ã€ŠBound Evilã€‹


 Prologue - A villains Journey

    Emily¡¯s bubble gum pink glove sunk into the soft flesh of the sidekick''s spandex-covered abdomen, and sent him crashing through several exhibits.

    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re here for you¡¯ll never get away with it, Empress!"

    Emily cringed as Captain Cosmic¡ªthe only other S-tier super in the city¡ªblocked her exit. His deep, charismatic voice boomed through the halls of the convention center. Nameless bystanders lingered, hoping to glimpse their favorite hero. Their funeral.

    Emily was glad her mask hid the flush of her cheeks, nevertheless, she smirked. Her trademark fiery hair framed her face as it cascaded down her crimson garments to her lower back.

    ¡°Cosmo, my dude, how can you not be embarrassed to use such a boring line.¡±

    This muscle-brained idiot had thoroughly ruined her day off. How was she supposed to know he would recognize her out of costume? Emily certainly didn¡¯t know it was him; she¡¯d just thought he was some pervert because he kept staring at her chest. Then all of a sudden he and his forgettable sidekick suit up and come after her.

    Trying to explain that she was just here to see the new technological developments had fallen on deaf ears, but it was the truth.

    This expo was a once-a-decade event, boasting some of the latest energy manipulation devices to date. Emily had been enamored with science since she was a child, but surviving on the run made it difficult to attend any real place of higher learning.

    Snapping back to reality, Emily''s eyes widened as she ducked under a swing from Captain Cosmic, which exploded the nearby air in a shockwave of power.

    Close quarters were not her strong suit, but the battle, though short, had been intense. The room was coming down around them, and Emily didn¡¯t want to be here when reinforcements arrived.

    With a pulse of gathered power, she sent Captain Cosmic hurtling through the concrete wall, but that would hardly slow him down.

    Turning to make her exit, something gleamed from the corner of her vision. Focusing on it, Emily¡¯s breath sped up.

    The first thing she saw was a collapsed piece of scaffolding and under it, a man struggling. He was dressed in a lab coat and Emily immediately recognized the thrice Nobel prize winner, Dr Heinz.

    An obstinate man who had single-handedly proven the existence of ¡®null energy¡¯.

    But that¡¯s not what caught Emily¡¯s eye now. No, just above the scientist, on the now failing scaffolding, sat the crown jewel of this whole event.

    A prototype generator for the newly discovered energy, it was supposed to be Dr Heinz''s crowning achievement, and now it was about to crush him.

    Emily heard movement from the hero-shaped hole in the wall and cursed under her breath.

    Lifting into the air, she made a mad dash for the man just as the scaffolding¡¯s supports gave out. Arriving in the blink of an eye, Emily kicked the debris flying and snatched the piece of equipment out of the air.

    A giggle erupted from her as she lifted the glowing pyramid triumphantly. It was no bigger than a human head, but easily weighed over three tons. The outer layer was transparent, revealing the inner workings to be a delicate maze of silver wires and circuitry.

    ¡°Mine!¡± Emily gushed in a seagull-like tone.

    This wasn¡¯t the boring stuff normals made, this was made by a super. Now all she had to do was get home.

    A squeak from Dr. Heinz below caught Emily¡¯s attention, a look of fury masking the unique combination of liver spots and bionic limbs. Currently clutching something small to his chest, the pompous codger stared at Emily with hate. If she had more time, Emily would have loved to threaten an autograph out of him.

    Captain Cosmic was beside the man ready to deflect the falling rubble that would never come, of course he was¡ªselfless prick.

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    Unable to hide her excitement, Emily clutched the pyramid to her chest.

    ¡°Sorry old man, this is mine now¡±

    And that would have been that.

    Emily knew that Captain Cosmic would never leave the doctor trapped in a collapsing building in favor of catching her, not when her retreat meant no further damage to the area.

    Unfortunately, his sidekick didn¡¯t seem to know the etiquette yet because he came crashing through broken stalls, brandishing a strange-looking gun. Probably from one of the exhibits because Emily had never seen it¡¯s like.

    The battered sidekick didn¡¯t hesitate to aim and fire a violet laser from the broad muzzle of the weapon.

    With little time to react, Emily moved the pyramid to intercept the shot.

    In the back of her mind, she realized her mistake, but there was no more time.

    The beam hit the component and the internal contents shifted from a bright, churning silver to a black, darker than a gravitational well.

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened and she froze, staring down in mute horror at the device. Even children knew you didn¡¯t mix super¡¯s technologies, not unless you wanted to get blown to kingdom come.

    The device hummed for a moment and then went silent, stabilizing itself.

    A second passed, and then two.

    Emily¡¯s tensed shoulders drooped as she let out a sigh.

    Funnily enough, she could see Captain Cosmic had taken several steps in her direction, his hand outstretched and a worried look plaster on his disgustingly, handsome mug.

    Had the superhero been about to save her? Emily didn¡¯t get a lot of time to think because another angry voice shattered the silence.

    ¡°Old? Old! I¡¯ll show what it means to be old, enjoy your trip to the next dimension, you thieving bitch!¡±

    ¡®Who the what now?¡¯ was all Emily had time to think before she spotted the old man smashing his thumb down on the remote he¡¯d been clutching.

    The device whirred back to life in her arms, and Emily''s thoughts of throwing the device away were stolen from her, as a charge of electricity forced her arms to spasm against the device, clutching it in a death grip.

    A low keening hum exploded into the room, shaking the air around them and filling the space with a neon purple light.

    Emily was dimly aware that Captain Cosmic was rushing towards her again. Only for a perfect sphere of darkness to expand from the prism as though space had fallen in on itself. Trapping her inside the phenomenon, Emily heard the rushing of air as it vented past her into the space beyond.

    Debris followed through the sphere, yet they did not touch her. Emily tried to spot Captain Cosmic or that fool of a scientist but the world rippled like a wave on a pond.

    Then, when it felt like the sphere would detonate into their reality, Emily heard a voice stretch out from the violet emptiness behind her.

    ¡°Then we are of one accord. Now go!¡±

    A hand reached through space itself and pulled Emily back with it. She tried to resist, drawing all her power from her core in an attempt to stay, but the force was too powerful. All Emily could do was watch as the world around her shrank to black and violet, and her body ignited.

    <hr>

    Star Lad pulled the door off the police car and dropped it to his side revealing Dr. Heinz chained in power restraints.

    ¡°What in the world have you done? Where does that hole lead?"

    The old man looked up at the convention center where a violet sphere of pure darkness rotated, slowly growing as it ate anything it came into contact with.

    The scene was littered with officers and reporters as they moved about the roads.

    ¡°Now-now, kid, shouldn¡¯t you be worrying about finding your next mentor, not that they would accept you. After all, you played your part in this, though mixing that inferior piece of tech with my own was never part of the plan.

    Max¡¯s eyes dilated as his patience snapped, he reached in and ripped the doctor from the vehicle, hoisting him into the air by his collar.

    ¡°Where did you send him!¡±

    Surprise and perhaps a hint of fear clouded the doctor''s eyes.

    ¡°Collateral damage kid, all that matters is that the Empress is gone. I¡¯ll need to study the phenomenon.¡±

    Max slammed the doctor onto the boot of the car causing it metal to groan.

    ¡°Not good enough!¡±

    ¡°I don''t know, I can only guess¡±

    ¡°Then guess!¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­okay, if we assume he¡¯s still alive and not atomized on impact-¡±

    Max¡¯s hands tightened on the doctor''s collar.

    ¡°-then the only outcome is dimensional shunting. By the looks of things, matter is being converted into null energy, and sent somewhere, but wherever that is leaking energy back into our world.¡±

    Max¡¯s fist sunk through the metal of the car with ease as the windows exploded outward from the force.

    Max¡¯s voice became nothing more than a hollow whisper.

    ¡°And where is that doctor¡±

    ¡°How aren''t you getting this, you muscle brain whelp. I don¡¯t know! What I do know is if you harm me, the planet is doomed. That anomaly will continue to grow unless I can find a way to stop it.¡±

    The doctor could see this wasn¡¯t enough to get him to back down so he continued.

    ¡°The likelihood of anything being pulled through safely is possible, but that''s not the problem. The real concern is whether the other side is habitable. This is the equivalent of a blind jump, the chance of appearing in open space is a statistical certainty.¡±

    Max¡¯s eye remained fixed on the man until he was certain he was telling the truth. Dropping the doctor, Max took a step back into the air as he began to ascend.

    Adjusting his collar the doctor looked up at Max.

    ¡°Relax kid, so we lost a piece. You¡¯ll get your dues¡±

    Max couldn¡¯t listen to the man any longer and lifted into the air, putting on a burst of speed and rocketing himself up past the twentieth floor and parallel with the hole in space as it floated above the city skyline.

    Max¡¯s shoulders drooped his form tiny in comparison to the now monolithic sphere.

    As the air made contact with the anomaly it let out a quiet hiss, as though it were whispering to Max, mocking him for his hubris.

 Chapter 1 - Space walk

    It only took a moment for Emily to realize she was hurling through space end over end. Distant stars dappled the glowing universe around her, and yet Emily''s focus remained on her tingling fingertips.

    It felt strange, like they were there but also not, that¡¯s when the panic set in. As amazing as her abilities were, space fairing was never one of them.

    In the vacuum of space, silence enveloped her¡ªshe couldn¡¯t hear the sound of her lungs rupturing as the air escaped, nor feel the pain of the moisture in her body vaporizing under the intense solar rays.

    Emily ground her teeth and hunched her shoulders as her dread slowed time to a crawl. A second passed and then another, when the expected bite of space didn¡¯t claim her she looked around at the spinning cosmos in confusion.

    Holding up her hands she could still see and feel them but they had a faint transparent quality to them, almost as though she were incorporeal.

    Frowning, Emily came up with two possibilities: either she was dead, or this was someone else¡¯s doing, and she was just waiting for it to wear off and for space to claim her.

    In both cases, Emily had very little ability to do anything so she crossed her arms behind her Emily righted herself out of the spin so she could take in more of the wonder around her. The sight was breathtaking. The stars vibrated with life and beauty, their countless hues reflecting behind her eyes. Yet none was as breathtaking as the approaching nebula¡ªor was she approaching it? It didn¡¯t matter, but its sheer size did as it filled her vision.

    It reminded Emily of the Pillars of Creation stretching out before her, only instead of three, there were six columns tied closely together, each striving to reach higher than the last. They expanded like trail stretching into a vast horizon, Emily could scarcely believe what she was seeing.

    That¡¯s when she realized something was wrong, she was being watched. As she looked up to the peaks of each pillar, she saw six stars of varying colors glowing like brilliant supernovas.

    Emily had entered their domain. She wasn¡¯t sure how she knew; she just did.

    Whether she wanted it or not, she now had their attention.

    She was proven right a second later when she felt a gentle pull coming from the stars as what felt like a band looped itself around her chest.

    Emily tried to backpedal, but it was like a fishing line; she could only fight so much, as the outcome was almost assured.

    The gradual pull turned into an insistent yank that dragged Emily across the universe, bending stars into streaks of light.

    They pulled her in at speeds that would have torn a human apart, but she realized yet another benefit of this form.

    Space shrunk down to a more manageable size as the vast constellations of lights above her contracted, boxing her in and narrowing down into six towering humanoid forms.

    They were featureless like glowing marionettes, but each was a different presence.

    Below them, a planet came into view, twisting lazily through the expanse. With its emerald green waters and stretching peaks, it glittered like a jewel floating through space.

    The surrounding expanse made her feel more physical than just seconds ago, but she knew something was very wrong.

    Emily had barely processed all this before the beings demanded her attention.

    The red one was the first to speak, and when it did she felt the vastness of a burning world in its voice.

    ¡°Interloper, why have you come?¡±

    Emily scowled up at the being, it probably wasn''t a good idea to openly call it an asshole, but she had no more idea why she was here than it did.

    Before she got a chance the blue one spoke, its voice androgynous and ever-transforming.

    ¡°It does not know, but its selfishness speaks for itself.¡±

    The surprise helped Emily find her voice.

    ¡°Hey! Telepathy¡¯s a bitch move! I don¡¯t consent!¡±

    The third being to speak was a mix of white and black radiance, and it spoke with the joys and sorrows of the living.

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    ¡°Two insults in a few moments of meeting, you are quite brazen in our presence, I admire it. But seeing as we did not call for you, nor are you part of our orbit, you must leave.¡±

    What the hell? Could they just give her a moment''s breathing room? This was all happening so fast; one moment she¡¯d been on top of the world, and now she wasn¡¯t even sure if her world existed here. However, with the power emanating from these beings, they could afford to be arrogant. Emily could tell these forms were the equivalent of cardboard cutouts compared to their real ones. If even one of them showed up here in person, their sheer size would crush her to bits.

    ¡°It is living, it matters little how it got here, just that it is, we should allow it to just be.¡±

    The one that had spoken was a being made of pure gray. Its words were impartial and lacked all of the previous being''s emotions.

    This one was easily Emile''s favorite so far, and she winked grateful at the being. Though it gave no response.

    Emily¡¯s hope was dashed the next second when the green and yellow entities followed its words. One was as deep as the mountains and the other as free as the sky.

    ¡°No, its physical origin belongs to another. I won¡¯t give it form.¡±

    ¡°Its spirit is open to choose as it wills, but I lend no assistance as it has nothing to offer.¡±

    Emily looked around at each of the entities and anger began brewing in her chest. What kind of farce was this?

    The being of white and black light spoke again, this time it somehow looked displeased, even without a face. Its exterior shifted to complete black, losing the streaks of tender white.

    ¡°That is the third time you have insulted us. I change my vote to yes and offer my curse. The final ballot has been cast, three against three. Motion carried.¡±

    Emily shook her head as something streaked from the shadowy avatar¡¯s feet and lashed out at her. The pain was beyond the physical, burrowing deep into her soul and causing Emily to scream out in agony. Then just as quickly as it had come the suffering subsided, leaving Emily hunched over.

    Her mind struggled to process what the being had said but she could make out enough to know it wasn¡¯t good. Emily''s head snapped up as she snarled at them.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?! Will someone explain something to me, goddammit!¡±

    Yet her words went unanswered as the beings began leaving one by one. Red was the first to blink out, its interest completely spent. It was followed by green and then blue as they moved beyond the reaches of this space.

    Black backed away, and though it faded, its presence could still be felt, as if it were studying her.

    Contrary to the others, yellow and grey remained. Their massive forms beginning to approach.

    Emily lowered her stance and tensed her muscles.

    ¡°Now hang on, we don¡¯t have to do this.¡±

    When the two of them spoke again, they spoke in tune, their voices resonating throughout the space. Emily looked towards the gray one finding herself liking it significantly less now.

    ¡°Then let its fate be its own. Your blessings are none, but you will be afforded the chance to feast in our world. You have until your soul burns out to bargain yourself into being, for you will not be given a form of your own¡±

    Emily¡¯s dread took a temporary back seat, did that mean what she thought it did?

    Her eyes flickered down to the inviting planet below.

    She didn¡¯t get a chance to ask her next question because the gray entity suddenly brought its arm downward followed closely by the yellow.

    Emily yelped as the floor shattered beneath her feet and gravity took hold once more.

    The sound of breaking glass rang in her ears as she was sent hurling toward the planet below, becoming a comet of light as she picked up speed.

    The moment she crossed the threshold, she felt herself ignite. This world was so vast and consuming that she felt like a matchstick, burning herself up. One thing Emily had never been was indecisive; if this was her only chance, she¡¯d take it.

    Her speed was intense, but she¡¯d make use of it. Wind buffeted around her, and the planet grew rapidly in her vision until the land itself encompassed everything. Fields and swamps spanned for hectares before flashing by. Gargantuan rainforests rose, seeming to breathe with their own rhythm. Oceans, both boiling and frozen, clawed at the land for space.

    Even as these wondrous scenes flashed past, Emily felt herself growing smaller and weaker. Pushing herself faster, she searched the lands. Time held no meaning down there as biomes flashed past her vision. A desert of grey dunes and burning sand stretched for the longest time, bereft of life and vegetation, then gave way to a land of mountains and valleys.

    It was only when a vast forest in the throes of winter came into view that she felt the call.

    ¡°Gods, devils, anyone, hear my plea.¡±

    Her form was less than half the size it had been when she started and the voice called to her like a lighthouse in the storm.

    So Emily changed her direction ninety degrees and crashed through the tree line until she slammed into the earth, her body barely visible to even herself.

    There she saw a young woman with her back up against a tall trunk. Dagger protruding from her belly and lifeblood mixing with the freshly fallen snow.

    A gentle yellow glow issued forth from her body causing the winds to sway around her. The next words out of her mouth invited Emily forward.

    ¡°I offer up my body, mind, and soul to any entity that can save, serve, and protect him till the mid-winter feast.¡±

    Emily saw her ticket to freedom and happily rushed towards the woman, but slammed up into a barrier made of air.

    It didn¡¯t hurt but frustrated Emily to no end. Then the woman seemed to register she was there because she looked up at Emily.

    ¡°Oh, great spirit. Accept my charge, and everything I have is yours, ¡±

    Emily immediately knew she could not take the woman unless she agreed to the terms in front of her.

    More frustrating, the woman could not hear her questions and just kept repeating her words as though a mantra. Her eyes stared in Emily¡¯s direction but were getting more distant by the second.

    Frustration burned in Emily¡¯s chest, but she didn¡¯t have the time, pieces of her body were almost entirely gone.

    Her match was spluttering, and she could hear no one else desperate enough to call out to her. To make matters worse she could feel something else was on its way here, drawn by the woman''s call.

    With a scream of frustration, Emily slammed her ¡®fist¡¯ into the wall separating her from life and death.

    ¡°Fine! Have it your way! But if I ever see any of your faceless mugs again, I¡¯ma find out if you can bleed!¡±

    With a wistful sigh, the barrier faded and Emily fell forward into the embrace of the dying woman.

 Chapter 2 - Desperate arrival

    Emily bolted up drawing in lungfuls of the fresh morning air, the smell of soil and undergrowth filling her nose. A litany of small cuts and bruises woke up and protested her movement. As did the dagger lodged in her stomach. The snow beneath her legs had numbed her to the bone and soaked through her clothes

    All in all, she was great. Okay maybe not great but better.

    One more deep breath and Emily had sorted out her thoughts. The previous owner of this body had been inconsiderate nearly dying before handing it over, but no matter.

    Closing her eyes once more to conserve energy, Emily reached for the well of power in her chest, so that she might heal her wounds.

    But where once lay a vast open ocean, only a muddy puddle now remained. Hissing to herself Emily thought of the decades, and countless sleepless nights she had dedicated to growing her strength, and for what?

    Emily wanted to shout, kick, and cry like a child but she couldn¡¯t afford to lose herself to anger right now, so she pushed it down.

    ¡°Not yet. Live now, emotional baggage later¡±

    Her mind made up Emily focused on her gift.

    Reaching down into her chest she attempted to wring out the very last of her power. The smallest charge of life buzzed at her fingertips, returning some of the feeling to her stiff limbs, but not much beyond that.

    Looking down at herself she saw her new body. It did not feel all that different from her last. Reaching to the side she saw her fiery red hair hanging down, having replaced the mousy brown Emily had seen on the woman, though it was much shorter than her own.

    It was hard to tell from this position, but she was also pretty certain her height was about the same, sitting at around 5¡¯9. She¡¯d have to do a closer inspection for other changes but it did help her feel more like all of this was not some hallucination her brain had cooked up.

    Emily¡¯s breath came out in ragged breaths that barely made clouds in the frigid air, but she pushed the exhaustion away, and using the tree as support, climbed to her feet. Sitting still in the cold would be the death of her, she had to move.

    She was barely standing when the crunch of snow underfoot reached her ears. Emily¡¯s eyes darted around searching for the sound and noticed two things:

    One: The frozen forest she was in stretched out as far as the eye could see, surrounding her on all sides with trees as tall as five-story buildings, with only a small paved road stretching off in either direction.

    Two: Something had found her ¨Cpossibly drawn in by the scent of blood¨C but that wasn¡¯t important now. It was certainly no creature Emily had ever seen.

    The thing was at least humanoid, though it was at most 120cm, on two legs and looked completely emaciated. Pale blue skin and tufts of white fur, helped it blend in with the surrounding snow and foliage. And seeing as it was less than three meters from her, it was probably a big reason it had gotten this close. Its face stared back at Emily with hunger filling its pupil-less sapphire eyes. It held a crude club of dead wood in its grip.

    The little beast was beyond ugly and reminded Emily of a gremlin with its drooping ears. That, or the average child.

    ¡°Well, aren''t you a little cutie,¡± she muttered in a horse whisper, some excitement bleeding into her eyes.

    The thing only screeched at the top of its unimpressive lungs and made a mad dash for her.

    Laughter christened the treetops as Emily stared at the incoming creature. It looked ready to break her skull like an egg.

    And yet Emily welcomed it with open arms. The little thing brought its club overhead and smashed it toward her skull with almost no technique. Though in the state she was in, it didn¡¯t much matter.

    She couldn''t run, she couldn¡¯t dodge, but fortunately, she didn¡¯t need to do either. Adrenaline spiked in Emily¡¯s veins, and a brilliant smile curled up her lips as she locked eyes with the scraggly creature.

    When the hit came, her right arm shot up and covered her head. The piece of wood cracked into her elbow, and pain blossomed as a throbbing heat spread out across her arm. It was broken, but Emily ignored it. Instead, she reached forward with her dominant hand and grasped the creature by the neck. Then falling backwards, she pulled the thing with her.

    Surprised by the sudden move, the creature tumbled after her.

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    Twisting her footing midair, Emily pulled the creature beneath her, so she landed on top when they hit the snow.

    Pain rocketed up her spine and stomach but she held on.

    Using her good arm, Emily pushed the stunned creature''s head to the side and sunk her gleaming canines into what she hoped was its main artery. Spongey flesh gave way to hot blood, as bitter metal filled her mouth.

    Disgusting, but necessary for the next part. With one big pull of the power in her chest, the creature''s life force rushed down her throat and into her core. It was like fresh rain to her parch body. The creature thrashed and wailed underneath her, wiggling the dagger deeper into her front, but it mattered little now. Either she died or it did, and Emily was stubborn.

    Its screams grew quieter and more forced but she didn¡¯t release the little body until it began to shrivel. When she was certain it could give her no more, she pulled her head up, spat a mouthful of blood, and wiped her chin.

    The little thing had dropped its club during their tussle, but it had used a surprising amount of strength to beat the side of her ribcage. Luckily the layers of clothing had stopped its blackened nails from getting any further.

    The creature''s blood was a cold blue and its scent mixed with the overripe smell of sweat and rot coming from the thing.

    Almost gagging, Emily shot up from straddling the foul husk.

    Once more thankful she didn¡¯t need to drink the blood, who knows what diseases this little thing carried. From the looks of it, her power had regressed to its adolescent stage. She¡¯d have to work it up from scratch.

    Refreshed laughter bounced through the leafless canopy.

    ¡®Is this world filled with these little things?¡¯ she wondered gleefully as the headrush faded.

    The blade in her gut once more made itself known, cutting her cackling short.

    Gritting her teeth Emily grasped the handle and drew all the power she had just gathered and sent it to the wound.

    Yanking out the dagger with one short motion, hissing as she did so.

    Blood wept freely down her front as the blockage was removed, but then the wound writhed and began to knit itself closed.

    By the time it scabbed over, she had used almost all the power she had just gathered. The rest went into propping up her failing body.

    Emily¡¯s eyes darted around the snowy grove in search of more threats, but when she found none her shoulders drooped.

    ¡°Darn, what is this, nightmare difficulty?¡±

    Knowing she wouldn¡¯t get an answer, Emily inspected herself and the pointy bit of metal she had acquired.

    Injury-wise, she had just traded a gut wound for a broken arm, but frankly, she called that a win. In this type of cold, losing body warmth was a big no-no.

    The dagger was a simple one, curved and slightly less than twenty centimeters, it reminded Emily of a weapon used by assassins. With an inversed hilt and a keen point, it was more for stabbing. A fact both she and the previous owner of this body knew well.

    Beyond the dagger, Emily decided to take stock of what she had on hand.

    One bloodied dress, thankfully quite thick to protect her from the cold. A heavy cloak made from some unknown grey material, though it was rather worn. An initial scrounging through the pockets revealed a couple of triangular coins and a small amulet made of some dirty metal. Finally a set of worn traveler''s boots with thick soles.

    Casting her eyes about the clearing again, Emily looked around for anything else. Surly this girl had not been traveling without supplies or food.

    Perhaps a backpack, preferably something with blankets? Did people have backpacks in this world?

    Clutching her arm to her chest Emily did a cursory check of the area, but sadly nothing of use or value jumped out at her.

    Emily was just inspecting the road when a spike of pain shot through her head.

    Memories came flooding through her mind, fast and insistent.

    Of a life, she never led, and customs that were all too strange to her. Pushing back the flood, like one would a telepathic invasion, Emily grabbed onto the most recent memory and used it as a life raft.

    The fresh breeze of the forest air came to her as the image of a young man''s back appeared in her vision. Blonde hair that shone in the sun and a long blade strapped to his side. Feelings of affection tried to overwhelm her, but she crushed them like the interlopers they were. The two of them were walking along the trail, excited to get to their destination, but were then attacked by several men in white cloaks. Emily tried to fight but they were too quick and she went down.

    The young man didn¡¯t put up much resistance either, clearly unused to the blade he wore. When he fell, they dragged the kid off along with their traveling bundles without a second glance back at her.

    The memories continued streaming in, but Emily resisted, forcing them into a corner of her mind to avoid them mixing with her own.

    Panting and still in pain, Emily finally managed to open her eyes again. The same clearing appeared, and her pupils immediately found the point at which the young man had been dragged off the road. She didn''t know how long ago all this had happened, but at least it was a heading.

    The snow had to have fallen recently, as the powder still crunched under pressure.

    This meant their trail through the forest was still obvious, for now. Emily frowned, something wasn¡¯t adding up here, but then they probably weren¡¯t expecting a dead woman to come chasing after them.

    ¡°Well, it looks like I found ¡®him¡¯,¡± she muttered out loud.

    Emily had no desire to go play savior for some unknown kid, but there was something near the base of her skull that urged her on. Itching all the while.

    Thinking back to the young man Emily tried to place him, the affection she had felt was not that of a son and mother, nor a lover, so who the heck was he? Of course, the answer was locked away in her head somewhere, but she wasn¡¯t sticking her hand in that cesspool until she was certain she could remain herself.

    Emily walked over to stare at the now obvious trail in the snow. She tried taking a step away from it and while nothing stopped her, the itching grew worse.

    Grimacing to herself, she stepped away from the road and began to follow the fresh trail of breadcrumbs through the snow.

    As if she didn¡¯t have enough of her own problems right now. But a deal was a deal, plus if she was lucky she¡¯d arrive at an all-you-could-eat buffet. An excited grin broke out across Emily''s face reaching all the way to her ravenous eyes.

    As harsh as the start was, she could just tell she was going to love it here.

 Chapter 3 - Hunting and hiding

    Emily cursed under her breath for the fourth time in the last four steps. Low-hanging branches swatted her face and skeletal shrubs clawed at her clothes, obstructing her path.

    When she saw the tracks leading off into the forest, she felt confident she would be able to trail after these people like the fox she was. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t take long for their trails to scatter out into disorganized footprints and disturbed snow. At a certain point, all broken twigs started to look like clues. It was only when she was a ways into the forest and had lost sight of the paved road, that she realized she didn¡¯t have the slightest idea how to track people through the wilderness, let alone a frozen forest. Her world had been one of lairs and beach resorts, sometimes snowy lairs in the Arctic, but her henchmen had dealt with all the menial tasks.

    Emily sighed, longing for the warmth of a cozy room with a roaring fire, and the comforting heat of a body beside her.

    Instead, she was trudging through ankle-deep snow in what felt like the dead of winter.

    She was just eyeing a frozen stream, wondering if it was traversable when the sounds of battle up ahead caught her attention.

    Curious, Emily followed the stream uphill until she came to a small rocky area, where what looked like a nest had been built on an outcropping of stone.

    A couple of things jumped out at Emily. The first was how large the nest, and by extension, the inhabitant, was. The next was that several of those foul gremlin creatures were currently climbing up toward the nest with hungry smiles. At the peak, nested a bird, having already spotted the interlopers. The thing reminded Emily of a raven, though its feathers were snow white and it had two sets of eyes on either side of its face.

    That, and it was the size of a Labrador, with an impressive wingspan and sharp beak. Both of which it was putting on display now to warn the little hunters to back off. Though some of them paused, their numbers were too large to falter now.

    Emily watched their creeping numbers thoughtfully and looked around the rest of the clearing. When she found a spot under a canopy that had remained blessedly free of snow, she crept toward it and settled in.

    The battle was already underway, the first gremlin having climbed up into the nest only to have half of its face torn off by the raven. Before the bird could even recover though, two more gremlins climbed up behind it and smashed their clubs into one of its wings.

    It was pretty obvious why it hadn¡¯t chosen to fly away, but Emily was more than happy to take advantage of a little territorial dispute.

    It seemed life was savage no matter where you lived it.

    Keeping low to the ground, Emily moved towards the base of the rocks.

    Gremlins were still climbing so their attention was on the bird, but Emily was watching for something else. It came moments later when the raven swatted the first gremlin it had mutilated off the side. Still very much alive, the thing screamed the whole way to the ground.

    When it crashed down into the snow, Emily pounced on it.

    She still only had one good arm, but that''s all she needed when her prey was dazed and

    heavily wounded. Sinking her teeth into its neck, she stole its remaining strength.

    The rest were too busy with their kill to pay attention to the death throws of their ally.

    When the next gremlin came over the edge, Emily happily rushed over to grab her next meal. This leg¡¯s arm was twisted at a harrowing angle, but it still had some clarity in its eyes. So when it saw Emily reaching out for it, it screamed bloody murder, and she was only too happy to oblige.

    Looking up from her second pruney victim, Emily saw that the nearest two gremlins were staring down at her from their perches.

    Smiling up at them, Emily spat the taste of blood from her mouth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, keep fighting.¡±

    The two gremlins snarled and at the same time, a high-pitched cry came from the nest above.

    It was difficult to see from this angle but the raven had to have been hurt. The two gremlins scampered down the side of the rock and made their way towards her, clubs raised.

    Emily used that time to send some of the life force from her chest into her arm and pulling her new dagger into her left hand. Bone took the most energy to heal but if there were two of them she wanted the use of both her arms.

    The break had been clean, with only minor splintering, so by the time her first dance partner arrived, the shards of bone had knitted back together.

    Brandishing the dagger Emily swiped horizontally at the thing''s eyes, surprisingly it stopped its charge just short and avoided the edge of the blade only backing away with a small nick on its cheek. Seeing her opening Emily clenched her newly healed fist and advanced, putting it through the gremlin''s glass jaw. Shacking her hand out as she did so, she took another step back to make some distance.

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    The second gremlin didn¡¯t like that though, because when it arrived it swung wide and Emily just managed to arc her torso out of the way. She wouldn¡¯t be earning any points for gracefulness but it meant that on the creature''s backswing, she had free rein.

    So she stomped on it, sort of.

    With a kick that would make a spartan proud, she slammed her heel into the gremlin''s chest.

    The little thing crashed to the ground, but she brought her boot down on its chest with a vicious stomp. Gremlin number two wailed in agony, but Emily couldn¡¯t afford to hesitate.

    Turning back to number one she was going to attempt to repeat the maneuver when she saw a third gremlin running past it screaming.

    Emily''s molars ground together as she risked a glance at the nest. By the looks of it, the raven had taken one more before succumbing to its wounds.

    That meant of the seven, four remained.

    This was not how she¡¯d hoped things would go, but she needed to be prepared for the incoming gremlin.

    Just when Emily was getting ready to sidestep the little beast, a blinding flash of pain exploded from her temple. A rock crunched down into the snow, followed by drops of red.

    The pain of the projectile caused Emily to falter, and the gremlins saw their chance. Both gremlin number one and three charged at her and dove forward, one crashing into her hip and the other cracking his club into her hand, causing Emily to drop her knife.

    Her yelp of pain was quickly tinged with rage.

    Grabbing each of their sparrow-like necks, Emily squeezed and picked them up off their feet by their throats, slamming them back down into the dirt and kneeling on them. Their clubs were sent flying at the same time as they thrashed in the snow.

    Glancing up she saw the fourth and final gremlin looking down at her from the nest. Another rock held up in its ugly mitt.

    Growling with the same intensity as the gremlin, Emily stuck her hand forward and reached into her chest. Calling to her lifeforce, like always it responded by pulling her blood through the pours in her palm and shaping it into a dart in less than a second. The three-centimeter bolt shot forward and plunged into the forehead of the fourth gremlin killing it instantly with a sickening crunch of bone and brainmatter. Emily had reacted almost on instinct and the toll of using her power when she was so weak was immediate.

    Pain splinted through her chest and heart, demanding payment, luckily she had some within biting distance.

    Lunging at number three, Emily sunk her teeth into the back of its neck and drained it dry in a matter of moments.

    Gremlin number one tried to put up more of a fight and crawl out from under her but Emily dragged the thing back. It nails leaving divots in the bloody snow. It attacked backward but from this position it only managed two shallow nail marks on Emily¡¯s cheek, mirroring its own cut from her blade.

    Finally, gremlin number one died, but Emily bolted up, heart racing in her chest. Searching for the last one. She thought it would already be up and charging her but when she spotted the thing still lying in the snow she relaxed.

    A glance around to make sure she hadn¡¯t missed stragglers confirmed there were no more threats.

    Walking over to the remaining gremlin she sunk down beside it. Her stomp earlier had crushed its ribcage so the thing lay taking rapid shallow breaths. When it saw Emily it tried desperately to move but she just gently shook her head pushing its flailing arms aside.

    They had all played the game, and it had lost, she couldn¡¯t afford to turn down any life force at the moment.

    So much so, that when the gremlin stopped moving, she turned her gaze to the nest.

    Grunting to her feet, Emily collected her dagger from amongst the snow and hobbled over to the wall of rocks. Her gait improved as she walked, the life force from her chest rushing into her injuries.

    Scrambling up the sharp icey stones was no easy feat, but eventually, she got an arm over the edge and pulled herself up.

    The nest was bigger than she expected but otherwise the same as one¡¯s on Earth. Birdshit, feathers, and bunches of dead leaves. One dead gremlin and the raven itself, Emily checked to see if either of them had any life left to give her but both had already perished. She searched for what she thought was the cause of all this and found them nestled under the raven''s body. Five tiny eggs, the shell was sky blue and covered in speckles of white.

    Nodding to herself Emily grinned happily.

    ¡°Sorry Mama Bird. It''s cold out here without you, and I¡¯ll need nutrients.¡±

    The eggs were so small she could pick up all of them at once and shove them into one of the breast pockets of her cloak.

    However, while digging through the mass of leaves her hand brushed against something warm.

    Cocking her head, Emily grabbed it and pulled the object out, inspecting it.

    It looked like a rectangular piece of metal with a red gemstone set into its base. The thing radiated heat and it was only after turning it over a couple of times that she realized it was some kind of clasp, probably for a cloak.

    The heat it emitted enveloped her hand like a comforting hug, it was no wonder the mama raven had it in her nest. From the look of it, the little thing had no internal machinery or battery, and yet it was happily churning out warmth.

    Well, whatever it was it would be helpful when night fell, her eyes glanced at the skies, already streaked with light hues of indigo and violet. As far as she could tell, the evening was approaching, though how long that would take was still unknown.

    Clutching the clasp Emily stood up, giving her a slightly better view of the surrounding forest. The trees still towered above her, but it was a good vantage point. That¡¯s also why when she looked around the rocky clearing below, she saw multiple white cloaks spread out through the area.

    Eyes going large, Emily crouched back down into the nest and grimaced.

    The fight must have been quite loud if it drew their attention this quickly. Were these the same ones that had killed her predecessor?

    Emily heard voices now but nearly zero movement below.

    Pulling the dagger out once more, Emily gripped the handle. She¡¯d failed miserably in using it in the fight because she¡¯d never bothered to learn how. The fact she hadn¡¯t stabbed herself with it was a miracle, or worse gotten it used against her.

    Her thoughts were interrupted when a gruff voice called up to her.

    <u>¡°Girl. We know you¡¯re up there, you have five seconds to show yourself or we¡¯re lighting the roost on fire! ¡±</u>

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened further when she realized she understood that mishmash of consonants She understood their language.

    The fact they knew she was here limited the cards she could play.

    Taking on a few occupied gremlins was one thing but these looked like trained fighters, and with her reserves as low as they were she could perhaps manage one more ranged attack.

    Taking a deep breath Emily let the fight go out of her body. At the same time, she abandoned the dagger amongst the nest''s leaves.

    She had one gambit left to play, and she was interested to see if the ¡®lost maiden¡¯ shtick worked here as well as it did at home.

    Moving the clasp into her boot and forcing tears to her eyes, she stuck her trembling hands over the side of the nest.

    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m coming out!¡±

 Chapter 4 - First humans

    It was only when Emily stood to her full height that she realized what a mess she must look. Dried blood covered her neck, chest, and stomach, coupled with hours of wandering through a forest. Leaves had wedged themselves into her scarlet strands, and she was in sore need of some conditioner.

    The white cloaks below her were all staring up with wary gazes, but when they saw her trembling with her hands in view, they relaxed somewhat. A couple of unsavory glances even flickered amongst the group.

    Save for one man, who stood directly below her perch, watching her with a scrutinizing eye.

    He looked to be in his late forties with an untamed beard. His white cloak covered his form but Emily could see the telltale signs of a weapon at his side.

    ¡°Well, it looks like we have a regular savage on our hands. Get down here.¡±

    Emily swallowed and in her highest pitch she asked.

    ¡°Please, wait, how do I know you won¡¯t hurt me.¡±

    The man did not look impressed but the men around him relaxed another degree.

    ¡°Whether or not I choose to hurt you is entirely based on how fast you get down here. Don¡¯t make me send one of my boys up there, or this won¡¯t be pleasant for you.¡±

    Emily grimaced, her mind working overtime.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m sorry to ask, but could you? Send a man up? I managed to get up here but now I¡¯m stuck.¡±

    The scowl that appeared on the leader''s face almost caused Emily to break character, but she had a feeling snickering right now would raise some warning bells.

    ¡°If you try anything girl I¡¯ll break both your legs and leave out here for the wyrms¡­ Ron, Fetu, bring her down and make it quick, we don¡¯t have much time till dark.¡± The man ground out.

    Two nearby men glanced slyly at one another and then took steps towards the base of the rock.

    When they got to the top they were hesitant, obviously well-trained, but Emily made it easy on them, showing she was no threat.

    When they were climbing down, she did so as clumsily as she could manage. They got a little too handsy for her liking, but she¡¯d find them for payback later. Especially Ron, he seemed more interested in feeling her up, than helping her down.

    However, when their feet did touch the ground Emily turned around to face the group of white cloaks. She¡¯d kept her eyes roaming while her ¡®helpers¡¯ were occupied and noted both carried daggers on each hip, plus a couple extra strapped to their chests.

    She counted the number of fighters from behind a worried mask.

    Eight, including the leader, she could probably take four of them if she got a couple of good hits in but after that, she was bound to get caught.

    Emily started to stammer out a ¡®Thank you¡¯, but the leader grunted to another man beside him.

    ¡°Vivan, check her active titles. I want to know what made those bodies like that, and in the name of the Five, someone check her for weapons.¡±

    Ron was all too quick to begin rummaging around Emily''s person in search of hidden weapons, though his hands paused briefly at the large amounts of blood soaked into her garments. Hopefully, all the gore hid the tiny knife wound in her clothes.

    While he was rummaging, the man named Vivan stepped forward. Emily didn¡¯t know what he was up to, but she didn¡¯t expect him to take out a small piece of glass. It was shaped like a rectangle and was probably a little thicker than a normal credit card.

    Placing it to his eye he stared at her through it, then a frown appeared on his face.

    ¡°She hasn¡¯t even slotted any titles boss, I¡¯d reckon her rank is below the first threshold.¡±

    Now it was Emily''s turn to frown. Of course, she¡¯d heard a couple of those terms before, but they made no sense in the current context, was her brain struggling to fill the gaps in their languages?

    The boss''s face twitched and he looked over at Emily once more. As did the other men, their expressions marred with confusion and wariness.

    ¡°Check her bridge, Ron.¡±

    Emily was suddenly left wondering what the hell was going on when Ron turned her around and brushed her hair aside along with her cloak, exposing the back of her neck to the frosty air. There were several intakes of breath and Ron¡¯s eyes drooped in distaste.

    ¡°No wonder she¡¯s out here alone, she a cripple. No settlement would want her.¡± he sneered.

    Emily was still frozen when Ron released her, she reached back to feel the base of her neck and then slightly lower down.

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    Her fingers brushed over a diamond-shaped protrusion sitting flush with her skin. It was strange because, had they not pointed it out, Emily wouldn¡¯t have known it existed, as the surrounding skin felt no different than normal.

    The boss didn¡¯t give her much time to adjust as he just continued.

    ¡°Enough you lot! Vivan! She¡¯s human? No passive titles?¡±

    The man shook his head.

    ¡°Human, and just Innocent but other than that¡­ no passives in effect. The Oathsworn might be able to catch something I missed though.¡±

    The Man nodded and turned away.

    ¡°Bind her. We¡¯re heading back now. Our employers will be glad for one more, even if it¡¯s the final hour.¡±

    Emily watched as Fetu approached with a piece of cord. If she wanted to escape, her window was closing. From a cursory glance, none of the faces here resembled anyone from the memory. Deciding to see where this went, Emily drooped her shoulders further.

    How could she turn down such a generous offer to escort her to her destination?

    Emily whimpered as the rough fibers cut into her wrists. For some reason, Fetu used a smaller piece of string to bind her fingers together as well, though what purpose that severed only he knew.

    Ron was charged with watching over Emily, but his earlier enthusiasm had all but melted away. Now he begrudgingly pushed her forward as the group began to leave the area.

    Emily could see that most of their hesitation and caution from earlier had disappeared, and now were replaced by looks boarding on pity or disdain.

    Not that Emily minded, they were more than welcome to lower their guards around her, it¡¯d make stealing their lives far easier.

    Ron had not found the clasp in her boot, and when he came across the raven eggs he¡¯d just scoffed and left them where they were, pocketing her coins and locket.

    Once they¡¯d left the rocky clearing in a loose formation, the gargantuan trees once more choked the path. They never went looking for the road again, instead, Vivan would routinely check his surroundings with his piece of glass. Leading them through a winding track amongst the snow. At first, the men remained quiet, but the longer they walked, the more Emily picked up hushed conversations among them.

    Ron and Fetu remained the closest sources of information so she listened in even though all they did was complain in hushed tones

    ¡°Darn it all, we better be making some good coin off this job, these sickos are starting to get on my nerves.¡±

    ¡°Quiet Ron, if the boss hears you¡¯ll be in shit again. You can¡¯t afford to drop from team four or you¡¯re out on your ass.¡±

    Fetu appeared to be the more cunning one between them, but their conversation had provided some perspective.

    First, they were purposeful in capturing all travelers passing through this area, though why they killed her the first time was a mystery. And second, it seemed that they were some sort of mercenary company.

    Working on a minimum of eight members at four teams, meant she was looking at no less than thirty-two potential enemies. More, if she included whatever group hired these men.

    A brisk wind ruffled Emily¡¯s clothing as the evening began to draw in. Clouds laden with snow were gathering on the horizon, yet the white cloaks didn¡¯t seem too worried.

    Emily trudged through the snow, suffering glances from Ron, filled with equal parts lust and disgust.

    It was only when Emily noticed some sort of perimeter amongst the snow that she realized something was off.

    Vivan had been leading them for a while now and when Emily suddenly felt an invasive gaze pass over her, then all at once she noticed a large building come into sight.

    It had not been there seconds ago, and even now it was still partially hidden behind trees, but there was no way Emily would have missed the sudden appearance of a whole building. Looking back she saw the forest looked the same but there was a thin almost imperceptible film separating them from the rest of the trees

    Eyes darting about, Emily couldn¡¯t help going on guard. Illusions were one of the hardest power sets to fight if you didn¡¯t know where their origin was.

    In her early days, she¡¯d suffered greatly at the hands of those who could fool her perceptions.

    The only way a place like this could be hidden was under a wide-scale illusionist, or something similar.

    It seemed that large-scale supernatural gifts weren''t uncommon in this world, reassessing the danger Emily readied herself to bolt at a moment''s notice.

    In the meantime, a large dome-like structure came into view. It was more of an igloo than anything Emily was familiar with. Only, the four-story structure was made from wood instead of ice. It reminded her of a Viking hall with beams stretching off it to distribute the snow. The building had several smaller rooms patched onto it and even what looked like a stable of sorts.

    In fact, the stables seemed to take up a good portion of the space, but by the looks of things, they didn¡¯t have the usual horse like Emily was used to.

    No, What Emily saw were several savage-looking wolves, bodies as large as stallions, with thick fur. Mostly greys and whites but there were brown and blacks too that growled in low tones as she passed.

    Seeing more detail in the evening light was hard, but torches had already been lit around the place, sending faint shadows through the trees, but this halted at the barrier. Another sign that some ability was at work here, hiding them.

    When their group neared there was a response from the people around the area, as several more white cloaks came into view. However, the boss man didn¡¯t falter and brushed past their perimeter without a second glance, giving one of the bigger guys a nod.

    When they got to the opening of the igloo though, he came to a stop.

    A man stepped out from the entrance as though he¡¯d been waiting for them. He didn¡¯t wear one of the white coverings the others wore, instead, he donned a simple warm brown robe with patches of red on it. What drew Emily¡¯s eye to him was the litany of fresh wounds covering his face, as though he¡¯d tried to do facial surgery in the dark while drunk. It reached up from his sallow cheeks onto the crown of his shaved head. His mutilated face matched his horse voice.

    ¡°You¡¯re late captain, and all you bring is one tribute? She¡¯s scarcely worth the blood it will take to prepare her.¡±

    The man''s eyes flickered over to her just briefly, but he regarded her with the same indifference one would cattle. Emily knew the look well, she¡¯d seen it countless times. Hell, she¡¯d lived it at one point. Whatever this man did, helped him disassociate humans as living beings.

    All of this went through Emily¡¯s head as the boss''s face became more stormy.

    ¡°We are not late, the night has yet to touch the horizon completely. And be happy we found even one. We¡¯ve picked these woods clean for you for the last few months, of course, the locals would avoid them by now.¡±

    The scarred man made a non-committal grunt and indicated for their boss to step to the side with a tilt of his head. The robed man even went so far as to lower his voice but their group was just close enough that Emily could make out his words if she concentrated.

    ¡°The ritual has been moved forward to tomorrow, first light. Team Two secured our target this morning. If things continue like this, even if an investigation team is called out, it¡¯ll look like an accident.¡±

 Chapter 5 - Wild captivity

    Wood slammed against wood as the door to Emily¡¯s cell slammed shut, bouncing once before what sounded like a bar sliding into place. Having been pushed into the tiny room she scrambled to avoid falling, only to catch herself against the opposite wall. Emily cursed under her breath, once more she mentally promised to find Ron after all of this was over.

    Just when Emily had thought she was going to get to see inside the imposing structure, the boss had Ron escort her to the ¡®holding pens,¡¯ as he called it, taking her around the side of the main structure to a collection of smaller buildings.

    Ron had followed the order but had been none too gentle about it. Gripping her by the back of the cloak and then her hair when she hadn¡¯t moved fast enough for his liking. Emily hadn''t said a word but he must have glimpsed the fight in her eyes because Ron only got rougher from there

    Fighting right then would not have been a smart move, but she was beginning to tire of the innocent maiden act.

    Righting herself in her cell, Emily dusted her cloak off as she listened to the retreating footsteps. At least he¡¯d untied her hands before pushing her in here, though why she wasn''t sure.

    Emily took stock of her surroundings and honestly, she¡¯d had seen port-a-potties bigger than her current cell, hell a broom closet would have been an upgrade, but at least it was sheltered from the wind and snow.

    A rectangular slot in the door along with four golfball-sized holes near the top of the room let in fresh air, so she wouldn¡¯t suffocate.

    Hay and dirt lined the wooden floor along with what looked like animal droppings in the corner. All in all, Emily hated it, but then that was probably the idea.

    Dawdling when her life was on the line was not her strong suit, so Emily pressed her eyes to the small slot in the door to see if she could get a better look at her situation.

    From here, she could see a couple of other cells equally as inviting as her own, and by the looks of it they were occupied.

    She had not managed to see much of the room when they¡¯d entered but by the looks of things, it was circular like the rest of the structures.

    From this vantage point, she could just about see the door she had come through, at a glance there didn¡¯t seem to be another way out.

    In her search of the room she heard several sets of breathing, but one stood out amongst the rest as a gentle snoring. This one was calm and didn¡¯t sound muffled by one of the cell doors, so they must be outside them.

    Craning her neck Emily tried to make out the source but it was out of sight of her little window. She didn¡¯t have to wait long though, because the breathing suddenly caught in their throat as they woke up.

    Emily heard the sound of a chair creaking as a body lifted itself from it and began to walk forward.

    A tall woman with short raven hair came into sight. Muscles and scars littered her body and Emily couldn¡¯t help but think of a powerful Norse woman. She even had the glare down, though her voice was quite measured as her eyes turned to stare directly at Emily.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t recognize you, looks like they forgot to wake me, again. Honestly, these idiots better stop testing my skills or I¡¯ma crack their skulls together. Looks like you are in luck number fifteen, you got here just in time for a hearty meal.¡±

    Emily certainly didn¡¯t expect the almost welcoming reception, but when she saw a radiant smile break out over the woman''s face, Emily felt chills travel down her spine.

    The woman then disappeared from her view, and Emily heard what sounded like barrels being moved. Then the woman asked a question to one of the other captives.

    ¡°Hey number one, how''s the leg? Is the bandage helping?? Oh, as a formality. Are you going to hurt me if I try and give you this?¡±

    The strange thing was that no one sounded angry at their situation. Sad, sure, maybe resigned, but never angry.

    Like this, she worked her way around the room until she got near to Emily again. Number fourteen sounded like a scared young man. Emily tried to recognize his voice from the memory but nothing came to her, to be sure she¡¯d need to catch a glimpse of his face. He sounded like he was a couple of doors down.

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    When the woman got to her door the smile was still plastered on her face.

    ¡°Okay, nice to meet you number fifteen, I¡¯ll keep it short cause you looked terrified. My job is to keep you here, fight me and this will be the most unpleasant stay of your life. But if we work together just for this week, you will be in good hands.¡±

    Emily stared at the woman with curiosity. She was trying a soft approach and if their stay here was as long as she¡¯d heard, it was the best way to keep captives mollified over months. So she nodded and tried to look the part.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to give you water now, are you going to hurt me if I do?¡± the woman asked in the same tone as all the others.

    Emily didn¡¯t understand what was the point of asking but it had to mean something. So she tried shaking her head.

    A ladle of water was already on the way to the gap in the door when she paused and narrowed her eyes at Emily.

    ¡°Are you really lying to a titled Jailer, in her own prison?¡±

    Emily frowned as the woman let the ladle slop back into the bucket.

    ¡°Hah, do you know what my title just told me? If I even put my hand in there I¡¯d lose it. Right, no water for you.¡±

    Emily hadn¡¯t intended to attack but if the opportunity had arisen she would have taken it. Perhaps that was the key, intent? Her chance to test the theory out came sooner than she expected as the woman leaned up against the door, she didn¡¯t look mad just a little concerned.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not your enemy fifteen, they¡¯re outside, but in here you¡¯re safe. So let''s try this again. If I give you this loaf, are you going to hurt me?¡±

    Emily glanced at the food and then the woman once more.

    Making the conscious decision not to attack, Emily once more shook her head.

    The Jailer paused and then smiled as she extended her hand out with what looked like a hard flatbread.

    Being careful Emily took it and the jailer relinquished it without a fuss, smiling as she did so. Again, causing the hairs on Emily¡¯s neck to rise. The smile seemed genuine, but also wrong, it made for a strange mix of emotions in Emily.

    The Jailer moved away from the window and Emily didn¡¯t stop her. She could have asked a bunch of questions but she doubted she¡¯d get a useful answer.

    Once more Emily reassessed her situation, illusionists aside, that woman was a problem. Somehow she knew what Emily was going to do before she did. Which was more than just some truth-telling power. Sometimes one could get around those by using non-verbal queues, but this one had no gaps.

    To top it off she didn¡¯t use the threats of violence on her prisoners. Instead, she worked on them to make them compliant. She was a professional.

    The only thing stopping Emily from retreating, and coming at this from another angle was the itching at the back of her neck. Emily couldn¡¯t leave until she confirmed if this guy was here or not.

    It was around this time that the room fell quiet again. Emily slid down against the wall, taking a moment to think things through and devise a plan. A couple of hours later, as darkness had long since blanketed the sky, she decided it was time to act.

    During her earlier search of the cell, Emily had found only a small hole nibbled into the side of the wooden wall. She had the door in sight and began eating the flatbread she¡¯d been given. The bread was as hard as a brick and tasted equally unappetizing. She had to snap off pieces and suck on them until they softened enough to chew. As she reached the last piece, she bit into the corner of her mouth, allowing her blood to mix with the saliva

    Soaking the bread, she put it down by the little opening she¡¯d found earlier and waited.

    Careful not to lower her guard Emily did not let sleep take her, instead she watched the moonlight shift through her cell, drawing four dots across the walls marking time.

    It had to be the early hours of the morning by the time she heard it.

    Tiny scratch marks that even normal ears could pick up in the absolute silence.

    Turning her eye towards the corner, Emily saw her mark already gnawing at the bait.

    The little creature resembled a field mouse, with a couple of exceptions. Its fur was a midnight black and it had whisker-like protrusions on its head resembling an antena. They were more like whiskers that twitched on the breeze, but that was the first thing that came to Emily¡¯s mind.

    The next was how cute the little darling was. Its little snoot twitched in the air as though sniffing for danger, while its long whiskers wiggled through the air.

    The little thing must have noticed her gaze because it looked ready to run with its prize. Unfortunately, now that it had eaten its fill, it had work to do; it couldn¡¯t escape. With a silent beckoning of her index finger, the little creature sat up straighter and then scampered towards her. Dropping her hand to the ground, the little thing clamored into it. Its tiny warmth brought a smile to Emily¡¯s face. The technique she was about to use came with an incredibly high cost to her, but if she limited it to just a minute, she might get the answer she needed. So, sheering off a piece of power from her dwindling reserves, she sent it to the small creature, her blood acting as the medium. Overpowering its mind was impossible, but tying their sights together was doable. Moving her hand toward the opening, she watched a giant version of herself lowering her body toward the hole in the wall. When the mouse scampered off, Emily closed her main body''s eyes and simply went along for the ride. The little creature viewed the world in scales of grey, movement lit up in its vision and made for a powerful pre-warning system. As the little thing crawled through the neighboring room, it spotted nothing it could eat and so rushed to the next one over. When it entered the occupied chamber, its sight homed in on a young man pressed up into the corner of the room with his arms wrapped tightly around himself. The sound of the little creature must have drawn his attention because his head shot up and stared in her direction. His body briefly lit up in the dark, tears streaming down his cheeks along with familiar blonde hair.

    Emily¡¯s body smiled as she opened her eyes, flush with crimson light.

    "Found you."

 Chapter 6 - Beginning the ritual

    Emily launched to her feet as the door beyond her cell clattered open. Carrying with it several sets of boots as they clambered into the room. It was the early hours of the morning and Emily had just seen the bearest purple hues beginning to light the world through her air slots. She had decided against escaping last night. While it wouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem to blow the lock and escape with the young man, that would mean crossing the illusionist''s boundary again. And seeing as she had no idea of their abilities, she wasn¡¯t taking her only chance of escaping when he was still alive.

    Several voices Emily did not recognize filled the space.

    ¡°Jailor! We are here to retrieve the prisoners, please prepare them for travel, quickly.¡±

    Making her way to the opening Emily stared out. She saw her warden standing there relaxedly, facing six other robed individuals.

    The man she¡¯d seen talking to the captain was here, backed by five others who carried similar scars to his own.

    ¡°Alright, alright. Keep yer voices down, it¡¯s early.¡±

    While she didn¡¯t seem too worried by these men, she still began unlocking cells and clapping wooded manacles on each of them, followed by a brown sack over the head.

    By the time she got to Emily''s cell, she gave her a narrowed gaze.

    ¡°You gonna give me problems if I open this door.¡±

    This was it, she thought.

    Emily consciously decided not to bash this woman''s face, until all that remained was a bloodied pulp of broken bone and splattered brain matter. Instead, she cast her eyes down and nodded meekly.

    Emily heard the woman click her tongue and the wood sliding against wood, as the cell door opened.

    Holding out her arms, she allowed the woman to slap what were essentially wooden stocks around her wrists. The circular grooves were just wide enough not to cut off blood flow to her hands, and then it was locked in place by a hoop of metal.

    Before Emily could react, a burlap sack was shoved over her head blocking out what little light the torches in the room provided.

    Stepping forward she felt the woman''s powerful grip on her shoulder, pulling Emily out of the cell. Emily''s breath caught against the material, bringing with it the smell of moldy cloth. If she squinted, she could just make out the floor, which helped her to stabilize her footing. Moving along she felt another grip on her arm.

    ¡°This is the last one, be careful she¡¯s dangerous and I¡¯ve not had the time to work with her. Oh, and my title is only strong enough to lock their skills for about three hours so make the most of it.¡±

    The second grip grew tighter and a male voice shot back.

    ¡°Ms. Jailor you have done your job admirably, but now it''s over. We will take it from here.¡±

    Emily felt her warden''s arm lift slightly, as though she were shrugging her shoulders as she released her hold on Emily.

    The moment she did Emily felt herself being pulled in the direction of the door she¡¯d entered last through last night.

    The chilly morning air swept around Emily''s neck and she did her best to bundle up without the use of her hands. Snow crunched below her boots, but Emily was too busy counting her steps and trying her best to keep an eye on her captive¡¯s blurry form.

    The trip was not far because soon enough the cold was replaced by the warmth of another room, but they didn''t stop there. Instead, they continued into another chamber and once more the heat grew to almost stifling conditions. Only, now this room was filled with light from multiple torches, and the air hung heavy with moisture.

    The scents of burning herbs and citrus managed to pierce Emily¡¯s headcover, along with one more that she was intimately familiar with.

    Unable to help herself, a smile broke out across her face. Things just got a hell of a lot more interesting.

    By this time they must have reached their destination because her captive pulled Emily to a halt and pushed her to the floor. Unable to balance herself she dropped to one knee, cracking it against the hard ground. She would have gasped in pain if it weren¡¯t for the little treasure she had inadvertently discovered.

    In her efforts to balance herself, the bag over her head had readjusted and Emily found a small hole with which to view the room.

    Taking a moment while the man fiddled with something behind her, Emily took in the space around them.

    The first thing she noticed was the walls of this room were coated in some sort of brown tar-like substance. Weird geometric symbols were etched into the surface, and yet the material still severed to trap heat and moisture. By the looks of things, this was the main chamber Emily had seen the day before, and it was similar to a sweat lodge. With low burning coals in the center of the room, only instead of a normal fire pit, the coals had been pushed outward to make a ring of glowing embers.

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    In the center of that, a circular pattern had been drawn in dark red. Looking down at her position there was another circle around Emily. It was hard to make out but by the looks of things, there were five more circles placed evenly around the room. The robed people seemed to be watching over all their captives. Assigning one to each of them. By the looks of things, they were painting all of them with dark crimson. Emily could easily tell it was blood from experience but, as if that weren''t enough she saw them directly making small incisions on their own bodies to supply the bowls. Others dipped brushes into an awaiting bowl and then began drawing lines on the backs of the surrounding captives.

    Taking all of this in, made Emliy think of the blood rituals she had heard of back on earth. The only difference was that maybe, they worked here. From everything she had seen in the last day or so, it was completely possible.

    The big question was, what were they trying to accomplish?

    That was when Emily spotted the young man she had found last night. While the rest of them were divided among the five outer circles. He was left alone and shacking in the center. Amongst others, the two other captives beside Emily were crying and whining, not that that got them very far. And now, it seemed it was her turn, as a man with a wet bush approached her. When he moved out of her line of sight, she felt her cloak being pushed up, so that the brush might begin to draw whatever mystical lines it needed to.

    Once more, Emily didn¡¯t fight it, when the warm concoction touched down on the skin of her back, its vitality began to seep through the pours in her skin ever so slowly.

    The buzz of available power in the room was intoxicating and yet so far away.

    Refocusing, Emily kept her eyes open, watching the preparations take place in the room. It was because of this that she spotted a short stocky man entering the circle with her kneeling charge.

    The man¡¯s robes were only slightly different than the others, but he carried himself with a certain sense of superiority. He was probably the best candidate for the illusionist, but Emily couldn¡¯t be certain yet.

    A flick of his wrist caused shackles of red light to rise up out of the circle and tie the young man to the ground.

    At the same time, they shredded the simple tunic the young man wore, exposing his flesh to the gloom of the flickering torches. Even while he was bound, the young man tried not to whimper, but his fear was obvious enough to anyone watching.

    Though the robed man showed no interest in his pain, and just like the rest, he took out a brush and began drawing markings all over the young man. The difference was that his were far more intricate than the rest of theirs, spanning all his available skin.

    It looked like the young man was the focus of whatever ritual they had going here. Emily hesitated, she wasn¡¯t sure what her fate would be if he died in front of her, but she knew it wouldn¡¯t be good.

    She was just inspecting the strength of her restraints when a cold draft swept into the room. Trying not to look too obvious about it, she slowly raised he head to get a better view of whoever just entered.

    The man who entered was followed by three other men, one of whom she recognized as the leader of the team that had brought her in.

    Unfortunately, all of Emily¡¯s attention was drawn to the man at the head of this collum.

    The hairs on the back of Emily''s neck stood on end at the sight of him, her senses screaming danger.

    His features were lithe and slightly unnatural, almost as though the gaunt skin were stretched over muscle and bone. Yet somehow he still had a certain human charm to him. His leather armor was white as fresh snow and he carried what looked like a short spear on his back.

    Emily¡¯s eyes shot to the floor as his level gaze swept over her.

    There was a pause before he began to speak, but when he did it filled the space his authority.

    ¡°... Employer. The Wandering Fangs have completed all the conditions set out by you, and we have come to collect what is owed.¡±

    Emily could just see the feet of the robed figure in the center of the chamber. When his voice came out it was also firm, yet it lacked the same strength. In a one-on-one Emily was certain she could take just about everyone she¡¯d seen so far, but this man was a different story.

    ¡°You interrupt our months of preparation for something as trivial as money. Leave, and guard us until the ritual is complete, that was what you were hired for.¡±

    By the end of his tirade, the man sounded downright furious, and yet the leader of the white fangs sounded almost bored.

    ¡°Employer. Our duties ended the moment you collected the prisoners from us. As per our contract, we have been released from obligations, and are expecting payment. I wish to have my team behind solid walls before the next nightfall.¡±

    The robed man spluttered indignantly and yet didn¡¯t speak out against him.

    Silence descended on the hall as the two groups seemed to face off. After a moment Emily felt the mood shift when the leader of the white fangs rested his hand on the handle of his spear.

    The robed man flicked his eyes flickered to the simple-looking spear and back up to the leader''s face.

    ¡°Alright, you have completed our contract to my satisfaction¡­ Your reward¡­¡±

    The man''s face looked bitter as he reached into his robe and drew out a single cobalt blue coin. By the way, the other white fang''s backs straightened, it was either very rare or an incredible amount of money. Emily was banking on the second.

    The coin rang out a tiny melody as the robed man flicked it towards the leader, who plucked it from the air.

    Emily couldn¡¯t help but follow the mysterious coin¡¯s arc as the flew from one man to the other. In doing so her eyes fell on the leader''s gaunt figure again, and Emily saw him glance over at her for just a second.

    The next words out of his mouth echoed through the space.

    ¡°No hard feeling.¡±

    With that, he turned around and moved toward the open door. Beyond that Emily could see several white cloaks moving about in the snow. Packing up to leave this place, at the rate they were going they would be gone within the hour.

    Emily heard one very pissed voice from within the room.

    ¡°Alright, finish the preparations. I want this ritual ready post haste, if we can pull this off there¡¯s plenty more where that came from. Get to it you lot.¡±

    Emily turned back to look at the chamber, a smile stretching up the corners of her lips. If her count was right there were around seventeen men in this room. Before this would have been a problem, but by a stroke of luck, she now had everything she needed.

    With the wandering fangs leaving, her job just got a whole lot easier. Emily''s body flushed with excitement as the door to the outside world slammed shut.

 Chapter 7 - Fighting chance

    Emily watched as the busy robes moved about the ritual circles, putting last-minute touches on everyone''s bloody tattoos.

    Besides preparing the captives, they also worked to prepare the chamber. Placing massive flaskes filled with a mix of blood and herbs around the place. Jagged red pyrite littered the ground at certain intervals, along with certain reagents of oils and powders.

    If she weren''t so ¡®involved¡¯ in the process, Emily would have been interested in understanding what all of this meant. To her, it looked like real sorcery. Of course, there was no shortage of wonderful abilities in her world, but an established magic system? Forget about it.

    Most power manifestations were once off and even if two people got similar powers, they rarely presented the same. Though, there was a case to be made for the strength of the ability. The earlier in childhood, it presented, the more powerful the ability, there were no exceptions to this rule as far as Emily had heard.

    She was just inspecting the lines making up her particular circle when the head ritualist put up his hands.

    ¡°Enough, that''s enough! We are beginning. I will lead the spell, you and you will be my second and third lines. Everyone assemble,¡± he said as he pointed to two nearby robed men.

    ¡°Yes, Head Mage!¡± they all responded in tune.

    Their many voices bounced off the walls of the domed structure.

    Moving into position around them, a quiet chant began to fill the room. Which became an uneasy energy rising in the pit of Emily¡¯s stomach.

    She would have shivered in anticipation if she hadn¡¯t already been preparing herself to act. During the ritual¡¯s set-up, Emily noticed that all the captives looked completely worn down, as though their strength was leaving them. One by one they fell where they stood or sat, and only a few remained.

    The quietest of them all was the young man in the center, who had gone completely still, his head lulling.

    Seeing she would get no help from her fellow captives, Emily inspected her ¡®shackles¡¯. They were easy enough to break so all that was left was her target. The illusionist would have to be the first to go.

    At this point a gentle red mist had begun to creep into the room, emanating from the circles on the floor, as though the blood there were evaporating.

    Using the hole in her head covering, Emily looked around for her nearest captors. Spotting three nearby, she saw they were busy with her circle, dipping ladles into a large canister and pouring fresh blood onto the evaporating circle.

    The energy in the room was building now.

    If these guys were anything like the head honcho, then they probably fought with power manifestations rather than brawn, but she had to be careful.

    The circle below Emily began to heat up further, almost as though she were standing above a fire pit. The older man and woman next to Emily began to groan and shake beneath their coverings.

    The mist rising from the circle attempted to pull power from Emily''s chest but it was child¡¯s play compared to her natural gift. So she batted it aside like one would a fly.

    This caused her three captives to grunt as though suddenly under strain. This was not a good sign for them because it looked like whatever mojo they were doing was picking up speed.

    The head robe hovered over Emily¡¯s charge and brought his hands above his head. Red mist rushed from the other five circles and pooled in the air above them.

    Again Emily cocked her head to the side, feeling that pull of power. As though the ritual were trying to reach in, and hollow her out.

    It still wasn¡¯t strong enough to affect her but it was time to act.

    Emily couldn¡¯t wait for the guy to plunge a sacrificial dagger in the kid''s heart or something, then all of this would be wasted.

    She started to scooch towards three men at the edge of the circle, trying her best to go unnoticed. It worked for a while but one of them eventually looked up and his eyes locked with her partially covered one.

    Getting her legs under her she dove at the trio. The man who saw her coming reacted quickly jumping out of the way, and because of her bound state, pulled the other two men back with him.

    Of course, Emily missed them but that just left her target out in the open. To be precise, the large canister of blood they¡¯d been using to supply the circle. As Emily fell, she crashed against the pail and knocked its contents out, across the floor, spattering it with dark blood. Without hesitation, Emily rolled her body straight into the mess and reached down into her chest the connection was vibrant and immediate.

    Suddenly the blood whipped up off the floor, as though given life, shaping into five sharp stalagmites. With a flick of her will, Emily launched the spears at the men. The projectile''s speed was so high, that none of them had the chance to react, two were dead on impact and the last got skewered through the stomach.

    Emily whipped back to the middle, where the head robe would have no doubt heard the commotion, and launched the largest spear yet with her remaining blood.

    The bolt of red shot through the room and the head mage did indeed see it coming. Unfortunately for him, the ritual must have slowed his response. Because all he managed was some half-assed barrier of red light. The Olympian-sized spear tore past it with ease and stabbed through his left shoulder, sending the man sprawling across the ritual ground into the burning coals, unmoving. The moment he was gone the whole circle went to shit.

    The two men whom the leader had named his second and third, suddenly dropped to the ground vomiting blood, only to keel over dead a second later.

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    This caused a ripple throughout the robes as every one of them screamed or grunted as though struck by some unseen force. A few of them even passed out then and there.

    The remaining outer edges of the robes were in a panic as the red light began to fill the room at an accelerating pace.

    Emily cursed, instead of stopping the spell, as she¡¯d hopped, it looked like she¡¯d just sent it into a tailspin.

    Crawling forward, Emily reached for the man clutching his bleeding throat, he tried to fend her off but all he succeeded in doing snagging the corner of the stained fabric bag. Finally exposing her face to fresh air, and more importantly her teeth. Emily was dimly aware this was the first scarred man she¡¯d seen on arrival, but that didn¡¯t stop her from lunging and sinking her teeth into his neck.

    His vitality was like nothing she even felt back at home. It was a potent mix of power and life. She wasn¡¯t sure if this was caused by the spell or if this was how everyone in this world was, but it mattered little.

    Almost as soon as Emily was done, she twisted her arms, and the ¡®shackles¡¯ snapped like plyboard. Standing to her full height Emily released the husk of a man which crumpled to the floor. Flush with fresh life force, Emily looked around the room with a smile.

    By now everyone was recovering, and several men were pointing their hands out towards Emily as though preparing to fire.

    Seeing what was about to come Emily reached down and grabbed onto the corpses by her feet. Blood poured out of them and wrapped around Emily¡¯s form, like a bolt of cloth. Hardening into a delicate dress of crimson. The flakes of blood marring her skin peeled away to join the flowing gown, while fresh red droplets in her hair lengthened into an incomplete crown.

    Emily couldn¡¯t help stretching like a cat that had just woken from a nap as she refocused on the room.

    ¡°Boys and girls, you all have something I need,¡± Emily smiled.

    This was too much for the robes near the edge, as they all fired bolts of blood in Emily¡¯s direction.

    The match-up could not have been worse because the moment they let loose, her gown expanded out like a beast and swallowed each attack, adding it to her reserves.

    Emily laughed, they were feeding her without knowing.

    It was only when her blood returned to her form that she saw the head robe was back on his feet, burn marks all down his face and neck.

    Grunting, Emily sent two spears toward the man, but he was ready this time. Halting them in their tracks and sending them slopping to the floor. He then began to move toward the young man, perhaps to finish what he started

    Realizing blood couldn¡¯t stop him, Emily sprinted towards them, but the red glow in the room had reached its pinnacle.

    All it took from the head mage was a single wave of his hands to cause the cloud of thrumming energy to rush toward the young man. Forcing itself into him and causing him to spasm on the ground.

    The distance to the robed figure was not large but it still took time even with Emily going full tilt. That was just enough time for the man to place a hand on her charge¡¯s forehead and release some kind of magic into him.

    Emily crashed into the wounded man, tackling him backward. Their observers weren''t idle either, as they threw more attacks at her gown.

    Then the worst thing possible happened: the man in her arms disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

    Emily''s frustration reached new heights as she spun on her heel, her eyes darting around the room, searching. This was precisely why she disdained illusionists¡ªtheir knack for slipping away was second to none.

    The ritual had reached a fever pitch and the red light was coalescing against the young mans skin, then all at once, the power radiating off everything in the room reached new heights and then flickered out. The moaning captives in the five outer circles went permanently quiet as the magic took everything from them.

    Whatever had happened looked like it was complete as the light faded from the room.

    Suddenly, Emily¡¯s world became a series of sharp colors as something cracked over the back of Emily¡¯s head dropping her to one knee. She had to struggle not to lose consciousness, but she kept her eyes open.

    Because of this, Emily saw the leading mage had picked up a piece of the pyrite and whacked her over the head with it.

    ¡°You fools, stop using your blood, she¡¯s practiced! Kill her!¡±

    Blinking the salty tears from her eyes, Emily tried to swing out at his form but he scattered into a haze and reappeared at the other end of the room.

    ¡°Damn, The Five! Months of preparation, down the drain. I will promote whoever brings me her head!¡±

    The cruel voice sounded distant, as though on the other end of a tunnel, but the others weren''t. Vicious shouts went up in the room as they drew decorative blades that would have fit perfectly into a horror movie. The only upside was that of the original seventeen robes in here, five were dead and another four were passed out on the floor.

    That still left the illusionist and seven others, but now that things had gone this far, the best course of action was to deal with the weaklings. She wasn¡¯t even sure the image of the illusionist was real, scratch that, it definitely wasn¡¯t.

    Shaking her head Emily stood and dropped into her best self-defense form. Bringing her hands up to guard her head, another hit like that would put her down.

    The first man to approach got a jab in the throat and her nails slashed across his face, marring his pretty scars and putting out the fight for a moment.

    The next Emily sidestepped and brought her foot down on the side of his knee, a satisfying crack resounding through the room.

    The illusionist must have thrown something because an invisible object crashed into the side of Emily¡¯s hip causing pain to shoot down her leg.

    The third robe used the opening and grabbed her from behind, but she broke the hold by having her gown shift into dozens of spikes killing him instantly. Adding his blood to her defense.

    Panting, Emily was just eyeing the remaining four when a tortured scream came out from the young man''s direction.

    Looking over she expected to see him dying from whatever the ritual had done to him, but instead, he stood there calmly.

    At some point, the kid must have gotten his head cover off and procured a knife, because he held it in front of himself, stabbing it through open air.

    The rest of the room had frozen, only for the illusionist to shimmer from view, completely fading out.

    Blood then began to drip down the kid¡¯s blade, and eventually, the figure of the illusionist appeared. However, unlike Emily¡¯s wide shot, the dagger had not missed the man''s heart. The last of the light in his eyes faded just as everyone realized what had happened.

    In the chaos, this kid had escaped, stolen a weapon, and somehow located the real illusionist.

    All of this could not have taken more than a couple of breaths, and yet the fresh corpse left little to refute.

    For a fraction of a second, the young man¡¯s eyes met Emily¡¯s. Gone was the fear and desperation she had seen moments ago, replacing it was a focused gaze that was already sizing her up.

    Then time seemed to resume as he broke into a mad dash and sunk the blade into the neck of its next victim.

    Temporary alliance cemented, Emily turned to face her remaining two.

    One of the idiots had resumed using blood attacks, but Emily made sure to collect as many of those as she could. The other charged her directly, seeing him coming, Emily tried to sidestep again, but the robe must have expected that because he changed directions at the last second.

    Hardening the gown around her chest prevented the dagger from plunging more than a couple of centimeters into her chest. But now the man was too close for his own good, Emily wrapped her arms around him and bit into his shoulder.

    The man was a husk before he hit the ground and the final robe froze, staring on in horror. Emily took a step forward but the man must have lost his nerve because he made a break for the exit.

    Sadly, he turned and ran straight into a bloodied dagger. The young man had appeared in front of him and plunged it straight into his gut.

    Emily frowned and glanced over to see the other robes already dead, even her incapacitated one.

    As the final man died the room fell silent, save for their heavy breathing, and then the young man spoke as he lowered his weapon at Emily.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be alive.¡±

 Chapter 8 - Fates calling

    "Well shit" Emily cursed under her breath setting her shoulders and preparing to fight, yet the man simply kept staring at her.

    ¡°I watched them stab you and leave you for dead. Your hair color¡¯s different, but I would recognize Eva¡¯s face anywhere.¡±

    Emily''s brows drew together. Whatever that energy had done to him had clearly changed something.

    The guy looked stable, if he was possessed by some world-ending evil then she couldn¡¯t tell outwardly.

    But he wasn¡¯t attacking, and she could work with that.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Eva and I came here to save you.¡±

    His eyes glanced over at the undulating gown of blood.

    ¡°Bullshit, Eva was no blood mage, not to mention you¡¯d at least need to be a blood marshal to do something like that..¡±

    Emily¡¯s brow twitched as she glanced at the gown, she was tempted to let it drop, it was using an astronomical amount of power, but she couldn¡¯t risk it. Not when her instincts were telling her to be careful of this man.

    ¡°Mmm, fine I¡¯m changed, but I¡¯m still the Eva you knew, just different, not unlike yourself.¡±

    The last part was a complete gamble, but the guy¡¯s demeanor had done a one-eighty from a couple of hours ago, something had to be going on. One moment he was weeping in his cell, the next he was cutting through people without mercy.

    ¡°Oh really? Then tell me when¡¯s my waking day, or if that''s too hard for you, what about a family pet, you should know that.¡±

    Emily maintained a blank face as they continued their stare-off.

    The look in the guy''s eyes almost seemed to challenge her, and as the silence continued, a light shifted behind them.

    ¡°... Then what about my name.¡±

    Emily could see he was preparing to attack, she needed to give him something right now. So against her better judgment, she cast her mind back into the body''s memories, even as it sent a spike of pain exploding behind her eyes.

    All the information wanted to rush forward at once but she held it back as she searched for a surface detail. To lose control now would be to mix with a lifetime of memories, and it wasn¡¯t hard to tell how easily that could mess one up. Finally, she found what she was looking for and hightailed it out of there.

    Blinking rapidly Emily saw the shift in his stance, and just before he made his move she shouted and threw her hands up in a calming gesture.

    ¡°Alex! It''s Alex¡­ your name is Alex, did you think I¡¯d forget?¡±

    Alex paused and searched her face, he was not fooled, but a hint of something unknown remained. Relief?

    ¡°Alexander¡­ That¡¯s what you can call me. And if you are changed I expect Eva doesn¡¯t work so well for you anymore. What can I call you?¡±

    Emily was hesitant at how well he was taking this but she told him her name anyway.

    ¡°Hmm, alright Emily, how about this if you lower your weapon I¡¯ll lower mine. Then perhaps we can go our separate ways peacefully,¡± he said.

    Emily pressed her lips together. Well, she¡¯d found who she was looking for, that was certain. The itch that had made its home on the back of her neck was a distant memory. However, this had just gotten far more complicated.

    When she found who she was looking for, she¡¯d hoped to just bring them with her until the timer ran out. Sadly that probably wouldn¡¯t be so easy with this guy.

    For now, though, she needed more information.

    ¡°Counter offer, we make a temporary alliance until we get somewhere safe. I¡¯m assuming we still have ways to travel if we want to find the nearest settlement. It would be much better if we both had a set of eyes to watch our backs.¡±

    Alexander searched Emily¡¯s face for a while but then shook his head.

    ¡°Absolutely not, you may have her face and perhaps you won¡¯t attack me, but I can¡¯t trust you won¡¯t betray me down the line. I have things to do and a very small timeline to do them in.¡±

    Emily rolled her eyes, contrary to her confident demeanor, her next move felt wrong in all sorts of ways, but she had to show him she was not a threat. So she let the gown melt down her form and rolled to the floor congealing, leaving herself open to attack.

    ¡°All the more reason to bring me along, I want to get to safety just as much as you do. So I¡¯m not going to shoot myself in the foot, and as a bonus, two people working together will be safer, perhaps even faster¡­ Plus, you know what¡¯s out there.¡±

    Emily, in fact, did not know what was out there, but she was betting Alex did.

    Alexander scrunched up his mouth in thought as he lowered his blade to his side. He seemed to be wrestling with a deep internal struggle, his gaze fixed on her face as if he were deciding the fate of which parent to save. His pained expression gradually softened.

    ¡°Fine,¡± he said finally. ¡°You can come. But the moment we reach a safe zone, we¡¯re done.¡±

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    Emily smiled and made a mock salute, which only got a confused look from Alex. Emily wondered if they had salutes here. They probably did, but maybe they were different.

    Alex moved away from him, crouched down near one of the people''s bodies, and began rifling through their pockets.

    Seeing this Emily followed suit heading over to the illusionist''s body, kneeling next to it. The dead man was covered in blood from the ground but at this stage who wasn¡¯t? Grabbing him by the edge of his cloak Emily pulled the corpse over onto its back, a wet squelching sound punctuating the motion.

    Rummaging through the deceased¡¯s pockets was nothing new, however, what she found, was. A small coin pouch with various shaped coins, along with what looked like a vial of clear liquid. The last item was probably the best find, it was only a small leather-bound notebook, but by the looks of things it was the illusionist''s notes on blood magic.

    When Emily pulled her prize from the man''s robes, she noticed Alex staring at her, but the moment he saw her looking, he went back to work.

    The tiny tome was thick and well read but Emily shrugged and pocketed it along with the rest of her ill-gotten gains. She had no idea how the money worked but she wasn¡¯t going to ask Alex that.

    When everything was tucked away, Emily began to rummage through the rest of the corpses to find a weapon. By the looks of things, all of them had needlessly fancy blades, probably a status symbol or something. However, outside of ritual sacrifice, it was not something one would want to carry on one''s person. Suffice it to say, if someone in her world were walking down the street with one of these bad boys, they would have the police called on them in minutes flat.

    However, having lost her last pointy bit of metal, Emily was not in a position to be picky; she chose the least bedazzled one.

    Fastening the sheath to herself she saw Alex had already picked the surrounding bodies clean and was moving towards the door, one more glance at the now empty room and Emliy hightailed it after him.

    The preparations for the ritual had taken well over an hour, even though the head blood mage had tried to hurry them along, so by the time they got out of that hellish sweat lodge, the whole area was deserted.

    Disturbed snow and emptied crates lay strewn about. The doors to the stables stood wide open, and Emily felt disappointed that she couldn''t catch a glimpse of the wolf-horseys again.

    Alex was crouched down looking at the tracks in the snow as though he understood them, Emily also noticed the guy had taken just about every dagger he could get his hands on. Strapping several to his waist, chest, and boots. When Emily came up behind him, he spoke without looking at her.

    ¡°Alright, split up and try and find food, if we¡¯re going to make the trip to Tagrin¡¯s keep we¡¯ll need it.¡±

    Emily nodded to herself.

    ¡°If it¡¯s all the same to you let''s stick together.¡±

    Alex frowned but didn¡¯t say anything further. He changed direction and headed for one of the nearby huts. When they got there the door to the room was barred, but Alex drew one of his daggers and slotted it in between the wooden slatts, and wiggled it a bit. The door creaked open to reveal a storeroom of sorts. Inside were more of the mage''s supplies, dried herbs, different pieces of rock and ore, and vials with oils of varying scents and colors.

    ¡°Pack light, the trip is not that long but we¡¯re so far off the main road that we¡¯ll be running from just about everything out there. With the head mage dead, the wards around this place will be gone¡±

    Alex moved over to one of the corners while Emily found a small barrel of what looked like opalescent powder. Next to it were sticks of chalk made from the stuff.

    Rummaging around Emily found a bundle she could strap to her back. Grabbing a couple of blankets and what she thought was a full water skin, Emily moved all her trinkets into the bag. Making sure Alex wasn¡¯t looking as she moved the warm broach from her boot to her cloak pocket.

    Finally, wrapping a couple sticks of the chalk in cloth and shoving it on top, because why not?

    Looking over she saw Alex had found a small bag of dried meat and hard bread. Wiping the sparkling chalk dust off her hands onto her outfit, Emily held out an open palm expectantly. Alex saw this and pressed his lips into a thin line, but poured half the rations into another sack and handed it over to her.

    ¡°What in the world are you going to do with source chalk? I said pack light.¡±

    Emily made a wry face.

    ¡°It¡¯s chalk, it¡¯s not gonna break the bank, plus it kinda sparkles in the light¡­ so it''s mine now.¡±

    Alex looked even more frustrated now, but he seemed to wash his hands of the idea and turned to leave. Fastening her bundle closed took Emily more time than she was willing to admit. So that by the time she got out of the storeroom Alex was nowhere to be seen.

    Looking around Emily stepped out and cursed, looking down at the snow she tried to follow his footprints and managed to track him until she got to the front once more, where his prints just mixed in with the rest.

    Several sets of tracks were leading off into the forest, his could be just about any of them. Emily let out a large plume of breath as her shoulders drooped, but then she felt a presence next to her.

    It was Alex, casually strolling towards her with two white cloaks in his arms.

    ¡°Put this on, it won¡¯t hide us, but it will help.¡±

    Emily took them gratefully and grinned when she saw he had included a fresh set of traveling clothes.

    Alex¡¯s movements froze for a second, his gaze locked on her smile, as a thoughtful crease settled on his brow

    Emily looked down at the red-stained dress and hummed to herself. She kind of liked its simple design, but practical clothes were a welcome sight. Especially if they were going to be traveling for a long time in the forest.

    Unclapsing her cloak and letting ing fall into the snow, Emily began to change where she stood.

    Alex was startled from his daze when he realized what she was doing and turned away, though there was no blush of a virgin creeping up his cheeks, as Emily had hopped.

    She was more than used to changing on demand, one had to be when their whole outfit was made of reinforced spandex.

    Being shy to change in front of others was something newbies got over pretty quickly.

    In fact, multiple news outlets hadn¡¯t coined the term ¡®Super-Streekers¡¯ for nothing.

    If one was lucky they would be wearing their costume underneath their day-to-day clothes, but gosh, it was hard to get designers to put a flap in the thing for bathroom breaks. So some days, when laziness struck, one was forced to change in a supply closet while swarms of murder hornets were wreaking havoc on the entire bank vault

    However, this did mean that Emily¡¯s change time was lightning quick, and with the current temperatures, it needed to be.

    By the time she was filling out her new clothes, and fastening the white cloak over herself, Emily felt much more comfortable.

    Looking over she saw Alex had decided to follow suit and get changed out in the cold. He was facing away from her with his hand covering the back of his neck as he dressed.

    Emily took a moment to have a peek at the man.

    First off, Emily recognized that Alex and Eva were closer in age than she had first anticipated, as she would put both of them in their early twenties.

    He was not out of shape by any means, but there was still the presence of baby fat he had yet to work off. His skin was fair and unblemished, overall he looked like a man who had lived a life of luxury. Which was in complete contrast to his eyes, because while a vibrant green, they held a jaded glint.

    He was just wrapping the cloak around himself as he turned to see her eyeing his body.

    ¡°Find what you¡¯re looking for? Because if you''re done, we should get moving.¡±

    Emily blinked sheepishly, unable to help the smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

    ¡°Yes, Alex. I think I did.¡±

 Chapter 9 - Screaming skies

    Emily fell face-first into the snow bank, but with so little time, she couldn¡¯t afford to remain still. Kicking a leg out, she blindly flipped onto her stomach and bolted up from the ground. Not even a breath later, a club crashed down where her head had been mere moments ago. Snaking a hand forward Emily gripped the little gremlin-like creature by the ankle and whipped its one leg out from underneath it.

    Emily hopped on top of it, blade already drawn. Slashing it across the hand that had held the club. The thing screeched dropping its weapon, but Emily shut it up with a set of teeth to its throat.

    All of this had happened so fast, one moment Emily had been walking beside Alex, and then the next he stopped and cocked his head.

    ¡°They¡¯re coming ready yourself for battle.¡± was all the warning she got before Alex disappeared into the treeline.

    Emily was so surprised, she had still been searching for him when a group of four gremlins creatures had come over the hill.

    The moment they spotted her, they gave what Emily would call a war screech and charged. She had taken down the first one pretty easily, and the husk in the snow was the second but the other two crashed into her as she looked up from her most recent ¡®meal¡¯.

    One of their clubs crashed into her shoulder eliciting a yelp from her, while the other tried to rip off her ear with its teeth.

    Emily could only leverage her larger mass to fall on top of the one currently trying to nibble off a piece of her ear, bringing the knife and plunging it into the thing¡¯s jugular. When it released her, Emily swung a wide hay-maker at the other one.

    Unfortunately, the blasted thing then blocked with the club and Emily¡¯s knuckle cracked against the rough bark of the deadwood. The pain only made Emily more vengeful, kicking out at the thing''s knee, Emily reached forward and grabbed the thing. Pulling it to the ground and maneuvering behind it so that she could get it into a chokehold. Emily wasn¡¯t skilled in this area but she certainly knew that if enough force was allied to the neck it would stop breathing, and that¡¯s all she needed right now.

    The world turned upside down as she leveraged her height to apply more pressure on the gremlin¡¯s neck. The position also gave her an upside-down view of the clearing, where another creature was approaching from. It had a rock raised as if to throw it, but then Alex fell from the trees, ¨Cor from her perspective the sky-ground¨C plunging two daggers into the gremlin¡¯s collarbones.

    The thing dropped as Emily felt the one in her arms go still.

    Righting herself, Emily prepared for the next combatant. However, Alex stood in the center of the space frowning at her. He didn¡¯t look worried and she realized it was because he¡¯d taken out three additional gremlins she hadn¡¯t seen.

    ¡°What was that? Why didn¡¯t you hide like I told you?¡±

    Emily cocked her head and looked over at the gremlin which still had her dagger in its throat.

    ¡°Hide? You just said to get ready, which is what I did.¡±

    Alex¡¯s eye twitched.

    ¡°Standing out in the open like a Millo bird is your plan of attack? We can¡¯t afford to get into skirmishes like this every time.¡±

    Emily refused to admit she was in the wrong, he should have told her what he wanted, not expected her to smell his thoughts. But she kind of understood what he meant, if every engagement was like that, they were playing with their lives. Stealth was probably the best idea in the situation.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±

    Alex nodded.

    ¡°Please do, elves may be weak but if their numbers get too great we¡¯ll have to retreat.¡±

    ¡°Look I said that I would, no need to get- Wait¡­ elves? Like the fancy nature people with the bows and stuff?¡± Emily asked as her curiosity got the better of her annoyance.

    Alex was getting ready to move again but he paused to glance back at her in confusion.

    ¡°Elves are anything but fancy. Indeed, they can adapt to any environment, and a few more powerful variants have been known to use bows, but they¡¯re most certainly not people.¡±

    Emily hummed as she digested this, pulling the dagger out of her dead prey.

    They had been traveling for only a couple of hours but already it looked like they were burning through the day. Finding a place to stay before night fell would be necessary soon. It got a hell of more dangerous when the night fell as that¡¯s when the real beasts came out.

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    However, Alex had not elaborated on what those were.

    He was already moving out of the clearing, so Emily cleaned and sheathed her blade, setting out after him.

    The two traveled for another couple of hours with Emily trying her best to be stealthy. They did come across a few more gremlin-elves but they chose to skirt around them.

    If they¡¯d had more time, Emily would have loved to grab a couple as a snack. As things were, she had enough life force stored up to release around six or seven blood shots, but even that paled in comparison to her previous strength. Her blood shaping was far cheaper to use when the stuff was readily available. That''s why Emily had been content to take on the blood cultists, she was a perfect matchup to their magic.

    Emily had thought about taking some for herself but human blood didn¡¯t have the longest shelf life, so lugging around a barrel of blood did not appeal to her.

    At a certain point, they were just crossing an ankle-deep stream when Alex suddenly ducked into the recesses of a hollowed-out tree, pulling Emily with him and slapping a hand over her mouth.

    She was about to ask what gives when she saw his face, she only just met the guy, but she could tell he meant business. The solemn expression that had spread across his face was locked towards the skies.

    That caused Emily to freeze and prepare to fight, it was then that she heard the sounds of wings flapping against the air.

    At first, she thought it was a bird but the sound grew in strength until it became overwhelming. Every thump shook the area, sending gusts through the top of the trees.

    Whatever it was, it was big.

    A high-pitched roar ripped the silence of the forest to shreds as something descended nearby. Emily felt tremors running through the earth, but it was further away than she¡¯d expected.

    Suddenly a second roar joined the first, this one had more bass to it.

    The two cries intermingled as though fighting for dominance, and then the real battle began.

    The sounds of earth being overturned and foliage being crushed under the pressure of two large bodies could be heard, even in the distance.

    Flesh thumped against bone and yelps of pain joined the cacophony, but neither Emily nor Alex moved. Whatever this thing was big enough to shake the surrounding forest and, Emily was not in a condition to be able to handle it, so they hid.

    All too soon, the sounds of the bass roar pitched into death-throws and then faded completely. It was then replaced by the wet sound of flesh ripping and a gullet swallowing it down hungrily.

    Minutes that felt like hours passed, but then the winds picked up once more and drowned out everything before fading into the sky.

    Neither of them moved for a couple more minutes but finally, Emily managed to rip Alex¡¯s hand off her mouth.

    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡±

    Alex glanced at Emily and looked in the direction the sounds had come from.

    ¡°Follow me, and for the love of the Five, be silent.¡±

    Alex moved out from their hideyhole and crept forward. Emily stepped up beside him and watched for any signs of the thing returning.

    They continued only a couple dozen meters from where they had hidden and entered a clearing with a cave entrance buttressed up against the stream. The space looked about as bad as the destruction had made it sound. Earth was upturned, scattered with claw marks; almost all the plant life in the area was flattened, with the exception of a few older trees.

    Near the opening of the cave, something had clearly been dismembered, with only the smallest scraps of grizzle and what looked like porcupine quills remaining nearby.

    Emily stopped but Alex moved toward the cave entrance, kneeling by the remains.

    The entire area was blanketed with the stench of burning meat, coiling its way into Emily¡¯s nose. It hung in the air like a choking miasma, demanding she flee before its origin returned.

    ¡°Alex, we should get out of here. Who knows if it will come back, or what the blood might attract.¡±

    Alex held up a hand as he continued to look through the remains.

    Snorting to herself Emily¡¯s eye flickered to the sky and she took a step into the clearing, making her way towards him.

    ¡°It looks like this was a shard boar, an annoying creature for hunters to take down. The good news is they are solitary and this one does not look like it was nesting.¡±

    As he said this Alex pointed to the open cave.

    Emily ground her teeth together, he wasn¡¯t getting it.

    ¡°That''s interesting and all but shouldn¡¯t we get going? The carcass will draw other things here.¡±

    Alex shook his head.

    ¡°Not for a couple of days yet. No, a wyrm kill is exactly what we needed.¡±

    Emily looked at the man as though he needed help, but he continued.

    ¡°You smell it, don¡¯t you? That burning scent? The thing that attacked was a Wyrm, it gives off a scent that marks its kills. It''s what makes us feel like this. However, it''s even more effective against beasts. It will keep night wanderers away from this area, we¡¯ll camp here for the night.¡±

    Emily wanted to argue, but in all honesty, the guy seemed confident and she was in an unknown land. Looking up at the sky, it was around late afternoon but they would have needed to start finding a place to bunker down soon anyway.

    The smell was vile, but Emily could ignore it if it gave them a safe night''s sleep. Shrugging her shoulders, Emily began to wander toward the cave entrance, being careful to search for signs of life inside.

    As she entered she saw the cave was not deep, she could see to the back wall from the entrance. At most, it would protect them from the worst of the elements, and with the fresh kill outside, it made for the perfect sanctuary

    Just like Alex had said it was empty; the guy was still inspecting the remains and gathering up the quill-looking shards.

    Deciding to leave the guy to his musings, Emily began walking around the perimeter of the den. She simply started off by kicking a rock as she thought about what she had just learned but then she decided to collect firewood.

    So on she went around the area looking for the dryest pieces of kindling.

    The fact that she had never seen anything like this wilderness had been made terrifyingly obvious at this encounter. Yesterday she had been wandering through the snow without knowing how much danger she was in.

    If she were at her peak Emily was confident she could have dealt with whatever came their way but she wasn¡¯t, and just how fragile this body was, was becoming painfully apparent.

    There was no shortage of lab-grown monstrosities in her old world, but this was an entire food chain with a different biome. And she wasn¡¯t at the apex yet.

    Emily resolved herself to get stronger faster, she needed to grab every advantage she could get. Turning back to look at Alex, Emily began moving towards him once more.

    It was time to ask some questions and get some real answers. Her life depended on it.

 Chapter 10 - Wandering stars

    The fire crackled to itself as Emily watched the wood popping and shifting. Poking at its edges with a branch sent sparks rushing up toward the stone ceiling, along with faint grey smoke. The mouth-watering smell of raven eggs sizzling on a flat rock had Emily¡¯s stomach grumbling. That along with dried meat they''d gotten from the cultists was their dinner.

    The little den was surprisingly warm, even with the comparatively small fire to hold the chill at bay.

    Emily¡¯s eyes turn to the cave''s open mouth, staring out into the night. Past the tree tops, the skies were aflame with glimmering stars and faint hues of whites and purples streaking through space. It was a phenomenon long since lost to the light pollution in most cities, and beautiful as it was, none was as eye-catching as the moon.

    Its faint aquamarine tinge reminded Emily she was no longer on Earth, but it was the giant crater blown into the side that really drew her attention. It looked as though a colossal being had taken a neat bite out of the hunk of rock. At first, Emily thought the moon was just in a different phase, but the jagged craters near the site disillusioned her of this idea.

    Turning away from nature''s raw beauty Emily looked across the fire at Alex. The man was testing the edges of all his knives and then sharpening them on a small stone if they didn¡¯t meet his standards.

    Deciding to rip the band-aid off Emily inspected her nails

    ¡°So¡­ seeing as we¡¯re going to be fighting together we should know each other''s strengths. That being the case, what''s your title?¡±

    Alex stopped sharpening his most recent dagger to look at her with narrowed eyes.

    Emily was aware it was probably a sensitive subject, or the wandering fangs would not have needed to check her for ¡®active titles¡¯. By now Emily had come to assume these titles were something similar to superpowers, only everyone seemed to have them.

    ¡°Now I know you¡¯re fishing. Eva would have known what mine were.¡±

    Emily grimaced and glanced briefly down at the fire and back up at Alex.

    ¡°Well¡­ I do know, but certain things are fuzzy. When I came back I found I was missing a whole lot of basic information. I¡¯ll get there, but help would be appreciated?¡±

    Now it was Alex¡¯s turn to look away. He stared off into the night, but eventually, he began speaking.

    ¡°For the most part, people don¡¯t mind one knowing their titles, but if you can help it don¡¯t make it known to your enemies It can give one insight into how they fight.¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°And so yours isss¡­¡±

    Alex seemed to work his jaw but said nothing.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re still not sure whether to trust me.¡± Emily nodded.

    The fact that Alex silently held her gaze was enough of an answer.

    ¡°I can respect that. So titles do give abilities.¡±

    Alex¡¯s eyes flicked outside as though he were searching the night too.

    ¡°In a way sure, but when you switch over to a title you are donning more than just their strength, it¡¯s their path. The further down it you go, the more of their knowledge you can access¡±

    The way Alex said this carried a sense of weight. In the short time they had been together, Emily had seen he was normally a pretty serious guy but this subject seemed to hold a certain significance with him

    ¡°Who¡¯s path?¡± she asked quietly.

    ¡°Every person who walked it before you.¡±

    The words hung in the air for a moment, plunging the cave into silence, the sounds of the winds howling outside the only whisper.

    Unable to take the heavy atmosphere, Emily rummaged through her bundle and took out the pieces of chalk she¡¯d ¡®acquired¡¯ just hours ago.

    Getting up she began to scratch lines of glittering chalk onto the wall of the cave.

    ¡°How does one go about acquiring a new title?¡±

    Alex didn¡¯t answer for the longest time, but then.

    ¡°After one reaches a certain rank, they enter their first sleeping. Most children hit this at around ten years old. After that, one can change their passive titles daily to ones they¡¯ve earned throughout their lives. As for how one earns them that is a mystery people have been trying to figure out for the longest time. There are theories, but none that I¡¯m interested in going over now.¡±

    Emily stopped drawing and turned back to look at him.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying one just needs to sleep?¡±

    Alex shrugged, but Emily realized she had yet to close her eyes since arriving in this world. It had never seemed safe to let down her guard so she just hadn¡¯t, but now he was saying that was exactly what she needed to do.

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    Alex looked like he wanted to ask his own question but seemed to think better of it. Instead, his eyes moved to the words Emily had been scrawling on the wall in large bubble letters.

    ¡°You are aware that that chalk is worth almost three tri a stick right?¡±

    She looked down at the chalk and finished coloring the escalation mark of ¡®Emily¡¯s Pad!¡¯ in.

    Shrugging she threw the last piece back with her things.

    ¡°Of course, I knew that, but come on it''s human nature to mark where we¡¯ve been.¡±

    Alex¡¯s brows rose.

    ¡°Is that what that is? I thought you were drawing a ward I¡¯d not seen before.¡±

    Emily glanced back at the fun lettering and realized she¡¯d written it in English. She¡¯d gotten so used to talking in Eva¡¯s language, that she had forgotten she didn¡¯t know how to write it yet.

    ¡°I mean, it sort of is?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound confident about that, hand me a piece I¡¯ll draw a proper one.¡±

    Emily pouted and pulled the bundle closer.

    ¡°You told me not to bring it, plus you said the Wyrm scent would keep things away.¡±

    A wrinkle appeared on the corner of Alex¡¯s mouth but he didn¡¯t press the issue, shrugging and turning over so that his back faced Emily.

    ¡°Well then I¡¯m going to sleep, you take the first watch. Wake me in around four hours.¡±

    It only took a few moments for him to adjust his pack as a pillow, and a couple of minutes later Emily heard soft snoring.

    It was only when Alex fell asleep that Emily realized just how tedious keeping watch could be. It was mind-numbing. Initially, she meticulously organized her belongings, checked her supplies, and tended to the small fire with their reserves. Her potion of the raven scrambled eggs and dried meat was surprisingly good, it needed salt though.

    Then, she idly drew in the dirt of the cave, smoothing the chalk to create a more even gradient. But soon, she found herself at a loss, she would have died of boredom if she hadn¡¯t remembered the notebook she¡¯d pilfered from the illusionist. and upon opening it discovered it contained not a lick of English, just some rather interesting diagrams and formations drawn out. It killed her that she couldn¡¯t look more into it but Eva¡¯s memories were sealed so tightly she wouldn¡¯t be getting access to the written word tonight.

    Finally, the time came for a shift change and Emily went over to shake Alex awake, who was up and moving before she could even lay a hand on him.

    Grabbing her pack, Emily moved to one of the corners and settled down. Trying to fall asleep. There was a nagging voice in the back of her head telling her to keep an eye on Alex, but on the other hand, they needed each other until they got to the settlement.

    If he was going to slit her throat while she slept, she would show him just how bad an idea that was.

    Minutes ticked by and Emily struggled to relax, since arriving here she¡¯d taken everything in stride because she had to, but that didn¡¯t mean she was okay with it.

    Emily had little attachment to her old world but to be ripped from one¡¯s reality like that was unpleasant, to say the least.

    She already had a list of people and gods that would pay for all this, but in the meantime, she balled her fists and brought them up to her chest.

    For the first time in years, the jitters were back, threatening to crawl their way up her spine and break out into a full-blow tremor episode but there was no way she would allow anyone to see her like that. So moving into her breathing techniques, Emily stemmed the emotion and forced her mind to fall into a shallow sleep.

    It rose like a dream, Emily felt herself sinking in a pool of warm shadow. When her feet touched down in a field of vibrant green grass, she knew something was off.

    Her dreams were never this pleasant. The area around her was full of life, yet empty of any other identifying marks. Stretching out into infinite darkness, Emily was not scared by the expanse, for it carried a familiar feeling with it.

    Upon looking up she could see a gentle purple light breaking through the skies above. The hue brought with it pinpricks of light that dotted the horizon. It would have reminded Emily of a night sky if it weren''t for the fact that the stars were in a constant state of shift. Moving around like distant fireflies.

    Their patterns were mesmerizing.

    Over time Emily noticed they were gathering together and forming letters, or in this case a number followed by words she could understand.

    ¡®7 - First threshold released at rank 10¡¯

    Emily frowned, the first number was probably her current rank, so she just needed to get to ten to get her first title.

    If she were to guess, kids would normally hit rank ten at ten, so a rank per year?

    What determined rank was still unknown but luckily Emily had a great source of information nearby.

    The interesting part was that Emily¡¯s rank must have started over when she took over from Eva. Which meant she had been doing things to increase her rank, but had not felt any change.

    If she could pinpoint the circumstances then she could power through the early ranks.

    Of course, one thing came to mind, she¡¯d been doing it since she got here, but it couldn¡¯t be that easy.

    The space around Emily shifted as the stars moved back in chaotic jumbles of shifting lights. The soft grass began to warp as though the land were becoming quicksand. Pulling her downwards, and yet Emily felt no threat from it as her conscience grew fuzzy. She absent-minded realized that she was falling into a deeper state of sleep and that whatever that space was, it existed on the upper layers of her mind.

    Blackness swallowed her and the next thing she knew, Alex was shaking her shoulder into the waking world.

    Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Emily saw the light outside, which had barely touched the sky.

    Having never been a morning person Emily stretched her tender spine, trying to blink her sluggish brain into activity.

    ¡°Damn, I¡¯ll be so much happier when we can find a proper bed,¡±

    Alex nodded.

    ¡°That''s why we¡¯re up now, if we can make it over the siren¡¯s gorge before midday we may even be able to make it to a way station before today¡¯s out.¡±

    That woke Emily almost as fast as a strong cup of coffee would have, almost.

    ¡°And these waystations have beds?¡±

    Alex tilted his head from side to side.

    ¡°If they¡¯re not full, yes. They can be a place to sleep. They¡¯re travel hubs and offer the fastest route, but they¡¯re anything but safe. The keep is only secure because of its current ruler; the waystations are lawless¡±

    Emily found a grin spreading across her face.

    ¡°Sounds like my kind of party.¡±

    Alex looked her up and down with a weary gaze.

    ¡°Well regardless, we need to get there first.¡±

    Emily gave him a thumbs up and started packing, but then a thought from last night came to her, and she had to know.

    ¡°Hey does killing shit increase my rank?¡±

    Alex was kicking out the embers of the fire when he looked back at her.

    ¡°If it falls under your title, yes. But there is a theory that even a Farmer would get a rank if he killed enough creatures out in the wilds.¡±

    After that, they headed out into the chilly forest. The area did not look like it had been disturbed, save for the fresh snow covering the grounds.

    Emily could still smell the stench of the wyrm, but it was a good deal weaker. Perhaps another day and it would fade almost completely.

    Turning in a particular direction, Alex moved towards the treeline. Emily was equal parts cautious and excited for this trek, there was so much to discover, and frankly, Emily felt a burning desire to know it all.

 Chapter 11 - Minding the gap

    Emily moved through the trees as quietly as she could, trying to mimic Alex, at least in some fashion. The guy was a ghost, barely leaving a footprint in the snow. The longer Emily watched him, the more she realized just how bad her bumbling through wilds really was. There were treasures and dangers that she couldn¡¯t yet see. Animal markings Alex skirted them around, or bushels of berries, nuts, even some edible barks.

    ¡°Damn if we just had a ranged weapon I could have secured us some meat.¡±

    Emily followed Alex''s line of sight to a tiny brown bird perching on a set of nearby branches. The thing was probably not very good eating, and they had enough rations for a while, but when she had brought this up he''d scowled and said.

    ¡°You always collect food when it¡¯s available; dipping into our reserves every night is asking for trouble.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t argue with him but it did make her curious. All this knowledge and yet the man looked as though he hardly stepped outdoors. At first, Emily thought it was book smarts but she soon saw he worked with practiced ease. He shelled what looked like a pinecone and extracted the nuts with efficient movements before depositing them into a small pouch on his waist. He did all of this with a single dagger while they were still moving.

    ¡°Where¡¯d you learn to do all that?¡±

    Alex glanced up from his work a startled look on his face.

    ¡°Hmm... just things I picked up here and there.¡±

    Emily hummed as she hopped over a fallen trunk.

    ¡°I dunno, it seems strange for you to know about the surroundings.¡±

    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± he asked looking back now.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look like the type of guy who needs to know these things, more like you get everything given to you¡±

    A dark look glazed over Alex''s eyes.

    ¡°Looks are deceiving, I¡¯ve had to fight for everything I¡¯ve ever gotten, and I''ll have to do it for a long time still, so let''s just keep talking to a minimum while on the trail.¡±

    Emily pressed her lips into a line, now she¡¯d done it.

    Most people wouldn¡¯t be surprised at how little Emily interacted with people when it wasn¡¯t fighting or ordering them around. In certain regards that made for an abrasive nature but most of the time she wasn¡¯t with them long enough for it to matter.

    With so many unknowns, especially the question of this mid-winter feast, she needed to at least not piss the guy off.

    So instead she did her best to learn from simply watching. Crossing icy streams, climbing jagged obstructions, and sweeping through foliage that clung to clothing. Hours passed and the landscape shifted to rocky terrain at a gentle incline. They were ascending as time went on, and Emily saw more and more grey rock poking out through the fallen snow. They were just cresting a hill when Alex looked over to Emily and spoke for the first time in hours.

    ¡°Hold for a second somethings strange up ahead.¡±

    Emily stopped gracelessly and moved to the nearest tree keeping low to the ground.

    Alex had his ear cocked in the direction they were heading and then made a ¡®wait here¡¯ motion before moving ahead.

    Emily waited one whole minute before her patience came to an end. Creeping forward she crested the hill, making sure the nearby shrubs were hiding her. She could hear the sound of distant howling wind, rushing through cracks.

    What slowly came into view was a massive cliff, as though the earth had cracked open and separated into one large gorge, spanning about 50 meters wide. The side they were on was lower, the opposite end creating a wall of sorts. Blessedly, it looked like someone had built an overpass, and not just a simple wood and rope deal.

    This thing was made from grey stone, not unlike the surrounding rock. It needed to be because even from here Emily could feel a strong wind issuing forth from the gorge, buffeting the nearby trees and vegetation. Snow could not settle near the edges as it was blown back into the skies, only to land as neat mounds nearby.

    Though it was hard to make out from here, a dozen forms could be seen on the overpass. Squinting, Emily could just make out touches of red on their still forms. Whatever they were, they weren''t human, their gray skin made that obvious.

    She wanted to get a closer look but the bush beside her moved, Emily splayed her palm in the direction but then she spotted Alex.

    He had his finger to his lips and pointed back the way they¡¯d come. Nodding Emily followed him to a quieter location.

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    ¡°I told you to stay put.¡±

    Emily had no response to that so she just shrugged.

    ¡°I waited, but you took too long. What were those things on there?¡±

    Alex pressed his lips together and looked back in the direction of the gorge even though it wasn¡¯t visible from here.

    ¡°They¡¯re cragwings, and they¡¯re dead. I couldn¡¯t get close enough but in all likelihood, our ¡®friends¡¯ likely came through here and put them down. The problem is I¡¯m not seeing the cragmother.¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°Okay, maybe it fell off the side?¡±

    Alex wore a thoughtful expression.

    ¡°They''re adept flyers, unless someone killed it instantly it could recover from a fall.¡±

    Emily got where he was going with this.

    ¡°So, either it''s still there, or we go around right?¡±

    Alex didn¡¯t say anything but the look he gave confirmed it.

    ¡°How long will going around cost us?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Two days, at minimum.¡±

    Emily thought it over and shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy with either outcome, if it''s here then we kill it and move on. I''m also not against a two-day detour.¡±

    Frowning Alex¡¯s hand went to the pommel of his weapon as he began to fiddle with it.

    ¡°You don''t want to fight this thing.¡±

    Emily couldn¡¯t help the dazzling smile that played on her lips and he paused.

    ¡°...You shouldn¡¯t want to fight this thing.¡± he reaffirmed.

    Which she just ignored. She wasn¡¯t lying when she said she didn¡¯t care which option they went with. Getting another kill could help her rank up and recover some of her former strength. Alex was the one under some self-enforced time limit. Two extra days meant there were bound to be more of those scruffy gremlin elves on the way.

    Alex continued to play with the dagger, drawing it a couple of centimeters and then letting it fall back into the sheath.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go with the bridge, if it''s here then we make a break for it. Turning back on what-ifs is a waste of time.¡±

    Emily nodded sagely.

    ¡°Alright then, what¡¯s the plan?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Honestly? Run across. Cragmothers birth their swarms in their territory but they¡¯re only a little larger than the rest. If it arrives, and we can get across safely, it shouldn¡¯t follow.¡±

    Emily peeked through a gap in the trees and looked at the bridge for a second time. Nothing had moved or changed so she looked back at Alex.

    ¡°Simple, I like it. This gonna be fun.¡±

    Alex had a serious expression, but Emily didn¡¯t miss the way his lips twitched upward.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we get as close as we can before making a break for it, be warned it¡¯s fast and uses its tail for attack.¡±

    They got into position and began to creep towards the bridge. Just before they did though, Alex stowed his daggers and found himself a hefty-looking branch.

    They broke from the treeline and moved into the shadow of the nearby snow mounds. Edging closer toward the overpass itself, Emily noticed near the opening of the bridge the snow had been pushed aside to make a gap.

    Footprints had compacted the mounds of snow into a thick layer of ice, though by the looks of things it was mostly large animal prints here instead of human boots.

    Getting a good grip, Emily looked over to Alex and they both counted it down. The moment she hit one Emily took off sprinting. The opening end of the bridge was simple and she could see a small guard rail had been added to the sides. Rushing onto the bridge, they pushed through the howling wind as it buffeted them. Emily glanced down into the gorge, expecting to see bubbling magma. Instead, at the bottom of what seemed to be a drop of hundreds of meters, she saw glittering ice. It churned like a stream as an underground river snaked below, with countless chunks of ice breaching the surface like pieces of a mosaic mirror.

    The sounds of cracking ice echoed up and bounced along the gorge¡¯s walls, as though calling to her. Tearing her eyes away, Emily refocused on running, they were almost halfway up the incline when the first few corpses appeared.

    Now that she could get a better sense of these things Emily noticed their grey bodies resembled that of a bat with a long stingray-like tail, barbed and everything. They were about as large as a labrador, with a wingspan of twice that. Its mouth was filled with small sharp teeth, one bite could easily take off a hand. Small rocky protrusions covered their skin, but she also noticed most of them had been bludgeoned to death. The few that had blade marks on them, though they did not go deep. Emily then realized why Alex had picked up the branch, daggers wouldn¡¯t work against this thing.

    Glancing over she saw he was focused ahead, they were over halfway now and though she tried to listen out for an enemy approaching, she could hear nothing over the sound of howling wind and ice.

    Putting on another bust of speed Emily reached the three-quarter mark, risking a glance over her shoulder. From here she could see they¡¯d climbed a decent way up, but still no big monster.

    By now Emilt could see the other side of the bridge and spotted more cragwing corpses lying just where the overpass met the land. She didn¡¯t slow down though, and neither did Alex, not with the finish line in sight.

    Emily''s foot had just touched down on the other side of the overpass when something flush with the gorge wall separated and dove into the air. At that point it was behind her and Emily turned to face it, noticing Alex had already turned and began swinging.

    The thing had been camouflaged incredibly well against the wall like a stingray, the only reason Emily even knew it was there was because it moved.

    Alex¡¯s swing was timed perfectly, connecting with the creature''s center mass.

    This was beyond reaction times, he would have had to spot the creature long before Emily had, wind up, and swing before he even knew where it was coming from. Because this thing was fast, incredibly so.

    When the branch connected at full force it cracked into one of the creature''s wings, sending it spiraling over their heads and crashing to the ground.

    It thrashed for a moment and then righted itself, one of its wings now twisted at an odd angle.

    Its size was two to three times that of the ones on the bridge and Emily wanted to smack Alex. This thing was the size of a bear, and it was pissed.

    Emily saw it rear up and dove to the side, landing in a pile of snow as its jaws snapped shut on the empty air behind her.

    Lifting her hand, Emily called a blood bolt from her chest and shot it at the creature''s eyes. Unfortunately, it turned so quickly that the bolt hit it in the jaw. The force of the hit ripped through the outer flesh but didn¡¯t go much deeper than that. It did however stun the thing.

    Alex saw this opening and ducked under its wide sweep to deliver another blow with the branch, cracking into the cragmother''s other wing. At the same time, the branch gave out, having delivered two devastating hits, it broke down the middle, sending a hail of woodchips and splinters everywhere.

    The creature screeched and thrashed in pain and before Alex could jump back, its barbed tail swiped out and sunk into Alex¡¯s left thigh.

    Puncturing straight through his leg and ripping him off his feet.

 Chapter 12 - Thrashing limbs

    Emily watched from the floor as Alex was lifted into the air on probably one of the worst amusement park rides of his life.

    One of Alex''s blades clanged to the ground, slipping from his grip and spinning off into the snow.

    The creature was screaming in victory and Emily realized it was beginning to swing Alex toward the gorge. If it cast him off the edge there was zero chance the guy would survive.

    Standing she called up another bolt of blood and sent it towards the creature''s eyes once more. This time the bolt hit its target evoking a high-pitched roar from the creature and buying Alex time.

    With what could only be described as superhuman determination, Alex drew another dagger and brought it directly down on the thinnest part of the cragmother¡¯s tail. The blade struggled for a moment but did manage to go through the thin strip of flesh.

    Still being whipped about in the air though, Alex hurtled backward into a tree, a loud crunch of bark and bone resounding through the area.

    Emily lowered her stance as the creature rounded on her, it''s one eye destroyed, but the other was all too happy to focus on her. Emily couldn¡¯t help cursing now that she had what she wanted.

    Strangely enough, she could now see that the beast had a deep cut running diagonally across its whole body as though someone had tried to cut the thing in half but had been unable to. Neither she nor Alex had yet to use a blade, so the thing must have been injured in its earlier fight, she could work with that.

    When looking around for a branch of her own Emily spotted one of the long-dead cragwings nearby. It was a gamble but she didn''t have much choice at this stage, her dagger was probably ineffective, so she did the only thing she could, she made a mad dash for the corpse.

    Seeing this, the cragmother released a hiss and charged toward her.

    Emily was not far from the body, three to four steps at most, but the speed of the creature could not be understated. It was so fast that it closed a couple of meters in the same amount of time it took her to take two steps.

    Seeing the fanged maw coming, Emily aborted the dive and changed direction at the last second.

    In this case, the creature''s speed and damaged wings worked against it, overshooting her by a good margin. This meant however that it now obstructed the corpse she had been going for, casting her eyes about Emily looked for another and spotted the next nearest one was right near the cliff face.

    Emily grunted, having no time to even think, and dove at the body.

    She moved the vitality in her chest to her outstretched hand. Blood pooled at her pores and coated her palm. The dead creature in front of her had the barest of nicks on its neck and Emily plunged her hand into the wound, sending her blood in. The gamble here was two-fold, one that the creature''s blood could have long since clotted at this stage and two, if it hadn¡¯t, was there enough to be of help.

    The cragmother shook itself off and renewed its charge at Emily as though insulted she would touch its dead broodling, but it was too late.

    These creatures were born of the cold, and while coagulation had set in around the extremities, the core of the creature remained usable.

    The sound of a body bursting, bones breaking, and organs drained of all their blood took some getting used to, but when the creature arrived with blinding speed, it ran chest first into a spear of blood.

    Emily had tried to ground it in the rock but the cragmother¡¯s mass and momentum were too much. Unable to stop it or dodge it, both Emily and the creature were sent hurtling toward the cliff edge.

    The creature fell atop Emily, grinding her back against the stone, yet at the same time it was this very position that protected her.

    Unable to twist its neck to reach down and rip Emily''s head from her shoulders, the thing tried to get up but seemed unable to get strength into its limbs. Probably on account of the baseball-sized hole through its chest.

    This movement caused the top half of Emily¡¯s back to slide off the edge, the feeling of nothing below her except open space sent a tingling sensation to the soles of her feet. Her only saving grace was that the creature on top of her pinned her to the ground.

    Placing her hand on its leathery stomach, Emily fired a bolt point-blank into the creature.

    Its wail was strained but there was only time to react, craning her neck she bit into the open wound. By now the creature was quietening, but Emily could not waste a good thing. She began to drain the creature.

    As a general rule, larger creatures always had more vitality to give than smaller ones, the downside was they took longer to die.

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    When Emily began to drain something, it could feel it, knew it was dying, and the cragmother was no different. It seemed to get one last desperate bout of strength.

    It thrashed forward, trying to dive off the cliff; Emily clung onto her kill with the stubbornness of a bulldog.

    Emily¡¯s lower back continued, ground against the sharp cliff edge as she slid further down, their center mass reaching the point of not returning, they were falling.

    Then all at once, they halted.

    The creature continued to desperately crawl forward but even as they teetered on the brink they could get no further.

    A new scream joined with the cragmother¡¯s woes.

    Emily couldn¡¯t see much from here, but she could make out Alex¡¯s leg braced in the snow, poking out from behind the cragmother.

    He was pulling them back from the edge or at least preventing the creature from taking her over it, with that injury it could not be pleasant.

    Emily refocused and continued to drain everything the winged creature had, it could not have been more than a minute later that one final shudder came from the thing. It''s heart trying for another beat and then going still.

    The weight on Emily had significantly lessened, but with free hands now she braced herself against the stone.

    Spitting the blood she shouted.

    ¡°Alex! Let go of it!¡±

    A grunt, and the weight teetered off her falling into the gorge. Emily tried to backpedal as she felt herself falling too, when a hand grabbed her ankle.

    Looking up she saw Alex lying there, panting as sweat dripped down his face. Emily froze, aware his grip could give out at any moment. Climbing up a sheer cliff is hard, climbing up a sheer cliff face backward was impossible.

    Emily was about to reach for her power again when she heard one more grunt and yell from Alex and she was ripped upwards, landing on solid ground beside him.

    Clutching her lower back Emily blinked, still panting from the exertion and euphoria of battle.

    Glancing over she wanted to thank Alex but when she saw him she froze.

    The man was terrifyingly pale and blood was flowing from the barb still lodged in his leg. The ground nearby was coated in the stuff and he was shaking profusely.

    Emily sat up, her back and lung protesting, and crawled over to the guy. Flicked her fingers in front of his unfocused eyes.

    ¡°Hey! Look at me! Focus!¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d expected. Alex had been stabbed in the leg and yet he somehow managed to make his way to them and stop them going over the edge, no doubt causing himself immense pain all the while.

    This was a life-threatening wound and she doubted there were any hospitals around. Her healing worked incredibly well for her own body but she had nowhere near the vitality needed to close another''s wound.

    ¡°Fuck, okay. The old-fashioned way it is,¡± she said more to herself than him.

    The barb had lodged itself about midway through his thigh and was poking out about two centimeters on either side.

    The first thing she needed to do was stop the bleeding, and while she was usually trying to do the opposite, that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t stem the flow.

    Moving a small amount of power to her hands Emily pressed them on either side of his leg.

    Alex grunted in pain and his eyes refocused on Emily.

    ¡°Okay, good job Alex. Now listen to me, don¡¯t fight me, no matter how uncomfortable it feels, I''m trying to help.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t wait for his answer, she just began manipulating his blood.

    One of the most important limitations of her gift was the fact that she could not manipulate blood while it was still inside another living body. The moment it was out in the open though it was free game.

    Emily had done a lot of testing in her earlier years

    Asking questions like, at the point did her power become effective? After many tries she¡¯d narrowed it down to the threshold of a wound.

    The blood near the entrance and exit wounds suddenly slowed to a halt, as it got to the opening and found itself unable to advance.

    The outside blood held in place by Emily¡¯s gift acted as the perfect blockage.

    But she didn¡¯t stop there, the pool of Alex''s lifeblood lay scattered on the floor beneath them, but this too began to lift off the stone at Emily¡¯s call.

    His blood was covering the area but all of it began to separate from the stone and float through the air toward them, only for it the lazily coil back toward his wound.

    Ever so slowly she began to force the blood back into the wound, normally she would avoid doing this to allies as it caused intense discomfort but she had to do this for the next part.

    Alex began thrashing about, feebly trying to pull at her hand but she brushed him away.

    ¡°Enough, it''s almost done.¡±

    Having gathered all the blood she could Emily slung her bundle off her back with one hand and pulled out the blanket.

    Alex was more lucid now and he stared at the wound in confusion. Handing him a knife and the blanket she said.

    ¡°Make strips I can¡¯t take both hands away from the wound.¡±

    It took him a second to register what she was asking but soon enough he accepted it and began cutting the piece of cloth into thick strips.

    When he was just about done but still distracted, Emily placed her thumb on the base of the barb where it entered the thigh.

    Without giving him any warning she pushed barbe through his leg, plunging her thumb through the wound, grabbing onto the rest of the barb, and pulling it through.

    Alex grunted and thrashed in agony while Emily tried to keep hold of him. He eventually calmed down but his breathing was irregular.

    Taking the discarded strips of cloth she began to bind the wound tightly, all the while holding the blood at bay.

    When the makeshift bandage was finally in place, she released her hold on the blood, panting from exertion.

    That simple manipulation had used a large amount of power and required delicate control, if she¡¯d still been new to her gift she would never have been able to pull that off. But she¡¯d managed and she had still netted a decent amount of life force from the beast.

    ¡°Okay Alex listen to me, we¡¯re going to find a safe place, I need to cauterize this, the technique I used earlier may increase your chances of an infection but it was that or bleeding out.¡±

    Alex nodded weakly as he struggled to remain focused.

    ¡°The waypoint is¡­ around six hours from here. If we can get there¡­ we may be able to buy a tonic from someone there. We just need to follow this road.¡±

    Emily followed his gaze and noticed that the same red brick road continued from this side of the overpass. Winding its way through the trees and disappearing into the distance. Glancing up at the sky, the sun was still hanging overhead.

    They had to make it there before nightfall or things would get a hell of a lot more complicated. Grunting Emily grabbed Alex by the arm and pulled him up off the floor, setting them in the direction of the road.

 Chapter 13 - Stormy haven

    Emily lowered Alex to the ground next to the tiny fire she¡¯d built, they had not traveled far before she¡¯d noticed their makeshift bandages were already seeping blood.

    So, stopping off on the side of the road, she built a fire and stole two of Alex¡¯s knives. Pulling them out of the burning coals now she inspected the wounds. They were jagged and nasty but bleeding considerably less now.

    ¡°Do it already, do you like keeping me in suspense.¡±

    Glancing up at Alex, Emily wanted to roll her eyes but refrained. The guy was still grunting through the pain, refusing to let it show. He had not uttered a single complaint, all that remained was a grim determination.

    The sound of flesh sizzling shut could be heard as she pressed the blades to either side of his wounds.

    He gasped but did very little otherwise.

    Nodding Emily held it until she was sure the flesh had fused properly and then removed it.

    Alex had not stopped sweating since the fight so Emily handed him the waterskin.

    ¡°Listen we still have quite a ways to go, so a five-minute break and we are moving.¡±

    Alex swallowed and nodded but didn¡¯t say a word.

    Emily was at her limits as to what to do though, she knew the basics on how to patch a body up, but that was usually only till she could get the injury to someone more skilled in the art of medicine.

    Rummaging through her pack Emily tried to find something more to wrap the wound with. While she was looking her hand bumped against the little glass vial of clear liquid she had picked up from the illusionist.

    Pulling it out she held it up to the light.

    It was as clear as mountain spring water and yet the consistency was slightly more. She sloshed it about in the vial, coating the glass walls in the clear syrupy concoction.

    ¡°Mages spinal fluid, it won¡¯t help,¡± Alex muttered.

    Glancing down she saw that Alex had been observing her and must have seen her inspecting the vial.

    ¡°Oh? Why did he have it? What would anyone need spinal fluid for?¡±

    Genuine curiosity entered her voice. In her world, there were countless uses for spinal fluid, both legal and illegal, but what someone would want with the stuff, especially just corked in a little vial, was beyond Emily.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bridge stimulant, probably as a last resort, luckily he didn¡¯t get a chance to use it.¡±

    Emily cocked her head, which just left her with more questions but by the sudden effort on Alex¡¯s face, he was trying to get up.

    Seeing this she put the vial away and moved to help him stand.

    ¡°We need to keep moving, I have at most a couple of hours before I¡¯m unable to move, so let''s make use of it.¡±

    Emily wanted to say he didn¡¯t look like he could go another couple of minutes, let alone hours but didn¡¯t say anything.

    They left the small area on the side of the road, only taking time to kick out the fire and keep moving.

    Trudging through the undergrowth, and on a neatly carved path were worlds different. Emily couldn¡¯t believe how nonchalantly she had abandoned the road before. She almost wanted to give it a couple of pats in thanks for making the journey so much easier.

    However, even with this advantage, Alex began to flag after the first hour of travel. Throwing his arm over her shoulder allowed them to get through the next hour unscathed, but as time was going on. Emily was having to shoulder more and more of Alex''s weight.

    They had found him a stick to prevent putting too much pressure on the leg and the fact he was managing to keep going with what amounted to a new hole in his leg was impressive, but it looked like the human body still had limitations in this world.

    Just under the halfway mark, Alex¡¯s head began to bob and he required more and more of Emily¡¯s help to remain on the path.

    If she was in this situation with anyone else, she would have abandoned them in a heartbeat, but seeing as though he had saved her life, and she had no other real option Emily stayed put. Keeping him on track as they got to the three-hour mark, though she would be lying if she said the thought hadn¡¯t crossed her mind a couple of times.

    They had gotten about halfway but as the fourth hour approached Emily found their progress slowing to a crawl. She was now having to just about carry the guy, as he was barely able to remain standing, and to make matters worse they had about two hours of sunlight left.

    Repositioning Alex behind her she picked the guy up piggyback style. She couldn¡¯t afford to tap into her power seeing as they would need it if something big came knocking.

    So she dragged the man along the path, taking breathers when she needed them and trying to progress at a steady pace.

    The daylight hours slipped by as the evening approached, this was going to be her third night in this world, and every time she had been in desperate straights, she was starting to see a pattern.

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    Surveying the area, Emily tried to find a spot where they could hunker down and rest. It being a forest there was plenty of open space but not a single one that looked even remotely safe from the elements.

    If the cold didn¡¯t get them then whatever nocturnal creatures were out here would.

    By now Alex was completely out of it and Emily was exhausted, the chill sapping what little strength she did have.

    Emily had taken out the broach and was moving it between her hands in the hopes of preventing frostbite.

    Alex¡¯s skin was burning up as the beginnings of a fever took hold.

    Snow had begun to fall with the arrival of the night, joined by the sounds of nightlife awakening. Birds crowed from treetops and things scurried through the undergrowth.

    All the while Emily continued forward, keeping an eye on either side of the road for dangers.

    Every breath came out in plumbs that rose into the sky, Alex''s weight was just becoming too much when a pinprick of light woke Emily from her mindless march.

    Blinking away the sleepyness she spotted what looked like a shack in the distance. It was buttressed up against the path and the only thing Emily could think of was the way point they had almost made it.

    With renewed energy, Emily focused on getting them to the small structure. The closer they got the more she realized that she had been thinking too much of the waypoint. Alex had made it sound like a place where people gathered en mass but by the looks of it, the hut in front of them could at most house ten people if she was being generous. It was probably vacant most of the time and would at most keep the cold out.

    However, with the light leaking out of the window, it could only mean there were other humans nearby.

    That danger would normally have Emily thinking twice but she didn¡¯t have the luxury at the moment, so she continued at her current pace.

    As the hut came into view she got more detail, it was a square double-story structure but the interesting thing about it was that the whole first level looked to be made of stone. The second level was wood and that was where the light was coming from. The glow within flickered on the ceiling as shadows moved about inside the room.

    The building reminded Emily of a house built on stone stilts.

    Either way, she needed to get them inside and the road led up to a wooden door sitting flush with the stone of the first level.

    Arriving in front of it she banged on the door and tried wiggling the handle.

    The door was made of dense wood and did not give when she applied force, it was barred from the other side.

    Grunting she pressed her ear against the door and listened. At first, she couldn¡¯t hear anything but then the sound of something dropping against the floor and a gasp followed.

    ¡°Oi, I have injured out here. Let me in!¡±

    Emily''s voice stretched out too loudly into the night, and while she waited, no response came.

    The journey here had been exhausting and Emily had officially lost her patience.

    ¡°Hey, fuckers! I said I have an injured person! Now you can either let me in or I break this door down, you have ten seconds to decide.¡±

    Emily began counting down loudly from ten, keeping an eye on the dark woods behind her that had begun to shift. Movement in the shadows caused Emily''s eyes to dart around, pulling her gift to her palms.

    ¡°5¡­6¡­¡±

    There was a sound of a frozen bush nearby snapping as something pushed its way through.

    ¡°7¡­screw it!¡±

    Emily placed her hand against the lock and was about to blow it when the door swung open behind her.

    A woman''s voice called out to her.

    ¡°Inside quickly, the wards only work if the door is closed!¡±

    Emily piled with Alex in tow, almost tripping as she immediately hit a staircase. Pulling them up, she had just enough time to slam the door shut with her heel before something impacted against it.

    An older woman dressed in traveler''s clothes pushed past them and turned a mechanism on the door, locking it.

    From this side, Emily could see tiny symbols glowing to life on the door and fading again.

    The space was cramped, with only enough room for the staircase.

    Once the door was locked the woman turned to look at her.

    ¡°Apologies, but we had to be careful who we let in. My name¡¯s Kathryn, now your friend looks to be in a bad state follow me to the fire.¡±

    Emily nodded, the climb was not long but there was a wooden trap door shut over the opening to the next floor.

    Kathryn hissed.

    ¡°Gotan, open the door, they are safe, it''s just a slip of a girl and her friend. He unconscious.¡±

    A moment later a nasely voice came through the wood.

    ¡°Look, Ms. Kathryn, I told you not to go down there. I can¡¯t let you up here, who knows what they¡¯ll do.¡±

    A look of terror appeared on Kathryn''s face.

    ¡°Mr. Gotan this isn¡¯t funny, Shelly baby, are you alright?¡±

    A child''s voice pierced the wood.

    ¡°Mommy? Let mommy in mister, please.¡±

    There were hushed tones on the other side of the door, and Kathryn looked more desperate by the second.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Kathryn, but you will all just need to stay down there tonight, it''s safe at least, nothings going to happen to your girl.¡±

    Emily was done waiting and shifted past Kathryn.

    ¡°Are there wards on this door too?¡± she asked.

    At first, Kathryn didn¡¯t seem to know what Emily meant but then looked up at the wood and shook her head.

    Placing her hand against where she thought the latch for the trapdoor would be and called the vitality she¡¯d gathered earlier.

    By now Emily had about eleven blood bolts in the bank, spending one to ensure Alex spent the night by the fire was a no-brainer.

    The bolt exploded flush against the lock causing a loud bang as the trapdoor slammed open, clacking against the floorboards. The sudden detonation caused a high-pitched scream to fill the air as Emily walked the remaining ways up the stairs.

    Inside she saw two individuals, one was the little girl who Emily assumed was Kathryn¡¯s daughter by the similarities and the other was a middle-aged man.

    Gotan was a slightly overweight man with a terrified expression on his face and a receding hairline.

    The room was simple with a single table off to one corner and a large metal stove that currently had a fire flickering inside it.

    Emily walked in, keeping an eye on the group in case they attacked, though there were no apparent weapons that she could see. Placing Alex next to the stove which was radiating heat.

    Kathryn rushed in from behind them and pulled the crying girl into her arms.

    Emily stepped away from Alex and began to walk towards the man, who saw her approaching and backed into the corner with hands outstretched.

    ¡°Now hang on, great Mage, I meant no disrespect. It was simply survival-¡±

    When Emily got in range she didn¡¯t let him finish and back-handed him across the face. His wail joined with the little girl''s sobs and he tried to shrink away. Emily was exhausted and quite frankly done playing nice for the day. Reaching down she grabbed the man by the neck, slamming him against the wall.

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit what your intentions were, you got in my way.¡±

    Using her other hand she began to push the man''s head aside, exposing his throat to her.

    ¡°Please wait! I''m begging you, don¡¯t kill him!¡±

    Emily froze and turned to look at Kathryn. The shaking woman clutched her crying child to her chest. Emily found herself at least partly amused.

    ¡°Even after what he just did to you?¡±

    The woman swallowed but still nodded. Emily''s eyes flickered down to the little girl whose face was pressed into Kathryn¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°You¡¯re vouching for him?¡± she asked Kathryn.

    ¡°Yes, please don¡¯t hurt him or anyone while you are here.¡±

    Emily mulled it over and decided she could let this go.

    ¡°Alright, seeing as I owe you one, sure. But now we¡¯re even¡±

    She let the man go and backed away as he slid down the wall clutching at his neck.

    ¡°Now, onto more pleasant topics, do either of you have a tonic on you?¡±

 Chapter 14 - Lawlessness in action

    As it turned out the evening snow was just a sign of what was to come, as the night progressed the storm outside grew to a full-blown blizzard.

    The atmosphere inside the hut was solum, to say the least.

    Gotan was alternating between shooting glares at Emily and shrinking from her whenever she got up to stretch her legs.

    While Kathryn and her daughter remained in the opposite corner of the room.

    Emily had posted up beside Alex and using their packs had made a makeshift bed for the guy. Who was not looking good, the fever was progressing and his breathing was shallow. Emily wasn¡¯t sure, but luckily there was no stink of rot coming from his wound¡­ yet.

    The biggest downside was that neither Kathryn nor Gotan had one of these supposed life-saving tonics even when Emily had ¡®insisted¡¯ they check.

    Gotan was supposedly a Merchant so if he¡¯d had one he ¡®might¡¯ have been willing to sell it to her but he didn¡¯t have any on hand.

    With morning fast approaching Emily wanted to get some shut-eye, but near the early light, Alex began moaning in his sleep.

    Pulling herself forward Emily fed him from the waterskin and looked at the blood-soaked material.

    Grunting Emily looked through their packs but found nothing she could use as bandages.

    Looking up she noticed Kathryn glancing her way.

    The woman then got up, careful not to wake the sleeping child next to her, and made her way to Emily while holding a pouch.

    ¡°You want to change his bandages?¡±

    Emily simply nodded as the woman took a neat bundle of cloth out of her pouch.

    ¡°Use this, but we need to boil some water first.¡±

    Emily looked down at the rough cloth and frowned.

    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±

    The woman paused as though she didn¡¯t expect the question.

    ¡°Because you look like you need help¡­ It could not have been easy to get him here, but you clearly care greatly for this young man.¡±

    Emily cocked head.

    ¡°Bearly know him.¡±

    This caused Kathryn to pause again, this time in shock.

    ¡°Well, there goes my ¡®husband¡¯ theory¡­ Look, if you want a reason, take it as an old woman helping where she can. And if you can¡¯t accept that, know that I¡¯m a Tailor, and that cloth is just my scraps, pay me two rounds if you¡¯re feeling guilty.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t say anything but reached into her cloak and took out the coin purse she¡¯d ¡®acquired¡¯ from the illusionist.

    Opening it she found several coins in it. The strange thing was they all looked to be made of the same type of blue metal, though with varying hues. None of which looked like the coin she''d seen the illusionist pass over to the leader.

    She had several roundish ones, four oval ones with sharp points, two triangle coins, and a single square coin.

    Emily noticed Kathryn¡¯s eyes go wide when she saw the purse.

    ¡°Be careful putting that wealth on display girl, it doesn¡¯t matter here, but a lot of people would kill for the amount you''re holding.¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°Let them try and take what¡¯s mine, I¡¯ll make sure it''s the last coin they ever see. But that does raise another question. I¡¯m new to the region, what''s the value of these coins.¡±

    Kathryn glanced behind her at Gotan, they had been talking in hushed tones but in a single room without any walls, it was hard to hide things.

    Emily glanced over and saw the man staring at them curiously.

    ¡°Well he would be better suited to explaining this but I¡¯ll try my best.¡±

    Kathryn moved a small pot and set it on the log stove along with water. Emily cut the bandages as Kathryn went through the coin weights.

    It was a simple system ten rounds made a single oval coin, and ten triangles made a Square. Supposedly there was another pentagonal coin above squares, but that was not used very often.

    In fact, rounds were mostly used in day-to-day transactions. They were called rounds but none of them were the same shape really, every coin was irregular. Most closely resemble twisted pieces of metal in a roundish shape.

    Though their weights were all the same, they were just flattened and sent out.

    The ovals were distinct in that they were shaped roughly, every coin after that grew in perfection and line sharpness.

    They were just finishing up and Emily was tying the last knot on Alex¡¯s bandage when Gotan spoke up for the first time since last night.

    ¡°You must be from a distant place if they use something other than the five-coin system.¡±

    Emily felt no need to answer him but she did have another question.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Yes, I see there¡¯s no imprint on the coins how isn¡¯t there rampant counterfeiting?¡±

    Gotan looked frustrated but answered her.

    ¡°On a local level, it might happen but, a coin''s purity is obvious to any titled Merchant by sight alone. They wouldn¡¯t accept coinage that was below the standard percentage for each coin.¡±

    He looked proud when he said this and Emily¡¯s brows rose, could they tell purity just by looking at the coin?

    Titles were starting to look more and more appealing as time went on.

    ¡°And I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s not gold mixed in there so what''s the coin weighted on?¡±

    Now both Gotan and Kathryn looked confused.

    ¡°Why in the world would one use gold, it''s almost useless, with exceptions to a few Enchanters that need the stuff. No, coins are valued by the amount of cobalt in them.¡±

    Emily blinked, and looked down at the coin in her palm, handing two rounds over to Kathryn.

    ¡°Why cobalt?¡±

    Gotan frowned and crossed his arms.

    ¡°Natural demand, of course, its desired by many different titles.¡±

    Shrugging Emily turned back to Alex, he looked more comfortable now but not out of the woods yet.

    Emily snickered at the play on words, all she¡¯d done since getting to this world was try to get out of the woods, and now because of this blizzard, she couldn¡¯t even do that. Waiting became all they could do as the storm ate through the morning hours. When the little girl woke up, she was much more chatty than the previous night. She whispered to her mother when she thought Emily was not looking. Emily had learned her name was Shelly yesterday, and although Shelly never worked up the courage to come over, Emily could see that she was a little bundle of curiosity, barely seven years of age.

    The winds outside howled against their little structure yet its foundations were firm. The sunlight outside turned the falling snow into a blanket of white. Reducing visibility to almost nothing. The one thing Emily noted when she looked out the window, was that the road somehow remained a beacon in the storm. The flakes of ice seemed incapable of resting on its surface, as if unable to find purchase. It was during this time that Emily spotted something making its way down the road.

    It was around noon, and the storm had barely let up but still, the object forged on ahead until it became more clear.

    Some kind of wooly ox with bundles tied to its body lumbered towards the hut. A couple of forms clung to its sides gilding it.

    Emily let the others know.

    Gotan panicked, while Kathryn bit her lip moving towards the staircase. Emily wasn¡¯t going to stop her from opening the door. These people might have a tonic and Alex needed one desperately.

    It wasn¡¯t long before a heavy knock came to the door.

    Kathryn got to the bottom as Emily stood at the top watching the door. The mechanism released the door and opened out into the storm, a burst of chilly air snaked into the building.

    At first, Emily couldn¡¯t make out anything below but then two forms came through the threshold. Two men to be exact. One of them looked to be around 6¡¯5 and packed with muscle while the other was of average height and build.

    The moment Emily saw their eyes she knew they were trouble. Both men glanced up at her with a glassy feral intent.

    Kathryn said something to them but Emily wasn¡¯t paying attention.

    The larger man shut the door behind them and turned the mechanism, barring the door.

    Warning bells went off in Emily''s head when she heard one of the men responding to Kathryn.

    ¡°Wait, how many did you say were here?¡±

    Kathryn hesitated then, seemingly realizing something was not right.

    ¡°...Well I- Wait!¡±

    Emily saw the man draw a blade and press it against her throat positioning himself behind her.

    Emily stepped backward out of sight just as he glanced up towards them again.

    ¡°Whew, it''s chilly out there! Now we¡¯re coming up the stairs and don¡¯t even think about closing that hatch. I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone, but I will do so.¡±

    Getting some distance Emily heard shuffling below and as they began their ascent.

    Stepping around to the back of the opening Emily called Gotan with a hand. She needed the man to stand in the front because all it would take was for one of them to turn their head at the wrong time for them to see her.

    Gotan shook his head violently at her call, but Emily leveled a hand toward him. If he wasn¡¯t going to be useful, she didn¡¯t need the coward distracting her.

    The man seemed to understand and even though he was shaking violently he took a step towards the front of the opening.

    Shelly, took a step towards the entrance and Emily glared at her to back away.

    ¡°Mommy?¡±

    Their footsteps continued up and Emily lowered herself to the ground, Gotan had armed himself with the pot they¡¯d used to boil water.

    The footsteps reached the top of the stairs and two heads poked up through the flood. Kathryn was in front of the man holding the knife to her neck.

    ¡°Afternoon sir, where¡¯d that pretty girl go? I''m afraid yo-¡±

    The man never finished his sentence as Emily shot a hand out and pressed it up against his left ear. Firing a bolt straight through his skull, the detonation of bone and blood rocked the room and she heard a yell from the man below.

    Kathryn¡¯s scream was cut short followed but the sound of gurgling.

    The large man came rushing into the room barely shaken by his friend''s death. Worryingly he locked eyes with Emily almost immediately and his already large mass bulged. Muscles strained and grew as he hopped onto their level and charged with the speed of a bull.

    Seeing this Emily fired a bolt at his skull, however instead of trying to dodge he lifted his arms and took the attack against his crossed forearms.

    These bolts had the same vitality packed into them as a fully grown adult, and could easily destroy wood and even stone if Emily was so inclined. Bone should be of no consequence, but when the bolt hit, it tore his flesh but nothing more, only managed to stagger the man. Seeing this, Emily didn¡¯t hold back and fired a second bolt at the man¡¯s pelvis. A concussive sound rang out into the room causing the man to groan and kneel over in pain.

    As underhanded as it sounded, Emily was not a stranger to physically enhanced supers.

    If he got in close quarters the fight would be at a huge disadvantage, so she aimed at his pelvis again.

    This time though he managed to get his arms low, but Emily had been hoping for that and aimed straight for his skull.

    The bolt tore through his right eye, shredding the surrounding flesh and organ itself, however, somehow he remained alive.

    ¡°Fuck! Just die already!¡± Emily growled.

    The man screamed in response and grabbed the trap door, ripping it off its hinges and lobing it at Emily.

    The mass of wood sailed through the air at her but because he was blind in one eye, the throw went wide.

    Emily ducked under the corner and fired a third attack, unfortunately, he saw that coming and blocked it in the same fashion as the first.

    Cursing, Emily did the one thing she had been avoiding, she ran toward the mountain of a man.

    Seeing this, a sickening smile spread across his lips, as her hand dropped out of sight.

    When she got in range, she stuck her hand in his face and prepared to fire, only for him to grab her wrist with lightning-fast reflexes.

    The sounds of the bones in her wrist cracking could be heard throughout the room. Emily screamed in agony, but using that pain, she twisted her other arm around. An arm that now held her dagger in it, and pulnged it into the damaged eye socket.

    The man let go immediately and flailed backward before catching himself.

    Emily took a step back and saw he was still standing with a dagger poking out of his brain.

    ¡°Holy moly, not gonna lie, that''s awesome, fucking disgusting, but awesome.¡±

    The guy ripped the dagger from its home in his skull, discarding it. The clattering of the knife on the wooden floor sounded like a gunshot.

    If Emily were fighting a beast it would either have run by now or fallen into an uncontrollable rage. But the man¡¯s remaining eye still held a thread of rationality through all this. Reaching down to his belt the man pulled a vial off it and popped the wax seal with his thumb before swallowing it down.

    He was still searching for a way to come out on top, and the longer Emily dragged this out the worse it was going to get.

    This guy needed to die, and he needed to die, now.

 Chapter 15 - Blood sacrifice

    Emily had always wondered what people were thinking when they caved to demands set by hostage takers. Just because one gave in to their demands, it did not mean they would have to follow through. She¡¯d seen the tactic employed to great effect against heroes, hell she¡¯d even had to use it herself a few times.

    The outcome was always the same though, the bystander got hurt. There was only one way to avoid the outcome: to not care about the hostage in the first place.

    So, when the roided-out man grabbed Gotan by the back of the neck Emily remained calm. The merchant wailed trying to smash his pot into the skull of the invader but got a fist through his jaw for his troubles.

    When Gotan could not fight back he stared at Emily with a pleading look. The man spoke for the first time since entering the room. His wounds were visibly coagulating and she was pretty sure the one on his arms was beginning to scab over.

    ¡°Come here or I crush his neck¡±

    Short, and concise, Emily could appreciate it, but her answer came in the form of another bolt. The blood bullet flew straight at his other eye, but he saw it coming and moved his one free arm in the way to block.

    ¡°Woman you¡¯re testing my patience!¡±

    The man then threw Gotan with incredible force against the wall, and the sounds of bones breaking echoed throughout the room.

    Emily¡¯s eye twitched.

    The man then began to dash towards her again. Emily was out of weapons, and her energy was running low. To make matters worse Alex was here so she couldn¡¯t retreat. Glancing towards the stairs she saw Kathryn appear in the opening. A trail of blood ran down the stairs behind her, and still, she crawled forward towards her little girl.

    Shelly had pressed herself into a corner when the fighting started and Emily glanced over at her now.

    A big mistake as it turned out, because the man pivoted on his heels and spotted her, making another mad dash for a hostage.

    Emily cursed as Kathryn screamed.

    ¡°Baby, run!¡±

    The little girl screamed as he got his hands on her, lifting her into the air by the scruff of her clothes.

    Emily found herself taking a step forward to stand near the opening of the staircase.

    ¡°Okay, next one. Do you care about this one, woman? Or perhaps the one lying in the corner?¡±

    The man wore a toothy grin, the flesh near his damaged eye squirming as it healed over.

    Emily dropped to one knee clutching her broken arm.

    Seeing this, the man¡¯s mouth twisted up in satisfaction.

    ¡°Come to me, or I break this little bird''s neck.¡±

    As he said this he wrapped a meaty hand around her throat eliciting another cry of panic from Shelly.

    Emily tried to keep her breathing in check as she glanced at Kathryn and lowered her voice to almost nothing.

    ¡°I can save her but it may kill you, choose.¡±

    Kathryn had her hand pressed against her throat where the knife had cut her neck, but she glanced up at Emily with a determination that rivaled her own.

    ¡°Save¡­ her.¡±

    ¡°Then take your hand away, and bleed for me.¡±

    Kathryn stared with wide eyes, but she seemed to see Emily was serious. With a shaking hand, she removed the pressure holding her lifeblood in. The wound began seeping gore immediately, pouring out into the ground.

    Emily''s hand came down from her injured arm and rested in the pool of red expanding from Kathryn.

    ¡°What are you whispering about, get over here!¡±

    The man extended Shelly out in front of himself as Emily pushed the vitality in her chest into Kathryn''s blood. Causing it to lift off the floor and staircase, in a flash it collected into the shape of a scythe and cut upwards diagonally.

    The man noticed it coming and with incredible reflexes, he moved Shelly in the path of the attack.

    The blade continued forward and cut right through the little girl, only, as it met her skin the keen edge turned back to liquid, rushing around her form, and coalescing on the other side.

    The blade had reshaped itself by the time it got to the man¡¯s neck, cleaving his head from his shoulders. The body fell over with the girl still in its grasp.

    Emily began panting from using such a large amount of life force all at once.

    Crying filled the room as Shelly crawled away from the man''s corpse.

    Emily rushed to Kathryn and pressed her hand over the wound. The woman was still alive, but only just, blood loss was causing her consciousness to fade. When the human body runs out of blood, the heart continues to pump, but without oxygen and nutrients reaching the rest of the body, it quickly goes into shock and then cardiac arrest.

    Emily didn¡¯t have the strength left to repeat what she¡¯d done for Alex. She looked over to Gotan, the man was lying unconscious at the other end of the room.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    Grunting Emily looked over at the girl.

    ¡°Shelly come here, I need you to keep pressure on your mommy¡¯s wound. The harder you press the sooner she will wake up¡±

    As harrowing as this all must be for the child Emily had endured worse at her age and she¡¯d turned out pretty competent. The girl''s mother needed her right now.

    Shelly was already on her way tears pouring down her face. When she got there Emily didn¡¯t give her a chance, directing her tiny hands to the neck wound and reminding her not to move them.

    After that she moved to the dead man''s body and began searching it, ignoring anything that didn¡¯t look like the vial he¡¯d drunk. When she found nothing on him she rushed down the stairs to the second body. A quick search was all it took to find a similar vial on the corpse''s belt.

    Emily grabbed and rushed back up the stairs but froze when she caught sight of Alex out of the corner of her eye. He was sweating profusely as fever wracked his body.

    Emily paused as she glanced down at the only bottle left, her lips becoming a thin line.

    Kathryn¡¯s eyes moved from Shelly''s face to hold Emily¡¯s gaze. There was no regret in them just peace as her distant gaze tried to focus on her little girl.

    The fight was about to go out of Emily''s body when she looked back and spotted the corpse again. Her eyes fell past it to the door leading out of the hut, it was a long shot but there was just one more chance.

    Pocketing the vial and unbaring the way, Emily rushed out into the snow in search of the creature she had seen before. She spotted the ox-like beast nearby with snow already collecting around it in mounds.

    Its thick layers of fat and muscle made it perfect for this environment. Emily sprinted towards it, and upon getting there she pulled at the buckles on its packs and began scrounging through them.

    At first, she couldn¡¯t find anything resembling the green tonic but when she moved over to the other pack she found two additional vials.

    Grunting in excitement, Emily pulled herself from the snow and rushed back into the hut. When she got to the top of the stairs, she ripped the wax seal along with the stopper and poured a little onto Kathryn''s wound, the rest she emptied down her throat.

    Color returned to her face almost immediately, as the wound on her neck began to knit closed at the same time.

    It wasn¡¯t quite at the level of her self-healing but it was fast enough to guard Kathryn¡¯s life.

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at the empty vial.

    She checked the woman to make sure she didn¡¯t miss anything, but only time and rest would tell if she survived.

    Walking over to Alex she saw he¡¯d been unaffected by the fight. Though his wound still looked nasty. Removing his bandage she repeated the process of applying the tonic, and all that was left to do was wait for him to wake up. The comfort provided by the tonic was immediately noticeable on Alex¡¯s face. A sigh escaped Emily''s lips and her shoulders drooped

    Leaning back against the wall Emily dredged up what remained of her strength, using her gift to fuse the broken bone back together in her wrist.

    Exhaustion ate at the edges of Emily''s vision, she tried to push it away because she still had so much to do.

    Shelly was still a mess, and at some point, she needed to get rid of these bodies. The door was barred but who knew if others were going to show up. Emily''s mind churned as her eyes grew heavier. The quiet of the storm howling and gentle sobs were the last thing Emily heard as the world faded.

    The sinking feeling was back as the shadowy world embraced her. The rushing stars above almost seemed happy to see her, dancing through the sky at her arrival. Laying down on the lush grass Emily watched their celebration expectantly. They didn¡¯t keep her waiting because moments later the stars reshaped themselves into words.

    ¡®9 - First threshold released at rank 10¡¯

    Emily was surprised she¡¯d jump so much. She was about to complete what normally took a child ten years in three days. If she had to guess, the cragmother was a big reason her rank had jumped so much. One more rank and she¡¯d get her first title, even for someone born in another world, Emily found herself excited at the prospect. She let herself wonder about what she would get as she sank deeper into a slumber.

    The sound of screaming woke Emily up, bolting to her feet she brought her life force to her hands.

    It took a second to realize the screams were coming from Gotan. The light outside had shifted to late evening and the storm had let up considerably.

    Looking over Emily saw Gotan sitting up while holding his ankle and shoulder, his shouts had woken Shelly who¡¯d come over to try and help.

    At the same time, Alex shifted next to her and then opened his eyes for the first time in hours. They snapped open as though he hadn''t just been battling for his life a few hours ago.

    When he shifted into a sitting position, his hands fell to his weapon, none of which were present as she had removed them.

    Emily was about to say something when she remembered Kathryn. The woman was still lying in the same position Emily had left her but the wound on her neck looked worlds better. It was raw but at least it was no longer bleeding, and she felt a healthy pulse. Emily wasn''t sure how long the woman would take to recover but it had to be more than a couple of hours.

    Gotan had bound his wound with something from his bag, grunting all the while and sweating profusely. A broken leg would probably make travel a deal harder but Emily wasn¡¯t about to give the man her last life-saving tonic.

    On top of that, since waking, he kept giving Emily strange looks whenever he thought she wasn¡¯t looking.

    Eventually Shelly came over to Emily. The girl''s face was streaked with tears and her little dress was smeared with dried blood.

    ¡°Thank you miss for helping my Mommy.¡±

    Emily grimaced and looked at the girl a warm feeling spreading through her chest.

    ¡°I just did what I wanted, Shelly, but I¡¯m glad your mom survived.¡±

    Shelly leaned down to give Emily a hug which caused her to flinch, unable to relax until the little girl went back to sit with her mother.

    Emily turned back to Alex, to see what he thought of this all, but the guy was looking about the room with critical eyes as though working it all out in his head.

    Emily decided to let Alex work through this one on his own, when he was ready, he¡¯d talk. Heading to the corpses Emily moved to the lighter one first. Grabbing hold of the man''s legs she began dragging his corpse down the stairs and out into the cold. She dumped him in the snow with the same care one would manure. The only thing of interest he had on him was a blade, though this one was longer than a dagger but shorter than those large swords she¡¯d seen people using in movies.

    Tying it to her waist she was not discouraged to only find the weapon, that ox probably carried a majority of their supplies.

    Making her way back into the hut Emily put her hands on her hips. The gigantic body probably weighed twice that of the first and she was already short of breath. Using her abilities to move a corpse was out of the question.

    Right now, she could probably only muster up two shots before she drained herself. Then a presence appeared next to her, a glance told her it was Alex. He grabbed hold of the headless corpse''s legs and began to help without a word.

    Grabbing the arms Emily helped them get it down the steps. His first words were not what she expected.

    ¡°Did you use blood magic to kill these two?¡±

    Emily blinked, she didn¡¯t know an ounce of blood magic but she supposed her abilities looked god-dammed identical to it.

    Then it hit her as to why he was asking.

    Gotan¡¯s demeanor suddenly made a lot more sense now, had he seen something before he passed out? Emily¡¯s blood bolts were quick and mostly dispersed on impact, but her final manipulation had been obvious.

    There had always been stigma around her powers but she¡¯d gotten so used to it that it hadn¡¯t even crossed her mind.

    ¡°...Yes.¡±

    ¡°Right, then we should leave when this storm breaks. You¡¯ll need to be careful who you show that magic to, and if you¡¯re going to keep that blood mage¡¯s book make sure it''s well hidden¡­¡±

    Emily blinked owlishly, the man had never given her so much advice at once, and by the looks of things he wasn¡¯t done.

    ¡°Also¡­ you could have left me for dead just about anywhere, but I¡¯m alive¡­ so, Thank you.¡±

 Chapter 16 - Civilized ambush

    Emily gently pushed the door to the hut closed, the warmth from indoors quickly being sapped away by the outside air.

    The light had just begun to crest over the treetops but Alex had shaken her awake and made her gather her things in silence before vacating the hut.

    ¡°Any particular reason we¡¯re leaving at the ass crack of dawn?¡±

    Alex was already heading towards the ox creature.

    ¡°Yes, we need a head start.¡±

    Frustrated at the explanation Emily pulled her white cloak tighter.

    ¡°And would you holiness like to tell me what for? Couldn¡¯t we have gotten a couple more hours of sleep?¡±

    Alex brushed the snow from the creature and leaned down to pat it below the neck, making a clicking sound as he did so, causing it to climb to its feet.

    ¡°That all depends. Do you want people to know you use blood magic? Cus they will if we don¡¯t put some distance between us and them. Unless you want to go back in there and take care of them for a couple more hours of sleep?¡±

    Emily glanced back at the door, contrary to what many of the heroes in her world might say, she didn¡¯t relish killing. Emily had no problem taking a life if it got in her way, but killing for the sake of eating was a beast''s path.

    A line that her powers made her skirt all too often.

    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t feel like it.¡±

    ¡°Right, well then we continue, we¡¯ve got a day at most of traveling till we hit the keep.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t miss the relieved light in his eyes but chose to inspect the ox creature.

    The interesting thing was, it was at most a meter tall, coming to about Emily¡¯s waist. Its woolen coat hung off it in tangles, while it turned its head to look at Alex.

    Who in turn brushed the snow from its hair and reached into his pack, taking out a piece of hardtack and feeding the thing.

    Sinking her hands into the beast''s fur, Emily could see how this thing lasted so well out here, the wool was thick and warm. Its long face looked rather sleepy, it reminded Emily of a donkey, which she found all kinds of cute. Deciding that their newest addition needed a name, she promptly picked out ¡®Cupcake¡¯ because of his soft-looking fur. When Alex shot her a confused look she just shrugged.

    A quick check through the pouches revealed a couple of extra rations and what looked like a change of clothes for each man. There was also a lantern along with a flask of oil, and tied to the top was what looked like a tarp of sorts.

    Setting out along the road again did not take long, as Cupcake followed Alex¡¯s guidance with ease. They were commonly used animals called winter mules because of their relative strength as beasts of burden, and their resistance to the cold.

    Now that they were both uninjured and well-rested the journey was far more comfortable and with Cupcake, maybe even pleasant.

    The road made it child''s play to stay on track, cutting through the forest toward their destination. Emily noticed additional roads converging with theirs, like tributaries all flowing to the same destination.

    Where that was, was still a mystery to Emily but she was excited either way. It was with this optimism that they came across something unexpected. They had been traveling for a couple hours when Alex silently called for a stop.

    Emily had almost forgotten they were in a beast-infested forest, still kilometers away from safety, so she moved off-road tugging Cupcake after her.

    This time though Alex followed her, ducking behind the same tree as her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry I don¡¯t think it''s a beast.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then what?¡±

    Alex glanced from behind the trunk they were taking refuge behind.

    ¡°There¡¯s a blockade up ahead. Seeing as we¡¯re half a day''s journey out from our destination it¡¯s probably the keep garrison.¡±

    ¡°And¡­ that''s a problem?¡±

    Alex glanced down at her.

    ¡°If they¡¯re out here, it''s nothing good. We¡¯ll need to go round. If they have someone who can see your title you¡¯re done for.¡±

    Emily glanced up at Alex, she wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about someone worrying for her.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem. Even if they checked I wouldn¡¯t present as anything bad. Innocent Is what I think the men from before called me.¡±

    Alex glanced back over her shoulder once more, before searching her eyes.

    ¡°Are you certain?¡±

    Emily simply nodded.

    ¡°Good, because we¡¯ve been spotted.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t see anyone but she trusted Alex¡¯s senses by now and prepared her story.

    A minute or so later, a form from deeper into the forest stepped forward.

    Emily blinked in shock, as a man separated from the shadows themselves, stepping into their line of sight.

    He wore a cloak of browns and reds that did nothing to hide his face. The bow slung over his shoulder rested there peacefully.

    And though he didn¡¯t smile, Emily got the feeling he meant them no harm.

    ¡°Fine day travelers, I¡¯m part of the Scout garrison of Tagrin¡¯s hand, could I ask why you¡¯ve stopped here along the roadside?¡±

    Emily yelped and placed her hands over her heart.

    ¡°Oh my! Please don''t sneak up on a person like that!¡± switching her tone to that of a scolding mother.

    The man continued to approach silently, but much slower now as Emily took a breath.

    ¡°We¡¯re sorry sir, we were just taking a rest. My brother was recently injured and getting him to admit he needed a break has been tough.¡±

    Alex briefly shot Emily a perplexed look but he masked it before grunting out.

    ¡°Yeah well, we need to get to the keep before nightfall.¡±

    The forest man had finally arrived near them, his eye glancing down towards Alex''s leg before rubbing his neck.

    ¡°Ah, my apologies ma¡¯am, but that''s going to be a problem, the road ahead is blocked on account of the elven burrow up ahead.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t know what that was, but gasped in fear anyway, noticing a harsh light flash through Alex¡¯s eyes before fading.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry ma¡¯am, if you two¡¯ll just follow me we¡¯ll get you situated and you can complete the crossing when the guard unit is ready.¡±

    Emily nodded, plastering a smile on her lips. The Scout wasn¡¯t giving them much of an option. Guiding them back onto the road with Cupcake in tow. From here she could just make out a makeshift barricade up ahead. It was facing outward in the direction they were heading. Before that though, thick tarp structures came into view on the sides of the road, ropes fastening them to nearby trees. By the looks of things, they were still recovering from last night''s storm.

    Dozens of men and women came into view as they moved hastily about the area. A perimeter guard was set up in the area, and save for the blood mage''s hidden lodge, Emily had not seen this many humans all in one place since arriving in this world.

    A good majority of them wore simple leather armor, all containing at least some form of red on them. Whether it was the tanned hides of their armor or the very cloaks they used to protect themselves from the cold. Busily working on one thing or another.

    They neared the camp and Emily saw the perimeter of men near the road move to intercept.

    The Scout leading the way nodded toward one of the larger men who was flanked by two others that hung back.

    ¡°Hey Vail, we got a few more travelers, the man looks like he can fight. I¡¯ll send a Spyglass your way.¡±

    The man he was referring to turned to look at Emily and Alex, nodding toward the scout and sending him off. He was a large man almost as large as the one Emily had taken down last night, but his posture spoke of heavy training. As did his beard which was trimmed to perfection.

    ¡°Afternoon, as you heard you can call me Vail. I¡¯ll assume he explained what¡¯s up ahead, but first I¡¯ll need to have you both checked for any illegal titles, I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t mind. If everything is in order you be given a place to rest while you wait.¡±

    Emily sized the man up, he gave her that same unnerving air, the leader of the wandering fangs had. Though this was a fair bit weaker. At the very least Emily could tell he was no slouch in a fight.

    ¡°Sure, we don¡¯t mind at all, you¡¯re just doing your job, right?¡±

    Emily came off as slightly too cheery even to her ears, but if the leader thought anything was off he didn¡¯t say anything. His eyes fell to the short blade on Emily¡¯s hip, and she found herself glad she¡¯d left the dagger in Cupcake¡¯s bag.

    Alex was another story though, Vail¡¯s eyes swept over his form, catching on the blades.

    ¡°While we wait, tell me. Why are you heading to the keep for?¡±

    Emily was getting ready to answer when Alex did.

    ¡°I travel by trade, and I was just taking a break to guide my little sister to her betrothed, our parents agreed to it months ago and she finally pestered me to take her to meet him tomorrow.¡±

    Emily had no idea where he¡¯d pulled that story from, but she found the blush creeping up her neck all too natural.

    Making sure the ¡®playful¡¯ smack on Alex''s shoulder would leave a bruise, she smiled sheepishly.

    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t need to know all the embarrassing details.¡±

    Vail cracked a smile for the first time since they¡¯d arrived, sharing an amused look with Alex.

    ¡°Do not worry, my sister was the same at her first meeting, it was just the nerves talking- Ah, it looks like you¡¯re in luck, the spyglass was nearby.¡±

    Emily turned to see a woman approaching from one of the tents, she wore a cloak of reds with simple traveling cloths underneath. Her hair was a short mop of dark brown, with piercing green eyes that tracked them as she approached.

    ¡°I¡¯m here Vail, what do you need? Surface level?¡±

    Emily hadn¡¯t noticed before but pinned to her uniform was a string of beads, with a couple of pieces of multicolored glass attached to the end. It looked like the woman was carrying around far too many monocles.

    ¡°Actually, could you probe a little deeper into these two?¡±

    The smile didn¡¯t leave Vail¡¯s face but Emily didn¡¯t miss the serious tone in his voice.

    A surprised glance from the woman proved that something was wrong.

    ¡°...Sure, but I only have one use-¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± he said calmly.

    The woman lifted her set of monocles and flicked through them, holding one that looked to be made of blue glass up towards them.

    Flicking it over to Alex she nodded calmly and then to Emily. Her face froze as she looked at her.

    ¡°The man¡¯s an Explorer, rank twenty-two, and the girl¡¯s an Innocent but I need to investigate her privately.¡±

    Vail looked at Emily with a frown as the woman got closer to him, she lowered her voice so only the four of them could hear.

    ¡°I need to examine her bridge.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t quite understand what was happening, but both Alex and Vail suddenly looked uncomfortable.

    Clearing his throat, Vail nodded.

    ¡°Fine, use one of the spare tents. We¡¯ll follow with the mule and wait outside.¡±

    Just like that, Emily found herself being led towards a tent. This one looked like it was used as a public space rather than a place to rest.

    The moment the flap was shut the woman turned on Emily with a tender look in her eyes.

    ¡°Right, I¡¯m Clarie, and how long have you known your bridge is stunted?¡±

 Chapter 17 - Meetings and Meat

    The question caught Emily completely off guard and paired with the look of concern in the woman''s eyes, she didn¡¯t know how to respond.

    ¡°Um¡­ I only recently learned my bridge was messed up, but they didn¡¯t tell me what was going on.¡±

    This seemed to illicit a sharp intake of breath from Clarie.

    ¡°Aw, honey I¡¯m so sorry. The fact that your own family hid this from you is not excusable¡±

    Emily got the feeling from her angry expression that this was bigger news than she¡¯d expected.

    ¡°Um well, what does it mean?¡±

    The woman glanced at her and nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s what we''re going to find out. If you don¡¯t mind I need you to remove your cloak.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t hesitate and lowered her layers, the woman went around behind her and pulled out another monocle.

    There was an immediate hum as she went silent for a time, the only sound was a series of glass clinking together as she looked through them.

    ¡°...Okay, I¡¯m no Healer but I can tell your bridge is probably not fractured¡­ It is, however¡­ clear.¡±

    If that was supposed to mean something to Emily then she was at a loss. Claire pulled her clothes back up and moved back around to Emily''s front.

    ¡°That would explain why you¡¯re only rank nine. Listen, do not let this get you down, just because you don¡¯t have a color does not mean you¡¯ll never get a title. Others with close ties to the five pillars may disagree, but you can still live a happy, healthy, life.¡±

    Emily could feel Claire was trying to be supportive, unfortunately, her lack of understanding made it altogether pointless. Asking what the color of her bridge had to do with anything felt like something she should ask Alex when she got the chance.

    It didn''t feel like she was missing anything, she¡¯d lived a happy, good life on earth without a working ¡®bridge¡¯ so the news didn¡¯t upset her. It also looked like she could rank up by killing shit, so she¡¯d have to see if her bridge being clear was truly a bad thing.

    Taking a deep breath as though steadying herself, Emily peered up at the woman.

    ¡°So what now?¡±

    Claire looked at Emily with enough pride in her eyes to make Emily glance away.

    ¡°Well, I''ve confirmed your rank, so now we move you to the waiting tent, and then you guys make the crossing when you¡¯re ready. The guard unit has just set out yesterday so they should be back in a week.¡±

    Emily smiled and dipped her head, all this had been rather painless, they stepped out of the tent and found Alex and Vail chatting quietly.

    Claire nodded to the man as though confirming everything was in order and turning he looked towards Alex.

    ¡°Alright well, if you¡¯re that insistent, I won¡¯t stop you, but as a tip, there are a few others who might want to make the crossing today, ask around before you leave. Oh, and get some new blades when you can.¡±

    Alex nodded to the guy and shook his hand.

    ¡°Perfect, we know the risk, but we¡¯ll make it in time, I¡¯ll make sure of that.¡±

    Claire suddenly spoke up.

    ¡°Hang on just a moment, they¡¯re leaving right away? It¡¯s perilous for you both out there, especially in the state you are in ma¡¯am, you should wait for the guard unit.¡±

    Vail¡¯s face twitched and his voice dropped a couple of octaves, gaining a strange quality to it.

    ¡°It is not our place to control these travelers Claire, nor protect them if they don¡¯t want our help. What risks they take are their own.¡±

    Claire froze and then straightened her spine.

    ¡°Yes sir, permission to write them a permit for the gate?¡±

    Vail seemed to think this over but then nodded, at which time Claire saluted by placing her left hand over her heart and backing away.

    The silence lingered until Vail turned back around with that same smile fixed on his face.

    ¡°And you girl, good luck on meeting your partner, just don¡¯t go losing your Innocent title or anything by murdering your brother, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll love you.¡±

    It was intended as a joke to lighten the mood but Emily nodded without saying anything.

    Alex nodded toward Vail once more before ushering Emily in the direction the man pointed them, pulling Cupcake behind them.

    When they were out of earshot Emily whispered to Alex.

    ¡°What the hell was that about?¡±

    To which he just shook his head.

    ¡°A soldier overstepping her bounds, don''t worry about it. He seemed like a pretty relaxed superior, she won¡¯t be punished.¡±

    This answer only frustrated Emily more.

    ¡°For what? Did she do anything wrong¡±

    Alex glanced down at her questioningly, they were heading in the direction of a large tent, with a trail of smoke stretching lazily above it.

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    ¡°Her superior officer told us we could leave and she went against that order, as a soldier that¡¯s seen as a huge sign of disrespect.¡±

    Emily frowned at Alex.

    ¡°For simply showing concern?¡±

    Alex signed at that.

    ¡°Sure. That''s not her job or her title, but as I said Vail won¡¯t punish her for that.¡±

    Emily went quiet, she didn¡¯t know why, but she felt annoyed.

    ¡°Okay, fine but she does have a point, why don¡¯t we just wait till the guard unit comes back around?¡±

    Alex began tying Cupcake to a post outside.

    ¡°As I¡¯ve said I need to get to somewhere as soon as possible and you¡¯re forgetting you need a head start or things might get complicated if the others show up. For now, we should just concentrate on finding some allies¡±

    Emily sunk her fingers into Cupcake¡¯s wool as she hummed. Turning away, Emily headed for the tent leaving Alex to tend to Cupcake, pushing the flap aside she entered.

    The moment she stepped in, the smell of fresh pork sizzled on the fire, along with a wave of warm air. A thick waterproof tarp had been laid on the floor of the tent and was covered in mismatching pelts to hold in the warmth.

    The canvas room was large and had over a dozen people huddled around a fire, as smoke trailed toward the cone-shaped ceiling where openings near the top allowed for smoke to escape.

    Several people around the tent looked up as she entered, but Emily¡¯s eyes had homed in on the fire pit.

    Where several pots and pans rested, cooking up meager but delicious fares. Emily homed into one pan in particular where thick slices of bacon popped on a black skillet. A child was tending to the pieces of meat and Emily made a beeline towards the firepit.

    The kid was standing on the edge of a dry stump, but upon getting closer she realized she had been completely wrong.

    The person she had first thought was a child was a fully grown adult. His whole deminer was that of an older gentleman but scaled down to a preteen. Everything from the blade at his waist to the shoes on his feet was smaller.

    After everything Emily had seen since getting to this world, she decided it wasn¡¯t that notable and continued to the tiny man¡¯s side. A couple of sets of eyes tracking her progress but she ignored all but one.

    ¡°I would like a slice of that.¡±

    The small man had been so busy tending to his food using a set of tiny tongs, that he hadn¡¯t seen her approaching, and promptly jumped when she spoke from directly beside him.

    ¡°Woah there lass, didn¡¯t your mother teach you not to interrupt a man while he¡¯s cooking?¡± he punctuated this by clicking the tongs together.

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°No, and I don¡¯t see the relevance, but you do have quite a bit of meat there, you willing to share?¡±

    The small man squinted at Emily and despite himself, a small smile played on his lips.

    ¡°Look lass, this is shard boar meat, not something I could ever catch, if you want a slice you¡¯re going to have to talk to Miss Ashe.¡±

    Emily''s eyes widened, this was the very same creature that Wyrm had feasted on, If she had known this was how the meat had smelled when prepared, she would have tried to take some from the remains, Wyrm smell be damned. Pulling her eyes away from the sizzling meat long enough, she looked into the man''s eyes.

    ¡°And where¡¯s she at?¡±

    ¡°That would be me, and I¡¯m not too keen on sharing unless you¡¯re willing to pay?¡±

    Emily looked over to a nearby stump where a woman resided and even sitting she was a head above most people in the room. She was wearing long green robes and her eyes glittered like gems in the dark.

    The woman wore a polite yet guarded smile.

    Emily shook herself from her stupor.

    ¡°How much?¡±

    ¡°One oval¡±

    Emily wasn¡¯t sure but that sounded like too much for some meat, though Alex had said it was a difficult beast to hunt.

    ¡°Hmm, too expensive. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to feed a down-on-her-luck maiden?¡±

    Ashe chucked, her features coming off as graceful, but the lone scar running vertically down her cheek to the bottom of her jawline gave it a darker feel.

    ¡°Hmm, can¡¯t say I do. I¡¯m going to need all the strength I can get if I¡¯m going to make the crossing soon.¡±

    Emily was about to make a rude sound with her mouth when she paused.

    ¡°Well now hang on a second, you want to cross? Why didn¡¯t you say so, my companion and I are looking for people to join us this afternoon.¡±

    Ashe¡¯s narrowed his eyes at Emily, but it was the small man beside her who spoke.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude lass but are you any good in a fight? And for that matter who is your partner.¡±

    Emily¡¯s smile remained even as the man scrutinized her.

    ¡°I¡¯m adept in combat, as is my ally, he¡¯ll be in shortly. The question is are you up for it?¡±

    Emily knew it was a long shot and yet they didn¡¯t turn her down immediately.

    Ashe bit her top lip.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying yes but about my friend here, he has a non-combatant title, can you fit him into the group? I¡¯m a Mage by the way¡±

    The way Ashe dropped her title was like she expected it to make up for her friend.

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°As long as he¡¯s willing to take the risk then I don''t see why not. With you two that will bring our number up to four.¡±

    Ashe looked  Emily up and down for the first time.

    ¡°There only two of you?¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°So far, yes, but looking at this group, I''m not seeing a whole lot of talent so it could just be the four of us.¡±

    Emily was not lying either, the first time she¡¯d done on entering the tent was cast her eyes about for people she thought could fight. Unfortunately, not many of the people here looked like they had the metal required.

    Ashe glanced at the small man and back at Emily.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but while I am in a rush, I don''t see the benefit of leaving early with such a small group when I can travel in relative safety in a week. At least right now you''re not making it worth my while¡±

    Emily nodded her head in agreement, but just as she was about to continue, Alex entered the tent.

    When arrived beside her, his eyes flickered over to the other two participants but froze on Ashe, widening slightly.

    ¡°Ah, Alex, I was just extending an invitation to these two, but it looks like they won¡¯t be joining us.¡±

    Seeming to nod to himself, Alex refocused on them.

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame, we could use all the help we can get. Actually, I have something that might change your opinion of us. Would hear me out, Ma¡¯am?¡±

    Ashe studied Alex for a few seconds but nodded, getting up to follow Alex to one of the tent corners.

    Alex¡¯s sudden behavior piqued Emily¡¯s interest, especially the way he just began talking to her in a relaxed manner.

    ¡°So sorry lass, I completely forgot introductions. My name¡¯s Journ, how bout as compensation I give you part of my share.¡±

    Emily had almost forgotten the man was there, but he now held a small rasher of shard boar towards her he had her full attention.

    Emily swiped the piping hot piece of meat and gulped it down. The juices were salty and spiced to perfection, it was made all the better in that he¡¯d cooked it to a wonderful tender texture.

    ¡°Shit, Journ, that''s amazing!¡±

    This just caused Journ to laugh.

    ¡°It should be, or my ranks in Cook would be going to waste.¡±

    Emily needed to know more and apparently, the title came with skills that helped him tell when the meat was cooked to perfection in the center.

    She was still asking questions when Alex and Ashe returned.

    Ashe had an amused yet solemn look on her face.

    ¡°Change of plans Journ, I¡¯m going with them.¡±

    Both Journ and Emily looked over surprised at the complete one-eighty.

    ¡°I mean sure Ashe, but what changed your mind?¡±

    Ashe glanced at Alex.

    ¡°Alexander makes a persuasive argument. But suffice it to say my reasons are selfish, that''s why I won¡¯t force you to come with us. It would be safer to leave in a week when the guard unit returns.¡±

    The two shared a look between themselves, and Journ shook his head.

    ¡°No, you¡¯ve done right by me, I¡¯m not defenseless and I need to get there too you''re not the only one with family waiting for you.¡±

    Emily grinned triumphantly.

    ¡°Wonderful, seeing as we¡¯re all getting along how about sharing more of that meat with your new allies?¡±

    Journ glanced at Ashe who nodded.

    He grabbed a couple more pieces of that tender meat, producing two wooden plates as he did so.

    Emily was just about to dig in when the tent of the flap opened once more, letting the daylight in.

    Turning to look Claire made her way into the space holding a sealed letter. Her eyes glanced over the people in there and brightened when they landed on Emily.

 Chapter 18 - Wall of bodies

    Emily tightened the leather straps of her bundle. The new letter was secured in the safest spot she had. It was made from some dark brown fiber with a slightly waxy finish.

    Claire had gone through the trouble of writing a letter explaining her bridge situation to the keep¡¯s hand. That along with the red wax seal would be an introduction when they arrived. The hope was the letter would get them through the checkpoint a little easier.

    Alex''s voice called her from her thoughts.

    ¡°Emily. Unfasten the mule, it''s had enough water.¡±

    ¡°I told you, it''s Cupcake, and he¡¯s still thirsty Alex.¡±

    Claire¡¯s sweet gesture aside, they were still preparing to leave the camp. She¡¯d tried to convince Emily one more time to stay and wait for the return of the guard unit, but Emily had simply waved her off.

    Ashe and Journ gathered their things, while Emily and Alex got Cupcake to the front gate.

    It then occurred to Emily she didn¡¯t even know what an Elven burrow was. However, if those ugly little beasts were involved, then it couldn''t be a fun experience.

    Looking towards Alex she asked as much.

    His grim face said a lot.

    ¡°An Elven burrow is on par with a natural disaster, it usually happens when too many of the creatures gather in one spot. They burrow into the warm soil and breed like rabbits. Expanding their range and attacking anything in their ever-growing territory. This one will be decently large, and the fact that the Keep¡¯s hands are here means a subjugating force will arrive any day now. We do not want to be here when that happens.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Emily asked

    Alex shrugged.

    ¡°These men are just containing it at this point. It will be chaos when the truly powerful titled individuals show up. Which reminds me-¡±

    Alex glanced at their surroundings before continuing in a lowered tone.

    ¡°How did you fool the Spyglass? I know for a fact you have to have some title related to blood, do you have a cloaking skill or item?¡±

    Emily mulled it over and decided if she didn¡¯t at least try to trust Alex she wouldn¡¯t get the answers she was looking for.

    ¡°Well, as of yet I don¡¯t have any titles. The things I can do are all inherent, but my rank is almost at my first title, and I gotta say titles look sweet.¡±

    Alex¡¯s eyes widened for a second and then flickered over her shoulder to the tent entrance where she could only assume the others had just exited from.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying I believe you but we¡¯ll talk about this later, I¡¯ve never heard of something like this in humans. For now, try not to use your¡­ abilities in front of them.¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°Almost out of juice anyway, though if I find a place to recharge, I¡¯m taking it.¡±

    Alex looked like he wanted to say something to that, but Emily heard Journ chatting with Ashe as they approached.

    ¡°The journey should take no more than half a day, right? Stop worrying Ashe. I still have a couple of snack traps¡±

    ¡°Okay, but we don¡¯t know how the burrows have affected the landscape.¡±

    Alex had gotten Cupcake''s bridle fastened and started walking ahead. Emily followed with Ashe Journ in tow a they headed for the gate. It was a large affair, blocking off the road and forest for dozens of meters in each direction. The wooden wall was around four meters tall with a simple gate in the side of it allowing two people through at a time. Several keep hands remained on top as sentries, looking out over the forest beyond.

    When they got to the quiet gate, a guard Emily didn¡¯t recognize barred the way.

    ¡°Please listen, everyone, I¡¯m assuming you all want to leave without the escort unit. We will not stop you but be warned the burrows have attracted predators to the area, if you still want to do this, we¡¯ll open the gate in a moment.¡±

    Emily looked back to see if either of them had gotten cold feet but was happy to see they all looked focused.

    Nodding to the guard Emily stepped forward as the man moved to the gate, unbarring and opening the door for them all to pass through.

    Luckily Cupcake was on the smaller side so he could squeeze past the checkpoint. Once all five of them passed through, the wooden door slammed shut behind them.

    The forest looked no different on this side, its quiet branches reaching up into the late afternoon sky.

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    Alex stepped to the front as Emily leaned against Cupcake.

    ¡°Right, I¡¯m on point. Emily, you¡¯re second, while Journ and Ashe will bring up the rear. The burrows have an outer and inner ring. If we can get through this portion we¡¯ll have some breathing room before we hit the next. Let''s go¡±

    No one argued, so when Alex moved forward they all fell into position.

    The man kept just ahead of them but just like the Scout from before, Emily struggled to spot him amongst the trees.

    They were barely an hour into their journey when large holes in the ground began to appear. Clumps of earth bulged out of the earth like molehills, stacked against trees and rocks. Emily quickly lost count of the number of small burrows dotting the landscape.

    Each was big enough to accommodate a child but fully grown adults would have trouble squeezing into the space.

    The most unnerving thing was the quiet. All the signs of forest life had stilled, insects and bird calls alike had ceased. Washing the forest out with an air of loneliness.

    The shadowy holes became more common as time went on. Emily tried to peer into them, but past a certain point, it was impossible to pierce the darkness.

    The trees surrounding the holes were covered in claw marks up their trunks as if to mark territory. The burrows didn¡¯t seem to break up the road itself. Instead, they lined it on either side.

    As disturbing as all this was Alex kept them all moving along a winding path. He would appear every five minutes or so, press his ear to the ground, and then change their course slightly.

    Around the time the burrows had started choking even the paved road, he had directed them off the main path. Emily was not happy to have to once more trudge through ankle-deep snow but at least this time she had a guide, her only complaint was that directing Cupcake was more difficult now. Emily didn¡¯t know when she noticed it but the noises of wildlife had slowly been returning. The birdcalls bouncing through the trees stretched hollowly across the forest. The longer she listened to them the more wrong they sounded. It was as though they were off-key, it was not something Emily could put her finger on, they just sounded wrong.

    It then hit her and she realized what was happening.

    Whipping her head about to look for Alex, she saw he already had his blades drawn, as his eyes stalked from burrow to burrow.

    He already knew.

    Alex picked up the pace after that, Ashe kept up, but Journ was falling behind, his smaller stature working against him here. Without hesitation Emily reached down a picked the man up, placing him on Cupcake¡¯s back. Journ wore an expression that was equal parts foul and grateful.

    He seemed about ready to speak when the bird calls fell silent. The hairs on Emily''s neck stood on end as the forest air shifted back to a grating silence, pressing in around her like a noose.

    ¡°Run!¡± Alex yelled from somewhere up ahead shattering the silent world.

    Emily didn¡¯t linger, yanking Cupcake, and pulling them in the direction Alex¡¯s voice had come from.

    The silence was dashed by the screeches of what sounded like hundreds of small creatures. Glancing out of the corners of her eyes, Emily saw figures moving through the trees. Some climbed from burrows and joined the chase, while others scrambled up trees.

    Emily heard when a rock impacted against a trunk nearby. Taking a risk she looked back and spotted the scruffy gremlin-elf, high up in the trees preparing to throw another. There was no time to stop and kill them or they would be overwhelmed.

    At this point, all they could do was get out of range. Ashe ran after them, a rock clipping her shoulder causing her to grunt in pain, but she kept moving. Journ was rummaging through his pack but Emily didn¡¯t have time to see what he was doing.

    Alex¡¯s voice came from up ahead, and they rushed to follow it.

    The elves, while fast did not have great endurance, their short legs struggled to keep up with larger creatures running at full tilt. They were just pulling away from the worst of the ambush when a couple of elves appeared from burrows up ahead, crashing into their party from the side. They came for Ashe first but this turned out to be a mistake as she threw something out in front of herself, making a series of hand gestures. The item flickering a dull green. Then, as though caught by an external force, the object whipped about and launched itself through the skull of a nearby elf, then another, and finally buried itself into the eye socket of a third before going still.

    Journ on the other hand threw something out behind them which looked like a little cloth bundle. The change it had on the battlefield was shocking as the dozen or so elves nearby dove for them with greed in their eyes. Ripping into one another in an attempt to possess whatever treat the man had thrown.

    Emily on the other hand drew her new blade as two elves came at her. It took slightly longer longer to draw than a dagger but she managed to get it out in time to clumsily block the incoming strike.

    The force behind the weapon almost knocked the blade from her hands. Recovering quickly Emily saw an opening and slashed out toward its throat.

    Unfortunately, Emily learned all too quickly, that even their tiny necks could take a decent amount of force, so when the blade cut into the creature, it lodged itself into bone. Emily wasted precious seconds yanking it from the elf before the other caught up.

    Unused to the unwieldy weapon, Emily fell back on a tried and tested method, she kicked the thing in the gut. Sending it sprawling into the snow, this however made her a target as stones came hurtling from all directions.

    Ashe stepped in at this point and splayed her arms outward, making short dexterous movements with her fingers. Several rocks already on the way halted in midair as though all the force behind them were stolen, and then proceeded to fall to the icy ground.

    Emily recovered in time to pull Cupcake forward, unfortunately, more elves poured out of the nearby burrows. Emily slashed her blade wide, not caring if she killed them now, only in making a path forward.

    More and more rocks were falling from above and Ashe was concentrating on the air when an elf dove at her. Emily was locked against another one, so when Journ dove off Cupcake''s back she couldn''t stop him. The two rolled in the snow wrestling but the man got on top and began beating the thing with a pan, only for him to be swarmed by more elves.

    Emily tried to turn and help him but all hell broke loose when an elf bit into Cupcake''s flank and sent the mule into a rage. The reins were ripped from Emily''s grasp and the animal dashed off in the opposite direction, kicking out as it did so.

    ¡°Fuck! Cupcake come back!¡±

    Emily was about to lose it and lifeforce churned in her body, rearing to be released when the sound of elves dying came from up ahead.

    Alex broke through the encirclement, slashing and stabbing anything that got close to him. But where Emily had only caused cuts, every one of his swings found its lethal mark. Corpses littered the ground as he got to them.

    ¡°Go! I¡¯ve made a path!¡±

    Emily glanced after the winter mule but it was already too far, Journ was nowhere to be seen. Grinding her teeth Emily grabbed Ashe and followed after Alex. The creatures behind them scattered in all directions and Ashe gasped.

    ¡°Wait! Journ!¡±

    But Emily ignored her pleas and pulled her deeper into the woods.

 Chapter 19 - Butting heads

    ¡°We need to go back; he may still be alive!¡±

    Ashe¡¯s voice trembled as she braced against Emily.

    ¡°Ashe, we can¡¯t go back. We¡¯ll end up just like him,¡± said Emily.

    Ashe¡¯s eyes were clouded with worry, disbelief etched in every line of her face.

    ¡°He can¡¯t be gone. He was just here¡­¡±

    Alex¡¯s gaze swept the surrounding trees before he moved closer to Ashe, lowering his voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your friend, Ashe. I should have been more careful, but we can¡¯t go back. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±

    Ashe met his eyes, calming the longer she looked into them.

    ¡°I understand, damn it, but he¡­ didn¡¯t deserve that.¡±

    Alex nodded, glancing at Emily with a serious look before glancing at Ashe.

    ¡°We need to keep moving. It¡¯s only going to get harder from here. I need to know you can keep going.¡±

    Ashe¡¯s face cycled through emotions finally coming to rest on a quiet resolve.

    ¡°I can still channel some power today. A few more fights won¡¯t be a problem.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s keep moving.¡± Alex''s gaze flickered back to the direction they came from, concern briefly shadowing his features.

    He led the way, melding into the trees, while Emily and Ashe walked side by side. The silence that followed was thick, almost suffocating, but Emily felt compelled to break it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the loss of your ally,¡± she began awkwardly. ¡°Did you know him long?¡± Ashe frowned, meeting Emily¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°I only knew Journ for two weeks, but he was a good man. That¡¯s why it hurts so much. I should have made him stay.¡± Emily hesitated, unsure how to comfort her.

    ¡°...Well, you should know that he died protecting you. His choices led him here, and you¡¯re alive because of them. To think otherwise¡­ would be an insult to his memory.¡±

    Ashe¡¯s eyes filled with unshed tears as she bit down on her lip. Silence stretched between them until Emily, desperate to lighten the mood, blurted out, ¡°So¡­ was that magic you used to stop those rocks?¡± Ashe looked over at Emily, clearly seeing through her clumsy attempt at distraction.

    ¡°...Yes. That was runic sorcery. Sadly Green magic does not boast the destructive nature of Red, or things may have been different back there.¡±

    Emily nodded as though she understood.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what exactly is runic sorcery?¡±

    Ashe shook her head and wiped her eyes with her palm, looking thankful for a subject that could take her mind off their current situation.

    ¡°It''s¡­ it''s the primary branch of magic. There are many rumors surrounding Mages that are untrue. Many of which people don''t bother to check. But the basics are simple, like any title, the nature of our abilities are determined by our bridge. Mine is Green, so I can tune into the earth¡¯s flow of energy and draw on it when needed.¡±

    Emily nodded and indicated for her to go on.

    ¡°I use that energy in my spells by guiding the outcome with basic runes using my hands. Wards use this very language, but they can be far more complicated than I can make alone. Of course, if I draw too much energy, that''s when things get dangerous.¡±

    Emily hummed to herself and was about to ask another when Ashe beat her to it.

    ¡°Now if you don¡¯t mind me asking, I have a couple of questions of my own.¡±

    Emily looked at Ashe and indicated for her to go on.

    ¡°You¡¯re traveling with Alex, right? Does he really know the location of a layline? I just have to know that this wasn¡¯t for nothing.¡±

    Emily blinked sheepishly at first and then nodded. She had never even heard Alex mention the word, but it was in all likelihood what had gotten Ashe to join them in the first place.

    ¡°Yes, he does, I¡¯m guessing that''s what he promised you?¡±

    Ashe nodded in turn, looking somewhat relieved. Emily cleared her throat and continued.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll need to get out of here first. I really can''t wait to leave these bloody woods behind me.¡±

    ¡°By the five, I couldn¡¯t agree with you more, but before that, I¡¯ll get some justice for Journ.¡±

    The two of them devolved into more quiet banter as they continued keeping an eye on their surroundings.

    Emily learned that Ashe was heading to the keep in search of work. Green mages were in high demand anywhere, as apparently, they were incredible builders. Bigger still was the fact that her sister had been exiled out here, and she wanted to reconnect with her.

    Their conversation was cut short when Alex came sprinting back towards them a small group of elves on his tail.

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    Ashe Seemed only too ready for a fight and produced a coin. It looked to be a round which she flicked it in their direction. Its speed accelerated to incredible speeds and tore through several of the creature''s skulls. Now that they weren''t running for their lives, Ashe¡¯s ability to weave the deadly piece of metal amongst them was impressive. Only needing a few hand gestures to change the direction of the deadly projectile.

    Emily moved to meet up with Alex, and they then turned on the remaining creatures.

    Emily got two for herself and managed to impale the first one on her blade, but she had to wrestle the second one to the ground and beat it until it stopped moving. She was once more made aware of how ill-suited blades were for her. If she had the energy right now she¡¯d be able to clear these little shits all at once.

    Alex had dispatched his with ease, by the time Emily climbed up out of the snow. He¡¯d been watching her in case she needed help, but when she got up he gave her a slightly amused snort. She just shot him a glare, that told him exactly what she thought of him.

    The area had fallen quiet again and they kept moving but Alex began to speak.

    ¡°Okay here¡¯s where we¡¯re going to have to make a decision. The area ahead is near the core of this whole mess, if we decide to brave it, we may have a large fight on our hands. The alternative is to go round, but that will add hours onto our journey, we will have to travel through the night, but it would technically be safer.¡±

    Emily glanced through the trees ahead to see what he was referring to.

    When she caught sight of the area she frowned.

    The first noticeable difference was the large scar running across the landscape. Trees had been ripped down, creating a space devoid of canopy, and exposing the strip of land to the late afternoon sun. There was no road in sight, but the clearing ahead blocked their path, stretching out in either direction. It was choked with burrows clustered upon one another reminding Emily of a wasp nest bulging from the ground.

    Ashe looked over at them worriedly.

    ¡°Um, I could probably collapse a good few of the tunnels, but then I¡¯d be at my limit for the day. I think we should go around.¡±

    Alex nodded and looked at Emily as he began to speak.

    ¡°I¡¯m of the mind that we should chance it. If we can get through without gaining their attention, it will save us a lot of time and we¡¯ll be able to sleep safely tonight.¡±

    Emily hadn¡¯t been able to take her eyes off the clearing. She even thought she saw forms shifting in the burrows but couldn¡¯t be sure what awaited them.

    Emily was always up for a fight, but in their current situation, the odds were stacked against them. She didn¡¯t have much power left and by the looks of things, the way forward was a death trap.

    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m going to have to agree with Ashe here. The smart move would be to avoid this area completely. I think we should go around.¡±

    Alex frowned as he glanced back at the clearing. Emily got the feeling he¡¯d been hoping she¡¯d back his idea, but his ¡®deadline¡¯ was of no concern to her. Whereas making sure the two of them survived, was.

    ¡°Alright¡­ this way.¡± Alex mutterd.

    They retreated from the strait silently, moving parallel to it in an attempt to navigate around, unfortunately, the burrows stretched even further than they first anticipated.

    Hours ticked by, and while they encountered many small groups of creatures, Ashe¡¯s magic made for the perfect ambush, allowing them to silence the rest before they could alert their scraggly neighbors.

    Alex began looking increasingly frustrated as they made barely any headway through the forest.

    When they found a tall outcropping of rocks, they stopped for a moment to gather themselves. Ashe was looking drained and welcomed the break, but Alex''s eye flickered through the trees. The evening was fast approaching and they looked no closer to their destination. Making a fire or even resting for too long was out of the question, as even now they could hear the sounds of elves scampering nearby. Emily climbed up onto the outcropping and lay flat against the cold stone. Ashe followed her up and pushed herself into the opposite corner, allowing her eyes to lull closed and resting her back against the jagged wall.

    Alex was the last to climb up, his eyes darting through the hungry shadows. Then to Emily''s surprise, he came and lay down beside her. The small ledge was by no means big but there was still enough space that, they could each have their own.

    He didn¡¯t say anything at first, just kept looking out over the forest, so Emily decided to.

    ¡°Is she okay?¡± inclining her head in Ashe¡¯s direction.

    Alex glanced over at the dozing woman, lowering his voice as he did so.

    ¡°...she¡¯s reaching her limit, drawing too much more will begin affecting her. That''s why we should have crossed when we could.¡±

    Emily shook her head.

    ¡°Are you still on about that? Look, you saw the same thing I did, that was a death trap. I¡¯m all for killing those little shits but there were hundreds of the things.¡±

    Alex¡¯s jaw tensed as he looked down toward the trees below. He looked like he was done with the conversation, but Emily wasn¡¯t, her frustration burning a hole in her patience.

    ¡°What¡¯s so damned important is that you¡¯re willing to put us in more danger. Is it the layline?¡±

    Alex¡¯s head snapped back to Emily, his eyes searching her face for something, but when he didn¡¯t find it, he sighed.

    ¡°She told you about that? It doesn''t matter. No, that''s not the reason, and to be honest, as of now it¡¯s none of your business.¡±

    Emily froze her temper flaring in her chest.

    ¡°Oh really? Cus, I didn¡¯t drag your ass out the fire for nothing. You owe me at least this much.¡±

    Alex''s brow twitched as he turned on her.

    ¡°Like hell, I do. Once we get to the keep, our partnership ends. You¡¯re not Eva, I knew that from the first day, but I just kept hoping¡­ the fact that you asked me why I¡¯m doing all this proves it, she''s not in there.¡±

    Emily''s anger cooled to a simmer. She knew he¡¯d suspected something was off, but this much? Then why had he stayed with her all this time? Was it just to see if any part of Eva remained?

    A group of high-pitched cries echoed off in the distance, punctuating the silence between them.

    When Alex spoke again he sounded exhausted.

    ¡°Look¡­ just tell me this, did she suffer?¡±

    Emily studied Alex, she could deny it, but if she was tied to this man then he would figure it all out eventually.

    ¡°...No, she offered herself up willingly.¡±

    Alex searched her face for even a hint of a lie but when he found none, he shut his eyes, when he opened them, they were cloudy with some emotion Emily couldn¡¯t pinpoint.

    ¡°Figures. It would be just like her to do something so reckless. Well then, what did she ask of you? I know how these contracts work, her title would have allowed nothing less. She gave you something, it would not have been for free¡±

    The itch at the back of Emily¡¯s neck ¨Cwhich she was now realizing was her bridge¨C flared up stronger than ever before.

    Emily swallowed as the words tried to force their way from her throat.

    ¡°We- I- At the mid-winter feast¡­¡±

    Alex''s eyes narrowed

    ¡°She asked you to do something at The Winter festival?¡±

    The itching grew in intensity but Emily nodded anyway.

    ¡°Yes I¡¯ve got to get there to carry out her last wishes, but the rest is between us.¡±

    Alex¡¯s shoulders drooped as he stared up at the darkened sky.

    ¡°Shit, Eva, you never made anything easy did you¡­¡±

    When he refocused his gaze on Emily his eyes were clearer.

    ¡°Fine, we¡¯re going to have a real talk about this when we¡¯re somewhere safer, but for now, our partnership-¡±

    A sudden roar tore through the night, startling both of them. Ashe straightened awake glancing about for the threat.

    All three of them gazed over the edge of the outcropping as the trees began shifting with a sudden gale. Carried on the breeze was the sound of leathery wings beating to a slow rhythm.

 Chapter 20 - Deadly dive

    The scent of burning flesh was carried on the wind as Alex grabbed Emily by the cloak.

    ¡°We need to get down from here, now, or we¡¯ll be sitting Millo birds.¡±

    Emily got up and began scrambling down the side of the rockface, knocking loose pieces of stone free.

    When she was at the bottom she searched the area, luckily she saw no hint of any elves.

    Alex was next down, followed by Ashe. The woman was panting but with just the right amount of adrenaline in her veins she was up and moving.

    The moment she''d collected herself, they were off.

    ¡°We need to back out of here. If that''s what I think it is, then we need to distance ourselves!¡± Ashe said through gasps.

    Alex¡¯s head was turned in the direction of the sounds. They could hear the elves'' war cries echoing up, followed shortly by their horror-stricken screams.

    ¡°If we retreat into the forest now we could be lost for days¡­ Or, we can use this chance.¡±

    Ashe gasped.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious-¡± she started.

    ¡°What''s the plan, Alex? I¡¯m in the dark here!¡±

    Alex looked back at both of them.

    ¡°We cross now. The Wyrm will be distracted by its feast, and the elves will be too busy defending their burrows.¡±

    Ashe shook her head.

    ¡°Are you insane! The elves were bad enough but throwing a Wyrm into the mix will get us all killed.¡±

    Alex turned back to the front.

    ¡°I hear you, Emily, thoughts?¡±

    Emily realized she was the deciding factor in this, if they went now they could all die horribly, but if both groups were distracted then it just might work. They had spent the better part of the afternoon trying to get around these burrows with no success, if Alex thought this was the only time to cross, did she trust him?

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m in! Let''s do this now before I realize how bad this idea is.¡±

    A look of despair overtook Ashe¡¯s features.

    ¡°I never should have come here, you¡¯re both crazy.¡±

    Alex pulled off near the side and caught Ashe, a look appearing on his face that Emily had never seen. It was almost tender.

    ¡°Listen to me Ashe, we will get across, but I need you with us. That panic you¡¯re feeling is the Wyrm¡¯s scent. Master it.¡±

    Emily frowned, he was right, the scent was sending Emily¡¯s gut into knots, she¡¯d managed to ignore it but the jitters were just there below her skin. It probably had something to do with being exposed to another Wyrm recently, or maybe this was the same one. Either way camping so near to the scent must have helped her build a resistance to it.

    Ashe¡¯s frightened look became streaked with confusion and then reason.

    ¡°...Right, okay. I see now¡­ do we really have to cross though?¡±

    They were all low to the ground now and Alex pushed a mass of bushes aside revealing a different yet familiar clearing.

    Emily couldn¡¯t tell the difference between this one and the one they¡¯d seen earlier, only now the sounds of battle filled the area.

    If one could call this a battle, it was more a massacre than anything else.

    As the massive creature loomed in the center of the space, the moonlight hugged its form.

    The best way Emily could describe it was as a dragon''s smaller, more savage cousin. Scales covered its entire mass, as it crouched on all fours. Its front legs were robust, sporting a large pair of wings that traveled down its body only to connect with its hind legs. Emily would have thought it looked derpy if it weren¡¯t for the horrifying display of competence this predator displayed. It moved with a speed and grace that put most felines to shame but followed it up with a barbaric strength. It glided forward, tearing through the small creatures as easily as a wolf would through hens.

    The elves screeched with fury and tried to retaliate with their crude clubs and claws, but each was no more than a bite for the wyrm. Some even got swallowed whole.

    Emily would have thought the small creatures knew when to retreat, but she quickly saw that the wyrm did not care about their burrows and used its powerful legs to claw through the soil and extract the tasty morsels.

    She even started feeling a little bad for the elves, as they fought the creature with everything they had, only for it to remain unfazed. It was like watching a wildlife documentary where a bear rips into a beehive and feasts on the tasty larvae, while the bees wage war against an indifferent bear.

    Emily cursed under her breath and tore her eyes away from the morbid scene, searching for a way through the chaotic battlefield.

    Near the outskirts of the battle, a path that looked free of both elves and the wyrm came into view, but it was still a huge risk.

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    ¡°Alex, do you see it?¡±

    ¡°I see it, are you both ready?¡±

    Ashe had begun to shake and Emily saw this, her own nervous tremors just below the surface. Locking eyes with Ashe, Emily nodded slowly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give up on us now, Ashe. All you have to do is use your magic if the need arises, I¡¯ll do the rest.¡±

    Emily couldn¡¯t help the grin that spread over her face as the adrenaline churned in her chest.

    Pulling Ashe up from their half-crouched position, Emily got ready to run.

    Ashe was still shaking her head when Alex gave the signal. Emily dashed after Alex, pulling Ashe with her.

    The sound of the foliage being brushed aside temporarily drowned out the screaming elves, but the moment they exploded from their hiding place, heavy sounds and smells assaulted them.

    The night air was filled with brimstone and burning flesh, only the metallic scent of elf blood could compare to it.

    Corpses of the small black-eyed creatures littered the ground in pieces, but Emily ignored them, pulling Ashe beside her. The woman had begun to run on her own but by this point, they''d been noticed.

    Emily had hoped the wyrm would have distracted them more, but the elves spotted their three-man group and began rushing toward them.

    The upside of this was that their numbers were half of what they would have been if the wyrm hadn¡¯t stopped to have a snack.

    Almost twenty germline-like creatures closed in on them from all directions, their bluish skin and haggard faces tinted with rage.

    They couldn¡¯t hurt the wyrm but the same could not be said for their party.

    Five elves rushed towards them from the front and Alex dashed forward, his body suddenly burst forward at speeds Emily didn''t know he was capable of. He separated the heads from two elven necks before they¡¯d realized what was even happening. Proceeding to gutting a third and kicking the legs out from another, the last one received a flying dagger pulled from Alex¡¯s belt.

    The entire maneuver had flowed from one moment to the next, as though he had done this a thousand times.

    Leaving the way ahead open to them. Emily dashed after his warpath and made sure to slash her drawn blade across the chest of the fallen one.

    Ashe tugged at Emily as the elves closed in from both sides, more pouring from the nearby burrows.

    It was about this time their luck turned on them.

    The wyrm seemed to sense the gathering forces and turned in their direction.

    Now, Emily had stared down all manner of intimidating creatures and foes in her life, but when the bus-size lizard turned its cold eyes in their direction, she couldn¡¯t help the shiver that ran down her spine.

    This fear was primal, a peak predator locking its gaze on prey.

    Emily''s gaze snapped to the wyrm''s eyes and held it, meeting the challenge out of the corner of her eye.

    A thunderous roar shook the treetops and it was the only warning they got as the wyrm charged in their direction.

    Ashe screamed in horror and Alex grunted.

    Emily tore her eyes away from the beast, bringing her lifeforce to her skin in preparation, putting on a burst of fresh speed.

    Alex was cutting through the elves blocking their path, but more were piling on and even his enhanced speed was unable to keep up. Arriving beside him, Emily slashed her short blade outwards and gouged it across the eyes of an elf.

    Behind her, she could hear the earth-shaking stomps getting ever closer. A feeling of true urgency hit Emily at this point and she could no longer afford to play with a handicap.

    Reaching forward to the blinded elf she pulled it in and ripped into its throat with her canines.

    The thing was dead and forgotten before the next one even arrived, Emily glanced back and saw Ashe''s eyes locked on her, but there was no time to worry about that now.

    Alex continued to forge a path through the swarm, while Emily backed him up as best she could. Managing the drain another three before the sounds behind them became impossible to ignore.

    A peek behind them saw the wyrm hot on their tail, ripping through the elves as though they weren¡¯t there.

    Ashe was shaking fiercely now and her grip on Emily¡¯s cloak had loosened.

    She looked like she wanted to let go but the fear of what was behind them wouldn¡¯t let her. If the thing got to them Emily didn¡¯t think her small reserves of power would be able to fend off the creature.

    ¡°Alex we need to make a push!¡±

    Alex glanced back just once and then nodded, he began altering their direction to the nearest set of trees, at the same time his speed seemed to double again as sweet began to pour down his skin. This put them directly in the path of a thick collection of burrows but at this point, they needed the shortest possible route.

    Emily slashed at an elf attempting to take out her legs from underneath her. At the last second, she saw it change the direction of its club to hit Ashe. Emily held out her palm releasing a blood bolt and crushing its skull.

    Ashe¡¯s eyes grew wider still as the attack happened right in front of her. The woman didn¡¯t say anything but there was no time to because Emily saw the wyrm had finally arrived, and looking over Ashe''s shoulder she saw it winding up. Wrapping an arm around Ashe, Emily pulled her backward under the swipe from the creature.

    The uneven ground caused Emily''s foot to catch against one of the burrow¡¯s entrances and they both went crashing to the ground.

    The wyrm loomed over them and Ashe screamed as it reared back, ready to strike.

    Emily had at most four blood bolts left in her and that was assuming they could even pierce this creature''s thick hide, she was on her feet in seconds flat but before she could do anything the earth trembled.

    Ashe¡¯s scream was labored as she lifted her arms above herself. The soil and rock below them shuddered before launching up into the air. A jagged stone jutting out of the ground and rising to smash the creature in the neck.

    The wyrm screamed and recoiled from the sudden attack. At the same time, the large stone remained fixed in the earth, as though walling them off from the creature. Ashe¡¯s eyes pulsed a forest green but then rapidly began to fade, returning to their natural green. Her head lulled as she struggled to remain sitting, but Emily was already scooping the woman off the ground.

    ¡°Nice job, I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±

    Ashe wasn¡¯t heavy but she was by no means light. So Emily was left tugging her onto her back and making a break for it. This turned out to be the correct decision because moments later the wyrm put its full weight against the wall causing it to crumble. The stone collapsed moments later leaving one very pissed lizard crawling over the rubble. Worse still, it didn''t look even remotely hurt.

    Alex had cleared a path through the elves and was standing at the treeline, watching the two of them.

    He was about to dive back in when Emily shook her head at him causing him to stop where he was.

    Emily was almost to the treeline when she stopped and lowered herself to the ground, near a collapsed burrow.

    Elf corpses, and more importantly elf blood surrounded her as she turned to face the charging predator. Lowering herself to her haunches she sent all her remaining lifeforce into the surrounding blue blood. Causing it to writhe towards her and wrap around her frame, taking the shape of a delicate navy gown.

    There wasn¡¯t wasn''t enough to do any real damage to this titan but she had another idea. Blood peeled away from Emily''s form and slithered forward, crashing into Wyrm and wrapping around its eyes and snout. The beast halted its charge and shook itself desperately, Emily groaned as she stood up while trying to hold the blood there. She sprinted towards the treeline where Alex waited, killing any elves that dared to approach. Emily¡¯s power gave out just as she got to him, leaving her feeling hollowed out.

    The roar that came from the beast was filled with frustration, but by then the three of them had slipped back into the safety of the trees.

    Emily was not a fan of retreating, but in this case, it was necessary, and when she was strong enough she¡¯d get her revenge.

 Chapter 21 - Final stretch

    Emily and Alex took turns carrying Ashe as they moved through the frozen forest. After they¡¯d gotten away from the burrows they hadn¡¯t stopped to rest for the last couple of hours.

    Ashe had been out of commission since. Alex said she had already been near her limit before they crossed and with that large working of magic, it had taken its toll.

    Emily wasn¡¯t sure what the repercussions of overusing magic were, but from how Alex looked at Ashe, they weren''t good.

    Before they cleared the remainder of the burrows, they had encountered a few more elves but Emily had made short work of them, even managing to ¡®eat¡¯ two of them.

    By the time Alex thought they were in safer territory Emily had been looking for an excuse to stop and rest.

    They found a small space free of snow, tucked away between three large trees, and set Ashe down.

    Seeing as this was the first time they had managed to rest since their escape, Emily took a moment to inspect the woman.

    From the outside, she looked pale and was completely unresponsive, but Emily lay her down on the dry patch of ground.

    Alex frowned as he looked at them, taking a shallow breath he nodded in her direction.

    ¡°Emily, I need you to look at her bridge and see if she¡¯s suffering from source exposure. Describe to me what you see.¡±

    Emily looked up at him in confusion.

    ¡°What? Why can¡¯t you?¡±

    Alex was resting up against a tree and she noticed he seemed to be panting harder than usual from their travels.

    ¡°Please? Just check for me, tell me what you see.¡±

    Shrugging, Emily shifted the woman to expose her back. Alex turned to look off into the forest.

    Emily was about to ask what she was looking for when the woman¡¯s bridge came into sight. This was the first time Emily had seen an actual bridge, other than the glimpses she managed to catch of her own. Ashe¡¯s bridge was a brilliant deep green diamond, situated at the base of the neck. It seemed to flicker with a gentle glow from within, but she got the feeling that wasn¡¯t normal, because of the surrounding skin. Nasty pockmarks of flesh had taken on a deep grey. The blisterlike protrusions looked like rock that had grown from her back, a soft touch confirmed they were cold and firm.

    Pulling more of her clothes aside, Emily could tell most of the skin on her back was littered with this calcified skin.

    ¡°Shit, what¡¯s going on, is this because she used too much magic?¡±

    Looking up at Alex, she saw he was now looking at her, but avoiding glancing down at Ashe.

    ¡°Is she presenting physical changes?¡±

    Emily looked down and then nodded describing what she was seeing. It looked like stone was eating her back.

    ¡°Damn. Yes, she drew too much power. I thought that last attack looked too powerful for a single title.¡±

    Emily frowned at this.

    ¡°What does a title have to do with this? Is she going to be okay?¡±

    Alex readjusted himself and then grimaced in pain.

    ¡°Does she only have one bridge? If she had two then she should be fine, but with every title you gain another bridge. This means one can draw and handle more energy, the two of us are kinda in the same boat at the moment.¡±

    Emily quickly searched for a second crystal on Ashes back but froze when she comprehended what Alex meant.

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯ve been looking bad for a while now, are you okay?¡±

    Alex snorted.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m nowhere near as overdrawn as her, I just need some rest.¡±

    Emily blinked slowly.

    ¡°But what magic did you use¡­¡±

    She suddenly remembered the incredible speed Alex had exhibited during the fight. It was unlike anything she¡¯d seen him use before.

    ¡°Wait, you''re saying your bridge is the same? Let me see, If it''s bad maybe there¡¯s some way to treat it?¡±

    Emily got up and was moved in Alex¡¯s direction, but he was suddenly up and backing away.

    ¡°Hold on, I¡¯m fine. Plus you shouldn¡¯t go around trying to see people¡¯s bridges, they may get the wrong idea.¡±

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Emily cocked her head, there was something she wasn¡¯t understanding here. The memory of Claire checking her bridge came to her and the sudden awkward looks both Alex and Vail had gotten suddenly made sense.

    ¡°Wait.. are you shy.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t help it, a wry smile bloomed on her face.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it, I¡¯m just saying there are some things you should keep private.¡±

    A laugh escaped Emily¡¯s lips, but she held up her hands in surrender

    ¡°Alright, I understand, I won¡¯t push you, but are you sure there''s nothing we can do to help either of you?¡±She hadn¡¯t noticed it before but Alex''s face was redder than usual, she thought it was from exhaustion, but now that she took a closer look it was more of a sunburn. Or perhaps a light fever? Either way, he was sweating profusely.

    ¡°Not unless you have a siphon just lying around.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t say anything, but Alex saw the question on her face and sighed.

    ¡°When we draw too much through our bridges a siphon can help us to regulate the amount of energy we hold onto, otherwise we have to wait until it can dissipate naturally. For some, that''s faster, but it depends on how much over our natural limit we draw.¡±

    This made sense to Emily. It sounded similar to a balloon, one could inflate themselves with energy and as much as they could handle, but then they had to wait for it to naturally leak away. A siphon must be like an additional release valve.

    ¡°And what do these siphons look like.¡±

    Alex shrugged.

    ¡°Anything really, some set them on staffs, while others wear them as rings, but all of them have to have the respective colored gem for each bridge.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, you mean like a fancy magic crystal?¡±

    Alex seemed to weigh this up and nodded, while Emily dug through her cloak''s inner pockets to find the item.

    ¡°What color bridge did you say you had again?¡±

    Alex was looking at her with a wary look now.

    ¡°...My bridge is¡­ red.¡±

    Emily smiled as she pulled the broach from her pocket, its warmth gently encasing her hand.

    ¡°Like this?¡±

    The moment Alex¡¯s eye fell on the broach he stilled.

    ¡°...Are you telling me you had a siphon this whole time and you¡­¡±

    Alex stifled a sigh.

    ¡°Well, I mean it makes for a wonderful little hand warmer. And how was I supposed to know you needed it if you never told me this.¡±

    Alex began spluttering with indignation.

    ¡°Do you have any idea how expensive those things are, easily a hundred times the tonics, and you were using it to warm your hands? You know what, I give up, may I use the siphon?¡±

    Emily hummed.

    ¡°How long are you going to need it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure a couple of hours?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, okay you can hang onto it till we get to the keep, but I want it back then. I can¡¯t have you running off with my property.¡±

    Alex¡¯s brow twitched but he simply held out his hand towards her, at which point Emily placed the broach in his palm.

    The relief on his face was instantaneous as the gem on the front began to glow.

    Emily''s amused face shifted when she looked back down at Ashe.

    ¡°What are we going to do about her, what will happen if she doesn¡¯t get a siphon.¡±

    Alex pursed his lips.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to get her to a Healer at this point, they can siphon off enough energy. There¡¯ll be some at the keep, but we¡¯ll just have to hope she lasts till then.¡±

    Emily nodded and bundled Ashe up against the cold. It was a strange feeling for Emily to be caring for another. She was so used to only watching out for herself that helping people felt out of place, and yet since she¡¯d gotten to this world she¡¯d helped two people.

    Emily was just using their remaining blankets to fasten Ashe to her back when Alex began advancing again.

    Their biggest problem became finding the road in the dark, trudging through the undergrowth in the early hours of the morning, making for a hard mission.

    Emily only spotted that beautiful red brick wonder as the light began to enter the world again and the natural sounds of wildlife returned.

    At this point Emily was ready to marry the thing, she¡¯d left its side twice and regretted it both times.

    Alex rolled his eyes when Emily patted the road ¡®hello¡¯, but kept his thoughts to himself, and as if it were welcoming her home, the road made for a much more pleasant journey.

    Alex was convinced they¡¯d somehow wandered past to secondary blockade, as the elf burrows were almost non-existent here.

    The morning hours were brisk but neither of them slowed their pace. Alex had begun to look better as the time moved on and Emily could only assume the siphon was working. Ashe on the other hand had begun to groan in her sleep with sweat beading on her forehead.

    Emily hadn¡¯t stopped to check, but she could feel the calcified flesh in Ashe¡¯s back creeping toward her ribs, each hardened mass pressing painfully into her side. The weight of Ashe''s body against her own was more noticeable now, an unyielding pressure that made every step harder. Emily wasn¡¯t certain, but she was almost sure Ashe was getting heavier too, as though she were turning into a chunk of stone.

    Alex saw her struggling and traded places with her, shouldering her weight without complaint.

    Emily took up the lead, mostly just to guard against ambushes, because if she¡¯d learned anything, it was that disaster could strike at any time out here, even on the road.

    As luck would have it her caution was unfounded when they crested over a rise and the very tops of the trees gave way to a massive valley.

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened as she took in the scene. Gigantic mountain ranges ate the horizon, choked with trees and frosty vegetation, stretching off into the distance. The base of both mountains formed a valley. Nestled in their shadow was a humongous structure.

    Where Emily had expected to see a small fort or village at the bottom, she instead saw a colossal red-bricked dome. It stood out against the whites, browns, and grays of the landscape. Its architecture reminded Emily of an igloo, but it wasn¡¯t quite right. Four large columns stretched up and around the curve of the wall, but they never touched it, nor did they cross at the top. It made Emily think of four large claws rising from the ground to grab hold of the keep and drag it below the surface.

    From her vantage point, the half-sphere seemed to have all manner of protrusions. Upon closer inspection, Emily realized they were balconies or walkways. Similar to the road, the snow seemed to have a hard time settling on the structure, with only the barest hints of frost clinging to the tallest parts.

    The road they were on led to the keep, along with dozens of other roads stretching off in all directions as they cut through the landscape.

    Emily was still staring in awe when Alex came to stand beside her. He had a sour expression on his on his face.

    ¡°Listen, we want to avoid sticking out in this place, so no blood magic. They may have a ruling title in there but that is by no means a guarantee of safety. They don¡¯t call this the prison of the north for nothing.¡±

    Emily just rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Got it, keep things under wraps, but all things considered, I¡¯d take just about anywhere that can offer me a warm bed for the night.¡±

    The fact that Alex didn¡¯t immediately argue was proof enough that he felt the same.

    ¡°You may feel differently soon enough, but for now let''s find a place to stay.¡±

 Chapter 22 - Tagrinéˆ¥æªš keep

    Emily walked in front as they broke into the clearing at the bottom of the valley. The trees nearby had all been uprooted long ago to leave a wide unobstructed view of the surrounding land. Snow covered the field from the night before, but as Emily glanced around she didn¡¯t notice any fields nearby.

    Emily pushed the thought to the back of her mind as they approached the keep''s entrance.

    Right now the early morning sun was still casting the trees as long tortured shadows, but as they approached the looming wall, Emily saw a gate of sorts. She spotted several more scattered along the length of the structure, seemingly at odd intervals. However, each led off to a different road.

    The main gate was a large metal affair that could have easily accommodated a school bus, but from the looks of things, there was a smaller personal door they were heading to now.

    When they got there Emily spotted a guard station embedded into the wall. Slatts had been left in the metal to allow people to see the outside world. As they got closer a voice called to them and Emily could just make out a form sitting at what looked like a counter.

    ¡°Well, good morning ma¡¯am, sir. We don¡¯t get a lot of travelers arriving this close to the night hours. I was just about to get off shift. Please wait there a moment.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t know what to expect but a couple seconds later the door they had arrived at opened on its own.

    Emily looked at Alex and he nodded. So shrugging she stepped through the door with Alex and Ashe hot on her heels.

    They¡¯d arrived in a small room with a door at the other end. At the midpoint, Emily noticed a pane of glass set into the metal wall, along with a tiny metal slot beside it.

    When she got there she could see it was probably the same man that had just spoken to them. It looked like this was merely an extension of the same room they had seen before.

    The man was dressed in comfortable leather armor and had stripes of red cloth sticking out like plumage from a bird.

    The man held himself similarly to those at the barricade, trained yet relaxed. Remembering where she was, Emily dug through her bundle and extracted the letter Claire had given her, but before she could hand it over the guard spoke.

    She saw a scowl flash across his features, but he plastered a casual smile on his face and turned to look at Alex behind her.

    ¡°What brings you this far north sir?¡±

    Alex readjusted Ashe on his back and pressed his lips together.

    ¡°We¡¯re here to deliver my sister to her partner. Unfortunately, we had some trouble on the way and one of our numbers was hurt. Do you know where we could find a Healer?¡±

    The guard looked at Ashe as if seeing her for the first time, but the way he looked at her was familiar to Emily. It looked like how Claire had glanced at them through her monocles. As though he were seeing something they weren¡¯t

    ¡°She¡¯s a Mage, is she suffering from source exposure?¡±

    It was then that Emily realized that instead of a monocle he was using the pane of glass in front of them. The guard had to be a Spyglass.

    His next sentence though made Emily pause.

    ¡°By the looks of it she''s gone volatile, I can¡¯t let her in if that''s the case. I¡¯ll have to call a Healer in, and at this hour that¡¯ll cost you quite the sum.¡±

    Alex frowned.

    ¡°How much?¡±

    The man¡¯s smile increases by a degree.

    ¡°Factoring in your monthly entry fee for three adults, plus a Healer, you¡¯re looking at a six tri¡±

    Alex¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°You¡¯re messing with me. I know for a fact a monthly fee for all three of us won¡¯t even come to a single tri. And to call out a Healer is no more than two. So, will you take the three tri or should I take this up with someone else?¡±

    The guard didn¡¯t even have the decency to look ashamed. He just laughed and scratched the back of his neck.

    ¡°Normally that''s the case but I see you have a ¡®clipped¡¯ by your side. The cost goes up because of her.¡± his smile dropped.

    Alex flinched when the guard said this and looked at Emily with worry and a hint of shock.

    The meaning of the word escaped her, but Emily could tell by the context this man was insulting her. As a matter of fact, the moment he¡¯d seen her through the glass he¡¯d stopped even addressing her.

    The appropriate response would be to break this window, drag the man out kicking and screaming, and beat him until he couldn¡¯t do much of either. However, she knew this was probably the only place for kilometers where she could get a bed and possibly hot water.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    The smile that appeared on Emily¡¯s face was vibrant, but it never reached her eyes.

    ¡°Well, Mr guard man, I want an employee review card so I can like to leave you a scathing comment or two.

    The look of confusion and the beginnings of a scowl began to cross the guard''s face but Emily didn¡¯t give him a chance to respond.

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have those here? Figures. You know what I have a letter for you from the blockade a day''s travel from here. This will explain my situation.¡±

    The guard''s eyes narrowed dangerously and he seemed ready to kick them out on their asses, but he paused when he saw the seal on the letter Emily had.

    Opening the slot, she shoved the course envelope through to him.

    He paused but then cracked the seal and read the letter, gaining a thoughtful expression.

    ¡°...I¡¯ll get you that healer but the price remains firmly at four tri from the trouble.¡±

    Emily pulled out the only square coin she had and dumped it down the slot, the guard paused before collecting it, his mouth remaining fixed shut.

    Once he was done he pushed the change back through the slot along with four slips of waxy paper, and cleared his throat.

    ¡°Right, take that door through to the next room, the Tollminder will give you your stamps. Once you¡¯re through wait there for the Healer.¡±

    Emily glanced back at Alex who seemed to be pleading for her not to cause a scene.

    To which Emily shrugged and walked away from the counter without another glance at the man.

    When she pushed on the door it opened and Emily walked through into a similar rectangular room.

    The difference here was an old woman sitting in the corner in a simple wooden chair, she was resting up against the wall and using a cane to hold herself in place.

    ¡°Come to me youngins, I need to see your passes¡±

    Emily stepped forward and showed her the four scraps of paper. The elderly lady took three of them and hummed when she looked at the fourth.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry your friend is hurt, I hope she heals well. Please show me your wrists please.¡±

    Emily pulled up her sleeve and the woman grasped her arm in her gnarled hands. Her fingers were black with ink stains and Emily didn¡¯t expect the little old lady to suddenly pull out a needle and prick her. Emily¡¯s first reaction was to punch the old bat, but Alex grabbed her wrist before she could.

    ¡°Relax! It¡¯s just a toll stamp¡± he hissed into her ear.

    Emily''s body was like a taunt wire as the woman brought the needle down again and again. She¡¯d have expected the process to hurt more, but even with her shaking arms, Emily could see a display of skill that very few could match in her old world.

    She was done in under thirty seconds and then she did Alex and Ashe.

    Once she was finished the woman waved them towards a third doorway, wiping her calloused hands off on a rag as they stepped through the door.

    Looking down Emily saw she had a small tattoo of a sphere gripped in by four large talons. It was no bigger than a centimeter across but hurt less than she thought it would.

    Alex leaned over and lowered his voice.

    ¡°The stamp will fade after a month and if one wants to continue staying in the city they need to pay for another. More importantly, what in the five, is a ¡®employee review card¡¯?¡±

    Emily''s lip tugged upward.

    ¡°Meh, nothing that really works, but he was pissing me off, and my gramps always used to say, ¡®If you can''t afford to kill someone, confuse ''em¡¯.¡±

    Alex squinted his eyes at Emily as though he was trying to piece things together but failing abysmally.

    ¡°But more importantly, how did you know he was ripping us off? Have you spent time here?¡±

    At the question, Alex backed off and shook his head.

    ¡°...No, not really. That''s just a fair price.¡±

    Emily squinted at Alex but she shrugged.

    Looking around at the room they were in, she could see this one was much larger than the other two and carried the airs of a government waiting room. Chairs were lining the walls and a large set of doors had guards posted nearby.

    Alex said they could normally just go straight through but they were waiting for the Healer.

    Which in Emily''s opinion took far too long. Alex lay Ashe down on one of the chairs and Emily had another look at her.

    The rocks were creeping up her neck at this point, and Emily wasn¡¯t sure how much longer the woman could hold on.

    Ten minutes later a man entered through a side door and glanced about. They were the only ones in here so he headed in their direction.

    ¡°Hello, my name¡¯s Healer Zeth, I¡¯m here to help by the Hand¡¯s request. Can I see the patient?¡±

    Emily wanted to blink at the strangeness of the man¡¯s features, he looked normal enough if you consider everything as a whole, but his left arm was completely missing from the shoulder down along with spiraling blemishes at crept up from beneath his clothes and wrapped over his face.

    Emily stepped aside and let the man forward. Zeth frowned the moment he saw her and then he placed his hand on her forehead and closed his eyes.

    He opened them a moment later and looked towards them.

    ¡°It''s severe but she is within my ability to treat. Unfortunately, it will take a while, and we¡¯ll need to head somewhere more private. They don¡¯t allow healing in here unless it''s a true emergency.¡±

    Alex nodded.

    ¡°Right then, we¡¯ll find an inn. Let''s go.¡±

    They made their way to the door, and the guards on either side pushed it open for them. Emily hadn''t known what to expect, but stepping out onto a bustling thoroughfare was completely unexpected.

    The street was paved with the same red brick as outside. Grey stone buildings flanked the road set into the walls of the structure, and people hurried about their business. Some argued with hawkers or entered the nearby buildings, while others led winter mules pulling carts loaded with supplies. There were no children, but Emily noticed several teenagers lingering at the edges of walkways eyeing passers-by. This lively scene took place in a large corridor that branched off in multiple directions, leading deeper into the mountainous structure. Near the ceiling, birds flitted around glowing lanterns, waiting to descend on dropped morsels, their chirps blending with the clamor of people.

    Even as the doors closed behind them Emily could feel the everpresent cold of outside fade. Draughs of warm air seemingly originating from deeper in the keep. Right away her thick winter clothes felt out of place as the people here wore thin layers as if amid summer. Causing a sea of multicolored fabrics to unfold in front of them. Unfastening her cloak Emily bundled it up and tied it to her pack. Alex was already off with Ashe in his arms and Zeth in tow. He¡¯d barely taken a moment to absorb the sights before he headed straight down the main road. Emily walked after him but spared more than a glance to take in the alien land. She passed some stalls nearby that carried a strange collection of fruit, most of which she couldn¡¯t even tell if they were edible. A plump man manning the stall beckoned her forth but she waved him off and caught up with the group.

    Sign boards stuck out of the gray buildings, images denoting a hairdresser, tailor, and a bar of some kind. They passed several signs that looked like they had beds expertly painted on them but Alex seemed to just pass them by, eventually, he selected a building with a sign of a field mouse lying in a bath with a large pillow behind its head. There was even some writing on it but Emily couldn¡¯t make it out. Alex pushed his way into the sleepy-looking inn and Emily followed last taking one last look out onto the chaotic street filled with life. So much of it was new and open to her, there was just one more thing to do, but even still excitement burned in her chest.

 Chapter 23 - Mitigating factors

    Emily firmly closed the heavy wooden door to the inn, instantly muffling the sounds of the bustling street outside. The warmth in the room was stifling compared to the roads, but it came with a sense of quiet calm, though there were a fair number of patrons there.

    A massive fireplace was situated at the far end of the room near an empty stage, but it was unlit. Closer to them were several tables affixed to the floor with more than a dozen people shoveling breakfasts down their gullets. To one side was an empty bar, and past that, a large set of stairs leading down to another level.

    Alex made a beeline for a woman wearing a brown apron, she¡¯d been talking to another patron but Alex didn¡¯t hesitate.

    ¡°Pardon the intrusion on your home ma¡¯am but we have injured and were hoping to procure a room or two from you.¡±

    The woman before him was rotund, a testament to years of hard work and hearty meals. Her hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, and her face bore the gentle creases of many smiles.

    ¡°Well then we¡¯d best get you situated, Jesse, I¡¯ll have those clean sheets sent down to ya.¡±

    The handsome patron nodded to her as he stepped toward the stairs, in turn, the large woman made a ¡®come here¡¯ motion at one of the distant tables in the room.

    A young man no older than ten shoved a large slice of meat into his mouth before dashing toward them, the plate forgotten.

    ¡°Right, I¡¯m Hester and that¡¯s mi boy Tulie, he¡¯s gonna get ya to your rooms while one of you stays to settle up with me. It''s an oval for two rooms, and I won¡¯t argue pricing, we¡¯re worth it.¡±

    Alex nodded and turned to look at the kid who had just arrived.

    Hester scowled.

    ¡°What I¡¯d say about leaving ye plate lying around? Never mind that now boy, take these three down to level three, the last two rooms on either side of the hallway.¡±

    Tulie nodded quickly, his eyes glancing back the way he¡¯d come.

    ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am, you can all follow me¡±

    Alex was about to pass Ashe to Emily when she waved him off.

    ¡°You get him there it''s faster, plus this place is interesting I''m not ready to hole up in a room just yet.¡±

    Emily was being honest and she felt confident Alex wouldn¡¯t slip away at this point they both had too many questions.

    Alex shrugged and the four of them made their way toward the stairs.

    ¡°Alright lil lady, let¡¯s sort our funds at the bar, you look like you could use a drink.¡±

    Emily smiled at the woman.

    ¡°Sure, though I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s good.¡±

    Hester walked around to the other side of the bar and a new light entered her eye.

    ¡°Oh, but that''s mi specialty, best Alewife on the whole level.¡±

    Emily hung on up that word.

    ¡°Level?¡±

    ¡°Ah, fist time in Tagrin¡¯s keep? The whole city¡¯s split up into levels, you¡¯re on the base level. There¡¯s a couple up and down, but none of that''s interesting right now.¡±

    Emily sat on a comfy stool as Hester began pouring a ruby liquid into a solid-looking mug. Floam rose to the rim as she slammed it down next to Emily.

    ¡°No, da real interesting stuff is the time you lot chose to get here. Arriving in the morning usually means yous traveled by night, and one has to be stupid, desperate, or trained to travel by moonlight. Plus your injured companion, I can only think you lot are Frontier Explorers¡±

    She lowered her voice on the last part so that only the two of them could make it out.

    Explorer rang a bell, that was Alex''s title, but it seemed different from what she was referring to.

    Emily took a whiff of the concoction and was pleasantly surprised to find it smelled heavily of oranges. A sip confirmed a sweet blood orange flavor causing a subtle warmth to spread to her outer limbs. Glancing up Emily smiled apreciatedly at the woman, she felt a tug to spill her guts to this friendly face, but Emily realized the emotion was foreign so she brushed it aside.

    ¡°No Ma¡¯am, just desperate, but I¡¯d love to hear more about these Frontier Explorers you speak of¡±

    Hester seemed surprised for a moment but swept the look away quickly.

    ¡°Oh, my apologies, I thought¡­ Well if you¡¯ve not heard of them, then you¡¯re in for a treat. They¡¯re the greatest bunch of heroes on this side of the gray sands they are.

    The citrus drink soured in Emily¡¯s mouth at the use of ¡®Heroes¡¯, even though she was confident Hester was not using it in the same context it still caused her brow to twitch. However, the woman didn¡¯t seem to notice Emily¡¯s mood shift and continued.

    Their kind likes to explore the wilds in hopes of discovering more and even helps people when they are able.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    This caught Emily¡¯s attention. The helping people didn¡¯t appeal to her, but exploration had certainly been fun, even if she had almost died a couple of times.

    ¡°Oh and how does one become one of these Frontier Explorers?¡±

    Hester seemed only too happy to share.

    ¡°Well like any group title, you¡¯d have to get it from one of their senior members by working your way up the ranks. I know there¡¯s a place they gather I could tell you if you were looking for a meeting?¡±

    Emily held up her hand.

    ¡°Hard pass on that Hester but I appreciate it¡±

    Emily had way too much going on right now to get caught up in something like that.

    ¡°Instead, I¡¯d love to know, how people around here go about making a bit of coin.¡±

    Luckily right now, Emily¡¯s funds were sorted, but they wouldn¡¯t last forever so she wanted to be able to procure more when the need arose.

    ¡°Oh, sure¡­ Um well, usually one of the most profitable gigs around here is working for the hand. Depending on what services you can offer them you could get paid decently well. Of course, the farms are always looking for more volunteers. I¡¯ve heard the title is not hard to get and they pay you a living wage.¡±

    Emily nodded, she¡¯d certainly give Hester points for adaptability. They spoke for the next couple of minutes about possible jobs, but none interested her. It was fun to learn that the keep did all its farming underground, though how they managed that Emily wasn''t sure.

    Eventually, Emily said her goodbyes and paid the woman an oval and a single round. Hester in turn gave Emily two plates of food for them which Emile took happily.

    Tulie had returned long ago and he led Emily to the rooms. When she went down the stairs she felt she was stepping deeper into the earth, but for a city built like this one, she supposed it was to be expected.

    The passages down here were winding at best, Tulie seemed to have a good handle on the maze-like corridors, But Emily thought she would be able to navigate to the surface should she need to.

    When they stopped on a third flight of stairs, Tulie led Emily down a narrow passage. Doors appeared on either side and finally, they got to the end of the hallway.

    There she saw that one of the doors was already open. Heading towards it, Emily peeked through the threshold. The room was a small grey-stone affair with a wooden bedframe tucked into one corner. A desk with a mirror and metal basin rested in the other, alongside a small fireplace.

    The bed was occupied by Ashe who was panting as a fever griped her, but Emily was curious to see the stones near her neck had receded. Zeth sat at her bedside one hand on her forehead the other holding an unrefined piece of quarts. He seemed to be in extreme concentration and now and then the gemstone would flash a deep green as though something were escaping it.

    Tulie spoke up beside her, in not more than a whisper.

    ¡°Miss, the washrooms are on floor five, simply head back the way we came and down the stairs. You can''t miss it.¡±

    She doubted that very much, but thanked him anyway. After which he scampered off the way they''d come.

    Emily looked back into the room and saw the quiet atmosphere was better left undisturbed, so she turned to the other room on the opposite end and knocked.

    Only a few seconds passed before the door to the room opened, but to Emily felt like it may as well have been a lifetime.

    When Alex opened the door, Emily could see he¡¯d shed several layers of his travel clothes. Leaving a pair of trousers and a simple vest on, which was open in the front. She could see he¡¯d already lit the fireplace and had laid out all his drenched clothes in front of it.

    They both stood there for an unknown amount of time, neither saying anything before Emily sighed.

    ¡°You¡¯d better let me in, we have a lot to discuss and I¡¯d rather do it now than later.¡±

    Alex did his usual frown but stepped aside anyway.

    When she entered Alex shut the door behind her as she placed the plates of food near the fire.

    ¡°Zath said Ashe will be okay but she¡¯ll need rest¡­¡± Alex said.

    Emily grunted as she began stripping her layers as well, hanging them on the simple chair that furnished the room.

    ¡°She saw some things she shouldn''t have, I¡¯ll need to make sure she won¡¯t go spilling those secrets.¡±

    Alex nodded.

    ¡°Thought as much, why didn¡¯t you kill her¡±

    Emily''s brow twitched.

    ¡°Because contrary to what you think, I kill when they deserve it, that¡¯s it. And she doesn¡¯t yet, she helped me, even when she was scared so I¡¯ll do at least this much. If it becomes necessary, I¡¯ll silence her, but only then.¡±

    Alex shrugged like he didn¡¯t mind either way, but this was her problem so why should he?

    ¡°Sure, just keep an eye on her. Now back on topic, that guard called you ''clipped'', so I have to know, is your bridge broken?¡±

    Shaking her head, Emily could feel the warmth radiating from the fire. Alex had his shoes off and Emily could see the floors were made of red stone. She knew what she was about to say could weaken her position but it was necessary.

    ¡°No, my bridge is not broken, it just doesn¡¯t have a color, but where I come from, bridges do not exist.¡±

    Alex searched her face for a time but when he got no hint of a lie he frowned and turned to look into the fire behind her.

    ¡°So you are from one of the other planes¡­You said you were Innocent, kids use this title until they can change it at their first sleeping. Were you lying when you said the blood magic was your natural ability?¡±

    Emily pursed her lips.

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t lie about that.¡±

    ¡°So then, what rank are you?¡±

    ¡°Nine as far as I understand, though that was before the burrows, so possibly rank ten tonight?¡±

    Alex sat down on the bed, bringing a hand up to his chin.

    ¡°If you do have your first sleeping tonight, don¡¯t pick anything yet, just try to remember what you get. Having a clear bridge will lock you out of a lot of options but still, you should let me know.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±Emily asked, genuinely curious as to why he was suddenly helping her.

    Alex refocused on her with a serious expression.

    ¡°Because if we are going to be traveling together, then the stronger you are the better.¡±

    Emily squinted at the indecisive man.

    ¡°Oh and what happened to ¡®when we reach the keep we¡¯re done¡¯?¡±

    ¡°After what you told me, do you think I could turn down Eva¡¯s last request!?

    Alex stopped himself and took a breath.

    ¡°Look, her title was Spirit bearer, it¡¯s rare, the moment they discovered her bridge was yellow they made it their mission to get her that title. You are the last soul she managed to call. If I don¡¯t help you, it would be like ignoring her last wishes.¡±

    Emily stared down at the man, if only he knew what she¡¯d really traded this body for. Both of these people were so willing the sacrifice themselves for each other. The whole story almost hurt to listen to, but Emily refused to be swayed by it. She had to survive too, so for now, she¡¯d let him think whatever he wanted.

    ¡°Mmm, that was the previous offer, now I want something more to go with you.¡±

    Alex''s face flashed with annoyance.

    ¡°Nice try, but I¡¯m only offering one thing. I''m making this journey one way or another, if you¡¯re looking to carry out her last wishes, then I will take you along, but on my terms.¡±

    Emily huffed letting her shoulders droop.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even listen to what I had to say. I just wanted to know what''s pushing you so hard.¡±

    Alex paused like he¡¯d expected more.

    ¡°I have some things to do there.¡±

    Emily sent him the driest glare she could manage.

    ¡°Well, no fucking duh. But taking the seasons into account, we can¡¯t have much time before the middle of winter so is the place you needed to go near here? Will we make it in time?¡±

    Alex paused now, a dumbfounded look on his face.

    ¡°Emily¡­ the mid-winter festival passed just under a month ago, the next will only come around in eleven months, or more accurately, next year. If we¡¯re lucky the journey we have to make will take more than half that time.¡±

 Chapter 24 - Steam and secrets

    Emily stood frozen, fire popped and crackled, the fresh logs charring slowly.

    She couldn¡¯t quite wrap her head around Alex''s words.

    ''Next year?''

    They had only just gotten here and now she finds out this wasn¡¯t the finish line, but the start?

    Emily looked up at Alex¡¯s quizzical face. She was bound to this man for a year.

    ¡°What the fuck? How is this the end of winter, spring? I¡¯m just about freezing my tits off and you''re telling me this gets worse?¡±

    Alex frowned and looked at the room they were in.

    ¡°...Yes, you can barely move when the winter chill sets in, at least not without the proper items or titles. Even with several layers, we¡¯d freeze solid in under a minute. Why do you think the city¡¯s built like it is?¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened as the strange design started to make sense. She¡¯d been operating under the assumption that it was nearing mid-winter, and as such they were enduring the worst of the weather, but the real storms were so cold they had to build an underground city to survive.

    Emily cursed and got up pacing the floor of the room.

    Alex was watching her his lips flattening into a thin line.

    ¡°So we can¡¯t stay here for long?¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t leave immediately, but no we shouldn¡¯t be here for long. I¡¯ve got a couple of people I need to see and then we¡¯re heading out¡±

    Shaking her head, she leveled her gaze at Alex

    ¡°Nuh ah, I¡¯m done operating like that, if you want me to trust you, you start explaining how you know all this shit, and your plans going forward. I refuse to continue this guessing game.¡±

    Emily¡¯s voice was shrill but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to care. This wasn¡¯t part of the plan, well it was, but not for this long.

    Alex pressed his lips together.

    ¡°Look, I''ve just read a lot, and as for the plan there are things you just don¡¯t need to know yet.¡±

    Emily''s eyes glowed a dull crimson as what little energy she had shifted in her chest.

    ¡°Goddamit Alex, don¡¯t fuck with me right now. We can¡¯t be at cross purposes on this, especially if this journey is as long as you say.¡±

    Alex remained seated, but his arms crossed over his chest, and his voice became icy.

    ¡°Look, you saved my life, I''m grateful, but to be completely honest I don¡¯t trust you. I¡¯d be stupid to, I don¡¯t know what you are or where you came from, the only reason I¡¯m taking you along is because you¡¯re bound to Eva, that''s it.¡±

    Emily stared at the man, scrutinizing him. The tension in the room was thick with unspoken threats.

    Minutes ticked by but neither of them budged, letting out a breath Emily let a blanket of cold reason rest on her shoulders. She didn¡¯t like it but she could see his point she could be a demon from the last circle of hell, here to end the world, or something. Did they even have demons here?

    ¡°...Fine, but we¡¯re not done talking about this. I¡¯m going for a walk. I¡¯ll be back, open for me when I knock, I¡¯m not going to bother Ashe while she¡¯s still recovering.¡±

    Alex didn¡¯t say a word, but his eyes seemed to give her enough. Turning Emily walked out of the room still partially dressed, slamming the door behind her.

    Zeth walked to the opening and Emily almost missed him, her own thoughts scrambling through her brain.

    ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve done all I can for today. She¡¯s stable, If you want I could come back tomorrow and check on her but that would be another charge-¡±

    Emily waved him off, ignoring him entirely.

    Winding her way down the corridors Emily tried to tamper down her frustration. She wasn¡¯t used to dealing with problems she couldn¡¯t make disappear immediately and it was driving her insane.

    When Emily hit the staircase she headed downwards, luckily the warmth of the keep seemed to reach even down here. Taking the steps until she came to the bottom. The moisture in the air hit her almost immediately, clinging to her skin. Two doorframes stood in front of her with signs over each entrance.

    Emily then realized she subconsciously made her way down to the washrooms. Deciding then and there she could use the distraction, she headed for the doors.

    The signs were of two field mice, one held a large diamond in its arms while the other held a square.

    Emily frowned at the signs, there was nothing to tell these two signs apart, but she could only assume it was the division between male and female. The signs had words on them, but again, that didn¡¯t help Emily a whole lot.

    Shrugging she made her way towards the mouse with the diamond.

    Upon entering she found a large changing area, baskets lining the walls for personal effects and she saw several women getting changed and then moving to a passageway at the end of the room. A small side passage led to a more private area which Emily assumed was the lavatory blocks.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Emily shed her remaining clothes and wrapped the towel around herself moving into the next chamber.

    Right away she was hit with a steam-filled room that carried a heavy floral scent in the air.

    Several deep baths of steaming water were scattered about, each with different herbs drifting through the water.

    The nearest one to Emily had Green petals floating on the surface, tinging the water a light green hue. The room was well-ventilated and seemed to be one of the only areas where they were pumping in cool air.

    It was at this time that Emily noticed both men and women in the waters, she could see a similar door to the other side of the room and realized it must be the men''s changing room.

    Emily shrugged and wasted no time in disrobing and moving to the steps of the alluring green waters. She saw a few nearby men and women wearing a short thin cloaks, probably designed for bathing, that covered their bridges and then looped back around to cover their lower halves. Emily didn¡¯t have anything like that, nor did she care.

    It seemed society looked at bridges as an area of social shame in certain cases, but Emily did note that the ones wearing tiny cloaks were about fifty-fifty. They were also the ones who took one look at Emily and frowned, separating themselves from the others and collecting in the middle of the mint-green pool of water.

    Emily didn¡¯t even bother rolling her eyes; it seemed that the hierarchy of etiquette played a part in this world too. The moment Emily¡¯s foot dipped into the practically scalding water, she couldn¡¯t help but hum in satisfaction and lowered herself deeper still into the water''s warm embrace. It pulled the cold from her bones and by the time she was submerged to her neck she was in bliss, having earned this after days on the road. A couple of the women looked like they wanted to come over and talk But Emily was not in the mood, giving them polite smiles and moving to the furthest corner of the bath. The menthol scent was even stronger now and coated Emily¡¯s skin in the most pleasant smell of sweetness.

    It was all so relaxing but it all fell away when Alex''s face flashed behind her eyes, causing a scowl to fix itself on her face.

    The damned man refused to trust her, even when she¡¯d shown him he could on multiple occasions, granted there were things she had not told him, and yet not telling her the plan was too much. The scowl grew as Emily watched the ripples of water stretching out from herself, but then another set of opposing ripples met her own.

    Looking up and vaguely familiar face stood there, Emily was still trying to place it when the man came directly up and sat beside her.

    ¡°Morning, I¡¯m Jesse, and isn¡¯t it too early to be as angry as you look?¡±

    Emily blinked at the man and realized she recognized him. Hester had been busy talking to this man when they¡¯d entered, something about new sheets?

    The man was well-built and frankly beautiful, carrying himself with a sense of confidence that Emily could appreciate. The man was pleasant to look at and Emily found herself liking him, immediately. She was aware that this could be another title at work but at this point, she didn¡¯t much care.

    ¡°Well, it''s his fault. I¡¯m trying to make this work and it seems like he doesn''t give a shit.¡±

    Jesse tutted as he smiled.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been there. I know exactly where you¡¯re coming from. We men can be a little heavy-brained at times.¡±

    Emily nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Like now for example he¡¯s just expecting me to go along with his plan because apparently he can¡¯t ¡®trust¡¯ me. I think his ego is just too big¡±

    Jesse chuckled and nodded as though he understood.

    ¡°Look, how about we go to my room you can have a proper vent about it there.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t want to move just yet but she was tempted, the man was stunning, to say the least. Emily wanted normalcy right now, but just as she was about to answer.

    Emily heard one of the cloaked women say in undisguised disgust.

    ¡°Gosh, Companions certainly have a lot of energy, first that guard and now this young girl, honestly, they need at least some lines they won''t cross.¡±

    Emily glared over at the woman.

    ¡°Mind your manners and your business, or I¡¯ll force you to watch.¡±

    The woman took a step away as though slapped and at first she looked like she wanted to say more but Emily¡¯s gaze was focused on the woman now. She swallowed and the gaggle of women migrated to the other corner of the bath.

    Jesse for the most part looked unfazed.

    ¡°Sorry about that, I probably shouldn¡¯t have invited you in such a public place.¡±

    Emily shrugged as she turned back to Jesse.

    ¡°No problem, but what do you think of my current situation? Like what should I do with him?¡±

    Jesse seemed caught off guard.

    ¡°I, well, do you really want my opinion?¡±

    Jesse sounded slightly self-deprecating and Emily didn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°Of course, I want your opinion, or I wouldn¡¯t have asked for it. I¡¯m at a loss, and to be honest I could use all the help I can get.¡±

    Jesse had a strange expression on his face, it was a cross between bewilderment and appreciation.

    ¡°Um okay, have you considered that you are trying to rush your relationship?¡±

    Emily nodded.

    ¡°Go on¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, it sounds like you two are newly partnered, so if it¡¯s still a fresh relationship perhaps compromise is best. Go along with him, but have a bottom line that he needs to meet, as time moves on, and you increase trust between one another, you can move the goal posts?¡±

    Emily was not about to correct the man on their relationship because to be fair, the advice just might hold some merit.

    ¡°And what if he doesn''t start to trust?¡±

    Jesse shrugged.

    ¡°Then you annul the partnership and go your separate ways, but either way, give it some time. Six months, a year. It doesn''t matter, just keep at it.¡±

    Emily lifted a hand out of the warm water, letting droplets trickle from her fingertips. She wasn¡¯t sure that he¡¯d ever trust her fully but Jesse was right about one thing. The time limit meant that she was not bound forever. This too shall pass.

    If he didn¡¯t trust her then that was okay too, what good was there worrying about all this? Jesse had much more to say on the topic and Emily listened happily, but eventually, Emily wanted to know more about the man and what a companion did. Learning that they even had skills to help their patrons relax Emily resolved to try a companion at some point, but not right now, she had things to do.

    When it felt like she was nothing short of a cooked lobster, Emily began to make her way back.

    ¡°Thank you, Jesse. I¡¯ll keep all that in mind, I have to go but I hope to see you around.¡±

    Jesse glanced around the now empty bath and smiled.

    ¡°Sure, it seems we¡¯ve been here a while. Good luck with everything, and please look for me if you ever need to chat again, I¡¯ll even give you a discount.¡± winking at her.

    Emily got out of the bath and headed for her clothes. By the time she made her way up the stairs, her situation was feeling much more manageable.

    There was just one final thing she needed to say.

    When Emily got to their rooms she checked in on Ashe and saw her sleeping comfortably. Moving over to the other room she knocked.

    There was a shorter pause this time, but it did open.

    Alex was still standing there and by the looks of things he hadn''t gone to sleep yet.

    Stepping inside Emily looked at the bed, it was large enough for two, and as long as she kept herself covered he wouldn¡¯t complain.

    ¡°Right, I¡¯ve decided to go with you, but there¡¯s going to be a quid pro quo on your end. I won¡¯t ask what your grand plan is, in fact, I really don¡¯t care. But in exchange, you tell me what our next step is, in time for me to plan for it. I need to know so that at least we are not working against one another.¡±

    Alex pursed his lips, and he looked about ready to argue again but then relaxed slightly.

    ¡°Fine, our first destination is that lay line Ashe was talking about, and that''s only the first leg of our journey. It¡¯ll be hard, there''s something there we need, but we can¡¯t even get there until we get the right help.¡±

 Chapter 25 - Whispering stars

    The soft bedding beneath Emily was heavenly, it felt like years since she had a comfy place to rest. Not some hay-infested cubicle or cave floor, a proper bed. Alex lay facing the door with his back to her. The man had kicked up more of a fuss than she would have thought, but eventually, he¡¯d seen it her way.

    He¡¯d even attempted to sleep on the floor, because, as she¡¯d discovered it was heated, but she shut that idea down quickly. The reason Alex could go walking around barefooted was because the red stone gave off a constant amount of heat. It was similar to a siphon crystal in that it radiated warmth, only on a smaller scale. Similar crystals were crushed up and mixed into tonnes of stone to make the red insulating bricks. While they had been discussing it, she¡¯d gotten her broach back. Alex had not been happy to part with it, but that was not her problem, it was her hand warmer, and he could use it again if he needed it.

    Now, the soft crackling of the fireplace had long since burned out, taking the light with it. Emily was exhausted and sleep hung heavy on her eyelids, but every time she felt herself drifting off, the trembling would take hold, causing her eyes to snap open.

    Sitting up, Emily shifted to put the grey wall against her back. It was cool to the touch and in the frankly boiling room, it was amazing. Closing her eyes Emily decided that if she couldn¡¯t sleep the next best thing would be to try her breath exercises.

    Attempting to sink into that calm space took time but she got there after a while.

    The first thing that came to her, hit her like a beacon in the storm.

    Eva¡¯s memories squirmed to the front in a futile attempt to escape from the corner Emily had shoved them in. She didn¡¯t want to deal with those yet, but she couldn¡¯t ignore them forever. They may give her the answers she was looking for but there¡¯d be a cost. She¡¯d need time to tease them out and digest them if she wanted to remain herself.

    Emily spent some time floating through the dark, trying to ignore both the outside and inside worlds.

    Her body refused to believe she was safe, but it was difficult to convince it otherwise. Emily spent hours trying to send the nerves away from the surface.

    It was while she was doing this, that she felt the gentle tug from below. Floating downwards, Emily let herself be pulled under by the shadows.

    It was only once she¡¯d sunk into the void and that grass touched her back Emily felt a sense of calm she hadn¡¯t been able to achieve out there. The tremors couldn¡¯t reach her here.

    It was at this point that her eagerness took the foreground

    Emily was fairly certain she¡¯d rank up now and she was looking forward to it. Even now as the thousands of constellations squirmed about in joy, she could feel their desire to show her something and she wouldn¡¯t keep them waiting.

    ¡®Show it all¡¯ she thought

    As she relaxed into the comfy grass and waited for them to begin.

    The stars of light could scarcely gather together fast enough as they climbed over one another and arranged themselves into letters. There were far more words than she¡¯d ever seen before as the skies became her page.

    Rank ten achieved, opening the first bridge.

    Title mantle unlocked - You may don 1 active title and 2 additional passives.

    Gathering the deeds of Emily Hughes¡­

    You have been cursed by a Source!

    Your first Title slot shall offer half the wisdom and constraints of its previous bearers.

    To remove, make right your wrongs in the eyes of Cyclum.

    Title added to selection: Godstriken

    Compiling selection¡­

    Innocent, Void plagued, Scarlet sister, Explorer, Performer, Swordswoman, Godstriken, Cyclum touched.

    Emily stared up at the overload of information, a frown coming over her features. She knew right away where that curse had come from, and to say she was pissed was an understatement. That black-and-white entity was going to get special treatment from her.

    Unfortunately, their powers was currently greater than hers, so even if she kicked and screamed nothing would change.

    To distract herself Emily took a look at her options and tried to figure out what they all meant.  The one her eyes fell on first was Explorer, seeing as Alex seemed to hold the title.

    When she focused on it, the stars began to churn and rearrange themselves, but this time it was different.

    Several dozen dots of light pulled themselves from the canvas of the sky and rushed towards Emily, surrounding her as though in an embrace. They carried an indescribable feeling of wide open land, choked with adventure and the promise of discovery. The rush of climbing to the highest point just to look out over the expanse below, or plunging into the deepest watery depths in search of the darkest trenches of the abyss.

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    It left Emily breathless.

    Then the lights fled back into the sky, taking with them the exhilarating sensation, joining the others to form the next words.

    Explorer

    Active: access to the Explorer¡¯s skill tree.

    Passive: increase learning speed when engaged with new environments.

    Their words were simple and concise, but there was so much hidden there.

    Emily understood right away the path this title would lead her on, and frankly, it was incredible. If she took this title, not only would she gain the skills needed to follow it, but she would become adept in new situations, which was a big part of her journey ahead. She wanted to slot the title then and there, but she stopped herself.

    If this was how one felt, what about the others?

    Glancing over them she decided to get the boring ones out of the way. Focusing on Innocent, Emily saw several stars rush toward her, and the feeling of purity burned itself into her. She had thought the title weak, as children used it. Similar, to how a lamb was unable to hurt anyone, but instead, a righteous fury tore through her. Watching her every move and judging it. Emily frowned and swiped at the stars, causing them to rush back to the skies.

    Innocent

    Active: If this title is slotted as an active, it will make visible all passive titles.

    Passive: This title will expend itself when the bearer commits a wicked act. Acts of self-defense will not trigger the destruction of this title.

    Emily took a breath and apologized to the title for calling it boring. It was a valid path just like explorer, but for her, it was nearly impossible to walk. Shaking her head, Emily looked up and pulled down Swordswoman.

    The greatest number of stars yet, rushed towards her, rightening her shoulders, and setting years of poise and training into her. Discipline and practice were her greatest allies and she would carry them into battle, every hour a testament to one final dance of metal and determination.

    Emily sent the stars off, the path was admirable, but not for her. Looking around she pulled one of the big titles down, Godstriken. Half as many lights came down as Swordswoman, which said a lot about these beings.

    Godstriken would probably be unpleasant, so better get it over with. Emily was proved right a moment later when she felt a tearing pain bloom in her chest, opening an ugly scar of light and dark. She would suffer under this burden for the rest of her life as it pressed down with the strength of a rushing waterfall, unending. At the same time, it would always push her forward toward a goal, sharpening her strength like a blade. A constant companion.

    Godstriken

    Active: access to the Godstriken skill tree.

    Passive: All learning speed is halved when the bearer is in a relaxed state, but doubles when in anguish.

    Emily struck that one from the list immediately. A title that made you learn faster when you were in pain, no thanks. Everybody enjoyed a bit of self-flagellation now and then, but that was taking it to the next level.

    Performer was exactly as it sounded, when the stars settled in, Emily felt like she could be anyone, the only limitation was her knowledge of her target, as changed her very body and mind to become them.

    Performer

    Active: access to the Performer skill tree.

    Passive: Increased learning speed when studying others. Replication based on understanding.

    It was a handy skill to be able to copy others, but its direct lack of combat skills made it a bad choice for her. When she got to Cyclum touched Emily almost didn¡¯t bother, but decided to see what it was anyway.

    The stars were many and brought with them a duality. Life and Death formed in either hands, there for her to draw on. Emily could tell she would eventually have to pick one path to follow, but surprisingly there was no overbearing feeling of being watched. She thought the title was religious, but it was more like a source she could draw power from to take or give life.

    Cyclum touched

    Active: access to the Cyclum touched skill tree, along with the White and Black Mage skill trees. Connection to the source: Cyclum.

    Passive: Increased learning speed when devotion to Cyclum is at its zenith and magic related to Cyclum¡¯s will.

    Emily whistled when she saw what was on offer. Access to three skill trees? That sounded strong, but Emily still couldn¡¯t help feeling wronged by the entity. She had its curse for crying out loud. Why would she ever want a connection with a source like that? Even if it was as tempting as sin.

    Emily moved on to the last two, she¡¯d had left these titles till the end because they seemed the most interesting.

    Focusing on Scarlet sister, Emily only saw a few lights travel toward her, but when they got there, they burned in her blood with unity, calling out into the world and demanding to be seen. Demanding to be heard, anyone was welcome to this power as it bypassed the need for some grand source, instead relying on those willing to offer up their strength. Their power was their own, nurtured by one''s hand, to use for oneself. Emily could feel a sense of belonging creeping through her chest.

    Scarlet sister

    Active: access to the Scarlet sister skill tree, along with the Blood Mage skill tree.

    Passive: Increased learning speed when consuming blood, this is further increased if the blood is given willingly. Increased learning speed when studying blood wards.

    Emily paused thoughtfully on this option, it offered a lot and synergized well with her natural abilities, it was by far the best choice so far, but there was still one more.

    Void plagued raised serious warning alarms in Emily, it had the word plague in it for crying out loud, but she still called the stars.

    With every title a varying amount of lights had come, Emily took that to mean their popularity, but with this title, only a single star separated from the rest and floated down.

    When it touched her forehead it sunk into her body, infecting her flesh with an alien savagery that tore at her sanity. The world fizzled away like a burning reel, expanding onto a stretched plane of violet. It vibrated and pulsed without an up or down. Emily shook with a deep sense of cold and loneliness. Countless eyes turned to gaze her way, unseeable but there. They all wanted a piece, to rend her into tiny shreds, but like jackals in the wings, they waited. As something truly titanic came forward. It did not show itself, for like the others it was too much for a mortal to handle, but did send a deep longing to reunite with her.

    She could feel it as it stretched out a tendril and made the offering, its very first offering in this world. All it needed was for her to accept, and it would gain purchase as her source.

    Emily held her gaze on the violet world for as long as she could, but eventually, she had to shut her eyes. She did not hesitate to take power when it was offered and the unknown nature of this being wasn¡¯t giving her pause. It could be a demon for she cared, but once more it wanted her to become subservient to it, just like Cyclum. It gave power freely, but there was a price, and Emily wasn¡¯t desperate enough to pay it yet.

    Sending the star away broke the violet world into shards and revealed the words above.

    Void plagued

    Active: access to the Void plagued skill tree, along with all lost skill trees. Connection to the source: ????.

    Passive: Increase learning when one is lost.

    Emily struggled for a moment to recall the entities she¡¯d seen recently and none of them matched the feeling she had just gotten from that thing. One thing was for certain, she had its attention, and as sleep began to drag her under she couldn¡¯t determine if that was a good or a bad thing.

 Chapter 26 - Escapee

    Opening her eyes to the small room Emily took a look around, she felt like she¡¯d woken from a deep rest. She wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed but it had to be at least a full day. Alex was still fast asleep, but Emily knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to get back to the land of dreams at this point.

    Climbing out of bed was a horrid experience, but when her feet touched down on the warm stones Emily smiled in satisfaction. Moving around, she began doing her stretches as she loosened her fatigued muscles. Just as she was moving into her third form she spotted Alex¡¯s boots over by the fireplace. Emily slowed and thought it over.

    At this stage, she didn¡¯t think he¡¯d run from her but it never hurt to have reassurances. Glancing toward him, he looked like he was still asleep. It made sense though, he was still recovering from a heavy injury, even if he¡¯d tried to hide the fact.

    Moving toward the pair of boots, Emilt wrinkled her nose at the damp smell coming from them. Pulling up the sole inside the boot itself, Emily made a small cut along her thumb and let a couple of drops fall into each shoe. Replacing the soles and putting them back where she found them, Emily rubbed her hand on her pants in distaste.

    Hard part done, she reached into her chest and called to her blood, sending a small amount of power into it to prevent it from drying out. At this point, she hardly had the strength to fire two bolts, but this technique took almost nothing as long as she wasn¡¯t using it. It acted as a compass of sorts, her blood calling out to her. If Alex should ever escape her, Emily would be able to track him down, the method had its limits ¨CNamley if he got too far the blood would be unable to reach her¨C but it was the best she could do right now.

    Just before Emily stepped back to continue her stretches, she heard a voice from behind her.

    ¡°What are you doing over there?¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t look back and grabbed a log from beside the fireplace.

    ¡°I was just about to start a fire.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­ leave it. We have some things to do and get. Did you have your first sleeping?¡±

    Emily turned to look at him, tossing the log aside as she did so.

    ¡°Yeah, and I got quite a few options.¡±

    Emily went over the choices she¡¯d gotten baring Void plagued, Alex frowned when she told him of Scarlet sister though.

    ¡°Be careful to hide the fact you¡¯re Godstriken, even if you don¡¯t slot it may still cause us difficulties. What did you even do to get it?¡±

    Emily shrugged her shoulders neglecting to answer so he continued.

    ¡°Explorer and Swordswoman are both incredible, the fact you have Cyclum touched is a mystery to me, you must have impressed them. If I were you I¡¯d slot that one as my active.¡±

    Emily shook her head.

    ¡°Not happening.¡±

    Alex¡¯s eye twitched.

    ¡°...Emily don¡¯t mess around here, once you slot an active you can¡¯t change it till you rank up again.¡±

    ¡°What? I thought you said I could change them every day?¡±

    ¡°Those are your passive slots, and you can change them even in your waking hours, but your main title can only swapped out again when you¡¯re rank twenty-five, and we don¡¯t know how long that will take¡±

    Emily glanced at the ground in thought.

    ¡°Well¡­ it''s off the list, what about Scarlet sister? That one at least felt interesting.¡±

    Alex was sitting up now, and he looked conflicted.

    ¡°...I¡¯m unfamiliar with that one but it doesn¡¯t sound good. You have a ton of other good ones you should take those instead, most people only get one or two titles at their first awakening.¡±

    Emily crossed her arms and leaned against the fireplace.

    ¡°You said I could slot my passives now if I wanted? How?¡±

    Alex was glaring at her but released a breath.

    ¡°You make the conscious decision to change to those, you¡¯ll feel it clicking into place when you get it right. If you don¡¯t do it in your sleep though it¡¯ll take a couple of weeks of practice and you¡¯ll-¡±

    Emily focused inward and reached out toward the stars in her mind, they came rushing towards her at breakneck speeds and settled at the base of her neck, sinking into her bridge.

    She could almost feel the stars moving in her mind, arranging themselves into words.

    Passive slot filled: Explorer - Increased learning speed when engaged with new environments.

    Passive slot filled: Performer - Increased learning speed when studying others¡ªreplication based on understanding.

    Letting out a breath Emily spoke.

    ¡°Done, that felt incredibly fluid, should I feel any different?¡±

    Alex frowned.

    ¡°How did you¡­ You know what, it¡¯s not important. We should get going. We¡¯ll talk more about this on the move.¡±

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    Emily moved towards her own set of boots and began getting ready. When they were both dressed they made their way out of the room. Alex locked their door with a simple-looking key and they headed over to Ashe¡¯s room.

    The moment they opened the door they saw the bed was empty, its covers strewn halfway onto the floor. Ashe¡¯s things were gone.

    Emily cursed, they¡¯d locked the door to prevent her from getting out, but they¡¯d underestimated the woman. Just hours ago she¡¯d been on the verge of death, how was she even moving?

    Alex followed Emily in and shut the door with a serious expression.

    Emily looked around and spotted a scrap of ill-matching cloth amongst the bedsheets. Moving over to it she grabbed it, there were some words scrawled on it in splotchy charcoal, so Emily threw it to Alex to read out.

    ¡®Thank you for saving me, my lips are sealed.¡¯

    Emily frowned and looked about the room, glancing at the desk with a discarded stick of charcoal on it, she shook her head in frustration.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about saying I told you so.¡±

    Alex grunted.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t, I have a good handle on what type of person Ashe is, so we should be okay, she won¡¯t say anything.¡±

    Emily narrowed her eyes at him.

    ¡°And what makes you so certain.¡±

    ¡°Experience. For now, we should speak to the matron, and see if she knows anything.¡±

    They left the room untouched and headed up the set of stairs. Emily kept calm and watched for signs out of the ordinary, though she wasn¡¯t too sure what the ordinary looked like. If Ashe had told the guards, what would happen next? Would they storm the place to apprehend the Blood Mage?

    As it turned out, the note was telling the truth, because when they entered that same warm common room, they were greeted by the sight of people moving about the place in a relaxed manner. To her, the room held a different feel from last night. The people here were the same but Emily seemed to notice more. A small shrug here, a genuine laugh there, or even an early drunk swayed. Details that Emily would have never noticed last night stuck out to her now. Their small life-like actions were easily repeatable, all it took was a thought from Emily to mimic them.

    There was only one difference and that had to be the title she¡¯d just slotted.

    It wasn¡¯t like she suddenly became more perceptive, rather she knew what to look for and how best to go about emulating it.

    Emily couldn¡¯t tell what time it was outside, but judging by the amount of time they had slept, it had to be early afternoon at least. Several patrons were milling about the bar getting orders from Hester, but other than that, nothing jumped out at her.

    Alex headed straight to the Alewife and spoke to her while Emily hung back, he handed her a couple of coins and then headed toward the door.

    They made their way out onto the streets, the sounds of a busy city assaulted their senses.

    When Alex stopped on the corner of the main road he turned to her.

    She left late yesterday evening, chances are if she had called for the guard we would have been surrounded, I¡¯m glad too because I like this inn.¡±

    Emily was relieved and annoyed at him in equal parts, but Alex didn¡¯t seem worried about any of this.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to head down a couple of levels to get what we need.¡±

    Emily nodded absent-mindedly, watching a cart laden with small animal pelts go past.

    ¡°Sure¡­ and what would that be?¡±

    ¡°The basics necessities, rations, tools, a tent if we can afford it.¡±

    Emily was reminded of their loss of Cupcake to the burrows, he had a tarp they¡¯d never even used.

    ¡°Ooo and maybe another winter mule? Cupcake Two Point O.¡±

    Alex frowned back at Emily as he began walking toward the center of the keep.

    ¡°You know, you are going to have to explain some of these expressions one of these days.¡±

    Emily snorted.

    ¡°So now you¡¯re interested in where I¡¯m from?¡±

    Alex looked ahead and weaved in between the throng of people.

    ¡°Not at all, it just feels like sometimes you don¡¯t know that you¡¯re not in that place anymore.¡±

    Emily shot him a dry smirk but didn¡¯t say anything.

    She knew better than anyone that this was not her world, but worrying about it wouldn¡¯t fix anything. Moving forward was the only path left to her.

    The duo traveled down the main road seeing all manner of vendors and city life. Emily''s new title seemed to be working in overdrive, as she could make out the different gaits in people''s walks. Some were rushed and focused, she pegged them as working class, while others seemed to hold a more steady rate as they guided their animals down the street. These were people she could only assume lived comfortably. Emily only saw a handful of the last group. They were relaxed and carried with them a certain poise to their movements and unlike the other two groups were in no rush at all. Emily made a mental not them as the moneybags of society and if they needed the odd spot of cash then she knew where to go.

    There were several food stalls on the way but when Emily asked why they didn¡¯t get their rations from here Alex just shook his head.

    ¡°This food is way too expensive we need to get closer to the farms.¡±

    Emily still had a fair bit of coin but didn¡¯t see anything wrong with getting a deal or two. It was half an hour later that they got to what Emily decided to call the core of the keep. They exited the tunnel lined with shops and homes, only to enter a massive domed structure with a single titanic collum rising up out of the center of the space. The top of the stone dome was easily fifty stories high. As they approached a large railing Emily looked over it into an equally large pit dropping down further still. Emily could just make out the base of the collum as the ground below moved with countless people working down there.

    Warm draughts of wind rose up and out of the pit, hitting the dome and then filtering out through the many passages lining the walls on each level. The keep seemed to be several donut-shaped levels stacked on top of one another.

    Looking at the amount of space around them, the keep could easily house over fifty thousand individuals. The level they were on seemed to corkscrew downward gradually, descending deeper into the earth. If Emily had to think of the structure as a whole, she imagined it would look like a bolt welded into the mountain range.

    ¡°Come on, keep up, we haven''t got much time.¡±

    Emily looked at Alex¡¯s shrinking back as she rolled her eyes and followed after him.

    Their descent was made through packed walkways and choked alleyways. Emily dodged out of the way of a merchant with baskets of sand only to trip over a two-tailed lizard creature. The thing promptly hissed before scampering away into a nearby drainage pipe. As far as she could tell, water seemed to come from somewhere above and trickle down towards the base of the keep.

    They had dropped three levels and Emily could see they had only traveled about halfway down into the pit. She also noticed that the lower they got the more scarce vendors became. People''s clothes looked to be made of much simpler fabrics with more browns and greys. It didn¡¯t take long to recognize they were entering the section of the keep where hard labor was done.

    At the same time, she noticed more of a guard presence in this area. They stood at busy intersections, emblazoned with their reddish strips of cloth poking out of every gap in their leather armors. The people near them seemed to shy away as though afraid to disturb them.

    Those that she did see, were posted up near banners made of brilliant crimson fabric with the same symbol that Emily now carried on her body.

    Emily got Alex''s attention and tilted her head in their direction, as though asking a question.

    Alex glanced at them and then lowered his voice.

    ¡°Tagrin¡¯s hands, they¡¯re here mostly as a formality. The lower levels are where they put a majority of the criminals to work digging deeper into the rock. Luckily as long as we don¡¯t cause too much of a stink, they won¡¯t care what we do down here.¡±

    Emily hummed at this information.

    ¡°Who is this Tagrin guy?¡±

    Alex shook his head.

    ¡°Long since dead, but he was the original Castellan that set up the keep. Oh yeah, that reminds me, remember to save one of your passive-¡±

    Up ahead, someone screamed at the top of their lungs.

    Emily''s eyes fell on a line of people chained together, one of them had collapsed in the street and the nearby guards did not like this at all.

 Chapter 27 - Trust?

    As they got closer to the commotion up ahead, Emily noticed that everyone was avoiding the scene like a plague. Casting their eyes away from the group of chained individuals. Emily took a closer look at them and could see even the clothes they wore on their bodies were made of the poorest material, held together by twine and desperation. All of the prisoners looked like they hadn¡¯t known a bath in months and, as though to pair with that, grim acceptance masked their faces. All, save for one¡ªa scraggly man currently lying on the floor looking up at his attacker with a light of defiance in his eyes. The guard above him wielded a heavy metal club, which he pointed at the man viciously.

    ¡°Get out of line again and you¡¯re on rock-chopping duty for a month!¡±

    By now the two of them were approaching parallel with the group and the man looked desperate. He glanced about and caught the eyes of the only bystander who was looking in his direction. Emily.

    Seeing her passing so close, he dove to his feet with a surprising burst of speed and dashed towards her, causing the line of prisoners behind him to get dragged off their feet. The guard shouted but the man was determined and because of the unexpectedness of it, Emily watched the man reach out toward her with grimy hands.

    Grabbing hold of her clothes, he just about shouted in her face.

    ¡°Please! I¡¯m begging you, buy me out of this hell, I¡¯ll do whatever you need, have mercy!¡±

    Everything had happened so fast that there was a brief window where no one reacted.

    Alex took a step and drew his daggers, next, was the guard, who charged after the prisoner, but it was Emily who got to the man first.

    Her knee connected viciously with his groin, causing him to keel over in pain. Then when he was at boot level she drew back and kicked him in the face sending him crashing to the ground on his back.

    The whole area stuttered to a halt, even the guard who¡¯d been chasing after the prisoner slowed.

    Emily couldn¡¯t help as her nose wrinkled in disgust and she tried to brush off the areas where the man''s hands had accosted her.

    As though waking, the guard and his allies restrain the now unresisting man, and as they dragged him back to the others. The man with the club came forward.

    ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡±

    Looking up, Emily nodded to the guard calmly. Without thinking she relaxed her posture to mimic the people she¡¯d seen on the upper levels.

    ¡°Yes, of course, apologies that I had to take that into my own hands. But I feared for my life. Darn, and I was having so much fun down here too...¡±

    The guard glanced at her and then over her shoulder at Alex. A light of understanding seemed to enter his eyes, along with¡­ concern.

    ¡°Aaa, yes, I completely understand Ma¡¯am. Seeing as you are from the upper levels and a prisoner assaulted you while we were on duty would you like to lodge a complaint against him?¡±

    The prisoner on the ground made a pained cry of panic, but one of the other guards shut him up quickly.

    Emily frowned at this, the guard was misunderstanding something but she didn¡¯t care to find out what nor correct him.

    ¡°No, I couldn''t care less about that, I¡¯m just going to be on my way now.¡±

    The guard looked worried at this and took a step with her, signaling to his allies. One of them handed him something and turned back to Emily.

    ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am, but in light of the situation please, take this as compensation for your wasted time.¡±

    The keep¡¯s hand held out a bronze medallion shaped like a large coin, only this one was perfectly round with their insignia imprinted on the front.

    Not wanting to blow the whole charade, Emily stopped and took the medallion, nodding to the man slowly before turning and making her way into the crowd. Alex followed behind her and when they were out of sight he pulled her into one of the alleyways.

    Emily expected him to be his usual angry self, but this time Alex wore an amused look on his face.

    ¡°I see now why you were offered performer.¡±

    Emily cocked her head. He looked almost excited¡ªsomething she had never seen from Alex, except perhaps in battle. As she continued to stare at him, Alex noticed and let out a snort.

    ¡°Normally, Tagrin¡¯s hands don¡¯t care about bystanders, and they only give out crests to the highest stations.

    Emily didn¡¯t like this game of charades, it was taking too long, Alex seemed to notice her annoyance and let out a huff.

    ¡°He thought you were an upper noble. The crest he handed you, can offer us some protection across even some discounts.¡±

    Emily blinked in surprise.

    The whole interaction suddenly made more sense. Their clothes were probably the furthest thing from nobility, but they also didn¡¯t match the surrounding drab greys. Making them perfect for people trying to blend in. If Emily had to guess, the guard probably thought she was a young noble undercover with her bodyguard.

    Shrugging Emily found herself glad something was going her way for once.

    After that, they moved out of the ally and continued in the direction Alex had been leading them, making sure to avoid any further groups. Emily didn¡¯t bother asking how he knew where they were going, he¡¯d probably give some annoying answer anyway.

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    The stalls and people continued for a good while but eventually, they faded from sight almost completely.

    Alex took them down a tunnel that seemed to have dozens of carts entering and leaving it.

    The stink of manure wafted through the air as laden pack animals transported lorries of the stuff in the direction they were headed.

    Emily''s first thought was that they¡¯d ended up in the sewage system and if that was the case she was going to beat Alex. Luckily for him, Emily noticed a powerful light source coming from up ahead.

    As they got closer she was convinced it was the light of the sun, it became so strong that she began to blink back tears. When she finally adjusted she saw a large low-hanging room with glowing panels of daylight shining down on huge sections of plants. The room itself was expansive but was at most two stories tall throughout.

    Her eyes widened as rows upon rows of multicolored crops stretched out in front of her. All manner of strange fruit and vegetables growing on bushes, trees, and vines choked the landscape.

    They¡¯d reached the farms, and it was like a world onto itself.

    Several staircases were leading down to that level and just as one entered the chamber Emily saw a market of sorts beginning near the base.

    ¡°Come on, and watch your coins,¡± Alex said as the brush of people narrowed in.

    Emily took the stairs two at a time and when she got to the bottom an array of new scents hit her. Food stalls lined the place and she caught a whiff of something familiar. The smell of roasted corn drew her forward and a need to taste something familiar seized Emily.

    The source originated from an older gentleman sitting at the back of his cart with a small coal grill. He was turning several roundish vegetables so that they cooked evenly. Strangely enough, their look was identical to the golden kernels Emily knew, but instead of the usual oblong shape, it looked more like a toffee apple on a stick, only with what looked like melting butter, dripping off it instead of sugar.

    ¡°How much?¡± Emily asked.

    ¡°A pair of yellow pips for three rounds, little missy.¡±

    Emily reached into her pocket to bring out her coin pouch but accidentally grabbed the medallion with it.

    When the man spotted the bronze coin his relaxed face immediately turned sour.

    ¡°Ya know what, screw-off, there''s a couple of Hand sellouts further in, go bother ''em.¡±

    Emily cocked her head and paused, her eyes falling down to the medallion, she wasn¡¯t happy but walked away.

    Alex caught up to her with what looked like skewers of dark rich meat slathered in a particularly fragrant sauce.

    Emily shot him a withering look and held up the medallion. Alex glanced at her and then the vendor who was still glaring their way.

    ¡°Ah, yeah, be careful where you use that, but just because everyone listens to the keeps hands does not mean everyone likes them. Stick to vendors that have the symbol if you want to use that.¡±

    Emily¡¯s mouth turned down at the corners.

    ¡°You could have told me that sooner, I missed out on something nice because of you. As compensation¡­¡±

    Emily plucked one of the skewers from his hand. Alex began to protest until she bit into the meat, and a burst of flavor exploded in her mouth. Emily equated it to lamb with a sweet basting over it.

    Alex glowered at her but followed as the two of them walked deeper into the mass of carts and sellers. Some had blankets on the ground with the wares there for perusal, while others simply held out bundles of vegetables calling out their wares. A couple of stand-alone buildings acted as permanent storefronts

    Emily noticed only the walls of this large rectangular space held houses, leaving the rest of the space open to growing food.

    They were just nearing the border to the actual farmlands when Alex changed their course and they found a large set of stalls with the hand¡¯s insignia on them.

    Alex went over and while he was busy Emily looked over at their wares. Again it was mostly food or raw ingredients. But there were a few things that caught her eye. The first thing was a travel-sized set of cooking utensils, something she thought would come in handy if they were out on the road for long periods. The next thing she saw was a bracelet, it looked old and worn but had a certain charm to it with simple pieces of red glass inlaid into it. It had a large front jewel with delicate features not unlike a watch face, but without any mechanisms. It glittered in the light calling out to her.

    Emily had always loved beautiful things and had stolen quite a few in her time but in most cases, she didn¡¯t bother to dress up. The likelihood that it would get damaged in her adventures was fairly high and in this new place, it seemed even more of a certainty.

    It was an unnecessary buy but the longer Emily looked at it the more she fell in love with it.

    Looking up at the vendor, Emily saw a young man staring at her with a grin.

    ¡°You looking at that lovely piece miss? It¡¯s a work of art, right? Won¡¯t get anything better outside of a Gemsmiths shop.¡±

    She squinted at him.

    ¡°Good to know, how much? With this?¡± she asked as she held out the medallion.

    The vendor''s eye flickered over to the medallion for a second and back to her, a wry smile overtaking him. Picking the bracelet up, he held it out to face her.

    ¡°It''s a family heirloom you see, long passed down, but sadly I gotta part with it on account of some debts. So I¡¯ll throw in that mess kit you were looking at, and we call it... nine ovals?¡±

    The kid was laying it on thick, but Emily could feel the urge to buy it increase as he must have used some kind of skill. She tried to fight it but she would be lying if she said the bracelet didn''t look beautiful.

    About to reach for her coins she felt Alex bump up against her breaking the pull, the kid looked as annoyed as Emily felt, but Alex didn¡¯t seem to care.

    ¡°What are you looking at over here? Oh did you want that? It''s good quality at least.¡±

    Emily looked up at the guy, she hadn¡¯t guessed Alex would approve of this kind of purchase and yet he looked thoughtful.

    Now that she was free Emily took a step back from the table.

    Alex however remained in place.

    ¡°Hey kid, how much?¡±

    The vendor repeated his price and Alex hummed.

    ¡°Way too much, but what about a trade.¡±

    As he said this Alex drew one of the many daggers he had on his person. If nothing else the cultist''s dagger certainly looked like a fine piece of gruesome art.

    The kid''s eyes widened and he nodded.

    ¡°Deal!¡±

    Alex sheathed the blade and handed it over taking the bracelet and kit in turn.

    Emily watched the exchange with narrowed eyes and when he was done she began walking away, moving briskly through the crowd.

    Alex jogging after her.

    ¡°Hey wait up, here take this.¡±

    Emily ignored him and kept walking, choosing to respond without looking back.

    ¡°Did you get everything you needed? Can we leave now?¡±

    ¡°Ah no, I got compact rations but still need to grab some healing tonics, hey just hang on a moment.¡±

    Emily stopped near a street corner and turned to look at him, when she did, he offered up the bracelet again.

    He was about to say something but she spoke over him.

    ¡°Why did you get that? It''s a waste of our resources.¡±

    Alex frowned, and now that she was looking at him she saw he looked conflicted.

    ¡°Look, I know the skill the kid used on you could have only worked if you¡¯d wanted this in the first place. You were about to buy it. This way, all we only lost was a dagger, and I wanted to get you-¡±

    Emily felt the tremors in her chest squirming to the surface.

    ¡°Alex, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re pulling here, but if you''re going to try and manipulate me, at least make the attempt less obvious.¡±

    Alex''s face grew grim as his arm lowered.

    ¡°...Then should I just get rid of it?¡±

    Emily shook he head slowly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you do with it, Alex.¡±

    The man worked his jaw but then relaxed, his usual cold look returning.

    ¡°Right¡­ I¡¯ll remember that¡­ We still have quite a bit to get from here so grab some strong rope if you see any.¡±

    Alex turned and began walking away, Emily watched his back for longer than usual before following after him, unable to get rid of the anxious feeling in her stomach.

 Chapter 28 - Old friends

    Having woken up in the early afternoon Emily and Alex spent the better part of the day looking through markets for supplies. They managed to secure many useful items, such as a tent, rope, another tonic, and for some reason a net.

    Now as they traveled back through the streets Emily noticed the lanterns near the ceilings and roads were starting to dull somewhat. It was either an intended feature or just a natural conclusion of the day, but as night approached outside, the light down in the keep began to wane.

    Denizens of the different layers began packing up their wares and heading home for the day.

    Traveling down the road became less congested as traffic began to lessen. Making the trip back up to the inn far easier than getting down there had been.

    Those that did remain seemed to consist of late-shift workers, guards, and the odd teenager scampering about.

    Alex and Emily moved in silence as they climbed upward towards the base level. When they got to the sign with the bathing field mouse on it, they entered the inn and headed down to their rooms. Alex had paid earlier for another night, so when they got to the end of the halfway, Emily opened the door to the room Ashe had used the night before.

    Before she closed it she glanced back and spoke for the first time since their fight.

    ¡°What are you planning for tomorrow?¡±

    Alex adjusted the bag containing their supplies

    ¡°I have a couple of things to work out, but I¡¯ll let you know tomorrow morning.¡±

    Emily examined him, unsurprised that he wouldn¡¯t explain himself.

    Nodding she stepped into her room and closed the door, she didn¡¯t move away until she heard the click of Alex¡¯s door across the hallway, releasing a sigh.

    The room was still the state they¡¯d left it after Ashe¡¯s disappearance. Emily moved to the bed and sat down rubbing her temples. A headache had lodged itself behind her eyes and refused to go away. Emily was close to pulling some energy from her chest, but she had so little right now, she decided against it. All she wanted now was a good bath, some food, and perhaps some company. Perhaps if Emily headed up to the bar for a drink she could satisfy all three of those conditions.

    She was just rummaging through her bags for her coins, when she felt the blood she¡¯d put in Alex¡¯s boots on the move.

    Emily''s head turned to the door, expecting a knock, but when nothing came she pursued her lips. She could feel it was getting further away but she didn¡¯t hear any sound coming from the hallway.

    Standing Emily walked over to the door and placed a hand on the door knob. The most likely answer was that he had the same idea as her and was heading to either the bath or the bar, however, when he reached the limits of her natural range Emily stepped back out into the hallway and began to follow.

    The feeling of the blood began to climb upward, so that eliminated the baths. Heading up the stairs, Emily could feel he was still getting further away.

    Stepping into the common room she saw that people were still milling about having their evening drinks, but the closing door to the inn caught her attention.

    Frowning to herself, Emily was not interested in following the guy, but when she thought about the fact that her very existence hinged on his survival she sighed. Heading toward the exit, she noticed Jesse sitting at the bar alone, as she passed, the man threw a smile her way.

    Emily could only send a small grin back before she headed out the door, cursing Alex¡¯s line as she did so.

    The roads were mostly empty so she spotted him heading towards the core of the keep once more.

    Seeing as there was less space to hide here she let him get to the edge of her natural range, any further and she¡¯d have to sink a ton of energy into the technique. However, this did mean that she could follow him without the fear of alerting him. Though by the look of it, he wasn¡¯t worried about being followed. They got out onto the spiraling drop and when they had only gone about two levels down he turned into one of the offshoot passages.

    Moving closer she couldn¡¯t tell what was so special about this neighborhood that he¡¯d sneak out to get here, but then he took a turn down one of the side streets. They were fairly low down so the area was quite compact, causing her to slow down before taking the next corners.

    Alex seemed to have led her into a maze of streets and side alleys. Without her blood leading the way, she would have lost him four turns ago. It was strange, in the few glimpses she caught of him, Alex looked confident as though he knew exactly where he was heading.

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    As she turned the next corner, her blood led her to a street with only one exit, she saw several small houses dug into the wall but Alex was nowhere to be seen.

    Moving closer she thought he¡¯d entered one of the residences, but then she spotted a tarp of sorts in the corner of the cul de sac. Stepping under it Emily saw a narrow alleyway.

    It was so tight that she could run her hand on either side of the walls if she just brought her arms out a little.

    Alex was getting further, so she didn¡¯t have time to stop. Moving to the end of the alleyway she noticed the temperature dropping somewhat, eventually, she came out on another road. Only this one was completely different.

    Cracks spidered through the surrounding stonework, as if abandoned by the keep itself. Of the lanterns hanging near the ceiling, only half remained lit, deepening the oppressive darkness.

    Emily went on high alert.

    People milled about aimlessly, sitting near the edges of the shrinking light, while others lingered around street corners eyeing Emily as she entered.

    She could tell that as the rest of the keep was winding down for the evening, this area was just beginning to wake.

    Realizing she was about to lose Alex, Emily readied herself for anything and pushed forward.

    At some point, the carved red brick gave way to coarse stone, plunging the passage further into the cold.

    The stone took on a rougher look, buildings seemingly carved into the rock itself, their layout clashing for any open space, dotting the walls without any rhythm or reason. It looked as though this area had been mined out and before it could be developed, was seemingly abandoned. Emily didn¡¯t know what they called it here, but she knew these types of forgotten places well.

    Slums.

    A place even the guard would hesitate to enter, she didn¡¯t spot even one of their brightly colored leathers around here.

    Stragglers eyed Emily viciously, but she was used to these types of looks. Luckily no one tried to bar her way or she may have lost Alex as he slipped down one of the many side tunnels.

    Following suit, Emily stepped into a wide open space, it was here that she could make out several stand-alone structures, built into the center of the space. The largest one seemingly a tavern of some kind. Loud voices issued out of it, along with the sound of laughter and music. The warm atmosphere leaking out of the building was in stark contrast to the surrounding ashen stone. Those loitering nearby gave the building a wide berth. The reason became obvious when Emily spotted the people hanging around outside. They looked well-kitted out with armor and weapons and seemed to mill about lazily. Yet even from here, she could see the danger in their stances; these were trained individuals.

    Alex headed straight for the door to the establishment and passed the threshold without hesitation. Emily''s blood remained fixed inside and she gave him a couple of minutes before stalking out of the alleyway.

    It also gave her time to examine the other buildings, they were much simpler than the one Alex had entered and she thought she heard growls coming from inside.

    Moving through the space steadily drew the attention of several gazes, forcing her hand to rest on her shortsword. She wasn¡¯t any good with it, but they didn''t know that. Either way, they seemed to lose interest in her pretty soon.

    As she got nearer, Emily noticed a large board set up out front. Glancing over it she saw what looked like several bounties pinned up haphazardly. There were well-drawn sketches of people, along with what looked like different amounts, but the text on it was indecipherable.

    Not that she would have been that interested. This looked like the kind of place where one could get shit done.

    Swords for hire, as it were.

    Emily was just heading for the door had gone through when she spotted a familiar man leaning up against the side of the structure.

    The orange light from within illuminated his face just briefly as he swayed into its glow.

    Emily was only ten or so steps from the tavern¡¯s entrance when she changed course towards the space between the buildings. Stepping out of the light of the front door she could see two men were milling about in the ally.

    Advancing toward the pair Emily could see her target had his back to her

    The man held a bottle with the dregs of some amber liquid in it as he leaned up against the building for strength.

    He didn¡¯t seem to notice her coming and when he was close enough Emily moved in and whispered right next to his ear.

    ¡°Hey, Ron. Did you miss me?¡±

    The man from Emily¡¯s earliest days jumped and turned around, his hand going to his side, even in his drunken state she could see his reactions were not slow. Unfortunately for him, his hand dropped to an empty scabbard as Emily danced away falling into the beam of light. The metal of his sword still singing as it slid free.

    ¡°Damn, who dears sneaks up on a¡­ wait¡­ well I¡¯ll be fucked. If it isn¡¯t the little broken girl.¡±

    The recognition in his eye was exactly what Emily¡¯d been looking for as his sluggish mind took her in.

    Emily was just happy he remembered her.

    Sadly, some of the joy of their reunion was sapped from the air when the second man scrambled to his feet.

    Fetu was not as drunk as Ron and his eyes landed on her with the correct amount of concern.

    ¡°Blast it all, how are you here? Ron step away from her.¡±

    Emily moved forward again and brought the blade up against Ron¡¯s neck. She expected him to dance back but he remained where he was, letting the blade brush up against his neck.

    Ron¡¯s eyes carried a dark light of amusement.

    Relax, Fetu. She doesn¡¯t have the grit to kill; her stance reeks of an amateur. Look at how her hand shakes.

    Another blade sang out through the passage as Fetu growled out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool, you know what kind of circumstances we left her in. Who even knows if she¡¯s still human.¡±

    Ron blinked in shock as if the thought had only just occurred to him.

    Emily grinned as she let the blade press just hard enough to draw blood.

    ¡°Wrong on both accounts gentleman. I¡¯m going to enjoy killing you, Ron. And, a demon? I¡¯m nothing so kind.¡±

    Whether emboldened by drink or downright stupidity, Ron refused to back down.

    ¡°Hah, all I can see is you putting on airs, you should have stopped playing your self-righteous game when you escaped. There''s only one position I want to see you in darling.¡±

    Emily''s smile was equal parts radiant and savage.

    ¡°You¡¯re near the bottom of my list Ron, but you¡¯re still on it.¡±

    With that, she drew the blade horizontally, in an attempt to slit his throat.

    Ron¡¯s eyes widened as he threw himself backward, turning the cut into a horizontal gash that stopped near where his leather armor began.

    Falling backward he landed on his ass, and even as he prepared to jump out of the way again he saw Emily¡¯s smile as she bore down on him.

 Chapter 29 - Debits and dangers

    Emily''s stolen blade clanged against the stonework, sending tiny sparks out and briefly illuminating the dark corners of the alley.

    Ron had managed to dodge out of the overhead swing at the last second. Forcing Emily to draw back for another hack in his direction. Only this time Ron pulled out a compact dagger and deflected the swing to the side. He managed to get his legs underneath himself, a grin spreading over his face.

    ¡°You¡¯re bloody awful at this darling¡±

    He taunted as he struggled to get his breathing under control. Blood was quickly seeping into his underclothes, but it wasn¡¯t fast enough

    Emily didn¡¯t answer, a grim expression masking her face. Drawing back again she swung the blade wide, but he was ready for it now and set his stance.

    The moment their blades connected there was a sudden vibration that shook to the hilt in Emily¡¯s hand, causing it to go clattering against a nearby wall.

    Seeing her advantage was lost, Emily jumped back and drew her own weapon. Things would have been difficult if Ron had pressed her right there, but he was too busy scrambling after his sword.

    ¡°Fetu, you good for nothing, help me!¡± Ron cried.

    Fetu had not moved from his spot since all this had begun, but he started awake now. Rushing towards Emily, he swung a thin rapier-like blade. It was fast and Emily managed to block the first one, only for the second to graze her leg.

    She tried to fend him off with a wide sting but he dove under it and sent a fist towards her stomach.

    It connected but only just, however, that was enough to stagger her. She¡¯d have a bruise later if she survived this.

    By this point, Ron had grabbed his blade and was making his way over, all while clutching his blood-soaked neck.

    ¡°After we¡¯re done with you I''m going to gut you, little girl. I might even have to use a tonic on this. Do you have any idea how much whining I¡¯m going to have to endure because of you?¡±

    Ron was still stalking forward but Emily wasn¡¯t backing away either.

    She dove under Fetu¡¯s half-hearted swipe and swung her blade underarm at Ron.

    The man was ready this time, the panic gone from his face. He moved to block and just when their blades collided, Emily felt that same vibration moving up from Ron¡¯s blade and into hers.

    She managed to hold onto the hilt just long enough to sidestep the guy¡¯s guard and press herself into his chest.

    Ron stagged for just a moment, his one arm pinned to his neck.

    ¡°Thank you for playing, Ron.¡±

    Emily¡¯s words came out almost lovingly as her hand snaked up and pressed against his bloodied chest.

    Ron still looked at her confused as his own lifeblood pulled itself from the surrounding material and surface of his skin, only for it to collect around his neck like a collar and sheer through tendons, arteries, and bone with the force of a guillotine.

    The alleyway became silent, save for the sound of Ron gurgling on his own blood. He tried to speak but his brain was incapable of sending the signals there anymore.

    Emily had her back to Fetu so she¡¯d blocked most of the grizzly sight, but all at once Ron¡¯s legs buckled out from under him, his body falling lifeless to the ground. Emily moved to catch his head as it separated from the neck.

    Turning around Emily smiled happily at Fetu.

    ¡°Right now how are we going to settle this between us? I¡¯m gonna be honest, I¡¯m not a fan of you, but you didn¡¯t cause me nearly as much trouble, so I¡¯m on the fence about you¡­¡±

    Fetu¡¯s eyes were saucers, unable to look away from his friend¡¯s face which was locked in a look of permanent confusion.

    Emily took a step back planting her foot in the puddle of blood.

    ¡°What¡¯s gonna be Fet? You gonna come at me?¡±

    Fetu¡¯s eyes darted from her to Ron¡¯s and he made a break for it deeper into the alleyway.

    Emily''s chest was killing her, but she still had some strength left, may as well get rid of loose ends while she had the chance.

    She called down to the blood beneath her and began to form a scythe aimed at his back.

    What she didn¡¯t expect was for a door on the side of the building to suddenly burst open in the direction Fetu had been escaping.

    The light from inside illuminated the alley, revealing a shadowy silhouette tearing out of the threshold. Emily had enough time to pull the blood from the scythe towards herself before a fist with the concussive force of a runaway train slammed into her sternum.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Emily was swept off her feet and sent sailing into the opposite wall, the sound of bones crunching against stone.

    The force was titanic and Emily¡¯s world spun as her mind tried to cut through the pain her body threw at her.

    She needed to be ready for the next hit but her lungs refused to draw in breath.

    Trying to open one eye she saw the form of a lanky man standing over Ron¡¯s corpse. Emily absent-minded wondered where the head had gone as she¡¯d lost it when she¡¯d been intimately acquainted with the wall.

    The whole scene was quiet as the man stalked forward, the light near the door moved as more figures began to filter out in the alley.

    That same hair-rasing threat hung on the air causing Emily to focus on the man in front of her.

    Even though her state was horrendous she recognized the tall, unnatural figure. She¡¯d last seen him talking to the illusionist when they¡¯d extracted their price from that lot.

    The leader of the wandering fangs stood in the alleyway, his full attention on Emily. If she wasn¡¯t already struggling to breathe, she might have held her breath.

    Things had come full circle as she was tragically low on lifeforce, so much so, that she was hesitating to heal her wounds. She had enough left in the tank for one last brawl but this was not an enemy she wanted to engage if she could help it.

    The leader walked forward without making a sound, his every movement taunt with bunched muscle.

    ¡°As disappointed as I am to say this, I can¡¯t let you kill another of my men.¡±

    Emily struggled to eke out a grin.

    ¡°Nah¡­ No hard feelings. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.¡±

    The leader''s eyes narrowed at her, a light of recognition flickering across his face.

    Emily snorted up a glob of bloodied phlegm and spat it to the side.

    ¡°Really boss man. I¡¯m not here for some big revenge arc. As far as I¡¯m concerned we''re good, Ron just had it coming.¡±

    The leader''s eyes furrowed as more people began to arrive behind him. The first was another man she was familiar with, one of the sub-leaders who had found her in that nest on her first day.

    ¡°I recognize this one cap. She was part of the last job, she didn¡¯t have any titles at the time. I had Ron take care of her, but that must come back to bite him.¡±

    Even in the dark alley, she could make out their drawn weapons. More people were flooding the alley now.

    Then the worst possible person walked out of the door.

    ¡°Emily?¡± Alex frowned as he stepped in closer.

    The leader turned back to look at Alex.

    ¡°Ah so friend of yours, that makes more sense.¡±

    Emily shot Alex a glare. She was so obviously in trouble, why call out to her and get himself implicated?

    Alex though didn¡¯t seem too worried.

    ¡°She¡¯s part of our deal.¡±

    The leader nodded.

    ¡°The one you mentioned, yes. But we have a much larger issue to deal with now, and that comes before business. Miss, would you be so kind as to step inside? Or should I have my men carry you in?¡±

    His words shifted to genial but left little room for argument.

    A glance at the opening of the alleyway saw that there were people already blocking the exit. Not that she¡¯d be able to outrun this guy, his speed was terrifying, almost four to five times what Alex¡¯s had been when he was using that skill.

    Emily had just about gotten her breath under control and stood, wobbling a tad as she did so.

    She walked forward in the direction of the door, something grating inside her chest. The leader could act at any moment, and Emily kept an eye fixed on him, but as she moved into the light his brows rose.

    ¡°Oh my, seems I was too heavy-handed. Gerade, fetch Selia¡±

    The man Emily now recognized as Gerade turned and headed back into the building.

    Emily¡¯s eyes fell on Alex with a questioning glare, which he returned in kind.

    Continuing passed all of them Emily felt the lead never far from her causing goosebumps to spread out over her arms.

    Stepping past Fetu she simply sent him a half smile. Which caused him to turn a couple of shades paler.

    When she got to the threshold of the building Alex stepped up beside her and they crossed the threshold together.

    The room itself was warm and decorated in all manner of wood and hide. The collections of pelts and animal heads stuck up on the walls acted as morbid trophies and insulation. Their colors and textures ranged from every type of animal imaginable, and many that Emily couldn¡¯t begin to place.

    Tables were scattered throughout the room, all surrounding an even larger bulletin board than the one outside. This board was mounted against a wall that stretched up to the second story, where a balcony wrapped around the upper level. People dressed in mismatched armor leaned over the railing. Mugs of pungent-smelling brews filled the air with their aroma, mingling with waves of laughter and quiet conversation.

    Several women moved through the place with trays stacked with clay mugs, distributing them as they went.

    Emily took all this in before Alex placed a hand on her shoulder and gilded her in. Emily shook him off with a frown but followed him toward a section in the corner.

    Emily glanced backward and saw the leader stepping in ahead of anyone else as he shut the side door.

    Now that the light was better, she could see that same unnatural grace in each of his moments. He was almost mesmerizing to watch, paired with his strange beauty made him a treat to behold. If her life wasn¡¯t in his hands she might have tried to get closer to him, hell she still might.

    Alex moved towards a table that must have had more people a few moments ago, but now he sat down at one end with his back to the wall.

    The leader sat in the opposite chair and Emily lowered herself into a chair between them. Her right lung ignited causing a coughing fit, she tried to breathe through it, but it wasn¡¯t helping.

    Focusing on the two of them, Emily saw the leader adjust several delicate rings on his fingers as he leaned back in the chair. At this point, Gerade returned with two others by his side but Emily refused to take her eyes off the tall man.

    ¡°First order of business, you killed one of my own, how are you going to compensate me?¡±

    Emily hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead, but luckily Alex answered for her.

    ¡°Let''s not play around¡­ he was a hindrance to you, and his spot is now open. That means you¡¯re down a man.¡±

    The leader sighed a dangerous light entering his eyes.

    ¡°Back to business, I see. Well, we¡¯re talking compensation now. Everything before that means fuck-all to me.¡±

    Alex snorted.

    I¡¯ve made my offer, I haven¡¯t got anything more to give you.

    The man nodded.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware but what about her? My men tell me she doesn¡¯t have a title, is that true? If she took down one of my men, even that weakling, I¡¯d be mighty impressed.¡±

    Alex looked at Emily now, as though trying to tell her something.

    The leader looked at Emily now, expecting an answer. There was movement out of the corner of her eyes, but Emily was loath to look away from the man.

    Deciding things couldn¡¯t get much worse she chose not to lie.

    ¡°Save for my passives I slotted today. No, I was going to slot one tonight.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s lying cap.¡±

    Both Emily and Alex''s eyes widened as they looked over to the source of the voice.

    Craning her neck painfully Emily saw two familiar faces next to Gerade. The first stood in front as though protecting the other.

    Emily recognized her captive from the time in her little wooden cubical. Her large Amazonian figure stood out in the room filled with fighters. And shrunken behind her, whispering into her ear was Ashe. Her form was ill-fitting in their current environment, still wearing the clothes she¡¯d escaped in.

 Chapter 30 - Wolfs den

    ¡°By the Five, cap, she''s on the brink, I¡¯ve told you guys this multiple times, I''m not a healer.¡±

    The Amazonian woman came forward, sending the leader a withering look, but then focused on Emily.

    ¡°You gonna hurt me if I take a look at your wounds?¡±

    Emily blinked owlishly and shook her head. It truly felt like they had come full circle, except for Ashe who nervously hovered nearby.

    Emily did not intend to hurt either woman nor was she really in a state to do so.

    The large woman kneeled and began inspecting Emily, it was only now that she spotted a large satchel clinking with the sound of glassware.

    Emily had a split second to take all this in before an amused voice broke her from her surprise.

    ¡°Come now Selia, you know how much that old man costs me¡­ But more importantly, what makes you say that she¡¯s lying?¡±

    Selia glanced at Ashe and then went back to examining Emily.

    ¡°My sis was saved by this woman here. She can fight according to her, so she has to have one.¡±

    Emily''s chest was making it hard to concentrate, but she could tell these two had a more civil relationship than the others, even still, Selia was wary of him.

    ¡°Before you ask boss, she doesn¡¯t know what; just that she has to have a title relating to magic.¡±

    The smile that appeared on the leader''s face was the furthest thing from relaxing. It set Emily¡¯s nerves alight and had her readying herself.

    ¡°Well, now we¡¯re at an impasse. You killed one of my men and then lied to me when I invited you to my table. How are we, going to sort this out.¡±

    Alex glanced at Emily and then back to the leader.

    ¡°This is not the best place to talk about this-¡±

    ¡°Here is the perfect place. Make your decision before I make it for you.¡±

    His tone took on a dangerous edge and the smile vanished as if it had never existed.

    Alex looked about, still unsure but Emily snorted.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying. I don¡¯t have an active title, but Ashe is not wrong either. What she saw was what we¡¯re calling my natural gifts, and have nothing to do with titles. I literally woke from my first sleeping today.¡±

    The leader remained smiling but his eye moved back over to Selia who nodded in his direction. This caused his taunt posture to relax by a hair and he seemed to nod at Selia to continue inspecting her.

    ¡°Well then, congratulations on your Awakening. Now how about we talk about how you¡¯re going to pay me back for my lost worker.¡±

    Emily cocked her head.

    ¡°We hardly have any money, so I doubt that''s what you are looking for. However, I don¡¯t quite care what it is, if it gets us out of here alive, I¡¯m all ears.¡±

    The leader looked amused, but Alex¡¯s face twitched.

    ¡°What I want is simple. You¡¯ve seen our mounts no doubt, they¡¯re partially responsible for our moniker. As it so happens, the particular species we ride only breeds in the approach of spring. Ours are sterile as they are working animals, so now and then we have to replenish their numbers.¡±

    Emily frowned, unsure why she was suddenly getting a class on the breeding habits of wolves.

    ¡°To cut a long story short I need you to go and pick up a litter or two. At least five if you can manage it.¡±

    Up until now the rest of the tavern had continued as though ignoring their little group. Laughter and conversation filled the walls, but as the leader asked for his toll, a ripple of whispers began to spread out from their table. Causing the conversion of the room to come to a halt.

    Selia looked grimly at the captain but didn¡¯t say anything.

    Emily could feel the shift in the mood of the tavern but remained focused on the handsome man.

    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to let us go if I say I¡¯ll get them for you? What¡¯s to stop us from just leaving the city?¡±

    The leader looked like he was having fun.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll need to if you are going accomplish this, but as for you coming back, it''s simple. Your friend here had quite the ask of me. Something I still haven''t made up my mind on. If you don¡¯t do this for me, I won¡¯t be able to help you.¡±

    Emily looked from him to Alex, she had a feeling this mission was no small task.

    ¡°Well Alex, it''s your mysterious plan, can we get by without them?¡±

    This whole time Alex had been watching the leader with an unreadable expression, but when Emily saw him look over at her, she saw his jaw tensing and she had her answer. Turning back to the man.

    ¡°Sure, sounds like fun.¡±

    The leader''s smile was one of delight.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have Selia mark their hunting grounds on a map for you two. For now, you need to rest and heal but don¡¯t take too long. We¡¯ll be leaving the city in a week or so. Your chance expires then. If you fail and somehow survive, I¡¯ll kill you on sight.¡±

    The hairs on Emily''s neck were standing on one end, but she¡¯d given a few such deals, so it felt strange to be on the other side of it.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    At that, the leader got up from the table, he looked back at the two of them.

    ¡°I wish you the best of luck for my sake. If you return victorious ask for Kael, my men will make sure you find me so we can talk about the details further.¡±

    His last words seemed to ripple through the room with even greater force than the wolves.

    As Kael began to walk away he was joined by another man Emily recognized. The second sub-leader Emily had seen before, only now this man''s eyes were locked on Alex, a grim look of disgust appearing on his face. He looked eerily familiar but Emily couldn¡¯t place him.

    Kael left the room with a seemingly chipper energy to his graceful walk. When he disappeared through a back door Emily looked to Alex, about to ask what that was all about when Selia spoke.

    ¡°Shit¡­ He only gives his name to people he¡¯s either going to kill or hire, and at this moment I couldn¡¯t tell you which group you fall into.¡±

    Emily shrugged, the movement sending pain shooting down her spine.

    ¡°-I can appreciate that, he seems like a pretty interesting man,¡± Emily said holding onto her chest.

    The Amazonian woman stared down at Emily, a perturbed look on her features.

    ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain you don¡¯t have a head injury, but I¡¯ll have to double-check that in a moment. It will be better if you two come with me, but first. You hold no intention of hurting either me or my sister, correct?¡±

    Emily shook her head, she was aware this woman had once kept her captive but Emily held no grudge against her, she had just been doing her job ¨Cor in this case, her title¨C and she had not treated her badly. Selia made sure Alex confirmed it as well before leading them from the busy common room.

    Down a narrow hallway, all four packed into a small side room with a single large bed. It looked like the sisters had been resting here before all the commotion began.

    The second the door closed, they relaxed and a warm light shone in Selia¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Right, I¡¯m going to treat you, but first I just wanted you to know that I¡¯m grateful for what you did for Ashe. You didn¡¯t have to, so thank you.¡±

    Emily felt an uneasy burbling in her gut at the thanks but ignored it.

    Nodding in Ceila¡¯s direction, Emily spotted Ashe still standing near the door, eyeing her steadily. She still looked exhausted but before she could ask how she was doing Selia held up two leaves from her jar.

    ¡°Hold these under your tongue for as long as you can, we need to strap the wound and then I¡¯ll grab a map for you. Honestly, I never know what that man is thinking. Sending just you two on this mission is suicide.¡±

    That immediately caught Emily''s attention as she put the leaves in her mouth, they tasted bitter like bay leaves.

    ¡°Any details on what we just agreed to would be great.¡±

    Selia paused and squinted at Emily.

    ¡°You mean that, don¡¯t you? You don¡¯t have that faintest idea of what you just agreed to.¡±

    Alex had a stony expression, it seemed like the only one in the dark was Emily.

    ¡°The way I see it we just have to go get a couple of pups from out in the snow, maybe kill a couple of mommy and daddy wolves.¡±

    Selia¡¯s face turned earnest.

    ¡°You need to take this seriously. If what my sister told me is true you two can fight, but normally, to do this safely, Kael either goes alone, or we work as an entire company to set up a full-scale defensive line. Even then one or two people have been known to die on the trip.¡±

    Emily played with the leaves in her mouth.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll keep that in mind, any weaknesses that you could point me towards.¡±

    Selia looked like she didn¡¯t believe her but she nodded.

    ¡°They¡¯re cautious of fire, but a single little campfire won¡¯t do it. It''s gotta be a lot. They move in large packs and are intelligent hunters, with the ability to run for days.¡±

    Emily was quickly discovering why they kept them as mounts.

    Ashe suddenly came forward and switched places with Selia, beginning to bandage Emily''s wounds quietly. Selia went over to a nearby pack and pulled out a well-used map and a piece of charcoal.

    ¡°You¡¯re in luck, the hunting grounds are in the opposite direction to the recent elven burrows, but it''s still at least a day''s travel up into the mountains.¡±

    Her words were followed by the crinkling of the page as she drew on it, and then folding it up he held it out to Alex.

    He pursued his lips and reached for it but she snatched it back.

    ¡°From Ashe¡¯s story, you still owe her something. She left too quickly to get what she was owed, but at least we can rectify that now¡±

    The woman was imposing in the small space but Alex seemed to nod.

    ¡°Of course, I would have happily given it to her had she stuck around. Do you have a map of the wide region? Specifically the mid-point between here and Lorethil?¡±

    Selia went back to her pack and pulled out another map. This one was much larger and seemed like it was less used. Alex opened it and marked it somewhere with a small cross. Emily tried to crane her neck but couldn¡¯t make out much from the bed.

    As the other two remained locked in conversation, Ashe spoke in a rushed voice.

    ¡°I was just telling my sister what happened to me, I didn¡¯t know she¡¯d go tell her boss, and for that I¡¯m sorry, but I promise I didn¡¯t say anything about your¡­ abilities.¡±

    Emily looked down at the woman and tried to figure out if she was angry at her. As it turned out, she didn¡¯t feel any displeasure for the woman.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, but as compensation, I¡¯d like you to show me some magic as well. I¡¯m interested in learning, but as of yet can¡¯t read.¡±

    Ashe''s eyes widened.

    ¡°You can¡¯t read¡­ Ah, yes I can teach you a thing or two, but It¡¯ll have to be when you get back I¡¯m still very weak.¡±

    Emily smiled and nodded, by this time Selia happily handed over the folded map.

    ¡°Emily, you¡¯ll start to feel better soon, that leaf I gave you is what Tonic Meisters use to make basic potions, it''s not as effective but give it time.¡±

    Emily was already feeling better. The pain was still there but it was fading at a constant rate. Wanting to know how Ashe was doing she asked as much. As it turned out, Zeth was good at his job. Ashe still needed time before she could use her sourcery again but she was on the mend. Emily went on to more mundane things with the two. She never asked Ashe why she ran, instead choosing to let their conversation flow naturally. Selia was a treat to talk to and Emily found herself relaxing into their presence.

    Eventually, Alex cleared his throat and nodded towards the door.

    ¡°We need to leave, we¡¯ll hopefully be back before the week is out¡±

    Ashe was sitting on the corner of her bed.

    ¡°Then I wish you good luck, hopeful all this is worth it. Oh and happy awakening day Emily, I¡¯ll get a gift for you when you return.¡±

    Emily made a confused face but waved to the two women.

    Stepping back out into the hallway, and then the tavern itself, got almost no acknowledgment.

    The men and women in here were relaxing and didn¡¯t have time to spare on them. They walked towards the door and Emily spotted Fetu alone in a corner. He watched them leave, his eyes unable to leave Emily¡¯s form.

    She was used to the glares filled with either resentment or fear. To a certain extent, Fetu was scared, but more than that he looked lost.

    Emily turned to the door and walked out ahead of Alex. She traveled past the large signboard and navigated through the other buildings, which she now figured had to be stables of sorts.

    Passing through the alley once more they began navigating out of the area. When they hit the red bricks once more Alex took them down that same narrow passage and out into the streets. Light was more abundant here and yet the time ensured almost no one was around. Alex turned to look at Emily with a tired expression.

    ¡°Why did you follow me, Emily?¡±

    Emily pressed her lips together, a vexed expression plastering itself on her brow.

    ¡°You insist on keeping me in the dark and wonder why I followed you? I told you I wouldn¡¯t ask what you¡¯re doing anymore. But you¡¯re aware that one of those people is Ave¡¯s killer, right?¡±

    The look that crossed Alex''s face was nothing short of simmering hatred. And as quickly as it had come, it left him.

    Alex released air through his nostrils.

    ¡°I am well aware of their crimes, I don¡¯t need reminding. But for now, I need them¡­ I can accept my part in this, but no more pointless killing.¡±

    Emily scowled at him.

    ¡°It wasn''t pointless, he had it coming.¡±

    ¡°So you said¡­ Fine, in all likelihood this probably would have been the outcome anyway.¡±

    Emily looked Alex up and down.

    ¡°What do you mean, you knew this would happen?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not, but us doing something for them was always a possibility. I just didn¡¯t think they¡¯d make it this hard. Fuck. We need to go over your primary titles again, we¡¯re going to need all the strength we can get.¡±

 Chapter 31 - A glimpse

    ¡°Emily, SwordsWoman is still your best choice. It offers the most immediate benefits!¡±

    ¡°No thanks, I¡¯ve told you I don¡¯t like swinging a stick of metal around. I can¡¯t make that more more clear.¡±

    Alex sighed and sat down on the chair in her room.

    ¡°Then, I don¡¯t know. Cyclum touched is out, because, and I Quoet. ¡®they¡¯re a douche¡¯, and Performer has little offensive ability unless your bridge is red or black. Don¡¯t even get me started on Godstriken or Scarlet sister¡±

    When the two of them had returned from their night adventure, Alex had joined Emily in her room to go over her choices again

    In the morning they planned to head out as they already had everything they needed but right now all they were doing was going in circles.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯ll have another look at my favorites and go from there, but this isn¡¯t helping. What about you? You''re an Explorer, right? What''s that like?¡±

    Alex¡¯s brows drew together at the sudden shift in conversation, melancholy plastered on his face.

    ¡°... My active title was my first real choice, being an Explorer used to mean everything to me. That''s why I would have liked to give you more time to think this through, sadly we don¡¯t have that luxury now.¡±

    Emily shifted on the bed, seeing a gap in his armor.

    ¡°Used to?¡±

    Alex got up and went to stand near the hearth eyes falling on Emily.

    ¡°...yeah, used to. Sometimes what we want to do, and need to do are too far apart. When I get to rank twenty-five I plan on changing my active title.¡±

    ¡°To what?¡±

    ¡°Whatever looks the most useful at the time.¡±

    Emily frowned at this, something about that didn¡¯t sit right with her, but she couldn¡¯t put her finger on it.

    Alex suddenly looked a lot more thoughtful and when he realized they hadn¡¯t spoken for a couple of minutes, he cleared his throat.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to go, forget what I said earlier. Pick whatever feels right, just make sure it''s what you want. I¡¯ll see you in the morning. ¡±

    Emily watched quietly as Alex left the room.

    As the door shut, she realized what was bothering her. Alex had placed great importance on her choosing the right title, even equating titles to lifelong paths. For someone to say that and seemingly care so little about their own titles was strange to Emily.

    She wasn¡¯t about to go after the guy, the likelihood of him being even remotely cooperative were zero, so she filed it away for later.

    Sitting on the bed Emily glanced over to her nearby pack. Reaching down she pulled it onto the bed with her and dumped its contents out on the soft surface.

    Her treasures came tumbling out. A coin purse, broach, a vial, a change of clothes, sticks of glittering chalk, and her book.

    They would divide the traveling gear tomorrow, so she would have more to carry then, but what caught her eye now was the book from the illusionist.

    She¡¯d looked over it once before but had never managed to make heads or tails of it.

    The book looked to be a simple leatherbound notebook and inside the ink was reddish against the crisp pages.

    There were hundreds of symbols and strange-looking formations littering the book along with neat writing in the columns.

    The longer Emily stared at the little mystery, the more she wanted to decipher it.

    Her love for science had landed her in this situation in the first place, how different could magic be?

    It was a completely new system of understanding, and she¡¯d be lying if she¡¯d said she wasn¡¯t interested.

    In this world, magic was understandable and had rules, which meant she could learn how to use it, and that excited her to no end.

    There was just one thing standing in her path now. The inability to read.

    Even more frustratingly, this body already knew how. It was just a matter of finding the right memories.

    Emily let her fingertips trail over the smooth leather tome.

    Just a peak couldn¡¯t hurt that much, could it?

    Closing her eyes Emily rightened herself and began her breathing exercises.

    Sinking into that calm darkness, she stopped herself from entering the world of stars and just floated there for a while. Gradually moving towards the corner of her mind where the large set of doors that held Eve¡¯s memories rested.

    With a thought, the doors slowly began to creak open, allowing a steam of decaying consciousness to escape.

    Making sure to rein it in, Emily gingerly lowered herself towards the torrent of memories. Immediately, the foreign memories pressed in from all sides, writhing against her mental walls. Like worms attempting to burrow into her mind and sweep her away.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Emily resisted against the current, holding on for as long as possible.

    She was fishing for a particular quarry, and while waiting for a bite, it felt like countless bees were trying to find a way into her protective suit.

    Then a particularly old and powerful memory surfaced at the end of her line.

    Without waiting she reeled it in and Emily felt her world shift.

    The room was small and covered in layers of grime and dust. The smell of rotting wood and sweet perfume assaulted her nostrils.

    The room had a bundle of material in the corner that, if one was being generous, they could call a bed. Other than that, it was bare, save for the window that let in a small amount of moonlight, allowing Eva to see the skyline of the lower districts. Downstairs, music lulled its way from the parlor where her mother was currently entertaining the men.

    But none of that mattered right now. Eva had a secret that no one could know, not even her mom.

    Using her small hands to pull the mattress aside, she pulled up the creaky floorboard and reached into her hiding hole, withdrawing a partly crumbled page of fancy cream paper. It was a flyer she¡¯d picked up near the main street.

    Now, by the light of the moon, she could just make out the words again: ¡°Reward offered for inform¡­ation regar¡­ the location of the ¡®silent Murderer.¡¯¡±

    There was a detailed image of the man along with a reward of ten whole pentagons. That was more money than she had seen in her whole life.

    There were other words on the page, but she didn¡¯t know how to sound them out yet. The reason why Eva was so excited was because this man had been staying in the brothel for the last three days. If she could notify the Guards, her mom would get the reward money, and they would be set forever and ever.

    Getting up from their mattress, Eva snuck downstairs and out into the night. The details began to blur at this stage, but not before she felt the heavy weight of regret burning at the edges of the memory. How Eva wished she had never found that flyer, or gone to the guard station, or even that her mom had taught her to read in the first place. At least then, she¡¯d still be alive.

    Emily pulled herself from the memory while panting, sweat running down her neck and back.

    Eva couldn¡¯t have been older than nine or ten at that stage, she couldn¡¯t have known. Emily couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of kinship with the woman. Eva had been born into the world kicking and screaming, and just like Emily, had to fight for her right to survive.

    Emily wanted to keep on going, but it was too dangerous right now. Anymore and Emily would struggle to tell herself apart from Eva.

    She¡¯d made sure to fight against the child''s memories, but they still lingered in her mind like a drop of dye in water.

    It would take a while to purge the foreign emotions, but at least Emily had gotten what she needed, sort of.

    To say she could now read would be a stretch but she¡¯d managed to separate Eva¡¯s knowledge on a basic level. Giving her the reading level of about a nine-year-old.

    It may not sound like much but it was a start.

    After repeating her breathing techniques a couple more times to steady herself. Emily spent the next couple of hours trying to break into the notebook.

    To be honest, she only recognized every fifth word, but the longer she kept at it more of a feel she got for it.

    As far as she could tell blood magic was about building a ¡®life source¡¯ as they termed it, inside themselves. Instead of drawing from one of the five other sources.

    Which were Red, Green, Yellow, and Blue and the last one was a duality of black and white. Each one represents an integral part of this world. Emily did wonder why there were five colors, as she¡¯d seen six entities in that place, but honestly, she wasn''t too interested in that at the moment

    As far as she could tell, blood mages were working with other¡¯s life force similarly to how she manipulated her own.

    The difference was that they needed the rituals if they wanted to recharge their source, and as far as she could tell they had severe limits on how much life force they could hold at once.

    The more she managed to make out from the book, the more she recognized just how well Blood Mage synergized with her natural abilities.

    When Emily was ready, she sunk into the world of stars, each trip here getting easier to accomplish.

    When the collections of stars came to greet her. Emily smiled at them. Causing the world to shake in anticipation.

    They knew.

    Some of them were getting picked tonight, and they were ecstatic.

    Emily sat down on the grass, but she didn¡¯t relax all the way this time.

    Putting a bend in her index finger, Emily called two titles down.

    Less than half a dozen stars began to dance around her, all the while the rest of them rushed around with restless energy, even though they weren''t being considered.

    Void plagued and Scarlet sister hovered in front of Emily, willing her to stare deeper into them, but she resisted. Of the six stars here, five were red and the single one was an undulating violet.

    As they glittered in front of her, Emily tried to get a better handle on their pros and cons.

    She¡¯d chosen these two because she felt they matched her the best and ¨Cexcept for Cyclum touched ¨C were by far the most powerful in terms of combat.

    Void plagued was raw power that seemed like it would offer Emily the most abilities, and yet it would probably make her beholden to another entity.

    On the other hand, Scarlet sister offered less upfront but gave her a true sense of freedom.

    Unlike the solitary Blood mage, there was still an aspect of unity tied into the title. Because of this, Emily wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about the title. She hated relying on anyone other than herself, so then why was the title so alluring?

    It was a gamble either way.

    Once all the options were out there, the choice was not hard. Making a flicking motion, the single star shot back up into the sky, leaving the others behind.

    Which had been lazily orbiting Emily, but when she called them to her palm, they rushed there all at once.

    Five brilliant dots of red light floated there, each giving off waves of light.

    Emily closed her fist around them trapping them in her grasp and calling to them to fill her active title.

    There was a large burst of radiance in her closed fist as information began to pour into her mind. Unlike the passive title, she could feel the presence of something larger than herself as she aligned herself with a long and twisting path ahead.

    All around Emily, the stars screamed with joy as the world danced with blazing trails. The spinning in the skies above sped up and the pinpicks of light became streaks of power.

    Her fist shook as the five stars in her hand imparted their knowledge and then as though pulled from her hand, they shot back up into the skies. Slamming into the center of the space and releasing a ripple of crimson power.

    Burning themselves into the dark canvas as a permanent constellation.

    The speeding stars around it scattered like embers from a flame and rushed to the front to begin forming words.

    The Scarlet sister¡¯s path has opened to you.

    Rank 1 - New features

    Life conduit - Excess life energy given off by living creatures naturally gravitates towards the Scarlet sister, allowing her to fill up her life source. This feature deactivates when the Scarlet sister¡¯s reserves are full.

    and

    Blood dagger - the signature technique of the Blood mage. Allowing one to enhance the piercing power of a dagger with their blood. The strength of this feature is determined by how much life source is used.

    Curse in effect!

    Result: The feature Blood daggers had been destroyed.

    ¡°My blood for the people, for the people are my blood.¡±

 Chapter 32 - Mysteries and departure

    The sounds of a fist pounding against Emily''s door woke her from a fitful slumber. Sitting up it took her a moment to realize these weren''t her silk sheets, and reality came crashing back around her.

    Alex¡¯s muffled voice came from the other side of the door.

    ¡°Emily, I¡¯m going up to breakfast. We¡¯re leaving in half an hour, so hurry up.¡±

    Emily groaned in response and snuggled back into her blankets.

    Reading about blood magic all night had not been the best idea but with her new title in place, she couldn¡¯t help feeling satisfied.

    Of course, the fact that the curse had stolen something from her pissed her off to no end, but luckily she could replicate something similar with her natural abilities.

    The real gem of this title was the fact that she could supposedly gather lifeforce naturally.

    The concept was not unfamiliar but the fact that it would supposedly do it passively was amazing. More interestingly was that, unlike others, Emily¡¯s gift didn''t have a limit to how much she could store, or at least none that she¡¯d been able to find.

    As much as she¡¯d tried, no amount of lifeforce had ever made her feel full, maybe sated, but never more.

    Finally, gathering courage, Emily crawled out of the warm covers and collected her things, which she strewn about the room. When she was dressed she headed out and up the stairs. Arriving in the dining room, Emily saw Alex halfway through a large plate of sausages and dark rashes of meat with what looked like hearty soup and a side of green leaves.

    As Emily got closer, she spotted a second plate of steaming food on the other end of the table. He¡¯d chosen a spot away from everyone else but not too far to remove them from the bulk of the patrons.

    Alex slowed his eating as she sat down at the other end. He was holding the map Selia had given them, having made a few dozen of his own charcoal markings.

    ¡°Right so this looks like our best route¡±

    Alex began talking but now that she was closer, a fragrant smell of fine roasted beans trailed on the air, coming from a mug by Alex''s side.

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened and she nodded her head in its direction.

    ¡°What¡¯s that drink called?¡±

    Alex had been about to go on but paused to follow her eyes.

    ¡°...It¡¯s called Night brew, it¡¯s a warm bitter drink. Ask Hester for a mug when she passes.¡±

    Emily smiled happily. This world had coffee and it instantly went up by two orders of magnitude in her books.

    Only after she had flagged down the woman and gotten her own mug of warm rich brew, did she turn back to Alex who was just finishing up his food.

    ¡°Okay so I went over our route last night and I think we can make this trip in good time if everything goes according to plan. Speaking of that what title did you end up picking?¡±

    Emily nodded, swallowing the bitter drink. It needed sugar and cream. Moving in closer to Alex she whispered her final choice.

    Alex¡¯s eyes widened for a moment and a look of frustration came over his face, but after a sigh, he relaxed.

    ¡°...Fine, I guess. Did you at least get any spells or skills that could help us fight?¡±

    Emily thought about it and looked around the dining room. It was semi-full at this stage with Tulie and Hester running about from table to table.

    Her title should be working now, right?

    Clutching her night brew between her hand Emily squinted around. She began to feel a very subtle energy moving about the room, issuing forth from every person.

    It was similar to watching a candle burning in their chests and normally where the heat would dissipate into the room harmlessly, it was instead gradually moving towards her chest.

    It was in minuscule amounts, so much so, that she¡¯d had to concentrate just to make it out, but once she did it became obvious.

    All around her, the glow of life force rose like heat waves from everyone, only for it to be caught in the air around her as though drawn to her.

    It wasn¡¯t like she was stealing what they needed to live, more like bathing in the afterglow.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Focusing on her chest, Emily felt a near-constant stream of life force seamlessly joining with hers. Comparably, she could get far more from a single elf, but give it time and she was certain she could put up a decent fight against any threat.

    The fact of the matter was that as long as she was near people she could passively recharge her reserves.

    Emily nodded slowly to Alex.

    ¡°In the long run, yes, but we may want to ¡®hunt¡¯ a bit before we tackle these creatures.¡±

    Alex used the edge of his sleeve to wipe the oils from the corners of his mouth.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. But just so you are in the know. It''s going to be a lot harder for to you get back into the keep after this. Leaving probably won¡¯t be a problem, they care far less, but any Spyglass worth their salt will be able to see your title now. And it''s not just that title we need to be wary of, others can see under certain circumstances too.¡±

    Alex was whispering and they were far from the other tables, but Emily still glanced around.

    She was aware of the risks involved in her choice but it just hadn¡¯t been that big a factor for her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with that if it becomes a problem, now pass me some of the rations so I can pack them.¡±

    Alex frowned but handed over her share while she continued to eat. The rations were strange-looking rectangles, similar to a protein bar. They were wrapped tightly in what looked like a coat of wax and then bound together with twine.

    When she was done eating, Emily packed and moved towards the door. She¡¯d been for another bath last night but knew the moment they got out there again she¡¯d long for that near scalding water all over again.

    Emily left their room keys on the bar and waved at Hester, getting a parting smile as she stepped out after Alex.

    He was waiting under the sign of the inn, which Emily could now see read ¡®The Cozy Mouse¡¯

    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re going to have to go straight through to the other end of the keep. Our destination is in almost the opposite direction.¡±

    Emily shrugged and fell in line with Alex, the two of them making their way towards the core of the keep once more.

    This time though, instead of taking the ramp leading deeper into the keep, they stayed level as they moved around the railing and stepped off down another main passage on the opposite end.

    This area was similar to the one they had entered through, with busy foot traffic. Guards weren''t common in this area, that''s why when Emily spotted an older gentleman wearing the keep¡¯s colors she focused on him. Others seemed to avoid his path as he moved through with a righteous presence about him. The guard carried himself with an urgent sense of purpose, his fist tightly clenching what looked like a crumpled letter. His demeanor ensured that no one bothered him or even looked in his direction.

    It was for this reason that Emily noticed something off about the man. Behind him, a younger man, probably just leaving his teen years, moved behind the guard. His focus narrowed on the man''s back.

    Emily was surprised because he¡¯d not been there a mere second ago and now he was barely a step or two behind the guard. Blending in almost perfectly and approaching with abandon.

    To Emily, there was only one reason he could be moving like that.

    Without even pausing her step Emily put her thumb and index finger to her lips and let rip an ear-piercing whistle at the top of her lungs.

    Even the hustle and bustle of people couldn¡¯t drown out the sound, causing several people nearby to place their hands on their ears, Alex included.

    As she¡¯d hoped, the guard¡¯s eyes turned in her direction and she smiled tilting her head upwards and using her eyes to indicate to the kid behind him.

    At first, the guard looked confused, but he still turned to glance behind himself.

    Seeing his target turning, the teen committed to the attack. Bringing a stiletto dagger up toward a gap in the guard''s armor.

    With reactions that could only have come from a title, the man parried the blow with a weapon of his own. The clash of steel rang out and people nearby yelped in fear, scattering in all directions.

    Emily had still been quite a ways from the pair, and she was not interested in intervening anymore than she already had, which turned out to be for the best when the guard took off running toward one of the nearby alleyways. The assassin didn¡¯t hesitate to follow and in the chaos of pressing bodies, they both disappeared into the crowds.

    Alex grabbed Emily by the wrist and pulled her through oncoming traffic to an area less occupied but shouting bystanders.

    ¡°Dammit, we have to go, if the assassin succeeds they will close down the keep, I¡¯m certain that was a Noble.¡±

    Nodding Emily dodged a vendor pulling at the reins of a winter mule aggressively.

    They hit the gates less than ten minutes later and passed through the set of double doors. The room they entered was similar to the lobby they had waited in upon first entering the keep, but the process was far more hands-off. They passed another set of guards who were looking warily around with their weapons crossed over the door, but as they approached Alex whispered something into Emily¡¯s ear, and she pulled out the insignia and flashed it to the guards. The left one¡¯s eyes narrowed, but he motioned to the other guard and they pulled their weapons aside, opening the door for Emily.

    The narrow passageway was similar to the last but there was no glass booth in its wall.

    The temperature had begun to drop as they neared the end of the passage, Emily pulled the lever to unlatch the door and a blast of icy wind entered the space, looking for gaps in her clothing.

    Frost and snow clung to the ground save for the red road leading up a winding path into the mountains.

    They kept moving briskly until they had cleared the empty fields around the keep. When they were securely masked behind a layer of foliage, Alex came to a stop, looking back the way they¡¯d come.

    ¡°The Five help me, what is it now?¡±

    Emily got the feeling he was talking to himself more than anyone else,  but she still asked anyway.

    ¡°What was that all about, does that happen a lot?¡±

    Alex shook his head.

    ¡°Definitely, but not here. Whatever that was about will send the keep into utter chaos. An attempt on the life a keep Noble is a weight not many can bear.¡±

    Emily pursued her lips and turned to look ahead of them, beginning to edge further down the path.

    ¡°Well then, it''s a good thing we¡¯re not there anymore.¡±

    Alex shot her a dry look before turning to follow her.

    ¡°Out of interest do you know anything about our targets? Like where do they keep their pups?¡± Emily asked changing the subject.

    Alex tightened the straps on his pack and shook his head.

    ¡°Rime wolves are normally nomadic, it''s only when their pack gets abnormally large that they set down roots, creating hunting grounds so that other creatures know to stay away. And we¡¯re going to have to head straight into the heart of this territory. That''s where they keep their young¡±

 Chapter 33 - Upgraded blood

    ¡°Alex! Incoming!¡± Emily shouted no longer interested in remaining quiet.

    For his part, the man reacted with almost no hesitation, diving into a roll and tucking his limbs under himself.

    The club narrowly missed the back of his skull as it swung overhead. More elves burst out of the nearby bushes, springing their ambush with excitement in their black soulless eyes.

    Emily turned to the nearest elf and dove at it, blade raised, the thing didn¡¯t expect her to make such a hasty move so its chest became a temporary pincushion for Emily as she plunged her blade between the creature¡¯s ribcage.

    It didn¡¯t die immediately but Emily took a step back a wave of lifeforce rushed from the creature and slammed into her.

    Not expecting the sudden windfall Emily hesitated on the battlefield. A nearby elf was only too ready to take advantage of this and threw a rock connecting directly with her temple.

    Emily yelped as red splattered against the nearby bushes. Shaking herself she pushed back her blurry vision as the sounds of fighting echoed in her ears. Her eyes refocused just in time to see a club coming for her knee.

    More reacting than anything else, Emily pulled her leg up and the weapon cracked against her ankle instead.

    The pain was sharp running up to her knee but it cleared the haze. Dropping her full weight down onto the now-injured leg she grabbed the creature by the throat and hoisted it towards her, biting into its neck.

    The moment she pulled, something even stranger happened. The life force she¡¯d felt earlier came again, this time though it was far more potent, crashing into her like waves. Causing Emily to drain the creature in mere moments, far faster than she¡¯d even managed before.

    Her dopamine-saturated mind could only come up with one conclusion. Her title was synergizing with her natural abilities to create a far more potent effect.

    With little time to think, her eyes searched the treeline for the rock thrower. Spotting it hanging on a branch up above she leveled her palm with the little fuck and fired a bolt of blood.

    The thing''s eyes widened and it tried to dodge but Emily made a scooping motion with her hand and the projectile changed direction in midair, connecting with the center of the creature''s forehead.

    It died instantaneously, and as it did so, another wave of lifeforce rushed at Emily. She was prepared this time and checking her reserves she felt herself get back about half the amount she¡¯d used on the bullet itself.

    Excited but unwilling to celebrate yet, her eyes roam the small ambush site for more threats. Alex stood nearby his body taunt and ready, but near his feet, four elves squirmed still alive.

    Both of them looked around and when their eyes met he was the first to speak.

    ¡°That''s all seven, next time we¡¯re going with my plan. Even if we can overpower them, walking into an ambush does not sit right with me.¡±

    Emily shrugged as she moved toward the elves Alex had purposefully incapacitated for her.

    ¡°Yeah-yeah, it worked, didn¡¯t it? Oh, and you¡¯ll never guess what I figured out. My title is working even better than I thought. Killing them seemed to release at least half of what I¡¯d get from draining them.¡±

    Alex¡¯s face didn¡¯t contain any hint of discomfort rather he carried a thoughtful look.

    ¡°Do you need to kill them yourself?¡± looking down at the two reaming elves she hadn¡¯t gotten to yet.

    Emily blinked in surprise.

    When they had left the keep Emily had made sure to remind Alex about her need to hunt if they were going to be safe. And they weren¡¯t even traveling for a full three hours before Alex had spotted this ambush.

    The whole reason for them to even have walked into this mess was for Emily to hunt herself some life force. That¡¯s why Alex had avoided going for the kills, but his question was intriguing. She hadn¡¯t told him what the Life Conduit skill did exactly, only given him a rough outline, and yet he seemed to put the pieces together himself.

    Emily made a sour face but nodded for him to go on.

    Alex didn¡¯t hesitate to plunge his dagger into the gremlin-like body.

    Emily''s breath caught in her throat as another burst of heat rushed toward her causing her eyes to flutter.

    Alex was watching her so he didn¡¯t need her to confirm it. She got some of the escaping energy.

    Emily still got more from using her powers directly but this would allow her to regain her power much faster. She dealt with the last elf in this manner.

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    Once Emily was done she healed her minor wounds and checked her reserves. Right now she had about six blood bolts to her name. Emily also needed to test the range at which she could gather the energy but as long as there were enemies nearby, she would never truly run out of vitality.

    Alex was glancing up amongst the trees by the time Emily had finished.

    ¡°Right let''s keep moving, we¡¯re still more than half a day''s travel out from the hunting grounds so we¡¯ll make sure to stop now and then so that you are full by the time we get there.¡±

    Emily nodded, deciding not to correct him on the ¡®full¡¯ part.

    As they traveled along the road they encountered two more such ambushes. Both of which they got the jump on. Emily still preferred her method of approach but she had to give Alex credit, they managed to kill at least half of the teams of elves before they even knew they were under attack.

    Emily was getting much better at moving stealthily through the trees and she was convinced it was because of the Explorer title working in the background.

    Emily noticed that as she moved along a path she had never seen before, her eye picked up details about their surroundings. It wasn¡¯t like she suddenly knew which mushrooms to harvest or what trees were the best for firewood. Instead, Emily noticed that she could remember certain markers such as distance, it gave her a very rough idea of how far they had traveled so far. She wasn¡¯t sure but if Alex stopped guiding them and they had to move off the road, she felt she would at least be able to guide them back in the general direction of the keep.

    In the grand scheme of things they were not important details but they stuck in her memory and built on each other.

    For example, she noticed Alex avoided one particular berry bush that looked similar to the others nearby. On closer inspection, Emily got a different feel from this bush and committed it to memory. Its thorns were slightly shorter and Emily was ninety-nine percent sure it was poisonous

    As Emily finished dealing with the third pack of elves she checked her reserves once more and discovered she had around twenty-one blood bolts in her. Emily was brimming with power, she hadn''t had this much since she got to this world and it gave her a much-needed moral boost when she thought of their destination.

    It wasn¡¯t long until Alex paused near the edge of the road. The patch of woods he now stared into looked no different from anywhere else, but his grim face was all Emily needed to know they were on the right track.

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving the road, the rest of the journey will be off the path, keep your eyes on the air as well they have been known to leap great distances.¡±

    Emily¡¯s brows rose as her mind conjured the image of a horse-sized wolf tiptoeing through the trees. What kind of messed up creatures were these, they were starting to sound more like hellhounds than large mutts.

    For good luck, Emily crouched down and tapped the road twice, giving it a farewell wink as she and Alex plunged into the woods.

    After about an hour of tense travel, Emily began to relax her shoulders. The sounds of the forest remained unchanged, still alive with the rustling of animals. She spotted a small white rabbit with tiny, adorable horns waddling through the snow. This struck her as odd as this was supposed to be a hunting ground, wasn¡¯t it?

    Turning to Alex she lowered her voice to a whisper.

    ¡°Hey, are you sure they gave us the right location? Why am I seeing so many animals around here?¡± as Emily said this she pointed to the rabbit.

    Alex glanced over at the creature as he played with the hilt of his dagger.

    ¡°Rime wolves don¡¯t hunt small game like that, that little guy is a snack at best for them. No, they hunt Tamerac which probably settled in the area.¡±

    ¡°Tamerac?¡±

    Alex looked back.

    "You know, four legs, massive bodies covered in thick fur, trunks that could crush bones in an instant, and tusks strong enough to tear through ancient trees."

    Emily took another look around the area, was he talking about mammoths?

    A twig snapped behind them and Emily''s head whipped about in search of threats, only to find that same rabbit gnawing on a stick with a smattering of leaves.

    If the little thing wasn¡¯t so cute she would have punted it across the grove. Turning back to Alex she saw they had reached a larger open area where the trees gave way to open fields of glittering snow.

    Patches of yellow grass pushed up through the frost just about everywhere and it was here Emily saw the massive beasts roaming the icy plains. Their herd was humongous as they spread out across the slanted hillscape that ran off into the woods.

    There must have been hundreds of them and each was colossal. Dwarfing elephants back on earth by at least a full couple of meters. Their exterior was similar to that of a mammoth with the only notable exception being a heaving-looking set of scales protruding at all their weak points. The heavy fur was a course white and Emily wouldn¡¯t be surprised if more scale lay beneath the surface.

    By the looks of things, the Tamerac stayed together in loose circles, only the largest of them wandering off to graze on the plentiful vegetation.

    The whole scene was breathtaking; Emily could just make out calves wandering near their mothers at the heart of the herd.

    Alex suddenly yanked Emily by the collar of her cloak pulling her down not a moment too soon. The shifting weather allowed a bleached light to filter through the clouds as a cacophony of howls tore through the fields.

    The Rime wolves poured out of the treeline, their numbers no less than fifty. Emily had only gotten glimpses of the beasts in passing but now their large forms were on full display. Comparing them to horses didn¡¯t do them justice as their large forms were far bulkier. Fangs as long as Emily¡¯s entire hand filled their gums as saiva frothed near the corners.

    Everything about them spoke of primal savagery; their furs, in shades of gray and white, draped over taut muscles that flexed with power as they closed in on the outermost Tamerac.

    The most interesting detail that set these creatures apart from wolves back on earth was the two cord-like appendages that produced from their shoulder blades like two thick whips. While they ran the foreign limbs sat to flush with their bodies, but the moment they stopped they rose as though readying themself to strike.

    With perfect teamwork, the Rime wolves separate two strong Tamerac from the heard encircling them and nipping at any weaknesses they could find

    Even more impressive was that the Tamerac did not falter. Its trunk was a devastating weapon and even though its size was great, its speed turned all of its limbs into battering rams.

    It was while all this happened that Emily and Alex waited patiently for the storm to pass. But at this time one of the nearby fights got too close. One of the wolves backed in their direction. It looked like it had a limp from an old injury, but as looked for a way to rejoin the fight it scented the air and its head turned toward their hiding place.

    Lowering its head it broke off from the pack and began to pad toward them.

    ¡°Fuck, retreat!.¡± Alex hissed as he pulled Emily back the way they¡¯d come.

    ¡°I thought you said they didn''t hunt small game!¡± Emily shouted as she took off after him.

 Chapter 34 - Snarling dominance

    Emily ducked up a low-hanging branch her lungs on fire as she chased after Alex. She could hear the sound of something moving through the trees behind them as its uneven gait tore through the undergrowth. Emily could swear she could smell the sour breath of the panting beast behind her.

    Risking a glance back she could just make out a set of glinting eyes reflecting in the first of the evening light.

    It held no malice, just a cold, keen intelligence as it stalked them. Even with its handicap, it kept up with them.

    ¡°Alex! I only see one, we should turn on it!¡±

    Alex glanced back shaking his head.

    ¡°No don¡¯t be fooled, they hardly ever run alone.¡±

    ¡°Then how are we supposed to deal with them!?¡±

    ¡°We just need to find the right spot, I know I saw one here earlier¡±

    Emily pressed her lips together and couldn¡¯t help glancing back again.

    Was the wolf closer now? It looked like it.

    Alex kept them moving for five more minutes at full pace. Their stalker seemed only too happy to let them tire themselves out. It never got too close but snapped its jaws if Emily even so much as slowed down. At the same time, Emily searched the surroundings but never saw any sign that this one had friends.

    Alex suddenly dove off the side of the path sliding down a steep hill. Emily followed as she controlled her descent, only for it to stop at a sharp cliff face. They would have to scale it if they wanted to keep moving.

    ¡°Alex!¡±

    ¡°I know! When you hit the wall, turn on them. Make sure to keep it at your back or they will surround us.¡±

    The moment Emily arrived, she turned back the way they¡¯d come, her eyes scanning the stretching shadows. Dried and rotting leaves carpeted the floor of the ditch, crunching underfoot as she widened her stance.

    That same set of eyes glared at them from the shadows until a large, older she-wolf stepped into a beam of sunlight. Beside her, two larger Rime wolves slowly edged out of the shadows.

    The creatures were even more breathtaking up close, displaying a savage beauty that was hard to match. The she-wolf''s muzzle was littered with scars as was the rest of her pelt. Emily noticed once more her hind leg looked maimed as she rested only the bearest amount of weight on it.

    The beast held Emily''s gaze as though fascinated by what she saw and that was when Alex shouted.

    ¡°Emily, sides!¡±

    The spell broken, Emily''s gaze whipped to her left when she caught sight of the wolves already running at them.

    Alex turned to the one on their right as she realized they were attacking from both sides, Only the she-wolf seemed to remain back, watching, but Emily didn¡¯t have the time to worry about that.

    The wolf approaching her had almost closed the distance and Emily''s go-to strategy kicked in Life force churned up from her chest and down both her palms, releasing two large bolts of blood that struck home.

    The wolf abandoned its charge as it shook itself, one of the hits having cracked into the side of its snout and the other its chest with only abrasions to show for it.

    Alex suddenly grunted from beside Emily as the wolf tackled him into the wall.

    Unfortunately, she could not help because the beast nearest to her had already recovered and was charging her again. Dancing back, the first thing to reach her was not the Rime wolf¡¯s fangs but instead its whip-like appendages.

    The ground exploded with a cracking sound as they collided with the spot Eily had been seconds ago.

    The sound of boots and paws trailing through the dirt was all Emily could hear over Alex''s pants. Without losing sight of her opponent Emily brought the sword down in a warding gesture causing the wolf to step back.

    Following it up with another bolt, Emily directed it towards the same spot near the beast''s snout.

    This time the Rime wolf let out a yelp of pain as its whips swiped horizontally.

    Emily ducked under the swipe and drew her hand as close to the thing''s throat as she dared and fired.

    At this range, even the beast''s thick hide could not protect it and the bolt tore through its trachea.

    The thing backed off unaware it was even dead, its form so large that it took a couple of seconds for its legs to buckle out from underneath it. A large wave of vitality hit Emily in the gut, easily worth three times an elf. Another followed just seconds later.

    Emily¡¯s ragged breath came out in harsh pants as she realized there was silence in their little ditch.

    Glancing back she saw Alex with his back pressed into the wall. Equally exhausted with his dagger lodged to the hilt in the side of the wolf''s head, piercing its brain directly.

    Emily''s head snapped round as she looked for the incoming she-wolf but when her eyes got front and center she saw the beast still in the same spot she had appeared from.

    Its large brown eyes were staring down at Emily with so much hatred in them. Her howl tore through the trees.

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    Then as quickly as she had appeared the she-wolf turned and ran towards the shadows at a monstrous rate.

    Alex pushed the large corpse off himself and threw his dagger with incredible speed but it was too late she had already slipped into the shadows and a blade thunked into a nearby tree.

    ¡°Dammit all¡±

    Emily was still searching for threats in case there were more waiting out there, but Alex began climbing the hit at a decent rate.

    Emily frowned.

    ¡°What was that all about, why¡¯d she run.¡±

    Alex glanced back.

    ¡°Because she¡¯s smart. She¡¯s either going to get more of her pack or notify the nearest one. My bet would be the latter. She¡¯s an older generation, that was probably last of her pack¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, she was hunting with those others? Arent they a pack?¡±

    Alex grunted as he got to the top of the hill looking around.

    ¡°Every generation stickers together under a leader, when a new generation is born they pick a new leader but the older ones remain. This means that though they are one group they have about three packs at any one time. Those ones were probably the last of the older litter¡±

    Emily glanced down at the dead Rime wolves and noticed their bodies did look on the older side with many wounds hidden under the fur.

    ¡°What the fuck, why the heck do you know so much about these creatures.¡±

    Alex grunted glancing back down at Emily.

    ¡°It pays to know your enemy, now look. She escaped and the likelihood of more coming back is high so we need to move and cover our scent.¡±

    Emily climbed to the hill in short order and glanced back into the ditch with the corpses lay.

    The two of them moved hurriedly back the way they¡¯d come while Alex seemed to be scouring the nearby bushes. At first, Emily thought he was looking for more wolves but he began picking a tiny blackberry, gathering them by the handful.

    Emily was certain he wasn¡¯t just peckish and was proved right when he spoke up.

    ¡°Help me gather these it was stupid of me to not prepare more before coming here but we¡¯re not even on the outskirts of their territory yet. At least that¡¯s what the map says, their territory must have grown.¡±

    Emily looked around and began grabbing similar-looking berries, letting Explorer guide her on their exact shape and color.

    At the same time, Alex had dropped down into the snow with a small bundle of kindling and started a fire. He threw the small traveling pot they¡¯d bought recently atop it and shoved some snow inside, followed closely by the berries.

    Emily frowned as she searched their surroundings, keeping an eye on the treeline for any movement. The very fact that she hadn''t spotted those other two wolves meant they could be closing in right now and neither of them would be any the wiser.

    The water and berries were boiling in no time, leaching a light purple into the water and causing Emily to frown down at the man.

    ¡°What are you even doing right now? This is not the time to be making Jam.¡±

    Alex took the bubbling pot off the dying fire and threw another handful of snow into it.

    ¡°Making a way for us to move quietly through this area.¡±

    Alex then dunked his gloved hand into the watery mixture and flicked it at Emily.

    The tiny droplets of liquid left cooling trails through the air before hitting her in the face.

    Emily spluttered, wiping her face off and shooting Alex a glare that would have killed lesser men. The sour tang of cranberries rapidly filled Emily¡¯s nostrils

    ¡°Relax, this scent will mask our own to blend in with the background tones. We¡¯ll have to reapply it again later.¡±

    Emily frowned unclenching her fist as Alex similarly covered himself and then poured the remainder into an empty water skin.

    Emily still wore an annoyed expression but then a thought occurred to her.

    ¡°If we¡¯re invisible now we should go back. We¡¯ll be able to follow them back to wherever they''re holing up.¡±

    Alex pressed his lips together and glanced in her direction, nodding silently at her.

    ¡°I agree, but keep in mind we are not invisible. If they see us we¡¯re still done for.¡±

    Emily began moving back toward the place where the Tameracs were gathered. Doing her best to let her title guide her. When they arrived back in the area, poking out from a completely different area, they could see the Rime wolves had already killed their prey and were defending it from the other Tameras.

    The two large beasts looked like fallen pincushions, with large sections of meat already gone from them. Many members of the pack swarmed around the bodies, feasting on the carcass.

    The Tameracs seemed nervous, though that didn¡¯t stop a few of them from letting out warning bleats as a defiance to the pack. This only caused more conflict as the two groups continued their stare-off. Yips and howls answering that challenge.

    If Emily were a betting woman she would have put money on the Tameracs as their sheer numbers and size outclassed the Rime wolves in every aspect but one.

    Their intelligence.

    The wolves seemed to sense when their presence would no longer be tolerated by the herd and ripping off pieces from their spoils of war the wolves began to retreat into the treeline one by one.

    Emily had the feeling they¡¯d be back to finish the rest later, as it was they had already consumed more than half of the mammoth-sized husks.

    Emily couldn¡¯t see the older she-wolf anywhere and she couldn¡¯t tell if that was a good sign or a bad one.

    Looping around with the cover of the treeline Emily began to move in the direction she had seen the wolves moving in.

    Alex moved behind her keeping his senses tuned into the forest.

    As they moved Emily tried to keep her eyes peeled for their tracks and luckily she could just make out some of their most recent trails. Now and then Alex would silently tap her to change course if he saw them shifting too much off the main path.

    Emily was just starting to get the hang of tracking when the tail end of the group came into view. Freezing Emily lowered herself into the nearby bushes

    Following them after that became both harder and easier. It was far easier to get spotted, but Emily didn¡¯t lose track of them.

    The Rime wolves were apex predators in this area and as such they moved at a leisurely pace. However, for Emily and Alex, that meant a brisk walk was the slowest they could go before the pack would start to pull ahead.

    Finally, the beasts seem to have arrived somewhere as what looked like a series of cave systems came into view. The mound stood alone, resembling an anthill with several large holes littering the sides. Nearby a clear pond was buttressed against the hill, fed by a small steam of fresh water.

    This place was a natural paradise and Emily could see why they had settled here as they had almost everything they needed.

    Emily was about to ask Alex how they would find the pups when one of the front wolves howled.

    From inside the shady caves, forms churned into the light as dozens of pups came pouring out of the caves followed by what looked like their parents.

    Several of the Rime wolves with chunks of Tamerac meat in their mouths moved to the pups. Dropping their spoils down for the younglings to feast upon. Emily could see they weren''t sharing it out evenly, in fact, they were picking out the strongest-looking pups to shower with their favor. It took her some time but she finally spotted the older she-wolf limping her way toward a younger pack of males. By the looks of things, there weren''t many other beasts as scarred and wise as her.

    The she-wolf was met with growls and hunched shoulders for the younger ones but seemed to try and communicate something to them. She turned back toward the treeline as though wanting them to follow her, but this only seemed to antagonize them more.

    One of the large males stepped out and snarled at her, nipping at her weakened leg as a warning. Causing her to snarl back at him. A fight ensued and while the she-wolf was clearly more experienced the other beast was far stronger, ending with backing away with her ear pressed to her skull. They didn¡¯t seem to want to follow her, and it was a good thing too, because as the large she-wolf backed away she scented to air, cocking her head in Alex and Emily¡¯s direction.

    Emily let out a sigh, they''d found what they were looking for, but they were going to have on hell of a time getting in there.

 Chapter 35 - Plan and action

    ¡°And you¡¯re sure this ward thing will work right?¡±

    Alex sighed as he looked up from the dirt where their crudely drawn plan was.

    ¡°Yeah, with this quality of source chalk, it should hold even in steepest conditions.¡±

    Emily looked down from their vantage point amongst the trees where the Rime wolf''s home was situated.

    Over the last two days, they had plenty of time to observe creatures from the shadows. Hiding and constantly moving had not been easy but they had quickly discovered the task would be almost impossible to accomplish stealthily. The young Rime wolves were guarded around the clock, only being brought out once in the late evenings to feed. Other than that they remained in the caves with their parents as guards. Alex had made more of his concoction as they slowly came up with a plan of attack.

    However, Emily could do without the sudden spritz of fruity water every hour or so.

    After spending all of yesterday preparing while their prey slept, they were ready.

    The main problem was that there were many moving parts to it and honestly, a lot could go wrong, but they were on a deadline and this plan had merit.

    It was late morning at this point, the wolves were nocturnal and were most active near dusk and dawn.

    Now it was time to spring the trap

    Emily unstrapped her scabbard, letting her blade rest at her side. She left her pack up ahead, knowing she couldn''t afford to be weighed down¡ªnot when she was about to be chased by a pack of wolves.

    ¡°Here, take the brooch¡ªyou¡¯re going to need it,¡±

    He glanced down at the siphon in her hand, then back at Emily.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m much faster than you.¡±

    Emily rolled her eyes and pressed the brooch into his hand.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been over this. You¡¯re also much quieter. Both of our jobs are risky, but let¡¯s be honest¡ªI¡¯m far more alluring as a distraction.¡± She gave him a quick wink, a playful glint in her eye.

    Alex snorted as he looked back down at the dens.

    ¡°Remember the Tameracs aren¡¯t usually hostile to smaller creatures but we don¡¯t know how things will go.¡±

    Emily rolled her eyes.

    "Where''ve I heard that before."

    Despite this Emily moved towards the pile of tinder they¡¯d gathered around the base of a tree. There was enough kindling here to make two or three bonfires. They had to be certain these trees would catch or their plan would go out the window. Alex moved over to another one and began working his piece of flint and steel. Emily saw that her one had caught and moved to the second cluster of trees. When it was lit she glazed over at Alex giving him a thumbs up before moving towards the den.

    It was too early for the smoke to reach here but with their senses, it wouldn¡¯t be long before they realized something was wrong.

    The den itself was arranged in a type ¡®U¡¯ formation, coming to a point near the top. A few wolves were lying out in the late morning sun, but most were safely tucked away in their caves. Emily crept closer fully expecting their heightened sense of heading to warn them of her approach, but when none of the beasts roused she got closer, picking up a roundish stone as she went.

    It was only when she was near to center of the area that Emily noticed a pair of eyes watching her. The old she-wolf lay on her side with her head lurching up. Ears perky and fluttering. Their eyes locked for a second, before a snarl exposed her canines and pink gums, gleaming in the light.

    Others were stirring now.

    Taking a deep breath, she let out her best werewolf impression at the top of her lungs, sending a single lonely howl into the open sky. Savage growls echoed through the area as dozens of eyes glared out from their caves at the foolish morsel. Flinging the rock at a nearby wolf elicited a yelp from the creature, but Emily didn¡¯t wait¡ªshe dashed out of the clearing at full speed.

    Her departure heralded the calls of many, as howls filled the air followed by the sound of them giving chase.

    Emily glanced back over her shoulder and saw that the fires they had set were beginning to release plumes of smoke into the sky.

    This also gave Emily the heads-up she needed to see the Rime wolf diving through the air at her.

    Ducking low, the beast traveled overhead but Emily didn¡¯t slow as she served around it and continued running.

    She could hear the sounds of twigs snapping and shadows shifting in her peripheral. Emily had no illusions of outrunning these creatures. They were on their home turf and their natural speed was more than five times hers.

    The only advantage she had was the fact that her scent couldn¡¯t be used to track her and Emily made good use of this.

    Diving behind trunks and dodging through beams of morning light.

    The Rime wolves spread out as Emily changed direction and ran directly into a group of three wolves.

    She swerved and rushed in the opposite direction but not before one of them reacted, lunging for her.

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    A bolt of blood to its chest in midair had ample stopping power. The beast would not die from this but it was more than enough time for Emily to rush into the next clearing.

    Dodging the wolves was like walking a tightrope. One wrong move and she would be buried in snapping maws. But it wasn¡¯t impossible either as she used their forest against them.

    This worked until she got to the plains. Emily had been dreading this part as it was by far the most vulnerable point of their plan.

    The moment she exploded out of the treeline Emily glanced back again.

    The world behind her had shifted.

    An ominous glow of orange was shifting through the treetops and Emily only had a second before dozens of Rime wolves exploded forth from the foliage.

    Glancing towards the front Emily placed her tongue to the roof of her mouth and released a sharp whistling sound across the occupied plains.

    This, in addition to the panting beasts behind her, caused the Tamerac up ahead to go on guard. They planned to use the herd to their advantage and have Emily run through them to get rid of her pursuers.

    Seeing as the Rime wolves were their natural enemies the herd should work as a buffer against the beasts, but first Emily had to get there.

    She could practically feel their gazes weighing on her back as dozens of wolves could now see her running out in the open. Not only that but their path was now free of obstructions.

    Several frontrunners put on a bust of speed and the pack behind her swarmed in from both sides. Emily threw two bolts behind herself, launching one on either side. Both smacked into a beast, one on the snout and the other against a hind leg, causing two of them to fall behind. Unfortunately, it almost didn¡¯t matter because more rose to fill the gaps.

    Up ahead the Tameracs were becoming nervous as they let off warning bleats.

    Emily had just passed the halfway mark when the nearest wolf dove at her.

    Diving forward, Emily tucked her limbs in and rolled on the ground, getting up in one fluid motion. As though ready for her another lunged and Emily struck out with her blade. The wolfs jaws latched onto the weapon in an attempt to rip it from her grasp. If she held onto it she would be pulled back so Emily abandoned it in a heartbeat, letting the wolf and blade fall behind her.

    Emily managed to break away but the move cost her a great deal, not to mention space as she fell further back amongst the pack.

    Emily was boxed in all sides by an enemy that wanted to rip her throat out, nipping at her face and arms. They weren''t trying to kill her right there, because all they needed to do was take her to the ground it was all over.

    The rest of the pack behind her would pounce and rip her to shreds if she gave them half a chance.

    Something Emily was not interested in doing, so she sped up and called two bolts to her hands but instead of releasing them she shaped the blood from her palms into two convex disks around the size of dinner plates.

    The beasts would lunch themselves at Emily only get a mouthful of hardened blood. Sadly the size disparity meant that some of the attacks still got through.

    One of them nipped at Emily''s thigh tearing through the material with ease and taking a fist-size chunk of flesh out of her.

    Emily wanted to scream bloody murder, so she did, cursing at the top of her lungs caused the Tamerac up ahead more stress as they braced for the charge.

    They were so close now Emily could see the dull reflection in the large beast''s eyes as they watched Emily lead a pack of no less than seventy wolves straight towards them.

    Out of her peripheral Emily spotted one of the males the she-wolf had tried to warn heading in her direction. The beast was massive with fur as dark as tree bark.

    It lunged at Emily but it was impatient and knocked its fellow packmates out of the way. Only managing to send its whip-like arm out. Seeing the attack coming Emily moved her blood disk into the path of the strike to block, but the force was enough to send her flying the last couple of meters. Emily went siding beneath the legs of Tamerac.

    Now normally the last place one wanted to be is below the feet of such a larger creature, doubly so when it freaked out and rose on its hind legs but Emily couldn''t help smiling as she launched to her feet and dove deeper into the herd.

    The Tamerac saw her weaving between her, however, had far more pressing concerns at that moment. The Rime wolves were unwilling to halt their charge and the two groups of animals collided. It was like lighting a fuse on a barrel of gunpowder as the Tamerac lost all reason and tried to stomp the interlopers, while the Rime wolves suddenly had to contend with their prey slipping in among the herd.

    Emily dodged toward the center of the chaos where the calfs resided. Fear laced the area as chaos descended. The mother Tameracs hedged in on the calves forming a wall of meat and bone. Unfortunately, even the calves were the size of large bulls so Emily climbed atop one as they were jostled around.

    The beasts barely even registered she was there as Emily floated on a sea of the beastes.

    A minute or two more and things started to calm down as Emily could make out the pack beginning to fall back to a safer distance. The Tamerac remained skittish as they didn¡¯t leave the area.

    Emily spotted the old she-wolf padding up to the brown wolf as she gathered her breath.

    Over the last couple days, Emily had watched the older wolf closely and had come to realize the she-wolf cared for her pack closely, but the pack didn¡¯t seem to return the sentiment. She was an outcast who knew nothing else.

    Howls went up from somewhere distant and Emily was certain Alex had begun his side of the plan.

    They had decided the most direct route of approach was to burn them out. And so while Emily distracted a good portion of the pack, Alex had been stoking fires. The smoke and flame would force more of the pack out which should make robbing them of pups easier. That was the theory at least.

    But as Emily watched now she saw half the pack break off in the direction of their den. The other half remained, as they began to spread out through the fields trying their best not to antagonize the herd.

    Emily pursed her lips.

    The Tamerac were pushed up to the edge of the forest, she could make a run for it but it was too early.

    That''s when she spotted the flicker of a torch moving through the trees at an incredible speed.

    Emily smiled as she glanced back down at the rest of the pack. Moving to the edge proved to be more dangerous than she thought as one of the mothers tried to grab her with its trunk. Luckily it didn¡¯t want to hurt its calves so it moved slowly. Emily used this to her advantage and climbed atop the beast''s back. Emily thought it would have more of a problem with this but all it did was attempt to shake her off. A good grip and a bit of balance were all she needed to move from one Tamerac to the next until she was at the edge of the forest once more.

    Lowering herself and tucking into a roll, Emily landed on the ground and got up in the same motion. Making a mad dash for the treeline.

    Growls issued forth and the chase restarted as Emily spotted several nearby Rime wolves heading in her direction.

    Plunging into the undergrowth the bushes tore at her arms but there was no time to waste as Emily spotted the markers she¡¯d set for herself.

    Bursting into the clearing she saw Alex arriving there at the same time with a net full of whining pups over his shoulder.

    The moment he saw Emily he turned and dumped the torch in his hand directly onto the small line of oil-soaked wood surrounding them.

    Its ignition was spontaneous as flames licked up the surrounding trees forming a loose circle of fire. Inside Alex moved towards the wards he had drawn and pressed the broach to them. Right away the chalk began to glow a dull red, preventing the flames and smoke from entering the large clearing.

    Just before the fire closed in half a dozen wolves dove through the flames and landed on the other side. Both the brown wolf and old she-wolf bared their fangs as the flame grew higher sealing them all in the ring together.

    Blood points: 24

 Chapter 36 - Arena of flames

    The mewling of the wolf pups drowned out the now-roaring flames around them and yet Emily couldn¡¯t feel even the slightest flicker of heat or smoke from the flames.

    Breathing was made possible by the circle as it cleaned the air for them, or at least that was what Alex had said when she brought it up.

    They were in the eye of the storm as it were.

    Their real problem now was the six uninvited guests circling them.

    Alex had pressed himself up against the perimeter while still holding the net with their bounty in it and the other wolves were wary of this.

    Emily on the other hand was free game. The moment they had entered the brown wolf had lurched in her direction. She fended it off with her two shields but the beast crushed one of them when it closed its entire jaw around it.

    Dodging back into another waiting wolf had seen that she almost lost her throat.

    The thing tried to latch on, but Emily had bent backward and placed her hand under its chin to give it the most violent scritchs of all time.

    The bolt went straight through its jaw and the wave of life force that hit after gave Emily some breathing room.

    At this point, Alex lowered the pups to the ground and drew his blades. No sooner had he done this than two wolves crashed into him, their cord-like appendages closing the distance.

    Emily hoped he could handle himself as her own problems came her way. The large male charged and when Emily jumped back it was directly into the waiting maw of the she-wolf. The creature went for Emily¡¯s leg sinking its teeth into the same wound she¡¯d gotten on her thigh just minutes ago.

    ¡°Fucking hell, gimme a break you bitch!¡± As fresh pain traveled up her hip.

    The she-wolf refused to let go even as the brown leader attacked with its whips. Emily ducked, forcing the fangs deeper as blood wept freely. She tried to get her hand on the beast''s throat but the final free Rime wolf decided to make a show, tackling Emily to the ground. The she-wolf and Emily both went down as the male wolf tore into them uncaring whether it killed its ally.

    Unable to escape, Emily moved her last shield in the path of the beast''s maw. It crunched through the weakened shield with ease and bit straight through Emily¡¯s hand. Sheering off four digits that the wolf then swallowed whole. Emily yelped in pain but glared up at the creature with hatred in her eyes.

    ¡°Bad idea mut,¡± Emily grunted through clenched teeth

    Taking hold of her blood now traveling down its throat she created a blockage.

    Two thin needles suddenly protruded from either side of the beast¡¯s neck. As an ¡®X¡¯ speared its way through the wolf''s airway and lodged itself there.

    It couldn¡¯t even whine as it shook in agony.

    Both the she-wolf and the leader jumped backward as Emily held the dying one in place.

    Even as its life force flowed towards her Emily sent it into the corpse of her first kill. Blood rushed from the wounds rising up towards Emily as it took the shape of a sphere in her palm. Glancing over she saw Alex had managed to hold his own, and while both wolves were wounded neither was on death''s door.

    The growing ball of blood began to reshape itself into that of a morningstar, as spikes protruded from it.

    The brown wolf snarled at Emily while the she-wolf¡¯s ears pressed back against its head. With the death of the second wolf, Emily stopped channeling power into the technique and released it. Suddenly the entire space was filled with sharp shards of blood as a bomb went off. Nothing was spared as blood was sent in all directions. All it took from Emily was a shift of her will to have the blood become liquid upon contact with her and Alex.

    The shards pulled cries from just about everything in the area. The two Alex was fighting got hit the worst though, outright killing one and gravely wounding the other.

    The she-wolf took cover behind the leader, allowing her to escape the worst of the blast. The leader was hurt but its sheer size saved it somewhat. With the death of the third, their numbers had halved in a little under ten seconds.

    The leader snarled causing the one near Alex to turn and run. To Emily''s surprise, it dove through the wall of flames, as the curtain parted just briefly. She realized the wall wasn¡¯t as thick in that area as she had first thought.

    They were retreating.

    Before the she-wolf could run the leader growled at her causing her ears to press down against her head once more. Then the leader jumped through himself.

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    Emily wanted to pull them back but the she-wolf stayed affixed to the spot staring at her.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter girl, did they leave you for dead?¡± Emily asked as a wry smile bloomed on her face.

    As though it knew Emily was taunting her the wolf snarled.

    ¡°Come on then.¡±

    The she-wolf jumped at them, sending her whips forward ahead of her and then attempting to bite down on Emily¡¯s neck.

    What Emily didn¡¯t expect was the tentacle swiping out rapidly and knocking her feet out from under her.

    Slamming to the ground she saw Alex dive forward to cover for her and he managed to sink his dagger into the beast''s flank, but that didn¡¯t discourage the she-wolf.

    She pushed straight past Alex in an attempt to get Emily. The sheer force behind her charge carried Alex backward.

    Even accounting for her lame leg the beast was powerful, lunging downwards. Emily moved her injured hand in front of her but before she had the time to fire the she-wolf sank its teeth half up her arm. The pain was agonizing but her bones managed to hold her arm together. The she-wolf released her arm and then bit even further down Emily¡¯s arm. Coming to rest at her elbow. Grunting and shaking Emily looked up at the now massive eye of the beast. She expected to see the cold hatred from before instead she saw a deep tiredness in her eyes.

    Emily''s arm was paralysed by the jaws currently locked around it but that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t use her abilities.

    Moving life force from her chest Emily shaved off five times the normal amount and moved it into what was left of her arm.

    However, instead of firing a blood bolt, she focused her power on the blood now seeping from her wounds. The very same blood that was now running down this creature¡¯s gullet.

    The she-wolf froze as though sensing its impending death but before Emily could detonate the second bomb she felt something else take hold.

    Emotions poured into Emily from the she-wolf as she encroached upon its mind. Feelings of anger, pride, sorrow, and most of all betrayal. The she-wolf could not leave because her leader demanded she fight till the end. It was not something she wanted to do, but she could not refuse him. Emily was drowning in the creature''s emotions so much so that she felt the desire to do something other than kill it.

    Reaching forward, Emily undid the need to obey the leader''s compulsion to stand and fight, letting the chains fall away from the she-wolf''s mind.

    The change was dramatic as the she-wolf released her hold on Emily and jumped back. Alex¡¯s dagger came free and he was about to dive after the beast when Emily grabbed his ankle.

    ¡°Wait, Alex! She¡¯s leaving¡±

    Alex froze but never took his eyes off the beast.

    The Rime wolf growled her fury at them, her ears pressed down against her skull, but then the low bass coming from her chest quietened.

    The she-wolf seemed to glance about for a second, her eye falling on the pups. Alex stepped in between them, defending their prize.

    The she-wolf glanced back through the fire and then at Emily. Her snout twitched in annoyance before bolting out through the closing ring of flames.

    The only sound left in the area was the raging inferno around them and the yapping of the pups.

    Emily grunted as she sat up properly, sending life into her wounds. Emily¡¯s arm had sustained the most extensive damage and she had to use two bolts worth of power to regrow her fingers. Replacing bone was never a pleasant experience, but as the muscles and flesh wrapped their way around her new fingers Alex watched with a perturbed expression.

    ¡°That''s faster than I¡¯ve seen some healers put people back together.¡±

    Emily shrugged at this.

    ¡°I learned a long time ago that there¡¯s very little that can truly do me permanent harm. Everything can be endured.¡±

    Alex¡¯s face was grim yet he seemed to accept the idea.

    ¡°How did everything go on your end,¡± Emily asked.

    Alex moved over to the small creatures.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t go quite as planned. I managed to get in undetected but I had to deal with more guards than I was expecting, I''ll need to keep the broach for a little while. Managed to grab six of the little ones before they closed in.¡±

    The flames around them were still spreading but in this cold, they would eventually peter out. However, not before consuming a large amount of the Rime wolf''s territory. The pack would properly survive with little damage to its numbers but when they regrouped they would be pissed.

    If everything went to plan Alex and Emily would be long gone.

    Looking over at the pups Emily decided she wanted to see what they had just risked their lives for.

    The moment she got closer they stole her heart. The litter of pups barely had any fur yet with tiny nubs where their whip appendages would come in later. Their eyes were not even open yet, unable to take in the world.

    Worried that the lack of fur would be deadly to the pups Emily wrapped them up in her blanket. Though, right now, with the flames surrounding them that was probably not too much of a worry.

    Emily''s eyes fell on the five stones placed in a circle around them. Alex had used her source chalk and inscribed patterns across them.

    When Alex had suggested they set the forest on fire she¡¯d been worried about getting caught up in their own trap but Alex had an answer to this too.

    ¡°So you called this thing a flameward? Where¡¯d you learn to do it?¡±

    Alex looked up from tying a small bandage around his ribs.

    ¡°Yeah, and wards are pretty common. The simpler ones are taught for a small fee in pretty much any city.¡±

    Emily looked down at the symbols scrawled on the large flat rocks. The patterns overlapped one another like rings of symbols. Each strange letter gave off a different feel, and while their shapes were uniform each one was radically different from the next.

    ¡°And anyone can use them?¡±

    Alex nodded.

    ¡°Well, can you teach me some of these?¡±

    ¡°Did they not have wards where you come from?¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°Well, I understand what a ward is but, no we didn¡¯t.¡±

    Alex took longer to respond this time.

    ¡°You must be from somewhere far away if they don¡¯t use wards.¡±

    Emily looked at Alex who fastened a tight knot in the bandage.

    ¡°...You know, I''m not too sure,¡± Emily said wistfully.

    The silence between them lingered in the air until Alex cleared his throat.

    ¡°If you want to learn, I know quite a few wards. I¡¯d be willing to teach you, but you¡¯ll need to get more source chalk. This one is expensive but there are far cheaper versions you could use while you practice.¡±

    After Alex had drawn the flame ward, Emily was only left with half a stick of chalk, and it seemed like this was too valuable to use for practice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get more. But we should prepare to move as soon as this blaze subsidies.¡±

    Blood points: 17

 Chapter 37 - Extending a hand

    Emily dove through the screen of fading smoke as all around her the charred remains of trees crackled with still-burning embers. The three Rime wolf pups were fastened to her back and harnessed with her belongings. Beside her, Alex ran keeping pace with her as they tried to escape their latest tail. The pack was not happy in the slightest and while the smoke prevented them from tracking them that didn¡¯t stop them from running into the odd hunting party.

    Emily was convinced they were trying to get back their young but when the road came into view she shouted for joy.

    Then promptly turned and skidded to a halt. The two adult Rime wolves slowed to a canter and eyed their prey. They were well beyond the reaches of their territory and while they had already howled for reinforcements none had shown up.

    Emily took another step back onto the paved road as though taunting them. When they didn¡¯t advance beyond the treeline Emily blew the creatures a kiss. They were hesitant to follow this far out of the hunting grounds, even though their prey was so close.

    The last thing Emily saw was their eyes glaring at them, as though memorizing their faces before slinking back into the shadows.

    ¡°Do you have to torment them?¡± Alex asked.

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°No, but we all played the game and we won. Plus I was just saying goodbye to the doggies.¡±

    Alex maintained an easy jog with his own three charges tied to his chest. Even now they had to keep an eye on their surroundings.

    The fires had burned till the late evening, and now last light was beginning to wash the canvas with tones of purples and reds.

    Their rest was well-deserved but Alex only let them set down a camp when they were at least four hours out from the hunting ground.

    Emily found three large trees beside the road that she then latched their newest tent to. Lowering the thick fabric walls between the tunks. The wind outside caused them to flap as Alex tried to get a small fire started.

    Emily unrolled her small blanket and unfasted her bag causing the three pups to sleepily tumble out.

    Emily''s heart was once more stolen at the sight of the young pups. Bringing them closer to her chest she realized they couldn¡¯t be more than a week old.

    ¡°What do they eat, can I give them some of our dried meat¡±

    Alex looked over shaking his head.

    ¡°They¡¯re too young. Rime wolves are omnivorous but these pups won¡¯t last long without their mother''s milk.¡±

    Emily hummed as one of the pups, with flecks of brown and white, began gnawing on her thumb with razor-sharp fangs.

    ¡°So there¡¯s nothing we can give them?¡±

    ¡°The wandering fangs will have what they need, but that just means we need to get there quickly. Which reminds me we need to talk about what will happen when we get there.¡±

    Emily looked up from the little cuties.

    ¡°Okay? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I need you to stay outside with the pups while I go in and inform them of what happening.¡±

    Emily squinted at Alex.

    ¡°Why¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, for one, bringing in these beasts¡ªeven if they are pups right now¡ªrequires permits. And I have a feeling they would prefer to do this off the books. But more importantly, we don¡¯t know how the Spyglasses will react to your title. I¡¯ve never heard of it, and trust me, I know quite a few titles. I¡¯ll need to check with an Archivist.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t glance up from the snow-white pup as it nuzzled its face into her thigh.

    ¡°...Alright, that makes sense. Just be quick, if I hear you got a nice warm bath while I was freezing my tits off out here I¡¯m coming in regardless.¡±

    Alex shot her a dry look.

    Emily wasn¡¯t worried about separating at this point. Alex needs these animals to complete their transaction. The real issue was whether he would be in any danger. Luckily the one thing Emily was confident of was the fact that Alex was pretty fast.

    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing¡­¡± Alex said as though he were unsure of how to proceed.

    Emily made a looping motion with her finger for him to go on.

    ¡°...I¡¯m fairly certain I¡¯ve reached rank twenty-five¡­¡±

    Emily looked up from the pups in her lap for the first time.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to change your title?¡±

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    ¡°It has to be tonight, it''s the only chance I¡¯ll get.¡±

    Emily got what he meant, after the last couple of days, not sleeping wasn¡¯t an option. As far as she understood he would only be able to change his active title tonight anyway.

    ¡°Okay then I¡¯ll take the first watch¡±

    Alex nodded and moved his three pups over to Emily as he bunkered down and fell asleep in seconds.

    At the same time, Emily took out one of their lightweight rations. She cracked the waxy outer layer and pulled back the thin cloth protecting it. The first time Alex had handed her one of these things she had been unsure about them. The texture was similar to a gooey granola bar with seeds and honey, but the flavor was amazing. Similar to a fruit cocktail with a hint of banana. Even better, there were different flavors. Her current one zinged on her tongue as sweet and sour granadilla danced over her taste buds. The pups sniffed the air curiously but they seemed to lose interest as they began to try and riggle free.

    Emily spent the rest of her watch keeping them busy as they were most active near the night hours.

    When Emily went to wake Alex again he took longer than normal to wake. It was only after the second call that the man bolted up blinking away the sleep.

    ¡°I¡¯m about to crash, you get anything good?¡±

    Alex panted as he focused on her. Shaking his head, Emily assumed as much, before pushing the pups over to him and collapsing into her own bundles.

    When she closed her eyes the stars rushed around her as they moved into positions.

    ¡®14 - second threshold released at rank 25¡¯

    Skill threshold released at rank 18

    Active slot: Scarlet sister - access to the Scarlet sister skill tree, along with the Blood Mage skill tree.

    Increased learning speed when consuming blood, this is further increased if the blood is given willingly. Increased learning speed when studying blood wards.

    Passive slot: Explorer - Increased learning speed when engaged with new environments.

    Passive slot: Performer - Increased learning speed when studying others¡ªreplication based on understanding.

    Everything looked in order as Emily sunk past the stars into slumber. She was happy with her rate of growth as it seemed to have accelerated. Her best bet was that it had to do with the consuming bloodline. She had been a bit worried the title would have her drinking from chalices and swirling the stuff like red wind but it seemed the life force counted towards her growth. Emily was satisfied as sleep took her.

    What felt like seconds later Alex was shaking her awake.

    Emily complained the entire while but they eventually got the camp packed and pups divided up.

    When they stepped out of the tent she¡¯d found something strange about the area but wasn¡¯t able to put her finger on it. Normally she wouldn¡¯t have noticed it but Explorer had gone off. After looking around all she could make out was that the snow had been heavy last night. Warning Alex, they both had a look but neither could tell what was out of place.

    The rest of the journey was fairly peaceful. They never went out of their way to hunt down the elven ambushes, though they still found themselves in a few of them. Emily managed to score about eight blood bullets worth of vitality and all too soon the familiar dome of red brick came into view.

    They moved slightly off the road when Emily set up the tent once more, but this time Alex left a majority of his gear there. Taking only the bear necessities.

    ¡°Hopefully I¡¯ll be back before nightfall, If I¡¯m not you need to be careful and check the perimeter regularly. Being this close to the city will help but keep an eye out.¡±

    Emily rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Go on Alexander. The faster you get back the quicker I can have a bath.¡±

    Alex nodded and began to leave but paused at the edge of the camp. Turning around he looked at her.

    ¡°Runesaber¡­¡±

    Confusion worked its way onto Emily¡¯s face.

    ¡°Last night you asked me if I got any good titles¡­ That¡¯s the one I chose.¡±

    Emily flinched and tried to understand what was happening right now. She waited for Alex to go on but he didn¡¯t seem to want to elaborate. Instead, he turned and continued out of the camp without turning back. Emily stood there for a while until the mewling of the pups caught her attention.

    Making her way back into the warm tent Emily rummaged through her bundle to find her rations. She¡¯d been caving another of those waxy delights, but when she looked she saw she only had two different flavors remaining. Pouting she wanted to try a different flavor. That¡¯s when she glanced over to Alex''s bundle. He¡¯d left his rations here for her in case. So opening the pack she rummaged through it until she found what looked like a new flavor, but just as she pulled the bar out it caught on something.

    The sound of clinking metal dropped onto the blankets beside her. As Emily took a closer look she recognized the bracelet Alex had bought with the dagger.

    Pursing her lips Emily picked it up.

    She was once more struck with how beautiful the simple piece of jewelry was. It had a small clasp one could use to affix it to one''s wrist.

    Turing it over Emily watched the light reflect off the gems laid in the face of the thing. With her hands beginning to shake Emily shoved the bracelet back into Alex¡¯s bag. Scratching her head Emily tried to push his actions from her mind. Opening her book on blood magic turned out to be the perfect distraction as she tried to parse out what all these different symbols meant. Hours passed like this as the night continued to approach. Around dusk, the pups got restless and wouldn¡¯t stop yipping until Emily gave them her full attention. They were hungry but Emily didn¡¯t have anything for them.

    Deciding that some fresh air would do them all some good Emily picked them all up and stepped out of the tent. Finding a nice dry patch of nettles to sit down in.

    She was only out in the open for a short while when she felt it.

    Her blood was approaching, only not in the direction she expected. From directly behind them leaves crunched underfoot.

    Emily stood immediately, glancing about for her weapon. She¡¯d left it in the tent.

    Alex would have called himself out if he had looped around but that wouldn¡¯t make sense. So there was only one other culprit that had her blood on them.

    Two large eyes watch Emily from the shadows, the fading light reflecting off their brown irises.

    The she-wolf slowly stepped into the clearing, watching her.

    Emily¡¯s eyes glanced about the treeline for more Rime wolves. They were right up against the large expanse of open land near the keep. If she made a break for it, the guards inside might be able to lend aid.

    The longer the silence stretched between them the tighter Emily wound her muscles, ready to react at a moment''s notice.

    What she didn¡¯t account for was the pups making a break for it. Or in this case, they waddled out of the confines of their blanket prison in the direction of the she-wolf. Against Emily''s expectation, the she-wolf stepped more into the light as well. Her ears pressed back against her head as she lowered herself to a seated position.

    Emily couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of its actions but when she didn¡¯t see any moment in the surrounding area she realized the wolf was alone.

    On closer inspection, she could make out a new wound on its left ear as though something had tried to rip it off. The scene around their camp suddenly made more sense, they were being followed and neither of them had realized.

    Blood points: 25

 Chapter 38 - A meeting in the woods

    Emily maintained eye contact as she placed her nose in the crook of her elbow and took a whiff. The smell of smoke clung to her clothes. To a wolf¡¯s keen sense of smell, it may as well have said ¡®Come eat me¡¯.

    Alex was convinced the pack would not leave their hunting ground just for a couple of pups. But that didn¡¯t apply to a wolf that had been kicked out. At least that''s what this looked like to Emily.

    The she-wolf had disobeyed the leader''s order ¨C with a little help from Emily¨C so it was no wonder she had been attacked and exiled.

    From what Emily had observed, the she-wolf¡¯s stand had already been shaky. The real question now was what was she here for?

    If it was just to get the pups back, then a surprise attack would have worked much better.

    But as the pups arrived near the she-wolf''s paw, Emily sensed the beast was happy to see them.

    They readily collapsed between her large front paws, her cord-like appendages even going down to encircle them protectively, but she looked in no hurry.

    A glance up at Emily told her everything she needed to know. This she-wolf had lost everything, it''s home, it''s family. At this stage, the only thing left was these pups.

    ¡°Sorry old girl. I can¡¯t let you take them.¡±

    The she-wold bared her fangs but then lowered her head, snorting at Emily.

    ¡°Geez. I get enough attitude from Alex, I don¡¯t need you butting in.¡±

    The beast probably didn¡¯t understand her, but Emily read its intentions loud and clear. She was not impressed with Emily.

    The connection Emily¡¯s blood created between them was already almost gone, probably digested by the creature. However, she could still sense the smallest hint of a question coming from the beast.

    It wanted to know if the pups would be safe.

    ¡°I can¡¯t make that guarantee, Miss Wolfy. Where they¡¯re going, who knows.¡±

    The she-wolf stared at Emily for a long time.

    Emily looked down at her hand. Her abilities back on earth had allowed her to create a temporary connection to anything that directly or indirectly consumed her blood. But what she was feeling now was different in some sense. She¡¯d been able to feel another¡¯s emotions before, but this was different, it was almost like they were speaking. Perhaps it was because of the intelligence of the creature, or her new title at work, she didn''t know, but she got the sense that the beast didn¡¯t mean her harm.

    Sending a shred of power up her arm caused a wad of blood to pool in her palm. Small tendrils stretched from the globul as though it were a living creature. Looking back up, Emily searched the beast''s face for the shadow of deceit.

    Then shook her head when she realized she was treating it like a human, but it was hard not to when the she-wolf looked up at her with almost human-like eyes.

    Suddenly the beast got up from the snow and began to approach the camp, letting the pups trail behind her.

    Emily couldn¡¯t help tensing up as the thing got closer. The heavy scent of pine and earth assaulted her nostrils. When the thing was right in front of her it lowered its large head to sniff at the pool of blood squirming in her hand.

    Then, with a meaty tongue, the beast lapped up the blood, coating her hand in a layer of saliva. Emily blinked in shock as she felt the connection deepen between them.

    The wolf was starving, but not for food like Emily had first expected. No this was for something else, this was for power.

    Its family had sent it away, but where most wolves would feel abandoned, she just felt freedom.

    All it wanted was the opportunity to grow into something far stronger, and it knew the moment it had tasted Emily''s blood that it was possible.

    Emily grinned up at the beast.

    ¡°Well, aren''t you full of surprises?¡±

    Reaching forward Emily sunk her hands into the she-wolf''s rough pelt. Its white fur was flecked with grey and as Emily ran her hands up to her flanks Emily got a close look at the map of scars and healed wounds littering her body. She even had some new burns and a dagger wound on her side to add to her collection.

    When Emily got to her injured side she inspected it thoroughly. She was no vet but as far as she could tell the she-wolf¡¯s leg had been crushed and had healed wrong.

    Looking up Emily noticed the beast looking back at her. Their heads were so close together that a single bite was all it would take to separate Emily''s head from her shoulders.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the strength to heal you right now girl; Are you interested in hanging out nearby till then?¡±

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Emily could feel understanding through the link and what came as a hesitant ¡®yes¡¯.

    ¡°Right, well I can¡¯t keep calling you ¡®old girl¡¯. And it just so happens that the honorable ¡®Cupcake¡¯ passed just recently. So how do you feel about Cupcake the second?¡±

    The she-wolf shook herself like she didn¡¯t care one way or another, so Emily took that as a yes.

    Either way, the pups seemed to like her presence as they moved around her. Emily continued to watch the she-wolf as she played with the pups. When they were tired they coiled back up in large wolf body heat as she encircled them. With the night closing in Emily moved to the tent but left the flap open as she nestled down in the blankets. She kept an eye on the whole scene while she tried to parse out her book.

    Near the early hours of the morning, the she-wolf''s head lifted from the snow as she looked off in the distance. Getting up she began to pace, ready to leave. Emily found the last of their dried meat rations and pulled out another globul of blood, coating the treat in it.

    ¡°See you around Cupcake.¡±

    The beast eyed Emily one last time and snorted, before disappearing amongst the trees.

    It wasn¡¯t long before Emily felt Cupcake leave her range entirely.

    Emily let out a sigh as soon as she was certain the Rime wolf had left. For hours, the beast had lingered, testing her awareness. She was a predator in every sense, and had Emily shown any weakness, the wolf might not have been satisfied with just those small appetizers.

    Unfortunately for Cupcake, they could read one another and Emily was far stronger than her at the moment.

    After collecting her litter of sleeping charges Emily went back to her tent. She didn¡¯t have to wait long when she felt her blood approaching again. She thought it was Cupckae again because it came from the wood beside her, but the connection was all wrong.

    Alex arrived in the clearing not long after that, with another person in tow.

    Emily recognized Fetu immediately but when she turned to look at Alex, she noticed a distant look in his eyes as he played with the hilt of his weapon.

    ¡°Everything okay Alex?¡± Emily asked cautiously.

    It was Fetu who answered first.

    ¡°A lot of this happened since you guys left a couple of days ago.¡±

    ¡°Such as?¡±

    ¡°Um, I¡¯m not sure exactly about the cause, but rumors are going around of war on the horizon.¡±

    Emily cocked her head and glanced at Alex who shot her a look that said ¡®We¡¯ll talk about it¡¯.

    ¡°Okay, so a bit of war is on the way. Why are you here Fetu, did Kael send you?¡±

    Fetu swallowed.

    ¡°I volunteered to lead you guys through the smuggling tunnels, it''s how we¡¯re gonna get you in without being seen.¡±

    Emily nodded.

    ¡°Alright then make yourself useful and help us pack up everything.¡±

    With that, they went to work clearing the camp and soon after, the three of them were trudging through the snow. Though they never left the woods, instead they moved parallel with the keep, curving around until Fetu stopped near two particular trees. They had what looked like a large holly bush over it.

    Digging beneath the snow Fetu pulled up that section of the forest floor which she now recognized as a cleverly disguised trapdoor leading down the stone steps.

    Fetu was the first down followed by Alex and then Emily. There were sconces on the wall with what looked like glowing mushrooms in them, providing a turquoise glow to the entire passageway.

    ¡°Stay close, it''s a maze down here for good reason¡±

    Emily briefly wondered if this was some scheme by the man but put that out of her mind when Fetu began tying a rope to himself and Alex followed suit. Emily copied them when she realized Fetu wouldn''t proceed until she did.

    The trip through the underground maze was more than Emily had first expected. They had to travel in single file but every turn through its dark corridors confused Emily a little more. Explorer was loving this but Emily couldn¡¯t keep up with the many different routes Fetu seemed to be leading them on. It didn¡¯t help that it all looked so similar, the only company was the everpresent smell of topsoil and something nutty. The only way Emily could track anything was the way the sconces were aligned. As time went on grew further and further apart but then Emily could tell they were getting closer to their destination because of the steep decline.

    When the lights became more numerous Emily started to notice the walls shifting the grey stone.

    Finally, when Fetu got to a particular wall, he pressed a hidden switch, and a section gave inwards. The wall looked no different from the rest, but a final spiraling staircase loops downward into the earth.

    Taking it they descended and that was when Emily noticed a large chamber coming into view. From up here she could see what looked like a busy market and the bottom of the staircase would deposit them right amid everything. Several other staircases descended from above, all coming from different parts of the maze. Emily looked over the railing and noticed about a four-story drop below them.

    When they reached the bottom, Emily untied herself and followed after Fetu. The Market was just as bustling as the ones she¡¯d seen on the other levels, only a wide array of things stood out to her.

    Firstly the main product she saw at almost every stall was weapons. All types of close-quarter and ranged variants were on display. Medicines sat in little trays alongside dried powders, neatly packed into wooden boxes.

    Emily spotted someone receiving an identical tattoo to the one she now wore for the keep. All manner of jewelry and bright clothes were on display alongside what looked like a menagerie of birds and beasts in cages.

    The wonders here were alluring, but so were the dangers, and the people were far more pushy than Emily cared for.

    ¡°You miss, how much for the Rime wolf yougling. I¡¯ll offer you two squares each!¡±

    ¡°Sir what about a trade, with such dangers outside these walls what about a good weapon or two.¡±

    Keep hands were non-existent in this place, but the people seemed to give Fetu a wide birth.

    They could have kept their distance because of Fetu¡¯s demeanor and large body but Emily was willing to bet it was the white sash he wore around his bicep. Probably denoting him as part of the wandering fangs and these people seemed to know that.

    Either way, Emily didn¡¯t bother to respond to the offers.

    When they got the the exit of the market Emily was more than certain she wanted to come back here when she had time.

    When they moved out in another of the larger passageways Emily frowned when Explorer

    recognized the area. From there they traveled down a few more alleyways and arrived at the alleyway leading to the tavern where the wandering fangs were staying. Before they progressed any further, Fetu called out to them.

    "Um, one sec, Emily. I wanted to apologize for what happened between us and offer this as a token to let bygones be bygones."

    Looking down as Fetu held out the medallion Ron had stolen when she first got to this world. Glancing up Emily stared coldly into his eyes.

    ¡°This doesn''t make us even, but it helps¡±

    Emily said as she snatched it from his grasp and turned to continue moving.

    Alex was eyeing the medallion but he too turned and they continued forward.

    As they progressed, Emily noticed the wooden gates of the surrounding buildings beginning to shake as though being pawed at. Then familiar howls reach up towards the cavernous ceiling as though in greeting.

    Blood points: 23

 Chapter 39 - Dealing with the devil

    Pearls of laughter caressed Emily''s ears as they entered the tavern. This time from the front entrance, the full layout of the place came into view. The many mismatched tables were filled with merry people drinking, playing card games, and conversing happily. It would have almost seemed normal if not for the fact that every person in here didn¡¯t carry a weapon on their person like they were armed for combat at any point.

    Fetu led the way and Emily readjusted the pup in the harness she had made for them. Which was made of a scrap of cloth she had repurposed into a baby carrier by fastening it to her chest so that she had her hands free¡ªallowing the three pups to dangle there as they took in their surroundings sleepily.

    The sight might have looked comical to some but Emily had worked hard to secure these pups. So there was no way she would stumble at the finish line.

    Fetu continued forward and Emily followed with Alex in tow. Their entrance went completely unnoticed but when people noticed their small group moving through the room towards the back rooms, they couldn¡¯t help but stare.

    The room was significantly quieter by the time they made it to one of the side doors.

    When Fetu opened the simple wooden door Emily had expected to see something more that a bust kitchen. But that''s what it was, all around them half a dozen Cooks rushed around peeling potatoes, making sandwiches, and working huge pots on stoves. Emily was a little taken aback when Fetu moved through the place ushering them after him. The men and women in here glared at Fetu, who raised his hands in surrender.

    ¡°Just passing through Fox, the boss wanted to see them right away.¡±

    The sound of a pan being sent crashing across the room magnetized Emily''s eye to a plump, bald man with a blond beard.

    ¡°You think that¡¯s any excuse to interrupt my production line! If you fat shits and your beasts wouldn¡¯t eat so much maybe I¡¯d be less stressed! Get out of here!¡±

    Fetu pulled them past a multitude of scowling faces but they saw Emily and Alex with the pups Fox just about had a hernia.

    ¡°You¡¯re bringing animals into a titled Chief¡¯s kitchen are you daft, come here you little shit! I¡¯ll ring your neck!¡±

    Fetu¡¯s eyes widened as he glanced back and muttered ¡°Run!¡±, before taking off towards a door on the other end.

    Emily laughed as she ran after him the pups protesting the sudden movement. Alex arrived through the door slamming it shut on the tirade that was now raging on behind it.

    ¡°Sorry bout that but this really is the fastest way.¡±

    After which Fetu led them down a couple of hallways until they reached a set of doors at the end.

    Fetu knocked.

    ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve got them.¡±

    There was silence inside for a time after which a voice Emily didn¡¯t recognise called out.

    ¡°Send them in, and fetch Vivan.¡±

    Fetu glanced at Alex and Emily before tilting his head towards the door and turning to leave.

    Emily decided that no good negotiation started with meekness, so without hesitating she turned the doorknobs, flinging the set of doors open as she strode in. Alex followed closely with his spoils of loot, though he¡¯d opted to bundle his pups up.

    The room opened up to Emily and where she had expected Kael and perhaps one other, Emily spotted a total of four individuals in the room.

    A room that was already quite small with the addition of the single largest, black Rime wolf she¡¯d seen to date. And that was after returning from a literal pack of the creatures. The only reason the room could even contain such a beast was because it was partway joined with another structure.

    One end of the room contained draws and cabinets strewn about with maps plaster over every available surface. While the other looked like someone had attached a barn to the other end. A large hollow chamber made entirely of wood and stalls similar to what horses would have used in her old life. Only three of them were occupied but they held three beautiful she-wolves that calmly louged about.

    The further they stepped into the room the more like a kennel it smelled. Emily tore her eyes away from the strange mishmash of a room, in time to see Kael sitting up in his chair.

    The man wore his usual businessman¡¯s smile as he slammed a ledger the size of Emily''s torse shut.

    ¡°I have to admit, I''m once again impressed. I gave you five days and you did it in four. If everything¡¯s in order I think we can just about call it even.¡±

    Emily stepped forward and began unwrapping the harness.

    ¡°I gotta say, this litter was not easy to get our hands on, we had to just about burn down a forest to get ''em. I even lost four of my fingers, I feel like I should claim worker''s compensation.¡±

    Kael looked at Emily with a slow smile.

    ¡°First, I''m not sure what that is, but if it''s what it sounds like, it ain''t happening. Secondly, hand the fresh ones over to old Gerade over there he¡¯s our resident Beast Guide.¡±

    Emily walked over to the short man with savage features and scruffy-looking sideburns before depositing the pups into a wicker basket he had prepared.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Alex came forward with his pups and then turned to Kael.

    ¡°Now that that out of the way, maybe now we can actually discuss terms.¡±

    Kael leaned forward in his chair as he leaned against the desk with one elbow.

    ¡°Eger to get to business, I see. Well, fair enough. These three men are my captains. They¡¯ll be joining us for this first ¡®official¡¯ meeting. That¡¯s Marth my second in command, I¡¯ve introduced Gerade he¡¯s my third, and that''s Atticus my fourth, though I believe Emily is already acquainted.¡±

    Atticus was just how Emily remembered him with his untamed beard and suspicious gaze.

    Marth was a taller man with greying hair neatly bundled up in a bun. His eyes remained fixed on Alex, with a darker light churning behind them.

    ¡°Not in name, but yes, we¡¯ve met.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful, now onto Alexander''s request to get you two to Lorethil in a timely fashion. Honestly, you couldn¡¯t have picked a worse time. Moving through an active battlefield is more likely to get us mixed up in this war than anything else.¡±

    Emily could see Kael was trying to get somewhere but she needed more information.

    ¡°Wait. I¡¯ve been in the forest the last couple of days gimme a breakdown on what''s going on in the city.¡±

    Kael looked thoughtful but nodded and pushed the large ledger to the side of his desk. Beneath it was another map.

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± he said tapping on a large red dot pinched between two mountains.

    Sam¡¯eth, one of the religious centers of the continent just declared a holy war on Lorethil the city of sages.

    Kael pointed at a yellow and blue dot respectively. Emily could immediately see from the proximity to the cities, that Targin¡¯s keep sat smack-dab in the middle of the two.

    ¡°Which is why I¡¯ll say right now boss, I¡¯m against taking this job,¡± Marth said as he stepped forward.

    ¡°Noted, any particular reason?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we don¡¯t know if this man can back up what he claims, we¡¯re essentially taking his word for it. Right now the keep may be in a difficult position but it''s one of the most defensible places for us right now.¡±

    Kael nodded while scratching his chip. The large black Rime wolf stood and moved further away from their conversion as though annoyed by their talking, before plopping next to one of the females.

    ¡°Hmm. you have a point. Gerade, Atticus, thoughts?¡±

    Gerade shrugged.

    ¡°In the coming weeks, these pups are going to need as much exercise as they can get to grow up strong. I vote we head out.¡±

    Atticus seemed to take his time to respond but as he glared at Marth it was clear there was no love lost between the two.

    ¡°War is our playground, holing up is a stupid idea. The real issue is whether this is worth our time in coin or could we be making more somewhere else?¡±

    Kael listened to all of their opinions and then turned to look at Alex

    ¡°Well? Care to make it worth my while?¡±

    Alex glanced around the room and when his sight landed on Kael he pursed his lips.

    ¡°In addition to what we already discussed, I¡¯m willing to throw in the location of a nearby Layline.¡±

    Kael laced his fingers together.

    ¡°If it¡¯s the same one you gave to the sister of my Jailer then I¡¯m afraid she was already agreed to share that particular location with us in exchange for protection.¡±

    Alex looked annoyed but he also seemed to expect this.

    ¡°You know the location, sure. But do you know how to get in? If my information is correct, it¡¯s a fourth-tier Layline.¡±

    Emily noticed Kael¡¯s shoulder straighten just slightly when Alex said this.

    ¡°So what? With enough time I could have a Law Breaker force their way through.¡±

    Alex nodded calmly.

    With enough time you probably could. But the cost and time it would take would attract others. So let me sweeten the deal. I can get you inside and guide you through a majority of the dangers. In exchange, you can keep whatever we find in there except for one thing for my personal use. And who knows I might even know the location of a more powerful Layline when we get to where we¡¯re going.

    The room had become deadly quiet not even the Rime wolf''s heavy breathing could be heard as all eyes were on Alex.

    Emily tensed as she felt Kael''s full focus on them. If she were in his place, and someone came to her with a deal while withholding pertinent information, she would have already had them carted off to extract the details through torture.

    However, she couldn¡¯t tell what Kael was thinking because he suddenly broke out laughing.

    ¡°That certainly is tempting, I hope you don¡¯t mind if I confirm it.¡±

    There was a knock at the door as Kael called them to enter.

    ¡°Ah Vivan, I hope your duties are going smoothly I need you to confirm a statement as true as we can no longer use Selia¡¯s skills with our new ¡®business partners¡¯.¡±

    Vivan just nodded pulling out his card made of glass and turned to Alex.

    ¡°I¡¯ve only got two uses of this skill left for today. Please state in full what you are offering the boss and word it as simply as you can.¡±

    As Vivan put the piece of glass up to his eye, Alex restated what he was offering.

    The moment he was finished Vivan nodded towards Kael.

    ¡°He¡¯s telling the truth. Oh and the woman beside him now has a title.¡±

    Emily unconsciously took a step towards Vivan.

    The room shifted dangerously as Kael¡¯s voice came from behind Emily. He was standing right beside her, having gotten up from his chair without making a sound. His voice was no more than a whisper but in this room, it drowned out every other thought causing all the hair on Emily''s arms to stand on end.

    ¡°This should go without saying, but if you kill another one of my men for no good reason. I¡¯ll hang you by your guts and let them beat you till you¡¯re a boneless sack of broken meat. That goes for both of you.¡±

    Emily glanced out of the corner of her eye, no one moved save for the Rime wolves who were standing now with fur bristling.

    Emily glanced over at Alex and then sighed letting the tension go out of her shoulders.

    ¡°Sorry bout that. I was under the impression you¡¯d attack me on sight if you knew.¡±

    ¡°Oh? And, do tell. What title would make you think that?¡±

    Vivan answered for her

    ¡°Her title is Scarlet sister, boss. I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡±

    Kael scratched his chin while looking down at Emily.

    ¡°Neither have I. However, that little escort inside the city walls is starting to make more sense. Care to explain at all?¡±

    Emily glanced at Alex and saw him nod just slightly.

    ¡°I actually kind of like you Kael, so sure, but you gotta promise me you won¡¯t turn our request down if you don¡¯t like my answer.¡±

    ¡°I promise nothing¡­but you¡¯ll find I have an open mind when it comes to titles.¡±

    ¡°Good enough for me. The name is just like it sounds, but near as I can tell, it''s not all that different from a Blood mage.¡±

    The room remained pretty calm at the revelation, only Marth showed dissatisfaction.

    ¡°I thought we were done with those freaks.¡±

    To which Kael raised a hand to silence him.

    ¡°So you can use magic?¡±

    Emily trained her gaze on Marth, then looked back at Kael and nodded. As far as they were concerned, Emily was a magic user.

    Then I have a compromise for you. I¡¯ve already determined that you¡¯re capable fighters. Instead of lugging you around as precious cargo, why don¡¯t you join our ranks for the duration of this trip? Lead us down into that Layline as my people, and in return, we¡¯ll get you to Lorethil. Hell, I won¡¯t even demand that you follow orders. But while you¡¯re here, you¡¯ll use your magic to help me with certain tasks. I¡¯ll even throw in something to hide your title to an extent.

    Emily''s first thought was how well he had taken things, but then she remembered who their company had worked with before and wasn¡¯t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. One glance at Alex was all it took for her to make a decision.

    ¡°I think you got yourself a deal¡±

    ¡°Hah! Then as the leader of the wandering fangs, I officially offer you both a place in our ranks.¡±

    Blood points: 23

 Chapter 40 - Ambushes and serpents

    ¡°Wait, so we have to use this new title?¡± Emily asked as she weaved through the traffic on one of the keep¡¯s main roads.

    Alex moved beside her as he dodged a hawker¡¯s cart laden with bolts of cloth.

    ¡°Yes, any large faction offers a title upon joining. You¡¯ll get it tonight. If you want to operate near them it''s only smart to slot it. It will come with benefits.¡±

    When they had finished talking to Kael he had mentioned that they should swap to the title as soon as they could. They were offered rooms in the tavern, but Emily declined when she heard they didn¡¯t have large baths there as it was too expensive to heat them down there. Alex had also declined but Emily wasn¡¯t sure what he was thinking.

    So both of them had left to return to The Cozy Mouse. Kael had said they had a couple of days before they left so they had some time to relax and prepare.

    Something Emily was more than happy to do.

    Shoving her hands in her breast pocket Emily fished out the amulet Fetu had returned to her.

    It was the same dirty metal as she remembered but now that Emily had some time, she gave it another look over.

    The oval pendant was affixed to a simple chain, with a swirling pattern on its face. There was an image set into the back of a bird taking flight, and along the edge, what looked like a seam. That¡¯s when Emily realized it wasn¡¯t just a simple pendant, but a locket. Keeping her focus on the road, Emily searched around the outside for a way to open it. When she found a groove for her fingernail, Emily pried the locket open with a pop.

    Inside was a greyscale pencil drawing of a middle-aged woman smiling out. The level of detail was comparable to a picture and stirred something in Emily. The woman''s features were similar to how Eva¡¯s body looked before she took over, so Emily could only assume this was her mother. On the other side was a more detailed crest of a bird with its wingspan stretching out as though about to take flight. It reminded Emily of a hawk, but she couldn¡¯t be sure.

    Feeling his gaze, Emily looked up to see Alex staring at the locket with an expressionless face.

    ¡°She meant a lot to her¡­¡± Emily said.

    Alex pursed his lips but to Emily''s surprise, he answered her.

    ¡°That she did.¡±

    Emily closed the locket and shoved it back into her cloak before looking at Alex.

    ¡°It was Marth that killed her wasn¡¯t it.¡±

    Alex frowned, moving around another pedestrian.

    ¡°Not directly, but he¡¯s just as much to blame for what happened. I¡¯ll deal with the actual killer when the time comes.¡±

    Emily frowned thinking of the threat Kael had left them with. To be honest, she held no ill intent toward Marth. Hell, Emily probably wouldn''t be here now if it wasn¡¯t for them, but Alex seemed pretty determined to make sure the man wasn¡¯t long for this world.

    ¡°Just make sure you don¡¯t get us both killed in the name of revenge, I¡¯ll be pissed¡±

    Alex shot Emily a withering look.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be a while before I get what I¡¯m owed, right now he outranks me heavily, but not forever. At least I know Eva¡¯s last request didn¡¯t include you killing him.¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what happens to him either way.¡±

    The mummers of the streets covered their conversion as they neared the inn''s entrance.

    Alex glanced around with pursed lips as he looked around.

    Emily went on guard as she saw his eyes darting through the crowd.

    ¡°Alex, what''s wrong.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, something on the street feels off. Let''s get inside.¡±

    Emily frowned as she tried to figure out what he meant. She pushed Explorer for clues but it couldn¡¯t see anything wrong with their environment. As it turned out, Performer was the one to spot the difference.

    As Alex opened the door to the inn, Emily noticed that amongst the many different casts of people moving about her, there were far more guards around than she was used to seeing.

    Emily was about to call it out to Alex when he froze in front of her. Peering over Alex¡¯s shoulder she took in the room beyond. The common room had not changed much since they had last been here.

    The only difference was that it was empty of all people.

    At this stage, it was late morning so this place should be bustling, but as Emily looked in she only spotted two people. The first was Hester who stood behind the bar polishing a mug and looking mightly uncomfortable. The other was a patron who sat alone at the largest table in the place.

    Emily recognized the guard right away. Or if Alex¡¯s guess was correct the Noble. The very same one Emily had saved from the assassin. The moment Alex had opened the door the man looked up from his glass of wine.

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    Emily didn¡¯t believe in coincidences and the sudden increase in guards made sense, they were about to be surrounded.

    With only a split second to think Emily made a decision. The likelihood that the man was just here to thank them was low, if he was then he wouldn¡¯t have gone through all this trouble to surprise them. How he even found them was a mystery, but not one Emily was going to waste time contemplating.

    Grabbing hold of the back of Alex¡¯s collar Emily yanked him back.

    ¡°Move!¡±

    Even as the inn slammed shut the Noble didn¡¯t move from his spot as he sipped at his drink.

    All around them, the street''s calm dementor flipped on its head. All the nearby guards suddenly made a beeline for them.

    Alex scanned foot traffic and hissed back to Emily.

    ¡°We can¡¯t let them close in, follow me.¡±

    He took off down the main road ducking straight into the crowd. The people around them swallowed them up but the Guards almost seemed to expect this as they moved through crowds corralling Alex and Emily.

    Alex pulled ahead but Emily let the tug of her blood guide her through the masses of now panicking civilians. They didn¡¯t know what was going on but suddenly the keep¡¯s hand was reacting to something and that was a recipe for disaster.

    Alex suddenly ducked down one of the nearby alleyways, pulling himself from the crowd. The narrow passage allowed for him to pull ahead but he no longer had the protection of numbers. The moment Emily made it to the same entrance she dove into it and took off after Alex.

    Emily could hear the sounds of Guards making their way into the alleyway right behind her.

    Putting on a burst of speed Emily caught up to Alex and they dove into the maze-like streets. Every turn bought them some time as the shouts behind them grew more distant, lost in the winding paths.

    After ten or so more turns Emily could hardly even hear them. When an opening to a larger alley came into view Emily felt relief.

    The light from the sparse lamps above suddenly flickered as something moved above them.

    Alex tore to a stop and Emily almost crashed right into him, she was about to curse at him but then she saw the reason for their sudden halt.

    Blocking the path out of the alley was a man wrapped in blue armor. He wore a charming smile that matched his handsome features. His long, white hair was half tied in a neat braid, and although he had two hand axes on his hips, he hadn¡¯t drawn them yet.

    Alex cursed and drew his weapons but Emily could immediately feel this man was on par with Kael. The narrow passage made fighting him together an impossibility, but so was retreating back into that labyrinth backstreet.

    If this man had managed to keep up with them this whole time then they weren''t outrunning him.

    He didn¡¯t give them much chance to react as he directly dashed toward them.

    Emily had lost her weapon in the Rime wolf territory but Alex had lent her one of his spare daggers so she drew it now.

    With Alex directly in front of her, the man arrived near him first. Emily could see the exact moment Alex triggered his speed enhancement as he launched himself at the blue-armored individual.

    The man smiled and unhurriedly drew a single axe. What followed was a series of attacks and parries that Emily struggled to follow. The clang of heavy steel meeting steel caused ringing echoes to bounce throughout the passage.

    Emily knew this was not someone she could afford to hold back against and summoned energy to her arms.

    Shooting two bolts ninety degrees up and bringing them down on the man like the falling of a serpent''s fangs.

    Emily had intended to blow both his shoulders off but the man saw it coming and pulled his second axe into his hand and cut both for the air with a single swipe.

    Emily''s eyes narrowed. The speed of her bullets were easily comparable to a rifle round and the man had dealt with both of them with ease.

    In the meantime, Alex grunted in pain as one of the axes cut through his forearm making a deep gash. Emily was impressed he managed to keep the arm because she noticed the man had begun using a speed-enhancing skill eerily similar to Alex¡¯s.

    They were neck and neck when Alex had been using his skill. Now that they were on even playing ground the man was far faster.

    But what Alex lost out in raw power he made up for in sheer skill. It was like watching two martial artists perform a blade dance, and when it came to technique, Alex was just as skilled.

    Unfortunately, his slower pacing made it nearly impossible to block everything as wounds began to collect on Alex''s body.

    Emily could see they couldn¡¯t afford a stalemate so she pulled out all the stops and sent her energy forward.

    Blood seeping from Alex''s wounds suddenly whipped up into spines and stabbed into the man.

    He reacted by shattering half of them but not before the numerous spears broke through his guard and sunk into his armor. Which stopped the spike from advancing entirely.

    The man''s eye suddenly latched onto Emily as he smiled and ducked under Alex¡¯s stab. He crashed his shoulder into Alex and leaped into the air. His speed allowed him to push off the wall and hop right overhead.

    Alex swung upward but only caught empty space.

    Landing between them the man swung out at both Emily and Alex simultaneously.

    Alex parried and was sent skidding away, while Emily covered her hand in a disk of blood, blocking the strike but unable to stop it entirely. The cut opened up a fissure on her palm with enough force to send Emily a couple of steps back.

    With that, he had effectively separated her from Alex.

    Having lost her meatshield Emily lowered her stance and got ready to fight. He didn¡¯t give her long because he charged, Emily¡¯s speed was nowhere near Alex¡¯s, nor did she have his skill but she was certainly harder to kill. So when the axe flew under her right ribcage Emily didn¡¯t even attempt to block and instead lunged forward.

    The man''s eyes widened and he tried to abort the attack but it was too late, it sunk through Emily¡¯s clothing and up into her ribcage puncturing a lung before coming to a sickening halt.

    Ignoring the pain, Emily plunged the dagger into his neck.

    She was certain she hit too but suddenly the man''s speed doubled again and he abandoned his axe still in the wound in order to duck out of her range.

    Alex came from behind to backstab him the man reacted and sent a kick that plunged into his abdomen and sent him careening into the wall. The sound was sickening as Alex¡¯s skull cracked into the stonework followed but his body which cracked the wall.

    Alex went prone as he fell to the ground unmoving. Emily eye¡¯s narrowed to a pinpricks and vitality exploded out of her.

    Blood rose out of her wounds and coiled around her like a python. The man''s face froze as he turned back to Emily, a serious look gracing his features for the first time since they began fighting.

    ¡°Fuck! Wait, I was only testing you two. Let me give him a tonic!¡±

    But Emily didn''t wait. Instead, a tendril of blood, not unlike the Rime wolves'' appendages, whipped out, cracking through the air with the force of a mountain behind it.

    He saw it coming but was not fast enough to react and the attack cracked in the center of his chest. The man spit out blood as he was sent hurtling backward.

    Emily rushed to Alex and grabbed him in an attempt to pick him up and run but before she could even get a hold of him she felt the cold bite of metal against her neck.

    Glancing back she saw the man looming over her, his eyes bloodshot, and his armor was caved in at the front but he was still very much alive.

    ¡°I think you¡¯d better come with me now.¡±

    Blood points: 15

 Chapter 41 - Quest of convenience

    Emily walked wordlessly into the inn with Alex¡¯s arm over her shoulder. He was awake courtesy of the tonic, but he was barely conscious and Emily had a feeling they weren''t in the clear yet.

    When Alex leaned too harshly on Emily she grunted as the wound in her side had flared up. Pulling the axe out had not been fun but once Emily had drunk her tonic it had started to get better.

    ¡°My goodness Samuel I said find out their strengths not half kill them, man.¡±

    The Noble stood as the man, whom Emily now recognized as Samuel, shut the door behind them.

    ¡°Yeah, they were stronger than you lead me to believe, put me through my paces, to be honest.¡±

    Samuel said as he moved round to the other side of the table.

    ¡°Well, that certainly is something. Please come over here Ma¡¯am, Sir. I guarantee you will not be harmed further and if everything is in order you won¡¯t ever see me again.¡±

    Emily looked down at the two seats on the opposite side of the table. Dumping Alex in one and falling into her own, Emily scowled up at the Noble.

    At this distance, she could smell the faintest scent of jasmine and dark spice coming from the Noble.

    His looks were nothing to write home about but he carried a certain sense of dignity on his shoulders.

    As though he¡¯d planned for every outcome of their meeting. Maybe he did, he controlled the script right now.

    ¡°My apologies for the rough invite, but Samuel is a friend, not a subordinate you see, so the best I can offer you is my apologies. Oh, and our good Alewife here will get you whatever you fancy while we talk.¡±

    He motioned to the bar while Emily¡¯s eyes remained trained on Samuel

    ¡°Hester? The most expensive thing you have on your menu, hell if he¡¯s paying, make it two.¡±

    The woman didn¡¯t respond but Emily caught a thumbs up in the corner of her eye.

    When Emily looked back at the Noble he smiled as he muttered under his breath.

    ¡°I am hereby enforcing my domain¡¯s laws¡±

    Emily felt a chill come over her as a skill set in around them, and the warm inn became filled with a righteous air. It felt similar to when Emily had probed the Innocent title.

    They were being watched and judged, and Emily hated it.

    ¡°First, I¡¯d like to ask if you were part of the scheme to have me assassinated to curb the spread of news on the war front.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Emily said with finality.

    ¡°Do you have any connection to the faction that orchestrated it?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°So you were just out for a walk and decided to help me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was interesting at the time, but I¡¯ll be damned if I don¡¯t regret it.¡±

    Samuel snorted in amusement.

    ¡°Stop being so drab, man. You got your answers and they saved your life.¡±

    The Noble glanced at Samuel and cleared his throat.

    ¡°Yes well, of course I¡¯m grateful, but I had to be sure.¡±

    Emily decided she¡¯d been afforded a question of her own.

    ¡°How did you even find us and who are you?¡±

    The Noble paused and smiled to himself.

    ¡°The how is easy¡ªmy men informed me the moment you showed up on the lower levels. The fact that you were able to dodge me for almost a week was the real surprise. As for who I am, that is not something I¡¯m willing to tell you.¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°Okay stay mysterious then. Are we done here or are you going to keep asking boring questions?¡±

    The Noble looked about ready to agree when Samuel butted in once more.

    ¡°Sorry, but no. We would have been, had you not shown such a colorful array of blood arts in that alleyway.¡±

    The Noble immediately sat up straighter and narrowed his gaze on Emily.

    Hester arrived near the table just then and deposited Emily¡¯s drinks and another round of wine for her uptight customer.

    Only when she had left did the conversation pick up where it had left off.

    ¡°Are you in possession of an illegal title?¡±

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    Emily simply shrugged again

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    They both waited as though expecting more and Emily sighed. Going on to explain that she wasn¡¯t sure if her active title was black-listed or not.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that title,¡± the Noble said as he looked over at Samuel.

    ¡°To be honest I don¡¯t intend to get into any trouble in the keep. There are plenty of critters out there to feed my title, so why would I alienate myself from the only place I can rest safely in.¡± Emily said while twirling a strand of her hair.

    ¡°Be that as it may, there are laws in place my title will not allow me to ignore. You pose a significant danger to us. The only exception would be if you were working with us.¡±

    Alex¡¯s head had been lulling while they had been talking but now he straightened his posture clutching his temples.

    ¡°Go on then, tell us what you want, that was your aim wasn¡¯t it?¡± he asked groggily.

    ¡°Swear fealty to the keep.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Emily said before anyone could get a word out.

    Alex glanced at Emily and shook his head.

    ¡°We can¡¯t do that, but you won¡¯t have to worry, we¡¯re removing ourselves from the equation. In the next couple of days, we¡¯ll be heading down south, and we won¡¯t be returning.¡±

    The Noble pursed his lips as he interlocked his fingers. The air around him became tense as he exuded displeasure. This man was probably near the same rank as their white-haired abuser, perhaps a bit lower, but still enough to give them a hard time in their condition.  Just as he was about to speak Samuel groaned.

    ¡°Hang on a minute, before you go letting that title rule you again. Why don¡¯t we employ them in a different capacity? You said you were going down south, directly into the heart of the brewing conflict?¡±

    The Noble looked up at his partner with a frown but Samuel had his gaze locked on Emily who nodded in turn.

    ¡°What if the ¡®Frontier Explorers¡¯ employed them to get word to our allies in Lorethil? That way you are not breaking any of the keeps laws and they are heading down there anyway.¡±

    Emily glanced between these two powerful men, something about that name was familiar. Glancing over at Hester was all the reminder Emily needed. They were a faction focused on exploration and sticking their noses in other people''s business. No wonder this man was here.

    Emily wanted to shoot down the idea immediately but before she could get a word out, Alex''s boot kicked into her shin.

    Grunting Emily glared at Alex as he began to speak.

    ¡°Will this message draw the ire of your enemies?¡±

    ¡°Probably, but in all likelihood, they won¡¯t even know you are working for us since this is all off the books. Plus you¡¯re plenty strong, I think you¡¯ll be able to survive an assassination attempt or two.¡±

    As Samuel said this he shot the Noble a questioning look.

    ¡°...Yes, I think that could work. I could make you an information packet of two cities troop movements¡±

    Emily couldn''t keep quiet any longer

    ¡°Who said we¡¯d do this for you, as you say it puts us in danger¡±

    Samuel shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to, the other option is to put you to work in the mines. But if you do decide to take the mission you have your freedom and even get paid if you manage to complete the delivery.¡± he finished it off with a wink and Emily understood.

    They were letting them go under the guise of a mission, but Emily still couldn¡¯t see a reason for it.

    The Noble smiled for the first as he seemed to be able to read Emily''s mind.

    ¡°If you are wondering why I¡¯m doing this, I don¡¯t want you here anymore than you wanted to be here. If you can''t accept that then just think of it as me being grateful for saving my life.¡±

    Emily couldn¡¯t see any downside to the deal they were overlooking everything, even her title. Alex had already come to the same conclusion and nodded to the duo.

    The Noble and Samuel nodded to one another and they got up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have Samuel drop off the ¡®reward¡¯ with the Alewife here, so make sure you collect it.¡±

    As they moved toward the door Emily couldn¡¯t help but size Samuel up again. He had long since recovered from the wounds she had given him. If they were to go another round the results would likely be the same. As the two powerhouse stepped out of the inn Emily could only grind her teeth.

    Twice now she had been led by her nose because she was outclassed and that was twice too many.

    The need for power was just as urgent as before, Emily mentally moved the lesson with Ashe up on her list of priorities.

    When the door creaked shut, Hester came over to them.

    ¡°What in the blood hell did he want with you''s two?¡±

    ¡°To thank us,¡± Emily said sourly.

    ¡°Really? That sounds like a crock-a-shit by the look of you''s. Go wash up while I go ''pologize to the rest of mi patrons for that scene. And don¡¯t waste my liquor girl, it''s rude.¡±

    Emily looked down at the two mugs of fancy-smelling alcohol and picked up one taking large gulps of the burning, neon-blue beverage.

    With the first one down the hatch, Emily groaned as she got up from the chair.

    ¡°You need help?¡± she asked Alex.

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m going to rest here for a minute and think things through. We were damned lucky to meet one of the only accommodating Nobles in here.¡±

    ¡°You know him?¡± Emily arched a brow

    Alex¡¯s eyes moved away as he spoke.

    ¡°No, they¡¯re normally just more uncompromising ¡±

    Emily shrugged too tired to argue with him.

    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± she said as she began walking down the stairs.

    When she got to the second floor she noticed a lot of people coming out of their rooms and heading upstairs. Pushing against the flow of people Emily¡¯s pace slowed and it was during this time she felt an arm grab her wrist.

    Emily turned around and got ready to kill a man, but when she saw who it was she relaxed.

    Jesse looked up at her from the lower step, a worried look across his features. Emily followed his gaze to where her hand clutched at her wound and snorted.

    ¡°You should see the other guy¡­ actually never mind he¡¯s probably good for another round.¡±

    Jesse¡¯s eye remained fixed on the deep wound.

    ¡°Have you called a healer? That looks really bad.¡±

    Emily shook her head as he pushed past him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve had worse, this much should heal in no time. I¡¯m going down to the baths, come with me?¡±

    Jesse looked up toward the way she had come from and then back at her with an uneasy look on his face that morphed into a gentle smile.

    Now it was Emily¡¯s turn to grab his wrist and drag him down to the fifth floor.

    They separated at the two doors but Emily spotted him as she made her way over to the green pool again.

    Her wound was healing at a decent rate and she could just use her vitality, but as far as she could tell the tonic was still working.

    Just as she was about to climb in Jesse came up to her in all his charming beauty.

    ¡°This pool isn¡¯t right if you are recovering from physical wounds, come with me.¡±

    He guided her over a bath with yellow waters and she happily lowered herself into it. A trail of red seeped into the water before whatever herbs were in there neutralized it.

    It also caused a burning in the wound, but Jesse told her it was cleaning the wound so she endured.

    They chatted comfortably, Emily dodging all his questions about what happened and enjoying the water''s pleasant aroma.

    Jesse began massaging Emily''s shoulders at some point, and it was clear that some skill was at play because the aches in her ribs were quickly overpowered by pleasant sensations.

    Emily spent the better half of the day in the baths moving from pool to pool, until her fingers and toes shriveled like prunes.

    By the end, Jesse nearly had to help her back to her room as the heat had made her light-headed. When he went to leave, she grabbed his wrist again¡ªshe¡¯d had more than enough annoying things happen today and was more than happy to indulge.

    Blood points: 16

 Chapter 42 - Busy work

    Emily combed her fingers through her shoulder-length curls as she stared into the half mirror before her. Since coming to this world she¡¯d had very little time to be able to take care of herself, normally that didn¡¯t matter but one area she took pride in was her hair. Surly this world had some form of root treatment or oils she could use to keep her locks intact. Emily didn¡¯t even have the most basic tools on hand. Glancing at her bedcovers in the mirror¡¯s reflection Emily raised her voice

    ¡°Hey wake up sleepy head. Do you know where I can get a comb?¡±

    The sudden inhale of breath from the beautiful man in her bed was the only sound in the room. Jesse blinked sleep from his eyes but when he saw her sitting at the desk a lazy grin slipped onto his face.

    Stalking out of sheet he moved to stand behind Emily in the mirror. He was completely unashamed of the display of skin he was putting on offer. Moving over he placed his hands on her shoulders and began massaging again, doing his best to knock up against her bridge.

    She¡¯d learned last night that bridges were used for more than just drawing outside energy into the body. They could also be used to exchange power and pleasure between people, but Emily had shut that idea down before Jesse could get any funny ideas.

    ¡°You¡¯re trying to distract me. What about my previous question?¡± Emily said as she bathed in the pleasure of his capable hands.

    ¡°You can find brushes on just about any level market. But you would have to go up a level if you wanted to get something to match your beauty. Perhaps I¡¯ll procure you one as a gift¡±

    Emily snorted as she got up, pulling herself free from his clutches.

    ¡°Nice try mister. Sadly, I''ve got things to do today. Grab your things, we¡¯re out in five.¡±

    Jesse still had the cheek to pout at Emily but she ignored him as she got changed herself. When she had everything, Emily shut the door to her room and shot Jesse a thankful wink. He¡¯d taken the utmost care of her last night and Emily was almost sad to see him go. Though the happy spring in his step and jingle in his pocket made the parting easier.

    Turning to Alex''s door Emily¡¯s face hardened slightly. She pounded on the wooden frame and waited patiently.

    It took a whole minute but Alex opened the door, his hair still heavy with bedhead. The stubble in his chin was in need of a shave but he looked on at Emily with a casual grumpiness.

    There was a brief awkward pause between them before Emily spoke first

    ¡°What are your plans for today? I want to see if Ashe will follow through on her promise and teach me magic.¡±

    Alex scratched the back of his neck.

    ¡°I planned to go to see the black market at some point today. There are information brokers that can catch me up with the current war going on¡±

    ¡°Okay well then come with me. I¡¯m pretty sure I could figure out the route, but I could use the guide.¡±

    Alex shot Emily a tired glare and looked back into his room.

    ¡°Okay gimme a couple minutes to get ready.¡± is all he said before slamming the door shut in her face.

    Emily left for the common room and ordered breakfast for the both of them. When Alex arrived he ate and they left right after that. But not before Emily got her obligatory cup of Night brew.

    The paths down to the slums were becoming more familiar to Emily with each trip, it was almost a shame they would be leaving so soon.

    Just as they were coming to the grey portions again Alex spoke for the first time on their quiet journey.

    ¡°Did you change over to the title?¡±

    Emily knew what he was asking and thought back to the dreamscape last night.

    Mercenary [Affiliation: Wandering Fang company]

    Active: access to the Mercenary skill tree, the Wandering Fang skill tree, and command structures.

    Passive: Increased learning speed when accepting contracts for coin. This is further increased when in proximity to the sub-species[Rime wolf].

    The bonuses looked to be about what Emily expected but one line in particular had given her pause. Two words, really. ¡®Command structure¡¯ stuck out to her and so she had delayed slotting the title till she could talk to Alex.

    ¡°If I slot this title, it won¡¯t force me to follow Kael''s commands, will it? Or anyone higher up in the command structure than me right? Cus if that¡¯s the case I¡¯m not slotting it.¡±

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    Alex hummed as he shook his head.

    ¡°No, not directly. It would matter if we had it as our Actives, but in the case of a passive there is very little to lose. See it''s a commonly held belief that even if you don¡¯t agree with their orders, you still follow a Company leader''s requests. Kael can¡¯t force you to obey but if you step out of line enough he can remove the title altogether. Any skills you got while working under him would be revoked.¡±

    As Alex spoke a chilling light appeared in his eyes. As though having his skills stripped from him was the worst thing he could imagine.

    ¡°So he can¡¯t force us to do anything?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not something his title can enforce, no. But he will have skills related to finding the people with his title as well as sensing if they are in danger. That''s how he knew you were fighting one of his own.¡±

    Emily nodded as they lapsed back into silence and Emily called the stars into her mind. Unslotting Performer only took a wave towards the stars to send them off, before she called Mercenary in its place.

    Passive slot filled: Mercenary[Affiliation: Wandering Fang company] - Increased learning speed when accepting contracts for coin. This is further increased when in proximity to the sub-species[Rime wolf].

    The moment she did the crowds of people around her shifted. No longer were they organized groupings of classes with their emotions on display, but it was not a complete waste as she could still make out the bearest of hints from the people around them.

    It was like the title had been whispering the answers in her ears, but even though it was gone she could still make guesses from the lessons it had tried to impart.

    Emily couldn''t feel anything from the Mercenary title but like the others perhaps it would take time to figure out its function. Emily was so busy concentrating on the stars that she didn¡¯t notice Alex stop in front of her.

    Almost bumping into him Emily looked around and realized they had arrived at the tavern much faster than she thought.

    The scene was just as rowdy as Emily remembered, but there was a stark contrast between the laid-back group she¡¯d seen yesterday and the bustling atmosphere now.

    Bodies rushed back and forth carrying weapons and tools around. Carts of supplies were being pulled into the area and for the first time, Emily spotted a few of the domesticated Rime wolves out of their stalls. Several people seemed to be working on them, preparing them for travel. Emily ignored all this and entered through the front door.

    Alex stepped in behind her but caught her attention above the murmur in here.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to find out where they keep their weapon stocks in this place. I¡¯ll head out later to the market, do you want me to fetch you when I do?¡±

    Emily gave him a nod and then turned towards the inner section of the tavern, heading to the sleeping quarters.

    Even as Emily passed through this once jovial tavern people were moving around pulling creates from deeper in the building and packing all manner of supplies into their packs. No one was idle save for a teenager stilling crossed-legged on one of the tables in the center of the room. He had short brown hair and leaned back on his arms sleepily as though none of the activity around him had anything to do with him. No one seemed to care that the kid was lazing about but to be honest neither did Emily.

    She walked passed him without another glance but she could feel his brown eyes on her back.

    Emily headed down the hallway, pretty sure Selia¡¯s room was around here somewhere. When she found the familiar door she banged on it and waited. When no response came she called out to her and Ashe, wiggling the nob as she did so but it became clear no one was inside.

    Putting her arms on her hips Emily let out a sigh.

    Moving back into the main tavern lobby Emily did a once-over again trying to ignore the kid staring lasers into her.

    Unfortunately, no one in here was paying her any mind and she needed a guide if she was going to find Ashe.

    Finally locking eyes with the squirt, Emily headed in his direction.

    Before she could even get a word out, he spoke in an arrogant tone.

    ¡°You¡¯re the wench that killed Ron aren''t you?¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed, and when she got to him, she placed her middle finger to her thumb and thwacked the child in the middle of his forehead with a full-powered flick.

    ¡°Ouch, shit what the heck was that for!¡±

    ¡°For calling me a wench, duh.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that to me, I¡¯m a Yellow Adept, I¡¯ll go on strike.¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°Not my problem, you¡¯re the one who''s going to get into trouble.¡±

    ¡°Am not!¡±

    ¡°Are too!¡±

    Emily wanted to pull a tongue at him but she had a feeling that would be taking the joke too far.

    The kid looked frustratedly at Emily but glanced away when she held his gaze.

    ¡°Why did you even come over here if all you wanted to do was fight?¡±

    Emily smiled and sat against the table.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°...Nox¡±

    ¡°Well, Nox, I¡¯m looking for an... acquaintance and was coming over to ask if you knew where she was.¡±

    Nox looked doubtfully at Emily.

    ¡°Why should I bother?¡±

    Emily hummed as she placed a finger on her bottom lip.

    ¡°Hmmm, cus then I¡¯ll owe you a favor, redeemable for as long as I¡¯m with the Wandering fangs.¡±

    Nox looked thoughtful.

    ¡°... Who you looking for?¡±

    Emily told him and his face lit up with warmth and a severe case of verbal diarrhea.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure where Ashe is now, she only got here the other day, but she might be hanging out wherever Selia is. There¡¯s no one in the holding pens right now so she¡¯s probably out back training or helping lift heavy things.¡±

    Emily pushed off the table causing it to wobble slightly.

    ¡°Alright, if your information is good then I owe you one. Make sure to redeem it soon, I¡¯m not a patient woman.¡±

    Nox¡¯s brows came together managing to make him look both worried and annoyed at the same time.

    ¡°Yeah, I get it, but I¡¯ll hold you to that, okay?¡±

    Emily laughed warmly.

    ¡°I won''t ever renegade on a deal or a favor, that much I can promise you. Just make sure you can handle the aftermath.¡±

    Nox frowned at her with skepticism, but Emily didn¡¯t mind.

    Emily was just about to leave when a man with a crate of glass bottles came up to Nox.

    ¡°Adept nox, can you please store this along with the main supplies.¡±

    Nox nodded and then made three rapid hand gestures, causing a yellow glow to dance from his palm and wrap around the crate.

    The object phased out of existence, first turning transparent and then disappearing completely with a pop.

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened and Nox wore a smug look on his face. Emily had seen spatial abilities many times before, but in this world, the value of being able to store your supplies on a long journey could not be understated. Emily immediately wanted to learn this spell and was even more interested in the mechanics of the spell. Did the items in this alternate plane still age and spoil? Or were they just gone until Nox called them again?

    Nox looked so proud that he turned to the man.

    ¡°Actually, you know what, I¡¯m gonna take an early lunch. I wanna take this lady... Actually, what is your name?¡±

    Emily gave him her name and the guy told Nox he would have a lot of work when he got back but the kid didn¡¯t seem to care. Leading Emily out of the front door and around the side of the building.

 Chapter 43 - Magic Theory 101

    Emily stepped around a chest-high wall where a large open space acted as a training field of sorts. Stables opened out into the space so it was not only for people, but the wolves too. Grey chalky dust layered the compacted dirt joining with the scent of sweat, leather, and musk. Towards the back of the field a gash in the surrounding stone wall made for a wide opening leading up to a gradual incline. If Emily had to guess, this was how the wandering fangs probably got their beasts in and out of the city. As the route they had come yesterday would not have accommodated the beast''s large forms.

    It was here that she saw all the equipment and supplies congregating as they were strapped together for easy transport. The fact that Nox didn¡¯t store it all himself was probably due to a limit to the amount of things he could store. Or perhaps they just didn¡¯t want all their eggs in one basket. This begged the question, what happened to the things Nox had stored when he died?

    Did they explode out of him or were they just lost forever?

    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± Nox frowned up at Emily.

    Who shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°Just wondering something, now help me find Ashe, do you see either of them here?¡±

    Many people were moving to and fro in this area making pinning down anyone hard but Emily spotted them at the same time as Nox shouted.

    ¡°There!¡±

    On one end of the field, Ashe and Selia remained clustered together. Selia was busy moving packs almost as large as she was, probably intended for their mounts. But the fact that she carried one in each arm reminded Emily of that man she killed in the hut. Selia¡¯s muscles hadn¡¯t grown quite as much, but she was lifting way more than her large form could normally handle.

    Ashe on the other hand sat nearby talking to her sister with her arms wrapped around her knees.

    Seeing this Emily made for the duo, Nox following in tow.

    Ashe was the first to notice Emily and brightened slightly. Selia only noticed Emily when she was right next to them having been busy with the next load.

    ¡°Emily, I''m glad to see you¡¯re okay. When we heard you walked into the leader''s quarters a day early I was a tad worried. Oh, I have your gift, by the way, it¡¯s in our room.¡±

    Emily looked between the woman and saw Selia inspecting her calmly.

    ¡°Thank you, Ashe, but we were in and out before they even knew what hit them. I was just coming here to see if I could get that lesson if you¡¯re not busy?¡±

    Ashe''s eyes widened and she looked over to Selia, before looking back.

    ¡°Yeah, sure. We can go back to our room that way I can give you your gift at the same time.¡±

    Nox couldn''t seem to hold himself any longer.

    ¡°Wait! You''re going to teach her magic?! I wanna come. What¡¯s your title, Emily?¡±

    Ashe blinked owlishly at first but then her face melted when she heard Nox¡¯s request.

    ¡°Sure Nox you are more than welcome.¡±

    Emily on the other hand snorted at him.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know? Don¡¯t you have to get back to work or something, what¡¯s the point of a half lesson?¡±

    This only caused Nox to dig his heels in.

    ¡°If you get to learn magic from Miss Ashe, then so do I!¡±

    Selia just rolled her eyes at the two of them.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you do just don¡¯t mess up my room or I¡¯ll throw both of you in the ¡®pit¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Lia, we can just do theory today. I¡¯m not much use here otherwise¡± Ashe said with a level head.

    Selia looked at her sister with a soft expression.

    ¡°Sure Ashe, enjoy, but don¡¯t overdo it.¡± he voice gaining a somber quality.

    The three of them headed back inside, whereupon Ashe let them into the room with a key.

    When they were all inside she closed the door quickly and went to sit on the bed before turning to the two of them.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me what you know of magic, Emily? That way I know where we need to begin.¡±

    Emily cleared her throat as she complied with everything she¡¯d managed to glean over the last couple of days.

    ¡°Well as a start, there are five sources of magic related to the five gods. Each has a different quality and domain. To access these powers one needs to draw them into themselves and use the rune sourcery to shape the desired effect. This can be done with your hands or drawing them with source chalk¡­ Oh and I¡¯m pretty sure every title uses these five magic¡¯s¡±, but somehow without the need for runes.

    ¡°The room was quiet for a while as Ashe digested what Emily said. Nox on the other hand frowned.¡±

    That is the most basic explanation I¡¯ve ever heard do you even know any magic?¡±

    Emily crossed her arms and glared at Nox, ¡°Well then leave, I¡¯m here to learn.¡±

    Ashe looked over at Emily.

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    ¡°Do not worry Emily I will help you, I knew your knowledge was rudimentary, but from what I saw back there- never mind, I¡¯ll have you working spells in no time.¡±

    Nox slumped down in his chair.

    ¡°How am I supposed to learn anything if we only go over the basics!¡±

    Ashe squinted her eyes at the boy.

    ¡°Nox don¡¯t be complacent, it''s always good to revise. If you¡¯re not careful she¡¯ll end up running past you.¡±

    Nox leaned back and sighed.

    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±

    Emily wanted to hit the little shit but Ashe promised she¡¯d teach them both at their respective levels.

    ¡°Nox, Why don¡¯t we start with what each of the five sources are, go over them for me.¡±

    Now sat up and lowered his brow.

    ¡°Um. Well, there¡¯s yellow, that¡¯s my color. It deals with the intangible. Wind, souls, thoughts, and even removing or inviting things into our world. Then there¡¯s red. The color of strength and power. It can summon great destruction and creation and it''s so cool! One time, this guy I know caught a lightning bolt-¡±

    Ashe cleared her throat to get him back on track.

    ¡°Oh, um. Green is the color of substance. It can manipulate anything, into anything else, but cannot create like red or yellow can.

    Blue¡­ blue is change. It can be anything, fool anyone¡­¡± Nox¡¯s face became sour as he seemed to hesitate.

    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry can you explain the last one Miss Ashe?¡±

    Ashe glanced at Emily worried about Nox¡¯s sudden shift, but continued anyway.

    ¡°The last is black and white. Even though they are two sides they are of the same coin. Black is a form of death and emptiness that no one can fill. And is the only color that can exceed red''s destructive properties. White on the other hand is pure life and looks to heal this broken world, and balance out the other four colors¡±

    Emily scratched her chin.

    ¡°So these colors affect Mages but what about other titles, what about a Swordswoman would you be a green Swordswoman if you had not chosen Mage?¡±

    Ashe shook her head.

    ¡°In this case no, but you¡¯re right that the color bridge affects what their abilities are. For example, someone using green Swordsmanship can cause their opponent''s weapon to vibrate out of their hand. Whereas red Swordsmanship can enhance themselves or if they know how to, cause their weapon to impart heavy destructive properties like flame.¡±

    Emily nodded but she couldn¡¯t help feeling they had left something out.

    ¡°Where does blood magic fit into all of this?¡±

    Nox¡¯s face immediately looked sickened but a little curious, and while Ashe seemed to anticipate this question.

    ¡°A Blood Mage can be any color but they steal the lives of other humans and use them to be able to fuel spells they would normally have no hope of casting.¡±

    ¡°So anyone could be a Blood Mage? What about killing beasts out in the wild? Surely there are countless ¡±

    ¡°Yes, more than we know how to contend with, but it has to be human lives or it won¡¯t work. Those who are willing to step over that line are seen in the same light as Murderers. That''s why it¡¯s seen as such an abhorrent practice¡±

    Emily went quiet for a time but Ashe let her think things through until she was ready.

    ¡°Hmm, so I¡¯m assuming that because you two are different colors, even if you make the same magical rune you won¡¯t get the same results?¡±

    Ashe smiled thankful to be back on topic.

    ¡°Exactly, If Nox and I were to both a ¡®Spike¡¯ rune we would get a similar but altogether different outcome¡±

    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯m just missing one last thing. From what I¡¯ve heard wards are common, so most people can use runes?¡±

    Ashe and even Nox nodded.

    ¡°Then why doesn¡¯t everybody learn them? Magic sounds awesome!¡±

    Nox looked at Ashe and started snickering, which got him a scowl from Ashe. This just made him break out into further laughter. When Nox had quietened down enough for Emily to hear the explanation, Ashe looked troubled.

    ¡°Emily, anyone can indeed pick up magic, but there are reasons why they don¡¯t. The first would be finding a teacher willing to teach them and then the second. It takes a lot of training and control, to begin with even the most simple magic. When I show you how to do your first rune, you will see. Some do learn the odd spell here or there but for many, they just can¡¯t be bothered. Just like Swordsmanship, Mage it''s just another path.¡±

    Nox had finally calmed down enough to wipe a tear from his eye.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been studying for two years and only became an Adept last year. I¡¯m hoping to reach Mage next year or the year after that.¡±

    ¡°Enough out of you mister,¡± Ashe said squinting her eyes at him before turning back to Emily.

    ¡°How about this, what color are you working with so I can tailor your first spell to you.¡±

    Emily glanced at Nox.

    ¡°Block your ears, kid.¡±

    ¡°What? Why? I wanna know too.¡±

    ¡°Are you my teacher? No, so plug ''em, or I¡¯m booting you.¡±

    Nox scowled at Emily but put his fingers in his ears.

    Turning to Ashe, Emily searched her eyes.

    ¡°I don''t have a color.¡±

    Ashe¡¯s eyes widened as she put her hand over her mouth.

    ¡°You¡¯re serious...¡±

    Emily confirmed it with a nod. For a while, Ashe didn¡¯t seem to know what to say, but then she spoke hesitantly.

    ¡°Emily, are you still sure you want to try this path? I¡¯ve never heard of someone becoming¡­ ¡± Ashe left the statement hanging in the air but Emily shrugged.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? There is no harm in trying right? If it''s a fit, then great. If not then I¡¯ll explore other options.¡±

    Ashe nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll come up with the perfect rune for you and we can try this together. But before that, I want you to try sensing your energy tonight, you should be able to feel it entering through your bridge in small amounts. Get a sense for it, that''s what we will be working with¡±

    Emily nodded excitedly, she hadn¡¯t felt anything like that yet but she wasn¡¯t going to give up the chance to do magical homework.

    Ashe had Nox listen in again and before he had to go back to work she pulled out a flat paper packet about the size of a sticky note.

    ¡°I hope you like it,¡± she said shyly

    Emily looked at the gift

    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering for a while now, but why give me a gift?¡±

    ¡°For your awakening day,¡± Ashe said her smile looking more strained.

    When Emily stared blankly, Nox began to frown.

    ¡°Why are you looking so confused? Your friends and family are supposed to give you gifts on your awakening day. It''s the right thing to do.

    That just sounded like a birthday to Emily, but then she slowed as she remembered the bracelet Alex had bought for her the other day. The day of her awakening.

    ¡°Hey, wait what if I refused a gift?¡±

    Ashe immediately looked worried, but Nox answered for her.¡±

    ¡°You would basically be saying that you don¡¯t need them in your life. I¡¯ve heard about it but never seen anyone actually do it.¡±

    Emily frowned, she hadn¡¯t known that, but surely Alex understood that right? Wait, why did she even care?

    Biting her lip Emily looked up at Ashe and smiled awkwardly, before tearing open the packet with trembling fingers.

    A small forest green ribbon fell out which Emily caught before it hit the ground.

    ¡°It''s a hair tie,¡± Ash said nervously.

    Emily blinked shocked as an unintentional smile slowly spread over her face.

    Bringing the the ribbon to her hair Emily tied it up and out of her eyes, smiling at Ashe.

    Relieved the gift was well-liked Ashe let out a breath.

    Nox snorted as he rolled his eyes at the two of them, but he left soon after that.

    Emily had never gotten a gift before, her parents died too young for her to remember their faces, let alone a gift. Gramps had always said there was no need to celebrate the things that had no meaning.

    Emily touched the ribbon in her hair once more.

    Ashe grinned. ¡°So you like it? I just thought the green would match your fiery red hair.¡±

    Emily scratched her head trying to figure out how to reassure her.

    ¡°I like it. The only gift I ever got was my abilities, this is the first thing I didn¡¯t have to steal or earn myself, so thanks.¡±

    Wait did Alex¡¯s ¡®almost¡¯ gift count?

    As luck would have it his knock came a minute later.

    ¡°Emily? I¡¯m heading to the market. Are you coming or do you want to stay here?¡±

 Quality assurance

    Hey everyone, I wanted to give you a quick update about a small change to the release schedule. Due to some real-life commitments, I need to make a slight adjustment to ensure I can maintain a consistent release pace. Going forward, I¡¯ll be taking Sundays off to review and polish the chapters, so I can deliver them at their best.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    I hope this doesn¡¯t cause any inconvenience, and I¡¯d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

    Thanks again for being part of this journey with me!

    Archvillain

 Chapter 44 - Blood runes

    ¡°Slaves are unsurprisingly cheap in this world¡± Emily muttered in the silence of her room. She was currently sitting cross-legged on the floor. The warmth of the bricks below her carried the feel of sun-backed stone.

    After Alex came to Selia¡¯s room, they left for the market they had passed through the day before. There were many interesting things for sale and as she expected, that even included Slaves.

    What she hadn¡¯t expected was that there was a title for it. When she¡¯d asked Alex he¡¯d looked more thoughtful than she expected.

    ¡°They most likely changed their active title to Slave when they got the chance. As strange as it sounds, if a high-ranking Slaver gets hold of you, they can lock down your skills almost permanently. Slave is one of the few titles that you can make your active title when the conditions are met. It can¡¯t be deactivated by the Slavers skills and it comes with pain nullification, increased endurance, and a couple of other useful perks.¡±

    Emily was further flabbergasted that some people would willingly seek out Slavers to meet the conditions to get the title. Earn the skills and then swap off it when their next rank-up came.

    Emily shook her head free of those thoughts.

    She couldn¡¯t afford one now anyway as their upkeep would become her responsibility and honestly, it sounded like a ton of work.

    While Emily had just wandered about, taking in the sights, Alex, on the other hand, had been searching for something specific¡ªinformation.

    He wanted to know the movements of their two warring neighbors and though they only had a bit of money the information was on the cheaper end.

    Apparently, the relationship between Lorethil and Sam¡¯eth had always been strained. As Lorethil trained some of the foremost Mages of the continent but they didn¡¯t give thanks to the gods who they drew this power from.

    Sam¡¯eth had always been resentful of this but had never acted on it until now. However, something must have changed because they suddenly declared war and began marching their soldiers toward Lorethil. The journey would take months to transport the bulk of their armies, but in the meantime, small skirmishes would arise at the midpoint between the two nations.

    The information broker had even more knowledge of what started all this but neither of them could afford the more detailed package. Alex truly seemed worried about this whole war thing but as far as Emily could tell they just had to be a bit more careful.

    Sighing Emily fell back laying against the warm bricks. She¡¯d been trying to do Ashe''s homework assignment but was having a little trouble. Every time she tried to feel the energy coming from her bridge she¡¯d been met with the power in her chest rising almost unconsciously.

    She¡¯d used her abilities for so long that it had become second nature to call on them.

    So much so that she started to believe that she just didn¡¯t have the same type of energy as the people of this world. But that too didn¡¯t make sense because this was someone else''s body, she should be able to do this.

    Snorting to herself Emily sat back up and closed her eyes.

    She was looking for energy, but not just any energy.

    Ashe had described it as a stream coming from outside and joining with her body. Now that was simple enough but it was frustrating when she tried to feel for it and only her natural vitality responded.

    Without being able to see where it went, it was really hard to be able to see where it was coming from.

    Emily hummed to herself as she took a mental step back.

    That thought had some merit.

    When she¡¯d gotten the Life conduit skill it hadn¡¯t been hard to feel out the differences because she knew where it was headed. Even now she could feel the smallest streams of life moving towards her from the next room over, and then collecting in her blood.

    The difference was she had no idea where this mysterious energy ¨Cif she had any¨C would be hiding.

    Emily opened her eyes and brought her hand up to the base of her neck. Her bridge was supposed to draw in power and then distribute it all around her body. But what was the mechanism? Ashe had not gone into depth for this so either it was a test or she didn¡¯t know. As Emily pondered this she continued to massage her bridge. The more she did so, the more she realized it was not just a free-moving bit of skin. It was more like a bone.

    Bones?

    They were the structures that held the human body together, and they were also where blood was made.

    Closing her eyes once more Emily concentrated on finding this small stream of power Ashe had told her about. Reaching towards her bones in an attempt to feel for something more.

    Stolen story; please report.

    Right away it was like Emily¡¯d grabbed hold of a lightning rod as power vibrated through every inch of her body.

    The stream was a torrent of grey-colored power languidly moving through her skeleton. She was surprised and a little annoyed that the amount already greatly outclassed the power in her blood.

    Tracing it back, Emily rush up along her spine to connect to the bridge that connected her to the outside world.

    Now that she knew what she was looking for she could make out the grey source moving through the room and collecting at her bridge behind her.

    Her bones were choked full of the stuff.

    Excitement exploded in Emily as she found where her power was stored.

    The next problem came when she tried to make it move. The grey source didn¡¯t seem to want to respond no matter what she did. There was plenty of it, it just didn¡¯t want to cooperate.

    Frowning Emily tried everything.

    Force, pleading, kicking, screaming, nothing could get the stoic source to move, it was just there. Leaning back against her bed Emily looked around at all the grey particles moving about her room there was something lonely about them. They just hovered there quietly waiting for a breeze to carry them away. Emily frowned when she glanced over and saw a larger collection of grey source around her bag than anywhere else in the room.

    Crawling over she scrounged through her pack until she found the source chalk. It was emanating the very same grey her bridge was collecting. Eyes widening Emily got up and threw open her door, pounding on Alex¡¯s.

    They had only gotten back to the inn late so he was probably asleep but Emilt didn¡¯t care.

    She knocked on his door until it flew open and one very concerned Alex stood there. When she pushed her way into his room she held the chalk out toward him.

    ¡°Draw a smaller version of that flame ward we used in the forest.¡±

    After a pause, Alex¡¯s concern flipped to anger.

    ¡°Do you have any idea what time it is, cus I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Alex, come on just help me. I think I figured something out.¡±

    Alex¡¯s shoulders slumped as he searched Emily''s eyes. Trying to divine what was going through her head.

    With a guttural release of air, he snatched the piece of chalk and moved over to his desk. Drawing directly onto the rough wood. It took him less than a minute before he stepped back and dramatically motioned to the desk for her.

    Emily came over as she tried to watch the grey moving towards the thick line Alex had drawn. Emily watched as one part of the rune seemed to eat up all the grey. She wasn¡¯t certain but it was almost like the rune was using the grey as a power source or converting it into something else.

    Tilting her head Emily placed her hand on the portion of the rune that seemed to be eating the grey. The moment she did she felt the grey source in her bones move for the first time, rushing towards the pull of the chalked-out rune.

    The moment it touched down it forced its way into the tiny lines of chalk.

    Briefly, the rune glowed a deep red and a small fiery screen came into view before the chalk completely scattered and the rune burned itself out of existence.

    Alex immediately frowned as he stepped around her to see the rune outline now singed into the table.

    ¡°Source overload?¡± Alex muttered.

    Emily looked up ¡°I thought that¡¯s what happened to people?¡±

    ¡°It can happen to materials too if the medium is not able to handle the energy. But this stuff is fourth-grade, it shouldn¡¯t suffer from a third-grade rune. What did you do?¡±

    Emily pursed her lips.

    ¡°I think I overloaded with too much grey source.¡±

    Now Alex frowned.

    ¡°Grey source? There¡¯s colorless energy, but it doesn¡¯t come from an origin. It''s just neutral¡±

    Emily very much doubted that, seeing as she had been up close and personal with the guy, but she wasn''t about to argue his worldview with him.

    ¡°Could draw something else. Something that makes use of a lot of colorless energy?¡±

    Alex frowned as he thought about it and cleared off another section of the desk. Drawing a different smaller rune this time.

    It took Emily no time at all to find the point where the grey source gathered and place her hand there. This time though, she tried to slow the source down.

    Because of the barrier of blood and flesh in between her bones and the chalk, she found she could easily restrict the flow of source to the rune.

    This time the rune formed a small droplet of water that rapidly expanded until it grew too large for the circle and popped. Sloshing down and covering Alex¡¯s desk and floor in water.

    ¡°Okay, how are you doing that? Runes cannot be powered by humans unless it expressly uses their color of source. I¡¯m not able to power that ¡®water collection rune.¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°Dunno, anyway I¡¯m going to go back to bed. thanks for helping¡±

    Emily actually had a pretty good idea of what was going on here, but if she was right she didn¡¯t need him figuring out her weakness.

    As Emily turned to leave Alex grabbed her wrist.

    ¡°Hey wait I humored you, now you humor me.¡±

    Emily¡¯s brow rose as she looked at their connected arms and then frowned up at the man. Alex let go and cleared his throat.

    ¡°Before you go, just try to draw out that rune on the desk with blood.¡±

    Emily continued to stare up at Alex.

    ...They¡¯re called blood wards. Blood Mages use them in place of source chalk because blood is a good medium. This could be your first ward lesson; just copy what you see there.¡±

    Alex looked down at her with a determined expression. Emily pursed her lips and glanced at the desk. Walking back to it, she traced her hand over the complex circle of symbols that made up the ward. It still looked like a series of squiggly shapes and lines, but as she stared, she recognized the same symbol in both wards, which absorbed the grey source. That meant each squiggle had a different purpose.

    Placing her hand on the charred grooves in the once-unblemished desk, Emily called to her blood, letting the life force uncoil from her chest and move into the rune. Instead of drawing her own version, she let the blood pouring from her fingertips fill every detail until an identical version of Alex¡¯s flame ward came into being.

    As it finished, a deep red glow issued forth, and the grey source in her bones rushed toward it. A familiar column of red light took shape in the room, creating a perimeter that no fire could cross, deepening until it almost reached the ceiling.

    This time, Emily didn¡¯t feel like she was overpowering the ward, even when the grey source caused it to burn into red smoke. It was not unlike the runes she¡¯d seen in the sweat lodge. And though it required concentration, it took only a small amount of vitality to maintain the ward''s shape and repair the constant damage from the power running through it¡ªless than a single blood bolt.

    Closing off her power and pulling her hand away, Emily saw that the rune ate away at itself within a few seconds until nothing was left. Unlike the chalk, it was not as long-lasting.

    Alex hummed as he looked up at Emily with an unreadable expression.

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving tomorrow you might want to go get some sleep. In the meantime, I¡¯ll start drawing out some useful runes for you to practice.¡±

 Chapter 45 - Goodbyes and greetings

    After ensuring everything was packed, Emily left her room and headed to the dining hall. Alex had received a heavy letter from Hester yesterday, delivered by Samuel personally.

    As of yet, they had not opened it but Emily wanted to see what was inside soon. When they finally walked out of the inn Emily waved goodbye to the Alewife and her son for probably the last time.

    As they left the inn Emily spotted Jesse on his way into the building. She¡¯d looked for the Companion last night but he was nowhere to be found, probably out with another customer.

    When he saw her, his charismatic business smile bloomed, but then he saw her fully geared up in fresh travel clothes and his face fell.

    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re heading out.¡±

    Emily glanced at Alex out of the corner of her eye and the guy relented with a grimace.

    ¡°Yup, I¡¯ll see you around Jesse. I also wanted to thank you for the advice you gave me. So far it seems to be working¡±

    Jesse peeked over her shoulder to look at Alex and still had the cheek to look like a kicked puppy.

    ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t stay a couple more days?¡±

    Emily shook her head.

    ¡°Nah, I can¡¯t. I have some things to do. Plus you¡¯ll easily find new customers with a face like that.¡±

    Emily pinched his jaw, as a bittersweet look appeared on his face.

    ¡°Yeah, but none will see me in the same light as you...¡±

    With a snort, she pulled him forward for a peck on the lips.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me pay for that one okay?¡±

    A laugh broke through his downtrodden mask and then his eyes widened as he rummaged through a pouch on his side.

    He pulled out a delicate red comb made from some unknown aminal antler. It consisted of a single length with fine teeth coming to a delicate point and a flower carved into the front.

    ¡°Here, I was going to give this to you when we share our next evening but rather now than never.¡±

    Emily pursed her lips. She¡¯d already bought a comb at the market yesterday so she didn¡¯t need this one. There may be an ulterior motive behind it or it could be a trap. It was best not to risk it.

    Emily smiled and shook her head.

    ¡°You keep it for the next beautiful woman that catches your eye.¡± She winked as she said this and turned to leave. As she did so Emily spotted Alex waiting nearby watching the exchange. He wore a straight face but something moved in the light behind his eyes causing Emily to stop in her tracks.

    Looking over her shoulder Emily saw Jesse¡¯s handsome features tarnished with a mournful look. Scratching her head Emily turned back and held out her hand.

    ¡°On second thought, I could always use another. Would you still be willing to gift it to me?¡± her voice so low that only Jesse could hear her. The smile that bloomed on his face chased away the darkness and he placed the comb in her palm, closing it and brushing his lips over the back of her hand.

    ¡°I wish you a safe journey Miss Emily, and hope you find what you¡¯re looking for. And good luck with him,¡± he said nodding towards Alex over her shoulder.

    Emily swallowed and nodded, pulling her hand out of his and stepping back, sending him one last friendly wave as she moved forth into the crowd.

    When she glanced over at Alex she saw him watching her with a cheery face.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Alex shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Nothing.¡±

    The two of them arrived at the tavern not long after, and it was a far cry from what it had been just yesterday. The front was bereft of the usual teams that hung around, and even the posters had been ripped from the corkboard out front.

    The tables were locked up tightly, but Emily couldn¡¯t sense any life force coming from within, so it was safe to assume they were empty.

    The front door was sealed shut and when Alex went to walk around the side of the building, Emily had a fairly good idea of where everyone was.

    Stepping into the training ground she saw over forty Rime wolves being saddled with packs, weapons, tarps, cooking ware, and so much more that Emily didn¡¯t recognize.

    The beasts were so large that they could easily carry as much, if not more than winter mules.

    Here people moved in amongst the wolves offering warm words and gentle pats. As though seeing a partner after a long time away. While Emily was still taking this in she spotted the massive Rimeworld from Kael¡¯s office. He had by far the greatest number of things packed onto his large form. Even still the black-coated monster still looked like he was capable of handling double that. Besides the creature, another wolf sat quietly. Its coat was a caramel color and it was far thinner than even a normal Rime wolf.

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    It was while they were moving in that direction that Emily spotted Kael making his way towards them. Behind him was Atticus and Gerade, Marth was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°The two newest hires are the last to show up. Hope you weren''t trying to impress me, cus you¡¯re off to a shit start.¡±

    Emily grinned.

    ¡°Nah, we¡¯ll leave that for when you see us fight.¡±

    Atticus and Gerade looked at one another but Kael burst out laughing.

    ¡°Sure, I look forward to it. With that kind of energy, I¡¯ll leave it in my team lead''s capable hands. Alexander, you¡¯re with our scouting team, so Atticus will be your point of contact. And while Gerade handles the training of the beasts his team is also comprised of our magic specialists, so Emily you¡¯ll be with him.¡±

    Kael then placed his finger to his mouth and whistled softly.

    ¡°Normally a client would have the best position in the convoy, but seeing as I can¡¯t stand idle hands, especially deadly ones, I¡¯m going to put you to work for your meals.¡±

    Emily frowned, she didn¡¯t like it but if there was a chance she could fight then she was in.

    At this point, the skinny Rime wolf Emily had seen earlier appeared and brushed its large head against Kael¡¯s chest.

    Causing the man to scratch the beast behind its ears and follow her off to another group of men.

    Watching him go, Emily turned her attention to his two sub-leaders.

    Gerade indicated for them to follow and made his way over to the large black wolf.

    Atticus was the first to speak his tone a lot more level than she remembered.

    ¡°The boss is mostly just messing with you. You''ll no doubt get the best treatment from him. Just help out where you can and don¡¯t cause unnecessary conflict if you can help it¡±

    All three sets of eyes turned to look at Emily, who shot them a questioning look in turn.

    ¡°What? I know that lay of the land. Kael made it clear. They don¡¯t mess with me and we''re all gonna be peachy.¡±

    Most of them looked confused at the word ¡®Peachy¡¯, but Alex shook his head and turned back to them.

    ¡°Where¡¯s our partners, I want to get started on the bond.¡±

    Atticus¡¯s brows shot up but it was Gerade who spoke.

    ¡°And what do you know if a bond kid.¡±

    Alex clenched his jaw.

    ¡°I know that if I want to ride these creatures they¡¯ll need to trust me. The bond ensures they know who I am. And it¡¯s ¡®Alexander¡¯, not I''m not a kid¡±

    Gerade crossed his arms and looked away but there was a pensive expression on his face.

    ¡°Well sadly for you two there''s only one unpartnered wolf at the moment so you¡¯re going to have to share. Keep in mind this isn¡¯t like riding a galendmare or winter mule, they¡¯re a challenge and will throw you off if you give them half a chance¡±

    Emily had heard of galendmares from Ashe, they sounded like a beast resembling a horse, but apparently, they hated the cold so it was rare to find them this far up north.

    The large wolf had lumbered over to Gerade and bumped into him with his massive shoulder. Emily was surprised to hear the sounds of pups yipping from two large wicker baskets tied to either flank of the thing. They were spheres to prevent the pups from climbing or falling out.

    Alex looked around.

    ¡°So? Where is it?¡±

    Gerade narrowed his eyes at Alex but then whistled.

    ¡°Hey Loch, you done saddling up Mist yet?¡±

    A man in his late thirties poked his head over a wolf''s back.

    ¡°Yes sir, he¡¯s ready and waiting.¡±

    Gerade nodded and led Alex and Emily over to one of the few remaining occupied stalls.

    A dark grey wolf rested in the stable watching their approach. It looked about comparable in size to the rest and its temperament looked calm.

    ¡°Right which one of you is the primary?¡± Loch asked as he led Mist out.

    Emily looked over at Alex and then at Gerade who just looked on quietly.

    To be honest, Emily had never even ridden a horse, let alone a bloody wolf. So she tilted her head to Alex.

    ¡°He is.¡±

    Alex looked at Emily but then turned and moved towards the creature, raising a slow hand to rest beside its neck, digging his finger into its fur he softly brushed the creature. Emily watched as he moved in towards its side, never breaking eye contact and getting sniffed in exchange. When Alex was parallel with the creature he placed both hands on the side of the saddle and pulled himself onto it with ease. Situated himself securely and lowered his chest to the back of the wolf¡¯s neck. Patting and whispering quiet words in its ear until the beast relaxed.

    Emily squinted at Alex and then over to Gerade to see a begrudging look of approval in his eyes.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen such a talented first bond in years, good job greenhorn!¡± Loch gushed.

    Gerade then rattled off a series of clicks, whistles, and commands the wolves would respond to. Which Emily did her best to memorize.

    Alex clicked his tongue and had Mist move out to join the other wolves and then back toward the stalls. He stopped up next to Emily and held down a hand to pick her up.

    Never one to hesitate, Emily dropped her pack and hopped on top of the beast with Alex''s help. Settling awkwardly into a cushioned leather saddle, the moment Emily situated herself on the beast it began to shack its head to and fro.

    Alex tried to keep it under control, but the beast whined and shook them more violently. Alex held on as the wolf suddenly went into a full spin. Like a dog chasing its tail, Mist spun outwards and Emily was unable to keep hold of the thing. Going hurtling off and tumbling through the air. Emily rightened herself in the air so she could avoid a painful landing but Gerade''s short sturdy body caught her and lessened the stress of the fall.

    When Emily reoriented herself she saw Alex still panting on the back of the now much calmer beast.

    Loch burst out laughing.

    ¡°Now that''s more what I expected!¡± a couple of snickers joined in with his laughter but Emily paid them no mind. Nodding to Gerade she got up and squinted at the beast.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry girl, Mist is kind, he¡¯ll let you on, you just have to want to stay on.¡±

    Emily looked up at Alex again and saw him trying to hide a smug smile.

    Snorting at him Emily held her hand out to him and he took it. The moment Emily was back in the saddle, Mist began to get antsy again and it wasn¡¯t long before they were spinning again. This time though Emily sunk her hands into his fur and clung on for dear life. The world spun as a blur and just when Emily thought she wasn¡¯t going to be able to hold onto her breakfast any longer, Mist even out. Shaking himself one more time but then falling still. Emily and Alex were both panting from holding on but a relaxed smile graced Emily''s lips as she settled into the saddle.

    It wasn¡¯t long after that the procession began to move forward into the crack in the wall. Emily tied her and Alex¡¯s packs to Mist and hopped back on. As one long line, they plunged into the suffocating stone tunnel. Making their way through the twisting caverns, they showed an inspiring sense of unity as the pack lumbered ahead and behind with deadly purpose.

    Blood points: 19

 Chapter 46 - Meeting the cavalry

    Thousands of liters of water crashed into a large pool in front of Emily as the waterfall partially covering the exit came into view.

    They had been traveling through these caves for more than an hour, so when Emily spotted the morning sky beyond she urged Alex on.

    The journey to the surface was not far especially on the back of a Rime wolf, but with the cave''s narrow conditions, they were forced to maintain a certain pace.

    That all changed when they exited out into the snowy world of trees and soil. As they passed out into the open air, Emily noted a line of runes on the threshold of the cave. When she looked back a grey wall of stone greeted her, indistinguishable from the rest of the riverside.

    As they progressed more people stepped out of the solid-looking stone as tiny ripples spread on the surface.

    Selia and Ashe were the next to follow them out on a single wolf. Ashe was looking back at the opening with interest but Selia didn¡¯t give her long before they were running up to the front of the pack. She seemed to hold a position of power in the Wandering fangs. Not as much as the subleaders, but Kael seemed to weigh her opinion pretty highly.

    Gerade and Kael headed up the point of the collum to meet Marth and Atticus, but as the other half of their convoy amassed in the large clearing, Emily noticed a man she¡¯d never seen before approaching them.  He stood out because while he had a humanoid form his skin was in stark contrast to anything Emily had ever seen. Dark-aged bark covered his skin like that of an ancient redwood. Its features were detailed but it was missing all forms of hair on its body. Instead, near the tops of its head a small canopy of brown leaves nestled there.

    The being pulled his wolf next to them and nodded in their direction.

    ¡°Well met Alexander, I¡¯ve gone over a couple of methods you spoke of and have to say I¡¯m inspired,¡± he said in a low bass.

    An unfamiliar smile crept onto Alex''s face that Emily would almost term ¡®Genuine¡¯.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you found them useful, Svent. Let me know if there''s anything else I can help with. Oh, this is my traveling companion Emily. Emily this is Svent he¡¯s an Armamentsmith and helps to maintain the company''s items.¡±

    Emily nodded in¡ªwhat she was now terming¡ªthe man''s direction.

    ¡°Emily? Ah, so you¡¯re the one the boss had me do a rush order on? Wait a second.¡±

    The plant man began to rummage in one of the packs on his Rime wolf as he pulled out what looked like a metal talisman with a cord of twine through it.

    ¡°Now I¡¯m not as good as an Enchanter, but I¡¯m fairly certain that this will at least fool most people. Just make sure to hide it on your person or it won¡¯t matter how good I am.¡±

    Emily reached out and took the offered item. It resembled a stamped coin with a strange-looking rune beveled into the surface.

    Svent pointed at it proudly as he spoke.

    ¡°Its ability to cloak your title will last about three months and I want it back if you leave before then¡±

    Emily nodded as she looped it over her head and tucked it under her clothes. Kael had spoken about getting her this item in passing but she never thought he¡¯d get it to her so fast.

    Unable to help her curiosity Emily reassessed the man in front of her.

    ¡°I apologize if this is rude but what are you?¡±

    Svent¡¯s facial features seemed no less expressive than a human''s as he tilted his head in confusion.

    ¡°I know my species isn¡¯t the most avid adventures, but regardless, I thought most knew of tree folks. Do they not have my kind where you are from?¡±

    Emily shook her head.

    ¡°Well, it''s not rude at all, my species has evolved from the wilds where green source is plentiful.¡±

    Oh, interesting. But you¡¯re a smith, right? Doesn''t that make it hard to be around the tools of your trade being made of wood and all?¡±

    Alex turned in the saddle and shot her a questioning glare.

    ¡°That is a slightly more rude question, but I¡¯ll answer it seeing as you¡¯re a friend of Alexander. Yes, I do struggle, but no more than humans if I soak myself beforehand. I chose to walk this path, and I won¡¯t regret it even if it burns me to charcoal.¡±

    Emily was taken aback at the conviction of Svent¡¯s words, so much so that she felt a sense of respect for the man.

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    ¡°Hmm well that¡¯s admirable, apologies if I caused any offense¡±

    Svent nodded in her direction waved at them both and moved his mount onwards. Heading over to another group of people while searching his pack for his next delivery.

    Emily looked around to Alex''s scowl.

    ¡°You just went to meet him yesterday. How in the world are you suddenly besties? Do you have a skill for it or something?¡±

    Alex snorted.

    ¡°Just because I know how to talk to people doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s some special skill.¡±

    ¡°Oh please you¡¯re almost as bad as I am, if not more,¡± Emily said rolling her eyes.

    She wasn¡¯t certain but she thought she felt Alex¡¯s back showing the telltale signs of silent laughter.

    A call went up from the head of the convoy as Kael called for a forward match. At around the same time, Atticus went down the line whistling, when he saw them on Mist he made a ¡®come here¡¯ motion.

    Alex pulled them from the middle of the pack and headed over to him.

    When they got there they saw a group of seven and with Emily and Alex that brought their numbers up to nine.

    Vivan and Fetu were both here, as well as a woman who shot Emily an award smile which Emily returned before turning her focus on Atticus.

    ¡°Right, listen up, we¡¯re going to move at a good pace as we¡¯re less than a day¡¯s travel from an elven burrow and we¡¯ll need to cross through their territory if we are to get to our destination.¡± Alexander, I hear you¡¯re decent with detection so I¡¯ll give you a chance you¡¯re left-front, Fetu, you¡¯re right-front. I¡¯ll be the advance.¡±

    Atticus went on to position the rest of the people present around the convoy so that there were no gaps to be caught unawares. Emily did note that the woman ¨Cwho was still staring at her¨C asked for the middle position right behind Alex and Emily.

    ¡°Apologies Emily, but seeing as you are riding with Alex, you¡¯ll have to go along for the ride unless you can find someone else who is willing to carry you,¡± Atticus said

    Emily shook her head. ¡°Not necessary, I¡¯m all good.¡±

    She wanted a chance to deepen her understanding of Explorer anyway and this gave her the best opportunity to encounter combat.

    When Atticus left to head up front, Alex directed Mist toward their section. He had an amused look on his face.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Emily asked.

    Alex grunted.

    ¡°He testing us. Normally a fresh scout would cover the backline and work their way up to the front but he put us in the first position immediately. If we fail to spot danger approaching from the side, it could be dangerous for a convoy of this size.¡±

    Emily hummed.

    ¡°Well, then we best not give him a reason to doubt us shall we.¡±

    Alex was about to respond when Emily heard a woman''s voice call out to her.

    ¡°Hey, wait up.¡±

    Emily turned back to see a familiar face following them.

    ¡°Just hang on for a second, I just wanted to talk¡± The woman from the scouting party asked as she brought her wolf up with them. Her black hair was in a short pixy cut with a bow slung over her shoulders and a mole below her left eye.

    Alex slowed Mist so that she could fall in line with them

    ¡°Listen, I¡¯ve been wanting to speak to you for a while now but I wanted to say ¡®Thank you¡¯.¡±

    Emily blinked and looked at Alex as though he might have the answer.

    ¡°um, I¡¯m a little lost, what is this for now?¡±

    ¡°For getting rid of Ron.¡±

    Emily''s brows shot up.

    ¡°You¡¯re not mad about that?¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong a lot of us were mad. You don¡¯t kill one of our numbers and get away with it. Even if he did deserve it. Nah the fact you came back alive with those pups earned you more than enough goodwill. Plus enough proof that you had the bite to back up your bark.¡±

    Emily was completely stunned she hadn¡¯t expected this outcome at all.

    ¡°Ron was a real piece of work, he bothered the ladies to no end but was smart about it and he never went over the line, the creep. So we couldn''t even kill him ourselves.¡±

    Anyway, I wanted to thank you and also warn you there are a couple of people who still resent you for what you did, so just be careful.

    ¡°What people like Fetu?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, maybe? But to be honest you probably have more to worry about from team two. They were his friends before he got moved to team four.¡±

    Emily nodded, making sure to store that tidbit of information for exploration.

    ¡°Right well, you¡¯re welcome, and if you hear anything lemme know¡±

    The woman shrugged her shoulders and waved before parting ways with them.

    Alex had kept his eyes on the road but when she left he turned back to shoot Emily a wary gaze.

    ¡°Yes I know, same people, I¡¯ll keep an eye out,¡± Emily said

    Alex maneuvered them into their gap as the convoy took off in a southerly direction. The very opposite direction they had come just days prior.

    What Emily didn¡¯t expect was their rapid pace. Once the Rime wolves were let loose, the terrain blurred past at speeds Emily''s eye struggled to match.

    It was not even remotely comparable to walking. If they had one of these mounts back at Blood Mage¡¯s lodge, they probably could have been home that same night.

    Not to mention how satisfying it was to simply leap over the large streams and trenches in the forest floor. Things that would have normally eaten through the daylight hours seem wholly trivial now.

    She wanted to take the reins herself but Mist would have none of it, seeing as she didn¡¯t feel like being thrown on the forest floor she let Alex hold the reins, for now.

    Threats to the convoy did pop up but were easily taken care of by the individual scouts and when larger packs of Elves banded together, Atticus would call it out and adjust their formation so that either Gerade or Marth could lead a group of riders to deal with the threat. The whole process was like a well-oiled machine, sadly Emily found that while she was near the front she only got the stray life force for the creatures killed closest to her.

    If she could get closer to the front she could absorb more of the energy up ahead unfortunately because of these musings Emily noticed her blood approaching too late.

    They had been making good time and as far as she could tell, Alex was maneuvering his section of the collum well. But there was a sudden whistling coming from upfront that caught their attention. Something large had collided with the front of the pack and was caught up with Rime wolves there. It was only after she heard the growls of temperamental wolves that Emily felt her presence.

    Grabbing hold of Alex''s shoulder Emily shouted over the sound of the tearing wind.

    ¡°Alex, wait. Cupcake is in danger! Go to the right side.¡±

    Alex looked back at Emily with confusion but it was clear he¡¯d understood her words. She thought she was going to have to jump off to get there in time when Alex suddenly whistled to the woman behind them and yanked on the reins, having Mist leap toward the commotion.

    Bursting through the trees they found Atticus and Marth, along with several others circling a snarling Cupcake.

    Blood points: 22

 Chapter 47 - Returned

    ¡°She¡¯s an outcast! Kill her!¡± Marth¡¯s amused voice tore above his wolf''s snarls. Eight wolves surrounded the old she-wolf as she snarled her fury at the others, trying to keep an eye on all of them at once but their numbers were just too great.

    When her back was turned a wolf would bound forward and nip at her, only for her to spin around and crack her whip appendages at them with a feral light in her eyes.

    The moment Alex and Emily burst through the trees and got closer, Atticus glanced over at them. A scowl rapidly plastered itself on his face.

    ¡°Alexander, why have you abandoned your post? Get back there we¡¯ll be done here shortly.¡±

    Emily hissed back to Alex.

    ¡°We can¡¯t let them hurt Cupcake.¡±

    The corners of Alex¡¯s mouth drooped.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. That''s Cupcake? When did you have time-¡±

    Suddenly a wail went up into the air as one of the wolves got hold of Cupcake''s injured side and caused her to cry out.

    Emily bounced off Mist¡¯s back and crunched down into the snow, taking off toward the center of their encirclement.

    ¡°Stop you fuck wits, she an ally!¡± Emily shouted.

    Just before she got near enough Marth¡¯s wolf suddenly closed rank with another of his men, blocking Emily off from the she-wolf.

    ¡°Girl, you are not going to want to get mixed up in this. Fuck off.¡±

    Grinding her teeth Emily dove under the half-hearted swipe intended to knock her on her ass and roll through through their perimeter.

    The moment she was nearer, Cupcake turned on her and pounced like a cornered animal.

    Somewhere behind her, she heard a worried shout.

    ¡°Emily don¡¯t!¡±

    But by then it was too late, Emily''s whole arm sunk into Cupcake''s large maw. The moment the she-wolf bit down and tasted blood, the light of reason returned to her eyes as Emily felt their connection deepen again.

    Seeing this Emily turned her attention to her surroundings.

    ¡°Kill it now!¡± Marth yelled to his men, who responded by attacking without hesitation.

    Alex shouted, much closer this time, but he wouldn¡¯t make it.

    Emily called to her power and swiped her free arm out, causing two bands of hardened blood to stretch out and encircle her and Cupcake. The rings crossed one another in an ¡®X¡¯ like formation and clashed against most of the incoming attacks but two slipped through. One from Marth and the other from the man beside him. Both would have hit if it weren¡¯t for Alex leading Mist to butt up against their wolves, knocking their strikes off target.

    Cupcake dodged backward pulling Emily with her.

    The whole clearing went quiet as the groups stared off at one another.

    Atticus stepped in at this point.

    ¡°Emily, what in the hell¡¯s are you doing? Step away from the beast, it''s wild and dangerous.¡±

    Thankful someone actually wanted to talk Emily grunted as she placed her free hand on Cupcake''s neck.

    ¡°Listen Atticus, this one here¡¯s name is Cupcake and she was probably just looking for me. I don¡¯t think she will harm anyone.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think!¡± Marth sneered sarcastically.

    ¡°Do you think these beasts are playthings? Look at how that thing is currently treating you. A wound like that will need a tonic or a healer. Step aside so we can kill it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not killing her, she¡¯s just here to see the pups!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit what ¡®you think it¡¯s here for¡¯, that thing has to die.¡±

    Marth began preparing himself to attack and Emily had Cupcake release her arm so she could defend them.

    ¡°Enough. Everyone hold. What is the meaning of this?¡± Kael stepped out of the trees.

    Marth frowned while Emily''s eyes flickered over to see the man on his thin mount enter the clearing with Gerade on his tail. Emily pulled back the blood as fast as she could, but he clearly saw it.

    ¡°Your newest members won¡¯t let us eliminate a threat to the company,¡± Marth said before anyone could get a word in.

    Kael¡¯s brow rose.

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a day yet. That¡¯s gotta be some kind of record¡±

    Emily pursed her lips.

    ¡°That was not my intention. I asked him to stop, but he outright refused. I know this she-wolf, it won¡¯t-¡±

    Kael¡¯s eyes seemed to finish searching the area and then went back to Emily.

    ¡°Let''s get something straight. You don¡¯t give my men orders, especially if they were just doing their job¡­ However, Marth, you would have done well to assess the situation before escalating things.¡±

    Marth frowned but nodded.

    ¡°Yes, boss.¡±

    ¡°Now, Gerade what going on with that beast.¡±

    Gerade hopped down from his massive beast using a loop of ropes acting as a ladder. When she got to the encirclement he tapped the two Rime wolves on the flanks and they opened the circle irrespective of their rider''s commands.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Emily stood in front of Cupcake as the she-wolf growled at the approaching man.

    Gerade didn¡¯t seem to be bothered and took out a small cord of leather.

    ¡°Miss, if you can try to keep her calm.¡±

    Emily tore her eyes away from Marth and turned to Cupcake. Trying to send calming thoughts down their connection.

    Gerade snapped the band around the she-wolf muzzle with one fluid motion and buried his hand into her pelt. To Cupcake''s credit, she only shook her head once when the leash went on.

    ¡°Can you get her to lie down?¡±

    Emily tried to send what she wanted through the connection and the urgency of the situation.

    Cupcake glanced at Emily and shook herself before slowly lowering herself into the snow.

    Gerade hummed as he glanced out of the side of his eye at Emily. Tuning around he removed the cord and walked back to Kael.

    ¡°She¡¯s a sly old girl. Definitely not trained and would be more than a handful for anyone else, but seeing as she¡¯s following Miss Emily¡¯s orders. There might already be something resembling a bond in play here. If you need me to I can probably teach her a thing or two and maybe fix that lame leg while I¡¯m at it.¡±

    Kael rubbed his chin as he listened to Gerade¡¯s assessment.

    ¡°Is that something you want Emily?¡±

    Emily looked back at the beast and couldn¡¯t help feeling she owed it this much. Plus if Cupcake was willing she might even be able to ride her own mount.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility for Cupcake if you¡¯ll let me.¡±

    ¡°Well then there you have it. Gerade seeing she¡¯s already on your team, I¡¯ll leave it to you. Now if everyone could get back to their damned positions, I¡¯d be mighty appreciative. I want to cross the elven burrows before nightfall.¡±

    With that, he turned and left.

    Marth watched his back with a grim expression but then turned to look at Emily. A cold light entered his eyes.

    ¡°Not a good start to our journey girl. If that beast hurt any of mine, I¡¯ll be taking it out on your head.¡±

    Emily''s eye twitched but didn¡¯t respond as the man walked away. Behind him was the other man who had almost managed to hit Cupcake. He wore an iron circlet on his forehead with straw-colored hair and rugged features. Now that things had calmed down Emily could take in his features and flinched when a sudden phantom pain bloomed in her gut. The memory tried to wrestle free but Emily was already well aware of who this man was.

    Just before he turned to leave he squinted his eyes at her as though trying to piece it together, but seemed to give up and follow after Marth. The rest of the group showed only hostility as they left the clearing

    When they were gone Emily turned back to Alex and Atticus.

    ¡°Well, team two is just charming.¡±

    Atticus shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°They were just doing their job as enforcers. Alex, you get back into position but drop Emily off at the back of the team, let the Healer there know I sent you.¡±

    With that, he headed back into position leaving them alone.

    Alex didn¡¯t say much as they moved to the back with Cupcake but Emily pursed her lips and spoke slowly.

    ¡°Thanks for backing me up back there¡­¡±

    Alex didn¡¯t turn back but she could hear a smile in his voice.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do that much. Plus if we hadn¡¯t, we could have lost Cupcake two-point-zero.¡±

    Emily unintentionally snorted at his use of the term.

    When they reached the back, Alex asked around for the Healer. They eventually found him, but without fail, everyone they approached made a strange face when he asked.

    Emily realized why that was the moment she met the man. He had a light grey head of hair, a scruffy beard, and a mouth a sailor would have been proud of.

    ¡°You damned wench, what are you doing getting yourself hurt on the first bloody day. By the five I should leave you bleed out on the ground. You¡¯re incredibly lucky I¡¯m so magnanimous.¡±

    The man was convinced she was giving him more work just to be a bother.

    It took Emily a good ten minutes hanging from a harness¡ªused for patients¡ªon the side of his wolf to even learn his name.

    ¡°What? Name? It¡¯s Yishmal. Now hold still I¡¯m going to heal your arm.¡±

    Emily thought about just leaving and rejoining Alex in the front several times, but she didn¡¯t because she was interested in seeing how healers worked their magic.

    When he finally stopped long enough to render aid, he simply sent a large burst of energy into Emily. She could feel the exact point at which a powerful revitalizing force moved into her arm and closed the wounds.

    When Emily healed her own wounds it always felt like they were simply accelerating and her body closed up its damage naturally.

    Only the moment his energy brushed up against Emily it felt invasive and alien. The wound given to her by the god gave off a jolt of pain but if Yishmal noticed it he didn¡¯t say anything. When Emily was done she thanked the long-winded man and with another rider''s help, headed back to the front to rejoin Alex. It was a good thing too because Cupcake had started to get antsy so close to the other wolves.

    As time moved on Emily recognized when they neared the the elven burrows. It wasn¡¯t like Emily saw any familiar scenery, but she began to notice uneven ground as though large moles were running through the landscape. Pretty soon they would come across the first burrows themselves.

    Only the roads were cordoned off by the keep as it was just too much land to cover but before they entered the elven burrows, Kael called for a short break.

    Emily was grateful because Cupcake was looking a little worse for ware. She had been keeping up well enough, but she was clearly taking strain. Hopping off Mist, Emily moved to the she-wolf.

    ¡°How you doing girl, you okay?¡±

    Emily could feel as Cupcake reached through the connection. She was glad that Emily had helped her earlier, but she wanted to see the pups. Emily could also feel she hadn¡¯t eaten in the last while and was hungry. Pulling out more meat rations she had brought along for this exact reason, Emily once again soaked them in her blood. Luckily she had been getting a bit of life force from their section so it hardly cost her anything.

    Cupcake was only too happy to snap up the offerings.

    ¡°Well go see them later, first we have to cross this area.¡±

    Cupcake turned her snout in the direction of the wind and whined.

    Emily patted her as the wandering fangs grouped up and plunged into the edges of the burrow.

    Right away the mounds began to show up but unlike last time, the response was immediate. With so many creatures moving into their territory, the elves came rushing out like a dinner bell had been rung.

    The difference this time was their sheer speed. Humans could outrun elves with moderate effort. It was only when they gathered en mass that it became a problem. But Rime wolves were a whole other story. They easily cleared the burrows as elves jumped out to sneak attack them. Kael had long since reorganized their formation to spread out rather than one vulnerable procession. This meant they could move through the area in one quick wave, but it also meant they were further apart if people needed aid.

    As luck would have it no one ended up being caught by the child-like creatures as their numbers could not keep up with their mounts. They moved almost completely uncontested until they got to the scar again.

    Kael dove into the line without hesitation and the rest of the wandering fangs followed. Emily got ready to pull power from her chest if need be, as Alex ushered Mist into the strip of land.

    The moment they did Emily knew something was different. Where once lay numerous burrows all packed on top of one another, now there was only upturned earth and an air of loneliness. Not a single elf came to greet them. Kael saw this but seeing that they were already out in the open he called for them to make it to the other side of the gap.

    The scent of rotting flesh and blood was carried on the wind along with a simply overwhelming scent of something sweet.

    Atticus suddenly shouted out ¡°Bruin!¡±

    Emily first thought of a short brown bear, but what stepped out eclipsed anything she¡¯d seen on Earth. A bear, the size of a minibus stepped out of the trees. A ridged set of spines ran along its back with traces of rage painted on its large face. To make matters worse, right beside it, a second one broke through the treeline.

    Alex cursed but Kael stared on with a firm resolve.

    ¡°Team four you¡¯re on the perimeter, keep the battlefield clear. Two and three you¡¯re on the first beast. Myself and Team one are on the second! ¡±

    Kael''s intentions were obvious as the four dozen or so people began shifting their formation. They were going to have to kill these creatures if they wanted to advance. Most would curse their luck at having met these beasts on the first leg of their journey but Emily laughed her heart swelling with excitement.

    Blood points 21

 Chapter 48 - Roar and Ruin

    The loose dirt around them shook, knocking over crumbling mounds of long abandoned tunnels. The Bruins moved into the space with savage fury, like two cats finding a field of mice. The sweet scent saturated the air stronger than just moments ago.

    Even before the Bruins had picked a direction to lumber in, Kael took off on his caramel mount and pulled a barbed spear from his back. Both creatures tracked his position as he separated diagonally from the frontline. With unnatural grace, Kael rose to his full height as he stood on the back of his mount. Neither Bruin moved until Kael launched his spear with unnerving accuracy, causing it to fly overhead and sink into the scales just below the left Bruin¡¯s eye. The high-pitched wail that followed shook the skies and all hell broke loose; the creature lunged after the slender mount at full speed.

    Kael remained calm and made a yanking motion causing the afternoon sun to reflect on a wire connecting to the spear briefly. The spear yanked free of its prison in the Bruin¡¯s flesh and hurtled back to Kael¡¯s hand. Yet another scream of pain went up, but now the rider and his mount rushed away pulling the first Bruin deeper into the burrows. The other was about to join the chase when Gerade stepped forward and swung something above his head releasing a large set of bolas.

    The distance was far but his aim was on point as the spinning cord cracked into the side of the other Bruin and wrapped itself around its snout causing it to stop and try to shake the projectile off.

    With Kael still widening the gap, the two beasts were rapidly separated.

    ¡°Now¡¯s our chance! Team two move in!¡± Marth yelled

    This entire maneuver had been hazardous but paid off, in that it separated the Bruins on two fronts.

    Marth charged in with his team and collapsed onto the still-flailing creature. Emily swung her legs off Mist¡¯s side, cushioning her landing by bending her knees. Alex glanced back at her and nodded before taking off toward Atticus. Though they were few, Emily had already noticed the odd elf hedging in like vultures from the trees.

    Cupcake moved beside Emily as she stared at the furry titan.

    Emily could feel she was worried for the pups and wanted to dive in to help them.

    ¡°Atta girl, but stay close to me. Only attack if you see a good opening otherwise fall back.¡±

    Emily searched for Ashe but couldn¡¯t see her nearby so she must be with Selia. She did however spot Nox. He was using several rapid hand gestures to call winds around himself and send forward sharp projectiles of air.

    Though they had good accuracy their impact left only minor damage to the scales.

    Emily could see Marth challenging the Bruin directly with a sword and shield, as though trying to keep its attention while the rest of his men piled on it from the sides. Stabbing and slashing at any opening he could give them.

    While their numbers were far greater, Emily could see an immediate problem. Even their strongest of attacks and weapons were doing little damage to the Bruin on the whole.

    Unfortunately, Gerade¡¯s bolas gave out at this point unable to handle the expansion of the beast''s neck muscles. Freed from the restrain it focused on Marth and lunged forward using its center mass to directly impact his shield. Seeing this coming, a red sheen coated Martha''s body and shield. When the two collided there was a concussive sound as Marth¡¯s legs gouged the earth below him.

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened he managed to bring the beast to a complete halt, not only that but his sword arm snaked around and plunged into the eye socket. Emily expected a scratch but when the only sound was of metal scraping thick hide she realized the beast had shut its eye and protected the organ from the worst of the damage.

    Seeing this Marth disengaged and jumped back.

    Emily moved towards the battlefield as she saw Gerade¡¯s wolf bound overhead and land beside the beast.

    Even as massive as the Rime wolf was it was like comparing a labrador to a grizzly. However, that didn¡¯t stop it from sinking its fangs into the Bruin¡¯s front leg and tearing it backward at an odd angle. This caused the beast''s balance to waver as it crashed to the side. At that range, Gerade threw smaller net-like bolas that seemed to glue themselves to the Bruin¡¯s fur, further restricting the beast''s movement.

    While it was still struggling against that, Emily began to move her vitality from her chest and condense it in her arm. At this range, she needed something with good speed and the most piercing power she could manage.

    Stolen story; please report.

    Cupcake danced forward and went for one of the beast''s hind legs. The majority of the creature''s power was loaded into its upper body so the creature screeched at the top of its lungs when it lost another stabilizing limb.

    Emily kept her focus on her blood as streams of it began to pour out of her hand and forearms, chased from the pores in her skin, coiling into a long shaft of dense crimson. The spearhead took shape, closely resembling the one Emily had just seen Kael using, and extended to nearly two meters. Emily shoved as much life force into the spear as she could spare. The problem with this technique was that unless she had ample time to charge it up, it left her vulnerable to attacks. But now with people distracting the beast she shaped and hardened her blood to the extreme.

    Unfortunately, good things never last. Even with both team leads locking down the Bruin it was far larger than anything here so when it pushed off and tucked into a death roll. There was nothing anyone could do but get out of the way.

    Gerade and his wolf jumped away safely but the same could not be said for team two. Three men nearby only managed a scream of horror before they disappeared beneath the Bruin¡¯s large mass and the ground.

    Marth shouted for everyone to retreat as he was knocked flying by an errant paw. Cupcake had enough sense to release her hold just before things went to shit, so she managed to dance back and out of the worst of it.

    Emily¡¯s spear was now completed but the beast was thrashing around too much to even make out its vital points and the technique was getting harder to control.

    ¡°Somebody lock it down!¡± Emily yelled over the sounds of battle.

    Gerade glanced back and spotted her, he clicked his tongue causing the unattended Rime wolves to converge on him.

    The moment the Bruin came out of its spin he whistled sharply and his entire group crashed into its right side arresting its movement.

    No sooner had its head stopped moving than Emily unleashed her blood spear, which whizzed through the air with deadly intent.

    When it hit, it did not make contact with the creature''s skull like she¡¯d first intended, but instead sunk directly below that into its neck. Piercing out the other side. She figured the area was likely full of bone and hide, so she aimed for the next best target.

    The moment the spear had bored through the scales Emily deployed her blood like the closing of a trap. The spearhead of the attack flared out into the wound anchoring it there. While the base shot down into the ground and sunk into the soil.

    Tethering the Bruin to the ground.

    The soil was soft from recent events, so Emily had to work fast reeling it in.

    Unable to resist being pulled in such a manner the Bruin''s head crashed into the dirt as it thrashed about.

    Emily widened her stance as her legs sunk into the soil under the weight of the beast.

    It couldn¡¯t even scream as she blocked its airways but with the raw power it held it was only a matter of time before the spear ran out of power.

    ¡°Kill it now!¡± Emily ground out as it writhed against her control.

    Gerade didn¡¯t need any convincing when his wolf sunk its fangs into the weakened hide around its neck. Making sure the steer clear of the things snapping jaws.

    Emily held onto her fraying control as its struggles grew more desperate. If this was anything else she was certain her initial attack would have killed it, but somehow it just refused to die.

    It took another two whole minutes for Gerade¡¯s wolves to rip through the throat of the beast and for it to finally die. By the time Emily finally relaxed her control her hands were shaking from the effort. When the light finally faded from the creature''s eyes Emily felt a wave of euphoria the likes of which she¡¯d never felt before. The spear had easily used eight blood bolts worth of power but the Bruin¡¯s death made up for that and more. Still managing to fill reserves with tens times what an Elf was normally worth.

    Emily swallowed as the warm buzz left her mind. Glancing over for the second threat Emily was greeted with the sight of Kael sitting atop the body of the Bruin. He rested there quietly against his spear as he stared at them. His eyes came to rest on Emily for longer than she liked.

    Beneath him, the Bruin looked like a ragged piece of meat with many wholes weeping dark blood.

    Emily was first impressed by the sight, but then immediately scowled as she realized she¡¯d not been in range to collect the Bruin¡¯s life force.

    Kael closed the distance by hopping onto his mount and returning with group one. Which Emily was now realizing was half the size of the rest of the teams.

    As Kael got within earshot his voice rose to shatter the quiet.

    ¡°Alright let''s get our injured to the Doc. Marth, I need a head count of your men. Atticus see what you can salvage. We¡¯re heading out in ten, no need to hang around¡±

    No sooner had these words left his mouth than the area exploded into activity as the teams scatted to do one thing or another.

    Emily was still panting when Kael approached.

    ¡°Well I¡¯ll be damned, you weren''t lying when you said you can fight. You¡¯ve got a good battle sense. Now I can¡¯t wait to see Alexander put to the test.¡± As he said this he gazed at the elven corpses littering the ground nearby.

    Emily spotted Alex who had moved over to inspect the Bruin corpses and even began cutting away pieces of them.

    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Emily asked without thinking.

    Kael hummed.

    ¡°Just looking to get the most coin out of our losses.¡±

    Emily glanced over to the area where she¡¯d seen those men disappear under the Bruin. As things went it was a cheap price to pay to take down two of these beasts.

    Of the three men that were crushed, Emily had felt only two of them die. The other was still hanging on as Marth carried him over to Healer Yishmal.

    As Emily was watching this she noticed Cupcake heading towards her.

    Kael watched as the she-wolf plopped herself down next to Emily still panting raggedly.

    ¡°I can see why Gerade didn¡¯t say anything about her. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d say she was domesticated from birth. Anyway, I have a lot to do. Good job out there. I look forward to seeing what else you¡¯ve got up your sleeve.¡±

    Emily nodded to the man as he left

    ¡°Right old girl, you did a good job out there. How about after this we see if we can¡¯t find time for you to meet the little ones.¡±

    Blood points: 33

 Chapter 49 - Campground salve

    Emily walked with Cupcake by her side as the scent of kindling trailed from campfires. Once everything had calmed down, the wandering fangs had gathered up and headed down south. From what Alex said, the likelihood of the elven burrows playing host to much larger beasts was very likely.

    In fact, many predators would supposedly set up shop nearby and if the burrow could not outgrow them, they would all perish and become food for far stronger creatures.

    Either way, the outcome was disastrous for any human settlements in the area because while an increase in wild beasts was a concern, an elven hoard could easily be a city destroyer.

    Ducking under a low-hanging branch Emily took in the people around her. After their encounter at the burrows, Kael had ridden them hard to escape from the area. So they traveled for another three hours and set up camp just before the last light. They were now further down south than Emily had ever been, but still, the frozen forests claimed everything in sight.

    Emily passed one of the four fires in the camp that currently held a large pot over it as the Chef named Fox put his title to work cooking a hearty stew.

    The wolves had all been tied off nearby while Atticus took a team to set up a perimeter.

    Some people pitched tents and collected firewood, while Emily had a destination in mind.

    Heading to the outer ring of animals Emily came to a section where she last saw Gerade feeding the wolves with the meat they had collected along the way. Several people worked around the stoic man as he inspected one of the nearby beasts.

    When Emily and Cupcake moved nearer Gerade looked up from his work and patted the side of the beast.

    ¡°I suppose you¡¯d be wanting food for your partner right?¡±

    Emily ran her hand through Cupcake¡¯s thick coat.

    ¡°That¡¯d be appreciated, but actually this girl here wanted to see the pups again. They were from her pack''s litter.¡±

    Gerade¡¯s eyes glanced over to Cupcake and his eyes softened.

    ¡°It''s bout time to feed ''em anyway.¡±

    A short whistle into the night was all it took for the lumbering titan to find them.

    ¡°This here''s Shade,¡± Gerade said as he walked up beside the black wolf and began unfastening the baskets on his side.

    No sooner had he put them on the ground than Cupcake came over to scent the pups, as though greeting them after a long time apart.

    ¡°Rime wolves care for their young almost as much as humans, I¡¯m shocked you could see that.¡±

    Emily shook her head.

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t. She told me¡­sort of.¡±

    Gerade looked up as he placed a bowl of milk down for the pups, a frown spreading over his features.

    ¡°There are only a few titles I know of that would allow something like. Is it only her?¡±

    Emily nodded as she watched the she-wolf happily engage with the tiny babes.

    ¡°Well, for whatever reason she¡¯s willing to cooperate with you. You mind if I have a look at her and perhaps give her a treat?¡±

    Emily had seen more expression on this man''s face in the last couple of seconds than in the entire time she had seen him.

    Emily checked with Cupcake and got a hesitant ¡®Fine¡¯.

    ¡°Sure, just be careful of her hind leg, it''s injured.¡±

    The man shot her a wry look.

    ¡°That much I can see. But I wanted to asses everything. She¡¯s got many years under her belt, so there could be deeper injuries. I¡¯m surprised she¡¯s even alive. Older Rime wolves are often used as scouts or worse.¡±

    Emily watched as the man inspected Cupcake.

    ¡°Well, that''s how we met. Cut a long story short, she¡¯s alone now.¡±

    Gerade nodded as he got to her front and took out a juicy strip of meat. Taking a tonic from his belt, popped the cork, and dumped it over the treat. Then with one fluid motion, he flicked it into Cupcake''s mouth. The beast didn¡¯t see it coming but began happily chewing the moment she realized what it was.

    ¡°That''s good, dying of old age is one of the worst ways a Rime wolf can go out. Move to the front and hold her, will you?¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed but she did as he asked. Gerade had arrived at her injured flank and was tenderly massaging it.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Near as I can tell it''s only her flank giving her trouble, but that¡¯s easy to fix.¡±

    Emily leaned around in time to see Gerade slip his hands around the upper section of Cupcake''s leg and bend it in and up.

    There was a sudden popping of a joint and a crack as Cupcake yelped and whipped her head around in an attempt to maul Gerade.

    But the man had already hopped back to safety. Emily clung to Cupcake''s pelt and tried to calm her down.

    ¡°Slowly girl, slowly. Gerade if she hurts you, I¡¯m not taking responsibility.¡±

    ¡°Apologies Miss Emily. And that''s a given, but I wasn¡¯t sure how deep your link went. If you knew what I was about to do, it was more than likely that she would have too.¡±

    Emily frowned as she looked over at Cupcake who was still growling at Gerade. She also saw Shade watching them all from on high. If he thought Gerade was in danger he would most likely step in, and yet he had let Gerade do whatever he pleased.

    ¡°I fed her a tailored healing tonic before so the break should be repaired correctly by tomorrow, but still avoid having her lean on it for now.¡±

    Emily nodded slowly

    ¡°Right, then I guess I owe you thanks, or at least Cupcake does.¡±

    Gerade put up his hand to stop her.

    ¡°It was purely selfish I assure you. Having more wolves around means faster travel. And with the territory we¡¯ll be entering, soon we¡¯ll need it.¡±

    Emily couldn¡¯t see any flaw in his logic so she turned back to Cupcake.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry girl you feel better in no time, how about a reward.¡±

    Emily extended her hand and let her blood collect in her palm before rising into the shape of a ball. Cupcake lapped at the golf-ball-sized orb until it was completely gone.

    Gerade placed a hand on his chin.

    ¡°So that''s what you¡¯re feeding her. My skill is telling me she¡¯s eating a lot better and regaining muscle mass. Almost as though she were a younger wolf again.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t say anything but Gerade tore his eyes away from her palm to look at her.

    ¡°So you really can use blood magic. I mean I saw it back there but it''s different up close.¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°I guess, I¡¯m more surprised you trusted me back there, you had no idea what I could do.¡±

    Gerade shook his head.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t for you. It was for Kael. He¡¯s a good judge of a person''s strength, so if he thought you were good enough to be in my team, then I¡¯ll take his word for it.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t respond but she was starting to like this man.

    ¡°Can Cupcake stay here tonight, I¡¯m pretty sure having the pups near her will make her feel better.¡±

    Gerade rolled his eyes. ¡°If she causes any trouble, I¡¯ll kick her out myself.¡±

    Emily smiled, this man was a big softie when it came to animals.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯d better get going I have a lesson to get to,¡± Emily said as she poked her thumb over her shoulder.

    Gerade squinted his eyes as a worrying smile graced his hardened features.

    ¡°Not quite yet, now, I got plenty of hands right now, but you better start learning the ropes on how to care for your partner. There are still plenty of beasts that need food and water tonight.¡±

    Emily glanced past Gerade down the line of Rime wolves; only half of which were settled down for the night.

    ¡°...You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡±

    Gerade¡¯s smile widened, ¡°Of course I am. Make it quick, and we might still be in time for warm food.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes searched the darkness for escape routes, but Shade leaned down to sniff her, causing Emily the scowl up at him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry he¡¯s just scenting you to make sure you can¡¯t hide. Plenty of people try to escape but it doesn''t do much good. Go ahead and run if you¡¯d like.¡±

    Emily glanced at Cupcake as her last hope, but the she-wolf hardly even looked up from the pups long enough to snort at her.

    Sighing Emily looked at Gerade, ¡°Fine, where do I start?¡±

    ¡°Good choice.¡±

    It was almost an hour later that Emily sat down next to one of the campfires with a plate of food. The work had been hard but not altogether bad, Emily had actually found it quite relaxing. As long as she didn¡¯t try to ride any of the wolves, they were quite receptive to guidance. Feeding and unsaddling the beast took time. Why everyone didn¡¯t do it themselves was beyond her. Gerade had corrected her that some people did, but most had tasks to do that were required of them. With the whole of team three working together they had finished up the wolves rather quickly. Emily even got to know Loch a bit better. As far as she could tell the man was aiming to get the same title as Gerade so he happily showed her anything she didn¡¯t understand.

    Emily was just relaxing and staring up at the alien sky when she saw Selia sitting down beside her.

    ¡°Evening Emily, it looks like Gerade put you to work already.¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°It''s not too bad, actually kind of enjoyed.¡±

    Selia snorted, ¡°Don¡¯t let him hear you say that. Anyway I just wanted to let you know Ashe was looking for you earlier but you were busy.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, I was going to search for her later for a lesson.¡±

    Selia rubbed the back of her head.

    ¡°Yeah, about that. Look, Ashe is strong¡ªreally strong¡ªbut she¡¯s not cut out for this life, and some people around here don¡¯t like that...¡± Selia¡¯s face darkened briefly before softening again. ¡°All I ask is that you stay her friend. If you can do that, I¡¯ll do my best to help you if need be.¡±

    Emily blinked slowly, would Ashe count her as a friend? She¡¯d never said anything so how was Emily supposed to know when they were friends? If Selia was willing to offer her help then Emily didn¡¯t see a reason to turn it down.

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll make sure no one has a bad word to say to her.¡±

    Selia seemed content and got up, extending a hand out toward Emily.

    ¡°Now come, Ashe can teach you in our tent. Unless you want to go sleep with Alexander?¡±

    Emily shoveled the last of her food in her mouth and took Selia¡¯s hand.

    ¡°-Nah, I know he¡¯s around here somewhere, so we¡¯re good.¡±

    Getting up from the bit of wood she¡¯d been using as a stool Emily followed but then had a thought.

    ¡°Hey speaking of not being cut out for this life, what did you do to get sent out here? I remember Ashe saying something about exile.¡±

    Selia kept walking but a melancholy look surfaced on her face.

    ¡°If she told you that there''s nothing to hide really. I killed one of our tribe elders for attempting to sell Ashe into slavery. Then after everything, I heard she was sent to an academy which is almost as bad. She even refused to tell me how she got free from their walls¡±

    Emily''s eyes widened.

    ¡°Academy? As in a place to learn?¡±

    Emily had always wondered what it would be like to study in a university.

    ¡°Oh you can learn things there alright, that is if you don¡¯t go under trying to afford the classes. By the end, the fees are so high it¡¯s just indentured servitude.¡±

    Emily¡¯s dreams crashed and burned before they¡¯d even taken off. That did not sound appealing whatsoever. By now they stopped outside a tent and Selia lowered her voice.

    ¡°Look don¡¯t say any of this to Ashe, she still loves academia, even if the price is laced with poison.¡±

    Emily shrugged as she followed Selia into the small living space. The floor was covered in thick blankets to protect from rocks and Ashe lay back against her pack using it as a pillow.

    ¡°Emily, glad to see you¡¯re safe. I just figured out what rune I¡¯m going to teach you!¡±

    Blood points: 32

 Chapter 50 - Magic accents?

    Emily dropped down crossed-legged into the soft furs across from Ashe.

    ¡°So teach, what are we learning tonight?¡±

    Selia entered behind Emily but moved to the far end of the tent, where she collapsed in her own bed.

    Ashe smiled at Emily.

    ¡°Well, I thought of a couple of runes we could try, but first did you manage to feel your energy?¡±

    Emily¡¯s smile was bittersweet.

    ¡°I managed to find it but can¡¯t get it to move how I want.¡±

    Ashe snorted and shook her head.

    ¡°That''s a given, people train all their lives to assert control over their energy. The more control you can learn the more powerful the resulting spell will be.¡±

    Emily hummed.

    ¡°Right, well all I found was grey source, or Alex as called it ¡®colorless energy¡¯.¡±

    Ashe''s eyes widen happily.

    ¡°That''s perfect, I was worried you¡¯d have a mishmash of conflicting sources inside you, but this is good news.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°Well let''s put it this way, when you make a hand gesture in the shape of a rune it acts like a word, your color is like an accent, or¡­ maybe a flavor. Anyway, the expression of your rune is determined by the energy you have.¡±

    Emilly nodded for her to go on.

    ¡°This also means that certain runes will have a lesser effect and even fizzle out completely. In your case, because you have no ¡®accent¡¯ you can work with all available runes to some extent.¡±

    Emily smiled at the thought of lobbing fireballs across the battlefield entered her mind.

    ¡°But let''s not get ahead of ourselves, you¡¯ll probably have a pretty hard time making adjustments to the current known spells. They¡¯ll need to suit your style because you must use twice the number of hand gestures and energy. It might make the spells you use in combat very unwieldy.¡±

    Emily bit the inside of her lip. It made sense. Her energy didn¡¯t have inherent qualities like the other sources so she would have to convert it somehow. Unfortunately, this might take too much time when people were trying to shank her during battle.

    ¡°Alright well, where do we start?¡±

    Ashe smiled.

    ¡°With a ¡®lift¡¯ rune. We¡¯ll add on a ¡®focus¡¯ rune so the spell knows what you want to target, but this should be perfect for you as we won¡¯t need to convert your energy.¡±

    Ashe took out a coin and showed Emily the two simple hand gestures. The ¡®lift¡¯ rune consisted of raising an open palm with Emily''s fingers curled and thumb tucked into the center. The ¡®focus¡¯ rune consisted of pointing with her index, middle, and pink fingers at the target and bringing her ring ringer back to create a loop with her thumb.

    The gestures were simple but just making them wasn¡¯t enough.

    ¡°Okay, next we¡¯ll use the wave method because that''s the easiest when you can¡¯t control your energy that well. Start by trying to draw more power in through your bridge, and then when you feel a wave of power moving through your body, guide it to your hand as you make the gestures. Don¡¯t worry about your control today, just try to get results.¡±

    Emily nodded as she flicked the round over in her hands. This coin contained only trace amounts of cobalt but supposedly the metal responded well to source and made for incredible magic implements. Things made with this metal could focus one''s energy in the right direction, or even be made into protective pieces, depending on how they were treated.

    Right now the amount of cobalt in the coin should only offer the smallest of benefits.

    Emily closed her eyes and began to feel her energy once more. Following Ashe¡¯s advice she tried to get her bridge to absorb more of the surrounding power.

    Strangely this step took no extra effort from Emily. The moment she wanted to take in more energy it was as though her body took over. Like breathing, Emily felt her bridge begin to take in all the available energy. She could immediately see the wave Ashe was talking about as the new source rushed into Emily¡¯s body and smacked into the source already in her bones. Like a domino effect, the power sent a ripple through her frame. By the time it had reached Emily¡¯s left shoulder, it had doubled in size. Traveling down her arm, it felt like all the blood in her arm was rushing to her hand and when it hit, Emily cast the ¡®Lift¡¯ rune, followed by the ¡®Focus¡¯ rune, pointing at the coin in her right hand.

    So much power moved through her fingers that it caused pins and needles as she felt it extend beyond herself and to the coin. At this point, Emily wanted to direct the spell, but it barely responded to her commands. All she could do was set a general direction, and since it was a ¡®lift¡¯ rune, Emily simply tried to make it float straight up.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    What happened next made everyone recoil as the coin shot up and out of Emily''s hand with the same velocity as a bullet fired from a gun. One moment the coin was there, and then the soft sound of fabric tearing could be heard as a tiny hole appeared in the top of the tent.

    Ashe''s eyes widened as she stared at Emily¡¯s palm.

    ¡°Okay, that was not supposed to happen. How much power did you use?¡±

    Emily shrugged. She hadn¡¯t been watching, she¡¯d just been trying to make the spell work.

    ¡°You don¡¯t feel sluggish? Or perhaps full? Like you drank too much water?¡±

    Emily lowered her gaze as she tried to feel out her condition. As far as she could tell nothing felt out of sorts.

    ¡°Wait, if drawing in too much source caused ¡®Source exposure¡¯, what happens to me if I draw too much?¡±

    Ashe had a worried look on her face but glanced at Selia, who was looking up at the top of her tent in displeasure.

    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure, I¡¯ve heard of documented cases of your bridge, but I never researched them in depth. So we¡¯ll have to keep an eye out for signs. Are you sure you feel fine?¡±

    Emily nodded.

    ¡°Then I have to assume you just have a really large capacity to handle source. All things aside congrats, it usually takes people far longer to work that out, and I¡¯ve never seen someone do it on their first try.¡±

    Emily looked down at her palm, she wasn¡¯t all that surprised. She¡¯d spent countless hours learning how to control her blood. So when something new like this came along she had experience with feeling for solutions in the dark. This was just like a new gift. Only this one was vastly more structured, but in some ways that made it all the more interesting to Emily.

    ¡°Can you try that again? But this time try to tone down the strength behind it?¡±

    Emily licked her lips but nodded.

    Calling to her bridge once more Emily tried to constrict the amount of source she actively called, but the moment the wave hit she knew the outcome. A second hole opened up in the roof of the tent and Selia looked about ready to kick them both.

    ¡°Hmm, well no matter we¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Ashe said as she stood and waved her hand at the material making four quick gestures. The holes rapidly reweaved themselves together and Selia looked slightly placated.

    ¡°Actually this is good too, I can already probably use this in combat as long as I¡¯m careful,¡± Emily said as she smirked.

    Ashe however looked worried.

    ¡°You need to be careful, seeing as we don¡¯t know your limit or how it will present you are going to need to take it slow.¡± She began rummaging through her nearby pack and pulled out a book.

    ¡°I¡¯ll look for the runes needed to convert your energy into other colors but unfortunately I only have limited resources here. Most of my journals are back home so¡­¡±

    Ashe wore a forlorn expression as she rubbed the cover to a brown leather-bound book.

    Emily looked over to Selia who watched Ashe with warm eyes.

    Scratching the back of her head Emily broke the quiet.

    ¡°Well, it''s not a problem, I¡¯m just happy you¡¯re willing to help me¡­ I can see you like magic books. I have one in my possession I could let you look at it if you want¡­¡±

    The interesting thing was Emily had not seen many books since coming to the world. She already knew the paper was fairly inexpensive, so the fact that there weren¡¯t more could only be explained by an information lockdown. As though people didn¡¯t want records to be openly spread to the public. Especially texts on magic.

    Ashe¡¯s demeanor perked up right away.

    ¡°Really?! Yes please!¡±

    Emily searched through her pack brought out the red book and handed it over to Ashe. The woman happily accepted and cracked the spine on the first page. The silence in the tent went on as Ashes face slowly changed from jubilant to concerned, to outright shocked.

    ¡°This is blood magic, where did you get this?¡±

    Celia suddenly sat up and squinted her eyes at Emily.

    ¡°I got it from some people who tried to sacrifice me. Luckily I got out and they weren''t using it anymore so¡­¡±

    Ashe shook her head.

    ¡°Emily you shouldn¡¯t learn this type of magic, it''s wrong.¡±

    Emily rubbed her cheek.

    ¡°The thing is, as you¡¯ve seen my natural abilities fall in line with Blood magic. I want to study this when I¡¯m able. I think it will help me. Right now I¡¯ve made out as much as I can but there''s too many terms I don¡¯t understand or can¡¯t read too well, so it¡¯ll be a while before I get there.¡±

    Selia placed a hand on Ashe''s shoulder.

    ¡°Sis, don''t. Not if it makes you uncomfortable, you don¡¯t have to.¡±

    Ashe smiled warmly and placed a hand over hers

    ¡°I''m not that frail sister. Emily, how would feel about letting me study the book? In exchange, I¡¯ll teach you what I learn from it.¡±

    Emily cocked her head.

    ¡°I mean sure but you don¡¯t look so confident are you sure you want to look at this kind of stuff?¡±

    Ashe took a breath and let it out again.

    ¡°Emily, I¡¯m grateful for both yours and my sister''s concern, but I have a path set out in front of me. Sticking my head in the sand when something doesn''t fit would only sever to hinder me. You have in your possesion something that I wouldn¡¯t be able to get my hands on in my entire lifetime unless I was truly willing to give up being a human. At the very least I want to study this text so I know how to defend myself against it.¡±

    Emily shrugged, only too happy to support her determination.

    ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll leave it in your care¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    Selia was still shooting Ashe fearful glares, but the woman in question seemed oblivious, lost in her own thoughts. They chatted for a while longer and Selia shot Ashe one more look of concern before turning over and going to sleep. Emily¡¯s eyes grew heavy as time passed, and the last thing she saw was Ashe pouring over the red-bound book by the light of a weak oil lantern.

    Stars exploded in Emily¡¯s vision, brushing up against her before smashing into the sky and dancing around the blood-red constellation. Before rushing into place around her.

    17 - second threshold released at rank 25

    Skill threshold released at rank 18

    Active slot: Scarlet sister - access to the Scarlet sister skill tree, along with the Blood Mage skill tree.

    Increased learning speed when consuming blood, this is further increased if the blood is given willingly. Increased learning speed when studying blood wards.

    Passive slot: Explorer - Increased learning speed when engaged with new environments.

    Passive slot: Increased learning speed when accepting missions for coin. This is further increased when in proximity to the sub-species[Rime wolf].

    Emily was content with her current rank. Laying back in the grass Emily couldn¡¯t wait to find out what her next skills would be. As far as she could tell just a single rank sat between her and her skill. The last one had made such a difference hope for something just as game-changing.

 Chapter 51 - Mirrored arrivals

    The capital city of Sam¡¯eth. Day of Emily¡¯s arrival.

    The sharp click of heels on the marbled floor echoed through the vaulted cathedral halls, breaking the serene silence of prey time in the church of the five pillars.

    Lady Bereen carried her son¡¯s broken, bleeding body past the countless Oathsworn kneeling in prayer.

    Even with the grizzly sight in her arms, Lady Bereen showed no emotion on her face as she approached the inner sanctum of the church.

    Ahead stood a massive set of sealed doors, where all the Oathsworn desired more than anything to enter.

    Without hesitation, Lady Bereen continued forward, activating all her skills and pushing them beyond their limits. The air around her crackled with unyielding strength, a testament to her noble lineage, as if the very space bowed to her will.

    The doors open of their own accord as though unwilling to bar her entry into the room beyond.

    Lady Bereen stepped across the threshold and into the domed Solarium; where hundreds of people sat in worship. Their colored robes encircled the central dais, each group sorted into their five gods colors. Surrounded by each faction was a gargantuan pillar decorated with hundreds of years of history etched into its hallowed surface.

    Lady Bereen ignored all of this and walked toward the dais. Heads turned in shock at her presence but then immediately turned away, unable to stare directly at her while her skills were unleashed.

    The sound of the passionate sermon fell silent as the chamber filled with only Lady Bereen''s progress through the hall.

    As she neared the center dais, five seats came into view as the afternoon sun streamed in through the glass ceilings. Illuminating the chairs and their inhabitants in the glow of daylight. The closer she got to their seat of power the more her skills were restrained until all they could do was offer her a measure of protection from the presence beyond. Nearby onlookers became more daring as they gazed upon Lady Bereen with suspicion and outraged faces.

    The older man in the black and white seat stood and turned to face Lady Bereen. Inclining his head just a couple of degrees. Gasps of wonder and shock spread throughout the room at the sign of respect the White Cardinal showed her.

    ¡°Lady Bereen, it''s a pleasure, but you can not be here right now. Why not allow one of my aids to take you to my office. I will be there shortly.¡±

    Lady Bereen dropped down to one knee, ignoring his command entirely.

    ¡°Apologies my pillars, but I can not do that. I come here today to beseech you all to heal my child. Please! On behalf of House Bereen, first protectors of the pillars, I beg you to bring back my son¡±

    Even with all her skills in place, Lady Bereen couldn¡¯t help the waver of desperation that entered her voice.

    All five seats exchanged glances, each likely plotting how to gain the upper hand in the situation, but Lady Bereen could do little more than hold her son¡¯s broken form before them.

    It was the Green Cardinal that spoke first as she rose to her full height.

    ¡° I¡¯m sorry for your loss Lady Bereen, but if revival is what you seek then you should have gone through the proper channels. Inter him in our catacombs and we will get to him when the time is right.¡±

    Lady Bereen wanted to laugh, in the last two decades only three people had been seen worthy enough for the Cardinals to revive for the catacombs. The list was so long that most gave up hope before they ever saw their loved ones again. However, Lady Bereen would not give up.

    ¡°Thank you, Cardinal, but my son died on one of your missions near Lorthil. The information he holds may be key to our war efforts. Though it is months away I beseech you to perform the rite now.¡±

    Whisper echoed out at the disrespect Lady Bereen was showing, but she toned it out. Even as the whisperings of a war ignited a sense of fear in the chamber.

    None of the five chairs looked happy, but they didn¡¯t deny the rumors, lest they confirm it.

    The young Yellow Cardinal, barely out of his teens leaned his chin on his hand.

    ¡°His soul has left his body it will be hard to ask lord Spiritus for its return. Perhaps you could ask lord Origo to convince my lady to hand it over, Green Cardinal. Though as of late you¡¯ve fallen out of favor haven¡¯t you.¡± the teen said in a mocking tone.

    Before the Green Cardinal could defend herself the Blue Cardinal sat up straighter, their fair features twisted with disgust.

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    ¡°Enough, it takes all of us working together for such a monumental task and I won¡¯t join my power with those who would indulge as you do, Yellow Cardinal.¡±

    The Yellow Cardinal snorted and rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Oh, you think I don¡¯t know about your forays in the pleasures of the flesh? At least my pursuits do not leave others irreversibly twisted.¡±

    The Blue Cardinal responded but Lady Bereen wasn¡¯t listening; they were so caught up in their own internal power struggle that they could barely see two meters in front of themselves. The Red Cardinal had only perked up at the mention of war but other than that he¡¯d been ignoring all of them since she entered.

    The only one to look worried for her was the White Cardinal, and so he spoke with a gentle voice.

    ¡°We are so sorry for your loss Lady Bereen, why don¡¯t you return for today? I will talk with my fellow Cardinals and see what we can do to help you¡­¡±

    Lady Bereen looked up at the five Cardinals, not a single one of them willing to help. The Black Cardinal had not been seen in the city for some time, but even if he were he probably would not be able to get them to listen.

    Lady Bereen looked down at the face of her son, his cheeks marred with the dirt and grime battle. His armor was dented and worn from so many attacks; even his golden hair was matted with sweat and blood.

    Laying his tired body down at the bottom of the step with shaking hand Lady Bereen lowered her head her voice just above a whisper.

    ¡°Please, Cardinals, gods, anyone¡ªbring my son back to me. I¡¯ll give you everything¡­¡±

    The White Cardinal''s eyes widened and his head shot up toward the sky. Almost at the same time, a collum of white and black light descended on the stone pillar. Those Oathsworn nearest to the light fell unconscious under the divine source falling from the skies. Everyone in the chamber not on their knees fell to them now, even the five Cardinals.

    The room shook and divinity descended, its voice filling the space.

    ¡°We come to set right our state. Fighting amongst yourselves shall henceforth be prohibited. We have selected a Chosen, care for him and he shall lead you to victory in this war.¡±

    A small portion of light separated from the collum and the Yellow Cardinal stared at it with wonder in his eyes.

    Lady Bereen looked on as the light rushed toward her son and sunk into his chest turning his blond hair black as the night sky. Wounds healed in a flash and breath filled his lungs. No sooner had he sat up, alive, than the column of light blinked out of existence.

    Not a sound came from the chamber save for the man''s harsh breaths. Clutching his head he groaned and hit the ground causing a spiderweb of cracks to spread through the marble floors.

    Lady Bereen couldn¡¯t care less about his changes and let out a joyous cry as she pulled her son into a warm embrace. He froze up for a second as though he didn¡¯t recognize her but then spoke.

    ¡°Mother? Wait¡­Where¡¯s Emily?¡±

    Present day.

    The wind rushed past Emily''s ears as she clung onto Mist with her legs, looking behind her. Cupcake had healed well after receiving Gerade¡¯s tonic. So much so that the she-wolf could already put most of her weight on her leg. Emily still wanted to let her heal before she asked if she could ride her, but Cupcake was well on her way to recovery.

    After packing up camp and heading out in the early morning the Wandering fangs had traveled for the last six hours at a moderate pace. So far nothing as strong as the Bruins had appeared but they did run into more elves and other game.

    Alex had been right about collecting as much food as possible while on the journey, because with this many people, even with their reserves, Emily was certain they could probably only last a week on their rations alone. Thankful the wilds were choked full of nutrients if one knew where to look.

    As luck would have this was Alex¡¯s specialty. He, along with Atticus and Vivan would mark areas for collection or grab the spoils if it was quick enough to do between their duties.

    While they were busy Emily had a passing thought.

    ¡°Hey, Alex when can we open that letter we got from the Nobel guy?¡±

    Alex picked the last of the pink berries off the bush while avoiding the toxic green ones.

    ¡°...That might be a little hard. If we open it, and they have a Messenger they¡¯ll know we tampered with it.¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°Then we either forget to deliver it or say it was opened by someone else.¡±

    Alex snorted but his head whipped around towards a brush further away from the pack.

    ¡°Probably won¡¯t work, I might know a way but I¡¯m still weighing up if it''s worth insulting a faction like the ¡®Frontiers¡¯. Now ¡®shh¡¯, I think I spotted a target.¡±

    Emily pursed her lips as Alex drew a bow and edged Mist further into the forest. Cupcake followed behind seeming to know she needed to be stealthy. Ever since Emily had saved her the she-wolf seemed more than content to stay by her side, and Emily wasn''t going to complain about the extra set of teeth.

    As they got further from the group Emily started to notice signs of an animal nearby. She never would have before, but Explorer let her know the snow was distributed in an odd way uphead. That, along with the half-eaten shrubs, suggested it was probably a medium-sized herbivore.

    Emily was proven right a couple of seconds later when a reindeer came into view. This creature looked almost identical to the ones on Earth, but its antlers appeared to be made of a semi-transparent material, almost like ice or crystal.

    Alex drew his bow and took aim. Emily had already seen the guy was proficient with the weapon, managing to shoot birds down from trees whenever they were stupid enough to hang around.

    This shot should be a piece of cake, but Emily felt something was off. She couldn¡¯t put her finger on it until Alex let loose his arrow. One moment the deer was there and the next it burst into a cloud of vapour and took shape a meter away.

    As the creature turned and bolted away, Alex cursed, spurred Mist out of their hiding spot in the dense vegetation, and nocked another arrow to his bow.

    He released it only for the reindeer to blink a meter to the right this time seemingly having eyes in the back of its head.

    Alex frowned but pushed Mist on and while the reindeer was fast, the Rimewolf seemed built for this. Chasing after the beast and making last-minute turns each time it blinked away. Cupcake helped to corral the reindeer and on one particular blink, Alex let loose an arrow and hit it in the rump.

    When it did, cracks splintered in the image and the beast shattered into illusionary shards. At first, Emily thought this was another of the creature''s abilities but Alex suddenly grabbed Emily and turned Mist completely around.

    ¡°Fuck! Blue Assassin!¡±

    Emily had just enough time to realize what he meant before she heard the sound of branches snapping and two crossbow bolts exploding from the tree cover and heading straight for her skull.

    Blood points: 34

 Chapter 52 - Knives and throats

    Hot blood splashed out into the cold air, instantly hardening into a half-dome shield that steamed as two arrowheads pierced a couple of centimeters through the film. Emily was panting as she took down the blood. A second later, and she would have had an arrow shaft sticking out of her eye socket.

    Alex¡¯s head was swiveled around as he searched the trees for their enemy. It was only now, that Emily put the pieces together, they had been intentionally led away from the main group.

    The Noble had said there might be Assassins after them but Emily did not expect them to show up so soon. How had they even kept pace with the Rime wolves'' speed?

    Emily didn¡¯t get much time to think as another projectile flew from the trees. This one was slower and looked more like a flask.

    Alex however seemed to sense because he chucked one of his daggers at the object while it was still midair. The weapon flew through the air and shattered the object, on impact, Emily could hear what sounded like a clay pot being broken. A sudden cloud of vile green smoke spread through the air but luckily most of it was too far away to reach them.

    Before they could react, a form burst through the cloud causing the vapor to stream behind a cowled figure. They already had their weapons drawn and it only took them a breath to close the distance. Alex dashed forward and went to meet the attack with one of his own. But When they collided Alex''s blade went straight through the Assassins and their form burst into a faint cloud of green mist. Emily was surprised, but Alex didn¡¯t seem to be, in fact, he carried through with a secondary attack seemingly aimed at the air in front of him. A shimmer revealed a second form just a step behind the last, also attacking but when their blades met this time there was a very real clash of metal.

    Emily was about to lend aid when the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Without hesitating she dove forward. Getting only a light graze for her troubles as another Assassin appears behind her. Cupcake needed no coaxing and lunged at Emily''s attacker in an attempt to take their head off their shoulders.

    But when Cupcake¡¯s teeth only closed around a plume of mist she knew the enemy had already moved.

    Seeing as Alex had already found his opponent and didn¡¯t seem willing to give him a chance to escape, Emily couldn¡¯t waste time feeling in the dark.

    With every attack these Assassins got in, it was a step closer to death and Emily didn¡¯t like her odds. Luckily she¡¯d been gathering quite a bit of lifeforce over the last couple of days.

    The power shot from her chest and moved into the soccer-ball-sized orb of blood in Emily''s hand. This caused the blood to roil and bubble as Emily scoured the scene for any sign of her enemy. She didn¡¯t have to wait long as she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Being that her enemy used illusions, Emily couldn¡¯t be certain the man was real, but in this case, he seemed to need to get in close to inflict a killing blow.

    So it didn¡¯t matter what direction he was coming from when Emily lifted the blood above her head and detonated it in a fine screen of blood splatters. Everything around Emily became coated in a thin layer of blood. The man who had been approaching her side rippled as the blood passed through him and less than two meters behind Emily a form took shape. Turning, Emily locked onto the figure and pulled more blood towards him until not an inch was uncovered. Emily was about to crush the man when the burning stab of an arrow sunk into her back.

    Grunting Emily turned to see a third man near the edge of the clearing. He was holding a crossbow and aiming for a second shot.

    Emily turned to face him and dropped down onto one knee, pushing out a shield of blood to cover herself.

    ¡°Cupcake fetch!¡± Emily said as she pointed at the man coated in her blood, at the same time she pulled at it and wrapped his legs up in hardened blood.

    The Rime wolf pounced as Emily turned to charge the other Assassin with the crossbow, splaying out her shield in front of herself. Three more bolts had lodged themselves in the screen before Emily got in range.As she did, she condensed the blood into a meter-long crescent and sent it out horizontally. As it flew, Emily expanded its size, making it nearly impossible to dodge, even if the man wasn''t exactly where she anticipated.

    What Emily didn¡¯t anticipate was for the man to be real. He dropped his crossbow and pulled out his knives. Swinging them vertically he met the deadly scythe head-on and Because Emily had spread the attack so thin, the Assassin managed to cut through the incoming blade.

    Diving through the gap he made, the cowled man stabbed towards Emily¡¯s throat. Blocking the strike with a small shield was only a temporary fix as the next attack came just as fast, aimed at her gut this time.

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    Making distance right now was impossible, so Emily moved to block the attack again, only to have a burning wound open up in her ribcage.

    Cursing she tried to block the next but once again another unseeable attack blindsided her with a gash to her leg.

    Emily''s body wanted to hunch over in pain but she couldn¡¯t allow it to. The arrow from before was already throbbing as though it were filled with angry bees.

    What were the chances these Assassins used poison?

    What followed was an exchange of close attacks as Emily did her best to block and retaliate against. A stream of life force crashed into Emily''s back and she knew someone had died behind her but she didn¡¯t have the time to spare.

    Wounds were appearing all over her body but the man wasn¡¯t letting her concentrate on anything other than defense, so bigger attacks were almost impossible. Making turning the tables far harder than she¡¯d hoped, then the gap she¡¯d been looking for came when a voice tore above the sounds of battle.

    ¡°Emily, full shield!¡± Alex''s voice yelled out as a wave of heat bloomed behind her.

    Emily pulled her blood inward and pushed a thick coating from every pour of her skin, causing a thick layer of blood to surround her. At the same time, something detonated in the snow just left of where they were fighting. Flames licked up around her and the Assassin, making both of them retreat. The moment the smoke cleared Emily turned back to see the tip of Alex¡¯s dagger glowing with flickering flame. His own man was dead in the snow beside him. With another flick of his wrist, a bolt of flame condensed near the tip of his blade and shot toward Emily¡¯s asalent. The man blocked in the same manner he had before by creating a mist around his body and diving away. The detonation gave him a much-needed push as he retreated to the nearby treeline. Scanning the scene, the assassin looked at his allies and made a split decision to abandon their efforts, turning to escape into the forest. Emily pulled the blood from her shell and sent it forward as a spear, but when it made contact the man scattered into smoke. Half expecting this, Emily detonated the spear into dozens of blood needles. Not far from his illusion, the man''s form took shape and dropped into the snow dead. Emily only looked away when she felt the life force hit; couldn¡¯t have him playing possum.

    She waited on high alert for another minute or before relaxing.

    Luckily there had only been three people here, speaking of which there was still one more alive. Emily turned back to Cupcake and the first Assassin. With the chains in place rendering his illusions useless, Cupcake had caught the man before he could fully defend himself. Now, he lay bleeding on the ground, his weapons proving useless against the wily wolf.

    At this stage both his legs were coated in blood and neither of his arms looked functional, yet the man still drew breath.

    Emily and Alex converged on him as he lay on his back gasping for breath.

    ¡°You think he¡¯ll tell us who he works for without fuss?¡± Emily asked.

    Alex shook his head and crouched down next to the man who coughed up blood.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been stabbed by my ally¡¯s dagger¡­ Good, at least I won¡¯t die alone. Not even a healing tonic will help you against our venom, heretic.¡±

    Now that he mentioned it, Emily¡¯s wounds became known again, as though insects were buzzing and crawling beneath her skin. Emily glanced over to Alex and while he had some bruises none of them looked like the open wounds of a blade.

    ¡°Well then, how about you indulge a dead woman? You called me a ¡®heretic¡¯, so religious fanatic right?¡±

    The man didn¡¯t say a word but the twitch on his face betrayed him.

    ¡°If I take into account a certain Noble we met recently then I can assume this is about the holy war taking place between the neighboring cities. Or perhaps the valuable letter we¡¯re carrying?¡±

    Once more his face twitched but he seemed to be trying to hide it behind a blank mask.

    ¡°Last question, are more of you coming to kill us?¡±

    "The Assassin spat out a globule of phlegm mixed with blood, his face a mask of unyielding spirit.

    ¡°We are the pillars that hold up the world order. We are everywhere, and more will come for you.¡±

    Emily nodded and indicated for Alex to ask his questions, but the man shook his head, probably knowing he¡¯d get no answer. Emily could probably wring some information from the man, but she didn¡¯t want to get into that now¡ªit¡¯d take too much time."

    Instead, Emily smiled as she held up her arm, pushing a clear poison up through her skin surrounded by the thinnest layer of blood.

    ¡°Then next time I hope they send more.¡± Emily let the droplet no bigger than a marble plop into the snow beside the man. Pulling him closer she sunk her teeth into his neck, and seconds later he was nothing more than a shriveled corpse.

    Getting up Emily went over to thank Cupcake for her hard work

    Looking back Emily saw Alex frowning over the Assassin''s corpse. When he looked up she could see genuine concern in his eyes.

    ¡°I think we¡¯ll need to risk opening the letter after all.¡±

    Emily grunted happy she could finally satiate her curiosity. She watched as Alex rummaged through his backpack, pulled out a thick cream envelope, and tore it open. As he did so Emily suddenly got an ominous feeling of being watched. She glanced about in case there were more assassins about but couldn¡¯t pinpoint anything out of the ordinary

    Alex pulled out a stack of folded pages and began leafing through them, his face twisting in confusion, and then anger.

    ¡°Somethings not right, these don¡¯t make sense¡­¡±

    When he got to the last page he froze a pensive look etched onto his features.

    ¡°...This is wrong.¡±

    Emily grasped for the documents and Alex relinquished them without so much as a word.

    As She studied them she couldn¡¯t quite make out everything but they had mostly to do with troop movements of the Keep¡¯s two neighbors. The notes primarily focused on Sam¡¯eth, and on the last page was the supposed reason for the whole war.

    Apparently, Lorethil had tried to kill some bigshot from one of the main houses of Sam¡¯eth¨CWhich were second only to the religious order supporting the city.

    In retaliation, the gods sent down a champion to fight for them. The very next day the church of the Five Pillars announced a holy crusade. Even though from what Emily could tell from their troop movements the war was ill-advised.

    Blood points: 30

 Chapter 53 - In the air

    After the assassination attempt, Vivan was the one who found Emily and Alex. At first, they¡¯d wanted to hide it, but with Emily''s torn and bloodied clothes, it was clear they had just been in a life-and-death battle.

    After Kael was notified, he had the wandering fangs sweep the area in case there were any more threats nearby. They didn¡¯t manage to find much, they were Assassins after all, but what they did find was three speedy mounts tethered nearby. Supposedly they had run the beasts to near death to make up the distance the Rime wolves traveled. Atticus theorized they had to make the attack because their beast would not have made another day''s journey at their current pace. George made sure Loch released the beasts into the wild, while Emily got treated by a grumbling Yishmal. They had traveled for the rest of the day but when night fell they found themselves in Kael¡¯s tent with all the leaders present.

    ¡°What in the world have I gotten myself into?¡± Kael said with an unamused sigh.

    Alex glanced at Emily before clearing his throat.

    ¡°The assassins coming after us was unfortunate, but ultimately our problem. I do, however, have some useful information.¡± as he said this he took out the opened letter and handed it to Kael

    The room was silent save for Marth who scowled at Alex.

    ¡°You have to be kidding, we should cut you off and leave you for dead for hiding this from us.¡±

    Alex glanced at Marth with dead eyes but turned to look at Kael who was leafing through the documents.

    ¡°With those we should be able to plot a course through the worst of the fighting.¡±

    Emily stared at Alex from her periphery. He¡¯d been acting strange since they opened the letter, more on edge. Over time Alex¡¯s uptight nature had been slowly relaxing in her presence and Emily thought they were making progress, but right now he looked as wound up as when she¡¯d first met him.

    Kael hummed as he looked over the documents.

    ¡°If the map is accurate it¡¯ll take us at least another three days to get to the nearest settlement, and from there we still have to find this lay line. That''s not taking into account the weeks it¡¯ll take to traverse the Shatterspine Peaks. Who''s to say these sightings will be of any use?

    Alex held Kael''s gaze and without hesitation he answered.

    ¡°They will, I guarantee it. I can predict their movements with these¡±

    Marth snorted ¡°What are you? A Diviner?!¡±

    ¡°No¡­ but I do have Tactician.¡±

    Kaels eyes narrowed at Alex and even Marth looked taken aback.

    Though Atticus was the one to speak first.

    ¡°... I was under the impression you needed to have decades of experience leading armies into battle to acquire a title like that.¡±

    Alex shook his head.

    ¡°You don¡¯t¡± Not offering up a single detail more.

    Kael used one of his lanky arms to brush against his stubble as though in deep thought. Marth received and frowned at Kael.

    ¡°Boss you can¡¯t be seriously contemplating this. If there are people that want their heads then we¡¯re putting ourselves in the line of fire for-¡±

    Kael looked up with a sharp light in his eyes.

    ¡°And when has that ever bothered you? You¡¯re complaining more than usual Marth, tone it back. We have a contract in place and we¡¯ll fulfill it to the letter.¡±

    Marth took an instinctual step back as the room shifted, becoming suffocating.

    ¡°And you two¡­ While my man is overzealous he¡¯s not entirely wrong. Had you warned me of the circumstance we could have better prepared for it.¡±

    Sweat began to coat Emily''s back as she searched for Kaels spear but saw it nowhere in sight.

    ¡°...Fine we¡¯ll do it like this. Alex you¡¯re upfront with Atticus and Emily will move to the center point with Selia. Before we move on, are there any more surprises you want to get off your chests?¡±

    When neither of them offered up anything Kael waved his hand to all of them.

    ¡°Then get out, I have things to do.¡±

    Marth stormed out of the tent but not before shooting Alex and Emily sickened glares.

    Gerade walked up beside Emily and snorted.

    ¡°You have no favor there girl, what did you do to piss him off.¡±

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Emily shrugged but she had a feeling the truth would come out soon enough.

    ¡°Well, either way, you should come with me tonight. Your wolf needs a little more time for her wound to heal, until then you can ride with Loch as he doesn¡¯t have a secondary.¡±

    Emily nodded. Things had worked out perfectly, Alex would need to be scouting with Atticus, but Emily got to remain near the font where a good deal of the fighting was happening. Even if she couldn¡¯t kill shit directly she would be able to collect a good amount of life force.

    After that, they went to meet with Lock and Emily got to meet his partner, Buzzer.

    She had met the man a few times and he seemed pretty calm unless someone mentioned his favorite subject, wolves. At which point he turned into a total fanboy, rattling off statistics and questions that Emily could barely keep up with.

    ¡°Miss Emily, when you formed a bond with your partner was there anything special involved? Taming a wild beast is the domain of a Green Warden and even that bond doesn¡¯t last as long as this one has.¡±

    Emily tried to explain, that other than the blood she had no more idea than he did, but it was like talking to the wall. When Gerade hurried him along, Lock suddenly got serious though, his face a mask of determination.

    ¡°Alright once I¡¯m mounted you follow me up.¡±

    Emily pursed her lips but climbed onto Buzzer with care. The moment the beast sensed her settle in the saddle it began to jostle uncomfortably. Cupcake watched from the side, amusement bleeding through their link.

    Then, just like Mist, Buzzer began to spin, but luckily Emily was prepared this time. The experiences went on for longer than she remembered, but Emily held on throughout all of it. When the wolf finally seemed to have exhausted itself, it settled down and let Emily ride it. Once the bond was cemented Emily moved to help Gerade and Loch finish the last of the work on the other wolves, but before she could get stuck in a man she recognized entered the clearing.

    ¡°Yo! Gerade, you got any free hands you can lend me tonight?¡±

    Gerade looked up, and for the first time ¨Cother than when he was with his animals¨C the man chuckled.

    ¡°Now that you mention it. I might have just the lass for you Fox.¡±

    Emily''s first impression of the Chef had been one of pompous arrogance, the kind that dripped from every gesture and self-assured smirk. Yet the proof was hard to ignore. Emily had eaten his meals now, and both last night''s supper and this morning''s breakfast had been insanely good. That wasn¡¯t taking into account that he had to work with limited tools and whatever they managed to catch during the day. Unfortunately, Emily had a sneaking suspicion she was the ¡®lass¡¯ Gerade was talking about.

    ¡°Just putting this out there, I¡¯m a terrible Cook, like ¡®burning cereal bad¡¯,¡± Emily said as she unbuckled the last harness holding the wolf¡¯s saddle in place.

    Fox snorted as his belly heaved.

    ¡°Please! I could teach an elf to cook, come along.¡±

    Emily dusted off her hands and followed after the man, following his bald head as it shined in the moonlight.

    Minutes later he had Emily stirring heavy pots of something aromatic and spicy, possibly curry. However, when she let one of the pots catch at the bottom he swapped her over to sorting through all the berries, nuts, bark, and mushrooms collected on the trail. When she messed that up too by sorting certain mushrooms into the bark containers, Fox almost lost it. Letting out a string of curses that would have made Yishmal proud.

    Eventually, he put her to work cutting meat and vegetables, which Emily took to like a fish to water.

    Tugging at his beard Fox nodded.

    ¡°Finally something you can do, of course, it¡¯s slicing things apart. I¡¯ll make a Cook out of you yet.¡± Still somehow managing to look proud of himself.

    When Emily went to join Ashe and Selia in their tent she just about collapsed on the bed roll. Fortunately, Emily always had the energy to practice magic. Though Ashe only had her perfecting the two runes she¡¯d taught her the night before.

    ¡°If you are going to use it in combat then you need to perfect the process.¡±

    Alex still seemed on edge but as time progressed Emily felt her familiarity with the runes becoming deeper.

    The next two days of travel were suspiciously quiet. So much so that Emily only managed to gain a small amount of life force. It was on the third day when they were supposed to be approaching the settlement that they encountered something new.

    Emily was riding with Loch as they ascended a steep incline. Gerade, Kael, and Marth were up ahead. While Emily had been chatting with Ashe who rode on the back of Selia¡¯s wolf, Nightfall. She had pointed out the increase in temperature as they headed away from the northernmost points and Emily was just about to respond when she began to hear the faintest droning sound up ahead. It wasn¡¯t loud but Explorer noted the change in her environment.

    Emily still hand managed to pinpoint the sound when Alex burst through the trees with Atticus hot on his heels.

    ¡°Blightstingers!¡± Alex shouted at the top of his lungs, moving to rejoin the main group.

    Kael was the first to respond.

    ¡°Form up and protect your neighbour! If they get you in the air, you¡¯re as good as dead!¡±

    Emily drew her dagger and created a large blood shield.

    Loch took out a set of chains and then used the leather straps of Buzzer¡¯s staddle to tie them into the saddle.

    Emily didn¡¯t know exactly what to expect but with names like that, she had a vague idea. By this point, the odd droning had become an ever-present vibration of fluttering wings. The air filled with static and Emily could feel a bass tone buzzing through her chest.

    The first movement came as shadows flitted through the treetops as their collum was spotted.

    Emily gazed up to see large hornets descending from the skies onto their collum. Bright yellows and browns streaked with black coated their abdomens. The insectoids were easily the size of a grown man with a stinger as large as Emily''s dagger and probably filled with venom. But what made them a real threat was not their size or their air superiority. It was their numbers. Emily easily spotted twenty Blightstingers nearing their people and more on the way. If the next wave were anything like this one then it could mean that every man would have to kill at least one just to keep things even.

    ¡°All range, fire!.¡± Kael''s voice echoed out with decisiveness.

    Arrows and crossbow bolts went up followed by Noz¡¯s wind projectiles and Ash''s coins launched at deadly speed. It was something to behold, as these shots were not fired by untrained brigands. Almost every single shot hit its mark, and while some tore through wings, causing the Blightstingers to have to decent. Others lodged themselves into the compound eyes of the insects, resulting in them twitching as they fell out of the sky.

    Emily was about to add her blood bolts to the mix when she had an idea.

    Pulling the surrounding grey source in through her bridge, Emily shaped the runes and targeted an approaching Blightstinger just before it got to their collum.

    As the wave reached her hand she let the spell go, but instead of directing the force upwards like she was used to, Emily moved her two fingers to point to the ground.

    Instantly, the buzzing coming from the nearest insect was cut short as gravity suddenly pulled it toward the ground. Unable to break free, the Blightstinger crashed to the ground, its body shattering against the uneven ground, splatting like a bug on a windshield. Its green blood splattered their surroundings.

 Chapter 54 - Sleepy stop-off

    Countless sources of buzzing droned through the trees, all culminating in one earthshaking crescendo that filled the air with an oppressive, vibrating hum. Just below that, the voices of men, shouting could be heard over the wash of noise.

    Near the front of the collum, people rushed to and fro as they tried to rebuff the tide of Blightstingers

    Emily dodged back so that she wasn¡¯t coated in a fresh layer of insect blood and bile. The first one she¡¯d dropped from on high had splattered so far that she was certain she¡¯d be picking flakes of carapace out of her hair for days. Alex had moved Mist up into the center of their formation, so Emily could see when he unleashed that same ball of fire from the day prior.

    Alex had not said anything but she was fairly certain those attacks were taxing on him and he had already released half a dozen. Though to be fair, every bolt had hit and killed its target.

    With the insect so close, Emily now understood Kaels orders to his team. The Blightstingers were nasty creatures. Their main form of attack was to abduct prey and pull them into the air. If they could, they would sting their prey, injecting lethal doses of venom before others of its kind would fly in and rip their victim to pieces. Emily saw it almost happen to a man from team three, but Kael had separated from the group and dove into the air. He cut the thing''s wings off before it could deposit its toxic payload. When the others closed in he pushed the now-falling Blightstinger and escaped the insect''s encirclement.

    Emily knew right away how effective her newest spell was and couldn''t help the excitement that bubbled up from her chest.

    The only downside was that she had to be extra careful not to use it when their allies were directly below the insects. Emily started by focusing on the more distant ones and at first, she thought that as long as she could see them, the ¡®Focus¡¯ rune could target them. But Emily then noticed that the further out her target was, the more energy the rune ate. This meant that there wasn¡¯t as much source for the ¡®Lift¡¯ rune to do this job and the furthest Blightstingers only fell a bit before recovering in mid-air. Moving back to the middle of the pack Emily had already taken out five of her own. She was about to go for another when Ashe screamed from beside her.

    ¡°Emily slow down! You¡¯re using too much energy!¡±

    Hearing this Emily glanced over at the woman and nodded. She felt fine but it was better to go with the woman''s advice, switching over to blood blots Emily was happy to see that they too detonated the creature''s carapace with ease. As it turned out the Blightstingers were not all that hardy to begin with, only their numbers and flight made them a threat.

    When the second wave hit, it was easily over thirty fresh Blightstingers.

    They landed on the outer teams, but once they did it became hard for them to leave the ground. The Wandering fangs aimed at their delicate wings and grounded them forever. Or at least until the creatures could be killed.

    With the Bruins, it had been hard for Emily to tell because of the danger they posed, but now that she could see everyone working together, she could only define it as a well-oiled machine. Team four took care of the wings while teams two and three killed the downed insects. Kael and his team led by Selia acted as a response team filling the gaps like a shifting kill squad or rescue team if need be.

    When everything was said and done and the final Blightstinger fell from the skies, not a single man or woman had died. Granted, many were injured and some were even maimed but no one complained.

    Kael called for the injured to be treated and soon enough they were on the move again. Emily was delighted with her own contribution because she had gotten a good amount of the Life force for all those deaths. They weren¡¯t all in range, but a good many of them were.

    They were only worth a single blood bolt, and because she got the energy with her title it was only about half that, but at the end of the day, she added nineteen lives to her pool. The power in Emily''s blood was rapidly growing out of its adolescent stage.

    When the collum reached the top of the incline they had been climbing, Emily noticed the land seemed to flatten out for some time. Culminating into a large flat plain of sorts. Trees were scarcer here and yet less snow littered the ground.

    If it was warmer, it was only by a few degrees, but it made all the difference to the surrounding vegetation. Life all around them wrestled with the weakening hold of winter. Trees had begun to send out shoots that would soon bloom into leaves. Tufts of vibrant green pushed up through the melting snow, making way for the buds and flowers to reach the afternoon sun.

    They only travel another hour or two, but the sound of droning wings had become an almost everpresent choir. Almost as though to usher in the warmth of spring.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    They were lucky in that they didn¡¯t encounter any more large groups of Blightstingers, but they did have to deal with the odd one here and there.

    It was not long after they entered the plains that they spotted the settlement. This one was more in line with what Emily had expected when they first arrived at the keep¡ªa sleepy little village with thick thatch roofs and smoke wafting from redbrick chimneys. Small, barren gardens were connected by simple brick roads, leading deeper into the maze of buildings. Emily guessed that only a couple of hundred people lived here. What caught her eye next were the thick black towers standing like ten-meter posts near the village¡¯s edge. They surrounded the settlement at regular intervals, taking the place of a traditional wall.

    It took another twenty minutes from where they were to reach the village and by that time a small welcoming party had gathered. Leading them was an older man in his late seventies, he leaned heavily on a cane and yet his eyes carried a sharp light.

    ¡°Welcome travelers to the village of Frosthaven. I am it¡¯s Elder. To what do we owe the pleasure of your company¡±

    Kael stepped forward wearing his best business smile.

    Good afternoon Elder, I am the head of the Wandering Fangs company and I would ask for entry into your village. Allow us to recover our wounds, spend some coin, and enjoy the hospitality your village has to offer. In exchange, I can guarantee no funny business and while we are here we will lend aid should any disaster befall your home.¡±

    The whole thing looked far too rehearsed to Emily but then she realized It probably was. Truth-telling skills seemed to crop up when a title would need it most. For example, a prisoner lying to their Jailer or a group of suspicious individuals trying to enter a village under the watchful eye of an Elder. A title would need the ability to cut through lies when it pertained to their path.

    Perhaps Kael already knew this and offered up these terms so that there could be no misinterpretation or doubt.

    The Elder nodded slowly and spoke again.

    ¡°That is acceptable, but I wonder would you be willing to lend your ear for a time tonight?¡±

    Kael''s face didn¡¯t change but he nobbed subtly.

    ¡°Wonderful, then I welcome you all to Frosthaven¡± As he said this the man tapped his cane on the ground and there was a low hum from the nearest two towers as they powered down.

    As Kael stepped forward so did the rest of the collum and when Emily took that first step between the black posts she felt a static pass over her body. It wasn¡¯t overly unpleasant but she could imagine when this thing was powered up it probably packed one hell of a punch. When they got to the other side she could feel that the air in here was slightly warmer than outside.

    Emily saw Alex staring at the towers as they passed through them so she asked Lock to get closer to him.

    ¡°What you see?¡± Emily asked, she had a hunch he knew something by that thoughtful face he was making.

    ¡°Village wards. Powerful ones at that. But from what I can see they¡¯re incredibly worn down¡±

    Loch looked surprised to hear this as both he and Emily looked back at the towers. Now that she was closer, she could make out thousands of tiny runes inscribed into the massive towers. The task of carving all those runes would have taken months to produce a single tower, and near the edges, she could see wear and tear building up, causing the runes to deform. It didn¡¯t take an expert to realize that the moment the runes wore too thin, they would fail¡ªand when that happened, the village would be consumed by the wilds.

    The Elder lead them to a large open piece of land with a red brick well on it. The river running through the village would still be frozen for another month but the well was usable. Kael thanked the Elder and they got to work setting up camp. When they were done everyone was free to relax how they saw fit. Those who wanted to stay in the nearby inn were welcome, but it was on their coin.

    Emily happily packed up her things and headed for the nearest cozy-looking building for a bath, excited to have some time to unwind. Entering the front door of the inn Emily noticed people from the company were already throwing back mugs of ale and meed.

    The innkeeper was a mousey-looking man who received Emily with a relaxed grin.

    Luckily she got there early because they only had a few remaining rooms. The settlement had another inn but it was on the opposite end of the village.

    Emily only had to pay five rounds for the room and a meal. Thanking small village prices she dropped off her things, Emily bathed and then headed back down to the tavern to relax. By now things were in full swing and Emily even saw Alex playing some kind of a dice game with Vivan and a couple of others from team four. Emily didn¡¯t see any of the leaders here as they had duties to perform for Kael. Taking her time she moved through the room getting to know the men and women she¡¯d only seen in passing. There were a good many curious locals who visited the tavern to be regaled with stories of the wandering fang''s heroics. Emily found Ashe and Seclia chatting merrily with Svent the Armamentsmith. Joining their conversation, Emily sat down with a mug of dark berry brew, heavily preferring its sweet tones. At some point, music started playing as a woman stepped up on stage. Emily was enjoying herself a this point finally managing to relax in the sweltering heat of the room.

    Hours later Emily felt a sudden icy draught that swept from the front door of the inn, she only noticed it because their table was nearby, but she spotted Atticus entering and making a motion at Alex.

    Emily blinked away the haze of alcohol when she saw him get up and follow the man outside. Getting up Emily extracted herself from the conversation and stepped out too.

    When Atticus spotted her he did not comment as he stepped into an ally and pulled out a map.

    ¡°Alexander, where exactly did you say this lay line was? Because from the looks of it, there is a Blightstinger nest nearby. The Elder wants us to accept a commission to kill this nest and Kael wants to see if we can fit it in.¡±

    Alex scratched his chin as he thought.

    ¡°Take the commission. The likelihood that the nest will be right on top of the Lay line is high. Seeing as the abundant source would probably attract them.¡±

    Atticus nodded and folded up the map.

    ¡°Well, it looks like things are going to be interesting tomorrow.¡±

    Blood points: 57

 Chapter 55 - A productive morning

    Emily happily stretched her tired muscles out in the bed like a cat liaising away. But she pulled back when her hand brushed against another source of warmth. With the early morning light streaming in through the blinds, Emily could just make out the form of the Bard from last night sleeping soundly beside her. Taking a deep breath Emily sighed as a pounding headache made itself known behind her eyes. Trying to piece together the events of last night, Emily dredged up the memory of the woman''s name. Tehila. She was a traveling Bard but had gotten left here when her last troop and she had split ways. Emily wasn¡¯t sure of the exact story but they left on bad terms and now the woman was stuck in the village, as traveling alone in the wilds was never advised, and a caravan had not made its way through here in the winter months.

    Emily found herself sympathizing with the woman and they had chatted the rest of the evening away. Somewhere along the line, she must have done something right because the woman was in her bed.

    Sighing again Emily sat up and rubbed her temples.

    ¡°Right, first things first¡­¡±

    Using only the smallest hint of power to recover from the handover was a waste, but one Emily was willing to incur. After all, it felt like like a band of ragged elves were beating the inside of her skull like a drum.

    The moment the pain subsided Emily could think a little better and then the dream from last night hit her, making her eyes go wide. The stars had been so happy but Emily had been completely out of it, so she only now recalled their words as they came back to her.

    ¡®18 - second threshold released at rank 25¡¯

    Skill threshold released!

    New features have been unlocked!

    Vital Shell: Creates a protective barrier around an ally at the cost of the user''s life source, absorbing a set amount of damage before breaking.

    And

    Blood Conversion: Converts the user''s life source into their primary source without increasing Source exposure.

    And

    Lethal Spike: Forms spikes or projectiles from spilled blood, which can be launched at enemies, capable of piercing armor. Inflicts Blood Curse: Prevents the entry of White source into the body.

    Curse in effect!

    Result: The feature Lethal spike has been destroyed.

    Emily humphed quietly to herself as she contemplated her new skills. From what she could tell Vital Shell came from the Scarlet sister skill tree, while Blood Conversion and Lethal Spike were probably from the Blood mages tree. It was annoying that Lethal Spike had been destroyed but she could pretty much make a blood spike in her sleep. The real loss was the blood curse, from the description it stopped people from healing in combat and that would have been a powerful tool to have in her arsenal.

    The barrier was interesting but self-explanatory, all that remained was to test its duration and how much damage it could handle.

    Her final skill was the most appealing of them all. Its description was simple, but the effect was far from it. As far as Emily could tell, she could now convert some of her vitality into Grey Source without drawing in additional external power. This was a crucial ability for Blood Mages, as it meant she could delay reaching her Source limit¡ªwhenever she discovered what that was¡ªlonger than most.

    Emily now understood what Ashe meant when she said Blood Mages could cast spells far beyond their usual limits. With this skill alone, they could outlast any Mage of the same rank, as long as they had some life source remaining.

    Emily was just about to get up when Tehila began to stir beside her.

    ¡°Moring¡­fair maiden,¡± Tehila whispered sleepily.

    Emily grinned. Tehila''s features were delicate and her long locks of black hair gave her an air of mystery.

    You don''t remember my name, Tehila?" she asked, adding a mock-wounded tone to her voice.

    The woman didn¡¯t even blush, she just plastered a smirk on her face.

    ¡°Oh I remember many things from last night¡­ sadly your name is not amongst them.¡±

    Emily snorted and got out of bed as she began collecting her clothes which had been strewn about the room.

    ¡°You still interested in following us?¡±

    Sitting up on both elbows Tehila¡¯s eyes widened.

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    ¡°Yes, very much so.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, get dressed. I¡¯ll speak to Atticus and from there, it''s up to you to convince them. Oh, and you might want to wait for us to return from our mission or you¡¯ll be in danger.¡±

    Tehila chortled but began to dress herself.

    Emily was just heading to the door when she thought she heard the ringing of coins dropping to the floor. Looking around Emily felt her Mercenary title triggering. It was a strange sensation. All at once she knew that Kael had just accepted a job from the Elder of the village. They were to cull no less than three hundred Blightstingers or destroy the nest itself. There was a reward but Emily couldn¡¯t tell what it was, just that she would be getting coin.

    Shaking herself from the daze Emily headed downstairs with Tehila in tow. She supposed that something like that was fairly common but hadn¡¯t expected it. Explorer had become integral to how Emily dealt with the wilds, but this was the first time she¡¯d felt the Mercenary title stick its nose into things. If anything it was far more intrusive than her first title. When they got down to the tavern Emily didn¡¯t have time for breakfast as she could see the wandering fangs already heading out toward their camp, but she¡¯d be damned if she didn¡¯t at least get a mug of Night Brew to go.

    When they got to the tents, Emily dropped Tehila off at Atticus and left to go find Alex. He didn¡¯t look hung over like a good many people from last night, instead, he was harnessing up Mist himself.

    ¡°Hey, I need to test something. How do I activate my skills?¡±

    Alex still looked like he couldn¡¯t wait to get moving, but he answered anyway.

    ¡°Every title is different so you¡¯ll have to figure that one out yourself, but it helps to understand the path your title is trying to take you on. It gave you that skill for a reason, why do you think that is? Then try and imagine it the first time you met your path and run with that.¡±

    Emily frowned, what was her title trying to tell her?

    The first skill it had given her was Life conduit and now a shield. The stars had already made it clear that her power came from other''s blood. So¡­ the skill was there to protect her resources? Protect what was hers?

    Without thinking Emily lifted her arm and rested it on Alex''s shoulder while thinking of Vital Shell. Emily didn¡¯t have to do a thing as she felt a tiny portion of her power separate from her and encase Alex. It was around the same amount as a single blood bolt but the strange thing was that she didn¡¯t need to do any of it herself.

    Emily''s natural gifts were powerful but she had to be the one to shape and manipulate every aspect of it. This skill seemed to take that burden off her as it latched onto Alex. A faint red glow began to grow around him like veins mapping themselves out around him until they sealed him behind a bubble of red light. A second or two later the shield faded from view, and yet Emily could feel it was still there, working quietly in the background.

    She could feel that if nothing attacked him and forced the shield to trigger it could last for around ten hours.

    ¡°Huh, cool¡­¡± Emily muttered.

    Alex, on the other hand, looked both annoyed and begrudgingly impressed.

    ¡°Are you done?¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°Well ideally I¡¯d like to see how strong it is but for now yeah, I think I¡¯m done.¡±

    Alex continued to work on Mist, and Emily went over to Cupcake to see how she¡¯d slept. The Rime wolf was happy to see her, and Emily found herself glad too. Cupcake had visibly begun to look healthier over the last few days, she was even convinced that the she-wolf was putting on weight and muscle. The scars and greying fur were slowly shifting back to a strong white. If Emily looked hard, she could even make out a couple of odd hairs turning a deep crimson.

    ¡°Here, girl, drink up,¡± Emily said as she drew more blood from her palm.

    Loch was nearby so Emily trudged over to him with Cupcake in tow, but he looked down and smiled.

    ¡°Not today Emily. It''s about time you started riding your own wolf. She¡¯s healed now, Gerade gave the all-clear a little while ago.¡± As Loch said this he pointed at the saddle lying on a nearby stump.

    Emily''s eyes crinkled at the corner and she turned to Cupcake.

    Sending clear images of what she wanted. The beast stared at Emily, a low warning growl issuing forth from its throat but Emily stepped up beside it, plunging her face into the she-wolf pelt. The vibrating moving through the beast''s chest reminded Emily of a guttural engine.

    ¡°Please?¡±

    The growling continued but lowered to a pur and Emily took that as an ¡®okay¡¯. Without waiting Emily hopped up onto Cupcake, not bothering to saddle her. No sooner had her arms looped around the large creature''s neck than Cupcake took off at full tilt. Houses and buildings blurred around her as the campsite disappeared. Storefronts and a frozen stream flickered by until the black pillars came into view. Leaning to the side Cupcake ran parallel with them as they began running on the outskirts of the village. The brisk morning air whipping around her clothes caused Emily to giggle, this made the she-wolf run faster. Pressing herself into the beast''s fur, Emily gave the go-ahead. All at once the wolf lept into the sky, bounding over a single-story cabin with ease. Cupcake never once tried to launch Emily off and in exchange, Emily moved where the beast wanted to go. They sped around for a short while longer but once they had circled the whole village Cupcake brought them back to where they had left. Emily got off feeling a deeper connection than just the one written in blood, she felt a kinship with the she-wolf.

    At that point, Loch whistled to get her attention and Emily could see the company was ready to head out. Quickly saddling Cupcake up Emily moved to the front of the pack with Selia.

    As they left the village of Frosthaven the Elder waved them off along with several of his men. Emily even noticed Tehila there too. When she spotted Emily, she gave a thumbs up to show her negotiations had been successful.

    Smiling Emily wave to her.

    Even a couple of the villagers showed up to see their new drinking buddies off. They hadn¡¯t even stayed a full day here, and Emily was already missing it.

    With the invisible wall lowered the Wandering fangs stepped back out into the wilds.

    No sooner had they, than the droning sound of insects returned. Emily hadn¡¯t noticed but the wall even seemed to block out some of the constant buzzing.

    Stepping out onto the plains Kael set their direction towards one of the largest landmarks in the area. Once the Rime wolves were set loose they tore through the flat terrain with ease, their collum twisting through the sparse trees like a serpent.

    After half a day¡¯s travel their destination loomed just up ahead. From over the treetops, Emily spotted the pointed gorge poking its head out from behind the canopy. Only half an hour later they came to the foot of the landmark. Now that they were closer Emily couldn¡¯t help but stare up at the mountainous valley. It resembled an old mountain that some unknown force had split it perfectly in two. The neat divide dropped down into the earth like a chasm, dropping well below ground level. There was a gradual decline leading down into the earth like an open maw. All of this would have been breathtaking if it were for the ominous sound of countless wings. As built near the top of the rockface was a massive hornet''s nest burrowed into the side of the stone. Large tunnels littered the walls with holes where buzzing could be heard just beyond. Looking at the pass, one thing was for certain, there would be a lot more Blightstingers here than just a couple hundred.

    Blood points: 55

 Chapter 56 - To battle

    A Blightstinger landed right beside Emily as it stabbed its abdomen directly toward her waiting dagger. Fully expecting to have to dodge Emily was about to jump back when the Vital Shell flared to life around her. The screen of red light stopped the stinger from approaching but at the cost of its life. The sharp spike-like pointer cracked through the pane but was sent sprawling to the ground.

    Emily panted as she released a blood bolt at the thing''s head, detonating its brains against the snow.

    Ignoring the battle going on all around her, Emily inspected the remainder of her skill. All it took was a light press with her index finger for the shell to disintegrate into light particles.

    ¡°So one big attack or a couple of glancing blows, good to know.¡±

    ¡°Emily! Enough testing, kill something!¡± Alex shouted as the next wave of Blightstingers descended.

    They¡¯d only gotten a short break before their group was spotted by the nest¡¯s warriors. The next thing they knew swarms of man-sized hornets had lept from their nest on the peaks to descend on them. Their only saving grace was that while they swarmed, the Blightstingers seemed to travel in clusters. This meant they had enough time to kill the previous wave before the next arrived. Emily hadn¡¯t been counting but she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they had already taken down their first one hundred kills. Of course, this wasn¡¯t sustainable, injuries were bound to crop up with these numbers of enemies, even if they were all incredibly well-trained. Another thing to take into account was resources. They had only bought so many arrows and crossbow bolts. Luckily recovering them was still possible but not under the constant threat of flying death. As time moved on Emily realized a prolonged battle was exactly what she needed to test her new limits.

    She¡¯d already tested the barrier but her natural limits were also important to know. So when she got a chance, Emily had moved over to Ashe and explained her plan.

    At first, Ashe was against it but she had to admit it was probably the best outcome.

    Emily''s idea was simple, she would use her new spell to drop as many Blightstingers as possible but stop now and then to let herself adjust and try and feel for her limits.

    This exact thing is usually done in less dangerous circumstances but it couldn¡¯t be helped and Emily wanted to see how much she could do.

    Every now and then, Emily cast ''Lift'' and aimed it at the ground. The nearest Blightstingers fell one by one, crashing down¡ªeither dead on impact or quickly surrounded and killed by nearby groups.

    When Emily reached ten Blightstingers and felt no change, she decided to keep going. After the next ten, she took a ten-minute break, just in case there was a delayed effect. Following that, she pushed herself to do thirty, and then forty. By that point, she finally started to feel something. A cold sweat broke out across Emily¡¯s body, and a floating sensation¡ªsimilar to when she had been a soul out in the open¡ªreturned. It felt like her body was beginning to dissipate, scattering in the winds like the gray source that floated aimlessly through the world.

    Emily explained what she was feeling to Ashe and when she was ready, she continued. Using the spell ever so slowly, her goal was not to reach Source exposure but instead as near to it as possible. When Emily reached fifty casts of her spell she knew she had to stop. A couple more and she really would burst and float away.

    Throughout all of this, the battle continued. Both Nox and Ashe had already tapped themselves out, but the rest of their team continued to fight. Kael, Marth, Gerade, Atticus, and even Selia fought to their limits. Emily was pretty sure Kale took out a hundred of the creatures with his spear alone.

    While Alex couldn¡¯t beat Kael¡¯s decisive speed or Gerade destructive force he made up for it with sheer adaptability and ingenuity. Cutting through the Blightstinger vital points and then moving into the middle collum. He would dance in and out of cover, employing hit-and-run tactics. If he saw a section struggling he would dive in and reinforce their number. He used his skills sparingly and only if it called for it. Altogether he was a menace on the battlefield. While Emily may have taken out almost fifty Blightstingers, her source was completely drained, while Alex was barely panting.

    As the battle moved on, their people began to reach their limits when Kael called for the retreat.

    The plan had never been to take on the whole nest in one go. Instead, they had used the time before they were found by the warriors to set up a large ward.

    ¡°Retreat to cloaking field!¡±

    As one, the Wandering fangs moved toward a nearby clearing, on arrival Emily passed over a boundary causing a ripple to spread through it before fading. When everyone had passed through the boundary began to glow, and from above, a heat shimmer caused the company to disappear from view. Even nearby scent trails scattered as though washed out by rain. A dozen or so Blightstingers rushed in after them, but they were quickly dealt with. When the next wave arrived, they spread out through the area in search of the enemy, only to find nothing but a dead end. By the time they had finally retreated Emily heard from one of the men they managed to kill over two hundred and fifty insectoids on their first push.

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    The call went out to rest and recover, and everyone relaxed, knowing the ward would only last around two hours before losing its effectiveness.

    Going to sit down on a stump Emily couldn¡¯t shake the source vibrating in her bones. The world''s color felt washed out and she was having trouble concentrating, she felt as though she could scatter into nothingness if she drew on any more source.

    With each spell used the urge to draw more got louder.

    The power had been incredible but the aftermath of using source magic was intense.

    Emily didn¡¯t miss the fact that she had managed to use source until it had reached about the same amount of Life force in her blood at the time. Did that mean something? Was the vitality increasing her natural resistance to Source exposure?

    Still panting Emily noticed Ashe arrive beside her.

    ¡°How are you doing? I¡¯m sure that was¡­ a lot!¡±

    Emily looked down at her hands and opened and closed them

    ¡°Dunno, I feel less¡­physical. Less me.¡±

    Ashe nodded.

    ¡°When I¡¯m overexposed, I can hear the call of the earth. I feel less like myself and it¡¯s all I can do not to slip into stone.¡±

    Emily nodded.

    ¡°What happens if you do?¡±

    Ashe pressed her lips together.

    ¡°I¡¯ll either peacefully turn into a hunk of rock, or, if I drew way too much. I¡¯d go insane, probably become a Sourceborn.¡±

    Emily had seen Ashe¡¯s body turning to stone but what was a Sourceborn? She asked as much and Ashe¡¯s eyes drooped.

    ¡°They¡¯re usually Mages that go beyond what their body can handle. No source was ever meant to mix with another''s consciousness, but when a mind is exposed to too much source they merge. The result is an entity at odds with itself, so they become beings of destruction. Embodying their nature to its fullest until the host body dies out.¡±

    Emily frowned, it sounded like Ashe was saying she could become a big rock monster. But what about her? What kind of Sourceborn would Grey Source make? Seeing her hesitation Ashe continued.

    ¡°Mages were feared a couple of centuries ago. We never knew how to control, nor use runes, so we could reach our limits far too easily. But as time went on we learned to control it. Some cultures still fear Mages.¡±

    ¡°How did we learn runes?¡±

    Ashe snorted.

    ¡°Oh, that''s a whole nother story, way to much for today. How about we get Yishmal to have a look at you? He might be able to release some of that energy.¡±

    Emily glowered at Ashe for being a tease but decided to head toward the grumpy man. He had his hands full, but they could wait.

    By the time the two hours were almost up, Yishmal had managed to vent some of the grey source. He frowned when he realized her source was grey but didn¡¯t bother to ask any questions.

    When they had bandaged up their people to the best of their ability Kael stepped to the front again.

    ¡°Right, that was a well-fought battle.¡± cheers went up from the groups as Kael quietened them.

    Our next phase is to take the battle to them. If we move carefully, everything should be fine, but don¡¯t get complacent. Their numbers are greatly weakened, but I¡¯ll still call a retreat if necessary. Once the ward fades, we¡¯ll make a direct push to the nest and rid ourselves of it. Everything else comes afterward.

    The group acknowledged that with cheers and howls. The second the ward came down they headed quietly in the direction of the nest, lodging themselves in the entrance of the narrow valley. Blightstingers crawled down the walls in an attempt to drop onto their collum, but unlike the first time, their numbers were severely lacking. And with everyone healed they made short work of the Blightstingers. The insectoids fought far more desperately but the nest was rapidly losing its defenders. Looking up Emily could finally make out the core of the nest in detail. From afar, it looked like a multicolored grey beehive trapped between two mountain faces, but up close, Emily could make out the uneven texture. It appeared as though something had chewed up the surrounding rock, then deposited it on the mound to form the walls of the hive.

    As Kael moved in he killed his fair share of Blightstingers, swinging his spear around like that of an erratic blender.

    Emily had taken to shooting only the closest insectoids in order to conserve her strength. Right now she was rapidly pulling in spilled vitality, unfortunately, because they were fighting a battle on all fronts she lost a lot of the distant kills. So by the end, with the several blood bolts she used, she¡¯d only managed to get an additional fifty-one lives reaped into her pool.

    As they pushed deeper toward the hive, more Blightstingers crawled out from the many holes in the cliff faces on either side. They were directly beneath the main nest and about to launch a hail of attacks when a tremor shook through the surrounding rock.

    Emily glanced up, narrowing her eyes as a large crack splintered from the nest above.

    Kael¡¯s eyes widened, and he yelled at the top of his lungs, ¡°There¡¯s a Queen! Everyone scatter into the tunnels, now!¡±

    There were countless tunnels to choose from, and no one hesitated at his command as the surrounding walls began to quake. Emily grabbed Alex¡¯s arm, pulling him toward a nearby opening. Above, chunks of the nest started crumbling, crashing down the cliffs as something massive tried to break free. The first to fall was a hail of dirt and pebbles, followed by the thunderous crash of boulders slamming into the ground beside them, shaking the very earth.

    Emily ran parallel with Alex, noticing a large chunk of the nest heading their way. Summoning up a large amount of power from her blood Emily pushed a screen of blood upward and grew it as she ran. Pulling all the green slime from the nearby Blightstinger courpses. The amalgamation of stinking slime hardened above them like an umbrella. Diverting some of the smaller boulders off their people. Cracks splinted through it a moment later as an entire portion of the nest fell away revealing a monstrous queen Blightstinger. The thing looked like it could barely fly, but with the rubble now filling the valley it hardly mattered. Their only option was to flee or be crushed.

    The hole was big enough for two people to go through at a time, so Emily pushed Alex and Mist through and dove in after him with Cupcake in tow. Fetu was nearby and managed to follow them just as the rocks crashed to the ground, sending dust and debris flying. Stone smothered the tunnel, causing Emily to cough as it blocked the path back, sealing them within the earth. They could see nothing in the darkness, but soon Emily heard the sound of something large crawling toward them¡ªsomething hungry.

    Blood points: 92

 Chapter 58 - Stairtop Campsite

    Emily sat against a broken stalagmite, chewing on a cherry-flavored ration bar while keeping a watchful eye on one of the many openings in the large chamber. When their small party had found the staircase leading deeper into the earth, they came across Svent from the auxiliary team. The tree folk seemed shaken, but he still gripped a heavy hammer in one hand and a buckler in the other.

    With Svent having joined their growing group, they had descended the massive staircase together. At the bottom, the light from the room beyond was the brightest they had encountered yet. Emily''s brows had risen as she took in the sheer size of the underground chamber.

    It was an enormous rectangular room, sparsely decorated. The walls and ceiling were covered in mosaics that must have taken years to complete. At the far end of the room sat a grand entrance, sealed by a thick set of stone doors. They were so large that Emily couldn''t help but think the builders must have been giants¡ªwhy else construct such a colossal structure?

    Time, however, had not been kind to the remaining architecture. While the front gate remained intact, the rest of the room showed significant wear. Near the edges of the walls, something had burrowed into the area in multiple places, leading off in different directions. Emily assumed it was the Blightstingers, though, with none in sight, she guessed they had either already left or been dealt with.

    This was also where they had found the gathered Wandering fangs. The company had set up a camp smack-dap in the middle of the chamber. Forming defensive lines in preparation for the Blightstingers that were bound to be teeming down here. When their group had approached Emily spotted Kael, Gerade, Atticus, and Marth already there. They had been discussing things, but the moment their group had arrived Kael invited them over.

    ¡°Good to see you all alive. We¡¯re still holding out for the remainder of our people to arrive. In the meantime, what do you need to crack the seal on these doors?¡±

    Alex had rattled off a list of things he needed but Emily only recognized the source chalk.

    While Alex was busy, Emily had gone searching for Ashe. Unfortunately, the woman had not yet shown up. Neither had Selia so Emily found herself chomping on snacks as she watched and waited near the perimeter.

    As time moved on and no new excitement happened Emily relaxed against the stalagmite. More people joined the company, entering the chamber through the main staircase, but it was only when a couple of shouts went up near one of the side tunnels that Emily took notice.

    Moving to the area she saw several Blightstingers charging into the space after a team of people. Emily spotted Ashe, Selia, and Fox at the front, running to meet with the line of defenders. The numbers that poured out of the side tunnel were not small and the chamber was more than capable of accommodating flight.

    However, even though the tunnel was teeming with the creatures, they were met with dozens of humans prepared to meet their charge head-on. It wasn¡¯t long before the number of Blightstingers dwindled into the single digit and then fled.

    Emily moved to greet them and when Ashe saw her she looked relieved¡ªsmiling and pulling Emily into a hug.

    ¡°Gods that was chaos. I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t nearby when all that went down.¡± Ashe sighed

    Emily snorted and guided the woman to the side. Ashe looked worse for wear, but by the looks of things she wasn¡¯t suffering from Source exposure. Selia on the other hand looked battered and bruised. At some point, she must have lost her whip and was now using a one-handed maul.

    ¡°We should get you two to Yishmal, especially you, Selia. We have some time¡ªAlex is busy setting up to open the entrance, so for now, Kael has everyone not on duty resting.¡±

    The two nodded, and Fox headed toward the center of the camp, muttering something about "incompetent underlings feeding everyone rations instead of nutritious Blightstinger soup."

    Emily dropped the two of them off with the Healer and went to find Gerade. The man was in a foul mood when she finally found him.

    Apparently, a fair amount of Rime wolves were not accounted for. So much so that even Emily would have to double up with someone if they wanted to ride out of here, fortunately, that was still a problem for later as they still hadn¡¯t found a way out. Atticus had traveled up the main tunnel only to find a large cave in near the entrance, though he was convinced this one hadn¡¯t happened recently.

    So, for all intents and purposes, they were trapped down here.

    Although nobody seemed that worried yet, so Emily decided to see what happened. She assisted Gerade where she could and when they were done Emily saw people gathering up near Kael.

    Moving over to him, she got there just as he began his speech.

    ¡°I want to congratulate everyone on their survival and resilience. We are still waiting on a few MIA¡¯s but through a strike of fate, we¡¯ve found ourselves right at the entrance to the Lay line. I¡¯ve conferred with my leads and we¡¯ve determined that now that the queen is on the move it''s likely we will begin to see fewer and fewer Blightstingers down here. However, this is not a call to relax, for as soon as we are ready we will be plunging into this trial. I don¡¯t need to tell you all what an opportunity this is for us, so prepare yourselves well.¡±

    Emily would have thought everyone would be too exhausted right now, but the enthusiastic cheers went up from the company.

    As Alex worked Emily found a space nearby to watch the man. He¡¯d situated himself near the entrance to the Lay line and was currently drawing what looked like a house-sized ward over a large mosaic inscription on the ground.

    Ashe came to join Emily, though Selia was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°If you¡¯re wondering, Alex is busy doing something pretty amazing over there. It¡¯s called rune cracking or law-breaking to some. He¡¯s trying to weaken the runes protecting the place enough to get us in.¡±

    Emily hummed.

    ¡°So, it''s like picking a lock? Wouldn¡¯t you be of help since you know a lot of runes?¡±

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    Ashe nodded happily.

    ¡°It''s sorta like that, yes. And to answer your second question, I already did, but I¡¯m embarrassed to say Alex''s knowledge on wards far outstrips mine.¡±

    Emily cocked her head.

    ¡°I thought they were the same language, am I wrong?¡±

    Ashe shrugged

    ¡°Oh, I suppose we never covered this. Well no, you are not wrong. The runes we use in wards are identical to the ones we make with hand gestures. If there was a difference I supposed it would be that hand gestures are like the spoken word, and wards are like the written word.¡±

    Emily had already put that together on her own but nodded as Ashe went on.

    ¡°The difference comes in complexity and power. Where I use as few gestures as possible to eke out a simple effect in a few words. Wards are like complex paragraphs following a strict set of rules. The difference means wards are infinitely more flexible but the amount of power they require is greatly increased. If I pack all my power into just a few words that specific outcome is far more potent. Similar to your spell.¡±

    Emily saw where Ashe was going with this. The more runes one used the more control they had but the more power and time it took. It was that complexity that made things like wards useless in direct battle unless they had been set up prior. It became a balancing act as to how much time one dared to take in combat because if the enemy was even a second faster, it was game over.

    Emily was still thinking this over when Ashe sighed.

    ¡°Of course, Mages study both and I thought I had a fair grasp on my wards but when I saw what he was working on I realized I would only be a hindrance in this regard.¡±

    Emily frowned as she looked up at Alex. The man continued to work ignoring everyone around him as he reinforced lines of source chalk growing the diagram on the floor with deft precision.

    ¡°Where would someone learn stuff like that?¡±

    Ashe shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯d say Lorethil, but unless you had coin to burn you wouldn¡¯t learn much. Plus he¡¯s at an incredibly high level. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he¡¯s been studying his whole life.¡±

    Emily waited to ask her next question enjoying the comfortable silence between.

    ¡°This Lay line must be pretty important for everyone to risk so much to go in there.¡±

    ¡°Of course it is, you¡¯ve heard the stories I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯d very much like to hear what you think is in there¡±

    Ashe tore her eyes away from Alex''s work and shot Emily a curious glance.

    ¡°Well¡­I can¡¯t be certain, but Lay lines are trails left by ancient civilizations. There¡¯ll be all sorts of defenses and traps in there, but ultimately, if we can overcome them, many treasures lay in wait. The most alluring of all is the potential for title stones. Which can only develop in areas where source is incredibly abundant.¡±

    Emily nodded her thanks. The title stones were an unknown, but if she had to guess. Emily would put her money on them containing random titles. Probably rare ones or something.

    ¡°Oh, that reminds me. If Alex does get the door open tomorrow, don¡¯t draw any source. The effects will be far more potent than you¡¯re used to and it could overwhelm you.¡±

    Emily happily agreed, even though she felt something shifting inside her. With the addition of all the vitality she had gained today, it almost felt like her limits had increased. This only confirmed her theory that the more vitality she had, the more source she could draw. But, seeing as she was only just recovering from drawing too much, Emily thought it smart to heed the woman''s warning.

    It was hard to tell the time underground, but by now it had to be well into the early hours of the morning so Emily and Ashe took turns taking naps.

    The first time Emily closed her eyes her stars waddled into view as though they were full. Arranging themselves into words for her.

    ¡®23 - second threshold released at rank 25¡¯

    Skill threshold released at rank 25

    Active slot: Scarlet sister - access to the Scarlet sister skill tree, along with the Blood Mage skill tree.

    Increased learning speed when consuming blood, this is further increased if the blood is given willingly. Increased learning speed when studying blood wards.

    Passive slot: Explorer - Increased learning speed when engaged with new environments.

    Passive slot: Increased learning speed when accepting missions for coin. This is further increased when in proximity to the sub-species[Rime wolf].

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened, five ranks? It made sense, she¡¯d been killing her way through the wild for a while now, but even still, this speed was incredible. Two more ranks and she¡¯d almost have caught up to Alex.

    When Ashe shook Emily awake for the second time she noticed Alex was nearby resting as well. The chalk ward had grown in size and complexity since Emily had last seen it. Along with several jars of oil and chunks of stone located at certain points on the chalk formation.

    The wandering fangs were already preparing to head out. Emily had kept an eye on the tunnels, but only a small number of Blightstingers escaped from the tunnels to attack. For the most part, the real annoyances were the carrion beetles. They came out of their hiding holes in an attempt to get at the food Fox was cooking throughout the night. Fortunately killing one or two sent the rest of the scavengers scattering in all directions.

    Kael gathered everyone up a couple of hours after Emily had woken. Flicking a familiar coin over to Alex. Emily now knew enough that she was certain the coin Kael had received from the Blood Mages was not currency. Instead, it turned out to be a battery of sorts, at least that''s what Emily thought when Alex placed it in the center of his ward and activated it.

    Grey source churned in Emily¡¯s sight as the ward began to do its job.

    Glowing runes began to form in the air above the ward, so potent that she was certain everyone could see them.

    Lines of runes flickered to life on the door, casting an eerie glow. A deep, resonating groan of stone echoed from somewhere beyond, rumbling like a distant quake. Slowly, the massive doors began to creak open, swinging outward with a heavy, grinding sound that reverberated through the surroundings.

    A hiss of stale, musty air rushed from the tomb, filling the chamber with a blast of decay. Emily quickly covered her nose, the sweet stench of rot overwhelming. But before she could dwell on it, a wave of grey source poured out, flooding the room. She was certain there were other colors mixed in, judging by how everyone reacted differently to its presence. Without thinking Emily closed off her bridge as easily as one would hold their breath.

    ¡°Everyone advance! Avoid interfering with the ward, a team will be staying behind to make sure nothing goes awry.¡±

    Emily had heard a couple of individuals did not want to enter so they had been allowed to remain outside.

    Kael was the first to step into the tomb, passing through a faint ripple like a screen of water. From Emily''s vantage point, she could only see a long corridor sinking further into the earth.

    ¡°We still have to do deeper?¡± Emily muttered.

    Alex chuckled.

    ¡°It''s called a Lay line, where else but deep in the continent¡¯s rock?¡±

    Snorting Emily shot him a wry look before stepping over the threshold.

    Behind them, the rest of the Wandering fangs began to stream in. Emily noticed sconces on the walls begin to light up, giving them a better view of the walls. On either side, small recesses had been cut into the walls and Emily was met with the first signs of the tomb. Human-sized coffins were slotted into each recess. The grey stone coffins lined the walls up to the distant ceiling with tiny plaques denoting each soul that had died. It was eerily reminiscent of a catacombs with hundreds of coffins on either side. Emily was just about to investigate further when screaming came from the chamber behind them.

    Emily whipped around at the sound of skittering from their camp. Though the entrance wasn¡¯t far, the crowd blocked her view, but she caught a glimpse of the room behind them. The walls seemed to writhe like black, oily masses as the people they¡¯d left moments ago fled toward the entrance. Then she saw them¡ªcountless carrion beetles swarming after their group, so thick they altered the chamber¡¯s very landscape.

    Kael cursed, leaping over the company to the entrance, spear in hand. He was about to charge out when the beetles hit Alex¡¯s ward. The protections snapped back into place, dropping a wall of force as the doors began to grind shut. Some of those who had stayed behind made it inside, but not all managed to before the wall came down. The beetles swarmed the camp, covering the screen until no light could seep through.

 Chapter 59 - Title stones?

    The titanic doors slammed shut before them, the grinding of stone against stone overwhelming every other sound. Emily had seen the faces of the men and women running for the door only to get surrounded by corpse beetles. Even if the creatures weren''t particularly strong the number back there would have easily overwhelmed them even if the entirety of the wandering fangs had stayed. Ignoring the scent of sweet decay in the now stagnant air Emily tried to make out the sound of battle in the room beyond.

    Nothing.

    Not a single sound came through the stone door. Kael had his arms pressed up against the cold stone as though he could push the doors open himself. Beside him, two of the individuals that had been outside now rested in a heap. Kael had used his spear to pull them to safety, but he had not managed to reach the others.

    No one spoke at this point as the looming depths of the tomb welcomed them, and a cold chill clung to their bodies. Less than forty people remained silent as Kael tore his eyes away from the door.

    Stalking forward, his men moved aside as he searched for and found Emily and Alex.

    ¡°You two with me! Where are my damned leads!¡±

    Emily and Alex moved after Kael as the other three leads joined them further from the main group. Emily also noticed Selia walking closely behind Kael. When they were far enough away Kael turned to them

    ¡°Someone tell me what in the hell¡¯s happened back there.¡±

    Atticus was the first to speak.

    ¡°Boss, those were carrion beetles. They feed mainly on rotting flesh and bone, and their sense of smell is far sharper than even the Rime wolves. If I had to guess, the moment this place opened, it was like ringing a dinner bell for them.¡±

    Kael cursed under his breath, while Emily noticed the surprise on Alex¡¯s face¡ªclearly, he hadn¡¯t anticipated this outcome.

    ¡°Fine! Then is there more than one way out of this place?¡±

    Everyone turned to look at Emily and Alex.

    Bitting his lip Alex shook his head.

    ¡°These tombs were designed to remain sealed for as long as possible to promote the growth of title stones. The only way out is through that door but¡­¡±

    Kael¡¯s voice was grim as he narrowed his eyes at Alex.

    ¡°But?¡±

    Alex looked from the door and then down the steps leading further into the tomb

    ¡°But I might be able to get it open with another ward. The problem is now we are missing a key component¡­ The only thought I have is that we can find it somewhere in these ruins.¡±

    Kael''s voice remained firm but there was now a determined crease in his brow.

    ¡°You mean the refined source? As long as we can find some down here we have a path back?¡± Alex nodded slowly.

    ¡°Boss, this is ridiculous. How can you trust this man again? That ward he set up was supposed to hold the door open for days, and yet it failed in less than five minutes.¡± Marth growled as he stared suspiciously at Alex.

    Gerade grunted responding before Kael could.

    ¡°Are you daft or being willfully blind? Magic of that level is incredibly delicate. The moment the swarm arrived there was nothing we could do. We''re lucky we entered right away or the casualties could have been much worse.¡±

    This only seemed to enrage Marth further

    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that none of this would have happened if we hadn¡¯t accepted this job in the first place. Nothing has gone right since these two joined us-¡±

    ¡°Enough, Marth! I thought I told you to stop complaining. Right now what I need is solutions, if you can¡¯t do that then go man your station.¡±

    Marth stared at Kael and then glanced at Alex, hatred evident in his eyes. But turning away he walked towards to main group.

    Kael closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose, opening them again he looked at Alex.

    ¡°You better know what you¡¯re in here. I refuse to lose more men to a stupid mistake.¡±

    Alex acknowledged this and Kael turned to Selia.

    ¡°Go bring your sister to team one and have them protect her. If we do escape from here her skills will be needed to dig our way out¡±

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Emily was impressed. She¡¯d first thought the man was just a narcissist but he was actually a competent leader.

    After that, everyone scattered to go do their jobs, and Emily was left alone.

    Deciding she needed to a bit of investigation of her own, Emily moved towards one of the coffins, when she thought no one was looking.

    Something had been bothering her since they¡¯d gotten in here and she had to be certain she wasn¡¯t imagining it.

    Nearing one of the recesses Emily spotted a plaque and tried to make heads or tails of it.

    ¡°Thrax¡¯rel Beth loving mother, caring wife.

    Cause of death: axe to head.

    Title: Peddler¡±

    Emily took longer than she¡¯d like to admit deciphering the words. But eventually, she did. Placing a hand against the cool stone coffin Emily pursed her lips. The stone felt almost chilly to the touch. More than just cold, almost frosty. Which is in strange juxtaposition against the warm flow of life coming from the coffin.

    Since entering here, Emily had felt Life conduit working slowly on the things inside. Not every coffin seemed to hold one inside, in fact, the next nearest one was eight spaces over. But there was definitely something ¡®living¡¯ inside these things.

    Emily subtly pulled a bit of blood from her body and inserted it at the seem of the stone lid. As quietly as she could, Emily pushed the stone slab aside. Taking a step back in case something jumped out at her like a face-hugger. She waited for something to happen, but when nothing did, she took a peek over the edge.

    Cold was emanating from the coffin in waves of chilled air. Emily could make out a figure inside the coffin. It was a withered skeleton more than anything else.

    Without the plaque, it would have been too decayed to tell what gender the corpse had been in life. However, when Emily got to its collarbones she noticed something new. Large crystals had formed, protruding from the bone, and destroying it in the process. Only to replace it with more ice crystals. The skull had been almost entirely consumed, but near the corpse¡¯s bridge, a rough gem had formed. Emily squinted at the opalescent light refracting off the gem, she was just about to reach in and pull the gem free from its frosty prison when she felt someone behind her.

    ¡°Are you trying to get us killed?¡± Alex hissed into her ear, grabbing her outstretched hand and pulling it towards himself.

    ¡°If you touch that it will more than likely trigger a trap.¡±

    Emily pursed her lips and pulled her hand from his.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing those are the title stones Ashe was talking about.¡±

    Alex pursed his lips.

    ¡°Yes, a bridge stores one''s path in life. With enough source, it can impart that knowledge in death.¡±

    Emily turned to look at the hundreds of coffins all around them.

    ¡°The truly powerful titles will be deeper in the tomb, buried behind layers of defenses. We need to be careful till then. I¡¯m fairly certain I can guide us but¡­¡±

    Alex had been looking tense ever since they discovered a war on the way. Things had gotten worse when Alex had opened that letter. Something was bothering him but he refused to elaborate.

    Taking a breath Emily let it out slowly

    ¡°You¡¯re going to need to trust me one of these days. If you can¡¯t tell me the whole truth then fine but don¡¯t close me out.¡±

    Alex searched Emily¡¯s face but then stepped back.

    ¡°Come on they¡¯re getting ready to leave.¡±

    Rolling her eyes Emily heard Kael addressing everyone.

    ¡°Form up! We¡¯re proceeding, but I want every one of you on full alert. We don¡¯t know what''s down here and with no fallback point we''re flying in blind.¡±

    Descending the stairs only revealed hundreds more coffins.

    While they were moving Emily took the time to apply a Vital shell to herself and Alex just in case.

    It should hold if there were anything like blowdart traps or something of that nature.

    Emily didn¡¯t need Alex dying to poison or something equally mundane.

    They followed the winding stairs for over an hour without encountering any disturbances or traps. Eventually, one of the walls opened up, revealing gaps that led to a circular room below. The staircase wrapped around it, giving them a clear view of the empty chamber.

    As they got level to the room Alex spoke up.

    ¡°In the center of the room, there will be five larger coffins, two of which will contain specters. These creatures are powerful, and made of frost and death. Do not under any circumstances let them get hold of you. Their weakness is where your bridge would normally be, hit that if you¡¯re able.¡±

    Kael divided them into two separate groups and as he did so, Emily took a better look into the room. She noticed the five coffins Alex had referred to, she could even feel a strong stream of life coming from them. The rest of the room was bare, save for another door that looked like it led deeper into the tomb.

    Upon entering the room the two groups separated and skirted around the coffins. Eventually, they must have gotten too close because one of the stone lids flew off and a creature made of partially dissolved bone and ice climbed out. It carried a rusted mace and a massive black tower shield. Beside it, another coffin slid open and a being in mouldy fabric drifted out. It carried no weapon but as it splayed its hands out orbs of cold, red light manifested in its hands as it floated above its coffin leisurely.

    ¡°One ranged, one melee. Team two deals with the magic user. Team one with me on the Juggernaut.¡±

    Kael had merged their four groups into two for this and Emily found herself in team two so she was excited to see what another magic wielder had in store for her. Stepping forward next to the archers Emily focused on her enemy.

    Arrows were fired from their side with unerring precision, clattering against the floating magic user''s robes and shattering chunks of ice all over its body.

    An unholy wail exploded from the creature and it waved its arm out. A screen of red expanded out from the specter''s hands creating a wall of pale flame that turned the arrows to dust and lumps of mottled steel, before dropping to the ground.

    The woman from team four that Emily now knew as Beth released an arrow in completely the wrong direction, heading for one of the nearby walls. But just when it was about to miss completely, it changed its direction in mid-air and curved around the specter''s defense. Lodging itself in an empty eye socket.

    Emily glanced over and saw Marth and Kael taking turns to block the mace of the other specter while they surrounded the thing.

    These creatures were powerful and if they had caught them unawares they could have easily done some damage to the company, but with everyone working together the threat was minimal, just by the sheer fact of being outnumbered.

    Moving in Emily coated her arms in blood and tried to reposition herself beside the protective spell. Her blood wasn¡¯t the worst against heat users, but she would need to find a good opening.

    So lunging forward Emily danced into the line of fire.

    Blood points: 85

 Chapter 60 - Tomb or maze

    Emily dove behind one of the unopened coffins as a sweltering wave of heat passed overhead. A thick coating of blood insulated her from the worst of the flames but it was still unpleasant.

    The fire stopped when another arrow lodged into the ice surrounding the specter''s neck. Making use of the opening, Emily swiped up with a crescent projectile of blood. The specter tried to block but its shield was still contending with the other member''s projectiles. The blood cut directly through the specter¡¯s arm, separating it from the main body and dropping it to the floor. Another wail graced the vaulted ceilings and Emily laughed as she ducked behind the coffin again. In response, the specter created a series of flame darts with its remaining hand. Emily¡¯s eyes widened as it launched them at the people furthest from it.

    The damned thing had somehow known to go for their backline.

    Without the time to react Emily could only watch as the dozen or so bolts smacked into their people.

    However, Ashe intervened and moved to block. Placing a hand over the back of her neck she made two rapid gestures, causing the lid of one of the nearby coffins to lift and move into place blocking the darts of flame. Cracks splintered through the stone obstruction but it held.

    Wailing in frustration the specter prepared another series of attacks, but it had completely forgotten about Emily.

    Jumping over the coffin, she launched a tendril of blood at the back of the specter and connected directly with the prismatic gem at the back.

    Emily¡¯s blood immediately started to freeze, but she used this to her advantage to yank the stone from its home on the creature¡¯s spinal column. It held on for only a second before dislodging and flying towards Emily. The specter¡¯s fire dissipated and like a marionette with its strings cut, the thing fell to the ground. Shattering into countless shards of ice and bone. Emily encased the gem in blood before it froze solid.

    She was just about to jump up to take in the room when a wave of life force hit her. But unlike all the previous ones, this energy came with an incredible feeling of wrongness. It was as though someone had poured a glass of ice water into her veins. Goosebumps littered Emily¡¯s arms and legs as a cold breath escaped her body.

    The life force was potent, worth almost twice that of a human, but the painful case of brain freeze that followed was downright unpleasant.

    Able to take in her surroundings again she saw Kael still fighting the other specter. Interestingly, if this thing had been living it would have been dead a dozen times over.

    But as Emily had seen with the arrows, piercing weapons were at a significant disadvantage against these creatures.

    They had begun diverting the specter¡¯s attention so that Alex or Selia could get in close enough, but this one seemed well-versed in fending off multiple opponents. It relied heavily on its large shield to block the incoming attacks. Its reactions seemed super-human, in that it only let through non-lethal attacks.

    Kael must have lost his patience because he dove in for another attack and never backed off. Stabbing, parrying, and ramming his spear against the creature, his arms seemed to lengthen and twist in ways no human with bones should be able to manage¡ªa trick of the light, Emily thought. Each strike echoed louder in the tomb, forcing the specter back. Soon, even the shield couldn''t keep up with the speed and intensity Kael was unleashing.

    The Specter¡¯s footing collapsed and it staggered backward. Capitalizing on that, Kael drove the spear through the throat of the creature and stabbed it through the gem in its spinal column. Just before the specter got hit, it let go of its mace and tried to grab hold of Kael, but Selia cracked her new whip, knocking its bony claw aside.

    When the prismatic gem shattered, so too did the specter. Emily braced for the cold to come but still shivered when it arrived.

    A curse went up from Kael as he stared at the shard of bone and crystal.

    ¡°Alright, good job everyone! Take five!¡±

    While everyone rested Emily headed over to Ashe.

    ¡°Hey, girl. How did even you manage to cast down here?¡±

    Ashe looked sheepish.

    ¡°I only said for you not to cast down here because you aren''t skilled enough to control your wave method yet. Nox could probably control his intake but it will be too dangerous for you to try. More importantly, did you get the title stone? I wonder what they were.¡±

    Emily indicated for Ashe to follow her as she made her way over to the coffin the magic-user had risen from.

    ¡°Throu¡¯rack Venser, loyal to the empire of the north.

    Cause of death: honorable duel

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Title: Fireborn¡±

    Ashe hummed as she read it out loud.

    ¡°I thought as much. This an older title but and good one. If you can find the right buyer for it you could make damn good money.¡±

    As she said this Atticus arrived beside them keeping his voice low.

    ¡°Can I have that title stone please?¡±

    Emily pursed her lips, she had a feeling she wouldn¡¯t get away with it quietly but he couldn¡¯t blame a girl for trying, right?.

    ¡°What do you mean? I earned this fair and square.¡±

    Atticus snorted.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware but your deal with us was that we retain all the spoils save for one item Alexander would specify. Is that the item you are picking?¡±

    Emily pouted at the man but still hesitated to hand it over causing his shoulders to droop as he lowered his voice.

    ¡°Come, Emily, I¡¯m trying to help you here. You don¡¯t want to give Marth more reason to find fault with you. He¡¯s already looking for something to take you down for.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes searched the people surrounding them and noticed Marth was indeed watching them closely.

    She was about to speak when Kael walked past.

    ¡°Let her have it Atticus, she earned it and I have a feeling there''s going to be plenty more where that came from.¡±

    Atticus shrugged.

    As it turned out, Kael was right. When Alex moved to a small lever near the coffins and flipped it, the door to the next room slid open. Inside, they were met with another coffin, which popped open like a jack-in-the-box.

    Because of Alex''s early warning and Kael''s experience with now fighting these things, they killed the specter with little difficulty, managing to get the title stone this time. This one was a  Juggernaut so Kael seemed happier as he ripped out the gem lodged in its spine.

    It was an incredibly versatile title even in the current day. It seemed that whatever empire these corpses were from contained a large amount of this title.

    When Emily had asked, Ashe had said it was common for a city or even an empire to choose a couple of titles to focus on for their military. It made for an easier time training their forces.

    It was when they stepped out of the second chamber they encountered something new. A fork in the road leading into two different rooms. Alex had been beside Gerade when he called for everyone to stop.

    Dropping down to one knee Alex inspected the thresholds to each room. At first, Emily didn¡¯t notice what he was looking for, but then she spotted the faintest trail of runes engraved into the floor. She hadn¡¯t spotted it at first because so much dust had fallen into the groves, but a single breath revealed their lines.

    Alex studied them for a second and took a step back.

    ¡°I recommend the left path, the right is a trap.¡±

    ¡°Oh? So it''s a dead end?¡± Kael looked interested in the right path

    Alex shook his head.

    ¡°Not necessarily, but if we go through this path, the runes are set to close off the room and banish all the air inside. We¡¯ll suffocate in seconds.¡±

    Kael along with everyone else frowned at the room¡¯s threshold with significantly more caution than before.

    Emily had to admit it was a brutally efficient trap.

    ¡°Come we should keep going. We are not even close to the next level.¡± Alex muttered

    ¡°How many levels are we talking here?¡± Atticus asked.

    ¡°Hmm, if we count the entrance as the first, then four in total. It''s most probably set out to follow a cast system. Citizens, soldiers, nobility, and royalty. Each one will be harder than the last with far more dangerous titles appearing¡±

    Kael suddenly stopped Alex with a hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°Wait¡­ you¡¯re saying there could be royal titles here?¡±

    Kael was staring at Alex with a keen light in his eyes, unlike any Emily had seen before.

    Alex¡¯s lips tightened into a thin line but he nodded.

    ¡°It''s a definite possibility. Just so we¡¯re clear¡­ if there is, Emily and I aren¡¯t interested in those so they¡¯re yours. But I would heavily recommend against fighting the specter that protects it. The likelihood of us all dying to an entity like that is high.¡±

    Kael¡¯s brow twitched, but he looked more subdued.

    ¡°Thanks for the reminder. Shall we be going?¡±

    Alex¡¯s eyes lingered on Kael before they moved down into the safer room.

    They encountered three more rooms with specters in them, all of which they managed to get the gems from. A single title stone was said to start at five squares and that was for incredible common titles like Farmer. The combat titles they had gotten so far weren''t less than a few pentagons.

    Though the Juggernaut was significantly more sought after than Fireborn as it was more universal. So far they¡¯d only come across these two rewards, but that changed when they started finding coinage in some of the coffins along with other trinkets. It would sell for a fair bit of money if they brought it back to a city. One of their people checked the cobalt purity and found each coin to hold the equivalent value as a tri. Basically, they had only just stepped into the tomb, but the wandering fangs had already made a fair amount of money.

    People were still reeling from the treasures they¡¯d found when Alex froze in front of the door to the next room.

    Emily immediately went on high alert scouring every corner of the room. she could feel something coming from the coffin, but it felt weak like the specters that had yet to awaken. Frowning she looked toward Alex who was still looking around the room carefully, then against her expectations he took a step in. Emily was ready for something to happen but when it didn¡¯t, she sighed in relief.

    Following Alex into the room, their numbers slowly spread out.

    ¡°Okay, this might well be a good place to set up a fallback position. There are no traps and the specter isn¡¯t developed enough to emerge. Or it would have attacked us already.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re certain?¡± Atticus said as he glanced around the room.

    ¡°As certain as I can be.¡± As he said this he finished another sweep of the room.

    ¡°If we get lost, we reconvene here. We may have to do some backtracking so it''ll be good to set up places like this¡±

    Kael hummed.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll clear the next room and set up flags so that our people know the way back. Where¡¯s my Pathkeeper?¡±

    The next room turned out to contain two more Fireborn and while their spells were dangerous they were far easier to kill again than Juggernauts. The room split off into three separate directions but this time Beth stepped forward. Placing her hand against the wall a large green flag appeared there as though someone had dyed the stone a forest hue.

    Beth then backtracked into the ¡®safe room¡¯ and put one there too. It was like following a trail of green breadcrumbs.

    Up until now, the paths had been pretty linear, save for a few binary choices. But as they progressed further, Emily started to realize this place was more of a labyrinth than a tomb.

    This was made clear when they arrived at a room that gave even Alex pause.

    Blood points: 98

 Chapter 61 - Trapped

    Emily leaned against the wall, waiting at the threshold to the next chamber. Alex had been umming and erring for the last two hours. He¡¯d even backtracked to the previous two routes to double-check them before once again eliminating them as choices.

    ¡°This is getting ridiculous what¡¯s taking so long?¡± Marth ground out as he glared at Alex.

    Alex didn''t turn away from the runes on the wall but he did speak.

    ¡°There¡¯s a trap in this room, unfortunately, I can''t disable it. Worse still I can¡¯t even tell what it is.¡±

    ¡°What? Are you telling us to walk in blind?!¡±

    ¡°No, preferably I¡¯d like to sidestep it but the other routes are impossible to proceed on.¡±

    ¡°This is your job, the whole reason we brought you here, are you seriously saying you can''t do the only thing we need you for?¡±

    Alex frowned and turned to look at Marth.

    ¡°If you want to inspect the trap, please, be my guest.¡±

    Kael pressed his fingers to the bridge of his sharp nose.

    ¡°Enough. Is there anything I can get you that will help you to figure out what we are dealing with?¡±

    Alex shook his head.

    ¡°Right now, it might be better to send a scout ahead.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling me to use my men as bait?¡± Kael''s voice shifted down a couple of octaves.

    ¡°No, but you have a Yellow Mage, don¡¯t you? Is he able to summon anything yet?¡±

    Kael had a broody expression but had Selia go fetch Nox. When the teenager arrived he looked uncomfortable as multiple gazes fixed on him

    ¡°Um, I can summon an animal spirit but it won¡¯t be very strong¡­¡±

    Alex grunted.

    ¡°It won¡¯t need to be, it just needs to trigger the wards. You can release it if things get dangerous for it in there.¡±

    Nox bit his top lip and nodded.

    Placing one hand over the back of his neck, Nox began to make the longest series of hand gestures Emily had ever seen. When he was done he¡¯d gone over thirty new gestures that Emily had never encountered.

    When he finished the last one, a yellow glow pooled in his hand and the image of a ghostly bird took shape in his palm. It was almost completely transparent but Emily couldn¡¯t help herself and came over to poke the cute little thing. When she did, she felt resistance as the bird flailed its wings at her. It brushed against her with the same feel as real feathers. It was physical.

    Panting Nox said.

    ¡°Okay, I probably won¡¯t be able to do that again. My bridge is already nearing full.¡±

    Alex nodded and had him send the bird forward.

    The bird crossed the threshold without much problem, flying into the center of the circular room didn¡¯t seem to do anything either. The space was huge and the walls were lined with more recesses, but no one was paying them any mind at this point. The coffins were either death traps or chocked full of rewards, but either way, until the room was cleared no one wanted to mess with them. It was only when Nox had the bird land, that something shifted in the room. The sound of metal clanging throughout the room could be heard as the tiled floor slid out of the room. To reveal a long shoot dropping into what looked like a bottomless pit. Had they been in there no one could have avoided it unless they¡¯d been close to the wall when it happened. Nox¡¯s bird took to the air, but as though the architects were expecting this, the ceiling dropped like a hammer made of hundreds of separate pillars.

    Nox shouted but the bird was unable to escape the falling death. The entrance to the room was covered for just a moment in stone as the roof blocked it. No one spoke for the next minute or so as the stone pillar ascended back to the ceiling and by that time the floor had already sealed shut again. Two doors opened at the opposite end of the room, leading in opposite directions.

    ¡°Well, fuck I¡¯m glad we sent the bird,¡± Kael said as he looked at the floor of the room.

    Nox looked even paler than when he first cast the spell, but Emily was fairly certain he¡¯d suffered some sort of lashback when the bird was killed.

    ¡°Nox do you need me to take you to Yishmal?¡± Emily started but Alex grunted while he stooped over the engravings on the floor.

    ¡°Shit no time, the runes are resetting. We have a minute or two at most!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Atticus grunted.

    ¡°We need to go now! The kid won''t be able to give us another chance like this!¡± Alex ground out.

    Kael moved to the front and raised his voice.

    ¡°Everyone mount up! We¡¯re charging through, don¡¯t stop for anything!¡±

    Emily had already hopped into Cupcake''s back and leaned down to yank Nox by the collar of his shirt. She hoisted him up to the saddle and fastened him there. Letting the she-wolf know they need to run hard.

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    Chasing after the front-runner, Emily delved into the death chamber, an uneasy weightlessness settling in her stomach as she glanced at the ceiling.

    Poring out into the room, the wandering fangs followed Kael¡¯s lead as they charged through the room. Already Emily could hear the sounds of something moving in the stone walls preparing to drop them into the abyss.

    Halfway across the room, Emily glanced back to see the whole line of mercenaries streaming from the opening. She could just make out as the final man made his way through the entrance. Kael and Gerade were the furthest in front filled closely by Alex. Emily was just behind them when the room let out a final click, and the ceiling began to fall¡ªnot all at once, though. This time was different from the last, as octagonal pillars, as thick as a grown man, started crashing down around the outer edges of the room.

    When they hit, they crashed against the stone floor like pearls of thunder. Emily''s eyes widened as she saw one falling towards her, Cupcake swerved around it just as it crashed to the ground to their immediate left.

    Up ahead Emily could still see the others but more and more pillars were starting to fall and impeding progress.

    ¡°Right path!¡± Alex¡¯s voice echoed into the chamber.

    Sadly things were never that easy. When a couple dozen pillars came down over the front of their formation, one of them came down in front of Alex and her. Cupcake was unable to dodge slow her momentum and clipped the stone pillar. In doing so the Rime wolf tumbled and the harness strapping Nox and herself snapped. Emily wrapped herself in a coating of blood and clenched Nox to her chest. They went spiraling away from each the wolf and Emily hit the ground hard, her vision fading for a second.

    Emily had the blood latch onto the ground to halt their slide as soon as she pushed the daze from her mind. Glancing around for Cupcake, she saw the wolf already on its feet and shaking itself.

    Alex had Beth with him on Mist, but when the pillar had come down they too had swived to avoid it. Luckily he had managed to keep Mist under control and avoid falling off.

    Emily got to her feet as she noticed others rushing past her periphery. Grabbing onto the saddle Emily pulled herself and Nox into it, she had Cupcake take off but they were at the back of the pack at this point. People were already streaming into the right passage and Emily got ready to bash people out of her way when she saw Oscar riding an uncontrollable mount, the wolf looked pissed but it was listening to his commands. Emily only had enough time to urge Cupcake forward before more pillars began to fall around them blocking off the path forward.

    Emily tried to find a gap towards the exit but the path was completely blocked from sight. That¡¯s when Emily noticed the entrance to the left path. It was far closer than the right and they might just make it if they make a break for it. Without any thought, she directed Cupcake towards it. Behind her, she heard Alex following on her heels as well as Oscar.

    Emily could see a clear path to the exit, but then she couldn¡¯t as a final pillar dropped to close off their escape. Grunting she flicked her dagger up her forearm and opened her veins. Without any choice, Emily pulled the largest amount of vitality from her chest as she dared. Blood exploded from the wound in liters and her vitality instantly replaced what was lost, before more poured out of her body to shape into a convex tunnel. When the pillar hit, the blood absorbed the impact, slowing it to a crawl. The three of them rushed under the bridge before it gave way. The moment it did Emily pulled the blood ahead of them again and stopped a second one from falling, but by this point, the pillars were falling too fast and it was only a matter of time before she was overwhelmed. Emily saw a third pillar dropping and prepared to pull more life force out when she saw a blue flash out of the corner of her eye.

    One moment the space was being blocked by a pillar, the next Kael appeared above them and crashed into the side of the stone with enough force to cause it to snap. Seeing it falling Emily pushed Cupack and narrowly escaped being crushed by the falling debris.

    Kael was a swerving blur as he dropped from the sky and caught up to them on foot. Running parallel with the wolves. He gave Alex a signal that Emily didn¡¯t understand, and then dove ahead of their mounts, his body wrapped in a faint blue vapor.

    Emily''s eyes widened as he knocked down the nearest pillars, opening up the path. Alex pushed forward, reaching the opening. Emily and Oscar were right behind him, and together they crashed through the left path just as the last pillar came down, sealing off the entrance. Emily hadn¡¯t even had time to talk stock of surroundings when Alex yelled.

    ¡°Hold your breath!¡±

    She pieced the words together, but then her eardrums suddenly popped as the air pressure in the room plummeted. Sound vanished from the world, and Cupcake¡¯s body trembled violently before collapsing onto her stomach. Emily struggled to take a breath, but nothing came.

    Her eyes widened as realization hit. They had escaped onto the left path, only to fall into yet another trap¡ªthe very one Alex had warned them about hours earlier.

    Because she had been panting when she entered, Emily hadn¡¯t had time to draw in a full breath. Now, her body demanded air in compensation for its exertion, but there was none to give. Sliding off Cupcake, she tried to push herself upright, but her legs buckled, and her muscles gave out beneath her. Nearby, Alex had dragged himself off Mist and was hurriedly drawing something with source chalk.

    Kael was still moving around, vapor pouring off his body as he attacked the screen of force that had dropped when they entered. Sadly even though he was capable of breaking stone, the barrier refused to budge at all.

    Emily''s vision was burling and her skin was rapidly losing heat. Suddenly Nox cupped his hand over Emily''s mouth and a faint yellow glow collected in his hand, breath filling her starving lungs. Greedily drinking the air in Emily saw the kid''s eyes flutter as he passed out. Oscar was the next to drop he¡¯d managed to get halfway to his feet before collapsing to the stone. Kael was still very much awake but it wouldn¡¯t matter if Alex couldn¡¯t get them out of here.

    Shifting her remaining blood that had followed them in here, Emily used it to move herself over to Alex.

    The man had drawn the beginnings of a ward but his head was lulling, it was only his willpower alone that had kept him awake.

    Dropping next to him Emily grabbed his face and pressed her lips to his. Transferring the remaining air she had to him.

    His eyes refocused and he went back to work.

    Emily watched as Alex finished the circle but he was just staring at it, then he looked up at her as though trying to tell her something. Emily didn¡¯t understand what he wanted and his eyes were glazing again. Then he reached for the blood Emily had used to get over her, just managing to dab his fingers in it and bring it up toward the ward.

    Eyes widening, Emily called her blood just as Alex passed out. She moved it to float over the circle and began to mimic what she saw.

    The answer was a blood ward. One that Emily had never seen before but had to get perfect or they would all die here.

    Rapidly the crimson liquid pressed down into the chalk and subsumed it.

    Emily couldn¡¯t hear his steps, but she noticed Kael''s boots out of the corner of her eye.

    Ignoring him Emily focused on the blood ward entirely, until nothing else mattered.

    Suddenly her title triggered and Scarlet Sister became a guiding hand as it showed her the right way. There were imperfections in her reproduction of the ward and inefficiencies she couldn''t address right now, but when the title was happy Emily allowed her internal grey source to meet with the ward.

    The room shook and Emily felt her ward fighting against the one in the room. And then a splintering sound of glass exploding outward as air rushed back into the chamber.

    Blood points: 78

 Chapter 62: Trembling walls

    Sweat trickled down Emily''s forehead, collecting as tiny beads and falling down her face. Air had returned to the room and she couldn¡¯t be happier, but the mood in the room was strained. Kael was still standing nearby but moved away to check on the others. Oscar and his stolen mount seemed to have regained consciousness as soon as the air returned but Nox was still out for the count. Cupcake was already up, shaking herself and sending feelings of annoyance to Emily through their link.

    Emily ignored her moody mount to check on Alex and gave him a couple of light taps to wake him. Luckily he seemed to respond to her efforts as his eyes rolled forward in his skull.

    As of yet, everyone had been content to remain silent and regain their breath, but the peace couldn¡¯t last.

    ¡°What in the hell have you gotten us into?¡± Oscar growled as he looked from the entrance to glare at Emily.

    A stone wall now sealed off their retreat, barring them from rejoining with everyone else.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you making any decisions back there. This was our only option.¡±

    ¡°Yeah? Well fat lota good that did us.¡±

    Kael investigated the path behind them and then spoke.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to rejoin with our people as soon as possible. Before I left, I gave the order for everyone to hold their positions.¡±

    Alex looked up from his place on the ground and squinted his eyes at Kael.

    ¡°That¡¯s another thing. I¡¯m not complaining because you saved our lives, but you were in the clear, why did you come back for us?¡±

    Kael paused and turned to face Alex.

    ¡°I¡¯m wounded you¡¯d say such a thing, Alexander. How could I leave my precious employer to die.¡±

    Alex¡¯s face remained plastered with a dry look, causing Kael to sigh. Neither he nor Emily believed that for a second. The man cared about his people but he was the same as them. He¡¯d abandon everything before he put his life on the line, or at least had a very good reason for doing so.

    ¡°Honest answer? It¡¯s you, Alexander, you have circumvented a great deal of the traps in this place. How. I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s almost as though you know what to expect¡­¡±

    The room remained quiet as Kael cleared his throat.

    ¡°But I digress. The safest and most rewarding path, as I see it, is the one where you lead us through this place. Ensuring your survival is merely an act of self-preservation for me and my men.

    Emily was watching the exchange with little interest, but she was fairly certain there was at least a kernel of truth in that.

    ¡°The real kicker will be to find my men again. They have supplies for a little over a week, probably more now that we¡¯ve lost nine of my men. So the question is how do we get back to them?¡±

    Kael¡¯s face was dark when he mentioned his men, but he seemed to be concentrating on the problem at hand. With the things they had been through Emily was impressed more were not dead.

    Alex glanced around the room as he fiddled with the hilt of one of his daggers.

    We shouldn¡¯t. As I see it, we have two options left. The first is to backtrack and hope to meet up with everyone else. I can¡¯t recommend this, though. Now that we¡¯ve split from the main group, rejoining them would be difficult. The builders of this tomb designed it to be hard to enter but deadly to leave. If we try to go against the flow, we¡¯ll quickly find ourselves exhausted. The second option isn¡¯t much better: we push forward to level four, find the main ward controlling the traps, and deactivate it. Backtracking would not only be easier then, it would be preferable.

    Oscar grunted.

    ¡°What about all the specters? Surely they will impede us both there and back?¡±

    Alex nodded.

    ¡°Yes but if I can find the control ward and shut it down it will greatly weaken them. Right now, source is purposefully being supplied to the specters to ensure they develop title stones and as a bonus, they act as guards. Once the supply is cut off they will be greatly weakened.¡±

    Oscar grunted thoughtfully and he seemed to think this over.

    Emily felt a sinking feeling in her gut.

    ¡°And¡­ what''s the likelihood that the biggest and baddest specter is going to be guarding that ward?¡±

    Alex gripped his dagger pommel harder.

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    ¡°Its almost a certainty. We would have to get in destroy the main ward, and get the hell out of there¡±

    Kael shook his head.

    ¡°All of that is contingent on us getting down to that level. If im to understand correctly we are only on the second. Will it even be viable to get there?¡±

    Alex was just about to answer when Oscar interrupted pointing deeper into the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s our ticket down?¡±

    They all followed his line of sight and spotted a set of spiral stairs sinking into the earth near the exit to the room.

    Alex must have seen it earlier because he pursed his lips.

    ¡°That will no doubt take us to the third floor, but this is why we need to decide on a route now. It¡¯s either, wander through a trap-infested maze, or advance further into the tomb. Neither is safe so perhaps we rest and then come to a decision.¡±

    Kael hummed.

    ¡°My expedition, my decision, but I¡¯ll hear all your thoughts. Oscar you¡¯ve been with me for the longest, what do you think.¡±

    Oscar straightened his spine and spoke with certainty.

    ¡°Boss, I¡¯m of the opinion that finding our lost companions would be far more constructive. If we encounter a room that has too many of those creatures in we¡¯ll be overrun.¡±

    Kael nodded, he glanced over to Nox but the kid was still passed out.

    ¡°Alexander?¡±

    Alex took his hand off the dagger¡¯s hilt and nodded.

    ¡°I believe if we work together and I steer us away from the worst of it, we should be able to safely make it to the final room of this place. I vote we go deeper.¡±

    Kael didn¡¯t say anything but he turned to look at Emily was a raised brow.

    To be honest neither option sounded too great but if there was one thing Emily had learned by now. It was to trust Alex''s hunches. He hadn¡¯t steered them wrong yet, so Emily put on her best smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m for delving deeper. We have a decently strong team here with us four. If Nox wakes up even better, but otherwise I think we should be fine as long as we don¡¯t take on more than we can chew.¡±

    Kael nodded to this and cleared his throat

    ¡°Good. Let''s rest for now. I¡¯ll make my decision in a bit¡±

    Emily took a moment to look around the room there wasn¡¯t much in the way of interesting features other than the staircase.

    Moving over to one of the corners she guided Cupcake with Nox strapped to her back to sit down. Emily fell down herself, taking a moment to regain her strength.

    She¡¯d pushed her blood hard back there and it was exhausting. Just like stretching a muscle, she needed time to build it back up. Pulling out that much blood meant that she needed to constantly replenish her own. Of course, it was expensive, but was also when she was at her most deadly.

    Surprisingly, Alex came over to sit next to Emily.

    Lowering his voice so that they spoke in hushed whispers he said.

    ¡°Thanks for backing me up back there.¡±

    Something was different about Alex he seemed more open to her than before

    Emily shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°I just said what I thought.¡±

    Alex nodded and yet didn¡¯t leave. He seemed to be thinking hard about something and finally looked up at her.

    ¡°How¡­ how do your, natural abilities work? I¡¯ve watched you for a while now and can''t seem to find a rhythm or reason as to what rules them.¡±

    Emily leaned back into Cupcake''s chest and glanced over to the other two. Kael and Oscar seemed to be talking quietly to themselves but she couldn¡¯t hear them from here.

    Should she try her luck again?

    Turning to look back at Alex, Emily hummed.

    ¡°It¡¯ll cost you. That¡¯s one of my best-kept secrets. I¡¯ve even killed a few people to keep it that way¡±

    Alex frowned but seemed to understand what she meant.

    ¡°What do you want to know?¡±

    ¡°How do you know so much about this place? And don¡¯t give me some bullshit excuse like ¡®you¡¯ve read about it¡¯.¡±

    Alex looked like he¡¯d been about to do exactly that, but stopped himself.

    Glancing up at the ceiling he didn¡¯t answer for a couple of seconds but then nodded to himself.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been to a place almost identical to this before. There we learned about all these traps the hard way.¡±

    ¡°Care to give me more? Where was it? Was Eva with you?¡±

    Alex cocked his head.

    ¡°No, and Eva was not with me.¡±

    ¡°Couldn''t have been long ago then. Why¡¯d you even enter a place like this ¡±

    ¡°Suffice it to say that I only entered in order to see my family again.¡±

    Emily hummed.

    ¡°And you miss them? Is that why we¡¯re traveling halfway across the world? To see them?¡±

    Alex¡¯s face hardened.

    ¡°They¡¯ll be there, but that''s all I¡¯ll say on the matter¡±

    Emily pursed her lips. It was the most personal information she¡¯d ever managed to pry out of the guy so she supposed she should give him at least something.

    ¡°My power is divided into two aspects. Blood manipulation and life force storage. Now on their own both if formidable abilities but when they are used together, that''s when I¡¯m unstoppable. As long as I have life force I can keep going-¡±

    Alex frowned.

    ¡°But you have to have a limit¡­¡±

    Emily smiled at Alex.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe, though I can say this. The more life force I have, the less I need to use for the same technique. When I got here had to start from scratch but as I horde vitality, it gets cheaper to do the same thing further down the line. I¡¯m close to the first threshold, but we keep getting into dangerous scenarios that force me to use more power.¡±

    Emily shot Alex a wry grin which only seemed to stoke his curiosity.

    ¡°So how much more do need? Wait, for that matter, how much did you have before entering Eva¡¯s body?¡±

    Emily snickered.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve more than paid for my information. As for the rest, I¡¯m always open to another trade¡±

    Emily winked at Alex but he grunted to himself as though realizing he¡¯d let his curiosity get the better of him.

    ¡°Fair enough, So all we need to do is have you nearby but not have you use energy. Gods, what kind of place did you come from to have abilities like that?¡±

    Emily laughed freely.

    ¡°Now I¡¯m certain you can¡¯t afford that.¡±

    Alex seemed to agree as he moved the conversion onto something more mundane yet equally interesting.

    ¡°You did a really good job back there with that ward.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, my title did a lot of the heavy lifting, but those things are impressive.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t even certain it was going to work. We¡¯re just lucky you figured it out.¡±

    Emily blinked to herself as the air between them became warmer. She wasn¡¯t too sure why but she felt more comfortable around Alex at that moment. From the beginning It wasn¡¯t that their personalities clashed exactly, it was just that they were both slow to trust. Emily had faced too many betrayals to simply let her walls down, but it seemed Alex had similar reservations.

    After that, the room was fairly quiet, but Emily didn¡¯t mind. She used the time to rest and prepare for what was to come. Whatever route they took, it would be filled with equal parts battle and reward, and Emily couldn¡¯t wait.

    Blood points: 79

 Chapter 63 - Hunting in the dark

    The second flight of stairs was just as uneventful as the first. No creatures leaped out from coffins, no traps were triggered. Only sheer silence greeted them as they descended. They had been walking for so long that Emily almost wished they would be attacked¡ªanything to break the monotony. At this point, she would have welcomed even a giant boulder rolling down the stairs, old temple style, or a swarm of specters¡ªanything to dull the edge of the silence.

    ¡°Alright, why in the hell is this place so deep?!¡± Emily said shattering the silence.

    The others almost seemed to flinch as they glared at her.

    Kael turned with a raised brow.

    ¡°How else would one get to the currents of source churning through the earth?¡±

    Emily pinched the front of her shirt and rapidly moved it to suck in some cooler air. As they began descending into the tomb Emily noticed the cold they had originally encountered was gradually having to contest with the warming environment. At this point, she was pretty certain everyone was sweating and yet no one mentioned it.

    Glancing back she saw Nox still unconscious in the saddle but he looked slightly better than before. The kid had saved her, so Emily would do her best to return the favor as long as it didn¡¯t hinder her ability to survive. Cupcake looked to be weathering the heat well, even with her coat as thick as it was.

    ¡°Source is most active near the core of the world where it has yet to separate into its colors. If I¡¯m right, we should be reaching the third level any minute now.¡± Alex muttered.

    They walked for another ten minutes, and true to his word, they arrived on the third level. Unfortunately, there was a problem right away.

    Throughout this entire tomb, there had been a great number of sconces on the walls powered by some unknown source providing ample light to the rooms.

    There were even two at the base of the stairs here. The problem was that beyond this point there were none. As they looked through the entrance to the next room they saw a long dark passage stretching into shadow. Near the edges, they could make out what looked like four grey stone columns continuing in deeper.

    Alex moved to the front and looked around for more wards engraved into the stone but when he found none he returned.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this. I haven''t read anything about his room and I can¡¯t find any runes that would denote this as a trap.¡±

    Emily took that to mean the other tomb he¡¯d been in hadn¡¯t had this kind of room in it.

    Oscar grunted but looked serious.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t it just be a fault of time? I mean, who knows how long this place has existed down here? If there were earth tremors perhaps the room is damaged.¡±

    Alex cocked his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible, but if that''s the case then things just got a whole lot harder. How many lanterns and torches do we have between us?¡±

    They all began rummaging through their supplies. They could probably access more supplies if Nox were awake, but even if he was. It was unlikely that he would be able to draw on any source.

    Pooling their resources they had four torches and one lantern.

    ¡°We have enough oil to last us around sixteen hours and the torches ¡®burn¡¯ for about ten. I can''t imagine the room is long but it''s better to be prepared. We should only use two at a time.¡±

    Everyone seemed to agree and Oscar cracked the torch while Alex lit their lantern. The torches were pretty interesting to Emily. They were lightweight metal that held fuel in the handle and pushed it up towards the top of the torch to burn. Like this, the flame produced would always be constant, and when you were in the dark an unreliable light source could mean the difference between life and death.

    ¡°Emily, take this,¡± Alex said handing over a small, thin disk of stone. It reminded Emily of a compact mirror but inside it was similar to a chalkboard. There was even a ward freshly drawn on it.

    ¡°That¡¯s a ¡®flare¡¯ rune. Don¡¯t waste your energy unless you need to but use it in an emergency.¡±

    Emily nodded, and as a precaution moved a couple of drops of her blood onto the surface of the rune to make sure it was ready before closing it up.

    Emily had seen Alex buying this before they left, she didn¡¯t expect it to be a tool used to teach her runes.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. Make sure to stay on the wolves, they have much better vision than you.¡± Kael said as he walked beside Mist. The Rime wolf that Oscar was riding moved beside them and Emily had Cupcake take up the rear of their formation.

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    With everyone ready they took their first steps into the room. When nothing happened Emily let out a breath she hadn¡¯t realized she was holding. Marching forward they were surrounded by darkness in no time. It wasn¡¯t long before Emily watched the entrance they had come through disappear behind them.

    The long corridor continued for a while, but when they got to another fork in the road Alex looked miffed.

    ¡°Dammit, this section is bigger than I first thought. We need to-¡± Alex started but before he could continue a chilling howl shook the darkness.

    Everyone went on guard at once, Emily saw Cupcake''s ears press to her skull as she turned her large head behind them.

    Emily followed her gaze and saw several glowing sets of eyes staring at them from the shadows. There was no mistaking it. Emily had been with the Rime wolves long enough now to recognize their tall stature and intimidating presence.

    Snarls of several creatures went up from the darkness, but Cupcake remained fixed on one in particular. Stepping tenderly into the light. A chocolate brown coat revealed itself and Emily recognized the leader of the pack where Cupcake had come from.

    ¡°Everyone group up. Nothing could have survived down here, it''s an illusion. It can¡¯t hurt us. Just keep the wolves under control.¡±

    Emily wanted to agree but being stared down at a beast that large made her reflexively raise her guard.

    It was a lucky thing she did because the leader suddenly broke rank and made a break for Cupcake.

    Emily could feel the Rime wolf¡¯s fear bleeding through their link and so she reacted without thinking.

    Slashing out with a crescent blade. The blood traveled forward and cut the beast almost in half. Emily felt the resistance as the thing died but she couldn¡¯t feel any Life force join with her. That thing had been physical but not alive.

    Cupcake shook herself, she did not want to be here, she wanted to run in the opposite direction, but Emily leaned in and whispered in her ear to steady her. More wolves were moving in and Emily cursed and shouted to everyone else.

    ¡°We have to move! And don¡¯t get hit I think they''re real¡­sort of.¡±

    They began to back off down one of the other corridors but the wolves shifted in the dark. They weren''t attacking but they certainly weren¡¯t giving up.

    Kael was looking behind them but turned to the front as he spoke.

    ¡°This is high-ranked illusion magic, I can feel there¡¯s a lot of blue source mixed in, we need to move steadily. Do not run off!¡±

    Emily did not take her eyes off the forms shifting in the shadows, but she had Cupcake retreat with them. By the sound of it, there were no wolves in front of them, only the ones chasing behind them. They kept moving like this for a good while, stretching Emily¡¯s nerves tighter and tighter.

    As time passed, the number of wolves changed¡ªsometimes many pairs of eyes watched them, and other times only a single set stared from the darkness.

    That¡¯s when their progress halted and Emily heard something happening up ahead.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on guys!¡± She called, resisting the urge to look back.

    ¡°... it can¡¯t be¡­¡± Oscar''s voice came out horse.

    ¡°Oscar, do you know this woman?¡± Kael called but got no response.

    Emily couldn¡¯t resist any longer and glanced back for just a second. In front of Mist and Oscar''s mount sat a fair-skinned woman. She was just at the edge of the light but Emily could see she was in her late thirties with the same golden locks as Oscar. The difference was that even through her simple dress Emily could make out veins of black, like poison were spreading through her veins.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you control it, Oscar?¡± She said. ¡°You killed me because you couldn¡¯t control that darkness in you.¡±

    All the while her body was rotting, causing flesh to dissolve and expose bleach bones.

    ¡°You killed your own blood, and for what? You should have left to protect me.¡±

    Emily glanced at Oscar and she could see he was shaken. He looked about ready to murder someone but maintained his reason as he stared at the illusion.

    Alex was the one to shatter the spell cast over them.

    ¡°Listen to me we are dealing with a powerful title here. It is somehow able to glean things from our memories. No matter what you see it''s not real, but don¡¯t let your guard down. There''s something very real in here with us.¡±

    The woman continued to scream at Oscar as her body dissolved entirely, collapsing into a pile of bone and going silent.

    Emily glanced back to the wolves in time to see another one lunging at Oscar¡¯s mount. The Rime wolf freaked out with a whimper and broke away from the group.

    Oscar tried to get it under control but the beast was beyond reason and he was too shaken to command it.

    Cutting his own cord tying him to the mount, Oscar fell off the mount with a heavy crash. The Rime wolf bolted into the shadows in front of them and its ragged pants faded almost entirely.

    ¡°Come back you mutt!¡± Oscar called from the ground, slowly climbing to his feet. The wolf that had lunged at Oscar¡¯s mount turned on him now and sank its fangs into his shoulder.

    Oscar grunted but stabbed the thing with a dagger. Its face became a mass of black flesh and slogged off it. Rapidly decaying its jaw and spreading to the rest of its skull, leaving a pristine body without a head.

    ¡°Gods be woken, what is this?¡± Oscar limped back towards the group while popping the wax seal in a tonic.

    Another wolf followed at his heels but Kael stepped in causing the thing to retreat back into the shadows.

    They were all panting harshly as they kept moving. Emily saw the wolves were no longer only at their backs, they had narrowed in around them, ducking behind pillars and shadows.

    Their group kept moving but that was when they noticed a grand-sized monument in front of them. At first, Emily thought it was a house of sorts but as the light crept closer, details became clearer. It was a finely decorated mausoleum of sorts with its doors standing wide open. Emily could see a coffin inside, and as they got closer she could make out the plaque. This one was a little longer than the others, similar to an eulogy.

    ¡°Howiter, Denith¡¯regar - In life, he carried the weight of our inquisition; in death, he will bring a peace so absolute that none shall escape the empire¡¯s final judgment.

    Cause of death: Struck down by the Southern factions.

    Title: Fearmonger¡±

    Emily was only halfway through the sentence when Alex''s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Blast it all. That title is blacklisted. And by the look of things the specter has already woken up¡±

    The suffocatingly warm room suddenly felt just that much cooler as a chill coiled down their spines.

    Emily stared at the coffin''s open lid to reveal an empty hollow.

    Alex was right, something was in this chamber with them and it had been watching them since they got here.

 Chapter 64 - Glimmer of truth

    The torch hissed softly as its flames danced in the still air, crackling and spitting embers that echoed faintly off the stone walls. Emily saw that everyone was frozen in place. The mausoleum was only big enough for them to get inside, the Rime wolves remained out in the passage watching for any sign of danger.

    ¡°We need to get out of the shadows, now! If I remember correctly, darkness amplifies a Fearmonger''s abilities tenfold. We¡¯re at a huge disadvantage while here.¡± Alex said as he glanced around.

    Kael still seemed to be looking around the bare room but he spoke.

    ¡°That¡¯s easier said than done, but I believe we should try. Everyone mount up, we¡¯re going to move fast.¡±

    Alex grunted and climbed back onto Mist. He didn¡¯t even question it when Oscar climbed on behind him. Emily brought Cupcake forward and their small group took off. She felt a strange sense of vertigo as they moved through the darkness, but she quickly attributed that to the glowing eyes in the darkness that were keeping pace. With the unchanging corridor around them, the only way they could tell they were making progress was by the pillars flashing past. But even those started to look the same after a while.

    They moved quickly, allowing Alex barely a moment to ensure they didn¡¯t stumble into another obvious trap.

    Moving from passage to passage, they were just approaching another doorway when Emily spotted a flash of light in her peripheral. In a place so dark it was like a sparkling sun off to her right.

    She was just about the turn when another screech shook the chambers. This one was far louder than any before it, easily eclipsing the Rime wolf¡¯s howls.

    Emily could just make out a figure moving towards Kael, but this one was different in that it took up almost the entire passageway.

    All at once a massive serpent''s head moved into the light. Its body already having struck. Emily tried to have Cupcake maneuver out of the way, but when the thing struck it shook the whole passage. Forcing them all to scatter or be crushed.

    It slithered into the light, revealing the largest python Emily had ever had the misfortune of encountering. Kael lowered his stance, his expression flipping to a very serious one.

    ¡°Everyone back off. Even if this thing is an illusion, you can¡¯t handle it!¡±

    Emily wasn¡¯t certain but she thought she heard the faintest waver in Kael''s voice.

    Alex and Oscar had dismounted from Mist but they were on the opposite side of the chamber.

    Emily was about to launch a blood bolt when the shadows around them began to writhe. Emily''s eyes widened when all of a sudden darkness rushed in pushing back the light of her lantern. As though crushing it and drowning out sounds. Emily could hear the impacts as Kael began to battle the serpent, but she could only make out a faint outline. A curtain of shadow had surrounded them all.

    Emily got ready to cut through it when a pale light flashed out of the corner of her eye again, blinding her.

    Moving her hand up to shield her eyes, Emily turned towards it to try to find where it was coming from.

    When Emily managed to focus on it she realized it was moonlight reflecting off a broken piece of glass, wait not glass, mirror, attached to a¡­ car?

    The rearview mirror, still attached to the rusted frame of a sedan, jutted out from a heap of scrap and car parts. The instant Emily''s gaze locked onto it, her eyes narrowed to pinpricks. Her hands began to tremble uncontrollably, and the world around her sharpened into a painfully familiar reality.

    Mountains of forgotten junk towered so high they swallowed the horizon, casting jagged shadows over the landscape. The air hung thick with the acrid stench of motor oil, mingling with the sickly-sweet odor of decay that clung to everything. In the distance, the constant hum of the city buzzed faintly, barely audible beneath the relentless roar of traffic on the nearby highway.

    She was back.

    Emily''s smaller hands went to her chest as a noose constricted her chest, crushing her heart. Cupcake responded through their link but Emily didn¡¯t pay her any mind even when she growled at an approaching figure.

    Emily¡¯s breath came out harshly as the figure stepped into the light and plopped down in a rickety lawn chair.

    She knew it was an illusion but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to reject it.

    ¡°What¡¯s up little bug? You need anything before you head out?¡± the old man said, his long silver hair bouncing the moonlight around him. His face was filled with laughter lines and a warm glow issued forth from his eyes.

    This man had long left this life and yet if this were even a shadow of who he was, she needed an answer. Emily raised her head, a teenager''s voice coming out.

    ¡°I know why you¡¯re sending me away gramps¡­¡±

    The man''s gentle face fell and a hard light appeared in his eyes.

    ¡°Fuck, girl. Can¡¯t you just go enjoy that day off I¡¯m giving you? Do you want to do more training?¡±

    Emily shook her head at the retired supervillain.

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    ¡°Well then head out. It''s your fault I have to deal with the heroes. Next time don¡¯t kill one of their own. This is what happens when you mess with the order of things too early.¡±

    Emily''s free hand clenched on Cupcake''s saddle, bracing herself there.

    ¡°You could run¡­ why do you have to face them?¡± Emily''s voice shifted to that of a sulking child.

    Gramps shook his head.

    ¡°Blood can only be repaid by blood. I¡¯ve already taught you that, and I didn¡¯t spend all this time making you strong for nothing. You¡¯re going to go on to destroy this corrupt world one day, that much, I know.¡±

    An explosion of pink energy detonated somewhere near the edges of the junkyard. Smiling more to himself, Gramps whistled, and the piles of junk around them came to life. Small, mismatched robots clawed their way out of the piles assembling en mass, followed by a four-story titan of steel and machinery. As it lowered an open palm for the older man to step onto he looked back and shot Emily a final good-natured grin.

    ¡°Go on little bug! And don¡¯t forget your place in all of this. It''s the only reason I made you.¡±

    The nearby scraps of junk turned in face Emily and moved toward her, reaching out to her with deadly intent.

    Gramps didn¡¯t seem to notice this, but Emily remained fixed in place. Cupcake snarled at the approaching metal amalgamations but she was suddenly was wracked with guilt and pain. She knew how this night ended. Could she stop it?

    Emily glanced down when one of the shadowy metal hands latched onto her ankle. This wasn¡¯t right, she had accepted this reality a long time ago. These weren''t her emotions, they were from whatever skill was being used against her here. Anger bubbled up from the depths of her chest. How dare someone show her this again. She¡¯d made peace with this memory and sealed it away behind dozens of mental walls. How dare some dead person dredge it up to use against her?

    Emily had stopped living for others a long time ago.

    Letting the rage clear her mind and still her beating heart, Emily took out the disk Alex had given her.

    This was an illusion and she was done being here. Snapping it open, Emily pressed her hand to the rune and let her source flow freely.

    A blinding light burst from her hand, sending the shadows scattering and warping her surroundings.

    The junkyard melted, slogging away like burning bark. The wall of shadows was so thick that Emily could easily see where her illusionary world ended and the real one began.

    Ushering Cupcake forward Emily stepped out of that nightmare.

    Looking down she realized those illusions had triggered her Vital shell, but it was still intact, so they hadn¡¯t gotten very far.

    Glancing about, Emily realized they hadn¡¯t gotten very far from the mausoleum itself, even though it felt like they had left it hours ago.

    However, what caught her attention now were the three other cacoons of shadow in the chamber.

    Emily let her blood lead her towards the one Alex was in and she pressed the disk up against the wall. It melted as though it were ice, thawing rapidly until Emily stepped into his world.

    The vibrant night skies Emily had come to know were grey with blackened smog. All around her fires burned as the surrounding city shook in the throws of war. Screams and pleas echoed out from all directions as people ran about in panic.

    Nearby, a wall of soldiers dressed in reflective armor blocked off the main streets holding back creatures that Emily could only describe as demonic. Their bodies were tinged in grey scales with horns protruding all across their forms. Maws fill with hundreds of teeth crunched on the bones and flesh with fervor.

    And facing off against the hoard of creatures was Alex, only, not quite Alex.

    Emily urged Cupcake forward, needing to be certain of what she was seeing. The Alex she knew was a far cry from the man before her. Alex was in his twenties, but this man looked old enough to be his father, likely in his late fifties. And yet, Emily could tell that this world was centered around him¡ªthis version of Alex.

    The man stood at the forefront of the armies, screaming orders in an attempt to quell the raging beasts but it was a doomed endeavor.

    The ranks of demons seemed endless, yet the battling men and women held their ground. Much of their endurance was due to Alex, as every sweep of his golden blade felled dozens of the twisted beasts.

    This entire thing didn¡¯t make sense, but then Alex spotted her. His eyes widened and he looked around. His eyes narrowed on the light in Emily''s hands. He knew why she was here and yet he refused to abandon the ranks of soldiers. That was until the tall castle in the distance collapsed in on itself, crumbling to nothing more than brick and motor. Alex turned to look at the sight with sorrow on his face, and then turning his back on the still fight soldiers he abandoned the frontline.

    He closed the distance in an instant and arrived next to Cupcake

    ¡°Go!¡±

    Emily nodded and turned back the way she had come, pushing the glowing ward forward and tearing their way out. The moment he crossed the threshold, Alex¡¯s body reverted back to his normal visage and the shadow world behind them scattered.

    Alex was still panting as she turned to stare at him. Those worlds were made from their memories. So then how had Alex looked like that? Had he reversed age somehow?

    In her world, some healing abilities could turn back the clock on a person''s physical body. Was that what was going on here?

    Alex seemed to get a handle on his breathing as Emily spoke.

    ¡°You gonna explain what I just saw?¡±

    ¡°No, now you have to help the others, they could be in danger.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to do anything until you explain what I just saw in there.¡±

    Alex ground his teeth

    ¡°Dammit, Emily we need them!¡±

    ¡°Then speak fast.¡±

    Alex¡¯s fist clenched as he glared up at her, his shoulders drooping.

    ¡°When we get out of here, I¡¯ll tell you what you want to know¡­¡±

    Emily searched Alex''s face for a hint of deceit but she found none. So she walked Cupcake over to the nearby cocoon and hopped off, pressing the ward into it. A whole rapidly formed and Emily entered a snowy woods with a small cabin. Stepping inside she found a young boy with blond hair weeping next to an empty bed and dragged him out of the shadow world.

    Oscar clutched his head when they were back in the real world and his eyes widened.

    Emily moved toward the last cacoon with some trepidation, but before she could use the ward against it. The shadows suddenly exploded outward and Kael stepped out covered in glowing ethereal vapor.

    ¡°Ah, you guys are out, I¡¯m glad because I think I know where the culprit is.¡±

    Stepping towards the mausoleum he swung his spear and the hard stone crumbled to reveal the empty coffin. Only now it contained a Speter lying quietly in the recess.

    Emily frowned. All of that and the creature was not even fully mature. By the looks of things, it couldn¡¯t even more. But it still managed to give them the run-around. Kael reached in and snapped the title stone from its place in the spine. Instantly the shadows died down and the howls near the edges of their vision faded.

    Even the darkness didn¡¯t feel as oppressive.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure this one alone will make up for all my losses on the little trip. Come on then let''s get going.¡±

    Emily stared at the man¡¯s nonchalant demeanor and frowned, all of them had been shown something deeply personal, and enthralling. Yet Kael seemed to be fine after being in what Emily was certain was his own personal nightmare prison. So either he was a psychopath or he had conquered it just as Emily had.

    Regardless, the silence that hung over their group as they pressed forward was more oppressive than the stillness of the tomb.

    Blood points: 76

 Chapter 65 - Down with the sniffles

    Emily sat hunched over the small chalkboard Alex had given her, trying to replicate the ¡®flare¡¯ ward again. It was a complex one because the runes it used converted grey source into red, requiring many additional runes to make work. Thankful they had escaped into the light not long after leaving the mausoleum behind them.

    Other than the sound of her chalk scratching against the surface of the rough plate, the others were going about their work in relative quiet.

    As they checked their weapons and armor, the group seized the moment to fill their bellies. Emily had a corner of a ration bar jutting from her mouth, nibbling at it like a reluctant squirrel. The flavor¡ªa bizarre mix of minty pickles and sardines¡ªinvaded her senses, waging war on her taste buds. Each bite felt like a culinary assault, so atrocious that if she ever uncovered the source of this nightmarish concoction, she¡¯d gladly lead a crusade to shut them down for good.

    Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t about to waste food in their current situation. Since she had cracked the wax seal on the bar it would go bad soon enough.

    Emily glanced up to see Alex running a whetstone over his daggers. When he noticed her looking at him, he glanced up briefly and then turned back to his work with a crease in his brow. Emily was pretty sure he was probably still mad.

    Oscar on the other hand seemed to be holding a grudge for a different reason. Ever since Emily had pulled him out of the nightmare world he¡¯d been stealing glances over at Emily whenever he thought she wasn¡¯t looking.

    So when her gaze leveled on him now, he shot her a level stare before turning back to continue to repair the damage to his armor.

    All the while Kael remained on guard as their group rested in the empty chamber. It was so quiet that when a spluttering cough came from Nox, everyone tensed. Emily had laid him down on her pack and now she moved over to check on him.

    Nox groaned and his eyes fluttered as he slowly came to consciousness.

    When he glanced about his eyes seemed to focus on the room and then everyone else. He seemed slow at first but then his eyes widened and he looked around in panic.

    ¡°It¡¯s a trap!¡± even as he said this Nox¡¯s eyes widened and his shoulder drooped.

    Seeing that none of the guys offered him any reassurance Emily sat down beside him.

    ¡°We¡¯re safe and far from the trap. Thanks to you. If you hadn¡¯t given me that air I don¡¯t know that all of us would be here now, so good job Nox.¡±

    It was impressive how quickly the guy went from frightened to pompous.

    ¡°Well of course! I knew what to do all along.¡±

    Emily let out an amused snort but Kael butted in.

    ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re doing better kid, but we¡¯re still in a difficult spot at this stage. Can you cast anything?¡±

    Kael went on to explain the situation and Nox seemed to take it in stride but bit his lip when Kael wanted to know if he could use his magic.

    ¡°I can access our supplies as that only takes a little internal source, but I¡¯m out of energy to fight at the moment. If I take in even a little more I¡¯m headed for exposure.¡±

    Kael understood but had him take out a crossbow from their supplies.

    ¡°Don¡¯t use it when we¡¯re near the enemy but it''s better to have another set of hands. I think we¡¯ve had enough of a break, is everyone ready to keep moving?

    Things being as they were, none of them got any sleep, but Emily was certainly feeling more rested than a couple of hours ago.

    Entering the next chamber turned out to have another two specters in it, which they managed to take down fairly easily.

    Kael took the one down on his own and they delt with the other.

    Oscar had just killed the Firebore when Emily felt the second wave of icy life force sink into her veins. Not that she was complaining at this point, the heat down here was stifling, and she began to look forward to the cool burst of air helping to keep her sane. As they progressed through the chambers they came across eight more awakened specters from various rooms. Emily¡¯s blood was boiling at this point but not from the heat. This was from the large amount of vitality currently residing in it. The last time this had happened Emily had thought she had reached her limits on how much she could hold, but now she knew better. This was just the next step in her growth.

    Alex glance over at her just as they were about to enter the next room. He was about to say something when Emily¡¯s head snapped to the chamber ahead of them.

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    There were three specters that she could feel in here with them and she warned the others.

    Unlike the other chambers, this one was slightly different. If the others were plain and unembellished, this one contained a floor-to-ceiling mural of a man surrounded by sick and dying people.

    Glancing about Emily spotted the three coffins in the back of the room. She also couldn¡¯t help but notice a section of the mural was plastered with rites and tiny words.

    Edging toward it Emily stayed as far away from the coffin as she could so as not to wake them. Kael took up the front as they filtered into the room. Other than the mural, nothing in the room looked out of sorts, but they had not fought three of the specters at once with such low numbers. They would be at a heavy disadvantage here, but taking out the specter was left to Kael, with Oscar and Alex delaying the others.

    Nox had followed Emily over the other mural. She tried to make out the words but alot of them were flowery and pointless.

    Nox glanced over her shoulder and muttered to himself.

    ¡°They¡¯re thanking someone for saving them from something called ¡®The withering¡¯¡­¡±

    Nox continued to frown at the wall. Emily discerned an almost fanatical edge to their words, but as Nox had mentioned, they were all merely expressions of gratitude.

    The room''s silence was shattered as Nox gasped and turned back to the others, desperation in his eyes.

    ¡°Back away! It a Viscount of plague!¡±

    Whether it was proximity, his shout, or sheer bad luck, Emily felt the three specters in their coffins awaken.

    The center coffin popped open first flipping through the air as though the coffin were pressurized, sending the lid crashing into one of the far walls.

    Light green plumes of smoke bellowed out of the coffin followed by two more coffin lids sliding to the ground with a dull crash.

    ¡°Everyone fall back to me, we¡¯re leaving.¡±

    Emily and Nox made a break for the exit behind them, but the sound of leather cracking against the stone could be heard.

    Emily caught sight of two specters climbing out of their coffins with whips in their hands, their bodies made almost entirely of frost. Hardly any of their skeletons remained as they stepped out onto the floor. Their whips were already flying, cracking through the air with powerful strikes.

    Seeing this Emily created a disk of blood in preparation; they were almost there. If they could get out of the room the specters would have a hard time following them.

    Then the whips landed.

    They were so fast that only Kael was able to react in time. Parrying the strike with his spear, but the whip wrapped around his weapon''s length. The second strike was aimed at Alex, who didn¡¯t have time to respond even with his speed. The second whip wrapped around his ankle, which Emily then realized was barbed. Luckily the Vital shell kicked in and prevented the tiny prongs from stabbing in. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t mean he could get away, as both specters yanked their whips, pulling Kael and Alex further away from the exit.

    With Alex¡¯s balance compromised he fell back onto his ass and was being slowly dragged in. Kael stood his ground and widened his stance preventing the specter from pulling him in any further.

    Seeing this Emily looked over at Nox and Cupcake.

    ¡°Keep going, we¡¯re right behind you. Get the Rime wolves to safety!¡±

    Then, changing her direction Emily moved toward where the two were struggling. Emily gathered up her vitality and aimed as best she could while running. She fired a bolt and guided it midair toward the one holding Alex¡¯s leg. She aimed at the specter¡¯s arm to force it to let go but the creature unexpectedly sacrificed its free arm to block the incoming projectile.

    The forearm made of ice and frost shattered into hundreds of shards but Alex¡¯s captor continued to hold the cord taunt.

    Alex had not been idle either, his speed increased as he actived his enhancement skill and climbed to his feet.

    Oscar seemed torn, on one hand, he glanced towards the exit, but on the other, he didn¡¯t seem to want to leave Kael. With a grunt, he turned and pivoted around Kael slashing at the whip.

    His dagger cut clean through the whip without any resistance. This caused the specter to stumble back but that was when Emily noticed its weapon lengthening again. It wasn¡¯t exactly repairing itself; instead, it was becoming thinner while defying the laws of momentum.

    Once he was freed Kael moved to help Alex but then he froze and his footing suddenly became unsteady. Emily felt it a second later as a spike of nausea began to take hold. It developed into aches across her body in a matter of mere seconds.

    Emily only just stopped herself from vomiting as the symptoms kept advancing at speeds she¡¯d never experienced before.

    Everyone slowed, save for Nox who had already made it to the door. He glanced back but when Emily shot him a queasy look that said ¡®run¡¯, he disappeared back the way they¡¯d come with Cupcake and Mist in tow.

    At this point, the middle coffin started to show movement as a specter rose from it.

    The difference with this one was both its size and the color of the first. A deep jade seemed to be mixed through the shards of frost on its body, causing the same light green smoke to shed off its body.

    Droplets of what looked like liquid nitrogen fell from the specter as tiny trails of vapor, before splatting onto the floor and hissing against the stone.

    Kael reacted faster than any of them expected and launched his spear at the still-moving target.

    The deadly projectile flew toward the skull of the large specter but was deflected at the last second by a deadly-looking flail that the specter held in its hand.

    Seeing his strike had failed didn¡¯t seem to bother Kael, in fact, he grinned viciously as he pulled his arm back and a delicate strand connected to his spear flashed in the light. The spear which was about to clatter to the ground suddenly changed directions and swung out. It cracked into the spinal collum of one of the smaller specters, causing it to go ridged and fall to the ground still.

    Kael had somehow hit the title stone, destroying it, but at this stage, their survival came before profit.

    It so happened to be the one currently holding Alex so the moment it dropped Alex was free.

    ¡°Fallback and scatter-¡±

    Kael began, but he didn¡¯t even manage to turn around before dropping to one knee and coughing blood. There was no hit, no sign, he just went down. Emily felt it a second later, like a disease working its way through her body, as though woken by some unknown trigger. With one move the specter had crippled all of them. Emily saw Alex and Oscar go down a second before her, but couldn¡¯t focus as her lungs ignited and a wracking cough overtook her. It was all Emily could do to move her life force from her chest as the sound of heavy footsteps neared them all, each one shaking the ground.

    Blood points: 97

 Chapter 66 - Entrenched by plague

    Emily watched as dark blood dripped from her nose and fell to the stone floor. Her body was rioting against her, refusing to get up even when she screamed at it to move. The biggest reason was coming, as the Speter lumbered towards them with lethal intent.

    Emily¡¯s muscles spasmed, and she just about hunched over her spine coiling with pain.

    The others weren''t doing much better, save for Kael who seemed to be enduring it with his skills.

    Things couldn¡¯t continue like this so Emily moved a small amount of vitality up from her chest and into her extremities.

    Normally Emily¡¯s power could stave off disease and in most cases, it prevented her from even being infected in the first place, but this was different. Somehow this specter was directly controlling plagues and using it to attack them. Worst still, this time frame didn¡¯t make any sense.

    It had been a matter of minutes and they were experiencing the advanced stages of disease.

    The thing was Emily¡¯s power couldn¡¯t stop it completely when the source of the skill was so close, but it could delay it. Burning through a small amount of vitality to push back the disease proved effective, allowing Emily to bundle it up and keep moving.

    Emily got to her feet she saw the specter had already halved the distance between them.

    Fine, they wanted to play with whips? Emily could play at that game.

    Pulling another piece of power from her chest caused a stream of blood to run from her hand and collected all the other nearby blood lessening the cost as a thick tendril of blood condensed him Emily¡¯s left hand.

    Swinging it outward she cracked the whip against the chest of the approaching specter, this caused it to take a step back as it narrowed its gaze on her. Emily felt as the disease in her body wrestled to get free but it was unable to break out of the packet of life force she¡¯d wrapped it in.

    That was when the smaller specter with the whip decided to intervene, bringing its weapon down towards Emily¡¯s skull.

    Her own whip was still recoiling from the previous hit but now it changed direction all at once and smacked into the incoming attack.

    The specter didn¡¯t give up and pulled back for another strike but Emily blocked that too. Parrying the block at the exact point of contact. The sound in the room was suddenly drowned out by a series of impacts as the two of them were evenly matched. Emily had no real skill with the whip, but she made up for it with her blood manipulation. On the other hand it was clear that whoever this specter had been in life was well-versed with the weapon. Perhaps even being supported by its title.

    While this was happening Kael moved to block the incoming specter, he glanced back at Oscar for just a second before they collided.

    ¡°Clear it, and help me fight. We¡¯re not getting away at this point.¡±

    After that, the cyan vapor pouring from his body seemed to double and his skin began to shine with perspiration.

    When Kael engaged he had the weapon advantage because the spear was far more effective in a large open space than a flail. However, even with that he still had to fight an opponent twice his size while wrestling against the disease. The unpredictability of the flail did not make it any easier.

    Oscar on the other hand seemed to get up and point his dagger at his own heart. At the point of contact spread black veins and even though he seemed in pain Oscar continued until his condition rapidly improved.

    Emily frowned, had he scoured away the disease? Was that something black source could do? When Oscar was up he glanced over at Alex who was still reeling on the ground. He seemed to pause in thought, but then he turned away and made for the battlefield.

    Moving past  Kael and his opponent, Oscar went straight for the whip-wielding menace Emily had been holding off.

    The moment they engaged in battle it freed Emily up to turn her weapon on the Viscount of Plague. It had been dangerously swinging its fail, forcing Kael back with each encounter. But when the blood whip came from behind it was forced to react and block Emily¡¯s attack. In doing so it left an opening and Kael capitalized on it. His spear was about to connect with its collarbone ¨Cor thereabouts¨C when the specter pulled the very same move as its subordinate had earlier.

    It moved its arm up into the path of the attack, scarificing it. If the spear had connected, Kael would have been able to end the fight then and there. Instead, the specter''s arm shattered releasing the sealed plague into the surroundings. Kael tried to back off but the cloud was too fast as it covered the area around him.

    The flail swung down and crashed into the Kael, sending him flying backward.

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    Unfortunately, he went flying past Alex leaving the guy completely without protection. Emily swung the blood whip down and lashed the specter but it seemed to have homed in on Alex¡¯s weakened form. Emily lashed the creature over and over, yet it paid her no mind, reaching down for Alex. Emily was about to abandon the whip and launch a spear when Alex suddenly rolled out of the way. He stood up, wobbling as he did so but raised his weapons as his skin flushed red as sweat poured down from his body. It looked like a heavy fever had taken hold, but then Emily realized that might be his plan. He was artificially raising his body temperature to slow down whatever ailment was festering inside him. Either way, it gave him enough time to dive out of the way of the second strike and the third as he tried to disengage.

    Kael had recovered by now and lunged back in taking some of the pressure off Alex. While Emily swung the blood whip once more and connected with the back of the creature¡¯s icy skull. She¡¯d been going for its title stone but it ducked at the last second.

    This time though, instead of breaking the connection Emily rooted the whip into the ice.

    The creature was far stronger than her but she used the base of the whip to root herself to the stone floor and pulled, causing the specter to become unbalanced. Alex was close enough to take advantage of this and tacked one of the thing''s legs. Leveraging his full weight into it and causing it to fall backward. The flail fell from its hand and Emily felt it the moment Oscar killed the other specter.

    This seemed to enrage the Viscount of Plague and a hollow screech echoed from its body. With its now free hand, it grabbed Emily''s blood whip, attached to its head, and ripped it free, pulling on it with its full strength. Emily¡¯s arms were suddenly yanked as the cords she¡¯d set down snapped like tree roots and she was sent flying into the air.

    While airborne Emily flipped herself and dissolved the whip in her hands, moving it to surround her. When she crashed on the other side of the creature, her blood cushioned the blow by expanding and retracting rapidly.

    The dissipated force meant she rolled onto her feet in seconds before reshaping the blood into a cord and latching onto the specter''s icy palm.

    With its remaining arm incapacitated, the specter wasn''t able to stop Alex from plunging his daggers into its neck and shattering the surrounding ice, exposing the title stone. Before he could land the killing blow, however, the ice around its neck suddenly expanded and crashed into both Kael and him. Alex went flying through the air like a kite with its strings cut and crashed to the ground while Kael blocked but his spear was sent spiraling out of his grip.

    Emily grunted and was about to take things into her own hands when Kael reached down with his bare hands and plunged it into the specter.

    At first, Emily thought it was a trick of the ice, but then she made out his hand as it seemed to turn to liquid and weave unnaturally into the space. His whole body then changed to become less physical.

    There was something unsettling about watching the man¡¯s hand twist and contort to fit into the groves of the ice as he grasped the title stone. When he took hold of the stone, the specter thrashed and attempted to knock him off with a headbutt, but Kael¡¯s body deformed and then rapidly reshaped itself.

    One final wail was all that it managed to get out before Kael pulled the stone from its home and the specter fell apart.

    Kael stood over the corpse panting as his body continued to ungulate like the tides before solidifying and becoming whole again. The skill must have taken a lot out of him because he fell to one knee as he got his breathing under control.

    ¡°Oscar get your ass over here!¡± he growled as he clutched his arm to his chest.

    Emily looked over to the man but the Viscount of Plague¡¯s vitality hit at that point causing her to stagger.

    Sitting down before she fell down Emily easily felt around ten lives worth of energy entering her. The problem was how cold it was getting. Shivers began to move down her body even though the room was boiling and got to the point where her teeth began to chatter. Things would have gotten worse if her vitality didn¡¯t kick in at the last moment. With that kill her threshold seemed to release and Emily felt the life force in her blood rapidly condensing down again.

    Emily closed her eyes and let the shift in her power deepen, feeling the changes.

    With the first threshold met she knew a fair amount of costs were halved. For example, she could now create double the amount of blood bolts for the price of one. The next technique was one she¡¯d missed the most, resorption. Holding out her hand all the blood in the room rushed toward her and entered through the pores in her skin, returning about two lives worth of life force to her. It still wasn¡¯t as much as directly feeding on someone but it made for a far easier time in combat. Not to mention clean up.

    While she was confirming everything was working Emily glanced up at Oscar and saw that he had already cleansed Kael of the disease.

    Alex was still on the floor breathing heavily so Emily made her way over.

    ¡°Hey, come fix him too¡± Emily pointed at Alex.

    Now that the specter was dead, the direct threat was gone and this meant that the plague would not advance unnaturally anymore, but it was still spread throughout their bodies.

    Oscar looked at Alex and pursed his lips.

    ¡°Boss I don¡¯t know if I have the strength to fix them both. It might be better for them to take a tonic and rest naturally.¡±

    Emily frowned.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m golden. Just fix him.¡± Emily couldn¡¯t help the nose bleed at that point as her body pushed out the infected, black blood.

    Kale made an annoyed grunt and took out a tonic.

    ¡°Here take it. Oscar get Alexander up. We don¡¯t have time to wait for him to recover naturally.¡±

    Oscar looked reluctant but nodded as he moved to Alex¡¯s side and placed the tip of his sword against his heart.

    Emily watched the man work with interest.

    ¡°I was under the impression only white source could heal¡±

    Oscar''s eyes remained on Alex as he worked but he did answer.

    ¡°Black source is the end of all things. Things like disease, poison, and curses rot away eventually. I¡¯m just accelerating that process.¡±

    Emily hadn¡¯t expected it but it turned out that black source was one of the most powerful purifying colors. Though that was probably to be expected seeing as its origin was the same as white. Turning back toward the entrance Emily looked around for Nox but didn¡¯t see him anywhere. He should have heard the quiet by now so then where was he? Poking her head out into the hallway Emily shifted but didn¡¯t see anything.

    ¡°Guys it looks like we are going to have to backtrack, I don¡¯t see Nox,¡± she said as she poked her thumb over her shoulder.

    Blood points: 107

 Chapter 67 - A trap or a haven

    Emily currently walked down the passage running her hand over the smooth, marble-like stone as their group of four left the chamber they had just fought in, to backtrack after Nox and the wolves. Alex was looking far better than just a few minutes ago, but they all needed rest, and Emily would riot soon if they didn¡¯t get any. The teenager had followed their advice and taken Cupcake and Mist out of the room, but now the problem came in finding them. If Alex was right, backtracking in the tomb could often be more dangerous than advancing through it.

    They had set up a fallback point and Nox should have retreated there but when they reached the spot they found nothing nor even any sign he had been there.

    Alex wanted to retract his steps but Emily had another idea. Calling to her blood she reached out to Cupcake. She couldn¡¯t get any emotions from the creature but she did get a general direction. With Alex''s help, she guided them all to where she the feeling was strongest but that turned out to be a dead end too.

    Emily frowned as they came face to face with a wall, placing her hand against it. Alex had warned about getting turned around down here but he seemed to be inspecting the wall in thought.

    ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain Cupcake is right behind this wall. I can¡¯t be certain Nox is with her but it''s the best option we have right now.¡± Emily muttered with a frown.

    Alex nodded and seemed to look either way down the long passage they had arrived in. There were no obvious identifiers and to be honest it all looked the same to Emily but Alex seemed to find a clue in the wall.

    ¡°There''s a seam here but I don¡¯t see a way to get around this even if we backtrack further.¡±

    ¡°So, it''s a secret entrance or something?¡± Emily asked.

    ¡°It''s possible, but I¡¯m not seeing any apparent wards nearby so unless they are hidden in the stonework I¡¯m at a loss. If I can¡¯t access them, I can¡¯t alter them.¡±

    Kael had been silent for a while, he¡¯d been inspecting the title stone they had gotten from the Viscount of Plague. Emily had to admit the thing looked impressive. It was similar to Emily¡¯s Fireborn title stone but this one was a perfect cube while her¡¯s was an octahedron. The title stone was a mix of jade and blackened quartz, making it look like a swirling storm of dark and green hues frozen in time.

    Her Fireborn stone on the other hand was a deep amber. They had discussed it a bit as they walked but Alex was certain that stone was more trouble than it was worth.

    All the other title stones that had gotten up to this point were of decent quality and rarity. Even the Fearmonger title, while rare did not have a high value because if found, it was more likely to be confiscated than bought. Of course, Kael being who he was, there were always ways around this. But the Viscount of Plague was an entirely different beast.

    This particular title was necessary for the maintenance of any settlement that was above a few thousand people.

    While the specter had used the title''s abilities to harm them. It was normally a title that dealt with plague prevention and eradication. It just so happened to be an incredibly deadly title if the wielder lost all sense of reason.

    As far as Alex could tell, an actual value could not be put to a stone like this. It was priceless, something that could elevate one''s station in life, but Kael would probably try his best to put a value to it.

    The other thing Emily noticed was how Kael was cradling his right arm. She¡¯d seen him take a tonic but from here it looked like he was suffering from a bad case of frostbite. Alex had mentioned not touching the specters, and it looked like this was the result. She was no doctor or Healer but it did not look like a pleasant experience.

    Alex was just finishing up inspecting the wall when Emily felt Cupcake moving away from their location.

    Looking up she began to follow along the wall until she came to a particular section where the connection with her Rime wolf felt strongest.

    Emily turned to say something but noticed a line of runes lighting up along this entire section of the corridor. She shouted for everyone to get ready, Alex dashed over to her in an attempt to get the runes but it was too late. The world shifted onto its side as the floor spun like it was on an axis and the entire corridor moved into the wall. All four of them fell to the side as a chamber opened up and they all collapsed into it. Kael and Alex stuck the landing while Oscar and Emily managed to lessen the fall, one by rolling and the other with a subtle use of her blood manipulation.

    When all four of them took in the room they saw a small uneven chamber with the sound of trickling water nearby.

    Nox stood up with a relieved face when he saw them enter.

    ¡°Oh, thank the five. I wasn¡¯t certain you¡¯d look for me.¡±

    Cupcake and Mist both stood up and moved to Emily and Alex respectively.

    Kael stepped forward and nodded.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Do not worry, we¡¯ll figure this out. What have you found in here?¡±

    Nox nodded and pointed into the center of the chamber.

    ¡°No specters, but there is that guy and some kind of¡­ deposit?¡±

    Nox pointed over to a small patch of dirt that actually had grass on it. In the middle, there was a rough-looking piece of stone, and leaning against it was a decayed skeleton. Unlike the ones in coffins, it looked like this one had a shattered bridge. The body had to have died on the stone itself because after many years the body had decayed to just bone. This room must have gone undisturbed since then leaving a deep stain running down the deposit in rivets. It was long since dried and gone but a dark red hue had remained.

    Light came from somewhere above and the trickling sound was from one of the walls nearby, where water trickled down at a constant rate. This was probably what was feeding the grass in here. The whole chamber was like its own little contained world.

    ¡°Have you had a chance to investigate what material that is?¡±

    ¡°Not yet, I hesitated in case there was another trap.¡±

    Kael shot him a raised brown but Alex interrupted their silent conversation.

    ¡°No need, I can tell what that is from here. It''s a refined source deposit and also the answer to us getting out of here.¡±

    Kaels head snapped around as he narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°There¡¯s just one problem,¡± Alex said

    ¡°Of course there is¡± Emily sighed.

    ¡°It needs to be processed and that''s not something we will be capable of doing down here.¡±

    ¡°How much do we need?¡± Kael frowned at the dark-looking metal.

    It reminded Emily of a raw piece of iron, or maybe an alien-looking meteorite.

    ¡°Well, this piece would at most make maybe three to four coins if you had the proper equipment and titles.¡±

    Kael glanced over to Nox who shook his head violently at his questioning gaze.

    ¡°Sorry boss. I don¡¯t think I have the strength to recover that. Plus, I¡¯d have to drop a lot of equipment just to store it¡±

    ¡°Is the area trapped?¡±

    Alex inspected the area for wards and though he frowned at the ancient corpsed, he shook his head.

    ¡°Right, well then all we need is small enough a chunk right?¡± As he said this he began to twirl his spear.

    Summoning up that vapor again he made two horizontal cuts into the stone. There was a grinding sound, followed by an explosion of water that vaporized shortly after impact, sending the top portion of the metal flying. Now That Emily was close up she could see a sheen on the larger piece of stone, almost as though it had been pressure-washed.

    ¡°Oscar help Alexander strap this thing to his wolf. We¡¯ll have them carry it until Nox can handle storing it¡±

    Emily looked down at the section of rock that had come off the stone. It was manageable but it was by no means light. From the looks of things, Kael had sheered off just about a fourth of the total stone.

    ¡°You should be able to use it in any form right?¡± Kael asked.

    Alex frowned at the stone but nodded.

    ¡°Good, then let''s make sure this place is safe then we will rest here. Alexander, work on a way to get us out of here. I can break us out if need be but it''s a draining skill, so let''s find another way.¡±

    They all took some time to explore the small room and make sure nothing would jump out at them but when they were certain everyone separated.

    Kael moved over to the wall with water trickling from it and began to rummage through his pack, taking out a vial. At the same time, Oscar went to a corner and tried to get some sleep.

    Emily on the other hand turned back the way they¡¯d come and noticed that this side had visible wards.

    As of yet, she only knew a handful of written runes, but she could make out the ¡®input¡¯ she¡¯d seen often on other large wards. It was followed by another rune That Emily didn¡¯t quite understand, but was fairly certain was the line that would trigger the rest of the ward. Alex came a few minutes later and confirmed it, stating that the rune acted as a way to feed power into the ward from the tomb''s main control ward. Similar to an electrical grid, that rune would connect the ward to the source when a trigger was met and unseal the door.

    At that point, Nox came over and joined Alex¡¯s impromptu ward lesson.

    Emily didn¡¯t mind and actually found it interesting as Alex untangled the mess of runes, explaining what he was doing at the same time to his audience. Emily hated to admit it but he was a good teacher. As he explained he altered the effect of the wards by using a couple of chalk lines to reverse the process and get it to spin in the reverse direction. He was fairly certain that if they just activated the ward again it would probably crush them into the ground. They were lucky Alex knew what he was doing. If it was anyone else they would have starved to death, trapped in this room

    When everything was said and done Emily decided she wanted to see her stars. With all the things they had been killing surely that had been enough to rank her up. Leaving Alex on guard, Emily leaned against her pack and tried to get a couple of hours of sleep.

    The stars came eventually and they seemed both excited and lethargic as she watched them arrange themselves.

    ¡®24 - second threshold released at rank 25¡¯

    Skill threshold released at rank 25

    Active slot: Scarlet sister - access to the Scarlet sister skill tree, along with the Blood Mage skill tree.

    Increased learning speed when consuming blood, this is further increased if the blood is given willingly. Increased learning speed when studying blood wards.

    Passive slot: Explorer - Increased learning speed when engaged with new environments.

    Passive slot: Mercenary- Increased learning speed when accepting missions for coin. This is further increased when in proximity to the sub-species[Rime wolf].

    Emily pouted at her rank. It was clearly mocking her. If she had managed to earn just one more, she¡¯d have access to her new skills¡ªskills that would significantly boost their chances of survival down here. Pushing aside her disappointment, Emily tried to get as much sleep as possible before Alex woke up to take his turn. They had been rotating every two hours, ensuring each of them got a chance to recover.

    Once everyone was well-rested, Alex placed his hand over the trigger rune, and in a blink, they were back in the hallway.

    Kael had them mark the area, making it easier to return if time permitted. They would need more manpower to transport the rest of the metal, but once they regrouped with the others, that would not be an issue.

    As they headed back toward the chamber where they had fought just hours earlier, they found the coffins brimming with old coins. There were far too many for them to carry alone¡ªthough Kael certainly gave it a try. Emily, meanwhile, happily pocketed as many handfuls as she could. If they made it out of here, she¡¯d have quite a pretty penny to spend.

    Continuing to the next room, they encountered more specter guards but managed to press on, making their way deeper into the tomb''s innermost sanctum.

    Blood points: 108

 Chapter 68 - A final roadblock

    Two orbs of blood rotated above Emily¡¯s palm as she watched the approaching Frostborn¡ªanother magic user they had been struggling with since arriving on this floor.

    Alex, Oscar, and Kael were dealing with the two Juggernauts at the end of the room so that Emily and Nox could take care of the rest.

    Nox had already let loose several crossbow bolts but most were blocked with a wall of ice that moved into place just in time before reforming and forcing Cupcake back.

    Emily used the distraction to increase the speed of the blood orbs in her hand and pushed their destructive nature to their maximum.

    With Emily¡¯s gifts moving into the intermediate stage, she had far more room to manipulate her blood. She only needed a single life''s worth to make two blood bolts. This meant that if she was able to kill this creature with one attack she would make a net profit of a life.

    Accelerating the blood, Emily spun them faster and faster until they were just a blur. Making it look like she had a ring of crimson in her hand.

    When the technique had reached a fixed speed, Emily slammed them together and released all the force she had been building up behind it. The projectiles flew ahead, guided by the screaming wizz through the air.

    The Frostborn turned and created a wall of reflective ice between itself and Emily. However, that was what she had been hoping for. Because the moment it put up a shield, she merged the two projectiles and shaped the bolt into that of a drill.

    When the projectile hit, there was a thundering sound of ice cracking and then the specter''s neck exploding.

    At the same time, Emily felt the two Juggernauts behind her die and the three specters'' life force merged with her own.

    Breathing out Emily could see a plume of frost coming from her mouth as it was made visible in the stifling room.

    The battle quietened as they cleared yet another room but Kael came over with a dismayed look.

    ¡°Emily, couldn¡¯t you have tried to save the title stone? You''re literally burning money here.¡±

    She grunted and looked at the man with a wry expression.

    ¡°Look, as long as we keep moving I¡¯m happy. I don¡¯t want to fight with my hands tied behind my back because of a fancy rock. Besides you have plenty of those by now.¡±

    Emily wasn''t exaggerating, they had been moving through the third floor at a decent rate and come across close to thirty specters.

    Unfortunately, when Emily had to fight Juggernauts they always required a couple of hits to take down. Robbing Emily of most of the energy she made from the kill.

    The magic users were the most profitable for her, and as of yet, she''d managed to store around ten more lives than when she started. Plus the ones from this room made for a decent buffer against her threshold.

    Kael and Emily continued to argue but Alex suddenly looked around and spoke.

    ¡°If things continue at this rate I think we should be reaching the stairs soon. We managed to bypass it because of the trap on the last floor but you should know there will probably be an obstacle blocking our way to the fourth floor.¡±

    Kael suddenly got serious, his head turning to look at Alex.

    ¡°You have any idea what we are going to face?¡±

    Alex didn¡¯t pause and instead came right out with it.

    ¡°Actually, yes. There is a high chance that the next room will contain a powerful group of specters. The thing is, if we can get past them we should be in the clear. The fourth floor should be comparatively smaller, allowing us to get in and out. That¡¯s only if we can evade the protector of the tomb, but one problem at a time.¡±

    ¡°Any idea what kind of title we¡¯ll be running into.¡±

    Alex nodded again.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure exactly but I can guess. From the way this place is set up, it will probably be something on the cusp of nobility or even half royalty. There shouldn¡¯t be any religious titles as the empire didn¡¯t seem to have any love for faith.¡±

    Everyone fell silent as Emily rubbed Cupcake''s rough fur. She had already experienced a taste of what a noble title could offer. She could only imagine the kind of power it held higher up the totem pole.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take a look and see what we can do. We¡¯ve come this far and quite honestly our people are counting on me to bring them home. So failure was never an option.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Oscar muttered something under his breath but Emily couldn¡¯t make it out. Nox just looked terrified, he said he¡¯d recovered enough to use a small amount of power so they¡¯d ben saving it in case they needed it. The Rime wolves were in good condition but quite frankly they were out of their element down here.

    Alex looked the most ready out of everyone, in fact, he looked impatient. Emily on the other hand was quite content with the current situation, she only needed to continue amassing power down here. As every fight got her closer to her previous power.

    To be honest, in her old world, it had taken her years to get to the level she was right now. The conditions had never been so favorable to her, and she could only steal power where she could find it. But here, it was like an all-you-could-eat buffet, who knew what height she could reach in this environment?

    They explored the next couple of rooms carefully but found no obstacles. No traps whatsoever and not even any specters.

    They when they arrived at a door of sorts.

    Strangely enough, it opened on its own when they got in proximity. Alex had noticed the wards and triple-checked them before they proceeded, but it was almost as though the tomb was welcoming them to challenge it.

    When the door had slid away to reveal a set of stairs Emily had looked at Alex, yet the man never relaxed his tense posture. It was only once they had traveled the hallway down the staircase and came into a large open hall that Emily could make out what was in store for them.

    The room was a large rectangle that had another set of stairs leading the remainder of the way down. The problem was that in these vaulted and decorated halls, there was but one coffin here, and it was already opened.

    The specter stood nearby, waiting in the room as still as a statute. Though it was different all that came before it. There the others had been made from bone and ice. This corpse had been buried with a large set of shining armor. Even now it reflected the bluish light in this room, years of neglect unable to dull its sheen.

    The walls were carved from stone, each detail crafted with a spectacular eye, bringing the room to life with images of battle and death. Wars raged in the stone carvings, and as they descended the final step, an ominous air settled over the room. Emily spotted a small plaque protruding from the wall meant to be for anyone entering the room to read.

    Emily took her time, but what was on there was simple.

    ¡°I am my Prince¡¯s blade. I fought in life, and I will fight in death.

    There is no way forward but through me.

    Come, fall to my blade.

    Duke of Crows and Slaughter.¡±

    Oscar cursed and looked at Kael.

    ¡°You have to be kidding me. A Duke and it''s got two monikers? We can¡¯t handle that! Let alone whatever is beyond this room.¡±

    Emily now noticed the birds weaved in through all the surrounding motifs and narrowed her eyes at them.

    Emily had learned from Alex that when one advanced a title enough it became more focused and powerful. Depending on one''s actions, they could shift their abilities in a particular direction.

    This specter must have killed so many people in life that it got tied into its title. The thing was, Alex had said that the process took hundreds of ranks to begin splitting from the mold.

    Granted, the specter wasn¡¯t even half as good at its living counterpart but if it got ahold of them it could very possibly rip them to pieces.

    Kael signed.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much of a choice. Going back at this stage is impossible.¡±

    ¡°So we should just throw our lives away. Because that''s what you''re asking me to do right now. I don¡¯t know if I can follow this order.¡±

    Kael glared at Oscar.

    ¡°Your other option is to stay here and starve to death.¡±

    Oscar started but Alex interrupted him.

    ¡°Both are bad options, but there might be a third one.¡±

    Oscar stopped and glared at Alex.

    ¡°Seeing as the specter is out in the open and is refusing to advance I might be able to give us an opening. All we need to do is get past this thing and when I get to the control ward I should be able to weaken it enough for us to deal with it.¡±

    Kael looked on at the creature.

    ¡°What would you do?¡±

    ¡°Just another ward, only this time I¡¯ll use it to make a distraction. One big enough that we can get by.¡±

    ¡°How certain are you that it won¡¯t follow us?¡±

    Alex pursed his lips.

    ¡°It definitely will, but if I¡¯m right, the fourth floor should be tiny and allow us to make it to the control rune. At the very least I can slow the creature down.¡±

    Kael rubbed his forehead and then shrugged.

    ¡°Good enough for me. What about you Oscar?¡±

    Oscar looked at the immobile specter and then back at Alex.

    ¡°Fine but once this is over I want double pay.¡±

    Kael laughed.

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! What do you need Alexander?¡±

    It turned out that Alex didn¡¯t need regents as he had everything else on hand. The source chalk was the only thing Nox had to pull for him.

    Alex didn¡¯t bother explaining how this ward worked, instead, he drew the lines precisely and double-checked everything. As a finishing touch, he added the unrefined source stone into the center to act as a battery.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t use all of it then we can retrieve it later.¡±

    When everything was done they got ready to run. Emily hopped up on Cupcake and Nox joined her. Kale would run alone, while Alex and Oscar would ride Mist.

    The moment Alex set off the ward they tore into the room. In response, the specter looked up for the first time since they spotted it. It reached behind itself and drew the largest greatsword Emily had ever seen. The edge was still sharp, flaring out at the blade''s tip, making it terrible for stabbing but adding an extra terrifying arc for slashing.

    Their small group charged into the room at full speed, and with that, the activation of the ward took hold. Light burst into the room from behind them, sending rays of multicolored reflections across the walls.

    All at once, their small party was surrounded by copies of themselves. Emily saw another Emily riding Cupcake pull up next to her, then accelerate. The projection moved faster than any of them and leaped at the specter, who, to Emily¡¯s surprise, reacted in time by turning to cut it out of the air. The moment it did, chains burst from its body and wrapped around the sword. Suddenly, the specter¡¯s movements slowed as another image of Kael arrived and exploded into chains. With each apparition, the specter''s speed slowed further, and it began to struggle to keep up. They weren¡¯t even a third of the way into the room when Emily sensed movement in the walls around them. She¡¯d missed it before, but now small life signs began clawing their way into existence.

    All hell broke loose a second later as the stone birds from the walls began to crawl out of the murals, taking flight around them.

    The air was suddenly filled with the sounds of hundreds of fluttering wings as a cloud of black feathers swirled through the room.

    Blood points: 123

 Chapter 69 - Reasonable recourse

    All around them, the air churned with malice and screeches from the surrounding crows. Emily could pinpoint the exact point at which they fell on their little party. When the specter flicked its wrist, and the murder of crows descended.

    Emily Immediately covered herself in a half-dome of blood as a stream of bodies pressed in around them, clawing and pecking at their faces.

    She could barely tell how the others were faring as feathers and bodies crashed around her screen.

    Cupcake had to slow to a stop as the birds thickened and blacked out their vision. Up ahead Emily could feel Alex getting further away. Then the sound of the specter''s armor grinding against itself tore through the air and a swish descended. What followed was the sound of the colossal weapon crashing into the stone, shaking the very tomb itself. When the crows had passed Emily got a better view of the situation. Kael had already arrived near the enemy but he hadn¡¯t attempted to block the strike instead he had deflected it and dove out of the way of the remaining shock wave.

    Kael shouted something to the others but Emily couldn¡¯t hear from where she was. He kept moving as he ducked and dodged the incoming attacks, never remaining in one spot for long.

    Such was the specter¡¯s strength that its every swing seemed to disturb the air currents in the room.

    Alex and Oscar hung back searching for an opening, even as the crows were making their way about again.

    Their only saving grace was that the specter''s speed seemed heavily inhibited. The chains made up of faint light draped off the thing with minds of their own. Whenever the specter moved, they attached themselves to the nearest section of ground or wall. Doing their best to inhibit its movement.

    Nox had his crossbow raised but he was hesitating to attack with their allies in the way. Emily glanced back and shouted over the rustling wings.

    ¡°Nox fire into the swarm, take out as many as you can!¡±

    With that, she turned in Cupcake''s saddle and reshaped her half dome into a net. Adding a little more power to thicken the delicate mesh of blood as it expanded.

    Nox began firing bolts into the flock, not concerned with aiming, and yet still causing crows to fall from the skies.

    Emily could only cover a portion of the large room but the moment the crows crashed into her barricade she grunted as it warped. Their bodies were heavier than she expected. Almost as though made from the very stone they had come from. To top it off, their numbers were far from manageable, easily in the hundreds.

    Using the net as a medium, Emily created spikes in the air and began reaping the crow''s lives. They went down with a single spike through their bodies but even as she let their corpses crash to the ground, more arrived.

    Chunks of stone shattered and chipped, as whatever skill was animating them, fell away.

    Emily hadn¡¯t expected it, but she felt a tide of life force crash into her. It took four crows even to equate one life but as more of them fell, the trickle became a flood.

    A chill entered Emily¡¯s body that began to run through her veins like ice. Frostbite set in and Emily had to stop killing them when close to twenty lives came pouring in. Normally, Emily would welcomed this energy, but life conduit was not working in her favor right now. It kept pulling in more vitality and seeing as Emily didn¡¯t have a limit, the cold continued to progress into her extremities. Frost began to coil over her arms as the flock washed over them.

    Stopping the remaining birds turned out to be impossible, so Emily pulled the net in and switched to covering herself, Nox, and Cupcake.

    ¡°Feathered fucks at you six o¡¯clock¡± she called

    Alex responded by ducking behind Mist who battered away a few before the sweeping shadows blocked Emily¡¯s vision again.

    All the while, Kael was fighting the specter. He hadn¡¯t managed to get around it either way, but he was fast enough to keep it occupied.

    It was becoming clear that they were heavily outclassed here. Even with the ward Alex had set up beforehand, Kael was only just able to keep pace.

    If Emily could just kill a few more crows they might not be so pressed, but the cold was still beating in her chest as the life force mixed with her own.

    The problem was timing. She wouldn¡¯t have enough time to let the new vitality settle before the crow''s next charge.

    ¡°Keep firing Nox!¡± Emily shouted

    Ushering Cupcake forward she closed the distance to Mist. Alex was still taking cover behind his wolf as he sunk a dagger into a flailing crow.

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    ¡°This won¡¯t work! Their energy is like poison we need to come up with another plan!¡±

    Alex looked up and to the Specter. He nodded and cleaned off his blade against his pant leg.

    ¡°Kael, I¡¯m going to give you an opening! Use to get us past!¡±

    Alex didn¡¯t wait for a response from the man and instead covered the back of his neck while extending his dagger out in front of himself.

    The tip glowed and he must have triggered some skill because suddenly he began to write in mid-air. The blade carved out glowing runes until the heat near Alex became sickening. A smell of fresh ozone filled the air and the hair on the back of Emily¡¯s neck stood on end. Her eyes widened as she looked on at the glowing set of runes before they discharged. A column of lightning as thick as Emily¡¯s wrist shot forth from the tip of his blade and crashed into the specter, causing arcs of lightning to coil from the metal armor before channeling into the surrounding stone. Kael had already backed off but he charged back in when he saw his opportunity.

    Using the butt of his spear he cracked it into the left side of the specter¡¯s huge body. The strike was powerful enough to send the creature hurtling a couple of steps to the right.

    Seeing the opening, everyone made a run for it.

    However, the specter recovered quicker than any of them expected, flipping its blade to the flat side and swinging it recklessly, aiming to crush anyone who dared to approach.

    The swing alone came with a wave of air pressure that lifted their clothing and when Emily saw it coming she pulled on Cupcake¡¯s reins. The Rime wolf saw the attack coming and vaulted backward, the same could not be said for Mist, who tried to abandon his charge but was far closer to the specter.

    Alex was only partway on the saddle when he saw it coming.

    Emily grunted and vaulted from Cupcakes back in the direction of the incoming blade.

    She crashed into Alex and shot a cord of blood to the nearby wall of the chamber. Pulling them both flush with the stone.

    When the strike came it narrowed missed them. Oscar fell from the saddle before a pained yelp issued forth from Mist, sending everyone backward.

    Emily used her blood to endure the terrifying wind pressure, but then she noticed that in its effort to stop them all, the specter had been forced to take a step from the exit.

    In doing so, it had given her the perfect opportunity to bypass it.

    Emily didn''t hesitate and coiled the remaining blood around both herself and Alex, shooting them through the gap. The specter noticed them right away and swung its blade around to cut them mid-leap, but Kael arrived under it and knocked its horizontal swipe off target. Just enough that it went right over their heads.

    Recovering as she landed Emily and Alex looked back. Everyone else found themselves pushed back to where they were a few seconds ago, unable to progress. Mist was clearly hurt as it limped away, while Oscar was climbing to his feet.

    Alex looked worriedly at Mist but then Kael''s call bounced through the room.

    ¡°Run you idiots! I¡¯ll hold it here as long as I can before retreating!¡±

    Emily saw that the specter was already turning toward them as though it wanted nothing more than to erase them from existence.

    Their little maneuver had gotten them the specter''s undivided attention.

    Alex tore his eyes away from Mist and cursed.

    ¡°GO! We¡¯ll deactivate the control ward, just hang on!¡±

    Then without looking back, he tore toward the staircase. Emily sent Cupcake instructions to be safe before she ran after him.

    The specter called it crows and they descended on Alex and Emily. Kael stabbed his spear into the specter''s ankle but the thing barely noticed. Its icy gaze solely locked on the two of them.

    Emily threw up another net as they crossed the threshold of the room. Delving into the spiraling corridor, taking two steps at a time.

    A glance back saw the hundreds of crows pushing their way through the net to get to them. Emily¡¯s blood only held for a second before tearing and falling apart, but by then, they were already a good way away from the flock. Emily thought they would catch up to them in no time but they must have reached some skill boundary because they started falling from the air without rhythm or reason. The remaining crows squawked at them from afar before turning back to go assist their master.

    A scream of rage echoed out of the chamber above followed by the sound of earth-shacking impacts.

    Neither of them slowed as they hurtled their way down the staircase.

    Adrenaline pumped through Emily¡¯s veins as they got to the bottom. Panting and gasping for breath she turned back to make sure nothing was following them. Now that they had stopped running the quiet of the tomb had returned in force, not even the battle above could be heard.

    Alex was already investigating the next door. It was a simple affair, almost concerningly so. If this was really the type of place that Alex said it was. She expected more decoration and fluff, but the door ahead was completely blank with no runes running along its perimeter.

    Alex hesitated before turning to look at her

    ¡°Emily¡­ listen to me. No matter what you see in here. You can not bend the knee.¡±

    She wrinkled her nose.

    ¡°You mean kneel? I''ve never done that before I don¡¯t intend to start now.¡±

    Alex looked more serious than Emily had ever seen him before.

    ¡°No, Emily, you don¡¯t get it. Once we enter you¡¯re going to want to. I¡¯m afforded some protection, but you are going to be on your own. No matter what you do, don¡¯t bow. Or you¡¯ll become his.¡±

    Emily''s brow twitched.

    ¡°His?¡±

    Alex nodded and Emily glanced at the door. Yet another question to add to the pile. He knew exactly what was behind the door.

    ¡°So all I have to do is not bow? Got it. Now we should get moving.¡±

    Alex took a moment to compose himself before he pressed his hands on the doors.

    They slid open of their own accord revealing a throne room.

    The chamber itself was undecorated, though Emily saw signs of tatter tapestries that had once hung from the ceiling and decorations that had rusted into obscurity.

    Their eyes moved to the end of the chamber, where Emily felt a sense of awe overcome her. her eyes fell on a grande throne that stood at odds with its surroundings. It was made of stone, yet it carried countless cuts and slashes, as though torn into by a bladed edge.

    Emily felt an inviting call into the room and as Alex stepped into the chamber, so did she.

    It was as though they were entering a sacred hall and an unfamiliar reverence began to take hold in her mind.

    As Emily looked around, the lost and damaged halls had been restored to their once great glory. Ornaments hung from the wall and bright colors filled out the room. Purple and gold swaths of cloth hung from their place on the ceiling, but none of this could be compared to what currently sat on the throne.

    Emily had expected another specter, but instead, a human male relaxed into the unblemished throne a look and welcome flashing across his face.

    ¡°Greetings my subjects. You may take a knee¡±

    Blood points: 142

 Chapter 70 - Battle of monarchs: Part one

    Emily stared at the throne where a handsome corpse watched them. It hadn¡¯t moved since asking them to bow, and Emily pressed her lips together.

    It was hard to make out at first, but if she squinted, she could see the face of the specter. This wasn¡¯t an illusion fueled by magic¡ª his sheer presence was warping the chamber itself. Emily¡¯s vision wavered between two realities: one of cold danger and another of righteous domination.

    As she struggled to reconcile these conflicting sensations, another wave of power pulsed from the specter. A sense of nobility washed over her, followed by a wave of nausea. The throne was alluring, and the longer she stood there, the stronger the pull to approach became.

    Behind them, the doors slid shut with a finality that made Emily''s stomach drop. There was no going back.

    The specter¡¯s voice broke the silence.

    ¡°I invited you in to fall at my feet. Why do you linger? Come, your Prince insists.¡±

    Its mouth didn¡¯t move, but the command tugged at Emily¡¯s will. The urge to step forward was almost irresistible, and she realized why Alex had warned her.

    The creature¡¯s words alone were enough to make her take a step toward the throne.

    Alex walked beside her, speaking softly.

    ¡°Play along until we get to that corridor. It¡¯s not alive, no matter how it seems.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes darted around, searching for the side passage.

    There it was¡ªa corridor branching off from the main hall. They¡¯d have to pass it to reach the throne, but it was still a long way off.

    They had only made it halfway through the chamber when the specter raised a hand.

    ¡°Halt. No further. You may bow from there.¡±

    Emily¡¯s muscles tensed as her body moved without her permission. The pull to bow became overwhelming, stronger than any compulsion she¡¯d ever felt. It reminded her of the subtle title manipulations she¡¯d experienced before, but this was far worse¡ªon a whole other level.

    Her knees trembled, the pressure to kneel almost unbearable.

    But Emily wasn¡¯t one to submit. The mere thought of bowing to another ignited a fierce anger within her. How dare anyone expect her to bare her neck like this?

    The specter¡¯s gaze flicked between her and Alex, his shadowy face twisting into a displeased frown.

    ¡°You will bow, or you will die.¡±

    Emily¡¯s resolve only hardened. She wasn¡¯t going to bow to anyone, living or dead.

    Alex glanced at her, sweat dripping down his forehead.

    ¡°Can you move?¡±

    She grunted.

    ¡°Yes... You do what needs to be done. I¡¯ve got a date with this thing. I¡¯ll buy you time.¡±

    ¡°Good. Then get ready.¡±

    No sooner had the words left his lips than Alex bolted toward the side tunnel.

    The specter screeched, its voice sharp and unnatural.

    ¡°You dare? Seize him!¡±

    It pointed at Alex, and the room¡¯s temperature plummeted. Icicles formed in the air, and ghostly figures appeared, closing in on Alex.

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened as the faint outlines of armored guards materialized around him. They hadn¡¯t noticed her yet¡ªbut that would change if she moved.

    Her hand shot forward, calling to her blood, and a crimson whip lashed out.

    ¡°Duck!¡±

    Alex dropped just in time, and the blood whip sliced through the ghostly guards, scattering them like smoke.

    He gave a quick nod and continued his sprint for the door.

    Emily took a step toward the throne, drawing the specter¡¯s full ire.

    ¡°If you want me to bow, you¡¯ll have to come down here and make me.¡±

    The specter¡¯s form trembled with rage, letting out an unearthly wail.

    ¡°Death to the intruders!¡±

    The sound was deafening, the cry of a being long dead yet still clinging to power. Emily grimaced, her stomach churning. This thing was far beyond the enemies they had faced before. Its power was a shadow of what it once was, but even this remnant was formidable.

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    But it was just that¡ªa remnant. A hollow echo of a long-gone ruler.

    Emily¡¯s blood stirred with anticipation. If she gave it everything from the start, she could delay him.

    A grin spread across her face as crimson welled up from her pores, and her blood sang in her veins.

    Red splayed out of Emily, as a gown fell gently around her waist. The dull color of her eyes ignited like two rubies in the chamber''s pale light. Finally, a delicate crown gathered above her head. It was still imperfect but the moment it appeared the chamber stilled.

    When Emily had first gotten to this world she managed to scrape together enough life force to mimic this technique, but it had only been a shadow of what she was capable of. Having reached her threshold and having so much extra life force at her disposal it was worlds apart from what she had manifested a short while ago

    Guards had seemingly abandoned the chase for Alex, and this allowed him to slip away down the corridor unnoticed. The problem was that as Emily stared up at their Prince she felt something shifting in the air.

    The specter''s anger was palpable as it screamed again, no longer capable of using words. Its full attention had shifted to Emily, or to be more exact the crown that floated above her head. It wanted her dead as a doornail and with a sweep of its palm, it gave the order.

    Waves of ghostly bodies pressed in from all around her, rushing to hold Emily down

    A harsh light came from her shield as she activated Vital Shell.

    ¡°Don''t like that, do you? Well then, come let me show why the people of my world call me the Empress.¡±

    A second blood whip shot out from Emily¡¯s shoulder and swiped out, tearing through several guards.

    The image of the man was fading but Emily caught sight of his face as the illusion dissipated.

    It was a look of concern.

    The specter''s form overshadowed the Prince¡¯s body and wailed orders to the chamber.

    Two more whips joined her firsts and lashed out of their own accord at the ranks of ghostly guards. The creatures moved in from all directions but were unable to even get near her as the whips scattered their forms.

    Pretty soon Emily came across another problem. Every swipe of her blood dissipated the guards surrounding numbers but they would just reform shortly after and keep advancing. Emily had not felt any life force join her own, which meant that she had not managed to kill any yet.

    The specter had begun to descend the two or three steps down to her level as it drew a sword of ice from its scabbard. Or at least that¡¯s what Emily first thought before she realized it was made of some kind of crystal.

    Sadly, because Emily was keeping an eye on the Prince, she missed the pair of ghostly hands coming from the ground near her feet.

    They grabbed onto her ankles and Emily hissed as the Vital Shell activated but was unable to block out the cold. The blood around her boot froze and Emily cursed, but then a grin broke through her pain. At the point of contact, Emily felt a connection to the creature come into being.

    Letting out a laugh, Emily activated her gifts and drew the specter into herself. It wailed and began to break down as it turned into a pure life force. As it turned out these creatures had no physical body and as such no defense against her abilities when they made direct contact with her.

    It was the same as if she had just directly fed from them directly.

    The cold followed shortly but Emily ignored it for now. More guards followed but Emily began ignoring them in favor of focusing on the specter.

    However, she didn''t expect what came next. Instead of closing the distance and attacking her with the sword, it took out a crystal scepter that matched the blade.

    With a sweep of its weapon, a ripping sound filled the air, and a hail of conjured arrows materialized around it. Formed of ice, they shot toward Emily without hesitation.

    Seeing this, Emily switched her tactic and threw up a wall of blood. The screen rippled as wave after wave crashed against it. Gritting her teeth Emily could feel the power behind each strike.

    The Prince used no hand gestures and yet Emily felt the magic continuing to rain down on her. Emily glanced over to the empty passage Alex had escaped down.

    Emily clenched her jaw and sighed. She wouldn¡¯t get anywhere if she held anything back, so concentrating on her blood Emily lifted herself into the air, moving out of the hail of arrows.

    Flight was one of the first things Emily had learned to use her powers for, it was just incredibly resource-intensive. But even so, it was an invaluable trick. Emily put it on the same level as burning money to keep warm, and even though she had reached the first threshold it was still a quick way to go broke, so she only used it in bursts now.

    Emily launched herself into the air and dropped right in front of the door.

    She lashed out at the guards nearby, but one of them got through. It grabbed hold of her but Emily consumed it as well.

    The screen of blood was still up but Emily could feel the specter had abandoned the arrows. She made a gap to see what was happening and her eyes widened. The arrows from earlier had melted and condensed into a ball, coming to rest above the Prince''s scepter.

    With one short motion, it flicked its wrist in her direction and she knew she had to get out of the way.

    Pulling all her blood in she dove to the side as the ball arrived and shook the tomb. The impact caused a burst of heat and cold to explode out, causing the ground where Emily had been moments ago to glow like molten rock and then freeze over. Emily had blocked the residual heat with a thirty-centimeter-thick wall of blood but even then, it evaporated more than half of the blood before flash-freezing the rest.

    Seeing the destruction had not even spared the guards Emily turned to look at the exit to the room.

    ¡°Alex you almost found what you are looking for? This guy was getting testy!¡±

    Emily eye¡¯s widened when another ball began to form on the end of his scepter. Getting no response from Alex, Emily dove into the air and floated a couple of meters off the ground.

    More guards reached for Emily, but she had stopped defending against them entirely. The moment they touched her, they dissipated and became part of her reserves.

    Goosebumps broke out over her skin, and she was losing feeling in her fingertips for the dozenth time that day, but Emily ignored it. She refused to take her eyes off the specter, knowing that missing even one projectile could mean death.

    Smacking two blood orbs together, Emily began to create an attack of her own, rotating them at increasingly faster speeds.

    The second orb of energy fired from the Prince¡¯s scepter, and she launched her own downward. When they collided, a burst of heat followed by cold filled the room, but since it occurred midair, no real destruction followed.

    Seeing they were evenly matched, Emily smirked at the creature. The specter paused, looking up at her floating form, and cocked its head. With a hand gesture, the guards who had been trying to find an opening from the start retreated.

    Panting, Emily snorted, but her eyes widened as she saw the specter raise its sword vertically in front of its face before charging toward her.

    Emily¡¯s smirk faded as she realized the specter was closing the distance.

    "Just, great..." Emily muttered.

    Blood points: 133

 Chapter 71 - Battle of monarchs: Part two

    When the crystal-clear blade approached Emily¡¯s neck, she knew she needed to dodge. The dagger she had interposed to block the strike was hopelessly ill-equipped to stop this blade. Only her sharp intuition saved her as she dropped towards the ground, lowering altitude enough for the transparent blade to swing overhead. Expecting the impact of metal on metal¡ªor whatever that thing was made of¡ªEmily braced herself, but instead, there was nothing. A shriek of tearing metal filled the air, and when Emily looked up, her dagger had been cut cleanly in two. The broken half was still mid-fall, on its way to the ground.

    Even from her elevated position, a few meters in the air, Emily had to crane her neck to look up at the specter¡¯s ¡®face.¡¯ It somehow felt mocking as it passed through the air beside her.

    Emily¡¯s face lost all emotion as she let the handle drop from her grip.

    If steel couldn¡¯t stop that blade, then there was no point in blocking it in the first place. She launched herself backward as gravity took hold of the specter at the zenith of its jump.

    By the looks of things, the only advantage she had was the fact that she could fly.

    That thought wasn¡¯t comforting, especially when the creature landed and immediately prepared to launch itself again.

    Emily grunted and gathered her blood quickly, shaping it into a crescent and launching it toward the approaching specter. It slashed at the arc and cleaved it in two, but not before Emily managed to detonate the blood.

    This caused cracks in its sword arm but not much else. On the other hand, the specter¡¯s blade was still on its way here, so Emily dove out of the way as it passed.

    Unfortunately, the creature was fast¡ªfast enough to use its backswing to clip Emily¡¯s arm. Steel couldn¡¯t stop this blade, and although her gown would one day be stronger than steel, she didn¡¯t have the energy to spare right now. The Vital Shell had long since been depleted by the guards so the blade went straight through her unguarded wrist, bone and all.

    Emily groaned as her hand fell to the ground.

    The wound smarted like a bitch, but she couldn¡¯t afford to focus on that at the moment. Concentrating, Emily had to time it just right.

    Her blood was ripped from her abandoned hand before it even touched the ground, which Emily then used to form a blood bolt.

    Because of the proximity, she had no problem aiming it at the specter''s breastplate and firing. The force alone was enough to crack ribs¡ªor in this case, ice¡ªbut the specter didn¡¯t flinch, even as it tumbled out of the air and crashed to the ground. It picked itself up and prepared to jump again.

    Which was exactly what Emily had been looking for. When it transferred its weight forward onto the front of its ragged boots, Emily released another crescent, but this time the specter had no time to react.

    It managed to get its blade up to protect its head, but the remaining strike passed through its wrist. The ice there shattered and the hand holding the specter crashed to the ground.

    Emily didn¡¯t even try to hide her smirk as she held up her stub.

    ¡°Snap!¡±

    The Prince looked down at its hand as though it didn¡¯t understand what just happened but it seemed to register and Emily''s laughter didn¡¯t seem to help.

    The scream that came from it shook Emily¡¯s eardrums and in response its call. All the remaining guards rushed over to the specter¨Ctheir bodies melting into his¨C causing ghostly flames to issue forth from its icy body.

    The cracks along its body rapidly began to heal and Emily''s laughter was cut short.

    ¡°Fuck this! Alex, you¡¯d better be ready!¡±

    The specter transferred its weight again and jumped, but this time it was ready. It smacked a third crescent blade out of the air with the flat side of its blade.

    Emily created a net in front of herself, and without any way to stop itself while airborne, the specter crashed right into it. She then grabbed hold of the end of the net and swung it around, using its own force against it. Spinning the specter in circles, she sent it around herself, only to release it towards the ceiling. When it crashed there, she had the blood latch itself to the stone, holding the specter in place.

    Dropping from the skies, Emily made a beeline for the door Alex had left through. No sooner had she crossed the threshold than she felt the specter get free.

    The dash through the corridor felt like an eternity, even though it couldn¡¯t have been more than a couple dozen meters. When she got to a right turn, she took it, and a large room opened up to her.

    There was an intricate astrolabe the size of a building standing in the center and Alex knelt in front of it, standing in the dead center of what looked like the control ward.

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    ¡°I need twenty seconds!¡± Alex shouted, not looking up from his work.

    Runes were glowing in gold in the air around him as he maneuvered them around himself, but whatever he was doing looked difficult as sweat dripped from his forehead.

    ¡°You gotta be kidding me!¡± Emily snarled, at the sound of the specter crashing into the corner right behind her.

    Turning to face the specter, she could see frost creeping across the floor at alarming rates. Each step slammed down, causing cracks and minute ice crystals to form on the tomb¡¯s floors. Its power seemed endless, and in this place, it just might.

    Emily searched the Prince¡¯s hands and saw it had already regenerated, but it was also empty.

    Good it looked like the specter hadn¡¯t thought to pick up its scepter, that meant as long as she could keep it at a range she would have the advantage.

    Instead of fixing her hand, Emily shaped some blood into a clawed replacement. Not a long-term solution, but it would have to do for now.

    The specter charged into the room. Emily was at the midpoint between the door and Alex so there was very little room to maneuver.

    If she moved it might attack Alex, and if she stayed she was at a disadvantage.

    Emily sighed markedly. She couldn¡¯t directly block this creature, on account of that wicked blade, but she could send him away.

    Emily triggered the wave method and cupped her hand over the back of her neck. She couldn¡¯t be sure it would help, but everyone else had done it so maybe.

    External grey source suddenly rushed into her bridge like a torrent, no, more. This felt like a tidal wave, as the lay line¡¯s energy flooded her bones with power. The source traveled down Emily¡¯s arm and into her hand.

    At the same time, Emily made the two required gestures for the lift spell and directed the outcome at the approaching specter. This time she set it to a horizontal path and released it.

    The spell that came out was just like the others, if not a fair bit stronger.

    It launched the incoming specter back with such force that its chest plate folded as its arms trailed behind it.

    The specter was sent back down the tunnel they had come from and crashed into the back wall, embedding it in the stone.

    Cracks spread all across its body as the impact bounced through its frame.

    Then Emily tried something she¡¯d never done before: she attempted to sustain the spell. Instead of just creating a burst of force, she needed to hold the specter in place. Emily was pretty sure this would require another rune, but she had to work with what she had. So, instead of closing off the spell like usual, she pulled in another wave of energy from outside and directed it to her hand again.

    Lo and behold, it worked. Just as the specter began extracting itself from the wall, it was pushed right back into the hole it had gouged just seconds earlier.

    Emily smiled as she held her hand up in front of her. This worked until the fifth pull, that''s when she realized the specter was adjusting.

    It suddenly sunk its sword into the stone and used it as a crutch. Which was just ridiculous, that thing had cut through steel, what was a little stone?

    Then, it braced itself onto its one knee and climbed to its feet. Enduring the pressure entirely with its body.

    ¡°Oh, now you¡¯re just fucking with me!¡± Emily growled.

    The specter took its first uncertain step, and then the next. It closed the distance rapidly. She tried to call to her blood, but it was slow to respond.

    Was it because she was focused on the spell?

    The specter was getting nearer now and Emily kept cycling source through her bridge, but it was no longer enough to stop this thing.

    Emily snarled and took her free hand away from her bridge to make a second lift spell. When the next wave of source invaded her bones, it was far larger than she could handle, but she had to. Emily split the stream in two and led one down each of her arms. When the second spell engaged, Emily suddenly wavered.

    The two separate spells wrestled for dominance in her mind, but luckily she was used to multitasking with her gift and held onto both spells.

    The second one she aimed downward as she had with the Blightstingers.

    The moment her fingers pointed down one of the Prince''s knees buckled and he fell into a kneeling position in front of her.

    It hadn¡¯t been her intention, but oh how the tables had turned.

    There was a groaning of metal and ice as the specter forced its head up at Emily. They were within arms reach by this point, but neither could move a muscle.

    Or at least that¡¯s what Emily had hoped. But when the specter''s blade began to inch toward Emily''s chest she snarled.

    ¡°Alex!¡±

    All she could hear from behind her was Alex¡¯s own struggles as he wrestled with the ward.

    The blade was getting closer and Emily¡¯s blood finally responded; as the pool of crimson lying at her feet began to coil up the almost immobile specter.

    Blood wrapped around its legs and torso, winding up its arms and then pulling down hard on the blade. But to Emily¡¯s dismay, it continued to progress with the strength of a titan.

    The tip pressed against her gown, directly over her heart, and without much pressure, it punctured the armor. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t stop there, causing Emily to groan as the crystal cut through flesh and cartilage. She could feel it, as it breached her chest cavity and proceeded to her heart. It did not even stop as it pierced that too, spearing the organ.

    As horrible as that felt, it was always the exit wound that hurt the most.

    Emily grunted in agony as the blade but through the bone and sinew and protruded from her back.

    She couldn¡¯t even draw a deep breath as it had gotten her a lung simultaneously.

    All the while Emily never lost track of her spells or her blood.

    Vitality was burning out of her as her heart refused to die, still beating irregularly around the blade obstructing it.

    This had to end, now.

    Emily pushed herself onto the sword and had the blood that was wrapped around the Prince¡¯s torso shattered the ice around his jugular.

    To her surprise instead of a title stone she saw a decayed neck, so wither and blue, it may as well have been jerky. But if there was an artery, Emily wasn¡¯t going to say no.

    She reached forward sunk her teeth into its neck and pulled. The ice burned Emily¡¯s face, but she bit down on the Prince''s neck and the largest hit of frosty life force rushed into her. It felt like she had just brushed her teeth twenty times as power entered her veins.

    The specter tried to pull back but it couldn¡¯t move in this position, and it even tried to pull the sword through Emily''s side, but though the blade cut through her heat, the blood in her body prevented the hilt from completely leaving her body.

    Emily drank greedily, ignoring the fresh pain and pulling in power almost as fast as she was losing it.

    The room shuddered and Emily distinctly heard the sound of electricity arcing through the open air before a shockwave of power issued out behind her.

    It didn¡¯t hurt, or even jolt her, but suddenly the dying specter in her arms went ridged and collapsed.

    Alex had done it, he''d shut down the tomb''s wards.

    Blood points: 158

 Chapter 72 - Out in the open at last

    The slick blade clattered to the stone floor, ringing out as Emily fell backward on her ass, struggling to draw in breath with only one lung. Her chest was in agony and now that the adrenal was wearing off. Her right stub protested as she collapsed onto her back breathing slowly so as not to antagonize the demon playing the banjo with her heart.

    The ground was cool and she¡¯d only just managed to get clear of the specter¡¯s icy body before it fell.

    She hadn¡¯t heard a peep from Alex since the magic EMP, or whatever he¡¯d done to the surrounding wards.

    Craning her neck up from the ground she tried to leverage her horse voice.

    ¡°Yo, Alex you alive?¡±

    There was a long pause and Emily had just started to worry when Alex groaned.

    ¡°Yeah but I¡¯m still breathing, but I¡¯m going to be sore tomorrow.¡±

    Emily snorted, her sarcasm bouncing off the large halls.

    ¡°What the hell do you mean! I just about killed that guy on my own, what do you have to be sour over?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah? Try causing a cascade failure in a control ward designed to outlast an empire.¡± Alex shot back.

    Emily wasn¡¯t doubting him, she was fairly certain he¡¯d pulled off something most people would deem impossible. Especially given the time constraint he¡¯d been under, but she wasn¡¯t about to let him off the hook for it.

    It was just another thing to add to her list of questions. Actually, this might be the perfect opportunity to get some answers from him.

    Emily was still healing her wounds. The worst one was the one in her heart, but she had already mostly fixed the internal damage by the time the weapon had been so lovingly removed. The problem now came from her bridge. Emily already had an unsettling feeling spreading throughout her body and it was continuing to grow. Even now she felt feverish, and she was starting to feel less¡­stable.

    Frowning Emily reached back to her bridge and realized it¡¯d never closed once she canceled the spells. She frowned and tried now, but couldn¡¯t seem to cut off the supply of source.

    Emily painfully sat up and tried once more but her bridge was unable to close, something was stopping her. She then realized what she¡¯d been feeling was her limit approaching, and the longer it went on the more faint Emily felt.

    ¡°Um, Alex. Somethings wrong¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡± He sounded dazed but something in her voice must have caught his attention.

    ¡°Aaa, I can¡¯t close my bridge¡±

    Alex was crawling to his feet, a distressed light in his eye.

    ¡°Dammit, did you cast a spell in here? Do you have any idea how much source is in this room!? You have to close it, we can¡¯t let you pressure equalize or you will suffer from exposure.¡±

    Emily grunted as everything around became bathed in scales of grey, she could barely see her nose in front of her face. It had been a mistake to try and take a look at the room like is.

    Emily heard Alex moving over to her quickly.

    ¡°Okay, listen to me Emily, because you don¡¯t have much time. When you open your bridge in a place like this the high pressure will cause you to take on source at a rapid rate. This also stops your bridge from closing naturally.¡±

    Emily got that, kind of like a submarine with one of its outer doors open. Closing the entrance became difficult because of the water rushing in.

    ¡°Alright, then what do I do?¡± Emily''s head was spinning at this stage but she focused on him.

    ¡°You have to use your internal source to plug the gap. Move it to your bridge, and hold it there.¡±

    Emily ground her teeth but called to the source in her bones, demanding that it go to her bridge.

    Nothing, it wasn¡¯t responding to her.

    She shouted, kicked, screamed, and even asked politely, but it refused to move for anything.

    Opening her eyes Emily tried to stand.

    ¡°I can¡¯t get it to move, I need to get out of her.¡±

    Alex¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°You what, You can¡¯t even get a small amount to move? You¡¯ve managed to figure out everything else so far.¡±

    Emily was already on her feet and making her way towards the door.

    ¡°I have a feeling it''s any inherent property of colorless source. It won¡¯t move for me.¡±

    Alex''s eyes widened as he looked thoughtful, but then he shook his head.

    ¡°Stop, you won¡¯t make it, we¡¯re too deep, even the first level would have been too much.¡±

    Emily laughed hysterically at his words.

    ¡°I¡¯m not staying here to die, I at least have to keep moving.¡±

    Alex reached for her arm and grabbed onto her reminder wrist.

    ¡°Emily stop, I can help you.¡±

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    She turned and just about snarled at Alex.

    ¡°Then what the hell are you doing having me believe I¡¯m going to die? Do it. Now!¡±

    Alex¡¯s face was marred with hesitation but he replaced it with determination.

    ¡°Alright. Sit down and let me see your bridge.¡±

    Emily vaguely remembered how flustered Alex had gotten when she had even suggested showing him, but she didn¡¯t have the luxury to care about that right now.

    She sat down, crosslegged her legs, and pulled the back of her cloak aside.

    Alex averted his gaze but placed his hand gingerly against her bridge.

    Emily wasn''t sure what he was doing but after a few seconds, she heard a curse from Alex and then shortly after she started to feel the gray source entering her body slow.

    ¡°How is there so much?¡± Alex asked in an astonished tone. He was talking to himself, but Emily couldn¡¯t be bothered. The world was spinning, even the ground didn¡¯t feel solid right now. Like she would slip through the earth and disappear at any moment.

    The only thing that felt even mildly real was Alex¡¯s hand, and the warm flow of energy coming from his hand. It felt incredible and her brain fuzzily reminded her that this was what her Companion, Jesse had offered her.

    Emily''s eyes widened as she felt the strength coming from Alex¡¯s hand, anchoring her. It was then that she realized the flow of grey source had all but disappeared. There was still a trickle but it was almost non-existent.

    ¡°Okay¡­ now just seal your bridge and whatever you do, don¡¯t cast another spell down here.¡±

    Emily furrowed her brow as she focused on her bridge. As it closed she felt the outside energy all but dissipate.

    Sighing slowly, Emily glanced up at Alex.

    ¡°...Thanks¡­¡±

    Alex¡¯s face was flushed from exertion as he pulled his hand away and turned to the control ward.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡­¡±

    If there weren''t already in a tomb, Emily would have described the silence that followed as such.

    Alex refused to look at her, Emily could still feel his energy moving lazily through her bones, and then dissipating into the rest of her body. When she had closed her bridge the blockage Alex had made scattered and joined with her energy, creating a warm glow as though she were bathing in the morning sun. It was welcome because of the cold that had mixed in from the specter. Though for some reason pulling directly from the Prince hadn¡¯t carried as much cold.

    While they sat in this state, neither ready to move just yet, a strange thought occurred to Emily.

    ¡°Hey, why¡¯d you let him live?¡±

    Alex hesitated but finally turned to look at Emily, his face mask of confusion.

    ¡°What do you mean? Who?¡±

    Emily''s mouth twitched.

    ¡°You know. Oscar? If we wanted to we could have killed him back there. Gotten rid of loose ends and all¡­¡±

    Alex''s face darkened when he thought of the man.

    ¡°It worked out in the end. We probably wouldn¡¯t have made it here without his help.¡±

    Emily snorted dryly.

    ¡°Please! We would have managed. You couldn''t have known.¡±

    Alex nodded.

    ¡°True¡­ I needed him alive for something I couldn¡¯t do myself.¡±

    Emily laughed.

    ¡°You ¡®needed¡¯ him? As in past tenses? What, did he already fulfill his role?¡± she said jokingly.

    Emily¡¯s smile froze as she frowned. Her mind went back to the Viscount of Plague. A disease that probably only Oscar could cleanse from the group. Emily was the exception, but everyone else would need someone to expunge a powerful affliction like that.

    The longer she thought over it the more it made sense, but he would have to be able to predict the future if that were the case. Emily was not a stranger to clairvoyance abilities, but they were never this accurate. Always filled with double meanings that even the bearer of the powers didn¡¯t understand.

    Alex had also denied the fact that he had a title related to future sight. Was he lying?

    Emily was staring at Alex but didn¡¯t say a word as she squinted at him.

    Really inspecting him for the first time in a while.

    His face was still the same as ever, if a little bit thinner than when they had first met. In the last couple of weeks, he¡¯d lost a bit of body fat, and muscles were slowly starting to shine through. But that was not what caught her eye now, it was the stark difference she saw in his face. Emily¡¯s mind kept jumping back to the nightmare world where she had seen his older self. He¡¯d twice the years under his belt than he did now, but his eyes were the same. It was that more mature face that really stuck in her mind.

    ¡°Can you time travel or something?¡±

    Alex had been watching her this whole time and when she asked him this, his eyes widened by just the smallest fraction, before he shot her a baffled look.

    It was only for a second but Emily caught it.

    ¡°What are you even asking me right now?¡± he deflected, but Emily wasn''t fooled.

    ¡°You can, can¡¯t you?" Emily exclaimed excitement rising in her chest "How does it work, can you like go back whenever you want?¡±

    Time travel was a gift she¡¯d never seen, even in her old world, though if it did exist she doubted anyone would advertise the fact.

    Alex lifted his arms in submission.

    ¡°Emily¡­ I think..you.¡±

    Alex''s mask was crumbling. All the adrenaline and exhaustion of the tomb seemed to catch up to him at once and he couldn¡¯t find the right words, but Emily wasn''t listening anyway.

    ¡°Okay so maybe you can¡¯t control it? Maybe it just happeneds¡± Emily scratched he chin as she tried to piece this together.

    The thing was there were times when it would have been preferable to go back. Like when those assassins had arrived, or when they ran into Bruins.

    Alex glanced around warily, even though they were probably the only ones on this level of the tomb, and not a soul could reach this sealed chamber at the moment.

    ¡°Emily, stop! I am not going back in time¡­ at least not after the first jump...¡±

    Emily stopped and locked eyes with Alex, a victorious grin spreading over her face.

    ¡°So you¡¯re from the future?¡±

    Alex¡¯s face struggled for the longest time as though he were wrestling with himself, but eventually, his shoulders drooped.

    His voice carried a note of defeat as he spoke.

    ¡°What do you want me to say, Emily? That I don¡¯t know what happened? That I¡¯ve done all this before, seen all this before, and the only difference is you? Things are changing, and I¡¯m struggling to figure it out. The war wasn¡¯t supposed to start for another two months. This area was meant to be a battleground, but since we arrived early, the carrion beetles hadn¡¯t moved out of the tunnels yet to feast. Because of my mistake, they chased us down here and those people died. The traps were easy because I¡¯ve seen them before and learned how to break them, but¡­¡±

    Once Alex started talking was almost unable to stop but his voice petered out at the end. A deep sorrow overcame his features as he reminisced.

    Emily found herself squinting as she stared at Alex, for the first time in a while she felt¡­bad. Lost? Whatever the emotion, it was unwelcome, there was just one thing she had to know.

    Her face hardened and she looked at the man.

    ¡°Did you know we would encounter that Fearmonger? That thing showed me things I didn¡¯t want to have to see again, and I¡¯ll personally hold you responsible if you knew and never told me.¡±

    Alex pulled himself from his thoughts and shook his head.

    ¡°No, I never encountered that title last time, but the plague bearer title was impossible to bypass. Hell, I only got back on track when we found it. When you led us down that secondary path, you changed things again. We were meant to have more people down here. But then again, I suppose fewer lives were lost this time.¡±

    Alex spoke with a monotone voice but Emily could see he wasn¡¯t attempting to lie at this stage.

    Keeping her mouth closed, Emily ran her tongue over the front of her teeth.

    ¡°One last question. If I wasn¡¯t here last time, and neither was Eva, what happened to you back then?

    The moment Emily brought up the Blood Mages a cold light resurfaced and that same deadly expression she¡¯d seen back in the hut returned.

    "I¡¯d have found a way out of there eventually... They kept me alive for certain reasons. In the end, I even got a title out of it. But you¡ªyou saved me from over a month of torture."

    Emily wasn''t so sure about that. He looked like he''d have been just fine without her assistance, but she found herself feeling... relieved?

    Blood points: 158

 Chapter 73 - Stars and limits

    Emily had just finished regrowing her hand when Alex moved over to the control ward. They had gone quiet as Emily digested the new information. She was quite confused as to why Alex didn¡¯t have more hatred towards Blood mages. By the sound of things, he should have a good reason to hate them. Yet he never showed any aversion to Emily''s gifts, though whether it was because he now knew it wasn¡¯t real blood magic or he¡¯d just had time to get over the trauma he seemed completely fine with it.

    Emily had given him some time before she launched into more questions about the future or his past.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m assuming you¡¯ve managed to make this trip before and reach your destination.¡±

    Alex looked up from his work and nodded.

    ¡°I did make it back then, but don¡¯t get me wrong, this journey will be just as dangerous. Things already are changing, and we¡¯re only on the first leg. Even if I could remember how I acted last time, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll get the same outcome.¡±

    Emily scratched the back of her head.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Alex turned to face her now.

    ¡°Emily, I did all these things over thirty years ago. I can¡¯t remember every detail or interaction I ever had with people. Just the general direction. As it is, I¡¯m leaning heavily on a particular title to even recall all this.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Wait¡­ did you come back with all your titles?¡±

    Now it was Alex¡¯s turn to scratch his head.

    ¡°...Not all of them.¡±

    ¡°Oh shit. Isn¡¯t there like some super powerful one you could have picked?¡±

    Alex rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Yes and no. I have a couple that would be strong but the issue is sticking out too much. Before I died, I had collected some of the most powerful titles I could get my hands on, but sticking out before you¡¯re ready to defend yourself is a good way to get killed or enslaved. Another more immediate problem is that my body can¡¯t currently handle them.¡±

    Emily had been walking around the control ward as Alex worked, inspecting it, when she poked her head back around to look at him.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­remember how I said monikers take a lot of ranks to develop? If I tried to wield a title that my body couldn¡¯t handle, it would probably hinder how fast my ranks could grow.¡±

    Emily cocked her head, not really getting it.

    ¡°What rank are you now?¡±

    Alex shot her stared that said ¡®Really?¡¯, but answered anyway.

    ¡°Last I checked I¡¯m ranked thirty-eight.¡±

    Emily drew a breath in through her nose. She thought she had been catching up, but this guy had pulled ahead of her in no time at all.

    ¡°No fair! How are power leveling!¡±

    Alex shot her a confused look.

    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you mean how are my ranks going up so fast? Well, that would be from my passive titles. The same restriction does not apply to passive slots. Currently, I¡¯m using Mnemosynite. It accelerates my rank-ups every time I use my knowledge to solve a problem, along with a whole host of memory recollection features.¡±

    Emily could see how that title would be useful to someone who had come back from the future, everything he did would be considered a recollection. This man had come back with power-leveling gear.

    Emily wanted to pout, but she asked a question she knew she probably wouldn¡¯t get an answer to.

    ¡°So if dying triggered your¡­¡¯ reset¡¯, how¡¯d you die?¡±

    Alex¡¯s face got predictably more guarded.

    ¡°A beast of incredible strength killed me.¡±

    Emily''s brows shot up in surprise.

    She was honestly more dumbfounded she¡¯d gotten an answer. Alex may have been a tough nut to crack, but perhaps now that she knew one of his biggest secrets, he didn¡¯t see these questions as invasive anymore.

    ¡°Okay, so that''s why you need to get to the winter festival?¡±

    ¡°Sort of¡­¡±

    Emily¡¯s head fell to the side. She should have known.

    ¡°Hang on, I¡¯ve almost got the door to the treasury.¡±

    Emily stood up straighter.

    ¡°Wait. One last question. If you knew what was down here, then why did we come all this way?¡±

    Suddenly a door at the back of the chamber hissed open as the flat surface slid aside to reveal a recess. The entire section of the wall had come out. When the door was closed, it blended seamlessly with every other wall in here. Forget about getting in, Emily wouldn¡¯t have even known there was another room there if Alex had not unsealed it.

    ¡°Our Pathkeeper found this place last time, but seeing as though we¡¯re early, why do I show you what we''re here for.¡±

    Emily stared at the opening but readily followed Alex as he stepped through the threshold. The room was completely free of dust and gave off a gentle humming sound as they entered. It reminded Emily of background machines at work, and yet there wasn¡¯t a single piece of equipment in there.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    The walls were lined with runes, and in each one sat a metal tile Emily recognized. Alex had used a coin made from it to enter this place, and another piece of the ore to power the ward that hindered the Duke. The walls were covered in these small square tiles, each made from refined source.

    Emily was fairly certain this room alone was a treasure trove, but in the center of it sat three glass cylinders.

    The first one was empty, while the next contained an ancient breastplate. The piece of armor didn¡¯t look like anything special, but it contained an aquamarine luster that was hard to ignore.

    Alex pointed to the third and final cylinder.

    ¡°Kael will claim that armor, but what we''re here for is that.¡±

    Emily''s eyes landed on the smallest cylinder containing a set of rings. They were welded together so that the wearer would have to place it over their index and middle fingers.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a certainty, but I¡¯m fairly sure that ring is the reason I came back.¡±

    Emily squinted her eyes.

    ¡°So it wasn¡¯t the ritual the Blood mages used that brought you back?¡±

    Alex shrugged.

    ¡°They were part of it but that was the instigator.¡±

    ¡°That reminds me, the Blood mages seemed to be looking for you in particular, do you know why?¡±

    Alex pressed his lips together.

    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

    When he didn¡¯t offer anything more Emily rolled her eyes and stepped further into the room.

    ¡°So how do we get at it, You want me to break it?¡±

    Alex shook his head and tapped on a nearby section of the wall, triggering some runes.

    Both the empty case and the one with the rings in it lifted upwards, retracting into the ceiling.

    Alex moved forward and pocketed the rings without any ceremony. He then turned to Emily.

    ¡°Okay, there''s one last thing we need to do. Kael will try and lay claim to everything in here, but he doesn¡¯t need to know we already got what we came for. Would you help me by removing the blood from this?¡±

    Emily looked down and saw that at some point Alex must have picked up the crystal sword and scabbard. She blinked but then saw where he was going with this. Smiling Emily ran to the other room to pick up the scepter. Pulling the blood off both they deposited both into the cylinders. Alex nodded and resealed the room.

    He then went about unlocking the stone door out of here.

    When he finally managed, Emily was already waiting near it. She could feel Cupcake waiting on the other side. So when the doors finally groaned open she saw Kael, Oscar, Nox, and Cupcake waiting in a dark corridor. They all looked a little worse for wear but Emily noticed Mist was not there. The she-wolf bounded into the room almost as quickly as Kael, who began to take in the scene.

    ¡°Excellent job you two!¡± The man brushed past Emily and began to explore the final tomb. There wasn¡¯t much there but Emily turned to Nox.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Jonnathan''s partner?¡±

    Nox looked at Emily and bit his lip.

    ¡°Mist is hurt badly. We gave him a tonic but we couldn¡¯t move him. If Gerade is still alive he should be able to help.¡±

    Emily nodded and guided the group to the back room.

    Kael moved over to inspect the Prince¡¯s corpse before the rest of them could even say a word.

    He rummaged around on the corpse and pulled the title stone from the wreck. It had probably once been a brilliant cube of gold, but now, barely any color remained as a dull grey floated through the stone.

    Regardless, Kael looked ecstatic and pocketed the thing.

    ¡°How did you guys escape this thing? I¡¯m certain it was royalty by the amount of energy coming off it.¡±

    Explaining how it had happened. Emily was very clear that had Alex not powered it down, she wouldn¡¯t have won. Even though she was fairly certain she had already had victory in the bag. It never hurt to be cautious.

    Alex later heard that Mist was not doing so well, so he went to check up on him. When he returned he looked concerned. It turned out that while the tonic¡¯s dosage was not enough for the  Rime wolf, it had stabilized the beast.

    Mist had cracked bone in its leg. It wasn¡¯t in any immediate danger, but it couldn¡¯t move easily.

    After that, Kael had Alex lead Mist into the last chamber and had him close the door behind them. They wanted to get back to the main group but Kael was adamant they rest, even if it was just for a couple of hours. Emily wouldn''t say no to that and curled up against Cupcake. She nodded off to dreamland shortly afterward.

    The moment she did, her stars lit up the night sky behind her eyes, as they burned off the lethargy they had been suffering from for the last while. They then rapidly thinned down and caused an itch to lodge itself between her shoulder blades.

    It only got worse as time moved on but Emily ignored it in favor of watching the stars dance and eventually organize themselves.

    Rank twenty-five achieved, opening the second bridge.

    Title mantle expanded - You may don 1 additional passive.

    Gathering the deeds of Emily Hughes¡­

    You have been cursed by a Source!

    Compiling selection¡­

    Titles added to selection: Charmer, Verminbane, Runic Adept, Sovereign devourer.

    Innocent, Void plagued, Scarlet sister, Explorer, Performer, Swordswoman, Godstriken, Cyclum touched.

    You may now alter your existing active titles or continue to advance down the Scarlet sister¡¯s path

    Charmer

    Active: Access to the Charmer¡¯s skill tree

    Passive: increase learning speed when engaged with individuals to understand their desires and use them to your advantage.

    Verminbane

    Active: Access to the Verminbane¡¯s skill tree

    Passive: increase learning speed when removing pest infestations from environments.

    Runic Adept

    Active: Access to Runic lettering as well as the adept skill tree.

    Passive: increase learning speed of runes, simple wards, and a handful of composite wards.

    Sovereign Devourer

    Active: Sovereign devourer has no skill tree, instead, gain access to all the skills usurper from royalty while donning this title.

    Passive: The usurper will always be able to hide from royal or noble lineages. The usurper is immune to Royal decrees and detection skills. This includes those originating from their subjects.

    Emily looked at her list of choices and had to say the others were fairly simple but it was the last one that caught her eye. From what Alex had told her every title had specific requirements to unlock them.

    For example, Verminbane was probably when she had killed so many Blightstingers at once. And Runic Adept was probably from trying to learn runes. But Sovereign Devourer was a little worrying. She got that it was probably from feeding off the Prince, and thankful this title hid itself. Because she had a feeling this one was another blacklisted path.

    While it was interesting, Emily didn¡¯t feel much drawn to it or any of her new titles.

    When it came down to it, Scarlet sister still matched her far better than any of the others. Though Void plagued did catch her eye again, but binned the idea in the end.

    The moment Emily told the stars she was happy with her current title, they began to rearrange themselves.

    ¡®26 - third threshold released at rank 50¡¯

    Skill threshold released!

    New features have been unlocked!

    Blood price:

    Form a connection with a willing ally to share the blood mage¡¯s life source with the intention of cooperation.

    Warning: power can be exchanged freely in this network

    And

    Crimson Chains

    Chains appear near a target''s feet and immobilize them, draining life source and feeding it to the blood mage. Skills used while restrained by these chains are half as effective.

    Curse in effect!

    Result: The feature Crimson Chains has been destroyed.

    Emily scowled, she was really starting to hate this curse. Maybe she should try and find a ¡®willing¡¯ religious person to explain how to remove it. By then the itching had stopped and Emily was able to sink into a dreamless slumber.

    Blood points: 155

 Chapter 74 - Free at last

    Emily was warm and comfortable when something grabbed her shoulder and violently shook her.

    She snapped awake and reached for the nearest throat, but just before she choked the person out, Nox¡¯s excited face came into view.

    ¡°Emily come look what I found! No wait I¡¯ll just tell you. It¡¯s like a secret vault in the wall! I felt this strange pattern of air flowing nearby and managed to sniff it out.¡± he said proudly.

    Emily fell back lazily as Nox laughed, still pulling Emily by the hand to get her to rise.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m coming now,¡± Emily said as she stood and dusted herself off, taping Cupcake''s flank.

    While she was doing this, she called to her stars and had them slot Performer.

    It was show time.

    As they stepped into the back room she saw the door to the treasury was already opened. Kael was half a step inside, with Alex and Oscar right behind him.

    Not wanting to be left out, Nox chased after them. Emily arrived last and glanced into the room. Alex was busy making a show of releasing the glass cylinders while Nox was poking the runes with the refined source in them.

    ¡°As it stands, I¡¯ll be claiming this sword as my one item,¡± Alex said pointing to the specter¡¯s weapon.

    Kael looked at it lovingly but nodded slowly.

    ¡°I understand, if you¡¯re sure, then it is yours by right or contract.¡±

    Alex nodded but Emily raised her hand.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m laying claim to that metal stick in there. I almost died to that creature several times over and I¡¯d like to be compensated.¡±

    Oscar scowled now.

    ¡°If anyone is getting that scepter, it''s me. I too have taken a great deal of risk here.¡±

    Emily squinted at him.

    ¡°It looks magical, you don¡¯t even use magic.¡±

    ¡°Yeah? Well, it¡¯ll sell for a lot as soon as I find out what it does.¡±

    Kael made a silencing gesture towards Oscar and turned his frown on Emily.

    ¡°We agreed on one item.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but that was before we knew how heavily we would have to rely on Alex and myself. Neither of you can use it, so why not let me take it? In the end, there¡¯s plenty in here that you can make a profit off. Hell, you might not even be able to carry everything out of her even with everyone else¡¯s help.¡±

    Nox was starting at the scepter with worry but he didn¡¯t speak.

    Kael on the other hand was searching Emily¡¯s face. Finally, he seemed to come to a decision.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you. If you do me a favor.¡±

    Emily narrowed her eyes at the man, she was not a fan of his ¡®favors¡¯.

    ¡°Just say what you want.¡±

    Kael smiled.

    ¡°It¡¯s not much. To start, I want you to allow Svent to have a look at it and inform me of its abilities. Secondly, I want you to have a look at a particular item for me. I¡¯ve already had many magic users investigate it but I haven¡¯t let a Blood Mage look at it before.¡±

    Emily narrowed her eyes at the man but it wasn¡¯t a hard favor. She could just have a look at it and when she couldn¡¯t figure it out, she could tell him as much. Emily reasoned that this was probably his original intent when he found out she could use magic.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll have a look once we¡¯re out of here.¡±

    ¡°Boss, how is this fair? I want the armor then.¡±

    Kael rolled his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have Svent check that out too, but if it''s useful I¡¯ll be wearing it. Don¡¯t whine. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re compensated well for your part in this.¡±

    Oscar still looked unhappy but he seemed mollified by the idea of a big payout.

    ¡°Now, all of you help me pry this refined source out of the wall. And don¡¯t even think of stealing any. Or I¡¯ll dock your pay from a year.¡± Kael said.

    Oscar shot Emily and Alex withering glares but Kael didn¡¯t seem to care he was showing obvious favor toward them.

    If anything he seemed amused by Oscar''s reaction.

    Emily went over to the now-open case and plucked the item from its pedestal.

    She shoved it into her pack before taking out a knife and gouging at the runes in the room to get at the shiny metal tiles.

    Now that she was closer the refined source reminded her of a shard of blue mirror. It reflected the light beautifully and as she pried out her first one she felt a distinct humming coming from the metal.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    What she didn¡¯t expect was for her internal source to respond to the metal in the same manner it did with runes.

    She didn¡¯t want to test it down here, but something was special about this metal.

    They all worked in relative silence and by the time they were done they had over two hundred tiles.

    ¡°Okay wait we need to leave a single on in the wall to power the lights,¡± Alex said.

    Kael pursed his lips, but getting out of here in the dark would be far harder especially if they wanted to loot the rest of the tomb.

    So when they had picked the place clean, they all headed out of the final chamber and began climbing the stairs.

    Kael was happily inspecting his spoils as they continued to ascend.

    ¡°So, Alexander, you said you know where another one of these Lay lines is?¡±

    The greed was evident in his eyes but he didn¡¯t try to restrain it.

    Alex nodded carefully.

    ¡°I do¡­but. If I¡¯m right, it''s entrance is across the grey sands¡±

    Kael''s face immediately fell.

    ¡°Ah well, then I¡¯ll just have to contain myself. I told you already. I¡¯m not crossing those blasted dunes for anything. I¡¯ll get you to Lorehil but that''s where our contract ends.¡±

    Alex nodded a concerned look coming over his features. He glanced at Emily but then continued navigating them down the halls.

    Emily wouldn''t have understood that look just hours prior, but now it held meaning to her. Alex knew something about this but he didn¡¯t want to say it to Kael directly. Emily frowned, constantly worrying about future events must be aggravating.  Alex was probably always stressing about the order of events. Emily was glad she didn¡¯t know what was going to happen every second of every day. Regardless she made a note to ask him the next time they got a moment alone.

    As they pushed through the tomb, Emily got a chance to see everything in a less threatening light. The traps in all the rooms were inactive and whatever Alex had done had put all the specters to sleep. He insisted it would only last a couple of weeks, but it made collecting title stones as easy as opening a coffin and desecrating a corpse.

    As time moved on they backtracked, taking a couple hours to reach the second level again. When they did Emily noticed several green markings on the walls. Kael smiled and they began to follow the breadcrumbs. It wasn¡¯t long before they found Vivan, and after that, he led them to the rest of the wandering fangs.

    As luck would have it, when Alex shut down the wards, everyone noticed the tomb¡¯s lighting and wards went out for about an hour.

    That was probably when Emily and Alex had been recovering. So when the light had come back on, but not the traps they carefully began exploring the floor.

    They had almost entirely mapped the second floor by the time their group found them again.

    The wandering fangs had been in low spirits, but by the time Kael returned, sharing the word of a big payout everyone cheered.

    Gerade and Atticus came over to see Kael, while Marth checked up on Oscar.

    Emily was just finding a space to avoid the crowds when she was tackled from the side.

    Ashe was not a large woman but it was like getting hit by a sack of rocks and Emily went down with her in her arms.

    ¡°Oh thank the Source you okay!¡±

    At first, Emily just froze in place. No one had ever shown this kind of reaction before, and quite frankly she didn''t know what to do.

    When Ashe never got a response, her concern morphed into annoyance.

    ¡°What in the world were you thinking? I bet it was yours or Alex¡¯s idea to go down there, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Emily had scarcely got her bearings before the questions were rapid-fired one after another. Where had they gone? Had she been safe? How was her source?

    All Emily could do was answer them to the best of her ability.

    She completely skirted around the topic of whose idea it was, lest the woman feel vindicated by the answer.

    ¡°Ashe, I¡¯m all good. How was it for you guys here?¡±

    Ashe furrowed her brow as Emily stared up at her. From the ground, Emily could make out Selia talking to Kale, but she momentarily glanced down at Emily with a smirk.

    From the looks of things, Kael was getting his own dress down.

    Appeasing the bristling woman was not easy and it was only after Emily described what had befallen them over the last few days that she relented. Emily kept the more sensitive details to herself, yet she felt surprisingly good once she had told Ashe everything.

    After the reunion came what Kael termed the ¡®fun¡¯ part, which was a complete lie, as it entailed mapping out the remainder of the tomb and cleaning it until not a single scrap of value was left.

    Kale even had them bundle up the weathered antiques in the throne room. Some of which the right collector might buy.

    By the time Kael allowed them to leave, two more days had passed. Meantime they had been underground for an entire week.

    Fortunately, there was no trouble leaving the tomb, as Alex used the control ward to open the front door and keep it that way. He even had the wards lock in the scent to avoid another carrion beetle disaster, but as they left some did show up as the smell clung to their clothes.

    A fact Emily wanted to rectify as soon as she could.

    The carrion beetles numbers were high, but they were manageable this time. All it took to scare the scavenger off was a couple of well-placed stomps.

    Their group was soon climbing the main tunnel toward ground level.

    When they got to the top Ashe spent the next couple hours showing them where to dig to get out of this place.

    The sky finally came into sight again hours later and Emily happily vowed never to set foot in another dank, dark tunnel if she could help it.

    Of course, there was still one big problem to address.

    The Blightstingers.

    Atticus was the first to head out and scout around, when he returned he shook his head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any movement in the area. In all likelihood, the queen probably escaped to find a new nest now that so many of her hive are dead.¡±

    It made sense and Emily wasn¡¯t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. They gathered everyone up and moved into the nearby forest.

    After being surrounded by stone and stale air on all sides for the last week, Emily welcomed the chilly wind as she took lungfuls of fresh air.

    Snow crunched underfoot once more, and she could happily say she had missed the forest. Which, unless she was not imagining looked even further thawed from winter''s grasp. The tufts of grass were sprouting up all over, and she saw fresh buds in the treetops, even a few leaves.

    The journey was altogether pleasant as the wandering fangs made their way back to the village. Cupcake was rearing to go, finally free of the restraining walls of the tomb, she wanted to run wild, and Emily didn¡¯t mind so they weaved in and out of the convoy until the old she-wolf had gotten her fill.

    Leaning forward Emily fed her another globul of blood and Cupcake was only too happy to oblige. It wasn¡¯t only Emily who was glad to be out of there. The others also showed signs of relief from being out of that death trap of a tomb. What''s more, everyone was riding high on the huge payout they were going to receive soon

    Unfortunately, the carefree atmosphere was short-lived.

    When they crested a hill and arrived at Frosthaven they spotted thin trails of smoke issued up from the village itself.

    Emily could just make out long extinguished fires and collapsed structures. The perimeter of blackened posts remained intact save for one glaring change, where it looked like something massive had broken down an outer post and forced its way inside.

    From the looks of things everything was quiet now, but there still looked to be signs of life in the village.

    Kael cursed and directed the collum towards the gap in the fence. As they neared Emily could just make out people coming out to meet them.

    They were bloodied and bruised but a firey anger resided in their eyes.

    Emily realized why a second later. There, cut cleanly in two was the corpse of the queen Blightstiger, its drones lying dead nearby.

    Blood points: 157

 Chapter 75 - At the gates again

    Kael rode towards the opening where groups of villagers had gathered to block their passage.

    ¡°Greetings residents of Frosthaven. I¡¯m looking for the Elder. Could he come to meet us?¡±

    Several faces amongst the crowd turned sour but before anyone could speak Emily spotted the man they¡¯d been looking for limping towards them.

    When the Elder arrived he was breathing heavily. From the looks of it, he¡¯d sustained a heavy injury to his head. Judging from the way he was bandaged he should probably not be walking around at this moment.

    ¡°Greetings wandering fangs, I wish I were able to greet you under better circumstances but we¡¯re dealing with the outcome of my hubris.¡±

    Kael didn¡¯t show it but his brow twitched.

    ¡°I understand. If you¡¯re willing I can have my Healer have a look at your wounds.¡±

    The Elder snorted to himself derisively.

    ¡°You warned me this may be an outcome, but I still chose to go against it for the safety of my people and look at where it got us. No, this is the least I can suffer for that decision. Though I would not be opposed to you offering the same help to my people.¡±

    Kael cleared his throat.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. Before that though, how did you deal with the queen? Apologies for my candor but a creature of that class should have wiped your small village off the maps¡±

    Several angry voices went up from the surrounding villagers.

    Emily had been watching them closely, as it was always the wounded mob that took the most drastic actions.

    The Elder leaned on his cane heavily looking defeated.

    ¡°Well, that would have been the case had Mr Jerhia not arrived when he did.¡±

    Emily had been focusing on the man but she didn¡¯t miss Alex¡¯s sudden shifting in Mist¡¯s saddled.

    She glanced out of the corner of her eye, and Alex looked downright uncomfortable. For most, they would not have been able to tell, but Emily had been with Alex for long enough now and Performer was telling her he was more than wary.

    Emily was about to try to get his attention subtly when another voice joined the conversation.

    ¡°Well, I had to get involved. I couldn''t let a village die off because of a mercenary company¡¯s failings. Isn¡¯t that right Kaelan¡±

    Everyone''s heads snapped toward the origin of the voice.

    The people of the village looked on in wonder and relief. In contrast, the wandering fangs all narrowed their gazes on a single individual.

    The man looked to be in his late forties with a heavy beard and bushy eyebrows. He wore a long purple cloak that reminded Emily of a full poncho. He wore a sickle at his waist, leaving it exposed to any onlooker who might catch it reflecting the afternoon sun.

    Kael''s face immediately turned sharp.

    ¡°Jerhia, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m happy to see you, but don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too unfriendly after so long old friend.¡±

    Kael''s last words were coated in venom.

    ¡°Nothin'' kind about the truth Kaelan. Whatever took you so long to return while these people suffered?¡±

    The crowds seemed to become more rilled up at his words, but Kael worked his jaw.

    ¡°Unforeseen events led us to get trapped in a dangerous position. Some of us even lost our lives in the process. We made it back as soon as we were able.¡±

    Jerhia grinned and looked about ready to throw more fuel on the fire before the Elder cut in.

    ¡°Gentlemen, I don¡¯t think anything will be fixed while we all stand here. The wandering fangs may stay here for the night, but after that, I ask that you leave. You may not get the most welcoming reception this time. Many lost friends and family and they blame you, but we have business to discuss. As the employer, I can confirm you have completed your contract so you will be paid.¡±

    Kael nodded looking like he would accept nothing less.

    Emily got the feeling the Elder didn¡¯t blame them for what happened, but he wouldn¡¯t spare them any slack either. The same could not be said for the people. The Wandering fangs were the perfect target at which to direct their anger.

    Jerhia on the other hand looked only too pleased as the remaining villagers showed disatisfaction to wards the Elders call.

    Emily wasn¡¯t sure what history Kael and this man had but she was certain of one thing. Jerhia was as much a threat as Kael, if not more so. As he left his gaze flicked over them all and when Emily glanced over to Alex she saw he¡¯d made himself scarce.

    ¡°Thank you Elder That''s all we need. I offer the same deal we had the last time we entered,¡± Kael said inclining his head.

    The villagers slowly moved away from the opening as the Wandering Fangs made their way inside. They were in the same area as before, but now it was covered in the debris from the surrounding buildings.

    Kael gave the orders to set up camp and even had Marth lead a group of his men to help cover the gap the queen Blightstinger had made. The inn was out of the question, as the small, mousy innkeeper Emily had met last week had died when the building collapsed on top of him. The other inn refused to even entertain the idea of housing them. They were filled with villagers and claimed to have no room, but Emily could see that was just an excuse.

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    The last time they were here, they were mostly left to their own devices. For the most part, the Wandering Fangs were treated as just another group passing through. A few people''s curiosity had gotten the better of them, and they happily engaged in trade and conversation. But now, it seemed as though any good impression the villagers had of them had turned on its head overnight.

    People scowled at them from nearby houses and roads, watching their people work. Groups of men gathered as if to keep a watchful eye on them, while mothers ushered their children away from the area. Emily was used to such glares, and by the looks of things, so was everyone else. She did feel it was a little unfair¡ªthey had accepted a mission to rid the village of its problem, and this was how they were treated. Granted, they had their own selfish motivations, but the villagers didn¡¯t know that.

    Emily had dumped her pack in one of the communal tents, minus the scepter, which she had taken to carrying with her, and headed over to the well.

    With the drawn pail, she began washing the week''s worth of sweat, grime, and stale air off her skin.

    It wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience, but then again, she wasn¡¯t the only one with this idea.

    Several others brought their buckets or other containers to wash themselves

    Once she was done with that she began moving back to the tent when she heard a gentle tune carried on the wind.

    Emily turned towards it and began to follow the agonizingly, mournful melody. She could feel a deep sense of sadness bubble up in her chest and she had to stomp down unwanted memories.

    When Emily finally found the source of the music she realized she was a decent ways from the camp. There were a few other Wandering fangs here but the majority were villagers looking towards the center with lost expressions.

    Emily''s eyes searched the crowd for the musician and found her familiar face sitting calmly and plucking on the cords of a circular harp.

    She seemed to have the people around her transfixed and Emily couldn¡¯t blame them. The afternoon sun played on her raven-black hair and only added to the layer of intrigue the woman gave off.

    Tehila had her eyes partially closed but when Emily got close enough she opened them for a brief moment and took in the crowd. When her eyes stopped on Emily they narrowed but she kept playing, never interrupting the flow of music.

    As the song continued Emily spotted someone she knew. Svent was currently watching the Bard work the crowd as he seemed lost in a bittersweet memory. When the song was coming to a close, Tehila effortlessly switched to a more uplifting tune and Emily felt her sorrow melt away, replaced by a quiet feeling of peace.

    It was not quiet happiness but Emily could feel her emotions were smoother and more in her control. The crowd that had just moments ago been eyeing them warily now looked far less on edge. Some even began to dissipate, scattering to their homes to be with their families.

    If this was what a bard was capable of Emily could see why the wandering fangs had said yes to bringing her along.

    Svent woke up shortly too and Emily headed over to the tree folk. She¡¯d been meaning to speak to him about the scepter so the fact she found him here was perfect.

    ¡°Afternoon, Svent. Do you have time to help me with something, Kael¡¯s been hounding me to get it sorted.¡±

    Her arrival seemed to wake up from his daze and he looked over at Emily. The content smile on his face was replaced by a troubled one.

    ¡°Hello Emily, friend of Alex. Sure, the boss has already informed me of what you need. Unfortunately, I¡¯m in a bit of a bind. With everything that has happened here, no one will let me rent a space in the forge, and without that, I¡¯m struggling to get even the most basic repairs done.¡±

    Emily frowned.

    ¡°Do you need a forge to inspect a weapon?¡±

    Svent shot Emily a dry look.

    ¡°You mean do I need a workshop to ply my craft? The answer is yes. I won¡¯t be able to do much of anything if I can¡¯t find someone willing to let me work nearby.¡±

    Emily scratched her chin. From the sounds of it, she needed to find him a forge for him to use his skills. But who did she threaten to make that happen?

    ¡°Hmm, let''s see if we can¡¯t find a blacksmith first and then we¡¯ll negotiate from there,¡± Emily said.

    Svent nodded but he looked around warily.

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to offer up to double what the forge time was worth. Sadly the forge I used last time refused to even let me through the door. We¡¯ll need to find a new one, but asking around has not been easy, no one will speak to me.¡±

    Emily cocked her head and looked around. Several villagers were glaring at their number, the spell from Tehila already broken.

    Emily shrugged at Svent.

    ¡°We won¡¯t be getting any help from them so the next best thing is¡­¡±

    Emily''s eyes roamed the crowd and landed on Tehila again.

    Dragging Svent behind her, Emily made a straight shot for the woman.

    Her harp was lowered to her side and her cheeks were flushed from her performance.

    ¡°Well, well. Look what rolled back into town. You know I¡¯m certain you said it would be safer here than out there with you.¡±

    Emily¡¯s chest rose in a laugh.

    ¡°Oh, it was. Far safer.¡±

    Tehila frowned at that but rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Well to what do I owe the visit?¡± Tehila grinned as she packed her instrument away into a travel case.

    ¡°Yeah, about that. You intend to join us on the road, right?¡±

    Tehila paused for a moment but then nodded.

    ¡°If the offer is still on the table, yes.¡±

    ¡°Great! Then we need your help.¡±

    Tehila''s brows rose.

    ¡°A favor, so soon?¡±

    Emily pouted.

    ¡°I¡¯m not offering a favor right now. This would be more like helping your future allies out¡±

    Tehila hummed as she squinted at Emily.

    ¡°Sounds a mighty lot like a favor, but I¡¯ll hear you out.¡±

    Svent finally joined the conversion greeting Tehila and explaining their situation

    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re just trying to get some forge time? Hmm, I might be able to help with that.¡±

    Svent¡¯s eyes widened and he took hold of Tehila¡¯s free hand.

    ¡°You mean it? I¡¯d be mighty grateful.¡±

    Tehila smiled brilliantly at the tree folk and when she looked over to Emily it shifted to more of a smirk.

    ¡°Alright then, follow me, but Emily. You owe me a drink for this.¡±

    Emily laughed but inclined her head to the woman.

    Tehila led them out of the crowd and toward one of the far-off buildings.

    It didn¡¯t look all that different from the other shops, but the moment they entered a wave of heat overcame them from deeper in the building.

    There were many tools just left out in the open, a majority of them simple blacksmithing hammers, tongs, and chisels, but there were also other farming tools strewn about.

    At the back of the room, where a pit made from bricks was built into the wall, sat a woman with a defined physique and a thick leather apron. She wasn¡¯t currently working with any metal but instead seemed to be fixing a broken support on a cart, likely used in the fields.

    When she looked up, her expression was initially sour, but when she saw Tehila, it shifted to a more neutral look.

    ¡°Not who I expected to see, but I¡¯m not complaining. Come in, Tehila, and bring your friends.¡±

    ¡°Afternoon, Maez. Listen, I was hoping you could let my companions rent your workspace.¡±

    The woman called Maez glanced at the two of them and pursed her lips. ''I¡¯m assuming they¡¯re from that mercenary company that came in earlier?''

    Tehila just nodded with a smile.

    ¡°No can do, people would avoid my shop for weeks.¡±

    ¡°Aw, come on, Maez, don¡¯t be like that,¡± Tehila said, dropping into a sultry tone. ¡°Rumor has it that Daatril¡¯s shop was damaged in the attack. It¡¯ll take him a while to get things working again.''

    ''Hmm, no is no, I¡ª¡±

    Maez was just about to continue when Svaent spoke up. ''Ma¡¯am, I understand your hesitation, but what if I were to sweeten the deal? How about getting a chance to look at a possible artifact-level work?''

    Svaent bumped Emily''s shoulder and inclined his head toward her. Emily blinked at first, then realized he meant the scepter, so she pulled it from her waistband.

    The scepter itself wasn¡¯t very long, probably closer to a baton in length, but it was made of some kind of silvery material with runes engraved over its surface. The end held a clear gem set into the metal, and while it looked intricate, Emily hadn¡¯t been able to activate it since acquiring the weapon.

    The moment Maez¡¯s eyes landed on the scepter, an interested light glittered in them.

    ¡°Alright, you can stay, but I want to take the first crack at it.¡±

    Blood points: 158

 Chapter 76 - Back alley dealings

    Emily watched as Svent, hunched over the table and inspected the scepter through a set of lenses. Maez had already taken her turn, examining the item in great detail, but once she finished, she wordlessly handed it over to Svent.

    Meanwhile, Jerhia had moved over to one of the benches and was casually tuning her harp.

    When Svent finished his inspection, Emily stood and moved over to him.

    ¡°So what''s going on? What have you guys found?¡±

    Svent looked up startled.

    ¡°Hmm? Ah, apologies. When two smiths of any kind have a look at an item is better if they don¡¯t give away their findings until both have had a chance to look at the item. Makes it so that we don¡¯t overlook anything.¡±

    Maez nodded and then cleared her throat.

    ¡°It''s a shame really but runes have never been my forte. I have a basic understanding of what''s going on, but I narrowed it down to two functions. The one I can speak about is its physical aspects.¡±

    Maez scratched the back of her neck as she stared at the scepter in wonder.

    ¡°I could tell right away there¡¯s neyosite mixed into the alloy¡¯s composition, so it¡¯ll easily be able to contend with bladed weapons without denting. The other thing to note is that once source is moved through this rune here, it¡¯ll extend to its full length.¡±

    Emily cocked her head and moved her hand to the rune Maez pointed. The moment her internal source left her skin barrier it rushed into the rune on the scepter''s grip.

    Emily couldn¡¯t control the flow, so immediately every rune on the thing lit up, and with a fluid snap, the scepter extended outwards. It Lengthened like a compact baton until she held something more akin to a staff than a scepter. Every rune was glowing a deep grey and Emily was lucky because the item seemed to have another function.

    ¡°By the five, do you want to blow up my shop? Stop channeling such a large amount of source into the thing!¡±

    Emily cut off the flow immediately and both Maez and Svent looked relieved.

    ¡°You are lucky you didn¡¯t set off the second feature. There''s an internal spell in this thing,¡± Svent said with a frown.

    ¡°It has a trigger mechanism to release it through the siphon, but still, don¡¯t just activate an item you don¡¯t understand. It could get you¡ªor worse, others¡ªkilled.¡±

    Emily glanced at the clear gem at the end of the ¡®staff¡¯.

    ¡°This thing is a siphon? I thought there were different kinds. What one is this?¡±

    Svent nodded, his earlier concern melting from his barky forehead.

    ¡°The siphon is the only part I don¡¯t understand. Normally an item of this quality would hold a specialized siphon, but this one holds an all-purpose gem. It most likely because the crafter was using an older method or they were making it for a specialized source user¡±

    Emily frowned.

    ¡°Wait so it can help with all colors of source? How is that not better?¡±

    Svent shrugged as though it were obvious.

    ¡°Well, an all-purpose siphon is one of the most common siphons. The thing is, there¡¯s a trade-off. While, yes, it can handle all types of source its energy release is one-fifth of what it should be. That means far less effective energy banishment. Healers usually use these, though I might be able to replace the siphon later if you get one to match your bridge.¡±

    Emily thought back to the gem she had seen Yishmal and Zeth use.

    ¡°No, this one is fine for now.¡± she muttered.

    In fact, it might just be perfect in the long run, unless there was a grey siphon?

    ¡°Okay, so what spell is in this thing?¡± Emily said as she held up the scepter to the light.

    Svent hummed and squinted at it.

    ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain it''s a spherical release spell. It¡¯ll take your source in, then create a ball of the corresponding energy and shoot it forward. It''s a versatile spell to have on demand.¡±

    Emily nodded. That matched with what she had seen the specter use, but she frowned.

    ¡°Is that all it does?¡±

    Her thoughts went back to the arrows the specter had fired at her but she didn¡¯t want to say more or she would expose that the item hadn¡¯t been in the vault. It could also have one of the specter''s innate abilities.

    Maez snorted.

    ¡°You still want more? Hate to break it to you, but even lower-tier artifacts cost huge sums of pentagons, and this one is far from low-tier. The fact that anyone can just pick up this item and use magic is something most people can only dream of. There may be some hidden functions but you¡¯ll have to take it to a Forge master or above to get something more.¡±

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    Emily¡¯s eyes moved back to the large gem sitting on the tip of the weapon. She was looking forward to finding out how much of a punch this thing packed when Tehila got up from the bench.

    ¡°Well that''s wonderful and all, but I¡¯m going to go pack.¡±

    Svent looked kindly at the Bard while Emily nodded.

    ¡°Yeah, now I just need to go blow something up.¡±

    Tehila grimaced.

    ¡°You might not want to cause any trouble right now. From what I can tell the villagers are simply looking for an excuse to kick you guys out. Your leader has probably already received the reward from the Elder so it wouldn¡¯t take much.¡±

    Emily pouted but sighed.

    She was probably right.

    ¡°Fair enough. Then I¡¯ll see you guys later, thanks again everyone for the help.¡±

    Emily headed toward the door as she planned her next move. Right now there were some glaring gaps in her knowledge about source and she needed to find answers. Luckily she knew exactly who could help her.

    Tehila¡¯s gaze followed after Emily as she left the room but the woman didn¡¯t follow her out of the building.

    As soon as Emily stepped outside, the cool air washed over her. She headed toward the plaza where the camp was set up.

    Emily caught sight of the camp, but just before reaching the outskirts, she sensed her blood approaching from the left. Cupcake was already lounging with the other Rime wolves, so she turned her head toward the alleyway, which remained in shadow even in the afternoon light. Without saying a word, she made a sudden detour and headed down it, sinking into the dark. The noises from the camp faded behind her, replaced by the muffled echo of her footsteps on the cobblestones.

    ¡°Alright wanna tell me what''s going on? Why have you gone double-o-seven on me?¡± Emily called out softly.

    Alex¡¯s voice came from right beside her as he sat on one of the groaning crates.

    ¡°When are you going to get that I don¡¯t follow your references?¡±

    He sounded exasperated yet surprisingly calm.

    ¡°Oh, I got it. This is just more fun. So¡­ why are you hiding from that guy?¡±

    Alex didn¡¯t answer right away and Emily realized he was double checking they were alone.

    ¡°...Jerhia is what we call a Seeker he¡¯s in a similar line of work to us. The difference is he specializes in hunting down individuals for coin. The problem is he¡¯s one of the better ones.¡±

    Emily hummed as her eyes narrowed.

    ¡°You seemed to know a lot about him. Is he after you? Is that why you¡¯re hiding?¡±

    Alex pursed his lips.

    ¡°If you¡¯re asking if I¡¯ve¡­ come into contact with him before, the answer¡¯s, yes. As for your other question¡­Probably not yet. I¡¯m just being cautious, he possesses a title that allows him to locate anyone he¡¯s spoken to and to a lesser extent even just seen.¡±

    Emily looked down at her nails.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s broken. What¡¯s his deal with him and Kael?¡±

    ¡°Rival mercenary groups, though Jerhia¡¯s team is significantly smaller, they¡¯re all powerful individuals. Suffice it to say those two have history. I don¡¯t have all the facts, but they may have been in the same merc group at one point.¡±

    Emily looked up from her cuticle inspection¡ªshe hoped to one day find a nail technician or something similar¡ªand noticed Alex pulling something from his pocket.

    ¡°Speaking of which, when Kael invites you to inspect the item, do your best to open it. Use this ward.¡±

    Emily stared down at the scrap of paper Alex handed her.

    ¡°I¡¯m assuming this has to the with the grey sands you guys were talking about?¡±

    Alex nodded solemnly.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to cross that place to go undetected, and as I said before, they are probably our best bet at getting across. The reason he needs to cross the gray sands only becomes obvious when he opens the heirloom from his tribe. Until then he won¡¯t want to go anywhere near the desert.¡±

    Emily frowned at the paper.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you do it for him then? I¡¯m not an errand girl.¡±

    Alex released a slow breath.

    ¡°How about I owe you one? I can¡¯t just have the perfect answer to his problem, he''ll become too suspicious of me and I need his trust if we¡¯re going to get across the dunes together.¡±

    Emily pursed her lips.

    ¡°But he¡¯ll be fine if it''s me?¡±

    Alex nodded without hesitation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed this but he has a soft spot for you for some reason. He¡¯ll buy it if you just make up something, you''re good at that.¡±

    Emily took the ward and studied it for a second.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, you¡¯ll owe me,¡± she said as she folded the square of paper and tucked it into her inner cloak pocket.

    ¡°Alright, I''m going to try and see if Ashe has got time for me, enjoy slinking through the shadows.¡±

    With that Emily headed back towards their camp which was alight with murmurs. As Emily got there she realized a group of the men from the village was standing off against some of their people. From the looks of things they were headed for disaster but Emily paid it no mind as she passed them.

    There had already been a couple of scuffles but Atticus and Gerade had put an end to it before it could cause problems.

    The joys of upper management Emily thought as she made for Selia¡¯s private tent where she knew she¡¯d find Ashe.

    She pushed the flap aside and entered.

    ¡°Knock-knock, anyone home?¡±

    Of course, Ashe lay back on a pile of blankets, holding a book above her face. To Emily¡¯s surprise, it was the one on blood magic that she had given her.

    Ashe sat up when she heard Emily and a wide grin appeared.

    ¡°I was just thinking of you, where have you been?¡±

    Emily grinned as she removed her cloak and sat down beside the woman.

    ¡°Me? I was busy finding out what this bad girl could do.¡± As she said that she pulled the scepter from her new belt Maez had sold her.

    It was just a leather strap that allowed Emily to safely stow it and pull it from her hip if need be but it would be a lifesaver if she needed her weapon in pinch. Plus it had only been three ovals

    ¡°What in the world is that?¡± Ashe¡¯s eyes widened as she lost all interest in the book.

    Emily smiled as she went over what Svent and Maez had told her. She¡¯d been keeping the scepter under wraps until they got back to town to avoid causing the problems.

    Ashe immediately wanted to inspect the artifact so Emily handed it over to her.

    ¡°Oh my heavens, it even has a spell enchanted into it. This is amazing!¡±

    Emily snorted as she had Ashe move some source through the handle and had it extend. Though she pointed it horizontally the narrow space. When it extended, Ashe''s eyes curved into happy crescents.

    ¡°It¡¯s even useful for green source. I could probably cast a good few boulders around with this focusing my power.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes fell on the runes currently covering the ¡®staff¡¯. The faintest green hue could be seen from it, but it was nowhere near the vibrant gray that had appeared when Emily had used it.

    ¡°That reminds me. I¡¯ve been using the source in my bones to power it, what would happen if I used the wave method.¡±

    Ashe drew her brows together in confusion.

    ¡°Well, you kind of need to use the wave method. Powering anything with the source in your bones would be hard, as internal source doesn¡¯t amount to very much. It might work for the extending function, but I doubt you¡¯d be able to use the spell enchanted inside the scepter without some kind of method.¡±

    Emily looked at the artifact with a thoughtful expression, because if she was right, the source in her bones was more than enough to power the scepter¡¯s spell.

    Blood points: 159

 Chapter 77 - Sources of magic

    Emily lounged next to Ashe, the sounds from outside muffled by the thick material. People moved to a fro around the tent with the odd fight breaking out in the distance.

    ¡°Wait, I don¡¯t understand. I thought the source inside me was what I was trying to manipulate. Why can¡¯t I use it to power spells?¡±

    Ashe passed the scepter back to Emily and nodded.

    ¡°You¡¯re right that Mages practice with their internal source to improve their control. The better you get, the better your spells will become, but it''s the same for the new source that enters you. Once your bridge draws it in the source becomes yours to use, even if just temporarily, which you can then put into a spell.¡±

    Emily understood that so far but the explanation felt incomplete, Ashe proved her right a second later by continuing.

    ¡°Obviously if one could just get rid of all the source we drew in then we wouldn¡¯t suffer from exposure. The problem is that we can¡¯t get rid of all of it. A small portion of the source you use settles in your bones for a time. The more you draw and release. the faster it builds up in your system. The size of one¡¯s internal reserves are different on a case-to-case basis, but even the largest reserves are mostly negligible¡±

    Emily spun the scepter in her hand.

    ¡°So most people have more control but they can¡¯t pull from their reserves?¡±

    Ashe grabbed the scepter as it fell out of Emily''s hand.

    ¡°Oh, they can but the outcome would be minor without some kind of method assisting them.¡±

    Emily had a feeling her reserves were far from the norm. All the wards she¡¯d powered so far were done using her internal source alone. She¡¯d never had a problem before, in fact, she¡¯d burned out the source chalk that Alex had her use almost immediately.

    ¡°Okay, so the wave method you taught me. You said it was the best one for beginners. What are the others like?¡±

    Ashe hummed.

    ¡°Well, there are quite a few, different methods and each has its advantages. But honestly, it''s all about how you pull the outside source into yourself. For example, I¡¯ve taught you the wave method. This method is the best for spells as it pulls in a large amount of source and dumps it directly where it¡¯s needed. Whereas the stream method would work better for this enchanted item. The method is exactly as it sounds it pulls a constant stream of energy through you and into the scepter.¡±

    Emily sat up. She¡¯d done something similar down in the tomb to sustain the ¡®lift¡¯ spell, sadly she hadn¡¯t quite gotten it right.

    ¡°Okay wave method works for spells, the stream method works best for items. What about wards? Or blood wards.¡±

    Ashe remained lying down and crossed her hands behind her head. Emily could see the woman was in her element and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the questions.

    ¡°Mmm. First off, wards and blood wards are not that different. From what I¡¯ve learned from your book, it''s only a matter of medium and understanding how the life source comes into play. In regards to method, I¡¯d recommend a combination of the stream method and the wave method.¡±

    Ashe then began to show Emily the best way was to draw in a burst of source and then keep her bridge open.

    She found the steam method a little more difficult to master than the wave method but eventually Emily managed to keep a smaller constant stream of grey source entering her body. Of course, it wasn¡¯t perfect. The wave method created a large bust of strength where as the stream method could draw in a constant amount of source but it was nowhere near the strength of the wave method.

    Emily still couldn¡¯t get her source to move in any useful manner, but eventually, she gave up.

    ¡°Oh, how about teaching me a new spell? I¡¯ve been happy with the lift spell you gave me but it has its limits. Do you have any others that might fit me?¡±

    Ashe sat up for the first time since Emily had entered the tent and cleared her throat.

    ¡°I was wondering when you would ask, but honestly I''ve run into a problem.¡±

    Ashe almost sounded ashamed as she spoke though Emily didn¡¯t mind.

    ¡°Look I know you are helping me here so I¡¯ll be glad with whatever you come up with. Take your time, I¡¯m in no rush.¡±

    Ashe seemed to like what Emily said over and then snort to herself.

    ¡°Sorry I was being silly, I¡¯m not at the academy anymore. I don¡¯t have to hide my findings from you.¡±

    Emily frowned, was this academy in Lorethil a place you had to hide your research? Ashe didn¡¯t notice Emily¡¯s frown as she went on.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Yeah, so I have managed to craft you a spell but I¡¯m embarrassed to say it¡¯s desperately long, too long to be usable in a fight¡±

    Emily thought about her current spell. That one had two simple hand gestures that she had practiced whenever she had time and even then, she didn¡¯t always have the space to use it.

    This caused Emily to scratch the back of her head.

    ¡°I understand that it''s difficult to make a spell with a colorless source but I see where you¡¯re coming from. What''s it supposed to do?¡±

    Ashe nodded.

    ¡°So, as I said before I don¡¯t have a lot of resources here, just what I brought along. The runes that can work solely with colorless source alone are vanishingly small. However, I thought that if I could use runes to convert your grey source into green you might be able to use the magics I¡¯m familiar with. Kinda like switching magic accents.¡±

    Ashe looked downtrodden as she said this but she continued.

    ¡°Sadly it¡¯s become incredibly obvious as to why most people don¡¯t bother converting their source into other colors. For one, the process of changing them is long-winded and complex, and to be honest, the conversion ratio you get out is just not worth it.¡±

    Emily tried not to look too disappointed as she nodded at Ashe.

    ¡°I see, but it is possible?¡±

    Ashe nodded.

    ¡°Yeah, and because you don¡¯t carry an inherent ¡®accent¡¯ it''s a bit easier for you to convert your source, but even with that it causes problems.¡±

    Ashe took out a notebook and opened to a page where we¡¯d scrawled several notes as well as the runes she had selected.

    ¡°The spell I prepared for you is called ¡®gather stone¡¯. It turns nearby sand and mud into hard rock, and is often the beginning step to higher-order spells. The thing is, if I were to do it, it would take me no more than two gestures. But as it is now it would take you twenty-eight hand gestures to complete, and cost you almost three times the source.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened, she knew it was a long shot but she hadn¡¯t expected it to be in another court altogether.

    What idiot would wait around for her to sign twenty-eight runes? Maybe she could use it in an ambush?

    Staring down to the notebook Emily cocked her head.

    ¡°Wait¡­ you once told me that hand gestures were like the spoken word and that wards were like the written, right?¡±

    Ashe beamed, looking glad Emily had been paying attention.

    ¡°So what if you were to convert these hand gestures into a ward?¡±

    Ashe nodded slowly.

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s theoretically possible¡­ but then you¡¯ll run into the same problem of it taking too long to draw it.¡±

    Emily grinned to herself as a plan began to form.

    ¡°Could you do me a favor and make this spell into a ward?¡±

    Ashe looked at the notebook thoughtfully for a second.

    ¡°I think I probably could, but why?¡±

    Emily felt excitement rising in her chest.

    ¡°Because I might be able to get around the long incantation.¡±

    Ashe¡¯s spine straightened, and she rummaged in her pack, taking out two other books.

    ¡°Okay, but if I do this, you have to stay and help. You can familiarize yourself with the runes at the same time.¡±

    Emily found she quite liked the idea, so she agreed readily.

    They spent the next five hours poring over the rune books Ashe had on hand. Emily tried her best to memorize each rune she encountered, but there were so many, and most of them were better suited for green source. For obvious reasons, Ashe ended up doing the majority of the work, but Emily tried to help by searching the relevant passages, even though it was quite a needle in a haystack.

    Soon, the afternoon began to draw to a close, and Emily felt herself getting hungry. Selia had poked her head into the tent a couple of times, but when she saw that Emily was with Ashe, she stayed away for longer periods.

    ¡°Hmm, what do you say to us going to grab some grub? I can smell that Fox is cooking up a storm out there. I might be able to steal us something good,¡± Emily said as the heady scent of red meat grilling on a skillet wafted into the tent from outside.

    Ashe glanced toward the tent flap but then looked back at the book to scribble something down.

    ¡°Almost got it¡­ there. Done!¡±

    Emily leaned over her shoulder to look at the ward to see a completed square ward with harsh lines.

    ¡°Really!? ¡± Emily questioned the thought of food vanishing from her mind.

    ¡°Yeah, but we should go someplace other than the tent to test it.¡±

    Emily nodded the warning from Jerhia bouncing through her head for less than a second before Emily banished it. A new spell and possibly a new method to her was just too alluring to turn down.

    Ashe and Emily headed out of the tent but instead of moving deeper into the camp they moved to the outskirts where there was a large amount of debris around.

    When they found a spot that was less noticeable, Ashe handed Emily the new page with the rune on.

    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure how strong it¡¯ll be, but just don¡¯t draw it too big we don¡¯t want to cause a commotion.¡±

    Emily nodded as she held the paper in front of her face, studying every line and angle that made up the ward.

    As she did so she summoned a droplet of blood no bigger than a marble in her palm. She didn¡¯t need people spotting her as she used her blood so she made sure it was small enough that no one would notice.

    That was when she began to shape the blood. The wards Alex had shown her were often as complex as this one. The one in the airless chamber easily rivaled this ward, so it didn¡¯t take long before she felt everything slot into place. Scarlet Sister was only triggered once when she made a big mistake near the ¡®convene¡¯ rune. Having studied these runes for a considerable time, the ward fell into place neatly, and Emily felt her blood humming as the ward activated.

    Emily kept her hand close to the ground to avoid taxing the magic, but she needn''t have worried, as the grains of sand and clumps of soil rushed up to her palm with little resistance. They rapidly gathered and compacted down into a loose stone.

    The ward hummed happily and Emily felt the tiny thing trying to pull in more soil, as it faithfully took in her source and converted it into something else it could work with. She could feel it had ample power and it was only the size of the ward, that was limiting it.

    Even now, Emily let her internal source rush into the ward as it pleased. Yet she felt no difference in the levels of source in her bones. The energy still didn¡¯t listen to her, but it happily flowed towards the ward with little resistance, almost as though it wanted to be used.

    It took a fair amount of vitality to maintain the integrity of the ward but Emily had found a way to combine her natural abilities and her new magic. With this, she could circumvent the need to prepare wards.

    Emily let the ward fizzle out as she got up, unable to keep the triumphant smile off her face.

    Ashe had been watching wide-eyed as Emily now held a baseball-sized cube in her hand.

    It had taken her around ten seconds to create the ward, but that was her first try.

    As time went on it would only get easier to have her blood take on the shape of specific wards if she needed to.

    Obviously, this one was just a proof of concept, but in essence, Emily could use any spell if she could only come up with the corresponding ward to match it.

    Blood points: 158

 Chapter 78 - Team player

    The scent of root vegetables cooking over a fire reminded Emily of baked potatoes slathered in butter, and she was only too glad to grab a second helping. Ashe and Emily had been celebrating their breakthrough with the runes by relaxing and eating their fill. Emily even noticed Beth from team four eating on her own, so she invited her to join them. Loch came from working with the wolves and joined their growing party as Ashe settled into the company.

    Emily had just come for thirds when she spotted Fox glancing up from the temporary kitchen he¡¯d set up.

    ¡°Ah, Emily, perfect.  Come here a sec I need your help.¡±

    Emily sighed but moved over to the plump man.

    ¡°What¡¯s up, Fox?¡±

    ¡°Can you grab an extra set of hands and take this food to team two? They¡¯re out on guard duty near the fallen post. I¡¯d bring it, but I¡¯m swamped.¡±

    Emily squinted at the man but he snorted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know you by now. If you do this for me I¡¯ve got a slice of beetle steak that will have you thanking your plate.¡±

    Emily¡¯s vacant eyes turned to crescents.

    ¡°Well, if you say it''s good then I¡¯ll trust you. Stack everything here, I¡¯ll go gather my victims.¡±

    Fox nodded his thanks before Emily went to fetch the other three, returning shortly and picking up the pot filled with what tasted like braised veal.

    As they left, Ashe, Loch, and Beth trailed after her, their own hands laden with crockery and food.

    ¡°How¡¯d I get dragged into this?¡± Beth pouted as she carried a bundle with two large loaves of bread.¡±

    Emily snorted.

    ¡°Oh come on, Fox asked us so nicely.¡±

    Beth didn¡¯t say anything but Emily could feel Ashe burning a hole in the back of her skull with her eyes. She might have to share her reward, but only because Ashe didn¡¯t believe for a second that Emily was doing this out of the kindness of her heart.

    Loch was already giving her suspicious glares.

    ¡°Come on, we just drop it off and leave, it will barely take anything out of your night,¡± Emily said as they left the outskirts of the camp and the village¡¯s nightlife came into view.

    For the most part, the people of Frosthaven were early to bed and early to rise, but the recent attack had left many on edge, staying up late and drinking to drown their sorrows. Emily had heard that many were injured or killed in the short time it took to subdue the queen.

    People followed their four-man team with their gazes as they traveled through the street. If a villager was on the road they would step off it as though crossing their path would be the worst sign imaginage.

    The people''s hate was obvious as they glared daggers at them, causing Beth to lower her head and mutter.

    ¡°Damn, they¡¯re ungrateful. They wouldn¡¯t be acting like this if we were some Royal guard or  Paladins, they''d be welcoming us.¡±

    Loch shrugged.

    ¡°Humans are simple, and just like beasts they¡¯re scared.¡±

    Emily glanced about, Loch may be right, they could be reacting with fear, but that didn¡¯t explain the rage on their faces. It was as though they were some occupying army.

    It was not a stretch to say they had the village''s entire stores of hate directed at them, but Emily didn¡¯t see how any of that was her problem.

    People died, which was a shame, and she truly did think the loss of life was a huge waste, but she held no guilt over what had happened with the queen. Emily had worked out that Kael had warned the Elder that something like this could happen, but they were still employed and sent on their way. The Queen Blightstinger was an unforeseen event but the risk was still theirs to take.

    Alex had said in his time the queen must have moved out naturally when the war came because he hadn¡¯t known it was there. However, he remained quiet about what happened to the village after this place became a battlefield.

    Seeing as though the time scale was accelerated, things probably weren''t looking too good.

    As Emily''s group of helpers passed a particular open door, where light shone from the room, out into the street, it illuminated their path with shifting shadows.

    The streets weren''t lit save for the sparse lamps at odd intervals. As they continued, multiple eyes followed their group.

    Most were resentful, but all kept their distance not picking a fight.

    Emily was certain it was because of their little group and the way they carried themselves. Two of the individuals were highly skilled with the weapons they carried while the other two were clearly magic users.

    Emily hadn¡¯t realized it but with the scepter at her side, she was a stereotypical image of a Mage, and very few people wanted to mess with those if they could help it.

    After a ten-minute walk, they found themselves arriving near the breach in the perimeter. Emily spotted team two immediately as they had set up a campfire in the space of the gap.

    Nearby a larger team of villagers sat stations at the gap, but both parties refused to mix.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    It was apparent that something had gone down and they refused to talk to one another now.

    Emily nodded for everyone to follow her as she stepped up to team two. Marth looked up from stoking the fire to watch their approach.

    The wind was far stronger in this gap as though they were out on the plains again, yet Emily bundled tighter as they arrived near the team.

    ¡°Food delivery, get it while it''s hot.¡±

    Oscar¡¯s head snapped up the moment he heard Emily''s voice, which she didn¡¯t mind even as his gaze narrowed on her scepter.

    Most of the others looked at the food with greed in their eyes as Emily plopped it down and Ashe left the stack of bowls nearby.

    Marth pressed his lips together and he snorted.

    ¡°Why¡¯d they send you?¡±

    Emily smiled and shrugged as Ashe stepped behind her growing at the man.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a thank you, but don¡¯t worry, there''s no spit in your food, so enjoy!¡±

    Marth¡¯s face twitched but he shook his head as his eyes fell down to her waist then back up to her eyes.

    ¡°No, you know, this meeting is perfect. I was going to bring this up with Kael soon anyway, but it''s downright unthinkable that he would hand you an artifact before one of my more senior men. What¡¯d you do to turn him against me, you sleeping with him.¡±

    Emily''s shoulders drooped.

    She should have known he¡¯d be difficult. Was he looking to make an example out of her like out in the yard? Did he think he could get her to give up her prize if he cast dispersions?

    The other members of team two were lapping it up, their eyes on Emily shifting with suspicion and intrigue.

    But that only made her smile. She¡¯d faced worse rumors before. And staying silent in the face of an open challenge wasn¡¯t her style¡ªit would only make her look weak.

    "If only he''d give me a chance, I¡¯d tap that in a heartbeat," she said with a radiant grin, watching as her words landed.

    Faces around her, including Ashe¡¯s, turned to shock, but she pressed on, striking while the iron was hot.

    "No, Marth, it¡¯s clear you¡¯re turning him against yourself. I don¡¯t need to lift a finger for that. But do you know why he rewarded me? Because I earned it. Can you¡ªor your men¡ªsay the same?"

    Marth¡¯s expression hardened as he rose from his seat and approached Emily.

    ¡°You¡¯re testing my last shred of patience, girl. Hand over the scepter quietly, and I¡¯ll pretend you never came by. Then, we can all move on with our lives.¡±

    His hand settled on his weapon, and a lethal aura radiated from him. At this close range, he held the advantage, but Emily wasn''t about to cave.

    She tapped her index finger against her lips, a mocking smile spreading across her face.

    ¡°I do have a knack for pushing people¡¯s buttons,¡± she said, her tone teasing. ¡°But I¡¯m curious¡ªhow do you plan to handle this? Will you resort to violence, or will you cave under pressure? I just have to see.¡±

    Marth¡¯s face twitched again and he took a step toward her, reaching his hand out for her throat.

    He wrapped one of his mits around Emily¡¯s neck, but before he could apply any pressure, Oscar stepped forward and placed a firm hand on Marth''s shoulder, shaking his head.

    ¡°Boss, don¡¯t! I¡¯ve seen her recover from a direct hit by a Juggernaut.¡±

    Marth''s grin widened, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

    "Good," he said, his voice laced with menace.

    ¡°That means I can afford to be a little more harsh!¡±

    Emily was so lost in the moment she didn¡¯t recognize when another voice interrupted their little ¡®team discussion¡¯.

    ¡°Oh my, is this infighting I¡¯m seeing in the wandering fangs?¡± a melodious voice pried.

    Emily turned her head as best she could with a callous palm holding her neck in place.

    From the corner of her eye, Emily could make out a man having walked out from the group of villagers. It wasn¡¯t hard to remember who that tall build and sickle belonged to. Jerhia stood nearby with that same smirk he¡¯d held a couple of hours ago.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a sex thing, that I can assure you,¡± Emily said around a hand.

    Marth¡¯s face glanced down at the man before then and back to Emily, his grip coming free as his arm fell to the side.

    ¡°Nothing that concerns you, friend.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re right but just wanted to see what our neighbors were doing, maybe exchange some information¡­ And while it doesn¡¯t concern me, what about them? They¡¯ve lost so much while you were away, surely they should get some answers.¡±

    Emily''s eyes moved to the people standing behind Jerhia as Marth frowned at them.

    As though waiting for their turn the crowd of people nearby closed in.

    Most of the villagers here had volunteered to be here and by the looks of things. There was a reason for this, and that was because not a single of of them had not lost close friends or family.

    With Jerhia''s words, it was as though a signal had gone off and began to grow in volume as their voices joined together, overlapping around them in a cacophony of voices.

    ¡°Yeah, we deserve answers! What happened out there-¡±

    ¡°My sister is dead because of you lot! ¡±

    ¡°You let that creature break the walls on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°You all should never have returned!¡±

    Marth and his men went on guard as things took a turn for the worse.

    Voices continued to grow while Oscar and some of the men tried to shout over the crowd''s growing protests. But it was like screaming in the face of a hurricane.

    The people didn¡¯t care and while Marth and his people were trained they were currently outnumbered four to one, there would be some injuries even if they won in the end.

    Emily glanced back at Ashe and the others. She certainly had come at the wrong time.

    She sighed and searched the crowd for Jerhia. He was still there, not having moved from the spot but instead of trying to calm things down he just observed them all.

    Emily wanted to walk away, but if Marth retaliated and killed the villagers, they¡¯d be kicked out of the village in the dead of night. She wasn¡¯t sure about the others, but she was exhausted and just wanted to relax tonight.

    With a reluctant sigh, she turned her back to the crowd, lowering her hand to the scepter. Taking a deep breath, she threw her gates open, letting her source surge into the weapon. She pulled it off her belt and aimed just above the crowd. The spell inside the scepter activated, the artifact greedily absorbing the energy until it was full. A basketball-sized orb of power formed at the crystal tip before shooting out through the gap in the wall.

    The sound was that of ripping air as a grey trail of light shot overhead and landed in the distant field.

    This all happened in less than a second, and then the attack landed.

    When it hit the snowy plains, a thunderous sound echoed out before a grey wave of air pressure exploded into the night and sent dirt, snow, and grass in all directions.

    The boisterous crowd fell silent all at once as they turned to see the destruction Emily''s attack had created and then back to the point of origin.

    ¡°I hope you all understand that that was the only warning shot you¡¯re going to get. Now, all we want to rest here for the night and we¡¯ll be gone in the morning, you can hang on till then.¡±

    Emily then lowered the scepter down to Jerhia¡¯s level. The crowd having seen what just happened moved away for him. Jerhia¡¯s casual smile was gone and a hardened look had taken over his features.

    ¡°And you, that''s twice you caused us trouble. Refrain from doing it a third.¡±

    Jerhia cocked his head as he stared into Emily¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Is that a threat?¡± His body went unnaturally still.¡±

    ¡°It was,¡± she said without hesitation.

    Jerhia¡¯s face remained the same but his hand was openly heading toward his sickle, Emily was just about to fire again when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

    Without hesitation, she swung the scepter out to her side where she felt the attack coming from and it collided with something hard.

    Emily had just enough time to see a red disk of energy before it shattered.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be. Gotta say I didn¡¯t expect you to block that.¡± Jerhia said his sickle already resting on his shoulder.

    Emily waited for the follow-up that never came because then her hair bristled again when she heard an angry voice from behind her.

    ¡°What exactly are you all thinking?¡±

    Emily glanced back in time to see Kael wearing the breastplate from the tomb as he approached the scene.

    And he didn¡¯t look happy.

    Blood points: 159

 Chapter 79 - Standing contract

    Moonlight glinted off Kael''s unnaturally striking face, but anger was the only expression that graced his features at the moment. He stood so close to Emily and Ashe that they could easily sense the difference in their heights.

    ¡°I asked what you were all thinking fighting at a time like this? Emily lower your damn weapon. And for all our sakes Jerhia, stop messing with my people.¡±

    Jerhia had not moved from his crouched stance but his shoulders had relaxed somewhat.

    ¡°All I was doing was poking some fun, and then your woman over there lowers her weapon at me. I take no responsibility for what would have happened.¡±

    Emily was still breathing hard as she recovered from the attack before. She was incredibly lucky to have reacted in time, but as she replayed it back in her mind she could only see one thing. That damned red disk left Jerhia¡¯s sickle and moved through the air at speeds she could scarcely follow. To make things worse it had traveled on a meandering path as though possessed by a serpent. Had she been any slower that thing would have separated her head from her shoulders and Emily hated coming back from that type of injury.

    ¡°Marth to me, what''s happening here? First I feel an explosion and then I feel one of my men in danger, a client to top it off. I thought I told you to keep the peace.¡±

    Marth glanced at Emily with an indignant look on his face.

    ¡°Boss I did, but this woman came to provoke-¡±

    Jerhia laughed as he piped up.

    ¡°Your man likes to spin a good story, from where I was sitting it looked more like he was trying to steal from the poor girl.¡±

    Emily squinted at the guy, he¡¯d been spying on them longer than she thought. Just moments ago he was about to take her head off and now he was helping her?

    Marth¡¯s eyes narrowed at Jerhia, but Kael''s gaze never left the man.

    ¡°If I wanted your opinion on my men Jerhia, I would have asked for it. Shouldn¡¯t you be heading out at this stage? The Elder wanted to talk to you.¡±

    Jerhia made a waving gesture.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see the old man in the morning when he¡¯s feeling better. Plus, there¡¯s so much left still to talk about here.¡±

    Jerhia''s eyes briefly moved over to Marth who was glaring at him.

    Kael cursed under his breath so softly, that Emily and Ashe were probably the only ones who could hear him.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m done entertaining you. Marth head back to your post, we¡¯ll talk about this later. Don¡¯t engage with this one he doesn¡¯t have anything interesting to say.¡±

    Marth didn¡¯t move from his spot at first but when Kael narrowed his gaze at the man he flinched. He shot Jerhia and Emily withering glares before moving over to the campfire they had set up.

    Jerhia still had the balls to look innocent as he waved and trailed back to the other camp with the villages in tow. If she was being honest she didn¡¯t expect him to give up so easily, but she had another problem right now as Kael spoke again.

    ¡°You three, return to the camp,¡± he said to Ashe, Loch, and Beth. ¡°Emily you¡¯re to follow me.¡±

    Emily just briefly contemplated making a run for it, but to be honest, she was curious, so she took up a step beside him. She glanced back to wink at Ashe, who looked concerned, but sadly that was all the reassurance she could offer right now.

    Kael glanced at her out of the corner of his eye but said nothing as they wound through the streets. They weren''t heading toward the tents like Emily had initially thought, but seeing as the night was still young she decided to just go along for the ride. When that got boring she began to hum, and finally, she decided that she might as well risk it.

    ¡°Soo... were you able to sense that I was in danger? How does that work? Like, if I could handle myself, does the skill still alert you, or do you get a hundred warnings a day every time someone stubs their toe?¡±

    Kael kept walking but an arched brow was the only response she got.

    ¡°Ouch, okay, don¡¯t tell me. Can you at least tell me when I¡¯m gonna get paid for my work in the tomb?¡±

    This did get a response from Kael as he arrived in front of a small stand-alone house.

    ¡°You still wanted more after I gave you that artifact?! Greed is good, but don¡¯t swallow more than you can handle.¡±

    Emily pursed her lips at the man.

    ¡°Aw come on you can afford to lose some pocket change, can¡¯t you?¡±

    Kael¡¯s nostrils flared as he arrived at the door, inserting a key and unlocking the house.

    ¡°You call that weapon on your waist, pocket change? I could buy a house in the upper levels of Tagrin¡¯s keep with that thing.¡±

    Emily adjusted her shoulders as Kael entered the house indicating for her to follow.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°I mean, I have debts to pay off and you¡¯re also getting a good deal out of this. With me wielding the scepter you have one more card up your sleeve.¡±

    Kael scrunched his nose as Emily entered the small living room and shut the door behind her, letting the lock click in place.

    ¡°Nice try, can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever heard that expression before, but I¡¯ll do you a favor and make sure you get paid for the Blightstinger extermination.¡±

    Emily crossed her arms as she looked around the room. It was small and sparsely furnished but probably left empty for visiting big wigs. Now that she was here she was fairly certain it was close to their main camp and while the house was spartan it beat sleeping on the ground by a mile.

    Sighing Emily turned to face the freakishly tall man.

    ¡°Fine, I suppose I¡¯ll take what I can get. Now, what exactly did you call me here for?¡±

    Kael went over to the bed and grabbed a pack off it before rummaging through it.

    ¡°What else would I call you here for? To help me with the problem I told you about before.¡±

    He brought out a small wooden box that fit snugly in the palm of his hand.

    ¡°I need you to open this box safely without destroying whatever¡¯s inside.¡±

    Emily¡¯s brows lifted as she looked at him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside? Then why are you going through all this effort to open it?¡±

    Kael sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled a clear flask out of his pack.

    ¡°Sure. Don¡¯t tell me you wouldn¡¯t try to open a mysterious box to find out what was inside just because you could.¡±

    Emily had to force the edges of her lips from turning up as she stepped forward and extended her hand. Her silence let him know he¡¯d won that round.

    He placed the box in her palm without shame in his eyes.

    Now that it was closer Emily turned it over in her hands and realized the wood reminded her of driftwood. It was worn down and bleached by years of sun and sand. Yet unlike normal wood, it was surprisingly dense even with its naturally porous exterior. If Emily had to guess it was probably the same strength as a metal like iron or steel.

    Bringing it up to her face she could see several runes etched into the sides of the box, forming a loose ring of wards. One of which she recognized, having seen it in Ashe¡¯s books just hours prior. The rune ¡®bind¡¯ sat prominently on the top.

    ¡°Well?¡±

    Emily hummed as she looked up.

    ¡°I can open it.¡±

    Kael took a breath through his nose but didn¡¯t say much else, clearly used to having his hopes dashed.

    ¡°But first, where does it come from?¡± Emily asked curious.

    Kael took another swig from his glass flask.

    ¡°Why does that matter?¡±

    Emily looked up from the runes.

    ¡°Because it does. Whatever you can give me of its origins helps me to understand what runes would best work on it,¡± she said lying through her teeth.

    Kael snorted hollowly as he fixed her with a glare.

    ¡°I¡¯d been led to believe you didn¡¯t know many runes¡­¡±

    Emily held up her finger to silence him, leaning heavily on Performer.

    ¡°Blood Magic is different, do you want me to open it or not?¡±

    Kael made a face like he was eating sour grapes but then sighed.

    ¡°That box comes from mine and Jerhia¡¯s tribe. Our people live in harsh climates and I was supposed to deliver that to the homeland but some circumstance made that impossible.¡±

    Emily blinked not expecting such a sudden reveal.

    ¡°Wait that guy is from the same tribe as you? You guys look nothing alike?¡±

    Kael snorted as he took another swig.

    ¡°Jerhia hated everything to do with our tribe. Wears a long cloak to hide his limbs and grew out a beard to hide his features. Something my people look down on. To be fair I hate them too, but I don¡¯t get any satisfaction from cutting out our roots like he does.¡±

    Emily frowned because now she just had more questions than she¡¯d started with, but she sensed she pushed the limits of his patience at this point.

    It would be best to unlock this thing now so Alex wouldn¡¯t come badgering her later.

    Unfortunately, there was a problem.

    Alex had just given her the rune earlier today, and she hadn¡¯t expected Kael to come asking for his dues so soon. She¡¯d shoved the scrap of paper into her coat without bothering to memorize the thing. Pulling out the cheat sheet Alex had handed her would look mighty suspicious right about now.

    Thinking fast Emily stood up.

    ¡°I have to go to the ladies room¡­¡±

    Kael¡¯s hand paused halfway up to his mouth the alcohol forgotten as he squinted at her.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you hold it?¡±

    ¡°Nope, and don¡¯t ask a lady such an insensitive question. If I¡¯m going to be unlocking this thing for you, don¡¯t you want me to be at my best? It¡¯ll only take a moment.¡±

    Kael shot her a baffled look as he let out a big sigh but shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Go ahead, but leave the box.¡±

    Emily chucked the box on the bed and made her way to the chamberpot shutting the door to the small room. She pulled out the sheet of paper and began studying it for the next ten minutes until she could imagine every flowing line of the circular shapes.

    When she walked out she straightened her traveling leathers and wiped her hands on a small hand towel.

    ¡°Okay, let''s get this get this go.¡±

    Kael looked up at her from the bed with an arched brow.

    ¡°Ready?¡± he said as his handsome mug flushed with whatever alcohol he¡¯d been drinking, even the top buckle of his armor had been loosened for comfort.

    Emily took a moment to take in the beautiful man before taking back the box.

    ¡°Right, now let''s see,¡± she said as she moved blood to her fingertips.

    She made a show of cutting her hand and letting way more blood come out than she needed, but she couldn¡¯t let her ¡®customer¡¯ think it¡¯d been too easy.

    Slowly she moved the blood to hover over the box, waving her hand in mysterious and non-sensical motions to add to the show.

    When her blood had finally gotten into the right shape she let Scarlet sister check over her work. The ward was far more complex than anything Emily had done before. She had to rework entire sections until everything was perfect. When Scarlet sister was finally happy she began to power the thing.

    Grey source began to flow into the ward, but at first, nothing happened. Emily squinted in concentration¡ªshe could feel her energy pouring into the magic, yet it remained stubbornly inert.

    It wasn¡¯t until she felt her blood straining, the familiar sensation she experienced when activating a blood ward, that she realized just how much power the ward required.

    Adapting quickly, Emily switched to the wave method, sending out a surge of energy, then immediately transitioned to the stream method as Ashe had taught her. A steady flow of grey source followed the wave, and the moment it reached her hands, the ward finally responded.

    The runes didn¡¯t just activate¡ªthey ignited, glowing like hot iron. A ripple of energy surged out from the ward and collided with the box, accompanied by the sound of glass shattering and a satisfying click from the wooden vessel in her hands. But the magic didn¡¯t stop there. The ripple of grey source continued to spread through the house, reaching every lock and fastening within its range, forcing them open. The front door swung wide with a click, and even the buckles on Kael''s armor came undone, sending the pieces clattering to the ground.

    Emily quickly cut off the flow of source before it spread beyond the house, unlocking anyone else¡¯s home. The last thing she needed was rumors about her going around opening doors for no reason.

    Once the ward''s energy faded and her blood reabsorbed, she turned her attention back to the box. The lid slid off and fell to the ground, revealing the largest sapphire Emily had ever seen, glittering even in the room¡¯s dim light.

    She glanced up at Kael, expecting to see excitement or greed in his eyes, but instead, she was met with sheer horror.

    ¡°Oh gods, no¡­¡± he muttered.

    Blood points: 157

 Chapter 80 - With a grain of salt

    Emily stared down at the sapphire as faint light trickled from it, bathing the room in a cool glow. The rippling hue created a damp, refreshing atmosphere, warping like sunlight through water. A gentle, calming sensation rose in Emily, as beads of vapor began to collect on her skin.

    It was like bathing in the purest spring imaginable. Everywhere the light touched, she felt renewed and invigorated. Just then, she noticed something else in the box. It looked like a folded scrap of paper or perhaps a piece of animal skin.

    As she reached for the note, Kael abruptly grabbed the lid from the floor, slamming the box shut again. Emily glanced up to see his solemn gaze, his large hand gripping the box tightly and trapping her hand against it.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s quite enough. I will need you to swear you won¡¯t reveal what you saw here today.¡±

    Emily blinked slowly as the feeling of being submerged began to fade.

    ¡°Mmm¡­ yeah, sure. I¡¯m not even sure what that thing is, other than it being pretty.¡±

    Kael¡¯s eyes still held a wild look as he searched Emily¡¯s face.

    ¡°Did you somehow know what was in here?¡±

    Emily narrowed her gaze at him.

    ¡°I just told you I don¡¯t have the foggiest idea what I was looking at. What do you think?¡±

    Kael tore his eyes away from the box, frowning down at it.

    ¡°Your partner, Alexander, wanted me to help you cross the burning dunes. I wondered why he came to us out of all the factions in¡­¡±

    His voice trailed off as he wrestled with something before looking back at Emily with another searching gaze.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known, I didn¡¯t even know¡­¡±

    Emily could see his mind struggling to piece things together, but he was missing a crucial part of the puzzle¡ªand she wasn¡¯t about to offer it up.

    She let go of the box, pulling her hands away and holding her palms out to show she meant no harm.

    ¡°Look, buddy. I did my part. This item seems important to you, but to me, it¡¯s worth no more than what I can sell it for. If some strange machinations are going on in that skull of yours, leave me out of it. I¡¯ve upheld my end of the deal; it¡¯s not my fault you didn¡¯t anticipate what was inside.¡±

    Kael searched Emily''s expression for even a hint of a lie, but she just held his gaze for as long as he needed.

    After a full minute of scrutiny, Kael sighed.

    ¡°Well¡­ then, you can tell Alexander that we¡¯ll have to have another talk when we get to Lorethil. I¡¯m not saying yes to anything yet, we have to get through this warzone first, but his chances of getting an escort just went up from zero.¡±

    Emily watched as Kael opened the box just a crack as if he couldn¡¯t quite believe what was inside. From what she could tell, it wasn¡¯t fear of the sapphire itself but what it symbolized. Kael¡¯s expression was one of pure foreboding.

    Unable to resist, Emily broke the silence.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that thing is, but care to give me a hint? Just to satisfy my curiosity¡­¡±

    Kael looked up at her, and after a moment, a tired smirk crossed his face.

    ¡°Not really. I think it¡¯s time you headed out, Emily. I¡¯m grateful for your help, but it¡¯s getting late, and we wouldn¡¯t want any unnecessary rumors about us starting among my men, now would we?''

    His tone was sultry, and that¡¯s when Emily realized she was alone in Kael''s quarters, with him in his casual attire and his armor scattered on the floor where it had fallen. She glanced at the artifact breastplate lying there and snorted.

    ¡°I think it''s a little too late for that one, bossman,¡± she said, amusement drifting through her voice.

    ¡°But you¡¯re right. I¡¯ve got things to do and people to see. Give me a shout if you need something opened again¡ªsame price as the first time.¡± She said as she tapped the scepter on her hip and backed toward the door.

    Kael caught sight of her scepter and huffed, the last tension leaving his shoulders.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to drain my coffers dry, I can just see it,¡± he said, his tone thick with amusement.

    Emily¡¯s smile widened as she slipped out of the building, closing the door behind her.

    She leaned against the door for a second, letting a breath escape her lungs.

    Kael was intense, even when he looked like he was relaxing on his bed, he never lowered his guard. Emily never found a single opening she could exploit if things had gotten bad in there.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    For now, he still needed her but she had to get stronger to defend herself. With people like Jerhia and Kael in the world, she could only imagine the powerhouses were out there.

    Right now, she was confident she could at least escape them, but that was all. She couldn¡¯t stop them or even bring Alex with her, not unless they had weakened themselves considerably before fighting her.

    Emily stepped away from the house and made her way through the streets, she found a passage that would take her straight back to the camp but stopped there.

    She let a little vitality through her chest as she sent out a pulse, finding her blood shortly after, turning in a northerly direction she went after Alex.

    She was surprised to find him outside a large blacksmith shop.

    By the looks of things, he was repairing the outer part of the structure in the dead of night. There were lamps nearby but not another soul in sight.

    He was bundled up as he cleared away debris and snow from a partially collapsed wall.

    ¡°What in the world are you doing?¡±

    Alex¡¯s head shifted up and he caught sight of her.

    ¡°How did you find me?¡± he asked looking shocked.

    ¡°I followed you earlier, but you didn¡¯t answer my question. What are you doing?¡± She asked as she let herself into the waist-high gate.

    ¡°Doing some repairs in exchange for a place to lay low. You¡¯re way too good at following people, if you don¡¯t get a title for it soon I¡¯ll be surprised.¡±

    Emily grinned at the man as he continued to work.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡±

    Alex snorted as she continued to stack rubble into a wheelbarrow.

    ¡°Take it however you like.¡±

    Emily stepped through the hole in the wall and into the building. She was right that it was a forge and not too dissimilar to the one Maiz owned, but Alex followed her deeper in.

    ¡°The man that owns this place is upstairs at the moment, so what are you here for?¡±

    That was exactly what Emily had been hoping and rounded on Alex.

    ¡°Listen, what ward did you give me? I just about opened every lock in that house and probably some outside it.¡±

    Alex¡¯s brows rose.

    ¡°So you actually managed to cast it?¡±

    Emily frowned sensing something was off.

    ¡°What the hell do you mean? Did you give me a faulty ward?¡±

    Alex shook his head as he dropped the rubble into a nearby pile and moved closer to Emily.

    ¡°No of course not. I just gave you a ward far more powerful than what you needed to open that thing.¡±

    Emily sighed as she glared at Alex as he continued while looking completely unfazed.

    ¡°The one you used was a toned-down version of the one I opened the tomb with. It¡¯ll unlock anything you come across, save for a really powerful lock like on a Mage¡¯s tower.¡±

    Emily ground her teeth, but at least now she knew. She¡¯d been handed the equivalent of a skeleton key and couldn¡¯t even muster the energy to be angry.

    ¡°Well, why didn¡¯t you tell me that, what if I hadn''t been able to open it?

    Alex shook his head like that wasn¡¯t possible.

    ¡°How long did it take you to power that ward?¡±

    Emily frowned thrown by the random question.

    ¡°...I dunno, maybe twenty seconds?¡±

    Alex chortled to himself.

    ¡°What? What¡¯s funny? If I¡¯d failed then you wouldn¡¯t have been able to cross this big bad desert or whatever.¡±

    Alex looked at Emily with an amused smirk.

    ¡°Emily¡­ that ward should take over an hour to charge if you don¡¯t have refined source on hand. Hell, most people wouldn¡¯t even bother charging a ward of that level unless they had some way to pay for the costs.¡±

    Emily paused and she cocked her head as it started to make sense.

    ¡°Ashe said that most people don¡¯t have much internal source in them. But I noticed I can power wards with just the source in my body. I use a method this time to speed things up.¡±

    Alex smiled like he understood.

    ¡°Yeah, I know¡­I felt it when I helped you with your bridge. Honestly? Even in my last life, I¡¯ve never seen anyone with reserves as large as yours, and it kind of feels like they¡¯re still growing. You¡¯re like one huge walking reserve of power.¡±

    Emily bit the inside of her lip as she sat on the lip of a cold forge. It was worrying that Alex had figured this out before her and not shared it. But to be fair, she shouldn¡¯t be too surprised at this stage; this man loved his secrets.

    ¡°Alright, that aside. Did you know what was inside the little box Kael asked me to open.¡±

    Alex crossed his arms as he leaned against a workbench.

    ¡°Sort of. I''m not clear on the details but it''s something his tribe can¡¯t survive without.¡±

    Emily looked around the room and pierced together that she was in Daatril¡¯s workshop, the only other smith in this tiny village.

    Emily hummed as she refocused on Alex.

    ¡°From my conversation with him. I got the feeling that Kael didn¡¯t care for his tribe. Why would he be so desperate to go back?¡±

    Alex shrugged.

    ¡°Sometimes, even if we turn our backs on our roots, we can¡¯t help but still care for those caught in the crossfire. His tribe must have been in decline since they lost that item, so he¡¯ll want to get it back to them as soon as possible¡ªif only to prevent the suffering of the innocent."

    Emily took a deep breath through her nose. She couldn¡¯t fathom hating a place and yet still wanting to save it.

    There had been so few refuges in Emily¡¯s life that she never bothered getting attached to any one place. The junkyard was the closest thing she''d had to a home, and even when she had to abandon it¡ªand the only man who had cared enough to stay¡ªshe had felt only the drive to survive.

    Emily looked down at her shaking hands. The tremor was subtle, almost invisible to others, but to her, it was unbearable. Clenching her will, she forced down the uncertainty and turned her gaze back to Alex.

    ¡°Alright, from here, what¡¯s our next step? What¡¯s waiting for us up ahead?¡±

    Alex hesitated before answering. ¡°Well, with things as they are, troop movements are completely different from my last life. We¡¯ll be going in blind, but I can tell you we¡¯re approaching the mountain ranges now. Both Lorthil and Sam¡¯eth tend to avoid this area¡ªit¡¯s a nightmare for extended combat. The locals call the place we¡¯re headed to ¡®The Maw¡¯ because it devours travelers with its many roaming beasts.¡±

    Emily snorted. ¡°Well, that¡¯s just great. Glad we¡¯re in a large group.¡±

    Alex shook his head. ¡°Our numbers might be enough to attract some attention, but that could work in our favor. If we¡¯re quick, a group our size won¡¯t be bothered by the truly large packs of roaming beasts, and we¡¯re big enough to handle the smaller creatures effectively. Normally, Kael would replenish our numbers in a village before heading out, but that won¡¯t be happening here.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so some mountain climbing. You know, I was never one for hikes. More of a shoplifting girl myself,¡± Emily said with a wry grin.

    Alex didn¡¯t even give her the satisfaction of a reaction this time.

    ¡°This is no joking matter, Emily. If we¡¯re unlucky, we could stumble right into wyrm territory. The place we¡¯re headed to is practically a paradise for them.¡±

    Emily''s eyes turned up at the corners.

    "Well then we''d better not do that, I guess. Though if we do I won''t be too bothered. I have a score to settle with those beasties."

    Blood points: 156

 Chapter 81 - A song for the ages

    Emily leaned down in Cupcake¡¯s saddle as she patted the she-wolf''s neck.

    ¡°That a girl, you ready to get back out there?¡± Emily said as she consoled the restless beast.

    The morning light had just crested the horizon, and the Wandering Fangs had already packed up camp, ready to head out. As they were preparing, Selia moved from person to person, finally stopping in front of Emily with a sheet of paper and a large coin purse.

    ¡°Hey Emily, Sorry it¡¯s late but the roster is large, Kael did have me add a little extra because you¡¯re a magic user. For helping complete the extermination mission you will be rewarded with nine tri. Your contribution has already been taken into account, do you want to contest this amount or will you accept it?¡±

    Emily continued to rustle Cupcake¡¯s fur but shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°How does contesting it work?¡±

    Selia looked up from the page absentmindedly.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t feel like the amount of compensation is enough to warrant the danger you were in during the mission you can take it up with me and we can see what we can do. If I can¡¯t help you then you¡¯ll have to take it up with Kael.¡±

    Emily nodded her head.

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll keep that in mind, but nah I won¡¯t be contesting it. I accept the compensation.¡±

    The moment Emily uttered the words she felt a charge from her Mercanry title tingle down her spine and the outstanding mission closed.

    It reminded her of having a nagging sensation in the back of her mind finally being put to rest. Along with that sensation, came a euphoric head rush as the contract had been successful accomplished.

    A smile appeared on Emily''s face and Selia caught it.

    ¡°First time completing a mission?¡±

    Emily just nodded, unable to put away the grin as the remnants of a job well done echoed down her limbs.

    ¡°A lot of mercs chase that high. The harder the mission the bigger the hit. It doesn¡¯t hurt that you get paid at the same time¡±

    Emily took the coin Selia held out to her and pocketed them, nodding her thanks to the woman.

    ¡°Oh definitely, will I get a feeling like that when we get to Lorthil?¡±

    Selia shook her head as she began to leave.

    ¡°Nah, your mission went out long before you joined the ranks, you won¡¯t be able to cash in that one.¡±

    Emily pouted as the woman turned and headed to the next person on her list. Just as Emily was doing final checks she felt someone arriving next to Cupcake again. At first, she thought Selia was back but when she turned her head she saw Tehila standing there with a casual smile on her face

    ¡°Good morning Emily. Mind if I ride with you today?¡±

    A smirk appeared on Emily¡¯s face and as she lowered herself lazily in the saddle.

    ¡°Ah, so you remember my name now. Do you know how hurt I was on our parting morning?¡±

    Tehila squinted at Emily.

    ¡°Nice try. But can¡¯t you blame me I had a drink with just about every man, woman, and child in that place. At least I got it in the end.¡±

    ¡°I guess, but how are you going to make it up to me?¡± Emily said as she cocked her head.

    Tehila seemed to think on it for a while and then tapped the harp case that was slung over her shoulder.

    ¡°How about I write you a song? Not to mention if you travel with me nearby, that¡¯ll be a blessing in and of itself.¡±

    Emily snorted at the woman''s self-confidence but sat up in the saddle.

    ¡°Well I heard you the other day so I know you¡¯re a decent musician¡­ Okay, you know what, having my own song sounds nice. Hop on.¡± Emily said as she reached down to hold out an arm.

    ¡°Sheesh, talk about making a girl work for it. You know anybody else would love me to ride with them¡±

    Emily finished helping Tehila settle into the saddle and smiled at the woman.

    ¡°I never said I wouldn¡¯t ¡®love¡¯ it, I just asked you what I was going to get in exchange.¡±

    Tehila hummed in a dry tone.

    Emily watched as the remainder of the wandering fangs mounted up and Kael set them off towards the gap.

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    This departure was different from the last. Far fewer people were present to see them off, and those who did were watching in silent disgust and fear. Emily had heard that it was customary for any team or group to offer their aid if a settlement''s wall was breached, at least until an Enchanter could come to repair the wards. Kael mentioned that he had made the offer, but the Elder had refused.

    In Emily''s view, turning down help in a time of crisis was a mistake¡ªeven if there was friction between them. But ultimately, she just couldn''t bring herself to care, what happened to this place was not her concern right now.

    Plus from the looks of things, Alex was rearing to go. The sooner they got out of here the better he would feel. Even now he hid most of his figure with his cloak as they passed the little delegation from the village.

    Amongst them was the Elder and Jerhia, who stood next to one another as they spoke quietly.

    Emily had only engaged with the man once and she found she was glad they were leaving. He was a snake in the grass and Emily didn¡¯t like dealing with his type. He just so happened to have the strength to back up his horrid personality.

    He still had the nerve to smile at Kael every chance he got, as though mocking the guy.

    Luckily it didn¡¯t matter as they passed with a simple farewell to the Elder and on they went.

    Kael seemed to hold no actual interest in the man and that seemed to bother Jerhia more than anything.

    As they passed one thing that did stand out to Emily, was when their sub-leaders went past, Marth looked over to Jerhia with a hollow stare, and in return, he got a casual wink.

    It was so fast that Emily was certain she had mistook it for something else but as she stared at Marth¡¯s back she got the feeling something had happened between the two.

    Emily didn¡¯t dwell on it though as they passed through the gap and back out into the wilds.

    Their formation took on a traveling spear and Emily glanced back at Frosthaven as it grew more distant. The gap in the side was made obvious from this distance.

    Emily remained facing the road as she brought Cupcake up to the front, but she lowered her voice at Tehila.

    ¡°Hey, did you hear anything about how long they are going to need to wait for a repair to be done on these posts?¡±

    "You mean the fence? Hmm, I think I heard Maez mention it''ll take at least a week for a crafter to come down and inspect the damage," Tehila said. "Not sure how long it¡¯ll take to build a completely new one, though."

    Emily had asked Alex about the gap, and to her surprise, it wasn¡¯t as big a deal as she¡¯d expected. For now, they were using a simple protective ward to fill the gap in the fence. The downside was that maintaining this temporary ward was costly, and despite its presence day and night, determined beasts could still break through.

    The settlement of Frosthaven did have one advantage¡ªit was a well-traveled location with established trade routes, giving them a decent amount of resources. Still, despite these advantages, the situation looked grim.

    Emily was lost in thought when she suddenly heard Tehila fumbling behind her. Moments later, the soft notes of a harp echoed gently across the column of travelers.

    She could feel a brief flush of excitement for the journey ahead and realized that Tehila was its origin as it faded just as fast. People perked up all around them as the same sensation spread throughout the crowd.

    ¡°Won¡¯t that kind of noise attract the attention of beasties around here?¡± Emily asked, genuinely curious.

    From the look of things, having a Bard on board could be just the motivator they needed¡ªor it might make them an even bigger target out here.

    "Oh, definitely! That is, if I were using the same song wherever I went. But I pride myself on having a song for every occasion. That''s why you need to tell me what you see. If you think it''s time to hide, I¡¯ll play a melody of lethargy, and the beasts will have no choice but to leave us alone."

    Emily¡¯s brows rose and she glanced back surprised.

    Tehila shot her a wry look.

    ¡°What? Did you think I was just here for a free ride? I can help make your journey far more pleasant, just keep in mind that right now I can only use those songs so many times a day.¡±

    Tehila got a chance to prove herself only a couple of hours later.

    They had been moving through the fields and Emily had been marking by watching the shift surroundings. The trees and vegetation in this area were fewer and spaced out, but what plant life managed to push through was vibrant and robust.

    The same could be said for the fauna around here as smaller animals fled from the roaming pack of Rime wolves moving through the area. Emily was excited to see them, as it meant Fox would have plenty to work with for dinner tonight.

    Interestingly, the local elves were far more aggressive because of the lack of foliage to launch their ambushes from.

    On one such attack, they had to slow to a standstill because of the high number of elves.

    ¡°Fall into a tight defensive circle! Defend our auxiliary.¡± Kael yelled from the frontline as more than fifty elves came from their left.

    As they watched the vile creatures approaching Emily turned to Tehila.

    ¡°Now would be a good time for that song.¡±

    ¡°I have just the one.¡± Tehila grinned at the oncoming hoard.

    When she started playing though it was completely different from what Emily expected, the first note tore through the air with zeal and continued at a high pace, as her voice came out as one powerful chorus.

    Instead of turning the elves away, Emily felt a thirst for battle rising in her heart. This caused Emily to laugh as she began charging her scepter with her source and let the thing fly.

    The ball arced over their frontline and crashed into the area where a heavy concentration of elves had gathered. When it detonated, bodies, plant matter, and slurry went flying in all directions.

    Emily had just charged a second one when the little horde crashed into their defenders. Team two took the brunt of it but Marth looked comfortable and unhurried as he and his men killed their way through the little raid. Their moments were charged with the unknown energy that came from Tehila. Emily could feel it like a battle drum, thumping through her and quickening her pacing and reaction speeds. Her second grey orb of source detonated at the back of the elven group reaping more lives.

    The devastation was great but Emily found herself a little sad that it wasn¡¯t a fireball or something more deadly. A good many elves that were near the outer edges of the blast still managed to stand and fight. It was due to the grey source''s inherent properties, but Emily still hadn¡¯t figured out exactly what those were.

    Luckily, as a team, they made short work of the party of elves. Emily had switched to launching a couple of them straight up into the air and when they crashed back down to the ground the fall usually killed them, or if it didn¡¯t, it broke a lot of their bones.

    When they were on their way again Emily looked back at Tehila as the song ended.

    By the looks of things, she could both buff her allies and debuff the enemy, Emily was not surprised Kael had been so quick to let her join the team.

    Blood points: 158

 Chapter 82 - Provoking the stone

    Cupcake scented the ground near a small creek as everyone passed by, observing the trails of crystal-clear water flowing downhill. The she-wolf was certain she had caught onto a winter hare¡¯s trail and wanted to give chase, but Emily ushered her to follow the rest of the Wandering Fangs. Over the last two days, their column had traveled over the plains, coming into contact with several bands of elves but not much else. Emily had been fighting near the front, securing quite a few kills of her own, totaling around twenty lives'' worth of vitality.

    At this point, her power was happily coiling through her body, and she had spent the last couple of days learning runes from Ashe to improve her spells. Alex even helped Emily in her downtime with a few of the more confusing runes that Ashe had given as homework. It was like learning a new language altogether, and Emily was enjoying every moment.

    Their relaxed journey ended when Emily caught sight of their destination. She had first spotted it the previous afternoon and had watched it draw nearer ever since.

    It turned out to be a range of mountains stretching towards the sky with numerous sharp peaks. Their summits disappeared into the clouds, and the mountains stood like a massive wall extending as far as the eye could see in either direction. Their jagged nature was reminiscent of a set of teeth breaking the horizon. Emily could easily understand why people thought of this place as a great beast''s maw.

    They had arrived at the base of these mountains late this morning and Kael had decided there was still plenty light to press forward. So they¡¯d been taking a short rest while Atticus and his men sussed out the best direction to enter from.

    Kael''s voice started Emily from her reverie.

    ¡°Alright men, let¡¯s move. We¡¯ll be entering through the southern valley. Keep your senses about you and don¡¯t underestimate the trolls, they¡¯re slow but they pack one hell of a punch!¡±

    With Tehila here the wandering fang''s morale was at an all-time high as shouts went up from their group.

    Emily clicked her tongue and Cupcake advanced along with all the others while she took the sights in.

    The pass they were entering through was more of a narrow basin that ran between two large mountains. The moment they entered they moved to one side as a stream ran down behind them, joining with the larger pool of water at the bottom.

    Emily also noted that as they proceeded through the valley, she could feel a gentle incline.

    Soft soil gave way to darker rock and coarse sand, making it harder for the forest¡¯s trees to follow them up.

    At one point, Emily turned around and saw that they had completely left the treeline behind. The canopies of branches gave way to open skies, stretching out before them. They had found themselves in a large open expanse, the stone beneath their feet a dark grey, almost volcanic in appearance. The landscape only grew more drab as they continued to ascend. Emily was readjusting herself in the Cupcakes saddle when the Rime wolf suddenly went very still. Many of the wolves did the same as though sensing something approaching.

    Emily glanced at Tehila behind her and saw the woman frowning up at her.

    She placed a finger to her mouth ¨Ca symbol she¡¯d had to explain meant quiet¨C and silenced Tehila¡¯s harp.

    The nearest sound of rock clattering against rock echoed off in the distance, this only further worried Emily as her hand lowered to her side.

    With the trees no longer blocking their vision, they had an unobstructed view of everything around them, but at the same time, they had lost their tree cover.

    Emily stood out in the open like a sitting duck as the rumbling turned to a low shaking, her eyes roaming the landscape but unable to find the threat.

    Cupcake lowered her stance to prevent the trembling in the surrounding earth from throwing her to the ground.

    The worst was at the front of the pack where Emily could make out that the ground was crumbling in front of them as something broke its way from the stone.

    Emily glanced to her side just in time to see Ashe on Selia¡¯s Rime wolf pointing to a much more nearby patch of ground.

    ¡°Get back, it¡¯s coming!¡±

    Being that she was a Green Mage Emily didn¡¯t hesitate to put distance between her and the spot Ashe pointed to. She had Cupcake move away from that area, even though the she-wolf had to struggle to remain standing.

    Then, as though to prove Ashe right, a nearby boulder¡ªhalf-submerged in the earth¡ªsuddenly began to splinter apart. It wasn¡¯t exploding, per se, but more like an animal emerging from its shell.

    The creature that crawled out was more humanoid than Emily had initially expected. As its frame lengthened to its full height, Emily estimated it to be around three meters tall, with gray skin that blended in with the surrounding rock. Its skin was so glossy that it reminded her of volcanic glass, cracking and splintering every time its joints ground together.

    The most disconcerting part of the creature¡¯s body was its neck¡ªor rather, the lack thereof. Its head seemed sunken into its chest cavity, which only made it look more unnatural, as its large maw began much lower than Emily was accustomed to. And what a maw it was, filled with rows upon rows of jagged teeth, not unlike the mountains they now found themselves in.

    The creature¡¯s limbs were thin, contrasting with its barrel-like core. Emily couldn¡¯t understand how such monsters could exist.

    From what Alex had told her, they slept most of their lives but when they were awake they subsisted on any living thing they came across, and even some non-living ones, yet that still didn¡¯t seem like enough to sustain them. It was more accurate to say they resembled stomachs on legs.

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    Ashe shouted out to the men and women caught unawares.

    ¡°The trolls have arrived! One is in the center of the formation! Keep your distance!¡±

    Having unknowingly walked over one of these creatures, the group was reeling as they shattered, buying time to figure out how to deal with these creatures. To make matters worse, an even bigger problem was making itself known up ahead.

    On the path before them, Emily saw five more trolls awakening from their dormant states, pushing the rock aside as they crawled from the dry earth.

    The one silver lining here was that while they had been surprised by the trolls, the creatures had not been able to take advantage of it. This was because their relative speed was easily dealt with.

    When the long, twisted arms of the nearby troll reached out for the closest rider, it never even got close before the Rime wolf he was riding carried him to safety.

    The troll opened its huge mouth and let out a ravenous cry, revealing a dark throat that wanted to consume people whole.

    Its eyes were tiny, and it seemed to be searching its vicinity with a lazy hunger.

    ¡°Remember! Don¡¯t try to block them! Just keep moving!¡± Kael shouted over the crowd.

    They had discussed the kinds of monsters they might encounter out here, and besides the elves, trolls were the next most likely candidates. Unfortunately, the tactics for dealing with trolls were a little different.

    Emily urged Cupcake forward while their group maneuvered around the troll. As she got closer, she let her energy flow into the scepter and launched an attack at its face.

    The impact detonated against the troll¡¯s head, causing it to swing its arms wildly as it fell backward. Even as it crashed down, people kept moving, maintaining a growing distance from the creature. The attack Emily had launched hadn¡¯t even left a mark, and she grunted in frustration, realizing that Alex had been right.

    Trolls were incredibly slow, but their true threat lay in their endurance. They could withstand an incredible beating before their bodies began to shut down. This meant they needed to approach these creatures differently. Engaging them directly was out of the question, as their brute strength could turn rock to powder.

    Running away wasn¡¯t an option either.

    Trolls had an exceptional sense of smell, making them relentless trackers, even in the harshest environments. Though they were slow to start, once they got going, they could chase their prey down at impressive speeds. They would follow creatures for hundreds of kilometers with single-minded focus and endurance to spare. The only things that could dissuade them were death or a distraction that crossed their path.

    This left them with only one solution: kill them on the move."

    They had to slow down their speed to outpace the trolls by a hair while their ranged fighters rained down death on them from afar. It was an incredibly wasteful method, but the creatures were so resilient to all forms of attack that they didn¡¯t have much other option.

    Only the fastest melee fighters had the chance to move in and retreat before they were surrounded. One of those was Kael and the other was Atticus. They moved in with their spear and twin sabers and attempted to cut into the marble-sized eye sockets but even with their full attention, it was a hard target to hit. Not to mention the eyelid proved to be just as tough as the rest of their body.

    Alex was another one who tried to get in close before fleeing on mist, but all their attacks seemed only to make the trolls angrier. Fortunately, they weren''t the smartest creatures.

    Emily decided she wanted to these creatures'' resilient capabilities. So she gave Tehila the reins and turned around in the saddle, maneuvering around to the back end of Cupcake.

    ¡°Get me as close as you can old girl! I¡¯ll make sure you reward you!¡± Emily grinned as she slapped Cupcakes rump and the she-wolf slowed begrudgingly.

    The six trolls were already in chase mode, and while their people had managed to do some damage to two of the creatures they were still far from dead.

    The trolls charged after the group of Rimewolves like six angry freight trains, completely unfazed by the peppering of attacks raining down on them.

    Emily drew her scepter into her left hand and began by letting her source freely flow into the weapon. To add to that Emily fixed her gaze on the one near the middle of the pack and opened her bridge using the stream method. The grey source was everywhere here and it flooded her body, rushing towards the artifact.

    By now there was a large amount of source in the scepter and it was practically vibrating in her hand.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see how much you can handle¡ª¡±

    Bringing her arm down, Emily triggered the spell, sending a ball of energy toward her chosen target. The first projectile was not even halfway to the troll before she charged another one and released it. A third shot followed quickly, and the first ball hit the troll dead center in the chest. It hardly slowed, but then the next one arrived. When the third and fourth shots struck, the troll''s movement began to slow, each impact pushing it back just slightly.

    Emily paused to give the creature time to pick up its pace again, then released another four attacks in quick succession. With each hit, the troll looked worse for wear.

    As she launched her next volley, Emily quickly realized that while trolls were nearly impervious to most attacks, they weren¡¯t immune. When the twelfth hit landed, the troll stumbled, its chest partly caved in as its entire sternum collapsed.

    Still, it somehow kept running, battered and bruised in ways that would have killed any other human.

    Emily laughed freely as she prepared her next volley. ¡°It has less self-preservation than brains!¡± she chortled.

    When the fifteenth shot hit the troll, it hobbled to a stop, unable to move on. The skin on its front had been tenderized to a soft texture, and the organs in its barrel-like frame had been turned to slurry. The creature kept trying to take a step forward but seemed incapable until it finally fell to its knees. Before Cupcake pulled them out of range, Emily fired one last ball aimed at its nonexistent neck. There was a clear sound of something cracking inside, and a wave of life force poured into Emily, easily worth five lives on its own.

    ¡°Okay, so it only took sixteen to kill one¡ªeasy,¡± Emily snickered.

    The truth was that using the scepter sixteen times had tired her out, but not nearly as much as it should have.

    She could still go for a while it was better to conserve energy. While she had been busy The wandering fangs had not been idle, they had rained down attacks and taken down another two. While Kael had taken out one on his own.

    Atticus and Alex had worked together and their one was almost dead, so that just left the slowest one still coming after them, even after it had seen all of its brethren die, it didn¡¯t hesitate.

    Ashe was running just ahead of Cupcake and she had Selia slow the mount to be parallel to Emily before glancing over at her and winking.

    ¡°The Green source is so plentiful here!¡±

    Surprised by her friend''s playfulness, Emily watched as she made several long hand gestures and then it all made sense. She was a Green Mage surrounded by loose earth and sand, she was truly in her element. All at once earth rose up around her and condensed into the air above her. Rapidly taking the form of a spear, only this one was easily the size of a lamppost as it spiked downward and stabbed into the remaining monster. The troll was then encased in a layer of rock and stone as the medium opened up a hole in its chest and allowed its hardened guts to fall out into the gravel.

    Emily looked over at the woman with a grin, who still had the decency to look queasy at what she''d done. Over all the entire fight had taken over half an hour on wolf-back, and they were well and truly in the maw.

    Blood points: 187

 Chapter 83 - Suspicious storm clouds

    Once they figured out how to handle the Trolls, the wandering fangs quickly refined their approach, making short work of the beasts¡ªor at least as short as possible when trying to bludgeon a stone monster to death.

    They were lucky these things didn¡¯t have the regeneration abilities Emily was familiar with from her world¡ªor at least from the stories she¡¯d heard.

    Instead, whenever they came across another group of trolls, they would maneuver around them and slowly wear them down. The beasts never seemed to learn from their mistakes and as luck would have it, they mostly stayed in smaller groups.

    Atticus had been at the front and he had pointed out that the closer to the bottom of the ravine they traveled the more of these creatures they found.

    After that, it became an easy task to move up higher on either side.

    Over the last few days, Emily had grown accustomed to the slightly warmer weather; however, it wasn''t meant to last. As they ascended, she could feel the weather turning for the worse once more.

    Only this time there was no escape from it.

    The weather around the mountains wasn¡¯t particularly snowy; in fact, it was more damp than anything else, leaving patches of stone slick with ice.

    The higher they climbed, the more apparent this became.

    Mist rolled in around them in the late hours of the afternoon, though it wasn¡¯t too thick it made for an interesting landscape.

    With the clouds brewing overhead and the mist filling the ravine below them, it gave a strange sense of movement to the mountains, as though they were floating through the clouds. Emily knew it was just an illusion, but to her, it felt like the ground was shifting beneath her.

    Alex had pulled Mist up beside Cupcake.

    "You guys might want to bundle up tight soon. We¡¯re almost guaranteed to see rain," he said as he glanced up at the dark clouds

    Tehila cocked her head.

    ¡°What do you mean Alexander? I was under the impression that these mountain ranges were incredibly cold.¡±

    Alex nodded.

    ¡°Oh, they are. In fact, they¡¯re so cold that the water up here actually struggles to freeze. But as we go further in, the hot winds from the burning dunes will start to reach this area. I read that this mixture of air causes the heavy rainfall here.¡±

    Emily glanced up at the thickening storm clouds, which ushered in a sense of foreboding. Every rumble of thunder on the horizon was a warning to keep their distance."

    Emily squinted at the skyline to see if she could spot an end to the mountain range and yet nothing but sharp stalagmite mounds stretched out for as far as the eye could see.

    The forest had shrunk behind them and it wouldn¡¯t be long till it disappeared behind them completely.

    Cupcake currently made her way to one of the mountain ledges as they all continued to traverse the narrow path.

    ¡°We¡¯ll know we¡¯re halfway when we get to the lakes,¡± Alex said pointing off into the distance.

    Emily hadn¡¯t seen these so-called lakes but apparently, they would reach them after the first week. This meant if they were lucky they would make it through the mountains in two, but they couldn¡¯t be certain of anything here.

    Alex broke away to join Atticus soon after, but Emily kept Cupcake near the front just in case.

    Emily had been listening to Tehila¡¯s latest heartwarming song when the first water-laden clouds began to spill their tears over the land.

    Emily jolted when an icy droplet numbed her cheek as the supercooled water sapped the heat from her body.

    Once it began, the clouds refused to let up, as streams of rain fell from the skies in sheets.

    Not expecting this Emily tightened her layers to prevent the water from seeping in and yet it did little to help.

    Pretty soon Emily was shivering and Tehila had huddled closer for warmth but the rain was unceasing.

    Emily wasn¡¯t even sure how team four was leading them in this downpour, unfortunately, there was nothing for it but to keep going.

    So, pulling out her broach, Emily tied it to her chest and hoped that it could push back the cold trying to seep into her boots.

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    Glancing around she saw everyone had their own way of fighting the water. Kael seemed to be having the easiest time, as the water never even touched him. It was either his new breastplate or the fact that he had blue source.

    The people with blue and red bridges probably had the easiest time as they could directly fight back the cold, while yellow and green struggled to keep the rain off them.

    Beth drew her bow and wrapped herself in a current of air but wasn¡¯t perfect and some raindrops still got through. Gerade had whipped his bolas and created a thin sheet of rock to shield the pups, but it only helped so much when the turbulent wind changed the direction of the rain so swiftly.

    Eventually, the situation got so bad that Kael had to call for them to stop and gather up. If they continued to press on there was a chance they could lose one another in this hellscape.

    Tehila had to shout over the sound of thunder and rain as she moved her mouth to Emily''s ear.

    ¡°What are they doing?¡± she shouted in a level tone.

    Emily followed where she was pointing and saw Ashe and Nox getting off the backs of their respective mounts.

    Ashe pressed her hands into the rock, and with a gesture, a small awning jutted out from the mountainside. Nox moved under it and, using his magic, brought out a stone slab. He began making hand gestures over it, and there was a brief humming noise, followed by what looked like a wave of force exploding out of the slab. Only, instead of pushing anyone back¡ªwhich would be a disaster up here¡ªit simply hedged out the rain and wind. Emily''s eyes widened as the world quieted, and she watched a large bubble briefly illuminate the air before fading, while the freezing rain pattered against the roof of the dome.

    They had set up a ward to keep the rain off them.

    One of the biggest downsides of wards was their inability to be moved. The magic¡¯s at play worked far better when they remained stationary, but this one seemed to go against that fact.

    ¡°Alright everyone, we¡¯ll camp here tonight. You have permission to use the rooka wood, but make sure to limit it to three fires. Eat, rest, and dry off, we move again in the early hours.¡±

    Emily glanced up at the clouds, but the heavy greys were so dense it was hard to see the light above.

    By the the light flickering behind them it was already early evening, but Emily couldn''t help staring out at the scene beyond the screen. If they didn''t have this ward they could have easily lost people tonight to the cold.

    Rooka wood turned out to be an extremely long-burning wood that produced a lot of heat. As it was, a single log could burn for over nine hours on its own and it produced a lot of heat while doing so. Smiths that could afford it would use it in their forges, but a single log cost close to an oval so it was used sparingly.

    Dismounting just in time, Emily watched Cupcake shake off her coat, sending water splashing onto Tehila, who shrieked in surprise.

    People were starting to light the fires but Emily was more interested in the slab, going over to see if she could make out the ward it used.

    It turned out that this particular slab was an enchanted item in the shape of a pentagram and about twenty centimeters thick. The runes on it were nothing impressive, Emily even recognized some of the engraved shapes, but it was still a decently expensive item.

    ¡°Hey Ashe,¡± Emily said as she sat down next to the woman. Ashe looked haggard and water still dripped from her hair as she rested, a knowing smile appearing on her face.

    ¡°Hey Emily, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve come to look at the ward. Be my guest, just don¡¯t touch the slab, it has to have an uninterrupted supply of source.¡±

    Emily noticed that Nox was still beside the slab as well. His eyes were closed and his hand rested on it, probably what was keeping the water screen up.

    Emily nodded and did exactly that as the rest of the wandering fangs set up camp. She could see the ward and it was fairly easy to replicate but she drew it on the little chalkboard Alex had given her just to be sure.

    It was a good thing they had this item because drawing chalk in a downpour like this was probably impossible.

    Hell, that was probably the very reason they had it.

    Just as Emily was finishing up the last touches to her ward she looked up to see Alex sitting near one of the fires. He was talking to Svent, the two of them locked in conversion, but that was not what caught Emily''s attention. It was the group of men who were watching Alex that caused Emily to sit straighter.

    Marth sat by the farthest fire, speaking to the men around him, his gaze dark and unreadable.

    Team two had monopolized one of the three fires, but it was too far to make out what they were saying.

    If only she knew how to read lips as he and Oscar looked like they were mulling something over.

    Emily narrowed her eyes, preparing to go investigate, but Gerade¡¯s voice pulled her away.

    ¡°Emily! Help me with the wolves or we¡¯ll be smelling wet dog for the rest of our journey!¡±

    Emily frowned when she noticed Marth look up from Oscar and lock eyes with her. His eyes soured and he narrowed his gaze as he got up and walked away.

    Emily pursed her lips and glanced at Kael, seeing the man currently talking to Atticus and Selia. She scratched the back of her head and shook herself before heading over to Gerade.

    When she got there, she did helped unsaddle the Rime wolves, but pretty soon she was grabbing a plate of food.

    By the time she looked over to team two again, Marth was nowhere to be seen. Oscar was there but when he felt her eyes on him he glanced up and just rolled his eyes at her.

    Emily continued to eat, but something didn¡¯t feel right.

    So getting up she moved over to where Alex was sharpening his blade on a whetstone, but when she came over he lowered it.

    "Yo, you might want to keep an eye on Marth," she said quietly as she sat down next to him. ¡°He¡¯s been acting weird ever since the tomb. He might just be sour about me getting the artifact, but I also noticed him staring at you. It was super stalker-like¡±

    Alex¡¯s brow lowered and he glanced about the area in search of the man, but he was nowhere to be seen.

    Keeping his voice low, Alex spoke with a tone of certainty.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on him, but I know him. He shouldn¡¯t make a move unless he¡¯s certain he will come out on top.¡±

    Emily looked over to the distant fire and back to Alex.

    ¡°You have to be joking. That man looks like he twirls mustaches unironically.¡±

    Alex pressed his lips together as he squinted at her analogy.

    ¡°Arg, you get what I mean right? He¡¯s acting way too suspicious.¡± Emily sighed

    Alex shook his head again.

    ¡°Trust me, Emily, he wouldn¡¯t make a move, at least while Kael is still around. Their strengths are too far removed, he would not take that risk.¡±

    Emily sighed as she let it go. The guy had seen the future after all. If he said it was okay then she¡¯d just keep one eye on him instead of two.

    Blood points: 197

 Chapter 84 - Hate to say I told you so

    It was the early morning hours when Kael called for them to all leave, but the rain had still not yet let up. They had hoped to wait out the rain, but Alex had said that storms could last weeks up here in these mountains.

    Emily called Cupcake from the huddled pile of Rime wolves and saddled her up like the rest, but she could comfortably say she was not looking forward to leaving this place. The logs had only just burnt out and they had left it as long as they could but eventually, Nox put the slab back into whatever magical space he had.

    The rain fell down on them again but Emily was better prepared this time, wrapped in a thin waterproof tarp. Emily would have been fine with the wait if it hadn''t been for the fact that there was very little to eat in these mountains. Troll meat was apparently toxic, and when Emily suggested they hunt down some elves to eat, she got some disguised looks for her trouble.

    Elves were edible but they were an absolute last resort when it came to nutrients. They carried many diseases and while Fox could remove some of these with his skills, he couldn¡¯t be certain he got them all. The only thing they were good for was feeding to the Rime wolves, but even then wolves weren''t keen on eating them.

    So they pressed on, the rain continued to fall but no worse than it had for the last day or so, and they only encountered three more groups of trolls as the day went on. Emily did get a few additional lives worth of vitality from their deaths, but as a whole, the hit-and-run tactic was not conducive to collecting life force.

    The afternoon slipped away to travel, while the landscape remained unchanged. Emily was thoroughly sick of the place by the end of the second day.

    It was only on the morning of their third day through this place that they saw anything new. It was while they were cresting a particularly high mountaintop that Emily spotted one of the lakes Alex had spoken about. From where they were standing, the pale light pushed through the cloud cover just enough to allow the choppy water to reflect it like a dull mirror. This particular lake was isolated and on the smaller side. It rested at the foot of four closely packed mountains which acted as a basin. Streams of rain ran down from all over the rockface, pooling in the center and running out along the upper edges when it got too much for the natural walls to hold.

    While the change of scenery was a nice change to this wet, cold mountain range, the wandering fangs didn¡¯t linger for long. Instead, they looped around the inside of the basin and headed further down the path. Emily noticed a sharp uptick of rain as they did so. Which she hadn¡¯t thought was possible as clouds darkened even further resembling angry storm clouds.

    The thunder overhead felt like it would shatter eardrumbs and the world shook around them. Over the whole journey through these mountains there had been countless flashes from up ahead but nothing ever reached them.

    Until it did.

    A single strike of lightning was all it took to throw the world into chaos.

    The bolt of plasma itself landed nowhere near them, it instead touched down at the very peak of the mountain they were on. And as things go that would have been fine. However, the real problem came after, as the stirk loosened rock and mud, causing a cascade effect as it slid down the mountain.

    Ashe was the one to look up first and when she saw it coming she could only shout over the wind.

    ¡°Landslide! Take cover near the wall!¡±

    Emily glanced up in time to see a boulder the size of a car hurtling towards them, followed closely by a wave of silt and that was only the beginning.

    Countless rocks of varying sizes came tumbling down the mountainside, and Emily didn''t even attempt to block them. Instead, she scanned the area for Alex and spotted him up front, but the distance between them was too great¡ªshe knew she wouldn''t make it in time.

    Diving towards the wall of the mountain the rocks arrived, crashing into the narrow ledge they were all standing on. Concussive shockwaves trembled through the air as the surrounding rock gave way and cracks spread out up ahead. Ashe raised a ramp of stone overhead and tried to divert some of the falling rock, but much of it still got through.

    The roar of the wind drowned out the sound of the path ahead collapsing as it crumbled down the mountainside.

    Luckily because of Ashe¡¯s warning, almost everyone got away in time, save for two people. Alex and Atticus had been too far ahead to escape the rushing wave of rocks and then the collapse of the road.

    Emily¡¯s heart dropped into her stomach as she watched Alex struggle to fight against the tide before disappearing into the resulting mud and rock. Even the Rime wolves were unable to resist for long.

    The current of mud continued to crash down the side of the mountain but Emily was still searching the darkness when Kael shouted above the dim of thunder..

    ¡°Everyone gather up! When we''re safe we¡¯ll find a way down there. We will not leave our ally nor our charge!¡±

    Emily was still frozen to the spot as she waited for the contract to rend her soul from her body. When nothing happened the only conclusion was that Alex was still alive, if that was the case then there wasn¡¯t much choice.

    Emily had Cupcake move to the edge of the cliff, even as she felt a trembling surface in her body, but it was matched by a very real tremor that seemed to spread from the freshly disturbed ground ahead.

    Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed as she saw the exposed dirt revealing dormant trolls that were beginning to wake.

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    Seeing she didn¡¯t have much time Emily glanced back at the wandering fangs, she had a choice to make.

    ¡°Tahlia, get off!¡± Emily said as she looked back at the Bard.

    Tahlia¡¯s eyes widened but she gave her enough time to fall from the saddle before she urged Cupcake forward.

    Kael turned and saw Emily at the last second.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare! We¡¯ll find him, Team two prepare to descend, We¡¯ll draw-¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t wait to hear the rest as she dove over the edge without a second thought. Cupcake was focused as she launched herself into the air, feeling Emily''s urgency.

    They fell for what felt like minutes but could only have been a second or two before Cupcake landed on a rock sliding through the muck.

    Mud and soil tried to suck them down but the Rime wolf pounced into the air once more. Without a second thought, Emily cycled her life force and let a burst of power out of her chest, searching for her blood. The signal was distant and getting weaker by the second but it was there.

    ¡°Go girl, faster!¡±

    Cupcake put on another burst of speed tearing down the mountain as the mudslide tried its best to consume them, dousing them in icy mud. Every second counted and Alex''s signal was still getting further away.

    Unsure of what to do Emily reached out for ideas, none of her usual techniques or spells would help her here.

    She was a villain, not a hero. Saving people was not on her punch card.

    Suddenly Scarlet sister made itself known and Emily¡¯s eyes widened.

    Emily could feel the pull guiding her as she activated Blood Price, deepening her connection to Cupcake. Life force flowed from her into the beast, and the she-wolf let out a triumphant howl as another flash of light illuminated her now-crimson fur. Sharing her power with Cupcake, Emily felt them surge forward at incredible speeds. Alex¡¯s signal was no longer fading; instead, it was growing stronger as Emily honed in on it. Cupcake leapt from rock to rock, her paws slipping in the slurry and dirt that coiled around her fur, struggling to find solid footing.

    The closer they got the more worried Emily got as she couldn¡¯t see them, that meant only one thing, they were submerged in the stuff.

    As Cupcake neared the spot where Emily believed Alex to be, Emily cast her lift spell on the largest nearby rock. The boulder, half-submerged in the falling muck, burst free from the mud. At that moment, Emily spotted Alex clinging to Mist¡¯s back while holding onto Atticus. With less than a second to react, she sent forth a wave of blood, plunging it into the briefest opening and encasing all three of them. Straining against the connection, Emily pulled, dragging the trio out of the mess¡ªbut they were far from safe yet.

    The landslide was pooling at the base of the slope, dragging them relentlessly toward the lake¡¯s edge. If they didn¡¯t escape soon, they would be swallowed by a watery grave.

    Luckily, Cupcake had other plans. With a determined effort, she began to pull them sideways, slowly dragging them out of the landslide''s path. As soon as she did, Emily lost control of the blood magic, and the three of them crashed down onto solid rock. Thankfully, Mist was still conscious and managed to stick the landing.

    Emily severed the link between herself and Cupcake, shivering as she realized that maneuver had cost her over fifteen life sources. Alex slumped against Mist¡¯s side, covered in muck and panting raggedly, his eyes fixed on Emily. He was clutching his arm, which was bent at an unnatural angle, even though he had used it to hold onto Atticus. The other man was in far worse condition¡ªunconscious, blood streaming from a wound on his head, and mud clinging to his beard.

    ¡°...Thank you, Emily¡­¡± Alex said, his voice carrying a note of something new. A light that hadn¡¯t been there moments ago. It was... relief.

    Emily was still inspecting his wounds to make sure Alex didn¡¯t just die on her when the sound of the trolls tore above the chaos of the rain.

    Looking up, Emily couldn¡¯t even make out where they had come from, but she could see some movement coming toward them.

    Emily stepped forward pulling her scepter from her hip and charging it as the shows darkened to figures.

    They were too small to be trolls so they had to be the people, but then Emily recognized who was coming out of the darkness them she knew she couldn¡¯t lower her guard.

    Marth and Oscar emerged from the mist, their expressions unreadable, and Emily quickly noticed that the rest of Team Two was nowhere in sight.

    ¡°Ah, there you are,¡± Marth said, his voice deceptively calm.

    ¡°Kael drew the trolls away, so I¡¯m here to fetch you.¡± But when his eyes landed on the unconscious Atticus, his face tightened for just a heartbeat.

    ¡°Well¡­ I didn¡¯t expect this,¡± he continued, his tone shifting ever so slightly.

    ¡°But we should get you all back to the group,¡± he added, taking a step toward Emily.

    Something in Marth¡¯s gaze set alarm bells off in Emily¡¯s head. A flash of cold calculation passed over his eyes, and she reacted instinctively. That suspicion was all that saved her when, without warning, Marth swung his shield straight at her face. Emily jerked back just in time, narrowly avoiding the strike. If the blow had connected, it would have either knocked her out or, at the very least, left her reeling.

    But what she didn¡¯t expect was for the shield to suddenly glow with a fierce green light, releasing a burst of energy that hit her like a battering ram. The impact forced her to stumble back, though she managed to keep her balance.

    On the ground, Alex groaned in disbelief.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing, Marth? Do you think Kael won¡¯t find out what you¡¯ve done?¡±

    Marth''s face was like stone as he looked down at Alex.

    ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m not using my sword?¡± he said, his voice void of emotion.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just say you died in that fall, and your girlfriend¡ªmaid, or whatever¡ªdied trying to save you.¡±

    Alex gritted his teeth, struggling to his feet, his weapon trembling in his grip.

    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t explain why you¡¯re doing this!¡±

    A laugh cut through the tension from behind Marth¡ªOscar¡¯s twisted smile glinting with dark amusement. ¡°Are you really that dense?¡± he taunted.

    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t go after you with a bounty like that on your head? Whoever put it out must really hate your guts to want you dead from half a continent away.¡±

    Marth shot Oscar a sideways glance, clearly annoyed but not denying his words. ¡°It¡¯s nothing personal, Alex. They only want you dead. And to think, I wouldn¡¯t have even known we were hunting you if it weren¡¯t for that fool back in Frosthaven, bragging about one of the largest bounties in decades¡ªall for a scrawny kid from the south.¡±

    Alex¡¯s jaw clenched, frustration etched on his face.

    ¡°Why in all the hells would there be a bounty on me? And what¡¯s your plan, Marth? You think you¡¯re just going to carry my corpse out of these mountains?¡±

    Marth¡¯s grim smile spread slowly across his face.

    ¡°It¡¯s true, it would¡¯ve been easier to do this closer to our destination,¡± he admitted, ¡°but don¡¯t think I won¡¯t drag your body if I have to¡ªnot when you¡¯re worth your weight in cobalt. And just to clear up any doubts, Jerhia let slip one last interesting detail.¡±

    Emily stood tense, her senses sharp, gathering her power while silently watching the exchange unfold.

    Marth¡¯s eyes gleamed as he continued.

    ¡°Jerhia said the last group that took this job was a bunch of Blood Mages. They were trying to keep it under wraps, but I think we both know where this is headed. They were obsessed with a ritual, talking about ¡®perfect ingredients¡¯ and making it all look like an accident. Turns out, the boss had us working for scraps when the real prize was standing right in front of us.¡±

    Blood points: 182

 Chapter 85 - When it rains it pours

    Rain dripped off the tip of Emily¡¯s nose as she tried to keep both Oscar and Marth in her vision. Alex was not in a condition to fight and even if they weren¡¯t they were outclassed right now. Atticus still hadn¡¯t woken up, but Emily felt he was the reason the three of them had survived the initial fall.

    Once Marth had spoken about the Blood Mages and this so-called bounty she knew they weren¡¯t going to get out of her without a fight.

    All that mattered now was surviving till Kael or his men found them.

    ¡°Stop trying to think your way out of this Emily. You¡¯re all going to die here.¡± Oscar grinned as he began to circle her towards Alex.

    ¡°Possibly, but I¡¯m going to make it hell for you to try,¡± Emily said as she smiled back at the man.

    ¡°In fact, I think I can at least kill you-¡±

    Emily swung her scepter out in Oscar''s direction and having seen what it was capable his eyes widened.

    The ball of force that appeared at the end of the weapon launched itself at the guy. Oscar¡¯s stance lowered and he jumped back to avoid the explosion.

    Fortunately for him, he was not her target.

    At the last second, the ball of grey source swerved to the midpoint between their two groups, crashing into the ground and detonating, sending mud and slurry in all directions. Marth ducked behind his shield, while Oscar used his elbow to block it from getting into his eyes. Everything, including Emily, got a coating of mud, as she slapped the she-wolf''s rump.

    ¡°Cupcake take Alex and find Kael!¡± Emily growled through their link. There was the smallest hesitation before the she-wolf leaned down grabbed Alex by the back of his cloak and took off running. Alex yelped in surprise and shouted after Emily but his voice was lost to the sound of the wind

    ¡°Fuck! He can¡¯t get away, follow him!¡± Marth exclaimed. The two of them had arrived on a single Rime wolf and Oscar hopped into its back now and took off after Cupcake.

    Emily flicked her wrist and two large whips poured from her arms before cracking after the wolf.

    ¡°Not happening, you witch!¡± Marth muttered as he swiped his sword at the cord of blood stretching past him.

    The weight of his sword cleaved through the blood but Emily didn¡¯t let that stop her as she had the remaining blood slingshot itself at the wolf''s hindleg and wrap around it. The moment it hit she cut upward, ravaging its leg and underbelly.

    The Rime wolf yelped into the darkness as it sprinted from her vision. Hopefully, that would be enough to slow the beast down.

    Emily turned her focus on the battle at hand because if she made a mistake she would be a dead woman.

    Marth growled as he closed the distance between them.

    ¡°Screw it, I¡¯ll just chop you into pieces.¡±

    Because Emily has extended herself so much to get at the beast, Marth had no problem closing the distance and plunging the blade into her belly.

    Emily grunted as the steel perforated her stomach, but that only made for another point to draw blood from as it coiled up Marth''s sword and attempted to wrap around his wrist. Seeing this he grunted and yanked the blade from its home in Emily''s body.

    Marth flicked his blade scattering the blood and swung his blade toward Emily¡¯s neck. Knowing that she had to put some space between them Emily pulled her blood in her body and jerked herself backward as she flew out of reach.

    The winds and rain pelted off her body as Emily hung in the air. Marth¡¯s eyes narrowed and he craned his neck to look up at her.

    ¡°Well fuck, you can fly? Honestly, you¡¯ve been full of surprises since the day you arrived and I hate surprises.¡± As he said this he must have triggered a skill, as his body rapidly took on a rocky hue. It spread from his feet and encased his head in seconds, even his weapons became coated in stone.

    Emily was still planning her next move when he launched himself at her. Needing more time she used her lift spell to send him back towards the ground, but for the first time, the spell failed her. The force it created seemed to wash over Marth¡¯s rocky shell and only had half its normal stopping power. Because of that Emily only had enough time to swivel out of the way of the sword but not the shield.

    When the encased buckler hit, it felt like slamming into a wall and Emily went crashing back to the ground.

    Marth grabbed onto her arm and she was certain something cracked as they fell. At the last second Emily managed to control their descent so that she fell on top of Marth instead of the other way around, but falling onto a pile of rocks wasn¡¯t exactly the victory she¡¯d been hoping for.

    Her teeth cracked together as they landed but Marth didn¡¯t seem as affected. He reached up and grabbed her throat, But Emily was ready for this.

    Blood poured from her skin and the power in her chest churned. It wrapped around Marth''s extended palm and encased his whole arm and with a rapid twist, she bent his fingers at unnatural angles. Not even the stone could prevent the popping and cracking of his knuckles. Marth screamed but recovered as he battered Emily away with his free hand.

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    Emily went flying across the banks as she tumbled down the hill. Even as she came to a stop she found her bearings and fired a duo of blood bolts. The projectiles crashed into a still-recovering Marth and tore some of the rock away at his chest revealing his armor below. Suddenly Marth started laughing as he picked up his fallen sword.

    ¡°Shit, I can¡¯t believe someone like you is working for someone like him! Who knew you were this strong, I thought I could just kill you and be on my way, but I can see that if I save even a little strength, I¡¯ll die.¡± Emily was on her feet, wounds already closing and bones resetting.

    Emily charged four more blood bolts in her hands and began to rotate them.

    ¡°Why bother talking, it won¡¯t change things. Just die!¡± saying this she slammed the bolts together and fired them as one massive projectile.

    At the same time, stone rose around Marth and repaired his armor, thickening it and making his muscles bulk up.

    The projectile crushed into his raised shield and detonated, but the explosion spread out across his body and visibly lessened. The stone that had fallen away rebuilt itself in seconds and then Marth did something Emily hadn¡¯t expected, he fell into the earth. As in his whole body suddenly just merged with the stone. She¡¯d never seen Marth use any of these skills in a fight but that didn¡¯t matter right now, what mattered was getting away from the ground just before Emily could take off though a hand made of stone rose from the ground nearest to her and grabbed her ankle.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± was all she got out before she was slammed into the ground and then again on the other side. Emily groaned as her ankle gave out, snapping like a twig as it tore through the muscle.

    Without thinking she encased herself in blood and built her gown, using it to latch onto the stone and hold her in place.

    A blood bolt at the arm poking out of the ground proved useless as the stone repaired the damage as fast as she could do it.

    Marth¡¯s voice seemed to come from all directions.

    ¡°You''re as resilient as Oscar made you out to be, maybe more. Come on, let''s stop this now, I don¡¯t know where your loyalty is coming from but nothing worth your life. Join Team Two and I¡¯ll even give you a cut of the bounty¡±

    Emily couldn¡¯t help laughing as blood dripped from her nose.

    She couldn¡¯t help it, she was desperate, nothing was working against this guy and the longer things went on the worse things would get for her. Her power wouldn¡¯t last forever. She needed change their tempo, now.

    ¡°If only I could, but threatening his life is as good as threatening mine, and it''s as you say, ¡®Nothing is worth my life¡¯.¡±

    Emily reached down with her blood, letting the crimson liquid mix with the layer of stone and plunge into the grooves of his shell. She guided it through the rock like water seeping into the earth, and soon she found the point where his armor ended and his flesh began. He was just below the surface as Emily pumped blood into that narrow gap.

    ¡°What in the Origo¡¯s name are you- ¡±

    Suddenly the earth screamed as Emily began stabbing the blood into him as she formed them into countless tiny pins.

    The hand let go but Emily kept her attention on the blood even as he sunk deeper into the earth.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m inside now, You''re going to have to get out here and kill me if you want it to stop!¡± Emily laughed as she launched herself into the air.

    Even as she did this, she took control of Marth''s blood as it seeped out of the countless wounds and used it to continue to ravage his body.

    It probably felt like hundreds of tiny fire ants climbing through a suit of armor that he couldn¡¯t take off.

    Emily continued to rise higher until the lake floated directly below her, but she never lost sight of Marth even as he moved through the earth like a fish in water.

    Suddenly he changed direction and headed straight for Emily which only made her smile more. Like a salmon swimming upstream, Marth launched himself from the stone and out into the open. His armor was repaired, but blood seeped out from the cracks, leaving trails of red against the stone.

    Emily watched as Marth swung his blade overhead in an attempt to bisect her, but Emily didn¡¯t move.

    Instead, she used Vital shell to block the worst of it and when the shield collapsed she took the rest of the hit to her chest.

    A huge gash opened up on her body but in that same motion, Emily grabbed onto the rock man and let his momentum carry them backward. Emily controlled their descent to send them both towards the middle of the lake.

    The two of them crashed into the icy water and were submerged within seconds. Marth struggled to reach the surface, but Emily held onto him, dragging him deeper under the waves. The stone encasing his body made it nearly impossible for him to swim upward as trails of red marked their descent into the depths.

    The first thing Emily wondered when Marth had done his land shark impression was how he could breathe. Considering he had a green bridge, there was likely something helping him avoid suffocation under the earth. But the same couldn''t be said for the water. Even better, when Emily fired a bolt at his neck, the stone cracked and broke away, with nothing to replenish it, it never recovered.

    Blood tinged the water a ruby color but Emily reined it in, preventing it from dissipating into the waters as it orbited in tendrils around the duo mixing with her gown.

    Marth, realizing the situation he was in, began to thrash. He tried to cut Emily with his sword, but the blood in his armor and the surrounding waters prevented him from moving much beyond a struggle. Bubbles of air escaped his mouth, floating up to the surface.

    Emily could see the desperation setting in and then the stone around Marth crumbled as he canceled the skill and let his shield go. Abandoning everything that didn¡¯t serve him, he refused to give up.

    There was the briefest moment when he managed to break free by slamming his elbow into her nose, but Emily tightened her blood magic around him once more. He remained submerged, unable to float or sink to the bottom, suspended in the middle of the lake.

    Emily was slightly lower than Marth so she looked up at him as he tried to swim to the surface. He tried to lash out with his sword one last time, but Emily twisted his hand again and the blade fell from his grip and sunk below them as well.

    Emily''s lungs were burning now, but Marth¡¯s thrashing was using far more oxygen as he continued to fight. All too soon, the moment she''d been waiting for came.

    Marth''s struggles were slowing, so Emily moved him closer as she placed a hand on either side of his head. Light illuminated the rippling water above them as Emily caught a glimpse of Marth¡¯s face. It was desperate and yet vacant as he stared up at her. She could see the regret in his eyes¡ªa dawning realization that he had miscalculated everything. It was a look she¡¯d seen on the faces of those who had underestimated her before. A flicker of despair flashed across his features, echoing in his mind: ¡®I was supposed to win.¡¯

    He had never imagined that things could turn out like this¡ªand perhaps that was precisely why they had.

    A smile graced Emily¡¯s face as her hair floated out in all directions before she pressed her lips to the side of his neck and sank her fangs into his skin. Marth jolted at the pain, but all he managed to do was bring his hand up to tug weakly at Emily''s armor.

    Water pressure pushed against their eardrums sealed Marth¡¯s final cry beneath the icy lake.

    Blood points: 162

 Chapter 86 - Fractured worlds

    ¡°Empr¡­ Empress, please come in¡­ Emily, answer the damned comm!¡±

    Emily bolted upright in bed, cupping a hand over her mouth as bile threatened to rise. A heavy dose of vitality had quelled the effects of last night''s drinking, but she still felt breathless. Blinking away the spots in her vision, she surveyed the penthouse suite she currently called her hideout. It was adorned with the finest furniture, jewels, and technology one could steal¡ªa stark contrast to the literal dump she¡¯d inhabited just two weeks prior.

    On the other end of the room sat a massive monitor, broadcasting a transmission. Groaning, Emily extracted herself from the silken sheets and padded over to the device. Picking up the comm, she placed it to her ear; the tiny device unfolded to fit snugly against her head. A small light screen projected in front of her as she opened the emergency channel.

    ¡°Fuck, Cosmo, you know I didn¡¯t give you this channel to wake me up at god knows what hour¡­¡±

    The speaker crackled, and the sound of an explosion echoed in the distance.

    ¡°God, finally! Do you know how long I¡¯ve been trying to reach you? I had to use this channel or you wouldn¡¯t have picked up. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m on a mission at the moment¡ªthe association won¡¯t know I called you. Also, it¡¯s midafternoon! And stop calling me Cosmo; it¡¯s Captain Cosmic now!¡±

    Emily rubbed her eyes, stifling a laugh.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Why are you calling, then, Cosmo?¡±

    A grunt came through, accompanied by the groaning of metal.

    ¡°I called because I¡¯m a hero now! The association drafted the whole squad, even Daina. I want you to come back and be a hero with me.¡±

    Emily snorted at his childishness.

    ¡°That''s not happening, Cosmo. Did you forget I killed someone? Granted, he was insane, but the association won¡¯t accept a killer into their ranks. Plus, their version of retribution destroyed just about everything I had left in this world.¡±

    Images of that night still seared Emily''s mind, and even days later, she struggled to sleep properly.

    The mic crackled again, and Cosmo¡¯s voice turned softer, a hint of pity creeping in.

    ¡°Emily¡­ what you did, you did to save me. I could talk to them¡ª¡±

    Anger flared in Emily''s chest, and she laughed mockingly into the comm.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get something straight. I didn¡¯t do that for you; I did it for me. He was an asshole of a hero and deserved what he got. And you don¡¯t get to use my true name¡ªnot when you never shared yours with us!¡±

    Her breath came in ragged gasps as she glared at the screen, clutching her chest. Something was preventing her from taking a deeper breath, but she ignored it.

    Cosmo¡¯s voice came through again, strained and angry, accompanied by the sound of breaking glass.

    ¡°If you want to see who I am under the suit, I¡¯m willing now.¡±

    Emily pursed her lips.

    ¡°Too little, too late, Cosmo. If that''s all, I¡¯m hanging up.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    His voice was filled with urgency.

    ¡°Do you remember the machinist who awoke a couple of months ago? The one who invented the advanced nanobots?¡±

    Emily paused, allowing the question to linger. She did remember this particular invention¡ªa postgraduate had awakened his gift, which involved the control of nanobots. His creations were leagues above current designs, capable of turning ordinary people into powerhouses.

    ¡°Well, it turns out he¡¯s gone insane,¡± Cosmo continued, unfazed by her silence. ¡°He¡¯s calling himself the Metal Messiah and unleashing his nanobots to kill anything in their path.¡±

    Emily hummed absentmindedly, her mind racing. Machinists were prohibited from programming self-replicating abilities for obvious reasons, but if he was ignoring the association''s regulations, he was stepping beyond villainy into calamity.

    When a hero or villain ceased using their powers to help or for personal gain, they became nothing more than beasts, consuming and destroying everything in their path. Even villains found that unacceptable, and it wasn¡¯t unusual to see them teaming up with heroes to eliminate such threats. From what Cosmo described, this machinist was headed in that direction.

    ¡°Okay, Cosmo, so what do you want me to do about it?¡± Emily asked with a sigh, struggling to draw in a full breath.

    A curse punctuated the comm before a strained growl followed.

    ¡°People are dying, Emily! I need your power to save them.¡±

    She knew why he was asking. While her abilities weren¡¯t the best matchup against lifeless machines, they were incredibly effective at keeping them at bay.

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    ¡°That¡¯s not my problem anymore, big guy. The association made sure of that when they messed with our little team.¡±

    ¡°Emily, please!¡±

    Her hand hovered over the ¡®terminate call¡¯ button, and she took a moment to gather her thoughts.

    ¡°Cosmo, I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m closing down this channel for good. The next time you see me in the city, don¡¯t bother. We¡¯re officially on opposing teams, and if you get in my way, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±

    Without waiting for his response, she closed the channel.

    The burning in her chest intensified as she removed the comm from her ear and stepped out onto the balcony. The city stretched below her, sirens blaring in the distance. From this height, the skyline was magnificent¡ªfar more appealing than the stupid dump she had once called home.

    Emily could lose herself for hours, gazing over the metropolis with its hundreds of skyscrapers and fantastical machinist inventions. She felt giddy with possibility. There was still so much to see and steal, and for the first time in forever, she felt free.

    But then, bubbles began to rise from her mouth, tickling her face before scattering up into the sky.

    The scene was baffling and beautiful, and as she stared up at it, a sense of foreboding washed over her.

    With a start, Emily realized what was happening. Why was she remembering these things now? Was this her life flashing before her eyes? Panic gripped her as she swam towards the surface of the lake, her lungs begging for air. The last of Emily¡¯s air escaped in a desperate rush, and she involuntarily inhaled the icy waters. She was almost there. She couldn¡¯t afford to give up now, so pulling vitality from her core, she clawed her way toward the last few meters, driven by sheer will.

    POV - Alexander

    Alex rode through the harsh rain as it slammed into him as he held onto the crimson wolf¡¯s pelt. Pain and vertigo thrummed through his body, but he¡¯d already popped a tonic so he could only hang on now for it to take full effect.

    The sounds of his pursuer had long since fallen behind them and Alex was certain it was due to whatever Emily had done to this beast. ¡®Cupcake¡¯ as Emily called her, had changed significantly since the last he¡¯d seen her. The beast had grown in size and her white coat was all but dyed red, however, that was not what caught his attention, it was their speed. They had left Oscar and his wolf in the dust as they charged up the side of the mountain. The real problem now was that they had no real cover to hide behind, only the storm hid their trail at this point. Alex wasn¡¯t even sure where they were heading, but the wolf had refused to listen to him.

    Emily had somehow issued a silent command to the beast to carry him away. He would have much preferred to stand and fight by her side, but the dammed woman had never listened to him.

    When he found her again he¡¯d make sure to give her a piece of his mind.

    If he ever saw her again.

    Alex frowned. Emily was selfish, rude, and incredibly annoying at times, yet he found himself hoping more than anything that she''d get away. Marth was a deadly opponent¡ªunder normal circumstances, he¡¯d assume anyone else facing him was as good as dead. But if there was one thing Emily excelled at, it was constantly exceeding his expectations.

    If she could just hold out until he reached Kael, they¡¯d be in the clear. Up ahead, Alex heard the groaning of trolls stirred by the landslide. These mountains were filled with dormant trolls, sleeping through the years, so when something woke them, the entire area turned into a danger zone. By the look of things, this particular landslide had unearthed dozens of the creatures. Fortunately, Cupcake was more than capable of dodging the beasts as she weaved through them with relative ease. Soon, they were back where all of this began. The rock bridge was completely empty, but Cupcake didn¡¯t seem to mind as she scented the damp air before taking off in another direction.

    Alex was impressed by the beast¡¯s determination as it wandered through the rain in search of the pack. Soon, he started to notice troll corpses on the side of the road, which only made Cupcake more determined.

    It took over half an hour to find the Wandering Fangs, who were still engaged with several trolls. Alex jumped into combat with Cupcake as the wolf viciously attacked the nearest troll. Running his hand along his blade, he imagined the ward he needed. The blade ignited as the ward took hold inside it and bit into the side of the same troll.

    Kael saw them immediately and had several men move up to support him. Alex made short work of the troll he was working on, with Cupcake¡¯s help¡ªher speed was like nothing he¡¯d ever experienced.

    When all the threats were taken care of, Kael came toward him.

    ¡°Where are my two leads and Emily?¡± he asked.

    Alex climbed down from the Rime wolf¡¯s back and turned to Kael.

    ¡°Your man betrayed you and turned on us. He suddenly attacked us out of the blue. Emily gave me a chance to get away, but now I have no idea where they are.¡±

    Kael¡¯s eyes narrowed at Alex, and he grabbed him, dragging him off to the side.

    ¡°You¡¯re lying. My man wouldn¡¯t do that without reason.¡±

    ¡°Oh really? Then tell me, has he blocked your authority skill?¡±

    Kael stared at him, but Alex was certain it would have been the man''s first move.

    Emily had once asked him if Kael would have any say over her actions, and of course, the answer remained no. But for sub-leaders, it was a different story. If they ever did something to endanger an active mission, Kael''s title would trigger, and he would be informed of what they were doing. He could even sway their actions in some sense. The only way to prevent this was for Marth to get a skill or item to block the title.

    Kael''s eyes went distant for a second before refocusing on Alex. He wore a frown.

    ¡°He¡¯s blocking my summons. Damn it, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    Alex nodded and turned back the way he¡¯d come, searching the horizon.

    ¡°He and Oscar were planning on betraying you. When Emily and I discovered this, he tried to kill us. If you want proof, then you might want to find your entire team two, who are missing in action.¡±

    Kael seethed as he glanced around.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get to the bottom of this, so you¡¯d best tell me the truth now.¡±

    Alex shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying, but you can ask around. They were already sowing rumors of your incompetence as a leader.¡±

    It was the truth. Marth had planned to take over the mercenary group when he got the chance, but unfortunately, it hadn¡¯t gone his way in the last life either. The rumor might be a little premature because Marth only started undermining Kael¡¯s power months down the line, but he would certainly find proof of dissatisfaction in team two if he started looking now. And knowing Oscar, he knew this, so the likelihood that that snake would come back here was almost zero.

    ¡°I¡¯ll work with you in any way that I can, but we need to go save Emily,¡± Alex said.

    Kael shook his head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t even afford to go back for my own man, let alone Emily. There are just too many of them back there. I told her to stop, but she wouldn¡¯t listen, so whatever happens out there is on her now.¡±

    Alex clenched his fists as he stared into the darkness. The hardest part was that Kael was right; going back there now meant suicide. Alex just had to hope that Emily remembered the plan and met them in Lorethil.

    As he was staring off at the cold horizon, he noticed Cupcake was no longer by his side. Glancing about, he couldn¡¯t see the red Rime wolf anywhere. It had to have gone back for her, but Alex found himself reassured by this rather than sad. He couldn¡¯t help but quietly mutter to himself as the rain drowned out everything else.

    ¡°Emily, please survive so I can be angry at you.¡±

 Chapter 87 - Walk of shame

    Emily¡¯s head broke the surface of the water as she drew in desperate gasps of breath, coughing up what felt like an entire lung''s worth of liquid. Treading water she looked around, but the rain had only worsened since going under and she couldn¡¯t tell which way was which at this stage. Emily used her blood lifted her tired body out of the water and picked a random direction as even Explorer didn¡¯t know where they were at the moment.

    When land came into view she laughed in triumph and collapsed onto the bank on her knees. Her body was broken and beaten to its limit, well not quite, but it was a close thing. Emily''s core was burning up and shivering at the same time as it fought off the cold. She needed to find cover, she¡¯d lost her pack in the fight with Marth but she was hopeful it was somewhere near the bank if she could even find the area where all this had started.

    That, in turn, reminded Emily of Mist and Atticus who were hopefully still alive because she was going to need a ride out of here.

    Emily tried to stand but her body collapsed back to her knees and she felt wiped up from just trying to stand.

    Pulling a little life force from her reserves again helped to stave off the exhaustion but it wouldn¡¯t last.

    Emily took advantage of the remaining adrenaline in her veins to follow the bank around the lake.

    It took her surprisingly long to find the area where the landslide had happened, enough time that the mud and overturned rock had fallen still. The only silver lining of this lake was the fact that it was relatively small. It was ten minutes later that Emily came across he backpack and not long after that, she found Mist.

    His growls echoed through the rain as though warning her to stay away, but it was only when she managed to focus her eyes that she realized the Rime wolf''s back was turned to her. Squinting through the streams of rain Emily could just make out lumbering figures closing in on the beast.

    Emily cursed and broke out into the sprint.

    ¡°You stupid mutt, shut it!¡± the desperation in her voice suppressed by the thunder.

    Emily put on another burst of speed as she made out three trolls closing in on the Rime wolf.

    It didn¡¯t take long to realize why the beast was acting this way, its stance hovering protectively in place.

    Emily arrived in time to see Atticus exactly where he¡¯d been left in the dirt, he hadn¡¯t moved at all and Emily could only assume he was completely out for the count if he didn¡¯t react at this stage.

    Rushing over she dropped down next to the unconscious man and Mist gazed back in her direction, his tail beginning to wag.

    ¡°Stop wailing and get down so I can help him on!¡± Emily growled.

    There was no connection between Mist and herself, and yet the Rime wolf seemed to understand her as he let her pull the unconscious man into his back.

    The trolls were still distant problems but then Emily spotted Alex''s pack on the ground. So hopping off Mist she scrambled for the pack as the crunching footfalls grew nearer.

    Mist followed her and then as she looked around, Emily searched the area for the direction they had originally come. It was at this point that she realized just how bad a situation she was in. All around her, she could hear the sound of bass groans as figures moved about in the area. Even the water behind her began to churn where the landslide had sunk into the depths. It was as if that lightning bolt had summoned an entire tribe of trolls, now scouring the rain and rapidly closing in on their location.

    Emily looked in the direction they had come from and saw that it was filled with the most movement. Grinding her teeth she climbed onto Mist and looked about for an exit.

    She could only hope Cupcake had made it out. She must have, since Alex was still alive¡ªbut for now, that was all that mattered.

    Reaching into her chest, Emily sent out a pulse of vitality hoping to snag onto the end of Alex¡¯s or Cupcake''s signal again, but she got nothing.

    Taking a breath through her nose, she glanced about for an escape route, she¡¯d worry about finding everyone later, right now they had to get away. Tugging on Mist''s reins, Emily had him run in the opposite direction to the landslide. It was going back the way they¡¯d come but she wasn¡¯t stupid enough the cross the landslide when some much moment was closing in from that direction. By now the troll in the front had wondered close enough and when they spotted Emily they gave chase.

    Emily had Mist run at a full tilt until their figures were distant silhouettes, they would follow but she needed time to recover from her fight with Marth.

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    She¡¯d left the body to sink to the bottom of the lake but now she was kind of wishing she kept it.

    Mist was faster than the troll but he couldn¡¯t keep up this pace forever.

    Emily had him climb the other end of the ravine as she searched for a way out of this situation. Atticus was still out for the count and Emily was having a hard time keeping him stable eventually she had to latch him in place with the bands coming off the saddle.

    Mist was panting heavily and normally he would have been able to run for days at a time but having just been in a landslide he was exhausted, it was impressive that he¡¯d even managed to take them as far as he had.

    Unfortunately, the trolls had just woken up and were starving, and their little bleeding trio was just the pick-me-up they needed.

    Mist¡¯s speed was dropping and the sound of several trolls began to get louder as they caught up.

    ¡°Come on boy we just need a bit more time. You can do it!¡± Emily found herself encouraging a beast that could hardly understand her.

    Emily searched for a solution but nothing came to mind. At first, she¡¯d wanted to jump back in the water to lose their trail, but these creatures lived in an environment that was almost constantly raining. If a bit of water was going to get them off their trail, it would have done so already.

    Emily¡¯s heart dropped into her saddle when she saw more figures up ahead, but as she got closer she realized they weren¡¯t trolls.

    With a breathy laugh, Emily turned Mist toward the smallish figures.

    The moment the elves saw her coming they let out a chorus of unholy wails as though excited to see her. Emily wrapped a Vital ward around Mist to protect him and lowered a blood whip. The scruffy elves had some differences from the ones she¡¯d seen in the forest, with their charcoal skin and grey tufts of fur.

    Emily, they were a welcome sight because they were the perfect fodder.

    Emily spun her blood whip in a circle before lashing out at every passing elf she could manage. She didn¡¯t want to kill them, just make them bleed their blueish blood.

    Mist bounded through them as the little beasts dove at him, but the shield held and Emily punished them for their hubris by sending the whip around at the nearest target.

    Screams went up from all directions as Emilt attacked their legs, doing her best to cripple their movement. The group of elves she¡¯d run into was on the smaller side with only twenty members, but Emily still had to active Vital shell again because even with Mist¡¯s speed there were just too many of them. Luckily Emily had no intention of staying and it wasn¡¯t long after that that the trolls arrived and Emily had already made herself scarce.

    The elves'' screams of pleasure had turned to pain when they had met Emily, and now they were filled with horror as the sound of breaking bones and flesh filled the late afternoon air.

    Emily slowed Mist down to a trot as she searched the mist for any stragglers. But as time went on she didn¡¯t hear anything pursuing her.

    Letting out a breath, Emily encouraged Mist as they continued through the rain. It was strange riding a beast that she couldn¡¯t communicate with. She¡¯d grown accustomed to Cupckae''s thoughts so quickly that now that there was an absence of them Emily wasn¡¯t sure how she felt.

    One thing she did know was that the wandering fangs were nowhere to be found, and if the number of trolls back there was anything to go by, she didn¡¯t blame them for staying out of sight.

    Emily wandered for another hour before her body began to take its toll. It demanded rest, but she couldn¡¯t find anywhere that looked safe. That was until she found two oddly shaped boulders crossing over one another jutting out of the side of the mountain. They look worn by the wind and rain but they were just the perfect distance apart to throw her tarp between. The wind ravaged her little structure and it didn¡¯t even cover Mist completely, but Emily crawled under it and took out the compact chalkboard Alex had given her. There was a ward she had taken down just days prior that she needed right now.

    Moving a droplet of blood over to the ward she tried her best to mimic it with shivering hands. Scarlet sister barely had time to check over things before Emily sent her source through it and the bubble sprung into existence. When the howling rain and wind stopped Emily finally took a content breath and leaned back against the stone.

    Glancing out from underneath the tarp she saw the barrier was about the size of a small house, she¡¯d intended to make it smaller to draw less attention but there were problems with the ward that she didn¡¯t have the patience to fix right now.

    Emily finally had the time to check on Atticus and unfastened him from Mist¡¯s back. She gave the wolf a pat for a job well done and then looked at Atticus.

    The man was in a sordid state with blood pouring down his head and heavy swelling near the area.

    Emily pulled off his pack, needing to assess what supplies were available. The first thing she found was a coin purse, but more importantly, a belt of tonics. Without hesitation, she uncorked one and carefully poured it down his throat. He swallowed reflexively, and some color returned to his face, but he barely stirred beyond that. There were five more on his belt, but Alex had said that one tonic was good enough for two hours. If he still hadn¡¯t woken up by then, then Emily would give him another.

    She continued to rummage through his pack while she kept an eye on their surroundings and then she came across a change of clothes. Deciding to be nice Emily pulled the man''s soaking wet clothes off and put a warm set of dry ones on. While she was changing him she noticed two things. The first thing was that Atticus was covered in scars and the second was the fact that he had three red bridges on his back. Once Emily had reached the second threshold she¡¯d forgotten she was supposed to get another bridge but she¡¯d never checked. So it just stood to reason that the more thresholds you passed the more bridges you got. Which meant Atticus had definitely reached his third one. Emily reached back and felt for her bridges. Her back had itched something fierce when she¡¯d advanced and she found the second bridge just below her first one, though it was slightly smaller. Once she had dry clothes on Emily continued to rummage through his pack, when she found a lantern a smile appeared on her face. She popped the lid and ignited the flame. It didn¡¯t provide much heat, but when one was as cold as Emily was, it didn¡¯t matter where the heat came from.

    All that mattered now was surviving.

    Blood points: 153

 Chapter 88 - Delusions of optimism

    Emily felt Atticus shifting beside her for the first time since they¡¯d arrived. It was his third tonic, and she had been getting worried they weren¡¯t working. Apparently, they just had a lesser effect when it came to head injuries.

    ¡°¡­Gods, what happened? Where¡¯s Alexander? Wait¡ªwhere¡¯s Runner!?¡±

    Emily blinked, confused at first, until she realized he was talking about his Rime wolf.

    ¡°Ah, sorry, I¡¯m not too sure. When I found you, there was no wolf around. Alex is okay, I think, but more importantly, we¡¯re kinda separated from everyone at the moment.¡±

    Atticus looked at Emily with worry, his eyes scanning the surrounding rock as though his wolf would suddenly appear, and they¡¯d start laughing at him. When he realized this wasn¡¯t the case, a more serious look crossed his face, even though both of them were covered in dried mud. His beard held an ungodly amount of the stuff in its dark, bushy depths. Emily had fooled herself into believing it was just a mud treatment, but unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t afford to wash it off right now.

    ¡°Okay, how did we get separated, Emily?¡± Atticus asked, frowning. He was taking this better than Emily expected.

    She figured she could use an ally in the current situation, so she explained what had happened with the trolls, leaving out the part where Marth had attacked them. She didn¡¯t want to explain how she¡¯d killed him.

    ¡°Then we¡¯re fucked, you know that, right? These mountains are not the place for our titles.¡± Atticus said as a grim expression appeared on his face.

    Emily shrugged as she glanced around the terrain.

    ¡°I thought you were a Scout, right? We just need to be extra stealthy.¡±

    Atticus shot her a foul look.

    ¡°I am, but if you think I can use my skills to locate the group again, you''re out of luck. My bridge is red.¡±

    Emily cocked her head and nodded, something telling her she shouldn¡¯t say anything about ¡°seeing¡± his bridges.

    ¡°So you''re a Red Scout, is that a bad thing?¡±

    Atticus gave her a strange look, and then glared.

    ¡°In our current situation, yes. I can¡¯t read the terrain, or touch the air and lead us where we need to go. I have to go off experience rather than my title. Even a Blue Source Scout could find us a safe water source, though that¡¯s not particularly useful right now.¡±

    Emily was still at a loss. That was how people in her world normally did things, so she didn¡¯t feel annoyed at him for it.

    ¡°Okay, so what does that have to do with you being a Red Scout?¡±

    Atticus searched her eyes, bit his lip, and shook his head.

    ¡°Never mind. The next best thing we can do is head to the rendezvous point, which is Lorthil.¡±

    Emily nodded.

    ¡°That was my thought too, but we¡¯ve got over a week¡¯s worth of travel ahead. Finding a place to rest should be a priority because while I can keep this ward up for a while, I can¡¯t sleep while maintaining it.¡±

    Atticus glanced down at the blood floating lazily in her hand and nodded.

    ¡°...Now, that I can solve. If we can find an elven den, we should be able to take cover there¡ªif we can clear it out.¡±

    Emily gave him a thumbs-up, glad they had a direction.

    They climbed onto the rested Rime wolf, and Emily took the reins since Mist would accept nothing else. Apparently, first and second positions mattered a lot to Rime wolves. Atticus said he knew how to change it, but Emily told him not to bother. She liked directing the wolf.

    They traveled at a moderate pace, and since it was early morning when they set out, they made it quite far past the current mountains. By late evening, Atticus found an elven den.

    The cave appeared to have been bored into the stone by something resembling claws, but either way, it didn¡¯t matter¡ªit was dry and only lightly defended. Even now, the rain hadn¡¯t let up all day, and they were hiding behind a particularly large rock jutting out near the cave¡¯s entrance.

    From what Atticus could tell, there were ten of the little beasts, so they crept toward the opening.

    Emily was tired and had very little patience to spare, so she walked through the entrance, brandishing a whip of blood. By the time the elves noticed her, half of them were already dead, and Atticus killed the other half, his blades cauterizing the wounds as he lopped off limbs.

    By the time they had cleared their little hole in the wall, Emily collapsed against the back of the cave. Mist made his way in as well, blocking the entrance with his massive body. Finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, Emily felt exhaustion knocking at her door.

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    Since they¡¯d set out that morning, Atticus had barely spoken a word, and they had traveled in silence. Now that she had a bit more room to think, the questions started pouring in.

    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re going to be working closely for the next while, so let¡¯s clear up some confusion. What¡¯s wrong with being a Red Scout? Surely it has its own strengths.¡±

    Atticus glanced at Emily and shrugged. ¡°It does, but not for long-range travel like the others. Red Source is widely seen as the worst one for Scouts. Green or Yellow would be much better.¡±

    Emily snorted. ¡°Which is funny because Red is desirable in a lot of other titles.¡±

    Atticus shot her a glare. She realized that might be exactly the point. What if someone wanted a specific title, but the color of their bridge limited their choices? From what she could tell, nothing actually stopped someone from picking a title, except what they could earn.

    ¡°Okay, I get that Red Scouts aren¡¯t in demand. So, what are they useful for?¡±

    Atticus seemed calmer now.

    ¡°A Red Scout can detect nearby creatures by looking for their warmth. We can see anything that gives off body heat, but we struggle with certain types of creatures. That¡¯s why most parties don¡¯t choose Red Scouts.¡±

    Emily hummed. It reminded her of infrared goggles. Cold-blooded creatures probably wouldn¡¯t show up well in that case.

    ¡°But that¡¯s still impressive, right? So why are Red Scouts looked down on?¡±

    Atticus rubbed his beard and nodded. ¡°It is, but only if we already know where to look. The downside is it doesn¡¯t have a great range unless we sink a reckless amount of Source into it.¡±

    Emily nodded, seeing his point. It wasn¡¯t that Red Source was bad for Scouts; it just didn¡¯t synergize as well with the title as the others did. They could sense an ambush, but if it was a horde of geckos, they¡¯d be caught unawares like everyone else. If someone was going to choose a Scout, it would be better to get one who could lead and see all incoming ambushes. Red source was almost relegated to pure destruction, and while it was welcome in many of title it seemed Scout got the short end of the stick. Emily didn¡¯t ask Atticus¡¯s motivation for picking Scout, he must have his reasons and Emily didn¡¯t care enough to meddle, but she knew from experience that one chose the path that fit them the best.

    ¡°Well, just keep leading us like you are I have Explorer, so I¡¯ll help where I can and that will have to be good enough. We¡¯re still making good time. We might even make it to the city before the company.¡±

    Atticus seemed thoughtful but nodded, so Emily turned over and went to sleep.

    Her dreams came quickly, and the stars fluttered in her vision, and like always they were happy to see her. They arranged themselves like musicians at a band practice, flowing into neat rows of text.

    ¡®30 - third threshold released at rank 50¡¯

    Skill threshold released at rank 37

    Active slot: Scarlet sister - access to the Scarlet sister skill tree, along with the Blood Mage skill tree.

    Increased learning speed when consuming blood, this is further increased if the blood is given willingly. Increased learning speed when studying blood wards.

    Passive slot: Explorer - Increased learning speed when engaged with new environments.

    Passive slot: Mercenary - Increased learning speed when accepting missions for coin. This is further increased when in proximity to the sub-species[Rime wolf].

    Passive slot: Performer - Increased learning speed when studying others¡ªreplication based on understanding.

    The stars were impatient and while Emily also wanted to rank up faster she knew there was no way to rush it. She¡¯d get there when she got there.

    In the meantime, it would be smart to swap out one of her passive titles. Right now, Performer didn¡¯t suit her current situation, so she needed to adjust it. But then the question was to which title should she change it to?

    It should be something that would directly relate to her survival, but combat-wise she didn¡¯t have many others that fit the mold. Swordswoman was out, and so was Verminbane. There might be insects in these mountains but it wasn¡¯t really worth picking on the off chance.

    Runic Adept was probably the title Emily had the most interest in, but even that one wasn¡¯t too useful at the moment.

    Emily had the stars rearrange themselves so she could reread the other titles and one in particular caught her eye. She had forgotten that this passive even worked like that but it was a no-brainer in the situation.

    Emily called for the single star and it came quietly to settle in her hand. Staring at it, she squinted her eyes and then shrugged her shoulders and slotted Void plagued¡¯s passive.

    Passive slot filled: Void plagued - Increase learning when one is lost.

    At the moment she couldn''t think of anything that filled the slot out better, they were literally lost in the mountains.

    Plus this didn¡¯t count as using the title, right?

    She could change the passive slot whenever she wanted so it was just the best available one. Emily stared at the filled slot for a moment before looking away and allowing her subconscious to sink into the inky bottomless pit of sleep.

    The stars saw Emily off as usual but as she left, she sensed a hazy note of something new. The stars were acting with a strange energy to their moments, as though nervous to see her go.

    In the morning Emily awoke feeling great, stretching her body out as she worked the sleep from her sore muscles.

    Atticus had taken first watch so he would still sleep for a little longer. Unfortunately for him, Emily got bored real quick, she was about to wake Atticus to set out for the day when Alex¡¯s pack caught her eye. She¡¯d tied it there in a rush and forgotten to check through it to see if there was anything she could make use of.

    So, going over she unbuckled it and looked inside. There was about what she¡¯d expect in there, with the exception of one thing.

    Once more Emily¡¯s eye caught on the bracelet Alex still hadn¡¯t gotten rid of, and with a scowl, she hummed and harred.

    Pulling the red glass bracelet out, Emily twirled it in her hand as she familiarized herself with the smooth texture of the stones inlaid in it. It was truly beautiful and Emily loved the way it refracted the early morning light against the cave walls.

    Emily¡¯s hum quietly rang out in the small space.

    Technically it was hers, right? Alex had bought it for her as a gift, so he shouldn''t mind if she took a quick look at it.

    Mind made up Emily fitted the clasp around her wrist and held it out further to admire it.

    She was just about to take it off when Atticus sat up from his corner and his eyes still heavy with sleep, but the moment they fell on a bracelet he sat up straighter.

    ¡°Wait, Is that a Cardinex? Where is it set to?¡±

    Emily blinked as she looked down at the bracelet.

    ¡°Um, a what now?¡±

    Blood points: 159

 Chapter 89 - Top of the world

    Emily let a small amount of source move from her wrist into the Cardinex. A red arrow appeared in the front-facing gem and pointed in a south-easterly direction. When Atticus found Emily looking at the bracelet early this morning she was shocked to find out it was more than just a simple piece of jewelry.

    As it turned out a Cardinex was a compass of sorts, but instead of showing the cardinal directions, it pointed to the last place it was set to. This was normally done in large cities with the intention of helping people navigate the wilds. It was also given as a token to people who were leaving home for the late time so that they always knew which way home was.

    Parents often times gave it to their kids when they moved cities.

    As luck would have it, Emily had inadvertently stumbled across one that still worked. If she remembered correctly, the seller had said it was in his family for a while so probably a grandmother or something, but that didn¡¯t matter.

    What mattered was that it was still set in another city.

    Atticus actually had one of these at one stage, but his had been set to the keep.

    They couldn¡¯t be certain that the Cardinex was leading them to Lorethil, but it was set to somewhere down south so that was all that mattered at this stage.

    Once they had discovered the Cardinex, Atticus had been in a significantly better mood as they traveled.

    The real problem now was two-fold.

    Firstly, trolls were far more difficult to deal with when it was just the two of them. Emily had taken to lifting them into the air and slamming them back to the group repeatedly until she could finish them off with her scepter. They couldn¡¯t do this however when there were too many gathered at once so they had to run into packs of elves and use them as scapegoats, and they weren¡¯t always around to take advantage of.

    The second problem was food. Emily had done a tally when they¡¯d taken shelter last night, and they only had about five days of rations for the three of them. Six if they pushed it, and Mist ate elves. Though Emily had already tried to get him to eat the little shits and he had outright refused, though with the smell coming off them, Emily didn¡¯t blame him. Finding food was more important than ever and they were in one of the hardest places to do it.

    They had long since left the lake behind them and now all they saw was rocky mountainous landscapes. The only glimmer of good news was that the rain had let up somewhat, slowing to a smattering of drizzle and fog. However, the reduced visibility made it difficult to see the ground, and with trolls known to hide just beneath the surface, it wasn¡¯t Emily¡¯s favorite game. A massive beast could suddenly erupt from the dirt, popping out like an ugly daisy.

    Atticus assured her though that he could detect them, apparently, trolls were warm-blooded blood but their metabolism when quiet when there was no pray. If Emily stepped on a troll there was a noticeable change and Atticus could just make it out if he knew what he was looking for.

    So traveling like this their trio advanced through the day and raided another elven hovel when they needed to rest.

    Emily had gathered twenty-one lives over the day as she could slow their pace down enough to kill the trolls in range of her title.

    Emily took out their rations as she sat down to rest by the lantern. Sadly there was not much to burn in this place and what they did find was too damp to burn so they couldn¡¯t afford to set a cozy fire.

    ¡°That¡¯s five days of rations left, and we¡¯re almost out of oil too. We¡¯d have more to eat if this big guy wasn¡¯t so fussy,¡± Emily said sourly as she chucked the brick of rations at Mist. The Rime wolf gobbled the whole thing in two bites, chewing through the wax and swallowing it all down.

    Breaking the seal on her ration, Emily tore it in half and passed one half to Atticus, who nodded in appreciation. As she bit into her portion, a pure coconut flavor flooded her senses, sending chills down her spine as she forced the horridly textured bar down her throat.

    Atticus on the other hand chewed his slowly.

    ¡°We¡¯re reaching the center of the mountains now. I¡¯ve only crossed this range once, but if it''s anything like the last time we might be able to find some food there. The problem is we¡¯ll need to avoid the peaks as that''s where the wyrms nest.¡±

    This caught Emily¡¯s attention and she tore her eyes away from the flickering flame, asking the first question that came to mind.

    ¡°Are they edible?¡±

    Atticus¡¯s face paled slightly as he locked eyes with her.

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    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t plan on us finding out.¡±

    Emily scratched her head.

    ¡°I guess, but it¡¯s best to plan for the worst¡±

    Atticus shot Emily a concerned glare.

    ¡°I heard from Kael that you don¡¯t shy away from a challenge, but this is one we should avoid at all costs.¡±

    Emily wore an amused expression but nodded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, things are hard enough as it is. I¡¯ve no interest in picking a fight¡­ I¡¯m just saying that if one happened to come knocking, I have a score to settle with those beasties.¡±

    Atticus tugged at his beard, not looking at all reassured by her words, but she hadn¡¯t been lying, she wouldn¡¯t mess with the winged creatures if she could help it.

    They spent the rest of the night keeping watch in shifts and when Atticus woke her for the second time, it was time to leave. The rain had all but stopped and even the mist was looking faint.

    The landscape seemed unchanging as still mountains dominated the eye, stretching out all around them. They were still ascending gradually but it seemed that they were finally coming to some kind of plateau. Before that though, they began to encounter steady streams of water again.

    They had not encountered anything like the lake they had seen before, but that changed when the streams turned from steady flows of liquid to tremendous waterfalls spilling out from higher basins, as they overflowed into the next.

    Emily had never been much of a climber but she wasn¡¯t all that phased. Mist seemed more than capable of bounding from ledge to ledge as they continued to climb into the sky.

    At one point, they reached a final edge, and Mist landed atop a shallow waterfall that fell behind them. The current was weak enough that they could linger there for a while, taking in the breathtaking sights.

    And what a sight it was! The sun peeked through the clouds just long enough to illuminate the dark landscape, causing the mineral deposits in the rocks to shimmer like flecks of gold across the land. Gone were the tremendous valleys and peaks; in their place lay a series of interconnected lakes, with the surrounding mountains jutting through the water''s edge, resembling sharp islands floating on a gargantuan lake.

    Currently, the waters were mirror-still, but Emily could see their luck had held out for as long as it could because already the clouds had begun to thicken near the peaks as they got ready to unleash the torrent of bad weather waiting up there.

    Emily searched the horizon and saw the nearest island was kilometers away.

    If they wanted to cross they would have to swim a good deal to get there, and Emily wasn¡¯t sure Mist was up to carrying them both.

    Not to mention there was no way of knowing just how deep these waters were. Once they stepped off the lip of the waterfall there was a steep drop-off that rapidly faded to what looked like bottomless waters. Emily wasn¡¯t about to fly them over either. Just carrying herself that distance would use up considerable reserves, but to carry two more bodies was impossible.

    Emily was still searching for a way to cross when Atticus got her attention.

    ¡°Over there, we can use those to cross.¡±

    Following his gaze, Emily spotted a couple of large trees jutting out of the edges of the waterfalls. There were more trees at the lowest points of each island, their granled roots burrowing into the mountainside.

    The bark was a dull greenish-blue hue and Emily imagined they had been here for quite a while seeing as even the smallest one was like an ancient redwood in diameter. The strange thing was that the trees were ramrod straight save for a very dense canopy of spearmint-colored leaves extending from stubby branches which blended in with the rest of the dull terrain.

    Emily had Mist head over to the nearest one as she she got closer he realised the thickness of the trunk had deceived her into thinking they were taller than they were.

    The one they pulled up next to now was maybe a story and a half tall, yet it was almost three meters thick.

    This made sense to Emily, as the near-constant weather here probably ripped anything taller from the ground. Hopping off Mist''s back and splashing down into the water Emily looked up at the tree.

    There were no fruits in it, so there went her dreams of a sweet treat, however she could work with this.

    ¡°Give me a second, I have an idea,¡± Emily said as her blood gown fell around her. Lifting herself into the air she summoned two crescent blades to her side and sent them towards the very top and bottom of the tree. The blood sliced through both cleanly as the hardwood gave way, releasing the scent of freshly cut grass.

    The middle of the trunk wept beads of sap, but Emily wasn¡¯t finished. Bringing two more blades of blood down vertically she cleaved off the rounded edges, creating a massive block of wood that would act as a raft. It would even be able to accommodate Mist as they crossed. Emily even had the perfect propulsion method but she had to practice for a bit. Her idea was to use the lift spell to push them forward but the problem was that if she used it as it currently was she would probably rocket their boat out from underneath them so Emily tried using the stream method. Ashe had said this method was not intended for direct casting but Emily thought it might be doable with her larger reserves. She practiced on one of the nearby branches that were already floating in the water and got decent results as it began gently floating away. The trick would be managing how much source she used. If she drew too much with her bridge then the overflow with send them all flying into the water, too little and they just wouldn¡¯t move.

    Atticus prepared himself a paddle with the discarded branches while Emily practiced. As they were doing this droplets began to fill the skies above again.

    Without much choice, they decided to launch their impromptu vessel. Getting Mist on it was the hardest part, but they managed in the end.

    Emily climbed on herself and targeted the vessel with her spell, pushing them horizontally. It was gradual at first but as she got used to it she could use more force.

    Water lapped at the sides of the ¡®boat¡¯ but the wood was holding very nicely. Whatever tree this was was very water resistant.

    The winds and rain pressed in around them, forcing them to all huddle lower. It was all Emily could do to not launch them forward to dry land.

    They were about halfway to the next island when the water below their craft started the churn.

    Atticus glanced over the side into the dark rippling water waters and cursed.

    ¡°Shit! There¡¯s a water serpent in this lake, get us out of here!¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened at the word serpent.

    ¡°Serpent? As in snake? Oh hell no, I hate snakes.¡±

    Emily was not surprised that there were beasties living in these deep waters, but why¡¯d it have to be snakes?

    Blood points: 177

 Chapter 90 - Another dip in the sea

    The waters beneath the boat seethed and churned, forcing Emily to brace herself against the slick wood, gripping the side to avoid slipping overboard. Their small vessel rocked uneasily atop the once-still lake, now alive with motion. Tiny, silvery bubbles rose to the surface in bursts, creating a faint fizzing sound that tickled her ears. It was as if the lake itself had been carbonated, with pockets of air releasing in sporadic bursts around them, transforming the calm into a chaotic expanse of roiling waves.

    Emily looked around but nothing rose from the waves yet and turned towards Atticus.

    ¡°Hey, just how big are these things!¡±

    Atticus grunted as he pulled out one of his blades and sunk it into the wood to prevent himself from moving.

    ¡°The ones near the center of the lakes are big enough to swallow our little vessel whole. Near the edge like this they''re babies, but we should still get out of the water!¡±

    Emily clenched her hands and recast the lift spell targeting the other corner of the vessel to increase their speed.

    The waves were making progress harder, but Emily couldn¡¯t increase the output anymore, or the wood might break apart at the edges, and then they would all be in the drink.

    The fizzling bubbles were following in their wake, and getting more prevalent, even as their speed increased.

    Emily glanced over the side and she was shocked to note that she could see a figure through the waves. It was probably the clear nature of the mountain water but she could make out a slithering mass below them, just about to charge up and crash into the boat.

    Calling out to Atticus she dropped the spell with one hand and began recasting.

    ¡°Brace yourself, it¡¯s coming!¡±

    At that moment, Emily completed the new spell, pouring a little extra source into it this time. The boat lurched violently to one side, taking a sharp turn in the water and throwing her toward the edge vessel. Emily¡¯s hands flew to the rim, fingers clutching for a grip as the slick wood grain beneath her sent her sliding dangerously close to the water. Despite her precarious position, she held both spells firm, propelling the boat forward even as she scrambled to steady herself against the rapid shift in momentum.

    The figure beneath them changed course, but not before it had committed to its first lunge and a head broke the surface.

    Fresh lake water sprayed around them and Emily stole a glimpse at their stalker.

    The creature looked exactly as Emily had feared, which somehow made it even more terrifying.

    Its long, sinuous body shimmered with delicate opalescent scales, each pressed flush against its form, catching faint glints of light as it moved. Up near its face, pectoral fins flared outward, spreading like fragile fans, and it used these to shift direction sharply through the water. Similar fins trailed along its length, and as it broke the surface, they spread wide, catching the air and transforming its leap into a graceful, gliding arc above them. Thankfully, it was not nearly as large as she had imagined¡ªsmall enough that it would need at least four bites to destroy their vessel.

    Emily¡¯s face turned to absolute horror as she witnessed it crashing back into the water several seconds later than it should have.

    ¡°Flying snakes! You have got to be kidding me. Nope! I¡¯m out, fuck this!¡±

    Making the same hand gesture as before, Emily focused it on the giant snake in the hopes of sending it very far in the opposite direction, but her dreams were dashed seconds later when she felt the spell wash over its scales in the same manner as it had with Marth. Only this defense was far more complete because the serpent didn¡¯t even shift slightly, or perhaps it was just too large to be affected, but either way, it wasn¡¯t going anywhere.

    Cursing, Emily pressed her back against Mist, and braced herself, beginning to cast the lift spell again to readjust their trajectory, but the water serpent had other ideas.

    Turning its body it crashed down into the water, creating a huge wave that swelled into the side of their makeshift vessel and submerged them all for a second. The sudden rush of water forced Emily to cancel the spells or risk taking them deeper into the water.

    The moment she let the spells go the wood naturally began to push to the surface but the serpent was already turning on them.

    Bubbles escaped Emily¡¯s mouth as she let out a few choice words, the water muffling them into garbled sounds that dissolved around her.

    Calling on her blood, Emily prepared to fend off the creature''s gaping, fangless maw as it loomed toward them, wide enough to swallow at least one of them whole. But just as it was about to strike, the surrounding water suddenly surged in temperature, turning unexpectedly warm.

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    Emily glanced over in time to see Atticus encased in a reddish glow, for a moment, it looked like he was wearing a transparent red cloak as it hung over his form, but soon after that bubbles began to form near him as the warm water began to spread around them. Atticus slashed his blade out at the incoming mouth and cut into it, bringing the blade up from the bottom jaw up to the roof of its mouth.

    The response was immediate as the surrounding flesh cooked, even underwater the effects didn¡¯t seem to slow the skill down as the creature recoiled in pain.

    The last thing Emily could see before they burst up and out of the water was the serpent reeling back in a silent scream.

    Steam exploded out as the water clinging to Atticus evaporated from his skin and cloth, but the flame cloak also dissipated shortly after that.

    ¡°Emily go! I can¡¯t use that skill again, and that won¡¯t stop this thing for long!¡±

    Recasting the spells took less than two seconds, but they had only just taken off again when the waters behind their crafts ruptured and the head of the serpent burst from the lake. A look of pure malice glinting in its black soulless eyes.

    It wanted revenge as it hissed with a stuttering cry and dove beneath the waves. They had no hope of outrunning the thing by the speed of the trail following them. They probably wouldn¡¯t even make it to shore at the rate things were going, so Emily made a last-minute decision and turned to Atticus.

    ¡°How confident are you on sticking a landing?!¡±

    Atticus glanced over at Emily in confusion and she clicked her tongue. Alex would have known what she wanted, but he wasn¡¯t here right now, and she had to make a decision. Once more she released the boat from her control and let their forward momentum carry them. Atticus shot her an urgent look before his eyes widened at what Emily was currently doing

    Lunging at Atticus, Emily slammed her shoulder into him and pushed him against Mist.

    ¡°Hang on to him, and thank you for flying Emperess Airways, we do hope your flight isn''t a lethal one.¡±

    Emily then completed both spells for the last time, sending the largest wave of source into them yet, targeting Mist.

    The damp Rime wolf had his claws sunk into the soft wood but that wasn¡¯t nearly enough to stop a full-powered lift spell from lunching him and Atticus ¨Cwho had instinctually latched onto the beast ¨C in the direction of the shore. Emily had figured out that if she used two lift spells simultaneously and directed one upward and the other horizontally, she could create a diagonal thrust, and lob things much further. The current ¡®thing¡¯ being a miserable Rime wolf and his rider.

    Emily just had to hope she had used the right amount of source and not overshot it or they would break a lot of bones.

    However, she didn¡¯t have the luxury of worrying about them right now as the serpent was coming. So with as good a timing as she could manage, Emily transferred her weight to the balls of her feet and bunched her legs, jumping upwards just as a tremendous force arrived from below.

    The additional force rocketed her up into the air as the serpent cracked its body against the raft with enough force to send wood splintering in all directions. Because the wood was still very much wet, it didn¡¯t have much resistance even though it floated incredibly well. The block of wood cracked neatly along the grain of the trunk and broke up. If they''d still been on there, Mist would have been injured at the very least, and in the water to boot, but now the serpent poked its head out of the water just long enough to catch sight of an empty vessel and paused in confusion.

    Emily on the other hand was letting gravity do what it did best, namely drag her back down toward the confused beast.

    It looked like it had been ready to tear the ¡®boat¡¯ apart piece by piece, but with no one there it emerged further from the water in confusion. So all it took was some minor tweaks to her trajectory with blood, and Emily came crashing down atop its skull.

    The moment she landed she engaged tick mode and had her blood jut out of her limbs and stab into the creature''s scales, luckily she managed to pierce them with her blood, and laying flat she latched onto the top of the serpent''s head.

    ¡°Oh god, I¡¯m going to hate this so much!¡± Emily whined, her voice filled with anguish.

    Blood extended from her jaw and shaped itself around her mouth and Emily bit down onto the very top of the creature¡¯s skull as she drew blood and began to drain the serpent of its life energy. Emily¡¯s gown flared out capturing a large amount of air and then pressed itself to the creature''s skin, sealing her in.

    This had all happened in less than a second and the serpent freaked out the moment something latched onto it.

    It shook it head from side to side like a day, trying to dislodge the pesky creature, but to no avail. Emily was in it for the long hall and as wounds began to weep blood she had the serpent¡¯s blood cut deeper groves into its scales to make way for more blood and allowing her to expand her reach.

    When shaking her off didn¡¯t work, the serpent plunged into the icy depths. But Emily remained dry within her protective cocoon. The only hint that they¡¯d submerged was her need to pull her blood closer, keeping it from mingling with the surrounding water. All the while, she continued drawing on the serpent¡¯s strength, trying to imagine the source as something less monstrous.

    The serpent thrashed violently, even launching itself out of the water in a desperate, arching leap. As Emily accumulated more blood, she began to channel it toward the creature''s fins, gradually restricting its movements. Bit by bit, she tightened her hold, sealing off its muscles until it could no longer break the water¡¯s surface. Eventually, even simple movement became a struggle. Unable to reach her, the serpent resorted to slamming its head against the nearest rock face. The impact sent jolts of pain through her, but her gown absorbed most of the pressure.

    With the creature¡¯s thrashes growing weaker, Emily finally drew the last of its strength, receiving a vast amount of life force. This beast was worth almost worth thirty human lives, as it surged into her, and she felt the creature die, cradled in her power. Fortunately, they were close to the surface, so she detached from it and rose, using up the last breath in her protective air pocket. Breaking the surface, she scanned the waves for their damaged vessel and located it not far away, allowing her to reorient herself.

    Emily swam toward the island they¡¯d been headed for, but eventually let her blood carry her the rest of the way.

    Stepping onto shore, she scanned the area for Atticus and Mist, but didn¡¯t spot them immediately. Panic flared until her eyes caught on two figures lying far from the water''s edge. She hurried over, fearing the worst¡ªand it was, though not what she expected.

    Atticus¡¯s leg was clearly broken, twisted at an unnatural angle, but it was Mist who made Emily freeze. The Rime wolf lay on his side, panting and whining. From the look of it, his whole body had taken a beating, though she couldn¡¯t tell the extent of his injuries from a distance.

    Blood points: Blood points: 186

 Chapter 91 - Missing things

    Water ran down Emily''s clothes in rivulets as she stepped up to Mist and Atticus. Several strands of red hair allowed drops of water to fall on the nearby stone, leaving a trail of darker stone where she passed.

    As Emily approached, she saw that Atticus had already popped the cap on one of his healing tonics and was holding his leg at the right angle so that the bone knitted back together correctly.

    When Emily was near, the man shot her a sour glare as he drew shallow pants.

    ¡°A little more warning next time would have been great. I could only cushion our wolf''s landing slightly. If he were any other animal, he would be dead.¡±

    Emily pressed her lips together with a frown.

    ¡°With what time? I only made it out alive because the bloody danger noodle doesn¡¯t have opposable thumbs.¡±

    Kneeling, Emily moved over to Mist to inspect his wounds. From the looks of it, she had indeed overshot the water''s edge. She¡¯d been trying to get them close but accidentally put too much power in.

    Looking down the beast''s length, she could see Mist was favoring his one side, and there was swelling around his hind legs and stomach.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I only have one tonic left, and the dosage will not heal this beast,¡± Atticus said as he slowly got to his feet, gradually resting more weight on his leg as it healed.

    ¡°Nor should you, but it¡¯ll make crossing these mountains almost impossible with an injured beast,¡± Emily said as she stared at the animal in pain.

    She¡¯d be lying if she said she didn¡¯t feel guilty¡ªMist had been good to her, and leaving him behind felt wrong. But if they wanted to keep a reasonable pace, she¡¯d have to push through and move on.

    Emily was just scratching the back of her head, trying to come up with an answer, when she heard a familiar sound.

    The thunderous beating of wings seemed to catch on the horizon, easily distinguishable in the open air.

    Emily¡¯s head snapped up to the sky as she searched the clouds, doing her best to squint through the drizzle. Near the upper peaks of the island they were on, she could just make out a figure descending towards the lake.

    With wide eyes, a chill ran down her spine as a Wyrm approached, growing nearer by the second.

    ¡°Shit, help me drag Mist under the tree,¡± Emily grunted.

    The tree that Emily was talking about was a little bigger than the one they had gotten from the waterfall, and it was also the only cover anywhere near them. The problem was that, even with two people working together, lifting or even dragging a wolf the size of a horse was no easy task.

    Emily created some cords made from her blood, wrapped them around the front and back of the beast, and began to pull while Atticus moved under the wolf''s chest and lifted. With the two of them working together, they slowly began dragging Mist towards the small piece of cover ahead of them.

    Mist didn¡¯t help in the slightest and only whined as they continued to drag him. Seconds later, Emily began to smell the sickly sweetness of rotting flesh with smoky overtones. The creature was nearing them, and who knew if it had spotted them yet? Grinding her teeth, Emily glanced over to the massive trunk and had the cords of blood shoot out towards the bark and lodge themselves there. Then, like a flexing muscle, she had the blood retract and tighten, dragging the wolf even faster toward the tree canopy.

    The sound of the wings beating above was drawing nearer by the second, and Atticus groaned as the two of them suddenly plunged the rest of the way, falling in a heap in the shade.

    The sounds of the Wyrm continued to get closer until its wings almost drowned out every thought in Emily¡¯s head. She searched the parts of the sky she could see from under the branches.

    Both of them did their best to remain quiet as the burning smell of meat became overpowering, and Mist whined again at it.

    Emily lowered herself and got ready to fight when the sounds of flapping wings began to recede. They waited a couple of minutes, and then Emily stuck her head out in time to see the titanic lizard lapping up water near the lake''s edge before taking to the air again.

    Neither of them spoke, but Atticus stared at Mist with a frown.

    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here for long. Our best bet would be to find a time to make our escape and get to the next island before nightfall.¡±

    ¡°And him?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be best to put him out of his misery.¡±

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    Emily couldn¡¯t help but agree with Atticus. It was the best choice to make right now, but it bothered her for some reason.

    ¡°Give me half an hour. I¡¯d like to try and help him with my abilities. If I can¡¯t, then I¡¯ll deal with him.¡±

    Atticus¡¯s eyes watched as the Wyrm arced back towards the island''s peak and then down at the Rime wolf.

    ¡°All right, but after that, we¡¯re leaving. I¡¯ll try and find us a secluded place to launch from,¡± he said as his eyes shifted to their environment.

    Emily nodded and sat down cross-legged next to the wolf.

    ¡°Hey, boy, now you might not understand me, but I feel responsible for this, so I¡¯m going to help you. But it¡¯s up to you what you get from this.¡±

    Emily¡¯s plan was quite simple.

    She intended to try and form another connection with Mist just as she had with Cupcake. The problem was that this type of connection had to be mutual.

    It worked so well with the she-wolf because more than anything, she desired to get stronger and was willing to do anything for that goal. Their connection worked because they both had the same desires, but with Mist, Emily couldn¡¯t tell what he wanted.

    Either way, she needed to begin the connection, so she gathered power from her blood, pulled out two orbs of red, and merged them.

    She lowered her hand in front of Mist¡¯s snout and hummed.

    ¡°Come on, eat this for me, boy.¡±

    Mist whined and sniffed at the baseball-sized glob of blood. He made a half-hearted lick at it but then stopped.

    Emily pressed her lips together and rubbed the bottom of his jaw.

    ¡°Eat...¡±

    The Rime wolf seemed content to remain there, so Emily lowered her shoulders.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t cooperate, I¡¯ll do you a favor and help you along.¡±

    The orb of blood began to unravel into tiny tendrils that then forced their way beneath Mist¡¯s lips.

    The Rime wolf tried to shake his head at first, but then the blood began pouring down his gullet, and he involuntarily swallowed.

    The longer Emily kept this up, the deeper the connection got until she could feel something from Mist. He wanted to stop the hurting, and to Emily¡¯s surprise, he missed Alex.

    Emily had only thought of the man a little in their safest hours, and she compared what the beast was feeling to her own feelings. As far as she could tell, her emotions were similar to the wolf¡¯s.

    This discovery alone made Emily hiss in shock. She had thought the only reason she was with this frustratingly secretive man was because she was bound to him. And in most cases, this was true, but something was different about Alex. It was hard to put her finger on but he was one of the few people she had met in both this life and the last that was comparable to herself. His skill and adaptability had impressed her, making it easy to place him at her level. If anything she missed him as a rival.

    The contract had been itching something fierce since parting from Alexander, and the only reason it wasn¡¯t worse was because it hadn¡¯t been her intention to split from him. Her final saving grace was that she was actively working to find him again. The fact that it might not only be for the contract''s sake had surprised her.

    Emily frowned and pushed the unnecessary thoughts aside.

    The link deepened, and when she was sure it was strong enough, she activated blood price. This time, their situation was less urgent, so Emily had time to feel the skill at work. Normally, the skill would require the permission of both the caster and the person she was casting it on, but not when her blood acted as the bridge.

    She could feel the walls around her core drop and Mist stepping into her power.

    If the beast knew how. he would be able to control her blood, but by extension, Emily felt the walls around Mist¡¯s blood fall. Her eyes widened as she realized she could reach into a living creature, something she had never been able to do unless it was her own body. Realizing the uses of this, she latched onto the large dog''s life force and poured a small amount of her own into his. If this were blood magic, they would call what Emily was doing life source offering. Emily was willingly using some of her stored vitality to revitalize the beast''s body. Like this, she was able to heal Mist at incredible rates. The thing was that Emily would never use this on another human because they would all too quickly realize they had just as much control as she did. If Emily wanted, she could drain someone dry in an instant, but at the same time, they could do the same thing to her, and she would never willingly put herself in that kind of situation.

    A couple of minutes passed, and Emily opened her eyes to see a healthy wolf sitting up with happy pants wafting onto her face. Closing off the connection and canceling the skill, Emily caught sight of a red streak running through Mist¡¯s matted fur. It wasn¡¯t as extensive as Cupcake¡¯s, but it was noticeable, and it had only cost her about five lives'' worth of blood.

    Emily hopped onto Mist''s healed back and patted him. He felt stronger and healthier than ever before and readily went searching for Atticus at her silent request. The man had moved along the shore to an area with more trees.

    When they approached, his eyes widened at Mist, though he didn¡¯t say much.

    ¡°I¡¯ve found the perfect area, but we have a problem.¡±

    Emily hummed to let him know to continue.

    There¡¯s a mass of trees up ahead, but there is also a small tribe of elves living on the section of the island. Now, their numbers are on the high side, but they¡¯re manageable. The problem is, the moment we pass through the area, our fighting may alert the Wyrm.¡±

    Emily was leaning to the side in the saddle with her arms crossed out in front of herself.

    ¡°Why are these little rats even here? I would have thought the Wyrms would have eaten everything on this island already.¡±

    Atticus nodded and spoke.

    ¡°This is just my guess from experience, but I¡¯ve seen them eat a couple of elves now and then before backing off. I¡¯d say they¡¯re not eating all of them on purpose.¡±

    Emily stilled at the implication. If the Wyrms were purposeful in not eating all the elves, then it was almost like they were keeping livestock. The level of intelligence both disturbed and impressed Emily. That also gave Emily a good idea.

    ¡°Shit, well then we should use this to our advantage,¡± she said as she looked in the direction Atticus had pointed.

    The man tilted his head at Emily as he tried to put the pieces together.

    ¡°What do you mean? The elves are taking up a quarter of the island. I can only see downsides.¡±

    Emily grinned, flashing her pearly whites at the confused man.

    ¡°Well, if the Wyrms are farming elves as a source of meat, intentionally or not, then we have a card to play.¡±

    Atticus shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Enlighten me.¡±

    Emily¡¯s shoulders drooped; she was really missing Alex¡¯s analytical mind at this point.

    ¡°What does a farmer do when his livestock is threatened?¡±

    Atticus¡¯s spine straightened as he whispered his next words.

    ¡°He comes down to investigate.¡±

    Blood points: 180

 Chapter 92 - Dine and dash

    There wasn¡¯t much to hide behind on the small island¡ªjust a couple of thick trees and a few jutting rocks, which were about the extent of Emily¡¯s options. She was currently peeking out from behind a particularly tall rock outcropping, watching the tribe of elves gathered in small clusters of ten to twenty. Individuals drifted from group to group, some chattering and scuffling over scraps of food, while others appeared to be seeking mates.

    Emily wouldn¡¯t exactly call it a settlement, more a band of creatures gathering together for survival. Still, the presence of several larger burrows suggested communal housing, though the arrangements felt rough and temporary.

    As far as Emily could tell the scruffy little creatures had their own hierarchy in place, but Emily couldn¡¯t figure out exactly what that was, even after over three hours of observing them. The other thing was that these elves weren¡¯t particularly observant.

    The elves in the forest were ambush predators, but these ones seemed to have evolved in a completely different direction.

    Emily hadn¡¯t seen it earlier because the differences in their muscle mass weren¡¯t that great but these elves seemed more catered to confrontation. Instead of blending in with the foliage they looked more like the surrounding rock, but even that didn¡¯t help them much.

    The large open landscape meant that they charged as a group the moment they were spotted. If they got to their prey, they would surround it, and try and bludgeon it to death with their meaty forearms or a club if they had managed to procure one. Though there wasn¡¯t much prey on this island to begin with, just a few smaller rock rodents and many insects. Luckily the elves were not at all picky as Emily spotted them crunching merrily on grey locusts and blackened centipedes. Only the trees were spared their hungry wrath as Emily was fairly certain the leaves were poisonous even to the elves. Either way, they all went about their day-to-day in their little primitive society.

    Emily watched with rapt attention as a male elf presented what looked like a tasty rock ferret to a female elf. How Emily knew it was a female was beyond her, but the little creature seemed pleased with the offering. Then, with little hesitation, they got down to business.

    Emily leaned back quickly, a mild wave of nausea rising in her throat as a familiar voice whispered from just behind her, ¡°Enjoying the show?¡± She nearly jumped; she hadn¡¯t heard Atticus approach, but then, he was a Scout.

    ¡°Well to be quite honest, I¡¯m curious, these little guys look like their species is mildly intelligent if they were left alone could they evolve into something civil?¡±

    Atticus rolled his eyes as he lowered himself to the ground next to her.

    ¡°Unlikely, people have tried that before, and they do get more intelligent as they acquire titles, but all they use it for is war and death. Elf sympathizers aren''t looked fondly on in any settlement, now do you have their numbers?¡±

    Emily shrugged, more surprised that elves could get titles than anything else.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re looking at about two hundred elves. I could slaughter them all if I had enough time, but the plan is more important. Still, such a waste of resources.¡±

    Emily stared out at the little tribe, a faint look of melancholy on her face. When she turned back, Atticus was looking at her with a strange expression. It was as if he were just now realizing he was totally alone with a Blood mage, or at least what he thought was a blood user, not that she would correct him.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t time to kill them all, I have everything on my end ready so as soon as you are in place, we¡¯ll begin.¡±

    Emily shot the man a skeptical look and grunted.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, it was my plan in the first place, remember?¡±

    Emily turned back to face the ¡®settlement¡¯ and crushed herself lower to the rock.

    ¡°Watch for the signal near the tree, don¡¯t go before then,¡± Atticus said, still feeling the need to remind her.

    Emily made a shooing motion at Atticus as she prepared herself.

    Atticus pressed his lips together like he wanted to wish her luck but then he turned and slipped away.

    Emily had found when they were on open land the man could be incredibly nimble when he wanted to be, and in minutes he¡¯d slipped away down the hill, unseen by all.

    The drizzle that had started a couple of hours ago had still yet to let up, but the silver lining was that it hadn¡¯t gotten any worse so Emily used her tarp to protect herself from the incessant march of rain. All the while her eye never drifted from a particular point on the shore.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    She was currently situated much further up the mountain so she could make out the entire shoreline from up here.

    The elven ¡®village¡¯ was directly downwind from her and as Emily readjusted her footing, dozens of tiny shards of rock went tumbling a little ways down. This entire area was unstable, so Mist had kept away. Plus he stuck out too much for what came next.

    Emily was growing impatient by the time a flicker of lamplight caught her attention. Glancing toward a distant tree, she saw a lantern flickering in the dark¡ªshe couldn¡¯t make out Atticus from this distance, but it could only be him.

    Emily looked up toward the peak. Seeing nothing unusual, she folded up the tarp and pulled her scepter from her waist.

    Then, with the same air of someone stepping up to the plate, Emily gripped the handle with both hands and swung the weapon like a bat.

    Metal hit the grey stone, creating a dull ringing sound and sending shockwaves up Emily¡¯s arms. The sound wasn¡¯t loud but the resulting hit sent cracks spreading through the brittle stone, yet Emily didn¡¯t stop there, she continued to smack out the supports from her creation. It was surprising how little the elves noticed about their surroundings.

    Emily had been slowly building a dam of rocks just above them for what felt like forever and they still hadn¡¯t noticed the distant growing rock outcroping. Granted she¡¯d purposefully kept the spell going incredibly slowly but still one would think they would notice a change in the landscape. She¡¯d used the blood ward Ashe had made for her to gather grit and pebbles ever so slowly just up steam of the settlement.

    Now, all it took was a few well-placed breaks in the rocks balanced on the slope to really get things rolling.

    Emily continued to walk down the line, uncaring whether she was seen at this stage, cracking her metal rod against the supports.

    Behind her she could hear some commotion happening and took that to mean she¡¯d been spotted, but instead, she looked to the skies to make sure didn¡¯t see anything yet.

    Tiny pebbles were trailing down the mountainside like dunes being whittled away. This caused more and more of the upper parts of the mountainside to become unstable as its base continued to slide out from underneath it.

    Emily just kept walking and displacing the larger boulders and when she finally got to the end of the line she turned around to see her work.

    Surprisingly the elves were already more than halfway to her with rage and excitment dripping from their hollow eyes. Emily stared down at them impassively as they got neared. That¡¯s when they hit the little tides of pebbles and slowed, but they were no less enthusiastic.

    Emily knew they weren¡¯t close enough for life conduit to draw them in but she¡¯d hoped they¡¯d be a little closer by now.

    At least then when they died she would have gotten something but alas the dam broke before even a single one of them got near, and when it did, the unnaturally placed rocks caused a very real rock fall.

    The elves that had been approaching so hastily earlier suddenly turned right around and rushed back toward their caves.

    Emily watched them struggle against the current for a few seconds before the dirt and pebbles swallowed them, their screams of pain rising into the air.

    She clenched her fist, still not hearing what she was hoping for. Just as she prepared to make her way down to start killing, a roar shook the peak.

    Emily¡¯s head snapped round and a smile fell into place across her face.

    ¡°Took you long enough¡­¡±

    That said, Emily made a break for it. She needed to find what little cover she could while there was still time, because if she were to follow, then all of this planning would have been for nothing.

    Diving down the decline, Emily ran over freshly loose rocks, doing her best to avoid slipping in the mess of pebbles and rocks. She let the downhill carry her as the wind howled past her ears, and the spittle from the clouds clung to her hair.

    Emily got away from the worst of the rockslide and slipped under a nearby tree glancing up to see two Wyrms descending from the peak.

    Pursing her lips she didn¡¯t even dare curse out loud as the heavy wing falls grew neared, bringing with them that sweet musk. When she was certain they weren¡¯t looking in her direction she dashed out to the next nearest tree, using the moment of the rock slide as cover.

    Glancing over her shoulder at the elves, she saw many of them still alive, the initial fall of the rocks having killed over half of them. Those that remained seemed dazed and limped about aimlessly.

    When the Wrms landed, they scented the air and looked about, eyes transfixed on the elves. Emily kept moving to the next tree even as the elves screeched at the Wrms who ignored them.

    The massive beast went about sifting through the rubble, pulling elven corpses from the rockslide and swallowing them whole. The elven defenders were scattered and seemed to back off, allowing their overseers the feast on the dead.

    Emily hadn¡¯t expected the distraction to work so well and from the looks of things the elves were too scared of the Wrms to give chase yet, so she kept moving toward the meat-up point.

    It took her a while to get there but eventually, she got to a collection of four larger trees.

    Mist saw her coming and Emily slipped into the cover for a final time.

    ¡°Excellent job!¡± Atticus exclaimed having just looked up from the newest vessel he¡¯d been carving into with his blade.

    They¡¯d used another tree, but learning from their mistakes they made this one a little better, even going so far as to cut a hollow into it so that if they got hit in the water they wouldn¡¯t slide off it. Atticus had also managed to dry the wood somewhat, so hopefully that would help.

    ¡°Did they see you?¡±

    Emily shrugged her shoulder and looked at the boat.

    ¡°Yeah, not as far as I could tell, but they were having a feast back there, once they get back to their nest they¡¯ll probably sleep, I know that¡¯s what I¡¯d do after gorging myself like that.¡±

    All of this had been for that exact purpose. Somehow they had been lucky enough to get to the island but leaving would be a completely different story, as they had to launch from the banks with very little cover.

    They would be in direct line of sight for a long while, so when Emily suggested that they cause a distraction, Atticus thought it might be their only ticket off the island. As they couldn¡¯t fight the Wyrms in the middle of the lake, the serpents were bad enough.

    That meant that right now they were playing a waiting game. They had a very small window to leave because the moment the Wyms left, the elves might try to track them down. So when Emily spotted the Wrms flying up above the elven settlement again she got Mist ready.

    Only once the duo had landed back on the peak did they take off, launching the new boat on its maiden voyage.

    Hopefully, this journey was longer and contained significantly fewer snakes.

    Blood points: 182

 Chapter 93: What comes this way

    Emily¡¯s foot plunged into the water, sinking up to her ankle as it hit the bottom of the rocky shore. She¡¯d sprung for the waterproof version and found herself grateful for that decision every day. After leaving the first peak Emily, Atticus, and Mist had ¡®sailed¡¯ to the next island with little trouble. At one point they thought another lake serpent was attempting to sneak up on them, but they were spared when the skies finally opened up and torrents of water covered their escape.

    This led to another problem: the boat was beginning to fill up with water, and at this point, Emily was sitting in a canoe of mildly warm water as they tried to bail it out.

    Atticus had even made a few holes in the side, but he couldn¡¯t put them too far down, or he¡¯d risk sinking them.

    Sadly, neither of them were Shipwrights, so their knowledge of how buoyancy worked was limited. They found that by stopping at an island now and then, they could empty out the rainwater and keep going, though Mist was starting to stink something fierce.

    The cloud cover proved to be another boon because it obscured the peaks, making traveling far safer, if not a lot more unpleasant.

    ¡°We should rest at the next Island, we don¡¯t know how much longer our luck will last, and if you¡¯re going to have to send me ¡®flying¡¯ again, I at least want some rest!¡± Atticus hollered over the storm.

    Emily nodded and turned to look at the current island. They had managed to hop two islands in a day and this particular one was far smaller than all of the previous ones, with barely any trees or even cover from the rain.

    There was still enough daylight trying to break through the clouds that one last trip could be made. Hopefully, the next one would be better.

    Emily helped turn the craft over and tip out the stale water that had collected on their journey and then righten it in the water. Climbing back in she tried to find her bearings, Explorer was telling her that the next island was straight ahead but it was hard to make out through all this rain. she was relying on her title and the Cardinex to guide her through the storm. Atticus¡¯s skill helped keep them on track but it didn¡¯t help them navigate the waters as well.

    All three of them were tired, even Mist who had done nothing more than huddle in the boat was felling it.

    Emily was starting to reach her limits, and the source was getting harder and harder to pull in as she felt herself become faint.

    ¡°Alright, I have one more trip in me and then we have to rest, I¡¯m not going to go into source exposure but it''s better to be safe than sorry.¡±

    Atticus shot her a thumbs up instead of answering and then pushed off from the island having been there for only five ten minutes.

    Hopping back into the boat, Emily reengaged the lift spells and sent the boat forward into the storm. The choppy waters covered their escape as the island behind them grew smaller by the minute. It was only twenty minutes into their journey when the next island came into view, but that was not what surprised Emily.

    It usually took about an hour for the islands to look like they were making any progress toward them, but this one seemed to creep up far faster than the others¡ªand that was due to its massive size. While all the islands were large, this one was a cut above the rest, easily dwarfing any she¡¯d seen so far. It was so enormous that it even had additional vegetation, not just the sparse trees near the waterline.

    It looked like a jewel of green amongst the grey and blue.

    Atticus¡¯s gaze locked onto the island with worry etched across his features.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Emily had to scream over the pearls of thunder.

    ¡°The last time we passed through here we went around the outer edges, I thought we were doing that now, but we must have gone a little off course. Kael said to avoid the center if at all possible.¡±

    Emily worked her jaw as she searched the horizon. There were no nearby islands other than the one they¡¯d come from.

    ¡°Well we can¡¯t go back now, so it¡¯s either this one or find a much longer route around and I don¡¯t have time for that.¡±

    Emily stared at the veritable paradise on the horizon. She needed to get back to Alex as soon as possible because the longer she remained away from him the higher the chances he could be hurt or killed.

    This was Emily¡¯s bottom line, because if he died, so did her ticket in this world, and she was just getting used to it here.

    We¡¯re going!¡± Emily said, leaving no room for argument.

    Atticus glanced back at Emily through the downpour.

    ¡°With a lack of a better option, I¡¯m in agreement but staying there for a couple of hours should be more than enough, and then we leave, got it?¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Emily nodded. If Kael wanted to stay away from the area then that was a good reason to do so.

    They continued for another half an hour and the island''s shore welcomed them.

    Emily hopped out of the boat crashing into waist-deep water as she yanked the boat back with Atticus¡¯s help. The island was so large that the shore was filled with flakes of charcoal-grey sand. Stepping into it Emily could see how each piece glittered in the light with sharp edges. It looked like a sea of glass and judging by how sharp the grit looked it was probably just as dangerous.

    Both Emily and Atticus were already glancing along the shore for threats and potential hideouts. They hadn¡¯t been on land for more than a minute when a sudden suffocating presence descended from the skies.

    Emily¡¯s hackles rose immediately and blood surrounded her as her gown splayed out around her, lifting her from the water.

    Atticus dashed onto dry land and had his blades drawn and ready, even Mist vaulted from the boat and lowered his stance into a defensive one.

    All three of them waited as they searched for the origin of the sensation. Emily had never felt anything so primal and raw, and she¡¯d been through it all. Her nose tickled as the scent of burning wildlife coiled through her nose. It was then that Emil pinpointed the origin.

    It was a Wyrm, but something was different about the scent. This sensation was far more powerful than anything she¡¯d encountered so far, and she couldn¡¯t even hear telltale wings on the wind.

    Seconds stretched to minutes as they remained frozen in waiting, and yet nothing ever came. Only, the sensation got stronger as time went on and thunder shook the world above them.

    Emily didn¡¯t even dare blink as the rain caressed her face and ran down her neck.

    She glanced at the peaks but couldn¡¯t see anything moving up there, but then the thunder struck again.

    Frowing to herself she felt something was off about the sound, then it happened again. Only this time closer and she knew what it was, it was an impact shaking the air.

    Something was fighting in the air above them and it was so loud that they could hear it all the way from down here. Every hit mimicked the strike of thunder as it stretched across the island.

    Emily stared up at the peak and squinted through the rain which let up just temporarily when a flash of black light shook the peak, followed shortly by a tremendous impact.

    ¡°Somethings going on up there, we need to find cover!¡± Emily growled at Atticus, who seemingly came to the same conclusion.

    There was just one problem with that, the fear or pheromones leaking into the land was crippling.

    The scent was so powerful it coated the back of Emily¡¯s throat and almost made her gag at the sweetness.

    Mist frothed at the mouth as he growled savagely. Emily tried to calm him down through their tenuous link, but the beast had long gone into flight or fight mode. Atticus attempted to grab Mist¡¯s reins, but Emily got herself moving and yanked the man, pulling him back.

    The Rime wolf felt something touch his flank and turned with red in his eyes, lunging with an open maw.

    Emily battered him away with a whip of blood sending the frightened beast splashing into the water and making a break for it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± She said pointing to the tree line. Forgetting everything else.

    Atticus saw that she wasn''t even waiting for him and dashed after her.

    The world shook with a roar that tore at the closing evening. Above, Emily could finally hear the sounds of beating wings amongst the clouds.

    Then another flash of darkness descended and broke through the clouds, sending the single largest  Wyrm Emily had ever seen hurtling toward the ground.

    Which, granted, was only one¡ªbut this thing looked like a titan compared to the one she¡¯d seen a couple of weeks ago. Its body was easily five to ten stories tall, and it could only stabilize itself mid-air because of its impressive wingspan.

    Emily saw it hover there above them for what felt like an eternity, but then something else descended from the clouds. A speck on the horizon that could only be humanoid moved at a constant rate, floating there like a deity. When another Wyrm emerged from the clouds behind it, Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    The nosedive was silent, but a sudden ray of dark light shot out from the speck, cleaving the Wyrm in two.

    Granted it was a terrier compared to the great dane that had just fallen from the sky but still. Emily had been rearing to fight one of these things but she could happily say she felt no desire to tangle with this particular creature.

    Just then they got to the treeline and Emily spotted a small group of elves cowering, not even looking up when the two of them came running through.

    Had it been any other situation she would have happily taken advantage of their catatonic states, but she needed to find a place to lay low. She could still see the two entities through the treetops, staring off at one another.

    Atticus moved quickly, spotting a particularly large tree with roots spread just wide enough for them to slip into the recess. He used some sort of skill, disappearing in a flash of heat and reappearing at the den opening, where he lowered himself inside. By the time Emily got there, he held out a hand to her, but something stopped her just short of the entrance. She glanced up into the sky.

    The two figures had finished their standoff, and dark light began to gather around the flying speck. It was strange to watch¡ªa brightness made of pure shadows, like staring into ultraviolet.

    The Wyrm responded, drawing a deep breath into its enormous lungs before releasing a stream of white-hot flames toward the speck. The attacks collided, and the impact sent a visible tremor through the air. This was a battle between two powerful beings¡ªone beast and, possibly, one human.

    Emily stared up in awe, a deep longing resurfacing¡ªa desire to reach that level once again.

    ¡°Emily! Get down here!¡± Atticus''s voice was tight with urgency as he grabbed her arm, but she resisted, needing to see the outcome.

    Light and shadow twisted together, scattering nearby clouds. Orange sunlight streamed through, and Emily could just make out the two figures against the sky. For a few moments, they seemed evenly matched. Then the dark light began to overpower the flame. The Wyrm reacted quickly, raising a claw and swiping down at the speck with deadly precision.

    The airborne figure was clearly immobilized but managed one final counterattack¡ªa beam of light tore through the Wyrm¡¯s chest, though it came at a price. The Wyrm¡¯s massive claw continued its descent, slamming into the speck and sending it hurtling into the mountainside with enough force to shatter the rock.

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened as both combatants plummeted from the sky, but now the shockwaves were too powerful to ignore. Destruction shook the island as rocks and vegetation were blown away near the point of impact. Emily staggered, struggling to stay upright, but Atticus yanked her down with him, pulling her into the grove.

    The last thing she saw was the Wyrm¡¯s colossal form tumbling down, dangerously close to their hiding spot.

    Blood points: 184

 Chapter 94 - One mans treasure

    Emily felt a wet sensation against her cheek and tried to bat it away but another one followed shortly. Swallowing the chalky taste in her mouth she wanted to brush it away but it smeared against her face. Emily cracked her eyelids open and looked around, but only pitch-black darkness greeted her. She couldn¡¯t even see her hand in front of her face so she sent her hand out to feel around herself. They brushed up against the roots and loose dirt that surrounded her. The wet sensation must have been mud dripping down from the low-hanging ceiling.

    Emily grimaced to herself and felt around the dark tunnel. She knew they couldn¡¯t have gone far and was proved right moments later when she bumped into a warm body beside hers. She patted it down and came to the assumption it was Atticus.

    The two of them had taken refuge in the hole in the ground when shit had hit the fan and things must have been nasty for her to pass out.

    She tried to take another look around but the tight space made it very hard to do so, though it wasn¡¯t all bad news.

    When Emily managed to peek down at her feet, she saw the faintest light entering their hidy hole from above.

    Emily breathed a sigh of relief, she¡¯d not been looking forward to being buried for a second time.

    As she tried to wriggle herself backwards she jostled Atticus who seemed to stir.

    ¡°Dammit, where are we?¡± a disembodied voice came from beside her.

    ¡°Hang on and don¡¯t move, I¡¯ll get out and then you can follow.¡±

    Emily couldn¡¯t see his face but his grunt in response would have to do.

    It took her another five minutes the toss and turn her way out of the hole feet first, her arms and travel clothes snagging on every root possible.

    When Emily finally sat up on her knees and shook the dirt and grim off herself she let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Okay, you should be able to make your way out now.¡± She said into the dark hole.

    Glancing about the area, Emily could see the destruction that had visited the island. The fight had destroyed much of the pristine foliage, leaving only the strongest trees standing in its wake.

    The peak where the fight had taken place was no more, leaving only a broken mountain at the center of the island.

    Emily cupped her hand over her nose as the smell of burnt and decaying meat wafted through the area like a gas. Emily tried her best to ignore the Wyrm''s pheromones but they were potent and she couldn¡¯t help it when her heart rate skyrocketed in her chest.

    She looked up at the sky and saw early morning light trying to break through the cloud cover. It wasn¡¯t currently raining but by the looks of things it was only a matter of time.

    By this point, Atticus had gotten free for the little recess and glanced about, his nostrils flaring at the smell.

    ¡°Dammit we need to get back to the boat, if we stay here we¡¯ll be found for sure.¡±

    Emily frowned to herself.

    ¡°Well now hang on. I think we should go deeper in.¡±

    Atticus shot her a baffled expression.

    ¡°Are you insane? We need to leave this place, and this is not just the scent of fear talking. Whatever was going on up there, we don¡¯t want any part in it.¡±

    Emily shook her head trying to explain what she had seen.

    ¡°Look, from what I can tell the main danger of this island was probably that massive Wyrm, but by the looks of things it''s been taken care of. I want to go over and have a look at the corpse maybe there¡¯s something we can learn from this. Plus I need some more time before I use my source again.¡±

    Atticus''s expression never changed as he looked pleadingly up to the heavens.

    ¡°Energia save me, I¡¯m not going anywhere near that thing¡¯s corpse,¡± he said with fierce determination in his voice.

    Emily shrugged as she looked back towards the shore.

    ¡°That''s fine, you don¡¯t have to come, but I¡¯m going. You stay here and find Mist. If he survived then we¡¯ll need him.¡±

    Atticus¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously and then flickered down to the Cardinex on her wrist.

    Emily halted herself and smiled, turning to face Atticus completely, she could see the cogs turning his head. To get off this island he¡¯d need something to help guide him and if he thought Emily was about to get herself killed then he would probably need the Cardinex.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°Now what''s going through that beared skull of yours? Are you thinking that just because you''re faster you¡¯ll get away?¡± Emily said as a threatening tone entered her voice.

    Atticus glanced up from the Cardinex and searched her face as he weighed up the gains.

    To Emily, Atticus was useful as another set of hands and eyes to watch her back out here¡ªnot to mention he was a Scout. But if he thought that would protect him if he stole something from her, he was dead wrong. Emphasis on dead.

    On the other hand, he needed her ability to sail them from island to island.

    Atticus searched her face but when he found no hint of hesitation in her body language his shoulders relaxed.

    ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯ll go find the beast, and make sure our boat hasn¡¯t floated away, but¡­¡± Emily could hear the restraint in his voice, which softened into a plea. ¡°Be careful.¡±

    She hummed softly, refusing to take her eyes off him as she waited for him to leave toward the beach. When he was out of sight Emily breathed out a tired sigh, her heartbeat rocketing out of control once more.

    The pheromones were powerful and put both of them on edge, but that wouldn¡¯t have saved him if he¡¯d decided to act on his fear.

    Turning away from the beach, Emily headed in the direction she¡¯d see the Wyrm fall, but in doing so the stench became more powerful as time went on.

    Navigating through the trees wasn¡¯t hard and by the looks of it, every beast, prey animal, and insect had fled the area. So the walk was decently pleasant if one didn¡¯t mind some mild vegetation destruction and a silence so complete that she thought she was walking through a horror movie.

    After traveling for ten minutes like this, she could make out the Wyrm''s huge body as it poked out from the tops of the trees. From here, it was easy to see; one of its massive wings was twisted at an unnatural angle, marring the landscape like a beacon.

    When she arrived at the crash site, she searched the broken scar of land where the creature''s body had destroyed the mountainside and came to a gradual stop at the lowest point of the slope.

    From this range, the size of the Wyrm was all the more noticeable. Its back leg alone would flatten Mist entirely, forget about a tiny human.

    Emily looped around to its side and found the killing blow, it was a truck-sized hole straight through the center of the beast''s chest cavity, coming out cleanly on the other side.

    There wasn¡¯t even that much blood as it looked like whatever that black beam had done it had cauterized the wound. Or maybe just erased it. It was consistent with Oscar¡¯s attacks so probably black source.

    When Emily was certain there was nothing in the area she stepped out of the treeline and moved closer to the large beast. If she could get some of its hide or a tooth could they be turned into something useful?

    As she stepped up to the large beast, life conduit triggered, letting her know that it was still alive.

    Disbelief shook Emily to her core as her head snapped to the hole in its chest. Then her gaze shot to the head and she spotted a single heavy-lidded eye staring at her. The deep amber barely registered Emily with a dull gaze.

    Emily¡¯s heart was beating a mile a minute but the longer the seconds stretched out, the more certain she grew. The Wyrm was so close to death that it couldn¡¯t even raise an arm in its defense, even its eyelid eventually shut again as though it were too heavy to keep open.

    Emily stared up at this titan and a smile crept onto her face.

    She could not have wished for anything better, excitedly she stepped towards the wound to drain what was left of the creature''s strength when something else got caught in her life conduit, and this one was far more awake.

    Emily¡¯s head snapped about looking for the threat when she heard a small but powerful cry coming from the Wyrm''s body.

    You have to be fucking kidding me,¡± Emily ground out as she watched a small Wyrm crawl out from under the larger one''s wing.

    It hissed and cried at Emily, having spotted her out in the open.

    Emily had approached the beast carelessly because she was certain nothing else would want to be anywhere near here for a while, but that probably didn¡¯t apply to its young.

    The damned thing was a mother.

    Emily didn¡¯t have much time to react, so she leaped backward as the creature lunged at her. When it crashed to the ground, chips of stone flaked off in all directions. Even though it was probably a younger beast, its size was equal to that of the one she¡¯d seen in the fight.

    Emily¡¯s gown spread out while she was in mid-air, and she halted her descent. Even if this thing was a baby, she needed to go all out from the beginning. Blood streamed from her hands and formed two massive crescents, which she unleashed at the Wyrm, still getting its footing.

    The two attacks merged into a massive ¡®X¡¯ that slammed down from above. While the young Wyrm''s scales dented, they held firm.

    Seeing that her slashing attacks were ineffective, Emilly created four blood bolts but kept thin streams of blood pumping into them, as she shaped them into spears. When they were big enough she began to rotate them to increase their penetrative power and sent them shooting forward one at a time.

    The young Wyrm took the opportunity to close the gap between them with lumbering steps, its own body still unfamiliar to it.

    The first and second spears hit, digging into its scales near it chest and causing it to scream in pain, but the third missed. By the time she was ready to fire the fourth, the young Wyrm had gotten enough of a run-up and took to the skies, opening its fang-filled mouth wide enough to swallow Emily whole.

    Now, Emily was by no means fearless, but over the years, she had thought herself pretty much inoculated to this particular emotion. However, when a building-sized lizard suddenly vaulted into the air and opened its mouth wide enough that one could see down into its stomach, she was not ashamed to say she let out a few high-pitched screams of panic.

    Luckily, her reactions kicked in. Instead of firing the spear, she quickly reworked it into a whip, which she then grew to latch onto either side of the young Wyrm¡¯s jaws. This prevented her from being swallowed, but the sudden impact jerked her spine, leaving her dangling mere centimeters away from the angry mouth.

    Emily quickly sent more blood to its jaw to keep them from closing completely, but she couldn¡¯t slow the momentum of the beast. When it got its shaky wings under itself, it decided to take her for a ride. The young Wyrm suddenly went from horizontal to arcing straight up, climbing into the skies.

    Emily¡¯s gaze flickered briefly to the shrinking ground, and she cursed her luck. She¡¯d been looking for a reason to fight one of these things; she might as well take advantage of the opportunity.

    Blood points: 176

 Chapter 95 - Blood and burning

    The wind whipped past Emily, causing her clothes to flap against her skin. Her gown fluttered around her like the train of a wedding dress as she continued ascending into the heavens in the mouth of the Wyrm. Blood now protected her hands and feet from the teeth closing in on all sides.

    The tips of her boots pressed against the base fangs as she gripped the top ones, the sky facing her back. If she weren¡¯t currently panicked, she might have found the position amusing. They continued to ascend but Emilt had had enough.

    Pointing a bolt down its throat, she shot it into the creature and had it expand like a snowflake, stabbing into its throat and surrounding walls. Sadly she hadn¡¯t made the attack big enough that she could block its airways, and when she was suddenly thrust violently into the air she lost sight of the blood.

    It would remain there, but it wouldn¡¯t choke on something that size. To beast this large it was more like taking a pill it couldn¡¯t swallow properly.

    Emily grinned as she was released from the young Wyrm''s crushing jaws and flung out to free fall as the creature sprung away from her.

    Emily turned over as the momentum she had gathered began to bleed off and gravity reasserted its control.

    She was surprised by how high up they¡¯d gone before she was released. Though she hadn¡¯t reached the clouds, she was high enough to see the entire island stretched out below, with glimpses of the lake beyond. From this height, the land looked like a vast disk, surrounded by a glittering ocean dotted with rocky outcrops, like fingers poking through the water¡¯s surface. Water streamed down from mountain peaks and flowed over the island¡¯s edges in a cascade of waterfalls. She knew that beyond those falls more mountains awaited, but up here it felt like an entire world onto itself.

    Emily pulled her mind from the breathtaking sights and refocused on the battle at hand.

    The Wyrm had flown around to build up speed in an attempt to ram her in midair, but Emily wasn¡¯t going to just let it do what it wanted. She pulled her limbs in and had her gown settle against her back.

    The wind ripped past as her speed increased¡ªnot quite terminal velocity, but she was halfway there, and the young Wyrm was closing in. It intended to strike her from the side using its hind legs, having learned its lesson from before.

    Emily was in a full nosedive when the Wyrm arrived, its claws open and ready to rend. But at the last second, she opened her arms outward, forming her blood into a sheet that connected her hands to her feet, creating makeshift wings like a flying squirrel¡¯s. The sudden change caused her to catch an updraft, and the Wyrm hurtled past her, misjudging her change in speed.

    Of course, she could have just flown from the beginning, but she knew she definitely couldn''t outrun this air predator right now and didn¡¯t want to waste the energy until she had to. When the beast realized it had missed, it let out a vicious roar that stung Emily''s eardrums.

    Ignoring its frustration, Emily dropped back into a dive, dodging the snap of fangs and talons. She created two more spears and launched one of them at its chest again, going for the same spot she¡¯d hit earlier.

    The Wyrm whined like a kicked puppy, its shirl cry of agony tearing the space at the same time its scales did. Emily grunted in success when she punched through its armor but continued to fall towards the ground. One more solid hit was all she needed to end this.

    She angled her descent toward the mother Wyrm to stay at least in its general vicinity, but this only seemed to anger the younger beast even more. It shook itself and dropped into a nosedive after her, using its wings to propel itself faster than she could fall.

    Emily glanced over her shoulder, to see it was now directly behind her, and recognized what was happening when the ¡®little¡¯ creature opened its mouth and began to inhale.

    ¡°Oh, fuck you! Don¡¯t you dare!¡± she shouted, her voice lost in the rushing air around them.

    Heat blossomed behind Emily and if she tried to throw up a wall of blood it would only be crushed by the falling beast.

    So she instead wrapped her blood around herself and triggered her Vital shell. It wasn¡¯t enough, she knew this, but if she wanted to keep falling it was the only option.

    The warmth she had felt seconds ago, climbed to a spluttering inferno of yellow. Emily¡¯s outer casing of blood baked within seconds but it insulated her from the worst of the flames as it did so. Vital shell worked to keep the majority of the heat out but it was on the verge of breaking so Emily recharged it. She just kept moving straight down.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    As life would have it, Emily had pissed Wyrm off enough that it maintained its nosedive behind her, spitting flames on her the entire way down.

    Soon enough her skin began to sizzle and blister, as the worst sunburn one could imagine began to cook her from the inside out.

    Blood popped and boiled around Emily as she continued to fall. The ground approached rapidly, and she had mere seconds to decide her next move. The blood in the Wyrm''s throat was already in its stomach and was of no use to her, while any connection she might have had with it was clouded by its rage for daring to come near its mother.

    She was out of options; it was time to react.

    Flipping herself so her feet pointed downward, she gathered the flakes of dried blood and reformed them into a shield, hurling it toward the beast''s mouth. The shield carbonized in seconds, but it bought her just enough time to slow her descent. When she crashed to the ground, both her ankles shattered and she dropped to her knees.

    The impact created a small crater, but it was about to expand as the young Wyrm attempted to land on her. With no time to spare, Emily seized her own blood and flung herself aside, hurtling out of the way with enough force to snap her spine¡ªa lesson she had learned the hard way. The almost impossible maneuver caused the Wyrm to scream in frustration as it landed, crashing into the ground at full speed.

    As Emily slid along the ground, she repaired her ankles, ignoring the crippling spikes of pain shooting up her calves. A frantic laugh escaped her throat as she watched the Wyrm shake itself and rise, barely worse for wear despite its fall.

    ¡°Well, aren''t you just a resilient little shit?¡± she growled, flicking the spear that had been hovering over her shoulder. The Wyrm reacted with lightning-fast reflexes, batting the spear out of the air with a claw. Then it began to charge toward her.

    Cursing, Emily tried to back up, but a wall of flesh blocked her escape as she collided against the unmoving mother Wyrm. Her eyes narrowed to pinpricks, and instinct kicked in.

    She charged the beast.

    As the Wyrm lunged, she dropped into a slide, narrowly avoiding a claw that skimmed overhead. Clearing the creature''s body she gathered her legs under her to run, but before she could rise, a tail struck her left side, shattering her ribs. Emily yelped, tumbling into the dirt as her lungs struggled and then collapsed, forcing blood into her throat.

    Things only worsened as the Wyrm turned and stomped on her freshly healed legs, pulverizing her bones in one swift movement. Emily screamed in agony, the world around her fading to white. Desperate to regain focus, she saw the beast looming over her, its head rearing back to strike.

    Then came the hissing sound, and the world ignited. The damned lizard was trying to burn her alive. That thought ignited her will to fight, and she sent blood flooding out from every pore in her body. It was the only reason she wasn¡¯t thoroughly cooked alive.

    However, the blood alone couldn''t stop a full-force attack at this range. Most of it vaporized or hardened on impact, and the left side of her face was exposed for less than a second. All the skin from her cheekbone to her ear melted away like wax, the smell of burnt hair filling the air. She was certain she¡¯d suffered third-degree burns, if not worse.

    That thought, strangely, brought the world back into focus. With fresh determination, she took the remaining blood she had created and jammed it into the Wyrm''s chest. The flames sputtered out the moment she did, and the spiral of blood twisted into the wound, burrowing through its scales and flesh.

    When she reached its lungs, she crushed them as it had done to her, then targeted its two hearts, slicing them apart. The Wyrm tried to bring down its other claw, but Emily created a second wave of blood as large as the first and pushed it aside. Using the new blood, she held its claw in place, then sent more of her blood into its body, tearing through its innards.

    At some point, the Wyrm stopped moving, unable even to whimper. Emily only ceased her assault when she felt the last flicker of light leave its eyes. Once it breathed its last, she reabsorbed most of her blood, but she remained covered from head to toe in the sticky red substance. Not a single patch or crevice was free from it.

    The adrenaline faded almost immediately, and the burning pain struck her all at once. Her mind trembled, and even the air resting on her skin sent fresh waves of agony through her body. Emily couldn¡¯t even pant¡ªher lungs were only just beginning to rebuild. Instead, she clung to the Wyrm¡¯s vitality, breathing it in like a balm.

    She absorbed every drop her title allowed, knowing she¡¯d burned through twenty lives'' worth of energy, not counting what she¡¯d reabsorbed from her blood. Her wounds would likely take another five lives to heal, given their severity. The power flowed endlessly until she¡¯d gained close to forty-five lives¡¯ worth. When the young Wyrm¡¯s hollow corpse hit the ground, so did Emily.

    Ecstasy and pain fought for control as tremors gripped her arms and legs. She felt as if she were dying¡ªshe was dying¡ªand then, slowly, she wasn¡¯t. The mind-racking pain finally began to subside as her body repaired itself.

    She¡¯d almost died. But ''almost'' wasn¡¯t good enough, and she was stronger now because of it, though she needed a moment to rise from the ground. Her physical wounds healed long before her mental ones. Emily took a shaky breath, trying to steady herself as she locked away the memory of her skin cooking off. Each searing pop and crackle of flesh went into the quarantine zone in her mind, where it would stay¡ªtoo raw to remember, too dangerous to forget.

    When she climbed to her feet, her ear and the skin on her face were all but healed. Sadly, hair was far more difficult to replace, so Emily had to let it grow back naturally. She¡¯d forgotten to get a handheld mirror while she was in town but she imagined she could make it work. Half of her head was now bereft of hair, but she was pretty sure that if she wore a Viking braid it would still look good when it grew out a little. Because right now it shone in the mid-morning light.

    The only solace Emily had was that the culprit was very much dead, that was until she caught sight of her other prize. Glancing over her shoulder Emily grinned at the titanic mother lizard.

    ¡°Alright big girl, please don¡¯t have kicked the bucket yet,¡± Emily said as she began hobbling over to the creature with a ravenous crimson light in her eyes.

 Chapter 96 - Fraying of consciousness

    Emily stepped into the large crater, edging closer to the giant Wyrm. The closer she got to the thing the more impressive it was to the eye. Its form was large enough that Emily could have easily mistaken it for a dragon in all its splendor, but she¡¯d heard from Alex that dragons existed in this world and they dwarfed Wyrms by a long shot.

    If that was the case then this place¡¯s scaling was off the chats. With the size of this Wyrm, a dragon must be a walking natural disaster.

    Emily''s thoughts flickered back to the task at hand. She¡¯d decided to crawl down to get to the wound in its chest because she¡¯d found it almost impossible to get through the creature''s scales.

    In her books, whoever had done this to the Wyrm was all the more impressive. It was worrying that they had not come to confirm their kill, but then perhaps they didn¡¯t care, or that last hit had killed them.

    Whatever it was, Emily didn¡¯t want to be here if they decided to return so she slid down the side of the rock wall and arrived at the hole in its chest.

    She touched the side of the open wound where it had blackened and atrophied.

    The attack was large enough that two of Emily could stand on top of one another and only just reach the ceiling.

    Emily¡¯s face coursed with displeasure when she took her first step into the wound and it sunk about ten centimeters into the rancid flesh, releasing more of the stench that coated the area.

    Holding back the nausea, Emily took another second step in, and a deep rumbling echoed through the Wyrm''s chest.

    She paused for a second it see if it had the strength left but when it went quiet she took a couple more steps into the wound.

    When she was a ways in, she swiped her hand, and a layer of black flesh was pulled away by the surface-level blood, to reveal a small portion of red healthy flesh beneath it.

    Stepping up to the wall Emily pushed down her doubts and bit into the wound.

    Life force flooded into her, but it was unlike anything she had experienced before. Not even the younger Wyrm could compare to this because there was something different about this creature. Something ancient and wise, it readily began to flood into Emily almost of its own volition.

    That''s when she began to drink greedily. The vitality sang in Emily¡¯s ears, but it was more than that, it took a minute for her to realize she was also drinking the creature''s blood. Her gifts did not require her to consume blood to trigger but she found herself unable to stop as thick ichor ran down her throat, sending waves of need through her. All she could do was take small ragged breaths as she drank the mix of copper, salt, and sweetness.

    Huge amounts of vitality washed in but she couldn¡¯t keep track of how much as she was solely focused on drawing in more.

    Every gulp of blood caused a burning sensation to spread throughout her body and collect at her bridges which sang in delight.

    When her stomach was full she had it absorb the blood into her so she could keep drinking.

    The rumbling through the Wyrm''s chest grew louder and she even felt some tossing and turning but Emily ignored it

    The Wyrm¡¯s energy flow continued to increase as it tried to fill out her reserves, but they were seemingly bottomless. If she did indeed have a limit she had a feeling she would have popped like a tick biting off more than it could chew, but this did not apply to Emily.

    Everything the Wyrm could dish out, she could take.

    The wound around her had turned grey and lifeless as Emily drew more blood from deep within its body. The beast trembled, unable to offer any resistance. The only downside was that the Wyrm, with barely half its life force left, lay unmoving in the ditch.

    The only reason it was not dead was that the ray had missed its second heart and that was somehow enough that it could hang on, but that also meant that when it started to fail so did the incredible buffet before her.

    As she drank, the Wyrm¡¯s body trembled, its heartbeat slowing as life drained from it. Emily sensed the flow of vitality thinning but kept drinking. When the rush dwindled to a stream, then a trickle, she let out an animalistic growl, frustration tightening in her chest.

    It wasn¡¯t enough, but the Wyrm couldn¡¯t hang on any longer.

    Its final breath exploded out of it and Emily felt the moment she drew in its remaining life. The blood came freely after that and to assuage her anger she pulled all the remaining blood in its body towards herself.

    The walls of the wound began to flood with blood in ribbons as they coiled around Emily. Once the Wyrm was nothing more than a corpse the blood rushed into her mouth from all directions. It was only minutes later when she had gathered everything from the beast that she dropped to her knees. The corpse was nothing more than a dried-out husk and Emily was still riding the wave of triumph when she heard a whine nearby.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Glancing up she could see Atticus and Mist staring down at her. Mist had his tail between his legs and Atticus¡¯s face was a mask of horror.

    Emily let out a slow breath while looking up at the man and wolf duo. Atticus had that look of disgust and worry that people often got when Emily used her power to their fullest.

    She wasn¡¯t sure why but she found herself thinking about Alex, but she knew he wouldn¡¯t be looking at her like that.

    Emily stood and began to make her way up the side of the crater, she noticed her bridges felt like hot coals on her back and this made her shift uncomfortably as she got to the top.

    Atticus was still watching her with a concerned look on his face.

    ¡°...we heard you fighting, so we came to see if we could help¡­¡±

    Emily nodded to the man and reached out to pet Mist. The Rime wolf watched her approach with care but let her pat his fur.

    ¡°Well don¡¯t worry about it now. I¡¯m alive. I could use some help gathering anything that you think is useful.¡±

    Atticus licked his lips and glanced back at the Wyrm corpses, both if which were dried-out shells.

    ¡°The¡­the blood is usually the most expensive part of a Wyrm, then the gall bladder, but neither of those will be an option now. So the next best thing would be the scales near its neck.¡±

    Emily nodded but didn¡¯t say much else. She just went over to the neck and began using her borrowed dagger to pop the scales off. With no liquid in the bodies, the scales came off with ease. There were far more scales here than they could ever carry so they took the mother¡¯s scales because they were tougher. Emily missed Nox¡¯s magic, but they had to leave the remainder lying on the ground.

    I¡¯ve found a spot where we can rest, not far from here. If we stay near the edge of the perimeter, we¡¯ll avoid any other predators,¡± Atticus said quietly.

    Emily squinted, stifling a yawn.

    ¡°Lead the way, then¡­¡± she murmured.

    Atticus studied her face briefly before nodding and leading them back through the trees. They walked for half an hour, and during that time, Emily didn¡¯t see a single creature, not even an insect. Everything seemed to be in hiding, too terrified to emerge after the recent events.

    She tried to stay alert, but her eyelids felt heavier with each step. Since finishing the Wyrm¡¯s blood, a powerful drowsiness had set in, growing worse as they traveled. Following Atticus became more challenging; the path blurred, forcing her to blink against the fatigue.

    Every time her eyes began to close, she snapped them open again, stars flashing in her vision as she fought to stay aware of her surroundings.

    If she weren¡¯t so tired, she might think they were trying to tell her something.

    Her bridges had cooled slightly, but they had mellowed to a warm embrace that only served to drag Emily down deeper.

    ¡°...Stop, Atticus. Something¡¯s wrong¡­I¡­I need a break,¡± she said, leaning up against a tree.

    Atticus glanced back at her, a strange look on his face. ¡°It¡¯s just a little further, a couple of minutes at most, then you can rest.¡±

    Emily furrowed her brow and glanced up at Atticus; something about his tone had shifted.

    ¡°You know what¡¯s going on, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that would be the Wyrm blood you drank earlier.¡±

    Emily froze, locking eyes with him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Atticus scratched at his neck as he glanced in the direction they were going. ¡°Well, normally, anyone mad enough to drink Wyrm blood already knows the consequences of doing so. But from your demeanor, you clearly didn¡¯t, or you¡¯d never have taken the chance.¡±

    Emily¡¯s rage pushed back her exhaustion. ¡°What the hell do you mean? What¡¯s happening to me?¡±

    Atticus pressed his lips together and took a step away from her as though that would help him. ¡°Well, when someone drinks from a Wyrm, they enter a state of hibernation, depending on how much they drank. If they survive, they¡¯re stronger for it¡ªbut not many do. And that¡¯s after the blood has been processed into something less toxic.¡±

    Emily grew still, her eyes narrowing on the man as she tried to assess the situation. ¡°Then why the hell did you lead me out here¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, I was hoping you wouldn¡¯t be affected by it. Sometimes people get lucky.¡±

    ¡°Last question¡­¡± A wave of warmth pulsed up her spine, and she almost passed out, but she needed to know. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±

    Atticus glanced over to Mist. ¡°I¡¯m not going to harm you, if that¡¯s what you think. The place I found was a cave, so you¡¯ll be safe there¡­¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question,¡± Emily grunted.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Emily, but I can¡¯t afford to wait around for a couple of months nursing you on the off chance you make it. It¡¯s nothing personal.¡±

    Emily ground her teeth and swung her arm out, calling to her blood, but it never came. She was shocked to the core¡ªher power had never let her down. But now, when she called to it, it seemed unable to come. It was locked in a contest against the heat; it had been trying to contain it, but the longer it did, the stronger the heat grew.

    ¡°Listen to me. Your chances aren¡¯t high, but if we can get you somewhere secluded, at least you¡¯ll be safe from predators.¡±

    Emily¡¯s world spun, but she clung to consciousness. ¡°And why should I trust you¡­?¡±

    Atticus took a step towards her and slipped her arm over his shoulder. ¡°Because, as funny as it may sound, I still have a contract with you guys. I¡¯ll help as much as I can, but I won¡¯t throw away my life for you. This is the best offer you¡¯re going to get, so take it.¡±

    Emily wanted to spit at his offer. She wanted to kick, cut, and bite the man to death, but right now, survival was more important.

    She let Atticus slip her arm over his shoulder. Neither of them spoke as he led her forward.

    Emily vaguely stared at the man who had led her to her doom not once, but twice. The first time had been to capture her, and now, to survive this blood plague.

    When they reached an area, Emily could make out a small grove, and in the rockface was a large cave. A beast might have once lived here, but it had long gone, scared off by the Wyrm¡¯s pheromones.

    Emily also noticed a massive rock in front of the entrance. Was he thinking of closing her inside?

    The world was fading, and Atticus had to shoulder more of her weight as time passed. He began to speak, but Emily''s consciousness faded in and out.

    ¡°...Listen to me. If you make it through this, you¡¯re welcome to hold a grudge, but¡­I¡¯ll stay until I¡¯m certain you¡­ If you wake up, eat whatever you can to keep your strength up¡­ I¡¯m taking Mist and¡­ Follow the rocks, I wish you luck, girl.¡±

    The warmth became too overwhelming to fight off, eventually dragging her under into the embrace of the stars.

    Blood points: 282

 Chapter 97 - Enduring the dark

    Emily floated through the empty void made from billowing shadows. She didn¡¯t know where she was, but contrary to her expectations, it was warm, too warm. The shadows moved like heat shimmers warping the world around her, carrying a deep sense of loneliness.

    Emily has already tried to call her stars and yet their usual excited entrance was nowhere to be found. They were trapped behind a fog that she could break through, and sadly neither could she escape from it.

    In an effort to throw off the heat, Emily had slipped lower into her consciousness, hoping to either sleep or lessen the claustrophobic weight pressing down on her.

    Though she never found true unconsciousness, but it made it more manageable, if only temporarily.

    The heat chased down after her as though unwilling to let her escape its wrath. The further down Emily sank more she began to notice the inconsistencies in the dark. Some areas were darker than others, and some were downright ¡®vibrant¡¯ compared to the other spots in her mind.

    Emily had long since concluded that wherever she was, it was deeper than sleep. It had to be a state on the very edge of death¡ªa situation she wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled about, if she was honest. But how was she supposed to know all the intricate details of a world she¡¯d only been in for a few weeks? Things like ''don¡¯t drink Wyrm blood'' were common sense to others; to her, it had just seemed like another tasty treat.

    The patches of light had been growing in frequently and Emily was beginning to think they were something more than she first thought.

    One in particular stood out to her and she unconsciously stretched out an arm towards it.

    In doing so she realized what they were, memories.

    Emily took a step back as it tried to pull her into its world. Right away she could tell they weren¡¯t her own. Messing with this body''s memories had almost burned her last time, she still wasn¡¯t ready to take another dip into that particular cesspool.

    However, she did notice that in doing so there was a cooling balm that seemed to spring up from the memory itself, giving her a much-needed sense of relief.

    Emily frowned, could she find solace in another person''s memories?

    Was the heat affecting her brain, because she had never been one for idle thought?

    If it was for the sake of her survival she needed to play the game.

    Emily took a breath. Did she need to breathe down here?

    Shaking her head she turned back to the memories.

    She needed to find the strongest one, a core memory that would shelter her against this heat for as long as possible.

    So, ignoring the heat she began to search, stretching her awareness out to look for the brightest light. It took some time and there was a time when she thought she¡¯d find nothing, but when it felt like she was about to reach the bottom, she found what she was looking for.

    A light burned in the shadows, drawing Emily in like an angler fish.

    Emily stepped into that world and as she did so cool air exploded out from the memory, wrapping her up and banishing the fires.

    Eva stood in the finest room she¡¯d ever had the misfortune of being dragged into. Books lined the walls girded by ladders and banisters. A heavy-looking desk sat in the center of the room with a large floor-to-ceil window looking out over the street below. The Guards that had found her had been surprisingly gentle. They had taken her from the Silk Matron¡¯s brothel, the only upside being that she was too young to be put to work. Plus Eva thought the Matron felt sorry for her, seeing as her mother had died less than a month ago, but the pity would only last so long. Soon enough she would be put to work as well.

    A staunch voice cleared their throat and Eva refocused on the two men in the room. The Butler had been the one to do so and he looked mighty displeased. Eva tried her best to look attentive, but she didn¡¯t know the etiquette.

    ¡°Sir, this one is the informant that led to the capture of the young master¡¯s killer.¡±

    While the Butler was a thin tall man, the gentleman sitting at the desk going over a page was anything but.

    His form rippled with strength, muscles packed so tightly onto one another that Eva wondered how he moved his arms over his head. He looked like the furthest thing from an administrator, and yet his demeanor was composed, almost calculating, as if every action and word were weighed with precision.

    ¡°I thought we¡¯d taken care of all the loose ends. Why is she here now?¡± the man growled.

    ¡°There is no excuse my lord please forgive me.¡±

    Eva had a feeling she knew why it had taken so long.

    After her mother had died it had hurt so much that she¡¯d just run away. She wanted nothing to do with that place, but soon enough she found herself with nothing to survive on and after weeks of living on the streets and in alleys she¡¯d headed back to the brothel. It was the only home she¡¯d ever known, so when the matron had told her to come to claim her money she¡¯d followed her advice.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    At least something good could come from this. But instead of them giving her her prize, they grabbed her and brought her here.

    The man tossed the page aside and seemed to stare straight into Eva¡¯s soul.

    ¡°So. What do you want? The money can be given without issues but if I¡¯m correct your family member died in the apprehension of that bastard. I won¡¯t have a reputation of being ungrateful.¡±

    Eve watched the man''s intense stare as hot tears picked at the corners of her eyes. She still couldn¡¯t stop the pain of her loss from overwhelming her.

    Tears began to fall and Eva¡¯s breath became ragged as hiccups threatened to consume her.

    Unexpectedly the man at the desk didn¡¯t stop her, he simply sat there until she was done, waiting patiently for her to cry herself out, letting her raw emotions of regret run out. When she was done he spoke with a firm voice

    ¡°Crying is a sign that we are human. It shows us that we care deeply for something, but there comes a time when one must put away the tears and press on. For you, that time is now. Now tell me little one, what do you want?¡±

    Eva searched this powerful man¡¯s eyes, surely he could do it.

    ¡°Please bring back my mother, she did nothing wrong, it''s my fault this happened. I can do whatever you want, just make her better.¡±

    The man looked down at Eva with a thoughtful gaze, the briefest flash of regret flashing across his face.

    ¡°I am sorry little one. Reviving your mother is illegal in this city, but¡­¡±

    The man paused and the Butler shot his master a worried look.

    ¡°But, if family is what you seek, I can offer that to you in my house''s orphanage. If you train hard and devote yourself to my cause. One day in the future there may be a way I can give you what you want.¡±

    Eva¡¯s eyes widened at the man''s offer. He could do that? And all she had to do was give him her life? Her future was already set, she was to die in the slums under the weight of a foreign man.

    This man, no this Noble. Was he saying he could save her from that? Eva¡¯s tears threatened to spill over again, but this time she rubbed the corners of her eyes before they could fall. When she looked back up at the massive man her shy voice strained in the large room.

    ¡°I accept, I promise that I¡¯ll do whatever you ask of me if you can help him get her back.¡±

    The large man sat back in his leather chair, a smile gracing his elegant face.

    ¡°No child, it will all be up to you, for I will turn you into the very instrument we need most. Bronwin, have her clothed, fed, and sent the estate. Make sure the prerequisites are met for her to get ¡®that¡¯ title when she is of age.¡±

    If the Butler was displeased he didn¡¯t show it, guiding Eva out of the room by her back.

    The last thing Eva saw was the large set of office doors closing behind her. She would return to this place many times over the years but that man''s presence was never any less intimidating.

    Emily pulled herself away from that world and shook off its illusions. Each time Emily met Eva she found herself liking the girl''s spirit more and more. Life kept handing her bad decisions one after another, but she kept moving. Sure, the girl was a little more meek than Emily would have been but her courage couldn¡¯t be denied.

    Now if only Emily could keep things straight in her head.

    She was beginning to feel this love for a mother she had not even known, and that was unacceptable for someone who had never felt the warm embrace of a parent. It was a weakness Emily didn¡¯t need now, or ever.

    Floating in the void she destroyed Eva''s lingering attachment while she still could.

    The heat was back, but it wasn¡¯t so bad at this point.

    It was even cool enough that she could surface a bit. As she did the stars made their appearance, crashing into her, joy leaking from them in spades.

    Emily giggled freely as they moved around her like constant companions. The grass felt damp and cool against her body as the words fell into place.

    40 - second threshold released at rank 50

    Skill threshold released!

    New features have been unlocked!

    Ruby Guardian - The user''s gathered life source is imbued with their intent, anchoring power within the body. Additionally, as a last resort, this skill can consume all remaining life source to summon the Ruby Guardian, a powerful projection that will eliminate any enemies in its path until its source is depleted.

    And

    Lungrot Plague - A blood plague that can infect a great number of creatures, passing the curse on by close proximity. (Fills the victim''s lungs with blood causing asphyxiation.)

    1 in 1000 deaths will be permanently added to the Blood Mage¡¯s life source. Upon the caster''s death, all instances of the plague will be undone.

    Curse in effect!

    Result: The feature Lungrot Plague has been destroyed.

    Emily didn¡¯t know how she felt about the Lungrot Plague. On the one hand setting and forgetting a curse could be a decent way to strengthen her power, especially in cities where everyone is packed right on top of one another. On the other hand, it seemed like an easy way to get very powerful people to chase her down. If this type of skill existed then she had to assume that others could undo it, or worse track down the caster. It was a high-risk, high-reward skill, and Emily just wasn¡¯t interested.

    So when it fizzled away, she barely flinched.

    Just before Emily was about to surface out of the sea of stars, they rearranged themselves once more.

    New features have been unlocked! (Special condition met: consuming blood inheritance.)

    Feature still manifesting¡­

    Remaining days: 4

    Emily was significantly more excited about whatever this skill was. It didn¡¯t sound like it wasn¡¯t from her title, so it had to be the Wyrm blood. On top of that, it looked like Atticus had been wrong, from the looks of it her body was absorbing the Wyrm''s blood at a rate far faster than he¡¯d expected.

    The heat was subsiding but she had a feeling it would be back, so she rushed to the surface.

    When Emily opened her eyes and took ragged breaths, an aching pain wracked her body.

    Now that she was awake the heat was stifling once more. Sweat covered her body and tiny rays of morning light peaked in through the the opening. Atticus had indeed pushed a stone up in front of the cave to block the entrance. She was currently lying on her sleeping bag which was also covered in sweat. Emily could only just move her neck to the side but she noticed a pile of rations, a water jug, and what looked like mushrooms lying neatly next to her.

    Emily tried to move her blood and this time it responded, but it was very lethargic and took all her willpower to guide. Strangely, she felt something else responding in her blood but she was too exhausted to pay it any mind. She used a small amount of power to push back the pain and heal her wrung-out body. She then managed to lean over and grab some water and mushrooms before the heat returned stronger than ever, dragging her back down into a heavy slumber.

    Blood points: 280

 Chapter 98 - Slumbering sleeper

    Alexander looked out over the supermassive lake and watched the light push through the rain, causing the water''s surface to ripple.

    The wandering fangs traveled along a rocky pass called the serpent''s tail. Contrary to the name it was the only path free of the dangers that lurked in these depths. Not to mention it skirted around the majority of the Wyrms that made their homes near the center islands. The downside was that it added almost a week to their journey. After they had lost Emily, and the entirety of team two, Kael had decided to step lightly going forward. In Alexander''s last life, Kael had also taken this route but he heard months later that some powerhouse from the church of the Five Pillars had come through and killed one of the apex predators allowing their people to pass through the ¡®Maw¡¯ with relative ease.

    Their problem now was that they no longer had the manpower to handle that many trolls. Of course, Kael was leading them so he managed to keep them out of any real danger, but this further slowed down their speed. With Atticus gone, Alexander was having to step up, ¨Cwhich he didn¡¯t mind¨C however detecting the troll lying in wait had become harder.

    Ashe had moved up to the front with Nox and they worked together to act as an early warning system while Alex kept them on track.

    The maps Kael had brought were detailed, so they weren¡¯t hard to follow, but every obstacle seemed to take them further from their destination. Alexander was just poring over the pages when Nox brought his wolf alongside Svent¡¯s¡ªAlex had been riding with him ever since Mist had been lost.

    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s a group of three trolls up ahead. Go around, or through?¡± Ashe said from the back of Nox¡¯s mount. She had recently developed a skill that could detect movements in the earth¡ªeven minor tremors, like a slow, beating heart beneath the stone and rock.

    Alexander thought about their current position and turned to look back at Selia who was never far from Ashe.

    ¡°Tell Kael I can get us around but it¡¯ll be a thirty-minute delay.¡±

    Selia nodded quietly and shifted in her saddle to head back to Kael and Gerade.

    When she was gone Ashe turned to him again.

    ¡°Hey, Alex?¡± she muttered. ¡°Do you think Emily will be alright? I only just got to know her and I¡¯m aware she¡¯s capable, but the things out here are just so vicious.¡± her voice filled with concern.

    The corner of Alexander¡¯s mouth twitched when she used Emily¡¯s nickname for him. More and more people were starting to call him that and he¡¯d given up on correcting people.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to worry about her, Emily is just as fierce as whatever is out there. I do hope she doesn¡¯t meet any trouble out there, as she has a talent for getting into it, but I¡¯m certain she can handle whatever comes her way.¡±

    Ashe glanced down at Nox and muttered something to him which seemed to reassure the teenager.

    ¡°You know I never asked how you two met. Was it on the road like she mentioned?¡±

    Alexander snorted even as a wave of melancholy washed over him. Eva¡¯s face flashed into his mind. Not her current one¨C he had long since come to terms with the fact that Emily was staying. No, the image that came to his head was of a young woman. Her face filled with defiance and determination on the day he¡¯d first met her.

    Alexander often wondered what his life would have been like had she not challenged him at the gathering.

    Eva¡¯s natural light brown hair and free demeanor stuck in Alexander¡¯s mind even after a lifetime. But after only a couple of weeks, Emily¡¯s vibrant crimson hair and piercing eyes had risen to overshadow that faint memory.

    At first, Alexander just thought Eva had made a deal with an evil spirit from one of the negative planes, but Emily was something more. She was certainly capable of great violence, yet she seemed to follow a code that he couldn¡¯t make sense of.

    Then there were all those strange pearls of wisdom she seemed to pull from nowhere, as if they spoke of a life lived in a different land. At one point, Alexander even thought she might also be a reborn person, perhaps from a time much before¡ªor much after¡ªbut he eventually ruled that theory out, as she simply knew too little about the world.

    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t understand people¡ªthough he was pretty sure she had a few blind spots there too¡ªbut it was more like she was accustomed to playing by different rules. When Emily had told him that she didn¡¯t know what titles were, Alexander had been at a loss for words. Something like that was impossible. How did she manage anything? How could someone sharpen themselves into a useful instrument without them?Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    Being unable to call to the stars seemed like such an alien concept that it didn¡¯t make any sense. From what he could tell, Emily was adapting at a terrifying rate. She¡¯d taken minutes to learn what took others years. Just being able to call to the stars while awake was a feat that took most geniuses weeks, if not months, to achieve. The average person might take years to reach such a level or might even restrict passive title changes to their sleep.

    With all these details, Alexander had no other choice but to believe her words: Emily was from another world entirely.

    Nox startled Alexander out of his thoughts with a curious glance around.

    ¡°Alex? You okay? Were did you guys meet?¡± He asked mirroring Ashes curious tone

    ¡°Oh, Emily and I only crossed paths recently, but our goals aligned so we decided to travel together. The first time I met her she was neck deep in both trouble and blood, so nothing new there.¡±

    Nox snorted as he kept his mount steady.

    ¡°This is my first mission outside the Keep for the wandering fangs but I heard you two were part of the last job, how in the world did you get away from a team of Blood Mages?¡± Nox said.

    Alexander had Svent pull his mount to a stop as they waited for Kael.

    ¡°We managed somehow, the trip back was the real hard part¡­ ¡± Alexander said not willing to give him any more details.

    ¡°I mean sure, but it''s a strange coincidence, isn''t it? The job they took was for Blood Mages and Emily just happens to be one. She wasn¡¯t part of the group everyone worked for, as I hear team four was the one to pick her up.¡±

    Alexander didn¡¯t answer right away but he didn¡¯t need to as Ashe spoke up.

    ¡°What are you saying right now, Nox? Emily has saved you on multiple occasions, so she uses blood to fight. What of it?¡±

    Alexander glanced at Ashe, he didn¡¯t expect her to come to Emily¡¯s defense so quickly.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m just saying it''s strange, it¡¯s like she came out of nowhere,¡± Nox said frowning as he gazed at the road ahead.

    Alexander nodded at the teenager.

    ¡°You¡¯re right its a little strange, but coincidences happen all the time. Emily has shown me that I can trust her so I¡¯m going to do that and hope that we meet again.¡±

    Nox made a dissatisfied grunt but fell silent.

    Alexander also noticed that Ashe was looking despondent while clutching onto the book Emily had gotten from the head Mage.

    This surprised him because Emily had always been so territorial of her possessions. He was only allowed to use the red siphon when he was near his limits and even then Emily snatched it back the moment he was done.

    The small leather-bound book was one of the few items Emily held dear. Alexander had first assumed she¡¯d taken it for the knowledge within¡ªafter all, every Mage coveted new spells, and stealing another mage¡¯s spell book was one of the fastest ways to gain it. But knowing what he did now, he¡¯d revised that assumption. It seemed more likely that the book had simply caught Emily¡¯s eye and she¡¯d wanted it for no reason beyond that.

    It was only after she found out what it was did she probably wanted to start learning blood magic the hard way. Emily had said her abilities were blood-related and Alex had quickly confirmed this. She was too skilled with blood manipulation to not have some sort of gift for it, in all the time he had known her she¡¯d never needed a single gesture to cast her blood about. It just seemed to move to her will.

    Thunder rumbled above as Kael got to them, startling all of them out of their thoughts.

    ¡°Keep it moving guys. We¡¯re going around. We need to try and arrive at Lorthil as soon as possible to avoid being caught up in the battlefield.¡±

    They all nodded and pressed on. It had already been three days since they had lost Emily. Knowing her, if Alex let her get to Lorthil first, she¡¯d never let him live it down.

    ***

    Emily woke for the fourth time since all this happened. Her fever had reached a peak after the second day, but since then had been subsiding every time she had woken up.

    When she cracked her eyes now, the warmth had all but left her, falling back to reside deep in her chest.

    The experience had not been a pleasant one, but she had survived until now because of her blood''s natural healing properties, allowing her to keep repairing her body. Emily now knew why Atticus had said very few people survived. Without enough vitality to spare the average person''s body would slowly wear down until they died of exhaustion or overheating.

    Over the last few days, Emily had suffered alone, doing her best to push to the surface. If only to shovel food and water down her throat and then pass out again.

    She had finished all the rations yesterday, even going so far as to crunch through the wax layer to get to the nutrient bar quicker.

    Emily had no food or water left but she was alive and for the first time she remained awake for longer than a minute.

    As Emily¡¯s eyes adjusted to the dim space, more details emerged than she had caught in her brief, groggy moments of wakefulness. Atticus had been true to his word and put her somewhere safe, though she was more than a little irritated to be awake so soon; had he stayed for a few more days, she could have beaten the shit out of him. But that would come later. For now, she forced herself to take slow, shallow breaths to endure the stifling heat in the cramped room.

    Emily considered drawing on her vitality to soothe the remaining aches, but then a sound outside caught her attention. It began softly, quickly growing louder as something pounded against the rock near the cave¡¯s entrance. She heard sniffing, followed by the press of a nose against a crack in the stone, probing the room¡¯s scent.

    Emily sat up, calling on her power to ease her sore muscles. She was almost certain she would have been found sooner if she hadn¡¯t been so well concealed. Rising to her feet, she prepared for a fight, drawing more power from her core. As her energy flowed, she noticed something different¡ªher blood responded faster, her power coming with a new, effortless ease. It was subtle but unmistakable; Emily knew her abilities well, and this was new.

    In moments, her aches had vanished, fatigue melting away as her body renewed itself. That¡¯s when she felt a connection opening up, one she hadn¡¯t noticed before, perhaps hidden by her fever. On the other side of the stone, she sensed a familiar excitement. A grin spread across her face as she sat back down, waiting.

    The digging outside intensified until, at last, Cupcake¡¯s head poked into the room like a determined groundhog. With a soft yip, she scrambled over to Emily, her tail wagging as if to say she¡¯d been searching the entire world for her.

    Blood points: 272

 Chapter 99 - A growing bond

    Excitement bled through the connection as the she-wolf used her shoulder to push the boulder out of the entrance and crawl into the space. Seeing the Rime wolf advancing on her belly, made Emily laugh softly as Cupcake bumped into her and wrapped herself around Emily.

    She had been trekking through the wilds for days now in search of her partner, and now that she had finally found her the feeling of joy echoed through their bond.

    The she-wolf was panting hard and even went so far as to nip the side of Emily¡¯s jaw playfully.

    ¡°Woah, old girl, what¡¯s gotten into you?¡±

    That¡¯s when Emily felt an interesting emotion coming from Cupcake. Gratefulness?

    Cupcake then proudly stood to her full height and Emily¡¯s eyes widened as her bulk took up a majority of the low-hanging cave.

    It was as though she were showing off to Emily how big she had grown.

    It was difficult to tell in this light but as of right now, Cupcake was only one size smaller than Gerade¡¯s wolf.

    Before Cupcake had carried Alex off to safety, the wolf¡¯s fur had taken on a shiny red luster and by the looks of things, the many scars on her pelt had all but faded.

    If Emily didn¡¯t know any better she¡¯d say the beast looked to have returned to her prime. All together she looked far more powerful than she had before the landslide.

    Emily was happy that the Cupcake had gotten what she wanted, but as far as she could tell the wolf¡¯s desire to get stronger had not waned in the slightest.

    This was just the first step for her.

    Emily scratched the wolf under her neck and sent feelings of congratulations through their bond.

    This only served to make the beast all the more proud as she sat up straighter, preening like a peacock.

    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t get a fat head now. How did you even get here girl?¡± Emily snorted to herself when she realized she wouldn¡¯t get an answer.

    Cupcake cocked her head, obviously not done bathing in the glow of victory, she then snorted and settled down again

    Emily sighed, she wanted to sleep a little more but there was no rest for the wicked.

    If her guess was right she¡¯d been unconscious for a total of five days, almost a full week.

    That meant a couple of things.

    Firstly, the wandering fangs had a really good head start on her so she needed to catch up to them.

    Second, and perhaps more importantly, the Wyrm¡¯s scent was fading, if it hadn¡¯t already.

    Pretty soon all the predators on this island were going to start wrestling for control.

    When that happened it would be even harder to get off this island.

    Unfortunately, Emily also needed to find food before she left so there was really no time to waste.

    Emily slowly climbed to her feet and went over to her pack. Only when she reached forward to open the top did she notice her left hand was far lighter than she was used to. Staring down at the empty wrist Emily''s eyes narrowed dangerously.

    ¡°Oh. No, the fuck you didn¡¯t¡± She growled as she rummaged through the pack in search of it.

    Everything else was there, even her money pouch with all the coins exactly where she¡¯d left them. Save, for one thing, the Cardinex.

    The glittering bracelet was no longer on her wrist and Emily was pissed beyond words.

    Atticus had taken one of her few belongings in this world.

    That¡¯s it, he¡¯d made it onto the list.

    Cupcake growled when she felt Emily¡¯s anger bleed through their connection.

    Seething, Emily made her way over to the opening and looked out. From here she could see she was partway up the mountain. The shore was still in the distance but the landscape looked about the same as she remembered, with its vegetation and ancient rocks.

    They had traveled quite a ways before Emily had passed out, and she would need to make a trip down the mountain but it was probably because she was so high up that nothing had come across her little hidy-hole.

    Emily fastened her pack¡¯s straps and welcomed the falling rain as it washed away days of sweat and grime.

    Strangely, the biting cold water didn¡¯t bother her as much as she expected. And that was when she noticed a faint layer of steam issuing forth from her skin.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    It was the contrasting temperatures of the cold rain and her feverish body that caused this but the interesting thing was that it didn¡¯t stop when her body temperature acclimated with the outside air.

    Instead, Emily found herself staring at the water sliding off her skin in wonder.

    The faintest vapor continued to rise up from her body but the cold didn¡¯t seem to be able to lower her body temperature.

    Sensing a change Emily began to reach out to her blood. There was something going on here and she needed to know what. A pea-sized droplet of blood separated from Emily¡¯s index finger and floated about a centimeter above it. The warmth from her blood caused vapor to expand off the droplet and because of its size it should have cooled down within seconds of being out of her body, but it didn¡¯t even as icy cold rain fell against it.

    Furrowing her brow, Emily closed her eyes and called to her stars. Their response came shortly after as they moved beneath her eyelids.

    New features have been unlocked! (Special condition met: consuming blood inheritance.)

    Bloodfire(lesser): The user''s blood has become mixed with a source lineage(Wyrm), changing their physiology to match that of the originator.

    Temperatures above and below a certain level will not affect the user.

    Emily opened her eyes and glanced back at the droplet of blood. The skill was far more interesting than it seemed. The way in which it went about making her resistant to the cold was by raising her natural body temperature. That meant that she could ignore the cold to a certain extent because of her hotter blood.

    If she had to guess her natural body temperature was almost twice the norm so that probably put her blood at around 70 degrees.

    Which was great, her blood was now hotter than it had ever been, but it was far from dangerous.

    Despite this Emily still liked the skill, with it she would be able to ignore the cold far easier than before.

    It actually made her kind of annoyed.

    If she¡¯d known she could get this skill, she would have made more of an effort to kill a Wyrm sooner. Though something told her she probably would not have gotten this from anything but the strongest Wyrm¡¯s blood.

    Emily squinted her eyes through the pleasant feeling of the now-warm rain and let it soak through her. The warmth in her chest wasn¡¯t unpleasant, it just felt like more than she was used to.

    Emily only moved when Cupcake came up behind her and nudged at her shoulder.

    ¡°Alright let¡¯s get going¡­¡±

    Just as Emily swung herself onto Cupcake¡¯s back, her eyes fell on a small pile of rocks near the cave entrance. They were arranged in a tidy arrow, pointing south¡ªat least, she assumed it was south. Did Atticus really think leaving breadcrumbs would make up for robbing her?

    Emily pursed her lips and clicked her tongue to get Cupcake moving.

    Explorer thought that was the way as well so she didn¡¯t see a problem with following it. Charging downhill on Cupcake''s back was an exhilarating experience as the beast charged at an incredible pace. She was even faster than before and her step seemed more certain as she weaved through the trees and scattered rocks with grace.

    They made good time down the side of the mountain dodging a good many tribes of elves.

    When they got near the bottom they took some time to hunt down some small game as other islands didn¡¯t have such an abundance of food on them.

    Emily tried to follow Alex¡¯s example, but a majority of the meat they gathered was from Cupcake''s efforts. However, Emily did manage to identify some of the same mushrooms that Atticus had left for her.

    When they had a good haul, Emily pulled the excess blood out of the meat to dry it out and preserve it, as she had no more rations.

    It was around the time Emily was shoving prepared food into her pack, which was now full to bursting, that they heard the rumbling of a troll nearby.

    Slinging the heavy thing over her shoulder Emily hopped onto Cupcake''s back and they took off as two trolls burst through the treeline.

    Emily didn¡¯t say a word as a worried expression found its way onto her face. She needed time to cut a new craft, but she didn¡¯t think these creatures would give her the breathing room. The island was large but trolls could cover a great deal of distance in a day, so escaping them while trapped on an island was going to be nearly impossible.

    Emily glanced at the nearby shoreline and grunted to herself. They would need to kill these bothersome creatures to be free of them. Pulling on Cupcakes reins she got ready to turn and fight, but unexpectedly the she-wolf didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± Emily growled as the Rime wolf increased her speed, making a break for the shore.

    ¡°Dammit, watch out for the water-¡±

    Emily was cut short when she felt amusement trickling down the connection from Cupcake.

    Less than a step away, the water stretched ahead, and the trolls were only two behind when Cupcake bounded from the shore, leaping far out over the lake. Emily felt that brief, breathless sensation of falling before they landed. Rather than breaking through the surface, a ripple spread under Cupcake''s front paws, where a droplet of blood hardened the lake beneath them. The surface held firm, and as her back paws followed, more blood swirled down, solidifying each step.

    Emily blinked in awe as Cupcake trotted across the lake¡¯s surface. She had a feeling that if wolves could laugh, Cupcake would be in stitches.

    ¡°You little¡ªnext time, tell me before you pull something amazing like this!¡± Emily said, laughing, although she knew the wolf couldn¡¯t answer.

    Emily kept one hand on the reins as Cupcake bounded toward the next island, far faster than they¡¯d managed before. Her excitement rose with every step, thinking about catching up with Atticus. They arrived at the next island in record time, where Emily spotted a small, carefully placed arrow made of stones, marking their way. But as they prepared to move on, she noticed that Cupcake was panting heavily.

    Realization hit her. The skill was taking a toll. Cupcake¡¯s eagerness to keep going masked the strain she was under. With a sigh, Emily conjured a small sphere of blood and offered it to Cupcake, who lapped at it gratefully. Cupcake paused, scrunching her nose and licking her lips. Emily stifled a laugh, thinking it was almost as if Cupcake had tasted something spicy, but the wolf quickly resumed drinking.

    After a short rest, they were off again, skimming over the lake¡¯s surface until they reached the second island, where Emily allowed Cupcake to recover. What should have taken them nearly four hours had taken just one. But as they approached the island, a strong current tugged against them, forcing Cupcake to work harder.

    Curious, Emily guided her companion along the weather-beaten shore as the water churned around them, its powerful current tugging southward, like an unseen force was drawing them toward the mountain¡¯s shadowed depths. Her excitement grew, thinking this might signal the end of their passage across the range. But rounding the far edge of the island, her heart sank. Looming before them was a gargantuan whirlpool, vast and unyielding, its outer edges pulling in the lake¡¯s surface as if draining the sky itself. Water cascaded from all sides, spiraling down into an immense, darkened hole that plunged far beyond the light''s reach, vanishing into the earth¡¯s unseen depths. The roar of water was nearly deafening, and Emily couldn¡¯t shake the eerie sense that the lake was alive, swallowing everything in its path.

    Blood points: 271

 Chapter 100 - Pressed for time

    Emily sat silently on one of the gnarled roots jutting from the smooth shore, her fingers brushing the wet bark as rain filtered down through the leaves overhead, the heavy downpour softened to a steady, trickling wash of water. Cupcake sat beside her, a watchful presence, her muzzle slick with a faint stain of blue blood. Just beyond the tree canopy¡¯s shelter, the rocky shore lay littered with the corpses of fallen elves, each twisted in a different, telling mark of death. The air she inhaled was sharp and cold, her exhaled breath forming large, drifting plumes of steam that merged with the mist rising from the water. Beyond the shore, the whirlpool in front of the island turned in a slow, chaotic circle, its guttural churning calling out to anyone who would listen.

    Whatever was causing it had to be something more than just a drain in the rock. The nearby waters churned too irregularly for that, and to make matters worse, it was growing.

    When Emily had gotten to this island she immediately wanted to leave but seeing the state Cupcake was in she had them stay put for as long as she could. During that time realized why this place put her so on edge.

    First, the storm thickened above their heads, and then, more so, she saw that the water level was rising gradually.

    Unlike the last Island, the smaller vegetation on this one was non-existent, only the trees seemed to remain out in the open, poking out from the rock and odd intervals. Strangely the lack of other plants unnerved Emily. The rock near the shoreline was different from the other islands she¡¯d been to. Where normally the rough stone made for an irregular landscape, the shore here seemed to have been polished to an almost volcanic shine.

    Emily glanced back toward the tall peak of the mountain and noticed at about the halfway point the smooth texture seemed to taper off and the rough rock continued up the rest of the way, but it didn¡¯t take long to put these details together.

    The lack of vegetation and smooth stone could only really mean one thing.

    At some point the rushing water would rise to that level and the currents would wash the rock smooth. This must have been happening for a seriously long time because by the looks of things the rock in this area was incredibly dense.

    Emily started from her thoughts when Cupcake whined next to her, glancing up she saw the water had risen enough that the furthest elven corpses were already partially submerged. Their dried bodies beginning to be carried away by the tide''s relentless tugging.

    Sighing to herself, Emily stood and stepped out from under the tree, without the trunk''s protection the wind hit her in full force, whipping strands of her hair about.

    Right now, Emily had a decision to make because something was on its way and there was no stopping it.

    The weather was getting so bad that there were only really two options open to her. One was to climb the mountain and find a place to hunker down. This was the safest option, but it was also a bit of a gamble. If the water did indeed rise halfway up the mountain she would be trapped up there, and who knew how long it would take to recede. With her current food supply, Emily estimated they had enough food for about two days if they pushed it.

    Having gotten used to the weather up here, she knew the storm currently building in the clouds could go on for days if not weeks.

    So the other option was to try and make it to a further Island before the storm hit in full force, but this also came with its own problems.

    The water¡¯s edge near Emily churned and frothed as something struck out of the waves and latched onto an elven corpse that was up its chest in the water.

    Emily felt goosebumps break out over her arms as she swallowed down her disgust. The brief flash of scales before the corpse was dragged beneath the surface was all Emily needed to see to confirm her suspicions.

    A tiny lake serpent had come to collect the prize Emily had left out.

    Ignoring the coming storm, the second and arguably bigger problem was the threats that lurked within the lake¡¯s depths. They had neared the core of the lake and by the looks of things were trapped amongst hundreds of smaller lake serpents. The one that that just come up to the shore was no smaller than an anaconda back on Earth, and that was obviously a young one.

    It was just the tip of the iceberg down there.

    By the looks of things, this whirlpool was some kind of spawning ground for the serpents, and Emily had come at the peak of their mating season. Just thinking of the numerous waves of ¡®baby¡¯ snakes down there made Emily shiver again.

    She was so ready to march up the hill and wait for the storm out, but escaping from this place was objectively the better option.

    There was no telling how long their mating season would last and Emily was not about to find out. Worst-case scenario they decided they weren¡¯t happy in the water and decided to join her on land. If that happened then there was very little space for Emily to retreat too.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    From what she had seen there was no Wyrm on this peak, but that only reinforced her decision to make herself scarce.

    Emily took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on the next mountain peak way off in the distance.

    ¡°When you¡¯re moving towards your doom, keep going,¡± she muttered, a line of Gramp''s wisdom that echoed in her ears. ¡°If you stop, you¡¯ll die. Keep moving, and there¡¯s only a chance you¡¯ll die.¡±

    Emily was never a fan of dredging up his lessons but unfortunately, it applied here just too well.

    It was a fair bit more dangerous to go out there right now, but being so near to this whirlpool felt far more of a risk.

    Cupcake came to stand beside Emily, blocking a portion of the howling wind.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got this girl, I¡¯ll help in any way I can, but we¡¯re going to need to get out of here. I wish I could give you just a little more time but it¡¯s now or never,¡± she said patting the wolf''s flank.

    Emily knew the she-wolf could not parse her words but she did seem to understand the urgency she was sending through their connection.

    Cupcake lowered herself to the ground, and Emily climbed on, pressing into the saddle and strapping herself there. She double-checked that everything was fastened down and then clicked her tongue.

    ¡°Alright, girl. Let¡¯s get out of here. Run.¡±

    The Rime wolf didn¡¯t need any more urging, she took off along the shore, building up speed. The wind whipped about them as it pushed them from behind.

    Emily had purposefully chosen a southern island that went with the direction of the wind to make it easier.

    ¡°Faster¡± Emily urged with both the connection and words.

    Cupcake accepted the challenge and they accelerated even faster, the wind was no longer howling in their ears, instead, it ran with them, pushing them towards the dark waters.

    With her legs fastened in place, Emily began casting two lift spells at once. One horizontal, the other vertical, and then releasing them on Cupcake. The magical force landed just after Cupcake launched herself into the air.

    The sudden lurch of power slammed Emily back down into the saddle as they took off into the air.

    The force and wind made Emily¡¯s eyes tear up as they hurtled out over the waters. From the Rime wolf''s back, she could just make out the churning lake below, and beyond that the hundreds of figures swimming through the whirlpool.

    Emily wasn¡¯t sure when the disgusting creatures had arrived but she thought their passage had been too easy up until this point. The serpents below them were of varying sizes but for the most part, they were manageable size. It didn¡¯t take long for Emily to spot one big enough to swallow them whole. The only saving grace was that adult serpents were further down near the base of the whirlpool.

    They sailed through the air and Emily attempted to keep the spell going with a stream method but soon enough their momentum slowed and they reached the zenith of their jump. With the combined wind conditions and spell, Emily was certain they had covered more than a fourth of the distance with one jump but then came the hard part.

    When the water began to approach Cupcake spread out her paws to displace the impact and they went crashing down into the waters. The Rime wolf slid against the rushing lake as the force of their jump warped the surface of the water. Blood mixed with rain, and they slide across the surface like they were on a sheet of ice. Unfortunately, The serpents seemed to scent them almost immediately.

    The smallest ones jumped out of the surface of the water and the already shifting waves became a chaotic spray of bodies and water.

    The smaller serpents jump out of the water like piranhas chasing prey.

    Emily had placed a Vital shell over Cupcake so that blocked a majority of them, but Emily had to cover the rest. She created a thin whip which she flashed around them cutting anything that approached in two. More blood spilled into the waters making the serpents even more desperate as they turned to feast on their brothers and sisters'' flesh.

    Cupcake was already running at full speed and Emily ignored a flash of lightning above them illuminating the clouds over a grey world.

    A second whip came into being when Emily realized she would not be able to keep them at bay with just one. The crack of the blood whip was overpowered by the thunder shaking the heavens above.

    Emily killed as Cupcake hopped through the air dodging the attacking serpents. Each time her paws touched down on the surface of the water, it further agitated the serpents, and soon enough the larger serpents began to head their way.

    Cupcake seemed to sense they were coming and with incredible dexterous steps she danced out of reach of the mouths coming out of the water.

    Pulling themselves from the depths were a couple of serpents that were comparable to the first one Emily had encountered. The difference was that she hadn¡¯t had Cupcake last time, so when the serpents shot out of the water, the Rime wolf was already five steps ahead of them.

    Emily used her blood as a scalpel, cleaving through the dorsal fins as she passed in an effort to slow them down. More dark blood mixed into the sparkling waters, and the red caught up in the whirlpool as it spiraled down the drain.

    The water pushed against them, but Cupcake fought against the current, and for a while, it worked. Emily killed or maimed anything that got close, but this only seemed to make them more desperate. The serpents piled onto them like a descending storm cloud and Emily had to shift to defense. Splaying her blood out, she turned the whips into a half-dome pointing it down towards the water. Then shifted it into several dozen spikes, so that when a serpent jumped at them, it impaled itself on a thirty-centimeter skewer. Some died immediately, while others crashed back into the water around them turning it a deep red hue.

    Those who were impaled but not killed on Emily''s sea urchin defense only served to feed her blood and vitality, recharging her reserves, and then some. They got over halfway like this and Emily must have tempted fate too much when she laughed merrily above the sounds of thunder because things took a turn for the worse when the bloody trail they had left in their wake began to color the frothing whirlpool.

    The vortex they had so carefully been skirting around suddenly shited.

    One second it was happily churning away to itself and the next a sudden mass pushed up from somewhere below.

    Exploding from the surface was a serpent big enough to disrupt the surrounding currents. Its mass was comparable to the Wyrm, but this alone wasn¡¯t what made Emily¡¯s heart sink.

    Another mouth burst up from the depths directly below, just as massive. The resulting wave was far too large for Cupcake to dodge, so Emily pushed her lift spells to maximum strength, wrenching them free of the churning waters.

    Lightning struck down nearby, and in that brief flash, the world seemed to stand still: a human and her wolf suspended just meters above a toothless void that could swallow a ship whole.

    Blood points: 291

 Chapter 101 - Claps and waves

    The serpents disrupted the flow of the whirlpool below, sending the water into a chaotic state as it collapsed in on itself. The currents just below the surface were trying to reform, but the temporary halt of the water caused the other serpents to scatter in all directions, unable to fight pull.

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened at the scene below as gravity took hold again, and Cupcake began to fall towards the approaching maw. Grunting she triggered her lift spells and directed them out of the path of the serpent. The sudden change in direction was met with a resounding snap just beside them, as the reptilian jaw slammed shut. It screamed in annoyance as all three of them fell toward the surface.

    ¡°Go Cupcake, we can¡¯t fight these things!¡± Emily screamed.

    Cupcakes growled but understood as they crashed into the surface of the water. The she-wolf took off immediately but the second serpent wasn¡¯t interested in letting them escape, it slammed itself into the surface nearby, creating a small tidal wave that crashed into Cupcake

    All at once they were sucked underneath the chilly water, caught in a spiral of air that turned the world on its end.

    Emily couldn¡¯t tell which way was up or down but she couldn¡¯t afford the few seconds it would take to get her bearings. So, without knowing which way was which, she again cast her lift spell.

    Both of them went hurtling in a random direction, but it was different underwater. The drag from the denser material caused the cord connecting Emily to Cupcakes''s saddle to go taunt and fray.

    It was about to snap completely when she felt the she-wolf¡¯s whip appendage wrap around her waist and pull her back into the saddle.

    Emily couldn¡¯t even breathe a sigh of relief as they continued to hurtle out of control.

    The sudden opposing current was the only warning she got before a blurry figure appeared from the depths. Emily couldn¡¯t make much out but it was nowhere near big enough to be one of those two titans, so she expanded a line of blood out in front of her.

    When the opportunistic serpent smacked into it, she had the tendril of blood wrapped around its neck and squeezed, but killing it was not her intention. When the car-sized serpent realized something was choking the life out of it, it tried to flee. Emily then allowed her blood to pull taunt and drag them behind the creature.

    Her legs and hands burned as she tried to hold onto Cupcake and the Beast at the same time, but she refused to let go. She knew they needed to keep moving even if it tore her in half, which it just might as Cupcake had to tighten her whip around Emily to keep her in place.

    An explosion of bubbles signaled one of the serpents moving above, but they both hung on as their ride carried them out of the worst of the currents.

    When they stabilized Emily squinted through the depths in search of light, the moment she identified the surface she cast her spell before cutting their ride''s neck clean off.

    The force pushed them towards the surface and when that wasn¡¯t enough she cast it again.

    A body crashed into her chest as they burst from the water and into the open air.

    No sooner had Emily taken a breath than it was constricted out of her as a smaller serpent wrapped around her chest and left arm, beginning to squeeze the life out of her.

    ¡°-you..shit..¡± Emily gasped causing the serpent to increase its grip on instinct. Emily was dimly aware that Cupcake had started running again but all she could see was a serpent looming over her. It looked poised to strike, but everything spun from the lack of oxygen. Emily¡¯s blood surged out of her chest, soaking her gear, and ensnared the serpent in six places. With a violent snap, sheared through its body, reducing it to nothing more than bloody chunks that tumbled from her like broken chains.

    Emily¡¯s lungs expanded, drawing in the air they desperately needed. Sadly the relief of fresh air was short-lived when she spotted one of the massive serpents still above the surface.

    It had to be searching for them, and when it found Cupcake dashing across the waves, the serpent locked on and opened its maw with a furious hiss.

    Its size made its moments slow but they were currently on its home turf so that barely mattered as it closed in on them, sending waves in their direction.

    Emily ground her molars, she could potentially send them flying like she once had with Mist and Atticus, but she didn¡¯t trust they wouldn¡¯t be struck out of the air. The last time Emily had stayed behind to distract the creature, but they had no such advantage now.

    ¡°Dammit all! First the Wyrms, and now you guys!? Fine, come at me, you phallic fucks!¡± Emily growled as she pulled her scepter from her waist.

    Contrary to her words, Emily had no intention of fighting these creatures. Right now, it would only end painfully or with her in the belly of one of them.

    Which wasn¡¯t a bad idea¡­

    Emily shook the thought from her mind. Killing these creatures from the inside might work for her, but Cupcake wouldn¡¯t make it¡ªand Emily was just starting to like her fluffy sidekick.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Lowering herself in the saddle, Emily wrapped her arms around Cupcake¡¯s neck and placed her mouth near the beast¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Run, girl, just like before. I¡¯ll foot the costs.¡±

    With her eyes closed, Emily triggered blood price, opening the connection wider between herself and the Rime wolf.

    In that moment, the serpent struck. They had been fighting against the tide and the shaking waves, but as the rain fell against Cupcake¡¯s pelt, steam began to rise from her body. In a single bound, their speed doubled, and a joyous howl bounced across the waves.

    In the same motion, Emily threw open her bridges and poured her power into the scepter, building the largest sphere of source she could manage.

    The sphere shot forward with a flick and struck the side of the serpent''s massive head. It wasn¡¯t enough to cause it pain¡ªnot enough to make it reel back¡ªbut it was just enough to change the direction of the serpent¡¯s strike, allowing them to get out of the way in time.

    When the serpent missed it plunged into the water resulting in a similar wave to the one before, only this time Cupcake¡¯s reactions were faster and she rode the wave of foam. Stepping along the crest of the tide of water.

    Emily was so focused on their connection that she fell into it, her sight mingling with Rime wolves. The world became a wash of greys and blues, with dashes of yellow. Every flash of light looked like bioluminescence, and it only took Emily a second to put together that the yellow patches were movement. Every area represented either danger or the shifting waves. This was how Cupcake predicted when the serpents would ambush them. Emily could see a brilliant mass of yellow light below them, which had to be the other serpent. It was hurtling at them, but Cupcake was already taking steps to change their course.

    Seeing all this made Emily¡¯s brain hurt but that didn¡¯t mean she wouldn¡¯t take advantage of this.

    Life force flowed steadily between Emily and Cupcake, so when she began pulling a large amount of power from her chest, she felt something else moving with her. At first, Emily thought it was Cupcake, but this was something else. Cupcake was too focused on keeping them alive as another body brushed passed them.

    The vitality in Emily¡¯s chest responded readily and when she moved it around through her body she realized it was anticipating what she needed rather than her having to make it move. The only thing she could think of was her newest skill, but it was strange that it was only showing up now. Emily pushed the useless thoughts aside and cupped her hand to collect her blood. No sooner had she willed it, than the blood collected in her palm and became a wickedly sharp crescent. The entire maneuver took half her usual concentration and seemed far more deadly than ever before.

    When the large serpent exploded into the spot they had been seconds ago, Emily swung the crescent blade out. Running it along the side of the creature''s length. While sharp, the scales of the creature were old and tough. This only resulted in a shallow cut, with beads of blood weeping from the wound. To a creature of its size, it was little more than a scrape. However, the way it screamed made it clear that nothing had wounded it in a long time. It thrashed violently before crashing back into the water.

    Cupcake pressed on, putting in another burst of speed as they neared the island. They had covered more than three-quarters of the distance when sensing their prey was escaping, the remaining serpent lashed its tail out in a lightning-fast strike. The maneuver was similar to an orca knocking its prey into the air with its tail. Cupcake saw it coming, but there was no way to avoid the tail''s speed and sheer size.

    When the blow landed, Cupcake had no choice but to use the momentum to launch herself into the air. Unfortunately, this gave the wounded serpent just enough time to surface with a furious, cold-eyed rage.

    The combination attack from the large beasts was incredible and spoke of decades of teamwork, only, it wasn¡¯t enough.

    As they went hurtling into the air, Cupcake rightened her flailing legs, and at the top of their involuntary flight, she jumped.

    A platform of blood hardened below her paws sending them even further into the skies. The serpent tried to chase them into the air but Emily cast her magic and they shot even higher. The serpent¡¯s mass was too great and it fell back towards the water, hissing with fury. Cupcake took another step, and when Emily opened her eyes they were running just below the clouds.

    She let out a laugh as they cruised toward the island but when she turned back she saw the serpents turning glumly back towards the whirlpool, which was building up again.

    Emily scratched the side of Cupcake and had her descend back toward the water''s edge, as it took a great deal of life force to maintain this type of ¡®flight¡¯. Five minutes later they arrived on the shores of another island and Emily looked back over to the now-distant whirlpool she could scarcely believe they had come from that direction. From here it just looked like a natural churning water feature, but Emily wasn¡¯t fooled. This world hid its danger in its most beautiful sights, even now the storm was continuing to build. Pretty soon it would consume the island.

    Glancing around her current little liferaft she noted that the portion of the landmass facing the whirlpool looked to have the same smooth texture, but when she moved around the shore she saw it became rough once more.

    So finding an abandoned cave she hunkered down and attempted to get dry. Cupcake shook herself off the moment they got into the cave and Emily had to duck to avoid the worst of the spray.

    She then unsaddled the beast and collapsed against the cold rocky wall. They both dried quickly on account of her bloodfire skill. It appeared that Cupcake retained the ability for a short while after Emily had closed the link.

    With night now falling, Emily didn¡¯t have the energy to collect firewood so they remained in the dark, but at least she wasn¡¯t cold or wet anymore.

    Just before Emily went to sleep she thought back to what had happened with her blood without there. She was fairly certain she¡¯d triggered ruby guardian to kick in. Which is what probably helped her control her blood better. It also fit the skill¡¯s description somewhat, at least the passive part of it.

    The question Emily had was, why now?

    She¡¯d used her blood multiple times since getting the skill, so what was different?

    Emily tried to think back to what would cause the skill to trigger on its own. At the time she¡¯d been opening herself to Cupcake entirely, trusting that the wolf would get them out of there. Was that it?

    Was the simple idea of trusting her skill all it had taken?

    Emily had tried the skill, but it had not taken. Was it because she¡¯d subconsciously stopped it from working?

    It would make sense. She knew how she needed to move her blood on her own, something like training wheels was unnecessary.

    Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t deny the increased ease with which she¡¯d managed to bring out her blood.

    ¡°Okay, Ruby dude, you in there?¡± She said staring down at her hand.

    She never expected a reply but talking to herself still felt annoying especially when nothing moved in her chest.

    Growing more annoyed Emily created a blood bolt, but she tried to get the skill to activate.

    When nothing happened she growled.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s your deal, you worked so nicely earlier¡­ Fine! We¡¯ll do this the hard way!¡±

    Blood points: 280

 Chapter 102 - Trusting skills

    Stormclouds loomed low overhead, pelting the lake with rain torrents cascading down the sides of jagged, rocky peaks. Two islands stood close enough to one another that their spires were visible from across the water. Near one island, a raging whirlpool churned violently, its strength growing with the storm. The other remained calm for the moment, but as time passed, the whirlpool drew closer, its pull undeniable.

    On the quieter island, an abandoned elf cave sat nestled against the mountainside. When the winds quieted just enough, a low string of curses could be heard drifting from within.

    Emily growled and grumbled as she stared up at the shadowy ceiling.

    She hadn¡¯t felt this lost in a long time. To her, her powers were merely a tool, something she¡¯d lived with all her life.

    In fact, there was never a time when she didn¡¯t have her powers at her disposal. They had been a part of her for as long as she could remember, always there, always ready. They were the reason her grandfather had taken care of her, raising her in the absence of others.

    They were hard to get control of at first, but over time Emily had trained her will to that of steel.

    Every movement, every shift she had to do on her own. This meant that she¡¯d learned to date, she had to figure it out by herself. Once she¡¯d gotten the hang of it though, there was very little that she couldn¡¯t do with the right image.

    She had to control everything.

    And it was that very thought that was holding her back now.

    Her newest skill required that she give up some measure of control to ruby guardian to manage, but that meant she had to be willing to give up a part of what she had become.

    Emily had worked far too hard for too long to do something like that, even if it was her own skill.

    From the description, ruby guardian could passively alter how her blood acted.

    Which sounded like a useful skill, but every time she tried to get it in place it would fall right back out of shape.

    Emily created a blood bolt in each hand. One was larger and spun faster, but when she stopped diverting her focus, the larger one returned to normal.

    Temporarily relaxing her control wasn¡¯t the issue, if she put her mind to it she could push down her instinct to dominate, but it made her feel incredibly uneasy.

    Perhaps the only thing Emily could equate it to was muscle memory. She¡¯d trained herself and her power in a particular way, so when something happened, they reacted in a particular way. There was just no space for a skill to get in between this, at least not right now.

    A soft whine filled the air, and Emily glanced over at Cupcake, who seemed to sense her frustration.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry girl, I¡¯m good, just fighting with a skill.¡±

    Cupcake cocked her head and that made Emily think of the skill Cupcake got from the stars, or paths as Alex liked to call them.

    She understood how sentient beings got skills¨Cwell she didn¡¯t, but that was a rabbit hole she wasn¡¯t going down¨C but what about beasts like Cupcake? How did she read the skill, was there another way the star spoke to them? Did they just understand it? For that matter, why did Emily¡¯s the stars write in English?

    ¡°Welp, add that to the list of mysteries I need to delve into.¡±

    Emily leaned forward and scratched behind Cucpakes ear. She didn¡¯t know why she was talking to the Rime wolf, it couldn¡¯t understand her, but it felt good to voice her thoughts.

    ¡°I suppose we¡¯d better get going soon, hadn¡¯t we?¡±

    Sadly, without a ton of practice, she wasn¡¯t going to figure out this skill unless she was about to die¡­

    Emily sat up straighter.

    She couldn¡¯t get her power to relinquish control of something she already did inherently, but what if she gave it something to do that wasn¡¯t already set in stone in her mind?

    Namely, when to start healing her.

    Emily''s natural healing was potent, but it was reactive. It required her attention to heal something in the heat of battle, but what if it didn¡¯t?

    What if her blood was always working to heal her?

    The costs could be fairly large in the long run but her reserves were growing daily so she could spare a little extra, plus she would hit the third threshold pretty soon.

    Deciding to run with this idea Emily relaxed her chest and triggered ruby guardian. She was purposeful in thinking of this as a new technique, even though she could still push the skill aside and heal herself manually, it would be something completely new that took care of her health.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Come on little guy, I¡¯m leaving all the fixing to you¡­¡± she muttered as she gave up a minuscule measure of control.

    The skill tentatively fell into place and when Emily was certain it had taken hold she pulled out her dagger and slashed across her forearm. The flesh separated and a fresh burning stink prickled her body. The wound began closing almost as soon as it was made and in a couple of seconds, it was sealed.

    Emily smiled to herself but thought over the results.

    To Emily, a cut in battle was as much a boon as it was a detriment. Healing every little wound was not necessary, what she did care about was internal damage, and mutilation, which could inhibit her ability to fight.

    So, reining the skill in, Emily told it to only protect her internal organs and have it recover a wound above a certain size.

    This meant that she could save her power for the things that mattered. Not the odd drunken stupor, or nick here and there.

    She¡¯d have to tap its full potential later when she was a little more used to it, but all in all, Emily was incredibly pleased she¡¯d found a use for the skill. She might end up pushing it aside to take charge of the healing but at least it would work in the background. It would be especially useful in heavy combat.

    Emily glanced out at the storm that had been raging all night. They had gotten here a good while ago and at that time it had been late afternoon.

    It was now early morning and Emily could see the light beginning to dance behind the clouds as a faint fog rolled in.

    She slowly rose, stretching as her joints popped and cracked, the sounds echoing the toll of a long night spent on the hard stone floor.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get our bearings girl,¡± Emily said, tying her cloak over her shoulders.

    Her body heat now kept out the cold, but wet socks were still an unpleasant reality.

    Cupcake snorted glanced out into the oncoming sheets of water and curled herself back into a ball. She¡¯d been using Emily as a heater but the beast looked more than happy on her lonesome.

    ¡°Oh really now?¡± Emily said an edge of sarcasm in her voice.

    Was this mutt telling her to go check it out and come back when she was done?

    ¡°Oi, what if there are dangerous things out there?¡± Emily tried, but Cupcake flipped on her back revealing her stomach like a pup.

    Emily tapped her foot on the ground. Emily felt like this was Cupckae way of asking for five more minutes.

    ¡°Ah fuck it, do what you like, but just remember, if I disappear you¡¯re in major shit.¡±

    Cupcake was already snoring gently to herself and Emily¡¯s shoulder drooped slightly.

    ¡°Well fuck.¡±

    With that, she turned to the opening and headed out into the rain. Making her way down to the beach, she watched over the horizon. The land and lake were quiet under the drum of rain, and as Emily began searching through the perimeter of the island she kept an eye out for any surprises.

    There were a few trees here and even some small vegetation, but not much else.

    Elves were plentiful, but Emily had since gotten used to dodging this particular breed. When they passed she simply waited them out.

    The one group she did have to deal with, she caught unawares. Five of them were dead to Emily''s whip before the other five even knew what hit them.

    After that, she continued to search the island until she had done a full loop around it. The further she got the worse her mood fell.

    She couldn¡¯t find what she was looking for.

    Emily was tempted to take another lap around but she knew it would have been obvious the moment she saw it.

    No matter where she searched, Emily could not find the stone arrow Atticus should have left behind.

    That meant one of two things. The first was that he was dead, which she hoped was not the case, and the next was that in all the chaos she and Cupcake had gotten turned around and arrived at the wrong island.

    If Atticus had taken a different route then finding his path would only get harder as time went on, but Emily was not willing to backtrack, not after all that.

    That meant she would have to rely on her natural sense of direction, or in this case, her title.

    When Emily got back to the cave, having gone full circle she caused as much disruption as she could without shouting out loud.

    ¡°Alrighty, Cupcake, looks like we¡¯re down to good old-fashioned luck,¡± Emily muttered, squeezing rainwater from her curls. Of course, it was pure coincidence that she happened to be standing directly over the slumbering wolf, letting the drops fall right onto her.

    Cupcake wrinkled her nose and bared her fangs at Emily, who smiled just as wide.

    ¡°Oh grow up, you¡¯re about to take a shower anyway,¡± Emily said with probably too much joy in her voice.

    The Rime wolf stood to her full height dwarfing the human female in front of her. Probably wondering if she could manage a bite before she got scolded, but Emily paid her no mind.

    ¡°Come one, let''s get you saddled, girl.¡±

    After that, Cupcake didn¡¯t resist as much, though she looked longingly at the warm cave as they stepped out into the storm. Emily hadn¡¯t even bothered drying off, but some of the water had evaporated due to her heightened body temperature.

    Emily looked around the landscape and then toward the sky. She then tapped Explorer and waited to see what it thought. The title gave her what she was fairly certain was south, and with no reason to hesitate, Emily urged Cupcake onward. The wolf was slow to get going at first, but as they traveled downhill, their speed increased.

    When they hit the shore, Cupcake¡¯s speed doubled, and they were off, shooting across the lake with the same ease as running over solid ground. The clouds were still heavy in the sky, but Emily spotted a fog bank approaching from the direction they were headed.

    At first, it was thin, but the longer they traveled, the thicker it became until a literal wall of fog stretched up in front of them.

    ¡°Great, just great. Anything else you wanna throw our way, you bastards?¡± Lightning flashed and rumbled overhead as if in answer.

    Jeez, I suddenly miss home. At least there, you can blame the gods for everything, and they won¡¯t do shit about it,¡± she muttered, pouting to herself.

    The lightning was probably just lightning, but you never knew in this place.

    When they entered the fog bank, a faint, earthy fragrance filled her nose. Emily''s face twisted in disgust as the rain began to ease.

    They kept moving forward, trying their best to stay on track, but soon Cupcake came to a standstill.

    The rain and wind had slowed, but a thick layer of mist clung to everything. When they stopped, Emily noticed shifting reeds below the water¡¯s surface. There were even patches of algae floating nearby¡ªprobably the source of the smell.

    Emily hummed to herself.

    ¡°Okay, this is the part where I¡¯d be yelling at the girl in a horror movie not to go into the creepy house. Cupcake, let¡¯s head back.¡±

    Cupcake lifted a paw and set it back down, cocking her head. The small ripple it made was far more pronounced in the stillness, making the world feel empty.

    Emily turned her head, and the path back looked almost identical to the path ahead.

    Explorer gave Emily the equivalent of a shrug, and she glanced up at the roof of mist.

    ¡°¡­Fuck¡­¡±

    Blood points: 285

 Chapter 103 - Misty panorama

    Emily''s eyes remained trained on the swaying currents below them, the brownish-green reeds dancing to their will. Past a certain point, they became so dense that it was impossible to tell what was lurking below.

    Once they had recognized what was happening, Emily decided that heading forward was pretty much the only option they had. The likelihood that they were going in circles was high, so turning around didn¡¯t matter now. The best option would be to get above the mist, but Emily decided that they first needed to see if they could find an island because chances are they wouldn¡¯t be able to see any better from up there.

    So they advanced, trotting through the mists. As they ventured deeper in, the air grew noticeably warmer. The winds had all but died down to a whisper and the rain was nothing more than a trickle at this stage. This did however make for a more creepy dream-like experience. Even as they traveled, the ripples seemed to expand out ahead of them forever. Emily was glad she had Cupcake here because otherwise she probably would have gone mad from boredom.

    ¡°So, I did tell him that I didn¡¯t want it, right? But I didn¡¯t know it was a gift for my awakening day. If he had spoken faster, maybe I would have taken it.¡± Emily''s voice echoed alone through the space while Cupcake marched in silence.

    ¡°The fact that I lifted it from his pouch is null and void because it¡¯s mine. I only regret showing it to that snake. I could have just left him to rot, but no, I had to go and be a her-.¡± Emily pushed down the nausea at that word.

    ¡°-a good neighbor. All of this could have been avoided if I¡¯d just left him to be eaten.¡± Emily amended.

    Cupcake snorted and Emily got the distinct feeling she wanted her to shut up.

    ¡°Well, now hang on, don¡¯t be grumpy. It¡¯s not like you can carry the other half of the conversation,¡± Emily said, amusement tugging at the edges of her mouth.

    It didn¡¯t last, though. The quiet moved in like a physical presence, and pretty soon, Emily¡¯s unease at the lack of immediate danger had her on edge.

    The mist made it difficult to see further than five meters in front of them, and Emily had to blink away the blinding light reflecting through the fog.

    The whole environment was disconcerting and confusing, so they continued at a slower canter. Running headfirst into an island didn¡¯t sound fun¡ªor worse, a large lake monster surfacing, ready to gobble them up.

    The interesting part was that they hadn¡¯t seen any serpents yet. The most dangerous time to travel was when the rain had stopped. That was why they had encountered that serpent on the first day, but significantly less since. The rain covered their tracks from above, making them less noticeable, but now, with it being nothing more than a drizzle, Emily was worried.

    Everything seemed as normal as it could while walking on an ocean-sized lake in the middle of a foggy day, but that didn¡¯t settle her paranoia.

    They continued to travel for hours but Emily was quickly getting frustrated. They should have reached the next island a long time ago but there was nothing in sight. If anything the mists had closed in even more.

    Emily had lost her patience somewhere around the three-hour mark and started yelling at the top of her lungs to get attention.

    Even something attacking them would have been better than this limbo. Plus, maybe she could follow their attacker back to its home and get some kind of bearing, but sadly nothing ever did.

    Cupcake was starting to breathe more raggedly and her paws had begun to sink a few centimeters into the water.

    Emily really did not want to take a swim in that water but pretty soon it wasn¡¯t much of a choice as they sunk to Emily''s knees.

    ¡°Oh, I just know you are going to stink something horrid after this¡± As Emily said this she climbed off Cupcake''s back and sunk into the lake water.

    The Rime wolf''s endurance was incredible, but if they were going to be swimming for an unknown amount of time she needed the beast to hang on for as long as she was able.

    Something slimy brushed up against Emily''s arm and she made the appropriate yelp of horror, only for it to be a clump of algae.

    Emily kept treading water, using Cupcake¡¯s reins to pull her along. The reeds below them were about two meters below the surface give or take. So in some areas, her boot would brush up against the tops of the plant matter.

    Cupcake paddled doggy style, while Emily used her free hand to pull herself along. The wolf''s speed in the water was rather impressive, but by the time half an hour turned into an hour, Emily had begun to pant ragged breaths.

    ¡°Stop! Stop, girl, stop!¡±

    Cupcake seemed to slow, sending a deep longing for the cave they had left behind hours ago.

    ¡°I know, but we¡¯ve got to find an island if we want to rest, just a little bit longer okay?¡±

    Every muscle and joint in Emily¡¯s body ached from the exertion of keeping her head above water. Luckily she didn¡¯t have to worry about hypothermia, but it felt like her lungs were on fire.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Dredging up some life force to soothe her arches allowed Emily to stabilize her breathing, but it was only a temporary thing.

    Exhaustion could still catch up to Emily, just like anyone else. She could stave it off¡ªfor quite a while, in fact¡ªbut there was a limit.

    ¡°Come here, girl.¡±

    Emily said as she reached her hand above the water and created a ball of blood to feed Cupcake.

    The Rime wolf sluggishly lapped at the sphere, her tongue curling out and bringing the precious nectar to her mouth. Emily didn¡¯t notice the tiny splatters that hit the surface of the water and dissolved almost immediately, as she was too busy looking around.

    Things were not looking up for them. There was always the option to use blood price again, but it was an expensive card to play, so she had been avoiding it.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m going to have to bite the bullet and shell out, aren''t I? I was as really hoping not to- Ouch!¡± Emily yelped as her leg knocked into something and it speared through her pant leg poking her like a needle.

    She tried to make out what was below her, but something poked her again and this time it was in the ass.

    ¡°Oh just great!¡±

    Emily squinted through the clear waters, but all she could see were the tufts of floating algae.

    Cupcake suddenly made a short yelp and kicked her legs backward.

    ¡°Oookay, somethings wrong¡±

    Emily''s head whipped about as she tried to figure out what was going on. The pokes were sharp but they weren''t that painful, just sudden. And now that she thought about it she couldn¡¯t feel much else in the areas that had been poked. A deeply unsettling feeling arose as Emily¡¯s blood began to move through her body. Ruby guardian had triggered and was trying to heal the wounds. Emily thought she had told it not to bother, but its parameters obviously needed some refining.

    She felt another poke near her waist, and as soon as she did, she reached down and used her hand to grab hold of the dark mass.

    Emily pulled it out of the water and it squirmed in her close fist, as another two spikes sank into her thumb and palm respectively.

    Emily clenched her teeth as the clump of algae shifted in her hand. It didn¡¯t take her long to make out the small fish among the scum. The little shit had used it as camouflage, the entirety of its length fitting in her palm. Emily could just make out what looked like a tiny lionfish, its brown spines currently embedded in her flesh.

    It was pumping what Emily could only assume was venom in the tiny wound, and her blood reacting, which suddenly made more sense. That along with the sudden lightheadedness and heavy weight in her limbs, she¡¯d been poisoned.

    The thing was, her old body could deal with all manner of toxins, but this was something completely new to Eva¡¯s system. If Emily had to guess it was a paralytic, but what caused them to only show up now, surely these little sadists had been here for a while.

    Emily glanced down and now that she knew what she was looking for she saw little clumps of algae drifting up from the reeds. Making a beeline for them, only they were incredibly slow.

    Like they were drifting on the current.

    They couldn¡¯t be any faster than a centimeter a second but for these little landmines, it didn¡¯t matter.

    As long as Emily made any effort to swim forward she would be able to keep out of their range, the problem was they''d stopped for too long.

    ¡°Cupca¡­ke, let¡¯s go¡­¡± Emily slurred.

    Her blood was already working to collect and push the poison out of her body, but this wasn¡¯t just an assains blade. Multiple little devilfish had barbed her so it took some time to remove it all. Cupcake pushed forward and Emily just snagged the reins, lobbing the fish behind them with her full might.

    What kind of hellish landscape was this Emily thought.

    Being hit with a paralytic while swimming was just a recipe for disaster.

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving!¡± Emily grunted as she struggled to pull herself into Cupcake¡¯s saddle and opened their connection. The skill trigger and life force moved between them, allowing the Rimwolf to once more step above the waterline. At the same time, Emily focused on expelling the venom from both herself and Cupcake. She truly hadn¡¯t expected the ruby guardian to be tested so soon, but man was she glad she had set it up. It had brought her time to figure things out and now they ran across the still waters leaving the fish behind.

    Emily glanced at the water rushing underneath them. She could make out the patches of algae floating through the water and had to wonder just how many were down there.

    Cupcake was panting but Emily made sure to supply the energy she needed until all the venom was clear from their systems.

    Through the dense, shifting fog, there was still no sight of any landmass, but Emily noticed something¡ªa faint thinning in the mist to her right. Only barely, but enough to let her glimpse a little further than before. Her pulse quickened as she tugged at Cupcake¡¯s reins, guiding her toward the clearing. Each time the mist thickened again, Emily adjusted, steering them toward each sliver of clarity like she was tracing threads through a maze. With every step forward, she could feel their progress, a sense of momentum building¡ªa promise that they were finally escaping this fog-shrouded prison.

    The mist began to thin further, and a renewed energy sparked in Emily¡¯s chest. Her eyes narrowed, scanning the hazy surroundings as a faint roar drifted to her ears. It grew steadily louder, and with it came a rhythmic vibration beneath her¡ªdeep, resonant, and powerful. Cupcake perked up, her paws beginning to move with purpose as they chased the pull of a distant current. Together, they left behind the eerie calm of the reed-filled depths, the fog seeming to recoil from their path. Emily¡¯s heart hammered faster, anticipation mixing with exhilaration as the mist parted further with each stride.

    And then, in a single breath, the fog split wide open. They broke free from the fogbank, and Emily burst into laughter that echoed into the open air, spilling from her lips in raw relief. The world expanded before them¡ªa vast, rugged landscape carved in wild strokes and vibrant hues. The fog, now a pale curtain behind them, clung to the edges of the lake as if reluctant to let them go. But Emily was already captivated by what lay ahead. In the distance, a sudden ledge jutted out, and Cupcake skidded to a halt, kicking up sprays of water. Emily steadied herself, gaze darting to the edge where a massive waterfall plunged down into an abyss below.

    The sheer force of the falls roared up at her, filling her lungs with misty air and the rich, earthy smell of drenched stone and moss. Cupcake padded toward a patch of solid stone, her paws silent as they found footing, peering over the edge. The other side of the mountain range stretched out like a jagged wall against the horizon, each peak sharp and dark against the late afternoon light. Narrow trenches cut down their slopes, braided with streams that fed into the falls. The sight was awe-inspiring, wild and raw, and a strange mixture of joy and trepidation coursed through her veins. She was almost there- or at least more than halfway.

    A slow, incredulous smile spread across Emily''s face. They¡¯d made it out of the lake. She hadn¡¯t expected to find freedom from the fog so soon, and yet, here it was¡ªa promise of something new, no damned cloying mist. Relief washed over Emily, and she took a steadying breath, letting the sight before her anchor her.

    "No point in spending the night up here, what you say, girl, should we head down?"

    Blood points: 275

 Chapter 104 - Crumbling ledges

    Cupcake¡¯s front paw pressed onto the brittle stone, sending a small cascade of pebbles skittering down the mountainside. The clattering echoed down the steep slope, each stone bouncing and tumbling until it disappeared into the hazy distance below. Emily watched the scattering stones with a worried frown, fully aware of the risks this unstable terrain posed. This side of the mountain range was strikingly different from where they¡¯d first entered¡ªa stark contrast that marked the change from solid footing to a treacherous descent.

    The transformation was most obvious in the rock itself. At the start of their journey, the ground had been rough but steady, dominated by resilient granite that held fast underfoot. Here, though, the stone had softened into a crumbling sandstone that fell apart at the slightest pressure. Its muted, tawny hues were marred with fine cracks and edges worn thin by years of rain and wind. Emily snorted, realizing how strange it was to care about rock types¡ªbut right now, the difference mattered. Where the granite had endured like a fortress, this sandstone had slowly crumbled, leaving a landscape riddled with fragile holes and hidden crevices.

    As they continued, the terrain shifted even more dramatically. The familiar peaks gave way to an uneven expanse of pockmarked stone and fractured cliffs. Deep gaps opened up in their path at random, creating jagged obstacles and forcing them to move with painstaking caution. Cupcake held her leaps in check, placing each paw with uncharacteristic care. Neither she nor Emily could tell which surface might hold or crumble beneath them. Yet, despite the risk, the wolf and human pressed on, their excitement raising to the surface. Even here, on this difficult path, there was a spring in their steps, a glimmer of hope carried by the thought of a warm bed and a real shower¡ªone that wasn¡¯t cold rainwater.

    Danger lurked in every loose rock and groaning stone pillar, but Emily¡¯s resolve only sharpened as she glimpsed their destination. A few hours into their journey across this fragile landscape, she spotted something in the distance¡ªfaint and dreamlike, but unmistakable. Through the mist, an immense ravine scarred the horizon, stretching out for kilometers in both directions. And while the natural phenomenon was certainly eye-catching it wasn¡¯t what had given Emily pause. That honor was given solely to the spire-like city that rose up on the other side of the ravine. Growing up its side like a gnarled root from the depths. The entirety of the city rose beyond the gap like a beacon, drawing one¡¯s attention to it as if by way of magnetism, even though it was still days away.

    The mountain range around them seemed to ripple downward, its peaks and ridges flowing like an ancient river toward the looming chasm. This gradual descent carried them ever closer to the enormous ravine, a natural wound in the earth¡¯s surface that seemed to beckon. The sandstone gave way to narrow ledges and fractured plateaus as the elevation dropped, and Emily found herself navigating alongside swift, foaming streams that wove through the rock. These streams gathered force as they hurtled downward, converging in a rush towards the great crack in the land before plummeting over the edge in roaring waterfalls.

    The ravine seemed alive, both majestic and menacing, a reminder of nature¡¯s raw power. Every step brought them closer to its towering edge, and though it was still far off, the sheer scale of the landscape hinted at the enormity of what lay before them.

    Trees and foliage gave way to stone and sand, the colors shifting from deep charcoal to lighter greys, then to warm reds and, finally, vibrant oranges.

    There were also creatures living amongst the rocks but they were few and far between. Emily tried her best to avoid anything that looked out of place, but unknown dangers still lurked in the most surprising places.

    The first night in this place was not too bad as there were dozens of places to take shelter from the rain.

    It was on the second night that things went very wrong.

    After a full day of traversing the fickle terrain, they¡¯d found a set of large tunnels that bored through the sandstone itself. It looked to be an old tunnel that water had eroded away but it was now dry and warm.

    It was interesting that the lower they got down the side of the mountains the warmer it got, so even the little bit of water that had collected on them dried faster.

    Cupcake was out like a light before Emily had even managed to get her saddle off, but after some maneuvering, she managed.

    Once that was done Emily scrounged through her pack for ration and the Rime wolf¡¯s nose twitched at the scent.

    ¡°You better not have had me wrestle that thing off you because you were lazy. Cus lazy mutts don¡¯t get food.¡±

    Cupcake''s eyes cracked open for just a second and eyed the last of their meat.

    Emily took out a large chunk of elven meat and flashed it in front of the wolf. She snorted in disgust, eyeing the last of the rock ferret they¡¯d caught.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡±

    Cupcake eventually grabbed the elf and chewed the meat once before swallowing it mostly whole.

    Out of curiosity, Emily had tried a bit of elf meat, and, true to the warnings, it was unbelievably foul. The taste was sharply reminiscent of petroleum, with an overwhelming odor that filled her senses and made the experience wholly unpleasant.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Emily''s stomach had gurgled for hours after that one bite, but luckily her blood took care of the host of bacteria and disease that followed. The taste however was a different story, as it lingered in the back of her throat like fish oil, refusing to go down.

    It was during the early hours of the morning, as Emily was snoozing that she started to hear the distant rain picking up as the clouds thickened above them.

    This was nothing new to them by now so Emily ignored the heavy rain until she felt something wet brushing up against her leg.

    Emily¡¯s eyes snapped open, ready to fight whatever was coming their way but she was quickly disappointed.

    What she thought was some predator coming from the shadows, turned out to be a stream of water running directly through the tunnel they had holed up in. It followed the gradual decline past them, soaking Emily¡¯s pant leg as it headed toward the distant shadowy depths.

    Her sleep-addled mind stared at the water meandered past but as the flow began to increase her eyes widened and she climbed to her feet.

    Emily turned to follow the origin and noticed that further up the tunnel, near the bend, more water was pouring forth.

    A sound of rushing water bounced along the tunnel''s walls making it hard to pinpoint how close the water was. Emily realized if they stayed here they would swiftly find themselves washed away to wherever this tunnel led.

    ¡°Cupcake, up!¡± was all the time Emily had before knee-high water came rushing into sight. Emily reached for her blanket and pack picking it up to avoid it getting swept away.

    She¡¯d started walking towards the tunnel''s opening and was halfway there when a gurgling sound, like that of a tube filling up, issued from deeper in the tunnel. It was followed by another increase in the current that crashed into Emily''s chest.

    Cupcake spread her stance to hold against the water but the current was increasing by the second.

    Emily had to use her blood to grab onto the edge of the opening, but the current was pushing against them. Dragging Emily away from the exit.

    ¡°Fuck! Cupcake, get us out of here!¡±

    The cupcake pushed against the flow of water, getting nearer to Emily. When she was within reach, Emily grabbed the reins, but before they could do anything the current strength doubled, and Cupcake''s footing slipped out from under her. Emily¡¯s thin cord of blood could not hold both her and the Rime wolf so when it snapped they both went hurtling backward down the tunnel.

    The water had risen to more than three-quarters the height of the tunnel and all Emily could do was extend her gown out around her to prevent herself from crashing into anything solid. She clutched onto Cupcake¡¯s reins and cast vital shell around Cupcake.

    Hurtling down a dark tunnel to who-knew-where was far from the most enjoyable experience of Emily''s life, but luckily it wasn¡¯t a long one. After a few minutes, the world dropped out from under them, and they found themselves in freefall. Moments later, they plunged into an icy underground pool. The water churned around her, and Emily took a second to gather her bearings.

    When her head broke the surface, she spluttered and cursed, her voice echoing off the cavern¡¯s hollow walls. It was pitch black; she couldn¡¯t even see her hand in front of her face.

    ¡°Why¡¯s it always so damn dark? If I get out of this, I¡¯m learning a light spell or something,¡± she grumbled as Cupcake splashed beside her, the two searching the water for a way out. After some time, they found a sloping bank.

    As soon as she had solid ground beneath her, Emily shrugged off her pack and rummaged through the soggy contents. She¡¯d lost her blanket somewhere in the depths, and she wasn¡¯t about to go looking for it. As she searched blindly, her hand brushed against a glass vial and a soaked coin purse before finally finding a hollow metal cylinder. She sighed in relief¡ªit was a torch she¡¯d taken from Alex¡¯s pack for a rainy day. Even now, she was reluctant to use it, but the circumstances left her little choice.

    Drying it off as best she could, Emily searched for the release catch. The metal snapped into place, and vents on the side opened, allowing a spark to ignite the fuel. An orange glow filled the chamber, finally giving her a clear view of their surroundings.

    The chamber wasn¡¯t large, but it surprised her with multiple columns of water flowing down into the room from above. The one they¡¯d come from could have been any of them, making it impossible to return the way they came¡ªand Emily wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to.

    As she scanned the chamber, she noticed another opening at the far end. Water poured through the room and down a narrow tunnel, just barely spilling over the lip. It reminded her uncomfortably of a waterslide back on Earth, though this one almost certainly led somewhere unpleasant. Still, with little else to go on, it seemed like the only way forward.

    Taking a closer look, Emily couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly.

    ¡°What do you think, girl? Should we go for a ride?¡±

    Cupcake¡¯s uneasy whine mirrored her own reservations.

    ¡°Okay, maybe not,¡± Emily muttered.

    As she looked around, she noticed a faint hissing sound above the crashing water. Her light couldn¡¯t quite reach the ceiling, but when she saw movement overhead, she immediately went on guard. Almost instantly, a shadow dropped down beside her, and without hesitation, Emily sent a crescent of blood slicing through it. The creature hit the floor with a heavy thud, revealing itself in the torchlight as a light-brown rock monitor, about the size of a small boar. Its cold, gleaming eyes glared¡ªnot at Emily, but at the light in her hand.

    Emily frowned, sensing a surprising amount of life force radiating from the lizard, almost on par with an elf. She was still processing this when more hissing filled the chamber.

    Her head snapped up as she raised the torch, catching glimpses of a writhing mass along the ceiling. Hundreds of lizards clung to the stone, beginning to fall, splashing into the water and landing on the ground around them. Cupcake lunged, catching one in her jaws, while more of the creatures dropped down relentlessly. Emily dispatched a few more, but she knew they¡¯d soon be overwhelmed.

    Grinding her teeth, Emily grabbed Cupcake¡¯s reins, pulling her towards the ominous ¡°slide.¡± She cut down any lizards in her path, but they kept falling all around them. They plunged through the water towards the tunnel¡¯s edge, even as the lizards, swimming just as well as they crawled, bit into her wherever they found purchase.

    ¡°Why does everything have to bite?¡± she shouted, yelping as another jaw clamped onto her thigh.

    Finally, Emily pulled herself up onto the tunnel¡¯s ledge, only to be jostled by Cupcake, who, fighting her own battles, leapt up and knocked Emily backward. They both lost balance and tumbled into the depths, the rock monitors snapping at them as Emily¡¯s scream echoed and faded into the darkness below.

    Blood points: 287

 Chapter 105 - A breath of fresh air

    Emily slid down the treacherous slip-and-slide, twisting and bracing herself to stay level. Cupcake¡¯s flailing body only made it more chaotic as they collided in a mass of limbs and fur. Emily clung to the torch, keeping it above the water as they barreled through the darkness.

    She could only make out the nearest walls and a little ways up ahead, but that was enough to see the fork in the road rapidly approaching.

    ¡°Cupcake! Left!¡± she yelled.

    Emily had no idea which way was better, but she didn¡¯t want to be separated from the Rime wolf again. So she stomped her feet against the side of the slippery tunnel and slammed her back into Cupcake, causing them to both hurtle towards the left passage.

    After that things only got more intense as Emily felt the decline rapidly sharpening and the surrounding water speeding up.

    The light flickered and sputtered as the wind tore past them.

    They continued crashing down the tunnels for what felt like an eternity, bumping into rocks and crouching under low-hanging ceilings. Unable to see an end in sight, but then Emily saw their chance.

    It was another fork in the road, but it had one distinct difference.

    The right passage was slightly more elevated than the one they were on. This was just enough that most of the water could not yet reach the right passage. Seeing the potentially stable ground, Emily shot a whip of blood out and latched onto the incoming opening, pulling Cupcake with her.

    The blood sunk into the soft stone and pulled them into the other tunnel, landing with a wet splat.

    Emily collapsed onto the stone breathing raggedly until she hissed at the sudden pain emanating from her thigh.

    Looking down, Emily spotted that same rock monitor that had latched onto her before they had fled. The little shit had hung on through all of that.

    Reaching down she clamped her hand down on the creature and pried its jaw open, before wrapping a noose of blood around its neck and ending it.

    Emily groaned as she fell back into the dry stone.

    ¡°You okay girl?¡± Emily mourned.

    Cupcake got up but thankful she didn¡¯t shake herself off until she was a little ways away from Emily. The Rime wolf seemed physically fine, but Emily sensed that the beast was starving.

    ¡°Eat the lizard if it''s safe, but leave me some,¡± Emily said rubbing her temples.

    ¡°God, what am I even saying?¡± Emily muttered as she blinked rapidly.

    She never thought she¡¯d be in a situation where lizard meat was something to be excited over. Emily sat up and thought of all the foods she wouldn¡¯t have the chance to taste again. Burgers, pizza, hotdogs, bagels, hell, even a dry piece of toast would go down incredibly well right now. Emily wallowed in pity for a short while but then with a brief, sharp breath out, she sat up.

    ¡°There''s nothing for it but to keep moving. But after this, I¡¯m going to stuff my face with whatever this world considers junk food. Fuck my weight goals.¡±

    One pep talk later, Cucake had already guzzled down pretty much all of the lizard¡¯s usable meat, save for a leg which Emily managed to pry from the wolf''s hungry jaws.

    Their sleep had been interrupted partway through, but if they didn¡¯t want that to happen again they would need to move as it looked like the water level was still rising, and it would reach the lip of this tunnel in a couple of minutes.

    Because they didn¡¯t know how deep this tunnel went, Emily decided to buy them some time by creating some blood. She shaped it to fit the bottom of the tunnel and then pulled her life force from it. This caused the blood to coagulate almost immediately, hardening into a ten-centimeter-thick barrier. The dried blood would not last long against rushing water, but it would at least buy them some time.

    Clicking her tongue for Cupcake to follow, Emily headed down the only path forward.

    Without the water making things difficult, her boots held a grip on the steep decline. The winding path continued on for kilometers, and as Emily continued to walk, she would throw up the odd dam here and there.

    As they traveled, Emily noticed the gradient evening out. Before long, they arrived at another chamber. Like the previous one, it contained a pool of water, but this chamber also had two additional exits.

    What was strange was that Emily''s torch was not the only light source in here. As she looked up she could see a weak light from above, peaking through tiny holes in the ceiling. It took a while for Emily to realize it was daylight. She confirmed this seconds later because there were odd gaps all across the ceiling where rainwater was dripping into the still pool of water. In some places, she even thought she could see the cloudy skies, but that could have just been a delusion of a hopeful mind.

    The pool of water was not that large, and Emily could see the bottom so she was fairly certain nothing was in it, but then she spotted the small ledge near the end of the passage. It was big enough that they could rest on it, but seeing that the lizards had gotten the drop on them in the last chamber, Emily scoured the place for any more of their kind. She found two of the creatures huddling in the corner which Cupcake took care of for her, in exchange for keeping all the meat to herself. They couldn¡¯t afford to stay long, but Emily took a quick break while she could, using the torch to cook her piece of meat, which tasted pleasantly like chicken. Once she had finished, she extinguished the torch to conserve fuel and closed her eyes, hoping to catch a couple of hours of sleep. However, she was soon awakened by the sound of water trickling through the chamber.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Hearing this, she reignited the torch and made another barrier of dried blood, heading further down the pathway. She kept searching for more forks in the road but they seemed to have exhausted those.

    They walked for kilometers but soon came out to another ovular-shaped pool, where Emily killed over a dozen lizards. Once Cupcake was content they rested again but the water followed them soon after.

    This continued for a while, Emily only managing to steal a couple of hours of rest here and there.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m getting sick of this, let''s just ride it down,¡± Emily said when they got to another pool of water.

    She¡¯d gotten tired of walking so the next best option was the path of least resistance.

    Cupcake whined as Emily built another blood dam, but this time they were on the side with all the water.

    Water trickled into the room from behind them, slowly filling the chamber. The longer they waited the heavier the stream behind them got, and when Emily thought they had reached the right water level, she picked up a rock from the bottom of the pool and cracked it against her own barrier.

    The brittle blood gave way with a crack and broke apart, causing the water that had built up in the chamber to rush out of the lower opening.

    The sudden pull was strong but Cupcake could keep them away from it for long enough to give the water a head start.

    At Emily¡¯s signal, they leaped forward, but this time she was on Cupcake¡¯s back. The Rime wolf lowered herself onto her belly and they rode the water down the shaft, hurtling towards the unknown.

    They traveled through the underground rivers like this for a couple of hours. When they got tired they damned up the passage and rested for however long the barrier held. The light from above was common at first, but soon even that could not penetrate the depths they were traveling through. Emily tried to conserve her singular torch for as long as she could, but after what must have been days of travel, it was beginning to splutter at even the slightest of draught.

    Traveling without it was beyond dangerous, so it was a huge relief when she spotted a pinprick of light in the distance.

    Emily was currently clinging to Cupcake as the ceilings had become rather low, but as the light became more pronounced, they began to widen again.

    After the initial surprise at seeing light down here, caution followed. The last while had been in a constant decline, so any light down here could not be from a natural source, could it?

    Unfortunately, they were going to find out whether they wanted to or not, as they couldn¡¯t stop now because of the current. Even though Cupcake tried to slow them down, they burst forth into a large chamber.

    Right away, Emily sensed something unusual. The chamber around her was far from natural¡ªits walls appeared to be carved deliberately into the sandstone, shaped by tools or some skillful technique to direct multiple streams of water into this single space. It reminded her of a routing chamber used in a sewer system. Her eyes widened as she tried to understand why such a structure would be hidden here, deep in the mountain.

    Looking down, Emily spotted a grating embedded in the chamber floor, catching the various streams of water from the different openings above.

    Then, something else caught her attention: natural light.

    At the opposite end of the chamber, a large opening revealed a view of the ravine she¡¯d seen days prior.

    The light caused Emily to squint, but she could make out the gorge ahead, and directly across the bottomless expanse was the other wall of the massive gorge rising up out of sight.

    As she¡¯d expected, they weren¡¯t at ground level but instead partway down the cliff, forcing her to crane her neck to see the tops of it.

    She¡¯d arrived, just not at the right altitude.

    Emily edged Cupcake forward so she could see more of the gorge and realized they were dozens of stories below ground level, even the murky sky looked far away from down here.

    When they got to the other end of the room, Emily spotted a waist-high railing near the edge, which she leaned on to see out over the entire expanse.

    The ravine stretched out on either side of them for kilometers as birds dotted the horizon, flitting between rock faces. She could see dozens of other streams of water coming from her side of the wall, only for it to crash down into the depths below. If she had to guess, these chambers were dotted along the cliff face. Though she wasn¡¯t sure of the reason, the stream of water flowing from below her window suggested they were collecting the water.

    The crowning jewel of all of this was the city that sat off to her left. The structure looked like a rod buried halfway into the wall of the ravine, tapering to a narrow spike toward the bottom and expanding to a massive bulbous top. Hundreds of figures moved around the tops of the city but were too small to make out.

    Emily tried to poke her head beyond the opening to get a better look, but it bumped into what felt like a screen of glass.

    Rubbing her head, Emily inspected the area and noticed a ring of wards going all the way along the perimeter.

    As she backed away, a ripple moved through the pane of force, and the ward began to glow.

    Suddenly the air in the room churned, and a voice resounded through the space.

    "Warning! You have entered the territory of Lorethil, the city of questions. If you can understand this message, you are in a prohibited zone. Leave and return through public channels. Failure to do so will result in the dispatch of the Enforcers."

    Emily clamped her hands over her ears as the hollow voice echoed throughout the room on repeat. The sharp tone grated on her nerves as the message blared out in a never-ending loop.

    Emily¡¯s frown deepened. Enforcers sounded exactly like what she needed, but did she have time to wait? By the third repetition, the blaring voice was making her grind her teeth in irritation.

    ¡°Yeah! Okay, we get it!¡± she growled, but the alarm continued blaring to itself.

    Glancing at the ward around the perimeter, Emily tried to decipher it but quickly realized she was completely out of her depth. The ward contained runes she¡¯d never even seen before, let alone understood. She had no way of parsing out what this was, but that didn¡¯t mean she was hopeless against it.

    Closing her eyes, Emily imagined the shape of the unlocking ward Alex had drawn for her, shaping her blood into the appropriate runes.

    Seeing as this was a large-scale ward set up by a city full of Mages, she decided to go all out from the start.

    So once the ward was complete, she drew in as much grey source as she could through her bridges and funneled it into the blood ward.

    At the same time, she brought it up to the plane of force blocking her path and pressed it against the wall. There was a brief hum echoing from her ward, followed by a low buzz rippling through the room.

    The two wards fought, and arcs of power jumped between them as the blood ward sang like a resonating piece of iron, vapor rising off it.

    The ward etched into the walls began to glow blue in contrast to Emily''s blood, and seconds later it crumpled with the screeching of metal. The wall of force blinked out of existence, and the room fell silent.

    Emily sighed in relief at the calm¡ªonly for it to be replaced by the sound of metal grinding and clanking.

    Turning back toward the center of the room, she froze as a portion of the grid opened up, and a metal monstrosity rose from the depths.

    Its shining humanoid body reflected the light, casting a cold gleam across the chamber. Emily¡¯s shoulders slumped, and her heart sank. This was not the response she¡¯d hoped for. She braced herself as the golem took its first heavy steps forward, preparing for what would come next.

    As if Emily didn¡¯t already have enough to worry about an explosion went off somewhere far above them causing the surrounding rock to tremble.

    Blood points: 289

 Chapter 106 - Rock and a Hard Place

    Sand rained down from above, but the shuddering walls held firm. Emily could feel the distinct tremors of battle coming from somewhere directly above.

    The metal grinding on metal drew Emily back to the chamber. She yanked on Cupcake¡¯s reins to get her back off in time for a metal fist to swing directly overhead

    The golem had closed the distance in the meantime and was raising its fist again.

    In response, Emily sent out a band of blood, which she wrapped around the incoming fist and diverted it, or at least tried.

    The weight behind it metal body was so large that Emily could not stop all its momentum and the edge of its fist clipped into Cupcake''s front paw.

    The Rime wolf snarled at the hunk of metal and widened the distance between them, limping away.

    The golem loomed large, yet its speed left much to be desired. Emily tried to bond its fist to the ground, but the effort barely slowed it. As it rose to its full height, her blood bindings snapped, recoiling like overextended rubber bands.

    Emily didn¡¯t hold out much hope that it would work, but she made two quick hand gestures and cast a lift spell at the entity.

    The spell washed over it like water over a duck''s back.

    Emily snorted at that and tried to think of her options. If that hadn¡¯t worked, the likelihood of her scepter working was low, but she drew it anyway. Not to fire but as a beating stick.

    The golem continued its approach, and Cupcake danced away, keeping them just out of range. Emily scanned for an escape route as Cupcake bought her precious time. Unfortunately, there was no obvious weak point in the golem¡¯s frame¡ªshe couldn¡¯t blame the designers for not making it easy on her. She did, however, blame them when the golem suddenly halted, its fist morphing into a claw that launched straight at them.

    The projectile was fast and connected to a chain that clamped down on Cupcake''s back leg.

    ¡°A grappling hook? Really!?¡± Emily yelped.

    The chain pulled taunt and the golem began reeling them in.

    Seeing this Emily sat up and created two large blood crescents, cutting down at the the weakest point. Both landed at the same point but the chain held fast, barely showing even a scratch.

    Emily growled to herself and glanced back at the golem''s arm.

    At the exact point of transformation, Emily had spotted something interesting about this golem. It was hollow.

    When it had fired its claw at them there was the briefest of moments where she could see inside it. By the looks of things, the golem was not a solid piece of metal, but more like a suit of armor. More interestingly, there were dozens of wards lining the inside of the metal.

    But how could she exploit this?

    She very much doubted the thing would stay still long enough to allow her to fiddle with them, but there had to be a way.

    As Emily was thinking about this the chain began to shrink, dragging Cupcake, and by extention her towards the golem.

    Cupcake¡¯s ears pressed back to her skull as the golem loomed over them. All the while Emily began to gather her blood.

    The space was narrowing by the second and the golem raised its other fist to slam down on Cupcake.

    Just before it did though, Emily sent a wave of blood at its chest, splattering against its shiny exterior before she found the grooves where the plates fit together and wormed her way in.

    The moment she did the golem froze and a deep vibration came from it.

    Emily grinned and moved her blood up along the inside of the hollow shell, trying to fill all the groves, but then something unexpected happened.

    The golem suddenly let out a hum and Emily¡¯s blood faltered.

    Having never experienced something like this before, she didn¡¯t expect her blood to begin being pushed back. Well not quite. It was more like the water in her blood was being forced from the golem¡¯s insides, and as a result, it began moving again.

    Emily cursed and triggered vital shell around herself and Cupcake. The transparent red barrier crumpled as the fist descended, hurtling them into the guard railing. When Emily got her bearings she saw that the claw had remained affixed to Cupcake''s leg, allowing for it to reel back in a repeat the process.

    This entity was a perfect counter to Emily¡¯s abilities. She couldn¡¯t cut or harm it. Magic didn¡¯t work on it, and to make things worse, if she did manage to kill it, she very much doubted she would get anything out of it.

    ¡°Fuck this! We¡¯re leaving.¡± Emily said knowing when to cut her losses.

    The problem was that whatever metal this mindless hunk of junk was made of was too tough for Emily right now so she couldn¡¯t cut the chain.

    Seeing this, Emily raised a hand and created another crescent of blood, aiming it towards Cupcake''s leg.

    ¡°Sorry girl, I¡¯ll grow it back for you-¡±

    ¡°Halt! in the name of High Council!¡± A gruff voice called out behind them.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    The golem froze, at the same time both Emily and Cupcake shifted to stare out over the gorge.

    Emily had barely even heard the approach of the person now riding on the back of what looked like a giant raven.

    Unlike the one she had seen in the snow, this bird was massive, with a sandy brown plumage.

    On this back rode two individuals, both with bows drawn and aiming at Emily. The front rider had short auburn hair with a neatly trimmed beard and seemed to be to one the had spoken.

    The edges of their arrows glowed with the ominous light of a skill, and while that was compelling on its own, Emily noticed four more birds closing in.

    Deciding to lay it on thick Emily let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Oh thank the gods, you¡¯re all here. I need some help. I meant no harm but this thing attacked me.¡±

    That seemed to be the wrong thing to say because the frontman leveled his bow at Emily.

    ¡°There are no gods here, when will you get that through your skulls.¡±

    Emily frowned up at the man and glanced back at the golem.

    ¡°Oh. Well, trust me when I say I have no love for the gods. I¡¯ve just been through a lot and I thought that would get you to help me. Please lower your weapons, I won¡¯t yet harm any of you.¡±

    The man leveled his gaze on Emily as the raven closed the distance and landed on the railing beside her.

    ¡°You think I can afford to believe that? When the church is up there knocking on our front door? I¡¯m more inclined to believe you fanatics are trying to poison our water supply.¡±

    Emily sighed as she realized this was heading in a dangerous direction.

    At her urging, blood poured from her leg and sunk into Cupcake¡¯s fur, making a beeline for the chain connecting them to the golem. When it got there, she had it run subtly under the chain. The golem didn¡¯t react and neither did the riders so she continued to stare them down.

    ¡°Look, I told you. I did nothing wrong, nor am I here to poison anyone. I came through the mountains, I was traveling with a mercenary group called the Wandering Fangs, but we got separated. You are the first person I¡¯ve seen in weeks.¡±

    The front rider still had his bow drawn but he paused taking Emily in, and for the first time since he''d arrived, he seemed to hesitate. Then his eyes fell on the broken line of wards on the ledge and his face hardened.

    ¡°Okay, I know how this looks, but that sound was really annoying¡±

    The man snorted at her.

    ¡°You deactivated a sixth-rank ward because you were uncomfortable? Not likely. You¡¯ve come at the wrong time, even if what you say is true, you need to come with us.¡±

    Emily could see she¡¯d been right about this not going well, and to make matters worse the other four ravens had arrived with their riders.

    Luckily, Emily¡¯s blood had reached the arm of the golem and had already begun weaving its way in. This time her blood was not expelled, as the golem had gone inactive the moment it had gotten an order from the rider.

    ¡°Look. Let¡¯s talk about this I can¡¯t have an arrest on my personal record, what would employers think?¡±

    The rider''s face was a mask of confusion but it refocused when another explosion went off above them, causing more dust to fall from the ceiling.

    ¡°We will talk, but only when we bring you back to the city to make sure you can''t lie to us¡±

    Emily drew air through her teeth

    Her goal of entering the city was just within reach but she had a feeling if she went with these men now her conditions might not be so favorable.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not going to work for me. Never been a fan of due process, see.¡±

    The rider''s demeanor shifted as his jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed, a fierce intensity flashing across his face. His grip tightened on the reins and he whistled twice.

    The four nearby riders moved in, closing off Emily''s escape routes.

    ¡°That may have sounded like a request, but it wasn¡¯t. Don¡¯t force my hand.¡± the rider said, his eyes flickering over to the metal giant.

    Emily¡¯s smile never wavered as blood continued to coat the inside of the golem.

    ¡°...I know.¡±

    Saying this Emily sent a charge of grey source through the connected blood. She¡¯d already been trying to destroy the runes inside the armor but the material was just too resistant. All it would take was a cut or nick to it to change the shape of the runes.

    As far as she understood altering functioning runes would make the spell inert, but sadly this wasn¡¯t an option. If she had a bit of time she might be able to whittle away at the metal but she needed another plan right now.

    If destroying didn¡¯t work then what about replication?

    What would happen if she copied all the runes inside the golem and activated her own ward? The maps of how to do it were all already there, all she had to do was trace the lines.

    There was only one way to find out.

    The grey source traveled into Emily''s largest ward yet, and it began causing sparks to bounce around inside the golem, but not achieve much else.

    ¡°All units, apprehend the suspect!¡± the rider called.

    The golem reacted beginning to reel Cupcake in again. Unable to resist, Cupcake¡¯s claws began sliding across the metal floor again, it was only a matter of time before they would be in range. ¡°Dammit, just let go you metal fuck!¡± Emily couldn¡¯t help groaning.

    The golem shuddered and she felt the blood ward in the golem''s chest suddenly take hold. All at once its claw detached from Cupcake and reeled in.

    Emily was as surprised as everyone else when the gentle blue light issuing forth from between the plates shifted to red as it awaited orders.

    It may have stood there inert, but the riders certainly weren''t.

    Emily only had a fraction of a second to put together that her ward had not destroyed the golem but pressed it under her thumb, and she laughed

    ¡°Hell yeah! Apprehend these men, big guy.¡± Emily said, pointing at the charging riders.¡±

    Its reactions were immediate as two grappling hooks shot out at the nearest two ravens.

    Seeing her window closing Emily laughed and yanked on Cupcakes reins. Charging back toward to opening to the gorge. Emily could feel Cupcake worry, but she reassured her and edged her on.

    The Rime wolf growled and charged forward, vaulting over the railing and launching into the open air toward the ravens. One was already struggling against the golem¡¯s arm reeling it in, and the other three didn¡¯t expect her to dive into the gorge. Emily created three crescent blades and sent them flying at the ravens, aiming at their riders'' weapons. The blades shredded the well-crafted wooden bows but glanced off their armor.

    Yelps of pain trailed Emily as she tethered herself to Cupcake and sent a thick cord of blood back toward the cliff. Cupcake¡¯s momentum carried them outward, and as the line went taut, Emily used it to shift their force upward. The wolf crashed into the side of the gorge, then, using their remaining speed, began sprinting up the wall. Emily didn¡¯t need blood price for this; with a wall nearby, she had a more efficient way to ascend.

    Whenever they began to fall, Emily latched onto the sandstone with her blood, attaching it to Cupcake¡¯s harness to keep her grip firm. Each time, she released the rear threads and shot them forward, propelling them upward¡ªlike a bloody spider scaling a mountain.

    Laughter bubbled from Emily as the riders regrouped and pursued. They were as fast as Cupcake, if not faster, but the Rime wolf instinctively dodged the arrows whizzing past. Glancing back, Emily caught sight of the flustered rider with a dark red beard loosing an arrow. It homed in with precision, forcing her to flick her wrist and cast a vital shell, which shattered on impact, making her grunt. They were stronger than they looked.

    But the sky was close now, the top of the gorge in sight.

    ¡°Don¡¯t follow her above the shroud!¡± someone behind her shouted. The air churned with energy, and suddenly, the landscape snapped into clarity. To her left, the city sat across the gorge, enclosed within a massive dome of blue energy, with attacks rippling off its surface.

    Emily looked out over the other side and spotted a small army laying siege to the city.

    She¡¯d arrived on a battlefield.

    Blood points: 283

 Chapter 107 - Faith or fickle

    The first thing Emily did when Cupcake¡¯s paws touched down in the dirt was to take stock. Alex had said it would take months for any army to reach Lorthil, and while she hadn¡¯t been counting the days, this did not feel that long. When she took another look at her surroundings, what she had initially thought of as an army of thousands was nothing more than a couple hundred individuals.

    And while this was a battlefield, this was nothing more than an advanced unit testing their foe''s defense rather than a full-scale siege.

    The men and women Emily saw on this side resembled a roaming band of paladins and priests, dressed in the traditional suffocating garb, though it was black. She also noted they wore a symbol on the front of their robes and armor, but she didn¡¯t recognize it.

    She did however feel a deep sense of unease at the sight of it. A burning sensation made itself known in her chest that quickly put her on guard.

    Something wasn¡¯t right with these people.

    The interesting part was that where she and Cupcake had come out was rather near to the edge of their formation.

    The army looked split into smaller teams of one hundred, and one such team was near Emily and she noticed them correct their formation when they noticed her

    Emily glanced behind her and saw a thick layer of mist blocking her vision, but she could faintly hear the sound of wings in the distance.

    She was trapped between a rock and a hard place.

    No sooner had Emily begun searching for a way out than a woman dressed in robes as dark as tar stepped out of the formation with her hands held aloft. The shadows near Emily''s feet seemed to echo out a feminine voice.

    ¡°Halt! In the name of Cyclum!¡±

    Emily was still a ways from them so she had to shout to be heard from this distance.

    ¡°Yeah, no can do lady. I have people from the city on my tail!¡±

    The woman glanced over to the men beside her and then back to Emily.

    ¡°I am Priestess Oressa, if you are in need of asylum from Lorthil I can offer it.¡±

    The voice said, but Emily didn¡¯t get any closer. The woman¡¯s voice was welcoming enough, but something made Emily hesitate.

    The men beside the Priestess wore heavy-looking armor and held short spears with shields by their sides.

    Their demeanor didn¡¯t look nearly as inviting as they watched Emily with almost hostile intent.

    ¡°If it''s all the same to you, I¡¯ll just be on my way, don¡¯t mind me!¡±

    Emily clicked her tongue as she moved the reins for Cupcake to move parallel with the gorge.

    ¡°Oh, but we insist. You are a lamb that doesn¡¯t yet know the way forward. We can help you find the shadows young one.¡±

    Emily clicked her tongue at the fervent look that entered her eyes. The heavily armored men beside her moved to advance and Emily held up her hand in a calming gesture.

    ¡°Alright, let''s talk about this. Honestly, what is it with everyone out here today?¡±

    Emily kept Cupcake moving but the soldiers up here were narrowing her escape routes. As they closed in Emily glanced back to the ravine again and noticed some of the mist being disturbed nearby. Were they waiting for her?

    ¡°Alright, that''s quite enough.¡± Emily ground out.

    The Priestess Oressa had been advancing with the armed Paladins, though she carried no weapons.

    ¡°Please child, do not worry we won¡¯t harm you for no reason. Come here.¡±

    Emily glanced around and sighed. Why was it never easy, she thought as she halted Cucpcake¡¯s retreat.

    There wasn¡¯t much place to retreat anymore, and these people were going to act either way, so the only thing to do was to wait and see. If things came to it she would deal with them like she always did.

    The moment Cupcake stopped backing off, the Priestess was able to close the distance.

    ¡°There now that wasn¡¯t so bad was it? My, you look tired. If you come with us I can offer you a warm bed and food to fill your belly.¡±

    Emily had to admit that sounded great right about now, but she still glanced back towards the city.

    ¡°Look not at that house of faithlessness, what is your name child?¡±

    Emily pursed her lips trying to keep an eye on two places at once.

    ¡°They call me Emily,¡± she said with mild annoyance in her voice.

    ¡°That¡¯s a very unusual name, my friend. Mind if I confirm it?¡± Oressa said, the tell-tale sign of a skill flashing through her eyes.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    Emily actually minded very much, but that didn¡¯t look like it was going to stop her either way. The Priestess must have gotten close enough for her skill to trigger because Emily could now see her features. She had long raven hair with a feminine beauty that Emily would love to appreciate if the circumstances were different.

    Unfortunately, Emily was right to be cautious because the moment Priestess Oressa triggered her skill she lurched backward as though burnt by a hot iron.

    ¡°Cyclum protect us! You¡¯re Godstriken! I knew I sensed something strange coming off you!¡±

    Her sudden outburst caused all surrounding Paladins to raise their shields and draw their weapons at Emily.

    ¡°No wonder you came from that city! It harbors evil!¡±

    Emily cursed under her breath, she¡¯d been hoping the amulet Svent had given her would hide things, she wasn¡¯t even wearing the title for crying out loud.

    Emily held up her hands in one last placating gesture.

    ¡°Now hold on. I¡¯ve totally been trying to make amends for my actions. I¡¯m trying to repent! Teach me how to earn their forgiveness!¡±

    It was a bald-faced lie but Emily needed to buy herself time. Religious people were supposed to be big on forgiveness right?

    ¡°Your sins are beyond my ability to forgive. Maybe a Cardinal could find it in their hearts to accept you, but I can¡¯t. Men! Erase this insult of a human from our world!¡±

    Emily was flabbergasted at the one-eighty this woman had pulled, from wanting to help her, to wanting her dead in a few minutes. Emily was good at pissing people off, but this had to be a record.

    The Paladins charged at Emily and suddenly the shadows beneath Cupcake''s body rose and bound her legs to the ground.

    Emily ground her teeth together, anger surfacing from the depths of her stomach. Fine,  if they wanted to do this, she showed them why that was a bad idea.

    ¡°Attack me at your own risk, but know it was your choice to start some shit!¡±

    The charging men and women didn¡¯t even hesitate at her words, their faces filled with hatred and determination.

    Emily took a breath and reached into her chest. Her blood responded with eagerness as it began to pour out of her skin.

    Red shifted over her body and came to rest at her boots, a gown taking shape and shifting under its own breeze.

    When Oressa saw this her eyes widened and lifted her hands causing shadow to climb up and envelop Emily.

    Sadly for her, they were too slow, and the next instant Emily was floating far above them all.

    ¡°You¡¯re a Blood Mage!? Are your crimes that twisted?¡± Oressa screamed.

    Cupcake was still thrashing under the weight of shadows, but Emily raised her arm causing four blood bolts to appear.

    Which she then sent flying at Oressa. Two nearby Paladins jumped into the path of the attacks and raised their shields, but Emily was expecting that, so she weaved them around and crashed them into both their necks. The gaps in their armor could not withstand the force and both dropped to the ground dead, their heads rolling away from their bodies.

    Oressa screamed in sorrow as Emily let herself drop down into the oncoming horde of people, crescent blades surrounding her.

    She released them out in a perfect circle as soon as she landed which cut through several unprepared Paladins and fed off their power.

    Emily collected another wave of blood and slashed out again, but the Paladins had already regrouped and slammed their shields together.

    A wall of shadows encompassed Emily and the blood was completely erased. They began to close the circle but Emily created several whips originating from her back, which reached up and over the wall the Paladins had created. She then yanked them back and pulled their formation apart. As Emily had expected their skill worked better when they worked together so when the gaps began to form she sent more tendrils of blood outwards. Stabbing through gaps in their armor.

    The more blood Emily spilled the better her chances were.

    Oressa screamed as more of her men died but Emily saw when she collected the shadows and fired off a familiar beam of negative light. Emily had to duck under it out of desperation, but she realized this was nowhere near the lethality of the one she had seen back in the mountains.

    The nearby Paladins rushed in to take advantage of the opening but Emily had her scepter out so when the nearest man took a swipe at her, she parried with the rod.

    The vibrations shook up her arm, but she remained focused on the enemy in front of her, snaking out a blood whip and yanking him off balance. As he felt Emily grabbed his visor and fired a bolt through the narrow opening, detonating his skull inside the metal hamlet.

    The next fighter that arrived swung his blade and when Emily raised her weapon to block it, the incoming sword passed straight through her weapon and ground against her gown. The weapon had phased straight through her scepter but could only make a faint cut along her chest.

    The force behind the attack still hurt like hell but Emily hardly had to heal anything. Or in this case, ruby guardian didn¡¯t need to. That changed just seconds later when another blade cut her across the back of her neck, deep enough to sever her spinal cord. Emily couldn¡¯t even scream as she dropped, but before she hit the floor her arms were tingling and moving once more. Emily caught herself and used the returning blood from all the nearby wounds to shift into a half-dome coated in spikes. Several blades sunk partway through the barrier but were unable to reach her.

    Emily launched the spikes out in all directions. The bloody shrapnel tore through several men and women causing screams of pain to fill the air.

    Emily got up, standing ready for the next wave, her lips curving upward.

    Power was beginning to flood in from all directions and Emily couldn¡¯t help the smile that found its way onto her face.

    Oressa looked like she wanted to fire another beam but hesitated because of her men in the way. So instead she conjured up a cloud of shadows that she then released onto the battlefield. It traveled through her men at an alarming rate but instead of coming directly for Emily, it expanded into the area and coated her ally''s wounds.

    Their wounds didn''t close, but the shadows instead collected on the area where they were bleeding the most stemming the flow of blood. It was almost like their wounds didn¡¯t affect them anymore. Those faces that were twisted in pain seemed to come to their senses and quickly get to their feet.

    ¡°That''s cheating!¡± Emily shouted, but Oressa ignored her.

    The men that Emily had been pulling blood from were suddenly up and surrounding Emily again.

    Laughing to herself Emily got ready for the long haul when suddenly an arrow shot from the mists and lodged itself in Oressa''s gut. She screamed in agony causing the shadows tying Cupcake down to dissipate, though the Paladin''s wounds remained sealed.

    Emily glanced over to see three ravens burst from the mist, two heading from Cupcake and the other for Emily. The man with the red facial hair shot an arrow at Emily which landed at her feet. It took only a second to realize a rope was attached to the other end.

    Emily had the briefest window to decide between the army of fanatics or her potential jailers. Glancing back at Oressa Emily saw she was already recovering, so Emily grabbed hold of the rope and let it almost yank her shoulder out of the socket. Emily went hurtling into the air her bloody dress trailing behind.

    Cupcake tried to struggle at first but Emily told her to calm down and the Rime wolf let herself be abducted.

    As Emily fell back towards the mists she flipped Oressa off, and even though the woman probably didn¡¯t understand her, it made Emily feel marginally better.

    Blood points: 296

 Chapter 108 - Re-groupies

    The wind rushed past Emily''s ears, and a damp mist clung to her body. The rope had remained taunt as they descended, but she could not see where they were going or if the bird was still holding onto the other end.

    The interesting part was that as she continued to fall the world turned, and she caught sight of the skies one more. She could easily see back through the mists to the horde the zealots still searching the mists for her.

    Emily had experienced something similar going up the first time but now that she had some more breathing room the phenomenon made more sense, it was similar to a one-way mirror spell. Making it hard to enter the gorge from the outside but those coming from the trench would have the upper hand on their attacker.

    It made for the perfect defensive ambush and natural advantage.

    This then made Emily wonder why the city had not sent more resistance against the scouting party at their front door. They were literally at war.

    There was a formal declaration and everything.

    Emily wasn¡¯t sure how they did the war in this place because the fact that Sam¡¯eth had even announced their intentions for war was a disadvantage. Most of the countries she knew didn¡¯t even give a hint before striking. If you were going to go to war, why not hit them where they hurt while they weren''t expecting it?

    At least that was how Emily saw it.

    The mists dissipated once Emily reached a certain depth, and the moment she could see her situation became apparent.

    She was surrounded on all sides without much choice of retreat.

    Of the five ravens she had seen last time, all were here. Two of them had Cupcake in claw. Another two flanked her, and the remaining man Emily assumed was the leader, hung above her.

    ¡°Right, now I know this kind looks like I¡¯m at your mercy, but trust me. I could leave any time I wanted.¡± Emily said, though the fact that she was currently staring up at the man while clinging to a rope dangling below his mount probably didn¡¯t lend much to her argument.

    ¡°We saw¡­ I don¡¯t doubt your skill at evading us. But can you evade all of them out there?.¡±

    Emily squinted through the sunshine breaking through the clouds but stubbornly refused to look away from the leader.

    ¡°Look I could have taken them, the battlefield is my home.¡±

    Emily couldn¡¯t make out from this distance but the man looked like he probably raised a brow.

    ¡°I get that, but things have changed. We¡¯re willing to open a dialogue.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Emily muttered, not convinced.

    ¡°Yes. For starters, you¡¯re a Mage.¡± This seemed to be a big enough reason that he paused before moving to his next point

    ¡°And while you were trying to infiltrate our home, I don¡¯t think even those fanatics would be crazy enough to kill the number of men you just did. So I¡¯ve decided to believe your story.¡±

    Emily made a dry face.

    ¡°Hmm,  a tad late don¡¯t you think?¡±

    One of the other rides currently flying on her lever made an annoyed grunt.

    You can¡¯t blame us for thinking you were the enemy after you triggered a perimeter alarm. We dealt with you the way anyone would handle a threat to the city.

    Emily hummed as she glanced over to Cupcake who dangled below the ravens quietly.

    ¡°Well, that shows more about you than me. The fact that you couldn¡¯t make a quick judgment call is not my fault.¡±

    The rider nearby spluttered, half drawing his bow, taunt with rage.

    ¡°Enough.¡± The bearded man said staring down at Emily.

    She knew she probably shouldn''t be antagonizing them if she wanted to get into the city to search for Alex, but they started it.

    ¡°Right now, I have decided to take you back to the city, free of restraints, but don¡¯t make me regret it. We¡¯ll take you through the front entrance to be screened and if everything checks out you will be released.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t try to stop the frown that appeared on her face. This just sounded like their previous plan. Though at least without the possibility of her disappearing in an otherworldly black site.

    But even with that reassurance she still had one question.

    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid enough to think you didn¡¯t see me fighting out there, I¡¯ll come out and say it, I¡¯m a Blood mage will that be a problem?¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    The men looked amongst one another and Emily could see some discomfort passing between them but the voice of the man above drew her attention.

    ¡°Well I wouldn¡¯t go spreading that information around to the public, but the city does not deny entry to Blood mages if they have a permit. Which is what you would need to be screened for.¡±

    Emily was surprised by that. Alex had made it sound like Blood mages were not welcome in any city whatsoever. But she supposed that a city of Mages had different thoughts on this.

    ¡°And you can guarantee you won¡¯t try and imprison me if you don¡¯t like the answer? Or my partner?¡± Emily asked her eyes moving the a very sad Cupcake.

    ¡°Assuming you don¡¯t have the title, Killer or something equally dangerous to the city, you will be handed over to the college authorities who will probably try to accommodate you as best they can but as long as you don¡¯t prove a threat you should be left to your own devices ¡±

    Emily pursed her lips. She didn¡¯t like the sound of jumping through hoops, but the itching in her bridges seemed to ignite the moment she thought of leaving

    ¡°Fine, as long as you promise me you¡¯ll help me locate the mercenary group I was traveling here with.¡±

    The leader frowned at Emily.

    ¡°You are not really in a position to make demands here.¡±

    Emily rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Then don¡¯t call it a demand, call it payback for the situation you put me in.¡±

    The leader narrowed his gaze on Emily who dangled in the breeze of the gorge.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do, but only if the college is interested in taking you.¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°Well then, looks like we have a deal. Take me home, Jeeves¡±

    The leader looked amongst his men and made a sharp whistle containing four distinct notes.

    The group seemed to come to life as they began moving in the direction of the city. Worry had been bleeding through her connection with Cupcake the entire time and Emily had to continue to calm the beast down so that she wouldn¡¯t start wriggling while in midair.

    All the while the city got closer, and as they approached Emily could make out more of the details.

    What she had originally thought of as a stake driven into the side of the ravine was more like a metal rod with countless metal walls and compartments jutting out of it.

    Homes, stores, factories, and industrial zones littered the surface of the structure, but most interestingly the upper peaks of the city did not seem to be dedicated to anything other than large buildings with spires scattered about. The likes of which looked like lecture halls and libraries, small eateries, and book shops. From here, it looked like the entire bulbous top of the city was entirely devoted to study, like one huge university campus.

    The spires littered around were odd in that no singular one looked even remotely the same. From building materials to the engineering style used, every single one carried a unique charm. Some were rounded with leaning tops, while others held sharp angles and rigidly square corners. Some of the more fantastical ones looked like Jenga towers, slowly rearranging themselves under the sun.

    The whole scene took Emily''s breath away, but it was too short-lived because seconds later they were descending to what looked like docks protruding out of the side of the city. There were dozens of such locations, but this one in particular looked closer to a modern police station than a dingy prison.

    People walled on the edge of the walkways, completely disregarding the open ledges at just about every turn. Emily did notice nets set up at certain intervals but that didn¡¯t explain why cart drivers seemed to take the corners at such speeds.

    Emily''s view of the area was disrupted when the leader spoke again.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take you in for processing. We will contact the college but please understand they will decide how quickly they want to act. They will more than likely be interested in you, but just keep in mind some people have waited days to meet with a representative.¡±

    Emily had been staring above them at five large bridges that crossed this ravine. She¡¯d just noted that they were currently retracted about halfway making it impossible to cross, when his words sunk in.

    ¡°Well, then I need you to keep in mind that I have vanishingly little patience, this is not a threat, more a warning.¡± her speech absent-minded as she took in the sights of the city around her.

    Hundreds of ravens seemed to be flitting from place to place, doing all manner of tasks. From deliveries, to transport, to guarding. The whole scene reminded Emily of a massive open-air Aviary.

    When they touched down on the dock, Cupcake landed, immediately shook her coat, and crouched lower to the ground with her ears pressed back.

    The leader beside her drew Emily''s attention back to a building in front of them.

    It was a simple affair, looking like a heavy steel box set into the wall of the main structure. People flowed in and out of it freely and when a portion of the group dismounted and broke off Emily and Cupcake began to walk toward the building.

    Now that they were on the walkway the steel clanged out with every step below them but this was not what monopolized Emily''s attention.

    That was almost entirely taken up by the citizens flooding around them. Humans walked around them in crowds but they made up only half of the races she was seeing here. Dozens of entities that Emily had never even seen walked through the streets on their business. A yellow bi-pedal lizard slinked past pulling a wooden cart laden with barrels. A red-skinned woman standing eight feet tall, easily dwarfing anything else around weaved through the crowd. The edges of her head were framed by a delicate crown of natural horns and a smaller creature like that of a bulldog followed after her.

    Smaller races move past at the same time, ones similar to children in height while others hunched over because of their nature. Emily even saw a tree folk moving amongst the crowds. She¡¯d only seen a couple of other races since coming to this world but this scene was right out of a storybook, with weird and wonderful races moving about their business.

    Emily must have been staring a bit too long because she began to get a few annoyed looks, but she just continued to take in the sights and head towards the dull-looking building.

    The leader of the little team that had collected her had not stopped watching her out of the corner of his eye, but then, he wouldn¡¯t be very good at his job if he didn¡¯t.

    They walked up a small flight of stairs and the first thing Emily saw on entering the large public building was the strangest creature yet.

    There, standing near the entrance was a large bear creature. It was standing on two legs with features far thinner than the average bear but it was wearing a red robe. The creature held a certain dignity that Emily didn¡¯t know was possible for her chocolate-colored fur, but when the leader spotted her he cursed.

    ¡°They¡¯re here already?¡±

    As they spotted the bear, the bear saw them and made a graceful beeline for their team.

    When it arrived its eyes locked onto Emily and a huge toothy maw smiled at her.

    ¡°Gooday, my little friend. You may call me Milly. Am I correct in assuming you are the... red Mage?¡± a distinctly feminine voice asked.

    Blood points: 297

 Chapter 109 - Arriving in time

    POV - Alexander

    Alexander walked down the gradual slope, the sandstone crumbling underfoot. The wandering fangs had passed over the mountain range days ago, and at last, the city came into view. The ravine in which it sat scarred the landscape¡ªa deep, jagged wound. It looked exactly as he remembered it, though in slightly better condition. The last time he''d arrived, Sam¡¯eth had been pounding on the city¡¯s walls for weeks. Now, they hoped sticking to this route would help them avoid any wandering skirmishes.

    Kael kept glancing behind them, his unease written in every glance. But the closer they came to the city, the more his tension ebbed.

    By the time they leveled with the gorge, Alexander could make out the five main bridges spanning it. The city was close now¡ªwithin reach. But just as they stepped onto the open field leading to the nearest bridge, everything unraveled.

    Kael, leading the pack, abruptly halted his mount. His sharp, commanding voice cut through the air.

    ¡°Everyone, on guard! Something¡¯s coming!¡±

    Weapons scraped free as the group stiffened, eyes scanning the barren expanse. Ashe and Nox moved closer to Alexander, their wolves shifting nervously beneath them, ears flicking back. Overhead, a thick blanket of clouds rolled in, drowning the sun in oppressive gray.

    ¡°Behind us!¡± Selia¡¯s urgent voice snapped through the silence.

    Alexander twisted in his saddle as a figure emerged from the shadows of a jagged crag. The man stepped into the murky light, his presence darkening the gray around him. Shadows clung unnaturally to his form, warping the light so it seemed both brighter and dimmer at once.

    Recognition hit Alexander like a blow. That face¡ªthe Black Cardinal. A nightmare seared into his memory from the final battle at Lorthil. He was here too early, far too early.

    Alex¡¯s gaze shot to Kael, who already had his weapon drawn. His jaw clenched. They couldn¡¯t fight this man¡ªnot now.

    The Cardinal was a fair distance away, but with a single step, he blurred forward, closing the gap between them.

    ¡°Wonderful,¡± he said, his voice resonant and sinister. ¡°New initiates. I¡¯ll need men to crack this putrid egg wide open. Come, all of you, bathe in the grace of our god Cyclem.¡±

    Kael dismounted, placing his hand over his heart in a salute. Sweat poured down his neck, dampening his collar.

    ¡°It is an honor to meet one as powerful as you, my friend. How may I address you?¡±

    The Cardinal barely glanced at him before turning away, eyes fixed elsewhere. Figures emerged from the shadows behind him, forming ranks. Alexander recognized the Oathsworn. If they stayed, they¡¯d be surrounded.

    ¡°Leave your worries behind and come rest in the shade,¡± the Cardinal said, his tone deceptively soothing.

    Kael gritted his teeth, his gaze darting to Alexander. They¡¯d all heard the rumors. When a Cardinal was on a crusade, the man beneath the title was gone. What remained was an instrument of the gods¡ªunstoppable and unreasoning.

    Alexander shook his head subtly. They couldn¡¯t afford to stay.

    Kael swallowed hard, then raised a hand to his mouth and let out a piercing whistle.

    ¡°Scatter!¡±

    The wandering fangs bolted in all directions. Alexander yanked on his wolf''s reins, guiding the beast after Nox. Around him, the group split, some surprised by Kael¡¯s command but none hesitating.

    Alexander kept his eyes on the path ahead. They had to reach the bridges. If the city saw this, they might retract the bridges to keep the Oathsworn out¡ªbut they had to act fast.

    ¡°Apprehend the non-believers,¡± the Cardinal intoned.

    In a blink, he was in front of Kael. Gerade and his wolf lunged at him, a desperate strike. A shadowy beam erupted from the Cardinal, obliterating the Rime wolf¡¯s head. The massive creature crumpled mid-leap, dead before hitting the ground.

    Gerade screamed, leaping from the corpse and charging at the Cardinal with murder in his eyes.

    Kael dismounted, vaporous energy wreathing his form, amplifying his speed and reflexes. His spear darted forward, striking only shadow.

    Alexander spurred his wolf forward, speeding in the opposite direction. He knew what awaited those captured by the Cardinal. Death would be a mercy compared to that.

    Kael¡¯s strikes disrupted the shadows briefly, but his fourth attack never landed. Dark energy surged outward, blasting him off his feet and dissipating the protective vapors around him.

    Alexander caught up to Ashe and Nox, shouting over the chaos.

    ¡°Keep running! No matter what!¡±

    Men and women in heavy armor emerged, forming a wall of shields. The wandering fangs collided with them, some riders falling instantly. Alexander wove through the gaps, Ashe close behind. Others weren¡¯t so lucky, ensnared by strands of shadow.

    Selia¡¯s wolf went down, throwing her clear. She rolled, rising with weapons drawn. She cut down two Oathsworn before the rest overwhelmed her.Stolen novel; please report.

    The ramp to the city loomed ahead. The bridges groaned, their metal frames retracting into the sandstone. Only half a dozen wolves leapt onto the narrowing surface. Others tried but abandoned the jump as the gap became too wide.

    Alexander glanced back at the battlefield. The wandering fangs were falling, one by one. Kael fought fiercely, but even he was eventually brought down.

    Mark swore under his breath. This was a disaster. He needed Kael to cross the desert, without him they would be lost.

    ¡°Alex, behind us!¡± Nox shouted.

    Alexander turned toward the city. Spellshields were approaching, accompanied by Current Riders.

    ¡°We stay together and find a place to lay low. We need to think this through.¡±

    They had arrived in Lorthil but in the worst possible condition. Alex stood at the front, bracing to meet the incoming men. In the back of his mind, he found himself missing Emily''s usual indifferent attitude¡ªit would certainly be welcome in their current predicament.

    POV - Emily

    Harsh light poured down from crystals embedded in the ceiling, effectively mimicking the stark glow of fluorescent bulbs from Emily¡¯s world. The illumination gave the small interrogation room a sterile and unwelcoming appearance. Emily leaned back in a simple chair, quietly observing the three other individuals in the room.

    The scene was so familiar it was almost comforting to her.

    A red-bearded man sat across the table, while another member of his team stood nearby, watching Emily intently. The moment she had entered the room, she felt a strange dampening sensation settle over her shoulders, leading her to assume the man was a Jailer or something similar.

    Just to be certain, she activated a vital shell and confirmed her skills were being suppressed. It limited the cards Emily could play, but just like last time, her power remained ready to act if necessary. The only explanation Emily could come up with was that the skill blocked the title from communicating with its bearer. While this didn¡¯t matter to her now, as one accumulated strength and titles, the restriction would likely become less bothersome.

    For example, Emily had learned much from Performer. Though she didn¡¯t have it slotted at the moment, that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t use the knowledge it had imparted.

    The last person in the room was the female bear, who stood in the corner watching Emily with the same fascination one might have for an animal in a zoo.

    Emily turned her attention back to the man sitting across from her.

    ¡°Right, we never officially met, but my name is Roland. I am the vice-captain of the sixteenth district, and I will be conducting your interview.¡±

    The bear woman frowned at Roland before chiming in.

    ¡°And I am Citta, an ambassador to our fair city. Lorthil welcomes you, my friend.¡±

    The moment Citta had spotted Emily, she had tried to whisk her away from the building, but Roland had stood his ground. The two seemed at odds. Though Citta appeared annoyed by his resistance, she hadn¡¯t argued further.

    Emily snorted.

    ¡°Not feeling particularly welcome at this stage.¡±

    Roland rolled his eyes as he leafed through the document in front of him.

    ¡°The mere fact that your hands aren''t bound is more than enough welcome if you ask me.¡±

    Citta tutted at Roland and turned to Emily.

    ¡°Do not fret. This interview is nothing more than a formality devised by those with too much time on their hands.¡±

    Roland¡¯s face twitched, and he glared at the robed official before returning his focus to Emily.

    ¡°Right, what brings you to our fair city, and what do you desire to do while here? Keep in mind, lying right now is impossible.¡±

    Emily glanced at the guard beside the table, who was watching her intently. From her experience with Selia, she knew truthtelling skills were quite thorough, so she decided to test the limits.

    ¡°The reason I came to Lorthil is that I was told it was the best place to get to my destination. And right now, the only desires I have are for a bath, good food, and a bed.¡±

    Roland frowned and cleared his throat.

    ¡°And what destination might that be?¡±

    Emily couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    ¡°I don¡¯t rightly know.¡±

    Roland¡¯s expression hardened, but a glance at the Jailer confirmed that she was telling the truth.

    At least Alex¡¯s paranoia had been helpful in some way.

    ¡°Look, you really want to work with us here,¡± Roland said.

    Emily nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯m not lying to you. I truly don¡¯t know where we were headed.¡±

    Roland huffed.

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me you came from the Spineback Mountains, passed through the Maw, over the Wyrm¡¯s Playground, and never thought to ask where you were going? Are you mad?¡±

    Emily¡¯s smile faded slightly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I never asked. It¡¯s just that I never got an answer. I¡¯m not any happier about it than you are, but some circumstances forced me to make the trip. Now, you have your answer. Ask your other questions.¡±

    Roland squinted at Emily¡¯s crossed arms and sighed, scribbling something on the page in front of him. She couldn¡¯t make out the words from her seat.

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t know where you¡¯re going. What city did you come from?¡±

    This question was easier to answer. Emily recounted Targin¡¯s Keep and the village they had stopped at along the way. At the mention of the keep, the others frowned.

    ¡°What, you guys not on good terms?¡± Emily asked curiously.

    Citta was the one to respond.

    ¡°Actually, they were among the allies we sent a message to for aid, but we have yet to receive a response.¡±

    Emily frowned, recalling the documentation they¡¯d been handed by the Noble. Could there have been a response among those papers? Alex had been the one to read them, but she wasn¡¯t about to bring that up on a hunch.

    ¡°Actually, I have a question of my own,¡± Emily said, inspecting her nails. ¡°How are you all so calm with enemies at your front door?¡±

    Roland glanced at Citta, and for the first time since meeting the grumpy man, Emily saw him smile.

    Citta scratched her head before answering.

    ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s nothing new for our two neighboring cities to quarrel. They threaten war every decade or so, but we always endure. This city has never fallen, and it won¡¯t this time, either. The men stationed outside are no more a threat than a child kicking and screaming.¡±

    Emily raised a brow at the comment. Sure, she wasn¡¯t fond of the religious people outside, but Citta spoke as if infiltrating the city was an impossibility.

    If they wanted to get inside, though, they had someone capable of killing a mother Wyrm. She doubted the city could withstand an assault like that for long, though they must have their own powerhouses.

    Not that it mattered to her. Emily just wanted to find Alex and leave before the real fighting began.

    ¡°Good to hear. So, are there any other questions, or are we done here?¡± she asked impatiently.

    Roland glanced at Citta, his expression growing more serious.

    ¡°Yes, just one more. Do you, through action or inaction, intend to harm this city in any way?¡±

    Emily shook her head.

    ¡°I can confidently say that I want nothing of the sort. I intend no harm to the city, but I won¡¯t sacrifice my life to protect it, either.¡±

    The guard beside Roland visibly relaxed at this response.

    Citta seized the moment.

    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s all you wanted to ask Lady Emily, then you can release her into my capable hands. Thank you for your service, Roland.¡±

    The vice-captain grunted as he studied Emily, searching for any hint of deceit. When he found none, he sighed and glanced at the Jailer. Emily felt her skills return as the suppression lifted.

    ¡°All right, but remember¡ªshe¡¯s your problem now,¡± Roland said.

    Citta nodded hurriedly, opening the door.

    Emily rose as Roland stood, and she followed Citta out. At the door, she paused and turned back, noticing Roland still watching her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget our deal.¡±

    She winked and stepped into the light.

    Blood points: 298

 Chapter 110 - A meeting in a den

    Stepping out onto the street brought with it the sour smell of pack animals, their sweat mixing with the fine dust tracked through the streets. Citta stepped towards the busy road and Emily spotted a carriage waiting for them at the curb of the street. The vehicle was made almost entirely of metal, with clear indentations and simple ribbons of red coming off it. A human driver sat at the top of it and tipped his wide-brimmed hat as they approached.

    The door opened on its own for Citta and the large bear-like woman climbed gracefully into the carriage. After which she turned and looked at Emily.

    ¡°Please get in, we¡¯ll arrive at my Master''s tower soon, he wants to meet you before anything else happens,¡± Citta said as she began climbing into the carriage.

    Emily moved to the door but made no move to enter the carriage.

    ¡°Oh, well unless you can make a compelling case I¡¯m not all that interested in going with you my friend. You have given me no reason to trust you as of yet. You haven''t even told me why you want to meet your Master. Would you operate without any information, if I offer you the same parameters?¡±

    Citta¡¯s eyes widened at this and she held up her hands.

    ¡°Oh, you have nothing to worry about from me or my Master, we just happened to have our longsight aimed at the battlefield when you came out of the shroud matrix and displayed a proficient level of blood magic. Now, we thought you might have some insight into its workings and we were hoping to get your input on a particular experiment we¡¯ve been running recently, but if you are not interested you are free to go.¡±

    Emily searched the woman''s face but didn¡¯t see a hint of a lie, she was about to take a step back from the carriage when Citta continued.

    ¡°However, I would say that there is a high possibility others also saw your little display earlier. If you don¡¯t come with me the likelihood you will be pestered later down the line is quite high.¡±

    Emily slowed and placed her arms on either side of the door frame.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying if I come with you they won¡¯t bother me?¡±

    ¡°Exactly¡±

    Emily glanced into the carriage and saw that it was furnished with the most beautiful-looking cloth and ornaments. She wanted to ask the woman if she could help her find Alex but decided not to give away all her cards just yet.

    ¡°And if I try to leave you won¡¯t stop me?¡±

    Citta resembled a contented cat savoring a fresh bowl of cream.

    ¡°Certainly not. All we want is to speak to you and perhaps offer a deal. My Master is well connected in Lorthil so we can offer a good deal in this city.¡±

    Emily hummed to herself, she saw no reason not to check things out and brought one foot up onto the carriage to pull herself in.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll hear you out, but just so you know, I¡¯m not agreeing to anything yet.¡±

    ¡°Certainly so, contracts cannot be made with something as fickle as words.¡±

    Citta smiled happily to herself, flicking her wrist and causing the door to slam shut behind Emily, sealing them off from the world outside.

    Cupcake would have to run next to the carriage but their speed was easy for her to match.

    The carriage pulling off made Emily stumble, so she plopped herself down on the opposite bench

    Emily quickly sank into what was possibly the comfiest cushion she¡¯d encountered since arriving in this world, groaning softly as it molded perfectly to her form.

    Letting out a sigh, Emily glanced across the cabin at the bear woman.

    ¡°If this is rude, call me out on it, but what race are you?¡± Emily asked.

    Citta¡¯s polite smile never left her face as she tapped a small compartment on the side and produced a small box of what looked like biscuits.

    ¡°Oh, not at all. My Master and I are Silvaren. We are a long-lived race that inhabits the forests down south, but I wanted to further my education so I found myself in this city twenty years ago.¡±

    Emily hummed softly as she turned to gaze out the small window on the side of the carriage. Cupcake trotted alongside, but her attention was drawn to the bustling streets teeming with life. The scene reminded her of Targin¡¯s Keep, though there was an unusual energy to the people here.

    Unlike the keep, the citizens carried a manic light in their eyes, an edge to their hurried movements. It was hard to pinpoint, but their fervent activity felt more desperate than determined, almost admirable if not for the faint, acrid undercurrent of fear lingering in the air.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Shifting her focus, Emily took in the natural beauty of the city itself. While vegetation was sparse, the rigid architecture compensated, showcasing intricate designs and sharp, purposeful lines. Each shop and structure seemed to weave seamlessly into the next, forming distinct districts where life bustled on.

    Children milled about the streets in matching uniforms, their chatter suggesting they¡¯d just been released from school. The sight added a semblance of normalcy to the otherwise intense atmosphere.

    The carriage continued its steady progress until it arrived at an enormous elevator structure. Its platform was wide enough to accommodate beasts and carriages, and though its initial ascent was slow, Emily noted the impressive speed it achieved once fully in motion, lifting its passengers out of the lower levels and beyond.

    Emily watched them rise out of the ravine and then beyond that, as she noticed they were heading towards the campus filled with structures.

    When they were deposited on the upper level, Emily felt as though they had stepped into a quaint, sleepy village.

    The quiet streets were lined with uneven cobblestones that hinted at their age, leading to ancient towers cloaked in moss and ivy. Despite the overgrowth, the buildings retained a well-maintained appearance, their charm blending history and care seamlessly.

    They passed under the shadows of towers, each more grandiose than the last, as though they were competing for the skyline.

    Minutes passed and Emily was just starting to get bored of the scenery when the carriage came to a complete stop outside a particular tower.

    Seeing this Emily grabbed two more of the apricot-flavored biscuits and stepped out of the carriage, stretching as she did so.

    The tower before them stood as a flawless cylinder of black marble, its surface adorned with striking veins of gold that ran through it like rivers of molten light.

    At this distance, Emily could see that the structure was quite thick and stretched up to at least ten stories.

    ¡°Miss Emily, a word,¡± Citta said as she smiled up at the tower.

    ¡°My Master has had a long life and over that time he has served as a Custodian and even a Chancellor but he hates well people who try to flatter him. If you want to do anything make sure it is on your own merit, okay?¡±

    Emily glanced at the woman and shrugged.

    ¡°Got it, don¡¯t coddle his ego, I wasn¡¯t going to do that anyway.¡±

    Citta looked worriedly at Emily and then cleared her throat.

    ¡°Right, well, please come this way.¡±

    Emily followed the silvaren to the tower. At first, Emily thought that the door was around the back because she saw no obvious entrance, but as they got near Citta clicked her fingers and the stone wall in front of them rearranged itself into an open doorway.

    Emily was surprised at that, but she did vaguely remember Alex saying something about a Mage¡¯s tower being hard to get into.

    The entrance was well light and had a welcoming feel to it, so as Citta entered, Emily ducked into the mouth of this tower.

    As she crossed the threshold a severe case of vertigo accosted her, but she caught herself on the threshold.

    The first thing she noticed was the warm chamber with wooden walls fashioned in the theme of a log cabin. The next was the ridiculous amount of red source in this place.

    Normally, Emily could only see grey source, and that was only if she focused, but right now the flitting particles of red danced in front of her eyes like fireworks.

    Stepping inside felt like she was coming home to a warm nest. Something in her blood seemed to resonate with this place and its energy. In fact, the temperature seemed just right for her new body and caused the knots in her shoulders to unwind from weeks out in the wilds.

    Citta glanced back and grimaced.

    ¡°Sorry about the heat, Master Ariandel said it''s good for the bones.¡±

    Emily waved her off as she stepped into the room, and was not at all surprised when she looked back and the entrance they had come through had vanished.

    A staircase in the corner of the room creaked and down came a silvaren with what was probably once black fur. But now age had dulled it to a mix of dark browns and grays.

    He had a book open in front of him and when he spotted them a gentle smile appeared on his face.

    ¡°Ah, Citta my girl. Is this our guest? Quiet young isn¡¯t she.¡±

    Citta bowed and Emily got the feeling of a grandfather from the bea-like individual. She could also feel that he was on par with Kael at the very least. Yet that danger she usually felt when he was around was nowhere to be seen in front of this silvaren.

    ¡°Hello there, good to meet you. I hear you have an offer for me.¡± Emily started.

    The silvaren chuckled heartily to himself.

    ¡°What¡¯s the rush, how about we go to the roof for some tea.¡±

    Emily was about to open her mouth to decline when he flicked his paws and a large amount of red source moved around them.

    The next she realized the cityscape splayed out below them, visible only through a netting of plants and vines growing in pots around the rooftop. A black stone gazebo hung overhead and even though they were once more outside, Emily could still feel the warmth of the tower rising up from below them.

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened and she glanced around. She hadn¡¯t expected such a causal display of strength. She¡¯d never confirmed if teleportation was possible, but if it was she would have thought spatial movement would be the domain of yellow source, not red.

    The Master had gone to sit down and Citta had moved to stand behind him like a faithful servant.

    ¡°Come now, don¡¯t stand gawking all day youngling, come sit, tell me your name.¡±

    Emily blinked at the man, quickly masking her surprise. She seated herself opposite the silvaren, easing into a finely crafted wrought-iron chair.

    ¡°You may call me Emily, and am I to assume you are Ariandel¡±

    The silvaren¡¯s face flashed a toothy smile, and even at his age they didn¡¯t look like they¡¯d lost an ounce of their gleam

    ¡°You may call me that, yes,¡± he said as he began pouring a fruity tea from a silver teapot. His larger fingers were ever so dexterous.

    ¡°Right well, Miss Citta told me you had a deal to offer me and I honestly only came because I think we can be of use to one another. So let''s not beat around the bush, what do you want.¡±

    Ariandel hummed to himself as he placed a delicate-looking teacup down in front of Emily and began pouring his own.

    ¡°Interesting dialect you have there. But more than that is how you talk. I¡¯ve never heard an idiom like that before, so it stands to reason you are not from here. Or at least not the north. I did a bit of traveling in my younger days and unless it''s a more recent phrase, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m familiar. Though your meaning did come through¡­¡± he stopped to take his first sip of tea, as he was saying all this.

    ¡°... but as you will learn I¡¯m an old soul and sometimes these things can¡¯t be pushed. Out of interest would your current hastiness have anything to do with the contract stamped into your soul, perhaps,¡± he said as he drew the teacup back to his large lips.

    Blood points: 299

 Chapter 111 - The contractor

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened and she felt the blood in her chest tighten, a crimson light flashing through her pupils.

    On the other side of the small table, Ariandel¡¯s eyes burned with a fiery red. Where Emily¡¯s were filled with pure life force, his were like two pools of motel rock.

    If he could see her contract, then what else was he capable of? Could he reverse it and kick Emily out of her body?

    If so, he needed to die.

    ¡°Woah! Relax younglin. I mean you no harm. Whatever that contract is for I have neither the intention nor the ability to break it. Only a sufficiently powerful Law Breaker might be able to help.¡± Ariandel said raising his arms

    The bear-like man had somehow managed to look sheepish as he stared at Emily, but she had to know.

    ¡°How did you know I have a contract is it that obvious?¡±

    Ariandel cleared his throat and nodded as though admonishing himself.

    ¡°My deepest apologies, I may have started this conversion inappropriately. To make it up to you I¡¯ll answer your question. Once a Red Mage reaches a certain level of skill they can see the energy that makes up this world. This makes them incredibly good at discerning enchantments, and what are contracts if not complex enchantments on the soul.¡±

    Emily¡¯s hands had not released the corners of the chair but she couldn¡¯t help the question that bubbled up out of her.

    ¡°And let''s just say for a moment one wanted to get out of the contract they were under and keep the rewards for themself. Is that something you can do?¡±

    Both Ariandel and Citta¡¯s eyes widen at the question, but the Master was the first to answer.

    ¡°...Breaking a contract is not so hard¡­ but keeping whatever was put up as collateral is a line of study not many have bothered to explore because it''s widely seen as impossible. Decades have been dedicated to breaking down each exchange and yet there¡¯s been no success as of yet. You might be looking at another decade or two until we find anything conclusive.¡±

    Emily frowned to herself, it sounded like keeping her body if she tried to break the contract was impossible. If that was the case then she was better off just waiting out the time limit than waiting an unknown amount of time.

    Sighing to herself, Emily glanced up at the bear.

    ¡°Never mind that it was just a passing fancy. I accept your apology and would love to hear what you have brought me here for.¡±

    One of Ariandel¡¯s ears flicked as a pleased expression appeared on his face.

    ¡°Well, I suppose we can get right to it. The reason I called you here was because my most recent project has reached a dead end of sorts, and I truly believe it could be a revolutionary find. It is just that to progress I need the right catalyst. Someone who has the appropriate skills to help me craft my final crowning design.¡±

    Ariandel¡¯s eyes had filled with an intense passion as he spoke and Emily glanced over at Citta who had an equally pleased expression on her face.

    ¡°Okay¡­and what exactly is it that you think I could help you with? It sounds like you are trying to make something but I don¡¯t know the first thing about that stuff.¡±

    Ariandel seemed to come back to himself.

    ¡°Ah, well, that''s not what I need you for. You remember when I told you that Red Mages are good at enchantments. Well, I¡¯ve dabbled in relic creation all my life, and while I do have some success here and there. This one will change the way we look at source. It''s the whole reason we¡¯re even fighting with Sam¡¯eth. Imagine that, we could end this war once and for all with a single invention!¡±

    Emily stared at the Silvaren as he got more animated.

    ¡°Look buddy, you are going to start making a little more sense. What is it you want from me.¡±

    Ariandel took a breath and nodded to himself.

    ¡°Right, apologies again. What I currently need help with is stabilizing my current relic and I think a Blood Mage would be well suited to figuring this out. As for its function, how familiar are you with source poisoning? ¡±

    Emily hummed and thought back to what Ashe had taught her.

    ¡°Souce poisoning comes about when too much is taken in and it begins to erode the natural limits of the body¡±

    Ariandel nodded.

    ¡°Indeed, but have you ever wondered why it is that the source ¡®poisons¡¯ you? After decades of research, I have narrowed it down to one thing. The gods. We can¡¯t know for sure which came first source or the gods, some even think they are the same thing, but I can tell you that it is their influence that limits our abilities. My relic is intended to filter out that out and allow for an uninterrupted supply of clean source.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Emily¡¯s brows rose at this information.

    She had felt her limits a couple of times, though from what Ashe said her reserves were significantly larger than the average person''s. This meant that for others this restriction was large enough that they needed a way around it. Emily had her blood to fall back one, so if one was able to draw on source infinitely then they could probably become incredibly effective in battle.

    Emily''s thoughts were bushed aside when Ariandel kept talking.

    ¡°I planned to publicly announce this in half a month, but if you decide to help I might even have a prototype.¡±

    Emily frowned at the time scale. Half a month? Alex had said that in his last life, the war had started much later than it had this time round.

    The reason was an assassination attempt on some bigwig in Sam¡¯eth, but wouldn¡¯t that have happened either way?

    The real question was what had they gone to war for last time?

    If this invention went public what would Sam¡¯eths reaction have been?

    ¡°Hey Ariandel, I have to ask. Why do you think that this invention would cause peace between the two cities?¡± Emily asked.

    The Silvaren glanced back at Citta and then to Emily.

    ¡°Well¡­ we would stop making use of their god''s power and that would in turn reduce tensions¡±

    Emily stared at the two mages and neither seemed to see where she was coming from. There was a saying from one of Emily''s favorite movies that applied here.

    ¡°We were so focused on whether we could, that we didn¡¯t stop to think if we should.¡±

    The thing was that Emily had no love for the gods and they were already at war so there really was no reason to bring it up to them.

    ¡°So then what would be my role in all of this and what would I get out of this¡±

    Ariandel looked relieved that she would hear him out and nodded happily.

    ¡°Well, the biggest problem I¡¯m having right now is anyone I have tried to place my prototype on has died during the operation. Unfortunately because of the delicate nature of the relic, it cannot be exposed to any source other than what is inside.

    The problem I am having is that if I have a White Mage fix the damage incurred in the operation it breaks the relic, but if I let them suffer through the implantation they die from the amount of source coming in.¡±

    Once Emily heard this, she sat back in her chair and pursed her lips, but Ariandel kept talking.

    ¡°Now from what I understand Blood Mages can heal themselves without using anything but their own life sources. If that is the case then, your help could be indispensable to figuring out what a successful transplant looks like.¡±

    Emily held up her hand to stop Ariandel in his tracks.

    ¡°Listen, from the sounds of things you want me to become your test subject, willingly. And from the outside looking in it does not sound like you have had much success as of yet. So I¡¯ll have to decline that offer, but as it so happens I can fix others up just as easily. So it comes down to what you are willing to offer me.¡±

    Ariandel¡¯s eyes at this and he muttered under his breath.

    ¡°I was under the impression you could only heal yourself. There is still so much I don¡¯t understand about that magic.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t correct him as she stared at Citta¡¯s surprised eyes.

    Just as a side note, are we going to get into any trouble for experimenting on humans¡ªor, uh, other sentient races?

    Ariandel¡¯s eyes widened and he shook his head.

    ¡°Oh, certainly not. My test subjects are all willing candidates.¡±

    Emily glanced at Citta and noticed she looked rather uncomfortable at that statement.

    Emily shrugged and continued.

    ¡°Right well then let''s get down to terms. First off it takes life force to heal people, so you will need to supply that. Don''t worry, livestock will work just fine. Secondly, I need a place to stay, and lastly and perhaps the most important. I need help finding someone who may have entered the city a couple of days ago.¡±

    Ariandel grinned.

    ¡°I like the way you think. Firstly I require you to help me stabilize the lives of the test subjects and offer up any insight you may have on our progress. During our partnership together I expect you to keep all the things you learn under wraps, and should I call you for an experiment you will drop what you are doing and assist me.¡±

    Emily picked up her teacup and took a sip of the pleasant fruity taste. She could already see a good number of traps in Ariandel¡¯s words so she decided to add another clause.

    ¡°I never heard anything about a time limit, so we¡¯ll cap this partnership to a week. If it takes longer than that, we¡¯ll have to relook at our conditions. I also want you to know that my current contract will supersede this one. Should I have to choose between answering its call and yours, I will choose it.¡±

    This caused a twitch in Ariandel¡¯s brow.

    ¡°The weekly update I can understand, but I do not know what your contract is, how can I agree to that?¡±

    Emily nodded to herself as she leaned back in the chair.

    ¡°I can not tell you the contents as it pertains to my safety, but that clause should not cause you any trouble.¡±

    Ariandel looked worried as he interlaced his hands together.

    ¡°Then I will ask that if I do find who you are looking for, you must complete the week we agreed upon provided it does not put you in danger of course.¡±

    Emily placed a hand on her chin as she did the mental gymnastics. She added in a couple more things, like a time limit on how much time he got a day but overall it seemed like a fairly amicable contract.

    Emily was kind of excited to play a mad scientist or in this case mad Mage.

    ¡°Right, so I¡¯ll draft the contract and we can both sign. Then Citta can take you to a nearby guest lodging.¡±

    Emily nodded as Ariandel took out a piece of thick parchment. As he did so he popped the cap of a vial of mudy ink and began scribbling on the page.

    Now Emily could not read all that well, but even she could tell that this was not the written language she was accustomed to.

    It was runes being scribbled onto the parchment, linked by a flowing cursive-like penmanship.

    ¡°There, is this up to your standards?¡± he said as he handed it to her to look over.

    Emily tried to keep her face as neutral as possible as she looked over the small sheet of paper. The runes were much the same as the ones she had seen in out in the ravine, suffice to say she couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it.

    Luckily, Emily had always been better at reading people''s intentions when they were trying to fuck her over. So a glance up at the two Mages told her all she needed to know.

    Placing the document down again she smiled and pushed it back to him with a raised eyebrow.

    Ariandel¡¯s eyes flickered down to the page and his shoulders slumped slightly. Lowering his eyes he took out a fresh piece of parchment and began writing all over again.

    Once this one was completed she gave it a ¡®once over¡¯ and then took the offer writing implement and signed her name. As Ariandel added his own signature Emily saw the rune ignite and she felt a strange tightening in her bones.

    Blood points: 300

 Chapter 112 - A restless mind

    The contract fell into place with more ease than Emily thought it would, she glanced up, and Ariandel smiled in her direction.

    ¡°Well Miss Emily, it is wonderful to have you on board. I''ll have Citta lead you to your living arrangements, and we shall begin tomorrow. I¡¯ll get to work on locating the individual you¡¯re looking for, and we go from there. Meet back here in the early afternoon as I need time to make the arrangements you requested. I also want to give you some reading material for overnight study.¡±

    Emily nodded at this as a stack of pages appeared on the table.

    ¡°Please protect that information with your life as it pertains to my research.¡±

    Emily picked up the bound stack of pages and flipped through it, noticing a complex array of runes and explanations. She grunted and looked up at the grandfatherly bear.

    ¡°It''s a pleasure doing business with you, I hope this will be a short but fruitful exchange.¡±

    Ariandel got up, and the scene shifted again as the setting changed around them. She found them moved back down to the base floor.

    Emily glanced around at the interesting decor and tried to locate the door.

    ¡°Just a moment. Here take this.¡± Ariandel produced a metal pin with a red ribbon coming off it.

    ¡°This will show that you are not to be bothered while on the outer campus. Please keep in mind that I will have to answer for problems you cause, so act with prudence¡±

    Emily looked down at the badge and couldn¡¯t help the smile that appeared on her face as she pinned it to her chest.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Ariandel, I¡¯ll make sure nothing bad happens to me¡±

    Ariandel looked relieved with a hint of concern still in his eyes, but he smiled as the door leading out of the tower appeared.

    ¡°Marvelous, reassuring to have another educated mind on this issue, I guarantee you won¡¯t regret this.¡±

    Emily nodded as Citta followed her out and they made their way into the road.

    Glancing back Emily could make out the excited grin on her face.

    ¡°Well, I am so glad Master Ariandel liked you so much. He would not have offered such good conditions if he did not.¡±

    Emily nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m not used to this type of welcoming treatment, but I¡¯ll take it where I can get it.¡±

    Citta hummed.

    ¡°Oh, if you are talking about all those rumors about Blood Mages, don¡¯t worry we won¡¯t let that affect our judgment. You¡¯re receiving the same respect any Mage would in Lorthil. After our business is over you should spread the word. Lorthil has always wanted to deepen its connections with the Weeping, but they have remained stubbornly unresponsive until now. Oh! Not that you¡¯re stubborn Miss Emily!¡±

    Emily pursed her lips, there was a misunderstanding here but she wasn¡¯t one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

    Emily remembered how scared Ashe was when she thought she was a Blood Mage, so either there was a trick here somewhere, or the higher-ups were more willing to bend the rules when it came to dealing with unmentionables.

    The documents Emily had on her were given because he believed her to be some high-ranking Mage who could make sense of them. She could only bluff through so much, but hopefully, Ariandel found Alex before things got too problematic.

    Cupcake had waited patiently outside and the moment she saw Emily she padded over to sniff at her.

    Emily ruffled her coat and nodded to Citta, leaving her on tenterhooks as they boarded the carriage again.

    They traveled in relative silence for about ten minutes and when they arrived Citta opened the door for Emily while holding out a key.

    The street beyond did not contain any towers around, but there were a couple of small stand-alone houses with simple refined features. The street felt more like a culdesac with four other houses arranged neatly in its corners and in the center a statue of Ariandel, or at least a similar-looking Silvaren had been erected.

    Emily stepped off and noticed the main street out down to the rest of the city just nearby. When she turned back to look at Citta Silvaren and grinned a toothy smile.

    ¡°This is Master¡¯s guest lodging, so you pick any house. While in possession of that badge, you¡¯re free to come and go as you please, just make sure you¡¯re not late tomorrow.¡±

    Emily nodded as she took the offered key and turned towards the house. The carriage already pulling off and heading back the way it had come.

    Emily snorted as she looked at the four near-identical houses and sighed.

    A lot had happened today and she could hope for nothing more than a bath to get rid of the weeks of travel.

    Making her way over to the nearest building she slotted the key in and opened the door. Cupcake scented the air and scampered into the living place after Emily, even though the entrance was probably not designed for her bulk.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The first thing Emily saw upon entering the house was a tasteful common room that led off to two bedrooms and what Emily thought was a bathroom.

    Dumping her pack in the hallway Emily made a beeline for the washroom while Cupcake made herself at home on the large, expensive-looking upholstery.

    Turning the corner Emily looked in to see a decent-sized tub for bathing and when she moved over to it she saw a valve of sorts. Hoping that was what she thought it was, Emily fiddled with it and eventually figured it out. The button depressed and sparkling warm water began to fill the tub from the ground up at an incredible speed. Where the what was coming from, Emily didn¡¯t know, but it mattered little as it almost brought a tear to her eye.

    Stripping off her rancid clothes, Emily clamored into the stone bath and sunk down into the water. The warmth immediately elicited a sigh of relief as her muscles groaned in pleasure. A fascinating menthol smell came from the water as though oils were mixed in, causing Emily to breathe deeply.

    Some noise came from the living room as Cupcake got comfy but Emily let it all fade into the background as she relaxed in the quiet calm.

    Without intending to, Emily realized her consciousness had fallen into a state of deep relaxation, and that had called the stars to her reflexively.

    Though it was strange, this time, rather than them coming to her, with their usual excitement, she found herself drifting towards them and quietly slipping into the field in her mind.

    What she saw was interesting. Instead of the stars wandering around like fireflies like they usually did, they were all revolving around a single star. As though it were the eye of the storm, calling all the others into its well of gravity. Even her established consolation, the Scarlet Sister was not immune to the pull. It fought against the pull of this star and it was then that Emily realized what was happening. The single star was slotted in one of her passive slots, so there was really only one culprit here.

    Void plagued.

    The title had shown up from nowhere, and because of its highly temping passive Emily had slotted it but it seemed to be the focal point for this strange phenomenon.

    Emily watched it for a couple of minutes to see if there would be any changes but nothing seemed to move from its orbit so she made her presence known to the stars.

    This caused a chaotic reaction, as all the stars seemed to wake from whatever spell they had been under. The moment they realized she was there, they exploded in all directions, excitement evident as they whirled around Emily, happy to see her.

    The only star that did not move was the one they had been revolving around just seconds prior.

    It remained fixed like a north star.

    Its defiance irked Emily, so she called to the star personally, and while it shook slightly, it still refused to move.

    Emily''s laughter bounced up and out into the endless night sky, her joy at the challenge sending a ripple through the grass around her.

    The soft laughter turned malevolent as Emily stood, her gaze transfixed on the glimmering star.

    Nothing in her world would ever be allowed to defy her, if it did, she would destroy the entire space and rebuild it brick by brick.

    The space trembled as Emily''s consciousness expanded out reaching for the star with barely contained rage.

    All the other stars scattered to the corners of space as her anger caused cracks to spread through the skies and earth.

    This place was not one of words, but action, and as Emily reached up and plucked the struggling star from its spot in the sky her intentions could not be anymore clearer.

    ¡®You work for me!¡¯

    The star was ripped free from its space in the skies and slammed down into Emily¡¯s palm. It trembled trying to break free but was unable to escape her caged hand. Then Emily began to squeeze the struggling star. Its light began to wane as though being eaten from within.

    Cracks spread out over its surface and it spluttered out, fading until it was nothing more than an ember in her palm.

    Emily somehow knew that if she did this she would lose access to the title, it would cease to exist and so would its passive, but she would rather that, than it think it had any right to ignore her will.

    This was her inner world and it was the one place she had absolute control, nothing would ever be allowed to violate that sovereignty.

    Emily was about to extinguish it completely when she felt it concede to her.

    The dying star flickered and stopped its struggle, going lax in her hand.

    Emily stared down at it with a thoughtful look and halted her crushing force. She slowly rescinded it, allowing for the star to reignite somewhat. Her gaze spoke volumes.

    ¡®You get only one¡¯

    If this little star tried to step out of line again, even for a moment. Emily would not hesitate to snuff it out completely.

    She let go of the ember, allowing her stars to rush in and gather it, their glowing forms sheltering the battered remnant. As they carried it away, Emily lingered on its defiance. Had it tested her resolve or revealed the cost of her power? Either way, she would not tolerate insubordination¡ªnot from a star, not from anyone she ruled over, not even from herself.

    Emily lost track of the ember amongst the numerous flickering lights as they rearranged themselves into words.

    ¡®48 - third threshold released at rank 50¡¯

    Skill threshold released at rank 50

    Active slot: Scarlet sister - access to the Scarlet sister skill tree, along with the Blood Mage skill tree.

    Increased learning speed when consuming blood, this is further increased if the blood is given willingly. Increased learning speed when studying blood wards.

    Passive slot: Explorer - Increased learning speed when engaged with new environments.

    Passive slot: Mercenary - Increased learning speed when accepting missions for coin. This is further increased when in proximity to the sub-species[Rime wolf].

    Passive slot: Void plagued - Increase learning when one is lost.

    Emily frowned at the words. They didn¡¯t show much change, but one detail made her pause. Her rank had been shooting up ever since Void Plagued had been slotted. Even though she was still half-inclined to get rid of it, she couldn¡¯t deny it was likely the reason behind her rapid ascent in rank.

    Sighing, Emily decided to leave things as they were. Rather than delving deeper into her consciousness, she rose and surfaced into the light.

    Opening her eyes, Emily glanced around the bathroom and quickly noticed the water was still quite warm. Yet, her new body required near-boiling water to truly relax.

    Climbing out of the bath, Emily retrieved the cleanest set of clothes from her pack before heading over to Cupcake to unsaddle her. Once more comfortable, the beast curled up on the sofa in a tight ball and refused to budge.

    ¡°Come on, girl. I¡¯m going out to see some of this place. Want to join me?¡±

    Cupcake''s response was a single eyelid lifting before closing again, followed by a gentle snore.

    ¡°Guess I got my answer,¡± Emily snorted.

    There was a small kitchen area in the common room, but the problem was the lack of food in the house. To be honest, Emily craved something fresher than wax-wrapped provisions or dried jerky. Gathering her coin purse, Emily stepped out into the street with an urgent quest at the forefront of her mind: find good food.

    Blood points: 301

 Chapter 113 - Architects of design

    Emily¡¯s worn boots clicked softly against the aged cobblestones as she passed by a statue bearing Ariandel¡¯s name¡ªa commemoration of some magical achievement. She noted it in passing but had little interest in the details right now.

    Her mission was simple: find something warm and tasty to fill her stomach, but that turned out to be harder than she had originally hoped when she got out onto the main street.

    It was erring toward late afternoon, but the quiet streets were still flush with passing busybodies¡ªless so than the lower levels¡ªbut no matter where she looked, she mostly saw carriages. This meant that while there was the odd walker on the street, there were not many bystanders for her to ask directions of. When Emily did find someone, they looked confused at her.

    ¡°Sorry Miss Mage, there are many nightbrew shops along the way, but if you are hungry just call you tower servants.¡±

    She followed his directions to the nearest nightbrew shop and stepped inside. With its quaint older style and large bay windows, the shop exuded a cozy charm. Outside, groups of patrons in flowing robes chatted at small tables, their voices a gentle murmur in the afternoon air.

    Inside, more figures sat sipping steaming mugs, their discussions about the mysteries of source and magical experiments halting as Emily entered. Their gazes followed her briefly, a quiet pause hanging in the air before they turned back to their conversations. Emily frowned slightly, noting the peculiar shift in atmosphere as she approached the counter.

    Ignoring the stares, Emily went towards what looked like a brewing station and spotted a short woman with a gold vest on, who was currently making a pot of night brew. Concentration was evident on her face so Emily waited for the woman to finish. When she had she looked up at Emily and her eyes widened.

    ¡°My goodness, I¡¯m so sorry for making you wait, Miss Mage, if you take a seat I¡¯ll have a cup of our darkest roast out to you in two flaps of a millo bird¡¯s wings¡±

    Emily nodded and glanced back noticing the odd few people still watching her.

    ¡°That would be wonderful. However, I find myself incredibly hungry and was hoping you could whip up something for me to eat as well.¡±

    The woman''s eyes went wide and she took another glance at Emily¡¯s person as though assessing her.

    Her eyes flashed over the badge and then down to the scepter on her side.

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­a- I¡¯ll see what I can do for you miss.¡±

    Emily nodded her thanks and turned to look around the room. She ignored the obvious stares from the people nearby and then spotted a small reading nook nearest to the fireplace. It was not a particularly cold day and by the looks of things the rain that did fall in this area was blocked by some kind of environmental spell so the warmest part of the room was not currently in use.

    Smiling to herself, Emily went over to the two-person table and sat down.

    Now taking the time to meet the gazes of the men and woman in here, many of which still snuck glances over in her direction. When she glanced at them they would either politely look away or challenge her by locking eyes with Emily. With nothing else to do, made a game of it, by locking eyes with a particular patron and counting off how long it took for them to either get bored or turn away in embarrassment. Emily did this with just about everyone in the room and the longest anyone had managed yet was eleven seconds. That was until when she got to a taller gentleman sitting with three other men. He was in his twilight year and had a heavily receding hairline. When Emily turned her body toward him he rubbed his chin, getting up from his table, and began making his way over to Emily.

    He wore a green set of robes that had been styled into a more practical button-down coat but he never lost his comfortable smile as he made his way over to Emily''s table.

    When he arrived he spoke up in a tempered voice.

    ¡°Good afternoon Miss, may I join you?¡±

    Emily hummed, she didn¡¯t want any company right now but at least he had the guts to approach, the rest of the patrons in here either shot her withering glares or ignored her altogether.

    Emily didn¡¯t respond but indicated to the open chair across from herself.

    The man let the briefest of smiles flash over his face before he sat down

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that Ariandel had taken a new Student. As he long time friend and fellow researcher it would be remiss of me not to warn you that this particular brewing house is not for Adepts.¡±

    Emily¡¯s brow furrowed at the man¡¯s question. She could see he probably hadn¡¯t come over to pick a fight but his concern was pointless.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware, but that shouldn¡¯t be a problem as I¡¯m not an Adept,¡± she said as she watched him closely.

    Emily put it together quickly. This shop was probably a gathering spot of high-ranked Mages and they forbid Adepts from coming here, probably a way to get away from their students, but Emily was telling the truth because she had yet to even reach an adepts level.

    His eyes widened as he readjusted himself in the seat.

    ¡°I¡­ Well then I have been rather rude, haven''t I? My name¡¯s Connor, I''m the head of the runic biology institute. I used to work closely with Ariandel, how do you know him?¡± his eyes falling to the badge once more.

    Emily was about to answer when the woman arrived at their table with a tray holding a cup of night brew and a large toasted sandwich made from thick slices of bread and cheese.

    ¡°Here we are, Miss Mage.¡± Emily nodded to the woman before taking a sip of the dark mug of warm nectar. It was slightly sweeter than she was used to but she refocused on Connor.

    ¡°You are correct in thinking you have been rude, but I¡¯ll answer your question seeing as though it came from a good place. I have just recently started working with Ariandel on a project.¡±

    Connor''s spine straightened and he glanced at the other nearby tables when a couple of ears perked up at that information.

    ¡°Well, if Ariandel is working on something then I can only assume it''s big.¡±

    Emily shrugged as she picked up her sandwich and crunched into a thick string of melted cheese melting from corners. The bits of smoked ham and crushed herbs made for an incredibly rich meal.  After weeks of dry rationw, it may as well have been a five-star meal. Perfect for her first taste of civilization.

    Refocusing on Connor, Emily saw that the man was looking at the sandwich with trepidation.

    ¡°As a warning to keep in mind. It is never a good idea to eat outside of your tower, or in this, case Ariandel¡¯s tower. Drink is easy to screen, but food less so.¡±

    Emily looked up from her delicious morsel of food and locked eyes with Conner.

    ¡°Why¡­¡±

    Connor grimaced and looked around.

    ¡°Well you should probably be fine seeing as no one here knows you as of yet, but Mages are jealous creatures you see. A bit of poison here or there to get rid of a competitor is almost expected.¡±

    Emily continued to munch on her food but she made a surprised murmur. The people in this city went to all kinds of extremes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, but I just arrived in the city so it''s a chance I¡¯m willing to take. As a side perhaps you are the perfect person to ask but when one first arrives in the city where do they normally go?¡±

    Emily had been sending out small pulses since they had gotten here to see if she could locate Alex but as of yet, nothing had turned up. If she could just get a rough location then it would be a good place to start looking. She couldn¡¯t rely on just  Ariandel to find him, so she would kill two birds with one stone.

    ¡°Mmm, well if they are a non-mage, then after entering they probably would have gone to one of the lower levels depending on their connection to magic. The higher up they would have been able to stay.¡±

    Emily hummed.

    ¡°Even if they have the coin to stay higher?¡±

    Conner shook his head solemnly.

    ¡°Even then. Coin is only half the problem. One needs to surround themselves with the right minds too¡± he said tapping his head.

    Emily wanted to roll her eyes so badly, but she took another bite of her sandwich instead.

    ¡°Okay, so if they are with skilled mages, where would a mercenary group normally stay?¡±

    Connor rubbed his mouth in thought.

    ¡°I mean if they were Mercenaries then in all likelihood they probably would have gone to the rusted gauntlet.¡±

    Emily paused her meal to look at the man with a raised brow.

    ¡°It''s a place where they can take all sorts of jobs, but most of those are put up by Mages for ingredients in their experiments.¡±

    Emily nodded at the man, it was a pretty good place to start looking.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll thank you for the information then. Where can I find this place.¡±

    Conner leaned back in his chair as though assessing Emily.

    ¡°As a Mage, you will want to be careful down there. The guards of overworked in that area, so it''s a lawless zone compared to up here. ¡±

    Emily smiled as she popped the last piece of bread into her mouth.

    ¡°I certainly hope that''s the case.¡±

    After listening to the directions Emily got up from the table. She nodded to Connor, throwing back the remains of her nightbrew, and went to the counter to pay. It was quite pricey for the fair, but Emily assumed that was because of their location.

    The woman in the vest waved her out as Emily left, the stares trailing her down the street like shadows. Navigating out of the upper campus proved more challenging without a carriage, but Ariandel¡¯s badge granted her passage through the checkpoints and onto the towering elevator.

    From the platform, Emily gazed out at the tiny army stationed beyond the domed shield.

    Why was Lorethil hesitating to clear them out? The only explanations she could muster were grim: either they could not, or they deemed Sam¡¯eth insignificant¡ªa notion she found impossible to believe. She had fought those people, they were a threat. Yet from the looks of things, the people here scarcely gave the army outside a second glance.

    Occasionally, a burst of dark energy rippled out from the protective barrier, like ink spilling through water. The dome held firm against the assaults, its surface unmarred, yet the sight unsettled Emily. Whatever was happening out there, it felt like something far worse was on its way.

    The platform couldn¡¯t reach her floor fast enough. When it finally did, Emily hopped off and strode down the main road.

    Walking on steel streets felt strange¡ªeach footfall rang hollow, echoing faintly as though the ground itself were an empty shell. Beyond the road, the ravine stretched into a breathtaking view, though Emily found more comfort in the thought of a warm bath waiting back at the house.

    Her thoughts were interrupted as her destination came into view. The Rusted Gauntlet was unmistakable¡ªthe sign of a metal fist hung precariously above the door¡ªbut chaos had spilled out of its walls.

    Two figures tumbled through the entrance, grappling furiously. A small crowd of bystanders lingered, their grim faces fixated on the fight like spectators to an inevitable tragedy.

    Emily ignored them, her eyes drawn toward the now-vacant doorway¡ªuntil something stopped her. One of the fighters caught her attention.

    They were both teenagers, rolling and thrashing on the ground, each landing wild blows on the other. But it was the younger one¡ªbrown hair, cocky smirk peeking through the dust and bruises¡ªwho froze her in place.

    His clothes were torn and filthy, his face battered, but there was no mistaking him.

    It was Nox.

    Blood points: 302

 Chapter 114 - A messy reunion

    Emily couldn¡¯t believe her luck. The first place she had tried had led her directly to her prey. Turning from the door, Emily shouldered her way through the crowd surrounding the two teens. By this point, Emily could tell by the snickers and growls from the crowd who they were voting for, and it was not Nox.

    The kid could be annoying as hell, but the crowd seemed to want to see blood, and Nox was at a disadvantage in a close-range fight. The blonde teen was larger and currently locking his hands in place to prevent the kid from using magic, he used this advantage to wail on Nox with his free arm.

    Emily heard the shattering of a bottle inside and had to assume more fighting was going on in there.

    She was tempted to see what was going on in there but she needed the kid alive and the teen didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d stop until Nox stopped moving.

    So with the smallest amount of source she could manage, Emily subtly made the two short gestures required for the lift spell, pointing it directly up.

    The other teen let out a wail as he was suddenly yanked upward, hurtling five meters into the air before gravity dragged him back toward the ground¡¯s crushing embrace.

    Nox seeing this was surprised but he rolled out of the way before the teen fell directly on top of him. The sound of flesh slamming on metal rang out as the teen groaned while reeling. Nox managed to stand and began kicking the kid in the side of his ribs. Which only caused him to groan more and curl up into a ball. Then Nox took a step back and made a hand gesture in the kid''s direction but Emily stepped forward and grabbed his wrist in a firm grasp.

    ¡°Enough, don¡¯t get cocky,¡± Emily said firmly.

    Nox took a moment for the adrenaline to leave his system as he focused on Emily. His eyes were angry, but then widened in realization and a trembling started in his bottom lip.

    ¡°Emi-¡± Nox started but cut himself off.

    ¡°Ashe is inside with a MageBane, he¡¯ll take her away.¡±

    Emily pursed her lips, helping Nox in a fight he¡¯d possibly started was completely different from Ashe being under attack.

    The thought twisted Emily¡¯s face into a snarl and she turned towards the open entrance, dragging Nox behind her. If anyone wanted to stop them, they didn¡¯t bother as Emily walked through the crowd with a look of murder on her face.

    The door to the rusted gauntlet was open, but Emily would have loved to kick it off its hinges to assert dominance as she entered, unfortunately, it looked like someone else had already tried that earlier today.

    Its cheap wooden frame was already splintered where it met the walls giving her a good look inside.

    The building was just as Emily had expected¡ªgrimy, reeking of burnt tobacco, and filled with the scent of cheap booze. Scuffed furniture lined the walls, and a large corkboard crowded with hastily pinned commissions hung in the corner. Inside, the patrons, all mercenaries, barely glanced at her entrance with Nox in tow. None of their expressions carried even a hint of warmth.

    At the center of the room stood Ashe, fragments of metal orbiting her like a violent storm. Near her, three individuals hesitated in their advance, wary of the spinning shards. The tension in the room was palpable, amplified by the leader of the group¡ªa man sipping whiskey from a cracked glass, his slurred voice cutting through the din.

    ¡°Your kind hates my kind,¡± he sneered, gesturing toward Ashe with his glass. ¡°You screw me over every chance you get, huh? Well, not today. Walking in here with a debt still hanging over you was a bad idea.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes flicked to the rest of the room. She searched for familiar faces, hoping to spot the wandering fangs, but her heart sank. Most of the other mercenaries were fixated on Ashe, their expressions hungry for bloodshed. If a fight broke out, Emily would need backup, but no allies seemed present.

    Quickly, Emily grasped Nox by the back of his neck, his protests muffled as she hauled him forward. Stepping into the center of the room, she projected her voice with a commanding edge that echoed against the low ceiling.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how you settle bounties here,¡± she said, her tone laced with warning. ¡°But I¡¯ve been tracking that one since Tagrin¡¯s Keep. She¡¯s mine, and I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t try to steal my claim.¡±

    The room stilled. Faces turned to her, some irritated, others openly hostile. Ashe¡¯s expression flickered from faint relief to sudden fear as she realized Emily¡¯s gambit. Nox writhed in Emily¡¯s grip, but she kept her focus locked on the leader.

    The man shifted his attention, studying Emily with dull, calculating eyes. He set his glass down with a clink, his posture lazy but his intent clear.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°And what are you supposed to be¡ªa Seeker?¡± he mocked, his lip curling into a twisted smile. ¡°This isn¡¯t a tea house. First to catch the prey, first to eat.¡±

    Emily took a step closer, her boots ringing against the metal floor. ¡°Good to know,¡± she replied, her voice calm. ¡°But as I see it, you haven¡¯t caught her yet. So she¡¯s still fair game.¡±

    His smile faltered for a fraction of a second before returning, sharper and more dangerous. ¡°You don¡¯t want to do this,¡± he growled. ¡°I¡¯m warning you¡ªback off, or I¡¯ll make you regret it.¡±

    Emily tilted her head, her expression cold. ¡°How about this: you hand her over, and I walk out of here. No mess, no fight, everyone wins.¡±

    From the corners of the room came scattered jeers and mocking whistles. The mercenaries weren¡¯t here to mediate¡ªthey wanted blood. Emily could feel the tension cresting, the leader¡¯s subtle shift in stance betraying his intentions.

    ¡°You know what?¡± he said, a sly grin curling his lips. ¡°I think we can come to an agreement.¡±

    He moved toward Emily with feigned nonchalance, signaling the others with a subtle flick of his hand. They started to circle her, but Emily was already prepared.

    With a swift gesture, she cast a spell, and one of the men near Ashe was yanked into the air as though an invisible hand had seized him. His scream was cut short as he slammed into the ceiling with a metallic crash, and then crumpled to the ground unconscious.

    The room erupted into chaos. The leader¡¯s grin twisted into a snarl as he hurled his whiskey glass at Emily, drawing a blade from his side. She sidestepped the projectile and shoved Nox out her way, grabbing her scepter in the same motion. As she began another spell, a sharp, invasive pressure flooded her senses.

    The leader had made a gesture of his own. The source she was pulling in turned jagged and hostile, as if she were swallowing broken glass. The pain wrenched through her body, and the spell fizzled before it could manifest.

    Distracted, Emily barely caught the leader¡¯s blade as it arced toward her throat. Her scepter intercepted the first strike, the clash ringing out through the room, but she didn¡¯t see the second attack in time. His blade elongated in a flash, slashing deep into her neck.

    Blood poured from the wound, splattering his chest, the floor, and the onlookers. Laughter and gasps of horror rippled through the room, the crowd feeding off the carnage.

    The leader grinned triumphantly. Emily could see the moment he thought he''d won. Even Ashe''s face was a mask of horror and pain. But Emily wasn¡¯t finished.

    The flow of blood from her neck slowed unnaturally, droplets hovering mid-air. Her head tilted back, an eerie inhumanity settling over her as the blood from her neck coiled like serpents around the leader¡¯s throat. His triumphant expression turned to panic as the tendrils tightened, lifting him off the ground.

    The crowd recoiled as Emily¡¯s blood lashed out again, piercing through his chest and hand, forcing him to drop his weapon. His gasping chokes echoed in the stunned silence of the bar until they fell silent altogether. The other two mercenaries seemed to raise their weapons but then lower them, paralyzed by the scene unfolding before them.

    Emily¡¯s voice, cold and venomous, broke through the suffocating tension. ¡°This could have been easy. I could have got what I needed and walked out, but this was your choice. If anyone else wants to get in my way, feel free.¡±She retracted the tendrils of blood back into her neck and sealed the wound until not even a scar remained.

    Emily pointed at Ashe and barked, ¡°You, come to me.¡±

    Real fear was evident on Ashe¡¯s face, but she glanced around and began to walk towards Emily. When she was near enough Emily turned and searched for Nox. The kid was still on the ground where she had thrown him and Emily crooked her finger to call him forward.

    Nox seemed frozen at first but then he shook himself and scaped to follow Emily out.

    When they were back out in the street she saw that several of the bystanders were still standing out there but again they didn¡¯t seem to care what Emily did.

    Thanks to this, Emily began walking towards the elevator.

    The silence was deafening and Emily kept glancing back to make sure her two ducklings were still following.

    When they were a sufficient ways from the rusted gauntlet Emily broke the quiet.

    ¡°Where is everyone else? Are you guys staying somewhere nearby?¡±

    At first, the questions went unanswered but when Emily glanced back giving them a frown, Nox piped up.

    ¡°Um, well, we only got here a couple of days ago, but we were in for question with the city guard. We got out a day ago and came here. We were staying at the rusted gauntlet  until that ashole made shit for us.¡±

    Emily pressed her lips into a thin line as this didn¡¯t answer one of her questions.

    ¡°So where are the others? Surly they wouldn''t leave you guys alone.¡±

    Nox didn¡¯t hesitate this time and shook his head.

    ¡°That''s what we were trying to figure out. Ashe thinks we were released early because we were Mages but we have not seen everyone else since we were let go.¡±

    Emily frowned, she didn¡¯t like the connotation here. Something was very wrong in this city.

    They only let the Mages go, but kept everyone else.

    ¡°And, Kael? What does he think of all of this?¡±

    Now Nox looked uncomfortable.

    ¡°Um, we were separated before we got to the city.¡±

    Emly¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously and she stopped in the middle of the street, the question already in her eyes.

    Nox shook his head.

    ¡°No, he¡¯s here in the city,¡± Nox said moving closer to Ashe¡¯s side and subconsciously grabbing hold of her robe.

    Emily glanced at Ashe and saw her avoiding her gaze.

    Grunting, Emily looked around as they boarded the platform.

    ¡°Good¡­ Look I have a place we can stay, it''s safe but we need to talk so just stick with me until we get there, okay?¡±

    Emily heard an answer from Nox but Ashe didn¡¯t seem to say much.

    When they got to the gatehouse to enter the upper campus, the Guards didn¡¯t look so happy at the two other people following her. But Emily just pointed to her badge and walked through.

    When they got to the houses Emily let them into the building and Nox rushed in to explore, but Ashe paused at the entrance.

    ¡°...Did you have to kill him?¡±

    Emily stopped just behind the woman and mulled over her question. Selia had warned Emily that Ashe was not used to this world of death, but she would have thought she could at least see that Emily did what she had to.

    ¡°Yes¡­he tried to kill me, it was only fair that I did the same to defend myself.¡±

    Ashes bottom lip twitched and she nodded and turned to enter the building.

    Blood points: 304

 Chapter 115 - Understanding debt

    Emily was currently sitting, lazing on the couch in the common room, with Cupcake glaring daggers at her.

    ¡°Look if you wanted food then maybe you should have come with me. There were times when I could have used a big intimidating mutt at my side.¡±

    Cupcake growled at the use of the word ¡®mutt¡¯, even though she didn¡¯t understand it, she could feel the negative connotation tied to it.

    While enduring her partner''s withering glare, Emily also had to contend with Nox¡¯s relentless stream of questions.

    ¡°What happened to the side of your head? How did you find this place? And what about how you survived out there alone? Wait¡ªwhat happened to Atticus and Marth? We couldn¡¯t account for them. But Marth... there were some pretty bad rumors about his disappearance.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eye twitched and she glanced at Nox.

    ¡°How about this? Wait until Ashe gets back from the washroom and then we¡¯ll talk. Till then, let''s play the shut up game.¡±

    Ashe had been in the washroom for the last hour and as the sun had set for the night, Emily had reached her limit. She was twirling a strand of her hair to calm her nerves, but she¡¯d sooner rip it out if it got the teenager to shut up.

    Nox pressed his lips together and after only a short pause open his mouth again.

    ¡°Okay, how about some food then?¡±

    Emily sighed and reached into her pack.

    She had a small piece of food bar she¡¯d been saving, but if it gave her some peace she''d happily hand it over.

    Nox made a face Emily was well familiar with but took the food.

    ¡°It¡¯ll have to do.¡±

    Emily gawked.

    ¡°Well sorry, there''s a significant lack of grocery stores nearby.¡±

    Nox looked like he didn¡¯t understand the reference but shrugged. Emily wanted to strangle him but the door to the washroom opened, releasing a wave of steam and a freshly dressed Ashe.

    ¡°I have a bit of cheese in my pack if you want it Nox.¡±

    Noxes eyes widened and he scampered off to go rummage through Ashe''s belongings. When the graceful woman came to sit down across from Emily and Cupcake, her eyes fell on Nox with a warm light.

    Looking up at Emily she squared her shoulders and taking a breath began to talk.

    ¡°Emily, I know it took me all too long to say this, but thank you for what you did for us back there. Thank you for coming to our rescue.¡±

    Emily bit the inside of her cheek and shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°Look, you¡¯re fine, so no need to thank me. I just did it because I needed your help to find Alex.¡±

    Ashe pressed her lips together and nodded, looking more comfortable when Nox came to sit down beside her.

    It was just her intuition here, but Emily noticed a deepening of Ashes and Nox''s relationship. They seemed more like mother and son than allies forced together out of convenience. When Ashe looked back up at Emily there was a sharp look of worry but also a determination.

    ¡°Right, so how in the world did you get access to the preferential treatment of a foreign dignitary living quarters? Please don¡¯t tell me you signed a contract¡±

    This caused Emily to tilt her head.

    "Oh, so this is what this place is about. Well, yeah, it makes sense¡ª because I''m pretty sure that''s what they think I am right now. And yes, I did sign the contract."

    Ashe pressed her lips together and held up her hand to halt Emily. She then began making a series of complex hand gestures. Emily had never seen her use these ones but once she was done she tapped her hand on the armrest of the chair and a faint green ripple spread out across the room.

    When it returned Ashe let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Okay, it looks like there are no recording wards that I can tell, but I can¡¯t be completely certain.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened, that was a thing? She hadn¡¯t even considered that they might bug her room.

    ¡°Back to the contract. We need to find a way to get you out of it immediately. The longer you remain in it the more you will have to pay to get out.¡±

    Emily frowned and shook her head.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°There was no mention of money exchanging hands when we made the contract, so I should be fine.¡±

    But Ashe didn¡¯t look any less worried, in fact, she looked downright scared.

    ¡°No, Emily you don¡¯t understand. Even if it didn¡¯t have any coin amount in the promised conditions. In the city of Lorthil, if you make any form of contract an amount is due every two weeks, payable to the city. If you cannot pay the amount, the person who entered into the contract with you is allowed to pay it, and you will end up owing them money.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed at that and she ground her teeth, she had talked back and forth with Ariandel to make sure there were no loopholes in the contract, how was she supposed to know there was one outside of their contract?

    ¡°Okay, how much is it?¡± Emily glanced over to her coin purse. She still had a few square coins left, and if she ended their contract in the first week then she only had to pay half, right?

    Ashe didn¡¯t look too confident as she glanced away.

    ¡°It''s two Pentagrams, per two weeks.¡±

    Emily¡¯s nostrils flared as anger leaked through her connection with Cupcake, causing a rumbling growl to come from her place on the sofa.

    ¡°That''s ridiculous. How can they even afford to pay that? What if they have multiple contracts in place?!¡±

    Ashe shook her head.

    ¡°If a Mage has contributed enough to the city, they may build a tower in its wall, and as long as it stands, they are exempt from the fee. Meaning the only one that has to pay it is you.¡±

    Emily''s face twitched as she glanced around the room for something small to kick over but when she found none she crossed her arms and sunk further into the sofa.

    ¡°Now I see why Selia hated the idea of this city. So then, the question is how much do you still owe, and how were you able to get out of the city if you hadn¡¯t paid your fee.¡±

    Emily was making an assumption from what she had heard the man saying in the rusty gauntlet, but looking at the evidence it was pretty much a given.

    ¡°...forty pentagrams¡­ It took me significantly longer to realize that particular rule, and my Master had no interest in telling me. I only figured it out when he took in another Adept. The dept remains even when one becomes a Mage, and it is notoriously difficult to work off.¡±

    Nox had focused on the conversion now and he looked on sadly. That could have just as easily been him.

    Ashe¡¯s eyes blinked away the gathering tears.

    ¡°It''s horrible. Once you fail to pay they bring in a Will Binder and force you to sign a servitude contract with them. It has you follow every spoken or written command that you hear from your master.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed as her own anger began to subside and be replaced with cold methodical purpose.

    ¡°How did you get out last time, how do we get you out now?¡±

    Ashes bottom lip quivered

    ¡°My Master was drunk one night. He sent me on a collection mission just outside the city, but he was not exact in his wording as to when I needed to return. So I took that moment to flee, but if he finds me again I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t escape. I managed to bribe the guard into letting the Mages go quietly, but I don¡¯t know what to do from here¡­¡±

    Emily could hear absolute despair in her voice, and yet something bothered her.

    ¡°If that was the case, then why the fuck would you come back here?¡±

    Some anger appeared on Ashe''s face replacing the fear.

    ¡°I intended to stay outside but the army outside made that a little hard! My master is a stubborn old man, but he has so many indentured to him he won¡¯t care if one goes missing. But he will punish us if he ever finds us.¡±

    Emily could see the woman''s fear and despite that, despite coming back here, she could see Ashe still searching for the silver lining.

    ¡°It was not so bad. I still got to study when I wasn¡¯t working.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t like how quickly she was giving up, and more so than that, she hated the idea that she could be in the same situation.

    Giving up her freedom for a second life was one thing. But giving it up for some coin was a good enough reason for Emily to raise this city to the ground if it attempted something like that.

    Taking a breath Emily calmed her emotion and nodded.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m seeing Ariandel tomorrow so I¡¯ll see what I can do on my end. In the meantime, you¡¯ll stay hidden here. As luck would have it I have a job for you, I need you to read something and tell me what the heck is going on.¡±

    Fishing in her pack, Emily brought out the light reading material she had gotten from Ariandel and slapped it down in front of Ashe.

    Suddenly there was a tightening around Emily¡¯s neck like a noose as she felt the contract kick in. She¡¯d forgotten she wasn¡¯t allowed to show it to anyone and her hand involuntarily snatched the research up.

    Coughing and grabbing at her neck, Emily furrowed her brows, waiting for the penalties to subside.

    ¡°Shit, Emily did you just go against the contract?!¡± Ashe¡¯s eyes were saucers.

    After a minute to recover Emily frowned down at the pages.

    There wasn¡¯t as much wiggle room as she thought.

    Taking a breath Emily thought about the workings of the contract for a second and then looked at Ashe and Nox. Both looked incredibly concerned, but Emily had to test the boundaries of the wording and hope that they got it. Closing her eyes she began without intention and erased any doubts from her mind.

    Lying to skills was all about intent. If that was the case then there was room to maneuver the wording of a contract. Just like Ashe had used her master''s wording to get out from under his thumb, it was interesting to see just how close she could ride this line.

    ¡°Alright, guys, I¡¯m really tired. I¡¯m not going to read this any further, but I want you both to know that I am placing this document here in the safety of this house. Neither of you is allowed to read it, if I see you have I will have to react in kind to protect it. I¡¯m going to bed for the evening and will be up at around seven, so this had better be here when I get back.¡±

    As she said this Emily put the stack of documents down on the small table in the center of the room while staring at Ashe.

    She could see the message had gotten across but she didn¡¯t think about it too much as she stepped away. There was the briefest feeling of restriction but it smoothed out even as Emily began to walk away.

    Emily was taking a chance here, as it was cutting the line so finely. If she did come out here and saw either of them reading it, she would have to attack them to get the research back. But as long as she didn¡¯t see anything then she could believe it was safe. One might compare it to a simple form of self-hypnotism and goal manifestation, whatever one called it, as long as she played by the rules, things should be fine.

    Emily glanced back at the common room where the two people sat quietly and nodded, stepping into one of the two bedrooms.

    They could fight over the other one, but for now, Emily wanted to get some shut-eye, and by the looks of things, tomorrow was going to be a lot more difficult than she had first anticipated.

    Blood points: 305

 Chapter 116 - Domestic disputes

    Emily groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. The afternoon sun pierced through the gap in the curtains, flooding the room with light and bringing a stifling heat. The covers had turned into a furnace, and she kicked them off with a sigh. Sprawling across the queen-sized mattress, she stretched, her muscles grumbling with a satisfying ache.

    Climbing out of bed Emily threw on some clothes and headed for the door to her room, the scent of something delicious having woken her from her fitful slumber.

    Opening the door to the common room, Emily found Ashe and Nox seated together, chatting quietly. Between them sat a large plate piled high with skewers of meat, their rich aroma filling the air.

    Ignoring the hush that came over the room Emily padded over and swiped four wooden sticks of meat for herself. They tasted like smoked pork with ample fat, it wasn¡¯t hard to tell this was the same pork-like meat Ashe had once shared with her.

    It was only once she had finished the first one that Emily looked up to everyone else in the room.

    Nox held an empty stick out to Cupcake, who was still licking her mouth clean of the sweet sauce that basted the rich meat.

    Ashe on the other hand had her full attention on Emily, an amused brow arching at her.

    ¡°Seven in the morning you said, right? Well, it''s almost afternoon at this point.¡±

    Emily just shugged while she worked through the second morsel, but when Ashe''s gaze flickered over to the small table Emily glanced over to follow it.

    She noticed the documents were in the same place she had them left last night, but with an additional page sitting next to them.

    ¡°That page blew off the top of the stack last night, but don¡¯t worry no one touched it¡±

    Emily felt a gentle restriction around her throat but walked over to the page and frowned as she noticed familiar handwriting. The simplest language was used to break down a summary of what was going on in the main stack of documents. Almost as though someone had spent the night going through it and making a cheatsheet for her but Emily knew that was impossible because she had told them not to touch it.

    The contact tightened more only loosening when Emily glanced over at Nox and Cupcake.

    ¡°Don¡¯t feed her too many. We don¡¯t want her thinking she can just laze around all day and not earn her keep.¡±

    Nox grunted and kept feeding Cupcake causing Emily''s face to twitch. His hand was trembling but her attention was drawn to Ashe before she could ask what was going on.

    ¡°Emily there is one more thing before you get going¡­ The wandering fangs¡­some of them are inside the city, but you also have to know that many were captured on the final leg of our journey. I didn¡¯t have time to speak to you last night but Selia was one of those.¡±

    Emily hummed.

    ¡°By who? You arrived a couple of days ago, right? Kael will surely get them out¡±

    Ashe hesitated as she glanced away.

    ¡°We were attacked by one of the five pillars of Sam¡¯eth, the Black Core to be exact. Their members are known for capturing people during war times and using them for religious conversion¡­ the last time I saw Kael, he was fighting a powerful member of the core.¡±

    Emily paused, the skewer mid-way to her mouth.

    Kael had been caught? That would have had to be a fairly powerful individual to be able to put him down. Even more so if they did it non-lethally, it was always harder to capture someone than outright kill them.

    It was a shame really, as Emily had been warming to the abrasive man.

    The memory of the sky being parted by a laser of black light popped into her head. It probably would have taken someone of that strength to take Kael down.

    Emily shook her head and looked into Ashe¡¯s eye.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡±

    Ashe bit the inside of her lip.

    ¡°Well, they are not gone yet. If we can rescue them there is still a chance they will be okay.¡±

    Emily had a feeling this was coming and shook her head.

    ¡°We can¡¯t, we haven¡¯t even found the people in the city yet-¡±

    Ashe¡¯s nostrils flared and she held up her hands.

    ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t answer yet. Like you say, let''s just find our people in here first. We can discuss everything else later.¡±

    Emily frowned at the woman. As far as she was concerned, their loss was unfortunate but acceptable. Alex was inside the city, and that was all that mattered.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Selia had been an interesting companion, but not enough for Emily to risk her neck. She opened her mouth to say as much, but the words didn¡¯t come.

    Ashe¡¯s eyes¡ªwide, pleading, brimming with something Emily refused to name¡ªmade her hesitate. She hated the way her stomach churned, how guilt tried to take root despite her better judgment. With a sharp exhale, she looked away, the skewer in her hand suddenly tasteless.

    ¡°I think you already know my answer, but if it makes you feel better we can discuss it later.¡±

    Honestly even saying this much annoyed Emily, why hesitate, she wasn¡¯t going to compromise on this.

    Turning towards the door, Emily grabbed the stack of documents and walked towards the exit.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back later, don¡¯t go outside if you can help it¡±

    Nox chose then to speak up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got this. How do you think we got the food? I¡¯m fast and most people don¡¯t even question why an Adept is running around the streets.¡±

    Emily hummed non-committedly and opened the door to step out. When the door closed behind her she paused to sigh and scratch viciously at her bed head.

    When she glanced up at the statue of Ariandel she pushed off the door and headed toward his tower, grumbling to herself all the way there.

    It took longer than she¡¯d expected but she once again found that black and gold tower.

    When she stepped up to the door, she fully expected it to open up for her but when it didn¡¯t she tried knocking on the stone wall.

    A groaning sound of stone on stone came from beside her and looking around she noticed a set of stairs protruding one-by-one from the tower wall. It looked like the tower was inviting her to climb, so she began to follow its lead and ascend the tower.

    As she climbed the last twenty or so steps began to recede into the stone again, so there was no backing out of this now unless she wanted to jump down.

    Finally getting to about the fifth level, the stairs even out, and a level platform popped out as a doorway opened and Emily stepped in.

    To her surprise, the first person she saw was not Ariandel or Citta, but in fact, a frail-looking woman leaning on a cane with a rather grumpy look on her face.

    Behind her were three more robed individuals.

    One of which she recognized as Connor, the man from the night brew shop. The other two were another human male and a red-skinned giantess

    Emily then spotted Ariandel at the back of the room, he was sitting in the only chair in the large chamber flicking through documents. Stacks of books lined the walls behind glass cases and several tables filled with vaguely humanoid shapes under sheets became apparent.

    It was like a study slash laboratory. There was one corner where Emily noticed several benches full of tools, most looking like they were straight out of a horror movie.

    After taking everything in Emily noticed Ariandel was looking up at her, and contrary to his words he did not look happy to see her.

    ¡°Wonderful to have you join us, Miss Emily.¡±

    ¡°Good to be here. I wasn¡¯t aware we would have company.¡± Emily shot back

    ¡°Ah, that was more your doing than mine,¡± he said.

    Emily¡¯s brow rose at the man.

    ¡°Well, what did you expect? You went down to a popular gathering spot of scholars and blabbed your mouth off that I was conducting an experiment, so I had no choice but to let some of them in on my work. Luckily for you the contract was upheld or I would have known.¡±

    Ariandel¡¯s eyes never left Emily as though searching her face for something. She remained cold and detached as he continued talking.

    ¡°Luckily they will all be of great help in these final stages. So much so that even if you had not said anything, I would have probably invited them anyway. No, the problem now is what you did at the rusted gauntlet yesterday.¡±

    Emily¡¯s brow rose at that, he was well informed.

    ¡°Barely a full day has passed since I invited you into the fold and I¡¯m already getting worrying requests from the guards. Luckily the man you killed was a Mage Bane or we would be having a very different conversion. Suffice it to say that I dealt with it, but I would ask that you be more careful in the meantime, is that understood?¡±

    Ariandel eyes glowed a dull red sending the source in the tower into a state of disarray, irradiating everything in the chamber. Emily felt the wave of power caressing her skin like that of a sunburn. However, it didn¡¯t seem to have the effect the Mage was hoping for, instead, Emily¡¯s new body felt content. Like a lizard basking in the sun.

    Emily rolled her neck in comfort and shook her head.

    ¡°I hear you Ariandel and will do my best, but if this was meant to be a warning then you¡¯ll need to try harder next time. Especially when you neglected to mention the external requirements of doing dealings in your city. Suffice it to say that our contract ends in a week.¡±

    Ariandel¡¯s eye remained locked on Emily as though sizing her up, but eventually, a small smile appeared.

    ¡°Ah in all the excitement it just escaped my notice. Apologies it shall not happen again, I do hope you are not too angry with me.¡±

    Emily snorted tampering down the growing annoyance she felt for this man.

    ¡°Ah not at all, I¡¯m even considering taking a page from your book in future dealings. But as things go, let''s learn to be more transparent with one another.¡± Emily said, a genuine smile appearing on her face.

    This caused a couple of snickers to arise from the people in the room.

    A dark look flashed across Ariandel¡¯s features as he glanced at them but it was gone just moments later. He had been trying to pull rank on her but all he got from this exchange was someone more than half his age scolding him.

    ¡°Be that as it may, you will still owe the city two pentagrams by the end of this week. I¡¯m ever so sorry you have to deal with this.¡±

    Emily¡¯s face twitched losing the mirth she had moments ago.

    ¡°It should be one.¡±

    A hungry smile appeared on Ariandel''s face as he shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but they are packaged together, two is the minimum. Do let me know if you need any help with affording your contact, I would be happy to buy you out of it.¡±

    Emily ground her teeth together.

    ¡°No need, I¡¯ll have the money in two weeks. In the interim, I wish to know what you have learned about my request.¡±

    Ariandel smoothed out his robe and a smile appeared on his face.

    ¡°Ah yes, your request. I have managed to find out that the name you were looking for has indeed entered the city, but is still under investigation. They are linked with several suspicious individuals and it will require some convincing on my part to get them released. But worry not, I shall have him out soon, as long as you uphold your end of the bargain.¡±

    Emily nodded. She had made sure that the requirements for Ariandel were strict. He had to find, secure, and reunite her with Alex as soon as he was able to. The problems with the contract came from interpretation. If he used the exact wording of the runes in the same way Emily had done, to hand off the documents to Ashe then there would be trouble. Fortunately, Ariandel had already shown her that she could not trust him so now the fun part was figuring out how to fuck one another over with this in mind.

    ¡°Enough talk. Let''s get the introductions out of the way. My friends this is Emily, her origins are from the Weeping itself. She has decided to devote her extensive skills in blood magic to our aid. Now allow me to introduce everyone before we begin¡­¡±

    Blood points: 309

 Chapter 117 - Cause and autopsies

    Emily frowned to herself as she leaned over the examination table where everyone had gathered.

    The introductions had been short and sweet and the next thing she knew Ariandel had thrust them in front of a corpse and told them to figure out how he died.

    Emily frowned as she glanced over at her now ¡®colleges¡¯.

    The older woman who had taken to leaning on a cane was Zila and seemed to be their Tonic Master. She spoke in seemingly irritable grunts and withering glares but Emily was more than fluent in this language.

    Connor had introduced himself already but Emily found out he was an Aetheric Anatomist, whatever that was.

    The red-skinned giantess held herself with a sort of savage grace that was hard to ignore. Emily had noticed a few of her kind out in the streets of Lorthil. When she inquired, the woman had proudly revealed her species to be an Ogre, specializing in crafting as a Forge Master. Her name was Genevieve, and out of everyone here, she caused the least alarm for Emily. When Genevieve''s eyes fell on the scepter at Emily¡¯s side, a look of genuine excitement appeared¡ªfree from any trace of greed.

    The last person was the complete opposite. The human male was named Neal, and from the moment he opened his mouth, Emily had gotten the most disturbing unease trailing down her spine.

    He was cold and calculating, but more than that he watched Emily like a scientist would an animal. Studying her every moment with this hollow gaze. He had minute runes tattooed onto the whites of his eyes making them look almost entirely black.

    Ariandel called him a Ruinic observer but Emily called him a creep, his vacant stare lingering on her, unblinking like a predator. His gaunt skin was never quite able to fill his sunken cheeks.

    Emily had decided to let him do as he pleased, but if he stepped out of line she would happily use that chance to make him regret it.

    ¡°Now, what you all have in front of you is one of my failed specimens. I have already conducted my own investigation but I want to see what you all come up with.¡± Ariandel said as he came around and pulled the sheet from one of the tables.

    The corpse of the man was dried and looked like he passed decades ago, but Emily was not fooled. The way his coagulated blood responded to her meant he could not have died more than a couple of weeks ago.

    ¡®You may all begin your examinations.¡± Ariandel said as he sat back down in his seat.

    After that, they all examined the body under Ariandel¡¯s watchful gaze.

    Emily was the last to go and she made a couple of surface-level observations while they were busy but she noticed that none of them seemed to touch the body.

    The first thing Emily did was to go to the top of the table and lay both hands on the sides of the corpse''s head, delving into the dried blood.

    Her abilities were heavily restricted when dealing with a corpse this old, but Emily managed to gather the faintest shreds of life force¡ªjust enough to uncover fragments of its past. From the wear on the muscles and joints, she could tell the individual had likely been elderly before the experiment. The cause of death, however, was elusive, with no external wounds or internal damage to offer clues. Instead, strange, cancerous pustules riddled the body, clustering ominously along the spine. This caused Emily to produce a low humming sound and open her eyes.

    She removed her hands from his head and unceremoniously flipped the body over, exposing its bridge.

    Emily noted that none of the Mages looked away but Genevieve¡¯s face twitched with a look of worry.

    The corpse''s single bridge was a hazy green, marred by a web of hairline cracks.

    Emily let out a heavy breath as she stared at it, she wasn¡¯t even aware a bridge could crack, let alone what could have caused this.

    She had looked over the cheat sheet on the way over here and as far as Emily was aware the relic Ariandel was trying to manufacture would act as a literal shield covering the bridge. Had he removed the relic?

    There was a faint ring of bruising around the area like a cup or circular object had been pressed into the skin.

    Still not done Emily placed her hand against the cadaver''s neck and allowed some of of her source out into the body.

    This time, Emily got a couple more visceral reactions from the Mages around her, as Zila directly turned away in disgust while the others furrowed their brows.

    Emily had come to learn that what she was currently doing was the equivalent of having her arm elbow-deep in the corpse''s chest cavity. Sharing source between two people was already seen as an intimate act, but to Emily who had no concept of decency, it was just another method to get what she needed.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    As her source flooded into the corpse¡¯s bridge, it ran along the man''s bones leaking out and immediately being absorbed by the growths.

    Seeing a change begin to take place, Emily cut off the flow and watched as the cancerous pustules bloomed with hardened crystals. If Emily could equate it to anything, it was like watching gallstones gather in real time.

    Everyone took a step back as the corpse began to bloat with hundreds of golfball-sized chunks of quarts, and the desiccated skin rapidly hardened over, turning to stone.

    Connor swore under his breath while the rest of them remained quiet.

    By this time, the corpse looked more like a swollen statue than a person, and Ariandel glanced at Emily.

    ¡°Well seeing as you destroyed my specimen, perhaps you can be the first to offer your insights¡±

    They were all staring at Emily now, and it was at this moment that she realized this had all been a test.

    Emily shrugged and thought over what she knew of source before speaking.

    ¡°This man was in his late seventies and fairly good health. The cause of death was respiratory failure brought on by multiple accelerated growths. The interesting thing is I¡¯m certain his body had already undergone source exposure, and yet none of the usual signs were there. It was only when introducing my source that it acted like a catalyst, which was what caused the transformation to fully take hold.¡±

    Ariandel nodded and smiled to himself.

    ¡°And what are your thoughts on fixing this problem?¡± Zila asked impatiently.

    Emily raised a brow at the woman before falling quiet again.

    ¡°Respiratory failure was just the first thing to kill him. His other organs showed a good deal of wear and tear. My guess would be that even if we fixed this problem his heart would have given out next, and the rest shortly after that. If we wanted to make sure the subject survived we would need to dose him with a potent restorative while I maintained their lives. The problem is the growths, the moment we stop applying aid the patient would probably die shortly after that.¡±

    At this point, they were all glancing at one another. Ariandel had a keen light in his eyes as he rubbed his chin.

    ¡°So your conclusion?¡±

    Emily nodded at him.

    ¡°We need more information. A live test is necessary to see how we can mitigate the downsides. As for the exact cause of the growths, I will leave that to one of you. Safe extraction in real time might be possible but that is not my area of expertise.¡±

    Ariandel looked as excited as he had on the first day they''d met, and Emily took that to mean she had passed his little test.

    The others then began going through their own findings and Emily listened with interest. She quickly found herself in a debate with everyone as they put their findings forward. She didn¡¯t quite understand some of the more complex ideas but she could fake it until she could ask Ashe tonight.

    Connor was adamant that the body could not handle this level of stress while Zila proposed pain-dampening tonics. Neal barely spoke but when he did it was creepy yet insightful. He thought the growths were a concentration of source that had nowhere to rest while in the body when the bones became full.

    At some point, Citta came in with a tray of night brew, fruit, and along with some pastries filled with a savory mince.

    The room buzzed with lively discussion, and surprisingly, Emily found herself engaged. When her gaze drifted to the room''s lone window, she noticed dusk had already fallen, and the night skies swiftly enveloped the horizon, giving way to a blanket of stars.

    They had lost the entire afternoon to discussion. Emily was just about to point this out when Ariandel finally revealed the prototype of his design.

    Genevieve, who had been badgering him since they finished their assessments, let out a sharp exhale of relief. She had repeatedly insisted she couldn¡¯t provide meaningful input without examining the item itself. From what Emily had observed, Genevieve''s interest revolved entirely around relics. If she couldn¡¯t study them firsthand, her enthusiasm quickly waned.

    Emily had encountered many tech supers in her old world who shared Genevieve''s single-minded focus, and for the first time, she felt her guard drop just slightly around the woman. People like her were only interested in studying the next biggest piece of tech, which left them very little time to double-cross people.

    The prototype came in the form of a simple-looking disk that reminded her of a metal cap or concave shield. It was ovular and fit neatly over a person bridge with several dozen wards running along the surface of the design.

    When Genevieve saw it she had a field day trying to break down the intricacies, most of which went over Emily''s head. She also looked miffed at the design layout, noting several areas for improvement.

    This took the discussion on for another couple hours and eventually, they broke to head back to their towers for the night.

    Emily was just heading out the door when Genevieve caught up with her on the walk down.

    ¡°My friend Emily, your insight into the body is incredible. I hope you won¡¯t find me rude, but thought I would catch up with you to ask where you had found that artifact. It looks old but it is a good piece of equipment, and I want to study it.¡±

    Emily smirked at the older woman. People like Genevieve were the easiest to deal with. They were clear with their intentions and were usually fair. It did make Emily wonder how she had survived in a city as poisonous as this one, but that was not her problem.

    ¡°And as your college, I¡¯m happy to let you have a look at it, but what do I get out of it?¡±

    Genevieve mouth was left agape.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, nowadays most people pay me to look at their relic¡¯s so it''s quite rare to hear that. I feel like I''m back to my Adept days¡± Genevieve said with a fond look in her eyes.

    Emily could see there were no hidden meanings behind Genevieve words, she was just genuinely surprised by this turn of events.

    ¡°I completely understand, however, acquiring this artifact was a great personal risk. I extracted it from a layline, so as you can imagine I¡¯m hesitant to let it out of my sight, even if it''s just for an inspection.¡±

    Genevieve¡¯s eyes widened with childish-like wonder her demeanor and words shifting gears.

    ¡°So you¡¯ve returned from a layline? What is the source like down there? Or did you go up, I hear inversed leylines are twice as rare.¡±

    Emily nodded to Genevieve.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to include that information in the price of studying the scepter.¡±

    Genevieve bit the inside of her lip and grinned.

    ¡°Okay, how about you come with me to my brother¡¯s tower? I¡¯ll pay you coin and offer up my findings on the artifact.¡±

    Emily shrugged triumphantly as they got to the bottom steppes. Three carriages were waiting around the front, each with slight differences.

    As they approached Genevieve¡¯s carriage, Emily spotted Neal climbing onto his own carriage. His eyes were still watching Emily with that strange fascination.

    Blood points: 310

 Holiday Madness!

    Hey everyone! Just a quick update¡ªChristmas Day is here, and things are a bit hectic on my end.

    As such, there won¡¯t be a release today. I hope this isn¡¯t too inconvenient, and I¡¯ll make it up to you all. The next chapter will be out this Friday, as I¡¯ll be spending some quality time with family. Thank you for understanding, and I hope you all have wonderful holidays!                                                                                                                                                           Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Regards Archvillan.

 Chapter 118 - Friends and foes

    Emily watched the dark scenery flash by out the window as they traveled down the cobblestone road. Towers came and went, becoming more prominent the deeper they ventured into the city. The streetlights flickered on, bathing the empty roads in a warm glow of magic. As they passed through another checkpoint, Emily realized they must have entered the inner campus district. She confirmed it a moment later when she saw the towers change. Their complexity and size seemed to grow the deeper they traveled until they reached a particularly large one.

    Outwardly it was simple, but Emily noted it was one of those moving Jenga towers, the ones she had seen while riding with the ravens.

    The tower''s arrangements never seemed to stay the same, shifting its rooms as though to accommodate its inhabitants.

    Genevieve dismounted the carriage with little fuss and headed to the concrete grey walls of the building. She tapped a bracelet on her arm and a small room appeared on the side of the structure.

    It was barely five by five meters but when they both stepped into the alcove, a railing appeared on the opening they had just come through, and suddenly they were moving into the skies.

    The room was an elevator, and from the looks of things, it was necessary to climb the building because while Ariandel¡¯s tower was a dozen or so stories high, this tower was twice that.

    They arrived near the top of the tower fairly quickly and stepped into a neatly kept room with all manner of tools on the walls.

    The small forge in the corner sat untouched, its blackened hearth as still as the rest of the room. The faint scent of old ash lingered in the air, and the metal tools near it were coated with a thin layer of dust, untouched for weeks.

    Armors, weapons, gardening tools, and more were neatly strapped to the walls, secured in place by hooks of stone.

    There were several working stations scattered about the large room all containing a different mystery in various states of assembly. Some of which Emily couldn¡¯t even begin to parse out. She recognized one that looked like an astrolabe made from quicksilver, and a large clock that had five different hands on the face of it, but not much else.

    ¡°This way Emily, what do you say to a square for your trouble and information?¡± Genevieve said as she led Emily toward one of the empty workstations.

    Emily followed but grunted as she took the scepter off her waist.

    ¡°Make it four squares and you got yourself a deal, I¡¯ll even throw in something extra for you to take a look at.¡±

    Genevieve face turned thoughtful but she then shook her head.

    ¡°That might be a bit too much, I can go as high as three if you show me the ¡®surprise¡¯ first.¡±

    Emily couldn¡¯t help the smile that played on her lips as she rummaged through the pouch by her side. She had intended to find a place to sell this item today but time had gotten away from her.

    Emily pulled out the title she had gotten from the layline, the one that contained Fireborn.

    Genevieve eyes turned into crescents.

    ¡°A title rock? What title does it hold?¡±

    Emily shrugged as she looked around the room once more.

    ¡°I could tell you, but I have a feeling you want to figure that out on your own.¡±

    Genevieve bit the inside of her lip and let out a sigh. She opened her palm and three square coins appeared in it.

    ¡°Fine, you win.¡±

    Emily smiled at her favorite words and handed both the scepter and title stone over.

    She was just about to look for a place to sit when a door across the room opened and in walked another Ogre. His height was taller than that of Genevieve¡¯s but his red skin was splotched with patches of inky black.

    When he entered he frowned at Emily.

    ¡°Ah, I was not aware you were consulting sister. It matters not now, we have to speak. If I remember correctly, I expressly forbade you from investigating the rumors that Ariandel was crafting once more.¡±

    Genevieve immediately looked guilty.

    Emily blinked owlishly at the younger male. From Emily¡¯s point of view, Genevieve was probably in her late forties, while this man was mid-twenties at most, and yet their power dynamic felt off.

    ¡°Brother Juest, you can¡¯t keep snubbing our benefactor like this. Sir Ariandel helped us so much when we were younglings.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    The larger Ogre stepped into the room his form imposing on the room. The hairs on Emily''s neck rose and she focused entirely on the man in front of her. He was dangerous.

    The warning bells in Emily''s head drowned out the two¡¯s conversion and by the time Emily managed to refocus the man had continued on, ignoring her completely.

    ¡°We have already given Ariandel more than enough respect and tribute. You need to learn to decline his requests.¡±

    Genevieve''s tone had shifted to a petulant whine.

    ¡°Well, if you must know, this was not a request from him, but myself. I asked to be included and I am glad I did. He had a prototype for something truly amazing and I can already see how to improve it.¡±

    The man''s face blackened and the source in the room churned, with heat and emptiness simultaneously.

    ¡°Sister¡­ why don¡¯t you understand that I am trying to keep you safe. That man is a snake. For the mercy of source, please tell me you did not sign a contract with him.¡±

    Genevieve crossed her arms and turned away from Juest.

    ¡°On the dotted line!¡±

    Juest¡¯s sculpted jaw worked and he took a calming breath.

    ¡°Do I need to watch you every second of the day¡­ Fine, I¡¯ll take care of it. Hand over the contract so I can see what you have gotten us into.¡±

    Juest¡¯s voice was angry but his eyes only seemed to have concern for Genevieve.

    ¡°Also who is this woman? From the rate she¡¯s devouring source, she¡¯s clearly powerful. You know the rules, If someone had three active titles you need to okay their entry with me.¡±

    Emily snorted and locked eyes with Juest.

    ¡°Relax big guy. I promise I mean you sister no harm. She invited me here and I am not nearly a strong as you are making me out to be.¡±

    Juest¡¯s head cocked as his full glare turned on Emily.

    ¡°Oh really? Besides the enormous amount of grey source pouring off your body. Do you think I can¡¯t see through that pathetic excuse for a title guard you wear around your neck? Your body is brimming with life source.¡±

    Emily narrowed her eyes at the man but a smile fought its way to the surface. He was the first person to call it ¡®Grey source.¡¯

    ¡°You''re not wrong exactly and the talisman was only ever meant to slow people down. As strange as it sounds I mean you no harm. Also, give Gen a break. I once knew a woman just like her, she can¡¯t help her curiosity.¡± Emily said as she glanced down at her nails.

    This didn¡¯t seem to calm Juest even a little but his eyes did flicker over to Genevieve.

    ¡°She should at least try. Genevieve, who is this woman.¡±

    Emily smirked.

    The man hadn¡¯t hesitated to argue with his sister in front of her guest, but only now did his curiosity about the stranger seem to surface.

    ¡°My name is Emily, and I am working with your sister on the same project. Now, we¡¯re busy with a consultation and it is late. Are you going to hold up proceedings any longer, or should I just leave?¡± she said while watching the man with interest.

    Juest looked like he was about to suggest just that, but Genevieve spoke first.

    ¡°Not a chance you¡¯re chasing my client out. Now either wait here quietly or make yourself scarce!¡±

    Emily could not help snickering at the absurdity of the scene, best of all was the frustrated look that appeared on Juest¡¯s face.

    He never said another word but he stomped over to a large sofa in the corner of the room, watching the two women with a critical eye.

    Genevieve went straight to work fastening the scepter into a clamp to hold it steady so that she might investigate its runes in depth.

    Emily looked around but when she failed to find another seat she headed over to the sofa where the grumpy man now sat reading through a contract.

    Emily kept her eyes on Genevieve but she got bored after ten minutes when it seemed like nothing was happening. So she turned to look a the sullen man, searching his face. The average Ogre carried a beautiful ruby-red tinge to their skin, but Juest was different. Black patches of skin trailed across his body intermittently marring the canvas with beautiful splotches. In some areas, they looked like freckles climbing up his neck. Only his head was free of the prints crisscrossing over the rest of his body. Emily was uncertain before, but she could now see how easy this man was on the eyes, even by human standards. His sharp jawline and chisel features only served to draw one''s gaze to his amber eyes. His crown of horns was especially prominent compared to the other Ogre she¡¯d seen, they were even tipped in a faint gold.

    ¡°Your mother should have told you it¡¯s rude to stare at someone, even if they have birth defects, that no excuse.¡±

    Emily blinked quietly at the man. If he had birth defects then the rest of the Ogre race was in trouble.

    Emily decided to answer anyway as she was curious.

    ¡°Why would a mother find it rude that I stare at someone? Actually, I¡¯ve only recently come across Ogre¡¯s. You spoke of defects, but I still don¡¯t know what the norm is. Is it because of the color of your skin?¡±

    Juest opened his mouth to speak again but stopped when what Emily said sunk in.

    ¡°You¡¯ve never met an Ogre? I find that hard to believe. Our kind is common across not only the northern but the southern continents as well.¡± he said, doubt in his eyes.

    Emily shrugged not offering anything more.

    ¡°...Well. If what you say is true then I guess I can forgive you. And to answer your question. I am shade-touched. The conditions of my birth involved too many black source. Unfortunately, that is looked down on in our culture. I¡¯m considered  incomplete and in some circles a monster.¡±

    Emily turned her head to look at him, a strange feeling of kinship pushing its way up from her chest.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll let you in on a little secret. I was also born a monster. And after a certain point, you just stop caring and accept it.¡±

    Juest froze and lowered the contract to squint at Emily. There was an intrigued light in the depths of his eyes.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more¡­ My condition has its downsides but it comes with its own advantages. The problem is my sister. She¡¯s ostracized for merely being my family. I can accept others cruelty but she shouldn¡¯t have to.¡±

    Emily looked over at the woman currently still lost in her own world.

    ¡°I can understand you, but from an outside looking in, you seemed pretty successful. In my mind, personal power is all that matters. And you have that in spades. Hell, you have your own tower, I don¡¯t know exactly what that entails yet, but that''s gotta count for something.¡±

    Juest¡¯s smile curled down at the corner of his lips.

    ¡°All it serves to do is keep them silent, it does nothing for the cold shoulders.¡±

    Emily wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that. She would have just ignored them and been happier for it but Juest seemed to want to provide a good environment for his sister.

    She was just about to ask something else when a powerful wave of source came from Genevieve¡¯s direction. When they looked over she had extended the scepter to its full length as her eye glowed green.

    When the tower room calmed down Genevieve was grinning like a mad woman.

    ¡°Brother Juest, I think I just discovered an answer to your duality!¡±

    Blood points: 311

 Chapter 119 - Honey, Im Home

    The yawn that escaped Emily required both hands to cover as she arrived at the front door of her lodging.

    Genevieve had raved about the scepter, insisting she needed to study it further so that she might reproduce it. She even offered to pay handsomely for the opportunity. Emily was more than happy to let her do so but when Genevieve suggested Emily leave it there, she had to decline.

    Unlike the book or siphon Emily owned, this item was directly connected to her battle strength.

    She refused to cave to the Forge Master''s requests as it was the only weapon Emily had found compatible with her source.

    Genevieve had offered quite the sum of money but Emily refused to budge. So when Juest suggested Emily simply pop by regularly for Genevieve to study the artifact it was the best compromise they could come up with.

    Emily had left the tower but not before getting to know Juest a little more over some drinks. The man was exactly how he looked. Defensive, yet curious. Wary, yet caring.

    He had gone through a lot and Emily found herself liking the pair of siblings. Even in a city like this, they seemed to be very down to earth.

    This was especially interesting, seeing as Juest was on some high council the bigwigs of the city seemed to respect.

    Either way, Emily had taken one of Juest¡¯s carriages back to Ariandel¡¯s guest quarters and was currently fumbling with the lock.

    On her third try, she managed to unlock the building and sneak her way in. It was the early hours of the morning so she didn¡¯t want to wake anyone, but as she closed the door she heard the sound of a chair creaking.

    Glancing back she noticed a small light on in the room and although Cupcake was snoring peacefully in one of the corners, a pair of furrowed brows watched her enter.

    Emily blinked slowly, belatedly realizing it was Ashe sitting in the small armchair with a book open in her lap.

    ¡°Well, at least you finally decided to show your face¡­ Emily, where in the five hel¡¯s have you been?¡±

    Emily opened her mouth but then closed it again as Ashe wasn¡¯t done.

    ¡°Do you have any idea the situation we¡¯re in? I couldn¡¯t even come out to look for you. Next time, let us know if you''ll be out late. I thought you''d been caught¡ªor worse!¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t know what to say. Why did she care that she was out late?

    ¡°A¡­ I¡¯m safe. So don¡¯t worry.¡±

    That turned out to be the wrong answer because Ashe¡¯s face only became more flustered. Ashe stood, her book forgotten as she stalked toward Emily.

    ¡°I can see that now, but why didn¡¯t you let us know you would be late? Nox spent most of the day searching for you. Anything could have happened in this city.¡±

    Emily was still at a loss for words but she thought she understood what was going on here.

    Ashe and Nox had been waiting for her return so when she hadn¡¯t come back they had worried. Emily cocked her head, the thought settling uneasily in her mind.

    Someone had been worried for her.

    The concept was unfamiliar, like a melody she couldn¡¯t quite place.

    Even her grandfather had not cared where she had been or what she had been up to. Unless she missed training, then the only thing she was met with was punishment drills.

    ¡°I¡­apologize, I didn¡¯t think it was that big of a deal, but I¡¯ll make sure you guys know where I am from now on,¡± Emily said frowning to herself.

    Ashe stared at Emily and then groaned.

    ¡°Why do you have to do that? I¡¯m mad at you, let me be mad.¡± Ashe said as she crossed her arms.

    ¡°Um, okay. Now I¡¯m lost.¡±

    Ashe squinted at Emily and sighed.

    ¡°Fine have it your way¡­ I need to ask a favor. I need you to get me a pass to leave the upper college. We can¡¯t get out of here if we don¡¯t have one.¡±

    Emily frowned.

    ¡°Why do you need one?¡±

    Ashe padded back to the sofa and plopped down onto it.

    ¡°To search for our allies of course. Has Ariandel said anything about their whereabouts?¡±

    Emily nodded and relayed what he had told her but Ashe did not look too happy.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°I had a feeling this would happen. If that''s the case then I might have an idea of where they could be, but I¡¯ll have to move quietly.¡±

    At those words, Ashe had Emily¡¯s full attention.

    ¡°If you know where he is then all we need to do is get close and I can track him.¡±

    Ashe shook her head.

    ¡°It might not be so simple. If they are where I think they are, we can¡¯t go in with swords raised. I¡¯ll need some time to search the area.¡±

    Emily chewed at the inside of her cheek.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. You know where they are but won¡¯t tell me?¡±

    ¡°No, it''s not like that. I will tell you, it''s just I need to confirm if my hunch is true before we do anything. If I¡¯m right it pertains to one of the cruelest secrets this city holds.¡±

    Emily glared at Ashe, searching her eyes for what had to be a lie, but she never found anything.

    ¡°How long¡­¡± Emily ground out.

    ¡°The sooner you can get me that pass, the sooner I can sneak out.¡±

    Emily pressed her lips into a thin line, her nod stiff with reluctant resolve. She was not used to trusting people, especially with the stakes being her life. As things stood, Emily was in a difficult situation. She wanted to go find Alex, but from what Ashe was saying that might put him in more danger. Ashe had yet to do her harm so Emily had to try at least to trust her.

    ¡°You have a week. I¡¯ll get you the pass. But if you still can¡¯t find anything after that time you have to promise to take me there. I¡¯d rather bring this city to its knees than let him get killed.¡±

    Ashe swallowed when she saw how serious Emily was.

    ¡°Okay, I promise.¡±

    Emily could see the concern on Ashe¡¯s face, but she still promised to take her, and for now, that was enough.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to bed, I¡¯m heading back to Ariandel¡¯s tower tomorrow. I¡¯ll keep trying to find out things on my end, but I¡¯ll probably be back late evening.¡±

    Ashe nodded with a sad smile.

    ¡°Hey, I know it''s late, but would you want to go over some runes with me?¡± Ashe asked.

    Emily peered at Ashe curled up on the sofa and although Emily was tired she realized she was quite tempted. So nodding, she moved to the other sofa and sat down.

    Ashe smiled as she opened her book on a particular page and flipped it toward her. Emily scratched her head and began looking over the runes. Even though there were little annotations around the page the best Emily could make out was that the rune was used for magnetism.

    They went at it for an hour or so, before Emily¡¯s eyes began to feel like they were being weighed down by bricks. Eventually, the world''s colors faded and not even her stars came to greet her.

    Emily wasn¡¯t sure when it happened but, she must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew she was waking up still sitting in the armchair with a massive ache in her neck.

    Ashe must have put a blanket on her at some point because one covered her now, though, in the current weather, it was not all that necessary.

    Luckily, Emily woke from her slumber in the early morning. Getting up she saw Nox leaning against one of the nearby sofas with a paper plate. He was shoveling something that looked suspiciously like a pancake into his mouth.

    ¡°Mmmm, where¡¯s Ashe?¡± Emily groaned.

    ¡°Shtill shleeping,¡± Nox said through a mouthful of food.

    Holding out her hand, Emily made a ¡®gimme¡¯ motion.

    Nox frowned but he handed her a plate with the fluffy delicacies.

    Swallowing the pancake. Nox looked thoughtful.

    ¡°All this place has is junk food here and there. I don¡¯t know how anyone is supposed to eat well in this place, luckily Ashe knew some places. Also, it costs so much more than it should.¡±

    Emily nodded as she shoved another one in her mouth, holding out her hand again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anymore¡± Nox shrugged.

    Swallowing her mouthful Emily shook her head.

    ¡°I need some of those refined source coins we got from the Layline, I know you have them.¡±

    Nox¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°I can¡¯t, Kael would chop me into little bits for stealing his loot.¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°He¡¯s not in a position to argue, plus l intend to use it to help the wandering fangs anyway, he would be fine with this.¡±

    Nox hesitated, worry shifting behind his eyes.

    ¡°Okay, but I¡¯m going to say you needed them.¡±

    Emily grimaced but otherwise said nothing.

    Making a short gesture, Nox pulled around ten pieces of refined source out of thin air and handed them over to Emily.

    ¡°Hey, I have a question for you,¡± Emily said as she pocketed the pieces of metal. ¡°Is teleportation something yellow source is capable of?¡±

    Nox paused but nodded.

    ¡°Yes. But it¡¯s not something even practiced Mages take lightly. It requires incredibly specific wards and spells to make sure you don¡¯t end up appearing in random places. There is a permanent connection between the northern and southern continents in this city, but they are closely monitored and take an incredible amount of source to use.¡±

    Emily pursed her lips and glanced at the ceiling. They were trying to get down south, so why couldn¡¯t they use the teleporters?

    Had Alex just not thought of them? No, there had to be a reason he was avoiding them. The only thing Emily could think of was the bounty on his head.

    Emily refocused on Nox.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to head out, let Ashe know when I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    Nox nodded and Emily left the house early. This time Cupcake stirred from her slumber and padded after Emily. Patting her flank as they walked Emily arrived at the tower and went up.

    Ariandel was busy with Citta but when he saw her early he welcomed her and her partner. Emily asked for a pass for her friend and though Ariandel was hesitant he eventually gave in.

    The next couple of days were rather repetitive. Emily would wake up head to the tower, talk and study the documentation Ariandel had prepared, and then leave in the late afternoon. After that, Emily and Genevieve would head to Juest¡¯s tower and she would study the scepter.

    Emily would relax and either look over their experiment or some new runes. On the odd occasion, Juest himself would show up and Emily would have a partner to talk with but he seemed like a fairly busy guy.

    Once Genevieve was content Emily would head home to get study with Ashe. Honestly, Emily had always wondered what college life would be like and this was probably as close as she would get.

    The days flickered by and Emily''s impatience grew as did the armies outside. It was hard to notice at first but the few hundred fanatics outside the city were slowly growing. Some came from the mountains with armor and robes, while others were travelers caught up in the black core¡¯s indoctrination.

    The shield held firm but the larger the groups out there grew, the more attacks rained down on the dome.

    Ashe left in the morning of every day and returned just before Emily in the evenings, or at least that''s what Nox said.

    It was on the morning of the fourth day that things finally changed.

    Ariandel had been going over the runes with a critical eye and when he spoke there was an air of excitement in his voice.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re ready. The changes we¡¯ve made aren¡¯t going to get much better until we can see how they have affected the survivability rate. I have prepared all the necessary ingredients. Today we¡¯re going to do our first test.¡±

    Blood points 319

 Chapter 120 - Step 1 of ?

    Emily stood alone in the center of the tower, the laboratory walls shifting brick by brick. Their porous texture created a grating sound as they slid against one another, revealing an opening that led deeper into the structure.

    Ariandel and Genevieve stood at the edge of the room with Connor, their expressions caught between fascination and unease. They had all decided to watch Emily prepare for the next step.

    Since her task was to keep their subject alive, she needed a large amount of life force, but, as agreed, Ariandel would supply the needed energy. The sound of an animal bleating came from the opening as a small herd of cream-colored winter mules made their way into the chamber, led by Citta.

    There were quite a few of them, and Emily glanced at Genevieve.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to stay? This will get gruesome¡ªI¡¯m going to drain them completely,¡± she warned, her tone flat.

    Zila and Neal had excused themselves from this part, opting to have tea in another room.

    Ariandel¡¯s eyes gleamed with curiosity.

    ¡°Miss Emily, surely you jest. I was under the impression you wouldn¡¯t allow us to observe, but if you¡¯re willing, I wouldn¡¯t miss this for anything.¡±

    His gaze flicked to Genevieve, whose determined smile wavered slightly.

    ¡°We¡¯re sure,¡± Genevieve affirmed, though her voice had lost some of its earlier confidence.

    Though Connor never spoke, Emily could see he was just as curious as Ariandel. She glanced at them all and sighed.

    ¡°Alright, but I gave you a chance. My method is a little different from my counterparts, but it is far more effective. As a bonus, it isn¡¯t limited to human life force.¡±

    Emily wasn¡¯t lying. She knew blood mages required runes and spells to extract life force effectively. The more extensive their knowledge, the more fruitful the extraction. One thing was certain, though: blood mages rarely allowed outsiders to observe their hard-earned spells.

    The reason Emily didn¡¯t mind was that there was nothing for them to learn.

    She didn¡¯t need all those extra steps. She simply lowered herself beside the first mule and buried her hands into its thick fleece. Coaxingly, she cooed in its ear as the fur brushed against her face and nose, tickling her slightly. The animal tensed but didn¡¯t cry out¡ªher power ensured that.

    A single cord of blood slithered from her palm, snaring its limbs and mouth in silence. Emily leaned in, her breath warm against its ear as her teeth pierced its vulnerable point.

    It tried to resist, but Emily didn¡¯t allow it to struggle, knowing it might frighten the others. As it was, they had already begun backing away, searching for an escape that didn¡¯t exist.

    Genevieve flinched as the first mule sagged lifelessly in Emily¡¯s grip, her determined expression faltering. Ariandel, in contrast, leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with scientific fascination. Connor remained still, though his gaze followed Emily¡¯s every move.

    Once Emily began, she was systematic, moving through the frightened herd quickly and quietly. Each mule¡¯s life force was equivalent to that of two humans, and with plenty available, she didn¡¯t hesitate. Gorging herself on power, she only stopped when the room fell deathly silent.

    Breathing deeply, Emily wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. The room buzzed with the raw energy coursing through her veins¡ªa fleeting, intoxicating high that left her wanting more.

    When Emily turned back to look at everyone, their expressions were as expected. Both Connor and Ariandel held an unnerving fascination, while Genevieve looked mildly sick, though she hid it well.

    ¡°Right, I¡¯m ready. Is the subject?¡±

    Ariandel nodded and called for Citta to fetch the others and remove the dried corpses from the room.

    ¡°Well, that was quite the process. I¡¯m glad to have witnessed it. But on to our main mission. If you would, please bring in Mr. Golard.¡±

    An older gentleman in tattered robes entered the room. His eyes carried a hollow expression, and he looked malnourished.

    ¡°This man has agreed to help us in our endeavors in exchange for a reduced sentence. Let¡¯s prepare him and get to it¡ªwe¡¯re burning daylight.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t have much to do at this juncture, so she simply watched as Neal and Zila performed the initial checks, helping the unresisting man onto the table.

    Zila handed the man a small clay jar containing a powerful sedative which he drank after some hesitation. It would help numb the pain and keep him unconscious, something Emily had demanded to avoid splitting her attention while healing him.

    When he was ready, the two stepped back, and Emily approached the table with Genevieve close behind. Genevieve carried a box containing their latest prototype. The relic had changed slightly since Emily had last seen it. It was now shaped to fit perfectly over a bridge, with four claws designed to hold it in place.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    As Genevieve brought it closer, the relic¡¯s small arms trembled, as though trying to pull itself toward the man¡¯s neck. Ariandel ran a hand through the fur on his neck and glanced at Emily.

    ¡°Alright, are we ready for application?¡±

    No one spoke, but Emily glanced at the man lying face down on the table. By now, he was unconscious. She placed her hands on either side of his head and triggered Blood Price.

    ¡°Ready,¡± she said.

    ¡°Alright, apply the implant.¡±

    Genevieve brought the small piece of metal near the man¡¯s bridge and set it down. No sooner had she done so than the relic bit into his flesh. Its four claws locked into place as it fixed itself over the bridge, and a series of runes lit up along its length.

    Emily felt it the moment the bridge was covered. His blood pressure began to fluctuate wildly, but stabilizing it only required a small amount of power. She rattled off the changes for Neal to record.

    Genevieve pressed her lips together and glanced back at Ariandel, who nodded.

    ¡°Begin the melding process,¡± he said emotionlessly.

    Genevieve swallowed but began with a series of long hand gestures as Ariandel joined her. When they finished, the relic emitted an ominous hum.

    The man''s body began to tremble against its restraints, but Emily watched closely. It appeared to be an involuntary reaction, so she let it happen.

    By this point, the wards on the relic were glowing with Source, and suddenly, they all turned a deep blue¡ªthe same color as the man¡¯s bridge.

    Blue Source began to flood the man''s body¡ªor at least that was Emily''s assumption, as the energy was difficult to see. She called this out to the room, and an alarmed look appeared on Ariandel¡¯s face.

    ¡°That should not be happening yet. Genevieve, move directly into the stress test! We can¡¯t lose out on this data!¡±

    Genevieve¡¯s face grew more worried, but she methodically moved to the next series of spellwork.

    Emily only needed to maintain a small stream of life force to the man, but she could see in real time as his bones began filling with power.

    ¡°Guys, he¡¯s reaching his natural limit,¡± Emily said firmly.

    The room had dropped by several degrees, and the air grew thick with moisture.

    Source kept flowing in until the man''s bones could hold no more. Then it began overflowing into the rest of his body¡ªthat¡¯s when Emily had to step in.

    The overflowing power seeped into his muscles and organs. When it couldn¡¯t find a place to pool, it created one, burrowing into the vertebrae of his spine. Emily couldn¡¯t stop this from happening, but she could alleviate the symptoms by helping with more life force. Of all the organs, the man''s heart seemed to be failing first, so Emily directed a dozen lives'' worth of enegy there to protect it.

    His lungs were working three times harder than they should, so she shored them up next.

    ¡°Finish the stress test and move to the sealing phase, or this man will die,¡± Emily said in a firm, unfeeling voice.

    She had already burned through almost a third of the life source she had just gained. The process was just too destructive to the human body.

    Ariandel hesitated, watching the power tremble in the room. Droplets of water began to gather in the air, and the man¡¯s form shimmered on the table. His body churned like waves in the ocean.

    With a sigh, he nodded to Genevieve, who immediately began closing the wards.

    No sooner had they completed the final gestures than the lights on the relic dimmed.

    The room went quiet, but Emily did let up, she sensed something stirring within the man. His Source rippled, and, as though given a mind of its own, it began behaving irregularly.

    Everyone appeared calm until Emily¡¯s voice broke the silence.

    ¡°We have a problem!¡±

    The dull glow on the relic reignited as the Source within the man pulled in more power.

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened as she realized the Source was acting autonomously. Not only that, but it was overwhelming the safeguards Genevieve had built into the relic. Like a dam unable to hold back a flood, Source began rushing into the man¡¯s body at terrifying rates.

    ¡°Shit! The relic is failing¡ªhe¡¯s still taking on more power!¡±

    Genevieve cursed and tried to perform additional hand gestures, but it was too late. The power inside the man had reached a tipping point, evident by how his body began to change and warp.

    His skin took on patches of red, green, bark, and even scales. His organs shifted, unable to settle on a size. Emily was quickly overwhelmed¡ªshe couldn¡¯t fix what she didn¡¯t understand. It was as though the man¡¯s species was changing by the second.

    The Source within him continued pulling at the Source outside, and even Emily felt it encroaching on her body. It tried to siphon the blue Source from her, but Emily knew that losing it would mean her death.

    Without hesitation, she cut the connection and stepped back, leaving the man to his fate.

    Unfortunately, his fate was grim. His form shifted through several shapes and sizes before it could take no more. His body disintegrated, scattering into countless drops of pure water that splashed onto the table, the floor, and everyone nearby.

    Emily made a disgusted face as she spat out some of the water that had splashed into her mouth, then frowned at Ariandel.

    Genevieve¡¯s hands trembled as she tried futilely to shake the droplets from her robe. Her face remained stony, but sorrow flickered in her eyes.

    ¡°Blast it all, we were so close. All I could tell was that the relic¡¯s Source walls collapsed. Emily, Neal, what did you sense before his dissolution? How can we fix this inconvenience?¡± Ariandel broke the silence with little tact.

    Genevieve swallowed and walked toward the door leading to the next room.

    Emily glanced after her retreating figure before answering.

    ¡°It was the Source. It began drawing power when we tried to stop it.¡±

    Ariandel scratched his chin.

    ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s widely regarded as impossible for Source to act outside its nature. Red Source might gather together, but blue? Certainly not.¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°I saw what I saw,¡± she said, crossing her arms.

    When she glanced at Neal, she noticed he hadn¡¯t spoken a word since the man¡¯s death. His face was a mask of shock.

    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Neal said at last. ¡°The moment you shut down the relic, the Source inside him took over. But it was strange¡ªthe only reason it drew the Source in was to fight itself.¡±

    That made everyone turn their attention to Neal.

    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to explain,¡± Neal continued, ¡°but it was like two different bodies of water mixing¡ªlike salt water and fresh.¡±

    Emily snorted.

    ¡°Clear as mud, my friend.¡±

    Neal frowned and shook his head, refusing to elaborate further.

    Ariandel cleared his throat and called the experiment to a close but not before addressing Emily.

    ¡°We need to consolidate our findings, but, Miss Emily, if you will, I wish to speak with you in private about your end of the request.¡±

    Emily glanced toward the door Genevieve had disappeared through, then back at the Silvaren.

    ¡°Lead the way.¡±

    Blood points: 338

 Chapter 121 - Taking matters

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Emily, but it would seem Alexander is dead.¡±

    Emily glanced around the Silvaren¡¯s personal study with cold detachment. Awards lined the walls along with pieces of equipment from different walks of life. A small bookshelf sat in the corner littered with stacks of pages and scrolls.

    Ariandel himself sat across from Emily, and a grand beam of light poured in through a high window in the room.

    Emily adjusted herself in the chair and squinted at the Silvaren. His fur was stuck up at odd angles and he seemed to be breathing irregularly, but he delivered the news with a firm, uncompromising tone.

    There was only one problem, she didn¡¯t believe him.

    ¡°Oh really? How did he pass from this world?¡± Emily asked as she lounged on the uncomfortable chair.

    Ariandel searched her face with a frown and cleared his throat.

    ¡°Well as far as I can gather. Our friend was captured as a prisoner of war. He was imprisoned on suspicion of collaborating with the armies of Sam¡¯eth.¡±

    Emily nodded while brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

    ¡°Okay, and you have confirmed his death?¡±

    Ariandel rubbed his neck as he searched Emily''s face.

    ¡°He would have been sent to the SourceWell,¡± he whispered the last part.

    His lack of answer only served to frustrate Emilly

    ¡°Okay, and that would be¡­¡±

    Ariandel¡¯s eye twitched as he shook himself.

    ¡°It''s a harrowing place, but much more than that it''s a death sentence. I¡¯m sorry but only the most influential individual might be able to release someone from that place.¡±

    Emily narrowed her eyes on the man. She was fully aware Alex was alive or she wouldn¡¯t be here, but Ariandel was going somewhere with this so it would be rude not to let him say his piece.

    He paused to let her absorb the information before he spoke again.

    ¡°I might be able to get him out, but It¡¯ll take some time. I¡¯ll need to call in some favors, and depending on how long it takes them to answer me, it could take months. But worry not, I will uphold my end of the bargain. I will attempt to find out what has become of your friend. So trust in me till then.¡±

    Ariandel''s brows drew together, his gaze lingering on Emily as his fingers tapped rhythmically on the table''s edge.

    Emily nodded along with the man but then she spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t wait that long. Our current contract ends tomorrow, we¡¯ll discuss it then. But if you can¡¯t get him for me by that time then I think our partnership has run its course.¡±

    Ariandel face scrunched up, his brow furrowing.

    ¡°We are making history here. Why would you throw that away? Give me another week, we¡¯ll be mostly finished analyzing the data by then, and I¡¯ll hopefully have an answer then ¡± he said with a hopeful light in his eyes.

    Emily rubbed the bridge of her nose and then glanced up at the man.

    ¡°Ariandel, I feel like we¡¯ve worked together enough this week that you can tell I¡¯m not a patient woman. I even gave you a week, but all you can tell me is he¡¯s probably dead. So either you can¡¯t accomplish the only thing I need you for, or you¡¯re stringing me along.¡±

    Ariandel face darkened further the corners of his lips revealing sharp fangs.

    ¡°I am not trying to trick you.¡±

    Emily nodded to herself.

    ¡°And I want to believe you, but you¡¯ve already tried once, and let''s face it. It would serve you well to make sure I don¡¯t leave before your research is over.¡±

    Red source began to shift in the room as though riding the waves of Ariandel¡¯s displeasure.

    ¡°I think I have been more than fair to an outsider. Lest we forget I¡¯m the one who extended his hand first.¡±

    Emily frowned at the amount of power this man wielded.

    Right now, the source in the room was nothing short of city-shaking. She had never seen Ariandel out of his tower, but she had to assume he had access to a massive amount of power while he was in here.

    Sighing she squinted at the man.

    ¡°Look, there''s no need to get defensive. These are all just objective facts. I can¡¯t trust you, and you can¡¯t trust me. So let''s just call it here. We have one more day together, so let''s be cordial.¡±

    The temperature in the room had skyrocketed, even going so far as to make Emily sweat, but she never broke eye contact with the bear-like man.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    She could see his mind working behind his eyes, probably trying to find a way to shackle her to him and yet he finally relaxed his shoulders.

    ¡°...Fine, but as a courtesy, I¡¯d appreciate it if you would send someone else from the Weeping to replace you.¡±

    Emily''s mouth twitched but she nodded.

    ¡°I can ask around and see if anyone is interested.¡±

    Ariandel nodded.

    ¡°Alright, well then I shall see you tomorrow. Hopefully, we make a breakthrough with the information we¡¯ve gathered this afternoon.¡±

    Emily headed towards the door without so much as a glance back.

    Once she was out of the study she walked past the room everyone was still in, and headed for the tower exit. Not even bothering to see what they were doing. Genevieve watched her go but didn¡¯t attempt to stop Emily.

    The moment Emily stepped into the fresh air, she took a steadying breath.

    Ariandel was getting desperate; he wouldn¡¯t have tried a stunt like that otherwise.

    The walk back to the housing was long, giving Emily ample time to think. If their partnership was nearing its end, she was running out of time. And there was still Alex¡ªhow long had he been trapped in this ¡®SourceWell?¡¯

    Her options were dwindling, and she needed to act soon. She glanced up at the weather dome overhead, watching as rain pelted against the shimmering field. The relentless flickers of ever-present attacks merged with the storm outside, battering the pane of force like an unyielding symphony of chaos.

    When Emily stepped into the housing she saw that Nox, Ashe, and Cupcake were all there waiting.

    ¡°Emily, we need to talk.¡±

    Emily nodded and shut the door behind herself so that she might drop into the couch.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve figured out where they took Alexander.¡±

    Emily froze in her seat, glancing at Ashe.

    ¡°This place wouldn¡¯t happen to be called the SourceWell would it?¡±

    Ashe¡¯s eyes widened and she nodded.

    ¡°How did you know? Did Ariandel tell you?¡±

    Emily pursed her lips.

    ¡°Yeah, but that''s all he would say.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense. Not a lot is known about the place other than its name.¡±

    Emily squinted at Ashe

    ¡°So have you found anything else out?¡±

    Ashe¡¯s lips parted as if to speak, but no words came. Her gaze lingered on the ground, and their hands clenched and unclenched at her sides.

    ¡°I did, but not much more than a location.¡±

    Emily straightened her spine.

    ¡°Actually, by the end of tomorrow, I¡¯ll be free of my current contract so  we should probably do it now to make use of whatever protection Ariandel''s name will afford us.¡±

    Ashe grimaced as though she knew this would happen.

    ¡°You told me I had a week¡­¡±

    Emily paused and glanced up at the uncertain woman.

    ¡°We¡¯re running out of time here, Ashe. The sooner I can get him out of there the better. He may be alright now but that can change in a heartbeat.¡±

    Ashe¡¯s bottom lip trembled and she glanced at Emily a light of defiance in her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll agree to take you early, but only if you tell me why this is so important to you. Surely one more day won¡¯t make a difference.¡±

    Emily stared into the woman''s watery eyes and took a breath.

    ¡°Ashe¡­ I can¡¯t give you the details you want. But I can ask you to trust me. I wouldn¡¯t put my life at risk if it weren''t my absolute last resort.¡±

    Ashe searched Emily''s face as though she could find the answer to her questions there, but when she realized that she wouldn¡¯t get anything more she swallowed heavily.

    ¡°...Okay, I¡¯ll take you there but, I¡¯m going in with you.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eye twitched.

    ¡°I get you to want to help but if it''s as dangerous as you¡¯ve made it out to be I¡¯d prefer if you stayed here with Nox.¡±

    Ashe''s face flushed red.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t negotiable. The deal is simple. I¡¯ll take you there but we¡¯re going in together.¡±

    Emily pursed her lips as she looked into Ashe¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t want Ashe to come, but that thought alone was strange.

    Why did she have such a problem with Ashe joining? Surely it would be better to have backup wherever she was going.

    Emily closed her eyes and let go of her doubts.

    ¡°Sure. You can come with, but you leave if things look like they are getting dicey.¡±

    Ashe chewed the inside of her lip but only after a while did she bob her head.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to get ready. Cupcake will remain here. We don¡¯t need anything that could tie us to this.¡± Emily said.

    The rime wolf had been lazing in her usual spot but the moment she heard she could not come with she growled her disagreement.

    Emily sighed and glanced at Nox.

    ¡°I suppose I should be glad you don¡¯t want to come with.¡±

    Nox¡¯s face scrunched up and he shook his head violently.

    ¡°Oh, I want to come with you, but Ashe has already made me promise not to. So just¡­keep her safe.¡±

    Emily¡¯s brows raised at Nox¡¯s tone, it sounded genuine. Emily winked at him and headed to her room.

    Once they had decided to leave there was not a lot they needed to do to get ready. Emily gathered her belongings, including a change of clothes better suited for the cover of darkness, and carefully tucked away Ariandel¡¯s badge. When she got back into the common room Ashe was already waiting with a smaller pack fastened to her back.

    ¡°Alright let''s head out,¡± Emily said.

    Nox locked the door behind them with a quiet click, and they traveled toward the elevator. Thankfully, it was still operational despite the late hour.

    The glow of well-lit lanterns lined the path ahead, illuminating their way through the upper city.

    Emily flashed her badge to the guards stationed by the lift, the bright dash of red catching the eye for a brief moment before she tucked it away, hidden once more. The guards nodded and waved them through without a word. The lift creaked softly as it descended, the sound echoing faintly as they approached the living districts

    When they got off, Emily immediately noticed the shift in the crowd. The industrious pace of the day had given way to the languid rhythm of nightlife. People ambled from tavern to tavern, their laughter rising and falling in uneven bursts as they indulged in cheap drinks and cheaper Companions. The scent of roasted meats mingled with the tang of spilled ale, and the sound of a distant instrument drifted through the cool air.

    No one paid any mind to the pair of heavily shrouded women.

    As they descended further, the streets grew quieter, the walls of the gorge towering around them like dark sentinels. Streams of water shimmered faintly in the distance, and the few drifters left lounged in dark corners.

    They arrived at an intersection after an hour of travel and Ashe snuck down into an abandoned alley with practiced ease.

    Emily found herself frowning at the thought of Ashe coming here every night.

    When she got into the passage she could just make out some kind of boarded-up guard house pressed up against the main spine of the city.

    ¡°We have to go through there to get to the center column. While this checkpoint has been forgotten, it will get worse the deeper in we go.¡±

    Emily nodded as Ashe pulled out a mask.

    ¡°Keep your hood up and use this. Your hair could make it quite easy to identify you. Oh, and it''s not the time or place, but I like what you did to it. It looks exotic.¡±

    Emily snorted.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t have much say in the matter,¡± Emily said as she pulled the mask up over her mouth leaving just her eyes exposed.

    At the same time, Emily reached into her chest and let out a searching pulse of life force.

    It was faint, at the very edge of her range but she got back a familiar call of blood.

    Blood points: 339

 Chapter 122 - The city depths: part 1

    Emily¡¯s Eyes widened at the realization that Alex was near.

    ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± Emily said, unable to keep the smile off her face.

    Ashe¡¯s eyes turned to crescent and she nodded.

    ¡°Well then, let''s not keep him waiting.¡±

    Ashe dashed out into the street and slipped through a small opening in the guard house¡¯s boarded-up entrance. No lights were coming from inside but Emily couldn¡¯t help the small smile that played on her lips as Ashe boldly headed in.

    Emily moved quickly to catch up and pushed the rusted piece of sheet metal out of her way to make her way in.

    No sooner had she tried to enter than an icy blade was pressed up against her neck. Emily¡¯s eyes adjusted to the dark room and she could just make out Ashe currently held by a ragged individual with a blade up against her throat.

    The dim light from a single flickering lantern cast uneven shadows across the cramped space, the air thick with the smell of mildew and something metallic. There was harsh scent of sweat mixed with the stale air, and Emily¡¯s ears caught the faint drip of water somewhere in the dark.

    Emily hummed and she followed the dirty arm that held the knife to her throat. She had one foot inside the small room and the other still on the road.

    ¡°Well, the company¡¯s always welcome wif me, but you two ain¡¯t look like you''re here to stay.¡±

    Emily glanced down at the short human male. He was getting on in years, and while he still looked sharp he didn¡¯t look like he was trying to rob her.

    ¡°Ah, so are you the men guarding this place?¡± Emily said as she raised a questioning brow.

    ¡°Exactly that ma¡¯am. We¡¯ve seen your friend here poking her nose around our vested interests so we thought we¡¯d welcomes ya. Trust me, I¡¯m doing you a favor. You go in there, and you¡¯ll die. Or at least wish you had¡±

    Emily hummed as her eyes flickered over to Ashe. The woman''s face was twisted into a snarl, and yet Emily could see her eyes watching Emily for hints of their next move.

    ¡°Alright, we wouldn¡¯t want to piss you a lot off, we¡¯ll leave.¡± Emily smiled coyly and the short man''s mouth twitched, ¡°but if I may, could I know the reason you are stopping us?¡±

    The man grunted as he searched Emily¡¯s eyes, he clearly didn¡¯t like what he found, as he pushed the bit of metal deeper into Emily¡¯s throat drawing a line of blood.

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business, miss. It has ta do with us and us alone.¡±

    Excitement sang on the tip of Emily¡¯s tongue. Study and research were fun and all, but nothing beat this feeling.

    ¡°Really?¡± Emily muttered as she cocked her head.

    ¡°Because I need to go in that direction. How about you let me pass and throw a bit of information my way? I¡¯ll make it worth your while¡­ You can pretend you never saw us come through.¡±

    Emily smiled as she reached into her coin purse and flicked a Tri between her fingers.

    The man''s eyes darted down and Emily could see his eyes narrow at the coin.

    ¡°That¡¯s the right song but the wrong tune. Add a corner to it.¡±

    Emily grimaced.

    ¡°Really? A square just for us to pass, you have to be kidding.¡±

    The man looked unimpressed but he shook his head.

    ¡°A square to pass is being generous. You won¡¯t need your money where you¡¯re going.

    What you want down there is not my problem but, If you want to get past my brothers you¡¯ll have to make it worth my while.

    Emily nodded slowly and glanced at Ashe.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying there''s no way to convince you to take a reasonable bribe?¡± Emily asked, her tone shifting dangerously low.

    ¡°Hey! This isn¡¯t a bribe. You want to pass though and I¡¯m telling you the cost so either pay or leave.¡±

    ¡°And what if I don¡¯t want to do either,¡± Emily said with a smile on her face, yet the man didn¡¯t look impressed.

    ¡°That¡¯ll work too. A corpse can¡¯t make choices. And if you do manage to kill me there will be plenty of people waiting here by the time you come out¡± the man said with a snarl twisting his face.

    Emily''s smile never wavered. She could appreciate how little this man cared for his life. He was literally willing to throw it away for a few pieces of meal so she spoke barely containing her laughter.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Well, then I guess you win. Here take the money, you earned it.¡± Emily said as she produced the coin.

    The man¡¯s grin relaxed, his fingers trembling slightly as they snatched it. A soft chuckle escaped his lips, his eyes glinting in the dim light.

    ¡°Great doing business with ya. I¡¯m assuming ya¡¯s looking for the Well. Follow the red dots, they¡¯ll get you there¡±

    Emily snorted through the mask as the knife was pulled back. Stepping into the space completely she straightened to her full height and watched as Ashe was freed from the other man. Emily spotted two more individuals hiding in the shadows of the room as she passed.

    There was only one way forward at this point and that was down a long passage heading into the shadows.

    The four men didn¡¯t move from their spots, nor lower their guards as they watched Emily and Ashe disappear down the passage. When they had got out of sight of the others Ashe pressed her back against the city metal wall and rubbed her hand to her throat.

    ¡°How did you know they wouldn¡¯t kill us?¡±

    Emily shrugged, ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You what? Then was it a smart move to give them coin?¡±

    Emily shook her head as the smile on her face cooled rapidly.

    ¡°No, that was just to stop them from bringing their friends later.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes glowed a deep crimson as her face shifted to a snarl.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pick my coin up off their corpses on the way out¡±

    Ashe¡¯s eyes narrowed, her gaze lingering on Emily with an unmistakable tension in her posture.

    ¡°Is killing your first resort to everything.¡±

    Emily¡¯s face twitched but she chose to answer the question.

    ¡°No, if it were, things would be very different by now. Namely, I wouldn¡¯t be here in the first place.¡±

    ¡°Then could we just beat them up to get the money back? Why do we have to kill them.¡±

    Emily glanced at the passage ahead as it split off into two paths, the left one marked with a green dot and the right a red one.

    ¡°Because killing avoids so many problems. What if he presses us for more money when we get out, or worse they come searching for us? They already seemed to recognize you. Better to just kill them all and disappear. Plus he was kind of an ass, and I don¡¯t like the idea of someone like that getting one up on me.¡±

    Ashe¡¯s eyes were wide as she followed Emily down the right path. There was a hint of disbelief on her face.

    ¡°Surly, can we just find another way out?¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°If it makes you feel better, but this is the route we know, it¡¯d be a bad idea to retreat to an unknown location.¡±

    Ashe felt silent after that as the outside light from the street began to fade away. She handed Emily a torch which she cracked open. The guttural flame spread out and lit up the dusty corridor.

    The two of them traveled in silence as the maze of corridors quickly became uncountable. Emily tried to keep track of the number of turns they made down here but she was quickly losing count. The red dot seemed to be guiding them toward something and the only reason Emily had trusted it was because they were heading in the direction of her blood.

    They were getting close when they spotted the first human down in the dark.

    Emily had been advancing slowly when she heard the footsteps and quickly shut off the light.

    They separated, ducking down into two corridors, and waited patiently.

    A neon blue light came down the hallway they had just been occupied and the footsteps got closer.

    From here Emily could look directly across the hallway to see Ashe shrugging her shoulders at her.

    Emily mimed sliding her fingers over her throat and pointing to the approaching light. Ashe squinted and at first didn¡¯t know what Emily meant but then her eyes widened and she shook her head vigorously.

    Emily sent Ashe a dry look and rolled her eyes, but Ashe sent a pointed stare her way.

    The sound of heavy metal boots slapping against the floor was still approaching and Emily had to make a decision.

    Sighing through her nose Emily pressed her back up against the wall as the light got to the corner of the passage. Just before it came parallel with their hiding spots Emily broke from the cover.

    She rushed the man holding a torch and noticed he was kitted out in full armor. But not the kind for battle.

    This suit was more like a set of metallic robes that shone in the blue light of his torch covering every available inch of skin. The man''s face was completely covered by a mask but he clearly saw her coming. Bracing himself, the guard suddenly reached out for Emily with his gauntlets, they sparked with small arcs of electricity.

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened at the tazer-like gauntlets and ducked under the man''s lunge. Spinning around him she created a loop of blood in her hands pressed her hand to the back of the metalled individual''s neck and fastened it there tightly, cutting off both blood and airflow.

    The man''s hands immediately shot up to his neck as he began choking, but contrary to Emily''s expectations he tried to grab hold of her elbow.

    The only way Emily could dodge was to pull backward and lift the man off his feet, pressing her shoulder into the center of his back and lifting him off the ground.

    The choking sounds got worse and Ashe stepped out of the passage in front of the man and made several gestures.

    The floor nearest to his legs suddenly sprang up as thin cords of metal wire bound his feet so that he couldn¡¯t wriggle.

    Emily''s muscles strained as she held the man there, his struggles getting less by the second.

    It was only thirty seconds and the man slumped in Emily''s arms. The moment he did, she loosened her hold.

    ¡°Is he dead?¡± Ashe came over, banishing her metal back to the floor.

    ¡°No, but he will be around in a minute or two help me move him.¡±

    Emily and Ashe dragged the armored man down one of the side corridors and bound him with metal wire. While she was at it Emily searched his person and pocketed anything that looked even remotely useful.

    The gauntlets were simple gloves made from a malleable cloth with metal woven into it.

    It wasn¡¯t very strong so it had to have another function other than stopping blades.

    Ashe took off the man''s helmet and saw he was young, no older than eighteen in fact.

    He was still unconscious but that wouldn''t be the case for much longer.

    ¡°Come on let''s go. Take the gloves, if you can figure out how to use them, they could be useful¡±

    Ashe¡¯s face went pale as she glanced frantically over her shoulder.

    ¡°We can¡¯t leave him here!¡±

    Emily pressed her lips together.

    ¡°Of course we can, his friends will find him. Bind his mouth while you¡¯re at it so that he can¡¯t call for help. We don¡¯t need them knowing we¡¯re coming.¡±

    Ashe Looked like she wanted to refuse but Emily shook her head.

    ¡°We¡¯re giving him a chance here. I can¡¯t afford him going to warn the others. So this is the best I can do, there is always another alternative.¡± Emily said her gaze meaningful.

    Ashe took a breath and when she opened her eyes again they were steady.

    ¡°Okay let''s keep going.¡±

    Blood points: 340

 Chapter 123 - The city depths: part 2

    Emily peeked around the corner to look out over the room before her.

    As best she could tell, it was a blockade to prevent anyone from going any deeper into the structure. A set of large gates sat at the end of a T-junction, which split off in either direction.

    From here Emily could see the two ¡®guards¡¯ standing on either end of the doors. Their ever-vigilant gazes turned toward either end of the vanishing hallway. It was the only reason they hadn¡¯t spotted Emily from here.

    Ashe poked Emily in the back making her turn back to the woman.

    ¡°Those are Mage Constructions. I¡¯ve seen them in action. We should find another way around,¡± she whispered, her gaze never moving from the mtal titans.

    Emily shook her head.

    ¡°I call them golems but either way I¡¯ve dealt with them before, they¡¯re manageable if you know what you¡¯re looking for.¡±

    Ashe snorted.

    ¡°And you do? Wait, when did you have time?¡±

    Emily snorted and looked back along the corridor they had come from. It had taken them over an hour of travel to get to this point, dodging quite a few guards as they went.

    ¡°You keep watch. I learned how to deal with these guys, but I¡¯m going to need to give them my full attention.¡±

    Ashe nodded as she bit her lip and readied herself.

    Emily smiled at her tense form.

    In all likelihood, Emily could get quite a lot out of this. The last time she had done this she had been going in blind and the golem was focused on her, but currently the things stood like silent sentinels, ready and waiting for Emily to mess with.

    ¡°You got this,¡± she said to Ashe as she grinned and pressed her hand to the wall, releasing her blood.

    A delicate vein of red trailed down to the ground and into the seams of the metal, making use of them to hide her approach.

    The last time she had tried this the blood had been pushed out, and it was only when the order to ¡®halt¡¯ was given, that Emily was able to take advantage of the opening.

    The difference this time was that she knew this would happen. If she could anticipate it, she could counter it. She just needed to beat the golem''s reaction times. If she couldn¡¯t it would get dangerous for both of them.

    When her blood reached the distant hallway she had to concentrate to manipulate it finely from this distance. Luckily she¡¯d had plenty of practice over the years.

    The two golems didn¡¯t seem to notice the creeping veins of blood slinking ever closer. When she was directly below them Emliy built up some reserves so that she could go to work immediately.

    All the while Emily remained motionless her hand pressed against the wall as she prepared to strike.

    Only when her breathing was steady did Emily pull a large amount of life force from her chest and issue the command.

    Blood whipped up from beneath both golems and plunged into the gaps near their metal boots. Emily wastes no time matching her blood to the hollow creature''s wards. She did this for both entities and was making good progress when Emily heard an alarmed shout coming from behind them.

    Glancing back, she spotted two more human guards coming their way. They were also in the same fully clothed get-up, complete with batons.

    Ashe cursed and pulled in the surrounding metal, turning them into whips which she then electrified with the gauntlets they had stolen from the other guard.

    The crack of a steal cable, charged with arcing lighting was distinct and caused both men to come to a stop. They glanced at one another and then charged straight forward.

    Emily could only watch Ashe move to block them, as she had he own battles to fight.

    Already the golems were issuing a tenuous humming noise as they identified the invasion of liquid.

    Emily was not sure what part of the ward dealt with water expulsion so she had to take it all over. She was already halfway but a gentle tug of war was already beginning.

    The sharp crack of Ashe¡¯s whip behind Emily cut through the air, followed by a groan of pain. Then a commanding voice rang out: ¡°Construction! Order, to me!¡±

    Instantly, both golems jerked to attention and pivoted toward Ashe¡¯s battle, their heavy footsteps echoing ominously in the corridor.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Emily ground her teeth and redoubled her efforts. A glance over her shoulder saw one guard on the ground but Ashe was currently fighting the other at close range, and she was losing.

    Emily¡¯s blood ran along the inside of the construct and was up to its shoulders but the force trying to push her out was only growing. Emily hadn¡¯t lost control yet because she was fighting the process tooth and nail, but she needed to act.

    Remaining connected to her blood Emily stepped away from the wall and out into the middle of the hallway to block the golem''s advance.

    Emily ignored the metallic clang behind her, focusing instead on channeling more life force into the golems. Through her connection, she forced them to slow their advance, though they did not stop entirely.

    The glow of blue coming from inside the metal monstrosities was rapidly turning to red but then Emily heard Ashe''s yelp of pain.

    Out of the corner of her eye, Emily could just make out Ashe shaking from electrocution. The man on the ground had gotten up and managed to surprise her while she was occupied with fighting the other.

    Emily¡¯s nostrils flared and she flicked her wrist backward, sending a sharp crescent of blood at the man''s skull. She couldn¡¯t see if it hit, but Ashe''s screams were cut short and that was all the attention she could afford right now.

    That lapse in concentration had created an instability in her control, and the golems took advantage of it. The protections on their bodies attempted to push Emily out completely, and it was made harder still by the fact that there were two of them.

    Realizing she was about to lose them, she created two spears of blood and shot them toward the golem¡¯s face plates. Forcing it to seep in through the gaps she coated the inside of both constructs with crimson and pushed her life force into them.

    By now the golems had arrived and one was reaching down toward her, its hand larger than Emily¡¯s chest.

    Emily groaned and pulled backward, the cords stretching up from her arms as her blood was stretched to its limit. Her clawed hands bunched as she slowed their advance, the strands twanging like taunt marionette strings.

    Emily''s back was turned to Ashe''s fight; she clearly heard the scuffle of approaching feet but couldn¡¯t afford to glance back.

    ¡°Emily, look out!¡± Ashe¡¯s voice shrieked.

    But Emily couldn¡¯t she braced herself.

    There was an agonizing moment of silence and then an ear-splitting tearing of metal; the expected impact from behind never came and Emily was able to fill all the runes inside the creature with her blood.

    The resistance faded and the golem¡¯s blue light was subsumed as Emily took control. Panting, Emily spoke.

    ¡°Order, stand down.¡±

    The two golems rightened themselves and awaited orders allowing Emily to turn back to see the scene.

    Surprisingly the guard was closer than Emily had expected, their hand extended out toward Emily¡¯s back only a couple of centimeters away. But they would never have been able to advance any further as a thick spike of steel had pulled itself up from the floor and went straight through their sternum.

    Ashe¡¯s hand was still extended from weaving the spell, a look of horror in her eyes. Emily saw the man she had attacked lying on the ground with a heavy wound in his neck and she felt the moment that both of them died and their life force came rushing into her.

    Emily grimaced when she saw the hollow look on Ashe''s face as her eyes remained transfixed on the slumped figure.

    ¡°Ashe, look at me.¡±

    Ashe¡¯s eyes flickered over to Emily but then back to the fresh corpse.

    ¡°He was going to hurt you, I didn¡¯t mean to-¡±

    ¡°Ashe, it''s okay. You did fine. You saved me, but we need to keep moving. I know this is hard but we¡¯ll talk when we get home.¡±

    Emily was aware of how callous it sounded, but it was for her own good. From Ashe¡¯s expression, this was her first time killing another human. It was very different from killing a monster and she needed time to process it, but if Ashe broke down here then they were both in danger so Emily had to be short with the woman.

    Ashe didn¡¯t respond right away but Emily took her by the shoulders and marched them towards the doors. The golems followed at their side and when Emily could find no way to open them safely she looked at Ashe.

    ¡°Can you make us a path?¡± she asked quietly.

    Ashe blinked rapidly and seemed to see the door in front of him for the first time. She placed her hand against them and after a second shook her head.

    ¡°It''s warded to prevent tampering...¡±

    Emily clicked her tongue she hadn¡¯t expected it to be that easy, but she¡¯d hoped it might.

    Glancing at the two metal giants beside her a smile appeared on her face.

    ¡°Open it,¡± she said as she pointed to the large set of steel gates.

    The golems stepped towards the door and raised their fists. Slamming down on the steel, causing it to buckle and bend with each hit. They then grabbed the irregular sides and bent the corners of the doorway open for Emily to step through.

    ¡°Well, there goes our element of surprise,¡± she said as she took in the next chamber. Surprisingly, they emerged into a tall rectangular room with a ceiling that disappeared into the shadows above. The far wall curved outward, giving the impression of standing just outside a massive cylinder. Several walkways crisscrossed the upper levels, and a bare staircase spiraled into the darkness. As Emily glanced around, she could sense Alex nearby¡ªabove them, to be exact.

    Emily¡¯s excitement was only trumped by her desire to get in and out of there as quickly as possible.

    So leading everyone towards the staircase they began to ascend. Luckily the stairs seemed to accommodate the golems.

    When they got to the top Emily could directly feel the pull coming from what looked like a room right across the walkway. It was attached to the cylinder chamber, held there by wires and support columns making it look like a barebones military installation. But that didn¡¯t stop Emily from approaching it and flinging the simple wooden door off its hinges.

    The space revealed itself as a storage room, its walls lined with mundane items neatly organized into cubicles. At the far end of the room stood an unusual door, starkly different from the rest. Circular and crafted from dull black metal, it seemed out of place¡ªmore suited to a submarine, with its large, rounded handle.

    Emily furrowed her brow when she located the blood she¡¯d been following. There were only four guards in this room at the current moment and all of them were surprised when Emily appeared in the doorway.

    Without giving them time to react, Emily moved a heavy cord of blood into the room and pinned all four of them to the walls of the chamber. Her anger bubbled to the surface as she took in the otherwise empty room.

    ¡°Alright, this is getting tiring. Where is he?!¡± she growled as her eyes fell on one of the small cubicles in the corner of the room. Alex¡¯s boots lay there, sitting neatly amongst his other personal effects with the number eight-eight-seven carved into the top.

    Blood points: 335

 Chapter 124 - The city depths: part 3

    As Emily walked along the line of guards, the echo of her footsteps was the only sound breaking the room''s oppressive silence. Their helmets obscured their faces, making it impossible to read their expressions, but she didn¡¯t need to. She had already disarmed them¡ªphysically and mentally¡ªleaving no doubt in their minds about the futility of resisting.

    Behind her, Ashe cleared her throat. Her wide eyes darted over the scene, taking in the restrained guards and Emily¡¯s commanding presence.

    ¡°Emily, what¡¯s going on? Is he here? Where are our people?¡± Ashe asked her voice tight with urgency.

    Emily didn¡¯t turn to answer right away. Instead, she stepped closer to the nearest guard, her lips curling into a smirk.

    ¡°I was just about to find out,¡± she said smoothly. Her tone sharpened as she addressed the guard directly. ¡°Where is prisoner eight-eight-seven? And please, don¡¯t lie to me. I¡¯m really not in the mood.¡±

    The fact that Alex¡¯s boots were here meant he could be anywhere and she couldn¡¯t locate him anymore if that was the case. Why didn¡¯t this stupid contract come with a built-in GPS?

    All four of the guards glanced between one another but remained silent.

    Emily¡¯s eye twitched and she tightened the guard''s restraints and asked her question again in a less polite manner.

    ¡°Alright, I can see that this is getting nowhere. How about I make a deal for one of you? The first person to give me the information I need gets to walk out of here alive. The others will stay here with me.¡±

    Once again, everyone glanced at one another, but there was a significantly more desperate energy about them. Yet, they still didn¡¯t say a word.

    Ashe played with her fingers as she watched the guards.

    Emily sighed through her nose but still managed to look disappointed. She¡¯d been hoping their self-preservation instincts would be strong enough to get a reaction. Sadly, she was not so lucky¡ªor at least she wasn¡¯t until one of the guards decided to get smart and began casting something. From Emily¡¯s vantage point, she could not see his hand behind his back, but she could feel it through her blood bindings.

    He began with a simple but effective spell to escape, and Emily was surprised, but not one to turn down an opportunity when it was offered. The moment the wind surrounded him and he cut through the thick band of blood, Emily laughed and wrapped the two separated pieces around the soldier¡¯s neck, squeezing tightly.

    Choking noises filled the air as she lifted the man off his feet.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill him if none of you tell me what I need to know. If you won¡¯t save yourselves, then perhaps you¡¯ll save a friend?¡±

    The three remaining guards couldn¡¯t show their faces, but their body language was tense and trembling against the constraints of Emily''s technique.

    The stand-off didn¡¯t last long. The one on the end shifted uncomfortably, his breathing uneven as he glanced at his comrades. Finally, with a shaky voice, he said, ¡°I... I want to live, so I¡¯ll help you.¡± He grimaced as his fellow guards stared daggers at him. ¡°You¡¯re looking for quadrant six. About halfway up, the numbers are above the cells. But it¡¯s protected by an entire team of Jailors. You¡¯ll never get through.¡±

    Emily smiled and glanced at the large door.

    ¡°Let me figure that part out. How do I get through there?¡± she asked, pointing to the heavy door.

    After some negotiation, Emily released that man and that man alone.

    ¡°I have to say, you are the most reasonable out of all your friends here,¡± Emily said, closing her hand over a key he¡¯d given her. ¡°As promised, you get to go free. But of course, there is a condition. If you try to warn anyone about us¡ª¡± Emily grabbed the man''s wrist and wrapped a small band of blood around it, drying it all at once. ¡°This curse will trigger and kill you. If you leave and just go home, you¡¯ll be safe.¡±

    Emily put on her best bluffing face, watching the man¡¯s expression shift to fear and uncertainty.

    Right now there was no way Emily could do something like that but, he didn¡¯t have to know that, and by the way his eyes dilated, she was certain he believed her.

    When that was done Emily let the man go and he scampered past the golems heading for the door.

    Emily then turned to the others.

    ¡°Looks like I have a deal to uphold. He went free, but you all decided to remain silent. I can respect your loyalty, unfortunately, it doesn¡¯t serve me.¡±

    Emily was about to gather her blood when Ashe came forward gently and took hold of her wrist with a tremble in her hand.

    Emily pressed her lips together as she looked at the silent woman.

    ¡°We can¡¯t let them go,¡± Emily said dryly.

    ¡°You, don¡¯t need to. I¡¯ll bind them and we can move on.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Emily thought about it but shook her head.

    ¡°That probably won¡¯t work here. This place seems like a focal point, more people might come.¡±

    Ashe glanced back at the three remaining men a wild light in her eyes.

    ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll stay here to watch over them and make sure no one can get in.¡±.

    Emily''s brow rose.

    ¡°Do you realize what a dangerous plan that is?¡±

    Yes, but I also know that I can¡¯t watch you do this. I know it¡¯s for Alex¡¯s sake but are you really going to kill your way in there? Do you¡­¡±

    Emily couldn¡¯t help that cold look that appeared on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯ve said this to Alex before and I can see you¡¯re about to ask me the same thing. So I¡¯ll give you the same answer. No, I don¡¯t enjoy killing, but sometimes it¡¯s necessary to get what you need. And right now, I can¡¯t leave here without him.¡±

    Ashe¡¯s bottom lip trembled but she nodded and looked away.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay here and keep our escape route clear.¡±

    Emily pressed her lips together and sighed letting Ashe take over their bindings with metal as she pulled back her blood.

    Emily walked over to the large vault door and inserted the key, having one of the golems turn it for her.

    There was a loud clang of metal as the doorway creaked open, revealing a surprising sight. Emily¡¯s eyes widened at the sheer thickness of both the door and the imposing steel wall that framed it. The door itself was a fortress, every inch of its edges etched with intricate wards that pulsed faintly, looping around as if to bar something¡ªor someone¡ªfrom entry. She eyed the glowing symbols warily, their purpose unclear but undoubtedly powerful.

    Her focus shifted as the chamber beyond came into view, drawing her attention with its vast and foreboding presence. The space was a colossal cylinder, its sheer size almost disorienting. From her vantage point, Emily stood at the edge of a narrow walkway, lined with a simple metal railing that barely seemed sturdy enough to protect against the yawning abyss below. Beyond the railing, the floor dropped away into an endless chasm of shadow, its depths concealed by the impenetrable darkness. Only a center watchtower rose up out of the depths lighting up the space.

    Emily¡¯s gaze lifted, taking in the far side of the chamber. To her astonishment, the opposite wall was visible, its surface crammed with rows upon rows of cells. Each one was dimly lit, and within them, figures moved¡ªpeople, crammed together in grim silence. The air felt heavy, oppressive, and tinged with a sense of despair that clung to the walls like a suffocating mist. She could feel the weight of the place pressing against her chest, the sheer scale of it coming into view.

    Emily didn¡¯t step inside just yet, but she craned her neck to see the numerous identical cells stretching up above them.

    Dozenes guards and golems were patrolling the many crisscrossing walkways that bridged the center of the gap.

    Emily frowned at the wards once more and turned back to Ashe.

    ¡°Can you come check these out I¡¯m not too sure what they say.¡±

    Ashe glanced at the door and walked over to study the runes. While she did this Emily kept an eye out for any patrolling unit that might get too close. Luckily they didn¡¯t seem to spot them down here, but that could change any second.

    Ashe tucked a loose strand of hair over her ear and squinted at the runes.

    ¡°These are advanced, but near as I can tell they keep source of all kinds from escaping.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eye briefly glanced at the prisoners and a hunch began to form. Pressing her lips Emily stepped to the threshold and stuck her arm into the prison itself.

    The moment she did Emily felt her skills being locked, but that was not all. A powerful drawing force began to tug at the source inside her bones. Drawing it out into the chamber beyond and whisking it upwards.

    Emily ground her teeth and concentrated on her blood and flesh, doing her best to slow the escaping source. A minute or two later she had slowed it to about half but still, there was a lot escaping. It would only take a day or so to completely draw out all her source. Pulling her arm back Emily frowned, but then she spotted the guards coming this way. Ducking out of sight she frowned at them. How were they able to be in there, did they change shifts regularly?

    As Emily thought, her eyes fell on Ashe¡¯s captives and when she saw their armor it clicked into place.

    A slow smile spread over her face and Emily walked up to the nearest man.

    ¡°Strip for me.¡±

    The guard who was wrapped in metal bindings made a shrill curse before Ashe had to come over and help Emily get the armor off him.

    Once more Emily noted how young the man under his helmet was.

    No sooner had Emily gotten the suit than she started to put it on. She had time to secure everything as she walked over to the opening again.

    This time when she stuck her hand into the prison there was no draining sensation, though her skills were still unreachable.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going. Wait for me as long as you can, but leave if you have to. I¡¯ll find another way out if need be¡±

    Ashe stared at Emily, her brows drawn together.

    ¡°Good luck¡­¡±

    Emily nodded and plunged head-first into the SourceWell, her trusty golems following after her.

    They seemed to be unaffected by whatever force was at work in here but that thought quickly left Emily''s head as she crouched, realizing there was very little place to hide in here.

    The door she had come through was in a recess so it was easy enough to remain out of sight now, but the moment she walked out there she would be fully visible to the upper levels. From the look of things, each level had four entrances. If the one directly across from their door opened she would be a sitting duck.

    Not to mention she was pretty sure she was in quadrant One so she would have to climb several levels to make it to Alex''s supposed cage.

    Looking down at her gloved hand through the faceplate, the corners of Emily¡¯s mouth began to pull up.

    ¡®Well, when in Rome.¡¯ Emily thought, as she got up and brazenly walked out onto the metal walkway. The path was just big enough to allow her magical bodyguards to flank her.

    The sight drew attention from above but Emily kept walking at a steady pace, keeping her head looking straight ahead.

    She tensed, waiting for alarms to begin blaring all around her and yet they never came.

    Deciding that she was in the clear she began looking for a way up.

    Emily spotted four lifts running through the center of the gap heading to different levels. Searching for a way to call them she noticed a panel near the center pathway and began making her way toward the watch tower. When she got there she saw another panel with a keyhole in it.

    Hoping for the best Emily slotted the same key inside and turned. The panel clicked and a crystal came to life on the panel. She took that to mean that the lift was on its way and was not disappointed when less than a minute later a connected platform began to make its way down to her.

    Emily let out a breath of air when the lift clicked into place and she boarded it. There was another panel with a series of buttons on it and Emily was fairly certain there was one that said quadrant six so she pushed it.

    It was at this moment that one of the doors on this level opened. Thankfully it was not opposite Ashe¡¯s door but two guards still appeared and when they spotted Emily they put up their hands.

    ¡°Hey, hold the lift!¡± one of them called.

    Emily scowled and proceeded to smash the button repeatedly until there was a click of metal and the lift took off.

    Blood points: 336

 Chapter 125 - SourceWell worries

    The harsh screech of grinding metal filled Emily¡¯s ears as the lift ascended through the SourceWell. Without walls enclosing the platform, the cells were fully visible to her, a grim gallery of the incarcerated. In each cell, groups of prisoners went about their confinement, their movements slow and weary. From her vantage point, Emily estimated that each level held roughly one hundred fifty cells, each one crammed with at least ten individuals.

    The oppressive conditions cast a dark, suffocating pall over the place, but that wasn¡¯t the worst of it. The prisoners themselves bore marks of their suffering¡ªexhausted and pale, their skin ashen and lifeless. Many looked like they hadn¡¯t seen sunlight in years.

    Emily pressed her lips into a thin line as she watched the scenes pass. When someone¡¯s Source was drained, they wouldn¡¯t die¡ªat least, not immediately, as long as a small trace of each kind of energy remained in their body. But they would become lethargic, and their resistance would be reduced to almost nothing.

    Her eyes narrowed as her thoughts drifted to Alex. Getting him out of here was going to be harder, especially if he was drained. Emily found her frustration rising at the thought. When this was all over, she was going to give Alex a piece of her mind for getting captured like this.

    As the lift rose higher, Emily began to notice a pattern. The number of guards increased steadily, patrolling walkways or moving alongside golems. Their presence wasn¡¯t arbitrary¡ªit was a necessary counterbalance to the changing demeanor of the prisoners.

    By the time she reached the fourth quadrant, the prisoners seemed noticeably different. These individuals didn¡¯t exhibit the same defeated aura. They moved around their cells with a faint spark of vitality, their energy levels clearly higher than those on the lower levels.

    By the time they got close to their destination, Emily couldn¡¯t tell the difference between them and a normal prisoner, as everyone moved about with relative ease.

    The lift began to slow, as whatever wards that were animating it arrived on her floor.

    The sixth quadrant was busy with guards going about the business doing regular sweeps of the area.

    Emily stepped off the lift, as a team of guards approached and boarded the now-vacant platform, giving her only the barest of glances.

    They didn¡¯t stop or question her as she moved purposefully across the bridge, her focus set on finding Alex¡¯s cell. She was certainly in the right place, but she had no intention of staying here any longer than necessary.

    Following the numbered cells, Emily headed toward the outer edge of the facility. She had just reached the main walkway when her attention was caught by what appeared to be a prisoner transport.

    A man with wild hair and a cold, unsettling light in his eyes struggled along. He was nearly naked, save for a harness wrapped around his neck, chest, and waist, extending to his back like bridles. Shackles bound his ankles, and four guards flanked him, each holding long poles connected to the harness to keep him in check.

    The sight was striking, but it wasn¡¯t the prisoner who captured Emily¡¯s attention.

    Leading the group was a jailor¡ªor perhaps a commander, judging by the uniform. Beside them walked a man she recognized.

    Neal, the same man she had seen only hours ago, strolled behind the commander, murmuring to them in a low voice. Unlike everyone else in here, he did not wear a helmet as he casually moved down the bridge. Behind him stood two more women following faithfully. They were also clearly Mages but lesser in some way.

    Emily''s eyes widened and she saw other guards moving to the sides of the passage to allow the group to pass.

    Not wanting to draw attention Emily copied them and stepped off the main path.

    The group moved past seemingly unaware of her presence, that was until Neal stopped and turned his head towards her.

    Emily¡¯s breath caught as the old man narrowed his dark eyes at her. If she remembered correctly he had some kind of Observer title, that was why Ariandel had added him to the team. If he could see her then things were about to get a whole lot more messy.

    Emily remained unmoving as the man stepped closer. The rest of the prisoner convoy paused as the commander turned to look over at Neal.

    ¡°Sir Mage is something the matter? I would like to remind you that this prisoner is considered highly dangerous, we can¡¯t dally.¡±

    Neal continued to step closer as he squinted past Emily to the golems at her back.

    He frowned and looked at Emily.

    ¡°You! Soldier where did you get these Constructs? They¡¯re usual to the extreme. What''s with that color.¡±

    Neal was now just a couple of meters away, and Emily realized she couldn¡¯t respond. The moment she spoke, he would recognize her voice. She didn¡¯t trust the strange man enough to believe he¡¯d stay silent.

    ¡°...Well?! I expect an answer. Did you just come from the research division?¡± Neal said growing more frustrated.

    Seeing her opening, Emily nodded which seemed to lower Neal''s guard somewhat.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Well, why didn¡¯t you say that then?! Gillda must be further along than I thought. Blast this side project he has me working on. I need to ask for double the compensation when this is all over-¡±

    The commander''s voice spoke over Neals once more.

    ¡°Sir Mage our skills will only last another five minutes. If this man is to be harvested we need to get him down to the lower levels now. Please continue to restrain his strength.¡±

    Neal got a nasty light in his eyes as his attention refocused on the commander.

    ¡°I am above your station Warden, you would do well to remember that. I am aware of what is at stake here.¡±

    The Warden lowered their head, the faintest hint of tension in their posture, while Neal¡¯s gaze flicked back to Emily¡¯s golems, his eyes narrowing as if weighing their worth.

    No one spoke for a full minute as stood there quietly until finally one of the women beside Neal spoke up.

    ¡°Master we should continue our duty so that we can get back to work. I can send a letter to Gillda inquiring about these new variants.¡±

    Neal frowned and looked at the woman and then back to the golems.

    ¡°I suppose you are right, but for interrupting me you will punish yourself with several lashings when we return home.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± the Mage said showing no emotion to the insane order.

    Emily was glad she wore a hamlet because the look that appeared on her face was pure disgust.

    Turning from Emily, the man headed back to the Warden¡¯s side and the group of men and women continued forward.

    Emily''s eyes lingered on the prisoner¡¯s back until he and the guards disappeared around the corner.

    As the tension around her eased, Emily resumed her path toward the cells. Her heart, which had been pounding like a drum, finally began to settle by the time she reached the low eight-hundred¡¯s.

    Glancing down the corridor, she took in the prisoners housed here. They ranged in age from their early twenties to their late eighties. The cells contained individuals of numerous races¡ªmany familiar to Emily from the city, but a few were so unfamiliar that she hadn¡¯t even known they existed.

    With each cell that passed Emily got more and more nervous. He had to be here. If he wasn¡¯t, she would have to start looking all over again. And this time she wouldn¡¯t have the reassurance of her blood to find him.

    When Emily got to cell eight-eight-six she paused and let the golem go ahead of her, taking a breath she stepped out into view of the next cell and peered in.

    The dim room was illuminated by a single, flickering torch mounted on the wall, casting uneven shadows across the cramped space. The prisoners huddled within were a sorry sight¡ªsome curled up on threadbare mattresses, shivering in the cold, while others passed the time with a crude game using bits of rusted metal.

    Emily¡¯s gaze swept the room, her shoulders sagging when she failed to spot Alex among them. From her angle, she could only see half the room¡¯s occupants, the others hidden in shadow. Frustration bubbled up as she stepped forward and kicked the iron bars, sending a sharp, metallic clang reverberating through the space.

    ¡°All of you, front and center. Now,¡± she growled, her voice a low threat. ¡°I want to see your faces.¡±

    The prisoners exchanged hesitant glances, then shuffled into the weak torchlight, their movements slow and cautious. One by one, they lined up, revealing faces Emily recognized¡ªsome were from the Wandering Fangs. Her pulse quickened with faint hope as they approached the cell bars. But when the last man stepped forward, her heart sank. Only nine.

    Her fingers gripped the bars tightly, frustration giving way to cold determination. ¡°I counted nine. If you¡¯re hiding someone, get him out here. Now,¡± she said, her tone dropping to an icy snarl.

    The prisoners exchanged uneasy looks, their guilt obvious. Finally, one of them broke away from the line and slinked toward the back of the cell, where shadows clung thickest. Emily¡¯s eyes followed him as he bent down and tugged at something¡ªa bundle of cloth, hastily concealed and far too deliberate to be anything innocent. The other men had been standing in a line, a poor attempt at hiding what lay in the darkened corner.

    Emily swallowed as the prisoner put an arm over his shoulder and dragged another man to his feet.

    The two hobbled over to the bars and the light leaking in from behind her illuminating his form.

    There, battered and bruised was Alex, doing his best to stand on his own. He stared at Emily with anger and hatred, his one eye swollen shut and several cuts on his lips.

    ¡°What do you want this time? We haven¡¯t done anything wrong,¡± Alex said, his voice strong and unwavering despite his disheveled state.

    Relief surged through Emily, nearly overwhelming her, and a radiant smile spread across her face beneath the shadow of her visor.

    ¡°Wow, they did a number on you, didn¡¯t they.¡± Emily jabbed.

    Alex¡¯s anger faded to be replaced with confusion, and then his eyes widened, and pulled himself towards the bars.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Emily glanced around at the patrols and seeing as none of them were around she spoke.

    ¡°Yeah, me. Now I¡¯m going to get you out of here, but this place is crawling with guards so are you ready to go?¡±

    It was like she threw food to staving men, all their demeanors changed at the mention of escape.

    Alex¡¯s eyes darted from her to the watch tower behind her.

    ¡°I- Yes. But how are you going get us all out, we can¡¯t use skills in here.¡±

    Emily snorted and shook her head.

    ¡°My only priority is you, I don¡¯t give a damn about the rest of them. I¡¯ll open the door but what they do after this is not my problem.¡±

    Alex¡¯s face twitched and he glanced back at them.

    Emily was certain he¡¯d jump at the opportunity, but he was hesitating.

    ¡°I can¡¯t leave without them, we need to at least try to get these men out.¡±

    Emily''s shoulders drooped.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Emily said dryly.

    ¡°I am,¡± Alex said with a staunch conviction in his voice.

    Emily took a breath to calm her nerves, she was wasting time arguing with him.

    ¡°Fine. But I can¡¯t promise you that they¡¯ll all make it. Instead, I will bring them with us but if it looks like we can¡¯t get out, I¡¯m making a break for it, with you in tow.¡±

    Alex seemed to already understand that this was the best compromise she would allow and nodded.

    ¡°Fine, but how are you going to get us out.¡±

    Emily withdrew the healing tonic she¡¯d taken from her pack and handed it to him.

    ¡°First take this. You are going to need to be able to run¡± she said as he took the vial.

    Emily then withdrew the key from her side and inserted it into the delicate lock. It had worked for her so far, but sadly her luck was out as the door didn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°Alright, plan B, get ready,¡± Emily said as pointed to the bars. The two golems beside her grabbed one end of the metal bar and pulled. There was a screeching of metal as the bars groaned and warped out of the way.

    The change in their surroundings was immediate. The ward lining the cell flared to life and a high-pitched screech began to echo out of the area, bathing the whole quadrant in a red glow. Light flared to life on the watchtower and pointed directly at cell eight-eight-seven.

    Emily glanced over her shoulder and grinned as her heart ignited. Snapping her head towards the opening she shouted over the sound of blaring alarms.

    ¡°Coming on people, we¡¯d better go if you want to make it out in time¡± laughter lacing her voice.

    Blood points: 337

 Chapter 126 - Breathing in

    Emily ran to the edge of the quadrant and grabbed hold of the cold railing to stare out at the pandemonium. All around them, the SourceWell was alive with activity as sirens blared and light bathed the world flashing red.

    The watchtower was a kicked hornet¡¯s nest and it wouldn¡¯t be long before they went searching for the intruders.

    Giggling at the chaos Emily clicked her tongue at the golems as she moved back the Alex. The man was already panting from just climbing out of his cell, but Emily didn¡¯t have time to think about that.

    ¡°Alright boys you know what to do!¡± Emily grinned at her metal giants, her face filled with malice. The Golems moved to the neighboring cells and began bending the bars open to those ones too.

    The inhabitants were shocked but they weren¡¯t about to turn down a chance at freedom. The moment the hole was big enough they began fighting one another to crawl out of their cells with desperate energy.

    ¡°Follow me If you want to get out of here,¡± Emily yelled to the growing crowds

    Emily didn¡¯t know a better way to escape a place than being carried through the front doors by a full-scale prison break.

    ¡°Move people! Freedom awaits!¡± Emily yelled as she moved to Alex''s side and grabbed hold of him.

    As they went down the corridor, her golems broke through the bars, cell by cell.

    The bulk of the guards had just arrived behind them but getting to Emily and Alex was going to be difficult with the mass of prisoners already in the way. Some scattered in fear, but a good few dove into battle, even without their skills they still put up a decent fight. By that time Emily had freed over ten cells she took a look around and noticed the lifts had been locked down. There were stairs but as they got near she could see guards already gathering there to block them.

    Flicking her fingers Emily had both golems break off from her. Sending one ahead to break open more cells and the other down the staircase.

    The guards scattered in panic as the massive construct slammed into the ground with a thunderous crash. Shouts for reinforcements echoed through the chaos, but it was already too late¡ªthe golem swept through the band of defenders, crushing the resistance and clearing the path to Quadrant Five.

    Prisoners surged ahead of Emily''s group, overwhelming anyone who dared to stand in their way. She noticed the clever ones, hung back behind her group, their eyes sharp as they watched and waited for the perfect chance to slip away.

    As their numbers swelled, Emily took note of the diverse mix of thugs and outlaws of various races joining them. Most fought barehanded, using sheer numbers to overpower the guards, while others armed themselves with batons ripped from their defeated captors. Mercy was nowhere to be found as they vented their rage on their oppressors, every blow delivered with savage intent.

    Unfortunately, whatever had been delaying the guard''s response time was over now, and they began to rally. Pouring out of corridors of the watchtower itself, slowing Emily¡¯s descent.

    They came with their own golems and they were quickly outnumbering her forces.

    Emily snorted but her eyes fell on the blockade ahead. The hairs on the back of Emily¡¯s neck stood on end and she searched the area, someone was coming. Someone strong.

    The sound of a chain rang out as one of the prisoners was sent flying back and crashed into one of Emily''s golems with a sickening crunch.

    Emily turned to where the hit had come from and was greeted by the sight of the commander she had seen with Neal. The Jailor carried a flail at their side. Only this one was just a ball of metal.

    Emily quickly scanned the area for the Mage and his followers but when she couldn¡¯t spot him, she let out a brief sigh.

    Her relief was short-lived as the commander proved their title was well-earned, cutting through the front of the group with precision while their soldiers provided unwavering support.

    Emily bit the inside of her cheek and summoned the golems to her side.

    ¡°Stay close to me,¡± she said firmly glancing at Alex.

    His face twisted into a mask of exasperation, but he nodded silently. The tonic seemed to be working as his hobbling gait had eased, and the swelling around his eyes had visibly diminished.

    Emily''s face grew solemn as they advanced on the commander, her golems charging ahead. One got blocked by another construct, but the other tore a hole in the defensive line.

    The Warden turned to see them approaching and dropped their stance low, swinging the flail out at them.

    Emily and Alex ducked under the strike together and attacked together.

    She pulled blood from her chest, soaking it through the suit of armor, and forming a large set of claws, while Alex brought a fist up towards their jaw.

    Seeing the incoming attack the Warden reacted with lightning-fast reflexes and retrieved the flail in time to bat Emily''s claw away. Alex¡¯s fist on the other hand managed to get through.

    The Warden reeled as the attack connected and their helm went flying off. They caught themself and Emily saw the textured face of a tree folk come into view, but they didn¡¯t have long because the Warden was pissed.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    He grunted as he swung the Flail around and lobbed it straight towards Alex¡¯s stomach. Unable to react in time, Alex was sent flying backward before the men from the wandering fangs caught him.

    Emily cursed as she created two cords of blood and sent them at the Warden, he seemed surprised at the sight of her blood, but his response was still admirable.

    He destroyed one with his flail and the other he somehow froze in place. It was as though her blood was tied in place by some external force. She tried to get it to move but the cord of blood stuck in place.

    Grunting Emily abandonded the blood and backed off to minimize the chance that would happen to her body. The Warden chased after her, raising his flail and sweeping out at Emily¡¯s legs.

    Seeing this, Emily jumped and pulled a whole lot of blood from her chest to fend the guy off. The wall of blood stretched out in front of her forcing the Warden to retreat.

    But just before it got to him the nearest blood froze in place. The portion of the attack that was not aimed at him seemed to continue on unaffected.

    Seeing this, Emily realized the attack had to be aimed at him to trigger whatever defensive skill he had in place.

    So calling to the golem she sent it toward the line of guards trying to get the others under control.

    They weren¡¯t expecting that massive giant to suddenly change direction and they couldn¡¯t block it when it suddenly battered several of them out of the way.

    ¡°Alex!¡± Emily shouted.

    However, even before she made the call he was already on the way. Charging through the gap she¡¯d made.

    The Wandering Fangs and other prisoners forced their way into the opening, shoving past the Warden and his men.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let them escape! The city can¡¯t afford to lose them right now!¡± the Warden screeched.

    The guards tried to push them back, but over half the prisoners managed to break through the line.

    The Warden¡¯s gaze snapped to Emily, and with a clenched fist, he activated a skill. The air around her thickened, turning heavy and sluggish as if she were moving through molasses. Struggling against the restraining force, Emily felt her movements slow to a crawl.

    The flail came hurtling toward her, and though she couldn¡¯t dodge in time, she could block. Blood surged upward in response to her will, forming a barrier even as she pivoted with agonizing slowness.

    An explosion of sound echoed out as the ball of metal smacked into the screen propelling her forward.

    Alex turned to catch her and the moment he made contact the slowing effect faded. Emily recalled her golems, but she never got a response from the one she had sent behind them. Turning to the area she saw her golem being ripped to pieces by two others.

    Emily would mourn its loss, but not right now because another construct rose to block their path forward. Point ahead Emily sent her remaining fighter at the construct and the two began to rip one another apart.

    As she passed Emily slammed a hammer made from blood into its back knee then had her golem throw the other off the edge of the railing.

    There was a grinding of steel and then nothing. Emily turned just in time to see the Warden chasing after them.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got in here but I¡¯m going to lock you in the deepest darkest cell I have and take my time finding out!¡±

    Emily Smirked under her mask. She was tempted to mock the man for asking her out on such an interesting date, but instead, she addressed the masses.

    She couldn¡¯t risk attacking him on account of his skills so she did the next best thing.

    ¡°The Warden has the key out of here, we need to kill him to get it!¡±

    What came next was even more chaotic than battle, as multiple sets of desperate eyes fell on the man.

    Once again, there were smart ones who realized it was a trick, but there were also prisoners who turned on the Warden, only for them to get mowed down by a flail or frozen in place.

    Using that opportunity Emily bolted after Alex and the rest of them as they hurlted down the corridor. When they rounded the gradual corner Emily spotted something interesting.

    In front of them was a large open cell, but this one was different. It seemed to have some kind of machine inside it, and standing just outside was Neal. The guard here had been trying to escort the prisoner Emily had seen earlier, which was probably why the Warden had come from this direction.

    The prisoner in question had broken his shackles and placed either foot on the sides of the doors in an attempt to prevent himself from being locked inside.

    Neal¡¯s expression was one of suffering, but then he spotted Emily, and a keen look of interest appeared in them.

    Emily ran just near the front with her remaining golem trailing her. The thing was missing an arm and its chest plate was heavily damaged, but it was still running, and Emily would make use of anything she had.

    So sending the Golem forward, she attempted to block the Mage. Seeing the construct coming towards him, Neal began casting and flicked a bubble of water at the charging freight train. The projectile grew as it traveled and when it hit her golem¡¯s chest it was already the size of a car. It was only a matter of time before the spell encased the construct completely causing it to float upwards uslessly.

    ¡°My, what are the chances of us meeting again? I¡¯m so glad I¡¯ll get a chance to pull this thing apart. Am I to understand you¡¯re not one the Jailors that work here?¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t wait for the man to finish talking. Her stolen uniform set her out from the rest so there was no hiding the fact.

    Emily grabbed a baton from a nearby hand and began casting the lift spell. With a sharp flick of her wrist, she hurled the stick straight at the creepy man, channeling the full force of her strength into the throw. She timed the final gesture perfectly, releasing the spell''s energy just as the baton left her hand. To her dismay, about ninety percent of the power she had packed into the spell seeped away into the room. Still, the remaining ten percent was more than enough.

    The baton flipped end over end and struck a barrier Neal had summoned with a powerful crack.

    The mage looked almost insulted by the attempt, but Emily paid him no mind, making use of the opening. Her focus was locked on the prisoner, who had just shattered a pair of metal shackles using nothing but his raw strength.

    The distance was not far and Emily swiped a single bloody claw up across his runic bindings, sheering through them all in one go.

    In the brief window that came after the man''s shackles were cut, Emily¡¯s eye locked with his.

    She could see wonder on his face, overshadowed only by a look of relief, and though some would have missed it, Emily didn¡¯t. She had seen his kind many times before, hiding where no light could find it was a kernel of madness, twisting in the depths of his eyes.

    No sooner was he free than his muscles bulged and Neal let out a string of curses.

    ¡°You fool, what have you done!¡±

    Emily refused to stick around to find out.

    ¡°Alex! Remember what I told you?!¡±

    Alex¡¯s face was one of stoic denial.

    ¡°I can¡¯t leave them-!¡±

    ¡°I know, but you owe me!¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t let him finish, she charged away from the man and tackled Alex, extending her range with blood and binding them all together and with a grunt pulled all eleven of them over the edge.

    Blood points: 333

 Chapter 127 - Crash landing

    Several desperate screams merged into a single, chaotic wail, only to be intermittently drowned out by the blare of a siren. The red glow pulsed against Emily¡¯s closed eyelids, but she could only block it out for so long before the screaming grated on her nerves.

    ¡°Shut it, or we¡¯re all dead!¡± she snarled, her voice cutting through the panic.

    She forced herself to focus. The next move had to be precise¡ªif she messed up, they¡¯d all end up as pancakes at the bottom of whatever pit led to.

    Alex had his full attention on Emily a touch of concern gracing his features.

    Emily glanced down at the rapidly passing quadrant. Level four passed them by before they even knew what was coming, and level three was almost as fast. Emily could not fly this many people; it was impossible. That being said, she could still arrest their fall just enough to matter.

    ¡°Alright people get ready this is going to hurt,¡± she said.

    The second floor was fast approaching and Emily gathered blood from her arms, tying them all together, and just as they passed level two, she shot out two dozen cords of blood at the railing. The blood latched on, slowing their descent like a grim, sticky abseiling rope. As it stretched taut, the blood cord pulled them level with the quadrant. They were swinging straight toward the gap between the ceiling and railing when the painful part came.

    The top of the cord snagged on the underside of the second level, halting their momentum. The only way to stop them from swinging out of control was to cut the cords¡ªbut if she did that, they might go hurtling over the edge.

    Emily made a snap decision. Instead of risking it, she let them hit the wall.

    There was something absurdly funny about nearly a dozen people slamming into a stone wall at the same time. By the time they had ricocheted onto the roof and finally crumpled to the floor, Emily was giggling to herself.

    The sharp stab of pain in her broken ribs put an abrupt end to her laughter. Still, she pulled herself to her feet, healed and ready to move.

    Everyone else was groaning but they didn¡¯t have time, guards were already becoming more active as they spotted them from across the chasm. Luckily Emily had been keeping an eye on the entrance she had come through so it wasn¡¯t far from here. She was the first to take off, followed shortly by Alex. The rest of the Wandering fangs followed behind, some limping and more than a few of them probably needing tonic.

    Emily was more than a little worried that Ashe had already left. It would only make sense that when the chaos started she should make herself scarce, but when Emily turned the corner she saw one very pissed-looking Ashe standing in the opening.

    The large vault door was halfway closed and by the looks of things it had been trying to seal for the last while. If the source currently pouring off her was anything to go by, then she had been holding it open all this while. When Emily got closer, Ashe woke up with a start and, a scream.

    ¡°Get through here now! I can¡¯t hold it!¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t need any urging. She hopped through and pulled Alex behind her. By the time the rest of the people were through, she let out an agonized pant, and the door groaned shut. The guards'' footsteps were just around the corner by the time it finally sealed.

    Emily started to ¡®whoop¡¯ but Ashe put a hand over her mouth to shush her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t, we are not out of this yet We need to get through that door and make it out the tunnels. Who knows how many are out there.¡±

    Emily rolled her eyes and, without much fanfare, headed for the door. Alex stepped up beside her and gave her one of his usually solemn stares.

    ¡°Emily when this is done we need to speak. How did you find me? Why did you find me.¡±

    Emily snorted.

    ¡°Enough, grab your things, and let''s get out of here. You know I need a guide, let''s not make this reunion any soppier than it needs to be.¡±

    Alex pressed his lips together and turned to look at the others. Nodding to them, they all headed to grab their personal effects and in less than a minute they were already looking better without their ratty prison clothes.

    Unfortunately, it seemed their weapons were somewhere else but they didn¡¯t have time to search for them now. So Emily snuck them out the door and down the staircase. The door they had come through was still not guarded so they slipped out into the labyrinth of tunnels.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    When they did, they could hear dozens of voices spreading out all around them, bouncing around the corners. Emily knew from experience voices carried down here but from the sounds of it, they wouldn¡¯t be able to take the path they had before.

    Emily''s face twisted into a pout when she realized she would not be able to pay a visit to those swindlers, but Ashe seemed to know what she was thinking because she just rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Oh, just leave it. I¡¯ll pay if it means that much to you.¡±

    Emily snorted muttering that wasn¡¯t the point, but it fell on deaf ears.

    They twisted and wound through the tunnels for over two hours but the night skies finally came into view. With it came a breath of fresh air that wasn¡¯t painted with the stinking musk of long-stagnant tunnels.

    Emily took a breath as Alex looked around at what looked to be an old dumping ground.

    ¡°We need to find a place to lay low. A tavern is too conspicuous, but maybe a bathhouse or brothel.¡±

    Emily held up her hand.

    ¡°I have the perfect place. I have a house on the outer campus. We should go there, it will be the last place they think to look.¡±

    Alex frowned.

    ¡°With this many people? How¡¯d you even get a place in the upper campus, actually, forget it the trip would be too long for us to make right now.¡±

    Emily shrugged but Ashe answered.

    ¡°She¡¯s right, Alexander. I have a permit for us to cross at this hour but it might look a little suspicious with so many people. We¡¯ll have to move in the morning but right now we should get to the supplies you¡¯ve been hoarding Emily.¡±

    Emily groaned and sighed, she knew this was coming.

    Over the last few days, she¡¯d been selling the Source metal at a fair price and buying up supplies and weapons they might need, especially those that ensured a hasty split from the city if need be.

    She wanted to tell Ashe no, but the supplies were bought with Keal¡¯s money and she¡¯d promised it would be used for the wandering fangs, so it was probably okay if they used them for their intended purpose.

    Sighing Emily looked to Alex.

    ¡°Trust us, we have been up here for a week now, we can get you guys somewhere safe.¡±

    Alex squinted at Emily but nodded.

    Emily grinned and looked towards Ashe to lead the way, as she had no idea where they were.

    Alex looked like he was regretting his decision already, but after a couple of minutes or so, Ashe found her bearings and they made for the upper districts.

    Emily was surprised to note that while there was a lot of nightlife still burning right now. The guard''s presence was as bad as they had expected. They still had to duck into alleyways when a patrol rushed through the area, but they seemed to be occupied.

    When they got to the lifts, everyone was on edge, including Emily as they boarded while surrounded by critical eyes.

    When they got to the top, the guard stationed there eyed everyone. He looked about ready to call it in when Ashe spoke.

    ¡°We are Mage¡¯s are you really going to block our path to call a tower representative at this hour? They¡¯ll have your title by the morning. Now we have the permits, so let us through.¡±

    The poor man seemed unsure of what to do but finally let them through.

    Emily let out a silent sigh as they passed into the outer campus and headed towards the housing.

    When they got to the door Emily unlocked it and everyone slipped inside. Nox sat up suddenly from his place on the sofa to stare at them all.

    ¡°You¡¯re okay!¡± he said as he untangled himself from the lazy Rime wolf.

    Ashe went over to the teen as Emily moved to her room and returned with a large pack over her shoulder.

    He dumped it down, plopped onto the nearest cushion, and began patting Cupcake.

    ¡°Right, there¡¯s only one bath, so I get that first. Everything thing you guys might need is in there, like a change of clothes and rations. Luckily I stocked up on tonics, but only use one if you absolutely have to.¡±

    With that Emily headed to the bathroom. She could see Alex wanted to talk, but she needed to get rid of the sweat.

    Slamming the door shut, Emily drew a bath and relaxed in the soothing water generously before making her way out again.

    For the most part, everyone looked bandaged up the next person headed into the bathroom, which was surprising Svent. Emily was just wondering if tree folk drank their bathwater through their skin when Alex called to her.

    ¡°Emily, we need to talk.¡±

    Sighing, she walked over to the corner he had taken up.

    The wandering fangs had taken up another corner of the common room whispering quietly to one another.

    ¡°The others want to know if you found any of our wolves before you spotted us.¡±

    Emily frowned.

    ¡°No, I only came to find you. I never saw any animals in that place. Oh, well I know where Mist is.¡±

    Alex nodded for her to go on.

    ¡°Oh well, not his exact location. Last I saw him he was in the possession of Atticus. Which by the way, if we find him. I¡¯m going to either punch him or stick him like a pig. Not too sure on which yet, I¡¯ll see where the mood takes me.¡±

    Ales drew his brows together

    ¡°So he¡¯s alive¡­¡±

    ¡°Yup, last I saw him, he abandoned me on one of those god-awful islands.¡±

    ¡°Right well try and restrain yourself. We¡¯re still working with the wandering fangs.¡±

    This irked Emily and she brought her boot up onto the small table and crossed her leg.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden love for them? You can¡¯t have already drunk the Kool-Aid.¡±

    Alex snorted.

    ¡°Dammit Emily, I always cared, but this never happened last time. I¡¯m trying to keep them together because we need them.¡± Alex hissed, glancing over at the rest of them.

    Emily pressed her lips together and shrugged. Sitting down next to the man.

    ¡°We need to figure out what to do next. If our wolves can¡¯t be found then we need to at least make alternative arrangements. For example, we should go early tomorrow to scour the markets, and-¡±

    Emily cleared her throat and glanced down at her palm.

    ¡°Alex, I just got you out of prison. You should rest, at least till tomorrow. I can explain what''s going on and we can discuss our plan then¡­ But for now ¨Cand I¡¯ll deny it if you bring it up¨C it''s good to have you back.¡±

    Alex leaned back slightly as though some distance would allow him to tell if she was messing with him.

    But Emily wasn¡¯t. She had missed having someone reliable at her back, someone that she could trust to cover her blind spots. Even if they didn¡¯t agree on anything she was thankful for that.

    Alex blinked rapidly until a calmer look fell over his face.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m still pissed at you for sending me away back there¡­But... likewise.¡±

    Blood points: 328

 Chapter 128 - Cant please everyone

    The small common room buzzed with noise in the early morning hours. Voices overlapped as everyone tried to be heard over the sound of clattering dishware. Ashe, Nox, and Cupcake shared one couch, while Alex and Svent sat on another. Behind them, the rest of the Wandering Fangs lingered out near the trays of food Nox had acquired from somewhere. Interestingly, they had voted to let Alex represent them in the talks, but somehow still couldn¡¯t resist chiming in occasionally. From what Emily could gather, Alex had naturally stepped into a leadership role amidst all of this.

    Emily, however, sat removed from everyone in a lone chair. Uncomfortably wedged between the two groups. Only Ashe had dared to wake her from her beauty sleep¡ªand with good reason. The fresh hole in the wall of her bedroom stood as evidence of the risk. If anyone else had tried to rouse her, who knew what injuries they might have left with?

    When everyone had gathered to recount their versions of event, Ashe had taken to recounting the details for herself and Emily, while she munched on a fruit salad with not even one recognizable fruit.

    When the Wandering Fangs learned of the situation outside, and the city¡¯s seemingly unbothered stance with the threat at their front door, the uproar became too much. Seeing this was getting nowhere Emily decided to say how she saw things going.

    ¡°Look boys and girls, I¡¯ve explained what happened, but deciding what we do next should not be this much of a problem. We¡¯ll wait till the end of the day and get the hell out of here. It¡¯s not that hard.¡± Emily said as

    Alex crossed his arms.

    ¡°Yes but how do we do that with the damned shield up and the guards looking for us, not to mention the army out there¡­ I have to say making a contract in this city is the opposite of a smart move, Emily.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t disagree.¡± Ashe hummed.

    ¡°Hey! Kettle, black!¡± Emily pouted in Ashe¡¯s direction.

    Both of them just ignored her by now and went on with their conversation.

    ¡°Emily you said we could potentially get out through the gorge, correct? Then if we manage to secure a couple of flying mounts we could make a run for it¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t mind getting shot down by the army of fanatics out there. I don¡¯t know about you all, but I¡¯m not suicidal.

    The room fell silent as almost everyone shot her a dry stare.

    ¡°What?¡± Emily asked her fork partway to her mouth with a piece of green fruit.

    ¡°Look, we¡¯ll have to think of something, because now that you¡¯re out, it''s only going to get harder to move about the city,¡± Ashe said.

    Alex nodded and glanced back at the wandering fangs.

    ¡°Not to mention we¡¯ll need to figure out how to recover Kael and everyone else.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed on Alex.

    ¡°Not you too...We¡¯re not doing that.¡±

    Alex furrowed his brows.

    ¡°What do you mean? We discussed this, we need Kael to get us through the desert.¡±

    Emily pointed her fork at Alex.

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll find someone else. I can ask Ariandel for a recommendation. We¡¯re not going to risk ourselves against a force of that size.¡±

    Alex shook his head.

    Ashe had not said a word since they¡¯d started talking about this suicide mission but her expression spoke volumes.

    ¡°Emily, he¡¯s the only one that can get us through that hell hole.¡± Alex whined

    To which she just shook her head.

    ¡°What about using teleporting magic? Ashe said there were some in the city.¡± Emily said trying to get them off this topic.

    Alex¡¯s brows briefly rose but he shook his head.

    ¡°You mean the Port gates? You know why we can¡¯t use those. They¡¯re way too well guarded and everyone that passes through is logged¡­¡±

    Emily frowned as she realized why that may be a problem for someone trying to avoid a bounty and potentially assassins. The guards in the SourceWell probably didn¡¯t care about Who Alex was just that he was useful.

    Pressing her lips together Emily continued.

    ¡°We¡¯ve both seen these forces strength firsthand. I don¡¯t do jobs like this without a good reason. And as far as I can tell there is no good reason to go back there.¡±

    ¡°Look Emily, new converts are kept away from the main force. If we can find an opening, we might have a chance at rescuing them. How is this any different from what you did for us?¡±

    A full-blown scowl had appeared on Emily''s face by this point.

    ¡°Chance? You sound just like a Hero. Surely you know some fights aren''t worth it? And for the record, I saved you because I needed you to guide me. I¡¯m not letting all my hard work go to waste.¡±

    Alex leveled his gaze at Emily and she returned it just as fiercely unwillinging to back down.

    The energy of the room had already taken a turn for the worst and neither of them looked ready to back down

    Ashe raised her hands in a calming gesture.

    ¡°How about we talk rather than fight? Emily, I understand you don¡¯t approve but we¡¯ll speak some more on it. We don¡¯t have to have a plan so no one is doing anything yet, but its the right thing to do.¡±

    Emily¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Alex as she ground her teeth.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    With her life linked to his, she couldn¡¯t allow him to go off and attempt foolish quests like these. She wouldn¡¯t be selfishly dragged around. She would physically stop Alex if need be. The rest could go off and assault the ¡®fortress¡¯ but he wouldn¡¯t be leaving her sight.

    When Emily¡¯s frustration reached its peak she sighed, staring at the ceiling.

    ¡°I need to go see Ariandel. My contract expects me there til the end of today. Just don¡¯t make any decisions until I get back.¡±

    Emily got up from the chair and Ashe watched her head towards the door.

    Alex on the other hand had turned towards his men and spoke to them quietly.

    When Emily got outside she took a breath, but her peace was interrupted shortly after, as Cupcake pushed her nose on the closing door.

    Emily rolled her eyes at the beast.

    ¡°Finally getting antsy after a week of lazying about, are we?¡± Emily said, a smile sneaking onto her face.

    The Rime wolf shook herself out.

    Emily hopped onto the beast and settled in place, allowing the Rime wolf to stretch her powerful muscles.

    Cupcake didn¡¯t have any reins on, so Emily guided her with their connection. The sun''s light was colder than usual and flickering weirdly, but Emily wasn¡¯t in the mood to care about the weather, as she muttered to Cupcake.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m being weird for not wanting to risk our lives on another rescue mission. I get Kael is part of his master plan, but come on. There have to be others out there that can get us across. It never ends well when you mess with zealots.¡±

    Emily muttered as the tower came into view.

    There were more carriages in the area than she was used to, which stuck her as as odd. Next was the fact that as she approached she saw the tower wide open. It had created a large set of double doors that could easily accommodate half a dozen men or women standing side by side.

    As Emily got closer she spotted movement from inside and saw the uniform too late. Stepping into the threshold, she found multiple guards standing to attention as Ariandel spoke to two individuals. The harsh light outside drooped as she entered the building.

    Their backs were turned to her but Emily could remember the silhouette of Roland the Vice-captain.

    He stood off to the side, silent and watchful. The man currently speaking to the Silvaren had to be the Captain. Human, and only in his late thirties, he was already showed signs of greying hair. The armor he wore hinted at a powerful, well-trained physique beneath its polished surface.

    Citta was right beside Ariandel and her eyes widened when she spotted Emily.

    This small detail didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Roland and he followed her gaze.

    When his eyes fell on Emily they drooped slightly, a look of frustration appearing.

    Emily smirked at the man, unable to help herself.

    ¡°Well sir Mage if you cannot provide me clarity on what happened last night then I¡¯ll have to go to the council to compel you into assistance.¡± the center man said.

    ¡°I understand Captain, I apologize that I am unable to be of more help at the moment, but please feel free to bring this before the council.¡± Ariandel with measured grace.

    The Captain glanced at his Vice-captain and saw him staring at Emily.

    ¡°What is it Roland?¡± he asked as he turned back and spotted Emily.

    ¡°Sir, this woman is a Blood Mage, I can vouch for this personally. It may be possible that she has information about last night''s attack.¡±

    Emily''s eye twitched as she got down from the Rime wolf¡¯s back. She¡¯d arrived at possibly the worst time. If this Captain¡¯s abilities were anything like Rolands, then she didn¡¯t want to say a word to this man.

    The Captain sized Emily up and turned away from Ariandel.

    ¡°If it doesn''t bother you, I have a couple of questions for the young woman over there,¡± he asked, though how much choice Ariandel had in the matter she wasn¡¯t sure. Ariandel nodded and they both walked over to Emily.

    "Good morning, miss. I¡¯m the Captain and an active Investigator for a break-in at one of our most secure facilities. Where were you in the early hours of this morning?" he asked in a monotone voice.

    Emily could see the man looked run down from late nights of work and yet the dark suspicion in his eyes had Emily on her toes. She couldn¡¯t afford to lie to this man, he almost certainly had truth skills. The best she could do was strech the truth here.

    ¡°Well, Captain I was in the lower city helping a friend out,¡± Emily said.

    ¡°Oh? With what?¡± the Captain followed up, a growing sense of interest in his eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s rather embarrassing but he got in with the wrong crowd, you see, and I went to rescue him.¡±

    The Captain¡¯s eyes solely focused on Emily and he paused before asking his next question.

    ¡°Do you have any relation to a fringe group called the Weeping. And if so were you involved in their plans to break into the SourceWell.¡±

    Emily¡¯s throat closed for a second and she glanced over at Ariandel whose eyes were locked on her.

    ¡°...I, No. I have no relation to the fringe group known as the Weeping. Nor do I know anything about their plans regarding the SourceWell.¡±

    The Captain¡¯s look of suspicion was intriguing, but Ariandel¡¯s expression of shock was far more compelling. Emily smiled the most innocent grin at the two men as they glanced at one another.

    ¡°Hmm, do you-¡±

    ¡°Captain I think we¡¯ve confirmed that Miss Emily had nothing to do with your case. Now, she¡¯s come here to work, and I don¡¯t want to waste her precious time. It was great that you stopped by but you are you men are welcome to leave now.¡± Ariandel said as he twirled the fur below his chin

    The Captain glanced between Emily and Ariandel before nodding.

    ¡°Understood, you two have a safe rest of your days.¡± The Captian said as he turned to leave. Roland squinted at Emily as though he didn¡¯t quite believe Emily¡¯s lack of involvement, but seeing as his boss was retreating he didn¡¯t seem to have a reason to stay. A call from him was all it took for the remaining guards to follow suit.

    When they had left the room fell completely silent as the only three people remaining were Emily, Citta, and Ariandel, and they were locked in a stare-off.

    ¡°I think you¡¯d better come with us. We¡¯ll need to get to the bottom of this. The fact that you are not with the Weeping changes everything.¡±

    Emily glanced back at the exit and noticed it was gone. So much for a quiet last day. Emily didn¡¯t get much say in the matter when Ariandel flicked his fingers and teleported them all to his office. The man sat down in his chair and stared at Emily as Citta left the chamber.

    ¡°So, who are you? And why did you feel the need to break into the SourceWell when I said I would handle it.¡±

    Emily swallowed quietly and walked over to his desk to lean against it.

    ¡°Apologies, I¡¯m not quite sure what you mean. Is Alex alright?¡±

    Ariandel face twisted into a snarl and all the red source in the room exploded. Heat baked the area as pages near his desk went up in flames and the aged wood groaned. Cinders licked his fur and yet never burned him.

    ¡°Do not take me for a fool! Neal saw a Blood Mage there and coincidentally the prisoner you were looking for had gone missing along with a long list of others!¡±

    Emily¡¯s brows raised. This was news to her. She thought they were the only ones to make it out. Something must have happened when she left.

    ¡°Why does it matter who I am? I can do the work, can¡¯t you just let bygone be bygones.¡±

    The rage flitting across Ariandel never dulled.

    ¡°It matters because of the impression of Blood Mages in the city. Both sides needed to benefit. We have long since suspected that the Weeping was operating within the city and I thought you could be our bridge. But now the council is wary.¡±

    Emily crossed her arms and shook her head.

    ¡°That is not my problem. We had a deal, and I¡¯ve upheld my end. Anything else is collateral damage¡±

    Ariandel mask of rage broke for a second, replaced by a slack jaw.

    ¡°Do you really not know what you¡¯ve done? How did you not notice it on the way here?¡±

    Emily frowned as Ariandel flicked his fingers and a large glass window opened up on the wall to look out across the city.

    That same harsh daylight streamed into the room but now that Emily took another look she could tell that the light was not coming from the sun. Instead, it was coming from a shimmering barrier, or looking at it from another angle, a failing one. The protective screen that had been faithfully guarding them for over a week was rippling with instability.

    ¡°The SourceWell was what was powering our city and with the sudden loss of over ten percent of its workforce, we are vulnerable to attack. Unless we can find an answer to that the veil will fall in a day or two.¡±

    Blood points: 331

 Chapter 129 - Final workday

    The light from countless attacks crashed against the unstable dome, which had visibly thinned in certain areas, resembling a fading soap bubble.

    ¡°Are you aware that you may have doomed us all in your attempt to find your lover? Do you even care?¡± Ariandel asked.

    Emily hummed and shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying I was down there, but if I were. It would not have been my intention, no. Oh, and Alex is not my lover.¡± Emily grimaced.

    Ariandel¡¯s wisened claw tapped on the soft wooden desk leaving divets in the material.

    ¡°Your intentions aside, it happened. During the chaos, a man by the name of Umbra escaped. Like you, we had originally hoped he would connect us with the Weeping but we never got him to talk. And now he¡¯s free. Do you understand now? We¡¯re fighting an internal and external battle. All because you wanted to find one man.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes remained trained on the window as she stared at the city. The face of the bound man appeared in Emily¡¯s head and she looked at Ariandel.

    ¡°Allegedly¡­¡±

    Ariandel sighed staring daggers at her.

    ¡°I invited disaster into our home, so I may as well make the most of it. Since you¡¯re terminating our contract, we¡¯ll give it one last try and then go our separate ways. But I¡¯ll have no reason to shield you from the authorities once the contract ends. Make your preparations.¡±

    Emily pressed her lips together but had expected as much.

    ¡°Genevieve has brought the improved relic and we¡¯ll begin the installation once everyone has gathered.¡±

    Emily nodded lazily and got up, heading towards the door.

    Ariandel called from the door as she left.

    ¡°I know it''s going to be hard, but try not to mess anything up on your way there.¡±

    Emily rolled her eyes at the man and headed to the main study.

    When she arrived Genevieve was already sitting there snacking on some small pastries.

    She glanced up as Emily arrived, her brows knitting together and her lips pressing into a thin line.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you Emily, I was kind of worried, what with everything going on out there.¡±

    From her concerned look, Emily could only assume Ariandel had not said anything to her yet.

    They chatted for a while, and Genevieve was confident this iteration of the relic would be the one. She had closed all the redundant loops and neatened up the ward structure, now the rest was up to everyone else.

    Emily listened to the woman talk as the others arrived. Zila and Conner got there first and greeted the two of them before going about the preparations.

    Neal arrived just before Ariandel, and he glanced at Emily with a frown. He had a few bumps and bruises from the looks of things, but otherwise, he was alive.

    The last thing Emily needed to do was drain some livestock, but before she could, Ariandel called them all together.

    ¡°Alright, now as discussed we¡¯ll only have time for a single test, so we¡¯ll have to make the best of it. The council had already convened and put out the call for solutions. If we can¡¯t find one, we will have to power the veil personally and I know none of you want that. Luckily the subject we have this time is of high quality, so-¡±

    Emily frowned as the hairs on the back of her neck rose just too late. There was a sudden impact from behind as she caught herself.

    A snarl escaped Emily¡¯s mouth as she moved her blood from her chest but the weight on her back suddenly grew and when she was forced to the ground. Emily focused behind her and spotted Neal grinning at her with his hand extended.

    Emily¡¯s body was sluggish and weightless as though underwater. The conjured bubble of liquid surrounded Emily completely, tightening over her body.

    Emily''s face twisted into a savage scowl as she pulled blood from her chest.

    ¡°No, none of that!¡± Neal said as he made a short series of hand gestures. When he finished Emily¡¯s churning blood fell silent as though a screen had descended down between her and it.

    ¡°Whatever method you use is usually quite ingenious, it took me a while to figure out how you cast without gestures, but in the end, you still need life source to manipulate it.¡±

    Emily¡¯s nostrils flared as she realized she could still hear the outside world.

    ¡°Ariandel, what the hell do you think you are doing?¡± Emily ground out.

    The rest of the room stared at Emily, ready to react if Neal failed. The only one to show a look of horror and shock was Genevieve.

    ¡°Yes Ariandel, what is the mean of this?¡±

    Ariandel looked over to Genevieve with drooping brows and shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Gene. But this woman is too dangerous to be left alone in our city. She¡¯s the one who caused the collapse of the veil. At this least, like this, she can do some good for our experiments.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Genevieve spluttered but looked at Emily with fear.

    ¡°Great¡­¡±Emily muttered. Being double-crossed was never fun and Emily usually tried to be the one doing the double-crossing, but when working with people like these there was always a risk.

    ¡°Miss Emily, I won¡¯t even bother saying I¡¯m sorry here as it would be a lie, but I will ask you to try your best to survive. Because if you do we can use you in the Well to great effect.¡±

    ¡°Our contract is still in effect, Ariandel¡± Emily ground out.

    Actually, our contract was null and void the moment you found Alexander.

    ¡°Fuck you, I never said I had him.¡± Emily howled.

    Ariandel sighed as he shook his head.

    ¡°Woman, I have men all over this city. I dispatched them the moment you arrived here. You think I wouldn¡¯t know what was going on in my own home? Now, you have a choice: Do you want Zila to numb your body, or are you going to fight us?¡±

    Emily¡¯s fists clenched as she fought the sinking feeling in her gut.

    ¡°Only if you have grape flavor.¡± she mocked as she struggled against the watery constraints.

    Ariandel shook his head slowly.

    ¡°Fine, have it your way¡± he sighed.

    Genevieve glanced between Emily and Ariandel, seeming to wake up.

    ¡°I won¡¯t do this. I can¡¯t experiment on Miss Emily, Ariandel.¡±

    Ariandel turned to Genevieve.

    ¡°My girl, you are an incredible woman, but we both know you have yet to step out from behind your brother¡¯s shadow. Now, I can complete this implant without you, but you will give Emily the best chance at survival.¡±

    Genevieve looked horrified but Emily wasn¡¯t paying attention anymore, she was looking for a way out of this. Desperate Emily reached out to Cupcake who had remained outside the tower. If she could just disrupt them for a minute that would give Emily enough time to escape. The Rime wolf responded but then the connection faded shortly after that.

    There was no way she would allow them to experiment on her if she could help it. Glancing about the room Emily saw that both Neal and Connor were watching her closely.

    Emily punched the sphere in an attempt to break it but all that did was force her to heal her bruised hand.

    From the feel of things, her life force was still there, just locked away. The same could be said for her source, but there was one key difference from when she was in the Well.

    A Jailer was able to lock down skills, but whatever Neal was doing was only binding her source to an extent.

    It did not mean she couldn¡¯t activate a spell, just that she would have to call twice the normal amount of source. So with nothing left to lose Emily made a short hand gesture and triggered a ¡®lift¡¯ spell. Unfortunately with so many prying eyes, she couldn¡¯t hide this fact.

    Neal¡¯s lips curled into a smirk, his eyes narrowing with a glint of derision.

    This just served to piss Emily off more so she poured source into the spell, in an attempt to launch the Mage across the room.

    Both of their spells wrestled against one another. One tried to seal, while the other tried to push back the effects.

    It was a magical wrestling match, with both sides locked in a stalemate.

    That was the case until Emily''s raw source began to overwhelm him.

    She gulped in power from the surrounding air, causing Neal¡¯s bubble to tremble. His face had lost its smile, and a frown replaced it.

    ¡°She¡¯s still trying to break free, help me¡± he growled.

    Both Connor and Zila glanced at one another and began casting. The weight pressing Emily down more than tripled as they joined the tug of war. They were far more skilled than Emily but without any other option, she decided to overpower them. Ashe had said her source capacity was exceedingly high, it was time to test just how much she had.

    They re-established control over their spell but not for long as Emily moved more and more source to the front.

    All three Mages began to sweat. Emily only needed a small window, and they were dead. The amount of source currently flowing through her was causing the air to pop and crackle. It was only a matter of time until their spell failed.

    ¡°Ariandel! Help, she¡¯s going to push us back¡±

    The Silvaren seemed to have been lost in conversation with Genevieve. He turned and waved his hand at Emily. Right away it was as though the tower itself had fallen on her.

    All the available source in the area crushed her resistance like a bug. Emily groaned as blood trickled down her nose and bridge.

    ¡°Now-now. You are going to take part in this test, even if it¡¯s the last thing you do.¡±

    Emily wanted to shout and scream but with such force pressing down on her she couldn¡¯t even move let alone protest.

    The other three let out a sigh of relief and Emily heard Genevieve try to argue again but she was silenced.

    ¡°If you are not going to be of help then leave, don¡¯t make me send you away,¡± Ariandel snarled.

    Genevieve¡¯s face was a mask of worry and betrayal.

    Suddenly Emily was lifted and slammed down onto one of the operating tables face first, her bridge exposed to the air.

    The more she fought the tighter the pressure grew until Emily couldn¡¯t even raise her eyebrows. Ariandel¡¯s strength outclassed her in every way, and her life force was useless beyond her body at this point.

    The scene around her was a slew of activity as they all prepared.

    Then, finally, the sound of latches clicking on a small case resounded beside Emily¡¯s ear.

    Power surrounded her and then the chill of metal on her skin caused Emily to shiver. Especially because she knew what the relic was capable of.

    Unfortunately, she had a front-row seat to find out exactly what it felt like. The relic began to hum, vibrating violently as it pressed against her flesh. The rune-covered piece of metal burrowed into Emily¡¯s skin with an unnatural precision.

    The moment it settled, the world erupted into streaks of blinding white light. Agonizing pain coursed through her body as relentless waves of power surged within her. Emily thought she might be able to harness the energy to fight the tower off, but the searing pain, was like being electrocuted, making it impossible to focus on anything else.

    In fact, even healing herself became difficult to concentrate on, but luckily, as the tumors began to settle in on her spine, ruby guardian kicked in.

    Healing her wounds and naturally drawing on her life force. Emily helped where she could, but it was negligible.

    Pain and cold revenge became the only things Emily clung to for what felt like hours but could only have been and couple of minutes.

    The power streaming into Emily stabilized and her muscles trembled at the mistreatment they had endured.

    Everything spun, but Emily was certain she could hear laughter and cheers. Then a warped voice appeared near her right.

    ¡°Well, now that wasn¡¯t so bad. Congratulations Emily, you¡¯re the first survivor.¡±

    Emily wanted to be snarky but all she could do was pant as she struggled to get her eyes to focus on the man.

    The voice receded and she heard him speaking to someone else.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have her transported to the Well. I¡¯ll commission the council to give us more prisoners. I may have just single-handedly saved the city. Neal, you¡¯ll go with this foul woman. I¡¯ve had a blinding spell weaved into it, not to mention the failsafe-¡±

    At this point, Emily had managed to refocus on the room and the activity going on.

    Genevieve stood there a mask of concern covering her face, but before anyone could do anything the room shook. The tumors grew rapidly and then all at once the window on the tower exploded inwards and figures stepped into the room.

    Ariandel didn¡¯t have time to react as a sword shot out and speared the man in the stomach.

    Stepping through the mist was the very man who she¡¯d freed from his blinding just hours ago.  Ariadne had called him Umbra, but that was not what caught her eyes.

    Emily''s fuzzy hearing managed to make out Alex¡¯s familiar voice.

    ¡°Emily? Where are you!¡±

    Blood points: 303

 Chapter 130 - Rescuing the rescuer

    Fine debris rained down on Emily as she struggled to focus through the pounding in her head. She wiped the blood from her nose with the back of her hand and squinted at her surroundings. A gaping hole, as large as a school bus, had been torn into the tower wall, and Ariandel lay on the ground nearby, bleeding profusely.

    The man named Umbra stalked into the study with a predator''s grace. It had been hard to tell when he was bound, but this man was strong. And by the looks of things he had more than a dozen men on his side. Easily outnumbering the Mages in the tower and causing the whole place to freeze in a stand-off.

    ¡°Right, I¡¯m only here for one person the rest of you get out of my way or I''ll gut you,¡± Umbra said as he walked into the room with a savage demeanor.

    Ariandel choked up a wad of blood and snarled at the interloper.

    ¡°You dare?! Do you have any idea where you are right now!¡± With a wave of his hand, several guards that Emily had never seen in the tower appeared from thin air.

    Umbra shrugged and changed course toward the Silvaren.

    ¡°My tolerance for your shitty laws ended the moment you stuck me in that place. Now I¡¯m going to burn this place to the ground, but first.¡±

    As he finished talking he flicked his wrist and a small dagger shot out towards Emily. It hit the bubble of water around her and popped it with ease.

    Neal recoiled as his spell fell apart and chaos descended as the two forces began to fight.

    Emily¡¯s body was only half listening to her commands, but she couldn¡¯t waste this opportunity. She crawled into a half-kneeling position and glanced at the nearest person.

    Which just so happened to be Zila. With the spell restraining her blood gone, Emily reached into her chest and pulled out the largest mass of blood yet.

    The cord whipped straight from her chest and lashed out at the old woman. It slammed into her from behind and rapidly condensed into half a dozen spikes which all pierced through her chest. The old crone didn¡¯t even have time to scream before she died.

    Ariandel saw this and growled.

    ¡°You ungrateful bitch!¡±

    Emily watched as the woman died but wasn¡¯t at all satisfied. She turned her gaze on Connor and his eyes widened.

    She lunged for the man while Umbra laughed at the top of his lungs and dove for Ariandel.

    The others in the room clashed, and somewhere in the distance, she felt her blood approaching.

    Not willing to let go of her grudge she drained Zila¡¯s corpse and used the blood to attack Connor. The man reacted by creating a spectral beast in front of himself. It was a Bruin in every aspect that mattered but one. The spell beast rose to its hind legs to attack Emily but that didn¡¯t help it with the amount of blood Emily had access to right now.

    She weaved chains around its form and sent them at Connor again. He threw up another conjured beast but Emily didn¡¯t care as a bat-like creature slashed at her. She took its claws straight to her neck, and as they opened up her carotid artery she sunk the chains into the man''s flesh. Like meat hooks, she yanked his arms upward and suspended him in the air. When this happened his conjured beasts seemed to blink out of existence. Connor had clearly never been in a real fight and it showed.

    ¡°Wait, Emily, please! I told him that this was wrong. But Ariandel is my senior, it is only proper for me to-¡±

    Connor never got to finish the sentence as Emily ripped him in half, pulling his blood in as well.

    She had just spotted Neal when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t. We need to get out!¡±

    Emily was ready to turn on whoever tried to stop her but when she saw Alex¡¯s face she stilled.

    Glancing over her shoulder the man stood there in his full gear looking ready for anything. When she glanced over his shoulder she saw Cupcake behind him looking worried.

    Emily glanced back at Neal and saw that the man had created a growing water bubble around himself.

    ¡°Emily, we need to go. The owner of this tower is not so easily distracted.¡±

    She glanced over at Ariandel as he fought Umbra. He still had a sword sticking out of his stomach, and yet he fought back with plumes of orange flame. Umbra kept laughing while he fought Ariandel, but from the looks of things they were evenly matched. He was unable to secure the kill because of the Mage currently being in his tower.

    They needed to leave but Neal was still alive, and this pissed Emily off to no end.

    If she could just get rid of him then she could deal with the real problem, Ariandel.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    At that moment, Ariandel appeared to have regained his composure. A sudden yell escaped him, followed by an explosion of red energy.

    ¡°Enough! All who have encroached upon my home today will regret it!¡±

    However, before he could unleash his gathering spell, Umbra swiftly drew a spear and hurled it at him. It stabbed through his chest and caused the source in the room to go berserk. Ariandel let the spell go while panting and took a look around the room. The guards he had summoned had not lasted long against Umbra¡¯s men, and seeing things weren¡¯t going his way, he growled and flicked his fingers.

    There was a pulse of source and his body disappeared from the room, along with Neal.

    Emily wanted to scream in frustration but there was one final person in the room.

    Genevieve had fallen to the floor when the disaster struck, and Emily walked over to her now.

    She swallowed as Emily approached but then Emily held out her hand.

    ¡°Get up,¡± she said firmly.

    Genevieve bottom lip trembled.

    ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡±

    Emily ground her teeth together and shook her head. She had thought about it, but Genevieve was the only one who tried to stop what had happened. Emily did not blame her for that.

    ¡°If you promise to do everything you can to take this thing off me, I¡¯ll call it even.¡±

    Genevieve hesitated.

    ¡°I will, but I-I¡¯m not sure I can do anything without my equipment.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll get it. For now, you are with me.¡±

    Genevieve looked at her and whispered something under her breath.

    Just before Emily could ask what she¡¯d said, Umbra shouted in their direction.

    ¡°Everyone out now!¡±

    He and his men advanced toward the opening, and Emily didn¡¯t hesitate to follow with the others. The wall was already beginning to mend itself, and the room¡¯s temperature continued to rise rapidly.

    When they reached the opening, they found a few ropes dangling down the side of the tower. Emily glanced back at Cupcake, then quickly mounted her. Alex climbed on behind her, and as Genevieve realized what they were about to do, she shook her head, her face pale.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t¡ª¡±

    Emily pulled Genevieve onto her lap, holding her firmly as she leaned off the side of Cupcake¡¯s saddle. Once she was balanced, Emily clicked her tongue, urging Cupcake forward. The group leaped through the opening just as the wall sealed shut behind them.

    Umbra and his men were already more than halfway down as Cupcake fell passed them. The Rime wolf pressed off the tower as they dropped three stories into the street. As they landed Cupcake yelped at the rough landing, but Emily¡¯s blood took care of the damage in seconds.

    Emily glanced back at the tower as it began to ignite. Flames licked the stone and the top of the tower began to shift.

    Genevieve glanced up from the saddles with wide eyes.

    ¡°Oh no. He¡¯s engaged the tower''s defensive measures. The only ones in there that might survive would be him and his Apprentice.¡±

    The spire continued to shift, but then another voice caught her attention.

    Ashe came sprinting from the opposite end of the street, with Nox and half of the wandering fangs close behind her. The panic on her face eased slightly when she reached them.

    ¡°Emily, you''re okay. I¡¯m so glad. Those people showed up at the house, and we had to run.¡±

    Emily gave Ashe a brief nod but kept her gaze fixed on the tower, where a sense of impending danger loomed.

    Genevieve squirmed in Emily¡¯s lap, her voice urgent.

    ¡°We need to leave! My carriage is nearby. If we can reach my brother¡¯s tower, I promise you protection while I work on Emily.¡±

    That was all Alex needed to hear.

    ¡°Everyone who can fit, into the carriage¡ªnow. Umbra, follow us! Miss, we¡¯ll have to trust your word. Can you vow that your tower will protect us?¡±

    Genevieve¡¯s eyes widened, but a steely determination quickly replaced her hesitation.

    ¡°I give you my vow: you will be safe in our tower until I have examined the relic.¡±

    Emily frowned but glanced back at the black-and-gold spire. The top had shifted, forming two pillars with a ball of flame slowly building between them.

    ¡°We need to move!¡± she barked.

    A low groan came from the tower¡¯s lower levels, and suddenly, a door materialized not far from them. Neal stumbled through it, escaping the inferno raging inside. His body was covered in blistered skin, and his clothing was scorched with burn marks.

    The moment Emily saw him she moved Cupcake towards the man as he fell to his knees, boiling water still coating his form.

    As she stopped in front of the older man, Emily began to raise a spear of blood.

    Neal glanced up at Emily with a tired look of defeat. Then Ashe arrived next to Cupcake and she froze. Neal was looking in her direction so he saw her right away. His eyes widened and a look of rage appeared on his face.

    ¡°Was this all you? Did you plan to have me killed? Answer me!¡± Neal screamed, his voice raw with anger.

    Ashe¡¯s face turned pale, but to Emily¡¯s surprise, she responded.

    ¡°No, Master. I never knew you were here. I never wanted anything to do with you again.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened as the pieces began to fall into place. Without hesitation, she formed two small spheres of blood and plunged them into Ashe¡¯s ears, drying them instantly.

    ¡°You never wanted anything to do with me?¡± Neal sneered, his tone dripping with venom. ¡°After I saved you from a life of mediocrity? If that¡¯s how you feel, then you should end your own life!¡±

    Emily¡¯s breath hitched, her eyes darting to Ashe. She watched closely, wondering if Ashe had heard Neal¡¯s vile command. From the way Ashe clutched at her ears, it seemed the blood was muffling the sound and causing discomfort.

    Emily slid off Cupcake and lowered herself to the disgusting man¡¯s level, her expression cold.

    ¡°I was already going to kill you,¡± she whispered, leaning close to his ear, ¡°but now, it¡¯ll be even more satisfying.¡±

    The man tried to cast a spell, but Emily was faster. Tendrils of blood wrapped around his hands, and with a gentle squeeze, she shattered his fingers. A sharp crack followed by his scream cut through the air. Stripped of his ability to form gestures, he glared at her with pain and hatred. Emily met his gaze, her face as emotionless as his once was when he had looked at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sad to see you go,¡± she said softly, sending a stream of blood burrowing into his body. His screams echoed briefly before fading into silence.

    Umbra appeared beside her, glancing down at the lifeless body.

    ¡°Well, that was inspired,¡± he remarked casually, then pointed upward. ¡°But we should really get going.¡±

    Emily followed his gesture, her eyes widening as she saw the ball of flame above. It had grown to the size of a truck and hovered ominously in the sky.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you warn me sooner?¡± she snapped.

    Umbra laughed, unbothered. Around them, the streets had cleared, leaving only Emily, Alex, Ashe, and Genevieve. The growing inferno above seemed ready to unleash destruction at any moment.

    Cupcake was already overburdened, but Emily clicked her tongue, urging the beast forward. The loyal creature dashed after the carriage without hesitation.

    Umbra let out a whoop of excitement as he kept pace with Cupcake at full speed.

    The ball of fire above suddenly burst, unleashing a cascade of flames. Waves of heat and fire roared down the side of the tower, scorching everything in their path. The inferno crashed into the cobblestone streets, consuming everything it touched and leaving only smoldering ruins in its wake.

    Blood points: 306

 Chapter 131 - A place to lay low

    Heat swelled at Emily''s back as Cupcake trotted away from the charred streets. The cobblestones near the tower glowed a deep red as the remaining buildings collapsed behind them. The only thing standing near the black and gold pillars was the other towers. Luckily for Emily and everyone else there, they had been able to get out of range of the descending blaze in time.

    For there it was just a matter of following Genevieve¡¯s carriage. Cupcake continued to take them further from the tower but Emily couldn¡¯t help glancing. Almost hoping she could spot Ariandel peering out at them. She had a score to settle with the man, but when he holed himself up in that place all Emily could do was plot his downfall. She would have to hope that he came out at some point unless she could find some way to get in there without being burned to bits.

    Turning her head back to the front of their small procession, Emily saw Umbra laughing with his men, though his gaze was fixed on her.

    When he noticed her watching him, he adjusted his pace to fall in line with Cupcake''s.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, woman?¡± he asked bluntly.

    Emily raised an eyebrow but replied regardless.

    ¡°Emily, huh? Strange name you¡¯ve got there, but I like it. It¡¯s as exotic as you are,¡± he said with a honeyed tone.

    Despite herself, Emily smirked wryly.

    ¡°And I hear you¡¯re Umbra,¡± Emily said as she took stock of the man.

    Now that she had more time to take him in, she noticed he wasn¡¯t classically handsome as she was accustomed to, but he was by no means a troll. His eyes were a perpetual muddy brown with occasional flashes of red, and his dark hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, secured with a piece of twine. The next striking aspect of his presence was his clearly defined muscles, which even time in prison hadn¡¯t managed to soften.

    When he heard Emily say this a smile appeared on his face.

    ¡°So my name has reached your ears? Well, I consider that a win,¡± he said grinning to himself.

    Emily snorted at the man. Whatever reputation he had was none of her business, but he had been key in rescuing her so she nodded to him.

    ¡°I appreciate the rescue,¡±

    Umbra shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°I was only returning the favor. Plus had your boyfriend over there not told me about your struggles I probably would never have known.¡±

    Emily glanced back at Alex with narrowed eyes.

    ¡®Why does everyone we¡¯re dating ?¡¯ she thought as she cleared her throat.

    ¡°Yes, actually how did you find me?¡± she asked.

    Alex had also been keeping an eye on the tower, but he turned back to look at her now.

    ¡°Well, we were still resting and discussing things when some guards came knocking on the door. Luckily Nox had been keeping an eye out for us, so we were able to escape but when Your wolf found us I knew something was wrong.¡± Alex said.

    Cupcake sent a proud feeling down the link and Emily ruffled the fur by her neck in thanks.

    ¡°But then how did you find me?¡± Emily asked. She¡¯d never hidden where she was going, but neither Nox nor Ashe had been with her. How did they know which tower was the right one?

    Ashe nodded from the front looking rather sheepish.

    ¡°So I may have followed you without you know one of the days, but just so that I knew where you were. And look it turned out to be useful.¡±

    Emily squinted down at the woman, but couldn¡¯t find it in herself to be mad. If Ashe had asked she would have happily given her directions. The real problem was that she had put herself in danger to do so.

    ¡°And what if someone had seen you? What if Neal had seen you.¡±

    Ashe sighed and shook her head.

    ¡°Look I don¡¯t want to fight. It was as risk I know, but it was worth it.¡±

    By this time they had moved into the inner campus and when they got to the guard station they didn¡¯t want to let their little group of disheveled people through.

    Umbra disappeared at this time along with a couple of his men.

    When Genevieve stepped down from her carriage the guards seemed to bend allowing them through on sight. They didn¡¯t seem happy about it, even with the extra security.

    As they approached Genevieve¡¯s tower a streak of black light flashed against the barrier, bathing the whole city in brilliant night.

    Umbra chose this exact moment to reaper next to her letting out a long whistle.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Wow, they really want to get in here. Won''t be long now that the heads have gotten involved.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed at the man who had appeared next to her without her being able to detect him.

    ¡°Yeah well, I¡¯m going to make good use of it.¡±

    Umbra¡¯s eyes held that keen thirst for chaos.

    ¡°It would be a letdown if you didn¡¯t¡±

    Arriving at the door, Genevieve disembarked and pressed her hand into the side of the tower. The large tower began to rearrange itself and an opening arrived large enough to accommodate all of them.

    She led everyone in but Emily hesitated. Entering another tower didn¡¯t seem like a smart idea and yet everyone else was walking into the lion''s den without so much as a faltering step.

    Behind her, Alex whispered in her ear.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She gave us a vow. It isn¡¯t a perfect promise but it¡¯ll do for now. Until the condition is met she will protect us.¡±

    Emily pressed her lips together and sighed, ushering Cupcake forward.

    Umbra hummed a quiet tune next to them as he put his hands over his head and walked in.

    The chamber looked like a large hall with chairs and tables. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling and warm food sat on plates waiting to be eaten.

    ¡°All of you can take time to rest and fill your bellies. I will take Emily up to my workshop to see how I can help, but the rest of you will remain here-¡±

    Genevieve had barely gotten the sentence out before the light coming from above warped and shadow descended from on high.

    The source in the room churned and swelled as an icy voice came from all directions.

    ¡°Of all the irresponsible feats you¡¯ve pulled over the years, this has to be your finest moment!¡±

    The air vibrated, a sinister malevolence seeping into every corner of the room.

    Straight ahead, two red orbs glowed faintly from within a wall of shadow that coalesced into a towering form, nearly as tall as the ceiling. Flashes of red streaked through the cloud like a thunderstorm.

    Genevieve stepped forward without hesitation.

    ¡°Brother, I know what this looks like but you must listen-¡±

    ¡°Be silent, Genevieve! Do you know who hides amongst you!¡± the shadows screamed.

    They rose up and sharp thorns of darkness began to encroach in on everything. The majority were pointed at Umbra and his men. But there were plenty to go around and Emily found even herself staring down the barrel of a shadowy sprear.

    ¡°Brother I will not! I have made a vow to these people. They are under my protection!¡±

    A bestial scream issued from all around them.

    ¡°You did, what!¡±

    Genevieve had moved to stand in front of everyone, staring at the shadow face.

    Second ticked by and no one spoke eventually Emily decided she couldn¡¯t take the suspense anymore.

    ¡°Juest, stop being overdramatic. Come out and talk¡± Emily shouted, her head pounding with a building migraine.

    After another moment, the shadows faded, and Juest¡¯s form took shape. He was holding Genevieve¡¯s latest replica of the scepter. He was dressed in beautiful red leather that accentuated his form. That and his coiled posture made him look like he was ready for war.

    ¡°Emily¡­ What has my sister promised you this time? I¡¯ll be honest. I¡¯m having a hard time coming up with a reason not to kick you all out of my home.¡±

    Emily nodded as she looked at their ragtag bunch of criminals.

    ¡°I understand. But I need her help. You were right, Ariandel is a snake. I know we¡¯re putting you in a difficult situation, but no one had to know.¡±

    Juest snorted.

    ¡°You think it¡¯s that easy? Many people will have already seen you entering my tower. I should capture him and send him back down to the Well.¡±

    Emily shook her head.

    ¡°Fighting right now is pointless. Why not just watch over him while Genevieve looks at me after that we¡¯ll be gone.¡±

    Juest¡¯s source churned incessantly.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that can¡¯t happen. I¡¯ve been called to battle, all the council members have. Leaving this man here alone is impossible.¡±

    Emily could see she could not change this man''s mind but to her surprise, Ashe spoke.

    ¡°Sir Juest, I know I speak out of turn, but there may be a way we can all benefit from this meeting¡±

    Juest glanced at Ashe with lowered brows.

    ¡°I find that hard to believe, but go on.¡±

    Ashe glanced at Emily with a tremble in her lip and then turned back to Juest.

    ¡°If I am correct, your plan is to open the shield just temporarily to let them weaken themselves against our defenses, yes?¡±

    Juest¡¯s eyes widened and he squinted at Ashe.

    ¡°I- you look familiar, where do I know you from.¡±

    Ashe swallowed but shook her head.

    ¡°That''s not important, what is important is that we have a bone to pick with Sam¡¯eth too. Let us join you in your assault¡±

    Emily''s face twisted into a scowl, but before she could say anything Alex''s hand came around and covered her mouth.

    ¡°Quiet, we are hanging on by a thread, don¡¯t say a word!¡±

    Emily¡¯s chest closed and rage pulsed through her blood. She was tempted to bite his damned hand off, so she did. Well not quite, but Emily did sink her teeth into the fleshiest bit of Alex¡¯s hand as compensation.

    He hissed but the conversation went on.

    ¡°You expect me to believe you will follow us out?¡± Juest asked with a wry tone.

    ¡°It''s the truth!¡± Nox said dismounting from the carriage. ¡°Our people have been caught by the Black core. You know what fate awaits them if we leave them there!¡±

    Juest seemed to hesitate as he looked amongst the people here.

    ¡°And what about you Umbal traitor, what say you?¡±

    Umbra shrugged beside Cupcake.

    ¡°I have certain interests in this city, so you can bet I¡¯ll be there to collect my share of the kills,¡± he said. Not giving anything away.

    Emily furrowed her brow at the man. What was going on here? There was no way she was going to allow this to go on. Emily pulled Ashe¡¯s hand away and tried to speak but at that moment her pounding headache became too much. Vertigo set in and Emily almost fell of Cupcake''s back as the world spun.

    ¡°You¡¯re all crazy- ¡± Emily started but wasn¡¯t able to get the rest of the words out.

    Alex¡¯s arms caught her before she fell completely but Ashe took advantage of the opening.

    ¡°We can discuss this in a moment, right now Emily needs help. Please let us stay here until we can talk this through.¡±

    Emily pushed back the dizziness long enough for an incredibly full feeling to settle into her bones.

    Juest seemed to glance around at everyone but eventually, he nodded.

    ¡°Fine. Emily and my sister may leave but the rest of you will remain here where I can watch you. If I catch even the smallest doubt out of you all, I will arrest who I must and kick you all out onto the streets,¡± Juest said with conviction.

    Emily wanted to tell him to fuck off, but she could tell which one of the three images she was seeing was the real one.

    When Genevieve tried to collect Emily she grabbed Alex by the back of the neck.

    ¡°Follows¡± she growled, getting out the only word she could manage.

    Genevieve looked at Juest and when he nodded the three of them left the room.

    Emily was not sure how they got there, but the next thing she knew, they were in Genevieve¡¯s workshop, with her examining her bridge.

    ¡°...Emily can you hear me.¡±

    Emily brought herself back just long enough to focus on the red-skinned woman.

    ¡°Emily listen to me. I can¡¯t take it off but I can make it so that Ariandel no longer has any influence over it, but we¡¯ll need to¡­¡±

    Emily¡¯s grasp on reality slipped as she strained to catch Genevieve''s last words, but it was futile¡ªthe pull of unconsciousness was too strong.

    Blood points: 306

 Chapter 132 - Outstanding debts

    The scent of sandalwood invaded Emily¡¯s nose, its calming effects doing nothing to stop the rising sense of suffocation around her.

    It was as though someone were pressing a pillow over her face and she was unable to stop the clawing sensation in her chest.

    Emily''s consciousness slowly came to and as she did she realized there were voices in the room.

    ¡°How is she waking already? I thought you said it could be days. It''s nearly been half an hour.¡±

    The voice came from behind her and it took her a minute to realize she was currently lying face-first on a soft surface.

    Spikes of pain radiated from the base of her neck where her bridges were.

    The suffocating force she had been feeling was a pillow, only she was currently on her stomach.

    Once Emily realized this she tried to put strength in her arms, though they were slow to respond.

    Sitting up on her elbows, Emily took stock of her body. Right now it felt like she had eaten seven holiday dinners, and her body was full to bursting. Every movement released a wave of nausea and pain. By the time Emily began to search the room, it had fallen silent.

    Alex was there along with Genevieve they both looked concerned by their expressions.

    Genevieve was the first to speak as she took a step forward.

    ¡°Emily, how are you feeling.¡±

    ¡°Like shit¡± Emily sighed.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll happen. I managed to balance out the relics intake but your body suffered a great deal during that time. I¡¯ve never seen one person draw in that much source and live to tell the tale.¡±

    Emily hummed as she left her face to fall back into the pillow muffling her voice.

    ¡°I¡¯ee Hurd uo say uo can¡¯t take it oof¡± Emily groaned.

    Genevieve grimaced but nodded.

    ¡°Extracting it has become nearly impossible, but it''s a combination of problems. One, being that your body has assimilated the relic to an extent¡±

    This shocked Emily and caused her to sit back up.

    ¡°What do you mean? As in I¡¯ve merged with it?¡± As Emily said this, she reached back to feel her bridges. The smooth texture of her skin gave way to tender, swollen scabs and then the glossy feel of polished metal.

    ¡°Well, that was always the intended design, but it¡¯s only been applied to your primary bridge. Your body seems to have better than we expected. Choosing to bond with the relic to keep you alive.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed. She would have never chosen this if she had been healing herself, but if this had happened, there could only have been one culprit.

    The skill, ruby guardian, was the only thing awake during that time, so it had to have done this.

    Glaring at Genevieve, Emily growled.

    ¡°Just pull the damned thing off. I¡¯ll heal whatever comes after that.¡±

    Genevieve shook her head right away.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that and I must ask you not to either or you could very well die. Your body has found a balance. You don¡¯t want to mess that up now. If sir Conner were still here he might be able to give us more information, but I can¡¯t say I was sad to see him go.¡±

    Emily pressed her lips together and glared.

    ¡°So I¡¯m just stuck with this thing buried in my skin?¡±

    Genevieve glanced at Alex for help and he nodded.

    ¡°Yes, learn to live with it. You¡¯re alive and that¡¯s more than you can say for your other test subjects.¡± a firm light flickering in his eye.

    Seeing Alex react so heartlessly Genevieve tried to console Emily

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry it''s not like there''s no benefit. As far as I can tell it''s working as intended. With the cortex on you should be able to draw an enormous amount of source.¡±

    Emily hummed quietly to herself. She had never really had a problem with the amount of source she could gather. But she supposed in some ways this was a good thing. It felt like shit that Ariandel had gotten one over her. And to make it worse, he was still breathing but at least she was alive.

    The nauseous sensation had not left her body since waking up and she glanced at Genevieve.

    ¡°Why does it feel like I¡¯ve spent the night in the tavern.¡±

    Genevieve¡¯s eyes widened and a smile slowly appeared on her face.

    ¡°Um, this is just a guess but I think it''s because your body is currently fighting with your old source¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    Emily frowned and shook her head. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked

    ¡°Well, do you remember our analogy with the old and new source, the one about salt water and fresh not wanting to mix? That''s what''s happening. If your old source is the saltwater, your body is now only pulling in freshwater.¡±

    Emily scowled at Genevieve but didn¡¯t say anything. The woman looked uncomfortably around the workshop and back to Emily

    ¡°The bad news is that your source will be unstable for a while. The good news is once it¡¯s clear of impurities you¡¯ll probably notice a huge difference in your runic sorcery¡±

    Emily worked her jaw.

    ¡°Okay, and do you know how long that will take?¡±

    Genevieve shook her head not offering up an answer.

    Emily''s shoulders drooped but Alex spoke up again.

    ¡°Emily, I don¡¯t know a lot about what''s going on, but I can say I''m glad you¡¯re alive. Whatever comes after this is going to be harsh and as much as I hate to admit it I¡¯m glad to have you on my side.¡±

    A while ago, that would have sounded like an insult to Emily, but now it didn¡¯t bother her so much. Straightening her spine, her gaze fell on Alex. She wasn¡¯t sure what she was feeling right now. Anger, loss, frustration? She wasn¡¯t sure at all. However, there was one thing she was certain of: She was glad Alex was back, even if his presence was just reassurance. The fact that he was a reliable person and fighter was reason enough to keep him around.

    Slowly a casual grin spread over Emily''s face.

    ¡°Yeah, okay, it''s good to have you back. But if you act any sappier I¡¯m going to get diabetes, so as long as everything is fine then we should get moving.¡±

    Alex rolled his eyes at her callousness, but she was fairly certain Emily saw the corner of his mouth twinge up.

    ¡°Right, well you¡¯ll need to come back for check-up so I can see that the relic is working correctly. I made the thing so that it would last a decade or so, but it will have to be sooner if you start to notice irregularities.¡± Genevieve said

    Emily pursed her lips at this information, but it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. It just meant that she needed to bring this woman along or return here if it was still standing.

    Neither was a good option but that raised a question.

    ¡°If I had your notes and was able to show it to another Forge Master would they be able to fix me in a pinch?¡±

    Genevieve bit the bottom of her lip and seemed to think it through.

    ¡°Mmm if they had my notes¡­maybe. But it will be better for me to do it.¡±

    Emily nodded.

    ¡°Then make me a copy.¡±

    Alex¡¯s face got significantly more serious at this stage.

    ¡°Emily, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe, but I need to go downstairs to make sure the powers that be haven¡¯t torn one another apart.¡±

    Emily scowled at Alex.

    ¡°You¡¯re still thinking of rescuing Kael aren''t you?¡±

    Alex paused but nodded.

    Emily rolled her eyes but signaled for him to go on. She had not changed her mind at all. In fact, as far as she was concerned this was a waste of time, but Alex seemed determined so Emily climbed from the covers and stood intending to follow. Emily would have to knock him out and escape at some point. Better to remain nearby for that part.

    Alex¡¯s brow twitched when she followed him but he said nothing.

    Genevieve glanced at the two of them heading out but seemed to be gathering documents so Emily assumed she would be with them later.

    Alex led them to the door but when they got to an internal lift Emily worked it having been her before.

    Getting back to the dining hall was a little difficult, but the tower seemed to rearrange itself as though it knew their intentions. They soon arrive in the hall with everyone else. Luckily no one as of yet had made a move yet, but a good many tables and chairs had been pushed together and people sat around talking.

    Ashe was the first to see them coming in and while she looked worried she was currently talking to Juest.

    ¡°As I have said the best time to attack is after our retreat we will make as much chaos as necessary to get their attention, and then it''s your turn to hit them while they are distracted.¡±

    ¡°Understand. Then we agree. But if we are to do this then your window is closing. The city attack will happen regardless of whether you are still in there, and a strike like this has a hard time distinguishing friend and foe.¡±

    Alex and Emily sat down near the wandering fangs. Across from them, Umbra stood behind him with his men. He suddenly looked far more interested in the conversation now that they had arrived.

    The only person who had not sat was Juest and his presence somehow took up more than enough of the room in the place even though he had one to back him up.

    Whatever they were talking about looked like it was in the later stages but when Juest saw them he seemed to pause.

    ¡°Is my sister alright?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Emily was not sure why he even asked because she was pretty sure he could sense everything in the tower¡± but she nodded.

    ¡°She¡¯s fine, she¡¯ll be down soon. She¡¯s just sorting something out for me.¡±

    Juest nodded and pressed his lips together.

    ¡°We have almost come to a conclusion but Mage Ashe will inform you of all the details.¡±

    Alex nodded and while Emily never said anything her face was nothing more than a dull glare

    It must have been rather obvious because the last person she expected to speak up did.

    ¡°Hang on now. Emily, how do you feel about this attack? What will your part in this.¡±

    All eyes turned towards Emily at this point, but she wasn''t interested in their questioning gazes.

    ¡°Well, first off I think this is a mistake. For those involved it makes sense to want to fight, i guess. But as for myself, I don¡¯t see a reason to undertake such a pointless mission.¡±

    Juest¡¯s brow rose.

    ¡°You think stopping these monsters from entering our city is a ¡®pointless mission¡¯ They will convert anyone they get their hands on, and those they can¡¯t they will call it a mercy killing. Are you okay with that?¡±

    Emily squinted at the man.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like moral rocks and hard places. Would I prefer it didn¡¯t happen, of course. But I¡¯m not sticking my neck without a reason.¡±

    Juest eyes narrowed.

    ¡°The loss of innocent lives is not enough?¡± he growled.

    Emily''s face never changed from it cold mask.

    ¡°They are not¡­¡±

    The room became frosty as everyone fell silent.

    Umbra snorted shattering the quiet.

    ¡°You have a good point, Emily. If I spent my time protecting my investments I could probably get a majority of my men out in time. If the beautiful Miss Emily will not throw her hat in the ring, neither will I.¡±

    Emily''s nostrils flared at this joke.

    She could see a look of excitement in his eyes. He wanted to know how she would react and if she was not wrong he would not hesitate to follow up on his threat.

    Juest face fell and he shook his head.

    ¡°Then the deal is off. If the Weerping is not backing this completely, I have no reason to risk anything.¡±

    Both Ashe''s and Alex¡¯s face fell. He scowled at Emily while Ashe shot her a wounded look. Emily could see them out of the corner of her but she didn¡¯t change her expression. This was good for her. Maybe Alex would rethink this now.

    Juest was about to speak again when the last person Emily expected spoke.

    Nox was sitting next to Ashe when he opened his mouth.

    ¡°Emily, you once told me that you always uphold your deals. Is that true?¡±

    Emily¡¯s face froze and she pouted at the teenager.

    ¡°That right. Why?¡± she asked a sinking feeling setting in.

    ¡°Well, when I met you we made a deal¡­ I upheld my end but I have not asked anything of you.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously on the kid.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious you little shit.¡±

    Nox puffed out his chest and held her gaze

    ¡°Emily, please help us rescue the Wandering fangs¡±

    Blood points: 308

 Chapter 133 - Twisted dealings

    Emily sat on a bench in Juest¡¯s tower as she fastened the buckles on her boot. She had been grumbling for a while now but the time to act was fast approaching. The meeting had adjourned pretty soon after Nox had invoked his favor. Emily had not expected the teen to even remember he had it, let alone have enough sense to use it here.

    The exchange of services did not at all match one another. Emily had been a little cocky when she had extended the favor, but what¡¯s done was done.

    Some might question her sanity to change her mind at Nox¡¯s request. But to Emily, this was not something she would compromise on. A deal was a deal and she would uphold it, even if it killed her. But hopefully, Emily could worm her way around Nox¡¯s request before it did, because the more she heard of their odds, the more malleable her ethos was looking.

    From the sounds of things, the armies at their walls had grown to over two thousand strong. A huge jump from the couple hundred souls waiting outside a week ago.

    To make matters worse, there were rumors that another core had arrived. Now, the number of souls in Lorthil greatly outnumbered the armies outside, but their fighting force was not even a tenth of that. To make matters worse, Juest''s worries were more focused on a group of people called the Cardinals.

    They was a group that mainly resided within the capital city itself, but on occasion, they had been known to leave their seat of power to enact their god¡¯s will.

    The Black Cardinal was known as a wanderer so it was no surprise that his core had arrived first, but now from the sounds of things another Cardinal had arrived. This was also another reason Lorethil had decided to mount an attack while their numbers were still low. If they could kill these two titles then it would take years before they resurfaced, and greatly weaken their power in the coming war.

    Juest been nominated by the council to mount the attack on the enemy camp along with another Mage. They were supposed to be an answer to the Cardinals but Emily would like to see that in combat.

    Supposedly he was a match for them.

    The image of the skies darkening with black light flashed through Emily¡¯s mind. If a battle of that level took place here, it may well be a city-destroying event. Which was one of the main reasons Emily had wanted to put a large amount of space between them and this city. Sadly that turned out to be more difficult than she had hoped.

    The plan ¨CIf one could call it that¨C was to sneak in under the cover of night and break out the prisoners. Ideally as many as possible and make a grand spectacle to draw as much attention as possible for the main force to sweep over their defenses.

    Emily had heard they were bringing three thousand troops so this would happen anyway, but if her guess was correct then Lorehil probably couldn¡¯t raise a much larger offensive force than that. So they were trying to get as many advantages as possible.

    It made sense that a city that relied so heavily on its defenses would not have a ton of trained guards.

    Emily¡¯s train of thought was interrupted when a familiar set of pants stepped into her vision.

    ¡°We¡¯re heading out in five, are you ready?¡±

    Glancing up at Alex she nodded.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± he said as he handed her three small metal golf balls.

    ¡°That''s a gift from Mr. Juest. It''s a confluence orb. The moment you start moving Source into the device a countdown will begin. After five seconds it will release all the stored charge at once.¡±

    Emily''s eye fixated on the three mundane-looking balls of metal. Had he just handed her the equivalent of a grenade?

    Emily smiled and put them away but then she looked up at the man with a more serious expression.

    ¡°Out of interest, have you thought of what we¡¯re going to do if he¡¯s already on their side?¡± Emily asked.

    Alex shot her a confident glare.

    ¡°He won¡¯t be.¡±

    Emily shrugged, but she could see a flicker of concern enter his eye.

    Activity went on all around them and when Ashe arrived next to them with Nox in tow, she looked rather sheepish.

    ¡°Emily, thank you for coming. It means a lot.¡±

    Emily''s mood darkened but she shrugged.

    ¡°After he twisted my arm, don''t sweat it, I can respect the loss. But Nox, if you ever try this again, I¡¯ll drain the blood from your body and use it to cut up what¡¯s left.¡±

    Nox¡¯s pale face helped to lighten Emily''s mood somewhat.

    Ashe took a step in front of Nox subconsciously.

    ¡°We should get going. Mr Juest has carriages ready for us.¡±

    Emily glanced over at Umbra¡¯s men, and, like a sixth sense, he turned to look at her and smiled. They would be following them and breaking off after they found what they were looking for.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    As they began to head to the door Emily spotted Juest waiting near the exit with Cupcake wagging her tail at him.

    ¡°These men will take you all across the veil to the waterways.¡± he pointed to three drivers. ¡°From there, you¡¯re on your own. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The doors to the tower opened and everyone saw the awaited carriages. They all began to climb on but Emily heard a voice calling her name from behind. Glancing back she saw Genevieve running from from the lift.

    ¡°Emily!? Emily!¡±

    Turning, she watched the woman approach.

    ¡°Here, take these notes, in case you can¡¯t come back this way, I wish you the best of luck and again I¡¯m sorry for what happened.¡±

    Emily nodded and fell in beside everyone else as the older woman waved them off.

    Alex was one of the last to board the carriage and Emily was about to follow him when a cloaked Umbra pushed ahead of her nearly causing her to fall backwards. She was about to swear at the man when she noticed a line of guards gathering up ahead.

    Emily squinted and she could just make out the several guards in uniform. Having seen him less than two hours ago Emily could recognize the outline of the Captain approaching Juest.

    The Mage watched the man''s approach with a skew grin and nodded for Emily to get on the carriage. Realizing it would not be a good idea to be seen by them she ducked into the carriage and had Cupcake hide as well.

    From the looks of things, Juest was not happy to have been caught by these men but he was a council member so she could only hope for the best.

    Emily shut the door behind her, the sharp clack of the axle turning the only sound as they took off down the road.

    Emily tried to discern what was happening behind them, but the bleating of the winter mules drowned out the voices. All she could see were the backs of Genevieve and Juest as they faced the guards.

    Genevieve glanced back just once and Emily saw her look of concern but then the carriage rounded the corner and the sibling duo was gone.

    By the time Emily turned back to the carriage interior she could see everyone else looked rather grim.

    Snorting Emily spoke up

    ¡°Come on everyone, you signed up for this. How about a little more cheer¡±

    Emily got a lot of dry glares and Svent even tried to snort at the half-hearted humor. But people like Alex just shot her a scowl.

    ¡°I suppose I should have expected a tough crowd¡±

    Emily glanced out of the slatted windows again as the scenery passed by. The sun was a mix of gold and orange, but by the look of the skies, they didn¡¯t have much time to get into position for the battle.

    The winding path the carriages took didn¡¯t help any either, but from what Emily could understand Juest was keeping their involvement on a need-to-know basis.

    Not that Emily minded.

    Their path through the inner campus was eventually brought to a halt when they arrived at a large building. Emily was surprised to find out that the warehouse was an entrance to an underground tunnel that led to a set of private lifts. They were only usable for certain individuals but they offered the perfect escape from the city undetected. The carriage eventually came out about level with the waterways on the edge of the city. The very same shoots of water Emily had first entered the city form last week.

    When they got there the driver asked them to disembark and then left. Emily blinked in confusion when a Sand Raven appeared on the ledge next to them.

    Seeing the birds with mounts was to a surprise but amongst the four large creatures was a platform of sorts. It could easily accommodate all of their men but no one looked thrilled to ride what was essentially a plank of wood suspended above a gorge.

    Emily looked up at the riders but they never said a word.

    If anything, Juest''s ability to get things done quickly and quietly was impressive. When did he have the time to arrange all of this?

    Emily sighed and was the first to step onto the platform, followed closely by Cupcake. Umbra came next, followed by Alex and Svent, and then the remnants of the Wandering Fangs.

    The men from the Weeping were the last to step onto the platform, but from the looks of things, they were unafraid as the platform began to move. What Emily did notice was how each of them wore something different as though they were from all walks of life.

    Emily leaned over to Umbra.

    ¡°Hey, I thought you guys were Blood Mages.¡±

    Umbra smirked at Emily.

    ¡°No, in fact, there is not a single Blood user among this group. Their kind are not the most covert people and I need only the most subtle men for my mission in this city.¡±

    Emily frowned.

    ¡°I was under the impression the Weeping was made mostly of Mages that use blood.¡±

    Umbra nodded

    ¡°Because that¡¯s what we want people to think. But as you will have no doubt realized there is more than just Mages that use blood as a medium.¡±

    Emily glanced at the other men from the Weeping again. They were all carrying either a sword or a bow or both.

    ¡°So you, what? Trained these men? Why?¡±

    Umbra snorted.

    ¡°Some of them. But the reason is not all that important. Right now, getting out of this city was probably the best I can ask for right now.¡±

    Emily tilted her head.

    ¡°So you¡¯re not intending to return? I thought you had ¡®vested interests¡¯ in Lorethil.¡±

    The man nodded as he stepped closer, placing himself between Alex and herself. Almost as though he was trying to monopolize her attention.

    ¡°Yes, it''s interesting how one can get a first-class escort out a wartime city with a simple agreement.¡±

    Emily pursed her lips.

    ¡°Then why stick around, you have no need to once we reach the other side right?¡±

    Umbra sighed like he was disappointed.

    ¡°That¡¯s obvious. For the fun of it. Even down in that pit, I heard rumors of a brewing war and the fact that I couldn¡¯t join in kept me up at night.¡±

    Emily looked at the man up and down.

    ¡°You¡¯d fight a war for fun?¡±

    Umbra shrugged.

    ¡°To an extent yes, but after a certain while, the only way one can increase their skills is to test them against those of equal strength. Otherwise how else will you know who is better?¡±

    Emily rubbed the back of her neck because she found that opinion both ridiculous and intriguing.

    ¡°I have a question for you though¡± Umbra started. ¡°It''s obvious to me that you are one hell of a woman. Why do you stick around these people?¡±

    Emily tilted her head at the man but he continued.

    ¡°Someone like you would be welcome where I¡¯m from and valued quite highly. Why do you come to work for me? You could leave this battlefield behind and I could make sure you never wanted for anything again.¡±

    Emily grimaced and watched the roaring water as it fell into the gorge below.

    ¡°My current deal makes that impossible, but there if we were to team up you made a mistake. It would be you under me, not the other way round.¡±

    Umbra¡¯s eyes turned into crescents as his smile became radiant.

    ¡°And that¡¯s why I think you would be perfect for my world.¡±

    Emily patted him on the shoulder.

    ¡°Maybe, but we¡¯ll never find out,¡± she said as the platform arrived at the open mouth of the waterfall. The railing was brought level with the platform and they all hopped off the wooden board.

    Once they were inside the chamber, Ashe moved to the front of the group. She was looking for something, and when she found it, she hummed pleasantly. Activating a line of wards caused a previously hidden doorframe to appear in the stone wall.

    From here Emily could make out a massive spiral staircase.

    ¡°Alright, everyone inside. We should come out somewhere with cover but lets not get complacent,¡± Alex said.

    Blood points: 310

 Chapter 134 - What we find in the shadows

    Emily ran her hand along the curved wall as they ascended the underground staircase. Its smooth sandstone caused grains of sand to break free wherever she passed.

    The darkness was suffocating and a cloud hung over everyone. So much so, that not a word was uttered as they climbed. The only sound that could be heard was the hollow clank of footsteps as they resounded on the metal steps.

    Emily pulled her hand away from the wall and rubbed her fingers together, pinching the few grains of sand between them.

    Umbra and Alex were currently at the head of their small team with Emily and Ashe right behind them.

    They had been climbing for the last ten minutes but that chaged when they reached the top of the staircase.

    There was no exit.

    The stairs lead to a ceiling that was blocked with the same orange sandstone.

    Ashe stepped forward, finding the wards placed along the perimeter.

    She closed her eyes for a second and then nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯s all clear out there, I¡¯m opening the way.¡±

    A second later the sandstone warped and sunk into the walls causing the dying light of the evening to pour into the stairwell.

    ¡°Umbra was the first out, followed closely by Alex and Emily.¡±

    Emily squinted at their surroundings the sudden light causing her eyes to water as she blinked rapidly.

    A glance around immediately told Emily they were safe. From the looks of things, they were in between two large mounds of earth. They had to remain low to the ground but to anyone looking from a ground level, it would be hard to spot them.

    While everyone else poured out of the opening Emily took a look around. It didn¡¯t take long to spot the massive army scarring the land. Their camp was a mix of black and red materials surrounded by a low wall. Everything from their clothes to their tents seemed to be dyed one of the two colors and while the black was more striking against the landscape, the red was more prominent.

    They seemed to be arranged so that the red and black for close but separate. This was interesting to Emily because that could mean that perhaps the upper hierarchy didn¡¯t necessarily get along. Which was important information. If they didn¡¯t work together then this might be even easier than Emily had first thought.

    As she searched the to camp for weaknesses and openings she felt a tap on her shoulder. Glancing at Alex she saw his point off to a distant line of tents. Unlike there rest of the tents they were arranged into a structured length through the camp.

    ¡°From there, to there, is their containment line. Getting in will be easy but getting out not so much. The Redeemers amongst them will try to convert them into Oathsworn whenever they have time.¡±

    Emily stared dryly at the camp.

    ¡°From the looks of things that¡¯s over a hundred tents. How in the world are we going to locate everyone without being spotted.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll wait for the cover of night and hope for the best.¡±

    Emily squinted at the man.

    ¡°You better have been cooking that up this whole while.¡±

    The corners of Alex¡¯s mouth tugged up.

    ¡°Relax, I do. But you''re going to have to help me out here.¡±

    Emily nodded and twirled her hand for him to go on.

    ¡°You remember the ward we used against those Blightstingers? It misleads anyone on the outr side, but it is not particularly effective against a little bit of common sense. Normally its not mobile but with your help, I think we can make it work¡±

    Emilys ears perkerd up.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to learn that one for a while, but I remember you said it was ready complex¡±

    Alex shrugged.

    ¡°It is. But I have faith you¡¯ll get the hang of it. We have to wait another couple of hours anyway so you have time.¡±

    Emily glanced up at the dying light. Juest had said the attack would be left for nightfall when they were at their lowest. The rescue mission had to be finished before them or they could get caught up in the fight, but they also didn¡¯t want to start too early because then they would be trapped without a way out.

    Emily pursed her lips but nodded and turned to Ashe.

    ¡°Hey I¡¯m going to need some help with these wards do you think you can break some of them down for me?¡±

    Ashe nodded silently almost too worried to even answer her.

    She closed the hole to the stairwell up and moved over to help.

    Over the next two hours, the sun dipped below the horizon, bathing the world in night. Stars emerged, and vivid streaks of purple painted the sky. Around them, lights began to flicker to life. Whether from the glowing city or the nearby camp, an ominous, cold light spread across the empty plain, casting eerie shadows.

    Their group on the other hand remained in the dark, letting wash over them. Emily lost track of time as she concentrated on the runes making up the ward. Only the light of the moons helped her to decipher Alex¡¯s chicken scratch.

    When Emily was ready she created a blood ward that was almost a perfect replica to the one Alex had shown her.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    Without so much as a thought, her source poured into the ward. Instantly, a heat shimmer enveloped them, and Emily felt a surge of relief that they were far from the camp. The next moment, the ward¡¯s cloaking effect expanded far beyond what she had intended.

    She struggled to control it, trying to reduce the size to something more manageable, but her source was behaving erratically. When she shrank the ward, it contracted to the size of a soccer ball. Expanding it again sent a sharp ache through her head. From what Emily could tell, the strange behavior had something to do with the relic still on her person.

    In the end, she decided to make do. The ward pulsed, shrinking and expanding at an unsettlingly erratic rate, but at this critical moment, they had no choice but to work with what she had.

    Ashe came over the Emily and nodded.

    ¡°I think this is the best we are going to get. Just walk slowly and keep your concentration on the output. Don¡¯t worry about anything else until Umbra gives us the signal¡±

    Emily nodded to the woman as she focused on the humming ward in her hands.

    Their window arrived all too soon and their approach began. They all gathered under the ward and keeping low to the ground they began to head in the direction of the black tents.

    Right now Emily could still see a perimeter of sandstone around the camp as a two-meter wall had been erected around the entire camp. It wouldn¡¯t stop an offensive force for long but it was better than nothing. Unfortunately for them, the wall also served as an obstacle. Their stealthy approach would have been made almost impossible without the ward. As they near Emily spotted people kneeling on the wall in what seemed like prayer.

    They were completely unprotected from a ranged attack and yet somehow they were willing to leave themselves completely at the mercy of their enemy.

    Emily wanted to aske the question but Nox got there first.

    ¡°Are they maintaining their own shield? Why are they just sitting there.¡±

    Alex¡¯s face darkened.

    ¡°They are not shielding. As a strategy, using resources for defense when you are sieging should only be considered when the signs of attack are imminent.¡±

    Nox didn¡¯t look any better so he asked.

    ¡°Then why are they just sitting there?¡±

    Alex didn¡¯t answer so a time and Emily was tempted to look over to him but she refused to look away from the crimson ward.

    ¡°...Because they are willing to use their lives as a way to warn the others.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes snapped up from the ward causing it ot grow in size.

    ¡°In their death throes, they will do everything in their power to alert the others of an attack.¡±

    A few of the wandering fangs gasped but the men for the Weeping remained stoic.

    ¡°Why would they do such a thing?¡± Nox asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s an act of penance. If they do something their gods would not approve of, or even just for forgetting an evening prayer. They put themselves up for the gods to decide. If they die it was the gods will.¡±

    Emily''s revulsion at the idea of giving up one''s life for something as trivial as missing the chance to say grace was overwhelming. She already harbored a deep dislike for the gods and little love for their followers, but this was a level of devotion Emily could never be okay with.

    Understand, sure. But to endorse it was impossible.

    As the wall approached Alex and Umbra spoke for a second and the next thing Emily knew the man was gone and Alex was staring up at the wall.

    ¡°If anyone is able to do this quick enough it will be that man.¡±

    Emily shot Alex a questioning look. Did Alex know him? How had he convinced Umbra to come rescue her in the first place.

    There were too many questions but her concetration could not afford to stray from the ward.

    About two minutes later Umbra reappeared and changed their course.

    ¡°Climb here, I¡¯ve made sure they won¡¯t notice anything for a good while.¡±

    The most strenuous part of this was keeping her spell in check when they began to climb over. Luckily she had Cupcake with her to hop the wall, but it was still an effort to keep everything together. Once Emily was up on the wall she had to wait for everyone else to make it and it was during this time she spotted two Oathsworn kneeling calmly in prey. At first, Emily thought Umbra had cast a spell on them, but as she took a closer look she realized something was wrong. The way they were sitting was slightly off.

    That¡¯s when Emily could make out the blood. From the looks of things it was coming from the base of their neck and then it was all too easy to make out the fine needle-like spear shoved from the base of their neck down into the stone.

    It went clean through their bodies and sunk into the stone with enough force to hold them up even though they were very much dead.

    The amount of strenght it would have taken to do something like this was incredible. To make things even more disturbing their expressions looked calm, so they probably didn¡¯t even know how they died.

    From afar they looked completely normal.

    Emily turned away from the grisly totems and focused on her spell. Ashe gasped beside Emily but she quickly stifled the sound obviously coming to the same conclusion as Emily.

    They made it down from the wall but then navigating the camp was the next problem. They were lucky that most people were already in their tents for the night but there were still patrols they had to duck into the side area for. When they got to the area where the captives were being held everyone but Alex was surprised that there were so few guards.

    By this point,, Emily had been golf the ward up for quite a while and yet her source flowwed effortlessly. There was still somthing slowly burning through her reserves but she though that was the old leaving her body.

    The long tent stretched endlessly, its fabric partitions joined to form a single, dimly lit corridor. Emily stepped inside, her stomach twisting at the sight before her.

    Cages lined both sides of the passage, each one housing a captive bound in heavy chains. There were far more prisoners than she had expected, but it wasn¡¯t their numbers that struck her¡ªit was their condition.

    The captives wore robes of fine fabric, their bodies showing no signs of starvation or physical abuse. Their faces were clean, and they appeared well-fed, almost unnaturally so. But their eyes told a different story.

    Emily¡¯s breath caught as she met their vacant stares. Hollow. Dead. The light in them snuffed out, as if each soul wrestled silently with an unrelenting torment. One man, slumped against the bars, didn¡¯t even flinch as her ward brushed against his cage. Others barely acknowledged their presence, their gazes fixed on something distant, something invisible.

    Her unease deepened as she moved further inside. If the SourceWell drained the body, then whatever was being done here was far worse. It gnawed at the mind, leaving nothing but broken shells in its wake.

    ¡°Fuck what are they doing to them,¡± she growled, the ward be damned.

    Alex shook his head.

    ¡°Breaking their spirits. Quickly let¡¯s find our people¡±

    Everyone kept a watchful eye for their missing companions, while Umbra stalked down the rows of lost souls, his face etched with disdain.

    It took longer than Emily would have liked, but they eventually found Kael. Along the way, they encountered countless others, most of whom sat motionless, staring into the void.

    Kael was no different. The moment Alex spotted him, he stepped beyond the ward, calling softly to him and waving his hands, but Kael didn¡¯t respond. Across from him, Selia was slumped in her own cage. Ashe hurried to her sister, her voice trembling as she whispered, ¡°Selia?¡±

    But Selia didn¡¯t react. Her eyes were empty, her expression devoid of recognition.

    ¡°Ashe,¡± Emily said gently, but the girl turned to her, panic rising. ¡°Emily, she¡¯s not responding¡ªwhy isn¡¯t she responding?¡±

    Emily¡¯s gaze hardened as she observed their comatose states. Alex frowned, frustration tightening his features as he tried again to reach Kael, but the man remained unresponsive, his stare fixed on nothing.

    Letting out a sigh, Emily allowed the ward to dissipate. It was pointless now. She strode over to Kael¡¯s cage, her resolve firm. Reaching through the bars, she drew back her hand and delivered a sharp slap across his cheek.

    The crack of her palm echoed in the silence, and Kael''s vacant stare broke as though shattered. His eyes flickered, refocusing on the group, and for the first time, recognition dawned. Then, like the sun breaking through clouds, hope lit his face.

    ¡°Emily¡­ did you just¡­¡±

    Emily grinned, cutting him off. ¡°Yes. Now wake up¡ªwe have places to be.¡±

    Blood points: 311

 Chapter 135 - A plan in a pinch

    Emily glanced around at the wandering fangs. They had been searching for familiar faces for the past twenty minutes, and, frankly, she was surprised no guards had shown up yet.

    It turned out waking people from their stupor was simple: a sharp smack to the face worked wonders. Ashe later discovered that any sudden shock could do the trick, but Emily preferred her method.

    Nearby, Kael leaned against another cage, his gaze fixed on Umbra.

    Alex was still coordinating their escape along with Ashe and Selia but he had hung back near the man as though waiting for him to attack.

    Emily moved over to him and when no one was around, spoke to him.

    ¡°So¡­ you got a crush on him, or what?¡±

    Kael¡¯s eyes narrowed at Emily.

    ¡°Good to see you again, Emily. Is it strange that I missed the snark?¡±

    Emily nodded sagely.

    ¡°Yup, definitely something wrong with you. But we¡¯re here now. We¡¯ll get out of here and then get away from this fucked up city.¡±

    Kael snorted.

    ¡°I appreciated the thought, but what''s the plan from here? How do we get out of here without being caught.¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°We fight. As far as I¡¯m aware we have less than twenty minutes until the attack commences.¡±

    Kael snorted but Emily could see a hungry light in his eyes.

    He wanted to hurt these people for what they had done, and Emily didn¡¯t blame him.

    Luckily she had just the thing to help him out.

    Emily reached around and unfastened her pack. Taking out a short spear and two swords.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your normal weapon, but it¡¯ll have to do,¡± she said as she handed it to him.

    Kael¡¯s eyes widened and he took the handle of the spear with a firm grip.

    Straight away a vapor rose from his skin to coat the weapon.

    Emily was surprised that their captor had not bound their skills, but they didn''t need to based on what she had seen.

    In their scattered state, they were no danger to anyone. Emily guessed that whatever they did to them, made them more agreeable as long as they didn¡¯t hurt their victims. It was certainly one way to do things.

    But now they had a very angry bunch of people in their camp.

    Kael glanced over to the corner of the tent.

    ¡°I have to ask for the safety of my men but is he going to be a problem?¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t need to glance over at Umbra to know he was watching her.

    ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, no, but my money is on him being a ¡®problem¡¯.¡±

    Kael''s expression hardened and he rubbed his hand over his face.

    Emily stared at the man.

    ¡°They really did a number on you guys didn¡¯t they?¡±

    Kael lowered his gaze to look down at his hand.

    ¡°Something like that¡­ The sermons were the best part.¡±

    Emily squinted at the man.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Kael finally focused completely on Emily

    ¡°Exactly as it sounds. When they caught us they began shining this black light on us for hours at a time. They called it the light of their god, but it was just another spell. It breaks down the skin bone and muscle of a person but they follow it up by healing the damage. The problem is you feel bit of pain. The only time they stop is when they¡¯re preaching the words of the pillars¡±

    Emily pressed her lips together. She wasn¡¯t sure how to respond, but as it turned ot she didn¡¯t need to. Kael shook himself and glanced at his men.

    "I suppose we''d better get moving before anything else," he said, struggling to his feet.

    From the state of him, it was clear Kael had put up a fierce fight before his capture, sustaining dozens of wounds in the process. And with the literal torture he¡¯d been through it was a wonder he could even stand at all.Stolen novel; please report.

    Even now, a week later, his injuries were still healing. The fact that they lingered was a testament to just how severe they had been.

    After Kael left to go see his men Emily watched Alex arrive beside them.

    ¡°Are they okay?¡± she asked not at all certain after what Kael had told her.

    The man nodded but then paused.

    ¡°Most of them. There were some that we couldn¡¯t wake. And some even tried to raise the alarm as soon as they realized who we were, but I silenced them. Gerade is not responding at all. ¡±

    Emily pursed her lips.

    ¡°How far along the line are we.¡±

    Alex shook his head as though clearing his thoughts of this place.

    ¡°We¡¯re about halfway, we¡¯ll be counting on you again.¡±

    Emily shot him a shit-eating grin.

    ¡°Yea it seems you¡¯re counting on me a lot¡±

    Alex¡¯s brow twitched but he kept his voice level.

    ¡°Just get into place, or would your highness like an escort,¡± he drawled.

    Emily began to head to the back of the tent.

    ¡°Give me a countdown,¡± she said.

    At the same time, Emily moved to her location. From here, she could look directly down the line of tents.

    All around her the wandering fangs were moving about waking people up, and not just their own people, bystanders caught in the crossfire, or captured elsewhere. For those with the skills they would unlock the cage but a majority of the awoken men and women remained shackled and confined.

    Emily pulled about a liter of blood from her palms and began to shape it into a ward. Minutes passed as she waited for the signal and perfected the runes, shaping them into the necessary form.

    It was a ward Emily had first used to help Kael unlock his little jewelry box.

    The unlocking ward took shape in Emily¡¯s hands and the moment Emily got the signal she activated the spell.

    A wave of power exploded out of her, but they were no longer trying to hide their presence. The cages around Emily clanged open as she began walking down the aisle.

    She didn¡¯t even attempt to control the source streaming into it, causing the spell to fluctuate beyond the tents.

    The wandering fangs were well ahead of them and had been waking people up for a good twenty minutes. Those they managed to free helped wake others.

    The remaining ones they left to Emily.

    The spell worked flawlessly, unlatching cages and shackles alike Wherever her crimson light passed.

    The more people involved the more attention they would draw. And while they wanted to cause a scene, they didn¡¯t want to gain the guard''s ire just yet.

    The unfortunate souls that had been caught by the black core seemed to understand this and kept their mouths shut, but it was only a matter of time before disaster struck.

    Emily had barely made it a third of the way down the line, freeing dozens of captives when a sharp, trumpeting blast pierced the air behind her. The sound was deafening, reverberating through the space like a thunderclap. Emily didn¡¯t have time to waste so she kept moving but all around her, the freed captives grew antsy.

    At this point, Emily wasn¡¯t certain if they had been spotted or if the war had started earlier than intended because she didn¡¯t see any guards rushing into the tents to capture everyone again.

    Emily had just gotten to the halfway mark when Alex showed up.

    ¡°We need to go, they¡¯re trying to surround us.¡±

    Emily¡¯s face twitched but she didn¡¯t ask how he knew, she just dropped the spell and began to reshape her blood.

    Another cloaking spell might be able to get them out of here, and seeing as how she still had plenty of source to play with, Emily poured it in freely.

    The ward took shape and had just begun lowering its haze over them when a powerful wind swept the spell away. The blood in Emily¡¯s hands bubbled and dried up in seconds as another spell overwhelmed her. Unsure how to defend against it, the ward broke apart before Emily could stop it.

    The tents flapped in the wind briefly revealing the world beyond. Lines of black-robed soldiers stood at the exits, their polished armor reflecting the moonlight. Before the wind died down the material fell back into place.

    Emily¡¯s face turned grim. Forget about the ward; she couldn¡¯t see even a single gap in their defenses.

    Nothing silenced people faster than the anticipation of battle.

    So when a feminine voice echoed out across the area everyone heard it.

    ¡°Escaping our god''s love will not be so easy. Send out your leaders so that we may talk, we will observe the rules of war. If you do not, when we capture you again your punishment will be days without sermons.¡±

    The reaction of the people around them was like a ripple of palpable fear. Emily¡¯s eyes widened as she saw the moment they became an enemy in the eyes of those around them. Their intention was to use these people to escape but instead, they found themselves having it turned on them. They had to watch those around them. With the whole of the Wandering Fangs and the Weeping, they were around forty strong, but Emily had freed easily twice that, and while they didn¡¯t have weapons Emily didn¡¯t like their odds.

    ¡°Calm yourselves! If we falter here, you will find yourself right back in those cages,¡± Kael shouted. The strength in his voice rippled out into the crowd, strengthening their resolve.

    Murmurs rippled throughout the space and Emily glanced over at Alex.

    When she noticed him walking towards the opening.

    Emily moved faster than him and closed the distance before he could slip out of the tent.

    ¡°What fuck do you think you¡¯re doing!¡± she hissed.

    Alex¡¯s face remained stoic.

    ¡°They¡¯re observing the rule of war. If what they said is true I have one chance to meet their commander. Nothing much will come of it but it will buy us time.¡±

    Emily could scarcely react to the stupidity of the idea.

    ¡°And if your plan works and you buy the time, what do you plan to say then? ¡®Please don¡¯t attack me?¡¯ If the armyies arrive do you really think they will observe these silly rules of war?¡±

    Alex pressed his lips together.

    ¡°Look, you are going to have to trust me here. The rules of war are important. They would not lie about honoring them.¡±

    Emily wanted to yank him by the throat and out of this place but there was nowhere to go. It would have been a good plan, but the fact that he wanted to be the one to do it was a problem.

    ¡°Send someone else,¡± Emily said firmly.

    ¡°Who? Umbra? Ashe? You know that would turn out badly either way. No, I have to go, Kael will lead everyone else out in the chaos."

    Emily grabbed at the side of her head that had hair.

    ¡°I never expected you to have a hero complex, godammit,¡± she growled to herself. Incapacitating him right now was not in the cards as she didn¡¯t want to have to carry his weight around.

    ¡°...Fine but I¡¯m coming too,¡± Emily eeked out.

    Alex glanced towards the tent flap.

    ¡°Now, who has the hero complex.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t dignify him with a response, she just turned to look at the crowd of people behind her and whistled.

    This got everyone¡¯s attention. And she found Kael in the crowd.

    ¡°Get ready, we¡¯re going out there¡±

    The man''s face flashed with concern and he started to move toward them but Emily shook her head.

    From the corner of her eye, Emily made out Umbra and his smile was euphoric. He too tried to follow them along with Cupcake but she held up her hand.

    ¡°Stay.¡±

    Emily would never know whether it worked or not because Alex had slipped out through the opening. She was not about to lose him, so she pushed the tent flap aside and followed his retreating back.

    Blood points: 312

 Chapter 136 - A fighting robe

    The light outside the tent was almost as bright as day, causing Emily to squint into the cold glint issuing from the people around them.

    At a glance, she could tell it was coming from every piece of armor and weapon, almost as if they were blessed with a holy glow.

    The world out here was a very different one from the one inside the tent.

    Out here the men and women were organized into neat rows as they waited for their arrival with patience.

    At the head of the blockade was a familiar face one Emily had not been too happy to meet last time.

    Oressa stood with swaths of fighters around her as she spotted Alex and Emily stepping out of the tent.

    A brow rose but she seemed to keep the distaste off her face long enough to address them.

    ¡°Am I not assume you two will be the culprit of the little uproar.¡±

    Alex glanced at Emily his eyes bragging her to remain quiet.

    ¡°That we are. I need your guarantee that you will not try to capture me or my men until we can complete this meeting.¡±

    Oressa¡¯s face twitched.

    ¡°I have already stated as such but if you insist, you have my word as the current acting head.¡±

    Alex shook his head.

    ¡°Not going to be enough. Your word is not something I¡¯m willing to risk. I¡¯m going to need you to call your superior here so that I can be sure.¡±

    Emily frowned but kept her mouth shut.

    She supposed if their leader did come they would not be able to count on a promise if she had to obey her senior.

    Oressa''s face twisted down at the mouth.

    ¡°You are aware of what you are asking. Correct? I can¡¯t do that it''s impossible.¡±

    Emily glanced at Alex.

    ¡°Yeah, Alex¡­ what are you doing¡± she hissed quietly.

    Alex¡¯s eye never left Oressa¡¯s face but he out his arm out to show that he knew what he was doing.

    Emily ground her molars and watched the show unfold.

    He was far more adept in the procedures of war but that didn¡¯t mean that she was happy about it.

    Oressa could see Alex would not budge but she still hesitated.

    ¡°Miss, if you can¡¯t make this promise then it is your job to fetch someone who can.¡±

    With a glance at one of her men, she let out a ragged breath.

    ¡°Fine have it your way, but I cannot promise he will come, even if we are adhering to the old ways.¡±

    Alex shook his head.

    ¡°All that matters is that you try.¡±

    Oressa made a hand signal and one of her men scampered off in the direction of the black tents.

    Alex wore a stony expression but his top lip trembled ever so slightly and Emily was certain by now that was a good sign for him.

    Emily shifted her shoulders down slightly. She had a feeling this going better than she had expected but she never dropped her guard, even for a second.

    After the guard left an awkward silence descended over the group as the two parties stared one another down.

    The silence was finally broken when Oressa¡¯s eyes moved over to Emily.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again Emily.¡±

    Emily snorted.

    ¡°Is it? As I remember you tried to imprison me and then I ended up having to kill my way out. Why in the world would I be happy to see you.¡±

    A smile appeared on her face, seeming to mask something darker and more sinister.

    ¡°Well, you''re the one that got away. My Cardinal has since educated me on the error of my ways, and I¡¯ve forgiven you.¡±

    Emily snorted.

    ¡°You¡¯ve forgiven me? Well, that¡¯s a relief, but I think we should see other people.¡±

    Oressa¡¯s face cracked and a flash of disgust peaked through her mask, but she hid it shortly after.

    ¡°When this is over I¡¯m going to ask to be your personal Redeemer, I will show you the right path even if it takes me the rest of my life.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eye¡¯s were dead to the declaration.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°Try that and you life will be short indeed.¡±

    Oressa didn¡¯t seem all that bothered by the threat but Alex stepped in between them.

    ¡°Alright, how about we all just calm down¡±

    Emily snorted and crossed her arms at Alex.

    ¡°Wow, when in the history of ever has that worked to calm someone down¡± she drawled

    Alex shot Emily a look that told her to shut it.

    Oressa didn''t look like she was about to back down and Emily was no quitter.

    But luckily for Alex the guard returned at this point. Seeing as Alex was trying to stall for as long as possible he did not look pleased.

    ¡°My lady, the Cardinal has heard your request and will make his way here.¡±

    Alex pressed his lips together while his hand subtly lower to play with the hilt of his sword.

    ¡°Well it looks like you¡¯ll get your request, though you will regret it, I¡¯m sure,¡± she said.

    Emily frowned as she saw bodies moving in the distance.

    From the looks of things, a lot of people were on their way here, and they were in no rush. The procession moved toward them causing Oathsworn to part in front of them.

    When the group finally arrived, it was led by an older man. His demeanor was that of a grandfather, with a gentle smile gracing his lips, yet there was a strange light in his eyes that did not fit. It carried an impatience and excitement that bordered on manic. His robes were black, with a gold trim framing his form perfectly. Emily would have put him in his late eighties, but time had not ravaged his body or even dulled his edge.

    Those behind him wore looks of absolute joy and wonder directed at the man. Their eyes only turning for a second to scowl at the two of them before going back to looking at their idol.

    ¡°My child you have called me and I have answered. I adhere to the old ways what is all this commotion.¡±

    No sooner had he arrived than everyone else in the vicinity had dropped to one knee including Oressa.

    ¡°My guiding shadow. I have called you to confer with the enemy. They have roused the Initiates and we have found two of our own dead on the wall.¡±

    Now that the entire area of people had lowered themselves it was only Alex, Emily, and the Cardinal that remained standing above the rest.

    The man in question seemed to be born from the shadows themselves. He smiled at Oressa but then a look of sorrow appeared on his face.

    ¡°Make sure their bodies are returned to their beginning with the respect they deserve. As for you two, how may I address you?¡± he said turning his full attention to them.

    Emily pursed her lips as his gaze felt like a physical weight.

    The fact that this man was so close was causing goosebumps to break out over her arms. Everything in her being was telling her to run. This enemy is far too powerful to contend with right now.

    ¡°You may call me Alexander, my Cardinal,¡± he said with a level voice.

    The man nodded in turn and his eye narrowed at Emily.

    ¡°And you must be the Godstriken that my Student spoke of,¡± his fatherly voice bugging Emily.

    ¡°And you¡¯re the crazy head honcho that steals away free will.¡±

    Suddenly the atmosphere became deadly as hundreds of pairs of eyes turned her way. Each imagining killing her differently.

    Be silent, Woman! Oressa growled from her place on the ground.

    Alex went so far as to slap a hand over her mouth.

    The Cardinal held up a hand to silence Oressa and gauged Emily with a steady look.

    ¡°Hmm, you do not fear, or respect me. I can only assume you don¡¯t know of my reputation. Which I have to admit is refreshing. Young man, you need not worry. I will not take offense, remove your hand.¡±

    Alex glanced at Emily and removed his hand but his look said it all.

    ¡®Don¡¯t fuck this up¡¯ was all she could see in his eyes.

    ¡°Young Godstriken, may I ask your name?¡±

    She squinted at Alex and then to the Cardinal.

    ¡°Emily¡­¡±

    The Cardinal brow furrowed.

    ¡°A most unusual name, one I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve seen somewhere of late¡­¡± he muttered to himself. He looked up at Emily as though the answer would come to him but when it didn¡¯t he shook his head.

    ¡°Right, well I will tell you the same thing that I tell all Godstriken. You have committed a crime so heinous that even the gods reject you, but that does not mean they will abandon you. If you are willing to put in the work your burdens can be lifted.¡±

    Emily pressed her lips together and a wave of reason washed over her.

    She¡¯d been suffering under this title since she got here and she had wondered how she could get rid of it maybe this man could be the answer to her problems.

    Vertigo assaulted Emily¡¯s mind as she realized a skill had snuck in and was trying to influence her. She tried to shack it off but it was too powerful, and without intending to she asked the question that was on the tip of her tongue.

    ¡°How can I get rid of this stain?¡±

    The Cardinal smiled.

    ¡°Like with anything, you can work at it. Worship and duty could be your weapons.¡±

    If Alex hadn¡¯t suddenly grasped Emily¡¯s wrist she would have taken an involuntary step towards the man.

    The words bounced through her mind like ricocheting stones. Duty¡­Worship¡­? They were to consent that Emily couldn¡¯t even begin to understand and that alone tore her mind free of whatever skill the Cardinal was using.

    Alex was still beside Emily but she could now see that his eyes were bathed in concern. Almost as though he knew that something like this could happen. The rage that ignited in Emily¡¯s chest was enough to burn through the remainder of the skill, but she didn¡¯t let it show. Simply alowing cold reason to rule her right now.

    The Cardinal seemed to see the moment Emily had thrown his skill off and for the first time, his smile wavered.

    Alex saw this too and seemed to step in.

    ¡°Cardinal how are we going to proceed? My men are ready to fight. I request that you release those who wish to leave and anyone who wishes to stay behind, may.¡±

    The Cardinal¡¯s answer was swift.

    ¡°That cannot happen. We observe the old ways, but you have to know that this is just tha formality. None of you will be leaving here, least of all you two.¡±

    Alex sighed.

    ¡°I thought as much, but I¡¯d hoped you at least be willing to hear us out.¡±

    The Cardinal didn¡¯t even blink as he flicked his fingers. All the Oathsworn stood and though puppets suddenly being called to attention.

    ¡°I humored you. Now unless you have something to trade we¡¯ll end this meeting right now-¡± she said preparing to attack. There was a sudden blaring of a horn off in the distance and Alex''s face relaxed.

    ¡°Yes, I offer you a head start. They had arrived.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed as the Cardinal¡¯s head turned to the horizon. Namely in the direction of their wall, nearest to the city.

    ¡°You dare?!¡± he shouted.

    Emily couldn¡¯t help herself, letting some of the rage free from her chest.

    ¡°Oh, we dare! The armies of Lorthil are coming so I hope you¡¯re ready, You''re going to have a busy night ahead of you,¡±

    The Cardinal let out a frustrated growl.

    ¡°Oressa, handle these fools. Myself and Red will handle the rest.¡±

    With a wave of his hand, the shadows around them lunged trying to drag everyone in the vicinity down into them. Emily had been expecting a reaction so she dove at Alex and vaulted them into the air, her vitality beating in her chest. The tendrils of darkness lashed out at them trying to drag them down but Emily maneuvered out of their way.

    At the same time, the Cardinal seemed to rush from the scene with his hoard of people in tow, as the mass of shade slinked towards the battlefield.

    Only Oressa and a few dozen of her men remained to contend with them. Emily landed with Alex in her arms and smiled at the woman.

    ¡°He was in a rush, but this is perfect, it looks like it¡¯s just us now. And we can take out time.¡±

    Blood points 309

 Chapter 137 - Fated or illfated

    The shadows around their two groups died down with the Cardinal''s sudden disappearance, but it also highlighted just how heavily outnumbered they were.

    Normally, Emily was okay with this because she could survive just about anything, but that was not the case for Alex.

    When Oressa saw that they were still reeling from the suddenness of the departure she screamed to her men.

    ¡°All of you to arms, we will capture these upstarts and go help our Cardinals. There is too much to do in this city for us to fail!¡±

    A dozen nearby fighters attacked and Alex moved to intercept. Two blades came their way and he deflected both with a practiced circular motion. The Oathsworn were flung back and Emily whipped out a scythe of blood at their throats. They were dead in seconds, and Emily was still dealing with the sudden influx of life force when an arrow sunk into her stomach. The sounds of numerous bowstrings being drawn back were all the warning she got as several more were let loose.

    Emily grunted in pain and weaved a large screen of blood around herself and Alex, causing over a dozen arrowheads to protrude from the thin layer of protection.

    Alex moved head-first into the wall and Emily created a gap for him to get out. This turned out to be necessary because seconds later the heavily armored individuals arrived. Alex was locked in battle with them in an instant.

    Emily could see she would be of no help there, so we shifted her dome into spikes and sent them out in all directions to buy some time. This caused a great many injuries but she could tell she only managed to kill three people.

    With Alex tied up, Emily turned her attention toward Oressa. As though she had been waiting for Emily¡¯s full attention, she let loose a wave of dark energy.

    The light shot forth from her hand, aimed directly at Emily¡¯s knee.

    Without time to react, she pulled back one of the blood spikes and shaped it into a plate. The attack burned into the blood, but the shield held until the dark light faded.

    ¡°My word you are annoying. How can you use such foul arts so casually!¡± Oressa growled.

    Emily spun out of the way of the second attack, pulling the arrow still lodged in her stomach free.

    ¡°Oh grow up! Who cares how I got the power, as long as it''s mine. Can you say the same?¡± Emily shouted across the space, slinging a large spear of blood straight at Oressa. She blocked the attack with another ray of light but by the way the woman was already panting, Emily could see those attacks took a lot out of her.

    ¡°Silence! You wouldn¡¯t know real sacrifice. Our gods give us more than just power they give us belonging!¡±

    Another ray came screeching down towards Emily''s head but she flicked another buckler of blood up in time to block it.

    Alex had finished with his two opponents but by now, his breathing was ragged as he moved to Emily¡¯s side.

    It was then that she realized just how many people were surrounding them. If they continued at this rate, they would be overwhelmed way before the reinforcements got here.

    ¡°Emily, we need to go!¡± Alex shouted.

    Emily shook her head.

    ¡°Not be before she dies! If we leave they will just chase us.¡±

    Alex looked like he wanted to argue but there was truth to Emily''s words. If they retreated now, Oressa would be able to attack them from behind.

    ¡°It matters not what you do. Blessing of the night, my sisters!¡± Oressa

    That¡¯s when the prayers began, their harmonized whispers drowning out the sound of distant battle. As every robed Priestess fell to their knees, they began reciting and drawing in source, their robes seemingly accelerating the process as they glowed a deep violet hue. The shadows lengthened and suddenly the Oathsworn¡¯s glistening armors began to dull with a heavy layer of shadow.

    Alex pressed his lips together and leveled his sword, swiping his index and middle finger over the spine. As he did so, rues began to light up along it and flames began to gather around him. Then with the tip of the blade, he swung the sword in an overhead chop, causing the flames to fall as a wave of flames.

    Oressa clearly saw it coming but Emily had a trick up her sleeve, so she gathered the blood in her arms and shot it straight up behind the falling flame.

    Oressa opened her palm outward and fired a fourth beam of light through the flames, extinguishing them completely.

    Luckily Emily was ready for this and twisted the blood into the shape of a corkscrew.The projectile spun straight down at the woman. Her eyes widened at the hidden attack, but it was too late to stop.

    Oressa paled visibly unable to redirect her attack, but victory was stolen out from underneath Emily.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Becasue just as the attack was about to hit, a nearby Oathsworn dove in front of her, his weapon raised.

    Unfortunately for him, there was too much power behind the strike to deflect so it tore through his guard and plunged into his chest. The attack was such that it burrowed into his body with ease, killing him, but sparing Oressa.

    Emily snarled at the man¡¯s sudden sacrifice, her mouth falling agape.

    Oressa on the other hand just smirked.

    ¡°You see Emily?! This is what it means to follow something larger than yourself! But you¡¯ll learn that yourself in time!¡±

    Emily pulled more blood out and shook her head.

    ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯re insane! And I¡¯ve met crazy in my life. You lot are a solid nine.¡±

    Oressa didn¡¯t answer but drew more source in for another attack. This time though, the shadows rushed from the surrounding Priestesses and joined with her own.

    ¡°You think something like that would sway me? I have seen the true hatred of this world the only answer is the gods. Only their path is the true one and if some have to give their lives for that dream then so be it!¡±

    Shadows collected together and a ball of swirling light and dark expanded outward, ready to encompase everything.

    That¡¯s when Oressa let out a wail as a sword appeared in her chest.

    For a moment the spell she had been gathering held together and Emily could see the surprise in her eyes.

    Emily glanced behind her where the blade must have come from and Umbra stood there looking proud of himself. His hand was still extended from throwing the sword.

    Blood dribbled from the corner of Oressa''s mouth but then with the last of her strength, she closed her fist, completing the spell and causing it to suddenly expand.

    Emily cursed as Alex turned and grabbed hold of her, pulling her into a princess carry and running.

    Emily was more than capable of escaping on her own but she used that moment to create a thick wall of blood to buy them time. Which it did, but one a second.

    The encroaching wall of light expanded and every tent in the vicinity vaporized under the souce Emily and Alex escaped backward into the tent and rushed past the surprised individuals.

    ¡°Run you idiots!¡± Emily yelled.

    The light was not dissuaded by the fabric and burned into the room. Emily got a brief layout of everyone and saw that the Wandering fangs were at the back of the room getting ready to flee if need be. And by the sudden call from Kael, they were taking this as their opportunity to do so.

    Alex dashed towards them and Emily saw a shadow beside them that could only be Umbra. His men were nowhere to be seen but at this point, she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they left a while ago.

    The light arrived at this point and Emily created a second screen which was crushed just as esily, erasing it like the morning dew. All Emily had time to do was throw a Vital shell over them and hope.

    The faint ruby glow surrounded them and fought back the negative light. As the two spells fought they were bathed in a dry heat that baked the flesh.

    A severe sunburn was only half the problem, as brief screams surrounded them.

    Emily ground her teeth but she never felt any life force moving him in her direction which meant it was not designed to kill, only incapacitate.

    This became obvious when the spell ran out of steam and revealed several burnt men and women clutching themselves with second-degree burns covering their bodies.

    Conversely, it would seem that the attack had not affected any of the nearby Oathsworn. Their robes were not even singed from the spell. Emily spotted Oressa keeled over gasping for breath as a Priestess used shadow to close the wound. Emily growled but when she tried to get down from Alex''s grasp he resisted her and continued running after everyone else.

    ¡°Alex, let me down! If we don¡¯t finish her off now we never will.¡±

    Alex didn¡¯t even hesitate he just kept running after everyone else.

    ¡°Emily we don¡¯t have time for this. She¡¯ll live but so will we! Charge up one of those orbs you got!¡±

    Emily wanted to fight him but she glanced ahead and saw a small army gathering from the nearby tents.

    Her desire to end that woman had overridden their need to escape and Emily had to take a breath. Accepting the fact that Oressa would probably survive this, Emily took out one of the confluence orbs she had been given.

    She threw her gate open and poured source into the item. When she did she felt it begin to soak up the power greedily. From the feel of it, there was a limit and she very nearly hit it in one go but Emily managed to tone down the flow just enough to draw back the orb and throw it ahead of them.

    It wasn¡¯t her best throw but it did land amongst the growing blockade.

    Emily did not know what to expect, but the moment the orb went off, the design was obvious. A wave of blinding light exploded out of it, creating enough concussive force to scatter everything in the area. The impact sent the gathering ranks out in all directions, but not just that. Tents and equipment were sent flying, along with anything not battened down. Even the sandstone near the detonation site exploded and tore a shallow groove through the surface. Emily whooped as the blockade was removed in one swift move.

    Reaching into her bag, she grabbed a second one and began drip-feeding source into it.

    The wandering fangs were not shy to make use of the opening either and ran through. Coming out near the next layer of tents. The Sam¡¯eth soldiers were gathering here too but Emily was ready this time, lobbing the second one. The concussive force shook the area, shaking the surrounding earth.

    Emily was still rummaging through her pack for the final orb but then she saw they had moved into a section of the camp they had not been in before. The tents were red here and it was at this point Emily noticed two individuals stepping out of an undamaged tent. The wall was just behind them so they were almost home free but Kael and Umbra suddenly moved to the front.

    ¡°Powerful foe! Everyone scatter around I¡¯ll deal with it!¡± Kael said as he charged.

    From here Emily could only make out one red robe, but the other was strange. It was white but in this light, it seemed to hold an opalescent sheen that reflected the moonlight.

    Both had their hoods drawn, but the one in white was the first to step into their path.

    Kael charged at the man, the vapor surrounding him and his spear before he whipped around and swiped the unnaturally long weapon at the cloaked person.

    Emily didn¡¯t expect it but Umbra reacted too, by throwing two daggers aimed at the individual and charging in with a third weapon drawn.

    The two of them arrived at the same time, pinching the white cloak between them. Emily saw the ranged attack arrive, but the white cloak suddenly swat them away with their bare hands, faint sparks coming off their flesh. When the two attacks arrived, they ducked under the spear and caught the sword with their bare hands.

    Sparks once more ignited around their skin and the blade seemed unable to proceed.

    But Emily¡¯s eyes narrow to pinpricks. The spark that exploded off the white cloak¡¯s hands looked like tiny exploding stars as they surrounded his palm protecting him.

    There was only one person Emily had ever seen use such a brutish combat style like that.

    And even being carried by Alex she couldn¡¯t help the words that escaped her lips.

    ¡°Cosmo?¡±

    Blood points: 308

 Chapter 138 - Unwelcome greetings

    Emily¡¯s gaze locked onto the figure in the white cloak as he flung Kael and Umbra aside with devastating strength. Kael jammed his spear into the ground, his feet skidding but managing to halt his momentum. Umbra wasn¡¯t as fortunate; the impact sent him crashing through the flap of a nearby tent, the fabric ripping with a sharp snap.

    A hush rippled through the scene as everyone edged toward the periphery, tension crackling in the air. Emily¡¯s brow furrowed, her arms still looped around Alex¡¯s shoulders, but her focus never wavered from the white-cloaked figure.

    Cosmo. If it was truly him, it meant he had been caught in the same disaster that had brought her here. How had he escaped the grasp of those stingy gods? Was that why he was with them now?

    Emily wriggled free from Alex¡¯s hold, her movements hurried yet deliberate. She hit the ground hard but tucked herself into a ball to absorb the impact, rolling to her feet with practiced ease. Alex reached out, his concern evident, but Emily ignored him, her steps faltering as she inched toward the center of the chaos.

    Her teeth clenched as conflicting emotions churned inside her. Excitement bubbled beneath her unsteady gait¡ªan undeniable thrill at seeing someone from her old world. Her lips parted as if to call out to him.

    But then she stopped cold.

    Did she want him to know she was here? Her chest tightened at the thought. Seeing him again had sent a surge of familiarity coursing through her, but out of all the people to share this twisted fate, why did it have to be him? Cosmo. He wasn¡¯t just a relic of her past; he was part of why everything had gone wrong.

    Sure, she loved this world now, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that this was partly his fault. Her frown deepened, shadows clouding her expression as doubts clawed at her thoughts.

    Kael¡¯s sudden movement snapped her from her thoughts. Vapor coiled around him in thick tendrils as he lunged at the white-cloaked figure. The clash was ferocious, a blur of calculated strikes and unyielding power. Kael fought with precision, every movement honed, while Cosmo countered with raw strength, making each block resonate like a thunderclap.

    Was Cosmo¡¯s power intact here too? Super strength had always been part of his arsenal, but paired with a title in this world? He¡¯d be unstoppable.

    Emily didn¡¯t have time to process the implications. Alex grabbed her hand, his grip firm, and yanked her toward the left. Her footing faltered, but she stumbled after him, her head snapping back to the scene unfolding behind her.

    Cosmo had taken a couple of hits from Kael by now, and each impact was blocked by his body''s natural resilience¨Canother of his powers. Where the spear struck, it left nothing more than a damaged robe, but his skin below it was not even bruised.

    Emily stumbled at first, her arm caught in Alex¡¯s firm grip as he pulled her forward. She had been moving automatically, her thoughts tangled in what-ifs and half-formed doubts. But as her eyes settled on Alex¡¯s back, a quiet realization dawned. So what if Cosmo was here? It didn¡¯t change anything. This world was her reality now, and no amount of yearning or anger would undo that.

    A weight lifted, replaced by something steadier. Emily exhaled and wrenched free from Alex¡¯s hand¡ªnot in rebellion, but in a conscious choice. She quickened her pace, closing the distance between them until she broke out into a run beside him.

    At this stage, Kael went hurtling across their path as the white robe sent him crashing into the earth.

    Umbra was slinging daggers at the man but he simply deflected all of them by batting them out of the air. Throughout all of this Umbra had not lost his smile, crawling out of the tent he charged right back into battle.

    Emily and Alex didn¡¯t hesitate and slowed for Kael putting an arm over each of their shoulders and running onwards.

    Throughout all of this, the red-robed individual had not shown any reaction but as the Wandering fangs began to slip around the two fighting in the middle, they reacted.

    Throwing her hood back was a stunningly pale woman with brilliant red hair straightened so that her hair fell down his shoulders like meandering waterfalls. The spark in her eye made all who looked at her feel an almost ethereal nature.

    Lifting her hand caused the fire to lick up her arms and scatter playfully.

    Even her half-smile that played on her lips spoke of a beautiful

    Emily and Alex didn¡¯t hesitate. As Kael stumbled toward them, they slowed just enough to catch him. He slung an arm over each of their shoulders, leaning heavily on them, and together they surged forward, their strides uneven but determined.

    Behind them, the red-robed figure remained unnervingly still, their presence as ominous as a storm cloud on the horizon. But as the Wandering Fangs began to circle, slipping around to the two locked in combat, the figure finally moved.

    The hood fell away, revealing a woman whose striking appearance drew every gaze. Her skin was pale as frost, smooth and unblemished, a stark contrast to the vibrant cascade of red hair tumbling down her shoulders like liquid fire. Each strand seemed impossibly perfect as if sculpted into existence.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    A spark of otherworldly energy flickered behind her eyes, so piercing that anyone who met her knew she was beyond their understanding.

    With a fluid motion, she raised her hand. Flames danced up her arms in elegant spirals, their edges flickering like restless spirits. The fire didn¡¯t consume her; instead, it seemed to embrace her, swirling and leaping as though alive, playful yet deadly.

    Even her smile, faint and teasing at the edges of her lips, carried an unspoken promise¡ªa beautiful, inevitable demise.

    Flames rose up behind her in an ever-expanding wall, burning anything unlucky enough to get caught up in their path.

    Emily saw this and cursed under her breath.

    Changing direction she tried to get them through the wall before it crossed in front of them but it was too late. The escape route closed off to them.

    Emily saw that Ashe was near to the woman and she tried to attack with a large stone but she hesitated. The attack had no real power behind it so when the woman saw it, she sent a derisive look at Ashe and shot the attack out of the air with a ball of flames twice the size of the stone.

    Seeing her attack had failed Nox tried to send an attack of his own but the woman was too on guard and blocked them too.

    Emily glanced at Alex and they didn¡¯t even need to speak to know what the other was thinking.

    ¡°Kael go help Umbra, we¡¯ll deal with her,¡± Alex said.

    Kael ground his teeth and nodded before popping his shoulder back into its socket and charging back in.

    Emily sprinted toward the red-haired woman, her pulse pounding in her ears. Behind her, Alex¡¯s footsteps thudded in rapid pursuit, each step mirroring her own.

    Ahead, Selia had joined Ashe, her movements sharp and desperate. Normally, chains were her weapon of choice¡ªextensions of her strength and precision. But now, she wielded a length of rope, its frayed edges whipping through the air like a makeshift lash.

    The rope lashed out, but it couldn¡¯t hold its ground against the inferno radiating from the dainty woman¡¯s body. Flames rippled along her arms and shoulders, flaring in unpredictable bursts that sent waves of heat rippling through the air. The rope scorched on contact, curling, and smoking as Selia struggled to keep the woman at bay.

    Every swing seemed more futile than the last, the fire¡¯s playful chaos mocking Selia¡¯s attempts to control the battle.

    All too soon the woman got tired of their back and forth so she let out a column of flame in their direction.

    Ashe yelped but she raised a wall in its path to protect the three of them.

    The woman''s attack smashed into the rock and scattered, but that was not all it did. The flames it was made of seemed to separate into ribbons and begin to search out anyone who was too close.

    The rest of the wandering fangs had to flee in all directions to avoid them, which was probably her goal in the first place.

    Emily called for Cupcake through their connection, prompting the beast to pick up Ashe. The familiar flash of red fur was all she needed to know that the beast had come through for her. But that left the attacks still traveling towards them.

    Emily whipped out a scythe of blood, killing the projectiles headed for her and Alex.

    Then in the same fluid motion, she reached down and grabbed her scepter. Charging source into the relic.

    The crystal glowed with white light, and Emily shot out a loosely gathered ball of force. Its strength was only half that of the orbs she had been using, but it was more than enough for one person.

    Emily''s bolt shot out and hit the robed woman in the shoulder. The detonation flashed around her like a colum of wind but somehow wasn¡¯t able to move her. Emily had seen this spell uproot trees so there had to be some skill in effect here.

    When the woman finally gave Emily her full attention, she did not look happy. Then with several prayers echoing from her throat a serpent of flame began to uncoil from the wall of fire.

    ¡°Godammit. Why is it always snakes!¡± Emily growled.

    The thing was as big as a car and it was slinking toward her as it reared back to strike.

    Emily got ready to dodge but then Alex flicked half a dozen runes over his blade and suddenly all the surrounding flame in a two-meter radius of them died.

    As the snake lunged, it crashed into the invisible boundary and recoiled, half of its face completely having melted away.

    Seeing an opening, Emily created two spears of blood and shot them at the woman. She seemed to see them coming but chose not to block them, seeming to rely on whatever skill she had used earlier. What neither of them expected was that the blood sheered straight through her defenses and stabbed into her heart and stomach

    The woman let out an unholy wail, her scream bouncing across the battlefield, and Emily saw Cosmo flinch. He looked in their direction, his face expression of shock.

    Emily was about to follow the attack up with another but the woman fell to the ground dead. She could feel the woman''s life force rushed towards her, but to her surprise, it passed her by.

    The vitality instead rushed into Cosmo¡¯s left hand, as he scowled at Emily with an unreadable expression. The full weight of his gaze was finally on her.

    What Emily didn¡¯t expect was for the woman''s corpse behind her to suddenly explode.

    Alex grunted as the wave of flames parted around them before rushing toward Cosmo and collecting in the sky above his head.

    Emily had to squint through the flames as night turned to day and they took the shape of a bird.

    Alex held a hand over his eyes and took a step back.

    ¡°You have to be kidding me, that thing can¡¯t be here! Emily! Run!¡± Alex shouted.

    Emily didn¡¯t need convincing. She bolted toward the waning wall of flame, her heart pounding in her chest. Alex¡¯s runes flared to life, creating a narrow gap in the fiery barrier. The heat licked at her skin as she and Alex darted through, forging a path for the others.

    Behind them, Kael disengaged from Cosmo, who had seemingly lost interest in the fight. Umbra, however, was reveling in the chaos, laughing and screaming even as his wounds multiplied. The white-robed man took a single deliberate step toward Emily, his focus wavering as he fought to keep his attention on both her and Umbra.

    Emily reached the wall and started climbing. Her hands burned against the rough surface, but she gritted her teeth and pushed upward. As she reached the top, Cupcake swooped down, landing beside her with a flash of red fur. She glanced back and saw the others scaling the wall in frantic pursuit.

    Her gaze flicked downward to the battlefield. Cosmo had turned away from her entirely, fully engaged with Umbra once more. The chaotic energy of their clash sent shivers down her spine, but there was no time to linger.

    Alex jumped down the other side, calling her name, and Emily was about to follow. But just as she prepared to leap, a piercing scream froze her in place.

    ¡°Emily! You¡¯re not going anywhere!¡±

    She spun around at the sound of Oressa¡¯s voice, her eyes widening as she caught sight of a beam of light racing toward her.

    There was no time to think. Instinctively, Emily raised a shield of blood, the crimson mass forming a barrier between her and the attack. The beam struck with a deafening impact, its force shattering her shield and illuminating the world in a blinding neon glow.

    The explosion sent her tumbling backward, over the edge of the wall. For a brief moment, as she spun through the air, her gaze locked with Cosmo¡¯s. His head snapped toward her, and she saw his eyes glimmering with galaxies and¡­distress.

    Then the ground rushed up to meet her.

    Blood points: 310

 Chapter 139 - What now

    The first thing Emily noticed as she regained consciousness was the dryness in her mouth¡ªit felt as though someone had packed her gums with cotton wool. A jostling sensation followed, her awareness sharpening to the rhythmic motion of Alex carrying her down a spiraling metal staircase. Around them, the rest of the Wandering Fangs moved in a tense formation.

    Tremors rippled through the earth, sending loose grains of sand cascading from the walls like dry, whispering rain.

    Emily blinked rapidly, her vision clearing as she coughed and spat, trying to rid her mouth of the unpleasant, stale taste.

    ¡°What the hell happened?¡± she croaked, her voice rasping.

    Alex turned his head sharply, his expression shifting as though he had just realized she was conscious.

    ¡°Good you¡¯re awake, get down, you¡¯re heavy,¡± Alex grunted.

    Emily would have been annoyed at him if it didn¡¯t feel like she was currently thinking through molasses.

    ¡°You know you really don¡¯t know how to treat a lady. Is that why I haven¡¯t seen you with a woman?¡±

    Alex shot her a scowl that screamed ¡®Not now¡¯, but Emily just shrugged as she got her shaky legs under herself.

    ¡°What the hell happened back there, how did we get out?¡±

    Alex frowned as he glanced ahead.

    ¡°You mean after you got hit but the Priestess? We retreated but both she and that man followed. The only reason we managed to get out was because of the army''s arrival. Umbra is in the wind but that robed individual¡­ I don¡¯t recognize him.¡±

    Emily blinked a couple of times before a strange sensation appeared in her chest.

    ¡°Why is that such a big deal? I¡¯m sure there are plenty of people you never¡­met.¡± Emily said as she glanced around at the surrounding people. Most looked too exhausted to bother paying attention to them, but you never knew.

    Alex seemed to think over her question before he shook his head.

    ¡°Normally it''s not, but it was the woman that bothered me. She is quite well known, she has a title that brings her back to life if she is ever killed in combat. The thing is, she shouldn¡¯t be here.¡±

    Emily furrowed her brow. That was so unfair, a title that made it so one could never die. How did she earn that, and more importantly how could Emily steal it?

    Alex continued talking, startling Emily from her thoughts.

    ¡°She shouldn¡¯t be able to leave the city unless all the Cardinals agree. The only circumstance I can imagine that happening is if it were a direct order from above or... if he were the Chosen One mentioned in the letter.

    Emily¡¯s thoughts turned to Cosmo¡¯s new face. He had looked rather handsome but Emily hadn¡¯t recognized him by his body, but his powers. Which also meant there was a good chance Cosmo was under a contract like her.

    Emily wouldn¡¯t say it now, but she felt that she needed to tell Alex what she knew when they finally had a moment alone. If Cosmo was still in there, his natural gifts made him incredibly dangerous. Still, as long as he remained himself, they would be fine¡ªafter all, the big goodie-two-shoes were easy to manipulate if you knew what you were doing.

    Another rumble shook the lands above.

    Emily frowned and looked around.

    She found Kael and Seclia quickly, and both looked fairly concerned. Gerade was still out of it so the Wandering Fangs command structure was heavily weakened.

    Emily glanced at Alex again.

    ¡°Did you see if Juest arrived up there?¡±

    Alex simply shook his head.

    There were soldiers up there but I never saw any of the city''s powerhouses. The forces chasing us suddenly broke off though he didn¡¯t look happy about it.

    Emily scratched the back of her head. She was missing something here.

    Why would they fall back at this point?

    Perhaps it was to reinforce their walls, but that still didn¡¯t make any sense.

    By this point, they had arrived at the opening to the gorge. The water rushed past below them but the scent of something burning was carried on the winds. Alex¡¯s head shot up and he pushed past everyone to get to the ledge. Emily followed and saw the gorge just as she remembered it.

    The city sat nestled there completely intact but Emily¡¯s eyes widened when she felt rather than saw the massive amount of source coming up from below them.

    ¡°Alex what is going on?!¡± she hissed.

    Alex¡¯s eyes remained locked on the gap in the earth but he eventually found his voice.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen this before. The Red Cardinal is down there.¡±

    Emily glanced down into the darkness.

    ¡°But I thought there was a veil over the gorge, wouldn¡¯t the city know? How did he get down there?¡±

    Alex pressed his lips together.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°The Cardinal is a whole nother beast altogether. If he wanted to sneak down there then there¡¯s not much that can be done.¡±

    Emily shifted and gazed up at the city.

    ¡°Okay, so how bad is it?¡±

    Alex finally took his eyes off the opening and leaned down.

    ¡°The last time this happened, the city fell.¡±

    Emily''s heart rate accelerated.

    She had scores to settle in the city. Not to mention they needed supplies if they were going to continue their journey.

    ¡°Well, then we¡¯d better get across this place sooner rather than later,¡± Emily said rolling up her sleeves.

    ¡°Wait-¡± Alex started.

    ¡°Alex, so help me. If say we need to go down there I¡¯m not going to take it well¡± Emily hissed.

    Kael arrived next to her at this point, but he was staring directly up.

    ¡°I think he had other things on his mind.¡±

    Emily followed their gazes up to the top of the city where she could just make out the bridge. The structure was fully extended connecting it to the other side of the gorge. It made sense as they would have needed to lower it to get their armies across.

    From here Emily could see that there was fighting taking place up there. The colorful array of spells and gleaming weapons flashed in the night skies.

    Massive birds flashed through the skies and metal constructs led the charge. By the looks of things they were winning, but it was hard to tell at this distance.

    Floating above the bridge was a flickering orb of flame and shadows. Emily could only guess that was Juest from the way fireballs sheered off from it and launched themselves into the masses directly above them.

    This would have been devastating for the enemy army but walls of negative light kept springing up at the last second to rebuff them.

    Emily''s eyes widened when a couple of stray spells crashed in the nearby rockface and sent huge chunks of sandstone hurtling down above them.

    ¡°Inside now!¡± Emily yelled as she pulled Alex in by his collar.

    Everyone got away from the edges as rocks crashed into the railing and tore it apart. The shriek of metal echoed, still ringing as it was swallowed by the gap.

    Kael cursed and looked around.

    ¡°Alexander, Emily, and Ashe get over here.¡±

    Emily and Alex glanced at one another and moved over to where everyone was gathering. Selia nodded to Ashe and they all turned to look at Kael.

    ¡°Okay, I want out of the area as quickly as possible. But leaving in our current state would be suicide. We at least need to resupply. You¡¯ve all been in the city, how quickly can we get resupplied?¡±

    Emily glanced up at the battle as Ashe spoke.

    ¡°Fairly quickly if we can just get across, but as of right now we¡¯re on a clock. From the look of the surrounding source big is about to happen and we don¡¯t want to be here when it does.¡±

    Kael hummed and glanced at the remains of his men. For the most part, everyone looked exhausted, but there was still a flicker of hope as they stared at Kael.

    They would follow him.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s either escape into the wilds or take our chances in the city. Not much of a choice,¡± Kael said, turning to look at Alex and Emily.

    ¡°You two said you need a guide to cross the desert? Well, you¡¯re in luck¡ªI¡¯ve just become available. We¡¯ll head into the city, get what we need, and depart. But know this: I¡¯ll be taking a bonus.¡±

    Alex glanced at Emily before nodding silently.

    It seemed they got what Alex wanted, though whether they¡¯d actually get there was another story.

    ¡°Good. Now, anyone got any ideas on how to cross this damned gap?¡±

    Emily glanced down at the chasm, a smile creeping onto her face.

    ¡°Just one¡ªbut it¡¯s at least fun,¡± she said, walking toward the opening.

    Kael, knowing Emily well enough by now, recognized the kind of ¡°fun¡± she meant. Though he scowled, he didn¡¯t stop her.

    When she reached the edge, Emily scanned the surrounding area for runes. It didn¡¯t take long to find them. She began crafting a blood ward to unlock it, simultaneously pouring her blood into the nearby grates, and letting it mix with the water below.

    Turning her attention back to the ward, Emily saw it respond¡ªjust as she wanted. She didn¡¯t aim for efficiency this time. No, she wanted to make a scene.

    Starting with a low level of power, she allowed the ward to contest her. The two wards clashed, but the opposing one couldn¡¯t contend with Emily¡¯s strength. At this point, overwhelming it was simple for her¡ªeasier than ever before in fact.

    The barrier that sprung into place shimmered brilliantly before shattering in an instant, the sound reverberating like breaking glass. A blaring siren followed, shaking the area with its deafening wail.

    ¡°Now we wait for our taxi,¡± Emily said, unfazed, as she continued letting blood drip into the waters below.

    Alex squinted at her, but there wasn¡¯t much time for questions. They didn¡¯t have to wait long.

    The response time last time had been quick, but it paled in comparison to what it was now, with the city in full combat mode. Lorethil¡¯s units must have had some advanced method of battlefield communication because, within moments, a unit broke away from the top of the bridge and dove straight down toward them.

    Emily turned her attention to the center of the room just in time to see a platform rising out of the water. But to her surprise, there was no golem on it.

    A little disappointed, Emily turned to meet the riders as the rest of the Wandering fangs got ready.

    The ravens descended and their riders let loose several bolts at everyone, not even hesitating in their attacks.

    Emily whipped out a large screen of blood and covered a majority of the opening before stepping through the screen, Kael following.

    That was when she saw a familiar frame and a wicked smile appeared on her face.

    ¡°Well if it isn¡¯t little Roland. That''s not a nice way to greet your friends¡± Emily said as she smiled at the man.

    His eyes widened and a scowl appeared.

    ¡°Hold your fire! Emily? How are you are you here, woman?! You are wanted in connection with the assassination attempt of an official.¡±

    Emily¡¯s smile fell as she remembered that Silvaren¡¯s punchable face.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a misunderstanding here. I will come willingly, but we have just escaped the enemy''s clutches. We need a lift to the other side.¡±

    ¡°My men and I are not your personal carriage drivers. Now lower your screen so that we may see the rest of you.¡±

    Emily groaned at the colossal waste of time this was but reabsorbed the blood. Letting his men get a good view.

    ¡°You are all under arrest until we can determine the level of danger you pose to the city.¡±

    Emily glanced at Kael and saw that he wasn¡¯t pleased, his scowl deepening.

    ¡°We¡¯re a mercenary group that just escaped your enemies. I¡¯d heard Lorethil had a more tolerant reputation.¡±

    A dangerous glint entered Roland¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°None of that matters right now. You will be captured because of your association with this woman,¡± he snarled.

    Alex stepped up beside Emily, his voice thick with sarcasm.

    ¡°Great plan, Emily. At least I got a couple of days of freedom.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t see you coming up with anything,¡± she shot back.

    ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t give me a chanc¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough! Bind them!¡± Roland yelled as the first Ravens began to land, their dark forms edging into the large space.

    The beasts squawked menacingly as more of them entered. By the time Roland had descended, only a few riders remained airborne, circling like vultures.

    ¡°Surrender quietly. Your skills will be bound, as will your hands. Only then will we¡ª¡±

    Emily glanced at Alex, and he must have caught the look in her eye because, without warning, he bolted. Launching himself at the nearest Raven, he leaped into the air, planting both feet squarely into the chest of the rider. The two figures crashed to the ground in a tangle of limbs, throwing the room into chaos.

    Emily¡¯s laughter rang out, sharp and delighted.

    Moments later, blood erupted from every grating in the room, surging into the space and wrapping around the dozen riders and their mounts. The two remaining Ravens in the air tried to gain altitude, but cords of blood shot out from the nearby waterfall, ensnaring their riders and dragging them down.

    Roland started to shout orders, but his voice was conveniently silenced by a band of crimson wrapping tightly around his mouth.

    Kael was the next to move, only a moment behind them.

    ¡°Men! Take them down, but do not kill!¡±

    Blood points: 309

 Chapter 140 - A Soothing hand

    The sounds of Roland¡¯s muffled screams were ignored as he was tied up and tossed in a pile with the rest. The fight, if one could call it that had been short. If Emily had not taken the time to set a trap things would have been very different. Hell, most of their side didn¡¯t even have weapons, but what they did have was numbers. The wandering fang had twice their man-power and this had allowed them to get a sufficient sneak attack.

    Kael had to help restrain Roland because the blood only held for a few seconds, but luckily, it was enough.

    Selia now went around binding their skills one by one. In the meantime, they tried to figure out how to ride the ravens.

    Unfortunately, the cleaver beasts seemed skittish, and the only thing that stopped them from fleeing was a screen of blood Emily had set up.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to work. They are not bound like Rime wolves, but they are smart enough to know we are the enemy,¡± Alex growled as he tried to approach one of the creatures for the third time.

    Emily saw Kael trying to wake up Gerade, but the man only gave them the smallest of glances before he looked down at his trembling hands.

    They were running out of time and Emily didn¡¯t know much about these creatures but they needed answers. And she knew exactly where she could get them.

    Searching the Wandering fangs she spotted Loch watching the ravens with concern and interest.

    Moving over to him she saw the guy was lost in thought his body wracked by the odd tremour. From what Emily had heard the Redeemers left no physical wounds, but the mental ones couldn¡¯t be healed so easily.

    ¡°Hey, you look horrible. You gonna live?¡± Emily asked as she moved to stand next to the man.

    Loch, always the quiet type, managed a half-hearted smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine as soon as we¡¯re far away from this blasted place.¡±

    Emily nodded.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re trying. Got any knowledge about these creatures?¡±

    Loch pursed his lips, his eyes flickering back toward the Ravens.

    ¡°From their looks, they¡¯re Dusk Ravens. They eat fruits, nuts, insects, carrion¡ªpretty much anything. They¡¯re usually found at high altitudes and have a strong resistance to cold but not heat. Their mating season is¡ª¡±

    Emily held up a hand to stop the torrent of information.

    ¡°Enough! I don¡¯t need to know their love life, Loch. Just how to fly them.¡±

    Loch fell silent and his eyes went over to Gerade.

    ¡°He would have known how to talk to them.¡±

    Emily knew that Loch and Gerade had been close but right now he wasn¡¯t around to help.

    ¡°And you don¡¯t? You have a way with the wolves, just like he does, why can¡¯t you?¡±

    Loch furrowed his brow but refused to look at Emily.

    ¡°Well I¡¯m not like Gerade, I don¡¯t have his titles.¡±

    Emily shook her head.

    ¡°So? Excuse my French, but who gives a shit. Let me ask you this. How did Gerade get his title?¡±

    Loch looked confused but then he focused on the second half of her sentence.

    ¡°Um, he built up a relationship with his animals to a high degree by taking care of them. Only then was he offered his title.¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°I get that, but building a relationship with an animal is more than just looking after it right? It taking a chance on them and trying to actively build a connection. Something that we desperately need right now.¡± Emily said as she thumbed at the nearest raven.

    Loch saw what Emily meant and immediately began to shake his head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t control these creatures. They are completely unknown to me, they¡¯re dangerous.¡±

    Emily held up her hand again.

    ¡°Yeah, maybe if they were in the wild I¡¯d agree, but these are domesticated. We need a lift across and these things are our ticket, so unless you can say with certainty that you can¡¯t do this. I think you should give it a try.¡±

    Loch froze as his eyes moved to the ravens. At first, he looked like he¡¯d chickened out, but then he turned his body toward the birds and began to approach them.

    Emily¡¯s attention wavered and she looked down at her nails, wondering if they had time for her to grab a nail file or something similar when they got into the city.

    Kael came up next to her and snorted.

    ¡°Maybe next time you can warn me if you¡¯re going to try and have one of my men try something dangerous. Even if you were just encouraging him¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯m watching him, and apparently, so are you. He¡¯ll be fine, but we need him right now.¡±Emily shrugged.

    ¡°As I should,¡± Kael said evenly.

    ¡°Regardless of your antics, I want you to know that I owe you guys one.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Emily perked up.

    ¡°So our trip is free right?¡± Emily asked a sly smile appearing on her face.

    However, unexpectedly Kael didn¡¯t flinch.

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want it to be, sure.¡±

    Emily squinted at the man.

    ¡°...No, Alex is the one footing the bill. I¡¯m gonna save it for something I might need later.¡±

    Kael let the air out of his nose slowly.

    ¡°Smart, seeing as the only reason you were here was to play back another debt.¡±

    Emily grimaced.

    ¡°He told you? He should let me look all altruistic and shit. That kid needs to learn to keep his mouth shut.¡±

    Kael shook his head.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter why you came, just that you did. I wasn¡¯t joking about the favor either, so take your time.¡±

    Emily locked eyes with Kael, offering him a look of understanding before a commotion erupted from the direction where Loch had disappeared.

    Emily looked over in time to see him mounting the beast comfortably and smiling while he did so.

    He shot her a thumbs up which she returned. After that, it was not long before he got them all under control. Riding the birds turned out to be similar to riding Rimewolves, only with an entirely new dimension to manage. Luckily, everyone here was a good rider. Getting across the chasm was child¡¯s play with the ravens, even if most of them had to triple stack on one bird.

    When they were leaving Emily could not help but send one final wave to a furious Roland, but all too soon he was a distance blip on the wall.

    Emily flew alone on a bird with Cupcake dangling below, much to her disgust. As they swept upwards Emily caught sight of the ongoing battle on the bridge.

    Lorthil had far superior numbers and units with the golems providing a good buffer to their defenses, not to mention the air support. They¡¯d even managed to catch them unawares ¨Ccourtesy of their escape¨C but something didn¡¯t feel right. From here it looked like Lorethil was on the defensive.

    Sam¡¯eth¡¯s numbers didn¡¯t look nearly as depleted as they should at this stage. Emily wondered if they had gotten some last-minute reinforcements but that didn¡¯t look right either, and they were worryingly far down the bridge.

    All too quickly their view of the battle dipped as their flight came to an end. They landed near one of the abandoned outcroppings where there was no one in sight. No sooner than they gathered Kael began calling out to everyone.

    ¡°Listen, half of us are going to stay here with the beasts, and the other half will enter the city to find what we need. If you are in danger don¡¯t hesitate to flee. The meet-up point will be outside Lorthil on the open plains.¡± he said.

    Even going so far as to make the exact point on their maps.

    Kael then separated them into two groups and headed towards the streets.

    Emily looked up and saw the shimmering pane of force keeping the war outside. Holes were starting to creep in near the top, but nothing too noticeable yet.

    Emily glanced beside her and saw Alex and Ashe talking. They seemed to be looking for the best route past the guards but eventually decided that the best possible option would be to move down the main streets.

    A group of their size would draw attention no matter how they approached the situation, so instead of sneaking through the shadows, they chose the most direct route.

    If Emily had to guess, it was around one in the morning. Despite the usual nightlife, the number of people out and about was unusually high.

    Granted their city was under attack and it seemed like they weren''t the only ones planning on buying supplies, because a good few Merchants and storefronts were still open.

    Slipping from the main streets into the populated marketplaces was easy. Their full orange light inviting them forward.

    Emily had been to the lower markets a couple of times during the week, but never this late and in this condition. An uneasy energy drifted from person to person. Driving paranoia through the roof. People shot one another wary glances as they searched for supplies. It added a sense of desperation to the normally busy streets.

    Kael broke them into groups to search for supplies.

    ¡°Nox you¡¯re with Selia and Svent. The three of you along with some of our muscle will get food, weapons, and shelter. Emily, myself, and the rest of the team will find modes of transportation. Galendmares if we can find them. Don¡¯t be stingy. I¡¯d rather pay a little more than be caught here for too long.¡±

    Their fifteen-man group split in half again, and Emily saw Ashe going with her sister. One group broke off in search of the basics, while Emily led the rest of them deeper into the market.

    When they arrived at the first place that sold beast of burden they found them to be completely sold out of stock.

    They began searching through the place and found two other stables, both of which were sold out.

    Eventually, Kael turned to Emily.

    ¡°Are there any other markets in the city?¡±

    Emily nodded.

    ¡°Plenty, but if they are sold out here, then my bet would be that they are sold out everywhere. The only place that might have them is the market just below the outer campus district. That one was far larger than these, but we¡¯ll have to travel quite a ways up the city.¡±

    Kael ground his molars.

    ¡°Without a mode of transport, our journey will be far harsher. We need to find mounts.¡±

    Emily nodded and began to lead them along the streets. Guards were normally in most market squares, but at this point, it was rare to even see one on their way to the frontlines.

    By the time they got to market, the number of people in the streets had grown to the point that even navigating the roads was difficult. Bodies pressed in from all sides brushing again Emily as she led the way. She grabbed hold of Alex¡¯s wrist as the voice of the crowds drowned out all conversation. Emily had the shout to be heard over the chaos.

    ¡°It¡¯s just down there, I think¡±

    Kael parted people out of his way so that they could get to the large stables.

    As they got in they saw a Merchant talking to a group of customers. From the looks of things, there were still animals left. Over two dozen beasts if her count was correct. Kael made a beeline for the man to begin haggling. Emily could see there were a lot of other buyers here and she was glad she had Cupcake.

    They had left the Rime wolf with the ravens as a blood-red wolf padding through the streets was too conspicuous right now.

    While this unfolded, Emily watched the Galendmares. The creatures bore a striking resemblance to horses from Earth, with one significant difference: their thick, rhinoceros-like hide. The only exception to their rugged appearance was the vibrant mane that peaked along the back of their necks.

    They came in a range of tones, from brown to black to white.

    Emily thought Kael¡¯s finances would allow him to outbid everyone here, but judging by the desperate looks on the other bidders¡¯ faces, even he was struggling. While they bartered, Emily stepped back out into the street. Her eyes wandered to the flickering barrier struggling to hold its form over the city. Beyond it, she caught sight of the elevator leading up to the towers.

    From her vantage point, she could see every tower in the city. Something she hadn¡¯t noticed earlier was how each one emitted streams of energy¡ªSource¡ªfeeding directly into the protective barrier.

    Emily frowned, her expression hardening. Ariandel¡¯s betrayal still weighed heavily on her mind, but confronting him was no easy feat with him holed up in one of those towers. Crossing her arms, she leaned back against the stable, her gaze fixed on the shimmering dome.

    She was still staring at it when the first rays of morning light arrived. Somewhere in the distance, cheers rang out¡ªquickly followed by screams of shock and horror.

    Pushing off the building, Emily tensed. Alex emerged from the stable at that moment, catching the trepidation in her eyes. Without a word, he readied himself as well.

    Then, all at once, the world ignited.

    The "rays of first light" were no such thing. Instead, they rose from below the horizon, burning with a ferocity that defied nature. The ground trembled as flames erupted from deep below, sweeping toward the city like a tidal wave of destruction.

    Emily had never witnessed such overwhelming power. It was as though the gates of hell had opened beneath them, and the city stood directly in the line of fire.

    Blood points: 311

 Chapter 141 - Cracking an egg

    Alex¡¯s eyes widened as he stepped in front of Emily.

    ¡°Dammit, it¡¯s too soon!¡±

    Emily watched as flames surged forth from the abyss, rising to consume the city. Air and steam hissed violently as water vaporized almost instantly. The lower sections of the city began to warp and groan, the structures buckling under the intense heat as the fire made contact.

    Then the barrier sprang into action.

    The wall of translucent energy contracted and reshaped itself, extending downward to blanket the entire city. It cascaded into the gorge, smothering the fires below. A thick, glowing shield enveloped the area, holding back the relentless flames and preventing them from advancing any further.

    Emily peered down through the shimmering pane of force. Although the city was protected, the flames showed no signs of abating. They continued to climb higher and higher, licking up the gorge walls until they reached the underside of the bridge.

    From her vantage point, Emily spotted Sam¡¯eth¡¯s forces retreating to the ledge. That must have been the reason for the cheers she¡¯d heard earlier. Lorthil, mistaking the retreat for a victory, had pushed their forces further onto the bridge.

    Now they hung suspended over a molten abyss, the metal below them glowing like embers.

    A portion of the shield remained over the bridge to protect it, but it wasn¡¯t nearly enough. Only those with red bridges had some way to endure. Those that didn¡¯t began to fall like flies. Emily watched the loss of life in horror.

    Sam¡¯eth had chosen the nuclear option.

    Then the sound of splintering glass began to echo out from all around them. Cracks began to appear on the city-wide barrier, and the screen looked about ready to fail. But then there was a dull echoing thud from deep in the city¡¯s core, and a huge wave of source came from below them. Emily had been getting better at sensing source, but one would have to be blind to not sense the power rushing up around them.

    The shield drank it in, but the power didn¡¯t last all that long. There was a brief burp, and the sudden influx died out.

    ¡°Blast it all, they...¡± Alex growled.

    Emily tore her eyes away from the repairing dome in time to see Alex¡¯s pale face.

    ¡°What did they just do?¡±

    ¡°They emptied the Well,¡± he said coldly.

    Emily realized the implications a second later and swallowed. The shield looked to be fixing itself rapidly, but then a catastrophe hit. A beam of negative light hit the barrier at its weakest point. There was the briefest flicker of resistance from the dome before it shattered. The attack continued toward the upper campus and crashed down there, erasing a good portion of the towers and sending a resounding crack through the landscape. The defining sound was followed up by the collapse of distinct buildings.

    Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed as she made out Juest¡¯s tower crumbling. Turning to the battlefield, she searched for the man himself and saw he was on the bridge holding the flames back in order to protect his men. The hole in the shield began to leak flames, and the temperature around them climbed rapidly. Their only saving grace was that the spell cast by the Red Cardinal seemed to be nearing its conclusion, as the flames were receding. That last attack had to be from the Black Cardinal and from the looks of things they''d been planning this for a while.

    The shield finally failed, whatever force had been holding it together was damaged in the attack, unraveling before their eyes. As the flames cleared, Emily could tell less than half of Lorthil¡¯s forces remained. Sam¡¯eth had timed it perfectly, and when the war cry erupted from their side, Emily knew it was over.

    ¡°Alex, how long do you think they can hold the bridge?¡±

    Alex was still staring at the destruction, his face pale. Emily clicked her fingers in front of his face to get his attention.

    "Alex!" she said urgently.

    ¡°I¡ªhalf a day at most. Anything beyond that, and we¡¯re pushing it. The golems should hold, so most of their defensive force will be intact.¡±

    Suddenly, a scream pierced the air nearby. People, rooted to the spot by the horrors they had just witnessed, were now snapping out of their stupor. Panic spread like wildfire. The bustling street transformed into a scene from the apocalypse as screams of terror filled the air and the crowd scattered in all directions.

    Alex grabbed Emily by the collar and dragged her inside the stables. At some point, Kael and the others had stepped out of the stable to assess the commotion, but they quickly retreated to take refuge from the chaos. A merchant cowered in the corner of the room, trembling. Kael tossed his coin purse at the man without hesitation.

    ¡°Everyone mount up¡ªwe¡¯re leaving!¡±

    Emily had to give credit to the Wandering Fangs; they didn¡¯t hesitate. Kael¡¯s command set them into motion as they scrambled toward the stalls, quickly saddling their beasts.

    Emily headed for one of the Galendmares. While she had never saddled one of these creatures before, her experience with wolves gave her confidence. Alex came over to check her buckles, nodding in approval when he found them secure.

    ¡°Are you ready for this?¡± he asked, his voice steady but his eyes uncertain.

    Emily rolled her eyes. ¡°Are you? At this point, the fastest way out is up.¡±

    Alex frowned at her response. ¡°Will we even make it through there?¡±

    Emily shrugged. ¡°We don¡¯t have much choice now, do we?¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Alex bit the inside of his lip and shook his head as he mounted up. Their group was down to eight, but each rider had secured a second Galendmare to their saddle. Emily, uncertain about riding while towing another beast, opted to ride alone. She knew the way and would lead the charge.

    Once everyone was ready, one of the men pushed open the stable¡¯s large doors. The street outside was still chaos, though the crowd had thinned to about half its earlier size. Stalls were overturned, and debris were scattered across the cobblestone road.

    Taking the lead, Emily whistled sharply, her piercing tone cutting through the din. Anything to grab attention. She cracked the reins and urged her mount forward, charging into the streets. People turned at the sound, scrambling out of the way as the powerful creature galloped forward. Behind her, the thunder of hooves echoed off the cobblestones as the others followed close on her heels.

    The first step was to navigate to the lift. This, however, turned out to be harder than they¡¯d initially thought, thanks to one problem: looters. Desperate people roamed the streets, attacking anyone who dared to pass by. Their group was targeted several times simply for having mounts. Unfortunately for the looters, desperation did little to make up for their lack of skill. Their attempts were clumsy at best. Emily quickly put an end to them by using a low-powered Lift spell to send them flying. After that, most of the attackers thought better of trying their luck.

    But then they encountered a blockade. This one was far more organized and was clearly not set up by the city. It appeared to be the work of its less savory inhabitants. About thirty individuals had dragged carts into the road, creating a barricade to block anyone from advancing. Emily yanked her mount¡¯s reins just in time to stop it from attempting to leap over the obstacle.

    A man emerged from the mob, a wicked smile curling across his face. Emily cocked her head at him.

    ¡°Well, well, well,¡± the man drawled. ¡°Look what we have here. If it isn¡¯t the redhead. Did you miss me, darling?¡±

    Emily narrowed her eyes, her lips twitching into a faint, humorless smile. ¡°Very much so,¡± she replied coolly. ¡°If I remember correctly, the last time we met, you extorted a fair bit of money from me. Where are your friends?¡±

    Her gaze swept over the group, scanning for the men who had blocked her during Alex¡¯s prison break. She couldn¡¯t see them, but that didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t hiding nearby.

    ¡°Who knows?¡± the man replied with a shrug. ¡°But let¡¯s not worry about them. You¡¯ve got me all to yourself, sweetheart. I promise I¡¯ll be gentle. Now,¡± he said, his voice hardening, ¡°dismount and hand over your valuables. The men can piss off¡ªI don¡¯t care¡ªbut you stay, darling.¡±

    Alex and Kael¡¯s eyes narrowed at the man, their expressions darkening. They clearly recognized the threat, but something in the way he carried himself gave him confidence that bordered on arrogance.

    Emily turned to the Wandering Fangs, raising a hand to forestall the violence. ¡°Guys, stop,¡± she said firmly. ¡°I know these men. They¡¯ve probably got more people hiding in the shadows. Our best bet is to comply. We¡¯ll meet up later at the discussed location.¡±

    Alex shot Emily a ¡®What the hell are you doing?¡¯ look, but before he could voice his objection, she slid down from the Galendmare¡¯s back. As her feet hit the ground, she stumbled, steadying herself with a hand clutching her chest. The man¡¯s grin widened at the sight.

    ¡°That¡¯s it. You know how this is going to go, woman,¡± he sneered, his eyes roving over her body with dark intent.

    Emily nodded, her bottom lip trembling as if she were fighting back tears. Slowly, she reached up and tugged one shoulder of her traveling tunic down, exposing a sliver of skin. Emily stumbled closer, making herself as meek as possible. This not only drew his eyes but also most of the surrounding men. That meant that when Emily was in place, no one expected the blood scythe to explode from her feet and cleave through a dozen men.

    The blade bisected through bone and muscle, causing the men to collapse before they even knew what had happened. There was one exception to the rule.

    Frustratingly, her main target had bent his torso just in time to avoid the strike. His eyes widened as the blood moved to coil around Emily.

    ¡°Dammit, you¡­you¡¯re. Gods, I knew it was too good to be true¡ª¡±

    The man got hold of himself and took a step back. ¡°They¡¯re from the Weeping. Kill them, now!¡±

    Chaos descended on the streets. Kael and Alex were suddenly right beside Emily. However, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Emily triggered her blood mantle and wrapped herself in a vital shell. As she did this, she kicked Alex in the hip, sending him to the side.

    A knife appeared from thin air attached to a hand that scraped against Emily¡¯s neck. Fortunately, it could do no damage with her mantle in place. Alex, on the other hand, ducked into a roll and completely avoided the two sets of knives coming at his head. Emily turned to attack, but the hand faded from view.

    ¡°Cheaters!¡± she cried as she whipped several bloody wires out in all directions

    Her cords never caught anything, but they did help buy her some time. Several projectiles came at Emily, which she blocked with her vital shell. Kael swatted the attacks out of the air and wrapped a large amount of vapor around himself.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this!¡± he shouted.

    Spinning his spear above his head, he slammed it down, creating a ripple of power. Six invisible men stumbled back, their skills failing, and their forms shimmering into view.

    Emily smiled as their faces showed shock. Too bad for them it was the last expression they would ever make.

    Emily lashed out in all directions, grabbing hold of them. She then picked them all up and brandished them as clubs, smashing them against the ground first and then against their allies.

    The life force from those she¡¯d killed earlier began to trickle in, forming a dozen bolts. They shot out at incredible speeds, killing another six or so.

    Alex jumped up from his roll and charged into the front line. He slashed out at anyone who even looked like they had some fight in them, maiming people left and right in a brutally efficient fighting style.

    Kael was not far behind.

    Emily smiled as she stepped toward their leader.

    ¡°Right. Now, I want my money back.¡±

    The mouseish man looked at his dying companions as a deep sense of fear settled in his eyes.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were¡ª Here, take it!¡± he stammered, throwing a small sack at her feet. It jingled as it landed, but something didn¡¯t sound right.

    Emily lashed out at it with a whip of blood. The sack tore apart in an explosion of coins and something that looked like a confluence orb.

    Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed as she saw his face twist into a snarl. She had just enough time to put up a screen before it went off.

    The concussive blast sent Emily flying back along with Alex, but Kael absorbed the blow and kept moving.

    Seeing his men would not be able to hold out much longer, the man turned to flee.

    However, this was not an outcome Emily could accept. She had been charging life force into her blood for a while now, and as she landed, she let loose a spear. The thing had enough power behind it to take down a bruin, so when it hit the human body, it didn¡¯t leave much to the imagination. A basketball-sized hole appeared in the man¡¯s chest, and he hit the ground face-first.

    Emily shook off the daze from the concussion and stood up, drawing in all the surrounding life force.

    A glance around showed that not a single person had escaped. By the end of it, Kael had taken care of the remaining fighters.

    ¡°People, we need to go,¡± he said, but there was a strange light in Kael¡¯s eyes.

    Emily glanced over at the rest of the Wandering Fangs and saw that they had only half drawn their weapons, never needing to get into the fight.

    The three of them had taken out over thirty people in a minute or less.

    Kael was looking at them funny for a good reason. In such a short time, they had both become abnormally strong. It was just that Kael was only now noticing it.

    Even so, they couldn¡¯t afford to linger. After collecting what they could, they moved on. Taking the lead once more, Emily guided the group toward the lift. However, as they approached the massive metal construct, she spotted an issue.

    The lift loomed ahead, but its runes weren''t glowing¡ªa dead giveaway. The city¡¯s infrastructure had relied on the Well for power, and now they were cut off from the grid.

    Blood points: 347

 Chapter 142 - Breaking and entering

    With the city wards powered down, everything from defenses to streetlights was failing. As time went on, the city¡¯s glow was beginning to fade. Pretty soon, they would need torches just to navigate the streets. Emily hoped that Ashe was having a better time than they were.

    As it turned out there was another way to get to the upper campus, stairs.

    There was an external set of stairs that no one ever took as the lift was large and fast, so avoided using it.

    Luckily it was large enough that the Galendmares had little trouble climbing it. Seeing as it only added twenty minutes to their journey time they were not complaining. Well Emily was, but only internally.

    About halfway up they came level with the bridge, and from here they could see the battle unfolding.

    Sam¡¯eth¡¯s forces were more than halfway down the bridge, but that was not what caught Emily¡¯s attention. She watched as a golem was launched from the center of the bridge straight over one of the railings.

    Their formation was shaped like an arrowhead, and amongst the sea of black and red, there was a singular white robe at the point. It led the others into battle with an unflinching courage.

    Even if Emily didn¡¯t know who it was she would have been able to tell by his self-righteousness from here

    Any fighter that changed the white robe was either battered aside or captured and dragged away.

    Alex had said that when she had been knocked out, Cosmo had suddenly retreated from the area, but perhaps this was the real reason. Perhaps he was needed at the front.

    His power was certainly suited to it. With his level of strength and resilience, there is not much that could harm him, even on the frontline.

    When Alex saw this his face turned grim.

    ¡°Okay make that three to four hours. I thought they would be able to hold out for longer, but as things go. The city with fall in the early hours of the morning.¡±

    Kael clicked his tongue to edge his Galendmare on, promoting the others to do the same.

    When they arrived at the top, Emily saw that the guard stations were empty.

    There were wards in place to prevent people from crossing over into the campus but as of right now, they were completely unpowered.

    The guard posts here were largely for show as the district''s real defenses were the towers themselves.

    Now that they had arrived in the area, the destruction that the last attack had wrought became clear. Rubble from the surrounding buildings lay scattered all over the place. Hollow tower shells lay amongst the debris, their once magnificent walls plastered with dust If they had managed to escape annihilation, the shifting of the grounds had caused cracks to spread through them.

    It was like a graveyard up here, without a whisper of wind bouncing between the remaining structures. The destruction was the worst near the center of the campus some of the outer towers still clinging to life. Emily could also not see a single person move around the streets, but there was a strange energy about this place.

    Indicating with her head, Emily took them through the ghost town until they reached the outer section. Buildings were less damaged here but it was more familiar. Alex frowned as he looked around and his eye locked on Emily.

    ¡°Emily¡­¡± his tone shifted dangerously close to disapproval.

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°What, this is the fastest route I know, plus it all looks different now that it''s all destroyed,¡± Emily said innocently.

    Alex gave her a dull stare, making it clear he wasn¡¯t convinced.

    However, a few seconds later it didn¡¯t matter because Emily spotted Ariandel¡¯s tower.

    The last time they had seen it, it was partially on fire, but now a crack spiraled through the structure, and the entire top half had snapped off.

    Emily was kind of disappointed that it was not complete rubble, but that had its own benefits. It meant that he still had a chance of being alive.

    Emily clicked her tongue and directed the Galendmare towards the tower.

    ¡°This is not the time for revenge Emily.¡± Alex scowled.

    ¡°Oh come on, there is always time for revenge.¡±

    Kael saw the approaching the tower and glanced around.

    ¡°What is going on, where are you taking us.¡±

    Alex mulled over what to say and eventually came out with the truth.

    ¡°The man in this tower wronged Emily recently,¡±

    Kael¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°And was this part of the plan, or is it just a coincidence that we¡¯re here now.¡± his voice turning dangerous.

    Emily pressed her lips together and glanced at the visible door on the front.

    ¡°It is a lucky happening. Look, all I¡¯m asking is ten minutes of our time. Alex said we had till morning and if we keep heading that way, we¡¯ll hit the external gate in less than an hour.¡± Emily pulled up beside the door and rested her hand against it.

    Hissing she withdrew it, as the material was searing hot.

    ¡°See, its protections run on a separate power source. We¡¯re not getting in.¡± Alex said.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Emily frowned.

    "If I remember correctly, you once told me there was a ward that could get me inside a mage¡¯s tower," Emily said.

    Alex¡¯s face twitched. "I do, but¡­ the protections inside could still cook us alive. Are you really willing to take that chance?"

    Emily glanced at the door, then back at him. "Yes."

    "Even if I come with you?" Alex asked, his tone laced with skepticism.

    Emily frowned at him but refused to answer.

    Alex leaned back and exhaled slowly, his gaze shifting to Kael.

    "I have reason to believe the tower contains a lot of valuable items, so we¡¯re going to try to get inside. We¡¯ll see you at the meet-up point."

    Kael looked between Emily and Alex, then down at his spear. "You are my clients, but at this point, who¡¯s keeping track? I can¡¯t follow you in there¡ªnot with my men¡¯s safety on the line. But¡­" He hesitated before continuing. "We¡¯ll wait out here for half an hour. If you¡¯re not back by then, we¡¯re leaving."

    Alex nodded his thanks and the Wandering fangs found an area to lay low that was still in sight of the tower.

    Emily glanced at Alex impatiently.

    ¡°Well, come on. Give me the ward.¡±

    Alex bit the inside of his lip and shook his head.

    ¡°I will, but there¡¯s something different about this one that you need to know,¡± he said as he made a motion for Emily¡¯s pack.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she said as she handed it over.

    Emily¡¯s brow rose when Alex began rummaging through her pack without permission.

    ¡°Up until now, I¡¯ve only shown you static wards. In runic sorcery, there is another type of ward called a dynamic ward.¡±

    Emily frowned wondering where this was going.

    ¡°A dynamic ward is similar to a static, only thing is, it is a constantly shifting thing. The constructs are made in this way.¡±

    Emily squinted at Alex.

    ¡°I¡¯m failing to see how that helps me now.¡±

    Alex rolled his eyes at her impatience.

    ¡°Emily we are trying to break into a Mage¡¯s tower. It is one of the most heavily warded places out there. It can also respond to any threats appropriately. The ward I¡¯m going to give you is dynamic, which means to some extent it''s alive. But more than that it¡¯s going to require an enormous amount of source.¡±

    Emily pursed her lips.

    ¡°Well, power is one thing I have in spades.¡±

    Alex nodded.

    ¡°Which is the only reason this might be possible. Dynamic wards are never usually powered by a person, their cost is just too high. But for you, it might be possible. How good would you say your condition is right now? You used a lot of source back there.¡± he asked seeming to have found what he was looking for.

    Emily¡¯s impatience melted as she took stock of herself. Honestly, ever since the relic had been attached, she¡¯d not felt that familiar fading sensation.

    If she were to guess she was around ninety percent at the moment.

    ¡°I¡¯m good to go,¡± she said firmly

    Alex¡¯s eyes remained locked on her as though searching for a lie.

    ¡°Alright, then drink this,¡± he said, handing over a small bottle containing a cloudy liquid.

    Emily squinted at it and tried to place it.

    Then it hit her. This was the very same bottle she had pulled from the illusionist''s corpse, the one she¡¯d gotten with the book.

    Frowning she looked at the syrupy cloudy concoction inside.

    Hadn¡¯t Alex said this was spinal fluid? She¡¯d been meaning to throw it out nostalgia had stayed her hand. She was regretting it now.

    ¡°You want me to drink bone juice?¡±

    Alex grimaced.

    ¡°It''s a stimulant, the bottle would have kept it fresh.¡±

    Emily¡¯s nose wrinkled, and her lips curled downward.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how fresh it is.¡±

    Alex shook his head.

    ¡°Emily, this is one of the conditions for you to use this ward. If you don¡¯t, then we¡¯re getting out of here¡±

    Now it was Emily''s turn to grimace. Her shoulders drooped and she snatched the bottle from Alex.

    ¡°I blame you if this makes me ill.¡±

    Without giving herself time to overthink it, Emily popped the cork at the neck of the bottle and began to chug.

    A deep musky scent filled Emily¡¯s senses as the slimy concoction slid down her throat. She only stopped when the entire thing was gone.

    A shiver ran down he spine and her teeth chattered.

    ¡°Done. Now show me the ward.¡±

    Alex nodded and began to draw the ward out on the ground he¡¯d cleared of debris. The whole while Emily remained focused as she tried her best to memorize the spell.

    Unfortunately, it was so complex that after the first quadrant of runes, she was completely lost.

    When it was done Scarlet sister was singing in her ears at the complexity. That or it could just be the stuff she had drank because it felt like her bridges were humming to themselves.

    Once Alex was done she began to fill the chalk out with a blood ward. When it was complete she lifted it and directed it at the tower at Alex¡¯s behest. Then came powering it.

    ¡°Right now. Ashe taught you the wave method, right? You going to start with that and move into the stream method, But you will need to continue creating new pluses throughout the spell, so don¡¯t let up.¡±

    Emily looked at the ward and it was larger than she was tall.

    "So give it all I¡¯ve got, basically?" Emily asked.

    Alex pressed his lips together and nodded hesitantly.

    Emily smiled. "Now that I can do."

    She focused inward, engaging her bridges, and took the largest gulp of source she¡¯d ever attempted. Her bridge hummed with raw power, the stimulant coursing through her veins like liquid fire¡ªbut she wasn¡¯t done yet. Drawing even deeper, she pulled more power from the surrounding energy, simultaneously channeling a stream of current into herself. She pushed both methods to their absolute limits, her body thrumming with potential.

    The first wave of source surged through her, slamming into her hands. When the next wave followed, she unleashed it into the spell.

    Immediately, Emily¡¯s blood began to glow with an intense, vibrant light. Yet for the moment, nothing happened.

    A full minute passed as she channeled power into the ward, stabilizing it. Then, to her surprise, the ward began to shift and rearrange itself, its runes twisting into unfamiliar configurations. Emily frowned, her instincts warning her she could stop the process¡ªbut something told her that intervening would be a mistake.

    Still, impatience gnawed at her. She pulled more energy from her surroundings, funneling it directly into the ward.

    Sparks crackled around it, growing into arcs of lightning that danced like living creatures, coiling into thick serpents of plasma. The surge of power grounded her as it expanded, radiating outward from the blood ward. This was beyond anything she had ever worked before.

    Alex had to step back to avoid the spell¡¯s growing range, watching warily as Emily continued.

    The blood ward pulsed once, then fired a bolt of lightning that struck the crumbling wall of the tower. In an instant, a shimmering golden barrier of wards erupted into existence, blocking the intrusion.

    The battle began.

    Emily¡¯s spell wrestled against the tower¡¯s defenses, the two forces clashing in a violent struggle for dominance. The golden wards retaliated, releasing waves of power to repel her, but where the tower sought only to block, Emily sought to destroy.

    The air filled with an earsplitting shriek as the wards clashed, releasing rippling bursts of energy. It quickly became clear that Emily had the upper hand. Her spell tore through the tower¡¯s defenses faster than they could repair themselves. But victory wasn¡¯t enough.

    She craved absolute destruction.

    A low growl escaped her as she drew in even more power, her focus sharpening to a razor¡¯s edge. She commanded the blood ward to rip the tower apart, and the runes responded, shifting into new formations as though they understood her intent.

    Suddenly, the tower¡¯s resistance collapsed. The golden barrier shattered like fragile glass, breaking apart with a sharp, echoing snap. Inside, the internal wards began to falter, their intricate patterns unraveling.

    The tower''s defenses crumbled entirely, leaving nothing in their place.

    Emily absentmindedly heard Alex trying to say something but she was too wrapped up in the spell. The power felt incredible and she wanted more, it wanted more.

    She was about to pull in more source when she saw Alex beside her, his sword glowing with its own runes to attract the lighting.

    He flicked his finger out in front of her face sarcastically.

    ¡°Relax, any more and you¡¯re going to pull the place apart at the mortar. Unless that¡¯s what you want?¡±

    Emily felt as though a bucket of icy water had been thrown over her. She stopped supplying power to the rune and it screamed in loss as it died.

    She looked at Alex and then went over to the tower. It looked much the same, but now the front door lay open as though inviting them into its depths.

    Blood points: 342

 Chapter 143 - Let sleeping dogs lie

    Emily took a step into the dark tower. The only sound was the groaning stone as it cracked around them.

    Bits of rock and dust fell around the large room and a set of stairs led up to the next level. Emily was about to head towards them when Alex put his hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Emily, relax. If he¡¯s in here we¡¯ll find him.¡±

    she glared at Alex and pursed her lips.

    ¡°Easy for you to say. He didn¡¯t torture you¡± Emily growled as she glanced around at the room''s shadows.

    ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here in the first place. You deserve whatever you need to feel better, but if we take the wrong step here, we¡¯ll die. Namely, the stairs going up.¡± he said as he pointed to a staircase leading into the ground

    Emily frowned. She¡¯d come through here multiple times, and it had never been there before, but now that he pointed it out, it was not hard to miss.

    It was a narrow set of stairs near the back of the room leading into a cloying hole.

    Emily frowned and shot a questioning look at him.

    Alex shrugged.

    ¡°Mages oftentimes keep their tower''s source power in the basement,¡± he said as he moved toward it.

    She wanted to argue that she¡¯d never heard anything of the sort, but then again she¡¯d never really questioned what made the tower work, just that it did.

    Letting out a steadying breath Emily stepped up beside Alex as they reached the dark stairwell and together they descended the stairs.

    Emily ran her hand along the smooth stone, using it to guide her down. The deeper they went, the warmer the stone became, as though it had been baking in the sun''s rays all day.

    She was just about to fetch a torch from her pack when a sliver of light peeked through the crack in a doorframe.

    This gave them enough light to descend the final steps without issue.

    They continued until they got to the door, but waited at the opening listening for voices.

    No sounds came from the room save for a single harsh breath.

    There was a line of dead runes on the threshold of the doorway but neither of them paid the chicken scratch any mind as they tried to push the door open.

    Emily got it to move just slightly before she felt it catch on something from the other side. The gap was still too small so Alex began slamming his shoulder against it and the sounds of screaming metal from the other side caused the door to budge just enough for Emily to slip in.

    What she found was a small circular room that felt like a sauna. It was mostly bereft of furniture but there was a deep circular pool taking up most of the room. Now that Emily had a better vantage point she could see the reason they could not open the door was because a portion of the ceiling had caved in. The metal rods buried in the stone having been exposed.

    That was when Emily spotted Ariandel and Citta.

    By the looks of things, the cave-in had fallen on Citta, killing her swiftly.

    Unfortunately, one of the metal rods had shot through Ariandel¡¯s leg and there was a ton of blood coating the ground so much so that the pool had turned a faint shade of red.

    His wound was cauterized and wrapped but when Emily found his eyes she saw they were clear and staring at her.

    ¡°You know, when I felt my wards fail, I somehow knew it would be you,¡± Ariandel said in a faint voice.

    Emily scowled. This wasn¡¯t fair. She¡¯d come here for a battle to the death, not a mercy killing.

    The Silvaren watched as Alex tried to make his way into the room but then refocused on Emily.

    All the while she had begun to navigate the debris in the room.

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t think you''re going to get to die quickly,¡± Emily said as she edged ever closer.

    Ariandel grinned a toothy smile.

    ¡°No, I never believed I¡¯d get a merciful ending. Certainly not like this, but that''s destiny then I guess.¡±

    Emily¡¯s prowl had brought her right above the man. By the way his foot sank into the pool he had no energy left, but that didn¡¯t mean Emily would let her guard down. He could have already taken a healing tonic.

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you teleported yourself away,¡± Emily asked, curious.

    Ariandel snorted.

    ¡°You must be teasing me. I don¡¯t even have the energy to singe your eyebrows, let alone spatially shift. It all went to the council to keep the veil stable. And they couldn¡¯t even do that.¡± he said a bitter tinge entering his voice.

    Emily watched his paws as she lowered herself onto her haunches.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°You know what comes next right?¡± Emily said in a hollow tone.

    Ariandel made a wry smile.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d let me make up the betrayal in some way that didn¡¯t involve my life,¡± he asked hopefully.

    Emily shook her head.

    ¡°Ariandel, I¡¯m not going to kill you because you betrayed me¨Cat least that¡¯s not the whole reason. It''s because you tried to make me into a slave, and when you couldn¡¯t do that, you turned me into a test subject.¡±

    The Silvaren¡¯s paws twitched as a fresh sweat broke out under his fur.

    ¡°I understand, but I can be of use to you. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a friend in high places¨Cor even a slave. I could sign a contract with you, give you my life.¡±

    Emily narrowed her eyes at the man.

    To be honest she was tempted. To have a man like him on her side was an alluring deal, but then again he was an incredibly slippery Mage, he might find a way to turn the tables on her and that was a possibility she didn¡¯t want running around.

    A cold smile appeared across Emily¡¯s face.

    ¡°That¡¯s not good enough, Ariandel. The city¡¯s about to fall, and after this, I doubt you¡¯ll survive long anyway. The Redeemers will either reprogram you into a devoted husk or execute you for being one of the elites. So, for what it¡¯s worth, I guess this is the kinder ending.¡±

    A shiver ran down the man¡¯s spine as Emily summoned her blood.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Alex¡¯s voice cut through the tense air, sharp with urgency. ¡°Emily, get his foot out of the pool! He¡¯s drawing too much!¡±

    Emily¡¯s head snapped toward Alex, startled. She¡¯d barely registered his presence since entering the room, but now she noticed the alarm etched across his face.

    Frowning, she glanced down at Ariandel. The leg she¡¯d assumed had accidentally fallen into the pool was no accident at all¡ªit was deliberate. Her stomach twisted as she realized it was a trap.

    An enormous surge of red energy rushed from the pool into Ariandel¡¯s battered body. The room''s temperature spiked, and the air became oppressive with heat and power.

    Emily swung her arm down in a chopping motion, her blood following suit, but the heat coming off Ariandel suddenly exploded like a solar flare.

    Emily''s blood dried up and the world went white as she was sent hurtling back. Luckily something soft caught her and she realized Alex was right behind her.

    ¡°We need to get out!¡± he shouted. ¡°He¡¯s purposefully overexposed himself to the tower source, he''s transforming!¡±

    Emily tried to focus her eyes but she realized Ariandel had burned through her corneas with his little display. All she could see was a blurry room of shapes and flickering red all around them.

    Ruby guardian went into overdrive to heal her eyes, but it would take a second and Alex was already pulling her out of the room.

    The door was ajar but Emily could just make out a blurry form, flesh slogging off like wax as it ignited.

    Ashe had told her that when anyone reached the final stage of source exposure, it was a disaster, but for Mage, it was particularly bad. This was because the more source available in the system when they reached the point of no return, the stronger the monster that came out at the end.

    Seeing as this was a high-ranked Mage Emily didn¡¯t foresee this being easy.

    Alex dragged Emily up the stairs until she could get her feet under herself and rush upwards. The heat was blooming from behind them. It was as though Ariandel were right behind them but glancing back all Emily saw was an ominous glow coming from the room.

    There was an inhuman scream and suddenly an explosion that shook the tower''s foundations.

    Alex kept running until they were at the top of the stairs, picking Emily up each time she tripped.

    By the time they arrived on the ground level, her eyes were completely healed, and as they rushed out into the light Emily¡¯s fresh pupils dilated in the moonlight, causing tears to blur her vision once more. Behind them, the tower groaned and she could hear the structure collapsing in a wave of air pressure.

    They both coughed violently as dust filled their mouths and lungs, their breaths ragged and shallow. Emily opened her watering eyes, blinking rapidly to clear the haze, and froze as a monstrous figure emerged from the ground. It was a creature of flame and molten stone, its form roiling like a living inferno.

    What remained bore no resemblance to the man it had once been. The flames coiled into a shifting, humanoid shape, loose and unstable, yet towering as high as a two-story building. Its heat ignited the night, casting flickering shadows and painting the darkness in hues of burning red and gold.

    Emily knew it was him¡ªshe had seen the transformation with her own eyes¡ªbut had she not, there would have been nothing to tether this thing to the Silvaren he once was. All trace of his former self was gone, consumed by the inferno.

    Emily heard a shout from their left and glanced over to see a pissed-looking Kael.

    ¡°What the hell is this?! You know what never mind, fall back to me!¡± he shouted.

    Emily glanced over as Kael was sending his men away. She could see there was a much larger open space nearby, which would be far easier to fight this thing on an even playing field.

    Emily took off in his direction scrambling over rumble as the sound of this monster pulling itself from the tower echoed out behind her.

    Alex was hot on her heels and then he wasn¡¯t.

    Ashe had once told Emily the name of these creatures but as of this moment, the name escaped her. The only word that came to mind when she looked at this force of nature was something from her old world.

    An elemental.

    The searing heat came crashing down on Alex, and were it not for his quick reaction, he would have been reduced to ash.

    The elemental¡¯s form had no real physical constraint, so when the arm suddenly extended toward them like a whip, Alex lashed out with his sword.

    It glowed with runes that Emily had not even seen him gathering, and in a precise cut, severed the thing''s arm.

    Though he managed this, there was still enough force behind the strike to send him hurtling through a nearby wall

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Emily cursed as she pivoted on her heel and cast a ¡®lift¡¯ spell.

    A large chunk of rubble shot up from a collapsed shop and crashed into the elemental side causing it to stumble.

    Surprisingly, her bridge groaned from the abuse and she realized she used more source than she expected to open the tower. The stimulant was still very much in her system but she could feel it was rapidly losing effectiveness.

    ¡°Alex! Get your ass up!¡± she yelled as she threw another chunk at the monster.

    The fractured hole in the wall groaned ominously as Alex hauled himself out, clutching his shoulder with a grimace.

    ¡°You know you could say it a little nicer.¡± he moaned through clenched teeth.

    ¡°Fuck off, let''s go!¡± she snapped.

    Alex dropped down from the stone and limped toward her. He was just within reach when Emily''s eyes darted upward, her stomach sinking.

    The elemental was furious. Its molten form seethed, flames licking the air in chaotic spirals, and its fiery gaze locked onto her. Somehow, she knew it recognized her. The creature let out an otherworldly wail, a sound of pure rage that reverberated through the area.

    The flames coiled fiercely around its base, surging upward in a fiery crescendo before erupting in a scorching wave that swept through their surroundings.

    Emily¡¯s heart thundered as she realized there was nowhere to run. Her mind raced. Gritting her teeth, she thrust both hands outward and cast, pouring all her remaining source into the spells.

    With a deafening crack, two massive chunks of wall tore free from nearby structures, colliding midair with a bone-rattling crash.

    The impact sent a cascade of jagged pebbles pelting her, but the makeshift barrier held, if only barely.

    Grabbing hold of Alex she wrapped them up in a cacoon of blood as the wave of stifling heat arrived turning the stone to molten slag and baking her shield.

    Blood points: 343

 Chapter 144 - Burnt trinity

    All around Emily thick blood coagulated as the heat sapped the life from it, causing their cocoon to tighten around them.

    Emily had found over the last week or so that her blood was even more heat-resistant than before. It was obvious as to why, but she hadn¡¯t yet had a chance to test the limits of this particular adaptation.

    However, she was not grateful to be testing its heat-mitigating features live and in person. Worse still, the flame was not receding, the stone was half the size it had been to begin with, and the torrent of flame showed no signs of stopping.

    Alex had been drawing runes on his blade since he arrived, but their relief came as a fog bank.

    Emily felt the heat drop by a degree, and then there was a presence just beside them. It was too small to be the elemental, and when the heat subsided completely, Emily broke them out.

    Kael was standing beside them his spear weeping an icy fog.

    ¡°I can only keep this thing down for a minute, we¡¯ll need to end this by then.¡±

    From here it was obvious where the monster was, it just about glowed like a beacon in the misty world.

    Emily''s brow raised.

    ¡°Not even going to ask how this happened?¡±

    Kael grunted.

    ¡°No offense Emily but it''s you we¡¯re talking about, you probably annoyed it into attacking,¡± he said dully.

    Emily pouted at the man.

    ¡°That¡¯s the asshole that I¡¯m after, I want the killing blow,¡± she said firmly.

    Kael¡¯s eyes flickered over to Emily with a steeled gaze.

    ¡°Forced exposure? That hasn¡¯t happened in a while. But I heard older Mages were trained to do this if there was no way of winning.¡±

    Emily cocked her head.

    ¡°Oh great, thanks for sharing.¡±

    A faint flush crept up his neck and he frowned at Emily.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡±

    Emily shrugged her shoulders as a wail came from the mists.

    ¡°Not the time. We should attack now while it can¡¯t see,¡± she said

    Alex grunted as he finished the runes on his blade.

    ¡°The ward I just drew will sever the connection between the husk and its source, but I¡¯m going to need an opening, can you two make it?¡±

    Kael and Emily scowled at one another but nodded firmly.

    ¡°Where do you need to be,¡± Kael asked.

    ¡°As close to its chest as possible.¡±

    They both nodded and broke into two groups Emily and Kael moved toward the glowing embers and Alex took up the rear.

    The closer they got the more visible the torrent of flame grew.

    They had the perfect opportunity to launch a sneak attack on the monster who was flailing about searching the mists.

    Moving to the side Emily took the scepter off her hip. Her bridge was throbbing with a dull pain, but she could still handle it, for now.

    Pouring grey source into the weapon made it glimmer, but it also had the unintended consequence of drawing the elemental¡¯s attention to her.

    ¡°Shit-¡± Emily yelped when it made a lobbing motion.

    A fireball the size of a car loomed from the mists and Emily dove to the side, tucking herself into a ball. The detonation landed, punctuated by the sound of rushing air. Ignoring the pain of rolling over a surface littered with sharp stones, Emily turned and fired a shot from her rod. The force ball smashed at her feet and exploded outward, just big enough to stop her from being swallowed by the flames.

    During this time Kael had closed the distance between them. He spun the shortspear out in a swiping motion causing the mists to gather up into a thin blade of water. The attack sizzled and popped on contact, but it certainly got the thing''s attention.

    Before it could turn away though Emily lobbed another sphere of force at its head. When the thing landed it detonated but the effect was bearly enough to disperse the monster''s head.

    Which began gathering shortly after.

    It screamed into the open air once its mouth had reformed and Emily glanced about for cover.

    Waves of radiation baked the surrounding stone causing it to crack and crumble near this creature''s base. Emily could feel the glow biting into her skin causing it to blister visibility.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    She had a feeling if it weren''t for Kael¡¯s cloud they would probably be unable to get close to the creature right now.

    Even with it, the experience was unpleasant to the extreme.

    Emily gathered her blood into a spear but she poured a fair amount of life force into it weaving in an explosion.

    If the attack was not big enough, it would just fizzle out before it got there. So putting some extra spin to it, Emily aimed it at the thing¡¯s base and released.

    The missile-sized spear shot forward stabbing into the elemental¡¯s body and exploding into a shower of blood. There was a hiss and screech before the blood died out and carbonized in seconds.

    The attack only served to piss the monster off further as it sent a fist after Emily.

    Kael seemed to arrive from nowhere and stabbed towards the attack, knocking it off target.

    Emily moved toward Kael, putting as much distance between herself and the attack. Unfortunately, the proximity seemed to be too much for Emily''s travel leathers to handle, and the back of her clothes began to smoke and then ignite.

    Cursing, she released her blood gown to coat the armor with a sizzling crackle.

    Kael intercepted her and jumped them both backward.

    ¡°This is ridiculous we can¡¯t make an opening with these little attacks, I¡¯ll distract the thing you hit it hard.¡±

    Emily shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m a bad match-up for this thing, I¡¯ll distract it¡±

    Kael sent her a narrow-eyed look.

    ¡°You sure you can?¡±

    Emily snorted and pushed his arm off.

    She called two large whips from her blood as Kael retreated into the mists.

    Emily lashed out with the first one, pouring power into the whip to prevent it from burning to much.

    The crack and sizzle wrought a scream from the creature and it lunged at Emily who was already running from the spot she had been seconds ago.

    When the thing crashed down there was a rush of hot wind at her back but it didn¡¯t stop there.

    The elemental began crawling forward dragging itself forward with its arms, so to get out of range Emily shot one of her whips out and grabbed onto a collapsed structure.

    A yank of her blood pulled her off her feet and into the air.

    When the monster saw this it opened its mouth and released a cone of flames at her back.

    Without much choice, Emily used the momentum from launching herself forward to take to the air.

    Emily''s gown expanded out and she turned back to face the thing to make sure she had it attention.

    Having dodged the wave of flame she could see that its neck was craned to look up at her with a single focus.

    ¡°That¡¯s it Ariandel, look at me¡± she whispered.

    At the same time, she created half a dozen blood bolts, only this time she drained them of vitality and hardened them into solid projectiles.

    From her place in the air, she rained down a hail of attacks.

    Though it didn¡¯t look like it was doing much damage, it was certainly annoying.

    The monster wailed and its form began to swell upwards growing to as it reached for her.

    Emily growled as she ascended higher into the air, never turning her back on the thing.

    After she released another salvo of projectiles, it blocked them with its hand.

    Seeing the thing coming at an incredible rate Emily twisted and slipped through the gap in its large fingers.

    What she didn¡¯t expect was the sudden shift in its form.

    Unlike a human hand, the thing had no fixed shape so it bent its fingers backward and grabbed hold of Emily around the waist. The sudden crushing force yanking her back caused her to expel all the air from her lungs.

    Letting out a howl of pain as her skin boiled, she pushed through the pain and flicked her wrist out, creating a scythe.

    The palm gripping her had shrunk to reel her in like a fish, but she wasn¡¯t about to let that happen.

    She cut through the thing''s wrist causing the fist to dissipate all at once. The monster''s scream was music to Emily¡¯s ears as she took off again, flying out of its reach. Peppering it with more bolts from above.

    The thing seemed to have lost its patience when it began to lift up towards her ¨Cbecause of course, it could fly. However, Kael had been waiting for this exact moment.

    The creature¡¯s attention was solely fixed on Emily and so when he charged the thing did not even attempt to dodge.

    The man swung his spear out and then launched himself at the thing''s chest. His spear extended out in front of him.

    Kael was traveling so fast that he was nothing more than a blur surrounded by thick vapor. So much so that visible droplets formed in the air where he passed before evaporating.

    Kael crashed into the elemental''s back and contrary to Emily¡¯s expectations, he didn¡¯t stop. The monster''s form warped as Kael¡¯s spear tip stabbed through its body coming out the other side.

    Unable to stop the violent intrusion, the elemental form wavered but remained fixed.

    It hunched over in pain unable to even scream. Surprisingly the hole in its chest didn¡¯t seem to be able to close.

    It was through the window into the inferno that Emily could make out a large chunk of burnt charcoal. Squinting from on high she realized it was Ariandel¡¯s body curled up in the fetal position.

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened and then she saw Alex hurling toward the opening in its chest.

    She lowered her altitude in case he needed help, but he easily slipped into the gap and stabbed the husk through its center mass.

    The monster let out a dying scream, its body unraveling into motes of flame, but before it did, it went for Alex.

    Shoving its arm into its chest the elemental grabbed Alex and tried to crush him like a bug.

    Emily''s heart dropped into her stomach as she watched Alex consumed by a fiery fist. There was a grunt and the smell of sizzling flesh before the creature was unable to hold its form any longer and broke apart leaving a crispy Alex panting on the ground but alive.

    Emily dropped for the sky with a scowl. Approaching Alex she saw he¡¯d lowered the breathing corpse to the ground with his sword still in it.

    Emily touched down beside him and saw that he was covered in burns. To some extent his bridge probably protected him but there was a particularly nasty burn covering the whole left side of his neck having burned its way down his back and ribcage like a python.

    Emily could see where the hand had basically wrapped around him.

    Sighing she searched through her pack and uncorked a healing tonic.

    Here you¡¯re going to need this,¡± she said as she handed it to him.

    Alex took it with a sweating hand and threw it back as quickly as he could.

    Emily on the other hand busied herself with the cause of all of this. Kneeling down one on leg she inspected the charred body in front of her.

    ¡°I can¡¯t blame you for trying, I would have done the same thing,¡± she said as she searched what she thought was his face.

    Emily was watching closely so she could see the faintest rising and falling of breathing, and if she strained, she thought she could hear the faintest chuckle on the night''s wind.

    She pressed her lips together and grabbed the hilt of Alex''s sword. It was glowing red hot with power but Emily showed no hint of pain other than a twitch as she pulled the blade from his stomach and swiftly chopped off the Silvaen''s head.

    Alex was still shaking from exhaustion when the cloud of mist receded and Kael appeared limping his way to them.

    Their surroundings lay scorched from the battle, the ground charred and the air thick with smoke. Before Emily could make sense of what was happening, a thunderous crack shattered the night, its echo rolling through the city like a storm.

    Emily¡¯s head snapped toward the front gate. In the flickering firelight, she saw the gate collapse, crumbling under the force. Through the haze, the armies of Sam¡¯eth surged forward, pouring into the city like a relentless wave.

    Blood points: 336

 Chapter 145 - Internal conflicts

    When Ariandel died and the city was breached, all hell broke loose. Those who had been in hiding came out now, rushing from their homes with packs and beasts of burden as they tried to escape the sinking city.

    Those left of Lorthil still tried to put up a resistance, but the invaders quickly flattened it. What defenders remained were only able to close off certain streets to limit the flow into the city.

    The top gate was the main entrance but not the only one, so when people heard the gate fall, they began making their way out.

    This was exactly what Emily was leading the Wandering Fangs to.

    The particular gate they were heading toward was also on the top level, parallel to the ground. Emily had done her research while she was in the city.

    This exit was not a popular one, as it led out into the plains behind the city. Luckily, this was the exact direction they needed to go. Unfortunately, as they approached, it looked like it was not as quiet as she had hoped.

    Throngs of people gathered nearby, streaming toward the gate and bumping shoulders with their group.

    There were a lot of nasty looks and scowls, but overall, everyone was just scared.

    Emily had heard that attacks had happened before, but it was nothing on this scale.

    To make matters worse, Sam¡¯eth had come with far larger armies before but had never managed to breach the veil.

    This was, however, its own silver lining. Because the invaders had so few people and so much ground to cover, occupying the city was much harder.

    Kael now cut through the crowd as they pushed to the front of the queue ahead of them.

    The people that had been in line shot them dirty glares but parted in the wake of their mounts.

    As they got to a guardhouse of sorts, Emily saw a younger man in his early twenties trying to keep people civil.

    ¡°Everyone needs to remain in line. You will all get out. Don¡¯t push,¡± he said.

    When he saw them advancing, Kael lowered his sights on the man.

    ¡°Sir, please. You need to wait your turn. We all want to leave, but there is a procedure to follow,¡± the younger man tried to reason.

    Kael shook his head.

    ¡°At this point, it is up to all these people if they would rather take their chances with the dangers outside this settlement. You need to open the gates and let us all out before the enemy arrives,¡± Kael said loudly.

    This triggered murmurs of agreement to ripple throughout the already terrified crowd.

    The young guard shot Kael a glare and lowered his voice.

    ¡°What are you doing? Do you want to start a riot?¡± he hissed.

    Kael held his gaze long enough for a flicker of recognition to ignite in the guard¡¯s eyes. The fact that Kael was more than willing to start a scene here was enough for the guard¡¯s face to twist into a grimace.

    He seemed to glance back at the few men behind him and make a decision.

    ¡°Fine. We were going to be heading out soon anyway. Do what you like.¡±

    The young man made a looping motion at the guardhouse, and there was a groaning of gears within the walls.

    The large set of gates opened, and Emily felt a gust of heated air washing over her skin.

    Just before they were completely open, Kael tugged the guard in close and began to whisper something to him.

    The two were locked in discussion, but Emily was more interested in the people around them.

    Most people wore traveling cloaks to protect them from the elements, but on the whole, Emily could make out merchants and their employees, along with large groups of grizzled men. There was a group of noble ladies bundled up tightly with personal guards around them, but Emily realized they were probably a group of Mages fleeing the city.

    Once she made them out, she saw a decent number of men and women that were trying to go unnoticed. They all looked either annoyed or scared, but that didn¡¯t stop them from moving to the exit the moment the doors fully opened.

    Emily searched the crowds for Genevieve, as she knew that Juest¡¯s tower had fallen. Emily found herself hoping that the woman had gotten out on account of the fact that she would have been the best person to maintain the death trap now lodged in her neck.

    Unfortunately, even as Kael finished up, she never managed to spot the woman.

    Emily reached behind her neck to feel the relic there. It had been throbbing with pain ever since she¡¯d drawn all that source, and now a headache was spreading up her neck and pounding behind her eyes.

    When Kael finally concluded his business, Emily was only too happy to usher her mount forward.

    Surprisingly, the guards for the wall locked the gate in the open position, grabbed a couple of mounts of their own, and followed the Wandering Fangs.

    Emily frowned at this, but neither Kael nor Alex seemed too bothered, so she wrote off the idea.

    As a group, they headed out of the gates, and the hot wind outside the wall immediately blasted them. Looking around, Emily saw the crags of orange sandstone reaching out ahead of them. There was still some minor plant life in the area, but it was nothing taller than Emily¡¯s waist as the winds tried to batter down the odd angles on the plain.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Kael took out their map and began plotting a route to the meet-up point. Luckily, they were only an hour out from the specified location.

    As they approached, Emily felt Cupcakes pull in her chest as the beast sent an excited yip through their connection. Emily didn¡¯t try to stop the grin that spread across her face.

    Minutes later, they saw the happy Rime wolf bounding toward them, and shortly after that, Emily could make out a little collection of tents set up in the recess of one of the crags.

    The wind died down the moment they entered the sanctuary, but she also noticed that there were far more people here than just the Wandering Fangs. By the looks of things, they had brought others with them. Everyone from families to business owners was collecting here.

    Emily frowned but shrugged when she saw Seclia and Ashe were currently organizing everyone.

    They joined the little encampment with minimal fanfare, but for the first time in a while, the Wandering Fangs cheered as they took stock and rested.

    POV Cosmo

    Inside the city Emily had just fled, the rest of Sam¡¯eth¡¯s forces were beginning to get things under control. The people were resistant to change, but Connor knew that given enough time, they would adjust. His white cloak had been destroyed in the fight, but that had hardly been his fault. The city''s resistance was far stronger than he had expected. Those metal machines had been incredibly tough. Luckily, there had been a ledge he could throw them over.

    Looking at the tatters of cloth on his body, Connor groaned and ripped the remaining scraps off to reveal a dark swath of black hair.

    ¡°Shit, The White Cardinal is going to be disappointed,¡± Connor muttered. He had been given the cloak as a gift to represent his status amongst the Pillars, but honestly, Connor was still grappling with all his memories. The ones from another world and another time made thinking through problems difficult. Wherever they came from, the people''s values were entirely screwed up. They completely ignored duty in favor of donning spandex and fighting crime.

    Connor¡¯s brow twitched as the headaches started again, but luckily The Red Cardinal arrived to distract him.

    The man swept into the area looking drained but triumphant. With him were his devout followers, dressed in their brilliant crimson garb. They looked no less tired.

    As they should be. Their joined efforts had given rise to the shield''s collapse. When the man came forward, he wore an approving look.

    ¡°Sir Wilhime, you did an admirable job out there. I¡¯m impressed we took the city so quickly.¡±

    Connor sighed.

    ¡°Nesis, my friend, I told you to call me Connor. Don''t make me repeat myself.¡±

    Nesis grimaced.

    ¡°Of course, my Chosen, so it shall be. I heard your request for a report and thought I¡¯d come personally. The city will take some time to remove all the resistance. The leadership has fled like cowards. But more than that, I¡¯m interested in investigating the prison they used in this city. It was one of their crowning achievements, and it seems to have failed them. Honestly, I¡¯m surprised it lasted so long in this godless place.¡±

    Connor waved his hand at the devout man.

    ¡°I understand. I will leave the investigation to you. What of the two fighters we saw on the battlefield?¡± Connor asked.

    Nesis nodded.

    ¡°Thank you, my Chosen. The woman was killed by The Black Cardinal, but I managed to catch the other unawares. I decided to spare him as he was a rare duel-blessed.¡±

    Connor waved his hand dismissively.

    ¡°Enough. Where is Oressa?¡±

    The Red Cardinal''s face dropped.

    ¡°My Chosen, I¡¯m not sure of your interest in a lowly Priestess, but I caution you against showing favoritism.¡±

    Connor¡¯s temper flared, but a calming presence pushed to the surface, bringing with it the throbbing pain of memories. Connor could not help as the hiss escaped his lips.

    ¡®This is my body. You will not control me,¡¯ he thought.

    With an intake of breath, Connor refocused on his surroundings.

    Nesis wore a look of concern but didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°I wish to talk to her because she has some information I need. Bring her here.¡±

    Connor scowled as he thought of the battle in the camp. Could it really be her? The chances were too good to be true.

    The cardinal lowered his head and snapped his fingers, sending his men off. They returned a few minutes later with the woman in question, her black robes dragging through the dirt. She currently wore manacles, and they threw her at Connor''s feet.

    The Priestess leaned on her upper arms but kept her head lowered.

    ¡°My Chosen! What can this servant do for you?¡± she said, her voice trembling.

    ¡°I only have one question. During the initial escape, there was a blood user with striking red hair. You called out to her. The name you used¡­ At the time, my duties called for me, but you will answer now. What name did you call her?¡±

    Oressa swallowed.

    ¡°My venerable Chosen, I chased after a Blood Mage by the name of Emily. She caused great deaths amongst our ranks, and I believe she was instrumental to the distraction before the battle. Luckily, we have you to lead the way. They didn¡¯t know what righteous retribution awaited them¡ª¡±

    Oressa quieted when Connor held up a finger.

    His pulse quickened, and a sense of excitement rose in his chest. Alien memories drifted to the surface, trying to overwhelm him, and for a moment, they did.

    Connor''s posture shifted. His eyes grew kinder as he stared at the disheveled woman.

    ¡°If you saw her again, miss, could you identify her?¡±

    Oressa blinked at the sudden change but nodded rapidly.

    Connor smiled warmly.

    ¡°Okay, then we will search for this woman together. If she has left the city, we will follow her. She is important. For now¡ª¡±

    Nesis interrupted at this point.

    ¡°My Chosen, remember your significance cannot be understated. If I may ask, what is so important about this woman?¡±

    Connor pressed his lips together.

    ¡°She is just like me¡ªlost and struggling. I have been told to find her.¡±

    Nesis frowned.

    ¡°If the gods told you to find her, then I can¡¯t argue. But perhaps we send a unit after them. There is still much to do, and the priestess here can head up the search team,¡± he said.

    Oressa sat up straighter.

    ¡°Yes, my Cardinal, I can do that. No, please let me do that. I can be of use.¡±

    Connor wanted to say he should go after her, but his duty wrestled to the surface, and he shook his head to clear away the memories.

    ¡°Fine. Send a unit after her, but make sure they are well prepared. She managed to get away from me. And if you see a man traveling with her, kill him. I don¡¯t like the look of him.¡±

    Nesis balked but lowered his head.

    ¡°It will be done, Chosen,¡± he said, as everyone lowered their heads.

    Connor turned his back on them to oversee the rest of the preparations. His duty was to take this place in the name of their gods, and attractions aside, he would fulfill his mission.

 Chapter 146 - Resting in arms

    When the celebrations had finally calmed down, the wondering fangs began to take stock of what they had on hand. Tents were set up for those that had just arrived and hot pots of food were put on.

    Those who were not part of their group remained to themselves and the guards from the city found their own spot at the edge of the camp.

    Emily had found Ashe, and according to her story, they had left the city long before their group did.

    Those left behind with the ravens had waited for an opening, flown further down the gire, and emerged far from the battle.

    This meant that the camp was filled with mounts of all kinds. Galendmares and dusk Ravens littered the space as people tended to them. Emily even saw Gerade and Loch quietly dealing with them. The large man still had a distant look in his eyes but the warm glow appearing in his eyes as he brushed their mains was encouraging.

    Cupcake was resting near one of the fires and to Emily''s surprise another Rimewolf was laying next to her.

    Cocking her head Emily squinted at the beast and a familiar sensation came over her.

    That patch of faded red fur made Emily aware of the faint connection between them.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned.¡± She muttered as her eyes began coldly searching the face around the camp.

    Mist sat calmly licking the side of Cupcake''s face and if the Rimewolf was here that could only mean one thing.

    Emily began to stalk through the crowds as Alex glanced over at her.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked but Emily was too focused on finding her prey to answer.

    The crowds had melded and it was only when her eyes had fallen on Kael that she found who she was looking for.

    Emily made a beeline for him, her blood bubbling to the surface as she approached.

    The man in question looked up from talking to Kael and saw her, there was a look of surprise, and then resignation.

    When she was close enough Emily let a cord of blood drop onto the stone and snaked it forward to wrap around his ankle.

    Yanking the man upside down into the air made him yelp, drawing every eye in the camp toward them.

    Silence fell, thick and heavy, as Emily brought him to eye level.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Atticus,¡± she said, her lips curling into a cold smile. ¡°I¡¯m ecstatic you¡¯re still alive.¡±

    The man grimaced but didn¡¯t struggle. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright, Emily,¡± he said softly.

    Her expression darkened. ¡°Are you? Because it sure didn¡¯t feel like it when you left me there.¡±

    Atticus exhaled a weary breath, his body limp as if he¡¯d already resigned himself to her anger. Thin and battered, with fresh scars crisscrossing his arms, he looked like a man who had been through hell. ¡°I regret leaving you there,¡± he admitted, ¡°but you know as well as I do¡ª¡± he met her gaze, his voice heavy with regret¡ª¡°you¡¯d have done the same in my position.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes flashed, her grip tightening. She didn¡¯t respond immediately. When she¡¯d first arrived in the city, she¡¯d replayed what had happened a thousand times in her head, turning over every decision, every moment. In the end, she had come to the same conclusion. He¡¯d taken his best shot at survival, just as she would have.

    That didn¡¯t make it any less infuriating.

    ¡°I should beat you right here,¡± she muttered, but the fire in her voice had dulled.

    Kael chose that moment to step in. ¡°Emily,¡± he said firmly, his hand resting on the hilt of his spear, the silent threat unmistakable, ¡°whatever your issue with my subordinate, we can discuss it later. Let¡¯s not make a scene.¡±

    Emily let out a sharp breath through her nose.

    ¡°Fine, Kael. I¡¯m letting it go¡ªfor now. But Atticus has something of mine, and I want it back.¡±

    Atticus looked confused for a moment, Kael¡¯s glare sharp on him, but then realization dawned. Awkwardly patting his pockets¡ªno easy feat when blood was still rushing to his head¡ªhe rummaged until the sound of clinking gems broke the silence.

    ¡°Here,¡± he muttered, pulling out a small bundle. The sight of the Cardinex¡ªits polished surface catching the light¡ªmade Emily¡¯s expression soften.

    ¡°Good,¡± she said, snatching it from his hand and letting him drop.

    Before she left she stared at the man lying in a heap.

    ¡°I meant what I said Atticus, we¡¯re even, but if you ever do something like that again I¡¯ll gut you and throw in the gorge.¡±

    Atticus glared up at her. She doubted that he would make it easy on her, but she meant every word she said.

    If it came to a fight they would be evenly matched.

    Emily left Kael and Atticus behind to find a place to stay for the night. She hadn¡¯t gotten far when she felt someone trailing her.

    Turning, she saw Alex closing the distance, his steps casual but his expression curious. He didn¡¯t say a word, but his intent was clear.

    Emily glanced at the Cardinex resting in her palm. A fresh scratch marred its surface, but otherwise, it was intact.

    Without hesitation, Alex plucked it from her hand.

    ¡°You know,¡± he said, holding the jewel up to the morning light, ¡°I was pissed when I realized I¡¯d lost my pack. But if this ended up in your hands, I guess I¡¯m okay with that.¡±

    Emily frowned. ¡°That¡¯s mine. Give it back.¡±

    Alex snorted. ¡°I tried to give this to you once, but I believe your exact words were, ¡®I don¡¯t care what you do with it, Alex.¡¯¡±

    Emily groaned, the sound low and frustrated. ¡°That was before I knew it was a gift for my Awakening. Come on, don¡¯t be like that,¡± she said, reaching for the Cardinex.

    Alex grinned, his arm shooting up to keep it out of her reach.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Emily scowled. She was tall, but Alex towered over her by almost a head. Realizing she couldn¡¯t reach it, she pouted.

    Amusement danced in Alex¡¯s eyes as he hummed thoughtfully. ¡°Alright, you can keep it¡ªbut on one condition.¡±

    Emily stilled, her lips pressing into a firm line. ¡°Fine,¡± she ground out. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°You tell me more about where you¡¯re from.¡±

    Emily blinked, caught off guard. A list of possible demands ran through her mind, but she would never have expected something like that.

    Alex had a warm light in his eyes so Emily took advantage of it and snatched the Cardinex with a little jump.

    When she had it she cleared her throat.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you some stories, but not tonight. I¡¯m exhausted and frankly, I could use some time away from you.¡±

    Alex hummed.

    ¡°Even after you go weeks away from me?¡± he asked rolling his eyes.

    Emily shook her head.

    ¡°And what a peaceful few weeks they were.¡±

    Alex¡¯s mocking smile faded.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already said my thanks, but I want you to know I have your back¡­ Now I¡¯m going to leave before you say something to ruin my sentiments. Kael is gathering everyone for a meeting later today. I¡¯m going to be there, you should too.¡± he said as he began to walk off.

    Emily didn¡¯t like the fact he got the last word in but as she glanced down at the sparkling bracelet she couldn¡¯t seem to find any words.

    She stood there for a long while when she heard movement to her side. Glancing over she saw Tehila standing in the shadow of one of the tents.

    Emily¡¯s eyebrows rose when she recognized the Bard. In all honesty, Emily had completely forgotten about the woman, but with everything going on, she couldn¡¯t be blamed.

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect you to be still tagging along¡±

    The woman¡¯s brow rose.

    ¡°And my alternative would be what? Stay tapped in another settlement? No, thank you. I¡¯ve had about enough religious sermons to last a lifetime.¡±

    Emily bit her bottom lip and nodded.

    ¡°I can imagine¡­¡±

    Tehila¡¯s brow lifted and a mocking smile appeared when Emily didn¡¯t say anything else.

    ¡°Not the most comforting response, but I¡¯ll take it,¡± she said with a tinge of shadow in her eyes.

    ¡°I wanted to thank you for saving us¡­ me back there. From the looks of things, you don¡¯t have a place to rest. I¡¯ve got a tent set up if you want to join me.¡±

    Emily stared at the woman. She was tired but had still come to extend the offer. The alternative was to set up her shelter, but that was too much effort right now.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡­ I guess. I¡¯m exhausted and I could use the shut-eye, so I¡¯ll take you up on that offer.¡±

    Emily followed the woman towards her tent and saw that she crawled into one with heavy pelts strewn over it.

    The moment she crawled in she was hit with the scents of lavender.

    Undoing her travel clothes, Emily crawled into the bundle of blankets and pulled Tehila into her chest. She could hear the woman mumbling a hymn quietly to herself but Emily was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

    Stars ignited around her, lighting up the void. They caressed her in greeting and lowered her onto the familiar grass, but something was different about this place.

    All around her small weeds had poked up out of the grass.

    As she turned her focus on them she saw that they weren¡¯t weeds but saplings. The interesting thing was their bark was a deep crimson, even the leaves that reflected the star¡¯s light glowed a beautiful red.

    They were still young but Emily got the feeling they had infinite potential.

    Smiling at the change Emily searched the skies for one star in particular. When she found it she beckoned it with a smile and it shot down to hover in her hand.

    Happy that she didn¡¯t have to destroy the title Emily let it move back into place. As the stars began to arrange themselves.

    Rank fifty was achieved, opening the third bridge.

    Skill threshold released!

    Title mantle expanded - You may don 1 additional active title.

    Gathering the deeds of Emily Hughes¡­

    Compiling selection¡­

    Titles added to selection: Betrayer, Titan feller, Liberator, Experimentee

    Innocent, Void plagued, Scarlet sister, Explorer, Performer, Swordswoman, Godstriken, Cyclum touched. Charmer, Verminbane, Runic Adept, Sovereign devourer.

    You may now alter your existing active titles and advance down a new path.

    Betrayer

    Active: Access to the Betrayer¡¯s skill tree

    Passive: Increase learning speed when betraying or being betrayed by others.

    Titan feller

    Active: Access to the Titan feller¡¯s skill tree

    Passive: Increase learning speed when killing those with more bridges than the wielder.

    Liberator

    Active: Access to the Liberator¡¯s skill tree

    Passive: Increase learning speed when breaking individuals free of any Warden skill sets.

    Experimentee (Font of source)

    Active: Access to the Experimentee¡¯s skill tree. Accelerated source purification.

    Passive: Increase learning speed when taking in source. Increase learning speed when outputting source.

    Emily was overwhelmed by the amount of information, and from the way the stars were moving it was clear there was still more to come.

    She held up her hand to stop them and they froze in place. The four new titles were interesting, but the only one she didn¡¯t have mixed feelings over was the Titan Feller. All the others had come at a cost to her. Especially Experimentee it almost felt like she would be wearing a badge of shame if she were to slot it, but the bonuses of the Title were hard to deny.

    Even if all she did was to slot it as a passive she would get a huge boost in her ranks.

    The problem now was deciding on her Active title.

    She had a feeling she was about to get all her new skills and she had some leeway with what she got now.

    She could slot Runic Adept, but as she was finding out Scarlet sister was more than enough help with wards, and she was happy to let it remain. Picking Runic Adept would feel redundant.

    Thinking things through Emily tried to look at what she was missing at the moment.

    Her most glaring weakness was close-range defense and lack of offensive spells. The latter problem could be fixed with Ashes and Alex''s help but her defense was beginning to fall to the wayside.

    That meant she needed to pick up a defensive title. And once more it looked like Experimentee filled that requirment. Swordswoman might but she was still not interested in living the type of life it demanded.

    With a grim sigh, Emily pushed the decision away. She would have to make it soon but this one did not feel as urgent as her first choice. The stars resumed their work.

    Skill threshold released!

    New features have been unlocked!

    Covenant of Life - The user may create an agreement between multiple parties linking their life sources. If either party goes back on the agreed terms their life source will be siphoned into the wronged party.

    Or

    Flase Life - The user may use a portion of their life source to create a mickey of life. This servant will exist until it has expended its source and expires.

    And

    Violent Aura - The user may entice others into extreme acts of violence, causing their blood to boil and the resulting Life source to be returned to the user.

    Curse in effect!

    Result: The feature Violent Aura has been destroyed.

    ¡®56 - Forth threshold released at rank 100¡¯

    ''Skill threshold released at rank 75''

    Active slot: Scarlet sister - access to the Scarlet sister skill tree, along with the Blood Mage skill tree.

    Increased learning speed when consuming blood, this is further increased if the blood is given willingly. Increased learning speed when studying blood wards.

    Active slot: N/A

    Passive slot: Explorer - Increased learning speed when engaged with new environments.

    Passive slot: Mercenary - Increased learning speed when accepting missions for coin. This is further increased when in proximity to the sub-species[Rime wolf].

    Passive slot: Void plagued - Increase learning when one is lost.

    Without hesitation, Emily knew which one she wanted and selected Covenant of Life. She was still debating her next steps when a strange, echoing lullaby began to seep into her consciousness. The melody was hollow and haunting, its words weaving praise of gods and their glory. Emily frowned, shaking her head as if to banish the sound, but it clung to her thoughts like cobwebs. A heavy drowsiness crept over her, pulling her deeper and deeper into the folds of sleep.

    Suddenly Ruby guardian awoke and began lashing out trying to heal her body. Emily¡¯s mind reeled from the intensity and she pushed to the surface.

    The tent¡¯s gloom came into focus but at some point, Tehila must have turned around because she faced Emily now with a proud smile and a flickering madness that made Emily¡¯s blood run cold.

    Her gaze dropped, and the world seemed to tilt. A dagger jutted from her chest, glinting faintly in the light.

    Blood points: 338

 Chapter 147 - Bedtime Companions

    Pain throbbed through Emily¡¯s chest spreading in waves of white-hot agony. Every beat of her heart grazed the blade and reopened the wound there. Tehila stared up at her as though waiting for the last visages of light to die from her eyes, but Emily was only too happy to disappoint.

    Reaching down she placed a hand over the woman''s clenched fist and began pulling the obstruction out of her chest cavity.

    Tehila ground her teeth and tried to stop the blade from coming out, but Emily¡¯s blood would not allow it.

    Her look of triumph was rapidly turning into one of distrust.

    ¡°They were right you¡¯re unnatural filth. I should have chopped your head off when I had the chance...¡± she growled.

    At the same time, Emily wrestled the dagger from her chest, and when it was out she could finally gasp in a breath.

    ¡°...I¡¯m not at all sorry to disappoint,¡± Emily said.

    The blood from her chest lashed out around her pushing Tehila back and ripping the tent to smithereens.

    Tehila screamed and tumbled free, scampering away from Emily.

    Most people in the camp were resting but a few on duty saw the sudden commotion and raised the alarm.

    Tehila saw Emily''s narrow gaze fixed on her and when she glazed around a dark smile appeared on her face.

    ¡°Help! Help she gone insane.¡± Tehila screamed in a melodious voice.

    This woke more people up and they started gathering in the area.

    ¡°She¡¯s talking shit!¡± Emily snarled. ¡°She attacked me!¡±

    Tehila''s eyes were locked on Emily but she could see a dangerous light there.

    ¡°I did not! Do you think anyone is going to believe you after you acted like that earlier? I just wanted to comfort you and you assault me! You¡¯re insane!¡± Tehila wailed.

    Her voice carried a certain quality to it, even Emily found herself wanting to believe Tehila, but then she shook her head clear.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her she¡¯s talking shit!¡± Emily ground out, but from the looks of things not many people were listening to her.

    There was a glazed-over look on their faces as anger started to appear around her.

    ¡°This is ridiculous¡± Emily muttered.

    Seila arrived on the scene with Atticus at her back.

    The moment she saw the current scene a heavy look appeared on her face.

    ¡°Emily I don¡¯t know what''s going on but you need to calm down,¡± she said firmly.

    Which only frustrated Emily more.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m the victim here!¡± Emily said tugging on her shirt to show the bloody hole there.

    ¡°I only did that in self-defense after you jumped me!¡±

    Atticus was glaring at Emily but as of yet, he had not moved to act. He seemed to be weighing up something.

    Whatever skill Tehila had used was potent because several voices were starting to rise from the peanut gallery.

    ¡°Why is she even here if she can¡¯t work with us.¡±

    ¡°They should have kicked someone like her out of their team a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°Did you see, that the same girl from earlier?¡±

    Emily clenched her fist but refused to take even a step back.

    She was no stranger to this type of treatment. I usually just meant she needed to flee and come back when things had died down. The difference this time was she hadn¡¯t done anything wrong and with Tehila¡¯s skills she would poison the Wandering fangs against her. Emily didn¡¯t care if they liked her or not, but she needed at least the minimum amount of trust if she and Alex were going to continue traveling with these people.

    Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

    Alex pushed his way through the surrounding crowd and when his eyes landed on Emily and Tehila an angry light entered his eyes.

    Emily pressed her lips together she could try to deny it again but for the looks of the crowd people were interested in believing her. If that was the case should she just kill the woman now? Suffer the consequences to make sure it doesn¡¯t happen again. It was obvious why Tehila was acting this way. She¡¯d clearly drank the religious cool aid, even though she said otherwise.

    Atticus finally made a decision.

    ¡°Emily relax, we don''t want anyone getting hurt. Let''s talk this out and see what we can do. For now, why don¡¯t you-¡±

    ¡°No! Someone like that doesn¡¯t deserve nice treatment! She should be punished for this. She made an attempt on my life for crying out loud!¡± Tehila cried, her voice wavering. That same influence tried to find a way into Emily¡¯s mind but she brushed it aside. The same could not be said for the others. Loud cheers erupted from the crowd of bystanders as they began to edge.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Emily lowered her stance as she kept her eye on Tehila.

    Alex suddenly made a move towards Emily drawing his sword, she cursed pivoting towards him, only for him to turn at the last second and face the crowd.

    ¡°Enough! All of you. I know you¡¯re afraid and that you lost a lot last night, but I trust Emily. You all need to back down, or this will end badly,¡± Alex said loudly.

    His words had the biggest effect yet, and people hesitated. The nearby Wandering Fangs that had been drawn in seemed to glance between one another.

    Emily stared at Alex¡¯s back with an unreadable expression. Emily had given him no reason to trust her here, and yet he was willingly stepping up to vouch for her? Emily did not like this

    Selia cleared her throat a spoke.

    ¡°Alexander is right. We are all up pressure and Kael has promised to assist where he can, but for now, let the Wandering Fangs deal with its people. Everyone uninvolved should return to their tents and wait. If you have a complaint you can direct it to myself or Atticus.¡±

    Her voice carried a note of finality to it, and the surrounding people glanced at one another, the spell seemingly broken.

    Tehila didn¡¯t like this at all and the dark scowl that appeared was the only warning they got.

    ¡°She¡¯s an affront to the gods and yet you would let her move amongst us?! I''m sorry but I can¡¯t let that happen,¡± she said. Right after that she took a breath and screamed.

    This was nothing like when she had used her instrument to soothe their pain or hide them from the beasts out there.

    It was harsh and discordant, grating on everyone''s senses.

    Emily groaned as she fell to the floor covering her ears. It felt like the air was trying to vibrate her into a puddle. When he tried to call her blood it responded slugishly but she couldn¡¯t hold it together as her brain vibrated in her skull.

    Emily began casting a ¡®lift¡¯ spell at Tehila but Alex got there sooner.

    His blade flicked across her throat cutting the scream short.

    Immediately the pressure lifted and Emily could breathe again, she took a look around and saw everyone had been affected.

    Alex was no exception but he seemed to have braced himself for the attack which is why he was the first to react.

    Emily glanced over at Tehila and saw the blade had cut clean through her neck. Her head had separated and rolled a couple of meters from her body.

    She frowned and glanced from the corpse to Alex. He wore a solemn look and shook his head.

    ¡°Everyone disperse! She was infected with Sam¡¯eth¡¯s ideology. If you need medical attention please head over to our Healer, but this is done.¡± he said turning towards Emily.

    ¡°Follow me,¡± he said.

    Emily glanced at Selia and saw that she didn¡¯t look as concerned as she had moments before; she looked relieved.

    Atticus tore down a tent to cover the body and then turned to help everyone, but Emily could feel his gaze on her back.

    When they were far enough away Emily turned her head toward Alex.

    ¡°Okay, what was that all about? You always seem so pissy when I kill someone, but it''s fine when you do it?¡±

    Alex shot a glance around him and lowered his voice.

    ¡°Kael will explain everything, but I think you already have a good idea of what¡¯s going on. They were in that camp for over a week. Those who gave in immediately were taken away, but for the ones who resisted the Redeemers, there¡¯s no way to know how far gone they are.¡±

    Emily groaned.

    ¡°Seriously, so now we have to walk on eggshells for crazy people.¡±

    Alex pressed his lips together and pulled Emily off to the side.

    ¡°Emily this is serious. They may seem crazy but their intelligence has not left them.¡± Emily wanted to say she begged to differ but Alex continued.

    ¡°Right now, Kael is going through everyone, and he thinks he has gotten everyone but he can¡¯t be sure.¡±

    Emily frowned.

    ¡°Well, what about him? Isn¡¯t he compromised too?

    Alex nodded.

    ¡°Exactly, which is why I¡¯m going to be working closely with him to monitor his actions,¡± he said as he pulled their final stretch to the tent.

    Alex pushed the flap aside and found Ashe currently sitting cross-legged across from the man in question.

    Kael looked far better than she¡¯d remembered so he must have gotten a change of clothes and a nap in. Which reminded her how long had Tehila waited before attempting her assassination. An hour or two, either way, it was too short to be considered beauty sleep in Emily''s mind.

    Alex went up to Kael and began whispering in his ear. Kael frowned and looked at Emily.

    ¡°And you have witnesses to this?¡±

    Alex nodded and Kael rubbed his chin.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll back you, but remember my warning,¡± he said quietly.

    Alex nodded and sat down in one of the other open spots.

    Turning to Emily he sat up straighter.

    ¡°I¡¯ll apologize for what happened to you, but I¡¯m not too worried. You handled it well, and if what Alexander said is true, it¡¯s resolved now. My leaders are on high alert, but as you can probably tell, we¡¯re still working to get everything under control. We were planning to go over all of this in a couple of hours, but since you¡¯re technically one of the employers here, I see no reason not to fill you in¡ªprovided you can keep the information to yourself.¡±

    Emily pressed her lips together. There was a change in Kael''s demeanor toward her but right now she couldn¡¯t tell if it was for the better or worse.

    Fortunately, Emily was good at taking things in stride.

    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll think of how you can repay me later. Please, go on,¡± she said.

    Kael nodded and looked down at a map he unrolled.

    ¡°Crossing the grey sands is nearly impossible. The only reason we might succeed is that I know of a midway point where we can stop and rest¡ªmy old settlement. The problem is reaching it in the first place.¡±

    Emily stared down at the map in front of her. It was a little different from all the others she had seen in the city.

    They normally cut short near the plains to focus more on the mountains and gorge, but this one was a map of a desert. Dry sands were annotated on the map for hundreds of kilometers, and in the center, there was a written name. Emily squinted and could just make out the translation.

    ¡®Daemon¡¯s hold¡¯

    Humming to herself she looked up at Kael.

    ¡°The place sounds lovely,¡± she said, though she had always wondered what kind of environment his people had come from. By now Emily had figured out that Kael was not human, but it didn¡¯t feel pertinent to ask at this stage.

    Kael shrugged at her comment.

    ¡°If you understand what you are doing it isn¡¯t all that bad, however, if you go into the deserts unprepared it¡¯s a death sentence.¡±

    Alex looked up from the map.

    ¡°And are we? Prepared I mean.¡±

    Kael licked his lips and nodded.

    ¡°The supplies we gathered before we left are enough to carry us through for about a week. Whatever else we need I can find us on the way.¡±

    ¡°And this settlement, they will let us in?¡± Ashe asked as she scrutinized the map.

    A fond smile appeared on his face.

    ¡°Almost certainly not but¡­ I have a way of forcing their hand, if they¡¯re still alive.¡±

    Emily glanced at Alex and from the way he¡¯d spoken previously, this was the same plan Kael had come up with last time, so they had to be alive.

    Ashe looked alarmed.

    ¡°If, what do you mean ¡®If¡¯,¡± she asked.

    Kael let out a sigh.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand the gravity of this journey. The environment and the creatures that live there will be trying to kill us the moment we set foot in it. Every year is a challenge that could wipe out my people. So, if they are there, that¡¯s good. If not, we¡¯ll have to make do. Luckily it looks like the winds are on our side. We¡¯ll be leaving as soon as everyone is ready. You have to make a decision. If you want to leave then now''s the time because once we are in, there''s no turning back.

    Blood points: 340

 Chapter 148 - A readied departure

    Emily stood looking out at the planes ahead. They had not entered them yet, but already, there was not much to see.

    Just endless wastes of open space dotted with small bits of vegetation. If Kael was to be believed there was not much of nutritional value out there either.

    Emily held a brush, which she was using to unmat Cupcake¡¯s pelt and remove dust¡ªnot an easy task for a creature so large, but she had time.

    It was currently evening, and everyone was preparing to head out. Emily had been ready for a while, so she had time to discover why they were traveling in the dead of night. Something Alex had once said was foolhardy.

    As it turned out, the plains were situated before the grey sands, and it would take days of travel before they reached them. They moved through the night because it would get way too hot to travel during the day, even more so when they hit the desert. This was a chance to acclimatize for their actual journey.

    Emily was trying not to think too much about it, but she couldn¡¯t help doing last-minute checks on all her gear.

    Emily had never been interested in visiting a desert. It was dry, sandy, and boring, yet if they wanted to get through it, they would have to traverse it. Emily had asked about going around but Alex had just shook his head at the idea. So she could only assume it was far larger than she had first thought.

    Cupcake was panting with excitement but Emily ignored her in favor of calling to the stars.

    After Tehila had attacked her, Emily had hardened her resolve to find a defensive title. Her regeneration was fairly impressive but as things stood her defenses were completely reliant on her blood healing.

    She decided she would feel a whole lot better with something more substantial, so she entered her starry space on a hunch to get a feel for her new titles.

    Betrayer was exactly as it sounded, it felt slimy and yet righteous. It would make double-crossing people far easier, but she ignored it because Emily didn¡¯t need a title to do that.

    Titan Feller was all about the weak trampling the strong. Which was objectively the best one she had but it seemed more focused on offense and destruction than anything else, which Emily would have picked in a heartbeat if Tehila hadn¡¯t almost stopped hers.

    Liberator was an interesting one. It was about casting off external influences but didn¡¯t make it into active title territory because she wasn''t sure how much of that was defensive. It would probably work as a good passive but not something Emily would like to dedicate to her active slot unless she were in a difficult situation.

    That only left Experimentee. Just as her hunch had suggested, when Emily pulled down the stars, she felt a profound sense of strength¡ªnot just physical, but mental as well. The title radiated endurance, offering the resilience she desperately needed at this moment.

    Still, a small voice in the back of her mind urged her not to take it, whispering that accepting the title felt like admitting she was nothing more than an experiment. But Emily knew better. This title was a means to an end, nothing more. It didn¡¯t define her; she wouldn¡¯t let it.

    She remembered Alex telling her about the Slave title once. At the time, the thought of willingly choosing such a title filled her with revulsion, but now, she understood the concept more deeply.

    A title wasn¡¯t just about who a person was¡ªit was also about who they needed to be. The Slave title was a choice made for survival, a lifeline in desperate circumstances. And now, Emily saw the same in Experimentee: a way forward. A path to survive and adapt to this new, ever-changing world.

    Once her decision was made Emily didn¡¯t waste any time slotting the title into her second active slot.

    The Experimentee¡¯s path has opened to you!

    Rank 1 - New features

    Tested Flesh

    The bearer¡¯s skin has been tempered by pain and endurance, hardening into a thick hide, which the bearer can thicken at will. Strikes that would cripple others glance harmlessly off this fortified body.

    Or

    Acidic Bile

    The bearer¡¯s digestive tract has become a volatile weapon, capable of launching projectiles of corrosive stomach acid. Reflexes and precision are further sharpened to extreme levels, making every movement deadly accurate.

    And

    Eye of the Persecuted

    Twice per day, the user can view other bearers¡¯ information and active titles, revealing their strengths and secrets.

    ¡®Day after day, I endured. So too will you.¡¯

    Emily grinned to herself three skills were great, and none of them got eaten by the curse. The system would let her keep two so she looked through her options.

    The Acidic bile gave her pause but she already knew she would not be choosing that one. It might have made her pause if it were her blood too, but right now she didn¡¯t need a skill like that. As things stood Tested flesh was exactly what she was looking for. A constant passive defense that she could rely on, now she would need to find out its capabilities. She selected it and right away Emily felt her skin and muscles tightening like a new sense. Their density hardened to compensate.Stolen novel; please report.

    The Eye of the Persecuted was certainly a surprise, but it was a welcome extra.

    Being able to see people''s titles meant that she would be able to guess their strengths in combat, and that was always a welcome skill.

    Emily was still dragging the brush through Cupcake''s fur when she fell a smaller presence appeared by her side.

    Tuning away from the preening wolf Emily spotted Ashe standing there clutching her arms to her chest.

    ¡°Hey¡­¡± she quietly.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Emily said with a nod.

    ¡°...Listen, I know I¡¯ve been busy with my sister, but I wanted to make sure we were okay. We haven¡¯t had a chance to talk since escaping from the camp, and I don¡¯t want it to be weird between us.¡±

    Emily straightened up from Cupcake¡¯s side and shook her head.

    ¡°Ashe, don¡¯t worry we¡¯re good. I know you wanted to save Selia and I accept that. I¡¯m a little pissed at that brat for tying my hands, but I don¡¯t blame you for that.¡±

    Ashe searched Emily¡¯s eyes as if searching for a hint of doubt but Emily held her gaze until she was satisfied, and let out a sigh.

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I thought you were mad at me.¡±

    Emily resumed brushing Cupcake but Ashe hung around.

    ¡°So we¡¯re heading into the desert. Are you and Selia thinking of sticking around?¡± Emily asked as nonchalantly as she could, never taking her eyes off Cupcake¡¯s fur

    The pause that came after that was long and Emily was just about to turn around again when Ashe answered.

    ¡°I did bring it up with Selia. When Kael made it clear that this mission was optional, a lot of people thought it over, myself included¡­ She decided she was staying.¡±

    Cupcake pushed her head into Emily''s chest, which she petted calmly.

    ¡°And you?¡± she asked quietly.

    Ashe took a breath.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have many options. It''s either moving forward, going back the way we came, or wandering around in the wilderness hoping to find a settlement. Of those choices, I think following you lot is the best I can do.¡±

    Emily let out a little sigh, she wasn¡¯t aware that she cared about Ashe leaving. But apparently, she did.

    ¡°So you said people were thinking of leaving? How many that you know of.¡±

    Ashe glanced back at everyone.

    ¡°As far as I can tell only a couple of people are leaving, but Gerade has decided to resign as leader of team three. Rumor is he¡¯s following us to the desert and we¡¯ll part ways there.¡±

    Emily''s brows lift.

    ¡°He¡¯s conscious enough to make that decision?¡±

    Ashe shrugged.

    ¡°I think so, he¡¯s been getting better as time moves on and I think he feels guilty for not being able to help. There¡¯s also the fact that his partner died¡­ Luckily a leader leaving is not swaying everyone too much because Kael is still here.¡±

    Emily hummed to herself. The Wandering Fang''s hierarchy had taken a hit in the last few weeks. With Marth dead and gone it had left a power vacuum. Emily also noticed Kael had not yet asked her about the man, even though she was certain he had his suspicions.

    If Gerade left too then it would leave them at even more of a loss.

    Emily didn¡¯t like the sound of that but she also had no control over what happened with their internal structure, so she filed that information away for later.

    Emily had just finished brushing Cupcake down and was about to ask Ashe another question when a call went up from the tents.

    Emily could not see the speaker from here but she was certain it was Kael

    ¡°Alright people! The Wandering Fangs are moving out in two. Remember stay close. Those unaffiliated please make room for us, and may you all be safe.¡±

    More than half of the people staying here had no relation to the mercenary group, but they looked worried at everyone gathered.

    It was to be expected and Kael clearly felt bad for them seeing as he left a small amount of coin with them, but they were all unwilling to enter the desert. Of course, no one blamed them but they would have to find their own way now.

    Emily hopped onto Cupcake and leaned down to hold out a hand for Ashe. She took it and they trotted towards the front of the camp.

    There, she saw the Wandering Fangs gathering¡ªand, to her surprise, a smaller second group alongside them.

    The young man from the gate was among them, along with half a dozen others. Most of the guards who had escaped had decided to stay here, but these few stood out¡ªthey looked determined. Emily guessed that Kael had offered them a place among the group, though where that path would lead them was another story entirely.

    Straightening her back, Emily realized this was the perfect opportunity to test her newest skill. She focused on the guard at the front of the smaller group and activated Eye of the Persecuted.

    A flash of light consumed her vision, and the stars in her mind surged to the forefront, brighter than ever before. To Emily, they were almost blinding, but as if aware of being seen, the stars dimmed, lowering their intensity. Only then could she begin to read them.

    Name: Dunham Farseer

    Second Bridge Opened.

    Title: Sentinel

    Blinking away the lingering blur, Emily focused on the young man again. As though sensing something was wrong, Dunham¡¯s gaze turned toward her, locking onto her with a sharp, sullen expression.

    Emily thought back to the skill¡¯s description. It hadn¡¯t revealed exactly what she was hoping for, but it had provided valuable information nonetheless. She considered the possibility that Dunham, like her and Alex, might have slotted the Mercenary title in a passive slot.

    While the test had been useful, Emily still didn¡¯t have the answer she was looking for. Even so, the skill had revealed enough to deepen her understanding of both Dunham and her abilities. For now, that would have to be enough.

    Ashe glanced up at Emily and then over at Dunham.

    ¡°Why do you think they¡¯re following us?¡± she asked.

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°Well, the city¡¯s fallen. If they don¡¯t have family left here, the next best thing is to get as far away as possible. I have no doubt that once Sam¡¯eth finishes conquering the city, they¡¯ll send out search parties.¡±

    Ashe pressed her lips together, her gaze drifting toward the people they were leaving behind.

    Before she could say anything, Emily continued.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Kael made them aware of this. But they¡¯ll need to move soon. There¡¯s only so much we can do for them.¡±

    Ashe looked back at the stragglers trailing through the camp lost, her fingers tightening on Cupcake¡¯s saddle. She lowered her eyes, her voice quieter now.

    ¡°I know... it just feels wrong.¡±

    Emily smiled faintly at her comment, but when Ashe noticed the smile, her expression soured.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing to care about people!¡± she snapped, her voice sharp with frustration.

    Emily hesitated, her smile fading. When she finally spoke, her tone was softer but resolute.

    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± she admitted. ¡°But I¡¯ve learned that if you want to care, you need to be powerful¡ªand ruthless¡ªenough to make sure no one dares to touch what¡¯s yours.¡±

    Ashe looked like she wanted to say something and even took a breath but then let it out slowly, unwilling to argue.

    By that time all of the Wandering Fangs had gathered and Kael took the lead with Atticus and Alex at his side, kicking off the first leg of their journey.

    Blood points: 342

 Chapter 149 - Rocky start

    Each time Cupcake''s front paw landed on the brittle sandstone, it broke loose compacted clumps of sand that had likely remained undisturbed for who knew how long. The countless tiny holes riddling the sandstone suggested that some small, worm-like creatures had once burrowed through the soil. It was the only detail that kept Emily interested right now.

    She lifted her gaze from the ground to survey the rest of their convoy. The Wandering Fangs had made good progress over the last two days of travel. So far, they hadn¡¯t encountered anything of note, though most would consider this a blessing.

    Emily once again assessed their group''s fighting strength, deeming it at least adequate. Only the tough¡ªor the desperate¡ªwould willingly venture into this forsaken land, and their team reflected that.

    For two days, the scenery had barely changed under the pale, unyielding light of the twin moons. Their silvery glow cast a faint shimmer over the endless expanse, causing the glittering silica embedded in the sandstone to gleam like scattered starlight.

    The small brown vegetation that poked through the ground everywhere was just disappointing at this stage. Their dry barren stalks stretched up towards the sky desperately, as though begging it for the mercy of rain.

    They had only just started their journey for the night so it would be a while before they settled down for the day.

    Kael had been right about traveling only at night. It was far too for them to walk out under the sweltering heat, not to mention the toll it took on their myriad of beasts.

    Night wasn¡¯t much better but at least it was managable. When the sun came up everyone escaped to the sanctuary of their tents.

    Emily was handling it a little better than most on account of her source heritage, but not by much.

    Those having the best time were those with blue bridges, while people with red seemed to be suffering the most.

    Emily was watching everyone solemnly when she saw Alex trotting on his galendmare towards her.

    She hadn¡¯t seen the guy all that often in the last few days as he seemed occupied with Kael most of the time. Now that she thought about it, he only showed up briefly during dinner and disappeared with two portions.

    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the prodigal son,¡± Emily said with a mocking smile. She wasn¡¯t worried about Alex, she¡¯d taken some time to renew the blood in the soles of his boots along with adding another layer in the inside buckles of his pack. While he was preoccupied, of course, she couldn¡¯t have him discover she was tracking him¨Cknowing him he¡¯d probably get all worked up.

    Sweat dripped down his neck and he shook his head, drained.

    ¡°I¡¯m... not your son¡­¡± he said in a dead tone.

    Emily raised an eyebrow at him.

    ¡°Uh-huh. Okay then, are you okay? You look ready to keel over. Have you been pulling too much source?¡± she joked.

    Alex stared at her with heavy lids and nodded calmly.

    ¡°Wait! What?¡± Emily exclaimed. ¡°Why, we haven¡¯t fought shit. What had you been working on for Kael?!¡±

    Alex shook his head and held up his arms.

    ¡°No, relax. It''s not what you think. The grey sands are just a naturally high source zone, kinda like down in the leylines, but way less.¡± he said brushing the sweat off his brow.

    Emily paused.

    ¡°Ookay, why didn¡¯t you let me know then?¡± she asked.

    Alex shrugged and looked around.

    ¡°Well because it''s not that big of a deal. The abundance of source in the area is red and with Yishmal everyone suffering should be able to handle it.¡±

    This left Emily frowning as she looked down at Alex, a benefit of being on a Rimewolf twice the size of his mount.

    ¡°Next time lead with that. Also, I¡¯ll decide what''s a big deal to me. Here take the siphon.¡± Emily said pulling it out of her pack and holding it out to him.

    Alex¡¯s eyes flickered down to her hand and then back up to her face.

    Emily got impatient as he sat there like a dodo and flicked the object in his direction. Seeing it flying through the air, he dove for it and caught it before it bounced off his saddle and into the sand.

    Alex shot her a question look.

    ¡°What? It¡¯s what you came here for, right?¡± Emily asked at a loss. Did he need something else?

    Alex shook himself from his stupor and shrugged.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°I mean yes, I just expected to have to trade something for it.¡±

    Emily scowled.

    ¡°You want to trade something-¡± she started but Alex held up a hand again.

    ¡°No, this is fine¡­ Thank you.¡±

    Emily let out a breath from her nose but Alex was not leaving so after some thought she broke the silence again.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re here, I could use an explanation. Why is this area such a hotspot for red source,¡± she asked.

    Alex looked at her out of the side of his eye and flipped the broach over in his hands to reveal the gem glittering in the moonlight.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact mechanics of it, Ashe is probably the one to ask. But source is created in places of extremes. Heat naturally generates red source, but I heard if you go deep enough in the earth you will find green source.¡±

    Emily frowned at this idea.

    ¡°Then what about the Keep. It was cold and wet there why wasn¡¯t there a blue source there?¡±

    Alex smiled.

    ¡°There was a bit but we would have had to go up north more to hit the tundras to experience cold,¡± he said with a smirk.

    Emily shot him a glare but he continued.

    ¡°Relax, all I¡¯m saying is there are subtle interactions between the sources. For example, blue source loves to gather near red, but only in small quantities. While red is unable to penetrate green. If we were to dig deep enough we might be lucky enough to find water. Each source has a partner and an enemy. Though you can ask Ashe all those it''s not important right now, just the extreme cases.

    Emily hummed and took a while to digest the information. It was interesting to learn that source was acting in a similar way to the forces going on in her old world. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t do much with this information because she didn¡¯t have the scientific details, but she at least had a basic understanding.

    ¡°Okay, I follow you. Then my next question would be. Are you going to be fine with just that siphon? Shouldn''t you go to Yishmal if it''s that serious?¡±

    Alex clenched the gem.

    ¡°Nah, this should be enough and honestly he''s going to be complaining like a Millo bird with all the work he has. I¡¯d like to avoid that if possible.¡±

    Emily grimaced as she thought of the old man but nodded in the end.

    ¡°Fine, whatever.¡±

    Alex said his thanks and headed off. It was only when he left that Emily realized she had forgotten to ask what kind of place grey sources were normally found. She was just heading towards the middle when a loud, explosive sound came from up ahead.

    All Emily needed to do was to click her tongue and Cupcake advanced. Her speed was such that she arrived Third on the scene.

    Ashe and Selia were already there on the same mount and Emily pulled blood from her arms, ready to throw them out. However, Selia exploded with uncontrollable laughter, unable to draw in breath.

    Ashe looked pale with a distant look on her face.

    Emily was still searching for the problem when her gaze fell on the ground next to their mount where a large rock had just landed next to discarded waterskin. Beside them was one of the most disgusting creatures Emily had ever seen. It looked like a leech that had been covered in hedgehog quills, but there were only a couple of rings around it making it look half bald. To make matters worse the thing was about the size of a small dog and had to have burrowed out of the ground. Emily could see its rubbery skin glistening in the night light, as it hissed at the riding duo, drool leaking from its razor-filed mouth.

    Emily¡¯s face was disgusted as she sent a bolt forward and popped the creature like an overripe grape.

    All the while Selic continued to laugh

    ¡°What the hell, what are you laughing at? There could be more of those things.¡± Emily hissed.

    By now Selia had gotten herself under control.

    ¡°I''m sure there will be but they are harmless. Ashe over here just overreacted.¡± She said fondly as she looked at her sister.

    ¡°Are you telling me that nightmare fuel-looking shit is harmless?¡± Emily groaned.

    Selia looked up at Emily and smirked.

    ¡°You too? They are kind of nasty-looking, aren''t they? That one came because it smelled Ashe''s waterskin. Their bite packs a punch but they are far too slow to be a threat¡± Selia said.

    Emily only then realized someone else was there. Turning to look she saw Kael and Atticus were there and had probably been there for a while.

    Kael looked amused as he approached.

    Those things are called Burrow Mites. They dig into the earth when they are young and surface once they¡¯re big enough. They¡¯re not a danger to anyone until they reach their adult stage, even then, it would take a large number of them to pose a threat to our convoy.

    Emily¡¯s twisted face never left as she scowled a green and red stain on the rock.

    ¡°Come, we must keep moving. Keep an eye on the ground and skies in case a swarm is nearby. The larvae don¡¯t pose a threat, but they can bite your mounts, so be careful,¡± he shouted.

    Once she was done everyone broke up but Emily still had chills going down her spine. If she saw even a hint of those things again, she was shooting first, and asking questions never.

    Cupcake could feel her trepidation through their connection so she trotted carefully through the trails of others.

    It was while Emily was watching the ground that she almost missed the flicker of light in the corner of her eye.

    Turning in her saddle she squinted into the distance. The dark made it hard to see anything on the horizon but she swore she saw a flash of something out there. But the longer she looked the more she was convinced she was wrong.

    Selia was walking next to her and she raised her brows at Emily.

    ¡°Seeing the little hairless monsters everywhere I see.¡± she smiled.

    Emily frowned.

    ¡°No... I thought I saw the flash of a torch somewhere out there.¡± Emily said.

    Selia¡¯s amused face fell and she turned to look in the same direction Emily was.

    ¡°How certain are you?¡± she asked firmly

    ¡°I don¡¯t know fifty-fifty?¡± Emily shrugged. Selia¡¯s face never regained its levity and even Ashe was starting to notice.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on sis?¡± she asked nervously, but Selia was still looking out into the night.

    Then all at once she yanked on the reins, pulled them out of the convoy, and sped her beast toward the front.

    Emily wondered what the hell was going on, so she watched and approached the tip of the convoy. Less than a minute later, a group of men and women took to the air on the ravens, with Atticus at the front.

    That could only mean they were going to scout.

    In the meantime the rest of them advanced like nothing had happened, Emily pressed her lips together as she saw Alex and the front and decided to close the distance pulling up beside him.

    ¡°What in the world is going on? Selia looked spooked all of a sudden.¡±

    Alex nodded.

    ¡°As she should. You said there was light out there, right?¡±

    ¡°I mean, maybe?¡±

    Atticus and his men had disappeared into the skies but he landed only a few minutes later and rejoined the main group with as little fanfare as possible.

    He stopped next to Kael and nodded.

    ¡°Less than a day out, double our current numbers.¡± Atticus intoned quietly.

    Kael''s face twisted into a snarl but he said nothing yet.

    Emily glanced at Alex.

    ¡°Alex¡± she hissed.

    Alex grimaced.

    ¡°We¡¯re being followed.¡±

    Blood points: 346

 Chapter 150 - Unexpected guests

    A full day had passed since they had discovered their pursuers. At first, Atticus didn¡¯t want to scout too closely, but he knew they could not hide it forever, so they devised a plan.

    When the day arrived, Kael had them rest but kept everyone on guard. As luck would have it, their tail didn¡¯t close the distance, and the moment the sun was down again, they took off at full speed. After that, their pursuers realized they¡¯d been seen and gave up all semblance of stealth, giving chase.

    The unfortunate truth was that they didn¡¯t know who it was. It could be soldiers from Sam¡¯eth, but Kael was more inclined to believe it was Bandits. They had been known to wander the plains outside Lorthil, feeding on the city''s scraps and travelers. The biggest problem was that if they caught them the chances of a fight were very high, more often than not no one escaped as they were either left for dead or captured and sold into slavery.

    Emily turned on Cupcake''s saddle to see the plume of sand drifting on the horizon. It had been growing for a while, but ever since their departure,, they had not been able to let up. Now that they had given up hiding their tracks, they were gaining on them by the hour.

    If they had still had their wolves perhaps it would have been a different story, but seeing as most of their mounts had been taken by either the city or their captives, they were left with the galendmares.

    It''s not that their speed was anything to scoff at, but Emily constantly had to slow Cupcake down to keep up with everyone else.

    Not to mention their stamina was already waning after half a night''s travel. Emily had been sticking close to the front with Alex and Ashe. If their pursuers did catch up, she wanted to be as close to them as possible.

    Alex was riding on Mist, while Ashe was saddled with her sister on a galendmare.

    Emily glanced over at the sister duo and her heart sank.

    ¡°Oi, your mount is frothing at the mouth, Ashe get over to me, give the thing less to carry,¡± Emily said.

    Selia looked down at her mount, seeing that the thing was indeed tired, all the galendmares were, they had been riding them hard for hours.

    Ashe looked at her sister in fear but Selia only shot her a reassuring nod. She helped Ashe to stand on its back and Emily moved Cupcake closer to catch the woman. Ashe jumped across and Emily helped her onto the back of the saddle. Before the mounts separated again Selia shot Emily a look at said ¡®Look after her¡¯ and Emily nodded solemnly.

    After that, she moved towards Kael¡¯s mount and spoke to him but her words were lost to the wind rushing in their ears. Emily glanced back and inspected the entire collum. They were holding out but for how much longer was the problem. Whatever beasts their pursuers were on were better suited to this environment, as it was the raven were further behind but they had the advantage of being in the air.

    The warm night wind buffeted Emily, and she glanced up. The moon''s light revealed the birds as blips in the skies.

    Suddenly one swooped down and drew parallel with the head of their spear formation.

    Atticus rightened himself on the bird''s back and shouted over the winds.

    ¡°Boss, I reckon they''re at most an hour out, but the dessert mouth is near. We can make it.¡± Atticus shouted.

    Exhaustion had drained him of all tact as his voice bounced over the plains, but Kael acknowledged him all the same.

    Grade had made his way up to the front when they had learned of the group behind them. His face was a mask of concern as he looked back at their mounts.

    ¡°Kael! We¡¯re reaching the beast''s limits! There¡¯s a chance some of us won¡¯t make it!¡±

    Kael nodded to him man and spoke

    ¡°Then we take that chance. Their numbers are twice ours and if they followed us out here they only have one goal.¡± He said before his next words boomed out across the area. ¡°Fangs, keep moving!¡±

    Gerade¡¯s face was grim but he spoke again with a heavy voice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll buy you all the time,¡± he said as he began to slow his mount down.

    Kael''s head snapped around, his eyes filled with rage.

    ¡°No you fucking won¡¯t! You are still one of my leaders, you will remain at my side, and should they catch us you will fight to keep yourself alive, Am I understood!¡±

    Emily had only felt this sensation one other time with Marth, but it was obvious Kale was using one of his skills when the air became heavy with power.

    Gerades back hunched in the saddle and he glared at Kael but he whipped the reins and his mount sped up to match their pace.

    The convoy sped up and Emily watched for stragglers as the group began to elongate into two connected groups. They were nearing what looked like two mountains ahead of them but Emily quickly realized they were dunes of vibrant yellow sand scattered out over a massive distance.

    Sandstone began to give way to patches of sand as though they were dry rock pools filled with fine powder.

    Their pace slowed further to avoid injuries and the shrubs began to fade away the further in they charged.

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    They weren¡¯t quite in the dessert yet but they were on the threshold.

    Unfortunately, that was when their pursuers closed the distance.

    Where they had to be careful of the potholes in the sands, they rode on massive-looking lizards that skated over the terrain with ease.

    Emily looked for Sam''eth''s colors, and she did indeed see a lot of red and black, but this was not what she had grown accustomed to. No paladins or priests were riding on these beasts. They looked more like a horde of savages, an odd collection of people with all kinds of mismatched weapons and armor.

    Badly healed injuries covered their bodies, and as they closed the distance a large carriage came into view.

    Kael finally called for everyone to come to a stop and group up as he turned to face their unwelcome guests.

    Gerade and Atticus flanked him and Alex stood right behind them with Emily, Selia, and Ashe beside him.

    Since it had come to this Kael called out to them.

    ¡°As the current head of the Wandering Fangs I demand to speak with your leaders. For what reason are you following us!¡±

    The crowds were shifting, slowly edging around them to cut off their escape, and Emily was certain she heard snickers from their assailants.

    They never said anything, but then a single man stepped forward, hopping from the back of one of the lizards.

    Emily''s mouth went dry and she gripped Cupcake''s reins.

    These were no Bandits.

    Umbra approached alone, his usual twisted smile curling at his lips. Fresh wounds marked his body, the most notable being a new cut running down the side of his face. Emily¡¯s stomach twisted at the sight of him. The last time she¡¯d seen this lunatic, he had been locked in combat with Cosmo. They had captured him¡ªor so she had thought. Yet here he was, standing before them once more.

    ¡°Greetings, friends. So good to see you all.¡± His voice carried that same amused yet dangerous lilt. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to startle you, but I figured you wouldn¡¯t want to talk if I didn¡¯t catch you by surprise.¡±

    Kael had fought alongside this man once, but only after the fact had the truth about Umbra come to light. Now, knowing who he was dealing with, Kael¡¯s expression steeled.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve found us,¡± he said evenly. ¡°Now tell your men to stop circling, or I might start to feel like this is more than a friendly reunion.¡±

    Umbra tilted his head, drawing a dagger from his waist and idly dragging the tip along his neck, as if lost in thought.

    Emily caught the way Kael¡¯s body tensed. Her gaze flicked to Umbra, searching for any sign that he had noticed¡ªor cared.

    The man¡¯s eyes shifted toward his men, and a look of fond disgust crossed his face.

    ¡°Hey, you lot¡ªstop being impolite.¡± His words were a hiss, but there was no true anger in them, only something mocking, vaguely amused. Then he turned back to Emily, that ever-present smirk softening. ¡°We¡¯re here with a proposition for Miss Emily, so let¡¯s not start off on the wrong foot, shall we?¡±

    Those around him froze but they didn¡¯t look happy about it.

    Kael glanced back at Emily with a scowl and she just shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°Alright, Go ahead,¡± Kael said.

    Umbra stopped scratching himself and looked pleased.

    ¡°Right, well. It''s not me exactly that wants to speak to her, but I can¡¯t say I¡¯d be opposed.¡±

    No sooner had he finished his sentence than the door of the carriage opened and several people climbed down.

    The hoods of their black cloaks were up, and even as they crossed the baking earth, they showed no discomfort.

    When they were about even with Umbra, they removed their hoods and Emily arched a brow.

    Those all-too-familiar markings were carved into their bald heads, the long-healed scars tracing their skulls like macabre art.

    Blood Mages.

    Emily hadn''t understood them before, but now she recognized the runes sculpted into their flesh¡ªsome even familiar to her. From what Ashe had told her, an ordinary person couldn¡¯t hold much life force within their body. To overcome this limitation, they had to alter the container itself, reshaping their bodies to accumulate and sustain more Life Source. Mutilating themselves must be necessary for their craft. One thing was for certain, each one of them was as practiced as that illusionist back in the hut. The oldest of them was an old woman with greying hair covering her runes beneath a hairline. As she was the only one with hair, Emily pegged her as the leader, and when she spoke it was in a motherly tone.

    ¡°Hello, Miss Emily. Since you are in a rush, I will keep this brief. The Weeping would like to invite you to join our ranks. From what Umbra has told us, you wield a large amount of power without the need for stabilizers. Being so young and having that much talent, it would be a shame not to extend a helping hand.¡± She finished calmly.

    Emily squinted at the woman, nothing she said raised her hackles as of yet. So she decided to see where this was going.

    ¡°And what would that entail? Would you be my boss?¡±Emily called out

    The woman shook her head.

    ¡°No Emily. I would happily be your teacher, but only if you wanted me to. For now, all I offer is a hand and the chance to undergo the chalice ceremony.¡± she said calmly.

    Emily wasn¡¯t sure why but she felt a sense of kinship with the woman, she glanced at Alex and Ashe and then back to her.

    ¡°And what¡¯s the chalice ceremony?¡±

    The woman¡¯s eye widened for a moment but she smiled and shook her head.

    ¡°Then it''s not important, only if you are interested in our offer would it affect you.¡±

    Emily pressed her lips together and she shook her head.

    ¡°I won¡¯t lie your offer is tempting because it sounds like I could learn a lot, but I already have arrangements for the foreseeable future.¡±

    The woman looked disappointed but nodded to herself.

    ¡°I see¡­ Well, in that case, take this. Our organization is large and there will no doubt be a branch wherever you¡¯re heading. If you ever find yourself interested, seek us out.¡±

    As she said this she pulled a small bound book from her sleeve and with a single gesture sent it towards Emily, it hovered in front of her for a second before Emily grabbed it out of the air

    When she had the woman nodded towards Emily and turned back toward the carriage. Emily cocked her head at the retreating woman with mixed feelings churning in her chest. Sure she wanted Emily to join some shady organization but she had been civil throughout their conversation and the moment Emily said no she had dropped the subject.

    As the woman turned back towards her carriage she seemed to notice the six other Blood Mages didn¡¯t move. For that matter, neither did any of the surrounding men or women.

    The woman paused as she turned to look at Umbra with narrowed eyes but she was ignored.

    Kael wore a thinly veiled scowl as he turned too turned to look at Umbra.

    ¡°Well, we have heard your offer and given our answer, is there something else?¡± Kael asked loudly.

    Umbra¡¯s smirk wavered, his lips caught between a grin and a frown, his gaze flicking away in uncharacteristic hesitation.

    ¡°Zilha, you¡¯re putting me in an awkward position. I was kind of hoping you¡¯d try a little harder to recruit her.¡±

    The woman who had stopped halfway to the carriage frowned. ¡°What do you want me to do, I¡¯ve made the offer, and she rejected it.¡±

    Umbra sighed as the air around him filled with malice. His fighters snickered and began to fidget. When Umbra looked up again that insane flicker had entered his eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re not getting this. The orders are to bring her back. Miss Emily will be accompanying us back to the hole regardless of her wishes¡±

    Emily was scowling at the man when a thought crossed her mind. She then triggered her newest skill and it moved into her eyes.

    Name: Umbra Giz¡¯holt

    Fourth bridge opened.

    Title: Merciless Killer

    Blood points: 347

 Chapter 151 - Rain in the Desert

    The moment the words left Umbra¡¯s mouth everyone went on guard. His own men perked up at the mention of impending battle. The only one who looked against this was the woman Umbra had called Zilha.

    ¡°Umbra, stop this at once. You will only push her away.¡±

    Umbra tore his eyes away from Kael for long enough to look at her and snort.

    ¡°Can¡¯t do it.¡± he mocked. ¡°Plus she¡¯ll come around when she realizes what we¡¯re offering.¡±

    Zilha¡¯s eyes bulged as she growled at him.

    ¡°Well, we refuse to take part in this. My Mages, we leave now.¡±

    Emily could see that Umbra had complete control over most of the fighters here. She had expected the Mages to listen to Zilha, but they remained motionless.

    Zilha saw this and scowled.

    ¡°What has gotten into all of you?!¡± she hissed.

    ¡°Ah, well boss man knew you wouldn''t be able to cut it, so he gave their command to me. And I¡¯d say the diplomatic path has dried up, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Umbra! I won¡¯t be ignored like this!¡± Zilha started, but she was cut short when Umbra threw a dagger at her face.

    Emily had to give it to her, her reactions were impressive. A vibrant screen of ruby red enveloped her in a half dome, and she deflected the dagger with ease. However, in her haste to defend, she didn¡¯t notice one of the fighters arrive next to her, plunging a dagger through her back and into her heart.

    Zilha screamed and Umbra smiled.

    ¡°Take a nap. This will all be done when you wake up.¡±

    The woman dropping into the sand was like a starting pistol. Both groups turned on one another and attacked. It was clear everyone had been picking out their targets before because a hail of projectiles and skills were suddenly let loose on both sides.

    Ashe slammed her hands together and pulled a sheet of sandstone out from below them. The sounds of arrows plinking against it were drowned out but the battle cries, but Ashe wasn¡¯t done there. Lifting her other arm she pulled a secondary wall up to chest height and thickened it. The Wandering Fangs took refuge behind the makeshift barriers as Umbra¡¯s fighters closed in.

    ¡°Form a line, Anyone with ranged weapons in the middle. I¡¯ll take care of the leader,¡± Kael shouted.

    Emily did not like their odds, but she wasn¡¯t going to waste time questioning them now. She lowered her gown over her body and concentrated on Tested flesh. The interesting thing about this skill is that it was always working in the background. She wasn¡¯t able to pierce her hand with the blunt knives they had in their mess kits anymore, but when she concentrated, her skin thickened like leather.

    Confident in her own defence she layer Alex in a Vital Shell.

    She only just managed to get this off before a massive ball of water crashed into the wall Ashe had put up.

    Its force sent over a dozen people flying including Emily, Alex, Ashe, and even Cupcake. As she crashed on the ground she found she was not even dazed thanks to her new defence. Hopping to her feet she search for the source of the attack.

    As it turned out the six Blood Mages in the center of the enemy ranks were working together. Near the front was a man who was creating another ball of water. He pricked his finger on his dagger and a tiny drop of blood mixed in with the spell causing it to double in size.

    As it was shot at them Emily absentminded thought. ¡®So that''s what normal blood magic looks like.¡¯

    ¡°Emily, get down!¡± Ashe screamed as she created another wall.

    Only this one was not nearly as thick and the water crunched through it with ease. The wave washed over them with crushing force, and Emily found it almost absurd¡ªthey were in the middle of a desert, yet here she was, being swept away as if caught in a sudden flood.

    The difference this time was that she managed to hang onto Ashe''s wall and the moment there was an opening she retaliated with a spear at them.

    They spotted the attack and responded in unison. When the deadly spear reached them it hit an invisible hand and liquified harmlessly. It floated around them in a ring and Emily could feel her connection to her blood severed in that instant.

    ¡°Well, shit¡­¡± Emily muttered before her own blood was shaped into dozens of needles and shot out in all directions.

    Emily scowled and held out her arm in an attempt to stop them but she couldn¡¯t regain control and a ten-centimeter projectile bit into her palm.

    The moment it did, however, she found an opening and regained control but only of those that stabbed into her. The rest scattered into Ashe¡¯s wall or their frontline.

    Emily cursed again before she glanced back at Ashe.

    Nox had appeared from nowhere and he was glancing over at Emily. She shot him a scowl as another jet of water crashed into the wall.

    Nox however was busy he started to make gestures and sent his palms out in all directions, creating a large plume of air that sent sand spitting in all directions.

    It couldn¡¯t do much more than blind people but it was enough. Ashe then stepped in, she finished a series of gestures, and thirty pebble-sized rocks gathered in the air and began raining down on people. The nearest fighters yelped in pain and backed off.

    The attack was far from lethal, but Emily noticed Ashe gripped a coin tightly, though she still refused to let it loose on their enemies.

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    Emily however was not as kind, pulling source in from her bridge, she pulled her scepter out and charged it.

    The orb collected at the tip and she fired it off, and then another, and another. The breaks between the blasts became shorter and shorter as Emily pushed more energy into the artifact.

    Every shot sent people flying in all directions as they crashed into either hard stone or soft pockets of sand.

    In the meantime, Kael had moved to block the opening just as Umbra arrived. Vapour protected him from any stray projectils and when the dagger arrived his spear rose to meet it. The two exchanged several blows in less than a second. Out of the corner of her eye, Emily could tell Umbra was faster but Kael had the reach and flexibility to contend with him.

    Turning back to the Blood mages Emily¡¯s eyes widened as a blackened cloud began gathinging over their heads.

    ¡°Oh, you have got to be kidding me¡± Emily yelped when thunder echoed across the open plains.

    Arcs of lightning began building up in the cloud and then shot out as a targeted bolt of plasma.

    It was heading towards the center of their formation, but Ashe stabbed a pillar of sandstone into its path, which pulled it off target and into the earth.

    The Blood mages weren¡¯t dissuaded though, they continued to grow the cloud above their heads until it was almost entirely covering the battlefield.

    Emily stared up at the spell in awe, so this was what high-level Mages could do.

    Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck down at her and she cursed raising an umbrella of blood, connecting it to the surrounding stone and sand.

    The heat cooked the blood in a flash but diverted the attack. Whatever lighting managed to get through was barely enough to singe her new skin.

    ¡°You fools, don¡¯t kill her!¡± Umbra shouted from the front. Kael capitalized on the distraction but Emily had other things to worry about, namely Alex.

    Alex had been moving closer to Kael and Umbra''s fight by cutting his way through their enemies. On more than one occasion they had attempted to stop Alex but the man had activated his artifact and cut right through their weapons and then them.

    The fighter that had found him didn¡¯t use any weapon and instead fought with her hands and feet. She danced in and out of Alex''s range to deliver powerful pouches, a few of which Emily flinched at the impact.

    Seeing he was on the backfoot Emily used the ¡®lift¡¯ spell to send the woman to the ground, after which Alex descended on her.

    There were not too many casualties yet as it seemed their fighters were just a hair better, but number-wise things weren''t looking good. They had worked through just under half of Umbra fighters but they were all exhausted.

    Then came the rain and with it more lightning. Ashe and Nox tried to stop what they could but when the attack could come for anyone it was difficult to adjust.

    Emily realized she had to go in. If Umbra was serious then that couldn¡¯t attack her, right? At least not with lightning.

    So dashing out from Ashe''s wall Emily made a beeline for the group of Blood Mages. She ran across the battlefield, hearing Ashe scream her name, but ignored the woman.

    Emily closed the distance and leveled her scepter at them, but when the orb of force shot out at them, one of the Mages backhanded the sphere and sent flying off in another direction.

    Seeing it would not be effective she put the relic away and shot a crescent of blood at the frontmost Mage. During her last attack, she¡¯d realized that they could not control her blood as long as she remained in contact with it. So she¡¯d kept a chain of blood connected to her deadly projectile, sadly they had prepared for this already as a glowing red shield sprang up to block the attack.

    Emily was much closer now, ready to stab them all to death with her gown. But before she could strike, one of the Mages suddenly stepped out from behind the shield, a chain of blood in his hands. He hurled it toward her, the links coiling around her right arm, small spikes digging into her hardened flesh. She barely registered what had happened when another chain wrapped around her left arm and leg.

    Two more ran from the shield but this time the change of direction pulled Emily''s stance off balance as her left leg slid in the sand.

    Emily created a bolt and shot it at the Mage who had her left leg but it splattered against a red pane, and all at once her right leg was snared too. They continued running until they were on opposite sides of Emily and they planted their feet and yanked.

    Emily yelped, not from pain, but because she was now splayed out and unable to move anywhere.

    The fresh chains around her ribs and neck were the last straw. Emily called to her blood, ready to carpet bomb the area, but just like in the tower, it never responded. Or to be more accurate, it did, but the life force rushed down the chains and into the six Mages holding her down. Emily screamed and struggled but her physical strength was enough to beat six people. To make matters worse the Blood Mages were drawing off her greedily. Emily could see thier faces, first looks of surprise, and then, ecstasy, as they drank from her life source.

    Emily tried to use a ¡®lift¡¯ spell but her hand was suddenly trapped in blood and unable to make gestures. She tried to close herself off from them but their blood chains had created a direct connection to them.

    Emily called out to Cupcake in desperation and both felt and heard her roar echo out into the night.

    A flash of red lept over the fortifications and sped towards her. Emily saw a person clinging to her saddle and found herself hoping it was Alex.

    But as they nearer Emily¡¯s eyes widened as Selia lept off Cupcake''s back and brought her greatsword down on the nearest captor.

    The Mage saw it coming but they were too fast and cleaved through his side. He went down screaming. Selia turned to strike another Mage, but he fired a black projectile at her. She tried to dodge, but it veered toward her. When she raised her blade to block, it curled around her guard and stabbed just above her heart. Selia went down just as Cupcake lunged at the man who threw the attack but was sent flying in a powerful wave of blood-red light that consolidated into a huge barrier of crimson, sealing Emily inside with them.

    She could feel her vitality being used to fuel the spell.

    The Mages had drawn out over a hundred lives from Emily at this point and she was starting to feel light-headed. She could see Cupcake thrashing at the dome and Selia lying in the sand as black veins spread out over her skin.

    Emily was a strong woman, but she could admit when she felt trapped.

    Panic crept in, and tremors followed. The others were pinned by Umbra¡¯s men, and though he had ordered them not to kill her, their faces were those of starving animals, drinking in more of her life. Surely they had taken enough by now. Where was Kael? Was Selia alive?

    Just when she thought she was going to lose it, her chaotic thoughts stilled, and Emily took a steadying breath. These Blood Mages were amazing at their craft, but that was it.

    Theirs was trained into them¡ªEmily was different.

    This had always been a part of her.

    Emily clamped down on her power holding it in place as she opened her eyes. Blood wept from the corners of her eyes and she began to reverse the flow.

    Gradually at first, but it built up quickly. The Mages looks of excitement turned to sorrow and then despair as she wrestled her power back from them bit by bit.

    The first man who attempted to close the connection got a barb of blood through his stomach, his own chain turning on him.

    Emily tore her vitality away from their grubby hands and when she had collected every scrap, she began feeding on theirs. Their wails became more desperate as they tried to break the connection any way they could be she refused to let them.

    Emily sent a cord slithering toward the Mage Selia had injured, and stabbed it into the man. He was still alive but unable to resist, so she drained him too.

    One by one they went down until only the last man remained.

    They hadn¡¯t spoken a word since the fight began but he squeaked one out now.

    ¡°...Please¡­¡± he said with agony in his eyes

    Emily didn¡¯t even flinch, she felt nothing for him as she ripped the last of his life away, swallowing it down too. The rush hit her like a wave, knocking her flat. Each of them had hoarded over twenty stolen lives¡ªbut now they were hers. And that¡¯s when the ground began to tremble.

    Blood points: 486

 Chapter 152 - Cloud of wings

    As the five corpses dropped around Emily, the magic in the clouds and red dome faded. No sooner had Emily sighed in relief, than the trembling rose from deep in the earth. It started as a low droning through the sands but rapidly evolved into tremors that shook the sandstone beneath them.

    Emily looked back and saw that the fighting between everyone had temporarily ceased. Seeing this, Emily turned and began running toward Cupcake at full speed.

    Whatever was happening, she wasn¡¯t about to stick around and find out.

    When she got to the Rime wolf the beast licked her face but Emily barely registered it. Hopping onto her back Emily was about to ride when she caught sight of Selia out of the corner of her eye.

    The woman was lying in the sand unmoving as black veins continued to spread out over her skin

    Emily''s shoulders drooped and she pulled on Cupcake¡¯s reins to change direction.

    Arriving beside the woman, Emily hopped off and pulled Seila into Cupcake''s saddle. She couldn¡¯t leave the woman; firstly, she¡¯d come here to help, and second, Ashe would probably never forgive her if she abandoned her sister.

    The pockets of sand were beginning to bubble as though a reservoir of air were trying to escape.

    Hopping up on Cupcake again, Emily whipped the reins.

    ¡°Go girl, stick to the stone!¡± Emily growled.

    The three of them launched forward and the Rime wolf deftly danced on the edges of the sand pits, which were now belching forth larger pockets of sulferous air.

    Bits of wet sand sprayed into the air as Emily neared Ashe''s fortifications.

    Chaos had descended around the battlefield. Umbra¡¯s men seemed unwilling to give up the fight but the Wandering fangs had beaten their way out of their encirclement.

    It felt like a warzone, with sand scattered everywhere and people fighting on any solid ground they could find. Kale and Umbra had not moved from their original spots, yet they both had several more injuries than when the battle had first begun. People from both sides had clearly tried to help the two fighting titans, but by the looks of the corpses in the sand, they only got in the way.

    There was one exception to this though, Alex, because, of course, he¡¯d found himself in the most dangerous position of all.

    Kael weaved and swung out at Umbra, and in those minute openings Alex would flash in and capitalize on the gaps. Leaving nicks and cuts on Umbra in his wake.

    The fact Alex had not gotten himself killed yet was a testament to his skill and speed, but if Kael was not there Emily knew the scenario would be very different.

    Seeing that most of the Wandering Fangs were already making a break for it, Emily could only assume Kael had given the order.

    Emily rode past a lizard without a rider and saw the creature twitching as its gaze narrowed on the grounds. The other mounts were whinnying and screeching as they fled towards the open desert.

    Emily could see more than half of the Weeping were still capable of chasing them down but they were struggling to get their mounts under control for some reason.

    Umbra¡¯s face was growing more and more twisted he was unable to score a hit on either Alex or Kael.

    Emily could see the duo were quickly getting separated from the main group, and if things continued their escape would be cut off. Clicking her tongue at Cupcake to get nearer, she employed her new life force and created a beachball-sized sphere of blood.

    ¡°Incoming!¡± Emily yelled as she rushed past the trio of fighters.

    All three of them gazed up at her simultaneously, but Emily was already bringing down her hand.

    The sphere of life energy landed in the middle of their fight and detonated with the force of a grenade.

    Umbra took evasive measures, as did the others but they needn¡¯t have worried. As the blood liquified on contact with them. Umbra on the other hand wasn¡¯t so lucky as he got as he got pelted with bloody shrapnel.

    But Emily was not finished. She wasn¡¯t dumb enough to think that had done any real damage, so she wrapped the surrounding blood around Alex and Kael and yanked.

    For the briefest moment, the blood tightened into cords and shot toward Emily¡¯s hand¡ªbefore both Kael and Alex were yanked backward by Cupcake¡¯s full-speed retreat.

    Kael¡¯s mount had fled long ago, so they didn¡¯t have a ride and Emily wasn¡¯t going to risk them getting captured again.

    Alex landed hard in Cupcake¡¯s saddle, reeled in like a fish, while Kael flipped through the air and landed standing on the wolf¡¯s rump.

    Umbra went blue in the face and chased after them at frightening speeds.

    ¡°You idiots! Catch them! Bring me that woman!¡± he yelled.

    The man was, incredibly, able to outpace Cupcake, but Kael had never let his guard down. By the time he caught up with the Rime wolf Kael was ready, and deflected the dagger trying to hamstring Cupcake.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Seeing his attempt had failed only frustrate the man more and he accelerated parallel with them.

    He made sure he was out of reach of them and began to throw daggers one after another.

    Kael reacted and deflected the first few but one got through which stabbed into Cupcake''s side.

    Emily growled in tune with Cupcake and blood rose in a thin screen around the beast.

    Umbra had begun to slow, and it was obvious that whatever skill he had employed had begun to falter. However, unwilling to let them go, he pushed himself ahead of them.

    Emily saw the man appear in their path and brace himself in the sand. Just behind him, she could see Ashe and Nox running away on the back of a galendmare.

    Glad she had gotten away Emily turned her gaze back to Umbra¡¯s wild stare. For a second their eyes locked and Emily could see equal parts madness and excitement churning in those depths.

    But that had nothing to do with Emily, as far as she was concerned. Clicking her tongue she flipped the man off ¨C Even if he wouldn¡¯t understand her¨C and had Cupcake bound towards the man.

    Now, Rime wolves were known for their impressive jumping capabilities, but with four riders on her back, it would not be easy.

    At the point the Rime wolf bunched her muscles and brought her legs together for a jump, Emily flickered Blood Price for less than a second to send vitality into the creature.

    The burst of strength sent them flying several meters over the madman, and landing on the other side.

    Umbra turned with a frustrated scowl, but his eye widened when he saw a spear of blood heading straight toward him.

    As they had leaped over the man she¡¯d taken the blood binding from Alex and Kael, and moved it to the underside of Cupcake. When they had moved overhead she had unleashed it straight down at the man¡¯s blind spot.

    By the time he turned around it was so close there wasn¡¯t much he could do, or at least that''s what Emily thought.

    At the last possible second Umbra brought his fist up and punched the side of the attack. The sheer absurdity of the motion almost caused Emily to fall from the saddle, but she watched as the hardened blood projectile suddenly changed direction enough that it went past the left side of his face before it exploded into countless droplets.

    As a consolation prize the projectile took off the top half of his ear but it wouldn¡¯t leave any lasting damage.

    The last attack didn¡¯t stop Umbra though, it only seemed to cause a twisted smile to appear on his face.

    Emily would have shivered if the next thing that happened wasn¡¯t all the more harrowing.

    All at once the trembling around them stopped and the bubbling sands exploded outward as dozens of black figures emerged from the sand and into the air in streams.

    Along with them came the droning buzz of insects.

    Emily caught sight of one as it flew past and the best way to describe it was as a football-sized horse fly with a wicked-looking mouth.

    Rows and rows of teeth made for ripping lined the proboscis. As things went it was not the most threatening creature Emily had ever seen, but their number were quickly filling the skies and blotting out the moons.

    Emily glanced back at Umbra¡¯s men, watching as they struggled to control their mounts. Nearby, large lizards rushed in, snapping up the flies midair and munching happily.

    She grimaced in disgust¡ªonly for her expression to pale when worm-like creatures began writhing free from the dirt.

    Burrow Mites. The realization hit her like a stone. These flies weren¡¯t just pests; they were the adult stage of Burrow Mites. And thanks to the Blood Mages and all the water they had thrown around, they had practically rung the dinner bell.

    Kael turned back to Emily.

    ¡°Keep going this is perfect!¡± he yelled over the wind.

    At the same time, he rotated his spear, and a thick chilly vapor expanded from his body leaving a trail like a smoke screen.

    Emily could just make out Umbra¡¯s figure as he covered his eyes in the crook of his elbow and glared at Emily with a look of pure malice. Seconds later his figure was gone from view behind a wall of buzzing bodies and mist.

    The buzzing dwindled as they put distance between themselves and the battlefield.

    The mist created ample cover for their retreat and because of it there wasn¡¯t a single attack on their people.

    They continued to ride for another thirty minutes at Kael¡¯s insistence before slowing down. In that time they had well and truly entered the sands. The dunes were only ripples at this point but their uneven waves acted as the perfect cover to lie low in.

    Kael watched the cloud of Burrow Mites until they disappeared in the distance. Beside them, Gerade and Atticus rode silently on their mounts

    ¡°We¡¯re damned lucky we were over a colony like that, those Mites were the perfect distraction. With their mounts feasting on their favorite snack, the Weeping won¡¯t be going anywhere for a while.¡± Gerade said quietly.

    Kael glanced at him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry old friend, it looks like you are joining us on this journey. For now, I need a head count and find out if Yishmal is alive, we¡¯ll need that old Healer here, Selia is in a bad way.¡± Kael said as he hopped off Cupcake and began surveying the area.

    Emily looked down at the woman in her lap. Selia was sweating, and she still hadn¡¯t woken up. From the looks of things, the black veins had stopped expanding, but she was not improving.

    Now that they had stopped Ashe came over and there was a look of concern on her face. She had clearly noticed her sister during the chaos but was unable to come to her aid.

    ¡°Oh gods Selia, what happen to her?¡± Ashe said, concern lacing her voice.

    Emily shook her head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She was hit with an attack from a Blood Mage and went down.¡± Emily said calmly

    Ashe helped Emily get the woman down from the saddle and laid her out on a blanket.

    Yishmal came lumbering over from the main group, his face a scowl.

    ¡°You know there are plenty of injured. I hope you aren¡¯t abusing your position,¡± Yishmal started but then frowned when he saw Selia.

    A scowl appeared on his face for a different reason and he shooed everyone away from the shivering woman.

    After a lengthy examination and a pulse of white light, he frowned shaking his head.

    ¡°As I feared. It''s a curse, a powerful one at that. It¡¯s designed to corrode her blood, and whoever cast it was a foul individual. It will work as slowly as possible while it kills her over a couple of weeks. I can push back some of the symptoms, but I can¡¯t cure it.¡±

    Everyone seemed too stunned to respond or even move as Yishmal delivered the news.

    Kael frowned.

    ¡°What would the usual cure for this type of curse be,¡± he asked quietly.

    Yishmal rubbed his chin.

    ¡°It could be one of a few things. Sometimes if one were to kill the caster, the curse would end.¡±

    Emily shook her head at that idea and Yishmal frowned.

    ¡°Well then we would need someone with a black bridge and the relevant titles, but Oscar was the only one with the right source and he¡¯s missing or dead. I am sorry.¡±

    Yishmal left after feeding Selia a potion, saying she would wake up soon but she shouldn¡¯t push herself when she did.

    Emily turned to look at Ashe

    She had not moved from Selia''s side and her shoulders were hunched over her sister.

    Emily couldn¡¯t hear the sobs but saw the tears twinkling down her cheeks.

    Glancing at Alex, Emily pressed her lips together and placed a hand on Ashe¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Um¡­Ashe, we¡¯ll figure this out¡± Emily said awkwardly.

    Then she heard Ashe whispering.

    ¡°It''s all my fault, she only went because I begged her to¡­How can I fix this Emily.¡±

    Blood points: 481

 Chapter 153 - Remedies and Relationships

    Emily ducked into the small sweltering shelter, the heat of the sun pounding on her back. Ashe looked up from a book the moment she entered the small space.

    Beside her was Selia who lay quietly on the blanket, her ragged breathing carrying the stink of death.

    Emily had strapped the woman to Cupcake during their retreat and had just come from tending to her mount.

    Kael had erected a huge tarp for their beasts, none of which were built for this heat. Although they were only on the outskirts of the desert, the ravens were already showing signs of exhaustion.

    Emily thought of Cupcake, and for a beast that had made its home up in the mountains, she dealt with the heat surprisingly well. Even going so far as to burrow into the cool sands to protect herself from the harsh rays.

    Emily glanced down at the sleeping woman and took out the water skin Kael had given her.

    ¡°Here, they said she¡¯ll need water.¡± Emily started quietly.

    Ashe tore her eyes away from the book for long enough to take the offered pouch but didn¡¯t otherwise respond, going back to her reading.

    The air in the tent remained frigid as she held the tome in trembling hands. Ashe had not slept as of yet and while one sleepless day might be okay, she wouldn¡¯t last if she kept doing this to herself.

    ¡°Look Ashe I know you are hurting, and I can help, but you have to tell me what you¡¯re thinking.¡±

    Ashe finally looked up from her work.

    ¡°I gave her one of my healing potions like the Healer said, and she threw it up. We¡¯re stuck in his damned desert with no way to return, and I don¡¯t know what to do. I can¡¯t help her Emily.¡± Ashe said, her voice breaking near the end.

    ¡°This is all my fault¡± Ashe whispered as tears began to stream down her face.

    Emily pulled Ashe into a gentle hug, her voice soft and soothing. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay. Everything¡¯s going to be alright.¡±

    Comforting someone was the last thing Emily ever expected herself to do, but it felt right and Ashe seemed to calm in her arms.

    ¡°Okay, so we don¡¯t have access to black source, what else can we do? Is there any way we can emulate it with my Blood wards? What¡¯s the opposite of blood magic?¡± Emily asked.

    Ashe still had tears in her eyes but pushed out a forced laugh and hiccup.

    ¡°No¡­I might be able to make something if we knew the appropriate runes, but I still only have my books. I was able to get a couple more general books while in Lorthil but there¡¯s nothing in there on curse removal¡­¡±

    Ashe dried her eyes with her sleeve.

    ¡°As for the opposite of Blood magic, there is none. All the sources have their own traits and weaknesses, but this type of magic is just pure energy¡± Ashe said

    Emily pressed her lips together, she didn¡¯t know if she believed that.

    ¡°But it can¡¯t be that different, can it? Surely we can just think of it as another type of source? Like my grey source, right?¡± Emily asked hopefully.

    Ashe shook her head, then froze¡ªher eyes widening, lips parting as if a thought had just struck her.

    ¡°Wait, your right¡­ So, there are no inherent opposites within the sources, but certain ones can mimic others with similar functions. For example, black is the endpoint to everything. It disperses both good and bad. However from what you¡¯ve told me grey source makes you feel like you fading from the world, right?.¡± Ashe asked excitedly.

    Emily shifted in the blanket uncomfortable.

    ¡°Yeah, sorta¡­¡±

    That seemed to be all the encouragement Ashe needed.

    ¡°Well, then maybe we can make it work. You¡¯ll need to figure out grey properties, and I¡¯ll look through the book on blood magic you gave me. If we can use a combination of the two accents maybe we can reverse this curse instead of breaking it.¡±

    Emily stared at the woman hesitantly.

    ¡°Are you sure this is such a good idea? From the sound of things, you¡¯d have to learn how to use blood magic and you told me you wouldn¡¯t do that. Plus Selia didn¡¯t want you touching this magic¡­¡±

    Ashe''s face fell as desperation flicked over her features. She reached forward and took Emily''s hand in hers.

    ¡°Emily, please. I¡¯m begging you, you have to help me here. It¡¯s the only way¡­¡±

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Emily bit the inside of her lip. Why did she want to help Ashe so much? There wasn¡¯t much to gain personally, but she hadn¡¯t felt this kind of desire to help since her cape-wearing days.

    Was it because it was Ashe? Emily sighed.

    ¡°...Alright, but only because I don¡¯t want you trying this without me. And I have to be the one to do whatever spell is necessary. Your sister and I spoke, and I shouldn¡¯t be allowing you to do even this much¡±

    Ashe''s face flashed from joy, to frustration, and back to relief.

    ¡°I¡¯ll start researching immediately!¡± Ashe exclaimed excitedly but Emily held up her hand.

    ¡°Hang on, you¡¯re going to need to tell me what I need to do, you know to figure out my source''s properties?¡±

    Ashe paused and smiled bashfuly as she turned back to Emily and walked her through the process. They were just going over it again when Selia started to groan.

    ¡°Okay that¡¯s it, and remember don¡¯t tell Selia-¡± Ashe turned to look at the restless woman to see her eyes open.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what?¡± She asked with a tired expression on her face.

    Ashe wailed and hugged the woman who groaned.

    Emily made herself scarce as Selia started questioning Ashe, but before she made it to the door she called out to Emily.

    ¡°Emily, I¡¯m glad you made it out, and thank you.¡±

    Nodding to the woman Emily stepped out into the sun.

    If Yishmal was right Selia would be alright for now, but as the curse worsened he would begin to exhibit bouts of extreme pain and eventually, she wouldn¡¯t be able to move.

    It was early days, but they would have to work fast if they wanted to come up with an answer to this curse.

    Emily¡¯s first objective was to discover her limits or at least the effects of reaching them. She looked around and found a spot further away from the main grouping of tents.

    The current problem was that with the relic lodged in her spine, she was heavily resistant to exposure.

    Lorthil had toted exposure as the gods will working against Mages, but Emily wasn¡¯t sure.

    She could believe those pompous gods were willing to limit others, but when Ariandel had transformed into a Sourceborn there was a moment when his source had sifted to something far more powerful. It embodied everything that red source was, and that alone gave her pause.

    This was just a roundabout way of saying that exposure had its advantages, but reaching that now was going to be hard.

    Ashe had given her an answer to this though.

    Taking out her little chalkboard, Emily stared at the singular rune there. This particular rune was incredibly simple and would allow her to sidestep her new limitation.

    If she were to translate it into a concept, the only word that would fit was ¡®Embody¡¯.

    Ashe had said she just needed to pour all her source into the ruin and attempt to feel out what came next.

    The exercise was a common one that most Adepts practiced at some point in their lives, but Ashe had not seen the practicality of it up until now.

    It was intended to help gain control over one''s source through exposure. Of course, Emily had always struggled with control, but her ample power allowed her to brute force most spells. However, for those who had a more limited resource to work with, control was very important.

    Emily stared down at the rune she had drawn and placed the tips of her fingers on the chalk. She needed to keep her vitality away from this process to avoid confusing herself. When she was ready she released the restraints on her power.

    Immediately grey source flooded the runes and waves began to ripple off the chalk, disturbing the nearby sand.

    The rune drew source in and created an opposing force that kept her power at bay. If she had to describe the sensation it was like two streams pushing against one another. Interestingly it was still her power so when they met it felt like the resulting process was expanding into the air around her.

    For the first time, Emily thought she could feel something as the rune hummed.

    Straightening her spine Emily opened herself a little more to the rune and the sand around her began to rise in plumes of twisting abstract shapes.

    The power churned off her in waves spreading into her surroundings the more forceful she became. The brilliant sunlight reflecting off the sands began to warp and dull. At the same time, Emily felt the tastebuds on her tongue go numb, but that was all the change she could make out.

    Determined to test things out properly Emily was about to throw the floodgates open when she heard a footstep to her left.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re about to do something dangerous again, I should have known,¡± Alex said as his shadow covered her.

    Emily squinted up at the vexing man, his figure eclipsing the sunlight for an instant.

    He sat down on the dune, sweat trickling down his next.

    ¡°How in the world are you sitting out here in this heat?¡± Alex asked.

    Emily glanced up at the sun for a split second and shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that hot. What did you mean by ¡®dangerous¡¯?¡± Emily squinted as she eyed the man.

    Alex pulled a thin piece of cloth out of his pocket and wet it with his waterskin, draping it over his head and neck.

    ¡°Exactly what I said. You don¡¯t have a ¡®containment¡¯ rune around that, meaning the effects will spill out into the environment. Normally, I¡¯d say that was fine, but seeing as your upper limit is high enough to contend with a Mage¡¯s tower, I think you should take some precautions.¡±

    Emily bit the inside of her lip.

    ¡°Fair point, but how did you know that.¡±

    Alex snorted and took the chalkboard from her hand, causing the floating sands to fall.

    ¡°I told you, I had to learn to identify runes from a young age. This is nothing special.¡±

    Emily watched as he drew the changes without a single mistake.

    ¡°Why? Were you planning on becoming a Mage?¡± Emily asked genuinely curious.

    Alex paused but his usual defensive scowl didn¡¯t fall into place.

    ¡°My parents certainly were¡­ and that was just the beginning as far as they were concerned.¡±

    Emily searched the distant gaze on his face.

    ¡°Is that why you ran away?¡± Emily asked.

    Alex¡¯s face twitched and he looked up at her.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t run away¡­¡± he said calmly. ¡°I was sent here.¡±

    Emily searched his eyes but they were completely in the present now.

    ¡°Why?¡± she asked.

    ¡°As you''ve seen, it''s to be dealt with. Which reminds me, Oscar got away, so there¡¯s no telling if more Seekers will be after us,¡± Alex said, trying to shift the subject.

    Emily guessed they¡¯d reached the limits of his patience, and for once she didn¡¯t feel the need to push them.

    Whoever had sent him here clearly intended to assassinate him, or he¡¯d never have met with that accident in the first place. There was more here than Emily had ever had the patience to ask, but perhaps it was time to do exactly that.

    Emily looked down at the rune Alex shoved in her hands.

    ¡°Now concentrate. I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re trying to gain more control over your source, and the first time you experience it, it can be intense, but for heaven''s sake don¡¯t sit out here in the sun. Come with me¡± Alex said as he poured more water onto his neck where the piece of cloth had almost entirely dried out.

    Blood points: 483

 Chapter 154 - Otherworldly world.

    Emily stooped her head to enter Alex¡¯s tent, it was no larger than anyone else''s, but he¡¯d dug it a little way into the dune so it felt more spacious. This would have taken more work but also helped to keep it cooler than those who had just thrown their tent out to escape the heat.

    Alex kicked off his boots and stripped off his layers of protection, lowering himself onto his bedroll.

    ¡°You can use that corner but remember moderate and constant streams. Don¡¯t pour massive amounts in and then pull back, keep the output steady.¡±

    Emily rose a brow at the man, but he¡¯d already closed his eyes and a gentle snoring filled the space.

    She squinted at Alex, there was no way he could get to sleep that quickly, right? Deciding that she didn¡¯t care, Emily went over to the other end of the tent and sat down cross-legged.

    Glazing down at the rune again, she decided to take his advice and start pouring in a decent amount of source from the get-go.

    No sooner had she done this than the rune hummed to life once more, but this time it sang in the space.

    Or more accurately her source sounded like it was the one singing. A clear, resonant note, like the chime of a distant bell, filled her ears.

    Emily could feel the color wash from the world again, and along with it taste and smell.

    The creeping numbness might have unsettled her if she had not been expecting it. Instead, as her senses faded, she felt it¡ªthe pull.

    It came from everywhere at once.

    The world had turned to shades of grey. Emily¡¯s gaze flicked over the tent, catching the rhythmic sway of its walls where the wind ghosted through. Alex lay nearby, his back to her, chest rising and falling in steady intervals. Even the sand had changed¡ªloose grains hovering around her in silent orbit, caught in unseen lines of force. They drifted, locked in place, neither still nor free, as though held aloft by magnetism or some other force.

    Had she been capable of feeling anything, she might have found it beautiful, but perhaps more importantly, was the way everything felt around her.

    Every grain of sand floating around her seemed connected by a threat to her skin. Beyond that, the swaying tent pulled at her. Even the way Alex lay there attracted something in Emily.

    It felt as though the world was trying to pull her apart, each demanding her full attention. This was the sensation Emily had felt when she had taken in too much source, only without the nausea and exhaustion.

    This was why she¡¯d thought she was fading before. But what was causing it?

    Emily stared at the room around her, watching the strands stretching between herself and everything else. Countless threads of grey wove through the space¡ªso many that even with a lifetime, she doubted she could count them all.

    Yet, within the endless tangle of grey, motes of color began to emerge.

    Reds, greens, yellows, blues¡ªeven black and white. All the source colors were here. If she could feel shock right now, she would have.

    Emily had only ever sensed grey source¡ªand, to some extent, red, but that had only been in the tower, where she had sat atop a veritable mine of it. The fact that she could see all of them now was intriguing. More than that, it changed her understanding of grey source entirely.

    She had always thought her source was like black, something that dispersed other energies. But as she studied the surrounding threads, she realized it was the opposite. It connected them.

    Narrowing her gaze to her own sweat-slicked arm, Emily spotted motes of red flickering in and out of her skin¡ªbody heat, she assumed. But what she didn¡¯t expect was that, as the red left her, a thread of blue motes followed in its wake.

    She squinted.

    Glancing around, she saw red motes gathering around Alex¡¯s prone form. They drifted into him but were drawn toward his belt, where they were expelled into the world at an alarming rate. That had to be her siphon, right?

    Turning her focus to the green motes, she noticed they clung low to the ground, barely moving, yet attracting yellow motes to their side. The yellow motes, in turn, stretched upward and out of the tent, spaced evenly apart, as though interconnected.

    Curious, Emily reached out, brushing a finger through the air. The touch set off a cascading reaction, and the yellow motes knocked into one another like a Newton¡¯s cradle. She even noted how they disturbed the blue ones.

    Grey source did not disperse, it connected.

    Emily watched enraptured by the new world at her fingertips. She couldn¡¯t understand it all or even affect the other motes in any tangible way, but just having access to this sight felt like a trump card. It was unfortunate that she couldn¡¯t use this in combat, but it would be too distracting.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    All of this information was useful to Emily, but unfortunately, it didn¡¯t support their current theory that Grey Source could act as a stand-in.

    Maybe all she needed was to find some black source to study.

    Looking around, Emily found a thread and followed it over to Alex.

    There, on his forearm, was a light cut that had no doubt been made in the fight against Umbra, but the longer she looked at it, the more she could see.

    Black and white source moved through the wound in equal parts. The white motes chased after the black ones to repair the damage they left in their wake.

    From what Emily knew of the human body, if a cell was beyond repair the body would absorb it and create a new one. What was happening here?

    Emily tried to get a better understanding of how the black motes erased the damaged cells, but they just seemed to consume the damaged cells and move past the healthy ones.

    Emily spent an unknown amount of time watching this unseen world, and eventually decided she needed to try something or all of this would be a waste of time.

    She couldn¡¯t affect any of the other sources but the same could not be said for the source in her bones.

    Glancing down at her index finger, Emily focused on the first bone. The amount of Source in the appendage was frankly distracting, so she pushed ahead and took hold of one of the grey motes at random.

    It struggled at the barrier of her skin but Emily guided it through the barrier but kept it at the threshold. This particular stand was connected to a chain of yellow motes. It wasn¡¯t what she was looking for, but it would have to do.

    With a yank, Emily tried to pull the motes towards her.

    Like a dock line pulling taunt, the string of yellow motes moved towards Emily. It wasn¡¯t much but Emily was satisfied when she felt the barest breeze of wind move over her palm. She was about to search for a strand connecting to a black mote, when she realized something was wrong.

    Suddenly every mote in the area froze, causing the dynamic world of moving motes around her to stagnate.

    Emily was immediately on guard and if she could still feel her emotions she would have felt how unnerving this all was.

    The world around her seemed lost and more distant than ever before, and then it arrived.

    That presence Emily was so familiar and yet had only met one other time.

    The strands of grey began to rearrange themselves, and in doing so, consolidated into a shape. The longer Emily had remained in the grey world the more she had accepted its vast emptiness, like the space between worlds. However, now, the world of grey was looking back at her. She had done something to call attention to herself, and as nothing more than a passing thought, Emily watched an eye open, made from the very strands she had just manipulated.

    She saw it just as it saw her and that alone was enough to freeze her in place. Such was the presence¡¯s weight.

    She immediately knew who this was, that sixth, unnamed god that she had seen on her first day.

    It had been the one she¡¯d felt some kinship with, but it had also been the one to send her here without any explanation, so she wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about it.

    It on the other hand barely registered her presence, but it seemed locked on her form. The weight of its gaze was different from the world around her. This felt like she was going to splinter apart, and yet she endured. The pain pressing down on her began to become more manageable and the moment she wrestled control of her body back, Emily closed the connection.

    The last thing she saw before the world of grey faded was the eye watching her without emotion.

    Emily took a breath and blinked away the experience as color returned. She glanced around and saw the light outside the tent was already fading to dusk.

    Groaning Emily pressed her hand over her eyes. She¡¯d somehow lost hours and by the looks of things, outside everyone was starting to wake up.

    Alex shifted and turned over, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake? Good, because starting from here the real dangers begin. We should get ready.¡±

    Emily removed her hands to see Alex already getting up. She groaned once more just because she could, and pulled a little vitality from her chest to wake herself up.

    From the looks of things, it was going to be a long day.

    Moving from the hovel, Emily was headed for Ashe¡¯s tent when she spotted Fox handing out bowls of watery broth and changed her mind.

    Emily grabbed breakfast and a mug of night brew before heading over to the tarp where the animals were resting.

    She let her connection to Cupcake guide her but then she felt the animal already had company.

    Emily sighed, she¡¯d had just about enough of people for a while and was about to turn around to find another spot when she noticed it was Gerade currently brushing down her mount.

    She paused and looked down at her food before making her way over to the quiet duo.

    Cupcake was happy to see her and didn¡¯t even ¡®ask¡¯ where her potion was, she¡¯d already eaten, courtesy of Gerade.

    The man noticed her approaching and eventually taking a seat on a nearby stack of hay, but he remained silent, and so did Emily.

    She quietly dipped the wooden utensil into the cold liquid and gulped it down. She¡¯d have thought it being cold would be unpleasant, but once again Fox showed his skill with food.

    Emily was only too happy to say the soup-like concoction was refreshing, hearty, and a little like a pigeon.

    Emily glanced up at the man to see he¡¯d started on Mist and by the look of things he¡¯d been at it for a while, as many of the galendmares were taken care of too.

    Emily watched the man quietly and when she had finished her night brew she washed up and returned to the silent man.

    Picking up a nearby brush she began to work on one of the beasts. During this, neither of them spoke a word but when Emily needed help with attaching the hooded veil to the galendmares he wordlessly arrived and showed her how, before moving back to what he was doing.

    As Emily worked, her mind went back to the entity she¡¯d seen. It had certainly been a shock when it arrived, but somehow Emily wasn¡¯t sure it had meant her any harm. It had simply been observing her. Perhaps moving the strands was something it took note of.

    It could be watching her now and she wouldn¡¯t even know it, but so what? If they wanted to watch, they could be her guest.

    Emily found that she was left reeling after each meeting with these terrifyingly powerful beings, wondering how to stand her ground.

    Most would say you shouldn¡¯t, not in the face of power like that, but that didn¡¯t sit right with her.

    Sure, that being was inconceivably powerful, but it had to have rules, or the other gods would have killed her by now.

    That or they just didn¡¯t care.

    By the time Emily¡¯s thoughts were stable she realized they had completed all the mounts and Gerade was trying to get her attention by glareing a hole in the back of her head. When she turned and saw him, he cleared his throat.

    ¡°...Kael¡¯s getting ready to go, but he has a warning for all of us first, so let''s head over.¡±

    Emily nodded and packed away their tools before she headed towards the group where everyone was gathering.

    Blood points: 485

 Chapter 155 - Desert dealings

    Emily stood among the crowd, gazing up at Kael as he leaned forward in his mount¡¯s saddle.

    ¡°Now listen carefully,¡± he called out. ¡°There are many dangers in the desert, but in the next few days, we¡¯ll be entering its domain. If the heatstroke doesn¡¯t get you, I want you all to be prepared¡ª¡±

    Emily glanced past Kael and spotted Selia sitting on her own mount. She looked a bit pale, but otherwise, one could barely tell she was suffering under a curse.

    ¡°The first thing to be aware of is the Miragestalkers. They play tricks on your eyes, luring you into traps. Do not trust everything you see in the desert.

    ¡°The second is bones or corpses, nothing in this place can afford to leave resources lying around. If we come across remains, it means we¡¯ve wandered into a hunting ground, or worse. Get out as soon as you can.

    ¡°And finally¡­¡± Kael¡¯s expression darkened.

    ¡°Watch the weather. If things go stupendously bad, we may encounter a glassfire storm. I¡¯m working on a solution, but if you¡¯re separated and have no other option¡ªbury yourself and pray that whatever luck you have is on your side.¡±

    Emily fiddled with the cord on her cloak and pulled it down now that the sun had set. With a name like ¡®glassfire storm¡¯, she could only imagine what devastation that would cause. Emily brushed her hair out of her face to get a better look at her surroundings.

    The moonlight made it easier to look out over the dunes, in the day it was almost blinding to stare at.

    It looked about what one would expect of a desert, with hundreds of kilometers of wide open land stretching out as far as the eye could see. There was one exception to this. Kael had pointed them out, calling them sanctuaries, but to Emily, they looked like big rocks or buttes. They were hills with sharp sides and a flat top that was made of a harder stone, or it would have eroded by now.

    They poked out of the desert at odd intervals as they headed towards one such land mass.

    Apparently, for those who knew what they were doing, the desert held plenty of resources, or at least, that¡¯s what Kael had claimed. One thing Emily had noticed about him was how much more at ease he seemed in the dry heat.

    He never seemed to perspire or squint through the sweltering air, and even the way he sat in the saddle was more relaxed yet ready.

    Alex on the other hand rode beside him steating profusely. Humans were never meant to be in this kind of heat and while Emily found it to be a pleasant temperature, not many others could say the same.

    The humans weren''t suited for the environment. The only person having a harder time than them was Svent. The Armamentsmith was lagging behind, and although a layer of sap-like sweat covered his skin, he still resorted to bundling up tightly from the sun. Alex had said he had a ward protecting him from most of the heat, but even then, his suffering was obvious.

    Emily didn¡¯t blame the guy. It was just her estimation but the surrounding sands were easily 50 degrees and this was night. Granted the sun had just gone down so it would only cool from here, but that was not the type of heat a plant-man should be exposed to.

    When Emily could see the explanation was over, and everyone was getting ready to move. She was about to whistle for Cupcake when she saw Dunham struggling with his mount nearby.

    Somehow, the young guardsman was kitted out in his full city armor. Its shiny steel surface glowed in the moonlight, and she cringed at the thought of how hard that had to be to lug around, not to mention the heat. The only part of him left exposed was his hands, bare from removing his gloves to tend to the animal. Emily noticed they were strong, shaped by the rigors of training. Not all of his allies wore the same level of armor, but they all had some kind of metal piece on them.

    Glancing over she saw his galendmare panting and shaking itself as he tried to grab hold of its reins.

    Emily was no animal whisper but even she could see the dread on the creature''s face as the fully armor man attempted to mount up.

    Working next to Gerade for a while had taught her a thing or two.

    Moving toward the man she came up beside hard-skinned beast and patted its side.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you''re going to ride this poor creature to death if you don¡¯t swap it out with one of the less exhausted ones.¡±

    Dunham¡¯s eyes flickered over Emily briefly before he ground his jaw.

    ¡°Mesh is a strong partner, he can handle it.¡±

    Emily eyed the guy and looked up at the moons and back at him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he is, the fact that he¡¯s been carrying your heavy ass is a testament to his unbreaking spirit, but he¡¯s at his limit.¡±

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    A couple of his nearby allies snicker, covering their mouths with their fists or turning away.

    Dunham frowned as he refused to look at her.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll swap him out with one of my colleagues-¡± he started but Emily shook her head.

    ¡°Not good enough at this stage. Old Mesh here is so exhausted that even a fair woman like myself would weigh him down. No, at most you can put a light pack on him. You should double up with someone, and maybe lose the clunky gear.¡±

    Dunham scowled.

    ¡°Fair? From what I¡¯ve seen you¡¯re more like a woman from the Karno tribes, able to rend a man a sunder with just her hands.¡±

    This got another round of snickers from his friends, but it only deepened Emily''s grin.

    ¡°Very true, but my point still stands. Do what you want, but don¡¯t come crying to me when Mesh keels over.¡±

    Emily turned away to leave but Dunham grunted.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡±

    Emily turned back to the man in question. He looked like a kicked puppy and Emily couldn¡¯t help pausing.

    ¡°If what you said is true, then I can¡¯t ride with anyone here. I can¡¯t remove the armor on account of my title, and I can¡¯t travel without a mount. So the next best thing would be to ride on a mount strong enough to carry my¡­ ¡®fat ass¡¯. Would you be willing to let me ride with you? Just for tonight.¡± Dunham asked.

    Emily''s brows raised, she hadn¡¯t expected him to ask something like this. They hadn¡¯t exactly interacted much before this, yet he¡¯d taken her advice into account and adjusted accordingly. Most people would be too prideful to react at all, let alone this quickly.

    Still, it was a favor.

    ¡°From the looks of things, Mesh will need a couple of days rest. What would I get out of this?¡± Emily said, eyeing him up and down.

    Dunham scratched the back of his neck.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    Emily tapped her chin.

    ¡°Hmm, how about a Pentagram?¡± She asked.

    Dunham''s twisted into a frown.

    ¡°Be serious, we just barely escaped, even if I did have that kind of money, I wouldn¡¯t offer it for a ride. How about I do all your chores when we stop for the day?¡±

    Emily hummed, that offer was also tempting. She wasn¡¯t short of money right now seeing as Kael had yet to ask where the refined coins she took were. Though she only had three remaining after buying all their supplies, but each would sell for a decent amount.

    ¡°Hmm, okay counter offer, you handle my duties for the days you ride with me, and when we settle down for the day come to my tent.¡±

    No sooner had the words left Emily''s mouth, than whistles went up from the surrounding men, causing her to just roll her eyes.

    Men were the same no matter which world you were in.

    Dunham on the other hand still looked solemn.

    ¡°What for?¡± he asked.

    Emily¡¯s grin grew just enough that her pearly whites flashed through from behind the smile.

    ¡°You look like you have strong hands, I¡¯m going to put them to work.¡±

    This only made his friends devolve into full-on laughter and hollers, but Emily saw no need to correct them.

    Her eyes remained fixed on Dunham.

    ¡°So? Do we have a deal?¡± she asked as she extended her hand.

    Dunham frowned at her palm but took it. ¡°As long as I¡¯m not exhausted when we have to move, yes.¡±

    Emily shook his hand up and down.

    ¡°Great, grab your shit, Cupcake is on her way.¡±

    A column of sand exploded nearby as the Rime wolf climbed out of the dune and trotted over to them, shaking the sand out in her wake.

    By the time she got there, Emily was rolling her eyes.

    ¡°Come on girl, Gerade just brushed you.¡±

    Cupcake lowered her large body into the sand and yipped at Emily.

    She climbed onto the beast and turned to wait for Dunham. Emily suddenly had a good idea and sent it to Cupcake who seemed to like it.

    The man had gathered his pack and gear consisting of a short sword and a damn large shield. The moment he got his legs over Cupcake back Emily turned to him.

    ¡°Oh right, hold on.¡±

    No sooner had she said this than Cupcake got up and growled at Dunham on her back before dropping into the fastest twirl she could manage. Which with her strength was fast. The world turned to a blur of streaking colors and by the time Cupcake came out of her spin Dunham was barely handing on by the fur near her rump.

    Emily smirked at the panting man and nodded. She was right; he definitely had a firm grip.

    After that, they waited for another ten minutes while everyone got everything ready, and then finally, they left. Traveling through the desert at night was a pleasant experience for Emily. The winds that blew over gentle slopes were the perfect temperature. They invoked a warm evening back on Earth, where one could sit out under the stars and watch the galaxies spin in perfect comfort.

    Which if done from the back of a lumbering wolf with a completely new sky above her was an incredible scene.

    Of course, the circumstances that had brought her here were harrowing and the only reason she could enjoy the heat was from a near-lethal brush with fate, but Emily didn¡¯t need to dwell on the past.

    All in all, Emily was content. That was until they got close to one of the rock masses.

    Emily was near the front of the pack so she could keep an eye on things. Alex rode beside Kael as the two chatted about star maps and plotting a course, but most of it was boring stuff so Emily had been tuning them out.

    Selia was riding with Gerade who had been charged by Kael to look after her, while Lock and Ashe rod together.

    The woman was fervently reading through the tome which caused Emily to smile. She¡¯d just remembered the small book that Blood Mage had given her when Kael signaled for them to come to a stop.

    Emily slowed Cupcake down and felt Dunham shift behind her.

    ¡°What''s going on?¡± he whispered in her ear.

    ¡°That signal usually means prepare for danger.¡± Emily hissed back as she searched their surroundings.

    The rock was pretty close at this stage, so much so that its shadow loomed over them, but it was still a fair way away

    It was odd that Kael had noticed something first, especially since Atticus was in the air and hadn''t reported anything ahead.

    Following Kael¡¯s gaze, Emily tried to see what had caught his attention in the shadowed sands.

    For a moment, the wind picked up, sweeping thin sheets of sand into the air. Individual grains rattled against the nearby rocks. Emily squinted at the jagged stones protruding from the dunes. They were oddly shaped but not entirely out of place.

    That was until Kael shouted at the top of his lungs.

    ¡°Venomtails! Everyone defensive formation!¡±

    His shout alerted the ambush predators, and suddenly, the nearby rocks burst into motion. Carapace-covered limbs unfurled as creatures emerged from all around them, even from behind.

    Dozens of legs and segmented tails lifted into the air, and massive pincers erupted from the sand. Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed as minivan-sized scorpions crawled out of the shadows toward them. Their stingers swayed lazily above their heads, glistening with venom that dripped from the tips.

    Blood points: 487

 Chapter 156 - Raising dawn

    Emily ground her teeth as she glanced around at the encirclement of creatures. There were far more beasts here than people easily outnumbering them two to one. Running at this stage would only prove futile as there wasn¡¯t anywhere to retreat, so the only option was to fight.

    Kael seemed to come to the same conclusion because he began shouting orders.

    ¡°Form a perimeter around our mounts, we can¡¯t afford to lose any of them! Remember they can¡¯t see well in the light, so get more of our torches going!¡±

    Emily Watched the venomtails approach with disgust, their carapaces clicking together as they approached.

    ¡°Why is it always weird, nightmare creatures? Can¡¯t we get some cute carnivorous bunnies or something?¡± Emily moaned as they closed in.

    Alex hopped down from his mount and sent towards the center as he drew his blade.

    ¡°Emily not now, fill the ranks!¡± he shouted.

    Emily snorted and slid down the side of Cupcake to join the formation. Beside her, Dunham dropped down too and moved in beside her with a nod. Even Cupcake took up a large space, as she refused to go to the center with the other mounts.

    The venomtails were closing the distance in no time at all, and as they did so, the Wandering Fangs completed their protective perimeter, spreading out to cover as much space as possible.

    Kael was shouting orders but Emily¡¯s focus had turned to the incoming wave of scorpions. Their numbers were more than she had first anticipated, as more were digging their way out of the soft sands.

    If Emily had to guess, they were now outnumbered about three to one, which meant that if she wanted to make a difference she would need to kill as many as possible to give someone else a chance.

    Taking a breath Emily noticed Ashe pulling two handfuls of coin out of her pouches, which then began to hover in the air around her.

    Emily smiled as she began to create her own spears pouring two lives worth in each one. By the time she was done twelve spears floated around, but she didn¡¯t release them yet.

    All sorts of ranged attacks were released at Kael''s command, mowing down dozens of creatures, but no sooner had they fallen than the wave rose to fill their ranks.

    Emily waited until they were within the range of Life Conduit and released her deadly projectiles two by two.

    The speares snaked through the air at impossible-to-predict trajectories and reaped the lives of venomtails. Emily carefully controlled each one and of the dozen she sent, eleven were confirmed kills. The sound of shells crunching under the weight of her attacks.

    The corpses hadn¡¯t even come to a complete stop when more scorpions trampled over their brethren, some even began to feast on their own.

    Now that they were closer Emily could see why no one had noticed them sooner, their exoskeleton was a light orange which camouflaged perfectly with the sands.

    The light from the torches flickered in their soulless black eyes and off their narrow pinchers.

    Their bodies were flat plates of chitin that held their masses together, and a long, fat tail extended behind them.

    The courses disappeared behind the wall of fresh bodies and soon their two lines met. They were lucky the creatures didn¡¯t attempt to bulldoze them because they certainly had the mass. Alex moved to engage with Ashe at his back while Emily watched the next closest scorpion approach her.

    She was just about to block with a blood dome when Dunham moved into its path.

    Seeing this, the creature plunged its tail down at him with unnerving precision, but the heavily armored man was ready. When the deadly stab arrived, he raised his shield and deflected the strike to the side. Using the creature''s momentum against it, Dunham smashed his shield into the extended tail and brought his sword down.

    The blade found the gap in the creature''s chitin and sheered through its tail. The creature recoiled in pain and let out a high-pitched screech.

    Emily laughed and created a crescent which she used to finish off the scorpion with a slash through the front of its head.

    Emily immediately noticed that the blade had only sunk about halfway through the thing''s skull, which in this case killed it but she adjusted her strategy on the fly.

    Slashing attacks would clearly be less effective against these things, but the spears had worked perfectly so she created a few more now.

    Dunham on the other hand had already moved back to his position to block another venomtail and Emily had to deal with her one.

    Cupcake''s large form here was a downside because, in the eyes of the venomtails, she was better eating.

    This caused parts of the swarm to break off and go after her, meaning she was fighting four or five at any one given time.

    However, Cupcake relished the challenge. She used her speed and dexterity to completely outmaneuver the venomtails and rip into them when the opportunity allowed it. They were fast on their feet, able to pivot at a moment''s notice, but they couldn''t pin down the wily old wolf.

    Emily turned to her next enemy just in time to see a tail stabbing at her abdomen. Hissing she dropped into the sand and rolled, narrowly escaping the appendage as thick as her torso.

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    The venom tail pulled back in an attempt to strike again, but taking a page from Dunham''s book Emily slathered the tail in her blood, and like a piton being buried in stone she sent the blood deep into the sands.

    This kept it from retrieving its tail no matter how it pulled, it was not able to wriggle free and draw its weapon back again.

    Sadly, that didn¡¯t mean it was out of options. The venomtail had two sharp claws, which it lunged with now.

    Emily rolled out of the way of the first one but the second scooped her up out of the sands and clamped around her chest.

    Without thinking Emily extended her gown and pushed Tested Flesh to their limits so that when the crushing force came, all it did was break her sternum and collarbones, instead of sheer her in half.

    Emily didn¡¯t even have the breath to scream as it was forcefully squeezed from her lungs, but she did have a clear shot at its head.

    The venomtail screeched in victory just in time for her to shove her arm in its face a stab a spear of blood straight through one of its many eyes.

    The battle cry was cut short as it dropped into the sands dead. Emily got pulled forward with the collapsing beast as its pincher refused to release her.

    Emily struggled against the crushing claw but quickly realized her physical strength was not enough to get this thing off her. Ruby Guardian was already trying to help but without getting this thing off it couldn¡¯t do its job.

    she needed to use her blood to separate the appendage, but then another scorpion climbed over its brethren''s corpse, its dark eyes transfixed on the trapped morsel.

    The jostling sent spasms of pain through Emily¡¯s body which disrupted her concentration further.

    Dunham was close but he didn¡¯t have any room to maneuver over to her.

    Emily was dimly aware of the shout of battle around her, of the clang of steel on the chiton. People fought all around them, but she could see that only their strongest fighters could handle these things alone.

    To make matters worse the sands around them were still littered with venomtails, they¡¯d just beaten back the second wave but the third was coming.

    What Emily wouldn¡¯t give for a little napalm right about now.

    At this point, the scorpion looming over her struck.

    Emily raised a hand to block with a Vital Shell, but it turned out to be unnecessary.

    Alex and Ashe arrived nearby. Alex bisected the creature''s tail and then landed on top of the thing. It screached and tried to shack him off but he stabbed his artifact blade into the shell and cut it from the base of its tail to its head.

    Emily was then dimly aware that the crushing around her chest was lessening. When she looked down, she saw several coins had lodged themselves into the claw and were prying it open.

    ¡°Emily! Are you okay?!¡± Ashe called as she caught her.

    Emily drew in a gasping breath, nodding her head, she could already feel her vitality fixing the broken bones.

    ¡°I¡¯m good, thanks for the -save.¡± Emily coughed.

    Ashe turned to send her coins ahead, plunging the small projectiles into the creature''s eyes and tearing their brains apart.

    ¡°We need to do something, there''s too many of them, and the others can¡¯t cope¡± Ashe growled as she retrieved her brain-covered coins.

    Emily pursed her lips and glanced at Ashe, an idea beginning to take shape.

    ¡°Buy me thirty seconds I have an idea,¡± Emily said before moving forward, trusting Ashe to watch over her.

    Move towards the corpse she stopped at the frontline.

    "Alex! I need a ward that creates a lot of light and protects against it!"

    Alex turned to her with a confused expression, but something in her face must have given it away, because understanding suddenly dawned on him. He closed the space between them, drawing two runes on the flat side of his weapon like he usually did. Only when he got there did he turn it toward Emily so she could see them better.

    Emily stared at the runes as Blood formed in her right hand, molding itself to match them. Scarlet Sister weighed in, and the ward shifted.

    As soon as she finished, Emily formed a second ward in her left hand and flooded both with an enormous wave of source.

    She wanted to say something flashy, but maintaining two massive wards took all her focus. A self-satisfied grunt would have to do.

    The two wards drifted up as she overlaid them, though she kept them separate¡ªthere was no telling what might happen if they collided.

    The ward in her left hand was a simple one, but it was one she¡¯d been meaning to learn for a while. A spell that created a ball of light normally used as a torch. This time, she was pushing it far beyond its normal limits.

    The surrounding night was suddenly graced with an early sunrise. The ward flickered at first, then bloomed into a white sun above her hand.

    This type of ward was like fire¡ªonce started, it couldn''t be stopped. Fire consumed whatever it touched, beyond control. This ward was no different.

    Kael had said they were weak to light, but just because she created it didn¡¯t mean she was safe from its effects.

    The sphere of light expanded, its glow intensifying by the second until the shadows around them began to stretch and warp.

    Emily pushed the spell harder and sent it higher causing its light to bathe the entire area in a brilliant glow. The sudden change in their surroundings sent the venomtails into a state of disarray and fear. The same thing would have happened to them if it weren''t for the second ward activating. A screen of shadows rose from the dunes and fought back the light bearing down directly overhead. Emily extended the ward to cover as much of their formation as she dared, but it was a balancing act. Too much source in the one spell and she would overwhelm their protections, too much in the other and the shadows would extend to the venomtails, making this whole endeavor pointless.

    The creature''s reactions were exactly as she had hoped, the moment the light became too much, they began to scatter, directionlessly searching for safety.

    Shouts went up as chaotic battle went on around her as some of the creatures tried to feel into their shadow.

    Emily kept the spells going until she heard things quiet down and a pair of footsteps approached. When she looked up to see Kael¡¯s amused face greeting her. He was covered in scorpion blood and guts but he seemed in good spirits.

    ¡°If you keep this up I might miss you when you leave. Nice work either way, but you¡¯re going to have to keep that up for a while, can you manage?¡±

    Emily looked up at the two wards and frowned.

    "Yes, for a while still, but why? Haven''t they already fled?"

    Kael nodded, glancing around at his men.

    "They have, but we can¡¯t rest near a nest like this. I¡¯m going to have everyone gather what they can from the corpses, then we¡¯ll ride a while longer," he said.

    Emily pressed her lips together and refocused on the wards, but when she glanced back, Kael was already in the distance. She kicked herself, she should have asked for something in return for keeping them up.

    Alex had not left her side since she¡¯d managed to pull off the spells, and Cupcake sat quietly with Ashe resting on her

    Dunham came to see what was going on, but he didn¡¯t interfere with her concentration. Alex, on the other hand, got that same distant look he had on his face when they first met the man.

    He seemed to be trying to recall something but was unable to.

    Emily lowered her voice and nudged him.

    ¡°Do you know him from¡­somewhere?¡± she asked, hoping he got her meaning.

    Alex shook his head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize his name, but my title recognizes him.¡±

    Emily frowned at Dunham, who was cleaning his armor of scorpion guts. He was indeed great in a fight; she¡¯d seen him take down five of his own, but something wasn¡¯t adding up here.

    Could he be someone Alex knew from before? She had confirmed his name was Dunham unless he could fool her skills. Emily stared at the man until he looked up at her, after which she glanced away. Whatever the reason, it wasn''t too important right now. At the moment, Emily needed to maintain the wards. From the looks of things, the venomtails were still out there, scuttling in the shadows waiting for a chance to swarm them again.

    Blood points: 523

 Chapter 157 - Changing again

    Emily glanced up at the tiny sun she¡¯d created. The screen of darkness made it look like she was staring at it through a lens, but it was almost time to stop and get ready to leave.

    They had gathered what they could from the scorpion corpses, and Emily just hoped that whatever Fox cooked with them was good, because right now scorpion wasn¡¯t the most appetizing meal.

    Emily swallowed as she took stock of her source. They had been here for an hour now and she could safely say she still had plenty of energy to spare. There was one problem though. While her source limits were still far off, the physical burden of channeling that much source through her bridge was beginning to become a pain.

    Nothing she couldn''t ignore right now, but it was clear there was a limit to how much her body could naturally handle, even if it didn¡¯t push her closer to exposure. The stinging in her neck accompanied by the trail of blood was plenty of reason to stop.

    That being said she could heal it if it got too bad but as of right now, there was no need.

    Alex and Dunham left to help dismantle the corpses while Ashe and Cupcake stayed.

    The woman was leaning on Cupcake reading her tome, but she had a foul look on her face and kept glancing up.

    Emily opened her eyes, sensing the woman¡¯s gaze drilling into her back.

    ¡°What¡¯s up? Why do you look like I ate the last slice of cake?¡± she asked.

    Ashe swallowed and shook her head.

    ¡°I noticed it in our fight against The Weeping the other day, but so much happened I forgot. Then I noticed it again in this fight, and now I¡¯m kind of mad at you.¡±

    Emily briefly took her eyes off her spells to look at the woman.

    ¡°Alright, could the jury tell me what I¡¯m guilty of?¡± Emily asked.

    Ashe crossed her arms and looked away.

    ¡°You don¡¯t fight like a Mage is supposed to.¡±

    Emily almost giggled but quickly turned her full attention back to the spells as they began to tremble. When she had them under control, she spoke.

    ¡°And why exactly is that? I thought what I did was pretty magical.¡±

    Ashe shook her head.

    ¡°Acting like a Mage has nothing to do with casting spells. Well¡­ not only that. No, what I¡¯m referring to is the way you chose to fight as a Mage. Normally, a group gathers together to combine their spells and cast things beyond their normal capacity. For example, that storm cloud the Blood Mages used probably took all of them working together. The right response there would have been for us to form a group and defend our people.¡±

    Emily hummed dryly. They had been doing fine with the current situation, so why change things? It made sense that those trained in source would fight the enemy source users, but it had its downsides. Namely, Emily would be far less mobile if she had to work with people. But it did raise an interesting question.

    ¡°So casting spells like that was not a Blood Mage thing? How come we¡¯ve never cast a spell together?¡±

    Ashes face flushed with the barest hint of red.

    ¡°The process is considered an intimate undertaking and I¡¯m ashamed to say that I wasn¡¯t ready for something like that.¡±

    Emily squinted at her.

    ¡°But you are now?¡±

    Ashe shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°It seems like the most logical next step. We¡¯re constantly being attacked by things, it wouldn''t hurt to try working together.¡±

    Emily nodded and was about to answer when she felt her chest size and a warm sensation spreading throughout her blood. Frowning happily Emily glanced at Ashe.

    ¡°Look, I appreciate the thought, but when it comes to combat, I like to be mobile. Plus you have to work out how to help your sister right now.¡±

    Ashe bit the inside of her cheek and clutched the open book to her chest.

    ¡°I know, but at least promise me you think about it. We could do some amazing things if we worked together.¡±

    Emily nodded quickly but the pain was coming and she could feel her blood churning oddly in her veins. So much so that she was struggling to focus on the spells.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m interested¡­¡± She panted out. ¡°-but focus on what''s important right now,¡±

    Ashe¡¯s brows pinched together as she searched Emily¡¯s face.

    ¡°Are you okay? You look kind of pale.¡±

    Emily snorted.

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    ¡°I¡¯m fine, it''s just I took in a fair amount of life force back there and I think I¡¯ve hit a threshold.¡±

    Ashe looked around in worry.

    ¡°What does that mean? Do you need to stop working the wards?¡±

    Sweat had broken out across EMily¡¯s back and she nodded slowly.

    ¡°It would be for the best¡±

    Ashe looked around and nodded.

    ¡°Okay, it looks like everyone is finishing up, I¡¯ll go tell Kael,¡± she said as she got up.

    Emily nodded and heard her footsteps rush off but she couldn''t remain focused on them for long.

    The spell revolted against her as her concentration lapsed, and seeing as her power was the basis of her type of Blood magic, it began to waver in her grasp.

    Emily shut her eyes as a wave of nausea washed over her, and all at once her hold slipped.

    The wards, which had been humming with power until now, flickered out, and the blood fell, soaking into the sand almost immediately.

    Emily took deep breaths through her nose and trembled as countless pins and needles pickled her skin, she felt Cupcake get up from the sand.

    The Rime wolf sent her feeling of concern and Emily tried to tell she was okay before her connection to the beast closed off.

    Emily knew it would happen but it still felt isolating, so she sat down and crossed her legs. Moving through her mental exercises.

    Whenever her power evolved there was always a transition period where she was left defenseless. The last time had been downright pleasant, but this one was where it would start to get difficult.

    There was movement around her and she felt Cupcake''s fur brushing up against her skin as the beast curled around her protectively.

    Emily felt grateful to the beast as she felt more grounded. Less than a minute later she heard the beast growling and then Alex''s voice.

    ¡°Emily? What''s going on?¡±

    Unable to open her eyes she eeked out a few words.

    ¡°Just need some time to work this out. Guard me¡­¡±

    There was a pause and then Alex¡¯s voice came again, closer this time.

    ¡°I understand, but can you move? Dawn is coming, and we have at most another hour to get away from here.¡±

    Emily rode another wave of nausea as her blood fizzled in her veins. She heard Alex right in front of her, but she didn¡¯t have the strength to respond.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no,¡± he whispered.

    Suddenly Emily felt Alex take hold of her arms and hoist her unmoved form over his shoulder.

    There was a yip and a growl followed by silence but straight after that he heard Alex shout.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got her, we can go¡± Then at a more reasonable level he said.

    ¡°Ashe, take Mist and Dunham. I¡¯m going to ride Cupcake. She wouldn¡¯t let me take Emily otherwise.¡±

    Emily wanted to know what was going on around her but she was trying her best not to vomit as her chest cavity spasmed.

    Alex maneuvered her into the saddle, but she did nothing to help him. She heard the crack of reins and shouts coming from the convoy around her, but everything was getting harder to make out and more distant. Emily heard Ashe¡¯s voice ask if she was alright, but she couldn¡¯t even groan a response.

    As Emily¡¯s senses faded she felt Alex climb into the saddle and hold her form up as they took off.

    The jostling didn¡¯t make things any easier or less painful, but she refused to succumb to unconsciousness.

    All around them, Emily could hear the jingling of buckles and creaking leather. As hooves and wingbeats surrounded them. The fact that they left at a constant pace was a good sign because it meant that the venomtails had yet to return. Perhaps too hesitant to approach their group once more.

    The distant sounds of travel were all Emily had to hold onto as they moved for an unknown amount of time. Well, that and Alex at her back. If he was right it would be a while before they stopped for the day.

    Emily was using all her strength not to fall off Cupcake, and during this time, a haze of energy drifted past her. She couldn¡¯t open her eyes to see it, but she could feel it passing over her skin like waves of body heat.

    Emily followed the energy back to Alex who sat behind her. Giving off the most intoxicating ¡®scent¡¯. All around her was the same thing, mounts and riders moving around her. Running for their lives as creatures churned beneath the surface. She could feel the way their life glowed in her senses. It was not unlike how she usually sensed life force, but this came to her far easier. So much so that it didn¡¯t even require her attention to feel.

    Emily couldn¡¯t help the grin that appeared. The last time her powers had opened up like this she¡¯d seen a quantitive change in how she could use them. Granted it had taken almost a decade to reach it last time but there were so many benefits.

    The first was the negligible use of life force for blood creation. Things like flying became far more usable, so much so that she could potentially carry others and it wouldn¡¯t break the bank.

    The next big thing was how it changed the way she took vitality into herself.

    Even with Emily¡¯s title helping her, to fully gain the strength of another she needed to use her teeth. The change in her powers meant that she could now extend her draining capabilities beyond herself.

    As long as there was a direct link to her target she could drain them through that at full speed.

    It was very similar to what she¡¯d done to those Blood Mages ¨Cand partly the reason she¡¯d won. They had created a connection with her using their skills and she had simply reversed the flow. Now, as long as she could physically connect to a creature, she could create her own flow if she so wanted.

    Unfortunately, she was still unable to even move her limbs because of the nausea but if she could she would be jumping for joy at the moment.

    She almost wanted to tell them to turn back so she could go kill those nasty bugs, but on second thought she didn¡¯t want anything to do with those soulless eyes ever again.

    Emily was lost in thought as she contemplated all techniques now open to her when she felt Cupcake slowing.

    Her chest had been calming and the pain had faded to an afterthought. Emily''s whole body felt weak but she could tell she was already recovering. Her blood seemed to be done with its evolution but she was still weak. Emily could feel her connection to her power returning. At the same time, Cupcake¡¯s connection opened up again, and she felt the beast''s excitement and then confusion.

    They were lucky they had stopped for the day because the Rime wolf suddenly slowed and began to pant. The trip had been short to a beast like her, so there was no reason for her to suddenly plop down in the sand and shake them off. Alex cursed and had to yank Emily off with himself as the beast began to paw the ground and burrow into the cold sands.

    Alex frowned at the beast and when he looked down he noticed that Emily''s eyes fluttered open.

    ¡°Are you alright? What happened did you push your source too hard?¡± he asked.

    Emily glazed around to see people dismounting around her.

    ¡°I¡¯m all good,¡± she croaked as sensation began returning to her limbs.

    With a blank face, Alex looked out over the area as everyone began to sit down for the day.

    ¡°I¡¯ll put up a tent for you, let me just check in with Kael to make sure everything is good on his end.¡±

    Emily groaned and slowly righted herself. Aches had spread throughout her body from the process as she stretched her neck out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I just need a minute and I¡¯ll be on my own two feet.¡±

    Alex furrowed his brow at Emily, but she was already looking around at everyone. She noticed Ashe and Dunham dismounting from Mist''s back and a smile snuck its way onto her face.

    ¡°Actually, on second thought could you call Dunham over here? I have the perfect man for the job.¡±

    Blood points: 524

 Chapter 158 - Waking the beast

    Emily pulled her face out of the travel pillow and blinked away the sleep that had collected at the corners of her eyes. For a moment she glanced around her lair in confusion. Why was there so much sand everywhere? She struggled to remember what she had done last night but her body was throbbing with something fierce, like she¡¯d just gone a couple of rounds with Cosmo.

    Finally, Emily managed to stand up. Her head hit the tent ceiling, and she scowled. Taking in the tiny cloth room, she remembered where she was.

    Emily grimaced as she rubbed the side of her neck trying to work out the kinks.

    Yawning she moved to the entrance and out into the dunes. Dusk had just fallen and the sounds of people moving around assaulted her senses.

    Emily vaguely remembered having Dunham set up her tent as the sun was climbing into the sky before she crawled in and fell into a deep sleep. She must have slept straight through the night, which was good but she would have loved to continue her slumber. From the feel of things, her powers were still stabilizing, and her healing was struggling to deal with the aftermath of her change. Or she wouldn¡¯t still be feeling like a truck had hit her.

    Emily made a beeline for breakfast, grabbed her portion, shoveled it down, and went back for seconds. Fox eyed her while and shook his head.

    ¡°We¡¯re on rations, Emily. It''s one plate per person¡­ but I hear you that you were the one that put up that spell, so here is something extra to help you keep your strength up.

    Fox shoved something into her hands quietly winking at her.

    Emily looked up at the grouchy man and grinned, pocketing the contraband. She quickly washed up and found a secluded place to bite into the morsel. What found when she reached into her pocket was a ripe orange piece of fruit. In the desert, this may as well be gold. It had to have been retrieved with Nox¡¯s spatial magic.

    As she bit into the sweet flesh, the juices filled her mouth, and the flavor was similar to apricot. Emily sighed contently through the mouthful.

    She never would have thought that something as simple as a piece of fruit would be so exciting.

    Their recent fair had only been meat and porridge. Which wasn¡¯t bad at all but it was only a matter of time before their diet would only consist of meat.

    The biggest mystery for Emily was where all their water came from. She was sure Nox had a fair amount in his storage, and everyone carried emergency flasks, but every morning, they were allowed to refill them with Fox. She suspected there were wards to create water, but considering the sheer amount they needed each day¡ªnot to mention the needs of their beasts¡ªit was a troubling thought. If they ever struggled to find enough water, Emily would have to secure hers and Alex¡¯s supply first.

    When Emily was done she pocketed the pip from the fruit and went find Cupcake.

    Following her connection to the beast, she got at the spot where they had arrived yesterday. The lazy creature hadn¡¯t moved from where she had nestled in the sand the day before.

    ¡°Oi, come on girl we¡¯re leaving in ten and I need to get you ready.¡±

    Cupcake didn¡¯t respond, ignoring her voice.

    Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously.

    ¡°Are you really going to be that way right now?¡±

    Emily spotted a small spot where the sand shifted. Immediately recognizing one of Cupcake''s whip appendages, Emily reached down and grabbed it.

    Pulling the limb out from the sand.

    This got a reaction from the beast as the sands churned below.

    Suddenly the ground under her feet bulged and Cupcake stood from the sand. Her glossy pelt caused the sand to cascade down her back like water.

    Emily had to jump back as the form that rose from below was far larger than it had been when she had borrowed in there this morning.

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened as she took in Cupcake''s new bulk. Although she was still lithe, the Rime wolf was almost as large as Gerades''s old partner.

    The beast could easily carry three to four people, their gear, and still have room for extra. The next thing Emily noticed was her saddle hanging limply to the side. Cupcake''s new body had gone through such a huge growth spurt that it had ripped the saddle¡¯s straps that held it in place.

    Other than her size the beast''s fur had turned an even more vibrant crimson if that were possible. The last thing Emily noticed was the wolf''s eyes. Their brilliant blue had shifted slightly and just near the pupils was an alluring red that framed the edges. A new pride filled her eyes and chest causing her to stand straighter.

    Cupcake looked down on at Emily with a snort as though to challenge her, new dangerous air leaking out of her form. However, this only made the woman laugh as her eyes dared the beast to lunge.

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    ¡°Oh, so now you think you¡¯re hot stuff, huh.¡±

    Emily reached up and grabbed Cucpake under the chin, her hand barely able to close around the bottom half of her snout, and pulled the beast''s head down to her level. Staring into her eyes

    ¡°You¡¯re mine, don¡¯t get all high and mighty with me young lady¡±

    Cupcake tried to pull her head away gently, but Emily grabbed it again with her other hand and held her in place. Gently resting her forehead on the beast''s warm nose.

    Excitement, pride, and fondness wrestled in the beast but eventually, she plopped back into the sand, defeated. The action drew Emily''s attention back to the saddle and she groaned.

    ¡°Oh great, now I have to get that fixed. Come on let''s go, bring the saddle,¡± she said as she started walking to the mount tarp.

    A couple of people did double takes as they saw the beast''s new size but no one blocked her path.

    When Emily got there she saw Gerade and Loch dealing with the rime wolf pups. These pups had been the only beasts they had managed to rescue back in Sam¡¯eth¡¯s camp. Unlike the fully grown wolves, it seemed they had mercy for the pups because they had been left in nearby cages. Over the last few days, they had been splitting the pups between the mounts as they were getting too big to fit on any one galendmare. One of the main reasons why Emily thought the man had recovered from his partner''s death as much as he had was because of them.

    The moment the pups saw Cupcake they scampered over to her, who, like a mother wolf, welcomed them, bathing in tongue kisses.

    Gerade looked up at Cupcake and hummed.

    ¡°Well, it finally happened, she advanced.¡±

    Emily looked at the usually quiet man and raised an eyebrow. Loch turned to look at Cupcake and his eyes widened.

    ¡±Oh my gosh, is that Cupcake?!¡±

    Seeing as Gerade seemed to know what was going on she looked at him.

    ¡°Advanced? Is that something Rime wolves can do?¡±

    Gerade nodded.

    ¡°Yes.¡± he nodded firmly.

    Emily stared at the man dryly.

    ¡°Ever the conversationalist, Gerade. What does that mean?¡±

    Loch looked like he was about to answer for Gerade but the man finally gathered himself.

    ¡°All creatures can advance their bloodlines as they get stronger, just like we can rank up. Their titles are more limited but they can be just as dangerous. After a Rime wolf, comes a Dire Rime wolf. It is a stronger, faster variant with some bloodline abilities, but as for what those are it could be several things. All that matters now is that she will be far more deadly in combat¡±

    Emily was glad that the man was willing to say so much about her ally''s new deadly form.

    She looked at Cupcake who was currently lying with her belly exposed amongst the pups as they encircled her yipping away.

    Sure, far more deadly. She thought sarcastically.

    ¡°Right, well, the harness keeping her saddle on is torn in three places, so she is certainly more deadly when it comes to that¡±. Can I get some help repairing it?

    Gerade scratched the back of his head as he stared at the gobby stadle riddled with teeth marks, and turned to Loch.

    ¡°Go get Nox to give you my spare saddle. The normal one won¡¯t fit her anymore, even on their largest notch. Oh and the the spare baskets¡±

    Loch paused before he left.

    ¡°Boss are you sure that¡¯s¡­¡± he started, but shut up when Gerade glared at him.

    ¡°Oh course I¡¯m sure. I¡¯d rather it be put to use than sit in our supplies.¡±

    Emily pressed her lips together when realized he meant to give her his partner''s old saddle.

    Alex had said that he had lost his wolf in combat against their Black Cardinal, but he hadn¡¯t gone into detail.

    When Loch left Emily didn¡¯t bother trying to strike up a conversation with Gerade. Instead, she began playing with the pups. They had grown a lot since she¡¯d caught them.

    Each of them was now as large as a medium-sized labrador with full coats and gangly limbs.

    It was a stark difference from the blurry-eyed creatures that could not even walk a few weeks ago.

    As she played with them they nuzzled into Emily, happy to nip and growl at her. Their sharp fangs even managed to poke through her Tested flesh but she let it go because of their clumsy cute faces. Emily giggled as they went through all manner of antic while Gerade watched.

    ¡°They respect you, that''s good¡­¡± he said.

    Emily looked up from playing and shrugged.

    ¡°They¡¯re puppies, no need to look that close into it.¡±

    Gerade nodded.

    ¡°Perhaps, but pups won¡¯t usually play like that without first checking in with a protector that it''s safe. In your case, they consider you the same as your beast. Which is good because they need to do some running, and I think you¡¯d make a good tether.¡±

    Emily frowned as she ruffled the top of the pups'' heads.

    ¡°Sounds like a lot of work.¡±

    ¡°It is¡­¡± he said.

    Emily was about to decline when Cucpake sent feelings of joy down their connection.

    She sighed and retracted her hand from the creatures.

    ¡°Fine, what do I do?¡±

    Gerade nodded and began to explain; by the time Lock had returned, she already had everything committed to memory.

    She helped to fasten the saddle to Cupcake, along with two baskets to her flanks.

    They were identical to the ones Emily had seen before,e only now they were just half domes. Each pup could fill up the entire space of their basket, whereas when they had first arrived they could all fit snuggly in one.

    Pretty soon, Kael and Selia began to spread the order to head out, and Emily whistled sharply three times.

    Three of the six pups hopped up into the two baskets, with the one resting on the she-wolf''s rump. While the other three gathered around her paws.

    Because Rime wolves needed so much exercise as they were growing up, it was good to have them travel with them, even if they could not be mounts.

    However, seeing as they were still young, Gerade didn¡¯t want them getting too exhausted so they were set to take turns. While three would walk beside their tether, the other three would rest.

    It took a bit of memorization to get down the different calls, but once Emily had them, they worked a treat.

    Emily guided them forward as she sat in the middle of the pack with Dunham at her back.

    Thus, they continued their journey into the desert with three pups chasing after a large Rime wolf and her riders.

    As time went on, Emily fell into a rhythm with the little beasts. She started to notice when one was falling behind and called for a swap. She kept doing this until Gerade fell back to have them rest for the day as they had only managed to travel for half the day. Emily didn¡¯t know of many animals that could travel for that long when they were less than a month old.

    They returned to other riders who had made space for them to rest on their mounts.

    When they were around three-quarters of the way through the night, they came across what looked like a cluster of trees hiding in the shadow of a butte, and there, under their shade, was a small pond glittering in the moonlight.

    Blood points: 527

 Chapter 159 - Desert hunting

    The moment Emily saw the scene, something felt wrong. The desert spring looked like an oasis, and even the distant vegetation looked almost too vibrant to call the desert home.

    Kael stopped their advance, and Emily approached the front to hear what was happening.

    He looked to be locked in a discussion with Atticus.

    ¡°From above it looks unguarded, but if there is water there then I believe there must be a guardian,¡± Atticus said.

    Kael nodded at this.

    ¡°Good, what else do you see.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see venomtails in the sand however I¡¯m fairly certain there were some edible fruits on what little vegetation there is.¡±

    Again Kael nodded holding his gaze.

    ¡°What else did you see?¡±

    Being asked for the third time Atticus frowned, but still put some thought into it.

    ¡°I¡¯m, not sure. From the onset, everything looks okay.¡±

    Kael nodded slowly like a patient teacher.

    ¡°Look at the shadows for me, what do notice?¡±

    Atticus glanced back at the butte and Emily did the same thing now. She glanced along the edges of the shadow from their vantage point.

    The shadows in question were pretty distant so they trembled from the heat wafting off the dunes, but as Emily focused she could make out more.

    The way the water rippled or how the large dry trees swayed ever so gently.

    Emily frowned as she held an open palm up and narrowed her eyes.

    Squinting at the picture again only served to make her certain.

    ¡°It''s not real she whispered.¡±

    Kael turned straight around and locked eyes with Emily, an amused glint in his eyes.

    ¡°And why do you say that?¡±

    Emily glanced up at the skies and back down at the trees

    ¡°The wind, there is none tonight, and yet the trees are moving. What makes it more interesting is that the shadows in the sand are not.¡±

    Kael smiled.

    ¡°I would have gone with how irregular the shadows were but yes, you¡¯re right. And what was one of the three things I warned everyone about?¡±

    Atticus crouched as he lowered himself to level with the ground.

    ¡°Miragesalkers,¡± he whispered.

    Selia who was close by crouched as well.

    Kael nodded.

    "It''s an illusion. The sanctuary may or may not be real, but there is a group of Miragestalkers there. So, we¡¯ll do the smart thing and go around."

    No one disagreed with his order, but he¡¯d taken time to teach them what they were looking for and Emily could appreciate that. The thought that they might have walked straight into a trap without realizing was far from reassuring.

    They maintained their distance and traveled around the rocky peak which raised a good question.

    How did they know what direction to go in?

    After a certain point, Emily had lost track of which way was left and right, yet Kael seemed to know exactly where they were going from the start.

    He would consult one of Selia¡¯s maps now and then, but since there were no landmarks to help them, Emily wasn¡¯t sure how he was guiding them.

    She thought maybe it was the stars as she looked up into the ethereal night sky. Its ceiling was so full of pinpricks of light that she wondered how anyone could make a map using them. Not even Earth, in its unpopulated regions, had this many distant suns.

    Emily had lost herself in the breathtaking colors when Alex and Mist pulled up beside them.

    ¡°How are you feeling right now?¡± he asked.

    Emily shrugged as she leveled her gaze on him.

    ¡°Still a little sore, but I have it under control.¡±

    ¡°What happened back there? I don¡¯t think it was your source.¡± Alex asked.

    Emily glanced behind her and shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to tell you when there are fewer ears around, but suffice it to say that shouldn¡¯t happen again for a while.¡±

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    Emily saw Dunham shoot her a glare but said nothing. He was working on something with his hands, using a dagger to carve something into a piece of wood.

    Alex didn¡¯t look happy but he nodded,

    ¡°Here, Ashe asked me to hand this to you to practice, you¡¯re going to need them for whatever you''re doing together.¡±

    Emily''s brows rose as she looked at a folded sheet of paper he held in his hands. It hadn¡¯t occurred to Emily to ask Alex for help, but as Ashe had said he was incredible at rune recognition, so she probably ran something by him. Not that Emily minded, she nodded and took the page.

    ¡°Okay, thanks¡­¡± she said as she opened it and began reading. It was a series of different runes she needed to memorize and be able to recreate.

    Because Emily refused to let Ashe be the one to do it, they had to do it this way.

    She still hadn¡¯t figured out how to break the news that Grey Source didn¡¯t work the way they had first thought.

    Tucking the page away, she watched as Alex nodded and made his way back to the front. He had taken on a lot of responsibility in the Wandering Fangs lately, and Emily had noticed more and more people deferring to him whenever Kael or Seila weren¡¯t around.

    Her train of thought was abruptly interrupted when Dunham spoke from behind her.

    ¡°You look guilty over something,¡±.

    Emily gazed back at the man in annoyance.

    ¡°How about you don¡¯t poke your nose into my business.¡±

    Dunham lifted his hands in surrender, revealing a small wooden carving of a bird in his palm.

    ¡°Shit, I overstepped again, I offer my deepest apologies,¡± he said with an awkward smile on his face.

    Emily¡¯s brows knitted together wondering why she¡¯d gotten so defensive.

    ¡°I¡¯ll accept you sorry if you let me see that,¡± she pointed to the carving.

    Dunham glanced at the piece of wood and shrugged before passing it to her.

    The carving''s detail was incredible¡ªa raven, complete with a saddle for a rider. The tiny bird''s wings were mid-flap, captured with such lifelike precision that, for a moment, she almost expected it to take off and fly away.

    ¡°I¡¯m not guilty, I just need to deliver bad news and I don¡¯t want to,¡± Emily said finally.

    Dunham hummed and she could feel him shrug behind her.

    ¡°Well, when I have to break bad news to one of my men I try and do it as soon as I can. The person won¡¯t thank you for hanging onto it, and maybe then you can help them come up with a solution.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes fell on Selia¡¯s back and then moved back to the wooden bird in her hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure this is something I can fix¡­ out of interest how does someone like you get put in charge of their own unit in a place like Lorethil¡± she asked changing the topic.

    Dunham cleared his throat.

    ¡°Well, I was born in the city so that helped, but it was probably because of my title. They were trying to make sure I got experience before swearing in.¡±

    Emily cocked her head but remained looking ahead.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been training for as long as I can remember to protect people. The Sentinel title has a rare skill that offers a similar bond to a Vow,¡±

    ¡°Is that a good thing?¡± she asked.

    Dunham didn¡¯t answer for a second but when he did there was a smile in his voice.

    ¡°It can be, depending on the person. If I use it, I lose all my freedom, but in exchange it allows me to protect someone far more effectively, and as long as I¡¯m alive they won¡¯t be in any danger.¡±

    Emily turned the bird over in her fingers to see the underside where he was still finishing it off. His title reminded her of her current situation and it bothered her.

    ¡°That seems like a pretty big weakness to tell me,¡± she said.

    The rumbling from his chest seemed carefree as he laughed openly.

    ¡°Not really, it has to be my choice to activate it in the end.¡±

    Emily sighed as she thought over her choice. She needed to tell Ashe about the grey source but hopefully, there was a way to reconcile the two before she had to.

    Emily turned in the saddle to hand him the carving back and be done with this conversation, but what she saw caused her to freeze.

    They had been traveling for a while now, so the little oasis was securely in their rearview mirror, only it wasn¡¯t.

    The butte remained but from their current position, Emily could not see the illusion behind them anymore.

    What was worse was that there was no sign of anything having been there at all.

    Emily squinted in the distance to see if her eyes were playing tricks on her but shoved the carving into Dunham''s hand and clicked her tongue.

    Cupcake took off, pushing from the middle of the pack Emily found Kael looking at a chart with dozens of lines on them.

    ¡°Hey! Is it weird if they disappeared?¡± Emily said when she was in earshot.

    Kael looked up but his face was immediately serious.

    ¡°What? Who disappeared?¡±

    Emily shook her head.

    ¡°No, I mean the Miragesalkers, their illusion is not there anymore.¡±

    Kael¡¯s eyes narrowed and he began scanning the area behind them, and when he couldn¡¯t find the oasis he scanned the horizon.

    ¡°Shit, it''s not weird, it''s worrying. It means they¡¯ve caught our scent.¡±

    Seila arrived next to them.

    ¡°What does that mean for us?¡± she asked. Emily looked at her pale complexion and saw her hands trembling from exhaustion.

    Alex arrived next with Svent behind him.

    ¡°It means we¡¯re not going anywhere,¡± he said, glancing at Kael.

    The man nodded as he continued to follow the horizon as he spoke.

    ¡°If they have decided to stalk us it is because they think they can take a group of our size, meaning the skulk is large enough to not feel afraid.¡±

    Seila shook her head.

    ¡°Then I don¡¯t get it, Why don¡¯t we run?¡±

    Alex shook his head.

    ¡°We could but all that would do is play into their tactics. To make matters worse navigating through this place will become almost impossible. With creatures capable of manipulating the landscape they would just run us ragged as we moved in circles.¡±

    Kael had pulled his eyes off the landscape to look at Alex.

    ¡°He''s right, the only way to fight these particular beasts is to hunker down and wait for their attack. When we were spotted by the Miragesalkers, we may as well have thrown our sense of direction out.¡±

    Kael took off his gloves and placed his fingers in his mouth to whistle. Calling a halt to the procession.

    His voice went up into the night skies.

    ¡°My fangs, we¡¯ll be cutting our travel short this evening. Everyone will now grab a partner, do not leave their side even just to relieve yourself. There is a chance we are being hunted. In a moment I will have a marker placed, do not lose sight of it. For now, everyone unpack as usual.¡±

    The people behind him looked for one another as a creeping chill began to enter their eyes. Telling a group of people that they were being hunted by illusion creatures, would not have been Emily¡¯s first move, but she could see the logic in his thinking.

    An illusionist''s greatest advantage was people not expecting their manipulations, so arming them with this knowledge gave them a chance at survival.

    Unfortunately, it also put everyone on edge as they too began searching their surroundings.

    Once Kael had spoken he turned back to them all.

    ¡°Find Ashe for me. Have her put up a pillar in the center of the camp. She needs to make it as tall as possible. Make sure everyone sets their tents in a tighter formation today, as we don¡¯t know if they will attack.¡±

    Everyone broke into groups to go and follow his orders but as Emily glanced around at the horizon she felt certain that something was out there. All of this could just be in their heads and they were panicking over nothing, but it was hard to tell, and deadly to ignore

    Grunting she kicked the sand.

    ¡°This is why I hate illusionists.¡±

    Blood points: 530

 Chapter 160 - Source refined

    Emily sat watching Ashe work in the early morning light. She¡¯d found herself a nearby spot and dumped her tent out onto the sand so that Dunham could get started. In the meantime, she used her pack as a cushion.

    Since they had started making camp for the day, Emily had been keeping an eye on their surroundings for any signs of change, but so far, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. However, Kael had been moving around, scanning the horizon, and though she wasn¡¯t certain, Emily thought she detected the smallest hint of unease in his stance.

    Ashe had been working on Kael''s request for quite a while now as she built up an obelisk in the center of the camp brick by brick. Well not exactly, but with every hand gesture more sand would swarm up into the structure. Compacting into a hardened glittering stone.

    It was a simple yet impressive affair.

    Ashe had already built it over two stories in height, and even in the shifting sands, the dense four-sided column looked sturdy.

    It was at times like these that Emily remembered that this was what Ashe had originally been headed to Tagrin¡¯s keep to build structures for people to live in. If she had not found her sister, she probably would have been doing exactly that right about now.

    The type of casting Ashe was doing now was by no means fast. It had taken her all of two hours to build this far, but apparently. The slower casting allowed her to cut corners and reach her limits more slowly. At the same time, it made for a stronger structure.

    Emily was watching the slowly rising mound of earth and turned her head to look at Svent.

    The Treefolk looked worse for wear. He was panting quietly to himself and Emily did wonder why he¡¯d decided to join them in this place as it seemed he was suffering the most out of everyone here.

    Even though Svent looked beyond exhausted he seemed to be working on a metallic disk, etching in fine lines with an unwavering precision.

    It was impressive that even in this heat, his skill didn¡¯t fail him.

    ¡°What are you working on over there?¡± she asked, genuinely curious.

    The Treefolk looked up from his work and then at their surroundings. Everyone had just about finished their work on the camp and were settling down for the day so there weren¡¯t many people around.

    Seeing this he shrugged.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a big secret, but Kael would probably not want me to spread news of what I¡¯m working on Miss Emily,¡± he said with labored breath.

    Emily scooted in closer.

    ¡°Oh come on, he won¡¯t care, and I won¡¯t tell anyone,¡± she said with a reassuring smile.

    Event pressed his lips together.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m trying to figure out a way to protect us from the desert storms.¡±

    Emily shifted on her pack causing it the jingle with the sound of moving equipment.

    She recalled Kael saying he was working on it, but it sounded like they weren¡¯t as far along as he¡¯d made it sound

    ¡°Okay, but like, what happened to that large stone ward we used up in the mountains? Wouldn''t that help if we encountered a storm?¡±

    Svent nodded as he continued to work.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I said, but Kael insisted it wouldn¡¯t be strong enough. It needs to resist heat to the highest degree. The only problem is that the ward is built to keep the cold out. So I have to redesign it using what we have on hand.¡±

    Emily raised her eyebrows in appreciation.

    The fact that this guy was making something like this was impressive, but doubly so that he was using scraps they had lying around.

    ¡°So how far are you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well, I think I have the protective enchantment down, but the problem now is source requirements. To make it as strong as possible I had to ignore the energy requirements. The problem now is getting enough to activate the wards.¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°I have plenty, I can help,¡± she said, but contrary to her expectations Svent shook his head.

    ¡°The requirements would be too large for you, and even if they weren''t that¡¯s not the main problem. The ward needs a very exact amount of source released at an incredibly stable rate. People aren''t capable of this without years of practice.¡±

    Rubbing the side of her face she glanced around for Kael.

    ¡°Well, then what about the refined source we got from the layline? Can¡¯t you ask Kael if you can use that?¡±

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    Again Svent nodded.

    ¡°That would be perfect if they weren''t all so drained. I''ve already tested them you see. As refined source goes, each tile has than enough energy in it to outshine this whole convoy. But from what I can tell, the tomb was drawing from them more than they could naturally recharge. Meaning they are comparatively empty.¡±

    Emily frowned at this. Up until recently, she hadn¡¯t had a chance to properly inspect the refined source. What with escaping the mountains, and helping research all day, then escaping the city¨C she was doing a lot of running nowadays.

    Emily shook her head, thinking back to when she had first found a piece of the stuff. It had responded to her, yet she had never looked into it again¡ªaside from selling it¡ªbut perhaps she could fix that now.

    ¡°One sec I might have an idea,¡± she said as she hopped off her bag.

    Rummaging through it she found her coin purse and extracted one of the tiles of refined source.

    Not wanting Svent to see that she had the stuff. Emily turned her back to him and kept her hand in the bag.

    Closing her eyes, Emily felt that same buzz of energy in the palm of her hand. She tried to feel it out but the tile didn¡¯t respond much beyond that.

    She tried shoving energy into the metal just like she would if it were a ward, but there was no give. Emily tried to urge the source to enter and when that didn¡¯t work she tried forcing it but something was preventing her source from approaching, causing it to collect outside uselessly. The piece of refined source refused to take anything from her.

    Frowning Emily looked up an expectant Svent.

    ¡°Um, on second thought I¡­¡± Emily paused.

    There was one thing she hadn¡¯t tried.

    Letting go of the refined source Emily rummaged around her pack for her chalkboard. She found the rune Ashe and Alex had given her and poured power into it.

    The world exploded into an array of threads. Before anything, Emily glanced around for the eye.

    What she found was not what she¡¯d expected. Gone was the massive eye, but now several tiny ones were watching her from all directions.

    Swallowing she tried to take a better look at them, and the longer she stared the more she realized they held no displeasure for her.

    Seeing as all they were doing was watching Emily decided that she would do whatever she wanted.

    Looking down at her pack she pushed through the material and arrived at the refined source tile.

    What she saw was a chaotic mass of color swimming around inside a bundle of green strands. It looked like a densely packed forest surrounding a miniature sun.

    Pressing her lips together Emily turned her sight to the barrier between her and the energy. It was like a tightly bound ball of yarn keeping other energy out. There was the odd thread that managed to get through through the barrier but that was few and far between.

    Every strand was added to the wall. Emily frowned at the separation but she also had an idea.

    If all that was stopping her from getting to the energy was that wall then could she perhaps dig her way in?

    The last time she¡¯d moved the strands the eye had appeared, but if it was already here, then there was nothing to fear.

    Grabbing hold of a lump of strands in her hand Emily pulled them into a needle of sorts.

    Then pressing her finger back up against the metal she stabbed the threads into the green barrier.

    Seeing as they were the same size, they weaved their way through the threads and arrived on the other side with little resistance.

    Right away Emily could feel a connection to the enormous amount of source on the other side, but it was strange. The energy felt untamed and wild, like an electrical charge.

    The majority was grey source but there was also a good amount of all the other colors.

    As she pushed her energy in she found that some of the power was leaking out through the opening.

    The only thing Emily could equate it to was blowing up a balloon. As she pushed more power into the refined piece of metal, it more pressure inside, making it slightly harder to get more in. But this didn¡¯t stop her from funneling her available source into the tile. With the path clear Emily felt the pressure within the tile grow and she only let up when the density in her bones fell to almost half.

    Emily got the sense that if this amount of power were to get out it would be the equivalent of a grenade going off. No, more like a brick of C4, when this energy got out it would probably all try to escape at once and there was enough energy in this thing to create over a hundred attacks with her staff.

    Best to treat it with care and respect.

    Luckily, the green source was incredibly stable, as it would take a significant deal of effort on her part to rupture the ¡®ballon¡¯ in this case.

    When Emily opened her eyes the world of threads faded and she saw Svent still sitting there looking confused.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sure, and I found a way to recharge the refined source, so if you get a couple of pieces from Kael I can charge them up for you.¡±

    Svent¡¯s face blacked rapidly and shook his head.

    ¡°Is that even possible? As far as I know piece of refined source is consumed during use. Once it is completely used up it''s useless. It can only naturally regenerate over decades of non-use.¡±

    Emily had given over half her source to the tile, but if she were to guess it was less than a tenth of what the tile could handle.

    If she were to show Svent her piece of refined source she was sure he could tell, but she wasn''t about to admit to anything yet.

    ¡°I guarantee it, but it''s ultimately your choice whether you want to believe me.¡±

    Svent bit the inside of his lip seeming confused.

    ¡°Well, I can ask Kael. I¡¯m going to need to use them anyway. I¡¯ll let you know when I have them.¡±

    Emily nodded and refocused on her own piece. Should she continue to charge it? Was there a need?

    As she was wondering this Emily looked up to see Ashe finishing her obelisk. She¡¯d flattened out the top and added stairs to the side so it was more like a watchtower than a beacon, but the structure was almost three stories tall.

    Emily spotted Ashe walking down the side of her creation with a tired but satisfied look on her face.

    When she saw Emily looking at her, she smiled and made her way toward them. By now, Dunham had set up her tent and was heading over to help Fox with the food¡ªwhen a cacophonous sound erupted from in front of them.

    Emily was on her feet in seconds, ready to act. But as she caught sight of the distant horizon, she struggled to reconcile what she was seeing.

    She sprinted to the pillar Ashe had just finished and ran halfway up its side. When she stopped, her gaze locked onto the horizon, where the air itself was trembling.

    All around the camp, people were searching for the source of the disturbance, and Emily saw it unfold in an instant.

    In front of her, a massive chasm yawned open, pulling the nearby sands into its depths. The dunes tumbled down its sheer sides like rushing water, and as the void expanded, even more sand was dragged in.

    Like a wound splitting open across the landscape, the chasm curved inward, wrapping around them. Before they could react, they were surrounded on all sides¡ªan island adrift in a sea of shifting sand.

    Kael appeared beside Emily, his lips pressed into a thin line as he stared down at the gaping abyss.

    "They¡¯re here, aren¡¯t they?" she asked.

    Kael glanced at her. "Yes. And there are far more than I first thought."

    Blood points: 532

 Chapter 161 - Chase that shadow

    The mid-afternoon sun beat down around Emily as she stared out over the plains. Why in the world had she opened her big mouth? The heat was dry enough to chap her lips in seconds and the day had seen it fit not to offer up a hint of wind to cool her down.

    Emily thought back to earlier this morning when all this had started.

    ¡°We need to be on high alert from now on. They¡¯re going to try and wear us down, and when our guard has lax they¡¯ll sneak into camp.¡±

    Emily had stared at Kael with some indignation.

    ¡°Surely you don¡¯t think we¡¯ll miss them getting that close to us.¡±

    Kael shrugged.

    ¡°It''s not a matter of if, but when. These creatures are cunning, and will wait to see signs of exhaustion.¡±

    Emily rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Well if they¡¯re that smart why don¡¯t we just baste someone in barbeque sauce and leave them out for all to see? Then we can just kill them when they approach. I¡¯d rather that than wait day to see a glimpse of them.¡±

    Kael snorted in amusement but then paused and cocked his head.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea though, now that you mention it.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed at the man.

    ¡°What do you mean? Do you have barbecue sauce? Have you been making us eat all that meat and kept the good stuff for yourself-¡±

    Kael held up a hand while touching the other to his forehead.

    ¡°I have no idea what barbecue sauce is. But the idea to leave someone out in the open to draw their attention is not a bad one.¡±

    Emily had glanced at the rising sun and shrugged.

    ¡°Right¡­ Well, you will need to pick someone with access to a skill that can keep them cool, or¡­¡±

    Kael had given her a long stare and smiled.

    ¡°You know I¡¯ve been watching you and seen that you don¡¯t seem that affected by the heat.¡±

    Emily hadn¡¯t said a word but she¡¯d suddenly felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise.

    ¡°And you could heal wherever sun damage was done to you¡­¡±

    Emily grimaced to herself.

    ¡°Not happening boss man. I¡¯m not willing going to get baked out in the sun.¡±

    Kael grinned.

    ¡°Not even if I have something you might want?¡± Kael said with a devilish smile.

    Emily crossed her arms and squared off.

    ¡°And what exactly would that be¡­¡±

    Kael cleared his throat and continued.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t what sauce you were talking about, but I can arrange for you to have your meals come with a little something extra. Some Veg, some Fruit, maybe even a little liquor.¡±

    The corner of Emily¡¯s mouth had twitched at the thought. The once mighty villainess brought to her knee for a few extra scraps of food.

    ¡°I¡¯m listening¡­¡± she said despite herself.

    Kael''s eyes glittered.

    ¡°I can make sure you eat like a queen of the desert. All I ask is that you sit up here for all to see and pretend to be weak. If anything comes for you, you raise the alarm and I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±

    Emily pressed he lips together.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ throw a treat in for Cupcake and you have yourself a deal.¡±

    Kael¡¯s brow rose but he nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±

    Those were the last words Kael had said before he left to go make other arrangements, and Emily was now regretting not extracting more promises from him.

    From here she could see the way they had set up the camp, as it looked like a large ¡®C¡¯.

    The gap led straight to the center tower Ashe had built, and not a sole was on guard duty.

    If these creatures were searching for signs of exhaustion, they were giving them exactly what they wanted to see.

    Emily glanced towards the tents not seeing a single soul moving about. Sighing she collapsed onto her back, staring up at the clear open skies.

    Heat baked her exposed face and arms in waves, and with her heritage abilities it was manageable, but by no means pleasant.

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    The stone up here was practically smoking from the heat and Emily was fairly certain if she dropped an egg on the surface now all she would hear was sizzling.

    Flipping over onto her stomach she crawled over to the edge and hung over the side to minimize contact.

    Arms dangling and head lulling, Emily could see the way the crevasse of sand had widened as the day had moved on.

    Of course no matter how much sand seemed to fill the hole it filled. Kael had insisted it was an illusion and Emily was inclined to believe him, but that didn¡¯t mean they could ignore it.

    Because though the gap might not be real the creatures hiding in the area very much were.

    Hours passed as Emily acted like a dying woman, so much so, that it was rapidly changing from an act to reality.

    Just when she was about to give up and search her pack for her flask, she heard something.

    It was incredibly quiet but worryingly it wasn¡¯t coming from below her.

    Instead, there was a rustling sound coming from directly behind her.

    As carefully as she could she turned her head to the smallest amount to look over her shoulder, and what she saw was unexpected.

    Honestly, she couldn¡¯t see anything amiss. There was nothing up here with her save for an empty platform and her pack.

    The interesting part was that she could hear the buckles on her pack clinking against the stone.

    Narrowing her eyes Emily could just make out the faintest heat shimmer around her bag. And from the looks of things the bag hadn¡¯t moved so something was definitely wrong.

    The longer Emily started the more certain she became.

    A Miragestalker was up here with her.

    Kael had told her to raise the alarm the moment she¡¯d found one, but had she? Pursing her lips Emily lowered her head again. If she couldn¡¯t rely on sight then looking in that direction would just give her away.

    So Emily grazed her fingers against the side of the obelisk and pulled blood out.

    The crimson oozed out and began to wrap around the edge of the platform but remained out of sight.

    Emily could still hear more rummaging through her pack but she waited for the right time to act.

    Then the noise stopped altogether and Emily strained her ears. She thought she could hear the very soft pattern of paws approaching her.

    Emily did her best not to fidget and then the sounds got close enough that she felt something tugging at her pant leg. When she didn¡¯t move it got more forceful.

    Emily frowned when she suddenly felt the back of her leg exposed to the sun, and before she could react a small set of fangs bit into the back of her calf.

    She flinched at the pain but the wound wasn¡¯t flooding with venom so it wasn¡¯t too bad.

    Sadly she spoke too soon as the beast began thrashing from side to side in an attempt to rip a piece of her flesh out.

    Emily grunted and had had enough, she sprung her trap.

    Using the blood she had been moving around the area, a cage warped upwards around the top of the platform, its bars made from hardened blood.

    At the same time, Emily turned on whatever was snacking on her leg with a crescent raised.

    That was when she saw it.

    There, with its teeth still on her wounds was a desert fox. No bigger than the ones on Earth, with a golden tawny coat and two ears like satellite dishes.

    The only difference was that it had two fluffy tails running down its fluffy little body.

    The moment Emily saw the little thing her eyes widened at the sheer adorable face looking back at her.

    Her shifting had alerted the little fox and it was looking straight at Emily with large shocked eyes.

    For a moment their gazes locked and Emily¡¯s heart melted at the innocence she saw there.

    As it turned out it was all an act.

    The fox hissed at her, like a demon-possessed, and pounced on her leg savagely biting it and shaking from side to side, before tearing off a piece of flesh and bounding away.

    Emily hissed in pain and scowled at the little creature.

    ¡°You little shit! You think just because you¡¯re cute I won¡¯t fuck you up!¡±

    The fox was too busy swallowing down its ounce of flesh to care about Emily¡¯s harsh words, but when it went to leave it paused at the cage.

    Turning back to Emily it almost looked bored, as it dashed towards her bag, which Emily could now see was in ruins clearly hidden by an illusion before.

    The vicious creature had torn it open and strewn its contents around the place.

    Emily growled and threw the crescent at the Miragestalker but the attack slammed against the ground as it deftly flickered out of view.

    Emily stood and brought her hands to her lips and gave a loud whistle.

    The camp came alive around her but the shitty fox came back into view standing over Emily''s bag. It reached down and plucked the last remaining confluence orb from her bag and looked at Emily with disdain.

    A shrill, staccato yip rang through the air, something between a laugh and a taunt as the beast''s form vanished once more.

    Emily¡¯s eyes narrowed to pinpricks as she pulled the blood from the missed crescent attack and slashed it out. There was some contact because of her quick thinking, but it was a glancing blow at best. Emily searched her surroundings but sounds were beginning to come from below, as were footsteps rushing up the tower.

    Emily would have never believed it if her blood hadn¡¯t told her but the cage she built felt something squeeze through it.

    Emily tried to clamp down but it was too slippery and it escaped.

    ¡°Oh no you fucking don¡¯t¡± she growled, as the cage around her shifted and wrapped around her.

    Emily dove off the edge without hesitation, her gown streaking behind her to catch up and a vicious smile appearing.

    She drifted through the air, and while she couldn¡¯t see where the Miragestalker was going she could feel it.

    The blood the little beast had greedily ingested was still in its mouth, and although it had already swallowed most of it, Emily could still feel a deep connection to it.

    Controlling her descent Emily crashed into the ground without losing any momentum and ran after the creature.

    It weaved in and out of the tents but so did Emily as they ran for the edge of the camp. At one point someone stuck their head out of the tent and promptly pulled it back in as Emily came screaming past.

    There were shouts behind her but she wasn¡¯t paying them any mind. Something of hers had been stolen and if it thought she¡¯d let it have what was rightful hers, it was sadly mistaken.

    Emily rushed out of the line of tents hot on the desert fox¡¯s heels and straight towards the crevasse. She distantly heard Alex shouting after her but there was no real danger in an illusion. Even if the fall was real she could just fly up and out. With this in mind, Emily picked up speed, even going so far as to create several bolts of blood around her.

    As the ledge and drifting sand approached, Emily didn¡¯t slow down, even as she plunged into the illusion. The sun''s rays immediately left her skin as she crossed the threshold. The faint air screen around them distorted the sun like they were in a large silver balloon.

    Emily glanced back and saw people rush after her with Kael at the lead, but she quietly turned back to where she felt the desert fox sitting on a nearby rock.

    ¡°Not bothering hiding? Good, now give it back before I¡­¡±

    The desert fox just sat there quietly eyeing her as though taunting the stupid human, still smugly holding the confluence orb. Emily wasn¡¯t sure but she thought she saw some understanding there.  Before Emily could figure out what this meant, the space around the beast''s form shimmered.

    Emily narrowed as something else shifted in the sand next to the creature, and her grin fell.

    As she squinted at the heat shimmer around her, they slowly began to step out into the open. One turned to two, and two to ten. Pretty soon Emily was looking at over sixty foxes, all staring at her with that same vicious look in their eyes.

    Blood points: 533

 Chapter 162 - New limits

    Emily¡¯s head was on a swivel as she tried to keep all the Miragestalkers in her field of view. She was heavily regretting coming here without a plan.

    A single glance back saw that the people she had seen behind her just seconds ago were gone now, lost in a haze of illusionary sand. Even Cupcake was still a ways away from her, resting under the tarp when all this happened.

    It would be difficult to find her in this storm, and yet, a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

    Emily, thickening her gown, glanced around the space. Whether all these Miragestalkers were real or not was beside the point.

    She was alone for now, so she¡¯d better act like it.

    Blood rushed from behind her and blossomed into a growing ball at her back as she widened her stance.

    The action caused the Miragestalkers a great deal of stress, and their hackles raised at her. Their screams were the signal she¡¯d been waiting for as they began to rush toward Emily as streams of fur.

    Just before they arrived, Emily spotted the desert fox that had started all of this. It still sat lazily on the rock like a monarch watching its brethren swarm.

    Emily couldn¡¯t even get out a curse before the first one arrived.

    She released the wave of blood bolts she had been holding up until now and crushed several foxes, only their bodies dispersed in a wave of air cold air.

    The next waves that arrived were very much real because they crashed into Emily''s legs, almost taking her off her feet.

    Using her gown to hold her in place, she endured and shot out several more bolts from behind her.

    She managed to hit two or three that had jumped on her, but that didn¡¯t stop the other five from tearing into her.

    The only good side about the exchange was the wail the ones she knocked away let out. Luckily, her gown took the attacks with ease.

    Before she could even deal with the ones still biting into her, the next wave arrived.

    Emily pulled more blood again and shot out two dozen bolts in all directions.

    This time she was rewarded with a couple of bodies for her trouble, but too many still got through, dodging the attacks.

    When they arrived, Emily saw almost fifteen of the little foxes bite into her.

    One even lunged at the neck and bit partway through her gown, where it offered less protection. Tested flesh hardened her carotid so that the flailing beast couldn¡¯t rip it from her neck.

    Emily grunted as the weight of almost two dozen beasts pulled her down. Their screams of delight and fury surrounded her, drowning her under their pelts and sharp claws.

    The number of flailing bodies smashed against her and thrashed, their powerful paws scratching to find purchase.

    Some fell off, but when one of their back paws scratched across Emily''s cheek, it left a faint red line.

    Emily flailed for a second more, but her patience had run out entirely.

    Spreading out her arms while wreathed in fur and blood, she sent a ripple of power out from her chest.

    The gown of blood around her trembled, and as though they could feel something bad was about to happen, the Miragestalkers all began to flee, but it was far too late for that.

    Emily''s gown ballooned around her, quickly turning into countless sharp spears and stabbing outward.

    For a second, Emily¡¯s form vanished behind a sea urchin¡¯s shell of barbs. Spearing every single fox in her vicinity and even some that were still approaching.

    The barbs killed over a dozen of them but there were also a good few she only caught with a glancing blow. Emily took this opportunity to draw their life force from them using her blood. To achieve this she had to have direct contact with the barbs, but seeing as she was cocooned amongst them it wasn¡¯t hard. Emily drank in their vitality pulling it through her blood. The Miragestalkers thrashed for a moment but were quickly drained of their strength as she swallowed it down.

    Drawing in the life force into her chest, she reshaped her gown and turned to look at her enemy with crimson eyes.

    The beast that sat surrounded by its kin was still just sitting there quietly as several other Miragestalkers backed away, their large ears pressing against their skulls in fear.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, if you fuck off and give me that one, I won¡¯t even kill you all,¡± she said, her voice almost being drowned out.

    Hisses went up and Emily could see she¡¯d pissed them off even more. They were not used to someone surviving in their territory for so long.

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    Good, they started this, she¡¯d happily end it if they weren¡¯t going to.

    The sands beneath her feet began to tremble, and Emily took to the air as fast as she was able.

    Drifting above them wasn¡¯t her best bet, but it also gave her a good view of the land as a venomtail exploded out of the sands.

    Emily was surprised at first but then her eyes narrowed on the disgusting-looking beast.

    It shook the sand from its body, only to turn and look up at Emily. The thing was tall enough to reach her with its tail, so it did.

    The large stinger struck out at high speeds with incredible precision, but Emily remained where she was.

    She didn¡¯t bother trying to dodge or even block. Keeping her eyes set on her mark. The stinger stabbed Emily straight in the unguarded chest and went right through it.

    Seeing their illusion didn¡¯t work only pulled more hisses of anger from the creatures around her.

    The scorpion warped and popped like a soap bubble, expanding into a kaleidoscope of colors.

    At first, Emily thought it was just disappearing, but she was quickly proven wrong as it grew into the space. She tried to put some distance between it and herself, but it moved too fast and washed over her vision.

    Emily growled as she covered her eyes, trying to shut out the seizure-inducing colors. It was a smokescreen, she could see them from the gaps in her fingers, and it was enough to make her eyes water.

    Below her, she could hear yips of triumph as something crashed into her lower half and began crawling up her body. Emily tried to swat it away, but it persisted making its way up her back.

    Emily moved her blood and realized it was the desert fox that had started all of this.

    She couldn¡¯t stop it crawling up to her neck in time and the hairs on her arms stood on end before the little fucker bit her ear.

    Emily yelped at the sudden pain and hot breath blowing into her ear canal.

    ¡°You little shit!¡± she cursed.

    If it weren''t for Tested flesh, the piece of skin would have come clean off.

    Reaching back, Emily grabbed the fox and yanked it upwards. It growled in her ear before being pulled away, thrashing in her hands.

    Still unable to open her eyes, Emily sent a band of blood to bind the creature''s front and back legs.

    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you later¡­¡± she said as she bound its snout too and tucked it under her arm.

    ¡°As for the rest of you¡­¡±

    Emily pulled the the blood at her back and merged it with her gown until she was drifting in a perfect sphere of red, amongst a storm of illusions.

    Pulling more blood from her chest hurt a little as she was still not completely recovered, but for the first time in a while, she had access to some of her more powerful techniques. And what better way to celebrate the advancement of her power than with a demonstration?

    Of course, no one would see it, but that was almost better.

    Emily kept increasing the volume of blood until it was at the upper limits of what she could control comfortably.

    If a bolt took about ten milliliters of blood, and a spear would be around two liters. After that, the most she¡¯d ever been able to use at one time was around a thousand liters, but that took a huge amount of concentration, and she¡¯d only managed that once inside the tomb.

    Now though things were different.

    With her powers advancing so had the volume she was capable of controlling.

    What Emily created now was a mass of blood ten thousand liters deep, with herself drifting through the center.

    When it was ready she let herself fall back to the sands like a meteor, crash landing in the center of everything.

    The colors surrounding her had not let up so she couldn¡¯t see, but then again she didn¡¯t need to.

    Using the feedback, her blood became an extension of her touch, spreading out across the dunes like a veil, blanketing everything nearby.

    Those it washed over were unable to pull themselves free and the illusions were completely bypassed.

    She expanded the blood out to its limit, sending the three-centimeter-thick sheet, ten meters in all directions. However, even with how far she could send it, there were still Miragestalkers that escaped her range, so she pulled all the little creatures in and drifted up to repeat. Doing this three more times before the illusions in the air began to fade.

    Glancing around she saw she had pulled more than forty Miragestalkers into her control, and before their grande illusion could fade completely, Emily turned towards the ball of beasts.

    ¡°Sorry guys you¡¯re cute and all, but I think one of you is more than enough,¡± she said, turning to look at the thrashing murder machines.

    Their aggression had not dimmed even slightly since as they snapped at her from their vantage point.

    Reaching a hand forward she extended a cord to herself and drank in their life force using her blood as the medium. Lines of glowing red traveled down her connection and into her hand causing Emily to shiver.

    That amount of power was nothing to sneeze at, and only once she was done did the large illusion begin to disappear.

    Quickly pulling in the blood Emily let out a sigh as her chest began to ache at the overuse.

    Throughout the entire fight, she had felt Cupcake moving towards her, and she turned to see the Rime wolf stepping through a dissipating wall of shifting illusions. Behind her were Kael and Alex but when they spotted Emily they paused.

    Casting an eye about she realized the area around her was littered with dried corpses.

    Pressing her lips together she walked toward them with an even look.

    ¡°What happened here?¡± Kael asked, looking around with concern on his face.

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°I got lucky, These little guys are a bad matchup against me. They¡¯re endurance hunters and so am I. Luckily they lost, you¡¯re welcome¡­¡±

    Kael¡¯s eyes were still fixed on the carnage around them, but he finally nodded.

    ¡°Fine, you were supposed to alert us so we could all deal with these things, but I suppose this works too. And you¡¯re sure you''re okay?¡±

    Emily bobbed her head quickly.

    ¡°Better than okay,¡± she said giddily, still digesting all the vitality she had just gained. ¡°Oh, right, there''s a reason I came out here.¡±

    Emily turned and searched the scattered sands near the rock where the confluence orb had been left. Walking over to it she picked it up and dusted it off.

    Luckily, foxes couldn¡¯t activate it or she would have lost a useful tool

    Just as he stood up, Emly felt someone behind her. Turning around, she saw Alex.

    ¡°Are you doing alright,¡± he asked.

    Contrary to his words his face was a mask of restrained anger.

    Emily was struggling to figure out why this was the case when his expression changed to one of concern.

    Emily turned to him, thinking he¡¯d seen something, and he had, but not anything dangerous.

    What his eyes had fallen on was the little dessert fox currently dangling from the understanding of her shoulder like a purse.

    ¡°What in the world¡­¡±

    Emily looked down at the struggling beast and shook her head.

    ¡°Oh, this is the one that started all of this, so I thought I¡¯d catch him to see if he can be useful.¡±

    Alex¡¯s face fell, and he shook his head.

    ¡°Emily¡­ No, you know what, how about you come back with me to my tent? I doubt Kael will have us set out now, so we''re safe. We need to talk...¡±

    Blood points: 598

 Chapter 163 - Family and funds

    Alex headed toward his tent and Emily followed. He¡¯d set himself up near Kael¡¯s command area. They were on the outskirts of the formation to protect the weaker members, which gravitated to the middle.

    Selia and Ashe were currently near the middle with the injured and those who didn¡¯t have combat-orientated titles, like Healer or Chef.

    Emily took a look around the quiet camp before ducking into Alex''s hovel.

    It was strange how quiet everything was even though they had just been attacked. People were filtering back into their tents and yet Emily didn¡¯t feel like they had the right level of fear for the current situation. She¡¯d mostly taken care of things but as far as Kael was concerned there were still more Miragestalkers out there. Emily thought she¡¯d gotten them all, but she couldn¡¯t be sure. The illusion had surrounded their whole camp but the moment Emily had killed the skulk of foxes, the crevasse had fallen apart.

    The possibility that there were more out there was unsettling, but since they had dealt with the bulk of their numbers, the likelihood that they would hunt them was low.

    As Emily entered Alex¡¯s tent, a smell of menthol lingered in the air, but she quickly focused on the man as he unfastened his boots and dropped onto his sleeping bag.

    With an open hand, he indicated for Emily to sit across from him as he got comfortable.

    Emily pursed her lips but sat down crossing her legs as she lay the desert fox down next to her. The beast had stopped struggling a while ago, and Emily had felt a connection opening up between them.

    The first thing she got from the creature was keen hunger and outrage at being unable to bite his captor.

    Emily snorted at the chihuahua-type energy this thing was giving off. Interestingly she discovered that the little beast could not use its illusions on her if she bound its tail. Not that it would be able to, as Emily could immediately tell what it was trying to create wit their connection.

    However, even with this, she kept it bound as it would no doubt try and take a bite out of her again if she let it up right now.

    It was such an adorable creature but just like its nature, looks were deceiving.

    Alex glanced down at the creature for a second and frowned but glanced back up at Emily.

    ¡°Okay, so I wanted to say I¡¯m sorry for losing sight of you, I should have known you¡¯d do something like that. But more importantly, what happened back there? It was a massacre.¡±

    Emily glanced up from the fox and into his eyes.

    ¡°I had no intention of charging in, but this little guy made it necessary. As for what happened I used my new strength to deal with them.¡±

    Alex sighed.

    ¡°Your new strength? Does this have to do with your illness the other day?¡±

    Emily pursed her lips and even though they were alone in the tent she lowered her voice.

    ¡°Well¡­ yes. As you know, my natural abilities are derived from how much life energy I can accrue. But at certain points¨Cit difficult to know exactly¨C they reach a threshold, and go through a quantitive and qualitative change.¡±

    Alex stared at Emily with a firm expression on his face.

    ¡°And that''s what was happening back then?¡± he said.

    Emily bit the inside of her lip as she squinted at him. Alex stared right back and sighed.

    ¡°Look, I can¡¯t help you if you don¡¯t trust me. I¡¯m not the most trusting guy either but I¡¯ve been trying to be honest with you as much as I can,¡± he said.

    Emily glanced around the tent as she got her thoughts in order, or anywhere that wasn¡¯t directly at Alex.

    ¡°...tell me who wanted you dead, and then I¡¯ll share,¡± she said trying to buy herself time.

    Alex frowned and fell silent, then he looked over at the fox and gingerly began to scratch its fur. The little beast growled at him but otherwise didn¡¯t struggle much.

    ¡°If that will make you trust me more sure¡­¡± he hesitated but gathered his breath and spoke. ¡°It''s my family, or to be more precise, my father and brother.¡±

    Emily squinted. She had never had enough of a family to bother caring about, but something wasn¡¯t adding up.

    ¡°Your family must be well connected to send assassins to another continent,¡± she said slowly.

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    Alex stared down at the fox¨Cwho had stopped wailing and seemed to be letting out a weird purring yip.

    ¡°They are, it helps that they can afford to spare no expense,¡± he said quietly.

    Emily narrowed her eyes at him.

    ¡°You know I thought you came from a wealthy family, but are telling me it''s more than that?¡± she asked.

    For the first time in a long time, Alex looked at a loss for words.

    ¡°Yes, it''s how Eva and I got here so fast last time. We used the waygates to close the long distances, but they are only accessible if you have the right people in your pocket. If I were to use my family name we might have been able to use the ones in Lorethil, but that would come with a whole host of problems. Namely, they would know exactly where we were.¡± he said.

    Emily blinked as some of the pieces fell into place.

    ¡°And Kael, does he know?¡± she asked urgently.

    Alex pressed his lips together and nodded.

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°What the hell are you thinking? He could be hand delivering us straight to their doorstep?!¡±

    Alex¡¯s face was firm and he nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯s a possibility, but Kael is a man who thinks not only of profit. If it were to get into a bidding war for our lives, I¡¯m confident I could pay it, but more than that, he never gave me up last time.¡±

    Emily leaned back for a second.

    Was that why it had to be Kael? Was it because Alex knew he could trust the man? What had Kael done that got Alex to trust him across lives?

    Emily crossed her arms and saw Alex rummaging in his pocket.

    ¡°Well, that''s certainly more than I would have expected, but¡­if you trust him then I don¡¯t have much to say. There is always the violent option, and this time you have me.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t certain she could win against Kael, but with her powers slowly gaining strength she could officially give him a run for his money at this stage.

    Emily saw Alex take out a piece of dried meat and bring it up to the fox''s mouth. To which the little devil chomped on it with relish.

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t given me my answer, you know,¡± Alex said calmly.

    Emily blinked as she recalled his question.

    ¡°The answer is yes, that was one of my thresholds. The downside of the process is that I lose a majority, if not all of my control during that time. Each time it happens the duration where I''m defenseless grows, but so does the resulting boost in my strength afterward.¡± she said.

    Emily twirled a strand of hair as she watched the desert fox chew the offering happily.

    ¡°This time my powers were only down for a couple of hours, but as I grow stronger it will only get longer. If I had to guess the next one could take days¡±

    Admitting all of this didn¡¯t feel right, but somehow the fact that it was Alex made it easier. Plus he¡¯d offered up something equally personal, it was not like she was completely defenseless during this time. With the additions of her title, she might be able to make up for it when the truly debilitating changes arrived.

    Alex frowned.

    ¡°Your homeworld must have been a harsh place if you needed skills like those to survive. I think Kael is probably a bit shocked¨Cwe all are¨C that you took out an entire hoard of Miragestalkers by yourself.¡±

    Emily cocked her head at the compliment.

    ¡°I¡¯m an anomaly even in my world¡­ And to be honest, yes, it was a nice place to live. Sure the people were annoying and I had a ton of responsibilities, but it was fun to some extent.¡±

    Now it was Alex¡¯s turn to cock his head.

    ¡°Responsibilities? You don¡¯t seem like the type to take responsibility seriously.¡±

    Emily couldn¡¯t help it she laughed at the jab.

    ¡°I¡¯m not, not in the slightest, but¡­¡± Emily hesitated.

    She could see the fox was swallowing down its second bit of meat as it allowed Alex to scratch behind its ears. When Emily brought her hand close the little shit growled viciously.

    ¡°Ruling over a lot of people means making hard decisions, and no one wants to be the one taking the blame. Sometimes, what they need isn¡¯t a leader¡ªbut a villain. A common enemy to unite against, so the real work can be done in the shadows, undisturbed.¡±

    Emily looked up in time to see Alex¡¯s eyes locked on her. There was a moment when neither of them spoke, but they didn¡¯t need to. Emily could see he understood exactly where she was coming from, and he did so without any judgment. It was a strange sensation to have someone understand. Emily didn¡¯t regret her path one bit, but it was interesting to feel seen.

    Before they could say anything more, the little beast began whining again, but this time, it was more sorrowful as it lifted its head from the sleeping bag to look at Alex.

    Alex snorted and fished out another piece of meat and gave it to the thing.

    ¡°Well, it looks like he likes you at least. Myself on the other hand¡­¡± Emily said bringing her hand closer was rewarded with feral hissing.

    Alex grunted non-committal

    ¡°Right, what¡¯s your plan here anyway, this thing is not a pet,¡± he said.

    Emily scratched the back of her head.

    ¡°Neither is Cupcake, but we became partners. I think this little guy will be the perfect scout or little messenger.¡±

    Alex made a thoughtful expression.

    ¡°Well if that is the case I might be able to help, but from the looks of things he hates you.¡±

    Emily glowered as the little fox rubbed its face against Alex¡¯s finger, but then Emily had an idea.

    ¡°I can see that¡­Wait how about you look after him?¡±

    Alex frowned.

    ¡°I¡¯m not looking after a wild beast, Emily,¡± he sighed.

    Emily held up her hands.

    ¡°Just think about it! I¡¯m sure you have a title that could help with it right? And you have to admit if this little guy would be useful if he used his invisibility to warn us of danger.¡±

    Alex frowned at the creature currently sniffing his hand tenderly, the moment Emily saw a crack in his mask she grinned.

    ¡°Right, then it''s sorted, we can speak to Gerade and find out if he knows anything¡±.

    Emily unbound the creature''s limbs and watched as it jumped up, turning to hiss at her.

    She just smiled at it, making sure it could feel her through the connection.

    ¡®Behave, and follow him quietly, or else¡¯ she thought.

    The desert fox turned to look at Alex and then back to her, hissing once more before running to hide behind the man.

    Emily couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at its adorable antics.

    Alex still didn¡¯t look happy but he didn''t say anything else on the matter. As she got up to leave he did however grab her wrist.

    ¡°Emily do me a favor, the next time you reach one of your thresholds, tell me. I can help you like I did last time,¡± he said.

    Emily nodded calmly at him.

    ¡°I will, seeing as we know so much about one another, I think it''s only fair. In the meantime, I¡¯m going to find Dunham. He¡¯s managed to worm his way out of it for the last two days, but I¡¯m going to go collect what is owed to me.¡±

    Alex let go of her wrist and nodded, but he still looked concerned as she stepped out of his tent.

    Blood points: 603

 Chapter 164 - Encroaching curses

    The days in the desert were long and grueling, the open dunes stretching across the horizon like waves on the ocean. Amidst the rippling yellow sands, a camp had been nestled into the dunes as best as its occupants could manage.

    Clusters of tents and tarps huddled around a tall stone obelisk, their fabric barely stirring in the stifling heat. Though the sun was beginning to set, the camp remained still¡ªno one eager to test the scorching sands just yet.

    Near the outskirts, a quiet tent trembled with soft grunts of exertion.

    Inside, Emily groaned into her sleeping bag as Dunham straddled her, his arms flexing with effort. Sweat dripped from his brow as he worked her over, his breathing ragged.

    ¡°Come on, man,¡± Emily muttered. ¡°That can¡¯t be as hard as those hands can manage.¡±

    Dunham wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, looking exasperated.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, Miss Emily. I can¡¯t keep this up much longer¡ªwe¡¯ve been at it for hours, and you said I¡¯d still have energy for the day¡¯s travel.¡±

    Emily only groaned in response as Dunham¡¯s hands dug into her back again, kneading stiff muscles with steady pressure. The journey had been murder on her shoulders, but luckily, he was a quick learner with a surprising amount of endurance.

    She hadn¡¯t even needed to show him what to do, his massage was already decent. The only problem? He was holding back.

    Emily cracked open one eye, shifting against the fabric beneath her. ¡°Look, I get that you¡¯re trying to be nice, but if you don¡¯t press harder, I¡¯m doubling tomorrow''s session.¡±

    Dunham sighed but rolled his shoulders, adjusting his grip before applying more force. Emily let out a satisfied hum.

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡±

    He continued for another ten minutes before finally hopping off Emily and standing.

    "Alright, I''m heading out. I need to don the rest of my armor and get ready," he said.

    Emily glanced at him from the corner of her eye and nodded.

    Since she had no desire to be crushed under heavy metal plates, she had made him remove his armor before the massage. He¡¯d done so with surprising ease, though he insisted on keeping his chest plate on. His reasoning remained the same as always¡ªhis title demanded that he always wear at least one piece of armor.

    Emily had let it slide, but she couldn¡¯t help thinking whoever ended up as his lover was in for a challenge. Getting that man out of his tin can for anything intimate would be a battle in itself.

    ¡°Fine. Thank you for keeping your end of the bargain. I¡¯m acting as a tether again today, so get ready.¡±

    Dunham nodded and stepped out of the tent.

    Half an hour later Emily had packed up her tent, eaten a fresh breakfast with cherry tomatoes and scorpion steak, and saddled up Cupcake.

    Kael''s call to leave came shortly after.

    The pups were growling in anticipation as they took up spots on Cupcake.

    Since the threat of the Miragestalker was solved so quickly, they did not lose much travel time as they headed for the nearest sanctuary. Unfortunately, the only one was a fair way away.

    During the ride, Emily took out the page she¡¯d gotten from Ashe and began trying to memorize the wards necessary to remove Selia''s curse.

    Emily had seen the woman in question, and as of late she¡¯d seemed fine, but Ashe¡¯s face was getting darker by the day, and Emily could only imagine what the sisters were going through in private.

    As far as she could tell, Ashe was leaning heavily on blood magic for this spell, and leaving the removal of the curse to grey source¡¯s natural properties.

    The longer Emily had thought things over the more she¡¯d realized that using Grey source might still be an option. It might not necessarily work as Ashe wanted, but it could pull apart and disperse whatever energy kept the curse together.

    Deciding it could still work, Emily ushered Cucpake over to Ashe¡¯s mount while Dunham watched the pups.

    ¡°Ashe we need to speak about the¡­ this,¡± she started holding up the page

    The woman looked up from the little book Emily had gotten from the Weeping.

    ¡°Oh! Emily before that, did you know what that woman was offering you back there?¡±

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    Emily blinked slowly.

    ¡°Um, come again? What are we talking about right now?¡±

    Ashe waved her hand and flipped the book around to face Emily.

    ¡°The Chalice ceremony. That''s what Zilha said it was called. Basically, they use a ritual to artificially bolster your Life source and then funnel a lot of energy into you. Sadly it looks like it doesn''t come without strings attached. You¡¯d have to help them with any ritual they might need, but in exchange, you grow rapidly.¡± Ashe said a strange excitement creeping into her voice.

    Emily shook her head.

    ¡°Oh, I never would have done something like that. I''m not interested in working for anyone else. Better to just steal what they had, in that case.¡±

    Ashe''s brows fell and her lips tugged down at the corners.

    ¡°Ah, okay¡­ well the book says that only a higher-rank Blood Mage can get rid of a curse like this, but I think we have a good chance with what we¡¯ve cobbled together. I¡¯m almost done with the last set of wards we¡¯ll need.¡±

    Emily held up a hand to slow her friend down.

    ¡°Hang on Ashe, listen. I¡¯ve done the test you asked me to and honestly, the source is not what we thought it was, but I think I can still help.¡±

    Ashe''s face didn¡¯t shift at all, only her eyes showed her inner turmoil.

    ¡°But, you can still do it, right?¡± she asked, her voice breaking at the end.

    Emily nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure we¡¯ll get the results we want, but it should still work.¡±

    She went into greater detail as to what she¡¯d discovered about her source and Ashe listened attentively.

    After a while, she agreed it would still be possible, but there was a thoughtful look in her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go over the runes again and adjust them, hopeful they won¡¯t change too much¡­ Emily I just wanted to thank you for doing this for me.¡±

    Emily shook her head.

    ¡°I said I¡¯d help, so I will.¡±

    Ashe nodded and looked toward the front where Selia was traveling next to Alex.

    Emily noticed he had the small desert fox resting quietly in his lap with what looked like a collar around its neck. It seemed well-behaved as it sat there staring ahead quietly, searching the sands around them.

    Emily bit the inside of her lip at how adorable it was, but quickly looked away.

    She only refocused when she heard Ashe¡¯s mount drifting off to the side as she headed off, opening her book again the moment she left.

    Continuing from where she¡¯d left off, Emily studied the wards as she relaxed in Cupcake¡¯s saddle.

    The journey over the next two days was exhausting, and Emily looked forward to the evenings when Fox would prepare her meal. The Chef always made sure there was something extra in it for her, even if it wasn¡¯t much more than everyone else''s. He¡¯d even found her a small flask of ale resembling the smooth burn of brandy.

    Blessedly during these few days of travel, they didn¡¯t encounter any more obstacles or beast hordes waiting for them.

    The days and nights were unnerving calm, almost worryingly so, and yet Emily couldn¡¯t shake the feeling something was building on the horizon.

    Luckily they found the butte shortly after that.

    When a large chuck of rock came into view Kael¡¯s face was a mask of sour warmth.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to search the area for threats and try to rest here tonight. Before we bunker down for the day, I need to investigate something, so get ready, but don¡¯t unpack just yet and wait for my call.¡±

    As they approached, everyone was on guard for any more surprises, but by the time they explored the area, they were certain nothing was out there.

    Moving to the base of the butte would protect them from the majority of the sun when it arrived, and it also offered protection from the winds that had picked up in the last few days.

    As Dunham went to set up their tents Emily looked around the area. There was a crack in the side of the rock that ran all the way up to the top of the mass. It filled with sand and Emily was about to write it off when she saw Kael heading that way from the camp. He wasn¡¯t sneaking away but no one was following him so Emily decided to tag along.

    Following the lithe man wasn¡¯t easy; five minutes in, she realized he fully intended to climb the side of the butte with just his bare hands.

    As he began climbing the cliff with practiced ease, Emily lifted herself with her blood, drifting up to float beside him.

    ¡°You know, this would be a hell of a lot easier with climbing gear. I¡¯m pretty sure we have some somewhere.¡±

    Kael fastened his fingers into a gap in the rock and flipped himself over to look at her. He didn¡¯t look the least bit surprised to see her.

    ¡°You know, I never thought of that. How could I not think of such an obvious solution,¡± he said with eyes half closed.

    Emily grinned.

    ¡°Sarcasm, nice. But my question still stands.¡±

    Kael searched Emily''s face, the wind around him buffeting his clothes.

    ¡°To answer your question. I¡¯m doing this because it''s the right way to do it,¡± he said as he flipped over and continued to climb.

    ¡°Right way? ¡± she asked. ¡°Surly the right way is whatever is the most efficient.¡±

    Kael hopped to the next crack in the walk and grunted.

    ¡°Not when it comes to tradition.¡±

    Emily followed him up slowly.

    ¡°Oh, so this is something your tribe does. I thought you didn¡¯t like them, why are you observing their customs¡±

    For a while he didn¡¯t answer, just continuing to climb.

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t hate everything about them. Some of our customs hold weight. It''s the people I¡¯m not so fond of.¡±

    Emily hummed as she leaned back like she was resting in a recliner.

    ¡°And what will we find when we get there?¡± she asked.

    Kael vaulted a gap easily five meters in length with just his upper body.

    ¡°Hopefully a sign.¡±

    Emily¡¯s brow rose sarcastically as she looked up.

    They were a little over halfway and Emily didn¡¯t want to waste energy drifting next to the guy, even if it was negligible.

    ¡°Alright, see you at the top.¡±

    Launching herself upward at full speed left a rush of wind in her wake as she whipped up the side and landed on the top of the rock less than a minute later.

    Looking around she saw the stone was smooth up here, where the wind had softened its harsh texture.

    Finding a rock to lay on Emily turned her eyes towards the horizon. Night still reined supreme, but the edges where the sand met the skies were turning from a deep purple to a vibrant orange.

    When Kael got to the top ten minutes later he shot her a dirty look.

    ¡°What? You said you had to do it alone.¡±

    Ignoring her Kael moved over the empty plain until he found the top opening of the crack running up the side of the butte. There, in the recess, Emily saw what looked like two rusted metal poles stabbed into stone. They crossed like an ¡®X¡¯ in the air and Kael''s face turned to look at her.

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re on the right track¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Because, this area is marked by my tribe, which means there''s a good chance they left a large-scale shelter here. Now we just need to get in there¡±

    Blood points: 610

 Chapter 165 - A fortress in need

    Emily sat back under the tarp watching their people dig out the recess as the winds drifted through the plains.

    After finding signs of his tribe, Kael returned to his men and had everyone grab shovels to start excavating the entrance.

    At first, Emily had wondered why they even needed to bother getting in if it was so much work but Kael had been staring at the dune for a while now as the winds continued to pick up.

    If Emily were a betting girl she¡¯d say a sandstorm was on the way.

    The sun was almost completely out at this point, and Emily was lounging with Cupcake, watching everyone hard at work, when Alex broke off from the team shoveling sand. He had exchanged his armor for a thin veil that clung to his sweat-drenched body, tapping his shovel against his shoulder.

    ¡°Are you going to help at any point? Or are you just going to sit there like a prized Millo?¡±

    Emily gazed at Cupcake who snorted in her face.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m good here for now,¡± Emily said

    Alex groaned.

    ¡°Emily, the sooner we get in there the sooner we can eat and relax, plus I heard Kael say they have some good things we can make use of.¡±

    Emily pursed her lips. She had heard that, but at the rate they were currently going, it would be nightfall again before she dug it out.

    Ashe had helped in the beginning but she was still recovering from creating the pillar, and after removing about half of the sand she¡¯d had to take a break.

    Alex threw the shovel at Emily now, who had to scramble to avoid getting hit with the tool.

    ¡°Watch it!¡± she growled, but Alex ignored her and moved to sit under the tarp.

    She squinted at him, watching the heat rise from his body in a shimmering haze. From her spot in the sand, she noticed the way he clutched the siphon, his hands trembling.

    Snorting, Emily got up and brushed the sand off her butt, leaving the shovel in the dirt beside her.

    ¡°Cupcake, let''s go. If I have to work so do you.¡±

    The large Rime wolf let out a bass rumbling from her chest but climbed to her feet and followed.

    When she got to the point Ashe had marked out as the entrance, she pointed for the Dire Rime wolf to go at it.

    Using her large mass, the wolf moved into the center of the other diggers and began to paw at the dirt. Then, as though an instinct kicked in, she began to dig through the sand using her front paws to kick up plumes of silica into the skies.

    Those directly behind her had to move out of the quickly or risk being buried.

    A lot of people let out groans as they were covered head to toe, but they changed their tune when they saw just how quickly the wolf was tackling the task.

    The main problem with digging out an entrance when it was filled with sand was that each time one removed any sand below, more sand would fall from above to fill the space. Every spadeful of sand would pull more from the gradually shrinking pile, and yet it felt like an exercise in futility.

    Seeing the problem, Emily decided that the only way forward would be to work from the bottom up.

    The thing was she¡¯d need to make the ward pretty big if her plan was to work.

    Taking a moment to center herself, Emily pulled blood from her arms and converged them above her head, slowly allowing the ward to take shape.

    It was the first blood ward Emily had ever learned from Ashe, and while it didn¡¯t quite fit the task at hand it would just take some creative spell-casting to make work.

    The ward gathered all available dust and dirt to compress them into a rock. She¡¯d used it to great effect up in the mountains to destroy an elven village, and she would use it to solve their problem now.

    When it was done, a disk of runes drifted above Emily¡¯s head almost one meter across. She charged it with source and to everyone''s surprise, she pushed the blood ward into the crevasse right near the base of the mountain of sand.

    Emily then concentrated, and the shift in the sands became evident almost immediately. Sands began to fall from above as though she had opened a hole in the ground, causing the crevasse to rapidly begin to empty.

    Sweat formed on her brow from exertion and when the sand had fallen by almost a third, Emily lifted the new rock out with a grunt. Because it had built up inside the dune, Emily used this to pull more of the blockage apart, dragging the massive stone out into the open.

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    ¡°Out of the way, I¡¯m not responsible if you get crushed!¡± Emily shouted.

    People scrambled as she yanked the five-meter-tall stone from the recess.

    As it came free, Emily could see that it had formed into a near-perfect sphere, which she dropped a little ways from the crevice.

    Looking back at her work, she saw a huge gap in the butte, and at the back very was the top of an entryway.

    Smiling, Emily created another ward and began the process again. Only this time once the second rock was created, she could see more than three-quarters of the opening. It was large enough to let them in at that point but there was a solid-looking stone door in the way.

    By that point, Emily took a breather. If she wanted she could still have pushed herself but the way was uncovered enough now that it only took ten minutes of everyone together to clear the rest.

    Kael arrived at the doors almost on queue.

    Emily had searched the large stone gate for any way to open it as they were finishing up but the only thing she noticed was two holes angled diagonally in the stone, which had leaked sand for a short while.

    When Kael got there he slotted his spear into to hole and braced his shoulder against the one side. Lifting and pushing inwards. It was a simple but effective way to keep people out. Any kind of complex mechanism would only fail in this environment.

    There was an echoing grinding of stonework as the doors creaked inwards to reveal a sandy corridor leading to a flight of stairs going up.

    Turning back Kael looked toward his men.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going in to check for traps, the rest of you get ready to enter on my order.¡±

    Kael began to slip inside and Emily happily followed.

    When Kael turned back his lips pressed together but he didn¡¯t try and stop her.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t touch anything.¡±

    Emily held her hands up in surrender and happily followed him into the corridor. What she didn¡¯t expect was for Alex to arrive right behind her.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you slacking off?¡± she asked.

    Alex rolled his eyes at her.

    ¡°Aah yes, and who was it that''s having all their duties taken care of by someone else? Not to mention the sounds coming from your tent yesterday¡±

    Emily crossed her arms and scoffed.

    ¡°Hah, he agreed to the deal, I¡¯m just getting my money''s worth.¡±

    Before either of them could continue Kael made a shushing hiss.

    "Don¡¯t move! Can you guys see the color of the tiles ahead?¡±

    Emily froze as they neared the bottom of the staircase. Squinting in the dim light, she tried to make out the colors in the tunnel.

    The passage itself was strangely smooth as if shaped by magic rather than carved by hand. Its edges were clean, and only a thin layer of sand had gathered along the sides. The walls and floor were made from the surrounding sandstone, forming a long, uninterrupted corridor.

    The staircase ahead was a stark contrast. Instead of plain stone, the steps were covered in vibrant, patterned tiles green, yellow, and blue. Emily found it odd that there were only three colors here, especially if this place followed a consistent design.

    "Make sure to step only on the blue tiles," Kael warned. "Anything else could trigger a collapse."

    Emily pursed her lips as she gazed up at the long, colorful staircase. Then, she simply took to the air. If she didn¡¯t touch the ground, she didn¡¯t have to worry, right?

    Kael deftly moved up the stairwell using the walls as pivoting points with his lanky limbs.

    Alex on the other hand began to trudge up the stairs having to lunge and jump at large intervals.

    Each step had at most one blue tile, and to make matters worse, some steps had none at all.

    To Emily it looked like Alex was climbing a step of stairs far too large for him, taking four or even five steps at a time to get to the next blue safe space.

    At the mid-way point, there was even a spot where he had to hop over ten steps at once. Emily remained with Alex in case he missed a step, but Kael had long since left them in the dust.

    When Alex finally made it to the top they saw Kael had already flipped a switch at the top of the staircase to turn the trap off.

    Alex sent the man a withering glare but he just shrugged.

    Emily wanted to snicker, but the sight of the chamber held her attention. It was a vast, circular space¡ªlarge enough to bring the animals inside if needed. Near the top of the dome, a reflective material had been used to let in a good amount of light while keeping the sand out.

    At the back of the room, two passages stood out¡ªone leading to what appeared to be a storeroom, and the other suspiciously resembling a long drop. The fact that they included a toilet here was a sign of what these chambers were used for.

    The space was large enough that they could fit the entire company in here with their tents and from what Emily saw there were tons of earthen jars in the storeroom which could feed them for a long time if need be.

    After exploring the three of them headed back out to let everyone in. The stagnant air of the chamber was washed away as the draft making its way inside carried the scent of sunbaked sand and minerals

    ¡°Everyone inside, stow your gear. We will not be traveling tomorrow, there is a storm coming, and if we¡¯re lucky it will only be for a day, but if not, we have the perfect place to hunker down for a time.¡± Kael shouted

    Emily searched the horizon for signs of a storm but couldn¡¯t make out any signs of clouds, what she did feel was the strange excitement in the air.

    The wind was picking up, and the animals were becoming restless, even willingly seeking refuge in the shelter. Luckily the glanemares had no problems with the wide stairs.

    When everyone was inside Kael looked toward the south before moving to close the door behind them. The last thing Emily saw was a cloud of sand rising in that direction to blot out the sun. She was fairly certain if they were out they wouldn''t be able to see the person in front of themselves.

    The door cracked closed shutting out the rising wind and Kael grunted.

    ¡°Now we wait.¡±

    As Emily climbed the stairs for the second time she heard a wail of agony from up ahead. Hearing this Emily and Kael shared a look and both took off running. When they got to the top of the stairs Emily saw a crowd gathered ¨Cunable to even set up their equipment yet.

    Emily pushed through the crowd in time to see Ashe hunched over Selia, her voice trembling with panic.

    ¡°Lia? Lia, please. Talk to me!¡±

    When the two of them got to the front Ashe looked up at Emily.

    ¡°Emily, we have to do something, she''s suffering.¡±

    Emily pursued her lips. She would have liked more time to practice the spell but it looked like things were looking worse for her than they¡¯d first thought.

    ¡°Alright, what can I do?¡± Emily asked.

    Ashe searched through her pack and pulled out a sheet of paper.

    "The ritual Emily, we have to do it now!" Ashe said in desperation.

    Blood points: 612

 Chapter 166 - Rites and Rituals

    Emily never knew how difficult it was to draw intricate lines in blood with someone screaming in pain right next to you.

    Since they had to do this the old-fashioned way, Emily was left painting lines of crimson onto the stone tiles. They had chosen to do this as far away from everyone else as they could get, not that any would come closer to inspect anyway. This type of magic was the most ritualistic blood magic one could get.

    Chanting over a sacrificial altar with a dagger had nothing on this magic, and while Emily¡¯s abilities could offer some help, they would not be the main contributor. She even had to go so far as to paint the lines by hand¨Csomething about the act of preparing the ritual helped it garner strength.

    Ashe devised a modified ritual designed to purify life¡ªextracting it from the body, cleansing it, and then restoring it to a purer form. However, instead of targeting Seila¡¯s life source, she altered the ritual to focus on her curse.

    At the precise moment of transfer, they would flood it with a surge of source energy, diluting and hopefully dispersing the spell.

    The risks, however, were significant. If Emily miscalculated, she could inadvertently strengthen the curse¡ªthe worst possible outcome. And if she truly botched the ritual, the curse could lash out at her or someone nearby

    Seila let out another cry of anguish, and Emily grunted at its suddenness, which caused the line to skew.

    ¡°Oh, shit! Would someone please make her be quiet?¡± Emily growled.

    There were not many people around them right now, just Ashe, Nox, Kael, Alex, and Selia herself.

    Yishmal had already given her something for the pain, but it didn¡¯t seem to have any effect. Emily was never the most delicate person, so drawing extremely intricate runes while surrounded by screaming just made things harder.

    Ashe was doing her half admirably, but Emily had never been the artsy type.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it, don¡¯t worry,¡± Kael said from beside her as he took hold of the woman¡¯s hand and began whispering in her ear. Silence descended and Emily sighed in relief.

    Selia was sweating profusely, despite the chamber being the coolest place they had been in days. She wore little to cover her body, and only now did Emily see just how far the curse had progressed. A complex network of black veins spread across her entire body, and the flesh above her heart and shoulder looked necrotized where the attack had initaly landed.

    Since Emily had met the woman she had always been a quiet, yet powerful presence in the Wandering Fangs.

    She had a tall stature and while she didn¡¯t hold a direct leader position everyone seemed to respect her.

    Now though her frame looked so small. Her muscles had atrophied in the last week making it look like she had suffered for months.

    The biggest surprise ¨Cat least as far as the Healer was concerned¨C was how fast the curse was progressing. What should have taken over a month was already reaching its final stages in under a week. That''s when Emily realized the Blood Mage had been connected to her when they had attacked Selia.

    Some of her life force might have been used to fuel the spell which only caused Emily¡¯s frown to deepen.

    Pushing the thoughts from her head she focused on the ritual circle and her part in this. Drawing the lines as best she could using Scarlet sister¡¯s guidance. Alex came up beside her and sat down.

    ¡°Emily relax, your lines are too rigid, let them flow.¡±

    Frowning she glanced at Alex and saw a calm in his eye that helped her concentrate. It wasn¡¯t that Emily was nervous, but her education on this kind of magic was shallow at best, and she didn¡¯t want to let Ashe down.

    Nodding to the man, Emily slowed her pace to a crawl and focused on the runes she was drawing from memory.

    By the time she was almost done she saw Ashe connecting their portions.

    ¡°Emily I''m ready on this side, I need to make the last rune on you.¡±

    Emily nodded and moved around to her as Kael moved Selia into the circle.

    When Ashe got you her, her hands were shaking as she drew a small dagger.

    Clutching it in her hands tightly she pressed the tip to the inside of Emily''s left forearm.

    Willingly letting herself be cut was not something Emily was accustomed to but she lessened Tested Flesh as much as she could in that area.

    The blade carved a rune into her flesh pulling a grunt from Emily¡¯s lips.

    Emily kept the blood from running down her arm and Ashe looked up from the wound.

    ¡°Emily, you can do this. Please, I¡¯ll give you whatever you want after this. Just please succeed¡± said her voice getting quieter by the second.

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    Emily couldn¡¯t pull her eyes away from the woman.

    ¡°I told you I¡¯d help. But if you¡¯re offering, please continue teaching me magic, it''s been fun.¡± Emily said a smile breaking out on her face.

    With that Emily stepped into her half of the circle. The ward on the floor was split into two three sections. The first half Selia now lay in, the second Emily had just stepped into, and finally the third was a small circle in the center that remained empty.

    The amazing thing about this spell was that it did not require much energy to get going but it had to be life source. So Emily shaved off the smallest amount of power from her chest and moved it to the rune engraved on her arm.

    On sooner had she done thins than the rune began to glow and the wound began to weep blood.

    She could feel the ward below her awaken as it began to glow too.

    There were distant gasps as people watched the ritual from a far but Emily didn¡¯t have time for them right now, she had to begin the first gestures.

    Glancing at Ashe and Alex once more, Emily turned to look at Selia who lay trembling on the ground.

    Kael wore a look of concern as he sat at the edge of the circle near Selia.

    There was a low keening hum that began to spread out from the ward and Emily knew it was time. Right away she moved both her hands into the first gesture and sent another pulse of vitality into the ritual.

    Moving to the next one she copied the wave of source, and repeated the process.

    The next ten series of gestures each got their own sliver of power buried in them, but if Emily were to total it the amount of power she¡¯d used was less than a single life.

    It was only because of her high degree of control that she could be so exact with this portion of the ritual.

    With each pulse of energy, there was a corresponding pulse growing in the circle below, especially near Selia.

    Then the woman suddenly became more animated. She lunged up to her hands and knees and retched.

    The sounds filled the cavernous chamber as she finally let out a stream of black bile onto the floor.

    Emily frowned in disgust but kept moving through the gestures.

    The blackened bile slashed onto the floor and quivered like it had a mind of its own. It reached up toward Selia as though trying to get back to her but the ritual wasn¡¯t done.

    It pulsed once more and the black sludge began to drift up from the floor and into the center of the ritual.

    It drifted there in the middle portion of the circle.

    Seeing the first part was stable Emily moved into the second half of the gestures. This was the part that Emily had only just received, luckily they weren¡¯t particularly different from the first set.

    Emily moved through them until their black sludge began to condense into a dodecagon shape. Even now, it still tried to escape but Emily moved to the final portion of their ritual.

    She called to her bridge and threw it open, pulling in all the power her three bridges could handle.

    There was a sudden shift in the room airflow as source poured into Emily at an incredible rate.

    Then like she was powering an item Emily poured the second form of energy into the ward. The results were better than she could have hoped for. The ward readily drank in the source and life source. Focusing on the center of the ritual where the curse now sat.

    There was a shift inside as the curse bubble roiled like liquid. Then Emily began to see the blackened substance turn, trembling in joy as it grew in strength, and then in despair as it turned grey. Near the outer edges, it even became as clear as fresh stream water.

    Through the ritual, Emily could feel the curse indirectly as it searched for a host but was unable to move from the ritual''s grasp.

    The more grey source Emily forced into the center the fainter the curse became, unable to absorb all her source and getting lost amongst the power. The ritual was unable to kill the curse or even weaken it, but it could dilute it in so much source that the spell couldn¡¯t affect anyone anymore.

    Emily pumped power into the curse until there wasn''t a hint of black residing in the dodecagon. When she was certain there was no sign of the spell anymore Emily sighed in relief and moved to the closing sequence.

    The moment she did she realized something was wrong and moved to repeat the gestures.

    The final few gestures were supposed to release the curse out into the open air and allow it to be carried away by the grey source. The problem was, to make sure the curse was completely dispersed, Emily had needed to pump a lot of power into the ritual. And as far as she could tell the pressure that had been built up was preventing the spell from releasing. Grunting Emily closed her bridges and cut off the flow but she was still unable to release it and it was beginning to move back toward Selia.

    ¡°Um, Ashe! Something¡¯s gone wrong it won¡¯t release!¡±

    Emily grunted as she pulled on the source but got little to no response. The ritual Ashe had designed this one after had to return the life to its original owner. And seeing as she¡¯d not had time to modify it all that much it still held that function.

    So now all the source Emily had just moved into the curse was traveling back towards Seila.

    If that amount of power entered her body now, it would rip her apart from the inside.

    When Ashe heard her call she didn¡¯t hesitate, she moved into the ritual space and made some hand gestures of her own but there was no outward change.

    Growling Emily turned to look at what was left of the curse. She could still pull the grey source out of there, but then it would just go back to its previous state and they would have achieved nothing.

    Unfortunately, that was starting to look like the best option, at least then Seila would live and they would have time to make adjustments.

    Emily was about to try this when Ashe called out to Kael.

    ¡°Pull her out of the circle on my command!¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes had widened because before this Ashe had stressed that pulling her out of the circle was not to be tried or they would both suffer.

    Then Ashe drew her knife and stepped into the circle, engraving a rune on her own arm. As soon as it was done she gave the signal and Kael ripped the unconscious woman from the circle.

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened as she realized what Ashe was trying to do.

    The rune on her arm was an intake rune. She was attempting to transfer the curse onto herself.

    Guided by the rune, the ritual homed in on Ashe with finality

    ¡°Ashe, what are you doing, you can¡¯t!¡± Emily strained against the power of the spell, but it was useless at this stage.

    The dodecagon slammed into Ashe''s chest with the force of a kicking mule.

    She didn¡¯t even scream as she went flying out of the ritual like a kite with it sting cut. The glow vanished and Emily was left reeling from the lash back.

    Alex moved to intercept her path and caught her out of the air causing the two to go flying backward, but he managed to stop her momentum by collapsing to the floor.

    Emily regained her balance and moved toward Alex, who had pressed the back of his hand to Ashe¡¯s mouth.

    He looked up at her, his eyes distant, hollow.

    "She¡¯s not breathing..."

    Emily froze mid-step as she looked at Ashe¡¯s still body.

    A slow, seething heat rose from the pit of her stomach, twisting around her ribs like a thorned vine. Her breath came shallow, sharp. Then, with a deliberate step, she resumed her march toward the woman, her eyes glowing red.

    "You think I¡¯d let you die after a stunt like that?"

    Her voice was ice, cutting through the vaulted chamber. The words slithered into the shadows, filling them with quiet menace.

    Blood points: 610

 Chapter 167 - Cheap miracles

    The entire chamber felt frozen in time, no one daring to breathe. Kael worked frantically to rouse an unconscious Seila as Nox rushed to their side. Around them, the animals shifted uneasily, letting out nervous whinnies as a chill slithered through the vast space like a coiling serpent.

    Emily had just arrived and knelt next to Alex and Ashe, a distant frenzy having crept into her eyes.

    ¡°Alex, move out of the way¡­¡± her voice echoed gently into their surroundings.

    Alex had not taken his eyes off Emily since she spoke, and he¡¯d not moved from his spot on the ground where he¡¯d caught Ashe.

    The woman lay still and silently in his arms, and he clutched her protectively, as though he could shield her from Emily. She almost looked peaceful in his embrace.

    ¡°Emily, just take a breath. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking, but she knew what she was doing¡­ She had to know this would happen.¡±

    Emily flicked her wrist, and a thick cord of blood extended from her back and wrapped gently around Alex¡¯s waist. Extracting him from under the woman.

    ¡°I know, which is why I¡¯ll bring her back so she can give me a real reason.¡±

    Emily knelt over Ashe and pressed the side of her head to the woman''s chest.

    There was no breath and not even the slightest heartbeat.

    Without hesitating, Emily got up and began compressions. Counting them off out loud.

    ¡°Emily, what are you doing?!¡± Alex hissed, but she ignored him in favor of tilting Ashe''s chin up and breathing into her mouth.

    There was movement from behind her, but she ignored that too.

    She tried to activate Blood Price to connect to Ashe, but the skill couldn¡¯t find a target. The person needed to be alive, so she kept up compressions. All she needed was the briefest of windows, and then she could save her.

    ¡°Emily, you need to stop now the Healer¡¯s here,¡± Alex whispered. He tried to lay a hand on her shoulder, but she shook him off and kept up going.

    There were murmurs coming from all around Emily now, calls of confusion and anger.

    ¡°What are you doing, girl? There is no white source coming from her. She¡¯s dead; stop that this instant!¡± Yishmal''s voice echoed from behind.

    ¡°Stop! I thought she was your friend,¡± someone else echoed.

    More voices called out, but Emily was too busy searching for the smallest sign of life; she didn¡¯t have time to deal with their whiny voices right now.

    Emily couldn¡¯t allow Ashe to die, not like this. This was exactly how her grandfather had died. He had been a cruel man, and yet Emily had never been able to understand how he could so willingly give up his life to save hers.

    Was he insane? Or did he have some long-hidden righteous side to him?

    Sacrificing oneself was something a hero did, and Emily hated heroes. She couldn¡¯t accept this kind of outcome.

    Ashe dying in this manner was beyond foolish. She¡¯d rather drag this woman to hell than let her have her happy ending.

    Emily reached down to give her another breath, but a large firm hand gripped her shoulder and neck in a vice-like grip.

    Emily turned in time to see Kael frowning down at her with a look of dismay.

    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± his voice was a mix of anger and horror.

    Alex tried to get in between them.

    ¡°Kael, stop, she said she could help-¡± he started, but Emily didn¡¯t have time for this. Every second counted.

    Massive amounts of blood poured out of her whole body and exploded in the form of dozens of blades. Their keen edges cut through the air with a metallic ringing. Everyone but Alex backed up, unable to approach as the misshapen blades bent around her like a cage.

    Emily knew CPR wasn¡¯t a sure thing, but she needed to try. That was when she realized how stupid she¡¯d been. Ashe had blood, why was she acting like this was her limit?

    Emily turned back and reinstated her compressions, but his time, she reached into the woman and began to circulate her blood. Emily had never tried to save someone like this before, but she was no longer living, which meant her blood was Emily¡¯s to command. With each compression, she expanded and contracted her heart. Circulating the blood through all of her extremities. Even as she forced the blood in her chest to expand her lungs and breathe for her, doing all of this would keep her brain from oxygen death, but her body showed no signs of starting up on its own again.

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    Emily''s frustration reached a peak when Alex stood next to her.

    He could try and stop her, but she¡¯d ignore him. If need be she''d kicked him out too.

    ¡°Emily¡­I trust in whatever you¡¯re doing. So how can I help?¡±

    For the briefest of seconds, Emily looked up at Alex to see a determined look on his face.

    ¡°Keep them away, I-¡± Emily started, but then she felt the tiniest flicker of life coming from Ashe.

    Alex forgotten, she turned back and poured Life source into the woman through Blood Price. Using it to bolster her vitality and heal the damage that had torn through her frame.

    Emily felt her outer shell of blood snap like brittle glass and something rushing towards her, but she was too focused on Ashes returning life signs to stop it.

    Alex cursed and left her side. What followed was a cacophonous clash of blades, followed shortly by his grunt of pain.

    And when everything seemed to balance on the edge of a knife, Ashes'' life signs exploded, and Emily¡¯s powers were pushed out, as her body took over and she lost control of her blood.

    Ashe¡¯s eyes fluttered open, and she let out a pain-filled wail.

    All around them, the shouts and sounds of fighting fell into silence.

    Emily was panting from the exertion of CPR as well as the extreme amount of effort that was needed to keep all of the human process going after death, but relief washed over her as the woman looked around in confusion.

    ¡°It worked?¡± she gasped.

    Emily¡¯s breath hissed from her lips.

    ¡°No, it didn¡¯t. And if you ever try something like that again, I¡¯ll kill you myself,¡± she said with grateful malice.

    Seeing that she was alive, Emily got up and turned back to look at everyone. The whole place was very different from when she turned around. Before they had started the ritual, no one had wanted anything to do with this side of the chamber, but now there were crowds of baffled spectators pushing in closer. Yet they maintained their distance as though unable or unwilling to get any closer.

    Turning around to look for the source of the chaos earlier, she saw Selia had broken through her blood with sheer brute strength. With one foot in the grave, she had attacked Emily with a dagger. Alex had moved to block her and had been struck in the process.

    As he clutched his side, Emily moved up beside him, eyed the woman, and then turned to look at Yishmal.

    ¡°Well? She¡¯s alive. Healer, do your fucking job and make sure she stays that way.¡± Emily said icily.

    Grabbing hold of Alex by the collar, she moved both of them away from the ritual site, away from the crowd.

    Emily then pulled her blood inwards and noticed a look of astonishment on Alex''s face as he tried to turn back to look at Ashe.

    When Selia saw her sister alive behind her, she swallowed, and the fight fled her, causing her to collapse to her knees.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could¡­ She was laying so still and I¡­¡±

    Emily turned to look at the woman. It was obvious she was still suffering under the after-effects of the curse, but that meant nothing to Emily.

    She stopped beside Selia and spoke with a voice almost devoid of emotion.

    ¡°I¡¯ll forgive this just once because you¡¯re her sister. But if you raise your blade against me or mine again, I won¡¯t think twice. Even if you¡¯re her sister.¡±

    Moving past her, Emily frowned at Kael, who had not taken his eyes off Ashe, but when he turned to look at her, there was a strange light in his eyes.

    She could see they would talk later, and as far as she was concerned they could all just fuck off, she wasn¡¯t interested right now.

    When they got to the crowd of Wandering Fangs, Emily stared straight ahead. They just parted, and she moved through them without a second glance.

    Heading over to one of the further walls, she found a spot with few to no tents and let go of Alex. Moving to lean against the wall, she slid down it on her back until she was sitting. By the time she got to the ground, she sighed, and her hands were in her face.

    What in the world had come over here back there? She¡¯d been in complete control, and then Ashe had done that, and it felt like she had none.

    To make matters worse, the trembling had started, and it was out of hand. None of her mental exercises were helping to calm her as she struggled not to lash out.

    Looking up from her hands, Emily saw that Alex was gone. She didn¡¯t try and move from the spot. All she could do right now was keep herself still by clutching her sweaty hands together.

    She closed her eyes for a few short minutes, but she opened them again when she heard the sound of fabric unfurling.

    There stood Alex as he went about setting up his tent against the wall they were near. He didn¡¯t say a word as he worked, only shooting her glances now and then to make sure she was still there.

    When the basics of the tent were set up inside, he moved over to her and offered a hand. Still, he didn¡¯t say anything, but his eyes seemed to understand.

    She took his extended arm, and he yanked her up into a standing position.

    Leading her to the tent.

    When she was inside, she saw he¡¯d brought her pack inside already and had unrolled her sleeping bag.

    Emily collapsed into it, burying her face into the wooly material. Alex entered the tent, and the sound of the flap closing could be heard.

    For a while, there were no words spoken, but Alex finally broke the silence. His voice was calm, but there was a serious tone to it.

    ¡°Emily, can you raise the dead?¡± he asked.

    Emily pulled her head from the covers and looked at Alex.

    ¡°What? No, that wasn¡¯t magic. It was resuscitation-¡± she started but stopped when she remembered that while the technique was popular in her world, it was probably unknown here.

    ¡°It''s a skill from my old world, but anyone can do it if they know what they are doing,¡± she continued.

    Alex¡¯s eyes widened, and he leaned in.

    ¡°Can you teach it to me? Even Healers can¡¯t do anything like that, with so few resources.¡±

    Emily frowned and put her elbows under herself.

    ¡°Slow down, man. The skill only works if you apply it directly after vital signs cease, and even then, it''s a gamble. Also, are you serious? You guys have freaking magic here. How can there be no way to jump-start someone''s heart?¡±

    Now it was Alex¡¯s turn to frown.

    ¡°Well, there are but¡­ most forms of resurrection are high-ranked skills. The gods can do it through their believers, and several titles can do it but they are all considered either blacklisted or impossible to attain.¡±

    Emily hummed and turned over onto her side, facing the tent wall.

    ¡°I suppose I can teach it to you, but you¡¯re going to have to come up with something to make it worth my while.¡±

    Emily heard him shifting behind her, the sound of his own sleeping bag unfurling.

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about what would be an equal exchange. People are probably going to give you a wide berth from now on, but seeing as we left so quickly, you never got to hear their words, so I¡¯ll say them for you. Good job, Emily, and thank you for your help.¡±

    Emily swallowed a lump forming in her throat and pushed it down. Blinking rapidly, she glared at the fabric wall, but she noticed as she clutched her arms to her chest that they had all but stopped trembling.

    Blood points: 609

 Chapter 168 - A meeting in the sands

    It was two hours before nightfall, and Emily was still in Alex¡¯s tent. She hadn¡¯t moved from her sleeping bag since falling asleep, but it seemed the day had other plans for her.

    The sounds of heavy boots outside their tent woke Emily, putting her on guard immediately.

    If someone tried to mess with her, she was not in the mood, but if they were going to do anything, they should be willing to face the consequences.

    Emily''s eyes glowed in the tent''s low light when a calming voice called out to them.

    ¡°Alex, Emily, are you awake? We need to speak,¡± came Kael''s rough voice.

    The corners of Emily¡¯s mouth turned down, and when she gazed over, she saw Alex already sitting up.

    ¡°Kael, it''s the middle of the day. Can¡¯t it wait till this evening?¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be busy tomorrow; now would be better.¡± Kael intoned.

    Alex¡¯s shoulders drooped, and his silhouette turned to Emily. When she shrugged, he sighed.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be right out,¡± Alex said.

    To their surprise, Kael¡¯s voice came shortly.

    ¡°No need, I¡¯m coming in,¡± he said as the flaps to the tent rustled.

    Now, the tent could comfortably handle two individuals and their belongings, but three became a bit cramped.

    Especially seeing as Kael was so tall.

    He stooped into the tent and sat down at the entrance. Crossing his legs to reduce the space he took up.

    He was still dressed in his travel gear from earlier and looked at them both with a tired gaze.

    ¡°Thank you, but first, there is a glaring problem that I should address. Emily. I want to apologize for what happened on my end earlier. I should have controlled the situation better, and for that, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Kael said as he lowered his head slightly, placing a hand over his heart.

    Emily didn¡¯t have any words for the man, but she did acknowledge the apology with a nod.

    Alex looked from Emily to Kael, and when he could see she wasn¡¯t going to offer up anything more, he moved the conversation along.

    ¡°Forget it. You didn¡¯t come here just for that¡ªwhat¡¯s really on your mind?¡±

    Kael grimaced, but he didn¡¯t correct Alex, meaning he was spot on.

    ¡°Actually I have come with a proposition, which you are free to turn down, of course. With Emily¡¯s display yesterday, as well as Alexander¡¯s growing popularity. Our current numbers need stronger leadership. Now, normally I wouldn¡¯t consider this, but with Marth is gone ¨Chowever, it happened¨C and the power vacuum within our ranks. I need you two to step up.¡± Kael paused, took a breath, and continued.

    ¡°Alex, you have already taken up a more active role, and I find myself trusting you two more and more. That''s why I needed to see if you two were interested in taking on an official position within our ranks. When we get you to where you are needed, this will fall away, but for now, I could use the help.¡± he finished.

    When he¡¯d gotten his pitch out, neither of them spoke for a while but to Emily, her answer was clear.

    Why would she willingly offer up more of her time to help people ¨Cfor what¨C an upgrade to management?

    ¡°No, thanks-¡± she started curtly.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do it,¡± Alex said.

    Emily turned to look at the man in confusion. Why in the world would he want to do something so tiring?

    ¡°Of course, that means you¡¯ll get paid for however long this journey takes, plus you¡¯ll have a certain amount of authority while you own the title, and right no,w I think you could use it.¡±

    Emily liked the idea of money, but it still wasn¡¯t worth it.

    Alex seemed on board, for whatever reason, but Emily still shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it''s a good salary too, but I¡¯m not interested.¡±

    Kael nodded.

    ¡°I thought as much. Then all I ask is that you work closer with your fellow Mages. We need some an answer when magic gets in our way again.¡±

    Emily pressed her lips together.

    He was talking about forming a group with Ashe and Nox to fight other magic users. It was an interesting idea, but not one Emily was interested in entertaining right now. She was still furious with the woman.

    She was about to decline that as well when there was a sudden tremor throughout the room.

    Emily didn¡¯t have to wonder what it could be as the sounds of groaning stone echoed from the entrance of the chamber.

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    Kael¡¯s face became more serious, and he looked at the two of them.

    ¡°Come with me.¡±

    Neither of them hesitated as they got up.

    That sound could only be caused by one thing.

    The door opened, and judging by the sudden rush of air through the chamber, the storm had yet to subside.

    Emily hadn¡¯t even bothered to get undressed earlier, so she hopped up and followed Kael.

    Alex was right behind them as they headed for the door. People were already poking their heads out from their tents or moving through the space to get to the stairwell.

    There was a crowd gathering, and Kael cut through them, making a path to the front entrance.

    From where they were, they couldn¡¯t see much. It was clear by the sand rushing up the stairs that the doors were open, but beyond that, there were no torches on the walls. Kael lowered his spear and gave the command to be ready.

    Emily pulled blood from her chest and let it run down her arms to pool at her fingertips. A glance around saw Gerade arrive near the front along with Atticus.

    Emily noticed Ashe near the edge of the crowd but chose to focus on the situation at hand

    If she strained her ears, she could hear soft footfalls climbing the stairs. It was hard to tell just how many individuals there were, but Emily got ready to fight either way.

    The sounds of groaning stone punctuated the room as the wind and dust suddenly died out.

    No one spoke as they waited to see who their visitors were. There was a loamy scent of earth filling the chamber as someone stepped onto the top of the stairs and into the light.

    Emily immediately recognized the long limbs and fair skin as a man looking similar to Kael stepping into the light.

    From the way the shadows moved behind him, it was clear he was not alone, and from the expression of rage on his face, it was clear he didn¡¯t like what he saw.

    ¡°Who are you people, how did you get in here-¡± the man began, but his speech broke when his eyes landed on Kael.

    They narrowed dangerously, and he took another couple of steps into the chamber. He approached Kael, smelling of dust and sweat. Everyone tensed, but Kael held up a fist to stop them from acting. Emily was itching to fight something, and all she needed was a reason.

    But contrary to his aggressive approach, a grin broke out on his face, and he opened his arms, pulling Kael in for a tight hug.

    Kael laughed in an easygoing manner and returned the firm hug with a couple of harsh slaps on the man''s back.

    ¡°Sol, it''s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Kael said as a genuine smile came over his face

    The man was quite a few years younger than him, probably just leaving his twenties behind him.

    ¡°Uncle Kaelan? I can¡¯t believe it''s you. The last I saw you, you were leaving the village on a mission of importance. Mother misses you.¡±

    Kael smiled at that and nodded.

    ¡°That''s kind of her, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯s the only one. Enough of that though; please come in. We have a lot to catch up on.¡±

    Sol seemed to remember the other people here now and frowned.

    ¡°That''s right. First, I must know why you have brought all these outsiders inside one of our sanctuaries,¡± he said with a tight voice.

    There was obvious discomfort in his voice, but Emily got the feeling it wasn¡¯t directed at them, more the fact that he had to respond in a certain way, to defend his home territory.

    Emily continued watching the man and saw that he carried a spear as well; they all did.

    Behind him, the shadows moved, and half a dozen more people appeared from the stairwell. One of those people was a woman with a foul sneer on her face.

    Kael nodded and used his open palm to point them toward his tent.

    ¡°I will explain it all, but first, why don¡¯t I have Fox whip something up for your men to eat? We¡¯ll clear a spot and talk this out.¡±

    Sol rubbed his chin and was about to nod before the woman Emily had spotted spoke out.

    ¡°Pathfinder, I don¡¯t think we should trust these people so quickly. They are not from the tribe and should be expelled out into the desert, as is proper.¡±

    This caused the air in the room to shift dangerously.

    It was true that the wandering Fangs had encroached upon their territory, but the alternative was to wait it out in the storm.

    The woman had no pity or care on her face and was about to second from getting a blood whip to the nose.

    Kael reacted quickly, his voice heavy as grinding stone.

    ¡°You are outnumbered here and outmatched. You would speak out of turn when your Pathfinder is looking to lead you through this?¡±

    The woman''s face twisted in on itself, but she didn¡¯t back down.

    ¡°If we must fight, then we have to defend these halls, but we will get rid of the interlopers, and that includes you, exile.¡±

    Emily could tell she was missing something,g but she didn¡¯t care; she was ready to scoop the woman up and flatten her.

    However, the woman was saved by Sol.

    ¡°And who are you to voice your thoughts? I am leading this hunting party, and you will be silent. The rest of you remain here until I return. If you do not like the way I lead, then challenge me, or be silent.¡±

    The woman¡¯s face was a mask of displeasure, though at the mention of a challenge, she backed down. Emily would have to remember that

    Kael nodded and led them over to his tent. When he got there, he made a come-here motion to his leads and even to Alex.

    Emily remained watching the woman as she scowled at them all. There were about a dozen people on her side, and from the way their faces mirrored hers, they did not agree with this either.

    They waited, and yet they never pushed any further into the chamber, listening to Sol¡¯s words faithfully

    After what felt like forever spent staring off with these people, Kael and Sol returned.

    ¡°After some discussion, it has been decided that they can stay as guests of the Ashvali tribe as they were on their way to the village. We will act as a guide to get them there, but after that, they will have to answer to the Chief. I don¡¯t want any arguments, it has already been decided,¡± Sol said.

    The looks on their faces were of extreme distaste, though they seemed more placated because it was an order.

    Kael spoke up, too.

    ¡°My Fangs, we will do our best to accommodate the Ashvali tribe as they lead us to our destination. I don¡¯t want to hear any problems arrive, or I will deal with it harshly; that goes doubly for certain individuals." he paused here, and Emily had a feeling he was talking about her. "For now, they will be given the area near the passage. We will remain one more night as the sands have yet to calm, but after that, we will leave together.¡±

    Emily frowned. What would have happened if Kael had not known their leader? Would they have gotten to fight?

    She remembered Kael saying that he didn¡¯t like his tribe''s traditions, and she could see the problem right away. They were uncompromising to a fault, and only Kael knew how they operated.

    Seeing as they were to be staying here for a while with these people, Emily decided she would minimize contact with them for their safety. It was obvious she¡¯d cause a problem if she had to deal with their intolerance, so for the first time in a while, she decided to remove herself from the situation.

    However, as she was leaving, there was a sudden gasp amongst the group of Ashvali. When she turned back, she saw them looking towards the old blood wards drawn into the stone.

    It would seem that no one had cleaned it up from this morning, and their faces were a mix of horror and disgust.

    ¡°Who practices these arts in our desert?!¡± the woman from before spoke

    Several people involuntarily turned to look at Emily, and the woman saw this. She stalked forward toward Emily with purpose and stopped just before her, a hard light flicking behind her eyes

    It looked like the universe was testing Emily''s patience right now because the moment she decided to retreat, they moved to block her path. She was really not going to get along with these people.

    Blood points: 611

 Chapter 169 - A Frustrating triumph

    ¡°Is it you who practice these arts?!¡± the woman demanded, trudging toward Emily.

    Lately, people seemed far too eager to pick fights. Sure, blood magic was taboo, but the sheer anger in this woman''s approach felt too raw, too personal.

    Emily had no desire for trouble, but she wasn¡¯t the type to shrink away when it came knocking at her door. There was only one way to handle this.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s mine. Who are you, and what of it?¡± she sneered.

    The woman hesitated, her advance faltering at the unshaken strength in Emily¡¯s voice.

    ¡°I will not give my name to anyone who would steal our time-honored arts like this,¡± she said with equal strength.

    Now it was Emily¡¯s turn to pause. Did they practice blood magic?

    Their conversation drew the attention of Kael and Sol, the former moving over to them with a concerned look.

    ¡°Emily¡­¡± he said, caution lacing his tone.

    She almost wanted to throw her hands up. How was this her fault? She¡¯d been minding her own business.

    Sol had followed behind shortly, his tone was equal parts calming and annoyed.

    ¡°I¡¯llva, what is going on?¡±

    The woman I¡¯llva turned to look at Sol and pointed at Emily.

    ¡°This woman is practicing sacred shamanism,¡± she said.

    Sol¡¯s eyes narrowed at Emily, but he turned to look at Kael, who snorted.

    ¡°Relax, Emily is no Shaman. Certain rituals look all too similar to what we are used to, but they are not tied to the land.¡± Kael said this out loud as I moved next to Emily, and in a quieter voice, he spoke to Emily.

    ¡°It''s fine, the Ashvali are no strangers to blood magic, you¡¯re not being accused. But it is seen as an insult to do rituals in their space without permission.¡±

    Emily shot him a glare, thanking him for the late warning. It wasn¡¯t like they¡¯d had a lot of choice on the matter.

    Sol glanced at the ritual site and then searched her face. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end under his gaze.

    He wasn¡¯t as strong as Kael, but he was still a threat. If Emily had to guess, he was at least comparable to Marth, if not a little stronger.

    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t practice while we¡¯re here, then I see no problem. However, I like permission to clear away the circle.¡±

    Emily shrugged.

    ¡°Be my guest. And I won¡¯t practice other blood magic while you¡¯re around. That was an emergency, anyway. But just so you are aware, if I need to defend myself or mine, then I make no promises.¡±

    Sol pursed his lips and nodded.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t deny you protection out here, but I must insist you avoid using it when we get to the tribe. Neither the Cheifs nor the Shamans would look kindly on it.¡±

    Emily held his gaze and finally nodded.

    If she needed to fight, she¡¯d do it her way. Their customs be damned, but for now, seeing as Kael was trying hard to get them across the desert she¡¯d comply.

    With the settled Sol and Kael seemed to come to an unspoken conclusion. They moved everyone around so that the offending site was out of view as Kael set a couple of his men to clean the dried and flaking blood.

    Emily, on the other hand, moved back into the sea of tents, heading for her sleeping bag. When she got there, she saw the last person she wanted to meet right now.

    Ashe had posted up by the entrance to Alex¡¯s tent, waiting there quietly. Behind her was Selia, who looked in far better condition than she had this morning. In fact, in a day or so more, no one would be able to tell she¡¯d been dying of a curse just hours prior.

    Emily almost turned around to go look for Dunham, perhaps she could commandeer his tent for a while.

    Sadly, Ashe spotted her before she could make her get away. She asked

    ¡°Emily, wait, do you have time to talk?¡±

    She frowned at the vulnerable tone in her voice. Emily didn¡¯t like how much it tugged on her heartstrings. Which felt unfair; had she ever given anyone this kind of consideration? Maybe when she was younger and inexperienced, despite the little voice in her head telling her to walk away, Emily stayed

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°What is it, Ashe?¡± she sighed.

    ¡°...I wanted to say I¡¯m sorry for what I did.¡±

    Emily''s face twitched, and all her emotions turned sour.

    ¡°Sorry for what, Ashe? Sorry for killing yourself in a self-sacrificing blaze of glory?¡± she sneered, her voice turning to full-blown rage by the end.

    Selia¡¯s face hardened as she stepped in front of Ashe protectively, as though that would save her.

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit harsh, Emily. She came to make amends.¡±

    Frustration clawed at Emily¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Stay out of this, Seila. This is between me and her.¡±

    This only caused the muscled Jailor to puff out her chest.

    ¡°She is my sister. Now, you may have saved me, and I¡¯m grateful, but you don¡¯t get to talk to her that way.¡±

    Emily cocked her head to the side just a fraction of a degree and held the woman''s gaze.

    Neither spoke as they sized one another up, both ready to act if needed.

    ¡°Enough, you two,¡± Came Ashe''s voice, firm and hard. ¡°Lia, she¡¯s right. What I did, even an Adept would now not do. And Emily, she is just worried don¡¯t take it out on her when I¡¯m right here.¡±

    Ashe got in between them and faced Emily.

    ¡°I am so sorry, not just for what I did, but for not telling you that I was doing it. You could have helped, I see that now. Forgive me,¡± she said as she placed a hand over her heart.

    Emily looked down at Ashe''s soft eyes but had to tear her gaze away.

    ¡°Words are cheap, Ashe. I can accept your apology, and I can even work with you, but I can¡¯t forgive you. Not until you show me that your life means more to you than what you¡¯ve shown me.¡±

    Ashe looked lost at her words, while Selia looked about ready to hurt her, but Emily wasn¡¯t going to back down. What happened when Selia was in danger again? Would she jump in front of a monster to save her sister¡¯s life? To most, this trait was seen as a selfless act of love; to Emily, it was foolish beyond words.

    Ashe pursed her lips and nodded.

    ¡°I see where you¡¯re coming from, Emily, and I won¡¯t argue with you, but I don¡¯t regret what I did. And I just wanted you to know that I¡¯m grateful for what you did for me. "We¡¯re going to go¡­¡± she said as she began to lead Selia away from the tent. Emily didn¡¯t move or even acknowledge her as she frowned to herself. Before Ashe left, she paused and looked back.

    ¡°Kael has asked me to bump up the plans to train magically together, so I hope you were being truthful earlier when you said you¡¯d work with me because we''re going to need to if we¡¯re going to get the hang of this.¡±

    Emily brought her hand up to the back of her neck and rubbed her muscles there harshly. She didn¡¯t respond, but after a couple of seconds, she heard both of them retreating.

    Emily stared at the tent in front of her. Her sleeping back was right there; she could just curl up in it and sleep for the day, but she didn¡¯t feel like sleeping in more. It probably wouldn¡¯t come right now anyway, not with all these useless thoughts flickering through her mind.

    Changing direction, Emily decided to find Fox and see if the man needed any extra help or was perhaps willing to part with an extra something.

    Tracking the man down turned out to be more difficult than she first thought. She couldn¡¯t even find any of his workers to guide her to him, but in a limited space, there were only so many places he could hide, right?

    As it turned out, the man had not been in the main chamber. It was only when Emily remembered there was a food storage area that she made a beeline for the side area.

    She found him there, busy preparing for the early morning rush. With the addition of a dozen people, he was spinning to make it in time. Even jumping in now looked like she would only do more harm than good, so she snagged a ration bar and stepped off to the side. It was while she was watching the organized chaos unfold that Emily noticed a door leading out of the storage. She thought there was only one entrance, but then she hadn¡¯t looked very hard, anyway. Making her way to it with the ration bar still partway in her mouth, she pulled on the handle.

    The stone door was steadfast, not budging even slightly.

    Looking around the handle, she saw the same mechanism as outside. It required her to lift and then push.

    The desire to explore ignited, and she pulled blood from her chest to create a rod that fit into the stone door.

    What a powerful lift and pushing mithing the stone door groaned inward, releasing a gust of sand. Fox looked up from his production line long enough to shoot her a fiery gaze, though he turned back to his work shortly.

    Seeing the way open, Emily poked her head through. Of course, there was another flight of stairs right in front of her with unlit torches on the walls. Sighing, she rose into the air and drifted up the stairs.

    If there were more traps up here, then she wasn¡¯t going to risk setting them off now.

    When she got to the top of the stairs, a passage turned sharply off to the left. Following it, she saw light at the end of the tunnel, and when she got there, she looked out over the camp below. She was back in the main chamber, only, from here she could see out over the whole area. There was a small knee-high balcony that blended well into the side of the upper wall. So from here, a Chief or lookout could watch over everything from her without being noticed.

    She could see everyone going about their routine quietly, their voice merging into a quiet buzz up here.

    Since she was near the top of the dome, the sound seemed amplified, and were she to speak, the natural shape of the space would carry her voice to everyone.

    Emily could also see the glass-like skylight better from here, and it was clear there was some kind of light-reflection technique with mirrors going on here like they did in old Egyptian tombs.

    From up here, Emily felt like all her problems were a little more distant. There was another corridor leading off to the side, which Emily assumed was an office or meeting room of some kind, but she wasn¡¯t interested in moving right now.

    So, crossing her leg near the edge, she sat and just watched everything going on below.

    There was peace to it that Emily needed right now.

    Sighing to calmly to herself, she began her mental exercises in this environment. The low hum of voices acted to lull her deeper into a meditative state quickly, and Emily let herself drift in the darkness.

    Stars drifted past her awareness, and though she was interested in finding out her ranks, he wanted to sort something out first.

    A thought had been bothering her since Alex shared his status, and frankly, she was having a hard time not reaching for the answer. With Eva¡¯s memories locked away, she just knew the answer she was looking for was right under her nose. Now the problem was finding.

    Emily waved the stars away. She imagined herself in robes of draping silk. Able to protect her from Eva¡¯s radioactive memories.

    Then, with one goal in mind, she took the plunge.

    ¡®Who was Alexander?¡¯

    Blood points: 612