hands. "Meet Claw!" he said proudly. "Nice to meet you Claw!" Ace said seriously, shaking the bird''s leg softly. "I hope we can become friends one day." The sparrow released a soft chirping sound and flapping his wings returned to his master''s side. "You seem to have formed a real bond while I was gone" Ace said with a smile. Par nodded eagerly. "We did! You should have seen it! One undead managed to get through brother and was about to strike me when birdie started to claw at his eyes! He was struck heavily then but Aurora healed him and he returned to my side!" "That''s amazing! I''m really happy you''ve become friends! Do you think he''ll like me too?" "If you''ll disappear suddenly again..." ''So even he is bothered by me taking a leave? Did they have a talk or had something happened that everyone is making remarks about me?'' He faked innocence outwardly. "Ah? Oh I don''t plan to leave anywhere now! We need to kill the knights at the front of the cave! We promised to do that together!" "I don''t remember agreeing to anything" muttered Monthu and Ace glared at him. "Well, it was surely not my idea. I don''t remember being so kind hearted." "Wait! What about exploring the dungeon to the end? There might be some treasure there!" Rover said in shock. How could anyone give up halfway when the end might be so close? "Did you see from which side I have come?" Ace asked with a raised eyebrow. "Some tunnel?" "The deeper in one. What could that possibly mean? Maybe that I have already finished and was coming back now? What do you think, ah?" "You couldn''t have! You''re just a kid!" Ace sighed. "Really? That''s the reason you chose of all that were at your disposal? That I''m an assassin, alone, blind..." "And a child. You''re in-" "Just shut up" Monthu said hitting him on the shoulder. "Otherwise we''ll meet you in the city when we''re done." "What?" Rover asked uncomprehending. "He says you''ll be dead" Dawn explained taking his hand and then turned to Monthu. "Would he really kill a teammate, a friend?" "Only Par is Ace''s friend, even if he is. What concerns groups this guy will help only as long as he''s benefiting from it. You should have already seen that he doesn''t really care what he''s thought of or how he treats those around him. If we hadn¡¯t recognized him, I''m sure he would have killed us all and not felt a sliver of regret." "Hey! Don''t make me into such a cold hearted bastard!" Ace complained going to sit leaning against the Hound. "Par would have surely survived! I haven''t touched him even though I had the chance!" "What are you playing at?" Dawn asked in anger. "You say you would have killed us all and want us to take it in easily? We should not let you back in!" Ace raised his head with a half-smile. "Try it then. I''m ready for another round." He heard her take a quick step back and chuckled. "If you want to threaten someone, first make sure can follow it through. Otherwise you¡¯ll just be making a fool of yourself." Then his gaze shifted to the kid. "Par can you come here for a moment?" The kid did and brushed the demon dog''s fur as showed by Ace. "It''s so strange!" he shouted out in surprise. "It''s like I''m touching fire but it doesn''t burn!" "It''s Hound. He''s a pet of Skele''s and carried me all around. Would you like to ride him too?" "Can I?" Par asked in wonder. "Yep! Skele won''t mind at all and Hound is a very nice animal. He likes kids!" Ace said with surety in his voice. Hound released an annoyed growl but after Ace hugged him allowed Par to sit on him. "Hold tight! His fur is very slippery!" "He has no fur" Hawk said from the sidelines. "Really?" Ace asked in surprise. "Whatever. Hold onto what it is then." Par laughed a little but it was gone as the beast moved a bit. It took a few careful steps making sure the kid was holding tightly and then started to gallop around. "Par I hope your eyes are wide open?" Ace asked in a tone saying he knew it wasn''t so. "But it''s scary!" the kid complained doing as he was told. The air rushing at him almost made his eyes water but he quickly blinked it away and carefully looked down. He wasn''t that high up but the ground was moving under him in quick bursts and his hands instinctively tightened onto the flame like mane. Claw chirped and jumped off his shoulder with its wings outstretched. He shot for the ceiling, made a few circles and then returned to flying beside his master. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Par smiled at that and held even tighter. He didn''t want to fall off and have his brother forbid him to ride ever again. "So what have you been really up to?" Monthu asked when his brother was out of the earshot. "Training" Ace said, not even turning his head as if he was actually following Par''s path. "Only?" "Only" Ace said with a chuckle. "It''s fun having an upper hand on all of you." Monthu closed his eyes for a moment. He didn''t want to imagine what the kid would do now that he was so high levelled. And it was clear he wasn''t faking it. The way he played with them. They weren''t even worthy to be called his opponents. "What was the boss here?" he asked changing the theme. "Some lich with more powers than brains. And now it is time to pay those knights a visit. For the sake of clearing this place if nothing else." "I remember you calling it madness previously." "And it was. Previously. Now I''ll be on the same footing as them and I trust you have improved some too?" "Somewhat. Our group has passed hundred while the duo seems to have reached ninety or so. They never agreed to join us." "Idiots" Ace muttered under his breath so they wouldn''t catch it and went to wake Skele up. "Let¡¯s be on our way" he said louder now. "But I need my mana in case we run into something" Aurora disagreed softly. "I''m all spent." "No worries. You''ll have time for that when I''ll go look for a best way to assault them." "But what if we meet something on the way?" "Skele will lead us through paths other undead don''t wander, won''t you?" he asked the Necromancer who stood up behind him. The mage didn''t say anything but whistled calling Hound back and went to meet him. Halfway there he stopped and turned towards the wall hitting it with a loud snap. The wall groaned irritably while opening up. "Woah!" Rover said in wonder. "How did he know it was there?" "Twenty years in a prison, child, teaches one many secrets" Skele said coldly and went ahead without looking if anyone was following. "What''s with him?" Rover asked coming to walk beside Ace. It didn''t sit well with the kid but he ignored the feeling and answered. "He sees no reason to trust you." "And he trusts you?¡± "He''s indebted to me" Ace said. "That''s a whole different thing." "Do you trust him then?" "It''s not like I had a choice, being blind does that to a person." "Ah! I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have said anything." Ace''s head whipped in his direction, disbelief clear on his face. He was hearing things or the guy had gone mad in the last minute. "Something''s wrong?" The sound of fabric brushing against the wall, someone moving on light steps gave Ace the third most logical explanation to his previous surprise. It was Dawn''s work. Just a bit too late to go unnoticed and fool him. "Nothing. You shouldn''t worry about me. I''m fine" he said in an almost cheerful voice and a smile on his face. He could play the friend game too. "Really? I can''t understand how you can stand all that blackness. I would have gone mad in a few days." "I didn''t think it was possible too. But there seems to be some truth in the saying that what doesn''t kill us makes us stronger. " "What do you mean? You''re better off blind?" Ace chuckled. "No. I meant that there''s something hidden in the art of surviving without sight too. One should never allow new things pass him by when a chance to learn comes around." "So what did you learn?" ''But he''s persistent'' Ace noted with amusement. "To not fear the dark" he said in a detached voice, casting Bolt and sending it past Skele towards a banshee. It froze in place and Ace dashed forward slashing with his stones that he kept at hand. They were not daggers but did the job none the less. He made them. The creature fell, dissipating into mist before it could touch the ground. "How did you know it was there?" Rover asked the moment Ace fell back in step with him. "It hadn''t made a sound." "I wonder." "No, really! How did you do that?" he asked and for a moment Ace believed hearing genuine interest in his voice, as if he was truly amazed. But then he blinked and kicked such ideas out of his head. "Practice makes perfection. Blood spilt too." "Whaat?" Rover asked unsure of how to take such an answer but Ace had already moved forward to Skele, his back straight and steps brisk. Dawn came to him. "You seem to have struck a nerve on our little prince. So what''s his weakness?" she asked quietly with malice colouring her voice. Rover noted it and would have smiled if the kid hadn''t left him so confused. "I don''t know. One moment he''s here laughing and the next he''s talking about blood and walking away." "You sure you didn''t say anything to aggravate him?" she asked, not quite believing him. "I think I can understand at least what I''m saying myself" he said with a hiss to her. "And if I said I didn''t do anything to anger him, it means I didn''t!" There was a steel edge to his voice; love could keep his temper down only for so long. "Stop ordering me around and then dismissing my words. I''m not your slave." Dawn was quick to notice the danger. She kissed him softly and whispered an apology. "I''m sorry, I just feel so uneasy when he''s here. Forgive me, please?" Rover looked her in the eyes and nodded. He didn''t want to have an argument with her either. Maybe the kid had him on edge too. "Do you think we''ll find our friends?" She shook her head solemnly. "Even if they had survived the earthquake, they would have left by now. It''s not a few days we''ve spent here." Rover had to agree with her words; he took her hand to share some of his strength. "But we''re going to kill those knights and gain our proof of it. Then we''ll save our guild. The proof. We''ll take it from hands drenched in blood if that''s what it takes, but we''ll do it. Trust me!" The girl nodded and hand in hand they walked forward. Ace heard every single word of their conversation. Their whispering had nothing on [All Ears] that were in constant use. He felt happy at having guessed right about Dawn being the master but it was clearly quenched by the show of their emotions. They were afraid of him. It was a bitter-sweet feeling. knowing he was feared. It made him want to enlighten them on how little they knew him. If they did, they should be running in another direction as far from the twisted creature he was as they could. [Instincts of a Predator] warned him of another being nearby and he rushed forward. It felt good to smash against something in full force and then stab and slash with a stone. In a way it was much better than with a dagger. More brutal. It gave a whole different feeling of satisfaction and Ace smiled feeling the monster under him disappear, the ghost hadn''t even had time to become incorporeal. "I can see why you''ve left their company" Skele said in a level voice. "You have no idea how to control your emotions." Ace smiled. "Oh but I know. And am sick of it." Skele didn''t ask anything more and Ace didn''t feel obliged to explain. His mind was on the problem of killing the knights. Yeah, he was much stronger than before but not their level yet and his team mates were even lower. They would have to be used as bait, that was clear. But what about his part? Should he use his assassin¡¯s skills or not? They would be greatly effective against living opponents but he was still blind. There was less than fifty percent chance he was going to hit anywhere near a vital spot. As he was thinking that he heard walls rumbling. ''We''re close''. He was about to sneak ahead when he remembered that blackness looked the same everywhere. Angrily he looked deeper into the accursed darkness as if his staring at it would make it fade away. To his utter surprise a bit of brown penetrated his constant blackness and he stumbled over his own feet. "You okay?" Skele asked but Ace didn''t hear it. He concentrated on his sight wishing the colour to return. His eyes strained, almost watering and again a shadow of brown entered his vision. It was barely discernible from its surroundings but Ace kept staring at it until his eyes felt like bursting out of his sockets. There! A lighter shade of brown! He closed his eyes giving them a moment¡¯s rest and breathed deeply. His sight was returning! He had gotten used to walking by sound, guessing his surroundings but to say he was not relieved... "Why are we stopping? Are we making camp here?" Dawn asked, their duo first reaching Ace and Skele who had stopped moving. The kid nodded absent-mindedly and started staring a hole in the wall again. If only he could grasp the colours and make them stay. "There''s still some way to walk" Skele said looking at Ace, unable to understand what the wall had done to him. "What is happening?" Monthu inquired coming closer. "Why are we stopping?" "The kid wants to have a stare down with a wall" Rover supplied helpfully. Monthu had to agree it looked exactly like that but he asked anyway. "Ace?" "My sight. I''m on the verge of regaining it. I just don''t understand why it cannot stay!" he hissed glaring at the wall that had turned black again once he relaxed his eyes. There was something he wasn''t getting. He concentrated harder and he could almost tell a sharp edge apart, where the blade like part was lighted by [Flare] and where its other side lay in shadow. He tried touching it and didn''t get injured. So it was really working; it wasn''t an illusion. When why it didn''t stay? "Maybe you''re still contaminated?" Skele asked, breaking Ace''s train of thought. "Contaminated?" "What if you need to be of pure body and mind for the ability I gave you? That would explain why you became blind." "The curse! That might be it!" Ace agreed in a hopeful tone. "Aurora mind cleansing, purifying or whatever you did again?" The girl shrugged and cast her spell. It wasn''t like they cost her anything. Ace felt light wash over him and through strained eyes saw it too. It was so white and pure that he had to close them. He waited a few moments before opening them again. A sea of information assailed him that even hid the world from which a veil of darkness has been lifted.
*Update: Mystic Eyes You haven''t finished the ritual but your body and mind has been cleansed of evil. Whenever you''re ready you can open your inner eye. *
*New Skill! Echo [Active] You''ve been without sight so long you adapted to use other means to determine your surroundings. Sound gives you as much information as vision to others. There''s no such thing as fear of the dark for you. Warning! Beware of storms whatever type they might be. They''ll nullify your sense of direction.*
*You''re pure of body and mind*
Ace blinked a few times at the last message. "Did it work?" Aurora asked tenderly. "Should I try again?" "It worked. He looks as if he was hit by a truck" Hawk said putting a hand on her shoulder. "Give him a moment to get used to the wonder." Ace''s eyes instantly found Hawk''s. "Shut your trap" he hissed. Yes, colours were a dazzling thing but he was more interested in his new ability. To test it he closed his eyes and made a snapping sound with his fingers in a rhythm. One, two, three... Behind his eyelids things started to take shape. Forms of people, shapes of weapons tall and thin, a four legged creature with another on its top. It lacked the details of sight but could ensure he never stumbled on anything unaware. "Perfect" he mumbled under his breath and turned to his companions. "I''ll go scouting while you rest. Be ready to go once I''m back." "You sure you''re fine?" Aurora asked. "Maybe you should rest with us?" Ace shook his head, waved to Par who was holding tightly on a black beast with long canines and fire with shadows for fur and jogged towards the sounds of fighting. He activated [Shadow Veil] and [Silent Steps] cloaking himself in the comfortable silence and went over a corner, keeping close to the wall. The ten warriors were exactly the same as he remembered. Mountains of men with tons of metal on them who¡¯s clanking could make a person go deaf. Well, at least if one had [All Ears] activated. Ace shook his head and wondered why ten knights of such high level would stay in a secluded dungeon where they neither trained nor did anything of usefulness. Playing duels wasn''t an activity to spend doing day after day if one wanted to reach anything. There was something more to it. And to the ceiling that was missing only ten or so stones even though the fighting had to be going for over a few weeks. The ground only had that much boulders too. But the stones were falling after each hit. Is there a cleaner? Some mage that comes every day to remove all stones and leave the room inhabitable once again? Or..? A smile touched his lips. If his hunch was correct, this was going to be just too simple. He turned around and carefully made his way back. Fire was cracking cheerfully and everyone sat around it drinking from wooden bowls. Aurora was bent over a pot with another of them and a ladle in her hand. She filled it with green looking liquid and passed it to Monthu. "Should I leave some for Ace?" she asked, looking at Rovers outstretched hands for another serving. "Yes" Ace said startling the group and finding a seat between Skele and Monthu. He was clearly the only daring such a feat as to sit next to a necromancer. "I''m sick and tired of dried food." Aurora smiled and filled a cup for him that was smaller than others. Ace felt like arguing the point but noting that it matched Par''s exactly kept his words to himself. Someone sniggered. Ace thought about what was waiting ahead and let a serene smile settle on his face as if everything was perfect in the world. That was going to scare them more than any of his threats. "What did you learn?" Monthu asked after finishing his soup. Aurora took his bowl and washed together with the others'' in water provided by Par''s magic. "Nothing new. Still all of them together and fighting among themselves to pass time. They don''t seem to have gotten stronger." His eyes went to watch the duo who was enraptured by his words. ¡¯They look as if they really can''t believe we''re going to face those knights for them.¡¯ "You''ve got a plan or the usual?" "Usual" Ace said with a laugh. "I''ve missed being able to hide in the shadows." "But your sneak attacks won''t work on undead!" Dawn disagreed waking from her stupor. "You should stick to your magic on this." "It might be so but fights aren''t won simply by damage. Superior positioning has a lot on it too. See ya!" After saying that Ace rose from his seat, petted Hound and returned back the path he''d gone previously. Next to the cavern entrance he cloaked himself in darkness and prepared to wait. He would advance once the group gathered everyone''s attention. They didn''t take long marching in without any plan at all. He guessed they agreed to use the same hunting strategy as they had showed by ganging up on him. It wasn''t anything spectacular but allowed everyone to have their time to shine. Monthu and Rover went in first, engaging the five knights themselves. Skele sent in his bone warriors to control two more while Hound took another two for himself. The tenth knight stood by the end of the room, unmoving, watching the scene unfold. No one paid him attention focusing on those who were in their sights. Hawk sent arrows to support his companions. They were drenched in paralysing poison but for some reason it had no effect on the humanoid enemies. Par and Dawn stayed on the back, casting balls of fire that blasted knights a step or two back but otherwise seemed not to affect them either. They tried different spells but with no luck. "What is their magic resistance?" Dawn asked rhetorically, frustration colouring her voice. "I can''t believe nothing is working!" Aurora stood alone at the side, her eyes focused on the battle. She kept herself from using any spells and saved precious mana points for healing. And she could see it was going to be required at large amounts. Their two melee fighters were used to keeping opponents at bay but it drained their stamina quickly, making them less agile and more prone to getting hit. Prolonged battles were always perilous for their group. Ace took it all in and his belief that this was all a farce only strengthened. He kept to the left of the room and made his way towards the motionless knight. There were cold lights in his eyes that didn''t promise anything good. Ace made a circle around him and used [Backstab] followed by [Cut-throat]. It bounced off the armour. *Dammit! Where was my magma blade?* The knight instantly turned on him slashing with his broadsword. Ace evaded to the left and this time slashed after having activated [Magma Blade]. It left a mark on the armour but a sword came for Ace again. He thought about blocking it but then remembered he had sharp stones in hands not daggers. So he jumped back. It was too slow and the blade cut flesh. It took around ten percent of his health but Ace didn''t fancy himself a fight and dodging an upward slash used [Shadow Dash] to appear near the other knights fighting his companions. He slashed at the creatures, did no damage and left there too coming to stand by Aurora. The battle hadn''t changed while he had been failing his assassination attempt so he drank a health potion and thought how to go about it again. "What happened there?" Aurora asked softly, casting a healing spell on Rover. He needed a lot of them being extremely overpowered. "Out of practice" Ace said as an explanation and it was true. But he had learnt something from it none the less. The guy was a true fighter, not a mage pretending to be one. ¡¯Could I have been only dreaming things?¡¯ It didn''t sit well with him and he backed away behind a corner to activate [Shadow Veil]. Once hidden, he came back but this time didn''t go straight for the knight. He stopped by the edge of the room and closed his eyes, letting sound take over the place of sight. He hoped that one day he''ll be able to use both senses in unison but it didn''t seem to be in the near future. Sound sight was too imperfect as of yet. But it was still harder to fool. There were plenty of sounds so Ace didn''t have to make any of his own, only to listen. He could discern many human forms on the ground with various weapons but that wasn''t what he was looking for. At the sides were tall, broad and thick constructions - walls. He concentrated on them. Was the sound all the same? It seemed so but then he noticed a place empty of sound or should he say where sound and its echo travelled longer. Ace didn''t waste a moment and going by the wall reached the place. It was five feet over his head. Not opening his eyes, he started to climb. Eyes had said to him that all walls were the same but his handholds didn''t cut him. He was sure once again of what he knew. The memory of sharp edges was still fresh on his mind. When he reached the edge and climbed into a cave, he opened his eyes. He glanced behind himself and saw his friends fighting imaginary opponents with anger and despair in their hearts. Rover fell as if hit and Monthu jumped in front of him like a hero. Ace chuckled; it was the best pantomime he''d ever seen. He could understand why a mage would waste his time here doing nothing but watching idiots fighting shadows. "Who¡¯s here?" a shrill female voice asked and Ace turned his attention back to the cave he was in. A cloaked figure was huddled in a corner, its whole body trembling. Its eyes were roaming the place but never settled anywhere. "I asked who is here?" ''In this dark cave there''s not a chance you can see through my veil. You can stop trying.'' He wrapped his blade in magma and [Curse of the Hungry] while walking behind her. Frightened eyes went past him as if he wasn''t even there. It was most likely a crime against all moral codes to kill a terrified girl but Ace never felt like associating with any of them. His stones found their mark and Kris finished her, feeding off her heart. Five items were the limit that could drop on a death so he chose exactly that many. The fact that he couldn''t rob her blind as Ace, didn''t mean he had to follow normal rules and receive random items from the drop. He chose a stack of letters, a beautiful necklace, her cloak, staff and earrings. On another thought he picked twenty gold coins too. For the trouble of having to look through all her items. Finished he stood up, pocketed his new belongings and went to see how his companions were faring. They were pushed to the entrance of the room and barely holding on. Skele was doing somewhat better; his twenty warriors not tiring out but he was nowhere near winning even with the help of Hound. Not that such a thing was possible against air. The knight in the corner didn''t seem to have noticed anything amiss. Ace was about to jump down and stop all the idiocy when Rover hissed in pain. The sound was soft and full of regret. It made the kid sit down and look at the ground from his vantage point. Death was a faraway notion and here was one of the best plays before him. Who was he to interrupt it? Ace activated recording option and leaned against the wall to enjoy the view. He could save them later on. Now it was time for sweet revenge. Next Chapter 4.7 Set an Example "Visions of old that were placed to hide the truth from strangers and ignorant ones show me your true colors, Revelation!" "You misbegotten bastard!" Rover howled, his anger knowing no bounds. "You left us here to fight! You made us fight!" He grabbed the kid by the collar. "You watched us fight for our lives and laughed, didn''t you? It''s all a game to you! You''re the lowest of the low! You..!" Ace listened to it for a moment amused but soon got bored and took out his Kris pointing it at Rover''s chest. The guy was red in the face with sweat running down in torrents. His axe lay broken a few paces away. "If you remember everything so well, you should agree that I''m the only reason you''re still alive and release me immediately. I can walk perfectly well and without being carried." "You''re threatening me? I should kill you right this moment!" Rover roared in Ace''s face who only pushed the dagger closer to the heart, drawing blood. "Death is too good for you! Hell, monster is a compliment in your case! Your parents are..!" "Unhand me" Ace said in a whisper, his voice cold as ice. The dagger slid forward reaching the pumping red organ. A flash of pain passed through Rover''s face but he wasn''t backing down until he said his piece of mind. "Don''t, he doesn''t deserve it" Dawn said softly taking him by the hand. "Even if you die, he''ll never understand, never learn." Her murderous greens eyes settled on Ace. "Any similarity between you and a human is purely coincidental. We should have known better." Ace sheathed his dagger and awarded her with a mirthless smile. "You should have. Hopefully, you''ve learnt your lesson." What had they expected when they taunted him? Worked behind his back? Faked friendliness? Was he supposed to just ignore it and let it pass? He shook his head. They were idiots to believe he would react like a normal person in real life would. First he wasn''t just a kid and secondly this was a game. He looked at Monthu to see his reaction; whether he understood or not. His face was down from tiredness, resting on his knees. But as if sensing Ace''s gaze his head lifted. "I would berate you and kick your ass to the moon but I''m too exhausted even for that. Just know that this time you went overboard." Ace crossed his arms over his chest. "They started it! I just paid them back!" "And what did I, Par, Aurora or Hawk do to you? We fought like it was our last fight, used everything we had and saw it not being enough. It''s not fun. And then you come down to tell us that we had been fighting ghosts." There was no anger in the voice Ace noted. It could mean many things or one that the guy was too worn out to even put emotion in his words. "You''ll do" he said with self-assuredness. "So don''t expect me to apologize." "I wouldn''t expect you to get a flash of regret. Apology never even came to my mind" Hawk said from another wall. Everyone was holding them up beside him. Ace threw a few logs down and lighted them up with [Burst]. Here, they couldn''t call him a monster now. Fire caught his attention as its fiery tongues reached up. Colors danced mesmerizing him. He had forgotten how pretty they could be. He sat beside it and watched how flames licked the logs and changed from one shape to another in a rush. "How long are you going to sit there staring?" Hawk asked with amusement and Ace''s head shot towards him. He blinked a few times clearing his head and in a perpetual vision noticed a pile of ashes. How long had it been since the fact? "I''ll be finished for today if you''ve no patience" he answered standing up and yawning. It would have been better to take a nap but it was too late for that now. He looked around and saw everyone rested and going in the direction of dungeon entrance. They had planned to leave him behind. Ace looked back at Hawk who shrugged at his questioning gaze and turned to leave too. He was midway when the kid opened his mouth. "Thanks." The guy twirled to stare back in wonder but Ace wasn''t going to play a wounded animal. He went past him and fell in step with Skele at the back of the group. They''ll need him again soon enough and then he''ll like to hear some apologies. Outside, not twenty meters from the cave, they were stopped by a bunch of people. Reaching them Ace recognized the tired lines on the front guys face as Achiles'', leader''s of Rover''s guild. He had aged twenty years since Ace last seen him. He wondered why the guy didn''t tick the option that allowed one to always look fresh and healthy. "How did it go?" was his first question addressed to his guild members. Their smiles were forced. "We defeated them. Or that would be if they had been there in the first place." "What do you mean?" Achiles asked, uncomprehending. "We''ve seen them with our own eyes in that room." "It was only a masterfully crafted illusion. We were chasing shadows." "If that is so, who killed our members then? Or will you say they did it themselves?" Achiles asked angrily. "If you failed, at least don¡¯t spit nonsense. I have no time for lies." He shook his head tiredly. "I had trusted you." Ace saw Rover''s face turn red as he desperately thought of a way to prove himself right but couldn''t do.it. No one knew about the illusionist girl and real knight but him. And he didn''t feel like giving a hand. He turned around from Dawn telling truth that sounded as pathetic lies and got himself on Hound who grunted not very happily. The black beast had liked Ace less and less by each moment they spent in the group''s company. The kid was much better when he was vulnerable: alone, blind and lost. "Skele," Ace whispered softly. "Let''s go. You wanted to go to the city if I remember correctly." The necromancer nodded being uninterested in the debacle Rover and Dawn found themselves in. "How are you going to get me inside looking like this?" Ace looked over his companion with a calculating eye. He had five white hairs sticking from his grey skull with glowing yellow eyes. A ragged cloth Ace wouldn''t have used to clean floor for fear of infestation hung from the shoulders to the knees. It had holes that gave a great view of greyish bones on a verge of rotting. He had to scrunch his nose from the smell too. "Is there a lake or a river nearby?" he asked. "Yes, why?" Skele asked pointing behind the cave. "You need a bath. I can make you presentable but if you stink of twenty years without shower, it''ll all come to naught.¡± Ace had made the situation look much worse but otherwise he was sure he would never be able to get the glaring mage in water. His look only proved the kid''s thoughts. They left the group and went to the little pond that was on the verge of becoming a swamp. Luckily skeletons didn''t need to breathe and Skele could go to the middle where were some clean water. Ace made him clean himself for an hour or so and then told to levitate himself out of there. He sniffed at the mage who was throwing daggers from his eyes and pretended to think for a moment. "I suppose this will have to do." "What now?" Skele barked out while Hound snickered from beside Ace. He had very human-like emotions Ace noted. "Now I try to imagine how you might have looked when you weren''t bald and broke." Skele wanted to say something about that but Ace started to chant. "Beloved dreams, feared nightmares, different worlds, same horrors combine into one and come crashing onto the mortal souls, Phantasm!" In his mind he pictured a man of thirty that looked younger than his years, just past twenty. He had short dark brown hair, face chiseled from work near the windy shores with warm sea green eyes. There were laugh lines near his lips that were curled up in a little smile. He wore a black buttoned up shirt, same colored trousers and deep red coat floating around the ankles. Its important looking appearance in stark contrast with his workers face. In hand he held Skele''s same simple scepter with a dark ruby at the top but the handle had been polished to shining and the gem filled with power that could be seen pulsing inside if the light caught at the right angle. Then he fixed this image on the skeleton before him. It took some fumbling around but he thought it looked perfect. "Try moving around and saying something. I need so see if anything is lagging behind." The guy did as told not letting his gaze lower and see himself before everything was finished. Ace watched him walk around. Legs were fine moving in sync through both eyes but hand fingers were slower in left eye. It meant illusion was imperfect and he had some correcting to do. While doing that in his mind, he asked Skele. "How old would you be now?" The mage was taken off-guard by such a question. "I don''t know... Underground birthdays tend to lose meaning." Ace rolled his eyes. "Do some simple math. Add some twenty years to the age you died at and here you go." "Fifty seven then, maybe eight or nine." A man with a graying head rose before Ace¡¯s eyes. He had warm features but there was ice coldness in his deep blue eyes, lips set in a straight line. His back was straight and official looking costume without a mark but hands had wrinkles showing his age, shaking lightly. In his right hand he held an ancient staff with a dark ruby in its head. There was an aura of danger surrounding him; dark secrets lay hidden in the folds of his wrinkles. Ace smiled and thought it looked really cool and he wanted to keep it. For that he removed his previous work of art and put this one on. It fit Skele perfectly as a glove so he made the guy look at his reflection. "What do you think of my handiwork?" He waited a long time but no answer came. His companion was still staring at his reflection with wide eyes. Ace felt proud of his work; now he could finally see the dead mage''s reactions. "Is this really me?" Skele asked in a raw voice. He held his hand to touch his face as if unable to believe. Most likely he didn''t. "It''s just an illusion" Ace said shrugging. "I can''t turn you into a human." It was an inalterable one that would last forever until dispelled so he cast another one over it that was a livid thing but invisible for now. It would come of use if Skele had to do something besides simply moving like say grow a pair of wings. "But you''ll be pretending to be your own son." Then he cast the spell again and put another solid mask this one in full view hiding the first one. It was the thirty or so happy-go-lucky mage he had thought of before. After that another layer of live illusion that he could control at will and he was done. Breathing a sigh of relief, he returned to his victim whose eyes had widened even more. "What did you do now?" he asked in wonder. "Made you younger. As I said, you''ll be your own son and will be looking for any information regarding your so called "father" - yourself" he made air quotas around the word father, chuckling. He found it humorous to think about pretending to be your own child. "I never had a child." "You seem to have gotten one and a grandchild too. What a lucky guy!" Ace said in a mock happy tone. "Take it like a man and at least pretend to be in ninth heaven over the news." "Shut up" Skele glowered and Ace had a feeling he touched a raw nerve. "Fine but stay around me. Remember, if you''ll get dirty, I''ll have to create the stain because it won''t stick. So don''t leave my side at any cost, I''m the thing that''ll keep the illusion intact and allow you to be part of a crowd." Skele nodded and rose shooing Hound away who had come and started circling him. The beast was amazed at the transformation; only the smell assured him that it was really his master. "Can you get this idiot in too?" Skele asked, watching as flames danced around his arm but did no damage. "Can you make it burn?" Ace smiled sweetly and touched the uppermost illusion tenderly. Skele yelped and brought his hand to his chest. It had turned red and sent waves of pain to Skele''s uncomprehending brain; undead didn''t have a notion of suffering, their nerves were non-existent. "How did you do that?" "Put it in water or you''ll have a nasty burn mark" advised the kid barely holding his laugh. Skele followed the instructions and the pain lessened. He turned his gaze back to his helper and tormentor. "Eyes are but most easily deceived human organ. True illusions cover much more than that. Remember the one in the cave. It was a masterpiece." "And you can do that too?" "Yes" Ace said not without a glint in his eyes. This magic was limited only by one''s imagination and he had never had problems with his. "Why in the world are you not a well-known illusionist then? I''ve had a taste of this kind of magic before but what you did is ridiculous! I knew it was a trick and it hurt like hell anyway! And the pain was exact too." "Fantasy tinged with experience that is all. Being a troublesome child one gets to know all kinds of pains and train his imagination thinking up stupid adventures and then excuses for them." "That doesn''t answer my real question" Skele said not backing down. He was too amazed by his body and the child''s to notice anger boiling beneath the forest green eyes. Illusion magic was the strongest of all, able to confuse a human being and in a way alter reality, but there were only a handful of good illusionists. That was because one had to create everything perfectly in his imagination for another being to believe it. Sights weren¡¯t that hard but feelings were. It is almost impossible to recollect how a scraped finger or a hungry stomach exactly feels when you¡¯re not experiencing it, the knowledge just fades from a person¡¯s mind yet the illusionist must make a person believe he¡¯s feeling that. They have to create the emotion and unless it matches perfectly with what a person¡¯s brain receives as normal the illusion will have no effect. That is why if a person¡¯s brain sees someone passing through a wall, he can do it too but if he tried it himself first he would touch solid rock. But before Ace could snap back a remark Hound jumped on him, falling him over. He licked the kid''s face and barked at his face. "You dumb beast how many times did I tell you not to do that?" Ace hissed, brushing his face with a sleeve and glaring at the giant dog like thing made of thick shadows and flame. Then his mouth''s corners went up as he once again murmured the spell of [Phantasm]. This time he aimed it at Hound. The creature started to shift: his color changed to dull grey, ears elongated while sharp teeth became ones that carnivores had and lastly paws turned into hooves. The kid turned to Skele with his hands behind his back. "It''s perfect, don''t you think?" The young man beside him looked at the donkey jumping around to get a better view of himself and smiled. It made wrinkles around his mouth more pronounced but at the same time softened his features even more. He looked like a man of gentle breeding but hardness in his face¡¯s contours prevented him from turning into a stuck up noble. Ace petted himself mentally again and called upon Hound. Once he came, he fastened two bags to his back and got up. "Let''s return to the others. Hopefully, they''ll be finished by now." Skele nodded and picked up the donkey''s reins after Ace had murmured the same spell for the umpteen time that hour. It was living magic for the animal. He was even more likely to get into trouble than Skele. Their arrival seemed to have been waited upon as Achiles rose to meet him. He was surprised to see Ace¡¯s companions but pretended not to notice them. "I wanted to say goodbye and thank you for keeping my deceitful guild members alive." "You shouldn''t have bothered" Ace said throwing a look at Monthu who ignored him and noting Dawn''s and Rover''s hurt expressions as they were called traitors without being called them. He remembered how restoring the guild was the only thing on their mind and he leveled a calculating look to their faces. Should he do it or not? "Still I''m thankful for keeping to your word and not leaving them behind or..." That cracked him up. It was exactly what he had done. With a lazy smile he lowered his head between the donkey''s ears and with hands underneath it allowed Achiles to talk some more nonsense while he watched the duo. After a minute Rover had finally raised his head and noticed Ace''s attention but he didn''t say anything. The fight had left him. It was a very sad thing. And boring. It made Ace feel like he had to remedy the situation and he knew just the way. His smile brightened just thinking about what was going to happen in the next minute. He jumped from his ride and having no qualms about ignoring Achiles went to the duo. "I forgot to give you something. The real knight dropped it" he said giving a pendant that he had made from the pieces found in the knight''s inventory. It showed up they were parts gained from defeating the real ghost knights that together made up a necklace. It had to be taken to the man as proof of defeating them. The putting of pieces together had been a fun passing time while everyone fought for their lives. "What is..?" Dawn started to ask what was on everyone''s mind but Ace watched only Rover''s face. It was easy to determine when he had finished reading the item''s description as his face reddened and continued doing so growing purple in the process. "YOU LITTLE-" he was cut off by a slap to the face. Ace lowered his hand and smiled good-naturedly. "A thank you would be enough." Rover sputtered unable to find words and Ace sighed. It seemed like a simple thank you was too much for the guy to master up so he turned away and got back on the donkey. "It was nice to know you, good luck on restoring your guild and see you some other time" he said shortly and glanced at Monthu with the others asking whether they were coming or not. There was a moment of indecision as they looked at each other but then stood up and without a word came next to Skele. Ace used that as a sign to leave and squeezed Hound''s shoulder to start moving. The donkey snorted and went where the path lead, a bunch of humans trailing behind him. A few steps later he had to stop and allow another child on his back. He looked at his master for help but the guy was still looking at his own appearance pretending there was dust on his coat. He was hopeless and Hound was forced to follow the kid''s instructions. Why did society always corrupt them so quickly? When they were out of the earshot of the guild, Aurora expressed her discontent. "Why did you do it, Ace?" "What in particular?" Ace asked, not ready to apologize for anything she might not have recollected. "Leaving on your own! We were talking and the next moment you''re gone! What if something had happened to you?" she said eyeing Skele. He noticed that and made a low bow in her direction. "Sorry for my bad manners, I''ve had a lot on my mind. Worglan Harbert at your service." "Nice to meet you, I''m Aurora" the girl said raising her hand to shake his but he lowered his head and kissed her knuckles. "It''s my pleasure to make acquaintance of such a lovely young lady." He held her hand for a moment longer before releasing, receiving a glare from Hawk and rolled eyes skyward from Ace. Aurora blushed lightly clutching her hands behind her back. "So what are you doing here? Are you coming with us to the city?" "That was my plan" Worglan said, an easy smile finding a way to his lips. "I need to learn a few things there. What about you? Do you have a set destination?" "I think we''ll just find a tavern and rest for a day or two." "Is that so? Then would you like to..." Skele started to suggest something and Ace turned his attention away. He hadn''t known the guy was a shameless flirt or he would have given him a frog like build with bubbly face, large eyes and a large belly. It was never too late but an angry Hawk was better than a sad Aurora. There was just something wrong about purposefully making fun of naive people when they had to live their whole lives being laughing stock anyway. "Why does Hawk look so unhappy?" Par asked breaking Ace''s train of thought. "Does he want to ride too?" Ace chuckled at that. "I think he''s just thinking about the state of the city. There seem to have been an increase in bad people that might think about hurting us." "Why are we going there then? Can''t we stay here?" "Myself I''d dare anyone to try and stop me from reaching an inn! I don''t remember the last time I slept in a bed!" Par didn''t say anything but Ace could feel he wasn''t convinced so he turned around to face him. "Think about it! Fluffy goose feathered pillows and blankets! A bath and clean clothes! Warm food made by real cooks, not that I have anything against Aurora''s food" he added quickly seeing defiance in the kid''s eyes. "And most importantly desserts! If we''re lucky we might even get some ice cream! Now tell me you''d rather stay here in the middle of nowhere!" There was indecision on Par''s face. "But you said it is dangerous there. Brother always said that safety comes always as a first when travelling somewhere." Ace shook his head. "That is if you''re alone or in a small group! But we''re six and you can call upon many pets to aid you! What could possibly stop us?" This finally brought a smile to the kid''s face. Most likely he had been taught a lesson about safety in numbers too. Ace was about to turn around when a thought came to his mind. Like a conspirator he whispered in Par''s ear. "What do you say if we make this old bag of bones lose his trot?" The kid looked up at him, not understanding. Ace smiled and shouted out. "Hold tightly." He hit Hound lightly on the neck twice knowing he had heard what was wanted of him. The beast threw a glance at his fool of a master and seeing no response lurched into a gallop, instantly leaving the group in dust. Par grabbed onto Ace''s clothes with a death grip but the kid didn''t mind, hearing angry curses from behind. He had a feeling donkeys didn''t move like this but for now there was no one around and wind brushing one''s face was always a welcome thing. Hound left the animal path they had been going through and jumped into a thick forest. He found invisible tracks there carrying his riders safely under the canopy of trees. They were dark and oppressive but small bursts of light shining here and there tried to lighten the mood. Hound had stopped on one of such rays basking in the glory of sun he hadn''t seen for so long. And then he was off again jumping over roots and brushes, making paths where there were none. Ace and Par held onto him as if their life depended on it, which was most likely true. The beast had finally felt the joy of freedom and wanted to explore it to the most. He might have been a creature of darkness but being confided in a dungeon wasn¡¯t his way of having fun. A message flashed in Ace''s peripheral vision and he guessed who it might be but had no free hands to make sure. He still liked his place on the crazy going donkey. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. It took forever and a bit more before Hound wasted enough energy to slow down into a trot again. "Remind me to never let him loose again. He has a streak of madness in him" Ace said clenching and unclenching his hands to get the feeling back in them. Not receiving a reply he glanced back and saw Par looking at his hands in wonder. "Is everything okay?" The kid nodded, slowly. "You sure?" At that, the kid raised his head to meet his eyes. Ace saw disbelief and amazement shining in Par''s. "I didn''t fall off." The kid said slowly as if tasting each and every word leaving his mouth. "You should have?" Ace asked tilting his head to the side. "I''m weak" Par said as of that explained everything and continued to look at his hands. Ace blinked a few times not understanding it at all but left it at that. He had more pressing business at the moment. Like a red flashing message. Empty. Monthu had sent him an absolutely empty message. That didn¡¯t bode well. /Did you want anything?/ he asked Monthu in a normal voice as if he hadn''t just kidnapped the guy''s brother and gotten them lost. /Where in the world are you?/ was his angry reply and he could imagine the guy glaring at no one in particular. /I would be honored to answer that if I had the slightest idea myself./ /You got yourself lost?/ Monthu asked anger and disbelief fighting for supremacy in his tone. /It''s a dark forest!/ Ace said, defensively. /And that donkey had been without freedom for far too long!/ /Stay there. We''ll find you/ Monthu said threateningly, already knowing that he was only wasting his breath. /But of course!/ Ace said, looking around the place they were in. It was a small clearing overgrown with dark blue flowers. They released a sickly sweet smell that made his nose scrunch in disgust. How hadn''t he noticed them sooner? Loud crashing noises interrupted his daydreaming and he trained his eyes to the left. Someone was moving at quick speed there and soon would be upon them. Not thinking much Ace started to chant. "Deep within the earth hidden powers lay, awaken to my call and stop my enemies in their tracks, Wild Vines!" The last word was said as four people burst into their clearing. It was a middle age man with three young women; none over twenty yet. They all wore noble clothes that no longer looked the part; torn and muddied from their flight through the forest. It was clear they hadn''t decided to do that for the fun of it. As he thought that, a soft sound of horses galloping reached his ears. They were still a good distance away but these people could never escape them on foot. "Release me this instance! I''m still The Lord of House Kerayn!" the man hissed in anger, directing his gaze at Ace sitting on his donkey with Par behind him. "I have a feeling it won''t be for long" Ace said in a friendly manner, dismissing the lord''s words as if they were nothing. "You little brat! Do as I say if you want to live! Release me now!" Ace tilted his head as if considering the offer. Then he slowly shook his head. "Sorry. Don''t feel like it." "Little maggot! You''ll pa-" "I hate being insulted" Ace said calmly, his eyes directed at the lord anything but that. He called upon [Flare] and sent it towards where the sound was coming from. It travelled forward a few minutes before he heard exclamations of surprise and joy. He wasn''t sure what that could mean but none the less brought the little flame and a group of riders to himself. They emerged, unaware of the immobilized foursome in the thick underbrush. The animals tried to avoid the collision but still stepped on the human barrage. There was a sound of cracking bone and then a cacophony of screams and shouts that made Ace cover his ears. From the corner of his eyes he saw Par do the same. The kid was looking wide eyed at the sight before him, unable to turn away from the disgusting sight before him. Ace removed one hand from his ear and poked the kid. He swiftly turned to him, almost falling off the donkey in the process. Ace said nothing but jumped off donkey. There was a question in the kid''s face. *I want to talk to them.* Ace wrote since the kid still had his ears covered. *I''ll be right back.* With that he turned and went closer towards the throng of people. Most riders had lowered themselves to the ground and horses milling blocked his sight of the unlucky foursome. He ducked under one animal and got into the circle. There were three new people there and two of them were familiar. Now he understood why there was a shout of joy when he had sent his little flame ahead. Hiding her in his clothes now was useless but he did it anyway. Who knows, maybe they had been too focused on their prey and hadn''t noticed it coming to him. That done he turned to the unlucky lord and saw him being dragged onto a horse. In the struggle on the ground one side of his golden robe had gotten torn while whole left sleeve was now crimson colored. He had his other hand tied to his person and there was a thunderous expression on his face. But like everyone else here, he knew that his anger could get him nowhere so he kept it on a tight leash allowing himself only to glare. His eyes narrowed even more taking note of Ace, but he kept quiet. It was fine with the kid and he turned his attention elsewhere. The girls were treated more kindly but were bound too. Three soldiers helped them up the horses. The other two people had their eyes trained on him. Noticing that he turned to them with a bright smile and waved his hand. "Hi! I''m Ace! Nice to meet you! Are these people criminals?" he asked pointing at the lord. "In a way" one of the two men answered. He had dark brown hair and the same colored eyes. They weren''t looking down on him, but neither was there any friendliness. "But you should know that as well as we do." Ace tilted his head faking confusion. "I should?" "You stopped them in their path. A good reason is needed to do that to a lord." "He surprised me! And then called me a brat!" Ace said in a tone that implied the lord was the worst person in the world. "You called us with the flame" the other person said and Ace turned his attention to his plaything. He remembered very well setting him up to find the secret documents, saving his hide from soldiers and then helping to get acquainted with a lord with enough power to get his revenge. In a month since their meeting the guy had improved his station considerably. Previously he had been just another pocket thief on the streets. Now he wore red satin clothes with silver ornaments and there was an emblem of a demon cat near his heart that matched one that all three soldiers had. His long black hair was trimmed to fall in graceful waves around his shoulders and soften the angular lines of his face and the glare in his eyes. Ace could have wagered it was faked. He was supposed to be surprised at the revelation, maybe disgusted or intrigued but not angry. He had no reason to be mad as he hadn''t lost a single thing because of the flame''s interruptions in his life. "He insulted me, I didn''t want him to get away with that" he said with a shrug, turning back to Par. "I''m happy to have helped." "Wait!" the guy said removing the distance between them in two strides and grabbing the kid''s shoulder. "Show me the flame again." "Why should I?" Ace asked with a worry in his voice. "It''s mine!" He pushed the man''s hand away and took a step back towards his friend without letting the guy out of his sight. *Deception successful +5% experience* "Don''t frighten him. He''s just a child" the good lord said coming closer too. There was a small smile on his face, although, his eyes stayed cold and emotionless. "Hey, kid. What did you say your name was?" "Ace." "So Ace would you like to come with us and see what happens to this man who has been so rude to you?" Ace knew a trap when he heard one. "Would you let me?" he asked starry-eyed, all his worries forgotten. "Of course. You deserve to know he pays for what he''s done." But sometimes the bait was too sweet to pass up, traps be damned. "I would love to!" he said brightly. "Just let me tell my friend, I''ll be gone for some time!" "We can ta-" "No!" Ace said with more force than was necessary. "His brother will kill me if I take him anywhere else so let me talk for a moment and I''ll be good to go." "But it''s dangerous for a lone kid in the forest!" the lord disagreed lightly. Ace glanced at the donkey who through his right eye looked like a creature of nightmares; black pits for eyes, shadows and fire for a body. "I believe he''ll be fine" he said with conviction. "And his brother is close by." After that he jogged towards Par but didn''t get on the donkey. "Is something wrong?" the kid asked him. "They need me to testify to have stopped the man and that he was very uncivilized. I''ll have to go with them" he said brightly but in an instant noted how Par''s shoulders fell together with his expression. "You''re leaving again" he stated unemotionally. It worried Ace somewhat. Since when was the kid so caring about what he did? "I''m sorry. I really wish I could take you but your brother would be furious." There was a sad look on the child''s face. Even he knew that his brother was already furious and it could hardly get any worse. "Hey! Don''t look so forlorn! It''s not like I''m leaving for real! We''ll meet up in the evening when you''ll catch up in the city!" It wasn''t giving the expected result. "Par! Let''s make a promise then!" "What promise?" the kid asked warily. "Once we''re back together we''ll go on a great adventure! We''ll take a mission to hunt some monsters and will have all the time in the world to deal with them and play around in the sunlight! It''s been too long since we enjoyed it. What do you say?" "Won''t you have somewhere to go again?" "I won''t" Ace promised, nodding his head purposefully while feeling like the worst person ever. How much one had to do for a sweet and trusting person like Par to lose confidence in them? Well, he seemed to have passed that line and went even farther ahead. He had some repairing to do. "I''ll do what they need from me here and we''ll have the time of our life! Don''t doubt it for a second!" There was a bit of indecision in Par''s eyes but then he smiled a little and nodded. "Could we play catch then? I always wanted to try it." "Sure" Ace said, his lips curving upwards. "Just don''t expect me to go easy on you! I''m an undefeated champion of catch! You have till tomorrow to prepare to face me!" The kid nodded eagerly before asking. "Will you be done by then? Won''t be called back because of something?" "I should. If not, it''ll be their problem! I can''t waste all my life for them. And bye now! The more quickly I leave, the more quickly we can leave this stifling dark place" Ace said raising his eyes to the towering trees that were trying to block the sun even from this little clearing. "Bye..." Done with the conversation Ace turned and walked back to the lord and his trustee. "It''s a bad habit to listen-in on others'' conversations. Didn''t your mothers teach you better?" he asked, chagrining them with a finger. "It shows low morals." A vein twitched on the lord''s neck and Ace''s smile brightened; he hit a nerve. "Let''s move out. We haven''t got all day" the guy barked out and jumped on his horse in a swift motion. Ace watched as soldiers hit their animals'' sides to get them moving. The bound girls sat on them while their owners walked beside. One of them was holding a rope that was wrapped around a failure of a lord. He had to go on foot like a commoner and that seemed to irritate him the most from the way he was glaring at the ground as if it had been at fault for all that had went wrong in his life. Ace felt himself being lifted and squirmed against the hands unsure of what he had missed. "Calm down. I''m putting you on my horse." It was the voice of the guy with whose life he had once played so he stilled and allowed to be thrown unceremoniously over the animals back. Then the guy got up behind him and sat him up getting the reins. "Have you ever ridden before?" "No," he answered not giving it a moment''s thought. He was going back to his innocent child''s act, one of his old favorites. He looked down wide-eyed and leaned against the guy''s chest. "We''re so high up! What if I fall off?" he asked adding a tremor to his voice and closing his eyes.
*Deception successful*
Ace almost fell off the horse after noting the message. How could the guy have believed him when not twenty minutes ago he had been riding on a donkey? The man put his hand around Ace with a sigh. "You''re not going to fall off. Fine now?" Ace dared a glance before closing his eyes back shut and nodding barely. There was a grunt from behind him but no more words were exchanged. To not be bored to death Ace concentrated on the sounds and echoes of the hoof beats. It helped him get a general idea of his surroundings; they were still in the forest. It wasn''t even close to being exiting so he thought about what else he could do. The note about mystic eyes being updated caught his eye but he shook his head at that thought. Last time he had anything to do with that ability he became blind. It was best to test it with caution and when he had a healer at ready beside him. "What''s your name?" he asked his companion finally. "James" was his curt reply. "That''s it?" "It is." "What''s his name?" "Lord Koronhan." "And the evil one?" "Hourn" "Shouldn''t you have called him a lord too? His clothes look expensive." "No." "No to he''s no lord or no his clothes aren''t that good?" "Are you deliberately being obstinate?" his companion, James, asked, more like growled. "Can''t you stay quiet for longer than half a second? I need to think." Ace stiffened. That was not nice. It was rude. And he didn''t like that. With a finesse any actor would have envied he pretended to lock his mouth shut and throw the key away. At the same time his back straightened and he pulled away from his companion as far as it was possible sitting on the same horse and didn''t look or utter a single sound till they reached the spare horses. Or left the forest. Or entered the city. or went to meet its leader. He could have been mute, blind and deaf for all the attention he paid to the outside world. The meeting was a quick one. Everyone knew Hourn to be guilty and didn''t waste time calling him on that. He, of course, tried to plead innocence but proof was in the juries¡¯ hands and they didn''t like liars. They stripped him of his titles and privileges, confiscated his lands and sentenced to two years of prison or public thrashing. And in all that time Ace hadn''t heard a single mention of the crime. Not even by the guilty party. He wondered whether all trials went like that but didn''t shrug at the indifference. The acting had to be perfect to fool someone and he planned to receive his apology no matter what. He deserved it for managing to be so quiet; he was sure it was the longest silence of his life and it wasn''t anywhere near over. "There will be festivities tonight. Will you come?" "It would be an honor" the good lord said. Ace had already forgotten his name. It was way too long. "Then do so." "By the way whose is this kid? I¡¯ve never seen such a well behaved one in my life." "He stopped Hourn in his tracks and then called us to him since the guy had insulted him" the lord explained to his superior to whom Ace had to raise his head yet. The guy¡¯s boots were shiny black unlike those of his two companions having walked through a forest. "Is that so?" "It is, Your Grace." "He looks to be overly shy." James pushed him forward but Ace refused to lift his head or utter a sound. If he had to embarrass himself and them to gain his apology, he was all up for it. "Say something" James hissed in his ear but Ace didn''t acknowledge it. Not even blinked an extra time. "I think he''s terrified, Your Grace" the lord said with a shaky laugh. "He''s been through things today and hearing us giving punishments for unnamed crimes haven''t helped. I''m really sorry, Your Grace." The other man seemed to think about it for a moment. "Bring him to the celebration. I want to meet the kid who''d stopped a lord and even called guards upon him for nothing more than being ordered around." "Yes, Your Grace." Ace felt like rolling his eyes at the repeatedly used honorific but kept himself in check. He might have had his head down but people tended to look upon things at all the wrong times and he didn''t want to risk it. "You can leave now." They were out in seconds. Only after they were safely sat in the lord''s study, one Ace remembered quite well from his previous visit here, did the two turn to him. He was sure they were throwing daggers from their eyes but he didn''t check. "What the hell do you think you were doing there?" lord asked quietly, thinly veiled anger rolling off his tongue. "Ignoring the Duke! That''s what he was doing! Did you want us killed or something?" James asked not even pretending to hide his rage. He hadn''t been long in the upper society but knew well that angering ones superiors was very, very bad. "He could have executed you on the spot for that! And us together!" Ace''s eyes widened at that. Could the guy really have done something like that? The whole city belonged to him so most likely yes. It sent a shiver through his body but he ignored it and stayed calm. At least someone in the room had to keep his head clear. "You were a chatterbox previously! Tell us now! What in all that is holy were you thinking? Or were you trying to get us all killed?" "James, that''s enough" Lord said brushing a hand through his hair. "I don''t see him answering if we''re shouting his head off." ''That''s one smart guy'' Ace noted deciding he liked the lord more than his old plaything. The guy was passionate and daring but daft as a horse. "What is your game, kid?" At that Ace raised his head looking innocently at the lord. He pretended to move his jaw but didn''t open his lips. Then he shrugged as if saying I can''t do anything. "What is he doing? Has something happened to his mouth?" lord asked, uncomprehending. He turned to James who was looking at the kid with his mouth wide open. And staying like that. "Speak up" lord prompted. "I can''t believe it... I just can''t..." James whispered repeatedly looking at Ace who was barely holding back a smirk. Unlike him the lord had no patience at the moment. "God dammit! Use that mouth of yours! Say what the hell is going on here!" James turned to him. "When we were riding, he kept on asking questions so I told him to shut up. He closed his mouth and like kids love to do faked locking it and throwing the key away." There was wonder in his tone. "I never saw even one keeping to that." The lord wasn''t in a philosophical mood. He was exhausted physically and mentally and wanted to steal an hour or two of sleep before the evening festivities started and this wasn''t helping. "Kid stop your nonsense. We need you on your best behavior tonight." Ace crossed hands over his chest and shook his head. He was going to turn into a marble statue first than allow some guy find displeasure in his actions, and announce it. "You want us all dead?" Ace shook his head. "You''re just not going to talk?" Ace nodded. "James?" lord said turning to his servant with a glare in his eyes. "Yes?" "You said we needed him, he has information, so deal with him now. Make him into a respectable person till evening." That said he stood up and exited the room leaving the two staring at the space he had occupied just moments ago. Then they looked at each other as if asking the other what it had been all about. None was the wiser so James resumed his shouting while Ace continued to ignore him. It took two hours for the guy to tire out and take a breath. Ace thought he learnt more words than he had ever wanted to know in his life time. Then the pleading begun. Evening was coming closer and James was growing desperate. He needed the kid to drop his haughty appearance but he had no idea how to make him. He promised him things, threatened him, prayed to his good will, begged him, shook him, terrified him but nothing worked. It was like trying to make a stone wall talk - impossible. An hour before the event he gave up. It was pointless and he had to change. "Have a nice evening. I''m sorry to have bothered you." The words brought a wide smile to Ace''s face, one the guy didn''t see since he was turned away and out the room before the echo of his voice died down. "It took him some time. I hope he¡¯ll be quicker next time..." Ace smiled like a Cheshire cat and left the room and the house. He went straight to the shop in which he had once ordered a set of clothes. It had been almost a month ago but he expected to still find it there. Luckily, the same apprentice shopkeeper met him and although she wasn''t happy that he had taken his sweet time arriving for the clothes, brought him his order. After extra two golds she was smiling and laughing suggesting he came here more often. Feeling in the mood Ace ordered another set of clothes, these ones less extravagant and more appropriate for outdoor travelling. She eagerly wrote everything down and promised to make them as fast as possible, forgetting all about the time it took him to return previously. He left with a bag of clothes in hand and was on his way to the lord''s manor when he noticed a gentleman walking down with a cane that looked anything but a tool to lean on. It was beautifully carved; light lines dancing among themselves not making any real shapes and the handhold was in the shape of a wolf''s head with ruby eyes. Wood hit the ground with a soft thud sending sound waves scurrying to scout the world and then returning as echoes to describe it. Ace wanted one too. Now. Next Chapter-->http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=2724 Previous Chapter-->http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=2648&p=17548#p17548 Author''s Note: Sorry for the late update, had to leave for the village :/ Thanks for the good words last chapter and hope you enjoyed this one too. 4.8 Night Out Guilmor was working on a newest request from Lord Wester. He had decided he wanted a new cane to better show off his station. It had to be golden with a bear''s head, his family''s symbol. Nothing taxing for a master like Guilmor but he found it unpleasant. Canes were accessories like any others but previously they had at least given a person a sense of dignity. One using one was either elder or of high rank so deserving respect. Now it was no more than a game. Whoever wanted one got himself and in the city you could see them of every color and even shape. Guilmor would have quit his work in an instant if only he had a choice. But his family needed food on their table and clothes against the upcoming winter, and he didn''t know how to do any other kind of work. It was a sorrowful situation he found himself in. And now a kid entered his little shop looking with wonder at all the items on display. He prided himself in his collection. All the best he had ever made were there and those of his father that had been there since the fashion changed. He scowled at nothing. Those were the best and no one ever gave them a glance. They weren''t s green, blue or, god forbids it, red. "I want a walking-stick" the child announced, coming over to stand before counter. "What color?" It pained him to abuse wood like that but he needed to earn money. Only one thing he couldn''t make himself do and that was alter the shape. His canes weren¡¯t going to have three handholds or be made from a branchy wood. "Color?" the kid asked raising his bright blue eyes up. "Why would I want to choose a color?" "Current fashion is red with silver designs, although, it is believed that star yellow is the future." There was a snort from before him and Guilmor looked at the kid for the first time. It was a child of nine or ten wearing a mane of golden curls. His face lines were very soft, no angles or sharp edges. He reminded him of a cherub. "I want one that actually looks the part" the kid said in a strong voice, his eyes looking with disgust at the golden monstrosity he held in his hand. "Do you have anything at the ready? I have a feast to attend tonight." Guilmor looked at the travel worn cloak surrounding the child''s form and wondered whether he was telling the truth. It was doubtful but he wasn''t going to insult a possible customer. "Do you have what to pay with?" The kid raised an eyebrow as if asking whether he really said what he had heard. The man nodded. It wasn''t often that he got cheated but it was better to test unsavory characters than be nice and get stolen from. Kid went beneath his cloak folds and brought out a small pouch which he handed to the shopkeeper. Guilmor took it and looked inside to find it full with golden coins. Words escaped him at the sight of treasure in his hands and he looked up to see a knowing smile on the kid''s face. It looked comfortable there as if the child wasn''t as angelic as his appearance might have suggested. "I do hope that will be enough for your troubles, Mr. ..?" "Guilmor Oakcut." "Mr. Oakcut then" the kid said with a nod. "So you have anything I could use? Something of a kind that is displayed; not what you''re holding." Guilmor put the pouch on the desk and the cane he was finishing under it. "Come with me" he said and took the kid to his workplace where walking sticks lay in various steps of finishing: some were unpainted, some broken, others still pieces of wood. All kinds of tools lay around that Ace had never seen before and wasn''t even sure how to describe. He had not the slightest idea what they were for either. A teenage girl sat in the middle holding a stick of dark brown wood. She was touching it with great care as if it could bite her at any moment. When they entered, she didn''t raise her head and continued with whatever she was doing. She picked another smaller stick and counted how many fit by length in the previous one. "What is she doing?" Ace asked interested. "Helping me with my work. She''s measuring the length of the new order I received before you." That seemed like a good answer and Ace continued with his examination of the room. The other side from where they stood was lined with boxes up to the ceiling. Darkness reigned there and he guessed more than a few spiders were weaving their webs too. "I don''t make canes for children often." Usually Ace would have gotten annoyed by being called out on being a child but the man managed to say it in a tone that simply couldn''t be taken as an insult. It was a stated fact; nothing less, nothing more. "So there''s only a few which were left behind unwanted." He pulled five boxes out and presented their items for Ace''s approval. "That''s all I have on such a short notice." Ace nodded and looked at the beautiful pieces of wood lying in plush as not to be damaged. From the first glance he knew that first three were not for him, too short; one was pink so it was out too. That left the last one made from dark wood with silver linings at the bottom and wolf''s head. It was around the right size too. Carefully he took it out and weighted in his hands. It was light and nice to the touch, beautiful to the eye but... But he didn''t like it. He thought darkness and simplicity was his wish but now he wasn''t so sure. Yeah, it was done wonderfully but it wasn''t fit for him. To make sure of that he put it to the ground and walked leaning on it slightly. "Sorry. I don''t think this suits me at all." "Suits you?" the craftsman asked him. Was there surprise in his eyes? Ace shrugged. "I don''t need a stick that looks great, although, that would be a plus. I want an actually useful thing. However, this one looks great but doesn''t feel comfortable. Maybe I need something simpler than it." "I''m sorry for not having what you require." Ace nodded not letting his disappointment show. He had already been to other shops and their owners were too pompous, too prideful. They had nothing of value in their shops. "Why not show him mine one?" the girl finally spoke up not raising her head from her work, her voice soft and barely audible even in an empty room. The master choked on the words. "You can''t possibly mean it..." "He has money, doesn''t he? And we need it." Her matter of fact tone sounded off with her voice but shopkeeper didn''t seem to notice it. "It''s your treasure." "I''d rather have my stomach fool than a beautiful accessory I can''t use. It''s just a memento." Ace looked from one to another but stayed quiet. If there was a chance to get what he wanted, he planned to make good use of it. As he continued to watch, the man came to his daughter, picked her up and carried to a table where he sat her. The fact that her legs waggled like dead weights didn''t pass through the kid¡¯s eyes. Guilmor waited for comments. Child or not people couldn''t pass an opportunity to say something about a disability. Expressing pity was the most common and he knew how much his daughter hated that. He shouldn''t have brought the boy here. But Ace wasn''t really caring about the girl. He was no longer blind; he saw what was but didn''t feel like it concerned him. "I suppose it''s here?" he asked pointing to the girl''s previous seat covered with a cloth. The man seemed unable to understand what was said so Ace repeated his question. "Is it here?" "Yes" the girl answered. "You can look inside." Ace didn''t need to be told twice. He picked the cloth off and opened the large box that lay beneath it. Inside was a walking stick. It had a silver horn handle and the pointed bottom end was of the same metal. The middle section was velvet black. Reverently he pulled it out and lowered the pointed end to the ground. The moment it did he felt power surge through him. It wasn''t anything tangible like raising stats or ability scores. Not even close. He couldn''t identify what it was, in truth. He was holding a painted wooden stick and that''s all. But it felt nothing like that. He could have sworn he looked strong, noble and authoritative no matter what he wore or his age. It felt wonderful. Like he actually had control in his hands. A small smile touched his lips at that thought. It was insanity, but of the best kind. "I like it" he said to the onlookers who had followed every emotion playing on his face. "I don''t think we can s-" the craftsman begun but his daughter cut him off. "Yes, we can. How much did you plan to pay for your purchase?" Ace went to the front room, quickly followed by the man, and returned throwing the girl the pouch. "Is this enough?" Her eyes widened at the sum contained there. It was a fortune he hadn''t thought to pay, just intimidate, but watching the candle light reflected on his cane, he felt like he needed to give it away. "Are you mad?" she asked carefully. "Or are you a cheat and want to get rid of the stolen property?" Her eyes narrowed at the last thought trying to read the answer in his face. "I''m going to the feast in the castle in less than an hour. Do you think thieves are invited there?" he asked with an eyebrow raised. "Who is to say you''re not lying now?" she asked accusingly but clutching the pouch tightly to her chest. Ace chuckled at that. "No one so let''s make a wager then." "What?" the girl asked trying to understand what he was getting at. "What wager?" "If I can make word about my being at the castle reach you, then this place belongs to me." "Why would you need a failing shop?" "Why not?" he countered leaning on his cane with a glint in his eyes. "Why shouldn''t I do it?" "It''s my father''s shop and he doesn''t like change because of which it¡¯s in a financial ruin. He has no students who might bring it back to life" she said in an emotionless tone as if reciting from a book. "There''s you" Ace replied watching her eyes widen again. He was surprising these two quite often. "A cripple? That''s not what makes a person master. I could never make anything like that" she whispered, looking lovingly at his walking stick. "Why not?" "It''s a Makhila. One needs to work with a living tree to make it." Ace looked at his purchase with admiration. It was born of pain and suffering. Something he knew all too well. "That''s up to you to decide whether you''ll succeed him or not. I care not in the least. What I want is a steady income." "And you think I would just give our family business on a stupid bet?" He smiled a knowing smile. "You want something, don''t you?" "I don''t!" "Why would a kid be of a need of a cane? Where does a traveler like him get this much money? Why doesn''t he pity me and instead flaunts his vitality? Why does it feel like he''s reading my mind? Sounds familiar, doesn''t it?" The girl was speechless looking at him in a way that said she would have bolted in any direction if only she had had the choice. "So what do you say? Do we have a deal?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. From the corner of his eyes he followed her father who stood motionless, afraid to take even a breath. Maybe his daughter wasn''t this vocal all the time? Or with strangers? That could actually be true since people tended to find children absolutely unthreatening. She most likely believed he was of no danger either. "You wouldn''t hold your part of the bargain" she said finally straightening her back. "You would have nothing to lose if we played this ridiculous game of yours. At the worst situation, you could just lie." Ace''s smile widened; she was already ensnared in his trap. Few pushes more and he would have exactly where he wanted her. "What if I left a real fortune here? Let''s say a few thousand gold. Would you believe me to return?!¡± "That''s..! You can''t possibly have that much!" A person could leave off three-four gold coins for a week if he ate two meals a day. Ten golds for a week if he ate three times a day and every time a hearty meal. Seventy golds that the girl held in her hands could feed her and her father for a few months; they needed no materials at the moment. She couldn''t imagine what one could do if he was in possession of a thousand. "But I do. So you agree? I don''t have much time left before I have to make the spectacle of the age." "Do you really have that much gold?" He nodded. It wasn''t exactly truth. He would have to sell some of his items for mere coins to get that sum in a few minutes but he wanted this shop. And he planned to get it. Also, it''s not like he had even considered the idea of pretending to be a nice cultured boy. In celebration one had to celebrate. "Fine. I don''t believe you are who you say you are but I know we could use money and if you''re just giving it away..." ''Like hell am I giving it away'' Ace thought nodding and taking a step out. "I''ll be back in a few. I don''t carry everything on my own self." He made his way to the bank and retrieved a thousand coins from there along some pieces of armor he''d taken long time ago. In the city square he found some merchants even though it was way past the selling hours. Their eyes locked onto items he showed and tongues waggled, all of the people becoming his sweet uncles and aunts. He haggled for a few minutes making sure he received enough to put as a deposit for the wager. Everything done he returned to the shop and put a chest gilded with silver and filled with gold on the counter; he had gotten it off a merchant saying he wanted to gift it to his sister. "Take care of it till I return." He heard a collective gasp when father carried his daughter to the front room. "By the way if even a single one is missing, I won''t care what deals we made. And I can promise you don''t want to see me angry." With those parting words he left the shop and ran towards the lord''s manor. There wasn''t much time left. Hopefully, here existed such a thing as being fashionably late. He didn''t want his night''s misdeed being getting late to some lord''s party. In moments he navigated his way to some room where fire burned. It was empty and had an adjoined room with a bath. Four buckets stood nearby, two of them still with warm water. He filled a bath with them and after dropping his clothes jumped inside. Warm water felt nice but he had more pressing business at the moment. Scrubbing like mad with a clean cloth he found nearby he washed his skin until it lost all the dust and started to shine. It might have been a bit too pink but he wasn''t planning to share that information with anyone. He dressed himself in the evening''s attire and rushed downstairs with a cane in hand. He heard servants whispering about their lord''s foul mood today and guessed that he had already left. Without even waiting for him. Not that he had left them a note explaining where he was. Like a rocket he shot from the house and ran to the brightly lit castle. His small legs were a nuisance but he knew that a carriage would be even slower considering that every person had taken one. All of them now stood in lines barely moving, horses whinnying, unable to move either forward or backward. He sent [Flare] to go first shining on every carriage''s symbol to maybe find one that he needed. The guys couldn''t have left without waiting for him at all and now be sitting inside the castle with the few lucky ones coming unfashionably early. They had to have more self-preservation than that. A whip came his way and he jumped to the left almost falling into a dark puddle. [Shadow Dash] was the only thing that kept him from tarnishing his perfect clothes of tonight. The man on a carriage laughed throatily. Ace used [Burst] in front of the horses'' eyes. He left the commotion in an instant looking for the demonic cat and listening to the curses from a myriad of tongues. There were many from languages he had never thought even existed. The castle was looming before him and he still hadn''t found it. He had seen a gazillion of bears, birds, wolves, triangles, lines and flowers but not a single demonic cat. ''Where could have they possibly gone?'' he wondered with a sinking feeling in his stomach. How in the world was he going to get inside without them? A hand reached for him and he dodged to the side; [Flare] was back without needing an order and blinding his opponent. The figure seemed familiar and under a better scrutiny showed up to be none other than the guy he was looking for. He made sure to express his annoyance at the hiding. "You should have waited for me." James shook his head getting rid of the lingering effects of extremely bright light in the darkness. He said nothing grabbing Ace by the shoulder and dragging him into a carriage with a phoenix on its banner. Could he have been mistaken about what he saw when he met them in the forest? But no a phoenix and a demonic cat was quite different creatures altogether; not ones a person could mistake for each other. "Where did you go?We''re almost at the gates." "I caught a straggler" James said throwing Ace on the seat and getting himself in. The kid huffed at the treatment but said nothing. Straightening his clothes he pasted a smile on his face as if everything was perfectly fine this evening. "Where was he?" the lord asked angrily, glaring at Ace from the shadows. It was extremely dark inside the carriage once the doors were closed. "Standing in the street and looking around like an idiot." "I wasn''t looking like an idiot!" Ace pouted. "I was searching for you since you didn''t deem it worthy to wait for me!" "You''re talking now? Suddenly feel like living?" James asked him in a cold voice. "You apologized" Ace said calmly, leaning back in his seat. "It took some time but I''m fine as long as you learn from mistakes." "You..!" "James, leave it. We have to think how we''ll present him to the Duke and explain his appearance." "What''s wrong with my appearance?" Ace asked indignantly. And was thoroughly ignored. "We can say he is still in shock and wouldn''t let us prepare him?" "No, you won''t!" "That would make me look like a weakling, can''t even order a kid around." "That''s because it''s truth." "I heard there will be an illusionist or two in attendance maybe we could..." "Just try it." "We''re almost there and can''t really ask them for help on the doorstep." "That saves them some embarrassment." "Leave him behind and hope for the best? We can always say he was too scared to come." "Oh, no, you won''t!" "That seems like our best choice." Lord What''s His Name said with a nod and Ace felt like hitting someone, someone that sat right next to him. They both more than deserved it. But he took a deep breath and holding his Makhila in a death grip desperately tried to keep himself from doing something stupid. It would serve no one to kill them here. He needed to enter the castle to win his wager and see what the duke wanted of him. Besides L was always in a need of some good information for which he would pay, of course. Nothing was free even in a game. While he was lost in his thoughts a hand snaked around him and he felt a rope tightening his hands to his body. ''Tell me this is not happening...'' he prayed but already knew that his companions were even more stupid than they looked. He let the man come even closer and then pushed his cane''s top right into his stomach. James winced and tried to back away but Ace followed him pushing it with more strength now that the rope had loosened up. When the man was on the other side of the seat he finally backed away to his corner and took the rope of himself. "Please refrain from doing something this stupid later on. I wouldn''t want to be thought associating with a fool." His cane came to rest on his legs, pointy end towards James. It glistened like a blade when an accidental ray of moonlight passed through the window. "You didn''t have that before" James said massaging his stomach. "Where did you get it?" "From a shop, of course" Ace answered rolling his eyes. "We gave you no money." Ace tilted his head doubting his own sanity for ever thinking this guy was interesting. He must have been mad when he had thought that. And now he had to deal with the consequences of it. "I''ve been travelling with my companions for a long time. I have earned my own share of treasure and am capable of clothing myself, thank you for your concern." The carriage doors opened and Ace breathed a sigh of relief. He wouldn¡¯t have to hear any more of that stupidity. "This way" a servant in a dark blue costume said leading them up the main stairs, through the open doors and to the right where the ballroom was. Two servants were before its door. One was seated behind a small desk while a large book lay open before him. As they came closer he flipped through the pages, marked something and turned to Ace. "There''s no mention of a child accompanying you." "His Grace invited him this morning after the council meeting" lord said not even looking Ace''s way. So much for friendliness and trust between companions. "There''s no mention of him in the guest list. He cannot enter." The guy said firmly. "That is the rule." Ace was beginning to hate him. There was no way he wasn''t getting in now. Whether he was allowed to do it or not was starting to become less important by each second that passed. His so called protectors nodded and without a second glance entered after their names were called out in the room. They didn''t need a troublesome child even if he had information they needed? Well, Ace could survive that. And show just how troublesome he could be when annoyed. Plan for the night set, Ace looked around how to accomplish it. Guests were coming in a steady rhythm one after another: women in extravagant dresses, gentlemen in suits and children looking pretty in their attires. Perfect families. He shook his head and went outside to look for a better prey. He walked along the carriages when a coughing sound stopped him. It came from one of them and in the darkness he entered without anyone noticing. Inside a man. He was retching and writhing; his body a mess. Like a thirsty man grabs a drink the guy caught Ace''s hands and tried to speak. A fit of coughing prevented him from doing that. His grasp on him was so weak Ace wasn''t sure the guy was actually holding him. "Save... Her..." he rasped out before convulsing, trying to cough his lungs out. Unsuccessfully so far. "Pleas... Save... onora... Sh..." His words were becoming more incomprehensive by the second. "What do you want me to save, old man?" he asked taking the guy''s hands himself. To pretend to care what the man wanted was the only thing he could do for him. Filling dead people''s wishes was another thing altogether but listening was fine. "Leo..." he rasped trying to get the word out but failing. He took his hands out of Ace''s and tried to put them in his pocket. They were shaking too much and another seizure took him. There was blood on them after he took them off his mouth. Deciding to help the man in his quest to enter his own pocket, Ace put his hand in and took out a folded letter. He tried giving it back to the man but he only pushed it to Ace. The carriage moved some and a streak of moonlight washed over the man''s face. He was pale as death with thin blue lips and sunken eyes. They were full of life and looked wild from the emotions raging in them trying to escape their cage in the dying body. Lips moved bringing Ace''s attention back to them. "S¡­ a... ve... Leonora." The last word was more of a sigh than anything more. [All Ears], which he had gotten in the habit of using all the time, was the only reason he managed to discern it. And the guy lay dead atop him. Ace moved him a bit so no liquids could make their way onto his new clothes and brought [Flare] out from behind them. It lighted the small space and Ace unfolded the letter to read its contents.
*Dear Father, I''m happy to announce my betrothal to Lord Kolin. He''s very gentlemanly and I believe I could learn to like him in time too. Our wedding date is about to be announced at the Duke''s celebration. It is a great honor for which I''m very thankful to my future husband''s parents. They''re great people and you would love them, I''m sure of it. I''m enclosing an invitation to the gathering if you change your mind and decide to come. The Daughter That Loves You No Matter What, Leonorogvarda*
Ace read the letter thrice before giving up. No matter how hard he looked there was no explanation as to what problem plagued the girl and why she needed saving. However, he took keen interest in the word''s ''enclosing an invitation''. That was something he could make a good use of. But the envelope was empty. He turned his attention to the silent man and got to work. It wasn''t the first corpse he looted and most assuredly wasn''t going to be the last. It came in the job''s description that he had chosen all that long time ago. In the coats inner pocket he found what he had been looking for. An intricate envelope with delicate words written on its front "Veenar''s Ball". It was a strange name but he wasn''t going to question it. Inside were two pieces of paper. One was a card with most likely the old man''s name on it while the other looked almost unnoticeable behind it. Ace took it out and tried to read letters that had been blurred by water. Or tears he guessed when he identified what was written there.
*Names. They''re calling me names, papa! Ones that isn¡¯t nice at all! I heard my future husband call me that! And my mother-in-law! They were discussing me as if I was cattle they boy and do with as they wished! I hate it here! He said he loved me but all he wants is your title! Papa! You were right! I''m not worth anything! I was so stupid to believe him! Papa! Can you still forgive me? I''m so sorry! So so sorry! I was a fool! Help me! Please! Papa! He called me a wh..! No I can''t! And he called my mother that too! They''re so..! I can''t find words! Please, papa! I have no one else!*
This was much more explanatory than that beautifully crafted fake letter. But Ace had to admit the girl was a brave one daring to send a letter concealed inside in an invitation for which she clearly would be punished.
*Quest Accepted! Old Man''s Sorrow Lord of Fallan was sick from grief when his daughter fell in love with a lord with questionable reputation. His family was well-known as the biggest snobs in the dukedom. But the girl believed her chosen one wasn''t like that. It showed up he only wanted the Fallon estate that came with her dowry since the lord had no male successors. The girl was devastated at the harsh treatment she now received that the betrothal papers were written down. The lord only then opened his eyes to what he has done and where his land was going to end up with his daughter alongside it. He desperately wanted to change that and rushed towards the ball to stop it but his daughter''s fianc¨¦e somehow found out and poisoned him. You have to save his daughter in his stead. Quest Difficulty: C Quest Reward: Unknown*
It wasn''t exactly what he expected, not having a choice in accepting the quest or not but nothing really changed. This was going to help him get to the ball so he could sacrifice a bit of time and help out the poor girl. The question now was just how he was going to proclaim himself the Lord of Fallan to enter. He had an invitation, a plea for help and a wager. It was a must to get inside but stupid servants were all against him doing that. He looked at the old lord again willing him to share his secrets. But the guy was dead. And those who left didn''t return because one needed answers. His eyes focused on something glinting at the man''s hand. It was a ring seal with an F entangled in a feather. Today was his lucky day. He got it off and put on his finger. It was a bit too large but nothing he would complain as long as he was getting inside. Hopefully, no one would care about the paperwork tonight. He waited another half an hour until his carriage reached the gates and a servant opened his door. He left, blocking view of the outside and went forward not waiting for the guy to show him the way. His walking stick made a clicking sound every time it landed and Ace felt like a true noble, like he had walked this path a million times and had nothing to hesitate about. His step was strong and his clothes straight without a speck of dust. It was fit tightly against his body making him look lean and lithe. Somehow his soft demeanor only enhanced that. The girl in the clothes shop couldn''t explain it but she said everyone was going to believe he had blue blood running through his veins from the first look at him. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. He was betting a lot on it. The invitation card flew towards the guest book''s keeper and he caught it with an ease, most likely used to it. He read it and marked something in his book before raising his head to meet Ace''s eyes with surprise. "You''re n-" he stopped mid-word noticing Ace''s disgusted look. When he stopped, the kid pointedly looked at a ring resting on his thumb. It was a monstrosity but with enough power to make the man gasp and fall into a litany of apologies. Ace barely shifted his head in acknowledgment and turned towards the guy manning the doors who looked lost and unsure of how to proceed. His companion came to his aid in a moment and the gigantic doors opened finally letting Ace in. He didn''t take a breath. It would be a show of weakness. But he allowed himself to keep his eyes closed for a bit longer than a standard blink. And then he moved with a confidence of one who knew the world lay at his feet. "Lord of Fallan." The loud words fixated the last few missing glances at him and he felt them all burning on his skin. They, just as he, knew that he didn''t belong here, that the true lord was somewhere away, and tried to intimidate him. The whispers started: glowed hands waved, fans fluttered. He had become the talk of the city and he hadn''t even done anything yet. A woman took a stand in his path and purposefully turned her back to him, chatting with her friends animatedly. A corner of his mouth lifted in a barely noticeable movement. She thought to make him feel unwelcome, to get scared and run away to his mamma. All it accomplished was making him feel more at ease. He might not be used to so much people but he knew how to deal with insolent adults. It was a game he liked the most. His legs took him past her, the cane making a quick wide arc to hit her feet and resuming its place before him. The woman turned with an accusation in her eyes and bellowed through all the room. "Watch you manners, kid. Village folk aren''t tolerated here." He wondered whether that meant his supposed lands were more fields than any cities of notice. While he was thinking of it someone asked what happened and the woman fell into a tale of how he had bumped into her while she was sipping her wine and sullied her dress (there was a single red drop on the underside of her arm. He doubted it was in any way his fault). He listened for a few minutes how she threw his reputation to the ground and elaborately made sure it was dragged through all the mud there was. Even his grandparents, which she somehow managed to have known, were called into question. The woman was thorough if nothing else. When she stopped to take a breath between lavish tales of his misbehaviors, he opened his mouth. "I''m sorry to have bothered you, lady..?" "Lady Philippine to you, villager. Who do you think you are coming here and not knowing me? I''m a lady of the realm who has been invited to balls all around the globe!" she said in a haughty tone, fury evident in her voice. "I''ve heard that travelling broadens one, but I had never seen it" Ace said giving her a once over and leaving the group that fell into an open-mouthed silence. It took the woman a moment to grasp the insult and her face turned beet red, mouth closed and opened unable to utter any sound. The room held the eerie silence and people parted before him like the red sea before Moses. No one else dared to obstruct his path. With his head held high, he saw his old companions talking with two men in the shadows. They hadn''t paid any attention to the commotion in the middle of the ballroom so they haven''t yet noticed his presence. Carefully he sneaked closer to them. It wasn''t as easy as he wanted it to be since people left a large empty circle around him. Luckily, there was a refreshment table near and he pretended to be undecided of what to choose. His ears in the meantime concentrated on the voices nearby. "... possible. We can''t anger the Duke. He''ll have our heads." "But what''s our choice? He''ll have them sooner or later." "Why did you bring him there anyway?" "Stop it. We''ve been over this before." "Is there no way to get him in?" "I wouldn''t want even if we could. It''s too dangerous." "He''s too willful." "Will you be taking that one?" Startled Ace looked to his sides and on one saw a young man dressed in finely sewn costume. The man''s eyes fell to the glass before Ace and the kid followed them. It was orange juice. "You can take it." "Thank you" the man said with amusement, picking the glass. "May I ask what has this table done to you to deserve such a glare?" Ace instantly softened his features, he should really learn to control his emotions while listening in. "It''s nothing. I''ve had a lot on my mind." "Like your sister''s wedding announcement?" "That too" Ace said with a nod before narrowing his eyes. "And how would you know it?" "I pity the poor girl" the guy said calmly but there was a fire in his eyes. There was clearly more to the story than he wanted to tell. "Shouldn''t you be calling her the luckiest girl and sending your goodwill? She''s marrying a well-known lord, after all." "Has your father not told you anything?" the person asked with a surprise in his eyes. There was worry there too. Ace picked a glass from the table and took a sip. Fire ran down his throat, setting his insides aflame and he immediately regretted his actions. The glass wavered for a second. "Aren''t you too young to be drinking?" Ace''s hand stilled and he looked up with what could only be called amusement in his eyes. "And who would possibly be to determine that? You maybe?" The man shook his head. "My first taste was when I was six, I have nothing on you." Ace chuckled. "So what should I know about my sister''s marriage?" "Why are you and not the old man here?" the guy asked without accusation. He was either relieved for the change or really didn''t care. ''Was the old man supposed to meet him here for something?'' "And why is this the first time I hear of your existence?" Ace considered the question valuing what he could gain by answering. There was a great risk to fail since he had no knowledge about anything here but the man seemed nice enough. He most likely needed something from the Fallan household and wasn''t going to announce anything even if he found out. "There were reasons" he said looking at the swirling liquid in his glass as if seeing there something. He raised his head and crystal clear eyes burned into the man''s face. "I''ve got to make everything right." That said he turned around and found the city lord, duke as people called him, sitting on the throne and strolled there. A hand caught him and a small piece of paper was pushed into his pocket. "I''m Devon. If there''s anything I can do to help, be sure to contact me." And he was gone, lost in the thick of people. Ace didn''t take out the paper as not to draw attention to it and continued on his way. This was the first reason that he had entered this place. The idiot sitting at the top was the one who had invited him and he wasn¡¯t planning to make him wait any longer. Especially since lord with James behind him were making their way to him too. Ace made sure to get there first. He bowed before the man and raised his head to look better at him. He was about forty or so, wore a brown shirt with dark breeches and a sandy coat. Its every button was made of gold. On his head sat a small crown made of silver shining brightly on his black hair. "And who might you be?" the Duke asked, his voice bored. "I''m the kid from this morning, Your Grace. You had expressed a wish to see me in a better condition." "That I did but I do not remember adding you to my guest list." Ace bowed again. "I''ve got noble blood running through my veins, Your Grace. I had forsaken it, seeking my dreams but I had to abide by your summons." "So which family do you think you belong to?" The Duke asked leaning back in his chair and looking Ace over. "Joodlums? Greogorians? Or Jeirainians?" "Fallans, Your Grace." "I remember the lady being a beauty but you seem nothing like her." Ace tried to think of a way out of this interrogation but there wasn''t anywhere he could escape. And if he tried they would find out about his way of securing a title and most likely wouldn''t be happy. Not that he had killed the man. "I don''t remember her, Your Grace." "As well you shouldn''t. She disappeared some ten years ago and your household left the society. Could it be she didn''t survive child birth?" the Duke asked interested. "I do not know" Ace said as not to spout some lies. "I haven''t seen her or heard of her story." "And why is it so when she''s your mother?" "I was kidnapped when I was four and never felt like returning." "And yet you have the Fallan ring on your finger?" the man asked with a raised eyebrow. "I wouldn''t have been allowed in otherwise" Ace said shrugging. "Cole, fill the lord''s glass. Can''t you see it''s almost empty?" A servant scurried from behind the throne and gave Ace a new glass this one full of a dark red liquid while taking his old one. "I hope you like wine? It''s been kept for a few decades, one of my treasures." Ace nodded and took a sip. It wasn''t as foul as his previous drink and didn''t make him want to gag. A great improvement. "Thank you" he said bowing again. "You''re welcome" the Duke said and motioned for Ace to sit at his right. The same servant now produced a small chair. "Will you tell me your story? How a boy of four managed to escape his captors and survive in the streets, not ever coming back to his home." "The streets had become my home" Ace said remembering his stay in Mora and sitting down. "The captors were novices in their line of work and allowed me to go to a toilet in the woods. I had little magic even then so it was easy to confuse them and escape. My path took me to a town where I searched for a place and was always refused. When I thought I was going to die from hunger and cold, an old man took pity on me and took me in. I helped him with his everyday work and he let me stay." A noble came to talk to the Duke. It gave Ace a moment to think of his story. And what he wanted to gain by telling it. He needed to prevent the announcement of the betrothal happening and make a scene. Insulting even a high-ranking officials wife wasn''t going to cut it. He saw two men standing near the steps that would take them to the Duke but not taking them. They were eyeing him with annoyance as if it was his fault they couldn''t come closer. He wondered for a moment before guessing they wanted privacy. Well, he wasn''t going to give them that. And to add to their discomfort he raised his hat their way. Eyes widened into saucers when they recognized him. They looked at each other and he saw pure fear there. It interested him but the Duke had noticed the exchange and was waiting for an explanation. "They didn''t expect to see me here." "They don''t look too happy to have done that." "May I be bold, sir?" Ace asked looking straight at the man''s eyes that were moss green. "What if I said no?" "Then I would say they''re angered at my audacity for entering uninvited and even landing myself in your presence." The Duke chuckled. "I think that''s pretty bold already but do tell the truth. I don''t think I heard it in a very long time." "Then they''re afraid for their lives. It was amusing to see them relieved after I was denied entrance." "But yet you''re here." Ace closed his eyes as if a memory brought pain but his voice was calm and emotionless, controlled. "I met with father. He got a promise out of me and handed me the ring with all that it represents." "The transfer isn''t that easy. It seems your friends have a good reason to worry, what with you being here illegally" the Duke said in a mildly amused tone. Ace wondered why he wasn''t angry. His mind latched onto something the guy had said previously, the lack of truth in his surroundings. It meant the Duke trusted his words. Children don''t lie, after all. Ace snickered in his mind. "I couldn''t possibly not come to see Your Grace, especially when I had acted so rudely in the morning. I wanted to apologize," Ace said looking to the right as if embarrassed. "I''m really sorry." The Duke was taken aback by such a turn of events but pleasantly surprised. "Now you don''t need to be so embarrassed by it. I''ll forgive and forget if you tell me the reason of it." Ace smiled in his mind. Line, hook and sinker. "I had met my father in the morning" he said slowly as if unsure of how to proceed. "And?" "He told me I was our house''s only hope." Ace raised his head, pleading for understanding with his eyes. "Mother gone, he dying and my sister marrying a man that will destroy us. And all of it could be stopped by me taking up the position I had abandon all those years ago as a child." "You''re still very young" Duke noted, interested in what was happening under his roof without his knowledge. "I was four then and now I''m almost twelve even if I don''t look it. Eight years is a very long time, Your Grace, especially when one is as young as me and still finding his reasons for living." There was defensiveness in his tone and he lowered his eyes. "You dreamt about being something else, didn''t you?" Duke asked tenderly. There was softness in his eyes. "Yes, Your Grace. I''ve been playing a flute since I could hold it in my hands." "A bard then?" Duke asked with raised eyebrows. "I didn''t pick you for a musician." "These clothes and the ring... In a second they overshadowed what I have been for as long as I remember myself!" Ace whined quietly. Weakness was a part of being a child just as much as being innocent, cute and truthful. The Duke noticed his sadness and changed the conversation somewhat. "So how good you were?" Ace''s head shot up. "The best" he said with a bright smile. "I had no equals." "I don''t think I heard of a child prodigy..." Duke taunted him and Ace easily fell for it. "Let me prove it then! I don''t go anywhere without my flute!" he said with enthusiasm. "I can do it right now!" "Now?" Duke asked surprised. "You want to play instead of the musicians?" Ace nodded eagerly. He guessed Duke had thought to ask him to play for him privately. But leaving with The Duke wasn''t going to make him the talk of the city. Or maybe it could, but he didn''t want to risk it. It was better to work harder and be sure of success. "Your confidence is enviable so let''s have it your way" the Duke said with a small smile. It was the largest expression of joy that Ace had seen on him. He beamed at the Duke, who whispered something to the servant, and skipped down the steps. Then as if remembering his position Ace straightened up and proudly, if only a bit too quickly, walked towards the stage where a group of musicians stood. They were playing a lively tune but very soft so there were no dancing pairs yet. The servant was quicker than Ace and reached the players first. They stopped their music and the crowd turned to the stage in annoyance. Ace felt his legs turning to lead. It was torture making his way through the throngs of people knowing that soon enough all those eyes will be focused on him. ''Oh, for god''s sake!'' he cursed and taking out his flute rushed forward, his walking stick bumping on the ground way too often than a gentleman''s should. Everyone''s attention turned to him. "There is a hell lot of people here" he muttered under his breath and jumped on the stage. Ace put his cane down and thinking better about it lowered himself on the ground too. He sat down on the edge and closing his eyes wondered why in the world he was doing this. The flute lifted up and he opened his eyes looking at his reluctant audience. Some were neutral but most were smirking or chuckling among themselves. They wanted a failure and he was to be it. He put the flute to his lips with a forced smile. Stage fright wasn''t that terrible on him but performing for people who wanted nothing more than burst out laughing at your expense wasn''t easy. Not a single pair of eyes was encouraging. Ace blew a shrill note that rang through the whole room. ''Whaa..?'' Laughter echoed and he felt like muttering a string of curses. But he steeled himself and blew again. This time he added a touch of magic to it. It wasn''t going to hide his terrible playing if he missed another note as badly as previously but it was going to lull his audience. The layers of illusion helped people imagine things, see visions in a way. He needed every little help to succeed here. The first real notes flew into the mirthful air, unheard, and he debated on what to play. He remembered all his previous stories as his fingers ran swiftly over the holes on the flute tasting the notes. They were as good as they were ever going to be. He closed his eyes and forced himself to forget everything about the audience. A soft melody broke through the ignorance and people quieted down with a huff. They didn''t want to hear anything but the Duke seemed to have allowed that and they had to humor him. The person of their thoughts was listening with keen attention. For a moment he had regretted his action, he didn''t really want to make fun of the child, he was refreshing. But now that the kid started to play seriously he was amazed. Not many great musicians could play such clear notes. And then the melody lost its neutral tone starting to dance in the air. It was cheerful and light, full of joyous waiting for something. Something great and amazing. The music''s volume heightened, filling with a touch of trepidation and worry. But the happiness wasn''t gone. The cheerful notes still dominated the tune only now and then interchanging with the shriller ones. A low moan escaped the flute. A cry, a shout. Worried voices could be heard ordering calmness but one tone was in panic shouting, crying while another kept on moaning, its pain evident in the barely heard notes. Then it started screaming too. The melody jumped through the various emotions swirling and changing, entering people''s heads and leaving them wanting. It was like a will-o-wisp dancing right before one''s eyes but never close enough to grasp. In an instant the melody rose reaching the ceiling and beyond and like a tsunami wave crashed in a crescendo. The notes quieted and softened. Like little children they traipsed around afraid to take a step towards an unknown. But the worry won over and carefully they took a step forward, rising lightly. It became almost silent. A single soft note floating in the air. It was alone yet so many emotions played behind its surface: joy, amazement, disbelief and most strongly wonder. Father was seeing his firstborn girl. His emotions swirled, ready to explode and he went to kiss his tired wife''s forehead. She smiled at him so proudly and with so much love, the melody softened even more if that was possible. Ace''s fingers ran over the buttons and an image of a wild girl came into people''s eyes. The small child together with the tune hurried through a field of flowers, danced in moonlight, sat in a boring lesson, ran through the halls, went for dress fitting, chatted with friends. It was sometimes interrupted by a different melody that of love and friendship showered upon her by her parents, their feelings strong as ever. The flute''s tone painted a beautiful picture of perfection, the happiest family of all. But as all good things it wasn''t meant to last. The beginning of the melody started up again. It was soft and worried but filled with the same joy and anticipation. Also another string of emotions was added there. It was the little girl''s who that wasn¡¯t little anymore. Her tone wrapped around the crazy dad''s one and kept him in check. Everything was much more controlled this time, quieter if not less emotional, not reaching the highest notes. Like previously the man stepped forward and watched his new family addition with wonder in a single note, one able to express everything in itself. But then matching the man¡¯s heartbeat the melody quickened, desperately reaching for something. It grew frantic, losing focus and the girl came into view. Her notes were more reserved but watching everything with wide eyes, judging, trying to understand what was happening. They rose and fell as sights before her changed but nothing was true, it was all a mess. Voices shouted and she cried, someone scolded and she took a step back. A shrill note echoed as the girl gasped in surprise as something was thrown at her and she ran away as if all devils were on her heels. The tune rushed following her steps and slowing when she found a place to hide. It jumped back and forward breathing heavily. And then it burst into a cry. The flute started to wail like a banshee caring nothing of how it felt to listen to it. It bawled its pain for the entire world to see, sharp angry notes jabbing at everyone in sight. The audience tried to cover their ears but the pain reached them none the less. The weep rose and fell, crashing against the immovable facts of reality and growing tired in the process. Anger was taking the place of sorrow and the melody turned sour, ear splitting screaming notes being exchanged for ones of bossy loudness, very different yet so similar. Another tune of coldness settled in when anger''s fire was spent. It was even worse than the previous two with its emotionless tone and pain hidden beneath, it weighted down upon the normal notes showing their fakeness, pretentiousness. And in that place a new breath was taken, a new melody born unsure of its place. It was soft and innocent, slowly taking steps to see what the world was all about. It met tears, shrill notes bringing back sorrow, anger, bossy tune showing its ugly face again, and emptiness, hollowness sounding so tempting and forgiving. The childish melody softened even more, worriedly looking around but seeing nothing beside those three terrifying emotions. They circled intercepting and fighting each other all while the first one played in the background getting more and more terrified. A swift jab and the main tune was stolen by another novice like one. It contained only a few notes, basic phrases, and was so easy, so bad that the childish one escaped it itself. Then it slowed down and wandered around taking soft and careful steps. Other melodies took its place from time to time teaching it what love, respect, fulfillment and happiness was. Every time they did the first melody changed adding their tones to itself growing more complicated, more colorful. That is before a quiet simple note reached for it, calling it back. The tune, now strong and confident, brewing full of life, jumped at the chance dancing in the air, forcing its way where there was none. Its power radiating through the steady notes bringing satisfaction to its listeners, they felt young again ready to face anything in their path, have the adventure of their life. But the darkness wasn''t gone. It crashed with all its sorrow, hatred and iciness against the wavering flame of a candle. It was all the kid found himself to be when a sea of troubles threatened to swallow him and he found himself way over his head. The trio seemed to have conquered, blowing filthily happy. Their tunes playing among themselves mirthlessly. There was no joy in winning when one was so lost in his own suffering. The melody fell heavily in the room, its inhabitants remembering everything that had went wrong in their lives, and broke down in the middle of a note, halfway finished. Silence took its place with fierce possessiveness. Not a single person dared to take a breath and break the invisible spell music had cast upon them. Deep within their hearts they hoped Ace would pick up his flute again and finish the story. But the kid pocketed the flute and brought his cane closer, putting it on his legs. He watched them with seriousness not fit for a kid''s face and many wondered what was wrong with him, those eyes belonged to an old man. Ace raised his head higher and met the Duke''s gaze. It was filled with various emotions that the kid felt too tired to try and discern. The tune, most complicated he had ever played, took a toll and he wanted to go and find a bed. A cry shattered the silence and everyone leaned back as if receiving a blow. Near the end of the room, where the Duke sat on his platform, stood a group of people waiting around for something. They looked very uncomfortable since the young female among them was racked with sobs, tears streaming down her face in torrents. The group had surrounded her and only her crying got through them. The crowd woke up. Whispers and yawns filled the silent room. Everyone was eager to share his or her emotions and disbelief at what had transpired right before their eyes, all could have sworn they heard and saw a story instead of music. A weak smile lighted Ace''s face and he jumped from the stage. Eyes turned to him but he ignored their owners and through the open space left before him went to the Duke. Ace bowed before him, keeping himself up with obvious effort. "You seem exhausted" the man said and winced at his own lack of common niceties. It was rude to note on a person''s physical outlook. "It''s been a long day, Your Grace" Ace said with another bow. "I''m afraid I can''t pretend it wasn''t." He blinked a few times, took an almost invisible breath and straightened up. He found out that a walking stick was actually an extremely useful thing. "Sit beside me for the rest of the evening" Duke said and Ace did it with gratitude. He wasn''t really that exhausted, just a bit tired, but lies were essential for one''s survival. It made others underestimate one. "Thank you, Your Grace." "What payment would you like for playing in my ball?" Ace noted not being congratulated or admired; the man seemed to act as if he was another musician. Yet at the same time he allowed Ace to sit by his side for the whole evening which was one of the greatest honors possible, it meant he was favored by the Duke. What could he possibly ask for in such circumstances? "I would like for my sister¡¯s wedding not to be announced tonight." The Duke nodded as if that was exactly what he expected and whispered something to his attendant who stood by his left. The guy then moved towards the group Ace had noticed earlier. After some heated debate they glared at Ace with absolute disgust in their eyes and left. The young woman in the middle was the only one who wasn''t filled with hatred. She looked at him with relief, surprise and a good amount of fear to balance the first two out. He smiled at her. She was his sister after all. They left the ball itself then with backs straight and pretending not to notice all the whispers behind the fans and badly hidden laughs. It seemed they weren''t loved by the society. Or maybe it just always enjoyed someone''s humiliation. The evening then proceeded like it should have from the start. Musicians played, young danced, old reminisced, women gossiped, men gambled and the Duke watched all over them from his throne. He would talk with those who came to him and pretended to enjoy all the fake compliments. Ace felt almost sorry for him. Almost. When there was a free minute, the man would talk to Ace and question him about his adventures. The kid told him, some real, some imagined, and although the Duke showed barely any emotion, he knew the man trusted him more with every word. Children didn¡¯t lie after all and one could do nothing but admire them. That''s exactly what Ace saw in the Duke''s eyes. Silent admiration for a child who saw all the rotten parts of the world and still strived to live. In all that time Ace didn''t forget to appear tired and almost nodding off, but keeping up solely by will power. Tenacity, hard work and responsibility were traits of a reliable man, or a child grown up too fast. He wasn¡¯t a five year old, there had to be some strength in his character too. Everything ended when the moon was high in the sky, darkness relishing in its freedom. Duke nodded towards Ace and the kid bowed to him in a formal way. And that was all to their exchange. Ace left the ballroom being one of the last. Outside he yawned. It had been terribly boring. 4.9 A Play "Who are you?" the girl asked picking a book that lay on her bed and holding it in front of herself as a weapon. "Ace, your brother! Don''t you remember me?" Ace asked mockingly. He came closer and flopped onto her bed. "What were you reading?" he asked trying to read the cover. She took a few steps back. "I could scream." Ace rolled his eyes. "Yeah and then I''d leave, you''ll be thought a lunatic and continue with your ill-fated marriage. Feel free to shout any time. I''ll have my work cut short." She hesitated for a second, her eyes trying to see right into him. "Did father send you?" She finally asked but didn¡¯t lower the book. "In a way but we have bigger problems now than him. Like h-" "What happened to my father?" she asked cutting him off and looking terrified. "So you knew this might happen?" Ace asked raising an eyebrow. "No... No! I didn''t... I had thought..." she tried explaining but her brain wasn''t complying. "Stop it" Ace said waving his hand in front of her face. "I don''t really care why it happened or how. As I told previously we have real problems at our hands." "But father..." "He''s a corpse now!" Ace hissed without any intention of being nice about it. "You killed him and that''s all there is to it. Now either you calm down and help me save you as he had pleaded me to do or I leave and you can punish yourself by marrying the idiot who wants your lands!" Tonight his patience ran thin. "Father wouldn''t forgive me if let his lands fall into his enemies'' hands!" she cried out loudly and a set of feet came rushing towards the room. Ace glared at his pretend sister and went to hide under the bed, a place where monsters belonged. He put on [Shadow Veil] and waited for the unknown. Heavy footsteps reached the door and threw it open. Light spilled in from a candle carried and Ace could see fluffy slippers and the end of ground reaching night robe. "What''s happening here? Why were you shouting?" a female asked and Ace instantly recognized the demeaning tone she used; it was the woman he had made fun of in the ball. ''So having a nice chat with them and making them see reason is out of the question'' he noted, not that he had planned to go that route. "I-I was surprised" his sister murmured under her breath. "I don''t doubt that. Now what happened here?" the woman muttered angrily and went to the window. By the curse that escaped her lips he knew it had opened easily. "I thought I told you to never open it!" "I didn- I felt constricted, needed some fresh air." Ace almost groaned hearing those words and the terrified tone they were said in. Hasn''t she lied even once in her life? "You dare to lie to me?" the woman hissed in outrage, her hand colliding with the girl''s face. "Where is the bastard? I''m going to kill him with my own two hands!" The girl hiccupped quietly while the woman went on a rampage through the room. She threw everything from the closet, kicked the doors and threw the chair away from the table. The bed''s coverings went flying too and Ace saw the woman lowering herself to him. ''It is dark here'' he prayed. ''And she won''t be able to see through my veil.'' But the woman was having none of that and reached her hand to drag him out by his hair. "Ha! Found you scoundrel!" Ace didn''t think much and just punched right ahead between her eyes. The hit took her by surprise and she fell back with a thud. "What did you do to her?" the girl yelped and Ace heard another set of steps coming their way. "When will you learn?" he asked her impatiently and positioned himself behind the door. He was through with trying to hide himself. "Wha-" a male voice asked opening the door and staring at his unconscious wife. Ace used that moment to hit the back of his head with the hilt of Kris and sent him rolling forward. He fell but wasn''t out yet so Ace remedied the situation by hitting a few more times. "Can you keep quiet now?" he asked with a steely smile, turning to the girl. She had both of her hands over her mouth and tears were streaming down her face. "Oh, stop with that. They deserved it and you know it. Now help me drag them to their room." "They''re alive?" she asked through sobs. "No, I killed with a single punch. Of course, they''re alive!" Ace was running out of patience. If she was going to cause so much trouble and question his every action, it was doubtful it was worth the effort to help her out. He gave her a last chance to redeem herself and started to drag the man out. There was a room nearby with its door ajar so he went there. A gigantic bed stood in the middle of it and he debated whether to push the man up on it or not. And decided not to bother. From the bums in their heads they were going to know that it was no dream so there was no point in trying to prove them otherwise. Hopefully, the veil had at least concealed his features enough so as not to be recognized. The girl came in heaving and puffing, dragging the unconscious woman by a hand. Ace helped her out and took out a sleeping potion which he poured into the two''s mouths in case they thought about waking up. "Wha-" the girl started to ask and Ace sent her a glare which she finally understood and closed her mouth. When they were in her room, he sat on the edge of her desk. "It was a sleep inducing mixture so they won''t interrupt us again." "Who are you?" she asked with fear in her tone but this time quietly. "I told you. Ace, your new brother." "I''m not asking that!" she whisper shouted. "You say you know my father, my story, manage to fool even the Duke that you''re my lost brother, play the mesmerizing tune, stop the announcement and climb into a well-guarded mansion! And all that in a single night! How am I supposes to trust someone I can''t even get my head around to start to understand?" ''It was guarded?'' Ace wondered surprised when he noticed the girl had quietened down and was looking at him for an explanation. "I needed a way into the ball and your father was at the right place at the right time. That''s all there''s to me and agreeing to help you out. What concerns my way of doing things... That''s my problem and leave it alone. Did I answer your every question or do you have some more?" "Do you really plan to help me?" "If you stop asking stupid questions, then yes." "Why?" "Oh for the love of..." Ace cursed. "Can''t you just accept it and let us move on? I want to leave this place and get going." The girl noted his aggravated tone and gulped, nodding quickly. She really wanted out and if questionable ways were to be used, she had to be up for it. The man had lied to her professing eternal love and that meant she could be untruthful too. "Do you know a way to make everything right again?" "I suppose first I would have to become the legal heir to the title and get the power over you that your father had" Ace said trying to remember how things worked in middle ages. Father passed the title to his eldest son and he was the lord. If lord died while his eldest was still a child, a protector was appointed and he had all the rights of a lord beside selling the lands. Girls were to be married with a dowry of land or jewels and it was arranged by the lord and the future husband in question. It wasn''t much knowledge but it was going to suffice. "Can you fake your father''s handwriting?" "I wouldn''t kn-" "I don''t care about your morals. I asked can you, or can you not fake it?" The girl nodded shyly. "Good. I need you to write a paper where you pass all the power to me because there''s not a person you can trust with it. Think of some dead people to be solicitors and try to get their names at least close to the way they wrote." "I couldn''t!" the girl refuted instantly. "It''s impossible for someone like me!" "You want to stay? I''ll be going then" Ace sad calmly and after a nod her way went to the window. He was about to open it when the girl stopped his hand. "I''ll do it." "Good. You have some two-three hours." "What?" "I''ll need to leave before the sun rises and I need my legality paper by then. There''s a limit to how much nonsense society can take" Ace said and went to lie down on the bed. "Wake me up when you''re done." And with that he fell asleep in his fake sister''s room while she watched him with uncomprehending eyes. Over four hours later he felt a feather like touch on his shoulder. "Wake up!" a voice whispered and he groggily opened his eyes. "What time is it?" Darkness met his gaze and he turned on another side. "Too early. Leave me alone." "I could actually believe you''re just a child now." Ace noted the insult but was too sleepy to react. "Do I really need to?" he asked the girl''s whose shape finally took form in his glazed eyes. "Yes. Sun is almost up and you need to be out of here. I don''t want to imagine what would happen if you were found here." Ace nodded and threw the blanket off himself. He couldn''t remember going under one but he dismissed it and yawned widely. The girl dragged him under the table where a small candle burned and an envelope lay. She closed it tightly and dropped some melted red wax in which she pushed his hand with the ring on. It made a mark of the bird and sealed the envelope. "What is in it?" Ace asked, taking it in his hands and feeling some weight not from a single sheet of paper. "I used my marriage contract father had sent me as a base and wrote all the reasons and protections of you receiving the title that I could think of. I don''t believe it''s really close to what it''s supposed to look like but if you prevent them from looking at it too carefully, you should pass." "Marriage contract?" Ace asked in disbelief. "You used a marriage contract as a base for testament?" "It''s not that different!" the girl said, defending her hard work. "Marriage is also just another contract. It''s not like there''s anything more to it..." Ace noted her sorrowful tone and decided it was time he made his exit. "I''ll see what I can do. Try to stay alive till then, okay?" She nodded. "And you too. Be careful." Ace raised his head, surprised. "Thanks" he murmured and left through the doors this time. Hidden under the veil he wandered some until he found the exit and went straight through the half asleep guards. ''Is that called heavy security?'' He left the house behind himself and went along the street until he remembered to have forgotten to ask where their town house was. He chose to go where there were sounds and saw an inn shining brightly in the night. Next to it stood a bunch of carriages and he chose the most respectable looking one. "To Fallon Manor" he said and was about to get in when the man''s voice stopped him in his tracks. "I''m taken. You should find some ponies to bring you home, kid." The man laughed and other drivers snickered around. Ace prayed for patience so he wouldn''t kill them all here and now. "You''re above three gold for a short journey, then? So sad. I hope I can find someone else to accommodate me then" he said deliberately shining a few coins in his hand and turning to leave. Pregnant silence lasted for but a second and everyone was fighting over who will get to drive him to his destination. Ace leaned on his walking stick and watched them with delight. Usually the pay for driving around the city was some silvers. It was barely enough to feed the horses and their drivers so the animals tended to look like empty eyed creatures of bone and skin; no meat involved. Punches were thrown, noses broken, knuckles bruised and all for a few gold coins. Ace waited patiently for the victor to emerge. He had slept for some time and was in no hurry to return to the kingdom of dreams. The guy with the most decent carriage won. It was no surprise really since he was the beefiest and healthiest looking among the lot. "So now I''m good enough?" Ace asked with a raised eyebrow, passing him the gold coins. The man grunted something unintelligible and Ace got into the vehicle. Something rushed past his boots and he barely stopped the yelp escaping from his lips. This was no carriage for nobles. For the first time he was appreciative of the darkness inside as he sat down. He didn''t want to know what kind of animals had made their home here and what else he could find. Some adventures just weren''t worth it. He was released near a large mansion next to which stood Fallon carriage''s driver. He looked cold and half-asleep, but a bright smile blossomed on his face when he noticed Ace coming over. "I knew you would be coming and would need someone to let you in!" He looked really proud of himself and Ace rewarded him with a small smile. "I appreciate it." "It''s no problem! Because of you I was finally able to buy my sick daughter her medicine and soon she''ll be running around like previously! I owe you my life!" The man said happily taking Ace''s hands together and shaking them in emotion. Then he noticed what he was doing and jumped back falling on his knees. "I didn''t mea-" "Calm down" Ace said, shaking his head. "I''ll forget about this incident if you''ll manage to get me inside before the morning comes." The man nodded and went to talk to the soldier standing behind the gates. In a moment they were opened and Ace was led in. All servants stood in two lines as if all this time waiting for his return. Maybe they had. There was something wrong with this reception. They had no reason to celebrate his coming. First they didn''t know their true lord has died and secondly they had no way of knowing whether he was telling truth or not. He could be just anyone pretending to be a long lost son for the sake of the title and lands. Warily, he walked through all of them in a steady fashion. He didn''t hurry but neither did he dally to enjoy the attention. Next to the mansion''s steps a middle aged man stood. In his hands he held a pillow on which a medal like thing lay with a bird of prey''s symbol drawn on it. "We welcome you, our Lord. This is a gift given to all lords when they first come after receiving the title." His voice was hard and stony, eyes lacking warmth but there was no displeasure there either. Ace allowed the thing to be attached to his coat and went inside followed by all the servants. The house wasn''t anything spectacular; one could even call it sad and lonely. All the surfaces were cleaned to shining but Greek sculptures, white arcs, greyish tapestries all radiated cold. Everything was in tones of light blue and white giving a feeling of a hospital or a mad house. He kept his observations to himself and walked up the stairs that there right by the end of the gigantic room. Oak handle was glistening and it felt like a crime to touch it and maybe dirty. Ace did it anyway and walked up. Most of his followers left, glad to be able to go to sleep, only the old man remained. "Why the ceremony?" he asked him not beating around the bush. "The lord would have never given up his seal ring if he was alive." "You mean I killed him and stole it?" Ace asked not turning to look back but searching for a nice room by opening all doors. All of them were too clean and lacking in color. He had never noticed that he needed it until now that he saw a house so bereft of it. "No. You''re helping the young miss which means you''re on our side." "It seems I underestimated the power of gossip. Well, no matter. So are you going to help me strengthen my position?" Ace asked, backing away from a sickly bleached green room. He would have to debate whether to give it to his worst enemy or pity the man. The lead servant took his time answering, three minutes to be exact. "Yes. We need you to save our Miss Leo." Ace nodded at that and took out the envelope. ¡°Here are my papers; I need them approved by tomorrow midday." He then handed it to the man and entered master bedroom. "If you really want to help your little princess, that is." And he closed the door right before the guy''s face wishing he could see through walls and an expression the man should have carried. Unfortunately, he had no such powers so he turned towards his second room tonight. It was much larger but as cozy as the last one. Warmer brown colors did nothing to improve the emotionless atmosphere. It was like ghosts or spirits lived here instead of humans. At least, it''s not that sickly green room Ace consoled himself and plopped down on the bed. It was king-sized and he found out he enjoyed one thing in this room. It was going to be torture to return to his real life room or sleep with Par in the wild. Midday sun met him still in bed. He knew he should be getting up but the bed was so comfortable... He took out the little piece of paper he''d received in the ball and read it before [Flare]''s light. It was a card of sorts. *Damon ¨C Night Hunter. Middays behind Lucky Hoof* "Lord! Lord!" a young maid bellowed bursting in his room. "There is terrible news!" "Can''t they wait?" Ace asked covering his ears to keep them functional. "Your sister is already at the church!" "Why sh-" His mind zoned on the subject and he finally understood the problem''s degree. If the ceremony wasn''t stopped, the girl won''t have any chance of escaping her predicament. "How did that happen?" he asked jumping out and glancing at a mirror. His clothes looked spectacular like the night before and nodding towards his reflection he turned towards the maid. "It is said someone broke in to the Handerwell estate and tried to abduct the poor girl. She managed to escape such a fate but to prevent it repeating they''re marrying today and will leave for her estate this evening." She was crying by the end of her speech. "You must save our Lady! She doesn''t deserve that!" Ace ignored her nonsense. "Where''s the head supervisor?" "In the Lord''s - I mean Your office." "Lead me" Ace said rolling his eyes. It was not even close to being his office. She nodded eagerly and rushed off, Ace almost running after her. "Have the carriage prepared" he threw to her before entering the study and closing the door behind himself. The man stood looking through the window. His shoulders were sagged and desolation was written on his back in bold letters. "I don''t think we have time for delicate feelings now" Ace said coming to the desk. Stacks of paper occupied it; he didn''t even try to guess what they contained. "Were you able to do what I asked of you?" The man turned and ice cold grey eyes bore in Ace. "I give you power over our whole household, over the title, the lands and the young lady''s life. We''re all at your mercy." It didn''t really seem so from his gaze but Ace guessed the man was terrified. He was giving everything to an absolute stranger, who he didn''t trust, in a vain hope he would manage to save a single girl, not even his daughter. "I take it you succeeded then?" The man passed him a paper. Ace didn''t take it but scanned quickly. It was a letter from some heraldry that agreed to his hold over the Fallan title and all that came with it. However, there was an added note that if his sister was to be married the land would belong to her husband until he came of age. "Perfect" Ace said and turned to make his way out. He understood the man''s play but paid it no heed. He had promised to save the girl, anyway. "Where are you going? And take the letter; you''ll need it to prove yourself!" "Am I such a lowlife to have to prove myself to them?" Ace asked stopping and half turning to face the man. "If they don''t believe me, they better come and check themselves." With that he reached for the door. "And I''m going to cause the greatest scandal this city has ever seen." He left the house and entered the carriage waiting for him by the steps. It flew through the empty streets, leaving Ace no time to think of how exactly he was going to stop the wedding. He hadn''t tried anything like that before. It made excitement boil in his blood system and he smiled impatiently. This was going to be fun. The church and its surroundings were full of people. Driver had left his carriage and tried to make a way for Ace, pushing people aside, but soon he got himself in a fight and the kid was left all alone. It was better in a way. He knew the general location of the entrance and alone he could slip through people unnoticed. [Hiding in Plain Sight] helped to keep out of trouble too. Soon he was by the door and walking through horrified servants that kept the crowd from entering the church. Everyone''s gazes shifted to him and he saw disgust in them, displeasure. He kept his eyes on the front and didn''t look around anymore. There stood the bride in a white monstrosity which supposedly was a dress. It swallowed her whole and on the steps stood only a mountain of fabric. Not a single part of her body was on show, like for example a face. He reached the front and at the right saw an empty seat. Relief washed over him like a wave and he wondered what he would have done if there was none. Would he have made a scene for a seat or simply announced his plan to destroy this fabulous wedding? Running away ashamed had never been a choice. Those, who were beside him, made not so secretive attempts to distance themselves by leaning to their companions as if to say something. None did. Silence that had descended with his untimely coming has yet to be broken. Ace felt like waving a hand a saying please continue but kept himself in check allowing only a wry smile escape. Some five or ten minutes later the priest coughed out and started the ceremony from the very beginning. There was an almost audible groan from the audience. Ace chuckled in his mind. His mirth didn''t last long. After first five minutes he was fighting to keep his eyes open. The priest droned on endlessly without even asking anything from the bride or groom. He talked about their good qualities, what made them perfect for each other, their family stations, worshipped gods and what future was predicted for their match. An hour passed like a year. And the priest continued. To bless the new family and teach them the right way to live he recounted many old tales and explained their meanings. He was really passionate about it. Ace would have enjoyed the stories if not the constant moralizing throughout them and after. Another decade long hour went by. Ace well understood the horror of having to listen to this twice and stored it as a punishment for his worst enemies. He couldn''t imagine a place where brain would decline quicker than here. "Now if nobody has anything to say I hereby call these two people-" Ace almost slept through his queue to move out. "Wait, wait, wait! I have something to say against it" he said standing up. His first words might have lacked a lord''s disposition but the last were said with emotionless authority that expected to be followed without question. The priest took a step back from surprise. "You can''t do that! The ceremony is almost finished!" "Did you, or did you not say if anyone has something to say that they should?" Ace asked in a mocking tone. "I did but..." the priest muttered looking like a slapped puppy. "It''s just a part of the wording?" "Yes!" the man jumped at the helping hand not noticing it was a trap. "It is simply how the ceremony is supposed to be." Ace smiled; now no one could refuse his right to talk. "Then it means you have to honor my right to stop this thing." "What do you mean stop?" the priest asked wide eyed. "You can''t..." "You yourself said that I have the right to talk by gods'' laws and I''m using it now and I say this wedding is annulled" Ace said taking slow steps to the altar. "And I''m taking my dear sister with me." "You''re not the lord, you''ve no power regarding this question" the lady he had once insulted said standing up from the first lines. She had her hands crossed and was smirking his way; she thought she had all the cards in her hands. "You''re ten years too early, boy, to be making any demands. Hurry and go back to your daddy" she taunted. Ace gave her one of his most dazzling smiles. "I would if you hadn''t killed him. It kind of complicates the matter." Shocked faces met his remark and he used that time to grab his sister by the hand and get her away from her husband-to-be. "What are you doing?" she managed to hiss at him before the crazy women recovered. "I would have my husband call you to a duel!" she said threateningly, eyes flashing anger. "How did you dare to make such an accusation?" Ace wanted to laugh out loud. She might have admitted she killed him with her own hands by the way she said it and the words she had used. His fake father''s death hadn''t been made public yet. Even a moron could guess now she wasn''t as innocent as she pretended. "But you won''t since it would damage his reputation more than a broken engagement of his son. I can already imagine the headlines stating how your husband fought a kid for your sake, such heroism!" She looked to be searching for words appropriate to call him but failing even in that. Not that it was an easy task when she was a lady of the society and couldn''t utter anything even close to a curse. "Show me your papers" she hissed finally, trying to regain some dignity. "You''re no lord but a child playing one." "Should I be carrying them with myself?" Ace asked, looking at her condescendingly. "If you feel so insecure about your knowledge, run to my manor and check it. I can have a servant sent with you in case you don''t know where it is." "You..." she seethed. ¡°You''re a kid; no one''s going to believe you''re anything but a spoiled brat." Her words were followed by a wave of fluttering fans and exclamations of surprise and disapproval. Women in society gatherings didn''t get angry, lose their temper and most importantly didn''t insult others. That is if they wanted to receive an invitation to a gathering ever again. "It may be true that I''m just a child" Ace said with perfect calmness. "But I''m a lord of Fallan and I''m tired of hearing your nonsense. Come" he said to his sister and descended the stairs. She followed him extremely happy for the horrible dress that made her look like a pudding. It hid her shaking and most likely ashen white face. The kid was making fun of one of the most influential families in the city and seemed not to care one bit. He was either used to playing with fire or didn''t know what he was up against. She was afraid it was the latter. "You''re not allowed to stop the ceremony!" the woman hissed standing in Ace''s path. "Priest, please, continue th-" "And who''s going to stop me?" Ace asked quietly, making everyone strain to hear him. "You? Or that weakling of a husband of yours? Maybe the shell-shocked son?" He laughed. It was a mirthless thing meant to mock. "It is you who has no power here so get out of my way and hope that you''ll never be there ever again. I don''t treat idiots kindly." His voice was velvety soft, eyes liquid pools of shining silver. He looked anything but a kid at that moment and the woman took an involuntarily step back. Ace gave her a mock bow and left with everyone''s eyes following his every step. He had not to fail now. Eyes had to be kept straight ahead and disposition relaxed but most importantly he couldn''t stumble. That would be the biggest defeat ever. Every step brought him closer to the steps from the church and he glared at them as if they were his worst enemies. At the moment it had truth to it. Then he raised his eyes and smiled at the commoners who had seen everything transpire through the open doors but hadn''t been able to hear. Seeing wonder and amazement in their eyes he felt better and bowed almost to the ground like an artist after a successful play. The crowd stood frozen for a moment and ignoring their own better judgment burst into applause. When he went forward, they parted like a sea and Ace chuckled. He had made a habit of having people leave a path for him. Hoorays and encouraging shouts led them to the carriage along with recitals of the events that grew farther through the truth with every retelling. Ace was sure by morning he will have flown into the church with wings of an angel, burst fire on the poor woman and her son and flown out carrying his overjoyed sister. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Well, he knew how to make a spectacle of himself when he wanted to. "What have you done?" the not so overjoyed fake sister asked when the doors closed and they started to move. "We''ll be dead by come evening." Ace rolled his eyes. "You''re overestimating them." "I''m not! They killed my father just because he m i g h t have been a problem to their plans! How do you think they''ll react when you''ve broken the engagement, humiliated them in front of all the nobles and then commoners by making it out like a play or something? We''ll be dead any second now!" "My threat wasn''t idle one" Ace said leaning against his seat. "If they get in my path again, I''m going to kill them myself." "You wouldn''t..." the girl started to say and stopped. "You would, wouldn''t you?" Ace laughed. "You seem to have some brains. What prompted you to believe my words?" "I''ve had a friend once..." she started seeing into nothing. "His name was Rock and was a very happy fellow. We played together every day since my father was too busy grieving to care about my upbringing." "So what did he do?" Ace asked. "Nothing. I grew up thinking he was another kid just like me. He liked playing tag and hide-and-seek. We often went adventuring around the estate" Her voice went quiet as if she didn''t want to continue talking. "No, I shouldn¡¯t talk about such things. It''s not very nice of me. I''m sorry to have begun it." She shook her head trying to clear it. "Come on!" Ace whined. "You can''t stop before reaching the conclusion! And you know I don''t really care about any rights or wrongs. They''re a twisted mess in my head." "I noticed..." the girl said wryly remembering the scene he had made in the ball and now at her wedding. He had absolutely no sense of propriety. "Now that we settled it continue your story. You owe me at least that!" She looked at him surprised. "Owe you?" "Well, I saved the rest of your life and I don''t think you''re planning to pay me for it so I would appreciate it if you finished your story." "You''re not getting paid?" "Well, your father died so unless he comes back to life to give me a reward I''m not" Ace said shrugging. "Not that I really mind. It was pretty fun and I had a chance to be a lord. It''s way too much work if anyone asked me." "So you''re not planning to stay?" she asked in disbelief, debating in her mind whether she was thrilled or terrified at the prospect. The kid was clearly dangerous but he had helped her and she wasn''t sure she could deal with all the trouble he left behind by herself. "Yes and now come back to your story! I won''t have you changing the subject" Ace said crossing his arms and glaring at the white mass before him. He wondered fleetingly how she actually saw anything through it. The girl sighed. "Fine. A year ago I found out that at the mere age of five he killed his father who had been drunk and threatening his mother at the moment. It was around the time I met the kid. Then at seven he got into a brawl and stabbed his opponent almost dying from a flesh wound himself. And that''s all that I know for sure. There are many rumors saying that many thugs were last seen loitering around his house before disappearing from the face of earth." The white mass lifted somewhat and Ace guessed she was looking straight at him now. "I hadn''t an idea about it back then. He faked being a normal child so perfectly; no one could have mistaken him for a monster he was." "Monster?" Ace asked wryly. "Is that what you call people who protect what is important to them? Your friend is nothing but a victim of one of fate''s crueler games." "He killed! That''s no way to act for a... a... a human being! Lives are sacred!" Ace tilted his head. "Would you still think that if you saw you father beat your mother to death? If you saw other men take advantage of her weak state? If you were almost killed because someone decided you looked at them wrongly? It''s so easy to act righteous when you have lived a life bereft of violence. Black and white morality exists only for those who keep their eyes shut to what is before them." "I don''t want to be taught by a child!" the girl complained annoyed. "I''m not teaching. I was complaining that you promised a story of a monster and yet told one about a human being desperately trying to survive and do what is right. I can see it every moment of my life." "You''re talking nonsense now." "Suit yourself" Ace said and knocked on the carriage''s roof. It stopped immediately and made his way out. "Bring her to the manor and keep her alive until I return. Can you manage that?" he asked and the driver nodded. Ace noted the girl trying to follow him out so he closed the doors behind himself and motioned for the driver to move. He did it instantly and soon enough Ace was standing in a street on his own. He walked around until he found some carriages and paid one to drive him to Lucky Hoof''s tavern. He just thought of a plan that would free him of a lord''s title and for that he needed the Devon guy. Hopefully, he was still around. The inn was nothing more than a shady house with a cow''s hoof hanging above the door. Ace was glad he had no need to enter the place. Behind the falling apart house he noticed a man pacing back and forth. He was muttering to himself. "... have made a better impression. What if she''s in trouble? It would be all my fault." Some silence. "He''s not coming. Why am I still waiting here? I''m acting like an idiot... But what if she needs help? I left no other way to contact me! Damn it! I didn''t think she''d be threatened! Why did I ever tell her the truth? Idiot. Moron. I could have it all now." He hit the wall and it groaned loudly. Ace took a step aside from it in case it planned to fall down. It seemed like a gust of wind could make sure of it but in some miraculous way it stayed in place. "Monster. Why did I ever tell you that?" "As much as it is amusing to hear you rambling, I think that''s not enough of a reason to let you destroy the vice house." "Who- You came!" he screamed in joy. "I start to doubt my decision with every passing minute" Ace said wincing. "There was no need to shout." The chagrined man lowered his eyes and Ace took a better look at him. He was a bit over twenty, had short brown hair and simple unmemorable face lines. He wore brownish workmen clothes that left his scarred arms on full view. They had seemed genuine work judging by the hard muscle but the knife slashes of ages ago were evident none the less. He was no simple worker. "I''m sorry. What use would you have for me?" he asked quietly. He was either very submissive, which seemed like a far cry, or wanted to help no matter the consequences to his pride. "I need you to bring a priest to the manor. It would be better if that was made secretly and he should have as high authority over the church as possible." "What happened? Is she injured?" the man asked, his eyes widening with fear. Ace looked at him incredulously and let his eyes stay that way until the man remembered his place. "I''m sorry, I shouldn''t be asking questions that do not concern me." He sounded so miserable Ace had to smile. It felt like he had stolen candy from a baby. "Exactly. Now that we have understood each other tell the priest that I need him to hold a wedding. It''ll be a short ceremony with only a few people because of certain circumstances. The church will be highly rewarded for its discretion." "Ma-" The man caught himself on time. Ace smirked at him. "It would be nice if you were done before the evening." He left the distraught man behind himself and returned to find the carriage he had come with standing around. "I knew you would need a ride back" its driver said with a toothy grin that lacked a few teeth answering the question in Ace''s eyes. The kid smiled at the man''s merchant like thinking and throwing him a gold coin entered the couch. "Fallan manor." He was welcomed by teary servants. They called him godsend and a saint come to save their lords. It was quite hilarious especially when he was called an angel. He couldn''t think of anything that was farther from how he acted towards people. Devil''s incarnation would have fit much, much better. The head servant had gratitude in his eyes too even if he kept his mouth shut. "How is the lady doing?" Ace asked walking up the steps. "She wasn''t particularly happy about you leaving her to come back alone but she has calmed down since then. I believe she just came to a realization that she really isn''t marrying today and is in shock. It is not unexpected since her father wouldn''t have dared to do anything you did and she had known her plea was all what it looked like a plea." "I''ll give her space then¡° Ace said going to the second floor, the study. "Has there been anyone to check on my rights to the title?" "Eight servants. Shall I tell the households that they belonged to?" "No need. Are the papers still here?" "Yes, I told them to go to the heraldry if they needed more proof." "Good. Leave me here now and allow a few guests if they come." "Guests, my lord?" "Young man with a priest." "Priest?" "What''s with everyone questioning my every action?" Ace asked annoyed. "Just do as I say." The man bowed quickly and made his way out closing the doors behind himself. It felt good being able to order everyone around. He took some stacks of papers off the table and made himself space to sit. He fell on his back, legs hanging from the edge, and looked at the ceiling. It was grey and boring. Just like being a lord. It was fun having servants to do your bidding and making scenes felt extremely rewarding but it all paled in the shadow of propriety. He would have to attend weddings, which he had seen one too many, balls, which lasted way too long, and be surrounded with idiotic people, who knew nothing more than to look wide eyed, snicker and gossip. He would go mad from it in a day or two. That left him with a single solution. He had to get rid of the title he had acquired by spilling so much sweat of others. /Where are you?/ flashed a message before his eyes. He looked at the sender and saw Monthu''s name. Too lazy to write, he called. The guy picked up instantly. "In some manor. Is anything wrong?" "Beside the fact that you promised to meet Par today? No, nothing." "Dammit" Ace cursed under his breath. He remembered saying very clearly that this time no one, and he had made an emphasis on it, was going to stop him from coming and having an adventure with Par. It was so like him to say such things and then forget all about it. He was rarely annoyed by his own character traits but this time was one of those. "Do I dare to guess in how much trouble you got yourself into this time in the half a day you were away from us?" Ace though about his last evening and today. "Don''t waste your time, you''re out of your league" he said dryly. "So you''re not coming?" Ace calculated the chances of succeeding with his scheme. It wasn''t really that high. "Buy supplies and find some quest to go to the fields in the north. Where are you staying?" "In Broken Flute. You sure you''ll manage to leave the mess by tomorrow? I don''t want to have him disappointed once again." "I''ll be there tonight. I promised that to Par." "I hope you won''t forget it. Again" Monthu said and Ace cut the connection. ''I need to stop with the making of promises, I''m becoming too good of a guy'' he berated himself and promised to improve. And cursed again for not managing to survive a few seconds without making one. He sat up again and picked the paper that had been lying under him. He read it thoroughly. His plan fit it perfectly. If only the people it concerned would be nice enough to follow along. He had huge doubts about it but if they refused he was going to just leave and be done with it. The promise to the old man was to save his daughter and if she got herself killed after that it wasn''t really his problem. He had done his part. "I wish he would hurry up" Ace muttered after a few minutes of sitting, doing nothing. He felt no wish to go and talk with the household or its mistress but being alone wasn''t that fun either. For that reason he sneaked out of the room and the house itself. His feet took him back to the city. It took almost an hour but he reached the shopping district and found a shop, one that sold canes. He made his way inside it. Oppressive silence met him there. The shop had been open but no one was manning the counter. It was really dangerous for the items inside. Ace picked a few canes he found to his liking but were too long for him and pocketed them before going deeper in. The work room was dark but he could discern two shapes who hadn''t noticed him yet. One was sitting at the table with half his body fallen over it. He was snoring lightly and clutching a container in his hand. The other human was on the ground next to an open chest. The girl was picking coins, rolling them in her hands and then throwing them back. It was a desolate picture. Ace made his way towards her and [Flare] lightened the room somewhat. It made the girl raise her head and the kid noticed her bloodshot eyes. "What happened?" he asked looking around. Everything looked perfectly normal. "You" she said with a glare. Ace tilted his head; he hadn''t done anything to them. His lack of understanding seemed to fuel her anger which had been simmering under the surface. "Don''t act all nice and innocent now! You knew you were going to make a racket in the city! Play a flute before all the nobles! Break an engagement in the middle of a wedding! There''s not a single soul that wouldn''t recognize you for miles around and know what you''ve done!" she screamed bursting into tears and then falling into hurt calmness. "You cheated us out of all we had. You¡¯re not a human" It sounded exceptionally cruel said softly, neither anger nor hatred or disgust coloring it. Ace eyed her with patience a parent has for his child. Guilt rarely plagued him and the girl had played right into his hands herself. He hadn''t forced her to accept the wager. If she wanted to blame someone for it, she should fault herself. "Why would I have risked if I wasn''t sure to win?" he asked voicing some of his thoughts. "You should have known." She hiccupped. "It doesn''t change the fact that you lied." "Lied?" Ace asked with disbelief. "And please tell me when?" The girl stayed quiet for a few minutes so Ace chuckled. "I told you I had an invitation to the ball. It should have signaled you that I was more than a random traveler and might be able to keep my end of the bargain. But you were too focused on my clothes and age." He laughed. "Never underestimate people because of how they look. I advise you to remember it well." "What for?" the girl asked with a humorless laugh. "I''ll be dead in a few hours." "And why so?" "Unlike you I won''t survive on the street" she said sneering. "And my father will be dead even faster if he keeps drinking like that." Ace glanced back at the snoring man. Now that he was looking at him the thing in his hand looked like it was in the shape of a bottle. "And how exactly it is my fault?" He had an idea but making sure was never a bad move. "We won''t survive without our shop! Cane making is the only thing we know how to do!" she screamed, clenching her hands into fists. He was pretty sure she would hit him if she could walk. "And who said anything about you leaving the shop?" he asked taking some box lying around and sitting on it. "What would I do with an empty house?" Her head snapped up, eyes locking on his. "You''re not throwing us out?" Ace rolled his eyes. "No. All I want is to have absolute priority in this shop if I ever need repairmen for my walking stick" he said, putting the cane on his knees and sliding a hand through its sleek surface. "That''s all?" "Yes." "Really really?" "Yes" Ace said with a sigh. "If you''ve made it look like the end of the world, it''s your fault." Her tears dried up and cheeks tinged pink. "I''m sorry of accusing you..." she said with her eyes down. Ace chuckled. "I''ll survive. Now that we''ve understood each other I''ll get my gold back and suggest you go to the Fallan manor tomorrow with your father. I''ll be leaving the city in a day or two so ask for my sister and tell her I sent you. She''ll make all the necessary arrangements to have you under our name." The girl nodded and Ace stood up to leave. His work here was done. "Wait! You need to know something!" "Hm?" Ace asked turning around. "Give me your cane for a moment." Ace came back and handed her the item in question. She touched it tenderly. "Makhila isn''t a normal walking stick" she said, her hands sliding to the silver bottom. "It is made while the tree is still alive to give the graceful lines and create a hidden compartment." The worlds were followed by a swift movement of small fingers and the end separated from the whole cane leaving a gleaming blade in its place. The girl raised it pointing to Ace''s heart and he smiled. It looked like she was holding a spear, a very extravagant one but a spear none the less. "My grandfather made it for me when my legs started to weaken. He said it was important that I had a way to protect myself." "He was a great artisan." "That he was" the girl agreed. "Thanks for revealing it to me" Ace said taking his Makhila back and slipped the end back on. He tried to open and close it for a few times so he understood how it worked. It was a pretty simple mechanism once you got it. "I''ll take good care of it." "I''ll trust you this time." Ace chuckled taking his leave. Next to the door he turned to say a few parting words. "Doubt people or else you''re only going to get hurt. It was your luck that I hadn''t actually wanted anything from here or you would be freezing outside now and your father wouldn''t even be able to drink himself to death because of lack of money." Her eyes widened at such a possibility, mouth opening to say something but he didn''t stay to hear it. There was a very long way home. He had only sat down on the table and taken the title transfer paper in his hand when a knock interrupted him. "Come in" Ace said wondering what it could be. It was still somewhat early for the priest to have come. Devon entered with a furious girl on his heels. "What is he doing in this house?" she asked in a shout. "He''s not supposed to set a foot in this direction!" Ace turned to the door putting the papers down and ignored her completely. "Have you finished the task?" he asked the man who nodded uncomfortably. "I did. The priest will be here in two hours." "Don''t ignore me! Why did you call for a priest?" his pretend sister asked glaring both at him and Devon. "To marry you off, of course" Ace said in a tone implying she was stupid. "Why else would I need one?" She staggered; all her energy leaving without a fight. "You''re worse than father. At least he didn''t force me." Ace rolled his eyes. "Thank the head master for sticking the title to me unless you got married." "Who is he?" Damon asked angrily, his voice low. "Who are you going to force her to marry?" "You" Ace said nodding his way. "But I''m no nob-" Damon stammered out, Ace cutting him halfway. "Are you desperate for a title?" "No, I wou-" "Then it makes you a perfect candidate." "But she doesn''t want to marry me!" Devon said, finally managing a full sentence. Ace noted how he didn''t mention anything about disagreeing himself so it was going to be a piece of cake. "I''ve seen her choice last time. To say it was a disaster is an understatement and I''m not that nice to stick around and save her from future troubles. You either take that position or I go and find someone else. I met a good driver today. He might be missing a few teeth but he''s dependable." "You wouldn''t..." the two said in unison and Ace laughed. "Are you really sure you want to try me?" They looked at each other and both had distrustful expressions. "Lord!" headmaster screamed and Ace waited for the study''s door to burst open again. He was pretty popular today. "We''re under siege!" he rasped, holding on to the doors, out of breath. "Calm down and tell me exactly what is happening." They were in a middle of a city. How was one to even lay a siege in such a location? Glass broke and he saw an arrow fly past him in slow motion. It missed his eye by inches. ''I suppose someone actually found a way to do it.'' "Get down!" he said pushing his shocked companions to the ground. Carefully he went to the window and leaning against the wall sneaked a glance outside. There stood an army. Whole street was flooded with soldiers in armor bashing at the wall and gates trying to get in. Archers had made their way onto carriages and stone walls to be able to shoot straight at the house. One of those had almost hit him. "We''re surrounded" he informed the room, getting his head back before another arrow flashed by. It seemed like only a single archer had a position and skill to reach them here. "Leo go and hide in your room. You two organize the servants and see what can be done to salvage the situation." "We''re not soldiers! We can''t do anything" headmaster said. "What will you do?" Devon asked. "It would be safer wit-" "I don''t work well in a group." "You''re running away!" the girl said accusingly, her fighting spirit returning for some reason. "Yeah, right. It''s not like we''re trapped like rats here with no way out, or anything" he said in mock seriousness. "Now go hide from the world and let us take care of this." "What did you say?" she asked taking a step towards him and towering over him with her superior height. "You think you''re all that just because you managed to win a word fight against a woman and a church in all of places?" "Leo it''s not the ti-" Devon tried but was cut off. Nobody was listening to him today. "Shut your trap. He thinks he can do whatever he wants just because he fulfilled my father''s wish! I''m not going to let someone like that have power over my life! He must understand it! Now!" she was screaming by the end of her tirade, her hair flying wild. "You sure you want to contest me?" Ace asked coldly. "You who has never drawn blood in her life? You who has never killed? You who thinks that life is all rainbows and unicorns?" His eyes darkened into the blue of night sky. "And what do you know of it?" she asked mockingly. "Do you believe to know everything yourself? You''re even younger than me!" Ace moved at blinding speed and before anyone could understand what was happening slashed at Devon''s arm lightly; a red line ran down the sleeve. He then pointed Kris at the guy''s back where heart was and turned to look straight into Leonorogvarda. "I''ve drawn blood on purpose, I''ve killed and walked on the darkest edges of society. I know not what a word sacred means. Now tell me do you still plan to tempt me into losing control?" She shook her head, fear evident in her wide eyes. "Good. I hate spoiled brats." "She''s not spoiled" now Devon said. Ace took deep breaths not to kill them all be done with it. He really wanted it but saving and then killing was bad taste. It made one look undecided and even a bit stupid. "She lost her mother when she was a kid and her father went into grief. She had no one growing up!" "Servants spoiled her then. Everyone pitied the poor girl, I wouldn''t be surprised if half this household actually belongs to the estate in the country and had only come to help her in any way they could." Headmaster''s shoulders drooped. "And there was you. Wasn''t it Rock?" Ace asked with a sneer. "So intent on protecting your princess, you stand by her side even when she has betrayed you and thrown to the dogs." "So what life did you have to believe that everything else is spoiling?" Devon asked not having how to refute. The words were like knifes into his heart reminding of the better times and what he had to see in the last year after telling her the truth. Ace laughed. "I had loving parents, still have. The whole town adored me and I was the soul of every gathering. I received everything I ever asked of and everyone wanted to be my friend." "When why..?" "Why I became so twisted and uncaring?" Ace asked with a smirk. "Every story has one little secret that turns paradise into hell, dream into a nightmare." Those words still echoing in the room, he reached the window and jumped out. He heard Leo''s scream when he rolled into some bushes and hid under the veil. The room had been on second floor so it hurt some but not enough to make him regret jumping out. It was the fastest way to leave the room and stop the idiotic conversation. She actually thought she knew something about life; it was laughable. He made his way towards the gates and saw them being broken down. It was too late to save them. But it wasn''t too late to use the fact that people were all cramped like herring in a barrel. Ace used [Wild Vines] to slow the entering and cast [Ice Field] on the street. Because of all the levels it had gained in the dungeon, it could now cover a very large surface and be even slipper. Yelps of annoyance and curses sounded as men fell. They had no idea what the ice was a prelude to. Ace didn''t make them wait long by climbing on the wall, his cloak bellowing behind him. Like a death bringer with black wings he stood there for a moment before taking out elixirs from his backpack and throwing them on the soldiers'' heads. They watched him with wonder until pain blinded their senses. Ace had no more alcohol left to play with fire so he had to use his precious poisons. Only a few were deadly without being injected right into a blood system but most did something from being breathed in or landing on a face (it was the only part not protected by armor). Skins turned red and burned, wounds opened up, it begun to hurt or tickle. Eyes watered and seared. Acid eat at armor and unprotected heads. People screamed and slammed into each other trying to run away from the poisonous rain. They fell and shouted being stomped on by their comrades. They managed to get up only to slip again and bring others along in their plight. The street became a mess of metal and limbs. And screams of pain. Ace watched them all with disgust. It wasn''t going to kill them. Not even close. It was nothing but a little suffering. They scurried away like rabbits after seeing a shadow of hawk pass over them. He opened another bottle and threw what was inside away using [Gust] to carry the bottle further to where the last stragglers were. "Run, little critters, run" he laughed. Rain started to pour. Ace looked up and water washed his face. ''When had the storm come?'' he wondered watching the last idiots leave. It was good that they did since a minute more and rain would have made his work go to naught. ''I should pay some heed to weather next time'' He didn''t feel the need to go inside so he sat down on the wall and wondered why the soldiers had run away so quickly. Shouldn''t real fighters ignore pain and finish their missions no matter what? What is a few a burn or damaged lungs compared to a chance to say to his master that he had done the work? Ace chuckled at the way he had made out the soldiers as masochists and for a moment enjoyed the rain washing all over him. It wasn''t icy but couldn''t be called warm either; it was an autumn''s storm. 5.0 It was new moon and darkness gladly enveloped everything in its warm hug. Street lights did nothing to diminish its power; it looked like they were more likely to go out themselves. Most houses shared their sentiment and one by one all windows went black. Midnight hour was drawing closer and even the most resistant left for their dream world, or a game one more often. All fell asleep but one boy. He lay on his bed and watched the flashing screen of his computer. It stood but a few meters away yet he didn''t go to see from whom the message was. Nobody would expect him to answer so late. He smiled ruefully. There had been a time. One person once knew how much he abhorred all the rules; how he felt they were there only for him to break. It was a very long time ago. He had been three or four when he first met her. He had been walking down a street when he noticed one of his kindergarten mates crying next to an alley. Growling sounds would come out of there from time to time after which she would start sobbing harder. He being the brave hero he was came to ask what had happened and she pointed to an alley. Houses on its sides were leaning in, shadowing the place. To understand the situation he went deeper in from where the growling came. A large dog almost his own size was venting his disgust at a little kitten that had curled up into a small ball and was mewing pathetically. "Is it your pet?" he asked coming out. She nodded tearfully. "My brother gifted it to me... Today is my birthday..." He had gone back into the alley and she had followed him renting her tale without being asked. "I wanted to go outside with him to show Nica and Molly but he escaped my hands and rushed down the street. I tried to follow but that big dog showed up and forced him into a corner. I don''t know what to do!" she sobbed out and the dog turned to give her a glare for that high-pitched voice. She caught her breath and froze in place shivering all over. He had felt energy and joy surge through him. It was his time to shine, to save a maiden in distress. He was going to be a knight! A true one! With that sole thought in mind he found an old broom, no longer fit for service, but still half intact in a nearby garbage container. His new possession in hand he came up to the dog and growled at him, poking. It took the animal¡¯s attention from the kitten and the dog turned to him. Not for the first time in his life he had found himself questioning his own judgment on what was considered a good idea. But like usually there had been no backing down. He had pushed his shoulders forward, crowding the dog''s space and snarled as angrily as he could. It was a strange sound, not threatening at all, but the animal had decided it was better not to play with the fool and better make his exist. He hadn''t been rabid, just stray. Then he had proudly gone to pick his win and received a scratching of his life. The little kitten was so scared he attacked everything on sight. It took him ages to pick the poor thing and carry him to the girl who was looking at him with worshipping eyes. It felt really great. That was the only reason why he agreed to go to her house and let her mother bandage his hands which were bleeding. On their way they had talked about various things and he''d learnt she was an oddball like him. She didn''t like to follow rules but was too scared to break them. However, she tended to misinterpret them a lot. When her mother was done she showed him to her room which was all greens and oranges with some pink in the mix. Colors were clashing among each other and he pointed it out for which she was very angry. It seemed like it was going to be a really short friendship but she found it in herself to forgive him by remembering that he had saved her kitty. He was forced to agree to never say his opinion about her stuff or anyone else''s for that matter because it was very rude, and that was the beginning of their relationship. It was a wild ride with him managing to coax her into many adventures which meant breaking thousands of rules and her teaching him the protocols of keeping a friend. It was hard work and he had failed in the end. *** They had pretended to fall asleep and while the teacher went to have a chat with her friends got up and left the room. In moments they dressed up and were standing by a large tree in the corner of the playground. It was old and wide with thick green canopy on top. However, it was very low compared to all others. "We can''t get on it, it''s too high" Sam whispered looking at the lowest branch. It was just over her head but it seemed like a mile away. "Yes, we can" Kirin disagreed, thinking of how exactly to do it. "I''ll lift you up and then you''ll help me." Sam wasn''t able to share her thoughts of it when she felt herself leave ground and sway towards the branch. Her hands grabbed it instinctively to right herself. "Hurry, I can¡¯t hold you forever" Kirin murmured and she tried to drag herself up. "I''m not you! I can''t do it" she whined. "You''re not trying hard enough" he said and lifted her a bit more. It helped her to get both her hands over the branch, push on it and throw one leg over. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. And she was on. "I''m up!" she whispered in wonder and her friend beamed at her. "I knew you could do it!" It was now time for him to get up too. The girl was too uncertain of her sitting place to be of any use so he went to the sandbox and grabbed a bucket. He emptied it and put underside up under the branch, a little closer to the tree''s main body when the girl was. He stepped on it and being eye level with the branch jumped on it. He lay hanging over his waist and carefully itched himself sideways. It wasn''t going to end nicely no matter to which side he fell, backward or forward. "You broke it" Sam whispered when he was almost sitting on the branch normally. "Broke what?" "The sand bucket." He looked down and saw a wide line running down the plastic''s side. "No one will know it was me" he said in a voice of one assured of his success and the girl nodded. Her friend had a miraculous way of escaping trouble. It was a legend among the kids. Many asked him how he had never been caught while being one who broke the rules most, but none received an answer. Watching helped none too as all Kirin did was look at the adults'' eyes and they turned to jelly agreeing to everything he said. It was magic. And because of it many kids distanced themselves from him. Everyone who had ever been caught held a grudge against him. Envy is a very strong force. She watched him standing up on the branch, something she would never have dared to do, and wondered how he managed to put everything behind himself and smile like he was doing now. It seemed like he didn''t even remember the bug in his soup or water in his bed. Shouldn''t he feel wet even if he had used the blankets only for some twenty minutes until the teacher left and they could sneak out? Before her mind returned to the matters at hand he was halfway to the tree''s top. "What are you doing?" she asked grabbing onto her branch. She felt faint just by watching how high he was, how he wavered slightly before grabbing onto a branch and righting himself up. "I want to reach the top" he said smiling back at her. "You should come too, there are many handholds here. It''s easy!" "I''m afraid of heights" she answered watching his climb. He pursed his lips for the millionth time at that answer. He never seemed to understand how a person could be afraid of such a silly thing but knew better than to question her. "What have you been thinking all that time?" he asked sitting at the top where he was almost wholly hidden by leafs. "You looked somewhat worried. Did anything happen to the kitten?" "No. I was wondering why you don''t become friends with others too. They could be of more help in your escapades than me." Some why when she said it, it sounded like a plead for compliment. She had father for it, she didn''t need a boy to tell her anything. "I don''t want to" came an answer from above. And that was all she learned no matter how much she questioned. It was almost like he was hiding something. She shook her head dismissing the thought. Kirin was too open and friendly to hide anything. It was only she who had skeletons in her closet like her mother said. She wasn''t sure what it meant but it sounded important so she remembered the saying. "Do you think many have climbed up here?" he asked waking her from her thoughts. "I don''t think anyone dared" she said with a laugh. "You''re the bravest of all!" "Aye! I''m a mighty pirate watching for enemy ships! Do you think we''ll find something?" "I hope so! The sea is so calm today!" she said and pretended to be dying of boredom coming closer to lean against the tree. "I don''t think it''s a pirate ship!" Kirin shouted out and she sat up straighter. "It''s Kraken!" Her hands grasped invisible weapons. "I have harpoons! Which side he''ll strike from, captain?" "From the right, sailor! Pass one to me too! Crew to the sails and cannons! This is going to be a long battle!" "Aye, captain!" Next Chapter-->http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=3035 Previous Chapter-->http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=2765&p=18534#p18534 Author''s Note: Well, here''s a start to another beginning. Hopefully, it''s at least as good as the previous ones and paves a good road for the upcoming chapters. However, there''s a big downside to my future release dates. Exams are coming up. My first exam is like... tomorrow! It''s English so I''m not TOO worried but after it comes highschool finishing events, other exams such as Lithuanian (going to be fine), math(tragedy, how am I ever going to pass it?), history (will survive although I''m not sure why am I taking it when I don''t need it at all) and then IT(scary, how stupid could I have been to decide to study programming..?). So yeah hardly any time to write. In case I''ll get some free time I''ll upload a chapter but no promises. 5.1 Happy It was time for battle. The citizens had chosen sides and there was left nothing more than to count the numbers. Fights in streets had stopped; everyone deep down knew that the next battle will determine it all. It was going to be the last one. Lord and the priest were at each other''s throats. They wanted to sit on the throne without sacrificing their followers or at least half the city''s population. There had to be another way. But neither one saw it. The Duke didn''t want to leave and the priest didn''t plan to abandon his hunger for power. Some people seeing the inevitable downfall of their city left it. They went to their country homes until everything calms down. Poorer ones simply ran to the twin city of theirs. It was richer and more stable but lacked any consideration for those not wealthy. All rules in there were for the nobles. They were gods, never accounted for anything. Going there was putting yourself in a cage full of lions and locking the doors behind. Not something anyone chose easily but they believed it would keep them alive; something their own hometown could no longer guarantee. Almost all of the poor people hated the priest for starting this nonsense. They even stopped going to the church. But that mean nothing to the priest.. His supporters were swimming in gold and not afraid to use it to their advantage. There was not a chance he could lose with that. The Duke should start counting his last moments on the throne; they weren''t going to last much longer. The premonition of doom was unnoticed only by a group of travelers leaving an inn. Their merry bunch was drawing glances from other passerbies but it didn''t seem to bother them. Two kids at the front chatted animatedly while others watched them with thinly veiled amusement. "I tell you it''s real! I watched that episode just this morning while eating breakfast!" one of the kids, the older one with light hair said loudly. "But, but I''ve seen all episodes and there isn''t one like that..." the other argued more calmly. He was biting his lower lip, eyes staring intently at the ground. "Magnone never met with LeLora" he said shaking his head. "It can''t be true." "But they did! I tell you! Magnone tried to incinerate her with his magma blast but she dodged to the side creating a double and confusing him. And then there were seven of them! Magnone was devastated and looked like he was going to lose but Drakard appeared freezing the entire room and the doubles disappeared leaving only the real LeLora behind! I just love Drakard! He''s so cool and he can solve all the problems in an instant!" There was a slight smile on the friend''s face. "It wasn''t LeLora but LeyLaira. They''re twin sisters." Ace blinked a few times before hitting his head with the front of his hand. "I''m stupid. And I called myself a fan of series. Now you''ll tell me that it was LeLora who defeated Bankruk and I''ll be done for." Par couldn''t help himself and giggled. Ace hit his forehead again. Harder. "Fine. I''m leaving those series alone. Never again am I watching another episode. Why in the world are those sisters so alike and even have similar names?" "They''re twins" Par said as if it was common knowledge, which it was. "That doesn''t make it any easier for me to tell them apart!" Ace whined. "LeLora has a pink bow and LeyLaira white one." Ace sighed. Those bows were identical, soft pink and milky white. "Are you sure you''re human?" he asked his friend seriously. "There''s no way to differentiate between the girls with normal eyes. Have you been modified by aliens?" Par looked like he was actually considering the question before replying. "No, I''m human." Ace chuckled. "Sure that a normal one? I wouldn''t want to one day find out you''re leaving me to have some experiments done to you on an alien ship!" "I''m normal" Par said with a soft smile that had a deeper meaning. Ace let it pass. He wanted a break from all the drama in his life. "That''s good. Although, I would have liked to meet some aliens. I hope you''d have introduce us!" The kid nodded. "I would need a friend." Ace laughed. "Yeah! And we could have the time of our life going through their ship while they''re not looking!" "It''s not nice to do that..." "We wouldn''t be taking anything, just looking around. It''s harmless!" Ace refuted. "There is nothing wrong with that!" The group following the kids had everything but agreement in their eyes. They had wondered what this new adventure was going to be like and now they knew. It was Ace trying his best to turn Par into someone like himself. "There are many people leaving" Hawk noted watching as groups of two or three went through the gates. Soldiers were eyeing them but took no action. "Maybe there''s something happening in the other city" Aurora said, lifting her shoulders in a shrug. "They''re carrying too many items" Worglan said. "You don''t take carts when you go celebrating." "Is this city in danger?" Aurora asked fearfully. She looked up as if expecting to see a meteor crashing through the sky. "I doubt it''s anything that physical" Hawk replied. "People don''t seem to be in a hurry so it''s neither an approaching army nor a hurricane coming this way." "What could it be then?" "An outbreak of some disease maybe? Or a killer setting up a residence like what happened in Mora. It was almost empty of people besides hunters when Silver Wing finally left." "Who is Silver Wing?" Worglan asked interested. "I don''t think I''ve heard that name before." "He''s a notorious killer. He had first shown up in the capital destroying the city economically by staying there for over a year. Nowadays Wing is popping up here and there, murdering some dozen people and disappearing again. I heard he''s been sighted near the other city recently. We should keep our guards up." "Is there a way to discern him from others?" "Among us travelers there''s a rumor going that he''s an abused kid that had went mad. He has blood-red hair and crimson eyes which shine through the slits in his fox like mask. One thing to always remember is that he knows not what mercy means and there''s not a single soul that survived meeting him" Hawk said explaining. He remembered reading a post made by a merchant whose caravan had been attacked. It was a gory story of flashing daggers, maniacal laughter, madness inducing poisons and bloody killings. The author had a hand for writing so the tale that he spun was so good that since then the caravan owners started to travel in packs and hire triple the amount of mercenaries and still whenever they went anywhere there was fear in their hearts. No person could sleep peacefully while the killer ran loose. Especially those who went outdoors. "Hawk?" Aurora''s voice called, penetrating his musings. "Are you listening?" "Sorry" he murmured looking straight ahead. Was there a fire raging right behind the gates? "I asked whether you think we could defeat him?" "Defeat who?" he asked turning to her. "Silver Wing. You said we might meet him so..." "Not a chance. He kept a whole capital in his grasp for a year and nobody could do anything to him, he infiltrated a mage''s guild and killed every single resident there and on top of that he destroyed a whole caravan travelling with hired mercenaries! Do you think we could do any of that now? The answer is obvious. And he was just a low level newbie when he took over Mora. Whole guilds are afraid of him." "Is that even possible?" Worglan asked taken aback. In his time he was one of the most feared creatures, a dark magician, but nothing like this. Can one person actually create this much mayhem? "He managed" Hawk answered with a shrug. "How do you know so much about him?" "I tend to collect information on where we''re going to be on the safe side and Silver Wing is always at the top of danger lists in any region of Meda kingdom since he follows no real patterns" Hawk explained half-heartedly. It was a bit embarrassing to say that like so many others he fell for the allure of chase and with avid interest followed all the news about the notorious killer. He didn''t believe to have a chance at capturing him when tagging with his group but watching others'' successes and failures was very close to the real thing. Players tended to share all information and guesses in forums since even the proudest and greediest ones didn''t delude themselves that they could catch Silver Wing on their own. Hawk sometimes wondered whether it was a good idea. What if Silver Wing wasn''t mentally challenged and could use forums? Attack dates weren¡¯t specified but hunter groups, their members, guilds and their plans everything was there in the open. Although, none of it had been used yet. Or maybe people were just lying to themselves. No hunter had come close to catching Silver Wing or even finding him not in his comfort zone. The killer showed up when he wanted to and disappeared without a trace. It was like he was made of shadows that he lived in. Some people believed it too. "What about other countries? Can''t they send someone to take care of this problem?" Worglan asked. "Meda is too divided and the king has no powers. There''s no one who could send an official plead even if they wanted. Not that they do. As long as no one extremely high up died nobody cares. Although, hunters from other places come. They too want a piece of this rarity called Silver Wing." Worglan grumbled something but it was too low for anyone to catch. "Did you say something?" Aurora asked instantaneously. "I think we should start worrying about what''s up ahead" he said pointing at the raging fires that showed no signs of going out. "What for?" Ace asked turning his head to them. "We can just run through." "Run through?" Hawk asked in disbelief. "It''s fire!" "And this is a game. It''ll hurt for a second and we''ll lose twenty health points at most so why not?" "Game?" Worglan asked while others looked at Ace with strange expressions. It was true that this was only a game but the level of realism often made people forget that some things were different after all. "We should still help them out" Aurora said shaking her head. "It''s not nice to pass those who are in need of aid." Ace now knew who had been a major influence in making Par such a goody-two-shoes. "A lady''s words can never be disregarded" Worglan said with a nod towards Aurora and started to chant. His voice was very low like a faraway grumble of thunder. Like hearing Ace''s comparison clouds started to gather and the sky turned dark. Winds rose and in moments large droplets of water started to fall. It soaked the group and everyone that was ahead of them up to the gates. There rain fell the hardest drenching the burning wagon and killing off the flames. Then the clouds dispersed as quickly as they had come. "That''s some useful spell" Ace noted looking at the smoking wagon. Worglan smiled. "Is there anyone who''d learn useless spells?" Ace smiled acknowledging his remark and turned towards Aurora. "Can we pass them now?" She looked troubled but nodded so Ace quickened his step and they were past the gates. Green field stretched as far as their eyes could see. It was empty of any living beings, animals or plants higher than a few centimeters. A lonely road went to the left which was packed with people. At its end a dark shape could be seen, a forest. "Are you sure there''s something to hunt here?" Hawk asked Monthu who in turn looked to Ace. "It should be behind that hill" the kid answered motioning forward. There didn''t seem to be anything in that direction besides green fields but who were they to question such sureness in the kid''s voice. Ace led the way and after half an hour they saw a valley opening up before them; it was as if they were standing on a very high mountain and looking downwards. Hills and valleys were intercepting each other, forests and fields fighting for supremacy. There were also dots moving here and there. "How do we get down there?" Aurora asked. She wasn''t one for heights. "By walking" Ace said in a matter of fact tone starting to half slide, half run. It looked extremely unsafe. A single wrong step could have him rolling down the hill out of control. "I think I know a better way" Worglan said eyeing Ace with distaste. "I prefer not risking my bones." He started murmuring under his breath and soon enough his body started to rise from the ground. It didn''t go high, only a foot or so. Yet he kept on chanting. Then the other members of the party felt themselves leaving the safety of mother Earth. Their bodies lost their weight and started floating above ground way higher than Worglan''s did. "You sure this is safer?" Hawk asked managing to fall upside down. He felt like an idiot in that position and Aurora''s chuckles weren''t helping at all. Worglan ignored him, chanting under his breath. He couldn''t lose his concentration for a second or they were all going to roll down the mountain and right at the death''s door. He had visited the guy and didn''t feel like twenty years were long enough. His spell levitated them to the very bottom were Ace stood with an annoyed expression on his face. "You cheated!" he exclaimed in outrage. "You''re the only one crazy enough to go by foot. We have some grey matter in our heads" Worglan said exhausted. Undead didn''t get tired by normal means but magic was a whole different matter. Ace guessed it was to prevent undead mages becoming overpowered. To keep the guy''s image right he allowed a drop of sweat to run down Worglan''s forehead and his breathing become a bit deeper, slightly quicker. "Is that a very high level spell?" Aurora asked worried. She cast a spell to strengthen his body and mind so to reduce the strain. "The highest I can manage" Worglan answered breathing a bit more easily. It was amazing how he could feel tired and yet elated. The emotions were swirling inside him like they belonged there even if it was just an illusion. He had thought he paid for immortality with mortal joys but here they were back. The strain of casting a difficult spell and keeping it up and pride in managing it, not failing. Just how powerful was the kid to make him feel alive again? Or just how imaginative? He couldn''t answer. Or more like didn''t want to try. "Where should w-" Hawk tried asking when Ace''s voice cut him off. "Ice field!" the kid shouted out and rushed forward with a new pair of daggers drawn out. His opponent, a giant cyclops, fell receiving a leg full of mosquito like wounds which had no effect on his overall health. So he stood up and started angrily stomping on the ground trying to et rid of the annoying bug; Ace was dodging by inches. "I think that answers your question" Monthu said taking out his scythe and choosing the best skill for the occasion. "It does" Hawk muttered under his breath as if it was a curse and released a volley of arrows. They pricked the giants face making him even more annoyed. "Careful or we''ll all be squashed!" Monthu cautioned. They were standing back to a very steep mountain/hill and before them was a rampaging cyclops. "We need to lead him sideways." "Done" Ace said appearing beside Monthu and then opposite their group. "Hey, you! Yes, you giant idiot! Can''t catch me, can you? So slow I might fall asleep any moment now!" The creature roared in outrage and jumped after Ace who was running in zig zags and taunting it. "Spirits that linger give him strength to oppose his foes, Speed of Light!" Aurora chanted giving Ace a buff to his quickness and then continued giving a specified enchantment to every team member that increased his element of power. "I''m going to join Ace cover me." "Got it" the ranger answered releasing a few well aimed hits. They made the monster wince a little but he didn''t turn back. "We can go all out, he''s ignoring us for the moment!" he shouted out letting go of a bunch of arrows that flew all hitting the targeted places. Par followed his order and summoned a fire elemental alongside which he shot a bunch of fireballs. While it was on cooldown he summoned the fire snake which slithered to do her favorite biting tactic. Worglan joined in and called a wire-o-wisp that stayed near Hawk and enflamed all his arrows for that little extra damage. Then he cast circle of fire. It was an area-of-effect spell which burned anything that stayed within it. In normal fights it was dangerous for your party members but it can be put at any height so the spell was one of the best fighting against giants. After that Worglan continued with the usual fireballs, only his were coming five at a time. Aurora seeing that nobody will be in any real danger used some of her mana to call upon god''s judgment in sky fire. A few more hits from Monthu and the cyclops fell disappearing into grey mist. Small pile of loot took the corpse''s place. Ace glanced at it and seeing nothing interesting in the rusted weapons and chain armor turned around. "I think you went a bit overboard guys" he said remembering the amount of spells used. "Me and Monthu had nothing to do." "So what? Isn''t that free experience for you?" Hawk asked not finding anything wrong with making sure the enemy died as quickly as possible. "Yeah and if we got attacked again?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Imagine now a group of them approached us." "Since when have you become a voice of reason?" Monthu asked not exactly in distrust but with a bit of apprehension. Ace blinked a few times recounting his words. "I''m sorry. It''s your job. Then everyone use as much as you have! Make it a flashy fight for all to enjoy!" "You sure you''re feeling okay?" Monthu asked pocketing the items to be shared at a later date. He had the highest strength stat so carrying fell to him. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Ace shrugged. "I''ll go look for more mobs." "Sure" Monthu agreed but Hawk interfered. "What for? I can attract giants with a single arrow." To make his point clear he shot somewhere in the distance and an earthquake happened. "What did you do?" Aurora asked grabbing on the wall to stay upright. "It''s a giant running" Ace said with a laugh. "Par let''s see who can stay standing! No holding onto anything!" The kid nodded accepting the dare and let his staff fall to the ground. His hands lifted up to help him keep balance and he put his legs a bit apart. Ace watched his try and smiled to himself. The kid took the game very seriously. He himself put an air of weakness wavering back and forth, always on the verge of falling but never actually doing it. His balance from climbing on the roofs was impeccable. Any other person would see his actions as making fun but Ace was sure Monthu would understand it as equaling the field. If he was better, he should be doing more. Simple as that. The game ended without a victor as a mountain of a monster barged into their camp and looked for an offender. His eyes were focusing on Hawk when Ace took out a throwing dagger and threw it right at them. The giant roared in pain covering his sight to protect it. Monthu used that time to start cutting at the leg while Ace grabbed on the trousers and started climbing. He was halfway done when the monster decided he didn''t need two hands to hide his eyes and started to swat at everything with the other. The giant limb came perilously closed to knocking Ace over but he managed to hold onto the fabric and doubled his climbing speed afterwards. Spells flashed past him but he ignored them. It was only fire and he had [Excessive Heat] to protect him against that. The spell showed up to be a really useful thing unlike what he had thought when he had learnt it at first. The path came to an end at the giant''s head. There Ace made sure to get a good grip with one hand while he took a dagger drenched in acid with the other. Then he used it to stab repeatedly at the creature''s neck. The giant went mad from pain. He started jumping and shaking, hitting his own neck with no success. When he understood it, he went to throw himself back first into the wall. That was something Ace had no wish to taste so he stuck the dagger in as deeply as possible and jumped down. His graceless flight landed him on a patch of grass which did little to soften the hit. It reverberated through his whole body and he lay still for a few moments trying to collect his wits about himself. When he was back on track, he wondered why Aurora wasn''t healing him when his health bar was flashing such a deep crimson red. A huge foot coming his way answered all questions he had asked and more. [Shadow Dash] was required to escape it alive. In the air he grabbed on the giant leg''s trousers and hung there looking around. His friends were running left and right, falling and standing up again. Ace thought for a moment and took out another dagger. It was drenched in paralyzer. The thing would do nothing to subdue the ton of mass this monster was but with one leg asleep its damage could be somewhat minimized. Not thinking more on it, he plunged the blade in and repeated it until he felt the muscles under him relaxing. This brought another set of troubles because he was falling again yet he couldn''t be hit or he''d be taking a break for a whole day from Royal Road. His eyes desperately went around searching for an escape road. Like usually there was none. That meant he had to create one. "Wild vines!" he casted and at the same time used [Shadow Dash]. The grass spawned just at the time to soften his blow to the wall and create something for him to hold onto. He used the vines to slide down and drank a few potions to keep his health up. Every hit was a mortal danger since he had so little of it. "You''re a madman" Hawk muttered from somewhere beside him and Ace looked up. "Why?" he asked instantaneously. "You were crazy enough to anger a giant and kept on doing it to the very end." Ace looked in the direction Hawk was shooting arrows and saw a fallen mountain with one leg laying limp while all other flailed around destroying everything in their paths. The little forest that had been before them was no more. "I''m sorry" he said looking in awe. "Why apologize if you''re not feeling guilty?" "People like it" Ace said without thinking, watching how a strong ancient oak was torn in half with a single swipe of a hand. Hawk turned towards him but there was no explanation of the words said on his face. There were only wide eyes at the scale of destruction that could be caused by an immobilized giant. Ace took a step to get a closer look but Hawk pulled him back. "Stay still. Do you want to get squashed?" The kid muttered under his breath angrily but listened. For a second. In another he was off to stand beside Par and distract him from casting spells by his chattering. Twenty or so minutes later they managed to finish the creature off and were free to see far ahead with their horizon cleared from obstructing trees. The valley was still going down where a field filled with cyclops and heavy armed giants walking around could be seen. It looked like they were patrolling around something but that thing was hidden beneath a thickness of trees and bushes. Fog was a constant there rising up to the middle of giants. "It will be dangerous to go there. We could easily get separated" Hawk said with a disgruntled face. Fog was archer''s worst enemy. "Then we make camp here and you lure them with your arrows." Monthu said looking over the dark valley. Cyclops weren''t going to cause a lot of problems. They were armorless and weaponless relying on their bare fists to do the work. However, giants were a whole different story. Their size was almost twice of a cyclops who was already three times that of a normal human being. On top of that they wore crudely made armor made of bones and leather. Some had massive rusted swords or shields which could level a forest in a single hit. It was going to be like fighting a mountain. Hopefully, there were no more creatures which could pose even more threat. But Monthu didn''t hold his breath on that one. The foggy plains were wide and anything could be hiding in there. No one ever said it could be only two types of monsters in a single field. **** The morning sun was welcomed to a could be gory sight if it was anything but a game. Now only a mountain of loot was an indicator what had transpired the night before. And seeing that it was the height of a human being a lot of things must have happened. A party of tired humans lay beside it panting and puffing in exhaustion. Neither one looked capable of even standing up. "I don''t think I''ve ever kept on going for so long" Hawk said exhaling. "I can understand why" Monthu said wanting to sit up but not finding the energy for it. "We should have stopped ages ago!" Aurora echoed them, thinking of a spell to ease tired muscles but none came to mind. Not that she had mana to use one even if she did remember. "But those experience points were just coming to us to get collected! It was do that or be killed by them!" Ace disagreed loudly. He heard Par breathing in a steady rhythm beside him. The kid was most likely asleep. "And still we should have escaped" Aurora murmured. "Up the hill?" Ace asked in disbelief. "There''s no way we could get up there!" "More the disappointment." "Look at the bright side, we''d gotten a bunch of levels that we would have farmed for days otherwise." Hawk said opening his status menu, others followed. "Seven" Monthu said with a smile. "Those cyclops seem to have been higher level than we expected." "But they were so weak!" Ace said. He had gained only one level but it was to be expected. He was way stronger than his teammates. "I think we found an unknown training paradise! Such information is sold for thousands of golds for guilds!" Hawk said with joy. No one in his group cared much for money so he already counted this place as his possession. "I think I should tell it to my guild..." Ace said with a sigh. "I don''t think I''ve ever done anything for them." "You have a guild?" Hawk asked surprised. "You never mentioned it." "There was no real reason to. It''s not like I know many of them." "But you do know them. How did we never meet them?" "Oh but you did... Well, Par and Monthu did. You and Aurora were away at that time." "I did?" Monthu asked unsure. Ace rolled over and looked at Monthu over his hands. "Remember the time you almost got thrown down into a volcano?" "What?" Aurora asked in horror but Ace ignored her outburst. "So do you?" "How could I forget such an occasion? It''s not like I tend to make a habit of visiting places like that." Ace chuckled. "Did you take note of the people who actually went down?" "Only one; the girl screamed so loudly I had to cover Par''s ears. None the less, he was terrified afterwards." "That lovely voice belonged to Perry. She''s a swordmage and leads a group hunting Silver Wing." "I think I''d rather pretend I don''t know her the next time we meet." Ace laughed. "That does seem to be the case." "You''re cruel guys! She got thrown into lava and you talk as if she should be ashamed of being afraid!" Aurora said in an indignant voice. "You should feel sorry for her!" "For what? She more than deserved it" Ace said in a dead pan voice. "Never in your life feel sorry for her." "How can you be so heartless? She got thrown into lava!" The girl made sure to emphasize the last word. "That''s a word created for her. She found me being treated in an old woman''s shack and deciding I was Silver Wing killed the healer granny who said I was sick and shouldn''t be disturbed. Then from Romeo, our guild''s leader, she found out I was her guild mate and took me in as a lost dog. It was humiliating to say the least!" "She accused you of what?" Hawk asked in surprise. "Why would she ever think you were the cold blooded murderer?" "Do you know the late characteristics of Silver Wing?" "He''s a child with red hair, fox mask and crimson eyes. Last time he wore dirty rags drenched in blood, although, usually he wore a dark cloak that hid his maskless face." "That''s pretty good. So Perry had a man from the caravan who supposedly had looked into the monster''s eyes and seen sorrow there. That was pretty far-fetched but she''s crazy like that. Anything is okay as long as she gets to catch Silver Wing. So she had him look into my eyes and look and behold he saw hidden sadness there! That meant I was the killer!" "But all the traits didn''t match you!" Aurora said puzzled. "She couldn''t condemn you based on your eyes, especially since they didn''t even match in color!" "She would have if I wasn''t me." "How did you repay her?" Monthu asked with light amusement. He felt a kind of kinship with that crazy woman; he was often on the receiving end of Ace''s bouts of giving payback. "Hm..." Ace said trying to remember. "I punched and stabbed her guy, humiliated her and then, I believe, I ran away. Yeah, that''s pretty much all I did." "You don''t know what holding back means, do you?" Hawk asked with a laugh. "Pfff... She deserved it. I don''t appreciate being accused of cold-blooded murder." Hawk rolled onto his stomach and leveled his eyes to Ace''s. "But she''s got great senses. You''re one of the few children who are actually capable of it." "You''d pin me for a killer too?" Ace asked with a raised eyebrow. "Maybe not The killer but if a dead body appeared I''d wonder a bit." "You wound me!" Ace said with a chuckle turning on his back. He raised his hand and looked at it. "You sure this pale, weak looking limb is actually capable of anything?" "We''ve heard there''s more beneath the surface than meets the eye." "People are such gossipers these days." Hawks face went still for a moment. "Can you explain me something?" he asked in a serious voice, not befitting the previous light mood. "Shoot me." "You didn''t agree to answer." "There are things better left unsaid. It depends on your question whether I''ll answer it or not." "Fine then. How old are you really?" "Is that your million dollar question?" Ace asked with a smile, turning back on his back to look at Hawk. "Isn''t it a bit of a waste?" "I don''t trust you to answer anything more complicated than that." Ace chuckled. "As you wish. I''m nineteen. " "Just like that? You just went and said it? Wasn''t it your secret or something?" Ace rolled his eyes. "It''s not much of a secret. It''s like entering a dragon''s cave and finding a dragon there. Not surprising or anything. Say it, you were expecting something of the like." "I thought it was a bit lower..." "Too bad, I''m an adult already. Legally." "Do you expect us to treat you differently now?" Monthu asked rolling over to look at Ace. Aurora did the same to be able to better follow the exchanges. "Legal acts are only good for average people. I may reach a hundred years but even then I''ll still be a kid, no matter what my passport might be saying." "You don''t seem overly sad at that." "Hawk!" Aurora shouted out. "Leave him be, he''s just a kid whose finally gotten a candy that had been kept away in a jar. You needn''t be angry at him¡± Ace said with a slight smile. "Me? A kid?" Hawk asked lightly offended. "Should I start protecting my brother from you then?" Monthu asked with a laugh. "Shut up" Hawk grumbled. "So? Will you answer my question?" "Sure. It''s simple, really. I just got used to it. Years and years of the same do teach you to accept what you have." "But not enjoy it?" "I know the reason I don''t age. It''s not as easy to forgive as you might think." "Forgive?" "One of those stories better left untold." "Why? How discriminating can it be?" "Don''t want to." "But you''ve just raised my interest! You can''t leav-" "Hawk, leave him be. He''s being extremely open unlike himself already." Monthu chastised his friend sensing the kid''s growing anger. It was a miracle he had said as much as he did. Something extremely happy should have happened to make him this talkative and they should enjoy it instead of cutting it short. "Exactly! Be a good boy and listen for once!" "What? I''ve been demoted to a dog?" "Yes!" Ace said clapping. "If you act nicely, one day you might return to being a human!" "Can I at least be a bird and not a dog?" "You don''t get to choose!" "What an unlucky me" Hawk said in mock horror, moving his head to sides. "Maybe you''ll learn one day!" "Maybe, maybe." Hawk was playing along for the sole purpose of watching Ace so free and unburdened. He wasn''t sure he''s seen this kid adult so unguarded. When Ace returned from his outing they had all separated to return to real life and only then set out on this journey. Something must have happened at that time to change his usual guarded personality to this new strange one. Or was this another of his acts? Could he be planning something? Or just lying to please them until the right time came? Was he really that twisted? "What are you so serious about suddenly? You''re making me worried." He was such a kid when he was in a good mood. It was hard to imagine he was anything but a willful twelve year old. Hawk had heard the saying if you can fake honesty, you''ve got it all made a million times but he''d never seen it action before. It worried him how much appearance and a feeling given by a person had to do with trust given. It could be so easily created. So easily mistaken for a true thing. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Ace looked at him through narrowed eyes but kept his mouth closed. It was his day today. Finally he was free of the terror called Vera. There was nothing in the world that could ruin his mood. It was the most perfect day of all. So he smiled and looked at his stamina bar. It was regenerating quickly and was back to a third already. ¡°I think we should go hunting for some giants now!¡± ¡°Are you mad we haven¡¯t even rested yet!¡± ¡°Are you so weak, incapable of a little hard work?¡± Ace asked Hawk tauntingly. From the narrowing of the guy¡¯s eyes he knew he took the bait even if he knew for what it was. Pride always had a big say in what people did and what not. ¡°Good then!¡± he said without even waiting for the reply, ¡°Aurora can cook us something until Par wakes up and we¡¯ll be going!¡± After saying that, Ace stood up and strolled towards the place where the ground started to go downhill. He looked there to make sure there were still enemies there. They were. Giants walked tall among the ever present fog. They were very far off from one another when cyclops were gone but they would prove to be an even harder opponent. Ace was sure of it. ¡°Can we run away when he¡¯s not looking?¡± Hawk asked quietly so Ace wouldn¡¯t hear it. Ace smirked watching the lonesome giants. It was nice having enhanced senses. Next Chapter-->http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=3091 Previous Chapter-->http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=2813&p=18817#p18817 5.2 Hunt "From your left!" Hawk shouted to Monthu and the guy barely dodged a shower of spikes that landed right where he had been standing. "Bolt Arrow!" Ace casted stunning a strange creature in its defenseless state before its spikes could grow back. It resembled a pig which was the same height as him and had spikes over its whole body. They used them as shields or thrown missiles depending on the need. When their spikes were gone, you could see dark pink skin covered with black dots from which new weapons were growing back right before your eyes. "Frozen Volley!" Hawk said shooting at the stunned monster to slow its regeneration even more. It was the only way to deal any damage to them. "Magma Blade! Cut-throat!" "Too late! Get away!" Hawk hissed releasing arrows in quick succession to cover Ace''s retreat. "Dammit" the kid muttered annoyed. It was the fourth time the creature managed to regenerate before they got around to killing it. "This one''s a tenacious one." The pig like creature watched them with its beady eyes hidden behind its spikes that had created a protective shield around him. It looked much more intelligent than the previous one''s had. "It''s going for Monthu again!" Ace said getting tired of the repetitive fight. If the creature wasn''t going to attack him and instead focused Monthu who was fighting the animal''s master, then Ace might as well get daring. He gripped his two daggers tighter and ran straight at the monster. Its spikes were already outstretched, almost out of their sockets. Ace went to slide feet first to get between the animals legs and under him. There he embedded his both daggers infused with [Gust] and [Flare] into its stomach. Nothing happened beside a squeak of pain. Ace hissed in disappointment and retracted his daggers before plunging them in again. Repeatedly. It took six tries for it to work. "Better than nothing" Ace murmured feeling the pressure pushing him into the ground. It was very uncomfortable but didn''t take much out of his health pool. The same couldn''t be said about the pig like creature. It was screeching high in the air while its spikes were flying in all the directions. The blast seemed to have come right before their release. Hawk wanted to call Ace out on his idiocy for risking his life but was too busy shooting at the unprotected stomach of the animal. It was already bleeding heavily and he hoped this was going to be enough to finish it off. Ace also sent a few [Bolt Arrows] and [Acid Splashes]. It was all he could do while it was in the air. Or maybe not. "Shadow Dash!" he said jumping high up. First and foremost he made sure to get on top of the animal and only then he started his stabbing business again. The spikes were growing quickly but not fast enough. Another explosion split them apart. The creature crashed into the ground letting out a last ear-splitting screech while Ace did a summersault and landed safely on his feet. Without any word said he went running towards a giant which was trying to step on Monthu but so far unsuccessfully. It was constantly being hit by fireballs which were clouding its eyesight and pushed by forces of winds. "What took you so long?" Monthu asked while hitting the giant''s foot with the end of his scythe. "Sorry" Ace answered to make it shorter and stabbed a few times. The explosion took him away but it had no effect on the giant. Ace doubted he even felt it. A shower of arrows distracted the giant and Ace had time to return to the fight. White light enveloped his running body and he felt energy returning. "Thanks!" On the way he exchanged [Flare] with [Bolt Arrow]. It was the usual tactic against the giants but it could take hours to work out so he never put much trust in it. The better way was for Par and Worglan to cast one of the most damaging spells [Meteor Shower]. It was extremely powerful sending large rocks from the space falling on a selected field but it took twenty minutes to cast. A crazily long time. "We''ll start now!" Worglan announced stopping the onslaught of fireballs and starting a very difficult chant. Par followed his lead repeating the words and filling them with magical energy. "The fun begins" Ace said with a laugh and jumped on the giant¡¯s leg to actually find a place unprotected by armor where he could deal some damage. Near the knee he found a place where pieces of metal were adjoined leaving a small gap. Small in giant standards, human sized in Ace''s. He took out two longer daggers, almost the length of a sword, infused them with the same spells and started stabbing while sitting on the leather that kept the metal pieces together. The giant didn''t seem to be feeling his attacks at all. It even stayed quite still trying to hit Monthu with its club for a change. "This is stupid" Ace murmured feeling like a bee trying to kill an elephant with its sting. A somewhat hopeless endeavor. His saddle moved and he grabbed onto a side to keep his balance. One of his daggers clattered down. "He''s going for the mages!" Hawk shouted out in panic. "It''s too early!" Ace screamed trying to stand up without falling after his weapon. It had been only what, five minutes? The giant shouldn''t have noticed them so quickly. "I know!" Hawk answered releasing a volley but the giant blocked them with a wave of his hand and kept on going to his target. He could feel the magic gathering and instinctively knew to get close to destroy it before it could become dangerous for him. "Do something!" "What exactly?" Ace asked looking for a way to stop the moving mountain. He could use [Ice Field] but then the giant would fall right on the mages which would be counterproductive. Vines were nowhere near strong enough to hold him, the same as [Gust]. Poison was useless against this one too. He was way larger than the one they had fought near the mountain side or others walking in this mist. Could he be the boss or just higher level? But it was not the time to dwell on such questions. Hawks arrows were falling short by being blocked while Monthu was pretty useless from the start. He was good only as a distraction while others actually did the damage. So it was up to Ace to do something, to save the day. ''Think, think, think... There must be a way!'' he encouraged himself swaying on the leather hold and racking his brain for an answer. It was empty so he did what was his solution for every problem was. Action. He started climbing up for another free space to be attacked. There was no easily accessible one so he kept on going. The giant didn''t even notice him, concentrated on his targets so Ace went higher and higher until he was climbing on hair. Then he was noticed and the giant went to hit his head trying to squash Ace into a pancake. The kid didn''t feel like becoming one so he jumped on another strand congratulating himself on stopping the monster for a second and thinking of any way to get out of this alive. His eyes landed on a giant blue orb to his right. ''Another gamble?'' Ace asked himself with a smile and started climbing again. A giant hand moved dangerously close so he jumped to another strand of hair and quickly moved up and to the right. When he was above the giant''s eye, Ace released his hold on the hair and plunged downwards. In an instant he took out a dagger, "Acid Splash!" he hissed drenching it in the eroding substance and pushed it right into the blue orb leaving it there. Another terrible scream penetrated the air that day. Ace hoped his stunt was enough to distract the creature from getting to the mages and now was busy thinking up ways not to hit the ground at full force. "Wild Vines!" he said trying to catch onto them and get on the giant again but the monster was moving so frantically the vines, the moment they spawned, were already too far away for Ace to latch onto. His plight seemed to be imminent. Ace used [Gust] underneath himself to slow himself down and for the same reason outstretched all the limbs. Hopefully, that was going to leave him at least a few health points so Aurora could heal him. Whooosh! Something rushed past grabbing him on the way. Its claws dug into his shoulders and rising his head Ace saw the silhouette of a white Roc carrying him. Since when were they here too? He hadn''t seen any flying monsters around the place even though they had been hunting for a few days now. Not that he was complaining. Everything that saved his life was welcome to appear at any given time. To his surprise he was gently lowered to the ground and the monstrous bird went to peck the giant''s head maddening him even more. In a way it was good since it was now trying to hit the flying creature instead of going for mages. "How long has it been?" he asked running to Hawk. The archer was standing still as a statue watching the bird''s flight through narrowed eyes. "It''s too slow." "What?" "The bird. It''s going to get hit soon." Ace wanted to curse loudly. A savior appeared but it was inefficient. Stupid bird pretending to be a hero yet failing. "Speed of Light! Shadow Control! Cat''s reflexes!" a familiar voice shouted from nearby and Ace saw all the buffs hitting the Roc. It instantly became faster, its form a bit blurred. "Nice to see you again" the kid said without even having to turn back. "Just what are you doing here?" "Saving your hides, what else?" Nein asked coming to stand beside them. "And it looks like I''m successful." The bird now escaped every hit with ease and managed to lead the giant quite some distance away. "Who''s that?" Hawk asked motioning with his head towards the white bird. "Let me guess, it''s Rowena" Ace said with dry amusement in his voice. "You remember her? She thought you''d have forgotten her the moment she was gone." "I don''t forget faces nor their names" Ace said watching the fight and feeling kind of disappointed. He was supposed to solve the situation. It wasn''t fun getting saved. At all. Feeling instantly bored he sat down and took out a couple of daggers. Back in the city he had bought a number of them emptying a few shops or close to that. The blades in his possession had a tendency to get eroded or stuck in something without being able to be retrieved. It was tough fate serving him. Not that the daggers complained. Ace gently brushed over the flat side enjoying its cool surface. He took out a couple of crystal clear bottles from his bag and spilled them over the blades. They glistened for a second before returning to their normal outlook. Now they were poisoned but only a person with identification skill could tell what kind of. The kid had no such thing so for him it was going to be the old fashioned testing way. But the time was not right so he pocketed the weapons and took out a new pair marking with which elixir which blade was purged. "What are you doing?" Nein asked sitting down beside him. Ace raised his head for a second to glance with annoyance before returning to his work. "Did it look like I needed company?" "One always needs company." The kid didn''t even acknowledge it with a reply making sure the elixir was distributed well over the blade. It would be a disaster if he discarded a good poison because it had all pooled up near the handle and the point had almost none. "Are you ignoring me?" Nein asked incredulously. The kid he remembered was softer and more well-mannered. "May I ask who exactly are you?" Hawk said finally turning to the newcomer. He had black hair, almost beady eyes and a beard to compliment that. Light brown cloak showed him to be a caster but doubtfully an elementalist. They all preferred a certain shade of their color. "I''m Ne-" "Perry''s lapdog" Ace said cutting the guy off. "No need to remember any name." "The girl who..?" "Yep, the same one." "Why did he save us then?" Monthu asked coming to their group. He was holding his weapon loosely but Ace could see the threat in it. One wrong word and Nein was going to taste steel since he wasn¡¯t going to leave on his own. "The same reason she did" Ace said motioning with his head to the flying bird. "They are here to spy on me and it would be too much of a bother to go look for me at a spawn place now that they had found me." "I thought you said you''d leave all your businesses at the city?" "I did but these two are a different breed. I last saw them at the same time as you, in that inn." "You sure?" "Yes, I''ve been helping a damsel in distress lately which had nothing to do with real players" Ace answered making sure not to touch the newly poisoned blade. He needed it tested but not on himself. "How much longer?" he asked, directing his question to Hawk. "A few minutes. You can already see the signs." Hearing that Ace pocketed his last dagger and stood up with a resigned expression. "I don''t think he''ll keep chasing then." Right on his words the giant saw the reddening sky with his left eye and swiftly turned around, starting to run towards the mages. His massive steps shook the ground. "Water frozen up in time rise and swallow this place in your icy grip, let the wrong doers be washed and cleaned of impurities which dirty your beautiful face, Ice Field!" Ace chanted out the whole incantation to strengthen the spell. A wide field became glisteningly see-through blue. But the giant was in too much hurry to notice it. So his foot slipped and even though he tried to right himself the surface was too slippery. He fell face first breaking the ice and giving mother earth a lingering kiss. Hawk took out three razor sharp arrows and with cold precision shot them at the giant¡¯s neck. They wore no helmets but their heights protected them against most aerial attacks. However, now that he lay on the ground, it was an easy target. The scythe was on it also. Monthu having used [Dash] was cutting at the neck with all his power before the giant managed to get his wits around himself and stand up. "Shackles of earth that bind the unwary, Wild Vines!" Ace said another spell casting it on the giant''s hands. They held for a few seconds but he cast it again and again keeping the monster on the ground and preventing it from attacking Monthu or the mages. "One minute!" Hawk said firing each shot around the same spot on the giant''s neck. Numerous arrows were already embedded there and together they were starting to make a difference. The skin had turned red and the giant kept rising one side of its mouth in a growl like expression. Ace saw the giant close to lifting himself up so he cast another [Ice Field] which made his hands slip and kept him from standing up awhile longer. "Monthu get away, it¡¯s done!" Hawk shouted out which was a signal for Ace to keep the monster in place. The kid went to cast a gazillion of vines without even waiting for the previous ones to be broken. They were like silk threads to the giant but the shear amount of them kept him occupied for some time. That little time was all Worglan needed to aim the spell he and Par had been chanting for the last twenty minutes and release it. In an instant the sky from lightly tinged pink turned crimson red and human sized rocks with fiery tails started to fall. Their flight was short quickly ending on a giant¡¯s body who screamed from the pain. His armor didn''t hold and the heat was melting it right on his body. If that wasn''t enough, the height from which the stones fell made them feel like being hit by hundreds of elephants. Each one of them. And there were hundreds of those stones coming down, all aimed at the ground where the giant was sprawled out. Ace''s eyes were glued to the sight. It was a terrible spell but a very beautiful one. It was much better than any fireworks. From the corner of his eyes he could see Aurora on the nearby hill with her back to the sight. She was holding Par''s hand and keeping him away too. Ace knew why she would do it but still found it stupid. Wasn''t gore a traveler''s companion? No matter how much you would try every fight was a bloody thing and even if corpses disappeared, you had to kill them for it to happen. And every attack left a mark on your opponent''s body which rarely was a good sight. Stolen story; please report. Once the shower of stones had ended Ace ran onto the newly maid hill of stones and went to look for treasure. He was the most agile one so it fell on him to find where the loot had fallen. No one else dared to risk their lives on the trembling surface. Something shining caught his eye and he jumped down between two stones. As he expected there lay his prize. It was a golden ring that could go around his waist with some space to spare. "This time it''s one for the little finger!" he shouted out to his group trying to somehow get out of the hole with his treasure. "Another ring?" Hawk asked annoyed. "How many does it make it now? Five, six?" "Seven, actually" Monthu said checking his bag. "If this continues, I don''t think I''ll be able to carry much more." "Why do you take them then?" Nein asked. "Just leave them and be done with it." "What if there''s a quest associated with them?" Ace said, finally out. He only needed to get to everyone without falling into any other holes which happened pretty often when he was dragging a heavy ring after him. "We haven''t found any similar ones." "Really?" Nein asked interested. Quests that were started by collecting specific items were hard to find because there were no similar ones. Once done the mission was gone. So they were rare and usually gave great rewards. "Yep!" Ace said with a smile throwing the ring down. It fell straight up ready to roll away so Ace jumped on it from the stone he had been standing on. He wavered trying to keep his balance while running on the ring, but didn''t manage to right himself up and in moments was lying flat on the ground. "Hey, are you okay?" Aurora asked running to him with a healing spell on her lips but Ace just laughed. "That was fun!" "But you got hurt!" Ace looked at his health bar who had lost some seven percent. "That''s not getting hurt. It''s just a scratch." While Aurora stood still unsure of whether she should berate him further, Monthu came and picked the ring. "I''ll take it before you kill yourself." Ace pouted. Just because he could. And then stood up dusting his clothes off. "I think we should get going. With those two around we can farm much faster." "We should change our strategy then" Hawk said. "The mages could start casting right away while I and Ace take care of Spoars and Monthu with them keep the giant distracted." "That could work" Monthu agreed and it was decided. On the way to the next fight Ace went to chat to Par. He had promised the kid a nice hunt and hoped he was having fun, although he doubted that casting a twenty minute long spell was anything interesting. However, his fears showed up to be unfounded. Par avidly talked about how amazing it was to have such influence on the fight, how uplifting it was to feel the power of the spell building itself up and then releasing it, to see its power and know it was your making. He shared how strong Worglan was and that he was teaching him spells while nobody was looking. This Par said into Ace''s ear so no one could hear it. Ace smiled at it all, showed appropriate expressions and kept getting surprised at how little the kid needed to be happy. He was enjoying every single moment of his life. As long as nothing bad happened he was the happiest person alive. It was somewhat contagious so Ace found himself smiling a bit wider too. He knew that happy things came with a price, a large suffering afterwards, but took them with an open heart anyway. Joy was a fleeting thing while pain always came. It was the way of humans to keep suffering to move onwards. "Giant and three Spoars!" Hawk announced. He had the sharpest eyes out of all of them and could see shapes even in the fog that surrounded them. Not that it made him any happier about it being here. He liked precision and it wasn''t possible in the fog. "Can you take them on?" Monthu asked taking a better grip of his weapon. "If we have to, we will" Ace answered with self-assuredness coming from countless battles won on a simple decision to come out victorious. "It''ll be a chall-" Hawk started to say when Nein started to chant. His words were simple to understand; blessings. He said tenths of them and with each one all party members felt themselves growing stronger, faster, more sure footed and quicker to react. Everything from muscle power to decision making, from emotion control to movement one was increased. Not a single thing was left unchanged. Aurora had only divine blessings to add after that. "But you''re not a shaman" Rowena said surprised. They were the class meant for increasing teammates'' strength having access to both clerical and wizardly spells. "I''m not" Nein agreed sitting down on a patch of grass. "My work is done so go and have a try at fighting now. You should feel a slight difference, I believe." "What class are you then?" Rowena asked again. She hadn''t seen anything like that before. The guy had a humongous amount of buffs and all of them were high level. "A mage" Nein answered with a half-smile. He knew he was a mystery but wasn''t eager to explain how and why. Safety was only in unpredictability. "We have been noticed!" Hawk said preventing Rowena from asking anything else. "We have to get moving!" "Got it," everyone said and went to their designed positions starting up their work. Monthu attracted the giant''s attention by cutting at its feed that were only protected by leather shoes. It wasn''t any real threat to the humanoid but seeing only one little creature they liked to play with them. When it was solely focused on Monthu, Rowena turned into a Roc again and went to assist him while Hawk and Ace went for the Spoars. They were like guard dogs to the giants and most were fine with only one. But not this one clearly as he had three with him. "Cover me, I''ll try to get close" Ace said and his reply was a volley of arrows directed at the Spoars which made them turn their spikes into a defensive shield. It was all Ace could have asked for and he approached them from the side where they could see their master getting attacked. This triggered their protective instinct going into attack mode and stretching out their spikes to be thrown at a designed target. But from the last time he knew it wasn''t going to be him so he bravely ran at them casting [Acid Splash] and [Bolt Arrow]. The first spell destroyed some spikes while dealing damage over time and the second stunned them. To his surprise Ace saw an additional effect it had. The electric shock ran through the creatures'' muscles making them spasm for a quarter of a second but it was all it took for the spikes to fall out lifelessly. "This is amazing" Ace muttered stabbing and seeing how much deeper his daggers went in. "What did you do?" Hawk asked suddenly wary. Only after a few moments he noticed that the spikes weren''t thrown out but were lying by the kid''s feet. "Used my spells right for once! Who would have known they worked in this way too?" Ace answered between the attacks. "-ful!" Hawk screamed out but Ace was too busy to hear it fully. He half turned to see what the archer wanted and following his gaze saw a whole Spoar amount of spikes right before his face. His first plan would have been to run but his instincts took the better of him and he fell to the ground. "Wild Vines!" he screamed out feeling his skin getting pierced. They rose up protecting him somewhat but they were no shield. Right as he thought that he saw a white barrier coming to life before him. It was see through and paper thin but all attacks got deflected and spikes fell harmlessly beside it. It lasted for all the five seconds before disappearing but it had been enough. Ace felt light magic surrounding him when he stood up and used [Shadow Dash] to get on his attacker who was now defenseless. He stabbed its neck with [Magma Blade] and [Backstab] while using [Acid Splash] to cover the wound. There was no mercy for those who had gotten close to killing him. The creature screeched and squirmed under him, trying to get rid of an unwanted rider but it was not to come true. Ace now had enough power in his legs to stay seated and keep repeating his attacks until the Spoar went still and turned into grey mist. When he was finished, Ace turned to see how Hawk was doing against the other two. He was more than the kid expected. Hawk was running and jumping, rolling and skipping to evade the Spoars'' melee attacks all while shooting arrows at their weak spots. Faces, bellies, joints and where the spikes hadn''t regrown after having fallen off because of Ace''s magic. The kid thought about leaving him to his devices but after remembering the shouted warning decided to help. "Bolt Arrow!" he shouted out stunning one creature for a second. "Ice Field!" he said again, this time going for the slippery surface. Then he jumped on it sliding to one of the targets and slashed a few times with [Magma Blade]. It melted the almost formed spikes reaching the soft skin where a wide gash opened up. Animal screeched-oinked in pain and tried to stand, get back to Ace but its legs slipped repeatedly, making it unable to do anything but vent out its frustration in sound. Two arrows came penetrating its skull and silencing it. Ace turned to see Hawk fighting the last Spoar which had its spikes back. This proved to be a problem for the archer since he had no way of getting past them. "Need help?" "Sure." Hearing that Ace ran straight at it. This time the creature seemed to have learned from her friends'' mistakes and aimed its attack right at the kid. This was exactly what Ace wanted. "Bolt Arrow!" he said with a chuckle and threw a dagger right between its eyes. The creature stood still for a second, unable to comprehend why its spikes fell off instead of getting thrown at the target, this way receiving the blade. It didn''t kill it but dealt significant damage and before Ace could get any closer, Hawk finished it off with his arrows. "What was that shield that saved me? I never knew Aurora had it" Ace said coming to the archer and sitting down beside him. Their work was done for now. All they had left was to wait for the mage''s to cast their spell. "Because she doesn''t have it" Hawk answered, also sitting down. "She prefers to learn healing spells instead of shielding ones. Says it is more useful." "Hm?" Ace asked releasing an unintelligible sound. He took a stalk of grass and started to twist it around his fingers. "You don''t really care about it, do you?" Hawk asked with a sigh. "All you want to know is who cast the shield?" Ace smiled lightly and nodded. Sometimes actions were more expressive than words. "It''s called Arrow of Reflection. A somewhat useless spell in most cases because I have to shoot an arrow and it must travel at least twenty meters for it to work." "But it creates a shield that blocks everything!" Ace said surprised. Such a skill was one of the best around. "Not exactly. Only missiles and if any one was shot from further away than my arrow it breaks. Otherwise it lasts for five seconds so nothing much in the best of cases" Hawk said shaking his head. He was looking at Monthu who was dancing around the giant''s feet. The scytheman''s moves were quick and precise, nothing of the frantic running around done in previous fights. A large white bird was flying around pecking at the giant''s face or pulling its hair from time to time. This was more than enough to keep the creature occupied and not feeling any danger at all. "It''s still amazing. The archer class doesn''t look as useless as I thought before" Ace said sharing his genuine opinion. "Thanks" Hawk muttered sarcastically. "I really appreciate it." Ace ignored it and continued. "Maybe they really have their uses." Then he turned to Hawk, "Thanks for today. I wouldn''t have liked trying out the respawn." "Haven''t you died yet?" Hawk asked surprised. "Nope. I don''t see a reason why I should." "It rarely has anything to do with a person''s wants..." Ace shrugged. He had skill, mind capability and enough luck to survive any situation. Something not every person could pride himself in. "Do you know those two people well?" Hawk asked, nodding towards the newcomers. "They seem suspicious." Ace looked at the white bird flying around Monthu. "Rowena is nothing to worry about. She''s a spoiled girl who¡¯s learning to live on her own or that''s how I was informed. From my personal experience she''s not a very outspoken person, feels very comfortable around Par and does any kind of work if it needs to be done," his eyes shifted to Nein. "However that one shouldn''t be accepted easily. He''s high level, is Perry''s right hand and the only one she sometimes listens to. I wouldn''t trust that man even if his survival was in my hands." "Did he do anything to deserve it?" "He gave me an elixir to drink which turned me into his puppet. Then he took ages to get me back to normal." "That is pretty troubling." "You don''t say..." Ace said rolling his eyes. He saw the sky was reddening and prepared to do his work. It was time to kill the giant. Burning stones turned sky crimson repeatedly afterwards and soon the field was empty of any large living beings. Not a single giant walked or a Spoar oinked happily finding a tasty patch of grass. Fog was the only thing that remained beside a group of travelers. That party of humans was going deeper into the valley and it was growing thicker with each step. They had to hold onto each other to stay together and not get lost. However, their progress was extremely slow. Now and then they would leave the path and walk in a wrong direction. This would be corrected after leaving the thickest fog and then they would try again. A time came when no matter how many times they walked, they always got sidetracked. It frustrated them to no end wanting to see what was on the other side of the fog but being unable. In the end one of them stopped, when once again they walked back, and turned to a golden haired kid. "What?" he asked at the accusing look. The man pointed at his eyes. Ace thought and thought until a memory of some time back came back to him. He sighed. Meditating wasn''t one of his strengths but whatever. He could try it for the better good of everyone. So he sat down and closed his eyes. Author''s Note: So to say it bluntly I''m short on money and don''t want to go to Denmark to only eat bread with water that''s why I decided to make something of my story. This one. For that I need to do some heavy editing, find all the plot holes and remove stupid scenes. (There are still those in the beginning that every time I think of them they make me want hide in the corner.) That is why I''d like to ask you guys to help em out in that. If any of you have some time to read through the first three "volumes" and say what plot mistakes you can find, it would be a HUGE help. As they say two pairs of eyes is always better than one. If I''m lucky someone will want to release my story and then someone else to read it. And it sounds stupid and desperate even to my own ears but that''s my best chance at surviving on my own until I can find a job that can be adjusted to my studies. Wish me luck people! I''ll need tons of it :D Next Chapter-->http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=3397 Previous Chapter-->http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=3035&p=20308#p20308 5.3 Meditation Author''s note: Hey guys! Sorry for disappearing once again and that message at the last chapter. It was a bit idiotic (not that I changed my plan), but I should keep my private life where it belongs (outside the internet) and not let the demon of desperation possess me. Oh and thanks to everyone who reads my story and hasn''t give up on it yet :) (I accidentally went to rankings... I knew there was a reason I stayed clear of that place for so long -.-'' (not that I know what they''re based on)) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Cold wind blew in a valley but it had no power over the strong mist concentrated in there. It wasn''t of nature''s making which annoyed the wind spirit to no end. He was supposed to be able to go and see everything but here he was, outdone by some mist. Angrily it strengthened its power making a group of travelers shiver in their armor or robes. "What''s with this crazy wind? I could swear it wants to freeze us to death" a small female cleric whined, tugging her white robe closer around herself. Her words were followed by a ferocious nod from a heavily tattooed girl who was wrapped in a similar white robe, spare of the first''s. "Have to agree on it" a brown robed mage muttered, trying in vain to warm himself from the fire. It could have helped him against the cold but not the cutting wind. "Can''t the kid hurry up or does he want a tour around a garden of human shaped ice sculptures?" he asked, his teeth on a verge of chattering. "Meditating isn''t an easy job" said a man of some thirty years. He was the oldest in the group and looked least affected by the weather. "Especially to that guy" Monthu added and everyone nodded solemnly. It was surprising he even agreed to attempt it, as he could never sit still for more than a second before going off somewhere. The person in question was hearing nothing of their talks and feeling none of their pain from the angry wind spirit. He was lost in a world of his own. Literary. Ace had sat down with determination to swiftly get it down and be done with it but once he managed to somewhat clear his head of random thoughts his head started to spin and he found himself inside a dark cave. Carefully he walked deeper in to see a man surrounded by twenty corpses. He had tear stains on his face and was desperately muttering words under his breath. They sounded like a spell chant but from the look of it the man wasn''t going to get what he wanted. Nobody cried for those he didn''t care about. Yet no magic could bring them back. It was a necromancer''s curse in a way. You can raise bodies, but never return souls to them. A column of darkness surrounded the man releasing twenty tendrils that latched onto the dead soldiers. It filled them with negative energy, making them look like blobs of blackness. Yet after a moment everything disappeared and the corpses stood up. To Ace''s surprise they hadn''t become zombies or skeletons. They were humans in their speeech and actions, nothing betraying they had just been brought back from the land of the dead. They thought they had only taken a nap and were laughing at the mage for those tear stains. It was believed to be from a nightmare. Ace had to agree that they were right in a way. The mage accepted their friendly jabs and laughed together, but there was something dark in his eyes and as they went deeper into the cave, clearing snake like monsters, it was growing worse. By the time the boss fight came, the man''s eyes had turned into deep pools of blackness. No emotion or feeling reflected in them. At least until they won the fight and the soldiers cheered loudly. They were happy to be alive and safe, to have a chance to return to tell their tale, see their loved ones again. Then an anger filled expression broke the mage''s calm face. He cursed every single person and their bodies started to rot at unbelievable speed, bodyparts falling down. The soldiers screamed in pain and tried to plead with the man but he only laughed at them bitterly, continuing with his magic. A few tried to kill him, their weapons passing through thin air in the spaces between his bones where heart should have been. The man hadn''t been a human but a skeletal mage and his work was nearing an end. The soldiers cursed him and wished they could retake all those encouraging words, shared laughs and trust built which showed to have been very one sided. Mage continued to smile through all of that and when they were finished snapped the last threads keeping them alive. Once again tears rushed down from the empty eye sockets that now glowed with an ethereal light. The man threw his staff away and sunk to the ground in a heap of clothes and bones. A large black dog came to comfort him but the mage pushed it away. He wanted solitude to wallow in his own misery. What had he done with his life? What had he become? He didn''t really want that question answered. Ace watched it and frowned lightly. He knew the guy and could kind of guess what had happened. Befriending people and then being forced to kill them. Not a fun job. He went closer and as he expected nothing changed. He was but a ghost floating around, a trespasser in another''s memory. Soon he was teleported to another memory. The sun was shining brightly, cloudless sky brilliantly blue and world drenched in red hues. Single mage was fighting a whole battalion of soldiers and laughing at their ineptitude. They were no match for him even if they were ths city''s best. Knight in shining plate armor stood at their front, holding a giant spear but he was as useless as the rest of them. The mage was safely floating in the air and killing them one by one through the dark arts. [Death''s Curse], [Reaper''s Embrace], [Chill Touch], [Web of Darkness] were only a few spells used to subdue the fighters. They were forced to feel immeasurable pain without having any way to escape it. The mage had cast a prison spell around the house which could only be broken by a stronger entity than him. There was not one for miles around. He used destruction spells to demolish the beautiful manor and burn the trees down. His hatred didn''t spare a single thing in the prison range. Everything within was there to be killed or destroyed. Nothing could make it out. Ace watched that mayhem and loathed not being part of it. How he wished he had played beta. This surely happened in that timeframe. A tower fell on him and went right past. He felt more and more like a ghost who had invaded a wrong house. What was he doing here anyway? Was Skele trying to teach him a lesson or because of power transfer some memories were passed to him? "Stop this madness!" another knight shouted from a rooftop. The mage cackled and lifting the fallen tower threw it at him. It crushed the man and a big part of the manor. Hell''s fire was set loose and people found another horrible way to die. There was a wide variety ranging from being crushed by fallen debris, getting eaten by a crazy shadow creature to being exploded from within or having your body decay into dust before your eyes. The mage supplied all of them without any extra payment, only making you listen to his maniacal laughter. A shadow on the last standing tower behind the mage''s back caught Ace''s attention so he flew closer. It was a woman long past her prime but still looking like a spoiled princess. Her hair was pulled up with jewel incrusted brooches, you could make dough from the amount of white powder on her face and her nails could be used as daggers, colorful ones at that. It was a horrifying woman in Ace''s opinion and he couldn''t imagine what Skele had seen in her. A swamp witch would be better as wife. Ten times more beautiful for sure. However, the woman in question showed up to be not as useless as she looked. She jumped from the tall tower right on the mage''s back and, Ace disappointedly noted, produced a dagger. It was hard to determine why when there were ten right there for her to use. Anyway, she pushed the dagger inside the man''s back making him waver in the air. Then she repeated the action ten more times, holding tightly on the mage''s shoulder with one hand. ''The quest description was a bit nicer than that. Where they protecting my innocent imagination? Well, this surely is way more interesting.'' As he was thinking that the mage lost his remaining energy and plummeted to the ground. Somehow he didn''t die even then and had time to look at his beloved one''s eyes. ''What a touching moment, I want to puke.'' The woman grabbed the mage''s hand and started crying while muttering some unintelligible words. The man looked at her, but there was no longer any affection in his eyes. Ice cold hatred burned deep within them, confided now as its master was standing at death''s door. The man laughed bitterly wanting to get away from the woman he had once thought he''d loved, but being unable. Even in death he was powerless against her. What a good way to end his miserable existence. But he knew it wasn''t the end. He had made sure to survive this encounter no matter what and already regretted it. There was no need to live on this accursed planet a minute longer. But he was going to. And not for a minute but decades, and he had only himself to blame for it. Himself and his dream for revenge at those people. The shining knight came over, picking his sniffling wife and chopping the mage''s head off. The world turned dark. Ace hoped it was the last memory but no such luck. This time he was teleported to a crossroad with a giant board explaining where each path led in rhymed lines. Besides that, there was not a thing around, reddish wastelands stretching as far as the eye could see. Ace read a few quatrains about poverty and murder before getting bored and choosing one road by random. It''s not like it was his memory anyway. Wherever he went, he would end up where Skele had been. "Strange choice, my friend" said a middle aged man appearing out of nowhere. "I haven''t seen anyone picking it yet." "Hm?" Ace asked. "What did I pick?" "You didn''t look?" "There were too many choices" he answered shrugging. Was he supposed to read a thousand or so descriptions? No way! He wasn''t that desperate to have something to do. "They are to determine what person you are. I can''t give you ancient powers just because. There were many times when mages were tricked or forced on passing them and I''m here to make sure those evil plans don''t come to fruition" the man said and Ace took a better look at him. He was bold but with a thick black moustache falling as far as his shoulders all while wearing a grey nightgown. "You look like you belong to an insane asylum more than any kind of guardian association" Ace said without any restraint. The man should be made aware of how peculiar he looked. "Oh cut me some slack. I haven''t been out for a few centuries. I can''t possibly know what''s in fashion now!" "Not that, for sure" Ace said shaking his head. "Then you have a better idea? Tell me and I might consider your cause about gaining power." "First tell me what I chose." "A myriad of weapons. Daggers crossed with a scythe and pole intertwined by monk bandage like things that they put around their arms." "How can you not know what''s in your own puzzle?" Ace asked in disbelief. "You know, that''s just low." "I told you nobody ever chooses it! Why should I remember useless stuff? You should have picked money, treasure, power, love or something of a kind, not just went on a random road!" the man screamed out, annoyed. "How am I supposed to judge you now?" "Positively, I''m a fresh of new air!" Ace said with confidence. He wasn''t lying or anything. Yet. "There are two verses: Daggers to make a path, Full of carnage and blood, Scythe and pole to feel the wrath Left by emotional flood. and Daggers chained to pride, Looking for a place to hide, Scythe with pole in way, Keeping things at bay. " "What is this? A kindergarten poem competition? Sorry, I didn''t prepare anything" Ace said in mock remorse. He was quickly getting tired of this place and wanted to go back to his world. "Quiet child. Those lines are to warn against the path you have chosen." "Fine you created a thousand poems for each path. I can understand why it''s so bad then. It was probably done in a hurry too." "Three days" the man said apologetically. "That''s all I had." "Well, two verses of four liners for every path. It''s not as bad as it could have been. You did well." "Really? Everyone says I suck at this." ''You do'' "There are those that could be worse than you so it is fine. You do your best like you should, isn''t that right?" "Well, yes but..." "No buts then. You''re a great worker and I''m happy to have met you. Now send me back. My friends must be worried about me already." Beside him a mirror appeared, where nothing had been a minute ago, and in it he could see his friends holding tightly onto their robes and cursing him to no end for taking so long. "Well, they are still waiting for me..." he said in an obviously fake cheerful voice. "You sure you want to come back to it?" "It''ll get worse if I stay here longer..." he muttered. "Fine then" said the man with a sad look. "But first you have to help me with my appearance! I need to look like a real wizard!" Ace looked at the man, judging his height, build and face proportions. If not the hideous facial hair, he reminded the kid of one caster he''d seen more than a gazillion times everywhere. A wizard''s stereotype came from him, you could say. "Hm... Can you grow some hair?" Ace asked, hoping for a positive. What would be the point of being an extremely high level mage if you couldn''t do such a simple task? The man followed Ace''s line of thought and grew a thick mane of reddish hair that reached his knees. "Is this enough?" "Oh god..." Ace muttered, breathing a sigh at what a mountain of work was before him. Then he started screaming at the idiot for over two hours. "No, no no! Shorten it down to your shoulders! Turn it white too! Are you an old man or what? Don''t fake youthfulness if you don''t have it! Get rid of that moustache! Are you an idiot, of course, that one! Do you have more? Shut up and do as I say! Grow a beard! Longer! Longer! Do you even listen to what I say! Make it longer! What''s with the wild hair? Comb them or something! Fine, this will have to do. Now a grey cloak. What in the god''s name is that? I told you a cloak not a dress! Nobody wants to see your hair legs! Come on! Make it to the ground! Widen the sleeves! More, more! Yes, yes, that''s good. Add a cowl! Just in case have it! Don''t wear it now! Get it off! Okay, okay! Now a wooden staff with a curved top. Why? Because I said so! Who''s the expert here? Me? Then stop asking stupid questions and get a freaking staff! Brown! Why the hell is yours violet! Did I say a blue orb? I don''t think so! You good for nothing! Can''t you do anything right?" This continued for a long while until Ace screamed his lung out and could only whisper. "One more thing is a pointed hat. Get it and you¡¯ll be done." "Pointes hat? Why would I need one?" the old man asked, he never got tired of questioning Ace''s every choice, driving him mad. "It''s a traditional head wear. No self-respecting mage would ever show up anywhere without one. It''s the epitome of wizardness!" Ace answered, too tired to argue anymore or even think of appropriate words that actually existed. "Ahh, great! So how do I look now?" Ace looked him over as the man twirled around like a girl in a dress and chuckled. He hadn''t expected to have a chance of seeing this wizard in a game. "Only one thing missing. You need to change your name to Gandalf." "Why?" "Trust me on this. You''ll be recognized as the greatest wizard of good the moment you''re seen and the name only higher that effect." "You sure?" "Yeah and do you even have a name now?" Ace asked with an accusing look. The man thought for a moment and then smiled brightly. "Thanks for pointing it out! I''ll throw you a gift for helping me out!" That said his figure changed somewhat becoming broader and more imposing, his back straighter and the look of an idiot gone from his face. "Mystics are those who seek true knowledge not through outside but the inside. They look deep within themselves and see what others are too scared of. They have power over everything that is of this world, and sometimes even not. They''ve been called sages and archmages but those are only titles. What they are is Mystics. You''ve been allowed a taste of their power. Your eyes can see what theirs can. Sleep now and wake up to see a world you''ve never seen before." ''It ended!'' Ace rejoiced, feeling darkness surrounding him. After three more hours he woke up to see six pairs of eyes glaring at him. If looks could kill, he was sure he would have died dozens of times now. "Hey, guys! How have you been?" he asked cheerfully, ignoring all the killing intent floating around. "What a fine weather we have today!" He yawned, stretching his sleepy muscles. [Excessive Heat] helped to keep him warm and only an extremely weakened wind managed to reach his body, cooling it comfortably. It felt like a summer breeze to Ace. "Can you see through the mist now?" asked Nein, his teeth chattering. "Normally no. Let''s see whether the ability got updated." He opened the message menu and looked at the newest received ones.
*You''ve entered meditation*
*New skill learnt! Mystic Eyes [Active][Passive] Active You call upon the power of mages long gone and see with their magic. This allows you to see in darkness, extreme light, through fog and illusions. Also you can see life force. Passive +200 int +250 wis +20% to mana regen +5% resistance to magic attacks -20% casting time. +10% to spell power Warning! When the ability is in active mode, the passive is turned off. *
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*New spell learnt! Mirror Walk[Active] Any surface that reflects what is before it, can be used as a door to other places. The picture in your mind determines where you will go. You don''t need to have visited the place before. Warning! You can''t take other people with you! Also make sure your mind image is clear or you will be transported to any place having similarities to your destination! Caution! There is no way to take your body parts back if you pushed them through the surface so make sure you are able to go yourself too. Otherwise, they''ll be pulled off! Mana cost: 1000 Cooldown: 3 hours*
*Note: I gave you the ability to cause even more mayhem than you''ve been planning to! Make it really flashy so I can hear in my corner of the world too! Gandalf*
''That old geezer'' Ace chuckled reading the note. ''He doesn''t know what he''s asking for." "So?" asked Aurora after an especially violent gust chilled her to the bone. "Mystic Eyes" Ace said and felt his sight changing. Everything became clearer and even the thickest mist ahead looked see through. When he turned to his teammates, he saw them enlaced by differently coloured lines. Each person had a certain amount of light blue ones but others were different. Aurora had fluffy white wrapped around her like a cloak, Par thin greyish yellow, Hawk deep green around his waist and dark blue over his head. Nein was all blue with different shades of it while Rowena had some pink, orange and a good deal of brown. Worglan had thick black ropes covering his whole body, it was hard to understand how he could breathe under all of them. However, Monthu''s was the most interesting. His thread was shining golden intertwined with white and red. All while in the thickest places violet and black weaved their web. "Is everything all right?" asked Aurora cautiously and Ace turned to her. "Shouldn''t it be?" Her eyes widened. "Your pupils! They''re gone!" Ace blinked, not understanding. "Hmm?" "Your whole eye is white as if you''ve rolles your pupils upwards. It''s gross" explained Hawk friendlily. "But I didn''t do that!" Ace refuted. He tried concentrating before him, seeing even better the differences in shades of colors. "Ask me something. Let''s see whether I''m seeing the back of my skull or not." "What is Nein holding?" Hawk asked. "And just so you know, your eyes are even glowing white now!" Ace shifted his head slightly, concentrating on the task. It was hard to determine anything with a myriad of colors from all those threads invading his sight, but after some time he managed. "It''s a bowl!" "Aren''t you too happy for someone who just saw what he was supposed to see?" asked Nein with annoyance. He had never expected this mission to be such a tiring one, and he had only begun it. "My sight isn''t exactly normal, that mist is shining a bit too much for my liking" Ace explained without a second to think up of a lie. "Can you see through it?" asked Rowena hopefully. She was sick and tired of this weather and wanted out as soon as possible. L was going to hear all about how she had suffered and pay, when she told the same story to her sisters. "Yeah, easily" Ace said with a nod. "We can go now. Follow me." He stood up and jogged ahead without waiting for others to agree. The path that had the thickest mist was around a mile long and some three wide. It made a few turns hiding behind large rocks but mostly was easy to follow. On a side of the mountain, which Ace was hurrying to, he saw a small hut. It had a straw roof and strong looking wooden doors with an iron chain on it. Ace reached it in a short while and tried moving but to no avail. It didn''t budge in the least. "You won''t get in like that" a voice from the side said and Ace looked around but saw no one around. "Where are you?" he asked. "Look down." Ace did as told and noticed a large green frog by his feet. "Yes, that''s me!" it said, opening its mouth and showing the long tongue. "You''re a talking frog..." "And a prince at that!" "God no. Don''t expect me to kiss you!" "Yuck. No thanks. I don''t swing that way." Ace tilted his head, not exactly sure about the meaning of it, but the frog had already moved on. "Hey, come down to my level. It''s hard talking with your boot!" Ace looked at the hard ground and not feeling like rolling on it, picked the frog in his palms. "Better now?" "Yeah! So what is a lone kid doing so far away from any settlement?" "Lone? I''m with..." he looked around seeing empty air. "They were right beside me..." "Ahh! You''re delusional, no surprise you''re here then." "Shut up or I''ll release you" Ace threatened and the frog gulped looking at the far away ground. Then nodded his agreement eagerly. "Good. Now where are those slowpokes?" Ace backtracked his path and behind a curve saw everyone walking in circles. They were shouting something but the mist muffled voices, making it impossible for them to find each other. "Idiots" Ace muttered and went for the closest group consisting of Monthu and Par. He grabbed the big guy by his robe and dragged to where Aurora with Rowena and Worglan were wandering. He motioned for them to take hold of Par''s hand and moved farther back to catch Hawk and Nein who had went their separate ways at the very beginning. Or had just walked all the way back after getting separated. Once everyone was holding onto someone, Ace brought them to the small hut in a train like fashion. ''Like little kids, can''t follow without holding hands.'' When they were there, Ace released Monthu. "What is this place?" Hawk asked, trying the chain exactly like Ace had done a few minutes ago. "Most likely this guy knows" Ace said lifting the frog up. "Eeek!" Aurora screamed out taking a couple steps back, closely followed by Rowena. "I hate frogs!" "This one¡¯s a talking one" Ace said, shaking the unfortunate thing. "Tell us now, what is this place?" Others eyed Ace strangely but to their surprise the frog actually opened its mouth and released a human like sound. "Long time ago he-" "Skip the unnecessary details" said Ace. He liked stories but today he''d heard enough already. It was time for some action. The frog glared at the kid but complied. "Giants occupy this mountain while their pets patrol the underground passages. I need them all eradicated." "I don''t want to help something like that" Aurora said with disgust. "I think we should first ask about the reward before declining" said Nein from the back. He wasn''t part of the group but didn''t feel like losing out on a rare quest just because he didn''t open his mouth and allowed them to turn it down. Talking animals weren''t a common thing. "I''ll show you the path to my people''s treasury and you''ll be allowed to pick two items each" the frog said proudly. "Why would I want to? I don''t eat flies or need your body parts. Get lost, you ugly thing" Aurora said in a condescending voice, her eyes throwing lightings. Ace looked at her closer and saw some threads turning bleached violet, color of a corpse. He turned away from her then, removing the frog from her sight at the same time. "I''ll be back" he said to his teammates and went back to the mist. There he could talk without any interruptions from emotionally scarred people. "That girl''s crazy! You sure it''s okay to travel with her? In your place I''d take my friends and run away while she''s asleep." "Keep your opinions to yourself" Ace barked at him. "Better tell me what you really are and what is happening inside the cave." "But you said you didn''t want to hear the story!" "I didn''t expect for it to get so complicated but be quick about it. They''re already unhappy." It was a mild way of putting what showed up to be a wrestle between Hawk and Aurora. She was desperately trying to run into the mist while he wanted to restrain her. "Well, I was a prince of frog people and we lived in the mountain until the giants came. They hunted us down like rats. Unable to fight back we ran away and took this form to hide. Our treasury consists of weapons usable by most races, humans included, and all kinds of riches. Living in these mountains we were able to gather many jewels and rare metals from which dwarfs then made us weapons, armors and accessories. So you shouldn''t spit on my reward. No human had ever before been allowed in." ''Dwarfen made equipment? That''s like the best thing ever!'' "What exactly you need us to do?" "Exterminate all giants and their associates. Only then can my people return to their home place." *New Quest!
Reclaiming Home Frog people were forced out of their place by giants and their pets. Because they''re lacking physical power, they''ve tasked you with fighting for them. If you succeed, you''ll be the hero of frog people. You can invite up to ten people to aid you in this mission. Quest Dificulty: C Quest Reward: Two items from the treasury for each person Eternal gratitude of frog people.*
"I accept the mission then."
*You have accepted the quest*
"Great! I''ll be looking forward to your return!" "Wait!" Ace stopped the frog, who''d been trying to jump out of his hands. "Do you know something about ten rings?" "Rings?" "They''re giant sized and made almost solely of gold." "Ah, those!" the frog said, nodding. "They''re summoning circles or something of a kind. My father always told me to keep them safe but when giants invaded they took them off and started wearing as rings. Nothing bad happened so maybe they were only a decoration." "Doubt it" Ace said quietly, lowering the creature down. He was almost at his friends when the frog bumped into his leg. "I almost forgot it. There''s a side entrance ten meters off to the right, under a rock. Best of lucks! I''ll be waiting for the good news!" "Yes, yes, do that" Ace said thinking of ways to get Aurora to enter the cave and accept the quest. It wasn''t going to be easy. "Where have you been?" she asked him the moment his form appeared from the mist. "Looking around. I''ve found a side entrance" he answered nonchalantly, from the corner of his eyes checking her colors. Most had returned to their normal white but a few stayed that sickly looking violet. "We''re not helping that, that thing!" she screamed out, flaring up again. "So you want all our hard work to come to naught? Is that your wish?" he asked her in an angry voice. "What do you mean?" she asked, unsure of herself now. Was she doing something wrong? "We''ve come all the way here, found two quests, two!, that hasn''t been done yet and you want us to turn back and abandon them? Leave for others to enjoy? Can you even imagine what people would do for such an opportunity? Two rare quests! Just think about it! Or is that too much for you?" His voice was loud, tone accusing. The girl cowered under it. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean..." "Than think before you act! What do you have your head for?" he asked without going down a notch after her giving up. "I-I won''t..." "Don''t talk when you have nothing to say! We came here to play, not hear your stuttering! Got it?" "Ace stop it! It''s cruel" Hawk said, taking a hold of Aurora. "You know nothing of her." The kid turned his [Mystic Eyes] off and fixated Hawk with a cold, emotionless stare. "Everyone has their skeletons in a closet. I don''t expect you to be perfect, but you should be able to keep them locked in. I have no wish to find out what they are." "You don''t keep yours." "It''s a bit harder when they''re chasing you but I keep my distance then. Never had I told you to do or not to do something because I was afraid. It''s my things, after all." "You just lead us around every other moment of your life" Monthu muttered under his breath. "That''s a different story!" Ace said with a laugh. "I can''t help it if you''re so easily influenced." "Aurora, you okay?" Hawk asked, carefully and she nodded, slowly. "I''m fine. You don''t need to worry." "Now apologise" Nein said to Ace in a stoic tone. "But she deserved it!" "You made a girl cry, that''s not a manly action." Everyone besides Aurora nodded at that. Ace glowered at them but even he had been taught what gallantry was. "Fine. But I''ll do it my way!" He took out his flute out and put it to his lips. For a moment he debated what story to tell and decided on a clich¨¦ one, easy to play and understand. Two sweet notes left his flute, twirling in the air. They rose and fell dancing together like little kids, childhood sweethearts. Other melodies, more complicated ones, joined them to create a beautiful harmony of happiness. They all fit perfectly together. And then another rose full of anger and disgust, sharp, low notes cutting like a knife. They hissed and cursed in languages unknown, forcing the happiness apart. Two notes twirled together for the last time. All voices lowered, losing their high pitches, but never to the degree of the angry one. That one was rushing, swift jagged tones surrounding one of the kid notes and stealing it away. They played together, a melody of differences and inescapability of fate. Hard and heavy tune following , catching, surrounding, releasing then chasing again a single sweet note. Yet neither gave up, playing more and more. Running, walking, crawling. Flying. They rose and fell intercepting, changing, growing, degrading. Their dance seemed a never ending one until one melody started to slow down. Like from and old man you could feel its grandiose ideas and thoughts behind the notes but they were too grand for the failing tune; notes fell out of place, were too late to come in or never even showed up. It was self-destructing. The tune started to grow edgier, heavier with every missed note. Anger and disgust resurfacing. They made the melody strong, right once more. But it didn''t last. The energy was no longer there and the last stand took its toll. Soon it crumbled to pieces, losing any semblance to a melody. Random notes jumped here and there. A madman''s ramblings. The second melody came to light then. It wrapped the crumbling one, keeping it up and played by its tune. Their work wasn''t high class but a refreshing one. Random notes here and there while a fitting melody played in the background supporting them. It was soft at times and violent at others. Exactly the opposite of the first note played. A jovial tune from the beginning interrupted their last dance. The happy melody jumped and twirled while the other tried desperately to keep itself intact and take care of the old one. The first couldn''t understand what was wrong, it lightly joined the second that recoiled with a low hiss. Then it tried showing how happy it was, notes swinging back and forth, but the other took a step back, throwing a string of grave heavy notes. Random notes disappeared. The light tune jumped in the air with a joyous screech while the other went on a rampage. It turned low and painful, tearful even. An extremely heavy note, bang on the wall, and a myriad of random ones. Emotions running wild. The tune rose violently, jumping up and down. It was surrounding taking over the whole place. The light tune jumped in unafraid, skipping around like a fairy. It giggled freely, dragging the sad one together to be happy again. But her friend had changed. It''s melody was low and dark. There was no place for joy there. It pushed it away and tried to leave. The first became scared, rising in pitch. Flute starting to cry and beg. The dark one slowed to a standstill, a single continuous note. Barely noticeable tremors showing its hesitation. Light tune rejoiced, surrounding the dark one, joining it in a way. But the other one quickened again, you could feel it shaking its head, and without a last goodbye took a step away. It discerned itself clearly from the other, feeling its own vileness and dirtiness. The once happy tune cried in sounds of little bells while this one stayed stoic, continuously showing its disgust in mocking notes, swift and sharp, until the other quieted down, went too far away to be heard. Then the dark one broke down. It wailed and screeched in its own sorrow and loneliness. Notes grew faster, heavier. Anger for being misunderstood, abandoned, on its own. It went faster and faster until Ace''s fingers were flying invisible over the flute. But the pain was still there. Hidden somewhere beneath the onslaught of jarring notes. They made one turn his head and wish he was anywhere but there. Luckily, time went by and it slowed down. No longer having the vigor of the youth. It slowed down, became softer a bit if the sound of a screaming heart can be softened, dulled. Maybe it can. The man''s notes started to fall apart. One by one they left, till there was but a single one left. It would have reminded of childhood and what was lost if not the tiredness and wariness coloring it. A melody from time''s gone returned. Horribly sweet and tainted by the continuous old note. It didn''t have a place in that cheerful and loud ensemble. The lone note was left to play by itself again. And then... It died too. Next Chapter-->http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=3625 Previous Chapter-->http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=3091&p=20675#p20675 5.4 Hunt Author''s Note: Hey guys! Do you know what day today is? [th_059_.gif] No, it''s not just another update! [th_serio.gif] It''s a ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of a story known as Flight of Icarus or Ace in simplier terms! [th_091_-2.gif] Can you believe it? ''Cause I don''t! [th_117_.gif] I just can''t get my mind around the fact that''s it''s been so long since I''ve started this story and it''s still alive. It''s just unbelievable! For all those who stuck around with me from the beginning or joined on the go and survived through all my excuses, random appearing abilities (yes, I''m still looking at you Magma Blade), cities chaging names back and forth (Mora--> Meresven--> Mora), storylines that never got their completion (yes, you scaredy cat female assassin) and so many other things that I don''t want to even mention, I have only two words for each and every one of you Now go and enjoy a double update as a gift ^^ *** "Ouch! That hurt!" Ace whined, holding onto his head. "Why did you do that?" he asked Hawk accusingly. "You don''t apologize by making a girl cry even harder!" the archer in question answered in exasperation. "But it was just a random story! How was I supposed to know she''ll start crying?" "By not telling a tragic tale?" Rowena asked, sniffling a bit. "How can you still feel anything for a storyline so overused?" the kid asked incredulously. "I was getting sick from even playing it." "But it was so sad" Aurora said slowly. "Friends taken apart and then finding they have changed, unable to understand each other and having to live their lives alone. How can you not feel for such people?" "I give up" Ace said, rolling his eyes. That was like an age old favorite motive for sweet, heart-wrenching stories and he thought everyone would be tired of it by now. Showed up not to be the case. He shook his head and went to look for the entrance. The frog had said it was somewhere nearby. As told he found a large stone which he couldn''t move no matter how much he tried. He wondered how frog people would do it but having none around left it to be found out at later time. "Can anyone break this?" he asked his group. Everyone shook their heads but Worglan. He came to the stone and murmured something under his breath turning the stone to dust. "Another useful spell" Ace noted and was the first to jump into the hole that opened up.
DUNGEON: You are the very first players to discover Damp Caves Reward: Fame +500. Every day for one week, double EXP and double item drops. The rarest items will drop from killing the first monster of each type. Subsequent kills will drop common items.
Surprisingly the dungeon was well lit with torches every few meters. It''s walls were moist with moss growing everywhere. The atmosphere damp. Ace called [Flare] closer to himself as it started to waver more than usually. This place wasn''t friendly to his little flame. And for his group either since their support magic was mostly Par with fire element as his base. "Which way should we go?" Nein asked, looking in both sides of the tunnel they had barged in on. "Who cares?" Ace asked, taking left side. He walked quickly, trying to sense any upcoming prey. [Instincts of a Predator] were reaching as far as they could but nothing piqued its interest. "It''s empty!" "Don''t worry, someone will soon jump on us from somewhere" Hawk said with grim assuredness. He knew how dungeons worked. "I don''t want to wait" Ace muttered. "I''m scouting ahead!" he shouted out and rushed ahead, ignoring Monthu''s no. He remembered what had happened last time but this time he didn''t plan to make any stupid mistakes. Not that there was any enemy to fight anyway. As he thought that, he felt a presence a hundred meters away. With a joyous "Yes!", he ran. At first he planned to sneak but seeing it was a sole snake warrior decided against such precautions. [Magma Blade], [Shadow Dash], [Backstab] and [Cut-throat]. All were used in quick succession before the beast had even time to react. However, it stayed alive. Unprepared for that outcome Ace received a couple of jabs to his chest and one to his right hand. Feeling his health dropping quickly, he jumped back and took a fighting stance the old man had showed him. Blocking the next attack he tried to attack with his other dagger but the opponent was too far away and slammed his spear''s shaft into Ace, pushing him away. "Dammit" the kid hissed using [Shadow Dash] to get even further back. His opponent''s weapon was three times the size of his and even the guy''s hands were longer. It was a huge disadvantage. "Wild Vines!" he cast trying to slow the creature down. But it''s scales were naturally slick and he escaped the grasp of vines gracefully, going for the kill. "Acid Splash!" Ace tried again, backing continuously. The creature hissed in pain but didn''t seem to have lost a lot of health and hurried again. The kid heard echoes of his friends'' voices and knew he had to hurry up. [Evasion] helped him escape a hit and he rushed forward activating [Fear of the Hungry]. It boosted his statuses considerably which he used fully after casting [Bolt Arrow] at point blank range. The short stun was more than enough for Ace to slash and stab at the creature''s chest. While doing that, he heard wood hitting ground and felt a sharp pain in his side but ignoring it continued. *Last Stand Activated* ''More damage!'' was his single thought as he slashed and slashed, trying to kill the resilient creature. Feeling another wound opening in his side, used [Shadow Dash] to get over the creature and added all his skills. Having reopened its wounds the damage was doubled. Seeing that it wasn''t dead even now he used his last resort [Heart-seeker]. This didn''t leave the snake a chance and it fell with an angry hiss, turning into grey mist. A tooth and spear fell which Ace picked with a huff. *You have leveled up!* "What was that?" Aurora asked, casting a healing spell on Ace. The kid looked up to see them standing some ten meters away, just having rounded a corner. "A beastly monster I don''t advise soloing" he said looking at his destroyed clothes. There were two dagger made holes at the side with sides covered in red and greenish slime which counted as blood for the snakeman. "So why did you do it? And how?" Nein asked. He wasn''t sure about the kid''s level but if he acted that free-willed, it had to be somewhat high, around a hundred maybe. "Because I have many tricks up my sleeves," Ace answered, "but I don''t plan on repeating it. If there had been two, I''d be dead meat by now." "You''re the worst scout, I''ve had the misfortune to meet" Monthu said, glaring at the kid. "Which part of the word scout includes fighting?" "It ambushed me!" Ace said without a second''s delay. "I had no choice!" Monthu gave him a look that said he didn''t believe it in the least and looked at the group. "We need someone else to actually scout ahead." "But I''m the only one capable!" Ace said with conviction. It was truth, no matter how Monthu didn''t want ro agree on that. Neither priestess, nor mages could do it. "I can go!" a voice chirped up from the back. All eyes centered on its owner. "Well, I can turn into a hawk and look around. It shouldn''t be too dangerous" Rowena said, shrugging. Ace eyed her with annoyance. It was his job to go first! While she was changing shape, taking everyone''s attention, Ace used [Shadow Veil] and started to move in the dungeon. This time he didn''t plan to fight, just observe. And laugh at Rowena as she will get caught by the snakemen. Not long after, a dark bird whished past him and he hurried to keep up. Sneaking he couldn''t run but [Instincts of a Predator] helped to know she wasn''t getting very far away. He could feel her slowing down. Most likely observing the prey. Few steps more and he knew there were four snakemen. Something he had no plan to challenge. Without [Heart-seeker], he most likely would have died and against a single one. That meant they were over 230 or even more. Level difference too high for him to deal significant damage even in vital spots. A loud screech made him wince. He had a guess at what had happened; a certain bird got caught. When he went closer, he could hear sounds of struggle; snakes hissing, bird screeching in pain. His eyes landed on a hawk impaled on a wall with its wing pierced. It was fruitlessly flapping the other and trying to get free while the four snakeman stood around pointing at it with creepy smiles on their lizard like faces. Was that hissing supposed to be laughter? Ace knew he was safe but should he endanger himself and try to help the stupid girl? She should have known that such a large bird would never work as a scout in a cave. Not only was it suspicious but also made a lot of sound. A tear rolled down her cheek, she was clearly in pain and sighing Ace decided to help. It wasn''t in his nature to watch others being tortured when he wasn''t in the mood. Besides he''d hear no end about it from the group if he''d done nothing to aid her. He sent [Flare] by the ground to the other side of the tunnel and used [Burst]. The little explosion attracted snakemen''s attention and they rushed to see what had happened there. Ace ordered the flame to lead them on a merry chase while he broke the spear shaft and took the bird off the wall. He saw Rowena losing her shape, growing bigger. "Don''t! Stay as a bird!" he said to her and she followed his order, returning to the wounded bird. "Good, else I wouldn''t be able to carry you. I doubt you have much health left." "Five percent" she whispered back, bleeding all over him. "That''s damn low" he answered, casting [Ice Field] to travel faster. He kept it up until they reached where the group was waiting and Aurora used all her spells to save Rowena''s life. In that time Ace turned to Monthu accusingly. "I told you no one else can do it but me! She would be dead if I hadn''t disregarded your opinions and went after!" He was very glad this happened. It was important to keep his prestige in the group and now they wouldn''t even dare to think of sending someone else. "What happened?" Monthu asked Rowena, ignoring Ace for the moment. "It was empty at the beginning then I saw two snakemen talking and flew closer to make sure there weren''t more. As I did that two more jumped out from a corner, one threw a spear piercing my wing and fixing me to the wall." "Couldn''t you change shape or something?" Nein asked, eyeing her strangely. "I can''t do that with foreign substances in my body. Besides that one hit took almost all my health away and it wasn''t even a vital spot! Those guys have insane levels!" "Ace?" "I''d say over two hundred. Twenty something most likely" Ace said sitting down and taking a rye bread to chew on. "That''s mad, I''ve only just reached hundred!" Rowena said in disbelief. "There''s no way I can fight something like that!" "How could you kill one?" Nein asked Ace, surprised. He suspected being the highest level here but even he wouldn''t be very eager to fight those things. Not without his dolls for sure. "Luck?" Ace asked, innocently. One that happened when he was just starting the game. "I would like to have such luck too" muttered Rowena abandoning the robe Aurora had leant. It wasn''t cold inside and the white was stained red now. "Did you kill the four then too?" "Haha, no. I left those guys for you to have fun with." He stopped for a moment before adding. "I can lure them here any time you wish. They''re still running after Flare. Shall I do it?" "Yes" Monthu said, looking over the group. "Par call out your pets, Nein use the buffs, Aurora you too, Rowena turn into something agile so you can dodge their attacks and help me keep them busy while Hawk, Worglan and Par will weather them down with their long range attacks. We should be able to make it through." "Sure" Ace said with a laugh. "And I''ll do what I want." After that he continued nibbling at the bread while everyone warily waited for the snakemen, receiving the ton of buffs Nein had. When they showed up, Nein was the first to attack. "Spirits lingering in here show these youngsters fear, Dread!" The creatures lowered their heads, moving slower as if afraid of something to jump on them. "Those who''ve died and those who''ve lived in the horrors left rise to drink the blood of the unwary, Exhaustion!" Snakes slithered forward but their moves were slow and attacks sloppy. Monthu and Rowena were pleasantly surprised by that since their work became ten times easier and they could even get an attack or two in instead of solely defending. The girl had turned again in a hawk but this time smaller one that could evade the attacks easier and keep pecking them continuously. Ace finished his bread and stood up to have a go too. He was amazed by Nein''s powers to weaken such high level mobs so much but it only reaffirmed his suspicion about the guy having an insanely high level himself. What was he really doing among them and Perry for that matter? Could he harbor such deep hatred for Silver Wing to do anything for it, even spend his whole playing time with a bunch of weaklings? Sadly, Ace couldn''t really ask those questions out loud so he hid himself in shadows and used [Shadow Dash] to get into the fight. He used all his assassin''s skills besides the ultimate one and a few spells for variety before getting out. He might have been way higher level than Rowena but being mage rogue, his defense was non-existent. It was a miracle he managed to survive those attacks until Aurora came and healed him against that snakeman earlier. He had to remember close combat fighting the old man had taught him. Ace had been training it for all that time he spent in Mora but outside he''d forgotten all about it and never used it once. Well, maybe once, no more for sure, relying only on his stealth and getting away abilities. He waited for his abilities to go off cooldown and went back in to deal a nice amount of damage before getting out. He already had a plan to take one snakeman for himself but from a next group. These were already half-dead so no fun playing with them. In some twenty minutes they were finally done Ace, Monthu, Par and Hawk getting a last hit. "Waah! Zero experience for all that fighting! That''s not fair!" Rowena shouted out in despair. "You should have asked to join the party then" Ace advised her. The good thing about groups in RR was that it didn''t allow players to check your information. Only health and mana was showed and even that in percentage value. Ace would have liked to learn about Nein who joined in now too, but keeping his own secrets was more important. Especially when one was being spied on. "I''ll go look for enemies to lure while you go and wait by the place Rowena got caught. I''m not running miles to get enemies to you." The group nodded and they moved out. Ace heard slithering sound and turned to look back but it was only Par''s magma snake returning to its owner. Ace used [Shadow Dash] and after hiding in a corner got the veil on. Almost invisible he sneaked ahead. At some point he remembered to also activate [Silent Steps], not that there had been anyone to hear him. The monsters were very scarce. Well, instead their groups were growing steadily. This time there were six of them. To prepare the group for an increase he sent [Flare] back and made it show a number five. After a decent amount of time he dropped the veil and threw a poisoned dagger lodging it between one of the snakemen''s scales. They didn''t appreciate it and rushed to fight. Ace was having nothing of that. He used his jump named dash to create distance and after activating [Flame Step] started to run to his group. The snakes hissed in annoyance and threw their spears at him. [Evasion] helped him escape Rowena''s demise and he made it safely out while having dealt some damage. "You said there was five!" Monthu shouted out trying to stop three. "One''s mine!" Ace answered turning and stabbing a snakeman mid move. His blades were still enchanted with magma that allowed for his attacks to go through the scales and deal a lot more damage than they should. From the back Nein casted his spells weakening the opponents and Ace felt a little better with having to fight without [Fear of the Hungry] since killing his teammates was out of the question. This time instead of just taking the position and then attacking randomly, he waited for his opponent''s attack and after redirecting its pointy end used [Bolt Arrow]. Few seconds stun, couple deep attacks and getting away. Then evade, block, dodge and a kick. [Acid Splash] to prevent an attack, a quick slash to the hand and back. Evade to left, block and [Shadow Dash] over the opponent''s head to [Backstab] and [Cut-throat]. Then [Acid Splash] right into the wounds and fall down to escape the back hand attack. Slash at legs and roll away. [Gust] to have time to stand up and block the attack. Evade to right and slash at the outstretched hand. [Burst] to get in the snake''s face, cut a few deep slashes and take a few steps back. Repeat everything until the thing dies. A few mishaps and a ton of strikes later Ace breathed a sigh of relief having gotten rid of his opponent. It had lasted longer when he would have liked and the opponent had even been weakened by Nein''s spells while Ace buffed. He looked around and saw two snakemen defending against an onslaught of attacks coming from the whole group. Three had already been killed. Ace didn''t waste time and jumped into the fray casting [Bolt Arrow] and delivering a set of assassin skills. They instantly deleted the weakened enemy and Ace was free to [Acid Splash] the remaining snakeman. He was about to make the finishing stab when a little snake slithered up and bit the monster, killing it. Then it winked at Ace. The kid froze in mid swing. Did that snake just wink at him? He was about to finish his attack on his friend''s pet when he was interrupted. Again. This time the snake started to glow, molten lava leaving its body and encasing it. In moments the creature was all hidden beneath a moving, shifting layer of liquid fire. How it stayed glued to it was a mystery. "Par?" Ace asked, lowering his weapon. He had no plan of destroying it by stabbing lava. "What?" asked the kid, coming closer. He had stood away with Worglan and hadn''t yet noticed what was happened to his snake. "Your snake is acting strange. I think you should take a look" Ace said with a step back. The heat around the snake was growing in intensity. Par did as told and upon his coming a see-through window appeared before his eyes.
*Spell ''Creature of Deepest Fires'' has reached level 5. You now can summon a higher level snake.*
The kid thought for some time and then started to chant the summoning words. "Deep within the heat sleeps a creature born of fire, her breaths a toxic fume, her body sleek and deadly, Raise Cherufia!" The moment he finished smoke surrounded the lava caccoon. It was so thick there was no way to see it through. For normal people. Ace activated [Mystic Eyes] and watched as the cocoon solidified, turning almost black and then cracked. Something within it moved, struggled to break out. It took a minute or so but a golden snake shook off the hardened lava. She was twice the length of the previous one, reaching almost a meter, but hadn''t grown in width. Ruby red eyes glared at Ace as if sensing him able to see it in its vulnerable state and ate the cocoon along with smoke. Well, at least it looked like it was doing that. "It''s grown!" Par shouted out in delight and rushed towards his summoning. The snake turned to him and with what could almost be attributed to a smile went up his hands to wrap around his neck. When Ace came closer to inspect it better, the creature spit at him. A wide hole opened up on his sleeve and his skin reddened from the burn. "What was that for?" Ace asked in outrage. "You look weird with those white eyes" suggested Hawk. "You shouldn''t spit at friends!" Par said to his pet and it hissed a bit before lowering its head. The kid smiled at it and softly brushed its head. Angry pecks on Par''s head stopped him from giving any more attention to the newly grown snake. He was forced to let Claw land on his hand and stroke its feathers to calm it down. The little bird didn''t want to share his master with anyone, especially snakes! Ace watched that show with a puzzled expression. The snake had stayed on Par''s neck all the time they weren''t in combat and the kid had mana but not even once had the sparrow shown any discomfort about it. He was happily flying around and resting on anyone''s shoulders when Par''s was taken. But now it was angry. Jealous. ''What had changed?'' Ace wondered. ''Was it only the snake growing bigger or was there more to it than base appearances?'' Now it was snake''s time to be annoyed. It had watched Par stroking the bird''s feathers for some time and saw it as an unequal treatment. To bring it to master''s eyes, the snake slid down Par''s arm to where Claw had been standing and hissed at him with smoke coming out of its nostrils. The sparrow never being the brave one flew off and the snake took its place, looking at master with eyes asking to be prized. Ace chuckled. Now he knew why Claw felt threatened by the snake''s growth. It hadn''t been only physical but intellectual too. This meant the snake had lost its cold-blooded mind that didn''t know what caring meant and was more like a robot''s than a being''s with emotions. All this was abandoned to learn of feelings and become like a dog; ready to please and die for his master. Claw came to Ace for help, he flew a circle around his head before stopping to land on the shoulder and start eyeing snake which was played with by Par. The poor boy had no idea what was happening around him. "Hey, Par!" Ace said, closing in again. The snake hissed at him, but this time he was ready for what it will do next and evaded the fiery spit. "Snake!" the kid shouted at his pet again. "You can''t spit at Ace! Never!" The animal lowered its head once more, but continued to glare at Ace. "Par! Should I take care of Claw for some time?" "What? Why?" Par asked, confused. "Isn''t he my pet?" "Yes, yes" Ace answered, nodding quickly. "I just thought that with your snake changing and everything, you''ll be busy taking care of it which will leave Claw sad." "I-I''m not busy!" "Really? So why is the snake all over you while Claw is sitting at my shoulder with a desolate expression?" Ace asked, motioning with his hands to make his point clearer. "I don''t think that''s on purpose so I''ll take care of Claw until you have time for him" he said with a deliberate smile. The little bird chirped then, brushing his head against Ace''s neck. Par looked at them with sadness and then at snake who was nudging his hand to pet it again. His solution was to glance at Monthu who would have liked to have nothing to do with this kid dramas. "What should I do?" his brother asked in a plead, eyes on the verge of watering. "I love them both!" "Then show it" Monthu said coming closer. "Pet the snake when it does something good but never on such occasion pay all the attention only to her. In her success let Claw enjoy it too. Same goes for when Claw does something nice. However, if one does something bad make sure he is punished but never do the same to both. Also if you play, play with both together. Never let one out of it or else he''ll leave and look for a friend in a different place like what happened now." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "So we should act as family?" Par asked, trying to simplify it all to himself. For his defense, it had been a mountain of words. "Yeah" Monthu said and shooed Claw off Ace''s shoulder. The bird was annoyed but seeing Par''s eagerly outstretched hand came to it. The kid now held his pets on different hands and made them look at him. "I''m Par, that is," he motioned to his brother, "my brother Monthu and you are now my brothers too. Claw and Red." The snake shook its head lightly, making Par''s expression drop a few levels. "I think its disagreeing with the brother part" Ace suggested softly. "You know it may be a female too." The snake nodded eagerly at that. "So you''re a sister then!" Par said, happy again. "This means we''re family and should look for each other. Understand?" he asked in a solemn tone and his pets feeling the importance in his words nodded gravely, signing a peace treaty for the time being with their eyes. Ace watched the show with a slight smile before he got bored and sneaked away. It was the most comfortable way of walking. His walk didn''t last for more than ten minutes when he had to make way for a large group of snakemen. They were moving unhurriedly but with grim determination in their eyes. It looked as if they were going to a fight in which death was a possible outcome. ''What valiant effort! They sure think high of us!'' Ace thought counting to twenty. There were way too many snakemen for their little group. First and foremost he sent [Flare] to warn the group. It was small and faint, easily escaping notice among the many torches lighting the dungeon. This thing would give his group some five minutes to prepare and think of a plan. Ace hoped they were very fast thinkers because time was of the essence here if they didn''t want to get wiped out. He followed the snakemen group from behind. It was easy since they were not expecting an attack from the back and left it unprotected. One monster even stopped to rearrange a torch while his team went ahead. Ace made sure others were far enough and jumped on the guy using [Heart-seeker] instantly. It was dirty and unfair but the kid felt it was neccesary. He took a couple of fangs it had dropped and hiding beneath [Shadow Veil] caught up to the group. They were almost on his friends but something was blocking their path. It looked to be gray of color but from his vantage point Ace couldn''t see it well and he didn''t dare to get closer. Some fifteen snakemen almost a hundred levels higher than him was a bit too much even for his standards. Not that he would go down alone if he was seen. Time passed and feeling bored Ace sat down without making a sound. It was extremely boring but he wanted to see what was blocking the path. Snakemen had been hitting it with spears continuously but they as well might have been hitting it with their heads for all the good it did. He guessed it was some spell of Worglan''s but if they had ran away, it should be disappearing any time now. Everlasting spells required ages to cast and were impossible to make in the little time they were given before the attack. It took ten more minutes before Ace was awakened from his half-slumber. The obstruction had went away and snakemen rushed forward. It lasted for a whole second before Ace heard Monthu''s voice shouting something and then another wall rose, separating the snakemen in two groups. One was left behind again while the other went ahead and engaged the enemy only to be slaughtered. Ace guessed it would take them another two or even three rounds if they were getting tired to subdue the enemy and decided to leave. He was going to die of boredom if he was to stick around that long. [Flare] flew around his head signaling about its return and went back to its usual place over his left shoulder. Ace sneaked back and this time went deeper in. As he went the cave started to branch off every other step while giving three choices where to go. Ace always chose the middle one and continued on. He had to find something whether it be more monsters or traps. Almost as he thought that, he heard talking. "They''re taking long!" "Were they wiped out?" "Shall we go?" "It''s our duty!" Ace read it as a warning and rushed backwards to hide inside one of the adjuscent pathways. From there he watched as a group of fifty some snakemen lave the tunnel and go from where he had come. ''My friends! I feel sorry for you but you''ll have to stick around for a very long time. These guys don''t feel like giving you a break to get back to real life if you don''t want to get locked out for twenty-four hours.'' Instead of condolences he sent [Flare] to warn them and returned to the path he''d been going in previously. Behind a turn in which the snakemen had been talking, he saw remnants of a camp. There were doused off fires and a couple of bloody but otherwise empty cages standing by the walls. A black frog leg was laying in the ashes and another near a wall, there were black dots on it. Ace made sure not to touch anything and went ahead. Whenever he saw a solo snakemen scout, he''d engage it and fight using all his skills. This time they weren''t weakened but with [Fear of the Hungry] the difference wasn''t stark. If at any point he felt threatened or saw backup coming, he would use his ultimate skill and make himself scarce while hunting down each guy personally. It was a simple and efficient strategy to raise his skill proficiencies, battle sense and rid the dungeon of any more cleaning parties that would try to wipe his group out. He played around like that for a very long while, rising his levels quickly, but everything has to come to an end. At some point he walked out of the cave. Bright sunlight flared out and he was forced to cover his eyes. It lasted for a moment and soon he was free to look around. He found himself standing on a green field that was surrounded by gigantic walls and stretched very far into the distance. Ace carefully started to walk forward and soon came upon a lake. It was crystal clear with abundant flora at the bottom. Touching the water, Ace found out it was refreshingly cold. Without a second thought he took his clothes off and ran in. All the fighting had tired him out and his sweaty body was eager for a good cleaning swim. Ace dove to the very bottom, looking over the strange plants he''d never seen before but his breath was running out quickly. So he rose up to take some oxygen in and was back touching the orange small leafed plant. It was slick and escaped through the fingers. Ace went up again and floated for a bit. Sun was shining in his eyes while his body enjoyed the cool water. It was what paradise was supposed to be like. Yet soon Ace felt his skin wrinkling up and he decided it was time to get out. He pocketed his dirty clothes while taking out the set he''d been using previously. Brown breaches, yellow long sleeved shirt with decorative buttons and a violet scarf. Done he started to walk away but something was bugging him. It felt as if he had forgotten something so he turned around and looked at the lake that was reflecting his own puzzled expression. Reflecting like a mirror. "Mirror Walk!" Ace shouted out breaking the silence of the place. Yet nothing jumped out at him. He quickly opened the spell menu and looked for the incantation. "Reflections of here and now connect the worlds together, create a path of doubles to travel around, Mirror Walk!" he chanted out imagining a random body sized mirror. It was supposed to have simple wood engravings on its frame and be of natural dark brown color. That done he stepped onto water and felt his legs sinking in as if he was standing in quicksand. He kept himself calm and didn''t struggle no matter how uncomfortable it felt until it was over. For a millisecond he found himself in a world made up of human sized mirrors and then he was transported and found himself stepping through one of them and out in a dimly lit room. Moonlight shone from an open window to reveal an old room. It was middle sized with grey, cracked walls and a wine colored carpet on the ground. One whole wall was hidden behind a dark brown wardrobe, some parts of it were open revealing dusty shelves and forgotten age old clothes. Ace came over to the window and looked through. It showed up to be a small town, no more than ten houses, and be sleeping peacefully. There was not a single light in any of the houses. However, he could see smoke a bit farther away, somewhere in the forest. He took out his dark cloak and fox mask and put it on. It was hard to determine what was happening there but if people recognized him, it was better as Silver Wing than Ace. He jumped off the window, it had been only second floor, and noticed something he hadn''t seen from up high. At close he could see dried up blood on the streets, body shaped contours in houses and axe marks on the walls. The lightless homes no longer felt as having their residents asleep, well, at least not in the kind Ace had believed previously. Heavy clouds hid the moon, casting the world in darkness. Ace activated [Echo] and continued forward. It wasn''t as good as [Mystic Eyes], but it didn''t make his eyes glow eerily which was a tremendous plus when hunting at night. It took him no time to reach the forest but inside he was met by a thick undergrowth that was over two meters tall so way higher than him. And there were no trees. It had been a trick of shadows that made large plants look as though they were a forest of aspens or something of a like. Ace felt cheated since now he had to push his way through which was no easy feat and at the same time try to stay silent, but no good ambush was ever made when people heard you coming from miles away so he continued on quietly. It took him the better part of the night to get to the camp that had a monstrous bonfire at the center. The thing was built from the plants Ace had just pushed through and they were put in a pyramid that was more than two meters tall, and burned very well when it shouldn''t. The plants seemed to have more properties than just looking like trees in the dark. Ace ignored the people for a moment to sneak to their supplies and pocket some of their cut up plants. He took the smaller ones that were most likely been chopped up to start the fire and were left for tomorrow or something. They weren''t heavy and he always made sure to have an almost empty backpack for random items on his various travels. He heard a scrunch of boots on the ground and dove back into the plant forest. After putting [Shadow Veil] on, he looked back to see what had interrupted him. It was a man of thirty with heavy plate armor shining off the fire and wind chiseled features. He had a great sword on his back that signaled him to be a player with great strength, he could be anywhere from one hundred eighty to two hundred forty level. It meant he wasn''t someone to be trifled with. Ace listened to the low grumbles the man was making about the stupid work and colleagues while soundlessly putting his cowl on. He waited for the moment his opponent turned his back to him and for the last time checking it was a shadowy corner jumped forward. [Magma Blade] and [Curse of the Hungry] mid [Shadow Dash], [Backstab], [Cut-throat] and to top it all off [Heart-seeker]. The guy fell without even knowing what hit him. A horn blared while Ace looted him thoroughly and in moments made himself scarce without forgetting to leave the guy a copy of his necklace. He went in the shadows and hiding behind thick vegetation sneaked closer to the main part of the camp to find out what had happened, why the sudden commotion. "Helios is dead! Something killed him! It might be the curse monster the villagers had promised! Stay in groups and don''t split up! We deal with this as with everything; teamwork and coordination! This way nothing will stop us! Group now!" the leader shouted out from where he was standing by the bonfire. Ace heard him as clearly as if he had been standing a step away. Not that he liked what he listened in to. What he despised most was dealing with groups of players at once especially ones that didn''t want to get separated. His ultimate skill could kill anyone in an instant but then he got stunned for a second and a half which was more than enough for anyone to kill him. Simple clothes and cloaks sadly didn''t give any special resistances against swords and axes trying to cut you in half. Players divided into groups of four or five and entered the plant forest. There were ten or so such groups. Ace waited for them to leave. He wanted to catch the leader waiting alone but his plan was fouled by a few parties that stayed just out of the eyesight but close enough to aid the leader in moment if he was ever attacked. They weren''t even searching, just staying around like an honor guard. Or a trap. Ace smiled, thanking [Instincts of a Predator] for existing and went to hunt the brave ones. At first they were going to be lax and not that afraid of danger, thinking their friend was just caught unawares. Which was truth. Ace singled out a group that was particularly unruly, walking as far as three meters apart. That was more than the kid needed to make his kill and disappear before anyone could get to him through the thick vegetation. Suddenly, he was happy for his small height. It made him so much more unnoticeable when heads of some players peered over the plants to reveal their whereabouts. He took out the five players in half a minute and instantly went for another group. It was important to use their laxness to the fullest because after it wore off, it was going to get so much harder. Three more groups died before players became aware of the real danger. They had thought it had been another semi-hard monster that could be defeated by a small group of high level players but what they were fighting was a ghost that just deleted people. He came unseen, not a single victim had mentioned seeing anything out of the ordinary, before they were butchered and forcefully logged out. It wasn''t fair in their eyes. Almost half of them had died and nobody had the slightest idea what their opponent was. Leader called them all back in to gather up for safety and reveal how his strategy has failed for the first time. No monster before had managed to fight off the allure of killing the boss first while all his subordinates had went to look for it. "What we''re facing is not only deadly but smart also! We need not underestimate it! It''s the toughest opponent with faced so far but we must prevail! We''re the Black Mercenaries of Kallamore! Nothing can stop us!" "Yes!" the group shouted out with pride, their morale restored. But there was one guy more level-headed than the others. "Sure we''re strong but how is that going to help against this particular enemy? We''ve all got mercenary class which aids us little in finding the guy that is using Laughels as a cover. We neither have magic spells nor spot skills to pin point his location and brute strength doesn''t stop him from sneaking up on us and killing." This brought down the mood considerably. "Then we should d-" another guy started but the first glared at him. "For all we know he might be listening in on our conversation even now. Get it? We know nothing of him!" "Then let''s use group chat" leader suggested and the place quieted down. Ace felt like killing the two, well more than before. Now it was personal. They were people that were too smart for their own good. He sneaked around from where he could take good aim and took out a couple of daggers that had been covered by trustworthy poison, one that promised a painful death. He used [Curse of the Hungry] on them and threw with precision. He then did the same with a dozen more daggers he had poisoned while waiting for his group to finish. Now was as good time as ever to test out what he had created. Like always some ended up being potions and a few guys showed shocked expressions to see their health restored or statuses rise up for a limited duration, but most weren''t so lucky. Ace was getting better at distinguishing what made a potion and what a poison. One guy started to puke his guts out, another had a strong coughing fit while others started to dance, shiver, run to the brushes (Ace made quick work of him), talk nonsense, clutch some body part or scream in suffering. In all that chaos Ace threw another couple of daggers at the buffed up players. Those blades were poisoned with what last time he had found as a very useful poison. It induced madness. This would never work against mages or clerics who had high intelligence and wisdom stats which made resistant to mind control but warriors were never known for that. Their brutality, simplicity was their greatest strength and weakness. The raging players made the bad situation even worse for the mercenaries and they fell in disarray. They were having their own problems fighting off the poison without having to defend against their friends gone mad who they didn''t want to kill. This situation was perfect for Ace to enter into the fray. Last time he had just watched players butcher each other but this time he didn''t want others to do his work for him. He first took care of the guy puking, who had no way of defending himself. Then he followed by getting the one that couldn''t fight because of violent coughing fits. And then he was noticed. "He''s here!" the leader screamed pointing at Ace and heading straight in for the kill even though his face was scrunched, holding in moans of pain. The poison Ace had used on him was no joke. "It''s Silver Wing!" someone screamed out in horror and that made the scene freeze in motion. People looked at him with disbelief and fear in their eyes and even the leader faltered in his attack. Ace grinned at their reaction and sidestepping the leader''s clumsy attack penetrated his armor with a single thrust. "Heart-seeker" he whispered and the guy fell on him with a shocked expression before disappearing in grey mist. The battle was won then for Ace. Leftover players rushed at him to avenge their superior but their attacks were made sloppy by fear and various effects of poisons. They were also getting attacked from the back by their mind controlled colleagues. Ace put his Kris back and took out two random well-made daggers that were poisoned with something. He used them to slash at his opponents while dancing away from their attacks with ease. Or so he pretended to be for them to continue staying afraid. They might not have been much higher level than him but there were still twenty or so of them and he was not of any fighter class. His only choice was to weather them down with poison and hope they fell down before he did. Whenever [Shadow Dash] was up he used it to reposition himself and sneak in a [Heart-seeker] or [Backstab] with [Cut-throat] if he wouldn''t have a second to stay still. Most of the time he didn''t. Ace really missed his magic. It would have aided him considerably in this situation fighting against a group. Most spells were AoE (Area of Effect) which made them perfect for such battles. However, it would give him away way too easily. He was quite unique already which meant if his friends ever met Silver Wing, they were most likely going to recognize him. But if he used double class on his both identities even strangers would be able to add two plus two and come up with the right solution. And some were already on his tail. Perry might be stupid, willful and too straight forward at times but she had good instincts. She instantly sensed there was something wrong with him even if all signs showed otherwise and he repeatedly made fun of her efforts embarrassing her before her whole group. It did nothing to dissuade her of the belief Ace was somehow connected with Silver Wing and she sent her best man to watch him. This made Ace wonder something as he feinted an attack to the left and slashed from the right, kicking backwards at someone''s shin. Did Perry really know what Nein was? Was she aware he was higher level than her and should be a superior instead of an underling? He seemed to have a good head for battles too as he used puppets to fight. Ace had no doubt the guy had been hiding his power with them all along. Well, at least the most prominent part. He revealed his buffs that were simply amazing and had to have been used repeatedly all the time to reach such high level but the guy had no party. He seemed to be of the loner, soloer type. An axe came his way and Ace used [Shadow Dash] followed by his skills and landed in a clear spot, behind everyone''s backs. Without waiting to get surrounded again, he jumped on one guy''s shoulders and stood still for a moment. Like he expected people were too exhausted and blind from the pain to care how and what they attacked. It was hard standing on someone''s shoulders who tried to throw you off but this was a game. High dexterity allowed to have better balance which meant Ace could pull off this trick and mercenaries started to attack the one he was standing on while trying to reach him. He in that time put one of his daggers away and took out a piece of dried meat to replenish his stamina. It was on the low side from all the running he did here. The sight of mercenaries fighting like robots was so pathetic he jumped around only until his energy returned and he could fight on equal footing again. Then be activated [Fear of the Hungry] and went into a frenzy. His eyesight got clearer, other senses sharper making him understand the movements of his opponents before they even decided to do them. Slash here, dodge there, a punch followed by a jump, kick and stab. Lean to the left, block with right, kick backwards and stab with the left. Evade, slash, reverse the attack to get close and personal so the stab would be even more vital, duck leaving the poisoned dagger to survive a sword thrust and roll forward between the guy''s legs. Stand up to slash in a wide arc to make some distance, scare them and jump on someone with a laugh, stabbing him on the back. Use [Heart-seeker]. Trust their fear to keep them away and use [Exodus]. Watch their eyes widen and smile like a maniac. It''s important to keep images. [Shadow Dash] forward and stab, slash. Stay still to evade the attack from the right, push backwards and punch someone. Block an attack from the front with both blades and hold it before sliding down and slashing at the person''s legs. Then roll sideways to dodge a few thrusts and stand up before getting surrounded. Initiate. Never react. Jump and run to the left, throw a dagger. Let them chase. Turn around and stab with [Heart-seeker]. Watch him disappear. Dodge a blade and attack. Get closer. Stab. Lean to the right, back up, block from the left and redirect their sword. Kick. Jump forward to escape a swing from the back. [Cut-throat]. Fall down and grab some dirt. Roll backwards, slash at a leg. Stand up and run at your opponent. Throw dirt in his eyes. [Heart-seeker]. Jump to the left. Throw a dagger. Get another. Chuckle. Kill every last one of them. Next Chapter-->http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=3626 Previous Chapter-->http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=3397 5.5 Sacrifice Previous Chapter Full moon reappeared in the sky. It had been hiding behind the clouds for quite a while from the sights underneath. People were fighting and killing each other for no other reason than because they could. The moon hated that and because of it denied them its light which sadly changed nothing. No one had even wavered for half a second. But now it had calmed down and the moon went out from its hiding again. Where the fighting had transpired only a single person stood, breathing heavily. He dragged himself to a field of Laughels and within their cover fell down like a dead man. Ace felt like his muscles were made of lead; burning and hot. His breath came in ragged gasps trying to fill his lungs with oxygen to pass it further on. But it helped none to relieve the strain he felt everywhere. [Fear of the Hungry] was a great ability only until it wore off. Then it left one a shadow of oneself; drained and exhausted. The kid lay there feeling like he was dying but knowing better. Time was all he needed to get back on his feet. The bad part? He needed lots of it. "Hello, traveler" an ancient voice said. It was strong once but now sounded weathered and hollow. "Hi" Ace muttered, rolling over to see who was talking to him. His eyes were met by a see through creature that was black with talons instead of hands and a shapeless face with two glowing yellow orbs for eyes. Where legs were supposed to be a tail resided, two feet above ground. The thing was a true ghost. "I''m a curse that was plaguing this town, your kind has killed, and couldn''t avenge." "A- Silver Wing" Ace answered, wishing his stamina would return faster but to no avail. It was intent on flashing red and staying like that. "You do not need to fear me" ''As if I do'' Ace thought, rolling his eyes. "I''ve come to pay my gratitude for doing what I was incapable of" the creature said sadly. "No problem" Ace said, trying to sit up and failing. No energy still. "Anyway, why did you want to avenge this place if you were haunting it? Shouldn''t you be ecstatic everyone got killed?" "Not at all" the ghost answered. "To appease me, townsfolk brought me food, herbs and kids to keep me company. We were all living in synchrony until those damned mercenaries came and killed my people while I watched and couldn''t do a thing." "Then the people feared you for nothing? You tricked them into believing in your strength?" "I was unstoppable ages ago but time passes and the summoning magic that keeps me here has weakened severely. Talking and making myself solid for ten minutes is now the extent of my power. It''s pathetic really." There was disgust in the ghost''s voice. "Then what are you going to do till you disappear for real?" Ace asked, finally managing to sit up. It took a lot of effort but now he could put food in his mouth which would increase his stamina regeneration speed. "Watch this place crumble to ruins. It''s been my home for so long and I prefer to die here" the ghost said, looking around with warm eyes. "It might bring back bad memories of what I couldn''t prevent but this is my place." "Suit yourself" Ace answered taking out his cane and standing up. He felt like an old man but sitting and doing nothing just didn''t feel right to him. His group might start looking where he had disappeared soon too. This meant he had to get to the mirror and return. Creating suspicion was the last thing on his list with Nein around. "Hey, where are you going? I didn''t reward you yet!" the ghost said, floating before Ace. The kid''s ears perked up at the word reward and he looked expectantly at the creature before him. "I don''t have much but I hope this will suffice." That said he picked something from a bit further away and brought it for Ace to look at. It was a stack of thin books. "I have collected them through my life and planned to take to my grave but now I see how stupid it was. I hope you can make better use of them." Ace took notice of the golden spines and took them with reverence. He had just been randomly given six mid-grade skill books. One was rare and would usually cost a fortune so what could be gotten for six was beyond words. ''Is that what you get for being at the right place at the right time? It would be quite a hard quest if you think of all the little things that had to match up for it to work out this way. All citizens had to be killed while the ghost was around but already too weak to protect them yet strong enough to survive himself, then the killers had to decide to stay around and then another group or person to come and wipe them out and only then did the ghost would present a reward.'' "Thank you" Ace said. "I''ll make sure that they reach the right hands." He didn''t expect that all the skills would fit him, but those that didn''t he could use to make his party feel indebted to him. "Be well then" the ghost said and after bowing slightly floated away, merging with the still dark atmosphere. The night was letting up but there was an hour or so before sun would fully rise and shower the world in its light. Ace pocketed the books and decided to first return to his place. Three hours had passed and [Mirror Walk] was available for use once again. He would check the skills once he knew everything was fine and nothing went terribly wrong. He walked around for a bit before finding the right house and then went to the second floor to find the mirror. It stood looking the same and Ace murmured the incantation and stepped in. The part where he passed through glass was eerie but nothing close to what was it like to see yourself being pushed out of water by an invisible force and then walked on it to the shore. He chuckled remembering those holy tales about people being able to walk on water by god''s help. Was he an oracle now too? He stepped on the ground and decided to take a normal swim. He deactivated all the skills he could and after taking his clothes off jumped in. The water was once again cool and refreshing so he stayed in for a while, exploring the lake''s flora. When he decided to leave he found out, that the clothes he had been dirtied by all the fighting and he didn''t feel like putting them on. That left him to put on either his lord''s clothes or tie a cloth around himself and pretend it was fine. The second choice was only for worst occasions so he took out his black pants, dark shirt, matching cloak and a top hat. It was a terrible wear for fighting so he decided he was going to be a real scout for once and avoid unnecessary conflict. His cane was going to make sounds as it hit the ground so he went to the cave holding it in his hand as if it was a spear. It took him a few hours to find the place he had seen his party last but now the place was empty without any traces of them ever being here before. This was a disheartening revelation but Ace didn''t give up hope. They had to be somewhere around. After another hour''s search brought him no closer to finding anyone he got annoyed. ''Where could they possibly be hiding?'' he wondered, wanting to message them but being unable. It was a very annoying rule that only guild chat worked in dungeons. If only they were in his guild... Then his eyes brightened. One of them was. He quickly opened the guild members menu and in the search field wrote in Nein''s name. Then he clicked on his name and opened a chat. "Where are you?" he asked without any pre-emptive talking. "Busy" the guy growled and Ace could hear hissing sounds surrounding him. They were clearly too close to the mage. The kid would have rushed off to help if he only had the slightest idea where to. Sadly his informant was too busy fighting for his life to be of use. Seeing that this was going nowhere, Ace activated [Mystic Eyes], [Echo], [All Ears] and poured more mana or so he imagined doing into [Instincts of a Predator]. With all these skills on, he started running around without any care. If he noticed a solo creature he''d kill it instantly and go on to try and pick up any sound or sight or feeling where a group of players might be hiding/fighting for their lives. Sad thing was his stamina was terrible. He had to rest every twenty or so minutes to restore it! And all that time he continued to hear sounds of fighting from Nein''s end. He was continuously muttering spells and cursing in between. Maybe two hours or seven rests later Ace picked something up with his Instincts. It was over a hundred creatures in one place. He went there instantly, hidden under [Shadow Veil] and with [Echo]''s help saw a bunch of players at the front. They were surviving only because they were in a narrow alcove so three snakemen at most could attack them but this position had one fatal flaw. The players had no way out once their stamina ran out. It reminded Ace of one of their earlier adventures and he looked upwards but it was empty of any natural made weapons. And while he was thinking of any way to help, a loud bang echoed followed by a crack on the western wall. It was hit from the outside a few more times before a giant broke through and entered breaking the ceiling that was too low for him. It rained down on the snakemen but most evaded the falling debris by backing out of the cave. Players had no such luck. They were buried under the rocks in their alcove. Giant dug them out, they were hidden in an iron box, and picking them up left the place. Snakemen scattered to return to their patrols in threes and fours as if nothing strange had happened. Ace wouldn''t have agreed to that assessment so he followed after the giant. He brought the cage to a huge tunnel full of prison cells and threw them right inside one. His team was taking their sweet time getting out of the spell so Ace decided to look around. Most of the cages were empty. Well, of living beings. That is besides two cages. One contained his group while the other had six people with varying expressions of disgruntlement. There were three females among them, two males and one beast person whose gender Ace didn''t dare to guess. He was brown furred with paws for hands and cat like ears. His face was almost furless but was light brown of color, nose a black triangle. Eyes were slanted and vivid green. Ace had never seen such a specimen before. Then his friends decided to make themselves known. The iron cube was dispelled and they sat on the ground with puzzled expressions. Hawk was first to notice the iron bars keeping them in and tried their strength. They held. "Don''t even think about it" a male from another group spoke up. He was in his early twenties and wore a simple monk''s cloth. "These bars are not only made of material as strong as diamond but also enchanted against magic inside. You''re stuck here with us." "What is this place?" Aurora asked, carefully, looking around. The tunnel was lighted by two large torches held around ten meters in the air that were nowhere near enough to light the place. Ceiling was so high it was a dark abyss and the ground was in constant shadow. It was hard to make out the faces of her own teammates. Ace watched her eyes reflecting a bit of humans'' natural fear of the dark and smiled. It was so good to not be limited by such limitations. If only he could turn off those shiny threads surrounding people, it would be perfect. He had thought Aurora''s white was too bright but it had nothing on the monk guy''s. Looking at him was like looking at the sun; eye straining and totally not worth going blind over. "Giants'' dungeon" a grey robed female replied in a friendly tone. "We were happily killing turtle people when one giant appeared picked us up as if we were flies and threw us in here." "That''s strange, we were fighting snakemen" Aurora said, trying to make out who she was talking to but without success. Everything was in too deep of a shadow. "Anyway, I''m Aurora. Nice to meet you" she said pushing her hand through the iron bars that separated their cells. The female shook her hand with a smile. "Lana, a priestess." Then she pointed at each member and introduced him, only Ace was able to follow her. "Lancelot is our hero fighter. He''s always there to aid anyone in need. The axeman beside him is Kalin. His quick temper is legendary but don''t worry. He doesn''t bite. Most of the time. This red hair here is June, she''s a sorcerer with love for earth magic and the brunette is Viola, a dancer. You should see her moves if we ever get out! You''ll be stunned along with the monsters!" "Lana" the brunette said, punching her teammate light to shut up her up. "Oh, and she''s very shy!" the priestess laughed, ignoring her friend. "Our last guy is Mio and he''s a dual wielder! There isn''t anyone who can match his speed!" "Lovely" Aurora said, nodding where she imagined the girl being and went to represent her group. "I''m a priestess as you. Here beside me is Hawk. He''s an archer that no target has escaped yet. Next to him is Monthu, a fearsome scytheman that you shouldn''t anger but he''s a good guy once you get to know him. The little boy on his lap is Paradox. He''s our adorable elementalist that is capable of more than most people ever believe possible. This girl here is Rowena, a druididess. If you can think of a creature, she can become it!" Rowena glared at Aurora for saying such a blatant lie but this was showing off your group so she didn''t argue. "The gloomy looking guy is Nein. He''s a secret even to us but I can say that his buffs make you twice as strong and it makes you let him have his way as long as he keeps them up!" The girl then turned to the last person present. "Our last member is Worglan Harbert who''s a native of this land. He''s giving us a hand till one of our members can fulfil his request." "A native? That''s amazing! How did you manage to earn so much of his trust that he even comes with you?" Lana asked in an exited tone. It was unusual for NPCs to leave their place unless they were soldiers or mercenaries and were bought. "Uhm... You''ll have to ask him that yourself when he comes." Aurora suggested with a shrug. Now that she thought of it, wasn''t Worglan supposed to follow them only to the city? "So you have more people?" June asked in disbelief with raised eyebrows. They were unseen, but the tone passed through. "One more" Aurora said laughing uncomfortably. Their group was strangely large by normal standards and it could be interpreted in many ways. That moment Nein decided to check on Ace who had called him previously at the wrong time. "Where are you?" he asked. "Can you reach him?" Aurora asked surprised. "We''re in the same guild so yeah." the guy answered waiting for a reply. "Here" Ace answered dropping his veil. "You seem to have gotten into quite a position while I was away." "You left us!" Rowena said accusingly to the dark. He might have dropped his magic, but black clothes worked just as well to hide his presence. The girl felt like she was talking to a ghost; the kid''s eyes glowed wide and that was all she could see. "Again" Hawk added. "Hey, I got separated!" Ace defended. "How was I supposed to get to you through fifteen and then fifty or so snakemen?" "By waiting around?" Hawk asked but Monthu just waved him off. "If there''s waiting involved, I wouldn''t trust him to stay put for five minutes without wandering off. I just would like to know where have you been all this time?" "I hunted scouts and separated groups to kill snekemen one by one so they couldn''t launch another attack on you and then I went out into a beautiful green field with a crystal clear lake with cool water and after swimming took a nap. Then I went to look what was taking you so long and here I am" Ace explained with a yawn. In truth he hadn''t slep at all and now wouldn''t have minded closing his eyes for a bit. "You''ve seen the Field of Nara and swam in Glu''s lake?" Lancelot asked, pushing his face to the iron bars and grabbing air to get a hold on him. The kid blinked at him, pulled his hand away and took a step back resting on his cane. "Maybe. There were no signs to tell me what the place was called." "Was there an orange leafed plant inside the lake?" "Dozens of them" he answered, watching their reactions with interest. They all looked at each other with relief and then focused their eyes on him. "Lead us to there" they said in unison. Ace chuckled. "I think there''s one problem." "What? You don''t remember the path?" "Aren''t you in a prison?" Ace asked with a raised eyebrow. Their shoulders drooped and the monk punched one of the iron bars, the axeman cursed. Ace ignored them and came closer to his friends'' cage to take a better look at it. It had no lock but there was no way Ace could open the door that was ten times his size. It might have been only three meters wide but more than ten tall. However, the iron bars were made to hold in humans and the empty space between them let only a hand through. "Any plan of how I should get you out?" he asked, thinking up of no good ones himself. A giant was needed to be able to move such a heavy door. No one answered so Ace took out some random pieces of cloth and put them on the ground so he could sit down. It was his last pair of clothes and the best ones at that. [Flare] came out from under his cloak where it had been hiding while he was sneaking. Ace took out his prize from the last exploration; six greed inducing golden books and put them on his crossed legs. The other team''s eyes almost popped up when they saw his treasure. "Where did you get them?" "How so many?" "It''s a fortune!" They shouted one after another and Ace ignored all of them. From his team only Rowena had the same reaction, Nein had it too but he kept his cool while others weren''t surprised in the least. They had seen him get a personal army of more than one thousand players. Nothing could surprise them again. He loved them for that. The first book was called *Five Deathly Steps* and reserved for chaotic fighter classes. Ace put it at the side as unusable. Second was *Prayer* meant for clerics. Went to the same pile Third *Bloodthirst* meant for chaotic melee. Fourth showed up to be named *Hawk''s Eye* and made for marksmen. Fifth *Grave''s calling* for priests and the sixth *Mana Pulse* for everyone besides Celestial race. Ace put the books aside and reached for more only to find out there was none. Then he looked at the two piles beside him of which one was meant for him while the other for useless ones. The second one contained six glistening golden books while the first was an empty place. "Really?" Ace asked in disbelief, glaring at the pile. Not a single skill was meant to be learnt by mages or rogues. Well, one for mages but it was about mana and because of it his race was prohibited to learn it. "Useless piece of..." he muttered under his breath angrily punching the pile of books and they fell on the dirty floor. "What are you doing?" June asked in outrage, her red hair flying around her. "Those are rare skill books!" "Worthless waste of paper" Ace answered her, collecting the things. "Are you mad?" she asked him in outrage but then suddenly smiled apologetically. "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have shouted at you." Ace eyed her warily but didn''t say anything. ''What is she planning?'' "You know if you give those stupid books to me, I can give you something more interesting. What do you say?" she asked him with an eye blinding smile. Ace took the books in his hands and came closer to their cage. He had an unreadable expression on his face. "Ace don''t!" Aurora shouted out from her place, coming to hold onto the iron bars. "She wants to cheat you!" "No, I don''t!" the woman defended indignantly. "I have good items in my bag that would make his play time so much easier!" "She''s trying to scam you! Don''t listen to her!" "I don''t! I re-" Ace tilted his head and turned to face Aurora with a slight smile. "Did you really think I''d fall for such a simple trick?" His eyes were alight with laugher. A lot of memories passed through Aurora''s eyes as she remembered all the lies, trickery and deceit that particular I stood for. She shook her head and embarrassed sat down. "What?" June asked, unsure of what had transpired before her eyes. "Nothing" Ace answered, throwing all six books in Aurora''s lap. "We don''t need them" Monthu said instantly, giving Ace a cold look. "Then sell them or give to her" he said pointing to June and her group. "My bag was heavy and I opened up some space now. I won''t be taking them back." He then took a few steps away before turning his head back for a moment. "I''m going to look for a way to get you out but don''t expect miracles. This place is vast and giants are hardly going to have a chat with me when I''m ant sized to them." Then he took off, leaving fuming Monthu behind. "Wow! There are two spells for clerics!" Aurora said in wonder, looking over the covers. "Two for fighters, one archer and one mage. It fits us perfectly!" "We don''t need charity from him" Monthu grumbled. "Then give them to me! I''ll put them to good use!" June said instantly. Those books were shining before her eyes, close yet out of reach and she wanted them desperately. What amazing spells could they have hiding in their depths? "June, they belong to them" Lancelot said, glaring at his teammate. "We''re not thieves or swindlers." "But..." the girl wanted to say, watching the lights dancing on the covers. "Those are almost highest level skill books that players can learn and they don''t need them!" "There''s a difference between not needing them and knowing you don''t deserve them. The former was for the kid while the latter is for the warrior. He''s an honorable person." Monthu looked strangely at the philosophical monk but didn''t say anything. He then returned his eyes to the books and the question of what to do with them. The kid was clearly not accepting back but how could they just take everything he threw their way. They didn''t need his charity to survive and grow stronger. "Isn''t this his way of saying sorry?" Aurora suddenly asked. "He did something similar before too." "But he never said sorry for leaving" refuted her Hawk. "Then maybe it''s for letting him return each time?" "Isn''t he the one that''s stuck to us like a leech and wouldn''t be shaken off even if we wanted to?" Aurora gave Hawk a chilling look. "You really think we couldn''t have left him behind in all this time? At any point we could have deleted him from out friend lists and when he was off left in a random direction. How would he have stopped us? Or would he have even tried to? To achieve his goals he might do anything, but I feel like he has more pride in himself than all of us combined. Every time he got ridiculed, he faced it with a smile and a laugh but later on made the person pay double the price of what he did." "Have you been analyzing him from the moment we met him?" Hawk asked her, looking at her strangely. "Nah, I''m just trying to write a paper about children psychology and his case seemed like a good starting point." "You''re crazy. I wish you luck if he ever finds out" Hawk said, looking around and then getting away from Aurora. The girl glanced at the tunnel but seeing nothing didn''t calm her fear at all. Why did she had to open her mouth? Monthu hadn''t been listening to their conversation so he gave them questioning looks but after they shook their heads, he returned to the case of six golden skill books. *** It took Ace a good hour to reach a change of scenery. Wide stone staircase winded upwards and he had no other choice but to use it. However, it was meant for giants so every step was Ace''s height. To get up he either had to use wines or his jump which took forever because he didn''t have lots of mana. His regeneration was extreme but since he wasted no time for incantations it wasn''t good enough. A break every ten minutes was a must. When he finally got up, another long corridor opened up before his eyes. He groaned inwardly and started moving. It was impossibly boring but he pressed forward with a certain belief something interesting was at the end. It had to be or else why create such a tiresome place? He heard soft steps coming his way and pushed himself against the wall for it to pass. It didn''t. Ace felt someone stop nearby and start sniffing the air. Then it rushed at the kid. Ace felt when he had become the target and ducked to let the animal fly over him. He unsheathed two daggers and turned in a fighting position. And pocketed his weapons. "Hound..." he said with a sigh, watching as a donkey galloped towards him with a bright eyed expression. "What in the world are you doing here?" The creature stopped right before ramming into Ace and licked his face. The kid glared at him, cleaning his face off, and dispelled the illusion. A black dog the size of a small horse reared its head in joy, seeing himself normal again, tendrils of fire and shadows moving and shifting in his mane. "Did Skele send you?" Ace inquired, getting on the animal. It snorted which raised more questions than gave answers. The travel continued much more smoothly now. Hound galloped, carrying Ace forward and upward if a staircase came into view. Twice they met giants walking down the corridor but none paid attention to the little beings at their feet. This made Ace relax and he fell asleep, sitting comfortably on the creature of nightmares. Way too soon Hound nudged him with his head, waking him up. The kid looked around to see why he was woken up and saw that there was no more place where to go. The animal had taken him to a giant hall by giants'' standards where a throne made of stone stood. The only reason Ace called that simplistic chair that was because it was on a dais and a giant with a crown made of stone sat on it. He wore clothes made of wood, adorned with stones. Not jewels. There were other hill sized people in the room too. They were standing by the walls watching the kid and his creature with curious eyes, wearing the same unusual clothes. Ace slowly turned around to see the king''s eyes on him too. He was tapping his index finger on the seat. ''What did I get myself into this time?'' he wondered, not sure of how was he to act now. How was he even allowed this far without being questioned or something? "May I sp-" he started softly but was instantly cut off. "Speak louder, boy!" the giants'' kings voice boomed. It took all Ace''s willpower not to flinch or cover his ears. "I can''t hear you out and pass judgment if you murmur under your nose!" ''Judgment?'' Ace asked himself with a bad feeling. How had he slept through everything important? "Before I start talking, I''d like to find out whether I''ve come to the right place. May you be as kind as to tell me the name of this place and with whose presence have I been graced today?" Ace asked, shouting his lungs out and fishing for information at the same time. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "You are in the palace of Heaventai before king Horaron the Third! He will decide whether you''ll be killed by giving you to our pets, getting picked off by the mountain birds or will fight a death match against a blood troll! You may plead your case now!" a smaller giant from the king''s right announced in a bored tone, but shouting none the less. Ace would have found that peculiar if not the fact he was being sentenced to death and he just had to decide what kind of it''ll be. "I would like to ask of my crime and what rules have I broken?" Ace asked, looking for a way out but seeing none. He was still within the mountain which meant there were no windows and the only doorway was blocked by two buffy guards. They wore heavy armor that made them look twice the size and held evilly glinting weapons. With speed of the Hound he might get through them, but there was no way for him to open the doors by himself. "You''re charged with indecency!" king''s right hand man screamed with a chilling look Ace''s way. "You''ve violated our code of honor to never wear human like clothes or pretend to be like them. For that you''re to be executed tonight!" "Uhm..." Ace muttered unintelligibly trying to come to terms with his crime of being human. He debated whether he should reveal that little detail or not. "Any words to explain yourself, sinner?" "Can I plead innocence?" Ace asked without any real hope, but not letting it show on his face. "What if I say it''s all a misunderstanding?" A wave of disagreement washed over the surrounding people. They whispered angrily, pointing fingers at him. "You dare say I wrongly condemned you?" the king asked in a roar, standing up. Ace lowered his head to a normal position. There was no need to keep it straining upwards if he couldn''t see the giant''s face through his large stomach. "I did not mean that!" Ace shouted out but his voice was drowned in the chaos started by the king''s actions. Onlookers started hitting the ground in a steady rhythm, adding a beat with their hands and boisterous voices. The sound was so loud Ace was forced to turn off [All Ears] and cover his ears. Even then he was afraid they weren''t going to take it and he''ll turn deaf. When the sound reached maximum volume, a gong sounded calming the crowd for a heartbeat. And then they started it all again. But there was a difference. When previously one could discern a single steady beat created by a hundred or so living instruments, this time it wasn''t pre-arranged. The giants were crazy and wild, full of some primal joy hitting one another, walls and screaming their lungs out. It was as if they were possessed by the spirit of chaos. Every single one. Just as he determined that, Ace was grabbed by a giant hand and encased within it. *** "Do you think he can really achieve something?" Lana, a priestess asked the other group. Hours had passed without any change and she was losing hope. "He''s our only chance" Aurora answered, shrugging. She believed they had a pretty decent chance with Ace being the one free. If she or Par had escaped, it would have been a death sentence to everyone. She had doubt Rowena or Worglan could do much either. "But he''s a kid" June said with a sigh. "He''s got nothing inside his head." "You''re wrong!" Par said in a raised voice, quick to defend his friend. "Ace is one of the smartest people I''ve met!" "You haven''t met many then" June laughed without malice. "June" Lancelot said, chastising his companion, then turned to the kid. "She didn''t want to make fun of you, child. We''re just all a bit on edge having spent here awhile." He sounded tired. "She should apologize" Par said, crossing his hands. "She should" Lancelot agreed with a laugh. "June?" There was some grumbling from the shadows before a female voice spoke up. "I''m sorry for telling the truth." "June!" "Well, but that''s truth! He''s saying that the other kid is smart which is pure stupidity since you''ve seen how he looked and acted! Stop with that goody act and just admit it!" Lancelot frowned at his companion. "I thought I made it clear for you when I let you in that you''ll have to control your mouth and learn to keep it closed when you have nothing but insults to say. The other kid may have looked like a spoiled brat and acted like one but what do you know of him? Is that true or pretended? Is that all he''s capable of? How many times have I told you not to judge the book by its cover?" The girl, June, stayed quiet after that but didn''t apologize. She felt she was in the right and wasn''t going to lie to get on her group leader''s good side. He wouldn''t like it either. "So how long have you been staying here?" Aurora asked, changing the conversation. "A week or so" Lancelot answered. Aurora gasped. "That long in a cage? Wasn''t there a way out?" "Your coming was the first time we''ve seen living beings after being thrown in here. We were almost ready to reveal this place to other players if only to finally get out" Lana said with a sigh. "We hoped you''re going to help us out but you were as unlucky as us to get caught. It''s a shame, really." "Don''t count Ace out yet" Aurora said with a yawn, resting her head on Hawk''s shoulder. "He''s much more than meets the eye." "Such confidence in him" Talin, the axeman, said with a sneer. "Is he really worth it?" To everyone''s surprise answered the previously quietly sitting Nein. "I''d feel safer with him defending my back than you. That is if he ever agreed to it." "Did I miss something?" Monthu asked with a raised eyebrow. "If I remember his words correctly, you''re here to spy on him." "Spy on the kid?" Lana asked in outrage. "That''s just wrong!" Nein ignored her and answered Monthu, looking him in the eyes. "I haven''t seen anyone like him before. He has a heart of gold while not a semblance of conscience and his skills show it. I wouldn''t want facing him myself because one way or another he''ll trick me into losing." Monthu chuckled, followed by Hawk and Aurora. "That''s one good description" he agreed. "Thanks" muttered Nein with a wry smile. "It would be much easier if it would also satisfy Perry." "Why did she send you here for real?" Aurora asked softly, doubting he would answer. "The same reason Rowena is here and I had heard a rumor there''s an earth mage looking for your group for exactly the same thing" Nein said, cryptically. "More people to follow his every step?" Monthu asked with a sigh. They had started as a small group intent on simply enjoying the wide world and having fun but once the kid had joined it had all crumbled to pieces. They were constantly getting threatened, separated and followed, all while doing craziest of missions. It wasn''t exactly what he had wanted his brother to get accustomed to. Nein shrugged. "Maybe she won''t find you." "Fat chance" Hawk muttered, rolling his eyes. "Who''s that kid?" June asked suspiciously. "He acted like he cared nothing for being the only one safe, then just gave you six fortune worth skills books and you say everyone is spying on him. Is he some real life prince or something?" The whole group laughed, even Worglan who had no idea what real life was. But what he knew was that Ace was clearly no noble. He just liked acting the part. When laughs subsided, Rowena tried to explain it. "He''s just... uhm... very good at... making friends who... mhm.. get worried about his wellbeing!" "And enemies" Nein added. "Half of Perry''s group would eagerly relieve him of his life with Perry standing first in line. He didn''t make the best impression when we met." "What happened?" Aurora asked, curiously. "He never told us the whole story, just what he was accused of." "He told you what he was accused of?" Nein asked surprised. "I would have thought he''d hide it." "Nah, he told us some time ago. So what happened there to make everyone hate him instantly?" Nein leaned against the iron bars and with eyes closed and a slight smile on his face started his tale. "We found him healing and took him away since he was part of our guild. Perry had a victim so she brought the kid to him expecting to have won the jackpot. Poor girl didn''t know Ace would turn everything against her going as far as taunting her into putting chains on him and bringing him to court. She was furious but his words rang true so we let him off. After some discussion he agreed to come with us but it took him only a minute or two before getting bored and running off. I chased and you know in what mess he had landed us. Nobody liked diving face first into lava so he''s become mortal enemy." "But not yours?" "I didn''t get to taste the lava" Nein answered with a shrug. "No, you just wasted a scroll that''s worth a kingdom or close to" Monthu said with a look that said he didn''t buy it. "But it was an awesome spell" Nein said with a smile on his lips. He could very well remember the power running through his veins when he had casted it, the words, each one shaking his being to the core. It had been an amazing experience, one he would have missed saving the spell for some cataclysm or something and in the process getting bored of those same weak spells. This one had brought his interest back to his class and he was ready to tackle every challenge to be able to cast that kind of spells at will. And for this he was indebted to the kid. Monthu had to agree to it and nodded. He hadn''t seen anything close to it. "What ar-" Lana started to ask when heavy footsteps reached their ears. They looked at each other in disbelief and to check others had heard it also. The sound was coming closer but nobody said a word. They were afraid it would scare the thing away and they''ll have to stay here forever, locked in their shadowy corners. A giant came over with a box in his hands. He opened it and put before the opened gates of the cages, first one then the other. "Go" he hollered surprising the humans and like a herd of sheep they all entered. Only when the box closed in and they shook off the shock they noticed what they had done. Talin cursed like an old sailor while others tried to get to the iron barred window and see where they were being taken. Dark corridors met their eyes as they fell elbowing or kicking each other through the constant shaking and jolting of their new cage. "Where do you think we''re going?" Aurora wheezed out pushing someone off her chest, he was preventing air from reaching her lungs. "I wish I knew" hissed June as something squashed her hand. "Get off me!" Someone groaned, trying to move before another jolt threw them all to the other side of the cage. It seemed like not only was the giant in a rush but he was also waving the damn thing, making them fly back forth repeatedly. "Healing Hand!" Aurora whispered as her health dropped below half. "I''m so never travelling by giant express ever again!" Someone chuckled and another pressed heavily against her legs as they rolled to the other side. She was so happy this wasn''t real life and broken bones could be easily healed with a single spell even if it hurt. At one point they mostly stopped moving and were left to lick their wounds while their cage swayed softly. "I think we found a new torture method" Hawk muttered trying to stand up. His body was bruised and battered but not out of commission yet. He walked to the iron barred window or more like hole now that it was at the bottom and looked downwards to see a sight promising even worse things to come. "You don''t want to look there" he told others and sat down himself. Nobody, of course, listened to him and had the joy to see that they were hanging above a cavity that was more than thirty meters deep. At the bottom there was a pool of greenish water and a small field littered with stones of various sizes. Everything was covered by a layer of red. "What is that?" Aurora asked fearfully, taking a few steps back. "If I were to guess by all the eyes shining with madness , I''d say it''s an arena" Nein said with an emotionless voice, he was looking through another hole, one on the side of their cage. It was smaller, only the size of a palm but you could see clearly giants standing behind a barrier through it. "Do you think we''ll have to fight there?" Rowena asked, a shiver running down her whole body. "I wouldn''t doubt it" Lancelot said with a dark expression. "This will not be easy." "Oh don''t worry, it''s not your fight" came a voice from nearby and they all went to anotehr side window. Ace stood there on the ring around which a rope was secured that kept them in the air. The kid was holding onto it and swaying gently with a light smile. "What are you talking about?" Lancelot asked gruffly. The kid looked straight ahead. "I''ve broken some law and am paying my life for it. You''re here to watch and learn what happens to traitors then you''ll be released so in a way I''ll get you out " he said softly in a gentle tone. "You can''t sacrifice yourself for us!" Lancelot said in a cold voice. "I won''t accept it! Make them let me fight!" Ace tilted his head looking back at the cage, curly hair framed his face making him look even younger than his twelve years. "You can''t change it. It''s been decided and the crowd is eager for my blood. Just look at them" he said motioning all around them. Giants were standing there behind walls with gleaming eyes and following Ace''s every move. There was bloodlust in their twisted faces as they waited with quietly anticipation till the dogfight started. "You''re a child! You have to be protected!" Lancelot screamed angrily but Ace just shook his head as something flashed in his eyes. "I''m old enough to be able to choose for myself and anyway I''ll just be reborn. You don''t need to make such a scene." He laughed softly. "You can''t do that! You''re but a kid! Let me protect you!" Lancelot shouted out, grabbing onto the iron bars and shaking them with all his powers. They groaned but held. "I could win and we''d all leave happily!" "You don''t understand" Ace said shaking his head. He turned his azure blue eyes to face the man. "It''s not about the winning. Or even fighting. It''s about me dying the most gruesome death they could think of." "You can''t mean it!" Aurora whispered brokenly as she came closer. "It would be too cruel." "Oh, but I do" Ace answered, swaying softly and moving them together. "Even if I win my first battle, they''ll keep sending the most brutal of creatures till they overpower me." "Then I must surely exchange places with you! No child should ever go through that!" Lancelot hissed. "Bring me their leader! I''ll change his opinion! Just give me a chance!" "Look there" Ace said pointing at a faraway place, where a form of a huge silhouette could be seen. "There sits a guy that sentenced me to death. Does it look like he cares to you? He''s there drinking wine and enjoying his royal powers while his minions are given a spectacle. That''s all there''s to this show." He sighed. "I''m nothing but entertainment to their bored minds before they''ll be sent back to make more tunnels and overpower more creatures and turn them into their slaves." "But you''re just a child!" Lana said, putting her hand on Lancelot''s shoulder. "You''re too young to be a part of something like this! Let Lan take over! He''s been in such situations before and will find a way out! You have to come inside where it is safe!" "Please. I want you to be happy without such a nightmare hunting you through your life" Lancelot pleaded with genuine expression of compassion. Ace knew it to be truth from his own experience of pretending and the wet corners of the man''s eyes. He really wanted to help the poor unfortunate child being sent into slaughterhouse. But Ace was none of the above. "Not everyone deserves their happy ending" he murmured just loud enough for everyone to hear and jumped off. **** Ear-shattering scream stopped everyone in what they were doing as a black shadow dove towards the center of the arena. Ace veered to the left so he would hit water and wouldn''t have to embrace the unwelcoming earth. After such an inspiring speech of how awesome and selfless he was, he didn''t want to end up splattered on the ground like a bug. He watched as water came closer but didn''t close his eyes even for a second. Hands broke the surface and he went deeper in with the force of the fall. Soon his lungs started to scream for air so he rose up and took a mouthful of it before swimming out. His wet clothes were slowing him down so when he was out, he took off the cloak and pocketed it in his backpack. If he wanted to have a chance at the troll, he had to be as unhindered as possible. Giants of course had done everything in their power to slimmer down his chances of winning. First he had to jump down which took some ten percent off his hp, then there was water dripping off him that hindered his movements and to top it all off the troll had been kept half-starved and beaten which lowered his intellectual capabilities but increased viciousness and bloodlust. Not a good thing for Ace who had no plan of becoming anyone''s meal. He activated [Excessive Heat] to try and dry his clothes up if the fight took longer and then hid behind a large stone before using [Shadow Veil] and [Silent Steps]. Curses and joyous screams came from above but Ace shut them all off and concentrated on looking from where the troll will come. There were no obvious gates so it had to be a surprise attack. For all Ace knew the creature was already here, hiding just like him. But no, iron chains groaned as they passed over gears and a gurgling sound came from the water. Ace activated [Exodus] still standing behind the stone and welcomed those extra health points. You never knew when you might come in need of them. He sneaked a peak from behind a stone and saw an ugly creature that was more than twice his size. It had hands like branches and face reminding of a boar; stout nose and two sharp fangs going upwards, unable to fit in the mouth. His whole body was lined with blood vessels that were popped out from the skin and stole ones attention with their sickly look. They were the reason this guy''s kind were called blood trolls. It was sniffing the air, little eyes hidden beneath massive wrinkles were taking in its surroundings but not seeing the pray which nose said was near. Ace didn''t expect to be able to hide forever so he circled the creature and jumped on its back with his usual skills besides the ultimate. It wouldn''t be a show if he one hit his opponent. His attacks hit their marks and the troll hissed in pain but Ace hadn''t counted for the speed it had. The creature grabbed Ace by his head and threw him at the wall with great force. The kid heard snaps that couldn''t mean anything good but he had no time to analyze them. His instincts told him the troll was running his way and he needed to move. Now. He activated [Shadow Dash] and got out of the way barely on time. The troll punched the wall with enough force to leave a dent. "Dammit" Ace cursed. That single attack he suffered left him at ten percent health. He needed healing but he didn''t really have time to be drinking potions. "Ice Field" he said pointing at the coming troll and taking out a potion anyway. He couldn''t fight while feeling like his whole body was in tatters. The potion was half done when the creature was running for Ace again. "Wild Vines!" he casted now and finished his drink. It restored around half of his health and he felt like a newly born; full of energy and ready to face anything. "Come now" he taunted the troll while jumping on a stone to equal their heights somewhat. His opponent rushed at him ready to punch a hole in him, but Ace evaded the fist and sliced at tendons with his daggers. Kris slid lovingly over the flesh and cut it with care. Ace jumped up to let the other fist pass under him and threw his left dagger at the troll''s eye. It was almost embedded more than thrown but however you called it, the blade pierced the eye and its owner screeched in pain. But the kid was too close. He wasn''t able to escape the back hand attack and flew a few meters. Yet Ace was prepared for that and rolled away to lessen the damage done. His health lowered by twenty percent, leaving him at a third but it was worth it. Now if only he could take care of the other eye too... Red missiles flew his way and Ace was hit full force. He shook his head trying to understand what happened and why his health was flashing red when another volley came. He used [Shadow Dash] to reposition himself which also saved his life. It wasn''t looking good. He rushed, crouching behind a stone to take a breath and maybe, just maybe restore some health. The troll was wary of him so he wasn''t going to rush face first again which gave Ace some time. He gulped down a potion right before sharp red shards flew at him from another direction and he had to roll away to dodge them. To his dismay they started coming faster and faster making him show how fleet of foot he really was. The troll was keeping him at distance throwing those strange red things and Ace didn''t even have time to figure out how he did it. The kid''s whole mind was filled with twists and turns that would keep him alive for a second more. The attacks kept coming and Ace kept on dodging left and right. All until his eyes fell on his stamina bar and he saw it nearing the end. He had to do something crazy. *** "He''s going to die!" Lana cried, tears running down her cheeks unashamedly. "There''s no way he can withstand the Blood Darts!" "I knew I had to be there!" Lancelot hissed, hitting the wall as if that was going to help the situation in any way. "You couldn''t" Aurora said for the hundredth time, watching as Ace rolled away from one volley, barely stopping himself from getting into another. He was small and covered in blood while his opponent stood tall and proud with his teeth shining miles away. He was going to win and he knew it. The crowd knew it too, showed by their loud cheers. Hell, even all of them knew Ace was a dead man walking and no matter how swift he was, he was going to tire out soon enough. "I should have done something!" Lancelot threw again. "He''s just going to be killed there!" "He knew where he was going, he even said it so himself" Nein said rolling his eyes. He was least caring about the outcome right along Worglan. They were sitting like old friends and discussing the fight without any emotional attachment to either of the fighters. In their opinion the best should win. "Cold hearted beast! How can you just sit and watch?" Lana asked him with a glare. "If I can''t do anything but watch, I might as well enjoy the spectacle" he said without a hint of remorse in his voice. "Look, he''s preparing for something!" Worglan nodded with a puzzled expression. "I''d say he''s circling to get closer if that wasn''t a suicide mission." "I have to agree on it" Nein murmured, lowering his head closer to the hole in their cage around which they all sat. "Wasn''t it the right eye he stabbed? Why is he giving his opponent full view of himself?" "He''s tired!" Lana said. "I doubt he can even think straight!" Five pairs of eyes looked at her incredulously before shaking their heads and returning to watch the duel. "You think he''ll use his jump now?" "Should. Else he''s getting skewered and loses his chance" Hawk said, joining the two commentators. Nein nodded, agreeing to the conclusion. "Skip to the left, right, right and n- What?" the three screamed out as Ace instead of jumping on his opponent decided to encase him in grass and hide behind a stone, drinking couple of potions. "That''s a stupid move" Worglan said, shaking his head. "Absolutely, those drinks don''t restore energy. Soon he''ll fall over from exhaustion." "He had one chance..." Hawk said with a sigh, shifting his eyes to see sad faced Aurora looking at the fight with one eye and Par hiding in Monthu''s hands. The kid wasn''t looking at all but neither was he crying. "Well, we all make mistakes" murmured Rowena half lying, half sitting by the hole. She looked displeased by the sight at the arena but nothing more. Lancelot punched the wall again and their whole cage shook. "Stop it or we''ll all fall in!" Nein hissed at him. That made the guy''s eyes lit up. "You know we''ll all die right?" "We could..." "We could crash and turn into beautiful wisps of grey smoke. That''s all we could do so shut up, stop putting us in danger and watch the last moments of the kid''s brave fight." The fact that he''d be the fault of thirteen deaths calmed Lancelot down instantly and he returned to his position by the window at the arena. Giants were screaming and cheering in obnoxious voices while the kid was fighting for his life. It made Lancelot feel sick. He had trained endlessly to become strong and be able to protect the weak but here he was once again being shielded by a newcomer to life. Protected by a child. He felt weak and pathetic. What was all his training worth if he could do nothing but watch as a little kid sacrificed himself for the sake of others? It was a noble cause but children should be playing games and enjoying their lives instead of worrying about saving those they cared about. It was a game but too realistic not to scar children. What were they doing here anyway? It was too cruel and vicious for them. His eyes landed to see the troll lying on the ground and the kid on his back stabbing his neck repeatedly. His curved dagger was glistening red but it was getting plunged in again and again. At first the troll tried to stand up, straining against the grass holding his limbs to the ground, but soon the fight left him, his body lying limp in his own blood. The kid stabbed him a few more times before noticing the change and standing up. He raised his weapon to the crowd that had fallen silent at the sudden turn of events and smiled. Lancelot was sure of it even if he was all the way up high here. Then he released a breath he didn''t knew he had been holding. The kid had won! Everything was going to be okay! "He did it..." Nein said in disbelief. "That was something amazing¡­" Hawk said as Aurora jumped to hug Lana and Rowena. They all exchanged exited smiles. "Ace won! He won!" they screamed, letting the tension out and high fiving each other. A glint of metal caught Lancelot''s eye as he was turning to his team. He lowered his head just in time to see Ace fall over the dead troll and turn into white mist. Next Chapter 5.6 Stranger Previous Chapter "I think I shouldn''t have done that" came a voice, sounding not apologetic in the least. Eyes, both human and giant, lifted upwards looking for the one who had interrupted the fight. Or more like killed the survivor. "Like really! How could he be so weak to die from a healing infuse? That''s just stupid!" he said, bad-mouthing the kid while everyone else just stared in disbelief. The guy was standing on the large doors, looking like a speck of dust with a loud voice. "Can you see him?" Aurora asked Hawk who activated ability with his namesakes eyes. "Yeah." "Do we know him?" Monthu inquired, keeping Par behind himself. "He''s around fifteen-sixteen with black hair in three braids past his mid section. He''s wearing brown leather armour, has a number of daggers strapped to his west and has a chain wrapped around both his hands. Sounds familiar?" he asked, turning around and glancing at the group. Everyone shook their heads. "I don''t trust him" Aurora whispered looking upwards with her brows furrowed. She couldn''t see the person but he sounded dangerous. "Really?" June asked through clenched teeth. "I thought him killing the kid already marked him as a heartless beast or do you have a different idea of what evil is?" Her eyes boring holes in Aurora''s skull. The girl gulped taking a step back. "I didn''t mean..." "What? That it''s clear we shouldn''t associate with him? Are you dumb or just have an unexplainable need to state the obvious?" "June!" Lancelot hissed, taking a step before her. "We''re not here to make scenes! Take a deep breath and calm down or leave! We have problems enough already!" His look was of cold disdain that didn''t fit on his face. It had friendly, soft features meant for laughing and smiling not frowning or the like. June lowered her eyes for a moment before rising them again. "She started it" she said, softly before turning and sitting down in a corner, out of everyone''s way. "We need to figure out a way out" Lancelot murmured, looking at Monthu and Nein. "Well, we were promised freedom once the kid died." Nein said, still sitting. "I''m up for waiting for that." "You''d trust a word said by those who made a kid fight a death match?" Lana asked, angrily. "They''re monsters!" "He broke their law" Nein said, shrugging. "Most cultures believe that children are capable of making right decisions and know what they''re doing so I find nothing shocking here." As he said that their cage moved, pushing them all to the left, one over the other and then back again. The swaying lasted only for a minute until their cage broke and they fell on the ground with loud groans. Aurora and Lana instantly used their spells to heal the injured ones. When they stood up to dust their clothes and look at what had happened, they saw the killer standing right before their noses. He was tall, almost two meters, with dark green eyes and an eager expression on his face. "Let''s go hunting!" he said, excitedly. "Hunting what?" Monthu asked warily. The guy was as far from a trustworthy person as it was possible to get. "Giants, of course! I know you have a mission to wipe them out and I''ll help you!" he said, balancing on the soles of his feet, dagger with a chain on it swirling in his hand. Monthu looked around to see over a few hundred giants looking at them with calculating eyes. They couldn''t have heard what they were talking about but if they didn''t get out soon, they might attack anyway. "Thanks for the suggestion, but I think we''ll take our leave now. It was a very stressing day, you know" he said in a normal tone and motioned for others to follow him. No one had a death wish so they went after him. "But that''s not fun!" the killer whined. "I want some action!" "Then face them on your own" June suggested with a crooked smile. "I''m sure you can take them on!" The killer frowned slightly. "There''s quite a number of them" he murmured, rising his head to take in the whole place, the hundreds of giants clustered around. A smile touched his lips. "Well, that only makes it more interesting!" The next moment he was running up a giant''s leg with his chains flying after. He made it in moments and daggers at the end flashed before they embedded in the giant''s soft flesh. The killer dragged on his chains, making the blades slice downwards and leaving gaping wounds in their wake. They festered and greenish foam came out. Then the giant started to scream and try to swat his assailant. The killer nimbly dodged his attacks and swung his chains again, leaving more gashes. Huge hand came to swat him like a fly but he ran up the head and used his chains to entrap the fingers. Then he tugged on them, cutting the fingers off and freeing his chains to send the daggers striking at the eyes. They were soon out and the killer used his chains to make a few more disgusting wounds before sending his daggers forward to hit another giant and pulling himself to them. Then his dance of torture and blood begun anew. He looked amazing, doing all those stunts and ignoring the coming attacks making the group look up at him in awe but that didn''t last long. Soon they noticed angry eyes directed at them too and giant feet coming over their heads. They scattered out to evade them but running around wasn''t going to solve their new problem. One called angry giants. ''''Whose smart idea was to tell him go and fight while we were still here?'''' Hawk asked, angrily, rolling to escape being splattered. He rose to let loose a couple arrows, but they fell uselessly having hit stone boots. ''''Sorry!'''' hissed June, being pushed to the right by Lancelot. ''''I didn''t think he''d actually do it!'''' She fell with a huff and lay for a second before being able to stand up. ''''We can''t run forever!'''' Nein noted. He was standing still as a statue while everyone else rushed back and forth to evade the feet and hands coming their way. Somehow he was being left alone for the moment. ''''We''ll have to fight!'''' Lancelot agreed hitting some foot with his fist. It cracked the boot but that was all, the giant didn''t even feel it. "Regroup!" Monthu shouted out, dragging Par away. "Southern wall! Mages to the back! Fighters make the vanguard! Make sure everyone succeeds!" He pushed his brother forward, blocking a hand coming Worglan''s way. The man nodded in gratitude and together they rushed to the wall. Hawk with Aurora was already there. "Should we use the old strategy?" Ranger asked, shooting arrows up in the air. You never knew, maybe some will hit something vital. "Can''t use Meteor shower inside the mountain!" Worglan said in a huff. How the kid''s illusion spell was working even though he was dead, he would never know. It was pretty annoying even if it was amazing. "We''d have to break the ceiling first and that would drain us out!" "Any other ideas?" Monthu asked while blocking a foot with the shaft of his scythe. The fights with snakemen had raised his level considerably, making it possible for him to block and even attack giants but the difference in size was still too great for him to deal any significant damage. "We need them now!" "Do you have any image amplifying spells?" asked the quiet brunette from Lancelot''s party. "I could mesmerise them if they could only see me." "Worglan?" "Sure thing" answered the man. "Shift and turn images within the eye and make them see astray, Illusion!" It looked as if the girl became ten times bigger, the size of the giants, and then she started to dance. Her moves were slow and seductive showing off her body¡¯s beauty but in no way vulgar. The sound of chiming bells followed her every move, catching the giants'' attention and making then immobile for a bit. Humans watched her for a bit too, amazed by her grace. "Snap out of it!" June hissed, leaning against the wall heavily. Her breath came in ragged gasps, more from fear of being stepped on than any real lack of energy. "What if we tried fighting them one by one?" Nein asked. "Can''t separate them that much" Monthu disagreed. "We''ll need to fight them all at once somehow." "Well, then let''s not waste time" Nein said with a sigh, starting his million of buffs. He wasn¡¯t stingy with them and used them on everyone present, even the crazy killer running around and maiming giants. Then he used his weakening spells, after which he sat down with his legs crossed to meditate and recover his mana. "Worglan any useful spells?" Monthu asked, blocking an attack and hearing his scythe groaning. it wasn''t something he wanted to hear at the moment. "I can''t do anything while they''re protected by those stone boots." "And armour" Hawk added. "I can take care of that!" June said. "Earth magic is my speciality!" Worglan nodded and started to whisper something in Par''s ear. The kid listened attentively, clutching his staff tightly. The girl in the meantime said a complicated spell aimed at one giant. A brown wave of dust collected around its legs. They pushed itself into the stone workings, enlarging the gaps until the boots fell off in pieces almost crushing Monthu. He managed to jump just at the right time before he would be buried alive. "Care!" he shouted out, jumping on one slab of stone and from there cutting at the exposed skin. It did little to no damage as a mosquito''s bite. "Use this!" came a voice from above and he saw the beast like person from Lancelot''s party running up the giant''s leg with his double swords outstretched. Monthu caught the vial falling his way and backed a bit to see what it was. There was a skull with crossed bones underneath it drawn on the label. He opened the vial and without inhaling or touching the liquid, dropped some of it on scythe''s blade. It glistened for a moment before returning to it''s normal colour. Monthu put the vial in his bag and returned to the fight. He tried to wound his opponent again. His attack left a wide gash by human standards, nothing more than a scratch by giants'' but where he had drawn blood, it was set on fire. The giant bellowed his pain, making the walls rumble, but no one paid him any attention. His own kind had more problems while humans only enjoyed his suffering. A beast like one was up in his face, slashing and slicing at all of his exposed skin. Every attack numbed his body, making him less responsive and able to counter-attack. Yet it did nothing to dull the pain. He could feel his bones breaking in his right leg while the left was on fire. "Kid now!" Worglan shouted out and together with Par he finished a spell. A massive amount of balls made of fire popped into existence behind them and flew to attack but instead of exploding on contact they stayed near the giants'' skins and burned them repeatedly. There were hundreds of those balls and they were high up to pose no threat to humans wile blocking sight and hurting giants. "How did you do that?" June asked in disbelief. High level spells were an expensive rarity so that even people with money tended to not have them. Not that many casters were rich; spell books, materials and teachings were always high priced. Knowledge is power, after all. "Like every other mage" Worglan answered, looking around for anything that might hint at a spell to use. He knew many of those but he rarely fought in groups so most would hurt his companions and he doubted Ace would appreciate it. "I want to learn it too!" she shouted out, coming closer. "No point, it''s already cast, better take care of what you can do" Worglan answered, looking pointedly at a couple of giants coming their way who had stone armour on. The girl huffed in annoyance but did as told, she wanted to survive this predicament. "Change your dance!" Lana shouted out. "They''re getting used to it!" The brunette noted it and started to move quicker as if hearing some new music others didn''t. She shook her waist, twirled and moved her hands in snake like motions, all while smiling knowingly. Giants could do nothing but be entranced by her moves and stare open-mouthed. "I really want to help too" Lana said in an angry huff, looking longingly at the fight but keeping to the back lines among the mages to save up her mana. "I think I can heal both parties if we merge" Aurora suggested, throwing a heal Monthu''s way. He had been hit by a piece of stone having fallen when June had broken the armour. "We''re not receiving too much damage at the moment." "We''re higher level, we''ll lower your experience" Lana said with a sigh. "I wouldn''t want to do that to you all." Hawk laughed. "I think this is more about surviving than earning levels. If we lose, we''ll all die. Besides we have Nein and that guy''s level is over the top." "You sure?" "Do it!" Aurora agreed and Lana screamed at Lancelot. "Combine the parties! Let''s make a raid group! Everyone agrees!" The guy hit the giant a few more times before doing a few jumps that brought him to where Monthu was finishing his fight with another leg.
*Lancelot''s party wants to join yours and make a raid group. The experience will be shared equally while items belong to ones who pick them first. Do you accept?*
"Yes." Monthu answered with a vicious slash towards the giant''s leg which was too much for the guy to take and he fell backwards, bringing a couple of his friends along too. The beast person used that time to jump on them and start his job there. He needed many attacks to paralyse someone the size of the giant but he never shied away from hard work.
*Raid group has been created*
*Stand United activated!* "What''s this?" Lancelot asked in surprise. He had seen many leadership skills before but nothing to this extent, knowing that it couldn''t be high level with its owner being an unknown adventurer. "Random generated skill that activates whenever it wishes to" Monthu answered, choosing a close giant and restarting his attacks. It looked to be going pretty well for now. The killer kept many giants occupied on the other side of the room while the dancer kept those around in check. The few escaping her charm could be dealt with one by one, something he hadn''t expected to be possible. "How did it happen?" Lancelot asked, not really expecting a reply. The way to receive rare skills were always kept in secret so they wouldn''t become common, which meant no one shared their experiences. He used [Fist of an Angry Monkey] followed by [Flurry of Fists] before remembering his old dream to create a guild for helping others. When he had joined the game he thought it would be easily done since he was good at leading and most people liked him but it showed up none shared his ideals. They all wanted to become the emperor and didn''t care about stepping on others to do it, something Lancelot could never tolerate. "We were attacked by bandits and fought to our last breath for the whole day. Most died but those who survived received the same skill as I or a variation of it" Monthu answered without any reservation. He wasn''t aiming for the throne so there was no reason for him to hide what he could do. He was here to enjoy the new world with his brother, nothing more, nothing less. "That sounds a lot like a castle defence but I haven''t heard of such skills from there" Lancelot said, blocking a giant hand coming for Monthu from the back. He used [Staggering Punch] at one of the finger''s which shook the whole hand and the giant brought it back. Monthu nodded in thanks before evading a giant foot and slashing at it, creating flames in blood. "We were hired to protect a caravan and there was no rest, no additional fighters to change us when we got tired. We also had eight clerics for hundreds of defenders, receiving a heal was a joy only a few felt. Besides by the end all mages were wiped out, leaving fighters and rogues to fight on our own." Lancelot did a sidekick and triple punch before replying. " That does sound like a battle worthy of a rare skill. Did you make it then?" "Yeah" Monthu answered, cutting at the fingers coming his way. Noticing they were moving sluggishly his way, he changed his position so he could cut them off. The giant screamed in pain, bringing his hand back up and starting to jump all around. Both of the fighters had to use up all their movement skills to evade being squashed and try to finish off the giant before he came to be a threat to the mages resting by the wall. Blinding white light flashed by them and the giant screamed even louder. "Lana" Lancelot said with a laugh. To Monthu''s questioning look he explained. "She''s a great healer but she''s an even better mage. Her divine punishment spells deal insane amounts of damage to anything that has any connection with dark magic." "Giants?" "Don''t you know? They were human once but necromancers experimented on them which resulted in them growing in size but losing most of their emotions, leaving them closer to animals than humans which they hate to hear. That''s why they hate anything that reminds them of us" Lancelot said in good humour but his eyes darkened as he remember how the kid was sacrificed. The boy had done nothing wrong but was killed and even though his executor was the newcomer, giants were the ones really at fault. If not them, the kid would still be running around them with a happy smile on his face. "That''s good..." Monthu said, without real joy. He knew their secret weapon was Worglan''s true nature and the guy was a necromancer. His skills wouldn''t reach their full potential if he was fighting dark creatures instead of normal living beings. "You don''t look too happy" Lancelot noted, breaking a bone or two. The giant was becoming paralysed and all they needed to do was finish him off now. He was no longer any danger, but they couldn''t let him leave his slowed state and become active again. He had to be taken care of before that happened. "It''s nothing" Monthu answered, hitting his opponent repeatedly. He was no longer looking for a safe hit, just to deal the most damage possible. They took care of the giant and a few more in companionable silence. Worglan and Par aided them with fire spells, June stone armour shattering ones while Lana used holy ones. Hawk used paralysing arrows to aid Mai, the beastman, in his work of slowing the giants down while Aurora and Nein held the back with heals and buffs. Rowena was nowhere in sight. They fought like that for hours until they came near the throne. A giant larger than the others sat there. He was all hidden beneath stone armour, not even the smallest part of skin showing. "What a scaredy cat" the killer noted, joining everyone in where they had been standing before him. The crazy chain guy didn''t look tired at all, but his blood red chain with same coloured daggers showed him to have been busy. "What are you?" Nein asked him, noting Rowena hovering near him in her hawk form. She had blood on her claws too but unlike him she was breathing heavily, her wings moving with her slow inhales and exhales. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Aster, a kind of a berserker" the guy said with a bright smile. It deformed his face making him seem a bit crazy. "Any explanation as to what you''re doing here?" "Looking for Silver Wing but the bastard seems to have left here ages ago" the berserker said in annoyance. "Can you imagine he was sighted in Kallamore kingdom yesterday!" he said in disbelief. "He never leaves Meda kingdom" Hawk said surprised. He had followed the guy''s path and Wing had never went even close to the borders. "Hell yeah, that''s why I came to Meda in the first place!" Aster grumbled. He rose his right hand and freed the chain, starting to circle the dagger before himself. Everyone took an involuntarily step back. You could never be too careful with crazies. "How did he even get there? He couldn''t have used the cleric''s teleportation with his infamy but the path to there would be longer than a few months!" "You sure he was spotted there?" Hawk asked again. He could hardly believe it. Maybe someone decided to imitate Silver Wing? There could be no other explanation. "Guys, we have bigger problems now!" June hissed, watching the giant king raising his right hand and snapping his fingers, but no one paid her any attention, everyone was more interested in what was happening with the notorious killer. Even Lancelot was aware of him and had been planning to catch him until he heard it was a misunderstood kid. Now he just wanted to meet him and maybe show him that the world wasn''t as terrible place as he might be thinking. And that killing never solved any problems. Aster circled his dagger faster before throwing forward, the chain sliding through his hand with ease. The blade hit the giants king''s leg, breaking the armour and drawing blood. "Damn well, he was. No other bastard would go against a healthy mercenary band in their camp and actually win it. The idiot group said they even recognised him from the mask, crimson eyes and his tactic to throw poisonous daggers." "Did anyone survive?" Aurora asked in a whisper, her hand over her mouth as she tried to imagine what had happened there. Lucky for her she had no imagination for the macabre and the worst she had seen was Ace fighting cavemen. Eleven pair of eyes turned to stare at her to make sure she had really asked that. She felt a little stupid then. Aster answered her in a tone that said she was a moron. "Nobody escapes Silver Wing. That''s common knowledge!" "So he really left for the wider waters" Hawk said with a sigh. "Not sure whether to be happy for us or feel bad for the other kingdoms for they have no idea what they''ll be facing." "Weak deserve to die" Aster said without any remorse, tightening his hold on the chain and bringing it back with a swift jerk of his hand. "Just how am I supposed to meet him now?" "Why would you want to meet him?" June asked, eyeing the giant warily. He was the only one left but he was too subdued for her to believe he was just accepting his fate. From her experience bosses never sat so calmly allowing themselves to be ignored and wounded without any retribution. It just wasn''t in the blood of leaders to give up without a battle. "I want to fight him" Aster answered with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. His whole body grew taut only thinking about it. He was like an arrow poised to be released. "I want to face him one versus one and see who''s better." "Has he ever fought a real duel?" June asked doubtfully. "No, but I''d make him! He never leaves anyone alive and I''d be the last one standing! He''ll have no choice but to go all out on me and we''ll see who''s the best fighter!" "Deluded" Hawk said, turning away from him in disgust. "If you think such a strategy will work on him, you''re more stupid when you look like." Aster''s chain instantly snaked around Hawk''s neck, ready to remove him from the world of the living. "Any last words, smart-ass?" Hawk turned to look at him in contempt. "I''m just sorry for Wing to have to waste time assassinating you. Somehow even someone like you managed to reach a high level." Aster''s eyes grew wide. He''d never thought about being assassinated before the fight even started. Could that really happen? "What do you know?" he asked gruffly without loosening the chain. "He always kills the most important targets in the beginning; people who have the highest level, leaders or supporters. He''s not just some random rogue you take him for! Strategy and quick judgement is his strongest points and you would know it if you actually followed him!" Hawk said in a growl. He was a passionate fan of Silver Wing and hated people who misunderstood him or thought less of him than he deserved. Wing might be a murderer and all but he deserved respect for creating so much mayhem and every time escaping not only unscathed but with his identity in as much secrecy as it was before. Aster glared at Hawk for awhile longer before releasing him, leaving a red mark, which Aurora healed instantly. "You might be talking truth so I''ll let you off this time, but never challenge me again. I won''t be this forgiving next time." Hawk gave him a look that said he had many things to answer to that but he was leaving it for another day. Aurora''s hand on his kept had a lot of influence on that. Whooosh! A spear went through Aster¡¯s shoulder and he hissed in pain, falling to the ground and looking from where the weapon had come. His eyes landed on a group of snakemen coming from a secret passage. They walked in a formation, six creatures in line. Right after them came another group, and another. Aster dragged the spear out of his shoulder, standing up and watching the procession with wary eyes. He hated going against armies as his fighting style was best in small skirmishes where he could keep his distance and play with his chains. He glanced at his health bar, it was barely missing any points. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Aurora asked in horror, watching the upcoming monsters. Their group wasn¡¯t out of commission, mana regenerated quite easily, but stamina didn¡¯t. She had only half of her own and she had only been standing around, casting a heal or two to help out her team mates. She didn¡¯t want to think how those in the front felt. They had to be exhausted. ¡°Something I tried to warn you about!¡± June threw, angrily stomping on the ground. A bunch of snakemen couldn¡¯t pose much threat to her group but she doubted they were alone. The giant king surely had more up his sleeve since he was letting them be cornered against him. There was nothing stopping them from just killing him and then going against the army. Aster¡¯s eyes moved to the giants¡¯ king, his chains following his eyesight. Daggers flew onwards, trying to kill the monster but to no luck. They were stopped by an invisible barrier. Aster cursed under his breath and attacked again, hoping to break the barrier by force. All the attacks were deflected. ¡°Don¡¯t waste energy¡± Hawk suggested, looking at something high up. ¡°Do you see something?¡± Aurora asked, positioning herself behind the group and entering a meditation. Her mana was missing only a little bit but it was best to be full before a fight started, and it was going to soon. ¡°There are mages on the ledges, but they¡¯re too small for me to see what kind of creatures they are.¡± ¡°How can you say they¡¯re mages then?¡± Aster asked, glaring at him, his eyes blood-red. ¡°They have rods and cloaks that hide most of their figures¡± Hawk said, squinting to see better. The creatures were very thin and wore robes to blend in, only their slightly glowing rods gave them away. Pale light left them and if you were looking from the right angle, you could see it reaching towards the giants¡¯ king and creating a shield around him. As long as it was there nothing could touch him and the humans would be stuck between an impregnable barrier and an approaching army. ¡°Can you shoot them?¡± Monthu asked. He was looking at their position and not liking what he saw. They were surrounded. Again. And had no way of escaping. Last time they were only captured but he doubted that after killing so many giants they would receive such a lenient sentence again. Hawk shook his head. ¡°Not easily. I could try to concentrate all my power on single shots but it would take lots of time for each attack and I still might miss some at such a range.¡± ¡°Worglan?¡± ¡°You should look for a fire or light mage that specialises in long ranged attacks and you know I¡¯m not one¡± the mage answered with a calculating look. He wondered whether he¡¯d have to use his secret skills and show his class or not. On Monthu¡¯s look Lancelot sighed. ¡°We have nothing either. Our only long ranged attacker is Lana but she specialises in mass damage instead of precision so her range is reduced by half.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all yours then Hawk, take them out as quickly as you can. We¡¯ll cover you from the snakemen.¡± The archer nodded gravely and took out a different bow from his bag. It was larger than his usual one and thinner, adorned with animal fur on the sides and feathers at the ends. He had gotten it from Ace when they had seen the kid almost giving off things for free (for herbs). The bow had been way too high level for Hawk but he had loved the statuses which increased accuracy and range immensely. If he combined it with [Mark], [Precise Shot] and [Lethal Arrow], he could become a sniper to be feared. ¡°Make sure I¡¯m not interrupted. I need to aim carefully if I want to hit them.¡± ¡°Got it¡± Lancelot said, taking a fighting stance. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to lead your group?¡± Monthu asked, looking over the approaching enemies. He would have liked to have some secret plan which he could reveal now that would destroy all the enemies easily but his head was empty. It had been hard to fight the giants and not like they had much of a strategy then either. It was the simplistic one of protecting the mages and allowing them to weather the enemies down until they could be finished off in a few hits. ¡°We¡¯re in the same group now and you seem accustomed to leading so use us as you see fit¡± Lancelot answered. ¡°I¡¯ll interrupt only if I see something better that could be done.¡± Monthu nodded while the rest of Lancelot¡¯s previous party prepared for the battle. They seemed to be used to acting without any command. Viola went to the side where her dance could be seen, but she¡¯d be out of danger¡¯s way and Kalin with Lancelot could defend her if danger arouse ¡®cause they were standing at the front. The beast, Mio, was at the other side checking his weapons and the mages stayed at the back, meditating alongside Aurora, Par and Worglan. Monthu¡¯s eyes landed on Aster who was in the middle, glaring at everything with eyes turned crimson. Sensing the scytheman¡¯s gaze Aster turned to him. ¡°I¡¯m not joining your group.¡± ¡°Will you fight on our side?¡± ¡°I may be crazy but that doesn¡¯t mean I enjoy being killed¡± Aster answered, getting hold of his daggers and glancing at the walls. They were steep, without any handholds so getting a better position was out of a question. All he could do was go all out and hope that nobody got in his way but instead cleared some of the mobs. It was a lot to ask but he didn¡¯t have much of a choice. ¡°I¡¯ll take the right side of the cave. Don¡¯t go there.¡± Monthu nodded, noting his wish and went to where Lancelot was standing. ¡°Should I check your levels?¡± Lancelot looked at him surprised. ¡°You¡¯re asking for permission?¡± In his eyes disbelief and admiration fought for supremacy. Monthu noticed the expression and turned around. There was no real need for him to know their levels. Their help was what was important and that was most easily achieved by staying in their good graces. The snakes slithered up to them, stopping some ten meters away. The creatures wore stone armour that hid their heads and protected chests. Tails were left free for movement and hands to hold spears or shields and short swords. These monsters were nothing like the ones they had faced before. Before anything could be said or done, the snakemen split and a small creature moved ahead. His whole body was hidden beneath a cowl, making it impossible for anyone to guess who or what he was. ¡°Humans! Lay down your weapons and we¡¯ll execute you mercifully!¡± he said in a gravely voice. However, because of his shrill tone he sounded more like a petulant child than a scary monster. Aster¡¯s dagger flying at his chest was the answer. The guy had only been halfway to the place he¡¯d reserved for himself and his chains had quite a range which often helped to express his opinion about things. The creature hissed a word creating a shield around himself which blocked the attack and cackled. ¡°I like that! Let us e-¡± Before he could finish Aster ran and jumped landing among the snakes on the right side of the cave and swung his chains. They cut through the snakemen¡¯s armours leaving gashing wounds and filling the place with hisses of pain. The creatures tried attacking him but they couldn¡¯t get anywhere close while still being alive. His chains flew all around, creating a circle of death around him. Everything that came close was cut into pieces be it stone armour or flesh. Blueish blood covered the berserker and his weapon of choice for creating mayhem. ¡°What are those things?¡± June asked in horror, watching as a snakeman was severed in half and the chains didn¡¯t even slow down. They rose and fell, cutting through all resistance while Aster smiled crazily, jumping around with crimson eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t they remind you of anything?¡± Hawk asked, taking a breath before he could shoot another arrow. His voice had a strange tone to it. June glared at him. ¡°A mass murdering machine? A maniac¡¯s best weapon?¡± ¡°Not the weapon! His eyes. Doesn¡¯t their unnatural redness bring someone else to our mind?¡± ¡°Wha- Wait, you mean?¡± June asked in amazement, looking at Aster with new eyes. ¡°It actually makes sense! ¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone else made the connection before. They¡¯re so rare after all.¡± ¡°No surprise, being a berserker is one of the worst things possible! Only criminals are happy to shower in blood! No healthy human would ever choose it!¡± ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Aurora asked quietly, her gaze following Aster through spaces between her fingers. ¡°Silver Wing! Everyone was so focused on thinking of him as a constant murderer that they didn¡¯t consider a fact he might be actually hiding among us looking like a normal person! Just think about it! A normal child with ordinary eyes and looks! Who would ever question him? Who would ever expect him to be the most hated and feared killer in the whole world?¡± ¡°Why would you think that?¡± June sighed loudly. ¡°But you¡¯re slow... Look at Asker¡¯s eyes! They were green before and now they¡¯re shining red! And his clothes and hair are getting drenched in the liquid that substitutes for the snake¡¯s blood. Imagine what would happen if he was killing humans?¡± Aurora gasped, once again remembering Ace as he had killed the cavemen. It was her worst memory and it portrayed everything quite well. The dance of death, the blood gushing in all directions and a person covered in crimson with a delicate smile on his face and gleaming red eyes. ¡°Does red eyes mean a berserker class?¡± she asked, no longer thinking about the possible scenario of Silver Wing maybe being of this type. ¡°It should¡± Lancelot said, joining the conversation. ¡°I think it¡¯s called BloodLust or something of a kind which is supposedly a skill they receive upon converting to this class and it clouds their senses, making them immune to pain, exhaustion and able to see everything in red hues. The more blood is spilled the stronger the last aspect becomes and the more pronounced the red eyes become.¡± His face hardened while saying it, hands clenching into fists. ¡°Can¡¯t other classes learn it in any way?¡± Aurora questioned in a shaky voice. She was having a very bad feeling about it. Had Ace been lying to them all the time? He never hid his nature to act dishonestly and keep the truth away but was he really a berserker? Someone who enjoyed the bloodshed? Her heart shuddered at the thought of what else it could mean. ¡°No¡± Lancelot answered, shaking his head remorsefully. ¡°It is a class restricted skill.¡± ¡°A berserker...¡± Hawk whispered as if tasting the word. ¡°Ha-¡± His next words were cut off by a wave of fire rushing to them, its heat singing clothes even from a few meters away. Worglan who had been only paying little attention to the conversation became the saving grace of the group. He saw the upcoming fire and cast a spell which made flames rise from the ground and create a wall, blocking the upcoming damage. However, it did nothing to the heat and warriors at the front started to sweat. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you call some water instead of fighting fire with fire?¡± complained Kalin. His heavy armour made him feel like he was being boiled alive. ¡°I can remove it altogether¡± suggested Worglan without a hint of remorse. He wasn¡¯t going to tolerate any stupid remarks. The guy should revere him for even wasting time on saving his life. He had had no reason for it yet he did. It seemed that being among humans and being treated as one had more influence on him than he had expected. He was starting to even act as one. ¡°Thanks for saving us¡± Aurora said, angelically, turning to Worglan with a smile. It was a little shaky but genuine. The mage nodded in her direction and turned to the kid to teach him a spell which would cause quite a commotion among the snakemen. ¡°I think the discussion can be postponed for a better time¡± Monthu said from the front, not turning back to look for a reaction at all. He could sense the embarrassed faces and downcast looks. ¡°Then I think our chances lie on the ability to get rid of the casters. Hawk continue with your attacks. Mio can you take care of the one in front of us?¡± ¡°Yes, but I¡¯d be instantly deleted by the snakes while all my abilities on cooldowns¡± Mio answered from the side, his eyes trying to identify things behind the battling fires. He could discern the mage¡¯s cowl behind a few lines of snakemen. ¡°Then we¡¯ll do an arrow head tactic. I¡¯ll rush first to make the way Kalin and Lancelot defend my sides while Mio follows behind. He¡¯ll jump out to assassinate the caster and then we¡¯ll retreat with Lana covering us with her magic. Worglan and Nein you¡¯re to assist us in any way you find fit.¡± ¡°Roger¡± the guy¡¯s answered and fell in their designed places. ¡°Fire¡¯s that burn and singe, heal and save create a ring of protection, Fire Resistance!¡± Nein muttered under his breath, a yellowy glow surrounding the fighter¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯re free to do a surprise attack through the flames. You¡¯ve got thirty seconds of immunity to fire!¡± Monthu smiled, rising his weapon in a get ready sign and with Nein¡¯s voice echoing behind, casting a spell of blurred view, he dashed forward. Next Chapter 5.7 All Out Previous Chapter There was blood on him. Lots of it. It covered his clothes, hands and head. But not his dagger. It was shining as brightly as the moment he had taken it out. A stab straight to the heart. And it¡¯s still as clean as it had been before. Scream. Painful groan. Life leaving a body in a rush of red. His eyes watched it with a morbid fascination. More screams and shouts, weapons flying his way. He laughed. They were stupid to think of challenging him. Avenging was worth it only when you had the power to achieve it. ¡°Is he dead?¡± Monthu shouted out defending against three snakemen. They had swords so he was fine for the moment because of his range. There was a grunt from ahead and a shadow went over his head, falling soundly. ¡°Yes¡± Mio answered, blocking a spear thrown his way. He then dodged a couple sword thrusts and slashed at his opponents. He didn¡¯t try to kill them or wound mortally but rather push his way through. Now he was at the head and had to return their group to the others some way. A shower of light basked the enemies and they hissed in pain, dropping weapons and clawing at their eyes. Mio used that window of time to shove enemies out of his path and make his way to front of a wall of fire. As all four of them came to stand before it, the wall dissipated and Aurora breathed a sigh of relief, casting,a couple light healing spells. ¡°What¡¯s the plan now?¡± Kalin inquired swinging his giant battle axe. It broke the snakes¡¯ armour, felling them in another moment. ¡°Kill or be killed¡± Monthu said in a toneless voice, brandishing his scythe. The enemies didn¡¯t fall into as much disarray as he would have liked after having their leader killed so there wasn¡¯t much else that could be done. The rest of the fight was going to be decided simply on who could last longer. Their skill was far superior to the snakes¡¯ but it meant nothing if they were going to fall down from exhaustion. The axeman smiled widely. ¡°That¡¯s something I can appreciate!¡± Travelling with Lancelot he rarely had the chance to go all out so he planned to use the opportunity to its fullest. ¡°Can I have the right side, Mio?¡± They had fallen into the places they¡¯d taken before and this meant the axeman was squished between Lancelot and Viola dancing. The beastman nodded and they exchanged their places using Monthu as a sole guardian for a couple of moments. The guy wasn¡¯t too happy about that but held his place swinging his scythe in deadly arcs. Snakemen might have worn stone armour but it was only encumbering them. Their sluggish movements were easy to predict and their heads fell of as easy as before having no helmets. Monthu intercepted a snake¡¯s attack, catching his opponent¡¯s sword and pushed it downwards smashing with the back end of his scythe. It dazed the snake and Monthu would have loved to use that opportunity to deal some more damage but a couple more weapons were coming his way. He blocked them with the shaft, using his scythe more as a pole. The he instantly swung his scythe forward, slicing at the closest snakes. The attack didn¡¯t deal lots of damage but where wounds opened a small fire rose dealing damage and destroying morality of the fighters. The snakes might have had superior numbers and been trained in battle but their nature stayed truth. They wanted to run when outmatched and hated fire. Having it burn on your skin without any way to put it down, was no one¡¯s cup of coffee. Another swing to keep the snakes at range and try to block their attacks. It was getting harder and harder to do it. The stamina was running out. ¡°How much longer can you last?¡¯ Monthu asked, not really wanting to hear the answer. He glanced back for a moment to see Par casting with his eyes closed and hands raised. ¡°Another half an hour, maybe some more¡± Lancelot replied in a strained voice. He was facing five snakes at once and they had range advantage on him,. He punched one, breaking his breastplate and had to instantly twist to the right to not get skewered. Then he caught a sword barehanded and kicked its owner; almost killing him. The snake hissed in pain crawling away while Lancelot had to dodge another attack. He waited for the sword to slice the air, jumping to the the attacker and triple punching in one heartbeat before he was forced to return to the defensive. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a bit too many of them for half an hour?¡± June asked from the back. ¡°:Less talking more casting¡± Monthu said in a gravely voice. This was not looking good for them. ¡°Fine¡± she said before returning to her work of destroying armour and creating stone walls to confuse and annoy them. ¡°Fiery tornado!¡± Par screamed finishing a spell. Hot winds rose in the middle of the snake army, blowing in a circle faster and faster, The twister grew and grew, starting to snatch weapons, break pieces of armour and even raise snakes from the ground. And it didn¡¯t seem to have any plan to slow down. It¡¯s destructive power only growing with each passing moment. The group first smiled, enjoying the chaos those crazy winds had brought but soon they felt the pulling power too. ¡°It¡¯s going to suck us in!¡± June screamed in horror. ¡°What kind of spell attacks its caster?¡± ¡°Every single one?¡± Worglan asked, looking at her as if she was stupid. ¡°Well, yeah but who would be crazy enough to cast this particular one without any escape for himself?¡± She was frantically looking for a way out but there was nothing but a stone wall behind them. June started to seriously debating trying to break the wall and maybe escape that way. ¡°Everyone retreat!¡± Monthu ordered, taking cautious steps back as not to be overrun. ¡°Par cast Stone Prison! Worglan can you get Aster to us?¡± ¡°Earth lying still and sleepy..¡± Par started his chant. ¡°Tendrils of darkness drag the unwary, Shadow Bind!¡± the mage casted instead of answering. A large, human shaped form rose from the other end of the giant hall and flew towards them at high speed. ¡°Par now!¡± Monthu shouted out, seeing others jump and dashing the last. ¡°Stone Prison!¡± the kid said loudly and huge walls closed in around the group in all five directions. The sound of wind lessened and everyone took a deeper breath.. ¡°Will this hold?¡± Kalin asked, poking the wall with a distrustful expression. ¡°It¡¯ll have to for now¡± Monthu answered, leaning back against it with his eyes closed. He needed some miraculous plan to get everyone alive but nothing came to mind, They were just too outnumbered,. No matter how many snakes the tornado will kill there still were some good thousand or more in the tunnels, standing at the edges not being able to enter the hall because it was already filled. How were they to defeat that many even if they rested to the fullest? A form appeared before him, dagger aimed at his chest. Monthu tried to dodge but the attack was too close and he had to sacrifice his left hand to stay alive. The dagger embedded itself deeply, making the drawing out of it even more painful. ¡°Moonlight shine brightly and remove diseases of the mind, Clear Sight!¡± Nein said in a patter, his words so quick they were impossible to understand. Aster froze with his hand outstretched, poised to stab Monthu again. He looked dumbfounded for a moment, unaware of his position. Then he blinked a couple of times and took a step back, looking at Nein with dangerous eyes. ¡°You disabled my bloodlust.¡± After that admission all the other eyes turned to the caster too. Nein shrugged, ¡°I like collecting spells.¡± It was a blatant lie because if you didn¡¯t use a spell often, you wouldn¡¯t remember its incantation but no one felt like interrogating the guy. They were too tired for that, ¡®What are you all doing here? And what¡¯s with the stone home?¡± Aster asked after taking his look around. It was five on seven or so meters wide and everyone had fallen in various positions of resting inside. ¡°We¡¯re hiding from a certain killer spell¡± June answered, looking at the fire Aurora was creating with a dream like expression. ¡°By any chance do you have food?¡± ¡°A bit. I¡¯m going to make something quick to increase the energy regeneration rate¡± the priestess answered with a nod. ¡°Real food...¡± June murmured following Aurora¡¯s every step with hungry eyes, her hands clenched into fists so as not to jump and steal vegetables meant for the soup. Half a month on weeds could do that to even to a most prideful person. Aster sat down where he had been standing and watched the preparations with sceptical eyes. He hadn¡¯t eaten other player made food. He doubted it would taste any better than the grog he made and he didn¡¯t like it in the least. ¡°Are you going to go all out?¡± Nein suddenly asked, looking straight at Worglan. The guy in question smiled. ¡°You think I was holding out?¡± ¡°I know it.¡± The older mage laughed. ¡°Yeah, I am. I still have some unfinished business in the outside world so I kind of need to leave with my body intact.¡± Nein nodded as if that was the answer he expected and returned to his position with his head down and knees drawn to himself. ¡°Have you been only pretending to fight too?¡± June asked in disbelief, ignoring the fact that the mage¡¯s body language said he didn¡¯t want to talk. His quietness, however, didn¡¯t discourage the girl.. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m talking to you, no offensive spells guy!¡± She found out that annoying him was a good way to forget about her hunger and how much she missed real food. Nein sighed understanding that he¡¯ll have to reply one way or another, ¡°I¡¯m a support mage. I didn¡¯t keep out a single spell from you,¡± one side of his mouth lifted up into the barest of smiles.¡±I simply forgot to use a certain passive skill of mine.¡± His eyes glistened in a soft light of Lana¡¯s crystal ball of holy energy and even Aster raised his head to look at the guy warily, knowing from some sixth sense that he should be careful around him. He was dangerous. ¡°By the way, Monthu, I think you should learn the skills the kid gave you if we¡¯re all going all out this time.¡± The guy in question squared his shoulders in a defensive gesture.. He really didn¡¯t want to use that charity. Hawk nodded agreeing to Nein. ¡°We need them.¡± Monthu glared at him but no one stayed by his side.¡±There might be some life saving spells there¡± Aurora added quietly. Monthu knew they were right even if he didn¡¯t want to admit it. ¡°Fine,¡± he said taking out the six books. They glowed golden in his hands. He handed them to Aurora who could identify them. ¡°Here¡¯s two for you¡± she said returning two glowing books, ¡°One for Hawk, same as Par and two clerical ones.¡± She read the priest book covers and was delightfully surprised. ¡°Prayer! It¡¯s one of the most sought out clerical buffs because it almost doubles my efficiency for a minute! Although I don¡¯t really need the second spell Grave¡¯s Calling.¡± ¡°Hawk¡¯s Eyes?¡± the archer murmured to himself. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I needed!¡± ¡°Would you mind giving me the Grave¡¯s Calling?¡±Nein asked, looking straight at Aurora. ¡°I could put it to good use.¡± ¡°But Ace gave it to us...¡± she answered unsure whether she should give him the book or not. Her eyes turned to Monthu for a decision. ¡°We¡¯re using them only because we need extra help to win and if the guy can get the most of that spell then give it to him.¡± The girl seemed to find the logic sound and easily passed the book to the quiet mage who picked it with utmost care as if holding a treasure. It was like night an day compared to how Ace had been taking care of them. June glared at everyone. She wanted those books for herself. If only she had thought to ask for one herself! She should have known they knew not their true value! Idiots all of them! If only the kid had given them all to her... The stupid priestess just had to interfere at that time. That child was so young and innocent, believing martyrdom and sacrifice like her leader, it would have been so easy to give him some flashy but useless items in exchange! ¡°Don¡¯t frown so much or you¡¯ll get wrinkles.¡± Aster told her in a mocking tone. He was growing bored, his hands starting to twirl the daggers on the chain. Those around him pushed themselves a bit farther away just in case. ¡°And why do you care?¡± she asked with a glare this time aimed directly at him. Her mood was foul already and she had no patience for stupid crazies. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have anything else going for you.¡± June¡¯s eyes widened like an anime characters while she gaped at him for a couple of moments, unable to utter a sound. ¡°What did you say?¡± she screamed out when she found her voice again, standing up to tower over the tall, but now sitting teenager. Aster didn¡¯t seem angered in the least. Amused at best. ¡°You¡¯re a poor mage and you have no useful skills so treasure your appearance or you¡¯ll be left all alone.¡± He chuckled at her furious expression. ¡°Why are you so mad for me stating the fact?¡± The girl fumed standing before him, unsure of how she could get out of this situation. Her face was getting pinker by each passing second. As a last resort she grabbed onto her magic. ¡°Stones that lay sleeping for ages, ma-¡± Lancelot jumped to cover her mouth and break her concentration. ¡°Were you planning to kill us all?¡± ¡°He was making fun of me! You heard him!¡± she countered weakly from under his fingers. The corners of her eyes wet. ¡°You knew he was purposefully taunting you so why did you rise to it?¡± ¡°But he..! ¡° ¡°Calm down, June. You¡¯re better than that!¡± ¡°Yeah, do as he says. You need to keep your face lines perfect. Tears make a girl look ugly¡± Aster said with a laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, June. You know he only wants to rile you up¡±Lancelot said softly, trying to sit her down. Lana whispered something and June¡¯s face eased up. She allowed herself to be let down and leaned against the wall with her eyes closed. ¡°Why did you dot that?¡± Lana asked Aster in a freezing tone. The guy smiled instead of answering, continuing to twirl his dagger between the fingers. ¡°Wha-¡± Lana started again but Monthu beat her to it. ¡°Are you going to fight again?¡± Aster¡¯s eyes lost their joyful spark, darkening somewhat, but the smile stayed on his face. ¡°I¡¯m a berserker, of course, I¡¯ll fight. Just stay out of my way and we have an agreement.¡± As Monthu nodded, Aurora banged a ladle against the pot. ¡°Food¡¯s ready!¡± She had been trying to ignore the previous exchange because she couldn¡¯t help but feel angered somewhat. She couldn¡¯t understand why would anyone act as childishly petty as Aster had. What did she even do to him to catch his attention? She took out some bowls and started filling them for her team. It might have not been the nicest thing to do as a host but this was game and her team was her family. They needed to be the healthiest and start regenerating stamina the fastest. ¡°Do you have any bowls of your own?¡± she asked without raising her head. ¡®If not, you¡¯ll have to wait till the one¡¯s eating are finished.¡± ¡°Not really¡± Lana answered regretfully. She was sensing the aroma of the soup and even if it wasn¡¯t restaurant material, it was heavenly it this cold and damp dungeon. Aster took out a bowl and not really expecting to receive anything extended it towards Aurora. To his surprise she filled it without any hesitation. He accepted it and quickly ate so she wouldn¡¯t have time to rethink her decision. ¡°Do you want another helping?¡± Aurora asked, noticing how quickly he was finished. ¡°I¡¯ve made more than enough for everyone.¡± Aster eyed her as if she was a strange, unknown beast from another planet. Then he extended his bowl. The soup was good and if she just gave it to him then why not? Monthu was first from Aurora¡¯s group to finish his food and gave the bowl for Lancelot who passed it to June. The red haired girl accepted it readily and went for the soup with the same fervour Aster had showed. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. In no time the soup was finished and everyone lay or sat on the ground with their bellies full. ¡°We should get to it¡± Hawk murmured, lacking any eagerness. It was quite nice to just lay around and relax after all those troubles. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t mind staying a bit longer¡± June said with a yawn. ¡°But we need to before we¡¯ll get hungry again. We don¡¯t have an infinite amount of food supplies¡± Monthu said standing up. ¡°Par can you can cancel the spell on my word?¡± The kid nodded, holding tightly onto his staff. His eyes were sad and lonely, something that never happened with Ace around, but Monthu couldn¡¯t do anything about it at the moment. Even if he wanted to talk and encourage his brother, this wasn¡¯t the time or place for that. He was a leader and on his shoulder¡¯s lay the responsibility to get everyone alive out of this mess. If he failed, not only others would face death, but his brother too and he wanted to limit those experiences to a minimum. ¡°Okay, then everyone prepare. We¡¯re going all out this time with no breaks.¡± The whole group nodded in understanding. ¡°And no more crazy spells as before Worglan, we need to make it out as well, not only to kill all the enemies.¡± The mage grumbled but agreed. ¡°Ready?¡± Monthu asked, falling into a fighting stance. He activated [BloodThirst] a new toggle on ability that increased his attack speed by the amount of blood shed. It was quite similar to the berserker¡¯s trademark skill but it lacked the side effects of red eyes, increased stamina, damage and inability to stop fighting. So in a way it was taking the best and leaving the worst out. Or so Monthu thought of it. Mio and Lancelot went to his sides and their fan like formation was finished by Kalin and Viola on each side respectively. A couple meters behind them were the two priestesses with June and at the very back stood Par flanked by Worglan and Nein. To their left was Hawk with an arrow pointed upwards, ready to be released. ¡°Now.¡± After Par¡¯s whisper the walls fell and players were welcomed by an immense army staring right in their faces. Lana¡¯s light couldn¡¯t cover the whole cavern but the thousands of gloving serpent eyes were more than they wanted to see. ¡°They respawn?¡± June asked in a scream, her eyes popping out. ¡°Apparently¡± Aster said, amused. His light demeanour annoyed the girl but her eyes were locked on the dark columns that weren¡¯t were before. ¡°What are those she asked?¡± It was right before one of them moved slightly. ¡°Giants! Now I can go and kill them all over!¡± the berserker said, excitedly. No one else shared his enthusiasm on facing the same mobs once again. ¡°We took too long¡± Monthu said quietly. ¡°It¡¯s still possible¡± Nein intercepted without a hint of worry in his voice. ¡°Do you want to go first?¡± he asked, turning to Worglan. ¡°Sure¡± the mage answered raising his hands before himself. ¡°You, who have died before your time, you, who are full of rage and malice, you, who still stay around after their deaths full of regret hear my voice and raise from the dust to pay your oppressors tenfold, Raise Army of the Fallen!¡± His words were followed by a soft wind raising in the cavern. It collected dust into small clusters which then started to solidify into forms, bones and human structures. Rusty armour and weapons appeared in their hands and the skeletons went onto the offensive. They waited for no command or order but simply attacked the closest enemy. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d start fighting too. I can¡¯t keep them forever, you know¡± Worglan said, smiling evilly to the surprised faces of Lancelot¡¯s group. They expected many things out of him but not being a necromancer. People of that particular class tended to be quite obvious and rarely were on the side of good. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Monthu shouted out a command, being able to shake off the shock easily. He had expected something of the like, just not on such a scale. There were a couple hundreds of these fallen warriors that the guy summoned. Mio nodded and engaged the snakes standing before him. The monsters previously standing oblivious to anything that happened around them jumped to action and instantly blocked his attack. His sword was pushed to the side and his other hand blocked by a spear while a sword was coming at him from the back. He was caught unaware. Instantly he leaned left, but was unable to dodge the thrust fully. It left a scratch on his side but nothing too life threatening. White light came his way and he used it to slash at one of his opponent¡¯s blind spots. It was his favourite tactic to use the upcoming heals as strategic advantages. ¡°Your turn boy¡± Worglan said, smiling at his army and casting a couple dark spheres to heal up some weakened soldiers and , of course, cause damage to snakes. This time Nein smiled fully. ¡°With pleasure.¡± He stood up straighter, closed his eyes for a second and pointed his staff at something before himself. ¡°Spirits lingering here, take form!¡± It wasn¡¯t much of an incantation and June was about to laugh at him but the space before him started to shimmer as if something unnatural was there. ¡°Come forth Shadow... Sun... Wind...¡± At his words a black clothed halfling materialised, then a cheery golden haired female and a lean young man with a katana and light brown coloured armor. ¡°Also Plate and Brute..¡± A man covered in full plate armour so it was impossible to say anything about him took form and quickly after an ogre with a giant axe.They all said ¡°Master¡± respectfully after appearance and lowered their heads in respect. ¡°Hm...Two more... Then come forth Harp and....¡± his voice lowered as he thought. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good idea. Love!¡± A female with flowing white hair and human sized harp came to existence with a flourish, smiling brightly at her master. She rushed to him, falling before his feet. ¡°Raise Harp and show these vile creatures what happiness and goodness truly is.¡± The female smiled brightly at him and ran to her instrument, gently touching it as if it was her lover and sitting on a chair that materialised right on time. Her fingers ran over the strings softly, touching, feeling the surface, releasing a couple of notes. And that was that. The girl¡¯s hands went to swipe over the strings quickly, but not without gentleness. The melody that left was soft to the ear but held the strength of a warrior. It wrapped itself around the players like a mother¡¯s loving hands, giving them hope and trust in themselves while smiting their opponents with righteous hatred of a tigress protecting its cubs. Snakes slithered back a step, their attacks faltering for a moment which the allies used to the biggest advantage they could. Monthu beheaded one, Lancelot broke all armours around him while Mio and Kalin took out a couple snakes. Viola used that time to safely change the dance into a more daring one that would double her distracting ability but might turn some enemies violent. All that happened but the melody didn¡¯t weaken. It only grew in timbre and ferocity. You could feel the righteous anger seeping out of it, hiding sorrow and pain of one who had seen the worst but had no strength to stop it. ¡°Home¡± Nein whispered softly. ¡°What a fitting tune.¡± ¡°You know what it is about?¡± Aurora asked, quietly. She had some free time as unlike Lana she had no attacking spells and saved her mana for when anyone was injured. At the moment that was no one. The mage nodded which was his whole answer. He turned from the female to look into nothingness. ¡°Love take form!¡± ¡°Yes, oh master!¡± a teenage guy answered. He was around seventeen with dark hair and dressed in black denim with silver chains for decoration. There was a cross on most of them. ¡°What could I do for you on this beautiful day?¡± ¡°Quit your idiocy and kill the monsters.¡± ¡°You know I hate being in groups! Call me some other time¡± the broody guy answered, glaring at Nein with his one eye, the other being hidden by his emo like haircut. ¡°Not that kind of situation.¡± This prompted the guy to look around. His eyes stayed up at June for a while who was staring at him unabashedly, then went to the other scattered members of the group, some of them fighting for their lives while others watched in hopes to help, and finally landed on the thousands of monsters lined to kill them from all directions but their back. Lana¡¯s light was dying out so the cavern was even darker than previously but it only enhanced the effect of glowing eyes instead of diminishing it. One could learn what true fear meant in this place. The enemies seemed endless. ¡°You sure know how to find battlegrounds. First against the mountain trolls, then that one witch, a guild war or two, then spirit realm and now this. I bow before you Master. You¡¯re really the best¡± the youth laughed, his eyes still roaming over the place. ¡°Just to say, I like this place the most.¡± ¡°Little wonder¡± Nein muttered with a dry smile, turning to the all the spirits standing around him. ¡°Go and fight now. I expect nothing less than victory from you.¡± The spirits bowed once again but didn¡¯t move from their positions, even the dark youth. June¡¯s question why was soon answered by Nein¡¯s spell casting. All the buffs he had used on them previously now he cast on the spirits and more. A lot of them were even impossible to be cast on humans while his servants could make great use of it. Shadow was the first to disappear from the group and reappear behind a couple of snakes. He slashed with its blades, leaving gaping wounds but before the monsters could turn around he was gone and materialising twenty feet away to deal more damage. Next Plate and Wind joined the fan formation which allowed them to push somewhat further and give the mages more space while keeping them safe from any danger. Brute in the meantime made his way towards where Aster was going crazy and joined him in his madness. It was hard to say why the berserker didn¡¯t kill him, but maybe crazies knew their own. Brute seemed to enjoy killing and getting bloody as much as Aster. Sun joined Aurora and Lana, casting a couple of buffs that allowed all the players to see perfectly in the dark for a few hours, gave them the blessings of the sun which increased defence against dark type monsters and added bonus damage to them. After that she stayed still, smiling and throwing blinding spells to aid the fighters. June¡¯s eyes, however, saw nothing of it or of the battlefield. She hadn¡¯t cast a spell yet and wasn¡¯t planning, her eyes glued to the youth who was more handsome than it should be legal. The question of who he was and why he was following that strange mage never leaving the front of her mind. The guy didn¡¯t miss it and winked her way. ¡°Next time, baby, my Master¡¯s quite strict on us following his orders.¡± Then he smiled showing his elongated fangs and turned into a bat, flying away. The girl spluttered, stomping on the ground in disbelief at his actions. What did he think he was? She was pretty sure she was even older than him by a couple of years! Why are all handsome guys bastards she wondered sighing. ¡°You ever plan to help us and use some spells or are you incapable of that?¡± Nein asked without the slightest hint of courtesy. June glared at him but his jab was right on point. The fight had started some ten minutes ago and she was yet to cast a spell. Pointedly she turned from him, to secretly hide her blush, and thought for a moment as to what spell was needed. The front was strong so the best thing would be a long ranged attack to the back of monsters. Her mind ran past her list of available spells and one caught her attention. Earth Shake. June¡¯s eyes went to the giant doors blocking their way out and welcoming even more enemies in. It was decided. Having earth magic at your command in a cave was the best thing ever. While all this was happening, Par watched it unfold from the sidelines and kept to himself. He knew his brother was busy and shouldn¡¯t be interrupted but that didn¡¯t make him feel any less lonely. Everyone around had all those amazing spells and beautiful fighting techniques while all he had was a couple of fireballs and a simple elemental which he didn¡¯t want to call out. He was sure it would feel defensive and sad just like the snake would. This important information was gathered from watching Claw who was hiding in his pocket. The little bird didn¡¯t want to take a peek outside no matter how much the kid pleaded him to. At the end Par was left to stand alone and follow Worglan¡¯s commands if he gave any. It would have been interesting to learn new spells, if only the guy paid him the barest minimum of attention while explaining the spell and wasn¡¯t always watching what was happening elsewhere. Par missed Ace considerably. Why did the braid guy had to kill him? The kid couldn¡¯t understand it. His thought were interrupted by Worglan poking him in the ribs. ¡°Time to fight, kid. Use your fire spells and burn those monsters. The faster we¡¯re done, the faster we can leave this gloomy place and go meet your friend.¡± Par smiled at the thought. ¡°Should I use the fireballs?¡± he asked. ¡°Call your pets and then yes.¡± The kid¡¯s smile faltered a bit, thinking about the elemental and his fire snake, but he wanted for this fight to be over already so he called them anyway and told them to aid the group before starting to cast his explosive fire missiles. His aim had improved considerably since they days he¡¯d met Ace first but not enough for Monthu not to have to dodge them once in a while. Not that he minded, being used to it. He would be more surprised and off -put if he didn¡¯t have to. Surprisingly, those random movements of his instead of being a liability were an advantage. One monster would be stunned by an unexpected fireball and Monthu¡¯s rapid movement would confuse the rest giving him ample time to sneak in a couple of hits with the back of his weapon or cut at the heads, falling or even decapitating his opponents. This also could be done when a bright flash came from the back blinding his opponents but not him. It was tiring to fight defensively, waiting for such openings that came unannounced and had to be felt more than noticed if you wanted to utilise them, but it was the best he could think of. He glanced sideways, making sure no attack could catch him off-guard to see how his team mates were doing and was quite impressed. At his left side Lancelot was clearing enemies with swift strikes while an unfamiliar person to Monthu was slicing through the creatures Viola had stunned with her dancing as if they were leafs. It looked like the guy was also dancing alongside the girl just to a different melody and his moves were of a lethal type. To the right simple old cleaving was being done. At the far side Kalin was swinging his axe breaking armour and cutting snakes in half while right next to Monthu Mio had forged a battle friendship with a person buried under armours and holding a gigantic shield. They were using Mio¡¯s abilities to instantly wipe out a couple of snakes and while they where on cooldown the armadillo defended him with ease. A rumbling sound brought the scytheman¡¯s eyes to the front. He defended against a couple of swords and a spear while trying to guess what was happened near the gates to cause such loud noises. He didn¡¯t have to wonder for long. Soon ceiling started to crack and rocks, large and smaller, fell down crushing skulls of anyone who was unlucky enough to be underneath them.Good for the group everything was happening far enough that they didn¡¯t have to worry about falling victim to stones. ¡°Waves of Exhaustion!¡± ¡°Sphere of Suppressed Dark Energy!¡± ¡°Slick Surface!¡± ¡°Holy Smite!¡± ¡°Light Hammer!¡± ¡°Hell¡¯s Fire!¡± Next Chapter 5.8 Behind The Scenes Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Sorry for the long wait guys. I''m relearning how to write with the keyboard correctly so each sentence I write is taking me forever and since half my brain is focused on correct finger positioning instead of writing, the chapter''s quality might be lower :/ Really sorry about that and hopefully its not that bad. Atm deciding whether to take a couple of weeks and learn the correct positioning of fingers or just write in between and hope I''m smart enough to do two things at once since my head is filled with amazing ideas for a couple more "volumes". And as you asked here''s a list of characters and abilities if you forgot something. I''ll try to keep it updated and as truthful as I can but if you see any mistakes feel free to comment on the file itself or here on the forums Character List Titles and Abilities Now enjoy ^^ *** Rain was falling. It was a miserable day for Ace and the weather seemed to have been sharing the sentiment. Murky grey sky, large droplets of water making the world into one large swamp and flashes of thunder from time to time. The kid watched it all letting the rain soak him to the last thread and tried to remember how he¡¯d gotten here. He remembered creating an illusion to hide his flight to the pond, which he used for [Mirror Walk], and then making himself invisible to friends so actively becoming dead. After that the memory was kind of hazy. He was sure he¡¯d travelled to some random mirror which for some unknown reason was put into the middle of the battle ground and he was thrust right into the fight. Ace guessed he was healed by someone at some point because he was still alive but he would have been hard pressed to say by whom and why. Maybe he was mistaken as a member of one of the armies? That seemed like a logical idea and Ace went with it while looking around to guess what more he could learn from his surroundings. There were tents close by, lots of them, and they were full of people hiding from the downpour and waiting for the fight to resume. No flags flew so there was no way to tell what kind of army it was and in what part of the world he had landed. ¡°Hey, kid! Come inside, you¡¯ll catch a cold like that!¡± someone shouted out and Ace turned in the direction. It was a middle aged man with a beer stomach that called him. He had dark hair and large friendly eyes so the kid decided to trust him for the moment. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± the man asked after ushering him near a fire. ¡°It¡¯s no place for children.¡± Ace closed his eyes for a moment before replying . ¡°I sneaked out¡± he said faking emotionless tone quite obviously and looking everywhere but at the man that was talking to him. After a moment, he sat down before the fire and shook a few times from the difference in temperatures. ¡°It is dangerous here for someone as young as you. Why did you do that? Real fights are happening here¡± the man said sitting down besides the kid with a mug of ale in hand. Ace turned to look at him, wondering whether he was talking to a player or a npc. It was very important to find that out before being able to put up an appropriate act. ¡°I¡¯m not that young!¡± he disagreed for the moment. ¡°How old are you? Eight, nine? You should still be in elementary school!¡± That was the answer Ace needed. He tilted his head slightly and looked up at the man. ¡°Elementary? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know..¡± the man¡¯s eyes turned calculating He guessed a hidden quest. A child could hardly present a huge reward but he might have some information regarding some hidden dungeon or something. ¡°So why did you come here?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll let me stay?¡± Ace asked instantly. He didn¡¯t plan to stick around for long, but still. You never know. ¡°Maybe, so what is a kid like you doing here?¡± ¡°Defending what is right!¡± Ace answered without any hesitation, his eyes glazing over as if they saw things that only he could, things one pushes to the farthest corners of the memory. ¡°That is not saying much. How did you manage to sneak in? The security here is pretty tight.¡± Ace smiled. ¡°I¡¯m a kid! I¡¯m so small you can¡¯t even see me!¡± he said proudly, puffing up his chest. ¡°My father would say I¡¯m like a fly! Small enough to come in unseen but large enough to cause damage! It..¡± His voice fell suddenly as if something wrong had happened. A tear glistening in the corner of his eyes. ¡°Kid?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡± he said quickly, shaking his head. ¡°Something got in my eye.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the oldest lie in the book... Why are you really here? What about your parents? Won¡¯t they get worried if you don¡¯t come back soon?¡± the man asked in a quiet, compassionate tone. Or he pretended to. Ace could hear the underlying tone of annoyance and intrigue. The kid looked up at man with a look too old for someone his age. ¡°No one will miss me. My mother is a hostage saving our lands from being attacked and father is pretending to be fine with it while actually going mad without her. I don¡¯t think he even knows that I exist any longer...¡± His voice broke at the last part and he lowered his head, keeping his eyes on the flame, following its merry dance. ¡°So you think that if we win this war your mother will be released?¡± the man asked, suddenly noticing something very strange on the kid. He hadn¡¯t paid too much attention to his appearance before so he had though the kid was simply wearing dark red clothes but in the light it showed up to be black, only covered in something red. There was little guessing as to what it was. ¡°Who are you?¡± the man asked, taking a couple steps back. There was fear in his eyes. Ace lifted his head in surprise. ¡®What had went wrong? Did I make a mistake? Was I too forceful? Too obvious?¡¯ He turned to the man and tried to gauge his expression. The man looked shocked and horrified. What could have brought it out? He looked down at himself and saw something what shouldn¡¯t be there. His best clothes, the lord ones, were thickly covered in dried crimson. ¡®Dammit. Couldn¡¯t the rain wash it away?¡¯ He shook his head in disappointment. His act had to change drastically if he wanted to save the situation. He looked up at the man with a determined expression. ¡°I told you I came here to fight. I¡¯m going to save my mother no matter what!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how kids are like! You shouldn¡¯t be able to survive a couple of minutes alone outside!¡± the man said with a worried expression, his voice shaking. A rumour of a certain assassin starting to travel around the continents came to the front of his mind. He tried to get a better look at the kid¡¯s face but the tent was dark and the dancing flames made it look twisted, out of shape. ¡®Is he getting scared?¡¯ Ace wondered in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m a lord¡¯s son! I was trained to fight since I could hold a weapon! I¡¯m better than half of your army!¡± he said with pride. ¡°I¡¯m not like you weak adventurers.¡± That seemed to have eased the man¡¯s fears somewhat and he came closer again. ¡°Lord¡¯s son? Which one¡¯s?¡± Ace tilted his head, looking at the man as if the guy was an idiot. ¡°Do you really expect me to tell you that and bring more trouble home? Do you think I¡¯m that stupid?¡± The man chuckled forcefully. ¡°I was just testing you. If you¡¯re the real deal. Can you sit here for a moment? I need to do something before we can continue our conversation. I¡¯m one of the chiefs after all!¡± The kid nodded turning away and the man escaped into the rain. ¡°Do some work? Like hell you need to do it! You¡¯re nothing more than a rich soldier!¡± Ace hissed to the flames quietly. He had to get out of here and now, before the guy brought reinforcements, but Ace didn¡¯t want to go back to the rain so much... Not like he really had a choice. So Ace stood up and eyeing the flame longingly, left through the back of the tent. He was instantly soaked again and it showed up, the wind had picked up making it cold too. Ace muttered angrily under his breath before remembering he had [Gust] and could make a small wind shield around himself. It wouldn¡¯t protect him against everything but at least half of the damage could be nullified. ¡°That¡¯s much better¡± he said to the rain and went in search of a mirror that had brought him here. If only he could remember what kind of one he had imagined at the moment he used the spell... But it felt like a pretty futile task, trying to remember something he wasn¡¯t even sure he knew. ¡°Is there anything else I could use?¡± he wondered, looking around but there was nothing useful he could see, not that he could see much through the curtain of heavy rain. ¡°He escaped! Find the kid! He should still be around!¡± someone shouted from close by and Ace ducked instinctively. It was almost impossible for anyone to see him on such conditions so he quickly straightened up and went to the side. ¡°I found him! He¡¯s near the canteen! Going sideways to dodge you guys!¡± Ace cursed under his breath. He had forgotten this wasn¡¯t real life and abilities could track him down no matter what. He had to get out and quickly if he didn¡¯t plan to stay around here for a long while trying to explain himself. ¡°I¡¯ll get him!¡± another shouted and Ace jumped to the right, thinking for a way out. There always was one. You just had to look in the right places. ¡®What if..?¡¯ he wondered reshaping [Gust] so it was collecting water droplets into a sphere before Ace. Trusting his luck to keep strong, the kid activated [Mirror Walk] and jumped through the sphere that was just barely the width of of him. In his mind he imagined the lake in the cave he¡¯d been before. From there he could easily find his group and see how they were doing. For a split second he fell into a world of mirrors, but before he could look more into anything, he was being pushed off out of the lake. He quickly stood up, not fancying dying from lack of air and walked out of the water. On the shore he first allowed [Flare] to leave from beneath his cloak and made it light the logs he always carried in his backpack to create a small fire. He had no food he could cook, so he took out some dried meat and ate it with barley bread and fresh water from the lake. It filled his stomach and he thought about going to search for his team mates when his eyes landed on Kris. He took it out from the sheath. It shone softly, reflecting the fire¡¯s light. Ace brushed the blade softly. His finger slid easily along the surface,winding through the twists before it ended at a sharp point. It was a marvellous piece of weaponry, not only beautiful but also lethal. He sheaved it and checked his other daggers. Most of them were lacking poison so he took extra care to make sure the situation was remedied. Only when he was sufficiently armed did he stand up again and leave the cave. Swiftly he moved through the tunnels, following the sounds of battle from somewhere far away. He used [Shadow Veil] to hide his presence to sneak past a couple of snakemen patrols but the closer he got to the giant king¡¯s room, the more packed it got. And soon enough it was impossible to move without touching someone. Ace wondered what had his friends gotten themselves into since all the monsters in the cave seemed to be after them. Had his sacrifice been for nought? Not that he¡¯d done it to actually save anyone. He remembered Lancelot and gritted his teeth. The guy was annoying with all that nonsense about Ace being just a kid. He really deserved to be taught a lesson. Ace activated [Phantasm] to make himself resemble the snakes and walk among them. It was extremely simple as the caves were somewhat dark and his illusion didn¡¯t need to be well detailed to keep him safe. He walked for awhile among the snakes until they reached the giant cave which had been his execution place, not that they succeeded in their plan. Inside the place, he noticed wind raising. It was hot and violent, draining freshness from the air and making it hard to breathe. ¡®That¡¯s most likely one of Skele¡¯s spells... What is he trying to achieve by this?¡¯ The wind started to pick up, small twisters stealing weapons and carrying rocks into the air which then hit unsuspecting snakes. And the winds still grew stronger, twisters combining and creating tornadoes. They lifted snakemen, throwing them around like little pebbles. Ace backed away somewhat, not wanting to fly around for the moment, but it was almost impossible to move backwards with lots of new creatures coming through the gates and unknowingly pushing those in the front into death. Intense heat, hitting stones in the air and then a wall was the future for most soldiers of the giants army. ¡°I need to get away¡± Ace murmured to himself, looking around. There was a wall only a couple of meters from him but there were around five snakes in between. Not thinking too much, Ace used [Hide in Plan Sight] and pushed through the snakemen. They weren¡¯t very eager to move but his skill made him somewhat less noticeable which allowed him to get where he wanted to. The wall was quite rough so easy to climb. Ace hid behind his veil and started going up. At some point he noticed a small cave at the far side of the wall and moved left and up a bit more. When he was finally done, his hands were raw and bleeding. He ignored it and from his vantage point watched the group struggling. They were doing decently but there were thousands of enemies left. It looked as if someone was trying to cut the sea in half, valiant effort but pointless just the same. To make things worse the fire tornadoes where coming their way. Ace could see the group falling apart. They could barely keep up against the strong winds and enemies rushing them to escape being caught and thrown around. There was some shouting done but Ace couldn¡¯t understand it through the howling of the wind. Moments after everyone in the group jumped to one spot and stone walls rose from the ground surrounding them in all five directions. This meant the snakemen were left alone to face the hurricane which was intent on engulfing the whole cave. Ace made a wall of wind before his entrance to protect himself and watched mesmerised as the place below was devoured by fire and violent wind. Bodies splattered on the walls, others dying from dehydrating or having their heads smashed by large stones, or their companions. This lasted for a couple of hours before the winds finally exhausted themselves. It would have been a sight of blood and gore had this not been a game. But it was. And that¡¯s why instead of body parts Ace saw large amounts of dropped items lying around. His eyes lit up with interest at that and he jumped down. Air rushed through his bones and he understood his own mistake all too soon. He had been over a hundred meters high. He used [Gust] to slow himself down but it wasn¡¯t much. The ground was hard. Very. Ace felt bones cracking, blood leaving his system. The inventory was so far away. How was one to raise his hand so high up? The kid groaned mid curse trying to reach a health potion. It took a couple of tries but he managed. Now he just had to somehow lift it to his mouth. That showed up to be more of a challenge than Ace had ever known it to be. It felt like his hands were broken in all the places, impossible to move without mind numbing pain passing through. He took a couple of deep breaths and jammed the bottle¡¯s neck in his mouth, drinking the substance in large gulps. It was refreshingly sweet and numbed the pain instantly. Ace was about to lie around until he regenerated to full health when his instincts warned him about upcoming enemies. There were five of them and they weren¡¯t tallying around but coming straight for him. Unhurriedly the kid stood up, drinking another potion on the way. His eyes landed on a group of snakemen that looked everything but friendly. They seemed to be scouts of some sort; light stone armour, short swords. Ace shifted his head to look at the giant gates and found them closed. ¡®So they did hide from he hurricane. They¡¯re not as stupid as they look.¡¯ However, that meant the place was empty besides the patrol checking if the winds had subsided. And if he took care of it quickly and efficiently, they would wait sometime before sending in another. group Ace unsheathed his daggers and with hurting fingers grasped them in his hands. Snakes hissed at him, raising their weapons in a warning sign. The kid wasn¡¯t as nice and simply dashed forward. He slashed at the first snake¡¯s neck, poison entering the monster¡¯s nerve system, and then moved sideways to stab another in the eye. It wasn¡¯t the prettiest fighting style but his choices were pretty limited with them having stone armour all over their bodies. An attack came from the left so he dodged back to the right and jumped on his opponent there. Three strikes to the face and Ace jumped back as not to get skewered. In the middle of it he remembered to activate [Fear of the Hungry]. [Last Stand] followed suit and with these added bonus statuses it became a child¡¯s play to defeat them. He might not had gained extra health or resistances but he was an assassin, he had no need for such things. His speed became too quick for the snakes¡¯ eyes to follow, not to mention counter-attacking. Ace¡¯s each attack hit a vital point dealing critical damage and poisoning the blood while nothing landed on him. Slash there, slash here, a couple of stabs and it was all over. Bored somewhat Ace decided to grow through the items lying around. Most of them were useless stuff such as stone armour or dull-edged swords, but a couple caught his eye. The first was a pendant radiating greenish light, then a short sword with a wolf¡¯s head on the handle and a journal of some sort. The last item kept his attention for the longest as he could inspect it and without having an identification skill. To do that in piece he scaled the wall again, put an illusion around and opened the notebook. The first pages were filled with drawings of frogs and snakes living in harmony and spending time together near the lake but it didn¡¯t last for long. Soon the pages turned red, showing the annihilation of frogs. Surprisingly it wasn¡¯t the work of giants but snakes shifting into snakemen. Those creatures turned on their unprepared friends and slaughtered them in cold blood. Neither women, nor children were spared. In the next picture a human shaped frog with a lily crown stood tall and proud before his people, most of which had taken human form too. They couldn¡¯t have been mistaken for one¡¯s as they had greenish wet looking skin and webbed limbs but it was still an interesting ability. The prince or king was shown leaving the next moment and a snakeman taking the crown which wilted on his head almost instantly. The new ruler was enraged, throwing the flowers away and ordering his troops to kill all the frog people that had been spared after their ruler had abdicated himself. Some more bloody pages and then a coming of giants. They used their size to break the tunnels and combine three or even four to make it passable for themselves. Snakemen tried fighting back but their attacks were useless against stone armour covered giants. This soon brought their submission and they became pets and errand boys. Then there was a couple of tranquil pages of snakemen patrolling the tunnels, sitting near a fire and sleeping peacefully. One of them caught Ace¡¯s eye. A fire burned cheerily at the centre of it, two snakes laughing beside it, but there was something in the background. Ace brought [Flare] closer and took notice of the crimson red and steely grey clashing against bleached green at the right top corner. Killing was being done there and the two scouts were having a merry time not twenty meters away from it. That could only mean it wasn¡¯t their kind dying there. ¡®So the frog people eradication hadn¡¯t ended with the giants¡¯ arrival? What had they done to the snakes so horrible that such measures would be taken to make sure not a single one survived? It¡¯s a bit too much diligence for a simple national hatred.¡¯ Ace wondered when he heard a sound coming from behind him. He put the book aside and watched as a group of small hooded creatures emerged from the deepness of the cave he was hiding in. They didn¡¯t notice him through the illusion of nothingness and he was free to get a better look at them. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. For starters they were not snakes. It was easy to guess and without seeing their legs hidden beneath the long cloaks, the fact that they were walking instead of slithering gave it all away. The creatures went closer to the edge and extended their hands to cast something, revealing their greenish webbed hands. ¡®What the hell is happening her?¡¯ Ace asked himself, leaning back against the wall. ¡®First they¡¯re almost all exterminated, then I find proof of that and suddenly some walk right in front of me?¡¯ The mages casted their spells creating shields around the cave entrance and a giant king whose sight was blocked by a stone dome. The guy was sitting very leisurely for one who was not long ago faced by a group of adventurers and a fiery tornado. He didn¡¯t seem to have been affected in the least. Soon the gates at the back of the huge cavern opened and snakemen started flooding in. There were hundreds of them. And they were still coming. In moments the whole place was filled to the brim with only a few meters free around the stone structure hiding the humans. From his vantage place Ace could see that it wasn¡¯t even the end to those creatures. A couple of giants entered the scene for variety. ¡®Weren¡¯t they all dead yet?¡¯ To check on something he opened the quest menu. *Reclaiming Home Frog people were forced out of their place by giants and their pets. Because they¡¯re lacking physical power, they¡¯ve tasked you with fighting for them. If you succeed, you¡¯ll be the hero of frog people. You can invite up to ten people to aid you in this mission. Quest Difficulty: C Quest Reward: two items from the treasury to each person Eternal gratitude of frog people. Update1: You have found the Field of Nara which should have housed the remainder of frog people. There are signs of them having lived there, burial ground, pieces of broken items, but everything is very old. It doesn¡¯t seem like anybody entered this place for the last couple of ages. Upadate2: You swam in the lake of Glu. It restored your health and mana almost instantly. The water there must be blessed. What could be the power of the two plants that can live there? And how can a race having an unlimited supply of this water could be exterminated? Update3: You have entered the Pit of Despair. It stinks of blood and death but there are traces of frogs here too, although not in the way expected. Those red walls are pictures showing the history of frogs. To your surprise it tells that the frogs have been gone for more than a couple of ages. Long before the giants came to this place. Had you been tricked or is this story a lie? Update4: You have found a book containing the history of snakes throughout the ages. They seem to have been friends of frogs before something happened separating the two races and starting a war. The snakes seem to have lost but the pages of battles are kind of hazy. Did the frogs really lose or something has happened to make them go extinct? And by the way whose that frog calling himself prince? It is getting pretty obvious he omitted a lot of truths.* Ace read it all and sat still for a moment, before punching the ground. ¡®What kind of help is this? Shouldn¡¯t the updates only add what I noticed instead of creating their own crazy theories! It¡¯s pure...¡¯ A soft whisper brought him back to the world of the living. He raised his head to see all the cloaked figures having turned his way even if they couldn¡¯t see him; illusions didn¡¯t remove the sounds. And they were casting something to reveal him. Not waiting for that to happen, Ace jumped down from the cave without a second thought. Again. It wasn¡¯t any more comfortable than the last time but he knew what was waiting for him now. Mostly. However, he hadn¡¯t counted for so many sharp pointy objects being raised in the air while on standby. ¡®Don¡¯t they know they can injure people like that?¡¯ he asked himself mid-fall, trying desperately to land without getting skewered. Even his immense luck wouldn¡¯t be able to keep him alive through that. Although... In the end he decided rather not to test it and just angle himself so he landed on someone¡¯s head and not a spear or sword. ¡®Why were they even holding them up? Isn''t it tiring?¡¯ He hit someone with the loud bang, feeling his bones breaking again. Instantly he rolled sideways between the tails so they would miss him while he was defenceless. The commotion lasted for a couple of minutes, even bringing a giant over, but nobody knew what had happened. From their point of view the snake warrior had just fallen with a loud breaking sound for no apparent reason. After his hissing they had looked around for a culprit, stone or something, but having not found anything they didn¡¯t fret much about it and just returned to their positions, the giant grumbling loudly. Ace took a deeper breath and took out a potion to keep himself alive. Luckily the snakes weren¡¯t moving anywhere so he could safely lie around without being noticed until he was healthy again. He looked upwards expecting to see some kind of action but to his surprise it wasn¡¯t the case. The web-handed creatures were standing silently in their positions, couple of staffs with shining jewels at the tops marking their presence in the near darkness of the cave. Ace waited until he regained his health and then crawled between the tails where the pit was. However, this time he didn¡¯t jump down and instead went down the wall. It wasn¡¯t made for climbing but if he really tried he could find some handholds. The bottom was empty and he was free to collect the items the blood troll had dropped. It was a stash of red needle like objects, two fangs and a broken dagger. He examined the last item thoroughly having a feeling that it was part of his strange quest. It¡¯s blade had a black-blue tinge to it corners and was split in two sideways but Ace could see it was no troll made item. The dagger hadn¡¯t been meant as much for fighting as for decorative purposes made of silver mixed with something. Parts of the blade were empty reducing its prowess but showing great workmanship in making fine details and intricate designs. The hilt was of fine red wood sculpted in a simple fashion but to follow with the blades design, there was a dark crimson metal drake added that snaked around the hilt. It had onyx black eyes and its outstretched wings served as a hand protection. It was clearly a masterpiece, even if a broken one. However, that helped nothing in trying to uncover the puzzle of what was actually happening here so Ace opened his quest menu again. *Update5: You have stumbled upon the Sacrificial Dagger. There¡¯s a children¡¯s tale that frog people hold a ritual every month for people that do not follow set rules. They are then brought to a certain room where they are strapped to the altar and sacrificed using this particular dagger. Blood that runs down the sides of the altar collects in the bowl like indentation on the ground. At the end of the ceremony the priest washes his hands in it and all the believers come over to take a sip.* Ace blinked a couple of times in disbelief before taking notice of the words ¡°there¡¯s a children¡¯s tale¡±. The game was trying to play him again! It didn¡¯t actually say that the frog people were the bad guys but through rumours and quick judgements tried to make it look so. ¡®I¡¯ll need to find that sacrifice room myself if I¡¯m planning to get to the bottom of this.¡¯ The cave was eerily empty after it was cleared from the snakes and most of the giants. Every step and breath echoed loudly and lonely in the vastness of the place. ¡°Are we really done?¡± June asked in wonder, her voice very soft but still bouncing of all the walls and returning twisted and no longer intelligible. Hawk shook his head tiredly. ¡°There¡¯s still one guy left.¡± He looked at a shadowed corner, night vision provided by Nein¡¯s spirit Sun making it possible to peer inside it. A giant was sitting leisurely on the throne there. He didn¡¯t seem worried in the least to be the last one standing. Truth be told they had tried to attack him previously, right after the mages in the cave at the top had been annihilated. It hadn¡¯t gone as well as they might have had expected if they had had time to spare for random wanderings. Instead of being just an easy kill, the giant king had skin as thick as stone itself. Attacks against him did little to no damage and the snakes descended on them from the back. The group was barely on time to regroup and face back their old enemies before getting wiped out because of their blunder. Turning your defenceless back to an opponent is never a good move. ¡°How are we supposed to kill that stone mountain?¡± Kalin asked, throwing his axe on his shoulder and looking thoughtfully at the last remaining enemy. From the corner of his eye he glanced at the creatures surrounding Nein. Five of them simply moved from their positions to him while the other two took shape from the shadows. Seven creatures of high level following his every command. Kalin looked away making a note to stay clear of the guy and at the same time wondering what he was doing in such a low level group. However, that Monthu guy was the most suspicious one and Kalin had some unfinished business with him. He wondered if he could trick the guy into following him away to talk for a bit. ¡°By overpowering him with our numbers¡± Monthu answered seriously. ¡°Mages, how is your mana?¡± Aurora opened her eyes and stood up form the position of meditation. ¡°I¡¯m full¡± she answered and Par did the same. His face was somewhat pale and eyes droopy but he wasn¡¯t complaining. Monthu looked at him with worry and a certain pride. His brother was a strong little fellow. ¡°I¡¯ll be done in a couple of minutes¡± Worglan said with his eyes closed, his army of skeletal soldiers standing behind his back. They were still as statues but if you looked in their glowing red eyes you could glimpse madness there. What power could stop these creatures from slaughtering everything in their sight was hard to comprehend. Monthu sometimes wondered how at later levels melee classes were to equal mages who kept armies of creatures at their beck and call. ¡°Nein you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready¡± the mage answered quietly, obviously thinking something with his brow furrowed. Surprisingly, his eyes weren¡¯t at the giant king but the pit where Ace had perished. ¡°But Sun needs a couple more minutes before she¡¯ll regain her whole mana.¡± Monthu nodded. ¡°Any suggestions before we engage?¡± ¡°Be wary¡± Nein said with a troubled look, his eyes returning to Monthu. ¡°This is nowhere near over.¡± ¡°You know something we don¡¯t?¡± June asked, eyeing him suspiciously. ¡°I¡¯ve faced bosses like him before¡± the guy answered cryptically before turning away. He went to Harp, the white haired female musician with bloody fingers from playing for so long. She smiled at her master like a child asking to be praised but Nein did no such thing. He glanced at her fingers, nodded to himself and suggested a tune for her to play once the battle starts. June glared at him for a second but then turned towards their last opponent that towered over them forebodingly. Even sitting he was over seven times the human size with small dark eyes that watched them with an unsettling intensity. She had a feeling he had something up his sleeve. More than just the snake army he had released last time. Only this time it would be worse. ¡°Ready?¡± Monthu asked, raising his scythe and glancing over the group. There were wary faces there, a couple of bored ones and one exited. That guy was smiling from ear to ear and eyeing the giant king as if the guy was nothing more than just another enemy to be slaughtered. Before anyone could react, he was off trying to do exactly that. Silver chains flashed as Aster jumped on the giant¡¯s clothes and started climbing up. They were made of stone which meant full of handholds. The climb was one a beginner could make. This time Monthu didn¡¯t wait for him to finish his climb and anger the giant before thy could prepare. He ordered Hawk and Lana to use long ranged attacks while he and all the rest of the melee classes rushed forward to try and hack at the legs. Worglan and Nein had an autonomy to control their armies as they wished and act in the way they saw as best. The necromancer didn¡¯t think much of it and simply sent his skeletal warriors ahead after giving them a couple of buffs. As if only been waiting for that, the fallen heroes of old screamed in screeching voices and befell the giant king. They climbed on the legs, slashed at them and stabbed where they could. The giant wasn¡¯t complacent for long after such an onslaught and soon stood up, almost reaching the ceiling of the cavern. He was more than a head taller than all the other giants had been and twice as intimidating with his stoic face. He had yet to change his expression from the moment they had seen him. Yet, his attacks followed a pretty much similar pattern. It means all he did was stomping, punching the ground and swatting at himself in a vain hope to squash all those that were climbing on his body. The skeletal warriors cared little for his attacks, going in waves in a bull-headed fashion. Tenths were destroyed by every step or punch of a giant but they pressed on with the careless abandon of the already dead. The group would have loved that had the skeletons been doing any damage but their old, rusty swords had no way of penetrating giant¡¯s stone like skin and they got in the way of everyone else that actually didn¡¯t want to die and were dodging the attacks. ¡°We need to soften the skin!¡± Lancelot shouted from the left foot where he had jumped to escape being trampled. ¡°Or else these undead are just going to kill us instead!¡± He had tried his armour shattering punches but they required a lot of concentration and weakened only a very small part of the giant¡¯s foot. If he wanted to make it usable for the skeletons who cared little for where they hit, it¡¯d take him a couple of days, which they didn¡¯t have. ¡°Heat¡± Nein suggested to Worglan and the mage nodded in understanding while others just ignored it. ¡°Par call your elemental and together with him create the hottest fireballs you can, then throw them at the giant¡¯s legs. Aim at a level where humans could hit¡± the necromancer said to the kid, already thinking of a spell for himself. He was sure he knew one from long ago, before he had turned to the dark arts. Usually Par only casted the spell and released the balls of fire since they were hot to hold, but this time he didn¡¯t. It meant they used even more of his mana, growing larger and more fiery. Soon the kid could no longer hold them in his hands even with the mage¡¯s natural resistance to the effects of his own spells and he threw them forward shouting ¡°Dodge.¡± It was a good thing he did that or Kalin might have had a new haircut. Now the balls flew passing only a couple of skeletons and torching them in their suits of armour. The fire hit the stone like skin sizzling out and leaving but a small mark where it had landed. ¡°Again!¡± Worglan said quickly. Another volley of heated fireballs came and a few more making the place they hit redden somewhat. Then the necromancer smiled and threw a sphere of ice cold water that made the armour of skeletons it passed frost over. The water splashed against the heated place hissing at the change of temperature and releasing a small gout of steam. The old mage smiled appreciatively and made Par repeat his actions. They kept this heating and cooling for some five minutes before stopping and ordering someone to try it out. This fell to Wind, the green haired katana spirit of Nein¡¯s. The guy didn¡¯t linger around and slashed at the large reddish space of rock hard skin. To his, and everyone else¡¯s, surprise instead of leaving a cut or something of a kind his blade cracked the skin. Small lines ran out from the place he had hit where a tear had opened up. It was as if the skin itself was stone, not only alike. This wasn¡¯t normal but there was no time to stay amazed. The giant was furious with the development and released a mouthful of grunts and curses that resembled a thunder rumbling in the distance. Then his palms went aflame and a whitish shield of crackling energy rose around him. It covered the whole body like a second skin. Mio who had been standing on the giant¡¯s neck wasn¡¯t quick enough to escape and electricity coursed through him, paralysing the whole body. Aurora instantly casted her heals but it did little to help the situation. The guy was full health again but electricity was still killing him and he couldn¡¯t move. ¡°We need to get him away!¡± June screamed out the obvious, casting a stone wall to stop the giant¡¯s oncoming foot. He staggered for a second finding an obtrusion that hadn¡¯t been there but didn¡¯t fall. ¡°Hawk¡± Monthu said, turning to the guy who was already tying a rope to his arrow. ¡°On it¡± he muttered without rising his eyes and after checking the knot fired. It hit the beatsman¡¯s right shoulder, dangerously close to his heart, but nothing Aurora¡¯s heals couldn¡¯t repair. In the meantime Nein ordered Sun, the golden haired priestess of his, to blind the giant while he himself muttered spells of resistance to electricity. First he put it on Hawk and then the others that fought close up besides Mio, his buffs like all others had a limited cast range. Nein¡¯s vampire boy materialised beside him. ¡°He has no apparent weaknesses I could exploit. There are a few strange openings I saw but it would take time to find a use for them.¡± Nein nodded with a thoughtful expression. What opponent didn¡¯t have all the natural weaknesses it should? Something more was going on here than they could see, of this Nein was sure, but just what? He had a feeling they would be forced to find out if they wanted to win. ¡°Harp, play Final Battle¡± he said to his female bard. In moments the atmosphere in the cavern changed to a one where everyone felt the need to fight. Healers and mages felt invigorated, filled to the brim with the energy, warriors¡¯ eyes clouded in battle lust while berserkers went even more mad than before. Aster who had jumped on the wall to escape electricity went back to the giant, ignoring the electricity so he could slash and cut with his daggers. His eyes started glowing from the exertion, body pushed past the limit but it didn¡¯t seem he cared. Brute, the axe spirit, was pretty much the same just on the ground. Monthu felt the effects too but being of the sane mind, he could control it up to a limit. He went to Hawk and while the giant was preoccupied with the blinding lights and raging berserkers helped to pull Mio down. When he fell Worglan used a levitation spell to catch him and Aurora healed him another time. He was taking huge amounts of damage from the current running rampant in his body. ¡°Electricity Resistance¡± Nein said, throwing the spell the beastman¡¯s way. It stopped the shaking and Mio opened his eyes somewhat confused as to where he was. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked, seeing Lana¡¯s relief on her face and hearing Lancelot¡¯s sigh. They had all retreated from the battle to check up on him. Only the skeletons, spirits and bersekers were still in action. ¡°You almost died, man, that¡¯s what happened¡± Kalin said like a true friend that he wasn¡¯t. The only reason he had backed was to save energy. Why should he fight while they all were taking a break? Mio shook his head as if to push away something from his mind. ¡°No matter, we still have a battle to win¡± his voice was gruff and slightly strained. Monthu nodded, giving him the peace he needed and turned just in time to see something blackish red dashing form the pit and up the giant king¡¯s leg. It was hard to identify because of its speed but Monthu could have sworn it had the shape of a small human. Yet Ace was dead for two days more, so who could i-? He wasn¡¯t the only who noticed it. Others saw the quickly moving red thing too, but they had different ideas on who that might be. ¡°Is that Silv..?¡± Hawk whisper asked in a soft, barely audible voice. Next Chapter 5.9 Masked Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Thanks for the good words guys, they help me to keep motivated and sit down and write. One of you mentioned such a thing as schedule and I thought about it hard and long. That sole word sends shivers down by back with all its horrible implications but maybe a gun to my head is exactly what I need to be able to go and write instead of sitting and watching random shows because I''m too lazy to do anything. (It happens more often than I''d like to admit.) So for the moment I decided I''ll try to keep a schedule, one of my old ones. Each Friday, at any random point in time, there should be a new chapter uploaded. I''m not sure how long I''ll be able to keep it, a single week or couple of months, but let''s try it. Some six thousand words for a week isn''t too much but it does take some time if one gets stuck on some scene. Anyway, enough with my rants. Happy reading and please say your opinions. I love to hear form you guys! Character List Titles and Abilities *** Ace¡¯s sharp hearing was the thing that saved his existence as one who lives in the shadows and yet is a welcomed sight everywhere. Even through his rush to test one of his theories on the giants king, he heard Hawk¡¯s whispered word, or part of it. Silver Wing. ¡®I¡¯m supposedly still dead¡¯ Ace thought to himself as he moved upwards, dodging a chain of some guy he¡¯d never seen before. He would have left him on his own, but being recognised he couldn¡¯t let such a thing happen. Before the guy took notice of him, Ace sneaked behind his back and used all his assassination skills finishing with [Heart-Seeker] infused with [Curse of the Hungry]. This gave the kid a moment to sift through the dead man¡¯s belongings or more accurately take all them away to look through later on. Ace also picked the silver chain with daggers attached before removing the curse and letting the body disappear. Done he looked downwards, standing on the giant¡¯s shoulder. Electricity was tingling him but he ignored it having more pressing matters. Like putting on his mask, for example. His group was watching him with wide eyes and undisguised fear. He was a killer, worst monster of them all. Ace wasn¡¯t sure how to proceed when something moved at his back and his evasion skill instantly moved him of the projectiles path. Before he had time to understand what was happening a dark blob the size of him slashed at his side. Evasion moved him off the way and Ace took out a pair of normal dagger to actually start fighting. It was unsurprisingly frustrating against an opponent he couldn¡¯t see. Unable to use magic as Silver Wing was a simple assassin Ace activated [Echo]. He closed his eyes and only listened for the movements of his opponent. Slash from the left, stab coming straight, fancy footwork to get behind him and a couple slashes more. Ace dodged them all with ease, having used [Echo] for a couple of his assassination adventures, and thought he had won when he felt air under his feet. His eyes snapped open to see that he had stepped off the giant¡¯s shoulder trying to dodge a kick and was now quickly approaching the ground. His survival instincts kicked in and he took out the stranger¡¯s chain, throwing the dagger at the link between the leg armour on the giant¡¯s knee. The weapon got stuck and Ace lurched upwards, rising a few meters upwards and catching on a rocky part of the armour. He had had enough of falling to the ground for one day. He pulled himself up and ran upwards where the black blob was waiting for him. On his way Ace remembered where he had seen it, Nein had used it as a buff on him when they were facing Perin. With those buffs no wonder this creature, whatever it was, was in par with him and even outsmarting him. Well, that is not going to last for long, Ace promised, clashing daggers with him again. They clanked as sparks flew and both fighters jumped backwards to stalk the other. Ace followed the blob¡¯s movements through both seeing and hearing but the latter was extremely hard without eyes closed; sight distracted him. Still he moved carefully in a small circle matching the blob¡¯s movements. From somewhere far down he heard pieces of conversation which centred around his presence here. No one was happy about it. Well, besides Lancelot. That guy was surprised but instead of feeling scared or angry, he was elated. It almost felt like he was happy that Ace had showed up. The kid wondered how was he possibly feeling that way when his thoughts were cut off by a slash from the right. The dark blob had noticed Ace¡¯s slight distraction and used it to the largest advantage. His attack was swift but Ace was able to deflect it. However, it put him dangerously close to the edge of the giant¡¯s shoulder. Without looking back Ace knew a small waver and he was going down. Again. That was an unwelcome prospect so he decided to do it himself. Midfall he decided to us [Shadow Dash] and move towards June. She had wanted to trick him and this was going to be her reward. He landed on top of her, crushing her to the ground. It softened his landing and stunned her so he could quickly stab her and finish off. Before anyone was able to react he snatched her things and used the dash again to move away. Ace wanted to go for either Nein or Lancelot but he guessed it would be more trouble than it was worth. The first guy was a mystery man with skills he had no idea about while the other was a monk with unbelievably strong close combat abilities. He didn¡¯t fancy facing them on equal footing. ¡°Par go back!¡± Monthu shouted out as Ace founded himself some ten meters away from the kid. ¡®Dammit¡¯ Ace muttered in his head as he jumped for the kid¡¯s head. Thankfully, he was intercepted by a swordsman with bright green hair. ¡®That was close¡¯ Ace though as he dodged an attack from the right, stabbing with his own right. The guy blocked it with his scabbard and aimed for Ace¡¯s unprotected side. The kid was forced to deflect it with the left hand which made him cross his hands and that was very bad. He used [Shadow Dash] to get away but the guy dashed after him. Ace evaded taking a step backwards and then slashed at the guy. It was blocked but Ace specifically aimed for it and used his free hand to sneak in an attack. It would have been a perfect hit had an arrow not burrowed into his hand, making the shoulder move backwards from the impact and lose the momentum. Ace¡¯s deadly hit was turned into nothing but a scratch on the opponent¡¯s leather armour. And it wasn¡¯t over yet. Before Ace could rethink his plan and maybe make his way out, a flash of blinding golden light assaulted his eyes making him momentarily sightless. [Echo] saved his life, warning him about the new opponent coming from the back. Ace rolled to the right, and then again when an arrow followed by a slash of a sword landed where he had been not a second ago. He used his dash again and threw some poisoned daggers but they were all blocked by an invisible shield. A scream of fury came from his back, warning Ace on time of a giant axeman coming from his back. The guy was huge even in human standards so he towered over the kid like a giant, his weapon¡¯s blade three times the size of the kid¡¯s head. Ace didn¡¯t like the idea of fighting the guy one versus one but he wasn¡¯t given a choice. The huge man came at him with bloodshot eyes, grumbling some nonsense and swinging his weapon in wide arcs, trying to split the kid in two. Ace decided to rely on [Evasion] to survive until he could think of a plan to escape this predicament. He had a feeling one attack from this monster and he would be sent to the respawn place with a check for a twenty-four hour holiday. The swings were strong and uncharacteristically swift for such a mountain but quite monotonous and soon Ace would have fallen into a rhythm of dodging, without even needing to pay attention to it, but an arrow came which he evaded by a hair¡¯s breath. Soon they were coming quickly one after the other, right where Ace would have to dodge. He was forced to choose whether he wanted to get hit by an arrow or stuck by an axe. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess what he chose. He received several hits but were lucky enough to be able to block a couple more arrows. He was afraid his daggers would break after meeting the axe and the thing would continue its swing at him without even slowing down. Another flashing light came and a ball of fire followed by some holy light descending from the sky. It didn¡¯t do too much damaged since he had a word good in his alignment but it chipped at his health none the less. It was going down little by little and he wasn¡¯t gaining any ground or achieving anything at all. The rapid strikes came at him repeatedly while long ranged players supported from the back. Ace didn¡¯t have time to think of any plan! If he wasted even a milisecond, he was going down instantly. There were just too many things coming to claim his life all the freaking time. Something had to change. Dodge to the right and block an arrow. Roll forward, wait a second and roll backwards. Jump to your feet and spin kick the huge man in the side so he¡¯d waver. Evade his sloppy swing, move backwards to dodge the light hammer and duck so the fireballs and one more arrow passes over you. Wince as blood rushes from the wound on your back the dark blob had just made , and again when you only half-deflect the green hair¡¯s curved blade. Move forwards to step in the huge guy¡¯s personal space so he can¡¯t attack you with his axe, use him to block a couple of arrows and jump backwards before you¡¯re squished by giant hands. Ace¡¯s eyesight begun to blur as he continued to get hurt and lose health. There was just no way to escape. The huge guy followed him with a madman¡¯s persistence, long ranged attacks came whenever he was not hidden behind the giant¡¯s frame and if he left even a slight opening green hair and blob moved in on him, dealing damage and then leaving before the huge guy caught up. Every time he moved all of them matched his pace, they were like a well oiled machine that was made for hunting. He was slowly being bled out while his strength was going out of him with the last bits of his stamina. If not [Last Stand], he wouldn¡¯t even be able to stand by now. Assassins were never known for being any good in drawn out fights. ¡°I need a way out¡± he whispered to himself as his mind was going blank from the exhaustion. Something had to be done for him to survive this, but what. He clumsily dodged an axe, opening himself for an arrow, fireball and a holy cross. They hurt like hell and a grunt escaped Ace¡¯s lips as he desperately moved closer to the axeman so the other two would not make their move. He had to do something! He screamed that at himself but it didn¡¯t change the present. He was still stuck in a horrible position with no way out. Something flashing red caught his eyes and for the cost of another fireball he learnt that he had some seven percent health. It was past something nature could heal. He needed to drink some potions and now. But there simply wasn¡¯t time. If he even tried to open the bag, it would have been all time they¡¯d need to finish him off. He was a hit or two, depending on whose, from death. To top it off he was even bleeding internally so if the fight dragged out, he¡¯d fall and without receiving a single hit more. Ace felt like a dead man walking, slow, useless and doomed, so as one in his position should he went for suicidal tactics. He rushed towards the large guy, jumped on his weapon and used [Shadow Dash] to get as far away from where he had been as he could. It wasn¡¯t as far as he would have liked, but since he was improvising it didn¡¯t really matter. He rushed towards the middle of the group, slashing right and left with his poisoned daggers ignoring the sounds of his pursuers at the back. The axeman couldn¡¯t swing his weapon freely here if he didn¡¯t want to injure his comrades and the ranged attackers were vulnerable from up close. His poison was quick to find its way to the hearts of Lana and some golden female so Ace finished them off even if he knew it gave the others time to regroup. He couldn¡¯t let them keep so many healers slash ranged mages. He turned to go for Hawk or Aurora but found Monthu in front of himself instead. There was presence of three more people surrounding him from the back. He was getting circled so he used his dash forward to escape it and stopped besides Nein. However, his attack was blocked by a mountain of armour that materialised in front of him. Ace dropped the idea of going that way and saw only Par and Skele undefended. It was something horrible but he did have a reputation to uphold. Yet ten skeletons went for him before he could get anywhere near them. He turned to run but there Monthu with his gang of meele fighters and armoured mountain with green hair on the right, blob and some youth on the left. He was thoroughly and utterly surrounded. Ace took a deep breath and smiled. He was Silver Wing and even if winning was nowhere in sight, he had to keep his fa?ade. He was a mad man, one that sought reaper on regular basis to show him a new harvest. He was friends with death. So he couldn¡¯t be afraid. Or at least couldn¡¯t show it. He slowly moved into a crouching position with his head held high and a mocking smile on his face. It was laughing at their concentration, at how much they had to spend to fight a single him and how much they were afraid. His eyes were telling pretty much the same with pride shining brightly at the top. He pulled his head backwards and laughed heartily as his health fell to three percent, it was hard to say of whose blood there was more on his clothes, theirs or his. Kalin twitched, surprised, and jumped to shatter Ace¡¯s skull but the kid was hoping for exactly that. He used the sudden opening in the circle to jump through and ran to the giant. His speed was slow and gait unnatural but he made do hiding behind the creature while the group cautiously chased after him. They wasted just enough time for him to throw the chain with a dagger at the edge of the cave and climb upwards, powered by desperation and fear. A fireball caught him in the shoulder when he was almost there and Ace felt the last of his strength fade away. The chain slipped through his hands and he almost fell, catching himself a moment before it was too late. He crawled deeper inside, hardly able to move. One percent. He lay there for a moment, breathing heavily before using his remaining energy to open the bag and take out a bottle with crystal clear water inside. He drank it, spilling more than a half as his hands failed him. Ace closed his eyes and stayed there waiting for his end to come, but as luck would have it, it never came for him. His health and mana regenerated at a decent speed if you took in the fact he had only taken in a couple sips while no one from the group had dared to follow him up here. ¡°Cowards... Cowards all of them...¡± Ace muttered to himself, sitting slowly. His health might have regenerated but his brain needed time to get around the fact that it wasn¡¯t dying. He could still feel his muscles straining and the hardness to breath even if he knew it was only in his mind. ¡°They missed such a chance. What cowards...¡± He waited a couple more minutes before standing up and hidden beneath his [Shadow Veil] going to the edge to watch what was happening below. The group seemed to be in hot dispute over something while the skeletons kept the giant at bay. ¡®That¡¯s why they could fully focus on me¡¯ Ace thought angrily to himself. ¡®I seriously hate you, Skele. Weren¡¯t you supposed to lose power after giving me Mystic eyes?¡¯ He saw Kalin stalk angrily away and in a few moments, after a few words to the rest of the group, Monthu followed him. The group went to engage the dragon with the tactic they had used previously, not fearing the electricity as Nein had given them resistance against it. Ace was interested where was Monthu and Kalin going so he carefully made his way down and followed them from the distance. They walked to the edge of the large cavern where they couldn¡¯t be seen behind the rocks and stopped. ¡°What is your problem?¡± Kalin asked. ¡°Go play the hero, everyone seems to like you good enough again.¡± ¡°Again? What are you talking about?¡± Monthu asked standing some good ten feet away from the angry axeman. He had followed him in hope to talk him into returning as the guy seemed to have a problem with him, but he was starting to think it was a pointless act. The guy was mad about something and didn¡¯t seem to want to calm down. ¡°Really? You don¡¯t remember me?¡± Kalin laughed with a cruel note to it. ¡°I¡¯m not even surprised. I knew you were the lowest of the low when you stole my rightful place as the expedition¡¯s leader, I knew it when you were too scared to fight me for it and I know it know. You¡¯re such a weakling!¡± Monthu at first wanted to say the guy was mistaken but then from the corner of his mind a memory rose. He was watching a tournament with his friends, brother and Ace when he was called out to lead the force to reclaim Vascas castle. The winner of the tournament hadn¡¯t been too happy about it and Monthu could remember the lord having had to suppress him with the guards. ¡°It wasn¡¯t I who chose to lead the expedition¡± Monthu said in a calm tone with little to no emotion in his voice. ¡°Yeah, right¡± Kalin chuckled. Monthu didn¡¯t answer anything so he continued. ¡° You couldn¡¯t win so you cheated. It¡¯s a good skill for someone as weak as you but that time you crossed the wrong guy. And without wasting any more breath Kalin dashed at Monthu with some kind of skill, slashing at his chest. Monthu was too late to react so his armour was cut and his health dropped to half instantly. He swung his scythe now but it wasn¡¯t much of use. Kalin took a large step back, laughing cruelly. ¡°Weakling¡± he said to him before going in again. This time Monthu was prepared and blocked the swing, catching it between the blade and staff of his scythe, like that he tried to wrench the weapon from his opponent¡¯s hands but to no avail. It seemed all those levels gained here didn¡¯t strengthen him as much as he had believed. Or maybe it had been Nein¡¯s buffs that were wearing out one by one. Kalin used more force and with superior strength pulled his weapon closer along with Monthu who didn¡¯t see a good reason to release his own. It was a mistake he noticed all too late. The axeman dropped his weapon and used a small dagger attached to his belt. He stabbed it into Monthu¡¯s side as he tried to move away, having abandoned the idea of keeping his weapon. He was defenceless now, he knew that, but without looking around he also knew there wasn¡¯t anything to save him here. It didn¡¯t take long for Kalin to understand that and he took small steps towards Monthu at leisurely pace. ¡°Ha! The great commander going down so easily! What would all your soldiers think if they saw you now?¡± ¡°How did I gain so many levels so quickly¡± Monthu answered with a look that was half mocking, half serious. He was mad in truth, at himself for following this madman, for being unable to defeat him but mostly for leaving Par alone while this guy was around. The only thing that kept him feeling somewhat okay was that Ace was coming back soon and he had told the necromancer to care for the kid or something as the mage was always close to him. Kalin didn¡¯t like the answer. He used his punches to express that. Monthu tried defending but for the first time in the game he felt what difference in levels meant. All his skills were easily intercepted while he could barely follow Kalin¡¯s with naked eye. His punches took ten percent of his health with each direct hit even if he tried to avoid them desperately. He guessed Kalin had put almost all of his points into strength with only a few in agility while he had been balancing between strength, agility and vitality to be able to function as a damage dealer and a tank for his group. In moments, he was dying with health below ten percent and no one to see him. He wondered what devil had tempted him to follow the guy far enough so even their weapons clashing wouldn¡¯t be heard through the Harp¡¯s music and behind the rocks too. He deserved that for being so stupid Monthu decided trying to evade the last punch and knowing he won¡¯t be able to. To his surprise it never came. ¡°Whaa?¡± Kalin whispered before him, a trickle of blood running down his mouth. Then he fell with a heavy thump, Monthu barely managed to take a step back to not be squashed down. When he raised his head he saw a kid standing over the body with long crimson hair and black robes covered with dried up blood. It looked extremely filthy and reeked. Monthu took a step back to get some fresh air and get a better look at his saviour. He knew better than to call him that, he was probably going to be the next victim of him but for the moment it was truth. As if reading his mind, the person raised his head and looked straight at Monthu with eyes the colour of wine. They weren¡¯t red but not violet either. His mask was very simple with only a few artful lines around the eyes and two going from the uppercheeks to near the ears. Mouth wasn¡¯t covered and from it Monthu knew the guy was young. It was a child¡¯s face, made older by crimson hair falling over his shoulders. That however, was strange. Hadn¡¯t their attacker had short, blood glued hair? ¡°How does it feel to be betrayed by one¡¯s you should be trusting?¡± Silver Wing, one who was feared by half the game¡¯s population asked in a conversational tone. ¡°He was not a friend of mine¡± Monthu said carefully, watching the body of Kalin with a strange fascination. It was supposed to turn into grey mist and disappear but the assassin seemed to have found a way to preserve it somehow. ¡°And yet you fought by his side and entrusted him your life in battle. Isn¡¯t that the same as saying you believe in him? You even followed him to this remote place¡± Wing shifted his head as if puzzled as he said that. Monthu had nothing to say to that so he sat down and looked for a potion in his backpack, of course it was empty after having been fighting for hours and days. ¡°I doubt you¡¯ll let me go to my friends so they can heal me?¡± he asked without really expecting anything, maybe only to anger the guy. But Wing didn¡¯t seem to really care that he wanted to leave so quickly. He smiled as if that was the most usual thing in the world and motioned with his head for him to leave. It took Monthu a whole minute to take in the fact that the notorious assassin was letting him go. Or was that a trap? What could he gain by returning him to the group? ¡°You don¡¯t seem in a hurry¡± the assassin noted as he took a step to the edge of the fallen rock formation and looked what was happening on the other side. ¡°I can say your friends are doing quite well, or are they not your friends too?¡± ¡°Not all of them¡± Monthu answered standing up and walking in a wide circle around the killer to leave the rocks. Wing snickered at that. ¡°You know if I wanted to kill you, that distance wouldn¡¯t mean a thing to me, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not risk it¡± Monthu answered as he took a step out. ¡°But why are you letting me out? Aren¡¯t you bent on killing every human being you find yourself near?¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The eyes darkened as Wing smiled dryly. ¡°Not every, just all the bastards that would lie and betray, kill and hurt for nothing more than to get revenge or further their own needs.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you doing exactly the same as them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point¡± the young man answered with mockery in his eyes. ¡°Now go before I change my mind. You might have been betrayed this time so I¡¯ll leave you alone but know that next time, you¡¯re back to being just another person and its in human nature to hurt others intentionally or not.¡± Monthu took another step away. ¡°So you think you¡¯re some kind of avenger or a hero?¡± Wing laughed humourlessly. ¡°Avenger? Don¡¯t make me kill you. I¡¯m just another bloody murderer without conscience but with a soft spot for idiots who get themselves betrayed.¡± Month nodded and turned to leave when Wing added. ¡°And don¡¯t waste your time trying to lure me out with it. I¡¯m smarter than to act the hero.¡± A shiver ran down Monthu¡¯s body from the way the last word had been said. It was filled with so much hatred, disgust and painful mockery he wasn¡¯t sure how it all fit within. Half way down to his group he turned around but the assassin was gone, faded into shadows somewhere. He wondered what all of this had been about but put it for later examination. He waved for Aurora who noticed him and threw a couple heals his way and then turned to the giant king. The guy was even more enraged now and there was fire coming from his fingertips. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Aurora asked worried as he came closer but he dismissed it with a wave. ¡°What changed since I left?¡± he asked her instead. Ace let her answer go through his one ear and leave the other as he stayed in the shadow of two large fallen stones. They made for good cover and were close enough for him to hear the group¡¯s conversations even through the clamour of battle. He scratched his head, moving the fake hair slightly as it made his skin itch. Wig had been an ingenious idea but he had never expected for it to be so uncomfortable. That brought him back to the question whether it had actually been a good idea to help Monthu out. At first glance it had seemed like the stupidest of things to do, he would risk his secret identity which was the main power behind his character for what? Helping out his friend which didn¡¯t even count him a friend and wouldn¡¯t recognise him? One who had tried to kill him not twenty minutes ago? But this reminded him that Monthu had been the reason he¡¯d survived. If not the guy¡¯s cautiousness, the group would have chased after Ace and killed him without a doubt. Of course, it would have been better for them but they didn¡¯t knew it was him they were facing. Normal people, unlike Ace, prepared plans before going in and made their ways out and that¡¯s what kind of a person Silver Wing seemed to be. Monthu had made a smart decision based on what he knew, it just didn¡¯t mean it had been the right one. Yet no matter what it had saved Ace¡¯s life and he always repaid his debts. On top of that he didn¡¯t expect to keep his identity secret forever. It could stay that way for another month, maybe a year or two but like all secrets he was sure it would be found out one way or another and when that happened he didn¡¯t want to have to explain anything. Monthu was the guy who could forgive anything but hurting those he cared about. Ace had to be sure that Wing never killed anyone from the group or left them, when he could have helped, or he would be out before he could count to three. That added with his debt had made him leave his hiding place and engage in conversation. He had spouted some nonsense, he wasn¡¯t even sure about any longer and now only hoped Monthu wouldn¡¯t share it to everyone. The guy himself didn¡¯t look like a chatterbox but if he told his team mates Ace was sure Hawk would post all the information online in a heartbeat. It had been dangerous business and Ace wondered how anyone could not recognise him under his mask but it was like an impenetrable disguise somehow. He scratched his head again, positioning the stupid wig better. It was itchy and the hair fell in his eyes, obstructing his view horribly as he moved. He wondered how could anyone fight with long hair. It seemed impossible to him. A sound of metal gears shifting reached his ears, yet when he looked around nothing seemed to be out of place. Monthu had borrowed a broadsword from someone and was rushing to hack at the giant, who was growing more crazy by the second even though his health wasn¡¯t dropping that fast. In truth, the adventurers had barely made a dent in his large health pool. Ace decided to test out his suspicions again but this time to go a bit more sneakily about it. He climbed the wall closest to the giant king, keeping himself in the shadows of the light provided by one of the priestesses, and, when he was high enough, jumped onto its shoulder. Instantly he sneaked behind the neck, so out of everyone¡¯s view, and searched for something out of place. At first everything seemed normal enough; stone armour, hard skin and so on but quickly enough he noticed a strange scar that looked almost like a crack in the stone. Ace took out one of the stronger daggers and used the blade to widen the gap. It didn¡¯t give way and the kid was about to give up when his hand slipped and instead of sideways he pushed the dagger upwards. It didn¡¯t do much but the stone underneath him groaned and lifted slightly. Ace smiled victoriously at that little achievement and went on to push and pull around the crack until it gave way and opened up. To the kid¡¯s horror the entrance had the width of his head. If he had been a cat, it might have been fine, but he wasn¡¯t. There was no way he could get inside. He would have to break the stone to get in and that was not the way of assassins. His daggers would rather break than achieve that kind of task. Ace hissed in anger and disappointment before thinking up a way to flush out those that were inside. He took out a couple elixirs of his and threw them in. One was pure acid that ate through anything and the other alcohol which he lit up with [Flare] the moment it landed on something. Flame caught up soon and Ace could see the inside of the giant which was nothing what it should. There were dozens of wheels there with little frogs jumping around in panic. They were releasing painful crying noises as they burned and scrambled around to escape. Of course, the only way out was where Ace sat and watched the whole show. He didn¡¯t plan to intercept the creatures, fighting his group once a day was more than enough for his tastes, but he planned to find out what this quest had been all about. Frogs jumped from the burning stone robot landing on the ground before the stunned adventurers and rolled around to doze off the flames. A few seemed to be mages as they casted something and a little cloud rose over the twenty something frogs and started raining. All of them sighted in relief before raising their heads and understanding they were in deep trouble. ¡°What is this?¡± Aurora asked in horror, taking some fifty steps back. There was a spell of holy hammer on her lips. The rest had been rendered speechless as their opponent giant turned motionless after a bunch of frogs jumped from its head. And before they could react; do or say anything, Aurora killed the small creatures. She might not have been a battle priestess but her holy magic was enough to kill a couple of disgusting frogs who disappeared leaving no items behind. Ace wondered why did she hate them so much but knew it was something she more than likely wouldn¡¯t share so he opened the quest menu instead. What lies had appeared there now if any? *Reclaiming Home Frog people were forced out of their place by giants and their pets. Because they¡¯re lacking physical power, they¡¯ve tasked you with fighting for them. If you succeed, you¡¯ll be the hero of frog people. You can invite up to ten people to aid you in this mission. *Quest Difficulty: C Quest Reward: two items from the treasury to each person Eternal gratitude of frog people. Update1: You have found the Field of Nara which should have housed the remainder of frog people. There are signs of them having lived there, burial ground, pieces of broken items, but everything is very old. It doesn¡¯t seem like anybody entered this place for the last couple of ages. Upadate2: You swam in the lake of Glu. It restored your health and mana almost instantly. The water there must be blessed. What could be the power of the two plants that can live there? And how can a race having an unlimited supply of this water could be exterminated? Update3: You have entered the Pit of Despair. It stinks of blood and death but there are traces of frogs here too, although not in the way expected. Those red walls are pictures showing the history of frogs. To your surprise it tells that the frogs have been gone for more than a couple of ages. Long before the giants came to this place. Had you been tricked or is this story a lie? Update4: You have found a book containing the history of snakes throughout the ages. They seem to have been friends of frogs before something happened separating the two races and starting a war. The snakes seem to have lost but the pages of battles are kind of hazy. Did the frogs really lose or something has happened to make them go extinct? And by the way whose that frog calling himself prince? It is getting pretty obvious he omitted a lot of truths. Update5: You have stumbled upon the Sacrificial Dagger. There¡¯s a children¡¯s tale that frog people hold a ritual every month for people that do not follow set rules. They are then brought to a certain room where they are strapped to the altar and sacrificed using this particular dagger. Blood that runs down the sides of the altar collects in the bowl like indentation on the ground. At the end of the ceremony the priest washes his hands in it and all the believers come over to take a sip. Update 6: You have found the cursed cellar. Many have lost their lives here so could this be the ritual room? There¡¯s no altar here but a bookcase and a small canal for water. Does it smell like blood? Update 7: You have found out the secret of the frogs and that they had a giant king built by the gnomes to become the rulers of the mountain. It shows you¡¯re a smart one but not quick enough. ¡°Monsters banished from this world, take souls of those who¡¯ve died today and feast upon them. Let their sacrifice not be in vain and rise from your long sleep. Your Medusa¡¯s eyes shall turn their enemies to stone and dragon sharp claws slash their insides open. You¡¯re the rulers of this world so rise and take your rightful place, the souls of today¡¯s fallen shall be your first meal and reminder of who you protect...¡± It took Ace a long time to notice that it wasn¡¯t his own inner voice chanting the spell but someone from outside. His eyes quickly found the culprit as the frog prince stood on one of the highest fallen stones with his head bowed in the general location of the adventurers. Ace didn¡¯t think much and simply threw one of his daggers. It pierced the frog¡¯s heart, who turned into a snake before disappearing, but it looked to have been too late. His spell had made the cavern grow chilly and it felt like there was an unseen presence of something floating around. Something huge, old and dangerous. In another moment the ten giant rings Monthu had been carrying left his bag, glowing a faint yellow. They intercepted each other to form a skeleton of a ball and then started to spin so fast there didn¡¯t seem to be any space between them. And just as suddenly as they had started, they stopped. Or it. There strangely seemed to be only one very large ring through which a different dimension could be glimpsed. Ace could see something moving there. It was trying to get out but was too fat, only parts of its large body could be seen as the creature tried to squeeze through in any way possible. It would have been funny had it been not such a dire situation. Ace had a feeling if this creature escaped the whole world would be put in peril, not only their kingdom. Although, it would be the first one to fall. He though about trying to hit the ring with his daggers but it seemed like a bad plan even to him. Magic rarely went well when interrupted and more often than not it exploded on such occasions. Or was that a good thing? Ace asked himself as he readied a dagger. He wasn¡¯t the only one with such thoughts. Hawk¡¯s arrows hit against the golden ring, shaking it. The image within rippled and dark creatures rushed out. They were spectre like with greyish bodies and shrieking voices, flying high over the heads of everyone and escaping though the walls. Ace wanted to cover his ears and get out of here but he doubted it was the best course of action so he just threw his dagger at the ring. It wavered, stopping to release the monsters out but then only intensified the process as if something within was hurrying them. Ace decided to do exactly that too and started throwing his daggers as if there was no tomorrow. Hawk did the same followed by others, and soon their efforts were rewarded. The ring shuddered for the last time, dividing into ten of different size, and fell from the air. The parts landed some hundred meters away from the adventurers and lay there innocent and harmless looking, reflecting the soft light of someone¡¯s spell. You could never tell they had just been used to try to summon a creature that could threaten the whole world. Ace made his way downwards from the giant and went to the remains of the frog/snake that had given him the quest. There was nothing but a bottle of ink, scroll and some faded parchment left of him. Ace picked the items and rushed to the pit. He jumped in, waiting for the dirty water to meet his body. It didn¡¯t make him wait long and the kid felt his whole body being enveloped in some putrid, slime green water. He would have liked to not have to swim in it again but it was the easiest way out and he wanted to see the lake of Glu again. It had strong magical powers and was amazing for relaxing one¡¯s tired body and mind. He raised his head to take a couple huge gulps of air and dived in. He swam for almost a minute before another place to get air showed up. It was stale and smelled, but still full of oxygen so Ace breathed it in and continued on his journey. He had to make five more stops before he emerged in a cave that after a turn led to the Field of Nara where the lake was. The place was deathly silent. There hadn¡¯t been any creatures here before either, but somehow it felt different now. He walked slowly to the lake, his dagger at ready, but it wasn¡¯t an enemy he found. The lake had crimson red streaks running from somewhere at the bottom. They were spreading slowly and engulfing more of the place with each passing moment. Ace walked where the water was still crystal blue and took a sip. It still had the taste of summer and happiness in it. It also restored all his energy; health, mana and stamina. It felt as if he had been born anew. He took out the rest of his empty bottles, ten or so, and filled them with the miracle water. He put them near the others in his bag and marvelled for a moment at his collection. Ace was pretty sure he was the only person in the kingdom who had it and he had around fifty bottles of it stored with twenty close to him for instant use. It is unknown how long he would have stared at them if not the sound of footsteps entering his cavern. He was too late to hide but didn¡¯t feel like meeting and most likely getting into a fight so he jumped into the lake and quickly swam to the the other side where some small undergrowth grew. He walked out dripping wet and escaping from sight behind the bushes activated [Shadow Veil]. With it active Ace sneaked out and made his way back around the lake where he had originally stayed. It was the safest place as nobody would expect him to return into a place which had no way of hiding someone. From there he watched as Lancelot made his way in, followed by Monthu and Nein, the three were drenched like rats and smelt like they had just left the sewers. Ace could feel the stench twenty meters away. They entered cautiously, their heads twisting here and there, searching for him. ¡°I think I saw something red diving into the water¡± Monthu noted as they went closer. Lancelot nodded in agreement while Nein only took in his surroundings. ¡°It¡¯s a very old cave and I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s explored it yet¡± he said, taking a step to the wall. He touched it gently while others eyed him suspiciously. Lancelot just shook his head and moved towards the lake. ¡°I believe this is the lake I was searching for! I can save the town from the sickness now!¡± he said hopefully, walking swiftly. However, his hope died on his face when he noticed what was happening to the lake. It was being polluted on quickening pace; there was little to no clear water left. He fell on his knees before it, staring in horror. Nein came to see what was happening. He didn¡¯t seem too displeased and put his finger in the water, drawing it out swiftly as if burned. ¡°It¡¯s like acid¡± he murmured taking out a bottle and filling it. Water swirled for a moment inside before dissipating into steam and rising to the top of the cave. ¡°What a curious defensive mechanism,¡± muttered Nein trying some different vials to no avail. ¡°You¡¯re an alchemist, right?¡± Lancelot asked turning to him with his hope born anew. He didn¡¯t wait for the answer. ¡°Can you clean it? How long would it take? Can you clean the lake in a week? I need to get the medicinal herb by then!¡± He looked like a small child begging for a miracle he knew was above human power but still tried. Nein didn¡¯t take time to crush his dreams. ¡°Not even in a year. This lake will be empty in five hours and do you think anything could survive such strong acidic substance? Your herbs are long dead.¡± Lancelot¡¯s face fell as he heard the news. ¡°This cannot be!¡± he hissed to no one in particular, moving towards the wall and hitting it with full power. It cracked from the blow but Lancelot didn¡¯t seem to be satisfied. He kept on muttering how this wasn¡¯t fair and hitting the wall again and again until it fell, revealing one of the tunnels used by the snakes. He went to another wall then to continue venting his frustration out. Ace smiled at that. The guy had annoyed him with all that children business and now he paid the price. It was a fitting end to him. ¡°Do you have an idea what could have happened here?¡± Monthu asked Nein, who had a thoughtful expression on his face. The guy looked at him and after a moment said ¡°I think you can guess yourself, the assassin poisoned the holy lake with the blood of innocents. You can hear their screaming if you listen carefully.¡± ¡®Whoops¡¯ Ace though as he listened in. There was the sound of four hearts beating, wind blowing through some tunnel in the east but nothing more. He wondered whether it had been an expression of Nein¡¯s speech or could he really hear spirits. It sounded very realistic when he remembered how the guy had seen him as one. Monthu nodded and turned towards Lancelot with a heavy sigh. ¡°We need to bring him back¡± he said without really taking a step forward to act on it. Nein seemed to agree but he was no more eager to have a chat with a furious monk than the scytheless scytheman. ¡°Maybe I should lead everyone here with my spirits and then this guy¡¯s team mates can pick him up?¡± he asked after they stood silently for some five minutes. He had the leader¡¯s consent in moments and Ace watched as the black blob materialised before Nein. The guy ordered him to bring the other back through the tunnels and the creature used some skill to dash forward, blinking from sigh before reappearing some ten meters away. It took the group a long while so Ace grew bored and made his way out from the cavern. He met them face to face but his veil kept him hidden from untrained eyes. He waited for them to pass him and made his way outside the dungeon. Before he could take a breath of fresh night air, he was barricaded by a mountain of messages all originating from a guy named L. He shook his head annoyed but called the guy none the less. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked him. ¡°When did you have time to travel to Kallamore kingdom? Wait don¡¯t answer that, better say where you are now¡± the guy said. He talked quickly with his usual business tone but there was tiredness in his voice. ¡°In Mora. Did something happen?¡± Ace asked sitting down on the rock in the mists. It was a bit cold there but not too much. ¡°Remember the guy named Morion?¡± Ace thought for a moment. The name sounded familiar but he didn¡¯t really know from where. ¡°Maybe..?¡± There was a sigh from another end of the conversation. ¡°He¡¯s the lord that is trying to eat me up and one I told you to find dirt on¡± L sounded even more tired than he had previously. It was the main feeling coming from him instead of anger or disappointment. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°His power is extending more than I had predicted. He took over the city we¡¯d been in previously, where I had won over the priest. The city was devoured and the guy is at my door now, even Vascas castle is under political attack.¡± Ace winced for the guy; he was in a big hole. It was no surprise he was lacking in sleep. ¡°Is there any chance for you?¡± L laughed. ¡°Thanks for the good word¡± he coughed. ¡°Did you catch a cold?¡±Ace asked in wonder. How could a lord with all his riches get sick? ¡°Leave me be. I need your group to come here and start working under me. I¡¯ll pay you handsomely so it should be fine. There will be some silly missions of hunting monsters and passing messages and in exchange you¡¯ll go to Vascas and say to the leader¡¯s that you work for me as it¡¯ll be truth. Does that sound okay?¡± Ace doubted Monthu would ever agree to serve anyone in a game but he didn¡¯t want to destroy L¡¯s last pieces of hopes. He wasn¡¯t that cruel. ¡°Maybe. Why you need it?¡± ¡°It was told that mercenaries saved the castle and I have no right to ask for anything from the survivors. If you work for me, I¡¯ll have the eternal loyalty of the leader there and that¡¯s something I really need at the moment.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bring it up to the group.¡± Ace answered. ¡°Is there anything else you might need of me?¡± There was silence for sometime before L cursed under his breath. ¡°I shook my head. There¡¯s nothing you can do. Or wait yo-¡± His words were interrupted by a large message window appearing before Ace¡¯s eyes. He wondered how L knew it showed up for him and he was about to ask when he read the text. ¡°Oh, damn...¡± he murmured. *Beast from the Greater Realm Young adventurers looking for hidden treasures and unsolved mysteries had stumbled upon one. Without knowing better they allowed the circle of summoning to work its magic, releasing an evil from another plane of existence. The creature called upon was too strong to get through so it separated itself into smaller forms which flew out into the four directions. Now they travel the world, hunting and gaining power to reach the state where they could combine into one again. You have six months while they hunt and two more till they find each other. If they manage to combine, you should start praying as the world will become a much darker place. Participants are all that live in this world, no matter the kingdom or land. Quest Difficulty: S+++ Quest Reward: The continent continues to exist under the rightful rule of all the races and doesn¡¯t get overrun by monsters from other realms Ghost Parts eradicated: 0/666* Next Chapter 6.0 Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Hey guys! Here''s my first Friday update! Just wanted to thank you all my dear readers for all the good words in the comments and the reviews. Especially huge thanks goes to PRESSit for one really amazing review. I still can''t believe some people keep my story in such high regard. Anyway, hope you enjoy this short chapter/prologue thing about Ace in his home environment and hope to see you all next week. DarkSun P.S. I''m thinking of uploading some excerpts from stories I may plan to write some time in my life so if it gets approved by the moderators and you have time, it would be nice if you checked it out! Off now! P.S.S Or not. I just remembered I want to mention that I''ve corrected the mistakes in word files so it should be okay now, thanks for notifying me. Also I long ago abandoned the idea of following the path of RR, it''s just too painful to limit myself to its world but I''m not sure if changing the game''s name midway of the story is a good idea while finding each mention of RR in previous chapters is kind of a daunting task... Sorry for the long author''s note which will become longer than the chapter if I''ll waste any more time thinking over everything I want to say >.< *** Kirin watched and snow fell while sitting on a windowsill in his room.. He had managed to crawl on it from his table and felt very proud of himself. From his position at the window of the second floor, he could see the street below and those who rushed through in a hurry. This position always amazed Kirin. It was just so strange to sit here, higher than anyone else, and watch them as if they were nothing more than ghosts passing through; grey and featureless. He felt like a god and he often liked to pretend that he could control those people going past him. He¡¯d give them backstories and imagine where they were rushing so. A woman in a black jacket went by with her head low. She had bright yellow scarf wrapped tightly around her neck and a large package in her hands. She clutched it tightly to herself as if it held something invaluable, and maybe it did. A Christmas present for her daughters maybe? Kirin could almost see the happy faces of the girls as they woke up to find something under the big shining tree. Another person went past. It was an old man, his face almost reaching the ground; his back was twisted this much. Kirin knew him as Harry but wasn¡¯t sure whether the guy had any family or not. Could he be spending the holidays alone? Or did he have someone to visit him? To play Santa for? The old man raised his head and slowly waved towards the boy as if seeing him. Kirin knew it couldn¡¯t be possible through the thick curtain of snow but he waved back anyway. Harry was an interesting guy, always ready to tell a tale or whisper some secret kids had no right knowing. For example, he was the reason Kirin knew why Santa Claus always came to other kids. He extended his hand to touch the window. It was cold under his fingers and the kid smiled. He put his whole face to it, enjoying the feeling of freezing coldness. From his eyes so close to the see through surface he watched as the snowflakes danced in the air. They reminded him of those people in old movies with castles and such. When strange music started to play, they would take up circles, unusual formations and start moving in a rhythm. He could hardly call it dancing but his parents said it was so. Snowflakes were like that too. They moved and twirled in a fixed manner known only to them. He noticed a dog running past. It was huge with flapping white ears and a tongue to its knees. Kirin grimaced at it. The owner of the dog was Veronica and he despised her from the bottom of his being. She tried to always include him in what the other kids were playing, not caring he wanted that or not. He would have to smile then and play those stupid games or people would start to think there was something wrong with him. Depression was their favourite word and he hated when they were jumping around him, trying to cure a disease he didn¡¯t have. He¡¯d rather play those stupid games of hers. And she never got it if he refused nicely. She would always say there was nothing for him to be embarrassed about, they all knew him and admired his character¡¯s strength. Kirin knew it was a lie as it was a word parents first started to use and only then children caught up without even knowing what it really meant. Even now, years after the incident, people often remembered to mention it. Did they really think he was that strong for being able to smile and laugh after all that had happened to him? His disease, teacher¡¯s suicide, absent parents and non-existent relatives? Didn¡¯t everyone have bad things happen to them and lived through it? He couldn¡¯t understand why was he so revered. Worst of all children loved to copy-cat their parents and all of it resulted in more annoyances for Kirin; more games to be played, more fake smiles to be put on. The dog made a circle of the block and was back again. Kirin glared at it. What was he walking around here for? His home was ten houses down the street with that crazy girl where she was opening wrapped up boxes and eating chocolate. Kirin hit the glass with his forehead to get the image out of his head and moved it where the glass wasn¡¯t even the slightest warmed up by his skin. He breathed in that coldness, relaxing somewhat. There was at least one good thing that had come from visiting all those doctors who said they were no doctors and just wanted to know more about you. Two people wrapped in their thin jackets turned into the street. They were holding hands and smiling brightly as if not feeling a chilling wind passing straight to their bones. One of them, the female, had a hand in her pocket and kept glancing at it every other moment as if checking if something was still there. Kirin watched them walk down the street and stop before his house. The male took the key out and unlocked the door. They walked in, leaving the kid¡¯s sight. Kirin took a couple more deep breaths before scrambling down from his vantage point. He looked over his messy room, scrunched his nose and went to his mirror. The room was dark but from the window there was enough silvery light for him to see the contours of his face. He tried on a few smiles before deciding on one with slightly curved sides; he called it a wistful one, and with it on his face went under the covers of his small bed. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Not long after that a knock sounded on his door. He grumbled as if disturbed but didn¡¯t open his eyes. He listened for what they will do. The doors opened and soft footsteps entered his room. He felt a hand brush the hair off his eyes. It was his father¡¯s hand. Mother was standing a few steps away most likely. ¡°Should we wake him?¡± father asked in a barely audible voice in which slight disappointment could be heard. ¡°Sorry, Robert, but just look at him¡± his mother said with a light laugh. ¡°Could you really wake him up when he looks so innocent and sweet?¡± ¡°No, but you know he hates being called an Angel.¡± His mother sighted tiredly, the long day of work returning to her with vengeance of having been dismissed for a while. ¡°Yeah, but he¡¯s not going to escape that label. He¡¯s just too cheerful, nice and friendly.¡± ¡°Sometimes I wonder if he really is¡± his father said cryptically, standing up. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We can give it to him tomorrow¡± he whispered in a defeated tone. Floor creaked slightly as he moved and Kirin stirred. He shifted in his bed with his eyes half open, almost unseeing. His parents froze in their spots hoping he¡¯ll settle back into his sleep. Kirin didn¡¯t do that but instead grumbled and mumbled, faking a person who was just woken up. In time he opened his eyes fully and smiled widely upon noticing his parents. The moonlight did nothing to hide their sunken eyes and hollow cheekbones, if anything it made them more pronounced. Anger rose in his stomach for he knew who was at fault for it. And he could do nothing to change it, more than to jump off of one of the cliffs surrounding their village. He forced the feeling down and rushed at them, falling over the sheets in his rush. Father caught him with a laugh. ¡°Where are you in such a hurry to?¡± ¡°You said you might meet Santa on the streets! Did you? Did you?¡± he asked, looking up at his father¡¯s smiling face. ¡°You did, didn¡¯t you?¡± His father only smiled brighter. Kirin jumped on his feet and turned to his mother who was standing suspiciously silent with a face wide grin. ¡°You have it!¡± he shouted at her accusingly and rushed with all the speed his small frozen legs could muster. His mother danced out of his way, holding the package he¡¯d seen before over his head. The boy tried jumping up to reach it but it didn¡¯t work, his mother would move it even higher if he got anywhere near reaching it. So then to his father¡¯s delight he tried to jump from the bed and even his desk, but sadly to no avail. When nothing helped he looked at his mother with a silent pleading look. ¡°Please..?¡± he whisper-asked her softly. His father laughed out aloud this time. ¡°Julie, you¡¯re done for. Admit defeat and save your pride.¡± His mother was more resistant than that but Kirin knew he almost had her. ¡°Mother... Please..¡± he whispered, looking up with an expression of innocence and bright shining eyes. The look on his mother¡¯s face was priceless as she struggled. She tried to keep a stern expression, failed miserably and burst out laughing in the end. ¡°Told ya¡± his father said, snatching the box from her hands. She huffed indignantly to which Kirin chuckled and grabbed the box from his father before he thought of a challenge himself. They loved doing that to make the atmosphere lighter and put everyone in a happy mood. Kirin turned away from both of them and quickly opened the box. At first he couldn¡¯t understand what it was but when he took it out, the shape finally made sense. It was something he¡¯d seen in one of the shops and wondered what it tasted like. One of the aunts had suggested to buy it for him but he had thoroughly refused and had hoped it was the end of it. Seems like the word has been passed to his parents. His eyes clouded with unshed emotions but his face shifted into one representing delightedness as he squealed in happiness. ¡°Chocolate Pizza!¡± The thing was sliced into six parts with each having a coating of something white to represent snow and then each filled with different things. One slice had purple, red and orange bubbles, another some sticky looking light brownish stuff and so on. He turned to his parents holding his prize high up to make sure they could see what he had. ¡°Look what I got! It¡¯s a chocolate pizza! Like the one I¡¯d seen with the aunt!¡± his face became grim as he turned from one of his parents to the other. Their expressions became instantly worried. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it? Is something wrong?¡± they asked as Kirin shook his head. ¡°Did you thank the Santa?¡± His mother laughed to which Kirin threw her a despairing, almost crying look. ¡°But if you didn¡¯t he might not bring something as amazing next year!¡± He shouted out, pushing his mother angrily with one hand. The other held the present tightly grasped. His mother caught his arm and lowered herself to his eye level. ¡°You have nothing to worry about, okay?¡± she waited to make sure she had his attention. ¡°Me and your dad, we both thanked him with all our hearts. He¡¯s coming back next year for sure. Maybe you¡¯ll even meet him yourself!¡± she said, taking him up in his arms and raising him above. Kirin smiled and laughed as she spun him around with the chocolate clutched tightly in his hands. When she finally let him down, Kirin rushed to his bed and opened the packaging of the thing and took two pieces out. He brought one for each parent. They tried to refuse it, saying it was his but he didn¡¯t hear a word of it so together they ate the sweets and enjoyed a conversation about absolutely nothing. Time went by swiftly and soon Kirin noticed his parents only acting cheerfully, no longer having the energy to actually feel that way. So he yawned a couple of times and quickly they told him to go to sleep. He refused for a bit for the eyes but soon allowed himself to be carried to the bed and be tightly wrapped in the blankets. They kissed him goodnight and left. In moments the house was as quiet as before their arrival. Kirin waited a bit before deciding they were asleep and crawling out. He went to his window and looked around since the snow had stopped falling. Christmas trees shone through many windows, people sat at large tables and kids ran around, holding wrap paper and smiling from ear to ear. The boy took notice of it all before turning back to his room. It was dark and lonesome, dismal. He shook his head and returned his eyes to the dancing lights outside and watched them till morning came and people started to move in his house. Next Chapter 6.1 Power Struggle Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Here''s my new thread where I will put my ideas for future stories that I may write. The ideas will be shown by writing a chapter set in that world which might be from any part of the story, beginning or ending. If you have time, please do check it out and leave me a comment on how you found it ^^ Stories of the Wide World Characters Titles and Abilities The sun was going down when a lonely traveller entered the city. He passed the guards unseen and went to walk the streets like a shadow. His clothes were black, blending well with the darkness of the place. The person looked at the houses that were lacking any sign of life, he walked around carts abandoned in the middle of streets and dark splotches on the ground. His eyes followed the movements of many people in fighting gear walking past him in a hurry. They didn¡¯t belong to this place. The traveller made his way to a church that once had been the pride of the city. Now it stood broken and haggard; its high pillars fallen, doors smashed in. Inside it was no better. Everything of value had been taken and gods and goddesses now stood without armour, weapons, jewellery and even their eyesight. No wonder the city had become such a dark place. A person¡¯s cry could be heard from somewhere and the traveller went in that direction. He found a small room where an old man in once white garb was praying. He was on his knees murmuring something to a featureless wooden sculpture while tears were running down both his cheeks. ¡°Please, hear me, my god! They broke the sacred oaths! They sullied your chambers! They stole from you! Please give me strength to repay them! Please send someone who would avenge what has happened here! They killed your servants and called me a liar. They¡¯re going to lie to other priests and say I had fallen and had to be put down! Please! You can let them kill me but please, please send someone to pay them for what they did!¡± the man whispered in a broken sob, his voice ragged and throaty. The traveller wandered just how long has the man been praying to the now blind god¡¯s. They had clearly abandoned this place so what did he plan to achieve by it? Did he believe the god¡¯s actually cared about what happened to mere mortals? ¡°They¡¯re coming to me when the sun rises...¡± the man said, coughing a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t mind dying for you. I had vowed to serve till my last day but you can¡¯t let them disgrace you this much. Don¡¯t do it for me! Do it for yourself! You¡¯re kind-hearted and loving but some people don¡¯t deserve it! They came here acting mighty and proud, never seeing us as fellow humans. These adventurers they¡¯re a curse, a plague to our world! Please make them see that we¡¯re more than just insects under their feet. Make them understand that we were here first! It¡¯s our world!¡± The traveller felt sorry for the old crazy man and left the shadows. He took out a flask of simple water and passed it to the man. ¡°Drink it¡± he said in a tone accepting no argument. The clerical man was shocked, instantly putting the wooden sculpture before himself as if it was going to protect him. It took him a moment to take notice of the stranger. He looked hesitant to take the flask at first but his wariness and thirst won over and he drank it all in a few large gulps. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked afterwards. The person sat down on the ground, leaning against the wall. ¡°One of the people you were cursing, an adventurer¡± he answered with a slight smile that tempted the cleric to do something about it. The cleric noted how young his guest was. Nothing more than a kid like one of those that sang in his choir just days ago. ¡°You seem familiar¡± he said, trying to remember where he had seen the boy. He was sure it hadn¡¯t been that long ago but he just couldn¡¯t put his finger on where and when. ¡°Maybe because you saved my life once,¡± Ace answered, yawning tiredly. He needed some rest after all the excitement. The quest had showed up to be a mockery of one, meant only for him to become one who released an evil demon on the world and L hadn¡¯t been particularly happy about it. The guy had cursed him for that, called an idiot and made him swear he¡¯ll bring Monthu and the others to work for him. Ace hadn¡¯t been very eager to promise that but he felt he owed the guy for forgetting his mission. Par¡¯s birthday and then a ban against Vera seeing him again for a while had pushed all other thoughts away from his mind. ¡°I did?¡± the man asked surprised. He had been a head priest previously and he rarely if ever did anything associated with healing; political games were his main occupation. Ace nodded taking out some dried meat to chew on and giving a bit of it to the cleric who after a second¡¯s consideration took it. They ate in silence while the man thought and the boy fought against sleepiness. Tomorrow he was going to have to pretend to be reborn and it was going to be annoying as hell. Especially since he expected a lot of accusations. He would have to think of a way to throw them off again. After a minute he decided it wasn¡¯t warm enough in here and took out some logs. He used [Flare] to light them up and in moment there was a lovely fire dancing before him. Yet the cleric didn¡¯t seem to appreciate the light and warmth that now flooded the small chamber. ¡°You should put it out. This is a sacred place¡± he said sternly, glaring at the kid. ¡°If god¡¯s really cared about it, would they have allowed it to be destroyed like this?¡± ¡°They can¡¯t interfere as openly as that!¡± the cleric answered instantly. ¡°They work through people!¡± ¡°So why didn¡¯t they send an army from another church to protect you? Why did they sit and watch as your people got killed and banished? Why do they allow for such a beautiful city that was supposedly under their protection to be turned into his dark and dangerous place?¡± Ace sneered at the man. ¡°From where I look, your god¡¯s don¡¯t give a damn about what happens to you or this place. You¡¯ve been abandoned. Accept it and move on.¡± Cleric looked as if he was hit with a hammer. He tried to stammer out a reply but nothing came out but a mumble of words that had no real meaning. He coughed and tried again. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything¡± he said finally but it lacked the previous conviction. ¡°I don¡¯t? So tell me. Where are they? Why did they let for something like this to happen? Why aren¡¯t they answering your prayers?¡± Ace asked, not even looking at the man. He watched the flames building castles of orange and destroying them with a burst of yellow sparks. The man had no answer to those questions. He had served the gods for many years, receiving gifts from them in form of items and blessings, more power. It was a glorious life he had lived but now that he truly needed them, they were silent. No matter how much he prayed there was no answer coming and everything he had held dear was being destroyed before his eyes. Was he really abandoned? It couldn¡¯t be true. It just couldn¡¯t. Ace wasn¡¯t interested enough in the man¡¯s struggle to annoy him more and left him be when he turned silent. Instead the boy took out some dirty cloak and wrapped in it fell asleep. It was some nine o¡¯clock and it was time for kid¡¯s to go to bed. He was woken up by someone shaking his shoulder. He tried turning away but that someone didn¡¯t let him and shook him even harder. Ace opened his eyes groggily and glared. It took him a long while to recognise the old priest. The man had drawn black and white lines around his eyes and red markings covered his whole face. He had turned bald over the night too. ¡°What do you want?¡± Ace asked, rubbing his eyes and yawning widely. He looked around, searching for some windows to guess the time, but there were none. However, the fire was still going strong, books and sculptures keeping it up. ¡°You know the leader of Lasran city?¡± the man asked in a gravely voice, his eyes burning like two coals. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ace asked, crawling a bit backwards. The man had taken place in the kid¡¯s face, so close, in fact, his ragged breath was fanning the boy¡¯s face. ¡°Do you?¡± he asked again, getting up close again, certain madness shining in his face. Ace decided it wasn¡¯t a good idea to play games with a madman and nodded instead. There was relief on the crazy priest¡¯s face. ¡°Contact him¡± he ordered. Ace yawned for the last time and sat up, pushing the man off of him. He looked at his friend list and as luck would have it L was away. He had been on for almost a week in game but the one moment Ace needed him, of course, he went to rest. The kid shook his head at the stupidity of it all. ¡°He¡¯s not in this world at the moment. I can contact him for you after a few days, if you want it.¡± ¡°That is not right!¡± the man hissed in anger. ¡°Contact him in your world then! I need him now!¡± Ace shook his head. ¡°Impossible. In our world we¡¯re like you here, no way to talk to people we don¡¯t live in the same house with and I have no idea who L is there.¡± ¡°No! It can¡¯t be the truth! I need him now! Do something! Bring him here! You¡¯re an adventurer!¡± ¡°Adventurer doesn¡¯t mean god, for your information¡± Ace said in a flat tone. ¡°We still have to follow the laws of the world and such. That means if I say L is away and I can¡¯t reach him, I mean it and there¡¯s nothing to be done.¡± ¡°No, no, no!¡± the priest shouted out into the air. ¡°You leave me here alone and even take my only chance to get revenge for myself!¡± he asked through gritted teeth. Ace was about to say he did no such thing when he noticed the guy wasn¡¯t talking to him but something invisible. His eyes were moving all other the room; up and down, left and right. ¡°You can¡¯t do that to me! I had lived for you all my life! Give me at least this one thing!¡± he kicked at the fire, making the flames fly in all directions. They caught on the wooden walls quickly and soon Ace found himself standing in a room of fire. [Excessive Heat] helped him not to feel the burning but he doubted the priest had anything as useful as that. Or the sanity to use it. ¡°What do you want from L?¡± he asked the guy who was soon going to burn alive. The place was fully built of wood, besides the floor, and had been kept dry so it flamed up like parchment. ¡°I want him to get revenge for me¡± the man said in voice that was full of fury but had lost its belief in anything. He doubted anyone would really care that he died together with his church in this city. Why would anyone risk their lives for him? ¡°Revenge?¡± Ace asked in an interested tone. He was having an idea which would be pretty fun and awesome if he was to make it come true. ¡°Those adventurers destroyed everything I ever cared about, even my god¡¯s trust in me. I need them to pay for it, to lose everything and feel that despair you¡¯re left with when the whole world moves from under your feet. I want them to suffer!¡± Ace smiled hearing that. ¡°Would you like me to do something about it?¡± he asked quietly, looking up at the man with eyes the colour of blood. ¡°But you¡¯re just a kid...¡± the man said with worry lines etching on his face as a feeling of dread entered his body. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked in a whisper. ¡°An angel of death¡± Ace said with a laugh, Kris twirling in his hand. ¡°So you want my services?¡± ¡°Can you really do it?¡± the man asked, seemingly abandoning all his pride and accepting the help of a child. ¡°You¡¯re not playing with me, are you?¡± ¡°Does the name Silver Wing sound familiar to you?¡± he asked, tilting his head slightly to the right. The man gasped as he put two and two together. His eyes went wide and now it was him who took some steps back. He stared for a while taking Ace in, wondering how could someone so young and at first glance innocent be one of the most wanted criminals alive. ¡°And you would really help me? There¡¯s nothing I can give you but my thanks.¡± Ace¡¯s smile widened. ¡°If you had, I wouldn¡¯t help you. Now let¡¯s escape and we can discuss the details.¡± ¡°Escape? But I¡¯m sentenced to die with my church!¡± the man refused and Ace wondered whether he was a religious fool or simply mad. Or both. ¡°And why should you show up for your execution?¡± he asked the priest in a very serious manner. The guy opened his mouth to answer when he noticed he couldn¡¯t think up of a single good one. Who did he have to die for? His people? They were already dead. His gods? They had left him. His own self? Why would he want to die for himself? ¡°Okay¡± the man said. ¡°You can save me.¡± Ace ignored the oddly phrased plea for help and dragged the man out of the burning room. Ten minutes more and he would have been cooked alive. Only when he was out did the man understood that something had been wrong and started to cough uncontrollably. Ace glanced at him, decided it wasn¡¯t going to end soon and went in search of an exit. It was easy for him to enter and leave but he had a feeling that if the priest was sentenced to death, there were guards around to make sure the guy didn¡¯t run away. He sneaked around the perimeter and found a couple of adventurers camping around. Most were underground in the crypts looking for anything valuable but there were a few near the exits too. Why they hadn¡¯t come when the fire started Ace had no idea. Maybe they were told to let the priest kill himself if he so wished? That helped Ace not at all so he changed his train of thought. The man was a priest which meant he had no chance at being able to sneak through anywhere. On top of that adventurers milled around, their random paths making it harder to stay out of their way. Ace made his way outside and checked the situation there. It was still dark but the sun was going to rise soon. He had to hurry up. He threw one glance at the streets and seeing them empty knew the only challenge was going to be the inside of the church. He returned to the priest who had calmed and looked equally relieved and surprised to see him return. ¡°How far can you go without raising suspicion?¡± Ace asked him. The man shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t tried to leave my chambers.¡± Ace sighed and led him on a least used path. Hopefully, they will be able to pass unnoticed and that would be end of it. He doubted it with all his being. This was a game and things here never were as simple as they looked. For example, somewhy the path now was filled with adventurers and they had to duck behind every corner to remain unseen. When they came near the entrance door or what was left of them, now there stood two massive barbarians. They let all adventurers through without a question but Ace doubted the same would go for the priest. ¡°What now?¡± the cleric asked quietly, eyeing the guards warily. All his bravery and anger had evaporated with his assuredness that he was going to die. Ace thought for a moment before dragging the man behind a fat pillar. It hid them both with space to spare. Then the kid took out some armour that he¡¯d taken off someone¡¯s corpse and made the priest put it on. He also gave him a sword and two daggers to strap to his belt. Garbed in such things, the priest looked like a tragedy of an adventurer but one none the less and that was all Ace cared about. ¡°Good¡± he said quietly. ¡°Now stand taller but keep your head lowered. I¡¯m going to be telling you some nonsenses to make it more natural and all you¡¯ll have to do is nod from time to time. Got it?¡± The priest didn¡¯t look very happy about how the plan was going to be executed, he was sure they¡¯ll get caught, but it wasn¡¯t like he had anything to lose as the kid had pointed out earlier. He was a dead man anyway. They walked out and the kid started to talk about some things the priest had no idea about. He mentioned stats, levels, lots of numbers and usual words in strange contexts such as windows, bag space and so on. None of it made any sense to him, but the priest still nodded and with a beating heart moved where the guards stood. He was sure they were going to get caught, he was the Head Priest, everyone knew his name, but a little hope flared inside his chest none the less. The kid had looked so confident and sure they were going to get away unscathed. The priest grunted under his breath and the kid took it as a sign to continue with his meaningless tale. When he quieted down, the man glanced his way and nodded without having any better ideas and too afraid to look around as they were almost on the guards. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Were you even listening to me?¡± Ace grumbled quite loudly, starting a tirade about how horrible the priest was, ignoring him. The guy wasn¡¯t sure how to react so he simply moved forward, keeping one eye on the boy. That was all Ace needed. He wanted the man to keep looking at him so the guards couldn¡¯t take a good look of his face and guess who he was. His ruse succeeded in a different way than he would have expected. The guards didn¡¯t pay any attention to the man but instead they watched him with their small eyes, hands on their weapon handles. Ace wasn¡¯t sure how to react to it. Had his identity been discovered somehow? Had his conversation with the priest been overheard? He should have been more careful, the kid berated himself belatedly. It was too late to change anything. When they finally reached the two barbarians, they grabbed Ace by the hands and brought him into the light. He had taken a swim and changed his clothes so Ace looked liked himself instead of Wing but the guards seemed to find it to their satisfaction. ¡°You¡¯re coming with us¡± one of them said in a bossy voice. It annoyed Ace to no end but he preferred not to make a scene which would reveal the priest¡¯s identity. However, the guy didn¡¯t seem to understand just in how much danger he actually was as he said something to the guards and tugged on one of their sleeves. ¡°Scram off¡± the barbarian answered gruffly, throwing the priest¡¯s hand off. ¡°Don¡¯t make me kill you for interrupting the king¡¯s will!¡± Ace was surprised to hear a king being named here but no more than the priest who looked thunderstruck. The kid called upon [Gust] and used it to shake the man out of his stupor and raised his head for him to see the glare in his eyes. It meant a one very strong ¡°Get Out¡± with the underlining explanation of I can deal with them easier alone than with a dead-weight like you. The man took the advice and lowering his head again, moved away into the city. Ace didn¡¯t know where he was going to go and do what but he had his own problems at the moment. What had he gotten himself into now? The priest had been a good distraction till he had to meet his friends after his supposed death but this was something a bit too much. There was barely three hours till they were going to come and meet him and this seemed like it was going to take much more than that. Why had they taken him anyway? Ace had no answer to that so he decided to stay for a bit longer with the two brutes. He had three hours to kill anyway and with the priest gone nothing interesting to do. While he was deciding on his plan, they had moved on their own. A new pair of guards were in place and the two were half dragging, half carrying him through the streets. He thought about saying he could walk on his own feet perfectly too, but decided against it. Let them think he was nothing more than a simple kid, too intimidated to to say anything about being manhandled. ¡°You sure love playing games¡± a soft voice said from a corner of the room Ace had been thrown into. It was pitch black, but from what Ace had glimpsed while the doors were open it was a large study with dozens of bookcases lining the walls and papers piled neatly all around the room. On the ground was a plush carpet that had softened his fall and felt soft under his hands. When he heard the voice, he didn¡¯t even glance that way. There was no point in the darkness and ears supplied him enough information as to who was here with him. There were three sets of lungs breathing in the room. One was situated at the front, behind the desk and was damaged. The person¡¯s breathing seemed normal but in still darkness where sound was louder, you could hear slight rasps and wheezes. Another sat in a lavish chair with his back to Ace, the kid could hear the cushions move as the person shifted in his seat. He had turned around to face the kid even if they were separated by a thick cloak of blackness. The third, one that had talked, stood behind him. He guessed it was a female from her voice and the way cloth pushed against her legs as she stepped to close the door, plunging the room back into darkness after Ace¡¯s entrance. He decided to stay quiet for the moment and just made himself more comfortable by sitting on the ground, where he had fallen. His silence seemed to unnerve the female somewhat as she spoke up again. ¡°Did cat got your tongue? Or is the renowned rogue mage actually a scared little boy?¡± Ace ignored her altogether after she tried to make him uncomfortable with such petty accusations. He was more concerned for the two man sitting at the desk in complete silence. They hadn¡¯t uttered a sound after he¡¯d come and that made them dangerous. They were like hunters waiting patiently for their pray to make a faulty move before attacking. But the kid didn¡¯t think himself an easy victim. They were going to have to do much more than to drag him here and leave in the darkness if they wanted him to become unsettled. A small blue flame escaped his cowl and lighted his face with a sickly silver hue. He moved it upwards and observed the place. [Flare] was the weakest spell of them all so all its light did for the large room was create shadows for people to get lost in. None of the three could be seen but all of their eyes glistened in the small light. Ace smiled to no one in particular and took out a book from his backpack. He read the first chapter before the one behind the table finally decided to open his mouth. ¡°You have been very different at the feast¡± he said in a familiar tone. Ace was surprised to hear the lord here but he hid it well. Not raising his head from the book he answered. ¡°It was in a different lifetime, I¡¯m no lord now.¡± ¡°So you agree you lied to me?¡± ¡°Not really. I had been a lord, but I gave it up to my dear sister and her husband. I believe they¡¯re much more suited for all those festivities and boring orders. It¡¯s adventure I seek, not power or wealth¡± he said, hid eyes buried in the book while he listened for any sound. One wrong move from their part and he would be on his feet with daggers in their backs. ¡°That is quite unusual¡± the third person finally spoke up. He used a normal tone to say it but his voice was very heavy and strong, unfriendly yet very direct. ¡°You¡¯re the first adventurer I come across that actually has no wish to rule and prefers to roam the land instead.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been meeting the wrong people then¡± Ace answered nonchalantly, shrugging. He didn¡¯t know the guy or his intentions, but he was sure he meant nothing but trouble. And danger. ¡°You can introduce them to me later on then¡± the guy said from his chair, his eyes shining with the blueish light of [Flare]. ¡°I would like to have more people like you.¡± Ace lowered the book at that. ¡°Why would you think you have me?¡± he asked in a casual tone, following the females moves with his ears and instincts. She was making her way closer to him and there was a soft thud of dagger against cloth when she took it out from somewhere on her. ¡°I have something you really want and I¡¯m ready to make trade.¡± ¡°Is it my life?¡± Ace asked, moving out of the female¡¯s blades path and rooting her with vines. She had called him a rogue mage so they were after him as Ace not the Silver Wing which meant he could use his magic freely. The man growled at his companion. ¡°Imra, I warned you not to do anything stupid.¡± After that his eyes settled on Ace again and more used to the dark the boy could see emptiness within them. They were dark pools of swirling black mass without a hint of feelings. ¡°And you kid, I would be more careful with what you say if you don¡¯t want to end up in the dungeons. I¡¯m the lord of this city now.¡± Morion, Ace thought to himself as he remembered L¡¯s words, but what was the guy doing here himself. Wasn¡¯t his capital miles away? ¡°Be as it may,¡± Ace said with a mock-bow.¡±But I¡¯m an adventurer. I care little for your games of power and even less who sits on the throne. All I need is monsters to hunt, dungeons to explore and a soft bed to rest in after an adventure so please be considerate enough and allow me to leave and do what I do best.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± the female asked through clenched teeth. She was glaring his way as Ace smiled brightly at her. ¡°Hunting¡± he answered with a sinister smile that didn¡¯t really fit to his face but was more true than what he showed to most people. The female took a sharp intake at his change before shaking her head and seeing the kid smiling as friendlily as before. She blinked a couple of times in doubt of herself as Ace laughed inside. It was fun playing with people. Yet he didn¡¯t have much time left. He had only a bit over an hour until Monthu came with the others. This business had to be settled and soon. To do just that he turned to the strongest lord in the Mora kingdom who was eyeing him as if he was his tool already. ¡°You¡¯re really him¡± he said after a moment in toneless voice. ¡°Who?¡± Ace asked, recasting the vines to keep the female entangled. She seemed pretty week to be stopped by his mediocre magic so he wondered what was she doing with the lord. He could have had strongest warriors by his side, so why? What did she have up her sleeve? ¡°The rogue mage of Vascas Castle. Many believed you to be a legend, something the people of Vascas had imagined but I decided to look into the rumour of a kid that fought in close combat but could use magic just as well when the occasion required.¡± I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to say that it¡¯s on par with my assassin skills, Ace thought dryly, but kept his mouth shut. ¡°I talked with those of the army and only a few had mentioned you might have existed and I thought about stopping in my search when I met a rogue of your group. He goes by name Fenek if you remember him.¡± Ace had no troubled bringing back the memory of the cowardly guy. He acted more like the real leader of the rogues in the retaking of Vascas castle and because of his resistance Ace had to use trickery and threats to achieve his goals. If not Fenek, the other rogues would have stayed solitary and would have been much more easy to order around. The guy maybe noticed the recognition in Ace¡¯s face or just got tired of waiting because he continued. ¡°He, unlike the others I had questioned, gave me plenty of information. That¡¯s how I knew you were no rumour and were even more crazy when I had expected. You surprised me with your tactics and ingenuity. That is no easy feat so you should be proud of it.¡± The kid laughed. ¡°Proud to amuse you? Sorry, but I¡¯m not that vain and as I told before I care little what you think of me.¡± ¡°Your opinion of that would change quickly if you knew what I know.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ace asked with a raised eyebrow. He wondered what dirt the guy had on him but didn¡¯t worry too much. If he talked about Vascas castle and all those happenings long ago, it meant he knew nothing about the Wing and that was Ace¡¯s only real secret. Everything else that might have been hidden at times was more likely because he wanted to trick someone or didn¡¯t feel like explaining. ¡°Shock me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one that released the spirits into the world¡± Morion said, watching Ace like a cat watches a mouse. The kid tilted his head, smiling secretively. ¡°That is an interesting idea but I have to say it¡¯s a bit above me. Even I don¡¯t go around alone, fighting ancient evil spirits or releasing them for that matter.¡± ¡°But you were part of it¡± the female said with a winner¡¯s smile. She thought her lord had won, he had the kid in his hands. But to her dismay, the boy didn¡¯t seem perplexed at all. He laughed even before replying. ¡°That is true but if you¡¯re going to sell it to public, it¡¯s not going to sale. I¡¯m such an innocent child, you know...¡± he said, his lips twisting wryly. ¡°You¡¯re not afraid of the continent¡¯s retribution for what you have done?¡± Ace shook his head. ¡°Why should I? I¡¯m but a young kid caught on the wrong side of the disagreement between lords. They¡¯ll pity me, feel sad for me but never will they hate me. I¡¯m just a kid, after all.¡± The Duke grumbled behind his desk. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a liar¡± he said in voice heavy with emotion, but too tired to discern them. ¡°I trusted you when you came to me, but it seems I had made a mistake.¡± The kid went to the table and sat on it, right before the Duke. ¡°I lie? But don¡¯t you do the same every single day? You pretend you like those balls and feasts, those two-faced lords and ladies that come for your council and affection, those jousts and tourneys while in truth you hate it all. You lie because that is how you keep your position. I lie to help those in need.¡± Ace leaned over to whisper in his ear to say the last words. ¡°If this continues, at the end of the days which one of us do you think the god¡¯s will forgive easier?¡± The man leaned back as if burned. ¡°You have destroyed the church, gods do not like such things¡± Ace added, as if in an after thought. ¡°Stop the insolence this instant!¡± Morion shouted out, cutting through the air as if with a knife. ¡°I don¡¯t care for your little games, Kid. I¡¯m going to use your unusual mind to further my goals and that is a done matter. You can either accept and do as bid or try to resist and be put to place. Which will it be then?¡± ¡°You prise my unusual thinking and you expect me to act as told? Have you forgotten the part where Fenek told you I know not of what common sense is?¡± Ace asked, looking over the room again. There were two exists out of it. The door and a window set above the head of the Duke. It was some four feet wide but Ace preferred it to the door. He didn¡¯t trust there being no traps even if he couldn¡¯t feel any presence there. ¡°You can¡¯t escape from here¡± the lord said in a somewhat angry tone. ¡°This is my castle and every guard has orders to subdue you on sight.¡± Ace smiled back at him. ¡°What do you really know about me?¡± He laughed. ¡°Absolutely nothing. It¡¯s a child¡¯s game for me to leave this place.¡± He took out a dagger and went to the female that was kept by the vines. ¡°What if I took her life? Would you like that?¡± The lord of many cities, Morion didn¡¯t react but his eyes became even colder. If glares could kill, Ace was sure he¡¯d be dead by now. So his prediction had been right, the female was a person of this land and so could be killed. ¡°What do you want?¡± the Duke asked. Ace didn¡¯t turn his gaze from Morion before answering. ¡°Why did you really bring me here? I¡¯m tired of these word games and I have a meeting in half an hour which I wouldn¡¯t like to miss. So what do you say if we move to the part where you tell your plans and I shut them down and we can all go our separate ways?¡± ¡°You know not what you¡¯ll be losing if you don¡¯t hear it out¡± the female hissed in his grasp. ¡°Really?¡± Ace asked, dryly. ¡°Come on then, tell me. I¡¯m all ears!¡± ¡°An undiscovered city ruins. From the information gathered there are at least five dungeons, one of them in a castle with a large treasury, two quests and most likely a hidden class.¡± Ace¡¯s mouth fell open at what the lord was saying. The guy was eyeing him like a hawk but the kid didn¡¯t have the mind to pretend not to be shocked. What he mentioned were a treasure a whole guild would do anything and that was for him alone? It was something unreal. And that was what brought Ace back to the reality. The guy was trying to trick him or if not his task would be inhumane, something no one else could do for one reason or another. ¡°Your offer is tempting but I do not feel like I deserve it¡± he said, releasing the female and taking a step back. ¡°so please excuse me now.¡± ¡°And you won¡¯t even ask what you have to do?¡± the female asked incredulously. Ace shifted his head to her when replying. ¡°Why? It¡¯s not something I¡¯ll like doing. If the reward is too big, the work must have to be something disgusting.¡± ¡°I want you to betray the lord of Lasran¡± Morion said as Ace turned to leave again. ¡°You¡¯ll spy on him for me and I¡¯ll give all of what I mentioned to you. You¡¯ll be free to use it as you wish.¡± ¡°Betray lord of Lasran?¡± Ace asked surprised. ¡°I don¡¯t work for him.¡± ¡°Yet¡± the lord said quietly in a sinister manner. He has spies there already, Ace thought debating his choices. The guy seemed to regard L in a really high manner and valued information about his immediate comings and going so much he promised a city for it. This left Ace with two ways to act, he could either betray L and receive a generous reward or stick to the guy and lose along with him. It wasn¡¯t much of the choice. ¡°Your offer,¡± he smiled brightly, ¡°I think I¡¯ll take you up on it.¡± Next Chapter 6.2 Walk on Air Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Thanks for the good words guys! This goes especially to loner_101. I''m not sure I really deserve that much praise but it does warm my heart and make me even more eager to write. Titles and Abilities Characters *** Bright sun shone as Ace left trough the high walls of the city and stopped his group from entering it. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go there if I were you¡± he said in a friendly tone, moving towards Par. Monthu gave him a look that said explain yourself and he elaborated. ¡°It has been overtaken by some crazy guy. The place is filled with mercenaries and rogues that eye everyone else as pray. I saw two players get killed in broad daylight with guards in sight. No one did anything besides those players that hunter the red named killers afterwards for favour points.¡± Aurora¡¯s face became pale in horror while the guys shared a look which Ace didn¡¯t recognise. He ignored it along with Lancelot and his group and asked Par. ¡°How did it go? Did you escape?¡± The boy shook his head. ¡°No, we had to fight! And it took so long! First it was giants and then...¡± The story spilled out of him as if he had only been waiting for someone to ask. He even used his hands and different expression to show what had happened and how it felt. Ace listened to it with one ear, following the conversation of others with the other. Hawk was suggesting they circle this city and walk to the other while Lancelot wanted to enter and take a good look at what was happening inside. If the horrible things were really happening, someone needed to stop them. Monthu listened to their arguing for a bit before saying he wanted nothing to do with this place. It was safest to leave for another direction and find a city not engulfed in battles. None looked too happy after hearing that. They were tired of sleeping on the cold hard dungeon ground and wet grass. All had expected tonight to sleep in a comfortable bed at some inn with a hearth blazing nearby. Ace allowed them all to argue for some half an hour more, until Par finished his story, and then said. ¡°For our group, there¡¯s a free teleportation to Lasran city. The leader of it wants to have a word with us.¡± ¡°The one who made me lead the punitive force?¡± Monthu asked with little liking to the idea. He hadn¡¯t forgotten being almost killed because he had gotten that position and he didn¡¯t want to repeat the experience. ¡°What does he want from us?¡± ¡°He mentioned something about lord battles and so on. I didn¡¯t really pay much attention to it¡± Ace answered shrugging. There was too much explain and L could do that himself. Why should Ace take the pleasure from him of doing it? ¡°I don¡¯t want to be thrust into another fight¡± Monthu said, scowling. ¡°But we can go and pretend to listen to it, couldn¡¯t we?¡± Aurora asked, looking a bit ashamed she was saying that. ¡°We would go to a safe city freely and it¡¯s not like he asks to do something for him. All we have to do is to listen to him, right?¡± She said, looking at Ace for confirmation. The boy nodded his head. It wasn¡¯t the exact agreement they had made but who cared. Ace was using his own powers to bring them all to Lasran anyway, the guy had nothing to do with it. Before Monthu could say anything, Hawk agreed to Aurora. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! I need some new arrows and my bow¡¯s durability is on the low side. A city as large as Lasran is a perfect place to prepare for another leave.¡± Monthu still didn¡¯t look convinced so Ace used something that the guy couldn¡¯t fight against. ¡°Par, did you know there¡¯s a tournament being held in Lasran now? I heard a couple high level beast masters and fire mages have entered! What do you say if we went to see it?¡± The young mage¡¯s eyes glistened with interest. ¡°Fire mages?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Ace answered excitedly. ¡°I heard one of them can summon a phoenix! Have you ever seen one?¡± ¡°No..¡± Par answered with a somewhat sad expression. ¡°Neither have I! So what do you say? It starts tomorrow midday! Do you want to come with me?¡± The kid turned to look at his brother with pleading eyes. ¡°Can I?¡± he asked him and Monthu sighed, glaring daggers at Ace. Nobody, but the red mage boy, had missed the obvious way Ace manipulated him to make his older brother accept their new destination. Ace laughed internally at the look Monthu was giving him but pretended not to see it. He continued the conversation with Par about the awesome magic they might see in the tournament and what was said to be there. He had heard about it from L some twenty minutes ago, just after leaving Morion¡¯s study. The guy had said it was his best effort to collect as many adventurers in his city to prevent it from being taken over by force. ¡°Am I free to join you?¡± Nein asked from somewhere in the back. He had been walking with Worglan and paying little attention to what was happening in the front. ¡°I also have some business in Lasran.¡± ¡°Do you?¡± Ace asked sceptically. ¡°Or is that business following me?¡± The mage shook his head. ¡°If you ever paid any attention to your guild, you would know about it too.¡± Ace felt like he was being chastened and didn¡¯t like that. ¡°I see no reason. If something had really went wrong, I would have been notified.¡± ¡°If the whole guild being on the verge of being disbanded is not enough, then I¡¯m not sure what you want to hear about¡± Nein said, dryly. Ace¡¯s eyes widened, what had Romeo done to his guild? ¡°What had happened?¡± he asked, worry lines appearing on his forehead. ¡°The different sections of the guild had a huge disagreement, made the leader to give them more power, he tried resisting but soon enough was forced to admit he¡¯s not the owner and can¡¯t give them what they want. The guild chat is filled with hate messages to the owner and leader for lying to them. People are also thinking about leaving and joining other guilds that actually have leaders that talk to people and supposedly don¡¯t lie to them.¡± Ace laughed at that. Who didn¡¯t lie? That was an absurd thought but he understood how people might think that those who showed their faces were more honest. He laughed again at that before the graveness of the situation settled in. His own guild was going to be disbanded if he didn¡¯t do anything. The bastards. As if he was going to let that happen. ¡°You can come¡± he said through clenched teeth to Nein. ¡°I need more information about what has happened.¡± ¡°As if I know¡± Nein answered, calmly. ¡°I was here with you all the time.¡± ¡®Dammit, he¡¯s right¡¯ Ace cursed internally. ¡®Why in the world Romeo hadn¡¯t contacted me yet?¡¯ He opened his guild menu and took a glance at the guild chat. He closed it in a second. People were flaming, raging and spamming in caps lock all kinds of thing, none of which lacked insults for his person. He thought about disabling that place altogether, but he had a feeling it wouldn¡¯t be well received. ¡°I need a moment¡± he said to his team. ¡°Go on without me, I¡¯ll catch up as soon as I can.¡± The group gave him strange looks, asking what was he going to do. It¡¯s not like he had any power in the guild, did he? Ace didn¡¯t answer them, but waved to Par again, promised to return quickly and made his way towards the forest while the rest continued on the path snaking some half a mile around the city. After entering the trees, he climbed into one and moved onto a thick branch. From there he jumped onto another one. It wavered under his feet and Ace almost fell off but managed to keep his balance. There he looked around without seeing anything close by so he used [Shadow Dash] to move to another branch. He landed on the heels of his feet, falling backwards. Ace felt the thrill of falling rush through his body as his feet slipped and he had to grasp for another branch lower on the tree. His fingers passed a couple before they caught onto one and stopped his decent. He pulled himself upwards and allowed a moment to take a couple of breaths before climbing back up and preparing to move to another branch. As he did that he open his friend list and called Romeo. The guy didn¡¯t answer at first so Ace spammed him until he did. ¡°What do you want?¡± Romeo asked in an annoyed tone. ¡°When were you going to tell me that the guild was on the verge of being destroyed from within?¡± Ace answered with his own question. ¡°Why do you even care? You¡¯re never here and you know little to nothing about the comings and goings of it¡± the guy said in a blaming voice. Ace could almost see his glare. ¡°That¡¯s what you are for¡± Ace said. ¡°You wanted to be the leader and I allowed that. You were only told to tell me if something were to happen to the whole guild. And you failed that. Repeatedly.¡± ¡°How did you even hear it? I hoped everything will pass without you finding out and it¡¯ll crash all over your head.¡± ¡®Woah¡¯ Ace thought wavering in his jump and failing in the process. He crashed through the leaves and barely caught on one of the lowest branches. ¡®When did he start to hate me that much?¡¯ he wondered climbing back up. ¡°May I ask what did I do to you?¡± he asked. ¡°Exactly¡± Romeo answered with venom dripping from his voice. ¡°When did you ever do anything for me or the guild? You started it, yeah, but what more? Have you ever been here to settle some disagreements? Have you ever walked to the nobles and lowered yourself to gain a few golds to make sure you could care for the new victims of Wing? Have you at least once came and joined the players in their celebration or sorrow after losing a hard fought quest? Do you even know what quests we¡¯ve done? What we managed to achieve and where we had come short?¡± Ace had nothing to say to that. The answer to each question was a no and he felt a bit bad for that. He had created the guild to follow people who would want revenge on Silver Wing and he never really think about what the guild actually signified. For most people it had little to do with growing stronger quickly or being able to use guild restricted stuff but more with meeting people with the same interests, creating groups and having fun. They wanted to do huge quests that needed some hundred people to work in sync where one misstep could spell disaster. They wanted to feel a part of something else they would have stayed alone or joined one of the strongest mercenary guilds. Not his unknown one. He wasn¡¯t sure how to reply to Romeo now. He was at fault somewhat, having left the whole guild to a guy that didn¡¯t actually have the power to manage it. All the guild managing tools Ace had left for himself. ¡°You still here?¡± the guy asked, uncomfortable with the prolonged silence. Ace jumped from one branch to another and a couple more before replying. ¡°Is there a way to save the situation?¡± he asked, catching a branch with his hands and swinging for a moment. ¡°To make the guys calm down?¡± Ace could have sworn he heard the guy shrug. ¡°Who knows.¡± ¡°Tell me what started it all. What do they want?¡± ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± Romeo asked angrily. ¡°You¡¯re the one whose problem it is.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a good guy¡± Ace answered, mid jump. ¡°You agreed to my suggestion because you wanted to help others. You still do and this guild is the only way you can do it. No one else is going to allow you that because there¡¯s no profit in it.¡± He heard a curse from another end of the call. It took the guy a whole minute before he sighed and started talking. ¡°They wanted to make some new groups and have their leaders have the power to allow players to join and kick them out. They asked me for that power and I couldn¡¯t give them that. All I could do was to create the groups, which they also wanted to be able to do themselves. I refused them for awhile, thinking up all kinds of excuses but they quickly they found out that I actually couldn¡¯t do it. Things turned horrible from there in seconds.¡± ¡°Do we have such a thing as officers?¡± he asked, dubiously. ¡°Yeah, I can appoint them but it¡¯s nothing more than a honorary title. They actually have no power over the guild members besides having me on the friend¡¯s list and being able to report them to me.¡± ¡°Thought so¡± Ace muttered, not really caring if Romeo could hear him. Some changes were really required in his guild. ¡°Can you hold a guild meeting or something? Or is too late for that?¡± Romeo thought for a moment before answering. ¡°I think it might be arranged but I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯ll help much. Nobody will want to listen to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make them, all I need is for them to be there¡± Ace said them. ¡°I should come to the city later today. How fast can you get them all to come to you?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll take some time. Most are scattered outside with some even in other cities. Maybe by the end of today?¡± ¡°Great. I¡¯ll be there.¡± ¡°But you know this will be the last straw for everyone? If you fail the meeting, there¡¯s no coming back.¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t do it?¡± Ace asked, mockingly. ¡°I¡¯ll call everyone up.¡± ¡°Do that¡± Ace told him and ended the call. He moved through the top of the forest for a bit longer before thinking of what to do next. Making everyone come was the easiest part, but how was he going to force them to stay. Earlier he could threaten them to throw them out, but what did he have now? His power was limited to allowing their stay and why would they care about that? Their threat was to take all the guild members and leave. He could allow them to make groups and do whatever they wanted with the members but would that solve the problems? Or create even more of them? He had a feeling those unhappy with his previous sharing of responsibilities wouldn¡¯t be calmed down only with this. They would want more and Ace didn¡¯t feel like giving even that much. He hadn¡¯t given Romeo the authority to give other players the ability to remove others because he wanted the guild to have all kinds of people. If he let all the officers kick others out, they could easily abuse it for their own gain. Ace had wanted none of that because he would never find about it, always being away. And nothing had changed too much. He didn¡¯t want to become the face of the guild and have to be everywhere, in boring meetings and so on, that¡¯s why he had Romeo. Yet he couldn¡¯t keep on going as he had if he wanted to continue having a guild. On top of that there was still Morion to consider. The guy was trying to use any means available to weaken L and one of them was steal the guilds situated in there. And the strongest one in Lasran was Draugar of Silver because it held the support of most of the city¡¯s nobles. He had agreed to spy for the guy but he had never said, he¡¯d make his guild do the same. But if he didn¡¯t and the city fell, there would be retribution and coming from Morion it would be brutal. He was a no nonsense guy who held his grudges and knew not what fair play meant. It was hard to say just how many underhanded methods he used to take over the cities he already had and was still using for those he was trying to now. And Ace knew it wasn¡¯t only Lasran. From the bits of information he was gathered it felt like Morion had three or even four cities in his plans before he came fully for Lasran. All he was doing now, having spies, buying him and the guilds, was only his half effort. It was just preparation for the real take over which would happen later on. Ace had asked him if he cared the least about the demon released into the world to which the guy had only sneered. ¡°You adventurers will take care of it. Since you came nothing has happened to the world so why should I trouble myself with it?¡± That had probably been the few sentences that gave the most insight into the guy¡¯s thoughts. And what Ace should do now. He turned around and moved towards where he thought his group should be around now. His jumps had gotten better through the time he¡¯d talked and there was barely any moments where he wavered. From time to time he¡¯d use [Shadow Dash] when the branches thinned out and do that without falling too. It felt pretty nice to be this ninja like. As he was reaching the end of the trees when a message popped up before his eyes. *[Shadow Dash] level up!* *[Shadow Dash] has reached Master Level!* He opened his skill panel to see what had changed after passing such a milestone but to his surprise he couldn¡¯t find the skill. He double-checked, taking in each skill so he wouldn¡¯t miss it for sure but it wasn¡¯t there. Instead he found two skills that hadn¡¯t been here previously. He touched on both of them to see what had happened. *Void Step [Active] Beginner 1 Shadows and magic is a deadly combination and you have mastered it. Now there¡¯s nothing that can stop you from reaching your target and making sure that his time had come. You can teleport up to ten meters in any direction every three seconds. The range and cooldown is going to change as the abilities mastery grows.* It took all Ace had not to stop in mid-action and fall to his doom from amazement. The ability was way too overpowered! He turned his eyes to the other one with worry and anticipation mixing inside him. *Radiant Step[Active] Beginner 1 Light is what makes you see the world but it can blind one to it too. Now you can weave light into small fields that can hold your weight for up to a whole second. You can make them anywhere and in any position. As the ability grows in strength the width of the field and weight it can carry will increase. The cooldown will stay the same at a fourth of a second. * If Ace was surprised before, now he was shocked to his core. If he understood correctly, this ability meant... He could fly! Instantly he called it up ¡°Radiant Step!¡± and jumped on thin air before himself. It held him for a moment and then he was falling. He tried creating it again but to no avail. His body encountered small resistance as he activated the ability which he attributed to those invisible fields but they were nowhere near strong enough to slow down his fall. Cursing at his genius idea to try out a new skill some forty feet high, he casted [Wild Vines], which fell lifeless from a branch, and caught onto them. From there he jumped onto a branch and easily made his way down. Standing on solid ground he activated the skill again. It felt stupid raising his leg and trying to stand up on air but the skill said he could and he wanted it to be true. How cool would it be? So he moved his leg forward and it went straight to the ground. His eyes narrowed at that and he cast the ability again. This time he didn¡¯t wait even for a moment and felt a strong surface beneath. It held him for a moment before disappearing right from under his foot. The suddenness of it made him lose his balance and he found himself sprawled on the ground. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Luckily, this time he wasn¡¯t high up and the only thing hurt was his pride. He shook it off and tried the ability again. It took him a couple of tries before he got accustomed to the time of disappearing and could move his foot off it. Next came the most important thing. Could he move off the ground with it? He created one light field a foot high and then stood up on it. While he was standing on it, he created another one right before it and moved on it with the other foot. One second was the limit the fields stayed so he didn¡¯t have the time to dally but he couldn¡¯t hurry either or he found himself face to the ground, the fields not quick enough to appear. He cursed them repeatedly and eloquently but didn¡¯t stop using them. They might have been invisible to make it ten times harder and annoy him to no end, but they also could lift him in the air without anything. He would no longer need walls or trees to go and see the world from the up. That was more tempting than anything he¡¯d encountered befoere. After playing with it for some half an hour, he got the general feel of it and found out that he could see the fields with [Mystic Eyes]. It was an extremely helpful thing while learning but he couldn¡¯t use it in cities and among masses of people if he didn¡¯t want to scare them, so it was important to learn to use [Radiant Step] and without assistance from other abilities. He wanted to try some more stuff out, but he had a feeling Monthu was already thinking of ways to get out of his promise to his brother and Ace couldn¡¯t have it. He had a million and one reasons to be in Lasran and none could be postponed. He just had to be there and now. As he came upon the group, he noticed the lack of people. Lancelot was gone with his friends. Those that were still here opened their eyes wide open as he came to them, sprinting on nothing but air. Monthu eyed him sceptically. ¡°Do I even want to know?¡± Ace laughed. He was in a very good mood suddenly. ¡°One of my skills evolved so now I can walk on air! Isn¡¯t that awesome?¡± he asked joyously, creating fields higher up so his boots were in their eyes level. ¡°This is the best!¡± His showing off took longer than a second and he found himself falling again. Yet it was little to no annoyance to him any longer. He had gotten used to it so much that he¡¯d made falling techniques. One of them he used now, shifting his body forward as he was already falling that way and making a whole circle, he landed on his feet with a flourish and bowed before his observers. Par laughed with Aurora, clapping at his performance. The guys were more reserved but their lips had curved upwards too. ¡°That was amazing! Can you repeat it?¡± the girl asked and Ace felt compelled to do it. ¡°You know you¡¯re asking me to fall on purpose, you know that?¡± he grumbled just loud enough to be heard by everyone before he moved up. This time he went up as high as thirty feet up before supposedly missing a step and falling. He heard a gasp from somewhere below as he used [Gust] to slow himself down. This way he could right himself in a way that he liked, wave at his friends smiling, pretend he lost it looking scared and in the end land on his feet with a smirk. Monthu rolled his eyes at him but Ace just laughed. Aurora was clapping again and Par¡¯s smile went from one ear to the other. ¡°What else can you do?¡± the kid asked and Ace had to think for a moment. It was a good question and one worth some pondering. ¡°Give me a moment. I have an idea but it needs some testing.¡± He first moved up in the air and thought there of how to accomplish his task best. He kept on walking in a circle to change the fields so he wouldn¡¯t fall off. His plan was very simple, he wanted to look like he was flying without wings and that it would look realistic. He had a feeling it required more mastery of the ability than he had but no one said he couldn¡¯t try it anyway. He started by bending his left knee a lot and the other just slightly while he stood on his right legs toes. It was very uncomfortable but from the looks he¡¯d grasped it was working. Just how was he supposed to stand in one place without falling? A quick idea saved his hide as he created another field less than an inch below the first one, and after a moment another one higher up, besides his feet If he had wings it would have had the added effect of making it look that he was flapping them and because of it moving slightly up and down. ¡°How does it look?¡± he asked the group anyway. ¡°Like you can fly!¡± Aurora answered instantly. ¡°You sure it¡¯s not that?¡± Ace smiled as Par¡¯s eyes followed him with unhidden admiration. He felt like he should do something even more and he knew just what that would be. It was dumb and crazy, but more awesome than anything he¡¯d done before. He released [Flare] from his cowl and it flew some ten feet away. Then he took a deep breath, saluted Par and with determination in his shining yellow eyes went for it. First step was the easiest one, he jumped upwards and when he started falling, he created a field sideways and used it to be able to jump in the opposite direction. Forwarded by his momentum, he reached for [Flare] and pretended he was about to catch it but then it escaped his clutches and went up and to the right. He casted [Gust] to slow his decent and positioned himself so his feet were to the ground. Then beneath himself he created a field and the instant it was here he used it to push himself up, it broke on contact but Ace didn¡¯t care as long as it served its purpose before disappearing. He made another field, this one slanted so he didn¡¯t go straight anywhere and reached for the [Flare] again. It ran from him as expected and he created another field to catch himself. He mistimed it by half a second and instead of feeling surface beneath his feet, he felt normal thin air. It destroyed his momentum and he felt himself falling. The feeling was more than familiar to him because he hadn¡¯t been doing much of anything else the whole day so he used [Gust] to slow himself down and made two fields on either side of himself. Then he extended his hands so that he held himself still for a moment. It strained his muscles horribly but stopped his decent for a moment and that was all he needed .He made a field under himself and from there invisible stairs that led him down. He landed on the ground with a soft thud and made a deep bow with his hands bent to the left. ¡°Hope you enjoyed the performance of the Great Mage from a faraway land! You won¡¯t be able to see it ever again so hopefully you¡¯ve paid keen attention to what has been happening before your eyes!¡± he said in a pompous voice, moving his hands in wide arcs as if it helped to increase his greatness. The group chuckled or laughed out loud depending on who it was. ¡°We won¡¯t see it again?¡± Hawk asked with laughter shining in his eyes. ¡°Of course not!¡± Ace said indignantly. ¡°I¡¯m planning to do that routine without needing to fall!¡± The guy laughed at that and Ace¡¯s smile widened. It felt nice to be here with them and do stupid stuff. He had been so used to entertaining only himself with his stupidity that he had never known it could be this fun to be making fun of oneself before others. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to break the mood, but we need to move¡± Nein said suddenly, his eyes narrowing at something others couldn¡¯t see or hear. ¡°There are riders coming this way and they¡¯re stopping all the travellers. We would need to hurry if we wanted to reach the city without being stopped.¡± Those news dampened the atmosphere but Ace didn¡¯t let it die out. He nodded at the guy and used his fields to get a bit higher up, a foot or so. ¡°Let¡¯s have a race¡± he said to Par, moving up and down so as not to fall off. The kid didn¡¯t look very eager at first. It was unfair for a rogue to go against a mage but Ace said he was going to run only on air and if he fell, he would need to stand still for a couple of seconds before being able to get up on it again. This made it much more equal and soon Par was throwing Monthu his staff and preparing to sprint. Ace made [Flare] go above their heads and draw the numbers as he said them. ¡°One, two, three... Go!¡± he screamed as his flame burst into thousands of little sparks. Both of the kids moved at the word with all the speed they could muster up. Ace fell in moments. Running was much harder than simply walking and if he put his foot wrongly, he took the risk of sliding off the field. It wasn¡¯t too easy to get right but encouraged by Par¡¯s laughter Ace did his best. He got on his feet again and sprinted after his friend with a finesse of a running buffalo. ¡°He needs a lot of polishing on that¡± Hawk murmured, watching the kids disappearing behind a turn. They were quick little kittens. ¡°I wonder how you would be looking if you had learnt the skill only hours before¡± Aurora threw him in a chiding tone. Yet there was laughter shining in her eyes so Hawk just chuckled. ¡°At least I wouldn¡¯t be risking my neck fifty feet up for no reason.¡± ¡°But that was amazing, you have to agree!¡± she said, looking over to the others for confirmation. ¡°It seemed like he could really fly there!¡± Nein nodded absent-mindedly, not really paying attention to the conversation. It seemed like he was lost in a different world, talking with things from another realm. Her eyes landed on Worglan who had a little smirk going on. Noticing her gaze, he said ¡°If he had had wings, I would have sworn it was a angel coming from the sky.¡± Aurora wasn¡¯t sure whether to take it as a compliment for the kid or not. It looked like one, but from the tone one would have surely said in was a thinly veiled mockery. She shook her head unsure and turned to Monthu. He looked thoughtful and a bit worried, all the happiness gone. She sighed tiredly. Why were all the guys so serious? They should enjoy a good laugh for more than just a second before going back to their sulking natural state. ¡°How far could have they gotten all alone?¡± Monthu asked no one and everyone at the same time. He hadn¡¯t been too happy about the race idea but he had been to slow to stop it from happening. Ace had a way of making things happen in just the right way so no one could stop him. Or he just knew people well enough, thought Aurora as a memory of what she had unveiled in the frog cave resurfaced. What if Ace was truly that monster as she feared? They surely couldn¡¯t continue on as they are, but he had never hurt them. And what would be his retribution? It was scary to even think about it. Everyone feared the killer when he ran around killing randomly but what would it mean having him hate you? Could they even survive? She wondered. And once again her eyes were drawn to the spot high in the air where Ace had played around. Could that joyful kid with shining eyes and bright smile really be a heartless murderer? It went against everything that was known about the monster but her conclusion couldn¡¯t be wrong. There were simply too many similarities between the two. ¡°Far enough¡± answered Nein. ¡°They¡¯ll reach the city gates soon and will be safe there. We should follow their example and hurry up. The riders are almost on our heels.¡± Monthu eyed him without much trust but did as suggested. He didn¡¯t feel fine when his brother was out of his sight so all plans that ended in him getting to him sooner were welcome. ¡°What is actually happening here?¡± he asked the brown mage, who gave him an empty look. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be wasting all my mana to try and find that out if I knew, now would I?¡± There was bitterness in his tone and Monthu knew he wasn¡¯t the only one who didn¡¯t like being in the dark. Ace, of course, knew everything. He had seen it in the kid¡¯s eyes as he said they shouldn¡¯t enter the city and quickly leave for as far away as they could. It annoyed Monthu to no end that the kid managed to always get himself in the middle of everything that was happening and then kept it a secret. He hid things from them, yet he couldn¡¯t be faulted for lying. It was frustrating having to follow a kid¡¯s words and knowing that if you tried to do otherwise, your folly will be on your own head. He had told you the correct actions to be taken. He blinked a few times to clear his head and looked at the situation with the information he was given. There was war and he was in the battle zone, getting out of it was top priority and that was what they were doing. It was good and then he will try to avoid being dragged into the fighting by that lord, although, if the guy was Ace¡¯s friend it¡¯ll be near impossible to do. Still he would have to try. Fifteen long minutes passed before they reached the giant stone wall. The gates were open for the last few struggling travellers and soldiers stood in positions to close them right after. They had made it barely in time. They found the kid¡¯s sitting on a bench with glasses of water in their hands as they chatted to an elderly man. He was bald and had colourful marks on his face but didn¡¯t look dangerous. There was a friendly, fatherly expression on his face as he listened to Par say something and Ace interrupt him to add some stuff to the story. ¡°You¡¯re okay?¡± Monthu asked his brother who nodded so quickly some of the water from his glass spilled out. It scared the kid and he looked petrified for a moment before Ace slushed a good part of his in and smiled widely. ¡°Now we have equal again¡± he said lightly and turned to the elderly. ¡°We¡¯re all here now. Let¡¯s go!¡± He took Par by his hand and dragged the kid after himself to a side entrance of a large shrine. It was situated in a quiet corner of the city and in the middle of the day was uncomfortably silent. ¡°This is a part meant for the priests only but I¡¯ll make an exception for you today. Be quiet so as not to disturb those that are meditating now and follow me¡± explained the priest as they made their way inside. There he didn¡¯t utter a sound and made sure they followed the example. It felt more like sneaking around than being high guests but Monthu kept that to himself. It was too late to argue the finer points of their entrance. The priest lead them into a room filled with light. It was streaming from the colourful glass roof that was engraved in various shapes. Lights danced mesmerisingly as the elderly person moved to the centre and motioned for them to do the same. They made a circle around him and he started to chant in a unknown language. In moments three pairs of doors opened, none of which were as small and insignificant as the ones they had entered through and priests in their white cloaks rushed in. They shouted out godly curses, promising the most horrible of things to their persons for sullying this sacred place, but as they tried to reach them Ace casted [Ice Field]. It made the floor become impossible to walk for most people and priests were never known for their amazing agility. They stepped on the ice and slipped, falling ungracefully on their bellies or backs with oofs and ahhs. Few seconds more and the group was away, standing in another church. This one was filled with life. Nobody paid them any attention as they appeared and they easily made their way outside. ¡°Anything to say about the promised teleportation to Lasran?¡± Mothu asked Ace who looked back at him sheepishly. ¡°It might have been a bit far fetched to say it was promised... Although L did say to bring you as fast as possible and this guy,¡± he motioned to the elderly guy, ¡°is actually a priest from the city we¡¯ve first visited. It¡¯s only that his church might have been burned and he called a heretic...¡± Monthu felt like face-palming. What had he expected? As he had thought just half an hour ago, the kid was a master of telling parts of truth that made one see the things he wanted while the most important details got obscured. He should have gotten used to it by now. Yet it seemed a task above him. A middle aged man came to greet them as they came outside the church. He ushered them all into a carriage and brought to the castle. From there without giving a moment¡¯s rest they were shoved into somewhat familiar study room. They had seen it a couple of times, well most of them. Nein and Worglan were looking around, taking in the surroundings while the rest were staring down the smiling lord. He had large grey bags under his drooping eyes, pale papery skin and crumpled clothes. They didn¡¯t seem to have been changed for a long while. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the rude welcome but I have little time for welcoming speeches and long conversations.¡± They nodded in unison. It was clear from the way he looked that time was not something he had in abundance. It was surprising he¡¯d even managed to squeeze them in his busy schedule. ¡°If we¡¯re in understanding, I¡¯ll go straight to the point then. I need you to officially start working for me. I only need the word of it so you can do everything as you¡¯ve done before, just if anyone asks you¡¯re under my command. In time, I might give you a mission or two but nothing impossible or contradictory to your beliefs. I will also pay you a wage, three hundred golds a month per person. Is that satisfactory?¡± he asked, looking them straight in the eyes as if daring them to refuse. Three hundred golds were a hefty sum and given for almost free? That was an offer too good to be true. And Monthu knew it too. He wasn¡¯t eager on joining a side but if he was given free gold and barely had to do anything for it, he wasn¡¯t going to refuse it. ¡°And we have a right to refuse a mission if we don¡¯t like it?¡± L nodded. ¡°Yes, but only to a point. If you refuse three missions in a row without an acceptable excuse, you will no longer be paid. We will also have to agree on the legal punishment for the party that won¡¯t follow their end of the bargain.¡± Monthu nodded and was about to say something when Ace pushed to the front of the group. ¡°I think you can do it with that guy alone¡± he said motioning to Monthu. ¡°You can also have a talk with Nein. He¡¯s a cool guy and intent on sticking around me for various reasons. Use that against him.¡± He looked over the group. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much all I can help you with so I might as well leave with the rest. There¡¯s no need for all of us to be crowding your work place and be bored to death while you discuss the finer points of the agreement.¡± L nodded in acknowledgement and Monthu was forced to do the same. He gave Aurora and Hawk a look before turning away and saying what he had planned before being stopped. Ace opened the door and they all went out without any delay. Everyone trusted Monthu to do right by them and didn¡¯t doubt his abilities to get the best agreement possible. ¡°What shall we do now?¡± Aurora asked, turning to Par and half-looking to Ace. ¡°Why don¡¯t we get a hearty meal before Monthu finishes and you have to log out?¡± he asked, leading them out without needing anyone to show him the way. Aurora wanted to ask how he knew they¡¯d need to log out before she thought better of it. Not everything had to signify him being a killer. Maybe he just guessed it from their ragged appearances. There was a different tiredness that showed on a person after long playing, it wasn¡¯t in his appearance or movement as in real life but more in a way he acted. It was his brain that needed rest and Ace was a smart kid. If anyone could pick up on it, it would be him. She needed to stop evaluating every word that he¡¯d said. He was not a monster. He could never hurt them, right? Next Chapter 6.3 Infidel Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Hey, surprisingly I''m still on time. This chapter took a lot of time, wasn''t sure where I was going with it but hopefully it''s of good enough quality : ) On a more important note, tomorrow morning I''m leaving for my own country. I''ll stay there for the whole holidays or even longer and two things may happen there. One I''ll have too much free time and will be able to write as much as I would like to or the more likely one that I won''t have the time at all because of all the meetings with relatives and friends. So let''s all hope for the first one but in case I disappear know that I wasn''t killed or abandoned my dear story again but life happened. Character List Titles and Abilities Nein found Ace standing before a group of bards playing some ballad. It was of bad quality, sound chafing against one¡¯s ears, and not even one of the known songs. The only reason anyone listened to the group was that their song gave a slight buff to one¡¯s strength status. ¡°And you¡¯d think they would care about the melody¡± the kid said to Nein in a soft tone, glaring at the bards. ¡°Why are you listening too if you despise it?¡± Nein asked, turning his back on the singer and his friends. ¡°We should be moving towards the guild. The meeting is about to begin.¡± ¡°I wonder¡± Ace answered with a thoughtful look. ¡°Does the song have no meaning in this world? Do people care only about statuses and buffs instead of beauty of creation?¡± Nein didn¡¯t answer to that. He didn¡¯t feel like having a philosophical conversation about human nature in the middle of the street after a tiring meeting with the city¡¯s lord. The guy was as tenacious as a lobster who¡¯s gotten his claws onto something. He couldn¡¯t get rid of him and was forced into making a contract too. His one was somewhat different, but still one none the less. He never planned to have a job in the game on top of it, but life seemed to like making fun of all his plans. ¡°We should get moving¡± he told the kid again. Ace turned from the entertainers, his eyes dark blue eyes meeting Nein¡¯s violet gaze. ¡°Do you know anyone that would be loyal and wish for no power in the guild?¡± ¡°No, why?¡± Nein asked in a calm voice, his eyes betraying his suspiciousness. He had ideas about why the kid was so concerned about the guild and with each passing moment the worst one looked more like the correct one. ¡°Could you spare one of your followers then?¡± Ace asked with a glint in his eyes. He didn¡¯t trust Nein too much, but the guy didn¡¯t seem like he wanted power. If he had, he wouldn¡¯t be in this weak guild. He was way too strong to be here. This meant he would be good as an advisor for Romeo. The guy was good-natured and well versed in the art of talking people out of their money but he was not meant for ruling. He lacked the drive to order others around and make them obey, the belief in oneself to know the best. There needed to be someone behind his back to take care of all the darker businesses such as making sure no one stepped out of line, keeping track of gold transactions and hiring spies to ensure the survival of the guild. If Ace was forced to come here to ensure his guild¡¯s survival, he might as well make it a better place too. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Par told me of how you fight. He said they have minds of their own and make intelligent decisions. I think one would be perfect to overlook Romeo. He¡¯s somewhat of an airhead whose dreams of glory had been crushed by reality.¡± Nein eyed him calculatingly. ¡°So you¡¯re actually the leader¡± he said in a matter of fact tone. ¡°Is that a guess?¡± Ace asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°So what do you say? The guild will be a much better place with your contribution.¡± ¡°No, thank you.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Ace asked in a whiny tone. ¡°All you have to do is send one of your spirits and it¡¯ll be done! You don¡¯t even have to be there yourself.¡± ¡°I have limits. Spirits take energy and to keep one active all the time is too much. You should find someone else to do that for you¡± he answered in a level tone. Ace heard the open refusal in his words yet he wondered whether the guy really couldn¡¯t do it or just didn¡¯t have enough reason to. ¡°What if you were paid?¡± he asked then. ¡°I told you I wouldn¡¯t wa-¡± Ace interrupted him. ¡°Water from the holy lake. I¡¯ll give you bottles of that miracle water if you agree to do that.¡± ¡°Miracle water?¡± Nein asked with distrust in his eyes, his expression unchanged. ¡°The one from the lake that Par said was corrupted later on. I had taken some of it for future use but I¡¯d give some to you. What do you say? Tempting?¡± ¡°What is so special about it?¡± ¡°Use some mana¡± he suggested and Nein did as told . He casted half of his buffs on Ace who used them to better stab Nein in the heart. The brown robed mage didn¡¯t seem too happy about that judging from his eyes that were promising Ace slow and painful death. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so pitiful. If I had wanted your death, I wouldn¡¯t have done it in the middle of the street in broad daylight.¡± He took out one of the bottles and gave it to Nein to drink. In a moment the guy was standing back on his feet, his body undamaged. There was wonder in his eyes as he watched at the liquid remaining in the bottle. He had drunk only a few gulps and the result had been instant. His mana, health and even stamina had went to max. It was unbelievable. ¡°How potent is this?¡± he asked in wonder. ¡°Very¡± Ace answered with a smile. He knew he had the guy hooked. It was only matter of time till he agreed. ¡°So what do you say?¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s impossi-¡± ¡°Thirty bottles with which you can do whatever you want. What do you say?¡± Ace asked with shining sky blue eyes. ¡°Thirty?¡± Nein asked, wonder showing in his voice against his will. Just how many experiments could he do with that much? And the lake was corrupted. No one else had a drop of that water most likely and here he was promised thirty. How was he supposed to refuse? ¡°Yep¡± Ace said, nodding easily¡°All for you.¡± Nein¡¯s eyes clouded for a moment as he tried to resist the temptation. He knew it was a bad idea. He had promised not to get caught in the web of politics and such at least in a game yet he had already accepted a job and now was going to agree to this. It was a horrible day for him. ¡°So?¡± the kid prompted, waving a bottle before his eyes. Nein knew better than to accept but he did love being an alchemist. It was the reason he¡¯d joined the game and how he¡¯d found his class. All he had was because of his alchemy skill, there was no way he could not take the chance to examine such an unusual substance and learn its secrets. ¡°Fine¡± Nein said through something that looked close to clenched teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll find someone.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Ace said, clapping joyfully. ¡°I knew we could find an agreement! See you in the meeting! Don¡¯t be late!¡± After saying that he smiled brightly and after a wave to the guy skipped towards his guild¡¯s house. It was a large place near the centre of the city. The front lacked any decorations which made Ace feel somewhat sad. Why in the world his guild looked so dismal and out of place among all those nobles houses even though it rivalled them in building size and it housed a way larger number of people? It was wrong. He decided that it had to be changed and hoped that the person Nein was going to bring had a sense of taste. Inside people mingled around in restless groups. They talked in hushed tones and eyed every newcomer with wary eyes. Who was the secret leader? Romeo had announced his coming yet didn¡¯t give even the slightest hint as to who she or he was. Could it be someone they travelled and quested with? Or was it that lonesome ranger standing in the corner? He had such a sinister look that it didn¡¯t seem too far fetched. Ace smiled secretly at them all as their eyes passed him, unseeing. Who would ever think a kid could be the one behind the scenes? He slowly made his way towards the stairs. There was no doubt Romeo¡¯s office wouldn¡¯t be on the first floor. So he climbed up and walking past generic similar looking doors looked for something that would stand out. Nothing seemed to fit so he found another staircase and went up. Things seemed the same and he was about to climb to the next floor when his eyes caught on a corridor going to the left, right past the staircase. He went there and found doors that looked slightly better than the rest. He opened them and entered to find Romeo slouched over a mountain of paperwork. Yet where L had looked in his place among them, Romeo seemed like someone who had wandered in here accidentally. He was too clean, brightly dressed and athletic for one who sat days long with the books. There were no shadows under his eyes or light skin, he was bronze toned as if he¡¯d been in sun all the time! ¡°Who are you?¡± Romeo asked him, holding one paper in his hand as he stood by the window. He was glancing at that paper with disgusted eyes, not paying Ace much attention. ¡°You should go back to the main hall. The meeting will be held on the first floor.¡± ¡°Thanks for the information¡± Ace said mockingly. It was pretty obvious all the members won¡¯t fit in this small, dusty room. He though about saying something to Romeo, but decided against it. If the guy had pretty much forgotten him, he might as well create a new self. After leaving the room, he wandered around thinking of what he wanted to be known in the guild as. Should he keep his age and appearance of make an illusion? What class did he want to be? A mighty warrior? An all powerful mage? Well, not a deadly assassin for sure. He had enough of that already. His legs took him to an empty room. There he sat down on the ground and looked through his backpack. It was filled to the brim with all sorts of random items. There were armours, weapons, elixirs, pendants, pieces of paper and items of strange shape and unknown purpose. Ace¡¯s eyes landed on something tugged in the corner. It was a small light green hat made from some plush material with a large violet plume. It had a lovely round amethyst keeping the plume in place and there were little golden chains connecting it to the hat, more for beauty than anything else. It was a stunning thing and gave Ace an idea as to what he wanted to do for the meeting. He quickly shut his backpack, located the window and jumped out. He used [Radiant Step] to land on foot outside and ignoring the stares went in search for a clothes shop. It was going to be epic, he was sure of it. Nein entered the guild house late. It had taken him a long while to find a spirit that wouldn¡¯t mind working as a secretary and even longer to get one that would be good at it. He might have been bought out but he didn¡¯t want to do a bad job. If he was doing it, it had to be done well. The inside was packed with people and he had to forcefully push through to reach the meeting room. To his surprise it was closed shut. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re finally here!¡± someone shouted at him from a side and he turned his head to see Perry standing by the wall. Deedara was standing with her, looking sadly around. Her look said she didn¡¯t expect to return here again and already missed the place. He nodded their way. ¡°What is happening here? Why has the meeting not started yet?¡± ¡°Who knows¡± Perry answered shrugging. ¡°Maybe the leader is just playing with us once again. Wouldn¡¯t be surprised with the way he¡¯s cared for us all this time.¡± Nein looked around. Wasn¡¯t the kid the leader? It was strange for a kid to have enough money to create a guild but not impossible. There was no actual law or rule that would prevent one from earning his fair share, all adventurers were supposedly equal. And Ace wasn¡¯t just a kid, he might have had the body of one but his mind was much more advanced. Nein hadn¡¯t hesitated even for a second after the kid suggested he might be the leader of the guild. He had taken that as truth without thinking too much about it, there was no reason to doubt the boy and now he wondered if he had done a mistake. The kid hadn¡¯t once said that he was anything but a regular member. Nein wasn¡¯t sure if he even had a necklace with his neck always being hidden beneath a scarf. ¡°He should come¡± Deedara said. ¡°He promised and he knows that if he doesn¡¯t we¡¯re done with this guild.¡± Perry wasn¡¯t so optimistic about that. ¡°He knew that from the moment he abandoned us to that Romeo guy. In all his leadership only once did he take any action towards the discontent within the guild and even that didn¡¯t last long. That Romeo is absolutely useless.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡± Deedara said glaring at her friend. ¡°He¡¯s the only reason this guild has come as far as it did. He helped those that needed help after loosing everything, went to the nobles, befriending them and earning their support, and made opportunities for us to do those amazing guild quests. We might have had only a few but they were great! If you want to blame someone, blame the actual leader, but not Romeo. He has done everything in his power to help us and make this work!¡± Both Nein and Perry eyed her warily. When did she become so passionate about the guild leader? They couldn¡¯t remember the cleric girl talking to him even once . ¡°He lied to us¡± Perry said, closing her eyes as she was leaning against the wall. ¡°He knew who the leader was and not once did he tell us. He hid him even. That makes him an accomplice.¡± Deedara turned around, swishing her black hair. ¡°You never cared for details¡± she said and before marching off turned halfway back. ¡°The kid just might have been right about you." Perry¡¯s eyes narrowed as she took the insult and rushed after her friend. She was not going to leave it at that. Nein turned away from them and looked at the people that had come. All of them were adventurers in their full gear. They were expecting a fight, he noted in the back of his mind as his spirit moved closer to him. She had her weapons at ready, eyes watching his guild mates with determination to kill. ¡°You¡¯re here to lead them and keep this place alive, not kill them¡± he whispered to her, lightly brushing his fingers over her hands. She took them off her daggers but the stiffness in her body stayed. ¡°I don¡¯t trust them¡± she answered just as quietly. ¡°They want blood, not leadership.¡± Nein nodded having observed the same. The crowd had come because of arranged meeting but none seemed to want to talk. They wanted to see the true leader and make him pay for cheating them of their time. Many had thought this guild will rise very high but without power sharing and one who had it missing, it was an impossible thing. The doors opened to allow another member. Nein couldn¡¯t see him through the throngs of people but he noticed a certain restlessness that went through the crowd. Women took out their coquettish smiles and man grumbled under their breaths. People made way for the newcomer and Nein got a good look at him. Instantly he knew the reason behind all that commotion. On the path toward the meeting room¡¯s door walked a young man. He was an elf that looked like all those Prince Charmings in fairytales; golden curls framing a face of perfect proportions, full lips, straight nose and almond shaped violet eyes that seemed to hide all the world¡¯s secrets. There was a green cap put sideways on his hair with a large plume that matched the colour of his eyes. He was clothed in a loose elegant tunic of forest green. It was adorned with little chains of gold all around. He wore fingerless gloves and four, five different bracelets on his right hand. One of them had a little bell on it which jingled softly with his every step. On his wood coloured belt an intricate flute of amber hue hung. It shifted against his brown breeches with every move and brought attention to itself. As he walked on, the newcomer smiled a soft, knowing smile. There was something strange in it and the way he looked from under his eyelashes. It made one interested to know what secrets that gaze of his held and whether it was really all perfect in the land of fairytales. Nein rubbed his eyes with his fists. What was he thinking? He wasn¡¯t the sentimental type so where had those thoughts come from? He glanced back at the newcomer and was assailed by the same emotions, mostly wonder. The guy caught his eyes and smiled a little wider but didn¡¯t say anything. He just walked to the meeting room¡¯s doors and opened them, entering first. The crowd followed him in an open-mouthed shock. It was obvious what this meant yet hardly believable. Was this kind of person their true leader? It made no sense. While waiting for their leader, they had come up with dozens of reasonings why he hid his identity. Some thought he might have chosen a hideous look, others guessed he was simply a loner, although that did raise another question as to why he made a guild in the first place, while still others believed he had some rare class or race and preferred to keep it a secret. A few wondered if he lacked any kind of leadership skills so he allowed one better than him to rule. All of them were flushed down the toilet the moment he appeared. His stunning looks made the first one instantly invalid. Second followed soon after judged by the easy way he walked through all the guild members. He smiled at some, waved to others and winked at the few left. His moves were laid-back and free, you couldn¡¯t find a single sign he was anything but perfectly at ease in his surroundings. Third didn¡¯t need any pondering as he was clearly a simple elf and his class bard. There was nothing special about that or needing secrecy. It was as common as you could get actually. Or maybe you would need to exchange the flute for a lute to achieve that. ¡°Who are you?¡± someone asked as mostly everyone entered the meeting room and Nein found an empty corner near the stage. The ground was covered in different sized carpets with many pillows on them so he sat down and turned to the stage. From where he sat on the ground he could see the elf¡¯s side profile. Unlike the rest of the guild he sat on the edge of the low stage, feet drumming a steady beet on the ground, left hand¡¯s fingers toying with the flute. ¡°Me?¡± the elf asked with an easy smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m Lathlaeril, The Infidel¡± he said in a smoky voice. It wasn¡¯t very loud but carried around the whole room. ¡°Are you really who you are letting us to believe you are?¡± another voice came from the now sitting crowd. The elf glanced that way, smiled and with right hand raised a necklace from under his clothes. It was shaped like a bird¡¯s wing and shined silvery in the light of the torches. Silence then reigned in the room. Many were too surprised to have coherent thoughts while others still wondered what was happening to their guild. How could this stranger be their leader if he didn¡¯t even look like a player? One had to be of useful fighting classes if he wanted to be rich or follow his dream and have fun but rarely having enough gold to even get new gear every fifty levels. This man however wore no battle garb, didn¡¯t seem to have any weapons yet his clothes were of great quality with adornments of high metals. This was something possible only for the people of the land. ¡°Why, no more questions for me?¡± the elf asked after a while, eyeing them with a certain shine in his eyes. It wasn¡¯t threatening or anything but it made people feel as if he knew them and all their secrets. And more. Yet most felt relaxed in the room. Nobody knew why but they would have betted their lives on it that even if he knew their secrets he¡¯d never tell them. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. A collector of stories, that¡¯s what he was and in his eyes knowledge gained from all of them resided. They were very deep and secretive, mirror like. Perry stood up and went to the elf, stopping right before him. She was a whole head taller over the sitting him. ¡°Are you the one who created our guild?¡± she asked trying for a strong voice but his gaze, solely focused on her was unsettling. She felt half-attracted, half-intimidated by this unknown being. One corner of his mouth went slightly up. ¡°Why would you doubt me?¡± he asked in a silky tone. ¡°I¡¯m making sure. Tell the truth. Now!¡± Perry said. She hadn¡¯t planned to shout out the last word but the guy was strange. There was something wrong with him. Very very wrong. ¡°How could I lie to such a beautiful lady?¡± the elf asked, shaking his head slightly so the golden curls left his eyes. For a moment. Soon they were back again, all over the right side of his face. ¡°I am what I am. A runaway, an infidel, a harbinger of ruin and downfall, soul lost to the vices of mankind. And also a guild founder. As it happens, yours.¡± Perry shook her head to clear it of his soft voice. It lulled her into trusting him, that he was innocent and kind, but she didn¡¯t want to believe that. Her true guild leader was a deceiver and liar. He was the worst of the worst. As she was taking her time to do that, another person approached the elf. It was Michael from the supposed officers of the guild. His avatar looked to be in his late twenties and for this occasion had donned his best light brown leather armour. His twin swords were hanging at his sides. ¡°You say you¡¯re our leader but how can we believe you. I was one of the first to join and not once had I seen you before.¡± The elf didn¡¯t seem to be intimidated by an accusing man twice his size with weapons at hand. He was either very brave or stupid, Nein thought. Michael was known in the guild to be a nice guy until he got angry. If that happened he lashed out at anyone in sight so it was better to be as far away as possible when that happened. ¡°I was never one to stay around. The wind changes and I go following it to the farthest corners of the world. Joy or sorrow may it bring¡± the elf answered, smiling at the huge man before him. His exterior was as calm as if this was something of an everyday thing for him. ¡°You tricked us then! You created our guild and left without caring what happens to those that joined! Do you imagine how much time we wasted trying to make this work?¡± Perry asked, getting angry herself. ¡°Wasted time?¡± the elf asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise. ¡°How can you waste something that doesn¡¯t belong to you? Time is not something you can create, destroy, lose or regain. Each moment that passes teaches us something new and is irreplaceable for that, but why would you want to? Life is made of these moments and each and every one makes us who we are. How could you say that some of them were bad or wasted?¡± Perry blinked a few times to make sure what he was talking about. He was giving them a lesson in philosophy in the middle of the meeting with a friendly, chiding expression on his face. She felt like a misbehaved child standing like that before him. ¡°Who cares about any of that nonsense? Stop spouting it and start answering questions¡± Michael growled, not liking discussing the meaning of life apparently. ¡°Why did you leave us with that incompetent bastard in command?¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey!¡± the elf said in a jovial tone, shaking his head disapprovingly to the warrior before him. ¡°No need to insult one another, is there?¡± His slight smile returned to his face as he extended his hands to the sides. A bell on one of them jingled while the little chains on his tunic waved in the air or bumped against his body. ¡°I¡¯m a travelling minstrel, the whole world calls to me in different tunes and I go in search of them.¡± He¡¯s asking to be executed, Nein thought sitting in his corner. The guy clearly couldn¡¯t give a straight answer if his life depended on it and it was too late for games. The guild had become a battlefield and one didn¡¯t anger his enemies there for no reason. He wondered where the kid was and if he planned to show up. The meeting had started on a strange note but was sure to end in bloodshed, red names and even more deaths if nothing changed. ¡°So you say we don¡¯t deserve your attention?¡± Michael asked in a barely controlled voice, his face a mask of rage and disgust. ¡°Some stupid little songs are worth more than us? You made our brotherhood but we weren¡¯t important enough to be cared for?¡± His hands clenched into tight fists. ¡°It¡¯s not about deserving. Humans can care for themselves. They don¡¯t need me while music does. If not me, who¡¯s going to let it out into the wide world? Those perfect notes might have to wait decades of even hundreds of years until someone like me appears that can listen to them and release them into the world. They want to be heard.¡± It was too much for Michael and he snapped, punching the bard straight in the face. The elf didn¡¯t dodge it but neither was he surprised. There was a sad smile on his face as he turned his face back to the front and massaged his cheek lightly. It was bruised but with pain threshold being twenty percent for usual players it wouldn¡¯t have hurt much. ¡°If you think all your problems will be solved by killing me, go ahead. We can talk some time later.¡± It was hard to say if he was mocking the warrior or not. His words were such but the tone he said them in was soft, sad. No wounded pride or anger evident. ¡°I might just do that¡± Michael growled, bracing his fists for another hit. ¡°You¡¯re useless to us anyway.¡± A hand petted the big man¡¯s shoulder and he turned with a curse on his lips. It died down as he saw Jackal standing behind him. He was a knight in full plate armour, great sword on his back and one of the most respected people in the guild. He didn¡¯t have any high position but he was high level, kind and always ready to help. ¡°Calm down, Michael¡± he said to the big guy. ¡°What would it make us if we killed our leader the moment he showed up before us? It would mean he had a very good reason to hide.¡± Michael looked a bit sheepish after hearing that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking.¡± ¡°No harm done¡± Jackal said with a small smile before turning to the elf sitting on the edge of the stage. He was lower now than all the of them but still didn¡¯t stand up. The knight wondered what that could mean. Usually people tended to equal the high as quickly as possible because it made them feel smaller, intimidated. Size was power and no one liked to feel weak. This man however didn¡¯t seem to have any of such thoughts. He sat smiling and watching them as if he was seeing a movie instead of stopping his life from being taken. ¡°Why did you create a guild?¡± Jackal asked, quietly. ¡°Someone needed to¡± the elf answered, demurely. ¡°People needed help and others were ready to give if only they had something to share. My music wasn¡¯t what they needed so I gave them something else.¡± ¡°What are y-¡± Michael started but Jackal raised his had to quiet him down. ¡°You want to say you paid the money for the guild to be created because nobody else had it and then left because you¡¯re not one to lead people around? Is that correct?¡± The elf laughed softly, like bells ringing. ¡°We¡¯re all different. Some are meant to lead while others to follow. I have the misfortune of not belonging to either group.¡± ¡°So we only need to pay you the money you wasted to create the guild and you will leave us alone forever?¡± someone asked from the front lines of the crowd hopefully. Perry glared at him in anger. ¡°Have some decency¡± she said, her voice dripping with disgust. ¡°This guy wasted probably all his hard earned gold to create a safe haven for us, a place where we could find solace and regain our peace after what we had encountered. And he didn¡¯t have to do that. There was not a single reason to and yet he still did.¡± Jackal nodded at her respectfully. He had come to the same conclusion, but, although, it did make their leader easier to understand and even respect but it didn¡¯t solve their problems. ¡°Why did you return?¡± he asked the elf finally. ¡°You should just have let us disband. We¡¯re fine now.¡± The man shook his head, curls dancing around his head. ¡°You? Yes, but I never gave it to you. I gave it to those in need and there¡¯s still many of them. It won¡¯t be over until the end of his reign.¡± Perry felt like throttling the guy. Why did everything that left his mouth had to be a riddle? What was wrong with speaking in a normal human language? Saying what you mean? Jackal didn¡¯t seem to have any problems deciphering it out, however. ¡°We¡¯re no longer your audience, are we?¡± he shook his head with a smile. ¡°So how do you plan to solve everything? The guild is in a mess now and most will leave by the end of today if you won¡¯t change anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the wind of change but a slight breeze to cool you throughout the hot day¡± he answered cryptically. This was a bit too much even for the knight. He glanced at the two at his side but they had puzzled expressions mirroring most of the guild members. Jackal was about to tell the elf to explain himself when someone moved in the corner of his eye. He turned there and saw Nein rising. He didn¡¯t knew much about the man but enough not to take him lightly. He was said to have been a solo player before joining the guild and one that cleared quests meant for large parties and way above his level. After joining them he was under Perry¡¯s command but no one even for a moment believed she was stronger than him. He was just biding his time for something. The guild didn¡¯t trust him much to say the least. Behind him walked a women of thirty with autumn hair to her shoulders and deep green eyes. She wore a simple tight shirt and a pencil skirt but there were two daggers at her belt and her hands were lingering over them. ¡°He wants to say, we¡¯ll have to change the guild ourselves¡± Nein said, coming up to the stage. ¡°He won¡¯t lift a finger to help us.¡± ¡°What? But he¡¯s the leader!¡± Michael said in outrage, glaring at the elf who was still smiling slightly. It was probably the only face expression he had with the varying degrees of the smile¡¯s levels. Those barely noticeable too. ¡°Why would we do that?¡± Perry asked. ¡°It would be so much simpler to just recreate the guild anew.¡± ¡°People think that creating is extremely hard or easy. It¡¯s neither¡± the elf said, directing his violet gaze to her. ¡°Creating is giving life to something and it¡¯s exhilarating. But there always comes a time when you realise it¡¯s not perfect. You try to recreate but it¡¯s not working. What mistake did you do, you wonder? And years after when you lie half asleep in your bed it comes to you. Life is ever-changing and moving, perfect in its imperfection Not everything that is broken need to be repaired.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even want to even try to understand that¡± Perry murmured to elf¡¯s laugh. He grinned at her before turning to the rest of the people standing around him. ¡°Will you give us more leadership abilities?¡± Nein asked, ignoring that exchange. He didn¡¯t really want to do much with the guild leading but the guild itself was a useful accessory to him so he needed to make sure it didn¡¯t disband. ¡°One to help those in need, one to keep the place alive, one to train, another to hunt and the last to keep the face.¡± Nein nodded as if that was spoken in a human understandable language. ¡°It should work if we do it that way.¡± ¡°What was he talking about?¡± Perry asked, unsure of whether to feel like an idiot for not understanding or just put the blame on the elf for being unable to speak as a normal human being. ¡°There should be five leaders¡± Nein answered. ¡°Romeo to help Silver Wing¡¯s victims as it was his duty from the beginning, able to invite players to join, me or more like Morta to take care of the guild¡¯s financial problems, talk with nobles and so on with the power to finance quests, expeditions and expansion. Then Michael and you Perry able to create groups within the guild. He would be tasked with training new players, helping them in quests while your job would be to take down Silver Wing. The last place lands on Jackals head. He would become the official leader, our guild¡¯s face. He¡¯ll be able to let players join and remove them.¡± ¡°So we only have two people able to recruit members? We¡¯re never going to expand like that¡± Perry murmured. ¡°We could make it work¡± Jackal said after a moment. ¡°Every month we could hold some kind of ceremony like a knighting. It would be something unusual and might attract more people.¡± ¡°And people could choose a way to enter, be killed or wait a month¡± Nein said in half-mocking tone. ¡°The biggest ceremony could be held for all the existing members first¡± Morta said from behind Nein. ¡°It would attract lots of people who would pay to see it.¡± Other s glanced at her in surprise for having spoken but her input was a useful one. This way they could make their lack of leadership abilities work, earn money and even look like something different, stand out of the crowd. The elf watched them pondering with a secretive smile for a while before grinning widely and taking his flute in the hands. He put it to his lips and started to play. The first soft notes startled the group and they turned to face him but the man had his eyes closed, lost to the world. His long, delicate fingers ran swiftly over the buttons and holes, releasing clear sounds into the air. At first they were just random notes put together but soon their randomness started to make sense. Each note a being unlike any other, different in it¡¯s pitch and weight yet confided into one world, melody. They played and danced around, meeting, joining, separating and returning together again. They sounded great together but just as fine by themselves. Then a darkness came. It was a tune unlike any other. Notes low as gravel mixed with something worse still. Anger, hurt, disgust interchanging with a knife¡¯s sharp edge. It cut through the other notes, disbanding them, removing, until it was the only one left in its all corrupted glory. The group quietly sat down as the tune grew heavy on their mind¡¯s. They could see the monster that had killed them for no other reason than to kill. It wasn¡¯t vengeance or anything he sought but simple madness controlling his actions. And the tune grew even heavier, bringing back worse and worse memories. When it seemed like they couldn¡¯t take it anymore a lighter note sounded. It was childish and sweet but mature in a strange way. It died under the heavy weight of the dark one too, but it didn¡¯t let that to dim it¡¯s light. It danced around the dark one until it met another one. This was friendly and encouraging, even if pretty simple. A mother¡¯s word, helping hand from a stranger. The two light melodies mixed, making a new stronger one and the dark one retreated. It was as powerful as before, low notes of despair washing through the room but it sounded from somewhere farther away. The two returned to the front and now others joined them too, those freed from the hold of depression after being swallowed in the dark one. Together the melodies made even a better stand. They fought against the black notes with their lightness, ignoring that it was an impossible feat to defeat the darkness. The black tune was like an ancient beast with thousands of tendrils reaching everywhere. It didn¡¯t weaken after losing those corrupted, it became even stronger, clearer if that was possible. Three tones differentiated; one low, rolling around the floor of anger, another sharper, edgier of disgust, betrayal from those trusted and the third, maybe the worst, softer and higher than others that of grim determination. It knew itself being enveloped in the darkness of madness and accepted it It hurt to listen to it. Without knowing it, the whole guild started to feel for the monster. He was mad and crazy but he was made into that, he didn¡¯t choose it. Or more like he chose to avenge himself. The once maybe innocent soul. But it was too late to turn back now. The deeds were done and he had to be destroyed even if it wasn¡¯t his fault he turned out like that. The dark melody lost it¡¯s overpowering edge after being stripped bare of all the rumours and mysteries it had shrouded itself in but that only made it more cunning. It became swifter, running around in random motions, two notes never repeating themselves yet staying the same, unmistakable. The mix of melodies from previously returned and tried to envelop the quick one, but to no avail. Their steps were light and strong, notes dancing up in the air, but that was why they failed too. Their tune was too light and cheerful, they knew of the darkness but were not of it. They died again, being swallowed whole. Yet this time they didn¡¯t separate or get stuck in darkness. They returned into one almost instantaneously. Their notes were a bit lower, not as exited but nowhere near close to the dark tune, who ran rampant in the background. It was taking other innocent notes, eating them and then spitting them out scared and alone. The light one learnt to pick them all up and mix into itself. It grew stronger and more delicate with every added note but there was something wrong within. A shiver ran through the melody and, without any interaction from the dark one, broke into pieces. All the notes separated, playing by themselves. Chaos happened. It was impossible to say what was happening through the myriad of colours. Each tune fought for dominance, pushing others away and doing everything they could to stay relevant. Nobody wanted to disappear which resulted in an ear-splitting noise. Some people covered their ears, but it did little to help. The flute¡¯s sound had a way to pass through the thin barrier of fingers and bring madness closer. Once again when the end seemed imminent a note of strange lightness took a step back from the frenzy happening around. It stunned the others with it¡¯s unusualness. It was the same as at the beginning but no longer was it innocent and sweet. It had grown up somewhat, sounding lower and wiser, aware of the world¡¯s horrors. But just as before it wasn¡¯t strong. It attracted attention by its beauty and delicateness, not power. After other notes got accustomed to it, they tried to remove it, they pushed it, hitting it but the the lovely tune stayed the same. It didn¡¯t falter. In time other six rose from the group, distinguishing themselves. They were strong in their own right, either bright or light, dark but knowledgeable or simply very clear, sure of itself. Together they danced around for a bit before coming to some agreement and joining to make a strange combination. It was strong and light, dark and clear but it wasn¡¯t good. Each separate note was a melody of itself. They were too strong to be anything but a jumble of perfect notes, cold and emotionless. So a myriad of other notes carefully entered the picture. They wavered, unsure, but as time passed they joined the six and the melody grew stronger, louder. All of them together were able to dim the brightness of the six and make them more approachable. Now the light tune was filled with tunes of different colours, dark and light, low and high. They danced in the air, unafraid of anything. Their power lay in their bond which nothing could remove. Separately they were a random set of notes for giving headaches, but together they were something more. The dark one entered the picture again. It sneered at their happiness, cutting it apart, killing many. This didn¡¯t destroy the bond and the happy one rejoiced but the dark one just chuckled to itself as it swallowed the melody whole. No matter how many times you return, alone or together, you¡¯re just another set of bones to lay to rest, it whispered with a twisted smile as the song ended and faded into nothingness. Next Chapter 6.4 Duo Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Hey guys! I''m finally back in Denmark and ready to start writing again. I''d love to say I''ve been busy doing that the whole time on my holidays, but that would be a bit of a lie. What I actually did was read and read and finish half of my goodreads new year resolution which was 50 books. All of that reading gave me an idea of where I wanted to go with this story. I can finally picture the end of it. Just don''t worry, it won''t be any time soon ^^ Now here you go, another chapter. I''ll try to release them each Friday once again. (Just not sure about next week. Got an exam then so I might be a day or twp late.) Character List Titles and Abilities ¡°What are you doing there?¡± Monthu asked, incredulously. He and his brother had taken a few hours off to get something to eat before returning. If it had been Monthu¡¯s call he¡¯d also would have had them rest some more but Par was intent on coming to see the tournament Ace had promised him. ¡°Waiting for you¡± Ace answered, jumping off of a fountain. He¡¯d been sitting at the top of it and was now soaked through. Large droplets fell off him, drawing wary eyes from passer-bys. He smiled and shook like a dog, springing water all around. ¡°Hey!¡± some shouted at him indignantly but he just shook his head now, his curls straightened out by water making his hair look twice as long. It felt weird having it move against his cheeks, cover his eyes if he moved his head too quickly but it was that or never wash it ever again. ¡°Why would you get wet right before the tournament?¡± Hawk asked with a strange look. ¡°Who will want to sit near you now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point¡± Ace laughed, jumping to where Par stood quietly. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ve got the best places for us!¡± ¡°The lord said not to expect him to give us leniences because we work for him¡± Monthu said. ¡°We¡¯re normal citizens.¡± Ace gave him one of his looks. ¡°You may be, but not me. I get what I want and now that is the best place to watch the battles. And don¡¯t think I won¡¯t get it!¡± He said that with no little arrogance and pride in his voice, taking Par by hand and dragging him after him. The path was easy to find as most of the cities population was going that way. They filed into the arena, climbing stairs to find places to sit as the entrance was free. The only reserved places were near the raised platform where the city lord sat. You could get the best view from there and sit freely alone. ¡°We¡¯re headed there¡± Ace pointed at one of those balcony like things to the right of the of the city lord. The group wanted to stop him so he wouldn¡¯t make a scene but they were too late. He slipped through their grabbing fingers and rushed towards the place. While passing he waved to L and jumped inside the balcony from the front. Luckily, he had chosen the free one and the group breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Did the lord really let you use this?¡± Aurora asked warily. She looked around uncertainly, noticing many unfriendly glances. People would have accepted them had they looked rich or were known travellers, wore majestic items. But they didn¡¯t like those that looked like them yet got better treatment. ¡°I told him I¡¯ll want one¡± Ace said shrugging, taking a place near the barrier of the balcony. There were seats inside but he didn¡¯t plan to sit. He was small enough already. ¡°Par, stand with me¡± he said to his friend after noticing him shuffling uncomfortably, not sure how to act. ¡°We¡¯re kids, we don¡¯t need to follow their protocols¡± he whispered to him. ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to block anyone¡¯s sight by standing.¡± This last argument more than anything else made the mage boy move to this friend. ¡°When will it start?¡± he asked also in a whisper, glancing back at his brother to make sure he wasn¡¯t saying anything. Monthu simply nodded to his brother. He saw nothing wrong with them standing there if they were occupying this balcony anyway. ¡°Some ten minutes¡± Ace answered, looking over the crowd. Hundreds of people had come and not all of them were travellers which surprised him somewhat. Since when did native people start moving about? Not a single one had come to the previous tournament Ace had seen. ¡°Did you read about the participants?¡± he asked. The red robed boy nodded eagerly. ¡°Yeah. I looked over brother¡¯s shoulder when he was checking the event and I saw Luthil! He¡¯s the greatest fire mage alive!¡± ¡°Luthil?¡± Hawk asked, surprised. ¡°I heard he¡¯s one of the highest levelled mages around. What is he doing around here?¡± ¡°Like many others¡± Monthu answered, quietly. ¡°He¡¯s looking for a fight. There¡¯s a bunch of high level players in this tournament. More than I would have expected.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± Hawk asked interested. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have expected a single one.¡± ¡°They sense blood¡± Ace answered from the front. ¡°They pretend to come to compete but their real reason is to check out who¡¯s stronger. Which side to join as it is going to become a major power in our kingdom.¡± ¡°L? A major power? He has a single city¡± Hawk said sceptically. ¡°And even about to lose that one, judging from the rumours flying around.¡± ¡°When did you have the time to hear them?¡± Ace asked a bit surprised, turning his head back. ¡°Anyway, he might not have much but he¡¯s the only one resisting. If he falls, the whole kingdom of ours is in Morion¡¯s hands.¡± ¡°If he wins, he still has nothing. Morion will come again stronger.¡± Ace shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not how it works. If Morion loses, at least once, he¡¯ll lose his status as the perfect leader. He will have made a mistake and people will start struggling against him. Many will join L while the ones under Morion will try to rebel. He has a tendency to increase taxes, make new ones for random actions to fund his army and kill any natives that do not fully appreciate his leadership so he¡¯s not the most popular of rulers¡± he said. He would have explained more but he noticed the looks others were giving him. There were questions in them that he didn¡¯t feel like answering. It would take way too much time and the tournament was almost starting; the spokesperson was walking to the stage. ¡°Ladies and Gentleman!¡± he screamed into a microphone, which was made by some mage, without even waiting for the starting time. ¡°Welcome to another of the tournaments hoisted by our beloved city lord! He has given us permission today to have a blast and be sure we¡¯re going to do that! Many of the greatest travellers have come here to compete and you can be certain they won¡¯t go down without a fight!¡± He continued to talk nonsense so Ace stopped listening to him. He glanced at L who lounged in his throne like chair. The guy presented a relaxed posture, probably tricking many, but Ace could see his restlessness in the way his fingers twitched as if searching for a parchment to write on, his feet being crossed back and forth. It wasn¡¯t the actions of one who didn¡¯t think he was wasting valuable time. When the spokesperson started to talk, the last stragglers hurried up and the place filled up in moments. All sitting places were taken and all pathways blocked by people standing in them to get a chance to see the upcoming fights. Some even came to their balcony. Ace eyed them but since they kept to themselves and said nothing, he brought his attention back to the arena. It had grown larger than before. This time it was twice the size of the previous one and with [Mystic Eyes] Ace could see a see-through barrier sizzling around it. This was a tournament of way higher quality. He glanced at L and wondered how much it had cost him to organize it. Remaking structure even with magic wasn¡¯t easy. The first fight started. Some swordsman with at least level 100 armour against a shivering mage. Ace yawned. The beginning was going to be so boring when there were such differences in skill. The mage couldn¡¯t be any higher than level fifty, judging by the way he shook. Why had he even joined? Did he hope to not be matched against high level opponents till he reached quarter finals, where there were prizes? That seemed like a far-fetched dream. It was over in two strikes. Par cheered with the crowd so Ace pretended to do the same and listened to Par gush about the swordsman. The kid seemed to really like talking about what he¡¯d seen. Or was he just not used to having someone to listen to him? Asked about the mage Ace took his time to ponder for a moment and think of a way to say something that wasn¡¯t insulting. It was hard but he somehow managed and the kid nodded, telling his opinion and guessing about the new contenders that had just walked onto the arena. Rogue against a axeman. The rogue was higher level but such contests weren¡¯t the strength of his class. Ace couldn¡¯t understand why anyone from the shadow classes would even try it. They weren¡¯t made for it. As time went by the battles became more intense and the highest level players showed up. You could pin point them from the first look. There was a certain air of authority around them, of held back power. Their opponents forfeited instantly or were defeated in one strike/spell. They were simply on a different level. ¡°I had expected something better from this¡± Ace murmured to himself as another player was blasted of the arena. He barely kept himself from falling asleep. ¡°Did you say something?¡± Par asked, glancing at him for a second before turning back to the arena. Ace looked back to see what the kid was seeing but there was only the spokesperson there, talking his usual nonsense. ¡°Nothing,¡± he said. ¡°I just wonder when we¡¯ll see the high levels getting matched against each other.¡± ¡°Next fight! It¡¯ll be the Fire Mage against the assassin with the dual blades. And they¡¯re both close to reaching level 300! It is going to be so awesome! Look they¡¯re coming out now! The one who wins will go to the quarter finals!¡± ¡°Already?¡± Ace asked in surprise. Had he been sleep watching? There were supposed to be over a couple thousand participants! When did they all fight it out? ¡°Yeah, I wish we could have been in all the arenas¡± the kid answered in a sad tone. ¡°I¡¯m sure there were many things I could have learned too.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be everywhere at once. Let¡¯s enjoy this one fully, instead!¡± ¡°Yeah¡± the kid agreed smiling and Ace turned back to the arena. ¡®There were more of them? Since when?¡¯ he asked himself, not really wanting to show his lack of knowledge. He hadn¡¯t heard anything about it. Something exploded before him and Ace actually raised his eyes to look at the fighters. The mage was an interesting guy. It was easy to spot why he was one of the high levelled ones. Instead of standing in places, he was running all around. Various spells were leaving the gleaming gem on his staff and each of them was aimed at the jumping rogue. The guy was quick on his feet and had high evasion but it was hard even for him. The spells were of different width, size, range and effect. He had less than half a second to decide if he wanted to dodge or block and how and where. He tried desperately to move in on the mage but the guy had a fire sphere burning around him, could fly and teleport short distances. Rogues might have been created to get rid of mages but unprepared ones, not in an arena where there was no sneaking up on anyone. The rogue seemed to decide that too and threw something on the ground. It exploded and the whole arena got covered in smoke. Luckily, because of the magical barrier in couldn¡¯t pass to the audience. It was cleared in moments by a wind spell by the mage but the rogue was gone. The mage flew up, feeling safer in the air. From there he tried to find his opponent. Ace looked around the place and in a couple of moments saw the rogue. It was almost impossible to do but being rogue himself he knew what to look for. There was a slight change in the air when they moved, something you might see in a desert in intense heat. If the rogue stood still, there was no way to see it, but as they moved... Well, it was a closely guarded business secret. The rogue was preparing to jump and strike when something tapped on Ace¡¯s shoulder. He twirled instantly back, his dagger on the person¡¯s neck. Nein. The blade disappeared from his hand as if never having been there. ¡°I hate surprises¡± he whispered. The mage hid his surprise well and motioned for Ace to follow him. The kid sighed as the crowd awed and clapped at something on the arena and went after the mage. It took them some good ten minutes to leave the throng of people and have some private space. ¡°May I ask why did you make me leave on the most interesting moment?¡± Ace asked, glaring slightly at him. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have come a few hours ago when I would have actually welcomed your arrival?¡± ¡°I was on business¡± the mage answered quietly. There was something in his eyes that Ace didn¡¯t like. Was that distrust? Or was it judgement? ¡°Ask it¡± Ace said rolling his eyes. ¡°I can see you want to.¡± Nein eyed him warily. ¡°You weren¡¯t in the meeting.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question. ¡°Actually, I was¡± Ace said with a hint of a smile on his face. ¡°There just weren¡¯t any reason for you to see me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the leader, but you know too much.¡± Ace smiled fully now. ¡°Yeah.¡± They continued to walk in a silence. The city seemed dead around them. Every single person were watching the adventurers beat each other to death, or as close to it as they were allowed by the duelling system. It allowed players to challenge each other. Then, when they fought and someone¡¯s health dropped to zero, the winner would receive some favour while the defeated one would lose it and get their health back to ten percent from which it could heal itself in time. It was made so that people could test their skills without having to kill each other and receive a red mark over their heads that signalled them as player killers. As they walked, Ace noticed empty streets were empty and doors were closed. Even the wind was non-existent. If not the sounds of excitement echoing to here, one could guess this was a dead town. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to elaborate?¡± Nein asked, stopping them next to a fountain of a nymph. She stood on pedestal and water was running down from her hair and raised hands. Ace jumped in it. Cold water streamed down his body and he sighed in contentment. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask a question¡± he said to the mage, who was watching him strangely. Like most people Nein didn¡¯t understand the joy of playing in the water. Exactly because of it Ace used [Gust] to move the droplets straight in his face. Then he laughed out loud, slipped and still laughing fell inside the small pool he was standing in. That wasn¡¯t part of the plan but Ace didn¡¯t mind. [Excessive Heat] warmed him up instantly and there was not the slightest chance of him catching a cold. As he lay still chuckling to himself, something or more like someone moved in to block his view. There was thunder in Nein¡¯s eyes. If eyes could kill, Ace was sure he¡¯d be dead by now. But even mage¡¯s weren¡¯t so powerful, well, most of them weren¡¯t, so he just smiled at his companion. He was about to say something before jumping back in a manner that more resembled a rogue than a magician and blocked a dagger that had been thrown in his direction. The blade made a thump sound hitting the wood and then flew back to its owner. It was attached to a chain so Ace had a pretty good guess who was interrupting them. He raised his head, shook it, making Nein glower at him even more, and then turned to see Aster standing a few meters away. He looked pretty much the same as last time - brown leather armour and an array of daggers strapped to his belt - but there was something different with his disposition. Was he more solemn? Do berserks actually have feelings? It was an interesting thought for pondering but the guy was looking straight at him. ¡®What did I do now?¡¯ Ace wondered raising from the water and jumping out. ¡®I don¡¯t remember even meeting him in this form.¡¯ But there was no question that the guy was here for him. He didn¡¯t spare a single glance to Nein. ¡°Have you any information to pass?¡± Aster asked coming closer. His right hand was wrapped in a chain and he twirled his dagger in it as if just twitching to release it. ¡°Information?¡± Ace asked, unsure of what was happening here. It was rare that he was in the dark and he didn¡¯t particularly like it. What was the guy talking about? Aster came even closer so they stood face to face. Ace was shorter, dripping wet and at first glance unarmed but he held his head high and didn¡¯t let himself be cowered. The guy might be taller than him and think himself older, but Ace knew better than that. There was no way that fifteen or so old kid could know more about life than him. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°The old geezer wants to know if you¡¯ve sniffed anything interesting. He says there¡¯s no telling when your prize might travel to someone else if you won¡¯t hurry up.¡± ¡°Bastard¡± Ace said as an answer. He turned around and sat down on an edge of the fountain. Had there even been a few days since his meeting? That was a damn short time after which to ask for results. Aster laughed at that. ¡°I¡¯ll pass it up to him¡± he said still smiling. ¡°Sure thing¡± Ace said, waving him off. He let his eyes fall to the ground as he tried to figure out what was happening. And whether he should hurry up with his dirt finding. L was sure to have a few secrets lying around so it wouldn¡¯t take long but he had previously planned to help him take over the world. Does that mean he should stick around or would it be more interesting to betray him and see what he does then? Does this meeting mean he should hurry up on deciding and doing something? Or should he let the two idiots have a bit more of a show off before starting to throw logs in their tracks? Questions, questions and no answers. ¡°You¡¯re working for the guy who¡¯s about to take over our city?¡± Nein asked, eyeing him as if seeing for the first time. There was calculations in his gaze and Ace wondered what the guy had been left with. What did he decide about him? Sadly, he couldn¡¯t read minds. Yet. He nodded , still preoccupied with his earlier thoughts. Who was he going to save and who to betray? Which path would be the most interesting one? ¡°I would like to ask if you went mad but the answer is probably that you¡¯ve never been sane¡± Nein said, raising his eyes to the heaven as if asking it for patience and understanding. Ace chuckled. ¡°What are you going to do about it?¡± The mage shrugged. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s not my business.¡± Ace tilted his head sideways but didn¡¯t question that. ¡°So why did you take me out here?¡± ¡°Who is that elf? How do you know him and how can he be contacted?¡± ¡°So many question¡± Ace said with a smile, remembering the act. It had been so much fun. Well, besides getting punched. That had hurt like hell and it took all his self-control to keep from scowling or passing the dagger into the guy¡¯s side. It would have been so easy... ¡°As to who he is, I have no idea. I met him before even getting killed. Then after enjoying that particular feeling I met Romeo and with him went to the Guild Hall where we created the guild.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re the owner? You control the officers and can give them freedom?¡± Nein asked, feeling a bit lost. He had threatened Romeo till he told his side of the story and expected to hear lies from the kid but the story matched. That wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. ¡°Nope. I passed the elf his ownership rights since I didn¡¯t want to do anything with guild leading. It¡¯s way too much work¡± Ace answered, confusing the man even more. Where was the truth in this mess? ¡°Can you contact him?¡± ¡°Sure, although, he does tend to take a while before answering.¡± ¡°Yet he came instantly when you said about what was happening¡± Nein said, watching the kid¡¯s face for any kind of give-away. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was expecting to see but it had to be done. He wanted to get to the bottom of this yet, wherever he looked, the kid was in the middle of it and kept his cards closely guarded. Who was he really? Ace shrugged. He was getting tired of this conversation. ¡°He was around¡± he said and noticing the disbelief shining in Nein¡¯s eyes elaborated. ¡°Which is not surprising since he¡¯s a minstrel. This is their capital!¡± ¡°You look defensive¡± Nein noted and Ace yawned. ¡°No, I¡¯m just bored. So if you have nothing else to say, bye. Maybe I can still catch some action.¡± Without waiting to find out if Nein actually had any, Ace used [Radiant Step] and ran up the air. He rose high enough to reach the roofs of the buildings which were flat and just made for running on them. So he did exactly that and jumped from one to another, making his path ten times shorter towards the arena. Where there was a larger gap between the buildings or he needed to cross streets, he made air fields with his ability and was away. It took him only a few seconds to locate his group and he dropped next to Par. The kid was sitting with his back to the arena and sipping on some juice. The rest of the group was in deep conversation on whether water magic was superior to ice infused blades. Ace wasn¡¯t sure how to even compare such things so he turned to the arena. There were two groups of two fighting against each other but there was no caster and those who were interested in the fight were standing right around the arena. They were shouting and hooting loudly with each hit or barely made dodge. It was a way lower calibre of fight. One even Par could join. That was an idea. ¡°Do you want to try something out?¡± he whispered to his friend and Par almost jumped from his seat. He hadn¡¯t noticed him appearing. The kid moved his head to the exit and Ace for a number of times before settling with a puzzled expression on his face. ¡°I used Radiant Step¡± Ace said quietly. ¡°So what do you think? Should we try something fun?¡± ¡°What?¡± Par asked with a guarded look. Was he cautioned against doing anything stupid with me? Like just before being allowed to come and watch this without getting much rest? ¡°Don¡¯t you want to try out our strength there?¡± he asked, motioning with his head towards the arena. Howls of laugher came from there and someone had just clearly won a huge bet. Par glanced at the arena with longing in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not good enough to fight there¡± he whispered back, not looking at Ace. ¡°But you can take Hawk. I heard he wanted to try just had no one to join him.¡± Ace shook his head. ¡°How can you be not good enough? Wasn¡¯t it said that everyone can participate?¡± At least he hoped so. Usually, such fights were made so that anyone could volunteer and then they would have to fight until they were defeated. It was a fun way to try out your strength and maybe even earn a bit of cash. ¡°Well, yes but...¡± ¡°No buts!¡± Ace said louder this time. He glanced back to make sure the rest of the group was still occupied and then grabbed Par¡¯s hand. ¡°We never did anything like this before. Let¡¯s do it!¡± ¡°My broth-¡± ¡°He¡¯s here. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re leaving his line of sight, right?¡± Ace asked with a smile and Par had nothing to say but nod. Then Ace helped him get down from the front of their balcony and they rushed down to the arena. There were lots of people there and none even noticed the two kids trying to get to the front. Ace frowned as he barely evaded someone¡¯s elbow and decided this was not the way. If they wanted to reach the front, they had to use more violent methods. ¡°Par call out your elemental¡± he ordered his friend who hesitated for a moment but didn¡¯t disagree. In moments a large humanoid creature of fire stood near the boys. ¡°Throw fireballs on these people before us!¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not...¡± ¡°They won¡¯t even feel it! It¡¯ll just annoy them a bit, nothing too bad. Trust me, okay?¡± That left Par no choice once again and he told the elemental to use his fire attacks. The boy looked sad and distraught so Ace smiled at him and hoped it¡¯ll be enough. Soon angry, hissing faces turned their way. They glared and cursed before noticing who they were facing. Their words got stuck in their throats. Kids were a rare sight in the game and nobody wanted to be thought a mindless jerk. Ace grinned at them and now that the players easily moved from his path, pushed to the front. There stood a guy who he instantly identified as the one responsible of the fights. He was standing on a small platform before which there were two boxes for gambling. ¡°Hey! Can we participate?¡± Ace asked him, looking up at the man¡¯s surprised face. ¡°I - I don¡¯t know... Maybe next time whe-¡± ¡°I want to try now! Not after a decade! What if I don¡¯t get a next chance? Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re too yo-¡± ¡°Is there an age limit to be an adventurer?¡± ¡°No, but...¡± ¡°Par come! Let¡¯s go try it out!¡± Ace shouted out to his friend who was still standing at the back of the stunned crowd. ¡°He said we can try!¡± ¡°I said no such th-!¡± Ace turned on his heel in a blur and in a second had his dagger to the organizer¡¯s throat. ¡°You were saying something?¡± he asked with fake sweetness dripping from his tongue. He was sure his eyes were flashing silver. The man gulped audibly and shook his head. He didn¡¯t know the kid¡¯s level and such but he was a merchant and even the weakest of attacks were fatal to him. He wasn¡¯t going to risk his neck to protect this idiot kid from killing himself. ¡°Foot and Johanna! Prepare to face the new challengers ... ?¡± he said glancing at the now satisfied kid, who was helping his friend on the arena. The boy raised his golden hair to answer ¡°Ace and Paradox.¡± ¡°Ace and Paradox! Let the votes start now!¡± The crowd was quiet after those words. They knew the previous winners were going to triumph again but since no one was going to vote for the kids, what was the point of even putting money? ¡°I don¡¯t think we should be here...¡± Par whispered, looking around with wide eyes. From close up the arena was simply huge. You could feast forty families on it easily. But the worst part was raising one¡¯s head and looking at where the spectators were sitting. The rows seemed to go up and up to the very heaven and they were filled with people. It didn¡¯t matter that no one was looking. They were far away enough you couldn¡¯t tell it. And it made you feel like an ant put for someone¡¯s inspection. Not the most comfortable of feelings. Ace shook his head, trying to throw away such thoughts and zoomed in on their opponents. They stood next to each other, eyeing them with annoyance. ¡®Easy picking¡¯ Ace decided not even trying to guess their classes or levels. He turned back to Par who was looking more scared by the moment. ¡°Hey,¡± Ace whispered to him quietly, making him jump. ¡°We¡¯re just going to fight a few battles and be done with it. Nothing will happen. You have always wanted to try this out, haven¡¯t you?¡± He really doubted it but the kid was an innocent. He was sure he could make him believe he had always wanted to jump down from an Eiffel Tower without a parachute if he really put his mind to it. Par was just too trusting. ¡°But I don¡¯t know good magic...¡± ¡°All magic is good¡± Ace answered with a smile. ¡°Just use what you think is best and I¡¯ll make it work.¡± ¡°What if I hit you?¡± Par asked, a quiver in his voice. Ace chuckled. ¡°You won¡¯t. Just trust me, okay? We can do this!¡± The boy didn¡¯t look very convinced but he called the elemental to himself and seemed to be concentrating on something invisible before his eyes. Ace wondered if that meant the boy was reading his own spells and how bad it could end. It couldn¡¯t be too bad. At least he hoped so, not knowing what Skele had taught him. ¡°Are you ready?¡± the organizer asked loudly to make sure everyone knew he was giving the kids a choice to back out and that if something happened it wasn¡¯t his fault. Ace flashed him a smile with a nod and took out a pair of daggers. While the guy finished his introductions and called for the start, he infused his daggers with [Flare] and [Gust]. ¡°Let it begin!¡± the organizer shouted out and the moment the last syllable left his mouth, Ace flashed through the arena. His agility was high enough that his movements were close to a blur. His targets hadn¡¯t even had time to take out their weapons when he stabbed his daggers into them. He used his assassin abilites, [Cut-throat] and [Backstab], to amplify his damage and had chipped one of them to thirty percent health when they finally understood this wasn¡¯t a game. He was dangerous. One threw something on the ground which exploded into a mass of dark clouds, removing everyone¡¯s sight. Ace smiled, activated [Mystic Eyes] and stalked towards them. He didn¡¯t really like seeing the world this way, people having colourful threads around them, but it was better than not seeing at all. He sneaked behind the female and finished her off. She screamed into the darkness, scaring her partner even more and dissipated into grey mist. ¡®This is easier than I had expected.¡¯ He found the other guy and gave him a few stab wounds. However, this one was quicker. He moved out of the way and threw something more on the ground. This time it removed the smoke. The angry crowd for having been blinded quieted down after noticing that there was something wrong on the arena. There stood two boys and only one grown up. ¡°Par?¡± Ace asked over his shoulder, not even glancing back. They boy murmured something under his breath and Ace instantly moved to the right. A fireball, larger than he¡¯d ever seen before, whooshed past him. ¡®That is dangerous!¡¯ Ace felt like shouting to the kid but made his mouth stay shut. If Par wanted to play with fire, who was he to stop him. He should just make sure never to be in a way of any of the projectiles. The man had taken out a long staff while Ace had been distracted and stood with a grim expression on his face. Ace dashed towards him, his daggers aiming for undefended sides. The man blocked them, and again, and again. It was annoying but Ace knew it wasn¡¯t going to last much longer. The moment was clearly not of meele class whatever he was and he was getting slashed and bruised even if he was redirecting the main hits. But poison didn¡¯t need a big wound. Every time Ace¡¯s daggers touched the man¡¯s skin they left a drop of poison which then started to eat his health little by little. At times large fireballs rushed past and Ace had to duck, roll or jump in the craziest poses just to get away from them. If he had time enough, and he usually did, he made sure that the man was in the way instead. His health was being chipped down. Ace could see the anger and his own helplessness in the man¡¯s eyes but there was nothing to do about it. The man was of some support class and wasn¡¯t meant to fight alone, although, he was doing a pretty good job of it. Ace felt his [Evasion] senses tingling so he attack from the left leaving his right side open. The man took the bait and moved to strike when a fireball exploded in his face. Ace had the joy of being burned once again too but he didn¡¯t turn into grey smoke unlike the other guy. He shook his head and turned around to to face Par. ¡°We¡¯ve won!¡± he shouted out, raising his hand with a bloody dagger high in the air. Par looked at him stunned. ¡°We¡¯ve won...¡± he whispered as if in a daze. ¡°We¡¯ve won...¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Ace shouted out, jogging to him with a bright smile on his face. ¡°I told you we could do it!¡± ¡°I-I I defeated... someone... Right? I did it?¡± the kid asked again, his voice coloured by disbelief. ¡°Yes, you did!¡± Ace said, laughing and patting his friend on the shoulder. ¡°Good job with those fireballs!¡± ¡°Thanks...¡± Par murmured, his eyes glazed. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± someone¡¯s voice growled from close by and Ace groaned internally. Why, oh why did he have to notice so quickly... ¡°Having fun¡± he answered, turning to face Monthu with an innocent smile. ¡°It¡¯s a break, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Leave my brother out of your schemes!¡± the guy hissed, standing right next to the arena with his hands clenched into fists at his sides and a scowl on his face. That didn¡¯t look good. ¡°Schemes?¡± he asked, tilting his head as if not understanding. ¡°We just came to try out our skills!¡± ¡°You know my brother...¡± ¡°What about your brother?¡± Ace asked turning to Par with an innocent smile. ¡°Hey, Par! Monthu wants to say something to you!¡± The little red mage rushed to the side of the arena with the brightest smile anyone had ever seen on his face. ¡°Did you see how I defeated that person? Did you see it? I did it! I did it!¡± he said, looking drunk with happiness. Monthu looked at his expression and his face softened, tension releasing from his body. ¡°Yeah, I saw it. You were great¡± he said quietly, almost murmured. ¡°It was so fun! I hit almost all of them and ...¡± the kid chattered on in a blissful manner, unaware of the way Ace was smirking at his brother from behind. Monthu, however, saw it and debated grabbing his brother and getting him as far away from the manipulating friend as he could, but every time his eyes returned to his brothers happy face he felt himself relaxing. There was no way he could do something that would wipe the smile from his face. Not even remove him from the presence of the devil himself. Next Chapter 6.5 Games Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Here we go another chapter. Hopefully, it is to your satisfaction and thanks for all the good words. I''m happy to be back too and together with you continue our adventure in this strange land of my creation with Ace as our guide. Character List Titles and Abilities ¡°Is there anyone ready to challenge these two unlikely contenders?¡± a man in his middle thirties shouted out to the surrounding crowd. He was the one allowed to lead the games between the championship fights and was enjoying it immensely. ¡°They have come from nowhere and now defeated three pairs of opponents in a row! Can¡¯t believe it? Ha! Don¡¯t be fooled by their innocent appearances! These are no simple kids but battle hardened fighters! It¡¯s them who you¡¯ll wish would go easy on you!¡± he screamed out, motioning at the two boys standing on the arena. The right one was wearing a red magician¡¯s robe and holding a staff twice his size. He had an elated expression on his face and didn¡¯t seem to be mindful of the danger he was in. The first few opponents had went easy on them, expecting quick victories but the watchers had learnt in that time. The defeated ones too were telling tales of how different it was to stand on that stage and look into the eyes of the kids. Or more like one of them. The other, golden haired one. He was standing slightly behind the other and watching the crowd with calculating eyes. Unlike what was expected of a melee player, he was not wearing any armour. Instead he was dressed in brown ankle boots, dark blue breeches and white shirt with golden buttons. On his neck rested a purple scarf and beside his head a small flame circled. In fights, he was the one doing most of the work. His swift movements and sharp daggers managed to keep both opponents at bay while poison chipped down their health. Fireballs were just an icing on the cake. ¡°I will!¡± a man from the back shouted out. People made a path for him and Ace took a better look at his new opponent. The man was in his early twenties and wore greenish leather armour. There was a quiver on his back. Behind him walked another guy. That one had heavy armour on and carried a huge sword, claymore. Monthu murmured something under his breath but Ace ignored him. The guy had gotten used to the idea that his brother was going to fight here but he still grumbled about it. He didn¡¯t trust Ace to be able to keep Par safe, no matter what the previous fights suggested. ¡°And who you might be?¡± the organizer asked with a bright smile. ¡°Cloud there and I¡¯m Vicious¡± the archer said. ¡°We¡¯re going to show these kids how true men fight!¡± Ace smiled at that and motioned for Par to go to the other side of the arena. Then he followed himself a bit slower. /Do you have any other spells?/ he asked him in chat. /These guys are better than the ones we¡¯ve faced before./ Par was quiet for a moment. /Worglan had taught me some spells. What kind do you want?/ /Anything that they wouldn¡¯t expect of you./ /Pillar of flame?/ /Something that has nothing to do with fire?/ /Green wings?/ Ace blinked. /What does that do?/ /I summon a small flying creature that flies around dealing damage./ /Sure, that sounds useful. Use that and other spells. There¡¯s no reason to be stuck on only fireball./ ¡°Are both parties ready?¡± the organizer asked cheerfully and both duos nodded their agreement. ¡°Then let the match begin! May the best ones win!¡± As the last syllable left his mouth, Ace flashed forward with his daggers in his hands. He knew he would be blocked with a giant sword so instead of attacking he lowered his body sideways and slid past the swordsman to the archer. There was only a moment before he would be attacked so he used it to throw his daggers at the opponent. Only one connected but it was enough for the moment. Ace turned and with a new pair of poisoned daggers blocked the claymore. It was heavy and strong and he felt his daggers straining. That asked for a different style of fighting. No frontal blocking but more redirecting the blade and thinking of a way to get into the guy¡¯s personal space. That showed up harder than he had expected. The giant sword was moving in swift arcs that seemed impossible for such a heavy looking weapon. It took Ace¡¯s whole speed to keep his daggers in place to save himself from being slashed in two. ¡°Par¡± he shouted out, not wasting time to look back at him. Hopefully, the kid would find a good spell to use. Something green flashed in the corner of his eyes and he dodged to the right on instinct. It was good he did that or else it might have been him parading a large pecking wound on his cheek. ¡°The he-¡± the big man cursed as a small bird that flew close to the speed of light hit him again and again. Ace doubted it dealt any significant damage but he was sure it was annoying as hell. He decided to leave the guy to the bird for a bit and jumped back to see how Par was doing and where was the archer guy. He had been absent for the whole fight between Ace and the big sword guy. Or more like his ranged support was missing. As Ace glanced about, he saw the guy fighting against some shadowy thing. It was all gooey and tried to what looked like eat the guy alive. The archer was cursing and grumbling, trying to get the thing off himself with his bare hands but the thing clung to him and made his whole body sticky. Ace didn¡¯t need to ask Par where or from whom he had learnt that spell. ¡°Good work!¡± he threw to him and then jumped on the distracted archer¡¯s back. He used all his rogue skills, dealing ghastly amounts of damage. And poisoning. ¡°Cloud!¡± the guy hissed in anger, watching as his health dropped down by a good chunk. He was left with less than a half. ¡°Take care of your one!¡± Ace didn¡¯t give the other guy chance to get to him and save his friend; he stabbed in quick succession a few more times before using [Heart-seeker]. That ended the archer¡¯s struggles quickly. The claymore guy bellowed in anger, screaming something unintelligible to Ace and jumping at him. The green little thing (was that really a bird?) was still attacking him but the guy stopped paying him any attention. ¡°You little dare to kill my fr-¡± he shouted out at Ace who jumped right at him. The guy was stunned for a moment but he was a seasoned fighter and by instincts alone managed to dodge a deadly blow, the daggers barely scratching his armour. Ace muttered under his breath as he rolled a few times to soften the fall from his jump. As he tried to stand up, he felt a presence behind himself. Without thinking he used [Radiant Step] to create an invisible field behind himself and pushed off. And he managed just on time as where he had been crouching just a moment ago a claymore landed. Ace threw a dagger backwards and used more of the fields to higher himself up in the air. Then he turned back and redirected a slash aimed at his neck. Or so he tried to but the attack had so much force behind it, he was thrown away with a gaping wound on his shoulder. He hissed in pain while taking a quick glance at his health bar. There were thirty percent left. In other words, one more attack. ¡®Damn, that was quick.¡¯ He dropped his remaining dagger and took out two longer, sturdier ones to block another swing. These managed to stay strong against another blow, although, he was pushed back. That was not going to cut it. ¡°Careful!¡± Par shouted out from behind and without thinking Ace pushed against the opponent¡¯s blades to jump back. Right where he stood and the enemy had just stepped in to follow him a pillar of flame rose up. It surrounded the man fully but before Ace could enjoy the sight for a bit longer, he burst through to attack Ace again. Ace didn¡¯t feel like fighting in disadvantage of height so he used [Radiant Step] to lift himself up. Now from there it was easier to block and get in the guy¡¯s face but it was a precarious position. One misstep, one second too long on the same field and he was a dead man. Nothing would save him then. However, that also meant he could do something unexpected. When another slash came for him, he blocked it and used the power behind it as a leverage to raise up and kick the man in his head while taking position behind him. From there then use all rogue skills. His opponent turned with another cutting slash but Ace was already away. He used his invisible fields to raise higher in the air where he couldn¡¯t be attacked. An uncounted for result of that was that the guy rushed towards the target he could reach then. Par. Ace cursed and pushed himself sideways so he dove towards the guy. He didn¡¯t even notice the upcoming danger, intent of now taking care of the mage kid. Ace would have continued on his course and sacrificed the mage, but this was Par. The kid deserved better than that. And then there was also Monthu. There would be no end to his grumblings if Ace allowed Par to die. ¡°Wild vines¡± he called out but the spell wasn¡¯t a full incantation and that meant it was on the weaker side. The man broke free of the plants, barely slowing down. ¡±Ice Field¡± Ace screamed out then. This had to work. And it did. In the most wrong way possible. Instead of falling the guy took a good footing and started sliding. Never in his life had Ace considered the possibility that someone would feel at home on ice as much as he did. That should have been impossible. Before Ace could try anything else, the guy was in front of Par. That wasn¡¯t good. At all. He pushed against another field and with a new burst of speed rammed into the guy with his daggers. Equipped with [Magma Blade] they pierced his armour and the guy howled in pain. He turned with bloodshot eyes but Ace was through with him. He slashed at his eyes and on top of that made [Flare] burst there. He hoped it hurt like hell for killing Par. To his surprise the guy wasn¡¯t dead yet. He screamed in rage and swung his giant sword in all directions as if expecting it to hit. Ace didn¡¯t go anywhere near him, just took out a smaller dagger and coated it in the most potent and fastest working poison he had. The dagger flew to its mark, straight to the heart with a whispered [Heart-seeker]. When the guy disappeared, Ace raised his head to where Par had stood. It was empty and Ace sighed heavily. He was a dead man walking. Monthu was probably already planning ways to have his head. ¡°Hey! We won! We won!¡± Par shouted out and Ace turned to the crowd, expecting to see him there. All those that died were removed from the arena and resurrected nearby to be able to see the rest of the fight while their health regenerated back to full. ¡°This was amazing! You simply flew through the air!¡± Par added and Ace whirled around as he noticed the sound was coming from behind him. What met his eyes was a red robed kid standing a couple of meters away with a wide smile. Ace blinked a few times in disbelief. Was he seeing correctly? How could he have survived? ¡°What did you do?¡± he asked his friend, jogging to him. He really did seem to be alive and fine. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Par asked unsure of why his friend had such a strange expression on his face. It almost looked like he was worried about something. ¡°You were standing there¡± Ace said motioning to where the kid should have died. ¡°And the guy jumped at you. How are you still alive?¡± ¡°Oh, it wasn¡¯t me!¡± Par said with a laugh. ¡°But Worglan told me not to talk about that spell.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for strangers¡± Ace said with a smile. /Friends don¡¯t have secrets and we¡¯re best friends, right? You know I¡¯d never betray you!/ Par nodded at that and started writing something in the air. He was taking quite a while so Ace went to the organizer. ¡°How did we do? Did we earn anything?¡± he asked and after a few grumbles the man said quite a large sum. Two hundred gold. ¡°We¡¯ll take in then.¡± ¡°Are you already leaving? But you¡¯ve won all your fights! Why would you want to stop? You can probably earn twice as much!¡± the guy said loudly. There was disbelief written on his face as he was being presented with the fact that his money earning kids wanted to disappear. ¡°You should really stay!¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re leaving. I want my money¡± Ace said, forcefully. ¡°We¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Already?¡± Par asked in a pout. Ace smiled at that but nodded nonetheless. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s enough for today. We can do this some other time if you really liked it.¡± ¡°Why? We¡¯re winning, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Yeah, listen to your friend! You can still keep going! I¡¯m sure you can still win at least a couple more fights!¡± Ace glared at the guy before turning to his friend. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Where you¡¯ve been standing and casting spells, I was running around and fighting. My stamina is very low. If you really want to continue fighting, you should ask someone else to join you.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Par murmured. ¡°It¡¯s enough then. We can do this in the next championship, right?¡± Ace nodded with a slight smile. The kid looked so sad and wishful, looking at the arena they were stepping down from. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There will be many more chances for us to do this and maybe one day we can participate in the championship itself.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Par asked wide-eyed. ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°Why not? We¡¯re only going to become stronger.¡± Par¡¯s eyes glazed over as he tried imagining that and Ace lead him to where Monthu was. ¡°Here happy and alive¡± he said, presenting him the kid. Monthu gave him a look but breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Why did you stop?¡± Hawk asked from behind. Ace glanced at him. ¡°I overestimated myself¡± he said simply. ¡°In what?¡± ¡°Everything.¡± That cryptic reply given, he picked his winnings and took a step back to read Par¡¯s message. /It¡¯s a spell that displaces the caster. It creates an identical copy of me that has exact same looks and human like feeling. Even after killing it no one would ever understand that it wasn¡¯t real. In the mean time I¡¯m moved to the right as a ghost. However, I can be hurt there if anyone would ever guess it./ /Keep it a secret then. It¡¯s a really dangerous secret and a wonderful spell. Worglan has been teaching you useful stuff/ he wrote back thoughtfully. He hadn¡¯t expected that from Par, or Skele for that matter. What had he been thinking teaching Par dark magic? Didn¡¯t he notice that the boy was an innocent? He shook his head. It was too late to worry about that and anyway where was Skele? He hadn¡¯t seen him since they separated and he went to deal with his guild. ¡®I should find him. It¡¯s surprising he gave me this much time to do his quest but I should be getting on with it. It¡¯s been ages since I even thought of it.¡¯ ¡°Where are you going?¡± Aurora asked him from behind. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to watch the rest of the championship with us?¡± She looked worried for some reason. ¡°Nope. I am tired. And bored. I think I¡¯ll go looking for Worglan. Have you seen him anywhere?¡± he asked, yawning for extra measure. His stamina was on the low side after all the fighting but not that bad. And even if he ran out of energy, [Last Stand] would activate giving him infinite stamina as long as he was in battle. ¡°He said he was going to check out the library when we separated. He might still be there.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± he said, throwing her a wide smile and left the arena place. Outside he took a breath of fresh air. Tons of people meant humid air and lack of personal space which Ace really liked. It was much better when he was alone. His face muscles relaxed and his smile disappeared. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. For no reason he took out his cane and closed his eyes while activating [Echo], At first second it was all black and scary but soon shapes started to take form. Different materials returned a different sound wave, even size and form were passed through that. In time the whole road shaped up and Ace could easily walk forward without any fear of hitting something. Every bump in the road was accounted for in his sight. It was an interesting way to walk around so he did exactly that. He thought about going for the library but he decided that he didn¡¯t want that yet. First he found a washer¡¯s shop and gave them all his clothes to clean, then went to make some new ones. He was running out of them pretty quickly in a dungeon and was close to being forced to wearing simple cloth as a toga once again. The shopkeeper promised to have them made by tomorrow after seeing the gold coins in Ace¡¯s hands and happily he left he shop to go to his basement. He had expected to find it looted or overrun by some creatures as it had been months since he¡¯d last been here but to his surprise it wasn¡¯t the case. His herbs were still drying, a few elixirs he¡¯d left still standing in the corners and even his pots and bottles were still here. He smiled at that and lost himself in the brewing. Ace wasn¡¯t a real alchemist. He wasn¡¯t crazy about it but he found it fun to mix all those different tinctures and create something overly different. Like sometimes you used three or even four poisonous herbs and what you received showed up to be a miraculous potion. And then there was the testing. Unlike real crazies he didn¡¯t like testing stuff on himself and preferred using others. His opponents sometimes were even more stunned by his supposed poison healing them than if they had been poisoned. Monsters especially. He laughed remembering the goblins who just stood and stared around after that had happened. You aren¡¯t supposed to heal or strengthen your enemies! He wasted some four-five hours in his little cave before once again venturing out and finding Worglan. The guy had been hidden in the deepest corner of the library in a small room Ace would have sworn didn¡¯t exist before. It was made up of two bookcases with heavy tomes in black covers without any names and a desk on which another bunch of those books on it. The whole room itself, however, did not have an ominous feeling. It was painted light cream and a candle glowed warmly on the table. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Ace asked Skele who was sitting with a book that clearly had a couple thousand of pages and weighted more than any normal person would ever want to hold. The human bones under the beautiful layered illusion raised their skull to look at him. ¡°You told me to stay around you, but you ran away yourself. Repeatedly.¡± Ace had the decency to raise his eyes sideways in an it wasn¡¯t me expression. Skele gave him a yeah sure look before shaking his head. ¡°I came here to be alone where there wouldn¡¯t be a chance of the illusion looking out of place.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Some adventurer decided to rob me and his dagger passed right through my ribs...¡± Ace burst out laughing at that. He would have given much to see the reaction of the rogue whose blade hit thin air and his hand got stuck in Skele¡¯s ribs. It had to be hilarious. ¡°Sorry¡± Ace murmured, chuckling. There was no remorse in his voice. ¡°What did you come here for?¡± ¡°I think we should start up on your life goal.¡± ¡°You still remember that? I thought you¡¯d already forgotten all about it.¡± Ace just shook his head. ¡°I was preoccupied. First you¡¯ve distracted me with that blindness and then my group showed up wanting an adventure.¡± Skele didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d believed that until Ace remembered he was controlling the guy¡¯s emotions. Or more like what was reflected on his face. The guy was a skeleton! He didn¡¯t have face expressions! He was only guessing them himself and, of course, he wouldn¡¯t believe himself when he knew he was lying... There was a puzzled expression on Skele¡¯s face, not sure why Ace had quietened down suddenly. ¡®And that¡¯s me again¡¯ Ace thought, one corner of his mouth lifting up. ¡°Did you learn anything while you¡¯ve been in your city?¡± The man shook his head. At least that wasn¡¯t part of the illusion that Ace modified unconsciously. ¡°No. I was with your friends when you had run away.¡± Ace rolled his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t run away. I had a mission given to me by a dying father to save his daughter. I had to do it!¡± It wasn¡¯t important to share the fact that it could be said he¡¯d sought out that quest himself. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I managed and now am finally free.¡± Skele nodded at that as if it was a good explanation. ¡°Will you let me explore the city alone for a while?¡± Ace looked up at the man in surprise. What was he asking for? And why was he asking for it? ¡°Sure¡± Ace said, shrugging. ¡°Why do you want it, anyway?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my city. Or it should have been, had her parents been anything different.¡± Ace nodded to that, showing a tired expression on Worglan¡¯s face. The man wasn¡¯t sad, everything had happened way too long ago, but there was a longing hidden deep in the eyes for things that could have been. No one is ever too old to dream. ¡°Will a couple of weeks be enough for you?¡± Ace asked after a moment. ¡°Yes¡± Skele answered in a clear voice. ¡°How do I contact you when I¡¯m done?¡± Ace smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ll find you when the time to avenge you comes.¡± Skele nodded at that and rose from his place. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you in the city¡± he said and left the room. Ace snooped around for a bit longer. He pocketed a couple of books, a journal and even found an intricate pen with a stack of empty scrolls. Nothing else caught his eye so he sneaked out after closing the doors and left for the city. There he looked around and wondered where should he go. He had planned to finish Skele¡¯s quest but the guy threw him off, he wanted some alone time... What was he even planning to do? Ace shook his head, that was beyond him. He would come to him in a week or two and hope he was finished so the quest could be done. But what now? Should he just run around bored or actually do something? /How are you doing?/ he wrote to L, maybe the guy had something for him to do. That would solve a lot of his problems. /Why are you not here? Didn¡¯t you pay a fortune to buy that balcony from the ones who had it?/ /It wasn¡¯t what I expected. Do you have anything for me and my group to do?/ /Give me a moment./ Ace smiled noticing that message. It was exactly what he would expect from the guy. It wasn¡¯t like him to pass up someone who could be used to further up some plans. Even if the guy had failed in a spectacular manner as Ace had with Morion. It took whole five minutes for L to come up with something. /Do you know Arenan village?/ /No. Should I?/ /It¡¯s a city known for it¡¯s belief in angels. There are dozens of sculptures there and everything is based around them./ /What would you want from a place like that?/ /It receives thousands of travellers everyday seeking the mystery behind angel myths and items. The income from that is tremendous. I need it./ /So you want us to get it under your wing?/ /If I get their support, the surrounding villages should come to me too. It¡¯s a centre of belief. That is also what presents the challenge. They respect nothing but their angels and because of that see no reason to ally themselves with mere mortals. They don¡¯t care about wars and such./ Ace scrunched his face. Where in the world did his special set of abilities or those of his team came in? They had a priestess Aurora but that was all that connected them to religion. And even she cared only as much as it concerned casting her abilities which meant she knew the prayers to cast spells. /And how are we supposed to do that?/ /You¡¯ll manage. If I can trust someone to do the impossible, it would be you./ /When did I become so trustworthy?/ /You¡¯re not. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do something and it can¡¯t possibly end up worse than it already is./ /You didn¡¯t just say that.../ /I did. It really cannot. If it tried becoming worse, it would start becoming better./ /Do you mind sending my group the news?/ /I¡¯ll do it. You¡¯ll leave tomorrow morning./ /Got it./ This done he sneaked into a random mansion and looked for a large mirror. It took him around ten minutes to locate one and standing before it, he changed his appearance. A fox mask covering half his face, black lord robes and a dark blue cloak he¡¯d taken from his very first half-intentional victim. Then he activated [Mirror Walk] and imagining a random large mirror stepped through. For a moment he found himself in a world consisting of thousands of reflective surfaces and then he was pushed off into a room full of dancing people. That wasn¡¯t exactly what he had expected when he thought of going out to spread his legend. However, it didn¡¯t mean he was going to let them live. Adventurers or natives, all of them were just hearts to be pierced. And jumping from the dais the mirror was placed upon, he did just that. He descended into the thick of revellers with his daggers poised to strike. It was a natives¡¯ celebration so each strike of his took a life; the people were nobles - low levelled but high of birth. Something that didn¡¯t help them in the least. Soon guards showed up and it became more of a challenge. The armoured man had large swords that tried to cut him up and a few archers showed up too. But their attacks fell flat against his agility. He was just too fast to get hit, and even if the blow or arrow was coming his way unnoticed [Instincts of a Predator] warned him and [Evasion] saved him. Those two skills were his lifeblood. He killed but some didn¡¯t want to die. For some reason there were some adventurers in the celebration too. And it didn¡¯t take them long to group up and turn to him as a single unit. There were around ten of them. Two thirds of them were melee with a couple of mages in the back. He only now noticed how easy was to identify them and in that regard know their strengths and weaknesses, the way to nullify their damage. He smiled and charged at them like a madman. The warriors raised their shields as if to defend against him but he didn¡¯t come for them. He used [Void Step] and hoped it worked similar to [Shadow Dash], it¡¯s predecessor. To his disappointment, that didn¡¯t show up to be the case. Instead of jumping higher up like he was used to, he found himself simply moved in the direction he was going for. Right in the face of the fighters. That fact alone would have been nothing too horrible but the worst part was that it was horribly disorienting. One moment he was standing in one place and another in a different. Hid mind needed time to rearrange where everything was and only instincts skill paired with evasion saved his life as he was attacked. Still somewhat confused, he used the ability again. This time he moved away and that was good but once again he was left without any idea of where he was, his mind dizzy from the sudden change. A few balls of fire and acid flew his way which he dodged and wondered whether he should try to get accustomed to the ability or just kill them all. His natural curiosity easily won out in that and he decided to play around with them. Even if that meant risking his own life and reputation. He used the ability towards them and.this time tried to attack even if he wasn¡¯t as sure of what he was doing as he would have liked. Unsurprisingly, it went wide. He ignored it and the fact he looked like a drunk and tried again. And again. And again. It was hard to say who was more unprepared for one of his attacks to land - him or his opponents. It was his twenty-seventh try and it was starting to look hopeless. But finally it hit its mark. Or well something, if one wanted to be precise. It was hard to say a plate armour¡¯s left shoulder guard could ever become a designed target for an assassin. His blade passed through it easily, leaving both Ace and his opponent stunned. Neither had expected that to happen. The kid was faster to get his bearings back and stab a couple more times in that close range before using [Void Step] again to get away. It was still disorienting but he was getting the hang of it. The only reason it took him so long to hit was that with every try that almost succeeded, the next time he tried something even more ambitious. That was dangerous but just that much more interesting. He felt some projectile flying his way, but instead of simply evading he used his ability to move straight forward, back towards the fighters. They raised their shields like the first time but Ace knew better now. He reactivated the ability and appeared right before the mages. There he activated [Fear of the Hungry] and showed the casters a dance of blades. It was graceful and eye catching but none appreciated his mastery. They were too busy cursing him for their deaths. When warriors tried to surround him, he used his ability again and blinked away, a wisp of dark smoke left in his step. He noticed that only after the tenth use and after the twentieth one, he found out that it looks like he¡¯s appearing with a bit of it too. He blinked towards one of the warriors to attack him and after a number of his skills, tried to jump away. But nothing happened. That is if you don¡¯t count a huge blow to the head he received from the furious warrior. Ace blocked the next hit while evading a swing from another fighter. A stab from the right and a close call from the left. It was getting crowded there and his ability had stopped working for some reason. It was something he would have expected had he been thinking about it so he just went along with it. If his enemies were using all they had, he could do the same. Slash here, stab there and a kick to the side. Howl in pain for the armour was hard while rolling. Slash at the legs with [Magma Blade] enhanced daggers that passed defences and jump to the left since there was an attack from the right. Throw your dagger to some guy and jump on another¡¯s head. Stab. Stab. Stab. Loot him with one hand while defending with the other. Evade an attack and smiling rush forward. Then turn around and use [Void Step]. Blink away the confusion, curse the wig that has long hair that gets in the eyes and stab, stab, stab. Loot. He played like that for another half an hour before he was finished. It didn¡¯t last long enough for him to satisfy him but there was nothing he could do about that. Even though it was said he never left anyone alive, it wasn¡¯t true. Cowards easily ran away while he was occupied with the brave ones and he didn¡¯t have a way to track them down. He was a madman, not a hunter. This time the few cowards that escaped had been mostly natives. But there were many of them still around. Lying dead in pools of their own blood. Ace left them without taking anything. He didn¡¯t steal from natives but gave them a Silver Wing none the less. However, he didn¡¯t shy away from picking things he liked that weren¡¯t on the people of the land. He made himself a feast in the company of corpses. He ate seasoned chicken from a grand chair at he head of the table. He walked on that same table to reach dishes he had no name for but that looked appetizing. He even licked his fingers after an especially tasty one. To finish it off, he took a glass of wine and ate a couple of cakes. He also grabbed some apples and other fruits for the future, you never knew when they might come in handy. When he was done, he got up to the mirror and with a last look back passed through, there were sounds of armour clanking from a nearby hallway. Next Chapter 6.6 Connections Previous Chapter Author''s note: Hey, I''m still here. This chapter is nothing special but, hopefully, it''s not that bad. IMPORTANT NEWS! It''s been brewing in my mind for a long time and I finally went around to doing it. Flight of Icarus is from now* on an original story! I went and edited the beginning chapters (they have the most changed things) and made sure I didn''t follow RR (I also removed Ace using skills that shouldn''t be his like fireball and smokescrean changed Meresven to Mora and corrected mistakes I found. Apparently, for at least half of my story peace was piece. It''s truly embarrassing). In later chapters almost nothing is changed since I was always bad at following others'' orders and pretty much everything is original. *now means that after I''ll upload this chapter I''ll go and try to update the old chapters. (Sadly, my updates won''t pass chapter 4.5 as re-reading all the chapters while paying keen attention to spot mistakes and irregularities takes quite a while. To find our what has been changed you can re-read the first chapters or check out this spoiler below. Spoiler : The game is called Regal Dream. The game is played in a specially made room (cabin) where you strap yourself to a number of cables that keep you in the air that move your muscles somewhat so you wouldn''t get too unhealthy from playing too much. Ace started in Mora, the capital of Oradin kingdom that is in the east. The skills are leveled: Novice[5] ~~>Average[10]~~>Advanced[15]~~>Master The Characters list has also been expanded with many minor characters or added descriptions. Abilities have been updated with skill levels that were last noted in any of the chapters. Characters Titles and Abilites There was a sickly sound when he drew his blade out of a chest of some guy that had gotten in his way. The poor fellow had though he could run his way out of the situation. Ace shook his head, another idiot. He smiled as he noticed Kris was perfectly clean, having drunk all the blood, and put it in his sheath. There was no more killing to be done for the moment. His eyes rose to roam around the place he found himself in. He had come here through the lake and ended up in some kind of dispute. There was no difference to him who was who so he simply got in, spreading chaos in the battle and killing anyone who got too close to his blade. Both parties soon noticed that there was a third player but it was too late by then. Their combined groups consisted of only seven members and those didn¡¯t look particularly happy to be forced to unite. They more encumbered each other than helped. That made Ace¡¯s work quite easy and he took care of them all in moments. The last one had decided to take a chance at fleeing but he didn¡¯t get far. [Instincts of a Predator] showed Ace exactly where he was and he hunted him down like an animal. ¡°This place is sure dismal¡± he murmured as his eyes landed on a broken tree. He was in some kind of forest through which a hurricane had past through. Many trees had fallen, the few that stood had branches torn off while the ground was littered with thrash; leaves, roots and fallen branches. He left it and went to where the lake was. It glistened beautifully in the silver moonlight, sharpening the edges and making the broken forest look even more eerie. Ace looked down on his crimson soaked clothes and decided to take a swim. It was for this sole reason he¡¯d chosen a lake and not a mirror as his last work place. All night he¡¯d spread his legend throughout the whole land. Now that he had a way to travel quickly and efficiently, it would be a crime not to do so. Silver Wing was to be a legend, a monster that no one could stop. Even the rules of logic itself should have no power over him. Cold water washed over his body as he jumped in. It was freezing! Apparently, he¡¯d travelled north. Very fart north, he decided as a piece paper thin ice floated up to him. He activated [Excessive Heat] and felt it removing all the remnants of refreshing water as it saved him from getting a cold. It wasn¡¯t a trade he wanted to make so he relaxed, floating in the water and tried to control the skill. It didn¡¯t seem to hear anything about his wishes but he tried anyway. To no avail. The skill was too stubborn to change and after half an hour Ace gave up. He turned it off and enjoyed a few minutes of coldness before getting out. He was dripping wet so he changed his clothes and put on a fresh pair. He glanced at he water to make sure he was presentable again. Now he had dark brown pants with a golden belt and green long sleeved tunic on. He wrapped a dark purple scarf around his neck and was done. He could go and meet with Par and the group now. Their quest should be starting any time now. [Mirror Walk] brought him back into the noble¡¯s house he¡¯d started his adventure in and from there he moved to look for his friends. In here it was early morning already and they should be appearing. They hadn¡¯t decided on a meeting place so Ace decided to wait near the nymph fountain they had met up the day before. He found a bench and curled up on it with his head to the raising sun to dry. In moments, he was asleep without even planning to do that. ¡°Hey! Are you coming?¡± Hawk¡¯s voice came through a fog of sleep and Ace groaned heavily. A night of murdering was fun and all but it did nothing to help with one¡¯s tiredness. He felt like he had been hit with a brick when trying to open his eyes. They fought against him with all they had. ¡°We¡¯re not going to wait for you forever¡± Hawk said, shaking his shoulder. ¡°Soon¡± Ace murmured, losing the battle against his eyelids. He¡¯d opened them for a moment but they had closed up and became even heavier. Cold water washed over his face and Ace jumped up from his place. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± he hissed at the smiling archer. ¡°Getting you up. We need to go.¡± Ace shook his head like a wet dog and glared one more time at the archer before drying his face with some cloth from his pack. ¡°You could have done it in a more humanly manner, you know?¡± he asked with a huff, taking off after the guy who didn¡¯t intent on waiting for him. Hawk gave him a glance backwards. ¡°And wasted an hour? No, thanks.¡± Ace didn¡¯t have anything to say to that so he jogged after the guy¡¯s long steps; he¡¯d never noticed the archer had such long legs. Did it look like their group was always moving at a snail¡¯s pace to him? Probably. ¡°Do you know the quest?¡± the archer asked after a while. ¡°I heard a bit about it. L needs some kind of village, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but first we need to go and take a detour to Vascas castle. He said we need to get him support there first.¡± ¡°What a needy guy¡± Ace murmured. ¡°He sure is going to run us down.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who asked him to send us there?¡± Hawk asked with surprise evident in his voice. ¡°Why would I do that? I¡¯ve been there before¡± Ace answered with a shrug. ¡°This time I didn¡¯t have anything to do with it.¡± As he said that they came upon the rest of the group. They were standing besides the gate, ready to leave. ¡°What took you so long?¡± Monthu asked with a scowl. Looks like someone¡¯s in a bad mood today, Ace noted but kept his mouth shut for the moment. He will have time enough to annoy Monthu on the journey which will take them a while. ¡°He was sleeping near the fountain and didn¡¯t get up without a prompt. I also got us horses. Didn¡¯t they get here yet?¡± A loud whiny followed his words and they all turned their heads in that direction. A man in his forties was walking up to them with reigns in his hands that held a group of horses in check. They didn¡¯t look anything spectacular but you could easily notice they were good for new riders. There was a certain acceptance in their eyes and an air of having given up and not caring about anything. Ace found them pitiable and would have liked to find himself something with a spirit but there was no time for that. He would have to sit on this broken horse and hope it wasn¡¯t contagious. ¡°You need help kid?¡± the man asked Ace as he brought him his horse. It was an old chestnut mare that looked like she wouldn¡¯t even notice if she was led down a cliff. She was just going where led and not raising her own eyes to check. ¡°No¡± he said forcibly and took the reigns for himself. He led the mare near a bench, which would help him get up, while consulting himself that she at least wasn¡¯t a pony. That would have been the cherry on the cake and he wasn¡¯t sure if he would have gotten on it then. There was just that much humiliation he could take. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡± Monthu said loudly and Ace got on his horse with a sigh. The adventure was starting on a very sore note. He hadn¡¯t planned on that when he asked L for something to do. He was already starting to doubt his decision on doing that. They left moments after and rushed out as fast as their horses could manage. Which to be fair, wasn¡¯t that fast. Ace had a feeling it was only slightly better than his normal walking speed and compared to Hawk¡¯s it was as slow as a snail. Their travel was in usual style with Monthu trudging alone while Hawk chatted with Aurora and Ace was listening to Par and watching their surroundings. They had chosen one of the main roads so there was nothing interesting to see. The travellers had thinned out once the championship had started and the rest feared to go alone. Now that there was so much tension between all the lords, most players were gathering under their wings which left the roads emptier and brought out the outlaws. Player killing had become much more popular and rogues were banding up everywhere to catch unwary travellers. But they didn¡¯t meet anything to Ace¡¯s annoyance. It had taken them a whole week to only get onto the path leading to Vascas and in that time not once did anyone attack them. A few groups of monsters had ventured in their path but Monthu didn¡¯t attack them and they just passed through. Ace was ready to scream his lungs out by the fifth time it happened but the look in Monthu¡¯s eyes kept him in check. It was telling him to go mad over it and Ace didn¡¯t like following orders. Because of that he simply logged out. There was no point to stick around if nothing was happening. At home, he could at least watch television and pretend he was having fun. Moments after he decided that, he felt himself returning to the real world and silver walls welcoming him back. He unstrapped the cables that kept his body in the air and dropped to the ground. It was cold under his bare feet and he smiled at that. He hated wearing slippers. They were so uncomfortable and removed the joy of feeling the floor and carpets. He walked downstairs from his room and into the kitchen. There was no food there but some fruits so he took a couple of apples and while chewing on them called for pizza. It was going to come in twenty minutes so he went to turn the television on. It was doubtful there would be anything interesting going there, but it didn¡¯t hurt to try. To his surprise a show about the old beliefs was going and he was taken by it in moments. It didn¡¯t have much he didn¡¯t know but he liked refreshing his memory and hearing slightly different interpretations. The bell rang and angrily he left the show. He would have sat and watched if his stomach hadn¡¯t rumbled in hunger for the last ten minutes, apples having had little effect on his hunger. He opened the door but instead of some pizza guy, he saw a female he wasn¡¯t expecting to see. She was wearing a green, form hugging business dress that left her shoulders open. There was a wide smile on her face. ¡°Janette?¡± he said in surprise. ¡°Hey, kiddo! How have you been?¡± she asked making her way in with his food in her hand. ¡°Great¡± he said simply, eyeing his food. She noticed it and laughed. ¡°You hungry?¡± ¡°Yeah¡± he murmured, his eyes not leaving the thin box. ¡°Have it then¡± she said, passing it to his hands and leading into the kitchen. ¡°Nothing seems to be changed. You sure it has been a year since I¡¯ve last visited?¡± ¡°Mhm...¡± Kirin answered, digging into the pizza. It tasted heavenly and he was hoping the female wasn¡¯t going to try and take a bite. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± she laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not going to steal it away from you.¡± He smiled at that but hurried up with his eating none the less. He wondered why she had come now. It wasn¡¯t any kind of holidays, nor anyone¡¯s birthdays and she worked thousands of miles away, in another continent. She had been sick when she was here last time so there hadn¡¯t been any visiting done and Kirin hadn¡¯t minded that. He preferred his solitude to anyone but he had to say Janette wasn¡¯t the worst to be around. She was two years older than him and she had always treated him like her little brother. But that was different than what the others did. She didn¡¯t expect him to know nothing of life, just less than her. And that was true. She was older. ¡°Anything interesting happening while I was gone?¡± she asked, grabbing one of the apples from the table. ¡°I heard some rumours.¡± ¡°About Vera?¡± Kirin asked through mouthfuls of food. ¡°Eat before you talk!¡± she chastised him. ¡°I don¡¯t want that pizza on my new dress.¡± She was sitting a while table away so there was no way anything could reach it but Kirin didn¡¯t mention it. He was busy eating. ¡°Some meeting later on?¡± he asked, this time after chewing his food. ¡°Just been in one, but you¡¯re not changing the conversation. What happened around here? It feels like a war zone outside.¡± ¡°Is it that bad?¡± Kirin asked before taking another bite. He was already half way done and that was very sad. He didn¡¯t feel even close to full. ¡°So you know something¡± she said with a wide smile as if she just took some important information out of him. ¡°Yeah, my parents banned Vera from seeing me ever again unless I say otherwise. It happened a couple of weeks ago.¡± ¡°They did what?¡± she asked, the apple falling from her hands. ¡°How did that happen?¡± Kirin smiled at that. ¡°They saw her.¡± ¡°At one of her moments?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°No wonder the village¡¯s in an uproar. The girl knows nothing but following you around. How has she been doing?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her since the ban.¡± ¡°And she hadn¡¯t tried to contact you in two weeks? That doesn¡¯t sound like her.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t really listening¡± Kirin said, shrugging. ¡°I don¡¯t miss her that much.¡± ¡°I wonder why¡± Janette laughed. ¡°Was there ever a time you liked her?¡± That was something Kirin never considered and now tried to remember the older times. He could say he didn¡¯t hate her when they were in the same class but liking? Probably not. She was too annoying; admiring his every step when he didn¡¯t like to be in the centre of attention. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. It wasn¡¯t like he had been shy. He just liked his solitude too much. And found the other kids uninteresting. He shook his head to answer Janette while taking the last piece of his pizza. How could it possibly be gone already? ¡°What about that other girl, the one that always looked liked she¡¯s run away from a circus? Did you make up with her?¡± Kirin clenched his teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t talk with her¡± he said, eating the last bite and standing up to wash his hands. It also had the added effect of allowing him to hide the narrowing of his eyes as he turned from her. She knew a lot but not everything. ¡°What happened with her anyway? You never went around to telling me¡± she said in a normal tone but Kirin could hear the warning in her voice. She wanted the answer and this time he wasn¡¯t going to escape by changing the theme. ¡°She decided Vera was better as a friend¡± he said. It wasn¡¯t like he lied, but it wasn¡¯t all the truth either. There was more to it than simple preference, although, had there? It had been so complicated yet quite simple if one really thought about it. Janette rolled her eyes at that but didn¡¯t say anything. From all the people he knew, she was the best at gauging his emotions and acting around them. It was scary somewhat that he could be read so easily but refreshing too. No matter how much he hid, she knew it and didn¡¯t really judge him. ¡°How long will you stay?¡± ¡°I leave tomorrow morning. I made a detour on a business trip to see how you¡¯ve been doing. Mind if I crash here for the night?¡± ¡°Go on. Should we watch a film?¡± ¡°Sure and you can tell me all you¡¯ve been up to lately. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been busy in that new game of yours.¡± Kirin nodded at that with a smile. He could talk about his group and the quests they¡¯ve done. ¡°What about you? Have you played it?¡± She rose to leave the kitchen, shuffling his hair on her way out. ¡°Of course I did. What do you think I am? Some old crone? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if I was even stronger than you!¡± Kirin gave her a look that said dream on and went to his room to find a DVD. There wasn¡¯t much of a choice but he remembered having one sent to him by someone and he hadn¡¯t watched it yet. He brought it to her and Janette snatched it from his hands. ¡°A horror story? Really?¡± she asked with a look. ¡°You know, I¡¯m kind of happy you¡¯re not growing up. I¡¯d have to worry about the world then.¡± ¡°Thanks¡± Kirin muttered rolling his eyes. ¡°Just put it on and come here.¡± She watched him plop down on the sofa before putting the film in and returning to the kitchen to grab a bag of chips. ¡°Do you eat anything else?¡± she asked but Kirin didn¡¯t feel like replying to that. He spent the whole night talking with her and then the next day sleeping. Only after all that time did he log back in to Regal Dream. The game hadn¡¯t changed as much as he would have liked. The group was still only half way towards the Vascas castle. Another week passed before they finally saw the gates of the city. It brought a sigh of relief to Ace¡¯s lips and he was sure he heard it from others too. The dark cloud over Monthu¡¯s head wasn¡¯t bothering him alone. The first wall was still in ruins, it¡¯s pieces lying all around the field, but the second one was closed and fortified. There was a line of spikes before it that looked dangerously sharp but the gates were wide open. As they moved forward a group of players intercepted their way at the gates. ¡°Who are you and what do you want in this place?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve come to talk to the leaders of this city¡± Monthu answered in a calm tone, his scowl hidden for the moment. ¡°Turn around and leave! We need no preachers in here! The council has hired us to keep the likes of you out. And to tell the truth we¡¯ve seen better ones too. Where have you come from, anyway? What beggar lord has hired you? Or did you think you can cheat the council of their castle city yourself?¡± one of them asked with a laugh. ¡°You should have thought you wouldn¡¯t be the first ones to think of it. Or you think you¡¯re the smartest ones around?¡± Monthu was about to reply with a biting remark when Ace jumped down from his horse and stopped him with a poke to his leg. ¡°Give me five-ten minutes and I¡¯ll have us in. Okay?¡± He had a feeling it won¡¯t be easy to convince the council already and killing their guards were hardly going to help them with that. There had to be a better way of going around it. ¡°A kid? What do you thi-!¡± the other guy said chuckling before the laugh died in his throat. Ace used [Radiant Step] and simply rose in the air. He used his fields to get higher up and before anyone knew better was over the wall. Magic made one¡¯s life so much easier. Inside it didn¡¯t take him long to locate Silver Fox¡¯s lair and he dropped right before the man. The guy had a dagger in his hand before Ace¡¯s feet reached the ground and he had to block it with a laugh. ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± he said still chuckling and making sure not to be skewered. ¡°Ace?¡± the man asked, lowering his weapon and taking a better look at the kid. It didn¡¯t take him long to recognise his fellow assassin and his castle¡¯s saviour. ¡°It is you.¡± ¡°Councilman Owen¡± Ace said with a half-bow and a wide smile on his face. ¡°I would have paid you a more official call¡± he said motioning to their surroundings. They were in the middle of a courtyard where the guy had been ordering a group of young soldiers. All of them were staring at him wide-eyed now. ¡°But my team is being blocked out from entering the castle they had saved. I find it kind of unfair.¡± ¡°Blocked out? Who would dare to do that?¡± Owen asked in outrage. He knew Ace personally and had met Monthu after his army had destroyed the goblins and he liked both of them. Unlike most adventurers, these two were true to themselves whatever it meant in each of their cases. ¡°Some adventurer group¡± Ace said, shrugging. ¡°They also felt it necessary to mention that we¡¯re a ragged bunch and are fools for thinking anyone will care about our entrance.¡± Owen shook his head remorsefully. ¡°We had to hire anyone who came. We told them to check at our lists of who is allowed but now I wonder how many people had been turned around because of their stupidity. Are your people still at the gates?¡± ¡°Yeah. I told them I¡¯ll get someone to let us in.¡± The man nodded before his eyes locked in on Ace¡¯s. ¡°How did you get in?¡± The kid smiled widely and activated his ability, jumping on a thin, invisible field. Then he walked around on air for the wide-eyed crowd before landing back on earth. ¡°This way¡± he said with a laugh and a ground reaching bow. Owen smiled a bit. ¡°The old man really knows how to choose and everyone thought he was too senile for any teachings.¡± ¡°Pff... He was useless. It was just his luck I was around and conceded to let him show me around¡± Ace said with fake pride in his voice. ¡°Let¡¯s go, your friend¡¯s shouldn¡¯t be kept waiting for long. They¡¯re our heroes, after all¡± Owen said with his mouth¡¯s corners still up. He really liked the kid and envied the old man his student. A dark shadow passed over his eyes as he remembered his own daughter dying a few steps away from him. ¡°You lot! What are you staring at?¡± he shouted out at his young soldiers. ¡°Repeat the first four stances, I want them perfect when I return!¡± There was a collective groan from the group as they fell into a strange stance with their spears forward, their hips wide. Ace had to turn around so he didn¡¯t have time to understand why they were so unhappy. He moved with Owen through the streets and in moments were next to the gates. The group that had stopped Ace¡¯s party was still there and looked a bit ashamed. ¡°We¡¯re very sorry, councilman! We didn¡¯t expect him to jump over the wall and get in. We were planning to shoo these people away and then go catch him! We¡¯re sorry you had to do it yourself! We¡¯ll work twice as hard for this misstep.¡± For all the wrong reasons apparently. Ace could see fury in Owen¡¯s eyes raising up with every word said but the talking guy seemed to be oblivious. Poor creature. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing here?¡± Owen roared as the guy finally stopped in his speech. ¡°Were you hired to guard or sleep on your watch?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t! We¡¯re very sorry the kid got through us! It will never happen again!¡± the speaker said, taking a step back. It looked like for the first time he noticed Owen¡¯s expression. The guy was red in face with teeth clenched and eyes narrowed into slits. That face didn¡¯t require any great perception skills to understand. ¡°Useless fools! Get out of the way and let those people pass. They¡¯re the ones who freed us! What in the world are you thinking trying to stop them?¡± ¡°Saviours?¡± the main one asked, repeating the words. ¡°But they¡¯re some beggars! Just look at their horses! No self-respecting person would sit on that!¡± Ace looked at his group and had to agree to the last statement. The horses were horrible. Why had Monthu been so stingy with money? That made him think and wonder about the last time they were officially paid, received a quest reward. He couldn¡¯t remember the time. It had to have been ages. The last quests they had done, had been killing those giants and snakes but they hadn¡¯t given them in since the city had been overtaken by Morion. This meant it had been a loss since snake weapons were useless and sold for nothing. Was it possible Monthu accepted the orders from L just because of that? Was he in dire need of money and that¡¯s why he was in such a foul mood? Poor guys. He had his victims to gain gold from but his team didn¡¯t have that. They were forced to survive on some quest they¡¯d done ages ago for months with his actions. He was probably supposed to feel guilty for that but he just felt annoyed. Had he known, he could have paid, at least, for his own stuff. ¡°I told you to check who they are before turning them down! Have you done that at least once?¡± Owen shouted out and Ace took a step back. His hearing was very sharp with [All Ears] activated and shouting made his head ring. ¡°Yeah, we always checked!¡± another guy answered, seeing that this wasn¡¯t going their way and wanting to keep their positions. ¡°We just weren¡¯t quick enough here. The kid just leapt from his horse and was gone before we could do anything.¡± Ace laughed at that. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not getting your reward this week! And if I find you slacking off again, you¡¯ll be fired. Got it?¡± Owen asked with a glare. ¡°What? We didn¡¯t do anything wrong! We just d-¡± tried to say another guy but he shut up as he saw the look in Owen¡¯s eyes. There was murder there. ¡°Yes, we understand¡± the first one cut in. ¡°We will improve for sure.¡± ¡°Make sure you do¡± Owen said with another glare. Then he moved forward and addressed Monthu¡¯s ragged bunch. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this, please, come in. It¡¯s an honour to have you back. Would you like to stay at my place? It¡¯s one of the few that had been fully repaired.¡± ¡°It would be a pleasure¡± Monthu said, getting down from his horse and helping Par do the same. ¡°But we came here on business which we would like to finish quickly and move on our way. Vascas isn¡¯t our final destination.¡± ¡°I feared so. Come with me then. You deserve to be heard but be prepared that we might not agree to your proposals. You¡¯re our heroes but not our leaders.¡± ¡°That is fine¡± Monthu said. ¡°It¡¯s all we came here for.¡± Ace looked from one to the other and sensing a long discussion with neither side going down decided it wasn¡¯t for him. ¡°Well, since my part is finished, I¡¯ll go look around the city. It¡¯s been a long while that I¡¯ve been here and I would like to see how it had changed.¡± Owen looked at him strangely for that. ¡°Do you already know?¡± ¡°Know what?¡± Ace asked warily. That didn¡¯t sound like anything good. ¡°There¡¯s someone already waiting for you. She believed that sooner or later you would come here and wanted me to make sure she didn¡¯t miss you.¡± ¡®Which she?¡¯ Ace wondered. There were a few he didn¡¯t want to see. ¡°Ang!¡± came a shout from somewhere and Ace closed his eyes in pain. That was the voice he wanted to hear the least. Even Vera would have been better. The female jogged up to him and stopped just out of his reach with a shy smile. ¡°How have you been?¡± she asked, puffing. Her breath was coming out in hard gasps and her face was red from exertion. She had ran all the way to make sure he didn¡¯t disappear before she made contact with him. It was pathetic. ¡°Fine¡± he said with a shadow of a smile on his face even if he wanted to throw something at her. There might still be the smallest of chances to escape this unscathed. His smile turned mocking at that but Sam never knew the difference. She was too naive to know it. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been waiting for you¡± she said with a wide smile that made her whole face glow. It had been one of the things he¡¯d admired in her, the ability to be happy about little things. Or more like being happy just because nothing bad had happened.. ¡°You did?¡± he asked, not taking the few steps between them. Ages ago he would have taken her hand even if for the moment he didn¡¯t have any trouble to drag her into. ¡°Yeah, Vera wanted us to make sure you were fine so we all spread over the land. I chose to come here to help these people rebuild. Have you ever considered how much easier it is by having an earth mage?¡± Ace nodded and she laughed. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked that. You always think of everything, don¡¯t you?¡± Ace wouldn¡¯t have agreed to that. He might have pretended to be the smart guy when he was younger to impress her but it didn¡¯t make it true. He was just a bit over average so he shrugged and let her talk more. She didn¡¯t knew what hiding was so it was simple to get the information out of her. ¡°You know, Vera is very worried about you. She¡¯s been going crazy, not knowing how you were doing. You shouldn¡¯t worry her so¡± she said, shaking her finger at him. ¡°You know, how she gets when she¡¯s too worried.¡± Ace shrugged again. ¡°She overdid it.¡± ¡°What did she do? Everyone is asking that her and she just tears up without answering.¡± ¡°What she did?¡± he chuckled. ¡°It was when she rushed over to my place with my parents there. They gave her a chance to better herself which she didn¡¯t use.¡± ¡°But she did everything for you! What could she have possibly done wrong?¡± A laugh escaped Ace¡¯s lips as he heard that. Did she see nothing wrong with that sentence? How could he possibly make her see when she found a girl controlling his every move perfectly normal? He shook his head. ¡°Why are you here? What do you plan to accomplish?¡± he asked, not faking any emotion in his voice. That meant it was left natural and it was tired and forlorn, one of a lonely child. He clenched his hands angrily at that. He was no longer a child. ¡°Accomplish? I came to check up on you! You¡¯ve been away from us for so long and you didn¡¯t come with us to the beach! We¡¯re all worried about you! I¡¯ve also missed you! We¡¯re best friends, aren¡¯t we?¡± she asked, her eyes widening a bit. It looked like she wanted to come closer to say something more but just didn¡¯t know what. Ace had no such problems. His eyes flashed red as he moved up to her and thrust his dagger through her heart in front of everyone. ¡°Heart-Seeker¡± he said before catching her falling form and whispering in her ear. ¡°You. Are. Not. My. Friend.¡± Next Chapter 6.7 Struggle Previous Chapter Characters Titles and Abilites It was easy to take a life. He had wavered slightly at first, but it had been so long ago. He could barely even remember having done that. Was that really true? Maybe. But it was gone and he now had to think of a way to explain to people why there was a red mark over his head and no remorse on his face. He just couldn¡¯t feel it. Regret that is. Satisfaction for having done it was there all right. He raised his head to check if there was anyone sympathetic to his cause. Owen, the Silver Fox, looked interested in what had transpired, not really minding it but the same couldn¡¯t be said about Ace¡¯s own group. There was shock in Aurora¡¯s and Par¡¯s eyes while the two other guys looked somewhat disgusted. Judgemental. ¡°I have no doubt you have a very logical explanation for that?¡± Monthu asked in a voice dripping with sarcasm. That didn¡¯t bode well. Ace thought for a moment of a believable enough lie when [Evasion] activated and an arrow embedded into his shoulder instead of heart. It took a good chunk of his health but not enough to be life threatening. But that wouldn¡¯t last long if he stood still as another arrow aimed at his heart rushed at him. He was expecting it now so he dodged fully and turned to where it was coming from. Or tried as vines sprung through the ground and bound him to the spot. He tried struggling but it was pointless. The grip was too strong. ¡°Excessive Heat¡± he murmured and ¡°Burst.¡± It was something he hadn¡¯t done for ages, or more like tried after the one time it had happened accidentally. However, everything happened as expected. The moment his little flame exploded near him, a huge fire burst into life on Ace. The flames rose up high in the air, not hurting him but eating the vines surrounding him in seconds. In a moment, the vines released him as they lost their strength and he moved out of the way of a sword that was coming to slice him in half. As he dodged, he turned so the guy passed him and then jumped on his back with all his skills. They passed easily and he knew the guy wasn¡¯t that high of the level. That meant he could use his ultimate skill. ¡°Heart-seeker¡± he whispered softly and plunged his dagger straight to the heart, taking the guy¡¯s life. A scream came from somewhere behind and he felt three presences coming from behind alongside an arrow. He dodged it and using [Radiant Step] jumped forward and somewhat up. And up until he was out of reach from everything but the arrows. From there he finally took a look at what was happening below. As he had thought, it was the gate guards attacking him. It wasn¡¯t surprising as he had a flashing red mark over his head which meant he was a player killer. A creature that anyone could kill without any repercussions and even got fame out of it. But that wasn¡¯t what surprised Ace, he knew that stuff. His mind was stuck on the fact that he had a red mark. He¡¯d killed dozens of people as Silver Wing and never, not once had he been marked. It was, of course, due to his class¡¯ special traits but why did he have it now? Especially without his fame and infamy colliding into one status. Was this because he was acting as himself and not Silver Wing? If that was true, then the system of this game was much smarter than he could have ever expected. It would mean it can understand humans and the smallest of innuendos. It was scary in a way. What were machines that were created by humans truly capable of? A few more arrows went past and he glared downwards, stopping his train of thought. He had some business to take care of first before having time to wonder about random things. ¡°Owen, maybe you¡¯d like to put a leash on your dogs? They¡¯re getting annoying.¡± Silver Fox waited a moment before ordering his underlings to stand by. There was a lot of complaining coming out of them but after a sharp word and a glare from their boss they shut up and took a step back. Ace eyed them warily but went down. He gave his own glare to them and Fox for testing him before turning to his team mates. It wasn¡¯t surprising that their reactions hadn¡¯t become better. If he was pressed to say, he¡¯d vote that they¡¯ve even darkened. Well, he did kill another player in their eyes without the slightest hesitation. Though, it had been self-defence. Ace thought he should say something but what was there to say? It¡¯s not like he had a simple explanation as to why he¡¯d done that. Or more like he had but it was simple only for him. He hated her. Despised. And that was more than enough to do whatever it took to get her out of his sight, in his opinion. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡± Monthu said to sir Owen, turning away from Ace. ¡°It would be nice if we could finish our conversation before the night falls.¡± Silver Fox eyed him with an indescribable look on his face for a moment before nodding and turning around. ¡°Follow me then. You¡¯ll have to wait a bit before the Council can gather but it shouldn¡¯t take longer than an hour. There¡¯s not that many of us left and we didn¡¯t re-initiate the old offices or every person would be a councilman here.¡± Monthu made an agreeing noise and together with the rest of the group went after the Fox, leaving Ace to stare after them with a puzzled expression. What was happening here? Was he being ignored or forgiven without an explanation? Both things didn¡¯t sound realistic to him. However, there was no time to really make any choice of how to react. He had to act. Either follow them or stay behind. He thought for a moment and decided to stay. It would be better if they cooled down before they had a conversation. That decided, he turned from them and went another way. He could meet with the female assassin and learn more about Sai from her. He doubted he would ever pick them up as his first weapon, but it would be interesting to know them. Any kind of knowledge about fighting was always good, one never knew when it might save his life. He wandered around, watching the city around him. It looked somewhat similar to how they left it . Most of the houses were still in half-ruins; doors hanging open, windows shattered and gardens in disarray, lawns overgrown. Only a few houses looked lived in, but even those were ragged. The doors were repaired in a rushed manner, windows barred with wooden planks. The ground around was walked over into submission rather than cut down. ¡°Welcome back, Flare!¡± a young girl¡¯s voice shouted out and Ace turned to face one of the lived in houses. Next to the fallen in gates stood a girl of thirteen with a ferret on her shoulder. The animal released a couple of high pitched noises and ran down to reach for him. Ace stooped down, extending his hand so the ferret could run it up. He stood up then and brushed its fur with a small smile on his face. ¡°Why are you calling me Flare?¡± he asked without raising his head. The girl came closer to him with her hands behind her back. ¡°The council named you that. You¡¯re our hero¡± she said shyly. Ace raised his head to narrow his eyes at her. She reddened and after a moment ran away. Ace shook his head, this was getting stupid. An man with grey hair and hunched back came from the house where the girl had run in.¡°Flare?¡± he asked. ¡°Hm?¡± Ace murmured, raising the hand with the ferret on it. The white fur shone beautifully in the late afternoon sun. ¡°So you¡¯ve come back.¡± ¡°It was on our way so we came for a visit¡± Ace said in an explanation. ¡°How has it been?¡± he asked. The man sighed heavily at the question. ¡°Hard, you left us without anything.¡± Ace scrunched his face in a look that said he didn¡¯t agree in the least. ¡°I know, it wasn¡¯t your fault and that¡¯s why we don¡¯t fault you for that. You¡¯re heroes, you defeat monsters, freeing people, but you¡¯re not builders or farmers. You don¡¯t help us rebuild our homes or collect food so we¡¯ll survive the winter. You protect us but do not care to keep us alive.¡± Ace listened to that with a thoughtful expression, his eyebrows coming closer with each word said as he heard truth in it. Players cared for experience and rewards, that¡¯s all that mattered. If there was no restriction about keeping npcs alive, people without a second thought sacrificed them to make it less likely they would die themselves and lose experience. ¡°Why don¡¯t you hold that against us? Isn¡¯t the word heroes meant for people who do everything in their power to help those around them? Not for those that save others for their own gain.¡± The man came closer to him and extended his hand to let the ferret rush it up. The small animal went up as far as to snake around the man¡¯s neck with a satisfied grunt. ¡°How could we? If not you, the word would be forgotten in a decade or two. We don¡¯t like to fight ourselves so we would be overrun by monsters in a few years if you didn¡¯t clean them up every single day. You protect us from them and as long as we¡¯re alive we can try to stay that way, fighting against nature ourselves.¡± The kid found that logic faulty. Why couldn¡¯t npcs protect themselves? Wasn¡¯t that only programmed into them? From what he had noticed, they could grow stronger without any limits like players just without knowing it, not being able to see their own progress in levels. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you¡¯re doing okay, we were wondering how you have been after leaving us¡± the man said finally after Ace stayed quite for a long while, pondering what was wrong with this game world. It wasn¡¯t fair. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, I can take care of myself¡± Ace said with a dry smile. When had the world been fair? ¡°You should pay more attention to your own problems.¡± ¡°We are but you¡¯re a story for our children to fall asleep to and when we tell it, we remember you and wonder how you¡¯re doing. What adventures are you having now? What other stories will you leave for us to tell?¡± That last bit said, the man smiled brightly, nodded to Ace and returned to his house, leaving the kid stare at his closed doors. Ace wasn¡¯t sure how to take it in. He was a hero? A real one who children were taught about? It sounded so bizarre. He was an assassin, more like a madman as he took no requests. He killed, not saved so how did he become a saviour? Ace was only cover for Silver Wing... When had it changed around? He shook his head and left this place, using [Radiant Step] and getting on a roof. The people around were just confusing him more and he already had enough problems with Monthu. Only him since the rest of the group would follow whatever he decided. They might be more outspoken than before he had joined them but not that much. He half flew, half ran on around the roofs of the city. He went from one corner of it to the other but didn¡¯t get down. People sometimes noticed him and shouted out in wonder or recognition. He waved a few times at them but that was all. He had had enough conversations for one day. As that thought entered his mind, he felt tiredness wash over him. He looked around for a fitting roof and in moments saw one. Half of it was fallen in but the chimney still stood and could work perfectly as a windbreak. He took out some old cloak and spreading it under himself curled into a ball to sleep. It didn¡¯t take him long and soon he was lost to the world. Somewhere another person also wished for that in vain. He was in a meeting now and the five people before him looked anything but agreeable. ¡°Give us time to consider your preposition. If you could please wait outside while we come to a decision¡± one of them in a green wizard¡¯s robe said. Monthu knew him as Sir Doran, earth mage and council head. A man you didn¡¯t want to cross. ¡°As you wish¡± he said and with a small bow left. Outside he was met by his childhood friends and worried eyes of his little brother. He sat down next to him, pushing a hand through his own hair. He was sure there was exhaustion written all over his face. ¡°How did it go?¡± Aurora asked tentatively. She was sitting with Hawk opposite him and eyeing his tired appearance. ¡°Not as bad as it could have been¡± he answered, leaning back against his seat. ¡°There¡¯s a good chance they will agree, they keep us in very high regard. But they need to keep their pride so they¡¯ll try to drag it out, make me sweat for it.¡± She nodded at that but didn¡¯t turn her eyes away. There was still one more thing they wanted an update on. Something he didn¡¯t want to even start thinking about. He was somewhat angry at the kid for that stunt he pulled. Ace was usually uncontrollable and did what he wanted but he had never went this far before. He guessed the kid wasn¡¯t innocent from the way he portrayed himself at the beginning and then after what had happened in this very same Vascas castle. At that time he had had a hard time believing it had been actually the kid¡¯s work. How could one person kill over twenty people and three times that number or more of goblins? It sounded illogical but this was a game. He decided the kid had sprung some traps and hunted them down one by one like all players did to kill monsters. He had tried to ignore the fact that some of them had been human players and with all the trouble with Vera it had left his mind all together. He had remembered days later after Ace¡¯s return and it would have been unfair of him to kick the kid out when he was on his best behaviour. Now he wondered if he had made a mistake back then. To kill in a game was nothing special, they were created to let players experience the primal joy of hunting, being the strongest of all. However, with the arrival of virtual reality the blurred line between killing and hunting became a stark one. Monsters were created very realistic but not enough to make people disgusted by killing them too much. It was a way to show who to fight but not everyone followed that lead. Some still became player killers and richer than most other players even with all the downsides of being hunted by bounty hunters and not being allowed into cities. But not everyone could do it. In this game, when one killed another, he would feel his weapon passing through another¡¯s skin, cutting blood vessels and piercing heart. He would hear the sound¡¯s sliced body would make and smell the blood. It wasn¡¯t something for the faint harder for sure. Most players weren¡¯t up to it. Monthu himself wasn¡¯t sure he would be up to the task. It was just too sickening. And the kid had killed like it was nothing. As if he didn¡¯t feel anything. And not even a random person but someone who he knew from reality. Real life... It was hard for him to grasp the idea of killing someone you know personally. It would be too realistic and then meeting that person in real life... To say it would be complicated would be an understatement. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. But it didn¡¯t seem to matter to the kid. He had simply stabbed the girl and been done with it. He wanted to abandon him instantly for that, he was dangerous, but there was other things to consider. The kid did have an unusual bringing up. There was something really wrong with his family and those around him. It would be horrible of him to destroy someone else¡¯s haven, a place they could be in peace and rest for a moment but at the same time Monthu¡¯s first concern was his brother and Ace was dangerous. Something like entering a duelling tournament would have never gained his approval but at least he understood it. There was meaning behind it. A simple wish to play around, try yourself out and, though it was dangerous, it was in a way good for his brother, made him happier and the kid had stopped it all once it became dangerous. But he couldn¡¯t say the same about killing an innocent girl. It was evident in Ace¡¯s face that he despised her, his eyes turning from soft sky blue into sharp whiteness of ice, but it didn¡¯t excuse his actions. Especially when she seemed innocent enough. Vera had been forceful and pushy, someone it was easy not to like. But this girl was shy, childhood sweetheart type with wide eyes, small nose and open, heart shaped face. It made one feel protective of her from the first glance. And he had killed her. Whatever he thought it always came back to it. The kid had killed and didn¡¯t seem to care about it at all. There had been no explanation, though Monthu doubted he would have wanted to hear one. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Hawk asked, quietly. The answer was obvious but the guy liked to be sure. ¡°Him¡± Monthu answered as his brother grasped his hand. He glanced at his brother to see trust in his eyes, he would believe anything that his brother decided on. ¡°Do you think he had a reason to act like that?¡± Hawk asked again. Aurora looked at them both and stood up to take Par by hand. ¡°We¡¯ve had enough sitting and riding for years to come, I¡¯m sick and tired so let¡¯s go walk around the city. What do you say?¡± she asked and Par stood up to go with her. He was a good kid, unlike the other one they knew. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a good reason to kill¡± Monthu answered once the two had left. ¡°I¡¯d give an exception for him¡± Hawk said to Monthu¡¯s surprise. ¡°I thought you hated him. When did that change?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hate him¡± Hawk said with a sour smile. ¡°I just don¡¯t like what he stands for.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°Living one¡¯s life to the fullest, doing whatever is on your mind and enjoying it to the maximum.¡± Monthu shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s no way to live.¡± Hawk nodded. ¡°I agree but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that it¡¯s tempting. I¡¯ve never seen a person before who actually does every single thing he feels like doing. He doesn¡¯t care what anyone thinks of him for that or if its logical or moral. He just does it and tries to fix the situation afterwards.¡± ¡°And we let him do that¡± Monthu said. ¡°We let him back in as if nothing had happened after each of his stunts.¡± ¡°And that says a lot about us and humans in general too. We would forgive anything that doesn¡¯t pass a certain line. Anything and yet we all try so hard to please others and worry about our images.¡± Monthu smiled slightly at that. ¡°Leave the human nature problems to psychologists.¡± His muscles relaxed as he looked straight to his friend. ¡°But what is that line you mention? What can no longer be forgiven?¡± ¡°Whatever we decide it is¡± Hawk answered instantly. ¡°The kid clearly has no taboos but that doesn¡¯t mean we shouldn¡¯t either. We should have pin pointed the behaviour we won¡¯t tolerate from the very beginning. Monthu now fully laughed out loud after hearing that. ¡°Would you have ever thought to tell a kid he should not kill people in your presence?¡± There was a sheepish look on Hawk¡¯s face at that. ¡°He¡¯s not a normal kid.¡± ¡°True, but I¡¯m not sure how much that changes anything. He might have problems that are too much for us and we should just leave him to solve them on his own or people qualified to help him.¡± Hawk shook his head violently. ¡°And who that would be? That crazy suffocating rapier girl? I would hesitate about giving my worst enemy to her and I¡¯ve known some nasty people.¡± ¡°So you think I should let him stay? Just like that, pretending like nothing happened?¡± Monthu asked in a raised voice, his tiredness bringing out the short-temperament in him. He tried to shake it off but it was hard. He leaned his head against the wall, closing his eyes for a moment. He was just so tired. His exams were coming up in a couple of weeks, he had to decide where and what internship he was going to choose, take care of his little brother while listening to his parents ordering him around and explaining what a disappointment he was. On top of that he had to play this game with his brother for hours. It had its own problems too such as a lack of income, weapons turning blunt from use and lords that help you only for a price. And if that wasn¡¯t enough Ace just had to go and kill someone. So now he had to move his turtle quick brain and think of a decision. One that didn¡¯t make him feel like a monster but was also done keeping his brother in mind. ¡°When was the last time you slept?¡± Hawk asked from somewhere nearby and Monthu opened his eyes again. ¡°Sleep? What is that?¡± he asked mockingly. ¡°I meant it. You look like shit.¡± ¡°Thanks¡± Monthu murmured with a thin smile. He was letting himself relax now that he was alone, or well with someone he would trust with anything, and that was clearly not a pretty sight. Even in a game where physical traits from real life wasn¡¯t transferred. He didn¡¯t want to know how he looked outside. ¡°You should take a rest for the next few days. We can stay in this city while you rest. Par won¡¯t mind helping people of this place.¡± Monthu shook his head at that. ¡°I would spend that time studying, anyway. There¡¯s no point to it.¡± Hawk didn¡¯t look happy hearing that. ¡°You¡¯re human also. You need some rest or one day you won¡¯t log in and I¡¯ll find you in a hospital. And you know I hate them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll manage. Leave my schedule alone. Better help me decide what to do with that idiot. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be back in moments.¡± ¡°Ask him what he was thinking. If anything.¡± Monthu shook his head. ¡°You can¡¯t explain killing an innocent person.¡± Hawk stood up then, coming closer. ¡°Give him a chance. He deserves it from us for being part of the group for so long.¡± He then turned around and left through the doors with a few parting words. ¡°Take a rest for a few hours now at least. It won¡¯t be as good as in real life but still something.¡± ~ Five or so hours later Monthu left the building, his dealings with the Council somewhat done. Outside the building his brother was waiting with Hawk and Aurora. ¡°Have you seen him?¡± he asked with a tired sigh. ¡°We should be leaving.¡± ¡°It seems like he¡¯ll have to catch up¡± Hawk said, shrugging. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to sit around waiting for him. The horses have rested and are ready for travel.¡± ¡°Bring them here then¡± Monthu said, moving to stand beside them. ¡°We¡¯ll leave now.¡± ¡°What about me then?¡± Ace asked, landing on the ground. After learning to walk on air he was using it more and more often. It was almost like flying though not exactly that. Monthu closed his eyes for a moment, giving himself another second to think but there was no new ideas in his head. ¡°What about you?¡± Ace tilted his head, not sure what that question was supposed to signify. ¡°Am I free to follow?¡± ¡°How could we stop you?¡± That was truth but not what Ace had been waiting to hear and he wasn¡¯t sure how to take it. Was he being forgiven? Or did Monthu¡¯s actions showed his uncaring as in he no longer thought of Ace as his team mate? Or was there a third option he wasn¡¯t seeing? Before Ace could decide on a way to react once again, Hawk came back with the horses. There were four of them. Ace¡¯s one was missing. That wasn¡¯t good news. He ignored it and while the others got on their horses, he ate a mana regeneration amplifying potion and another that decreased stamina usage. He could go and get a horse himself too but it looked wrong to him. If they didn¡¯t want him in the same basket as they were, he wasn¡¯t going to get in himself. It wouldn¡¯t be too hard to run all the way on his own feet when his team had such horses. Those poor things barely even moved. The group started moving and he cast [Radiant Step] but it wasn¡¯t only his wish to level up the skill that made him do it. The other reason was that it was much simpler to run on his fields than ground. There were no rough patches, hidden holes or uneven surface there. That made the running swifter and less energy consuming. Exactly what he needed at the moment. The pace Monthu set was the same as the old one and Ace could easily keep up. He thought about running ahead or playing around in the air but decided against it. He needed to hold up for a long while. This was a test of perseverance. Monthu thought about getting rid of him by simply making him feel unwelcome, ignored almost but it wasn¡¯t going to work. He was stronger than that. Or so he believed before his patience was tested in the most brutal way. Mindlessness. That was his number one enemy on the journey. It wasn¡¯t like no one talked to him. In contrast, they acted as if nothing had happened. At first it was fine but the running soon took it¡¯s toll on him and he had to pay attention to continue on moving. Never in his life before had he done anything like this. It was simple exercise for hours on end. His muscles didn¡¯t hurt from exertion but his mind did. He had to repeat the motions again and again. Minutes, hours, days turned into one single mess as he refused to get a horse in the villages they¡¯d passed. He had deemed this as a challenge and hated himself for it but didn¡¯t back down. He had to finish it no matter what. ¡°You okay?¡± Aurora asked him on the fourth day and he just nodded. His stamina was high but the monotone movements were making him go crazy. ¡°How far away are we from that stupid city?¡± he asked her. ¡°A few more days¡¯ journey if we won¡¯t encounter any problems.¡± ¡°We better don¡¯t¡± Ace muttered under his breath. It was hard doing this and he wasn¡¯t sure he could start it up again. For better or worse nothing happened and they managed to reach the city of Angels without any incident. The place was surrounded by a thick white wall that Ace deemed to be no match for him. He flew up to it¡¯s top and descended on the other side so he didn¡¯t have to pay the entrance fee. It was stupid and rewarded him with more than a few curious looks but he was just too happy to be finished with his running. He just found a closest bench and sat down with a heavy sigh. He was done. He had managed to get here without using any horse and in a timely manner. It was nice and all but what now, he wondered looking around. As L had mentioned this place was mad about winged humans. Only from his sitting place he could see two sculptures, one fountain, three paintings and dozens of ornaments adorning houses. They were put everywhere - on windows, roofs as guardians or weather wanes. The passer-bys mostly wore white and other light colours, there was nothing dark in this place. It shone like a lamp and hurt Ace¡¯s eyes. He hated pretended purity. No one was perfect, especially those who said they were. In ten minutes Monthu showed up with the others and Ace joined them on their way to the city elder. People glanced their way with undisguised disgust as most of them wore dark clothes. Only Aurora and Ace was exempt of their contempt. The red of Par¡¯s robe seemed to remove any kind of affection the people might have felt for him. ¡°You don¡¯t have an appointment. Make one and come back on the correct time, only then can you meet the city elder. Please abide by the rules¡± some official told them as they entered a church to the angels that looked more like a castle. It didn¡¯t give off the feeling of serenity with it¡¯s thick walls and small windows even if everything was coloured white. ¡°But we¡¯ve come a long way to meet him. We¡¯ve got news of utmost importance to your city¡± Monthu argued, not moving an inch from his position. Whatever he was in real life, it was clear he¡¯d had dealings with people of the higher society that just didn¡¯t give a damn about you. ¡°Is it some knew knowledge about any of the angels? If so, we might squeeze you in some time later today. Tell me which one is it?¡± the man asked with an exited look on his face. Monthu shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not about angels. It¡¯s ab-¡± ¡°Not angels?¡± the man asked in surprise, his eyes narrowing into slits. ¡°What are you doing here asking for an audience with his holiness then? We don¡¯t need any free-loaders like you! This place is dedicated to the holy ones!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to disrespect your beliefs. They are an important matter but there¡¯s a world outside too and a war brewing right outside your gates.¡± ¡°So what?¡± the official asked in a nonchalant manner.¡±If something horrible comes our way, the angels will save us for our belief in them.¡± Monthu looked sceptical at that. ¡°And what if they don¡¯t? What will you do then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not up to us to decide. Most likely the elder will declare a mass cleansing and we¡¯ll gather for a mass prayer to clean ourselves of sin. We¡¯ll be forgiven then if we truly repent.¡± ¡°By whom?¡± Ace asked from the back. ¡°Forgiven by whom?¡± ¡°The angels of course!¡± the man said and Ace smiled sardonically, hiding behind Hawk. These people were so stupid. Gods didn¡¯t care about humans of this world. And even if they did, angels had only been a failed creation. They didn¡¯t have any power. Praying to them was the same as praying to clouds for rain or sun for a clear day. Absolutely pointless. ¡°No matter¡± the man said, turning back to Monthu. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to share our beliefs so please leave this holy place. Only the ones with their souls clean and minds open are aloud to stay here.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so rash with throwing them out¡± someone said from a balcony up ahead and everyone¡¯s eyes rose up to look at the newcomer. It was a young man in his early twenties with a mane of black hair and sparkling green eyes. ¡°I think they know more than they let on.¡± ¡°Master Horin¡± the official said with a bow in the general direction of the guy. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± ¡°Kid, the one in the red robe¡± the youngster from above said sitting down on the railing with a wide smile as Par¡¯s eyes¡¯ widened at being the one identified. ¡°Yes, you. Reveal your right hand.¡± The boy did as told and a white feathered bracelet came into view. It shone with a distinctive aura that came from some inner light. When the young man jumped off the balcony and landed next to the kid, it tripled. Next Chapter 6.8 Angel Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Last time I forgot to mention this, but look at that cover! My friend made it for me and its amazing beyond words! ^^ Characters Titles and Abilites **** Monthu pushed Par behind himself, away from the stranger. As he did that, the bracelet darkened. ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± a middle aged man asked entering the cathedral. He had long white hair past his shoulders and a beard that went close to his knees. His white robe brushed the ground as he went, cleaning it. The young man that had jumped from the balcony smiled wide. ¡°I knew that I was right! Holy energy wasn¡¯t circling him for no reason!¡± ¡°Who is he?¡± the official who had been trying to shoo them away asked, looking at Par with wonder in his eyes. ¡°Is he the chosen one?¡± Ace burst out laughing at that. Chosen one? What was this place? The old man gave him a glare but otherwise didn¡¯t acknowledge his action. ¡°It is unknown whether he is the chosen one. However, he¡¯s clearly marked. Something that hasn¡¯t happened for the last couple of ages.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a sign!¡± Horin, the young man said excitedly. ¡°The angels are returning to the land again!¡± Ace laughed. It was so stupid. Angels returning? It wasn¡¯t known if they had even existed. He chuckled again as he thought about how Par had gotten his bracelet. It had been a simple illusion without any interaction from the gods. Or angels for that matter. ¡°Take this disrespectful youth from my eyes. We have more important matters to attend,¡± the old man said in a condescending tone, glaring at Ace. ¡°Bring the little kid. We need his story.¡± ¡°Yes, Elder¡± the official with Horin said in unison, bowing. They then went to try and shoo Ace away with the rest of the group while trying to separate Par from Monthu. It showed up to be in vain but their effort was commendable. The elder looked annoyed at that. He watched his underlings struggling for a bit longer before waving them off and coming closer himself. ¡°What do you want? Why are you not letting the boy bring us the knowledge that belongs to us?¡± If looks could kill, the glare Monthu gave the elder would have sent him to heaven ten times over. But, it wasn¡¯t so, and he took a step to block his brother better. ¡°Nothing belongs to you. If you want something, you have to pay for it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just like you¡± the man said with a sneer, his face turning into an ugly mask. ¡°Adventurers¡± he hissed with enough venom to kill concentrated in that single word. ¡°Elder?¡± Horin asked, taking a step away. There was confusion on his young face as he watched his mentor losing face. The man noticed that and put on a mask. ¡°It is nothing. Find what these adventurers want and then report to me.¡± The young man bowed and the elder, glaring at Ace one last time, left the room in a dignified manner. ¡°Follow me¡± the official said, waving to make his point clearer. Monthu went after him so the rest of the group followed. Ace did the same, just slower. He looked around while walking and wandered off a couple of times before they reached their destination - a small room, someone¡¯s study. ¡°Please, tell me what is it you want for your information. We don¡¯t have much as we care little for worldly matters but we¡¯ll try our best to fulfil your wish,¡± he said sitting down behind a desk and picking an empty paper. There was an ink bottle on the desk with a feather pen prepared for use. The official picked it and held up, ready to write. ¡°So what is it you want for the kid¡¯s knowledge?¡± Monthu stayed silent for a moment, clearly thinking of how to act. Ace smiled at the choices provided. The guy could simply tell the truth, that it was all a scam and they knew nothing about angels. That would be the most moral thing to do. But it wouldn¡¯t achieve their purpose. So Monthu could ask for L¡¯s conditions to be met and then tell the truth. Yet it would be using people. To prevent that a lie could be told, something that was half truth and half not. But could Monthu do that? It would be the best for everyone, the city won¡¯t hate them and L would have it under his wing. But it would be lying and something the straight forward guy wasn¡¯t in favour of. What then would be his choice? Morality or usefulness? ¡°We need you to consider joining Lasran city¡¯s lord. He¡¯s standing up against Marion that is taking over all the lands in his path. If someone doesn¡¯t follow him, he¡¯s not afraid to take the place by brute force and in both ways of take over he puts immense taxes on all the citizens.¡± The man wrote down every single word and showed it to Monthu. ¡°Is this correct? And is this all?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Monthu said, glancing over the paper turned his way. Ace took a look at it too as it was pushed to him for signing. Apparently, they all had to write their names to make it an official thing. He was the last one so he learned that Monthu had a nice handwriting along with Aurora while Par¡¯s was a scribble. If he hadn¡¯t known what the word was, there would have been no way he¡¯d understood it. It almost felt like the kid hadn¡¯t actually had any practice in it. His own letters were decent enough. They were simple and straight without any beautiful lines or fancy circles. ¡°Thanks for doing this. Can you come this evening to relay the information you have about the angel bracelet? The Elder is busy the rest of the day.¡± It sounded fishy to Ace since the guy had just randomly ventured into the church but he kept his silence. It wasn¡¯t his problem if they were going to be scammed. He had gold enough and L¡¯s favour mattered little to him. He was thinking of betraying the guy anyway. ¡°That is fine,¡± Monthu said with a nod. ¡°Contact us in one of the inns and we¡¯ll come.¡± Ace smiled at that. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. The official was trying to show off his dominance while Monthu was firing back at him, proving that it was actually him with the stronger cards in hand. They left the church then and went their separate ways. Ace thought about following them but decided against it. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to listen to Par and pretend everything was fine in their friendship. He knew full well that no one had forgiven him and just didn¡¯t know how to get rid of him without bringing down his wrath. He was a monster and he knew it full well himself. If they tried to forcefully remove him from their group like a rotting limb, he wouldn¡¯t go down quietly. It would cost them and most likely more than they were willing to pay. He sneaked away and around the city till he found what he was looking for, a large mirror. It allowed him to pass and appear in a dusty room in the Duke¡¯s manor. He had remembered the mirror from the time in the ball and recreated him in his memory to the smallest detail so he would come to the right place. Or so he hoped. There was no way to really tell where he had ended up short of just going and seeing. It wasn¡¯t like he had anything better planned so he went and did just that. The door to the outside was locked so he used his rusty lock picking skills. The light from [Flare] was good enough and it didn¡¯t take him more than a couple of minutes to escape the dark, dusty room. Outside he was met by a richly furnished corridor with dozens of doors in each side. Ace ignored them all and went ahead, circled a bit without really known the castle¡¯s layout but finally noticed a more used path. There were a couple of servants walking with trays in their hands. Ace decided to follow them under the [Shadow Veil], hoping that they would unknowingly show him the way back. Their path led him, however, to the chambers of the lord of the place. Ace sneaked a glance in and had one of his answers. This was really the right place as no more than a few meters away from him The Duke sat in bed with his wife. She was a pretty lade even in her late forties with shining blonde hair and soft, friendly features. The two seemed to be deep in conversation about whether they should really trust Marion so Ace left them to it and retraced his steps to where he had met the servants. He chose the path they had come from and after a few faulty turns, almost run ins with rushing servants and a couple of wasted moments staring at paintings, he finally made it out. Still under the veil he moved deeper into the city and for the first time wondered how he was supposed to find Skele. He had promised to do it but words were always easier than actions. The place might be empty of people but it was still a huge city. It would take days to comb it all out. He ran around on the rooftops for a bit, wondering how to proceed. The city felt lifeless with most of its people having run away to the next one. First it had been the problems with Duke and The Priest fighting for power and then Marion had come, supporting the Duke and removing his opposition. That should have helped the people, calmed the place down but somehow it had made everything worse instead. To see a living being at day time became an unusual encounter. Any person that stayed behind these walls hid in basements, scared to take a look outside or else they might lose their life to the players. It was hardly that dangerous any longer with the players having left but no one was brave enough to see it for themselves. They had lived in fear for far too long. However, it was the best atmosphere for Ace. He felt at home in this desolate place where hope had become a foreign concept. He smiled and continued on, jumping and moving in the air, barely touching any roofs. ¡°You¡¯re late¡± a voice said from behind him and Ace whirled around, his daggers blocking an attack that never came. There was a man in his late twenties with wind chiselled features and warm sea-green eyes. He wore a dark red coat that was in stark contrast with the miserable surroundings. ¡°Skele?¡± Ace asked in surprise, hands falling to his sides, daggers disappearing from them. ¡°I was expecting you earlier,¡± the man said, grumbling. ¡°What took you so long?¡± Ace shrugged. ¡°There were complications. So have you found anything interesting?¡± The man shook his head at that. ¡°I looked everywhere but if there had ever been anyone in the know, they¡¯re long gone. It had happened twenty years ago.¡± Ace¡¯s eyes narrowed at that. ¡°You know who they were all those years ago! You¡¯ve met them! How can you not find them again?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve moved. He had been a minor lord, nothing too special and after my destruction they seem to have abandoned the place. There is nothing left there but ruins.¡± ¡°You sure of it? What about people that had lived around? Don¡¯t they have anything to say?¡± ¡°There are no people around. Everyone has run away because of the fighting.¡± Ace rolled his eyes at that. The skeleton seemed to have forgotten the main thing about humans, having been separated from them for so long. There was simply no way to get rid of humans. They were like cockroaches, immune to everything and managing to hide in the smallest of holes until they could return anew with their offspring in tow. ¡°Show me where they have lived,¡± Ace said, turning away from the man and looking over the city. It was afternoon now and the sun still shone brightly, lightening the empty corners of the place. Skele nodded at the request and led Ace farther away from the centre of the city. The necromancer was using levitation while the kid jumped from one field to another. It took them some ten minutes to get to their destination, a house supposedly. However, what met Ace¡¯s eyes was a huge pile of ruins. There were remnants of a tower, half of it burned and fallen to the ground. A wall of a building stood on one side, hiding the place from north winds. ¡°You did all of this? Alone?¡± Ace asked, coming down to stand on the ground. Or well more like rocks and blocks that once had been building parts. There were parts of rotten furniture lying around that for some reason had been left to rot by scavengers. Skele nodded. ¡°I was mad at the time. She had betrayed me. And the fact that she believed words of a good for nothing like that foolish knight rather than mine only hurt more.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re not now? Mad I mean,¡± Ace asked, tilting his head to take a better look at Skele. With the right eye he could see through all the layers of illusion he¡¯d created but there was nothing there. Red glowing eyes and featureless skull with a few white washed hair on it. It took Skele a while to answer and to Ace¡¯s delight his voice showed all the emotion that he wanted to know about. ¡°I am,¡± whispered the mage in a dangerously low voice. There was no malice in it but the chill radiating from it could have frozen kingdoms. The hatred wasn¡¯t buried too deep even after years of hiding away it seemed. Ace nodded at it and went to look around but found nothing that would catch his attention. The pile of boulders was clearly this way for a long while now and no longer had anything interesting left in it. He then moved to nearby buildings. They were small huts made for servants. The closest ones were destroyed but after a certain distance everything was without a scratch. It almost looked like a hurricane had been contained at the centre, near the manor while some kind of shield prevented it from escaping outside. These protected houses was what Ace had been looking for. The fact that they still seemed to be in quite good condition meant that someone recently had lived in them and he wanted to meet them. He was sure that of a more than a dozen houses present, one would be inhabited. These residents would have stayed after the manor destruction so a bit of conflict in town couldn¡¯t have scared them away. It seemed like a smart thought but as time went by Ace was starting to believe he¡¯d misjudged these people. There wasn¡¯t even a scent of anyone being here for the last couple of weeks. He searched all the nooks and crannies, listening with his enhanced hearing for the smallest of sounds but there was nothing. No living soul resided in these houses or it was hidden too well, under layers and layers of ground so no sound could pass through. ¡°I looked through here. They all have left,¡± Skele said after Ace left another house with an annoyed expression on his face. ¡°You¡¯re just wasting time.¡± ¡°Maybe¡± Ace agreed eyeing the sky. The sun was starting to settle down and urging him to return to the city of angels. There was a show waiting for him there. Yet he wanted to finish with this first. There had to be some clue around. He moved away to the road and entered another house but this one hadn¡¯t belonged to the manor. It was made for servants of some other lord. And like he had had an inkling, from somewhere below there was a barely audible sound of whispering voices. It would have been impossible to notice for most players but those with special skills that increased hearing and Ace had one of them, [All Ears]. It led him down to the basement and then after a few minutes searching around he found a latch opening a hiding place. ¡°Well, hello there¡± he said cheerfully, descending into the darkness on stairs made of invisible fields. [Flare] lit the place and he saw five pairs of frightened eyes focus on him. They belonged to a group of elders behind which a couple of children hid. Skele came after him, levitating down with his magic. He looked around but said nothing, letting Ace have his say. ¡°We came here to ask you a few questions,¡± he said but noticing the terrified looks added. ¡°We¡¯ll pay generously for any bit of information you can provide us with.¡± It didn¡¯t seem to have removed all worry from the faces as Ace had thought it would, but one of the woman stood up. She was his height with age wrinkled skin and small, glistening eyes. ¡°What is it you want to know?¡± ¡°Have you worked here twenty years ago?¡± he asked letting [Flare] circle the room so he could see if anyone was hiding in the corners. There was nothing there but he became aware of the poverty these people lived in. They had only a few blankets, one small pile of dried meat and no candles or anything. They were living in the dark. The thought made him shudder and he returned his attention to the woman. She was following his every move with her dark eyes that seemed to see through one¡¯s soul. They made him uncomfortable but he didn¡¯t turn away. ¡°So did you?¡± ¡°I did¡± she finally said in a distrustful tone and didn¡¯t elaborate more. He was clearly going to have to drag each word out of her. ¡°Do you know what happened to the lady daughter of the manor beside yours?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about things that happened in a households not my own,¡± she said with a glare his way. Was it a sore subject? You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Whatever. He needed that information to finish the quest and if bribery was going to be required to achieve it, he didn¡¯t really care. ¡°I have food and candles that I could spare.¡± The woman thought for a moment but shook her head. ¡°We would gladly take those things of your hands but we have nothing to give you in exchange. We weren¡¯t privy to the gossip of the other houses.¡± Ace tried a few more approaches but all of them ended the same. This was one stubborn woman. He then decided to go the other way. If being good didn¡¯t work, it was prime time to turn into the devil. He dashed forward and before anyone knew better he had one of the kids in his hands, Kris held to his neck. The woman screamed along with others as they noticed what happened, other kids started crying but Ace held his hostage in a tight grip. He really hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to kill the little boy but there was no guarantee. Examples sometimes had to be made. ¡°I tried being nice but you didn¡¯t want that. Your choice. Now either you tell me what I want to know or this kid is going for a long sleep.¡± The boy hiccuped, snivelling up. He was terrified. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± the old woman said but her voice wavered at the end. ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± he said with a malicious smile. ¡°Have you ever gambled before?¡± ¡°No,¡± the woman said in a shaky voice, shaking her head. ¡°Then are you sure you want to start now?¡± he asked in a nonchalant manner, his smile turning back to a friendly one as he drew blood from the boy¡¯s neck. The kid whimpered and one of the woman lunged forward. Ace twisted, evading her pathetic attempt at attack and kicking her in the side. He did that without thinking of who he was fighting and heard the sound of breaking bones. He closed his eyes for a moment at that. It hadn¡¯t been his intention but there was no going back now. ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± he said in a low voice, slightly similar to the one Skele had used before. ¡°Darllin¡± someone cried and rushed to the fallen woman¡¯s side. They then started crying together and whimpering intensified below Ace¡¯s dagger. It drew even more blood as Ace couldn¡¯t move the dagger away without losing his image while the kid couldn¡¯t stay still with sobs racking his body. The situation was getting worse and worse yet the old woman was still hesitant to reveal her story. What could she possibly know that would be worth sacrificing her people for? ¡°I¡¯m getting bored here now,¡± he said, aiming those words at her. She stared at him with a haunted expression in her stricken face. ¡°Do it then, kill us all and be done with it.¡± Ace could have done it but it would have gained him nothing and there were simpler ways to kill people. ¡°Sure but know that I will go to the next house and the next, finding those that know something and killing all that won¡¯t feel like sharing. And you know what? I¡¯m sure someone will falter, making your sacrifice pointless. Do you want that to happen?¡± The woman¡¯s face twisted into a mask of sorrow, her lower lip trembling. She then glanced towards her fallen friend, her back or something broken and then back to Ace who stood unapologetic with his dagger next to the boy¡¯s neck. ¡°You¡¯re serious about this, aren¡¯t you?¡± she asked in a voice betraying her inner turmoil. Ace nodded at that. He wasn¡¯t kidding. ¡°Why is it you need that information so badly?¡± Ace pointed with his head at Skele, the red coated guy that had been staying quietly for this whole time. ¡°He¡¯s Worglan Harbert.¡± ¡°Harbert?¡± the woman asked with her hand over her heart, taking a few steps back. ¡°It cannot be!¡± Ace tilted his head to get a better look. ¡°Why not? The guy had been planning his vengeance for years. Wouldn¡¯t siring a bastard achieve one of the things he was seeking?¡± She shook her head violently at that. ¡°I knew that boy myself. He was faithful to a fault. There¡¯s not a chance he¡¯d betray her even after what she¡¯d done and his only child...¡± She hiccuped, unable to finish the sentence. ¡°What child?¡± Skele asked, coming forward to hold the woman by her shoulders. There was madness in his glowing red orbs and the woman shuddered in his hands. ¡°Tell me!¡± he shouted out angrily, shaking her violently. Ace dropped his boy then, pushing him to the side and went to Skele, making him release the woman. ¡°She¡¯s old, a stronger wind can break her in half so stop shaking her like that if you want answers.¡± He then turned to the woman. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d start talking. He doesn¡¯t seem like a patient fellow to me.¡± ¡°Is he really the son of Froyan?¡± she asked instead of answering, her face pale white. ¡°You can say that so do you mind telling us the story now?¡± She nodded slowly, her eyes wide open. ¡°He died in birth.¡± Worglan¡¯s hands tightened into fists, his eyes closing shut with a drawn-in breath. Ace wasn¡¯t sure what that meant so he returned his attention to the woman. She looked crazed out and no longer caring what she was saying. ¡°When the lady returned, she was alone, having left her lover behind. I was no one back then but the gossip spread far and wide that she returned with child. Her father had ordered to kill the newborn on sight and she¡¯d agreed to it relieved. Her maids were shocked by that and found her actions despicable. ¡°Everyone knew Froyan and he¡¯d been liked by most because of his simple personality. The actions of the lovers had been deemed as stupidity but still viewed in a rosy light. So when she returned alone and was so eager to get rid of the child, the servants turned from her. ¡°We had said nothing as it wasn¡¯t our place but we no longer supported her. But, it did little do dampen her moods as she soon received dozens of new ones from her new husband. ¡°Then the fight happened and many of us died. We weren¡¯t at fault but died still, and hated Froyan for that. He¡¯d been one of us, a servant but he¡¯d wished for too much. He¡¯d run away with the lord¡¯s daughter. We understood his reasons but that didn¡¯t change our feelings. ¡°None of us wanted to die but there was no way to escape. We were in the way, building parts fell on our heads for no other reason than that we were there. It was horrible but that wasn¡¯t the end. Not even close. ¡°All, who had known about the baby that was killed on birth, were collected and then sworn to secrecy. If anyone was heard saying a word of it, they were killed instantly and their whole families along with them. There were massacres aplenty as someone hadn¡¯t believed the warning.¡± Ace¡¯s lip curled upwards in disgust as he listened to the tale. There was something especially horrible about killing a newborn babe. He tried to imagine that scene. A kid trying to adjust himself to the new world he¡¯d entered. He would still be trying to test his lungs when the air would stop coming. His neck would get broken, air unable to pass through and he¡¯ll turn purplish blue. He would be dead before he would fully learn the most basic of actions, breathing. Ace shook his head in disgust. It was something below the lowest of moral codes. Mindless cruelty. He turned to face Skele to see how he had taken the news. Although the skeletal face didn¡¯t change Ace could have sworn he could see tears welling up in his eyes. ¡°What happened to the body?¡± the guy asked or more like choked out to the woman and she smiled sadly. ¡°The midwife buried your body in the Eastern Park near the lake. She had said it was on a small hill and she¡¯d put a sign to know where it was. I never went there though as I thought that matters of other households did not concern me. Oh, the sweet innocence of youth,¡± she said bitterly and Ace choked, barely containing a laugh. Youth? By the age she was now, it meant she¡¯d been no less than forty back then. In what universe would that age still be youth? Skele, however, didn¡¯t seem to be amused by her remark. He was staring unseeing at the wall before punching it, his bones cracking, and then rushing out. Ace had a feeling he knew where the guy was going. But he did not hurry afterwards. There were a few more questions to be answered. ¡°What happened to the lady? Where is she now?¡± The woman looked at him surprised. ¡°The lady? Oh, her husband died fifteen years ago, so she happily remarried to become a duchess. I heard she has two daughters and a son which resembles the Duke as if he was a perfect copy of him.¡± Duke? Ace couldn¡¯t keep himself and this time chuckled aloud. The only guy he¡¯d liked, he¡¯d found decent had married the wrong woman and now was sentenced to death. It was sad, really, but ironic too. And Ace knew he would kill him no matter what. He had promised Skele to fulfil his wish, to get revenge for him and that was the important part. Other things mattered little in that regard. But it wasn¡¯t the time for that. He had another meeting to which he was late at the moment. He ran out at full speed and found a random mirror to return to angel city. The room was empty like when he had entered all those hours ago and he rushed out to the inn his group had looked like they would stay. When he asked, the innkeeper said they had left a good half an hour ago and Ace cursed. He was more late than he had previously thought. No matter, he made his way to the church. It was empty of the people he was looking for so he returned to questioning the passer-bys. Most knew nothing, but he soon found their track and hurried there. Apparently, Par was told to tell his part of the story so it wasn¡¯t actual lying when the information was given. Ace would have still called that out but it wasn¡¯t he being cheated so he didn¡¯t mind. The important part was that they were then taken to the hill of fallen feathers, where the kid will have to call out to the holy ones. One acolyte had even added that this time the angels were sure to appear. Ace hadn¡¯t believed it one bit but had thanked for the information and moved in the direction told. His path took him outside the city and there he no longer needed any help to locate his friends. The whole road was filled with people walking to the hill and standing around watching, waiting for something to happen. There were especially many near the foot of the hill so Ace rose in the air and using [Radiant Step] reached the top. He watched them for a moment. Par was saying some words after the city elder but nothing caught Ace¡¯s attention so he just dropped to the ground near his team. Ear-splitting silence descended on the whole place as he did that. He looked around trying to understand what was happening but the expressions gave little away. Or more like they were too confusing. Most eyes were full of wonder, tear drops collecting in their corners from joy or relief Ace couldn¡¯t tell. The elder¡¯s look was full of disbelief but there was reverence there too. He looked unsure of whether he should fall down and prostrate himself or scream something outrageous. Monthu, however, seemed to have already made the choice. And it was to look as if he would give anything to be able to face palm himself right about now. ¡°I got myself into some kind of situation, haven¡¯t I?¡± Ace whispered to him and the guy answered with a dry smile. It almost felt like everything was normal again. ¡°Your holiness!¡± one of the priests shouted out and Ace turned to face the city elder. Yet the words had clearly not been aimed at him for the man was still looking at him with that perplexed expression on his face. He then turned to face the caller and met him eye to eye. It was a middle aged portly guy with brown hair falling over his whole face. And he was looking straight at Ace. ¡°Your holiness, please bless us with your true form and let us see what has been denied humanity for so long!¡± he said in a fervent manner, tripping over his own words as he rushed to get them all out. Ace tilted his head as a laugh escaped his mouth. Oh, he had gotten himself into a situation all right. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± he said turning to the guy that had spoken with his eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Why would you refer to me so respectfully?¡± The man looked surprised but not deterred. ¡°The plea has been heard! You¡¯re the one that answered the boy¡¯s call meaning you¡¯re the one that blessed him!¡± ¡®You got one thing right, though I had never blessed him or anything.¡¯ ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m just his friend,¡± he said out aloud, tilting his head as if unable to understand what was happening. The elder then took a step forward, bowing before Ace. ¡°There¡¯s no need for pretending, my lord. We know who you are and you¡¯re safe with us. We¡¯ll never let anything happen to you.¡± Ace¡¯s eyes widened at the words said. ¡°Afraid? I¡¯m not scared of anything. Why should I be?¡± ¡°We know of the horrors your kind had to suffer at the hands of humans and gods alike.¡± Ace had not the slightest idea what they were. ¡°But we¡¯re different. We would never do anything to harm you. You¡¯re our deities.¡± As Ace stayed quiet the man continued. ¡°You have come here in secret, helping those in need but the times have changed. There is a need for you to show your faces to the world and make it see! Your kind deserves to sit on the throne and rule everyone because you know the best. You¡¯re the perfection itself.¡± Ace laughed out loud at that and jumped in the air, his black raven like wings raising dust from the ground. He was perfection itself? Well, that was new. He made a few circles around the top of the hill, carefully timing his fields so it looked like he flew while in truth he thought of what he was planning to do. He had made the illusion to taunt the elder without thinking better of it. Although, he had created a cute picture and a disturbing one at the same time if he could say so himself. He had coal black wings, dark brown hair that fell over his eyes and a black cloak that covered him fully. His cowl was up to hide his face, leaving an amethyst clasp the only colour on him. ¡°You sure talk a lot, old man,¡± he said returning to his earlier position, but instead of landing hovering in the air. It was much harder but he was sure it left a better impression. ¡°Who do you think you are to tell me how to act?¡± ¡°You- you- you¡¯re a Fallen!¡± the man hissed in fear and amazement. His hands rose in waving motions as if he was unsure whether he wanted to touch Ace and see if he was truly there or run away in another direction. Ace smirked at him. ¡°And?¡± The man tried to answer but words failed him. He just sputtered and gaped making Ace roll his eyes. Sadly, it was hidden by the cowl and nobody noticed. He shook his head at the man. ¡°Pathetic. Was your whole talk about revering angels just a lie? You¡¯re just another one of those?¡± He really hoped the man had a supplicant for the word those because he himself had none. ¡°No! No!¡± the elder said in an instant, bowing again and regaining his wits. ¡°Not at all! I was just not expecting to meet one of the highest ranked angels. And you¡¯re so young...¡± Ace wavered in the air, almost falling but catching himself on time. ¡®Highest ranked? I¡¯m a fallen! Is that guy mad or blind?¡¯ But before he could voice his question the man went back to talking nonsense. ¡°I knew you had to be someone special to give away your artefact but to meet a Fallen... There¡¯s no way I could have ever guessed it. I am really sorry for bothering you with the mundane things and disturbing you on your path. Please forgive your servant in his mistake!¡± Ace scrunched his face in thought. It would be so simple to just nod haughtily and be done with it, accepting that without knowing he had made his illusion too good. He dropped to the ground and came to stand right before the elder, a good two feet lower than him. Yet he acted as if it was him in control if he was higher and the one with power. ¡°You called me out. You wanted to see my true form, you made me reveal myself before my companions. Don¡¯t you think a simple sorry is not enough?¡± The man turned pale at the prospect. ¡°I didn¡¯t know! I am sorry! Please forgive me,¡± he pleaded, falling before Ace¡¯s feet and kissing them with tears in his eyes. ¡°Please forgive me! I didn¡¯t know!¡± Ace took a step back, disgusted. ¡°Get away from me, you filth,¡± he hissed, kicking at the man who had reached with his hand to touch him again. This was one messed-up situation he¡¯d gotten himself in. Why in the world was the guy so afraid of the angels he revered so much? Weren¡¯t they the good guys? It was doubtful as the man before him started to wail loudly, tears running down his face in torrents. He then sat up, moving his head in all directions, eyes running wildly around as he took out a dagger from a hidden compartment in his sleeve. And stabbed himself. Ace watched in grave mortification as a smile appeared on the man¡¯s face when he felt his life draining away and their gazes met. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry,¡± he whispered as his eyes closed for the last time. Next Chapter 6.9 Lost Previous Chapter Author''s Note: I found out I''m horrible at planning. I left so much stuff that had be done in this chapter and it kind of got out of hand. Hope you enjoy it ^^ Characters Titles and Abilites **** Ace watched the still body on the ground before him. It was an old man with his eyes closed, lying in the pool of white. His hair had fallen around his head in a circle resembling a halo. There was no colour in him, even his skin was pale white, but for the red stain on his chest. Right where the heart was supposed to be. Crimson blood was rushing out of there, staining the immaculately white robe. Ace followed the trail of red liquid, mystified. What had just happened here? He hadn¡¯t killed the man, hadn¡¯t even planned to. How did it end up like this? His black wings wavered, falling lifeless behind his back. This wasn¡¯t what he had wanted. It wasn¡¯t supposed to happen like this. He opened his mouth to say something, to make sure others understood but there were no words there. Something akin to a squeak escaped instead. He let the wings surround him in a cocoon, pretending they were someone¡¯s warm hug. That they shielded him from the sigh ahead. He hadn¡¯t wanted for that to happen! But his illusion did little to protect him. It kept others away but he could see through it. There was no way to hide behind invisible walls. It was too hard to trust them. There was a sound from nearby. Ace didn¡¯t want to hear it. He turned [All Ears] off instantly and covered his ears. No sound could reach him. But he couldn¡¯t stay like that forever. Sooner or later someone would approach him. They would revere or curse him. Or pity. And he couldn¡¯t take either one. Not now at least. Maybe in a day or two. He closed his eyes and made his wings unfurl in a grandiose manner, raising small rocks and fallen leaves. There was a collective gasp and shuffle of feet as people moved away from him. Only a few stayed in place but Ace didn¡¯t glance at them. He didn¡¯t want to see their faces. He¡¯d done it once before, only a week ago and hadn¡¯t liked what he¡¯d seen there. They didn¡¯t know him. They couldn¡¯t understand his actions. Or see them in any light but the one they were accustomed to. And that wasn¡¯t the one he was using. He flapped his wings a couple more times before raising his head and shooting into the sky. He rose and rose, ignoring the clouds and cold air currents. All he wanted was to go further up. He could do that, couldn¡¯t he? But the air started to thin out. It was becoming hard to breathe and he was forced to lower down. Yet he didn¡¯t leave the cover of the clouds. They damped his clothes and increased the sensation of coldness but Ace didn¡¯t turn [Excessive Heat] on. He flew in the clouds for a while, losing himself in the motions, watching the world below. It was a pretty sight too. The fields stretched far and wide, hand sized cities were littered here and there while humans and monsters alike were smaller than his nails. It was a lovely view but for the first time it didn¡¯t bring him joy. He hadn¡¯t meant for that to happen. Why would the men kill himself anyway? Wasn¡¯t angels supposed to be benevolent and forgiving? Even the fallen ones couldn¡¯t be that bad. Yet why had they been ranked higher than normal angels? The questions were better than other thoughts so Ace decided to investigate them. He took a look around and noticing a pond not too far away flew there. Or jumped, if one wanted to be true to the action. Ace didn¡¯t, he preferred his illusion to reality. He closed his eyes and like a bird of prey noticing his victim dived downwards. There was no hesitation to his movements, no fear of collision or death as he rushed down. His speed increased each moment, making his heart race and forcing him to open his eyes. They were wide and full of innate joy at being able to do this. He was falling like a comet from a sky and knew he would survive. It was better than anything real world could ever offer. A moment before collision he activated [Mirror Walk] and remembered a mirror in Lasran. He knew that city¡¯s library quite well after spending many hours there. First it had been to find a man that fit a female ghost¡¯s description and then to gain knowledge about Vascas castle. He smiled as he remembered those times. It had been fun adventures. And simple. There had been no Vera in the game until then. His thoughts might have wondered for hours more in that direction but the world didn¡¯t allow it. When he had dived into the pond, he hadn¡¯t counted on leaving the mirror at the same speed. It meant he crashed at the wall at the speed reserved for car chases, not entering rooms. His head met the wall and his body twisted into angles it wasn¡¯t supposed to. Not that Ace noticed as his vision swam. Blacked out for a time. There was pain in all parts of his body but the head was the worst. This was a game so his brains hadn¡¯t splattered out on the wall in a grotesque ornament but it didn¡¯t mean, it hadn¡¯t tried to. It smelled of rust, heavily. The thing filled his nostrils and he would have choked on the strength of it if not for the reason his mouth was filled with something else. Was that blood? He coughed it out and his vision swam again, his chest constricting in painful pangs. Through the deliriousness in his mind, he had a feeling a few of his ribs were broken. Internal bleeding was probably there too. Curse was supposed to escape his mouth, but if his clogged ears were anything to come by, the sound was more of a whimper. It angered him and with a surge of energy he opened an item window and reached for a health potion. Fingers curled around the bottle and Ace tried to drag it to his mouth. But the strength in his hand was gone. The bottle slipped and fell to the ground. Shards embedded into Ace¡¯s hand as it lowered there but he barely felt it. There were bigger concerns and the sharpest pain tended to dull all others. One in the head especially. It made his world a murkier place which wouldn¡¯t have been too bad if it hadn¡¯t been growing worse with each passing moment. Pain could be ignored, survived no matter how bad it was, but sight was a necessity. He wanted. No, he needed to see. He had tasted darkness and though he¡¯d survived, it wasn¡¯t something he wanted to feel again. However, his mind was getting fuzzier too. It was starting to become harder to make distinct thoughts, think of ways to survive. Or even to want to. Darkness was enveloping him in a warm embrace and his body wanted to accept it. Relax into it. Ace knew better but it was hard. His body wasn¡¯t listening and the smallest of movements reverberated through his whole being. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to turn numb or something? Why did it still hurt so much? He tried getting a health potion again but this time he didn¡¯t even manage to get it out. His fingers grasped at the slick surface and slipped from it, unable to get a good grip. They were just so unwieldy. Could they be broken? It was hard to say. He would have to raise his head or hand to look at them and he wasn¡¯t capable of either. Now that he noticed that he wondered why. He was half sitting, leaning against something so it shouldn¡¯t have been too hard. Yet no matter how much he struggled his body didn¡¯t move. Was it stuck to the place he lay on? Next to? He didn¡¯t know. What he knew was that each move, made his chest double-up in the amount of pain it sent for the brain to feel. He groaned. It was all so stupid. He hurt. He needed potions. But he couldn¡¯t move. He couldn¡¯t get his hand up any longer! It was pathetic. Was this really him? Dying in a stupid room? In the middle of nowhere? Because he did something mindless once? Something fun? There should have been a curse on his lips. And he tried for it. Curses were good to let out some steam. But he didn¡¯t utter anything. Or if he did, he could no longer hear it. Bright light flashed on him and he closed his eyes. If it wasn¡¯t enough for him to feel like he was being disassembled limb from limb, his eyes were being now assaulted too. There probably was a groan as he felt his throat constricting, paining him more than he had already gotten used to. However, it lasted barely for a moment and then was gone. Ha had learnt something from that. If he didn¡¯t move, the pain stayed the same. No random bursts or anything. That was good. He didn¡¯t mind pain but it was annoying. He felt it, after all. Something moved him. Red flashed in his eyes as he tried to contain a scream that threatened to escape. His whole body shook from the after effects of that slight move. And that made even sharper pain flash through his system. Ice cold liquid ran down the side of his mouth. If he opened his eyes, he could see a blurry form before himself. It was doing something and he could have sworn releasing sounds but nothing reached his muddled brain. The sensors were going out of control. Along with his ability of perception. His mouth was forced open and coldness entered his mouth. He guessed he had to gulp it down but there was that knowledge about the pain. It was going to intensify if he moved those muscles. Now he was sure the blurry thing was making sounds. He could hear them ringing in his ears, meaningless. His body was moved again. Pain coursed through him and a sound escaped his mouth. That is before he started to choke on the liquid that was being poured in him. Coughs racked his body and each one made him wish he was dead. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t hurt so much then. He was shifted again and Ace cursed loudly. And then growled throatily, ¡°Stop.¡± That single sound was enough to discourage the guy who was standing before him and he took a step back. It took Ace a moment to understand what had happened. He could see again. And the pain was gone. Well, the main part of it. His chest was still sending him alarming senses but his other parts, limbs felt fine. He bent his fingers, testing them and felt no resistance. The raised hand looked to be fine too. What had happened here? His head could be moved too, though his body still felt stuck. Shaking his head, he looked down and saw a chair leg sticking from under his right shoulder. The sight made him scrunch his nose and he turned away. And then pushed himself against the wooden stick in his chest. His body moved without much resistance but the pain made him stagger. Hands fell lifeless as he took deep breaths through his nose, teeth clenched to the point of breaking. It had to be done. He couldn¡¯t stay here forever. And curse himself for having pain meter the highest allowable in the game. The pain subsided a bit in time and he opened his mouth to take a breath. It was a shuddering one, making him feel even worse. Instantly he stopped with that and before he could think better of it, pushed himself against the wooden structure behind himself with all his strength. ¡°Pain is... Pain is.. is irrelevant... It.. It passes through... and.. and it¡¯s memory... soon.... very soon... vanishes... from... from your... your mind... You... You have to.. to ignore it... Pain... Pain is... is irrelevant,¡± he whispered as he lay rolled into a ball. The words were jumbled and barely more than exhales but they were there. Something real to focus on. Something that wasn¡¯t pain trying to take him apart. To his immense delight, this was a game. It meant the worst of the wound healed in moments and his mind could start working again. He took another shuddering breath, relaxing his grip on the legs. They strained and he rolled on his back. The ceiling was brown wood and there was light coming from the right. An open doorway. He knew that was dangerous, he was vulnerable now but it was too late. If the person who¡¯d wandered here would have wished to do harm, he would have done it by now. ¡°How long are you going to stand there in the shadow?¡± he asked. Unsurprisingly his voice was still hoarse. He sat up and coughed a couple of times. It did little to help but he had tried. A shadow moved and he turned his eyes in that direction. It was a familiar figure. ¡°Nein,¡± he murmured with a sigh. This guy was dangerous but not to him. At least until he learnt things he didn¡¯t need to know. The guy had a scowl on his face though his face didn¡¯t betray anything. ¡°Wha-¡± he started to say but thought better of it. ¡°You owe me a bottle of water from that cave lake.¡± Ace grimaced. Those bottles were in limited supply. He couldn¡¯t get more even if he wanted to. ¡°Fine,¡± he said and opened his bag. There were still around twenty of them so he took out two. ¡°Here.¡± He threw them to the guy who barely managed to catch them. The guy¡¯s eyebrows rose when he looked at the two bottles. ¡°You saved my life. Such actions should be encouraged.¡± A faint smile touched Nein¡¯s lips. Ace released a satisfied sigh at that and stood up, taking a better look of his surroundings. It was the same storage room he¡¯d remembered, the only difference being that one side was now thrashed to bits. And pushed to one side. Bloodied. He turned away from there. ¡°So what are you doing here?¡± he asked Nein, jogging to stand beside him. The guy rolled his eyes at him. ¡°I work here,¡± he said with a look that spoke volumes. ¡°I was playing around,¡± Ace answered to his unspoken question. ¡°And then it kind of got out of control.¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be in Arenan,¡± Nein said, leading them out of the room. Ace noted that they were moving in the direction leaving the castle, but he kept his quiet. ¡°Arenan?¡± he asked instead. ¡°Is this how the city of angels is called?¡± Nein nodded. ¡°Well, things happened. I wanted some time alone.¡± This seemed to be enough for the guy. He didn¡¯t ask anything else for a while and they walked in comfortable silence. Ace watched their surroundings and was pleasantly surprised. The castle was empty with only the barest minimum of servants walking around. When they left the place, the city was in the same state. It felt like another tournament was being held and it had drawn all the attention. Ace liked it that way but he wondered what was happening. And where they were going. He looked for clues but his hearing seemed to be useless. There was almost no one around. Some players walked past them but they weren¡¯t talking. Ten minutes later they reached what Ace deemed their destination. It was the place where the main tournament had been held. But this time no championship was going there. People were milling around where the arena had stood. It was removed and instead a purple carpet was laid down. It started somewhere outside in the city and led to the dais where the lord had sat before. There the simple chair had been exchanged for a majestic throne. But it wasn¡¯t normal. Instead of golden yellow, it shone in pale grey. And there were two familiarly shaped wings on each side of the throne. They shone silver with a reddish hue in the setting sun. The place surrounding it was also beautified; flowers, ornaments and decorations were strewn all around turning it into a place of dreams. Something out of a fairytale. Or from other lands where kings ruled and abundance was the usual thing. However in Oradin, it wasn¡¯t the case. King was just a figure head and a bad one at that. Nobles tried to imitate the kingly style but it wasn¡¯t the same. They weren¡¯t daring enough. They feared to take a step too far and become the laughing stock. Ace smiled. The authors of this lacked no such thing. Audacity had to be their second name. The sitting places were removed and instead arm rests were made so everyone could lean against them while watching afoot. There was not a single chair around besides the throne. In-between the rows merchants stood with souvenirs. They sold everything from lucky pendants to drinks. Down below craftsmen had their stalls. They had their collections in the open, trying their best to make people buy them. Some had their tools at ready and did small paintings or sculptures at request. It created a wonderful atmosphere and Ace would have loved to go and mingle around, seeing what everyone was up to but his eyes returned to the throne. The wing motive in particular. ¡°What is this?¡± he asked in a whisper. Nein didn¡¯t hear it so he repeated it louder, ¡°What is happening here?¡± The guy sighed heavily at that. Ace tilted his head in return. ¡°I see you read the guild chat just as often as before,¡± Nein said, making his way through the throng of people near the throne. They were making photos with the tools provided by game creators and blocking the path. Soon there were so many of them, there were just no way to move forward. After Nein noticed that, he eyed everyone with annoyance and called someone in chat. ¡°Can you come near the throne? ... Yeah, I can¡¯t get in. ... I have a newcomer too. ... Kid, Perry knows him. ... Yes, yes, ask her about it. ... Leader? I¡¯ll see what I can do about it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t sign up for anything,¡± Ace noted loudly but didn¡¯t try to run away. He needed a distraction. ¡°Can you contact the bard?¡± Nein asked, ignoring his words. Ace thought for a moment before replying. It was easy to create an illusion but if anyone tried to talk to it while he himself was away... ¡°We need him.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be a disaster waiting to happen,¡± Ace murmured quietly but Nein didn¡¯t hear it over the crowd. ¡°Sure,¡± he said then, loudly now and pretended to be writing a message in the air. He created a field so his fingers could touch something and look more realistic. They stood there for a couple more moments before a loud booming voice could be heard from the front. ¡°Get out of my way! Move! Move! Person walking! Move!¡± Ace felt like he had heard that voice before. Soon it approached them and Ace saw a dark haired beefy guy walking their way. He had twin swords at his sides and looked like he had left mid-changing. He wore black, sharp nosed boots, long white socks up to his knees and rich looking breeches. They were dark grey and embroidered with designs of weapons, wings and random whirling lines. However, the noble look was destroyed if one looked higher up and was met by his bare chest. It was well-defined and all but didn¡¯t go well with the noble outlook he was clearly going for. ¡°Michael,¡± Nein said with a nod of his head at his approach. The guy patted him on the back, making the mage stagger. ¡°Thanks for saving me for a moment at least. Your girl is damn crazy! She¡¯s going to make this perfect or we¡¯ll all going to hell.¡± Nein rolled his eyes at that. ¡°She¡¯s not my girl,¡± he said pointedly and motioned for the big guy to make them a path. It had already closed up behind him. Ace followed them and tried to place the guy. His name seemed familiar in the same way his voice was. He was sure he¡¯d heard it somewhere before. ¡°Do you think that singer will show up? It would be nice if he mesmerised the crowd for us,¡± Michael said with a glance back to which Nein shrugged. ¡°We can only hope so. He hadn¡¯t been the most dedicated of leaders so far.¡± The man nodded and Ace finally remembered him. He was the one most outspoken against his elf bard, Lathlaeril. Satisfied on having placed him, Ace looked around. They were almost next to the throne now but were moving a bit sideways. Nearby he saw a door that led under the dais next to which stood a pair of guards in full plate armour and spears in their hands. Michael nodded at them and they were allowed through. The moment they stepped inside, Ace was assaulted by a wave of nervous energy. People were rushing back and forth, shouting for things, dressing up and helping others, doing last minute changes to their costumes or make-up. The place was lit by dozens of bright flying orbs of light but they didn¡¯t stay in the same place. They were running after their creators, magicians, which made the room swim around. Some places turned dark for moments, others blindingly bright. It made Ace¡¯s eyes hurt but he had no doubt no one cared about it. They were in too much hurry to finish their preparations. ¡°Is this the boy?¡± a female voice asked, appearing before them and dragging Ace away. She grabbed some clothes from one of the many tables littered around and pushed Ace into a changing cabin. ¡°Get dressed. It¡¯s almost time to leave.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure about this but did it anyway. It was something concerning his guild and he wanted to know about its development. Even if he was too lazy to follow all the comings and goings in chat. The clothes were dark and simple so he put them on quickly and without taking a better look went out. The female was back in an instant, looking him over with a critical eye. ¡°No, this won¡¯t work. They want you at the front. Get them off. Now.¡± He did that and she was back with another set of clothes. These had a golden hue to them and were even simpler. A tunic. It was long sleeved and ended right below his knees. The colour was mostly the same but for the part below his waist where the sides were darker, The female then brought a blue sash with a golden clasp. It went around his waist, leaving half of it hanging to his side. She thought for a moment then and got a blue swath of cloth for him to put over his shoulder. It went sideways and he could have sworn, he¡¯d seen it somewhere. There was just something about his look in the mirror with those rich golden clothes that made him feel dirty. He was sure he didn¡¯t want to know after who his new appearance was modelled after. ¡°Perfect. Now go with Nein. He should be ready too,¡± she quickly said, pushing him in a random direction and rushing to straighten some guy¡¯s vest. Ace looked around, hoping to see the guy he was told to find, but with little expectations. This might have been a medieval kind of game and players tended to dress differently than in real life, but not like this. Now all were wearing noble like clothes that gave little defensive statuses but transformed them into different creatures. He himself wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d recognise himself in this tunic that was something he¡¯d never choose himself. It was unwieldy, interfered with his movements and would have made him stand out if everyone hadn¡¯t been so dressed up. ¡°Here you are. Jackal wants you with him at the front. Let¡¯s go,¡± came Nein¡¯s voice and Ace twirled around to see that the guy hadn¡¯t transformed. He had changed but like his usual appearance it was reserved. He had donned an obviously new, dark blue cloak that reached the ground and hid him wholly but for his face. Though there was a hood behind. There was an insignia in grey and black over the heart but before Ace could take a better look at it, Nein turned and led him out. They moved to the back of the room and there was a magical circle drawn on the ground. ¡°What is this?¡± Ace asked in wonder. He¡¯d never seen one before. ¡°Teleportation circle. The most common of guild magic.¡± Ace blinked at that. When did teleportation become common? ¡°How does it work?¡± ¡°You step into it. Come,¡± Nein said, motioning for him to follow. ¡°The time is running out.¡± Ace did as told but not without asking another question first. ¡°What are we going to do anyway?¡± ¡°March around. What else?¡± Nein said as he started to shift in the air. His body became less and less visible until he was gone. Ace looked at himself then and was rewarded with nothingness. For a breath he was nowhere, gone to the world and then he found himself in his guild house. A knight intercepted them the moment they appeared. He was dressed in brown, tight fitting armour with red and golden ornaments. It enhanced his form and the crimson cloak was just the cherry on the top. He could have been any girl¡¯s knight in shining armour even if his hair wasn¡¯t blonde but light brown. ¡°Jackal,¡± Nein said with a half-bow. The man chuckled at that. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that yet.¡± Nein shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m your personal mage for the day.¡± Ace watched the exchange and wondered what was this about. He looked around to get a better understanding and saw hundreds of people dressed up. Most wore nobleman clothes like him while only a few were dressed in armour. Those collected near Jackal and waited in a respectful silence. Like honour guard. ¡°Ace, was it?¡± the man said and he turned to him. ¡°Yeah,¡± he said with a nod. ¡°Nice of you to join us. I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve contacted the leader.¡± Ace smiled at that. That¡¯s what it was all about. He was nothing himself but he supposedly knew the elf bard and that made him important to the guild. He nodded. ¡°He said he¡¯ll try to come but I wouldn¡¯t put too much hope into it. He¡¯s easily distracted.¡± The knight¡¯s face fell a bit at that. ¡°It won¡¯t be the same without him. No matter what, he¡¯s still our leader.¡± Ace smiled at that. The guy might have been a show off knight but he had a good heart. ¡°I¡¯ll write to him from time to time. Hopefully, that will keep him on the path here.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± the guy said with a nod and took another look at Ace. ¡°You look familiar. Have we met before?¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Ace took a better look at the man but didn¡¯t see anything familiar. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± The guy didn¡¯t look like he bought it but this time Ace was really telling the truth. ¡°Is everyone ready?¡± Jackal asked loudly and the crowd behind them erupted in a cheer. They yelled loud agreements and even Ace took up from their energy. Around here one was forced to breathe excitement instead of air. ¡°Let¡¯s make this happen then, together!¡± Jackal shouted out with his hand raised in the air and the crowd answered with a loud, ¡°Together!¡± Ace let the atmosphere engulf him and joined the people. ¡°Come here!¡± Jackal said, waving for him. ¡°Walk beside me!¡± The kid nodded and joined Nein right behind Jackal. Right after them came the armoured guys, honour guard, and then the rest of the people. They weren¡¯t following any kind of order but just going in a manner of a procession so all of them fit in the street they entered. At first the streets were mostly empty but soon the side walks filled up with people of the land. They watched them with wide smiles and threw flower petals or just pieces of colourful cloth over their heads. Bards left the taverns and sung happy tunes, joining in the mood. Those in the guild, walking behind Ace chatted loudly and sung along with the bards if they knew the words. Ace kept quiet but he watched everything with keen eyes. It was so unusual. The only time people ever walked in processions like this one was when they were off to a guild quest. But at those times they all were dressed in their armour, weapons and though they were happy, there was a certain air of worry. Not all quests ended well after all. Yet this was nothing like that. People were laughing happily and not worrying about anything. This was a celebration of sorts. Something that hadn¡¯t been done on such a scale before. A violet carpet showed up when they were nearing the arena. They stepped on it and continued to move forward. Little by little they went and soon it was players that surrounded them instead of people of the land. They were less exited but their eyes held much more wonder. The players didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind this. It was pretty and all but why do such a thing for simply joining the guild. It was extravagant and cost a fortune without any real pay back. Or so they thought. Ace remembered now what his guild had decided on. They were going to do this every month in a way as not to attract attention to the fact that in their guild only a few people could allow others to join. On top of it, this ceremony was going to serve as a way to attract people. No one else did it and most people would like to, at least once in their lives, to feel like they were knights or ladies, royal wizards or assassins. The game provided part of it but one thing was only felt by a few lucky ones. It was the chance to dress up as a noble, be at the centre of attention of a large crowd and knighted in a huge ceremony. And that¡¯s exactly what was going to happen now. They walked to the throne, crowds having dispersed to their seats and leaving the place where the arena had been free. Most of the guild members stopped then, only Jackal, Nein, Ace and the honour guard moving forward. They went up the steps to the dais and spread out so Jackal was standing at the front. He held up his arms up then. ¡°Welcome all! It is wonderful so many of you could join us on this beautiful day whe-¡± he said, his voice augmented by magic so it could be heard by everyone. Ace listened for the first sentence but then got bored and without attracting attention moved a bit away. The guy was overly loud in close up. And it took him ten minutes to finish his talk. Ace thought he¡¯d go deaf in the time but he managed. When it was done, Jackal sat down on the throne and motioned for the ceremony to start. Nein stepped forward and called out a name. Some guy dressed in green slowly made his way forward and knelt. ¡°Warlog, a mercenary leader from the city of Kanandra. He is a master of sword and spear, having lived through hundreds of battles defending those in need of help. Now he has requested to join the guild Draugar of Silver and we have granted his request.¡± The man smiled at that and Jackal whispered to Ace without even glancing his way. ¡°Take the cloak from the table and put it on the man.¡± The kid glanced around and behind three knights saw a small table with a chest on top of it. He went there, opening the box and taking the first item in. It was a brown cloak with a lighter symbol on the chest. It wasn¡¯t a wing as he had expected but a cross with a circular handle. It was an ancient Egyptian symbol for life, immortality. But to make it the guild¡¯s sign, someone had added a pair of silver wings to the dark blue, almost black cross¡¯ handle. The thing was simple but surprisingly well-defined. It was perfect. Ace took the cloak out and carried it to the front. He let his lip corners curl up a bit as he walked and put the cloak around the man¡¯s neck. The guy beamed back at him and after Nein¡¯s nod stood up, turning back to the crowd. They watched him for a moment, taking in his new appearance and the way he stood a bit straighter, a bit more confidently. The silence lasted for a while, Ace starting to get worried but then a shout echoed from somewhere in the back. It was soon picked up by other and in moments the whole place was a mass of screams, hoots and whistles. Nein allowed it a minute or two before waving for silence. It took another minute before people listened to him and the green dressed guy could walk down, leaving his place for another. And this was how the day ended. It had been evening when he¡¯d come and soon the sun set, leaving them in darkness. But it didn¡¯t last long. Torches were lit, a couple of mage fires added to create a certain feeling of sacredness to everything. A couple of well-placed musicians only enhanced that. Ace listened to it all and created an image of his elf, the Infidel. While he was returning to his place after putting the cloak on a purple haired wizardess, he found the right place for his minstrel. Behind the throne there were higher ground, the arena having been built Roman style. This meant if someone dared, he could sit down on a kind of balcony above everyone. Perfect place for someone like the Infidel to rest upon. He created the illusion so the elf was sitting with his legs slightly bent before him. His violet plume was moving from the soft night wing while a smile played on his lips. The flute between his right hand¡¯s fingers. It didn¡¯t take long for people to notice his shadow in the darkness. Ace could hear whispers starting up in the crowd but pretended not to notice anything. The celebration continue and he kept on bringing out cloaks. They had been made for each guild member specifically so all he had to care for is taking each one in turn from the chest. It was a repetitive action but somehow he wasn¡¯t bored. There was something about the atmosphere, about the excitement in people¡¯s faces that made one incapable of feeling tired. Everyone was even disappointed when it ended near midnight and Jackal said his thank you speech. Ace watched the disappointed faces and wondered whether he wanted to do something. ¡°Should we give him one too?¡± Nein asked Jackal quietly and the guy looked up. ¡°Him?¡± ¡°The elf,¡± Nein said, motioning with his head upwards where their real guild leader lay staring at the night sky. It was beautifully littered with stars. ¡°So he came!¡± Jackal exclaimed, his face lightening up. ¡°I had feared he didn¡¯t get the message or was too far away!¡± Ace was surprised by that exchange. ¡°Why do you care so much?¡± he asked quietly as people in the crowd started to disperse. They were in no hurry but still slowly moved from their seats, chatting amiably. Jackal looked at him with surprise shining in his eyes. ¡°What do you mean? He¡¯s our leader even if a shadow one. It wouldn¡¯t be the same if he didn¡¯t show up.¡± ¡®Such a good way¡¯ Ace noted, scrunching his eyebrows together. Should he, should he not? ¡®Why not?¡¯ ¡°Give me a moment,¡± he whispered and using his fields jumped up to where the elf was supposedly sitting. There he pretended to say something and the elf nodded with a small smile on his face. He then stood up and walked to the edge, sitting down with his legs dangling over the edge. A few people noted his move and pointed to others. The elf waited for a moment, watching the crowd and then brought the flute to his lips. It glowed amber in the torch light as the first notes fell. They were very soft and quiet, impossible to hear for anyone farther than five meters away. Nein listened to it and knew what he had to do next. He activated the spell he¡¯d used previously on Jackal to be heard by everyone. However, he adjusted the loudness to a much quieter tone. This was music and not some speech. The crowd took their time noticing it and when they did quieted down, stopping all conversations and movements. Lathlaeril played meaningless notes until everyone¡¯s attention was on him. The last pair of eyes turning his way was a soundless signal for him to start his story. He wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted to tell, the plan hadn¡¯t gone that far so he just picked a character. A young man ready for adventure, leaving his home to see what the world is like. The melody rose as he decided on it. The notes joining in a light tune. They jumped around, laughing and telling stories of heroes and knights. Honour and courage. The tune rose and fell as it told their short stories, carrying the pride in each one. And it all collected in the first light note. It filled up with dreams and great notions, rushing back and forth, unable to stay still. A moment of lower notes, some sad goodbye and it rose up again. Running into the world on feather light feet. It was soon enveloped in other tones, older, wiser ones. They were low and heavy from weight of the years. Darker. They tried to guide the first one, to show it that not everything is right but it didn¡¯t listen, laughing, dancing out of the way. However, once the old ones were gone, the melody slowed down. It flew through the air, thoughtful. The notes in a simple rhythm. All until something unexpected happened. A sharp note, dagger¡¯s thrust and a scream of pure undiluted horror. The first melody rushed to it, notes falling over each other in a hurry to see what had happened. And stopping. One single note echoing in the still air. Powerful and raw. Soul shattering pain squeezed in that one sound. The crowd closed their eyes at it, listening to the silence left, remembering their own horrors. But soon like a small kid tip-toeing, the melody returned. It was very soft and terrified but it moved closer, grew louder. There was death before it, a tune of such coldness, it made many shiver. There was nothing enjoyable about it. The notes were sharp and jagged, moving here and there. They had no meaning or care, they just were. First melody quietened down, touching the dead body and crying silently. It was someone familiar, someone close. The sound of crying continued for a while, hiccups and sneezes breaking the monotone until another melody entered. It was strong, loud and obnoxious. But it was glorious too. The notes were arranged in such a way as to produce the most perfect sound. It was dead, fake but only the masters could notice it. To every day folk it was one of the most beautiful songs they¡¯ve heard. And the crying melody was one. It welcomed the newcomer with open arms, joining him in a harmonious rhythm. Or as close to it as they could get for the young one was too soft, too innocent. Not polished to cruel perfection. And so they travelled together defeating evil in the land. In battles the melodies rung with sword clashes and loosening arrows, bursts of anger and disgust. Innocence pleas unheard. Those made the young one shiver, some notes fall out of place but in time it learnt. As years of battles passed, the young boy was knighted and made into the hero he so wished to be. It was a moment of glory and joy, the tune reaching for the skies. It was so thick of it, people felt like they could reach out their hands and touch it. That excitement and unbridled joy. Glory. He was becoming a knight, someone to protect the weak and innocent. The pride rung loudly in the melody. Desperately trying to hide away the slow, dagger sharp notes of regret and fear. Disgust for what he had become. But there was no rug to push them under. They rose, jamming pointing fingers all around, the crowd that had surrounded the man to celebrate his raise. Yet they only attached themselves to the man¡¯s melody, slowing it, dimming the joy. A mission came from the king. It brought the happiness back and everything looked great again. The man¡¯s melody was almost identical to his old teacher¡¯s now and in harmony with the rest of his troops. All of them were knights of the highest order. But they were boring. So similar and lacking emotion. The crowd almost stood up, growing tired but a different tune raising stopped them in their tracks. It was the sound of an infant crying. Loud wails in ear splitting notes, something only amateur players ever used in performances. But here it fit. For they were silenced soon with a swift stroke of a sword. Straight through the heart. The once young melody stopped like all those ages ago. The knights¡¯ one continued but his stood still, listening in. And as he had expected the death¡¯s tune wandered over. It gripped the heart¡¯s of its listeners with icy fingers, squeezing, freezing. The man had seen death, the melody of it had become his constant companion but this time it was too much. The sound flattened out, quieting the knights¡¯ melody. It was made up of only a couple notes. Very simple. Yet it ruled for it was a soul fed up with the world. The flat note of one no longer capable of feeling emotion. The man held the infants body as he asked one single question. Something he should have asked long time ago. A myriad of colours, a variety of notes rushed to answer him. They shouted one over each other. Fighting, falling, rising and dropping once more. For not one was what the man wanted to hear. He laughed, light notes quickly rushing out but there were a few darker ones among them. They made the sound bitter. Not like laughter should be. And then it fell into a frenzy, anger overtaking. The melody exploded into rushed sounds of clashing and hitting. Bones breaking and flesh getting sliced. It was horrendous but it wasn¡¯t what made people wish to cover their ears. No, the sound they hated was hidden deeper in. It was a melody within a melody, one intertwined with that uncontrollable rage. But this one wasn¡¯t hurtful in the same way. It wasn¡¯t what it was that made it heart-breaking. It was the exact opposite. Inside the man was crying, shedding tears of innocence shattered. The hidden melody was full of disappointment, notes falling down into the abyss. They weren¡¯t loud but neither were they quiet in their grief. The heart-wrenching sounds of losing trust in people you held dear, in the life you created for yourself. In the world itself. The rage was gone in time, the sword washed in red. But the sadness didn¡¯t fade away. Lonesome note after note came and went, bringing new waves of suffering. Memories of vile things done. Things unrepairable. A lighter tune walked closer, some little girl joining the grieving one at the edge of the town. But it didn¡¯t join the man¡¯s tune. They played separately for a while until the girl¡¯s one took a step forward, the melodies almost joining up but not yet. Are you an angel, it asked as the man noticed white wings sprouting from his back. He laughed then, the sound of light notes being overpowered by self-disgust and hatred. They lasted for a long while, breaking the hearts of those with soft nature. There was just so much pain in it, so much suffering in the prolonged sounds. No, the man whispered to the girl as his wings turned black and his melody picked up. I¡¯m a Fallen. Ace played the tune of death for a bit longer, chilling his audience before swiftly standing up and disappearing into the night. The feelings of the man still rung in his heart. That wish to destroy, to pay back those that wronged him, that made him become a monster. His whole body shivered with that need. And he knew how to do it. He knew a man wronged and abandoned. One whose revenge was long overdue. A mirror and another and he was in another place. Miles and miles away from the place he¡¯d played his flute in. Through the well decorated corridors he passed until the door he¡¯d needed was there. It was the master bedchamber. The place where his victim spent his nights. Without a sound he opened the doors and entered. [Mystic Eyes] allowed him to see in the dark but the sight disappointed him. There was no one there. His target was gone. It wasn¡¯t going to be okay like that. Ace needed to avenge someone. The man or Skele, it didn¡¯t matter. A stack of papers on the desk caught his attention. He took a glance at each one and soon knew what had happened. The Duke had left the city. It was deemed too dangerous to live here and pointless for barely any people resided here. It was good news in a way. Ace knew the twin city of this, he¡¯d been there. He left that moment, the night covering him in it¡¯s veil from unwanted eyes. Not fifteen minutes later he was by the other city¡¯s wall, the gates barred against him. For some reason it really pissed him off. How did they dare to block his path? He used [Radiant Step] to get over it and killed all the guards. Each and every single one he hunted down with [Instincts of a Predator]. They weren¡¯t able to utter a word before they died with Kris in their chests. The whole ordeal left him empty. He knew it was wrong, the soldiers had done nothing, not even annoyed him, but he really felt like destroying this place. Some slaughter was good once in a while. It gave him an idea, something cruel and unreasonable but something the Fallen would have appreciated. After all death was a glorious release from the world¡¯s sickness. He entered a random house and found each living being, slitting their throats. Their breaths hitched, blood spilling on their nightclothes and it was done. Their lives were no more. Ace smiled at the sight with bitterness evident on his face. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was doing. Or why for that matter but he wanted, needed to do it. There was just something alluring with stealing another¡¯s life and keeping your own. You were like a thief, just of something much more valuable than normal. He went from house to house, from room to room. It was a tedious work but he was hard-working if anything. Each life he took was another day of life for [Heart-seeker] and it was devouring them like a glutton. Natives of the land were no match for him, they all fell in their beds asleep, but players weren¡¯t much of the challenge either. It had been long since Silver Wing¡¯s notorious days in cities and people had forgotten, were unprepared. They walked alone or in small groups of two or three for hunting since the ground around weren¡¯t high-levelled. It was like a play in the park for Ace and he hated it. Was a frightened look, a shaking sword all the resistance the people of this town were going to show him? The answer was obvious as he slew another group of five. There had been a couple of those but neither had stood up to him. Most just abandoned the attacked player and then Ace had to hunt them down one by one. It was boring and tedious but he had promised himself to be thorough. This had to be done well. He moved in circles around the city, little by little getting closer to the centre. A red brick castle stood there with towers reaching for the skies. It was beautiful at night with dozens of lit windows that created shifting shadows around. Ace watched it, basking in its etherealness. Every time he left the house or encountered a window, he would glance its way, unable to wait for the moment to enter it. When the sun was threatening to rise in the horizon, Ace was finished with the city. There was blood on his hands and clothes. Probably some on the mask too. But the end of his task was already before him. The Duke was resting in the chambers next door. Ace had entered the castle, being disappointed by its interior. It was almost identical to the Duke¡¯s old one. However, that didn¡¯t stop him from seeking out all the servants and nobles residing here. Even the true ruler of this city lost his life for the sole reason of allowing wrong people in. It was somewhat sad, Ace agreed, but people made mistakes. The guy should have done a better background check of the one he made welcome in his home. And that guy was there. Behind the doors Ace opened soundlessly. The man was sleeping in a large canopy bed, his sweetheart beside him. They looked happy together, both smiling but Ace knew what he had to do. This whole night he had been working for it. He came closer and stabbed the woman. She managed to open her blue eyes, shock and disbelief evident there as her breath caught and she was gone. It made the emotion disappear from her gaze and her look turn distant, unseeing. ¡°What have you done?¡± the Duke shouted out, grabbing for a dagger he¡¯d held under the pillow. ¡°Who are you?¡± he screamed again. Ace walked around the bed in no hurry, his steps slow and calculated. At one point he moved into the light of the moon and the man gasped in recognition. ¡°You!¡± he whispered, taking steps back. But there was nowhere to go, he was standing against the wall already. ¡°Guards! Guards!¡± he shouted out, hoping for assistance but those people couldn¡¯t help him. Dead cared little for problems of those still alive. ¡°Why are you doing this? Please! What have I done? I thought we were friends!¡± Ace smiled at that, a bitter, disgusting thing. He opened his mouth but no sound escaped his lips. There was nothing to say. This was how it was supposed to be. Revenge had to be served for all those involved, even if unintentionally. He closed his mouth tightly and moved to the Duke. The man tried to defend himself but his clumsy attacks did little to prolong his life. No longer than a breath later Ace¡¯s dagger was in his chest and they were staring each other in the eyes. The Duke¡¯s were green and full of hatred. Anger. And a little bit of regret. Ace wondered what it meant but there was no time to ask. In a moment, the strength was gone from the man¡¯s limbs and he fell to the ground in a pitiful heap. Ace watched him for a moment longer, thinking of how this pile of bones and flesh had once been a powerful man. He had been prideful and strict, feared by many but he had valued truth. And been honest. Not cruel. Yet here he lay in this pile. Nothing of him left. No one could now tell what he had been or would have still become. It was just flesh and bones, bones and flesh. He backed away and opening the window jumped out. The fields caught him and he rose to the very top of the castle to meet the sun. It basked him in the morning rays and he closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth on his skin. For a long while he stood like that, enjoying the silence and light shining on his tired body. But he had to move out. Soon some players would return from night time hunting and he didn¡¯t want to meet them. His hunt was other. His mission accomplished. A huge amulet appeared in his hand. One five times the size of the normal one that was given to his victims. He didn¡¯t think long of what to do with it and hung it up on the highest spire. The silver shone brightly in the sun¡¯s light and a genuine smile passed his face fleetingly. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared and Ace returned to the castle. It didn¡¯t take him long to find a mirror and he was gone. One more thing to do. He was back to the Duke¡¯s old city. There was a park nearby and he went in that direction, looking for a man crying over nothing. Or, for those in the know, a child born only to die. Soon Ace stood beside the grave, a patch of forget-me-nots blooming out of season. Skele or Worglan or Froyan as his real name was knelt there, his head in his hands. ¡°Why did you come here?¡± he croaked out, not even raising his head to acknowledge Ace¡¯s presence. But the kid didn¡¯t care. He had been noticed enough times tonight already. ¡°To pass the word that you can be relieved. Your life and that of your child has been avenged.¡± ¡°Avenged?¡± the skeleton asked, laughing bitterly. ¡°How? Everyone that had participated in it are dead. And who cares about it anyway? My child.... My little child... He never learnt to speak or walk, didn¡¯t learn what love was... What does it matter if som-¡± He raised his head to look at Ace then and his words got caught in his throat. There was horror and fear in his eyes. ¡°What have you done?¡± he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Ace looked back at him with emotionless eyes. ¡°I finished your mission. You have been avenged.¡± Next Chapter 7.0 Previous Chapter Author''s Note: I know my story has it''s own share of curses but this chapter has somewhat more of them as it is a very dark one. If you hate such stuff, I''m sorry about it but it had to be done. You can skip this as it will have little effect on the main story but it does explain a lot about Ace''s personality and why he has a streak of cruelty in himself. WARNING: Strong Language ahead Characters Titles and Abilites **** It was dark outside. The rain was falling in rapid torrents, thunder rumbling somewhere in the background. Kirin was sitting next to the window, watching grey overtake the world when lightning flashed. It lit the sky, returning the daytime for a moment. But soon it was gone and the boy was back in the familiar darkness. He liked it actually, it was his best friend alongside Sam. If there ever was a time for him to choose one, he would have a very hard time in doing so. Sam was a living being, one who it was fun to spend time with but darkness was what kept him company all the time. When he was alone at home, he rarely turned the light on. Parents had been saving money in earlier times, cutting on the cost of electricity and he got used to the dark. Light hadn¡¯t become an enemy for that but he preferred its absence. There was just something magical about pure blackness, having to navigate by sound alone. And it was especially amazing on afternoons like this. The rain was so heavy it made day into night and the inside was close to darkness. Kirin stayed in it, enjoying his solitude when another thunder rumbled somewhere in the distance. Light streaked, colouring the world yellow before disappearing. The boy watched it in wonder when a thought struck him. How did the lightning look over the sea? Here it was blocked by all these buildings and large trees but there nothing would interrupt it. And Kirin could see it in its full glory. The boy smiled and rushed down from the windowsill, to the bottom floor and out through the door. Rain soaked his meagre attire in moments but he didn¡¯t really mind. It wasn¡¯t that cold yet, a summer storm. He moved through the streets like a grey mouse; small and invisible to everyone¡¯s eyes. Thunder flashed and he dashed to hide under a tree. Hopefully, it would prevent anyone from seeing him. Only after doing it a couple more times did he remember that adults said that it was dangerous. Yet being unnoticed weighted more in his mind. If anyone took as much as a glimpse of his figure in this rain, he would be brought to someone¡¯s home and would have to think of some excuse. Adults didn¡¯t let him do anything interesting, especially after the announcement of his sickness. For some reason they thought it was something horrible, that he would need help understanding what it meant. In his mind, it was all very stupid. He had stopped ageing. So what? Yes, it had shocked him a bit at first. He had thought about all the cars he won¡¯t get to drive and that he won¡¯t get to become the hero he so wished to be. But now he could be a child forever! When everyone grew up, he would still get to play around and wouldn¡¯t have to do anything. What wasn¡¯t awesome about that? His parents had to work from morning to night to get enough money for them to survive. It was something horrible but they were getting better at it and soon were going to earn enough to live off for years to come. Then because he was a kid and didn¡¯t have to go to school, they could all travel together. He could already imagine going to all the places he¡¯d seen on TV; grandiose castles, majestic ruins and mesmerising views of preserved nature. It was all going to be so great. He couldn¡¯t wait for it! That¡¯s why he had to act good now and wait till they were done. It wasn¡¯t even that hard actually. All everyone expected of him was to smile and say something about being sad once in a while to make them happy. And he succeeded most of the time. But this time he didn¡¯t want to do as told. Aunt had left telling him to go and take an afternoon nap but he liked the dark too much to waste such an opportunity. He was at the edge of the village when he encountered the first person. The face was down and the figure hidden beneath a rain cloak so Kirin simply stopped and crouched on the ground. There was nothing to hide him but the rain itself. The person was obviously in a hurry and passed him without a look, not expecting anything, or anyone, to be there. Kirin stayed in his position for a while longer, not wanting to attract attention by moving. Only when the person was out of his sight did he stand up and rush away. His boots made soft thuds on the paved ground. But it soon ended and he had to run over the wet ground. Flashes of lightning showed him the path from time to time but he still slipped and fell often. The grass was just too slick from the rain. And then it got worse. He was going straight, ignoring all paths that winded for a more picturesque views. That resulted in him moving through mud which caught his boot. Kirin managed to keep his balance but it was annoying. He looked at his submerged footwear and decided it wasn¡¯t worth it. The other boot left his foot too and now barefooted he ran over the fields, to the sea. Mud, slippery grass was still there yet no longer such a challenge. In some ten minutes he was there. The cliff looked much more dangerous in the little light that passed through the rain clouds. For the first time Kirin understood why not everyone dared to come over here. Waves the size of an adult crashed against the rocky coast, wind howled in inhumane tones and he was standing there like a little leaf to be picked. Fear took the better of him as his body swung forward from a gust and he fell to the ground. It didn¡¯t prevent him from crawling to the edge and looking into the horizon but this was still a lot. Lightning came. Kirin¡¯s mouth opened wide at the sight. Wide streaks of orange yellow littered the sky. There were dozens and dozens of them. He would have counted them, had they lasted for a longer but he knew no one would believe him anyway. From their places safe at home, no one could see this many. The best they got was two or three unhidden by the other houses and trees, not that anyone was looking. For some strange reason most people were afraid of thunder storms. He couldn¡¯t really see why as they were so beautiful but people were. He watched for a bit longer when a strange sound reached his ears. It resembled one of shouting men but it couldn¡¯t be true. Who would be out in a storm like this? Moments passed with nothing but the rain falling and Kirin heard it again. He was sure there was someone below him. No way his imagination could have produced that. Without standing up he started to move north where he knew there was a place to go to the rocks below. He had been there a few times but not often. To stand on the cliffs was much more interesting than below and if he wanted to swim, there was a beach east of here. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. His clothes got dirty in moments but for investigating it was the price to pay. It was bad, he knew, but they were drenched anyway. There was no chance he was escaping a scolding so it was better to have done something to deserve it. He crawled for some good fifteen minutes until he got to the path leading downwards. It was mud and he could see footprints there. They were large, of men full grown. Interested, he carefully went down. He kept to the rocks and when a man passed he took no notice of him. The rain was still going at it, masking any sounds Kirin made and hiding his tracks. However, his path was soon blocked by a large boulder and he noticed he was in some kind of a natural tunnel. Rocks had fallen here in a way that left a small space between themselves and the wall of the cliff. This made a perfect spying place though not for anyone else but Kirin himself. The rocks weren¡¯t high and mostly anyone would have been noticed. Not him though. He was small. Small by the standards of kids and even smaller by those his age. He put some mud on his head and face to cover himself as he¡¯d seen spies do in films. It was fun actually. He got so caught in it that he only noticed two people mere two meters from him when they started shouting in loud voices. ¡°What happened to the shipment? Where is the guy?¡± ¡°That shitty bastard. I knew we couldn¡¯t leave it to him.¡± ¡°Damn well you did. And now we¡¯re going to be punished, you moth-¡± ¡°Shut it. Go and find that damned bastard! Who¡¯s seen him last?¡± The second guy grumbled loudly at that but answered. ¡°Brute said he saw him leave with one of the girls.¡± ¡°Shipment?¡± the first guy asked in outrage, his eyes bulging up. Kirin noticed his hands folding into fists and unconsciously pushed against the wall behind. Only now did he notice he was hidden only if he was lying on the ground and from the side. Not from eyes above. And the man were big. They were the largest people he¡¯d ever seen and he¡¯d thought Kevin¡¯s father was huge, towering over everyone in the village. Yet he had nothing on these two. They were giants with muscles bulging under wet shirts and scarred faces. That wasn¡¯t good news. Kirin might have been a kid but he knew people didn¡¯t get scars doing office work. And these were unknown people doing something in the dark. A shiver ran down his back and he quickly turned his head towards the way he¡¯d come from. He thought about trying to go there but his hands shook and fear froze him on the spot. One of the man had left but the other was still standing nearby. What would happen if he heard him moving? The answer was something the boy didn¡¯t want to find out. He prayed the man would move but no god listened to him as hours, or so it felt like, passed until the man walked forward. In the direction Kirin had come from. And more people were coming from there. Three giants dragging a fourth and another bringing something over his shoulder which had the familiar shape of a human being. ¡°Son of a whore,¡± cursed the closest man and slammed his fist into the dragged guy¡¯s face. ¡°Do you fucking know what you did?¡± There was no answer from the punched guy and the leader cursed in the foulest language Kirin had ever heard. Truth be told, this was more curses than he had heard in his whole life. It made him wonder if people actually talked like this when he wasn¡¯t around. However, his attention was soon brought back to what was happening before his eyes. The carried person, as it was clearly one, started to struggle, mutter something incomprehensible and the leader waved one of the guys to bring it away. His whole attention was on the guy brought to his knees before him. The three giants had dropped him and were standing a few steps back, watching and making sure he wasn¡¯t planning on escaping. ¡°Do you know what happens for foiling our merchandise? Do you? Fu----- bastard.¡± His voice had turned icy cold then, no longer angry. It made Kirin shiver again, stop breathing almost, frozen in place in a vain hope that it would hide him better. He would be impossible to see if he stayed still, right? Right? The man took out a large knife. It was nothing like the delicate daggers he admired of old assassins but a meat cutting one, something his mother used. Her only being much smaller. Kirin had a feeling something horrible was going to happen before his eyes but there was nowhere to go, no place to run. All he could do was stay quiet and hope that by some miracle he won¡¯t be noticed. The knife was raised, rushing like a snake and Kirin closed his eyes. He even put his hands before them to block the view but there was nothing to do against the sound. And that made his eyes look through the spaces between his fingers. There was something about the grotesque that captivated one beyond his will. Kirin knew he shouldn¡¯t see it, didn¡¯t even want to but his fingers separated against his will and the eyes were too wide open to be closed. He saw how the knife plunged into flesh and left with crimson trailing behind. And again. And again. Each plunge brought a scream, a heart-wrenching one but the leader man didn¡¯t care. His knife went in and out, in and out. Kirin watched it with morbid fascination, his body growing deathly still. Bile rose in his throat, urges to throw up racked his body but freezing cold fear kept him in place, soundless. It was obvious even to his numb mind what would be his fate if he was noticed. But numbness was good. It helped him. Soon he was watching the scene with the barest minimum of emotions, screams having turned into background noise. The knife¡¯s cruel efficiency a song of cruelty and blood-thirst. Disgust. Anger. In and out, in and out. It was maddening in it¡¯s simplicity yet so easy to follow. The man was turning into a bloody pulp before Kirin. His young, once innocent eyes. Aeons later the strike to the heart came and the screams ended. The absence of them leaving something worse behind. It was crazy how the world could go on as if nothing happened after what Kirin had seen. The rain was still showering him and thunder rumbling in the distance. He was sure Sam was still playing with her dog while the rest of the class was immersed in that new game that had just come out. Blind. Unknowing. Happy. Things happened then. Like in a dream he saw people walking around, moving cargo and carrying to a small barge that had come. In time the body was removed too and sand shuffled to hide the bloodstains. Soon everyone was gone but him. In time even the rain stopped, the sky clearing out. It was late evening so there was still some light left. Kirin sat there, unmoving. He watched the place where everything had transpired, unable to look away. Darkness came and he shivered. Fearful. Ages later sounds came and people rushed to his place. They talked, cried but their voices were nothing but a buzz in the background. Had he forgotten human language? They picked him up and carried him back, but his eyes were still on the pile of sand that hid a dark secret. It was red. The colour of human blood. Next Chapter 7.1 Creature of The Night Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Hey, it''s been a good week and someone commented on me keeping to the schedule which was nice so here''s a reward to you folks. Two chapters this week! Hope you like it! Characters Titles and Abilites **** The room was cast in a warm orange glow when Kirin left the cabin. His eyes looked over the discarded toys all around, posters hanging on the walls and shook his head. It was all so stupid. Why was he stuck as a kid? He remembered the tale his parents had told him while walking down the stairs. It had been the middle of the night when he had decided to come into this world. However, the room was in full light in the hospital and filled with nurses running back and forth to make sure everything went well. His father said he hadn¡¯t been more scared in his life before or after than in that moment. It lasted for hours and hours on end, making him go mad. When he didn¡¯t think he could take it any more, the boy had decided to come out. But the joy was short lived. At first he didn¡¯t want to scream, his lungs not working exactly as expected. The nurses managed to make him breathe in time, the glorious wails of a newborn finally penetrating the air. Yet he had been weak, unhealthy looking. The doctor instantly said it was doubtful he would live. That knowledge had been disastrous for his father. He hadn¡¯t wanted a child but to lose one now would be too much. It was his own son! He hadn¡¯t told anything to mother for she needed rest. And before she woke up a stranger wearing a doctor¡¯s cloak went it. He suggested trying a new drug. It was only a test model and wasn¡¯t certain to save the boy but without it the baby was going to die for sure. This chose everything for his father and Kirin was injected with the medicine that kept him alive. The man was then deemed saviour and the kid was told this story repeatedly to learn about the goodness of human heart. A stranger had saved him without any reason. He had to be thankful for that. Or was asked for that until the effect of the drug showed up. The news shocked his parents more than him back then. He had been young and stupid, not able to fully understand what it all meant. Kirin laughed, almost tumbling down the stairs. He shook his head to focus on where he was. Death wasn¡¯t in his agenda. Yet. The psychologists that had been allowed to check on him all wondered why he didn¡¯t want to end his life. They were all the best of the best, managing to see through his fake smiles but not able to get the answers he so wanted to keep inside. They were everything he had of his own. And he never wanted to lose it. How could they understand him anyway. It wasn¡¯t like any of them had faced anything like him. Who but him was a child forever, one belonging to some magical story. All he lacked were some powers to make him a mythical creature. He walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. It was mostly empty but he didn¡¯t want to go shopping. That would mean meeting people he didn¡¯t want to see. In the freezer he found a pizza and put it in the microwave. Ten minutes were probably going to be enough. Food readying, he turned the TV on. His favourite channels weren¡¯t showing anything interesting so he went to the one showing gaming news. As luck would have it, a show about happenings in Regal Dream was there. ¡°Are you sure about it? You want to say this is all a single person¡¯s handiwork?¡± asked a female host with a horrified expression. Her partner, a clean-shaven middle aged man nodded as some footage from the game was put on screen. From a hawk eye¡¯s point of view the city at night was shown. At first nothing could be seen in the dark but once the video was fast-forwarded a creature moving in the shadows could be seen. He was entering each house and leaving couple minutes later. Soon players intercepted him in his path and the footage slowed to normal speed. The camera zoomed in on the victims and the perpetrator. The guy was small of stature, with a hood over his head. When he raised his head to attack a wooden fox mask could be glimpsed underneath. His weapon was a curved dagger that passed through any armour. The victims tried to defend but they had no chance to win. It was obvious even to those that had little knowledge about the fights. The killer moved with grace and precision, his every move calculated to inflict the most damage while the poor players were just flailing around in comparison. And on top of that the guy was flashing around. One moment he was stabbing the warrior and another behind the rogue, slashing his neck. There was just no way to catch him as he never stayed in one place for longer than a second or two. The fight didn¡¯t last long and a few more were shown until everything was fast-forwarded to the end when the sun rose. The monster was leaving the castle through the window and walking on air. He moved to the roof and stood there facing the sun. His dark blue cloak was smeared with red and crimson covered his hands and face. It shone in the morning light, almost beautifully. The mask hid most of the killer¡¯s expression but there was a distinct smile on his face. It was small and cute, contagious if not for the fact on whose face it belonged. A huge wing shaped amulet appeared in his hands and moving on air again he carried it to the highest spire. There he hanged it, letting the sun glisten on its silver surface. Kirin watched it all with his eyes wide. He felt like a man being sentenced to death as the casters resumed their conversation. ¡°As you can see it was all done by the individual best known as Silver Wing. He was so elusive that many thought him a myth of Oradin kingdom, an exaggeration but this footage shows them false. There¡¯s actually a person capable of something this horrendous and at first glance impossible.¡± The female¡¯s eyes lit up as she heard that. ¡°Weren¡¯t you one of the most opposed to the idea of the single killer leading to such tragedies? There¡¯s evidence of you claiming it was just a delusion, a master plan of some guild.¡± ¡°I was and in my defence, I have to say it sounded like a tale.¡± The man laughed after his words, a friendly smile on his face. It made Kirin shiver. There was nothing happy or good about this situation. ¡°How could one man possibly do this much damage I always asked the victims. Yet none answered me in a convincing way. They talked about dancing shadows, knives in the dark and hits that passed all defences. Of a man faster than a bullet, unpredictable like a feather in the wind and scarier than a dragon. I heard some people who¡¯d rather face those legendary unbeatable monsters than meet him again. ¡°It was hard to believe, sounding like someone¡¯s imagination running wild. I always thought it was far-fetched. People wanting to rather increase the size of the enemy than to admit their own weakness but this clip proved me wrong. ¡°The way this person moves, approaches each situation and acts is a marvel to watch. I have seen many assassins, become an expert on their actions, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here also,¡± the man said, receiving a chuckle from the female hostess. ¡°But I have to say I was never given the case of someone like him. ¡°The thing that separates him isn¡¯t skill, though, as many might think.¡± This made Kirin and the hostess move closer. What was that? Wasn¡¯t Silver Wing the scariest killer because he was the best at the business? ¡°Ahh, it seems I caught your attention now. ¡°So let me explain myself. Yes, Silver Wing is very skilled. From the fights we could see him moving about at breakneck speed, jumping here and there, evading hits and landing his own without trying too hard. It was all done at leisure. ¡°But I¡¯ve seen my share of fighters and I would say there are many that would best him. Maybe not many but there are. Yet all of them aren¡¯t that well known. They¡¯re mostly in the lower echelons, doing menial quests and that¡¯s all. Why do you think that is?¡± The female reeled back, unprepared for the question. She waited for a couple of moments before replying, unsure of her answer even when she said it. ¡°Uhm... He¡¯s in the less developed part of the continent?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good guess, but no,¡± the man said with a bright smile. Kirin wanted to punch it off his face but he knew better than to harm his TV. ¡°If he had chosen a different country, I think he would have made even more chaos in the land. That he was stuck in Oradin for the most part of the game¡¯s time is like a miracle to us all. We should thank the god for it. ¡°But I won¡¯t torment you any longer. The answer to my question is very simple. They all lack the sight of the bigger picture. Those people are content with what they have. And even if they are not, they don¡¯t dare to challenge the impossible. They are limited by their own mind. ¡°This kid, as I think it is one, hadn¡¯t been introduced to the adult world yet. He doesn¡¯t know that some things aren¡¯t done or should be impossible. In real life they would be, but this is a game world. Here his, or her¡¯s for all we know, creative thinking is an unrivalled strength.¡± ¡°So you want to say so many people were killed and outsmarted by a child?¡± the female asked in a tone that said she could hardly believe it. The man smiled at her, his eyes shining with pride. He felt himself a prophet, one that could see more in this situation than anyone else. ¡°Yes and you shouldn¡¯t look so appalled by the thought. Children aren¡¯t any less stupid than adults as many want to think. Such misconceptions come only from the fact that they lack worldly knowledge, they make mistakes.¡± ¡°Yet this one did none. How could you explain that?¡± ¡°Did none?¡± the man asked in a softer voice. Kirin knew what he was going to say even before the man did. It had been right before his eyes. He had screwed up, and horribly. All his careful planning and hiding had gone to naught in this one escapade. He turned the channel off, his hands falling lifeless to his sides. How could he have been so thoughtless? It was almost like asking to be caught, giving a clue that even the blindest of people could understand. Only wizards could fly. And a kid seen all over Lasran and Vascas. He had been using that method to travel around those two cities and even on the way to Arenan, the angel village. It was a quick way to move and would have been fine had he not done something really stupid. Shadow Dash had separated into two abilities, one for light and another for dark. It was the best thing that could happen. One more way to differentiate between Ace and Silver Wing. It was perfect. Until he went and fucked it all up. Anger rose in him, crimson covering his eyes. But there was no one around to hit. He was all alone in the place that should have been his sanctuary. ¡°Deep breaths,¡± he whispered to himself. ¡°Deep breaths. You don¡¯t want to thrash this place.¡± It wasn¡¯t true but whatever. There was simply no point in destroying everything around himself. He had to live here. Stairs rushed under him as he moved upwards and to the cabin. He had just left it but tiredness and hunger receded quickly under the pressure of anger. And disgust. He hated himself. It was no one¡¯s fault but his. Who cared how they got that footage. It was his own mistake for being to careless. For not using his stupid brain. The cabin doors closed, machines turning up. Kirin closed his eyes, entering the game. His food left uneaten, bed not slept in. Ace opened his eyes to find himself lying on the hill. Next to him was a small stone with the initials of FH, Froyan Harbert. He shifted his head more to the side and found a man with grey hair bowed over the stone, his face wrought by misery. ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡± The man raised his head to glare at him. ¡°What have you done?¡± ¡°I avenged you,¡± Ace said without a second¡¯s hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ve done what you¡¯ve asked of me.¡± ¡°I never asked you to kill innocent people!¡± Skele hissed, his eyes glowing deeper red. ¡° I never asked that of you. Ace shrugged. ¡°You asked me to avenge, but never specified the details. If you wanted a different service, you should have looked for another person.¡± He glared himself now. ¡°I¡¯m only good at killing.¡± The undead magician¡¯s jaw opened as if he wanted to say something more but closed back up. He watched the kid for a while, noting his crimson soaked cloak and red dots on the mask. ¡°You don¡¯t care about them at all, do you?¡± ¡°Care about who?¡± Skele shook his head at that, but his expression didn¡¯t change. Ace no longer felt like this was a creation worth keeping and working on. He whispered a couple of words and once the white mist dissipated, a skeleton knelt near the grave. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to walk on this ground. You¡¯re not human.¡± Ace smiled at that. This was something he knew how to deal with. Disgust was an emotion all too familiar to him. ¡°Sure. But what about my reward? I have done what was asked of me.¡± There was little friendliness in the glowing red eyes but the skeleton stood up. Ace followed his lead and got up also, watching him. What was going to be the reward? Or would the guy decide he didn¡¯t deserve one? ¡°You only bring sadness to this world but it is not your fault. The world is a place that gives birth to horrors rather that miracles. You fulfilled your end of the bargain even if I don¡¯t agree to the methods you¡¯ve used.¡± He then whispered something and a bag appeared in his hand. It was a small non-descriptive one. The guy took out a book out of it and passed it to Ace. ¡°This is what I have promised. May we never see each other again.¡± Ace laughed. ¡°That¡¯s up to you.¡± He then activated [Radiant Step] and moved away. The city was quiet like a grave and without his help. It was a nice atmosphere so he lowered to the ground. The cobbled road was easy to walk on so he went around for a bit, without any purpose. It was a beautiful day and he had nowhere to be. Freedom had fallen on his shoulders so suddenly he had no idea what to do with it, where to go. Then he remembered his old hole. When he had come here first, he¡¯d settled in a run down house. It should have been somewhere not far and still filled with bags of herbs. There was little chance someone had stolen them. As he had expected the place was untouched, only rain water having went in and rotted some of Ace¡¯s herbs. It was an unlucky thing but nothing too horrible. There were still more than five full bags left. He sat down there then, enjoying the last of the sun¡¯s light and opened the book. It was cowered in black leather with unknown symbols on its cover, etched in bronze. And to Ace¡¯s annoyance, the inside was exactly the same. Black with rusty letters. He wondered what they meant but there was no way to read a language he didn¡¯t know. It was a useless book to him. Had the skeleton known that and given it to him on purpose? The question had little purpose so Ace took out a couple of logs, sparked the flame with [Flare]¡¯s burst and threw the book in. He didn¡¯t really care about it either way. Reward was rarely the motivation behind his actions. He opened the bags and after taking out a pot started mixing. There were more space in the room so he made more fires and boiled more elixirs. Most were going to end up as failures but he hoped a few poisons would show up too. He was going low on those. In case none might, he made some old recipes he knew. It was boring but poison was half the assassin¡¯s damage. He couldn¡¯t just go without it. [Heart-seeker] had to be kept a secret. Near midnight a message flashed before his eyes. He didn¡¯t really want to talk with anyone but maybe it was something interesting. /Are you still alive?/ L wrote. Ace thought for a moment. The answer was obvious but he doubted that was what the guy was asking. /What do you want?/ /I have something that will occupy you./ /Why do you think I¡¯d be interested. I have a lot on my hands with your last quest./ It was an absolute lie but who cared. He didn¡¯t really want to leave this place now that he thought about it. There was some kind of roof over his head, a wall to hide from the wind and herbs enough to keep him busy for days. It would be the perfect place to hide away for a couple of weeks at least. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. /Have you opened the TV in the last day? The place is buzzing with news about you./ /And that would interest me because?/ /Your cover has been blown. It¡¯s obvious to everyone that the kid Ace is the notorious murderer Silver Wing. You have no place to return to./ Ace didn¡¯t answer to that. He had had a feeling it would happen but he hadn¡¯t expected for them to connect the dots so quickly. It was like a punch to the stomach, one he had mistimed. /Or do you think they will let you stay around?/ He burst out laughing at that, a cruel, bitter sound. /I¡¯m not stupid if that is what you were implying. But why would I want to rush to you at this moment? You could be preparing a trap for me now that I¡¯ve become useless./ ¡°Useless?¡± The surprise in the guy¡¯s voice sounded genuine as Ace accepted his call. ¡°You have just become even more valuable. I can use you all the time since you have no one to distract you from the task.¡± ¡°Distract?¡± Ace shook his head soundlessly at that. There had never been anyone. He was just too lazy to do what he had been told. The things he were doing with the group had always been more fun. L hadn¡¯t seem to have read the kid¡¯s mind and continued on his chosen path. ¡°Yes. They were taking all your time. Now you can concentrate on the mission I have for you.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± There was little chance he would do it. L after all no longer had anything to threaten him with, but it wasn¡¯t like it would hurt to hear him out. Maybe he actually had something interesting in mind. ¡°Train a group of assassins. I already have the people in mind, but they lack your cunning. You would become their leader and have a place of honour on my side.¡± This sounded like something fun, ordering older people around but one thing didn¡¯t sound right. ¡°What do you mean at your side? Draugar of Silver will kill you the moment they hear of you conspiring with me.¡± ¡°It is already taken care of,¡± L said dismissively. ¡±You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± ¡°Explanation,¡± Ace said adamantly. He was already knee deep in shit and had to start walking out of it somehow. First thing being creating a new personality to travel around under while keeping a close watch on his old contacts. Those could betray him the easiest. There was a moment of silence on the other end of the conversation, some shuffling and then quietness. ¡°They were bought. Leaders weren¡¯t too happy about it but without me they would have huge problems after that extravagant celebration. They¡¯re set in too deep in my city.¡± It was a good lie if it was one, Ace concluded. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll come over to take a look at those students of yours.¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°Do you really think I¡¯ll say that?¡± There was a sigh from the other end. ¡°I understand. Come when you can. I need them to start training as fast as possible.¡± ¡°Whaa?¡± Ace muttered as he saw dark smoke coming from the outside and swirling around him. Was that some kind of tracking magic? Had they already found him? It was damn fast. ¡°What is ha-¡± L started but Ace dropped the call and hiding under [Shadow Veil] made his way out. [Silent Steps] were hopefully enough to keep his approach soundless. He sneaked from the room, stopping right before the exit. As long as he stayed still, it was impossible for anyone to notice him but he couldn¡¯t just stay here like this forever. For that reason he moved his head inch by slow inch in an attempt to prevent any rogues from noticing his movements. It was hard to say if he succeeded when he looked into the eyes of what was waiting for him outside. No, it wasn¡¯t a person. Right outside the ruined house stood a horse with a look that could have killed. It was breathing hard, its sides raising in an uneven rhythm, hot breath leaving its nostrils. The whole pose was of one ready to rush forth and hammer the target with his head. It would have been a perfect tactic for a unicorn but this horse didn¡¯t seem to be one. He was lacking a horn and the colour was black instead of white. Ace wondered what it was. This could be an elaborate plot to lure him out but he doubted that. It was too soon for anyone to have come up with a scheme and found him. Moving through mirrors was a secretive way to travel if anything else. That decided he stepped out and dropped the veil. This brought the animal¡¯s attention to him and like it had been clearly preparing to do, it rushed at Ace. The kid was barely on time to jump to the side and evade the attack. Before he could think about it, he heard the horse whinnying behind him. It had tried to control its charge but had still crashed against the wall. This, however, did nothing to diminish its anger and after standing up it rushed Ace again. This time the kid was more prepared and easily dodged to the side. The horse whirled around to try another charge so Ace moved to the street where there were no buildings to crash against. He felt no need to have the horse injure himself on his account. The dodging lasted for some ten minutes more until the horse could no longer stand up. His sides were raising erratically, sweat running in torrents down its whole body. Ace squatted down next to it and tried to pet the head, barely able to get his hand before losing some fingers. ¡°You¡¯re one crazy animal,¡± he muttered, watching the white eyes. It then tried to kick him. This hit Ace in the ribs and the animal released a triumphant snort. The kid massaged his side, there would be a bruise for sure if this was real life. He had even lost some ten percent of health to that single hit. The defensive capabilities of assassins were truly pathetic. Ace stood up and threw a glance at the exhausted animal, now lying a couple of feet away. The horse¡¯s triumph had been short lived and he was back to laboured breaths. ¡°Who are you?¡± Ace asked him without expecting a reply. The animal didn¡¯t give any besides raising his eyes to glare at him. ¡°You sure don¡¯t look happy, though I don¡¯t remember meeting you before.¡± Smoke swirled but it was hardly an explanation. Ace had none either so he bent down to the animal and poured a health potion down his throat. The horse choked on it for a moment, its eyes widening, but then it calmed down and the liquid went to its insides. It had been a weak elixir but Ace hoped it would do the job. There was a cut on the animal¡¯s front leg where he had hit against a sharp edge and some bruises on the side. They healed in moments and some breath returned to the animal. It shook his head and got back to its feet. There was still a look of distrust in its eyes but no longer was it charging like a madmen. Ace deemed it progress and went closer with his hand extended. The animal sniffed it and shook its head. neighing, the mane flying back. It was black like the whole horse but Ace could have sworn he saw something light reflecting the moonlight. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m not going to harm you.¡± The animal snorted at that, taking a couple of steps closer. It lowered its head so their eyes were on the same level. This led to a long stare down between a boy and a horse. Ace wasn¡¯t sure what this was about but there was no way he was giving up. If it was a challenge, he was winning it no matter what. That is if it suited him. It felt like they stood there for hours until the horse finally lowered its gaze and bent his front legs. Ace watched him do that and nodded in respect. The animal seemed to like that and motioned towards its own back. ¡°You want me to ride you?¡± Ace asked unsure. The animal nodded solemnly, not once losing eye contact. The kid was about to do that when he heard sizzling water. ¡°My potions!¡± he shouted out, crawling back inside the fallen in house at top speed. One of the pots had boiled and liquid was now running its sides to the ground. Ace instantly took out a flask of water, dousing the flame, and took the lid off. The elixir still bubbled inside but no longer threatened to run out. That was good. There were strange sounds from the entrance so Ace went back there to check what was happening. To his surprise the horse had went down on his belly and was trying to get through the short tunnel Ace had to wriggle through. It was a somewhat funny sight so the kid smiled but didn¡¯t let the animal make fun of himself for too long. ¡°You don¡¯t need to come here,¡± he said crawling to it and shooing away. ¡°I just need to pick a couple of things and I¡¯ll be out in a moment. Wait for me outside here, okay?¡± The animal whinnied unhappily so Ace petted his nose. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be out soon and you can stand guard in the meantime. We don¡¯t know when someone with ill intentions might show up.¡± This seemed to work and the horse stood up, after eyeing Ace for a minute of course. There was something very unnatural about him, Ace decided. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was a good idea to go off riding on him, but he no longer wanted to stay. It was too dangerous. Until he decided on his new main appearance he had to always be on the move. This was the only way he believed to be able to evade all those following him. Especially since they had some unknown way to find him as somehow they had filmed his actions at the city. He wondered how they had done that while collecting his tools but couldn¡¯t come up with an idea. Maybe if he had watched the whole show... But he doubted that. They wouldn¡¯t say how where he could overhear. Especially not the whole truth, and that would be even more dangerous. As he was thinking that and putting the last fire out, he heard the horse snorting. It annoyed him but he ignored it for the moment and bent, filling the last bottle up. Only after putting it away did he crawl outside. He was about to call for the animal, to calm him down when he noticed figures moving in the darkness. They were still far away in the distance but quickly closing in. In another moment [Instincts of a Predator] could pick them up and Ace knew they were coming from all directions. Horsed. ¡°How fast are you?¡± he asked his mount who went on his front legs to let him get on. Ace sat up as the horse looked at him with a fire in his eyes. The kid wondered if it had been the right decision to tempt this unknown creature when all thoughts flew out of his mind. The horse started at a trot, then canter and in another instant they were galloping forward. It wasn¡¯t anything much but to Ace who hadn¡¯t been on horse much, especially one rushing with reckless abandon and without a saddle, this felt like a nightmare. He grabbed onto the mane, then hugged the neck and closed his eyes, hoping this was going to be over soon. Adventure was fun and all but he didn¡¯t want to fall off the galloping horse. And into the hands of his chasers whoever they were. He tried to think, analyse the situation but the only thing his mind was capable of producing was a simple mantra. ¡®Don¡¯t fall off. Don¡¯t fall off. Don¡¯t fall off. Don¡¯t. Fall. Off.¡¯ His hands slipped at times, but he only tightened his grip then. This was a dangerous ride and he was a horrible rider. He hadn¡¯t even gotten a riding skill! To make the journey even better, it started to rain a bit later. Large droplets ran down his cloak and face, blurring the small piece of land he was seeing between the horse¡¯s neck and his hand. He shivered, wind passing through his damp clothes, chilling him to the bone. But Ace knew better than to ask if it could get any worse. Those words never brought anything good. Time passed and he got used to the rhythm of muscles moving under him, the sound of hoofs hitting the soft ground. They had left the road ages ago and now were in the middle of nowhere by Ace¡¯s knowledge. Sweat mixed with rain was running down the horse¡¯s sides and Ace could feel its ragged breathing. The speed was dropping down little by little too. Soon they were back to a trot and moments after a walk. This allowed Ace to weaken his grip and look around. They were moving next to a forest, their pursuers nowhere in sight. A light shone somewhere in the distance, a village maybe. ¡°We should be able to find shelter there,¡± he said loudly over the pelting rain and the animal snorted in agreement. It tried to speed the walk but its tired limbs protested. Walk was the best thing possible at the moment. Ace didn¡¯t rush him and in some fifteen minutes they were next to the village. All of the houses were dark but for the one light at the front. Through the window Ace could see a man sitting over a book under a candle¡¯s light, a bow and an axe next to the armchair. He went down from the horse and knocked on the door. This startled the man and after some scuttling he showed up with an axe in hand. He looked taken aback after noticing the kid at his door a few hours past midnight so Ace took the initiative. ¡°Is there a place I could rest my horse? We expected to reach the next city tonight but rain caught us unaware...¡± He added a certain amount of sheepishness to his voice to make him more believable and the man seemed to buy it. ¡°That stallion¡¯s yours?¡± he asked after a moment, lowering his weapon to the ground. ¡°He looks like hell.¡± Ace looked back at the horse that had carried him away from the pursuers. Hot breath was leaving its nostrils as it tried to calm its breathing. Sweat was being washed off by the rain but it made the animal shiver from the smallest of gusts. That seemed to snap the man into action. ¡°Come. He needs immediate attention if you don¡¯t want him getting sick.¡± Ace shook his head at that and went to the animal to walk with him after the man. They were led into a barn. There were no stalls inside just straw and hay thrown in random piles. ¡°I¡¯m not using this so you can stable him here for the night. But first you need to clean him up.¡± ¡°Okay..?¡± The man brought him a grey cloth and told him to dry the horse. It was supposedly very important in keeping the animal healthy and preventing him from catching a cold. Ace wasn¡¯t sure he wanted a pet, horse one at that, but the animal had carried him away from the enemies. It was a notable thing and Ace was one to encourage the good done to him. He wasn¡¯t going to let his helper die from some simple cold. It was true he might have escaped himself but that was a big maybe. His fields were an extremely useful tool but he had a bad feeling about using them now. Once people knew that trick, he was sure they already found a way to prevent him from utilising it. That¡¯s why the riding had been such an easy escape. They simply hadn¡¯t expected that. He hadn¡¯t ever used animal helpers before. It wasn¡¯t attributed to him before. ¡°Here¡¯s some water,¡± the man said bringing a bucked of it after a long disappearance. The horse drank it in large gulps, finishing more than half of it in no time. After noticing Ace¡¯s worried expression, the man added. ¡°It¡¯s warm. You have nothing to worry about. I¡¯ve had my own farm back in time.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Ace said with a small smile. It hadn¡¯t been the thing he was thinking, but knowledge was a good thing. Now he knew it was warm water only for horses after a long run. When he said it like that to himself, it sounded very obvious. Horses were like humans, cold water might be nice after exhaustive training, working a lot, but it would bring nothing but sickness. ¡°You can come over to my house after you¡¯re done here. There¡¯s an extra room where you can sleep.¡± Ace smiled at that and nodded, drying the left flank. The man gave him a return smile and left. ¡°I¡¯m a watcher in this town so don¡¯t worry to wake me up.¡± It was a good explanation and Ace nodded again, moving to clean the bottom of the foot. When he needed to clean the back, he motioned for the horse to move next to a stack of hay. The animal understood instantly and Ace could clean him up easily. Yet it took a long while none the less. In time he dropped the cloak and most of the clothes, leaving only in black pants. It would have been cold if not for the fact he was moving so much. Scrubbing the animal dry was a lot of exercise. So much that when the man came over to check what had happened to the mysterious boy he found him sleeping with his horse. The animal had laid down half on the side, his legs bent and the boy had fallen next to him. They were sharing the warmth on the cold night. It was cute but humans had homes. The man thought of waking the kid because of that. Yet one look from the horse was enough to stop him in his tracks. If the boy had wanted to to sleep more comfortably, he would have come inside. This situation was none of his concern. Next Chapter 7.2 Not Afraid Previous Chapter (If somone hasn''t noticed, this is the second chapter this week. You can read the previous one by clicking the link above.) Characters Titles and Abilites **** ¡°Well, that was interesting,¡± Ace muttered as he looked at his bare wet torso. The horse had drank the rest of the water from yesterday and decided to shake his head so droplets of water flew right at the kid. ¡°Do you really expect me to keep you after this?¡± The animal snorted at that, rearing on his hind legs. Ace jumped back involuntarily, afraid of the hooves flailing inches above his head. ¡°That¡¯s dangerous!¡± It brought another snort from the horse and Ace just shook his head. The animal was hopeless. ¡°Do you even have a name?¡± he asked, fastening his shirt. It had dried up and, he was happy to notice, lacked any bloodstains. Unlike his pants and cloak. He would have to wash them before using again. He put those away and changed into a new pair. This time he took out the lord¡¯s clothes, black was a good colour for a killer. Bloodstains were harder to see on it. ¡°Are you done?¡± the man asked coming in. He was freshly shaven and just washed but Ace could see the slowness in his step. The sleepless night hadn¡¯t been kind on him. ¡°Thanks for taking us in. You were a real life saver.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Come have some breakfast with me. I believe you should be hungry by now.¡± Ace checked his hunger bar and it was on the low side. ¡°You¡¯re too kind,¡± he said to the man, joining him on his way to the house. The horse followed them to the entrance, deciding to graze on the small grass while they entered. The inside was scarcely furnished, a bed, table and one chair occupying most of the space in the single room. There was a hearth on the side in which a pot boiled. Mouth watering aroma was wafting from it. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t have guests often so there¡¯s nothing much I can give you,¡± the man said with a sheepish smile. Ace returned him a genuine one sitting down on the bed. ¡°No worries, I¡¯m a horrible cook so I live on dried meat. Anything that¡¯s right out of the pot is like a feast to me.¡± The man chuckled at that, taking a bowl and pouring a generous portion to Ace. The kid blew over it, not really ready to eat it boiling hot. Instead he stirred the porridge wondering how many ingredients he could recognise. The yellow thing was a potato for sure and the orange one a carrot but then things got a little harder. What was that yellowish thing? The small cube like things had to be beans. And the green thing a what? He tasted it but his mind was empty. Well, he still knew some of the ingredients. That was something. In that time the brew had cooled down enough for him to eat and he got to enjoy one of the tastiest meals in his game time. The only thing that could compare were the taverns which he had visited only a couple of times and Aurora¡¯s cooking. But she usually had to work with products at hand and in somewhat of a hurry, also quantity over quality. ¡°This is great. You¡¯re an amazing cook!¡± he praised the man with his mouth full. It rewarded him with a wide smile from the man that was now sitting next to the table. ¡°Slow down. No one¡¯s going to steal it from you. And I had aspired to be a cook in my youth. Yet no restaurant wanted to hire a street urchin so here I am.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t know what they had missed out on,¡± Ace said instantly. ¡°But their loss, my treasure. Thanks for the meal, really.¡± He stood up, putting the bowl down. It was as clean as new. ¡°And letting me to stay the night, you saved me there.¡± ¡°Are you in a hurry? You can stay here for a while and rest.¡± There was a shadow in the man¡¯s eyes, a fall to his grey head. ¡°Yeah, I need to be somewhere. I wish I could stay.. But no, duty calls. I have an important task given to me.¡± He said and looked over his bag. There were many great things players would buy for large amounts of gold but nothing good for the man. And he wanted to reward the person. ¡°Do you have children or some family?¡± The man shook his head. ¡°I never found the one.¡± It wasn¡¯t what Ace had wanted to hear so he took a better look at his bag. There had to be something. Knives, swords, armour, pendants, parchment, elixirs... That last one took his attention. What if? ¡°I don¡¯t have much but please take this. It should help you in your time of need.¡± The man took the elixir with his eyebrows furrowed. ¡°What is it? And you don¡¯t really have to give me anything. I didn¡¯t do this to receive a reward.¡± Ace smiled at that. ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m giving one. It¡¯s a potion that restores one¡¯s youth for three hours. Hope it serves you well and don¡¯t worry. Until I need it myself, the world might be a very different place.¡± The bottle quickly was lost in the man¡¯s coat as he winked at Ace. ¡°I think I can watch over it then. Best of lucks in your journey.¡± ¡°Thanks, live long old man!¡± The farewell done, Ace walked outside in the cold morning air. Mist was still swirling around and a majestic stallion waited for him nearby. It looked to be all black but the colour was shifting, bending as if the skin itself was moving. ¡°What are you really?¡± Ace asked, stroking the animal¡¯s neck. The horse lowered its head, putting in on the boy¡¯s shoulder with a soft neigh. ¡°But really, you need a name. How long am I going to call you horse?¡± The animal snorted, nuzzling against Ace¡¯s forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t you have one?¡± The horse shook the head, its mane flying around wildly. ¡°What do you want to be called then? Something to do with the time of day I met you? Night, spirit, moon?¡± There was one big snort to all of the three suggestions. The animal even took a couple of steps back. Ace laughed at that. ¡°What about simply Black then. Would that suit you?¡± Silence lasted for a couple of moments before there was a shake of head with a definite neigh. ¡°No, then. So what do you want to be called?¡± The answer of course was not coming as the horse moved a bit farther away, closer to trees. It put him in the mists that didn¡¯t hide his form, they weren¡¯t that thick but blurred things and enhanced others. Only now Ace took a better look at him for the first time. When they first had met, it was night and the barn didn¡¯t have much light in it either. The horse was lean and strong muscled, built for speed rather than strength with an average height. This meant he towered over Ace, but most horses did. His flowing mane was over twenty centimetres, reaching past the animal¡¯s shoulders. The tail was also overly long, close to the ground. Had it ever been cut? Near the hooves there were patches of hair. It looked pretty but Ace had no idea what it was meant for. Was it even useful? When he raised his head back up again to look at the horse¡¯s face, he was met by two black orbs. They were ringed by the sharpest electric blue Ace had ever seen. He was taken aback by the intelligence he could glimpse hidden beneath that glaring colour. This was no stupid animal, whatever his first impression might have been the night before. ¡°He looks like a ghost in the mists, something barely there...¡± Ace murmured, watching the creature before himself. This was an animal worthy to be paraded for everyone to see, to make them jealous. And he knew just the right place to do that. ¡°You¡¯re Mirage then,¡± he said to the horse, coming closer to pet him. ¡°It fits you quite well if I say so myself.¡± The animal neighed, lowering his head to Ace¡¯s height without protest. Apparently, this name was okay or he feared what worse Ace could come up with. Whichever the case was, the name had been chosen and they could be on their way. Mirage bent his front legs so Ace could sit up and let him choose the direction they went. ¡°Can you sense any water nearby?¡± the kid asked instead. The horse sniffed for a moment, shifting his head right and left before nodding. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± Mirage moved from the village¡¯s perimeter in a slow walk. They were in no hurry so there was no point to gallop and the footing was treacherous. Ground was slippery from rain water and mud holes were all around, hidden by bowed grass from the rider¡¯s and his mount¡¯s eyes. It would have been nice to have some path but they were closing o a forest and there were no roads leading to it. Mirage had to plough through tall grass that didn¡¯t seem to have been cut for the last few ages. It dirtied Ace¡¯s breeches, wetting the boots. Ace fought against that with [Excessive Heat]. The skill warmed him up and tried drying his clothes though it was in vain. When they reached the forest it got even worse. There was no way for Ace to evade all the branches which then released torrents of water over his head. Mere minutes after entering he was wholly soaked. Mirage didn¡¯t seem in a any better condition, it¡¯s mane falling limp at his side, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind much. He was trotting forward and that was all that mattered to the horse. It took them a good half an hour to reach the pond. The place was more a swamp than anything else but somewhere ahead Ace could see clear water. ¡°Go there.¡± The horse did as told, its hooves getting sucked in to the ground. There was water somewhere underneath and mud which was a dangerous combination. Yet they still needed to get to the water. Ace¡¯s best plan was to get off Mirage and walk beside him, hoping that lower weight would let them reach the other side without sinking in. Himself he could walk on fields and he did exactly that to not fall in or destroy his boots for good, but the same didn¡¯t work for Mirage. The animal was still unknown to his tricks and Ace wasn¡¯t sure if he could ever trust his master enough to step on thin air. Though, they had known each other for a whole single day so it was probably a bit too early to judge. Finally, in long twenty minutes they reached the water. It was greenish and putrid smelling but Ace could see his reflection. Kind of. The thing was twisted and out of shape but he hoped it would work. And that the animal could pass alongside him. The skill explicitly said that no person could pass with him but there was no mentioning of an animal being unable to do that. Mirror Walk[Active] Any surface that reflects what is before it can be used as a door to other places. The picture in your mind determines where you will go. You don''t need to have visited the place before. Warning! You can''t take other people with you! Also make sure your mind image is clear or you will be transported to any place having similarities to your destination! Caution! There is no way to take your body parts back if you pushed them through the surface so make sure you are able to go yourself too. Otherwise, they''ll be pulled off! Mana cost: 1000 Cooldown: 3 hours He checked the skill again and it was still the same. People, not beings. ¡°Here goes nothing. Mirror Walk!¡± he said activating the skill and walking in with one of his hands on the horse¡¯s side. The animal balked at that. Mirage was fine with stepping into stinky rotting grass, having fish and who knows what swimming around his legs, but he didn¡¯t want to drown yet. It had been dangerous enough walking through the front of the swamp but this was different. If he took a step inside the pond itself, he was sure to be sucked inside without a chance to fight back. This was no opponent he could bite or kick. No matter how much he would struggle the grass would ensnare him and water wash over his head. He would never see the light again. ¡°Come on, just a few step,¡± the boy encouraged stepping in himself. He was sinking in but it was different. Mud and water stayed away from him. It was like his body refused to be engulfed by such lowlife things. That interested Mirage. How could that be possible? He raised his own leg and tested the ground with it, lowering it slowly. It went in but there was a warm feeling instead of wetness that surrounded it. He tried putting another leg in and the same happened. It was so strange he jumped in whole, moving forward, turning round and round to see how he was not sinking in. Ace chuckled at Mirage¡¯s antics. The horse had went in up to his shoulder¡¯s and was now jumping back and forth, glancing at his hooves and sides with eyes wide. There was childish glee in them and Ace felt himself experiencing some of that merriment. He let the animal play for a bit before using fields to get on his back and petting his neck. ¡°Time to move on. I don¡¯t know when the spell will expire and I wouldn¡¯t want to be here when it does.¡± Mirage neighed at that, his disappointment obvious but stopped his turning, moving forward in a simple walk. They reached the centre in moments then and white light washed over them, the world of mirrors passing their eyesight for a second and they were out. It was a lake Ace had visited once upon a time. He remembered coming to it and watching his reflection under the moon¡¯s silvery light. The crimson shadow looking back at him. Mirage snorted under him and he shook his head with a hint of a smile. It was daytime now and he wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°What do you say about making a grand entrance?¡± The animal turned to give him a puzzled look. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. All you¡¯ll have to do is look proud and menacing.¡± There was another snort at that with a turned away head. Ace took it as an agreement when he noticed the slower pace they moved in and the way Mirage¡¯s head was held higher. ¡°Thanks,¡± he whispered, petting the animal¡¯s neck. ¡°But give me a moment. I need to change myself a bit too.¡± He jumped down then and made his way behind the trees. There was no one around but he no longer trusted the open skies. They could have those cameras too. That¡¯s why he hid under the trees and took out the wig he¡¯d used near Monthu. It had bright red hair. They were too bright for Ace¡¯s liking but he didn¡¯t want to use an illusion. There might be some that could see through it in the city. After putting the wig on he took out the mask and made sure it was fine. No cracks or bloodstains could be seen so he put it on. All his trademarks were collected now but the cloak. However, that one was spotted with blood. He considered leaving it out but he wanted to come out in a grand way. That no one would have any question as to who he was. The cloak was necessary then. ¡®Well, a few drops of blood never hurt anyone. They might even add to my image.¡¯ That decided he surrounded himself in it and took out the silver wing necklace to the front. People needed to see it. He glanced at himself in the lake and liking the view jumped on Mirage. Those fields were getting more and more useful by the day. ¡°Let¡¯s go now. It¡¯s time to have some fun.¡± There was an agreeing neigh from the animal as it stood up on its hind legs, almost throwing Ace off. He barely managed to grab onto the mane to keep himself in place. ¡°Are you trying to get rid of me?¡± he shouted out with a laugh. A snort came from his companion and they were off. Mirage felt like galloping for a bit. At leas until the city was in their sights. When they reached the road, he slowed into a trot and Ace watched the people moving around them. There were players walking in groups and riding to do quests a bit further away. Some merchant was sitting on his wagon and whipping the air to hurry his two tired donkeys. The animals looked exhausted but the sound and memory of pain was enough to keep them plodding forward. No one paid Ace any attention, too lazy to raise their eyes and see who was sitting on the black stallion. He was thankful for that. There was no point on creating a ruse before entering the city. If it happened, he might not even be let in and that would be disastrous. His master plan could come to naught! If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Though, truth be told, it wasn¡¯t much of a plan. He just wanted to show off his animal and prove to the world that he feared nothing. Silver Wing was much more than just a secret killer. He had pride too. Right before the gates he heard a shout. ¡°Wing! Wing!¡± He didn¡¯t glance that way. It was one of the hardest things he¡¯d ever done in his life but he pushed through. The city deserved to see a criminal master mind, not some wonder filled child. And he delivered the picture. Coal black stallion built for speed and power with a long flowing mane, its head raised high, eyes glaring at anyone that moved too close. There was a certain air of viciousness to it as if he was going to bite someone¡¯s head off at any moment. And on top of him sat a man. No, it was a boy that looked like one. It was hard to call him a kid though. He had poppy bright red hair up to his shoulders which framed a wooden fox mask that covered half of the face. A disdainful smile could be seen on the lower half. He was dressed in a worn dark blue cloak spotted with black dots at the front. Observers needed little time to figure what they were as the person rode past them. They watched his straight back, relaxed manner... ...and shied away. They whispered running to their homes and staring through the curtains. In moments the whole street was empty. It reminded Ace of the way he had walked with the guild. Everyone watched them back then too, expressing their emotions. This time, however, it was fear instead of excitement. It spread before him like a carpet welcoming him in, leading to the castle. /You home?/ he wrote to L, just now remembering to check. He should have really done that before but where else the guy would be? He was stuck to his study, sending letters and thinking of ways to protect his land. /I¡¯m listening to the complains of the nobles now. Something important?/ came a reply when Ace was already nearing the castle. He hoped to reach it without incident when a group of twenty people blocked his path. They were all knights in full plate armour with lances aimed at him. Their horses were hidden beneath colourful swats of chain armour meant to protect against swords and spears. Ace had to say it was a marvellous idea to keep the animals uninjured. One from middle ages but he hadn¡¯t seen in implemented before. However, it was a horrible choice against him. Because of the armour the animals were burdened and much slower. If there was a race or chase, Ace would instantly win. But this was not it. He had to make them allow him through without fighting, or maybe just a little bloodshed would be fine. He was a notorious murderer after all. It would look bad on him to act friendly and compassionate. ¡°What a welcome,¡± he said with mockery in his tone. It was meant to annoy them, enrage. Unsurprisingly it succeeded. ¡°Who do you think you are coming here like this? Do you believe we¡¯ll let you pass?¡± one of the knights shouted out, riding to the front with his weapon held in a defensive position. Ace laughed at him. The guy kept more than five horse lengths away. ¡°And how are you going to stop me? With that group of newborns?¡± He chuckled again as one of the lances wavered after meeting his eye. ¡°They can¡¯t even hold their weapons.¡± ¡°Order!¡± the leader screamed at his ranks, trying to intimidate them into courage. It wasn¡¯t helping. Ace could see another guy shaking like a leaf. What were these people? So afraid... ¡°Silence, monster! You have no rights here! Prepare to be caught and sentenced to execution!¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± Ace asked with a raised eyebrow, the same mocking smile on his lips. ¡°You¡¯re going to release me so easily?¡± ¡°We will hunt you down like a rat to level one! Like you deserve!¡± someone from the back shouted out and Ace shifted his eyes there. The man tried to look insignificant, like it hadn¡¯t been him who talked but Ace wasn¡¯t fooled. The more the man in green armour tried to hide, the more obvious he was. Ace pretended to listen to what the leader was saying but his eyes kept straying to the brave guy. Otherwise known as the fool. He felt like killing him and looking around he saw no reason not to do it. That was what stopped him for a moment. He couldn¡¯t believe he could just stand up and kill a man that annoyed him in broad daylight. That everyone knew who he was. It was strange, wrong somehow. Too easy. But he still wanted the guy dead. Without wasting any more time he stood up on Mirage¡¯s back. The horse didn¡¯t even glance back as if he was used to it. Ace could have kissed him for that. His image was getting better and better by each moment. [Shadow Step] activated and he was behind the green armour, his cloak billowing behind him. It freed his hands and he stabbed with graceful ease. The dagger passed armour, having been enhanced with [Magma Blade]. Ace, or Silver Wing, used a couple more abilities before [Heart-seeker] with [Curse of the Hungry]. Everyone was so stunned by the events that Ace had enough time to take all the man¡¯s belongings, leaving him the armour he wore and reappearing on his horse. ¡°What were you saying?¡± he asked the leader man, a faint smile on his lips as he plopped down on Mirage. The horse neighed softly and Ace stroked his neck in a silent thanks. The man spluttered and Ace shook his head, squeezing his hips for Mirage to start on walking. He was absolutely sure it was the wrong signal as he was no rider, but the horse seemed to know what he wanted. Smart fellow. The knights were too shocked to do anything. Their horses shied away and they let them, making a path for Ace to pass into the castle. His smile turned wry. Those people were players, they cared about their equipment and experience. No true native would have let him pass, their honour and pride wouldn¡¯t have allowed them to act that way. But this sorry lot had no honour. Their main concern were their own lives. It was a strange concept since these were people that couldn¡¯t die. They were immortal and yet natives were braver, less risk averse even with their mortality. Mirage strode in the castle in a confident trot, his head held high. Ace watched as nobles ran from his path, kissing the walls, hiding behind empty armour. They were truly pathetic. Or Silver Wing¡¯s legend was more renowned when he had thought. Silver Wing¡¯s... It was still hard for Ace to think of that murderer as himself. Yeah, he had acted him but in his every day life he had been just a simple kid. He had travelled around the world with his friends and had had no problems. But there was a different kind of freedom to his existence now. He could kill anyone he wanted without a second thought, there was no one to judge him. Yet now there was such a thing as an image. He had to keep to it if he wanted to be someone. For that was all he was. The way he presented himself. The halls were wide and high as rich people standards dictated and it was easy for Mirage to pass. Servants dodged of his way and soon they were at the doors to the throne room. They were closed at the moment, listening in session. People who needed to be there had already been allowed in and the place closed. Only a surly looking herald sat nearby with a distracted look on his face. When Ace approached, he just waved his hand. ¡°Get out. Too late.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think so,¡± Ace said in a low tone, his dagger leaving his side. The herald fully opened his eyes then and after seeing the newcomer prepared to bolt. ¡°Stop,¡± Ace hissed and Mirage blocked the man¡¯s escape path. ¡°You¡¯re going to open the doors now and let me in. You hear me?¡± The man shivered in his ornamented clothing, a trickle of sweat running down his brow. ¡°I-I ca-can-can¡¯t do it! Th-the the se-se-session has alrea-already started!¡± ¡°You can call the guards and open those doors now nicely or...¡± Ace gave him a moment to take in what he was telling. ¡°Or you can refuse me and die a brave but pointless death. I¡¯ll be entering either way. So, please, choose wisely.¡± The lordling glanced around, his eyes wildly moving from place to place. Ace followed his every move with a hunter¡¯s care. There was no way he was letting this prey escape. His dagger flew instantly as the man tried to dart away. The blade skewered the boot, sparing the foot by luck only. ¡°Is that your choice?¡± L tried not to fall asleep. Some player was droning on for an hour already about how he was cheated by the noble and it didn¡¯t seem like it was going to end. And the noble was yet to state his case. L doubted he was going to do any work today. He tried concentrating on the man¡¯s words, the way he described the situation, but his mind kept returning to the kid. What was he planning? The message he had sent had been very cryptic and could be interpreted in many ways. The doors groaned. It was unnoticed by the speaker at first but L heard it and saw them opening little by little. The giant things were more for sight than use. He¡¯d never opened them before, there was a small side door on the side. He raised his hand for silence. Koravol took his time in quieting but managed before the giant doors were open. The groaning was loud enough to wake people from winter¡¯s slumber so everyone¡¯s eyes turned in that direction. A small man in white and gold livery went out. L recognised him as his herald. What was he thinking coming out here like this? And opening the royal doors none the less. Did he want to be fired so badly? ¡°Your Lordship, I present you a traveller from the far lands. He has requested an audience with you and it is my honour to present him to you.¡± A murmur rose in the crowd. This was unprecedented. Even L was intrigued. Who could have come and impressed his herald so much? A black stallion entered. It was a magnificent animal, L was sure, but his attention was taken by the man sitting on him. He had straight bright red hair that fell in waves past his shoulders in stark contrast to the otherwise dark outlook. There was a wooden fox mask of minimal design, few lines going upwards and some more around the eyes. Those were also the thing that caught attention the most. Instead of blood-red, the orbs were crystal clear. They were so bright and blue that one felt dirty just by looking at them. And weak. Useless. There was power in them that demanded respect and authority. It was hard for L to remember this was a child. One he had met a couple of times. One that loved to play around and smile. One that cared about what people thought of him, wanted to keep the good guy¡¯s image. He couldn¡¯t see that kid at all. ¡°I present you Silver Wing, the Ghost of Mora, Night¡¯s Friend of Lasran, Crimson Shadow of Ro¡¯s caravan and Death Angel of Garius city!¡± ¡®When had he gotten those titles?¡¯ was the first thought in L¡¯s head. He couldn¡¯t remember any of them having been used previously, not often at least. The Wing walked forward then, his animal taking leisure steps. Right before the throne they stopped, the horse and boy looking him straight in the eyes. It made a shiver run down L¡¯s back. He was wondering if he had gotten more than he had bargained for. ¡°Welcome to my halls. Your coming is a bit sudden so nothing was prepared but I think arrangements can be done.¡± Wing smiled at that, a small sly thing. ¡°Sudden? You called and I came.¡± L gulped. This wasn¡¯t doing anything good for his reputation. ¡°Right... Though I expected a different kind of visit.¡± ¡°Do you want me to visit at the dead of the night?¡± Wing asked in a way that sounded everything but reassuring. L had a feeling he wouldn¡¯t have liked that meeting. ¡°No, no! It is fine like this.¡± L stood up from his throne. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my study. We¡¯d want a more private chat.¡± Wing nodded at that, raising from his horse and stepping down on invisible steps. The ease with the way he did it, the familiarity... It was eerie. One wasn¡¯t supposed to walk on air. He said no words as he walked towards L, the same half-smile playing on his lips. L turned his back to him and moved behind the throne. There was a small gold encrusted door specially for him. It led to his personal chambers and study. The room had little furniture, one huge chair and a bookcase. But even though the place wasn¡¯t small, it would be hard for one see it. Maps, letters, contracts, treaties and notes were lying all around. One had no place to put his foot without stepping on some scroll or falling over a stack of books. L moved easily to his chair, not noticing the mess. Everything was in place as far as he was concerned. He knew the position of every single page. ¡°Make yourself comfortable.¡± As he sat he looked towards the Wing and the guy was looking around, his mouth set in a line. It made L smile. This was much more like the kid he had known, not the creepy killer. Though both of them wore the same smiles, on the kid they had looked only teasing, not openly mocking. ¡°It¡¯s my private study. You¡¯re the first to enter it.¡± Wing sat on a steadier looking stack of books before turning to him and replying. ¡°Should I feel honoured?¡± ¡°Not really. Now tell me, why did you come in like that? I didn¡¯t ask to make a show.¡± His voice was hard but he felt a chill enter the room as he finished. The eyes that met his were mere slits. He shifted in his seat, escaping the stare down. ¡°I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something,¡± Wing said in a calm voice, standing up and moving closer. His steps were slow and calculated, eyes the same frozen blueish white. L gulped. ¡°What do you mean?¡± His voice shook. He tried to straighten in his chair, he wasn¡¯t afraid of this child. Yet that only made him feel more insecure, like a rat noticing it attracted the snake¡¯s attention. He still looked into the emotionless eyes when they disappeared. Surprised he blinked a few times and was about to look around when cold metal touched his neck. ¡°You¡¯re not the one in power,¡± came a whisper from his side. ¡°I am.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± L answered in a whisper too. Cold sweat was pooling on his brow as he tried to breathe calmly. This was just a game. Even if he died, nothing would change. Yet death wasn¡¯t a familiar thing to him as he rarely went out. In his opinion, it was much more interesting to work with people, npcs, and raise in the ranks of society rather than monster killing. The blade moved, stopping with the flat of it before his eyes, blocking his sight. ¡°I want blood. Death. Killings.¡± The dagger shifted so he was staring right at the sharp edge. It was getting hard to breathe. ¡°I¡¯m a monster. We both know it.¡± He could feel breath on his left ear. ¡°You can use me. I don¡¯t care.¡± The blade moved slightly closer, L didn¡¯t dare to blink for losing his eyesight. ¡°But if for a moment, the barest of milliseconds you think of controlling me, owning me...¡± The sentence wasn¡¯t finished but the blade flashed before L¡¯s eyes. He closed them on instinct, unable to stop the reaction. And waited. He couldn¡¯t have said himself what he was expecting but not the silence that descended. There was his breathing and that¡¯s all. No sound of papers being stepped on, clothes brushing against skin or another set of lungs working. Was he dead? He had heard that one couldn¡¯t play for a couple of hours after dying but maybe it wasn¡¯t the whole truth? Maybe the player was transported to absolute darkness and logged off himself out of boredom? It calmed his heart down. He could hear its rapid beats slowing down, returning to normal. That was nice and he opened his eyes. And was welcomed by the sight of his study and a masked guy with bright red hair sitting before him. Light blue eyes caught his attention, but there was less coldness in them. He could almost feel there was someone alive behind them, a soul even. ¡°Where can I find those students of yours?¡± Next Chapter 7.3 Tools Previous Chapter Characters Titles and Abilities **** Two long hours passed before Ace could meet his followers. He had hoped to see them at once but apparently they needed time to assemble. And find a place that was eerie enough. ¡°You got to be kidding me,¡± he muttered rolling his eyes as Mirage passed the fallen in gates. The place was a large noble house that had been abandoned for a couple of ages. It was surrounded by a twenty meter high crumbling wall. Vines had made their home between the cracks, hurrying the process. Nearby the wall oak trees rose, covering the sky and turning the evening into night in an instant and throwing a shadow over the mansion. One side of it had fallen in and a tree now grew from the inside. It towered over the other trees in the vicinity even though it was dead. Not a single leaf or green part could be seen on it. ¡°They sure chose the nicest of places.¡± Mirage walked forward and they were under the canopy. The trees surrounded them from all sides as if they had entered a dark tunnel. Wind rustled the leaves, brushing his red hair at the same time. There was only silence but Ace could feel presences around. Three people were hiding in the trees, waiting for a good opportunity. ¡®A test?¡¯ Ace wondered as he let Mirage continue on the path. He didn¡¯t fear it but found a bit annoying. It made him choose what to do with those that annoyed him and in that reveal something about himself. Or, well, the persona he was pretending to be now, the infamous killer. A neigh came from Mirage as he jumped forward, evading a shower of daggers thrown their way and almost losing Ace in the process. He really needed to learn more about riding if his horse wanted to pull tricks such as this. But he had stayed up this time and that was what mattered. He activated [Radiant Step] and moved to where he felt the people with [Instincts of a Predator]. They had separated and masked themselves, going as far as wearing clothes matching the surroundings. Yet it did little to help them since Ace knew their exact positions. He pretended to look around in the air for a bit, listening to the silent breathing of the nature. And when he thought they had calmed down, decided he wasn¡¯t going to find them, he struck. [Void Step] activated and he was behind one of them. There was no way to tell if it was male or female but he didn¡¯t really care. His daggers easily found their target. Death was upon the person when a barrier of blue light surrounded him. It lasted barely for a moment but Ace had been distracted and moved a considerable distance away. He didn¡¯t like surprises, especially ones that made his targets become invulnerable and survive. ¡°Please, forgive our brother in his wish to test if it was really you,¡± came a voice from the path and Ace walked there. A person stood at the entrance of the mansion with what seemed eight more people in grey cloaks behind him. Ace lowered himself and dropped on Mirage¡¯s back. It wasn¡¯t in his nature to forgive but this was his future students and it wouldn¡¯t be good to start by killing them. He didn¡¯t want another fiasco like with what had happened with the rogues. ¡°Does he feel satisfied?¡± Ace asked when he was before the steps. This close up he could recognise the spokesperson. ¡°So it was really you...¡± Fenek heaved a sigh. ¡°I was hoping that it was only a rumour.¡± Even though Ace had been the official rogue leader in the quest to retake Vascas castle, it had been Fenek who ordered everyone around. He was the recognised authority figure and the person that despised Ace¡¯s guts. He wasn¡¯t going to be an easy one to win over. ¡°Do you have some complaints?¡± Ace asked, jumping from Mirage and walking up the stairs. He was a head and a half smaller than the guy but didn¡¯t really care. There was more power in posture than actual height if one only knew how to use it. He eyed the man through the mask¡¯s slits and the guy was the first to shift his gaze away. ¡°No. Everything is okay. Shall we go inside to talk?¡± Ace nodded at that, passing through the cloaked figures that made a path for him. He could hear some of them take a breath or a step back after brushing against him. A smile manifested on his face at that and he made his way forward. The inside was as run down as the outside. Furniture was broken down, rotting or eaten away by time. Any valuables had been stolen away and empty walls and ground met his eyes. Everything was covered in a layer of dust and dirt but there was a path that was cleaner. It was clear to have been used often and he followed it with the group following him behind. He had heard others join them, the ones that had been hiding in the trees but didn¡¯t turn back. Giant doors were in front of him, similar to the ones in L¡¯s castle. They were slightly ajar so Ace went through and found himself in a humongous room. He felt like an insect standing in there. Pillars that would need five people to enfold them rose to the sky. Ace raised his head but the ceiling was shrouded in darkness so he couldn¡¯t say how far away it was. But one thing was clear, it was high and this place took over most of the mansion¡¯s space. It was dark everywhere but for the scarcely used lanterns. They were on the ground and few so it was hard to say whether they helped any or just made the place worse. Shadows danced from their light and Ace activated [Mystic Eyes] to escape their annoyance. The skill made the room brighter or more like drew the place in sharper colours. Every pillar was more pronounced and people too. It felt like someone had come and highlighted them with a black marker on a greyish page. When they were all in, Ace leaned back against one of the pillars and turned towards the group of cloaked figures. They all wore the same greyish outfit that made them identical but for the difference in height. ¡°So, what do you have to say to me?¡± There was a collective murmur as they stopped in their tracks. ¡°Say to you?¡± Fenek asked, moving to the front. This had to be beaten out of him. He was no longer the leader, just one of the many. ¡°I¡¯m a murderer, a killer, a monster.¡± A few in the group took a deeper breath as he mentioned that. ¡®Where had L collected these newborns?¡¯ Ace wondered as he continued. ¡°Yet knowing that, you still wish to be trained by me. So tell me, what do you plan to learn? What do you think I can teach you that no one else can?¡± Silence lasted for a long while after his words and Ace wondered how he looked to them. White glowing eyes, small figure in a dark cloak with admission of being the worst of the worst on the lips. What did they think of him? Did they wonder if he was going to just kill them all and leave? ¡°We ca-¡± Fenek started but Ace cut him off. ¡°Shut it. There¡¯s no we among the killers. You help the other only as long as it doesn¡¯t endanger you.¡± He straightened then, moving closer to the group. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t expect to become best friends with me? I¡¯m not going to save your petty lives if you get caught.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that!¡± someone from the group shouted out. Ace turned his eyes to the guy. His eyes widened at that for a moment, mouth hanging limp but soon he took control over himself. ¡°You¡¯re the survivor! No matter how horrible the situation, you always come out ahead! I wan to learn that too!¡± This prompted another person. ¡°Yes! You¡¯re also so unpredictable yet consistent in your strategies! It¡¯s amazing!¡± Ace almost laughed out at that. He and strategies were at war. Not once in his life had a plan of his worked out the way he¡¯d wanted it to. Admiring Ace for his strategies was the same as idolizing turtles for their speed. Stupid and absolutely wrong. ¡°I love the way you never get caught! Whenever I try for an assassination something goes wrong and I end up dead or worse imprisoned...¡± a female voice said. ¡°I want to learn to expect any kind of situation as you do and counter it before it happens!¡± There were a couple of blinks from Ace at that. ¡®Since when did he expect everything and countered it? Didn¡¯t he just look at the guy who had praised his strategic skill like he was an idiot? Wasn¡¯t that obvious enough that he found this praise unwarranted?¡¯ It was Fenek who spoke next. ¡°You live when you shouldn¡¯t. Your blade goes where it should be impossible for it to reach. You¡¯re a living legend, few ever get the chance to learn from one,¡± he said grudgingly, his mouth set into a firm line. ¡°A living legend, huh?¡± he asked without expecting a reply. He looked over the group, seeing a mixture of emotions in their eyes. They were afraid of him, it was obvious from their defensive postures, but there was more to it. Wonder lay close by, it filled their muscles with nervous energy and made their eyes shine. Ace wanted to shake his head in wonder himself but stopped. He was Silver Wing now. The guy who was a killer, not a child any longer. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s see what you¡¯re all made up of. Divide into pairs and go kill a person.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Fenek instantly. There was a furrowing to his eyebrows and his left hand went to the hilt of the dagger at hist waist. ¡°You want us to take an innocent life?¡± ¡°You want to learn from me or not?¡± Ace focused his look on the guy, his voice sharp as an ice shard. ¡°If not, leave. I have little tolerance for fools.¡± No one did but neither did they do as they were told. Ace watched them shuffle their feet for a moment. ¡°Four hours. That¡¯s the time limit. If you don¡¯t return with a body in that time, you should make sure never to meet me again.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s an hour and a half long journey to Lasran!¡± someone complained. ¡°We¡¯ll have only an hour to find a target and get him.¡± Ace smiled cruelly. ¡°It takes but a second to rob a man of his life.¡± The speaker gulped at that and turned towards the girl that had praised Ace¡¯s clairvoyant skills. They exchanged a few words and were out the next moment. This snapped into action and soon they were all away but for Fenek. ¡°I knew you couldn¡¯t care less for the lives of your subordinates but why kill innocents? Those five people are going to die without any reason.¡± The smile on Ace¡¯s face thinned out, disappearing. A tired sigh escaped his lips. Fenek might have been someone that hated him but the guy was honest and he had known Ace. He wasn¡¯t disillusioned by the legend of Silver Wing. It made him somehow closer, like there was some strange connection between them. They knew stuff about the other that they would both prefer to keep hidden. ¡°Have you ever killed an innocent?¡± Fenek looked surprised by the question but answered none the less. ¡°Yes. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Do you think they had?¡± Ace asked without answering. He watched as the puzzled expression was soon exchanged by an understanding one. ¡°You want them to see it for themselves? The life of a monster?¡± Ace smiled at that, sliding down to the ground with his back to the pillar. ¡°When I was still unknown, an old guy suggested for me to become his student. He asked me only one thing. Kill a man and bring him to me, he said. I was level three then, innocent and stupid so I agreed.¡± This seemed to intrigue Fenek. He sat down a couple of steps away, watching Ace who had closed his eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t set out to become a rogue?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Ace said with a laugh. ¡°It was the opposite actually. I had sworn to myself to choose anything but the mage or assassin class.¡± ¡°And now you¡¯re both,¡± Fenek concluded remembering the stories about the kid Ace he¡¯d heard around the camp. ¡°Aye.¡± Neither said anything for a moment then. ¡°You know I hated you from the moment I saw you?¡± ¡°I guessed,¡± Ace said a smile, opening his eyes. ¡°You weren¡¯t very secret about it.¡± Fenek smiled dryly at that. ¡°True. I thought you were mocking everything that we rogues stood for. You were rich, spoiled and good only at making others¡¯ lives hell. But that all had been a lie, hadn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Not the last part. It¡¯s my speciality.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an amazing liar. We all believed that farce for a long while until you turned our lives into a nightmare. If not for the fear of losing the quest and having all that effort go to naught, we would have killed you at sight. Or tried to at least.¡± He waited a moment, collecting his thought before continuing. ¡°We had thought you just wanted to kill us all, to get rid of us, but now I think it was your way of teaching. You wanted us to become your tools instead of weights pulling you back. Though you¡¯ve used the cruellest of ways to achieve it. And your tendencies haven¡¯t seem to have changed.¡± ¡°Cruellest of ways?¡± Ace asked incredulous. He hadn¡¯t seen anything wrong with his methods. It was simply the easiest ways to get the needed result, pain had never been a consideration of his. That¡¯s why he had never thought that for others it might rank high on the priority list. Fenek was saved from an answer as two figures rushed through the entrance. They were both cloaked in grey with daggers at their sides so Ace guessed they were of his students. ¡°We-we are done,¡± the taller one rasped out. He was breathing hard and his face was flushed red. On his sign the other one opened the bag menu and took out a body. They watched for his reaction but Ace cared little for the dead man. He was more interested in the fact that one could stuff bodies in his inventory. That was something he had never considered before and it could prove very useful when trying to infiltrate an enemy base quietly. ¡°Is-is this oka-okay?¡± the smaller person asked in a feminine voice. The stutter brought Ace¡¯s attention back to the people. ¡°How did it happen?¡± he asked coming closer to inspect the body. The female instinctively moved backwards at his approach so the guy was left to answer. ¡°We used a teleportation scroll to get to the city. There we chanced upon the lone guard and took his life as asked. Another teleportation scroll was used to get back here.¡± ¡°You say we yet there¡¯s only one stab wound,¡± Ace noted crouching beside the body and smoothing the clothes to see the place better. It was a direct hit by his estimation that ended the man¡¯s life instantly. ¡°We both worked to present you this kill,¡± the man said in a steady voice, looking Ace straight in the eyes. It was commendable but did little to raise the youngster in his mind. Hard headedness and lack of situational objectiveness was added under his name tag for him. He remembered then that he did not know their names. ¡°What are you called?¡± The question threw the guy off for a moment. ¡°Razvan, sir, and she¡¯s Lara.¡± ¡°Take off the hoods and come closer then Razvan and Lara.¡± This made the two glance at each other, take a deep breath but move to him still. Courageous fools. Without a warning Ace jumped to attack Lara. He didn¡¯t use any skill but it didn¡¯t change the outcome. His dagger passed through her right shoulder, earning a scream from her. That was weakness enough but instead of fighting back she called for her friend. ¡°Razvan!¡± she screamed out, her face pale and eyes trying to jump out of their sockets as she stood deathly still. They stayed in that stasis for a moment longer before Razvan regained his wits and attacked with a feral scream. It was a dead give away. Ace rolled his eyes at that and took his dagger out of her body. It made a sickening slush leaving her flesh but Ace couldn¡¯t have cared less. He turned and blocked her hero¡¯s dagger with his own, one stained with blood. The sight of it seemed to enrage the guy even more, clouding his mind. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this!¡± Ace only smiled at that. ¡°By the way you¡¯re going now, it¡¯ll be a thousand years before you¡¯ll even consider as an opponent in my books.¡± This added fire to the youth¡¯s anger and his attacks doubled in speed. Yet there was little to no forethought to them. Each strike was onto itself with little to no follow. He didn¡¯t use any stance or anything just letting his anger control him. It was a good way to fight, Ace had used it a couple of times himself, but one needed at least a drop of mindfulness when using it. Blind rage never helped anyone. One had to reign it in, control it to some extent so all his knowledge and energy wouldn¡¯t be wasted on swift, strong but meaningless strikes that were easy to dodge. Ace didn¡¯t even need to try to evade. One dagger was more than enough to stop two of his opponent¡¯s without losing any ground. Ace truly hoped it was only anger moving the guy around and not his full skill. If the latter was the case, he would have to consider taking a leave. Students were fine and all but he didn¡¯t want to start from zero. In his mind they were already accomplished rogues, maybe more used to hunting monsters than people but still full of promise. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Not something like this, an angry, flailing youth. ¡°You sure this is one of my students?¡± he asked Fenek over his shoulder. ¡°He looks thoroughly lacking in both skill and brains.¡± He could hear the ground of teeth as he blocked another slash. It was growing boring and Ace decided to finish it off. There was nothing more he wanted to see of this guy. He evaded one of the daggers, blocking another with his right hand and moved in. They stood chest to chest now, the guy towering over Ace a whole head. It did little though as Ace got out a dagger in his left hand and plunged it into the man¡¯s side. The youth howled in pain, jumping backwards but Ace gave him no time to recover. He went after with a kick and a punch on the injured side. Temptation to kill was there but he refrained. It was bad manners to kill one¡¯s student. Beating them to a bloody pulp was not, however, so Ace did just that. He punched and slashed till the guy fell and then kicked him a bit more for good measure. At one point he had looked up to see the girl staring at him but she didn¡¯t move. Her eyes followed his every action, the slightest of movements but not once did she raise up from her sitting position. All she did was hold her bleeding hand close to her chest and watch. ¡®Pathetic little thing.¡¯ ¡°Are you done?¡± Fenek asked from the side, his voice cold and eyes narrowed. Ace glanced down to the blooded boy and after a last kick, moved away. He cleaned his dagger with some cloth and returned to his previous position, sitting with his back to the pillar. [Flare] left his from under his cloak and he watched it dance around his head. It was much more interesting than seeing Fenek giving potions to the two youths and whispering something to them. Something he was sure he didn¡¯t want to hear and that¡¯s why [All Ears] were turned off. Half an hour passed and he was dozing off when he felt someone approaching him. It held little threat but he opened his eyes to stare up. Razvan stood before him with his hood down. The guy was around sixteen with dark hair and forest green eyes. They shone with barely contained anger. Right behind him Lara watched with a tremor to her lips. She was shorter than her friend but of the same age with shoulder length blonde hair. Her eyes were dark brown, almost black. They waited for a while, expecting something from him but he stayed quiet. There was nothing he wanted to talk to them about. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Razvan asked in a soft tone, his hand clutching the dagger hilt. It was so obvious what he wanted to do but didn¡¯t dare. ¡°Why attack Lara without a reason?¡± Ace let his eyes fall to the ground, then closed them. ¡°She¡¯s no rogue. You were lying to me.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question. The female had no practise in fighting, even when she wanted she had no way to help her friend. He heard two intakes of breath. ¡°You-you are mistaken!¡± the female said from the back, still stuttering. Yet her voice lacked conviction. She was a horrible actress. ¡°Do you want me to test you again?¡± Ace asked, opening his eyes that he was sure had turned bright red. Or well, white glowing orbs as [Mystic Eyes] were still active. ¡°Test?¡± Razvan asked. ¡°You were testing us?¡± ¡°What did you think? I left you alive because I was incapable of taking your lives?¡± he asked with a malicious smile appearing on his face. A shadow passed over Razvan¡¯s face, his eyes losing their previous shine. ¡°We failed, haven¡¯t we? You¡¯re going to throw us out?¡± Ace looked at him, meeting his eyes and then the girl¡¯s for a moment. She had a stronger gaze, there was worry there too but less of it. No darkness for being found and having to leave. This made him return his eyes to the youth. He had most likely been the initiator, wanting to study under Silver Wing but not ready to separate with his friend or afraid to leave her alone. She was a lovely girl for sure with her large eyes and delicate nose. For that he was the one losing now. The girl without a doubt felt little regret because of it and might have been even relieved to be found out so quickly and released. That didn¡¯t sit well with Ace. He didn¡¯t want her to have the easy way out. ¡°Is that what you want?¡± he asked with his eerily white eyes directed at Razvan. The guy lowered his gaze to his feet but didn¡¯t step back. ¡°No. I do not want to leave.¡± Ace smiled. ¡°Then stay,¡± he said raising up to his full hight up to the youth¡¯s neck. ¡°But if you dare lie to me again...¡± His quiet words echoed softly in the large room, gaining a ghost like feeling to them. It felt as if the walls themselves were whispering them, passing the word around. ¡°Thank you,¡± Razvan said falling on his knees, tears in his eyes. ¡°Thank you very much! I promise to be the most dedicated of students.¡± ¡°Make sure she learns the art then,¡± Ace said motioning towards the girl. ¡°Next time when I test you, I expect to see some progress.¡± The girl trembled at his words, not meeting his eyes. She even inched to hide herself behind her friend¡¯s back, though his kneeling form did little to conceal her. Tears also soon dried up on Razvan¡¯s face after hearing the news. ¡°But she¡¯s a scribe! She can¡¯t use any weapons!¡± Ace sighed. ¡°Can¡¯t or doesn¡¯t want to? I will have no cowards or weaklings in my group. Make sure she learns self-defence for now and then we¡¯ll think of her assassination career.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to be a monster like you,¡± the girl said, finally speaking up normally. Her voice was soft and chime like, one could listen to it for days without growing tired. The words made a smirk come to Ace¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t care, girl.¡± He moved around the guy to stand in front of her. ¡°You either do it or leave, it¡¯s all the same for me. I don¡¯t get paid anyway.¡± That said he returned to the pillar and sat down with his back to it. This time, however, he chose to cross his legs in a meditating position and closed his eyes, pretending to be deep in thought. It prevented any more questions from being asked and he had a moment¡¯s respite. He wondered where L had collected his group. First it was Fenek, the guy who hated him, then these two idiots. They were quick to follow his orders for sure but it didn¡¯t compensate for their actions afterwards. Liars and pretenders. That was all they were. They had come only to learn from him but held little respect for his person. True, they feared Silver Wing, the notorious killer, but close up they had found him lacking. He might have looked imposing on Mirage but here on the ground he was just another kid. His shining eyes and the mask made him a bit more mysterious, more unnatural but it wasn¡¯t enough. They feared the legend, not the man. It was stupid to have been expecting more but Ace had. For once he had hoped to have it easy, he already had a legend created long time ago. But it wasn¡¯t so. If he wanted them to follow him, he would have to constantly remind them of who he was. He was half asleep when the next pair returned, dragging a guy by his hands. They breathed heavily as they dropped the man before him but their eyes shone with pride. ¡°We are on time.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ace said simply, glancing over the wound. He turned the body over to check and he was stabbed from the front. ¡°Why is that?¡± he pointed at the wound. ¡°What?¡± one of them asked uncomprehending. ¡°We were told to kill him!¡± Ace nodded. ¡°That you were, but what assassin stabs a man from the front?¡± The other guy, one that stood to the right straightened out. ¡°The man was to the wall, we found it a waste of time to struggle with him simply to stab him from the side that assassins should use.¡± Ace stood up then, moving close so his dagger¡¯s point lay against the man¡¯s heart. ¡°You want to tell me that you not only let him see you but fought with him?¡± Now that he was looking, Ace could see cuts and red stains on the man¡¯s clothes. They were hard to see in the darkness, but not any less true. ¡°He noticed us... There was no other way...¡± the first said, his head held low. Ace gritted his teeth. ¡°How did he manage to see you?¡± It was the second one, the guy with a dagger to his chest that elaborated. ¡°We followed him for some ten minutes until he left the main streets. Then we jumped on him but he wasn¡¯t alone. Three of his friends were around and we had to fight our way out!¡± Ace¡¯s hands quivered. The idiot not only didn¡¯t repent for his mistakes, he was proud of them! His voice was high and eyes shone as if he was to be praised for such actions. It was madness. Had these people even been approached with the subject of sneaking and working in pairs to make sure the target was alone? ¡°Take off your cowls.¡± They did as told and Ace was met with two unruly heads of light brown hair and eyes that were light green. Those things were identical but the faces were nothing alike besides that. The left guy was rounder and more puffy while the right rigid and angular. ¡°Names?¡± ¡°Thoran.¡± ¡°Rock.¡± ¡°Well, Thoran and Rock, you are pathetic excuses for rogues. You can neither sneak, nor collect information about your surroundings.¡± His voice was ice cold as he said that, returning the dagger to his side and finding another pillar to lean against. There was no point to sit next to a dead body. They started to stink quite soon. ¡°What? You mean we failed?¡± Rock asked, his hands forming fists and relaxing them in repeat. ¡°You can¡¯t say that! L said we can¡¯t be thrown out!¡± Ace turned to them before sitting down. ¡°Does it strike you that I care much for what L thinks?¡± ¡°Ahh, so you do know him!¡± Rock said gleefully. ¡°You¡¯re his puppet!¡± He took a deep breath, tried to control the mounting anger but it was too much. His students were stupid, useless and even tried to mock him. That wasn¡¯t going to cut it. There might be a chance he could teach them from zero but not if there was no respect. They were going to see him as a being they were unworthy to even look at or they were dying and he leaving. His daggers flashed silver against [Flare]¡¯s light and he was on top of Rock. The guy tried to defend himself but to no avail. He didn¡¯t even get to take out his dagger before getting stabbed, slashed at and having the ground kicked from under him. Brother tried to interfere and help him but Ace made short work of him too. In moments both of the guys were lying on the ground motionless but for shuddering breaths and a soft whimper coming from Thoran. ¡°If I ever hear you say that again, you¡¯ll be dead and copperless as on your birth day.¡± He cleaned his daggers then and sheaved them, coming to sit next to another pillar. From the corner of the eyes he could see Fenek helping the idiot duo but didn¡¯t concern himself with that. Fear to see the other students was at the front of his mind for the moment. How worse could they be? However, his fears were unfounded. The next two pairs, Ilyan and Merick, Furor and Beofen managed to do their task without much problems. Hits were clean and lacked any noticeable problems. It was like a gust of fresh air to Ace. Maybe this wasn¡¯t going to end up as horribly as he had started to think. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for this group of his. That was too much to hope for, though. A few minutes left before the end of given time two females entered the room. They had their hoods down, revealing their natures. One had cropped blonde hair, small eyes and a mouth that was accustomed to a smirk. Even now without any reason she had that expression on her face. The other was more reserved, she had black hair that fell to her shoulders, dark eyes and a serious expression on her face. A man was on her shoulder and she dragged him towards Ace. ¡°Here,¡± she hissed, throwing the body before Ace. ¡°Hope you¡¯re satisfied.¡± Was that disgust in his voice? No matter, Ace turned to look at the corpse. The wound on the heart looked to be a clean hit but before he could heave a sigh of relief, the wideness of the wound caught his attention. ¡°How did he die?¡± Blonde stepped over to answer. She crouched next to Ace, brushing the victim¡¯s hairs from its eyes. ¡°I lured him into a dark street and Muriel stabbed him from behind. The poor guy didn¡¯t even know what hit him.¡± Ace looked back at the silent female. ¡°Show me your weapon.¡± ¡°Why should she do that?¡± the blonde asked instantly, her smirk losing a bit of its shine. ¡°You never told us to prepare our weapons for inspection.¡± ¡°Do it,¡± Ace said without sparing a glance at the bumbling female on his side. It was obviously clear something not right was going on here and he wanted to make sure of what he saw. He could feel the girl next to him shaking her head wildly as the dark haired one moved forward, taking out her blade. ¡°I told you it¡¯s going to end up this way. He only looks like a kid.¡± Her words held more meaning when she might have wanted to. Ace was on his feet the moment he heard them with his own daggers in his hand. Noticing his moves, she tried to rush while he was still in preparation but it wasn¡¯t to be. Ace never held his weapons far out of his reach. Their daggers clashed and he found himself evenly matched. No, after a few strikes he had to say she was better at him in dagger play. He¡¯d never done more than learn the basics from Sedgart and that was showing. Silver Wing was one that killed from behind in a few well placed strikes instead of fighting duels. That was why Ace didn¡¯t play fair now either. Since his both images had been matched, he could even use magic unlike before without endangering himself. He was found out already. [Radiant Step] took the female by surprise and he got a free slash on her shoulder, slowing her movement speed a bit. She recuperated quickly, pushing forward and slashing at his torso but Ace was faster. By now the fields were like his own limbs, familiar and not requiring a thought to be used; so the attack that should have opened his belly for he had no armour, hit against a field, throwing the girl of balance. It was more than to be asked for and Ace used [Void Step] to appear behind her. She was still off balance so she couldn¡¯t turn away quickly enough and his daggers passed through her leather armour with ease. A hiss of pain escaped her lips as she turned, slashing wildly. Ace jumped backwards, a field catching him in the air. He circled her then, watching as she followed his every move, every twitch. That was to be used and he lunged forward. The female entered a defensive position but Ace had little interest to fight her fair. [Void Step] and he was behind her again, slashing, kicking her feet from under her. She hissed in anger, trying to turn but her feet gave in and she fell. Ace was on top of her the next moment, his dagger at her throat. ¡°Want to continue or are you satisfied?¡± ¡°Bastard! You didn¡¯t fight me!¡± she said, glowering. There was spit collecting in her mouth so he punched her with his free hand. ¡°Do that and I won¡¯t care if you¡¯re the most promising of this sorry lot.¡± ¡°Promising?¡± the female asked, her voice lacking the characteristic strength from before. ¡°Aren¡¯t we kicked out?¡± Ace stood up then, cleaning his dagger. He was doing a lot of that today. ¡°You killed monsters, humans aren¡¯t that much harder. Easier if you asked me for they are worse.¡± The blonde rushed to her friend then and helped her stand up. The girl was favouring her left leg and he wondered if he had broken the other. Well, whatever. This was a game, it was going to heal soon enough. ¡°We¡¯re not going to become heartless murderers like you! Our mission was to find and kill you!¡± the blonde hissed, her voice a lot stronger than before, the smirk gone. Had she only been pretending? Apparently yes. Ace didn¡¯t pay her any mind and motioned for everyone to come closer, examinations were done. ¡°You all came here for different reasons but I don¡¯t give a damn for either one of them. If you want to stay and learn, stay, but know that this is what it¡¯s going to be like. I won¡¯t play games with you. ¡°If you want to work under me, you have to follow me to the letter. I won¡¯t care for your excuses or pride, you do as told or are out. Simple as that. If you don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re up to the task, go and leave. It¡¯s your choice.¡± ¡°Are you going to let us leave just like that?¡± Muriel asked in a tired voice, her tone saying that she didn¡¯t believe it in the least. Ace smiled at that, remembering having to make the same choice and twirled his dagger that gleamed dangerously in the blueish light of [Flare]. Next Chapter 7.4 Lesson Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Please vote on the poll. It is very important to me. You can chose one of the names there or suggest your own (be aware that I might use it so know that you''re giving it for free.) Characters Titles and Abilities **** /Not a single word now. Find the targets, eliminate them and escape. The one¡¯s not noticed will get an hour¡¯s break./ There was no answer to the command so Ace knew they understood their task. It was very simple in truth. Get in, locate the person they had been assigned and remove him from this world. How much easier could it become? Much if he glanced back behind himself. A grey cloaked figure stood there with her head down, pressed against the wall. ¡°Why did you bring me here? You know I¡¯m no assassin.¡± ¡°To see how horrible you actually are,¡± he answered, listening in on the surroundings. They seemed to be alone on this part of the corridor but one could never be too careful. For all he knew one of his own students could be setting up a trap nearby. He motioned for the female to follow and they moved in the direction of the engraved doors ten meters ahead on the right. The distance wasn¡¯t that long but the girl made lots of noise. Her feet thudded onto the floor while her skirts shuffled. Those sounds echoed loud in the empty corridor. ¡°Why in the world are you wearing a skirt in a mission? Do you have a death wish?¡± The female gulped at his venomous tone. ¡°I-I never was on one...¡± Her voice shook and he rolled his eyes, turning back to their destination. After being asked, L with great joy had given him a list of people that needed visiting. If he was to be asked, the guy had only been waiting for it, judging from the quickness in which he produced the list. ¡°Have you got your dagger?¡± ¡°Yes but I¡¯m not going to kill anyone!¡± she hissed, her hands trembling as she clutched onto her cloak. ¡°I¡¯m not a murderer!¡± Ace grabbed her hand, pulling her closer so their faces were mere millimetres apart. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you want. You are either going to enter the room and stab that man or I¡¯m going to kill you and then him.¡± ¡°Razvan isn¡¯t going to be okay with that!¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m afraid of him?¡± he asked with a mocking chuckle, releasing her hand. She brought it to herself, massaging the wrist as she took a few steps back, her eyes wide and searching. ¡°So what are you going to do? Enter the room or shall I take your life and be done with it.¡± She shivered at his words. ¡°I-I¡¯ll do i-it.¡± It wasn¡¯t one of the most eager replies but it would have to do. He didn¡¯t feel like starting a new war with his students. It was doubtful he could stop himself from killing them if they showed any more of insubordination. He nodded for her to move forward then. She hesitated for a moment, but stepped around him in a large circle and then stood before the doors. They were slightly ajar and a ray of light shone through. The girl slipped through the crack, Ace right behind her as he hid under the [Shadow Veil]. He made his way to the side, hiding behind a bookcase from where he could watch the scene unfold. Before him sat a man leaning over a page with a frown. He touched the feather pen into the ink as if to write something more but on better thought put it aside. Instead he took the paper and crumbling it threw to the side. Ace followed its path and saw a huge pile of those already. ¡°I hate this,¡± he muttered under his breath, leaning on his hands. It made him cover his eyes which turned him into a perfect target. Ace glanced at the female to see if she was making her move. He should have known the answer. She was standing in the shadow of a bookcase with both her hands on the dagger¡¯s hilt. If that wasn¡¯t enough, she was shaking like an aspen¡¯s leaf. /You won¡¯t get a better chance/ he wrote to her in the group chat as he didn¡¯t have her on his friend list. She blinked a few times at the message, took a deep breath and stepped forward. Or tried to at least. Her foot got mixed up in her skirts and the next moment she was sprawled on the floor. The man raised his head in an instant at that. ¡°Who is here?¡± He stepped from his desk, walking around it to find the girl lying on the ground. There was a dagger skidded a few meters away. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I-I..¡± she started but no words escaped her mouth. Ace had decided previously that she was a horrible actress and his opinion wasn¡¯t changed now. She had not a single word to say after being thrust in an unfamiliar situation. The man looked at her for a moment, then gave her a hand to stand up. ¡°Have you come here to kill me?¡± ¡°Yes! No! Wait, no! I would nev-¡± she stuttered, tears starting to run down her cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s not m-¡± she tried again, but a hiccup interrupted her. ¡°No, I cou-¡± ¡°Shh,¡± the man whispered in a soothing tone, pulling her into his arms and making gentle circles on her back. It made her tear up even more, loud wails escaping her lips. Ace watched it from his hiding place, his hands lying limp against his sides. What kind of situation was this? She was supposed to kill him, not be comforted! But he had to say it was an interesting turn of events. It was something he hadn¡¯t expected. That was unusual so he stayed put. He wanted to know how it was going to end, whether the girl was going to finish her mission or bail out. Especially since she¡¯d made her own mission much harder. It was easier to kill a person who you knew nothing about, a total stranger than someone who you took as another being, someone who had dreams and plans, a life to live. The crying continued for a bit longer so Ace made himself more comfortable. He used [Radiant Step] to get on the bookcase and with his legs dangling down took out a slice of dried meat. He had mastered the art of eating without a sound so there was no chance of him being found out and he could enjoy the show. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, so sorry,¡± the female snivelled, pushing herself away with tears still glistening in her eyes. She tried to brush them away with the back of her hand but it was a wasted effort. The man gave her a small smile. ¡°Do not worry about it. It¡¯s a gentleman¡¯s duty to be there for the lady.¡± She chuckled at that, the tears slowing down a bit. ¡°I do not know what came over me. I¡¯m so sorry!¡± ¡°It¡¯s no matter. Forget about it, rather say what business has brought such a lovely lady to my lonesome abode.¡± The man¡¯s tone was gentle but there was wariness in the shadows that danced on his face. There were a few candles around but their flickering flames did little to light the place. The girl glanced about at those words, noting the dagger lying a few feet behind the man. ¡°I was given a mission,¡± she said trying to walk around without raising suspicion. It was a bad tactic as her feet were like wooden poles, making her movements stand out. However, this time the man didn¡¯t rush to her help. He knew what she was seeking. ¡°Who sent you?¡± ¡°No one!¡± she said in an instant, too quickly for it not to be a lie. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sent here by anyone.¡± Her second try was a bit better but still pathetic. A little kid could make it sound more realistic. ¡°Was that Marion? Or his enemies finally started to make moves? I told him it was going to happen soon, but he mocked me. He said adventurers would never manage to unite enough to pose a problem for him.¡± He returned his eyes to the female then, a tired smile on his face. ¡°Yet I wonder if he really was wrong. You are nothing more but a child, a little girl at that. If whoever your master is sends such people, he is really in a bind.¡± ¡°I-I am in training,¡± the girl whispered. ¡°My m-master is here also.¡± She whisked around then, peering into the darkness. Ace was sure she was searching for him but under the veil, in the dark he was as good as invisible. ¡°Is that how it is then?¡± the man asked, moving to pick up the dagger. ¡°I can see why you were crying then. You are not a killer in heart, are you?¡± His gentle words unleashed a new torrent of tears. ¡°No,¡± she hiccuped. ¡°I d-don¡¯t want to be-be one.¡± She then rushed to the man, clutching his sleeve and looking up at his eyes. ¡°But I have no choice! If I don¡¯t kill you, I and my brother will have to die instead!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you an adventurer?¡± the man asked with puzzlement evident in his voice. ¡°Won¡¯t the gods revive you as many times as you die?¡± The girl shook her head in misery. ¡°They will, but this master of my brother¡¯s... He¡¯s not a normal human.¡± She looked around, wide-eyed. ¡°It¡¯s Silver Wing,¡± she whispered. The man shivered visibly. ¡°You mean... mean the one who... who...¡± It was clear he found it hard finding the words to describe what a monster had come upon the house. ¡°Yes,¡± the girl nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks as she was still clutching the man¡¯s sleeve. He took her hands in his, cupping them as his features equalled out. A strange calmness settled onto him. ¡°You want to live, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked, his voice lacking the previous warmth. It made the girl raise her head and meet his clear blue eyes. ¡°You have your whole life before you, don¡¯t you?¡± She didn¡¯t dare to move her gaze away so she simply said yes. The man closed his eyes at that, his hands freezing for a moment. ¡°Are you al-?¡± she started to ask but the man cut her off, releasing her hands. ¡°I am fine but I need to do a few things before I die. Can you promise me something?¡± he asked, falling into his chair and taking a blank page. For a few moments he scribbled on it vigorously, his hand moving with the swiftness of a diving eagle. The girl didn¡¯t answer to his question, but he didn¡¯t seem to have been waiting for one. He was just writing and writing, filling the page with hasty scribbles. Then another and another. In a few minutes he had some ten lying next to him, his fingers blue from the spilled ink. He then stood up, eyes darting at the shadows. ¡°Carry them to the Bird Keeper. He¡¯ll send them.¡± On the other side addresses were written, pages themselves rolled up and sealed. ¡°Please, give them to the Bird Keeper. Just tell him my name!¡± The girl nodded, taking all the rolled up parchments pushed her way in silence. It was fine by the man and he took the dagger from where he had put him on the table. ¡°Thanks for giving me time to finish everything.¡± He then smiled and thrust the dagger into his own chest. She screamed then, dropping all the parchments and running to the man¡¯s side. Tears rushed out again as she grabbed onto his cuffs, shaking him. ¡°You can¡¯t die! I didn¡¯t want to kill you!¡± ¡°But I needed to die. There was no other way, you said it yourself.¡± The girl hiccuped, salty water blocking her sight. A shaky hand rose to pet her head as the man smiled for the last time and his eyes lost the shine of the living. ¡°Well done,¡± Ace praised, jumping from his vantage point. He touched the man¡¯s neck to make sure he was dead and received a positive result. ¡°Good work on this case. I have to say I was already looking forward to taking that bracelet of yours. It¡¯s a pretty ornament.¡± She glanced back at him, her eyes bottomless pits of hatred and disgust. ¡°Is that all you care?¡± The bracelet with various sculpted creatures flew at him. ¡°Have it then! It and all you want but leave me out of this madness! This poor man... This pers-¡± Her voice caught on that, only a wail escaping as she crumpled to the ground. ¡°You c-cruel... Hea-heartless... Mo-Monster...¡± she sobbed uncontrollably, her head bowed to hide her face twisted in sorrow. Ace didn¡¯t say anything to that. There was no point and went to pick the dropped parchments. Nine of them there was and each one to be sent to a different address. He thought for a moment about bringing them back to L but decided against it. The guy had given him a bunch of misfits, some not even rogues. Should that have earned him Ace¡¯s respect? Well, it didn¡¯t. ¡°You have to leave before anyone arrives if you want a break,¡± he said to the wailing female and made his way to the door. She didn¡¯t deem it worthy to reply to that besides murmuring a few more damning words his way. Respect. Was he ever getting it from his students? For some reason he really doubted that. The outside was dark but he activated [Echo] and made sure his feet made some sound. It was unusual for he tended to move with the way a shadow would, without a single sound, but it was an interesting experience. He had never thought that one day he would have to think about making sound instead of it being the to other way around. ¡°What did you do to them?¡± came a scream from behind him. He had only taken a few steps of the room when his student went barrelling after him. ¡°Where are they?¡± He dodged her form in the darkness, letting her pass. She ran ahead screaming and he went after in the same unhurried pace. Their path was in the same direction for the moment. However, in a few minutes they entered a well lit corridor and she noticed that there was no one before her. It made her stop in the place and turn her head left and right, searching for where he had gone. It didn¡¯t take her long to hear his footsteps and glance backwards. ¡°You! Return them to me! I need to bring them to the Bird Keeper!¡± She dashed at him like a bull and Ace dodged her again. It was very simple when she had no points in agility. ¡°Return them to me!¡± she screamed again, rushing forward and trying to catch him. Ace twisted out of her hands, dancing right out of her grasp without any effort. ¡°Please, please, return them to me,¡± she finally said, resorting to begging after understanding that she had no chance of catching him. It should have been clear from the beginning from Ace¡¯s opinion but he didn¡¯t mind some exercise. She needed it. ¡°Please, I promise him...¡± Her eyes welling up once more. ¡°Will you stop with it?¡± Ace asked in a bark, his eyes flashing red. ¡°Your crying is starting to annoy me.¡± The girl¡¯s face paled at that and involuntarily she took a few steps back. ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± Ace noted, walking around her and returning to his path. She fell in step with him then, though a few meters behind. They walked in silence then, evading all the servants with the help of [Instincts of a Predator] and reaching the top of one of the mansion¡¯s towers without any incident. A man in his late forties with a bald head opened the door. ¡°What do you want here? I only send letters given by the master or his scribe!¡± Ace stopped the door from closing in their face by his boot. ¡°Isn¡¯t it cold, living in this tower where freezing winds blow?¡± ¡°What if it is?¡± asked the man, eyeing Ace with narrowed eyes. ¡°You seem familiar, that mask of yours.¡± The girl gulped beside him but Ace ignored her. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you want a new wool cloak? Some warmer clothes too? Maybe even a blanket?¡± Bird Keeper opened the door wider, pushing his full head out and glancing behind the corner if there was no one hiding there. Satisfied he then ushered the two inside. ¡°What do you suggest?¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Ace smiled, nodding at his hands. ¡°You send all these, forget we were here or if they insist say we threatened you to send them.¡± ¡°But you won¡¯t?¡± asked the man uncertainly, his eyes hardening as he tried to remember where he had seen or heard about that fox mask. ¡°Send them now. We have little time and even less trust in your word.¡± It made the man squirm in his place but the mask made him weary. He didn¡¯t want to anger someone who could bring him trouble. And he could always explain that some of the birds hadn¡¯t returned from the previous correspondences. That decided he went and attached the letters to the doves, whispering them sweet words and petting before throwing them out the window. They spread wings instantly and in a few minutes he was nine birds short. ¡°Is this all?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ace said with a nod, throwing a bag of coins on the table. ¡°We will be leaving now.¡± He made his way to the door, but before he could be out he heard the Bird Keeper¡¯s shout. The man then rushed to him. ¡°I can¡¯t take it! This is too much!¡± ¡°How much is it?¡± asked the girl, peering at the open bag. Ace saw her eyes widen and knew what she had seen. ¡°A few hundred gold coins for nine letters? That¡¯s madness!¡± Bird Keeper nodded at that quickly. ¡°One coin is enough, your Lordship. This is too much!¡± Ace shook his head. ¡°Take it as a payment for occupational hazards.¡± He then turned to the girl. ¡°Let¡¯s leave. We have a lot of work before us.¡± She nodded with an expression on her face that he couldn¡¯t name. That was unusual but he dismissed it, moving down the stairs without a glance back. She followed him out, trying to stay quiet for once. It was a large difference from their entrance when she had made as much sound as she could possibly do without opening her mouth. She had expected to evade her mission by being found out but this place was very undermanned, it was the middle of the night and Ace had chosen her a target out of the main halls. He had expected her not to be very accepting of her quest. They soon reached the large wall sized painting which hid a secret entrance and after walking a bit in the tunnel came out in a forest. Mirage welcomed Ace with a loud neigh, coming over to nuzzle. Ace rolled his eyes at that but stroked the animal¡¯s head with a soft touch. He then used [Radiant Step] to get on the animal¡¯s back and noticing the girl had done the same on her mount, motioned for Mirage to leave. The horse didn¡¯t ask for any more encouragements and in a moment was galloping through the forest path. It was well cleared of any under bush, roots or branches that might obstruct the rider. Ace wondered why the owners of this mansion had kept the entrance to their secret path so well kept and obvious but couldn¡¯t think of any answer. From whatever position he looked, it was always a stupid idea since there had been no trap waiting for them there. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± the girl asked when they were far enough away from the mansion. ¡°Do what?¡± Ace asked though he was pretty sure what she was talking about. He just didn¡¯t feel like having all his actions in the open, it was better to stay a mystery. ¡°Send those letters. You had promised nothing and had even given that Bird Keeper a fortune. Why did you do that?¡± Her voice was still weak, but she was no longer terrified of him. At least not enough to keep her questions to herself. Ace put on a half-smile as if he had thought of something funny but didn¡¯t say anything. Let her think whatever she wants. It was bound to be better than the fact that he wasn¡¯t an absolutely evil person. This knowledge just didn¡¯t his persona. They travelled the rest of the path in silence. When they returned to the abandoned castle that had become their unofficial base, the rest of the group was waiting there. Or most of them. ¡°What happened to the rest?¡± he asked without mounting down. There were three people missing. Fenek stepped forward, but Ace waved him off. ¡°Not you. Ilyan talk.¡± The guy with curly green hair stepped forward. He was a good-natured fellow with a bubbly personality and aversion to lying, probably because he was so bad at it. ¡°Uhm.. Well, Thoran and Rock wanted to uhm...¡± Ace could see he was thinking up a lie. His eyebrows scrunched in deep thought, eyes straying sideways. How more obvious could it get? ¡°Say it!¡± he hissed jumping before them with his cloak cluttering behind him menacingly. ¡°Now!¡± The guy gulped and in an instant blurted out the whole story. ¡°They wanted to prove themselves so they.. They went after the house lord too. There were dozens of guards and they were found out.. And captured... And brought to somewhere... We tried to help them but it was too late.. They were too deep in...¡± Ace took a deep breath through his nose. ¡°You tried to do what?¡± he asked, his eyes turning blood red. ¡°I hope I heard you wrong.¡± ¡°We-we.. ¡° ¡°Shut it,¡± Ace threw, his lips curling upwards in disdain. ¡°Useless bastards. How many of you had been seen?¡± He pointed his gaze at Fenek then. The guy was calm on the outside but Ace could see anger brewing in his eyes. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°All,¡± Razvan supplied to the mutterings of others. Ace smiled inwardly at that, at least one guy learnt his lesson. ¡°Idiots. Did you hear nothing I¡¯ve told you? Or have you come here only to play around, imagining that I won¡¯t care whatever you do?¡± Ilyan paled at that but Fenek stepped forward. ¡°We have to stick for each other for no one else will. We have decided to train under you, alienating ourselves from everyone we knew. That is why all we have is each other. You can¡¯t order us to leave some behind!¡± ¡°So it was your idea?¡± Ace asked, stepping forward too. He noticed how the muscles in the guy¡¯s arms tensed and a vein bulged in his neck. ¡°Idiot,¡± he spat, turning away and jumping back on Mirage. ¡°Have you forgotten who I am? If I had wanted to, I could have lived as Ace forever without anyone finding out. Yet you with your stupid ideas about camaraderie destroyed it for this lot. They no longer have a chance to go outside without being noticed. Good job. You can be proud of yourself.¡± The words spoken he nudged Mirage and they trotted forward in no real hurry. L had invited him to the party in the evening but that was more than a couple of hours away. Mirage went through the forests and plains, not going too far away but not staying in the sight of the city either. They stopped at the lake for a moment but voices soon came and they made themselves scarce. He didn¡¯t want to be found loitering around without any purpose. Silver Wing wouldn¡¯t do that. A thought of using [Mirror Walk] and killing something crossed his mind but it passed quickly. He was too lazy for that at the moment. Instead he let Mirage wander around and when the horse stopped, jumped down. Mirage then went to lie down and sun bathe while Ace took out some book. It was a history of some elven mage and with enough truth to keep Ace¡¯s attention. They stayed like that for a couple of hours, until the sun threatened to go down. It was Mirage who first decided it was enough and nudged Ace to move. The kid grumbled a bit but did as told, returning the book to his inventory. ¡°Shall we go to the city then?¡± he asked the animal who sprinted around a bit, waving its wild mane and standing on two legs and snorting loudly. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s a yes though I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re so excited. You¡¯ll be doing nothing but staying in the stables or running away from the grooms.¡± Mirage neighed at that, satisfied and trotted over for Ace to mount him. They visited the lake first to make sure Ace¡¯s appearance was fine and then moved to the city. Guards let them pass without a word and people abandoned the streets they entered as if they were plague carriers. ¡°Well, this is nice,¡± Ace murmured, raising his head to let fresh night air brush the sweat of his head. He had never considered how inconvenient it would be to always wear a mask and a wig. The first hindered his eating, gum that held it on his face squeezing his skull. While the other made him sweat buckets on a warm day. It was a wonder how much water could leave a person¡¯s head. On top of that the wig had long hair which always got in his eyes. Eyes that were already being impeded by the mask. It was thin but that still reduced his sight. However, that was all part of the charade. Or more like making some kind of point. Everyone knew his face. He was sure Ace¡¯s picture was shown on all those television shows but he still kept the mask. It was like stating that Ace had been only a mask, this was his true face. He wasn¡¯t sure how exactly that worked and whether anyone bothered to wander, but he was adamant on keeping to it. Ace was Ace while Silver Wing was Silver Wing. There was no combining them. There were lights up ahead. The castle was aglow with colour as Ace approached it. Front was blocked by carriages and people so Ace made his way around. He left Mirage in one of the shadowy corners and with the help of [Radiant Step] entered L¡¯s study. It was empty at the moment, all lights out. [Flare] left the safety of his clothes and lit the place. It¡¯s light was blueish, wavering and small but was enough for Ace¡¯s keen eyes. He rummaged through some stacks, opened the books, noted dots on the maps and read a few papers. They had most of L¡¯s plans in them. This place would have been a treat to anyone looking for things to use against him. Hoverer, that wasn¡¯t in Ace¡¯s schedule for the day so he leapt out the window again. He was sure outside the doors a dozen of guards would stand, maybe even a spell or two. It was better not to risk it. That¡¯s why he made his way to some corridor window and going by memory reached the small doors behind the dais in the ballroom. They weren¡¯t locked and after a moment of closed eyes he straightened out and opened them. No one noticed his entrance, the place having more eye-catching entertainments. The room was decorated in colours of silver and white, torches and cloths with winged crosses sewn on them lining the walls. ¡°What is this?¡± he asked L, sitting down on a chair beside him. The man spinning to see him so fast he almost fell of his chair. ¡°You have come,¡± he whispered in what Ace would have sworn wasn¡¯t gladness. If he was to guess it was more like regret. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d show up after that.¡± Ace shook his head, ignoring the reminder. That had to be done and L should make sure never to forget it. ¡°What is this?¡± he repeated the question. L followed his eyes to the large clothes and sighed heavily. ¡°Draugar of Silver are pledging their allegiance to me.¡± He didn¡¯t make eye contact with Ace. ¡°They want me to stop using your aid.¡± Ace kept quiet but inside he smiled. It was no wonder they wanted to have nothing to do with him. He had cheated them so horribly and they couldn¡¯t even kick him out of the guild. Only the guild leader could and that gave Ace an idea. It would be quite fun to pretend to kick himself out. However, at the moment the more important question was what L planned to do. He was the only reason Draugar hadn¡¯t disbanded after wasting all their money on the celebration and then having found out that one of their own was the notorious killer. L had saved their financial situation and his support was what kept some members in. This made him the boss of the situation but he was still put under the pressure of having hired the guy that they had pledged to avenge themselves against. This was some moral dilemma which wasn¡¯t going to solve itself. ¡°You are my secret weapon,¡± L whispered after making sure no one could hear them. ¡°How was the mission?¡± Ace turned his head slightly to capture the guy¡¯s eyes with his own crystal blue orbs. ¡°The same as those who did it.¡± It made L gulp. ¡°That bad?¡± It took all Ace had not to burst out laughing. So the guy had known what he was hiring. The question was why he did that anyway, but Silver Wing wasn¡¯t a talkative fellow so Ace had to keep his silence. ¡°Well, send me a report by tomorrow anyway. I need to know the damage done. Was at least someone eliminated?¡± Ace nodded, shifting his gaze to the room. His presence had been noticed and an uncomfortable silence fell over the room. People were whispering in small groups, pointing fingers at him. At the far corner he could see Perry glaring at him, Michael at her side. The guy seemed to be even angrier than her though Ace couldn¡¯t remember having killed him. He had his fingers on his twin swords and only Perry¡¯s voice was keeping him from jumping to a fight he couldn¡¯t win. Jackal was standing with Nein nearby too. A shadow of sadness always passed the first guy¡¯s face whenever he looked at Ace and it seemed more than having been betrayed. There was something familiar in that look, guilt of a kind, but Ace couldn¡¯t say where he had seen it. But he could easily identify what he saw in Nein¡¯s expression. Something no one else had, something that couldn¡¯t be more different from the general opinion. Joy. His eyes shone with happiness as if Ace had been his lost friend and now appeared before him. Like a miracle had happened. That more than anything made Ace wary. He could deal with all of the other things but this was something unexpected. And dangerous. Nein was a guy of secrets, holding powers worthy of envy. He could be dangerous adversary and that¡¯s why Ace¡¯s whole being begged him to run away. Or more like escape this situation. He was out in the open now, losing out on more than half of his strength - the unexpectedness. Not once had he deluded himself into thinking he was the strongest player, he was sure he wasn¡¯t. But what he was, was much more. He was good at surprising people, throwing them off their comfort zone and then everything was easy. Yet here it was his discomfort zone. He was on the stage with a part to play, unable to use everything he might have wanted. There were expectations to meet. And that¡¯s why he stayed. He might have not liked to fight a fair fight but Wing was no coward. The guy was a survivalist who cared little for any odds. The worse the better. /Master, Muriel has escaped. She says there¡¯s a way to help Thoran and Rock. Can we stop the training and get them out?/ Lara wrote, distracting Ace from his grim thoughts. The message was a stupid one, he didn¡¯t want them to get into even more trouble while he was stuck in this party but he had a feeling this was more of a heads up than anything else. Also she had called him a Master. /Write a report for L about the mission. Those of the students that can do the exercise I have been teaching for the last two weeks can take a two hour break. No more./ /Thank you/ came a polite reply and Ace turned the chat off. Some new guests were entering and a small dot darted in the air. Ace followed the small bird¡¯s flight until after a few calls it returned to its owners small hand. ¡®Oh, hell...¡¯ Next Chapter 7.5 Closing Doors Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Thanks to all those who voted and/or expressed their opinions. It was a huge help. Sadly for that I don''t have a very good chapter. I had much planned for this but it just didn''t go the way I wanted it to. Hopefully, it''s not too bad. Enjoy Characters Titles and Abilities **** Ace watched in cold fascination as Monthu with Par in hand pushed forward. They made their way to one of the front tables, right before the dais. It was to the left of Ace but he could see them clear enough anyway. Monthu was dressed in a new armour. It was made of black leather pieces put one over the other and held by silver hooks. There were also a few decorating fasteners but it was mostly a fighting gear. Not one made to show off, though it kind of did that too. The guy looked imposing in it even without any weapon in hand. His glare only adding to that image. He was looking around but hadn¡¯t yet noticed him. He was dressed up as Silver Wing, but Ace knew better than to believe he won¡¯t be recognised. It was a thought he didn¡¯t want to dwell on so he shifted his gaze back to the table. Par sat next to Monthu and was playing with Claw. The little bird didn¡¯t want to sit on the shining new red cloak. One that was held by a golden brooch under the kid¡¯s neck. Ace could see a black robe underneath and wondered what it meant. Since when was Par dressing up in dark colours? He was about to take a look at the other members, when Monthu turned his way. Without thought Ace turned away in an instant and didn¡¯t look back. That part of his life was over. He was done with that group. Ace was dead and gone. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± L asked, noticing the way Ace¡¯s shoulders rose in a defensive gesture. The glare was the only answer and he decided to keep his quiet. He had to remember it was a wild beast next to him, no longer a human being. He waited a while longer before deciding that all the needed guests were present. It was time to make his speech and earn the support he needed. His eyes glanced at the red haired kid beside him and he smiled. It was an unexpected thing that he had arrived but could be used to threaten some lords. No one would dare to go against the notorious assassin. Even Marion with his armies wasn¡¯t as scary as the kid. What were all the political powers worth against a creature that could kill all the politicians? He was sure the mere presence of Silver Wing in this gathering would send a better message than anything he might say. That didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t going to do his part. He stood up, outstretching his hands in a welcoming manner. Long white sleeves fell to his sides, reaching the ground almost. ¡°Welcome everyone! I am very happy to see so many of you here! After all, today is the day of new beginnings!¡± There was some grumbling from the crowd but he pretended not to hear it. ¡°Everyone knows that soon there is going to be a war. For a long while now people have been choosing sides, guessing who is going to win. Or who has the strongest allies. ¡°That is why I would like you to officially meet a friend of mine,¡± he motioned to Wing sitting like a statue next to his throne like chair. ¡°We have been in contact for some time but now we have worked out a deal that fits both of us.¡± He smiled then, giving a good long look to all those that had been planning to run away from him. Their eyes instantly darted towards the kid who moved in his seat. Wing stood up and walked forward, dark blue cloak hiding most of his form. Only his red hair and clear blue eyes could be seen. He stopped next to L, who glanced at him with a calculating gaze. He wasn¡¯t sure what the kid was planning but it couldn¡¯t be betrayal. Their contract was still in place as far as he knew. ¡°Cowards,¡± Wing said. It wasn¡¯t shouted out. No, it was hardly a whisper. Yet everyone heard. The words travelled through the whole room, earning glares and disgusted looks for their owner. But they made themselves true. No sound was uttered in disagreement or hand raised. No one dared to oppose. Wing turned, ready to walk away when a dagger flew his way. A figure from the shadows dashed through the guests, jumping on Wing¡¯s back. But he wasn¡¯t unprepared. As if only expecting that, he whirled around with a dagger to block the attack. Sparks flashed as steel met. L rushed backwards, to stand next to his huge chair. It¡¯s back hid most of him and that was the point. He didn¡¯t want to be killed by a stray attack. He would trust the kid not to kill him on purpose but saving his life was a whole different matter. When he was sure he was safe, he turned his attention back to the fight. Wing¡¯s opponent looked to be older, around twenty. He had his hood down, showing raven black hair and youthful features. His movements were swift and precise, tight black clothes only aiding him. They allowed him to move freely while Wing¡¯s cloak was impeding him. Or not. The more L watched the more he understood that it wasn¡¯t the clothes that were going to determine the fight¡¯s outcome. Wing was simply a less skilled dagger fighter. His moves were even quicker than his opponent¡¯s but they lacked polish. They didn¡¯t flow one from the other. At least not as much as his opponent¡¯s did. It made L clench his teeth. Silver Wing was a renowned assassin, he was the best. What was this then? How could some unknown guy come and defeat him like this? It was a disgrace and in the party, right before everyone¡¯s eyes. He punched the throne. This wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to go! He had planned for so long and Wing had been a centrepiece in all of those plans! Or more like fear of him. Sometimes a show of power held more meaning than the true thing. Sure, he could order a few deaths and some fear would return but it wouldn¡¯t be the same. Wing was so scary because he wasn¡¯t defeated. Not once had he been caught or lost a fight. Every single time he was about to lose, he found a way to turn the situation his way. That was what made him a legend. And now he was going to be defeated by some unknown rogue. It was shameful. A disgrace. And at the worst time possible. L closed his eyes. He couldn¡¯t let this continue but he couldn¡¯t interfere either. That would be the worst possible thing. ¡®Think, think, think! There has to be a way to save this situation!¡¯ ¡°Is it my turn to have fun now?¡± Wing asked in a low voice, not sounding out of breath at all. L opened his eyes to see something from a horror tale. Wing jumped on air, disappearing from sight and then appearing behind his opponent. When the guy whirled around Wing was gone again, a trickle of smoke left behind. He was at the top now, diving down. His dagger made a long slash on the guy¡¯s face before Wing was gone again. Stab that was coming for him hitting air. The guy then whirled around to find Wing but he was nowhere in sight. L looked around too, taking deep breaths. He took notice of all the people closest but none wore a blue cloak. Neither could he see anyone hanging on the tapestries above or hiding behind the side pillars near the walls. It was as if Wing had disappeared all together. This made his opponent grow wearier by the second. He was turning and shifting feet, hoping to get a glance of the enemy. But it wasn¡¯t to happen. Then the guy calmed down, at least outwardly. He stopped his movements and closed his eyes, standing motionless. The whole audience sat or stood just as still, letting him hear the merest hitch of breath. It was a good plan but L noticed a problem in it, right the moment Wing used it. One didn¡¯t hear a crack in the air when Wing changed his position. It was magic and not quick movements. That¡¯s why when the rogue heard Wing¡¯s movements, it was already too late. The dagger was slicing through his chest, cutting the flash. The guy screamed at that, jerking back and Wing let him. He smiled one of his maniacal smiles, eyes shining red and jumped in the air. The guy tried to guess from where his opponent would come but it was a wasted effort. How could one fight against someone to whom laws of physics didn¡¯t apply? Wing was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. He was so in-tune with his powers that he started one motion activating one skill and finishing with another. It was a marvellous thing to watch. And horrifying at the same time. All the other guy could do was flail around in a vain hope to accidentally hit Wing. It helped him none that he was a master of daggers. This then begged a question what a normal person could do. Cold sweat ran down L¡¯s back. He hadn¡¯t known who he had been playing with. It wasn¡¯t just a devil, but The Devil. Someone he should have left alone for it were powers he couldn¡¯t control. Yet a shaky smile made its way on his lips. This was excitement. He had entered the game expecting to just play around, pass the time but this was much more. Adrenaline was rushing through his veins and his head was full of plans to use this devil before him. It was the best thing ever. He had never thought he¡¯ll ever feel it again without endangering his life, but here it was. That fear mixed with excitement. With shining eyes he returned his sight to the fight. In the few seconds he hadn¡¯t been watching, it had turned into a torture. The previously black clothed guy was now covered in stab wounds, red dripping all over. His right hand hung limp while the left moved in slow motion. Wing on the other hand was still flashing all around. It didn¡¯t seem like he had tired out at all. This made L take a breath. What was happening before him was a demonstration of power. Wing had showed them that he might not be the best fighter in skills, but he was much more than that. He didn¡¯t play by the rules, whether those were men or nature made. That was his strength, and he was something greater like that. He wasn¡¯t just another assassin. Not in the slightest. Some might think that showing his powers like that he was asking to be defeated but that was doubtful. L couldn¡¯t imagine how one was to train against someone like him. He hadn¡¯t heard about anyone else having such skills as those. Training machines might help but there was a limit to them. You could become the best at them and still lose against a half-decent fighter. There was more to fighting than just swinging your weapon in the correct order. You have to read your opponent, his movements. Wing hit the final strike with the back of his hand and the opponent fell. He struggled a few times to stand up but there was no energy left in him. Breathing heavily he resigned to his fate. Wing squatted down next to him then and whispered something in his ear. It made the man raise his head, trying to look up with the eye that didn¡¯t want to open. ¡°You sure?¡± he wheezed out and Wing nodded. A shadow of the smile appeared on the man¡¯s face and Wing stabbed him in the heart. He then watched the man disappear in a puff of smoke and returned to his seat as if nothing had happened. L stood still for a moment, but as nothing changed he had to do something. Without much planning, he put a a smile on his face and went to the front of the dais. ¡°I hope you took good notice of what transpired moments ago. It was an important lesson for some people.¡± ¡°Is that a threat?¡± an elder man asked from the back. He was one of the older lords, too prideful to be afraid. ¡°Do you want it to be?¡± L asked, putting on a more comfortable smile. This was his battlefield, he knew what to do here. The man grumbled in the back but didn¡¯t continue the argument. L nodded to that and outstretched his hands to the sides again. ¡°This concludes the introduction then. I hope you will have a good time together.¡± He gave the troublemakers another look then before turning to the guild in the back. ¡°However, this isn¡¯t all the news today.¡± He stepped down from the dais and moved through the tables. Important people sat in them, all of which nodded or even bowed at his presence. He then nodded back at them in acknowledgement or ignored depending on what would be a better gesture. At the end of the room he stopped before Jackal, leader of the Draugar of Silver guild. He made a nod at the guy and he bowed at him along with his three companions. They then followed him back to the dais. L then sat back down on his chair and was about to listen to Jackal¡¯s speech when Wing stood up. He didn¡¯t say a word and was about to leave. ¡°Where are you going?¡± L hissed at him under his breath. ¡°Finish the job,¡± he answered with an exhale. ¡°You cannot leave now!¡± L tried again. ¡°This is an important moment! I need you here!¡± This made Wing stop in his tracks. He turned his freezing eyes at L. ¡°I thought I had made it clear before, you don¡¯t control me.¡± ¡°Of course not! However, you do work for me and I need you here! What will people think if you leave mid-ceremony?¡± L asked in a hard voice. It took a lot of will power to face the monster unblinking, but he wasn¡¯t backing down. This was his moment and he had to be strong. It couldn¡¯t be seen that he couldn¡¯t control his assets. That would hint at weakness and he had more than enough of those already. ¡°That I have work to do?¡± L couldn¡¯t refute that. It sounded very logical but he didn¡¯t want Wing to leave. His mere presence was going to earn L more allies when all his talks and bribes put together. Fear bound people faster than any other form of encouragement. ¡°Is it because of your students?¡± L asked Wing who was standing by his chair now. He had one hand on its back, watching L through the slits in the mask. ¡°Can¡¯t it be resolved without your interference?¡± ¡°It might,¡± he said to L¡¯s annoyance. ¡°Then can you please sit down? I need this to be perfect,¡± he ground out. There were curious glances being thrown their way from Jackal¡¯s entourage. The exchange was being blocked from the crowd by them but it wasn¡¯t going to last. The three were shifting to see what they were doing, hear maybe and leaving spaces for people to see in the front. ¡°Sit down,¡± he hissed again. ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene now!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± asked Wing or more like Ace. There was an uncharacteristic lightness to the voice, a sparkle in previously emotionless eyes. Even his body movements changed, he put his hands on his hips and looked at L with a smirk. ¡°What¡¯s to stop me?¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. L breathed a sigh inwardly. A kid was something he could deal with, much better than a killer. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll tell you the true reason behind this meeting.¡± This was something he hadn¡¯t shared with anyone but it was going to be revealed at the end of the party anyway. The fact that the kid would learn about it earlier would have little impact on it. And the information seemed to interest him. He pouted and plopped on the seat, leaning against L¡¯s chair. ¡°So why have I been called here?¡± ¡°Out of courtesy,¡± L answered in a whisper. He leaned down on his right hand to pretend he was bored while in truth he wanted to be closer to the kid. Draugar guild members didn¡¯t need to hear this information before time. The kid¡¯s smile turned mocking at the words. ¡°I knew it was better that than have you barge in when I really didn¡¯t need it. But anyway, this isn¡¯t important. What matters is that your guild has a mission.¡± ¡°Mission?¡± Ace asked, leaning closer. He was so near that L could see the cracks in his iris, the way they all led to the black orb in the centre. He looked away then, moving his eyes to the hall. For all his mistakes leading the guild so far, Jackal had a way with the crowd. It was hard to say whether he was just so good at pretending or genuine, but the important thing was that he was good at it. People were listening to him, entrapped by his voice. Their eyes were following his every motion while they laughed and smiled at his jokes, felt sad for the sorrier parts of the story he told. It made obvious to L why Draugar hadn¡¯t disbanded after finding out about Silver Wing. They were held by deeper bonds than most guilds and with this kind of leader... Who would ever want to leave? ¡°What mission?¡± Ace asked in a harsh whisper, poking L¡¯s hand. The tone made L shift his gaze back. ¡°An important one,¡± he answered, not wanting to lose the kid yet. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could keep him put then. ¡°Do you know about the White Mountains?¡± ¡°White Mountains?¡± the boy asked, looking somewhere to the side. He stayed quiet for a few moments then before shaking his head. ¡°No, never heard of it. What about them?¡± ¡°They are called that not for the snowy peaks but a certain mist that had surrounded them. It was so thick that no one dared to enter there and those few that did rarely returned. Monsters never seen anywhere else are said to dwell there.¡± ¡°Had surrounded?¡± the kid asked, noting the most important detail. He smiled then in the know. ¡°It was my doing, wasn¡¯t it?¡± L gave him a half smile. ¡°I have a feeling. These mountains circle around and come here from the lands where you released the spirit. It wasn¡¯t made public but the mists have been seen receding since then.¡± He saw an eyebrow raise of one of the guild members. Nein in a velvet robe stood half turned to Jackal, enraptured by his voice at first glance. However, L could see his attention was anywhere but at his guild leader. It didn¡¯t matter much that he listened in, but it annoyed L. He hated for his conversations to be overheard. From experience he knew it led only to tragedy, even if the listener looked innocent enough. But there was nothing to do about it. They were in a crowded hall now and he had to keep the kid¡¯s attention. That was the top priority. ¡°Few have found it on their own and none dared to enter yet, but I know it won¡¯t last long. The kid nodded at that. ¡°It won¡¯t. And you want to be the one to reap the seeds of my labour.¡± L chuckled at that, hiding it behind a sleeve. ¡°Your labour? If I remember correctly you weren¡¯t too sure what you were doing yourself.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that how it always is?¡± Ace asked as his smile brightened. L rolled his eyes. ¡°Only with you. Normal people have plans and follow them.¡± ¡°Pff. That¡¯s for the weak minded.¡± He turned his eyes to the hall, ignoring Nein¡¯s seeking gaze. ¡°What fun is there if you go into a charted land?¡± ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll want to join the expedition?¡± L asked, turning to look at him, fearing the answer. A yes would be catastrophic, how could he make the guild let their killer join them? It could be done but the price, it would be too high. The kid shook his head. ¡°With them? They¡¯re a boring lot.¡± He looked over them again. ¡°Nope, no way. I¡¯d rather stay with those idiots.¡± It was clear to L what the kid had meant. ¡°How are they?¡± ¡°I supposed it could be worse,¡± Ace answered with a shrug. ¡°Though Wing...¡± As he mentioned that, his eyes widened. It was like a veil was lifted from his eyes and he remembered who he was. That very same moment his eyes turned into icy slits, the smile disappearing from his face. He straightened in his chair and pushed away from L. L knew it meant the conversation was over and turned away, happy the kid didn¡¯t want to leave. At least for the moment. He then listened in to Jackal who avoided the topic of Wing. He rather talked about the early days of the guild, how it was established, what it lived through and what this union with the city lord meant for them. It was supposed to be all good but L knew better. All the money was in his hands. If he ever felt like the guild became useless to him, they would be forced to disband. Guild houses cost money, helping Wing¡¯s victims brought zero income while members still needed new equipment and to buy allowances to dungeons. Most of them had already been found and guilds took ownerships of them. Top ones fought wars to have the best ones, bullying their owners more often than not to gain them. Then they would use it only themselves or if they were only half-decent they would let others train there for a price. That pay was never cheap but the weaker guilds couldn¡¯t do much about it. They needed those dungeons to survive. Draugar wasn¡¯t in the most terrible situations. They were one of the largest guilds in Oradin so they had a few dungeons of their own. It was nice but because of lack of leadership they hadn¡¯t taken full advantage of them. Or other dungeons found nearby that they could have taken over. L planned to help them with that. He needed his own army and Draugar was going to become one. There would need to be increased member gathering too but he didn¡¯t think it would be too hard. The fact that Wing wouldn¡¯t kill people of the guild or anyone in the city should be more than plenty of encouragement to make people join. They had been afraid of him before. He was a well known legend but once today¡¯s actions spread through the web, there was going to be a new panic. Dread flashed to life even in his heart, when he thought about it. Wing was a dangerous being. That was one obvious truth. It mattered little whether you were on his side or not. ¡°I shall end my speech with a wish then. I hope we can all become allies and survive in these troubled times. Many monsters might stand in our way, but I believe we can persevere and make it through as humans. That¡¯s what we were born as and chose to be. For humanity!¡± he shouted out and the crowd cheered. There were a good dozen guild members and they screamed the loudest. Other guests stayed more reserved but there were players enough. All of which needed to express their emotions whatever the cause was given. ¡°Thanks for your brilliant words,¡± L said, clapping from his chair. Jackal turned around to bow again, but L waved it off. He stood up and took the man¡¯s hand. ¡°I hope we can make them come true.¡± ¡°We sure will try our best,¡± answered the man with a smile. He had friendly features and L found himself smiling back. Then he nodded and Jackal with his group stepped down. They didn¡¯t walk back to their original position but instead stopped to the side of the dais, their backs to the wall. Most of their looks were focused on Wing which he found dangerous. No matter how much of an asset Wing was, he couldn¡¯t cause friction between himself and his future army. Something had to be done about it though L wasn¡¯t sure what exactly for now. And he had more pressing matters at the moment. He hadn¡¯t expected Wing to show up so some unlucky guests had been invited. Guild was only thing, they hated him in general. It were personal vendettas and such. Nothing too outstanding. But right before him sat people that had led him to Wing. If not for them, he would have never met the guy. It would have been a damn shame but this situation could turn into something even worse. The guild didn¡¯t dare say anything but these people had known Wing personally. They had been friends and comrades for a long while. They knew more about him than anyone else. For that they were searched for on the internet and persecuted in game. People couldn¡¯t believe they hadn¡¯t known about the monster at their side. They had travelled with him, for god¡¯s sake. Those people made L laugh at the words that humans were an intelligent species. They believed themselves to be the smartest, that they couldn¡¯t be fooled. L might have been even on their side if he hadn¡¯t met the kid himself. Back then he hadn¡¯t been so cold. He was the most brilliant of creatures. Those who now said that they had felt something wrong about him were all lying. It was obvious but many still believed them. They needed it. Else they would have to agree that everyone had been fooled by a kid. He had made fun of them and then laughed in their faces. Not receiving any repercussions. That was too much for players and they pretended he was less than he was. And that¡¯s why they hated his old companions. They thought them as his old accomplices for they held their tongues closed. L wondered why it was so. They should have had many tales to tell, maybe they could even shed some light on his weaknesses. He wasn¡¯t deluded that Wing had none, the guy was just very good at keeping them secret. He walked towards the edge below which the four people stood. L smiled at them and motioned for them to step on the dais. ¡°Welcome the heroes that had brought us support of Arenan village. It had eluded any political agreements but this group had managed to change their mind. Here comes Monthu, the renowned leader of Vascas castle¡¯s reclaiming with Paradox, a fire mage. Right behind them is the lovely priestess Aurora and sharpshooter Hawk.¡± The group shuffled up to stand at his sides. He turned to look at them and received a glare from the leader. ¡°I thank you for the praise but it is not our achievement. A once comrade of ours by the name of Ace is to fault for the angel village¡¯s agreement.¡± That made the hall rumble in disgust. L rather turned his eyes to the kid sitting next to his chair. Wing didn¡¯t seem to have taken notice of anything. He sat with his crystal like eyes facing forward, not a muscle twitching on his face. ¡°Mind you expand on the tale then? We would all be delighted to hear it then,¡± L said, knowing that this was the only way to get it out. These people wouldn¡¯t talk with him in private, they didn¡¯t even want meet him, and Wing himself was out of the question. This made Monthu glance back at the kid. There was no reaction in his demeanour so the guy turned to the crowd. ¡°As you wish,¡± he said, standing taller. Par came to take his brother¡¯s hand and L saw a flash of sadness in the guy¡¯s eyes. It was gone as soon as it came, but it had been there. ¡°We had went there as per your request. The village elder welcomed us and because of an angel bracelet possessed by my brother, we were asked to try a summoning. It should have ended in nothing but Ace had decided to crash the party.¡± A small smile lifted the corner of his mouth up. ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything unusual. He liked to disappear and then come from nowhere, messing everything up. Illusions was also his specialization. ¡°So he created an angel of death in his own image. The elder didn¡¯t know the truth and was overjoyed to have met a Fallen. He then said a few words which angered the illusion. Elder was horrified by that, he was afraid of the repercussions and instantly took his life. ¡°His second in command then explained that this was an honourable way to go. No one should ever disrespect an angel, especially a Fallen. Because of that he also abandoned all plans of tricking us and agreed to everything we suggested. Ace had left by then and we hadn¡¯t seen him till now.¡± L followed the story watching the emotionless mask of Wing¡¯s face and calm voice of Monthu. Neither seemed to have been part of that story. It felt like this was an age old tale, recounted for his benefit. ¡°That is one interesting tale. I wish we could have been there and seen it. It would be a treat to see a Fallen,¡± he said in a joyful tune, smiling widely and ready to motion them away. This was going a bit anticlimactic, but he wasn¡¯t going to complain. ¡°But thanks for the tale anyway. You can return to your places now.¡± He heard cloth rustling behind himself and whirled to to see what was happening. Wing had the same, frozen stare, but he had stood up. ¡°You want to see a Fallen?¡± he asked, taking a step closer. ¡°I¡¯ll show it to you then.¡± Black wings unfurled from his back as his hair turned brown and grew to fall over his eyes. Eyes that were no longer the only feature visible. The mask was gone, revealing white flesh and a small nose. Thin lips didn¡¯t smile as colour washed down the cloak. L could see it turning black from top to bottom. The kid then put the cowl on his face and rose in the air. His wings beat a steady rhythm, creating waves of angry wind. It pushed against the people, making them stagger. L himself had to move away to stay on his feet. He then raised his head to stare at the eyes of the devil. Instead of pupils there was darkness there only, the whole eye being a black hole. Wing then flew closer, stopping right before the group. ¡°Ace is dead. Forget that name. He was a creation that outlived its usefulness.¡± ¡°No!¡± screamed out the kid. He reached to touch Wing, but at the same time silver flashed, his brother pulled him out of harm¡¯s way. ¡°You can¡¯t say that..¡± the kid cried out, pointing at Wing. He didn¡¯t seem to understand he was taunting a hungry lion. But before Wing could reply the kid burst into tears. ¡°Ace is my friend...¡± There was a mocking smile on Wing¡¯s face at that admission. ¡°Ace was a lie. He was an illusion to fool the unwary. It is of your own weakness that you have believed in it.¡± He then turned around, raising in the air. For a moment he hovered at the top, looking through the painted windows at the night world. And then he was off. Flying down and dropping next to the exit. As he moved feathers fell off his wings, leaving a trail of blackness no one dared to follow. Next Chapter 7.6 Ride Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Hey, I''m still here. Been a bit busy so just finished writing and no proofreading was done. It should be still readable, though ^^ For those who''ve asked a new chapter comes out every Friday. I kept to this schedule for a while and hope I can continue with it. As for double release, I''m sorry but no. There had been one not that long ago, don''t become greedy ;P Though, in truth it''s free time that''s keeping me away. Lots of work in university since the final exam is hanging over my group''s head like a sword of Damocles. That''s why we have to stay up every day after lectures and yeah... It takes time, leaving me with very little of it to write. Sad times. Characters Titles and Abilities (Sorry for not updating these. I''ll get to it one of these days... One.. When I have enough time and brain power for it...) **** Sounds of clashing steel and rustling cloth could be heard. They were often intercepted by soft thuds of leather shoes hitting a hard surface. Those being there all the time and signalling a lot of people being inside. The room was dark in most, little light leaving through the crack in the doors Ace was looking in. To his surprise his students were actually training and when he wasn¡¯t there. That was something more than he had ever expected. Without a sound he entered the chamber and took a better look on what was happening. As he had told them once, the best way was a survival training. For that they had broken the pairs for the moment and went to fend for themselves. Each was trying to kill all the others. Their wooden daggers were dropped into buckets of paint and then it was easy to see who had made the most marks. Fenek was pretty good at it. He had taken up deep blue and were jumping from one pillar to another, getting a slash here and there. Muriel right behind him. She had picked light green and was on a hunt for Fenek. It was a fun spectacle to watch. She was after the guy, ignoring everything else or more like pretending to. This made others care less about her presence and she used it to sneak a hit to their unprotected sides. Merrick fell. He was a good looking fellow with short brown hair and lean figure but it helped him little in the course. His moves were graceful but lacked precision. And strength behind them. Others descended on him like a pack of vultures. In an instant he was covered in all colours as if having taken a dive in a rainbow paint. He growled at that, trying to get some hits in return but it was too late. Everyone had already dispersed, falling into small groups intent on landing a few killing hits. They wanted points and to lower the competition. Each wanted to be praised by Silver Wing. Or at least that¡¯s what they thought the winner would receive. Ace grinned at their games and turned to find a quiet corner to rest. A few hours had passed since the official dinner in L¡¯s hall which he had passed riding around on Mirage. The horse showed up to be a better companion than he had ever expected it to. The animal seemed to understand more than was said, but didn¡¯t ask any questions. It just understood and that¡¯s all. No judgement or anything. Mirage then took him on a gallop on the plains around. Wind rushed through him, heart racing and in time Ace had calmed down. No rampage included. That was something that made him wonder even still. How did that happen? A sound of scribbling took his attention. A few pillars away, hiding behind one, a lantern stood. Ace moved closer and saw a blonde head bowed over a sheet of paper, feather pen moving over it with practised ease. The girl was so focused on it, she didn¡¯t even hear Ace faking a cough. He then sat down, leaning on the pillar¡¯s other side. [Flare] moved to give him light and he took out a book he¡¯d taken off L¡¯s room. It had been an accident almost. He hadn¡¯t thought about taking it, the book just caught his attention on the way out. Hopefully, L wasn¡¯t going to miss it. Or if he did, he would fault some servant of his. Inside the hard cover dozens of notes lay. Papers of different sizes, written in a rushed scribble lay. Ace trying to read it but that was the same as drying to understand a doctor¡¯s handwriting. Otherwise known as an impossible task. He still tried it to little success for the next hour or so. Then he interrupted by an ¡°Ah!¡± coming out from the girl next to him. She squirmed in her place, looking at him from under her lashes. Ace stayed quiet so she pushed her paper to him. ¡°I-I¡¯ve did as you told.¡± She then hesitated a moment and added, ¡°I detailed everything the way everyone explained.¡± Ace picked it up, pocketing his own reading. The paper was yellow in colour with dark ink on it, last passages not even dry yet. ¡°I can rewrite it if you need me to,¡± the girl said, wringing her hands. He let his eyes roam over the page. It was written in a simple, easily readable script. There were little to no beautifying to it but that was only for the better. Ace skimmed over the text and found it to his liking. The girl had described their actions in a few, well-chosen words. It made their group look decent enough even if they had lost three members and a few of the assassinations had went awry, turned messy. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said to the eager female, moving [Flare] over the paper. It¡¯s heat was little but it helped dry the ink. Ace then rolled the paper and put it in his inventory. If he was ever near L again, he could pass it to him. He then returned his eyes to the girl. ¡°What about your training?¡± She leaned back a bit at that, her eyes lowering. ¡°I-I¡¯m no go-good at it. I-I tried i-it but but...¡± ¡°So you have stopped trying?¡± he asked in a chilling voice. She should understand he wasn¡¯t here to play games. His word was the last one. ¡°No!¡± she shouted out, her head snapping back up. ¡°I haven¡¯t given up! I just...¡± Her voice lowered as she lost the initial burst of bravery. She shook her head, tears showing up in the corners of her eyes. ¡°I just am no good!¡± Ace tilted his head a bit, crossing his legs. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Razvan dropped by. He was covered in colours but only a few were in vital areas. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t that terrible. It had been rage that had stolen him of all his skills. ¡°You should see it,¡± the guy said in an emotionless voice. It was a warning sign Ace heard. He motioned with a hand for them to start. What could be so horribly wrong? He remembered his own training. The old bastard had been demanding, but it wasn¡¯t something Ace couldn¡¯t do. If he only tried hard enough, he was able to finish all the tasks. The girl, Lara, took out a dagger and took a position before Razvan. She was full of openings and her attacking hand was in an uncomfortable position but Ace didn¡¯t judge yet. Beginners were supposed to make mistakes. Then a nightmare started. She tried attacking but all of her attacks went wide. The way she swung, the way she moved, everything was a huge disaster. It didn¡¯t last longer than a minute before Ace couldn¡¯t take in any more. He rose and stopped that mockery of a fight. His eyes then went to the girl. ¡°Walk around,¡± he ordered in a voice that brook no argument. She lowered her hands and shoulders drooping started to move around. It was as he had feared. She was stiff, rigid. Her whole body seemed to be naturally inflexible and on top of that she hadn¡¯t tried to work on it. The way she moved, it wasn¡¯t anything wrong, but it signalled the lack of inner grace. She was a clumsy bookworm. That could be cured, no one is ever a lost cause, but he wasn¡¯t sure it was worth it. She wasn¡¯t going to become the best. There was no natural inclination to physical prowess in her. ¡°Enough,¡± he muttered. ¡°Razvan, return to others.¡± He then turned around, needing time to think. There had to be a way to make her useful and with an average skill set. ¡°What about me?¡± asked the girl in a voice of someone doomed for eternal suffering. Ace glanced back with a glare. ¡°Stay and hope I find a use for you.¡± He dashed forward then and in moments was outside. Mirage was waiting for him at the entrance and they were off. Destination yet to be decided. They travelled for a long while until Ace had an idea. ¡°Go to the city,¡± he whispered and Mirage changed their direction. It was a good thing he knew the directions so well or Ace would have gotten them lost a dozen times. Usually he made sure to remember his path so he could return, but now he was too busy thinking. The girl presented a huge problem but he didn¡¯t want to let her go. It would be giving up and he didn¡¯t like doing that. There always was a way to succeed no matter the situation. ¡°Give me a moment,¡± he whispered to Mirage when they were near the city. He then activated [Radiant Step]. It was after the midnight now and no one would see his dark silhouette moving in the sky. He made his way to the castle and dropped in L¡¯s official study. It was a mess too but nothing compared to his real work room. Ace reached the table and dropped his report, one written by the girl. On his way out he picked a few papers lying on the ground and jumped out using [Void Step]. It was amazing in the fact he could move through walls. He then found his way to Mirage, thinking of what his life would be like without the two skills. [Shadow Dash] transforming had been one of the best things that had ever happened to him in game. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the lake.¡± At this Mirage neighed, not liking the idea of travelling again but he didn¡¯t complain. Without any other order he turned in the right direction and went there in a canter. He saw no reason to rush there. Ace took out one of the paper¡¯s he¡¯d taken and started to read it under [Flare]¡¯s light. It wasn¡¯t one of the most comfortable position¡¯s to do that but he wanted to learn something. The paper contained an agreement with the two neighbouring cities. It was an old copy with a few lines stroked through with a better suggestions written on the top. There were also a few notes made on the other side of the paper. Ace skimmed through it and looked at the other scroll. This one was less official looking containing a script of a conversation between L and some guild leader. It was written in someone else¡¯s hand as it was legible, but not very interesting. All the talk concerned were taxes, profits, losses and intimidation. Soon he pocketed it and just enjoyed the ride to the lake. The weather was nice and darkness soothing in it¡¯s own way, [Flare] lightening it enough for Ace¡¯s comfort. He was in his dreamland when Mirage snorted, announcing their arrival. Ace petted his neck and activated [Mirror Walk]. He then thought about a mirror or lake that was near Mora city and came up blank. When being there, he had never paid attention to the things outside the walls. As for inside, he was too lazy to enter houses. All his hunting was done on the streets. That¡¯s why he came up short now. No mirror was in his mind and even though he knew there was a lake near Mora, he didn¡¯t have a clear enough memory of it to risk travelling. It was more likely he¡¯d end up on the other side of the world like that. He nudged Mirage away from the lake. ¡°Change of plans. We¡¯re going there on foot.¡± The horse snorted at that and Ace could have sworn rolled his eyes, but sitting on his back couldn¡¯t check. ¡°Just go,¡± he muttered and Mirage turned, shaking his mane in Ace¡¯s face. The kid punched the horse¡¯s side lightly and they were off. Mirage felt like galloping for a time. He liked the freedom of it, having been locked up for way too long. His feet touched the ground for a second and he was flying through the air again. Each leap taking him further in a destination he cared little about. His new master was a person full of ideas. He had plans and reasons but Mirage cared little for them. All he wanted to do was run; sky over his head, wind in his mane and ground beneath his feet. That was all he ever needed. The person on his back froze, almost falling back because of that. Mirage slowed down, taking a glance sideways to see what was happening. He couldn¡¯t see any danger around so it had to be something right on his back. However, he couldn¡¯t see anything wrong there either. He neighed then, trying to get his master¡¯s attention. It worked and Ace raised his head to look at Mirage¡¯s worried eyes. ¡°Sorry,¡± he whispered, brushing the animal¡¯s neck. ¡°I was startled by a message. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± His voice was of normal timbre so the animal after another long look turned around. He started on a sprint, no longer galloping but still moving on a steady pace. Ace at that time returned his eyes to the window that had startled him so. New skill acquired: Natural Riding [Passive] You have learnt the way of the old where saddles were unknown to the populace. This is a much harder feat when most know since it requires a connection between the animal and its rider along with absolute trust. As you improve it¡¯ll become much easier to stay up and comfortable. You will also learn to do tricks that might seem impossible for others. It had been long since he¡¯d given up on learning this skill. Others had gained it long time ago, when protecting the caravan. Not him, though he had to agree he had skipped on most of the riding. He hadn¡¯t thought he¡¯d lost much but it was a bit disappointing, especially when he hadn¡¯t learnt anything after riding Mirage for a few days. Yet here it was before it eyes. It even had some natural added to it which confused him. What was he doing strangely? Did riding without a saddle was really all that? He had no idea and decided to try it out. ¡°Mirage mind if I try something?¡± The horse slowed at that, glancing back at him. There was an understanding in his eyes that Ace missed in most people, and acceptance. Mirage was going to let him do whatever he wanted as long as he didn¡¯t betray him. ¡°Thanks,¡± he murmured and tried to stand up on the horse¡¯s back. It showed up to not be too hard of an endeavour with his good balance. However, when Mirage took a step he needed [Radiant Step]¡¯s fields to lean against so not to fall. ¡°Wait,¡± he called out. Mirage stopped and he jumped down. There he took off his shoes and returned to the horse barefoot. This was much better. He could feel the animal¡¯s skin, muscles moving beneath it. He made sure he was sure footed and then whistled. Mirage glanced back at him and then took a step forward, guessing that was the meaning behind the call. Ace wavered then but kept his balance. He then whistled again. One more step. This was a bit too sudden even if he was expecting and he faltered. His hand extended and a [Radiant Field] was there. It helped him regain his balance and he whistled once more. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. He did that for the good part of the night until he and Mirage both were sick of it. There was improvement and decently quick since this was a game, but it was still repetitive. Something Ace wasn¡¯t a huge fan of even if he never shunned hard work to achieve his goals. ¡°What do you say about taking a break?¡± Sun was shining in the east, warming the ground and making Ace feel drowsy. It had been a while since he¡¯d slept and the plains around seemed safe enough. Cold wind brushed past the ankle high grass, but that was all the movement for kilometres in all directions. Mirage neighed, lowering his head to gnaw at a few stems. Ace took it as an agreement and went down. It was the end of autumn so the ground felt cold to his bare feet. He thought about putting his boots on, but when he opened his inventory a yellow cloak caught his eye. It had been given to him by Nein what felt like ages ago. They had only met then and had known nothing about each other. Blissful ignorance. He took out the cloak and laid on the ground. It was made of wool and large enough for Ace to snuggle in. Sun warmed his back and in moments he was asleep. In his dreams shadows in the dark chased him. He never saw them but neither did they ever catch him. As time went by, he would get tired of running and would walk. They would slow down then too. Sometimes it felt like they didn¡¯t even want to catch him. All they were there for was to scare him, to make fun of his fears. It made him angry. Angry at them and himself, disgusted. He rushed to where the shadows had moved in a vain attempt to catch them. But they were nothing but reflections of things. No matter where he turned there was nothing there, his own imagination playing tricks on him. Tired, he slid down against a tree, his head in hands. He was just so tired of everything. A neigh from far away made him raise his head. It was a sound not belonging to this dream world of his. He looked around but nothing moved, everything seemed as it always did. The sound came again. There was no mistaking it, this was Mirage but what was he doing here? It was getting louder. He felt if he only stretched his hand he could feel the horse, yet there was no one around. Everywhere he turned old trees with thick canopies of leaves hid the sky. No light could push through them. Then everything shook. It felt as if god himself had taken the world, and shaken it in his hand. He fell to the side, hitting his head against a tree trunk. Blankness took him over. When he opened his eyes again, Mirage was standing over him with the sun to his back. His skin glistened in the light, making Ace close his eyes for a moment. As he did that, he could have sworn the colour shifted from black to something lighter. But when he reopened his eyes, it was gone. Same old black Mirage stood over him, it¡¯s electric blue gaze watching him. Another neigh came from him and he pushed his nose against Ace¡¯s face. The kid pushed it away with a gentle but firm hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine. We should be going.¡± Mirage eyed him for a moment longer before turning away, going on his front legs so Ace could easier get up. They both knew he could have used [Radiant Step], but this was a sign of peace. Mirage didn¡¯t want to have any arguments. Ace was fine with that and got on with a small smile, petting the animal¡¯s neck. He wasn¡¯t angry, just unhappy. That dream, part nightmare, returned from time to time and always left him rattled. Especially since by the end of it he always noticed it was just a dream and was left sitting in a landscape of a nightmare, unable to get out for a long while. He shook his head, this was no time to be thinking about it. Though no time was right for that. It was just a stupid dream better left forgotten. ¡°I wonder how far away are we from Mora,¡± he mused to himself. Mirage neighed a reply, but Ace hadn¡¯t yet learnt horse language. ¡°What do you say about trying a bit harder? You had a nice rest, didn¡¯t you?¡± Mirage snorted at that and with a shake of its head made a huge leap. Then he started to gallop as if hell itself was on their heels. Wind pushed in Ace¡¯s eyes, forcing him to hide behind Mirage¡¯s neck as scenery passed them in a blur. For Ace it no longer felt like riding. The horse under him was more like a spirit, moving through the world at the speed of light and taking him along for a spin. It was like something from a fairytale, an animal that could go five miles in a single leap. Ace wasn¡¯t sure it was supposed to feel like that. Yet he couldn¡¯t rule out that it was his inexperience speaking. He had never ridden before in his life and a horse was much different than a car. You weren¡¯t sitting behind metal and glass, protected from the elements and the feel of speed itself. It was more thrilling this way. He felt his heart triple up in speed when a wall of trees came up to meet them. A forest was starting but Mirage didn¡¯t slow down in the least. He rushed head long, his skin a millimetre from brushing the bark. Branches tried to block them, but Mirage darted to the sides to evade them. It wasn¡¯t a thick forest, one made up of birches and firs here and there. Ground was mostly clear too but they were moving way too fast. One wrong step in a hidden hole, a fallen branch and he would be flying over Mirage¡¯s neck. There was nothing holding him on, no safety measures. It was only him and the galloping horse underneath. He smiled at that, holding onto the mane for his dear life. One thing he was sure of though, was that he wouldn¡¯t mind dying this way. Of all the deaths he might have had, this one he would never regret even if it happened. Mirage as if feeling his emotions gave a burst of speed that threw them off the ground, flying through the trees. Leaves brushed their skin, tangling in hair. Ace hissed out when his wig was torn off but didn¡¯t go back to return. He could always get a new one, or in worst case scenario make an illusion. This ride was something not to be interrupted. For a moment he even wished it could last forever. But it wasn¡¯t meant to be. Mirage wasn¡¯t an epic beast with superhuman powers. As time went by his pace started to slow down, breath coming in harder. Ace let him slow down on its own time, not ordering anything. He knew that sometimes freedom was all that mattered. No one liked to be controlled, human or beast alike. They stopped in a clearing, Ace making a small camp for himself. He lit up a fire and warmed some water for a tea. While he did that Mirage moved around for a bit before finding a patch of grass he liked. Ace drank his tea and decided to change his appearance. If he lost his wig, there was no point to pretending for the moment. He took out a pair of his old clothes, brown ankle boots, blue breeches and a white shirt long-sleeved shirt with golden buttons in two lines. As he changed into it, he remembered the time in Vascas castle. It was then he first time played the lordling in this game because of Monthu. Fun times. For a finishing touch he wrapped a purple scarf around his neck and took out a silver cane. He checked the spike at the end of it. The thing was still gleaming with suppressed danger, a spearhead hidden within an everyday item of old. A neigh came from Mirage and Ace stopped his examination. ¡°Shall we go?¡± The horse nodded and Ace got on, the cane still in hand. It was a bit uncomfortable, but he wanted to have it at the moment. Cane was part of the image. This time Mirage didn¡¯t gallop. It was speedier but he got tired much faster, which wasn¡¯t for the better. There was a long journey ahead of them. It had taken the caravan a whole week to get to Lasran from a small village near Mora. Ace wanted to make better time, even if his path was longer. Week was a very long time to be away from all the action that was happening around Lasran. There was a war coming and he wanted to be in the centre of it. But first he had to get to Mora. There was an important meeting he had to have. One long overdue. And so they travelled for the next couple of days. Mirage going on a steady sprint for hours on end while Ace held onto his mane, clutching a cane and enjoying the travel. For the beginning. In a few days he was sick and tired of the same trees but didn¡¯t complain. First there was no one to, second Mirage seemed to be happy. The animal was always in a cheery mood, springing about on light feet. He looked like a newborn foal to Ace, one who had just learned to walk. Once when they reached a river, he rushed in it head first. Ace was soaked in moments, being swept down by the stream. He tried swimming, but the current was too strong. Without any say in it he was washed down, right to a well place waterfall. As to be expected. Was there ever a river one fell in that didn¡¯t have a cliff for one to try his luck off? Like a rag doll Ace flew down, waving his hands and legs in the air. Water sloshed all over him which reduced his eyesight and prevented him from seeing anything. It was hard to say where sky and where earth was. [Radiant Step] was too slippery for Ace to grab on and for a second his eyes cleared, to see the sharpened rocks below. They had been there years, beaten down by water and taking their revenge on everything that came with it. Fear clouded his mind and with eyes closed he activated [Void Step]. He wasn¡¯t sure where he was going to appear, but that could hardly be any worse than the situation he was in now. The ability activated and he found himself diving head first in water. It surrounded him, entering his system and air escaped his mouth. Water took it¡¯s place in an instant, choking him. He tried to take a breath, lungs pleading, but only liquid entered. It filled in, lights dancing before his eyes. Fear gnawing at his stomach, he started thrashing around. Ground was beneath his feet. That startled him for a moment. Only one and then he was off rushing in the other direction. Or more like standing up. Water was only slightly above his waist. The growl that left his mouth then could have made strong men go weak in knees. Men, but not animals. A pack of wolves waited for Ace, who made his way from the shallow pond. He was dripping wet and with a scowl that twisted his face into a mask of a berserker. His eyes were glaring pools of liquid lava. A few of the wolves cower under his stare but the leader didn¡¯t back down. It growled and lowered its head, preparing for a jump. Ace hissed in return, taking out a dagger. And without another second waster, went forward. His slash caught the wolf unaware in the right shoulder and a yelp escaped its owner. Then a growl changed it and Ace had to jump to the side to evade sharp teeth coming his way. He evaded them with ease and slashed at the wolf¡¯s side. Wide gash opened up on its back, blood seeping out on a grey coat. Dozens of howls rose then. Some in the pack might not have been of the bravest kind but it was their leader getting hurt. The next second over twenty wolves were coming after Ace¡¯s neck. This pond was a fertile ground for fish to breed and many things fell from the waterfall. Wolves here had plenty of food to grow and prosper, their pack reaching quite high numbers. Ace evaded them all, dancing out of the way. Then something grabbed onto his leg. Without thinking he kicked it off, a soft yowl escaping the little creatures mouth. Ace turned to where the creature had fallen and saw a pup no more than a few months old. ¡°Dammit,¡± he cursed. There wasn¡¯t anything wrong with killing the young, but one had to have a reason to do it. However stupid or insane from other people¡¯s point of view it was, but there had to be a reason. And he had none. It wasn¡¯t the wolves¡¯ fault that Mirage had thrown him into the river. Or even the horse¡¯s. That guy was just a child himself in a stallion¡¯s body. One would have to be stupid to blame him for not thinking something thoroughly. ¡°Enough,¡± he shouted out, startling the wolves. It made them stop for a second and it was enough for Ace to get up in the air. [Radiant Step] carrying him to the top of the waterfall. He found Mirage there, trotting back and forth near the edge. ¡®Was he thinking of jumping after me?¡¯ he wondered as the animal rushed to meet him. He rammed into Ace with the force that almost sent Ace off the edge again. ¡°Careful,¡± he muttered in a groan, pushing the horse¡¯s noise off his face. ¡°Or do you want to kill me so badly?¡± Mirage took a few steps back then, shaking his head violently. Ace glanced back at the few millimetres of ground before him and the edge. It had been a close call. He moved away and raised his head to meet Mirage¡¯s sorrowful look. ¡°I know, you¡¯re sorry,¡± he murmured, rubbing the animal¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯ll live but you better hurry up. I want to reach Mora soon.¡± Mirage neighed at that, falling on his front legs for Ace to get on. He did that and they were off. Cold wind and wet clothes wasn¡¯t the best of mixes but Ace didn¡¯t want to stop. It had been four days already and he still couldn¡¯t see the city. That was more time wasted than he would have liked. Why couldn¡¯t he have taken notice of any reflective surfaces when he had lived here for a year? That question haunted him more and more with every hour passing. It was fun riding a horse but only for a time being. He wanted to be doing something, acting instead of just sitting and being carried for days. Or feeling his body lose a fight against sickness. His nose clogged up by the end of the day and throat felt raw as he shivered on Mirage. The horse wasn¡¯t doing much better as it ran against the wind. But the city was in their sight. It was early morning, sun not yet risen as the castle¡¯s towers appeared in the distance. They were small and far away but there. It would have been the worst of defeats to give up before reaching them. ¡°Just a little more,¡± Ace whispered, making his raw throat work. He could feel the horse¡¯s uneven breathing and sweat running down its sides in torrents. ¡°We¡¯re almost there. Just a few more steps.¡± Mirage didn¡¯t answer, but made an effort to move forward in a faster pace. His legs felt heavier than ever before, impossible to lift. Yet he did it, pushing onwards, the dream of a clean stable and straw keeping him moving. It was like a dream though. He was cantering, more out of the motion than any feat of willpower. He was sure if he stopped for a second, there would be no returning to moving for days. ¡°A little bit more,¡± Ace whispered as they passed through the gates. They were unguarded for some reason. ¡°Go to the right, few more steps and we¡¯ll be there,¡± he croaked in the silence perturbed only by Mirage¡¯s hoof beats. ¡°Yes, yes, there.¡± Second¡¯s hesitation. ¡°Go up, yes, yes, push the doors.¡± He rolled to the side then, falling with a loud bump. ¡°Mhm,¡± he murmured, not really recognising the pain through exhaustion and sickness. ¡°What is this?¡± came a groan from a doorway up ahead. Ace couldn¡¯t see who it was without raising his head but he would have recognised that voice anywhere. ¡°Hey, Master,¡± he whispered as his eyes closed. ¡°Nice seeing you ag...¡± Next Chapter 7.7 Master Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Sorry for the unusual update but it has to be done. My father has just died, I''m returning back to my home country and have no idea when I''ll return to writing. It might be a week or month, or two. Can''t say anything so I''m uploading what I had prepared for this week. It feels ironic though. I had written the whole chapter over the weekend as though I had known I wouldn''t have the time later on. And I had been so happy and all for winning the competition. Life knows how to ruin our best days, doesn''t it? Edit: Proofread and made the tables. Characters Titles and Abilities **** Fire crackled. It¡¯s flames licked at the logs, seeking, searching. They wanted more, eternally hungry. An old man was sitting beside the hearth. He was shifting the logs from time to time, making flame spit sparks in indignation. It didn¡¯t appreciate being disturbed. But the man didn¡¯t care much for it. He had his own worries. Next to him lay two creatures he hadn¡¯t expected to have on this fine evening. And the previous one. And one before that. They had stumbled in his house and fell dead, or close to it. ¡°Stupid youngsters,¡± he muttered, putting a pot over the flame. ¡°If you come over for a visit, don¡¯t drop dead on someone¡¯s doorstep.¡± He glanced back at them. The horse was a grown one, filling up more than half a room. It¡¯s black hide shone in the firelight as he breathed slowly. He had woken up a few times but went back right to sleep after checking that the kid was right beside him. The boy in question looked less okay. His eyes moved under his eyelids and his breath was uneven. Sweat formed on his brow, skin red and clammy. From time to time he would show signs of life, but they were far in between and delusion like. Sedgart couldn¡¯t make sense of any of the words uttered. ¡°Little kid,¡± he cursed, returning his eyes to the water. It was soon going to boil so he stood up and went to look for a hidden cabinet. He didn¡¯t like keeping his things so close to the surface but some had to be kept on hand. Inside he found an array of bottles with herbs inside. There were no labels but he knew all of them by heart; all of their uses and side effects. He picked a few that might help with a fever and closed the cabinet. His eyes went to the kid again. ¡°Aah,¡± the boy moaned, trying to turn around in fitful sleep. Sedgart moved to him and brought the blanket, or the rag that substituted for it, closer to the kid¡¯s head. ¡°I didn¡¯t train you so you can die from a cold, hear me?¡± A ¡°Mhmm,¡± was his answer as the kid snuggled more comfortably in the rags. Sedgart shook his head at that, noticing the horse¡¯s eyes watching him. ¡°What do you want?¡± The animal looked to think for a moment, took a glance at the kid and lowered his own head. Sedgart turned then and poured the herbs into the pot. Water was boiling and soon he would have his tea. It wouldn¡¯t be nice to wake the kid, but he needed something to live. Lying on the ground under a pile of rags was hardly going to be enough for him to survive. ¡°Children. Maybe it¡¯s for the better that I had none of my own,¡± muttered the old man. ¡°I would have killed them myself. What was he even thinking, riding in wet clothes when winter is approaching?¡± No answer came so he sat down in his place by the hearth and watched the flames. They played around, ignorant of his struggles and worries. They had a good life, even if it was short. Tea was ready. He took the pot off the fire and poured a cup. It warmed his hands, releasing a sweet aroma. He breathed it for a moment, letting it cool down before bringing it to the kid. ¡°Hey, wake up,¡± he whispered, crouching down near the boy. The kid moaned something unintelligible but didn¡¯t open his eyes. ¡°You have to make it hard, don¡¯t you?¡± Sedgart put his left hand under the kid¡¯s head and raised it up. This made the boy¡¯s eyes flutter open. ¡°Open your mouth,¡± Sedgart said, hoping this would be enough. As if. There was no recognition in the kid¡¯s eyes. It didn¡¯t seem he even understood what was being said. Sedgart sighed, moving Ace to lean on him. Then he forced his mouth open and poured some tea. The kid choked at first, but then managed to gulp everything down. The moment Sedgart lowered him, the kid¡¯s eyes closed shut once again. Tea wasn¡¯t going to work wonders, but Sedgart wouldn¡¯t have minded if it did. He was left now with nothing to do. Nothing but watching the kid and praying he was going to make it through. Smell of meat wafted through the room, entering Ace¡¯s nostrils and bringing his conscience to the world of the living. He tried opening his eyes first and foremost but it felt as if there was a brick on each one. Some hours later, or so it felt to him, he won the war against them. They opened and he saw green fumes all over his head. It brought an involuntary smile to his face. This was more familiar than anything else in this world. He spent a whole year eating this poisonous looking, smelling and tasting stew. Though it wasn¡¯t one. It actually was good for his stomach and gave lots of energy for training. ¡°Sedgart,¡± he tried to say but only a moan escaped his mouth. ¡®Damn, what had happened,¡¯ he wondered, trying to get up. That showed up to be more than he had bargained for. All his muscles protested against moving. They were sluggish and bereft of power, turning on another side felt like a feat to get a badge of honour. He heard footsteps coming closer. A man he could barely recognise stopped before him. ¡°So you survived,¡± he noted with a nod. Then he turned around and went away. ¡®I¡¯m happy you¡¯re relieved,¡¯ he thought to himself, a corner of his lip curling up. He then tried to move more. It was pushing against what his brain said was best for him but he didn¡¯t want to lay around like an invalid. His movements made something or someone else wake up. A warmth disappeared from his back and he turned to see Mirage standing up. The horse looked worse for the wear, its sides depleted and mane shadier but there was fire still in its eyes. It made Ace think that there might have been more than a day of his lying dead to the world. He tried to say something else, but his throat was too dry. No sound made it out. ¡°Drink this,¡± Sedgart said, coming over. He held a cup of warm tea which Ace took gratefully with shaking hands. The liquid sloshed down his throat, wetting it. ¡°Thanks,¡± he croaked out and this time it was almost recognisable. He then drank the rest of the tea, taking a good look at his old master. Sedgart had aged in their time apart. He had always looked a hundred years old; walking with a cane, bowed a bit, wrinkles covering his hands and face. Thin lips and small, but sharps eyes barely noticeable. Everything was still the same but something was different. Ace couldn¡¯t put a finger on it, but the man standing before him was different. ¡°You¡¯ve aged,¡± he said, his voice sounding like a human¡¯s finally. It was still a bit hoarse, but much improved from the first try. The old man hit Ace¡¯s shoulder with a cane. ¡°What did you expect? That I would grow younger?¡± He said it with a look that made Ace squirm in his place. ¡°No, but you were old enough... I thought you couldn¡¯t get any older than that.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s your way of giving compliments, I fear you¡¯ll live a very solitary life,¡± Sedgart answered, going to tend to the fire. It was blazing at full strength, a pot boiling over it. Ace saw Sedgart tasting brew with his wooden spoon and clucking in delight. He thought he was the best cook in the world, a delusion Ace let him keep as long as he was given food for free. ¡°It¡¯s almost done.¡± Ace lowered himself back in the rags again. It was hard to keep himself up, even for a little while. As he lay down, his eyes fell on Mirage again. He was standing tall in the corner, looking lonely and desolate. ¡°Have you been out?¡± he asked him and the animal shook its head. Ace sighed. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Go and eat something. What use would you be to me if you fell dead from hunger?¡± Mirage snorted at that, but moved forward. He touched Ace¡¯s head with his nose, a goodbye, and marched through the door out. He left them open and cold wind entered in. Ace shivered from it and pulled the covers closer around himself. ¡°Was it always this cold here?¡± he wondered aloud. Sedgart glanced back at him. ¡°When you¡¯re dressed in nothing but hole filled rags, yes.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ace asked in surprise, dragging one hand out in the cold. Instead of his white shirt, it was put in a greyish robe which had more holes than cloth. There was a smell coming from it which Ace didn¡¯t want to identify. ¡°What happened to my own?¡± Sedgart stood up and went to close the door. It took him a while, having been knocked out of its place, but after a lot of grumbling and cursing he managed. He turned to Ace then. ¡°You were riding in winter winds with a thin shirt, and to make it better you were soaked to the bone. It is a wonder how you¡¯re still alive.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t even than cold...¡± Ace tried saying, but his memory of the last day¡¯s ride was fuzzy. He remembered urging Mirage forward, whispering to him and watching the city appear in his sights. ¡°Will I get a bit of that?¡± There was a bit more grumbling from the old man but he found a small bowl and poured some stew. He then took a spoon and brought it all to Ace. The kid took it with gladness, forming a pile of rags to lean on. ¡°Thanks,¡± he murmured, understanding something. Sedgart hadn¡¯t changed in appearance but in movements. His steps were slower, lacking an assassin¡¯s precision and grace. Fingers of his were less agile too, fumbling with things, unable to take them at first try. There was even less light in his eyes. It was hard to judge but Ace could have sworn they were duller, sparks in them being extinguished by time. Energy gone for real this time. Sadness washed over him at that realisation. Sedgart might have been a non-player character but to Ace he had been real. A whole year they had spent together, just the two of them and now to see this. The man was still here but he was wasting away, like a bucket on which bottom¡¯s a hole opened up. ¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡± Sedgart asked, his spoon stopping midway to his mouth. Ace didn¡¯t answer at first so the guy¡¯s eyes narrowed at him, ordering to speak up. Ace held his bowl in the hands, keeping them warm as he raised his head to look at Sedgart. ¡°You¡¯re dying,¡± he stated in an emotionless tone. This made the man¡¯s hands shake. The spoon spilled out, luckily most of the stew returned back to the bowl. ¡°We¡¯re all dying,¡± Sedgart said, pretending nothing had happened. ¡°Every life is just a journey to reach death¡¯s doors.¡± ¡°Your ends just a step away then,¡± Ace said, looking straight at the man. There was annoyance in Sedgart¡¯s expression but he didn¡¯t pursue the point. He respected his student enough not to lie blatantly in his face. ¡°I hope I have a few more.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Ace asked, resuming his eating. It was hard trying to keep his back straight and he wanted to be done with it. A bit of rest and he would try standing up then. Sedgart shrugged. ¡°Sickness of the old. Joints don¡¯t bend and limbs resist my commands. It¡¯s making me sick.¡± He took a few sips of the brew, his eyes looking somewhere far away. ¡°I know now why people of our profession don¡¯t get old.¡± Ace raised an eyebrow. ¡°I always thought it was dangers of the occupation.¡± ¡°That too,¡± Sedgart agreed with a smile. ¡°But you can¡¯t imagine what it¡¯s like losing all you ever were. Each day its harder to get up and moving. My treasured and honed skills are disappearing right before my eyes.¡± He sighed heavily. ¡°Why don¡¯t you leave then?¡± Ace asked, taking a few sips and then motioning with his empty spoon. ¡°What¡¯s keeping you in this city? I hope you¡¯re not looking for another student.¡± The man chuckled at that. ¡°You can feel safe. I haven¡¯t found anyone good enough. After your reign this place is silent as a grave, it¡¯s not even close to recovering.¡± Ace waited a moment for the old man to continue but he seemed lost in mind. He probed him then. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡± This made the man focus his eyes back on Ace. There were questions in them, questions Ace couldn¡¯t guess. He looked back for a moment before lowering his eyes to his brew. It was warm and tasty in its own way. ¡°I have nowhere to go,¡± the man finally said, with a sigh turning to his own bowl. He swirled the spoon inside, not eating. ¡°I had wasted all my youth on stupidity and now no longer have anyone to turn to.¡± He smiled tiredly. ¡°Be smarter than me. Get friends even if you have to fake it. It¡¯s better to have fake ones than none.¡± ¡°My father said the same to me,¡± Ace replied with a bitter smile. ¡°I have to say it¡¯s harder to do than it sounds.¡± ¡°It is,¡± agreed Sedgart with a nod. ¡°I have heard of your escapades even here. You have been busy after you left.¡± It was Ace¡¯s turn to shrug. ¡°I just did what you taught me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to say the mistakes are my fault too?¡± asked the man with smile that asked him to dare and say it. Ace shook his head. Master had always found a way to make him pay for his pride; beating, traps or just a trick but always something. ¡°It was bad decisions done based on emotions rather than logic. Something I¡¯ve been doing a lot of lately.¡± The old man nodded. ¡°I noticed. You got yourself discovered.¡± ¡°Yeah, one thing I don¡¯t understand though it why I¡¯m still immune to killing people? No red mark appears over my head.¡± It wasn¡¯t true. He hadn¡¯t killed anyone after being discovered but he had looked at his status menu and it was the same. His fame and notoriety hadn¡¯t merged. Sedgart smiled widely. ¡°You¡¯re a smart kid then. I might actually be able to say you¡¯re my student without feeling too much shame.¡± Ace tilted his head to the side, a look of are you serious in his eyes. The old man laughed. ¡°You have created a new persona. One of your creations is deeply enough ingrained in people¡¯s mind. It would be a shame for it to be discovered because of a red mark over your head so the goddess keeps her protection on you.¡± Ace sat still then. He tried to remember a creation of his. The elf! He was the guild¡¯s leader and someone only Ace had known personally. Could it be that no one put two and two together, understanding that those were one and the same. He shook his head. Impossible. It was so obvious. ¡°They can¡¯t be so stupid,¡± he murmured. Sedgart burst out laughing at that. He put the empty bowl down and held onto his stomach as laughter racked his body. Tears even came out of his eyes. Ace watched it with narrowed eyes. What was so funny? Only some five minutes later, Sedgart could talk again. He was still chuckling with a smile all over his face, but he was at least legible now. ¡°You- you said they can¡¯t, CAN¡¯T be that stupid...¡± He laughed again. ¡°Do you know what our profession is based on?¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Ace tilted his head. ¡°Killing people?¡± ¡°Tricking them,¡± corrected him Sedgart, a strange calmness settling in. ¡°Being a soldier is based on how good you are at killing people, but not assassination. There is more to it then just plain stabbing. ¡°We find people¡¯s weaknesses and exploit them. We kill them and make it look like someone else did it. And everyone believes it. We¡¯re the tricksters and liars. We are the pretenders.¡± He shook his head as if not believing it. ¡°And you ask if people could be that stupid... We wouldn¡¯t exist if they weren¡¯t.¡± Ace smiled at that. ¡°You seem to have kept your passion for the profession.¡± Sedgart chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s all I have left. That and the memory of times gone.¡± ¡°When would you like giving me a helping hand?¡± Ace asked, finishing his bowl and putting it away. He lay down then, his head raised on a pile of rags so he could see the old man. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Sedgart asked, surprised to be needed. He had wondered why the kid came, but never came up with a good enough answer. Ace grimaced. ¡°I have students of my own. A sorry bunch that was given to me. Most of them are decent or can be made into, but one poses a problem. I hadn¡¯t seen anything so horrible in my life.¡± That made the old man¡¯s eyes lit up and he moved closer. ¡°You have students of your own? Wouldn¡¯t have dubbed you as a caring type.¡± They both laughed at that. ¡°So what did she do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not anything purposeful. It¡¯s just that it feels like she¡¯s made of a single branch. Her limbs are stiffer than anything I¡¯ve seen before and I¡¯ve killed many people. It¡¯s amazing she can still move.¡± His face darkened. ¡°Her moves are... They¡¯re horrible! It would take a few hundred years to train her to be something even close to decent.¡± ¡°And you can¡¯t get rid of her, can you?¡± Sedgart asked with a knowing smile. Ace nodded with a sigh. ¡°She had joined because of her friend. I couldn¡¯t care less but when I threatened to kick them out, she looked so happy... I couldn¡¯t take it and made her stay. You should have seen the disappointment in her eyes,¡± he explained with a laugh. ¡°That¡¯s not the best reason to keep a student,¡± Sedgart said with a smile. Ace glared at him and the man laughed. ¡°I¡¯m just saying. But I see your point. It had to be done. Don¡¯t know what to suggest, though. Only training is going to change anything.¡± The way he said it, with silent wistfulness, brought an idea to Ace¡¯s mind. He smiled in a way that made Sedgart worry. ¡°What are you planning?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you come with me?¡± he asked with a wide smile. ¡°You¡¯ll have something to do and won¡¯t have to waste away here all on your own.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tempting idea, but I don¡¯t feel in any shape or form to take up a bunch of kids under my wing. They¡¯re your responsibility,¡± answered Sedgart, eyeing Ace anew. ¡°You¡¯re not pushing it all on me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Ace said indignantly, raising from his half-lying position. ¡°I just want you to examine her and maybe suggest some tips how to deal with it. You have more practise in teaching than me, after all.¡± There was distrust in Sedgart¡¯s eyes but the temptation was too good. No human ever visited his house. He was all on his own, his own body discouraging him from leaving the house. He wouldn¡¯t be found dead on some street. There wouldn¡¯t be a way to survive that shame down. He couldn¡¯t make fun of his profession in that way. He sighed very deeply. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go with you, but don¡¯t you dare push your students on me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t! Promise!¡± Ace said with a laugh. Sedgart didn¡¯t believe him in the least, but a smile still made its way on his face. ¡°I¡¯m so going to regret this.¡± ¡°Probably,¡± agreed Ace, returning to his rags. There were dozens of them, he shifted them to make it more comfortable and closed his eyes. ¡°Be ready when I wake up. I am tired now.¡± The moment his head touched the rags, he was in a dreamland. There was still some healing to be done. Two days passed until Ace woke up again. His body felt stiff and groggy but he pushed forward this time. He had lain around for way too long. ¡°Welcome back to the world of the living,¡± said a voice from the other side of the room. Ace sat up, turning his head to see his old master grooming Mirage. ¡°You should take better care of what is yours.¡± Ace yawned. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± he said, stretching his limbs out to return feeling back in them. After that he tried to stand up. It was a pain but his legs kept him up. ¡°Is there anything edible in this place?¡± The old man shrugged, having turned back to the horse. ¡°There might be some stew left and a crumb of bread.¡± Ace grumbled at the meal suggested but went to the hearth and peered into the pot. There was half a bowl of some purple brew at the bottom with three or four pieces of what might have been meat once. It hardly looked edible but Ace had gotten used to eating dangerous looking substances in the year he¡¯d trained under Sedgart. He found a spoon nearby and ate everything in a few gulps. It wasn¡¯t much but his satiety bar went to halfway where it had been flashing red previously. Ace took a barley bread out of his pocket and ate that too. A thought occurred to him then. ¡°How are you going to travel?¡± he asked Sedgart. Ace himself had planned to return through the lake near the city, but he couldn¡¯t take passengers along. Not human ones at least. ¡°Aren¡¯t we riding?¡± asked the man, glancing back at Ace. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± the kid answered, shaking his head. He had wasted more than enough time around here. It was impossible to know how many interesting developments he had missed already. There was no way he was going to miss more than necessary. Both Mirage and Sedgart focused their gazes on him. ¡°What?¡± he asked. ¡°I need to return.¡± He watched them for a moment. ¡°You can come to me together. Yeah, that sounds a fine plan. I¡¯ll wait for you in Lasran. Mirage knows where exactly.¡± He stood up then, happy about the resolution and glanced at his clothes. It were greyish rags so he went towards the open bathroom. There he moved the bath¡¯s leg and opened up the secret passage. As he walked down the stairs, he heard Sedgart following him. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? Is something wrong?¡± Ace didn¡¯t slow down as he answered. ¡°There¡¯s a war brewing and I kind of work for both sides. It would be a shame to miss something important, if I hadn¡¯t already.¡± ¡°Both sides?¡± Sedgart asked with a chuckle. ¡°Aren¡¯t you taking on more than you can manage?¡± ¡°Not a chance,¡± Ace answered with a laugh. He moved into one of the first doors to the right, [Flare] lightening it up. Racks of clothes lined the walls. There was a pair for every occasion; rich men vests and breeches, princely tunics, wizardly cloaks and poor man¡¯s shirts. He walked through them all, unseeing. What he needed was at the back, a shelf of wigs. Most of them were common, just to change one¡¯s appearance but not stand out. However, there were what he needed too, red haired ones hanging on the side. Ace sifted through all of them, looking for one that was most similar to his old one. It had been quite bright, unnaturally so, and with long hair. Only two fell into that category and Ace tried them on. He couldn¡¯t feel a difference, so he turned to Sedgart. ¡°Which one?¡± The old man eyed him for a moment, then pointed at the one he was holding at his hand. ¡°That. The one you¡¯re using is too large for you. It makes it obvious you¡¯re wearing a wig.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Ace said, putting the other wig on and returning the first one to its place on the shelf. ¡°I just hope no one notices this one¡¯s a bit darker than my old one.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t,¡± Sedgart said in a confident tone. ¡°You¡¯re a monster, few ever lift their eyes to meet yours. I doubt anyone has ever taken a good look at you.¡± Ace would have been happy to agree, but he knew more than the old man. To players this was a game and they had technologies unknown to people of the land. He was sure there were hundreds of pictures of his on the Internet and if anyone took a better look, they would notice the colour difference. But it was too late to change anything. He had lost the old wig and that was all. There was no returning it. ¡°So you¡¯ll come with Mirage, right?¡± he asked to make sure. It would be quite disappointing if the old man thought better of it, when he was out of sight. ¡°Mirage is the horse, I take it?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Ace answered with a nod. ¡°He didn¡¯t seem thrilled by the idea of being separated from you,¡± Sedgart pointed out as they moved to climb back upstairs. Ace shrugged. ¡°He¡¯ll live with it. You can¡¯t travel yourself while I can.¡± ¡°How?¡± asked Sedgart, his steps quickening up. ¡°Did you learn to use magic?¡± Ace turned to look back at the man. He couldn¡¯t remember hearing so much eagerness in the man¡¯s voice ever before. ¡°I did. What of it?¡± This made the man¡¯s eyes start to shine. He even grabbed onto Ace¡¯s sleeve to keep him from moving upwards. ¡°You sure? You¡¯re not pretending?¡± Ace tilted his head and then activated [Void Step]. He appeared behind the man, casting [Wild Vines] in a whisper. They held the old man in place while Ace positioned his dagger next to Sedgart¡¯s throat. ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡± The old man¡¯s breathing picked up, but Ace knew it wasn¡¯t from fear. Sedgart had his weapons in his hands and had vines cut before Ace even saw it happening. His dagger was pushed away and he had to jump back to evade a thrust from the man¡¯s other hand. He was about to jump back in, when Sedgart¡¯s expression stopped him. The guy¡¯s jaw had went slack, eyes widening in disbelief and amazement. Reverie. ¡°What?¡± Ace asked, tilting his head. ¡°You... You¡¯re standing on air!¡± the man shouted out and Ace looked down. Yeah, he had activated [Radiant Step] without a conscious thought. It was like moving a hand or a leg, there was no need to think of it. ¡°And?¡± ¡°You¡¯re standing on air...¡± Sedgart murmured, his eyes following Ace¡¯s every move. ¡°How can that be?¡± he asked, taking a few steps closer. Ace smiled. ¡°Magic,¡± he said in a whisper, jumping down and petting the old man. ¡°You told me to test it and as a good student I am, I didn¡¯t stop half-way.¡± He said it as a joke, but tears showed up in the old man¡¯s eyes. He didn¡¯t even try to brush them away but stared at Ace. It made the kid shuffle his feet, lower his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me,¡± he finally spit out, raising his eyes back up again. It brought a smile to the old man¡¯s face as two big tears went down his cheeks. ¡°Thank you,¡± he whispered, ¡°for honouring this old geezer¡¯s request.¡± His voice was low and clogged up, but Ace understood the words clearly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me,¡± he said, turning away. ¡°I did what was best for me.¡± ¡°Even so,¡± the old man said. ¡°Thank you.¡±
Quest Finished: Dreams of Glory You have agreed to explore the life of one who is master of both dagger and magic. It wasn¡¯t an easy task but you persevered and pushed onwards, doing everything in your power. Now you returned to tell your tale, having proven that the two world¡¯s aren¡¯t that far apart. Magic can be used to weaken and steal people¡¯s lives while dagger can protect and save them. Something few in this world know or understand. Quest Reward: Eternal gratitude of Sedgart Title ¡°Master Assassin Mage¡± Class Assassin Mage is now open to the public Ability ¡°Tribute¡± Passage in the history books Item ¡°Amulet of the Master¡±
Ace stared at the window for a long while, his mouth opening up a bit more with each line. What was this? He had long ago forgotten about this quest, not even sure what he needed to do to finish it. If he pushed his memory, he could almost remember it being quite high level, but this was insane. The rewards were overwhelming, judging by the names only. He was afraid to open the information windows to find out more about them. ¡°That¡¯s too much,¡± he whispered, his eyes still locked on the window. ¡°Not at tall,¡± replied Sedgart with a little smile. ¡°My thanks is all I can give you. It¡¯s too little, but it¡¯s all I have.¡± This brought Ace from his stupor and he tried to steel his expression, failing miserably. ¡°Your help with my students will be more than enough,¡± he stated, forcing a smile out. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to help,¡± Sedgart said in a soft voice, his eyes still wet from the tears. ¡°Should we leave now?¡± Ace nodded. ¡°Mirage, take him to the mansion. I¡¯ll wait for you there.¡± Then not waiting for a reply, he rushed outside and activating [Shadow Veil] with [Radiant Step] jumped on a roof. From there he simply ran forwards, his shaking fingers opening up menu bars.
Master Assassin Mage *Granted for founding a class +50 to all statuses +100 to agility and intelligence -20% casting time +15% to spell power +15% to attack speed +10% to movement speed
Item: Amulet of the Master The title of master is easily gained these days, but rarely deserved. Only few are truly worth it and to mark them as such gods have crafted a new gem. It resembles amethyst in colour but is much darker and as strong as a diamond. No tools can ever shape it but the hands of gods themselves. This particular amulet is in the shape of a dagger blade to show its owners mastery with this weapon but that is not all. Deep within the purple gem, black swirls can be seen, they form words of magic that are yet unknown. Special Effects: Immunity to all status effects (Fear, Confusion and etc) Entrance to all places, no doors will ever be barred against you if the people inside don¡¯t want to feel the wrath of gods World Renown
New Skill: Tribute [Passive] You have achieved greatness in this life of yours. You have set on an impossible mission and against all odds came out victorious, mastering your art. No one expected that of you and that is why your actions shine even greater. The class you founded will be renowned throughout the world and many new students will try to learn your art. This will only increase your fame, carrying your name through the lands. Many will want to apprentice under you but be careful, fame also brings fiends with it. They will want to challenge you, hoping to earn a name for themselves. Each time you would lose against them, a great deal of your fame will disappear until you¡¯re nothing more than an old legend. Greatness is a fleeting thing after all. + 1 agility and intelligence for every player having chosen your class.
Next Chapter 7.8 Betrayal Previous Chapter Author''s Note: A big thank you for everyone for your condolences. It was a trying time but I think I''m back on track again. Or well close enough. I hope the absence had only made your hearts grow fonder and you haven''t forgotten about Ace. I''m not sure if he''s still the same but hope the quality of the chapter isn''t too bad. Oh, and before I forget, I have changed the last skill from the previous chapter. It was a bit strange to start with and I wasn''t sure where I was going with it. I had planned to change it before uploading but things didn''t go as planned so yeah.. To save everyone the drip to the previous chapter I have brought the changed skill to the front of this chapter. I''m sorry to everyone who was looking forward to that previous skill, but I''m really not in the mood for writing about gods at the moment. Characters Titles and Abilities (Sorry for not updating these. I''ll get to it one of these days... One.. When I have enough time and brain power for it...) ***
New Skill: Tribute [Passive] You have achieved greatness in this life of yours. You have set on an impossible mission and against all odds came out victorious, mastering your art. No one expected that of you and that is why your actions shine even greater. The class you founded will be renowned throughout the world and many new students will try to learn your art. This will only increase your fame, carrying your name through the lands. Many will want to apprentice under you but be careful, fame also brings fiends with it. They will want to challenge you, hoping to earn a name for themselves. Each time you will lose, a great deal of your fame will disappear until you¡¯re nothing more than an old legend. Greatness is a fleeting thing after all. + 1 agility and intelligence for every player having chosen your class.
Ace¡¯s concentration faltered as he read that description, feet hitting empty air instead of a field. In an instant, he pushed all the thoughts away. He created fields at the sides, extending hands to catch himself on them. The palms burned at the pressure but his descent slowed and he could catch himself with a field. Then he lifted himself backand started running again. He wanted to reach the lake before it got light and more people came out. This was an hour when night hunters had already returned but day players were still sleeping, too early for them. He neared a forest¡¯s edge, landing on a tree and continuing forward on branches. It was more physically taxing but required much less concentration, he could think about what he had just seen. Those things he received after finishing Sedgart¡¯s quest, they were unparalleled. Such huge increase in skills by percent? Immunity to all status effects? Ability to go everywhere freely? And if that wasn¡¯t enough, there was that last one called Tribute. It would take only a hundred players who chose his class and he would gain two hundred points worth of stats. Ones he couldn¡¯t put wherever he wanted, but that made little difference. So many free points to agility and intelligence... And it wasn¡¯t like only one hundred people were going to join his class. He was Silver Wing after all. Every player who¡¯s class didn¡¯t work out, everyone who felt weak, who envied him his power, they were all going to take it up. The moment his class became known to be up for choosing, he was sure it was going to become one of the most popular ones. People were simple creatures. But that skill... It was like something a foolish designer made up for himself, to become so overpowered in his own game that no one could face him. Skills and tactics mattered only when powers were on the same level, or close enough. Humans didn¡¯t defeat gods like rabbits didn¡¯t hunt wolves. He shook his head, that was stupid. Why would he get this thing? It¡¯s not fun to defeat others when you¡¯re quicker than they can see and can never run out of power for destructive magic. Well, it wasn¡¯t like he had to use that ability. He could always apply half of his speed, no matter that it might take a week or two to learn to fake well. ¡°Mirror Walk,¡± he whispered to the lake and jumped in. There was no one waiting for him on the other side and he changed his clothes. Rags weren¡¯t bad, but Silver Wing was a classic figure. He had to keep up his image. Dark trousers, blue cloak and fox mask on a red wig. Reflection in the water showed that everything was in place and Ace made his way out. He wrapped himself in [Shadow Veil] and sneaked inside the castle. In his opinion L was way too lax with his guards. They were half-asleep in their posts or sitting and playing cards. It was a child¡¯s play to get past them. Ace without a sound moved through the corridors. He heard L¡¯s raised voice in one of the rooms, but didn¡¯t feel like disturbing a meeting at the moment. There was no one he knew inside so it would be more trouble than it was worth. He rather made his way into the man¡¯s secret study, one he kept under heavy guard. These people were alert so Ace went the other way. He chose a close room and left through the window. [Radiant Step] carried him where he wanted to go and in a moment he was inside. It was littered with papers like before, hardly anywhere to step on. Ace hovered in the air for a moment, looking around. He wanted to take something valuable. Something L was going to miss for sure. Papers on the ground were out of the question, books didn¡¯t seem to be important enough, maps had only a few marks on them. He moved to the other side of the room, deeper into the mess. There his eyes landed on a golden case leaning against a small stool. He picked it up, opening the lid and peering inside. There was a paper there but as Ace took it out something clattered inside. After turning the case upside down a small black amulet dropped into Ace¡¯s hand. It was a round onyx on a silver chain. Nothing to be in such an exquisite case. That left a stack of papers. The first one was a letter sent by some Lady Jeerin. He scanned through most,uninterested when his eyes caught on a line.
* November 30th I have managed to persuade the guild to come to our cause. Red Death will serve you from the shadows. They have infiltrated all of Marion¡¯s cities and are reporting to me each day. You will be glad to hear that I¡¯ve learnt a lot of the man¡¯s plans. He¡¯s way too trusting whenn he finds you harmless. On December 7th he¡¯s planning to...*
Ace didn¡¯t read more but he got the gist of it. This was information Marion wanted. Something he was going to let Ace have an undiscovered city for. The kid laughed at that silently, making his way out with the case. The guy wanted to take L over way too much, playing with fire to achieve that. He didn¡¯t know who he was asking help from. Well, it wasn¡¯t Ace¡¯s problem. He was happy to receive his share. An unexplored city. That sounded like something to lift his mood up after having slept for some week or more in sickness. That decided he ran around the city, enjoying his powers and the way people pointed at him. They whispered and scattered if he got too close. A pack of sheep in presence of a wolf. He waited till the two hours were over and he could activate [Mirror Walk] again. There was no way he was going all the way on foot when he had this ability. As he approached the lake, he saw his reflection. Silver Wing. That wasn¡¯t okay. Marion didn¡¯t know the heartless killer. He was only acquainted with Ace, a joyous if a bit dangerous kid. That meant he had to take off all his carefully put on garb and return to his normal look. One better described as a spoiled rotten brat. Amber curls, blue eyes, smiling face, purple scarf and a white shirt with sandy trousers and ankle boots. It brought a strange feeling to his chest, seeing himself like this again. This was no longer who he was yet it held a certain charm. He had started the game like this. It was the original thing, even if outdated and no longer relevant. He smiled at it, lips curling up at the corners and closing his eyes rushed into the lake. [Mirror Walk] made sure to keep him dry and he was in the world of mirrors. For a moment he could see thousands of them, and through them. There people moved, dances were held, lovers met up and old wardrobes stood. And then it was gone. He was out in a dark, dusty room. It was one he¡¯d seen before so he made his way out and hiding with [Shadow Veil] wandered around. There was little life here, no servants walking around, but Ace was sure this was the right place. Now that the Duke had left, and even got himself killed, there was no reason for Marion to stay in his old house. He could be just as menacing and ruling from an empty castle, though why he had no servants was an interesting question. From what Ace gathered Marion was a noble, npc one even. How could he live without everything given to him on a silver platter? Wasn¡¯t his life consisting mostly of that? There were voices up ahead. Ace crouched down and with [Silent Steps] moved closer. There was little light coming from underneath tightly closed doors. It didn¡¯t lit the corridor but [Mystic Eyes] made it easy for Ace. He also added [All Ears] to hear through the thick wood. Closed doors were no obstacle for one who wanted to eavesdrop. ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t find him?¡± Marion¡¯s voice asked. It was slow and controlled, but Ace could hear cold rage simmering beneath. The guy was on the verge of exploding. ¡°He¡¯s gone. Maybe he got tired of this world,¡± answered a familiar voice in a nonchalant manner. Ace could have sworn the guy was shrugging, an indifferent smile on his face. ¡°You should start looking for someone else to spy for you. It¡¯s been a week.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a week,¡± dismissed Marion with what sounded like paper shuffling. ¡°But I pay you not to lazy around. You need to find him,¡± he said with emphasis on the need part. ¡°Find me?¡± Ace asked, pushing the doors out of his way. They were old and heavy, destroying his epic entrance, but he still put the smile on. ¡°What would you need of me, oh lord?¡± Marion¡¯s eyes narrowed a fraction, a soft ¡°you..¡± escaping his mouth. Ace bowed with one of his hands forward and the other bent backwards. ¡°At your service, my lord. I had a feeling you might be missing me.¡± He then turned towards Aster. ¡°It¡¯s nice seeing you again. Sorry, for our first meeting. It just happened,¡± he said with a mocking smile. The guy¡¯s chain appeared in his hands and Ace had a millisecond to dodge the dagger flying his way. He thanked [Evasion] and raised an eyebrow at Aster. ¡°You seem to have a grudge. It¡¯s a bad habit to keep them, you know? My mother always said t-¡± ¡°Shut it,¡± hissed Aster, tugging on his chain and pulling the dagger back in. He then moved to strike Ace again, but Marion¡¯s voice stopped him. ¡°No fighting in my study!¡± he growled, eyes flashing silver. ¡°You calm down,¡± he ordered Aster and turned to Ace. But Aster didn¡¯t seem to be good at following orders. His dagger flew again, missing Ace by a hair¡¯s breath. Now it was his time to get annoyed. ¡°Are you serious? Can¡¯t we do this some other time? I have business with this guy, you know, the one you call your boss?¡± Aster spat on the ground. ¡°Boss? No one orders me around! I was just using him to get to you! So fight me, now!¡± ¡°Did you now?¡± Ace asked, raising an eyebrow. He dodged the dagger to the side, not taking out his weapons yet. It was dangerous in this small room, he couldn¡¯t dodge forever but he wanted to see what Marion was going to do. If anything. ¡°Is this the way you control your followers?¡± Ace asked, leaning backwards to evade a second dagger. There were two on each end of the chain and Aster was pretty good with using both of them. The small room didn¡¯t help him either, but somehow he was managing to make them come dangerously close to hitting. ¡°I might have to rethink my allegiances!¡± ¡°Guards!¡± Marion shouted out, his hand hitting the table with a loud bang. It rung through the room and in seconds it filled up with man in plate armour. Ace didn¡¯t feel too much danger from them, but they were a huge crowd. Soon there were so many he couldn¡¯t even move. It was wringing, shifting mass of bodies all of which were trying to get a good grip on Aster. Ace didn¡¯t want to be squashed in that mess with his small build so he cast [Wild Vines] on the ceiling. They were easy enough to climb and from the there he could see the whole show. One that was, to his surprise, quite entertaining and even educational. The guy, Aster, was much stronger than any single soldier. He was probably twice if not three times the level. However, he couldn¡¯t move. The guards had went up so close to him, the guy couldn¡¯t even lift his hands. Soldiers didn¡¯t either, but they could push around until one of them managed to get his hands on Aster. Then he tried taking the chain out of his hands, but that showed up to be a futile attempt. Aster rather shifted his dagger upwards in his hand and stabbed the hands trying to grasp his chain. Luckily for the soldier he wore mail gloves so a simple attack like that did no damage. It was a sign, however, that there was no easy way to settle the raging maniac. ¡°Kill him,¡± Marion said from his seat, resting against the back of his char. His disposition was relaxed but Ace saw the unrest in the way he tapped his fingers. The lord wasn¡¯t as unaffected as he pretended to be. It was something Ace liked so he used the moment and descended on Aster. ¡°Orders and orders my friend,¡± he said, sliding Kris inside the guy¡¯s chest. It didn¡¯t kill him in an instant, this was a game after all, so Ace materialised some of his other daggers. Standing on the guards¡¯ shoulders he felt no danger so he took his time with it and pushed each dagger in slow motion, using skills a few times. Aster growled threats at him, cursing, but it was useless. The guy was powerless to do anything. ¡°Heart-seeker,¡± Ace whispered as he was done playing. ¡°See you around.¡± Then he pulled the Kris out and looked at it in the light coming from the window behind Marion. The blade gleamed without a speck of blood and Ace put it back in. Guards started to move, trying to cover their lord from Ace, but he jumped from one shoulder to another and landed on the table. There he kicked a few piles of papers away and sat down. Marion glared at him, open and without any pretence but held his hand up. ¡°Hold.¡± He took a better look at Ace, their eyes meeting. Nothing was decided with it but Marion still spoke up. ¡°Leave us.¡± There was no disagreement or grumbling. The guards shuffled out as silent and quick as they could, only their armour making soft clinking sounds. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Ace raised an eyebrow. ¡°Weren¡¯t you looking for me? I had had an impression I was a wanted guest.¡± ¡°Guest?¡± Marion asked, his face muscles twisting, trying to frown while he wanted to keep them in place. It was an ugly dance on the man¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a lying bastard. I should have killed you on sight.¡± ¡°And what would that have achieved?¡± Ace asked, tilting his head. ¡°You think you want to have me as an enemy? I wouldn¡¯t suggest that. Bad business being my enemy. They don¡¯t tend to have happy lives.¡± He thought for a second. ¡°Though my friends don¡¯t seem to be better off either.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re an adventurer then, I had a suspicion...¡± Ace shifted his position to be looking straight at Marion. ¡°Who said it so? I haven¡¯t died yet. This life of mine, it¡¯s one and only.¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°You¡¯re pretending to be a native then? What for?¡± Marion asked, his eyes narrowing. His fingers started tapping again. ¡°Why not?¡± Ace asked, standing up. ¡°It¡¯s boring being like the others. They have a thousand lives so I have my only one. It¡¯s more fun that way.¡± ¡°So if I killed you, here and now, you wouldn¡¯t return? You would stop coming to this world?¡± Ace looked down at the man before him, small smile playing on his lips as he nodded. ¡°Though as I said before, I don¡¯t advise trying that.¡± Marion stood up himself then, shorter only some ten centimetres than Ace. ¡°Do you have something for me? You had to bring some documents.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not afraid they¡¯re going to be all lies?¡± Ace asked, taking out a couple of his borrowed things. First where the oldest parchments, most useless ones he¡¯d taken by accident the first time. ¡°I can decide that for myself. Show them to me now,¡± Marion said, taking the parchments with great care. He skipped through them, his eyes stopping for a moment to examine some passages but not showing any reaction otherwise. ¡°This is nothing much. I had known most of it.¡± ¡°Most but not all,¡± Ace said, not taking other things out. If he could get what he wanted for this, there was no need to present more. ¡°The rest is useless knowledge, minor details that have no influence on my plans. You would need something better than that to get your reward.¡± Ace put his hands on his hips, a frowning expression on his face. ¡°Better, like what? You have to be more specific than that, old man. I¡¯m not going to run to you with every little paper I get my hands on.¡± Marion thought for a moment, his eyes wandering over his room. ¡°Tell me his sources. Who are his tacticians? His public image creators? His personal advisor? I need to get those people for myself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty simple,¡± Ace said with a grin ¡°You should have asked for that the first time we¡¯ve met! I would have gotten the prize already!¡± ¡°Speak up if you have something to say.¡± ¡°It¡¯s him! He does all that himself!¡± Ace laughed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? He¡¯s not sleeping, eating or doing anything but plotting how to survive against you! There¡¯s no chance he¡¯d trust anyone with that!¡± Marion¡¯s eyebrows lifted up a bit at that. He mulled it over for a moment before replying. ¡°So you want to tell me he¡¯s a one man army? He has no confidantes?¡± Ace shrugged, starting to walk on the table. ¡°I suppose he has people who know bits and pieces but no one near close enough to a full picture. He¡¯s too paranoid for that.¡± His footsteps brought him to the end of the table and he turned around. ¡°You will never find his plans out. I¡¯m not even sure they¡¯re written down.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad,¡± Marion said with a sigh, moving to the window and looking at the empty streets. The sun had risen and alighted the place, colouring everything in yellow hues. But it didn¡¯t give life to the place. There was no one moving. Not a single person outside. Since the fights and Marion¡¯s takeover people had been killed, ran away or hid. Not a single soul dared to move through this ghost town, even the players were gone. ¡°It means,¡± the man said turning back to Ace, ¡°that I no longer need you.¡± He returned his eyes back to the city. ¡°You¡¯re dismissed.¡± Ace chuckled. ¡°You sure about that?¡± he asked, kicking an ink bottle off the table. Dark blue liquid rushed over the carpet, staining it black. Ace watched its path with a bright grin. ¡°I¡¯d like to know about the spies among my most trusted companions if I were you.¡± He then jumped down, crouching down to take a better look at the stain. Most of the ink had been absorbed by the fabric but a small trickle was still leaving the bottle. It slowly went past the darkened spots, disappearing each moment but reaching a good part for a second and with its last breath staining a millimetre black. A tragic journey, one for the greater good that no one could explain the point of. ¡°Are you sure you want to go this way?¡± Marion asked turning around, his eyes two blocks of ice, a hardness to his face. He came to stand right behind Ace, hands crossed. ¡°If you have no proof it-¡± ¡°Oh, but I have proof!¡± Ace said with a smile, raising his head up for a moment. Then he turned back to the stain, touching it with his finger. Ink painted it bluel and Ace licked his finger, wanting to wash it off. He didn¡¯t want to be known as Blue Finger. ¡°Show it to me!¡± hissed Marion, grabbing Ace by the shoulder. Motion brought the kid¡¯s face to look at him, but the sharpness in its features made the lord let his arm fall. It was so easy to forget that before him was more than just a kid. This was the most renowned killer in maybe the whole world, someone even Marion himself didn¡¯t want to cross. He might have his armies and servants but this was a shadow in the night. No one saw him coming. And his eyes, blue a moment ago, was now burning a deep red. Narrowed to match the scowling face. ¡°You don¡¯t touch me,¡± he sneered, rising from his crouching position. Marion took a few steps back, his hands going for the sword at his belt. But he stopped that motion. It wasn¡¯t going to help him while a cold head might. ¡°What do you know?¡± he asked, returning to sit on the old Duke¡¯s chair. ¡°Everything,¡± Ace answered, taking out a case from his backpack. Golden ornaments glistening. ¡°Here is information about a spy network right under your nose. It¡¯s called Red Death if that helps you.¡± ¡°Red Death?¡± Marion asked, a thin smile appearing on his lips. ¡°I should have guessed.¡± Then he extended his hand, waiting for Ace to put the case in. The kid did nothing of the like. He pocketed the case and came to stand before the table, stepping on the ink stain. Marion was still too far away in his opinion so he leaned over, his eyes, hopefully, some dark deep colour. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, my lord.¡± He spat the last word as if it was a curse. ¡°You either give me my reward or you¡¯re never seeing that thing again. I might even walk around and bring a souvenir for L. He would appreciate it for sure.¡± Marion¡¯s gaze steeled but the kid wasn¡¯t budging. ¡°I do not know what you have. You might be bluffing.¡± Ace¡¯s lip corners turned up, teeth showing. ¡°You¡¯ll have to take the chance. So how will it be? Trade or no trade?¡± The voice he said it in made Marion¡¯s distrust only raise. There was no reason to believe in this child but he had an inkling the boy was telling the truth. Red Death was known for betrayals and he had accepted them only under heavy consideration. But he had accepted and he had to take the fall now. It was either take the case and find out the truth or live in eternal suspicion, not able to trust his own servants. Something that was the quickest way to downfall. ¡°Fine, give it to me.¡± ¡°Where are my ruins?¡± Ace asked, taking out the case but not yet passing it to the man. He had no idea how such trades where done, but he was sure if he looked imposing enough the guy wouldn¡¯t dare to trick him. Silver Wing was too much of a living nightmare to dare oppose him. Marion stood up, walking to a bookcase on the left side of the room. Ace watched his every step, Kris moving into his hand. This was the moment where everything could go down, and he didn¡¯t want to be wash up drowned. But Marion just opened the glass doors and picked through the books until he came to a one with a dark green cover. It was made of thick velvet, golden words that held no meaning for Ace drawn at the front. ¡°Here,¡± Marion said, opening a page marked with a bent corner. Ace took a few careful steps closer and glanced at the page. Straight lines met his eyes. A map of sorts was drawn here, though it wasn¡¯t a normal one. There was no way any kind of river or mountain went in that straight a line. Or even if it did, that didn¡¯t mean all of them too, something this map suggested. Marion closed the book then, passing it to Ace. The kid was forced to let go of Kris to get it and that brought a scowl on his face. Having both of your hands taken up wasn¡¯t good practise. ¡°When you want to reach the place, open the page and say ¡®Krignora Melantis¡¯. Magic will lead you to it, but know that it¡¯s not a timed thing. The light showing the way will shine to you until you reach the place.¡± Ace examined the book¡¯s cover, but didn¡¯t learn anything new. It was an old tome, one covered in green velvet with strange words atop ¡°Dealenus Krignora Houras¡±. ¡°What does it mean?¡± ¡°Give me the case,¡± Marion ordered without answering the question. His tone tempted Ace to disagree, but he threw the case anyway. It was enough playing with this man, there was a land to explore! He made sure Marion was occupied and made his way out. Moments later he was at the mirror and tried to pass. To his surprise a message popped up before his eyes.
*Mirror Walk has been recently used. You will be able to activate it again after an hour and twenty minutes.*
Ace gritted his teeth at it but there was no way around. He couldn¡¯t make the spell come up sooner, but neither could he leave. It would take much longer than that hour if he tried to get to Lasran by walking. First he decided to return to his Silver Wing clothes. People knew him there as that and appearances were everything. It was important to know who you were and what you could do, where you stood in the society. When the cloak and mask finally settled on him, he opened his bag and took out a piece of bread and some dried meat. It wasn¡¯t a five star meal but his satiety level rose. That was important, and that it let him pass some time. The rest of which was used to read a random book he¡¯d found in his bag. It was hard to say when it had appeared there and how. When he finally made his way out of the lake, it was daytime. Kids were playing on the beach, their parents sitting in the shade sharing gossip. An idyllic view, one easily disturbed by a form walking out of the lake. Creature that didn¡¯t swim but walked out of the depths, dry as though he was strolling through a field. Mothers screamed at that, covering their mouths. Fathers went to grab their children, dragging them squealing away. Then took their wives and made a beeline for the city. Behind the walls. As if they could protect them. Ace didn¡¯t pay much attention to the confusion he caused on this beautiful weekend and activated [Radiant Step]. It didn¡¯t require much thought to move towards the abandoned manor so he opened the chat menu. ¡°Yes?¡± came L¡¯s voice. He sounded a bit breathy but Ace didn¡¯t pry. There were more important things on his mind. ¡°Do you have any missions that need to be done this very moment?¡± Silence lasted for a few moments, then came a short response. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking my rogues for a training camp. We should take a few weeks.¡± ¡°Got it. Hope it works out. Keep me informed of any changes in the plans.¡± Ace didn¡¯t reply to that, but quickened his step. By the time he came to the tree alley, he was running. There he stopped, calming his breath and lowered to the ground. In he went, his boots making no noise on the polished floor. Someone had cleaned the place up, aired it and put colourful blankets to hide the sorry state of the furniture. It was hard for Ace to understand who¡¯d waste his time doing something pointless when his eyes landed on the girl. She was curled up in one of the armchairs, a notebook in her hands. There were a pile of papers on her side from which she was copying. Rewriting? Ace moved closer without being noticed and looked over her shoulder. Papers held dates and short paragraphs written in a quick hand about the success or failure of some mission. The girl was rewriting them, changing the language to a more fitting one and then signing them as Silver Wing. She was taking too much authority, but Ace didn¡¯t plan to start writing reports himself. As long as she made herself useful, it was better than nothing. Especially if she took some work off his hands. That decided he moved deeper into the house, to the pillar room. As he walked closer he could hear sounds of steel clashing, boots scraping against the ground, people huffing and groaning. They were soon in his sight, duelling in pairs, one of their hands bound behind their backs. To his surprise even Fenek was in an exercise instead of walking and ordering everyone about. That was something new and Ace moved to take a better look. His opponent was a man clad wholly in black. From head to toe that was the only colour on him but for his skin and steels. ¡°Master!¡± he shouted out, disentangling himself from the fight and appearing before Ace. ¡°It is a pleasure to officially meet you.¡± Those words brought a memory, a man defeated, lying on his back, ready to face death with pride. He was also somewhat familiar so without thinking it through Ace had suggested he joins the crew. As Silver Wing Ace just nodded at the formality. ¡°Name?¡± he barked out. ¡°Dark, and we¡¯ve met before. Quite a long time ago.¡± Ace didn¡¯t say anything, but didn¡¯t stop him either so Dark continued. ¡°I suppose you were just starting your journey then. You killed a certain paladin Perin of the Angel guild and saved the whole caravan though none know the tale. They think their braveryand skills did that.¡± A smile tugged at Ace¡¯s lip corners and he let it appear. ¡°I remember,¡± he said turning to glance at the rest of the room. All fights had stopped and his supposed students were making their way towards him. They didn¡¯t look particularly eager to see him back, but there were no scowls either. That was more than Ace had expected. Somehow without his leadership not only had they not fallen apart but kept on doing the missions and training. He returned his eyes to Dark and Fenek. ¡°Which?¡± he asked, not even bothering to voice the full question. Fenek shifted in his place, but Dark didn¡¯t seem to be affected by being in the presence of a notorious killer. ¡°I made some adjustments to your team,¡± he said with a thin smile. ¡°They needed someone to show them around while you were busy.¡± It was as good explanation as any, Ace had to say. This man had lived with the scum of the humanity, rogues and thieves since the beginning of the game. He wasn¡¯t like the others in this sorry bunch. He knew what he was doing and had a good idea of leadership. Something Ace didn¡¯t feel like learning. It was too much work with little fun. So he nodded at Dark, noting the way he followed his every move. It was unsettling but at the same time exciting. The guy admired him for a different reason than others, not some quality attributed to him but never actually seen. It was clear it was the danger that interested the man. He wanted to be the best, to sit among the dead bones of others, at the top of a criminal organisation. And when that didn¡¯t work out, he found the biggest monster around and challenged him. Madman, for sure. But an intriguing specimen none the less. ¡°Prepare. We are leaving in half an hour.¡± ¡°What?¡± came a sound from somewhere in the back and Dark glared in that direction. Ace had to keep back a smile at that. A personal hound, now that was interesting. ¡°Half an hour,¡± he repeated himself, not even glancing in the direction of the speaker. ¡°We¡¯ll be gone for two weeks. Stragglers are out.¡± Next Chapter 7.9 Exploration Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Hey, everyone! It''s late but it''s still Friday so it counts! I was trying to make this chapter at least as long as usual today but it kind of got out of hand and I passed the usual mark by more than 2k. That resulted in a late update for I needed to proofread while being half asleep too. Hope you don''t mind and enjoy this chapter, the last installment in this volume. P.S. Thanks for reminding me about proofreading laexdream. I had uploaded that chapter late at night too and had forgotten to look over it. I''ll do it first thing tomorrow morning (hopefully, I''ll catch most of the mistakes) now that I''m finally finished with this weeks chapter and have a day off before starting on next one''s ^^ **** Bright light blinded a group of people as they left a dark tunnel. They shielded their eyes, trying to see through the fingers what was up ahead. ¡°Woah...¡± whispered one of them, pointing up ahead. ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± His finger was aiming at the place in general. Old houses with fallen in roofs and rotten out doors, broken windows. Grass was up to one¡¯s waist, vines taken residence in various cracks in the walls, crawled all over the houses and the ground. Even the path to the abandoned city was overtaken by weeds and grass. There was no easy way to reach the place without walking through that jungle. One that was just below Ace¡¯s shoulders in height. He wanted to hiss in annoyance but kept it inside, motioning with his hand forward. ¡°Spread out and scout the grounds. Meet up in an hour near the tower ruins.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± answered Dark with a nod and jumped down. He crouched down to hide within the overgrown grass and soon disappeared from sight. The rest of the group wasn¡¯t so eager to follow his command, but after a glance went out. None dared to contradict him, or even ask to change his opinion. They were too scared. Though they might also know that he wasn¡¯t going to change his mind so didn¡¯t even try. Only one person stayed behind. The girl Lara. ¡°May I follow you? I think that would be the best learning experience in my case.¡± It wasn¡¯t what Ace had planned, but he had to agree it was the best choice. She was going to die without help if there was at least a single monster here. And though she was a useless baggage, he wasn¡¯t going to just send his followers into certain death. If anyone was going to kill them, it had to be him. ¡°Stay close,¡± he said in an undertone, jumping down without a glance back to see if she was following. They had entered some underground cave following the map¡¯s light and then walked for a few hours. Tunnel after tunnel until they were let out here, in the belly of some mountain. Blue sky was high above and towering walls surrounded them on all sides. Ground was a bit farther away too, there was a few meters of steep slope to it. Ace slid down, half running, half jumping. He heard sounds after him so he moved forward into the grass. It was a true jungle for him. All he had to do was hunch down a bit and he was wholly hidden. This was somewhat fun when he had [Instincts of a Predator] to know whether anyone was around. It gave him an idea. There was no monsters in a close vicinity but him. Time to make use of it. He crouched down even more and activated [Silent Steps] along with [Shadow Veil] and went towards a moving shape to his left. It hadn¡¯t taken many steps, a straggler of his group. Something Silver Wing would never tolerate. But it wasn¡¯t an offence worth killing. So Ace sneaked closer, taking out his cane. It was deadly if he stabbed someone but the sides were made of wood. A beating with it might hurt, but won¡¯t endanger anyone¡¯s lives if done in moderation. That was the plan and Ace jumped on his target. The guy was on his knees, crawling through the grass. Ace rolled his eyes, hitting the guy over the back with his cane. ¡°Eoegh!¡± screamed out the crawler, falling on his stomach. Ace rolled his eyes and hit the guy a few more times. He turned around then, showing his face and identifying himself to Ace as Thoran. ¡°You sure this is how a god acts?¡± The guy clutched his head, which had received a hit, crying almost. He even crawled away from Ace, pushing himself backwards with legs and one hand. ¡°What was that for?¡± he asked, his voice low and soft. Ace gritted his teeth, smashing the cane at the hand holding the guy¡¯s head. Thoran howled in pain, taking the hand into his lap and covering the other. Now real tears showed up in his eyes. ¡°Pathetic,¡± Ace hissed, readying for another strike. ¡°Stop it!¡± Lara shouted out, falling through the grass. She quickly picked herself up and came to stand before Thoran, hands outstretched. Ace sneered at her, using [Void Step] to appear behind her and show his judgement. The cane flashed through the air, bouncing back after contact with human flesh. Before Thoran¡¯s scream had ended, the cane met with Lara. She gulped loudly at that, tears coming to her eyes but she didn¡¯t utter a sound. Ace nodded at that. ¡°Take care of him,¡± he hissed motioning towards Thoran. ¡°And don¡¯t order me around.¡± Her body shivered, but without a word she went to Thoran, passing him a healing potion. The guy drank it and breathed an easier sigh. Ace imperceptibly shook his head. This was a game. He could beat someone to death and the person wouldn¡¯t learn a lesson. Pain was irrelevant here and wounds healed in seconds. How was one to make others suffer and fear with such limitations? He took a step towards the two and both of them cowered, pulling into themselves. ¡°Be aware of your surroundings. I let you live, a monster wouldn¡¯t.¡± Thoran¡¯s eyes widened alongside Lara¡¯s. ¡°It was a lesson?¡± she asked, her breath coming out with a rush. ¡°I didn¡¯t...¡± Ace wasn¡¯t listening. He turned around and left the stomped grass, a clearing now, to look for another prey. His students had been free for too long. They needed to learn what real life was like. Not everything always went like planned. He heard Lara rushing after him but ignored her presence and hurried forward. She was making a lot of noise so he circled the next person around and came at him from behind. Ace didn¡¯t use any abilities, but simple dagger skills. His were lacking in a professional sense but neither Thoran nor Razvan now seemed to be aware of that fact. Though Razvan did try to defend himself. He was hit by the first slash, but instead of falling apart, he jumped forward, turning around. His dagger was out and in a moment the two were locked in combat. However, Razvan hesitated to attack for a moment, noticing Wing¡¯s mask, and cold steel pierced his flesh. He hissed in pain, blood going down from the wound in the shoulder. But it wasn¡¯t the time to wail around in pain. He dashed forward, clashing his daggers against his master¡¯s. Sparks flew and Ace faked a stab to the right. Razvan fell for it and received a slash over the same wound on his left shoulder. Pain made him stumble and Ace pushed his advantage. He stabbed and slashed, making sure his student had no time to react. Defence was his only option but with a damaged shoulder there was little success even on that. Especially when Ace made sure to focus his attacks on that side. Lara burst into the clearing. Her breath was coming in short gasps as she looked over the scene. What first caught her attention was the red spots on the grass. They led her eyes to see her best friend on the ground, trying to defend himself with one hand against Wing¡¯s attacks. Ones using both hands and two gleaming in the waning light of the sun daggers. ¡°Stop!¡± she shouted out, running to them, but Wing didn¡¯t spare her a single glance. If she was to judge, his attack speed only intensified after her appearance. ¡°Please, stop!¡± But her voice had no effect on the fight. She tried moving forward but it only made Razvan give her a terrified look and shake his head, for which he received a slash across his previously undamaged right hand. ¡°No!¡± she shouted out, but no longer moved closer. Her presence would only distract Razvan while Wing didn¡¯t care one bit about her. He knew her not to be a factor. She was powerless. Her skills were non existent. Tears rushed to her eyes, went down her cheeks but what was she supposed to to. She was nothing but a weak little girl. Razvan was her knight in shining armour. He was the warrior, the fighter, the hero. But who would save him? She looked at her inventory but books, scrolls, ink and pens lined the boxes. These weren¡¯t weapons. They were useless in a fight. Why didn¡¯t she ever bring anything useful? Why did she believe that Razvan could win against anyone or anything? Did she think he was invincible? He was just a normal player like her! It was amazing what he¡¯d achieved by hard work, but he wasn¡¯t a monster like his opponent! It was impossible to win alone against that guy! Her eyes landed on some stones resting a few meters from the fight. They were no larger than her fist so she could throw them. But did she dare? She glanced back at the fight, Razvan getting cut and stabbed everywhere. He was about to be killed. That was all the motivation she needed. Next moment she was grabbing the stone from the ground and without aiming throwing at Wing. It went past, to the side but she didn¡¯t give up. Another stone and Ace was forced to lean back to dodge. That was enough. He took a few steps backwards, turning his eyes towards the female. She shivered under his gaze, but didn¡¯t let go of the stone in her hand. Ace smiled. ¡°So you do have a backbone,¡± he whispered, moving closer to her. She took a few hesitant steps backwards, eyes wide open, hand shaking. ¡°Don¡¯t come... near me!¡± she shouted out, but her voice broke in the middle, destroying the effect. ¡°What did I say about ordering me around?¡± Ace asked in a low voice, red eyes shining through the holes in the mask. He crouched down in an obvious preparation to jump and the female broke down. The stone fell out of her hand and she ran towards Razvan. Ace let her, watching what she was going to do next. Lara felt her body shaking. It was hardly under her control any more. She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d feared anything this much in her life. Her mind said this was just a game, this Wing creature could do nothing to her. Yet her body didn¡¯t agree. Her eyes saw the cruelty in those two gleaming orbs, a certain madness with a touch of ingenuity. He was a monster, but a smart one. Dangerous. Ace sent [Flare] through the grass, letting it out only right before the two. They gulped, trying to move backwards, unsure of what this light meant. But it was too late. [Burst] was activated and their eyesight was gone for a couple of seconds. When they could finally see again, Ace was gone. He returned to the tall grass, calling [Flare] back. It flew to him the moment he thought of it and hid in his cowl, out of sight. Ace in that time moved to where he felt another breathing organism. This one was walking in a slow crouch, glancing all around to prevent anyone from sneaking up. It was a fine example of scouting an unknown area so Ace let him be. He was here to teach his students, not to kill them. If one knew what he was doing, the better for him. He wouldn¡¯t be punished like the others. And there were many of those. Ace had to meet up with most of his students for they were doing things wrong, expecting danger only from up ahead. But now Ace hoped they would know better. Never feel safe. Never trust anyone unless you want to die. That was the way of the assassin. He smiled. It was a great idea, a person having no obligations to anyone. Someone who can kill anyone and only cares about finishing his contract. One who trusts not even his shadow. Could he turn his students into that? That was an interesting thought, but he doubted it was possible. One would need to be moulded from childhood for that. On top of that he would have to trust his teacher at first to learn everything before losing his connection, killing his master. None trusted him so it was out of the question. He would have to make something else out of them. ¡®Maybe someone who knows how to sneak,¡¯ Ace thought to himself as sounds of someone slithering reached his ears. ¡®That would be an improvement.¡¯ But he didn¡¯t bother to go and attack the idiot. All, who needed it, had already taken a beating and there was no point to making them suffer any more. There was no way for them to learn in a few minutes. They would have to dwell on it later and try their best to change. There would have to be another lesson like this next week or so. It would be tiring work but Ace planned to drill into them what it meant being an assassin. Now, however, he was free and ready to explore the ruins himself. In moments he reached them and carefully made his way in. Nature had overtaken the place. Vines were everywhere. They had covered the ground, were sprouting through the cracks in the walls and windows. Whole houses were covered in this greenery, it hanging from as far up as rooftops at some places. It was hard to see the buildings beneath, only the size of vine mountains suggesting that there should be something underneath. Ace made his way to one of them, pushing through hanging flowers. They moved easily, letting him in. Grey walls met him inside. There were dark stains on the one up ahead, rain water having run down it for years. Ace moved in, touching the wall. It was dry to the touch, a bit chipped. What surprised him more, though, was the general emptiness of the place. There was nothing inside. Not a single piece of furniture, no signs of it having rotten away. Someone had cleaned up thoroughly before taking their leave. But so well? He made his way into another house and it was similar. Water paths on walls, dirt and dust in the corners, broken glass and vines dominating the ground, some hanging from the ceiling. ¡°Why abandon good houses but take everything with you? Everything to the smallest of things?¡± It could have been thieves, but even they wouldn¡¯t have cleaned this place so well. There was nothing here. Not a single broken piece or rotten part of anything. It was as if there hadn¡¯t been anything here in the first place. Ace quickly returned to a crouch, getting behind a wall. ¡®If there hadn¡¯t been anything,¡¯ he thought, closing his eyes to focus solely on hearing, ¡®someone must have chased them off.¡¯ He stood like that for some five minutes, listening to wind passing through the leaves, old wood rattling. But there was no sound of anything alive. No insect buzzing, no chirping of the birds. It was as if this was the land of the dead. But plants lived, that meant the place wasn¡¯t hell itself. There was something that chased all other life forms away. Or taught them how to hide better. Ace wasn¡¯t sure which was worse, but that had little difference. This place was dangerous and he had weakened his allies. That might not have been the best of ideas. Something moved three meters behind Ace and he slowly sneaked to the door. Vines hid most of it so he dared a glance through, keeping most of his body behind the wall. His eyes landed on a somewhat familiar figure. Sandra was walking through the middle of what once was a street without a care in the world. Her weapons were pocketed out of sight, eyes taking in the buildings with wonder. In time she even started whistling. ¡®Dead,¡¯ Ace decided about to turn back to his own exploration when he felt another presence. It was moving through the houses on the other side of the street. There was a decent amount of killing intent coming from there so Ace was sure this was Muriel. She was the more dangerous of the two. And apparently the one sitting in the shadows while her partner tested the waters. It was a dangerous tactic for the bait person but he had to applaud them for trying. This was more sophistication than he had expected of any of his students. Though, it all rested on Sandra¡¯s ability to survive the first attack until Muriel was in place to spring the ambush. If Ace went for them, he could kill the first before the other arrived and the strategy would have only aided him. To use it, one should first know the opponent. Not go in blindly and hope it would work. But he wasn¡¯t up for bursting their bubble. It was a better plan than none and he didn¡¯t dare to expose himself. This was an uncharted territory. Unknown dangers lurked in the shadows. Better to be one of them than their prey. Ace left his female students alone and went in another direction. The never lived in city was big enough for all of them. He could find his own enemies and without having to rely on bait. It wasn¡¯t fun that way. Too easy. Wind rustled in the leaves. A branch groaned of some unseen tree. Sounds Ace knew well and ignored. They were every day things, something that posed no danger to his person. But then there was a rustle of cloth, brushing of steel against leather. Ace stopped in his tracks, trying to hear better. [Instincts of a Predator] told him there was someone to his right, but he couldn¡¯t tell if it was one of his students or not. All he knew was that it posed danger to him and had steel weapons. Ace thought for a second and activated [Void Step]. The ability released no sound on activation so he appeared within a different building crouched on the ground. He sneaked to where a window had once been and moving vines slightly to the side glanced outside. Thick leaves blocked Ace¡¯s sight of the street below. They weren¡¯t going anywhere so Ace had to move. He stepped into the building on the other side of the street. A bit of smoke rose where he had been, but it couldn¡¯t be seen from the ground below. Good thing for Ace was having doubts about facing what was down there. It wasn¡¯t one of his students. Not even close. This was a creature he¡¯d never seen before. Human shaped, two horns, bare chest, sword blades starting from wrists, fur covered legs and hooves. It was scratching its leg with one of the blades, making the sound Ace thought had been steel against leather. The name of the creature was written on top of its head, but Ace was too far away to see it. However, [Instincts of a Predator] told him that this creature was no laughing matter. One had to be wary of it. To test that Ace took out a dagger and threw it with as much force as he could. It flew like an arrow, but the moment it was supposed to hit, the creature raised his left hand. Steel clanked and the dagger fell harmlessly down. ¡°That¡¯s some nice reflexes,¡± Ace murmured to himself, pushing himself against the wall by the window. There was a small space between the vines he could see through, which hopefully was invisible from below. It seemed to be the case as the creature looked around, raising his hands up threateningly. He made something akin to a growling noise, but Ace didn¡¯t feel like responding to the challenge. He was perfectly fine up here on his own. The creature growled a few more times, but hearing no answer started moving down the street. His steps were unhurried but his head was tilted in a listening motion. That made Ace take a closer look. He leaned in, almost falling over the window. ¡®Are those rabbit ears under a mop of dishevelled hair? Yes, yes it is! Why in the widest..?¡¯ It was doubtful the creature would answer so Ace decided to follow it. This might be an elaborate trap but he wanted to see more of these things. Were they all only in this combination, or each was unique with a different combination of animals? He waited till the creature was a considerable distance away and then activated [Void Step]. It brought him to a nearby building and he fell into a crouch, looking around to make sure the room was empty. [Void Step] was a quicker way to travel, but when you teleported into an unknown place... Things could easily go wrong. But Ace didn¡¯t feel any other presences around so he was pretty sure it was safe. If someone didn¡¯t appear on his enemy radar, it was as weak as a rabbit or not-threatening in nature. That left only one possible problem, if Ace came into existence in a room that was filled with rubble. Like now. His hands got stuck between fallen in beams, feet thrust into a space between two pieces of stonework. One of the legs were in an unnatural manner and Ace tried moving it, but his only reward was more pain. He hissed at that and took a look around, ignoring his complaining limb. The house¡¯s top three floors seemed to have fallen in, only the roof staying up, and had landed in the middle of all the rubble. It was an interesting fact that [Void Step] changed his body¡¯s position if it didn¡¯t fit, but Ace had bigger problems at the moment. His body was stretched and twisted, hurting all over. He would have loved to reactivate the ability but all he could see was more rubble. There was no way to get out of here until he found a way to move himself near a window or some crack in the wall. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see one. Sunlight pooled not ten centimetres away from him, but it was lower than he was stuck. No matter how much he craned his neck, the outside was out of his sight. ¡°Flame Step,¡± he whispered, ignoring the burning sensation under his feet. This was all for the better good. Ace hoped some vines would catch fire and he could work from there. But none were close enough to his feet. They were too deep into the hole between the boulders that once had been a floor. ¡°Excessive Heat,¡± Ace muttered through clenched teeth as he deactivated the previous spell. Then after a moment added, ¡°Burst.¡± Flare left from its hiding place and exploded into a millions of pieces, creating a few sparks. Those were more than enough to set Ace on fire. ¡°Yes!¡± he shouted out. He had really doubted if this was going to work. The flame onto his whole being that didn¡¯t burn him. He had activated it only once before and on accident to top it. But it worked out and in moments the vines surrounding him caught fire. They didn¡¯t want to burn, being green and healthy but fire was a harsh mistress. If allowed to, it took everything under its crimson wing. And with vines drying up, turning to ash, the stones groaned. The plants had been an integral part of this ruined structure. Though weak and at first glance easy to dismiss, they held the whole place together. Not for much longer, though. Fire was spreading in all directions and previously solid formations were coming undone. One of the stones moved forward, pushing against Ace¡¯s leg, squashing it further. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Ace narrowed his eyes at that, but kept his mouth closed. Then he had an idea. ¡°Winds that don¡¯t find rest, Gust!¡± Stones groaned, being pushed in different directions by air and gravity, making Ace wince, but for a second freed his leg. He bent his knee, pulling it back, faster than ever before in his life and it was free. The stone falling with a crash where the leg had once been. Ace breathed a sigh of relief and returned to watching the burning vines. It took time for them to light up, fire advancing slowly but it did. More and more of the plants were disappearing, allowing the rubble to change its position. It was a good chance for Ace to get himself out, but not without its own dangers. At any moment he could be compressed into a cheese, not able to do anything. Or was that it. He remembered another skill of his. ¡°Acid Splash!¡± he hissed, aiming it at the wall behind him. The bricks sizzled a bit, but only a small part of it eroded. That was more than enough encouragement for Ace. He recast the spell a dozen more times, mana not being a problem. Then a single ray of sunlight washed in, blinding him for a second. Ace blinked and seeing a patch of grass instantly activated, ¡°Void Step¡±. A loud groan escaped his lips as he bumped on the ground, limbs resting in awkward positions. He lay there for a moment, limp, breathing heavily. There was a soft rumbling coming from a house he¡¯d left. Smoke was leaving through the vines, light shining inside. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of this before?¡± Ace muttered, rolling over onto his back. He could see his right leg bleeding so he took out a potion and drank it. The effects weren¡¯t immediate but numbness washed over him. ¡°And I just destroyed another set of good clothes...¡± When he though the leg was healed, he stood up and tried it. A slight twinge passed through but nothing to interfere with his movements. There was still two minutes of the potion¡¯s recovery so it would heal as Ace moved. He was better to catch up with the strange creature. It couldn¡¯t have moved too far. Ace activated [Void Step]. He moved along the line of the trees, appearing behind them or going on the rooftops but keeping himself out of the houses. He¡¯d had enough of cramped spaces for today. Danger up ahead. Even without having him in his sight Ace knew this was the creature. This time he kept his distance, following the instincts rather than his eyes. There was no point in coming closer. As he waited for the creature to move away, Ace noticed that they were going towards the tower. Half of it had fallen down, or what looked like a giant having sliced it sideways. The closer he got, the more obvious it was becoming that it wasn¡¯t of natural causes. The upper side of the remaining wall was just too clean. He couldn¡¯t imagine anything breaking so equally and staying in the same position for years to come. Vines and moss had taken most of the walls but where they hadn¡¯t, stones sliced in halves could be seen. And something moving. Ace was too far to feel their presence, but he had an idea of what was waiting there for him. ¡®So this is their stronghold? I seem to have an eye for making my students suffer. I wonder how many will reach it alive and be smart enough not to venture in through the front door.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t feel any of his students so he made his way towards the tower, circling the creature. It was useless to him now, he had found what he wanted to see. Two creatures left the house Ace had been standing on and he ducked down, heart picking up in speed. Why didn¡¯t he know they were there? Did his ability think they were harmless? Ace took a peek downwards through the crack and saw sharp blades glistening at the ends of their wrists. ¡®In what world would that be harmless?¡¯ he wondered, taking note that they had the same masses of hair, rabbit ears and furry legs. ¡°How boring,¡± he whispered and two pairs of ears perked up. Ace covered his mouth with a hand, stopping to breathe. The creatures stood still for a moment, ears shifting to the sides but soon lowered their heads and went on their way. Ace took a deep breath, deciding it was time to get a bit more serious. He activated [All Ears] and [Echo] along with [Mystic Eyes]. It was heavy artillery but if Silver Wing managed to get himself killed while his students survived... It hurt even to think about it so Ace threw that thought off his head and activated [Void Step]. He was two houses away from the tower now so he didn¡¯t dare use the ability again. There was no telling who might be waiting on any of the roofs or behind some tree. He was crawling beneath a stone bench next to the tower when a sound came. Ting!
*You have received a new message!*
He rolled his eyes at the timing, but opened it. This was a somewhat safe location. Who in the world would look for intruders under a stone bench next to a crumbled building. It¡¯s stones lying all around, blocking most of the bench from view. /The tower is filled with monsters. Do we really have to meet inside it?/ It was Sandra, but before Ace could reply Dark¡¯s message came. /We had agreed to do that. Are you too scared or incompetent to keep your word?/ Ace chuckled, listening to make sure no one had heard him. There didn¡¯t seem to be any movement nearby so he allowed himself another laugh. Dark was one interesting guy. /Am not! But the tower is huge! Where do we meet? Monster are respawning ones most likely./ /Boss room,/ Ace wrote, deciding on the course of action. /Clean the dungeon and find its secrets. The first ones get the largest part of the boss¡¯ loot./ It was accepted with a solemn silence, no one replying but that was fine. All that mattered was that he was heard and would meet them inside. He wasn¡¯t foolhardy enough to think he could take care of a high level boss monster himself. Not yet at least. /What about going straight for the boss?/ Beofen asked. That caught Ace¡¯s eyes. Since when could you go straight for the boss? That wasn¡¯t normal. /Explain./ /If you go straight the main path, you¡¯ll reach the end room with a giant snake like thing inside. It¡¯s red named and looks hungry./ Second later he added a bit more. /Bladecarriers don¡¯t dare to enter this room so it is safe to fight inside There shouldn¡¯t be any reinforcements for the snake and behind it there¡¯s some kind of wooden door./ Ace had to say it sounded tempting. Who wouldn¡¯t want to skip all the boring parts and go straight for the boss! Should he..? /Hour,/ he wrote and crawled out of his hiding place. [Shadow Veil] was up so he ran straight for the tower. It wasn¡¯t the best of strategies. If anyone took a better look, they¡¯d notice a huge discrepancy in the air, but it was worth the risk. Ace wanted to get in and those creatures, probably called Bladecarriers, were more reliant on their ears rather than sight. The entrance was empty and Ace crept along the right wall. [Silent Steps] helped him move soundlessly and he froze whenever someone appeared in the path. This allowed him to stay invisible and no more than fifteen minutes later he was before the cave. Three other people were already there. He guessed two of them were Beofen and Furor, working in a pair even if he told them to go separate ways. It didn¡¯t seem like anyone listened to him word by word. He gave himself out, stepping into the cave where the serpent slept, and they came out. As he guessed it was the two and Dark after them. Before a word could be said, Muriel and Sandra made their entrance. The blonde, Sandra, had her cloak ripped and blood on her sleeves. It was clear their path had been more entertaining than his. Though, his pants¡¯ right leg was dried red too. Would they think he¡¯d gotten hit or killed someone? He smiled. It was hardly a question. In their eyes, he was the monster. Nothing could harm him while his every move set the world on fire. A lovely fantasy. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he hissed and before anyone had time to disagree threw a dagger towards the sleeping snake. One that was three times his height while lying flat on the ground. The blade bounced off its skin but woke the beast. It opened its large, slanted eyes and took a good look at their little group. Then the snake bared its fangs and lunged their way. Ace blinked away, appearing on its back and started to hack. But the scales were too hard, simple attacks weren¡¯t getting through and it was hard staying on. The surface was slippery and the snake was moving much more agile than Ace could have ever believed. He was thrown off and had to catch himself mid air with [Radiant Step]. Maybe he should have used it from the start. It was much better than trusting the scales on the snake. A tail flew at him and he destroyed the field, dropping to the ground like a rock. The fall took a bit of his health points but he was still alive. Something he doubted he could be boasting about after being hit with that tail. It was twice his size and flashing at speeds his eyes had a hard time trying to follow. ¡°Aim for the eyes!¡± came Fenek¡¯s voice from the right. Ace took a quick glance and saw him rushing in the cave with Razvan and Lara in tow. Had he went to pick the two up? It was probably the case, but Ace was a bit busy at the moment. He flashed towards the snake¡¯s neck, using fields when he was close, and activated [Magma Blade]. This skill heated up his blades and they sliced through the scales like butter. But there another problem showed itself. They were too short! The whole dagger¡¯s blade was the length of a scale. He didn¡¯t even touch the vulnerable parts beneath. Ace thought for a second. Cutting out the scale could work but it would take too much time. ¡°Acid Splash!¡± he shouted out, aiming it at the wound. Judging by the overly loud hiss the snake hadn¡¯t appreciated that. It rounded on Ace and went after him with a fervour of a hunting dog set after a prey. He dropped to the ground to evade the fangs again, but this time they returned to go after him. [Void Step] saved his life, taking him from where the snake made a dent in the ground, but it wasn¡¯t over. The maddened serpent shook its huge head and lunged after Ace again. He could see his students standing at the sides, not daring to get in the way of the slithering giant. ¡°Bastards,¡± he growled, rushing straight at them. They were either going to aid him or be eaten in his stead. That were the only two actions he was going to accept. ¡°A bit to the left!¡± Dark shouted from above and Ace moved to that side without thinking. He heard something falling on the snake¡¯s head, but it didn¡¯t seem to care too much. Fangs that were larger than him came after Ace and he had to activate [Void Step] again to escape. Apparently he was slower than a snake. That was a worrisome thought, but it had to be put away. Fields helped him go up in the air, but the snake was so large it only had to raise its head to reach him. The jaw snapped, biting half of Ace¡¯s scarf off. He turned to glance at the violet material between the snake¡¯s teeth and his eyes turned crimson. No one had the right to ruin his appearances. This was a step too far. He turned to face the snake, their eyes meeting with mutual hatred burning inside. Time stopped and Ace started to chant in a voice not his own. "Water, frozen up in time, rise and swallow this place in your icy grip, let the wrong doers be washed and cleaned of impurities which dirty your beautiful face, Ice Field!" The snake seemed to be mesmerised by his tone, listening to it attentively. It followed Ace¡¯s face with rapt attention, swaying to a tune no one else heard. Or so it felt to the students who watched in wonder. Fenek had no way to explain what was happening before his eyes. One moment the monster was thrashing around, ready to kill anyone and the next it was like a puppy listening to its masters words. It didn¡¯t make any sense. But soon the spell was over and the snake shook its head, eyes refocusing on Silver Wing. It hissed at him and lunged forward. Tripping. Ice had covered the whole cave, creeping up even to the ceiling. There was no ground to take a safe step on, or sliver through. The snake slipped and hit the ground, breaking the ice. As if after a Winter¡¯s breath, the place frosted over and in seconds was back as new. The snake had no way to make a move there, slipping and sliding into walls. It was an interesting way to defeat such a monster, but soon Fenek noticed the snake going into the direction of Razvan and Lara. The guy was good and might be able to escape himself, but not with the girl. He wasn¡¯t that good and the ground was just that bad. Fenek took a quick look around but no one else was close enough. He fisted his fingers and started running. It was more of a slide but he moved fast. Faster than he wanted to. A flash of him face planting the wall passed through his mind, but he did his best to ignore it. He was going to save them. His body passed the snake¡¯s. Just a meter more. He reached his hand out, grabbing Lara¡¯s clamped one and tried to drag her away. Her body slid easily after him and they were rounding the corner. Out of the danger zone. BAM! Something crashed into him, the force burying him into the wall. He could hear a female scream and tried glancing that way but his body didn¡¯t comply. Pain surged through his whole being, making him groan aloud. Or he tried to but something was pressing against him, preventing him from taking a breath. Fear set into him. Air. He needed it but there was none. Blackness surrounded him. Was he dead and being logged out? But where was the air? He tried clawing at his chest, but his hands couldn¡¯t lift up. He was choking and unable to do anything about it. Then there was bright light, blinding him. He tried seeing what was happening but that hadn¡¯t been a good decision. His body was flying through the air, and though there was oxygen now, the wall was coming closer at a worrying speed. ¡°Aaahh!¡± he screamed out as he felt bones breaking. Even with 70% pain reduction this was torture. It was hard to breathe again and he wasn¡¯t sure how to move his limbs. All he could do was raise his head to look up and see the snake coming his way. It had noticed his crumpled state and decided this was an easier prey. Fenek couldn¡¯t disagree to that. He felt like he wouldn¡¯t be able to move for years to come. ¡°Fight!¡± came a growl from somewhere beside him. He glanced to the right and saw a demon from hell itself. Crimson hair were flying wildly around a masked face in which two holes resided. Black orbs so cold a shiver passed his mangled body. Instinctively, Fenek pushed himself away. It wasn¡¯t more than a millimetre but he received a chilling glare. Then Wing turned away and hissed at the rest of his students. ¡°Fight! Fight, you pathetic things!¡± It made the others take a few tentative steps forward but they were nowhere close enough. The snake was much nearer and had its jaws open, ready to replenish its energy with some human meat. ¡°Dammit,¡± Wing cursed and grabbed Fenek¡¯s arm. He hissed in pain at that, but his supposed teacher didn¡¯t seem to care. Instead he muttered something under his breath and they were off. Fenek had never thought teleporting was such a disorienting experience. His stomach lurched and it took all his energy just to keep its contents inside. Was this how it always felt? He didn¡¯t want anything to do with this blinking around any more! But Wing did it again and Fenek fell limp on his hand. This was too much. He hurt, air was hard coming and all this blinking around. His head felt like it was going to explode any moment now. ¡°Take care of him!¡± Wing shouted, throwing him to the ground where cold ice cooled his heated skin. It was a nice feeling, though the yelp he released was certainly undignified. He felt soft hands trying to roll him over and helped them as much as he could. It made another groan leave his mouth, but this was better. ¡°Drink this,¡± Lara said and he gulped the liquid down. It went down his throat with a welcoming warmth, giving him enough energy to sit up against the wall. He did just that and took a glance ahead. The potion, like always, was making miracles so he could relax and look how others were doing. The snake still had no way of moving comfortably on the ground so it had resorted to staying in one place. Only its head and tail moved, lashing out at anyone who came closer. Wing was at the head of the resistance. He was shouting something to everyone as they went at the monster one after the other, keeping its attention on themselves. Dark was fixing ropes on the ceiling and moving from one to another, closing in on the monster. He was near when one of his daggers didn¡¯t push deep enough and fell off. Dark himself managed to grab onto another rope, keeping himself up but the dagger was going to attract attention. Wing blinked forward, right at the snake¡¯s face, slashing at its nostrils. The creature hissed in outrage, trying to grab onto him but to no avail. He jumped on the air, moving in all three dimension as he wanted to. It busied the monster and the dagger fell harmlessly to the ground, unnoticed. ¡°Now!¡± Wing shouted out and everyone jumped back so the snake couldn¡¯t reach anyone. It thought about following but Dark had descended on its snout. He had a double handed heavy sword and used it to stab a giant eye. The monster hissed in pain, shaking its head violently but Dark held on. Blood and some liquid washed over him, but he ignored it, his whole attention on the task before him. There was still one eye left. He waited till the snake thrashed itself against the wall, unable to control its own motions on the ice. Then at that moment of stun he brought out the sword and swung it into the other eye. This time the blade didn¡¯t go in so deep and he was flung off. The monster tried to find him, shifting that way and another but Wing made himself known at that time. He jumped close and threw a few daggers. They bounced off uselessly but Wing got noticed. The snake lunged after him instead of the lying man. It was an honourable action, taking on such a dangerous task as baiting the monster but soon Fenek had to re-evaluate that. Wing was playing with the snake. He taunted it into hitting the walls or the ground, wrapping its body into a knot. Blood was going out of its head but Wing didn¡¯t seem to feel any remorse. He went in circles, confusing the monster and pouring acid into its wounds when the snake thought better about chasing him. The pain then would rile it up again and everything would start anew. Dark shook Fenek¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s get everyone up. It¡¯s dangerous here.¡± It took Fenek a moment to return his eyes to his own condition and notice how close the snake was sliding by. The monster was missing him and Lara by a few meters at best. ¡°Sure,¡± he agreed, jumping to his feet. He slipped and crashed to the ground with a yelp. ¡°How long is this ice going to stay?¡± he asked, standing up and moving to the ropes Dark had fixed earlier. They were close to the ground so Fenek wrapped it around his waist. Dark helped Lara get prepared and lifted her up a bit so Fenek took that time to climb up himself. It was easy and soon he was there, watching how the girl was doing. She was trying her hardest to pull herself up but all she could do was keep at the same height at best. It was too dangerous so Fenek grabbed onto her rope and holding himself just by the legs started dragging her up. That was harder than he thought. All his muscles strained for each centimetre but somehow he managed to get her into a decent height. He was sure if this hadn¡¯t been a game, he wouldn¡¯t have done half of it. Dark swayed closer to him. ¡°I don¡¯t think this ice is ever going away. It was cast by Wing.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± Fenek asked, turning to him. Dark was dressed in his usual black clothes with a thin mask over the face. Only his eyes weren¡¯t hidden, shining brightly as he looked at Wing playing below. ¡°He¡¯s our Master, the most well known legend in our country and probably the whole continent.¡± Dark turned his head to look at Fenek. ¡°Do you really think he could be that weak?¡± ¡°Weak or not, he¡¯s still a player,¡± Fenek said, taking a look at the other students. Everyone had come to the cave at some point and now were all hanging at the top, watching the kid. Most had awed expressions, pretending they weren¡¯t listening in on the conversation. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Sure of what?¡± Fenek asked, returning his eyes to Dark. The black rogue swayed away, his voice echoing around the cave. ¡°That he¡¯s just a player. I¡¯ve met him before you, only a week away from the beginner city, and even then he was a monster. You sure it takes a few days to become the best?¡± ¡°He¡¯d trained in Mora for half a year!¡± Sandra intercepted. ¡°Or even more as Wing just then became known. He could have been one of the first players to enter the game for all we know and spent all that time training.¡± ¡°Would you do that?¡± Razvan asked, looking at her through narrowed eyes. ¡°Who in their right mind would stay half a year in the beginner city? And what could you possibly learn there? Everyone leaves for the sole reason of growing stronger, not because they¡¯re tired of the sights!¡± Fenek had to agree to that. He¡¯d spent a week in his first city before taking his leave. The birth place just could no longer give him anything useful, there were nothing to gain by staying there. Everyone stayed quiet for a moment, eyes going down to Wing. He was sliding on the ice now, cape billowing around him as a giant snake slithered after him. It was going right and left like a drunkard, hitting the walls but none of that made it look any less menacing. The snake was the size of a good building. There was no way not to be intimidated by it but Wing didn¡¯t seem to have heard about that. He had a malicious smile on his face, turning often around, sliding backwards to be facing his opponent. Wing was having fun. This was a game to him. ¡°Us not, but he would. He¡¯s not normal!¡± Sandra whispered, holding a hand before her mouth. Fenek had to agree to that. Wing¡¯s appearance might be one of a human being but that was just another of his illusions. He wasn¡¯t truly human. Not in the most basic of ways. Death was his trade, life his game and they his puppets. Next Chapter 8.0 Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Hey! I was planning to give you a prologue and a chapter this week, but then my birthday came up and its the last week of the project in uni which means staying up till 6 in the evening at some days which leaves little for time for writing. Well, it''ll be over by Tuesday and I''ll have more free time. I might even make a double chapter release this volume ^^ Anyway, hope you enjoy this little piece from Ace''s fourteenth birthday and forgive me for its shortness! **** Sun was shining through the window. Its rays went deep into the room, reaching for the bed. A golden head lay there, eyes tightly shut. The person grumbled at all the light and turned on the other shoulder. ¡°Kirin, wake up!¡± came a voice from the window. It was gentle, clearly female but with authoritativeness. ¡°Don¡¯t want to,¡± murmured the boy into his pillow. He pulled the covers higher over his head to not hear his mother moving around. That helped him little, though. She came over and pulled it fully off him, tousling his hair. ¡°Get up you, sleepy head,¡± she said with a laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see you birthday presents?¡± Kirin had no such wish so he grumbled a bit more, but turned around. Everyone had probably prepared an elaborate celebration for him which meant there was no way out. He had to get up and pretend he wanted to be there. What a pain. A set of clothes hung on the back of his chair. ¡°Put those on and come downstairs. A surprise is waiting for you there so don¡¯t take too long!¡± Mother said to him with a smile and Kirin answered the same. His was a bit forced but she didn¡¯t seem to notice. He sighed when she left and turned the table lamp off. It was light enough and he had to get going. Creamy T-shirt, blue shorts and white running shoes. That was all. He brushed his hair with his fingers as he walked downstairs. It wasn¡¯t like anyone was going to see a difference if he did anything more to it. His hair was a mess of curls whether he brushed them or not. ¡°Forgotten anything?¡± Father asked from the table, lowering his tablet for a moment. Kirin smiled at him from the doorway, running forward. He hadn¡¯t expected for father to come too, it was a pleasant surprise. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± he shouted out, hugging his father¡¯s neck. ¡°Now, now. Aren¡¯t you too old for that?¡± father asked, hugging him with the left hand while putting the tablet down. ¡°No!¡± Kirin said, shaking his head wildly. ¡°Never!¡± He then positioned himself to sit in father¡¯s lap and for a moment pretended that everything was fine. There were no sickness to separate them, no businesses to take them away and no villagers to interfere. Mother came over, putting a cup of coffee before Kirin and a plate with scrambled eggs in the next seat. ¡°Eat, you little kid. If you had gotten up earlier, then maybe you¡¯d have had some time to play around but now we¡¯re already late. Hurry up!¡± She talked with a smile in her face, no rush in her motions and Kirin answered with a wide grin of his own. He then grumbled a bit, taking his seat but the smile stayed on his face. Both of his parents had taken time out of their busy schedules to be here today for him and he wasn¡¯t going to let it turn sour. There had been more than enough of that for the last year. It was a hard feat to remember the last time they were like this, all together. ¡°Where are we going?¡± he asked while chewing, his eyes on mother. She was scrolling through something on her own tablet, raising her head in surprise at his question. ¡°Oh, that. It¡¯s a surprise! But I can say, you¡¯ll love it.¡± Her eyes noticed the clock at her tablet and she quickly stood up. ¡°Are you done? We¡¯re really later!¡± ¡°Let him finish,¡± father said, waving his hand while taking a sip of his coffee. ¡°Nothing will start without the main star.¡± ¡°You¡¯re correct there,¡± she answered with a laugh as they both turned to face Kirin. ¡°Happy Birthday, son!¡± both of them said in unison and moved to hug him. ¡°Thanks,¡± he murmured with shining eyes, accepting the hugs and then stood up from his seat. ¡°Let¡¯s go now! I want to see where we¡¯re going!¡± Right outside the house people were lined. It was very sunny so Kirin had to cover his eyes for a moment but the sound was enough. He heard them chattering in soft voices, stepping from one foot to the other. There was a loud cheer as he left the house. He smiled broadly and they rushed to congratulate him. Their voices buzzed in his ears, mixing into one snarling beast which he had to face head on. It was tiring to keep beaming all the time, shaking hands and taking boxes one after another. They piled up high near the entrance but no one cared to let him have time to open one. Not that he wanted to. It was obvious what he would find there. Maybe it was a present of itself, not having to open them. It could be some spirit was still looking after him. Laughter bubbled in his throat but he managed to stifle it down. These people wouldn¡¯t understand. They knew nothing. In time he was brought to the beach where the main party was being held. There were dozens of tables with various foods for display which you could just go and pick. Most of them were sweets, cookies and cakes for the children but adults didn¡¯t seem to shy away from them either. At lunch the local shop brought a huge ice cream cake. It was almost one meter tall and threatening to melt at any moment. Kirin was told to take the first scoop and then everyone dived in. He had to say it was tasty and most stayed quiet while they ate. It was a welcome break from all the conversations and smiling, his whole face hurt from that and the day wasn¡¯t even half way through. The only good thing was that his parents were here. He stayed next to them all the time and did his best to get rid of everyone else. But they were a persistent bunch. The whole village had turned up, no surprise there, but it was a wonder how they didn¡¯t see through his fake cheer. To him it looked pathetic the way he was pretending. Anyone should be able to easily see that all he wanted was a few quiet moments with his parents, but no one seemed to get it. His parents especially. Somehow they had gotten the idea that he was probably lonely, not able to befriend anyone. For that reason they constantly called up other kids so he would have someone to chat with while sitting with them. A few times they had even suggested he should leave and go play. His mask had broken then for a moment and he¡¯d shouted at them, almost crying. Mother had instantly hugging him and he calmed down while everyone pretended that nothing had happened. Kirin supposed it was a good thing. The last time he¡¯d had a breakdown various doctors, psychologists or such, had come and tried to talk to him. They wanted him to tell everything about himself, explain his problems and why he¡¯d acted the way he¡¯d done. Being innocent and stupid, Kirin had done what asked for the two hours he was in session and afterwards his parents were called, he was locked in a white room where his every step was monitored and he had to have talking sessions two-three times a day. If that wasn¡¯t enough, he was given some medicine.They said it was only some vitamins but not concentrated enough to cause him damage. Like hell it didn¡¯t. He felt like puking all the time but was unable to. It had been the worst two weeks in his whole life. No competition there. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. After that he¡¯d learnt and never again told anyone the truth. It was much simpler to smile and pretend everything was okay. That there was nothing that dampened your mood. That you were an idiotic optimist, unable to grasp your own cursed situation. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want that?¡± Vera asked him, the last piece of a chocolate cake in her hand. ¡°I will eat it, you know.¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± Kirin muttered, tired from the long day. It was evening now and the sun had set. Fires had been lit, lightening the beach and music blasted through the speakers someone had brought. ¡°If you say so,¡± Vera said shrugging and left, biting on her prize. She seemed very satisfied, not eager to return to him so he turned around to chat with his parents. Finally no one was around so they could talk, just the three of them like all those times long ago. As he turned around his eyes landed on empty space. There was no one beside him. He felt his heart pick up speed as he glanced around. People were chatting in groups of four, five, laughing together and joking but none of them looked like his parents. He stood up and slowly walked towards the music but they weren¡¯t there. Then he checked the place where food was kept, walked around all the tables to no avail. Fires, cars, the moonlit beach - all were empty. It was as if his parents had disappeared from the planet Earth. His breathing picked up and he found himself hyperventilating. It was dark all around, only the light of fire showing the way. Also moonlight. Like that night. His eyes started darting around but he saw only shadows. Were these people he knew or were they the ones from that night? Shirtless man, a person with a knife. Red colour. He felt himself falling to the ground, starting to crawl away. This place was dangerous. He needed to get away. As fast as possible. Now. Or he would be like that man. Dead. Dead. Dead. His knees scrapped against the stones but that didn¡¯t matter. He was getting away. That was important. That was good. If he could only get away. He would be safe. Yes, he would be safe. Someone was shouting. He had to turn, he had to see. Kirin¡¯s head snapped back and he saw a huge man looking his way. He had a giant knife. One very large. Butcher¡¯s knife. And he was pointing at him. Kirin screeched out and rushed to his feet. He fumbled, his own limbs getting in the way and fell. Crawled forward, scrambled up, tried to run. Move. That was what mattered. If he stopped, he¡¯d be dead. Dead. Dead. The word echoed in his head, urging him forward. Tears rushed out of his eyes, blinding him. He didn¡¯t care. He was up and running. That was good. Very good. No! There was sound behind! The man was leaping after him! It stopped Kirin¡¯s breathing, his lungs screaming for air that wasn¡¯t coming. His side hurt like never before but there was no stopping. Dead. Dead. Dead. He saw crimson before his eyes and doubled in speed. There were trees ahead. If only, if only he could reach it! Maybe. Yes, maybe he could hide there. Like the last time. Right. Right! Like last time! If he hid, he¡¯d be okay! For sure! He¡¯d be okay! Yes! Hide! Hide! Hide! That was what mattered. The trees were before him. So close. Just a hand¡¯s reach away. But the steps behind were catching up. He could hear them in his ears. Ever louder than the beating of his own heart. And it was loud. Very loud. Bang. Bang. Bang. Each step was another nightmare. Was the man close enough? Was the knife coming? He could see it flashing in the moonlight, passing through his skin. It would leave slightly red. Yes, a bit red. But it would return. Again. Again. Again. Until it was all crimson and there was no red in him left. Knife. The knife. It was the thief of colour. One more step and he¡¯d be inside the trees. Yes. The trees. He would be safe there. Safe. That was good. Safe was good. He put his right foot before the left but he didn¡¯t move. His feet flailed in the air. ¡°Ang, why did y-¡± the man started to say but words didn¡¯t make sense to Kirin. Blood was rushing in his ears, sounds of the outside a distinct echo. He punched the man, kicked and bit. The person hadn¡¯t expected that and Kirin dropped to the ground, scurrying away on all four. He rushed into the small growth, standing up and continuing to run. There was no way he could stop. The man was too close. The knife too near. Kirin didn¡¯t want to be out of red. He didn¡¯t. Really. Trees ended and he was out again. So he ran. And ran. And ran. It was good. Running was good. Distance was good. He needed to be away. Far away. And to hide. Hiding was good too. It was important to hide. The man had missed him when he hid. His eyes fervently went over the land before him. There was nothing in sight. Barren land. Sand. Run. He had to run. Far away. Very far away. His lungs screamed. Side hurt and tears blocked his vision. He brushed them off with the back of his hand, the snot too. Cliffs. He remembered some being here too. A cave he¡¯d seen once. There was a place to hide. Good. Very good. He put one foot before the other. That was movement. Also important. He closed in on the sea. The ground started raising but he entered the water. It was cold but he went ahead. He had to hide. If he hid, he won¡¯t be dead. Dead. Dead. Cave. There had to be a cave. He waddled through water past his chest, but he couldn¡¯t see it. Cave. Where was the cave? He went ahead but there was nothing. Where did it go? He needed to hide! It was important! The man was after him! He swam around, something coiling around his foot. It prevented him from moving and he tried to get his foot back but it didn¡¯t budge. Back and forth. Again. One more time. It was out. He had his foot back. That was good. He could hide now. And there was the cave. It was covered in seaweed so he hadn¡¯t seen it at first. But it was there. Kirin took a quick glance but the man was too far away. He wasn¡¯t in sight. Good. Very good. He dived back in, swimming through the drifting seaweeds and pushing himself out inside. The place wasn¡¯t large, no more than a meter high and less than that in length but it was safe. No one would find him here. It was a secret place. He hadn¡¯t even told Sam about it. Only darkness, his other best friend knew about it. ¡°No!¡± he screamed out. Darkness wasn¡¯t his friend. It was evil. Bad. Those people belonged to it. The man belonged to it. Kirin took his head into his arms and held it together from splitting. Why did it have to hurt so much? He fell onto his knees and stayed like that for a while, resting his body and head on the cool ground. His heart was still beating like mad, blood rushing though his veins at top speed, but both were calming down a bit. He was starting to feel the outside word. A cold draft coming from somewhere. It wasn¡¯t summer yet and the wind was chilling him to the bone. Water dripping clothes not helping. He curled into a corner, hugging his knees and put his head on them. It was cold and dark, perfectly black but it was safe. And that¡¯s what mattered. He was safe. Next Chapter 8.1 Mountain Valley Previous Chapter Author''s Note: Hey, everyone! Here''s another chapter, hope you enjoy it ^^ *** It was a clear day and a bird leapt from its nest on a cliff. He soared through the skies, diving into the clouds before getting tired and circling to return home. It was then, when he noticed something strange about the mountain paths. He dived down to take a better look and yes, there it was. Where mists once reigned, something was moving. The bird went down a bit closer and he was sure now, it were humans. What were they doing here? This was a place sacred to creatures of the land, natural beasts and not those monsters called humans. In all his life the bird had never seen them enter here. Not them, nor their cousins elves or dwarves. But here they were. All the races trudging forward through the snow and right into the mountain pass. They were going to enter the place. The bird screeched as loud as it could, warning all other residents, and flew to his nest. Monthu raised his head at the hawk¡¯s scream and saw the bird flying off. It was a small dot, but its voice¡¯s echo went through the valley in a rush. Animals peeked their heads out from snow piles at it, watching the procession with beady eyes. ¡°This place¡¯s eerie,¡± Aurora whispered, looking around. Her eyes didn¡¯t settle on anything but a shiver ran past her body. Hawk raised his eyes at the disappearing dot in the sky. ¡°It¡¯s just a bird.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you say! Just look at all those eyes!¡± she said, pointing at a white rabbit in the snow. Then she moved her finger to indicate a family of little birds and lastly a furry being between snow covered branches. ¡°It¡¯s like they¡¯re spying on us!¡± ¡°You¡¯re imagi-¡± he started to say but his voice was cut off by a scream from behind. The whole column stopped, people glancing at each other when another shout came. It was from somewhere far back so Monthu was about to call there, when a message notice appeared before his eyes. /Ambush./ ¡°Battle formation! Form defensive circles!¡± he screamed out aloud, grabbing Hawk¡¯s hand. ¡°Make sure everyone¡¯s prepared for an attack.¡± The archer nodded and ran to follow the command. Aurora moved to follow him with Par in hand before turning back for a second. ¡°Be careful.¡± Monthu nodded and ran off. The attack hadn¡¯t been far off. Message had come from Michael and he was only one platoon over. As he ran past Jackal, he saw him ordering his troops into lines with clerics and mages in the middle. It was good enough so Monthu didn¡¯t waste time stopping and just rushed forward. There were more screams coming from Michael¡¯s station now. They raised panic within the players but there was no time to calm them down. He was almost at the place. But it was impossible to see anything. The fighting had raised snow and the whole place with its wagons was engulfed. Monthu darted in, materialising his scythe. Right the moment it appeared he saw a man flailing in the air. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything holding him, but a roar convinced Monthu otherwise. He ran to the place, slipping on the snow, but managing to right himself. As he neared, his eyes focused on a two legged creature that was covered in greyish white fur. The thing blended so well with the snow, it was impossible to distinguish unless you were nose to nose with it. Yeti, as the name above the monster explained, flung the man away and turned towards Monthu. He used his scythe to keep the creature at bay, but it showed up harder than he thought. The yeti grabbed onto the scythe¡¯s blade, pulling it from Monthu¡¯s hands and stepping on it to break it in half. Then he turned back, lunging at him. Monthu dashed to the side, evading the clawed hand. He glanced back to see the yeti following and opened his item menu to find another weapon. A staff caught his eye so he took it out. There was a wagon a few steps away and Monthu darted behind its back, turning in place with a wide swing. The monster received the hit over the head, stumbled a bit but roaring leapt forward again. It reached for the staff but this time Monthu was prepared. Instead of going forward, he lowered the weapon. His attack from there to the stomach didn¡¯t result in a lot of damage but he got to keep his staff. That was good enough and he prepared to swing again. As wood hit the creature, he saw silver coming out of its chest. It took him a moment to understand that it were two blades. ¡°Heya, General!¡± Michael greeted, pulling his blades out. His voice was cheerful but his armour was covered in blood. ¡°Damn beasts,¡± he cursed before rushing off to another skirmish. Monthu followed after him and together with the attacked group of players they managed to kill another yeti. Then all six of them moved to help others and in some half an hour the ambush was fought off. Snow settled down and inventory could be taken. ¡°What¡¯s the status?¡± Monthu asked, standing by one of the surviving wagons. From his place he could see three with broken wheels and scattered supplies. ¡°Bad,¡± Michael said in a low tone, coming to stand right next to Monthu. ¡°Five wagons destroyed, two need repairs, ten npcs dead along with four players. All for killing three yetis. I¡¯m sure we wounded much more..¡± ¡°But that¡¯s little consolation,¡± Jackal said, joining their conversation. He looked strange with his shining armour standing on crimson snow. Michael nodded. ¡°Yes. We won¡¯t be able to travel for long without supplies. If we don¡¯t find anything, my platoon will starve to death.¡± Monthu shook his head as he took a look around. Clerics were healing wounded ones so they will be in fighting position soon enough. But their armour was damaged, along with their weapons. Some would have spares but not everyone. This would weaken his army more than anything if they had to suffer prolonged losses. He had to do something to keep them out of harm¡¯s way but nothing came to mind. How did one defend against unseen opponents? ¡°We¡¯ll share provisions,¡± he said, turning back to Michael. ¡°Take what you can from the busted wagons and form into groups. We need to continue.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll warn my platoon too. We need to be more car-¡± Two screams from different directions came in a unison, interrupting Jackal¡¯s words. Monthu held down a curse, unsure of where to rush. He couldn¡¯t be in two places at once. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the back one. You warn other leaders,¡± Jackal said, starting to run in down the column. That left the front one and Monthu moved in that direction. His speed doubled when he remembered his friends were there. And Par! He couldn¡¯t let anything happen to his little brother. As he reached the army¡¯s front, it was covered in a storm of snow. There was no way to see anything so he just dived in. It didn¡¯t take him long to notice a yeti towering over a fallen swordsman. Monthu dashed forward, landing a punishing blow on the creature¡¯s side. It growled at him, which gave time for the warrior to stand up. He was covered in snow, eyes wide as he stood frozen in place. ¡°Grab your weapon!¡± Monthu roared. ¡°Are you a fighter or a victim?¡±
*Stand United Activated*
The words and status increase seemed to have done the trick and the warrior lunged for his sword a few meters away. He didn¡¯t look like he would be of much help, but a group of other players that had been hiding within a wagon showed up. There were six of them now so Monthu left them alone. They should be able to take care of the yeti in such a large number and he needed to find his brother. A team of players intercepted his path as they chased after another yeti. The creature didn¡¯t look to be injured but he was escaping. It didn¡¯t make much sense but the group passed and Monthu was running again. To the side he saw a yeti aiming at some mage. It was about to land a killing blow but Monthu couldn¡¯t have that. He smashed the staff at the yeti¡¯s legs, breaking its movement. ¡°Run!¡± he shouted, dashing in to block the claws. They left marks on the staff¡¯s side but didn¡¯t break it. ¡°Get up! I need space!¡± Another attack came and Monthu had to take a step back to keep the distance. The mage¡¯s side got in the way off his back foot, putting him off-balance and he wavered. The yeti used that to lunge forward and slash at his shoulder. Pain burst in his arm as he pushed the end of his staff, smashing it against the yeti¡¯s side. But it made the monster back off and that¡¯s what mattered. ¡°Spirit of nature, one who rules over everything that grows, hear my call and help this weakened soul in his quest for fulfilment, Regrowth!¡± came a squeaky voice from behind. Monthu didn¡¯t spare him a glance, but felt pain in his shoulder lessening. He moved it a bit and found no resistance. Good enough. He dashed forward, aiming a blow at the monster¡¯s side. It blocked it and Monthu ducked to dodge the other hand¡¯s claws. From his lower position he pushed the staff upwards, hitting the yeti¡¯s jaw and then swung it sideways. This attack didn¡¯t land but the monster growled in anger. ¡°Come,¡± taunted him Monthu. He had an idea of how to deal with this humanoid bear, but for that he needed it closer. So he relaxed his muscles, letting the staff rest in his right hand. The yeti, feeling no danger, lunged again and this time Monthu didn¡¯t dodge. He waited till the last second and then in an instant grabbed the staff with both hands, swinging it with force. The strike vibrated through his whole hand, numbing it for a moment. But the monster was even worse. It fell to the ground, its jaw smashed to pieces. The sight wasn¡¯t a pleasant one and Monthu smashed his staff a few more times into the yeti, killing him. Grey mist was hard to notice in the raging snow but the pile of items was unmistakable. There could have been a few valuable things there but Monthu had bigger problems. He took notice of the cowering mage, seeing him safe and alive turned away and ran. Some ten minutes since the fight¡¯s start had gone past and he hadn¡¯t seen a glimpse of his brother. Where were they? A fireball whisked past him and exploded no more than a meter away. He felt the heat radiating off it on his back. ¡°Good job!¡± Aurora said from a wagon to his right and he rushed there. ¡°Is Par okay?¡± Hawk was the one to answer him. ¡°Yeah, but I suggest you turn around.¡± Monthu did that and met eye to eye with another yeti. It was bent over, staring at him with bloodshot eyes on its charred face. Monthu shared the look for a moment before they both raised their weapons; claws against staff. The first was much better in close combat, but Monthu managed to block the attack. That was enough for him to push his opponent away and get his distance. As he did that, arrows flew past him, embedding into the creature¡¯s hide. It roared so loud people¡¯s ears were on the verge of bursting and turned around. Before Monthu could do anything, the yeti was gone in the snowstorm. ¡°Is this going everywhere?¡± Monthu nodded, noticing the snow was settling down. ¡°How did this come to be?¡± ¡°It started soon after you left. I tried to mobilise people but panic spread quick and there was nothing to do. We were being attacked from all sides, unable to see what was happening,¡± Hawk answered, leaving the wagon through the window. Monthu took a look of his surroundings and saw wagons thrown on the side, supplies scattered all over the place and piles of dropped items. Much more losses than in the previous skirmish he¡¯d been in. There had to have been more yetis here for the players in his guard should have been one of the strongest ones. He opened his chat menu and found Jackal. ¡°Did you stop the attack?¡± ¡°No,¡± wheezed out the other man, sounds of steel from his end. A mage was chanting not too far. ¡°We¡¯re still being pressured and my own platoon got attacked. They fell apart without having anyone to order them around.¡± ¡°Did you send anyone to take over?¡± There was silence for a moment. ¡°I didn¡¯t have time. The clerics here had a hard time keeping us aliv-¡± Monthu cut the chat off and took a look around. Wagons lay on their sides, elks slaughtered and supplies lying around. Piles of items here and there. It was destruction much worse than in the previous skirmish, and his guards were supposed to be of highest class. There had to have been three times the number of yetis to cause this. Were they intelligent enough to know that they held the strongest fighters at the head of the column? What else did they know? ¡°I need to go, protect Par,¡± he said to Hawk, starting to run the path he had come not even ten minutes ago. Today just wasn¡¯t his day. On his way out he encountered the outlandish elf, leader of Draugar. He was standing in the middle of the road, blocking everyone¡¯s path. His eyes were locked on the sky as he watched it with a puzzled expression, hands on his hips. Monthu tried to walk around him, but the elf caught his hand, not lowering his gaze from the sky. ¡°Warring is such a strange profession. All you ever do is run from one fight to another, back and forth until you get killed. Or become a general.¡± ¡°Let me go,¡± Monthu said in a harsh tone, trying to free his hand from a surprisingly strong grip. He managed to get it out when the elf¡¯s words registered. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°It is fun being a general, is it not? You sit and read, play board games while soldiers get to waste their lives. It is a glorious life, I heard,¡± he answered, lowering his eyes. They were light purple, dead like. Monthu took a few steps past the elf when his words finally made sense. More than before at least. ¡®What am I doing running around like an idiot? I have commanders to do that for me! I need to think up of a strategy!¡¯ He changed his direction and rushed towards the wagons. His eyes landed on Nein sitting on an undamaged wagon. ¡°You! Go to the first platoon and restore order!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that Jackal¡¯s group?¡± ¡°It is. Now go!¡± Nein didn¡¯t seem to like it a lot but he jumped from a wagon and ran in the right direction. ¡°Report after you have subdued the enemies,¡± Monthu shouted after him and opened chat menu. /Stop in your place. Form defensive formations and wait for future commands./ he wrote to all of the commanders. It was a risky choice but no more than trudging ahead and falling into an even worse trap. They had to send scouts and check the path ahead. This was a far more dangerous place than any of them had thought on marching out. These mountains hadn¡¯t been entered not because there was mist in them. Creatures smarter than all others lurked in shadows, ready to drag the careless into their dooms and Monthu didn¡¯t want to be one. ¡°What is going on?¡± Deedara asked, rushing to his side. ¡°Were you wounded? Did you need healing?¡± ¡°No,¡± Monthu answered, leaning on Nein¡¯s wagon. ¡°I need to find a way to fight against those monsters or we¡¯ll fail. For that not to happen, I need people¡¯s ideas.¡± The Draugar priestess bit her lip as she thought for a moment. ¡°All we can do is turtle and wait. These yetis, they come from nowhere.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± disagreed Hawk. He was walking over with Aurora and Par in tow. ¡°They had been hiding in the snow mounds. I saw one of them jumping out. Wouldn¡¯t be surprised if all had done the same.¡± Sir Elimas, L¡¯s right hand man, made his approach. He had red spots on his tunic and complexion that was paler than the snow. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. There was no sound from him so Monthu prompted. ¡°Anything to report?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t care about killing people,¡± the man said in a whisper, sitting down on the icy ground. ¡°All they want is to destroy our equipment, provisions. It is their way of saying we¡¯re unwelcome here. If we stay, they¡¯ll become serious.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something we would know how to deal with,¡± Hawk said with a laugh. ¡°It¡¯s this guerilla tactics that we have no idea how to counter.¡± Monthu had to agree to that. In the game players tended to fight in open battles, hunting monsters or besieging castles. Neither of which presented them with real wars and tactics. At least not in this kingdom, where there were no true ruler, so it didn¡¯t participate in country encompassing wars. ¡°Clear,¡± Nein said, walking over. After noticing Monthu¡¯s distrustful look, he added. ¡°They got scared and ran away. I told the second in command to fortify the place and this time to keep his players in order.¡± ¡°We have to protect the wagons. Somehow,¡± murmured Monthu, trying to think of a way. For the moment they would be safe, if what Hawk said was true. But they would have to start moving tomorrow. ¡°You are free now.¡± The few people that had come scattered out, only Hawk staying behind. ¡°You have any ideas how to deal with them?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Monthu answered, starting to walk.There was nothing to do now but count the damage done. He could see two more wagons on their sides, wheels smashed to make sure they weren¡¯t going anywhere any time soon. A pile of items was in his way so he lowered himself to pick it up. It was yeti leather with two diamonds on top. Hawk took one, shining it towards the sun. ¡°This is pretty expensive. Killing these yetis might be a worthwhile sidetrack.¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to learn more about these mountains, not to earn money.¡± ¡°Pft, why can¡¯t we do both?¡± Hawk asked, giving back the diamond. ¡°You can motivate players by loot and no one will care about any losses then.¡± That became a tempting solution as half an hour later Monthu received damage reports. Out of their three thousand, two hundred players and fifty npcs lost their lives. Over seventy elks were slaughtered and more than forty wagons destroyed. Players were in a panic, rushing to the front of the column to complain. This allowed them to see the devastation here and fear rose even higher. Some even came to Monthu, threatening to leave this very moment. He told them to go on ahead. They were already good way in and if they dared to go through the mountains alone, it was their choice. None took up the chance, though, and returned to their places in the column. The day passed like that and it was evening before Monthu had thought up any plans. He ordered people to sit in crowds, sticking around the wagons and hoped that will be enough. Yetis hadn¡¯t attacked any more so there was a chance. ¡°The surroundings are clear.¡± Monthu raised his head to see a man cloaked in shadows. He was wearing all black, eyes painted the same colour. It was hard to say how he thought to hide in the snow with that get up. ¡°Dark, was it?¡± Monthu asked. ¡°Yes, I checked the grounds ahead while the rest took a look around the camp. We found nothing worrying,¡± the man answered in a low voice. He had his head down, looking at his boots. ¡°You¡¯re certain of it?¡± Monthu asked to clarify. L had given him command of the group of rogues without explaining who they were and why he should trust them. If that wasn¡¯t enough, none of them looked competent. Only Dark and Fenek seemed to know what they were doing. They kept to themselves, staying in the shadows while the rest strutted around in cloaks and got in the way. ¡°Yes,¡± Dark answered. ¡°I double-checked after the other students to make sure they didn¡¯t embarrass the master.¡± ¡°Master?¡± Monthu asked, raising his head to get a better look of the man. ¡°If that is all, I¡¯ll be leaving. There can be more scouting done on the right flank.¡± It was obvious the conversation was over and Monthu waved him off. ¡°Do it and if you see something, warn me, whatever the time is.¡± The rogue nodded and left Monthu to his thoughts. He expected to have a moment but a priestess came over. ¡°I think we should have a celebration tonight.¡± ¡°Celebration?¡± ¡°People are tired and scared, some music and good food would help them deal with it,¡± she said, scratching her head. ¡°Something has to be done to lift their spirits.¡± Monthu raised the paper he had been reading before Dark¡¯s arrival and tried to calculate a few numbers. They had lost a lot of supplies, but if they went after the yetis... It would gain them gold, which then could pay for the expedition¡¯s losses. On the other hand, if they went ahead and didn¡¯t learn anything, it would be a catastrophe. Sure it wasn¡¯t his money that funded the quest, but L wasn¡¯t a millionaire. It had cost him a lot and if they brought back nothing, he would be finished. Monthu and his group along with him. ¡°Had any musicians joined us?¡± Deedara smiled wide at that. ¡°Yes! Our guild leader! He¡¯s the best flautist in the world!¡± ¡°Prepare it then,¡± he said and watched her run off. There was no way that elf was the greatest musician. No one could say that before they¡¯d heard Ace playing. He was the true artisan in this game. Yet if he took up killing, then maybe others could take his place. It wasn¡¯t like the kid had tried to become known. He played only once after mastering it but the song had been mesmerising. Monthu could remember seeing the story before his eyes, as if it had been real. Nothing before or after could compare to that. He stood up and climbed onto a wagon. From there he could see others moving in. The valley was around fifty meters wide so a couple of wagons could move side by side with groups of players flanking them from all directions and still have room to move. Everyone had weapons in hand, though, Monthu didn¡¯t believe they will be attacked. The yetis had taken their chances, none would be stupid enough to linger without a safe way out. But the question persisted in his mind. Why had the yetis focused wagons? It was a good way to weaken an enemy army but since when were monsters so advanced? The creatures weren¡¯t even human. Also, what were they defending? It was clear they wanted the army not to reach something, but what could it be? Was there a treasure in the mountains, or just a yeti village? ¡°You don¡¯t look too happy,¡± Hawk noted from the ground. He was alone at the moment. ¡°I left Aurora with him among the smiths. Par¡¯s fire helps to speed up moulding. At least five wagons will be repaired by tomorrow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. We need as many as we can get. They are going to attack again,¡± Monthu said, stepping on the bench and then jumping to the ground. Snow squeaked under his feet but didn¡¯t give in. ¡°Sure thing,¡± Hawk agreed, turning to walk in the direction of Jackal¡¯s platoon. ¡°But it¡¯s tomorrow and today I hear we have some music, ale and fire.¡± He smiled looking at the sky. ¡°All the man can ever need.¡± Monthu chuckled at that, eyeing the gathering crowd. First thing that took his attention was the scowls. They were on most of the faces, complimenting weapons held in hand. No one was sitting down but talking in small groups, glancing around from time to time. Near the centre of the place, Deedara stood on a wagon. She had Perry at her side but that didn¡¯t help to gain the crowd¡¯s attention. Her voice landed on blocked ears. ¡°This looks like a lousy party...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say,¡± muttered Monthu, moving closer. He should have known better than to allow this. A celebration wasn¡¯t on anyone¡¯s mind when there were enemies around. It was stupid to think otherwise. He was close to the two girls when the elf made his way up. *Screeee* came a sound from the flute and everyone turned to glare at the elf. He didn¡¯t seem to mind, though, smiling bright. ¡°Day is in the past, move closer and come hear a story,¡± the elf said in a soft but somehow loud voice. It echoed around the whole valley so that there wasn¡¯t a single person who hadn¡¯t heard. ¡°There brave warriors fight and fair maidens kill their assailants. White beasts fall under hands of humans, treasures get stolen.¡± It sounded like another fairytale but the way he said it, in his smoky voice, made it feel like there was a secret to it. That if they listened, they would gain something invaluable. Against his own better judgement, Monthu moved closer to make sure he heard everything. It was like a magnetic pull. And he wasn¡¯t the only one who felt it. The whole army was enraptured by that voice, moving like zombies closer in. ¡°Everyone pull the wagons together, closer in!¡± Perry shouted out, jumping to the snow. ¡°We can all stand on them and hear him better!¡± This idea pushed people into action. The elks were hurried forward so that the wagons filled the width of the valley. Others then were stopped in length but not far. When it was done, in no more than half an hour, one could jump from one wagon to another. Monthu had to say these people could be organised, when they wanted to. That, of course, didn¡¯t happen when he gave commands. But that was a given, few believed in his abilities as a leader. Only his group did, who showed up to join him on one of the roofs near the centre. Fires were lighted on top of the wagons after enhancing them with magic resistance spells. People sat around the flames, warming their hands and watching the elf in silence. He had found a chair from somewhere and sat with his legs crossed. The flute lay in his open hand resting on the armchair. Purple plume wavered in the air as he took a breath and stood up. There was a ring of fires around him and he moved to stand right before one. It made shadows dance on his face as he put the flute to his lips. What came out made Monthu freeze in his seat. One strong note came into existence. It flew in the air for a few moments, testing the waters. Then it whirled around, putting on a mask. The next moment dozens of other notes appeared, joining the previous one and dancing around it. Together they went out, very slow and controlled, regal. Each step was accounted for. There was not an unneeded sound in that melody. But then another note jumped in. It was young and wild, uncaring of its actions. The tune fell apart with its appearance, notes scattering in all directions. For a moment they echoed separately until the first and last came into contact. They were as different as day and night; one slow and strong, another quick and playful. There was no harmony in their union, the sounds escaping the flute awkward and mismatched. It couldn¡¯t continue and the second one danced away. The note whirled through the air, young child going on an adventure, and distanced itself. The first quieted until there was nothing left of it. The child continued forward, dancing around without a care in the world. He soon met another one as the the elf walked from the flames, taking careful steps that made no sound. The notes joined in and this time they fit as if made for each other. They complimented the other and a sweet melody reached all the listeners. It was hard not to remember your first love, those tender emotions blooming in your heart for the very first time. Smiles lighted the place and the elf raised his head upwards, pointing the flute¡¯s end up to the sky. Darkness entered the story. It was a low, grinding sound. But unlike so often, there was no slowness there. The new melody was as quick as the young happy ones, maybe even more so. It dived through the air, cutting it to pieces without any real reason. The two notes darted away, sounding lower, less confident but not scared. They circled each other to gain power and raise in volume. The grinding tune waited in the background, sounding from somewhere far away, bidding its time. It knew its power and believed in itself. Two innocent, foolish notes rose higher and higher, reaching for the skies. Their tune was a bright one, circling and dancing on light steps. Soft and warm. One you could heal all sicknesses with. But as everything good, it wasn¡¯t meant to last. A cold note pierced through, hurting the main one. It lowered in strength while its partner rose even higher in pitch. There was no calming it down. The harmony was gone. They fell apart; one slowing down while the other kept on quickening and quickening. It was running in moments, so loud and obnoxious it made people¡¯s face¡¯s twitch. Something happened. It stopped in the middle, without any warning, hovering in the air. Then it dashed backwards, lowering in speed and loudness, joining the original one. They met with soft words, no arguments or accusations. The second one flew around the first, encircling it. Together they managed to grow stronger, return to health. Soon enough they were back to themselves, the sweet melody that charmed people¡¯s hearts. There was darkness, the swift yet glum tune, lurking in the background but it was too far away. The two flew in unison, dancing and singing together. They had overcome the danger, grown stronger. That was what mattered. Swift and lively notes scattered in the air, coming to visit every person in the audience. They lighted the place like little wishful stars, lights of thousands of candles. Life was a dangerous journey so every fight won had to be celebrated. Every little battle survived counted. And so the flute¡¯s melody rose higher, quickening and running through the air. It whistled and hummed, dancing like only a young person could. They were free and nothing could ever stop them. The notes were their own rulers. Whole world was beneath their feet. So they continued, rushing off into another journey. Away from the audience¡¯s hearing, gone from this realm. The flute lowered to the elf¡¯s side and he glanced over the crowd. There were smiles everywhere he looked. It made the elf¡¯s lip twitch upwards for a moment and then he was gone, jumping down and into the darkness. For good ten minutes after that no one moved a muscle. All the players and npcs were lost in fantasies, each seeing their own story. One they had joined this game to live out. Fear was gone from their hearts, exchanged for a spirit of adventurousness. They all wanted to stand up and move forward, whatever the danger. If they died, they would revive and just try again. Death was but a mere nuisance to them. Weren¡¯t they the prophesied heroes of this land? However, Monthu put a big no on all such ideas. It was night and they weren¡¯t moving anywhere till morning. This dampened the mood a bit but soon drinks were opened, meat roasted and tales of past adventures told. That satisfied the people and Monthu was left alone with his friends. And a very bad feeling. From Hawk¡¯s and Aurora¡¯s eyes he knew, they felt it too. This elf... He was nothing but a lie. Monthu tried to think of what to do, how to act but his mind came up blank. Was there anything to be done? Par looked at him with sad eyes, same knowledge they all shared. But it changed nothing. It was the past and better not brought back. He could still remember the way Par had been told off. It had been brutal to say the least. His brother had cried days afterwards. ¡°It is nothing, you¡¯re seeing things,¡± Monthu told his friends, standing up to leave. Others followed, not pointing it out that they hadn¡¯t said anything. 8.2 Second-in-Command **** ¡°Do you think he made the right choice?¡± Aurora asked in a whisper. She had tucked Par in to sleep, and now had come to join Hawk at the wagon¡¯s window. ¡°You should leave it be,¡± he answered, eyes not moving from the snow outside. It was white and innocent looking but after the many ambushes no one ever felt safe. Even kicking all the mounds before settling didn¡¯t help. Somehow the yetis managed to stay unnoticed, causing twice as much harm when people believed themselves safe. Aurora moved closer, looking through the window for a moment before her gaze returned to him. ¡°But what if it truly is Ace? Wouldn¡¯t you want to talk to him?¡± Hawk snorted. ¡°No, thanks. He¡¯s a danger, the longer he stays gone, the better for everyone.¡± ¡°But..¡± ¡°Stop it. He¡¯s Silver Wing,¡± Hawk said, turning his head to her. Their eyes met for a second and he shifted his gaze back to the watch. ¡°Remember the hall. Do you really think he wants to chat?¡± It silenced the woman. She didn¡¯t say anything more, just sat next to Hawk and stared into the wagon¡¯s wall. He didn¡¯t break the silence either, continuing his watch. He more felt than saw the snow shift ten meters ahead. One moment there was nothing there and the next a human shaped mountain stood. It rushed forward with an incredible speed but Hawk was ahead of him. He lighted a short fuse and a loud bang echoed through the camp. It made the creature flinch, giving Hawk time to grab his bow and release three arrows in succession. They didn¡¯t fall the yeti but managed to deter it from coming this way. ¡°Stay,¡± Hawk threw to Aurora, leaning out the window. From there he grabbed onto the horns above meant to keep packets in place and dragged himself upwards. A couple of boxes broke under his feet but he ignored them and found the highest point. From his vantage point he could see the fights below. Like usually, snow had risen but [Hawk Eyes] helped him to identify his targets. Arrows left his quiver, passed the bow and stuck into flesh. A familiar routine. He saw Monthu battling a yeti and released an arrow to hit its shoulder. It slowed the creature¡¯s attack speed and Monthu¡¯s guards finished it off. Then the group ran off to find other creatures to fight. Hawk just shifted his eyes and helped a struggling axeman. The arrow finished the target as right before it hit, a ball of fire exploded on the yeti. The man who had been fighting it brushed his hair out of his eyes and took his time finding another battle. By the time he managed to move out, there was none left. Hawk along with other hidden archers and mages managed to kill the rest of the yetis. It was pretty easy once they got that teamwork going. Tanks stayed outside in a ring around the wagons and made sure no yetis passed. They didn¡¯t try to kill the creatures but just kept them away. That was the job of archers and mages who stayed behind. They either slept in the wagons or walked right by them on the march. It gave them the ability to aim or cast spells without interruption which resulted in quick defences. There weren¡¯t that many yetis as it had seemed before. Those creatures were just stronger than players one on one and were good at finding such battles. And creating confusion among the rest of players. Snow started to settle and Hawk saw Aurora pushing her head through the window. ¡°Is it over yet?¡± she asked, looking up at him. Hawk put the bow back into his quiver and stepped off the box. He shooed Aurora in before climbing down himself. There he settled in his place by the window. ¡°Yeah, but you should wait for me to tell you to open the window. What if you were met by a yeti¡¯s claw? ¡°As if. I would have heard if they¡¯d killed you.¡± It was a logical answer so Hawk nodded and continued his watch. There was little chance of yetis attacking the same place again but it could be their strategy. Make players complacent and then annihilate them in one go. ¡°Is everyone safe?¡± Monthu asked, coming over to join them. There were scratches on his new scythe but the man himself looked fine. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Good job on noticing them first. We were in the meeting,¡± he said, sitting down on the wagon¡¯s wheel. Hawk glanced at him to note his hunched form but didn¡¯t say anything. He nodded and then returned his eyes to the surroundings. Monthu shifted on his seat, leaning back. ¡°Is he always like this?¡± Aurora gave him a small smile from behind Hawk. ¡°He¡¯s still hung up on what happened.¡± ¡°Leave me be,¡± Hawk growled, glaring at both of his companions. ¡°It was my fault all those players died! We might fail this quest because of it!¡± Monthu hit the archer¡¯s head with a fist before standing up. ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot. We all missed that ambush, you weren¡¯t the only one on scouting duty.¡± He said before walking away to do whatever the general¡¯s had to do. ¡°Why are you staying here? Won¡¯t you see more from the wagon¡¯s top?¡± Aurora asked, moving to check up on Par. He was sleeping without any worries so she just pulled his covers higher up and sat down nearby. ¡°They¡¯ll see me and won¡¯t attack.¡± Aurora shifted her head to get a better look at him. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± Hawk glanced back, his eyes shining unnatural orange with black slits in the middle. It made Aurora turn her eyes away, he looked creepy. ¡°Not now. We know the strategy but if they learn that, they¡¯ll change,¡± Hawk said, returning his eyes to the outside. He sat there like a statue. ¡°We can¡¯t have that.¡± Aurora had nothing to reply to that. She opened her skill menu and looked over the abilities. They weren¡¯t anything special, heals and that¡¯s all, but the levels were decent enough. Most had passed Advanced and a few were closing in on half of it. She could still increase them, though. So she closed her eyes and started whispering the incantations, pretending to heal herself. It wasn¡¯t the most effective of ways to level up abilities. It got less and less experience each time repeated, but she didn¡¯t do it too often. This meant she was still getting a decent amount, one worth the effort of whispering the spells. Some two hours later a green flash rose over their camp and ordered them to leave the wagon. The lunch break was over and they had to get moving again. Par was still sleeping so they left him there, walking out together. ¡°Hey,¡± Deedara greeted them, being the first to join their group. There were over twenty yet to come. ¡°Hi,¡± Aurora answered, starting a chat with her while Hawk made his way to the back of the wagon. He could see the middle group already assembling. They consisted of melee fighters and would join the wagon ahead or behind them, depending on which one got attacked. There had never been two close ambushes at the same time. At least till now, and their defence strategy was based on that. After making sure everything was looking good, Hawk went to the front of the column. He was Monthu¡¯s best friend and his right hand man, he had to stay close. In half an hour all wagon¡¯s signalled that they were prepared and the march began. People stepped on hard snow and wagons rolled forward while high cliffs towered over them. It was a beautiful place in a way. White ground, snow mounds and few bare sticks here and there. The valley itself was engulfed by two mountains at each side which had steep cliffs some twenty meters high and then went up in a more cone like shape. But to Hawk it all felt like one huge trap. Someone, who knew the place, could split his army and come at them from both sides, cutting any chance of retreat. They would be massacred like sheep in a slaughterhouse. A bird screeched in the air and the archer raised his eyes up. He wondered what could have startled it but nothing seemed to be amiss. No snow floating from the cliffs, nor moving shadows. They travelled without any incident for three hours when a dark shape dropped near Monthu. Hawk was about to draw his dagger when he recognised Dark, their rogue leader. ¡°There are problems,¡± he said in a calm voice, eyes down. It wasn¡¯t a clear warning so Monthu stepped out of the crowd. He motioned for Dark to follow him. Hawk went after them. ¡°What is it?¡± Monthu asked, turning back to face the rogue. ¡°There¡¯s a cliff up ahead. It¡¯s steep. I could find no way to get the wagons down it.¡± Monthu frowned at that, his eyes looking up ahead. He couldn¡¯t see what was there but it didn¡¯t seem like he was aware of that. ¡°How far away is it?¡± ¡°Two hour journey at the current pace. No additional paths anywhere. We either have to go back or abandon the wagons,¡± the rogue explained. His voice was emotionless and calm, it didn¡¯t seem like he cared about the bad news. Hawk didn¡¯t trust him at all. There was something about him that screamed danger. It was in the shift of his eyes, the way he always had his head down, shoulder¡¯s relaxed but hands never straying too far from the daggers strapped to his belt. ¡°We¡¯ll travel ahead, then,¡± Monthu said. Dark bowed and strode off. When he was far enough, Monthu spoke up again. ¡°What do you think I should do?¡± ¡°It would be a two week journey to return back. The players would be furious,¡± Hawk answered. ¡°Hopefully, we can get down somehow.¡± Monthu grinned at that. ¡°Somehow.¡± He then moved to catch up with his column and Hawk followed him. There wasn¡¯t much they could do in this situation but either go forward or turn back. Both of which seemed like wrong choices at the moment. Snow creaked under their feet as they hurried to the front but nothing jumped at them. The yetis were being quiet. Too quiet for Hawk¡¯s liking. It was bad when they attacked but this... This could only mean one thing, a trap was being laid somewhere. Hawk grabbed onto a bar of one of the wagon¡¯s and pulled himself upwards. He climbed onto the top and slowly stood up. From there he could see far back into their column, especially with [Hawk Eye] that increased his vision. He scanned the area as best he could, taking notice of every brush and mound but nothing seemed out of place. There were little to no place to hide around their army. That could have explained why there hadn¡¯t been any attacks for the last few hours but Hawk didn¡¯t believe it. The yetis had ambushed them at first and through all their preparations in the morning. Yet now they were silent. It was worrying. He shifted his gaze to the front. Their path continued to go onwards with no apparent changes. A mile or so ahead there was a turn to the right, hidden behind a side of the mountain. Could an ambush be set there? It was a possibility but Dark was sure there was nothing there. It was hard trusting him but he was L¡¯s dog. There should be no reason for him to lie about anything, unless he was bought off by Marion, of course. Hawk climbed down the wagon and sprinted towards Monthu. ¡°Let me go ahead and check everything.¡± His friend had a questioning look to that but didn¡¯t ask it out aloud among other people. ¡°As you wish,¡± he said before returning to his conversation with Deedara. The priestess acted as a representative of the whole guild since everyone else were platoon commanders and couldn¡¯t stay around Monthu all the time. Hawk thanked with half a nod and jogged ahead of the column. He had no sneaking abilities so he just walked quick and tried to look into every corner. Snow and ice met his eyes. The two things covered everything. The ground beneath him had an undisturbed fresh coating, it had snowed last night. He tried to find places where the rogues had moved through but no matter how much he looked, there were no traces. It was hard to believe they had really gone through here. Could it have been a lie? No, he shook his head. Half of them had gone in this direction, he¡¯d seen them with his eyes. They had moved through this snow even if there wasn¡¯t a single footprint remaining. That made him frown. If he couldn¡¯t notice his own rogues, how was he to find the yetis? It was their home place, they knew the surroundings and how to use them best. He stamped on the ground with the next step, a few snowflakes raising from under his feet. They only reminded of the possible danger and he went forward. There was always a chance he could notice something. Unlike rogues he had no hiding skills but instead he had his eyesight. Like all archers, he was unequalled in spotting movement and finding targets from afar. Yet there was nothing around. Snow and steep mountainsides, impossible to climb. He walked to one, testing it but it was pure rock. The moment he cleaned the snow off, dark, frozen earth could be seen. No traps there. So where then? That was a good question. He turned his head back to see that he had made quite a distance between him and the army. Because of the wagons they moved slower than his hurried pace. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± asked a voice from behind him. Hawk grabbed for his dagger, thrusting forward before even understanding who it was that talked to him. But his attack was blocked and he met two black orbs. ¡°Dark,¡± he whispered. The rogue sheathed his dagger but didn¡¯t move back. Hawk did that instead, taking a few steps to the side. It left a space of some meter between them. ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± the black robed man answered. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Looking around,¡± Hawk answered, starting to walk again without turning his back to the rogue. Dark didn¡¯t seem to like that answer. His eyes narrowed a bit. ¡°You¡¯re not a rogue,¡± he said in a tone that implied he was something worse. ¡°And?¡± Hawk asked, walking by the side of the valley to have Dark not right behind him. The rogue wasn¡¯t to be trusted. It wasn¡¯t out of the question that he might attack without a warning if he had betrayed his master. Hawk gulped at that thought, not liking where this was going. He had so wanted to make everything right that he had forgotten he wasn¡¯t invincible himself. His class wasn¡¯t meant for close combat duels. Unlike the rogue¡¯s standing still right behind him. Dark sighed and caught up to him. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. You¡¯re just asking to be killed.¡± At this Hawk stopped and turned around. Was he hearing right? ¡°You¡¯re worried I¡¯ll get killed?¡± ¡°You¡¯re part of the lord¡¯s appointed leaders. Of course, I want you to survive. My mission is to ensure your survival,¡± Dark answered, his eyes the same dark orbs. It was hard to say whether anything in them showed that he was lying. Hawk frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. ¡°Your mission? Isn¡¯t it to work for us as scouts?¡± Dark started walking again and Hawk joined him.Their boots made footprints in the snow that could be easily seen by a naked eye. After a moment Dark opened his mouth. ¡°Our order was to ensure this mission¡¯s success. For the moment the best way is to act as scouts so that¡¯s why we¡¯re doing that.¡± ¡°Rogues as guardians?¡± Hawk asked in a low tone, more himself than the black robed man. It was just such a strange thought. Rogues were usually associated with assassinations and traps. Saving lives didn¡¯t come close to their usual set of skills. This all sounded so illogical. There was something more to it than what it appeared. Either their mission was something else than they were led to believe or the rogue was lying. Both choices not to his liking. ¡°The lord trusts our master. He¡¯s the world¡¯s greatest being,¡± Dark said in a tone that made Hawk turn his head. There was light in those dark orbs and the man¡¯s cheeks were flushed. He was staring into the distance with an expression which could be described only with one word - awe. ¡°Master?¡± Hawk wondered when the ceremony of Monthu¡¯s appointment came to his mind. ¡°Silver Wing,¡± he said like it was a curse. ¡°Is he here?¡± he asked without really wanting to know the answer to it. Dark¡¯s eyes dimmed. His face returned to its expressionless state and the man lowered his head down like when he always talked to Monthu. ¡°No. He had important business to attend to.¡± It sounded very much like Ace. Hawk could believe that. The kid never liked to waste time on travelling or preparing for a journey. But he was always there when something happened. There wasn¡¯t a battle or exploration he¡¯d ever missed. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. That meant he was soon to show up, if he wasn¡¯t here already. It was a somewhat scary thought. The kid managed to get them out of many troubles, ones he usually had caused himself, but this time things were different. They weren¡¯t exactly on different sides of the battle but more like on a hastily patched up alliance. One both sides didn¡¯t appreciate. Hawk could understand Par a bit but in his mind the kid was too nice. Being betrayed was a shitty thing and people shouldn¡¯t be forgiven for that. Ace had acted like a spoiled brat most of the time in their travels and his last words had only proved that he was one. He knew not what caring for others meant. Why would anyone want to be his friend was beyond Hawk¡¯s understanding. He just hoped Monthu wasn¡¯t thinking about forgiving either. The guy was just so weak everywhere his brother was involved. ¡°If you¡¯re truly here for us, wouldn¡¯t it be safer to follow me from the shadow, or something?¡± Hawk asked, glancing at Dark. ¡°What shadow?¡± A look around reminded Hawk about where they were. It was all white without any larger structures to cast shadows. The place was a simple field between two mountains without anything in it. ¡°How do you move without leaving a trace?¡± ¡°Trade skill,¡± Dark answered, lifting his head halfway. He put his finger to his lips and closed his eyes. Hawk tried listening too but didn¡¯t pick anything up. He could hear his own breathing, voice echoes from far behind and snow grinding under their feet. There was no wind but he doubted that was a cause for worry. Without saying anything Dark started walking again. His eyes were locked on the ground but it was hard to judge his expression with black paint covering the upper half of his face. ¡°What was that?¡± Hawk asked. ¡°Did you hear something?¡± ¡°No,¡± Dark replied, his voice lacking any emotion. He didn¡¯t say anything more and Hawk stopped his questioning too. It was hard for him to decide whether to trust this rogue or not. Dark sounded like he knew what he was talking about but could his words be believed? L trusted him but the rogue was under Ace. That was the same as saying someone was beyond saving, too far gone. They walked in silence for half an hour when the path before them just ended. One moment it was there and the next empty space met Hawk¡¯s eyes. He moved a step closer to the edge and glanced downwards. The sight below froze him in the spot. ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± he asked in a whisper. ¡°Looks so,¡± Dark answered, coming to one of the walls at the sides and leaning back. He closed his eyes, standing still. Hawk didn¡¯t waste any more time on him and returned his eyes to the sight below. Hundreds of meters down a large snow field rested. It was huge, sure, but that wasn¡¯t what separated it from all others. It was what was on top that arrested attention. Snow covered beams rose from the ground in half-arcs. They were in two lines facing each other and going from largest in the middle to smaller arcs farther away in both directions. If that wasn¡¯t enough to make it look like some giant lizard¡¯s spine, there was a gigantic skull lying at the farthest corner. It was covered in snow and a bit out of shape but there was no mistaking. This was a dragon¡¯s carcass. Who could have killed such a beast, was the first question in Hawk¡¯s mind. These legendary monsters were out of anyone¡¯s league. Whole guilds tried to hunt them down and never succeeded. Some said they had come close but that could have been just boasting. A cold shiver went down Hawk¡¯s back as he thought about meeting someone who killed a dragon. Hopefully, those bones were very old. Maybe the creature even died from natural causes. It was doubtful judging by the way the skull was twenty meters away from the spine but who knows. Maybe the winds down below were very strong. Or the current inhabitants of these mountains redecorated the place. ¡°What is there?¡± Monthu asked, waking Hawk from his thoughts. He looked around to find the whole column having caught up. ¡°Wow!¡± Aurora shouted out with Deedara in tow, their eyes locked on the sight below. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this,¡± the first whispered. It made the other players interested too and everyone pushed to the edge. Some ice mage created a barrier to keep people from falling and the sightseeing began. Everyone pushed, rushing to see the remains of a dragon. Monthu tried to regain order but his words weren¡¯t heard. The rumour of a dragon spread through the army and everyone wanted to see it. They abandoned their wagons and left elks to whine as they hurried to see the legendary beast. Hawk had to agree there was magnificence even in the remains of that monster but this was too much. He was stuck near the edge, unable to move backwards nor forward. Someone pushed him into a wagon, hitting him against the wheel. It would have been a good chance to climb up but the thing was already crawlling with people. There wasn¡¯t a free space he could get a hold of. ¡°Hawk!¡± a voice shouted and he turned his head. He saw Dark trying to push to him, saying something but he was too far away to be heard. Seeing that, he did his best to move to the rogue. Hawk pushed against people, earning glares and shoves backwards but managed to take a few steps. Another few and he would be near the guy. ¡°What is it?¡± he shouted out when he was close. Dark took a look around and then answered in a loud voice. ¡°There is someone above us. Many of them.¡± ¡°Have you told this to Monthu?¡± Hawk asked in an instant, his face turning pale. If they were attacked now... ¡°Don¡¯t have in contacts and can¡¯t reach him.¡± /Enemies above/ Hawk sent the message. But, before he could receive a reply, there was a roar from above. He raised his head and saw creatures of white falling from the sky. They were snarling and slobbering as they descended with their claws aimed to massacre. Hawk tried to get his bow out but there were just too many people around. There was no space to get his weapon out. And he wasn¡¯t the only one with that problem. He saw warriors struggling to get their steels out, mages being disturbed mid-chant by the jostling of the crowd. And then the monsters were on them. ¡°Get away! Gaaah! My sword! Eline! Make wa-!¡± came shouts from everywhere in a deafening roar. People screamed over one another but the sound of flesh being cut was the loudest in Hawk¡¯s ears. Blood splashed into his eyes as a person before him was killed. He disappeared in a grey whiff of smoke and Hawk found himself face to face with a yeti. At some point the ground around him had freed up and he took out his dagger. It was a pathetic looking thing compared to the claws of the monster ahead of him. The yeti attacked and Hawk tried blocking, his dagger breaking in the middle. He looked at the jagged edge for a moment before raising his head to face his death. ¡°Sor-¡± he started to say when he saw a black shadow dash in front of him. It attacked the yeti without hesitation and reddened its white fur. The creature roared, baring its fangs but the rogue didn¡¯t seem to notice. Dark jumped right under the creatures flailing hands, stabbing three daggers into the neck. They weren¡¯t enough to fell the beast so he dived under the claws again and outside. The yeti was more careful now, following his every move. Dark stood still, waiting for a good moment to strike. His patience was rewarded when the creature growled and dashed for him. It opened its left side and Dark made his way there, avoiding the claws in his path. Two new wounds blossomed on the yeti¡¯s side and another on its hand as a parting gift. Dark then froze in place again. Not a muscle moved while he waited for another mistake. It didn¡¯t take long and when the creature turned to run, he dashed in. His dagger found the soft flesh of the belly and carved a picture in there. The yeti roared in pain, clawing at its chest in blind rage. A few strikes reached Dark but none of them were fatal. He pushed his dagger even deeper and soon the creature over him relaxed. For a second it wavered in the air, still trying to stand and then fell to the ground with a humph. Bits of snow rose in the air as red liquid soaked in for a moment. Then the monster was gone and a pile of items lay instead. ¡°You okay?¡± he asked turning to the lieutenant. The archer was staring at him wide-eyed as if he¡¯d never seen anyone kill a yeti before. ¡°How did you do that?¡± he asked but Dark grabbed his hand and dragged him away. This place was too dangerous to stand around. They needed to find the commander and make him organise the players somehow. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Or they would all be annihilated. ¡®I can¡¯t have that! Wing told me to ensure this mission¡¯s success!¡¯ ¡°Follow me,¡± he ordered the archer, releasing his hand and darting forward between two yetis slaughtering people. The lieutenant was still trying to ask questions but he was following and that was the most important part. Now they had to reach the commander somehow. Dark had seen him on the other side of the valley right before the commotion started. A yeti came his way and he dodged its claws, slashing at its side. The creature roared at him but after a moment went after another, easier prey. That was fine by Dark and he increased the pace. It wasn¡¯t certain that the commander survived but it had to be checked. If the answer was no, the archer behind him would have to be used. The guy didn¡¯t seem to be leader material but he had a rank and that was what mattered. People should listen to him if he only said something with authority in his voice. Few moments later he saw an elf being protected by three players. They were all backed to the wall by four yetis with no chance for escape. Poor fools letting themselves be cornered. As he watched them, a man with a scythe dashed in, slashing the back of one of the yetis. It hollered in pain, whirling around with teeth bared. It was good the man¡¯s weapon was so long or his hands would have been bitten off. Now only a few scratches on the scythe¡¯s handle appeared along many older ones as he moved it out of the way. The yeti sprung at him but the man, as if awaiting that, took a step to the side. This move landed him in a perfect position to make a deep cut on the yeti¡¯s back. The man then brought his weapon back and took a defensive position. His chest was raising high, sweat running down his forehead but his lips were set in a grim line. At the creature¡¯s hesitation the man jumped forward, his scythe making a wide arc as it came down. The yeti blocked it with his claws but in an instant the man shifted the handle and pushed the back of it into the creature¡¯s chest. It made the yeti stumble backwards and gave a chance for the blade to return and slash at its shoulder. Two arrows embedded into its heart. Dark glanced backwards to see the archer with his bow in hand, preparing another shot. It prompted the rogue to go help and while the man held the yeti¡¯s attention slash at its neck. Few more arrows and strikes later the creature fell to the ground, turning into mist. ¡°I need to he-¡± the man said. Dark now recognised him as the commander and interrupted him midway. ¡°You need to order everyone! Unite them!¡± The man didn¡¯t seem to get it, staring at him without any understanding in his expression. ¡°Look at them! They¡¯re getting slaughtered!¡± He pointed at all the people around them getting slaughtered. They were running, getting in each other¡¯s way and doing everything but fighting back. And those few who did were on their own. Alone they stood no chance. ¡°You need to calm them down! Make them fight as a unit! They need to b-¡± ¡°I know!¡± the commander shouted out, rushing off. Dark followed him to the first wagon and saw him climb up. From there he bellowed, ¡°Hey!¡± For a moment the battle turned silent, both sides turning to look at him. ¡°Form groups! And move here! Stop running! Are you cowards? Or the best warriors of Lasran? Chosen heroes?¡± There was no hesitation from people as they shouted back. ¡°Heroes!¡± But it was one thing to shout and a whole another to fight creatures that were five times your strength. The elf jumped on the wagon with his long legs and started a lively tune. It wasn¡¯t anything like his performance the night before. There was no surge of joy or magic at its sound. Yet there was something special in it. ¡°What shitty music is that? It gives no bonuses!¡± some warrior shouted out before receiving a slash over his chest armour. The elf just smiled at that and continued to play. Dark had to agree that the music was strange. Usually, bard songs gave some statuses to increase the fighting capabilities of players who heard it. This did nothing of the kind but Dark wasn¡¯t quick to disregard it. He saw the panic in players¡¯ eyes disappearing and a certain calm wash over them. It was like a magic spell. No one who were in the fights noticed its power but from the outside it was obvious. Dark changed his opinion about this guild leader. There would have to be information collected about him, he was much more dangerous than he let on. Dark himself had disregarded him as just another casual player. While he thought that a yeti smashed into the wagon they stood on. It lurched to the right and they slid down, falling onto the ground. Dark landed on his feet like the two leaders but the elf hit his shoulder. He scowled in pain before regaining his trademark smile. ¡°Fate smiles on me,¡± he said, standing up when a claw caught him in the back. It hurled him three meters forward where he landed on his face. His back was a bloody mess, it was clear he was no fighter by the damage he took. The elf coughed blood, cleaning his face with the back of his hand. There was wonder in his eyes as he saw that and the yeti preparing to lunge at him. Dark felt for the elf but there was no way to aid him. After the commander¡¯s words and the song, they had become the primary target. More than ten yetis had come to try and kill them. For the moment they were safe with their backs to the fallen wagon but if they took a step forward, it was all over. They had to wait for other players to come and aid them. It was a sad truth for the elf but when was truth ever welcome. The elf seemed to have resigned to his fate too. He laid down on his back, staring at the sky with a faint smile on his face. It confused the yeti, judging by the time it took to attack but it was ready now. The creature tried to kick at the lying elf when a blade intercepted. It cut through the skin with the yeti¡¯s own momentum, leaving a wide gash on the foot. ¡°No,¡± Dark shouted out for that was the commander who had moved out. Sure it was a brave thing but suicidal too. He left himself open and all other yetis surrounded him. There was no way to save him. ¡°Monthu,¡± the archer shouted out, shooting arrows one after another at the backs of yetis but they ignored him. They had rounded on the enemy leader, ten on one. Nothing was going to get them off of him. ¡°Leave him,¡± Dark muttered, grabbing the elf by the shoulder. The archer didn¡¯t listen so he snatched him by the collar and dragged him away too. At least one of the leaders had to live. If all the commanding players were killed, the mission would end in nothing but failure no matter how many other players survived. He managed to get them near the edge. There were less fights there as neither side wanted to fall, the barrier being gone. For a moment Dark hesitated and then pushed both players off. The elf stared him in the eyes as he fell but didn¡¯t shout anything unlike the archer who was cursing in a myriad of languages. ¡°Jump off,¡± Dark shouted out as loud as he could. It wasn¡¯t much but some heads turned his way. ¡°There¡¯s too many of them! The only way is to jump off! Do it! You¡¯ll live!¡± Disbelieving eyes met his words but there was nothing more he could do. He was just a simple rogue, not a hero, or saviour. If those people had any brains, they would follow him. If not... No, he didn¡¯t want to think about that. He had to succeed in this mission. He had promised it to his master. 8.3 Frozen Author''s Note: Sorry for the late and not proof-read chapter. Have an exam on Monday so it''s taking all my time and energy, it''s a wonder I managed to even finish the chapter on time. Hope you enjoy and comment to point out where I''ve made mistakes ^^ Edit: Proofread **** Snow was everywhere. Dark could see, hear, smell, taste and feel it. The little frozen particles covered him whole, sneaking under his clothes and chilling him to the bone. He pushed himself off the ground and coughed violently. Snow dripped from his mouth, half liquid. The taste was horrendous and he coughed again, trying to get it out. It wasn¡¯t a successful endeavour and Dark just made his throat feel more raw. A glance at his health bar showed that he had bigger problems, though. Death was knocking on his door. He opened his bag and took out a potion, gulping it down in an instant. Health returned and the throat calmed down a bit. Dark brushed a hand over his face, cleaning the snow off and feeling bruises heal right under his fingers. It passed soon and he pushed himself back, sitting down on his knees. He took a look of his surroundings, whiteness blinding his vision. It lasted for a moment and he saw the archer and elf lying few meters away. Dark stood up on shaky legs and went to check up on them. The archer was in bad shape, white faced and with a hand twisted in an unnatural pose. His side was torn and bleeding, red liquid flowing into snow and melting it. Wisps of steam rose from there. Dark leaned down next to him and poured a potion in his mouth. It was a waste of money but it had to be done. He had promised Wing to finish this mission. No matter the price, it had to be done. The archer coughed on the liquid but drank it. It took mere seconds for colour to return to his face and a groan leave his mouth. He was going to live. That was good news and Dark moved onto the elf. He didn¡¯t expect to see him alive even if the body was there. The fall took a huge amount of health and the elf had already been wounded. He had no chance of survival. Purple eyes met Dark¡¯s searching gaze. He saw snow covering the elf, his face and clothes but there were no bruises or cuts. Not a single wound or tear in the robes. The elf looked as if he had just rolled around in the snow for fun, not been thrown off a mountain side higher than half a kilometre. ¡°Light is not your colour. Darkness suits you better,¡± the man spoke up. Dark watched him in suspicion for a moment before shifting his eyes to himself. He was covered in snow and blood, tears marking where he¡¯d hit sharper edges. Dark returned to the archer. The man was sitting now, looking at his quiver with a look of pure disgust. It took a moment for Dark to see the problem. All the arrows had broken on the fall along with the bow itself. And it was most likely the best set the archer had. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± he hissed when he noticed Dark¡¯s presence. ¡°You left Monthu to die! You bastard!¡± He jumped, trying to attack with his dagger. The slash was so childish that Dark could step out of it and that was enough to throw the archer¡¯s balance off. He slipped on the snow and fell down, face first. ¡°Damn! Yo-¡± ¡°I saved your life.¡± ¡°What?¡± the archer growled, pushing himself up. His eyes was narrowed and lips twisted into a snarl. ¡°You freaking killed him! I could have helped! And you just ran away!¡± He tried attacking again then. This time he didn¡¯t slip but the archer was no dagger master. All of his slashes didn¡¯t pose the merest of dangers to Dark. It was like a kid waving his stick in a game of make-believe. Ten minutes later the archer was breathing heavy, sweat running down his face in torrents while Dark made the barest of side steps. But he was getting cold. That more than anything prompted him to speak up. ¡°Are you done?¡± The archer roared and rushed the rogue but this time Dark caught the dagger hand. He hit the wrist, forcing the man to release the dagger and then held him in place. ¡°I saved your life. You need to live and lead the rest of survivors. This mission needs to end in success.¡± There was no answer but breathing for a good minute. ¡°Survivors? You and the elf? No one¡¯s stupid enough to jump off.¡± He seemed to having calmed down a bit so Dark released him. ¡°They will come,¡± he said in a bland tone. It wasn¡¯t a fact but it had to happen. The mission would fail otherwise and that wasn¡¯t an option. ¡°We need to make a fire. The temperature is dropping.¡± ¡°What¡¯s stopping you?¡± the archer asked with a twist to his mouth and before Dark could reply he turned and walked away. There wasn¡¯t anywhere to go so Dark let him and went to find a good place for a fire. Not far he saw a natural indentation in the wall. It was some three four meters deep, able to serve as an impromptu shelter with only one side open for entering. Dark checked the walls and finding them strong, took out a few logs. He didn¡¯t carry much but this was going to serve for now. They¡¯ll have to go exploring the place later on. Now it was important to warm up and regain the feeling in the muscles. The attack and movement speed had dropped by whole thirty percent because of the cold. It was dangerous to be this weak in an unknown territory. Flint helped to create a spark which dropped on the papers put below. Flames burst into existence and Dark pushed them under the logs. They were dry so fire soon caught up and blazed hot. Dark put his hands near it, enjoying the warmth. That didn¡¯t last long for he felt snow melting in his clothes. It was a curious feeling but not a comfortable one. Trickles of water ran down his chest, clothes starting to stick to his body. ¡°Shit,¡± he cursed and took out a blanket from the inventory. It was old and ragged but had served him well in all his travels. He walked to the place¡¯s entrance and looked upwards. The ceiling was high, a whole meter over his head. After a moment¡¯s thinking he took out four daggers with a ring at the handle. He wrapped a thick thread around each one and connected them to the blanket. It was a bit sad tearing it even more but this was survival. Once the connections were done he took out another pair of daggers and used them to climb up the wall with the blanket on his shoulder. It was a bit uncomfortable but he went up, the blades sliding deep into the icy wall and holding up. The next part was somewhat more complicated. He stuck one the daggers straight up and had to push the blanket¡¯s ones in before falling off. Two were in when he felt himself slipping and let go of the blanket. He fell in a crouch, both hands on the ground and a glance upwards showed that the daggers held. Half the job done. Now he had to return and put the other side of the blanket up to block the whole entrance. Cold wind passed, forcing a shiver out of him but he stilled himself and started his climb upwards again. Only once it was done did he rush to the fire and warm himself up. His fingers were close to turning blue by the time. ¡®What is this abnormal cold...¡¯ Well, he had cover now and could change his clothes. These were his favourite but he had a few extra pairs. Black boots, trousers and a long sleeved shirt. After a good look he even found a mask for his eyes. It didn¡¯t give much warmth but everything counted in this freezing cold. Dark watched his blanket stretched on the entrance with a tired look. It was the best place for it. Most efficient. He turned away and moved closer to the fire, closing his eyes for a moment. He had dry clothes on, fire and a shelter. Two leaders had survived and if luck held, some players. It was as good as one could hope after that terrible sequence of events above. There was still a chance to finish this. Nothing was lost yet. At some point he had to succeed too. It was impossible that he was meant for failure. A gust of wind got in and Dark opened his eyes. He saw the archer peaking with only his head in. His face was red but the tips of his ears were turning blue. ¡°Can I enter?¡± he asked in a slow, forced tone. Dark nodded and returned his eyes to the fire. It was still going strong but it won¡¯t last forever. He had only three more logs in his inventory, few hours¡¯ worth of fuel. He tried to remember if he¡¯d seen any trees in this field but it was a hazy memory. There was no point to paying attention to what¡¯s below when he was looking for danger on his own level. Wrong direction also, as it showed up. He just hadn¡¯t thought that someone could survive the fall from the cliffs above them with enough health to attack. Like an idiot he had judged the yetis by human standards. He heard the archer settling before him and saw his frigid fingers extended to the fire. Just like Dark the man wasn¡¯t dressed for winter. Somehow few had taken their time to get warmer clothes. Everyone expected this to be over quick and without much resistance from the place. It was monsters people were used to fighting, not nature itself. Another mistake in Dark¡¯s repertoire. He had made so many of them, it was no wonder this was going so bad. Why did he ever think he could take the responsibility of ensuring this mission¡¯s success? ¡°Master,¡± he whispered. Wing had asked that of him and this time Dark couldn¡¯t fail. He had promised that to himself and master alike. No giving up this time. ¡°Hmm?¡± the archer asked, raising his head. Fire had melted his anger and reluctance along with the snow. ¡°Did you say anything?¡± ¡°Have you seen the elf?¡± The archer scowled at the mention of the Draugar¡¯s leader. ¡°He¡¯s walking around as if he¡¯s out in the park! I had to check on you to see I¡¯m not imagining this cold!¡± Dark had a hard time believing someone could not feel the bone chilling presence. Even near the fire his back was getting cold while his hands were close to roasting. He had to shift his position to make sure the rest of him got warm too, though in that time the other side, away from the fire, started freezing. ¡°Did you see anything on your walk around?¡± he asked without raising his head, eyes locked on the dancing flames. The archer shook his head as he moved a bit closer to the fire. ¡°Not really. Though, if it is, it¡¯s deep beneath the snow.¡± He breathed a sigh of pleasure as he moved his fingers. ¡°This is more like it. I feel like a human again.¡± A head peeked through the cloth at the entrance. Pointed ears gave away their owner in an instant. ¡°You have visitors.¡± ¡°Who a-¡± Hawk started but Dark didn¡¯t listen. He stood up and checking the daggers at his sides ventured outside. Cold hit him with a brutal punch, shivers racked his body but he shook them off. He ran past the elf to the ledge and saw three people lying on the ground. One of them turned into smoke before he even came close. The other two were breathing heavy, their faces twisted in agony. There was only one way to save them and Dark did it. He took out his potions and poured them down the throats of both the fallen guys. It felt like dropping gold coins off the cliff. He didn¡¯t have enough potions to save everyone yet he had to try. This was all he could do. Maybe later on another way will show itself but now there was nothing. It was either save these guys or let them die. Simple as that. They coughed for a moment and then breathed easier. Their bones jumped into place and colour returned to their faces. ¡°Thanks,¡± one of them muttered, sitting up. Dark left him to it, coming closer to the mountain¡¯s slippery cliff-like side. He lifted his head up but nothing could be seen. How many players were still alive? Was there a chance or was he just wasting his time? ¡°Hey, man. You saved me, thanks,¡± said a cheerful tone from behind him. Dark turned around to meet eyes with the one of the guys he¡¯d helped. The man was in his mid thirties with plate armour of highest quality. It would be tricky if one had to kill him. Though, he didn¡¯t have his helmet on now. His whole head and neck were open for attack. ¡°How is the fight?¡± Dark asked, still staring upwards. If only he could see what was happening there. ¡°Bad stuff up there,¡± the man beside him answered in a grim tone, looking upwards for a moment too. ¡°People have formed little groups and are holding out, for now. It won¡¯t last, though.¡± ¡°Idiots,¡± the other plated man grunted. The archer made his way to them. He had his hands wrapped around himself and Dark felt the cold again. A quick glance at his fingers showed them having taken a whitish colour. He rubbed them together, not daring to put in his pockets. ¡°Jackal?¡± the archer asked, his voice raising for a moment. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect to see you first here.¡± The second man snickered while the first grumbled under his breath. ¡°We fell off.¡± Archer laughed aloud, his eyes shining with mirth. ¡°And here I thought you¡¯d be the last man standing.¡± ¡°What about you yourself? Weren¡¯t you the first to run from the fight?¡± Now it was archer¡¯s time to look away. ¡°Thank that guy,¡± he said pointing at Dark.¡± He left Monthu to die and threw me with the elf down.¡± ¡°Elf? Is he alive?¡± ¡°Alive and kicking. I have no idea how he can stand the cold in his see-through clothes but he¡¯s the one best off here. By the way, what¡¯s his name? All I have ever heard anyone calling him is the elf.¡± Jackal smiled. ¡°That¡¯s for a reason. His name is unpronounceable.¡± ¡°I am Lathlaeril,¡± the elf piped up, joining the conversation. Dark turned and saw him standing as if he was anywhere but in this frozen place. His skin was normal looking without any signs of being cold in the least. Not only that but heat was radiating off of him. If he stood longer in the same place, ice melted underneath. Was that a skill or something? But Dark had never heard of bards being able to control their natural heat. Weren¡¯t all their abilities associated with music? ¡°Yeah, try saying that,¡± the second plate armour guy muttered. ¡°Letheril? Lahliril? Lytheril?¡± the archer tried to the elf¡¯s and the armoured guys¡¯ amusement. ¡°I suggest you stick with the elf,¡± Jackal said as a fireball whooshed far above them. ¡°We need to do something. I can¡¯t just sit here and wait for everyone to die without doing anything.¡± Finally something Dark shared. But what could they do? He had suggested for players to jump down but none did. Others could motivate better but that wasn¡¯t the main problem. How could they keep the players alive? Potions were in limited supply, Dark had only five left. Others might have more but even if they agreed to use them, there wouldn¡¯t be enough. Another way had to be found. He took out his daggers and tried running up the ice wall. His feet slipped but he managed to push the left blade in. It held him for a second but the ice was too thick and snow above too thin. Cold hard ground met him with a smack. Five percent of his health disappeared but what rattled him was the failure itself. He could get better at this but what would it solve? Him hanging for his life on the daggers wasn¡¯t going to save anyone. ¡°What were you planning?¡± Jackal asked, stopping right above Dark. ¡°Do you want to get back up?¡± Dark shook his head as he stood up. Snow clung to his new set of clothes and a chill sneaked into his bones. He felt himself shiver against his own will. If that wasn¡¯t enough, his limbs got harder to move. Both legs and hands felt like they had turned into marble. He ignored the man¡¯s question and rushed to the shelter. Fire should still be going there and he might regain control of his character. Warmth should do the trick. For now. He didn¡¯t want to think what will happen when the logs burned out. Flames licked his fingers and a few minutes later feeling returned into them. Instead he himself shivered twice as much. He opened his status menu and as expected cold resistance was zero. Without hope he opened his inventory but there was nothing useful there. He believed that if you were seen, you were dead so there was no point to buy resistance potions. ¡°What happened?¡± Jackal asked, rushing into the shelter. Dark didn¡¯t even glance his way. The most important thing right now was to get warm and think up a way to save all those people above. There had to be something he could do. This was a game, not real life. ¡°There¡¯s a fire here?¡± the other plated guy asked, pushing his way in. He flopped almost on the logs and extended his hands into the flames. ¡°Ahh, this is more like it.¡± Jackal went in after him but he stayed clear of the fire. ¡°We need to aid the people above. Do you know a way?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯d be sitting here if I did?¡± Dark snapped, standing up in a rush. His hands shook at his sides as he glared at the mailed man. But getting angry was useless, Dark pushed the man out of the way and stomped outside. He stopped when he reached the wall and stared at it with disgust. There had to be a way to overcome this problem. He had promised to do it. The elf gave him an amused look but Dark didn¡¯t pay him much attention. There was more important matters to attend. He let his eyes roam over the top of the cliff but it was far out of sight. No details could be seen from below. He then looked all over the slide. There were raises and bumps, parts of fallen tree trunks sticking out. It was a wonder he had survived going through that. Others wouldn¡¯t be so lucky. Only classes with higher health than average would make it down here for sure. But he needed a cleric. If there was at least one, he could heal people mid-fall and save them. It was the best possible solution yet how he was to get a healer in this mess? ¡°Hey, sorry about that. I didn¡¯t want to anger you,¡± Jackal came to say but received no reply. The black robed rogue didn¡¯t even turn his head to acknowledge him. ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean it.¡± ¡°We need a healer,¡± he said instead. It took Jackal a moment to understand what the man was talking about. ¡°It might help but how are we going to get one? I doubt any would survive.¡± Dark didn¡¯t say anything. He was still figuring that out. A shiver ran down his body but he suppressed the need to hug himself to save some warmth. He glared at the mountain side instead, wondering how one could save anyone in the middle of the fall. ¡®What if I tried to grab him?¡¯ he thought. There was a good possibility he could manage. His mechanical skills were decent, as well as his reaction time. He had ran up around five meters before falling and he wasn¡¯t trying too hard. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. But where would he find a healer that would trust him enough to try? ¡°Friendship is a wonderful thing. People trust each other and accept your faults. Isn¡¯t that the best thing ever?¡± the elf asked in a wishful tone. He had his eyes half-closed as he stared at the sky. Dark was about to dismiss his comment when a thought struck him. The archer was always with a female cleric. He could ask her to come down if she was still alive. ¡°Archer, can you ask the cleric to come down?¡± ¡°To die here?¡± the archer asked in distrust. He was standing next to the two plated man and giving Dark a narrowed eye stare. The rogue shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m going to catch her. She won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°How can you be so sure? You didn¡¯t get far up last time you tried.¡± Dark came closer to him. He hoped the man will see the determination in his eyes. There was no way he was going to fail. ¡°I will succeed.¡± The archer kept his eyes for a long minute. Then he sighed and raised his hand, motioning with it in the air. ¡°I¡¯ll trust you this once. But if you fail, know that you won¡¯t live much longer than her.¡± Dark nodded and moved back near the slide. He made sure his daggers were tightly strapped and flexed his fingers, readying himself. Cold was entering his bones, slowing his movements but it wasn¡¯t over the top yet. Ten percent. That was the amount he¡¯d lost. But he believed if he pushed enough, he could get everything back for a moment. And that was all that mattered. If he could save the healer, everyone would be able to come down. The mission will be safe for the moment. ¡°She is coming down in a second. They have to run through a few fights,¡± the archer said as Dark noticed two shadows leaving off the cliff. ¡°They?¡± he screamed out, falling into a sprinting position, eyes set on the target. One dot was lighter so it had to be the priestess. He followed her descent as she hit against the snow and started rolling down. When she was closer, he saw red on her robes. Was she wounded before even jumping off? That would mean her chances to reach even his point were slim. He had to try and go now. She was fifty meters ahead but if he waited, she could die at any moment. Step forward and he was running up. Faster than the brain could process he made the steps. There was no time to worry if he would slip. His eyes were set on the female he was getting closer to with each passing second. She was fifteen meters away, now ten. The other figure crashed right before her with a horrible breaking sound. Childish face flashed through Dark¡¯s vision but his eyes were only for the female. No matter what, he had to save her. But the child was in front. He was sliding faster and was coming straight at Dark. There was no way to dodge him but by jumping. On the slippery surface. Dark didn¡¯t have time to hesitate. He put pushed harder against the ground and sprung forward. The snow covering underneath him broke and he was thrown off course. He crashed on the ice to the right of the female cleric. But not too far. As they were both propelled into the air for a short moment, he grabbed onto her robe¡¯s end and pulled her closer. She screamed out but ignoring that, he positioned himself underneath. A sharp stone hit against his back. He gasped with the pain, pushing the female off himself with all the force he had. Her shouts became even louder but Dark saw a glimpse of her flailing through the air. It brought a smile to his face as his hand got caught beneath him. He closed his eyes and ignoring pain awaited his fate. There was a chance he¡¯d survive this, but a very slim one. His health was flashing red before him and it was going only down. The elf watched the flight of everyone from the corner of his eyes. It was easy to see that the boy was going to die, he was on his last points of health. Rogue coming in close second. Even the priestess didn¡¯t seem to be much better off. Dark had slowed her descent and saved her from meeting every bump on the slide. Yet the fall was going to be enough to finish her off. And no one was doing anything to save either of them. The elf curled his lip upwards at the way all those three man just stood and stared in horror. They knew something had to be done but had no idea for the right thing. So they simply did nothing. What a bunch of fools. Ace took a few quick steps away and after turning around whispered to the air, ¡°Winds that don¡¯t find rest, Gust!¡± He aimed the spell behind himself but from the moment he started chanting, he knew something had went horribly wrong. Violent air torrents surged from all directions, raising snow from the ground to the point where it was no longer possible to see anything. Great gusts made Ace stumble himself as he was lifted from the ground. He activated [Mystic Eyes} and dropped the illusion to get a better look of his surroundings. Right as he did that, he saw Jackal flying at a worrying speed straight at him. Ace used [Radiant Step] to move out of the way as the wind tugged him in a new direction now. There was no stabilising himself in here so he allowed the wind to carry him, only shifting the position when a wall or a person came his way. While flying like that, he took notice of the situation around him. It was a freaking snow storm. And he had caused it. With a simple [Gust] spell. As he watched he saw Jackal being smashed against the wall, Hawk being thrown into Aurora. They clasped hands and tried to stay together against the raging winds. Par was so light he was caught in between the fighting currents, being pushed right and left but not hitting anything. The last person, some underling of Jackal¡¯s, was flying through the air, laughing. Ace followed him for a moment before activating [Void Step]. He had only a second before wind pushed him away to deal damage but that was more than enough. His daggers reached flesh after being enforced with [Magma Blade] and took good chunks of the guy¡¯s health. Ace repeated that a few more times before using [Heart-seeker]. The man turned into smoke with no one the wiser and Ace no longer looking suspicious. It would be troublesome if only the elf disappeared. Some might put two and two together which would remove the biggest plus from his class. Black shadow passed over Ace¡¯s head and he raised it to see Dark floating. He had his arms wrapped around himself, shivering. ¡®Is he cold?¡¯ Ace¡¯s eyes widened. [Excessive Heat] was keeping him warm but not others. By trying to save them from the fall, he was going to freeze them to death. It was a wonder they weren¡¯t ice sculptures already by the white sheen on Dark¡¯s face. But what was Ace to do? He couldn¡¯t stop the storm as he wasn¡¯t supplying the mana. It was that simple incantation that had caused it all. What if..? Ace closed his eyes and started to chant, ¡°Fire¡¯s burning within every existence, you keep them warm and alive but now is not the time for nurturing, Excessive Heat!¡± He felt his blood igniting. No, it was no longer blood but lava running through his veins. Heat radiated from his every pore as if trying to consume him, burn him alive. Ace clenched his teeth but the feeling was gone as soon as it appeared. Once he opened his eyes he saw waves of red leaving his body, distorting the air around him. They melted the snow in his vicinity but unlike he wished the winds weren¡¯t decreasing. . If he was to guess, they seemed to be growing even worse. But the important part was that he had achieved his current goal. Snow had melted and instead it started raining now. This meant no one was going to freeze to death. Huge plus. Or at least a plus. The winds were still there and if not dealt with, they were going to kill everyone. ¡®Par doesn¡¯t deserve this,¡¯ Ace thought watching the kid being thrown around like a rag doll. He might be an idiot but he was young. That gave him reason to act the way he did, be so damn innocent. Others, not so much. Well, Dark had tried his best to make things work. Ace admired him for that, especially for saving his cover above. Second later and he would have had to activate one of his skills, giving himself away. So what could he do now? Cast another [Gust]? Ace shook his head to himself as he was thrown to the side. The wall met him with a hard welcome, rattling his bones. Ace wasn¡¯t thrilled by it and activated [Void Step] a number of times to reach a place on a mountain side where he was safe from the wind. It was a beautiful sight down below. Rain pelting the ground as people were thrown around like feathers. Parts of dragon skeleton were broken and flew in a dangerous proximity to the players. Ace thought for a minute, face palming himself afterwards. How to save, how to save when he had taken himself out already. What was preventing him from doing the same just with other people in hand? He dived downwards, head first. Wind pushed his hair backwards, rain getting in his eyes. It made it hard to see but he saw a glimpse of black. Dark. [Void Step] there and Ace was right beside him. The same skill wouldn¡¯t work with other people so now it was time for [Radiant Step]. This was harder to use in the storm. Not only was the eyesight horrendous but the wind tried its best to push him off the fields. Ace had levelled up the skill so he could have a few of them at the same time but that didn¡¯t make it any easier. Winds were rushing him from all sides, messing up his balance. If that wasn¡¯t enough, he had to hold onto Dark with one hand. Something that required lots of strength and even more balancing around as not to be flown along with him. Ace created fields underneath and to the side, behind Dark to use his body to keep him in place. It was probably the only thing that kept them moving at all. Though not much. ¡®These freaking winds! They¡¯re too strong to move against with a dead weight!¡¯ Ace stopped for a moment, letting the currents push him in a random direction. ¡®Against? Why fight something if I can use it!¡¯ He took a glance around and noticed a current going near the right way. Few fields, a moment of struggle and he was in it, Dark dragging after. They were sped through so fast Ace missed the jumping off part. It was back in the middle of the storm. But Ace now knew what he had to do. He found the current that moved in the right direction and jumped. It carried him swiftly forward and this time he was paying close attention. Few moments before the leaving point he activated the fields and pushed himself off. Other current tried to grab him but fields helped to keep on track. Hair got in the way, blocking the eyes. Ace pushed them off with the free hand and moved the last step. They were out of the storm. Here the winds were weaker and the rain but a drizzle. Ace climbed even higher, finding a cave like fissure in the mountain side. It wasn¡¯t large but could keep three people hidden. Just the right size. He threw Dark in there and with a wide smile made a back flip. There was nothing to catch him so he just fell for a long moment, enjoying the feel when wind caught him again. It was back to the struggle. He took notice of Par¡¯s red robe and finding a current moving in that direction entered it. The kid¡¯s hand was ice cold as Ace grabbed it. He took a long look at him but the fact that he was here meant he was still alive. That was the important part and Ace carried him to safety. The travel wasn¡¯t simple but once you got the reigns, it was possible. Unlike his first try of fighting back. When Par was dropped into the safety of the cave, Ace settled at the edge. He turned [Excessive Heat] off, though it had already done its job. The area surrounding him had melted, leaving only ground below so there was no chance of slipping. Not that it mattered much. Ace had a thought to return back there himself. It had been an interesting experience to fly around without trying. Moving in all directions but having absolutely no control over it. He stood up to go back when the sky caught his eye. It was turning purple. The colour was pale lavender now but it was growing more intense the longer he watched. He¡¯d never seen a sky like that. What was it suppose to mean? A sound from behind attracted his attention and he saw Par staggering out. The kid didn¡¯t seem to be comfortable on his own feet, almost falling with every other step. Wall keeping most of his weight. ¡°Ace?¡± he called out in a shaky voice. The person in question turned away as if bit. ¡°That guy is dead. Leave me alone.¡± ¡°But you saved me! And now you¡¯re going to save everyone else!¡± Ace turned around, a smirk on his face. ¡°Who said anything about helping others? They can die for all I care!¡± His smile widened at the disbelieving look on the kid¡¯s face. ¡°Did you really think I was some kind of hero? That I would save everyone?¡± He laughed out aloud. Par¡¯s eyes watered as he looked. He tried taking a step forward, slipped and lay for a moment. His body shook when he pulled himself upwards, snow covering his face. An emotion long forgotten tugged at Ace¡¯s conscience. His fingers twitched, wanting to go and help the kid, say sorry. ¡°You¡¯re pathetic,¡± he said, looking down at the fallen boy. The kid whimpered, lowering his head down. ¡°I-,¡± he tried saying but a sob cut him off. He spluttered for a moment, raising his eyes for a second to meet Ace¡¯s. What he saw didn¡¯t seem to sit well with him for his head drooped even lower. ¡°Thought so. You¡¯re nothing but your brother¡¯s baby boy. Pitiful creature.¡± ¡°No!¡± the boy shouted out, pushing himself upwards on shaky legs. He looked ethereal with half-melted snow glistening all over him. Tears of righteous indignation went down his cheeks as he found courage to stare back. Ace turned away as a bitter smile graced his face. The way Par looked now, that¡¯s how he had always imagined angels to be. Not those golden haired, blue eyed sculptures of beauty and magnificence that lacked any emotion. Mockery of true strength. One Ace never found within himself. He looked into the purpling sky and remembered the darkness. Night time. It still made his heart speed up every time. [Flare] left his cloak, a familiar light shining in his vision. It was the best spell he¡¯d ever learnt but one he didn¡¯t like thinking about. The flame reminded him too much of the skeletons lurking in his past. Things he¡¯d forced himself to do for years to get over his fears. Terror that never really left. Anger, pride and competitiveness kept him moving but they weren¡¯t going to last him long. The last one was gone already. He was alone in the world and holding the record of living the longest. What a pitiful title. Why did he ever think it mattered? Oh, right. That old man. He had made it look important, like it was worth living for. Worth facing all your monsters, conquering them. The man had just forgotten to mention how hard it was going to be. How tiresome and exhausting. That once you did, you were no longer sure whether it had been really worth the effort. He had joined the game to see how much he¡¯d changed and it had been awesome at first. Learning the path of the rogue, hunting players and playing around in a group. It all had amused him to no end. But it was getting old now. His favourite Ace was gone, Wing had become a caricature of what he had planned for him and Lathlaeril. The elf was still fun but it was a periodical character. After a day it got tiresome to talk in cryptic words and see their quality drop. Having no known fighting capabilities in battles was annoying too. There were his students but they weren¡¯t of much use either. He had thought they might bring some interest to the game but all they did was whine. Only Fenek was any good and Dark now. The latter was actually the best thing that had happened in the last few weeks. It was amusing to watch as he tried his best without saying a word to others. A well trained dog, though one with the worst of lucks when choosing his masters. ¡°I am not pitiful!¡± Par shouted out, waking Ace from his thought. ¡°I¡¯m my own person! There¡¯s nothing wrong with listening to adults!¡± ¡®Oh, he¡¯s still here,¡¯ Ace mused, shifting his head slightly to the left. The kid was standing in the same place, hands clenched tight against his sides. An expression of fierceness on his face. It was a bit discredited by tear stains and quivering lips but still looked good on him. Unlike on Ace.It always struck him strange how everyone believed his innocent act. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he¡¯d been such. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± he asked the boy, looking back with a cold look. There was tiredness in his voice that he hadn¡¯t planned for. It more than anything else made the kid waver. He took a step forward but Ace¡¯s glare dissuaded him from coming closer. Instead he opened his mouth. ¡°I-I want you to save everyone!¡± he shouted out, lowering his head in an instant. Did he think he¡¯d overstepped his boundaries? ¡°Will that be enough?¡± Ace asked, raising his eyes upwards. The sky had gone deep purple in the time he¡¯d been thinking. What was going on there? ¡°E-enough fo-for what?¡± ¡°You never calling me Ace ever again,¡± Ace said, turning his burning glare to the kid. The boy shivered and it brought a smile to Ace¡¯s face. He imagined his eyes had turned crimson and through the mask holes looked great. ¡°Why?¡± Ace turned away, sitting down on the edge. ¡°They can die then. The priestess should be out of mana by now.¡± ¡°No!¡± Par screamed out, dashing to the edge. He caught himself before falling off and went on his knees to glance downwards. His eyes widened out of fear or seeing the storm Ace didn¡¯t know. ¡°You must save them...¡± the kid whispered. ¡°Must? Who is going to force me? You?¡± Ace laughed aloud. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Par took another glance below, pulling back in a second. ¡°I won¡¯t call you Ace. Just please, please protect everyone.¡± Ace turned but there was no longer any smile on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t forget it,¡± he said in a soft voice and pushed himself off. Par screamed something after him but the words were lost in the wind. 8.4 Windy **** Air rushed through Ace¡¯s ears as he fell through the air. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness when his instincts kicked in. A part of a giant bone went past his face, missing by a millimetre. Other projectiles were flashing past and Ace zeroed on his targets. First came Aurora with Hawk. It was unknown whether he could carry two in such winds but he could always try. [Void Step] and he was near his old team mates. They didn¡¯t notice him, holding onto each other for dear life. He grabbed onto Hawk¡¯s quiver and tried to reach a familiar current. Each step was a fight, taking minutes so he abandoned the idea. He would have to find other currents to bring him near the edge. Wind carried him around for a moment as he looked for something useful. Jackal came barrelling towards them, his armour packing a formidable hit. Ace used [Void Step] to evade it. Hawk and Aurora fell into a wind stream going upwards. There hadn¡¯t been any such before. Previously the wind had only circled around, not raising. But there was no time to ponder the mystery. He had promised Par to save them and that¡¯s what he was going to do. He reached the two again, this time grabbing onto Aurora¡¯s shoulder. She squeaked in surprise but didn¡¯t struggle. There was no point in this storm. Ace pushed himself off the fields, trying to break through the wind wall. His body was squeezed from all directions, the shoulder pulled from his hand. He managed to get out, leaving the raging currents. Yet his targets were back inside, tossed round and round. ¡°This won¡¯t do,¡± Ace muttered, jumping back in. The wind tore at his clothes, blinding him but [Instincts of a Predator] told him everything he needed to know. In a moment he reached Aurora and ramming his legs into Hawk pulled them apart. The girl screamed into his ear, reaching for her friend. He did his best to ignore that and moved towards the edge. Wind hadn¡¯t let down but it was much easier when he had only one person with him. Field behind, push. Fields left and right, steady, and one behind the female to keep her in place. Some more pushing, jump to the left and he dashed through the wall, his target in his hand. From there, only carrying her by the hand up to the cliff left. It had been quite far away but now the wind was blasting around there too, carrying snow mixed with rain. The storm was growing. Ace dropped the female next to Par and dived back in. Hawk wasn¡¯t hard to find and then Jackal. After releasing him, he was about to leave the place but a human shout brought his attention to the storm. At first he only saw rain and rubble flying in all directions, smashing against the walls and breaking. Snow was raised from the mountain sides. Nothing out of order. But then his eyes saw a moving object in the storm. It was flinging its limbs in fruitless attempt to find balance, or something. Ace wasn¡¯t sure what one could gain besides making a bigger target of himself. As he watched a piece of bone hit one of limbs, striking right through. He could almost hear the person¡¯s scream. But it was his imagination, the wind was roaring by now, deafening all other sounds. ¡°Damn,¡± he cursed but had a hard time hearing his own voice. Should he go and save that person too? It would be the noble thing to do. That thought decided for him. He wasn¡¯t going anywhere. Wing wasn¡¯t one of the good guys. His promise went so far. A commotion behind him caught his attention. He turned to see Par hanging off Aurora¡¯s neck, he held so tight it looked like he was choking her. Hawk sat next to them, massaging the kid¡¯s back. He was saying something but it was too far away to hear and Ace didn¡¯t feel like activating [All Ears]. ¡°Why did you agree to save everyone?¡± Dark asked. He had sneaked up from the side, taking Ace unaware had he not had his instincts. ¡°Everyone...¡± Ace whispered. He had said that. Not any name or group but everyone. Like an idiot he had said that himself, not been taunted into it. Though, it was a lie. He was taunted into it, just not by the kid but himself. ¡°Because Ace is dead,¡± he said to the rogue, dashing off the cliff. Wind met him and he went to save the rest of the company. The storm had kept intensifying and reached the place they had been attacked. From there it grabbed people and yetis alike, flinging them into walls, each other or flying rubble. No one was spared. Or shouldn¡¯t have. Ace interfered with the nature¡¯s will, grabbing people one by one and carrying them into the cave like fissure. It was quickly filling up but that wasn¡¯t part of Ace¡¯s problems. He had promised to get them out of the storm, that¡¯s all. Saving them didn¡¯t go further than that. He wasn¡¯t a fairy godmother. Wind was still growing. It was getting harder and harder to get out of the storm. Each time was a struggle, him winning so far. But not for long. He could feel his strength waning, stamina running out, while the winds raged on. He threw the person down and dived back in. Hair got in his eyes, icy shards joining. There was no way he could see anything through that. Instincts told him about a being to the left and he used [Void Step] to get next to him. But the wind was too strong. It pushed him off course. Ace tried activating the ability again but to no avail. He no longer held the power to travel around. No matter how many times he tried jumping around he was pushed by the currents. Right to the middle. Air circled in great streams, bringing everything in and within itself, throwing few things out. Ace wasn¡¯t among the lucky ones. All he could do was try and evade objects moving his way at close to light speed. And then it was gone. He was spit face first into the ground. On shaky hands he rose up to see a wall of wind surrounding him in all directions. Up above he could see a glimpse of purple sky, not hidden by rain and ice. Eye of a storm. It was obvious yet hard to believe. Where winds had raged in his ears, now there was nothing. It was quiet, eerily so. No wind was present either. Everything was still, as if waiting for something. Not daring to take a breath. Ace lied on his back, watching the violet sky. He had never seen it like that before. Was this a game feature or could the world have this colour too? ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± he whispered into the quietness as a wall of wind and rain crashed into him. ¡°We will be taken off one by one!¡± someone screamed in the crowd. Aurora tried to see who but there were too many people. They had squeezed into the small cave so that no one could move but many still stood outside. ¡°We need more space,¡± Jackal said next to her but it was obvious and without saying. Wind was deafening outside the cave. She wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to see what was happening there. Hawk tightened his grip on her hand. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± he murmured. She nodded at it but kept her doubts. There were nowhere to go and the storm was closing on them. The memory of being tossed left and right made her wince but she did her best not to think about it. She had to be strong for the little kid. Par had his hands around her waist, crying in her skirt without a sound. She had tried to calm him but nothing worked. He didn¡¯t say a word just bawled his eyes out for no apparent reason. And like always in such occasions, Monthu wasn¡¯t around. She knew it wasn¡¯t his fault that he died but his brother needed him. Now. It was hard not to be angry at him after seeing the little kid so distraught. The boy needed his big brother. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Hawk asked, taking a look around with narrowed eyes. They were pushed against the wall and could use it to raise a bit higher than the rest stood. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I think I heard something groaning.¡± He looked at the walls surrounding them but seeing nothing scowled. ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡± Aurora gave him a look. ¡°Throw a stone at the one who does.¡± They stayed silent for a moment and then Aurora heard it too. It sounded like an old doors being forced to work after years of not being used. They creaked and croaked, resisting to move from their place. From the sudden silence that descended on the cave Aurora knew they hadn¡¯t been the only ones who¡¯d heard it. Wherever she looked, she could see the same expression on people¡¯s faces. It was in their frozen statures, whitened faces and eyes staring into one spot, not seeing. Her lip trembled as she whispered. ¡°We¡¯re going to fall, aren¡¯t we?¡± It echoed through the silent cave as if she¡¯d shouted. All faces but one turned towards her. Par was still snivelling in her skirt. She hugged him closer to herself, turning away from the crowd. Hawk squeezed her hand but before either could say a word a loud crack sounded through the cave. It made statues of those who hadn¡¯t been such and all eyes went downwards. Right below them a line appeared on the ground. People tried to step off it but they were like fish in a barrel. There was no place to raise a hand, less so to change your position. That didn¡¯t stop some from trying. They pulled and pushed, going as far as stepping on others¡¯ shoulders, literary. In moments they were thrown down but it started a chaos. Voices rose in the air, shouts of outrage and screams of pain. Metal pushing against metal, cloth tearing. It was so loud no one noticed when the crack below them opened. One moment they were standing on solid ground and the other falling through the dark. Unable to see or hear anything more than their own choked screams. Aurora tightened her grip onto Par, holding him as close to herself as possible. ¡°Everything is going to be all right,¡± she whispered to him. ¡°We are going to survive this. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°He is gone,¡± the kid answered her in a dead voice. He sniffled then and burst into tears again. ¡°He¡¯s gone!¡± ¡°Shh, it¡¯s going to be okay. You hear me?¡± she told him, having no idea what he was talking about. The boy didn¡¯t believe her, shaking his head and starting to cry even louder. Hawk grabbed onto Par¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Why don¡¯t you log out and go talk with your brother? He is sure to solve everything.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s gone! Brother won¡¯t bring him back!¡± Aurora forced out a smile even if there was no way for Par to see it. ¡°How do you know that? Isn¡¯t your brother a miracle maker?¡± The kid sniffed at that, raising his head a bit. ¡°You really think he will?¡± Both Hawk and Aurora fell silent. Monthu was the best to deal with this kind of problems but he wasn¡¯t omnipotent. He couldn¡¯t make everything right and putting him on the spot wasn¡¯t going to help anyone. ¡°You should ask him, okay?¡± Hawk said finally. Par didn¡¯t answer but in a moment his body disappeared and the two were left alone. Aurora sighed. ¡°Should we log off too?¡± ¡°No,¡± Hawk said in an instant. ¡°We have to see what happens now.¡± ¡°What for? Monthu is dead, Par gone. We have no reason to stay.¡± ¡°Monthu had promised to lead this mission to victory and we agreed to aid him. We should see it to the end,¡± Hawk answered, remembering Dark¡¯s fevered gaze. The guy was a bit mad and stuck up on succeeding but he had been right. Hawk was now the leader, once Monthu was gone, and people needed him. If he left, the remaining players would split into groups and die on their own. Jackal would try to prevent that but he was but one man. And not everyone would follow someone who¡¯d been hired by Silver Wing. Apparently, it was one thing to be friends with a killer and another to have your order be created by him. The latter received a lot more distrust even though the first was more hated. Hawk had no idea how that worked but he knew that people listened to Monthu. There was a certain apprehension in their dealings but one born of fear rather than disgust. Well, Monthu and the rest of them had lived around half a year with the Wing and he hadn¡¯t killed them. It was an achievement none other could boast. ¡°Who cares about the mission? We¡¯re here to take care of the kid. That¡¯s all there¡¯s to it,¡± Aurora said with, he was sure, a glare his way. ¡°We aren¡¯t here to play games.¡± Hawk released her hand, putting his arms next to himself so he was diving downwards. He knew he wasn¡¯t here to play but this world was more than that. When he was hired, he had never before entered a game like this. It wasn¡¯t a mistake but he had never believed he¡¯d fall this much for a different reality. He didn¡¯t want to let it all fall apart, have L lose and them becoming refugees. Par won¡¯t like that kind of life for sure and they will have to leave. He didn¡¯t want that. If there was a way he could stop it, he had to try even if that annoyed Aurora. She was going to forgive him, anyway. There had yet to be a time she didn¡¯t. When he thought he had distanced himself from her, he spread his hands to slow down. It wasn¡¯t much but that was the best there was. He could only hope he wouldn¡¯t die on impact when they reached the ground. Something hairy touched his hand right as his body crashed. To his surprise it wasn¡¯t solid ground. His body bounced up before falling back again, this time without much force. The surface below him, after blind investigation, showed up to be fur. It was rough and uneven but not covered in snow. He raised his head to look upwards but there was nothing there. Everything was as black as around him. ¡°You alive?¡± came a voice. After a moment Hawk recognised it as Dark. ¡°Yeah,¡± he answered. ¡°The priestess?¡± ¡°She logged off with the boy,¡± Hawk said, sitting up. ¡°How many survived the fall you think?¡± He waited for an answer but there was none. When he extended his hands to get an idea of what was around, there wasn¡¯t anything alive there. Light appeared above. It was so bright Hawk had to close his eyes. When he opened them, a strange sight met him. The place was made up of fur roofed huts. They stood next to each other, making a sort of safety net. Players were lying or sitting on them, looking around in wonder. Few had stood up and tried finding an end to this sea of fur. ¡°Around fifty,¡± said a voice from behind, making Hawk jump in his place. He turned around to meet Dark¡¯s blank face. ¡°Two clerics, five mages, one more archer and the rest are warrior type.¡± ¡°Stop doing that!¡± Hawk hissed at him, putting a hand on his heart. The guy should learn some manners. Dark tilted his head as if not understanding. ¡°Doing what?¡± ¡°Sneaking up like that! You¡¯re going to give me a heart attack!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a gam-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! It¡¯s still annoying!¡± He huffed. ¡°Just don¡¯t do it, okay?¡± Dark nodded, moving a bit farther away. He was squatting, somehow managing not to fall. The roof was stretched out as much as possible but it was animal skin, not solid ground. It was a wonder how the roofs didn¡¯t fall in on impact. A brown robed mage stood up some ten metres away. He had a scowl on his face and was murmuring something to himself. His first step made him kneel down, the surface too unstable. This didn¡¯t discourage him, though. The man extended his hands to keep balance and with knitted eyebrows took another step. It went better, without him being reduced to his knees. Seeing his progress, other players tried walking. It made the whole place shake, waves reaching even Hawk. He glanced to see Dark standing as if there was nothing out of place. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°How you do that?¡± Small smile graced the rogue¡¯s lips at the question. He moved to the side, walking as if on the ground. There was no hesitation or wavering. ¡°Professional secret.¡± ¡®Rogues,¡¯ Hawk thought, remembering Ace. That boy also had an uncanny ability to walk everywhere. No place was unreachable to him. ¡°So what¡¯s your plan?¡± The smile on Dark¡¯s face faded. ¡°I don¡¯t plan. It¡¯s your job. I just make it happen.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one so eager to ensure the mission¡¯s success? Have you changed your mind?¡± ¡°No,¡± Dark said, shaking his head. ¡°I had promised to make it happen.¡± ¡°Then help me,¡± Hawk said. ¡°I¡¯m no Monthu and you¡¯re no Silver Wing. Yet we both were entrusted with protecting these people until our masters return. So don¡¯t you dare say you¡¯re not gonna do something, got it?¡± Dark took a few steps back at the outburst. He hadn¡¯t expected to be confronted like that, pushed into doing something in the name of Wing. ¡°Is Monthu your master? Not friend?¡± The archer looked upwards, shifting in his position. ¡°He is a friend, but he¡¯s also my employer. Not everything is as simple as it looks at first glance. It-¡± He shook his head. ¡°Whatever. So do you agree to make this work? Do this for them?¡± There was no question in Dark¡¯s head. He had promised to Wing and there was no going back. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Great! Have you seen Jackal? Or someone else high ranking from Draugar?¡± Dark pointed behind the archer. Five huts away a heavy plated man was lying on his back. He was moving his hands and feet from time to time, grunting. ¡°Should I help him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯ll try to get down in the meantime,¡± Hawk said, trying to stand up. The stretched roof shifted under him and he squatted down. This was harder than he had thought. From somewhere he heard feet falling onto solid ground. It reminded him of the mage and he followed his lead, standing up with hands keeping his balance. It was a bit embarrassing but he pretended not to know. He wavered on the next step but didn¡¯t fall. Another one and he was moving. Each was slow and took forever by normal standards but the ground was getting closer. Fifteen huts away. Ten. Three more. And he jumped. Concrete ground met his feet. ¡°Aah, finally,¡± he murmured. It¡¯s been ages since he had something solid underneath, wasn¡¯t freezing to death or being squashed into a cheese. ¡°Also appreciating Mother Earth?¡± asked a familiar voice, Nein. Hawk turned to see him sitting by a wall, one knee bent, hands fallen at the sides. ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. ¡°Did you have some flying lessons too?¡± The brown robed mage nodded. ¡°Apparently, there are still things I can¡¯t control.¡± ¡°Not a favourite lesson of yours, is it?¡± Snort was his answer. Hawk didn¡¯t say anything more and took a better look at the place. It seemed to be a normal cave. Greyish walls, dusty ground. Well, open ceiling wasn¡¯t a normal thing. There was a hole where the ground had cracked and rocks still came from there time to time. If he listened, Hawk thought he could here wind outside. There was also something ahead to the left. He walked there, taking out a dagger from his backpack. Light from some wizard¡¯s ball didn¡¯t reach there, leaving the corner in darkness. Right before entering the shadowed pace he stopped. Why was he doing this? He was no rogue but a sharpshooter. It wasn¡¯t his place to scout new areas, risking his own life. He turned around and returned to the huts. Nein was still sitting in his place but there were ten more people on the ground. Two of them he recognised. ¡°Dark, go and scout the corners. I think I heard something from there.¡± The rogue nodded, moved forward and in a moment was part of the darkness. Black clothes only enhancing his disappearing speed. ¡°That guy¡¯s pretty good. You think he has a guild?¡± an unfamiliar man said. Jackal noticing the confusion on Hawk¡¯s face, introduced them. ¡°This is Michael, he¡¯s our guild¡¯s trainer. Michael, this is Hawk. He i-¡± ¡°I know who he is. So what about the rogue? We have so few of them.¡± Hawk was about to say that he was a student of Wing¡¯s but decided against. Truth would gain him nothing. Keeping it quiet, however, could make people more agreeable. ¡°Don¡¯t know. He¡¯s been given to us from L¡¯s personal guard.¡± ¡°L¡¯s? We¡¯re allies so we might be able to win him over! Jackal, that¡¯s your job! Get us that rogue!¡± The plated man took off his helmet, scratching at his temple. ¡°You know, we should consider if he wants to join us first.¡± ¡°Who cares! We have almost zero rogues! And we had had the best of them, Silver Wing before! It¡¯s such a decline!¡± Michael shouted out, his voice echoing around the cave. ¡°Uhm... We have bigger problems than your lack of rogues,¡± Hawk said, turning to face the rest of the players. Jackal followed him and together they stood facing the crowd. ¡°Listen, everyone! I am sure you are confused as to what is happening here.¡± ¡°Sure am!¡± someone replied from the crowd, earning a few smiles. Hawk ignored him and continued. ¡°We have lost many of our comrades and been put through hell but that is not the end. In the bright hall of Lasran¡¯s city we all had vowed to find out what is happening in these mountains.¡± He stepped forward, coming closer to the crowd. Some were sitting on the roof edges, others were still moving over to hear him better. ¡°I know it might seem like a task out of our reach but we have come so far! It would be a shame to turn back now! Return to the city with our tails between the legs!¡± A moment¡¯s wait. ¡°Or do you prefer that?¡± There was grumbling. People were tired and sick of this adventure. First there were yetis, coming out of nowhere, destroying things and taking a few lives each time. Then the ambush and a huge storm. Being flung all over the place. Small cave, getting squeezed and knowing it won¡¯t last. To top it off the ground cracked beneath their feet and they fell into black oblivion. It was no wonder there was a lack of motivation to move forward. ¡°We are better than this!¡± Jackal said in his strong and clear voice. Everyone quieted down. ¡°Didn¡¯t you join this knowing it might turn sour? We went into an unknown land, uncharted territory.¡± He smiled wide. ¡°But isn¡¯t that the fun? If we find something here, it is our names that are going to be written in the history books! ¡°Look around you! Those huts! Have you seen their like before? I haven¡¯t! It means there¡¯s something here, and we¡¯re close! Are you going to turn now? Feel free! Draugar of Silver will gain more glory then.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Your choice!¡± ¡°No chance!¡± a guy roared. He stood up on the wavering roof, showing his fist towards Jackal. ¡°You guys are nothing. You don¡¯t deserve fame!¡± Hawk stepped between Jackal and the guy. He didn¡¯t want a start a fight. ¡°Then be here,¡± he said. ¡°Make sure they aren¡¯t the only ones to receive the rewards.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll stay!¡± ¡°Good!¡± Michael taunted, wide smile on his face. ¡°Very!¡± ¡°There are people there,¡± Dark said from behind. Hawk turned to face him, a disbelieving expression on his face. ¡°People?¡± The rogue nodded. ¡°Are they npcs?¡± ¡°Most likely. They are cowering in a corner without any light. It is possible they are inhabitants of these huts, hiding from us.¡± ¡°Did you try going past them?¡± Jackal asked, turning to face him too. Dark shook his head. ¡°They block the whole path. There¡¯s many of them.¡± ¡°Are they armed?¡± The rogue hesitated for a moment before shaking his head again. ¡°Don¡¯t think so. Hard to say without light.¡± Most of the players were on the ground by now so they formed into small groups with Hawk, Jackal. Michael and Deedara at the front. The priestess had approached them after the conversation. She seemed a bit haggard, cloth dirty and torn in a few places at the bottom. But her expression was the same as ever, clear and serious. Nein was asked to join them too but he made his excuses and walked alone at the back. And now it was time to start moving. Hawk signalled the mages and they killed the ball of light above. Instead they created a dozen floating flames that hovered over the surviving players, all forty three of them. Once the light were established they took their first steps. Dark was ahead, having gone to watch from the side if there were some traps or tricks being played. Hawk had also added him as friend so they could converse at distance. /Everything¡¯s clear./ ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Hawk ordered himself as much as others. It wasn¡¯t his favourite thing to go into dark caves at the head of a column. His steps weren¡¯t too fast so Jackal got a bit ahead. Michael at his side. The priestess was behind all three of them, her robe¡¯s ends cut so they wouldn¡¯t swish against the ground. ¡°Aghghg!¡± someone screamed. Hawk turned backwards, wondering what happened. Confused expressions, mirroring his own met him. ¡®What? How co-? It¡¯s the wrong side!¡¯ The sound was coming from in front of, not behind him. As he turned, more voices piped in. They created a strange cacophony of screeches, shrieks and howls of pain. Whole cave sang with it. Hawk held his wince back as he tried to understand what was happening. Up ahead human like creatures were rolling on the ground, lowering their heads between their legs. They had hands over their eyes, covering, scratching at them. ¡°What i-?¡± Michael started but Nein cut him off. ¡°Dim the lights, you idiots!¡± he shouted out from the back. The mages followed his command and the flames flickered, almost disappearing from existence. It was even worse than Ace¡¯s [Flare] spell and Hawk thought that had been useless. This however, made that feel like a bright light. He couldn¡¯t see a hand he¡¯d raised before himself. All there was were shadows shifting in the corners, playing with imagination. Hawk tried to ignore it, focusing on the shapes before him. Screams calmed down once the light had gone out. Some sniffles persisted but they were no longer so hard on the ears. Hawk breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Can anyone see in the dark?¡± he asked, hoping for a positive answer. Silence lasted for a long minute. No sound from any of the players. Then there was a grunt from the back. ¡°Darkness that hides and protects its children, lower your vale and let the predators find their prey, Night vision!¡± As Hawk watched, the surroundings lighted up. No, it was the wrong word. They didn¡¯t light up but became more pronounced. Contours got outlined. It was all in different shades of black yet clear as day. There were no mistaking humans for stones on the ground or parts of a wall. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said to Nein and took a few steps forward. The mages had extinguished the flames whole now and the creatures before them raised their heads. One of them stood up and made it clear that they were not human, at least not fully. There were four arms and fur that covered most of the body, not a coat as it looked at first glance. Face, though, was hairless, like of a traditional human being. ¡°Who¡¯re ¡®ou?¡± the female asked with a heavy accent. Her voice was very low and grave like. Hawk opened his mouth to answer when a loud crack sounded through the cave. There was no sign of breaking in the cave so he ran outside. He had a very bad feeling about this. Out in the cavern he raised his eyes but nothing stood out. All walls seemed as strong as ever. Then the sound came again. He turned his head that way and saw a crack. It wasn¡¯t large but listening, he could hear a soft groaning. It was coming from that spot. And the winds. They were louder than before. Much louder. Jackal came to stand next to him and together they watched the crack grow in frozen fascination. It was spreading like a tree growing, gaining more and more branches. Soon it was going to reach maturity and fall. Horrible crack came and a part of the wall was torn off. Deafening howls rushed into the cavern, getting amplified by the large space. Wind caught the leather roofed huts and descended on them with a natural fury. Wooden beams broke under the pressure and rose in the air. They were bashed against the walls, breaking. Pieces of leather got torn, a few thrown into Hawk. He pushed them aside, feeling the wind trying to carry him off too. It wasn¡¯t strong enough. Yet. What caught Hawk¡¯s attention, though, was rain. Or lack of it. He returned his eyes to the hole and the sight made his jaw drop. Wind was tearing off more and more off the wall, revealing the view behind. Tornado. There was a freaking tornado outside. It woke him up from his stupor and he turned to warn others. He shouldn¡¯t have bothered. Most had their eyes turned, following the path of the spreading cracks. They were still increasing. He remembered the secluded valley they had been in. It had no way outside and walls close to a kilometre high. If a tornado came to be in such a place... He shuddered to think of it. ¡°We¡¯re doomed!¡± ¡°This is..¡± ¡°Is that a-a-a... ?¡± ¡°Ruuuuuuuuuun!¡± That last one caught on and everyone started chanting it, changing their direction. ¡°Run, run, run!¡± they screamed, pushing each other to get deeper into the cave. The natives scrambled to get out of the way as players rushed past, jumping, falling over one another. ¡°Run!¡± echoed through the cave as Hawk turned to follow them. ¡°Run, run!¡± was the sound of his steps, mirroring his heartbeat. ¡°Run, run, ruuun!¡± A thought about to control the people passed him but it was soon pushed by a more prevalent one. Survival. He had never seen a tornado in his life, and had never wished to do so. Sounds of rocks falling, crashing against the ground enticed his body to move even faster. One leg before the other. ¡°Run, run, run,¡± the chant continued all around him. Natives were moving past him too. Their steps were light and swift, faster than his. But he wasn¡¯t running from them. No, there was something much worse behind. *Boom* The whole ground shook. Players and natives alike fell in heaps, unable to keep on their feet. In moments they shook it off and were back on the track. ¡°Run, run, run!¡± Wind intensified. It rushed through the cave, howling and tugging at players. *Boom* An earthquake. It was twice as bad as before. The ground disappeared from under him and Hawk kissed the ground. He tried standing up but fell again. His legs got tangled up in someone¡¯s robe and they both screamed at each other. Or he thought they did. Wind and rumbling of the stones was so loud he wasn¡¯t sure. No sounds that made any sense reached his ears. And then it was all quiet. It was so unexpected everyone just froze in their places. The sight would have been comical had they all not been so focused on the wind. Lack of it. Where had it gone? What did it mean? ¡°Entrance got blocked,¡± Dark said quietly but it was heard by everyone. A fly would have been loud in this silence. ¡°It won¡¯t hold long.¡± Hawk took a breath, freed his legs and stood up. He didn¡¯t trust the ground but it was still for the moment. ¡°Everyone,¡± he started, noting all the eyes staring at him. But this was no time for speeches. Instead he simply said, ¡°Let¡¯s get moving.¡± 8.5 Human Interactions Author''s Note; Sorry for a not proofread chapter. It''s getting into a habit -.-'' I''ll try to find time to proofread it as soon as I can but it won''t be today sadly. Hope you enjoy the chapter anyway. Edit: Proofread **** Night had fallen. There was no light coming from the outside and the room turned dark. Light switch was within the reach of the boy¡¯s hand but he didn¡¯t raise it. His arms were beneath his head as he watched the ceiling. There was a simple white web like ceramic pattern. It¡¯s main body was at the centre, from where it spread in all directions. Tiny little threads reaching for the corners, their tips descending to the walls. Bright light flashed on the other side of the room. Kirin grumbled, covering his eyes from the sudden light. Some beeps sounded to make sure he heard the arrival of the message. ¡°Fine,¡± he muttered, yawning and pushing himself off the bed. ¡®When had it turned so dark?¡¯ he wondered. ¡®I remember it being morning when I left the cabin.¡¯ He dragged himself to the desk and looked at the monitor. There was a flashing message that he got an email from his parents. ¡®What do they want now?¡¯
*Hey Kirin! Winter is starting and we hope you won¡¯t be too lonely. Veronica won¡¯t pester you more so try to get along with others, ¡®kay? On a lighter note, we have been transferred to the island with an unpronounceable name. You know the one, we¡¯ve always tried to get here ;D So don¡¯t worry about us. We¡¯re fine. Better than fine even. It¡¯s a paradise here. Well, we¡¯re going to enjoy it for the month as much as we can! We truly hope you¡¯ll be enjoying your winter as much as we will. It¡¯s hard to say whether we¡¯ll be going home after the month or not but you¡¯ll be okay either way, right? You¡¯re old enough for us to trust you with that. However, if anything goes wrong, be sure to tell us. We¡¯ll come on the first flight possible. Work is important but not as much as family. Your Loving Parents, Robert and Julie*
Kirin chuckled. He clicked the reply button and typed in a swift answer. His wasn¡¯t as high-worded and just said he was fine and they should take their time. It wasn¡¯t like their presence here would change anything. He yawned again and rubbed his eyes. What was he to do now? The game wasn¡¯t tempting and there wasn¡¯t much else. His stomach rumbled and decided it for him. Kitchen was full of shadows but Kirin didn¡¯t pull the light switch. He rummaged through a few shelves and located last apples that someone had brought to him. Was that the aunt or a neighbour? He couldn¡¯t remember. Not that it mattered. An apple was an apple. It filled his stomach the same way. Three should be enough. He bit into one and took the others with him to the dining room. History channel was on and he made himself comfortable on the couch. ¡°What happened?¡± asked L in a barely controlled voice. He was sitting in his official study room, glaring at Monthu on the other side of the desk. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Monthu stood rigid, hands in a forced relaxed manner by his sides. ¡°We were ambushed. I was killed when trying to protect the leader of Draugar.¡± ¡°Jackal?¡± ¡°No, the elf.¡± L¡¯s eyes narrowed more. ¡°That useless piece of garbage?¡± ¡°He¡¯s n-¡± ¡°Yes, he is!¡± L shouted out, standing up, his fisted hands slamming into the desk. ¡°He¡¯s only the real leader, not even the official one! Most players don¡¯t even know him! He¡¯s a nobody! Hear me? N-O-B-O-D-Y! Nobody!¡± His whole body shook as he continued. ¡°And what are you? Only the freaking commander of the whole army! Hear me? You¡¯re a fucking commander! You¡¯re the most important man, not some random elf!¡± Monthu flinched at the outburst but didn¡¯t move from his place. He breathed deep through his nose and just wished for this to end. It reminded too much of childhood, though, from there he knew better not to say anything. It never helped. ¡°Are you even listening to me?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Monthu answered, eyes on L. The city lord sighed and fell back in his chair, covering his face with a hand. For a moment he stayed like that, controlling his breathing. Then he turned to Monthu again. ¡°You know, it¡¯s easy to find an idiot to play a hero. Sacrifice his life for another, especially when that death is so short lived. That¡¯s why I need you to stay behind and control the situation, not rush head first like another idiot.¡± The fact that Monthu never asked for this passed through his mind but didn¡¯t stay. It was rare that anyone found themselves in favourable situations in life. One just had to tough up and face it head on. That was all there was. Making mistakes and learning from them was just a part of it. ¡°I did not think it through.¡± ¡°Really?¡± L asked with a glare, his annoyance resurfacing. ¡°Whatever. What¡¯s the situation now? Have you let my whole army die?¡± ¡°A lot of players have died but some are still alive. I have heard from Hawk that they found a hidden cave, some natives and are exploring to find out more about the place¡± ¡°How many of them are left and who?¡± ¡°Forty three. Hawk is in acting in my stead while Dark is the only rogue left. From Draugar Jackal, Michael, Deedara and Nein have survived.¡± L stayed silent for a moment, clearly calculating something in his mind. ¡°Fine. Tell them to continue.¡± He looked at Monthu then, eyes in slits. ¡°You, however, are going to get a new job. Collect the players that spawned back and train them. In two weeks I need the best army in Mora kingdom. Understood?¡± ¡°May I ask one question?¡± ¡°Hurry up then. I need to change all of my plans because of someone.¡± He already had his head down, lifting papers on his table and glancing at their contents with a scowl. ¡°Why are you giving me such an important task right after I failed you?¡± Monthu asked the question burning in his mind. If it was him, he¡¯d never trust the guy again. In a real world, second chances were a rare thing. L raised his head, getting a good look at Monthu. Then he sighed and returned to his papers. ¡°I wish I had the choice. You¡¯re the best I have.¡± He shook his head without looking up. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do but hope you¡¯ve learned.¡± It wasn¡¯t what Monthu would have liked to hear but he nodded and left the room. Outside he saw the empty hallway and remembered Par. His heart retched at the memory of his brother crying himself to sleep. There had never before been a problem he couldn¡¯t solve and it made him feel even worse. Especially when he couldn¡¯t fault the guy that brought this on. Ace was damaged. It was clear from the moment they met and Monthu hadn¡¯t stopped him from becoming friends with Par. There was no other way this could have ended in. If anyone was at fault, it was his own self. He could have prevented this and didn¡¯t. Though, who was the true victim here was still up for question. Ace seemed to be in as bad shape as Par, if not worse, from the sounds of it. He needed help too. Most obvious reason being that he was offline. The guy lived in the game. Him being off was like a loud siren, a flashing red sign that something wasn¡¯t normal. But there was nothing Monthu could do for either of the boys. One had to learn that not all the friendships worked out. Sometimes people just left. While the other that there was a limit to how much people could take. No one is going to stay by you forever if you treat them like strangers, keeping everything to yourself. So well even that Par¡¯s parents had never found him, no matter how much they looked. It was as if he didn¡¯t exist in any database. The hundreds of detectives looked into people matching Ace¡¯s description and not at all alike. People that shared his traits or had traits attributed to his real personalty. But nothing helped. None of the thousands of people investigated had anything to do with the real Ace. It wasn¡¯t that surprising in Monthu¡¯s mind, not that he liked it. Ace was just so all over the place. One moment he was playing a calming flute, another sticking daggers into a defenceless prisoner. Defending a caravan and massacring one. There was no consistency in his actions. Then how was one to understand him? A simple answer came to his mind. One didn¡¯t. And that¡¯s why Ace was always alone. In their group but not fully part of it, not sharing his mind, doing everything on his own. /There¡¯s an opening/ Dark wrote. It wasn¡¯t much of news but every little thing mattered to them. One mistake and this whole mission would come to an end. ¡°It won¡¯t,¡± he whispered to himself, taking a good look of the open space. There was no ceiling. Sunlight was shining on snow. It glistened and made it hard for Dark to see. Someone could hide in the corners and he would never notice them. With careful steps he entered the clearing, moving by the wall. The snow around didn¡¯t seem disturbed but it could lie. He didn¡¯t know when was the last time it snowed. It could have been two years ago or this morning. The climate was too cold for it to melt. On the other side he saw a footprint on the snow. He listened for a moment but hearing nothing moved closer. His eyes caught onto the steps leaving the cave entrance. They were large and ones he¡¯d seen before. Yeti. But something strange happened with the later footsteps. The snow was trampled there as if the yeti stomped on a spot, even going down on all fours. In places the steps were deep on the ground. Most obvious explanation would be that the yeti was attacked. But the problem was the opponent. Who would leave no marks? And who won? There was nothing to give away the result. Not a single patch of fur or drop of blood. No steps went backwards or forward from where Dark had come. It was as if the two just disappeared after their scuffle. Dangerous. If Dark had a choice, he would have told everyone to turn back and find another way. But there was nowhere else to go. He had scouted all the directions and most of the tunnels had fallen in. At one point they had to waste three days cleaning one up because there just weren¡¯t anywhere else to go. All he could do was hope that he had chosen the right path to clear. It was the only choice he¡¯d made and it was still impossible to say whether it¡¯d been the right one. But there was nothing to do now. /Care about the clearing. Something had happened there./ /You need to be more specific/ the archer replied. /There was a struggle in here. Not enough clues to say what truly transpired/ he answered, deleting his own tracks. A soft brush was all it required since the players were going to come here soon enough. He made his way into the tunnel. It had low ceiling, forcing him to bend his head. What was a yeti doing in here? They were almost three meters tall. One would have to walk on all fours to move through here. On top of that it was narrow. It was fine for a human but pieces of white fur were stuck to the walls. Dark picked one patch and examined. There was no mistaking it. This was yeti fur. So his conclusions had been right. That was a good sign. But that still left the mystery of what had happened. And no matter how deep he went, this tunnel had no answers. On the other hand questions were only growing. This was a long tunnel. Dark was walking for twenty minutes now and there was no end in sight. What could force a yeti to enter such a thing? No creature went into closed spaces without a very good reason. A message came from Hawk. /Come back. We are settling here for the day./ /In the clearing? I told you its dangerous!/ /I know but what do you suggest? Is there another wider space up ahead?/ Dark looked around. He took a few forward steps. /No. I will return./ The way back was faster and soon he was out. His back clicked as he straightened out, feeling a slight pain. The clearing had transformed while he was gone. Tents had been set up and fires made. Players and natives alike sat around them, boiling pots. A smell of potatoes rose from most as they had stumbled upon a cache of them. He moved by the side of the wall until he noticed Hawk. The archer was sitting against his backpack, laughing at something the priestess had said. Jackal was leaning over the pot next to them, tasting the brew. Dark approached, sitting farther from the fire. It wasn¡¯t that cold. ¡°It¡¯s ready,¡± Jackal announced and they all took out their bowls. Each received a couple full ladles and returned to their places. Most of the camp calmed down around that time. Endless hours of walking made people hungry. They scooped food with a vigour that left no time to talk. For a moment. Soon the sounds would return so Dark finished his brew and went into a tent. There was still a few moments of what could constitute as quietness. His head touched the ground and in a moment he was asleep. He was standing on a balcony, watching down from the 100th floor. A shining evening city lay beneath his feet but all he could think about was jumping off. He knew he didn¡¯t have the courage but it was nice to dream. What would his parents think? Would they wonder why? Or would they forget about him like another asset that showed up to be less useful than expected? ¡°Asakura! Where are you?¡± a voice shouted from the room and he turned his head. From his place he could see his family¡¯s maid standing in a well lit room. She was shifting right and left, not sure where to start looking. ¡°Asakura! The meeting is about to start!¡± But he was standing in the dark. If he didn¡¯t answer, she won¡¯t be able to find him for some minutes. The meeting might start by then and he would get to stay behind. ¡°Master Asakura! You¡¯re the spokesperson, the crowd is already getting restless!¡± she said, moving to his room. It was empty and she shouted again. ¡°Master Asakura! Your parents are getting worried about you!¡± As if. The only thing they ever worried about was their career. Oh, and their legacy. He was supposed to inherit everything, continuing the family¡¯s rule over the southern continent. He turned back to the city, leaning against the bar. It was so pretty outside. All those shining lights like thousands of candles lit on a king¡¯s grave. As he raised his eyes to the sky, a star fell. It was for a second and he had his doubts about its authenticity but it still looked like one. So he closed his eyes and wished for a different life. A place where he could become someone else. One that he and others could respect. One that ins- ¡°Master, you¡¯re here! Why are you staying in the dark? It¡¯s dangerous! And you¡¯re late! Let¡¯s hurry up!¡± She dragged him out of the balcony, through the sitting room, corridor and behind the scene. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± his mother hissed with a scowl on her face. ¡°Calm down. Your make up will go out of place,¡± father said, keeping his blank expression. Asakura couldn¡¯t remember seeing anything on that face in his life. Today, his coming out ceremony, didn¡¯t seem to be any exception. Congratulations, smiles or hugs, he wasn¡¯t sure he knew what they were. He heard about them from other students but that was all. Whenever he tried to smile a disgusted look from his parents made him wipe it off in an instant. ¡°Go,¡± mother said, pointing to him. ¡°And don¡¯t embarrass us!¡± ¡°Yes, mother,¡± he whispered back, taking a breath. It caught in his throat and he coughed a few times, his cheeks reddening. He didn¡¯t look to his parents, knowing it would only make it worse. Few steps towards the stage and his stomach turned into a snake pit. The reptiles slithered all over his insides, making him want to puke. It was good he hadn¡¯t eaten anything since morning. An old practise. ¡°Move,¡± father said, pushing him in. Asakura stumbled onto the stage, almost falling on his nose. No one was looking yet so he trudged to the microphone. Each step was a trial, he was sure he was going to fall over his own feet at any moment. But no, he reached the other side. An assistant passed him the microphone and he was about to raise it to his mouth when his hand grabbed air. He glanced downward and in slow motion saw the thing fall. The assistant snatched at it but his hand was too slow. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The microphone fell to the ground. A shrill sound went out the speakers, making people wince and turn their eyes to the stage. Asakura watched them with horror taking over his mind. Somewhere beside him he heard the assistant speaking but his words made no sense. All Asakura could do was stand and watch. In a moment, he saw what he was expecting. People¡¯s faces twisted into mocking smiles, whispers rose like a wave. His parents came out from the backstage, he heard their voices from somewhere close. ¡°Failure,¡± mother shouted in his ear as he was ushered out by someone. ¡°Useless little shit. Fucking failure,¡± father added. Asakura fell on his knees when he was out, seeing their faces and hearing their voices echoing in his mind. ¡°Failure. Failure. Failure.¡± It became a chant, like a spell being cast on his mind. ¡°Failure. Failure. Failure.¡± He tried to shut them up, grabbing onto his head but it didn¡¯t help. The world had turned black and the faces of his parents circled around him, shouting ¡°Failure!¡± He closed his eyes but still saw them. And more faces were coming. His teachers, classmates, assistants. Even the maid. ¡°Failure, failure, failure.¡± ¡®No!¡¯ he wanted to shout but he had no voice. Tears left his eyes but the voices didn¡¯t care. They were growing louder and louder, more and more adding up into the choir. Soon he could no longer hear his own mind. There was only the chant and the faces. Smiling, sneering at him. They were all twisted with mockery or anger, fury at his incompetence. ¡°Failure!¡± came a shout in unison and Dark found himself looking at the top of a tent. His breathing was heavy, heart beating in an unsteady rhythm. He waited for a moment, reasserting his senses. It had been only a nightmare. Realistic, painful and similar to truth but just a bad dream. This wasn¡¯t real world. It was his other life, one he¡¯d wished for since childhood. Here he didn¡¯t have to make any speeches. He was just another player, nothing special. Those thoughts calmed him down and carefully he sneaked out. Sweat froze on his body but fresh cold air was nice. Sky full of stars, open space and soundless night even better. No one was up so he could roam the camp without needing to use any skills. He listened to soft breaths coming from the tents, someone mumbling in his sleep, another turning on the other side. Not fully put out flame crackling. Dark went and snuffed it, making sure no embers were alight. He found an empty corner and sat on the ground. It was pretty cold so he took out a blanket Hawk had given him. The man carried three on his person but Dark hadn¡¯t asked why. It didn¡¯t have anything to do with him. After some time Hawk found him He stood watching for a moment then sat down. ¡°Did anything happen?¡± ¡°No,¡± Dark answered, the dream returning to his mind. He looked away from the archer. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to sleep so decided to stay guard.¡± ¡°You know I set up a watch, right?¡± Dark didn¡¯t reply. He hadn¡¯t thought about it. Not that it would have changed anything. He wasn¡¯t going back to sleep. The archer gave him a look which Dark couldn¡¯t read and then turned away. He wrapped himself into his own blanket and leaned against the wall, eyes half-lidded. At first Dark glanced at him every other second but Hawk paid him no attention. The archer had his eyes focused on the distance, unseeing. His breath was coming out steadily but not enough to suggest he was asleep. This indifference calmed Dark and he rested his eyes on the tents. Memories of the past tugged at his mind, trying to get inside. They were things better left forgotten so Dark did his best to think of anything but them. Silver Wing was a good choice. He was a person worth respecting, someone who didn¡¯t shy from anything. All tasks were within his power. Or he made them be. And Dark had met him. Even become his student. The first time in his life he felt lucky. It was the greatest of honours. ¡°Do you hear that?¡± the archer asked, startling Dark from his thoughts. It took him a moment to understand what was being asked and he listened in. People breathing. There were a lot of them but it wasn¡¯t anything surprising. They had been sleeping here all along. Dark tried to hear something more but nothing seemed out of place. People were just rolling in their blankets, shifting positions and kissing? There was a slight sucking sound coming from somewhere in the left. ¡°It¡¯s noth-¡± he started saying but something was wrong. That noise, it didn¡¯t sound natural. Was there painful sounding groans coming from that direction? They were muffled but Dark could have sworn came from the same place. ¡°I¡¯ll check.¡± Hawk nodded and Dark stood up. He left the blanket in place and on light feet made his way. Tents passed him and in a moment he was in the place. A sight unlike anything he¡¯d seen before met his eyes. See-through creature was floating, a fallen player underneath. They were connected by a greyish line that was pulsing with energy. One going towards the ghost. Dark dashed forward, trying to hit the creature but his dagger went right through. He stumbled, turned and went again. Without different results. And the sucking sound continued. There was nothing Dark could do so he rushed back to Hawk. The archer came with him then and after seeing blew a horn. It woke the whole camp in an instant and players encircled the scene with sleepy eyes. Soon, though, they woke up. The sight being on a disturbing side. Some attacked but all went through the target. ¡°What is this thing?¡± a warrior asked. No one answered him. ¡°Ghost Part,¡± Nein said after a while. All eyes turned to see him leaning against a tent, yawning widely. Noticing the looks he rolled his eyes and elaborated. ¡°The ones released some time ago? That planet wide quest everyone received about the end of the world?¡± Dark saw Hawk wince at the words. ¡°How do we fight them?¡± the archer asked, eyes unmoving from the spirit sucking the life of the player. He was turning paler by the moment, hands twitching but unable to do anything. Nein shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s written that they¡¯re of evil origin. Clerics should be able to do something.¡± Dark looked over the crowd. Clerics. How many did they have? He could remember seeing a female from the guild but not more. Two chants rose from the crowd. ¡°Heavens hear my cry and let the fallen rest, return them to their graves, Purification!¡± ¡°Goddess hear my prayer and sing the hymn for the fallen, those who sought to save the world but fell short, unable to fulfil their dreams and now are forced to wander the world with blackened hearts, lost to the temptation, Cleanse!¡± White light washed over the creature and it released a deep groan. It sounded as if it had come from worlds away. But it didn¡¯t stop the energy drain. The player was still losing his life force. Pace having only quickened after the attack on the creature. ¡°You had two seconds,¡± Nein said from his place. ¡°Had?¡± Hawk asked, turning to face him. ¡°What do you know?¡± Nein yawned. ¡°Ghost part turned material for two seconds after being showered in light energy. Plenty of time to kill it.¡± The clerics started their chants again after this news and players readied their weapons. Dark fell into a position too, eyes focused on the spirit. Two seconds weren¡¯t much so he would have to dash before the time came to increase his damage output. One of the chants was reaching an end, white light reaching for the spirit. It blanched, moving farther but not enough to break the drain. Dark jumped forward, his daggers reflecting the moonlight. First hit, digging into the creature¡¯s flesh. It wasn¡¯t human like and the blade went deeper in, throwing Dark off. He moved his other hand to balance out and stabbed while shifting the other dagger to deepen the wound. Other blades went past him. They struck the spirit, bringing a deep groan. It sounded as if it had come from a hole kilometres deep. But that was all. The time ran out and the spirit continued its draining. Clerics didn¡¯t need to be told and started their spells again. Melee classes surrounded the spirit, swords, daggers and axes raised for a strike. Even mages had started their chants, the last words waiting on their lips to be released. Five times they had to repeat it before the spirit fell. It raised its clawed hands, ghost tail whooping and hollered into the air. Blinding light flashed, making players close their eyes and when they opened them it was gone. There was nothing left. No items or a dead body. Only the victim lying half-dead on the ground. The priestess healed him but the man continued to shiver. He raised his head to look around and everyone saw the whiteness in them. ¡°I-It w-was-s-s,¡± he tried saying but his voice broke, unable to continue. Hawk squatted down next to him, taking him by the shoulder. Yet before he could ask anything the person de-materialised. ¡°He logged out,¡± someone stated the obvious. ¡°No, shit,¡± another answered in a whisper, the voice filled with venom. ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± a female voice came from the back, one of their few wizards remaining. ¡°What happened to him?¡± Hawk stood up, a frown on his face. He looked over the circle of players and forced a smile. It didn¡¯t make him feel encouraging or sure of himself. ¡°He was exhausted. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll return in a few days.¡± Murmurs rose, no one believing what was said. ¡°Go to sleep,¡± the archer said. ¡°It is over. The monster was killed.¡± When none moved, he added. ¡°Stay in groups for safety¡¯s sake. There are no signs of any more creatures like this but it doesn¡¯t hurt to be careful.¡± ¡°No signs? It means you knew that this might happen?¡± a wizard in a green robe shouted out. He came towards Hawk, pointing a staff at his chest. Fear. Even Dark could sense it from the crowd. They were terrified of such a creature. It wasn¡¯t often that one met monsters that attacked without a sound and prevented you from doing anything. It turned you powerless, at the mercy of your team. No one liked relying too much on others. What if they decided to bail? ¡°I knew,¡± Dark said, taking up the blame. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was worth reporting.¡± They had to stay as a group and that meant trusting the leader. If Dark had to sacrifice himself for that, then whatever. It wasn¡¯t like he was part of any group anyway. The mage turned to him, eyes ablaze. ¡°You didn¡¯t think it was worth telling us?¡± Dark shook his head. No one would listen that staying here was the only choice they had. Humans were stupid creatures. Especially when under the influence of emotions. ¡°You fucking bastard! We almost all died because of you!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t,¡± Dark said, turning away. He dodged an acid arrow cast his way and went to the entrance of the next tunnel. ¡°I¡¯ll scout ahead.¡± Hawk watched him leave, new respect being born in his chest. He hadn¡¯t expected the rogue to do this. It was the most efficient way to calm the crowd but he had turned everyone against himself. No one was ever going to believe in him again. His reputation was damaged for a long while since it was going to spread through the forums. Or would it? As he thought more, he wasn¡¯t sure anyone knew the rogue¡¯s name. And many of them dressed in dark colours, it wasn¡¯t a defining characteristic. At least not enough of a one. ¡°And you¡¯re going to just let him go like that?¡± the green mage hissed, turning back to glare at Hawk. ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± he asked. ¡°That guy is our only surviving rogue. I can¡¯t force him out.¡± The mage spit on the ground. ¡°He¡¯s a fucking liar.¡± ¡°Do you want to go in an unchecked cave? If you want to take up his position, I won¡¯t refuse you.¡± Green robed guy cursed under his breath, hit the ground with the end of his staff but didn¡¯t argue. No one who had any brains would want to scout. Even half of the rogues tended to hate such missions. One mistake could get you killed. Monsters, traps and environment itself were against you. Just waiting for a single wrong step. ¡°If that is solved, return to your tents. Try to stay at least by groups of three. Have something to signal at hand in case something happens.¡± There were a few nods, some rumbles but the crowd dispersed. Hawk took a lighter breath and went to check on his scouts. The players had come at the sound of warning but now were returning to their posts. When asked, neither one said he¡¯d seen anything. It was as if the ghost had descended from the sky, or moved with invisibility. He made his way to Nein¡¯s place. If anyone knew a buff he wanted, it was this guy. He probably knew every spell in existence that strengthened others. A strange thing when the guy was an absolute loner. Though not as strange as the fact he was here. No matter how much he thought, Hawk couldn¡¯t find a reason for his presence. He hated being here. The look of disgust and annoyance was ever present on his face. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°What now?¡± Nein asked, lounging on a thousand pillows. The whole tent was filled to the brim with them, not a single space free. Hawk didn¡¯t enter and just stood outside, squatting down to see in better. ¡°Do you have a spell that allows to see invisible creatures?¡± The mage thought for a moment, his eyes never leaving Hawk¡¯s. ¡°Maybe I do. But what¡¯s in it for me?¡± ¡°We get to finish the quest?¡± ¡°You sure that will be enough?¡± the mage asked, a look of disbelief on his face. He threw a cherry into his mouth, spitting the bone into a bowl. ¡°I see your struggle as quite futile.¡± ¡°When why are you still with us? I think you could have left any number of times now if you believed we had no chance.¡± Nein breathed a heavy sigh, putting another cherry down. ¡°Voices that whisper in the dark, hear my voice and tell your secrets to this useless lot, Hidden Truth.¡± It was as if a veil has been lifted. Hawk could hear three times as good. Every breath, every sigh or turn in the camp reached his ears. Even someone¡¯s stomach growling. ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± he whispered, levelling a respectful glance towards Nein. ¡°But I don¡¯t think that was what I wanted.¡± ¡°If I gave it to you, then it is,¡± Nein said, a yawn escaping his mouth. ¡°You¡¯ll never see that ghost part coming. It has no presence but when it feeds. So hearing is what you need.¡± He pointed to the tents flaps. ¡°Now get out and let me sleep.¡± Hawk nodded and closed the tent. It was then that he wondered at the incantation. It was a very unusual one and as if it had been created on the spot. Yet it couldn¡¯t be so, could it? He didn¡¯t dare to say with that guy. Nein was an entity of his own. Normal player rules didn¡¯t apply to him. As he thought that he remembered the time he¡¯d seen his true potential and the creature¡¯s release. He opened his quest log.
*Beast from the Greater Realm Young adventurers looking for hidden treasures and unsolved mysteries had stumbled upon one. Without knowing better they allowed the circle of summoning to work its magic, releasing an evil from another plane of existence. The creature called upon was too strong to get through so it separated itself into smaller forms which flew out into the four directions. Now they travel the world, hunting and gaining power to reach the state where they could combine into one again. You have four months while they hunt and a week more till they find each other. If they manage to combine, you should start praying as the world will become a much darker place. Participants are all that live in this world, no matter the kingdom or land. Quest Difficulty: S+++ Quest Reward: The continent continues to exist under the rightful rule of all the races and doesn¡¯t get overrun by monsters from other realms Ghost Parts eradicated: 76/666 Time Left: 2 months*
This wasn¡¯t looking good. 8.6 Ghosts Author''s Note: I know, I know... It''s not proofread again. I''m seriously sorry! It just happens.... But instead there''s a double update! That has to count for something, doesn''t it? Edit: Proofread **** Pale light fell on Hawk¡¯s eyelids, bringing him out of his sleep. Morning had finally come, an unwelcome one. They would have to continue their track through the tunnels and fallen in caves. And those ghosts. He wasn¡¯t looking forward to meeting any more of them. /How are you doing?/ came a message from Monthu. ¡°We are still alive, if that is what you¡¯re asking,¡± Hawk answered, changing it to speaker. The camp was still asleep so he made his way closer to their old tunnel. There was a short pause on the other end of the call before Monthu¡¯s voice came again. ¡°Think you¡¯ll make it?¡± Hawk shrugged even though his friend couldn¡¯t see. ¡°Don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll try. What about you? Coming here?¡± ¡°No. I was told to train an army for L.¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not returning? So what¡¯s the point of this mission?¡± ¡°As if I know. Just try to finish it and then return here. I have something in mind I¡¯ll need your help with.¡± Hawk wasn¡¯t sure how to take that. It wasn¡¯t often Monthu needed his help. Or more like never. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll try to get this done as soon as I can.¡± ¡°No hurry. Just make sure you finish first. I want to know what we tried so hard to reach too.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Hawk said and Monthu terminated the call. ¡®So he wants my help?¡¯ he wondered, walking back to the camp. At one intersection he rang a bell to wake everyone up. Groans came from everywhere as if he was in every single tent at once. He developed a new appreciation for Nein¡¯s spells. They required more and more respect with every new one. Hawk was coming to wander just how strong the mage actually was. If a fight with him and Wing broke out, who would win. It was a question for the ages. /Is the path ahead safe?/ he wrote to Dark. The rogue took a long minute to reply like usual. Hawk was getting a feeling he wasn¡¯t much of a chatter in messages, just as in normal talk. /It¡¯s clear. Though there¡¯s lots of rubble ahead./ /Can you clear it?/ /I will try./ One thing done, million others left. Most of which he didn¡¯t know about. But he didn¡¯t want to think about things he couldn¡¯t change. It was a pointless endeavour and there were plenty of things he could do. But food first. He went near his tent and started a fire. They had found some burnable roots, though they stank worse than anything he¡¯d ever smelled before. Yet it was better than being cold and eating raw meat. The smell made players hurry up in getting up. By the time Hawk had finished dismantling his tent, most were up. More fires had been lit, pots boiling on most of them. Deedara was sitting next to his fire. She had put four steaks on, shifting them so they cooked on all sides. ¡°Sleep well?¡± Hawk asked and she raised her head. Shadows danced on her face from the flames. They made her eyes glisten like two black orbs thrown on a sheet of paper. ¡°Sleep? What is that?¡± Hawk gave her a half-smile and sat by the fire. Warmth washed over his body and he felt himself relaxing, eyes closing. Tiredness was a dangerous thing. He forced his eyes open and focused them on the priestess. Her robe had turned greyish from wear but unlike on Aurora, it made her look stronger. Somehow dirty boots, frayed sleeves and bird¡¯s nest of a hair fit her. It made the strength of her eyes stand out. She turned, catching his eyes. Hawk shifted his gaze to the fire but it was quite too late. ¡°What brought you here?¡± he asked in an attempt to distract her. ¡°Hm?¡± she asked and he thought about his question. It was so stupid! ¡°I meant, I just wanted to say...¡± He shook his head and took a breath. ¡°I wanted to ask, why did you join Draugar? You don¡¯t seem like a vengeful type.¡± She smiled, turning one of the steaks over. ¡°When I was killed, I thought it was over. All my items were gone. I had nothing under my name and everyone I knew quit after that. It was a nightmarish experience.¡± ¡°Why did you stay then?¡± Deedara was quiet for a moment, watching the flames with her eyebrows furrowed. Hawk had a feeling she was seeing a time past rather then the fire. ¡°I planned to. I really did. But my pride won out. I returned to the city and wandered the streets, asking for help. No one looked at me twice. They said they had their own problems, no time to waste on another beggar. ¡°Then I stumbled upon him.¡± The smile returned to her face. ¡°Or him on me. From first glance he knew what had happened and showed his own necklace.¡± Hawk looked at her neck. He thought he could glimpse something glinting silver. ¡°Wing one?¡± She brought the pendant out. It shone with a brilliant light that seemed to come from the wing itself. ¡°It¡¯s like an amulet of good luck to me now,¡± she said in a wistful voice, eyes resting on the shiny trinket. ¡°I don¡¯t agree to that nonsense,¡± said Michael, plopping down beside Hawk. ¡°And I also don¡¯t like my meat black, thanks.¡± The priestess yelped and turned the steaks over, their tops a bit burnt. She bit her lip as she watched them for a moment. Then she took out some bottle and poured it over the steaks. Liquid rolled over the meat, most of it dropping to the flames. Fire hissed and spluttered, rose, licking the underside of the meat. Hawk had no idea what that had to achieve but he kept his mouth shut. He had never bothered learning survival skills, Aurora always being there to cook for them. ¡°You sure you¡¯re not trying to burn them to a crisp?¡± Michael asked, not having Hawk¡¯s reservations. Deedara gave her guild mate a glare. ¡°You want to cook for yourself?¡± she said and took off one of the stakes, throwing it at the man. Michael tried catching it but only managed to get his hands burnt. Meat fell to the ground while Michael looked at the red marks on his fingers. ¡°That wasn¡¯t fair,¡± he muttered. The white robed girl didn¡¯t even glance his way. She turned her steaks, making sure they were well cooked, starting to whistle under her breath. ¡°What is going on here?¡± Jackal asked, taking a place on Hawk¡¯s other side. ¡°Why are you wasting food?¡± ¡°She did that!¡± Michael shouted out, pointing a finger at Deedara. Jackal glanced at the priestess, then the plated man. ¡°You questioned her cooking skills?¡± ¡°So what?¡± The Draugar leader shook his head. ¡°Try to clean the meat. That¡¯s the best you¡¯re going to get today.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to order her to stop acting like a child?¡± Now Hawk also turned to Michael. Was the guy for real? The priestess might have acted rashly but he wasn¡¯t any better. Worse even! It wasn¡¯t hard to see who was more childish, and that wasn¡¯t Deedara. Jackal ignored him altogether. ¡°Are you done?¡± he asked the priestess instead. She pursed her lips, looking at the cooking meat. Fat on the sides was sizzling, enticing smell wafting around their little group. ¡°Yeah,¡± she answered with a smile. The stakes were passed and Hawk took his own with great care. It was warm to the touch but not too hot. He could hold it in his hand without getting burned. But the meat was too hot. He blew on it, wanting to eat quicker. It was nice enjoying the fire but there were more important things. Their mission was nowhere near ending and he wasn¡¯t sure how long it was still going to last. And everyone was waiting for him. Aurora had been pissed when he met her yesterday, calling him an idiot. Maybe he was. Yet that didn¡¯t stop him from continuing. If there was one thing he would give anything for, it was to continue playing this game. Magic was real here. Adventure. Heroism. Immortality. What more could one wish for? It was everything the real world wasn¡¯t. To lose this would be the same as losing a limb. ¡°Where¡¯s mine?¡± Michael asked. ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat that!¡± Deedara gave him an angelic smile. ¡°You should have thought about that before you insulted the cook.¡± ¡°But I just asked...¡± ¡°Keep your mouth shut then. You might look smarter.¡± She gave him a once over. ¡°Or don¡¯t even try. It¡¯s not going to help.¡± Michael jumped to his feet. ¡°You!¡± he hissed through clenched teeth. ¡°Enough, guys,¡± Jackal said, standing up and positioning himself between the two. ¡°Michael take half of mine. I¡¯m done and let¡¯s go look over the camp.¡± The other man grumbled, not forgetting to glare at the priestess but took the stake and bit in. His face relaxed as the taste washed over his mouth and calmly he went after Jackal. ¡°Idiot,¡± Hawk heard the priestess mutter but didn¡¯t say anything. It wasn¡¯t his place to ask personal questions, and the matter looked highly personal. ¡°Do you need help with your tent?¡± ¡°Oh, thanks,¡± she said, the smile returning to her face. ¡°It would be great if you could put it away. I¡¯ll clean up here in the meantime.¡± Hawk nodded and went to her tent. It wasn¡¯t much. A few wooden sticks pushed into the ground with a sheet over them. But it was serviceable. Kept the wind out and held some warmth inside. When he was done, he brought the materials to Deedara and she put them inside her bag. Fire was out by that time so they went to find Jackal. The man was easy to find, all you had to do was follow Michael¡¯s voice. The guy was shouting at someone about timetables and keeping to the schedule. Hawk didn¡¯t consider that the best way to make people work but it was too late to stop Michael. Hopefully, his victim wasn¡¯t a weak person and won¡¯t start crying and delay them more. Most of the camp had packed up and were standing in groups, waiting for the order to go. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Hawk asked, interrupting Michael¡¯s screaming. Both turned to him and he saw what was the problem. The girl had just rolled out of her tent, hair dishevelled, eyes blinking rapidly to stay awake. Hawk turned to Michael. ¡°Help her pack up. We¡¯ll start moving and I hope you two will be done in time to join the last ones.¡± He turned to the girl. ¡°You¡¯ll have to deal without breakfast. Clean up and get moving. We have no time to waste waiting around.¡± The words made Michael¡¯s face turn red and he opened his mouth. But his complain was cut short when Jackal put a hand on his shoulder. He whispered something in his ear and Michael released a puff of air, nodded and went to work. The fact that the tent was still over the girl¡¯s head didn¡¯t concern him. ¡°Everyone else, in lines!¡± Hawk shouted out. ¡°We march off!¡± Jackal motioned that he was going to stay and watch over the procession so Hawk went first. Deedara joined him at the front and they chatted about nothing important as they walked. There wasn¡¯t a real need to watch where they were going as Dark had scouted. Not once had he been wrong so far. And Hawk didn¡¯t plan to start distrusting him now. /How long till something happens?/ he asked after half a day of walking. Everyone was growing tired and hungry, walking in the darkness. They could see because of Nein but it didn¡¯t make it comfortable. Darkness was still darkness. A few minutes passed till the reply came. /Some hour or two./ /Should we wait to have a break?/ /I suggest you don¡¯t. You won¡¯t want to rest here./ /What is there?/ /You should see it./ Hawk raised his hand to signal a stop. He also contacted Jackal so he would pass the knowledge to the back. The tunnel allowed for two people side by side at best, so it was hard to get the signals through. ¡°We¡¯ll have a break!¡± he shouted out to a mix of sighs and groans. People wanted to rest but this wasn¡¯t one of the nicest places. Low ceiling, darkness and echoing passages. And that was all they had seen for the last half a day. Not a single branch of the road, patch of moss or drop of water from the top. Nothing changed for the whole time. Hawk had never considered himself fearful of closed spaces but this was coming close. Having to walk bowed for hours without end and blocked behind by a snaking line of players. It wasn¡¯t going to become one of his favourite in-game moments. ¡°You have some snacks?¡± Deedara asked from below. She had sat down with her feet bent at her side. He took a look in his bag. It was quickly emptying up but there was still a few things left. Three pieces of dried meat caught his eye and he got them out. ¡°Want some?¡± The priestess looked at it for a moment when grabbed one and started to nibble. ¡°You¡¯re probably the only one who still has something.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like wasting things,¡± he said, leaning against the wall. For a moment he closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of people settling. Most were complaining about the cave, how tiresome this journey was and wondering whether they were going to achieve anything. The longer they travelled, the more the last question was being asked. By now it was always at the front of everyone¡¯s mind. ¡°You look tired,¡± Deedara noted. ¡°Did you sleep last night yourself?¡± Hawk didn¡¯t reply. The way he was resting against the wall was answer enough. He had tried to think of what to do next but nothing had come to his mind. All he could do was move forward and hope for the best. There was little to no control in his hands His choices consisted of ordering to march forward or backwards. And the latter was no choice at all. He¡¯d rather have them all be wiped out. Not long after he made them start walking again. There was no point in dallying. The two hours till Dark wasn¡¯t going to decrease no matter how long they sat around. /You should hurry up/ came a message from Dark some ten minutes after they started back. /What is going on there?/ /Run. You really want to see this./ ¡®I hope he knows what he¡¯s saying,¡¯ Hawk thought ordering everyone to hurry. He started running himself, head bowed to keep from hitting the ceiling. Deedara moved beside him, soon breathing heavy. ¡°What is happening?¡± she asked in short gasps. Cleric stamina was legendary in its lack of existence. ¡°I wish I knew,¡± Hawk whispered, not wanting others to hear. ¡°Dark says there¡¯s something we need to see.¡± The priestess nodded but her lips were in a straight line. ¡°You trust that rogue,¡± she took a breath, ¡°too much.¡± Another breath. ¡°He might be in league with Wing.¡± ¡°You know who you¡¯re talking to, right?¡± he asked, slowing a bit. ¡°I lived with the monster for months. Why do you think I won¡¯t trust someone that might.¡± He paused to make the word sink in. ¡°Might be associated with him?¡± There were no more questions coming his way but the girl didn¡¯t fall back. She was still running by his side, though quiet now. He would have liked to know what she was thinking but mind reading wasn¡¯t part of the game. For the better probably. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Very long time later, Hawk crawled through a small cleared space and found himself outside. His breath was coming in short gasps as he stood up, seeing Dark sitting on a boulder. The rogue didn¡¯t say anything but pointed to the right. Legs screaming, he took a few more steps. The ground was no more than a few meters below. His eyes moved forward and he knew what Dark had wanted him to see. Bodies upon bodies were laid on the ground. Some were piled in groups. Others strewn around the field. It seemed as if all the yetis and humans had just fallen in their place to take a nap. There was no blood or wounds. Not a single slash or cut. White fur of yetis glistened in the afternoon sun, human bodies shining with an unnatural light. ¡°What happened here?¡± Hawk asked in a whisper, his voice hoarse. Dark pointed to a shadowed corner. Hawk squinted, covering his eyes with a hand. At first he didn¡¯t see anything. Then a cloud moved, allowing sun to shrine brighter and he saw. A human was standing next to a wall, shivering. Next to him was a creature almost impossible to see. Spirit like. Now that he listened, Hawk could hear a sucking sound coming from there. He could imagine seeing the thin cord connecting the two beings. Other people crawled out and their breaths caught audible sound. Hawk listened to everything until his mind snapped to action. ¡°We need to do something!¡± he shouted out. ¡°Deedara!¡± The priestess pushed forward, her cheeks red from the exertion. ¡°What happened?¡± Her eyes then landed on the ground, last syllables freezing on her lips. ¡°God...¡± ¡°We need to help the person!¡± he shouted again. ¡°Come with me!¡± he said, grabbing her by the hand and dragging after himself. She stumbled but managed to catch her balance, hurrying with his steps. Dark was on their heels, then before them, dashing towards the last survivor. When they reached, he was standing with daggers in hand. Chant was started before Hawk could even ask. A few more players had followed them, taking their weapons out after seeing the situation. Hawk took out his own bow, aiming at the creature. It was mere seconds they had after the chant but it had to be enough. The victim wasn¡¯t going to last much longer. First hits weren¡¯t enough. They made the creature cringe and wriggle, but not leave. Hawk hadn¡¯t expected it to. The spirit had to be killed. But with one cleric the waiting time was so long. Each second Deedara chanted was like forever. All he could do was watch the life being drained from the native, it¡¯s skin growing greyer and greyer. He released an arrow, knowing it wasn¡¯t going to hit anyone. He just had to do something to change this. The chant ended. One, two, three arrows and it was over again. Spirit screamed but didn¡¯t move, draining, expanding. Hawk clenched his teeth. They were going to need ten more times at this speed. How were they supposed to save anyone like this? Deedara¡¯s voice caught. She coughed a few times, starting her prayer again. So much wasted time! ¡°Hurry up!¡± he hissed, not moving his eyes from the dying man. There was no other sound but the chant and the sucking in his ears. It was disgusting, making him feel sick. Why could he do nothing? They attacked once more. Two seconds were all that was. Not close to enough. Their blades touched the spirit for the last time. It was still alive. Still draining the native. Chant was started. But it was over. The victim¡¯s eyes closed and he fell to the ground, limbs splaying in random directions. Spirit went over it, a parting touch, and was out. It turned invisible and was gone. Not a trace left. ¡°Damn it,¡± Hawk cursed, throwing his bow to the ground. It cracked but he didn¡¯t care. How did this happen? He rounded on Dark. ¡°Why did you let this happen? You were here the whole time!¡± The rogue raised his emotionless eyes up, the face blank. ¡°I had no way to aid them.¡± ¡°You should have explained everything then! We could have come faster!¡± ¡°How?¡± Dark asked, his voice low but not whispering. Normal. ¡°You already rushed faster than you should have. If any of the ghosts had stayed, a lot of your group would have been annihilated too.¡± It was logical. Hawk could understand. But his mind didn¡¯t accept. He didn¡¯t want to hear that. ¡°Nonsense,¡± he whispered. ¡°You¡¯re lucky most of them left.¡± ¡°How many were there?¡± someone asked. Dark looked at the bodies, remembering what had transpired. Never had he seen something so horrible. Watching it, being unable to do anything. It had been painful. ¡°Over fifty.¡± He heard whispered curses and ¡°oh gods¡± but it meant little. All these natives and yetis that had been living in harmony were gone. Their energy has been drained, leaving only their mortal coils. They weren¡¯t dead but neither were they alive. ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± the priestess asked. She was wrenching her hands, avoiding to look at the body at her feet. More people went down the small cliff. Some just stood still, standing in groups. This might have been a game but it was realistic. When dead bodies disappeared it was easy, you could ignore how real this was. But when they stayed, when you could see the empty eyes, unmoving chests. And so damn many of them. He heard someone puking. Dark felt his stomach churning but it was empty. He¡¯d had time to clean it thorough before. Somehow the ghosts hadn¡¯t heard him. That was the strangest thing. Or maybe they just were too busy. Why go after a target that is away when there are dozens nearby. ¡°How should I know?¡± the archer roared, his face twisted with anger. He was waving his hands, body shaking. ¡°We killed all these people!¡± Dark¡¯s head snapped up at those words. He was the only one here so how it was everyone¡¯s fault? On top of that what did they do? They tried to help but were too late. It happens. Not everyone can be saved. ¡°Then we should avenge them,¡± the girl said. Dark glanced at her but she was looking at Hawk, her eyes in slits. ¡°We should kill all these spirit things!¡± This calmed the archer for a moment. He stared at the priestess, breathing heavy. Then he smiled. ¡°I think that¡¯s the best idea ever.¡± He then jumped on a boulder, raising over the crowd. ¡°Everyone prepare! We¡¯re off to find those that did this and destroy them! Now!¡± When he went down after those words, he turned to Dark. ¡°Find them,¡± he hissed, eyes glowing feverish. It was an order Dark didn¡¯t feel like following. Sure, he could find them but what then? He would get attacked and die, unable to do anything. That wasn¡¯t what he signed up for. He had to ensure this mission¡¯s success. That was what mattered. Him dying for some stupid killing wasn¡¯t going to help. It would mean absolutely nothing. But what should he do? If he refused, he wasn¡¯t sure how the archer would react. He seemed quite mad at the moment. Not in his right mind. That also meant there wasn¡¯t going to be any discussions. He wouldn¡¯t listen to Dark¡¯s concerns. ¡°Did you hear me? Go and find them!¡± Dark didn¡¯t answer. He looked at the man¡¯s eyes, didn¡¯t see anything familiar there and ran off. He¡¯ll have to think of what to do later. For now it was best to escape, get away from this crazed couple. Maybe in time they would calm down. It was a far shot and he knew that. There was little hope anything would change. He would have to make it change if he wanted it to happen. Why did he have no one in his contacts? The only person there was the archer. Someone he couldn¡¯t ask for assistance. Not on this occasion. A message came. /Which path?! We need to follow as fast as possible!!/ Exclamation marks. Dark might not have been a person reader but this was a clear sign. The guy was mad. Crazy. Gone. There wasn¡¯t going to be any talking to him. /Left/ he answered. If they started moving, he could follow them and help in case of an emergency. Otherwise he would stay behind, on the safe side. The more he thought about it, the better it sounded. He would stay alive and will be there to oversee the progress. Much better than going first and finding himself killed. There was no chance someone was going to save him if he got caught. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re fine with that?¡± aunt Marina asked, looking at Kirin with worried eyes. ¡°Veronica isn¡¯t going to be there.¡± He smiled, nodding. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± The middle aged female frowned at him. ¡°I don¡¯t like this. Not at all. That girl was always with you. Why did they ever ban her from seeing you?¡± Kirin didn¡¯t answer. The woman wasn¡¯t going to understand anyway. He just smiled and continued talking nonsense. ¡°I¡¯m going to be okay aunt. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± She put the plate before him, warm food steaming. Kirin inhaled fully, enjoying the smell. It¡¯s been a while since he last ate something real. His own diet consisted of eggs, apples and ordered pizzas. The taste was even better than the smell. He dug in as if he hadn¡¯t eaten anything for days. Aunt laughed at his appetite so he smiled and continued to devour his plate. In moments it was empty. ¡°You want seconds?¡± He nodded with eagerness. ¡°I would love to!¡± She put less this time so he ate slower, savouring the taste. It was going to a be a while before he was going to eat anything like this again. ¡°I¡¯m still worried,¡± aunt said while he was eating. ¡°You never agreed to go on a camp, even when you were friends with Veronica. Now without her...¡± She looked around the room. ¡°I think it¡¯s dangerous. Maybe you shouldn¡¯t go, after all?¡± ¡°No!¡± Kirin shouted out, a piece of meat leaving his mouth. He picked it from the table and threw it out, giving his aunt a look. ¡°I said I am going there!¡± ¡°What brought out this change? You always said you hated them!¡± ¡®Everything,¡¯ Kirin thought. First there was Vera. She was banned from being around him. That was a huge plus. Another was that Sam was in summer school abroad. She wouldn¡¯t be able to tag along. That left Kevin but he was at his brother¡¯s. All the worst people in his life were busy. Neither could follow him into the camp. Or visit him every day. Others could, of course, but none were as bad as those three. ¡°It¡¯s not far,¡± he whispered, looking down at his food. ¡°I just want to meet other kids my age...¡± As expected this made the aunt squeal and dash forward. She brought him into her hands, hugging him close. ¡°Oh sweetie! You should have said so at first!¡± ¡®You would have needed another excuse then and I didn¡¯t want to bother thinking it up.¡¯ ¡°Of course, you can go!¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± he said, smiling wide and eyes shining. It was so easy to trick people, it was boring. His only energy spent was on trying to keep his smile from turning wry. ¡°I¡¯ll go start packing!¡± ¡°Do you want me to help?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I can do that myself!¡± Aunt laughed at that, releasing him. She ruffled his hair and pushed him off. ¡°Go and prepare then. I¡¯ll make a lunch box for the first day.¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± he said, escaping her hand and jumping two steps at a time. ¡°Add apples!¡± There was an answer but he was too far to hear. Not that it really mattered. He was going to pick a whole bag himself if she didn¡¯t. One apple was lying on his desk so he picked it and plopped on his bed, eating. ¡®Should I pack or just throw some things in?¡¯ Aunt was going to look through it anyway, adding things she thought he would need. Like toys. Stupid. He stood up and found a book about Genghis Khan. Somewhere he had read that the guy had around a million descendants and that caught his attention. It reminded him that he knew almost nothing about that legendary figure. This camp could be the perfect time to learn more about him. Just how to get the book in. Aunt wouldn¡¯t believe he would read historical recollections. ¡®Hmm...¡¯ He looked around the room. What would be the perfect hiding spot? Posters, plushies, toys... Clothes lying on the ground, the back on the chair. Nothing good. He couldn¡¯t hide it in clothes. She would notice there in a moment. Wait, what about a toy? He rushed to one of the larger cars. Through the bottom he could see that the inside was large enough, just filled with wires, batteries and other stuff that made it run. It wasn¡¯t much of the problem. He sneaked into the corridor and went to where his father held his house tools. The box was very large and slipped from his hands, crashing to the ground. ¡°What happened?¡± aunt shouted out, running up the stairs. Kirin ditched his parent¡¯s room, rushing to his own. He barely managed to drop to the ground, when she threw his doors opened. ¡°What happened? Are you okay?¡± Kirin¡¯s heart was beating fast, lungs trying to force him to breathe more rapid. He refused, controlling his breaths to not give himself out. ¡°Oh?¡± he turned to face her. ¡°A book dropped.¡± ¡°You sure? It sounded a lot like metal,¡± she said, putting her hand to her heart. ¡°You scared me to no end.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± he said standing up and looking to the ground. ¡°I just reached for the motion gauntlet and a few books fell. I didn¡¯t want to worry you...¡± She pushed a smile on, squatting down to be lower than him. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just happy you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said, picking up the toy car. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of bringing this with me. I can, right?¡± ¡°Of course! And if everything¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll go finish your lunch box.¡± He nodded and sat down with his car, putting on the gauntlet and pretending to play. It was amazing how he could control it with barest motions of the hand but ten years were more than enough. Some things were just outgrown. When he was sure aunt was busy, rattling the pans or something, he sneaked out again. This time he quickly found the screwdriver and left with it. In moments he had the car¡¯s bottom open and was taking out everything. Wires were cut to make it easier and he had his open space. The book fit in as if made for there, and he screwed the bottom back. If someone paid more attention, it was obvious that there was a book inside but no one should. His aunt at least wouldn¡¯t care much for what toy he picked, as long as he did take one. He added some clothes to the bag, paper and chargers for his phone. Then he went down, watching an animation on TV while aunt finished his preparations. There were four hours left till he had to leave. A bit of time to waste. And then there would be something new. He hadn¡¯t been on a camp so it had to be interesting. At least for the first time. If there had been a god he believed in, he would have prayed for that. Good things were going scarce and he needed something to keep him entertained. Or he was going to go mad. 8.7 Chasing Dreams Author''s Note: This chapter is a bit different than the rest. It has lots of different views. Hope you enjoy it too ^^ **** The sun was burning. Kirin¡¯s skin felt as if it was on fire. ¡°Can I go inside?¡± he asked for the millionth time but the supervisor didn¡¯t so much as glance his way. It had started happening some ten complaints ago. Why did he ever think that this was a good idea? He never went outside in daytime! Night was his friend, not this glaring yellow orb in the sky. One that made him sweat all the time and have a hard time breathing. It was too damn hot. ¡°Everyone, who wants to go canoeing?¡± the supervisor asked in a cheerful voice and most of the kids squealed in delight. ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± they shouted out. Eyes shining, bodies jumping in place. Kirin watched them with a sour look. Was he supposed to have that much energy too? And like the daytime? Outdoor activities? There was no way he¡¯d ever enjoyed it, was there? He tried to remember but it had been so long ago. What, ten years? ¡°Hey, you¡¯re with me, okay?¡± said an older boy. A wide smile was on his face as he turned to stare at the river. Kirin sighed. ¡°Whatever,¡± he muttered, moving towards the cabins. He had to pick up his life jacket. The other boy came with him. ¡°Have you ever canoed before?¡± ¡°No,¡± Kirin answered, thinking whether he would be able to pretend he got tired in a few minutes. The boy tagging along with him had to be around fourteen with long limbs and tanned skin. He had to love exercising or playing outside. ¡°Great!¡± the boy said with his smile widening. ¡°I was afraid you¡¯ll know everything and I¡¯ll look a fool. Now we can learn together. Ain¡¯t that great?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name by the way?¡± the boy asked as they were next to the cabins. Kirin moved to the one he shared but the boy still followed him. A persistent one. ¡°Kirin,¡± he said in an annoyed voice. But it didn¡¯t seem to register in his stalkers brain. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s an unusual name! How did you get it? Is there a hidden meaning?¡± He laughed, then hit his head. ¡°Oh, and I¡¯m Mark.¡± Inside the cabin there were four beds and a dresser for each one. It was the first day so bags lay on the sheets, next to the cabinets. Kirin opened his own and as the supervisor said, he found a life jacket. It looked a bit too large so Kirin grabbed it without putting on. ¡°Woah, this is a nice place,¡± Mark said, looking around with dazed eyes. Kirin looked trying to understand what was so good but couldn¡¯t see. Walls made of large logs, simple lamp at the top and single beds by the walls. If there was a more traditional cabin, he had to find it. ¡°Nice?¡± ¡°Yeah! You should see mine!¡± He grabbed Kirin by the hand. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll show!¡± Then he ran off, Kirin stumbling after. ¡®When did I agree to anything?¡¯ he thought but it was too late to resist. He just hoped that Mark¡¯s cabin wasn¡¯t too far away. It was damn uncomfortable being dragged by a larger person who thought that you had as long legs as he did. On arrival, Kirin took in a breath. Was this supposed to be a cabin? He shook his head to make sure he was seeing right. It was still there. The thing was askew, one wall almost a meter taller than the other. Logs making it were old, rotten inside showing where children had picked on. If that wasn¡¯t enough, doors were hanging on hinges. Mark had to hold them with a shoulder when opening. ¡°Come in, come in!¡± he laughed, seeing Kirin¡¯s dumbstruck expression. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it looks!¡± It was doubtful but Kirin carefully made his way in. Inside wasn¡¯t any better than the outside. Five beds, two on each wall and one next to the back. There were two dressers in total, though they were a bit larger than the one¡¯s in his cabin. At the top hung a simple electric bulb. Not a lamp or anything, just a bulb. What in the world was this place? Something cracked. Kirin¡¯s head snapped in the direction but nothing caught his eye. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Mark said, picking his own life jacket and leading them out. ¡°It¡¯s just the wind in the walls. Nothing dangerous.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve stayed here before?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± the boy answered, jogging towards the river. Or it felt so to Kirin who had to almost run to stay with him. ¡°But last time my parents couldn¡¯t afford all the activities so I couldn¡¯t go canoeing. That¡¯s why I¡¯m so excited now!¡± When Kirin didn¡¯t say anything, Mark asked him. ¡°What about you? Is this your first time?¡± Kirin nodded and let the boy talk about everything there was in here. It was somewhat interesting so he listened with one ear. A lot he had read online but not everything was there. Most fun things were known only to the participants. They walked like that to the river and Kirin looked over the expanse of the river. It was wide, slow and clean. He could see the bottom as if he was looking through a glass window. It was kind of pretty. ¡°Shall we choose a boat?¡± Mark asked and Kirin nodded. Maybe this wasn¡¯t going to be as bad. Maybe he¡¯d have fun. As if. As if it was going to work. Dark blinked a few more times to get the sleep out. It has been a week he¡¯d followed Hawk¡¯s group of ardent followers and they never rested. At points he doubted they were humans. ¡°Go!¡± the archer shouted and Dark focused his eyes ahead. They were planning to make four players go into a hole, hoping it would lure some spirits out. It was madness, risking player lives so easily. But that never stopped them. Few heated speeches and all were ready to do anything. All that mattered was killing those spirits. The players even fought who was going to go lure spirits. Even though, nine of their group had already died. A scream rose from the hole but it was cut off mid-way. Pregnant silence descended, soon filled with sucking sounds. There were smiles on the group¡¯s faces. ¡°Yes!¡± the archer hissed and the clerics started chanting. The rest of players jumped in the hole, having no idea what awaited them there. Luck smiled, for there were sounds of metal hitting flesh. At least some of them had survived. Now it was a race of who finished who first. Spirits draining the energy, or players killing them one by one. ¡°More energy! Is this what you call attacking?¡± Hawk¡¯s voice came from the hole. ¡°Haaaaaa!¡± the others answered in a type of warcry. Few voices echoing on their own. It didn¡¯t sound good. Dark crawled from his place and moved on all fours. He was thirty steps away but it was better to stay careful. There was no telling with these zealots. They might just attack him. But there was no one to stop him. He reached the hole uninterrupted and glanced downwards. It was all black. He lighted a stick and threw in. As it fell, he saw fifteen players being drained. Other twenty were trying to kill the spirits but having a hard time. Problem was that saved players weren¡¯t joining the fighters. They were too exhausted, falling in place after being released. No help ever came from them. Not that there were many saved now. Only one player lay pale, all others caught in the spirits¡¯ grasp. Hawk with his followers were trying to save another but it was looking grim. There was no chance they could save everyone. They had chewed on more than they could swallow. He had to do something. Or more like simply jump in. There wasn¡¯t much else he was capable of doing. Daggers slid out of his sheaths and stabbed into a spirit. It growled but didn¡¯t do anything, busy draining a player. No one glanced his way. Three clerics could cast fast enough to prevent the spirit from being incorporeal. Players just attacked and attacked, ignoring the world around. Dark doubted anyone even noticed his appearance. Not that it mattered. His mission was to help them survive. This meant killing the spirits as fast as possible. Daggers slashed right and left, not stabbing for time would be wasted getting them out. What he noticed from watching Hawk¡¯s group, was that spirits had no weak spots. It was as if their whole body was a single limb. Not a single place received more damage than the rest. Repetition was the key here. One slash followed by another. Not a second to waste. A spirit screeched, disappearing into thin air. All moved to another one. No break. People¡¯s lives rested on their swiftness. They weren¡¯t going to save everyone but maybe more than a half. That would be a win. Ten minutes later they were done. Or the spirits were. They drained the last person and disappeared without a trace. Five people were dead. Largest loss in one go so far. No one noticed, though. They were celebrating with hoots and shouts, hitting each other on the back. Dark received a few of those before assimilating with his namesake. He didn¡¯t want to be found. It might not end well. Hawk hadn¡¯t written him more but Dark was sure he¡¯d been named a traitor. Not once had he went ahead of the group. ¡°You did well!¡± Hawk said with pride in his voice, facing his followers. ¡°It was a tough match but we prevailed! Ten more of these atrocious things are dead! Soon we¡¯ll exterminate them all! Have no doubts!¡± Some cheers came from the crowd but it wasn¡¯t too loud. Saved players were laying half-dead while others were too exhausted. They sat on the ground, leaning against the walls and breathing heavy. Weapons dropped all around. A player wanted Dark¡¯s place. He had to move away, doing his best not to make a sound. Another person stood right in front and Dark froze in place. He couldn¡¯t take a step without ramming into him. He pushed against the wall, making himself as thin as possible. The fact that he was almost invisible didn¡¯t make him incorporeal. If anyone stumbled, he¡¯d be revealed. Not something he wanted to experience. It was tiresome, standing in one place but soon enough he was left alone. Hawk ordered everyone to stand up and get going. There were more spirits to kill. No time to waste as he put it. Dark was glad. The moment they were gone, weariness washed over him. He felt his legs slip from under him and he fell in a heap of meat. Yawn escaped and he shook his head, trying to push sleep away. Thing was, it wasn¡¯t going anywhere this time He didn¡¯t remember the last time he¡¯d slept. Two, three... Could it be four days? He couldn¡¯t tell. His eyes closed and Dark pushed a hand under his head. The group couldn¡¯t go too far. Only a few hours. Nothing could happen in that time. Just a moment¡¯s rest. That¡¯s all. ¡°It¡¯s never going to work,¡± Mark said, watching the stones coming up. ¡°We¡¯re going to crash!¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be such a fail sport! It¡¯s going to be fun!¡± Kirin laughed, aiming their canoe on a different path than others¡¯. They were supposed to go by the stream on the main path. It was a picturesque view without any obstacles. Boring in Kirin¡¯s view so he decided to change it up a bit. There was a branching. Most of the river went sleepily forward while a small rivulet went to the left. Moment¡¯s after it¡¯s beginning they could see river steps. They weren¡¯t steep but still dangerous looking. Mark had stopped rowing, just watching with a horrified expression. ¡°We¡¯re not supposed to leave the course...¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be fun, don¡¯t worry,¡± Kirin said, a smile on his face. He moved them to the left branch and the stream did the rest, carrying the little canoe to the steps. ¡°Get ready!¡± The older boy grabbed onto the sides as they tumbled down the steps. There were only three but the canoe¡¯s nose and tail rose in turns. Kirin laughed as he almost fell forward into the river. This was much more fun than he had expected. His new friend had eyes wide, face pale but once they were done he chuckled to himself. It was a bit shaky so Kirin gave him a wide smile. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it wasn¡¯t exhilarating!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Mark said. ¡°You¡¯re a madman, though.¡± Kirin nodded, starting to row again The stream here was weaker so he needed to push harder. Mark joined him soon after. Their speed wasn¡¯t high but the sights here were much better. The trees weren¡¯t trimmed and vines hung over their heads. Some branches had fallen in, forcing them to go around or step into the water. It was on the cold side but worth the effort. At one point Mark slipped and went head first in, making Kirin laugh his head off. The other boy grumbled at him but then started laughing too. Soon, though, it grew chill. Tree canopies hid the sun, wet clothes not drying in the least. But just as they were about to start complaining the forest ended. The rivulet widened and went through some kind of village. Small cottages stood on both sides with well-taken care of gardens. Various flowers blossomed, filling the air with a sweet smell. Petals flew to the water, flowing on the stream. ¡°This is amazing,¡± Mark whispered, looking around. ¡°I¡¯d love to live here.¡± ¡°It would grow familiar and boring soon enough,¡± Kirin muttered. He knew that from experience. His place was filled with cliffs and wonderful beaches but to him they were an everyday thing. A river like this or some lake would be much more interesting. For a time being. Until it got boring too and a forest or some hills were needed to change the scenery. ¡°I didn¡¯t knew this became a kid¡¯s route,¡± came a voice from a platform on the right. Kirin glanced in that direction to see a bearded man sitting in a fisherman¡¯s chair. He had a wooden hand-made pole in his hand, a bottle of ale in the other and an empty bucket at his side. ¡°We never said it did,¡± he answered, putting the paddle inside the canoe. They barely moved without rowing. So he put his legs out on the front, half-sitting, half-lying in his place. ¡°We just wanted see better sights.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you too proud? What will you do when your supervisors come?¡± ¡°Tell them the stream was too strong and we were forced off the path,¡± Kirin answered with a wide yawn. Sun shone on his body, making warmth spread all over him. He stretched like a satisfied kitten, shifting to make himself more comfortable. Mark behind him shuffled also. Hopefully, he was finding a good position too. It would be annoying if he wanted to travel further. This was a good place to take an afternoon nap. There was no place to hurry. They would be found soon enough and have to return to that boring camp. He was doubting it had been a smart idea to come here. Side trip on this river might have been fun but it was the only thing. Introductions at first had been painful, games overly childish and stupid while adult actions a horror. They thought he might need help putting his pants on. It was true that he¡¯d chosen one of the most expensive cares but it had been for the room. He didn¡¯t want to live in a shack if there was a chance. Had he known it would make everyone believe he¡¯s a spoiled brat, he¡¯d have chosen a more average stay. But it was too late now. It was well and done. At least no one dared to say a word to him. They rather pretended not to hear his complaints. A pathetic decision. He wondered who taught them such horrible care. Maybe they were part-timers without any experience? That would explain a lot. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Hey, kid! Are you ignoring me?¡± Kirin opened one eye, turning slightly to face the man. ¡°What?¡± he asked with another yawn. This warmth was making him sleepy. ¡°How long are you staying there?¡± ¡°Another week and a half. What¡¯s that to you?¡± The man spit in the river. ¡°You¡¯ll be here plenty of times then, scaring all the fish away.¡± ¡°Not like you were going to catch anything. At least now you have an excuse,¡± Kirin taunted him with a grin. ¡°I had just started,¡± the man muttered under his breath, glancing at his empty bucket. Kirin rolled his eyes. ¡°Sure. You can show me your catch in a few days, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget to come, you brat. I¡¯ll give you the feast of your life!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting,¡± Kirin answered, closing his eyes. They were moving away from the man and he didn¡¯t plan to stop. There wasn¡¯t anything more to say. He would have to come and check up on this a few days later. It would be something to wait for in this annoying place. Keep him from dying of boredom. The house was dark. Aiden walked on soft steps, not wanting to wake anyone up. At one of the of the corridors he saw the light on. He moved there, carefully opening the doors. ¡°Tristain?¡± he asked, seeing the kid sitting on his bed. He was staring right ahead at the wall. The boy turned at his voice. ¡°Hi,¡± he said in a soft tone. Aiden came into the room, sitting down on his brother¡¯s bed. ¡°Were you thinking about him again?¡± The boy just nodded, his cheeks glistening in the light. ¡°Why did he do that? Weren¡¯t we friends?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you were,¡± Aiden said, hugging the little kid. ¡°It¡¯s just that sometimes people have problems. We don¡¯t know what his real life is like. Maybe something angered him there a lot.¡± ¡°You think he¡¯ll return to us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said, looking himself into that same wall the kid faced previously. It was simple green, no ornaments or anything. ¡°You should let him decide whether he wants to come back.¡± ¡°But what if he chooses not to?¡± Tristain asked in a sharp voice, liquid pooling in his eye corners. Aiden stayed quiet for a moment. Thinking. How could he explain that sometimes people left your life? That not everyone stayed there forever? ¡°It¡¯s not good to force people to come back. They should want to stay around themselves, or else it¡¯s no real friendship. And you don¡¯t want that, right?¡± There was no answer from the kid. He held Aiden¡¯s shirt in his little fists, hiding his face in his brother¡¯s chest. ¡°You should remember the good times together, when you had fun. Maybe he¡¯ll return, maybe not but you shouldn¡¯t think bad of him. Sometimes people change or life makes them and they have to go.¡± Aiden quieted for a moment, then added. ¡°All you can do then is to remember them with a good word.¡± ¡°Does it make a difference, the way I remember?¡± ¡°All the difference,¡± Aiden said with a smile, rubbing his brother¡¯s back. ¡®It¡¯s better for you at least.¡¯ ¡°Okay, then,¡± Tristain whispered, closing his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for him, even if it takes all my life.¡± Aiden wasn¡¯t going for that but it was better than nothing. At least it should lighten the kid up. He was inconsolable for a few days and servants were getting anxious. They were thinking of contacting parents. An unwelcome ending for everyone. But it looked like it could be avoided. He stayed with his brother for a bit longer, until the boy fell asleep. Then he gently unhooked the kid¡¯s fingers and lowered him to the bed. The covers were too warm so he pulled them only halfway up. Loud growl from a stomach reminded Aiden the real reason for leaving his bedroom. Kitchen was on the first floor so he made his way down, careful not to wake any servants. They¡¯d want to make a real dish for him and that¡¯ll take forever. In the fridge he found a sausage, got bread and made himself a sandwich. It wasn¡¯t much but should keep him alive. His eyes fell on a pack of rice on a cabinet when he heard a sound from behind. He turned to see one of the maids entering the kitchen. ¡°Morning, Eileen.¡± ¡°Master Aiden,¡± the girl said with a curtsy. ¡°Would you like me to make you some breakfast?¡± Aiden hid his painful groan and presented her a smile. ¡°Thank you, Eileen, but no. I came here just to get a snack.¡± He grabbed a random fruit from the basket on the table. It was an apple. Good enough. ¡°You can go to sleep.¡± There was distrust on the girl¡¯s face but she didn¡¯t push. It wasn¡¯t her place. She was allowed in only because her mother was such a great cook and pleaded for a favour. ¡°If you say so. Will you want breakfast then in the morning?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No. I think I¡¯ll enter the game for a bit.¡± He went for the door when a thought entered his mind. ¡°But you should prepare something special for Tristain. He should be in a better mood.¡± Eileen¡¯s smile returned to her face. ¡°Great! I¡¯ll pass that to mother. Good night, Master Aiden.¡± He gave her a nod and went up the stairs. Three floors, two corridors and five doors on his right. It was a pain. He wished he could change rooms but apparently the second floor was for guests and the third for Tristain. Stupidity in his opinion but no one ever listened to him in this house. And in time he learned not to even try. Pathetic? Probably. But so much easier. His room met him with piles of papers in stacks. There was a small one still left to look over. He sat at the table, waking his computer and looking over the three screens. Nothing had changed in his absence. Good news. He wrote a couple of letters, sent them along with new orders for his managers and returned to the papers. They were from the suppliers, an account of his last buy. The prices seemed okay but there was an added note. Prices were to be raised. This wasn¡¯t acceptable. He sent a letter to his assistant to schedule a meeting. He¡¯ll have to have a talk with them, one long coming. They were going to lower the prices or lose the contract. There were other suppliers. This was business, not friendship where you stuck around for people. In a few hours he was done. It was a wonder he didn¡¯t grow one with the chair by how long he spent in it. The best plan now would be to have a rest and go to sleep but he knew he wasn¡¯t going to do that. There was a game to play. He had promised to train an army. It wasn¡¯t life and death important but promises were better kept. They came to bite you in the end if you didn¡¯t. Cabin met him with blinking lights and he strapped himself, putting the helmet on. Most players should be on so the training could start. He had no idea what he was going to do with it but maybe something would come to his mind when he was there. ¡°Shit!¡± L cursed, throwing the papers into the air. ¡°How the hell did he find out?¡± Rowena gave him a look. ¡°How should I know? All they said was that the whole guild was killed at night. Not a single person spared. Red Death weren¡¯t the traitors.¡± L stood up from his chair, moving to stand before her. ¡°Then who? No one else but your sisters knew about them being spies!¡± He slammed his fist into the table. ¡°No one! And now I have no idea what is happening there!¡± ¡°You can be sure he¡¯s preparing for war.¡± ¡°Really?¡± L asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Thanks for the news flash! He¡¯s only been doing that for the last three months!¡± The female took a step back at his outburst, closer to the door. Usually L was a good natured guy but lately his nerves been stretched. Bringing him bad news was like putting your hand in a boiling pot. ¡°What am I supposed to do now? I have no idea where he¡¯s coming from! Not the slightest hint!¡± He started to pace. ¡°The last messages said he was planning first to attack Vascas but I can¡¯t trust those reports. Who knows how long he¡¯d known about the spies. He might have given them false information. Useless idiots,¡± he rattled on. ¡°I¡¯ll need to tell Monthu to increase the speed of his training. We might be attacked at any moment. Scouts have to be doubled to patrol the area. Where in the world is Wing when he¡¯s needed?¡± After the question he turned to Rowena who gave him a wide eyed look. How was she supposed to know? She¡¯d met the guy only a few times and only in his disguise. Not once had she met Wing as Wing. ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡± she said, raising her hands in the air in question. Something close to a growl came from L and he started pacing again. ¡°What are your sisters doing anyway?¡± ¡°They¡¯re trying to sneak into Marion¡¯s study. They¡¯ll be returning afterwards whether they¡¯re successful or not.¡± ¡°Did they tell you anything that is useful?¡± The girl thought for a moment. Her sisters had discussed their mission, why it fell apart and what to do next for hours. She¡¯d listened for most of it but at some point she¡¯d given up and went to sleep. There was just so much strategy and planing a normal human could stomach. ¡°I think they mentioned something about Marion giving away an undiscovered city. They thought it was to the traitor that gave them out. But none of Red Death acted strange and were all dead. It doesn¡¯t look like any of them received anything,¡± she said, trying her best to say as they had talked. It wouldn¡¯t be good to confuse something. ¡°Undiscovered city?¡± L asked, his face scrunching. It looked as if he was getting a very bad pain in his stomach. ¡°Ruins?¡± Did he know something about it? Her sisters hadn¡¯t heard anything so how... ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You bastard, little shit,¡± L hissed, punching the wall. Blood showed up on his hand but he didn¡¯t seem to notice. He just cursed and cursed for good ten minutes. Rowena leaned against the wall, waiting for his fury to wane a bit. It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d thrown a fit but this was the largest so far. He had to have been tricked quite well. ¡°So who did it?¡± ¡°No one. I¡¯ll deal with it myself,¡± he said in a controlled voice but his red face said he wasn¡¯t even close to calming down. ¡°Report to me if your sisters learn anything. Otherwise they should come themselves. I have new work for them.¡± ¡°But they¡¯ll be ti-¡± ¡°It¡¯s war!¡± L snapped. ¡°They can rest when I win!¡± He plopped into his chair, hand holding the head. It made him look like a tired old man. Poor guy. ¡°I¡¯ll check up on your general. Maybe I can help him some,¡± she said. ¡°Thanks,¡± he muttered, forcing out a smile. ¡°You know I appreciate all of you, right?¡± She gave him a return smile. He was a good guy, just not in an enviable position. No one could be in a happy mood when his city was soon to be on siege. At least none who cared. Outside she saw empty barracks. There wasn¡¯t a single soldier npc or player around. After a bit of searching she met a cleaner lady and was pointed towards the walls. Hawk form was the best one and she soared into the air. In a moment she was over the wall and saw something she¡¯d seen only in films. Archers stood in lines, releasing volley after volley in a quick rhythm. One, two, three. Every third was some skill, all different depending on each player. Npcs just released simple arrows even on third but that just added to the sight. Colourful shots, fiery ones and normal, all mixed into one deadly mixture. It was beautiful, and dangerous. She rose higher in the air so no arrow would find her by chance. And then it started raining. No not water. Meteors fell from the sky followed by lighting and ice spears. Wind rose, making it hard for her to dodge all the projectiles. The end of her wings freezing in the cold atmosphere. Then a meteor went past and she was warm all other. Too warm for a feather on her tail caught on fire. She dropped towards the ground, wings pushed to her sides. Flame went out but now the arrows were in range. She extended her wings a bit, changing her position. Aim was the wall itself. If she made to the base of it, nothing would come her way. They were pretending the enemies were still away, not crawling up the wall. On the ground she turned into a lizard and ran upwards. From there she watched the arrows, enjoying the view. It was great. She could almost believe they could win with this. Only problem being that the enemies had all the same tools. It wasn¡¯t a thought she wanted to entertain. When she got bored, she went down but this time inside the wall. There Monthu was ordering npcs in ten member groups plus a leader and seeing how they did. If they were okay, he sent them to train. If not, he split them and put in new groups. Players were doing some basic forms, showed by a npc instructor. The guy looked to be on the verge of exploding from happiness. Rowena doubted previous to this he¡¯d received more than a couple of calls for training. She turned into her normal form and approached Monthu. ¡°Hey, how¡¯s it going?¡± ¡°Hi,¡± the guy answered. He had a ledger in his hand, marking something even as he talked to her. ¡°It¡¯s better than I expected. Most of the city¡¯s population has joined the defence.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good news!¡± she said with a smile. It would be really nice if they could win. ¡°Think we¡¯ve got a chance?¡± The scytheman that looked nothing like himself, an accountant more like glanced over his recruits. They weren¡¯t awful but few had any training. It was a bard city after all, place of music, songs and dancing. Not military. But everyone was trying. Sweat was running their faces in torrents, backs bending in exhaustion yet legs fell into forms and hands rose holding swords. Time was a luxury they didn¡¯t have. It was learn now or die first tomorrow. ¡°There¡¯s always a chance,¡± Monthu said, shaking his head at one company. ¡°Split up,¡± he ordered. ¡°You go to that one, you there, the rest wait for now. I¡¯ll give you a few more in a moment.¡± ¡°Do you need help with anything?¡± she asked. Monthu looked her over than turned to his ledger. ¡°What can you do?¡± It was a logical question. She should have expected it. Yet her mind was empty. She didn¡¯t have military training nor was she good at ordering people around. ¡°I won¡¯t bother you any more.¡± She had taken a step away when his voice stopped her. ¡°You can change shapes, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°The maps here are centuries old. Could you scout the area thoroughly? Like from the sky, ground and underneath it?¡± He gave her a smile. ¡°I would really appreciate it.¡± Rowena¡¯s smile could have lit up the sky. ¡°I¡±ll do it!¡± she shouted out, turning into an eagle halfway through the words. In another blink she was over the wall and looking towards the ground. She wasn¡¯t a map maker, there were scouts for that but she could test all the terrain. In different forms see what two legged creatures couldn¡¯t. This was her time to shine. 8.8 Advance ¡°Kirin! How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing this?¡± Mark shouted out, his hands raising in the air. His whole body shook with annoyance. ¡°I¡¯ve been here like couple of times every day!¡± The boy he was talking to lowered his tablet with exaggerated slowness. ¡°I thought you would have learnt by now.¡± He looked at his kind of a friend from under his eyelashes. Mark was an interesting guy. He was older, or thought himself so, and tried to act a grown up. It was clear he had no idea what being one meant and was aiming too high. Passing orders from supervisors, coming to pick Kirin up for everything, or trying to. Most of the time he wasn¡¯t able to find him. ¡°But you need to join us! It¡¯s in the schedule!¡± His try hard was fun to watch, but sometimes he could be a bit of a bore. That was his biggest minus. He should learn to think for himself. ¡°And?¡± ¡°What do you mean and? We need to go!¡± ¡°Pft, don¡¯t wanna,¡± Kirin said, returning his eyes to the tablet. He had a game of cards open. It wasn¡¯t the greatest entertainment but better than running in the mud. That might be interesting for an hour, two at most, but everyday? A tremble passed his body at the thought. No one was going to force him into that. It was pure torture. The single person he talked to in this camp came closer to glance at his tablet. ¡°Full battery? You¡¯re always on it but there shouldn¡¯t be any sockets to charge it in your room...¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t.¡± He smiled at the memory. If he had learnt anything in Regal Dream, it was sneaking around. Supervisors had no chance of protecting their rooms against him. It was annoying to go into their rooms, offices every day but it was better than the alternative. He wasn¡¯t going to join those activities. They were good for the first few times. Not more. They were just so repetitive... How could anyone like them? The question puzzled him but humans were strange things. He never presumed to understand them. It was easy guessing what they will do but the reasoning evaded him more often than not. ¡°Think the man caught his fish?¡± he asked. Mark¡¯s head snapped up to look at him. There was a stupefied expression on his face as he tried to grasp what was asked. Kirin rolled his eyes and explained. ¡°It¡¯s been more than a week since we met the man. Think he caught at least a single fish by now?¡± He waited a moment before adding. ¡°When is canoeing scheduled next?¡± ¡°Later this afternoon. It¡¯s the last one so we¡¯re going on a longer route.¡± ¡°Hmm... You going to join me? Or have you found someone else to keep you company?¡± It wouldn¡¯t be too surprising. Mark was a nice kid, all things considered. He should be liked by most. Rich kids maybe not just because, but others shouldn¡¯t have this problem. The boy looked at him for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Mark said with a shine in his eyes. He grabbed Kirin by the shoulder and did his best to get him up. ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± It was swift and unexpected, making Kirin lose his focus for a moment. Tablet slipped through his fingers and he heard a loud crack. His eyes went downwards to see minuscule pieces of glass shattered near his feet. Tablet lay on its monitor, black side up, but he didn¡¯t need to turn the thing over. It was pretty obvious and without doing anything. Mark had released his hand so he stepped away with a care, making sure not to step on any glass pieces. One still managed to get stuck to his foot so he leaned against a tree, brushing it off. At least he didn¡¯t get cut. ¡®Could I have?¡¯ he wondered for a moment before making a circle to get his sandals. It was better not to risk. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Mark started, getting out of his shock. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± There were tears in his eyes as he grasped his hands before his mouth, muffling the words. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t think...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it,¡± Kirin muttered, a frown on his face. It would have been nice if the thing had survived a few more days. What will he do to amuse himself now? Camp activities were out of the question. ¡°I-I¡¯ll m-mak-ke it up to you!¡± Mark snivelled. He was watching the destroyed tablet with mortification. ¡°I-I¡¯ll ask, ask my parents to-to buy a new one! They, they will do it!¡± His voice had turn shrill, reaching banshee levels by the end. Kirin covered his ears, pretending it pained him. ¡°You should calm a bit, you¡¯re going to make me lose my hearing.¡± The boy turned to him, eyes blinking in confusion. ¡°Whaa?¡± ¡°Wipe your tears, didn¡¯t you say we were going canoeing now?¡± ¡°Yes, b-but you-your tablet! It-it¡¯s..!¡± he started, tearing up as he looked back at the destruction at their feet. It was getting annoying. ¡°Forget about it. Do you see me caring?¡± he asked, marching off towards the river. He didn¡¯t walk too fast and Mark soon caught up with him. Somewhat of a relief. The boy was still snivelling when they were near the main campus. ¡°Stay here,¡± Kirin told him in a hard voice. Mark nodded eyes wide. Kirin wasn¡¯t sure what he was so afraid of but left him alone nonetheless. Near one of the offices he found a helper. He was reading a magazine and looked up at his approach with little happiness. Kirin smiled at him angelically, putting on an embarrassed expression. ¡°What happened?¡± the helper asked, putting his magazine on a small table beside. It was even easier than Kirin had expected. He said that there was a problem and the helper should go investigate. Helper asked him to lead but Kirin got himself out, saying he had other engagements. Supposedly, one of the supervisors had called him. The man breathed out, picked his magazine and left in the direction indicated. Kirin smiled after him. Children were supposed to clean their messes. It was a learning experience or something. But if some adult found broken glass, he had to remove it even if they knew who¡¯d done it. They couldn¡¯t leave something so dangerous for other children to wander in. Mark was still in his place so Kirin motioned for him to follow and they made their way to the river. Canoeing was going to start in a few hours so they sat on the bridge, legs in water. Sun was shining in Kirin¡¯s so he closed them, falling back. Warmth bathed him and he let himself drift away. Today seemed to be a better day than usual. Something unpredictable had happened and there were a few more possible surprises coming. ** Snow glistened in the light of a ball of fire. It was hovering above a group of people¡¯s heads, making shadows dance on their faces. Their expressions were anything but happy. ¡°Done!¡± one of the players hissed. ¡°I¡¯m done and leaving! You won¡¯t stop me!¡± ¡°As if I would try!¡± another answered with a sneer. He waved the other guy off like his words meant nothing. ¡°Feel free to pick your cowardly friends too! I don¡¯t need weaklings like you!¡± The first person glared at the second. ¡°I sure will. Come on guys. We¡¯re done with this madman!¡± Grumbles agreeing to him came from the group and a large part of it split to join one of the arguing people, the leaving one. The rest stayed in their place, looking back and forth. It was clear from their faces they didn¡¯t know what to choose. Neither side was particularly tempting to them. Only one guy didn¡¯t seem to be interested in the argument at all. He was sitting on a dead dragon¡¯s claw, writing in his journal. An ink bottle sat to his right on the verge of falling. The man stabilised the bottle as he dipped the feather pen in and bit his lip, squinting at his journal. The ball of fire was far and brought him mostly shadows. Still he soon leaned forward and started writing again. In that time, another third of the group had moved. Other players were making their decisions based on band feeling and moving away too. In a minute the second person was left standing alone. His eyes had narrowed, lips curled in disgust but he didn¡¯t say anything. It was clear to him that it was too late for words. No one was going to listen to him so he turned and walked towards the darkness. A female went after, her grey dress making her seem like a ghost on the snow. The main body of the group watched and then turned on their heels. Their goal lay in another direction. Dark stared at both paths, unable to decide where to go. He had to make sure the mission succeeded. It sounded so easy at the beginning. So clear and simple. When most died, it became even more obvious. He just had to help them survive and explore the mountains. It was clear. Then the hunt of spirits began. He had stayed hidden most of the time, aiding only when the situation looked dangerous. This was a strange kind of relation but it was simple. He knew what he had to do. But now? It would look like he should follow the main part. That would be the most logical decision but they were backing out. They were trying to return home. Unfinished with the mission. The archer instead was planning to continue. But he was alone! Well, two if he counted the priestess but it hardly made it better. There were just too few of them! Dark didn¡¯t believe they could achieve anything. At all. So his question still stood. What was he supposed to do now? What was the mission anyway? He tried to think but his mind came up blank. There wasn¡¯t the slightest idea of what the true goal of their expedition had been. The official story was that it was exploring. Dark believed it but at the same time it felt really shallow. Leaders should have had more reason than that. L was on the verge of war, he wouldn¡¯t have sent them for simple exploring, would he? It didn¡¯t sound logical. There had to be something he wasn¡¯t seeing. Something he wasn¡¯t told. And now it was too late to ask. No one was here to explain things to him. Sound of a person standing up woke him from his dreaming. He glanced to the bones and saw Nein dusting himself off. The man put his journal, ink and pen away, choosing to move forward. Straight towards Dark. ¡°So what are you doing? Going forward or backing out?¡± ¡°What?¡± Dark asked, giving himself out. The mage¡¯s eyes snapped right to his hiding place. Apparently, he¡¯d known only the general direction. But it was too late to stay hidden. Dark crawled out of his hole and slid to the ground. A shiver passed his body from the move and he felt the cold enter his bones. The weather had never warmed up and it wasn¡¯t good practice to walk with a blanket over your shoulders. ¡°Why are you here?¡± he asked the mage, looking at his boots. They were dark brown with sharp noses, no ornaments or gems in sight. ¡°I always liked a good mystery,¡± Nein answered, putting his hands in his pockets. A curious thing. Dark didn¡¯t think he¡¯d seen another robe with pockets. It must have been a commissioned design. ¡°Think you can give me a few hints?¡± Dark raised his head a bit. The mage was looking at him with half a smile, a glint of superiority in his eyes. He didn¡¯t consider Dark anything more than a pawn in his game. Whatever that was. He reminded him of father a lot. Bad memory. Dark did his best to push it away but his eyes still found their way to the ground. He stayed still, unsure of how to act. Should he just leave? Try answering? But what could he say? ¡°Do you know, all people are a mess in their own special way,¡± the mage said. He moved closer, putting a hand over Dark¡¯s shoulder and whispered in his ear. ¡°Some are more hidden, like you.¡± His voice grew even quieter. ¡°Others a bit more obvious. This Hawk character and...¡± He waited a moment. ¡°That master of yours.¡± Dark¡¯s head snapped up, almost colliding with Nein¡¯s. Their eyes met and the mage¡¯s were alight with knowledge. He knew more than he let on. Probably more than anyone ever gave him credit for. ¡°My master?¡± he asked, voice choking at the end. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t pretend with me,¡± Nein said, releasing his shoulder but not stepping away. ¡°There¡¯s no way that lord has a rogue group and it doesn¡¯t report to his best assassin. So where¡¯s the guy? I¡¯ve been waiting for days and he¡¯s yet to make an appearance.¡± ¡°What do you want from him?¡± The mage took a step back, hands crossed. ¡°Why would I tell you that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking then,¡± Dark answered, turning on his heel and starting to walk as fast as he could. It was close to running but he¡¯d learned to forget about pride long ago. That emotion never brought anything good. He was next to a cave entrance when he bumped into something. Head raising he saw a tall teenager dressed in jeans and a leather jacket. He had silver chains hanging all over him, a lot of them with crosses at the ends. Dark had never seen him before. Before he could try and move around, Nein¡¯s voice drifted from behind. ¡°I still want my answers. It would be better if you agreed to play nice.¡± There were rumours about Nein¡¯s strength. Or more like Dark had seen people¡¯s fear. They let him do whatever he wanted and never said a thing. It more than anything showed how dangerous he was. But death wasn¡¯t an option to Dark. He might have not decided what to do, but dying wasn¡¯t a possibility. One of the groups still had to be followed. And he should get a move on or they might enter some branch, getting wiped out. ¡°What do you want from him?¡± he asked again, turning to face the mage. This time he kept his eyes up, not letting them stray in any direction. Nein looked at him. After a very long minute he motioned for the chain guy to join him. ¡°Fine. I want to see what makes him special. He¡¯s unique and that¡¯s interesting. And I like interesting.¡± It was a strange confession. Dark wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it. Was it good? Bad? What did it mean anyway? His confusion should have been all over his face for the mage talked once more. ¡°All I want is to see what makes him tic. I won¡¯t try to kill or use him if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Though, I doubt that is possible. He seems to be keen on being his own master no matter the circumstances.¡± That was truth. It was the thing Dark admired most in him. So was it okay? The man looked to be innocent, just wanting to learn more about his idol like Dark. But that innocence was what made him distrust the mage. From his life he¡¯d learnt that easy smiles were worn by the worst people. His parents had such. Their competitors had such. Ambitious employees that would stop at nothing to get higher had them. People that played Dark for a fool too. Not one good person wore them. That¡¯s why Wing was so special. He was powerful, dangerous but he never smiled. Truthful, that was the word to describe him. He didn¡¯t hide the fact that he was a monster. ¡°Hey, you still here?¡¯ the mage asked without patience, his friend gone somewhere. ¡°He was never here and not supposed to,¡± Dark answered. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was right, but he couldn¡¯t die. Master had told him to finish the mission and that was above things he thought he should do. Like keep secrets. Things he didn¡¯t even knew if it were secrets. The mage¡¯s face twisted with annoyance. ¡°So what were you doing here? Why only he alone never attended?¡± It was a good question. One Dark didn¡¯t know an answer to. He wasn¡¯t privy to such knowledge. ¡°I was told to ensure this expedition¡¯s success. No one told me anything more.¡± ¡°Is that all? Do you even know the reason behind this?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°And yet you went so far to achieve victory?¡± Nein shook his head. ¡°Admirable. Stupid, but admirable. So my very first question still stands. What are you going to do now?¡± Dark let his eyes roam to both exits. He still had no idea. ¡°I was thinking.¡± The mage gave him a look. ¡°That¡¯s not an answer.¡± He turned to where Hawk had went with the priestess. ¡°We should follow them before they get themselves killed.¡± ¡°We?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t think I was going to let you go alone, did you? I stayed with these kids for too long to keep you in my sight,¡± the mage said with a smirk, stroking his goatee. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Dark had nothing to say. The mage was a smarter person than him. If he thought it was the best decision, it probably was. ** DING DING DING DING DING DING ¡°I think he would have heard if he was here,¡± Mark said, glancing at the other houses. He thought he saw a curtain being drawn with great swiftness but it might have been his imagination. ¡°We should leave.¡± His friend shook his head. ¡°No way. And it¡¯s not like we even have anywhere to go. They¡¯ll take a few hours to notice we¡¯re missing.¡± DING DING DING DING DING DING ¡°Stop this!¡± came a shout from the house. ¡°Can¡¯t a man sleep in this accursed country?¡± ¡°Not if he¡¯s made a promise,¡± Kirin answered in a louder tone. His face had lighted up at the voice, mouth turning into a wide smile. ¡°I knew he was here,¡± he said to Mark in a whisper. His friend didn¡¯t answer so he turned to him. The older kid had distrust written all over; shifting from one leg to another, mouth in a line, eyes moving back and forth. It wouldn¡¯t have been more obvious if he was shouting it. ¡°We don¡¯t know this person. He¡¯s a total stranger!¡± he whisper-shouted in Kirin¡¯s ear. ¡°How do we know he¡¯s a good person?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t,¡± Kirin answered, mirth dancing in his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s the fun of it!¡± The answer didn¡¯t look like it calmed the other boy but it was too late to turn back. Door opened and a dishevelled head peeked out. The man was rubbing his left eye, standing half-dressed. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you rascals. What are you doing here so early?¡± he asked in a gruff voice. Kirin pushed through him into the house as if he owned the place. ¡°You have horrible morning hair,¡± he said on his way. ¡°And who sleeps till afternoon when waiting for guests? That¡¯s bad manners.¡± The house consisted of two rooms. First was the kitchen living room kind of thing. At the right was a small, rusty oven with cabinets on the side. They were littered with fast food wrappers, used kitchenware and empty ale bottles. On the other side of the room was a low crimson sofa. Coffee table with a computer on it stood in front and a TV hung on the wall. It was black, taking over half of the room. It was turned on. Some sports channel was on but the sound was off. The man passed Kirin, closing bedroom doors at the far end. ¡°What are you doing here? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve invited you in.¡± ¡°What?¡± Kirin asked, coming to poke the man¡¯s chest with his finger. ¡°Who said he was going to give us the feast of our lives? Huh?¡± The man stayed silent so he continued. ¡°Or was I right and you didn¡¯t catch a single fish the whole week?¡± The man groaned. ¡°It¡¯s too early for this nonsense.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re a liar?¡± ¡°Little rascal. Don¡¯t they feed you there? Why are you bothering me?¡± Kirin pushed cans off the sofa along with some magazines before plopping down. It was just the right size for him and he leaned back, a content expression on his face. ¡°They do but their cooks are boring. Six year olds could come up with more imaginative recipes.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to try them,¡± muttered the man, putting a shirt over his head. Kirin chuckled as he motioned for Mark to join him. The boy was standing on the doorstep, shuffling in indecision. ¡°And you think I¡¯m a better cook?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be worse,¡± Kirin answered, putting his legs on the coffee table. This was much better. He wished he¡¯d had this in his room in the camp. It would have made everything so much more comfortable. ¡°You also promised to make us a feast.¡± The man went to the kitchen side, took a swig of ale before turning back to face Kirin. ¡°And you think it¡¯s a good idea to enter stranger houses?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the worst thing. Life is more interesting if you take a few risks.¡± ¡°What if they get you killed?¡± ¡°All for the better,¡± Kirin said, giving the man a look that made him wonder who in the world was this kid. There was darkness in his eyes even he couldn¡¯t match. ¡°It¡¯s been a long while coming.¡± ¡°Some why I get the feeling I don¡¯t want to know the details,¡± he said to himself more than the kid, opening the fridge. He had bought a trout in the market a few days ago and hadn¡¯t used it up yet. It was too large for him alone so this was as good a time as any. Fact was he didn¡¯t often have company. When he went outside to light a grill, Mark came to Kirin. ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± he whispered. ¡°You should really calm down,¡± Kirin told him, dragging him down to the sofa. ¡°It¡¯s time you learnt that not everyone is evil. Most? Sure, but not all. There are a few decent people and most of them look dangerous or crazy. If you ever feel like someone is a good person at first sight, don¡¯t ever trust him. He¡¯s a liar and a pretender.¡± The look on Mark¡¯s face said he had a hard time believing that but he didn¡¯t argue. Maybe he was learning. It was time he understood that it did nothing. In an hour the man was done and they were all sitting outside. There was a green painted table with two benches on either side. They were pretty low and the table high, forcing Kirin to sit on his knees. There was a plate before him and a knife with a fork. He watched them before picking the fish with his bare fingers. It was quite hot so he tore a piece and dropped in his mouth. Not the best idea. It burnt his throat and he had to douse with half a glass of water. His two companions gave him strange looks but didn¡¯t say a word. They were really learning. He tried another bite but this time blew air to make sure it was cold. To his surprise the fish tasted really good. He dug in without any shame, eating his full share and asking for more. The man was surprised at first but soon a shadow of a smile graced his face. It wasn¡¯t a full fledged one. Far from it but it meant a lot. Kirin grinned to himself and finished his meal. Supervisors would be coming soon. He thought he heard their engines. They were still away but no more than a few minutes. Sad thing. The true camping experience will be over soon. He wondered if he would have enjoyed it more if all of it had been like this. Going wherever he wanted and meeting people was fun. Playing on their weak sides even more. But it would get boring in time too. Of that he was sure. So maybe it was good that this was a single experience. Much more treasured then. He wasn¡¯t sure it made it worth, though. The camp itself had been a disaster. They tried to make him join stupid games, follow idiotic rules and act like a moron. None of which he did and got on the wrong side of everyone. Only the fact that he had reserved the best class place kept him from being punished all day long every day of the week. Money made everything easy and other people nice. What a stupid little thing. The buzzing of engines came closer and he closed his eyes for a moment. Few days more and he¡¯d be home. In that stupid place with nothing to do and nowhere to go. What fun. ** Rowena was flying as fast as her wings could carry her. Air currents were pushing her back but she ignored them, flapping her wings twice as much. There was no time to waste. She dived downwards, spiralling to evade a dozen arrows shot her way. They whisked, brushing her feathers but not hitting. Still alive. She caught herself, extending her wings, avoiding a volley of fire balls and ice spears. Air current rose her and she started moving again. Wings flapping in swift jabs took her out of immediate danger but she didn¡¯t feel safe. For all she knew they were going to cast some spell that chased right after her, impossible to be dodged. But if she was fast enough she could reach her battlements before being shot down. Nothing should be able to kill her in one hit. She was stronger than that. Wall was upcoming when something pierced her wing. There was hardly any feel to it but she found herself falling. No matter how often she flapped, her right wing didn¡¯t listen. It hung limp at her side. And she was spiralling towards the ground at great speed. Her left wing wasn¡¯t capable of holding her afloat. Not even in a glide. She had to brace for the impact. Ground closed in and Rowena shifted into an armadillo, rolling into the shield. It was hardly going to help but little protection was better than nothing. Bone shield broke and pain laced her back. A whimper escaped her lips but there was no time. She turned into a bear and started running on all fours. But her right paw was too mangled to hold her weight. It gave under her and almost fell over herself. Her lack of speed was the only reason she didn¡¯t get injured more. Yet everything hurt. All she wanted to do was to change into a more comfortable position and stay there forever. That would have been so awesome. Heat washed over her back as she was pushed deeper into the ground as something exploded over her. She wasn¡¯t going to be left alone. Not before she died, at least. Through pain she pushed herself up and started moving again. She didn¡¯t put any more weight on the right paw and it went a lot smoother. For a crawl. She wouldn¡¯t have dared to call that a walk. She tried to increase her speed but the wounds twinged, muscles sore from overuse. The agony was too much and she groaned, slowing down. No, no more speed was possible. It was good she was moving. A volley of arrows fell on her head. Most missed but a few found their mark. Her pierced hip burned. Three shafts in her back ached. How was she supposed to move through that? ¡°Turn into something smaller!¡± someone hissed in her ear. Rowena turned her head to see a growling cheetah standing next to her. It had its head raised, following the sky with black beady eyes. ¡°Sister,¡± she whispered with more relief than she ever thought she¡¯d feel. ¡°You¡¯ve come.¡± The large cat snapped, barely missing her neck. ¡°Shapeshift! You¡¯re asking to be hit!¡± Finally, Rowena understood what was being asked and shifted into a kitten. It was no more than a month old in size and the cheetah grabbed her by the scruff in its teeth. Rowena¡¯s bones rattled and she considered that being hit and dying might have been better. This was pure torture. Her right paw was lolling, hitting against the cheetah¡¯s neck and her own body. It was more than she could bear. When she thought, she couldn¡¯t take any more, she felt herself sailing through the air. The cat had thrown her upwards and sharp claws dug into her back. She squealed too late. But before she could do anything more, ground met her with a gentle touch. She opened her eyes to see a giant bird over her head. It was flapping its wings with obvious slowness, so she wouldn¡¯t be disturbed. What a considerate animal. In a moment it settled on the ground and turned into her eldest sister. She leaned and picked Rowena up with gentle fingers. ¡°You little, hero. I never thought I¡¯d see you in this position.¡± ¡°Neither did I,¡± Rowena whispered back with an exhale. Her words were so soft she wasn¡¯t sure her sister could hear them. A chuckle came from behind her and she tried to turn her head but it hurt. In an instant she gave up and closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing. It meant paying attention to the pain too and a wince came unto her face. ¡°You¡¯re a mess,¡± the cheetah said in a deeper voice than her sister usually talked. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re finally coming into your own, huh?¡± ¡°Healer would be nice,¡± Rowena hissed, not opening her eyes. They could make fun of her later on, when she could actually care about it. There was a pair of quick steps and she heard a chant. White light enveloped her body and warmth entered. For a moment she felt great and then everything was gone. Pain too. She jumped off her sister¡¯s hands and landed into her human form. When she turned, four people stood close by. Two were her sisters in all their tattooed glory with Monthu and a cleric standing next to them. There was a frown on the man¡¯s face, the burrowing of a brow. ¡°What did you see?¡± he asked without any stupid questions of whether she was fine. That was nice. For once she wasn¡¯t taken as a child. ¡°I was flying overhead when movement farther to the north caught my eye. You didn¡¯t warn me about any scouts so I went to investigate.¡± She twisted a strand of her hair between her fingers. ¡°They shot at me.¡± ¡°Did you get a good look? How many of them were there?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Rowena said with a roll of her eyes. ¡°I could count the arrows coming my way and there were more than I would have cared for.¡± Monthu clenched his teeth and she instantly changed her direction. ¡°I saw five parties of rangers and many more running on the ground.¡± Her elder sister leaned against her side, putting hands around her neck. ¡°Anything that would actually be useful?¡± ¡°It was more than a scouting party. There were more than a hundred people moving in the trees! I¡¯d say, they have come!¡± she said, staring into Monthu¡¯s eyes, wanting him to believe. She wasn¡¯t lying! Or overstating to get attention! He watched her for a moment then nodded. ¡°Okay. You did well. Rest now.¡± In a moment he was gone with the cleric, leaving her with the sisters. She freed herself from the middle one and turned to see them both with serious expression on their faces. It made her feel uncomfortable and she shuffled in place. ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± she asked, trying to escape the sudden silence. ¡°When did she grow up?¡± the eldest asked the other. ¡°Mila, did you notice?¡± The other shook her black haired head. ¡°No, Aleena. I wouldn¡¯t stand frozen if I had.¡± Rowena glared at them both. ¡°Stop it!¡± But they ignored her. ¡°So what are we going to do now?¡¯ Mila continued. ¡°Can we no longer give her all the most annoying tasks? Order her around?¡± ¡°How did we let that happen?¡± Aleena whispered with a hand to her mouth. ¡°We have failed! How are we going to live now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± her middle sister said, raising her hands up. ¡°Everything¡¯s changed now!¡± Rowena turned to leave them to their games when Mila jumped on her back. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be such a spoiled brat. We¡¯re praising you!¡± ¡°Right,¡± she hissed, trying to free herself. It was harder when her sister didn¡¯t want to let go. ¡°Get off me!¡± ¡°Let our young hero go,¡± Aleena said with a laugh. She came to hug and kiss Rowena on the cheek. ¡°We¡¯re proud of our little sister. You should know that.¡± Rowena disentangled herself, holding her head down to hide a small smile. It wasn¡¯t often she heard those words. Not that she was going to let them know how much they meant to her. Her sisters were too full of themselves already. Sound of horns blowing made all their faces turn grim. They shifted into birds, flying to the battlements and landing on the wall. From this position together with Monthu and other defenders they watched soldiers leaving the forest. They weren¡¯t anything more than dots running on the map but there were hundreds of them. Thousands coming into view as they continued to follow their movements. Rowena had thought she¡¯d seen most of the people in the woods but it was nothing in comparison. ¡°This is...¡± she whispered but no adjective came to her mind. The numbers were more than her brain was ready to comprehend. Others kept their mouths shut but their expressions told everything. There were frowns on all of them. Every single person standing on the wall. She had a feeling her included. Horns sounded again and more people came on the walls. Hisses and curses could be heard from here and there, a couple of gasps. ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± Monthu whispered, all eyes turning to him. ¡°War is upon us.¡± 8.9 Beginnings and Ends Author''s Note: Hey, guys! Guess who''s back? I know, I know! I took my sweet time but here I am back now! I will try to continue on from where I left off and see how it goes. I also plan to pick up my old every Friday schedule. Let''s all pray now for a moment it works out and we can find out more about the adventures of Ace, his friends and what happens to this world of Regal Dream! Now onto the chapter! ***** ¡°Hey, we need more supplies!¡± ¡°Left wall is out of arrows!¡± ¡°Gaaah!¡± ¡°SwordKill! Shoot those bastards! They killed one of our own! No mercy! Kill them all!¡± ¡°Monthu! Monthu! There is an upcoming attack from the sky!¡± Rowena shouted out, changing into her human form mid-flight. The window had been left open just for her and she landed gracefully on all four. No one paid her any attention. The commander was standing against the table with a frown on his face. He put a new marker after her words but didn¡¯t comment. ¡°We need to tell mages to raise the shields!¡± an officer suggested. ¡°Pre-prepared defences are at their limit.¡± ¡°But that would mean we¡¯ll have to remove them from the walls...¡± ¡°Or lower their resting time,¡± another piped in. He was a swordsman and clearly had no idea what he was talking about. Rowena scowled at him but before she could say anything L raised his hand for quiet. She took a look at him and felt pity raise. It was hard to recognise the man. The siege had only started a day ago but he already looked worse. And it hadn¡¯t been good before. His hair was dishevelled, prominent black bags under his eyes and a gaunt look in his eyes. The once white robe was rumpled, sleeves cut off to make it easier to move. Pale skin revealed on his hands looked to be freezing yet it didn¡¯t seem he had noticed. There were reports in his hands and on the tables on either side. They were littered with them while the largest one had a map laid on it. Wooden markers stood in key locations, protected by Monthu. No one could move them but him. ¡°The mages are at their limit too,¡± L said finally. ¡°We cannot ask more of them. Is there any news about supplies?¡± Rowena didn¡¯t want to be the bringer of bad news but truth had to be said. ¡°They have cut off our lines. There won¡¯t be anyone coming to aid us.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Did you really see it?¡± ¡°This is catastrophic!¡± The officers exclaimed, shouting one over another. Their dismay was obvious and she could understand it. When she had seen the supposedly hidden caravan get attacked, all she had wanted was to dive down and do everything in her power to protect it. But she knew better. She was just a single person. Her job was to scout and report what she had seen. If she died in a vain attempt at heroics, no one was going to compliment her. L raised his hand once again. ¡°Have you seen it with your eyes?¡± She nodded and the sigh that left his lips echoed through her heart. ¡°Send messengers to the city. I¡¯m hiring every single craftsmen out there, no matter how amateurish he or she is. Anyone who would like to apprentice is more than welcome to do that.¡± He shifted in his seat, glancing to his right to make sure the scribe was writing everything down. When he was done, L waved him off and turned to his officers. ¡°Go to your soldiers and make sure they take care of their equipment. But don¡¯t let rumours spread. We have a chance to win as long as we believe it is possible!¡± A few mocking smiles appeared at those words but all nodded and after a salute left. Monthu was next to the tower¡¯s door when L called him back. ¡°I need to discuss something with you.¡± ** ¡°Why are you following us?¡± Hawk asked, rounding on the two people. They had appeared some three days ago and had tailed him with Deedara since then. Without a word being said. It was time the silence got broken. Or so he thought. Neither of the two looked eager to answer him. They just walked with steady steps, not even raising their heads to meet his eyes. The mage was taken in by a book. He was reading it while walking, rogue holding a torch over his head for light. They looked like a weird pair but who was Hawk to judge. He was an archer walking first into darkness without any idea what he was reaching for. ¡°Leave them be. I¡¯m glad they¡¯re here,¡± Deedara said to his right. She walked a few steps behind him in a hope that if some spirit appeared, it would attack him and not her. ¡°I would be also if I knew what they were doing here,¡± Hawk said, glancing backwards. The two were still ignoring them. It was as if they weren¡¯t hearing anything. Deedara moved closer to him. ¡°You know you could ask them for help.¡± Hawk stumbled in his walk at the unexpected suggestion. He turned her way to make sure he had heard right. She had her head raised up at him but shadows danced on her face. It was impossible to tell what kind of an expression she had. Hawk turned back to his path. ¡°They hadn¡¯t helped us before. Why should I lower myself and beg for it?¡± ¡°Would you let me do it then?¡± There was obvious exhaustion in her voice. They had hunted spirits without rest and now were walking one dark corridor after another. Food supplies were scarce and they had to decrease their rations. Even then they were disappearing in a rapid succession. Few more days without any findings and they would have to go hungry. ¡°I don¡¯t control you,¡± he answered her, secretly relieved. Spirits had to be exterminated no matter the cost but them dying wasn¡¯t going to help anyone. It was that simple and yet complicated. Deedara fell back and approached the two. She started by simple greeting and Nein replied in a friendly manner. It annoyed Hawk for some reason and he quickened his step. There was no reason for him to hear their conversation. He would better explore more of this underground cave. It was strange how easy it was to walk in the dark. Nein¡¯s spell of night vision was still active, even if more than a few weeks had passed. Hawk felt thankful at that but at the same time despised the mage. Why did everyone around him had to be breaking game logic by being so overpowered it wasn¡¯t even fun? First there was Ace. Then this guy appeared. Who was coming next? A swordsman that could kill an army by himself? Some archer that could shoot thousands of arrows in one go? It wouldn¡¯t surprise him in the least. This game was just broken. ¡°Nein said he¡¯s going to call out something and it¡¯ll scout ahead!¡± Deedara said, shocking him out of his thoughts. When had she caught up with him? ¡°Isn¡¯t it great? He also said he has some extra food if we need it!¡± She sounded so cheerful. Against his own better judgement he put a smile on his face. ¡°That is nice,¡± he said trying to at least sound encouraging. He failed. Miserably. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not my fault that we¡¯re out of fo-!¡± she started but he cut her off. ¡°I know,¡± he said in a tired voice, stopping and taking her by the shoulders. ¡°I know you¡¯re doing what¡¯s best.¡± He looked her in the eyes to make sure she understood he meant it. ¡°I¡¯m just weary from all this travelling and achieving nothing.¡± She gave him a half smile and touched her forehead against his for a moment. ¡°We will exterminate those spirits and then return home with our mission finished.¡± Duo rounded the corner and they separated, starting to walk again. There was still lots of path to cover. ** Sun rose and invaded a solitary room. It¡¯s light fingers going over an empty desk, book lying open on a chair. There were clothes covering half of it. Further in a figure lay in peaceful sleep. Sun touched it with the lightest of brushes but that still elicited a groan. It hid under the cover of blankets, escaping from her view. But she was persistent and after a few more grumbles the creature emerged, rubbing his eyes. Kirin yawned wide and stretched his hands. A look of pure bliss passed his features. ¡°It¡¯s good to be home,¡± he said to himself and dropped back onto the bed, smile on his face. His eyes roamed over the ceiling and he remembered how much he¡¯d hated the thing. It was so simple and white. If it had been his choice back then, the whole thing would have been dark blue with some action heroes drawn. Everyone else had such colourful rooms so why did his have to be so blank and boring? A growl came from his stomach so he pushed himself off and went out of the room. Cold draft went through his bare shoulders making him consider coming back to get a sweater. But he decided against it. Too much work. Hopefully, the kitchen was going to be warmer. It wasn¡¯t. He shivered as he opened the refrigerator. There was absolutely nothing inside. Aunt had probably cleaned it. He muttered under his breath and went to look through the cupboards. Not a single fruit to be found. What was he supposed to eat then? Plates? Annoyed, he found his phone and ordered a pizza. The person knew him as a constant and noted his order without Kirin having to tell him anything. An efficient fellow. Or he just ordered from that place too often. Well, he¡¯d been living on abysmal food for two weeks. There was nothing wrong with getting something better now that he was free. No one trying to make him attend any activities or play games, leave his tablet alone. Soon food came and he turned the TV on. The channel was left on gaming one. The show about Regal Dream that had destroyed Ace was on. This time there was a different guest and conversation revolved around a siege happening in Oradin kingdom. Kirin instantly recognised L¡¯s figure showed in the corner facing against Marion. Both of them had been photographed at their best moments, showing regal and powerful expressions. From them alone you could say they were worthy opponents. That changed the moment Kirin turned the volume up and the screen changed into a bird¡¯s view of the city and it¡¯s surrounding areas. There were hundreds, no, thousands of little dots moving everywhere. Most of them concentrated outside the walls. ¡°What would you say about the continuation of the battle? It has changed little since yesterday, don¡¯t you think so?¡± the hostess asked. An older man answered her. ¡°All I can think about now is how is the city still standing. Lord Marion¡¯s forces are ten times the size of the city lord¡¯s. He has siege engines, an abundance in mages and archers. Unlimited supplies. It¡¯s a wonder the city has lasted these few days like this. ¡°However, it¡¯s time for it to end.¡± He pointed at one of the walls. ¡°If we could get a closer look of this. Yes.. A bit more... Look here! There¡¯s a crack in the stones. It might not look much but it means the spell protecting the city is waning out.¡± ¡°You want to say the mages will soon have a free time to rain all their worst spells?¡± the hostess asked with interest. Her partner nodded emphatically. ¡°Yes. I hope the city lord will protect his people by surrendering before then, though. Otherwise the whole city will be levelled to the ground, all those inside with it.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t that be a glorious sight? Most people tend to give up, to save some of their fame so to see mages running wild is such a rare sight!¡± The old man glared at the female. In a moment he tried to school his features down. ¡°I believe it¡¯s for the better that we don¡¯t. It would be a massacre.¡± The woman nodded at those words, having missed the previous look. ¡°That is so. Think then this is our last meeting? Is this battle over?¡± ¡°I ha-¡± he started to say but Kirin changed the channel. He didn¡¯t need to be told some nonsense. No fight was ever over before it was over. L would never surrender. For him it was all or nothing. He¡¯d rather have every single person killed in his city than give up. There¡¯s always a chance to win. It¡¯s people he¡¯s fighting against and they make mistakes. Ones that can be used to get yourself out of a deep hole. Though, L was quite deep in. No simple mistake from Marion¡¯s side was going to be enough. It would have to be something major. But even that might not be enough. The fighting power was just that unequal. He ate the last piece of pizza and licked his fingers. That had been glorious. He¡¯d missed his ordered food more than he¡¯d thought. Maybe he should eat it for a whole week to celebrate? As he thought that, a noise came from his room. It sounded horribly like a ringtone on his laptop. Could it be? No way, his parents never called. ** They were sitting in a circle and eating when the vampire boy returned. Hawk didn¡¯t like him but Nein seemed to trust the teenager. ¡°There¡¯s something cool up ahead,¡± he said plopping down on the ground. Without asking he grabbed himself a bowl and filled full with the soup, making sure to catch more than half of the meatballs. Nein didn¡¯t say anything and the teenager finished eating before elaborating. ¡°It¡¯s a room with mirrors used to bring light to it. In the middle there¡¯s a pedestal with a bone mask on top. All the light is aimed at it.¡± He licked his lips. ¡°I thought about touching it but decided you would probably want the honour,¡± he said, flashing them all a toothy grin. Firelight reflected off his fangs. ¡°How far is it?¡± The teenager shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d say an hour¡¯s walk, or two.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Hawk said standing up. He checked his bow, frowned and started on the path. Vampire grumbled about not being full yet but others ignored him and were soon up and walking. As they moved, there were no words exchanged. All knew their place and what was to happen. There was no need to talk about anything. Three hours later they reached the discussed room. It was oval with mirrors positioned at different heights so that sunlight was brought down from the very top of the mountain. Hawk shielded his eyes trying to see upwards but even his eyesight wasn¡¯t enough. So he lowered his gaze onto the single other thing in the room. The pedestal was carved of a single stone with amateurish serpents snaking it up. Their eyes were holes while scales unequal in size and shape. It was in sharp contrast with the mastery required to put up all the mirrors. ¡°Am I the only one that feels like we¡¯re in an Indiana Jones film?¡± Deedara asked but no one answer. Hawk with Dark were watching the pedestal with fascination mixed with fear and distrust. The priestess could see their hands twitching as they wanted to reach out. Luckily, both were smart enough not to do so and her eyes fell on the mage. He was walking closer towards the bone mask shaped in a form of a dragon head, stopping a meter or so before. Then he circled, eyes following the twisting bodies of the snakes. On the other side he squatted down with an unreadable expression. Deedara went to check what he was looking and saw words etched into the stone. They were of some old, most likely extinct language. ¡°I¡¯ve seen this before,¡± Dark said, speaking up for the first time since he joined them. Three heads turned his way. ¡°You have?¡± Nein asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°I didn¡¯t take you for a scholar.¡± Black rogue shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not but,¡± he hesitated for a moment before continuing. ¡°It was carved over a dungeon boss¡¯ room we did with Silver Wing in....¡± Dark could almost physically feel Nein¡¯s eyes alighting with interest so he stopped talking. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Is that all? What do they mean? Is it a warning?¡± Hawk asked, stepping up to his face. He had no interest in Master¡¯s doings but only what held information for now. It allowed Dark to lower his guard so he added. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We noticed it after defeating a giant snake and Wing laughing read ¡®Dealenus Krignora Houras¡¯. ¡° As he said the last syllable walls started to groan, old, unused mechanisms creak. ¡°What is going on?¡± Deedara shouted out but the sound of a screeching wall drowned her voice. It was so loud she had to cover her ears. Unlike her, others stood in ready positions, preparing for flight or fight. It was the time when the pedestal started going downwards into the ground when Hawk moved. He dashed forward, grabbed the mask and rolled to the other side. Everyone stood still then. There had to be a trap, right? It was just too simple. Instead the walls stopped groaning, screeching and an entrance opened to the left. It was alighted with red glowing orbs and went down slope. ¡°Shall we?¡± Nein asked with a smile on his face. Hawk looked upwards as if praying for patience and clutching the mask tight in his hand moved towards the tunnel. Priestess, rogue and mage fell in step with him and together they advanced into the unknown. ** Still Kirin made his way up the stairs, shivering once more. Was there a window broken somewhere or what? Where was all that cold coming from? It was supposed to be spring now! In the room laptop was flashing a call sign. He sat down to see a picture of his parents on the screen. They were smiling so bright that a small one of his own touched his lips. Those two idiots. It¡¯s been over twenty years and they¡¯re still so much in love. They¡¯re acting like two lovebirds, unable to separate for a moment and having a break every second they can. ¡°Hey!¡± he greeted them, opening video chat. He could see a small face at the right bottom corner he could hardly recognise. It was tanned! He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he had been long enough in the sun for his skin to change. This was so weird... ¡°Hey! How have you been?¡± father started with a wide grin. He was pointing at something on the screen to mother and her smile just grew. ¡°It was something new,¡± he said with an answering lift of his lip corners. ¡°I met some interesting people.¡± ¡°Did you make a friend?¡± He nodded, earning a look full of pride from both of his parents. It was probably the wrong time to say that it hadn¡¯t been his choice. ¡°Yeah, his name is Mark. He lives a few cities away but we agreed to meet-up at some point. His family might come here for their vacation!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great news! We¡¯ve been a bit worried about letting you go, but it seems you¡¯ve known what was best for you,¡± mother said with a laugh. ¡°Do you have any more plans?¡± Kirin chuckled at that. ¡°Not at the moment. I want to rest up a bit.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re going to play that game again?¡± ¡°Uhh...¡± Kirin murmured, his expression souring. He didn¡¯t want to think about Regal Dream, Ace, Wing, broken promises and annoyed people. The life there had become too much of a mess. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± mother quickly inquired, knowing that silence meant he was thinking of a way to weasel out of something. ¡°Did something happen there?¡± He forced a smile on his face. ¡°Not at all!¡± he said with an overly bright tone. He couldn¡¯t worry them. They were having a wonderful time together in an island they always wanted to visit. ¡°You sure?¡± father asked, a distrustful look on his face. He knew his son and that brightness wasn¡¯t natural on him. ¡°Yeah,¡± Kirin said this time with more conviction in his voice. ¡°There¡¯s just a war going where I¡¯ve been playing so I¡¯m a bit worried about my friends. What had happened to them while I was gone?¡± The distracting tactic looked to have worked and for a moment more they talked about how much he enjoyed the game before they started to say their goodbyes. ¡°Well, you¡¯re probably eager to return to the game. Let us not keep you away from it any longer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem,¡± Kirin said, truthfully. He was happy to have a chat with them, to know their work was going fine and they were enjoying themselves. It was the best news he could ever receive. ¡°Do you have a plan how long you¡¯re going to stay there?¡± Parents glanced at each other. ¡°Your birthday is coming up. We were thinking of returning. What do you think?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t interfere with your work?¡± he asked with a prying look. They laughed at it. ¡°You should trust us to at least be able to make time for our son¡¯s birthday!¡± ¡°Fine then. I¡¯ll be expecting you!¡± he told with a smile that destroyed his whole stern look. ¡°Sure, sure!¡± they said waving to the camera. ¡°Bye and have fun playing your game.¡± The call was cut off and Kirin was left alone in his room. Sun was still shining bright through the window but giving little warmth. Cold was entering his body both from outside and inside. Before he could think better, he jumped off his chair and rushed to the cabin. ** ¡°Tell me I¡¯m the only one seeing this,¡± Deedara whispered under her breath, afraid to get them noticed. Two guys lay at her sides but neither moved a muscle to answer her. Their eyes were locked on the sight below, somewhere where Deedara had no wish to look back. One glance had been more than enough for her. Yet she moved her eyes there once again. If she didn¡¯t look, nothing could be changed. And this had to be stopped. Below them three spirits were curled in throne like rock formations with people and yetis alike coming to them. Each one was sucked out of life at leisure. Even children. Now it was two adult humans and a little ball of fur closest to their hiding place. The baby creature was shrieking, convulsing in agony but no one seemed to mind. Other humans and yetis walked back and forth doing god knows what but neither tried to stop the madness going before them. ¡°We need to end this,¡± she hissed to her silent companions. Like it was usual now they stayed quiet so she stood up to go on her own. It was too horrible to be left alone. Hawk caught her arm. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°Going to save that little baby?¡± she told him with a glare, twisting her arm out. ¡°We need to stop this!¡± ¡°Shhh!¡± Nein hissed, giving them a look that said they were acting like children. ¡°Stay,¡± he ordered Deedara and she let herself drop to the ground. ¡°I can¡¯t let this continue...¡± she whispered with a look towards the ground. The yeti kid was already dead and an old woman was being brought to the spirit. It was glowing with all the energy consumed but still seeking more. Tendrils grabbed onto the woman and she screamed. Deedara winced turning to say something when Dark dropped beside her. He turned towards Nein as if he was the leader but neither she nor Hawk said anything. ¡°There¡¯s a path if we take a left turn but we¡¯d need to run through the whole hall. I¡¯d say... I think, it¡¯s best if we don¡¯t fight them...¡± ¡°No!¡± Deedara shouted out and Hawk clamped his hand over her mouth. His look could have killed but no sound was made. They all lay in silence, waiting to see whether she had given them away. A few heads rose below but none seemed concerned. Confused more. And then it was over. People and yetis were back to their work of cleaning the hall and the only sound coming from sucking of people¡¯s lives and their blood curling screams. ¡°I believe we have to entertain the lady if we want to survive here,¡± Nein said with a charming smile towards Deedara. ¡°She seems to be quite adamant on this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous,¡± Dark disagreed. ¡°We will die for nothing.¡± ¡°Think you can use your vampire to distract them?¡± Hawk asked as if unaware of the argument going around him. In his mind it was already decided. All spirits had to be killed. Simple as that. Nein nodded. ¡°Sure. You have a plan?¡± ¡°He taunts them away while we slide down and kill the spirits.¡± ¡°What an elaborate strategy,¡± Nein chuckled to himself. Still the next moment vampire boy appeared by his side and after a nod smiled wide. He then rushed back the path and was in the hall the next second. Startled humans got out of his way but yetis had a different reaction to surprise. They attacked. However, the boy just turned into a bat and dodged all swipes aimed his way. When yetis stumbled in confusion he returned to his human form and ripped into them with fingers turned claws. They returned bloody and he licked them, tasting. Red light came into his eyes then and chaos ensued as he tried to find a victim for his bloodthirst. ¡°This should be enough, I¡¯d say,¡± Nein said standing up and glancing downwards. ¡°Shall we go?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Hawk said. ¡°Yes!¡± Deedara echoed him and together the four of them rushed down the slope, straight for the ghosts slurping on their dinner. Unaware of any danger. It was time to show them what human spirit was like. ** Whatever it was, Monthu was sure he wasn¡¯t going to like L¡¯s words. Good news had gone missing for the last few days. Anything the scouts brought back was either bad, very bad or very very bad. He came back to the map table and sat down on a corner, picking up a wooden carriage figurine. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked as the silence stretched. He had things that needed to be doing. ¡°Do you have any news from him?¡± The question made Monthu look up. Was he really asking that? ¡°I thought you were aware that we aren¡¯t on the best of terms now.¡± L massaged his temples, leaning back in his chair. ¡°I know, I know, but he wasn¡¯t online for so long! I need every advantage I can get my hands on but this... He just up and disappeared without a word!¡± ¡°That sounds like him,¡± Monthu said shrugging, releasing his hand from the fist it had formed into. He had forgotten he held the figurine and now it was deformed, wheels bent inwards. Without a word, he pocked it. Not like they¡¯ll need a supply marker any time soon. L didn¡¯t seem to have noticed anything and continued in his rant. ¡°That¡¯s so irresponsible! I need him! Now! What am I supposed to do until he returns?¡± He waved his hand before his head as if unable to express his annoyance. The next moment he stood up and started pacing the room. ¡°A third of my allies didn¡¯t make it in. Supply lines got cut off. I have barely a hundred mages in the whole city and some of them are just beginners.¡± He grabbed onto his hair, as if pulling them out would help. ¡°Soldiers are still holding but for how long? Soon they¡¯ll notice lack of supplies and morale will plummet. Not that it is high now. ¡°How could it be? They¡¯re in a bard city surrounded by thousands of enemy soldiers versed in war. War machines are going to arrive soon enough and then the real thing will begin. Not this stupid waste of arrows by both groups.¡± A laugh escaped his mouth. ¡°At least they have spares.¡± For a bit longer he circled the room, unseeing the other two occupants. Monthu followed him with his gaze. It wasn¡¯t the first time he was hearing this. The man was good at restraining his emotions under pressure, showing a strong face to his underlings but later tended to need to went out. And for a strange reason he had chosen Monthu as his confidante. Well, it was probably because they both shared a certain piece of knowledge. ¡°What am I supposed to do now?¡± L asked, plopping back down in his chair with a tired sigh. He rubbed his eyes a few times and yawned. ¡°Damn this. I need to be alert now.¡± ¡°Uhm... Were you talking about Silver Wing before?¡± asked a quiet female voice. Monthu¡¯s head snapped to the left and he noticed the female shaman. Her black tattoos made her look like part of the wall, just another decoration in a shadowed corner. ¡°What about it?¡± L asked, closing his eyes for a moment. ¡°Do you know anything about him?¡± She shifted in her place, glancing in all directions before asking in a soft voice. ¡°Didn¡¯t he betray you? For wh... Why do you trust him still?¡± Monthu chuckled. He wasn¡¯t sure what brought it out but from the corner of his eyes he could see L¡¯s thin lips turn into a smile too. There wasn¡¯t anything funny in her question or the way she said it but... ¡°I never trusted him in the first place,¡± L answered her, his eyes brightening up a bit. He laughed to himself, colour returning to his dead face. ¡°It was like dealing with a wild animal. One moment he is eating from your palm and the other you¡¯re missing your hand.¡± ¡°Well said,¡± Monthu had to agree. ¡°You might have known him better than I thought.¡± L shook his head. ¡°Not really. Do you remember the announcement of the adventure into the mountains? When he fought that black rogue?¡± Monthu nodded and he continued. ¡°That was the first time I truly realized who I was dealing with.¡± ¡°Oh, I knew he was a trickster and loved to fool around, was pretty good at it too,¡± he said with a smile growing wider. ¡°But I didn¡¯t know the full extent of it! He wasn¡¯t just good at pretending to be someone, getting his way through lies and deceit. Instead every creation of his took a life of its own and he embraced it to the core. ¡°Just look at Silver Wing! I¡¯m pretty sure he made it up to have fun,¡± he said looking up, ¡°and now what it has become. Not forgetting the skills. I have no idea where he got them but they¡¯re broken! The time I saw it, I was frozen in place from terror!¡± ¡°Not the only one,¡± Monthu added, a disgruntled look on his face. ¡°I knew he was strong. He always had an uncanny ability to survive the deadliest of situations but that show... I had to re-evaluate all I had ever known about him. So much more of his actions and words started to make sense.¡± L just nodded in agreement. ¡°I still sometimes wonder why he decided to help me. He probably was rolling in laughter inside at all of my threats.¡± ¡°Quite likely.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to agree so readily!¡± L laughed. ¡°I want to think I have some persuasive powers still!¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Monthu said rolling his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re very good at getting people to join you.¡± After a moment he added under his breath. ¡°By threatening or bribing them.¡± L shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s better than nothing.¡± Then his features relaxed and fell into their familiar lines of exhaustion. ¡°And I wish we could continue this conversation but war waits for no man. We need to start preparing for tomorrow¡¯s assault.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look into it,¡± Monthu replied, standing up to leave. At the door he turned to the female that had stayed silent for a while. ¡°Make sure he gets some sleep.¡± ¡°Wha-? I don¡¯t ne-!¡± L spluttered, raising from his seat. ¡°There¡¯s an enemy army on our doorstep!¡± Monthu gave him a look. ¡°And it¡¯ll still be there in a few hours. Take a rest so you don¡¯t embarrass anyone tomorrow by falling asleep in the middle of the assault.¡± That said he went through the doors and closed them behind himself. The stairs led him to the bottom but he stopped before entering the courtyard. For a moment he leaned against the cold stone wall and closed his eyes. Sleep. L wasn¡¯t the only one forgetting what it was. But no matter, he had a job to do. Monthu shook his head and strode into the bright mid-afternoon light. 9.0 ¡°What is it, boy? Haven¡¯t seen you for a while,¡± the man said, lowering his right hand from the strings. He took notice of the shadows beneath the kid¡¯s eyes and changed his question. ¡°What happened to you?¡± The boy smiled at that but it didn¡¯t relieve the man. There was something wrong with that expression; it was etched with a certain amount of cruelness and disgust. It was something that should have been unfamiliar to the young child sitting by his side. ¡°I heard you saw things.¡± The boy nodded at that, the smile turning more pronounced. The man was hired to get the story out as he was a stranger but a person people were eager to open up to. He had a certain charm about him that made everyone think he was harmless and ready to help. But he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted the story this kid was hiding within. The boy was all little forced smiles and happiness with others around but when they were alone... This was much worse. And the man wasn¡¯t sure he wanted the reason for it. ¡°Why do you keep it hidden so deep? It helps to talk.¡± He said that and waited for a reaction but the kid didn¡¯t turn his way. His face was half-hidden beneath shining curls and aimed at the sea before them. The man leaned forward and looked at the expression. It was sombre, lacking the smile that had become his dominant feature but neither full of that disgust and anger aimed at the world itself. The man almost smiled sarcastically himself. No one would ever even notice something wrong with the boy now. He had gotten good with the acting so quickly it was worrying. The people of the town thought he had healed, that the worst was all behind. They just wanted to know what had happened that night. It was a mild curiosity of theirs. Fear of what was so scary in their peaceful town. Yet whatever it was, it was a cruel reality to this boy. He lived with it every single day, hiding it beneath layers and layers of rationalities to keep himself sane. ¡°You¡¯re not really ever going to tell that story are you?¡± whispered the man and the boy nodded. His face twitched as if he was trying to smile but stopped himself. ¡°What do you want to hear today?¡± Like usually the boy had no preference, he just shrugged and the man picked up the guitar. It was always like this. He tried a few notes and then went into an old lullaby. There were hundreds of songs he knew, thousands of tunes that could be played but none of them fit the mood. They were for happy days or for sad ones, but in the boy¡¯s presence they would have felt like a mockery. He was never going to have any of that. It was a fascinating thing to see someone stuck in time, to wonder about the possibilities but when one saw the reality of it, it brought horror to the heart. He had heard about other children on whom the cure had been used but none of them lived. Some died from medicine while most from not being able to consume it without their organisms rejecting and making them even more sick. Only a few passed infancy. Yet that didn¡¯t make their lives any easier. Any sickness was like a death threat to them. It was even impossible to raise their immune system. They were usually kept in sterile rooms, rarely allowed out. That, however, did little to prevent children from understanding that they were different. They were never going to grow up. This realisation was like a hammer to the already small confidence of the affected children and after a couple of years all of them found an early grave. The company that produced the drug was sued and found guilty, bankrupting. Yet it¡¯s legacy still stayed in this child. He was one of the last affected and for this reason still alive, too young to fully understand his position. Barely fourteen years old. If he was lucky and ignorant, there was still a couple of years left before him. The longest one of the kids had survived were seventeen. The boy turned to him then, the sun reflecting in his icy blue eyes. People said he was very cute and warm, but the man never saw it. He wasn¡¯t sure if the people were blind or the boy stopped pretending around him, but there was nothing sweet about him here. Darkness lurked in the corners in his clear eyes and there was disgust in the corners of his mouth when he smiled or laughed. How could anyone call this boy happy? ¡°What story are you hiding?¡± the man asked the wind, stopping for a moment. He could see the boy¡¯s eyes on himself but didn¡¯t turn to him for a while. ¡°You know I need to tell them something. I was hired for that sole reason.¡± The eyes narrowed but he didn¡¯t say anything, his mouth in a straight line. ¡°You want me to tell a lie? Is that what you want?¡± A nod was the man¡¯s answer and he turned away. Not once had he done that before. He might have not been the aura he radiated, but he liked to stay honest. People had no reason to complain then and he kept his reputation. But this situation was not like any other. It was easy to deem the kid deep in depression and leave, saying he was doomed. That it was impossible to get the information out of him. That it wasn¡¯t much, just something important to the boy and should be left alone for the time being. He could do that and be done with this. Yet he felt a strange connection to the kid. If not the people of the city, he¡¯d have deemed the kid mute. Not once had they talked. But there was a certain honesty in that. The kid didn¡¯t want to talk, he was adamant in that but in front of him didn¡¯t pretend otherwise. He showed his emotions openly, saying with them enough if not more than would be possible with words. That was more trust than anyone in the village received. And that scared the man a bit. He wasn¡¯t sure why he was trusted like that. It was clearly not his aura, the way he presented himself. The boy was a master of pretending himself, he could sense a fake from a couple of miles away. Was it respect? Maybe. But whatever it was, for the last couple of months the boy had come to meet him here, in this very spot, every evening without missing a day. The people were surprised by that and the man himself most of all. Most of his patients tried to escape him at first, hide away before learning to trust him. The boy hadn¡¯t seemed to have learnt from the same book though. He came from the first day and never missed. Not once. What did it say about him? ¡°Why do you think I¡¯d do it for you? It would be lying and could sabotage my reputation,¡± he said pulling at the strings. There was no real melody in his head so he just played with the notes. They rose and fell without any real meaning. The boy shrugged, turning to the sea. There was a smile coming onto his lips and the man knew someone was approaching them. It was so easy to see from the boy¡¯s reaction. ¡°How¡¯s it going? Does Ang like the music?¡± a female in her late thirties asked, coming over to stand behind the boy. He grimaced while she was talking, but when he turned to her there was a bright smile on his face His lips opened up to speak but the man waved a hand to stop him. ¡°There¡¯s no point to make the boy lie about my meagre skills,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°Did you need anything?¡± he asked with a pointed look. It was agreed that this was his last day and he had expressed his wish to not be interrupted. ¡°Oh, nothing! I just wanted to see how you were doing. We feared Ang will not take the news well,¡± she said with a laugh. The man wondered for a moment, but decided it was real. She had really come here to check up on the kid like he was someone needing to be taken care of every moment of his life. The man didn¡¯t really like it. ¡°I think it would be better if I could discuss it with him myself instead of having you destroy everything I¡¯ve been doing here.¡± The cold voice he used made the woman take a step back. Her face turned red in outrage but after seeing the kid¡¯s puzzled face, she made a quick retreat. From the look in her eyes the man knew he wasn¡¯t going to be called to this place for work any time soon, or ever. It didn¡¯t sadden him as much as he had thought. He turned to the boy and he had a relieved expression on his face. ¡°You never liked me, did you?¡± the man asked with a sudden realisation, a genuine smile tugging at his lips. ¡°You just wanted to run away from them.¡± The boy looked at him, the corners of his lips tugging up. For the first time the man saw laughter dancing in his eyes. ¡°You liar! And here I thought you liked my music that much!¡± he shouted out in fake outrage. This made the kid chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re good, I give you that,¡± the man then said after a sigh. ¡°But we have to say our goodbyes here. I think you know that too.¡± The boy nodded, his expression turning grim. There was a question in his eyes. ¡°No, I¡¯m not coming back. After this last episode they¡¯ll never call me again.¡± This made the kid¡¯s face fall. He turned away. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. You¡¯ll find other ways to evade them. You¡¯re strong enough.¡± The boy laughed at that but there was no longer any happiness in there. It was a cruel sound, piercing ears with dagger sharpness. The man still smiled at him. ¡°You know, there¡¯s a couple more years left for you to pass the record.¡± The boy¡¯s eyes locked onto his. ¡°You know, you¡¯re not the longest surviving member of those who had been used as a human experiment.¡± The question was still present in his eyes so the man elaborated. His hands reached for the strings again and started a soft melody. It wasn¡¯t much, nothing to show off his non-existent skills but it was going to suffice. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Thirty children meant to die,¡± he said in tact with the tune that his fingers were playing. ¡°They were born to never face the world, escape into oblivion without having to face it¡¯s darkness.¡± He struck a higher note, bringing attention to his next words. ¡°But some people tried playing gods. They wanted to learn the secret of eternal youth. Something forbidden to mortals.¡± There was a question on the kid¡¯s lips. He licked them, wanting to voice it but his vow kept him silent. It brought the smile to the man¡¯s face but he played a couple of lower notes, creating a foreboding feeling. ¡°They sustained the life of ten children, forced them into the world. They lived and the people were called prophets. They were supposed to bring the new age about.¡± The tune lightened a bit. It became quicker and more lively. ¡°The babies were healthy and no one could find a fault in them. They were rosy cheeked, smiling and giggling. Everything a baby should be. ¡°Though sooner than anyone had expected a disaster struck. One of the kids got sick. It was a simple cold but every time the boy was given a remedy, he¡¯d wretch and vomit it out. The doctors tried injecting the medicine straight to the system, but that was a fatal mistake.¡± The notes slowed, turning into a soft beating of a heart. They were loosing tempo, becoming irregular. Slowing down. And were soon over. Silence reigned for a moment. Then the melody picked up again, lethargically moving into something resembling a tempo. ¡°The press was horrified. News of this flew around the world in an instant. The people playing gods were called out on this and they tried damage control.¡± One of the corners of the man¡¯s lips pulled up as he remembered that time. ¡°The children were collected and tested. It was found out that all of them couldn¡¯t stomach medicine. It was so bad that they actually got sick of even the slightly more concentrated amount of vitamins.¡± ¡°This brought another wave of outrage, but it was weathered down easily.¡± The tune equalled out now. It was no longer slow but hadn¡¯t turned quick either. ¡°The rest of the kids were put into protective wards, monitored all the time. And the original drug modified. Another bunch of kids, thirteen now, stolen from death¡¯s clutches.¡± The sound turned hollow instantly. There was something very wrong with the things that were going to be told next. ¡°It was a mistake. Grave one. These children... Every single one of them... They found death sooner in the most horrible of ways. Their lungs twisted, mutating slowly until air no longer could be taken in and the kid¡¯s suffocated.¡± ¡°It made the people turn against those playing gods but the experiment was still under way.¡± The man turned from the kid, his eyes locking onto the setting sun. ¡°Nine of the original kids were still alive. Their immune systems weak, almost non-existent but they were still alive and the drug¡¯s purpose wasn¡¯t one to make them healthy anyway. ¡°Eternal life was what mesmerised the people playing gods.¡± The man¡¯s voice softened here. He was whispering, hardly louder than the sounds of his guitar. ¡°It should have been enough for them but they couldn¡¯t stay still while waiting for the children to grow up. They felt like they were wasting time.¡± The music slowed even more. A single note sounding and then echoing. Once it was over, another came like a wave in its predecessor¡¯s wake. ¡°They modified the drug and this time secretly found seven children. These weren¡¯t announced to the public and parents were sworn to secrecy, unaware of the true purpose of the drug. ¡°Some years passed with barely any deaths. It felt like a great achievement as ten survived to the age of six and started attending school. They showed up to have the same capabilities as their peers, neither smarter nor worse than their classmates. It was some very good news. The drug had no effect on the human brain.¡± The notes picked up then, returning into a melody. They were still slow but no longer so desolate. ¡°Years passed and the lack of growth was noticed. The children weren¡¯t turning into teenagers, neither in body, nor mind. A child can be called an adult and without looking one if he passes the age of twelve and develops an abstract way of thinking.¡± ¡°But,¡± the man¡¯s fingers stilled on the guitar, ¡°they never did.¡± He looked at the boy beside him, the small figure hiding burdens unimaginable to others. His fingers brushed the strings, chords coming into life. ¡°They never developed it. They were stuck with the mind of a child and knowledge that they¡¯ll never be equal. That they were robbed of it. ¡°It didn¡¯t sit well with many. They protested and went on miniature rampages. No one cared. Not those that played gods for sure. They were amazed by the fact that their product had worked. It was a miracle, even taking into consideration that the stopped time was slightly too early. Everything could be changed. The most important thing was that their formula worked!¡± He smiled bitterly as notes from an old song escaped from his fingers. It sounded like something that should be reserved for funerals. ¡°Those who played gods were so absorbed in it they didn¡¯t notice the children going crazy. They went mad in their confinement, protected from the evils of the world. Only two from the first ten remained after it was finally noticed. ¡°It was horrible but the five out in the world were still alive. They were the youngest ones, still barely coming into their last years of growing. The god players had hope that they might turn out differently as their drug had been adjusted but it wasn¡¯t the case. After their eleventh birthday their age was stuck for years unknown. ¡°The best part of it, of course, being that differently than in dwarfism, they didn¡¯t age either. Their body remained the same, one of a young kid.¡± There was something akin to disgust in the man¡¯s voice as he said that. It made the boy raise his head but no question left his lips as he continued to listed to the tale. ¡°However, their joy didn¡¯t last long. Their subjects¡¯ life expectancy was around fifteen years. Around that time each one found a reason and a way to lose its life. Purposeful or not, all of them happened and the children were gone. One girl managed to live to seventeen but that was more luck than anything else.¡± His fingers brushed over the strings, creating a soft melody. ¡°She was a sweet little thing, always smiling and ready to help. Perfect child they called her. Not once did she get into trouble or did something wrong, it was like she was made of goodness itself. Or so people thought. ¡°One day she managed to make people let her into the kitchen where she could touch sharp things and potentially injure herself. It was scary but they conceded, wanting to give her everything she desired. She was so nice to everyone after all. ¡°That had been a grave mistake,¡± the man said in a dry tone, his eyes alight with mirth. The melody under his touch quickened, rushing out in quick bursts. ¡°She smiled and when no one was seeing picked the sharpest knife around. It was too large for her small hand but she didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°Like an angered wasp in her yellow dress, knife poised as a sting, she dashed towards the closest man and stabbed him. She didn¡¯t aim. All she cared was to make her captors suffer. It lasted for a long while, the people that had cared for her were of gentle nature. Unaware of her pain, too innocent. ¡°But they were stabbed, maimed or even killed at her hands. It happened only to a few but it was a heavy price none the less. They were people that had had nothing to do with her imprisonment. All they had done was care for her. That was their fault. But the girl hit where she could reach and when they were close to subduing her, she pushed the knife into her own heart. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a clean hit. She suffered for long as they did operations on her without any narcotics to lessen the pain. It was all in vain but she laid on that table for hours, seeing, feeling.¡± The hand stilled then over the strings, last notes echoing away as the man turned to the boy. ¡°That was horrendous news and those who played gods were caught and their research banned, outlawed as inhumane and cruel. The players themselves were mostly put to jail, locked away to prevent them from making more of their experiments on innocent children. ¡°But what the world didn¡¯t know is that one of the subjects was still out there. Others of his kind had died in silence, too young. He, however, is still there full of power and maybe even capable of passing the girl¡¯s age. She was seventeen though, something no other subject had even come close.¡± The boy listened to that intently, his eyes on the man. There were no words said but the man could feel the gaze. He turned his head to look back and saw the challenge in those blue orbs of ice. It made the man smile, though there was little joy in it. He had succeeded, the boy was going to survive another four years or at least try to for the sole purpose of being the best. But what after it? He didn¡¯t want to think of it. This wasn¡¯t something he could achieve. He had done everything he could. It didn¡¯t make his guilt go away, not in the slightest. But that was all that was in his power. The boy will have to find another reason to live and suffer for after this was over. 9.1 Wake-up Call ¡°Hey! Out of arrows on the west wall!¡± a messenger boy shouted out, rushing through the doors. He caught himself on the handle and breathing hard tried to salute Monthu. Before he could answer anything another boy piped in. ¡°East too!¡± ¡°South-west is getting engaged,¡± Fenek relayed. He entered the room with casual ease, shaking his hair. A cloud of ashes fell to the ground. ¡°We¡¯ve been attacked in the tunnels,¡± he said as a way of explanation. As he did that, Monthu noticed that half his hair was burnt on one side. But he didn¡¯t ask. If there was anything to worry about, the rogue would have said so. Monthu didn¡¯t have time to trouble himself with others¡¯ problems. He had enough of his own. ¡°Get LionTail. What is the damage there?¡± ¡°Some cracks, nothing major yet. But soldiers are exhausted. Last attack was just an hour ago.¡± Monthu nodded. ¡°I know, but there¡¯s no one in reserve. The few that are resting went there just five minutes ago. It¡¯s too soon.¡± ¡°Sure, but the wall won¡¯t hold long like this,¡± Fenek said with a shake of his head. ¡°I¡¯ll be returning then. Every hand is needed there, even an untrained one like mine.¡± Monthu turned towards the two waiting boys. What was he supposed to tell them? That there were no more arrows? ¡°Go to the smiths. Check if they have something then report back to me. And you,¡± he pointed to the other boy. ¡°go to the mage¡¯s quarters and send LionTail to the South-West wall.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± they said in unison and ran off. Monthu turned his eyes towards the table on his right and added a few figurines. It was a smaller version of the one L had but served the same purpose. Made Monthu¡¯s every victory look like throwing stones in a river and pretending that it was going to stop the flood. No matter what he did, nothing seemed enough. The enemy just had too many people. They could attack day and night without giving city¡¯s soldiers a moment¡¯s rest. Which they were, of course, doing. Today was a torture and he wasn¡¯t sure how they were going to get through the night. Lack of sight would be disastrous to their already exhausted minds. Not forgetting that Marion would be sure to play some tricks. He had already tried to enter through all the secret tunnels. Though, those attacks had been repelled and tunnels filled up, it gave Monthu little solace. All those things meant was that this time Marion was coming from an unknown direction. There was no real way to know from where he was going to strike. As he was thinking that, he opened his friend menu. Even a short talk with Hawk would get him some energy to continue on. He needed at least one goods news. His eye caught on a green bubble next to a name he hadn¡¯t seen for a very long time. Ace. He was here. Online. A call came and Monthu answered. L¡¯s voice was shaky and full of excitement as he asked. ¡°Di-di-did you see it?¡± ¡°Apparently, he is back. Someone heard your prayers.¡± ¡°Think it¡¯s an angel or the devil?¡± Monthu didn¡¯t even hesitate. ¡°Definitely the second.¡± ¡°Thanks for a confidence boost. Now I just need to convince him to return,¡± L said with a sigh. ¡°How am I supposed to do that?¡± ¡°Beats me,¡± Monthu told him, standing up to go outside. He needed a breath of fresh air. And to clear his head. ¡°I¡¯d wish you good look, but you¡¯ll need much more than that to succeed.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± L muttered in what sounded close to a growl. ** Bright light blinded Ace as he opened his eyes. He blinked a few times to get accustomed and looked around. Branches, feathers, egg shells and a smell of raw rotten meat. ¡®Where in the world am I?¡¯ He tried to stand up but the branches under him creaked and he stopped moving. This might require more investigation. A croak came from behind. Ace¡¯s head snapped backwards and he met eye to eye with an oval brown eye. It was in a bald head and very near a curved beak. ¡°Uhmm... Hi?¡± Ace asked with a smile that twisted his face in a grimace. ¡®What happened while I was gone?¡¯ The bird croaked once more and moved towards Ace. He thought about getting away but a look behind told him he was on a cliff edge. Not really the best place to move around. ¡°What do you want from me, birdie?¡± A hiss this time came but it was from above. Ace lifted his head up to see another one flying past. It was magnificent. Over two meters in wingspan with black flying feathers and white brown on the body. They interchanged between themselves as if woven by a master seamstress. The one near Ace was similar but with darker colours. It rushed to stand between him and the newcomer, screeching. This attracted more birds and soon Ace found himself surrounded by a kettle. There were six of them, humongous in size and eyeing him with their little brown eyes. The first one he had met was still standing before him, turning to him from time to time. Croaking, hissing, screeching. It was clear they were communicating and Ace wished he could understand. But it wasn¡¯t to happen. Sadly, he hadn¡¯t picked up an animal understanding ability in any of his travels. At some point his bird t turned to him and with what looked like a proud swagger came closer. It then put its head on Ace¡¯s shoulder and croaked. ¡®Was that supposed to be something along the lines of cooing? What is going on?¡¯ Other birds landed and moved towards him. They didn¡¯t come too close but released some sounds which probably were supposed to be reassuring. It hit him then. [Childish Innocence]. That old skill he¡¯d received at the beginning of the game. With trepidation he whispered its name and looked at the window that appeared. *Childish Innocence [Passive] Master 12 Your youthful appearance and affable personality tends to sway everyone in your favour. Monsters see you as a hatchling and will try to protect you from any danger. Human-like races will feel like spoiling you and not letting you take risks. Your presence will make everyone feel relieved, happy and no one will want to leave it.* ¡°Really?¡± he screamed out. ¡°Are you freaking serious?¡± He felt rage building up in his stomach and he clenched his hands at his sides. ¡®Who the f-¡¯ Croaks and flutter of wings distracted him for a moment. Birds were hopping away from him. Most were giving him an evil eye as if he was a misbehaving child. It would have angered him even more if not the vulture at his side. It croaked in a crooning manner. At his surprised look it extended its wings and engulfed his head. Feathers brushed against Ace¡¯s face and he found himself breathing in their smell. This was no perfume but a scent of the wild. Mountain air, fat, rotten meat, fresh snow and many other things he couldn¡¯t identify. They were all mixed together into something strange, unusual and yet somehow familiar. It felt like the smell of freedom. Without any conscious thought he raised his hand and extended it to touch the bird. It shivered at his touch but didn¡¯t move away. It¡¯s long neck was drawn back in and little eyes followed Ace¡¯s every move. ¡°Thank you,¡± Ace whispered and smiled at the bird. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful,¡± he added after another look. Feathers were glistening in the sun¡¯s light with their vitality. This was a young and healthy bird. As if understanding him, the bird brought its wings back and extended them to show in their full glory. Sun shone behind him and the bird looked like a large shadow for Ace. One he wouldn¡¯t want to meet in real life. ¡®World is a magnificent place if such animals truly exist. They deserve to be more than just some programmers imagination.¡¯ He smiled at the bird to show appreciation and then took a better look at his surroundings. Memories of his last playing had come back and they didn¡¯t add up. He was supposed to be dead. His body was left in a middle of the tornado. It couldn¡¯t have survived, could it? His eyes landed on a familiar sight far into the distance. It was misshapen and twisted but having flown so many times over, he could recognise it any time. That was the valley he had spawned the tornado. It had destroyed the mountainside in all directions but by the end chosen a northern path. The snow, ice and frozen earth must have been warmest there, given way fastest. Still all sides were torn open with tunnels opened to air, others fallen in and the whole mountainside changed. This place would never look the same. As he let his eyes roam, a cliff closer to the tornadoes path caught his eyes. There were residues of branches below it and something white on brown earth. It could have been snow but Ace had a feeling that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡®So that¡¯s why they saved me. I¡¯m better than having to mourn their own. Do birds even do that, though?¡¯ He heard wings flapping and his vulture flew past him. It dived with a graceful swoop and then pushed itself back up. Ace smiled and stepped off the cliff too. He cast [Phantasm] and changed himself into the Fallen. His hair changed their colour to brown and elongated to cover his right eye while the other turned greenish blue with a black slit, dragon like. Black cloak settled on his shoulders with an amethyst brooch and a cowl on his head. Last of all, obsidian wings unfurled on his back. As if testing, he flapped them a few times first before raising into the air. Then he dived down like the bird had done and pretended he could feel air rushing through his feathers. It was stretching his imagination but what else did he have? This was his world, one of lies, deceit and pretending. All aimed at himself. Vultures came after. They circled him before choosing a direction and flying off. His bird looked back to make sure he was following and Ace did that. It wasn¡¯t like he had anywhere else to be. They flew for a good hour until his companions spotted something on the ground. It was too far for Ace to see but soon enough they all dived down like arrows shot from a bow. Ground closed in and Ace saw their target. A mountain goat had slipped off a cliff and broken its rear leg. It was trying to move but snow and icy stones were a dangerous surface. The animal was more falling on its belly than making any progress. It released a strangled bleat after noticing its upcoming demise but had little way of escaping. Vultures descended in a rush, surrounding the animal from all sides. The goat tried to use its horns but while they protected the head, its backside was left open. Two birds clawed into it, leaving with patches of wool and blood clinging to their claws. Goat bleated in pain but her try to block the rear only freed her neck. Wide gash opened up there from another set of claws. Vultures were attacking from all sides but not endangering themselves. They knew they had the upper hand and no reason to risk. The goat bleated again and Ace dived in. He dodged the horns and stabbed his dagger into the animal¡¯s neck. There was no need for it to suffer. Birds gave him looks but came to the ground and slowly approached the now dead animal. After making sure it was so they started the feast. Their claws dug into the flesh, severing pieces for digestion. Others preferred to use their sharp beaks. Soon snow on cliff turned red with pieces of meat thrown around. One of the vultures came to Ace and pointed at the carcass. Was he supposed to join in? It wasn¡¯t an alluring idea but Ace moved closer. He didn¡¯t want to leave just yet. For this he made an illusion of himself eating while, in truth, he was just putting it in his inventory. Later he could heat it up and have a great meal. But not now, even if he was somewhat hungry. A glance to the hunger bar showed it was halfway down. Still decent enough. He was about to stand up and leave when a shout in his ear stopped him in his tracks. ¡°Where have been all this time?¡± L screamed out. ¡°I need you! Come back this instant! You hear me? Don¡¯t even think about not coming! You will regret that!¡± ¡°Hello to you too,¡± Ace answered with a roll of his eyes. Why hadn¡¯t he deleted all his contacts before leaving the game? It would have made everything so much more peaceful. L took a moment to take a breath. ¡°Where in the world are you? I need you here! Now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I get to take holidays?¡± There was stunned silence on the other side of the line. It lasted for a good minute. ¡°Are you making fun of me?¡± ¡°Are you trying to order me around?¡± Ace asked in turn. ¡°That¡¯s not... You work for me!¡± L spluttered. His voice had lost a touch of confidence, sounding more like a belligerent child now. This was just too easy. ¡°You sure?¡± he asked in a manner that suggested L was standing on a very thin line. Ace wasn¡¯t sure why he didn¡¯t pretend like it had already been crossed. Did he want to return? See how everyone was doing? Was he that crazy? No one wanted him there. He had alienated everyone with efficiency. It was something he was very good at. There was shuffling on the other side of the call, murmurs and then the sound of footsteps on stone floor. Moment¡¯s later L breathed a deep sigh. ¡°You still here?¡± ¡°For the time being,¡± Ace answered, watching vultures make themselves at home. Instead of flying back to their cliff, they sprawled on the icy ground and closed their eyes. They were going to sleep while the meat got digested in their systems. Whole goat was eaten after all, only bones left. ¡°Where have you been? No, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to answer. Rather, do you know the situation?¡± L asked. Ace thought for a moment. Did he know? ¡°I heard of a siege and that you¡¯re losing it. Bad.¡± L laughed with bitterness. ¡°Just something I needed to hear. As if my commanders weren¡¯t enough. Complaint after complaint is all I ever hear from them. It¡¯s madde-¡± he stopped himself mid-word and breathed a sigh. He was doing a lot of that in this conversation. ¡°But you don¡¯t want to hear about my troubles do you?¡± There was another pause before he continued. ¡°I need your help. I kept my end of the bargain to the end, it is your turn to aid me.¡± ¡°You sure you want that? By now you should know I¡¯d betrayed you to Marion,¡± Ace said in an emotionless tone. This was his escape card. Best one he had. He just wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to use it. ¡°Thanks for that,¡± L replied with sarcasm dripping in torrents. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten.¡± Nothing was added after that. Ace waited a minute and another but L wasn¡¯t saying anything more. How could this be all? Where were all accusations? Anger and disgust? Name calling? There was something horribly wrong in this silence. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this! ¡°Is that all you want to say?¡± he asked, finally. Maybe if he could taunt L... ¡°Mhmhm... Yeah, I think so. Were you expecting something else?¡± Something else was an understatement. It wasn¡¯t even close to what had to happen. Why did L still trust him? Wasn¡¯t he a traitor? Worst of all? Unable to find an answer he asked it aloud. L chuckled in his ear. There was little joy in it. ¡°Trusting you was always a gambit. It¡¯s like throwing dice and expecting to win against a cheater. Possible, but very unlikely. Still,¡± he sighed once more, ¡°beggars can¡¯t be choosers.¡± ¡°So... You want to say... That I should return?¡± Ace asked in disbelief. He had many ideas of what might happen if he re-entered the game, but none had him coming back to see others. That could end in one thing only, tragedy. ¡°For sure. I, and everyone else, we need your help here,¡± L said in a tired voice. ¡°We¡¯re losing and I¡¯m not certain even you can save this situation.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that bad?¡± Ace asked, his resolution growing. No one ever said something was out of Wing¡¯s reach. He was the ultimate being. Nothing was impossible for him. Well, maybe just human relationships. But this wasn¡¯t that. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Worse,¡± L said. ¡°We¡¯re waiting to be destroyed at any moment. It¡¯ll be a wonder if a surrender notification hadn¡¯t been sent while I was gone. Hopefully, Monthu managed to stop them.¡± Breath caught in Ace¡¯s throat. ¡°They¡¯re there?¡± he asked in a whisper. ¡°Monthu and the gang? Not really,¡± L answered nonchalantly. ¡°The kid is off with the female while the archer is still lost somewhere in the mountains. That idiot. He has my best mage with him. What are they thinking?¡± he asked with annoyance in his tone. His rant gave Ace time to find back his composure. It hadn¡¯t gone too far and he was back to normal in a moment. ¡°Good then. I¡¯ll see about that helping you out part. See ya!¡± ¡±Wait! I ne-!¡± L started shouting out but Ace cut off the call. He heard all he wanted and more. Much more. He curled into a ball near his bird and wondered whether he should come back. It would be so simple, to just go there and pretend like nothing happened. Or act as if he knew no one. Ignore whatever they had to say. There were so many options. Yet all seemed wrong. Things had happened. It could never be the same. He had hurt Par. Deeply. Even if the kid could forgive him, the trust between them would never be the same and he¡¯d grow to despise him. It was inevitable. Monthu? This was an even more confusing topic. No matter how much Ace had analysed him, the guy was a mystery. It wasn¡¯t that hard to play him, move him in your wanted direction but that didn¡¯t mean you knew what was inside his head. Well, Par but besides that. He had to have more to him. There had to be a life outside Ace wasn¡¯t aware of. A whole side of Monthu he had no idea about, one that had to have shaped him as much as Par had. So how was he to know what to expect? It might be an honest conversation or a dagger in the back for hurting his brother. Neither would surprise Ace and that was what worried him. A bird croaked near him. He opened his eyes to see into the dark brown beads. They were emotionless looking to him but the vulture moved closer and put a wing above him. It was warm, though, surprisingly heavy. ¡°Thanks,¡± he murmured and concentrated on the bird¡¯s breathing. It was steady and rhythmic, putting him to sleep in a few minutes. It was night time when he woke up. Stars shone in the dark blue sky and for a time he watched them, making shapes in his mind. One compilation looked like a scorpion while another resembled a torch. They were far apart and he wondered whether they were realistic. Had this world been changed enough to gain its own stars or were they a copy of the one¡¯s seen from earth? The shifting near him brought his attention to the ground. Vultures were still sleeping but his one was twitching as if having a nightmare. That was doubtful but he still woke it up. It was time to go. Whatever was to come, it was better than sleeping your life away. He didn¡¯t plan to give up. Not yet, at least. His shuffling and trying to wake his bird stirred and others. They croaked in annoyance but got up, shaking their heads off sleep. And then they were off, up in the air, circling over his head. Ace made sure his illusion was still solid. Feathers ruffled from lying on them, cloak creased and dirtied. Perfect. There were a few spots of blood at the bottom too but that was exactly what he needed. People had to know he meant business when he came. This time when he rose, he took the lead. One of the vultures hissed, aiming to claw Ace¡¯s eyes out but after receiving three slashes at his chest changed his opinion. He didn¡¯t want to die. That resolved, Ace chose a direction out of the mountains. He had a general idea of where Lasran was, having travelled with the expedition, though, he had his doubts. From the air everything looked different. It took the rest of the night to find the city, dark not really helping in the endeavour. Only when they were out of the mountains did the fires surrounding Lasran helped to locate it. And there were thousands of them. Wherever Ace looked red dots on the ground caught his eye. They were spread for kilometres around the city, in forests and near lakes. No wonder, no supplies could reach L. Wall of light was built in a wide circle which would prevent anyone from passing. No one could pass unnoticed. Even rogues would have a hard time entering. This was some next level preparation. City defenders were like cornered animals without anywhere to go and unable to receive help. Ace smiled. It was always more fun to be on the weaker side. Cornered animals fought with most fervour and he wanted to see what the defenders could accomplish. Maybe even help them. Pretend he was one. But that was in the future. First there was this problem of supplies. If people inside were starving and with broken weapons, it wouldn¡¯t be any kind of fight. Slaughter. And he had seen enough of that. It was time to make all this more equal. That good and all, but what exactly was he supposed to do. He could easily enter the city but he couldn¡¯t bring anything with him. Only his bag but it would mean nothing in comparison to the need. So what? He could try asking L but he would have said something if he had any plans. It was most likely he was banking on the idea that Ace would think of something. Idiot. Who was he to know something about sieges and how to defend against them? L should have thought better about who he trusted. Ace was good at annoying people, tricking and betraying them but none of that were going to aid him in this. It was just too large a scale. None of his aliases was of use either. Wing could kill but not enough to make a difference. Elf¡¯s guild was inside and Ace was just a kid. He didn¡¯t have enough influence with Marion to make him do anything. What else was there? One of the vultures croaked, tired of the night¡¯s flight and now circling the city high above. Ace steered away then, returning to the mountains. It was the only place safe for them to rest. He found a cliff with a large block acting as wind shield and landed there. It was farther from the city when he would have liked but he needed peace. He had to think of a way and someone stumbling on his group would only serve as a disturbance. Whole flock came to him, finding resting places at his sides. One even settled on his legs. The bird was heavy but it gave off a welcome heat. Ace wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to activate any of his spells any longer. Tornado was still at the front of his mind and he was sure it had been his doing. Unplanned but no less his fault. Just how strong was he becoming? He didn¡¯t dare to open his status menu and check. Instead, he reached for the vulture on his legs ans stroked its back. The bird croaked softly but didn¡¯t move or raise its head. Ace smiled at that, enjoying the feeling of a living being under his palm. He could feel its heart¡¯s beating, soft fall and raise of the chest. As he enjoyed that moment of peace, he took notice of his hand. Through the right eye it was dressed in a dirty green shirt but left... Left eye showed him a black robe covering paper sheet coloured skin. Black angel. Fallen. This was his current illusion and it had allies of its own. Arenan - the village of angels. It would have never rushed to Lasran¡¯s aid and in that stayed outside encirclement. Their self-serving natures would be the thing that will help him. They might not have warriors or mage¡¯s but they must have something special. Village of angels the place was called, after all, and few were allowed entrance. Even less made privy to the knowledge it possessed. They had to have stumbled on something useful in all the years they had been researching angels. But first there was rest. He closed his eyes and willed himself into taking a nap. After this he¡¯d have to talk with people. Birds stirred after midday, waking Ace up. He yawned and stretched, shaking his wings so feathers would return to shape. Vultures shook themselves off and they all went to hunt. This time the prize was smaller but that was for the better. It meant they could continue flying and Ace chose the road towards Arenan. Village wasn¡¯t as close as he would have liked, but Lasran would have to last until he made his journey. Two days if he was lucky and there was game on the way. More if not. ** ¡°You sure this is going to work?¡± ¡°At this point I¡¯m not sure of anything,¡± Fenek muttered back to Rowena. ¡°I just hope we¡¯ll make it out alive.¡± ¡°Good enough,¡± she whispered with a nod, watching the outside world from his pocket. They had cleared one of the secret passages and rogues were sent to sneak into Marion¡¯s camp. Only one task was given, destroy as many siege engines as possible. It was a suicide mission but most had agreed to come. This was it. If they didn¡¯t do something crazy, the city would fall the next morning. There was no longer any delaying tactics left. Food was gone, arrows a distant memory and sharp steel a dream. Smiths were working day and night just to make sure everyone had something to fight with and still there weren¡¯t enough. Weapons broke and broke as they met enemy steels. Broken and battered, dulled by all the cutting of ropes, theirs had no chance. And still the soldiers stood along with normal citizens who had taken up age old armour from their ancestors. Together they fought a losing battle, knowing that no help was coming. ¡°But we¡¯re going to do this,¡± Rowena told herself quietly. Fenek glanced at her lizard self but didn¡¯t say anything. He was moving through shadows with an efficiency she hadn¡¯t expected. He was lean but not small of build. Still he managed to move without a sound and blend with the darkness of the cave. It wasn¡¯t a comfortable place. One person wide and twisting like a snake. Every meter there was a corner behind which something, no someone could be hiding. Suddenly, he stopped. She was about to ask what, when he shook his head and raised his arm in a stop sign. There was no sound from behind. Few moment¡¯s later Fenek hugged the wall and took a step towards the corner. He took a glance but Rowena couldn¡¯t see anything but she didn¡¯t dare shift. The danger of being found out was too great. Fenek wrote something on the air and a female made her way from behind them. She wore a dark grey dress with a black cloak to hide her blonde head. Still without a doubt she was no rogue. What was she doing here? Even Rowena had had a hard time getting on this mission. It was an absolute secret. The female nodded to Fenek and wrote on the air with a finger. But this was no messaging. Burning symbols stayed after her finger. They buzzed like angry hornets looking for a way out. Second later the writing was finished and she spread her palms as if pushing something away from her. Words dissipated but not without a rush of force leaving for behind the corner. The girl rose three fingers, two and then one. ¡°They¡¯re asleep,¡± she said in a soft voice. ¡°Good work, Lara. I¡¯m glad you decided to come,¡± Fenek said with a smile her way. ¡°It would have been troublesome otherwise.¡± The girl blushed. ¡°This is Wing¡¯s city. You know, I¡¯d do anything to protect it.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s a monster,¡± Rowena said, returning to her human form for a time. ¡°Why would you do anything for him? I don¡¯t get it. Why is everyone so fascinated by that one child?¡± Lara laughed at her annoyance. It was a clear, uplifting sound, no mockery in it. ¡°You haven¡¯t truly met him, then. He acts without remorse and does some questionable stuff but his heart is pure, like that of a child he is.¡± ¡°In what way?¡± ¡°You saw this magic? Have you heard of anything like it? Voiceless spells?¡± the girl asked, turning to move away. Rowena followed her behind the corner and saw three sentries asleep. Each one had slumped where he sat. ¡°No, not really,¡± she answered in wonder. It had to have been a strong spell to work this quick, and it had been soundless. Mages had looked for it from the game¡¯s beginning. Who wouldn¡¯t want to be able to cast spells without giving away his location? ¡°Where did you find it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing,¡± Lara said, turning to her with shining eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t. Wing received unexplored ruins, he almost alone defeated a boss whose strength I¡¯ve never seen before and then threw me the reward! Just like that!¡± She laughed gleefully. ¡°He gave me a legendary reward without blinking an eye! Said I should better make myself useful in this group! Can you imagine anyone else doing this? He¡¯s the best!¡± Rowena had her doubts but she couldn¡¯t refute Lara¡¯s statement. No one else would have parted with such a reward. It had rightfully belonged to Wing. So why did he give it away? Did he like the girl? You could say she was pretty. Soft features, mysterious dark eyes, rich blonde hair to her shoulders. Her figure wasn¡¯t too shabby either. Not a woman¡¯s fully grown but delicate in its beauty. Like that of a porcelain doll. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Fenek asked, waking her up from her musings. ¡°Oh! Yeah, of course!¡± she said quickly. ¡°We were just talking about Wing.¡± ¡°Useless. He left us, that¡¯s all there is to it. He never cared what happened to us,¡± Fenek said with disgust clear in his tone. It was in great contrast with Lara¡¯s words. Could Wing really have fallen in love? It would be a story for ages. Legendary assassin romancing a simple girl, turning her into the strongest mage. But wasn¡¯t Wing just a kid? She had a faint recollection of having met him as his alias Ace. It was for no more than half a day but that had been enough to make an impression. He didn¡¯t have a single personality. Every moment he was changing and shifting. But where she became different in form, it was his mind reforming. One moment he was angry and pissed, another kind and friendly while third adult like and pushy. What was the real him? And what pretend? Or was that mess the truth? Could it be he hid under so many layers of lies he no longer knew who he was? Rowena shook her head. There was no point in wondering that. She was no psychologist. It¡¯s just that everyone around her thought so highly of him when he was nothing more than just another killer. It made her want to try and prove it to them. But this wasn¡¯t the time. They had work to do. ¡°Is the path up ahead clear?¡± she asked through Lara¡¯s passionate defence of Wing to Fenek. ¡°I¡¯d think there will be a few more sentries but we¡¯re close. It shouldn¡¯t take more than ten minutes to reach the exit,¡± he answered. Rowena nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry then. Midnight is close.¡± Fenek led the way and she turned into a little bird to sit on his shoulder. Her sneaking skills were non-existent. This was less embarrassing than actually attempting to be quiet. She had tried once. One time too many for her liking. Three more times Lara had to cast her spell and each was as amazing as the first. No sound, not a smallest whisper and the guards would fall asleep without any warning. They had no way to defend themselves. It was quite scary in a way. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Fenek said as they reached a stone at the end. ¡°Through this illusion and we¡¯ll be out in the enemy zone. No turning back then. No way out.¡± People came to crowd the passage but there was no noise. None said anything or moved to leave. They had come this far, there was no returning. Tonight was their time to show those Marion¡¯s dogs. Fenek nodded in acknowledgement and they all slipped into the night. But before Rowena had flown away she heard him whisper, ¡°New moon, huh? Maybe someone is still looking after us.¡± 9.2 Saviour ¡°Fire in the camp to the west! Grab buckets and other containers! We need to stop it!¡± ¡°What about the wizards?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? They¡¯re casting a spell for tomorrow and are not to be interrupted!¡± ¡°Shit! We need to stop it ourselves! What set it any-¡± the man said but his voice drifted away. He walked out of Rowena¡¯s earshot. Still she waited a moment longer before shifting into her human form and darting towards the siege engine. It was made of wood and easily fifty meters tall. More probably. She got lamp oil out of her bag and turned into an eagle. It wasn¡¯t inconspicuous but it would have to work. Flying and letting oil just slide down the engine¡¯s sides was the fastest way to cover it. One done, seven more to go. She wondered for a moment whether to light it up now or wait until all were prepared. Second option was better in general as it had less chance of being thwarted once finished. But if she got caught midway, not a single engine would get destroyed. Did she trust herself enough not to draw attention and finish? She clenched her teeth and started circling the second engine, oil dripping from the almost empty container. Today there was no time for half-measures. It was all or nothing. If they failed, there would be nothing to defend tomorrow. No second chance. On the fifth one she got noticed. It was an accident really. A person was running from the fires instead of towards them and caught sight of her hiding behind a wooden beam. And before she could do anything he was screaming, ¡°Intruders, intruders! I saw a shape! A shape!¡± Rowena froze in the air, unsure of what to do. Should she try and finish her work or rush to light the oiled engines? Once again before she took action, another form came from the shadows. It silenced the shouting man and when others rushed from a corner, said that he saw someone running towards the eastern side. Someone dressed in black and trying to keep to the darker places. They all ran off in that direction and Rowena breathed a sigh of relief, feeling her heart beating against chest like mad. When had she stopped breathing? No, it didn¡¯t matter. She got lucky. That was great but there was still work before her. Half left. She took out a new oil contained and started flying faster. Chaos was below. People running shouting,horses neighing in distress, flames raging in the tents. It would be hard to distinguish the sound of her wings beating in that mess. She should have thought of that earlier. So much more would have been done if the thought had only crossed her mind. It did now and in third of the time, she was done. For a second she admired her work, oil running the engines¡¯ sides in thick, slow streams. A smile came on her lips as she descended to take her form and light everything up. It should be a glorious sight. One of victory. ¡°You done?¡± a voice from behind startled her. The spell words dropped from her lips as she whirled to face her new opponent. Her fingers had turned into claws by the time she recognised Fenek. ¡°Don¡¯t sneak up on me!¡± she hissed at him. He chuckled at her reaction. ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± She had to agree he had a point there and huffed, turning away. Her claws turned back into fingers and she calmed herself to remember the fire spell. Shamans weren¡¯t best casters but they had a few spells to survive in the wild. ¡°Spark,¡± she whispered near the first engine, not bothering with the full incantation. Oil caught in an instant and in moment the giant structure was caught in bright golden glow. Wood wasn¡¯t burning yet but it there hadn¡¯t been any rain recently so it was dry, prepared to light the whole camp. Rowena turned to put the second engine on fire when she noticed it was already covered in flames. Fenek was by the last engine, flint in his hands. He hit it a few times until a spark came and only then came to her to admire their work. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± she whispered. Flames were reaching for the skies, licking at each other and growing in size. Sparks flew wide, one descending into Rowena¡¯s hair. She brushed it out while staring at the smoke reaching for the heavens. ¡°Sure,¡± Fenek agreed in a hurry, tugging at her hand. ¡°But we need to leave. There will be people coming here in seconds.¡± Rowena nodded and after a last glance at the night turned day shifted into a cheetah and went after Fenek. ** Darkness ruled the night. Or so it had been in the evening. Soon after midnight red lights jumped high in the air, lightening everything around. From the walls you could see people running in all directions with hands over their heads. Some carried buckets or pots but they were minority. There were more just standing and watching the destruction of their camp in simple awe. Fires were everywhere; tents, engines, carriages, even the forest. It was like the whole world outside the city walls had been lit up. Anyone who wasn¡¯t dead tired, though there were few of those, came up and watched with relief on their faces. None believed this would be enough but it was nice to see their enemies suffering for once. ¡°Think we should have done this earlier?¡± L asked watching from his tower. Monthu stood by his side, a frown on his face. ¡°It would have changed nothing then like it would change nothing now.¡± ¡°People need hope. This might even stop tomorrow¡¯s attack,¡± L said in a low tone without any conviction. It was clear he didn¡¯t believe it himself. Monthu didn¡¯t reply. Silent he watched destruction below and wondered what it meant. Lasran was going down in the morning .That was set in stone. But what did it mean for him? He had tried his best to save this city but it just wasn¡¯t happening. They were too far behind with no way to catch up in anything. Not a single advantage on their side. ¡°Wing promised to help.¡± ¡°Did he?¡± Monthu asked without turning towards L. ¡°I remember you saying he¡¯d agreed to think.¡± L leaned on the windowsill, eyes locked on a burning siege engine. Some beam inside broke and it was crumbling upon itself. You could hear cracks and groans of wood as far as inside the city. Or at least L thought so. He wanted to see, hear and feel Marion suffer. The bastard could have destroyed him in a one all-out battle but no. He was patient and slow, making sure that L¡¯s defeat would be inevitable and as painful as possible. Probably not. He smiled with self-mockery. Marion was a dry stuck-up. He wouldn¡¯t care about L¡¯s feelings. All this city signified to him was just another chess piece on his board. He would remove it and move forward, never remembering it had ever existed. Just a part of his continuously increasing rule. ¡°Do you think he considered coming back? Or just abandoned us?¡± Monthu shrugged. ¡°Who knows. It¡¯s not like he explained himself to me.¡± ¡°But you talked. You¡¯re the one who knows him best.¡± ¡°If by that you mean he lied straight to my face, pretended and smiled all innocent, then sure,¡± Monthu said pushing himself off the windowsill. He walked back into the room. His eyes landed on the table, enemy markers like angry wolves surrounding a sheep. ¡°I thought I knew him but.. The more I think, the less likely it sounds. If he tricked everyone, why should I have been different? You know? I think he was just that good.¡± L turned to watch him. ¡°How is your brother doing? Is he coming back?¡± ¡°Doubt. He doesn¡¯t want to be see this place empty of his friend.¡± He shook his head, covering his face with a hand. ¡°I¡¯m still wondering why I¡¯m here and not with him.¡± ¡°You love this world as much as everyone else,¡± L said leaning back and glancing at the red horizon from his shoulder. ¡°Whatever your reason to enter, you fell for this place and don¡¯t want to see it destroyed. Silly? Probably. It¡¯s just a game,¡± he whispered. ¡°Just a game...¡± He closed his eyes, trying not to think. All he had worked for, all he had achieved in over a year¡¯s time would be soon gone. Nothing left but a pile of dust in the middle of nowhere. Marion was going to level his city to the ground and all he could do was die with it. Like a sinking ship¡¯s captain. Titanic. This was quite a similar story, wasn¡¯t it? Full of promise and grandeur, astonishing at first glance. But soon enough those dreams are sunk to the bottom of the ocean, never to be seen again. ¡°What is that?¡± Monthu asked, coming closer to him. L turned to face the open window. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°To the right, there¡¯s something white in the horizon.¡± L squinted in the lit night, trying to determine what was that strange white glow. Was that his demise? Marion¡¯s secret weapon because he got pissed? ¡°I think it¡¯s someone flying?¡± Monthu said like it was a question. ¡°Wing?¡± ¡°Did you ever see him wear white? It¡¯s probably the only colour I never saw him in.¡± The sigh that left L¡¯s chest could have made elders feel young again. ¡°You love killing my dreams, don¡¯t you?¡± Monthu didn¡¯t answer but watched the sky. It was littered with stars but the light in the west wasn¡¯t them. It was coming closer and increasing in size, intensity. He thought for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to the wall.¡± L nodded, glanced over his dying city and turned away. His chair stood on the dais as grand as ever and he plopped down. Some papers flew off the armrests and he pushed the rest after. None of them were going to help him now. Today was his last day of glory, stinging the lion at his door. ** Monthu stood on the battlement watching the upcoming figures. It was obvious now that the light was living beings. They were flying straight for the city while carrying something. He squinted, trying to understand what it was but they were still too far. All he knew was that they were human shaped and emanated white light. One that made it impossible to see any details. ¡°What is that?¡± someone near him asked with a finger pointing in the light¡¯s direction. More heads turned but none had an idea. It was unclear even whether it was friend or enemy. ¡®Not that it mattered,¡¯ Monthu thought to himself. They had lost and more enemies made little difference. Their city¡¯s shield couldn¡¯t prevent a fly from entering. It was on the verge of shattering from simple wind. ¡°Are those angels?¡± a voice asked with wonder. It¡¯s owner leaned farther over the wall¡¯s edge to get a better look. Monthu had to grab him by the scruff to prevent him falling. ¡°It¡¯s them! Arenan¡¯s help is coming! Angels are coming!¡± Other people caught the words and they spread like a wildfire. ¡°Angels! Angels!¡± started a chant. It rose lonesome from somewhere below, where people couldn¡¯t even see, but gained strength in quick bursts. Two, five, ten, fifty more people joined and the whole courtyard echoed with their voices. ¡°Angels! Angels!¡± The light was white and creatures human shaped but Monthu held onto his doubts. He had been in Arenan himself and knew better. That place had no angels. They were extinct, gone from this world. Only one person had made it seem like an untruth. Monthu felt a groan trying to escape but held it in. Ace was back, and with another crazy scheme of his. ** The boy was pushing through the air, sweat running his back in torrents. Whole nigh and half a day of jumping from one field to another. At first he had pretended to fly, adjusting his movements so that they looked right. However, an hour in the air cured him of that notion. He rather expanded the scope of his illusion so that it covered him whole while he could do anything he wanted. Like save energy by simply running on the fields. It had felt like a good idea at first but three hours more and he was starting to get tired. Scenery under him changed quick but he had already wasted three days getting to Arenan and another talking with the elders. It was long past the time he had to be in Lasran. By the tenth hour he was reduced to counting steps to keep himself moving. His stamina was at the very bottom but game logic had never bothered him too much. He just didn¡¯t stop moving. One leg before the other. He had to get to Lasran, that¡¯s all there was to it. Firelight could be seen far ahead but it gave no burst of energy. He was far past that. If he stopped to think about anything but his destination, he was sure he¡¯d fall exhausted and wouldn¡¯t wake up for days. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Some more steps ahead, he looked to the ground. [Mystic Eyes] helped him see clear in the dark and the sight almost made him stop mid-air. Fires didn¡¯t burn to light Marion¡¯s camp. They were devouring it. Large wooden structures, people¡¯s tents and wagons. All of them were aflame. People were running with water but were often distracted by maddened animals. A few horses had their manes on fire and were dashing back and forth in panic. They crazed others even more, trampling on players and ramming straight into if they got in the way. It was pure chaos below. Was he too late? Had L and Monthu found of a way to win while he was gone? The thought stabbed him like a blade. He faltered in his movements and saw his illusion shiver. For a whole second it was gone. ¡°No!¡± he screamed as loud as he could. They weren¡¯t going to reduce him to that. He didn¡¯t need them. He hadn¡¯t come all this way to be told it was too late. All he needed was to make a scene. It would be all worth it then. No one will know his true reasoning for coming. Yeah, that was the right way. He closed his eyes for a second, breathing deep and then let a smile form on his lips. It was his game. He was the mastermind here. If others thought they didn¡¯t need him, he would show them. Oh, he¡¯ll make a spectacle. He set his sights on the wall near the front gates and started a slow decent. In the meantime he re-adjusted his illusion. It had to be perfect. Not a single feather out of place. Maybe even add some tone? Colour to the whole picture? No, he shouldn¡¯t overdo. It would only lower the quality of his work. Sometimes less was better. Right as he was about to land, he saw Monthu. He was standing some ten meters off and staring straight him in the eyes. Ace felt like they were drilling through him, looking for answers he didn¡¯t want to give. So he smirked at him and made a sharp turn. Wind pushed people back and he skipped the last steps to land right before Monthu on one knee. From the corner of his eyes he made sure the illusion was well and returned his attention to the man before him. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you again,¡± he said in a silky voice that meant anything but what was said. ¡°I have brought aid as requested.¡± He lowered his head as if awaiting a command while, in truth, hiding the mirth in his eyes. Monthu stood still, not agreeing not participate in this show. But he didn¡¯t have a choice. Not really. Ace had made sure of that with this display, and now to hammer the last nail. ¡°Is there anything else you would require of me, Master?¡± The intake of breath was a universal reaction. People gasped and tried to form words to no avail. They stared at Monthu and then Ace, unable to wrap their minds about what they had just witnessed. Ace felt exhilaration rush through his body. All tiredness was deleted in a second. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he¡¯d felt so alive. It wasn¡¯t every day you framed a person who thought you a friend. Who you had thought a friend. It didn¡¯t matter. They had all left him. He was a monster. Freak. Unnatural. There was something wrong with him. Inside as much as outside. ¡°Report to L,¡± Monthu said in a level voice. It was tight under control, but Ace knew he could snap it with a single word, one move. The man was furious inside. This betrayal wasn¡¯t going to be forgiven. Not that he had hoped for forgiveness. It wasn¡¯t him who needed that. They should have asked. It was them who had looked at him like a monster. Like there was something wrong with him. But he didn¡¯t do that forgive and forget shit. It wasn¡¯t in his nature. ¡°As you command,¡± Ace replied and stood up. ¡°Master,¡± he added jumping into the air. Laughter bubbled in his chest when he was high up. He chortled and cackled, shaking all over. Almost fell off of his fields, catching last second and giggling more. This was so amazing. He would have done it ages ago if he¡¯d known it would feel this good. He was free now! No more attachments to anyone. Par was gone, Monthu pushed over the edge too while others hadn¡¯t come even close to him. It was all over. The thought made some uncomfortable feeling tingle in his chest but he slammed the doors shut. Nothing was going to dampen his moment of glory. Not even his own conscience. He eyed the buildings below. It was time for a second act. With a slower pace he approached the castle, wondering where L would be. His study popped first in his mind but it was doubtful. It faced away from the main gates. L would want to be able to see everything that was going on. It left only one possible place. Huge tower loomed over the castle, its windows facing all four directions without anything blocking the view. This was where Ace would go if he needed to order a defence. He landed on the windowsill with a soft thud, folding his wings to get through. His companions didn¡¯t follow but perched on the the sill. There wasn¡¯t any reason for them to enter. Smart creatures. The room was cast in shadow, not a single lamp or candle glowing. [Mystic Eyes] lighted the place for him instead. He could see a human shape sitting on the throne and walked there at a slow pace. He could see threads of colour surrounding the man. They circled him in hues of light blue, present in everyone, but they were weak. Deep purple, turning into pink was prominent with tinges of red here and there. But they were all pale, depressing colours. This man didn¡¯t look like a victor. It was as if he had just discovered the pointlessness of life. Everything blurred and deathly pale. What had happened here? Before he could ask, the doors flew open and Monthu blasted in. One look told Ace more than he needed to know. He was dead. Dead and gone. Nothing was brining him back to life. He inclined his head in a show of respect. ¡°There was no need for you to come. I would have relayed the message as ordered.¡± ¡°Would you?¡± Monthu asked through gritted teeth. It brought Ace¡¯s attention to him and he saw something unexpected. Bright red, colour of fires burning outside. Those threads swirled around his hands and torso, intercepting, winding together and separating. Fiery shield of reds, oranges and yellows. There were light blue, black and golden deep within but they were smothered by the light colours. All but a deep red. It wasn¡¯t part of the flame motive. No. The thread started near the heart and spread in all directions like a dark stain. A pool of blood. It stayed underneath the fiery shield but that just made it more noticeable. More prominent. Ace¡¯s lip tugged upwards against his will. This was what he had wanted, wasn¡¯t it? He had finally burnt all the bridges. There was no coming back. ¡°What?¡± L started to ask as Ace turned to him but soon changed his approach. ¡°Did you find a way to help? Do you have a plan?¡± The hope in his voice took Ace aback. Way to save the city? Wasn¡¯t Lasran already winning? Doubt trickled in. Had he misunderstood? Was everything just a show? Foolish last stand? He took a step back. This couldn¡¯t be. No way. It just couldn¡¯t be true. He staggered like a drunk backwards, hand raising to cover his face. What had he done? Without a thought in mind he whirled around and jumped into the air. He had to get out. Time to think. Time to understand. What had happened? Something caught his leg. He turned to see L with narrowed eyes and his lips in a thin line. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°I,¡± Ace got out, his eyes darting between L and the window. ¡°I need to leave!¡± he shouted out, kicking L in the chest and rushing out. When he was near escape, Monthu¡¯s voice reached his ears. ¡°Let him run. It¡¯s what he does best.¡± ¡°No! I-¡± Ace tried to refute but his voice shook. He didn¡¯t know how to finish the sentence. Legs themselves moved towards the window. Away from this. Them. L rounded on him once again. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just face the mess you¡¯ve made for once? Are you that weak?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not weak! I jus- I just need to go somewhere!¡± ¡°And where¡¯s that?¡± Monthu asked with mockery in his tone. L threw him a warning look but he didn¡¯t take notice. ¡°Hide in a corner? Need to kill someone to forget? That¡¯s what you do, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ace shook all over. He needed to get out, it was... This place was... He didn¡¯t know what was happening but he didn¡¯t like it. It was dangerous. It... It hurt. Those words, they tore wounds he¡¯d so carefully sewn together. He knew he wasn¡¯t perfect. Was very aware of the fact. It stared at him everyday in the mirror. Why did he have to be reminded? And here! Wasn¡¯t this his place? His world? No one should be able to hurt him here! It wasn¡¯t fair. Why was the world such a shitty place? Tears collected in his eyes as stood breathing hard, staring at Monthu. The man looked to be surprised at something and then it appeared in his eyes. One emotion Ace couldn¡¯t stand. Everything but that. Pity. He didn¡¯t need it. Didn¡¯t want. He wasn¡¯t that pathetic. Without a thought he dashed forward. As he came closer, he found a dagger in his hand. Kris. Perfect. It will wipe that disgusting look off Monthu¡¯s face. His attack was blocked by a giant scythe. Great. This was something familiar. He knew how to deal with this. Faint right, attack left and duck low. Slash at the leg. Roll forward. Evade the swing and block the rod while getting closer. Don¡¯t give him space to use the scythe. Simple as that. Now through his defences. Another slash and a stab here. Chase after. Kick his legs from under him. Stand over and glare into those dark eyes. Step away from the masked hurt there. No! He had to kill! That¡¯s what he did. That¡¯s how the sequence always ended. With death. But... But he couldn¡¯t. He tried to raise his hand but it refused. Kris clattered to the ground. Metal on stone, the sound made Ace wince. He walked backwards more. Until his back was to the wall. Cold. It relaxed his tensed muscles and he breathed deep. What was going on? What did he do? He didn¡¯t want to open his eyes. He couldn¡¯t stay like this forever, but what if? Maybe if he really wished, he could turn into a statue? Become one with the stone wall? It would have been so much better than having to face the scene ahead. One he knew and without having to look. The bitter chill had brought clarity along. He could have given anything for it to be otherwise. But it was over. He was back to himself and dead tired. Legs gave under and he toppled to the ground. Eyes shut. Sleep. This was what he needed. Maybe, when he woke up it would be different. Maybe it¡¯ll show up to have been a dream. His mouth filled with a taste of bitterness but he pretended not to notice. For once, it would be great if he could dream. Just for a moment believe in the impossible. That everything would be all right. ¡°Hey!¡± L shouted in his ear, shaking him violently. ¡°The city? Did you find a way to save it?¡± It had been so long ago. Ace tried to remember but came up blank. He opened his eyes to stare uncomprehending into L¡¯s misty grey ones. ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡± he whispered in an exhale. Why couldn¡¯t he be left alone to sleep? ¡°Please! You need to stay awake!¡± L pleaded. He took Ace¡¯s head in his hand, raising it from the ground. ¡°Please! Tell me what you learnt! What can I do?¡± Those words, what can I do? Ace remembered thinking them over and over all three days he had flown. Never coming up with an answer. He was powerless. Was he? A memory came. He stood, no hovered, before the elders, listening. Everyone was so exited. Had they found a way? He pulled a parchment out of his bag. It was in a white case with golden ornaments. Beautiful. He had wasted half an hour to find it. His return had to have been majestic. Perfect in every regard. People might have even forgiven his sins. He would have saved the city and made everything right. Hero of the land. Reformed criminal. Story from which everyone could learn. Darkness wasn¡¯t eternal and people could change. But reality proved him wrong once again. Making things right, it wasn¡¯t easy. Impossible. He was a demon and should have accepted the fact. There was no happy ending for him. 9.3 Losing It ¡°How many times are you going to read that?¡± Monthu asked with a growl, stalking towards L. ¡°I truly hope it¡¯s that good or the guy¡¯s dead.¡± The lord of the city bit his lip, turning to face him. ¡°It¡¯s better,¡± he said in a shaky voice, eyes returning to the document in hand. It wasn¡¯t much at first glance. Old papyrus with faded three lines scrawled in a barely legible script. But those simple words changed everything. Or they should. Hopefully. For it was an incantation. One written ages ago. And having something to do with angels. ¡°It¡¯s going to save us,¡± L whispered with so much conviction Monthu was taken aback. ¡°Why so? Because the kid brought it?¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have lied,¡± L said with a small smile blossoming on his face. ¡°He often keeps the truth to himself but when he talks, he doesn¡¯t lie. It¡¯s the way he is. ¡° Monthu barked out a laugh. ¡°Do you hear yourself?¡± L shifted his gaze from the papyrus to the man at his side. He was never a ray of sunshine but the way he stormed in and this anger now. Something must have happened outside. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked watching with care for any reaction. Shouldn¡¯t have bothered. Monthu was like an open book. The way his eyes narrowed on the boy, fists clenched told most of the story. His whole body had went rigid, strung tight like a bow before release, shaking to be freed. ¡°What did he do?¡± L asked in a voice that brought no argument. Monthu glared his way but answered. ¡°He insinuated that I¡¯ve been controlling him all the time.¡± L¡¯s eyes went round. ¡°Did what?¡± The anger and frustration in the other man¡¯s face told him he had heard right. ¡°Now, this is an interesting day,¡± he muttered to himself and went to his chair. Instead of sitting down, he opened one of the handles and took out a large bottle. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you but I need a drink.¡± There was a glass inside and he poured himself a good dose. Gulped it in one go. Liquid burned down his throat and he sighed in contentment. He was drinking way too much these days but the circumstances required. Every day a new disaster struck and by all laws of nature, worse than the one before. His commander stalked close and grabbed the bottle by the neck, taking a few generous gulps. Grimaced. ¡°What do you have here?¡± L shrugged, taking the bottle for himself. ¡°Hell, if I know,¡± he answered pouring a glass. It filled to the brim but instead of drinking he turned to his commander, raising the glass. ¡°So what are you thinking?¡± Monthu¡¯s eyes flashed towards the sleeping boy before he brought them back to L. ¡°I¡¯m trying not to do that, at the moment.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± L asked, moving towards the window. He sat on the sill, eyes trained on the horizon. Fires were still going strong but it was clear this was a glorifying moment. Most of the rogues should have been caught or killed, rest scattered in all four directions to save their lives. Soldiers could freely organise fire fighting squads and soon they would all go out. Extinguished like his dreams of conquering Oradin. A pretty wish. One he should have known was too much for someone like him. One of his lip corners lifted up. He still had one card to play. Kid had brought it and he planned to make the most of. It. After Monthu¡¯s reveal he had more doubts it would work, but he had nothing to lose. Everything that could be taken from him would be gone in a few hours one way or another. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Monthu asked with an emphasis on you. He came to stand by the window too, holding himself up at the top sill. ¡°That I¡¯m not nearly drunk enough,¡± L muttered, downing his glass. The sting almost made him choke. ¡°That would have been embarrassing,¡± he muttered under his breath and stood up. He took the few steps towards the table and lifted the scroll up. Should he read it now? Cast the spell? Or was a magician preferable? Should he call one? So many questions and the only one who could answer them out cold. He walked towards the boy and squatted down, shaking him in an attempt to raise him to the world of living. It was pointless. L didn¡¯t even feel like he was moving someone alive. The boy was like a doll, ignorant of everything around. ¡°Get away!¡± Monthu screamed and jumped to push him off. The next moment L heard a whoosh of wings, talons screeching on stone and angry hisses, croaks. He raised his eyes to see what had happened and blinked couple of times to make sure he was seeing right. ¡°Am I dreaming?¡± ¡°He was always good at pretending, it¡¯s no surprise his illusions are master level too,¡± Monthu said with a shake of his head. Disgust in his voice. ¡°Oh, right...¡± L muttered, accepting the hand to get up. He dusted his robe off before remembering it¡¯s been centuries since the last time it was clean. ¡°So he¡¯s tricked everyone.¡± Commander glared at the boy. ¡°Not the first time.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m sure not the last. Though, news like these keep dropping and dropping my hopes of the spell working. I¡¯ve got a feeling by the time I cast, I¡¯ll be sure it¡¯ll do more damage than good if this continues.¡± Monthu chuckled without any joy. ¡°You have no choice but to try. Those people below, they depend on you.¡± L nodded in thought, watching the boy, and his companions. It was hard to believe they were anything but a group of angels. Pristine white robes, strong but welcoming faces, wide, shining young snow like wings folded on the back. Nothing was out of the place. If not for the discrepancies. First were sounds; talons on the stone, croaks and hisses. This was only made more obvious when illusion lagged behind the creature, not changing shape or form, getting stuck on the lower ceiling or in furniture. ¡°What is he doing with a flock of birds?¡± he finally asked, eyes trained on the things in question. They were surrounding the boy as if he was their charge, making sure no one could harm him. There was no answer. L turned towards Monthu but the commander was looking outside. ¡°You should hurry if you plan to try anything.¡± L rose to see the sky lightening up. Morning was coming and with it his demise. ¡°What is that?¡± he asked, remembering having that question not too long ago. ¡°Doubt anything good,¡± Monthu answered as they both stared at Marion¡¯s camp. On a hill, dark shapes stood in a circle. Wind lashed around, bending trees and raising branches, rocks in the air. L¡¯s brow creased as he thought, trying to remember why this felt so familiar. He¡¯d seen it somewhere before? ¡°Expedition¡¯s reports,¡± Monthu said. ¡°Marion seem to have taken inspiration from our failure,¡± he said with a bark of laugher. ¡°That bastard,¡± L hissed, clenching the scroll in his hand. ¡°He dares to mock me?¡± That was too much. Being insignificant was bad enough but made fun of? There had to be a limit. He moved to the window and with eyes only for Marion¡¯s main tent started the incantation. ¡°Worlds collide and fall apart, continents change and shift, what you see today may not be there tomorrow, Scatter!¡± Last syllables echoed in the room as he finished and stared outside. Nothing happened. Not a single stone lifted to acknowledge his casting. Just in case he checked his mana bar but it was as full as ever. The spell hadn¡¯t taken anything. L stood in slow motion, eyes taking in everything below. Something must have happened. Could his anger result in this? In nothing? He moved from one window to another, looking for something unnatural. Something that shouldn¡¯t be there. It wasn¡¯t there. Fires burned, little shapes poured water on them, walls stood still, few sentinels standing while others curled where they had stood, asleep. Exactly the same sight he¡¯d seen five minutes before. Monthu put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You tried.¡± ¡°Maybe if I called a real magician here...¡± L whispered with shoulders slumped, eyes down. He didn¡¯t call for one, and Monthu didn¡¯t ask why. They both knew well enough there was no hope. It was a folly to entertain the thought something might work. The kid had tricked them and that was all. Tower groaned. Both were at the window the next instant. Their inquisitive looks were answered by a grumble from the ground below. One, two and then a large tear opened right under Marion¡¯s tent, swallowing it whole. Monthu and L looked at each other, eyes wide. ¡°Did you just see..,¡± L started, not able to finish. His answer was a slow nod. ¡°I¡¯m really not drunk enough for this.¡± Commander smiled at that as they turned to the window once more. The show wasn¡¯t yet over. Earth shook and more holes opened up. Each right under some important structure or a large amount of people, animals. This was no random earthquake. Shaking was minimal within the city walls while outside chaos broke loose. For the second time that night. People ran in circles, having no idea what was happening, screams of swallowed ones reverberated through the air, encouraging others to run faster. Though that did little help. Tears in the ground opened without any pattern L could see. Back and forth through the whole camp that was kilometres in diameter. Tens of thousands of soldiers, mages and even more supporting staff. Smiths, paddlers, cooks, merchants and entertainers. They all found themselves being devoured without exception. Wherever more of them crowded up a tear opened and they were gone. The hole closing up after. Soon the defenders woke up from the sounds, one should have been dead to sleep through that. For a time they weren¡¯t sure what was happening but seeing their opponents suffering, started to cheer none the less. As long as it was bad for the other side, it was something to be happy about. L found it silly but he was quickly distracted by the mages in Marion¡¯s camp. They were still casting on their hill and the wind was growing worse. He could see a twister contained in the middle, expanding with every passing second. He pointed it to Monthu and together they watched their doom coming into shape. They were going to win but get destroyed in the process. Better than L had expected but still... Why couldn¡¯t something truly good hap- His thought was interrupted by Monthu showing him two figures dancing into a group of soldiers. It was far off but L could swear he saw one of them changing shape. Rowena. So she had survived. Relief washed over him. Right before another thought struck. What was she doing getting out of hiding? It even seemed like she attacked the soldiers herself. He shook his head in annoyance. How was he going to explain to her sisters why she¡¯d died? As he watched, the two figures caught attention of some fifty soldiers and then started running. ¡®Finally, they might still have some brains left,¡¯ L thought, following their flight. ¡®Or not.¡¯ They were moving towards the hill. Did they not see the mages? Were too distracted to feel the wind? Rowena toppled over. The other figure dragged her up and they were running towards the hill once more. When they reached the base, L understood what they were planning. ¡°It¡¯s a suicide!¡± he burst out, smashing his fist into the windowsill. ¡°Someone believes you deserve a second chance.¡± L gave him a dirty look. ¡°Thanks.¡± He returned to the room for his bottle but found it empty. ¡°Damn,¡± he cursed and stalked back. ¡°Just enjoy the show,¡± Monthu suggested. ¡°You¡¯ll have a lot of opportunities to curse when you hear final reports later.¡± L grumbled but had to agree. It was painful to even look at his own city. Earthquake didn¡¯t do much damage but buildings didn¡¯t go unscathed either. There lanterns broke on the pavement, here windows shattered, in another place old roof fell in or a wall split. Not even thinking about lack of iron, wood, other materials and food. There was nothing in stock. First beam of sunlight pushed through the clouds. It gave little light off but the earth, as if sensing it, started to settle. Fewer and fewer hungry tears opened up until they stopped all together. Sun had just risen by then and lighted the fields surrounding Lasran. Empty, ghost like. Where just this night an uncountable army stood, there was nothing left. Whole ground was swept clean. Only patches of brown earth showed where tears had opened. ¡°This is somewhat anticlimactic, don¡¯t you think so?¡± L asked after a while, turning away. He rested his eyes on the sleeping boy and the misshapen forms of angels. ¡°No fight or anything, just the ground swallowed them and that¡¯s it.¡± Monthu stood from his place. ¡°Did you really want another fight?¡± L looked at his hands. ¡°No, not in these circumstances not. But if we had been on equal footing...¡± ¡°That¡¯s not happening,¡¯ he said reaching the door. ¡°I¡¯ll go look how its below.¡± ¡°Be careful. Some might have ill-intent.¡± His commander threw a poisonous look at the kid sleeping near the wall and left. The birds complained after him, croaking in their strange voices for a few minutes before settling down. And then it was quiet. For half a second. Then L felt air being pushed out of his lungs and energy seeping from his body. He tried to keep balance, but legs gave under him and he barely caught himself before face planting the ground. His eyes went to his status bars and widened in response. Mana was going down in rapid speed, energy with hunger following suit. Was he going to be drained to death? Spell taking more than he had to offer? Well, at least he managed to save the city. Once he revived, he would be able to appraise the situation and think how to proceed forward. In the meantime Monthu would watch over the city. As he thought that, the pressure on his body stopped. He was left with bare minimum enough for survival but not dead yet. Doors opened with a bang and commander was next to him, helping him up. ¡°I heard you fall. What happened?¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Spell took its toll, apparently it asks you to pay only after its job,¡± he murmured, allowing himself to be brought to his chair. ¡°Quite efficient, if you ask me,¡± he added after a moment¡¯s thought. Monthu inclined his head. ¡°I see. It hurt you the worst as a caster.¡± ¡°Worst?¡± L asked with interest. ¡°Yeah, all of my mana and half of energy is gone and I heard groans from the courtyard. Everyone in the city must have been taken as sacrifices for the spell.¡± L leaned back with a sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t say sacrifices. No one died, did they?¡± Monthu shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s it then. Spell is done, city safe and no deaths .It couldn¡¯t be any better.¡± The kid shifted in his place by the wall, drawing attention to himself. He rolled over, rubbing his eyes, feeling as sleepy as before. Had he even slept any? ¡°It could,¡± he said between yawns. ¡°It could if Marion was actually dead.¡± Two pairs of eyes bore into him. ¡°Explain,¡± L ordered, all lightness gone from his voice. ¡°This is not a killing spell,¡± Ace answered taking out a piece of dried meat to chew on. ¡°As the name pertained, it just scattered the army in all four directions. You have a week, two at most before Marion is back at your doors.¡± ¡°What kind of useless spell is that?¡± L growled, clenching his fingers into a fist. He might have smashed the chair¡¯s handle for impact if it wasn¡¯t open and he didn¡¯t feel so weak. Ace stood up and came close. ¡°I gave you time.¡± He pointed at L with the meat. ¡°That¡¯s more than you had a way of achieving, or even hoped to.¡± It was true. L had been thinking of dying with his city but no way in hell was he admitting that to the kid. ¡°Had I? I don¡¯t remember telling you I had no plan.¡± ¡°Your plan was for me to find a way to save you,¡± Ace sneered, his whole face twisting with disgust. ¡°You had nothing and expected me to destroy a whole army on my own. Newsflash, I¡¯m not a god!¡± L opened his mouth to say something but no words left. He didn¡¯t really have an answer to that accusation. One that was also true. Not that the boy waited for him. ¡°I¡¯m good at killing, sure,¡± he said with venom in his voice, eyes icy blue, cold, sharp. ¡°But what did you expect? That alone I¡¯d kill more than a hundred thousand players so that you have a fighting chance? No?¡± he asked with mockery, noticing L¡¯s wince.¡± No? Then what did you expect? Why did you call for me as if I was some messiah, able to protect you from any catastrophe?¡± ¡±He wanted you to be here and fight with everyone for what you believed in,¡± Monthu said in a quiet tone. It was strange how there was no anger in it when he¡¯d been so livid before. ¡°But you don¡¯t know what that is, do you? Being together? Trusting others?¡± Ace spit, laughter bubbling in his chest. ¡°Trust? Why should I ever do that? You never cared for me, I was always that dabbling brat that got in your way! Did you think I didn¡¯t hear when you talked? Not notice how many times you tried to escape me?¡± ¡°It was at the beginning and you know it,¡± Monthu said with harshness. ¡°Befor-¡± ¡°Before what?¡± Ace asked with a laugh, cutting him off. ¡°Before you started to like me? Don¡¯t delude yourself, such lies won¡¯t work on me. You hated me from the start and later just learnt to tolerate my presence, you understood it wasn¡¯t going anywhere,¡± he said with a hiss. Then he moved his eyes to L. ¡°Why so quiet? Once again letting others fight your battles?¡± ¡°You!¡± L breathed in a growl, pushing himself off the chair but Monthu blocked him with the hand. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he said in a whisper. ¡°He¡¯s itching for a fight so he taunts you.¡± Surprise flashed through the kid¡¯s face but it was gone as soon as it appeared. ¡°Am I?¡± he asked in his mocking tone once more. ¡°But then...¡± he faked his features into a sorrowful expression, ¡°you were such a lousy sport last time.¡± Commander¡¯s hand twitched but he didn¡¯t get baited. L had to admire his control. Himself he was already jumping off his chair and he wasn¡¯t even the main attraction for the boy. Just a side dish. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Monthu asked in a quiet, consolatory voice. It made the kid even angrier. ¡°Happened? Shitty world happened, that¡¯s what! Now you ...¡± he started saying but got caught in the words. It was clear he wanted to demand something but had no idea what. This whole argument, it had started so swift and random; L had no idea what was it even about. It wasn¡¯t like he had forced the boy to do anything. All he had done was of his own volition. On top of that, he¡¯d succeeded. He¡¯d found a way to aid them so why in the world was he so furious? It made zero sense. ¡°Why did you do it?¡± Monthu asked, soft as before. L wasn¡¯t sure the kid would even hear. But he did. Guilt flashed through his eyes before being masked. He was like an open book today. All his emotions in clear view. That certainly proved that something wasn¡¯t as it should. The kid had been a master pretender, and those kind of people weren¡¯t prone to emotional backlashes. Thought, if this was an act, the boy was a genius. He turned his face away, looking at the window. L had a feeling he was contemplating escape. ¡°I had no choice,¡± Ace said instead. ¡°You, you didn¡¯t...me¡± His voice was soft as a whisper, and quiet. L didn¡¯t know whether he missed the last words or they were never uttered. ¡°Stop,¡± Monthu said, moving towards him with slow steps. He held his hands in the open as if approaching a scared wild animal. ¡°Don¡¯t hide behind your anger.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s nothing else,¡± the boy whined, taking a few steps back. He bit his lip, eyes darting around the room. Birds rose from their place, coming to surround him. The illusions he¡¯d put long ago hiding him from sight. Monthu ignored them, stepping in. Birds came after him, beaks hitting his armour and flesh where there was none. He was oblivious to it all. All his concentration was on the little boy hiding beneath. When he was close enough, he lowered himself to be on the same eye level. ¡°What is your name?¡± he asked, looking straight at the boy. The kid tried to turn away but involuntarily his gaze returned to the man before him. He was young for an adult but there was something in his eyes. Something very familiar. Ace could see the anger, distrust but that wasn¡¯t what caught his attention. Pain. Suffering. Rage built from them. Turned into armour and shield. Emotions hidden deep from sight so that no one would see, judge. So that you could be alone with your hurt. No one to betray you. And the man showed it all to him. Without asking for anything. He knew Ace wasn¡¯t ready to give it. His walls were too high, too thick. They weren¡¯t going to fall in one strike. Instead he was asked to take a look outside. Did he want to? The question brought back memories, childhood. When he was just a little child, silly, innocent. Happy. Had that even been true? The memories were fogged, blurry, distant. ¡°Hey,¡± the man said in a gentle voice. His voice returned Ace from his reverie, the darkness he was soon to enter. It was ethereal how the man had sensed, known that a moment more and he would have been gone. All doors closed shut. Didn¡¯t he deserve a reward for that? For being able to reach where none ever had? ¡°Kirin,¡± he answered, holding Monthu¡¯s gaze. Watching for any reaction, any give away that something was wrong, that this was all a lie, a way to trick him. He didn¡¯t give him any. ¡°I am Aiden. And you have one unique name.¡± A trace of a smile passed through Kirin¡¯s face. ¡°My parents, they were kids themselves. It was on a play they met and named me after one of its characters.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very sweet of them,¡± Aiden said taking a step closer. Kirin¡¯s first instinct was to run but he stilled himself. He wanted to see where this went. Be betrayed one more time. Prove his silly heart that humans were the true monsters. ¡°Are they with you now?¡± Kirin shook his head. ¡°They have more important business to attend.¡± ¡°More important than their son?¡± ¡°They deserve a life of their own,¡± he said, part anger, part regret. His eyes went downwards as more memories returned. Today seemed like a day of who could hurt him most. Others or he himself. ¡°They never got the chance.¡± Always caring for him. From the moment he was born their life was destroyed. Not even in high school yet. That¡¯s how young the two had been. Children, no more. But forced into a life they didn¡¯t deserve. Having to take care of him, feed him. Neither of their families fascinated with the prospect. Furious, disgusted. They close to threw them out. It was a wonder they managed to finish high school, what with him and having to work part-time. Strong people. That¡¯s who they were. Surviving and persevering no matter what fate threw in their way. He admired their courage and stubbornness, knowing he had to let go. For all that, they deserved to be happy. Without extra baggage to drag them down. Him. ¡°You truly believe that¡¯s how they feel?¡± Aiden asked lifting Kirin¡¯s chin up. ¡°You¡¯re their son.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a freak,¡± he said in a tone empty of emotion. ¡°Stuck in time, frozen in place, unable to move forward. Child forever. I¡¯m unnatural, wrong.¡± His eyes blazed at the last words. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t exist.¡± Without a second¡¯s hesitation Aiden stood up and engulfed Kirin in a hug. He struggled at first, wanting out, away but the man was bigger and his grip tight. It would have had to become a fight if he truly wanted out. He wasn¡¯t sure whether that was true or not. Everything seemed so superficial now. What had he been doing here? Why was he even in this game? Warmth spread through him and he relaxed in the embrace. It wasn¡¯t like he would win anything by fighting back. Moment more and he would be released, free to be on his own once more. That¡¯s the way it was. ¡°How long have you lived with those thoughts?¡¯ Aiden asked, not releasing the boy yet. Kirin hid his head in the man¡¯s chest. ¡°Since forever?¡± There was no way to identify the moment he understood. He was a child, happy to always stay this way, not wanting to grow up, and then he knew better. Nothing happened. Major, at least. He just woke up one morning and knew. Everything was wrong. Him most of all. ¡°Decade?¡± he said with a shift of his shoulder. ¡°Less or more. I no longer remember.¡± ¡°Are you older than me then?¡± Aiden asked with a small smile and Kirin giggled. He wasn¡¯t sure why or how but the sound just escaped. Unchecked and unprocessed. Not valued for what it would bring to the conversation. ¡°I might.¡± ¡°Should I refer to you with respect then? Call you big brother?¡± he asked. It was such a weird thing to hear. Kirin looked up to meet a smiling gaze aimed at him. He turned away. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this. Mockery was the only true thing. If he pretended, it would be all right. No one would come close enough to hurt. But what was he supposed to do when someone came to understand him? Without any preconceptions? Asking him to tell the real story? ¡°Twenty one,¡± he said in a small voice. Surprise registered in the widening of Aiden¡¯s eyes. He wasn¡¯t expecting that. Truth never brought anything good. Kirin braced himself for disbelief or anger, disgust for supposedly having lied. Instead he received a ruffling of his hair. ¡°I¡¯m still an elder to you then,¡± the man winked at him, ¡°kid.¡± Kirin pushed him away, indignation rising in his chest. How did he dare? That was... friendly teasing. He looked up to see Aiden without any guilt, smiling as if everything was just as he had planned it to. Maybe it was. Did he want it to be? Kirin had a hard time deciding. ¡°You¡¯re not nice,¡± he concluded on saying. It was a silly thing but what did it matter. The man burst out laughing at that. ¡°Really? That¡¯s the best you¡¯ve got?¡± ¡°What if it is?¡± Kirin asked with hands on his hips, putting an air of importance. It was so easy to fall into one of his acts. They were like a second skin. One more familiar than his own. Aiden¡¯s eyes narrowed at his show. He didn¡¯t like something but didn¡¯t say it aloud. Another secret, another lie. That¡¯s what people were. Why did he want so bad to believe otherwise when truth was before him every day of the week? ¡°Trist has been missing you,¡± he said, catching Kirin off-guard. Trist? Who was that? Seeing confusion on his face Aiden explained. ¡°Paradox¡¯s name is Tristain, Trist.¡± ¡°And you said I had a weird name?¡± Kirin asked in disbelief, all distrust forgotten in view of new knowledge. Secrets revealed. ¡°Are your parents literature teachers, or what?¡± ¡°Coincidence,¡± Aiden answered with a tight lipped smile. ¡°We¡¯re adoptive brothers.¡± That wasn¡¯t part of what Kirin had expected to hear. Not even close. His mouth went open in a silent question he wasn¡¯t sure he should ask. Aiden seemed to sense it and lifted a shoulder. Let it fall. ¡°I was a smart kid and his parents didn¡¯t have children for a very long time. Someone needed to inherit their business.¡± Truth was a dangerous thing. Now Kirin was sure of it. He knew why Aiden told his secrets. It was a play. Way to force him into a corner. Problem was it worked. He wanted to know more and in that way sunk deeper. There was nothing worse than knowing you were going into a trap, and still doing so. He was being fattened like a pig for slaughter. Humans were such complicated yet simple beings. Easy to figure out but impossible to comprehend. ¡°Will you tell me more?¡± he asked with a tilt of his head. ¡°That depends, do you want to know more?¡± Secret for a secret. Business like trade. Kirin had no way of refusing. Respect was what he ever dreamed but never received. To be treated as a normal person, that was more than he expected. How could he refuse? ¡°Deal.¡± 9.4 Afterbattle Author''s Note: Thanks for the comments everyone, they motivate me to continue writing. Hope you like this chapter too ^^ Also, if you like the story and would like to support my writing, please, use that new shiny donate button. Now onto the chapter: *** L watched the interactions before him unfolding and had a feeling he was an unneeded presence. One that might get in the way more than help. He rose from his chair and with slow but quiet steps made his way to the door. They opened without a sound and he was out. Stairs looked foreboding with his energy close to zero but there was no way he was going back now. Each step was a challenge. Every time he wondered whether this one would send him rolling down and out the game. But no, wavering and shaking he reached the bottom. Heavy oak doors stood half open before him so he slid through the crack. The courtyard was alive with noise. Booze was found and people were drinking to their heart¡¯s content. Loud toasts were shouted and even louder cheers came after. It was a merry mood L would have loved to share if not for the fact nothing had been solved. If the kid said true and Marion was alive, he¡¯d be back here in moments. Provisions had to be made, more allies secured and made sure that this time they arrived on time. And all his people were busy celebrating. Who was he to turn to aid him in his task? Two women made their way towards him. He recognised them as Rowena¡¯s sisters and found a wall to lean against. He wasn¡¯t well-enough to face them without support. ¡°Where is our sister?¡± Aleena asked with a freezing stare. L knew he wasn¡¯t going to escape with lies. ¡°With Marion¡¯s mages.¡± It was almost funny how the two sisters¡¯ expressions turned from cold masks to disbelief, then horror and rage at last. Almost funny. Him being at the end of their gazes was somewhat disconcerting. ¡°I let her go with the rogues but the last suicide attack wasn¡¯t my idea! It was all on her own!¡± he said and had a feeling he¡¯d just made the situation worse. Mila entered his personal space, looking at him with murder in her eyes. ¡°Why would you let our little sister go with the rogues?¡± L gulped. ¡°She pleaded and cajoled whole day. I didn¡¯t have a choice!¡± ¡°No choice? She¡¯s just a little girl!¡± ¡°Is she?¡± Aleena asked with wonder in her tone. Mila glanced her way with puzzlement evident in her voice. ¡°I don¡¯t remember the time she actually wanted something. Just accepting what¡¯s given and not bothering to care for anything herself.¡± Mila¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Now that you mention it...¡± She turned to face him again. ¡°You sure she wanted it herself?¡± ¡°She pestered me till I gave in,¡± L muttered with annoyance. He could still remember how she got in the way, preventing him from doing any task, having a single conversation with his underlings. She had acted like a woman possessed. ¡°Mhmm.¡± Aleena patted his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re okay for now but don¡¯t think we¡¯ve forgotten your transgression. She¡¯s dead because of you.¡± He opened his friend list and found Rowena¡¯s marker shining as bright as ever. ¡°Did you even check it?¡± he grumbled. Their surprised looks showed him the answer. ¡°Well, no one died. They were just put on a trip and I need your assistance in preparing for inevitable return.¡± Neither of the sisters liked what they heard, judging by the darkening in their eyes. ¡°Marion is still alive?¡± ¡°As far as I heard, yes.¡± ¡°Shit, that miscreant. He has the luck of the devil.¡± Aleena straightened. ¡°What has to be done?¡± Whatever they were, the sisters were trustworthy. No matter the circumstances he could be sure they would do what he deemed necessary. ¡°Go to our old allies and make them come. No being late this time.¡± They nodded and without a word shifted into animals, flying off in different directions. One thing done, a million more to come. Going by the walls, to lean on them as much as stay out of sight. Celebration was good and all but he didn¡¯t have time for it. Nor did he want to cut it short for others. They needed some happiness, even if it was false. Right turn and he entered a set of valleys. They weren¡¯t the worst but you could see decline in them. Earthquake hadn¡¯t been kind. Many walls had crumbled, houses being forced to reveal their rotten insides. L tried to walk past that as quick as he could while still counting each structure. Three, four, seven and nine. A house just like any other met his appraising look. Its roof was gone and the front wall had wide cracks, though, it was still standing. Doors were open, squeaking from the wind. L took careful steps, not certain he was at the right place. Could someone really live here? But the look around showed that all the houses were in this shape. It was either this place or he had entered the wrong neighbourhood. Not that surprising since he¡¯d never been to the place but still. He would have thought he knew his city better than that. Did he? ¡°What are you standing there for? Either enter or leave?¡± ordered a grumbling voice from the doorway. Its owner was a man whose age L didn¡¯t dare to guess. One hundred would have been too few years by the amount of wrinkles on his weathered face. ¡°Are you Sedgart?¡± L asked with a cautious step forward. He was led to believe this was Wing¡¯s master, an assassin that reached old age. Feat that few ever boasted. Yet this ageing man looked nothing like a hardened criminal. He wore a tunic of patched rags, his hair a mess and full of dirt. The hand that kept the doors from being closed by the wind was bent and misshapen by arthritis. ¡°What if I am?¡± the man asked with a snarl. He didn¡¯t seem to be in a conversational mood. Not that L had a choice. He needed help. Any kind he could get. ¡°We need to talk,¡± he said, moving up to the doors. ¡°Mind if we go inside?¡± ¡°I see no reason to.¡± ¡°Are you going to be difficult on purpose?¡± L asked with annoyance entering his voice. He didn¡¯t have time for this. ¡°It¡¯s about Wing. You know him, right?¡± The man gave him an appraising look. Only now L noticed that his little eyes hidden beneath folds of wrinkles were sharp and clear. The ageing appearance was just a pretence. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him once or twice. What of it?¡± L pushed himself in. He took in the bare room and dropped on the ground near the fireplace. ¡°I have something to ask you and the whole street doesn¡¯t need to hear. Are you interested or not?¡± ¡°When the city¡¯s lord comes in secret, it never means well,¡± the old man muttered, limping his way to the fire. He took his time settling in and the sigh of relief that left his lips couldn¡¯t have been faked. ¡°So what did my student do?¡± ¡°He brought me the spell that saved us.¡± Sedgart extended his hands towards the fire. ¡°So what more do you need from me? The city should be under your happy rule.¡± ¡°If only that was so,¡± L said in a wistful tone. ¡°Truth is they were just scattered and will return soon enough. I need your help in making sure this time we have a fighting chance.¡± The old man didn¡¯t look up as he said. ¡°And what do you think I can do? I am too old to order your troops to battle.¡± L smiled. ¡°That might be so but your circle of spies would aid me greatly.¡± ¡°Why would I still have them? It¡¯s been fifty years since I retired.¡± ¡°From what I heard, once an assassin always an assassin. You found Wing and trained him to become a master. Then after coming here you took over his duties and taught his students. I don¡¯t see your retirement having affected your interests in the least.¡± The man turned then, a glow in his blue eyes. ¡°And what would happen if I just killed you now because you¡¯re annoying?¡± L considered it for a moment. What could he promise the man? What would he want? He seemed not mindful of his surroundings so money or comforts were out of question. Some hidden wish would be great but he wasn¡¯t familiar enough with the man to know them. Wing might but he was indisposed. Once again. He was getting into a bad habit of never being available when needed. L almost missed the old times when the kid was travelling with his group and could always be reached. No. He shook his head to chase the imagination away. The kid might have been easy to reach but he didn¡¯t do anything. That was no better. At least now he didn¡¯t have expectations that could be crushed. ¡°What if I promised something you want?¡± he asked. ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± L asked with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s your wish, not mine.¡± There was silence for a second and then Sedgart burst out laughing. ¡°You¡¯re an interesting kid. I can see why Wing decided to stick around.¡± He took cup of cold tea from somewhere behind him and gulped it down. ¡°I¡¯ll help you but in turn you¡¯ll have to let me in on your plans.¡± It was a large thing and at the same time very small. All the man wanted as his payment was trust. L wasn¡¯t in habit of sharing it but he didn¡¯t have much choice. He needed a spy master, someone to kill a few nobles and intimidate others. ¡°Deal,¡± he said extending his hand. The old man stared at it then shook with vigour not meant for his years. ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll ask around what¡¯s the situation and meet you in your castle later today. Now shoo, shoo,¡± he ordered, motioning for L to get out. ¡°I have work to do!¡± *** Kirin stepped out of the cabin, his mind working on overdrive. So many questions rose in his mind with one of them taking precedence. What in the world am I doing? He had put trust into Aiden. It was a dangerous act of itself but to choose a person like him. The man knew too much. He was a worldly person, knew some of the horrors that hunted Kirin. Had his own unique ones. What was he thinking allowing this kind of person in his life? Letting him in at least through the first pretence. A blinking light on his desk caught Kirin¡¯s eye. He opened his laptop to see a message from his parents. They had already bought the tickets in advance and just wanted to let him know. No backing out. His birthday would be celebrated. It made Kirin wish for time to fly faster. But it wasn¡¯t going to happen so he went to grab a bite and found a book to read. There was no way he was falling asleep with this rattled mind no matter how exhausted mentally he was. *** ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked a gentle voice and Rowena turned in its direction with a groan. Her head hurt as if hit with a brick and thoughts were jumbled. She couldn¡¯t remember what had happened. ¡°Who?¡± she asked in a whisper. ¡°Fenek,¡± the voice answered, helping her sit up. ¡°We need to leave before someone finds us. Can you move? The earthquake, mages, twister, a mad dash - all came into her mind with a rush. She wavered from the onslaught, pressing fingers to her temples. ¡°What happened?¡± Fenek dragged her to her feet as he answered. ¡°We¡¯ve been swallowed and then thrown out here. You hit your head when we fell.¡± Rowena mumbled under her breath, trying to find balance. It was harder than she would have preferred but after a few seconds she felt more like a human. ¡°Is anyone else..?¡± He shook his head and pointed at a rise of trees, indicating they walk there. Rowena thought for a moment and turned into a wolf. Four legs had to be better than two when one was unstable. Her companion glanced at her change but without a word started walking. She followed on soft steps. The ground was barren and uneven as if a giant mole had passed recently. There were footprints to the right. Human ones. But she couldn¡¯t see anyone. ¡°Where did others go?¡± ¡°A bunch of wizards passed earlier,¡± Fenek answered. ¡°There¡¯s still many that I¡¯ve not seen that came with us.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we try to hunt those wizards down? It would make their returning to Marion even slower,¡± Rowena wondered aloud, glancing behind them. There was nothing. Wizards had to have been quick on their feet. Fenek stared at her for a few moments. ¡°You¡¯re up for it?¡± ¡°¡¯Course! I¡¯d do anything for Lasran,¡± she answered with eagerness in her voice. Next second turning into an eagle and soaring upwards. She could feel Fenek¡¯s gaze on her but ignored it. This was time for hunting, not explanations. Her wings carried her upwards and forward. Few circles later she saw a group of humanoid shaped figures. They were moving with the speed and abandonment of a hunted animal. Interested Rowena flew in that direction, using her superior eyesight to see what was happening without getting too close. Wizards dashed out of a groove and ten heartbeats later a family of ogres followed. Their colour of greenish grey made it hard to discern them from the nature around. It helped that they were half-giant and could pretend to be a small hill or mossy rock without a problem. Rowena remembered hunting them at a time for a quest. It had been a challenge to find one but once angered they raised the whole clan. She had run like never before in her life, the thought to check their level never crossing her mind. Numbers often mattered more than skill. One of the wizards tripped over his robe and fell. Others didn¡¯t even glance backwards. The sound of stomping ogres loud in their ears. Few club strikes and the fallen was dead, ogres haven¡¯t slowed. This was soon to be over. They would catch up, killing everyone and doing all the work. Rowena turned to fly back when movement caught her eye. To the left of wizards and ogres, another party was resting, wolf pelts disappearing around them. Now these people were a target that needed elimination. She sent a message to Fenek about directions and dived to the revellers. They weren¡¯t going to enjoy their victory for long. Near the ground she shifted into a large white wolf and jumped into their midst. They were better than she expected. Before she could swipe with her claws, two swords reached for her pelt. She dodged them at the last second but in that three more joined. Outnumbered. Not the best way to fight. But she wasn¡¯t just a little girl. Nature was her ally. She darted sideways and out of the clearing. Warriors followed her with taunts and threats, waving their weapons in the air. She manoeuvred into a thick under brush. Ten steps and she pushed against the ground. Warriors passed through. Two heartbeats more and she lunged at the last one. He struggled under the weight, falling as she bit his neck. It wasn¡¯t enough so she clawed at his back until others turned. And they were fast. Her coat was dotted with red as she pushed free. No more ambushes. They were too many for her to take care of alone. It was time to use her secret card. Rowena pushed herself as fast as she could go. Warriors followed in her wake, this time with grim determination. She had almost killed one of their own. No more games. They were going for kill strikes. Might as well. Her muscles ached and she wished for a sight of her destination. It couldn¡¯t be that much further. From the air it had seemed like a short distance away. But that had always been so. She prayed for energy and followed the deterioration of the bar. Few minutes more and her body would be too exhausted to move. But not yet. Another step, another second of life. Stolen story; please report. When hope was going scarce, she saw the most beautiful thing ever. Ogres were smashing into wizards, finally catching up to them. She was about to jump in but a familiar voice stopped her in the tracks. ¡°Fenek?¡± she asked, turning around with her tongue lolling out. Her sides were lifting up and down as if she couldn¡¯t take in enough air. Her eyes met the rogue sheathing his blade. It was a curious sight as there had to have been six warriors behind her. Not Fenek. ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°I¡¯m somewhat better at taking enemies unaware than you,¡± he said with a half-smile. She chuckled which sounded like a growl from her wolf¡¯s muzzle. ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± ¡°You okay?¡± he asked coming closer and inspecting her wounds. Rowena sat on her haunches and shifted her head to look at her pelt. ¡°Think so,¡± she answered. ¡°Just scratches.¡± He nodded and sneaked to take a better look at the ogres. They had killed all the wizards and were raising clubs in the air in victory. Another moment and they¡¯ll leave. Good enough. Rowena didn¡¯t feel like trying the wizards¡¯ fate and facing the ogres herself. Even if Fenek would be close to aid her. ¡°I saw tracks when getting to you. We should try to find their owners,¡± he said after coming back. Tiredness tried to overwhelm Rowena but she wanted to help. For once, she could do something and nothing was going to stop her. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll look for them from above.¡± ¡°Do it but wait for me,¡± Fenek ordered with a sharp look. ¡°If you die playing hero, its not going to help anyone.¡± Heat washed over her face and she was glad she was a furry beast. Turning into a hawk she nodded and shot upwards. Time to find more prey. *** The rush of steps took L¡¯s attention. He raised his head to see his study¡¯s doors being blown open. A puffing young man reached his desk, resting his hands on it. ¡°I need to tell you something,¡± he wheezed out. ¡°Take a breath,¡± L suggested, leaning back in his chair. What could Romeo want from him? The man had acted as leader of Draugar for most of the game¡¯s time and been its face. There was little more L knew than that. He hadn¡¯t paid attention to small guilds, those that didn¡¯t pose any danger or profit. And once Draugar became more they had a new leadership and this guy was pretty much gone. So what could he want now? And in such a hurry? ¡°Deedara contacted me,¡± he said between deep breaths. ¡°She mentioned Hawk couldn¡¯t get through to Monthu and they needed your decision.¡± ¡°Do they?¡± L asked with interest. ¡°What is it they encountered?¡± Romeo took a couple more breaths and straightened himself, took a step back. ¡°They found a plaque. It has old writings on it that mage Nein could read from some other similar ones he¡¯d seen in the caves. However, he doesn¡¯t know the language itself so he would have no idea what he¡¯d call.¡± L whistled in appreciation. Now this was getting better and better. An unknown plaque of power. There was no doubt it was a spell and dangerous looking if the explorers went as far as contacting him. One crazy thing after another. First the unbelievable spell that whisked his enemies away and took almost no payment, now some ancient plaque. Fate had fallen in-love with him or the world was going mad. ¡®Then we shall have some fun trying to figure it out,¡± he thought as a smile made its way on his face. ¡°Let them call it. I would not like their sacrifices come to naught and order them to return empty-handed.¡± It couldn¡¯t be worse than what the kid had called out in the mountains. And if it was, maybe the monsters would kill each other and humans would be back to squabbling among themselves. ¡°Nein said it¡¯s on your head,¡± Romeo reported dutifully, his face taking on a pale sheen. ¡°He started chanting,¡± he whispered in explanation. ¡°The words... They sound so... So ominous.¡± ¡°That¡¯s normal for a place where tornadoes and yetis frequent, dragon bones lie in plane view,¡± L said, dismissing his worries. Ominous words rarely brought anything scary. It¡¯s the simple, innocent looking things in secret dungeons you had to be afraid of. Romeo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°There was a loud crash and the chat is off. I can¡¯t hear anything!¡± L sighed in annoyance and took up a document from his desk. It had provision numbers and their costs. His treasury would be empty before the end of the week and he would still be missing dozens of things. There had to be a way to swiftly get money. He could borrow from the wizard¡¯s bank but their return rates were extraordinary. Lifetime wouldn¡¯t be enough to repay what he needed to borrow. Draugar? He eyed the man before him. He was dressed in a long-sleeved brown shirt and loose pants. Neither of those gave an idea he had any money. Still. ¡°How is your guild¡¯s finances?¡± The look he received told more than he needed to know. ¡°What finances?¡± ¡°Thought so,¡± L muttered to himself. The guild hadn¡¯t been on the popularity after Wing incident and even before it used up most of what they earned to care for the victims. Noble goal but it helped him little. He needed to pay for supplies, repairs. Hire more craftsmen, soldiers. And it added up to quite a sum. One he never owned even before war started. As he pondered the question a buzzing sound caught his attention. It was barely perceptible. Almost non-existent but kind of there. ¡°Can you hear it?¡¯ he asked Romeo. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just listen,¡± L told him, shifting his head to hear better. It was soft but quite insistent. A look around the room gave to explanations. There was nothing that could produce such a sound. He stood up and took a step towards the window. Opened it. He could see the wall beneath but nothing out of the ordinary. Two soldiers were standing sentry and talking, two more were walking up the step. So it was lunch break and changing of duty. Yet the sound was growing stronger. As if something was getting closer. L leaned even farther, trying to see but there just wasn¡¯t anything. It was a normal clear day in Las- Grey shadows covered the sky. They were flying at break neck speed right above the houses. If L extended his hand, he could touch them. That is if he dared. He didn¡¯t. There were words from expedition¡¯s participants. Horror stories more like. Spirits that drained the life of its victim and nothing could be done. Few survived and those were different people. Of those who weren¡¯t saved, many quit the game. Rumours flew they needed counselling. A shiver ran up L¡¯s back. What were these monsters doing in his city? But they didn¡¯t seem to notice the terrified population under them. In a sea of grey they rushed past as if blind to the world. Couple of minutes and gone. ¡°What was that?¡± Romeo asked, startling L. He turned to see the man standing right at his shoulder, eyes still fixated on the once again clear blue sky. ¡°Wish I knew,¡± L answered in a soft voice, looking at the sky too. What could this signify? Was their time gone? It¡¯s been awhile since he¡¯d checked the global quest¡¯s progress. There had been more pressing problems at the time. Now he wondered if that had been the right assessment. It would be pretty pointless to win a kingdom if the whole world got destroyed. With trepidation he raised his hand to open the quest menu. Before he was able, a window popped up.
*Beast from the Greater Realm You have failed. Your family, friends and acquaintances. Your city, country and land. You had one job and you failed. More than enough of the beast¡¯s parts survived and they are full of life energy stolen from beings of this world. It will allow the beast to recreate itself in this realm. An overflow of life will only quicken the process. You can try to save the situation by killing the beast with those around you but that will be a perilous task. The power it holds is tremendous. Dragons are children¡¯s toys in comparison to that beast. Two weeks. In two weeks the beast will be complete and you will have your chance to remedy the situation. May all the gods and goddesses be on your side for you¡¯ll need all the aid you can get. Quest Difficulty: XXX Quest Reward: The planet won¡¯t be overrun by monster from other realms and all current races won¡¯t go extinct. Target Place: Summoning Grounds Countdown till Start: 1 week, 6 days, 23.58.04*
L watched the seconds ticking down. There was only one thought in his mind. Game had answered his earlier question. This world was going mad. *** Blinking lights and the hum of machinery. Aiden closed his eyes, wishing for all of it to go away. He threw the cabin¡¯s doors with force and winced at the bang. There was no reason to break the damn thing. Not yet, at least. He swept his hair backwards, noticing their rumpled look in the mirror. His reflection looked ten years older. He felt thirty years older than his twenty two. How did his wish for a simple happy life end him here? It was a question for the ages, one he didn¡¯t bother trying to answer. Waste of time. A pile of documents waited for him on the desk. He sifted through them, noting how nothing new ever happened. Same old problems that he¡¯d taken care off in other divisions of the company, other branches. Still they had to be done. With eyes drooping he sat down and wrote orders, answered emails, suggested new tactics. Three hours later he was done. Sleep threatened to overtake him but first he wanted to see his brother. A few days had passed without him leaving the game and worry gnawed at Aiden¡¯s insides. Was everything okay? What had happened while he wasn¡¯t looking? Tristain was sleeping soundly in his bed. His hands were wrapped tight around the pillow as his head rested on the mattress. Aiden brushed hair from his eyes and kissed on the forehead. Without another sound he left the room and went up the stairs to his own bedroom. Sound of a car engine halted his movements. He didn¡¯t need a look outside to know who was back. Sighing he reached his room and made himself presentable. It was superfluous, idiotic but something in him didn¡¯t dare to show up in his tired, rumpled, sweaty appearance. Shower cured most of it but the shadows under his eyes. They were clear and ominous but little he could do about them. Nothing but go downstairs and hope that everything would go smoothly. It brought Ace¡¯s smirk to his mind. One Aiden never knew just how to make himself. Both of them had dozens of skeletons in their closets but somehow they could not be more different. Just shows how many ways a person can fall and still end up in the same hole. The phone on his desk rang. He picked it up and without waiting said, ¡°I¡¯m coming.¡± Downstairs he was met by two pairs of gleeful eyes. ¡°You succeeded!¡± Melinda said, forgetting to control her voice and letting it go high pitched. ¡°You finally made it happen!¡± ¡°Good work,¡± Cole said gruffly, motioning for Aiden to sit. He puled himself a chair and looked into the two people that should have been like parents to him. Melinda had hawkish features and bight green eyes with which she looked down on everyone. For some reason, a lot of people found that attractive or fascinating and she was always surrounded by people. Her attendance in a party was like a sign of approval. She was never home. Always telling him he was looking the wrong way, standing not straight enough. His words were uncultured, voice too low. Personality too withdrawn. Never a smile spared his way. The man sitting next to her was her opposite. Bald, sharp eyed and with a constant frown on his face. He was regarded as the best entrepreneur. All risks he took always paid off and he never made a mistake. Businessman flocked around him to gain some insight, or join one of his ventures. He was never there. Always remarking on less than perfect marks, mistakes made. His solutions were never good enough. All business ventures worthless, waste of time and money. Not a single good word was spared his way. It were memories pushed into a corner and locked away. Under a hundred locks. Aiden had opened them to let the boy in but now he wondered if it had been worth it. Some things were better left unvisited, deleted from one¡¯s life. ¡°Finally, you did something great! We¡¯re proud of you! The way you played that silly boy, it was marvellous to watch!¡± Melinda started again. Her voice grated on Aiden¡¯s nerves. ¡°That live-video recording feature is such a highlight of the game!¡± ¡°Now we can find him,¡± Cole added in his strong voice. It sounded strange contrasted with his sagging face that he hid under layers of make-up his wife put on. Aiden shook his head. He wasn¡¯t sure himself whether he fought it was a bad idea or that it all seemed like such a sham. His whole life was nothing but what Tristain had brought into it. Melinda gave him a look. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°N-¡± he thought of saying. There was no need to talk. But habits didn¡¯t agree. He couldn¡¯t look weak or indecisive in their eyes. ¡°Now is not the best time to start looking.¡± Silence stretched as both turned to look him in the eyes. ¡°Explain,¡± Cole ordered with a warning in his tone. He would tolerate no silly games now. Backing out had never been part of Aiden¡¯s training. ¡°Now we only know his name. It might not be the most common one but there would still be more than ten thousand. He could sense you sniffing and this time escape for good.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Aiden said, thinking up his ideas as he talked. ¡®Sorry, kid,¡¯ he thought privately to himself at the forefront, ¡®but it¡¯s you or me, and we both know what is more important to each of us.¡¯ ¡°He will talk.¡± Aiden put a menacing smile on his face. It was easier than he would have liked to. ¡°Now he trusts me and won¡¯t keep his secrets so tight. In a week or so I should have all his background information. If I¡¯m lucky, maybe even his last name.¡± The two considered his words. Melinda bit her lip, faking uncertainty even at home, while Cole¡¯s face broke in a cheshire grin, eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. ¡°You have my interest, kid. Two weeks. Get us more information and you might receive something special.¡± He dipped his head in thanks. ¡°I will do it.¡± ¡°Good, now go and check on your ventures. I heard some rumours about problems raising.¡± ¡°If you will excuse me, I will go and do just that,¡± Aiden said standing up. They gave shooing motions and he was off. It was hard not to start running but he kept his pace steady until he reached his room. There he fell on his bed and covered his face with hands. What was he doing? Why? The boy trusted him. Was he ready to hammer in the last nail? Break an innocent fragile child to please his adoptive parents? Ones that never allowed him to call them that word? Was he that warped? 9.5 Back It was dark. No sound in the room but the breathing of a boy. He was sitting cross-legged before a white cabin with hands against his temples. His eyes were locked on the cabin as if it was a monster going to jump at him any moment. ¡°What to do?¡± he whispered but there was no one else in the room. No answer came and he ran fingers through his hair. ¡°How should I know?¡± He fell on his back, staring at the white ceiling. It was hard to discern in the dark but he followed the ornamental lines with a finger, knowing them from memory. ¡°If there was a good answer...¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be acting like an idiot now!¡± he screamed out jumping up. His hands twitched to grab something and throw it at the wall but he resisted the impulse. He would have to clean up afterwards and that would be a pain. Instead he paced the room. One circle, two, ten. Soon the count was lost and he was just going back and forth mumbling to himself. ¡°Can¡¯t believe... Nonsense... Idiot... Wish it... Dream on... Life...¡± Car stopped below and he rushed to the window, glancing below. It was Mr. Rekham from opposite street. He stepped out of his car with a puff. The houses doors flew open as Caithlyn, his daughter rushed out to meet him. He smiled and picked her up, flying her a few circles. Their laughed reached the boy¡¯s ears as faint echoes. ¡°Damn it, you know they¡¯re not coming for a few weeks still.¡± He forced himself to close the curtains and take a step back, away from the window. It was clear to him he was procrastinating. Decision had to be made and his subconsciousness was doing everything to save him from that. But there was no escaping. Whatever he did now would shape his future. Or what¡¯s left of it. There was no one who could tell if he won¡¯t stop functioning the next moment without any reason. It was what he got for living in uncharted territory, surviving longer than he should have. ¡°I¡¯m doing it again...¡± he groaned catching himself. His thoughts went everywhere but the question at hand. Should he enter the damn cabin or not. How could such a simple decision be so complicated? And yet it was. Everything depended on this one choice. It shouldn¡¯t be made lightly yet whenever he tried to weight pros and cons, he found himself deliberating on whether he preferred hotdogs to hamburgers. Irrelevant to the situation but saying more than Kirin wanted to know about himself. It was easier to pretend. Imagine he was a strong person. One who could never be hurt. Some being that had seen everything, lived through it and survived, here to tell the tale. Whole world was nothing but a play to him. One badly written at that. Problem was Kirin like he¡¯d misplaced that personality somewhere. No matter how hard he tried his mind wouldn¡¯t calm. Rational thought was as close as the moon on barefoot. ¡°How to choose, how to choose... Why should I choose?¡± he asked stopping in the middle of the room. ¡°I can just show up and see how it goes, can¡¯t I? No decision needs to be made now. Right?¡± Neither the room nor the night outside answered his questions. It was silent. The usual state of his house. Kirin dropped to the ground and stared into the wall of the cabin. It looked ghostly in the dark room. ¡°What will I do for the remaining time if I don¡¯t play the game?¡± he asked himself. ¡°No camps are available at the moment even if I felt like putting myself through that torture again. There¡¯s no choice here.¡± He stood up but his hand wasn¡¯t stable as he reached for the handle. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay,¡± he whispered to himself, pushing the cabin open. It took a moment to light up and he squinted at the brightness. But it was too late. Decision made he strapped himself and put the headgear on. It was time to see what was going on inside the game. Bright sunlight and croaking welcomed him. All of the vultures pushed towards him, poking him with their beaks to make sure he was alive, okay. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he muttered pushing them off himself. In that moment of freedom he stood up and looked around. This was the tower room which L had previously occupied. It was empty of human life now. A look outside showed people back in their usually habitats. Hammer falls could be heard from the smithies, young boys and girls were running as messengers while teenagers trained in the courtyard. Many older soldiers joined in their activities, following forms or swinging at the training dummies until the hands could lift no longer. There were woman around, carrying water or washing clothes. A few were chatting near a well. None were familiar faces. He jumped out the window and activated [Void Step] right before hitting the ground. It carried him to the nearest roof where he started to jog. The path took him to the poorer parts of the city. One of the houses there stood out. It was like any other but Ace could have recognised its owner anywhere. Old man was the only one that paid so much attention to making his place look run down but not too much. He jumped down and passed through the doors. They were barely holding on the hinges, threatening to fall from the merest of touches. Inside was empty. Ace snuffed around but there were no signs. Some rags in the corner, broken pieces of furniture near a fireplace. Ashes lay within it, still warm. Nearby a half-empty pot stood with poisonous looking brew. Ace smiled at it. This was the old man¡¯s place for sure. Only he could make such concoctions and say it was food. Familiar scent taunted him into pouring himself a bowl and finishing the soup. It filled his stomach to the brim. Sleep beckoned but a loud neigh caught his attention. The sound came from below and he went to investigate. No obvious path down was present but Ace knew better. Moving everything in sight he soon stumbled upon a lever. Planks slid beneath a pile of rags and they fell inside. Ace went after on light feet, listening with [Echo]. With the ability¡¯s help he could see the general form of the dungeon. It was eerily similar to the old man¡¯s other one. Identical even. Neighing was also growing louder. It was coming from a locked black door that was being assaulted from the inside. They shivered and groaned from the force but held. Ace approached with caution, reaching for the lock. It had a key inserted which wasn¡¯t unusual since Sedgart had to know no one else would come here. This was his hidden lair. Ace wondered why he had never created one. What kind of an assassin was he? No home, no secret base. All he had he carried himself or kept in a bank. Quite simple but in a way cold. Why did he never make a place for himself? Was he a nomad? Interesting question but one he didn¡¯t have time to ponder. At the turn of they key the doors flew open and a large shape burst free. It came straight at Ace, falling him in the process. But instead of sharp claws or shiny blades a wet nose brushed his face. He half opened one of his eyes to stare right back into a black orb. ¡°Mirage,¡± he whispered with an exhale and the horse answered with a neigh. It tried to give Ace more wet kisses but he pushed the face off himself. ¡°Let me stand up,¡± he told the horse getting up. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± At the question Mirage stood up on back legs, its front missing Ace by luck only. ¡®Ahhaha, I think he might be somewhat pissed.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t really blame the animal. It was him who left it with his old master and never came back. If Ace was to admit it to himself, he¡¯d all but forgotten about Mirage. Did that make him a bad person? Probably. But he had never asked for a pet. The horse had appeared out of nowhere and just decided to follow along. Ace had never asked for it. ¡°How have you been? I missed you,¡± he said to the animal, gently brushing its nostrils once it had come down. Mirage was still breathing hard, its sides lifting up but the soft tone calmed. It shifted its head to stare better, question in its eyes. Ace came closer, not losing the skin contact. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being away for so long. I would have returned sooner if I could have. You know that, right?¡± Mirage whinnied, pushing against him softly. Ace took it as an acceptance and murmured some more silly things. He did like the horse. It was simple and truthful. Required only little lying. It¡¯s just that he had no idea what to do with him. Not like he could take Mirage anywhere with him. His paths rarely lead him on hard ground. Roofs and air, mirrors or lakes were his usual travelling methods. Neither fit for a horse. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± asked a cold voice. Ace whirled around to face his old mentor. The man looked younger than the last time he¡¯d seen him. The shine in his eyes had brightened and there was a big smile on his lips despite the previous tone. ¡°Wondering what you¡¯ve done with my little pet. Why would you ever lock it up?¡± Sedgart glared at the horse. ¡°It nearly went mad after you were gone for a week. I had to either lock it up or let loose.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Ace murmured, brushing Mirage¡¯s head. ¡°So what are you up to now?¡± he asked, shifting his own head to face his master. ¡°A friend of yours, the city¡¯s lord approached me.¡± ¡°L?¡± Ace asked in wonder. The guy seemed to have some unsettling connections. First he learnt Wing¡¯s identity ages before anyone else, now found his mentor. How did he manage when being so busy running the city? Even now when on the verge of being destroyed. ¡°That one. He came to my place and demanded I aid him,¡± Sedgart said in a wonder filled voice. ¡°I could see why you might associate himself with him.¡± ¡°Could you?¡± Ace asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°I think you were just enticed by the idea of being back in business.¡± The man shifted in his position, laughing wryly. ¡°Might be, might be. Anyway, I have work. Came here just to check what was the commotion.¡± He turned to leave but Ace caught him by the hand. ¡°Is L in his castle?¡± ¡°Away. There¡¯s a conference or something of all the world¡¯s lords. It¡¯s been a week since the monster¡¯s birth been announced and everyone¡¯s worried.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I would be too if I wasn¡¯t counting days on fingers already.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say stupid things,¡± Ace ordered, punching him lightly on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ll outlive me by the way you¡¯re going.¡± There was a chuckled from his mentor but without turning back he left the dungeon. Ace waited a bit before taking Mirage after. They were alone in the room. Sedgart had been true to his word and left. It was weird to see the old man moving about but it was good for him, Ace decided. He looked much more lively than the time in Mora they¡¯d last met. ¡°So what should we do now?¡± he asked turning towards Mirage. The animal neighed and pointed at his back. ¡°Riding? I suppose it¡¯s been a while since we did that. Sure.¡± The horse went down on his knees and Ace got himself on, enjoying how high he was. It was such a simple thing yet brought a certain kind of joy. Like he was no longer a small child. Those were never let on horses or anywhere high for fear of them falling down and getting hurt. Doors were open and they were out. Mirage¡¯s hooves beat a simple tune against the paved road as they went past the houses, out of the street and into another, larger one. People made way for them, knowing better than to intercept a galloping horse. And Mirage was doing just that. Streets went in a blur in Ace¡¯s vision as he held onto for dear life. Wind tousled his hair and he raised his head at the sky, eyes closed. ¡°Kirin?¡± Single word that made his good mood go crashing down. Mirage felt his stiffening and slowed, turning to look back at him with a whine. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Ace murmured to him, straining his neck to see who had called. More than ten meters back there were two people coming his way. Monthu and Par. No, wait. Should he think of them now as Aiden and Tristain? That were their names, right? Mirage whinnied again and Ace put a reassuring hand on his neck. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be fine,¡± he murmured. And then wondered whether those words were to the horse or himself. Both of them stood still until the newcomers approached. All four stared at each other with questioning looks, neither wanting to break the uncomfortable silence. Ace took that time to re-evaluate the kid, his kind of friend. Par stood at his brother¡¯s side, holding onto his hand. A step behind him. It was as if he was afraid. ¡®Am I so scary?¡¯ Ace wondered, seeing distrust in the boy¡¯s eyes. It seemed like he had learnt at least something from their interactions. His brother, on the other hand, looked tired and exhausted. Not even the game could hide the shadows in his eyes, the way his shoulders slumped as if he could no longer hold them up. ¡°You okay?¡± Ace asked, sliding down from Mirage. He landed on his feet with a cat¡¯s grace. A look of concern on his face. Monthu¡¯s eyes widened for a second before he let a small smile form on his lips. ¡°Fine. Just overloaded with work at home. Some of the investors are giving me hell.¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°You¡¯re a businessman?¡± ¡°Yeah. Worst idea ever,¡± he said with a shake of his head. ¡°Please, let¡¯s talk about anything but that. I don¡¯t wish to remember about it a moment sooner than I have to.¡± Ace lifted his shoulders in a shrug. ¡°Sure. So what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Looking for you, actually. I was hoping you would help me with ensuring the city¡¯s defence.¡± It was Ace¡¯s turn now to be taken aback. ¡°Me? Help with the defences? You know I¡¯m an assassin, right?¡± He shook his head in disbelief. Just what was the guy thinking? It made zero sense. Ace wasn¡¯t the defender type. He was a monster, a killer! ¡°You could always find weak spots of the wall, secret entrances or some weird ways we could be defeated in that no one else would even think of. You have a great mind which could be used for something greater.¡± Before Ace could reply, Par peeked his head out, raising it just a centimetre up. ¡°Are you still angry with me?¡± His voice was barely a whisper and he hid behind his brother as the words left his mouth. ¡°Angry?¡± Ace repeated mindlessly. Was he angry? Had he been in the first place? He supposed he had been. The kid was just too damn innocent. It made him jealous in a way. It reminded him of the days past and when everything was crumbling around him, it had been too much Did he owe the kid an apology? It hadn¡¯t been exactly the boy¡¯s fault that he was innocent, childish and silly. He should be envied, that others managed to keep him away from the horrors of the world, but not in the way Ace had done. Cruelty was a last resort and should be used against those that deserved. Like most of the world but still. The kid had been a friend to him, or as close as Ace had had in years. It was pitiful of him to repay this way. He walked forward, rounding Monthu to face Par. ¡°What do you think? Do I look angry?¡± he asked with a tilt to his head. ¡°I-I do-don¡¯t know,¡± the boy stuttered. He backed to hide behind Monthu¡¯s front side now, peeking at Ace from the corner. ¡®Had I scared him so much?¡¯ Ace wondered. He pushed Monthu out of the way. ¡°Do you mind? I¡¯m trying to have a conversation here.¡± His voice was gruff as he said that and the man gave him a long look. Millions of questions resided in his eyes but Ace didn¡¯t say anything, just stared back. It was either going to work or not. The man either trusted him or not. Monthu turned away and squatted down before his brother. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± he asked the kid and he nodded with vigour. Relieved the man continued. ¡°Then give him a chance. I¡¯ll go welcome the caravan that was scheduled to arrive soon but I won¡¯t be far. If anything happens, I¡¯ll be just around the corner. Okay?¡± Shiver passed the little kid¡¯s body but he straightened and nodded. Monthu hugged him tight and Ace felt a pang of disgust wash through him. Why was he always alone? Why did no one ever hold him or whisper that everything was going to be okay even if that was a lie? Why did he have to grow up too fast? Counting of every coin, catching discounts, overworking, never being home. He remembered everything his parents did for him. They were the best people on this earth, sacrificing themselves for him, so that he could have a future. Why when was he still such an ungrateful bastard? Envying others their share of happiness? By the time his mind returned to the present, he was alone with the kid. He was staring at him reproachfully, a tremble in his lips. ¡®Terrified, that¡¯s how he feels when being alone with me. It says a lot for my character,¡¯ Ace thought to himself, smiling wryly. Par opened his mouth first. ¡°What should I call you?¡± he asked in a shaky voice, hands wrapped tight around himself. ¡°Call me?¡± Ace asked unsure. What was the problem here? ¡°You made me promise... If I wanted to save others... That I - I should never call you by your name again,¡± he said with his head down. ¡°Should I call you Wing th-¡± ¡°No!¡± Ace shouted out before he had even formed a thought. ¡°No,¡± he then said more calmly. ¡°No, Wing is a creature you don¡¯t want to associate... ¡° After a moment¡¯s hesitation he added. ¡°Kirin, you can call me Kirin.¡± It was his true name but he wondered if it was right to tell him that. No, not because he felt like hiding but that it was another persona. Kirin had been his main act for so long, he wasn¡¯t sure he knew the real person behind. Would he know his own face if he saw it? Doubtful. The boy didn¡¯t seem to have heard the hesitation in his voice and smiled bright. ¡°You can call me Tristain then. I heard it¡¯s your real name!¡± ¡°It is,¡± Ace agreed with a shrug. So Monthu wasn¡¯t good at keeping secrets. Did that mean his parents knew also? But why would he tell them? It was a knowledge hard won, he wouldn¡¯t share it with people he didn¡¯t think deserved. Ace had a feeling neither Aurora, nor Hawk would know his name. ¡°Will you stay with us now?¡± ¡°Stay?¡± Ace gaped. He noticed he was doing a lot of that in this conversation. But not a thought like this had crossed his mind. To stay with the group... Stay? Was he capable of that? Even now he was itching to just turn around and ride off on Mirage. Or even better to find a mirror and visit a place he¡¯d never been before. Be away before anyone could stop him. But no one was trying to stop him. It was just him and his mind. Did he want a place to return to? A supposed safe haven? It sounded great but could there really exist a place like that for him? He was a monster, an enemy of mankind. The boy shifted on his feet. ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± There was hurt in his voice. Betrayal. ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Ace answered truthfully with a large sigh. ¡°I just wouldn¡¯t know what to do staying with you.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± the boy asked. ¡°You would travel with us so we can all be together forever!¡± It took all Ace¡¯s willpower not to start laughing like a maniac. Forever? Such a thing didn¡¯t exist. He was sure he was going to snap one of these days and end this misery called life. Forever. He shook his head in disbelief, hair getting in his eyes. Mindlessly he pushed them off, catching a glimpse of his pale flesh. It brought a scowl to his face. What was he even doing here? This was madness! He didn¡¯t belong with these people. Loneliness was his only companion. It had always been like this. What were they trying to do? Change him? He, the way he was, wasn¡¯t good enough? Could such people even be called friends? ¡°Please!¡± The word caught Ace¡¯s ears. He turned to face the boy who had tears in his eyes. ¡°Please,¡± he whispered again. It was very soft and barely audible, a prayer as much as plea. ¡°Why do you want me to return so badly?¡± Ace asked with a huff. The boy was crazy. What did he want now? Did he thought sympathy was his triumph card? ¡°Aren¡¯t we friends?¡± he asked, his voice breaking midway and he started sobbing. ¡°I just want to be friends with you.¡± Ace stared at his sniffling pathetic show for a long while. A side of him wished to go and comfort the little kid but... But the other wanted him to suffer. He wanted him to learn what the world was truly like. It never happened as you wanted to. All stories ended with a tragedy, no matter how hard-working and deserving the heroes were. A memory of Monthu standing before him, sharing his secrets came into sharp focus. What was Ace doing hurting his brother? He rushed to the kid and took his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do about it.¡± ¡°Wha-?¡± ¡°I need to take care of something first,¡± he said in a conspirational manner, giving a secretive glance behind his back. Par turned there in a pretty obvious manner, noting the restless horse. It was giant by their childish standards and black as the devil. ¡°You will wait for me, okay?¡± The boy managed something close to a nod and Ace threw him a smile before jumping on Mirage with [Radiant Step]¡¯s help. ¡°See you around!¡± He rode off, leaving the puzzled kid behind. Behind the corner he stopped Mirage and told him to go and wait somewhere. There was something he needed to do real quick. Before Monthu could reunite with his brother. /Can we talk?/ he wrote, not wanting to waste time searching. /Alone./ /The tower./ Ten seconds and Ace was there. It was so easy to move with his skills, not needing to pretend to be anyone. In the tower room he¡¯d woken up, Monthu was having a conversation with some high ranking officer. He was all red, eyes close to popping out but nowhere near surrender. Until he saw Ace land on the windowsill. One look was enough for all colour to drain from his face and he was gone. Echo of doors pushed in a hurry only reminder of his presence. ¡°That was quick,¡± Ace said with a smile, settling on the windowsill with his legs hanging inside the room. ¡°You have more of his kind?¡± ¡°Plenty,¡± Monthu said like it was a curse. He was sitting next to the large table, having rolled the map up and placed dozens of papers instead. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why L would want something like this in a game.¡± Ace lifted his shoulders. ¡°Who knows, we all create lives here that we can¡¯t have outside.¡± A disagreeing shift of the man¡¯s lips was his whole answer and for a long while silence reigned in the room. Sound of pen scratching on paper only thing to break it. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid to leave your brother alone for so long?¡± Ace asked, finally. ¡°I sent Aurora to pick him up.¡± Another silence. This time it lasted over ten minutes. In the end Ace stood up and walked to see what had caught the man¡¯s attention so thoroughly. Calculations of provisions, incoming caravans and metal deliveries, craftsmen prices. Lack of funds. From one glance, Ace knew Lasran was bankrupt. All payments were being done on loans and few accepted words from a city on verge of destruction. ¡°Are you not interested in what I wanted to talk about?¡± Monthu rested the pen, eyes meeting his. ¡°You¡¯re leaving.¡± It took Ace a moment to catch his fleeing composure. ¡°How did you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your solution to everything. Whenever you get worried, you run away.¡± He gave a wry smile. ¡°At least this time you¡¯re warning me. I have to say that¡¯s an improvement. Thanks.¡± Ace wasn¡¯t sure whether he should be affronted or... What else could he feel? That he was understood? Glad someone knew him well enough? It didn¡¯t sound right. Somehow it was as if he had lost this round. ¡°Do you need help?¡± he asked, moving to run his fingers over the lines of zeroes. ¡°This doesn¡¯t look promising.¡± ¡°Unless you have a secret stash with hundreds of gold coins, there¡¯s nothing you can do.¡± Ace gave him his most charming smile. ¡°Oh, but I do. Though, it¡¯s tens of thousands of gold coins. I hope you don¡¯t mind?¡± He laughed at the shocked expression on the man¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember my other profession?¡± ¡°I heard successful assassinations paid a lot but...¡± ¡°You forget,¡± Ace said with a grin. ¡°You¡¯re not talking to a normal assassin.¡± He couldn¡¯t hide the pride from his voice. It was one of his greatest achievements. ¡°Wing didn¡¯t become so feared because of his secretive nature, though that helped.¡± ¡°Everything, you left the players bare of any items or gold...¡± There was a look of approval on Ace¡¯s face. ¡°Exactly. Ten kills and I had more than a thousand coins. And you know I never stopped at such numbers. There was a caravan once, another time a raiding party with best equipment. Some lord parties couple of times.¡± He shrugged as if he couldn¡¯t remember everything. ¡°I could probably buy a smaller kingdom or two if I wished.¡± Monthu rested his head on a hand. ¡°Where did you hide this treasure mountain?¡± ¡°A bank,¡± Ace answered with a laugh. ¡®Wizard¡¯s bank to be precise. Safest place in the game.¡± Shadow of a smile crept onto the man¡¯s face. ¡°Of course. Where hide better but under everyone¡¯s nose. And no one minded that you¡¯re bringing much more than a kid ever should have?¡± ¡°I established myself as a rich man¡¯s son, acted the part and no one had any questions. So you want it? Being funded by the exploits of the worst criminal on the continent?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure L wouldn¡¯t refuse the Satan¡¯s help if that meant his city had a chance.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Ace said running towards the window and stopping on the sill. He turned to a key at Monthu. ¡°Take everything if you want, I don¡¯t care. In the meantime I¡¯ll try to stop Marion from the inside.¡± ¡°What about working together?¡± Ace laughed, wind tousling his blonde hair as he stood balancing on the heels of his feet on the edge. ¡°That¡¯s me working together!¡± And he fell into the embrace of warm mid-afternoon air. 9.6 Enemies Fields passed in a blur. They went in and out of focus as Mirage galloped forward, not saving any energy. It was a wasteful way of riding, the animal quickly got tired but both of the travellers preferred the rush of speed, wind¡¯s forceful blowing. Both animal and boy enjoyed the thrill of being the fastest ones around, miles disappearing under the hooves. Warm spring gale was their only companion in the wide space. Ace would have liked that to last hours more but two days and it was over. Marion was already this close to the city. His recovery speed was unprecedented. Most of the army were surrounding him, few squads missing. The camp could be seen spread far and wide from a hill and Ace wondered how it would be best to approach. He could always sneak in at night but that seemed tiresome. ¡°What to do, what to do,¡± he murmured to himself, looking over the whole camp. Most of the tents were dirty white, grey without any standing out. He was having a hard time identifying which one was Marion¡¯s. Could it be he decided to hide since the attack, hoping that would keep him safe? Faulty logic but who was Ace to judge. It would mean he would have to examine his own - promising to help but not going all out. He could kill Marion and that would be the end, simple as that. But no. He was going to try a dangerous gambit, something that might end up worse for the city, all because it was going to be more interesting. What did it say of him? Ace pushed the though away and motioned for Mirage to descend the hill. Front entrance. Why should he hide like a killer? He was coming to ¡®help¡¯ Marion after all. Might as well everyone know it. It wasn¡¯t like he had a reputation to sully. Wing was an assassin, cold-blooded murderer and maniac. Betrayal and changing of sides wasn¡¯t going to even leave a mark on his legend. Couple of soldiers tried to stop his entrance and he disposed of them. It was good to show his intentions early so no one misunderstood. He wasn¡¯t here to play games and be nice. ¡°Tell Marion I¡¯m here,¡± he ordered a more official looking person. He hesitated and Ace glared at him, eyes flashing crimson. The man was gone in a blink. Ace smiled internally. It was so fun to have his reputation precede him everywhere. One look and everyone was getting out of the way, doing his bidding. Fear was one of his most powerful weapons. Grown men cowered from his glance. It didn¡¯t take them five minutes to return with a favourable reply. A men in his fifties presented himself and said he would lead him to Marion. Ace nodded as if that was expected, following him on Mirage¡¯s back. It was much better to stay on the horse and watch everyone from the high ground. He was led to a tent that was just a touch whiter than others. Cleaner. Could it be that Marion had simply lost his own and this was no elaborate plan to hide? It brought a smile to Ace¡¯s face. He was thinking too hard. This was going to be a piece of cake. When the flap was opened, he dismounted and entered on foot. Two guards got in his way but a mere move of his hand¡¯s towards a dagger hilt was enough to make them jump backwards, letting him pass. ¡°You should really get better bodyguards,¡± he suggested Marion who was sitting before a map on a wooden stand. It portrayed the whole Mora kingdom, pins marking various locations. Few moments and Ace was sure Marion knew everything what was happening on land. His spies had to be everywhere, for not a single caravan was missed. Each and every were marked, different colours for different supplies. The man turned to face Ace with ice in his eyes. ¡°Why are you here?¡± When the kid didn¡¯t reply fast enough he added. ¡°And what¡¯s with the mask?¡± Ace shrugged, taking it off. ¡°It makes people move along faster.¡± ¡°Why are you here? Did you come to kill me?¡± ¡°I considered it,¡± Ace answered, truthfully, moving to sit on a large oak table. His feet dangled in the air as he continued, ¡°But then again, what would be the point?¡± He looked around the tent. ¡°I need to be on someone¡¯s side or its going to be boring.¡± The man¡¯s gaze drilled holes in Ace but he ignored it. Such little intimidation tactics weren¡¯t going to work on him. Not so easily at least. ¡°I gave you ruins last time and you betrayed me. Why do you think I would trust you this time?¡± Marion asked finally in a grave voice. ¡°Because I never lied,¡± Ace answered. He jumped off the table and came to stand right before the man. ¡°I gave you what you asked for. We never talked about me working only for you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a turncoat, betraying both sides. That is even worse.¡± Ace tilted his head. ¡°Is it?¡± He bent so they were eye to eye, noses almost touching. ¡°I only see a prideful lord pissed that he was outplayed.¡± Insult thrown, he pulled back with a bright smile. There was an audible sound of teeth grinding. Ace turned to inspect another map, ignoring noises behind him. The man could stew for a moment, he needed to understand who had the power here. It took him good few minutes to wheeze out a question, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Ace whirled at the question, a fire in his eyes, ¡°I need them to pay.¡± He clenched and unclenched a dagger that had made its way to his hand. ¡°They need to die. Every single one of them,¡± he said making a pause on each word to punch in their importance. His outburst took the man unaware and he close to leaned back from surprise. But that didn¡¯t last long and soon little lights of interest sparked in his eyes. ¡°So you want to tell me you¡¯re planning on betraying them?¡± ¡°They¡¯re the traitors,¡± Ace hissed like an angry feline. ¡°What happened?¡± That was an easy one. ¡°Didn¡¯t like you survived,¡± Ace said, spitting on the ground. ¡°Wasn¡¯t thrilled about me pretending to have angels either. Called me liar and deceiver.¡± His voice grew dangerously quiet as he said the next thing. ¡°Questioned whether I¡¯m truly human or monster.¡± ¡°You deserve all that and more,¡± Marion said without a hesitation. ¡°Silver Wing¡¯s name is equal to a curse. You¡¯re a monster that has no equal.¡± Ace laughed. ¡°I know,¡± he said in a merry tone but his eyes narrowed. ¡°That does not mean you can call me that to my face. People should have some manners.¡± It gave the man a pause. He watched Ace with calculating eyes, clogs turning in his head. The boy let them do that as he straightened. At some point he had bent slightly as if he was posed to lunge. He wasn¡¯t sure when had that happened. It was strange and fascinating at the same time how his acting took him places he never planned to go. Sometimes he wondered if it was him pretending, or some spirit took him over. Many a thoughtless action begged for the second option. Movement on his left brought his attention to the present. Marion was standing up, a pen held in his hand as if it was a dagger. ¡°Are you going to betray me this time?¡± ¡°I never betrayed you,¡± Ace said with annoyance evident in his tone. ¡°It was your own misunderstanding of our agreement.¡± ¡°Answer the question.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± he said in a lofty manner. ¡°Why should I when it is them who need to suffer?¡± The man stared at him, trying to decipher whether he was lying but it was not meant to be. It was the same as trying to determine what colour a bead was in a locked box. You had a chance to guess right but it was so low as close to impossible. Yet a decision was made by Marion. ¡°You¡¯ll tell me everything you learnt in their city and then we¡¯ll see what you can do.¡± ¡°I will?¡± Ace asked more than agreed. He bobbed his head for a moment then lifted his shoulders in a shrug. ¡°Why not. It¡¯s not like there had been anything useful.¡± And then he told Marion about a secret benefactor, angel village¡¯s new method of teleporting goods, new fightings styles and who was expected to come in aid but were still not moving. It took him good few hours to recount everything he¡¯d heard and seen. But the effect was achieved. Marion was close to brimming with joy, eyes shining as if he had just stumbled upon an undefended treasury. His hands flew over the papers, noting everything down. Even when Ace had finished talking, his goose-feather pen kept on going. An hour passed like that and growing bored, Ace made his way outside. Mirage welcomed him with a joyous neigh and they went for a ride. It wasn¡¯t like there was a reason to hurry. He had got himself into Marion¡¯s good graces at that was what mattered. For now, he could leave and have fun riding around, check up on the soldiers. L and Monthu were sure to want to know how this place was structured and how many people were present. ¡°Turncoat,¡± Ace said the word under his breath, tasting it. He had never planned to become one but now that he was taking up the role, it seemed like an interesting play. The fact that everyone already feared him and wouldn¡¯t dare question him was a bit disconcerting but still. People could stop allowing him in their most private meetings. They should know better than to trust an assassin and a murderer. Why did anyone ever believe his word? No one was going to answer him if he asked, and it wouldn¡¯t be a smart idea in the first place. He did want them to trust him. It was part of this whole ruse. But at the moment he had way too much time. Riding around was going to occupy him only for that long. What should he do while he waited for Marion¡¯s resurfacing to the real world? There was no one he knew in this place so visiting wasn¡¯t possible. But leaving so swift might give wrong ideas to people. He needed them to think he was a nice little traitor. Which he kind of was but that wasn¡¯t the point. His wandering took him to a part where food was being cooked. Smells of herbs and spices assailed his nose. A certain past time came into his mind. It had been ages since the last time he made poisons. Extra damage had come to be unnecessary in his killings but alchemy was a fun way to spend time. You never knew what might come out, life saving potion or death dealing toxin. He found himself an empty corner and dismounted. Mirage wasn¡¯t happy to be ordered to stand but did as told. What Ace needed to do, couldn¡¯t be achieved while riding. More secrecy was required. Behind a corner he activated [Shadow Veil], [Silent Steps] and made his way into the supply wagons. Two guards were near them, playing some card game. It would have taken an orchestra to distract them from their gambling. Inside the wagon, Ace had [Flare] leave his cloak and searched through boxes and bags. Few contained what he needed, forcing him to visit more than half of the wagons. It took a good half a day for him to collect enough materials that would last him a couple of days. At least it was easy afterwards to find a quiet corner. Wherever he moved, people parted as if he was a messiah. It was fun to annoy them like this for a time but soon he settled near a hill and made a tent for himself. He had pilfered a quite large one so Mirage could enter and lie down at the end. It was a necessary evil since the horse had been angry at being left alone. Ace wasn¡¯t sure what he would do when abandoned once more and for the time being didn¡¯t want to find out. His focus was on the two pots and a cauldron he had taken. Water was boiling in them and he had to choose what herbs he was going to put. It wasn¡¯t an easy choice. Most of the simplest pairings he¡¯d done, and many of more creative. His favourite were the ones that made something special happen. Once purple gas started going which he¡¯d run from until noticing it smelled nice and raised his stamina by a few points. So what now? He put a myriad of random herbs without a care what they were and watched. Something was bound to happen. At some point. But not now. There was time and he went to curl near Mirage. The weather was still quite cold. *** Four days later Ace found himself in Marion¡¯s tent, no more than five kilometres from Lasran, facing a curious choice. ¡°You want me to enter the city and spy for you?¡± ¡°Exactly. You might have been gone but you can say that you were scouting, pass some few details about my camp as a passage.¡± It was a challenge for Ace to keep his face straight. ¡®I already told them everything I found out.¡¯ If that wasn¡¯t enough, he was here spying on L¡¯s behalf and now Marion was having the exact same thought. Nobody wanted to keep him around. It would have been a chilly thought if it wasn¡¯t so funny. Everyone vying for his favours and then sending him away. Apparently, being a double agent faced you with certain problems. He turned away to hide the mirth in his eyes, focusing on the map. Lasran was surrounded from all but one side. His finger trailed the edge of marked camps. There were more of them than before. Marion had called in everyone he could. This was going to be the final battle, no more games of siege. L knew that too. Around the lake his own army was entrenched. It wasn¡¯t as large as Marion¡¯s. Not even close. But they were ready to fight till death and more. There were rumours that L had gained an item that made his cathedral be able to spawn players three times before they were forcefully logged out by a death penalty. No one knew if that was really true but word flew. Many player groups joined him just to find out. A number of guilds came from other countries. This was an unheard thing that needed investigating. If it showed up to be true, whole gameplay could change. ¡°Will you answer?¡± Marion asked with impatience lining his tone. Ace turned to face him, a scowl on his face. ¡°Sure. Why would I return to that nest of vipers?¡± ¡°You would bring their end by passing me their secrets,¡± the lord said standing up. He came to the map, pointing at two green pins. ¡°There are things I still don¡¯t know. This last group of thirty. Who are they? What can they do? They might be nobodies or those that will change the flow of battle. And I need to know.¡± ¡°Tell your spies to be more daring,¡± Ace suggested with a curl of his lip. ¡°I¡¯m not coming back there.¡± ¡°So what are you going to do?¡± Question Ace hadn¡¯t considered. If he did anything, it would result in a huge loss for defenders. He had pride but more than that he knew his capabilities. Previously he was strong but now... It was doubtful anyone could stop him if he really wanted to achieve something. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.The game itself had granted him to so much power it was no longer fun. Ace had never wished to be god. What fun can you have then? Nothing can hurt you, there¡¯s no risk, no danger. So what could he do to satisfy Marion but not destroy Lasran? All the spells were out of the question. He didn¡¯t dare use anything but his movement ones. The tornado was still at the front of his mind. And his Intelligence points had only grown since then. That was a disconcerting thought. What was he going to cause this time? No, no magic for him. Stupid game, taking what was the most fun from him. He turned to look at Marion. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You¡¯re the leader here, aren¡¯t you?¡± A sour look was aimed at him. ¡°I told you to go there.¡± ¡°And I tell you that¡¯s not an option,¡± Ace said with an answering glare, crossing his arms. Was he going to fail now? By disagreeing to leave? Marion stared at him for a long moment, not lowering his eyes or blinking. It was as if he was searching for something. Ace had no idea what but his gaze stayed still and confident. Whatever was judged, he wasn¡¯t going to cower. Fear was one thing identical in all his personas. Neither had any of it. Whatever he acted or became, cowardice just wasn¡¯t in his blood. It was always better to stand in the way of what came, head held high. Or even better, be the thing that comes in others¡¯ way. ¡°You will watch over my rogues. Without them knowing, you¡¯ll follow and check their work, then report to me. I want to know if any are lying, giving me false information about the land or troop sightings.¡± Ace shifted his head, processing the task. It was easy, simple and wouldn¡¯t make him stand out. He narrowed his eyes on Marion. Did the guy just find the single task that would keep Ace¡¯s abilities in check, not make him destroy any chance Lasran had at winning this war? ¡°Any more complaints?¡± Marion asked, noticing his look. There was repressed danger in his tone. Another no wasn¡¯t going to be accepted graciously. But that was okay. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. Do you have a list or shall I find them myself?¡± It would be troublesome but he didn¡¯t want to annoy the man more than necessary. For all Ace knew, he could be on the edge of exploding. His aristocratic face was hard to read with the constant chill it permeated. He was passed a scroll which on opening displayed hundreds of names with a small description. On closer inspection it showed up to be their orders. Convenient. ¡°I shall be on my way then,¡± he said and left with a mock bow. Outside met him with a bright sun. Spring was well on its way, promising warmth but not delivering. He wrapped the scarf tighter around his neck and mounted Mirage. There was some road till his first target. *** Too easy. There was no challenge in the work. None of the rogues expected danger from their own camp and were careless. Following them was like going after an elephant¡¯s track. Pretty hard to miss. And it wasn¡¯t getting any better. He was at it for two days now, coming up to the end of the list but none entertained him. Bored to death was a thing he was considering half of the time, whether it was possible. Worst thing was, none of the rogues were even traitorous. If he found but one, he could think of some punishment. Interesting way to reveal him, or throw him in the midst of enemies. That would be something to do, not just trail around like someone¡¯s shadow. All he did was learn some useless facts, note that they fit what was reported and moved on. Another spy, another boring game. Sound of hooves caught his attention. He was perched on a branch right above a small road. It was overgrown with trees, many a branch having fallen so no one used it any longer. What would anyone be doing here? Before the rider could come into view he knew who it was. Ace fell backwards, holding on the branch by his legs only. ¡°Hey-oh!¡± he shouted out to the newcomer. Mirage reigned in, almost throwing the rider off. He stayed by grabbing on the horse¡¯s mane and leaning forward out of instinct. Was it not his first time riding a horse? One as large and passionate as Mirage? ¡°Ace,¡± the rider sighed, pulling on the reins. The horse bristled at that but after a few circles agreed to stay in one place. ¡°Monthu,¡± Ace answered in same, not changing his position. Blood was soon going to start going into his head but whatever. This was an interesting experience. Newcomer watched him for a few moments as if thinking how to start. ¡°I was looking for you. We have things to discuss. Do you mind getting down?¡± Ace pulled himself up but didn¡¯t go down. He changed his position so he faced Monthu and looked upon him from his high place. ¡°I don¡¯t want to, and do we really? I thought the chat system was a way to go in keeping spies where they were,¡± he said punctuating the last words. ¡°This is more important,¡± Monthu said dismissing his words with a shake of his head. He slid from his saddle and standing on the ground looked up. ¡°Come here, Kirin.¡± The boy stared at him with sharp eyes, ice glinting in their depths. It was clear he didn¡¯t want to do this. By instinct he knew something was wrong. All his muscles had tensed, ready for flight. Aiden didn¡¯t utter a sound. He waited with patience, hoping against hope that the boy would come. So many things rested on that one move. Whether he was going to trust or run away. If he was smart, he would choose to escape. In some deep part Aiden wished he would do so, even if he knew better. At least then he wouldn¡¯t have to hate himself for what he had done. Well, was going to do. It was still up for chance. With a soft thump Ace landed on the ground. He crouched, looking up at Aiden. There was a question in that look, distrust mixed with longing. The boy wanted, no, needed, someone to believe in. It was too late to change anything. Aiden stepped towards him and went to his level. ¡°Can we talk?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Ace asked with gruffness in his tone. No, he would never sound like that. The mysterious, playful trickster hadn¡¯t ever acted in this manner. This was Kirin. A boy Aiden didn¡¯t know but under any other circumstances would have liked to meet. There was so much more to him than the first look suggested. And yet it all had to be shaken to the core. ¡°Parents want to know more about you,¡± he said bluntly. Truth was the only thing he could give him in return for what he was planning to do. ¡°Why should I care about what they want?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve questioned Par and know your name.¡± Kirin froze in his stance, eyes growing large. Just better for Aiden to see the blade sharp hurt in them before it was masked. But betrayal stayed. It pleaded with him, not wanting to believe. Soon anger blossomed, the cheeks reddening. Aiden grasped Kirin¡¯s shoulders before it was too late. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said in a broken whisper. ¡°I didn¡¯t know they were monitoring our movements. I¡¯m terribly sorry.¡± ¡°You...¡± the boy started in a snarl but choked on the words. There was no word disgusting and horrible enough to describe the betrayal done. ¡°I know,¡± Aiden said staring right into those pale orbs that constituted for eyes. Had he really seen emotion there? It was hard to remember seeing anything in the emptiness of the ocean there. ¡°It is my fault. Please, do not fault Par for it. It was my carelessness that caused this. I¡¯m sorry. He just wanted to be your friend.¡± ¡°Friend?¡± Kirin laughed mirthlessly. He was returning to one of his masks. Ace most like. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt he did.¡± Aiden shook him, hoping it would stop him from thinking clearly. ¡°Please! It was my fault. Horrible as it was, I knew I couldn¡¯t change anything so I wanted you to know the truth.¡± He squeezed the boy¡¯s shoulders tighter. ¡°Truth is all I can give you. And a sincere apology. I did not mean for this to happen.¡± Boy¡¯s eyes lifted to stare back at him. With a sudden clarity Aiden knew what they were seeking, and that they were going to find it. He wasn¡¯t lying about his apology. He was truly sorry. Laughter bubbled in his chest but he held it in. Along with the tears that threatened to leave. His sincerity, genuine guilt was going to be the thing that sold it to the boy. It couldn¡¯t have been anyone but him. ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± Kirin asked, pushing himself away and standing up. There was a layer of veiled anger in his voice but it wasn¡¯t aimed at him. Aiden had made it. ¡°I do not know,¡± he answered, following the boy¡¯s lead. His knees ached from the prolonged crouching and he bent them a couple of times. It gave him time to think of what he was planning to do next. ¡°I just wanted you to know as soon as I found out.¡± Stone clicked as it was kicked from the road. Tuck, tuck, it hit on other stones before falling into the lush greenery on the side. ¡°Have they already started the search?¡± ¡°This I don¡¯t know. I overheard them questioning Tristain and came to find you as soon as I could.¡± ¡°How did you find me?¡± Couple moments passed before Aiden grasped the sudden turn of the conversation. ¡°Your old master said that if anyone was to find you, it¡¯ll be the horse, and he had just the instrument to call it to us.¡± ¡°Of course, he did,¡± Kirin muttered more to himself than Monthu. The old man had more tricks up his sleeve than there were cards in the game. His ingenuity never failed to impress Ace. But this was not the time for admiration. His identity was at stake here. And not even any of the game¡¯s ones. Kirin Harthorn. What would happen if they found that out? It would take time. Or so he hoped. He pushed the emotion away. What was there to hope for? His was a rare name. Days were a doubtful proposition. It was most likely hours before his identity was known. Why had he ever said his true name, anyway? A look Monthu¡¯s way showed him his own weakness. There stood a person that knew him and didn¡¯t judge. Treated him as an equal. Respected him. What could anyone want more? And that was the folly. You didn¡¯t need to want more. This was too much already. He had known it would but still crossed the line. Happiness had never been promised to him. It was a childish thing, mad even to continuously strive for it, repeat the same mistakes again and again. Hadn¡¯t he learnt from Samantha incident? She had been his friend while it suited her. Peer pressure, adult disregard, disagreements between them - they all led to inevitable falling apart. Still he had tried to save that ship. Those months, years passed pretending to be a gentle soul, caring but lackadaisical. They were the sweetest in his memory but most regretted too. He had given everything to her, his whole self changed to meet her requirements. But what did he get in return? A betrayal like no other. Mockery and laughter when he had showed the truth. When he had needed her the most, she hadn¡¯t been there. Nobody had been. So why did he believe this was any different? He hadn¡¯t even known this person for a year. How could he begin to trust him? And yet he did. There was something about the way he acted that annoyed Kirin and made him jealous at the same time. Deep within he wanted someone to coddle him like that too. Would it be wrong to be protected, sheltered from the world¡¯s cruelty once in his life? His parents had been too young to do that. They tried but school, work, pressure from friends and family. There was no time to shelter him from reality. Sometimes he wondered if life was conspiring against him. Maybe it was because he wasn¡¯t meant to live it? Poverty for most of his life, cold, lonely home. In kindergarten his favourite teacher hanged himself right in the room they were sleeping. Kirin had watched him tying the noose, not aware what was happening. He had thought it was preparation for some new game they were going to play in the afternoon. Then his parents started university and were never free. They looked at him once a week at best, where they kissed his forehead promising to find some time for him. It was just this week that assignments had piled up and the manager needed help at work. It was truth, they had two jobs while studying. Not an easy task but that hadn¡¯t made his loneliness any easier. There is a fine line between understanding something and being able to accept it. Resentment had grown in his heart from then on. First it was just a small bud. Even the announcement of sickness hadn¡¯t changed it much. But days passed and things went only for the worse. The incident, his parents leaving for an internship. It had been the last straw. They still loved each other. He knew they had lived like wretches and worked themselves half to death because of him and was grateful for it. But they had never been there for him. Not a single school event. None of his most important moments in his life. In each and every scene that had shaped him he had been alone. So very alone. Shiver ran down his body and he wrapped his arms around himself. What was he to do now? What will happen now that his identity was known? Ground held no answers. Neither did the trees or the sky. A bird¡¯s welcome call wasn¡¯t much help either. He had to make this decision on his own once more. There had never been anyone to help him choose what to do. ¡°You know I¡¯m always here, right?¡± Monthu asked in a gentle tone. ¡°It might take time for you to forgive me, if you ever will, but know that I¡¯m your friend. I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen. If there¡¯s anything I can do to repair the damage, I would gladly do it.¡± Like an underhanded kick, the words kicked ground from under Kirin¡¯s legs. He wavered, barely managing to keep his balance. How had he known? It was as if he had read his mind. Could he? No, that was impossible. Even the game couldn¡¯t pass the signals like that. Or at least he really hoped it couldn¡¯t. He was imaging things again. If there was such an ability, his charades would have been revealed ages ago. No one could read minds. It was just a coincidence. Eerie one but nothing to lose his mind over. ¡°I will think about it,¡± he said to the man awaiting his reply and jumped into the tree. [Shadow Veil], [Silent Steps], [Radiant Step] and he was gone. Off where others couldn¡¯t follow. There was a lot to consider, and even more to forget. 9.7 Loyalty Author''s Note: Hey! This is a chapter I had wanted to write since chapter seven of the first volume, close to three years in other words and finally it happened. I wish I could have spent more time perfecting it but university didn''t give me a chance. It''s a wonder I still managed to finish writing it by stealing time from breaks. I have to say university assignment deadlines, work and sleep aren''t best collaborators. They don''t leave much for anything else and the holidays can''t come too soon. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter and sorry for any mistakes. It wasn''t proofread because I didn''t have the time. Will do it as soon as my schedule clears, promise! Edit: Proof-read *** Noise was the first thing Ace noticed when he entered Marion¡¯s new tent. It had been sown three times the size and erected on a hill overlooking Lasran. One couldn¡¯t hope for a more advantageous position to order from. And Marion was planning to use it to the most. Because of it dozens of messengers and officers were running back and forth with new orders. Some older men stood close to Marion, advising him. It didn¡¯t look like he listened much to their words but they were there, adding to the cacophony of sounds. Ace waded his way through that mass with ease, even if no one got out of his way. They were too distracted to care who they were facing. Back and forth, back and forth they rushed with new orders and words about problems in positioning. One battalion had already managed to get entangled in a fight. It pissed Marion but he told the messenger to have them back off, return to their position. No, he didn¡¯t care if that made them look bad. His orders had been clear. Stand still until the attack had been called. There was still going to be a word battle between the commander¡¯s first. For some reason, L and Marion had agreed to have a conversation, make the other see reason as they put it. Even the biggest moron in both armies didn¡¯t believe anything was going to be solved by that. Nothing more than a waste of time. Or so Ace thought but he wasn¡¯t a general or leader. Maybe there was some hidden meaning he wasn¡¯t aware of. Listening he moved through the crowds, bored by simply staying next to Marion. His presence wasn¡¯t noted and nobody had given him a task to do. /How is it there?/ he wrote while pretending to clean dust off his clothes. He tried to remember when he had thought of this way to hide his messaging but couldn¡¯t recall. It had been that long ago. Now fingers moved on instinct in ways that wouldn¡¯t attract attention. Minutes later a reply came. /Preparing for the attack. Anything to report?/ Ace considered that. There was so much to report he didn¡¯t know where to start. He was after all in the place where all orders were given. Should he? Next moment he called Monthu. As the guy answered, Ace made his way back to Marion. His friend didn¡¯t need to be told who he was hearing in the background. It had been a nice idea for spying but now Ace was locked in this place. He sighed and made himself comfortable against a tent¡¯s pole. Sitting there he wouldn¡¯t be in anyone¡¯s way, able to listen without interruptions. As he did that, voices from Monthu¡¯s side became more clear. They were arguing with him, disbelieving his words. In their opinion¡¯s Marion wouldn¡¯t do something this or that way. L shut them up quick. He hadn¡¯t asked Monthu anything but he should have known. It wasn¡¯t that hard to guess where he was getting his information. Their differences settled, new plans where drawn. Orders were sent to captains through messages and soldiers moved. Marion noticed movement of L¡¯s ranks and started changing up his own. Again. They played that game for hours. Ace was sure he was going to die from boredom when Marion stood up. He motioned for his advisers to follow, leaving the tent without a glance to see if they did. Gone. Most of the people had left and Ace found himself with a few loitering soldiers, messengers that were too late in passing their news. Five people in total. They weren¡¯t going to notice the difference. He didn¡¯t move but started whispering under his breath, ¡°Beloved dreams, feared nightmares, different worlds, same horrors combine into one and come crashing onto the mortal souls, Phantasm!¡± A few glances were thrown his way but since nothing happened at the cast, their interest dwindled. Moment more and Ace could work undisturbed. Magic was cast but now he had to shape his illusion. First there was deciding what was going to happen. What did he want to achieve? A game wasn¡¯t a game if there were no goals. So he should set some up for himself. Marion¡¯s death seemed like too easy a thing. Defeat of his forces a bit too grand a scale. ¡°Mhmm...¡± he wondered, looking over the room. His eyes passed through the soldiers, maps, racks of papers in the corner... He returned his eyes back to the maps. There. That was what he could do. Now the goals themselves. When would it count that he had won? Was Marion starting to lose good enough or...? ¡°How are you?¡± a voice asked, cutting through his thoughts. ¡°Fine, ¡° he answered with a touch of annoyance. ¡°Don¡¯t surprise me like that.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t see you with Marion so wanted to check that everything is okay. He didn¡¯t notice you were spying?¡± Monthu was such a worrier. Did he ever take a risk in his life? He told you the truth, a soft voice whispered in his mind. Kirin shushed it with a loud bark. He still hadn¡¯t decided how he felt about the betrayal. It proved everything he had thought about humans, should have extinguished his last vestiges of hope. But there was still a little flame glowing inside. Monthu had told the truth. He hadn¡¯t hidden and hoped to escape with lies. That made him better than the rest, didn¡¯t it? Kirin wasn¡¯t sure.Should betrayal be forgiven because the person didn¡¯t mean to do it? It had been carelessness? ¡°You would have heard if he had,¡± Ace bit back. ¡°Did you need anything for real or just want to annoy me?¡± There was no answer from the other end. At first Ace was annoyed but then thought better of it. He didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone at the moment. The reason for getting away was to think without being influenced by more words. And this was exactly that. Him making a stand of his own. He chuckled. No, it wasn¡¯t. This was just another game. Another way to amuse himself. Pass the endless days. He wasn¡¯t meant to be around people. That was getting clearer with each passing day. This game world was only encouraging that belief. As he pondered that, people started returning to the tent. Marion looked indifferent but there was a stiffness to his shoulders that hadn¡¯t been there before. He moved straight to the map, making couple subtle changes to the pins and passed one simple order to all the messengers present. Attack. Ace stood up from his corner. This was getting more interesting so he wanted to be closer. History channels had a lot on tactics and old battles but this was the real thing. Magic might be involved and some other weird things but this was still a real battle. An all out war over a city. One that didn¡¯t hold anything important. It was simply in the way. He wondered how often that had happened in real life. People fighting and dying for places that held no meaning but were in the path of someone¡¯s dream. Pathetic. It was laughable how little reason humans needed to slaughter each other. Sounds of orders from L¡¯s side reached his ears, the call was still open. They were planning to engage the front of the army with their own warriors while a dozen rogues would try to sneak through the chaos and reach the healers on the hill. That was suicidal. There was no way they could deal damage and escape which meant L had acquired the resurrection item. Three deaths before being kicked out. It would make sacrificing your members a viable strategy. If he had any loyalty, Ace thought he should tell that to Marion. He could easily get around it. Was smart enough for that. But that would mean betraying L and Monthu, and no matter how tempted he was, this was not the time. Enough of that was done to gain acceptance. If he said a word more, this would turn into slaughter rather than battle. Something he had no wish to happen. It was a real war he wanted to see. Magic clashed and the force of it made the tent quiver. Its poles bent from the pressure but held. A command barked by Marion had a shield created which dulled the pressure and sounds from outside. Instead on the main table a bird¡¯s view map came into existence. It had hills and valleys, mountains in the corner. Troops from both sides were small dots moving in the fields, around the walls. Even the inside of the city could be seen with defenders lining the walls, releasing volleys of arrows. Ace was sure he could see L watching like a princess from her tower what was going below. There was no way to be sure but who else could it be. Others would be standing around their own map, discussing last minute strategies and watching the battle unfold. ¡°Did you remember anything?¡± Marion asked, interrupting his thoughts. Ace glanced at him to see everyone in the tent staring at him. ¡°They look like ants to be crushed under one¡¯s boot. I was wondering why I ever bothered with this revenge nonsense. It¡¯s not worth the trouble.¡± Commander scowled at his reply but turned away to say something to one of the mages present. They fell into a heated discussion about spell damage versus casting time efficiency when destroying walls first or soldiers and soon no one paid any attention to Ace once more. He noted that, an idea coming. There was one thing he could do to destroy whatever Marion was planning without going overboard. It was so simple yet brilliant. When another order was sent to a company of soldiers, he watched their progress. With that knowledge in his right eye, he started to carefully edit the truth. Push the dots just a bit further, remove some more from the other side. There, they were fighting from the top of a small hill. Or so it seemed to the onlookers, his left eye. Another order, another careful manoeuvring of dots. This was an interesting game. Ace wondered just how much he could change the truth until someone noticed. On his side. Monthu was hearing the orders through him, disbelieving since they made no sense to what was going on the battlefield but still acted against them. And won. Considerable damage was being received by Marion¡¯s companies. Most followed the orders entering disadvantageous situations where they died like flies. Not a few squads were annihilated before understanding what was happening. Massacre. Each single command was faulty, leading only to defeats. Well, not all. Sometimes Marion¡¯s forces were just that better. Even with odds against them they pushed on, securing the grounds ordered. Or backed off since Ace showed them losing. He wished he could see the faces of soldiers receiving such orders. It would have been like an icing on the cake. The horror of seeing traps sprung on them, being told to march forward when they were taking heavy losses with each step or ordered to withdraw when winning. What could be running through their heads at such a time? Did they fight without a care, unconcerned about the outcome or believe their leaders were idiots? Would anyone entertain the thought of being betrayed? A messenger rushed in. His armour was broken in places, blood seeped from a wound on his forehead mixing with sweat as it went down his face. ¡°We - we - we are being destroyed!¡± he wheezed out falling on his knees. ¡°Half of our company is already dead! Sill you tell us to push forward!¡± ¡°Company?¡± Marion asked in an ice cold voice. He wasn¡¯t liking this. From the map, no one was receiving such heavy losses. But the man¡¯s appearance suggested he wasn¡¯t lying. So what was happening? Ace stood behind everyone so allowed himself a smile. It was gone the next instance as he calculated what to do now. Escape was too early. He could still have so much fun here. A scrupulous look at the man revealed a red insignia on his lapel. Good enough. All companies that had red in their marks suddenly started to lose while everyone watched the newcomer. ¡°Red Fin, sir¡± he replied and everyone looked to the map. Ace identified the right company. Previously it had been winning heavy-handedly on his illusion. His small adjustment of their step back was none too soon. Now that everyone was looking he had to work with surgeon¡¯s precision. One mistake and it would be over. Carefully, he moved the enemy dots forward. It looked weird as there was fewer of them so he split them apart, doubling the number to an audible gasp in the audience. This was still only partway, now the larger numbers moved with a purposeful stride, flanking the remainder of the company from two sides. ¡°How long is the time lag here?¡± Marion asked in a barely controlled voice. The addressed mage looked puzzled but knew better than to try telling the truth. It would look nothing but him trying to save his hide. ¡°Just a few minutes, milord,¡± he said with his head down. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think about telling that before?¡± growled commander, shifting his gaze to the map. ¡°That company is dead now.¡± Messenger hissed in anger or pain before getting himself out of tent. Ace kept his smile this time. There was still plenty of time to save the remainder of the company. They weren¡¯t as surrounded as he had portrayed, nor dying as fast. But without help they were doomed. And no one was coming for them. He had made sure of that. Now back to the whole map. All reds had started losing because of his previous efforts so that needed to be remedied. If it stayed, some might notice and connect what was happening. ¡°But what had that been, numbers doubling out of nowhere?¡± an advisor asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like that before.¡± The mage, owner of the map, gave the man a displeased look. ¡°It¡¯s an old tactic that has been long out of practise because it¡¯s so hard to achieve. Squad members move extremely close to each other so that from high above they look like one person, tricking enemy commanders.¡± ¡®So that¡¯s what I did,¡¯ Ace thought with pride. ¡®I just made L¡¯s soldiers professionals and Monthu a commander that knows all the little secrets to winning. And it didn¡¯t even take me a day.¡¯ For a time he let the battle proceed as it was. He moved the soldiers on the board in the correct manner as they were now. Some losing, some winning, all wrong. His commander was getting furious as he watched it. ¡°I¡¯m going outside,¡± he bellowed, pushing through the advisers to tent¡¯s flapping opening. Ace was quick on his heels. It seemed like he had just passed a level. Everything doubled in difficulty without any warning. As the man left the tent, Ace made the sun blind him as he darted forward. In the second he had he looked over the battlefield seen from the hill and edited it to fit his previous illusion. Everyone in a large radius around him was going to see what he wanted them to. He heard one person murmuring to himself that he could have sworn the clerics were closer last time he checked. This wasn¡¯t going to do. Ace closed his left eye that saw the illusion and took in all the truth. Healers were twice as close as he portrayed. They were lazing around most, not daring to come too close to the fighting in case of getting hit. It made them quite useless but from time to time they would cast a huge spell in unison that would heal a whole company close to a kilometre from them. Ahead of them were lines of wizards casting large scale spells. Fire and meteors rained on the city barrier. Storms rose lifting enemy soldiers in air and flinging them about, striking units trying to disengage. More forward were rangers, archers and gunman. Often their missiles lost track in the chaos in the air, hitting unintended targets or falling aimlessly. Curses and swears rose from their ranks, polluting the air. Many a glare were sent up to the mages who were too entranced by their own magic to notice. At the very bottom a flashing of light could be seen. It was a bloody melee but there were so many skills and abilities used that they overshadowed everything. Lights flickered in all the colours of a rainbow and that was all. No one could say who was winning. It wasn¡¯t colour coded for convenience. Players from both sides had similar classes and skills, resulting in pure chaos. Ace wondered how they even knew who the enemy was. From his high point, all soldiers looked the same. But that was only going to help him. Slowly, without attracting any attention he started to change his illusion after closing the right eye and opening left. Ranged players moved closer, taking a step back after some incoherent orders were shouted. Their steps looked small but made them appear right around the real place they were. Then it was time to make his fight below much flashier. He hadn¡¯t imagined it would be this bright when he had created it in an instant. That¡¯s what you got when working with a time limit of a second. But no matter. In his mind a soldier jumped in the air, his sword shining blue and dropped with a burst of light. This probed others to use their skills, basking the battlefield in a myriad of colours. Here, it was done. He opened both eyes to overlook his work with a judgemental gaze. There were differences, but only ones he wanted. Some terrain looked slightly different, in other places fighters formed formations unlike what was true. Couple of spells seemed to do more damage than in reality. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Subtle touches that made all the difference in a battle like this. ¡°Left wing is falling back, it needs reinforcements,¡± an advisor suggested. Both Ace and Marion looked in that direction. The words had been true. Left side of the army wasn¡¯t falling apart but moving back in ranks, not able to withhold the power of Lasran¡¯s army. Or more like a party of players. While they watched, five players slaughtered more than twenty of theirs. Two scimitars backed by a pair of close ranged mages and a battle cleric. They sowed death like it was their right. No one could stand in their way. It took them moments to clear a path between Marion¡¯s ranks. Now they were falling apart. Players started to turn and run away while NPCs fought on their own. Silly duty on their minds. There was no chance for them. They were cut down in waves with each blades sweep, the gap widening. It was only quickened by restricting spells, a well aimed holy judgement. ¡°Something has to be done!¡± another advisor shouted out horror stricken. He touched his brow with a clean handkerchief, doting the sweat off. Marion shook his head. ¡°No, let them fight the scum. Their energy will soon run out and then we¡¯ll strike.¡± It was an strategy that wouldn¡¯t win you many followers. Ace wondered what Marion was planning. He was giving up his whole left flank to exhaust five players. Were they that essential to L¡¯s success or did Marion know something he didn¡¯t? Was this a mastermind plan to lure the defenders into a trap? But what could it be? Now that the left wasn¡¯t being reinforced, he heard Monthu ordering his mounted units forward. Knight classes would rush from the side, attacking the left flank from behind and cutting its retreat path. It would be a massacre and not in favour of Marion. Was it? Ace tried to encompass the whole battlefield in his vision. Many of the things he¡¯d changed but the whole feeling was the same. He didn¡¯t want to edit too much, else it would be noticed. Right was losing also. Just a bit in his illusion while much more in truth. Still, one could know it was going to give soon. Only the middle stayed strong, pushing forward even. If it continued, they would be left alone, surrounded by enemies from all sides. Lasran had the better position. It was winning. That wasn¡¯t right. Something had to be up. Marion¡¯s army had been thrice the size of L¡¯s and more than dregs of life that fought below. Those were the weakest in his arsenal of weapons. His eyes widened at the realisation. This was not about winning. They were buying time for something, wasting L¡¯s troops energy. By the end of the day they would be exhausted and then Marion would spring his trap. Fresh army, stronger than the one before. The city won¡¯t hold out for two hours. Without thought, Ace¡¯s fingers started typing a message. They were as discreet as he could make them but a painful grip caught his wrist. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Marion asked in a low voice. ¡°Telling them to leave me the hell alone,¡± he answered with a glare of his own. Two could play this game. Grip on his hands tightened. It was reaching bone breaking levels but pain wasn¡¯t of any interest to Ace. This was about making a point. ¡°You think you have the right to know exactly how?¡± he asked with a teasing smile, touch of mockery in his tone. ¡°You said you were done with them,¡± Marion said in a grinding voice, bringing Ace¡¯s hand higher up. His fingers were still moving, writing the last letters before sending the message off, going limp. ¡°That does not mean they¡¯re done with me,¡± Ace answered without trying to free his hand. So what if it was turning blue, bones making a distinct crack. Both of them knew he would heal it with a single potion. ¡°Show me the message.¡± ¡°Ask nicely,¡± Ace taunted the man towering over him. He had a distinct impression he was supposed to feel intimidated. Height difference, menacing look and all that. Marion had chosen the wrong person to try his tactics on. Next moment the man pulled Ace towards himself. One moment they were face to face and then he was flying. That lasted for less than half a second but the commander had thrown him. Ace admired the strength required for it as he rolled to lessen the impact. He had fallen enough times to know how to survive. Not that there was chance of a lot of damage. It had been more of a childish tantrum than a real attack. He landed on his feet, releasing his muscles to sprawl on the ground. Sun was high up, shining like it was just another day. Peace or war, it was all the same to the nature. Sun wasn¡¯t going to stop raising just because humans decided to exterminate each other. Sword came for his heart. It was so unexpected, Ace had little time to react. [Instincts of a Predator] and [Evasion] working without his consent were the only reason the blade landed at his side, slicing the side of his shirt and cloak. That was one sharp weapon. With a swiftness of a cat, he jumped to his feet, releasing the knot on his throat holding the cloak. It was that or tear it on the blade. Not a choice, really. One hole was more than enough. As he stood up, he crouched to face his opponent. It was a giant man with crooked teeth and unkempt beard. Where had he even come from? Ace couldn¡¯t remember seeing him anywhere in the camp, especially near Marion. This was getting weirder and weirder. While he considered that, the man pulled out his sword and came after him again. Ace waited for his swing, then darted sideways and rolled to grab his cloak. Once it was in his hands, the fight could really start. He put it in his inventory and turned. Kris materialised in his hand as he stalked forward. His opponent had a lot of muscle but the speed, it was disastrous. How could he even be called a fighter? Ace waited for him to make another swing. Giant tried to guess his direction, thinking he¡¯ll dodge again. This left him open on the left and Ace went forward. His dagger dug into soft flesh, soaking in the blood of its prey. Another sacrifice to [Heart-seeker]. The giant gasped, releasing his blade and reaching for the dagger. Ace didn¡¯t wait for him and pulled it out with a sickly sucking sound. Blood oozed from the wound as the man tried to block it with his fingers, shock contorting his features. ¡°Ho-?¡± he tried asking but words escaped him as death took him. He fell forward like a log, Ace barely managing to jump back. He then turned to face the crowd on the hill. Everyone had been watching. From the lowest runner boys and messengers to Marion with his advisers, all eyes had been on the show. Now they stared at him with a myriad of emotions reflected in their gazes. Horror, fear, surprise, adoration. Each person had a different view of his actions. If this was theatre, his role had to be finished with a flourish. He tipped an imaginary hat their way before turning to walk away. ¡°Plan to send anyone else?¡± he asked over his shoulder as if it had been an afterthought. It infuriated the commander. Marion¡¯s hands whitened from the clenching but he said nothing. He had lost this round. ¡°Order the troops to go! Don¡¯t let the enemies retreat behind the walls!¡± Ace¡¯s heart sank as he heard the order. Monthu had started to change his battle plans after the missive. Some of the companies had backed off, returning to better positions but not all. The main portion of the army was still neck thick in fighting. It would take time to have them retreat. A curse was on his lips but it wasn¡¯t going to help. He needed to do something, and fast. One more impossible task thrown his way. Or was it? He thought about his class, the fact that he was the creator of it in a way. Could he really tell himself truthfully that he couldn¡¯t do anything? He had promised to help. It wasn¡¯t binding but Monthu had believed in him, suggested they work together. Partnering up wasn¡¯t his style but he didn¡¯t really want to be always alone either. If Lasran won, there might come a better day. Peaceful times when he would have time to shift through his feelings, what did he really think about being betrayed. It was easy to say he wasn¡¯t a fan. But just how deep had the cut went? At the moment he didn¡¯t have neither patience, nor time to consider. His side was going to lose soon if he didn¡¯t do anything. First things first, he needed to see just how bad the situation was. He activated [Radiant Step] and jogged upwards, taking in the whole battlefield. The fight was still equal, going well for Lasran even. Marion¡¯s people were being pushed back. But it wouldn¡¯t last. Ace looked in all directions, went even higher until a glimmer of light caught his attention. Around a hill, hidden from the city¡¯s sight an army was marching. It was twice the size of the previous one. If that wasn¡¯t enough, the soldiers were moving in a practised manner. Their step was quick and light, close to running. As they moved metal glistened in the sun. Spears and poles, long swords and sabres, any weapon you could think of was there. One man was carrying a spiked steel ball on a chain, another inspecting stilettos on his hands. Fascinating display if it didn¡¯t spell disaster for his side. Lasran didn¡¯t have an extra army. Even with multiple revives people there wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back against triple their numbers. The enemy force was just too overwhelming. They needed to be cleared up. Ace went downwards, coming closer to the army. As he was nearing them, a familiar feeling entered his chest. Power. He was alone up here, like a god watching people scrambling to keep their lives. Pitiful little creatures. They didn¡¯t understand god wanted to play now. In an instant, it was clear what he needed to do. No. What he wanted. ¡°Phantasm,¡± he whispered to evoke the spell again. It was active but an extra influx of mana wasn¡¯t going to hurt. He was going to do something monumental, after all. For a second he closed his eyes, imagining a different place. When it was firm in his mind, he snapped his eyes open. Time to play. *** Unearthly screams. Sounds humans should never make rang in Marion¡¯s ears. Animal growls and curses reached his covered ears. It was beyond horrifying. And it was coming from where his reserve should have been. ¡°What is going on?¡± he shouted out to his advisers but they had their own ears covered, trying to dampen the sound in any way. One could go mad from it. But there was no time for such nonsense. Marion grabbed one of the messengers by the hand. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± His answer was a wide-eyed stare as the young man twisted from his grip and ran off shaking. There was no choice, he had to go himself. A glimpse on the battlefield told him that it was a stalemate. His troops were locked with the city¡¯s, neither wanting to push past the middle ground and pass into enemy territory. That was good enough and he jumped onto a horse saddled just for him. The animal gnawed at the reins, eager to get moving. Marion didn¡¯t hold him back. His reserves should have entered the scene by now. One fell swoop and the city would have been his. By the evening sun, he could have stood watching the ground from the high tower. He shook his head, pushing the thoughts away. It was important to concentrate on what was now. He needed to find out what happened to his army and get them moving forward. Enemies were still in fighting positions, unable to retreat. If they were wiped out, the place would be left defenceless, ripe for taking. Couple minutes of galloping and he was above his reserves. The animal shied then, almost throwing him off. Years of practice were the only thing that kept Marion in the saddle. ¡°Shush,¡± he ordered the horse, pulling on the reins to calm it somehow. But the horse wasn¡¯t listening. It stamped in place, shaking its mane and snorting. Marion had no choice but to jump off him before he was forcibly removed. The uncomfortable landing passed through his bones but it wasn¡¯t life threatening. He might not be a youth any longer, but no horse was going to cripple him yet. The moment he was off, his animal stood on its hind legs, eyes white and galloped off. It was gone before Marion had managed to get himself up. What had scared the horse so? Was it the wails? Marion winced as they got back his attention. They were louder here, more clear. With a touch of trepidation in his heart, he moved to the rock from which he could see downwards, onto his army. It was human made sound, all right. There were no magical beasts below. Just soldiers, his followers. Slaughtering each other. They were scattered across the plains like broken toys. Many were crouching down with eyes wide, bodies shivering, weapons clutched tightly in their grips. If anyone as much as moved in their direction, they lashed out. Daggers and short swords darted forward, slashing, stabbing. There was no order or mind in their attacks, pure undiluted terror moved their hands. Others simply stood still. There were emptiness in their expressions. Marion would have mistaken them for statues if not the insignia he¡¯d had them put on. Those were no stone warriors. Few were walking with their weapons outstretched. On shaky feet they moved through windy paths that were not there. Often their heads turned to regard their surroundings but they saw nothing. Instead of their comrades, something worse met their gazes. Another scream added to the air thick with horror. Marion simply could not comprehend what was happening. The person had been simply walking, then turned to look sideways and lurched backwards. Weapon slid out of his hands as he stood frozen in the spot. And then he was off, fear and terror oozing from his voice. As he ran, he stumbled into a girl crouched into a ball and weeping softly. Together they fell, limbs mixing between them. The man got his wits back first, his horrified shriek piercing a hole in Marion¡¯s chest. Never in his life had he heard someone so filled with horror and anguish. The man¡¯s dagger found the girl¡¯s heart. He stabbed her repeatedly, many times the place where her body had long ago turned into mist. It was as if he no longer knew what he was doing. A twisted smile blossomed on his face as he kept stabbing and stabbing, unable to stop. Curses and mocking words following each strike. Marion could no longer watch. If it had been a native girl... the man would have mutilated her beyond recognition. He shifted his eyes but there was no place to rest them. Wherever he turned, sights from worst nightmares met his eyes. Here a person was kicking another to death, there another was slicing his own skin open with a sick fervour. On his right a man was cracking skulls open of the shivering in a crouch ones, while on the left a person was vomiting blood, his own blade in his stomach. And he was cackling so loud it overshadowed the screams for a moment. Then he was dead and the wails rose in a wave to crash against Marion¡¯s ears. He fell to his knees, legs unable to keep him up. Fear permeated his skin, seeped into his bones, reaching for the core of his being. There was little he could do to fight it back. He had seen battlefields. Death wasn¡¯t a new thing for him. Dismembered bodies, ones swollen from poison or rotting. He had seen them all and had little reaction. But this... This was nothing alike. It was no fight. People simply slaughtered each other, and themselves. There was no order or reason to it. Nothing he could anchor to. No safe haven existed in that field of madness. A crack distracted him from his ravings. His unfocused gaze searched for the source when he felt himself sliding. Hands reached to hold onto something but there was only hard ground. It was still frozen after the winter, his fingers making indentations as he went down. Ground welcomed him with a cold grip. Something snapped on impact. Pain blinded him. He tried to get hands beneath himself, push up but his body refused. It hurt too much, limbs were too weak. ¡±Help!¡± he called out but only gurgles left his mouth. He couldn¡¯t recognise his own voice. It was nothing more than a pointless babble, noises without meaning. That wasn¡¯t right. With shaking hands, he touched his face. It was cut in several places but nothing major. His jaw was still attached to his face. But breathing was getting hard. He could hardly take in air. His hand moved to his neck, catching on a strange protrusion. Immeasurable pain flashed through his being. It pulsed in his veins as he felt his life ebbing away. He was dying. The realisation should have terrified him but instead it brought peace. It would be all over. Screams even now tormenting his ears, pain driving him mad and the knowledge that he had lost. Something had interfered with his plans, destroyed them until there was nothing left. As he thought that, a shadow above caught his attention. It most likely was just a hunting bird, but in his dazed gaze it looked like a boy. Little golden haired monster. It flew to him through a mist of blurriness. Marion had a hard time keeping his eyes open. Was there a smile on that angelic face? He squinted to see better but another shadow blocked his vision. This was larger, and closer. Man with a giant sabre held in both his hands. He raised them to take a swing and Marion closed his eyes. He left with a childlike giggle resounding in his mind. 9.8 Hope Author''s Note; Is it me or the last chapter has way too many views? What happened there? Also, this chapter was supposed to be normal length... But then the place where Ace enters the room wasn''t interesting enough to end on and I decided to pull the next chapter''s scene here. And I kind of lost track of time... Hope you enjoy this extra long chapter ^^ *** Fred kept on running. The mirror walls were growing closer around him, misshapen shadows taunting from the reflections. Was that him or someone was behind him? He slowed to glance backwards but there was nothing. His own terrified eyes stared at him from a dozen of mirrors. No, wait! There was something moving. Terror gripped his heart and he started turned to run again. He had to escape. There was always a way out. If he could only find it. ¡°Where you going?¡± a throaty whisper asked Fred. He froze in place, looking backwards with trepidation. But there was nothing there. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked, his voice shaking so much he couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying. But the voice did. It chuckled, showing beside him. Without a thought Fred punched it but his hand encountered only cold glass. It broke from the force, sharp pieces cutting his skin. The creature, some shadowy figure, chortled . Fred rushed through the broken mirror to enter a circular room. All around him were mirrors. His heart lurched as he noticed his entrance gone. Twelve reflections of himself looked back at him, each as perfect as the other. Some shadow made its way into one, playing to be teasing the images. It pretended to pull his ears, bite into the neck. Fred¡¯s body shook as he went for attack once more. This was a game. If he only killed the creature, it would be all over. He repeated that to himself. Wishing with all his might it was true. Not believing in the least. His fist met the mirror, breaking it. But as he pulled the hand back, the pieces glued back up. There were cracks lining the surface but it was whole. He hit again and it was the same, couple more lines adding up. The creature laughed at him. It rolled from behind the mirror, pointing fingers at him. Then it stopped, eyes growing wide and motioned behind Fred¡¯s back. The man fisted his hands, refusing to be taunted. Next moment he saw a blade coming out of his heart. Reda pulled her sword out, breathing heavy. The clown was dead. It was dead. Still, it turned its neck all the way around to make a face at her. If that wasn¡¯t enough, his gruesomeness was reflected in a dozen mirrors surrounding her. ¡°You¡¯re dead, girlie,¡± it told her, voice thick. As she stared, spiders started coming out of it. They crawled all over the thing¡¯s face, body and then towards her. She jumped back, slipped on something and fell backwards. As if sensing her misfortune, the little critters increased their speed. Reda tried to stand up, run but the spiders were on her feet already. She tried to trample them, kicked but they kept on coming. Their little feet moved on her bare skin. A bite tore a scream from her throat. She flailed trying to get them off her but there were hundreds of them. They were coming and coming, crawling all over her. Soon she was buried, or lost consciousness. It was hard to say what happened first. Petal saw the lying monster and smashed its head with a hammer. She wasn¡¯t certain it was dangerous but didn¡¯t plan on taking chances. Something had gone horribly wrong. One moment she was marching with her band of mercenaries and the next, she was alone. Mirror walls had risen to surround her and monsters of different ilk came at her throat. They ranged from shadowy figures and ghosts to clowns and moving puppet dolls. None were too strong but where had they come? It was disconcerting. She had tried to contact her team members but only the most hardcore players replied. They told her they were having the same experiences, having to fight for their life in this unknown place. Had they been teleported? Or was this a trick spell? Some ancient magical trap to prevent invaders from reaching the castle? If that was the case, they were in deep trouble. Petal had been in a number of dungeons and had only once seen this level of chaotic magic. It had been long ago but her whole guild had been eradicated and none dared to enter the place since then. Water dripped somewhere. Petal listened and made her way carefully towards the sound. Her hammer was held tight in right hand, battered oak shield in the left. At first there was no change, mirrors in all directions. Five minutes of walking and then she was in another room. It was pitch black but she knew it was another circle. All the confrontations happened in them. Carefully, she walked by the wall, trying to determine where the sound was coming from. Drip, drip, drip. It was close now. Was it in the middle? Should she venture there? As if hearing her thoughts, candles lighted. Their warm glow fell on a macabre composition in the middle. For a moment, Petal didn¡¯t understand what she was seeing. Then all energy fled from her, weapons dropping at her feet. Quickly followed by her body. On a pedestal lay a heap of meat. Limbs cut off and thrown into a pile. It rose towards the ceiling, making a cone shaped structure. Around it like a Christmas garland was woven a string with heads of her followers. Each had an expression of horror twisting its features, nameless terror frozen in their blank stares. Candles were attached to their foreheads to illuminate them better. So she would recognise more easily. Tears mixed with screams until Petal was no longer sure what she was doing. Fingers tore into her scalp, clawed at her eyes, trying to get the sight out. But it stayed there. Those dead gazes looked at her with one question in their depths. Why? Why did she leave them to this fate? She had no answer. No excuse. What was she to say? They had all died because of her. How could she have thought she was fit to be a leader? It tore her to even consider that. *** High above, a young child was swinging in the air. His hands were clenched into small fists, narrowed eyes rowing over the ground. They passed the few remaining players and set on a castle in a distance. What he saw there brought a frown to his face. ¡°Why am I even doing this?¡± he asked himself. ¡°I destroy hundreds of lives to save a few?¡± He laughed. ¡°Will they even be saved?¡± It was a stupid question. He had saved the city. Marion was dead, his army would be gone to the last person in a few minutes. Why did he not feel satisfied then? It was as if he was missing something. Very important something. Ace scowled at the thought. He knew what that was. Once again he had done something spectacular but was there anyone to congratulate him? Would anyone come out of their way to say he had done well? He could be proud of himself? No. They would run in all directions, afraid to even meet his gaze. From now on, his name would become a legend in all the continents. It was known already but just as a petty killer. Some kind of a local loony. This would change that. But what did it matter to him? When did others¡¯ opinions mattered to him? It wasn¡¯t like he had ever cared about them. He followed the rules only when they served his purpose. ¡°That¡¯s crazy,¡± he muttered to himself, shifting in his position to take a look at the ground. Two people were still standing. He made them see things so they killed each other and it was done. He had won. Whatever that meant. Without much consideration he flew towards the castle. There might be a person he could talk to. Maybe Monthu would understand him. That would be nice. He stopped himself midway. ¡°I¡¯m not that clingy little child,¡± he hissed to himself. ¡°I never was and not planning to start!¡± Pushing himself off the fields he dived to the ground and found the tent he had cooked his poisons in. It was too large for him alone, but he put his back against the wall and closed his eyes. Time to log off. After leaving the cabin, he checked his laptop but it was empty. No messages. Maybe his parents were busy, he thought and went to sleep. Keeping that illusion for hours took a toll on his mind. It was dull and making rational thoughts were like trying to swim in a swamp. Not the smartest idea. Sleep took him the moment he lay his head. No nightmares plagued his mind and he woke up refreshed. Sun was trying to get through his curtains, peeking here and there but this time he¡¯d closed the fabric tight. No random rays strayed to his bed, waking him earlier than he wanted. It took him awhile to get up. The warmth of the covers begged him to stay. He surrendered to it for some time, napping another half an hour before managing to leave. The kitchen was half-empty so he had to go to a shop. For a moment he considered just ordering something, but chose against. It was early enough he could get something closer to real food without encountering too many people. Most would be at work or in school for some three hours more. Kirin ran his errands quickly and came back home with a bag of products. His cooking consisted of boiling five eggs but his parents would be back soon. They had promised to return on his birthday. It was next week, though, they hadn¡¯t sent any notifications so far. Could they have been delayed? Or did they work overtime to be able to come to him? Well, it wasn¡¯t the first time they were so busy they couldn¡¯t warn about their coming. Tomorrow or the day after, he would find them on the doorstep. Or have them wake him up from the game. He smiled at the thought. It would be nice to see their faces first thing after leaving the cabin. The dreary colours of his room were making him sick. All those toys and posters, silly things a child was supposed to have and enjoy. He shook his head, making his way back to the cabin. Play now, have fun in real life later on. As he closed the doors, a thought struck him. With nimble fingers he typed in a password for opening from the outside, allowing innumerable amount of attempts. He had never used it before so not to give away his cabin had a password, but now seemed like a good time. No one else would be able to interrupt his game. Just his parents. They would have to guess a couple of times until a thought would come. A memory of the time they asked him to remember something if he wanted a birthday present. It had been a fun outing, one of the best of his memories and it would put a smile on his parents¡¯ faces. They would know he remembered, and appreciated what they had done. It was going to be great. He checked everything was done and strapped himself in. Now there was a city that needed saving. Without him around it managed to get itself into trouble, repeatedly. Mirage met him inside, neighing softly. Ace petted his nostrils before pushing him away. ¡°Let me get up,¡± he said with a yawn. He stretched standing up, took a peek through the tent¡¯s open flap. Evening had descended. Sun¡¯s disc had set beyond the horizon and night put its heavy blanket on the world. No moon shone to light it up. [Flare] left its hiding place, giving the world a blueish hue. Ace smiled at it, sighing as he motioned for Mirage to go outside. It was time to return to the city. Doubtful anyone was waiting for him but still. There was no other place for him to go. As he was getting on the horse, he caught a glimpse of himself in an abandoned pot. He was dressed in darkness with a fox¡¯s mask on but no hood. His blonde curls gleamed, framing his ghostly face. Blueish light didn¡¯t go well with his pale skin. Or it was perfect depending how one saw it. This way he looked like a dead creature come back to life. Some horror of the past come to haunt people of today. His missing hood made all the difference. Under it, Ace had hidden and Wing came out. The assassin was cloaked in shadow, his features hidden from view but now they were on display. Did Ace want to come in looking like this? Wouldn¡¯t that be some kind of statement? He smiled at the distorted reflection on the pot and pulled his mask upwards. It no longer hid the top of his face but rested on his forehead. ¡°Perfect,¡± he said, taking Kris out from his bag and fastening to his belt. This wasn¡¯t the safest way to keep a dagger but its shape would be known to many. A number of people in the castle would be intimately familiar with the intricate twists and turns of the blade. For some reason, he felt it was important they knew who he was. From the outlanders, none would know Ace. Wing was a different talk but his trademark was fox mask and midnight blue cloak. Something he was missing now. Oh, and [Flare]. He made the little light raise higher so it hovered a head above him to the right. This way it lighted his path little to none at all but looked dangerous. It showered him in ghostly colours while leaving his face in shadow. And he knew his eyes were crimson orbs. They always did that when he planned to do something crazy. Or stupid. Latter was clearly the choice now. But it was decided. He jumped on Mirage and whispered to him the city¡¯s name. The horse neighed in disapproval but started to trot in the right direction. His pace was slow, giving Ace plenty of time to change his mind but he just gazed around. Desolation was clear where they passed. Some days in-game must have passed while he slept but there was no longer any sign of the fight. Budding grass was trampled into hard ground, bushes broken but that was all. No bodies, pieces of armour or blood stains. It was clear as if nothing had happened. He had killed over a thousand players and NPCs, many more probably, but there was not the slightest sign. Wasn¡¯t nature supposed to remember? Or was it the other way around? It didn¡¯t care about petty human wars, continuing as if nothing had happened. In a game world just showing that much more obviously. As he thought that, the city gates came into view. They were battered from the first assault, patched up after but the wear showed. To Ace it looked like they would crumble from the softest of touches. Maybe that was why no one closed them for the night? When he approached, he felt two people huddling in the corner. They snapped to attention at his approach, barring the entrance with their spears. ¡°Who wants to enter the free city of Lasran?¡± they asked in unison. ¡°Free city of Lasran?¡± Ace asked with a chuckle. Now that was a new title. ¡°I dare say you better let me in,¡± he suggested as he heard a group of players making their way to him. ¡°It would be better for everyone.¡± ¡°Is he trying to force his way in?¡± a young man in his thirty¡¯s asked. He had a longbow on his shoulder and an array of throwing daggers strapped to his belt. Behind him there were some ten players. All of them wore shiny armour and were armed to the tooth. High-levelled and rich. There was no question whether they were from around here. The guards were puzzled for a second from such sudden aid. ¡°Yes..! No...!¡± both said one over another. ¡°We can deal with him. Its just a child.¡± ¡°Child?¡± the archer asked with his eyes narrowing. He came closer to take a better look and Ace let him, he even moved [Flare] to give more light. ¡°So, the infamous murderer makes his entrance,¡± he drawled. Being named child and murderer played on Ace¡¯s nerves but he kept his temper in check. He wanted to get into the city, not start a new killing spree. No matter how much the person before him deserved it. ¡°What happened? Did the cat got your tongue, little boy?¡± Ace closed his eyes for a moment longer. He was being taunted. The archer wanted to be attacked. For whether he won or lost, he could blame it on him. Who would believe an assassin¡¯s word that he was taunted into it? Not that it was much of an excuse. He turned from the man and faced the guards. ¡°Let me in,¡± he said in a sharp tone. The two men cowered from the menacing aura emanating from him and moved to get out of the way. But the archer stepped in. ¡°Not so fast, little boy!¡± he laughed. ¡°I need your credentials,¡± he said in a more serious tone. That note of sombreness was what stopped Ace from activating [Radiant Step] and just leaving. He tilted his head staring at the man but there wasn¡¯t anything special about him Dark brown hair, plain face and leather armour. It was as average as you could get. He shrugged. ¡°Ace, more well-known as Silver Wing.¡± ¡°I knew it!¡± the archer said with a hoop of joy, glancing at his companions to make sure they had heard. ¡°I told you he would come! This city is his bane!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ace asked with interest. ¡°Please, do tell me. I haven¡¯t heard this rumour yet.¡± The man half-laughed, half-glared at him. ¡°It¡¯s not a rumour but the truth! Even if you started in Mora, your travels always bring you back here. Something must be here that you constantly return to check-up on.¡± Ace sighed. ¡°You¡¯re reaching for things that aren¡¯t there,¡± he told them the truth, squeezing his hips to make Mirage move forwards. ¡°I have a contract with the city lord. Simple and complicated as that.¡± ¡°A contract would never bind someone with your strength,¡± the archer said with annoyance. He still stayed on the path, ignoring the horse that was moving straight at him. ¡°L would never have anything to keep your interest.¡± That was true but Ace had shared enough of it for the day. He put his hand on Mirage¡¯s back and the horse leaped. The archer had to roll to the side or be hit full force by a muscular beast three times his size. Wisely, he decided to dodge. Mirage touched the ground with a shake of its mane and galloped forward. There were shouts after but Ace ignored them. He aimed straight for the castle. People noted his flight through the streets but few paid any attention. It was dark and his clothes blended in with the night. For all the people cared, he could be just another messenger. With his sharp hearing, [All Ears], he knew they were wondering where he was rushing, whether something had happened. But soon the topics shifted, conversations returning to their original tracks. How soon he was forgotten. He pushed that thought off and focused on the growing castle. Somewhere there people were waiting for him. Monthu and L. They would want an explanation. Hopefully, they weren¡¯t asleep yet. Or gone. It would be just great if they had left the game to rest now, after everything had calmed down. What would he do then? He didn¡¯t get to entertain the thought for long as his patience made him look up the friend list. Both of them were online. Par and Aurora too. Hawk was present also but Ace hadn¡¯t seen him in a while. Where was he? Bright lights shone in Ace¡¯s eyes as Mirage rounded the corner. He turn away for them to adjust, wondering what was going on. L¡¯s castle had never been this bright. Every single window had a yellow glow in it while glimmering torches lined the walls. Front doors were wide open, golden light spilling into the night. Sound of people chattering reached his ears. Their voices were indiscernible but cheerful in tenor. Glasses clanged in a far room and laughter bounced off the walls. The merry sounds made a distinct contrast to the darkness surrounding Ace. He was all alone here while they were having fun. The horse neighed sensing his distress but Ace still jumped to the ground. He had come all this way, he wasn¡¯t backing out now. If nothing else, he could crash the party. That would give him something to do and refresh people¡¯s memory. After all, he was a killer at heart. It was only natural for him to attack his comrades along with his enemies. Nobody intercepted him at the doors. He passed as if it was his moved to where the light and sound was coming from. Each step was slower than the previous but he kept on moving. It was going to be fine. He would just find Monthu and be gone. As he approached the entrance, a trickle of sweat formed on his brow. He brushed it off with a sleeve while taking a deep breath. No one was going to notice him. He would just glide through and it would be over. There was nothing to agonise here about One step in and he knew it had been a lie. As if by someone¡¯s call, all eyes turned to him. Dancer¡¯s stopped in their tracks, scuttling to their seats. Music stopped and silence reigned. Everyone stared with their breaths held. Ace¡¯s body stiffened but he closed his eyes, waited a moment and straightened. A mocking smile formed on his lips as he gazed over the crowd. ¡°You celebrate the victory and don¡¯t invite me?¡± he asked in a jovial voice. His tone stayed the same as he continues, but eyes flashed dangerously at the last words. ¡°That¡¯s bad manners.¡± A squeak came from somewhere. Ace didn¡¯t look that way but strolled through the ballroom like it belonged to him. He stopped before a table, taking a sweet. ¡°Mhmm, this is quite good but it has too much sugar and that¡¯s unhealthy. You know that, right?¡± he asked two boys his age with hands full of the things. Their lips quivered as they met his eyes, then they dropped their loot and bolted. The sweets fell into a pitiful heap, staining the rich carper with chocolate. Ace shook his head at that and moved towards the musicians. ¡°Why so silent?¡± he asked with hands on his hips. ¡°Should I teach you to play or what?¡± There was terror in the musicians¡¯ eyes but they lifted their instruments. Fingers shook and an instrument was dropped. The man looked up at Ace as if expecting retribution for such clumsiness. ¡°Do you want me to pick it up for you?¡± ¡°No, no!¡± the man squeaked out and grabbed his violin. He held it so tight that wood should have splintered but this time it stayed on his shoulder. An attempt at music was made when he was ready. The orchestra was either horrible or too terrified but their music sounded awful. Ace wished he had never started with them but it was too late to back out now. Whatever was begun had to be finished one way or another. ¡°Silver Wing,¡± a voice called from the other side of the room. Ace recognised Monthu standing on the dais right beside L. ¡°The city¡¯s Lord wishes to speak with you.¡± ¡°Too bad,¡± Ace told his musicians. ¡°We could have had so much fun together,¡± he said as he turned. Then glanced backwards to add. ¡°But you should really practice a bit more.¡± He walked through the crowd with a sure step, meeting eyes with anyone who dared to look up. They would glance down instantly while his smile widened. By the time he reached the dais, he was beaming. ¡°My Lord,¡± he said with a mocking bow. ¡°Wing,¡± L acknowledged him with a nod. ¡°We have not expected you so soon.¡± ¡°That means I¡¯m right on time,¡± Ace said with a laugh. He walked up the dais and pulled up an empty chair. Etiquette dictated that he should wait to be invited to sit, leave since this was the place for commanders and people of note but he didn¡¯t care. He was sick and tired of this place. Why were they celebrating without him? Why did L say he was too early? Was there something happening he wasn¡¯t supposed to be aware of? A quick look over the dais said there was no one he didn¡¯t know. L, Monthu and some of their officers. None could be the secret he wasn¡¯t supposed to find out. What then? Empty seats caught his eyes. There were a number of them. Could it be the main guests hadn¡¯t arrived yet? Then he was on time for sure. No way was he missing an encounter that should have been hidden from him. They weren¡¯t going to easily get rid of him. ¡°Welcome to the Ball,¡± L said as if he hadn¡¯t heard Ace¡¯s tone. ¡°Please, come sit on my right.¡± That was unexpected. Why would L want him so close by? And in Monthu¡¯s place? Something wasn¡¯t right. He tried to think what it could be, but his mind came up empty. Everything seemed so normal. They had won. Marion was dead. There was nothing to stand in their way. So what were they hiding from him? The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Monthu mouthed for him to come. Maybe it was nothing too horrible? ¡°Well, how could I refuse such an offer?¡± he asked with a twist to his mouth as he stood up. He moved slowly but nothing happened. Easily he took up his seat between L and Monthu. They didn¡¯t say anything more to him but he could feel the tension. It was like a live vibrating thing between them. Yet Ace could see nothing wrong. It annoyed him to no end and he found himself shifting in his seat. The cupcake he had taken was barely nibbled on. They had passed their nerves onto him! But before he could exclaim in annoyance, sound of many booted feet reached his ears. He raised his head to see a dozen or so well-armoured warriors entering the ball. At their head was the archer from before. He made his way towards the dais, taking note of everyone in the crowd. His eyes lingered longer on Ace. ¡°So that¡¯s where the stray dog was hurrying. I didn¡¯t believe the rumours but you have trained him well,¡± he said jovially to L. Ace¡¯s fingers tightened on the utensils. That man, he was asking for it. L stood up to greet the newcomer. ¡°Welcome, Heighal. It is a pleasure to have you and your companions in my halls.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. It¡¯s a matter that concerns the whole world, after all,¡± the archer replied coming to sit on L¡¯s left. Others followed his lead and found places too. They took the empty seats, crowding the table. In Ace¡¯s opinion there were too many people here. He had a feeling it would be much more interesting to listen-in from below or hidden somewhere rather than sitting in the midst. Someone was surely going to try his patience. And he didn¡¯t have much of it on the best of days. When everyone settled, food was served. Ace ate with an appetite, wishing it wouldn¡¯t end. But soon it was over and conversations started. ¡°Who are they?¡± he asked Monthu quietly when no one was looking. ¡°Representatives of all the kingdoms come to confer. Heighal was chosen as their spokesperson since he owns the largest guild in the game,¡± Monthu answered without turning his head. ¡°He also despises you more than anything.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Does he really need a special reason?¡± The words stung. Ace gave Monthu a half-hearted smile as he turned away, ending the conversation. He had heard more than he wanted. Truth was great but one didn¡¯t always need to have it shoved his throat. There was a place for every meal but this wasn¡¯t it. He wanted peace now. Too much, apparently. Conversations started a round of gossiping, most about him. He could hear them wondering about his origin, reasoning. Various ideas were put out as to why he followed L. None of them right. It would have been interesting, even fun to listen to all that imagination running wild if he didn¡¯t feel like he was an outsider. He was often the centre of attention but never outside the circle at the same time. Now everyone kept on glancing his way, making meaningful nods but none approached him. Not a word was said his way while talks about him raged on. It was like he wasn¡¯t even there. Monthu on his right was talking to a magician and fighter. They were discussing the provisions needed for armies that were going to be here on the morrow. No, not here. Right by the monsters cave. The fight was upon them. One war was not enough. On the left, L was conversing with the archer. They planned the approach. This would be the largest event in the game¡¯s history. People from all the continents would fight together for survival. Many of them were already here, resting around the castle walls since nobody could find free space inside. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± L asked, somehow having felt his stare. Ace yawned at him. ¡°I am bored. Think I¡¯ll leave.¡± It was the most polite thing he could manage at the moment. Annoyance was brewing under his skin, begging him to do something stupid. He was fighting it for the moment but it was hard to say how long he could control himself. L had opened his mouth to say something, when Heighal sprung up. ¡°I thought to wait till we were in private but seems like your pet is an impatient one,¡± he said, addressing his words to L. It was as if he couldn¡¯t see Ace at all. ¡°So here¡¯s my piece. Everyone had agreed that your dog has to be put under a leash. He will have to be under constant surveillance until we have time to have a trial for him. Then, if we find him at fault for all his crimes, he will be expelled from the game.¡± There were gasps from the crowd but Ace felt his tension ease. Now this was something he was familiar with, a confrontation. ¡°And why do you think I will listen to him?¡± he asked in a voice overflowing with sarcasm. ¡°Shut it, dog,¡± one of the guests at the table snapped. Ace didn¡¯t hesitate. Before anyone could react he was on the person¡¯s shoulders, Kris right in-between the armour pieces. ¡°What did you say?¡± he asked sweetly in the man¡¯s ear. ¡°You ani-¡± he started but the archer interrupted. He seemed to like talking over others. ¡°L control your pet.¡± Ace chuckled at the words, shaking his head. ¡°Did you never consider that maybe it was the other way around?¡± He took Kris out from the mail pieces, its blade glistened with some poison. Now was as good a time as any to try it out. He cut at the man¡¯s cheek, waiting with interest for a reaction. It didn¡¯t take long. The man¡¯s body froze in motion, hands reaching to stop Ace¡¯s dagger. A message popped saying the poison would last for a minute. ¡®Pretty good,¡¯ he thought to himself, standing up on the man¡¯s shoulders. From there he jumped on the table, his previous stand crashing to the ground. He advanced on the archer. ¡°Did you think because I¡¯m a kid that I would be just a playing piece? That you can simply move me around on the board? Yes, I¡¯m in this city for a reason, and I help L from time to time. But don¡¯t think that means I¡¯m under anyone¡¯s command. I have my own reasons for doing things. Ones you will never figure out.¡± ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± Heighal asked, standing his ground. Ace had to admit he was a brave fellow. Most would have had run away by now. Or maybe the man was just an unbeliever. He didn¡¯t think Wing was all that much. Just a legend bloated from all the attention. ¡°Because you don¡¯t see me,¡± Ace said simply, taking a canister to pour himself a glass of wine. He raised it in a toast towards the archer and drank slowly. It was pretty good for an alcohol. There had never been time for him to understand him why adults loved it so much. He sneaked a sip on various occasions and of different drinks but none had been good. They all burned his throat, making him want to cough. But he didn¡¯t. And the whole ballroom just stared at him. He laughed at their stunned expressions. ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. You see what you want to see, not what¡¯s really underneath. You¡¯ll never figure me out. Not even if you had a thousand years.¡± ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a spoiled brat,¡± Heighal hissed. His face had gone white but now was changing into red. But it wasn¡¯t blind rage. Neither of his hands strayed towards his weapons. He knew he would never win such a bout. Still, he had called Ace a brat. His own dagger flew at the man, missing him a hair¡¯s breath. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t insult me again if I were you.¡± ¡°So, even the legendary monster has a soft spot,¡± the archer noted with a glint in his eyes. Brow¡¯s furrowed as he, most likely, started calculating what he could gain from that. Ace jumped off the table. The glass slipped from his fingers and crashed against the ground in million pieces. He landed right on them, walking towards his opponent without a care. His hands were empty when he approached Heighal and stared down at him. It wasn¡¯t easy being two heads smaller but he¡¯d had practice. ¡°Sure I do. And a dozen more. But I suggest you think before trying to antagonise me.¡± He lowered his voice so people would have to strain to hear him. ¡°I am Silver Wing, an assassin that has killed a whole town to the last person in a night. I am Ace, a mage with enough power to blast this whole city to ashes. Are you sure you want to push me over the edge?¡± The man blanched off at his words. ¡°You¡¯ve been too long on your throne, your power in an illusion!¡± he barked but there was hesitation in his words. No longer was he as sure of himself. Maybe there was still a way to make him see reason. ¡°Have I?¡± Ace asked, turning on his heel. He skipped to the table and took a small cake. His hands became sticky but the little sweet was glorious. Why couldn¡¯t he make such delicious things? Whenever he tried anything harder than an omelet or heating up food, it always ended in a burnt mess. His apparent distraction seemed to anger the archer. ¡°I am talking to you!¡± he roared, grabbing Ace by the hand. The kid¡¯s free hand darted to punch the man¡¯s chest at such speed, he released his grip in surprise. Ace used that time to fall on the ground and swipe the archer¡¯s feet from under him. As he landed heavily on his back, Ace stepped on his chest with the left foot and bent to whisper in his face, ¡°Don¡¯t you touch me.¡± He then whirled and started to stalk off the ballroom. No one tried to intercept him. From behind there were sounds of the archer standing up but he didn¡¯t care. This was over. He was done. Enough nonsense for one day. ¡°Stop him!¡± Heighal wheezed out. ¡°Stop him!¡± he repeated in a stronger voice. ¡°We can¡¯t let him leave this room!¡± Ace turned to regard him with cold amusement. What did he think about doing now? Did he believe anyone could stop Ace if he wanted to leave? But the man wasn¡¯t talking to him. ¡°Everyone, think about it! He¡¯s the monster that has plagued this country for far too long! How many deaths has he caused? How many traumas? This game is teetering on the edge of being banned because of him! He alone is the cause of all our problems! If he just wasn¡¯t here, this world would be a much greater place!¡± He talked more and waved his hands for impact but Ace no longer heard or saw him. His words had struck home. Without knowing it he cut a wound wide open and poured salt on it. Darkness pulled at the edge of Ace¡¯s eyesight. This world would be better off without him. That nagging thought had always been at the corner of his mind. What good had he ever done to anyone? By simply being born he destroyed his parents¡¯ only chance at having a happy, carefree youth. They near killed themselves trying to provide for him. As he grew the sickness came and it ostracised their family. Not in a way that they were no longer welcome, but that they were special. No longer anyone talked to his parents as normal people but the owners of a magical beast. All attention was showered on his little being, conversations always finding a way to come about him. It came to the point where there simply wasn¡¯t anything else others would talk about. He had come to be like a deity. This was a silly way to put it but that was how he felt. Kirin wasn¡¯t a boy, he was someone special. A creature called Ang that always smiled or needed to be restrained otherwise. After all, a kid could only be happy. No worries ever entered his mind. Just play and sweets. Bile rose in his throat. His presence had turned the villagers that way. They had been normal people before; friendly, joking, sometimes tired, other times exhausted. But they had been real. Normal. Not caricatures of human beings, mad fanatics. All worlds would be better off without him. He raised his head to meet eyes with a hundred people. There was fear in their depths but resignation shown too. And the archer was still talking. ¡°... was not a fight! He slaughtered those people with their own hands! More than half received serious mental trauma! Isn¡¯t this supposed to be just a game? ¡°How can he do this to others? He is insane and needs to be stopped, or many others will get hurt because of him! My very own sister was in that battle! She was a proud leader of a mercenary group, nothing scared her! But were you to see her now, she¡¯s whimpering under her blankets, unable to voice her fears. ¡° His voice rose as he talked. It was filled with genuine fury, hatred lining each word. Ace wasn¡¯t surprised at the emotion. Monthu had been right. He was a monster. What did it matter why anyone despised him? There were a hundred reasons, all of them right. ¡°What could it have been to reduce strength to weakness, turn bravery into fear? Can you imagine what has to be happening in his mind to conjure such imagery? And we know, all he did was create an illusion! He sat in the air, watching and laughing as his imagery maimed other people!¡± There were murmurs in the crowd. They were gaining courage. Some shifted in their places, hands settling on hidden weapons. Ace wondered when they were going to attack him. It was so tiring to wait. They would come and he would kill them all. Each and every one, till there was not a single soul present in this room. Then he would pretend it had never happened. Start another story. Only problem was that despite all that there had always been a place to return to. Monthu¡¯s group had existed for him. Sometimes they had been angry, sometimes annoyed but always there. No matter how well, or bad his story went, he knew he could return to the old one. Continue from where he left off. But now that was gone. Hawk was still lost somewhere in the mountains. Par didn¡¯t like playing when it was war, because he had been hurt and then asked to apologise. Aurora didn¡¯t even like the game. Monthu¡¯s group had ceased to exist and all of that was Ace¡¯s fault. He tried to push the guilt away but this time it held. It¡¯s sharp talons cut into his skin, forcing him to look straight in the eye of his actions. He was ... ¡°He is the Devil!¡± Heighal roared and the crowd answered with a scream of approval. The devil... Well, that was as good as any word to describe him. Somewhat biblical and silly but it resonated with the meaning. After all, wasn¡¯t the devil a form encompassing all human fears? And Ace fit that description to the letter. He was crazy, unpredictable, cruel and mocking. His young age only made it look more wrong. Children weren¡¯t supposed to be like this. He was an abomination. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going too far?¡± a voice asked from the dais. It was clear and strong, reaching to the far corner of the room. ¡°You call him the devil for doing what he was begged to.¡± ¡°What?¡± Heighal asked, staggering a step back from the unexpected assault of words. Monthu turned towards the crowd. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel any shame for conspiring to kill a young man?¡± he asked, looking at each party member in turn. Most stared back at him unblinking, sure in their belief but a few cowered. They turned away from the stage. But his next words called their attention back. ¡°You condemn him for saving the city. But what right do you have to do that? His actions might be debatable but what did you do? You hid behind your walls and hoped to live. You didn¡¯t want to experience death even if you knew it would be short-lived. ¡°Instead you sent others to do your work. He was one of those sent with an order to do whatever he can to protect this city. And he did it. Not only once but twice. Twice, you hear me? ¡°First he found a way to give us so needed time. We did our best with it but it was still not enough. He had tried to prevent the worst, but there were no more options left. The city was to be destroyed or he would have to do something immoral.¡± Monthu¡¯s words grew in strength as he continued enrapturing his audience. Young child in the back most of all. ¡°And he chose! You think that was easy? He¡¯s a killer you would say? True. He is an assassin but this is a game. Some people like creating empires, others making art while others the adrenaline rush of fighting for their lives. ¡°That does not mean they enjoy killing. People don¡¯t die here. This is a game!¡± he roared to the crowd. It made the people shuffle in the seats, their expressions ranging from white sheen of fear to pinkness of embarrassment. Monthu gave them time to take in his words before returning to his speech. This time he started on a softer note, making people quiet down to hear him. ¡°However, this time was different. He is an assassin, one person couldn¡¯t kill a whole army alone. So he chose. For you ungrateful cowards he risked his own sanity. He did what you can¡¯t even comprehend! Can you imagine the pain of having to see the horror of that place he created? You caught only glimpses while he had to live it! And it¡¯ll never leave his mind! All done for your sakes!¡± Something moved on his left. Monthu looked at it from the corner of his eyes and saw Heighal stepping forward. He had crossed his arms, determination and indignation clear on his face. This was not what Monthu needed. He had to kick this inquisitor down from his pedestal. ¡°You!¡± he rounded on the man with an accusation in his voice. ¡°You are the very worst of the lot.¡± The young man brittled at his words. ¡°What? I didn¡¯t...¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Monthu said with a chill in his voice. ¡°You did absolutely nothing. You had the largest army this world had seen under your command and did nothing. The fact that you had agreements and alliances with the city lord didn¡¯t make you move a single finger. ¡°Worse your very own sister fought for the enemy. And you dare to rally people against Ace? He saved the city while you as well might have been on the enemy¡¯s side, yet you dare condemn him?¡± He waited a second than added. ¡°Who do you think you are to choose for the people of this city? Or do you think them so stupid they can¡¯t make choices without your aid?¡± A look from the corner of his eyes said his ruse worked. The crowd looked surprised for a moment, then indignation lit in their eyes. Heads were shaken in disapproval, hands crossed while a low murmur rolled through the room. He had them now. ¡°So?¡± he asked coming to stand before the man. They were close to the same height, but Monthu had the whole crowd behind his back. There was no way this youngster could stand against the pressure. Heighal was smart and crafty, daring but it was clear he was a rich man¡¯s son. The way he talked, moved, his whole presence called for attention. It made Monthu believe the man got what he wanted more often than not. He wasn¡¯t used to fighting too hard. Just the right word here and there, and it was done. But he wasn¡¯t getting it this time. Monthu had seen the way Ace had looked after being insulted numerous times. He had tried to calm himself, keep the anger in but there was a limit to everyone. Still, he had not killed. It was a show of more restraint than Monthu had ever thought him possessing. Yet, the thing that made him stand up was the expression on the kid¡¯s face. Everyone had been watching Heighal so no one noticed, but Ace was listening in the back. At first he was amused but soon his smile faded, his face twisting with emotions coursing through him. His eyes were too far to see but Monthu could imagine seeing the depths of suffering there. He wouldn¡¯t be able to hide it. His body was already betraying him. The kid¡¯s hands wrapped around himself as if holding him together, something wet glistened in his eyes. And then it was all gone. His muscles loosened up, stance straightened and he turned to gaze at Heighal with an apathetic look. The blankness of his expression scared Monthu more than anything in his life had. ¡°I -¡± Heighal tried, bringing Monthu¡¯s attention back to the scene at hand. ¡°You just want to discredit me!¡± he said in a shrill voice. ¡®You¡¯re doing it yourself,¡¯ Monthu thought but didn¡¯t tell him that. The man would have to learn that for himself. Instead, he pushed him farther now. ¡°Am I? Did I lie?¡± ¡°No, bu-¡± ¡°Then answer my question without any excuses!¡± Monthu growled at him. ¡°You slink and mislead, try to fool everyone but lose your calm when faced with the truth. You could have solved everything but didn¡¯t. And now that someone else stood up for the task, you want to discredit him. Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself?¡± The crowd echoed his words. Boos and hoots rang loud in the large room. Heighal turned to face the people, unable to comprehend how this had happened. One moment they had been in his pocket and the next shooing him off the stage. His people quickly stood up from their places, coming to surround him. That moment both Monthu and Heighal knew he had lost. The way they fell into a protective circle showed that he feared being attacked. He was guilty of something. Whatever that was, the crowd did not care. Their voices rose in anger, disappointment. Some even shouted their disgust at the man. Heighal was done for. He quickly hightailed his way out with L chasing after. ¡°It was nice of you to visit! I hope we can have a pleasant ride tomorrow!¡± Monthu ignored them all and made his way down to the back of the dais. From there he discreetly joined the roused people. They had stood up and were talking in elevated tones, words spilling out in a rush. He quickly made his way to the back. Ace had moved to the shadow, his form concealed by the darkness. Only his pale face was visible. But that was enough. Monthu took his hand, ¡°Shall we head out?¡± The boy didn¡¯t answer but didn¡¯t resist the pull either. They walked silently through the eerie castle. The quietness, lack of light was in stark contrast to the celebratory room they had just left. It was also refreshing. Monthu thought he understood why the kid preferred this kind of place. There was no one to interrupt you. No sound to disturb your peace, distract your mind. Troubles could be left behind since all your senses had to strain to survive in this environment. Was that the sound of wind or a sword brushing against brick? Did he see a shadow move or was that just a trick of the torchlight coming from outside? ¡°Why did you do that?¡± the kid asked suddenly. Monthu stopped and turned to face him. Was that the thought behind his troubled look? ¡°Because he was talking nonsense? He had to be shut up.¡± He didn¡¯t admit he hadn¡¯t planned for that to happen. Only the pain in the kid¡¯s body language compelled him to act. ¡°But there was nothing for you to gain from it. People might have even forgotten about my lie that you were my boss. Now they would be even more sure of that.¡± He hadn¡¯t considered that. It dampened his mood somewhat but the expression on the kid¡¯s face assured him he had done right. The fragility in those blue orbs was unmistakable. With a sigh, he lowered himself to the ground. He then petted the place next to him. Ace looked uncertain but followed. ¡°I don¡¯t care what people think,¡± he said, not looking at the boy but the wall opposite him. ¡°I would like to say that but it would be a lie. I do. Still, that man was wrong. He had no right to accuse you. It was all of our fault for not being stronger and able to stop the danger ourselves. You saved this city. That is the important part. He turned to smile at Ace. ¡°I just defended the defender. Sometimes even the strongest need help.¡± His expression sobered when he thought about his reputation. ¡°As to what that will mean to me, we will see. We have to deal with problems as they come. There¡¯s no point in worrying about a future that may never come.¡± This was a lesson life had taught him hard. So many things going wrong, it had repeatedly seemed like the end of the world. Yet somehow, he was still here, a successful businessman with enough free time to make a name for himself in a game. ¡°Kirin Harthorn,¡± the boy whispered softly, leaning to rest his head on Monthu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What?¡± ¡°My full name is Kirin Harthorn. I wish...¡± he started but cut off the sentence. Instead he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. As if upon an afterthought he added. ¡°Visit me sometime.¡± 9.9 Innocence Author''s Note: Holidays. Exam Month. Moving out. Bad Plans. Now that it''s out of the way, ENJOY! *** ¡°My full name is Kirin Harthorn,¡± those words kept repeating in Monthu¡¯s head long after the kid had fallen asleep. At first there was a second of elation, he thought about how great it would be to truly meet the boy and learn more of him, then reality reasserted itself in his mind. There was no happy ending for this story. Par¡¯s parents were recording all his actions in-game and would hear this soon enough. A day or two might pass in this place but it would happen. They would come to pick him up to celebrate while rushing to the kid¡¯s place. Threats and destruction would follow their wake. Kirin¡¯s identity was the only thing keeping him safe. He clearly had no immense fortune or status to save him. And his adoptive parents had both, weren¡¯t afraid to use either to get what they wanted. If destroying the kid¡¯s life would make him leave their child alone, they were going to do it without a second thought. It was their way of caring for him. Not paying attention to him, not being in his life but watching from up above, controlling his every step. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time they removed someone they thought was bad influence. /Where are you?/ L¡¯s message came. /I need to talk to you. Both/ Monthu sighed. There was little point to continue onward. This peace wasn¡¯t going to last. Two days, three at maximum and it would end. That¡¯s no time at all. Blink of an eye. ¡°Mhmm,¡± Ace murmured, his eyes flickering open. He purred like a kitten as he stretched his limbs. A whole head wide yawn followed right after. ¡°Does L need us?¡± he asked in a quiet voice. ¡°How..?¡± There was a soft smile on the kid¡¯s lips. ¡°He would be the only one needing you at such an hour.¡± ¡°You also,¡± Monthu said pushing himself off the wall. ¡°I don¡¯t think he liked our disrespect to his guest.¡± Ace stood up and dusted his clothes. There was a frown on his face at the greyed fingers but he shook them off, brushing against his trousers. ¡°Who was he anyway?¡± ¡°As I mentioned before, he¡¯s the commander of the whole continent¡¯s army. It is more of a title but he has a lot of influence in his hands. And he has a vendetta against Silver Wing. One that had started long before the events of L and Marion¡¯s war.¡± The kid listened distractedly when his head snapped upwards to stare at Monthu. ¡°Is that why you didn¡¯t want me to be there?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s a dangerous man and L didn¡¯t want for you two to have a confrontation. It could only complicate the joint mission.¡± He started walking as he said the last words. The boy didn¡¯t answer and they walked in silence until Monthu decided to add. ¡°Though, I don¡¯t think L will fault you for what happened. You weren¡¯t the one that started it, nor did you kill him or his companions.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Ace answered. He wondered himself why that had happened. How was the man still alive? It wasn¡¯t normal. He didn¡¯t leave people that annoyed him alive. That just didn¡¯t happen. Was he changing? Becoming more mellow? It was a scary thought. He didn¡¯t want to be a weakling like others. His ruthlessness was what kept him above. It was that and his pride in having little to no pride. If grovelling would earn him what he wanted, he would do so. It was the end result that mattered. Wasn¡¯t it? He watched the man walking before him and wondered if that was true. He had always heard that it was the journey that was important, not the destination. Those words had always confused him but now he had a weird feeling they kind of made sense. Before entering the game it had always been about the end result; getting rid of his followers, finding a peaceful corner, being alone. All those times he had never cared what he did. It was but getting to that moment of rest. But now that he thought about the game, it had rarely been about the end result. He had played with people for no other reason than that he was bored. At times he did things without even knowing what the consequences would be. He just tricked Monthu and others to see their reactions, what they would do. So, did that mean he had been changing all this time? Was he a different person than the one who had started the game? A look at his hand showed that it was the same. Whitish flesh covered a bony hand. He had seen this sight for ten years. Wouldn¡¯t it be different if he had really changed? It was a waste of time to ponder such things. He had grown inside or not, it mattered little. Events to come will show. The meeting with L was a swift one. He had looked bedraggled, pissed and relieved at the same time. He didn¡¯t ask any questions or demand excuses. They were told to go mount the horses and join the leading party. The first armies were reaching Lasran and had to be shown the way to the right mountain. L would join them later when he took a few hours of sleep. The talk with Heighal had been a long one, and overly tiresome. They weren¡¯t explained the conclusion but it seemed like L had achieved something through negotiations. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have been left off so easy. As they were going to the stables, Monthu asked over his shoulder. ¡°Would you mind going with Par? He¡¯s been waiting to talk to you again.¡± ¡°I-¡± Ace wasn¡¯t certain how to continue. At the same time he felt like going and running away. He had promised the kid to be friends with him the next time they met. He had said he only needed one thing to do. And that thing was over. Marion was gone. There was nowhere he really needed to go. Unless he created it right now. Did he want to? Was he that much of a scaredy cat? Afraid to be friends with a little kid? Worst part was he knew he was. Being friends was like taking a dagger and putting it at your neck. It didn¡¯t matter if the person wanted to or not, but one day he would shift, change his position and the dagger would plunge in. Meant or not, betrayal destroyed you from the inside all the same. Was he ready to risk everything once more? ¡°I will try,¡± he said to Monthu¡¯s questioning look. There was too much understanding in there but Ace pretended not to see it. ¡°Where is he now?¡± ¡°Aurora took him to ride outside, they should meet up with us at the gates.¡± Too soon. Way too soon. But there was no escaping it. Not without proving to himself what a coward he was. He found Mirage munching on grain in the stall. The horse welcomed him with a neigh and Ace scratched its ear absent-mindedly. Before he could cast any spells, Mirage lowered itself, allowing for easy get up. ¡°Thanks,¡± Ace muttered, not paying much attention to the fact he was still in the stall. It wasn¡¯t as if he really had to lead the horse out. He was smart enough to do it himself. Monthu took longer but soon he was out too with a chestnut mare. He saddled her with practice and they were off. There was no one at the gates so they continued forward. The army they were supposed to meet was a few kilometres to the east for there was a better path there to the mountains. No need to jump off a high ledge like Ace had done with his party so long ago. Skele had been with them then, levitating most of the group down. In some ten minutes of galloping they saw the dust cloud of the army. They snaked through the plains far out of eye¡¯s reach. Ace tried counting the number in sight but it was impossible. There were just too many marching bodies in that column. One very wide at that. ¡°This one yours, I think,¡± Monthu said with a look at the flag. It was blue with a diving seagull at the centre. ¡°There¡¯s more people coming?¡± Ace asked in wonder. There had to be thousands in this army already. How much more exactly was there players in this game? And had all of them come to Oradin kingdom? ¡°Plenty more,¡± Monthu answered, pulling on his reigns. His mare turned so he was facing more southward. ¡°I¡¯ll try looking for mine there. Though, I¡¯d think they would be able to follow another¡¯s trail if they really wished to come.¡± Ace smiled at that but didn¡¯t say anything. He motioned for Mirage to speed up and left his companion. There was a huge part of him that was happy they had missed Par and Aurora. More time to think, or more like postpone the thinking. When he reached the general of the army, he wasn¡¯t pleased to meet a kid. Ace introduced himself as Silver Wing then. This, if anything, made the man double up and act more respectfully. He still had his reservations, uncertain of being told the truth but he didn¡¯t risk it. No one wanted to anger the mass killer. That was as well with Ace. He kept his cool, riding in silence and that was all. Mirage led the head of the column where he wanted. Ace thought he should check if they were going to the right place but his memory was somewhat hazy. He had never went through this side to the mountains. Why did L even think he knew the way? It wasn¡¯t as if Ace had ever travelled with a map. Half of his time was spent wandering in random directions and the other using [Mirror Walk]. Neither of which suggested him as the guide of the month. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of hoof beats out of order. They were too fast for a marching animal. It was in a hurry. He turned to see Par galloping on a white horse, his hair flying wild as he clutched his reins with a horrified expression. Pure terror shone in his eyes as he saw himself ramming into the column, unable to stop his animal. Ace nudged Mirage and the horse turned to glance at the oncoming attack. He huffed, shaking its head and left the head of the column. Without a hurry he trotted towards the galloping animal, raising on hind legs when they were no more than ten meters apart. The mare neighed loud, stopping without a warning. Her back bent and reins slipped through the boy¡¯s fingers as he was thrown off. Ace activated [Void Step] just in time to catch him before ground met him. ¡°You okay?¡± he asked somewhat worried. After a lot of wheezing and shaking, Par replied. ¡°Yeah...Th-thanks.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Ace answered, carrying him along to Mirage on [Radiant Step]¡¯s fields. Once they were settled he asked, ¡°Why were you in such a rush?¡± ¡°I-I ran away from Aurora,¡± he said with his cheeks red. It was hard to say whether they were so from exertion or embarrassment. Ace was incredulous. He stared at the kid, unable to believe his answer. Had he seriously just said that? He ran away from his caretaker? That wasn¡¯t natural! ¡°Why?¡± he asked after a long moment. The boy glanced at him from under lowered head. ¡°I- I wanted to talk to you. Aurora said that it wasn¡¯t a good idea and thought I wouldn¡¯t notice if we rode in another direction.¡± Anger surged through Ace. Who this Aurora thought she was? He might have not wanted to meet up with Par but she wasn¡¯t one to decide. Nobody gave her the power to it. Especially when she was told to do otherwise. But the emotions soon resided as he was reminded of the matter at hand. Par was here. They would have to talk. And he would have to make a decision. Now. Not in a day or two. Not even an hour. But now. Here in this place. Right this moment. Could he? ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡± he asked as a way to stall for time. But it wasn¡¯t meant to be. Par looked up at him with a serious expression, his eyes shining like two little gems. ¡°Have you finished with your work?¡± It was the one question Ace hadn¡¯t wanted to hear. ¡°I...¡± he started without clear idea how to finish when his senses tingled. He glanced upwards to see a cloud of arrow like objects descending on him and the group. Shouts rose in the army as steel shields and magical barriers were raised in defence. Thorn sized projectiles fell harmlessly off them but the warning was off. Warriors unsheathed their blades and straightened in their positions. Next to them a group of supportive casters started buffing up their champions. Soon the whole army was awash with colour as spells went off infusing players with various abilities. Even Ace felt himself strengthened. Some of the mass spells reached him and Par right before another volley came. This one was interrupted still high in the air by a couple magicians with their wind magic. ¡°Forward!¡± the army¡¯s leader roared and his order was echoed through the lines. Horses neighed and snorted as they started to gallop. Mirage was at the front, his strong legs carrying him first into the unknown. The mountain was still some miles off and there shouldn¡¯t have been any opposition. There was no mention of any defenders in the quest description. At that thought, Ace knew they had been played. They expected a simple boss fight but this wasn¡¯t it. This was real war. If the creature from the other plane was so strong, what could prevent it from sending its minions first to ensure its success? Why would someone of extreme power bother with cleaning up the insects in his lair? And that¡¯s what humans were to it if the ghostly things were any indication. They simply ignored all attacks, draining the life force of their victims. Only divine spells made them material but even that worked for couple of seconds. After, it was back to square one. You had to also keep in mind this was but the smallest portion of the creature¡¯s power. He had divided itself in over six hundreds pieces. So what would the strength of it be when combined? As they galloped closer, the enemy came into sight. They were deformed creatures of black mass. Each one was unique in its horrifying shape with dozens of arms, legs or eyes. Most had small spikes protruding from all over their body which they released with a painful gasp. It would make them fall to the ground and grovel for a moment but then they would push themselves up on their wrongly shaped limbs and push the spikes out of their bodies again. Ace watched them with a heart chilling fascination. He had seen them before. No, not exactly. He had pretended to be one long ago. Creature of the night he had called himself, acted somewhat mad but liked the overall experience. This, however, made his gut wrench. The sleek black skin rippled and stretched as the things tried to move, their limbs undeveloped or on wrong parts of the body. It made them horrifying but all he could feel was pity. Was he the mastermind behind these things? He had been first to introduce them with his illusion to this world. Could the being from the other plane had used his memories to shape its underlings? If so, why would he make them so wrong? Ace¡¯s creation had been perfect, it was the master of the night. But not the pitiful things hobbling along from the mountain, pretending they were defending it with their attacks. How wrong they were. ¡°Wait here,¡± Ace whispered to Par as he jumped off Mirage. [Void Step] took him to the creatures. They took awhile in raising their eyes upwards, even that being a challenge to these deformed things. Ace didn¡¯t give them time to think. His daggers left their sheaths and he started his slaughter. Blades sliced through the creatures as if they were made of butter. No bones or muscle to stop the daggers. Black flesh dripped to the ground as the things lost their consciousness and died. It was quick and painless but Ace doubted they appreciated it. Nobody wanted to die, no matter how twisted and wrong their existence. Other people reached the site and he found himself searching for prey. The black creatures were being annihilated at record speed. All the best players had come to defeat the legendary monster. These deformed little things weren¡¯t going to stop them even for a second. Ace watched it for a moment before turning away. For some reason, the sight made him queasy. Even if he had started this. Soon it was over but before anyone could remount, more foes appeared. They were the same creatures but their bodies were better shaped, moved smoother. They weren¡¯t much stronger but it was an improvement. Scarily quick improvement. And then they continued doing that. Each time they were defeated, a new group appeared better than the previous one. Soon they started fighting back. Low level players were suddenly having trouble fighting on the edges. They had to band together to defeat their opponents. ¡°What is going on?¡± someone shouted out but no one bothered to answer. They had to move forward. That was the task. Whatever came, they had to reach the mountains. Mirage was head-butting and kicking any creatures that came close to it so Ace didn¡¯t wander close. He simply let himself go with the motion of slashing and stabbing. Left, right, dodge. Spin, slash, slash, fall back. Block and then stab the opponent. They had no chance against him but it was fun to see just how strong he had become. Each attack of his brought death while nothing ever touched him. He heard some awes from behind but ignored them. It wasn¡¯t like he was showing any of his secrets. This was a crude attack, defend pattern that showed just how lacking he was in true dagger skills. Only admirable thing he could think of was his speed. It was something even he noticed. The large increase in agility made him move like he was made of light. It was effortless to leave after-images as he moved. He was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. While he thought so, another army joined them. It wasn¡¯t the one led by Monthu but Fenek. Just how many of them had come, he wondered for a moment before returning to his fight. The number wasn¡¯t that important, in truth. Slash, stab, move forward and twist away from the reaching hands. It was so simple the ranks of enemies melted before him. But no matter how many he killed, many more rose to challenge him. ¡°Push forward!¡± someone shouted. ¡°Ignore the onslaught!¡± There was logic in the command. If they just kept on fighting in place, they would never get to the enemy. Though, that posed a question. Who was the enemy? These pitiful, evolving creatures were against them, but they weren¡¯t the final boss. Or were they parts of him? Could defeating them result in weakening the creature of the planes? These things had to be remade by something, or someone. A fireball whisked by his head, missing him by a hair. There was no question in Ace¡¯s mind who¡¯d sent it. He wiped the enemies around him with a couple well aimed slashes and jumped backwards. Par was sitting on Mirage with his hands in the air, a look of concentration on his face. The air shimmered around him as he muttered the incantations. Monsters, however misshapen they were, instinctively knew magic was a bad omen. They abandoned all their current targets and converged on the boy. Silver glinted and Ace made short work of them. Any who came close tasted his steel. One strike was enough to kill most but the number of them amazed him. It was as if they couldn¡¯t think of anything else. They walked all over their own kind dissipating in puddles of black matter, focused solely on their target. No matter how many Ace killed they kept on coming. ¡°Hell¡¯s Fire!¡± Par shouted out and black flames leapt from his hands. Ace ducked to evade them and watched in fascination the destruction brought. The cursed flames ate at the flesh of the black things, jumping from one target to another on touch. But it didn¡¯t seem like they noticed. They simply kept on moving forward, falling in their tracks and others taking their place. By walking over the remnants of the flame, they would ignite it again and the story would repeat. ¡°Wonderful,¡± Ace whispered touching Mirage¡¯s neck. It snorted but started moving in the direction Ace had been looking. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Par asked in a somewhat shaky voice. ¡°To see the monster, of course,¡± Ace answered with a smile. The flames were still raging all around them, burning the enemies before they could come close. Soon, they would grow a resistance to it by the speed at which they were evolving but for now it was okay. A number of other parties noticed their passing and pushed their opponents into the flames. Once they were all well on fire, the groups joined the kids on their path to the mountain. It was no longer that far away. While pushing forward the leader¡¯s had closed the distance and the mountains loomed high and mighty over their heads. Little imagination was required to know something was simmering inside them. Tendrils of black substance were seeping through the ground. Whatever they touched died on impact, leaving the mountainside bared to the elements. Decayed plants were brought down by the wind. Some bones and teeth included as souvenirs. When they reached the base, it was packed. People were squeezed one next to another so as to be closer to the leaders having a discussion. Their loud arguing voices could be heard a kilometre away. Ace guessed someone used magic to make sure all armies heard the results. He didn¡¯t care much for it and looked around for something more interesting. From the right someone was pushing his way through the crowd. Monthu. His face was outwardly calm but his posture gave away the simmering emotion within. Shoulders squared and eyes locked on Par. They passed Ace as if he wasn¡¯t even there. For a moment he wondered if he¡¯d done something, when he saw a shame-faced Aurora trailing after. She had her head down and wasn¡¯t looking at anyone. Hands crossed before herself protectively. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Monthu asked the moment he was close enough to shout. Par nodded with enthusiasm and Mirage brought him closer. The animal seemed to be rather good at reading human emotions. Always doing the best actions available to him. The young man¡¯s face relaxed at the joyful reply. He patted the boy¡¯s hand before turning to Ace. ¡°Sorry about this. This one decided to take things into her own hands,¡± he said with a glare towards the girl. She turned her head as if hit, her shoulder¡¯s drooping even lower. ¡°I suppose, she did what she thought was right,¡± Ace said, waving it off as inconsequential. ¡°Rather, how did you manage to find us in this mess?¡± His words made the girl raise her eyes in shock. She stared at him as if unable to comprehend what he had said. ¡°You¡¯re Silver Wing,¡± she hissed at him. ¡°And?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a murderer!¡± So that was what had turned her against him. He could remember the times when she had been his sole defender. How easily people¡¯s opinions could be influenced. The person known did not matter if something unusual of him was revealed. Without any questions asked he was discarded as faulty. Not that it mattered. This wasn¡¯t the first time he had seen this happen. Real life had taught him not to expect anything from other humans. Love and respect were such fleeting things. ¡°And?¡± he asked again just to taunt her. There wasn¡¯t anything much better to do for the moment. She gaped at him. Her accusation was pretty serious but he dismissed it as nothing. Like murdering was just an eccentric hobby he was partaking in. Sure it was rare, and maybe weird, but nothing too wrong with it. Right? ¡°Enough,¡± Monthu said, cutting his fun off. ¡°Aurora, I told you to shut it. We¡¯ve been through this.¡± The force in his voice made Ace swivel towards him. He had never heard him talk like this. Even when he wanted to throw Ace from the group his tone had been calmer, more controlled. This was a man on the verge of losing it. Just a word away from exploding. ¡°Yes,¡± Aurora whispered. After a moment she added. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll believe it when I see it.¡± ¡°Is everything all right?¡± Ace asked with a tilt to his head. Monthu turned to face him. There was tension in his face which he tried to calm by taking a deep breath. ¡°Yes. No. I don¡¯t know,¡± he answered in an exasperated voice, hands raising on their own volition. ¡°Family problems,¡± he muttered as a way of explanation. ¡°Does it concern me?¡± ¡°In a way.¡± ¡°Shall I expect not to see you again?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Monthu answered truthfully. ¡°It¡¯s chaos out there, her accusations not helping any,¡± he added with a venomous look towards the priestess. Her face paled but this time no sound left her mouth. It was as well for Ace. If this was their last adventure together, then be it so. He would enjoy it while it lasted. The thought was like a weight being lifted off his shoulders. No more worrying about such things as friendship and trust. Enjoy this moment and that¡¯s all. No planning, no worrying about the future because there wasn¡¯t any. Today was all there was. Par was on the verge of tears at the news when they were interrupted by a loud rumbling. It rolled in waves off the mountain, silencing the whole place. Eyes turned towards the sound¡¯s origin. Looking, searching for the owner of it. Whole mountain shook. ¡°Earthquake!¡± someone shouted the obvious as ground vibrated underneath them. The shake was so strong, it threw people off their feet. Armour and swords clanged as they hit one another. People shouted their displeasure in meeting the ground as animal¡¯s whinnied in terror. Horse¡¯s fell where they stood, bringing their rider¡¯s down. Some unlucky ones found themselves crushed beneath armoured beasts and losing health rapidly. Most managed to push them off and survive but a few lost their lives before the earthquake subsided. Shouts rose in the air, all wondering the same thing. What was going on? Ace had no idea and he didn¡¯t like that. He had been fine raising in the air on his fields but the rest suffered some damages. Aurora¡¯s sleeve got torn and Par was terrified to death. He kept clutching his brother¡¯s hand, asking what was that with his lips quivering. Only Mirage seemed unaffected. He shook his mane with a loud snort as if challenging the earth to do it again. The thing might have listened as another shake resounded through the ground. This time Ace grabbed Monthu with Par to lift them up on his fields. After a moment¡¯s hesitation he also brought Aurora. There was no thankfulness in her eyes but he didn¡¯t do it for her. He was keeping his image as the good guy for the moment. Ace was sure it could last a day. Hopefully. ¡°Thanks,¡± Monthu said, pushing the hair off his eyes. He took his brother into his hands and whispered something into his ear. The boy held onto his neck but soon stopped shivering from fright. It was a strange sight to Ace. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from wondering what had been said to calm the boy so quick. His terror had seemed so profound yet a few words managed to remove all his fears? How was that possible? ¡°Look, look!¡± came a voice from below and Ace turned his eyes to look in the indicated direction. Was he imagining it, or had the mountain become smaller? That wasn¡¯t possible, was it? ¡°Wait here,¡± he ordered his companions, letting them to the ground while he rushed to the forefront of the crowd. It was easy running above everyone¡¯s heads and in moments he was there. The sight stopped him in his tracks, making him almost fall off his fields. He managed to create a new one just before sliding face first into the ground. When he had righted himself, he returned his eyes to the view before him. Clouds of dust rose from the very base of the mountain but with [Mystic Eyes] he could see right through. Straight to the edges where the ground had sunk in. And it was by a lot. But the mountain wasn¡¯t satisfied. Rumbling started again and the whole thing started to sink once more. Meter after meter it went down while the surrounding grounds groaned in displeasure. But the momentum was caught. This time the shaking wasn¡¯t stopping. It went on and on, continuing without looking to have an end. Ace rushed to raise his friends once more, having a feeling this time he would be required to hold it longer. The mountain seemed to have a wish to go straight to the heart of the earth. Nothing less was going to be enough. Twenty long minutes the ground shook. More people found their accidental deaths but the count wasn¡¯t large. They were going to be revived in Lasran¡¯s new three times till true death citadel so nobody worried too much. They just wanted for this nonsense to all stop. And when it did, many more people fell than through the shaking itself. After such a long time they had forgotten how to balance when the ground wasn¡¯t moving. It took them some time to adjust to the normal state. Ace lowered his team mates to the ground, watching the cloud of dust reaching for the sky with [Mystic Eyes]. There was something inside there. He was too far to make out the shape but it was huge. Half the size of the mountain. ¡°Gust¡±, he whispered, praying it wouldn¡¯t bring out another tornado. Luckily, it wasn¡¯t that strong. Instead just a very strong wind rose, lifting some players up as it pushed the cloud of dust away. The surprise shouts of lifted players soon subsided as their eyes settled on the mountain¡¯s replacement. Three times the size of any giant, six legged and four handed. Five pair of eyes stared from the shapeless black face. It¡¯s jaws were wolf like. Seconds later it opened them, showing a set of coal black teeth and screamed into the air. The sound washed over collected armies, a distinct smell of rot following in its wake. Silence lasted for but a moment after the reveal. These were players that had fought manticores and sirens, dragons and hydras. Even if the monster was unknown, they had seen worse. Nothing was going stop them in their tracks. Leaders shouted their orders, forming fight groups. These entered attack range without any hesitation and started their onslaught on the creature¡¯s legs. Some braver ones threw hooks or simply tried climbing up the legs. The large hands tried to squat them down, and hit a few, but most got on the back, trying to deal their damage there. Their steels pushed into the rippling skin but the size wasn¡¯t enough. It didn¡¯t penetrate the first layer of skin, not even talking of reaching any parts that were vital. Creature roared, trying to get at them with its flailing hands. None of the attackers faltered in their onslaught. They trusted their comrades to ensure their survival. And they did. Clerics cast shields to lessen the damage received while magicians brought down the elements. Balls of fire and ice spears for distraction, blazing spheres, twisters for constant damage over time. Water pelted the creature¡¯s skin soon followed by lightning Rocks rose from the ground to encase its feet and falter the movements. When it tried to move the hands, winds rose to push them back or sand covered its sight. The creature screamed its frustration repeatedly but couldn¡¯t do anything against its opponents. They were like a well-oiled machine, not skipping a beat to allow the monster time to counter-attack. It was something Ace had never seen before. This level of teamwork, was it real? How did people become so aware of each other, knowing what other needed before the thought was voiced? It was as if they were reading minds. Unnatural. ¡°Behind!¡± a voice shouted from the creature¡¯s back, pointing at something behind the collected armies. He sacrificed his life for the moment of distraction but people turned around. Ace lifted in the air to get a better look at what it was. The black army had evolved to human like forms, their limbs longer and claw like, but they stood strong. There was no more pain in their disposition as thorns shot off their shoulders and into the thick of people. Shields and vambraces were raised to block, but this time the thorns weren¡¯t just for show. They penetrated all but the strongest shields and many players found their bodies littered with small but dangerous thorns. From the disgusted shouts Ace deduced they were poisoned to top. As he watched, the creatures started running, their long legs devouring the distance in moments. Players at the front of their rush, scrambled to push more backwards. This jostled the casters and a number of spells went wide. The creature took that time of respite to kill a couple of his attackers, squatting them with its huge hands. Noticing that the spells hadn¡¯t resumed the next second, it trampled the ground beneath himself. Two parties were almost annihilated by it. Clerics barely managed to save a few players from them. Leaders were furious at this development. They shouted at the crowds to stop pushing, let them fight till their stamina lasted. Then they could change. But the army of black things kept on approaching, they were but a hundred meters away. Without any leaders, the dregs of the armies didn¡¯t dare to force a counter-attack. They had had a hard time even before the creatures had evolved into these forms. ¡°We have to stop them,¡± Monthu said below. Ace went down to him. ¡°What do you suggest?¡± he asked. ¡°You can easily fight them right?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Ace said with a shrug. ¡°They pose me no danger, but I¡¯m no god. I can¡¯t stop a whole army by myself.¡± Monthu gave him a look before glancing at people around them. ¡°You just need to slow them down while I rally the players. Par will help you with his spells too.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± he answered and jumped on his fields. He didn¡¯t feel like saving all these people but Monthu had asked him. So how should he do it? ¡°Ice Field!¡± he screamed into the air and everything before him turned blueish white. His spells were getting more and more crazy by the moment. Just how many people had actually chosen his class? Or was this from Skele, how strong had that man been in the first place? There weren¡¯t any answered coming so he brandished his two daggers and ran forward. It had been a while since the last time he played on the ice. His last Wing expedition seemed to have been ages ago. But his body remembered the actions. Feet slid on the ice, increasing his speed and momentum. The first strikes killed his opponents in single hits while they fumbled on the unfamiliar surface. Some fell and he kicked them, slashing with his poisoned daggers if there were was time. There always was. His speed had become unparalleled. It was as if he was playing with time slowed for his opponents. Each attack of theirs was so slow, it was almost boring. But there were enough of them to bring the enjoyment level up. Even if they were slow, the sheer amount made the fight somewhat challenging. They were reaching for him from all directions. None cared about their own but just to attack him. Often enough, they set the others up just to have a chance at leaving a scratch on him. That was still easy enough to dodge but the rain of thorns was what increased the level to a whole new one. The creatures didn¡¯t care for their own, releasing the poisonous darts right over their heads. It didn¡¯t matter what they hit as long as he was one of the recipients. And he couldn¡¯t be hit even once. For all his speed and magic, his health hadn¡¯t increased a bit. He was still the soft skinned assassin without any armour. Few hits would be enough to get rid of him. One poison needle more than enough to eat his whole health in a few minutes. /Where am I supposed to send the people?/ Monthu asked in a message, distracting Ace for a second. [Evasion] saved his life while he took an extra breath. He should really stop being surprised by such little things. One day it might really be his doom. ¡°Take care of that large guy, I just might be able to deal with this,¡± he said opening the call. It was better than having to write in the middle of the fight. ¡°You certain?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m just fine?¡± he asked with a note of annoyance in his tone. If he said he could do it, it meant he could. There was a silence on the other end for a moment before Monthu replied. ¡°All I can see is a mass of blackness surrounding a dot of whitish gold. Your hair shines well in the sun¡¯s light.¡± Ace chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m okay, don¡¯t worry.¡± The creatures had to pass a thousand more evolutions before they would pose him real danger. For now it was just a game of dodging and slashing, stabbing. Left, right, evade and make a circle around himself with a blade. Jump in the air and run on a few heads before finding an opening and falling in, daggers slashing around him. Dodge the darts. Stab to the right while blocking an attack from the left. It was quite simple and soon he started growing bored. A glance to the huge monster showed him being showered in light. Spells of all types, mass, length and visuals hit him repeatedly resulting in a rainbow of colours. Creatures around him grew restless and Ace killed a dozen more before returning his eyes to the other fight. It was quite away but he could see dots of people crawling all over the monster. They looked less than flies, insignificant but there was purpose in their work. None seemed to worry that their damage probably didn¡¯t even register with the monster. It was as if the players didn¡¯t care for such things. All that mattered to them was doing their part. It was fascinating to see them scrambling around to ensure the monster faced the right way to receive a blow from a large stone or poisoned arrows. Holy hammers and other light attacks often followed suit to ensure the damage stuck. After jumping higher in the air, he thought he could see Monthu on Mirage ordering people in the back. They moved in groups after his commands, joining archers, casters or melee groups to change places with them. Those who needed rest left the immediate range of the monster and just fell to the ground. A group of players rushed to them with warm food they were cooking on the side and cool drink. Players would finish it quickly, resting their heads for a moment on the ground. Others just sat, chatting while their stamina regenerated. A bunch of darts distracted Ace from his observations. He stabbed a creature to the right of him and squatted down, moving the body over him. It blocked the darts before dissolving and with free hands Ace resumed his slaughter. Not long after the ground shook, making him jump on his fields as his opponents faltered. A look to the monster showed it entering a frenzy. It started stomping, six giant legs making the whole ground shake. People tried to run away but the monster was no longer playing around. It stopped caring about the pests on its back and went for the casters on the ground with a vengeance. Couple people tried to stop it but got stepped on and died. Magicians and clerics scattered in all directions but their puny legs were nothing compared to the monster¡¯s. Its one step was close to ten of a human. Not forgetting that he had six legs. Ace noted that his opponents were still down, unable to move through the shaking so he moved closer to the monster. He used [Gust] to push it back but it did little more than falter it for half a second. The wind was simply not strong enough for something that size. But it helped to give time for a couple of clerics to get out of the way. ¡°I suppose it was worth it,¡± he muttered to himself, raising higher and higher. From up there he could see the whole battlefield and it didn¡¯t look good. The place had turned into chaos. The monster had no boundaries and once angered could run around like a madman. There was nothing to stop its rampage. People were running in all directions, trying to evade the giant feet, failing often enough. Tanks, players with high defences and health, didn¡¯t die instantly but healers and wizards weren¡¯t so lucky. In quick succession many people met their dooms. The ground would have become red had they not all been players. No Npcs joined on this mad venture. Unaware of the danger to the world or not trusted enough by the players. Some mages tried to use restriction spells on the giant monster but it broke them without even noticing. Its magic resistance had to be on an unparalleled level to just pass through the restrictions as if they weren¡¯t there. Like they were made of old paper, crumbling on touch. Ace glanced at his demon-like enemies. They had stood up but didn¡¯t move. Instead they just stared fascinated at the monster. Expressions on their faces were hard to discern but Ace was certain of his deduction. There was hardly another emotion that would have them standing in such still awe, unable to move a muscle. Well, there was also fear. Evil masterminds tended to rule their underlings through that, but these little ones were a part of the giant one. Or at least, it had seemed so. Could it be they were a different species summoned from that other plane to serve this giant monster? While he wondered that, the thing in question had moved in his direction. It was running after a particularly swift rogue that was dodging hands making craters right where he¡¯d been second¡¯s ago. In moments the monster would hit Ace without even aiming for him. He went lower, snatching the rogue and raising in the air with him. The monster was quick to notice the change and faced Ace eye to eye. After a second¡¯s stare down Ace threw [Acid Splash] at it and turned to run. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to face the enemy head on. ¡°Run!¡± he shouted to the rogue that lay limp in his grip. The man opened his mouth to ask something but Ace dropped him on a field. ¡°Imagine its the ground! Whatever you want it to be! Field, stairs, slide! Whatever!¡± Surprise registered on the man¡¯s face, but a giant hand whisking right above his head as he dropped to the lower field convinced him to be amazed later. At first he didn¡¯t trust the fields, Ace felt annoyed for his abilities to be so distrusted but soon the man learnt the hang of it. All he had to do was move. Everything else was done by Ace who judged his stance, position and guessed what he planned to do next. It was a challenge he hadn¡¯t tried before. Not knowing the person and his movement pattern, made it even more interesting. Half a second, less most of the time he had to decide where to put the field. Main problem was that he didn¡¯t have many of them. Three. One had to be constantly used for himself to stay upright which left him with two. Not much when having to guess a person¡¯s mind. But it worked well-enough. The rogue was running around, up and down the air, dodging attacks, if not gracefully, at least successfully. Huge grin was breaking out on his face, growing with each missed attack by the monster. He was starting to enjoy this new experience and the way his opponent was becoming more mad without a way to exact its frustration. Ace in the meantime, stood aside, watching the monster moving away from the clustered players. It took them awhile to understand they were no longer hunted and then they stood stunned, watching the scene unfold. Luckily, there were some competent commanders in there. They quickly found their wits and started ordering everyone. Groups formed, joining together where members where missing or disbanded to infuse others with specific classes. This was more than just another fight. All allegiances were to winning, rather than one person or team. Right in front of Ace¡¯s eyes people darted to various places, settling in formations. In no more than twenty minutes a fluid army stood before his eyes. He couldn¡¯t have guessed anyone was missing from the perfect lines that people stood in. They waited a second more, letting him admire their order, before starting a mad dash forward. All concepts of structure fell apart as they ran with all their might, weapons held high. With wordless screams they fell upon the monster. Axes and swords hacking into its flesh, shields hitting with dull thuds. There was no order, or pattern to it. Simple rage flowed through them at being thwarted in their pursuit of a fair fight. They had tried to act normally, approach it as a normal boss but it hadn¡¯t worked. There hadn¡¯t seemed to be any progress at the least. So instead of a planned attack, they were going for simple violence. Anything pummelled enough times was going to break Only problem being that such a giant thing like this monster would require quite a number of hits before falling. It didn¡¯t seem like the flashy skills were doing anything to it. No marks on its skin, no blood oozing out. It was as if the players were attacking it with feathers instead of steel. Mages weren¡¯t having a much better time either. Their spells landed with colourful bursts and ear-shattering booms but little effect. When dust let down, mist settled or elements cleared out, the monster showed up as unscathed as before. Nothing seemed to affect it. Minutes passed, hours went by as Ace rested on his fields to regain stamina. He watched people battering the monster with steel and magic, exchanging between themselves while others rested. It was a never ending onslaught. And still it meant nothing. No matter how many attacks it received, the monster stood on its eight legs, trampling anyone unable to dash out of its path. It often went after the mages but now they stood in a wide circle, able to blink away when danger came their way. Warriors sometimes got in the path but in time they also learnt to dodge, evade the giant limbs. There was a certain pattern to the monster¡¯s attacks. He would chase people, but his patience was limited. If unsuccessful, he would suddenly turn and aim at someone else. Those moments were the most dangerous and most people found themselves stepped on at that second, Other than that, few died. The monster had no magic or mass attacks, just its size, brute strength and an immeasurable health pool. One that wasn¡¯t going down in the least. There was no sign of any damage suffered on the monster¡¯s side. Nor was there anything to suggest it was getting tired, loosing vitality or something else. This, more than anything else, weighted on players¡¯ minds. They couldn¡¯t see any progress. It was like hacking at water, instead of a rock. Stone you could batter in a very long time but the liquid just escaped, returning to its shape effortlessly. Monster¡¯s flesh received cuts and stabs, slashes but it bounced off, leaving no mark. The minor injuries healed right in front of eyes without any repercussions to the enemy. Since it didn¡¯t use any spells, there was no way to tell if it used mana to heal itself, or was it simple regeneration. Not that there was sign of the monster tiring, using up its stamina. At some point the black creatures woke up from their stupor and went into battle with a renewed vigour. It looked almost as if they were rushing to something. Or for something. They didn¡¯t try to reach the monster, nor run away, but threw themselves at the players. More armies had come and they combated them but the creatures didn¡¯t seem to mind. All they sought was to fight and die. Be reborn. Could they possibly know they would regenerate stronger, faster? It seemed so. They fought with wild abandon, not caring in the slightest for being slaughtered. Swords stabbed into their hearts and they pushed themselves onto them in their eagerness to reach the players. It was like fighting against a suicide army. They had two goals, kill and be killed. And. Not or. Ace watched them from afar, forgotten in the midst of battle. No one had called for him and he had no wish to join. Those black creatures were gaining abilities from people they faced, taking their body form, fighting stances and patterns. It would take them many a rebirth to take even half of what he could do, but he had no wish to give them even that. He liked his unique abilities, not having to face people with his skill set. Not only would it make it harder for him to win, survive but endanger his whole legend. Most of Wing¡¯s power was based on unpredictability. He came from nowhere and did things no one could repeat. People could see and guess his abilities but they didn¡¯t know them in detail, all their weaknesses and restrictions. And there were a number of them. If simple monsters started using his skills, they would become quite obvious. People would learn and practise abusing them, making his life hell. No, it wasn¡¯t something he fancied for himself. The players below would have to deal with the creatures themselves. Night fell as he watched. Blazes lit high in the sky to reveal the wary armies. Most were sitting some miles away, resting with their heads down. Some foolhardy ones were still fighting. They slashed and cut believing that this time it would work, the attacks won¡¯t heal and they would have won. All players would converge on the monster and quickly destroy it. But it wasn¡¯t happening. No matter how many hits the monster suffered, it was as lively and dangerous as ever. It chased the players surrounding it, killing more than ever before. The more the ranks of attacks filtered, the easier it became for it to attack. Less spells were encumbering its vision and movements, less ants pricking at its skin. An air of desolation settled. It wrapped itself around each player, whispering sweet nothings of despair. Looks darkened with each passing hour. No one wanted to pick up their weapons and go fight any longer. They knew what it would mean to lose this battle. Realisation was in their faces but they simply couldn¡¯t be bothered to fight. This was a game and most came to play. Best players were used to hard work, putting in more hours than it was healthy but there had always been progress. Defeat more monsters and you¡¯ll gain more experience. Use more spells and your magic will improve. In games there was always a clear numerical value of advancement. Whenever you did something, you could see your improvement. Effort and reward. But this fight, it went against everything. No matter how strong or powerful they were, how many hours they had spend in the game, they couldn¡¯t leave a single dent on the monster¡¯s body. All their attacks were in vain. Some raid bosses were strong but not ten army battering for more than a day with no progress strong. This thing didn¡¯t even have a health bar. Or if it did, no one was high enough level to see it. Just another thing to add to everyone¡¯s misery. They could have been twenty hits away from killing it and wouldn¡¯t know. Or they might not have dealt any damage at all. It was frustrating to not see anything changing. Many lost their will to fight simply believing it was impossible. This was an end game boss that was summoned way too soon. None of the players had reached the maximum level and clearly it was still far out of anyone¡¯s reach. Otherwise they would have dealt at least some damage. Or so they thought. Ace felt the waves of that misery wash over him and go past. He shared their annoyance at the monster¡¯s seeming invulnerability but he didn¡¯t believe it was all over. At some point someone would figure out its weak spot and then all would converge like a swarm of bees with their little stingers. That was the way of humans. Maybe the monster would win now. Maybe it would destroy half the world. But in the end humanity would prevail. Even if it had been coded not to, someone would find a way around it. Morning sun rose, reached its zenith and started to fall again. Cloudless clear sky showed it the pitiful view of struggling dots against a giant. But the sun wasn¡¯t interested, it wanted to rest and sleep. Moon came up in its place, watching the struggle with a sorrowful gaze. It shed its silvery light, knowing it was all the aid it could give. By the morning a third of the armies were gone. Some had gotten sick of dying, others lost hope in winning. All of them simply stood up and left, wanting to enjoy as they said the last few days of the game remaining. They did it in groups and parties, sometimes whole squads. Those who remained weren¡¯t much better. They watched their friends and comrades leave, unsure whether they were making the right choice. Should they stay and fight? What if this was really the end and they wasted the last moments fighting an invulnerable monster? Doubts crippled them more than the monster¡¯s attacks. They fought but without any heart in what they were doing. It was becoming merely a thing they did. Get up, go out and swing your weapon, murmur spells, then return and rest. So simple, and wholly pointless. L had called upon Ace on his arrival at the battlefield. Some kind of a meeting had been arranged with most of the commanders but none had anything to say. Or more like any ideas of how to deal with their situation. They had many complaints, annoyances and grievances but when asked how to solve anything, everyone fell silent. When that happened for the second time, nobody spoke up. Anger and frustration simmered in each but there was nothing to suggest. They had tried everything they could come up with. Even mixing their damage with holy spells but that did nothing. The monster stayed as it was, impossible to damage as ever. Meeting was soon called over after that and commanders returned to their armies with grim faces. It sunk the mood even lower, that little hope that leader¡¯s could come up with something having died. Ace was asked for his input but he just shook his head. He had no hidden knowledge of how to defeat the monster. He had tried a couple of strikes himself but they had brought no miracle. Not that he had had much hope. [Heart-seeker] was the base of his power. One hit strike that killed anything in its path. One problem, though, it was meant for humans. The attack couldn¡¯t consume monster hearts, using up human ones to purify the blade after the try. Not forgetting that it had to reach the heart in the first place, something Ace had no way of accomplishing. None of the players had went further when the upper level of the skin. It wasn¡¯t thick, allowing the blade to enter easily but turned stone hard deeper in. Aiden and Par had met up with him at points but they were trying to win. They were of those that fought as much as they could, hoping that soon enough the monster would have to show a weakness. It was weird at first, but quickly Ace understood the reason. Something was gnawing at Aiden and all he wanted was to fight. He took care of his brother, kept him safe but every other moment Ace would see him rushing blindly into the battle. Sometimes he faced the creatures, whirling in the midst of them with his scythe while other times he tried his luck on the monster. Both things were a way to release his pent up emotions, ones he didn¡¯t want to share with his brother, nor Ace. He wondered what that could be. It was a bit annoying to be kept in the dark, but since they were going to separate, he let it be. Monthu would know what he was doing. Unlike everyone else Ace had known, he was a trustworthy person. If he didn¡¯t say something, it had to be for a reason. Maybe he didn¡¯t want to worry him about things that had nothing to do with him. He would never know. And so Ace left him to his rampages while following the flow of battle from above. Fields became his constant, and he used them more than in months previous. He lived on them. It became as easy to use them as breathing. There wasn¡¯t even a need to think about it, the fields just were where he needed them. Mirage wasn¡¯t liking it but he left the animal to Par. The kid got along with it well-enough and the horse kept him safe if any danger appeared. The perfect pairing. Another day passed and moon rose again. It had lost most of itself and was reflecting barely any light. Floating fires flew around the monster, lightening the world for the fighters. They sluggishly moved around, more dodging and running around than attacking. A sudden roar woke them from their half-asleep state. Few got caught in the initial moment of shock as more lights fluttered into existence. Mages had crawled out of their tents and wanted to see what was happening. At first there was nothing, night brightened by many spells. But before people could return to their sleep, another roar washed over the plains. It rolled over the empty grassland, hitting the monster. It stopped in its tracks, rising its head and turning all eyes towards a single point in the distance. Players followed its actions and turned that way, mage lights flowing in that direction. In silence everyone waited for what was to come. None dared to hope but the little flame alighted in many a heart. Shapes took form in the distance. They were large but a better look showed them inconsistent. One minute you could see them, and the other it seemed there was only half a being there. Closer and closer they came, revealing more of their forms. ¡°Dragons,¡± a soft whisper went over a crowd. They were the majestic creatures and at the same time they weren¡¯t. Ace stared at the huge beasts which he could see through. They weren¡¯t alive. He could see the sky behind them. Yet they flew, closer and closer towards them. Another roar from the lead dragon shook the air, a blast of wind tickling Ace¡¯s face. He moved forward and took notice of filthy bones. They were large and shaped into dragon form but could they be called dragons? There were no muscle, skin or organs within the bones. It was a wonder they managed to produce that roar sound. Could it be some kind of magic? The rotten bone dragons closed in and greenish flames leapt from their jaws. They licked the monster, scorching its skin. Gasps of awe and disbelief passed through the crowd. Some covered their mouths, others were on the verge of crying. Could they believe it? Was the monster finally truly hurt? Some warriors sat down, breathing deep. ¡°What is going on?¡± L shouted, running out of his tent. He had hastily thrown a cloak over his shoulders, looking with eyes not expecting anything good. Nobody answered him, they simply stared. The dragons circled and after a sharp command from someone descended on the monster once more. But this time it wasn¡¯t just the flames. They burst fire and then clawed, tearing skin and muscle where the flesh was burnt. The monster screeched in pain, trying to reach for the dragons. It caught one but the dragon released flame onto the hand, tearing into the fingers holding him with surprisingly sharp teeth. The grip loosened as the monster hollered in pain, shaking its hand as if it was swatting flies. By accident, more than intent it hit another of the dragons, crashing him to the ground. Bones groaned, broke and split. Dragon tried to stand up again, managed but its right wing was damaged. Half of the bones had fallen out of the form and lay lifeless on the ground Still, the dragon tried to lift up. He beat his wings, wishing to go up. It didn¡¯t work, the left side lifted but his right wing didn¡¯t work and he went crashing. More of its bones broke, few fell off from his nose, some from the chest, leaving gaping holes. Logic dictated that it shouldn¡¯t matter, the dragon was all bones, no flesh anyway but it did matter. The more bones it lost, the slower it became. By his second fall, he was barely wobbling around. He held his shape but was little more than a statue. Useless. Other dragons continued their attack in the meantime. One dragon was hovering farther away, trumpeting orders. After its call, the rest would swoop in or back away. Since one of their own had fallen, the orders had become more sedate. Care was put into ensuring that there would be as little risk as possible to the surviving dragons. People stayed where they had been, prayers in their minds. They wanted to win so badly. Hope had blossomed at the sight of dragons, but they weren¡¯t as immortal as they¡¯d hoped. Just moments ago they¡¯d seen one fall. What would happen if they all did? Few dared to entertain the thought. Only despair waited in that direction. Ace was watching the dragons when he thought he heard human shouts from above. For a moment, he wondered whether he¡¯d imagined when they came again. It was clearly an angry shout, and by someone he could recognise. Without a second thought, he ran up his fields straight to the lead dragon. It shied from his approach but he ignored it and rushed to its back. As he expected, a small group of people were nestled between the dragon¡¯s shoulder blades. ¡°I thought the mask was my game,¡± Ace said, aiming his words at the man hiding his face beneath an old dragon mask. He flashed an angry look towards Ace. ¡°I don¡¯t see you saving everyone from that monster,¡± Hawk threw at him before turning to his dragon. He whispered something to him and the bone creature released a loud sound, ordering something to the rest of the dragons. It was overly loud close up and Ace covered his ears for a moment. When it was done, he looked over the rest of the group. Nein was sitting with his hands crossed, a sour look on his face. He wasn¡¯t even bothering to hold onto anything, just sitting as if he was on a chair. Next to him Deedara huddled to Dark. The black rogue looked uncomfortable but didn¡¯t try to extract her. He bowed his head catching Ace¡¯s eyes, ¡°Master.¡± ¡°What was the argument?¡± he asked with interest. ¡°I heard you shouting all the way down there.¡± Hawk¡¯s back straightened as Nein glared his way. ¡°We need to get down to give players directions but he won¡¯t go. The dragons will die out he says.¡± ¡°They will! Moment I don¡¯t order them and they¡¯re falling apart!¡± ¡°But without players you won¡¯t win!¡± Nein told him with certainty in his tone. There were no doubts about it in his mind about it. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Hawk, please,¡± Deedara pleaded but he just shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± Anger and fear vied for supremacy in the archer¡¯s voice. He said little but the emotion permeated the air like a stench. It assailed Ace¡¯s senses, bringing him a notch closer to the group. He¡¯d never heard anyone so torn before. ¡°I might be able to help you,¡± he said, taking Nein by the hand. The mage took in a large gulp of air as he was lifted off, hanging in the air by his hand only. Before he could exclaim in horror or surprise, Ace made a field underneath and released him. Nein landed with an oomph, massaging his wrist. Then he looked beneath himself, and the nothing he was sitting on. Next moment he was standing up but not daring to take a step. ¡°I don¡¯t think I agreed to this,¡± he said in a soft voice. ¡°You wanted a way down, so walk.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing there.¡± ¡°Are you afraid of heights?¡± Nein shook his head, testing the air before him with his foot. It hit solid surface so he prepared to put weight on his leg when the field disappeared. He staggered, falling on his back with a shout. A chuckle escaped Ace¡¯s lips as he purposefully went down his fields. He emphasized each step as if he was walking down the stairs and couldn¡¯t understand what was so hard. ¡°You did that on purpose?¡± ¡°You were taking too long,¡± Ace answered with a smile. Loud trumpeting followed his words as the dragon gave another order to his followers. Barrage of messages assailed Ace¡¯s sight. All of them were from his so called friends, people from his village. He deleted them all with a flick of his finger without reading a single one. They weren¡¯t going to destroy this day for him. He would play as much as he¡¯d like and then his parents would come and they would celebrate. It would be perfect. His smile brightened at the thought and he shifted his fields into a slide. The look of incredulity and shock on Nein¡¯s face was worth the trouble. He released a shrill scream as he went down, his hands flailing in all directions. ¡°Don¡¯t fall off,¡± Ace shouted after him with a laugh. He doubted the man had heard him. ¡°Will he be all right?¡± Deedara asked with concern. She was looking down with her eyes scrunched into slits, trying to make out the form below. ¡°Of course,¡± Ace said, suddenly annoyed. Why was everyone doubting his abilities? ¡°He wanted to go down, not die.¡± He had even made Nein land near L so he wouldn¡¯t have to run through the whole camp to get to the commanders. But instead of praise he got doubt. Well, he was an assassin, not a hero. It was probably part of the job¡¯s downsides to be distrusted. Death was his trade, after all. Some time passed before the priestess spoke up again. ¡°Could you let me down not so fast?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he said. ¡°Step off.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s nothing there!¡± He sighed. ¡°So, you trust me to let you down a few miles but not catch you when you can still grab onto the dragon¡¯s bones if you fall?¡± The logic seemed to astound the priestess. She sat still, watching him before standing up. ¡°Dark trusts you,¡± she said in a shaky voice. ¡°He must know something I don¡¯t.¡± It was a weird argument but she stood up and closing her eyes took a wavering step forward. They opened in a flash as she felt solid ground beneath her foot. She shuffled in place for a bit as if ensuring that she wasn¡¯t falling. ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± she breathed, her eyes wide. Ace smiled, lowering himself to her level. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°You could always do this?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, but its been a while since I got it. It¡¯s one of my trademark abilities now.¡± She nodded in agreement, moving around. With each step she was growing bolder; walking faster, taking sharp turns or jumping in place. Ace followed her movements, creating fields to allow her to play. It reminded him of his first games when acquiring the ability. For him it had been more painful, fall after fall, but the same joy and wonder inhabited his heart. This was an ability that allowed you to deny gravity. In a way, it was even better than flying. ¡°I think, its time we went to the others,¡± Dark said, jumping off the dragon. He hadn¡¯t asked to be carried, nor had he hesitated. He had believed he would be caught. ¡°You¡¯re quite mad,¡± Ace whispered to himself, catching him on the last field. This was going to become much harder. Carry a person with only one field available, then double it. He would have to divide his attention while having no way back. If something went wrong, one mistake... He wasn¡¯t having it. Ace released the field beneath him and activated [Void Step], appearing above his passengers. This ability would have to suffice to keep him afloat while he let the two down. Falling, creating fields for others, shift upwards, and then repeat. It was disorienting. Number of times he lost his bearings from all changes in direction, barely managing to create the fields moments before Dark and Deedara fell off. And they didn¡¯t even notice. From their mild expressions, he knew they thought he was just playing around, showing off. Good enough for him. His secrets were his own. Their limits too. Near the ground another barrage of messages startled him. They were sent one after the other, all beginning for him to open them in the title. Few had weird words of emergency. ¡°Add all to ignore list,¡± he ordered the system, catching his passengers before they spiralled out of his grasp. Both had raised their eyes to him, a healthy amount of fear in them as the fields didn¡¯t appear the exact moment they should have. Soon they were on the ground and he brought a field back to himself. No more falling. It felt good to have something solid under his feet. And it was better to get higher up. Few people almost jostled him off when they rushed past. They wore sparkling armour, dangerous looking blades. All items of good quality. One of them he recognised as the commander he¡¯d ridden near when leading the army to the mountain. He was as quick as others, in half a second disappearing in the crowd of players. A glance to the side showed L deep in conversation with Heighal. It seemed they had made truce and were now discussing all the possibilities of dragons. Nein was standing next to them, adding a word or two from time to time. He had regained his calm appearance, looking as uninterested in what was happening as ever. ¡°What are your orders, master?¡± Dark asked, bringing Ace¡¯s attention back to the duo. They were standing close to each other, trying their best not to be felled by people running past them. None of the hurrying seemed concerned about the safety of those standing still. ¡°Join the others, and help defeat that thing,¡± he said pointing to the monster. ¡°I want it away from L¡¯s city.¡± The man nodded to his command and disappeared in the crowd. Deedara watched after him, a frown forming on her face. She brushed her skirts, in a vain attempt trying to sort them out, before giving up. ¡°Do you know where other healers are?¡± ¡°Follow me,¡± was all he said as he started to run in the direction of the caster lodgings. Midway he changed his direction. There was little point in leading her to where everyone slept. From his superior position, he could see the battlefield. Players were joining in the fighting, using skills on monster¡¯s parts that had been damaged by dragon fire. The weakening didn¡¯t last for long but five minutes were more than they had had before. Their attacks weren¡¯t exactly fatal, but they left scars, damaged skin. It enraged the monster, increasing its movement and attack speed. But players were ready now. They used various spells to distract or prevent the monster from catching the dragons. Since they started, barely one dragon got damaged, and even then lightly. He could still fly and spit green flame, though, he was slower. Because of this he was moved to the safest spots and ordered to back out quickest. Hawk was doing well by him. ¡°You sure you know the way?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said shortly, letting his eyes slide over the player groups. They hadn¡¯t returned to the army formations but groups of twenty, thirty people. Most were well-balanced, dealing damage and keeping themselves safe but a couple were lacking members. He led Deedara to one. ¡°They need a healer,¡± he told her and rose in the air. Another group was missing a damage dealer and he joined them. There were a few moments of awkwardness when he descended but the battle soon cleared it. What mattered was that he was there to help. They included him in their attack formation, having him attack with the other melee types when the leg near them got hit by the fire. Casters were looking to warn them about the monsters movements while aiding them with their spells. Three clerics were keeping their healths up from shrapnel flying in the air. The monster sometimes moved unexpectedly, injuring players with large health pools. High damage, low defence people like Ace didn¡¯t survive such occasions. But to lessen the chances of their death, some mages created shields around them. They had very short durations but were stronger than anything Ace had seen before. Hardly anything could penetrate them. Though, because of that five mages were delegated to casting them. They did nothing but repeatedly whisper the spells and put shields on the ten people braving to attack from melee range. At first Ace found it interesting, this new way of fighting. It was all about quick movement, evading unexpected and dealing as much damage as possible in a very short time. He didn¡¯t trust the shields to any extent even if he saw them deflect a number of certain death experiences for others. They weren¡¯t his. That was the most important part. He didn¡¯t know them. What if they expired at the very moment he trusted them? Not forgetting, that someone might remove them at an opportune moment. He wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s favourite person here. They tolerated him because they needed him, that was all. It was a battle for the game¡¯s survival. No one would refuse help, but settling a score was also a good thing. Players weren¡¯t noble enough to refuse such an opportunity. Hatred for him ran deeper than any notions of good and right. ¡°It¡¯s falling!¡± one of the magicians in his group shouted. ¡°Get away! Get away!¡± Similar screams resounded through the whole army. A cacophony of noise that threatened to deafen Ace. He covered his ears, a dagger still in one hand, as he shifted to another location. From there he simply ran, not trusting the current distance from the monster. Only when a cloud of dust washed over him, pushing him forward, did he stop. He shook like a dog after leaving water, and turned back. The monster was down. It lay on its side like a giant moving mountain. Its limbs flayed; reaching, pushing, grabbing. But it couldn¡¯t stand up. Two legs on one side had given out. They twitched and jerked but didn¡¯t hold the weight. More than five times the monster went to stand, falling midway. The weight was simply too great for the damaged limbs. Especially since the rest weren¡¯t in great shape either. All legs had marks of being attacked. Long gashes lined the muscles, burnt skin peeled in other places. Some open wounds were bubbling like boiling water. Dark liquid seeped out of them, a trickle going down the limb. Whenever it touched another wound or weakened part of skin, it ate through it. The monster shrieked its fury, thrashing in its place, unable to stand. It knew its end was coming, but wasn¡¯t ready to accept it. But the players weren¡¯t giving it a choice. As Ace watched they started to cheer, a sudden surge of hope taking them all. They shouted words of joy, screamed their disbelief and euphoria. They were like sharks sensing blood in the water. Without any command weapons were hefted, smiles alighted and people were running. They ignored the flying limbs, not caring that many perished on the way. All they saw was the weakened monster before them. Few more attacks and it would die. It would finally die. That single thought drove hundreds of players forward; striking, reaching. None cared where they attacked, all that mattered was to deal damage. Dragons descended with their green flames, weakening already paper thin skin. They grew restless themselves, clawing and biting the monster. No one was caring for any safety measures. Ace decided to join in. His skills took him to the monster in moments and he started to slash. At first it was boring but then he imagined the monster as his village¡¯s people. His moves rapidly increased in speed, dealing three times the damage. Right, left, right, left, shift away. Land and repeat. At times he was forced to move sooner as another limb closed in on him or some maddened players went past, but those were little interruptions. For a good hour it was only him, his blades and the flesh needing to be cut. He would have spent more time on it but his stamina went on the lower side. It had been a long day, no matter how relaxing his current occupation was. With a sigh, he extracted himself from the melee and returned to the camps. Near L¡¯s tent he found Monthu clasping hands with Hawk. They were smiling at each other, Par standing close with a genial smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m glad we were on time, it was a close one.¡± ¡°Where did you even find those drakes?¡± Ace asked, joining their group. Hawk didn¡¯t look too happy to see him but didn¡¯t say anything. Without the dragon mask, his face looked pale and old. It was as if he¡¯d aged over the time he¡¯d wandered through the icy mountains. ¡°The mask was in one of the caves and later on we found an incantation that Nein read.¡± ¡°What did it do?¡± ¡°None of us could understand the language but L gave permission so we risked it. At first nothing happened but then the whole ground started to shake. We thought we¡¯d get buried.¡± The archer¡¯s eyes focused on something above Ace¡¯s shoulders. ¡°But we lived. Then we wandered more, for a week or more. It¡¯s hard to judge time underground.¡± He stayed quiet for so long, Ace thought he wasn¡¯t going to continue. But before he could open his mouth, Hawk started again. ¡°At some point we stumbled into a large hall. It was filled with old corpses, their bones the only thing remaining. ¡°The whole huge hall was filled with them. From top to bottom, no path to cross. We made our way through the bones, finding empty spaces where we could, crawling, where we couldn¡¯t¡± ¡°The smell nearly made us pass out but we reached the end. There on a pedestal was another tablet with words inscribed. Nein just went and read it.¡± ¡°What happened then?¡± ¡°The mask started to glow,¡± Hawk answered, glancing at the item in his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know why but it made me want to put it on. So I did. Then somehow I just knew what to do, how to shape the bones into creatures they should be.¡± He shook his head in wonder mixed with trepidation. ¡°And then it was done. I could order the dragons to do whatever I wanted. It was as if it was something I¡¯d known how to do all my life. Suddenly, I was speaking an ancient language as if it was my birth one.¡± ¡°Fascinating,¡± Ace whispered. Now he wished he¡¯d stayed there for longer. The archer¡¯s adventure made him envious. While Hawk was playing with unknown epic magic, he¡¯d stayed in the castle and had done nothing. Been made fun of, and that¡¯s all. ¡°Do you know why the fire was so effective against the monster?¡± Monthu asked. The archer hesitated before replying. ¡°I¡¯m not certain but, I think, its made up of both holy and negative energy. Somehow. These dragons had been creatures of light, having healing powers. But after death, a group of necromancer¡¯s found their bones and carried to the hall. They put a spell on them so they could raise them at a time of their convenience.¡± Group of necromancers? Ace had a memory of such a group. Could it be Skele¡¯s old friends? Lich¡¯s accomplices? Maybe, maybe not. It mattered little now. ¡°How do you know such things? Their history?¡± ¡°I just do,¡± the archer huffed. He looked sideways, fastening his gaze on the fallen monster. ¡°How long has it been since it¡¯s like that?¡± ¡°Close to two hours,¡± Deedara said coming over to them. She stopped near Hawk, a look of concern in her eyes. But she didn¡¯t say anything in that regard. ¡°How long do you think the monster will last?¡± ¡°Long enough,¡± Monthu said. ¡°You should both go and take a rest. I can see you¡¯re hardly standing on your legs.¡± Ace took a better look and saw he was right. Both Hawk and Deedara were weary from their journey; eyes sunken-in, faces pale and postures slouched. They were holding themselves standing but didn¡¯t have the energy to straighten up. Still, Ace thought they might argue but there was nothing of that. They just nodded and left. He wondered whether they knew where they were going but soon they were out of his sight and he turned away. It wasn¡¯t his problem. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Ace turned to look at Monthu. ¡°Take a little nap, probably. It¡¯s been awhile since the last time I rested.¡± ¡°Mind taking Par with you? I¡¯d like to help a bit more around here.¡± ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go.¡± The kid followed him without a word. Ace didn¡¯t have anything to say to him either. They soon approached the tent he¡¯d made for himself some days ago and went in. Colourful robes and rags lay scattered inside, having been used to keep him warm. ¡°Find yourself a place,¡± he said and fell asleep almost the moment he laid his head down. When he woke up, he knew evening had come. Unnaturally bright light shone from outside, a clear indication of magicians at work. When they lighted a place, it just had to become brighter than day. Coming from outside, he could hear shouts and jeers. The monster had to be reaching its end. Otherwise, the players would have reached their limit by now. At least he believed there had to be one. No one could shout and cheer for hours on end. He roused himself from his mess of abandoned clothes, and with a wide yawn shook Par¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Wake up.¡± The boy murmured in his sleep, not wanting to leave the dreamland. Ace shook his shoulder, he wasn¡¯t staying inside just because the kid was lazy. ¡°Get up! We need to go!¡± he shouted in his ear. In seconds Par opened his eyes and looked around with a wild gaze. ¡°What happened? Are we in danger?¡± He curled into a tighter ball as if that would solve any problems of danger. ¡°No, I just want you up. It¡¯s time we left the tent and saw what was happening outside.¡± This had little effect on the boy and Ace spent the next twenty minutes getting him up. It was a tiresome job to calm him down, then wake him up and finally have him leave the warm den he¡¯d made for himself. By the time they were out, Ace was already tired. ¡°And I had just woken up,¡± he muttered to himself. At the kid¡¯s questioning look he just shook his head. Outside he quickly located L standing near his tent. He was alone for the moment, eyes trained on the giant carcass. It wasn¡¯t moving. ¡°Has it been killed?¡± L turned at his words. ¡°Not yet but it should be any moment now. The monster is bleeding all other and has stopped kicking an hour ago.¡± ¡°Were you planning to get closer?¡± ¡°That might be a good idea,¡± L agreed. As if hearing those words, Mirage made its way through the tents. It stopped right before Ace, neighing in his face. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you too,¡± he answered the welcome, gently patting Mirage¡¯s nose. ¡°Would you mind carrying me and Par to the front?¡± After a shake of the head, the horse bent its front legs, allowing for the children to get up. Ace sat up with ease and brought Par after him. L in the meantime had gotten himself an animal too and together they rode closer to the battlefront. They stopped clear of the monster but from a small hill they could see all that was happening. Close a thousand players were scurrying over the monster, stabbing and slashing wherever they could. There was no order to it but a simple wish to inflict as much damage as possible. Skills flashed for extra points and spells landed, almost hitting wizards¡¯ companions. But no one complained. Destruction of the monster was at the forefront of most minds. That, and fighting off the black creatures. They were greatly reduced in number but their skills had advanced to where high-level players had to face them. Average people would get overrun in no time. ¡°I hope they will disappear with the monster¡¯s death,¡± L said following Ace¡¯s look. ¡°That might be a fa-¡± His words were interrupted by a sudden silence in the field. Nothing had happened. There hadn¡¯t been any loud noise or echo, but everyone just went silent. Ace glanced over the battlefield but there was nothing out there. Nothing new. His eyes returned to the monster. Players on its body were still, their chests heaving as they tried to catch their breaths. No one was attacking. Could it be?
* Beast from the Greater Realm II Guess what? You succeeded. As unbelievable as that sounds, it is the truth. You killed the monster. Just not the right one. Surprised? Well, your dispassionate attitude to the quest, allowing the beast¡¯s parts to survive and return full of life force will be your own downfall. Because of all that nonsense, an underling of the monster had intercepted and received the energy, growing in power and coming to your world. The true beast had been reduced to a few scattered pieces of dark matter. But no more. You have killed the pretended, good job! Now the true beast can take its rightful place and destroy your world at leisure. As a side note, so you know what you¡¯ve done, the true beast is ten times stronger. It¡¯s the king after all, not some weakling underling. Have fun! Quest Difficulty: XXXXXX Quest Reward: The planet won¡¯t be overrun by monster from other realms and all current races won¡¯t go extinct. Target Place: Summoning Grounds *
The words fell like stones on players¡¯ heads. They had done wrong? But... Before complete thoughts could be formed, the black creatures abandoned their fights against the players and rushed towards the fallen monster. They started eating it. From toe to head, all pieces were part of the meal. The creatures filled their stomachs until they could hold no longer and then got themselves killed. Whether it was an abandoned blade or jumping off the monsters shoulder, they quickly turned into goo. Whole ground was covered in black substance in moments. From it, new creatures rose, off to eat more. It didn¡¯t take them more than twenty minutes to devour the whole monster. Two creatures were left then and they speared each other with clawed hands. As they fell, whole goo started to boil. Mist rose from it, covering what was happening inside. Ace activated [Mystic Eyes] to see what was happening. From the liquid mass, a form was coming out. It was dripping goo but growing in size. When it was twice the human size, it started forming itself. Horned head, pointed ears, dragon like face, leathery wings, four clawed hands and two legs. Once the limbs were formed, the goo started solidifying. It focused on the chest, hands and legs, forming something akin to armour while leaving joints free to move. When finished, the beast flexed its muscles, clearly enjoying the ability to move. Then it roared. The sound washed over the players¡¯ heads like a herald of things to come. Nothing good at all. ¡°What do we do now?¡± L asked in a soft voice. There were more people around them but none opened their mouths. The air of despair and desolation thickened around the players like a heavy cloth. It smothered all the hope they ever had, and pulled them under.
*The code on your cabin has been inserted wrongly thirty times. Do you want to log out?*
The small pop up window woke Ace from his daze. For a moment he wondered what he should do before turning the message off. He had allowed innumerable amount of tries and his parents would quickly figure the code out. This large amount of tries could only mean the villagers. For some reason, they were very intent on getting him out of the game today. But he wasn¡¯t going to give them a chance. If he didn¡¯t want to, they could do nothing. None of them would dare damaging the cabin in case it might hurt him. It was connected to his nerve system, after all. There was such a thing as master key to shut the game down as an emergency but they didn¡¯t have it. His parents had wanted to give someone the key but he had been adamant in his disagreement. They either keep the key to themselves, or they can keep the game. He wasn¡¯t going to play something that the villagers could interrupt as they saw fit. And now was not the time to start giving them that power. They could type as many passwords as they wanted, but he wouldn¡¯t come out. Only when his parents came would he leave this game. He had promised himself that. ¡°Attack!¡± someone shouted and Ace turned to see a group of some fifty players starting to charge. They ran with their weapons at ready as magic fire landed on the beast. It worked as a distraction and the players reached the monster without a hitch. They fell upon it with a war cry, hacking with their axes, slashing with blades. Weapons glanced off the toughened skin and the beast rounded on them. Its claws passed through a player¡¯s armour, killing him in one strike. The beast then went after the others. Its speed was unprecedented, none of the players able to match. Claws passed though their chests, necks. In a couple of minutes, the whole squad was obliterated. Not a single survivor. ¡°What is that thing?¡± a voice near Ace asked. He didn¡¯t answer but watched as the beast rose in the air. Its wide wings easily lifted it off the ground and it found its new target. Descending in a middle of an army, it went on a slaughter spree. Players tried to run in all directions but the beast¡¯s speed was too much. It ran, slashed and used skills it had no right knowing. Ace recognised them as those of the players. Those that had kept the black creatures at bay, away from overrunning the camps. This beast was something the players had created themselves. If they had found a way to stop the creatures, maybe freeze or lock them up somehow, this beast would know nothing. But it did. More than a hundred different skills and abilities. Even spells. Ground rose or turned sand under its command, fire and wind doing as ordered. There was no escape for the players it set its eyes on. ¡°We have to do something!¡± L said in a voice that lacked any confidence. He tried to fake it but he wasn¡¯t that good of a pretender. His eyes focused on Ace. ¡°Do something!¡± ¡°And what would that be?¡± Ace asked with derision. ¡°I could do nothing against the previous one, so what do you think changed now? Since it became stronger I should suddenly be able to defeat it? That¡¯s not how this works.¡± The mockery in his own voice surprised him. He was more rattled by the events when he had thought. What did the villagers want? They had never tried to interrupt his play time before. And they could have, easily back then. So what had happened to turn them like this? Had his parents been delayed? No, they would have warned. His birthday was in a few days, they would have done everything to be there on time. Maybe even skipped work. Though that was doubtful. No, they would have finished everything on time. That¡¯s why they hadn¡¯t contacted him for so long. They were too busy, finishing all the tasks. Soon, any moment now they would open his cabin and they would go celebrating. Everything would be perfect. ¡°But no one else can!¡± L pleaded. ¡°You¡¯re our only hope!¡± ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± Ace asked with annoyance colouring his voice. ¡°I told you I¡¯m no god.¡± ¡°And then you went and defeat a whole army by yourself.¡± Ace sighed. ¡°They were players. I could fool them into killing each other. Illusions barely work on monsters and even if it did, what then? Who am I supposed to pity it against? Wanna be a contender?¡± Screams followed his words. The whole left wing of the army was being slaughtered alongside the dragons. Quickly. Players were running from there to the right as fast as their legs could carry them, pushing each other out of the way. No one wanted to be the last in escaping. Ace looked at them with disgust. What did they plan to achieve by running? The beast was going to catch them sooner or later. No place in the world would be safe once the armies here were annihilated to the last person. Sure, players would get back to life, but what then? It¡¯s not like they would have more of a chance then. Especially since death weakened them, taking away some statuses to encourage them to stay alive next time. Stacked debuffs were even worse. After five consecutive deaths, a player for a long while would have to live at half his level. How could such things threaten this beast? The answer was simple, it was now or never. One way or another, it was going to end here. ¡°Ace, do you think you can do anything?¡± Monthu asked extracting himself from one of the waves of rushing people. Everyone was running around them, their little group standing like an island in a raging ocean. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Would you try?¡± His answer was drowned in a cacophony of screams that were getting dangerously close to their place. The beast was approaching. He was about to repeat when a female from behind him spoke. ¡°Ang! I¡¯m so glad I found you! You need to log out now, something happened.¡± The voice was a familiar ring of Sam¡¯s but her words sent a chill through his back. ¡°What?¡± he asked without turning around. He could hear her hiccuping, brushing the tears from her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not- not good to talk he- here. You need to come out,¡± she said in a throaty voice. It sounded as if she¡¯d been crying for a while now. He shook his head. ¡°No, don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°You have to!¡± she shouted, almost hysterical. She moved to stand before him, grabbing his hands in hers. ¡°You have to!¡± Ace¡¯s distrust warred with the feeling that something had gone horribly wrong. He didn¡¯t want to go but he¡¯d never seen Sam so distraught. What could put her into such a state? It had to be important. ¡°Please, Ang!¡± That name... Angel. It sickened him. He pushed her off, strong enough to make her fall on her back. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± he hissed at her, a wildness coming into his voice. ¡°I¡¯m not some silly pigeon! Get out of my sight! Return to where you came from!¡± Her sobs intensified at his words and he turned from the sorrowful pity in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve got things to do here,¡± he said as if that explained everything and with quick steps he started climbing his fields. ¡°Ace!¡± Monthu called after him. ¡°Kirin!¡± when he was ignored but Ace didn¡¯t turn back. He was going to do this. Someone had to die, it might as well be the beast. Or him. Everyone had so pleaded for him to save them. None had wondered whether he would survive such an encounter. All they wanted was for him to protect them, destroy the evil monster that threatened them. Well, he could try. Go alone, without any support and get himself killed. Maybe then they would understand what they have done. They had sent their only chance at winning to die pointlessly; unprotected, unguarded. He was strong, unbelievably so, but that didn¡¯t make him invincible. One mistake, one wrong move and he was dead. And no one was there to aid him in not making it. So be it, he would attempt it alone. All his life he¡¯d known it was like that. No one was there for him. Couple people tried but they wanted life of their own, they couldn¡¯t waste their whole time on him. Or even any of it. They had more important things. Never had he been a number one to anyone. His body shook as he closed in on the black beast. He wasn¡¯t certain whether it was from anger or hurt but it mattered little. He was doing this. No matter the cost. Shouts and screams came from below, some with his name. All the myriad of them. Ace, Silver Wing, Kirin, Ang. Maybe then he should give them a show. It were his last moments in the game after all. He hadn¡¯t lied when he¡¯d said he had but one life here. No cheating and being brought back to life for him. Death was the end. ¡°Beloved dreams, feared nightmares, different worlds, same horrors combine into one and come crashing onto the mortal souls, Phantasm!¡± he whispered under his breath, raising higher into the air. Black wings sprouted from his back, his hair turning dark brown. With reckless abandon he dived down, feathers fluttering in his wake. His landing was the beast¡¯s back and he heard gasps of awe as his daggers plunged into the skin. With [Magma Blade]¡¯s help they penetrated the strengthened skin but it wasn¡¯t enough. He didn¡¯t feel the usual resistance of organs, vital parts being damaged. No, this beast wasn¡¯t human at all. Its shape was a copy on the outside, but the inside was nothing alike. Ace¡¯s attack meant nothing at all. It was as cutting someone¡¯s hair. Annoying to the owner but dangerous? Not at all. The beast turned on him with speed that Ace¡¯s eyes could barely follow. More on instinct than sight he dodged one clawed hand and blocked the other with a dagger. Blade groaned under the pressure but held. Problem was that unlike Ace, the beast had extra two hands. He could keep both of Ace¡¯s occupied and still have ways to attack. To prevent from being skewered, Ace had to use [Void Step] repeatedly. He danced back and forth, activating fields to keep himself in the air while all the time blocking and dodging clawed limbs. They came at him from all directions, meaning to maim him as much as kill. Beast¡¯s back would have been the best place for him but two great wings guarded it. If he even showed there, they swatted him away like a fly. Even the wind from them was more than enough to throw him to the ground and take most of his health. Since then he took care to stay above or in front of the beast. With his extraordinary agility, he could foresee the attacks and evade or block them but it grated on his nerves. He was gaining nothing. Dodge right, left, drop below, block a right swing. Shift away. Go up. Block right, move there and dodge a jab coming for his legs. It was the same as running away. He played along the beast¡¯s range, not getting hurt but that wasn¡¯t the same as winning. His stamina would run out much faster than the beast¡¯s and then he would be done for. It made his anger grow with every clash of steel against claw. Was he really going to die from exhaustion? That was one of the silliest endings to a legend he could come up with. No one would remember him if that happened. But what was he supposed to do? Evading the attacks were as far as his skills went. This beast was on par with him in speed, and had more limbs to attack with. Nothing close to a fair fight. Fair? The thought startled him. He hardly managed to dodge the next attack before turning away and starting to run on his fields. When had he begun playing by the rules? Why should he ever do that? The mere idea was outrageous. He was Silver Wing, the notorious assassin. His legend was based on never being fair, doing things that anyone else would blanch at. Time to remember who he really was. Making a good distance between himself and the beast, he shifted. [Void Step] brought him near the players and while his opponent searched for him farther away, Ace let his illusion expand. A blonde angel dressed in white appeared first, it fluttered in the air after him like a butterfly. Soon after him a spoiled lordling brat made his appearance. He was dressed in rich clothes with a dagger at his side and a pompous look in his face. Then a young boy, younger than the other two took shape. He looked around uncertain, a wavering smile on his lips. His clothes were out of place, modern rather than medieval like most of the game¡¯s fashions. Shadows blurred, bringing a creature of the night forth. Screams from below caught in Ace¡¯s ears but he ignored them. There were so many more to come. A skeletal boy, his hands groping forward, eyes blind. Young lord¡¯s son dressed all in black with a silvery cane in his hand. An elf stepped out. His purple eyes went over the crowd, lips forming into a knowing smirk. He reached for the flute at his breeches and brought it to his lips. Soft melodic notes left it as another being made its appearance. Wings black as night, angelic features twisted in a snarl. The beautiful boy pushed his black hood over his face, hiding it from the watchers below. Then, as the melody slowly intensified two boys appeared staring at each other. One was dressed in a dark blue cloak, his face hidden beneath a fox mask and a hood. His opponent wore no disguise. His golden curls tumbled freely, framing his ice blue eyes. Their opposition lasted but for a moment until they turned from each other and returned to the mass. ¡°Ang, Night¡¯s Creature, Skele¡¯s boy, lordling, Lathlaeril, Fallen, Wing and Ace. So many, and many more unnamed creations,¡± he whispered to himself. ¡°I wonder, what is left for me now.¡± The illusion around him had fallen off and he stood in his dark garments, the mask pushed on his forehead. This wasn¡¯t him but it would have to do. He wasn¡¯t certain he could find his true form even if he had hours to think about it. Like an army general, he waved forward and started to run. All his pasts spread into a fan behind him with Ace and Wing at the front. They ran together, straight at the approaching beast. The elf¡¯s sweet melody was out of place in the midst of battle but it soothed his raging emotions. For a moment, he could clearly see how mad his rush was but it was too late. He had banked everything on this attack. It was going to be his legacy. For better or worse, this was it. He was too far to back down now. The beast reached for him with its sharp claws but he shifted through them, appearing right at the beast¡¯s head. There he had guessed its heart would be. ¡°Heart-seeker!¡± he screamed at the top of his lungs, stabbing Kris as far as it would go. The beast screeched in pain, making Ace¡¯s lips twitch into a barest of smiles. If he wouldn¡¯t kill it, at least he would inflict some pain. That would still be more than anyone else had achieved.
* WARNING! Heart-seeker is eating through the hearts at great speed. If you take the dagger out now, there is still a chance the skill will remain intact, able to purify the blade with human hearts!*
Ace pushed the dagger deeper in. He wasn¡¯t backing down. Not now. Something bubbled in his throat. He coughed to clear it off only to see the back of his hands get spattered with blood. A look down showed something sticking out from his chest. Claw. His body shook at the realisation. He was going to die. For real. It wasn¡¯t just a thought for revenge. No, it was happening. He was bleeding out. Moment more and he would be forcefully logged off. His limbs were loosening, unable to produce the strength to push. ¡°No!¡± Ace gurgled. ¡°I¡¯m taking you with me!¡± His words were nothing more than breathless whispers but they gave him power to make a last push. Not enough. As the idea sunk in, he felt a warm yellow glow surrounding him. ¡°So, that¡¯s how my favourite follower is going to end up. Such a tragic ending...¡± a female voice said without any sorrow in her voice. He half-turned his face to see a female of ethereal beauty hovering over him. She was blocking the beast¡¯s attacks behind her back with ease. Her wing shaped weapon gleamed in the light radiating off her. She smiled at the widening of his eyes. ¡°Did you think I was going to let you die alone? You resemble me too much for me to just let you go.¡± She put her free hand on his shoulder, moving to stand right behind his back. Her presence made his aches leave his thoughts, and his mind cleared. There was still one thing he could do. He had attacked like Silver Wing but forgotten that he was much more. ¡°Externus!¡± he screamed out and tendrils of dark magic rose from all over his body. They stretched, broke and formed little bubbles that flew to all the players below. Shouts of displeasure and damage received reached Ace¡¯s ears but he paid them no attention. His energy was decreasing at rapid speed, in moments it would turn zero. But he kept his dagger plunged in. That was the only thing that mattered now. He was going to die but if he stayed still, at least he wouldn¡¯t be alone in doing so. Soon, the health carriers returned and he saw his health increasing. Hundred after hundred it went way past the point of normalcy. By the end he had thirty five thousand health and no energy to move a muscle. Just as well. He brought all the spells he knew to the forefront of his mind and continuing to ignore the goddess whispered them one after the other. Each went into Kris that bordered on breaking from the power stored inside. All those spells capable of devastating kingdoms shoved into the little blade. The goddess moved to hug him from behind, her warm glow encompassing him, and through him reaching into the blade. It pushed it over the edge and Kris exploded. For a second the world was frozen, and then the wave went forward. It demolished everything in its path, not leaving a single object standing. Humans, animals, trees or structures. Each and every thing turned dust. Ace watched the demolition with cold detachment as he felt his body give way. This was the end. He was dying and taking not only the monster, but everyone in the armies with him. Somehow it was right. He closed his eyes from seeing the fracturing of the earth and let his mind relax. Familiar darkness surrounded him as light words reached him from far away. ¡°My favourite boy,¡± Aelia whispered. ¡°I shall take you to keep me company forever.¡± Epilogue Two days after the battle, Tristain¡¯s parents came back. They were ecstatic at the news that he¡¯d learnt the full name of Ace. ¡°Kirin Harthorn,¡± they said the name with such undulated joy, Aiden felt sick. What had he done? ¡°I did not believe in your claim but you have managed to take it from the boy. Good job son.¡± Cole put his arm on Aiden¡¯s shoulder squeezing it. ¡°You did us proud.¡± ¡°I knew it wasn¡¯t a mistake to pick you from that orphanage. Remember Cole, I said he¡¯s going to be good enough. He has potential!¡± Melinda said with a bright smile on her face. She was almost beaming with joy at the prospect of tracking the boy down. It had taken them less than a few hours to locate him in a small village on a seashore. They were quite surprised he hadn¡¯t lied about that. In their mind, he¡¯d had no reason to give clues away. Somehow, it made him less in their eyes. The next day, they all boarded a private jet. Even Tristain was included. His brother wasn¡¯t certain why they were going to Ace¡¯s place but he was looking forward to it. In his mind, it was going to be great to meet his friend in real life. Aiden listened to his chatter with half the mind as worse thoughts plagued him. He wasn¡¯t so positive about this reunion. No matter how he looked at it, there could be no happy ending. Tristain¡¯s parents weren¡¯t doing this for their child. Or at least, not the way he thought they were doing. From what Aiden had gathered, they planned to meet the boy and then buy or threaten him. The only thing he could not understand was why they were doing it themselves. And taking him with Tristain along. It made no sense to bring their child into such a situation. Unless they wanted something from Ace. Then they could play on friendships, hoping to win him over with such notions. But even if there was anything they required from Ace, how could they believe he would be happy to comply? He had told his secret only to Aiden. There was betrayal in his countenance even at learning Tristain had been made aware. How would he react to finding the parents on his doorstep? It wasn¡¯t going to end well. Or that would be in the game. What did he truly know about this Kirin person? He¡¯d heard things about him from the boy himself and his caretakers but that knowledge was fragmented and in contradiction. From the way his friends had acted, he was a sheltered child that knew nothing of the darker side of the world. He always smiled, his mind stuck at the age of the child. In his own mind, he was someone trapped. Unable to move forward, but having nothing in the present. His actions in game were often puzzling, as if he couldn¡¯t decide himself what he wanted to do. One moment he was pushing his way into their group, then running away and returning again. Then abandoning them. How much of that could be his true personality and how much just pretend? Or was everything just for show? There were people who changed into opposites of themselves online. Somehow, he doubted Ace was one of them. As the game continued, he got more invested and more of his emotions showed, At times, they were right on his face, not hidden in the least. What Aiden had seen there, worried him more than relieved. There was a huge trauma in that kid¡¯s life and he¡¯d never gotten over it. His distrust, wanting to be around people but foiling such tries himself, had to be part of it. And his love for creating characters. Only when he brought them all in his last fight, did Aiden understand just how many of them had been there. The revelation of the elf shocked him, but Ace and Wing were ones that worried him. If those two were only acts, who was the boy in truth? Did he know it himself? For a moment up there, he¡¯d looked uncertain himself. His eyes followed the many different characters before falling on this own self with derision. But then he¡¯d turned away and went for the monster at the speed of light, his creations in battle formation after. ¡°Hey, listen to this!¡± Melinda said bringing their attention to the screen on the side. She raised the volume with a voice command and a loud female voice flowed into the room. ¡°So, you want to say its done done? There¡¯s no bringing it back?¡± A man sitting next to the female bobbed his head. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying, and its not part of some misguided plans by the company to increase the game¡¯s fame.¡± ¡°Why would you say that?¡± ¡°I have friends in the developer team and I heard they had tried everything with no success. That last explosion destroyed the whole planet. Well, not destroyed,¡± he laughed,¡± as much as killed all life. Nothing was left standing.¡± The female brittled at his answer. She crossed her legs, leaning closer to the man. ¡°Can¡¯t the players rebuild? It would be an interesting experience.¡± The man shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no wildlife, which means no air. Anyone who logs in, dies in a minute from the lack of oxygen.¡± ¡°What about speeding up the time? Letting a few million years pass in a few days?¡± ¡°They tried,¡± the man said, his look straying away. ¡°It was a failure. Wildlife has been brought back, and some life formed but the game is nothing like it had been. The new monsters are much stronger than possible to defeat for new players, there are no safe zones, no npcs and to top it, magic is gone. Testers tried all they could think of, but every single one agreed this was a terrible game. They had doubts about playing it, even if they were being paid.¡± The female¡¯s eyes lowered to the ground for a moment. ¡°What do you think will happen to the gaming world now?¡± ¡°It is hard to say, but Regal Dream¡¯s monopoly is over. Other titles will start popping up and players will have more choices what to play. We should look at it positively.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± the female said, mirroring the man¡¯s bright smile. Both of them were so fake it was painful to watch. Nobody wanted another game. Regal Dream had had its problems, but it was the first. Everyone had played it, and most liked their lives there. It was hard to imagine suddenly changing to something else, losing all those hours spent in the game. People had created whole lives there. It was surreal to think all of it was gone. Aiden tried to think how he¡¯ll occupy his empty hours now but came up blank. He would have double the free time. What was he supposed to do with it? What had he done before Regal Dream made its appearance? He couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°This is great news!¡± Melinda cheered. Aiden stared at her. What could possibly be good about this? Cole nodded. ¡°Yeah, now that he won¡¯t have the game, it will be easier to convert him to our cause. ¡°Our cause?¡± Aiden asked in a soft voice. It wasn¡¯t often they told him details of their plans, but he needed to know this time. Tristain¡¯s parents exchanged grins. ¡°We have decided to hire him. His mind is unique but brutal. He would be a great asset to our expansion.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he a child?¡± Melinda dismissed his words with a wave of her hand. ¡°You heard him, he¡¯s twenty-one. That child look must have been some kind of fancy of his.¡± Aiden didn¡¯t say anything. He had heard more than he¡¯d wanted. An employee. It was hard to imagine Ace following Tristain¡¯s parents commands. He¡¯d done many things, some quite low, but one thing he¡¯d always kept, was answering to no one. Even when he¡¯d agreed to become L¡¯s assassin, it had been just words. He followed the orders when he wanted to, and only when it aligned with his own goals. Not once had he done what was expected, rather than what he felt like doing. How could Tristain¡¯s parents expect such a person to work for them? A sound signalled that they were closing on the destination. It suggested they put their seat belts on, and they did so. The weather through the windows was a formidable one. Black skies dampened the midday into night. Rain clashed against the windows, threatening to break through. It wasn¡¯t going to happen but seeing the large violent droplets made it uncomfortable. Winds were throwing them at the jet with a vengeance. When they landed, Aiden took Tristain¡¯s hand and helped him outside the jet. ¡°This is an abandoned part of road. Fields are on the side with trees in the far distance. But they are small, lean, not like the ones near our home,¡± he said, falling in the familiar old rhythm. Tristain held strong onto his hand, listening with attention to his recounting. ¡°Is the village far?¡± ¡°No,¡± he answered, tugging his brother¡¯s jacket closer around him. ¡°We have to walk for a bit but I can see many lights not far. Maybe they¡¯re having some kind of celebration today.¡± His brother shivered, but didn¡¯t complain. ¡°Today is Ace¡¯s birthday.¡± ¡°Is it? Well, we have come right on time to congratulate him then,¡± he said with a cheery tone, pushing his doubts away. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Together they started on the wet path. Winds threw rain in their faces, cold seeping in. It wasn¡¯t a very celebratory weather. Maybe that was why there were so many lights inside the village, nobody wanting to be outside. Tristain¡¯s parents trailed behind, Melinda complaining about the weather. She was annoyed that wind would damage her new haircut and she wouldn¡¯t be able to show up in all her glory. It almost sounded as if Ace wouldn¡¯t meet them simply because they didn¡¯t look their best. Soon they entered an eerily empty village. Most windows were lit but no life showed behind them. Doors were thrown open, light spilling out into the darkness of the day. Winds played in the corridors, rain creating puddles inside. ¡°What is happening?¡± Tristain asked in a low voice. He squeezed Aiden¡¯s hand tighter, feeling the formidable silence around. Even his parents had stopped talking. ¡°It¡¯s...¡± Aiden started but wasn¡¯t certain how to explain it. He didn¡¯t want to scare his brother. ¡°We have reached the houses but they are empty. Everyone must be at Ace¡¯s place.¡± ¡°Stop calling him that,¡± Melinda said to him with annoyance in her voice. ¡°His given name is Kirin so use it.¡± Aiden nodded, feeling like he should have thought of it himself. They were going to meet a real person, not a game character. As they walked, whispers of sound reached their ears. Somewhere up ahead there were people. Maybe nothing wrong had happened here, people just hadn¡¯t locked their doors, not expecting such a weather. He didn¡¯t want to consider why they might not have returned to close them. What they encountered at the end was not a family house like others but the town hall. It was twice the size of others and lit like a birthday cake. Doors were also open here but instead of cheers, quiet buzzing of voices, mostly drained away by rain could be heard. Then a loud shout, and another. Someone was arguing inside. ¡°Should..?¡± Aiden started to ask but Tristain¡¯s parents passed him and entered the house. So he followed, his brother tightly holding onto his hand. As they found the right room, a horrifying sight met their eyes. Two caskets stood by one wall covered in white flowers. More than twenty candles stood tall on the sides, burning brilliantly but overshadowed by electric lamp brightness. In front of this display stood a child that had passed over the edge of madness. Never before Aiden had seen him like this but he recognised the figure. Kirin stood with his hair knotted in mats, flown wild from the countless drafts in the room. His face was warped into a mosaic of pain, horror and pure despair. The hand holding a kitchen knife was shaking. It was as if- Aiden¡¯s eyes flew back to the hand. He hadn¡¯t been mistaken. Gripped in the small hand was a mid-sized knife with a sharp point. Fingers gripping it were so tight, they were turning white. ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± he screamed in a familiar voice but tone Aiden hadn¡¯t heard before. The words were shouted out in desperation, begging for something. ¡°I won¡¯t...¡± he whispered, ¡°I won¡¯t..¡± The vulnerability in those words tore at Aiden¡¯s heart. He took a step forward when a female from the crowd moved in before Kirin. ¡°Please, Ang.¡± At her words the boy blanched off as if struck. His head twisted one way and another, eyes wildly scanning the crowd, seeing no one. ¡°Please?¡± the female prompted, reaching for the knife. She had a smile on her face, no fear or trepidation in her demeanour. She didn¡¯t believe anything bad was going to happen here. Aiden saw her mistake before she made the sound. ¡°Ang -¡± The simple name pushed Kirin over. He released a wordless scream, slashed at the female and shifted the blade with a practised move, plunging it in his own heart. Red didn¡¯t take long to seep into his t-shirt as his legs gave under him and he fell to the ground with a loud thud. The sound reverberated through the room like an explosion. People screamed and shouted, falling at the boy¡¯s body. Sobs and wails coloured the air as some tried to speak. None able to form words. Something pulled at Aiden¡¯s hand. He glanced downwards to see his little brother softly whimpering at his side. He snatched him up and left the room. Lights shone in other rooms but he couldn¡¯t take being in this place any longer. Carrying his brother, he went outside and walked till he got tired, not saying anything. When his hands grew tired, he sought out an arbour. It stood cold and open to the winds but the roof kept most of the rain away. Settling down, he tugged his brother closer to his chest so they would share the warmth. For a while longer they stayed quiet. Neither of them wanted to pierce the silence and acknowledge what had happened. Ace hadn¡¯t been a master assassin to miss now. ¡°What went there?¡± Tristain finally asked. His voice was very soft, little more than a whisper. For the first time in his life, Aiden was glad his brother was blind. It was a cruel thought but he couldn¡¯t regret it. The sight was etched into his mind; wild eyes, hunched shoulders, shaking hand with a bloody knife. And the sound. Blade cutting flesh. It repeated in his mind like an old carousel, spinning and spinning without an end. Only sometimes was it interrupted by a thud made loud in contrast to the breathless silence. ¡°Brother?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± he whispered back, the bloody scene not leaving him even when he closed his eyes. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a celebration. But a funeral.¡± ¡°Whose?¡± the boy asked, squeezing his hand tighter. Aiden couldn¡¯t say his name. ¡°His parents.¡± It was easier to talk in simple words. Not thinking. His mind reeled at what had happened even as he tried to push it all away. He didn¡¯t want to consider the reasons and that maybe he was instrumental in bringing that outcome. This arrival hadn¡¯t meant anything. He hadn¡¯t seen them, but all that time they played together. He had talked and laughed with them, hated and abandoned them. For a moment, a pained expression in the ballroom flashed through his mind. Then the last moments of the game. The way he charged into the fight in anger. Something had aggravated him, and instead of calming, they had pushed him away. Put all the responsibility on his shoulders as if that had been his job alone. They had put him apart. Alone. Guilt roared in his chest. He felt sick. ¡°Why did he do it?¡± Tristain asked, his voice shaking. At first Aiden didn¡¯t understand the question, his mind deep in self-loathing. ¡°He...¡± How could he explain it? How do you tell a child that his best friend took his own life? No, he knew that. His ears were sharp enough to know what had happened. His question was why, not what. Aiden let out a breath. ¡°Sometimes good people live in cages of darkness that shine golden from the outside. They killed him with their kindness.¡± The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. He waited for his brother¡¯s reaction but he didn¡¯t say anything. Once more they sat in silence, letting their minds wander as rain pelted their shelter. ¡°What will happen now?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Aiden answered, looking into the pitch black darkness ahead. ¡°We will return home and continue our lives. We will mourn, think of what could have been but most importantly remember him. And then we¡¯ll move forward. Live the rest of our lives.¡± His brother nodded, tears forming in his eyes. Aiden tightened his hands around him and rocketed gently as the boy sobbed. His own eyes stayed dry. There were too many emotions bubbling in his chest to be able to mourn. Anger was at the front of his mind, rather than sorrow. Anger and guilt. The boy had asked him to visit. He had wanted a friend, someone to take his side. Instead Aiden had focused on his own problems, worrying about things that meant nothing now. He¡¯d feared the boy¡¯s reaction on finding out Tristain¡¯s parents knew the truth. He¡¯d sold him out for respect that bought this way was pointless. He¡¯d paid more attention to some silly game fight than someone who he¡¯d promised to be there for. All of those things turned meaningless in a single day. Neither mattered now that the kid was dead. It was as if some twisted genie had granted him his wish and made all his problems disappear. He smiled bitterly. He¡¯d told his brother they were going to mourn and move on, but that was a lie. There will be many more things to do before he could put this case to rest. Villagers, doctors who¡¯d given him the drug and those that invented it. Others that must have checked-up to see the progress and the rest that watched from the sidelines, pretending nothing was wrong. He was going to make them all pay. The sight of a boy, no more than thirteen plunging a knife in his chest pushed its way into his mind. He gritted his teeth, trying to calm his insides. The urge to puke was strengthening each second he thought of it. How could this be happening in the world they lived in? What if this fate had been thrust upon his brother? No, he would make it stop. No child will ever have to live through such a nightmare again. ¡°Rest in peace, Kirin,¡± he whispered and added in his mind, I will make sure your story won¡¯t be forgotten. Afterword Afterword And here ends the journey. It¡¯s been years since it begun. I still remember the way it started, reading Legendary Moonlight Sculptor, a myriad of fan fictions. I enjoyed them but at the same time, pridefully, like all writers, I thought I could do it better. I could write something that not only I, but others could also have fun with. And so I sat down, picked up my phone and wrote. It¡¯s been two and a half years since then. One hundred chapters since that day. Some of them were decent, some great while others, better they be forgotten. No one is born perfect as they say. Still, through all those trials of mine, many of you my readers stayed. It shouldn¡¯t have been easy. Most likely not. At times, I wondered myself what I was doing, going where. But then, a comment or a review would show up, a measly ¡°Thank you!¡± and I would suddenly feel invigorated. Even if I had no idea where my destination lay, all I had to do was keep on moving. That¡¯s what mattered. And now it¡¯s done. The journey is over. Last chapter posted, finishing lines written, final period stamped. The task has been accomplished. Flight of Icarus is complete. For this, I have to thank you all my wonderful readers. From the very beginning you have supported me with your encouraging comments and various ideas, suggestions. I would love to name each and every one of you but that would take hours, hours that are so few and precious in an author¡¯s life. My mind is already unable to stay still; wishing, planning, conjuring all the stories I could work on. For two and a half years I was married to Flight of Icarus. It was a wonderful time, but now my mind seeks something new. I had thought of continuing the story in Dark Descent, made plans and storylines but the VRMMORPG genre feels like a shackle now rather than an extension it should be. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Because of this, I¡¯ve decided to run to pure fantasy with a scent of dystopia. For now, the story is tentatively named Dream Chaser but I might still change it. It will be a story of a world destroyed by magic going wild because of one person, not even a mage. A girl and two guys will meet and try to make sense of what¡¯s left, help those in need and find that destruction doesn¡¯t change human nature as much as one might think. This is just the general idea that will stay true, though, the characters and events might change. If interested, please, join me once more on another wild adventure. I don¡¯t know when it will start or end, but it will happen. That¡¯s the promise I can make. Flight of Icarus was my first born and, though, I wasn¡¯t perfect, I did my best. It is what it is, and I leave you my dear readers to judge. For your entertainment as much as my own, I let Kirin into the world and I don¡¯t regret it. He will always have a special place in my heart, that little rascal with a taunting smile and shining blue eyes. There¡¯s so much more to say, so much more to share but, I think, this should be enough. You have all been here, seen my struggles and made your own decisions. I bow before you all, thanking with all my heart for the time and respect you gave me. I¡¯ll never forget the times of joy and elation brought by your words. THANK YOU! Update 7/23/2016 Hey! I''m really exited to say that I finally uploaded my new story. It took me a long while of planning, changing my opinion, writing and rewriting but I''m finally semi-satisfied with the result of the first few chapters. (If I waited till I was fully satisfied, the story wouldn''t be uploaded for all eternity most likely. I already rewrote the first chapters three times...) Anyway, for those interested, I present Dream Chaser. The synopsis might not be anything special but give a chance to this dystopian fantasy. I promise it''s gonna be epic. At least in my mind it is ;P As a side note, I''m gonna give out some old random stuff I had from writing FoI like Character Sheets and some extra stuff I never uploaded. So, here it goes: Personalities: - This is an in-depth look into most of the main characters (Ace, Monthu, Paradox, Hawk, Aurora, Dark, Nein, L, Caro) Characters - An updated list of characters that should contain all the people that were ever named in the story with their descriptions Titles And Abilities - A list I was never good at and stopped updating halfway through the story maybe.. Hunt - A short half a chapter of how I imagined him hunting down the whole city some year prior to actually writing the chapter. Drawings - Pictures I begged off of my friend when we were still in highschool (ah... that feels like it was forever ago). It has drafts for Hawk, Aurora, Paradox and even the Hound. Ace also included, even if I shared it before. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.FoI Plan - Here you can see my plan for the last few volumes when I finally started paying attention to where I was going. And how once again, I did it for like the first part and then kind of just forgot all about it... P.S. It has a quote from one of the people who commented on one of the chapters. Thanks whoever you are because it might have possibly influenced my decision whether this story was going end up as a tragedy or as a saving of a lost soul. And that''s it, I''ve said all I''ve had to say. Hope to see you joining me on my new story, and if not, thanks for everything so far! I''ll be off with a short story for you all. Once in Art class we could draw whatever we wanted and being a no good artist, I drew what was easiest. A form of a human in a wizard''s robe, looking away because there was no way I could draw a human''s face. So, curled lines were added for hair. Still, it was pretty empty so I drew a few lines at the bottom of the page and added wings to the robed ''human''. In the end it was an angel standing on a cliff; all white and golden while the background was in red and black hues. It was a horrible picture, I''m no artist, after all. Still, the more I stared at it, the more a couple of words came to my mind. I had been writing Flight of Icarus for some time then and I knew instantly who I was staring at. This was how I truly saw my little child. Walking forward, Never looking back, Facing each day With another lie